Exercise

An important part of a balanced lifestyle.

Fight the Festive Flab the Fun Way – Pole Fitness

February 1, 2012

: Image via Wikipedia

If you told your friends that you were going to take up pole dancing ten years ago they may have reacted as though you’d told them you were going to become a lap dancer or take up a new job in the sex trade. To many people, pole dancing was certainly not the kind of thing any respectable girls should be involved with.

Fortunately times have changed and pole dancing has shed a lot of its old associations and is recognised by many as a sport and a really fun way to stay in shape. Pole dancing now has international championships and competitions as well as regulations and its celebrities, just like any other sport, even if you can don your glad rags to take part.

Pole dancing can be traced back to the twelfth century, where it began as a fertility dance performed around a wooden pole, although the dancing was far removed from the styles and technique you will see today. Modern pole dancing moves are more akin to 1950s burlesque performances. Pole dancing owes a lot to Fawnia Mondey who did a lot to legitimise it as a form of dance though her dance lessons and DVDs which allowed people to learn pole dancing in the privacy of their own homes and made it more mainstream.

You’ll often here pole dancing referred to as pole fitness or pole sport as dancers like to emphasise the strength, flexibility and skill that is needed to deliver a breath-taking performance. While pole dancing is easy to get started in some of the moves are highly complex and can take months of practice to get right. A quick search on YouTube and you will come across some jaw-dropping routines, which make you think more of acrobatic circus performances than sleazy clubs. Watching a dancer support her whole body in a horizontal position just using her hands or feet shows the gymnastic skill and strength needed to perform some of these advanced tricks.

Why Choose Pole Fitness?

Pole fitness is really taking off as a way of keeping fit. As well as being fun it can help to improve your core muscles as well as your flexibility. You will develop strength in your hands and legs, and then when you progress to more complex moves you will works areas that most sports won’t reach such as your underarms or hips!

If at first you don’t succeed.

While some moves are easy to get the first time, others can take a lot of patience to master. To begin with you should expect a few bruises from gripping the pole tightly and most likely falling off a few times as some moves will take a lot of practice to get right. You should you use a pole mat to cushion your falls and know your limits so you never push yourself too hard. A lot of people find that once they have gotten over the initial hurdles and put a routine together that they are hooked. They find that their body improves and they develop more strength better posture and that they generally feel a lot sexier than before they started dancing.

It’s easier than you might think to take the plunge with pole dancing schools popping up all over the place and many gyms offering classes. You don’t even need to leave your own home if you don’t want to. YouTube has lots of pole dancing tutorials and there are a wide range of DVD lessons to choose from. There are a lot of choices for dance poles too. You can get permanent poles for your home, but most people choose one the portable pole models on the market. This means that the pole does not need to be a permanent feature in the living room (or wherever you choose to put it). If you are apprehensive about taking a class at a school or gym, then you may find one of the many pole dancing experience days more suitable, they also make great days out for the girls if you are shy to have a go alone.

I hope that this intro to pole fitness has tempted you to give it a try. I’m Caitin and I’ve been pole dancing for 3 years. It took me a few lessons to really get into the swing of things but then I was hooked. When I’m not dancing I write for http://www.poledancingpoles.info. As well as keeping up to date with the latest gossip on our blog you can also compare prices of a wide range of pole dancing poles. You can also find me on twitter at @poledancepoles

Tighten Your Core with Break Dance (fryingpansports.com)
Take the Zzzz’s out of your Workout with Zumba (dietcleanse.org)

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20 Habits That Make You Fat

February 1, 2012

By Steve

In today’s society there are many ways to develop poor health choices. The following are 20 habits that can increase fat content.

Low-fat foods

Low-fat foods substitute fat with simple carbohydrates which act as a type of fat fuel. Not only does a high carbohydrate diet fuel increased fat development, but carbohydrates digest quickly and can cause rebound hunger.

Not Seeking Help

Many people fail multiple times at dieting, but continue to try without guidance. Seeking nutritional counselling can better inform you and help in creating a healthier lifestyle.

Poor Sleep Habits

Sleeping too much or too little can cause increased fat retention. Too little sleep causes increased sugar consumption and too much sleep can cause fat to be stored. Six to eight hours is optimal.

Free Food

Complimentary food at restaurants such as bread sticks or chips contain minimal nutrition value, but come at a price. Some bread sticks contain 150 calories and can quickly increase the total calories of the meal.

