Exercise And Fitness

ByIsaac S Tallie

One of the keys to living a healthy life is exercise. Walking or early mornings running increases brainwave activity. Pollution in the air around 5:00 am is low therefore you will receive a cleaner source of oxygen in the morning then in the afternoon. Some people believe that you have to train 5 to 7days a week to stay in shape and technically that's not true.

You can train 1 or 2 day(s) out of the week, go for walks, take care of chores or job duties, and all that stuff is a weeks worth of exercise. Now, that may not get you prepared for the olympics, but you will feel healthier in your heart and mind. There has been times I used multiple techniques to stay in shape without training more than twice a week. For example, say if you went on a one or two mile run on Monday, you don't have to train again until that following Monday. Training one day a week lets your body know your not lazy. Instead of allowing one or two days of rest and let your body, mind, and heart circulation build in a short period of time before your next workout. You will have six days to let your muscles build from a one day a week workout.

A friend asked me a couple of years back, around winter 2009, he said, "Isaac you still run?", and I said to him "once a month during the winter" (approximately), He started laughing at me, saying, "that's all, just once a month that ain't much". So I began to explain to him in the winter my training consists of cardio indoors once a week, running once a month, and weight training 1 to 4 days a month, which is a total of 5 or 6 days spread out throughout a month. Once I explained he then complimented me on my training technique. Trying these training tips mentioned in this article will keep your mind, and body in good physical conditioning.

Please take time off from exercise when your body feels tired, a week or two now and then doesn't hurt. If you use these techniques I've explained to you throughout the year, and spring and summer comes around you will already have a head start to fit into your swimsuit with curves if your a woman, or to show off your physical conditioning for the gentlemen. Remember to exercise smart, eat right, and power up for an healthy life.

http://www.becomephysicallyfit.com/

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How To Increase Weight Easily

If you are one of those who are perpetually thin throughout your life, you must be wondering why is it that there are so many people who can get fat easily while it is so difficult for you to do so. On one hand you are desperately trying to gain weight while on the other hand, there are so many people who want to lose it..

Of course you do understand that in order to gain weight healthily, you need to consume more good calories than what your body uses up for energy and at the same time take up weight lifting to put on muscle weight. However, that will mean a lot of effort on your part and yet the progress will be slow. You want to put on weight as quickly and as easily as possible. Whether the methods are healthy or not is not on the uppermost part of your mind.

So with that being the case, here are some easy ways in which you can gain weight by increasing your body fat. I do not advocate this approach as the methods can be rather unhealthy.

Sleep Deprivation - By depriving yourself of sleep, you are increasing the stress on your body forcing your body to produce more fat storing hormones such as cortisol. Furthermore, the longer you keep awake, the more time you will have to eat more foods such as late night suppers.

Important Questions When Buying Incontinence Products

ByAlice Merry

Incontinence products have now become essential for managing the uncontrollable out flow of liquid from bowels or urinary glands. There are found to be high number of people suffering from this problem who get their confidence shattered in a throng. Incontinence if ignored can be a hazardous and perilous threat to the health of a person suffering from it.

Fortunately, in order to manage these problems there are effective incontinence products that can be of a great assistance in maintaining health and dignity and enable the patient to lead life with comfort.

However, it is crucial to know what factors shall be taken high note of when buying incontinence products. Since a thorough research will likely find you the most suitable incontinence products fitting to your exact needs requirements.

Here are a few questions to ask when you are buying incontinence products:
There are different sizes and variety of incontinence products today available. Therefore there is no need to be worried that every person has to fit himself in a particular size. So prior to your purchase of product the first question you shall confirm is what size is the person you are buying for?

Another important question to be asked when making your purchase of incontinence product is what gender you are basically buying the product for? Makers of it have understood that the need of women and men varies when selecting such sort of products. Thus, to best meet the requirements of patient it crucial to identify the gender of a person you are buying for.

People have different life styles and are engrossed in several activities. Therefore, when you are buying your product, make sure it matches to the life style of person since this will keep the patient at an ease and will assist to carry himself without much hassles. Thus, the question this time that shall be asked is what lifestyle does the person pursue you are buying for?

The next question needs to be asked: how absorbent the product is? Since people suffering from incontinence may require different level of absorbency at different times. This means that a senior with incontinence, at times may need a heavier absorbency of product at night than in a day time. However, the right combination can be found by a trial and error Activity.

It is important to ask aforementioned question to buy incontinence products because your vigilant purchase will help you to maintain your lifestyle smoothly.

Looking for high quality, reliable and affordable incontinence products or medical supplies? Look no further! Our top quality products are simply perfect for everyone.

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Ab Muscles

Strong abdominals can turn an average athlete into an all-star; they provide support for throwing motions, stability and balance for jumping/lunging movements, and stamina for endurance sports. And ab perform an invaluable function in everyday life; they support the spine and allow us to bend. Combine conditioned with regular stretching for the hamstrings and lower back, and you’ll have a strong, healthy spine and excellent posture. An amazing $80 billion is spent every year on medical care for the treatment of problems associated with low back pain. So even if you never want to wear a midriff-baring top, there are plenty of sensible reasons for you to take care of your ab.

