1. Squat. With one-lb. weights in each hand, stand with feet shoulder width apart, toes pointing forward or at a slight angle. Bending at kens and hips, squat down so you mimic sitting in a chair. Keep back flat and chest out (do not bend forward). Go down to a comfortable level, so thighs are parallel or nearly parallel to floors, raise up. Repeat 12 to 15 times.
2. Kick out for legs. Strap one-lb weights to your ankles and stand behind a chair. Without bending your right knee, lift your right leg out to the side as high as you can; lower. Do eight repetitions; rest; o two more sets. Then do three sets on opposite side.
3. Lifting the world. Sit on a chair. With arms out at sides, grasp a one-lb. weight in each hand at shoulder level. Slowly raise arms, elbows facing out, as if lifting the world; lower arms. Do eight repetitions; rest. Repeat two times.
4. Taking a dip. Sit on the edge of a stable, low chair with feet on a chair facing you (or on the floor, for beginners). Using your arms to support your body, slowly lift your rear off chair and carefully lower it toward the floor, until elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Raise yourself back up. Do eight repetitions; rest. Repeat two sets.
5. Kick back for arms. Standing, bend forward at your waist. With a one-lb. weight in each hand, bend elbows and bring hands into chest. Bring one arm straight back until; elbow is parallel with torso. Return to start. Do eight times; repeat with other arm; rest. Repeat set.
6. Reverse crunch. Lie on back, hands at sides, legs up degree angle. Squeezing stomach muscles pull knees and head toward each other. Return to start. Do 20 repetitions; rest. Repeat.

Whether it is a short trek into the woods, or a steep ascent up a hill, or a major climb up a mountain peak, hiking offers an exhilarating lower body workout and effective aerobic activity. A basic knowledge of the outdoors, First Aid procedures and equipment are essentials. Beginners are advised to take short trips first with experienced guides or groups. It’s totally an egg-head thing to do to hike alone.

Gear up in bright-colored cotton tops and shorts or loose pants and a cap to wave off the sun. Good sturdy hiking boots is a good investment if you are planning to keep this a regular activity in your calendar, but otherwise, good running shoes with traction still intact can do the job. Be sure to keep a windbreaker (a light waterproof jacket) handy just incase the weather takes a turn. Sunblocks and a bottle of insect repellant are essentials that you might want to add to your list. For more details on the “What’s”, ask the dudes who will be facilitating your trip.

It is best to keep hydrated at all times and to keep some energy food (dried fruits, nuts etc.,) handy to sustain you during long hikes.

A sure hit for nature lovers, and those who enjoy going away during the weekend. Hiking may well be the gig to get you into shape, so why not get into those boots and tread that path up that peak to fitness.

An overnight trip to the wilderness will not cost as much as a night-out/dine-out with the gang on a Friday night.

Rock and Roll

If you want great upper and lower body workout, why not try climbing a Rockwall. No, you don’t just go to the nearest rock face that you see and start imitating Spiderman, the proper way to do this is get professional help.

You may start with one of those beginner walls then move to the more complicated and nerve-wrecking verticals. And once you get the hang of it, you may try the actual rock walls in the outdoors. You may contact local mountaineering groups in your school or area for their rock climbing schedules or you may check with your rock gym for their own outdoor rock activities. It is best to do this activity with someone you know or have done the activity with. Safety should always be your first concern.

Gear for this activity may prove a bit expensive, but do not worry, rentals are readily available. If done regularly and properly major benefit for the cardio-vascular department as well as with major muscle groups. Rock climbing in two words: Toned and Trim.

1. Jumping-jack splash – To work your shoulders, plus inner and outer thighs, stand in waist-high water, with feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Hold a foam dumbbell in each hand, palms facing down. Now, bring your arms out to the side, just below the water (hands should never break the surface). In one swift motion, jumping-jack fashion, bring legs and arms back to the center, and then spring back out again. Repeat 12 to 15 times.

2. Scissor legs – To work the inner and outer thighs ( technically, the muscles known as abductors and adductors, bend the “noodle”, a.k.a. flexible floatation aid, into a U-shape, slip it behind your shoulders and lie back with arms draped over the sides. Extend your legs straight out in front. Now, without breaking the water’s surface, do slow, controlled scissors kick; swing your legs as wide apart as possible with each repetition. Repeat 12 to 15 times.

