Pointers For Healthy Muscle Stretching

Stretch It Out!

1. Stretch when you are warmed up. You increase the chance of pulling a muscle if you stretch when your body is cold. When your body temperature is elevated, your muscles are more pliable. Think of your body as taffy. When the taffy is cold you can't do much with it, warm it up and it will stretch easily!

2. Hold your stretches for AT LEAST 10 seconds. Longer than that is better, 30 seconds to a minute for each major muscle group would be great.

3. Stretch everyday! Stretching improves your flexibility, which is the range of motion available at your joints. It is something that you can continue to improve upon, however if you stop stretching you will lose gains in flexibility fairly quickly.

4. Stretch all major muscle groups each day. This includes Chest/Back/Hamstrings (back of the thigh)/Glutes (rear end)/Quadriceps (front of the thigh)/Shoulders/Biceps (front of the upper arm)/Triceps (back of the upper arm)/Calves (back of lower leg)

5. Don't stretch into pain! You should feel tension on the muscles when you are stretching, but don't stretch if you are feeling sharp pains.

6. Stretching is a fantastic way to work on improving your posture. Poor posture is oftentimes caused by tight muscles. Think about this. You all know someone who is hunched over, shoulders rounded, maybe you yourself are!

It is a very common postural deviation since we are all hunched over so much in life (i.e. driving, sitting at a computer) causing the chest muscles to be tight. In turn the back muscles are probably weak. An easy way to improve this problem is to stretch your chest muscles.

7. Stretching is a great way to help alleviate stress. Taking five minutes out of your workday for some light stretching can increase your daily productivity and lower your stress levels.

8. Don’t bounce! The general population should perform static stretches. Move into a stretch position and hold it. Bouncing while stretching will increase your chance of injury!

9. There are several factors that can influence your ability to stretch including: age, the shape of your bones (some people are just naturally going to be more flexible due to their bone structure), temperature of your body tissue, muscle soreness, how much muscle you have on your body, what types of muscle fibers you have and how tight the opposite muscle group is.

10. Always BREATHE into your stretches. Don't hold your breath while you are stretching, hold the position and every time you exhale try to relax your body and move a little bit deeper into the stretch.

11. Yoga is a great way to not only stretch but also work on balance, stability, strength, coordination and focus.

12. Stretching helps to increase your blood flow and supplies joints and muscles with more blood!

13. Stretching everyday will relieve tension on your lower back and help to eliminate lower back pain. 90% of the population suffers from lower back pain on a regular basis and the majority of these problems could be relieved just from stretching! Tight hamstrings and pelvic muscles are a major cause of lower back pain, so stretch them!

14. Stretching minimizes stress, decreases stiffness and helps your muscles to RELAX! You now have a better understanding of the benefits and techniques for this important yet often overlooked segment to your fitness plan. Start stretching today and see how much better you will feel!

by Diana Chaloux

Diana Chaloux is a certified personal trainer through ACE, AFAA and FPI. Diana is a fitness coach as well as an NPC National Level Figure Competitor. She is co-founder and owner of Destined 2 Be Fit (http://www.d2bfit.com ) based in San Antonio, TX and she is the star of the fitness DVD “Fitness Deadlines”. Diana can be contacted at contact@d2bfit.com

Health and Fitness Is Not . . .

Health & Fitness Is Not A 12 Week Program
Copyright 2005, Tom Venuto

Not long ago, one of the members of my health club poked her head in my office for some advice. Linda was a 46 year old mother of two, and she had been a member for over a year. She had been working out sporadically, with (not surprisingly) sporadic results. On that particular day, she seemed to have enthusiasm and a twinkle in her eye that I hadn't seen before.

"I want to enter a before and after fitness contest called the "12 week body transformation challenge." I could win money and prizes and even get my picture in a magazine." "I want to lose THIS", she continued, as she grabbed the body fat on her stomach. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

Linda was not "obese," she just had the typical "moderate roll" of abdominal fat and a little bit of thigh/hip fat that many forty-something females struggle with."I think it's a great idea" I reassured her. "Competitions are great for motivation. When you have a deadline and you dangle a "carrot" like that prize money in front of you, it can keep you focused and more motivated than ever." . . . Continued On The RGG Site

Preplanning And Concentration Is Key!

How to be a Bodybuilding Champion - The Art of Focusing!

Tiger Woods is the only one I know who has the ability to stop his down swing on a dime when it just does not feel right to go through with it. How does he do it? Over the years I have been able to teach myself one of the most important elements in making the most out of my workouts. What is it? It’s the ability to tune everyone, everything and every sound out in a blink of an eye.

We see it played out in movies where a baseball pitcher blocks out all the roaring fans and only concentrates on the catcher’s mitt in silence. This is the keen ability to focus with lazar like power.

One of the main reasons I became a champion bodybuilder at very young age is because I have mastered this technique. Today, I walk into a gym, step on a treadmill, or go out for a walk and the only thing I am aware of is the task at hand. I block every one and every thing out. No it is not always easy, but it is very effective.

