2009 December » Get Fit, Stay Fit, Today

Benefits of Handheld Massagers

Uncategorized No Responses »

Dec 202009

Massage Therapy is frequently quite helpful to patients complaining about sore and tender muscles, yet it costs a lot to see a massage therapist on a regular basis. Many of the same benefits can be gotten by anyone with a credit card through the acquisition of home massage devices. The quality on these machines has only gone up over the years, and they can now truly provide a high quality therapeutic massage right there in your home.

Musculoskeletal discomforture is possibly the single most common complaints that doctors hear about from patients. Almost invariably these symptoms are completely normal. As you live your life, this is just one of those things you can’t avoid. But any kind of doscomfort can also interfere with your enjoyment of your life.

Therapeutic massage is clearly one of the quickest ways to get yourself up and around again. It can alleviate the pain and restore you to your full range of motion. The majority of patients also find it to be profoundly calming and restorative. Naturally, it should go without saying that you should ask your doctor’s advice first to make sure that your symptoms are not the result of any medical problems. And then as soon as you know there are no medical problems, massage may be the solution to your problems.

As we have noted, however, a massage from a professional massage therapist can cost an arm and a leg, particularly in a down economy. If you could benefit from frequent massage therapy sessions, the bills can really add up. The good news is, lots of people have come to swear by the results that affordable home massage equipment can provide. I could give you plenty of examples, but here’s a good one: MAX Percussion Massager

Electronic massage equipment range from cheap electric massagers you can operate by hand that simply vibrate in your hand, to more elaborate machines that focus on one or two problem areas. For instance, there are specific massagers for the head and neck, massage devices for the foot and calf, or massaging chairs or pads for your back and neck. While certain people may feel oppressed by the initial expense of high end home massagers, you will find that these machines can pay for themselves pretty quickly when you end up going to the masseuse less frequently. What I’m thinking about specifically is here: Titan Massager

The ideal method to determine whether a given brand of massager will be the one for you is to try it out. Some showrooms will have sample machines to try out on your own muscles to find out whether the particular massager will help you with your specific trouble. If you can’t get access to try them out, then try to scour the internet review sites to see how the machines are working on pain that sounds similar in nature and origin to your own, and surmise in that way whether a specific home massager may work out well for you.

Where To Look For Cheap Home Gym Equipment?

Gym Equipment No Responses »

Dec 202009

So, you have decided that you were sick of paying gym fees each month and decided to start a home gym. You have a big wishlist but, like most of us, a small budget. Well, here are some places you might find some cheap home gym equipment.

Craigslist

A good place to start is to look in the Sporting section of Craigslist and do a search for the type of equipment you want. Often times this will be used equipment, but on a budget, that’s the best way to go. You can also find “As Seen on TV” stuff for cheap, like the Bowflex Revolution, and other TV fitness products. Often times too, you may be able to haggle the price down a little bit, and get it for even cheaper.

Garage Sales

Another great place to find good deals on home gym equipment is to go to garage sales. Many people only use their gym equipment for a short time after purchasing and, although it may be a bit dated, it will as many times as not be in “like new” condition. They’ve finally decided it’s just taking up space and are usually motivated to sell it..

Check with Your Local Gym

If you look for small gyms and even the franchise gyms, you can ask them what they do with their old equipment. Often times the equipment is still in great shape, they just want brand new stuff for their members. Although it will most likely have seen more use then the equipment you’d see in garage sales or Craigslist it will be commercial grade equipment and made for heavier use.

Those are 3 great options to be able to be able to find some budget gym equipment to be able to put into your home gym. Now, you just need to get the equipment and start working out!
Photo Credit: markhillary

What Supplements Should I Take

Vitamins No Responses »

Dec 192009

There is a lot of information available on the fact that we should be supplementing our diet with natural nutrition vitamins and supplements. However, it can be very confusing just what exactly should be looked at. We often times cannot afford every vitamin on the market. What is the most important supplement that should be taken if a person is on a limited budget.

The best thing we can do at the beginning is to help our digestive system. After all, if we are not digesting properly, any vitamins or supplements we take will not do us any good. Some signs that our digestive tract is not doing well are brittle fingernails, being bloated after eating and a distaste for meat. We should be watching our stomach acid. Good levels of stomach acid help us digest our food and kill harmful bacteria.

Fatty acids, Omega-3 fatty acids to be specific, are very important. The proper consumption of fatty acids results in better fat digestion, reduction of blood pressure, reduction of sugar absorption and the reduction of stress. Fish oils are also very important.

You should choose a good set of multivitamins. Make sure the multivitamins are not packed with filler. Make sure they are natural and easily absorbed into the bloodstream. A good set of B vitamins, C vitamins and fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, & K should be taken. These will all provide the proper nutrients to make you healthy and strong.

