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Aerobics to Cure Insomnia

Why taking pills, when you can’t fall asleep? They have a whole range of side effects. It has been recently found, that there’s a better way to cure insomnia without taking sedatives. Regular aerobics classes can help reduce anxiety and even get rid of insomnia. As for me, besides playing badminton, I do step aerobics at least once a week and after it I get a nice face color and a perfect mood, which makes me so efficient in work – just like nothing else. So, I would recommend aerobics as an antidepressant, too.

The Aerobics Study

Scientists at Sao Paulo University have recently found this connection between aerobics and insomnia. Meanwhile they have also mentioned, that other kinds of physical activities don’t have such insomnia curing effect.

Aerobics and Insomnia

The scientists have made this resume, after they studied the effect of different physical activities on the human body. It occurs, that doing aerobics at even the lowest complexity level reduces the time of expecting the sleep by 54% and the time till the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep – by 36%. Together with it the total duration of sleep increases by 21% and the health-improving effect of sleep – by 18%.

Why Aerobics Is Good

Doing aerobics reduces the symptoms of excess anxiety. This kind of sport is simple and doesn’t exhaust one. In general, aerobic exercises improve the cardiac performance and give one a lot of positive emotions.

Cherry Juice Releases Muscle Pain

Nobody likes myalgia, but it can occur quite often as a result of intensive physical exercises. Myalgia can also make the person give up regular exercising, as it causes muscle pain every time. But there has been found a way to cope with these unpleasant feelings – drinking cherry juice.


 A research involving athletes who spend many hours in the gym daily has been recently conducted. It has been discovered, that drinking a glass of cherry juice or eating 45 cherries can successfully release muscle pain. This effect of cherries is due to their antioxidant properties. Cherries are also rich in substances having anti-inflammatory effect.

Yoga Enhances Immunity

A group of international experts from the universities Haifa (Israel), Leeds (Great Britain) and Harvard (USA) believe that the traditional Indian technique of relaxation, yoga, has its own genetic and biological benefits. Muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, and practice of meditation help mental and physical development, lower signs of stress and anxiety, strengthen the immunity, and prevent the effect of the stress hormones. The physiologists noted that such observations were made in people who practice yoga for years as well as in beginners.


 The therapists say that due to its relaxing qualities yoga can help cure a vast number of illnesses such as various aches, sterility, rheumatic arthritis, and insomnia. It has been determined that yoga activates over 2 thousand genes which influence cell metabolism, immune response to oxidative damage of cells and tissues, and chronic tension. Medics mainly analyzed immune blood cells so that they could understand how effective the exercises are in terms of helping the person feel better and protecting their body. If you want to see your health benefit from yoga exercises, then you need to devote to it at least 20 minutes a day.

When Sport Is Unhealthy

It turns out that those who practice heavy exercise loads daily have a shorter lifespan. It happens because during exercising they inhale a large amount of oxygen; as a result, early aging of their cells is taking place. The fact, that intensive exercising speed up the aging of a human body, was identified by the doctors of Valencia municipal hospital.


They disclosed to public the results of their research, in which their calculations and estimates certify a big difference of effects of moderate, regular, frequent and intensive physical loads.

In the reports it is stated that high class athletes have a lot of health problems, which could lead to physical impairment and often debar those athletes from competitions. It takes place because during intensive physical loads people have to breathe in a lot of oxygen. The given oxygenation process, in fact, is the cell aging process. In excess it provokes the “oxidant stress” and leads to many illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases and cancer.

Postpartum Fitness

After having a baby, a woman should focus on her exercises. It all depends, however, on the woman’s desire to look real good because no matter how difficult it is to allow just a little time for your own needs, it is still possible. There are lots of programs to strengthen your muscles and regain your body tone weakened after pregnancy and childbirth. To do that, you don’t have to leave your baby for a few hours and go to a fitness center.

Best Time for Fitness after Pregnancy

Physicians recommend that women start exercising 6-8 weeks after vaginal birth and 9-10 weeks after Cesarean operation. Make sure you start exercising with care as every woman recovers after childbirth differently. Start with simpler exercises that do not cause negative sensations in the weakened body.

Intensive Walking after Childbirth

Gynecologists strongly encourage women to move actively as early as 2 weeks after childbirth. What they mean is not vigorous fitness activities, but intensive walking. You have to push a baby stroller a lot, and it is reasonable to use these hours for brisk walking that would help lose your weight.

Fitness Programs for Women after Childbirth

There are many programs for women after childbirth. For example, you can start yoga two weeks after childbirth, or isometric trainings after a month, or Chinese exercise system Chi Kung after just a few days. Of course, this is for healthy women with no childbirth complications. What’s more, all these exercise systems can relieve the stress after birth that occurs in about 50% of women. In fact, even minor exercises are very beneficial to both mothers and babies. Do not limit yourself with just slimming diet after you had a baby. Active lifestyle is a must to lose unwanted weight you gained during pregnancy and to get back in shape.

