Posts Tagged ‘get body in shape’

All About Working The Transverse Abdominals

A group of muscles that often gets neglected in stomach exercise routines are the transverse abdominals, the core muscles that lie below the rectus abdominus. Most abdominal exercises target the rectus abdominus and the vertical abdominals, ignoring the transverse abdominals. Even crunches, the staple of most abdominal workouts, do nothing for the transverse abdominals. These muscles are actually the most important to target, however, as they connect to both the lower back muscles and the rectus abdominus and for a girdle for the entire abdomen. Any routine aimed at flattening the stomach should include the transverse abdominals as a focus. Using the following exercises, you can work out your transverse abdominals and really make progress on that flat tummy. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.
     
Pelvic Tilts
This stomach exercise requires lying on your back on a flat surface, such as the floor or a bench. Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Raise your pelvis (and only your pelvis) off the floor, hold momentarily, and then lower it back down. Repeat for an entire set. Maintaining a controlled movement is crucial to this exercise. This will allow you to use your abdominal muscles, rather than your body’s momentum, to do the work on the exercise. Also, be sure to keep your upper body on the floor throughout.
     
Crunchless Crunch
This first exercise is fairly simple but can also be fairly difficult. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out.

Scissor Kicks
This stomach exercise also requires lying on the floor. Position your hands under your butt, keeping your back pressed against the floor. Slowly raise one leg to a height of about ten inches, then slowly lower it back to the floor. As your lower one leg, raise the other. Repeat this motion for an entire set. Maintaining control throughout is important, not allowing momentum to get the better of you. Your upper body should remain on the floor through the entire move.
     
There are plenty of other exercises targeting the transverse abdominals, but these three ought to be enough to get you started. Stomach exercises like these are key to any tummy-flattening plan, and they are especially good for pregnant and post-partum women.

It is only natural, most people want to look their best, and exercising their stomach muscles is usually a huge part of most fitness programs. If so much time and energy is going to be focused on this muscle group, it is a good idea to know what the best stomach exercises are. There are many resources available for finding the best stomach exercises, and plenty of people to say what they consider the best, so how can a person decide for themselves which truly are the best exercises for working their stomach muscles?

First of all it is important to note that the best stomach exercises are those that a person is willing to do. No matter how effective the exercise is, if a person isn’t going to do them consistently the exercise will not benefit that particular individual. It is also important to note that the best stomach exercises do not necessarily require equipment to perform them, although some machines and equipment may work quite well for some people.

When a person decides on a fitness program that includes stomach exercises, it is best to include stomach exercises that work the different parts of the stomach. If a person simply concentrates on one area of their stomach, there workout will not be as effective. The best stomach exercises, combine working the oblique, which are the side muscles, the lower abdominals, the mid section and also the upper section.

Some of the most popular stomach exercises are crunches. These are a very effective exercise and very convenient since they can be performed anywhere without any equipment. The next stomach exercise that is also very popular and goes along with the basic crunch is the side crunch, which works out the oblique.

Some people consider the best stomach exercises to be included in a Pilate’s workout. The reason for this is because in Pilates, the whole focus is on the core of the body which is the abdominal, or stomach muscles. Every movement in a Pilate’s workout will work the stomach muscles either directly or indirectly.  These exercises can be found on the internet, either the exercise itself or video’s that can be purchased.

Another good exercise that some fitness experts considers to be one of the best stomach exercises involves laying flat on your stomach, leg straight and then raising your body up using your arms as your hands are clasped together and keeping your body straight as if doing a pushup. Hold this position as long as you can stand. This is an excellent movement to strengthen the whole stomach.

Remember again though that just because one person may consider a specific exercise to be the best stomach exercise that does not necessarily mean it is the best for everyone. Each person’s body is different and will respond differently to certain movements. Any one serious about working on the abdominal muscles will find it most helpful to try several different stomach exercises and then determine which one they can both feel and see results with. If one exercise is simply too hard to do correctly, or does not feel like it has done anything for the muscle group worked, that exercise is clearly not the best and the person should find what works best for them.

The most common types of diabetes are known as Type
1 and Type 2.  The Type 1 diabetes, which is also
known as adolescent diabetes, differs from Type 2
in the sense that the body will stop producing
insulin altogether.  Type 2 diabetes is normally
diagnosed in older adults and occurs as the body
stops producing enough insulin or the individual
becomes resistant to their own body insulin.

No matter what form of diabetes it is, you’ll lose
your ability to adequately utilize sugar.  The
blood sugar levels will increase due to the body’s
difficulty in transporting sugar into the cells
and out of the blood stream.  There are several ways
to lower your blood sugar levels, including diet,
exercise, and medication.

As a whole, exercise is a very important part of
diabetic management for both Type 1 and Type 2
diabetics.  Those that have Type 1 will find regular
exercise helps to maintain insulin sensitivity,
helps to prevent the accumulation of excess weight,
and also increases the use of glucose by muscles.
Although there is really no way to prevent Type 1
diabetes, it is possible to prevent Type 2 diabetes.

