Best Health News - Fitness

The Next Killer Flu -- Can We Stop It?

root — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:08:45 +0200

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Flu season is just around the corner once again. But this time, it may be coming disguised as a ordered killer. There is deep concern that a new killer flu, nicknamed "Bird Flu," may mix with usual flu and kill millions of people. This is how Robert Webster of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis characterizes this killer flu -- and take note that Dr. Webster has been studying influenza for the past 40 years: "This virus word-perfect from scratch is probably the worst influenza virus, in terms of being highly pathogenic, that I've ever seen or worked with." overt health experts, including those at the World Health Organization, fear a catastrophe. In preparation, the United States has ordered 2.3 million doses of an antiviral called "Tamiflu." 2.3 million for a country of 300 million. However, the U.S. has decided to place all of its chips on an experimental vaccine, a vaccine that is based on an early seed of bird flu, which most experts agree has already mutated into something quite different, and that means when bird flu gets here, it may not respond to some vaccine. The most astonishing fact about this new bird flu virus is how much science doesn't know about it. The mystery remains of how people get infected. Is it by breathing the air near feces? By eating duck meat? By touching? Nobody really knows. Meanwhile, health authorities continue to slaughter infected fowl, experiment with genetic variations, and run computer simulations on panic control. It's clear that hospitals and early responders will be completely overwhelmed, as will mortuaries. If you aren't appalled at this point, then take a moment to read the cover essay of the October 2005 issue of National Geographic. Study those photos. Analyze those tables and charts. Then ask yourself, what are the odds that a killer virus will hit my home town, my family this flu season? word-perfect now, WHO says the odds are 10% the killer will pick you.

