Easy Fitness Tips for People Who Are Very Busy

If you're crunched for time, here are some quick and easy fitness ideas that you can include in your daily routine.

Being healthy isn't just about hitting the gym for hours everyday, or being able to fit in your jeans. Regular exercise has many more benefits - lower risk of ailments such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetics, colon cancer and depression, as well as increased bone strength, higher energy levels,physical attraction and an overall sense of well being. So now keep on reading the fitness tips.

Instead of spending one hour to the gym, do six 10-minute workout sessions throughout the day. Try some slow stretches, leg crunches or lunges when you get up in the morning, during short breaks at work or while you are watching your favourite show at T.V.

For more information on exercises don't forget to visit our Exercise Directory.
Fitness tip # 2 - Walk yourself

Take a quick watch around the neighborhood before breakfast or after dinner. Even small increments of daily activity can burn body fat. Walking not only tones your hips, legs and lower back muscles, but also keeps you energized throughout the day.
Fitness tip # 3 - Do a jumping jack with skipping rope

Borrow a skipping rope and start jumping. You will be loosing as much as 70 to 110 calories in only 10 minutes.
Fitness tip # 4 - Drink a lot of water

Dehydration will hinder your aerobic performance, so no amount of working out is going to help if you are not drinking enough fluid. Water helps you burn calories and digest fat, and most importantly, it detoxifies you system.
Fitness tip # 5 - Fire the maid

Studies suggest that women today are more overweight and less fit that women in the 50's. That's because we depend more on electronic appliances then doing work ourselves. Simple daily chores burn a large amount of calories. In fact, vacuuming for an hour burns 90 calories, gardening will kill 150 calories and cooking can actually burn up to 160 calories!
Fitness tip # 6 - Get outdoors

In your leisure times, opt for activities that excite you. Go to the park, walk the dog, plan picnics or do something more adventurous like hiking, rock-climbing paddle boating or scuba diving.
Fitness tip # 7 - Work it off

Do some exercises at work too. Next time you find yourself picking up the phone to call a colleague, walk down to her office instead. Or if you are in the mood for a cup of coffee, go out and get it yourself.
Fitness tip # 8 - Become the delivery person

Forget internet shopping and ordering in. If you feel like grabbing a sandwich, walk to a nearest cafe instead of ordering on the phone. Similarly, if you need books or DVD's, walk down to the store and get whatever you need.
Fitness tip # 9 - Hide the remote

Don't be a channel-flicking couch potato. Ask someone to hide the remote so that whenever you need to use it, you'll have to go dig it out. Better yet, if you are spending more then half an hour parked in front of T.V., use a treadmill or stationary bike while you are at it.
Fitness tip # 10 - Use the stairs

If you are at work or at shopping mall, avoid taking the elevator. Opt for the stairs. Climbing up the stairs adds strength to your leg muscles and gives you a cardiovascular workout. Climbing down the stairs builds strength in the quadriceps and hamstrings. To burn over 200 calories at once, run up and down a flight of stairs as fast as you can. Two at a time if you are particularly brave. Do this everyday in five-minute sessions.
Fitness tip # 11 - Make it family time

Try to get your spouse and your kids to work out with you. Play catch or frisbee with your kids, make fake microphones and dance to some music, or even run alongside your children as they learn to ride a bike. In fact, a recent study in Canada suggests that if you are active, your children are 6-times more likely to be active too.
Fitness tip # 12 - Learn the alphabet

For flexible ankles, trace the alphabet with your toes. Do this with both feet, one after the other. This is something that can be done anywhere - while waiting for someone, working on your computer or lying down on the couch.
Fitness tip # 13 - Pick up the pace

Whatever you're doing do it faster. So if you're washing clothes, folding clothes, vacuuming the house or washing the car, speed it up just a notch. Just don't try it when slicing vegetables!
Fitness tip # 14 - Meet up with friends while doing exercise

Instead of catching up over a cup of coffee, do it while playing tennis, taking aerobics lessons or learning salsa. Meet a couple of friends a few times a week and combine socializing with exercise.
Fitness tip # 15 - Tone your legs

If you spend a lot of time sitting and working, you can try some leg exercises. Stretch out your toes forward and out slowly, away from your body, till you begin to feel a slight tension. Hold your position like that for half a minute. You could also try tightening your buttocks, rolling your neck 20-times in each direction, extending your arms over your head as much as possible and stretching or flexing your feet and ankles.

