Women’s Health: Shape up for Summer! Part 2 of 2 Parts
March 24th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under winston salem gyms. No Comments
Diets are not fun for anyone not the person who’s on the diet or the people around them who have to deal with those sad looks and their own guilt when they take another bite of that chocolate mousse that the dieter must deny herself. A sensible diet is one you can adapt as a lifestyle, and easily maintain as a lifestyle. It’s not just about losing weight (though weight maintenance is important to a woman’s health). It’s about getting fit and staying that way.
There are specific areas you should focus on when working on losing weight:
* Get some exercise. Walking is the easiest exercise, and one of the healthiest. Taking a brisk half-hour walk daily can aid tremendously in weight management by burning off unwanted pounds.
* Pay attention to what you eat, and when. Skipping meals does not help you lose weight it just makes you grouchy when your blood sugar level crashes. Be willing to leave a few bites on the plate ‘for the angels,’ as Dolly Parton puts it.
* Make sure you have enough fiber, and drink plenty of water. These two things are vital to keeping your elimination of wastes in motion when you’re working to lose weight.
* Take the right supplements. There are a number of nutritional supplements that can aid in weight loss and improve women’s health in general in the process.
In Part 1, we covered the benefits of green tea and weight loss. Following are a number of other supplements that you can easily fit into your diet, that will help you accomplish your weight-loss goals:
* Fiber supplements are a great idea if you aren’t sure whether your usual diet provides enough fiber to keep your intestines functioning optimally.
* Fucoxanthin is the active ingredient in brown seaweed (used in miso soup) that helps the body burn off fat stored in the abdomen. As many women tend to build up fat deposits in this area, fucoxathin as a supplement can be helpful. It is also abdominal fat that increases a woman’s risk of heart attack, and is a serious threat to women’s health.
* Conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, is an essential fatty acid that comes only from dairy or meat products, or supplements. Like fucoxanthin, it helps to burn off abdominal fat. Initial studies also indicate that it may be of benefit in cancer prevention.
* Hoodia gordonii, a popular appetite suppressant with no known side effects, is generally available in pill or liquid form, or in compounds with other nutritional and weight-loss products.
* Apple cider vinegar is an old home remedy for everything from flatulence to bad breath. Now researchers are discovering that grandma knew what she was doing. Cider vinegar added to your daily diet (either mixed with water or as a supplement) can help melt the pounds off. Just ask grandma.
If your schedule doesn’t accommodate working out at the gym daily, supplement your diet with those products that will help you keep trim and fit — it’s a vital part of women’s health.
http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=950139
Tags: Health, Shape up for Summer, Women's Health
Kids Fitness – How To Give Your Kids A Lifetime Of Fitness And Health
February 28th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Fitness Tips. No Comments
1. The Good Life
Of course you want the best for your kids so they can have a good life and be healthy, wealthy and happy. And the family is their core training ground. Unfortunately, kids fitness programs or fitness games don’t always figure in family activities. Naturally, this doesn’t help
Even well-meaning parents send mixed messages to kids on health issues. For example, I watched a family friend telling her two kids that smoking was a very, very bad thing. Nice message. The snag was she was puffing away herself at the same time.
As an observer, it looked ridiculous. And the look on the faces of the kids was one of complete incomprehension. How could mummy do bad things? In other words, the message was confusing, contradictory and insincere even to the kids.
2. Right AND Wrong
Despite being the ‘right’ thing to say from a health and fitness perspective, a number of unintentional ‘hidden’ messages were given off:
1. you don’t have to practice what you preach
2. you can say one thing and do another
3. can say one thing and mean another
4. you don’t have to be sincere.
3. Can YOU Be Believed?
Now, apart from sending disturbing messages to her kids, this mum was also undermining herself. To me, she didn’t seem to be a bad person. And I doubt that her kids would think so either. They just wouldn’t believe her. By not practicing what she preached, the real message was that she didn’t mean it. But what kind of a message was that for her kids? How can that be taken seriously?
4. THREE Critical Lessons
Lesson One is fairly obvious: it’s best to practice what you preach if you want to be believable.
Lesson Two is maybe less obvious. Yet it’s something that everyone in sales knows: “telling isn’t selling”. That’s why the holiday sales rep shows you pictures or a film. Why? Because when you ‘buy it’ yourself by believing it, you are more likely to move to the next step and buy it with your cash.
In other words, showing is more powerful than telling.