3. Underwater crunch – For toning your abdominal muscles. First, migrate to the shallow end of the pool. Then, place the “noodle” around the middle of your back, ends beneath your underarms, and rest your hands on it for support. In this semi-sitting position, bring your legs up off the bottom of the pool, cross them at the ankles and pull your knees up to your chest, suing your stomach muscles to do the work., Stop just as your knees hit the surface of the water. Repeat 12 to 15 times.

4. Biceps builder – The buoyancy of water gives the “up” stroke of this basic curl that works biceps like crazy. The secret: those funny-looking webbed gloves. Slip them on and get into chest-deep water. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees bent. Start with arms down, a little behind you, palms up (this increases range of motion and muscle-building resistance). Now, pull arms forward and up slowly. (To work even harder, use the foam dumbbells in place of the gloves). Repeat 12 to 15 times.

5. Triceps downstrokes – Again using your webbed water gloves: Stand in chest-deep water, keeping your feet shoulder-width apart. Arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle, with elbows pulled in tight at your sides, palms facing down. Now, spread your fingers wide (this creates more “drag” or resistance to really challenge those triceps) and push down through the water until arms are fully extended. Be sure to exhale on the downward movement. Repeat 12 to 15 times.

Exercise – The best way to relax, believe it or not, is to huff, puff, flex, and grunt – in a gym or outdoors (fast-paced walking, jogging, running, biking). Each time you snatch a breath of fresh air or give your heart an aerobic workout, you are giving your body a treat, though you may not realize it immediately.

But wait up. Exercise alone does not a healthy person make. Top physical conditioning must be complemented by many other factors, particularly proper eating habits.

Eat the right food – The body’s daily nutritional requirements are basically carbohydrates, fats, fiber, minerals, proteins, vitamins, and water. Carbohydrates are supplied by cereals, grains, and pasta (e.g. spaghetti, noodles). Proteins, vitamins and minerals are derived from meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Fiber comes mostly from cereals, fruits, grains, and raw vegetables.

What, then, makes up a proper diet, the famous balanced diet that had been drummed into our heads at school as far back as we could remember? Think of a lauriat, where several dishes are served. To truly enjoy the feast, you must pick a little of everything and not load up on only one or two dishes. A balanced diet works roughly the same way: A meal must contain sufficient amounts of all the basic food groups.

Good Eating Habits – Eating balanced meals is only half the picture – the easy half. The difficult end of the effort is to know when, where, how, and how much to eat, and what not to eat.

WHEN is simple. Stick to regular meals – breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and take them at regular times. Avoid snacks, particularly after-dinner morsels.

WHERE is not hard either. Eat meals only at the dining table. Avoid taking meals while watching TV, as this may build the habit of having to eat the moment you sit before a TV set. Of course, snacks do not come into the act at all.

HOW is a common problem among busy people. Eat slowly. Chewing the food carefully is good for digestion.

HOW MUCH is a gray area. The quantity of food needed by the body varies from individual to individual. Athletes burn up a lot of energy and, therefore, require more replenishment. Conversely, people with limited physical activity must control their intake.

WHAT NOT TO EAT is the hardest aspect to control. Foods frowned upon are the very foods that people love to feast upon. Topping the list is the proverbial junk food – usually, packed snacks with little or no nutritional value. Then there are the saturated fats (which raise cholesterol levels) found in meat and dairy products. Salt and sugar must be kept at a minimum. (In other words, steer clear of cured food and pastries. And oh, yes, alcohol is definitely taboo.

The Right Attitude – The biggest test of wills does not come with the decision to start eating correctly. Problems stat a week or month later, when the temptation to indulge in “forbidden” food peaks and the proper eating habits are not ye firmly rooted.

Actually, lapses are not that bad, especially when you are in the company of friends who are not into healthy eating (yet). The tricky part is getting back on track until you have all the do’s down pat.

In order to ensure that you are exercising correctly, some of the questions that you ought to ask yourself are: If you do work out on cardio machines, are you sure you are getting the most that you can out of them? Do you work out on cardio machines and effectively get the best optimum advantages and benefits that you can from each exercise?

If you go to the gym regularly and do not have a personal trainer that guides you every step of the way, then you are probably not using the cardio machines to its best limit. But do not fret: every cardio machine user tends to make their own mistakes while working out on them.

With this article, we aim to take a closer look at well-known cardio machines and the most common mistakes that cardio machine users make while working out on each of them.