The abdominal region is composed of four muscles groups: the rectus abdominis, the external and internal obliques, and the transverse abdominis. The chart below explains each muscle’s location and function. Knowing these simple facts about your anatomy will help you with visualization during your ab workout so you get the most out of each exercise.

Muscle: Rectus abdominis
Location: The rectus abdominis runs the length of the torso from the pubic bone to mid-chest.
Function: Used for flexion: pulls the torso toward the hips and vice versa; responsible for tilt of pelvis.
Sports: Good for sports requiring running, jumping, and lifting.

Muscle: External oblique
Location: The external oblique runs diagonally to the rectus abdominis; it forms a V when viewed from the front.
Function: Aids in twisting at the waist: left external is active when you twist to the right (and vice versa).
Sports: Improves performance in golf, boxing, tennis, baseball, and any other sport that require trunk rotation.

Muscle: Internal oblique
Location: The internal oblique lies underneath the external oblique and runs diagonally in the opposite direction.
Function: Aids in twisting the torso: left internal is active when you twist to the left, aiding the right external oblique (and vice versa).
Sports: Like the external obliques, good for sports that require rotation: skiing, paddling, rowing, etc.

Muscle: Transverse abdominis
Location: The transverse abdominis runs horizontally across the abdominal wall and underneath the obliques; this is the muscle you use to “suck in your stomach.”
Function: Primarily responsible for helping the lungs breathe: pulls the abdominal wall inward to force air exhalation.
Sports: Enhances performance in sports that require short, powerful bursts: football, karate, soccer, hockey, shot put.

Workout Tips

For the most effective workout, work the lower section of the rectus abdominis first, then the obliques, then the upper part of the rectus abdominis.

When lifting your upper torso for a crunch, always keep your chin pointing up to the ceiling, rather than looking toward your knees.

Really support your head and neck with your hands without pulling on your neck.

Exhale on the contraction and inhale as your relax the muscles.

Always contract the ab by pulling the belly button toward the spine before beginning any lifting motion.

When doing crunches, if you feel a lot of tension in your neck, take a break until the muscles of the neck and shoulder relax. That tension is produced when you try to lift with your upper body instead of your ab. It’s important that you take a break, relax, and contract the ab by pulling your belly button toward your spine.

Rather than trying to flatten your back to the floor, focus instead on pulling your belly button in as tightly as you can. It’s not important how high you lift, but how deeply you contract the abdominals.

Last Modified : January 7th, 2008 --

Ab Workout #1

You may not think abs have much to do with strength, but they do. Abs are the counter-balance for your back. If you have weak abs, your back strength is bound to be hampered. Ab strength indirectly affects almost every muscle group in your body and remember, that well developed abs make you look good. Keep them strong.
Start this workout as always, by stretching.

After stretching, start with standing trunk twists. I recommend that you keep a broom handle or other stick behind the head while doing this exercise (rest you arms on the stick).

Do 3 sets of 50-75 reps. Each rep is a full rotation from left to right.

Following the truck twists, start with crunches. You are going to do three sets of as many reps as you can do. Make sure you push yourself, but use proper form. Do not rush through the reps, work them slowly.

After crunches, you are going to move on to ab-wheel rollers. If your gym does not have an ab wheel, they can be purchased at a sporting goods store for $10.00-$20.00. Use the wheel that looks like a lawnmower wheel with a bar stuck through it. You don’t have to spend a lot of money for this piece of equipment.

With the ab wheel, do 3 sets of 50-75 reps.

Following the ab wheel, do side stretchers. With side stretchers, you take a dumbbell in one hand and lean in the opposite direction. When you pick your dumbbell for this exercise, make sure that the weight is heavy enough that you feel it, but not too heavy. Do three sets of 25-50 side stretchers (make sure you work each side for the set).

The final exercise is going to be regular sit-ups. Do three sets of as many reps as you can. Good luck.

Last Modified : January 24th, 2008 --

Basic Stretching Exercises

Stretching is needed at the beginning of exercise to prepare the muscle for the exercise it is about to take part in. These stretches will help prevent damage to the muscle, and help with your suppleness. Stretching after the workout helps straighten the muscle fibres, helps clear out any build up of by products from exercise and also makes you feel good.

The stretching program is as just as important as the exercise workout itself. These stretches are to be done before and after your workout,or even when you wake up and go to bed. Hold each stretch for around 10 seconds breathing freely. Ensure that you do not bounce the stretch, keep the limbs nice and still. Relax into the stretch until you feel a mild tension on the muscle,there should be no pain.

Reach - Ensure you keep your knees slightly bent to protect your lower back. Reach your hand up in to the air.

Triceps - Knees bent, gently pull arm down center of back. Feel the stretch on the back of your arm.

Upper Back - Knees bent, hands clasped, gently push hands away from body.

Lats - Feel the stretch as you gently pull the arm over.

Hip - Keep knees slightly bent.

Quadriceps - Keep the supporting knee slightly bent.If too hard,lie down on tummy and do the same.

Calfs - Keep both feet facing forwards, keeping feet still gently move forward.

Adductors - Sit on the floor, gently push your knees to the floor, no bouncing.

Glutes - Lie on back, gently pull knee towards you with other leg lying over pulled one.