Read More

9 Reasons to Drink Green Tea Daily

Have you been wondering “what’s all the fuss about green tea?” Now you can stop wondering and start drinking…green tea, that is. This flavorful beverage offers many health benefits to anyone who drinks it regularly. Green tea contains a potent plant nutrient known as epigallocatechin gallate, or EGCG, for short. But don’t fret, you don’t have to keep track of its chemical name to reap the health benefits. Here are 9 reasons to start drinking green tea or continue drinking it if you’re already hooked.

1. Green tea is a superb fat fighter. Its active ingredient, EGCG, increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body.

2. It targets belly fat. Research at Tufts University indicates that EGCG in green tea, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77 percent.

3. It keeps energy stable by balancing blood sugar levels. EGCG improves insulin use in the body to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability, and cravings for unhealthy foods.

4. Research shows it may be helpful against lung cancer. In Study published in Cancer Prevention Research, EGCG was found to suppress lung cancer cell growth.

5. It may halt colorectal cancer. In numerous other studies, EGCG appears to inhibit colorectal cancers.

6. In research it appears to cause prostate cancer cells to commit suicide. A March 2010 study in Cancer Science indicated that EGCG aids the body by causing prostate cancer cells to commit suicide.

7. It may prevent skin damage and wrinkling. EGCG appears to be 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at destroying skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals react with healthy cells in the body, causing damage so lessening their numbers may help reduce wrinkling and other signs of aging.

8. It contains a potent antioxidant that kills free radicals. Because it is a potent antioxidant it can positively impact a lot more than skin cells. Free radicals are increasingly linked to many serious chronic illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.

9. It tastes good. If you’re not wild about the flavor, try a few different kinds. Try it iced or hot. Add some of the natural herb stevia to sweeten it if you want a sweeter drink. I wasn’t crazy about green tea the first few times I tried it, but now I love it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a few drops of stevia over ice–et voila! Green tea lemonade. Mmmmm.

Reap the Rewards

Add one or two teaspoons of green tea leaves to a cup of boiling water, preferably in a tea strainer. Let steep for five minutes. Pour over ice if you prefer a cold beverage. Most experts recommend three cups daily. And, don’t worry it contains a lot less caffeine than coffee or black tea.

Read More

Drinking water before meals helps weight loss

NEW YORK: Drinking two glasses of water before each meal may help you lose weight, according to a new study presented Monday at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston.
Obese dieters who drank two 8-ounce glasses of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner lost five pounds more than dieters who didn’t increase their water intake. Those who drank more water also kept more of the weight off after a year, said Brenda Davy, an associate professor at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
The study included only middle-aged and older adults between the ages of 55 and 75 who were on diet – 1,200 calories per day for women and 1,500 calories per day for men. Half of the people were told to drink 16 ounces of water before every meal. After three months, the dieters who drank water had lost an average of about 15.5 pounds, while those who didn’t lost just 11 pounds.

Read More

Skipping Breakfast bad for teeth

Kids who skip breakfast have a more than 250 percent increased risk for developing tooth decay, according to a study of more than 4,000 children aged 2 through 5 years published in the January 2004 Journal of the American Dental Association. This dramatic effect was demonstrated in affluent families across America. Even those who ate sugary, junk food cereal for breakfast (not what I would suggest!) were far less likely to develop cavities than those who skipped breakfast entirely.
In our rushed modern lifestyle, many children miss out on breakfast, leaving their bodies hungry even when they are not aware of it.
We’ve known for a while that eating breakfast has many health benefits, including better school performance and a lower risk of obesity. And teens who skip breakfast tend to smoke more, weight more, and drink more. Now we know that eating breakfast can protect the teeth as well.
In addition, children in this study who ate five servings a day of fruits and vegetables had dramatically healthier teeth than their peers. What and when we eat can help build healthy smiles.

Read More

Information about Heart Attack

Heart Attack

Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to a section of heart muscle becomes blocked. If the flow of blood isn’t restored quickly, the section of heart muscle becomes damaged from lack of oxygen and begins to die.

Heart attack is a leading killer of both men and women in the United States. But fortunately, today there are excellent treatments for heart attack that can save lives and prevent disabilities. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms. If you think you or someone you’re with is having a heart attack, call 9–1–1 right away.