The Exact Reason Why Cardio is Essential: Avoiding The Starvation Response

root — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 21:38:45 +0200

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Cardio, Calories, and the Starvation Response Most of the time, when someone decides that they want to lose fat, they inevitably head for the nearest fad diet. However, 95% (closer to 100%) of the time, these fad diets fail. The reason they fail is because exercise is rarely incorporated into the program. In order to lose fat, there essential be a deficit of calories in the diet. In other words, your body essential use more calories than you eat in order to use its fat stores for energy. This seems simple enough; however, it becomes a bit more complicated. There are two ways a calorie deficit can be accomplished. The first one is to eat fewer calories. The ordinal one is to use much calories (exercise). The unsurpassed way to accomplish fat loss without hitting a plateau and failing is a combination of both. You must eat less calories and burn much calories. If you try to accomplish a calorie deficit only by eating less calories, then you're body thinks it's starving, and will go into a "starvation mode" where it lowers its metabolism in order to prepare for a period of little food (this is more than likely a prophylactic response from years ago when food actually did become scarce, unlike today). Another reason that the metabolism is lowered is because when there is a period of little food, your body tries its unsurpassed to protect the brain. The brain always requires glucose (carbohydrates that are in the body) to run; however, glucose can not be stored in the body. Therefore, the only way for the body to get glucose is to eat its own muscle (muscle can be converted to glucose) - which lowers your metabolism and causes the starvation response. So, the body accomplishes two things by eating its own muscle: it provides glucose for the brain and causes your body to require little food, since less muscle equals a lower metabolism. When the starvation response is elicited, you smack into the blubbery loss plateau and the fad diet fails. When you incorporate exercise into your routine, your body feels more comfortable with not cloudy your metabolism. If you are exercising frequently, then your body thinks, "I'm actually doing something, so there is probably an abundance of food now, and I shouldn't worry too much." Therefore, the starvation response is mostly avoided. Two important forms of exercise to produce this affect are weight training and aerobic exercise (cardio). However, this article is mostly about cardio. The goal of cardio is to burn calories while avoiding the starvation response. Many times when you mention "exercise" or "cardio", people immediately get negative thoughts in their head about the intense difficulty of doing such exercise, but these thoughts are misguided. Cardio gets easier as your body adapts, is precise rewarding, and can even be fun. How Cardio Becomes Easier While nonmoving Burning the Same Amount of Calories As you do cardio more and more, you body begins to adapt and become better at performing the same work, but with less perceived effort. The body becomes able to move nutrients and oxygen around faster because you build radical capillaries, the cells produce much mitochondria (the powerhouse of the cell), your heart becomes much powerful, your body produces much blood, and a host of other adaptations that would cover a whole textbook. The main thing to note present is that you still burn the same amount of calories, even after your body adapts and cardio becomes easier. However, with your new, much adapted body, you will be able to accomplish exercise that burns even more calories subsequent in even more fat loss. For instance, in order to burn 300 calories, you would have to walk for about 1 hour and 45 minutes. In contrast, jogging for about 25-30 minutes (the amount of time will vary depending upon your speed) will burn 300 calories. Obviously, the last one is much practical unless you just have a huge amount of time on your hands. close also doesn't elicit the endorphin high that running/jogging does either (discussed later). The Overload Principle When you begin a cardio program, your first goal should probably be to adapt to the point where you can burn a sufficient amount of calories. This involves the overload principle. The overload principle is simple: in order to initiate adaptations within your body you must exercise with either a greater intensity, duration, or frequency. Depending upon the type you decide to overload (intensity, duration, or frequency), you will adapt to that type. For instance, if you want to run faster in the same amount of distance, you should run faster, and your body will adapt to that. If you want to run farther, you should run farther, and your body will adapt to that. There is a high degree of specificy that goals along with this principle, but that is the topic for another article. beautiful much, the overload principle reveals that doing the same regular every time without trying to push yourself harder will result in no adaptations. For instance, if you do the same aerobics tape everyday, past your body will never adapt any further - since there is no need for it to. However, if you were to get a much advanced tape and do it, this would initiate an adaptation in your body, but past