Drinking Pop

Both regular and diet soda can increase fat. Regular contains high carbohydrate values, and diet pop contains artificial sugars that can increase appetite.

Skipping Meals

Taking a meal off can slow down metabolism and increased fat produced. Five small meals per day can increase metabolism throughout the day.

Eating Quickly

Eating too fast doesn’t allow the body to understand it is consuming calories. Taking more time to eat allows the body to catch up and feel full after much less food consumption.

Too Much TV

Studies have shown that reducing TV time can increased calories burned. Multitasking while watching also helps burn calories.

Value Meals

These may be cheaper, but they contain more calories and may be more food than you want.

Looking At Buffets

When eating at a buffet style restaurant try to face away from the food. This creates a decreased need to consume more food.

Plate Size

When given the option, choosing a smaller plate can save on calories. Larger plates have more food and calories.

Serving Dishes

When serving a family style meal, avoid placing the serving dishes on the table. Place them away from the table to limit the access to more food.

White Bread

Choosing white bread over wheat bread creates higher carbohydrate consumption. These extra carbohydrates cause rebound hunger and a sugar rush.

Big Bites

Taking big bites of food has shown to increase calorie consumption. Smaller bites help the body feel fuller and can decrease calorie consumption.

Not Getting Enough Water

Water is not only fuel for the body, but it also can make you feel full faster. People who drink water before a meal consume fewer calories.

Overweight Friends

People who surround themselves with overweight people tend to be overweight themselves. This is from increased calories consumed when hanging out, as well as decreased accountability towards weight loss.

Late Night Eating

When sleeping a good amount the body can burn fat. If the stomach is busy processing recently eaten food, however, the fat burning process is put on hold.

Not Using A Scale

When people are monitoring weight with a scale they are more likely to be focused on their goals. Being aware of what works and what doesn’t for weight loss is a good step to continue losing weight.

Fruity Drinks

Fruit drinks from the store or a restaurant usually contain high amounts of syrups and sugars. This equates to a larger waistline.

Emotional Eating

When emotions are running high, don’t head for food. Not only does this create unnecessary calorie consumption, but it also increases the likelihood of more emotional eating.

Visit the Bonsai Tree Gardener blog for more information on how you can get started in growing your own bonsai trees with the right bonsai tree care and bonsai tree tools.

Food Myths That Can Make You Fat (cleansebody.org)
Diet And Exercise To Lose More Weight (dietcleanse.org)

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Weight Gain Tips for Beanstalks

December 12, 2011

By GuestPoster

While everyone else in the world seems occupied with figuring out how to lose weight, many young guys feel that they’re too skinny and need to gain weight – lots of it in some cases. However, as many discover, gaining weight can be just as hard as losing weight. Don’t fret if you belong in that category, because there is hope: read the guidelines here, and you’ll probably end your days as the proverbial “beanstalk” in six months to a year. Gaining weight can be done in three easy steps:

1. Commit to a massive increase in daily calorie intake

If you’ve found it hard to gain weight, it is because you’re not consuming enough calories. To gain weight, start eating slightly bigger meals (just stuffing yourself a little bit – adding a dessert is a good thing), start snacking between meals, and add another meal to your daily schedule. You basically need to train yourself to eat more, as bodybuilders have been doing for decades in order to most effectively fuel muscle growth. Focus on calorie rich foods, and the job will be much easier.

Here are a few great weight gain foods you should start consuming regularly if you aren’t already doing so:

Banana and peanut butter sandwiches. These calorie monsters combine fats with both fast and slow calories, and are therefore marvelous for gaining weight. Remember to also use regular butter and not just peanut butter on them.
Cheese. Cheese sandwiches, pizzas, cheeseburgers: you don’t need a degree in physiology of nutrition to understand that these kinds of foods are only for those who don’t weigh more than they would like to. Eat plenty of cheesy foods all the time.
Whole milk. 100 ml of whole milk will give you 65 calories. A
Liquid calories. Even though whole milk is very effective as a weight gain food, almost all kinds of liquid calories are great. Sodas, fruit juices and milkshakes work great. A weight gain supplement like Mutant Mass can help you take things even further, but make sure to add a drink like that to your regular meals, or you’ll lose much of the effect.
Oils. Get some flax seed oil and olive oil, and start adding a table spoon or two of mixed olive and flax seed oil to your fruit juices. Again, the high calorie count of this drink and the carbohydrate / fat combination make this a deadly tool against skinnyness!
Meat. All meats are great, but look for the fattier stuff, and remember to always eat meat with a carbohydrate source and preferably a high calorie sauce of some kind.
Nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds are high calorie, healthy snacks that you can bring with you everywhere. 100 grams of nuts per day in addition to regular meals will boost your calorie intake by a whopping 600+.