Lesson Three is also not so obvious. The car salesperson wants you to sit in the car and maybe take a drive. Why? Because to experience something yourself is even better than being shown it. And this is only achieved by active participation rather than as a spectator. Action speaks louder than words.
In other words, a superior salesperson will get you to sell what ever it is to yourself!
5. Teaching YOUR Children Bad Behaviour
The big lesson of all this is that if you want to be successful in making sure your kids are fit and healthy, you need to be that superior sales person. This means not telling kids not to smoke while at the same time smoking yourself. Because a daily demonstration of speaking with a forked tongue, by not practicing what you preach, is a daily tuition service to kids that inconsistency, insincerity and dishonesty are all OK.
The same goes for unhealthy drinking or taking drugs. The same also goes for eating junk food. And the same goes for exercise and fitness. Not practicing what you preach in any of these risks passing on bad behaviour.
But if passing on harmful behaviour is so easy, why not pass on good behaviour instead? And if this means taking seriously the daily demonstrations you give to your kids, then both you and your kids will be better off, don’t you think?
6. THREE Top Tips
But what does this mean for the health and fitness? How do we draw these lessons together? Take these top three points:
1. Practice what you preach.
2. To show is more effective than to tell.
3. Actions speak louder than words.
What better way to demonstrate healthy behaviour than to practice it with your kids? This will go beyond supporting kids by just going along to see them in sporting activities at school or college. It means taking part in sporting and fitness activities with them.
Even if you prefer a fitness program of working out as a ‘garage warrior’ to joining a gym, and you have neither the desire nor the intention of becoming a muscle-monster, you can still help yourself and your kids to fitness in your ‘gym’. Even though practically everyone seems dazzled by weights and fitness apparatus these days, it’s generally safer and more effective to avoid the usual dangers of using weights and other fitness equipment and to concentrate instead on bodyweight exercises.
7. Family First
But in addition to that, outside the home or gym there is a wealth of fitness activities that can be done with kids. Many can be real family pursuits. For example:
· Swimming
· Cycling
· Hiking and camping
· Boot camps for specific activities
· Adventure holidays.
These are all relatively simple to arrange but they are all great for health and fitness. And an activity holiday will beat for price a ‘normal’ holiday that involves a continuous round of expense to be entertained and amused.
Even better, such activities helps prevent kids from becoming mere spectators of the activities and sports of others. Yet this is all the sporting activity that most people get! Better still, each one can be arranged with other families in groups or clubs.
How’s that for a terrific way to meet and make friends with other like-minded and positive people? How’s that for a great way to counter the bad examples all around that indoctrinate us with poor and unhealthy behaviour?
Tags: Fitness, Health, Kids Fitness and Health
Four Steps To Building a Better Backswing
February 18th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Health Tips. No Comments
The golf swing is basically a chain reaction, as I’ve said before. One good move leads naturally to another. Obviously, the first few “links” in the chain are critical, since they determine the quality and the shape of the swing. If you make a proper backswing, as I often write in my golf tips, you’ll develop power, accuracy, and consistency in your swing.
Unfortunately, some golfers take their backswing lightly. Instead of taking the club back slowly and smoothly, they rush it and find themselves in a poor position to start their forwardswing. A poor backswing requires complex adjustments during the swing, which can throw it off. The end result is a slice, a hook, or an otherwise ugly shot. If you want to develop consistency and power-while improving your golf handicap-you must build a better backswing.
Make a Preflight Check
Get in the habit of making a preflight check before starting your backswing. A good set-up increases the chances of starting off right. Check for correct posture, the right weight distribution, and the proper ball position, which should be just inside the left heel when using longer clubs and toward the middle of your stance for shorter clubs. Also, check to see that the club’s shaft is an extension of the left arm (right-handers) and that you have a neutral grip.
In addition, check your tee-height. As a general rule, the top edge of the driver should be level with the ball’s equator, irrespective of the clubhead’s size and design. This rule also applies to the 3-wood when used from the tee. The design of this club hasn’t changed significantly over the years. Its clubhead is smaller than almost all drivers’ clubheads, especially the new ones. You need to tee the ball lower to achieve the right height for the 3-wood.
Shift Weight Properly
Allowing your weight to move back and forth in harmony with the swing’s direction generates power. If the upper body coil and the weight shift are both correct in the backswing, the natural movement is a lateral one onto the right foot (right-handers), preparing the golfer for a forceful forwardswing. This is followed by a weight shift to the front foot.
