Great BodyShape

-Stay Fit

And Healthy

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This is a general Post, more like an overview and a summary, enjoy!!

Most people know that having health and fitness is important. Many try to stay fit and healthy to get a great body shape. The question is do people know the benefits of being fit and healthy or how to get that great body shape they yearned so much for?

Unfortunately not, otherwise there will not be such high dropout rates in gyms all over the world and people getting fatter and fatter.

-Benefits of good health and fitness :-

1) Day to day chores are so much easier – Because you are fit, you will not tire that easily and chores such as gardening, carrying stuff , bending over or climbing up to pick up things will be so much easier.

2) Enjoy life better – Since daily chores are no longer chores, you are able to do more things and faster. Savor your productivity and efficiency.

3) Save money and live longer – Save money on your medical expenses from diseases that strike unhealthy and obese people. Your risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and some form of cancers, all of which are deadly is reduced significantly when you stay fit and are in great health.

4) Your posture and confidence improve – Because you are stronger, your strong muscles hold up your skeletal structure will. This improves your body posture and your confidence will soar.

5) Look great in your clothes – You will carry your clothes well because you are no longer flabby or skinny with your clothes either too tight or too lose.

6) Attractive hunk – Gone will be the days when your body shape was the butt of jokes. Instead, people will ogle and admire your new attractive body. A body that many people will die for.

There are many more benefits for having great health and fitness. Too many to mention in just one article. So we shall go on to discuss how to be in great body shape, fit and healthy.

-How to be in great body shape-stay fit and healthy

Just three things.

1) Healthy eating habits and healthy lifestyle – You are what you eat. So if you eat unhealthy food, you will be unhealthy. Thus avoid saturated and trans fat. Eat less sugary stuff and sodium. Avoid alcohol and quit smoking. Drink plenty of water and remember what your mum used to say, “Take your vitamins.”

2) Do cardio exercises – It toughens up your heart and lungs. Cardio exercises are great for your respiratory and cardiovascular system. Best of all, it burns tons of calories.

3) Lift weights – Build muscles for a toned and defined body. With muscles come strength and with more strength you will be able to do many more things than just having a sexy muscular body.

So you can see, it is not that difficult to be fit and healthy. Having a great body shape along the way is indeed a bonus. So have you written out a plan for your health and fitness goals?

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Originally by: Chris Chew

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The scientific experts all seem to be saying the same thing when it comes to health and fitness:

1 -Obesity, overweight and physical inactivity are at record levels and soaring

2 -These problems lead to increased risks from heart disease, strokes, diabetes and many other chronic illnesses

3 -Most of us can reduce the risks of these illnesses by taking up a balanced diet and moderate exercise.

Advice on diet is beyond the scope of this article but, when it comes to exercise, one of the easiest ways to do more is to adopt an activity we all do instinctively but never think about seriously … walking.

Walking is something you’ve been able to do since you were just a few months old, but have you ever considered taking it up as a serious fitness activity?

Well if you haven’t you should!

The health benefits of walking are more compelling than for any other physical activity, simply because walking is so easy to do and you don’t have to work up a sweat! Become Fit for life!

In the UK, The Chief Medical Officer recommends 30 minutes of ‘moderately intensive’ physical activity on five or more days a week.

So if you’re out of shape but the thought of exercising fills you with horror, why not just start walking more often on a regular basis? You don’t need any special equipment, you can do it anywhere and at anytime. And it’s FREE!

Here are just some of the health reasons for taking up a walking routine:

* reduce your risks of heart disease, strokes and diabetes

* reduce your risks of high blood pressure

* reduce your risks of minor illnesses

* start to bring your weight under control

* get the stress in your life under control

* improve your sleep

* improve your posture

And for maximum health benefits, start your walking activities by getting out into the open air.

Walk in your local park, your local garden center, down by your local river or canal. Get out into the countryside and breathe a little of that rarefied air only to be found in the great outdoors!

You’ll find it’ll help you get life’s problems into a more manageable perspective.

You don’t have to go hill walking for miles. After all, you’re only walking for 30 minutes, so short walks are all that’s required.

And once you’ve done it, you’ll want to do it again. This is guaranteed!