2. Lift weights.

Lifting weights will help you build muscle and make sure most of those extra calories you’re consuming don’t turn to fat. You want to get big, not turn into Jabba The Hut, and to do that you need to lift weights 2-4 times per week.

3. Chill Out.

Learning to deal with stress and keeping a relaxed attitude to everything will lower your basal metabolic rate and help you gain weight faster. Learn meditation, the Sedona Method, EFT or whatever it is you need to help you relax more. If you ever find yourself fidgeting, deal with it immediately. Also, don’t stand when you can sit, and don’t sit when you can lie down. Chill out, eat well and lift weights and you’ll be able to quit being a beanstalk sooner than you think.

How to Gain Weight and Muscle as a Skinny Guy ? Prepare The Kitchen ! (cleansebody.org)
Perfect Meals For A 1500 Calorie Diet Plan (weightlossdietforum.com)

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Staying Fit and Healthy During the Holiday Season

December 2, 2011

By GuestPoster

The holiday season is a great chance to enjoy food and fun with the people you love the most. Unfortunately, a lot of people tend to go overboard when it comes to festive eating. Who can blame you when there are so many delicious treats that only come around during this time of year. Sometimes it’s impossible to say no as we indulgent food that makes the holiday season even more exciting. But by the time New Year’s rolls around, a lot of us regret eating so much as our waistline begins to expand.

With healthier eating and smarter choices, there’s no reason why you have to deal with weight loss after the holiday season. It’s entirely possible to stay fit while enjoying family meals and good times as well. Of course you won’t be able to go crazy with all of the food you’d like to eat, but you might be surprised at how enjoyable careful moderation can be. Here are some things to consider that will help you to stay trim during the holidays.

Avoid Dieting – it might seem like a good idea to skip a few meals or go on an all-out diet for the holidays. But if you don’t do things carefully, you could end up creating incredible cravings that become irresistible. You might also slow down your metabolism to the point that your body can’t help but gain weight throughout this time. You should avoid unhealthy dieting at any time of year, and there is virtually no chance of success in the long term if you start during the holidays.

Don’t Go For Seconds – this seems like a very simple rule, but it can work wonders if applied appropriately. Just make sure that you don’t go for seconds at family meals. Whether it’s a meal cooked by your grandmother or a self-serve buffet, go ahead and indulge with your first plate. Limiting yourself to one helping will help to cut down on the excess calories.

Watch the Drinking – remember that every calorie counts during the holiday season, and for many people, a lot of calories come from a drinking. Every delicious alcoholic beverage contains calories and in many cases, more than you know. You don’t have to go completely dry during the holidays, but you should be aware of how much you drink and where you can cut back.

Cook Your meals – a great way to ensure that you aren’t getting too many high cholesterol foods or excess calories is to prepare your own meals. Instead of going out to a restaurant for a big family dinner, think about using fresh ingredients and the healthiest recipes you can find. Having full control over what goes into a menu gives you far more control over your overall health. Obviously you aren’t going to be able to cook every meal during the season, but one or two can make a tremendous difference.

Exercise – if you are serious about staying fit during the holiday season, then get up off the couch! You might be loaded with obligations and busier during this time of year, but there are no excuses for not exercising. It will help to keep your metabolism going and allow you to indulge in more treats because it gives you a lot more leeway your overall caloric intake. Rather than dealing with a fast weight loss program in the future, maintain a healthy degree of exercise and you’ll be able to maintain your regular weight.

HCG Diet-New Kid on the Block (weightlossdietforum.com)

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Wheels for Weight Loss: Bikes, Skateboards and Rollerblades

November 10, 2011

By Steve

Weight loss should not be a chore. In fact, as personal trainers will tell you, exercise activities should be fun. And your healthy lifestyle should not end the second you leave a fitness camp. You can and should continue to incorporate the fitness activities you learned at camp into your work and daily life.

Consider, for instance, the morning and evening commute to the office or your weekend trips to the mall. Driving a car or taking a cab, train or a bus leaves most of your muscles idle from one car seat to the next. They also require you to spend gas money or to pay fares. Your carbon footprint does not get reduced either.