Hamstrings - Pull the leg back gently, if leg starts to shake relax off a bit, keep leg still.

Last Modified : February 3rd, 2008 --

Ab Workout #2

Try this workout the next time you work abs.

Start with truck twists. Do three sets of 20 reps.

Next, move over to the lat pulldown station for pull-down crunches (with the rope device). Do 3 sets of 20-30 reps.

After pull-down crunches, move over to the mat for regular crunches. Do three sets of as many reps as you can.

Next, move over to the leg lift station and do three sets of 25 reps.

After leg lifts, do side stretchers with dumbbells. Do three sets (per side), 25-30 reps per set.

Finish off the workout with regular sit-ups doing 3 sets of as many reps as you can.

Related Post: Ab Workout #1

Last Modified : February 26th, 2008 --

Lower Rectus Abdominis

Listed below are exercises that focus on the muscle.

Reverse Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with knees pulled into your chest. Hands are behind your head and belly button is pulled in tightly. Exhale and contract your lower abs so that your hips and buns lift off the floor. Inhale as you slowly lower to the starting position.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with legs extended up toward the ceiling, keeping legs pulled toward your head to remove pressure from the lower back. Hands are behind your head and belly button is pulled in tightly. Exhale and contract you lower abs so that your hips and buns lift off the floor — think of stamping your feet on the ceiling. Inhale as you slowly lower to the starting position.

Make It Harder: Lift and lower for counts of 2, 3, or 4.

Helpful Hints: Don’t rock your legs. Use your abs to lift and let your legs come along for the ride. The movement should be small and controlled.

Cycling

Beginner: Lie on your back with your hands under your buns to give you a slight pelvic tilt. Lift your legs so they’re pointing toward the ceiling and hold them close to your body to remove pressure from your back. Slowly pull your right knee toward your chest, using the lower abs to pull. Then extend the right leg and pull in the left knee. Keep alternating, using a pushing-pulling motion with the abs.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your hands under your buns to give you a slight pelvic tilt. Extend your legs parallel to the floor and lift them about 1 foot off the floor. Slowly pull your right knee toward your chest, using the lower abs to pull. Then extend the right leg and pull in the left knee. Keep alternating, using a pushing-pulling motion with the abs.

Make It Harder: Cycle are variable speeds: quickly for 4 counts, then very slowly for 4 counts.

Helpful Hints: If you feel pressure in your lower back, point your legs more toward the ceiling. To make this exercise more difficult, try holding your head and shoulders off the floor as you cycle.

Seated Raises

Beginner: Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your legs extended in front of you, your heels just touching the floor. Hold onto the sides of the chair or bench as an anchor. Contract your abs, exhale, and pull your knees in toward your chest. Inhale as you slowly lower to starting position, barely touching the floor with your heels.

Intermediate: Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your legs extended in front of you, your heels just touching the floor. Hold onto the sides of the chair or bench as an anchor. Contract your abs, exhale, and keeping your legs extended, lift them up until their parallel to the floor. Inhale as you slowly lower to starting position, barely touching the floor with your heels.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3 … raise and lower slowly on a count of 4.

Helpful Hints: Control the lowering motion and fight against gravity. Be sure to keep upper body upright; try not to lean back as you lift.

Last Modified : March 11th, 2008 --

Essential Nutrients

These are the six that your body needs on a daily basis.

WaterCarbohydratesProteinsFatsVitaminsMinerals

Water

Water is the most essential nutrient the body needs. Your body is around forty to sixty percent of water. Forty to sixty percent of your body weight is water. Muscle composition is approximately 70% water. It is vital that while you exercise you continually drink water to ensure that your body does not dehydrate. If you feel thirsty it will take around 20 minutes for the liquid to be utilized by the body. Obviously the amount of water you need depends on your body weight, height and any activity you take part in but on average you need around three and a half pints of water a day. This may seem a lot but a lot of water will come from your food such as fruits which contain 75 to 90 percent of water.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are usually referred to as sugars or starches. Complicated carbohydrates are the carbohydrates that we keep hearing about that we should improve our food intake of. These carbohydrates are found in such foods such as potatoes, bananas, pasta, bread, cereals etc. Carbohydrates are converted into sugars by the body. Carbohydrates come in two forms:

Simple Sugars

Simple sugars are sugars like processed sugar and sugar from fruits. This kind of sugar is used almost immediately during exercise. Just eating these sugars would not give you endless amounts of instant energy because as your sugar level in your blood increased, more insulin would be released to grab the sugar and dispose of it because there is too much. All this insulin grabs all the sugar and more as well so eventually you would have even less energy than you started with. This is why when you eat a chocolate bar you feel great for about 15 minutes, your body will then loose energy and become slightly fatigued.

Complex Sugars

This kind of sugar is taken from foods like potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, vegetables and fruits. The difference between these sugars and simple sugars are that the sugars are released at a slower level so you do not get this insulin rush. As the sugar is released a lot slower it also lasts a lot longer because it takes the sugar a lot longer to be broken down. It should be obvious to you that these complex sugars or carbohydrates as they are better known are a 100 times better for you than the simple sugars. We need to be looking at around 55 percent of our daily intake of complex sugars.

