Looking And Feeling Good At Any Age

Benefits of Yoga – Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You

butterflies1985 — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:01:48 +0000

Benefits of Yoga – Why Yoga Exercise is Good for You

Yoga books tell us that Yoga, as we all know, is aimed to unite the mind, the body, and the spirit. Yogis view that the mind and the body are one, and that if it is given the right yoga kit and tools and taken to the right environment, it can find harmony and heal itself. Yoga therefore is considered therapeutic. It helps you become more aware of your body’s posture, alignment and patterns of movement. It makes the body more flexible and helps you relax even in the midst of a stress stricken environment. This is one of the foremost reasons why people want to start Practicing Yoga – to feel fitter, be more energetic, be happier and peaceful.

Yoga is a science that has been practiced for thousands of years. It is consists of Ancient Theories, observations and principles about the mind and body connection which is now being proven by modern medicine. Substantial research has been conducted to look at the Health Benefits of Yoga – from the Yoga Postures (Asanas), Yoga Breathing (Pranayama), and Meditation. The information on Yoga Poses & Benefits are grouped into three categories-physiological, psychological, biochemical effects. Furthermore, scientists have laid these results against the benefits of regular exercise

Physiological Benefits of Yoga

Stable autonomic nervous system equilibrium
Pulse rate decreases
Respiratory rate decreases
Blood Pressure decreases (of special significance for hyporeactors)
Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) increases
EEG – alpha waves increase (theta, delta, and beta waves also increase during various stages of meditation)
EMG activity decreases
Cardiovascular efficiency increases
Respiratory efficiency increases
Gastrointestinal function normalizes
Endocrine function normalizes
Excretory functions improve
Musculoskeletal flexibility and joint range of motion increase
Breath-holding time increases
Joint range of motion increase
Grip strength increases
Eye-hand coordination improves
Dexterity skills improve
Reaction time improves
Posture improves
Strength and resiliency increase
Endurance increases
Energy level increases
Weight normalizes
Sleep improves
Immunity increases
Pain decreases
Steadiness improves
Depth perception improves
Balance improves
Integrated functioning of body parts improves

Psychological Benefits of Yoga

Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
Mood improves and subjective well-being increases
Self-acceptance and self-actualization increase
Social adjustment increases
Anxiety and Depression decrease
Hostility decreases
Concentration improves
Memory improves
Attention improves
Learning efficiency improves
Mood improves
Self-actualization increase
Social skills increases
Well-being increases
Somatic and kinesthetic awareness increase
Self-acceptance increase
Attention improves
Concentration improves
Memory improves
Learning efficiency improves
Symbol coding improves
Depth perception improves
Flicker fusion frequency improves

Biochemical Benefits of Yoga

Glucose decreases
Sodium decreases
Total cholesterol decreases
Triglycerides decrease
HDL cholesterol increases
LDL cholesterol decreases
VLDL cholesterol decreases
Cholinesterase increases
Catecholamines decrease
ATPase increases
Hematocrit increases
Hemoglobin increases
Lymphocyte count increases
Total white blood cell count decreases
Thyroxin increases
Vitamin C increases
Total serum protein increases

Yoga Health Benefits versus Exercise Benefits

Yoga Benefits
- Parasympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Subcortical regions of brain dominate
- Slow dynamic and static movements
- Normalization of muscle tone
- Low risk of injuring muscles and ligaments
- Low caloric consumption
- Effort is minimized, relaxed
- Energizing (breathing is natural or controlled)
- Balanced activity of opposing muscle groups
- Noncompetitive, process-oriented
- Awareness is internal (focus is on breath and the infinite)
- Limitless possibilities for growth in self-awareness

Exercise Benefits
- Sympathetic Nervous System dominates
- Cortical regions of brain dominate
- Rapid forceful movements
- Increased muscle tension
- Higher risk of injury
- Moderate to high caloric consumption
- Effort is maximized
- Fatiguing (breathing is taxed)
- Imbalance activity of opposing groups
- Competitive, goal-oriented
- Awareness is external (focus is on reaching the toes, reaching the finish line, etc.)
- Boredom factor

This article was contributed by: www.cyberastro.com and www.movingintostillness.com.

