Skip to main content Help Control Panel

Lost? Search this Naples Florida website...|Add our search|Login   A+   A- 71.3.237.65

Hints «  

Exercise

Get up! Get out! Get moving already!

Register with us in one easy step!
TopicContent
An Exercise in Proper Breathing

posted by Kudut on June 27 2007, Updated on June 27 2007

444
An Exercise in Proper Breathing
Take a Good Breather
-- By Mike Kramer, Staff Writer
Proper Breathing is an underestimated, but critical building block of good health. Slow, deep breathing gets rid of carbon dioxide waste and takes plenty of clean, fresh oxygen to your brain and muscles. More blood cells get the new, oxygen-rich air instead of the same old stale stuff. Experts estimate that proper breathing helps your body eliminate toxins 15 times faster than poor, shallow breathing. You'll not only be healthier, but you'll be able to perform better (mentally and physically) and, of course, be less stressed and more relaxed.

Here's an exercise that will help you get the full benefits of good breathing. The techniques in this exercise are ones you should try to develop in your normal breathing, and that could take practice. Try to take about 10 minutes, but it can happen in five by cutting the time for each step in half. Most of it can be done anywhere you need to relax or clear your head:
Get Ready (2 minutes) Make the room dark, or at least darker. Lie down flat on your back, or sit against a wall. Use a pillow for comfort. Make sure no part of your body is strained or supporting weight. Close your eyes. Just pay attention to your breathing for a minute or two. Don't try to change it, just notice how it feels. Imagine the fresh blood flowing through your body. Listen to your surroundings.
Stage I (2 minutes) Practice breathing in and out of your nose. Exhaling through the mouth is okay for quick relaxation, but for normal breathing, in and out the nose is best. Take long breaths, not deep breaths. Try not to force it, you shouldn't hear your breath coming in or out. You're drawing slow breaths, not gulping it or blowing it out. Feel the rhythm of your breathing.
Stage II (3 minutes) Good breathing is done through the lower torso, rather than the upper torso. Each breath should expand your belly, your lower back and ribs. Relax your shoulders and try not to breathe with your chest. Put your hands on your stomach and feel them rise and fall. If it's not working, push down gently with your hands for a few breaths and let go. Your stomach should start to move more freely. Relax your face, your neck, your cheeks, your jaw, your temples, even your tongue.
Stage III (3 minutes) Feel the good air entering your lungs and feel the stale air leaving your body. "In with the good, out with the bad" is definitely true here. Make your exhale as long as your inhale to make sure all the bad air is gone. Remember, long slow breaths. Most people take 12-16 breaths per minute. Ideally, it should be 8-10. Now try to make your exhale a little longer than your inhale for a while. Pause after your exhale without taking a breath. Focus on the stillness and on not forcing an inhale. Your body will breathe when it needs to.
Wake Up!!!

Article created on: 4/13/2004
________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.

Add a comment

Bodybuilding without equipment (tips)

posted by Udut, Kenneth on Feb. 23 2010, Updated on Feb. 23 2010

555

No Equipment? No Problem!

By: Mat D.

First of all, I recommend that you join a gym if you possibly can. I've written this article, though, because I know a lot of people don't live near gyms or cannot afford the membership fees. It's also good to know a few exercises you can do without equipment if you ever go on holiday and find that the hotel you're staying in has no gym. Obviously with the following exercises, you will not grow as fast as you would with more conventional bodybuilding exercises, but you will grow all the same. It's a million times better to do these exercises than to do none at all.

Please note that I haven't explained every exercise (e.g. crunches and hyperextensions) fully because descriptions of these exercises are freely available on the Internet. I would recommend doing these exercises 3-4 times per week. I would also recommend you warm up with 5 minutes light cardio beforehand (running on the spot, shadow boxing etc.)

CHEST

Press-Ups (Push-Ups) You may associate these with sadistic gym teachers and military punishments, but it's time to expel that image from your mind. For a bodybuilder with no equipment, press-ups are his best friend! The secret to building mass with press ups is to do them slowly with low reps. Sure you can do sets of 200 press ups, but with that many reps you are just building muscle endurance. That's no bad thing but you won't get much bigger. I recommend doing these before any other arm work because I find that if I train my arms first, they tend to burn out before my chest. You should also try to vary the position of your hands from shoulder width apart to even wider apart and try putting your feet on a chair or a bed if you have one available to ensure that you hit your chest from every possible angle. An example chest workout would be:

-  Medium grip press ups - 3 sets
-  Wide grip press ups - 3 sets
-  Medium grip press ups (legs raised) - 2 sets
-  Wide grip press ups (legs raised) - 2 sets

TRICEPS

Your chest workout should hit you arms as well as your chest, but if there is still some life left in your triceps, you may want to try a few sets of close grip press ups. Go into the normal press up position and then overlap your hands to make a kind of "window" with your hands (it's hard to explain but you must have seen movie directors doing it.)