Zinc is another important vitamin. It helps you absorb many different types of nutrients and is involved in many different enzyme and hormone functions. You should supplement with Zinc Orotate and Zinc Aspartate.

Supplementing your diet with Magnesium will help you relax and get a good nights sleep. You should supplement with magnesium aspartame or magnesium citrate for best results.

If you can work on obtaining the above vitamins and minerals, you will find yourself feeling better and having more energy. Remember, you should also make sure you are eating correctly. There is no substitution for good healthy food. That is non-processed natural foods with strong vitamins.
Photo Credit: dno1967

Get Fit By Exercising and Having An Acai Berry Drink

Nutrition, Weight Loss No Responses »

Dec 172009

The Acai Berry drink has been all the rage recently with many of the different research studies showing its overall health benefits. Yet, when it is used in combination with proper diet and exercise the overall effects that can take place can be simply extraordinary. This is because of the unique property that the Acai Berry brings with it and the time tested principals of engaging in physical exercise have been shown to compliment each other as they help to improve your overall levels of health.

The Acai Berry drink is a good source of antioxidants which have been shown to help heal wounds as well as open sore faster, to treat diabetes, arthritis and it helps people with their weight loss. What happens is once you have finished an Acai Berry drink your body will begin to flush out the excess waste and toxins. This is an important first step to becoming fit and reducing the factors that lead to a number of health problems. Then, as you are exercising the body flushes itself out again as you are sweating throughout the course of the work out. The combination of these two elements mean that you are essentially flushing any excess fat and toxins out of your system at twice the normal rate, which helps improve your overall level of physical fitness. This means that you can avoid the myths and half truths that have frustrated so many in trying to achieve peak physical fitness.

Clearly the Acai fruit has many distinct advantages in promoting health. When it is used in combination with exercise the overall effects that the two can have on your health can be amazing as both begin to effectively burn fat and improve your overall physical conditioning. This can help you to be able to see the true benefits of having an effective exercise as well as nutrition plan.

Yoga's Kundalini Energy

Yoga No Responses »

Dec 142009

Kundalini can appear in any yoga practice, as it is not a specific yoga practice itself. It is termed as Kundalini awakening, which is the awakening of the spiritual energy that is coiled at the base of your spine. Unlocking this energy helps people feel more awake and is supposed to unlock the truth, yet it takes time to unlock it. Kundalini literally means “coiled”, as the energy collected down the spine is coiled around the base apparently 3 and a half times. It is stated to be the most powerful force in the universe that one can achieve.

For the people who know about Kundalini and strive to master it, Kundalini awakening for personal mastery is their goal. The Kundalini awakening process begins with purifying your body by eating healthy foods. Then practice yoga with a guru of Kundalini, breathe, meditate, and lastly be spiritually aware. That’s the basic guide of how to awaken Kundalini, though some may vary depending on the guru and their personal methods.

Unfortunately, some people who do not know Kundalini can accidentally awaken the Kundalini energy, thus leading them to believe they are sick with an unknown disease. Kundalini awakening symptoms could include: muscle cramps or spasms, intense heat or cold, hyperactivity or fatigue, emotional outburst, and the list goes on. For the unknowing people who awaken Kundalini, they might assume it’s an illness and will go to a doctor who will simply assume the person is a hypochondriac.

Information regarding Kundalini yoga, or awakening can be found on numerous websites that deal with Kundalini, or a specialized yoga instructor, or aged teacher, that knows of Kundalini can be of help. Kundalini can occur within any specialized yoga, within any person, and with the energy released, the person practicing will find Enlightenment.

Types Of Hair Implants For Balding

Remedies No Responses »

Dec 132009

photo credit: akeg

By reading the advertisements for hair loss formulas you may be under the impression that just by taking a pill or rubbing on some solution you will be able to start the hair growing again in your bald spot. Unfortunately, this is not really the case. Most of the time when a hair follicle stops producing, that is when you are losing your hair, it is not possible to get the follicle to produce again. Although you can help the situation before the hair loss takes over, once it has happened you are stuck with being bald or implanting growing hair follicles from another area of the scalp.

Luckily, when men lose their hair on top of the head there is generally very good hair growth still left at the posterior area of the scalp. This donation area can be used to harvest living hair follicles to be used in the direct hair implants procedure and get you a full head of hair once again. Of the three types of hair implants available (strip graft, plug graft, and micro graft) the micro gives the best results. The strip graft and plug graft are usually quite noticeable because they deal with implanting a fairly large portion of scalp into the balding area at differing locations. These clumps of hairs show up against the scalp very easily and really look worse than having no hair at all.