I recently have started taking yoga and I love it..I feel so limber and flexible when I leave, not to mention my emotional well-being..I feel so centered and calm..

If you get an opportunity check out a class. I bet after 1 class you will be hooked like I am….

Happy Saturday….

Dawn

Couldn’t Resist This…

butterflies1985 — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:50:51 +0000

I had a long and tiring day and thought I would find something funny to post…

I hope you enjoy this video of funny animals…I was laughing so hard…

Happy Wednesday…

Dawn

TIME’s Great Exercise Debate: What’s In It for You?

butterflies1985 — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:38:32 +0000

Exercise What’s In It For You??

By: Dean Anderson

If you follow health and fitness news, you’ve probably seen the cover story in the current issue of TIME magazine: Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin.

Unfortunately, this article is riddled with headlines and statements that seem more designed to attract attention and readers than to provide useful information—a common problem in this age of declining readership. But if you can get past the sensational headlines and faulty logic (a connection between two things doesn’t mean one causes the other), the actual information in the article is nothing new or surprising.

We’ve known for a long time that, while exercise is clearly one of the foundations of good physical and mental health, it is not by itself enough to produce substantial weight loss. That takes a healthy diet with fewer calories in it than you need to maintain your current weight at your current activity level, whatever that activity level may be. You can exercise ‘til the cows come home, but if you still eat more than you need, you’re not going to lose any of that extra fat you’d like to get rid of. This may be news to Mr. Cloud, but not to the rest of us.

Cloud’s article does go one step further by speculating that exercise may actually be one of the reasons people overeat, and that’s where he starts getting into trouble. This speculation is based on the results of several recent studies, described in the article, which indicate that exercise may have three common “side effects” that could, in theory, make weight loss more difficult for many people:

Side Effect No. 1: Exercise increases appetite, often leading people to eat more than they would otherwise, offsetting the calorie burning benefits of their exercise, or even leading to a calorie surplus.

Side Effect No. 2: Exercise weakens your “self-control muscle.” If you use up your limited capacity for self-control by forcing yourself to stay on the treadmill for 60 minutes, it’s going to be much harder for you to resist treats and snacks, and stick to your diet plan for the rest of the day.

Side Effect No. 3: Exercise (especially vigorous, challenging exercise) can lead to tiredness, muscle soreness and other problems which actually reduce the amount of normal physical activity the individual engages in during the day, reducing overall calorie expenditure.

There’s not much doubt that these problems can happen, or even that they do happen for lots of people. But are they inevitable or unavoidable? Do they inevitably have to interfere with your weight loss efforts as much as this article seems to suggest? I suppose they could—IF you were a slave to your appetites, and incapable of figuring out how to feed yourself what you actually need.

But is that what you are? Not according to the tons of scientific evidence and personal testimony from successful weight losers that Mr. Cloud left out of his article.

The real question here, in the end, is whether any of this scientific evidence means you should change your approach to exercise in order to meet your weight loss goals.

Part One: Exercise, Appetite & Fat Loss

Pretty much everything we know about human metabolism indicates that exercise should increase your appetite. The basic function of appetite is to generate a balance between energy in and energy out, and to ensure that you get the right “nutritional stuff” for your particular needs. It couldn’t do either job for you if you could go out and burn an extra 500-1000 calories or more without experiencing an increase in your hunger.

This may not be obvious to us as individuals, though, for several reasons. One is that exercise can temporarily suppress appetite. Some people don’t feel hungry until sometime later on, which means they may not make the connection between the exercise and the extra appetite. And being the kind of creatures we are, it’s pretty easy to feel the hunger without knowing what, exactly, our body really needs or when we’ve gotten enough of it. (For a quick introduction to these issues, check these articles on High Performance Nutrition.

Another important source of difficulty here is due to the way our bodies use energy during exercise and then replace that energy. The bottom line, in terms of weight loss, is that fat doesn’t play a big role on either end of this process.