BACK

There are a couple of exercises you can do for your back. For your upper back, you can do pull-ups from a tree branch or door frame. Use a wide overhand grip and make sure to go all the way up and all the way down. Your lower back is a little trickier but you must train it, especially if you are training your abs. Hyperextensions are the ones I would recommend except instead of using a hypertension bench, you use something (or someone) to hold down your legs. Try to do about 8-10 reps.

BICEPS

If you can find a door frame or a tree branch to hang off, these should be fairly straight forward. You basically just use a close underhand grip and pull yourself up so that your chin touches the tree/ door frame/ bar. Remember to extend your arms fully when you go down and try to do them really slowly for maximum contraction. Biceps can also be worked well with anything heavy with a handle (like a heavy school bag). Just hold the handle and lift it as you would with a dumbbell.

LEGS

Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to build very much size on your legs without equipment. Obviously there is no easy way to do heavy squats without weights, but who says they have to be heavy? You can build some size and quite a lot of definition doing squats using whatever you have available to you (those big water bottles are great - one under each arm). You can even get quite a lot of definition and some size by doing them without anything. I even read about a bloke who used to have his mate jump on his back and then do them - you might look a little strange but if you're into that kind of thing... Just make sure to slow them right down, go all the way down (now this sounds really dodgy). You will probably have to high reps but if you can, try to keep it to about 3 or 4 sets.

ABS

Abs are one of the few bodyparts which you can train almost as well without equipment as you can with. Obviously you can't do any hanging exercises but these aren't compulsory and many people prefer the lying exercises anyway. My ab workout goes something like this:

-  Lying leg raises - 3 sets
-  Twisting Crunches - 3 sets
-  Regular Crunches - 3 sets

Regular crunches will train the upper abs, twisting crunches will help to improve your obliques and lying leg raises will train your lower abs. I would try to keep the exercises in this order for the reason that all exercises will train your upper abs and you will not be able to complete the first 2 exercises efficiently if your upper abs are already tired. Reps should last 1 second except for regular crunches which should be held for 2 seconds for maximum contraction. Each set should consist of reps in the 15-30 range and you should try to only rest for 10-15 seconds between sets. Doubts have been raised about the safety of sit-ups and they do not work the abs primarily anyway, so that's why I use crunches in my workouts. There has been some debate about whether you should train your abs at the beginning of your workout or the end. In my opinion, it does not matter as long as you do train them. Another long standing argument is about the number of times per week you should train your abs. I train mine 3 times per week and this works well for me, but others say that training them every day works for them. Some people only train their abs once per week. Experiment and try to find which routine works best for you. Oh yeah -one last thing. If you do an ab workout, you MUST do hyperextensions (see back). If you don't, horrible things will happen to your back!

SHOULDERS Your shoulder muscles are probably the hardest ones to workout without equipment. The good news is that press-ups will hit them. The bad news is that not a lot else will unless you can find something heavy with a handle you could use to do lat raises. Not to worry though because press-ups are actually pretty good at building up your shoulders and the only muscles which you will not build through these are your traps. Traps can be worked by doing shrugs with just about anything heavy you can find.

CARDIO

Cardio without equipment seems simple enough, but in fact you have to be quite careful. The obvious thing to do would be to go running but this is actually a bad idea if you are trying to burn fat. For fitness, running is great, but for burning fat it's actually a bit too intense and your body can end up burning your muscle instead of your fat. Instead, I recommend taking a brisk 40-minute walk before breakfast every morning. This way, there is nothing in your stomach for your body to burn as fuel so it will go straight into fat burning mode. You don't have to walk - you can do anything just as long as you break into a light sweat while you are doing it.

Good luck!

Add a comment

Find an exercise buddy

posted by Simplify3 on June 26 2007, Updated on June 26 2007

444
Monday, June 25, 2007

As compulsive as I am about exercising (and there's a reason my husband calls our house Swim Freak Central), sometimes sleeping an extra hour or using my noon break to actually eat lunch sounds so appealing.

