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Wellness Blog

Lose Your Belly Fat And Show Off Your Six Pack Abs

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Have you noticed that most people will never fail to include abdominal muscle exercises in their routines and yet somehow or other, they can never own that coveted 6 pack abs?

 

Have you been religiously doing your abdominal muscle exercises? Are your abs showing to your satisfaction? No? Why? Do you know that your abdominal muscle is one of the easiest muscles to build but why is it that most people have difficulty in developing that 6 pack abs?

 

Here is the truth. Those of you who are working out your abs regularly do probably own that much sought after six pack. Yes, you do. The only trouble is that your belly fat is covering them. Your abs will not show up well if you have a body fat ratio of more than 12%. The more fat you burn off, the more defined your abs will be. You will own that rippling washboard abs when your body fat is 10% or less. So, if you have fat on your belly, forget about abdominal exercises and burn off the fats first.

 

There is another reason why people put in so much effort to develop their abdominal muscle and yet their abs are not showing although they have low body fat. Again, there is a simple explanation. They are doing the wrong exercises and working out in bad form.

 

Let us take for example the most common abs exercises, the sit up and the leg raisers. Everybody seem to be doing these two exercises not knowing that these exercises really do not do much for their abs. Do not believe me? Ok…try this. When you do your sit up or leg raisers, place your palms on your hip on the area connecting to your thigh and perform the exercises. Tell me what did you feel? Ahhh…. you are getting it. Those muscles there are doing most of the work. Those are your hip flexor muscles. Since your hip flexors are doing most of the work, how can you develop your abs effectively?

 

So, you say, from now on I will do crunches instead. Well, I have another surprise for you. Most people perform their crunches wrongly too. Think about it. Why is the exercise called the “crunch”? It is because you must squeeze your abs so are that you are crunching them. To squeeze your abs hard, you must curl up like a prawn and breath out all the air in your lungs at the top position and then squeeeeeeeze the muscles so hard that you feel a burn. That will take a few seconds to crunch out all the air before you lower to the beginning position again. You cannot do this effectively if you just go up, down, up down, up down rhythmically. So, if you have been doing hundreds of crunches everyday with minimal result, now you know why. In fact, it is almost impossible for the average guy to do tens of properly performed crunches and not to say hundreds of them. The same squeezing principle applies to other abs exercises.

 

Ok…. now that you know why your abs are not showing up well, so get on with burning your fats and perform your workout in correct form. You will then see your 6-pack abdominal muscle in no time.

 

Water and Exercise

 

The human body is made up of over 75% of water, and as we all know, we cannot live without water.  The fact is, we can only survive for a total of 3 days without water.  Water has however, been replaced in most diets by soft drinks and other sugar sweetened refreshments.  Keep in mind that water is a healthier and necessary for leading yourself towards a better health and longevity.

 

Your own personal need for water can vary greatly due to exercise, weight, and temperature.  Research

has proven that over 2/3 of adults don’t get the  water they need daily.  By drinking water on a regular basis you can replenish your body and keep it well hydrated and functioning as it should be.

 

Most of us wait until we are thirsty before we drink water.  Keep in mind, this way isn’t a

reliable gauge of the water needs for the body.  By the time you are thirsty you have already lost two of more cups of the body’s water supply.  Therefore, drinking water regularly is much better than simply waiting until you are thirsty.

 

It is very important that you don’t substitute  beverages with alcohol and caffeine for water.  The

reason behind this is that those types of beverages act as a diuretic and can cause you to lose more weight through increased urination.  You may think and feel as if you are getting more water through these beverages, although the fact is that you  are letting it go almost as fast as you consume it.

 

Anytime you exercise, you need more water. Due to perspiration, your body will lose quite a bit of

water.  For each pound lost due to exercise, you need to drink 2 cups of water.  Even when you lay down to sleep, your body loses water.  By drinking a  glass or more of water before you go to sleep, you can wake up with your body functioning as it should be.

 

It should become more obvious that when you are sick you will need more water than any other tine.  When you get a cold or the flu, your body can become dehydrated quite quickly.  You can help to prevent this by drinking more water at times when you become sick.

 

There are several mixed opinions as to whether  purified water will provide benefit.  This is a subject you should explore yourself as you  determine the best type of water for yourself.

 

Always make it a habit to drink water on a daily  basis.  You should keep a bottle of water with you

at all times and drink it throughout the day.  You should also teach yourself to drink water instead of other beverages that do not replenish the nutrients your body needs.

 

Categories
Wellness Blog

Exercise and Pregnancy

Summary:

Before obstetricians and gynecologists decide which dose of which drug can best treat a condition without putting any harmful side effects on the mother and the baby, they consider the patient’s age, general health, the number of months before delivery, tolerance for medications, and any other drugs the pregnant patient may be taking.

 

 

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Prescribing a medication for pregnant women is a complex process.

 

Before obstetricians and gynecologists decide which dose of which drug can best treat a condition without putting any harmful side effects on the mother and the baby, they consider the patient’s age, general health, the number of months before delivery, tolerance for medications, and any other drugs the pregnant patient may be taking.

