कॅटेगरी: English

The numbers on your scale do not indicate whether you are fit or fat. Far more significant than your total body weight is the composition of your body tissue. If a man’s fatty tissue is bigger than 14% up to 15% of his body mass, or if a woman’s is more than 20% to 22%, he or she is overweight, or more precisely, overfat.

A small amount of fat is needed for padding the internal organs and as insulation under the skin. Excess fat leads to such diseases as diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and gallbladder problems. There are very few, very fat persons. The reason is that the fittest, not the fattest survive.

The problem now is focused on how to resolve the problem. The problem with most people who want to lose weight is that they have the propensity to concentrate more on getting those numbers lower than what they are seeing now. What happens next is that they strive harder to achieve a lower weight, according to the “ever reliable” result of the weighing scale.

It would be more important to think of the human body as a heat-exchange engine that works on the basic principles of energy physics. The caloric balance equals the total calorie intake minus the total calorie expenditure.

Some of the calories people ingest are used for basal metabolism. As people get old, their bodies require fewer calories for this basic upkeep. Some calories are excreted as waste products. Some go into “work metabolism,” the energy expenditure required for any physical activity.

Hence, if people take in more calories than are used by these functions, there is a definite caloric excess. By the laws of physics, energy is transformed rather than destroyed. In this case, each excess of 3,500 calories is changed into a pound of fat. If people want to reverse this process, they have to burn up 3,500 calories to lose a single pound.

Winning the War Against Fat

When you think of fighting fat with exercise, you probably think of hours of hard, sweaty exertion. If this is the case, then, you will not get any farther. This is because people who are so much into losing more by exerting more effort tend to get bored easily.

Why? Because experts contend that when people exert more effort than what they are capable of doing creates a tendency to develop weariness and ennui. Hence, they give up, stop doing their routine exercises, and end up sulking in the corner with a bag of chips that seems to have all the bad calories in this world.

Now, you might ask, “What should be done instead?” The answer: cross training.

After some intensive studies and experimentations, health experts were able to come up with the concept of incorporating cross training in order to overcome or break the monotony or dullness in an exercise program.

Cross training refers to the integration of diverse movements or activities into a person’s conventional exercise routine. The main purpose of incorporating cross training into an exercise program is to avoid overdoing excess muscle damages and to put a stop to an imminent boredom.

Three of the most commonly used activities whenever a person decides to engage into cross training are swimming, running, and cycling.

In cross training, distance is one way to extend your activity as your condition improves. For this reason, you need to traverse a measured distance.

If possible, swim the course and measure the distance. If you will be using a running track, such courses usually are a quarter-mile per lap for a complete circuit.

Cross training offers a variety of benefits for fitness and fatloss. It builds up the strength and endurance of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels. It has also some tranquilizing effect on the nerves, and it burns up calories as much as it makes your “losing weight” more bearable.

Cross training has three basic components:

1. Endurance exercises to condition the heart, lungs, and blood vessels and to induce relaxation. These begin with a careful planned walking and jogging regimen, depending on fitness level.

2. Exercises to strengthen the muscles, particularly those important to good posture. These include some activities that are selected to encourage some people who are already burnt out with a particular routine.

3. Exercises to improve joint mobility and prevent or relieve aches and pains. These consist of a series of static stretching positions that are safe and effective for most of the people who wish to try to lose some fat.

Indeed, cross training is a great way to modify the concept of exercising and losing fat without having to endure monotonous activities. In fact, the idea of exercising is to like what you are doing, hence, if you engage into cross training, you will be aware of it that you have already achieve your desired weight.

Boiled down, cross training is, certainly, one way of having fun.

Core exercise for golf. You’ve probably heard this phrase mentioned on the television a time or to. This is the area that Vijay works on the most with his golf trainer and it seems to be working for him. He’s driving it longer and straighter and winning tournaments.

When we talk about core exercise for golf the key term that needs to be thrown in there is rotational. You see…the golf swing is a turn (or rotate) back and a turn (or rotate) through. So any core exercise for golf you do should incorporate rotational strength and flexibility.

One of the most difficult things for golfers to do is take a step back from their game and examine what they can do to improve performance. Strength training is a perfect example. What almost all golfers overlook is developing the strength and awareness fo the region of their body that can lead them to their best level no matter what the age or ability.

That area is the CORE!

This area starts roughly at your belly button and goes up to the bottom of your sternum. It is the engine of your body and awareness of your core affects golf the most. Think of it as the link in the chain that needs to be the strongest, not the weakest.

Greg Norman use to say when he wanted to hit it long he would get his belly button or belt buckle turning faster; which in other words is his or your core.