This is not a technique you can read about in an anatomy book, it will take practice on your part. It is a discipline within itself.

Here are some general workout rules that have helped me master the art of focus during my workouts;

1. Go through your workout in your mind first before you even get to the gym.

2. Take a water bottle – eliminate all excess wasted time.

3. NO cell phones during a workout – This goes without saying.

4. Visual the muscle that is moving the weight.

5. Work the room just like a social gathering.

6. Keep a flow into your workouts.

7. Practice every single workout – over and over and over again.

If you want to get the most from your workouts you need to work smarter rather than harder. Focusing on the task at hand in a lazar like fashion may be the key to you being a champion in your own right.

by Greg Ryan

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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Designing a Strength Training Routine for Fat Loss

Designing a Strength Training Routine for Fat Loss
by Lynn VanDyke

Your goal is to lose fat and tone up. I recommend a mix of 5 tools to create and sculpt the body of your dreams.

Those 5 tools are nutrition, hydration, cardio, rest and strength training. Today’s article is all about creating a killer routine that delivers amazing results.

In my many years of experience in the fitness industry I have come across a few timeless myths. One of those myths really gets me piping mad. Have you ever heard, “Lift lighter weights for more repetitions if you want to tone up”? You probably have if you are a woman. I can already feel my blood beginning to boil!

The truth about strength training routines is . . . Continued On RGG Site

Optimum Fitness Is . . .

Fit for What?

Unless we're talking about our bodies, and the amount of exercise they can do, we usually talk about being fit in relation to something. An object is 'fit for use', clothing is 'fit to be worn at work', and food is 'fit to be eaten'. My parents used to have a running joke that they were fit - fit to drop! Everything else is fit 'for something'. So why do we insist on describing ourselves as 'fit' or 'unfit' without relating the concepts to anything else?

GENERAL PRINCIPLES
It's a basic truth that the human body wasn't made to sit still for any length of time. We spent tens of thousands of years evolving in an environment that required us to move - to find shelter, to catch food, and to keep ourselves safe from predators. We've only been living lifestyles that allow us to be sedentary for the lesser part of a hundred years - not nearly enough time for evolution to adapt our bodies to this new environment. We see this constantly reflected in modern rates of heart disease, atherosclerosis, chronic aches and pains, and muscular and bone deterioration in people who have become inactive as they age.

On top of this, activity has a very real effect on both stress and energy levels. Our bodies have a 'use-it-or-lose-it' way with energy - if we don't constantly use and then replace energy (with activity, followed by rest and good nutrition), we start noticing our energy levels gradually draining away. We feel tired, lethargic, and as though any amount of effort is just too much to be worth it. And if we're also under stress - for example, at work, or in a difficult relationship - we feel the energy loss and the stress even more intensely.

These are general principles that seem to be true whoever we are. But different lifestyles require different amounts of energy, and exact different prices in terms of stress. We enjoy doing, and our bodies are suited for, different kinds of activity. It makes sense then, that the amount and type of activity that will help us reach our optimum fitness, will be different.

DIFFERENT STROKES
If that's the case, then getting 'fit' without a frame of reference seems like a meaningless concept. Unless we know what we want to be 'fit for' - what fitness means to us - there's no reason for us to get or stay that way. If my life is basically calm, quiet and easy-flowing, and I'm quite happy to keep it that way, my 'optimum fitness' is going to be very different to someone who's discovered a deep fulfillment in setting themselves a goal and achieving it. Someone who'd just like to go for a walk with friends without getting puffed is going to have a different optimum fitness level to someone who wants to discover how it feels to finish a marathon.

On top of this, what people want often changes over time. Perhaps at one point in your life, you enjoyed spending a couple of hours a day exercising, but now you're finding there are things you'd like to do far more with that time. Alternatively, when you first started creating your optimum life for yourself, it might have been enough for you to just keep your body healthy. As you tried new activities though, you might have discovered you were actually enjoying some of them for their own sake, and wanting to get fitter so you could do more of them. So at different times in your life, you'd have a different optimum fitness level.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE "FIT FOR"?
Which brings us back to our original question - can we talk about being fit, without knowing what exactly we're 'fit for'? The way we see it, your optimum fitness level depends completely on what you want to be able to do in your daily life, how you want to be feeling, how much energy you'd like to have and how exercise fits in with the rest of your life. So your first step in moving closer to optimum fitness needs to be to make that all-important decision "What do I want to be fit for?"

by Tanja Gardner

About the Author:
Optimum Life's Tanja Gardner is a Stress Management Coach and Personal Trainer whose articles on holistic health, relaxation and spirituality have appeared in various media since 1999. Optimum Life is dedicated to providing fitness and stress management services to help clients all over the world achieve their optimum lives. For more information please visit check out http://optimumlife.co.nz, or contact Tanja on tanja@optimumlife.co.nz.