Whenever you’re doing some physical activity that is more vigorous than a moderate walk, most of the fuel for that activity is not going to come from your most recent meal, or from the extra body fat you have on board. It’s going to come from specialized fuel sources already stored in your muscle cells, or elsewhere in your body. It would be great if, every time we need some extra energy, our bodies would take some body fat out of our fat cells and use it to fuel whatever we are doing. Sadly, though, that’s not how it works. The more vigorous your activity is (which corresponds roughly to how high your heart rate gets), the smaller the role that fat plays in fueling that activity. The primary energy source your body uses to fuel higher intensity activity is glucose—which it gets by breaking down the carbohydrates (mainly) and protein (to a much lesser degree if your diet is balanced) you eat. Your body actually stores glucose in your muscle cells (it’s called glycogen in this form), and draws on this stored glycogen to fuel your muscles during exercise.

Once you’re done exercising and back in your recliner again, your body needs to replace this used up glycogen so that you’ll be ready for your next bout of exercise or activity. Naturally enough, it revs up your appetite so you’ll eat enough to accomplish this objective. This is necessary because your body can’t turn body fat into the glycogen your muscle cells need. It has to come from the carbs and protein you eat (or from the protein stored in your muscle and organ tissues).

The bottom line here is that the relationship between exercise and fat loss is very indirect. Exercise doesn’t burn very much fat as fuel, and it doesn’t cause your body to use stored body fat to replace all the calories your exercise burned up. Basically, what does happen is that exercise gives your body something to do (ie, making new glycogen) with some of the carbs and protein you eat so that you don’t turn a lot of those calories into new body fat. While all that’s going on, your body is then free to use your body fat to fuel a large percentage of the low intensity activity you’re doing when you’re not exercising—assuming that you have an overall calorie deficit and the kind of diet that keeps your fat-burning hormones and enzymes working right.

Unfortunately, you don’t burn all that many calories while not exercising, which explains why you can’t lose fat at a very rapid rate, even if you exercise like a fiend and diet like you love starvation. There’s only so much fat you can burn in a day, and this is determined more by your BMR and your non-exercise activity than by the amount of vigorous exercise you do, or the size of your calorie deficit. An overly large calorie deficit will mainly increase the rate of muscle and organ tissue loss, not the amount of fat burned. It may look good on the scale, but it’s not healthy and it’s one of the big reasons why so many people regain lost weight.

Practical Implications: If your main goal is losing body fat, there’s no reason to run yourself into the ground with hours of high intensity exercise, and some good reasons not to do this. You do need about 30 minutes, at least 3-5 times per week, with your heart rate up in the 70-85% of max range to get the basic health and functional fitness benefits of cardiovascular exercise. And you need a good, basic strength training routine that works all your muscle groups, at least twice per week. If you have athletic aspirations that require more training than this, you’ll need to do more, of course.

Beyond that, you’ll actually burn more fat if you use any extra time you have to increase your lower intensity activity as much as possible with things like moderate walking, taking the steps when you can, and generally moving around as much as possible. The more time you spend sitting still, the more you turn off your fat burning enzymes and make fat loss harder than it needs to be.

And of course, you will still need to keep your eating under control enough to maintain a moderate calorie deficit overall.

I just couldn’t imagine not exercising..I disagree with Time magazine article..Exercising has so many benefits..Not to mention how you feel about yourself..I am avid exercise nut..I do feel hungrier since I work out so much, but I am opting for more foods that are low cal..I try to limit my carbs and stay up with the right amount of protein..I have never felt better or healthier in my life now at 42 than when I was 22..

So take what you want from the Time magazine article..I much prefer Spark Peopl’s philosphy..

Exercising is very important and we all should be fitting it in to our day…

Happy Tuesday…

Dawn

Use Aerobic Exercise as a Building Block

butterflies1985 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:24:59 +0000

Another great article from Spark People..Enjoy

There is More to Cardio than Just Running

– By Zach Van Hart, SparkPeople Contributor

If exercisers picked a mascot, what do you think it would be? A jump rope? A punching bag? A man with a giant baseball as a head? If I had to guess, it would be an athletic shoe. A good pair of shoes can be an inspiration and reminder to get moving, whether you walk, bike, hike or enjoy any other type of physical activity. That’s because aerobic exercise, is a cornerstone to being physically fit.

Aerobic exercise uses large muscle groups rhythmically and continuously and elevates the heart rate and breathing for a sustained period. Say what? In other words, you are exercising at a faster but stable rate, as the heart and lungs try to keep up with your demand for blood and oxygen so you can continue exercising.

