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There are a few tricky steps to becoming a “runner”. And no, running once every other Wednesday preceding a visit from your mother-in-law doesn’t earn you the title of “runner”. Running is one of the best exercises on the planet. Swimmers, bikers, climbers, and slack-liners pale in comparison to runners. This is one of the few sports you can do everyday without over-straining the body. It tightens the core muscles thus strengthening spine and posture, and because it predominantly works the largest group of muscles in the body there is an excessive amount of weight loss. But, before running there are some necessary prerequisites.
Prerequisite 1. Time.
This is the hardest one for me. I found the best way to make time is to just take the day by the horns, wrestle it down and carve out a little portion specifically for running. By this I mean it is best to wake up thirty minutes earlier in the morning and go for a run.
Prerequisite 2. Comfort.
There is going to be a certain amount of discomfort in any run. That is why you are going to have to take the day by the horns, wrestle it down and saddle up. Now most the time riding a bull isn’t very comfy, but it is worth it. Well, in the metaphorical sense where “bull” means “run” it is worth it. I do not actually mean to advocate bull riding. The point is, man up and do it. Some things like shoes and clothes can help make the run a little more comfortable.
Prerequisite 3. Gear.
Gear is not actually necessary, but it totally helps. I found I can run for approximately half a mile barefoot, but when I put on my generation 5 Nikes I can run nearly 4 miles. That is an 800 percent increase in distance. Worth it? I say it is. Gym shorts, sweat bands and tank tops all help to make running much more comfortable. I may even go as far as to suggest getting an Ipod and a little carrier case for it.
It seems that with each passing year, there seems to be some new fad that claims to be the next wave of fitness, or the next wave of health. Considering this, there have been many waves, and not all of them have been very practical.
Diets, routines, and new machines alike have permeated the infomercial world for as long back as television and internet have been around. Frankly between all the new fads, it can be hard to really see the value in any of what is being sold by the different companies and inventors.
However, there is one piece of exercise equipment that has improved over time, but has stayed relatively the same, in form and in use. The piece of exercise equipment is known as a rebounder, or a mini-trampoline.
A rebounder, as has been mentioned is not much more than a mini-trampoline. Therefore, there are no gimmicks, not marketing ploys, just a straightforward workout that involves using the elasticity of the jumping mat to exercise. In other words, it used to jump up and down on it.
Rebounding may seem like an ineffective exercise, but if done correctly, it can be as effective if not more effective, considering all the benefits, than other traditional exercises. In truth, although it is jumping up and down, the unique nature of a rebounder allows for some added benefits.
First and foremost, rebounding is a low impact exercise, meaning there is very little stress that is put on joints and bones when running or jumping is significantly reduced. This makes the exercise much less damaging in the long run.
One key characteristic that rebounding possesses is the positive effect that it has on the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system is the system by which white blood cells flow through the body and which waste is also transported.
The lymphatic system is a lot like the blood system reaching throughout the whole body, but does flow in the same way the blood system does. Therefore, through rebounding, the lymphatic system which is largely responsible for health is circulated.
All in all, rebounding is a not only a great way to get into shape, and to get healthier, but it is also very fun and enjoyable. Rebounding is an exercise that the whole family can participate in, young and old, and has been consistent throughout the many years since it has been conceived.
Here is the short answer for all those of you wondering: No, there is no specific group of muscles specifically designed to stabilize or create balance. Don’t misunderstand me, what I am really trying to say is all muscles work to stabilize, not some mythical group. For example, during push-ups, a triceps and pectoral routine, the biceps work to steady the arms by staying stiff thus playing the role of stabilizer.
However, there is deep muscle tissue which during traditional exercise is usually overlooked. Any exercise that is going to require stabilization will work these deep muscle. When these muscles are trained the body does not grow bulk but instead it tightens and bulls inward developing hard, cut lines. During exercises like yoga, Pilates, or dancing the deep muscle in the torso will act predominately as the stabilization muscles. This muscle group is referred to as ‘core muscle’.