Here are the most common mistakes made on cardio machines, in no particular order:

1. Resting the Arms on a Step-up Stair Climber

This is most probably the most common mistake that people make and the sole reason why they cannot get the greatest benefits out of working out on a step-up stair climber machine. Whether it’s out of habit or mere ignorance, most people who work out on a step-up stair climber tends to rest their arms on the machine’s railing. What you probably do not realize is that, by doing this, the railing becomes a crutch of support that holds up your entire body weight and losing almost the entire intensiveness of the workout.

2. Running with the Aid of a Treadmill

The treadmill is most probably the most well-known and most used cardio machine that can be found in a gym. If you take a close look at the people who use this cardio machine, you will come to the conclusions that a lot of them tend to continuously run up and down while exercising. This should not be done since doing so will wear out your knee and ankle joints in the long run. The right way to use a treadmill is by taking smooth, long, and purposeful strides while working out on this cardio machine.

3. Setting the Wrong Seat Height on a Stationary Bike

The most important thing to keep in mind while working out on a stationary bike is to ensure that the height of the seat is adjusted to a comfortable level. A lot of people seem to adjust the seats either way too low or way too high when working out a stationary bike. There is no point to working out unless you can do so comfortable. Working out in discomfort simply is not detrimental to your health. If the seat is adjusted way too low, your spine and knees will suffer from too much strain. If the seat is adjusted way too high, on the other hand, your butt will tend to rock from side to side. So, not only will you not get the best benefits out of your cardio exercise on the stationary bike, but your body weight will also be involved as you peddle, making you look weird as you work out.

4. Reading While on a Stationary Bike

Yet another common mistake that occurs while working out on a stationary bike is that people like to read while working out. Because of this, their workout will tend to stay on a level of low intensity. This will not result in an effective workout on your lungs or your heart.

5. Exercising at High Speeds on an Elliptical Trainer

Yet another surprising common cardio exercise mistake is working out on an elliptical trainer at high speeds. The goal of working out on an elliptical trainer in the first place is to tone the body and work out for optimum cardiovascular fitness. For this to happen, the resistance level should always be set to a low speed. Unless you pant, puff, or sweat during a cardio workout, you will not lose weight nor improve your cardiovascular health, no matter how regular you do cardio workouts.

Now that you know all of the most common mistakes done while working out on cardio machines, you can do your best to avoid them. Now you can head to the gym and get the most advantages and benefits out of each cardio machines and each of your exercises. In a short span of time, you will be able to see the difference in your body tone and the improvement in your cardio health. In no time, you will start feeling much better and you will be visibly losing a lot of excess body fat.

Everybody wishes to possess a strong heart, in order to ensure that heart attack does not occur. By exercising regularly, you will be able to increase the good cholesterol in your body and decrease your overall cholesterol levels at the same time. Regular exercise will also ensure that your blood pressure is lowered. Even your lungs can gain advantages and benefits from regular exercises since they will become better conditioned; this will make certain daily physical activities, such as walking and climbing stairs, so much easier and will prevent you from quickly losing your breath.

It is important to follow simple exercise regimes that are also smart enough for easy adaptation and dedication. If an exercise habit is easy to adapt, it will also be much easier for you to continue moving forward and reaching the ideal goals for your fitness, health and overall physical appearance, while still having quality time to spend with your family.

One beneficial exercise tip that we can give parents is to get yourselves a baby jogger. You do not necessarily have to jog or run; simply walking briskly will be just as good. But having a baby jogger will make things much simpler and smoother compared to a conventional stroller.

Going through regular fitness routines will give you complete control over the size of your body and your body weight, in turn increasing your levels of self-esteem. By exercising regularly, you will start to look much better and feel more confident; this could empower you in practically anything you decide to do. There are some requirements to this, though. Self-discipline is very important to ensure that you follow through with your regular exercise routines; this will then reflect onto various other areas in your life and you will then be able to make changes that you need and want.

You may have seen balance balls lying around in the gym before, but you may never really have known how to use them or what to do with them exactly. In the beginning, you may have thought that balance balls are only for women, but you must have seen a couple of muscular men working out at the gym with them. Balance balls happen to be a great way to get instant results with your abdominal muscles. Try to find someone who knows how to use them and start exercising with balance balls today.

You can begin all of this by setting an appointment with your doctor. This is especially essential, if you haven’t exactly been a very active person as of late, or if you have particular problems with your health, or if you are currently pregnant or even just elderly.

