Did you know that Americans spend over 33 BILLION dollars a year on weight reduction products? This includes diet foods, drinks and pills. Any way you look at it, that’s a ton of money being spent on trying to get thin.

Diet pills can have their place in the quest for a slimmer body. It’s important to note that diet pills should be considered an adjunct to your overall weight loss program. A diet pill is not a magic solution that you take once or twice a day that allows you to eat anything you want.

Two key components will help you if you choose diet pills to help your weight loss efforts. Read the rest of this entry »

Gaining muscle is not tricky, but the process is often misunderstood.   Exercise experts consistently name certain habits as the top three ways to gain muscle.   If you want to gain muscle keep these three in mind: 1. Rest and recovery, 2. Exercise intensity, 3. Proper nutrition.

Rest and Recovery

Many people attempt to put on muscle by starting a weight lifting program full-steam ahead; they think the more often they lift and the more weight they heft, the quicker they will see results.  Experts caution that this is counterproductive, since it goes against the principle of muscle building. Read the rest of this entry »

Ali Vincent is a household name, but that wasn’t always the case. She’s a 32-year old hairdresser, and the winner of the Biggest Loser, Season 5. Ali started the contest at 234 lbs. She was voted off the show in week four, but was brought back to finish the competition. Her final weight was recorded at 122 lbs. She lost a total of 112 lbs, accounting for almost 48% of her body weight.

After Ali was voted off, she continued to work out at home. During that time she lost 33 pounds on her own. For the final six weeks of the contest, Ali followed a strict regimen, consisting of running, swimming, hiking and biking. She worked out with her trainer for 8-10 hours per day. Her goal was to be the first female Biggest Loser winner, and she succeeded. Read the rest of this entry »

Gerard Butler isn’t a warrior, but he had to learn how to become one for the movie 300. Preparation for his role as King Leonidas took four months of intense training. When he was awarded the role, he was in average physical shape. This role was so intense that he had to “become” Leonidas, both physically and mentally.  

Butler hired Mark Twight, a top mountain climber, to get him in warrior shape. Twight created the “300-rep Spartan Workout”.  

Without rest between sets, Butler performs the following:  Read the rest of this entry »

Cellulite for some people, is like an unwanted visitor that won’t go away. No matter how much you starve yourself or exercise, it seems the dimply areas in your thighs and buttocks are there to stay. Losing it may be difficult because you subscribe to the tall tales attributed to cellulite. Here are some of them.

Only overweight people can get cellulite.

This is very untrue. To understand why, you need to identify the nature of cellulite. It is not normal fat, but a mixture of fat, water and toxic substances that should have been expelled from your body. Instead, it forms into a fatty tissue that gets trapped in spaces between your septa - or connective tissues. Because of this, cellulite is harder to remove. Some women have a genetic predisposition to be more susceptible to cellulite, so even if you’re fit and slender, you might still end up with cellulite.

Cellulite is only found on your buttocks and thighs.

Read the rest of this entry »

A healthy diet improves overall health, but can foods really fight disease?  Researchers say the answer is a resounding yes!  Among your many healthy choices, include these five foods that fight disease: pomegranates, garlic, olive oil, fish containing omega 3 fatty acids, and nuts.

Pomegranates

Pomegranates are rich in disease-fighting anti-oxidants. This unusual red fruit with the “seedy” reputation may fight cancer, osteoarthritis, and heart disease.  Puns aside, the pomegranate has been renowned as a healthy food since ancient times, but some are put off by its many seeds. Read the rest of this entry »

Most of us know the importance of good workout equipment (efficient stationary bike, easy to handle weights, etc), but how many of us consider the importance of what we wear while working out? Shoes are the most important part of your exercise attire. During a cardiovascular workout your feet will be taking most of pounding so it is vital that they are properly protected.

Know Your Foot Type

When buying athletic shoes you must consider your foot type, as well as the type of exercise you will be doing. There are three basic foot types: the normal foot with an average arch, the flat foot with a low arch, and the foot with a high arch. Each of these types needs a different amount of support. Read the rest of this entry »

Massage therapy is one of the oldest healing arts mankind has ever known, with known documents dating back more than three thousand years. Accepted into today’s modern medicine arena for many physical rehabilitation programs, the benefits of massage are in no way limited to re-hab.

There are numerous chronic conditions that can be greatly helped with massage therapy, including diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, arthritis, fatigue, and infertility, along with many others. Massage also relieves one of the leading causes of illness and disease – stress.

Did you know that almost 90% of disease is related to stress? In addition, stress ages the body faster than nearly anything else you can think of. There’s not much you can do to totally eliminate the tension and pressure of our fast-paced lifestyle, but massage therapy can definitely help you reduce the amount in your own personal life.