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Low Impact Swimming Workouts

Swimming Workout

A swimming workout can be a new and refreshing way to get or stay in shape. Swimming is a full body aerobic sport that tones muscles, improves strength and flexibility, increases circulation, controls weight and enhances body contours.

Swimming workouts give you a low impact activity that can easily be tailored to match your abilities. A good way to gain cardiovascular stamina is to exercise in a swimming pool.

The secret to a good swimming exercise program is to work with the water. To accomplish this, propel yourself through the water by using your abs, hips and shoulders.

To understand why water exercise works so well, you need to know about water's unique properties. In water, your body has almost no gravity. You're relieved of 90% of your body weight so you become very buoyant.

You can float, bob and relax without feeling like you're putting out any effort. Yet water provides 12 to 14 percent more resistance than air, so as you move through it, it's like having weights around you.

Swimming laps is great exercise in a swimming pool. Try different strokes to vary the muscles you work to keep your workout balanced.

Going vertical or upright is another very effective exercise in water. These types of water workouts include water walking, jogging, water aerobics, water toning, water therapy, water yoga and water flexibility training.

You can strengthen your muscles with these vertical water workouts because you experience 75% greater resistance than swimming horizontally. This vertical position maximizes the resistance of water against your movements.

Water based activities can provide significant benefits for older adults too. In addition to increasing metabolism, physical activity can improve cardiovascular health and increase strength, not to mention the psychological and social benefits as well.

Joining an aquatics class or just sharing a swimming workout with a friend can help you feel better about yourself. You can be more socially active, engage in community activities and tend to not lose your independence because you are more physically fit.

The bottom line is to choose activities that you enjoy and will stick with. It is never too late to introduce physical activity into your life. Swimming workouts can provide a healthy and enjoyable way to get back the fun you use to have as a child.

Copyright © 2005 Treadmill Info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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. How you can "Achieve Greater Success" Automatically!
. How you can "Lose Weight" Automatically!
. How you can "Lower your Cholesterol" Automatically!
. How you can "Reduce your Cancer risks" Automatically
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10 Tips to Stay Motivated

Top 10 Tips to Stay Motivated on Your Exercise Program

1. Know your Reasons

Think about why you want to exercise and write down every reason you can think of. Explain in full detail what working out is going to do for your life and your health. And reread your list whenever your motivation needs a boost.

2. Set Daily and Weekly Goals

Although it's good to think big, don't just set yourself a long-term goal because it can seem too distant from where you are now. If you have a daily or weekly challenge then you have something to achieve and motivate you right here, right now.

Make sure your goals are just a little bit stretching - doing too much too soon is a prime cause of injury and exercise drop-out.

3. Track Your Progress

Keep a log of all your workouts. It's amazing how quickly your fitness will improve and seeing your progress in black and white will help spur you on to keep going. Even in the early days when the going is tough and you might not have noticed any changes in your body and fitness levels an activity log gives you something to be proud of.

4. Plan to Succeed

You have to set aside time for working out and schedule it as if it's an appointment that can't be missed. Block out the time in your calendar and treat it like a doctor's appointment. Your health depends on it just as much.

5. Do Something Daily

Once you've got an exercise program going it helps if you do something active every day just so that you keep your mind focused on your goals. You probably don't have time to fit in a workout every day but any activity is fine - walking, dancing, housework, gardening - just something that keeps your mind and body in exercise mode.

6. Have a Plan B

The path towards fitness doesn't always run smoothly. Be flexible if muscle strain or extra work pressure prevents you from doing your usual routine. Try going to the gym before work or plan a different activity which does not affect your injured muscle to keep going when life gets in the way.

7. Don't Ask Whether Ask When

Consider working out as an important element of your life and make it part of your routine. Don't even get into a conversation with yourself about whether you'll exercise today, just make plans and do it. No matter how much you don't feel like working out, you'll be amazed how good you'll feel once you get going.

8. Find a Workout Buddy

Look for a workout partner with similar goals and level of fitness to make exercise more enjoyable and add a little healthy competition. Plus, you'll find it's harder to skip a workout if someone is relying on you. If you don't have a friend who wants to get fit, consider investing in a personal trainer to keep you motivated.

9. Make it Fun

Prevent boredom by trying new activities and using a variety of ways of working out. Just because it's fun doesn't mean you won't get fit. How about trying salsa-dancing, scuba-diving, skiing or roller-blading? Even something as simple a adding intervals to your usual routine can give you a new level of interest.

10. Believe You Can

You'll be healthier, fitter and change your whole body shape if you stick at your exercise program. Change is possible for you just as it has been for so many others before you who have transformed themselves with exercise. Acknowledge that you can experience those results for yourself just by keeping going with your fitness program. You can do it, you really can!

Copyright 2006, Janice Elizabeth Small

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of "The Diet Exit Plan", an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report How to lose weight without dieting - 7 secrets the diet industry doesn't want you to know at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

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