Healthy Journey » Fitness

The Denise Austin Diet and Fitness Plan

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:00:29 +0000

You may already know Denise Austin as a fitness guru, her dynamic personality has been featured in videos and on tv for years. Still fit and fabulous over 40, her approach to fitness is personal and direct. She promotes exercises that anyone can do regardless of their current fitness levels. And, most importantly, her program gets results.

Being healthy requires a combination of diet and exercise. Denise Austin’s program is based on the same concept — that when you eat right and get fit, you also feel great. This Diet and Workout program uses a three-pronged approach, blending food, fitness and motivational tools to help you reach your goal. (...)

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Yoga Poses: Corpse Pose

Barbara Holbrook — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:41:13 +0000

Corpse Pose (Savasana), also know as Death Pose, is probably the most relaxing of all yoga positions. Almost like meditation, many find that a few minutes in Corpse Pose is as relaxing and rejuvenating as an hour-long nap. It is usually used as the ending to a yoga session, although some practitioners like to use it at the beginning as well.

While some toss this into the “easy yoga poses” category, but it’s actually deceptively simple which makes it a perfect yoga pose for beginners. This is because the true goal of Corpse Pose is to quiet your mind and be completely still and relaxed. With proper practice you will find that awareness of your body and your breathing will become more pronounced.

If you find yourself getting sleepy or feeling restless while in Corpse Pose, focus your mind on your breathing. Slowing or quickening your breath rate can deepen your meditation practice.

Corpse Pose

1. Lay down flat on your back ad let your arms fall naturally at your sides, palms up. Relax your legs and let your feet fall open.

2. Relax your body. Let it sink into the floor and become heavy.

3. Breathe naturally.

4. Awaken gently starting with your fingers and toes. Breathe deeply and feel your body come back to life.

5. Bring yourself back to a sitting position.

Fitness for All Ages: Stretching Exercises For Seniors

editor — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 23:58:26 +0000

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Our fitness journey also begins simply. No matter what type of exercise you plan to do, it should always begin with getting ready — preparing your body for the workout ahead. Although these exercises are designed for seniors, stretching is an important step for anyone that wants to get the most out of physical activity no matter how old they are.

If you’ve been sedentary, the first time you try to play tag or run around the yard with your grandkids it will become quite apparent that your body is not as young as it once was.

Older adults are more prone to injury. Muscles become less flexible, joints are a bit stiffer and reflexes aren’t as sharp as they once were. The best way to keep from getting injured is to warm your body up as much as possible before you start your workout. (...)

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Simple Stretching Exercises to Relieve Back Pain

editor — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 21:43:24 +0000

We’ve all been there. You go to lift something and feel a pain halfway between the starting point and the destination. Or you were running around hitting a tennis ball, shooting buckets, tossing around a football, or anything you might not do very often? You go out for the pass and your back goes out, too.

For many back pain sufferers, it was an awkward stretch that got them into trouble in the first place. But, did you know that stretching can also relieve back pain? You just need to do the right stretching exercises.

We have many muscles that make up our body, and some of those muscles support the spinal column in your back. Having strong muscles in your back as well as your abdomen will work wonders to help ward off back pain. But, having flexible muscles in your back is just as important as having strong muscles.

When muscles are cold or underused it is hard to get them as flexible as they need to be to work well without pain. If you’ve been sedentary and decide to participate in an activity that requires some form of exertion, you are asking your back to perform a task that it is not prepared for. The result? Back pain. (...)

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Wii Fit Plus: Pros and Cons of Getting Fit with Video Games

editor — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:55:57 +0000

Using the latest in video game technology, Nintendo managed to take something that many people dreaded –exercise — and create a gaming system to propel home-based fitness to the next level. The Wii Fit and the more recent Wii Fit Plus have both been huge hits — not just with gamers, but with families, individuals and fitness “newbies” looking for a creative way to jumpstart an active lifestyle.

Of course as with all things this new era of exercise gaming has both good and bad. Before you leap into a new fitness routine read through this list of pros and cons so you’ll be prepared to make an educated choice about whether using the Wii Fit Plus to lose weight or get fit is the right choice for you. (...)