The beautiful thing about aerobic exercise is you can do it everyday without even knowing it! When you walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, when you ride bikes with your family, and when you run with your dog–it’s all aerobic exercise.

The benefit list for aerobic exercise includes decreasing cholesterol levels and blood pressure, improving muscular endurance, reducing body fat, and it makes your heart, lungs and bones stronger. You will breathe easier and your heart will be much healthier.

Eventually, you will want to build up your cardio level so you can also partake in anaerobic exercise, which is exercise at a more difficult pace. This is when you are going all-out, like the 100-meter dash. Consider anaerobic the icing on the cake to good, cardio exercise. It’s important to gradually work anaerobic exercise into your workout, starting with very low intensity, especially if you’re not used to it. Doing 20 wind sprints or something similar right away can lead to injury or worse.

Here are some examples of both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Feel free to try some or all of them out when you are ready:

Aerobic

Running
Riding a bike
Elliptical machine
Rollerblading
Swimming
Skiing, especially cross-country
Canoeing
Spinning
Even walking!

Anaerobic

Weight lifting
Sprinting – on your feet or a bike
Jump rope
Sports like tennis, basketball, football

The Buzz on Jazzercise

butterflies1985 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 03:00:00 +0000

The Fitness Class with Rhythm

– By Zach Van Hart , Staff Writer and Gigi Washington, Jazzercise Instructor

Jazzercise, created by Judi Sheppard Missett, is the world’s leading dance-fitness program. Since 1969, millions of people of all ages and fitness levels have reaped the benefits of this comprehensive program, designed to enhance cardiovascular endurance, strength, and flexibility.

The name says it all. Participants exercise to the rhythms and beats of current, upbeat music. Jazzercise offers an effective, total-body conditioning program in a group setting (similar to yoga or Spinning). Below are answers to many questions about Jazzercise. If your interest is piqued, check local papers to find out where Jazzercise is offered nearby.

How much does a class cost?
Because individual instructors independently own Jazzercise classes, there is no set rate. You will find that classes cost anywhere from $2 to $7, depending on the number of classes you purchase. Many instructors offer a special rate for new customers on their first purchase. You may pay as you go, or pay month to month.

How does Jazzercise improve your fitness?

Develops cardiovascular fitness
Increases energy
Strengthens and tones muscles
Improves flexibility and balance
Enhances metabolism
Reduces stress

What is a typical class like?
Each Jazzercise class is approximately 60 minutes. Here’s how the class flows:

A warm-up segment comprised of gentle rhythmic movements and isolations for individual muscle groups
An aerobic segment to increase cardiovascular fitness and burn calories
An aerobic cool-down segment to reduce heart rate
A muscle-toning segment with weights to strengthen the hips, thighs, butt, abdomen, upper torso and arms
A final cool-down stretch segment to return the heart rate to normal

What are some Jazzercise exercises?

Here are a few of many:

Basic Aerobic Movements
Jazz Stretch
Attitude Lift
Diagonal Toe Touches
Flick-Kick
Heel Hop
Knee Lift
Pendulum Lift
Hip Rock

Power Legs
Lunges
Plies
Rock Lunge
Fancy Footwork
Jazz Square
Kick Ball Change
Side-to-Side Movements

To read more about Jazzercise, visit its main Website. Good luck and enjoy!

Great article from Spark-People about Jazzercise…Check it out and try a class..Trust me once you try a class you will be hooked like me…

Dawn

A Beginner’s Guide To Getting Fit and Healthy

butterflies1985 — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 04:49:44 +0000

A Beginner’s Guide to Getting Fit and Healthy
by author Michele Hagadorn

Bravo! You have made the commitment to get into shape. The “I don’t want to exercise” phase is over. Something inside of you has “clicked” and you are ready to begin creating healthier habits. So, where do you start? Begin by using the power of vision.

Visualization

Sit in a quiet place. Think of your fitness goals. Now, close your eyes and imagine looking in the mirror and seeing a fit and younger looking you. Imagine feeling full of energy, free of illness, and more fun loving throughout the day.