Annika Sorenstam, considered by many as the number one ranked woman golfer on the pro tour, presents a good example of someone whose weight shifts properly during her backswing. Watch her when she swings. If you compare her head position at the top of backswing with her head position at the start of her backswing, you’ll see that it has moved a good 5-6 inches (12-15 cm) to the right, enabling her to “get behind the ball.”
Think “All Arms”
A proper takeaway is critical to a good swing. The catalyst for the chain reaction, the takeaway starts everything in motion, as I stress in my golf lessons. It introduces width and coordination in the swing, and determines the quality and shape of the shot. The first 30 inches of the takeaway is perhaps the most crucial point in the swing. The goal is a one-piece takeaway.
To achieve a one-piece takeaway, sweep the club back low and slow as your left knee, hip, and shoulder turn to the right. Shift your weight slightly onto the right foot (for right-handers), creating the feeling as if the move was “all arms.” And hold your chin up as you take the club away to allow for a full left shoulder turn.
Turn and Set
The turn and set is the final element of the backswing. Once the takeaway is complete, the wrists hinge as the body continues to turn and the arms swing the club up on plane. A useful checkpoint in the swing occurs at the halfway point in the backswing. In a properly executed backswing, the club points toward the sky. From there on, it’s a simple movement to the top of the backswing.
Watch the takeaway of Ernie Els when opportunity permits. His upper body, hands, arms, and the club all move away from the ball in harmony. The wrists are almost completely passive. They only start to hinge as the hands reach a point just beyond the right hip, the ideal takeaway to emulate. Notice also that he lifts his left heel slightly as he takes the club back. There’s no hard and fast rule on this, as I’ve said in my golf tips. If you need to lift it slightly to complete a full body turn, then do so.
One last tip on building a better backswing: As you begin, try thinking “low and smooth.” Maintaining this swing thought as you start your swing encourages you take the club back in a deliberate manner.
Building a better backswing is a key to generating a consistent, repeatable swing-the hallmark of players with low golf handicaps. Work on your backswing in practice. You’ll see a difference in your swing on the course.
Financing Sports
February 15th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Health Tips. No Comments
In earlier times the marketing manager of an athletic team would project sales, the engineering and production staffs would determine the assets necessary to meet those demands, and the financial manager’s job was simply to raise the money needed to purchase the required plant, equipment and inventories. That situation no longer exists. Decisions are now made in a much more coordinated manner, and the financial manager generally has direct responsibility for the overall financial status of any business.
According to theory, a healthy economy depends on efficient transfers of funds from people who are net savers to firms and individuals who need funds. Without efficient transfers, the economy simply can not function. Thus, sport businesses, as individuals and government units, often need to raise funds. Stock exchange markets, merges, acquisitions, promotional techniques, athletes’ transfers, diversification, product or market development and syndicated loans, constitute methods for increasing cash flow levels.
But since some clubs and sport unions, spent more than they can afford, it is more than obvious that they will accrue dept and losses. As ticket sales have severely dropped over the years, agreements have collapsed and governments have not yet engaged themselves in financing clubs, the interested parties have tried to find ways of minimizing the losses, such as cutting down players wages or not renewing their contracts. Actually, financing a sport and keep the interest in high levels, both in the athletes’ and in the funs’ circles, is a difficult task that clubs have to work with. One of the practices in order to put an end in the expenses of clubs was the decision to pay athletes in relation to their performance. Bonus deals did not found always the athletes agreeing to such a policy, as their solicitors claim that ‘regardless the game’s outcome, players are still doing the same job so they should be paid what was in their original contract.’
Innovation and careful financial planning-like the new emerging market of stadium construction, debt refinancing and revolving loans-are considered as the prime considerations of any sports organization if it plans to excel. Additionally, fierce competition, environmental trends and demand fluctuation play a very important role regarding financial backing. However, some observers see an opportunity for investors, as low trading and share prices dropping are considered ‘good’ times to invest. Some experts believe that merges and acquisitions, related or unrelated to the core of the sport business, is a current issue of great concern for most sports financial managers, as it can save firms from losses.
Establishing higher prize money can also lead sports firms towards success by reducing risk and uncertainty to the interested parties. In 2002, for instance, British racecourses earned 46 million pounds from media deals, but only 5 million was distributed as prize money-a mere 11%. The British horseracing Board, response was to announce a plan to raise minimum prize money in 2003 by 18 million pounds. In fact, fair distribution of prize money can alter the financial condition of the sport and provide a safer environment in such a competitive industry.