Protein

Protein is composed of amino acids, which help to build muscle mass. Cells in the body are being replaced all the time every day 365 days a year, so we need to give the body the tools to complete the task of keeping our bodys fit and healthy. Protein is found in such foods such as chicken (white meat), egg white, beans, skimmed milk etc. The bigger and leaner your muscles are the higher your basal matabolic rate is. Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories the body uses just to live for the day, so even doing such things as sitting watching television your body will be burning more calories which means burning away more body fat. We need about 70 to 80 grams of protein daily in our diet.If you eat too much protein the excess will also be stored as body fat, you should be looking at 20 percent of your daily calorific intake to be of protein.

Fat

Fat is another term for lipid. Too much fat in your diet can lead to obesity, heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Fat does have its uses though, the body needs some fat to process vitamins and minerals and to insulate its inner systems. Fat is also used by the body to provide energy to the body during exercise. Cheese, nuts, cooking oil etc are high in fat content. There are more than one kind of fat, here are the three:

Saturated Fat

Saturated fat is the worst fat for the body. Saturated fat causes the arteries to clog which in turn can cause strokes, heart attacks and coronary heart disease.

Polyunsaturated Fat

Polyunsaturated fat has fewer fatty acid molecules than saturated fat, so is a lot better for you than saturated fat. A type of polyunsaturated fat is Omega 3, this is found only in fish oils, this fat helps with the developments of the nervous system and a host of other bodily functions.

Mono Unsaturated Fat

Mono unsaturated fat has even fewer fatty acid molecules than polyunsaturated fat, and for this reason is the best of all three fats. You should have a higher intake of mono unsaturated fat than the other two fats.

Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamins are needed in small amounts to help the body with chemical reactions within its cells and are organic. Vitamins come in two forms, they are fat soluble and water soluble. Fat Soluble Vitamins (A, D, E, K) are stored in the fat tissue and can build up high levels of toxins in the body if they are not utilized. Water Soluble Vitamins (B, C) are excreted by the body if your daily amount of intake is too great.

Minerals are inorganic substances in other words they are man made and they regulate processes within the body. Minerals are put into different structures within the body to create enzymes, hormones, skeletal bones, skeletal tissues, teeth and fluids.

Last Modified : April 1st, 2008 --

Oblique Exercises

The exercises below will strengthen your oblique muscles.

Side Lift

Beginner: Lie on your left side with legs together and knees bent. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and place your right hand behind your ear, elbow bent. Exhale and use your obliques to lift your right knee while simultaneously lifting your upper torso to meet it. Inhale and slowly lower to the starting position. Do all reps and switch sides.

Intermediate: Lie on your left side with legs together and legs extended. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and place your right hand behind your ear, elbow bent. Exhale and use your obliques to lift both legs toward the ceiling while simultaneously lifting your upper torso. Inhale and slowly lower to the starting position. Do all reps and switch sides.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3.

Helpful Hints: Keep abs tight throughout to control the lowering phase. Try not to allow your legs to touch the floor when you return to the starting position.

Leg Overs

Beginner: Lie flat on your back with your arms extended at from the shoulders, perpendicular to your body. Bring your bent knees in toward your chest and hold them with thighs perpendicular to the floor, calves parallel to the floor. Inhale and use your obliques to lower your legs to the left side, keeping knees bent. Exhale, pulling your knees back to the center and lowering them to the right side. Be sure to keep both shoulder blades flat on the floor throughout the movement.

Intermediate: Lie flat on your back with your arms extended out from the shoulders, perpendicular to your body. Extend your legs straight up to the ceiling. Inhale and use your oblique to lower your legs to the left side until they barely touch the floor. Exhale, pulling your legs back to the center and lowering them to the right side. Be sure to keep both shoulder blades flat on the floor throughout the movement.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3.

Helpful Hints: As you lower your legs to the side, allow your hips to roll with the movement. The extended-leg version of this exercise is very advanced; only proceed to a long-legged position after working through varying degrees of extension first.

Side Crunches

Beginner: Lie on your left side with legs bent perpendicular to your body. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and put your right hand behind your ear. Using a slow crunching motion, exhale and lift your rib cage toward your hip. Inhale and slowly lower almost to the floor.

Intermediate: Lie on your left side with legs bent perpendicular to your body. Place your left arm comfortably in front of you and put your right hand behind your ear. Using a slow crunching motion, exhale and lift your rib cage toward your hip. Inhale and slowly lower almost to the floor.

Make It Harder: Raise and lower for variable counts: up 2, down 2 … up for 3, down for 1 … up for 1, down for 3.

Helpful Hints: Lift entire torso off the floor, not just your elbow and head. Focus on using the obliques to list your toros, and be sure to get the bottom shoulder off the floor during the lifting phase.

Related Post: Rectus Abdominis

Last Modified : May 5th, 2008 --

Personal First Aid

This article will cover the basic things you need to know if you have an injury while exercising.

The most common problems with exercise are fainting and dizziness, pulled muscle and dehydration.