The things to consider when you attempt to prevent
the onset of Type 2 diabetes are regular exercise
supplementation with vitamins and herbs that will
help to prevent insulin resistance and proper
control of weight.

Not only with exercise help directly with diabetic
management by lowering blood sugar levels and
maintaining insulin sensitivity, but it will also
help minimize several of the complications that
can occur in a diabetic individual.  Research has
shown that walking 30 minutes each day can
diminish the possibility of developing Type 2
diabetes.

Almost all diabetics tend to develop circulatory
problems and exercise can help lower blood
pressure and improve circulation throughout the
body.  Seeing as how people with diabetes tend to
have poor blood flow to their lower areas and
feet, better circulation is a great benefit.

Even though there are risks associated with
exercise, the potential benefits will outweigh
the risks.  Exercise does indeed lower blood sugar
levels, so those with diabetes should measure
their blood sugar both before and after they
exercise.  Since your body uses more sugar while
you exercise and makes you more sensitive to
insulin, there is a risk of blood sugar becoming
too low and causing hypoglycemia as a result.

Whenever you exercise, it is important to let
others know that you are diabetic.  They should
also be informed about what they should do in
case of hypoglycemia.  To be on the safe side, you
should always carry candy or fruit juice with you
to treat low blood sugar when it occurs.

During and after you have exercised, you should
pay very close attention about how you feel, since
rapid heart beat, increased sweating, feeling
shaky, or hunger can signal that your blood sugar
levels are getting too low.

With diabetic management and treatment, exercise
is very important.  Exercise will help with blood
sugar control when the muscles use more glucose and
the body becomes more sensitive to insulin. 
Exercise will also help to prevent and minimize
common diabetic complications which include heart
problems, high blood pressure, and circulatory
deficiencies. 

If you are a diabetic, exercise should be part of
your daily routine.  You should always exercise at
a slow pace and never overdo it.  Also, you
should be sure to exercise around people you know
or at a gym, so there will always be people around
you in case something goes wrong.  Being a diabetic
doesn’t have to hinder your life or your
performance, as exercise can help you get your life
back on track and heading in the right direction -
the healthy direction.

Nothing beats waking up in the morning with the thought
of going to the gym to lift weights or jog on the
treadmill.  After a hard days work, the gym is one
place you don’t even want to think about.  Sometimes,
even the thought of exercising at home with your own
equipment can be less than desirable. 

Sometimes, just trying to get and stay motivated to
exercise on a regular basis can be a challenge.  No
matter how you look at it, exercise can be downright
boring and even tedious at times.

So, you may be wondering just how you can get the
motivation you need to exercise on a regular basis.
If you’ve been wondering what you can do to make
exercise more fun, you’ll find some ideas below that
just may help to make exercise more fun and a little
bit easier.

First things first, you should exercise with a friend.
You can challenge each other, help each other out,
keep each other motivated and on track, make each
other laugh or just make a game out of your exercise
programs.

You can also try something different.  If you go
to the gym each and every day and use the same
piece of equipment or use the same piece of
equipment at home, you should try mixing things up.
Reverse your routine or just change the order of
your exercises. 

Go to a city park that has playground equipment and
use the slide, climb on the monkey bars, do pull-
ups, hang from your knees, just let your imagination
guide you.  You don’t always need to follow a strict
routine, just get out there and have fun working
your muscles.

An outdoor circuit in the park is also something
you can try.  There are some parks that have circuit
courses set up with a planned course where all
you have to do is walk or jog to each station and
then follow the instructions. If there isn’t a
planned course, then you should do a combination
of jogging and walking, picking a distance of a
couple hundred feet.  Jog 100 feet then drop and
do a couple of pushups, walk the next 100 feet
and then drop to do sit ups.

You can also ride a bike around your neighborhood
or hike on a hiking trail.  A walk in the park or
around your neighborhood is also a great way to
get some exercise.  Doing yoga in the park or on
a beach is also a nice and relaxing way to
exercise both your body and your mind.

Playing a competitive sport is also something you
can try.  A lot of cities have team activities
such as softball, volleyball, tennis, soccer,
and so on.  These types of activities will not
only provide you with good exercise but they will
also help you to meet new people as well.

When you exercise, try to picture your muscles
getting bigger.  Research has shown that if you
focus all of your thoughts on the muscles that
you are working, they will respond better.  Try
to watch them work with each repetition as your
muscles contract and relax.

As you can tell, there are plenty of ways you can
make exercise more fun and interesting.  You don’t
need to follow the same routine day after day,
as you can do many other things to get in some
exercise.

The important thing is that you should always try
to incorporate exercise in any various form into
your everyday life and make these habits the kind
of habits that will last a lifetime.

