Author: digitalresidue

Many of us who include in our life a regularly planned schedule for physical fitness understand the importance it has on our day-to-day lives and helps in making us look and feel better.

Those of us who do not find the time to include daily exercise in their life generally lack the motivation and therefore the discipline to get started no less keep up a regular fitness program.

When it comes to staying motivated to a life long fitness program, you have to know what the long-term rewards are to begin with. Without the internal drive and the vision of what being healthy as we age looks and feels like, following a fitness program will be more like work rather than a way to build and create a healthier body.

As we age, it becomes more important than ever to begin to get into a preventative state of mind when it comes to our health. All it takes is one major medical crisis to arise that can throw everything you have worked for into disarray.

And it generally is a medical problem that could have possibly been avoided in the first place had they taken a proactive approach when it comes to their health.

Obesity which is not only a problem in the US but is becoming becoming a problem around the world for instance, is shortening the lives of many due to its associated problems that come with it such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and stroke for instance.

As we age, it is important to understand that it is not the quantity of life that is important but the quality of life that we desire to have. We can be proactive in increasing our odds that we will live with a higher quality of life as we age by taking the time each day to become physically fit.

Also by becoming physically fit through strength training, cardiovascular training and a stretching program, we feel better, look better and, our self-esteem increases which will lead to healthier and more productive days ahead.

If you for instance plan to stay active during your retirement years by taking on a new occupation part-time or start a business you have always dreamed about but didn't have the time, then your health will be the determining factor whether you can move forward or not.

All the financial planning in the world will not help you if you develop chronic medical problems as you age due to not looking after your health earlier. The cost of healthcare is astronomical and, chronic diseases due to inactivity and poor eating habits can destroy the nest egg you worked so hard to achieve the way the current US healthcare system is set up.

Only you can control your destiny by taking the time to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into your daily routine which involves exercise, eating a low-fat, high protein diet and, getting adequate sleep each night.

Your health is your wealth, you cannot do anything in life without it.

Source by Richard A Haynes

Everyone loves to play a game of soccer, who wouldn't? If you are keen on soccer but find it difficult to last even until half time, then you are not fit enough to play the game. With one too many entertainment shows on the telly, is it any wonder that you are finding soccer a bit difficult to handle? Soccer is one game where you have to be fit enough to play. It is just not possible to play soccer especially if you are carrying a pot belly at least not to win anyway. But selecting the right exercise will turn out to be a tougher challenge than your last soccer game.

The problem is that there are one too many exercise workouts clogging up the airwaves, just turn on your telly in the morning and you should be able to see at least ten different workouts while flipping through the various channels. Now, multiply the same by a factor of 100 and that should give you the number of workouts currently available online. Sorting through the lot is bound to give you a headache, so it may be a better idea to start off your fitness dreams with the e-book, 'total soccer fitness' as the workouts given here are customized to provide you with the' soccer fitness'.

Being in top physical form is but a basic requirement of this game as it happens to be physically intensive and that's an understatement. So if you are not planning on running out of breath or falling by the wayside by half time, you should try conditioning your body with some of the 'soccer fitness' workouts. These workouts are designed to provide you with the stamina, endurance, speed as well as anything else that enables you to acquire top physical form.

The training routines covered in this e-book are quite intensive and should go a long way in developing your physical abilities. Soccer players often run out of breath and as a result are often too tired by the time the last play is called. With the endurance workouts covered here, you should be able to play your top game right down to the wire. Just remember, these exercises are designed to develop your physical fitness and in order to be successful, you will need to workout as per the schedule. It is not going to happen overnight and your fitness may well just be a fantasy if you do not stick to the schedule given here.

This product is currently being offered at a discounted rate and comes packed with 5 free bonus products, from a soccer nutrition plan to soccer psychology. As you can see, the content is indeed quite comprehensive, covering every aspect of this game from the exercises to the diets you need to follow. So, if you are looking for ways to get fit 'soccer wise', in that case, this is what you need.