you would have to find an even harder tape to initiate any further adaptations. Keep in mind though, if you decide to stay at the same level of fitness and do the same routine, then you will still burn the same amount of calories, and if your goal is just fat loss this may be a potential option for you. antimonopoly Get Started! If you haven’t done some cardio for a while, you should obviously start out small. Start out with antimonopoly a brisk walk, then sporadic jogs while you are jogging, then finally, you will be able to jog the entire time, and then increase your times/speed to the point where you are happy. The hardest part is really antimonopoly to start doing something. Once you get your momentum going by exercising for the first time, even if you have to start out small, you have already accomplished the hardest part. Your Body's Reward to You: An Endorphin High In addition to painful off unwanted fat, doing cardio gives you something called an "endorphin high". This complete natural high induces a feeling of well-being, relaxation, improvement in mood, and increase in your ability to think more clearly. It's theorized that this is the reason why many long-life distance runners are "addicted" to running - they love the high they get afterwards! Once you've experienced one of these, you're even more possible to continue your regime and therefore continue to burn unsatisfactory fat. Cardio in the Morning? Although calories are the most important thing when considering fat loss; you must also realize that not all calories are created equal. When you wake up in the morning, you body is debased on something called glycogen. Glycogen is essentially another word for stored carbohydrates in the body. When exercising, glycogen is a more preferred fuel source to the body in comparison to fat. Your body always uses a mixture of glycogen and fat to run, but the ratio is many times dependant upon the availability of these fuel sources. So, when your body is low on glycogen in the morning, it is involuntary to burn fat at a higher ratio than if you had just eaten. Therefore, doing cardio in a fasted state will burn more blubbery than doing it in a non-fasted state. In cardinal study, the researchers concluded that this method can burn 17% more fat in comparison to if you had just eaten (1). Another study agrees with this by stating, "our results support the hypothesis that endurance training enhances lipid oxidation (lipid oxidation means the painful of fat) in men aft a 12-h fast at debased relative exercise intensities" (2). If you decide to perform cardio in the morning, remember to drink lots of water before-hand (you'll be dehydrated aft waking up), and if you want the extra fat painful response, you'll have to avoid breakfast until after you're done. Another reason to exercise in the morning is due to the fact that it will allow you to be in a finer mood and to think much clearly for the rest of the day due to the endorphin high. You are also probably more likely to perform cardio in the morning in comparison to the afternoon when you could just blow it off because you are "too tired". Make Sure You're Hydrated Before starting on your new cardio regime, make sure you are properly hydrated. Water increases your capacity to think and exercise much efficiently. Water is necessary for nearly every reaction internal of your body. Most people walk around in a state of semi-dehydration. Exercising can cause you to get dizzy and pass-out (this author has experienced this), suffer a heat injury, or in intense cases, cause death. Ever had that thick, cotton-like feeling in your mouth while exercising? Cotton-mouth is an evident sign that you are dehydrated; if you ever get cotton-mouth while performing aerobic exercise, please realize that you could be performing much better and reducing your risk of experiencing dehydration's nasty side effects if you only had drank more water beforehand. It is unsurpassed to drink water throughout the day rather than only around the time you exercise. Music! One sure fire way to get you pumped up and associate cardio with something positive is to listen to some music before and while doing it. You'll be surprised at how much finer you perform and how more more fun cardio seems. As explicit before, the hardest part about a cardio regime is starting. Remember to incorporate the overload principle when trying to cause an adaptative response, to stay hydrated, and to listen to music while performing your cardio regime. Also, you may even decide that you want to perform your cardio in the morning to feel good and be able to think more clearly for the rest of the day and to burn even more fat. Once you get passed that point and experience some of cardio's effects such as blubbery loss without hitting a plateau, a feeling of accomplishment, and that awesome endorphin high, you'll become addicted. However, no exercise routine is complete without the proper support from an intelligent nutritional program; for much information on this you can visit http://www.weight-loss-resources.com. 1. Brehm, B.A., and Gutin, B. Recovery energy expenditure for steady state exercise in runners and non-exercisers. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. (1986) 18: 205. 2. Bergman, BC, Brooks, GA. Respiratory gas-exchange ratios during graded exercise in fed and fasted trained and undisciplined men. Journal of Applied Physiology. (1999) 86: 2.