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Can Yoga Ball Exercise Round Out Your Fitness Routine

editor — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:27:22 +0000

It’s a bit of a strange combination actually, yoga and exercise ball, since the advent of these large and virtually indestructible rubber balls is a fairly recent development while yoga is centuries old. I guess what we’re trying to say is that there really is no such thing as a yoga ball. There is yoga, and then there are exercise balls, doing them together is going to require just as much mental agility as it will physical agility.

However, there certainly are cases where an exercise ball can help with certain yoga positions.

In that case what you can do is consider an exercise ball as a kind of yoga prop that you can use if you already have one available. But just because you are stretching while on a ball doesn’t make what you’re doing yoga ball exercise—not really.

Yoga is a lot more than stretching. As a matter of fact, it is about training your body to hold certain positions, or even get into certain positions for beginners, without any sort of help whatsoever. Therefore, using a fitness ball during a yoga practice session is something less than actual yoga.

But when you are first starting out, props can make practicing yoga far easier. As a matter of fact, there are many people who are so stiff that they simply must use props in order to begin practicing yoga. Towels, straps, pillows and blocks are all used as yoga props for beginners. If you find yourself in this type of scenario, practicing yoga with an exercise ball might work for you.

So, What’s the Deal with Yoga Ball Exercise?

Now, it may sound like we are against the idea of yoga ball exercise. That is not entirely the case. Because a yoga ball is not rigid, it will still force you to do the one thing necessary during yoga practice, and that is tense your muscles to hold a position. You may not be using proper yoga form, or even doing a traditional yoga pose, but you can still be accomplishing very much the same thing. And that is, holding your body weight in a position.

You will probably not use an exercise ball for very long in your yoga practice. At a certain point you will want to cast aside all types of yoga props as you progress to more advanced positions. But when you are first starting out, an exercise ball can certainly help you with certain yoga poses while you are learning the more advanced positions.

Extra-Meaty Veggie Chili

Barbara Holbrook — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 08:27:28 +0000

This super-delish dish is a great way to sneak in some extra veggies without giving up the meaty taste that makes chili a winter comfort food.
I like to serve up a large 2-cup bowl with one of Krusteaz-brand honey cornbread muffins. And at around 2 points* per cup, it’s a great filling meal that helps me stay on track with my weight-loss goals.(...)

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Karma Yoga Intertwines East and West for Inner Harmony

editor — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 02:30:33 +0000

Karma yoga is the one type of yoga that brings the physical and the spiritual worlds together — most other types of yoga focus on either one or the other. If practiced properly, students of karma yoga can experience the harmony that comes when the physical and spiritual worlds are in balance.

The basis of karma yoga is found in ancient Hindu religions and philosophy. Over time, the practice has evolved to a meditative state that many believe can be achieved by no other form of yoga because only karma yoga combines the two main philosophies of the world. This means that it combines the theory of Western philosophy, that life should be lived with pleasure with the Eastern philosophy that life should be lived for knowledge. With karma yoga, the two philosophies become intertwined in the act of karma.

By learning karma, you are learning the knowledge of the world and living in complete and pure happiness.

The progression of your karmic growth depends solely on the way you live your life. If you live your life for wealth and material possessions then you are acquiring bad karma. If you live your life for pure happiness and love then you have good karma on your side. If you do not work on yourself and the life that you are living then karma yoga cannot help you. The type of person that you already are, reflects the results that you will see by participating in karma yoga. (...)

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Qigong: Self-Healing Through Fitness

editor — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 01:54:43 +0000

Traditional Chinese Medicine is becoming more and more popular in the western world. One of the most popular forms of TCM, besides acupuncture of course, is the form of meditation and physical exercise known as Qigong.

Qigong literally has thousands of different forms and styles, all meant to attract active and vital sources of energy for your body and mind. Qigong is physical exercise but it has more to do with understanding your inner body and thoughts. Qigong seeks to make a connection between body and soul.

The art of healing with Qigong uses the power within your peace of mind. Qigong can be used for many different reasons—healing illness, reducing stress and preventing disease. Practitioners discover that understanding of self and freeing one’s mind of troubles can prevent many of life’s dis-eases.