Short trips within the city can be more fun, more fit, more economical and more environmentally friendly by biking, skateboarding or rollerblading. The price of these rides is very minimal compared to the price of a car. They also do not require constant refills of gas or electricity. Remember to check the quality of your equipment before buying, though. Test how they handle your weight as they will be carrying you every day.

These three ways of getting around town are good cardio workouts. The speed and adrenaline that your legs and arms create gets your blood pumping and increases your heart rate to healthy levels.

To add to this, these holistic exercises require your body to work for balance and to resist gravity. This strengthens your bones.

In terms of sweating off the fat, an hour on a bike, skateboard or rollerblades will make you burn almost 300 calories. And this is at a light pace on smooth terrain without the tricks. Imagine how many calories you can burn off as you go faster at 12 miles per hour on terrains like unpaved roads. (You can use an odometer to measure your speed and distance. Imagine the muscle strength you will develop as you try tricks like pirouettes.

In as short as a week, you will notice that you can do activities longer without feeling short of breath. In a month, your hips, thighs and buttocks will become more toned. The fact that you have to keep your head up and your eyes forward while you bike, skateboard or rollerblade will also force your body into a straight posture. Such a posture while working out will tone your back and torso. You can also add arm and wrist movements to even out the strain, especially when on rollerblades or a skateboard.

Remember to practice safety also. Wear a helmet and knee pads. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes that let you move and stretch. (You can carry your work clothes in a backpack.) Wear gloves to protect your hands from friction when you bike. Know the traffic laws in your city and keep yourself in bike lanes, white lines or sidewalks. Bring a bottle of water. Warm up by riding at a light pace for the first 10 minutes, and you’re off.

FitFarms are fitness / fat camps based in the UK and the Middle East. The UK Weight Loss Camp have been awarded No. 1 by Virgin.

Weight Loss Tips- Do it Now (weightlossdietforum.com)

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Fitness Equipment: When to Workout

November 7, 2011

By GuestPoster

Getting up in the morning and doing your workout routine is your best bet on getting into a habit with your workouts. Once you can get into a habit of working out it makes it almost easy to lose weight and get in shape. Most people quit their workouts after a few weeks. Most don’t make it past the first month of workouts. The results have shown that if you can workout on a normal workout routine for three months than you will continue working out after that. I think its because you have made it into a habit and you also have done it long enough to feel the effects of your workouts and know how much better you feel now. By three months have past you are either in shape by now or you are pretty close to reaching your weight loss goals.

Fitness equipment can play a big part of reaching your weight loss goals. There are plenty of fitness equipment machines to help you, the total gym is a great machine that I use three times a week for fifteen minutes and it really helps me to workout those areas that I can’t really workout on my own with. The pull up bar is another machine that I really like. If you get one get one for your home. You can hang it right above a door frame in your house. I have one in my hallway and I make sure whenever I walk past I do a couple of reps on it. If you can do that than pretty soon you are going to be strong in your upper body. There are more machines like these that can help you, you should look at these first and if you don’t like them than try to find something different. You don’t necessarily need fitness equipment for your lower body. I would just run or bike to get all the cardio you need.

Full Workout Routines to Lose Weight (cleansebody.org)
The Importance of Nutrition Before and After Workout (weightlossdietforum.com)

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Exercise

Fight the Festive Flab the Fun Way – Pole Fitness

Why Choose Pole Fitness?

If at first you don’t succeed.

Related Posts:

20 Habits That Make You Fat

Related Posts:

Weight Gain Tips for Beanstalks

1. Commit to a massive increase in daily calorie intake

2. Lift weights.

3. Chill Out.

Related Posts:

Staying Fit and Healthy During the Holiday Season

Related Posts:

Wheels for Weight Loss: Bikes, Skateboards and Rollerblades

Related Posts:

Fitness Equipment: When to Workout

Related Posts:

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Exercise

Fight the Festive Flab the Fun Way – Pole Fitness

Why Choose Pole Fitness?

If at first you don’t succeed.

Related articles

Related Posts:

20 Habits That Make You Fat

Related articles

Related Posts:

Weight Gain Tips for Beanstalks

1. Commit to a massive increase in daily calorie intake

2. Lift weights.

3. Chill Out.

Related articles

Related Posts:

Staying Fit and Healthy During the Holiday Season

Related articles

Related Posts:

Wheels for Weight Loss: Bikes, Skateboards and Rollerblades

Related articles

Related Posts:

Fitness Equipment: When to Workout

Related articles

Related Posts:

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