Back Extensions Exercise

by: John Gibb

If you’re looking for a way to strengthen your lower back, back extensions may be the exercise for you. If you’ve recently injured your back you’ll want to consult your physician before attempting such an exercise. If you find this exercise is a bit too challenging for you at first, you can start out in an incline positioned until you are more comfortable with the exercise. Or, if you find this exercise too easy for you, you can do it in a declined position or use platted weights in front of the chest or behind the neck.

For this exercise you will either need a back extension machine, or a bench that allows you to securely position your feet so that the rest of your body won’t move during the exercise. You will be lying on your front side and everything about an inch below your hips should be on the bench or back extension machine.

From this position fold your arms across your chest. Now, begin the movement by bending at the waist. You should continue this movement until you feel you’ve reached the full motion of your range. This will be different for everyone, so it’s up to you to determine. From here, raise your body back up slowly and hold your body at this position for a second. Repeat this movement to meet your specifications.

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Making time for Exercise

by: Gavin Walsh

By now you know that exercise is good for you, and that you should do something on a regular basis. What’s the best time for you to exercise? Anytime. Honestly. For example, when you’re sitting and watching TV, stretch your muscles. Never stretch so hard it hurts. Rather, stretch to the point of mild tension and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.

A healthy exercise program includes three kinds of exercise: aerobic activity, muscular strengthening and flexibility exercise. You can start your exercise program without investing in any elaborate equipment. For example, you can do simple exercises at home or at your desk at work, including sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups. For basic body weight exercises, weight-lifting equipment isn’t required. Head for the kitchen and pick up the soup cans you have in the cupboard.

AEROBIC ACTIVITY CAN BE FUN

Aerobic activity is defined as prolonged continuous movement of large muscle groups. Translated, that means do something that keeps you moving. Ideally, do it for 20 minutes straight. If you don’t have that much time, two 10-minute aerobic activity sessions will benefit you almost as much. The good thing about aerobic activity is that it includes many of the sports you probably already enjoy. Walking, biking, hiking, dancing, swimming, even basketball are all examples of aerobic exercise.

Another good thing is that you can easily accomplish those two 10-minute sessions with things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking around the neighbourhood after work or parking your car farther away. You could even turn shopping into an aerobic activity. Shopping is walking, so don’t stop for 10 minutes straight and you’ve worked in one of your daily sessions! Check with your local mall for mall walker programs, and you’ll have company. Aerobic exercise is definitely good for cardiovascular health and fitness. And here’s something else you’ll like: Aerobic activity can help you lose fat weight.

PLENTY OF GOOD EXERCISE ALL AROUND THE HOUSE

If you do housework or yard work, you’re doing yourself a favor. The stretching and lifting housework entails is good exercise. So is work you do outside. Yard work uses many muscle groups, especially activities like planting and working in the garden. Raking uses your arm and back muscles. Digging gives your arms and legs a workout. And gardening provides a bonus: You’ll have more fresh vegetables and fruits to add to your diet.

IS ONE TIME BETTER THAN ANOTHER TO EXERCISE?

It’s really up to you. You can exercise in the morning, afternoon or evening. Lunch breaks offer an excellent opportunity to get out of the office and exercise. Use your coffee break to take a short walk around the office. Get rid of the day’s stress by fitting in an exercise session after work. Whatever time you choose, make sure you stick with it. For some people, it’s easier to stay with an exercise program when you do it with a friend or co-worker.

MAKE TIME TO STAY HEALTHY

Exercise is one of the best things you can do for yourself. If you’re basically healthy, get going right now. If you’re 40+ or have any health problems, consult your Doctor first.

About The Author Gavin Walsh is a Fitness Expert based in London, Uk. He runs his own Personal Training and Fitness Consultancy company, www.gavinwalsh.co.uk gavin@gavinwalsh.co.uk

Weight Loss Success Results from Finding the Right Balance of Calories and Exercise

by: Gill Webster

Weight loss is not just about changing what you eat, it's also about adding more exercise activities during your week.

We need to change our eating habits, to stop eating the junk foods and highly processed foods and replace them with good, healthy foods. You need to eat foods that supply you with all the nutrients that are required to keep our bodies healthy.

Before making any changes, I recommend that you start a food and activity journal. In this, you not only write down what you eat, but where, when, and what you were feeling at the time. This will help you will see what triggers your hunger and what satisfies your appetite. What foods do you routinely shop for? What snacks do you keep in the pantry?

Once you start to see patterns in your journal, you're ready to start taking action. But keep in mind that deciding to reduce the calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugar in your diet is a big step, and trying to do that at the same time you endeavour to make a drastic change in your physical activity level, may be biting off too much change at one time. Which, sadly, can set you up for failure. Instead of trying to make all the changes at once, I recommend that you set smaller, more realistic goals for yourself and plan to add in a new challenge each week.