Most days, I have a swim team practice to attend. I've paid for it, and I know how happy it'll make me once I'm there, churning through the water and trying to do whatever my coach dreams up. So I get up and go. But the team takes Tuesdays off, and it would be oh-so-easy to blow off my workout that day. Thanks to Brian Vance, my official Exercise Buddy, that rarely happens.

Last spring, Vance, a 56-year-old financial consultant, began training for the La Jolla Rough Water Swim, a 3-mile ocean race in California. He wanted to get in a long, unbroken training swim at least once a week, on top of the three to five practices he catches with his team. Vance and I used to train together and are about the same speed. Because I get twitchy if I don't swim or water ski almost every day, I decided to tag along to keep him company.

Now we've got a standing date every Tuesday. No way I'm going to slack off if I know he's counting on me to show up. It's permanently scheduled on my calendar. We only miss if one of us is out of town or sick.

For the first time this year, we swam through the winter at Barton Springs. Without my exercise buddy, I wouldn't have done it. But I knew Vance was counting on me. And if he could jump in that 68-degree water in the middle of February, so could I.

"It makes all the difference," Vance says of having an exercise partner. "If I didn't have that, it wouldn't get done."

Our relationship illustrates something I've always known — that you're much more likely to stick to an exercise program if you've got someone to exercise with. The social aspect is what makes grinding out miles on the trail or doing aerobics enjoyable. It's more than 60 minutes of cranking out intervals — it's a chance to catch up with people with whom you might not otherwise hang out. Having a buddy to share the fun (and, sometimes, the misery) keeps motivation high. And there's even a Web site to help you find the right exercise buddy.

Take rowing buddies Nancy Pierson, 50, and Oliver O'Bryan, 60. They met while rowing an eight-person boat together, but have teamed up to row a two-person boat for the last three months. Three to five times a week, they meet at the Texas Rowing Center on Town Lake and take off for a muscle-mashing, 90-minute tour of the river.

"It's like rowing a high-performance vehicle. The result of a bad stroke is disastrous; the result of a good stroke is bliss," Pierson says.

Even more so than in swimming, partners are critical in rowing. If one doesn't show up, the boat can't go out. Knowing that Pierson is depending on him motivates O'Bryan, who says he has a "sort of innate inertia." Once he's at the dock, that inertia quickly turns to enthusiasm.

"It's very easy for me to follow Nancy," says O'Bryan, a business manager for a doctor. "We have a natural rhythm together."

On the water, O'Bryan determines the boat's direction; Pierson sets the pace. Together, they strengthen their bodies along with their friendship.

"I just like rowing with Oliver because I like Oliver," says Pierson, who teaches bowen, a form of therapeutic body work.

O'Bryan likens it to a sort of marriage. "But without all that other stuff," Pierson quickly adds.

For some women, pregnancy provides a convenient excuse to quit exercising. Not so for Tzatzil LeMair, 35, owner of the Tough Cookies Don't Crumble training program, and Ivonne Mercado, 38, who manages translations for Harcourt Inc. publishers.

"We've been friends for over eight years and made a pact that if we got pregnant again, we wouldn't let each other get too fat and out of shape (as we both did before)," LeMair says. Now that both are pregnant — LeMair with her fourth and Mercado with her third — they meet every Friday for a combination run/walk on the Barton Creek greenbelt or the Town Lake hike-and-bike trail.

"If you don't have somebody, you won't do it," Mercado says.

"If there's no accountability, other things get in the way," LeMair says. "It's too hot, I'll do it later — it just doesn't get done. If you don't have a training partner waiting for you, you have this inner dialogue, and you know who's going to win."

The key is not thinking of it as work, or something you have to do. "That's how Cookies started," LeMair says. "The basic (premise) is that exercise needs to have a social aspect. It takes away from your free time, so it has to be fun."

The Friday meetings provide time for Mercado and LeMair to catch up on how their pregnancies are progressing. They hope to keep meeting until their babies are due in the fall.

After that, they'll help each other get back in shape.

Vance and I socialize at our weekly swims, too. It's a chance to hear what's going on in his life and to share what's on my mind. The workout almost becomes a happy side benefit. It's worked so well that I've collected a couple of friends to keep me running through the summer, too.

If you're trying to keep in shape on your own, you're setting an obstacle in your path.