Two simple core exercises for golf that will quickly strengthen your core is ab crunches and back extensions. These would be your initial exercises since I mentioned early on in this article you need to work from a rotational standpoint to strengthen your core specific to golf.

Once you’ve accomplished the above exercises, you can move on to a crunch with a twist and a back extension with a twist. This will hit your rotational strength right away.

You can then progress up to standing on your feet doing several different variations of rotational movements with a single dumbbell, standing upright and also in your golf posture.

When you approach your golf improvement program with a core exercise for golf, you will see your driving distance sky rocket past your playing partners!

If you have been diagnosed with adult onset type II Diabetes, you may be able to control your condition through diet and exercise. Many people have genetic predispositions for adult onset diabetes, but the disease is usually brought on by poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. It can be hard to reverse the damage caused by years of unhealthy living, but by changing the way you eat and exercise, you can help control your disease and can lead a fairly normal life without the need for insulin-regulating medicine.

Before embarking on a workout plan or adhering to a new diet, you should first consult your doctor. He or she will probably make dietary suggestions and will usually refer you to a dietician who can help you plan your meals. The dietician will tell you what you can and cannot eat, and what you can eat in moderation. You will have to cut out all of the sugar from your diet. This means drinking diet sodas, if you must drink sodas at all, and eating sugar free candy on those special occasions.

It is important to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to take the place of all of those empty calories and to keep you feeling full and energetic. You should make sure to take in enough protein to help your muscles get your through your new workout schedule, and be sure to drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. You will want to eat several small meals throughout the day rather than just eating two or three times with a lot of time in between. By eating more small meals, you will keep your blood sugar at a more steady level, rather than having the ups and downs associated with large meals followed by gaps in eating.

Once your diet is under control. The next step is to begin an exercise program. You don’t have to aim for running a marathon or even a mile. Walking is the most prescribed form of exercise for diabetes patients. Whether you walk in the mall, around the neighborhood or on a treadmill, the most important thing is to get moving and to keep moving for an extended period of time every single day. Though you may not feel motivated at first, you will soon start to look and feel better and better. Seeing these changes will hopefully provide you with enough motivation to stick to your workout plan.

If find walking boring, try to find a partner who will keep you motivated. There are also many diabetes support groups that have walking clubs that meet daily. You can join a club and meet other diabetes sufferers who will help keep you on the right track. They can provide inspiration and encouragement by sharing success stories and by keeping you aware of the complications that can arise if the disease is left untreated. Once you get into fairly good shape, you might try playing a sport that you enjoy, like golf or tennis. You could also join a gym and participate in some yoga or aerobics classes to add some variety to your workout plan.

Keep in mind that the best way to avoid diabetes complications is to change your lifestyle. Many of the common problems of people diabetes can be avoided by staying away from sugar and other harmful foods. By exercising and staying healthy, you can avoid vision loss and circulation problems associated with the disease without having to use expensive and debilitating drugs to keep your blood sugar at a healthy level. Remember that your body is your most important asset, and keeping it working properly should be your highest priority.

Golf exercise program – with the exploding number of so-called golf fitness experts these days, it becomes very confusing. It’s easy for a golfer to be misled and end up in a program that will hardly have the desired objective of improving their game.

In fact the wrong golf exercise program can end up making a golfer’s game deteriorate rather than improve.

It is therefore very useful to know what constitutes a complete golf exercise program

A complete golf exercise program will tend to have the following attributes;

A) Golf specific stretch exercises Stretch exercises are a very important part of any genuine golf workout program. Stretches help improve the golf swing and correct many common mistakes and weaknesses in this area. They sometime help alleviate or even eliminate nagging back problems in some golfers. Many stretch exercises can be done in the comfort of the office or home.

B) Golf specific strength training Strength training is also a key area in any good golf workout program. Strength training usually has a dramatic effect on the quality of the game of any golfer. Dumbbells are usually used and the program for building strength for golf is usually very different from a body building program because the idea here is not to build muscles.

C) Should be able to focus on certain common player weaknesses A good golf exercise program should also be able to focus on certain common weaknesses amongst most amateur golfers with the aim of helping to improve and deal with those weaknesses. This at times may involve the use of certain golf aid equipment. However it should be very clear what particular aspects of the game are being developed by what golfing aids.

A complete golf exercise program should help any golfer improve their game dramatically and feel much more confident every time they set foot on the course.

Cardio Exercise Machines – Common Cardio Workout Mistakes

Cardio exercise machine workouts are great and fun for burning excess body fat and building good cardiovascular health. These exercises not only help to burn body fat fast it will also strengthen your heart and lungs and thus reducing your chances of getting high blood pressure, stroke and heart diseases. Regular cardio exercises can also reduce bad cholesterol and raise the level of good cholesterol.