Overview
Heart attacks occur most often as a result of a condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). In CAD, a fatty material called plaque (plak) builds up over many years on the inside walls of the coronary arteries (the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to your heart). Eventually, an area of plaque can rupture, causing a blood clot to form on the surface of the plaque. If the clot becomes large enough, it can mostly or completely block the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the part of the heart muscle fed by the artery.

Figure A is an overview of a heart and coronary artery showing damage (dead heart muscle) caused by a heart attack. Figure B is a cross-section of the coronary artery with plaque buildup and a blood clot.

During a heart attack, if the blockage in the coronary artery isn’t treated quickly, the heart muscle will begin to die and be replaced by scar tissue. This heart damage may not be obvious, or it may cause severe or long-lasting problems.

Severe problems linked to heart attack can include heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats). Heart failure is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood throughout the body. Ventricular fibrillation is a serious arrhythmia that can cause death if not treated quickly.


Get Help Quickly
Acting fast at the first sign of heart attack symptoms can save your life and limit damage to your heart. Treatment is most effective when started within 1 hour of the beginning of symptoms.

The most common heart attack signs and symptoms are:

Chest discomfort or pain—uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that can be mild or strong. This discomfort or pain lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.

Upper body discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.

Shortness of breath may occur with or before chest discomfort.

Other signs include nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), vomiting, lightheadedness or fainting, or breaking out in a cold sweat.

If you think you or someone you know may be having a heart attack:
 start of symptoms.
If your symptoms stop completely in less than 5 minutes, still call your doctor.

Only take an ambulance to the hospital. Going in a private car can delay treatment.

Take a nitroglycerin pill if your doctor has prescribed this type of medicine.

Outlook
Each year, about 1.1 million people in the United States have heart attacks, and almost half of them die. CAD, which often results in a heart attack, is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States.

Many more people could recover from heart attacks if they got help faster. Of the people who die from heart attacks, about half die within an hour of the first symptoms and before they reach the hospital.
 The heart is a muscle like any other in the body. It needs blood flow to supply oxygen to allow it to do work. When there isn't enough oxygen, the muscle starts to suffer, and when there is no oxygen, the muscle starts to die.

Heart muscle gets its blood supply from arteries that start in the aorta and run on the surface of the heart, known as the coronary arteries. The right coronary artery supplies the right ventricle of the heart and the inferior (lower) portion of the left ventricle. The left anterior descending coronary artery supplies the majority of the left ventricle, while the circumflex artery supplies the back of the left ventricle. 

Over time, cholesterol buildup can occur in these blood vessels in the form of plaque. This narrows the artery and can restrict the amount of blood that can flow through it. If the artery becomes too narrow, it cannot supply enough blood to the heart muscle when it becomes stressed. Just like arm muscles that begin to hurt if you lift too much, or legs that ache when you run too fast; the heart muscle will ache if it doesn't get adequate blood supply. This ache is called angina.

If the plaque ruptures, a small blood clot can form within the blood vessel and acutely block the blood flow. When that part of the heart loses its blood supply completely, the muscle dies. This is called a heart attack, or an MI - a myocardial infarction (myo=muscle +cardial=heart; infarction=death due to lack of oxygen).

Read More

Chocolate Helps Lower Blood Pressure

High blood pressure is a significant concern as it significantly raises the incidence of vascular disease and stroke. As a result of stress, poor diet and lifestyle, enzymes in our body produce a substance known as angiotensin II that causes blood vessels to narrow and blood pressure to increase. Standard medical practice is to prescribe ACE inhibitors to inhibit the action of these enzymes, often with mixed results and always dangerous side effects. Researchers have now confirmed that natural flavanols found in cacao from chocolate can lower blood pressure as effectively as the Big Pharma solutions.

Natural Flavanols from Cacao Effectively Regulate Blood Pressure
Researchers have known for some time that the active catechins and procyanidines in many fruits, vegetables and green tea promote health and protect against disease through a variety of biochemical mechanisms. The results of a study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology explains how flavanols from cacao and dark chocolate inhibit the action of angiotensin to influence the body’s fluid balance and effectively regulate blood pressure.

Study Demonstrates Blood Pressure Lowering Effect of ChocolateResearchers have known for some time that the active catechins and procyanidines in many fruits, vegetables and green tea promote health and protect against disease through a variety of biochemical mechanisms. The results of a study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology explains how flavanols from cacao and dark chocolate inhibit the action of angiotensin to influence the body’s fluid balance and effectively regulate blood pressure.