Fainting and Dizziness

This condition is caused by lack of water and salt to the body. This only usually happens to people who are not used to exercise or work a lot harder than they usually do and the body is not prepared for it. If you are working out in a hotter place than normal you have to make sure you take plenty of water as you will lose more liquid while working out. Dizziness will occur before the fainting so if you feel dizzy then stop exercising straight away as if you are on your own you cannot help yourself if you faint.

Symptoms and Signs:

Feeling of exhaustion but may feel restless May have a headache and feel tired May feel dizzy and nauseated Stomach cramps may be felt Skin will feel cold and clammy, face will be pale Shallow and fast breathingPulse will be rapid and weak

Treatment:

Stop exercising immediately Try and get to a cooler place Sip water Lie down with your feet slightly above your head If you feel you might become unconscious then lie in the recovery position (on your side with your tummy to the floor) If sweating profusely, have cramp or vomiting add half a tea spoon of salt to each pint of water

Pulled Muscles

This problem can occur if you have not warmed up or stretched out properly. If your demand on the muscles is too great the muscle fibre can be slightly torn given a very tight and probably pain full feeling in the muscle.

Symptoms and Signs:

Muscle feels tight or hurts as exercise is doneMuscle feels tight hurts after exercise has finishedBurning sensation from muscle

Treatment:

Stop exercising immediatelyIce pack the muscle with the a towel in between the ice pack and a the skin Compress the muscle with a bandage (not too tight) Elevate the limb

It is very important for you to rest the limb until the injury has healed completely. The advice 2, 3 and 4 is to prevent the swelling of the muscle. As the muscle repairs, slowly and gently start to work it with some good stretches. A good diet with adequate protein is needed.

Dehydration

This condition is caused by lack of water to the body. This does not only happen to people who are new to exercise, some people who exercise all their lives can become dehydrated if they do not take in enough water. If you are working out in a hotter place than normal you have to make sure you take plenty of water as you will lose more liquid while working out.

Symptoms and Signs:

Feeling of thirstMay have a headache and feel tired May feel dizzy and nauseated Skin will feel cold and clammy, face will be pale Shallow and fast breathing Pulse will be rapid and weak

Treatment:

Stop exercising immediatelyTry and get to a cooler placeSit down on the floorSip water and keep drinking it until you feel betterIf you feel you might become unconscious then lie in the recovery position (on your side with your tummy to the floor)DO NOT carry on exercising when you feel better

These are only a few of the problems that can occur during first aid, but as said earlier they are the most common. Now you know the problems that can happen you can make sure they do not happen to you.

Last Modified : June 11th, 2008 --

Upper Ab Exercises

Working the muscles at a variety of speeds ensures that you have strength throughout your whole range of motion, and helps overload the muscles, thus making you work harder and producing more rapid gains in strength.

Basic Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart on the floor, hands behind your head. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest, feet hanging close to your buns. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Make It Harder: Rather than placing hands behind your head, extend your arms as if you’re diving into a swimming pool, keeping forearms close to your ears. Focus on relaxing the shoulders to keep tension out of your neck. Also, try varying the speed of your lifting and lowering motion.

Helpful Hints: Try not to lower completely to the floor at the bottom of the movement. Try to clear your shoulder blades from the floor; be sure you’re not just lifting your head. Really focus on pulling your belly button down toward your spine.

Frog Legs

Beginner: Lie on your back with the soles of your feet together, letting your knees fall open to the sides. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest. Cross your ankles and let your knees fall open to the sides. Place your hands behind your head to support your neck. Pull your belly button to your spine and slowly squeeze your abs as your head and shoulders come up off the floor. Lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat.

Make It Harder: Extend your arms as if you’re diving, keeping forearms close to your ears. Focus on relaxing the shoulders to keep tension out of your neck. Also, try varying the speed of your lifting and lowering motion.

Helpful Hints: This exercise works the upper part of the rectus abdominis and into the lower segment. Be sure to really pull your belly button in tightly to protect your back and don’t lower all the way to the floor at the bottom.

Demi-Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart on the floor, hands behind your head. Pull your belly button to your spine and lift shoulders and head off the floor, just a few inches. You should feel a contraction in the abdominals. Now lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up and slowly return to your starting position - do not go all the way to the floor.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest, feet hanging close to your buns. Pull your belly button to your spine and lift shoulders and head off the floor, just a few inches. You should feel a contraction in the abdominals. Now lift straight toward the ceiling, chin pointing up and slowly return to your starting position - do not go all the way to the floor.

Make It Harder: Lie on your back with your knees bent and walk your feet away from your buns until your legs are almost fully extended - be sure to keep a slight bend in the knee. If you feel any pain in your lower back, bring your feet in closer to your buns. This leg position gets the lower abs, too.

Helpful Hints: Be sure to really pull your belly button in tightly to protect your back and don’t lower all the way to the floor at the bottom.

Eat Right for the Best Workout

The 12 rules of eating right.

Get enough fiber
The experts say we should be consuming at least 25 grams of fiber per day. Go for whole grain breads, beans, fruit, and veggies.

Drink 2-3 glasses of skim or low-fat milk every day
Not only does it provide much-needed calcium, it’s got a perfect proportion of carbohydrate and protein calories to keep you feeling energetic.

Water
Cool, refreshing, blissfully calorie-and fat-free, a glass of water is one of the best pick-me-ups around. Drinking lots helps prevent water retention, keeps your skin glowing, sustains your energy, and keeps all your functions functioning.