Reduced revenue required companies to reduce costs by minimizing funding, cutting work force and spending less in sports sponsorships and advertising. For example, Investing in infrastructure is considered more serious than funding the Olympic bid. Consequently, the financial manager looks over the funding as money that can be spread out into schools, coach wages and sport clubs.
Sports business operates as a money generator if top management strives for excellence and performs continuous environmental scanning techniques. The main factor that distinguishes winners from losers is the eagerness to win competition and excel. Talent correlates nowadays with character promotion. When these two are combined can be translated to ticket sales, sponsorships, or image transformations.
Tags: Financing Sports, Health, Sports
Vegetable of the Month Club
February 13th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Health Tips. No Comments
We should eat more vegetables. But knowing doesn’t translate into doing.
So let’s keep it simple. How can we get more of those wonderful veggies into our wonderful bodies?
Adopt a vegetable of the week or month. Experts say it take us that long to form a habit.
Start with an easy vegetable, say the carrot.
Consider the carrot’s statistics: Carrots are crunchy like potato chips, but without the salt. And you definitely can’t “inhale” an entire bag of carrots like you can with chips because carrots fill you up much sooner! That’s a good thing, right?
Next time you’re at the grocery store, buy a bag of carrots. Try the bite-size baby ones. No prep time!
When you get home, divide the big bag into smaller, sandwich-size bags and put them in the refrigerator. Take one with you to work each day. Need a snack? Reach for a carrot bag.
Then progress to other veggies–cucumbers, spinach, cauliflower.
Sure, you’ll have to get creative with some of them. A little dip goes a long way toward making some vegetables more palatable.
Got a salad shooter? Haul it out, dust it off, and run broccoli, zucchini, and spinach through it. Any vegetable will do. A food processor works, too, just put the appliance in a spot where you can use it easily on a regular basis.
Once you’ve shredded or julienned your vegetables, add a couple spoonfuls of your favorite dressing and you’ve got a tasty salad. Throw in some mandarin oranges or a diced apple for a little sweetness and zip. Chopped nuts or sunflower seeds add extra flavor.
Be sure not to go overboard with the salad dressing. A couple spoonfuls should coat all of your vegetables.
Eat a vegetable salad every day for a month and see how good you feel!
Try some shredded veggies in a sandwich and decrease the amount of meat.
Do you need to consume the vegetables in their raw state? No, not at all. Cooking enhances the nutrition of many vegetables, including carrots, and often aids digestion.
So why not cook up a delicious, nutritious pot of vegetable soup. Great news for the culinary-challenged: Making delicious vegetable soup doesn’t require “Iron Chef” status. Just add the vegetables of your choice, some seasoning, and water, then let it simmer.
Traditional soup vegetables include onions, carrots, and potatoes, but experiment with different, more exotic varieties.
Put the soup in a crock pot or slow cooker in the morning and come home to a delicious supper.
Add a small amount of beef or chicken for flavor if you prefer, maybe an ounce or two.
Leftovers make a quick, nutritious lunch the day next. Pack in a thermos to take with you and skip the cholesterol burger and fat fries.
Start your own Veggie of the Month Club. It’ll be a healthy tradition!
Tags: Eat Vegetables, Good Health, Health
5 Exercise Activities for Baby Boomers
January 26th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Exercise Tips. No Comments
Health is an important factor determining the quality of life. As Baby Boomers age, this statement has begun to possess increased significance. After a lifetime of hard work, retiring Baby Boomers are placing increased importance on their health in order to allow them to enjoy their well-earned golden years.
Exercise is arguably the most important variable a person can change to enhance their health. Below, we list 5 activities to help any Baby Boomer achieve their optimal health.
1. Join a Bicycle Club or start biking on your own. Biking is a great endurance activity which is low impact on muscles and joints. A great feature of biking is that an individual can set the level of exercise to meet their goals.
2. Start swimming. Another low impact activity for those with sensitive joints. Most communities have a local pool that can be accessed year round. Usually there are set hours for laps, swimming fitness classes and recreational swimming.
3. Yoga studios are popping up everywhere. Join one! In addition to the physical benefits, there are mental benefits and it’s a great way to meet people. There are many different forms of yoga so do your research and start improving your flexibility.
4. Tai Chi is an exercise system of slow controlled movements of the body. It claims to enhance inner and outer calm. Most mid-sized to large cities will have a Tai Chi club. Local scenic parks are common hotspots for Tai Chi clubs.