Qigong is the absolute best method for self healing. No matter what ails you, qigong can cure you and help you need less medical care in the future. Qigong is about healing your body, mind and spirit. This type of holistic healing is something that can last forever and effect the rest of your life in the most positive way possible.

There are so many different methods of qigong that you may already be using some and not been aware of it. (...)

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Muscle Building Super Foods

editor — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:13:54 +0000

We lose fat in two ways: burn fat with exercise, and burn fat with muscle. As we increase our muscle, we burn more fat.

It’s a wonderful cycle to get caught up in! Work out, lose fat, build muscle, burn more fat. Other than doing your exercises routinely, there are foods you can eat to help build muscle tissue. Let’s take a look at what sort of super foods will help build muscle.

The Magic of Muscle For Weight Loss

As we age, we lose muscle, especially when we reach the age of forty and over. But, muscle is important. It helps to strengthen our framework. The same calcium that strengthens the bones also builds the muscle that the frame is attached to.

Muscle weighs more than fat. It’s important to realize that especially when you are losing weight. If the scale comes down slowly, don’t worry. You are sculpting a more beautiful, healthier body with lean muscle. And, that lean muscle needs more energy to operate. That’s one reason why muscle burns fat for energy. Yes, even when you are not lifting dumbbells, your muscles are at work burning fat for you. What more could you ask?

Building muscle requires a nutritious diet. Muscle needs protein, calcium, and a host of other nutrients to grow. That is where super foods come in. (...)

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Spinning: Stationary Cycling for Fitness

editor — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:20:54 +0000

Have you ever wanted to go for a bike ride, but didn’t have anywhere to ride or the weather wasn’t cooperating?One alternative to outdoor cycling is to sign up for a spin class.

Spinning is an exercise class that uses a stationary bicycle to burn the fat and build muscle. Spin classes took off in a big way a few years ago taking bike riding to an all-new level. Even if you didn’t own a bike, you could get the benefit of bike riding along with the excitement of an exercise class to keep you from being bored.

In a spin class, riders use stationary cycles to complete a 45-minute to an hour routine. You can do the same thing on a recumbent bike or a stationary bike on the gym floor can’t you? Not exactly. This class uses different techniques to pump up the heart rate and the fun which you won’t get on the gym floor. (...)

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Adding Steps To Your Day

Barbara Holbrook — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:38:35 +0000

In our busy lives it’s often difficult to find the time, and energy, to exercise. I chase my kids all around the house, schoolwork, meetings, soccer practices — it’s never ending and there never seems to be time to go to the gym. But there are ways you can work a little exercise into your day by just changing your habits. Here are some ideas.

1. If you take the train/subway, bypass the escalators. Walking up/down those steps twice a day — you’ll feel it in your thighs and calves.

(...)

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5 Things You Need to Know Before Beginning an Exercise Program

editor — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:44:56 +0000

Physical activity is important—at every age. Getting started exercising doesn’t have to be difficult but it does require a little knowledge to do it right. Before you begin an exercise program, we need to cover a few things.

Growing older is not for wimps. The body goes through even more changes than when you experienced puberty. It can seem almost like an appliance whose warranty has just expired. Everything that can go wrong seems to start going wrong.

So let’s learn the 5 things to do before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have been living a sedentary life for some time. (...)

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Yoga Poses: Downward Dog

Barbara Holbrook — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:52:09 +0000

Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) is often one of the first yoga positions that beginners learn. This pose helps to lengthen the muscles in your hamstrings, calves and the Achilles tendon. Downward Facing Dog is also good for strengthening your hands and wrists, decreasing back pain and elongating the shoulders.

This pose is great after a long day at work hunched over a computer! It can increase blood supplies to the brain and stimulate the nervous system to help you feel rejuvenated and relive fatigue.

Downward Facing Dog

1. Start on your hands and knees.

2. Slowly exhale as you pull back on your knees and begin to raise up into an into an inverted v position

3. Let your head relax and hand loosely. You will feel the stretch in your legs and hips as if you are being pulled up from behind.