To achieve this vision and become fit and healthy, you need to eat well for proper nutrition, and do both cardiovascular and strength training. Follow the guidelines below and you will see the results you desire quicker and easier.

Food for Fitness

Drink filtered water. Water helps remove metabolic wastes (toxins) and will provide you with more energy for your activities. Aim for two to three litres per day.
Avoid sugar. Not only will sugar keep you fat, it can also set you up for sickness. Try the sweetness of stevia, a natural herb found in your local health food store. Stevia will keep your blood sugar stable while aiding in fat loss.
Eat every 2.5 to three hours. Eating revs up our metabolism to allow for quicker fat loss, keeps our minds sharp, and provides consistent energy throughout the day. Learn to eat till you are satisfied and not overfull so that you are hungry again for your next small meal.
Get your eight essential amino acids. Have protein at every meal or food-combine. Try a high-quality protein shake.
Eat “raw foods” every day. Raw foods are live foods and give us energy. Choose organic for their incredible taste and to avoid unwanted pesticides and herbicides (toxins).
There is nobody else like you, so your nutritional requirements are also unique. This is where a nutritional counsellor can help you create healthier habits and tasty alternatives that will fit your lifestyle.

Walk, Swim, Hike, Bike

See your health care provider before beginning any form of cardiovascular exercise. Obese people have a higher incidence of joint trauma when exercising; jarring motions should be altered during training.
Week one should involve a one-hour walk every day for that week.
After week one, aim for three to five days of cardio training for 20 to 60 minutes, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
Exercising too soon after a full meal can compromise oxygen and nutrient delivery to your working muscles (where you need it).
Always start with a warm-up and end with a cool-down for five to 10 minutes at a low intensity.
Stretch before, during, and after exercise. This will help improve your post workout recovery, keeping you pain-free with higher amounts of energy.
Maintain your heart rate at the “Healthy Heart Zone.” According to Chad Tackett, president of Global Fitness, this is 50 to 60 percent of your maximum heart rate. In this zone, 10 percent of the carbohydrates are burned (used as energy), five per cent of protein is burned and a whopping 85 percent of fat is burned.

Pump It Up

This exercise component is referred to as strength training, resistance or weight training.

Recruit a personal trainer. This is highly recommended. Your trainer can save you time by tailoring a fitness program to get you results faster and safely.
Watch your speed. When performing your exercises, use slow, controlled movements. Count one to two seconds for each lifting movement and three to four seconds for each lowering movement.
Start with light weights. The tendency to use too much weight typically results in poor form and reduces your ability to get results while increasing the risk of injury.
Change your routine every six to eight weeks. By doing so, you are continuously challenging the body to keep progressing (avoiding any frustrating plateaus). This can be done either by revamping the entire workout or just by changing a few exercises.
Avoid overtraining. Never train the same muscle group two days in a row (abdominals are the exception). Signs of overtraining are feeling burnt out, weak, and/or sore.
After following these principles imagine how absolutely incredible you can feel. If others can do it, so can you. Go for it!

Michele Hagadorn, CFT, is a nutritional counsellor, writer, educator, and owner of Fit Nâ€™ Healthy Consulting. Contact Michele at 250-868-1382 or e-mail mhagadorn@telus.net.

Random Acts of Nutrition

butterflies1985 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:53:48 +0000

If you’re not comfortable with talking to loved ones about the touchy subjects of health and weight loss, you can still help them lead healthier lives by practicing “random acts of fitness.” There are dozens of small things you can do every day to make healthy living as easy as possible. Sometimes, you end up helping create good habits without them even realizing it.

And in the true spirit of being a positive force, when you give your time and energy with any of these random acts, you get just as much in return.

Some ideas (in random order of course):

Keep a variety of foods in the kitchen.
Stock kitchen with healthy cookbooks, leaving them where people can find them.
Get the junk food out of the house.
Plan a cooking date.
Cook at least three times a week for the household.
If you already cook, cook healthier foods for the family.
Sneak healthy snacks and a friendly note (maybe even a love note) into their lunch, briefcase, jacket pocket or purse.
Prepare their favorite dish in a healthier way.
If it’s your turn to pick, choose a healthy restaurant or one that’s within walking distance.

Found this article in Spark People..It is a great article and easy to understand..