With regular massage, you can more easily handle the day-to-day stress you encounter. You’ll enjoy the benefits of massage, such as better sleep, more energy, less anxiety, better circulation, and an increase in your ability to concentrate.

In general, massage therapy accomplishes all this by manipulating soft tissues in the body in a variety of ways, all of which ultimately achieve the same goals of increasing total body circulation and decreasing stress and fatigue. There are over 250 variations of massage therapy and each one utilizes different techniques or a combination of techniques to obtain the desired results.

Some techniques use the application of lotions, oils or powders that all help to reduce friction on the skin. Tissue manipulation can be accomplished in a number of ways, including kneading, rocking, applying pressure, tapping and vibrating, to name just a few. There are other techniques used, depending on the style of therapy involved.

Swedish massage is probably the most common type of massage therapy and is typically the one referred to when people mention ‘getting a massage’. Swedish massage therapists use long stroking motions, circular motions, and kneading movements to relax muscle tissue.

Using certain plant oils as part of the massage is called aromatherapy, which involves oils that are specifically selected to achieve particular results, such as relaxation, stress reduction, or increasing energy. Lavender oil is widely used in this practice for its calming properties.

Hot stone massage uses the application of smooth, heated stones placed on various points to the body to help loosen and relax tight muscles. Some therapists apply pressure to the body using the warm stones. This type of massage therapy is good for people who want a light massage, but have a lot of muscle tension.

Deep tissue massage is a more aggressive therapy, useful for people who have chronic pain or tension in their muscles, problems with posture, or those recovering from injury. In this type of massage, the deep muscle layers are targeted and it’s common to feel sore for a day or two following the massage.

Another popular massage therapy is Shiatsu, which involves the therapist using their fingertips to apply pressure to various points on the body for several seconds. This is done to help the body become more balanced and increase the flow of energy throughout the entire body. Shiatsu massage is relaxing, even though pressure is firmly applied, and normally there is no pain or soreness following the massage.

We’re repeatedly told that a healthy lifestyle involves regular exercise. If you suffer from Fibromyalgia, you may think, based on the previous statement, that a healthy lifestyle is unattainable for you. If you feel this way, this article will give you information to show you that a healthy lifestyle, including exercise, is absolutely possible.

Many people who live with Fibromyalgia don’t exercise; they know just getting out of bed can be painful and performing normal daily chores can drain every ounce of energy from their body. Some have described it as feeling like having the flu everyday. The thought of exercising when they can’t even finish simple tasks seems ridiculous.

Fibromyalgia is not really a disease, but a syndrome, with multiple symptoms; from muscle spasms and fatigue, to stiffness and aching, painful muscles throughout the body. Medical professionals have been unable to pinpoint the exact cause of fibromyalgia and treatment focuses mainly on alleviating the symptoms. People afflicted with the syndrome suffer not only physically, but often have difficulty sleeping and concentrating and also suffer emotional strain, often leading to depression.

How Does Exercise Help?

At first, it may seem that victims of Fibromyalgia should conserve all their energy and not put any additional stress on the body. The fear of aggravating their symptoms is what keeps many from attempting exercise. But the reality is that exercise could actually help them feel better.

Exercise, done properly, can curtail the degeneration of muscular tissue and the loss of function that frequently accompanies it. Exercise also helps restore good posture, improves muscle tightness, and increase range of motion. An added benefit of regular physical activity is the positive effect it has on mood and emotion, often lifting the fog of depression under which many chronic pain sufferers live.

How to Get Started

The secret to successful exercising with Fibromyalgia is to start slowly. This is important for anyone beginning an exercise program, but even more so for those who have been inactive for long periods of time. Exercise will help relieve your symptoms, but overdoing it too quickly could make them worse.

Only do what you can do, for as long as you can do it. If five minutes, or even three minutes, is all you’re able to do at first, that’s fine. The important thing is to get started and remain consistent. Try to exercise three or four times a week at first, increasing each session by one minute every three days or so. Gradually work your way up to being able to exercise 20-30 minutes at each session.

Start with mild to moderate exercise, such as low impact aerobics; this includes water aerobics, swimming, biking, or walking. Fibromyalgia patients benefit from this type of exercise because it gently increases their strength and endurance.

Other types of exercises which are most often recommended for people with Fibromyalgia include strength training, to help build up weakened muscles and stretching, which helps reduce muscle spasms and ease muscle tension.

When you’re able to exercise for 30 minutes at a time, slowly begin to increase the intensity of your workout. Spend the same amount of time, but walk a bit faster, or bike or swim harder. Eventually you should be able to gradually increase the number of times you exercise each week until you reach the point you’re exercising five to seven times a week. You’ll begin to look better and develop a healthy glow, but more importantly, you’ll begin to feel refreshed and renewed.