Working these muscles will burn calories just as well as working your superficial (out layer) muscles. The only difference is these will not create any bulk on the body. So that makes routines and exercises that require balance perfect for people who are trying to tone their body rather than build to it.
Even if you are trying to bulk up the body, routines that require stabilization are going to create fuller more functional muscles. That is precisely why physical trainers will have you work counter routines. The whole point is to develop the muscle in a versatile manner, so that you can have the most control possible.
Let us philosophize for a minute. I wonder if there could be pragmatic approach to holistic health. Let us try to eliminate the the frivolous trite that pollutes the health industry, if not just for a while at least. 
You are a composite mixture of everything you have experienced in your life, and these experiences have all come through your ability to perceptual. Perception is nothing more than sensations like hearing, feeling, smelling, tasting, and seeing.
However, there is another part of your being that is not accounted for through perception, and that is the mind. People have the curious ability to think about the past, and almost relive it to a small degree; furthermore, they have the slight ability to look into the future and envision the possible outcomes.
Sensations and perception do not exist beyond a single moment of time. At any given second of the day you are there and only there, you cannot actually be perceiving the future or the past simply because that is beyond your temporal awareness. Because of your physical being you are limited to time and space. However, are awareness suggests something different.
Even now as you read this article you are traveling through time. That you can understand the meaning or the central idea of the article shows that you have an understanding of things that exist beyond a single instant.
Religion would teach that this ability to perceive things beyond what is temporal would come from the soul. It is widely believed that that the human soul is of a higher plane of existence, but trapped in a three dimensional vessel (your physical body).
Speculation would lead one to conclude that a four dimensional being would be able to travel through time like people can travel on a physical plane. In a sense, the awareness of time as a concept beyond temporal possibility testifies of the soul or mind of man being of higher awareness than can be fully conceived by his temporal body.
How is it that, an idea that takes minutes to outline with words can be understood within a single instant? Of course you have that idea within you, but you are not fully aware of the idea until you have spelled it out to yourself.
The mind is capable of conceiving ideas faster than your temporal awareness can perceive it. This is being in time and this awareness of time, even though it often remains concealed, has allowed men to monitor their physical health.
In prehistoric times it was normal for Neanderthal ancestors to eat high calorie foods so that they could gain protective fat for the winter. Of course, the winter isn’t as trying or oppressing for modern society as it was for the past civilizations.
Because you are a sentient being you can choose how you develop your body. The body is nothing more than a conglomeration of atomic particles held together by a central intelligence, and you have the gifted ability of understanding exactly how to develop it in any way you want. So use this pearl of knowledge to make worthwhile decisions.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is summer time. That means it is time to lose your tops. Of course I mean that in the classiest way possible. With the summer sun shining so brightly it is the perfect time to get out side and show off your midriff, perhaps get a tan too. Tanning is easy though, the hard part is hardening your body and shedding that winter weight you may have accumulated over the holiday. Here is how we are going to get rid of extra weight, and we are going to do it without one of Beyonce’s crazy diet plans.
No More Junk
Is this what you really want?
If you want a tight and tot body then you got to resist those tasty treats, and that also means you can’t drink alcohol anymore either. You are going to have to make a choice. Do you want to be slender and sexy or would you rather eat sweets and drink booze? Here is a little extra info to hopefully prevent you from choosing option B.
Try doing something like this.
There are two ways your body starts burning calories. One of them is from your metabolism, this is the bodies first option. The second is burning calories from fat, and this one is much more difficult for the body to do. The body naturally wants to use the food that is in your belly as fuel, so if you want to work off fat you have to burn through the immediate fuel store you have.
As a child, there many wonderful memories that come associated with trampolines, and for some rebounders. Do you remember bouncing up and down on the giant surface of your trampoline, or the small and compact rebounder surface, feeling the wind flow through your hair and fingers?
As a child may have never considered it, but have you ever wondered how a trampoline can shoot you up so high into the air? Did you ever wonder how you could get up so high into the air while playing crack the egg (and sometimes wonder if you would make it down in one piece?)?