Irregular Exercises Are Unhealthy

Dieticians claim that it is better not to start a sport if you don’t mean to take regular exercises because irregular exercises promote obesity. Actually, experts at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have come to that point. They discovered that irregular physical exercises with long intervals resulted in putting on weight faster than if a person wouldn’t do them at all.


 What’s more, researches managed to find out that it would be harder to lose the weight you gained that way. Scientists say you have to be physically active year-round and avoid seasonal pauses to slim effectively. For those who feel they can’t manage that regime, it is better not to start a sport at all. The study shows that those who run hard every day and then quit it gain their weight rapidly. Researches say those runners put on four times their weight before trainings.

Elevator Is Harmful Invention

If it were not for the elevators, people would be much healthier. The fact was discovered by Swedish scientists. They piled up on scientific evidence supporting that stair climbing is great for our health. Researches encourage those with a sedentary lifestyle not to take the elevator at all.


They argue that even such a moderate physical exercise as walking up and down the stairs is able to increase fitness level rapidly.

Their statements come from the results of the study involving 69 people. Volunteers were asked to use the stairs every day. The number of stair flights climbed was being gradually increased from 5 to 23. After 3 months, scientists examined the volunteers to find the improvements in lungs ventilation, blood pressure and the reduction in their weight. So, it’s for you to decide.

High Heel Race

Sidney saw another high heel race with the record number of runners – 265 women. Wearing three-inch high heels, ladies competed on a 80 meter race track. Australian Britney McGlone who is a professional 400 meters hurdle runner finished first to take home AUD 5000 prize fund (USD 4267).


 High heel sprint is no easy thing. Many participants of this odd competition left the race track unhappy and bruised.

 High heel race is a quite popular sport that emerged fairly recently and soon won many hearts across the world. The first race took place in the Netherlands, March, 2007. It gathered about 150 ladies then.

 Stiletto races were also run in Russia and Germany. By the way, Germans were generous with the prize fund. The winner received a 10 000 euros worth coupon for buying clothes, shoes, accessories and, of course, cosmetics.

Watching Sport Is Healthy

It is not only performing physical exercises that does us good, but also watching them. This fact was discovered by physiologists at the University of Chicago. They concluded that watching somebody training helps sharpen the brain.


In their study, scientists compared hockey players, hockey fans and people who are not enthusiastic about hockey. They found that discussing hockey boosted the activity of brain zones responsible for planning and physical actions in hockey players and fans (compared to hockey-indifferent people).

The researches say this observation is unique. New findings suggest that our brain is able to give orders of physical activity to the body even if we aren’t actually exercising. It’s just enough to watch a game on TV or at the stadium.

Physiologists claim that in future these findings could bring about some changes in the training programs for physically active professions. It has to do not only with athletes, but also with militaries, bodyguards, fire fighters and the others.

It Is Easier to Train With the Music on

An interesting fact was recently discovered, which showed that listening to music during a heavy training can increase endurance of your body by 15% and, in addition, it helps enjoy the sport much more. It works even when a person trains on strength training equipment at a very high intensity level. A 20 year study which examined connection between music motivation in sport and work helped establish this fact. The study showed that it is much easier to work out when your favourite tune is on.


The study was initiated by physiologists from Brunel University, the Great Britain. The participants were actively training and could select the type of music, rock or pop music, they wanted to listen to while training. The physicians discovered that music helped enhance muscle relaxation, especially when the person was running or walking.

From the results they received, the physicians concluded that “music” method can be used during rehabilitation therapy as an additional treatment method to help maintain fitness to people with heart and weight problems.
In addition, many people (including me) find it much easier to do regular daily tasks, such as cleaning, cooking, or even working, when the music is on. Enjoyable music can lift your mood so that the task you hate so much can turn into something interesting at least.

Water Aerobics During Pregnancy Eases Childbirth Pain

Most women, even those who dream of having children, are afraid of childbirth. It hurts much, you never know how long it will last and if there will appear complications. My nephew’s birth lasted about 7 hours, my sister-in-law, his mother, says, it was complicated, exhausting and very painful. This is why anything (that, of course, doesn’t harm the baby) that could help ease the pain and make childbirth faster is a dream of every pregnant woman. Here’s something that does help. Brazilian scientists found out that taking water aerobics, or aqua aerobics, classes during pregnancy help significantly ease the childbirth pain as well as speed up the overall process.