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The Truth About Cellulite & How to Treat It

root — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 21:08:45 +0200

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Have you been cursed with those lumpy, cottage cheese like-minded areas of fat on your thighs, hips, buttocks, and else parts of your body? There's a good chance; 85% of women are already sick with these same cellulite woes. The term "cellulite" is not a common term around the medical community - it was actually first created in European spas. Then, in the early 1970's a man by the name of Nicole Ronsard published the book Cellulite: Those Lumps, Bumps, and Bulges You Couldn't Lose Before. The term "cellulite" then distributed throughout America. If you're like most women, you are probably wondering what causes cellulite and how you can get rid of it. Well, there are single factors that contribute to the cause of cellulite. many of these factors are age, genetics, your body fat percentage, your level of hydration, and possibly whether or not you smoke or ingest caffeine. cardinal of the most prominent and widely accepted causes of cellulite has to due with how the skin is constructed and how the fat around it is situated. In the skin, there are tough strands of fibrous tissue that connect the skin to the rest of the body called the "septa". The septa anchors at certain points - analogous to a net. This net of fibrous - the septa - tissue exists preceding the layer of fat in your body. However, sometimes fat makes its way finished the holes in this take-home of fibrous tissue and therefore plumps the fat outward. This plumping of fat causes the "cottage cheese" resemblance of cellulite. Many times, flat if a woman has a very low body fat percentage, if the skin around that area is pinched, then many cellulite can still remain visible; however, most women probably single care about cellulite when it is only visible without pinching. Other reasons/theories exist as to the cause of cellulite, but the true cause is probably a combination of more than one thing. Carole Walderman, aesthetician and president of Von Lee global School of Aesthetics, in Baltimore, states, "Cellulite is a combination of fat globules, waste matter, and water imprisoned in conjunctive tissue." Another theory is that the makeup of the strands of fibrous tissue in men and women are contrasting - for instance, a man's net of fibrous tissue forms a net that is perpendicular, where as a woman's take-home of fibrous tissue is paddle-shaped by X's. Also, the fibrous tissue may be tighter in women, which would cause a much more pronounced big effect in women in comparison to men. Treatments for Cellulite Just Lose the blubbery Since an excessive body fat percentage is probably the most prominent reason for the cause of cellulite, the best, most permanent, and most effective course of action is to simply lose fat. Obviously, there are galore options in this area payable to the fact that there are hundreds of diet programs, pills, supplements, etc. A very effective and recommended (by the author of this article) program to accomplish this is entitled "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle," by Tom Venuto. More information on "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" can be found at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com. Mechanical Massage Another popular, and somewhat pricey, treatment for cellulite is called endermology, or mechanical massage. In this treatment, layers of cellulite are rolled between rollers and sucked on with a vacuum with low pressures to "stretch" the septa. The appearance of cellulite is supposed to become smoother - similar to if you were to roll cottage cheese between two rollers. Obviously, the cottage cheese would no longer be as lumpy. There are many studies going on to determine the effectiveness of these treatments, but their effectiveness remains questioned. Water This is a uncomplicated treatment. Drink more water. Carole Walderman, mentioned preceding in this article, states, "I have found that a lot of people who have cellulite don't drink enough water." Even if water doesn't reduce your appearance of cellulite, it does too many other consequential things to be passed up anyway. local Treatments In the world of health and fitness, there are many marketers trying to take advantage of consumers who are ready to spend anything to treat their problems. Many times, products like these will make indistinct claims like "improve circulation", "reduce the appear of cellulite", or "stimulate the release of fat". These claims sound technological to the unknowledgeable consumer; I mean, what is bad about improving circulation? 90% of the time these marketers will exaggerate claims from poorly planned studies, claim that a definite ingredient does something special, but rarely to what degree they accomplish it. Another usual generalization of these products is to "stimulate the release of fat". There may be one or two studies that verify this, but even if these products accomplish this, the effect of them is extremely minimal compared to what sophisticated dieting and exercise can do. Then again, there is a possibility that some of the ingredients in topical creams may benefit in reducing cellulite. However, many times there are several ingredients mixed into cardinal cream. This makes it extremely hard to find dead which ingredient is actually producing results. If you decide to go this route (please incorporate diet and exercise too), then ask your dermatologist before purchasing anything. Nicotine and Caffeine Another theory that holds investigation is the use of caffeine and nicotine. You can help aid in your fight against cellulite by unfit the use of these, since they constrict blood vessels. This theory may need much investigation. complete in all, cellulite is a tough foe. There are several treatments for it; galore of them are a inhospitable of money or have a very minimal effect. The most effective way to reduce cellulite is to treat it at the root of its cause - where fat makes it way through the take-home of fibrous tissue that makes up your skin to cause several small pits or domes. The best way to accomplish this is through sophisticated dieting and exercise. You can find more information on how to diet and exercise intelligently at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com.