Protein is your body’s building block
Make sure you get some at each meal - and go for the low-fat kinds: chicken and turkey breast, fish, lean beef, egg whites, and beans.

It really is smart food, so eat fish once a week
Versatile and loaded with heart-healthy Omega-3 oil and protein, fish is a great way to satisfy your daily protein requirement.

Rev your engine with complex carbs
The right kinds of carbohydrates will keep you feeling energized all day. What’s the right kind? The kind loaded with fiber: fruits, veggies, whole grain starches, beans.

Eat a carrot everyday
Loaded with beta carotene, carrots also have fiber, take a long time to eat, and taste delicious.

Eat for energy by thinking about what the foods you eat can do for you
Think about what they contain, rather than what they don’t. For example, fat free cookies are all about what’s not in there. But strawberries have vitamin C, whole wheat bagels serve up energizing carbs, peanut butter is a protein powerhouse, cottage cheese has a one-two punch of calcium and protein…

Eat your cruciferous veggies
Leafy dark green and brightly colored veggies contain antioxidants that can help you ward off villains from the common cold to cancer.

Take a bite of an apple (or pear, grapefruit, pineapple)
Fruit is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Pass on the trendy juice shakes and smoothies that are loaded with empty sugar calories and sink your teeth into the real thing. With an average of only 60 calories per serving, fruit is a low-calorie, energy-packed food.

Don’t fight all fat
Your body needs fat to function - and fat is a highly-concentrated source of energy, so don’t cut all of it out of your diet. Just eliminate the bad, yucky, saturated kind. Research has shown that olive oil and canola oil have very health side effects. Stay away from the sat-fat found in highly-marbleized meat, butter, tropical oils, and some margarines - but don’t be afraid to drizzle a little olive oil on your salad.

Remember: there’s no bad food
Just about everything can be part of a healthy diet - as long as you concentrate on low-fat foods, fruits, and vegetables most of the time. By removing the taboos from foods, you free yourself to make healthful choices willingly– and think of food as healthy fuel instead of an enemy you need to fight.

Related Post: Essential Nutrients

Last Modified : October 1st, 2008 --

Basic Ab Exercises

Make sure the lower back stays well supported. Relax for a moment between exercises. Allow enough time for a good stretch/cool-down period when you are done.

Basic Crunch
Lay down on the floor, knees bent, hands resting on your thighs, feet and lower back pressing into the ground. Squeeze the abdominals as you lift your upper body toward your knees. Lower. Your hands will naturally move up and down your leg. Exhale up, inhale down. Repeat 20 times.

Reverse Crunch
Press the hands into the floor at your side. Raise your legs so that they are perpendicular to the ground. Now, lift your buttocks an inch or two off of the floor, keeping shoulders to the floor. Lower slowly, concentrating on the lower ab region. Repeat 15 times.

Cross
Lay on your back, knees bent. Use your hands to support the head, thumbs right behind your ears. Keeping your right shoulder on the ground, twist the left side of your body up and over, pointing your left shoulder toward your right knee. Lower. Repeat 15 times each side.

Crunch with Alternate Twist
Same position, knees bent, hands supporting the head. Crunch up; twist your body to the right; twist your body to the left; and crunch forward again. Release, but do not lower your head all the way to the ground. Repeat this series of fluid movements 10 times.

Last Modified : December 31st, 2008 --

Combination Exercises

Combination: Obliques Crunch

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet shoulder width apart on floor. Pull your belly button to your spine. Place your left hand on your right thigh; put your right hand behind your head for support. Contract your tummy and slide your hand up your leg to the outside of your right knee, exhaling on the lift. Slowly slide down to the starting position. Finish a set on one side, then switch to the other side.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your knees bent and pulled in toward your chest, keeping your feet close to your buns. Place your right hand behind your head and your left arm on the floor by your side. Pull your belly button in and lift toward your left knee. Exhale as you lift. Slowly return to the starting position. Finish a set on one side, then switch to the other side.

Make it harder: Extend your legs toward the ceiling, rather than keeping them bent. Even harder? Reach for your toes with your fingertips as you lift.

Helpful Hints: Rotate the shoulders toward the opposite knee, NOT the elbow. Keep elbows relaxed back and chest “open.” Think of lifting on a diagonal toward the knee, feeling the bottom of your rib cage and your hipbone squeezing toward each other.

Combination: Full Crunch (This exercise combines the basic and reverse crunch)

Beginner: Lie on your back with your knees pulled in toward your chest, feet hanging close to your buns. Place your hands behind your head. Pull your belly button in tightly then contract the lower abs so that your hips and buns lift off the floor while you lift your shoulders from the floor using the upper abs. Exhale as you lift.

Intermediate: Lie on your back with your legs extended toward the ceiling. Place your hands behind your head. Pull your belly button in tightly then contract the lower abs so that your hips and buns lift off the floor while you lift your shoulders from the floor using the upper abs. Exhale as you lift.

Make it harder: Extend arms into diving position overhead.

Helpful Hints: If you feel any strain in your lower back, pull your legs closer to your chest. The closer your legs are to parallel to the floor, the harder the exercise is for your back.