4. Let your heels sink into the floor and keep the weight off your arms. Keep your back straight and your arms extended but relaxed. Breathe deeply and rest while holding the pose for up to 5 minutes.

What Type of Bicycle is Right for You?

editor — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 10:02:01 +0000

Who knew that there were so many choices for bicycles? When you were a kid, you got the shiny pink one with streamers or the blue one with racing stripes. Both had training wheels and a mom attached to keep you from falling. For today’s discerning cyclist, there are several types of bikes to choose from to suit your needs.

A bike is more than two wheels, a seat and handlebars. All bicycles are not equal as you will soon discover. Before purchasing a bike, decide what type of bike you are most comfortable handling. Here are the main 4 types of bicycles:(...)

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Raising Children with Yoga

editor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 07:42:37 +0000

I remember growing up throwing rocks, jumping off of buildings, riding bicycles over huge ramps, and yet somehow I managed to survive with little more than a few bruises and scrapes. Comparing yoga to the types of reckless behavior I displayed as a child seems incredibly tiny by comparison.

When it comes to fitness, yoga is a great for children because they are naturally quite limber. Positions that adults might find an incredibly intense stretch, will simply fall right into place for children. Sometimes it seems as though children are made out of rubber bands! Although they may not have the physical strength for advanced poses, if children are capable of getting into the pose with out any discomfort, it’s probably not going to hurt them either.

Yoga for children will have lasting benefits for them down the road. (...)

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5 Aging Exercise Myths That are Old and Tired!

editor — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 04:09:42 +0000

Getting older doesn’t have to rob you of your independence or your carefree lifestyle. If you’re a baby boomer then— like it or not—you’re approaching “senior” status. As we age, it is important to know that the negative stereotypes about age and physical activity are rarely true. Those myths about the dangers of exercise program after 60, well, those aren’t quite the real deal either.

Aging adults, or any adult for that matter, can improve the quality of their lives with physical activity. Fitness is important to all of us no matter what our age. By adopting a regular fitness program, you’ll see that getting and staying healthy is the real key to feeling young.

Start moving by pushing out the top 5 myths about exercise and getting older. (...)

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5 Easy Muscle Toning Exercises You Can Do Right Now!

editor — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 22:52:00 +0000

Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. As part of your fitness regime, weight bearing exercises are important for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age.

Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem. When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones. Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.

Most of us have learned how to exercise. The problem is when to exercise — and where! Here are five easy toning exercises that can be done anywhere and whenever you have time. At home, at the office, or on vacation, you can do these easy yet effective exercises to tone muscles, strengthen your body and feel great. (...)

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Get with the Game! More Fitness Games for the Wii Fit Plus

editor — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 19:34:02 +0000

There’s just something about the Wii Fit Plus that makes folks want to exercise — probably because playing the fitness games doesn’t feel much like exercise. The Wii Fit Plus is a lot of fun and there are lots of built-in exercise “classes” to try out.

The cardio-based exercises on the Wii Fit Plus offer a great workout that are high on calorie-burning and big on fun. Games such as: Hula Hoop, Rhythm boxing , Free Step, and Basic Run. Other standard games for the Wii Fit Plus also include: yoga, balance and strength coaching. (...)

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Yoga Poses: Mountain Pose

Barbara Holbrook — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:26:45 +0000

Mountain Pose (Tadasana) is the foundation for all the standing poses so it’s a good place to start for beginning yoga students. This yoga pose can improve posture by properly aligning your spine, strengthening your thighs and can help relieve back pain.

Over time, practicing Mountain Pose will teach you to become more attuned to your body so that you will notice when you are out of balance. Pay close attention to any tight muscles or stiffness which may indicate what areas of the body you need to work on.

When practicing Mountain Pose, reach down through your body and picture yourself rooted to the earth. Hold still and steady like a mountain.

Mountain Pose

1. Stand with your feet touching tip to tip, arms down at your side, palms facing inward and your back straight.

2. Evenly distribute your weight and feel your feet deeply rooted into the ground. Tighten your leg muscles through your calves and quadriceps with your knees slightly raised.

3. Draw in your abdomen and tuck in your tailbone.

4. Feel your body lengthen and draw your head and neck up, taller towards the sky.