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How to Eliminate Weight Loss Failure by Lifting Weights: The Secret Everyone Ignores

root — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 20:38:45 +0200

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Many times, when one begins a new fat loss regime; they focus on dieting (hopefully intelligent dieting, not fad diets or very low calorie diets) and hopefully an exercise regime. Most of the time, to accomplish fat loss, people seem to believe that aerobiotic (aka. cardio) training in addition to a moderate reduction in calories is the best course of action to accomplish this. The main goal is to create a caloric deficit through these methods so that the body must use blubbery stores to make up for the deficit, therefore accomplishing blubbery loss. However, many times people run into a plateau that is caused by the lowering of the metabolism payable to muscle loss because of the new diet and exercise regime. This lowering of the metabolism is known as the starvation response. You've experienced this if you've ever tried to lose fat before and eventually, even though you may have tried very hard, you seemed to not be able to lose anymore fat. Aerobic training is the chief way you will burn fat during exercise, and will greatly help to avoid the starvation response compared to changing the diet alone (dieting only, without some exercise will cause it to a much greater degree - but that is the taxable for another article - you can find more information at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com). However, dieting and training aerobically can still eat away some of your muscle anyway - unless you know what you're doing. When one weight trains in addition to cardio and intelligent dieting, the body signals a response to keep muscle. Because muscle is one of the major factors that dictates your metabolism at rest, keeping muscle will help you to steer clear of the dreaded starvation response. In my opinion, the weight lifting part of your exercise program should be the core - it is the meat. While aerobic training is like-minded the steak sauce that goes along with your meat. Cardio is not totally necessary, but it will increase your rate of fat loss in comparison to dieting and weight lifting alone. Weight lifting will increase your muscle collective (cardio does not), which increases your resting metabolism, which helps you to create a wholesome caloric deficit. One pound of muscle will burn an additional 35 to 50 calories per day. So, simply gaining 4 pounds of muscle is approximately equivalent to close for an hour each day. Also, during a weight lifting workout, you are burning calories anyway - don't think that lifting weights does not use up your energy. Another fashionable benefit of weight training is its effect on the body after the workout. This is known as the enthusiastic effect or EPOC - which stands for exercise post oxygen consumption. Essentially, your body must recover from the muscle tears you just imposed upon it, and that requires calories too. One thing that strict dieting and aerobic exercise can do is cause people to lose so much blubbery and muscle (as stated before), that a skinny, yet frail and unattractive look is created. In the sense of attractiveness, skinny may look finer than fat, but when you have a low body blubbery percentage and also a wholesome dose of muscle tone (male or female), you feel and look much more attractive and healthier (the healthier you look, the more attractive you look) to the opposite sex. It seems that one reason that many women avoid weight training is for fear that they will become "bulky". More than likely, this belief was created aft seeing some overly (and sometimes manly) muscular fitness models on T.V. and in magazines. Well, 99% of those women probably take some sort of hormone or steroid compound; other they wouldn't look as masculine as they do. They also follow extremely strict diet and training regimes to attain that level of fitness. However, if you are a woman you probably aren’t going to be doing or attractive the things those people do. Even if you really wanted to, you would have trouble looking like that. Weight training will not do that to you - flat if it did, you can easily stop or turn your weight training regime into a maintenance phase. You are in total control of how muscular you want to become. If you're goal is fat loss, remember to incorporate weight training into your exercise regime along with cardio and intelligent dieting. The combination of these cardinal things is the key to achieving your goals and sculpting your body without hitting plateaus. You have nothing to lose by weight training except the fat. You can find more information on achieving your weight loss goals at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com.