However, are you getting the most out of your cardio machine workouts? Are you using the cardio workout machines efficiently to gain maximum benefits of the exercises?

Well, you probably are not if you are an average gym user without any personal trainers to guide you because you will probably commit common cardio machine mistakes when exercising.

We shall now examine the more popular cardio workout machines and the common mistakes people commit when using these machines for their workouts.

Common mistakes when using cardio workout machines are :-

• Step up stair climber – This is perhaps the most common mistake for not getting the most out of the step up stair climber machine. Almost invariably, everyone when exercising with this machine will rest their arms on the railing. By doing so, the railing now becomes sort of like a crutch as it will now support some of your body weight making the exercise less intensive.

• Treadmill – The treadmill is perhaps the most popular cardio workout machine in the gym. A careful observation will show that many treadmill users run with too much up and downs. This mistake will wear out the person’s ankle and knee joints over time. The correct method is to take long, smooth and purposeful strides during the exercise.

• Stationery Bike – When exercising on the stationery bike, do adjust the height of the seat to a comfortable level. I really don’t understand why many stationery bike users adjust their seats to be either too high or too low. I mean, why be uncomfortable when exercising when you can be comfortable.

When the seat is too low, it adds strain to your knees and spine. When too high, your will butt will rock from side to side. So besides not getting the best from your cardio workout on the stationery bike because your body weight will be involved when you peddle, you will also look weird. It is such a silly workout mistake right?

Another common mistake is that I often see stationery bikers reading a book when exercising. That means that they exercise at a very low intensity level. Hey, how can low intensity cardio exercises work your heart and lung effectively?

• Elliptical Trainer – This is also another bewildering common cardio workout mistake. You use the elliptical trainer to tone your body and to exercise for your cardiovascular fitness right? Then why is it I often see people who use the elliptical trainer exercising at a high speed? So what is the mistake? The mistake is that they have set the resistant level too low.

You see, if you do not puff, pant and breakout in sweat, you are not getting the best out of your cardio exercises. Is it any wonder then that people are not losing weight and not improving on their cardiovascular health even when they are doing their cardio exercises regularly?

Now that you know how to avoid these common cardio machine exercise workout mistakes, you can now head for the gym and get the best out of these exercises. In a very short time, you will see your body toning up nicely, improvement on your cardio health being felt and visibly losing excess body fat.

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is the perfect body.

The weightlifting’s going great. You have a challenging, but not completely sadistic trainer.

You’ve carved time out of your schedule hit the gym. (You even remember to run your workout clothes through the wash…hopefully!)

You’ll grow huge, buff, and polished in no time… unless you eat junk.

Everyone’s got to eat. And if your goal is to build lean muscle without the fat, YOU have to eat wiser than the rest.

Get sloppy and you’ll be fighting on both sides in the battle of the bulge.

Restrict your diet too much and yeah, you’ll lose fat; but, you’ll also probably lose interest and head right for some greasy fries and a chocolate shake.

Let’s look at what you can get at your friendly neighborhood supermarket.

Frankly, there are a few aisles no self-respecting bodybuilder will be seen in. (And I don’t mean the adult diaper aisle.)

The bad news? Cross off your list the following aisles: sodas, chips, cookies, candy, pasta, and kiddie cereals.

The good news? Well, you can also cross off the catfood and dogfood aisle. Protein is great, but you don’t have to get crazy.

What’s left? Lean proteins, including fish, turkey, and chicken. Eggs are a great source of whole protein, as is skim milk and low-fat cottage cheese.

Tofu – the mystery “meat” of champions is another great option, especially for vegetarian bodybuilders.

These are all found around the perimeter of the store, which is great because you’ll get some walking in, too.

Now, head down the organic or health food aisle.

If you have a great store, you’ll find some products here that are mainstays of the ultimate bodybuilding diet: whey protein and soy protein products, nuts, whole grain cereals, and soy beans.

The type of exercise you do all depends on you and what you like to do. What you hate doing, paying membership fees, and whether or not to buy equipment are all things you need to consider as well as answer.

If you choose something that you don’t like to do, you aren’t going to keep doing it for a long period of time. Give it some thought – if you don’t like jogging, you aren’t going to get up at 6 AM and go running. If you can’t find something you like to do, choose something you hate the least, which will normally be walking.

Walking is great exercise, as it suits all levels of fitness. Anyone can start a walking program at any time, it’s normally the intensity and duration that differs. Walking is also a social exercise, as it isn’t difficult to find a training partner to chat with while you exercise. Walking with a partner will also make time go by faster.