Experts say that the quick flexing of the blood vessels and the heart during a sweat bath is very beneficial to one’s health since it exercises the heart by putting more strain on it than when it is on regular ground. The heightened volume of the capillaries is said to keep blood pressure on a normal level. Medical professionals agree to these studies, as well. One study that was done in Finland concluded that a healthy person’s blood pressure tends to stay pretty much the same while in a sweat bath, but the blood pressure of a person who has high blood pressure tends to have a reduced blood pressure while in a sweat bath. This healthy effect turned out to only be temporary, though.

The skin’s surface temperature has the capability of rising all the way up to 10C, while the inner temperature can rise only up to 3C. This occurrence is known as the fever that Hippocrates and other medical practitioners sought in the past, believed to cure various diseases; today, we know it can be created simply by sitting in a sauna. Naturally, not every disease can be treated by this “fever”, but today, everybody knows that a lot of viral and bacterial agents are not capable of survival at temperatures that are higher than normal body temperature. Damaged cells also tend to repair themselves much faster under the conditions of this “fever” because metabolism tends to increase. Recovering from an illness is more rapid under these conditions, as well.

Raising the inner temperature also has an effect on the functions of the pituitary glands, which are located at the bottom center of the brain. The pituitary glands are known as the master gland since it regulates various activities of other glands, like the adrenal, thyroid, testes and ovaries. Through the increased temperatures, the pituitary glands make the metabolism of the body go faster and it also affects a lot of the body’s hormones. A lot of people are convinced that saunas also increase one’s sex drive.

The heart isn’t the only organ of the body that will benefit from sauna sweat baths. Because the body needs around twenty percent more oxygen while within the confines of this temperature, the lungs also work in a faster pace. (The lungs are essential in eliminating bodily wastes, as well.) The heat opens up respiratory passages that were blocked and thus relieves colds and several other minor respiratory problems. Do take note, however, that saunas are not advised for those who suffer from pneumonia or several other acute respiratory diseases.

How to make TV a fat-buster rather than a time-waster? Workout while you watch. Here is a one-size-fits-all exercise plan. It will keep you fit or get you fit, as long as you do it 30 minutes a day at a good pace, and has been approved by the Association of Physical Fitness Centers of America and the President’s Council on Physical Fitness.

Note; Do numbers 4, 5 and 9 during commercial breaks.

1. Shoulder Shrugs. Sit up straight in your chair, arms hanging your sides. You’re your shoulders up and down 10 times and then move them forward and back 10 times, keeping your arms relaxed.
2. Arm Circles. Sit tall, extend arms to shoulder height. Make 10 big circle forward and then 10 big circles backward. Repeat for 30 seconds.
3. Body Lift. To strengthen arms and shoulders, try to lift yourself off your chair, keeping your feet on the floor, then work up to holding that position for 30 seconds, breathe deep. Rest and repeat.
4. url-ups. Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place hands on opposite shoulders with elbows close to chest. Lift your head and upper body off the floor until your elbows touch your thighs. Breathe out as you curl up and in as you lower your body back on the floor. Do as many as you can in one station break. Rest and repeat during the next break.
5. Push-ups. Lie on stomach, hands flat on the floor, a few inches from shoulders. Point hands straight ahead. Keep body in a straight line. Strengthen arms, pushing body off floor. Lower body to the point where your elbow is bent in a 90-degree angle and push up again. Do as many as you can. Try to add two more push-ups each time.
6. Side Stretch. Sit up straight, grasp the right side of your chair with your left hand. Raise right arm over head and lean to the left until you feel the stretch on your tight side. Hold 10 seconds. Switch directions and stretch your left side. Repeat stretch twice on each side.
7. Pedal-pushers. Sitting up straight, place both feet flat on the floor. Straighten your right leg and lift it off the chair. Flex your foot (point your toes toward the ceiling) and bend your knees toward your chest. Then extend your leg, keeping your toes pointed up. Repeat 10 times without letting your leg touch the chair. Work up to 20 times on each leg.
8. Knee-hi Stretch. Stand and lift right knee toward chest. Take hold of leg behind knee. Pull leg up until you feel a stretch in your lower back and behind your thigh. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the left leg. Keep standing leg bent at the knee to help you balance. Repeat stretch two more times with each leg.
9. Side Leg Lifts. Lie on right side, resting your head on your arm. Slightly bend your right knee for support and keep left leg straight. Flex left foot and raise and lower left leg, toes pointing forward. Try not to fall back. Repeat 10 times each side.
10. Toe Reaches. Lie on your back with legs in the air, feet crossed at the ankles. Curl upper body toward your knees, reaching to your feet with your right hand. Lower body to the floor and then reach up with your left hand. Do 10 reaches. Rest and repeat twice.