Sure, you can get around it. But wouldn't it be easier not to have to try?

How to find an exercise buddy

ExerciseFriends.com is a free online service that matches people looking for workout buddies. Members can search the site by gender, age, ZIP code and activity. Their top interests? Walking, hiking, running, tennis, weight training and cardio workouts. The site is not a dating service. It was created by Austin resident Patrick McCluskey.

Add a comment

Learn about the utilizes of aluminum gutters

posted by Swuzb El on May 30 2014, Updated on May 30 2014

This gutter will seems to be fresh new for many years and also the maintenance amount is incredibly very low. Aluminium gutters are seamless gutters which have been presented with a variety of designs out there.
Almost all of the roof of homes is leaking in the wet year. So to have far from the trouble you might have to try the best gutters to the roof which is definitely the aluminum gutters. Aluminum gutters are most generally used to continue to keep the rain drinking water far from your house. They may be most commonly positioned in eaves, and that is alongside the tiles on the roof and course of action of this is frequently accomplished by masons. By means of the intricate channels with the pipe, the gutter is available to draw away the accumulated drinking water. The rain gutter will run together the perimeter belonging to the property and then the downspout is joined on the gutter. Eave's channel or eave's trough is another identify of the downspout gutter for rain.

Aluminum guttering is among the staple items and important portion which the planned home necessitates. This can be the fundamental root for your beloved residence which you'll produce styles of dangers. You could possibly expend your hard earned money to produce your desire valid. These hazards will aggravate substantially throughout the wet period. This will likely act as a fighter towards rain while in the wet year. Certainly one of the main challenges, if the rain water accumulates on any piece for the household or any roof is increasing the wild grasses. If these mature around the surface area of the place then they will likely rip together the partitions and even they may have the potential to interrupt the walls. may help you to definitely get about the rewards and the makes use of of your aluminum gutters and seamless gutters.

Seamless gutters will deliver a great deal more many advantages on the people. Seamless gutter will preserve your property, insert the worth and can safeguard your residence. These aluminum gutters are specially produced by making use of the exclusive devices and it may possibly stand up to the hardest weather affliction. You really don't must retain these gutters mainly because it should help reduce and manage the soil erosion. There are a lot sorts of guttering surreys can be found in the industry. Fifty % for the consumers will use the round gutter that can seems as typical and more efficient. There is also a square condition guttering can also be accessible but the use is scarce. With the tall and large properties some of the most in the people will favor the frequent gutters. The gutters can be found in any shapes into the building up. The choice for the aluminum gutters will count on the shape with the dwelling and it'll make your property look and feel spectacular.

Does one get specialized roofline products and services in Surrey and bordering locations? You'll be able to head to . Aluminium gutters in Bespoke Roofline Ltd deliver quite possibly the most outstanding solutions as per your standards. You can favour aluminium guttering services and obtain a few advantages.

Add a comment

Naples Taxi inc

posted by Figaro Gaston on Dec. 15 2014, Updated on Dec. 15 2014

Naples Taxi, inc is the Best Taxi Company in Collier County by Naples Award. Contact Naples Taxi to try the Service
Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Naples Taxi, Inc Receives 2014 Best of Naples Award

Naples Award Program Honors the Achievement

NAPLES November 27, 2014 -- Naples Taxi, Inc has been selected for the 2014 Best of Naples Award in the Transportation category by the Naples Award Program.

Each year, the Naples Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Naples area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2014 Naples Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Naples Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Naples Award Program

The Naples Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Naples area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Naples Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Naples Award Program Contact Naples Taxi to try the Service. Phone (239) 400-3333. CONTACT: Naples Award Program Email: PublicRelations@awardservice.org URL: http://www.awardservice.org

Add a comment

No equipment exercise websites

posted by Udut, Kenneth on Mar. 9 2010, Updated on Mar. 9 2010

Collected by my mother
Three Internet gym memberships that provide formal programs at no cost and don't require any elaborate equipment:

⁢http://MarineCorpsFitness.com⁣

⁢http://marinecorpsfitness.com/⁣

http://⁢www.hundredpushups.com/⁣

http://⁢www.twohundredsitups.com

Add a comment

simple no-equipment exercises from realage.com

posted by Simplify3 on Nov. 3 2007, Updated on Nov. 3 2007

555 these exercises were suggested to me by my realage.com results, which said I am 4.4 years OLDER than my calendar age!
 