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The Whey To Weight Loss (Part II)

root — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:08:45 +0200

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Effects on serotonin, blood sugar regulation, and more! Although the above would probably be the major mechanisms by which whey could help the dieter, there are single secondary effects of whey that may assist in weight loss. For example, whey’s effects on serotonin levels. Serotonin is probably the most studied neurotransmitter since it has been found to be involved in a comprehensive range of psychological and begotten functions. Serotonin ( also titled 5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) is up to my neck with mood, anxiety, and appetite. Elevated levels of serotonin can cause relaxation and reduced anxiety. Low serotonin levels are associated with debased mood, increased anxiety (hence the current popularity of the SSRI drugs such as Prozac and others), and poor appetite control. This is an extremely short description of all the functions serotonin performs in the anthropomorphous body - many of which have yet to be fully elucidated - but a engorged explanation is beyond the scope of this article. Needless to say, magnified brain serotonin levels are related with an improved ability of people to cope with stress, whereas a decline in serotonin activity is associated with depression and anxiety. Elevated levels of serotonin in the body often result in the relief of depression, as well as considerable reduction in pain sensitivity, anxiety and stress. It has also been theorized that a diet-induced increase in tryptophan will increase brain serotonin levels, while a diet designed for weight loss (e.g., a diet that reduces calories) may lead to a reduction of brain serotonin levels due to reduced substrate for production and a reduction in carbohydrates. galore people on a reduced calorie intake in an attempt to lose weight find they are often ill tempered and much anxious. Reductions in serotonin may be partially to blame here. One recent study (The dull protein alpha-lactalbumin increases the plasma ratio of tryptophan to the other large neutral amino acids, and in vulnerable subjects raises brain serotonin activity, reduces cortisol concentration, and improves mood low stress. Am J Clin Nutr 2000 Jun;71(6):1536-1544) examined whether alpha-lactalbumin - a major sub fraction found in whey which has an especially high tryptophan complacent - would increase plasma Tryptophan levels as well reduce depression and cortisol concentrations in subjects under acute stress considered to be vulnerable to stress. The researchers examined twenty-nine "highly stress-vulnerable subjects" and 29 "relatively stress-invulnerable" subjects using a double blind, placebo-controlled study design. The study participants were exposed to experimental stress aft eating a diet enriched with either alpha-lactalbumin (found in whey) or sodium-caseinate, another milk supported protein. They researchers looked at: * Diet-induced changes in the plasma Tryptophan and its ratio to else large neutral amino acids. * Prolactin levels. * Changes in mood and pulse rate. * Cortisol levels (which were assessed before and after the stressor). Amazingly, the ratio of plasma Tryptophan to the other amino acids tested was 48% higher after the alpha-lactalbumin diet than after the casein diet! This was accompanied by a decrease in cortisol levels and higher prolactin concentration. Perhaps most important and relevant to the average person reading this article, they found "reduced sad feelings" when test subjects were put under stress. They concluded that the "Consumption of a dietary protein enriched in tryptophan increased the plasma Trp-LNAA ratio and, in stress-vulnerable subjects, improved coping ability, probably through alterations in brain serotonin." This effect was not seen in the sodium-caseinate group. If other studies can confirm these findings, whey may turn out to be yet other safe and effective supplement in the battle against depression and stress, as well as shrunken serotonin levels due to dieting. Although there is a long list of hormones involved in appetite regulation, some of which have been mentioned above, serotonin appears to be a key player in the game. In general, experiments find increased serotonin availability or activity = reduced food consumption and decreased serotonin = increase food consumption. If whey can selectively increase serotonin levels preceding that of other proteins, it could be very helpful to the dieter. Other possible advantages whey may confer to the dieter is improved blood sugar regulation (Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Bjorck IM. Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):69-75.) which is yet another key area in controlling appetite and metabolism. Finally, calcium from dairy products has been saved to be associated with a reduction in bodyweight and blubbery mass. Calcium is thought to influence energy metabolism as intracellular calcium regulates fat cell (adipocyte) lipid metabolism as well as triglyceride storage. It’s been incontestable in several studies the superiority of dairy versus non-dairy sources of calcium for improving body composition, and the whey fraction of dairy maybe the key. The mechanism responsible for increased fat loss found with dairy-based calcium versus nondairy calcium has not is not fully understood but researchers looking at the issue theorized "... dairy sources of calcium markedly attenuate weight and blubbery gain and accelerate fat loss to a greater degree than do supplemental sources of calcium. This augmented effect of dairy products relative to supplemental calcium is likely due to additive bioactive compounds, including the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and the wealthy concentration of branched-chain amino acids in whey, which act synergistically with calcium to attenuate adiposity." It appears components in whey - many of which have been mentioned above - are thought to act synergistically with calcium to improve body composition (Zemel MB. Role of calcium and dairy products in energy partitioning and weight management. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 May;79(5):907S-912S.). Conclusion Taken in isolation, none of these studies are so powerful that people should run dead and use whey as many form of weight loss nirvana. However, taken as a whole picture, the bulk of the research seems to conclude that whey may in fact have some unique effects for weight loss and should be of great use to the dieter. More studies are clearly necessary however. So what is the practical application of all this information and how does the dieter put it to good use? Being the appetite suppressing effects of whey appear to last approximately 2-3 hours, it would seem best to stagger the intake throughout the day. For example, breakfast might be 1-2 scoops of whey and a bowl of oatmeal, and perhaps a few scoops of whey usurped between lunch and dinner. If whey does what the data suggests it does in the above, that should be the most hard-hitting method for maximizing the effects of whey on food (calorie) intake on subsequent meals as well as the other metabolic effects covered. If working out, the schedule may be contrasting however and people should follow the pre and post nutrition recommendations made in my ebook "Muscle Building Nutrition" or advice easily found on the 'net via the many sports nutrition and bodybuilding related web sites.