Well the science behind trampolines is not too difficult to understand, at least if you were able to pass your high school physics class, as it borrows from many ideas in order to create that necessary lift to send you sailing through the air. Rebounders work on the same general concept as well.
The trampoline itself is made from a metal frame, with numerous steel coiled springs that attach it to the bounce mat, which itself is not elastic, but made from a waterproof canvas, or woven polypropylene material. They are now producing spring free trampolines which replaces springs with cantilevered pultruded fiberglass rods to provide the rebounding force.
When you jump of a trampoline you are pushing down on the fabric, which pulls on the strings or the elastic cords. This causes the cords to stretch out and store energy, when the cords snap back, all that energy that you had stored in your jump, pushing down onto the mat. As the fiber snaps back into place, it sends you flying into the air.
The harder you push down on the trampoline the more energy is stored, the more powerful the snap back will be that will send you soaring through the air. So the higher you get, the more powerful your next jump will be.
On a more scientific level, your total energy is equal to your kinetic energy plus your potential energy. When you jump on a trampoline you are losing velocity in kinetic energy and gaining potential energy. The total amount of energy used is equal to the kinetic energy plus the potential energy.
Jumping on a trampoline is fun, and involves many different forces acting in harmony with each other to produce a fun way to pass your time or, on a rebounder, a great way to stay in shape. Now you know the science behind bouncing.
There are three main types of exercises: aerobic, strength training, core exercises. They all have their own specific benefits that are going to improve your fitness.
Many people exercise the same exercise day after day, and then they are surprised when they never see any sort of muscular development. This is because the body is super adaptable, and as soon as it catches on to what you are trying to do it will understand how to counter your actions.
So when you are trying to drop weight, the body is going to try to keep it because what if there is all of a sudden a huge famine, then you will need the fat to survive. That is how your body thinks; keeping fat is simply a survival mechanism.
Don’t worry outsmarting your body is easy. Instead of running every day, change your routine a bit.
Take some yoga classes and hit your core or work with some weights to build some upper arm strength. Aerobic exercise predominately works to increase cardio strength, which is the number one most recommended thing by doctors.
However, doctors are not trained to know the importance of having a killer looking physique they only know how the body works and how to keep it working. So even though running is going to do a lot for burning calories, it isn’t going to do as much for building muscles in other areas of your body.
If you are a woman then you probably shouldn’t feel too concerned with bulking up to get that “killer physique”. However, your body may still become comfortable with your run, so you might try to mix it up with some good core exercises.
Core exercises are workouts like yoga, Pilates, and Zumba. These types of exercise work the muscles in the center of your torso, the “core” muscles.
Many women, and men too, are concerned about their bloated belly. There are a few things that contribute to your petulant pop belly, and there are few reasons you are not getting rid of it.
Core exercises do not actually build the veneer outer muscles of the abdomen like crunches do, they work the inside muscles to tighten the stomach inward. So mixing aerobic and core exercise is a great way to get your stomach flattened fast.
Then every once in a while throw in some strength training to get a good even mix of exercises. Your body will never know what hit it.
This is good too, but not the kind of salsa we are talking about
This isn’t about upbeat Latin dance. This is an article that explores the holistic benefits of sauce.
Salsa is delicious to say the least, but how can that be when it is just a mix of all the yuckiest vegetables blended together like a predigested diet pill, except it’s in sauce form instead of a capsule. Look at the ingredients to this sauce, you have tomatoes (which are gross), onions (more gross), chilies (moderately gross), olive oil (yup, it’s gross too), then garlic and lime juice.
To be perfectly honest lime juice is not gross and garlic makes everything taste better, but either one alone is going to be less than satisfying and that is a fact. Somehow though, when you take all of these and put them in a blender you get a delicious dipping sauce.
The best thing about salsa has to be the taste. It is tangy, zesty, juicy, and sweet, it is the perfect blend of all things good.
There we go. That is what I am talking about.