The study involved ten men and six women aged 20 to 45 who were fed 75 grams of unsweetened chocolate with a cacao content of 72%. Blood samples were taken before and again after eating the sample chocolate to analyze the activity of the ACE enzyme. Researchers were amazed to find that the enzyme activity was reduced by 18%, effectively lowering dangerous blood pressure as well or even better than many pharmaceuticals.

The lead author concluded, “Our findings indicate that changes in lifestyle with the help of foods that contain large concentrations of catechins and procyaninides prevent cardiovascular diseases.” It`s important to note that the results were produced using unsweetened cacao as found in many specialty dark chocolates. The same benefits would not be conferred with commonly available sweetened milk chocolate and semi-sweet varieties.

Flavanols From Chocolate Increases Nitric Oxide, Relaxes Blood Vessels
Information reported in the journal BMC Medicine combines the results of 15 independent studies on the vessel dilating effects of flavanols from chocolate. Researchers found that moderate consumption of chocolate with a high percentage of cacao showed significant blood pressure reduction in people with high blood pressure, and no effect on individuals with normal pressure readings. Flavanols increase the natural formation of endothelial nitric oxide that exhibits a relaxing effect on blood vessel walls and lowered blood pressure.

Cacao from chocolate is shown to be yet another example of how a natural compound can promote health and prevent disease. Flavanols and catechins are chemical compounds found in unprocessed foods that are essential to human health. When consumed or supplemented as part of a whole food diet they demonstrate reduced risk of disease without the damaging side effects commonly seen with pharmaceuticals.

Read More

Right time to drink water when it affects better on body.

>> 1 glass after waking up in the morning, helps in activating internal organs.

>> 1 glass after taking bath, decreases blood pressure.

>> 2 glass before eating meal helps in digest system.

>> Half glass of water  before sleeping, helps to avoid heart attack and brain strokes.

Right time to drink water when it affects better on body.

Do you drink water at these times??

Read More

Swine Flu - Symptoms + Protection ..

Swine influenza, also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus (SIV) or S-OIV (swine-origin influenza virus) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3.

 

Symptoms :

According to the CDC, like seasonal flu, symptoms of swine flu infections can include:

• fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
• cough
• runny nose or stuffy nose
• sore throat
• body aches
• headache
• chills
• fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
• diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu 

Prevention : 

- Use antibacterial wipes to wipe your keyboard, phones or anything that a lot of people use
- Wash your hands with soap and water
- Generally be clean, basic good hygiene helps a lot
- Stay away from sick people
- Cover your nose and mouth with disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing.
- Dispose off used tissues properly immediately after use.
- Regularly wash hands with soap and water.
- If you have flu-like symptoms, seek medical advice immediately.
- If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home from work, school or crowded places.
- Avoid hugging, kissing and shaking hands when greeting.
- Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.


Hot Searches : swine flu , flu prevention , get treatment of swine flu , swine flu symptoms , prevent swine flu

Read More

How to look good in 10 minutes

Unless you happen to be a goth with hair extensions as long as Jane Seymour's tresses or you're sporting a modern-day mullet that requires two hours of tweaking and gelling, technically there's no reason why guys should have to spend hours in the bathroom to look appealing.

Some cosmetic remedies may require a previous night's preparation but most of these tips relate to activities in the bathroom, before or after a shower.

Facial exercises 

It might not look the most attractive, pulling the kind of gurning expressions that win toothless old codgers prizes at country fetes - but just a few minutes of facial acrobatics every morning can do more wonders than plastic surgery.

Specific expressions involving pushing the head back and opening and closing the mouth while extending the tongue back and forth, helps tighten up the saggiest of double chins.

Also repeat widening of the mouth, smiling like Batman's arch enemy and returning to a tight kissing position - up to 20 times - will help give your jaw line greater definition. Impatient readers take note, you need to be doing this for at least four weeks.

Self-tan without orange

A range of reasonable inexpensive self-tanning moisturisers such as Dove's Summer Glow gives the illusion of radiance and health - particularly beneficial if you've got the lifestyle of a burger-munching dipsomaniac who avoids fruit and veg.

The only trick is to apply carefully with attention to areas of the neck and jaw-line that are prone to displaying tan lines, hence giving the cunning game away. Wait 10 minutes before dressing and Bingo, you have a natural sun-kissed complexion without the pain of sunbathing or risking damage to the skin.