No matter what exercise you choose, you should start at a low level of intensity and build it up over a period of weeks, which is essential to the longevity of your exercise program. If you start off too hard, you could end up with an injury which will require time off to get over.

If you are really in bad shape, you should start off by walking for 10 minutes each day. Then, increase it by 5 minutes every 2 weeks. To make things more interesting, you should try walking a different course every few days. You can also roster a different friend to walk with you each day of the week.

If walking isn’t your thing, then you may want to try a fitness center. They have loads of variety and normally have trainers on hand to answer any questions you may have. When you choose a fitness center, make sure that they give good service.

If they aren’t willing to treat you well before you join, then they certainly won’t after you join. You should also make sure that the equipment they use is well taken care of. It’s easy to find out, as all you have to do is listen to the machines. If they squeak a lot or make noise, then chances are they aren’t being taken care of.

If you still aren’t sure what you should do, then you should look into golf or tennis. Both are good social activities in most areas, and you can even meet new friends. Tennis is great for fitness although it isn’t for someone who is just starting out. If you haven’t exercised in a long time, then golf may be the best activity for you.

It seems like every time you turn on the TV these days, there is another commercial for exercise equipment. The latest and greatest treadmill or the second to none all in one machine are advertised on a daily basis. And why not? Consumers love them. We’re always looking for ways to shape up faster and without as much work. And, that’s just what this equipment claims to do. Work out for just 20 minutes a day, three days a week and you’ll have the body of a supermodel in just one month. If only that were true. We wouldn’t have to put ourselves through the pain of the gym everyday.

If you are looking for some quality exercise equipment though, it is available. You just need to do some research and talk to enough qualified people to learn what equipment will be best for your work out routine. A treadmill works for a lot of people who like to work out in the privacy of their own home. And there are a lot of benefits that can be gleaned from running on a treadmill everyday. This type of aerobic exercise is good for your heart and your lungs. Just be sure to keep tabs on your heart rate so you don’t over do it and put your heart in danger. A general rule of thumb for running is that you should be able to talk semi-comfortably while you’re running. If you can talk without any trouble at all, you’re probably not running hard enough or fast enough. If you can’t talk because you’re busy huffing and puffing, you’re probably pushing yourself too hard. Slow down a bit and take it one step at a time.

There are several other types of exercise equipment available that can prove beneficial to our health as well. A popular piece of equipment these days is the exercise ball. They come in different sizes, so it’s important to determine which one will work for the goals you have in mind. There are many muscles that you can work using the ball. And the balls usually come with a set of instructions that tell you how to use it for different muscle groups. It’s also a great way to stretch your muscles, which is an important factor in every work out.

Some people prefer yoga or Pilates as their main workout. Each of these activities has their own set of exercise equipment as well. Along with the exercise ball, it’s important to invest in a mat. Not only will it give you the comfort you’re seeking when lying on the floor, but it’ll help keep you from getting dirty as well.

The next time you finish a rigorous workout, you may want to consider a surprising new sports drink to help refuel tired muscles: chocolate milk. A recent study, published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (1), reports that athletes who drank chocolate milk after an intense bout of exercise were able to workout longer and with more power during a second workout compared to athletes who drank commercial sports beverages.

The researchers of the study indicate that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise. Researcher Joel M. Stager, PhD, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University states that “Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts.”

Stager and colleagues had nine cyclists bike until their muscles were depleted of energy, rest four hours, then bike again until exhaustion, three separate times. During the rest period, the cyclists drank one of three beverages:

1) low-fat chocolate milk

2) a traditional fluid replacement sports drink

3) a carbohydrate replacement sports drink

During the second round of exercise, the researchers found that cyclists who drank chocolate milk during the rest period were able to bike nearly twice as long before reaching exhaustion than those who consumed the carbohydrate replacement drink, and as long as those who consumed the fluid replacement drink.

Researchers theorize that the combination of carbohydrates and protein found in chocolate milk is what helped enhance the cyclists’ performance and suggest that flavored milk may be an optimal beverage for refueling muscles after exercise. The researchers also note that chocolate milk is a great-tasting and cost-effective alternative to many sports drinks.

In addition to its ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein, flavored milk contains seven other essential nutrients that are important for an athlete’s health – including bone-building calcium. No other sports drink contains the nutrient package found in flavored milk.

This study suggests, as well as many others before it, that a combination of carbohydrate and protein is more beneficial to athletes than just carbohydrate alone in the post-workout meal or supplement. This study takes it one step further by identifying a food product – chocolate milk – that is easy to get, inexpensive, and tastes great.

