Chidren And Exercise
May 27, 2010 by Exercise, Health & Fitness
Filed under Health and fitness
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.
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Different Exercises To Get A Flat Stomach
May 21, 2010 by Exercise, Health & Fitness
Filed under Stomach Exercises
There are many different exercises to get a flat stomach. Some require machines or special equipment; others simply require a floor to lie on and a little motivation and determination. There are some that are performed while also exercising other groups of muscles such as in Pilate's moves, where every exercise will work the stomach muscles even if the focus is the legs, arms or other area of the body.
There are a couple of movements that are very basic and yet give many people the results they are looking for. The first movement is the basic crunch. These exercises are better for the body then sit ups because they do not strain the back as much. A crunch is performed simply by lying on your back and raising the upper portion of your body a few inches off the ground, just enough to feel the strain in the stomach muscles. The key to these movements is to be sure your stomach is doing the work and not your head, or arms. Also, it is important to keep everything straight, do not lift the head more then the shoulders or back, for more information and detail on performing this movement properly there are many resources available on the internet, in books and also in videos. Another movement which is also great and should be done in conjunction with the basic crunch is a side crunch which works the oblique, or as some people call them "love handles" This exercises are performed the same way as the crunch, only the body is twisted slightly to one side. Again to get a more accurate description of how to properly perform this movement there are many resources available.
Along with working out the mid section of the stomach and sides, a person should include several different exercises to get a flat stomach by way of exercising the whole stomach, which includes the lower section and upper section of their stomach as well. It will do a person no good to only focus on one specific muscle group of their stomach. There are many places to find exercises to get a flat stomach including the internet, library, book store and in videos. With so many different options a person may have trouble deciding which exercises would benefit them the most while trying to get a flat stomach. The best suggestion in this case is to try several different ones and decide what works for the individual. One exercise may work great for one person, but be too strenuous for another. Or, one person may be in better shape and be able to do several different exercises that a beginner can not do, at least in the beginning and may just need to concentrate on one movement, instead of a series of different movements in one workout session.
While some exercises to get a flat stomach may work better then others, no exercise will work if not properly performed and done regularly. A person should decide which exercises they are both capable of doing and also can do for an extended period of time while working to get the flat stomach they want. If they exercise is too complicated, takes too much time or can only be done on a special type of equipment, the person may not be able to stick with it long term. Remember, getting a flat stomach will not happen overnight, it takes time, dedication and patience, regardless of the exercise used.
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The trend of getting six-pack abs among women
May 16, 2010 by Exercise, Health & Fitness
Filed under Six-Pack Abs
Getting six-pack abs has become one of the popular choices to keep the body fit and healthy among women. This is because it does not only guarantee a fast way of improving muscle but also the body's endurance and strength as well.
Experts say that for a woman to develop six-pack abs, she must undergo workout training where the exercises are designed to develop the muscles in the torso area. Here, the woman's muscles exert force against different forms of resistance like free weights, which greatly aids to the development of wonderful six-pack abs.
Strength training as the key to six-pack abs
Women who are looking forward to having six-pack abs must undergo strength training so she can endure all the physical requirements of her goal. To start with, it is ideal to do strength training exercises at least 3 times a week for at least 20 minutes or so to prepare the muscles for more rigorous physical movements.
Aside from preparing your body's muscle for more extreme physical exercises, strength training can also give a woman firm muscles for a great looking physique in the future. Studies show that strength training is very important for women who are gearing towards having six-pack abs because it can increase the endurance and strength of the developed muscles that can allow women perform tasks daily with lesser exertion and effort. This can also improve the working capacity of the muscles buts also aid the body's coordination, balance, and blood circulation as well as the strength of the joint, ligaments, and bones.
Experts say that to be able to develop muscle and achieve six-pack abs through strength training, women should always make it a practice to stretch before she starts and after she has performed some weight exercises to prepare the joints for the pending motion during the weight lifting. Stretching is very important for beginners because it can reduce soreness after the exercises and can help prevent cramped muscles while increasing the range of your motion.
Women who are doing workouts to get six-pack abs can do common stretching exercises such as warm-ups that include flexibility and stretching exercises to keep the muscles supple, increase the joints' range of motion, heart rate and body temperature, and blood flow to muscles, enhance flexibility, and improve coordination. Cool-downs are also important to return the heart rate as well as the blood pressure to resting mode gradually. Since they are composed of slow walking and stretching, it can relax the sore muscles during and after the exercise.
After stretching, the strength-training exercises can help women who are into the trend of getting six-pack abs:
- side shoulder raise which focuses more on arms, thighs, elbows, and palms to give more strength to the shoulder;
- front shoulder raise which highlights the arms using thighs and palms during weight lifting repetitions;
- upright row which is good for the shoulders, neck, and upper back because it strengthens a woman's upper back to endure more activities;
- biceps curl which is good for strengthening the biceps or the front arm by curling it upward using repetitive motions up to the shoulders; and the
- one-arm dumbbell triceps curl which is the most ideal strength training for women who are looking forward to perfect six-pack abs because the effort exerted here benefits almost all parts of the body.