Ice-cold water rush 

Do any of you recall the opening scenes of the movie Mommie Dearest where Faye Dunaway, playing Hollywood queen Joan Crawford, dips her face in a bowl of ice?

OK, maybe not, but for the record it's worth noting that an icy cold water-wash first thing will have more effect than a lorry-load of Botox.

The late Paul Newman also admitted to immersing his chiselled matinee-idol looks in a sink of iced water to start the day. It might not be the most comfortable of morning pick-me-ups but it'll wake up your nerve endings better than a mug of Arabica coffee.

Moisturise

It's simple, it's quick and it'll save you premature lines and cultivating a skin that could give a Nile river crocodile a run for its money. Today there's an abundance of different types of male creams, most with UVA protection and ones that treat different problems such as 'anti-tightness' to dry skin and eczema.

L'Oréal have one of the most extensive and modestly priced ranges for men - including a 'wrinkle decrease' product - because let's face it, you're worth it! Even if you've never so much as splashed Brut on your chops as part of a daily grooming routine, it's never too late to start re-conditioning your skin and make yourself look more radiant.

Wedding tackle trimming

As glamour models and porn stars are influencing women about how they should look between the legs, a whole new culture of pubic landscaping has developed. Equally guys shouldn't be too cavalier in that department too. Let's face it, would you like to nose dive into a genital version of the Borneo Jungle? A shaved or trimmed nether region can be both aesthetically pleasing as well as less rough and off putting to touch.

Electric or battery shavers may sound less scary when focusing on such a tender area but the most sensible and functional way to carry out 'todger and sack' depilation is to use a fresh razor, plenty of shaving foam or gel and shear your coconuts under a warm shower faucet. Please note, take good care not to shave your sensitive undercarriage as if it's Bill Sykes' five o'clock shadow jaw-line.

Trimming and tweaking

There can't be anything more off putting to the fairer sex than the sight of a guy's eyebrows that look as if he's auditioning for a werewolf movie. Remember Dennis 'Silly Billy' Healey's magnificent eyebrow bushes?

The most painless way to deal with stray eyebrow hairs that resemble Spaghetti Junction is to take a comb, brush it along the top of the eyebrows and then use a small electric clipper to mow away the offending stalks.

If you have to resort to tweezers then rub Vaseline or cold cream on the eyebrows to reduce painful pulling from the roots. Wipe with a paper towel to get rid of grease residue. Be careful not to overdo eyebrow plucking or you'll resemble David Guest. Duration 30 seconds to two minutes max.

Eye bags

Forget the expensive eye creams that now target the male grooming market. A cheaper and equally effective method to reducing dark circles and eye bags - particularly after a boozy night - is to place chilled tea bags on the eyes for five minutes.

The tannins in the tea help plump out lines and reduce puffiness. To make sure you have a ready supply of the little wonders simply make a pot of tea the night before and then drain and place the tea bags in a bowl in the fridge.

Express exercise

No one's asking you to don lycra and engage in a spot of pilates just before you rush out for work - but a couple of minutes of stretching will fire up the endorphins and give you greater energy. Which in turn helps brighten up a tired, sallow-looking face.

Touching the toes several (20) times and similarly doing the same amount of 'windmill swings' with the arms is all you require to maintain a degree of suppleness and alleviate rustiness rather than feeling like the Tin Man without a can of oil.

Combine these exercises with your morning facial contortions and you'll be knocking back the years in no time. A little vigorous exercise every morning rather than two hours once week is more effective and manageable.

Dying hair

There's nothing worse than an obvious paint job on the nut, which tends to age guys more than their actual years and has them looking like some hideous Dirk Bogarde look-a-like from Death in Venice.

Some guys prefer to let nature take its course and many women love the 'salt and pepper' look, which gives the illusion of wisdom!

But if you must take to the bottle then try the range where the process leaves a touch of grey. Rather than risk looking like Ronald Reagan with a tacky jet-black spray job, choose a lighter colour to mask unwanted greyness. Most of the quick hair dye applications such as the Just For Men range take little more than five minutes.

Haircut

One thing guys can be grateful for compared to the opposite sex is not feeling the social pressure to have a hairstyle that makes a statement and costs an arm and a leg.

You can't go wrong with a classic short cut, which takes little more than 20 minutes at the barber.

