Archive for: December 2007

People of all ages can get substantial benefits from including resistance training into their exercise regime.

Even elderly people can find noticeable improvements in their health.

By adding resistance training their muscles will become stronger and this will help them with balance, which becomes all-important as they age. By becoming stronger elderly people also become more independent as they will be less likely to rely on others.

Research has also shown that resistance training improves bone density and this is an important aspect of good health for people of all ages. Bones are constantly ‘growing’ as with all parts of the body, however this process slows down as we age. Resistance training helps to address this aging process by maintaining good bone density.

Post-menopausal women are particularly prone to problems relating to bone density as their hormones change and they can benefit considerably from resistance training.

Along with proper nutrition, resistance training is one of the most effective methods of reducing fat. And along with fat reduction you can expect a leaner body. Muscle burns fat so any program that increases your muscle mass will help to burn the fat. You are effectively burning fat to feed the muscles.

Research has also proven that resistance training has many other beneficial effects for your health from lowering blood pressure and lowering your heart rate while at rest. This will obviously reduce the risk of heart disease quite considerably.

The additional strength that can be gained from resistance training serves to help anyone lead a more active lifestyle. With the added benefits of strength, fat loss, balance and the ability to slow the aging process, there is nothing quite like it to help you live longer and be happier along the way.

It doesn’t need to be something that rules your life, as even a little bit of training will benefit you, however, doing it consistently will result in a better return for the time you invest in your health.

Listen - This works!!! I have it and I use it. This is a great piece of exercise equipment and the price is unreal.

My recommendations - get the basic setup. I didn’t get the setyp with the DVD - there are exercises on the website you can do. I’ll have some on this exercise blog as well.

This is well worth it and I am highly recommending it.

Here is an excellent exercise video showing you how to get fit overall in the upcoming year. And it only takes 15 minutes!

This is the routine I follow. When most people think of yoga, they see people sitting and all twisted, humming away. This is not power yoga.

View this video. This makes an excellent warm-up routine and actually is a great overall exercise in itself.

As the winter is sneaking up on us, it can sometimes make things a little tough if your exercise routine consists of walking or running outside. Black ice is what you really need to be on the lookout.

It can be very hard to see and when you hit that black ice spot, you will have absolutely no control. If you are running on the path at a park, when you get there ask people if they encountered any. Of course, if it’s that cold there will not be as many people there. So take care the first time around. My buddy took a hard fall when we were running one winter evening and he had to take time off from exercise to recover.

Dress warmly but do not overdress. Dressing in layers is best. That allows you to remove a layer as you begin to warm up. The rule of thumb for runners is generally to dress like the temperature is about 20 degrees warmer.

Breathe through your nose. Actually this is a practice you should follow all year round, but particularly during the winter. When it is real cold outside and you are breathing through your mouth, you are going to feel the effects.

If it gets too bad out there, exercise inside. A treadmill is great but if you don’t have one, jog in place. Pop in an aerobics tape and exercise. Jump rope. Shadow box. It’s time to get a little creative.

Exercising outside in the winter can be a little challenging, but follow some of these suggestions and you will get through it and be raring to go in the spring.

1. Lie prone on top of a stability ball.
2. Place your hands on the ground to provide support and stabilization.
3. Hold your legs parallel to your body and then proceed to extend your back and raise your legs above parallel.
4. Your legs will only move a couple of inches. Do not try to hyperextend your low back. This is a slow and controlled movement.

Exercise balls are one of the most innovative ways to exercise. These little balls will catch every one’s fancy due to their shape and very attractive colors. The real benefit of these balls, which were introduced by a group of Swiss medical therapists, is a substitute of support during exercise.

Working out with the exercise balls will strengthen and tone all of the major muscles of the body. The soft texture of the balls make it an ideal choice for Yoga positions, using dumbbells for muscle toning, or working on heavy duty weight training equipment.

The advantage of exercise balls is that they are durable and maintain shape well under pressure. The documentation with the balls will provide test load figures for how much weight the exercise balls will hold. The advantage is the balls provide soft yet firm support that doesn’t harm your body.

You can find exercise balls in several different colors and finishes. They are simple to store and you can even roll them under your bed or a table if you prefer. When you aren’t using them, you can let kids play with them. These balls are very fun for kids, as they are very soft and won’t cause them any harm.

Originally developed for use in medical therapy, the exercise ball is used to support the body
during exercise. These balls will provide support to the body when you do a specific exercise in a specific position and still need to maintain the balance. Most exercise balls are made of burst proof latex or other material that is very safe to use.

There are many postures with yoga and muscle toning exercise that can only be done with the help of support. For these postures, exercise balls are quite useful. The exercise balls will introduce an element of stability to the exercise that you wouldn’t normally get with the floor exercise.

Your body responds automatically to the instability to keep balanced on the exercise ball. This will help in strengthening the muscles that aren’t actively participating in exercise.

An exercise is also very useful for physiotherapy treatment. Exercise balls will help to get rid
of backache and spinal disorders. The small range of movement and adjustment of balance of the spine that is induced by exercising with the exercise ball will help reduce back pain.

The Swiss ball exercise is for people with back pain to provide them with a simple way to restore movements after an episode of back pain. It also results in improved muscle strength, greater flexibility, and a wide range of motion of the spine during treatment.

Exercise Ball Exercises