Don't plan to starve yourself, either. This won't help you lose weight. It's much better to eat small, regular meals five or six times a day, so that the body never feels threatened and tempted to hold on to its fat stores. Eating regular meals also helps to maintain your blood sugar at a constant level so that you don't start craving sugary food when your blood sugar levels drop.

Adding fibre to your diet -- such as whole grain cereals, legumes (lentils and beans), vegetables, and fruits -- can help you feel full with fewer calories.

Another great tip: Prepare your meals and snacks at home. This is a great way to save money, eat healthy, and spend time with your family. When preparing meals, choose low-fat/low-calorie versions of your favorite foods.

Snacks can comprise simple of a piece of fresh fruit, cut raw vegetables, or a container of low-fat yogurt. These are portable and an excellent choice to tide you over until mealtimes. Take these snacks with you for a healthy alternative to chips, cookies, or candy.

As I mentioned earlier, weight loss success also requires that you increase your physical activity. Aim for at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate intensity activity for at least three or more days a week. If you are just starting to be physically active, remember that even small increases provide health benefits. Check with your physician first, and then start with a few minutes of activity a day and gradually increase, working your way up to 30 minutes. If you already achieve 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day, you can gain even more health benefits by increasing the amount of time that you are physically active or by taking part in more vigorous-intensity activities.

The balance of calories consumed against your activity level will either cause weight loss or gain. The more calories you eat, the more physical you need to be. For example for every 100 calories you consume and not burn a day, you will gain about 1 pound in a month. That's about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom line is that to lose weight, you must reduce your calories and increase your physical activity.

About The Author Gill Webster is dedicated to helping people, especially women over 40, learn how to live a healthy beautiful life, while succeeding at weight loss. To learn more, jump to http://slimyouwin.com, sign up for her free newsletter on health and fitness and receive her free e-book. Signup is a simple sign and Gill guarantees a no-spam policy!

It’s All About the Calories and Exercising

by: Dennis Watson

Like most people when I was younger it seemed I could eat anything and not really ever gain weight. Well now that I’m in my forties it appears that those undisciplined days are over for good. After doing a little research I’ve come to the conclusion that my lack of activity and slowing metabolism is to blame.

Wanting to lose some weight I went out to look for that magic weight loss plan that would offer a painless process for losing weight. After reading and trying several programs I realized that they all seemed to have the same common theme – lower your caloric intake and get off your butt and do something.

If you need to lose some weight, I recommend that you pay close attention to what you eat during the day. Go ahead and count up all of those calories you take in and calculate how many minutes you exercise. It won’t take very many days for you to figure out that you take in to many calories and don’t exercise enough. Use the information below to help you figure out where you want or need to be.

Calorie Requirements Resting Metabolic Rate represents the minimum energy needs of the body, for day and night with no exercise. Sedentary includes occupations that involve sitting most of the day. Light includes activities, which involve standing most of the day. Moderate may include walking, gardening, and housework. Active includes an occupation that requires manual labor and/or participating in a daily exercise program.

Daily calorie allowance:

Men: Resting -- 12 per lb. body weight. Sedentary -- 16 per lb. body weight. Light-- 18 per lb. body weight. Moderate -- 21 per lb. body weight. Active -- 26 per lb. body weight

Example: I want to reach a weight of 180 lbs, to do so I plan on being moderately active, so my daily caloric intake should be 21 x 180 = 3780 calories per day.

Women: Resting -- 13 per lb. body weight. Sedentary -- 14 per lb. body weight. Light -- 16 per lb. body weight. Moderate -- 18 per lb. body weight. Active -- 22 per lb. body weight

Example: If you want to reach a weight of 130 and maintain that weight and plan on being moderately active, then your caloric intake should be 18 x 130 = 2340 calories per day.

Lastly, no matter what you decide to do go ahead and engage in regular physical activity and reduce sedentary activities to promote health. Good luck!

Copyright 2006 Dennis Watson

About The Author Dennis Watson has been helping others promote their products or services for years through his Free Classifieds website => www.zeoh.com

Controlling Type II Diabetes Through Diet And Exercise

by: Sintilia Miecevole

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.

About The Author Sintilia Miecevole Click on to http://www.fenadiabetes.com to learn about common symptoms, risk factors and treatments of diabetes with your host, Sintilia Miecevole who has put together a vast source of knowledge on the subject. Check out everything from prevention, research and recipes to medicine. Be sure to visit http://www.fenadiabetes.com for more information.

Diabetes Relief And Prevention Through Exercise

by: Patrick Mckeeman

Diabetes is something that can be treated and even prevented very effectively with exercise. Most people are aware of the many other benefits of exercise but the one that could have the greatest impact on the health-care system is the prevention and relief of this health problem.

Diabetes comes in two main types. These are type I and type II.

Type I occurs when your pancreas is producing too little insulin or in some cases not producing any at all. If you already have type I you of course have the daily task of injecting insulin into your body in order to control your glucose levels.

This is not an enjoyable thing to do. If you currently do not have type I diabetes then learn to prevent it through exercise and healthy living. The alternative may be daily injections for the rest of your life.