Roll with It
Roll your shoulders forward for a count of 10 and back for 10. Swim shoulders back for 10 and forward for 10. Your goal is trying to get full range of movement with your shoulders. Notice any areas that you don't move fluidly, and try to open them up by relaxing as you move your hands in full circles. Between sets, get in the habit of rolling your shoulders five times forward and five times back.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
The Chest Cross
Strengthens chest and shoulders: Cross your arms in front of your chest in a series of quick horizontal motions.. Do it with both hands face up, then face down. Next move your hands rapidly up and down. Then twist your arms back and forth like you have tennis balls in your hands. Try to do each of these variations 25 times.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
The Clapper
Stretches chest: In a standing position and keeping your chest up, clap in front of you; then bring your hands behind your back and clap your hands together. Keep your hands as high as you can during the movement. Do 10 times.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Push-Up Pride
Strengthens chest: Get in the appropriate "up" push-up position for you by either staying on your toes or keeping your knees on the ground. Lower yourself until your chest nearly touches the ground and push back up. As you straighten your elbows, push your spine towards the ceiling (to help engage your back muscles). Keep a long, solid body. Pull your heels away from your shoulders, keeping a long, solid body. Don't let your stomach hang down toward the ground, because that will cause unnecessary tension on your lower back. Instead, keep your stomach tight to strengthen your belly muscles. If your lower back starts to hurt, raise your butt slightly. Keeping your chin slightly up, look 6 inches past your fingertips. This forces you to use your chest and not overextend your neck while doing push-ups. Do as many push-ups as you can (this is called exercising to failure, and it's what helps build strength proteins in your muscle). If these are too hard, just hold your chest off the ground without moving. Or you can do a pyramid push-up routine: Do 5 push-ups, then hold in the up position for 5 seconds. Then do 4 and hold for 4 in the up position, all the way down to 1.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Meet You at the Corner
Stretches chest and arms: Face a corner of a room and stretch your arms to the side in line with your shoulders with elbows at right angles. Put pressure on your arms to stretch your chest by leaning into the wall for 20 seconds. Keep your chin up and face directly into the corner.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
The Hippie
Stretches hips and hamstrings: With your feet flat on the ground, bend forward at your waist. Alternate bending one knee and keeping the other leg straight (but still keeping feet flat), and let your head dangle down, releasing all your tension. Stretch each side for 15 seconds.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Steady on the Plank
Strengthens abs and shoulders: Get into a push-up position with your elbows and toes on the floor, while pushing the area between your shoulders towards ceiling and keeping your stomach pulled in towards lower back, to support it. Keep your buttocks tight and your eyes looking at the floor (ignore the fact that you suddenly realize you have to vacuum). Hold the position for as long as you can. If you can last more than 1 minute, make it more difficult by dropping your chin 20 times out in front of interweaved hands, or by trying to balance on one foot.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Whose Side Are You on, Anyway?
Strengthens obliques (the muscles at the side of your abdominals): Turn to the side by putting an elbow on the floor and rotating the opposite hip toward the ceiling. Keep your body in a straight line and resist pushing your butt back. Keep your abs tight as you hold the position for as long as you can. Alternate sides. If you can hold for more than 1 minute, you can increase difficulty by repeatedly dropping your hip, tapping it on the mat and bringing it back into the lateral plank.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Up, Dog, Up
Stretches abdominals and obliques: From a down push-up position, with your hands below your shoulders, lift your chest and torso up into the air so your upper body is nearly perpendicular to the floor as you come onto the tops of your bare feet. Lean backwards to stretch your abdominals, but keep your butt relaxed. Hold for 10 seconds, then look over your right shoulder for 10, then your left shoulder for 10, then back to center.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Leg Drop
Strengthens entire abdominal areas: Lie on your back and put your knees at a 90-degree angle and your feet in the air. Drop your heels down, tap the mat, and bring back up to 90-degrees. Do as many as you can (to failure). Advanced: Do it with straight legs.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
X Crunch
Strengthens upper abdominals: Lie on your back with your feet on the ground and knees at a 45-degree angle. Cross your arms behind your head, putting your opposite hand to opposite shoulder forming an x behind your head. Rest your head in this x and keep your neck loose (in the beginning, you can put a tennis ball under your chin as a reminder). Using your abdominal muscles, crunch up about 30 degrees from the floor. Without holding your breath, you need to suck in your belly button to the floor to tighten the natural girdle you have (it's a muscle called the transverse abdominis) to keep the entire 6-pack tight. Also pull up your pelvis muscles (like when you are holding in your pee) to strengthen the bottom of the natural girdle. Do as many as you can. Stretch your abdominals afterward (see Up Dog Up).