Source by Reuben Wallis

If you are looking forward to overall wellness, then you have got to know that fitness is the essence of it. Unlike the popular perception, achieving fitness is not that difficult. You can't judge the fitness of a person by just looking at that person. Experiences have taught me that the fittest looking person might not be the one who impresses you with his or her fitness levels. So, it's pointless to have unrealistic views about fitness. As far as fitness is concerned, the health of your heart is extremely important. Probably, you lack a typically "fit" looking body. But that doesn't mean that you are not fit. You can be fit irrespective of the way your body looks. Cardio fitness is the real measure for fitness. If you are really serious about fitness, then you have to channel your energies to improve the health of your heart. When your heart is healthy, other aspects like increased lung capacity, strong bones, strong muscles, weight loss etc. will follow.

Understanding the concept of fitness

In today's world obsessed with fitness, we have complicated the concept of fitness. According to the basic definition, fitness is all about your ability carry out your daily chores without fatigue. A fit person will be able to carry out his chores with alertness and vigour. Back in the day, people used to have that ability. They were all physically active. They were all fit. So, there was no need to talk about fitness. However, things have changed a lot. Lifestyle diseases have become common these days. We do very less physical activities as our jobs force us to stay glued to our seats all day long with zero physical activity. And that has contributed to lot of lifestyle diseases. No wonder why we talk about fitness more these days because we are all worried about our fitness levels. Lack of physical activities made us susceptible to all sorts of health problems.

Significance of fitness

The sedentary lifestyle has made way for lot of diseases. And people have realized the significance of regular exercise to stay fit. However, not too many are able to follow it given the hectic lifestyle. If you want to stay away from many diseases, then it is important to do cardio exercise on a regular basis. As we all know, heart disease has been one of the notorious silent killers. Stroke, diabetes, colon cancer etc. are other diseases which are connected to lack of fitness. There are plenty of benefits for regular exercise. Besides the health benefits, you will be able to control your weight as well. In turn, you will be able to fight aging too.

Psychological benefits of exercise

Exercise has many psychological benefits as well. When you exercise, it releases the feel good hormone endorphins, which significantly reduces stress. And it will elevate your mood as well. It has the ability to fight depression as well. If you are one those fitness freaks who exercise on a daily basis, then you will have a positive attitude towards life. Also, you tend to have better self-esteem. Exercise gives you better sleep at night. You never complain about fatigue either. Last but not least, regular exercise can improve your memory as well.

The amount of exercise to stay fit

Well, this has been a hotly debated topic for years. Different people will give different advice. But one thing is definite – regular exercise is the best strategy. How long should you exercise? Well, 30 minutes a day would be more than enough. And if you are able to extend to an hour then it is better. Some people would suggest that doing exercise 5 times a week is a good strategy. Well, doing it every day is a far more effective strategy. Exercise is like drinking coffee. Your brain gets addicted to the feel good hormones and craves for it every day. For the same reason, your brain will remind you to do exercise every day. That's like following a natural clock. Your brain knows what is best for your body. Therefore, doing it every day will make it easier for you to get adjusted to the natural cycle.

Remember, fitness is the key to your overall well-being. So, it is time for you to embrace it!

Source by Aravind Shivaraman

In my years of private practice specializing in couples therapy, I have come to some central truths about elements vital to marital health and the prognosis for intimate relationships based on ten critical factors. Give yourself and your spouse a giant service by each taking this ten minute test and comparing notes.

If individually or together you average below 80% when you tally up, your marriage is limping along and needs some work! If your scores are 80% or higher, you are already doing a lot of things right, and it's probably not an accident. Now your job is to become more aware of who's doing what to nurture the marriage, so you can both commit to consciously continuing the good work!

Rate your relationship on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the highest score:

1. Do you both have an overall feeling of happiness in your relationship?

2. Do you spend quality time together on a regular basis?

3. Do you divide the chores of life (childcare, bill paying, housework, laundry, shopping, earning a living, etc.), in a way which feels fair and even-handed to you both?