Not only that, once you’ve walked in the countryside for even a little while, you’ll want to walk further. And the best rewards are usually to be found at the top of the hill. Of course, this will mean you’ll have to work a bit harder, but the greatest benefit of all is getting to the top of a hill to see the view.

This on its own is enough to challenge the most stressful lifestyle and enable you to breathe far more easily.

For example, after reaching the top of Mam Tor in the Peak District (the UK’s most popular National Park) and surveying the amazing views of Hope Valley and the Vale of Edale, your troubles will vanish into the ether and your heart will start pounding, not because you’re about to have a heart attack, but out of awe and inspiration!

All this can be achieved with just one short walk!

Don’t believe me? Well, try it and see for yourself.

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Originally by: Tony Dunne

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Many people make the mistake of setting their fitness goals too high when they embark on an exercise program. This leads them to abandon their plans out of frustration and impatience. Setting manageable goals is key to maintaining a fitness program over time.

If you have been completely sedentary you need to start out your fitness regimen by working towards small and realistic goals. These can be as simple as walking around the block once a day for a week, and adding another block each subsequent week until they reach the 30 minutes recommended by health professionals. A few sessions with a personal trainer can help you set reasonable goals for weight-bearing exercise like weight training. In the beginning focus on overall conditioning rather than building muscle. Check with staff at your gym or fitness center for recommendations about what exercise classes are right for your current fitness level.

How many times have you heard of people join a gym and go flat out everyday for a week, then slowly let it slip back until they stop going altogether apart from the odd guilt session!

When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to make rash promises like exercising every day. It’s hard for even people in top condition to make time each and every day for training. Start off three or four days a week and build up from there. If you’re taking up a new sport like swimming, skiing or golf, consider taking lessons with a professional so that you develop good habits from the beginning.

If you’ve been getting moderate exercise your goals can be a little more ambitious. If you’re walking the recommended 30 minutes per day, why not add hand weights to your routine? This might also be the time to consider adding more weight to your lifting or taking an intermediate fitness course. You may also be ready to speak to a personal trainer about beginning to work on building specific muscle groups.

Once you’ve attained a high level of fitness, then it’s time for some serious goal setting. Plan to run a marathon or participate in a 5K walking event. There are many of these events run to benefit charity, giving a double benefit of both funds raised and health benefits to participants. When preparing for an event of this nature, return to your early habit of setting small, realistic goals. Add miles to your run on a weekly basis until you are able to complete the full distance. Speak with your trainer to establish a regular schedule of weight-bearing exercise that will help improve your stamina and flexibility.

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Originally by: Jonathon Hardcastle

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A recent article in the New York Times, “Doctors See a Big Rise in Injuries As Young Athletes Train Nonstop” highlights a serious and growing health concern for teenagers and their parents. Typical injuries include stress fractures, cracked kneecaps and frayed heel tendons and damage to the alignment of the spinal column brought on by excessive flexing. As the article states, “…doctors in pediatric sports medicine say it is as if they have happened upon a new childhood disease, and the cause is the overaggressive culture of organized youth sports.”

The consequences of this new “disease” can be very serious, often requiring many months of expensive rehabilitation or even surgery. Some young athletes are left facing a lifetime of pain and physical restrictions.

The article emphasizes the role played by pressure from coaches and parents and by a culture in many sports that places so much emphasis on performance, and on winning, that players often ignore the pain signals coming from their bodies.

I was struck by the parallels between this teenage phenomenon and the wave of injuries reported during the early stages of the fitness boom of the 1980s. At that time, there were a great many newspaper and magazine reports of everything from severe shin splints caused by prolonged running on concrete to serious back and neck pain due to improper methods of weight lifting.

I can well remember the sudden influx of students during that period who came for Alexander Technique lessons after giving up on demanding exercise regimes because of pain or injury. They just wanted to learn how they could get back to where they were before and sadly that was not always possible. It seems that when a new fitness or sports trend begins, there is a heavy price to be paid by some participants.

What strikes me about both the current spate of injuries and the one that took place two decades ago is that in both cases, a huge emphasis on QUANTITY of exercise almost completely obliterated any concern with the QUALITY with which the exercise was performed. All too often fitness programs tend to be about things like how many miles you run, how many pitches you pitch, or how many hours you swim rather that how well you’re using your body as you run, pitch or swim.