Anytime you are eating food that you like or just food at all, the brain is releasing dopamine to signify that you are doing something beneficial to life. Eating food is how the body takes in nutrients that will help replenish dying cells.
Salsa is nutrient rich super food. You have probably heard of all those great miraculous juices that are supposed to improve your life by 50 percent in five days, salsa is actually just as healthy if not healthier than these newfangled health products.
Tomatoes are jam packed of all sorts of nutrients. They provide a great source of vitamins and minerals, but beyond that they provide the super flavonoid lycopene among thousands of other phytochemicals that are all going to work synergistically to benefit each other and, more importantly, your body.
Tomatoes have had a lot of hype these last few years. Ever since nutritionist discovered that lycopene is great for the heart everyone has been on a tomato high.
Garlic and onions, however, have stood the test to time. For generations and generations garlic and onions have been revered in many different cultures as a holistic cure for many diseases.
The reason being is that both these plants have an exuberant amount of the B vitamins. These vitamins are powerful anti-oxidants that are going to work throughout the body killing free radicals and preventing virus and disease.
Then you mix in some lime juice, or as a health nut would say “vitamin C” juice, and you have a complete sauce that is completely healthy and delicious. Oh, plus chilies increase the immune system and also stimulate endorphins in the brain, so basically it the best sauce on the planet.
The Key to Pain and Pleasure in Weight Loss Success
Instant gratification, quick fix, magic bullet or a magic pill is the most sought after solution to any problem. We all hope that it exists, but deep down know that there really is no such thing. And if there is, it often leads to the path of doom.
There are two motivators in life and those are: pain and pleasure. There is a well-known fact that people will do more to avoid pain than to experience pleasure. But what happens when two pains or two pleasures appear next to each other. Which one will motivate you? Let me explain…
When on a weight loss journey the focus and the challenge is to overcome the instant pleasure of indulging in junk food or to avoid the instant pain that exercise may bring along. Unfortunately this is where most people come unstuck, as focusing on an instant fix/pleasure or avoiding instant pain will keep them stuck at the same or higher weight for years.
On the flip side is delayed pain and delayed pleasure. Delayed pain means that you can potentially get diagnosed with a life threatening disease or have a heart attack due to being overweight. Delayed pleasure is having your ideal body with which you gain increased confidence, self-esteem, the ability to wear new smaller clothes and experience an improvement in your relationships. Doesn’t that sound great?
Knowing this now which one will you choose to focus on? Instant pain/pleasure or delayed pain/pleasure. Having the awareness of this, you now have a choice and the ability to ask yourself the question next time you find yourself with a craving at the pantry/fridge: What am I choosing to focus on? Instant or delayed? Delayed pain and pleasure will give you your life back as well as your body and health. Instant pain and pleasure will keep you stuck in that rut, low on energy, low confidence and a ticking time bomb that may go off unexpectedly.
So why is it so hard to stay focussed on the delayed outcome? I believe because it doesn’t seem real, it’s distant in the future and not as tangible as the instant outcome. It may happen and it may not. It’s the unknown.
To overcome this visualise and affirm to yourself what the future will hold for you. Of course in the positive way, surround yourself with pictures of health, people that have the results you are after and educate yourself around your mindset. Get to know yourself and work out your triggers once and for all.
Remember these two principles in everything you want to pursue or change in your life. It works the same way. It will save you tons of time and unnecessary frustration in moving you toward your goals.
Accept the fact that there really is not a quick fix and that a journey to success in any field is a marathon, not a sprint.
Natasa Denman, The Ultimate Weight Loss Coach and author of ‘The 7 Ultimate Secrets To Weight Loss’. To learn more of my strategies and tips on setting yourself up for Weight Loss Success visit my website www.ultimateweightloss.com.au and become a member for free. Make the change in your life today. Remember, there are only two times in your life, now and too late.
This is a great technique I learned from a physical trainer that lived a block down from me. He said a great way to strengthen the deltoids and trapezoids is through resistance training. Because these muscles cause the arm to extend laterally, this training is easily done against gravity. Read the rest of this entry »