Confirming these results was a study by Dr. Janet Walberg-Rankin and co-workers at Virginia Tech (2). This study compared body composition and muscle function responses to resistance training in males who consumed a carb drink (Gatorade) or chocolate milk following each training session. Chocolate milk consumption immediately after each workout tended to increase lean body mass and bodyweight compared to supplementation with carbs. This study clearly shows that carbs-only post-exercise beverages don’t cut it.

The one thing you want to keep however is that you want to select a non-fat or skim chocolate milk. Forty-eight percent of the calories in whole milk come from fat; 33 percent of the calories in 2% milk come from fat; 20 percent of the calories in 1% milk come from fat, and 0 percent of the calories from skim milk come from fat. So, when reaching for chocolate milk as your post-workout recovery drink of choice, choose the non-fat version.
However, if you’re not a fan of chocolate milk post-workout then you can opt for a sports drink with easily absorbable proteins such as hydrolysates. In regards to your post-workout drink, the presence of easily absorbable proteins along with simple carbohydrates seems to be the most effective choice.

If you have a child of 6 to 8 years old that wants to start exercising and lifting weights, you may find yourself wondering what you should do. While some think it is perfectly fine for children to exercise, there are others that think differently.

The long and short of it is that yes, it is beneficial for your child to partake in exercise or a weight training regimen although there are a few things that you should keep in mind once this starts to happen.

No matter how you look at it, children aren’t minature adults and therefore you can’t use the same methods with growing children that you can use with adults, as children are different from adults emotionally, anatomically, and physiologically.

All children have immature skeletons, as their bones don’t mature until they get 14 – 22 years of age. With girls, exercise during childhood can have very critical effects on bone health that can last for their entire lives.

Children are often times vulnerable to growth related overuse injuries such as Osgood schlatter disease. Children have immature temperature regulation systems due to their having a large surface area compared to their muscle mass which will cause them to be more susceptible to injury when they aren’t properly warmed up.

Children don’t sweat as much as adults do, so they will be more susceptible to heat exhaustion as well as a heat stroke. Due to their low muscle mass and immature hormone system, it makes it harder for them to develop strength and speed. Their breathing and heart response during exercise are also different from an adults, which will affect their capacity for exercise.

On the other hand, young boys and girls can drastically improve their strength with weight training although opposed to adults, neurological factors instead of muscle growth factors are mostly responsible.

When you consider programs for children, first and foremost you should obtain a medical clearance. The first approach to designing a program is to establish a repetition range of 8 – 12 and keep the work load appropriate for the range.

You should ensure that workouts are spread out enough to have at least 1 – 2 full days of rest between workouts. The main focus when working out should be on the form of every exercise performed, and not on the amount of weight being lifted.

Before weight training, warm up and stretching should be done. Start your children off with light loads and then make adjustments accordingly. No more than 3 non consecutive exercise sessions should be done in a week. You should also see to it that they drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Getting enough water is very important with exercise, as it is often times very easy to get dehydrated – especially with children.

When exercising it’s crucial to focus on your whole body. I am guilty, like many individuals are, of focusing on just part of it. Now, I’m not telling you to completely trash your current fitness regime for a new one. I’m just pointing out the fact that many of us forget about or dismiss particular areas. Take me for example. I am a man and want to build my upper body. This is fairly common, no doubt. I don’t see too many guys in the local gym working their legs. We men want buff torsos and bulging biceps. That’s just the way we think. It’s what society has deemed attractive and manly. It wasn’t until recently that I started a more grueling chest exercise. It was high time I formed some pectorals.

So, what is the part of your physique that you neglect? For now it will be the legs for me. Although I’m fully aware of why total body exercise is imperative, I want to put most of the focus on my chest. Now, what about an effective chest exercise? Do you have one hiding up your sleeve? Personally, I did some heavy reading on this. It was all information I discovered on the World-Wide-Web. I had to find the ideal and most effective chest exercise known to man. What I found was not quite what I expected. First of all, the best chest exercise to my knowledge is the bench press. This exercise works the whole chest, triceps and shoulders. It’s one of the top four weight training exercises for building the most muscle mass. I’d say that this makes it a chest exercise worth your while. Don’t forget that there are three basic types of bench press. You have the incline, decline and the flat bench. Each work different aspect of your pectorals. In addition to this exercise, you may want to add the flys. This is the one you can do with dumbbells, while lying on your bench. You will feel those pecs burn by the next day. This is good, because the muscles can now heal bigger.