 

Prescribing exercise on pregnant women has to be just as scientific and precise. The type, intensity, frequency, and duration of a “dose” of exercise are all critical. One person’s healthy, vigorous workout could be hazardous to another. These dangers may be greater in pregnant women because they are more likely to have strains and other serious side effects for the would-be mother.

 

However, if exercise will be implemented and carried out in a normal, average range, exercise will not influence the overall condition of the pregnancy and especially on labor or delivery.  Pregnancy

 

Quality prenatal care should be given to a mother during her pregnancy. She should be prepared for the normal delivery of a healthy baby. Complications should be prevented at all costs.

 

All these things are boiled down to the fact that a pregnant woman should be cared in such a way that she will not be compelled to do vigorous work but should not also stay in bed and be inactive until she gives birth to her baby.

 

Consequently, a pregnant woman’s condition varies in relation to the growth and development of the baby inside her womb. Therefore, it is necessary that proper health guidance be provided by her physician during her visit.

 

Moreover, it is important to keep the pregnant woman’s life active to promote good health, not only for her but also for the baby most importantly.

 

Physical conditions like blood pressure, weight and health status are usually monitored during the pregnant woman’s visit to her doctor. For this reason, it is significant to note that exercise can be the number one factor to keep these aspects in good condition.

 

As the health experts contend, adequate physical and emotional information is needed by a pregnant woman to prepare herself for delivery. She needs practical health messages in keeping herself and the baby healthy.

 

Hence, for mothers or would-be mothers who are not yet aware why they should exert some effort in engaging into moderate, normal exercise, here is a list of some of its benefits so that you will be able to understand the reason why pregnant women must exercise regularly:

 

  1. Defiance against fatigue

 

As muscle becomes fatigued, it produces less force. To accomplish a task like climbing the stairs, for example, or shoveling snow, more units of muscle must be called into play to back up the wearied muscles.

 

The tired muscles are both less efficient and less effective. Hence, this will just put more strain on the pregnant woman because of the weight that is continuously adding up each day. That is why tired muscles will usually result to leg cramps or sore muscles.

 

What every pregnant woman must know is that exercise improves the condition of the muscles and their ability to work longer without fatigue.

 

  1. Reduce backaches.

 

Even when you sit or stand, some muscles are working, and such relatively easy postures can tax some muscles and cause fatigue. The muscles of the lower back, for example, can be exhausted and worn out by the effort of keeping erect when a pregnant woman stand still for several hours.

 

With exercise, a pregnant woman can correct this error by developing her posture.

 

  1. Increase the amount of oxygen.

 

Work and exercise rely on glycogen, a substance produced by the body from complex carbohydrates and stored muscles and liver. The supply of glycogen in the muscles determines and limits the duration of activity. Exercise depletes the glycogen in the muscles and leads to tiredness.

 

However, when glycogen is depleted by strenuous activity, it is replaced in quantities greater than before, as if the body recognized the need to lay in a larger supply of fuel.

 

Hence, oxidation is essential for converting glycogen to the energy that pregnant women need to wiggle a finger, flex a muscle, or practice the lungs and heart for some blowing action during normal delivery.

 

These are just some of the many benefits exercise can bring to pregnant women. Besides, nothing is completely wrong for a pregnant woman doing some moderate exercises. The only important thing to remember is that before starting an exercise program, whether pregnant or not, it is best to consult your doctor. As they say, doctors know best!

 

 

 

Exercise and Stress

Even though exercise may not be the most exciting. word in your vocabulary, it sure is a word with a

lot of benefits.  Participating in daily exercise will not only make you healthier in general, but it can also diminish the effects of stress on your body as well.

 

Think about all the times you have heard someone say “the doctor says it’s stress related”.  Normally

people will laugh it off, concluding that doctors say that when they don’t know the real answers or diagnosis.  The truth of the matter is that too much stress will play a role in many diseases.

 

To help increase your immune system and decrease  your stress level as well, try exercise, as movement

is the key word here.  Bending, stretching, reaching and walking.  There’s really no need to buy any expensive equipment either, as you can implement more movement into your daily routine and reap

the benefits.

 

If you like aerobic exercise, you should grab a partner and have a blast with one of the basic

aerobic videos.  Or, you can simply go out for a  walk and enjoy spending time together.  As you may have heard, walking really is the best overall exercise you can do for your health.  As long as you have a pair of walking shoes, you’ll be fine.

 

As you go through your daily activities, make it a point to walk a little farther, bend down and

pick something up without using a pick up stick or moving the item towards you with your foot.

While you are sitting, you should also do some simple and quick stretches for your neck and  shoulders.

 

If you enjoy sitting around watching television, you should consider buying a jogging board.

These padded boards will make running, jumping, or walking in place less stressful on your knees and joints.  They are easy to store as well and also very portable.

 

In many people’s opinions, jogging boards are the best pieces of equipment you can buy.  They are also far cheaper than bulky treadmills and stationary bikes.

 

There are several different exercises that you can do to help you eliminate the stress in

your life.  Walking is by far the best, as you can easily lose yourself and your troubles by

walking.  Even if it is just around the block, walking can do wonders for your health as well as stress.

 

If you have a lot of stress in your life, you may want to consider a gym.  Working out then

sitting in the sauna is also a good way to relieve tension.  If your gym has a pool, you may find swimming to be greatly beneficial as well, as it helps you to relax.