Combination: Negative Crunch

Beginner: Sit on the floor with your legs bent, feet flat. Extend your arms out in front of you at shoulder height. Pull your tummy in tight and slowly lower your back toward the floor, rounding your back as you go. Only go about halfway to the floor. Then exhale, contract your abs, and return to starting position.

Intermediate: To make this more challenging, walk your feet further away from your body.

Make it harder: Change the rhythm of your movement: lower for 2 and contract for 2 … lower for 3 and contract for 1 … lower for 1 and contract for 3.

Helpful Hints: Keep the small of your back rounded and only go as far as you can without losing your abdominal contraction. When returning to sitting position, don’t go too high. You should feel tension in your abs throughout this movement.

Last Modified : May 2nd, 2009 --

Improve Your Life With Healthy Sleep Habits

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Tuesday, April 7th 2009   7
Apr

Having trouble falling asleep is a very common problem for a lot of us. At some stage around 20% of people will experience either too little sleep or poor quality of sleep. The following is a collection of tips and advice to assist you in improving your sleeping habits.

Force yourself to wake every day at the same time so that you are more productive, structured, and habitual.

Go to bed when your are tired. It should only take you around 5-10 minutes to fall asleep, any longer and you’re wasting your time. You don’t always need the same amount of sleep every night, listen to your body and mind. Forcing yourself to get up at the same time every day should make your more tired at night and regulate the time you fall asleep anyway.

100 Free Motivational Fitness Quotes

I stumbled across this early in the new year and I have meant to post about it for a while now. Eartha from Trying Fitness has developed a list of 100 Motivational/Inspirational Quotes focused around fitness.

You may have already checked this out earlier in the year but I think it’s worth going over again and having a second look. You might have missed a great quote that will inspire you to push that little harder to get a flat stomach or lose those few extra pounds. It might also be a good idea to go and pick out and some new quotes to help you achieve your fitness goals as we enter into the second quarter of 2009.

The download link is below or you can click on the cover picture to view/download the e-book. Happy quoting!

100 Motivational Quotes (PDF)

Popularity: 83%

5 Food Rules For Improving Your Health

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Thursday, May 28th 2009   28
May

If you want to make an immediate impact on your health and lifestyle for the better then follow these 5 rules on eating food to improve your overall wellbeing. The following list works through 5 simple steps to help you improve your eating habits. If you follow these rules you should start feeling healthier, decrease your body fat percentage, start to work towards a flat stomach and perhaps even improve your ability to fall and stay asleep throughout the night.

Eat REAL Food!

An easy way to dramatically improve your health is to eat real food! By this I mean eating food in it’s natural state. This means eating food as close as possible to the way nature intended it to be. Consume less processed grains, go for rolled oats over instant, brown rice over white and defiantly no white bread. Try switching to a sourdough or whole grain bread. Actually eat fruit instead of purchasing products that contain “real fruit”. Finally it also means preparing more of your own food at home instead of buying factory produced processed packaged meals.

Following the same line of thought you want to eat foods that contain no or minimal amounts of flavorings, preservatives and colorings. When you do your shopping make sure you actually check the labels and go for products where you recognize all the ingredients. Avoid items that are made up of powders, flavorings and numbers!

Eat Local Produce

Try and source your food from locally grown suppliers. Almost all cities and suburbs have a local farmers market somewhere. Find it and support your local manufactures and farmers. Buying your fruit, vegetables and meats from the supermarket is a great convenience but it comes at the cost of truly fresh and seasonal eating.

Eat More Fruit and Vegetables

Think Yourself To A Flat Stomach

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Thursday, June 18th 2009   18
Jun

In order to lose weight and achieve a flat stomach it basically comes down to eating less and moving more. Almost everyone knows this. So why isn’t everyone walking around with the body of Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt? Perhaps a lot of it has to do with internal baggage that we are carrying around in our subconsciousness? In order to get over this you then have to reset your mind and focus your thoughts on the positive, set yourself weight loss/flat stomach goals and keep these visualized in your mind.

The first step to thinking yourself to a flat stomach is making the decision that you want to change and that you really want to reap the rewards of making that change. This also applies to general weight loss and almost any other goal you want to achieve in your life. You have to be prepared to do anything and everything to achieve your goals. The second part is then believing in your mind that you can change and that it is possible. This is the part that often involves overcoming the internal obstacles that we have placed in our minds.

A lot of us spend our time thinking about the negatives in our lives. This can often be made worse by the negative articles and pictures we see in the media and the friends and family we surround ourselves with. The negativity in our lives can become a self fulfilling prophecy. Ultimately preventing you from losing weight and gaining control of your life.

These negative emotions and feelings surrounding us and infesting our thoughts mean that we often resort to food for the wrong reasons. We eat because we are bored, tired, sad, lonely and angry and we don’t think of the consequences of eating, only the short term feeling of fulfillment that food may bring. It’s only after we eat the food that we feel guilty and create more negativity. Stop and think! No matter how much emotional eating you participate in it’s not going to fix anything and you will never feel better long term from it!

You need to break the negative cycle and replace your negative thoughts with positives one. You also need to stop and think before you put food into your mouth. Ask yourself if this food is providing me with energy (the purpose of food) or am I eating for other reasons?