Okay, so with the chest exercise, like any other exercise, sets and reps are important. If you’re striving to build up your chest, then heavy weights/lower reps are correct. Do at least four sets. Also, you’ll want to rest after your chest exercise. Wait a week to do your next routine. The rest period is when the muscles are actually growing.

The chest area is one of the easist muscle groups for beginning bodybuilders to strengthen and develop. It consists of a large muscle (pectoralis major) to either side of the breastbone and a smaller muscle (pectoralis minor) underneath. The pecs are relatively easy to develop in the early stages simply because they can be trained intensively although care needs to be taken to work them from different angles to ensure full development.

For beginners, three safe but effective exercises are recommended:

1. Incline dumbbell press – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. When you feel comfortable with the mechanics involved in this exercise you can move on to using a barbell instead, remembering to maintain proper form.

2. Incline dumbbell flyes – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Done properly, this exercise is good for inner and outer pecs.

3. Push-ups – 3 sets of 10-15 reps. Keep your body straight from head to knees and lower your body until your arms form right angles. Done properly, the old fashioned push-up still offers benefits to the chest muscles.

As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your chest exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below:

Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs

Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs

Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves

Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs

For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

I have a favorite fitness regime. As I am sure many individuals around the globe do as well. Whether your workout schedule includes boxing and yoga, or Pilates and weight training doesn’t really matter as much as the end result. What is it doing for you and your physique? This is crucial. In the end, our goals are to achieve a body and state of mind that we feel good about. This may include some cheap exercise equipment or a 200 dollar a month gym. It’s totally up to you. But remember, sticking with the game plan is imperative.

It’s funny when I think about it, but I’m not really gung-ho about the “almighty gym pass membership” spiel. I don’t want to attend a fitness center four or five days a week. I would much rather find some cheap exercise equipment and go from there. Believe it or not this is an option. The thing I dislike about the local gym is all the sharing. I don’t have time to drive to a location, find a parking space, go workout, and then drive back home. Not to mention someone may be using the equipment you had planned to. Instead of doing all that work, I can simply step down into my basement or out into my garage for a cheap exercise routine. When I say cheap, I mean I purchased the used equipment just once and now I have it for life. This route is incomparable to the gym membership deal. I don’t end up signing a lame contract or forking out monthly payments. Get this; I own a used weight bench, a jump rope, two 35 pound dumbbells, two 40 pound dumbbells, and 300 pounds of plate weights with a bench press barbell. This is it. I accomplish so much with this cheap exercise equipment. I got it all for under 300 bucks. Plus it’s all good quality. Furthermore, I use the stair wells in my home for leg and cardio routines. If you have a staircase, then you’ve got a cheap exercise routine waiting to happen.

So much hard-earned money is wasted on over-priced equipment and gym memberships. You can avoid so much of this if you just think about it. Jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, dips, running and more can all be accomplished for free. No one ever said you have to be rich to get in shape. Just resourceful. Take advantage of your cheap exercise ideas.

Through routine exercise, your body gradually builds strength and endurance. However, if you keep your workouts TOO routine, those benefits begin to stagnate. Therefore, it is essential to periodically change your workouts so that your body will continue to reap the most benefits from your efforts.

Why is change crucial?

If you follow the same exact exercise routine day in and day out, your body becomes accustomed to this routine. As the body adjusts to the same workout everyday, it is normal for the body to adapt on a cardiovascular, respiratory, and cellular level. Over a period of time, following this same old routine causes the rest of the body to adapt, as well. As a result, any further physical improvements become limited, and your training becomes boring.

But, wait! There’s still hope! By incorporating even slight changes into your exercise regimen, you are able to kick-start the body once again to move towards those gains you’ve been striving for!

What kind of changes should you make?

Even the smallest change in your routine can make a difference. Below are a few suggestions:

Change the time of day at which you exercise.

If you prefer one type of exercise, such as running, change the exercise, itself, in some way. For instance, increase the intensity level or the length of the workout.

Try a new type of exercise. Introducing a new exercise into your training will ultimately work the body in a new way. Different muscle groups may be called upon to perform, thus, challenging your body to some degree.

Alternate among a variety of exercise routines. You may mix up your routine each day, or you may alternate between one routine one day and another routine the next day. This keeps your body on its toes, so to speak…and, it helps prevent exercise boredom.

Periodically change the location of your workouts. Even a simple change of scenery can keep exercise more exciting. Such a change also has the potential to boost your energy level and improve your training.

Life can be tedious. We often find ourselves in a rut, doing the same things day after day after day. For a more exciting life and better fitness, change your workout routines from time-to-time. Your body and mind will thank you!