4. Do you show appreciation and respect for eachother?

5. Do you feel free enough to speak openly about your wants, needs, and hurts?

6. Do you each put energy into being emotionally / sexually close?

7. Do your fights feel safe and ultimately productive?

8. Do you honor eachother's need for space (alone time, individual friendships)?

9. Do you protect eachother from other people unacceptable or hurtful behaviors?

10. Do you keep agreements and promises?

Reflect upon, and discuss your results and scores. In areas where you have scored lower, resolve to making one significant change with an action plan in the coming weeks, as a good beginning. Retest yourselves in one month and notice any improvements, then move on to another area of ​​weakness and do the same thing. If nothing seems to shift in a meaningful way, you may consider professional help.

Source by Susan Lager

In today's world the food that rules are mostly fast food or junk food. People are usually too busy to cook at home or sit down for a home cooked meal. Everybody is running to keep up with their hectic schedule and there is either no time for cooking or no time for sitting down to have a decent meal. It is far easier to just grab a hot dog or a sandwich on the way to work or in the office cafeteria rather than spend some extra time to sit down at home and eat. Therefore, one of the many health hazards that doctors of the modern times are facing is the menace of obesity. It strikes before people even realize it and once they do they crave to get their perfect bodies back or dream of attaining a perfect body. For these, there are many diet plans that are popular amongst diverse strata of people but then a diet seldom works if it is not accompanied by fitness training. Leading a sedentary lifestyle and dieting never make one lose weight and soon people get frustrated. Hence it is important for people to enroll in a perfect fitness program suited for their lifestyle and body types.

Therefore various fitness training service is gaining popularity as more and more people are becoming conscious of the fitness factor. In order to serve their individualized fitness and health requirements, people prefer to hire a personalized trainer who would work with them exclusively to work on their weight loss goals. It becomes a problem when many customers dream of an instant result and they think that a tailor made fitness program can help them to shed the extra weight in a matter of days. It is important to understand before enrolling in a fitness program that how the body works and what are the exercise options available for a particular body and health type. Not everyone can run a marathon in the name of a fitness program and it is very important for people to understand their limits before they start hitting the gym. A healthy body has become the dream of many no doubt but then there is no miracle cure for the years of negligence and it will take time for the body to get used to the new diet and fitness regime. It is also important to remember that one without the other is incomplete and will never work if someone is looking for an overall healthy body.

The fitness training service has recently started booming as more and more people are becoming clients of the various weight loss programs. These programs have multi faceted benefits and if one sticks to the instructions about diet and exercise then it is not long before they will start noticing a positive change in their body and internal health. They will start feeling the changes which will bring about a positive overall feel. If someone sticks to the specific exercises suiting their needs and body type then it is not long before that they start to experience the highs of a good fitness program and the benefits of a healthy diet plan. There are different weight loss strategies that the fitness centers resort to so that the clients can experience both the pleasure of exercise and can adjust to the changed lifestyle choices that form an essential part of a good fitness program.

Source by Luther Martin

At least once a week on any local news channel anywhere in the country there is a color piece on an octogenarian who just completed a marathon, or a 98 year old man who went skydiving, or a team of rugby players all over the age of 60 . Fitness isn't exclusive to the young.

Admittedly, age takes a toll on the joints and muscles, but the principles of honing the body's strength, flexibility, balance, and cardiovascular health still hold true for seniors just as much as youth. Intense wind sprints and hundreds of push ups may not be the best route to senior fitness, but there are still plenty of types of exercises for the elderly. Here are some of the best …

Swimming

Can't sprint? Swim! Swimming combines the intensity of a full body workout (especially the core) with the reduced stressed, low impact environment. One of the best exercise option for seniors suffering from arthritis. This exercise is a particular draw for elderly woman suffering from chronic back pain, or seniors with brittle bones.

Tai Chi

No, this is not a spiced herbal beverage available at Starbucks (that's chai tea). It is an ancient martial art focusing on subtle movement, coordination and balance. As a martial art, it's much more art than martial. This is a wonderful exercise for the elderly as speed is not a requirement. And regardless of age, many use Tai Chi as a form of stress relief as well as fitness

Yoga

If you take kindly to Tai Chi, Yoga would be a next healthy step. Yoga can be more vigorous than Tai Chi, but still applicable for senior fitness. It works to strengthen and lengthen muscles, as well as improve flexibility. Additionally, there are many yoga positions and routines specifically designed to alleviate back pain.