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
The Rickety Table
Strengthens upper back: Put your hands and knees flat on the floor with your fingers spread apart and pointing directly forward. Keep your back flat and parallel to the floor. Look down 6 inches above your fingertips. Reach your right hand forward and your left foot back and stretch them as far away from each other as possible, keeping your right hand higher than your head. The higher your arms goes up, the more work your back has to do and the more effective the exercise. Now, bring your right elbow to your left knee. Do 20 on this side, then alternate and do it with the other leg and arm. For more advanced, you can move your arm and leg out at a right angle from body, keeping them above your spine. Your stomach should be pulled in the entire time, supporting your lower back.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Superman
Strengthens lower back: Lie flat on your stomach, reaching your arms out in front of you with palms down. Spread out your extremities straight out in all four directions and lift your arms and legs simultaneously for enough repetitions to cause some mild fatigue. Continue to look down during the movement, and don't over extend your neck up. This exercise is about how long you can make your body-not how high you can get it. Focus on squeezing your butt as you lift.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
The Seated Pretzel
Stretches lower middle and upper back: Sit down with legs stretched in front of you. Bring your right foot up and set it down on the outside of your left knee. For back support, put your right hand behind your right butt cheek. Bring your left toe straight up. Reach your left hand up like a stop sign and drop your chin, and then twist to right and bring your left tricep to outside of the right thigh. To go deeper, twist more to apply pressure against your right thigh. Act like a string is pulling the top of your head up to elongate the spine. Breathe by expanding your rib cage like you are blowing up a balloon.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Seated Drop-Kick
Strengthens quadriceps: Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Bend your right leg up with knee pointing towards the ceiling. To keep your back straight, interweave your hands around this knee. Act like there is a string pulling from the top of your head elongating your spine (and don't bob your head). Lift your left straight leg 6 inches of the ground, keep your left toe pointed towards the ceiling. Lift for 25 times, then switch legs. Do each leg twice.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Invisible Chair
Strengthens entire leg: Sit in a chair position (with no chair!) with your back against a wall, and with your hands palms up resting on your knees. Keep furniture near you or under you, so you can grab it to help yourself back up when you're done. Keep your heels directly below your knees and at a 90-degree angle; your shoulders should be rolled back and the back of your head against wall. Hold for as long as you can, and try to work up to 2 minutes. Keep your face relaxed and breathe.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Nice Thighs
Stretches quadriceps: While standing on one leg, bend the knee of the opposite leg and grab the foot behind your back with one hand (use one arm to hold something to keep balanced). Pull the foot toward your butt while lifting your chest forward and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Switch legs. Keep your abs pulled in the entire time, to support lower back. Hold each for 20 seconds.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






 
Step Taps
Stand in front of a set of stairs. Place one foot two steps up; leave it there as you raise the other foot up tapping that step for 20 consecutive times and then switching legs. Using your arms to propel you up, as a sprinter would do. You barely want to hear your foot tap back down and back up. The softer it hits the more burn you get and the less impact on your knees.

Source: YOU: On a Diet, by RealAge doctors Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz






Add a comment

Take an Active Vacation!

posted by Kudut on June 27 2007, Updated on June 27 2007

444
Take an Active Vacation

Have you thought about how great it would be to include your family in your pursuit to exercise more regularly? Family exercise will improve the health of your loved ones, make exercise more fun, and at the same time develop stronger connections between all of you. With a little creativity, you can find a way to make it work for everyone.

FITNESS TIP
Consider making your family vacation an active one. Instead of spending time lounging on the beach or riding in a tour bus, plan a vacation that's full of fun, outdoor activity. Try to incorporate some of these ideas into your next trip, so that your family does at least one activity each day:
Go swimming or play at a water park
Hike a trail in a national park
Take walking tours of historical landmarks
Go white water rafting, kayaking, or canoeing with a guide
Take a ski trip
Go on a bicycle tour
Paddle boat at a resort of theme park
Try climbing, snorkeling, or scuba diving
...the possibilities for fun family activities are endless!
________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com.