5. Mall Walking. A Mall is the perfect place to exercise. Typically Mall’s are large and open. They are covered and the temperature is always just right. Best of all, it’s free!
Before starting any exercise program one should consult their physician. Following the approval of your physician you should sit down and set your exercise goals and set a realistic schedule you plan to keep then get started.
Tags: Baby Boomers, exercise, Health
Health and Fitness Tips – the Stretching and Warm Up Exercises
January 20th, 2009 by Winston Salem, under Fitness Tips. No Comments
Introduction to Fitness
Are you considering buying exercise equipment or increasing your exercise? Then this article will give some useful tips on warming up exercises you should use in your regime.
One of the most important factors to achieving a healthy lifestyle is a good eating and fitness plan. Keeping fit and eating healthy, not only makes you look good but also makes you feel good. There’s no better feeling than finishing your workout routine, with a sense of accomplishment.
There are lots of ways to stay healthy – finding the sport or exercise that interests you the most makes fitness fun. If you don’t enjoy the exercise program you do, then try another! There are loads of ways to keep fit, from dancing to rock climbing. Find something that takes your interest and give it a go, you can always go on to another if you want.
Most aspects of fitness can be achieved in a gym e.g. strength building, cardiovascular fitness, aerobics and dance. All ages and fitness levels are catered for and improvements can be monitored and altered to suit the individual.
The good thing about the gym is it’s an anytime (within reason) fitness centre, whether it’s raining or snowing, there is always somewhere to workout. Not only can you exercise in the comfort of the gym, there’s also the help of trained professionals on hand at all times. If you’re a novice and do require help, ask a member of staff about them. Personal trainers are not that expensive and advise on best the fitness routine tailored for you individually.
The main thing is to get out there and get the heart pumping, don’t under estimate the effects a good fitness routine can have on you, your body, and the way you live your life.
Stretching and Warm up Exercises
Before any workout you need to warm up. This helps to prevent any muscle strain and provides a better blood flow to the muscles. Leaping into your workout routine without any type of warm up could lead to muscle damage and render you unable to train for sometime. Here are a few stretching exercises that you can use for various parts of the body. You’ll be able to feel which muscles are being targeted in most cases.
Back Stretches: Lie down on your front and open your arms to do a press up style movement (without lifting your body from the ground). Press your pelvis to the floor and push up with your arms, lift your chest from the floor, this will stretch the lower back muscles. Another way to stretch and warm the back can be accomplished by lying on your back with your hands at your side, palms down. Lift your knees up with your feet flat on the floor, and then rock your knees slowly from side to side stretching the back muscles. Try these two exercises for 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Chest Warm Up: The easiest way is to use a vertical chest press in your local gym. You could use a horizontal press at home. Place only a very light weight on these machines and attempt 3 sets of 20 repetitions.
A light press-up session is also a decent warm up. Instead of performing a full press-up, use your knees instead of your feet to angle your body. Rest your knees on the floor and assume the press-up position. Try 2 sets of 20 reps for this to warm up.
Shoulder Warm up: Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, raise your right arm up, then place your hand in between your shoulder blades, keeping your upper arm raised. Then use your left arm to slowly pull your elbow toward your head. Hold this position for 30 seconds, return and start again 3 times. Repeat with the other side.
Hamstrings: sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you, about 2 feet apart. Now gently and slowly with both hands, reach for your left foot, hold for 30 seconds and then return. Do this for both left and right.
Calf Stretch: Stand with your feet apart, chest and back straight. Now with your right leg move your foot back about 2-3 feet ensuring your foot is flat to the floor. Then with your left leg bend your knee toward the floor, until you feel the pull in your calf hold for 30 seconds then repeat. After 3 repeats change over.
Thighs: Steady yourself by holding onto a chair or sturdy piece of gym equipment with your left arm. Lift your right leg toward your buttocks, holding your ankle with your right hand, allow the heel of your foot to touch your buttocks, hold for 30 seconds then repeat. Reverse the process remembering to hold on with your right hand, using your left hand for holding your ankle.
Always remember these five rules when stretching and warming up:
1. Don’t over stretch your muscles, only stretch to the point of tension. Not to the point of pain.
2. Stretch with slow movements, sudden and jerky movements may lead to muscle strain.
3. Keep it even – stretch and warm up both sides of the body e.g. both legs, arms.
4. For the best effect hold your stretches for 30 seconds
5. After your work out always allow yourself to cool down. Warm down in just the same way as you warmed up.
Final word – remember to make it fun, not a daily chore and enjoy it!