Hiking / Walking

The most primal exercise, and perhaps the best, humans were meant to hike. The human body evolved to endure and thrive from long, low impact walks, and that applies perfectly to elderly. Hiking outdoors encourages adaptability; it is the opposite of the treadmill. Even a slow hike can provide a good amount of cardiovascular exercise without reaching painful intensive levels for senior citizens.

Rowing

This is not a traditional exercise for the elderly. No one thinks of a 60-and-over rowing team when they think of senior fitness. But, rowing provides a strenuous upper body workout, without the pump and grind of the gym. Rowing works the quads, the core, and even the leg muscles. It also adds the fresh element, essential to senior living. Getting a workout along the lazy shore of a local river can be quite charming.

Back Flips

Okay, maybe not. In fact, definitely not an exercise for the elderly. Stick to the first five.

Ultimately, have fun. Simple activities like dancing, golfing, gardening or even just a picnic can be a great way to keep the body active. Logging an hour a day at the gym isn't a necessity so long as you get the blood flowing, a simple walk to the corner grocer may do the trick. The principles of fitness and senior fitness are the same; find enjoyable, fulfilling activities, choose a variety rather than a boring daily routine, and don't be afraid to include others!

Source by Mark Sisson

Improving physical fitness at home is an excellent idea that can be achieved through exercise only. Regular exercise can extend your life expectancy to a certain degree and keep you fit and evergreen throughout your life.

Improving fitness is not that hard if you maintain a healthy lifestyle. A disciplined lifestyle can throw away most diseases and ailments. It improves your endurance and boost energy level. No matter how physically fit you are, you can start to follow a disciplined life. Depending on your ability start exercising on a regular basis. But to do so, you must have to fix your goal. Here I unveiled eight secrets to be looked smart and fit.

Inspiration and Motivation Can Change You

Most of us feel lethargic throughout the day, especially when asked to do some hard work this is because of lack of physical activity and motivation that slow down our metabolic rate. Have you noticed that sportsmen look so smart and energetic than average people? I suggest you to select an iconic power sport personal and admire his or her talent. The concept of staying fit and fine doesn't necessarily mean that you have to regularly visit the gym. Practically there are hundreds of ways to stay evergreen like a sport man.

Walk Like an Ostrich

Twenty first century surprised us offering big tummy and polished hairless head. No matter how huge you are, wake up in the morning and start walking as far as you can. Do not forget to use a pedometer that can count your steps and can say the distance you covered. Please do not move like a tortoise chatting with your friends. Walk as fast as possible until you feel a big drop of sweat hanging on the edge of your nose. But if you already developed any sort of cardiac disease, do not walk too fast, maintain a average speed.

You Are a Great Runner!

Experience your athletic endurance. Running regularly for at least two kilometers is good for the heart. It's a great cardio exercise that increases our heart rate to an extreme level and burn out more fats than any other form of exercise. If you don't have any cardiac problem you are free to run, but if you are suffering from cardiac disease like hypertension, then avoid running to stay fit, because there are many other ways I will tell you latter through which you can have the similar effect without putting extra stress on the heart.

Tales of Gym Addicts

Mentally you may be fitter than a gym goer, but in reality you never felt that. Doing intensive cardio exercise at the gym may help you to get a tummy-less trimmed physique. The good news for you that you can perform cardio exercises at home also, in that case you can use a gym cycle and treadmill. I recommend you to drink some engineered energy drink that can improve your performance for a long period of time. After practicing vigorously (if you don't have cardiovascular disease) fold your treadmill and keep it aside. Cardiac patients should not run on the treadmill without doctor's advice.