• It can lead to high blood pressure and cholesterol level.

• The obese have higher rates of heart disease and stroke.

• Obesity plays a role in some cases of diabetes.

• Overweight women have higher rates of breast cancer.

• A US study in the past showed that overweight girls are less likely to marry. They also undergo less schooling; have lower incomes and higher rates of poverty.

Are diet pills a good idea?

This is hotly debated. Tablets such as fenfluramine reduce appetite and promote weight loss, which is why leading nutritionists are taking a renewed interest. Usually they are taken as a course over several weeks.

On the other hand, diet pills occasionally prove addictive. Side effects such as irritability and insomnia are relatively common. Plus weight is easily put back after finishing a course.

Could the answer lie in our genes?

Scientists at the Rockefeller Institute in California have made a fascinating discovery. Some mice who suffer from a specific genetic mutation eat vast amounts and rapidly become obese. But correct their so-called “ob-gyne” defect by genetic engineering and they rapidly slim down. They eat much less and become more active. Might a similar obesity gene exist in humans? Intense research activity might soon yield the answer.

If all else fails why not surgery?

• Liposuction. A metal tube is inserted into the fat beneath your skin. A vacuum contraption is attached, and you are transformed into an instant Kate Moss.

• Jaw wiring. If you cannot eat, you should lose weight. Water and essential nutrients are sucked through a straw. A wire cutter needs to be carried at all times; otherwise a bout of vomiting could prove fatal.

• Stomach balloons. A balloon is anchored in the stomach and then inflated. However hungry you feel, there is no way you can squeeze in a meal.

Yet, throughout the world, obesity rates are on the rise. Half the continent of overweight – and one in seven Europeans are full-blown obese. Over in the Stares, folks are even bigger. And in Asia, the residents are set to catch up within the next decade.

So much for the downside. But in fact, the underlying is upbeat. By following a few simple rules, successful slimming is more than possible. Here is a simple guide to shedding the pounds.

• Set a start date. Psyche yourself for the big day.

• Set goals, which must be both practical and achievable. If you weighed 200 pounds at 16, you are unlikely to become any slimmer at 60. In addition to an ultimate target weight, set weekly goals. The most you can safely lose in a week is around one kilogram. Lose any more and you are overdoing it.

• Check your weight everyday. Make sure there is never a day on the increase. Aim to be less than or at least the same as, the day before.

• Munching matters. Your joules/calories out must be more than your joules/calories in. Otherwise you simply will not lose weight. No getting around that logic. People often say “I hardly eat a thing, but I still never lose weight.” Usually they are tripping up because they are eating the wrong sorts of calories. One small cake and you can forget the day’s dieting. Here are a few essential dietary adjustments.

1. Reduce fat. This is absolutely vital. Average western diets contain 60 percent or more fat. This rate needs to be slashed remorselessly: fat contents should not go beyond 15 percent. Always eat grilled or steamed food, never fired. Avoid fatty dairy products especially butter and cheese. Grilled fish, low in fat, is much better than fatty red meat. Fries, cakes and biscuits must be outlawed. Beware of salad dressings and sauces – which are often pure fat – and always go for the “low-fat” labels in the supermarket.
2. Reduce sugar. If you drink sodas, eat sweets and chocolates you can kiss thoughts of dieting goodbye. Sugar is a mega-calorie substance that goes straight to the waistline.

• What to nibble instead. Fill the resultant hole in your diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. You can eat more or less as much as you like because they are low in calories. And because they are packed with vitamins, they should also give a boost to your general health.

• Exercise has an important role. Exercise is a useful aid to any diet plan. Ideally, you should aim for three or four exercise sessions per week. The principle is to start slowly, build up gradually and do something that you enjoy doing, such as aerobics, jogging or whatever activity that involves motion. Otherwise, you risk losing interest. Only when each training level has been mastered should you move on to the next. Muscles that have spent 20 years in front of the television take time to adjust. The more calories you manage to burn off, the better.

Remember, a diet is for life. Many people slog away at a diet for six months only to relax and put the whole lot back. Your lifestyle needs to be permanently changed for the better. The longer you stay in the “health groove,” the easier things become.