It’s a bit like driving a car as fast as you can, for a long distance, without bothering to learn how to drive it well!

I am convinced that the current over-emphasis on quantity is one of the main reasons there are still so many sports and fitness related injuries. Sometimes it comes from the athlete him or herself – perhaps reflecting a common cultural idea that more is better. Sometimes it comes from outside. That certainly seems to be a large part of what’s going on with some young athletes today.

Anyone who studies the basic ideas of the Alexander Technique will very quickly see just how important the quality of one’s posture and movement is to the effectiveness and safety of any activity. This is true whether it’s a vigorous activity or something as mundane as using a computer or even watching TV. And if they decide to take up a new sport or fitness program, they have the knowledge and ability to approach it with skill, and with an appropriate level of body awareness and care.

I guess the moral is once you find a good trainer and a good gym or place to workout out they will be part of a great workout routine that is safe and achieves(smashes) your fitness goals!!

Take care and have fun!

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Originally by: Robert Rickover

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Fitness and exercise prevent disease. That is a proven fact, and yet more people than ever are suffering from obesity and type 2 Diabetes. This is now being considered as an epidemic in the United States. If you are overweight, and especially if you are obese, or if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, then listen to your doctor and begin a regular fitness and exercise program. You’ll be glad you did. It will improve the quality of your life.

The Benefits

One of the benefits of fitness and exercise, as any physician will tell you, it that fitness and exercise help control blood sugar. A diabetic who takes medication daily may find that less medication is needed with a regular fitness and exercise program. Many diabetics who stay with fitness and exercise programs find that they are able to quit the medication and get their diabetes under control in a totally natural way.

Triglycerides are also too high for many people in the western world. High triglycerides are linked to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. A great natural way to reduce your level of triglycerides is to simply begin and stick with a fitness and exercise program, while eating a sensible diet. Triglycerides at too high a level are also linked to high blood sugar, and it is common for diabetics to have high triglyceride levels. Therefore, in this case fitness and exercise can take care of two potential health risks at the same time.

Contributory Factors

Being over weight has become a way of life for far too many people and there have been many investigations into what has caused it.

-Sedentary lifestyles.

-Working in front of computers.

-Watching too much television.

-Diets high in fat and carbohydrates.

All shown to be contributory factors. But whatever the root causes taking part in fitness and exercise programme is a significant part of the cure for the problem. Engaging in physical activity, increasing the heart rate, and just getting active can help a person loose weight, control triglyceride levels and reduce the problems caused by diabetes.

Exercise and fitness cannot be ignored and must become a habitual of  part peoples lifestyles.

Parents should monitor and restrict time spent by children using computer games or watching television. They must encourage children to engage in fitness and exercise the way children in past generations have, playing games like baseball, basketball and jump rope. Leading by example and taking part themselves. It really does not matter if you are any good, it is more important to enjoy doing it and having that all important quality time with your kids. Doing it regular helps it become a habit and also maximizes the benefits.

Children who learn the benefits of fitness and exercise at an early age are more likely to continue the habit into adulthood. They will lead healthier lifestyles and tend to live longer, healthier and obviously happier lives.

What greater gift could you give them than that?

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Originally by: John Campbell

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When people hear the word “diet”, we tend to think of counting calories, eating salad, and being pretty miserable. In fact, the word “diet” is more about eating healthy, nutritious foods on a daily basis. There’s no need to starve ourselves just because we’re struggling to lose weight!

So what does a nutritious diet consist of? In my opinion, it’s all about consuming foods that keep your energy levels running at a constant high level throughout the day, and allows them naturally fall at night. It’s really about eating correctly in such a way your body is continually fuelled to the most appropriate levels. This doesn’t mean eating salads all day – it simply means thinking about what you eat, and when you eat it.

My recommendations are as follows:

- Eat complex carbohydrates earlier in the day to keep your energy levels up

- Try to get at least 30 minutes of some form of exercise every day

- Drink at least 8 glasses of water daily

- Try to balance each meal with 50% Carbohydrates, 30% Protein and 20% Fat for ideal nutrition

- Try not to go for more than 3 hours without eating something

- Don’t eat anything within 2 hours of going to bed

- Try to eat protein rich foods within 4-6 hours of going to bed

It’s important that you keep these points in mind as you go through your daily life as this will maximize the value of your diet. If you’re able to keep up with this over a period of time, you should find that you have more energy and your sugar cravings lessen. This has definitely been my own experience! Additionally, the weight will naturally start to drop off without you needing to eat like a rabbit!