Yoga Can Stretch Your Mind

This is probably the easiest way to stay fit at home because most of us have almost no time to spend over wellness of mind and body at a health club or on the field. Physical fitness doesn't necessarily mean huge biceps and eight pack abdomen muscle. Today's biggest problem is indigestion, acidity and light headedness. Yoga is very helpful to regain your lost energy. This is a powerful method to improve concentration and physical ability and vigor. Yoga can cure most diseases and gives you an evergreen look. But practicing yoga at home may be sometimes difficult, but not impossible though. As a beginner, you can take a lesson from a yoga guru. The power of yoga can essentially boost your sex drive and keep you looking younger than average people.

Quit Smoking

If you are really determined to improve your physical fitness then as soon as possible quit smoking by throwing the packet in the dustbin. At the same time stay away from other bad habits like getting sobered at bed time. Smoking can reduce your metabolic rate that can lead to serious consequence like cardiovascular disease and even cancer over time.

Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Fruits are well known sources of antioxidant and minerals where veggies will offer you vast dome of dietary fibers. Both are very helpful to maintain a healthy eating habit. Eat less carbohydrate and fats to keep control over you middle part of the body. Avoid potato and rice as much as possible.

Hold Your Tongue

Yoga gurus often advise to talk less and do more. But I suggest you to eat less and work more, if you really want to achieve optimum level of physical fitness at home. Remember, ice cream, pastry and chocolates are forbidden stuffs for you, who want to be looked glorious in front of a mirror or before his wife at least.

Source by Ustav Roy

Though Pilates is not a new form of exercising, still it has become popular very recently, as people started becoming aware of its health benefits. Many people starting from movie stars to sports stars to senior citizens have started enrolling in a Pilates fitness program. Many people avoid this as they think that these are only for developing their abs or their core muscles. But, there are much more associated with Pilates, such as strengthening the whole body to gain body balance, flexibility, muscle strength, posture and much more. It can be called a combination of yoga, martial arts and other western forms of exercises.

History of Pilates

Initially Pilates was designed by a German fitness specialist, Joseph Pilates, in the beginning of the 20th century. It is said that these kind of exercise regimen was formulated by him for people who were injured in the World War II to recover faster. Pilates believed that the mind and the body are interrelated and developed this system to strengthen "a sound mind in a sound body". He taught many Germans and British people alike, and his students went on to open studios to teach these exercises.

Nowadays, many modern methods of exercising are combined with the traditional Pilates and new forms of Pilates are introduced in many Pilates fitness classes. All these classes follow almost the same principle and have the same benefits.

Who can do these exercises?

Pilates fitness programs are for anybody and everybody. Sports persons, dancers, athletes, men, women, women in pregnancy and the postnatal period, senior citizens, people who are obese and oversized, can do these forms of exercises. If one chooses to join a Pilates fitness program, then he or she should choose a quality fitness studio, which would actually tailor-make the exercises to suit one's needs. Many people avoid them, thinking that they need to be fit to join some classes. But, this is not true. This is actually suitable for people with poor mobility and aches in joints too, as it improves the level of activity.

Pilates for Beginners

There are a lot fitness programs that are devised to suit beginners as well as advanced learners. As soon as one decides to enrol himself in a program, he or she should decide on what kind of program- whether individual, duet or group sessions, is suitable for them.

Even after enrolling in a class, a beginner should always keep five things in mind

• Centring
• Concentration
• Precision
• Control
• Breath flow

These are the basic principles involved in all Pilates exercises irrespective of the equipment one uses. Pilates involves the whole body and mind, and as one starts doing these exercises the concentration is brought upon on the whole body. This not only helps one to do the exercise effectively, but also helps the body get accustomed to each and every move. Though these are the basics, a beginner will know much more when he enrols in a Pilates fitness program.

As a beginner, one does not have to be worried about the adaptability, as it is a beginner-friendly fitness program.

Source by Tony Czerniak

When you properly engage in physical fitness exercises, your body will attain a high level of mental and physical health.

In fact, suitable aerobic fitness exercise will help you remove 'bad cholesterol' and increase 'good cholesterol'. Moreover, the network that control blood supply in your body will get strengthened; the risk of many grave diseases will drastically reduce; the duration of existing illnesses will be significantly shortened; and infections will be prevented.