The example of Blaise Pascal, the famous French mathematician of 17th century, proves that gambling might be not so much a purpose as means. It can be an excellent exercise for mind, as in case with Pascal and another French mathematician – Fermat, who invented calculations, now known to us as theory of probabilities.

“Theory of probabilities was created when Pascal and Fermat started playing gambling games”, stated one of their contemporaries.

These two scientists did sums on theory of probabilities by correspondence and the relevant material was obtained during their visits to the gambling house at leisure. Later this correspondence resulted in Pascal’s treatise, “completely new composition on accidental combinations which govern the gambling games”.

In his work Pascal almost completely casts out phantoms of luck and chance from gambling games, substituting them with cold statistic calculations based on the arithmetic mind. It’s difficult for us to imagine what riot the invention made among the gamblers. We treat theory of probabilities as something trivial, though only specialists are sound on its details, but everyone understands its main principle. But in the times of the French mathematician, the minds of all gamblers were absorbed with such notions as “divine intent”, “lap of Fortune” and other things that only enhance the obsession by the game adding extra mystical tones to the games. Pascal without any hesitation opposes his thesis to such attitude to the game “Fluctuations of happiness and luck subordinate to considerations based on fairness and which aim irrevocably to give every player what actually is owing to him”.

In Pascal’s hands mathematics became fabulous art of foreseeing. It is more than just amazing that unlike Galileo, the French scientist did not make numerous tiring experiments on multiple throwing dice that tool a great deal of time. In Pascal’s opinion, the unique feature of the art of mathematic consideration compared to the common statistics is that it obtains its results not from the experiments but is based on “mind foreseeing”, i.e. on intellectual definitions. As a result” preciseness of mathematics is combined with uncertainty of chance. Our method borrows its awkward name – “mathematics of chance” from this ambiguity”. Another curious name followed Pascal’s invention – “method of mathematical expectation”.

Staked money, wrote Pascal, no more belonged to gamester. However, losing nth sum of money, players also gain something in return, though most of them do not even guess it. In fact, it is something absolutely virtual, you cannot touch it neither put into your pocket and to notice it – the gambler should possess certain intellectual ability. We are talking about the acquired “right to expect regular gain a chance can give according to the initial terms – stakes”.

Somebody will say that it is not so encouraging. However seeming dryness of this formulation ceases when you just pay your attention to word combination “regular gain”. Expectation of gain turns out to be quite justified and fair. It’s another matter that a more hot-tempered person is more likely to pay his attention to the word “chance” and “can give” (and consequently it might also be otherwise).

Using his method of “mathematical expectation”, the French scientist thoroughly calculates particular values of “right for gain” depending on different initial terms. Thus a completely new definition of right appears in mathematics which differs from the similar definitions of law or ethics.

“Pascal’s triangle” or where theory of probabilities fails.
Pascal summed up the results of these experiments in the form of the so-called arithmetic triangle consisting of numerical numbers. If you can apply it, you can precisely foresee probability of different gains.

For common people “Pascal’s triangle” looked more like magic tables of kabbalists or like a mystic Buddhist mandala. Failure to understand the invention by the illiterate public in 17th century touched the rumour that “Pascal’s triangle” helped to forecast world catastrophes and natural disasters of the remote future. Indeed presentations of theory of probabilities in the form of graphic tables or figures and moreover proved by the real game caused almost religious sensations in uneducated gamblers.

Though we should not mix theory of probabilities with what it is not by its definition. “Pascal’s triangle” fails to foresee the future deal in one particular case. Eyeless destiny governs such things – and Pascal never debated it. Theory of probabilities becomes useful and can be applied only in relation to the long series of chances. Only in this case, number probabilities, series and progressions, constant and known in advance can influence the decision of a clever gambler in favor of a particular stake (card, lead, etc.)

Pascal’s invention is even more amazing if to take into account that its famous triangle was known to Muslim mathematician of certain religious orders many centuries ago. It is absolutely true that European Pascal could not obtain this information from anywhere.

All this once again proves that mathematical patterns of any process are the same regardless of time and space and whims of the so called Fortune. Awareness of this fact enraptured by Pythagoreans, philosophers who deeply and emotionally perceived it at that time.

One to thirty-five.
Pascal more and more often faced similar complications connected with the game that caused controversies in gambling houses and aristocratic mansions in France of that time. Among them there was a problem proposed to young Blaise by one of his aristocratic friends.

The problem concerned dice. It was desired to find how many series of throws is theoretically necessary so that the chances to win (two sixs) will dominate the probability of all other outcomes taken together. All this is not so difficult as a beginner may presume. It is easy to notice that in the game with two bones there are only 36 combinations of numbers and only one gives double six. After such explanation it is clear for any sensible person that with one-time throw there is only one chance to thirty-five to win.