Enjoy and Happy Tuesday…

Dawn

I Love This Video….

butterflies1985 — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:56:03 +0000

This is a great song to jam with while working out or working around the house…I just love it….

Enjoy and Happy Tuesday…

A Fab Woman

The Great 1 Month Slim-Down

butterflies1985 — Mon, 25 May 2009 23:46:51 +0000

This is an excellent video…

Good Luck and Enjoy!!!

A Fab Woman

Get Hassle-Free Summer Hair

butterflies1985 — Thu, 14 May 2009 17:57:39 +0000

Fight frizz and keep hair vibrant all season long with these pro tips.

By Nicole Catanese

Get Gorgeous Summer Hair

It’s the rare girl who doesn’t spend a good chunk of her summer struggling with her hair — what with the effects of heat, humidity, and sun trauma. But maintaining a chic style is easy even on 90-degree days. “A few quick precautions can prevent bad-hair-day drama and reverse damage,” says Antonio Prieto, stylist and owner of the Antonio Prieto Salon in New York City. And in a pinch, there’s always the ponytail.

Keep your hue true. Stop premature fading with a shampoo and conditioner that smoothes the cuticle to lock in color (try TRESemme Color Thrive Shampoo and Conditioner, $3.99, at drugstores). Protect blond hair from bleaching out and browns and reds from turning brassy with a light spray or leave-in cream that contains a UV filter (try Neutrogena Triple Moisture Smooth Shine Anti-Frizz Cream, $6.99, at drugstores). “The sun’s heat causes color to leak out of strands,” explains Jennifer J., a Matrix colorist and owner of Juan Juan Salon in Beverly Hills.

Work with humidity. Is your hair doubling in size right before your eyes? Avoid super-straight styles and work with the elements instead. “Heat and moisture can make hair curl,” explains Stephen Knoll, stylist and owner of the Stephen Knoll Salon in New York City. To get defined waves, coat damp hair with a conditioning cream, then finger-twist and blow dry with a diffuser. “Less airflow prevents overdrying of frizz-prone ends,” explains Prieto. Smooth flyaways instantly with a no-mess wax stick like Charles Worthington Smart Fixx Quick Flick Wax Stick, $6.99, at Walgreens.

Keep strands soft. Combat split ends and fried strands by infusing extra moisture. Saturate wet hair with an in-shower conditioning treatment that contains shea butter or protein, such as Biolage Sunsorials Sun Repair Treatment, $13.95 (biolage.com). Increase the water temperature of the shower for a few minutes to create steam. “Heat opens up the cuticle and allows the treatment to penetrate,” explains Marie Robinson, colorist for TRESemme. Rinse with cool water to seal in nutrients and smooth the cuticle for extra shine.

Revive limp locks. Get beach-tousled volume by spritzing a texture spray throughout tresses, then flip your head over, shake out hair, and use your blow dryer to apply heat to the roots at the nape of your neck for lasting lift, says Chaz Dean, stylist and owner of the Chaz Dean Studio in Hollywood (try Garnier Fructis Style Surf Hair Texturizing Spray, $3.99, at drugstores). If your hair is lifeless, shampoo only every other day — or less — to avoid stripping natural moisture. “Dry strands lose flexibility and can fall flat,” explains Dean.

Decrease grease. Wash your hair every day with a shampoo that contains oil-absorbing botanicals like green-tea extract and soothing ingredients like zinc pyrithione, a mineral that heals irritation, says stylist Jason Hayes. Normalizing the scalp’s pH balance can decrease sebum production, which means your roots won’t get greasy as quickly. Try Head & Shoulders HydraZinc Citrus Breeze Shampoo, $4.99, at drugstores.

30-Second Solutions

1. Refresh your style. For hair that’s smooth and bouncy, wrap large sections around medium-size Velcro rollers, blast with hair dryer for 30 seconds, let cool, then remove rollers and rake fingers through hair.

2. Fake a trim. Flip your head over and spritz a shine spray directly on ends to temporarily smooth splits and give the illusion of a fresh cut.

3. Protect your color. Apply a spray with UV filters to dry hair and comb through to create a barrier against chlorine, salt, and the sun’s rays.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, June 2006.

A Fab Woman