The micro graft technique involves implanting groups of one to three hair follicles at a time which looks great because that is how hair grows naturally. If you decide on a hair transplant procedure then choose this type of graft. It is more expensive but well worth it.

Another type of transplant that is no longer available in the US is comprised of artificial hair implants. These are still available in Europe and other places such as India but they were deemed too dangerous for the US market because of the possibility of infection.

Running Jackets For The Winter

Exercise No Responses »

Dec 132009

photo credit: PMcK

Like swans, ducks and geese, professional runners are naturally drawn to warmer climates during the winter. However for most of us, we have no choice but to put up with the cold winter weather.

Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean that you should stop running though. Just throw on a running jacket and you are all set for some winter running.

But when buying a jogging jacket, just what should you look for? Well we have put together a few tips to make it as easy as possible.

Breathability -There is no point in buying a waterproof jacket to keep the water out if it feels like a sauna inside the jacket. Just as you pick your running shoes with breathability, it’s also a smart choice in your jacket.

Pockets – If you are planning on a long run then you might want to take some food with you and if you are taking maybe a flapjack or a banana then you will need somewhere to carry it. Another thing to think about is making sure that your jacket pockets are easily accessable when you are running.

Weight – Everyone knows that weather is very fickle. One moment it’s raining hard and the next it can be glorious sunshine so it’s always useful to be able to take your jacket off and roll it into a package small enough to fit in your pocket.

Comfort And Fit – A good running jacket should be long enough in the rear to cover your bum with adjustable areas so that you can get the perfect fit for your run. The cuffs on a running jacket should adjust to fit your wrists and the collar should be lined, comfortable and snug.

Weatherproof – Most cheap running jackets are showerproof, they will keep you dry for a while but should it rain hard or should the jacket become too saturated then the water will start to seep through.

So there you have it, five easy tips to keep in mind when picking your next running jacket.

Types of Diabetes

Diabetes No Responses »

Dec 112009

What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes? There are many ways of explaining this depending on how you look at it. There are differences in the causes, physical factors and treatment.

1. Causes

Diabetes mellitus of either type 1 or type 2 is a condition where the body either does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar levels, or does not respond adequately to insulin, or both. If it is not treated, this causes an excess of sugar or glucose in the blood, leading to complications. Eventually, if severe and left untreated, it would cause death.

In type 1, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin are lost, so the body simply cannot produce the amount of insulin that a normal person needs. Often the cells are destroyed by an autoimmune attack, probably as the result of a virus. People who develop type 1 tend to be otherwise generally healthy and of normal weight.

In type 2, the cause is usually a combination of reduced insulin production and the body becoming insulin resistant so it does not effectively use the insulin that it has. This is often associated with middle or old age, hypertension, and/or being significantly overweight.

In both cases, heredity also plays a part. Some people seem to be genetically disposed to develop diabetes. Type 1 diabetes comes on without warning and prevention may not be possible, although some studies suggest that vitamins D and B3 may play a part.

Type 2 is usually preceded a period of pre-diabetes where symptoms are not so severe. If you have type 2 diabetes in the family, you are over 40 and either you have high blood pressure or you are overweight, you should have your blood sugar tested from time to time. If symptoms are caught early you may be able to avoid developing full diabetes.

2. Age of onset

Type 1 is often called juvenile diabetes because it often begins in children and adolescents and usually comes on quite suddenly without warning. Type 2 more often develops later in life and can be preceded by a long period of pre-diabetes where symptoms exist but not to the point where diabetes would be diagnosed.

It is possible for children to develop type 2 and also for adults to develop type 1, so this is not a true difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, the fact remains that most diabetic children have type 1, even though type 1 accounts for only 10% of the diabetic population.

3. Treatment

Type 1 diabetes is usually treated with insulin injections. Patients are likely to have to inject insulin for the rest of their lives unless they have a pancreas transplant.

Type 2 diabetes can often be controlled with a combination of dietary modifications and oral medication. In some cases, diet alone is enough to manage it. In others, insulin injections become necessary at some point. However, type 2 is generally easier to manage because the body is still producing some insulin in most cases.

Exercise and the Diabetic: Exercise is an important component in controlling diabetes and should be an integral part in one’s treatment program.

All diabetics need to monitor their blood sugar and try to follow certain dietary guidelines to avoid blood glucose spikes.

Give The Gift Of Fitness - It Just Keeps On Giving

Uncategorized No Responses »

Dec 102009

photo credit: tsmall

If you need to give someone a gift whether for a birthday, at Christmas time or simply for no good reason why not consider giving them a truly unique and invaluable gift? Give them the gift of improved health and fitness that comes from the heart and increase the quality of their life.