In the morning it really is a case of wash and go. But even if you sport a sexy no 1 or short crop made by clippers be careful that you don't leave your head looking like one big fluffy pipe cleaner. Short hair still needs conditioning and a dab of wax or hair gel will enhance the cut and look groomed.

Read More

Four mens fitness goals for 2011

It's often said that men are goal-centred. We like to have something to work towards, a marker that we can say we have met.

That's why saying, "I'm going to start running" or "I'm going to tone up" rarely works for us. There's nothing concrete to aim for. If we want to be fitter, slimmer or healthier in 2011, we have to set targets.

With that in mind, here are some realistic fitness goals for men for the coming year, with expert advice on how to achieve them. It's not good enough, of course, to reach a goal and then stop. Once you've achieved one target, set another for a few months down the line, even if it's just to repeat the feat (be it a 10k race or a charity bike ride).

And remember, if you want to invent your own fitness goals, many of the same principles apply. But make 2011 the year you really do get fitter, rather than just another year of talking about it.

I want to run 10k by July

A 10k run is perfect. It will test you, you'll need to train for it, but it's eminently do-able in six months or so, even if you've never run for exercise before (oh, and as with all these goals, have a word with the GP before you start, just to be on the safe side).

"10k is a perfect goal," says personal trainer Graeme Hilditch, author of The Marathon and Half Marathon: A Training Guide. "It's far enough for you to have to put the training in, but not so far that your whole life is dominated by pounding the pavements."

The other good thing is that there are lots of 10k runs in the summer, so sign up for one as soon as you can to give an extra incentive to your training. Also, get decent shoes from a good running shop that can measure your 'running gait'.

As far as training goes, start slowly - just a 10-minute jog three times a week if that's all you can manage - and build gradually. "It's so important to take your time and increase your running mileage slowly," says Hilditch. "Increasing your mileage too quickly more often than not results in injury."

Sometimes less is more. If you don't feel you can add extra time or distance to your run for a week or two, don't see it as a failure. Your body is simply adjusting to a brand new exercise routine.

Take it steadily and keep going, and it won't be long before your fitness improves, your muscles adjust to the new regime and 10k no longer seems such a daunting distance.

I want to cycle 30 miles for charity in September

As Graeme Hilditch says, "if the thought of running makes you cringe or you don't think your knees are up to it, then a cycling challenge is a perfect alternative."

In many ways, cycling is ideal. Most of us cycled as kids, and most of us remember it as a lot of fun. While running can seem like a slog when you haven't done it before, getting on a bike is an easier sell.

So - first off - always wear a helmet and make sure your bike is in good condition.

And then remember that, on the flat, unless you're cycling very quickly, it won't be as labour intensive as running, so you may have to do more of it.

"Try and stick to a regular training schedule of two to three rides a week in the early stages as you build your fitness levels, eventually upping it to four or even five rides," says Hilditch. Try to make sure you've almost covered the distance at least once or twice before the event.

"Feel free to alternate between the road bike and the gym bike - variety is the spice of life after all! Try and include plenty of hills on your rides too - they are great to build leg strength and will do wonders for your fitness levels."

I want to swim a mile by March

Swimming is excellent exercise, and swimming a mile is a challenging but achievable goal for the first quarter of 2011.

One factor to note is that, unlike running or cycling, you can't set off from your front door. Going swimming takes a bit more planning, and you might not be able to do it as regularly. But if you can swim two or three times a week, you can certainly reach your goal by the summer.

One problem with swimming lengths is that it can become a bit boring. "For the best results and to keep training interesting, you don't want every session to be the same so try to do something a little different every time you swim," says Hilditch.

"For example, make one swim an 'endurance' swim and aim to swim non-stop for a certain number of lengths or specific time. For another session, you can do intervals, so aim to swim two lengths quickly, then rest for two minutes and do another two lengths."

Do this 10 times, he adds, and your swimming fitness will grow beyond recognition. For the third session, you could combine the two sessions together and aim to swim for 20 minutes non-stop, but swimming a fast length every now and again.

I want to lose weight for the beach!

You may well want to look good on the beach, but just saying it won't be enough. According to Michael Betts, Education Director of fitness fx Limited, to achieve any fitness goal you have to work "SMART".

And by SMART he means that your goals have to be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely.

"It's no good saying you want to lose weight," he says. "You want to know exactly how much weight you want to lose."