Exercise balls are one of the most innovative ways
to exercise.  These little balls will catch every
one’s fancy due to their shape and very attractive
colors.  The real benefit of these balls, which
were introduced by a group of Swiss medical therapists,
is a substitute of support during exercise.

Working out with the exercise balls will strengthen
and tone all of the major muscles of the body.  The
soft texture of the balls make it an ideal choice
for Yoga positions, using dumbbells for muscle
toning, or working on heavy duty weight training
equipment.

The advantage of exercise balls is that they are
durable and maintain shape well under pressure.  The
documentation with the balls will provide test
load figures for how much weight the exercise balls
will hold.  The advantage here is the fact that the
balls provide soft yet firm support that doesn’t
harm your body.

You can find exercise balls in several different
colors and finishes.  You can even get a ball that
matches the texture of your room.  They are simple
to store and you can even roll them under your bed
or a table if you prefer.  When you aren’t using
them, you can let kids play with them.  These balls
are very fun for kids, as they are very soft and
won’t cause them any harm.

Medical equipment
Originally developed for use in medical therapy,
the exercise ball is used to support the body
during exercise.  These balls will provide support
to the body when you do a specific exercise in a
specific position and still need to maintain the
balance.  Most exercise balls are made of burst
proof latex or other material that is very safe to
use.

There are many postures with yoga and muscle toning
exercise that can only be done with the help of
support.  For these postures, exercise balls are
quite useful.  The exercise balls will introduce an
element of stability to the exercise that you
wouldn’t normally get with the floor exercise.

Your body responds automatically to the instability
to keep balanced on the exercise ball.  This will
help in strengthening the muscles that aren’t
actively participating in exercise.

An exercise is also very useful for physiotherapy
treatment.  Exercise balls will help to get rid
of backache and spinal disorders.  The small
range of movement and adjustment of balance of
the spine that is induced by exercising with the
exercise ball will help reduce back pain.

The Swiss ball exercise is for people with back
pain to provide them with a simple way to restore
movements after an episode of back pain.  It also
results in improved muscle strength, greater
flexibility, and a wide range of motion of the
spine during treatment.

Yes you have six pack, killer abs.  Bur are you sure you are healthy?  Of course you can measure a person’s health on their outside appearance, but there are other ways of measuring how healthy you are aside from basing it on the midsection. 

Weight of course, can tell is a person is healthy or not.  But weight is also not the reliable.  Doctors use body mass index or BMI to measure or judge a person’s size against weight.  BMI is a calculation of kilograms/meter squared.  A BMI between 18 to 25 is healthy.  But someone who is very fit and muscular could have a BMI greater than 25.   This would classify them ass overweight.

BMI is a useless indicator for people under 16.  Instead of using the weigh and height ratio, what should be factored is the person’s age and potential for growth.  An example would be if a child was gaining weight to quickly for their age or it they were not gaining enough weight or growing. 

Body shape can also be an indicator of good health.  Doctors are looking at waist measurements because they know that “apple-shape” people carry excess weight around their middle.  These people can be at risk of obesity-related conditions such as heart disease.  Be sure to measure your waistline.  If your waistline is larger than 35 inches, you are at an increased risk of health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Paying attention to your waistline helps you to avoid unhealthy eating and increase mobility or exercise.

Other health indicators would be the skin.  Tan, freckles or moles that are odd shaped or growing, this probably mean an unhealthy skin.  Tanning or sun exposure an age the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.  Use sunscreen and get a dermatologist opinion about spots and moles.

When brushing your teeth, check your spit.  If there is blood, your gums may need attention.  Bleeding gums indicate poor oral health and vitamin deficiencies.  Gum disease may also be a sign of cardiovascular problems.  Blood on the toothbrush or dental floss is one of the earliest and most common sign of gingivitis.  Gingivitis is preventable and reversible.  Gums need undergo a through removal of plaque, improved daily oral hygiene practices, a good diet and nutritional supplements. 

It is more than just bad breath.  Gum problems can now be linked to heart disease, clogged arteries, stroke, premature birth, and diabetes.  women who have preterm deliveries have more severe gum conditions with mothers with normal deliveries.  People with gumdisease and tooth decay are almost twice as likely to die of heart attacks and almost three times as likely to have a stroke.

Also, feel your lips.  If your lips are dry and chapped, it could signal to you that you are dehydrated, which is an unhealthy state for your body to be in.  Dehydration can cause headaches and fatigue, as well as drain the moisture from your skin making it look old and dry. 

Also watch out for your fingernails.  Healthy fingernails and toe nails are strong, colorless and smooth.  If they are yellowing, brittle, have ridges, crumbling and having white spots, then these are obvious signs that your nails are not healthy.

Nail problems can indicate viral, fungal, bacterial or yeast infection.  It may also show abnormal levels of oxygen in the blood, kidney disease, thyroid disease or psoriasis and malnutrition or a vitamin deficiency.

You do not have to rely on six pack abs, biceps or lats to say something about your health and other people’s health.  There are telltale signs that you should never ignore.