Yet, the 5 key dimensions of physical fitness exercises have different effects on different aspects of the body though they generally help the body achieve better state without taking drugs.

Strength (Muscular) Building Exercises

Here, the ability of muscles to carry heavy objects – lifting, pushing, and pulling – are developed as well as the basic walking, standing and general posture-related activities.

Usually, you can develop these muscles by engaging them in overload exercise and gradually increasing the amount of load you carry during exercise. For example, isometric exercise involves trying to lift or pull immovable objects (though it is not advisable for people with hypertension); isotonic exercise involves the use of dumbbells and other regular objects used in weight lifting; and isokinetic exercise is usually done by athletes and professionals.

Endurance (Muscular) Exercise

You can decide to improve the endurance of some groups of muscles in your body eg the leg muscles, abdominal mass, etc. This closely resembles cardio-respiratory endurance; it actually focuses on the ability of the muscles to withstand continuous, long term activities.

Flexibility Exercise

Joints are subject to 'the law of use and disuse' whereby they function less efficiently when not used regularly. This is particularly important to dancers. In physical fitness exercises, flexibility improves the efficiently of joints in the body. It also improves balance and posture.

Body Composition Exercise

The ratio of healthy body fat to body mass is a primary concern in physical fitness training. Body composition exercise tackles overweight, obesity and related concerns.

Cardio-Respiratory Fitness Exercise

Specifically, cardio-respiratory fitness exerciseforms the groundwork for other workouts by increasing your ability to endure work for longer periods and work more intensely. When the body draws on oxygen to perform activities, it would not have to (an-aerobically) produce lactic acid that causes muscle fatigue. More so, it has been reported that cardio-respiratory physical fitness exercise enhances lifespan and greatly reduces the risk of infections.

Consequently, it is advisable to pay a higher premium on cardio-respiratory fitness exercise since it supports your body fitness and enhances your wellbeing. Nonetheless, any of the other fitness exercises are alright depending on your own goal.

Source by Kal Gunay

Beauty fitness is determined by how healthy you are. It may be satisfactory for a while but to retain beauty, there are several factors that should be considered. A solution to that is natural cosmetics, to ensure healthy beauty fitness. The need of maintaining physical fitness and mental balance originates from our artificial life style. Yoga as a beauty fitness routine can fit into anyone's lifestyle. Beauty does really start from within and has much to do with your beauty fitness food nutrition. Apart from the expense involved in buying beauty fitness food products, whether they are for their anti aging nutrition or vitamin content, think also on the extras you're paying for such as additives, preservatives, color-enhancers, that you could well do without . Starting a nutrient-rich, health and beauty fitness food diet, calls for just a few basic yet healthy changes in the way you currently eat. Health and beauty fitness really does start from within.

Beauty

If our skin looks good, we feel good, so it's little wonder that way we spend so much time, effort and money on beauty regimes. The marvellous thing about beauty is that no matter how you look naturally, you can improve yourself. Don't neglect your beauty and fitness because you feel you can't afford it. Avoid the other end of the spectrum too, spending too much attempting to keep up with beauty maintenance and paying for expensive gym memberships. Going to the salon or spa for your beauty treatments can become expensive and time consuming. Which means your beauty and fitness regime is done at your convenience, and within a reasonable budget.

Fitness

In the quest for a beautiful figure and overall fitness, Yoga is one of the most sought after technique that brings about increased fitness and flexibility levels. This holistic approach to fitness also addresses the spiritual and mental well being of a person. The principles of fitness with yoga are controlled breathing, postures and meditation. Beauty fitness with yoga is a reality since regular practice of yoga helps a woman remain agile and slim. If you have a better body fitness than it will also improve your sexual fitness and if you are better in sex than it will also improve body fitness. As you improve your body fitness and decrease the fat from your body parts than you will not feel any type of pain and not get tired so easily.

There is a widely available and plentiful supply of every-day beauty fitness food at your fingertips. Health and beauty fitness really does start from within.

Source by David England