Creating a new positive mindset around food and weight loss means developing a whole new relationship with food, our mind and our bodies. Perhaps the most powerful thing to keep in the front of your mind and on the tip of your tongue is that we always have the power to choose. You can have that chocolate if you want but do you need to have it?

Popularity: 82%

10 Minute Flat Stomach Workout

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Monday, June 29th 2009   29
Jun

With constant challenges, clever workouts and healthy eating you can easily get a flat stomach. Here is a quick I have devised for when you are short of time. Alternatively you could add this 10 minute session to your normal workouts as a great warm up or cool down exercise.

Exercise 1: Squats
While standing extend your arms out, parallel to the ground while flexing your triceps. Then, initiate a squat from your hips by sitting back and down keeping the weight on your heels as opposed to the balls of your feet. Squat down to a position where your thighs are approximately parallel to the ground, then return up to the starting position. Complete 10 to 20 reps.

Check out this article for a full description on the squat.

Exercise 2: Plank Push-Ups
Begin in a push up position but with your elbows on the ground and resting on your forearms. Your elbows should be bent at a 90 degree angle. Push off the ground with one arm and then the next. Squeeze your abs as you push up. You should be lifting yourself up to a fully extended push up position. Lower back down to the starting position and repeat, this time leading with the opposite arm. Aim to not let your back sag down towards the ground. Complete 10 to 20 reps.

Exercise 3: Walking Lunges
Start with your feet at shoulder width apart. While maintaining a straight line, stride forward with your right leg and land with your left toes just touching the ground, your left heel should be raised. Once your right foot lands, allow your left knee to fall down to the ground. Push back up with your right leg and then repeat on the other side. You should try form a consistent rhythm, just stopping the lunge and pushing back up before your knee hits the ground. Complete 20 repetitions.

Exercise 4: Bent Over Rows
For this exercise you need a barbell, workout bag or you could use dumbbells. Use a medium weight on the bar and grip the bar a little wider than a shoulder width apart. Stand up straight, pull your shoulder blades down, keep your head straight and contract your abdominals. Slowly bend forward, keeping your back straight and pushing your hips out, stop when your chest is almost parallel with the floor. Pull the bar into your chest keeping your elbows out to the sides. Exhale as you lift, inhale as you lower the bar down. Gently return to a standing position. Complete 2 sets of 12 reps.

Exercise 5: The Sprinter

The sprinter is very similar to the bicycle crunch except that the hands are not behind the head, rather positioned in a sprinting motion and you sit up higher with the sprinter.

Lie down on your back, making sure your back is firmly against the floor. Lie down flat but keep your heels hovering about 6 inches off the ground. Crunch up and bring your left arm up with the elbow bent to resemble a sprinters motion. At the top of the crunch bring your right knee into your chest. Repeat for the other side of the body and do 20 reps.

Popularity: 100%

2 Flat Stomach Secrets For Women

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Tuesday, June 30th 2009   30
Jun

article by Holly Rigsby, CPT from www.FitYummyMummy.com

Have you tried everything under the sun to get a flat stomach, only to come up disappointed? Have you fallen prey to all the gimmicks, fad diets and shameless infomercials promising you that elusive flat stomach that you desire?

Well fret no more, I’m going to let you in on the two

Free Fitness Ebook: So You’ve Decided To Get In Shape (Again)

Stumble thisFree Fitness Ebook: So You’ve Decided To Get In Shape (Again)Posted by Jessica Oxford on Tuesday, July 21st 2009   21
Jul

Craig Harper is an author and motivational speaker from Melbourne, Australia. He believes that anyone can create amazing change and incredible results in any area of their life in a relatively short period of time, if they are prepared to get a little uncomfortable, see old things in a new way, and open their mind and their heart to a different way of thinking and being.

Avoiding The Seasonal Weight Gain

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Thursday, July 23rd 2009   23
Jul

While looking at the geographical location of my visitors I would say that most of The Flat Stomach Blog readers are currently enjoying some warmer weather. However as we hit the summer months it occurred to me that there is a whole other side of the equator who are getting ready to snug up for winter. Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Brazil are either in, or about to be in the middle of winter.

One of the problems with winter approaching is that our bodies are more covered up and we sometimes lose the motivation that we have to stay in shape over those warmer months. For some, winter can become an excuse to stay inside, skip the gym and eat heavier foods. Our bodies are no longer as much on display each day and we may use this as an excuse to overeat and under exercise.

Stop Compulsive Overeating And Get A Flat Stomach

Stumble thisPosted by Jessica Oxford on Tuesday, July 28th 2009   28
Jul

Compulsive overeating can happen for a variety of different reasons and I’m sure most of us can admit that at one time or another we have all overindulged in food. Eating a little too much dessert around the holidays or on your birthday is a one off and usually includes time well spent with family and friends. This overeating is fine as long as it’s a one off and you are sticking to a workout routine. Problems occur when the overeating becomes compulsive and happens out of boredom, constant overindulgence, inability to recognize the feelings of hunger and fullness or simply eating food for the sake of it because “it was there”. This is a sure-fire way to put on weight and ruin a flat stomach.