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Exercise Bike Buying Guide

root — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:38:45 +0200

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Buying an exercise bike? An exercise bike is an excellent way to build fitness, lose weight and get fit. But how do you choose the best one? This buying guide will show you exactly what to look for when shopping so you can find the very best exercise bike for your needs! First, ask yourself which class of exercise bike you would like. There are 2 general classes of exercise bikes: 1) unerect Bikes unerect bikes are the newer exercise bikes on the market with the chair-like or bucket seats. Your body is placed in a semi reclining position and your legs angle out in front of you to reach the pedals instead of supported down as on an vertical bike. 2) Upright Bikes These are also titled "Stationary bikes" although this term is now becoming a catch all term for both vertical and recumbent bikes. These are the traditional exercise bikes that have been around for years and are similar in form to traditional outdoor bikes. An offshoot of the standard upright bike is the 'Dual Action' Stationary bike. These bikes have movable bars or levers on arm handles to incorporate your upper body into the workout. Know what you want before you start comparing different exercise bikes. Personally I've owned both and aft a while upright exercise bike seats just don't feel too comfortable if you know what I mean. But the superior is yours. The next thing you need to decide on is your budget. How much are you willing to pay for your exercise bike? There are really 3 price categories: 1) Under $500 2) Between $500 - 1000 3) $1000 + Under 500: While there are some above average exercise bikes under $500, don't expect to get a top quality machine for this price. If you don't plan on using your exercise cycle much or if you're on a budget, this may be a good price point for you. Between $500 - $1000: Unlike treadmills or elliptical trainers, you can usually get a very solid, higher quality exercise bike for your home in this category. Most exercise bikes in this category offer attractable resistance and high grade consoles that give you feedback on your workout. You should also expect several built-in workout programs, foot straps and heart rate monitors. $1000 +: These exercise bikes are either the cream of the crop for the advanced domestic exerciser or they are mercantile grade for the health club. Examples of bikes in this category include spinners and mercantile bikes like Life Cycle and Star Trac. Always remember that with exercise bikes - in general - you get what you pay for so try to spend the most that you can and get a quality machine that will last you. These are really the 2 most important features to decide on: the type of bike and the price you can afford. Here are a few more features you should know about when choosing an exercise bike. Resistance There are several different types of resistance you'll find in your exercise bike 1) Direct Tension - offers you a manual adjustment of resistance 2) Air - resistance is provided by pedaling against the airflow of a fan blade 3) Magnetic Resistance - this is the most sophisticated type of resistance allowing magnetic currents to create and track the resistance. It generally allows for a greater variety of workout levels. Magnetic resistance is generally viewed as the best option since it tends to be quieter and provides a more even feel when pedalling. Workout Options Most exercise bikes give you information on speed, distance traveled, and time of the workout. The more sophisticated you go, you'll also find things like whole calories and fat burned, resistance level, heart rate and program mode. You can also get exercise bikes with numerous preprogrammed workouts and information storage as well as iFit compatibilit and Interactive Disc players. It really depends on your personal preferences whether you choose a bike with 10 preset programs and an ultra high tech computer display or one with antimonopoly a simple display. However, keep in mind that in general, the high priced bikes have more worldly-wise options and are built with higher quality materials. Warranty Exercise Bikes come with a variety of warranties from 90 days to lifetime warranties on different parts of the bike. For example, parts and labor may be covered for 6 months, electronics for 1 year and the frame for a lifetime. In general keep in mind that a longer warranty is indicative of a high quality machine. Final Note: It is also important that you decide how much you are planning to use your exercise bike. For example, if you are radical to exercising and not predictable you'll use your exercise bike much, you might want to save some money and go with a cheaper model. If however you plan on using the bike a lot and/or are a regular exerciser, invest a bit more and get a machine that will last. That's it - good luck and have fun!

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Home Gyms: Universal vs. Free Weights

root — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:08:45 +0200

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The two most common types of home gyms are comprehensive and free weight home gyms. Universal home gyms can be used to exercise all muscle group in the body, while free weight home gyms are usually less versatile. Universal home gyms on the average are more expensive and take up more space than free weight home gyms. Both universal and free weight models can be the unsurpassed depending on what the consumer is looking for. For a household whose members have contrasting fitness goals, a universal domestic gym is probably the unsurpassed buy. There are cardinal main types of universal gyms, those that have a weight stack built in, and those that use an alternative form of resistance. The secondary to weights can be long, flexible bows, industrial strength bad bands, or cables. some forms of resistance are planned to flow smoothly and help the user avoid any artificial strain. Care should be taken to ensure that comprehensive home gyms are used properly and the user is not jerking or yanking on the equipment. Improper use could lead to pulled muscles and painful strains. Both types of universal home gyms have their advantages. Those with weight stacks are often seen as more durable. They are along the lines of what is found in a overt gym; however, home gyms with built in weight stacks are also among the most overpriced on the market. Prices range from around $800 on the low end to healthy over $2,500 for a best quality machine. The disadvantages to these home gyms, besides the price, are that they are large, heavy, and immobile. Universal home gyms that use alternative forms of resistance are less expensive than those with weight stacks. The Weider Crossbow, for example, costs around $500. Home gyms of this type are smaller and lighter than systems with weight stacks. Some alternative resistance home gyms can be compacted to fit in a closet. Free weight home gyms include some of the best domestic gyms on the market. They are less expensive, take up less space, and are more traditional than universal domestic gyms. A free weight home gym can be precise useful for strength and endurance building exercises. There are three main types of released weight home gyms: the weight bench, the power rack and the power cage. One thing that all of these home gyms have in common is that the buyer has to purchase the weights separately. Some people buy more than one type of free weight home gym in order to have more varied workout options. A weight bench domestic gym consists of an adaptable bench, collars, a long silver bar, some dumbbells, a rack, and weights. The user puts the weights on either the bar or dumbbells and secures them with the collars. The bench can be adjusted depending on the type of exercise the user wants to do. A engorged weight bench home gym can range from a few cardinal dollars to over a thousand. A power rack is a tall structure with a long metal bar and various heights where the bar can be placed. Power racks are good for strength exercises such as squats and lateral lifts. Power racks cost in the range of $500 to $1,000. A power cage is very analogous to a power rack, but it has a more cardinal dimensional structure that limits the forward and backward movement of the user. Power cages on average cost a hardly a hundred dollars more than power racks. released weight home gyms, especially weight benches, can be perfect for people whose main goal is to build strength. cardinal problem with free weights is that they can be little safe than universal gyms. It is a good idea to have a second person present to spot the person exercising.

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Beauty, Is It Really Only Skin Deep?

root — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:38:45 +0200

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We are in the age of cosmetology, plastic surgery, implants and a constant barrage from TV and magazines that want to sell us beauty and weight loss products. It is an enormously profitable industry that keeps us spellbound for the next new thing that will take away our wrinkles or firm our skin or help us lose weight. Unfortunately society all finished the world from the deepest, most remote areas of the planet to modern society will judge you by how you look. It is true! We all do it, some much than others. When you are walking through a mall or standing in line somewhere you are assessing people around you. When we are looking for a job we dress to impress. When we go dead for an evening we formal to impress. Women usually pay more attention to detail past men. But there is more to beauty then cosmetics and clothes. If you are very healthy superficial then you are more possible to give a good impression. If you are a bully listener, helpful or witty and cheerful, people are more possible to want to be around you. Cosmetics and clothing can definitely help but I suggest starting from the inside out. 1) Get plenty of sleep. This is a must. You cannot function properly when you are drooping and it will show on your face. If you have a problem with getting sufficient sleep then you need to investigate the cause and handle it accordingly. 2) Drink plenty of water. Most people are semi unhealthy and don’t get enough water daily. 3) Eat healthy food. Give up the junk and sugar foods. Your metabolism will be employed better if you eat day-to-day healthy meals. 4) You may want to consider taking supplements to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs. 5) Exercise. Our bodies need to move. We have become somewhat of a couch potato society. Have you noticed that when you are lazy you are less likely to want to get up and do anything? Exercising 30 minutes cardinal times a week should help you lose weight and keep healthy. 6) Manicures and pedicures and keeping your body clean will keep you healthy and will be appreciated by other. 7) Keep up with the times on fashion. You don’t want the outdated look. 8) formal for your age. At 12 you don’t need to look 20, or if your 50, you don’t need to look 18. Be well dressed for your age. 9) If you need help with hair and makeup, find an expert to help you with that. 10) And finally, smile. No one really cares to be near Mr. or Mrs. Grumpy. Some people naturally do all or most of these things, but if you aren’t one of them then look at what would motivate you to do this. Do you have a spouse you want to look bully for? Are you single and want to attract someone? Do you have children or grandchildren you want to be better and be a good role model for? There is an awesome motivational poster called Balance that states; I am one with my body and one with my mind, and it inspired me to write about this subject. Get healthy, and be happy.

Technorati Tags: Fitness # barrage # beauty cosmetics # bully # clothes # cosmetology # dress to impress # implants # lose weight # magazines # pay more attention # plastic surgery # profitable industry # weight loss products # wrinkles # #