Add a comment

Vitamins and Minerals - what they do and the best food sources

posted by Udut, Kenneth on May 6 2010, Updated on Aug. 11 2011

Vitamins


B1 (thiamin)

Supports energy metabolism and nerve function

spinach, green peas, tomato juice, watermelon, sunflower seeds, lean ham, lean pork chops, soy milk

B2 (riboflavin)

Supports energy metabolism, normal vision and skin health

spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, eggs, milk, liver, oysters, clams
B3 (niacin)

Supports energy metabolism, skin health, nervous system and digestive system

spinach, potatoes, tomato juice, lean ground beef, chicken breast, tuna (canned in water), liver, shrimp
Biotin

Energy metabolism, fat synthesis, amino acid metabolism, glycogen synthesis

widespread in foods
Pantothenic Acid

Supports energy metabolism

widespread in foods
B6 (pyridoxine)

Amino acid and fatty acid metabolism, red blood cell production

bananas, watermelon, tomato juice, broccoli, spinach, acorn squash, potatoes, white rice, chicken breast
Folate

Supports DNA synthesis and new cell formation

tomato juice, green beans, broccoli, spinach, asparagus, okra, black-eyed peas, lentils, navy, pinto and garbanzo beans
B12

Used in new cell synthesis, helps break down fatty acids and amino acids, supports nerve cell maintenance

meats, poultry, fish, shellfish, milk, eggs
C (ascorbic acid)

Collagen synthesis, amino acid metabolism, helps iron absorption, immunity, antioxidant

spinach, broccoli, red bell peppers, snow peas, tomato juice, kiwi, mango, orange, grapefruit juice, strawberries
A (retinol)

Supports vision, skin, bone and tooth growth, immunity and reproduction

mango, broccoli, butternut squash, carrots, tomato juice, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, beef liver
D

Promotes bone mineralization

self-synthesis via sunlight, fortified milk, egg yolk, liver, fatty fish
E

Antioxidant, regulation of oxidation reactions, supports cell membrane stabilization

polyunsaturated plant oils (soybean, corn and canola oils), wheat germ, sunflower seeds, tofu, avocado, sweet potatoes, shrimp, cod
K

Synthesis of blood-clotting proteins, regulates blood calcium

Brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, liver


Sodium

Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, supports muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmissions

salt, soy sauce, bread, milk, meats
Chloride

Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, aids in digestion

salt, soy sauce, milk, eggs, meats
Potassium

Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, cell integrity, muscle contractions and nerve impulse transmission

potatoes, acorn squash, artichoke, spinach, broccoli, carrots, green beans, tomato juice, avocado, grapefruit juice, watermelon, banana, strawberries, cod, milk
Calcium

Formation of bones and teeth, supports blood clotting

milk, yogurt, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, tofu, sardines, green beans, spinach, broccoli
Phosphorus

Formation of cells, bones and teeth, maintains acid-base balance

all animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk)
Magnesium

Supports bone mineralization, protein building, muscular contraction, nerve impulse transmission, immunity

spinach, broccoli, artichokes, green beans, tomato juice, navy beans, pinto beans, black-eyed peas, sunflower seeds, tofu, cashews, halibut
Iron

Part of the protein hemoglobin (carries oxygen throughout body's cells)

artichoke, parsley, spinach, broccoli, green beans, tomato juice, tofu, clams, shrimp, beef liver
Zinc

A part of many enzymes, involved in production of genetic material and proteins, transports vitamin A, taste perception, wound healing, sperm production and the normal development of the fetus

spinach, broccoli, green peas, green beans, tomato juice,lentils, oysters, shrimp, crab, turkey (dark meat), lean ham, lean ground beef, lean sirloin steak, plain yogurt, Swiss cheese, tofu, ricotta cheese
Selenium

Antioxidant. Works with vitamin E to protect body from oxidation

seafood, meats and grains
Iodine

Component of thyroid hormones that help regulate growth, development and metabolic rate

salt, seafood, bread, milk, cheese
Copper

Necessary for the absorption and utilization of iron, supports formation of hemoglobin and several enzymes

meats, water
Manganese

Facilitates many cell processes

widespread in foods
Fluoride

Involved in the formation of bones and teeth, helps to make teeth resistant to decay

fluoridated drinking water, tea, seafood
Chromium

Associated with insulin and is required for the release of energy from glucose

vegetable oils, liver, brewer's yeast, whole grains, cheese, nuts
Molybdenum

Facilitates many cell processes

legumes, organ meats"
-- Vitamins and Minerals - what they do and the best food sources

Add a comment


Loading