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Cardio Exercise
May 10, 2010 by Exercise, Health & Fitness
Filed under Health and fitness
Everyone has wondered at some point in time which cardio exercise is better. To put it in simple terms, both low and high intensity exercises will
help you to burn off body fat. The question here is which is the most effective to burn off more body fat.
When scientists first discovered that during intensive exercises, your body burns glycogen, which is a form of stored carbohydrates that are stored
in your liver and muscles for energy. During low intensity exercises, your body will burn a lot of fat.
If your wondering whether or not it works, the answer is no because there are so many obese people still around. Even though they are working out with low intensity routines, it still makes you wonder how it can be.
The scientists were right when they said the human body burns more body fat during low intensity exercises like walking or swimming. During a
high intensity exercise such as running, the body will burn a lot more calories. Even if some of the calories burnt are from glycogen, there are
still many fat calories burned as well.
To put the icing on the cake, when your store of glycogen gets low, the carbohydrates from your food you eat will later get converted into glycogen to fill up the store and won't be converted to body fat when they are left unused for energy.
High intensity cardio exercise will juice up your metabolism even after you have completed your workout. What this means, is that your body will
continue to burn body fat hours after you have left the gym. This effect is nearly non existent in low intensity cardio or aerobic workout. Acumulatively, your body will burn up more and more calories during and after you have finished a high intensity cardio exercise that it will with
low intensity.
You can inject high intensity exercises into your cardio workout by introducing some interval training. You can walk for 5 minutes or so, then break into some jogging for another 5 minutes or so. Then, walk briskly again until you have caught your breath and then sprint for a minute
before you walk again. From this point, simply alternate your running and walking for the next 15 minutes until you are finished.
One of the best things about cardio is the more you do it, the more energy you'll have. Cardio will help you to burn calories, although its more
useful for keeping your energy levels high.
If you've never tried cardio before, you should give it a shot. If you like to exercise, you'll find cardio the best way to boost your energy and keep in top shape. If you are just starting out, you'll want to go slow and keep your cardio exercise in track - as it is very easy to over exert yourself.
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Home Fitness Equipment: Maximize Its Use
May 5, 2010 by Exercise, Health & Fitness
Filed under Home Fitness
It is not surprising that many individuals are now trying to lose weight and shed off extra calories. The previous holidays have put many in a disadvantage now as far as physical look and health are concerned because of the too-hard to resist delicious platters of holiday foods and glasses of caloric drinks.
So for the New Year's resolution, it is more likely that most people are including diet and fitness program in the list. Due to the demand, this means many are enrolling in gym fitness centers while others are making a trip to fitness stores to get home fitness equipment.
To many, choosing to buy home fitness equipment is more enticing than enrolling in a gym center. It is a better choice indeed to many people who have difficulty juggling time between work and workout. It is also most ideal to people who just can't enroll in an exercise program particularly because the local gym center is out of the way or far from the house.
On the other hand, it also has a disadvantage. Just like most people ending up not going to the gym often after signing up due to many inconveniences, having exercise equipment at home for a self-workout regimen poses the same problem. Many acquire expensive equipment only to end up not using it at all. The machine just gets stored and collects dust pile, which is a shame because it should have been more of an advantage to you that's why you bought it in the first place.
To avoid yourself from ending up in the same dilemma, check some pointers below to help maximize your home fitness equipment
Get the right equipment
One reason that leads most people to the situation mentioned above is due to the wrong choice of equipment. Therefore, it is important that you get the right one that answers your needs so that you can maximize its use and thus will be easier for you to achieve your goal of keeping fit all year round.
Your choice can be an elliptical trainer, stationary bike, or any cardio equipment that will not only make your heart healthy but your overall physical as well. Knowing the advantages of each of the equipment available in the market will help you decide which is the most ideal to bring home.
Position the equipment at the right area in your home.
Positioning the equipment at the right location in your home will help maximize its use. Where you position it is a factor as well that affects the frequency of its use. It must be stored where you have enough space to operate and use it, and the right ambiance and temperature so it doesn't get uncomfortable when you are working out.
Some place exercise equipment inside the bedroom especially if it is small enough to be accommodated. This gives them the advantage since they can be easily pulled out and get used at any time of the day. But if you have a number of machines, it is more advised that you have a nice room where you can put them all in and turn it into a mini gym.
And most important of all, have your goal and discipline.
Needless to say, discipline is the best weapon you can use to avoid leaving your equipment collecting dust in the corner. It is also the best passport towards achieving the desired weight and physical fitness.
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