The gift of fitness is something that you can give to virtually everybody on your gift giving list – from your parents, to your spouse, a friend, an employee or co-worker, even your children. And, it is a gift that you can truly feel proud to give. After all, who doesn’t want to look better, feel better, and be healthier and more disease resistant?

When you give someone the gift of fitness, you are helping them open a door to better health (physically, mentally and emotionally). It is a gift that genuinely shows the recipient how much you care about their well-being as you are providing them with unlimited health benefits.

Certainly many of the people on your gift giving list would find these health benefits incredibly invaluable. If they are like most of us, they may have even mentioned how they want to drop a few pounds or just get in better shape.

They will be more motivated to start an exercise program when given a gift that helps them immediately take action. A gift that supports health and wellness will be appreciated for years to come and may even turn someone’s life around. It may motivate someone to get off the couch and improve their health helping them to live longer.

Want to enjoy the benefits of improved health and fitness for yourself? There is no need to wait for someone to give you the gift of fitness. Treat yourself to a special fitness gift and inspire others to get started too.

Our own fitness is a gift to others:
Although we think we do it for ourselves, being strong, fit, healthy and well is a gift to our family, friends and the community in which we live.

For our spouses:
We give them the gift of being paired with someone who looks and feels good. Waking up everyday next to someone who has the energy, strength and spirit to embrace the day is life enriching.

For our children:
We give them the gift of being healthy, active parents. Having fit parent’s means our children are more likely to be fit themselves. We give them the gift of us being more nurturing, patient and helpful to them because we have the physical resources to do so. We give them the freedom from worry that we will require hospice or other ongoing care while they are still young adults raising their own family.

For our grandchildren:
We give them the gift of being able to play and do physical stuff with them. How proud will they be to have such ‘cool’ and youthful grandparents? We can show them how important strength and fitness is to living long, active lives.

For our community:
We remain healthier and well longer and don’t place a burden on the health system. We remain productive, enthusiastic, skillful members of the workforce longer. We help younger people see that aging is not something to be afraid of. We are able to continue to help those who need us.

For our world:
Every workout and every healthy meal along with every other way we take care our bodies is a gift to someone else. And this is not about being selfish. It is about keeping the body healthy so we can contribute to the lives of others better and longer.

By leading a lifestyle built around physical fitness and smart nutrition, you are taking care of a lot more people than just yourself and will inspire others to do the same. Be assured that giving a gift that will help someone lead a healthier life is also one of the most rewarding gifts you can give.

Yours in strength,

Carolyn

Do you want to discover the secret to rejuvenating your body, regaining lost vitality and improving the quality of your life? Download my free ebook “I’ve Found the Fountain of Youth – Let Me Show You Too!” ReverseAging

Carolyn Hansen is a certified fitness expert and fitness center owner who coaches clients to look and feel younger. In her nearly 30 years of fitness and bodybuilding competition experience she has helped thousands of people start their journey towards being strong, fit and youthful at any age.

Things To Avoid If You Suffer From Eyelid Eczema

Remedies No Responses »

Dec 092009

photo credit: lanchongzi

Having a flare up of eczema on your eyelids is less common than other types of eczema. Despite the rarity, it can still be one of the more frustrating forms of eczema when you are suffering through a flare up. Fortunately, it is also one of the easiest forms to prevent.

The good news is that most cases of eczema eyelids are a form called contact dermatitis. As it sounds, this means that your eyelids came in contact with or were exposed to an eczema trigger. Logically, avoiding these eczema triggers will very likely cure your eczema.

A very common eyelid and facial eczema trigger is nail varnish and nail varnish remover. These products contain an extremely concentrated amount of chemicals and artificial ingredients. Even the fumes can cause skin irritation. However, touching your eye area with these products on your fingers is the most common way eczema is triggered.

Another common trigger is smoke. If you are frequently in smoky rooms or around smokers, this can irritate your eyes. Your eyes will water, causing you to rub them. When you do, the grime from the smoke mixes with the water from your tears, causing an eczema reaction.

The exposure to cleaning chemicals and their vapors is also known to cause many problems in the eye area, including eczema. It is very easy for you to touch your eye area without even knowing it. Furthermore, if you are cleaning in a poorly ventilated room then your eyelids are being exposed to concentrated vapors.

If you are suffering from eyelid eczema, it is time to take a look at what you come in contact with on a daily basis. Be suspicious of any chemicals you deal with, air pollutants, and other items that contact your eyelids either directly or by touch. If at all possible, eliminate all of the possible culprits until your eczema disappears. Then, you will have the choice whether or not to gradually increase your exposure until you find your unique trigger.

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