The result of these simple calculations can cast down many fans of dice, but on the other hand, the rapture of those lucky ones throwing double six is staggering. Because they know the exact devil number of opposite outcomes that opposed their luck!

Carpal tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is one of many musculoskeletal injuries listed under the broader terms of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) or Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD). A number of other injuries listed under these terms, but that are not exclusively caused by a repetitive strain injury or cumulative trauma disorder include Guyon’s Syndrome, Tendonitis, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome, Medial and Lateral Epicondylitis and Trigger Finger.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries are caused by excessive overuse of a muscle or group of muscles in a unidirectional movement pattern. Examples would include typing, wringing a washcloth and using a computer mouse. All of the movement patterns involve motion against resistance in one direction – flexion. This one-way motion does not actually have to involve “repetitive” movements as the term “repetitive strain injury” implies, as it is just as common for an individual to become afflicted with a repetitive strain injury while performing activities that involve no movement of the hands at all. Examples of this would include holding onto a steering wheel, gripping a pen or a tool such as a hammer all day. With these types of activities, no repetitive type motion is involved at all, but instead, “static flexion” is utilized, which involves the overuse of these muscles, but in a manner that is stationary.

Since Repetitive strain injuries are most often caused by unidirectional patterns, the best way to counteract each specific overused motion is the implementation of an exercise program that involves the implementation of resistance exercises to the opposing muscle or group of muscles that is being overused. An example training program for carpal tunnel syndrome would include resistance exercises for the muscles that open (extension) the hands in order to counteract the overuse of the muscles that close the hands (flexion). This principal of “balancing” muscles groups so that there is a more natural equality of strength between muscles that surround a specific joint, whether it is the wrist, elbow, shoulder or neck, is basic common sense and integrated into training programs by the top practitioners and therapists in the industry today. Here are a few examples of practitioner responses regarding the implementation of restoring balance between muscle groups in order to prevent and rehabilitate repetitive strain injuries including Carpal tunnel syndrome.

“Muscle balance must be restored with specific exercises. Otherwise, the already strong and overused muscles get stronger, and the weak and underused muscles remain weak. Individuals get good at using the overused muscles and must be trained specifically to recruit and strengthen the weak underused muscles.” Philip E. Higgs, M.D. and Susan E. Mackinnon, M.D. Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Annu. Rev. Med. 1995. 46:1-16

“If certain muscle groups are underused, opposing muscle groups will be overused. Muscles in either a lengthened or shortened position will be at a mechanical disadvantage and weak. The overused group will hypertrophy, and the underused group will continue to be weak. This combination produces a self perpetuating condition that maintains the abnormal posture and muscle imbalance.” Philip E. Higgs, M.D. and Susan E. Mackinnon, M.D. Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. Annu. Rev. Med. 1995. 46:1-16

A strong example of how important it is to properly balance muscle groups is seen in the following statement regarding the balancing of the in the hands and forearms.

“All of the extrinsic hand muscles become involved in a power grip, in proportion to the strength of the grip.”…….. “Strong agonist-antagonist interactions are needed between the flexors and extensors of the hand and fingers to produce forceful hand-grip. Powerful flexion of the distal phalanges requires strong activity also of the finger extensors.” Janet G. Travell, M.D. and David G. Simons, M.D. Myofascial Pain and Dysfunction-The Trigger Point Manual. Volume1 Upper Extremities, Ch:35, pg. 501. Copyright 1983.

Performing corrective exercises in order to prevent and rehabilitate carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive strain injuries is of the utmost importance. In 95% of most cases, there is no need for invasive techniques like cortisone injections or surgery in order to eliminate carpal tunnel or other repetitive strain injuries. It is one thing if you have an actual structural anomaly that needs to be corrected, but since most cases of carpal tunnel and repetitive strain injury occur in later years, it is quite obvious that a physical anomaly does not exist as this would be experienced by the individual in their younger years. Instead a structural or joint imbalance exists that has developed due to long-term overuse, or sudden trauma due to overuse, and is a result of overly strong muscles pulling one direction while the opposing weak muscles try unsuccessfully to counteract and pull the other direction.

Muscle imbalances can be corrected with simple exercises. By performing a sensible, active stretch / exercise program that focuses on keeping muscles balanced, individuals can stay healthy and symptom-free!

NOTE: Be sure to be aware of any pain that is experienced ‘while’ performing stretches or exercises. If pain is experienced while performing any particular motion, stop immediately. Post exercise soreness is normal. Always be sure to consult a physician before beginning any stretch / exercise program.