 And not only that, you have to set a time to lose the weight by and make sure it's realistic.

After that, says Betts, break your specific main goal (to lose two stone by the time you fly off in August, say) into a series of smaller goals, for each week and each work out. "Setting goals in this way not only keeps you focused on your final goal, it gives you the feeling of success, one of the greatest motivators of all."

A weekly goal might be to go to the gym four times. A daily goal might be to work out for an hour. And an immediate goal might be to spend 15 minutes on the treadmill without a break. As you complete each goal, you get a sense of progress. As you get fitter, you can make immediate goals more challenging, or add 10 minutes to a workout.

That way, you motivate yourself to keep going. And if you keep going from now until August, you're pretty much guaranteed to look good on the beach.

Read More

How to Handle Brain Tumor::Health

How to Handle Brain Tumor::Health

Tumor in brain is a complicated problem, so its handling requires manager team consisting of several expert-usually led by a neurosurgeon, and will involve a neurologist, radiologist, anesthesiologist-neurological, oncology and radiotherapy. Although no exact cause of the underlying disease of the brain tumor, but suspected there are several risk factors, including:

1. Brain tumors are more developed in men.

2. There is a history of cancer in the family.

3. The existence of exposure to radiation, chemicals such as formaldehyde, vinyl chloride and acrylonitrile.

4. Possible influence of cell phone usage.

Until now, the certainty of diagnosis of cancer may take several years, fortunately this time the disease can be overcome with more sophisticated techniques and powerful than ever before.

Dr Keith Goh, Consultant at the International Neuro Neurosurgery Associates, Novena Medical Centre, Singapore explained, the main step and the most important for the treatment of brain tumor is neurosurgery. Surgery’s goal is to remove the tumor cells as much as possible and ensure the healthy surrounding brain tissue remains intact. There are a lot of technologies offered by the surgeons, which makes the surgery more safely, accurately and with fewer complications than ever before. For example, now the International Neuro Associates, Novena Medical Centre, Singapore, using the operating system of computerized image-guidance (computerised image-guidance operating systems / IGS), which is how it works similar to the GPS system. This tool allows to point right at the spot location of the tumor, and make a small hole for the key hole for the surgeries. Sometimes, neuro-endoscopy may be an option with direct vision into the brain and remove the tumor.

Did You LIke How to Handle Brain Tumor::Health?

Read More

Healthy Diets For Pregnant Women

Healthy Diets For Pregnant Women

Despite from happiness, having positive tested for pregnancy, a woman must be observant to watch food intakes. Dietary choices during pregnancy affect the health of the fetus until the birth and it grows to be an adult.

However, the diet before pregnancy is equally important. One or two months before planning a pregnancy, it is advisable to intake balanced meals for more consistent ovulation. Vegetables, beans and side dishes which are high protein and also contain of isoflavones and choline like soy and egg to help regulate the reproductive of hormones.

Here are some healthy guidelines for pregnant women or women who is planning a pregnancy, as quoted from ModernMom:

Nutrition

Folic acid is important for pregnant women. Folic acid helps to prevent neural tube defects, which can cause slow information transmission from the brain. Folic acid works before pregnancy and during the first trimester. You can get folic acid by eating fortified cereals, lentils, asparagus, spinach, black beans, peanuts, orange juice, broccoli, lettuce and whole wheat bread and pasta. Folic acid is also obtained from a multivitamin with 400 mcg folic acid or more. Other nutrients that help are vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc.

Foods To Avoid

When you know you are pregnant, immediately stop your habit of drinking alcohol, smoking and using drugs. Because some substances are left several times in the body, so you should stop it from you plan a pregnancy. If bad habits keep to be done until you pregnant, the fetus will have risk of fall or born prematurely. Too much caffeine is also bad for the fetus, because caffeine absorbs the iron that is needed baby and mother.

Choose Fish as The Main Menu

You can increase the intake of fish, especially salmon and tuna. But you must avoid every fish that contain of lots of mercury such as shark, swordfish and king mackerel because it will precipitate in the mother’s body and fetus.

Avoid Junk Food

Remove your junk foods from the dining table. Potato chips, cookies, soda and fast food contain no nutrients for mother and baby. Make sure that the body mass index is between 20 and 30.

The normal pregnancy’s weight gain is between 8 to 15 kg. Excess weight during pregnancy is vulnerable to get diabetes, high blood pressure and reduce the chance of a normal birth.

Read More