If you follow these ideas, then I truly hope you find them as helpful as I have. All things considered, losing weight doesn’t have to be punishing! Conversely, eating a healthy diet doesn’t have to be about losing weight.

Eat well, eat heathily, eat happily, and don’t make this any tougher than it needs to be.

Happy Dieting!                                                                                                                                                                  Free Mp3 Workouts

Originally by: Steve Johnson

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If you are looking to lose some weight or get in shape, a fitness club is a great idea. There are many benefits to working out in a health or fitness club but with so many options these days, how do you choose the one that is best for you?

Well, one good idea is to find out about all the ones in your area and then compare them. But how do you know what to compare? Below are some of the most important things you should look for in your fitness club and you can compare to find the best fitness club in your location.

Location

The location of your fitness club is going to be very important. Not only do you want one that is close to your home and/or work place but you also want one that is easy to get to. Convenience is going to be extra important on those days when you are not really feeling up to a work out and you are looking for any excuse to skip out on your routine.

Staff

You may want to interview some of the staff at the facility that you are thinking of signing up for. Staff can be very helpful to you, especially if you have never used some of the equipment before. Helpful staff will guide you through so that everything makes sense and you know you are using the equipment properly.

Fitness Equipment

Do they have the equipment that you need for the workout you plan on getting? Do they have updated and safe equipment? Do they have enough equipment to accommodate the number of members of the facility? You lose benefit of your workout if you spend most of your gym time waiting on a machine.

Social Factors

If you have friends or family that uses a certain facility, it may take precedence over one where you do not know anyone. Some people like to have someone to work out with. Does your fitness club encourage social interaction with a common gathering area? Do they have a location you can sit around and have a cup of coffee or tea and say hello to one another? Little details like this can help sway your option toward a particular club.

Programs

What programs and classes does the facility offer? If you are looking for yoga, kickboxing, etc then you will want a fitness club that offers these programs to you.

Maintenance

The next thing you are going to want to look at is the maintenance of the property. How well do they keep the facilities clean? Are the restrooms clean and properly stocked? Are the equipment and floors cleaned regularly after people have been using them? Is the trash regularly removed from the building? These are all important factors that can make your visit to the fitness club more pleasurable. Plus, if they show they have proper cleanliness then they likely perform proper safety maintenance on the equipment as well.

So have a good look around and make sure to get a good overall vibe, its going to become the new place you achieve your goals and ambitions!!

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Originally by: Brad Howard

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One of the best ways to increase your diet fitness and stay consistent with your diet and exercise plan is to team up with a buddy. A diet buddy is a friend or co-worker who you partner up with so that the two of you help each other lose weight by staying focused and accountable for your actions. Many fitness experts agree that if you have a friend to rely on then you are much more likely to stick to your program and successfully lose weight.

Choosing a diet buddy is not hard but it can be a challenge to finds someone who you can trust and who will be honest with you. You need someone who will remind you not to eat junk food when you confess that you have fallen off the wagon and who will also be sympathetic to your guilty feelings. Try to find a person who has similar weight loss goals because if you want to lose 20 pounds and your buddy wants to lose 50 then you may not be compatible. Avoid choosing someone you live with, if possible, since the constant interaction will make you feel like your every move is being watched so try to choose a co-worker or close friend to help you out.

You should also choose a diet buddy who you will see on a regular basis. A really great way to stay on track is to meet at the gym every morning and then get something to eat afterward. You can compare notes and talk about what’s going on and how you are progressing. If breakfast doesn’t work then lunch is another good alternative.

You and your diet buddy should set goals and rewards for each other. When you hit a weight goal, you can celebrate by shopping for a new outfit that shows off your weight loss or you can go out together for a healthy dinner at a nice restaurant. You and your buddy are working together to help each other reach your goals so if you lose weight faster than your friend, be supportive and help them realize that everyone has a different body type and some people take longer to lose weight. On the flip side, be prepared for your friend to lose weight quicker than you and if that happens, be sure to cheer them on and reassure yourself that your consistency will pay off for you in the near future.

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Originally by: Michael Maroun