The second main type of diabetes is known as Type II. Many people also refer to it as adult onset diabetes.

If you are suffering from the symptoms of Type II it's due to you pancreas not being able to make enough insulin to control glucose levels. It can also occur when your cells do not respond properly to insulin.

This is commonly known as insulin resistance.

One of the most effective ways of dealing with insulin resistance is through exercise and good nutritional habits. A large number of people with this type of diabetes are over-weight.

Therefore, weight control is a must. If you are not active, over-eat and become obese, you have a very high risk of being afflicted with type II. In most cases, simply adding in exercise, including both weight training and cardiovascular exercise, along with good eating habits is enough to prevent type II diabetes.

Only in rare cases will this not work, and medication is needed.

With type II diabetes there are a number of other health problems that can then occur, including; high cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Exercise has a very positive effect on Type II for improving insulin sensitivity.

Ninety percent of all people with this health problem actually have type II, and exercise will help your body to process glucose at a quicker rate, lowering any high blood sugar symptoms you may have.

The intensity of your exercise session also plays a role. A more intense exercise program will help your body to utilize glucose quicker. However, high intensity does not mean faster. There is a difference.

Obviously before beginning any type of exercise program, regardless of what type of diabetes you have, you should check with your doctor. There are many differences between exercise for different types of diabetes that you need to be aware of before starting.

There can be certain dangers resulting from injecting insulin just before you begin to exercise. One situation that can occur is the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during the exercise session.

Here are some general rules to keep in mind when exercising if you are type I: allow for enough rest between weight training sets to avoid high blood pressure symptoms; avoid lifting heavy weights or going to failure on each set; when doing cardio, avoid high impact exercises such as running outside; always ensure that you have carbohydrates in your system before you start and a supply of them nearby as well.

You may begin to feel shaky, disoriented, hungry, anxious or become irritable if you allow your blood sugar levels to get too low. Having a carbohydrate snack or drink nearby will help prevent these symptoms very quickly.

Blood glucose analyzers are very effective tools to use when exercising. You can test your blood sugar to ensure it's not at a level below 80 - 100 mg/dl range and not above 250 mg/dl.

During your post-exercise recovery period, around three to five hours after you complete your exercise session, so-called diabetic diets can be beneficial. Diabetic diets should consist of a good amount of carbohydrates to prevent hypoglycemia.

Exercise has its greatest impact on people with type II diabetes because of its positive effects on insulin sensitivity. Proper exercise and sound nutritional habits work considerably well for type II diabetics.

Consistency is critical in the prevention of type II diabetes. You can't expect to exercise now and then, and prevent it. You need to make exercise part of your life if it's going to be effective.

About The Author Patrick Mckeeman has very quick, easy & effective health & fitness solutions for you. For extensive information on diabetes & exercise please go to: http://www.man-health-fitness-solutions.com/diabetes.html

Exercise Bikes – How Far They Have Come

by: Dave Robinson

The exercise bike has long been the type of exercising that people just love to do. Why? It is relatively easy to do and it allows people to exercise at virtually any time, in a number of different ways. It is through these bikes that people can tone muscle or lose weight. They can find an excellent amount of help through these bikes as well. If you are one of the many that love to work hard and want an exercise bike that will work for you, then this may just be the right option to think about. But, wait; did we mention the various types of exercise bikes on the market?

Just Look At The Options!

The exercise bike has really come a long way from the days of a stationary bike that you can ride. They used to be quite similar to those bikes that are rode out of doors, but now they have become complex machines. Now, although you can choose any of the exercise bike options that you find, it is important to realize that the true benefit to the bike comes only from getting on it and getting in that workout. In other words, you need to invest the time in the bike to gain anything from those features.

Some of the features that you will find on exercise bikes are those that will enhance your performance. One of the major problems or differences between the stationary bike and those that are real bikes is that you don’t get the up and down of hills that help to intensify a workout. But, this is possible and does happen when you use an exercise bike that you can tighten and release the tension off of. Also, some exercise bikes can be inclined at different levels to simulate the effects of bike riding.

Exercise bikes can also monitor your performance better. Yes, they can tell you how well you are doing. Many exercise bikes are equipped with mileage counters. Some have calorie burner counters as well. Still others will track your speed. On top of these elements, you will find heart rate monitor bikes that will actually track and monitor your heart’s beat throughout the course. Want to analyze this data? Some exercise bikes will allow you to download the information to your computer or will allow you to track and use it right on the bike.

Just remember, as much as you want to have these excellent features, you have to commit to the exercise as well. That means that you have to get on the bike and get the workout done, regularly because if you don’t nothing is gained. Take some time to find just the right features and priced exercise bike for you and get to working out! If you use your exercise bike fully and regularly, then you will reap the rewards of increased health and wellness that loss of weight and increased muscle tone can do for you.

About The Author Dave Robinson For more information on exercise bikes visit our site: http://www.fitnessbuff.info. You'll also find other great fitness related information and tips.