Scientists from the University of Campinas (Sao Paulo) held a study which examined future mothers (71 women in total). Half of the participants took 50-minute exercise sessions at the pool three times a week. According to the results, 27% of women who exercised water aerobics required painkillers during childbirth, while this number in the control group was about 65%.
Aqua aerobics and swimming are considered the most suitable types of fitness for the pregnancy period. Water removes pressure from the spine, joints, and ligaments and provides optimal pressure on the pregnant woman’s muscles and cardiovascular system. In addition, pool exercises help relieve stress and learn how to breathe rhythmically.

Exercising Protects Brain and Enhances Memory

Being more physically active means protecting your brain and improve your memory, according to scientists at Cheng Kung University, Taiwan. In their opinion, physical activity stimulates the formation of special agents in the brain which, in their turn, encourage quicker maturation of stem calls into neurons. During the experiment the scientists used running wheel for a group of mice. The mice from the control group were only eating and sleeping.


 In the course of the experiment the maturation process of neurons was being observed. The scientists found that the active lifestyle can make neurons mature 2 times faster. The more neurons we have, the better our memory, concentration, reasoning and other brain functions. So don’t be sitting in front of the computer for a long time – use every minute to exercise, even in the office and hit the gym regularly.

4 Essential Fitness Tips

We all want to look beautiful and fit, gain a bit more muscles instead of that fat on side abs and hips. We all want to be healthier and sexier than others. This is why we spend so much time in the gym. But pretty often our efforts don’t end in immediate weight loss and quick fat burn. Why? What do we do wrong? Today we are going to discuss the most common mistakes in the gym that not only hinder your achievements but also can damage your health. Below you will find four most important fitness tips.

Choose Your Own Diet Plan and Fitness Program

So often does it happen that women in pursuit of the popular diet or some fitness program forget about their individuality. For example, they heard Madonna say in the interview about yoga helping her to be in shape – and everybody switch to yoga. Then there is another slim idol who shares his or her secret of beauty – and women get immediately inspired by the new idea and ask for this particular program in a gym. Remember – It doesn’t matter how many abdominal muscle exercises Angelina Jolie does every day. You need your own program because you have different goals and – what’s more important – different body. Your goals should be real. Choose fitness program together with your trainer. It might be that good old shaping will bring you better results.

Aerobic Exercises or Power Training? Both!

Women know that aerobic exercises burn off excessive weight faster than power trainings. For this reason power training exercises are so often omitted. Some women are afraid of building too big muscles. How wrong they are! Numerous studies show that power training exercises contribute to weight loss significantly. As women grow older, their body is losing muscle mass. This natural physiological process flows with the speed of approximately 5 pounds per 10 years. With loss of muscle tissue, metabolism slows. It’s known that metabolic rate is directly related to dieting. That is why muscles require training. Together with this scientifically proved fact there is another one: those who want to lose more than 8 pounds through aerobics only are at risk of acquiring Shar Pei-like folds.

Never Skip Warming-up and Stretching

You were late for warming-up? Spent less time on stretching thinking it’s not important? That’s the biggest mistake. Any training, whether cardio or power, must start with a short warming-up. Muscles should be ready for exercising – this will minimize the injury risks. Stretching after exercises trains not only your flexibility. It also fixes the effect of all training. It was a long time ago when specialists found out that stretching after exercising makes training 19% more effective. I don’t think this figure is so small to ignore it. Moreover, stretching makes the pulse slower, thus it protects cardiovascular system from stresses. In short, smooth start of exercising (warming-up) and smooth finishing (stretching) are crucial.

Make Your Fitness Program Diverse

Diversity is a great thing which is necessary everywhere, including fitness. It’s impossible to perform the same exercises for years! Improve your program every 4-6 weeks. Not all the program – just gradually change some exercises, later you can come back to them. Otherwise your muscles will adjust. You can also vary the number of reps and amount of weights. If that’s a cardio training, you may change the time and intensity of exercises.

Pilates

Pilates is a well-known and popular around the world exercise system. It was developed by Joseph Pilates more than a century ago and was revived today as one of the fitness trend “Body and Mind”. One of the best things about the Pilates is that it works so well for a wide range of people regardless of their age, sex and fitness level. The risk of injury here is very low.

How Does Pilates Look Like?

Pilates system is based around core strength. The core muscles are the deep muscles of the back, or spinal muscles. All moves are performed slowly and gently so muscles and ligaments are not overburdened. And you learn how to breathe at the same time.

What Muscles Are Trained in Pilates?

The Pilates exercises strengthen abdominal and back muscles, improve body posture, stability, flexibility and joints function. Besides, exercises develop core muscles in the abdomen and back that are not trained by aerobics and power exercises.

Pilates and Pregnancy

Pilates exercises are especially beneficial for women as they develop female core muscles of true pelvis. Pregnant women can also do this system without interruption to keep their bodies in shape.

Pilates: How to Begin

It’s recommended that beginners start with mat work. This kind of exercises was originally developed by Joseph Pilates. They include 500 various exercises based on the rotation of muscle stretching and load.

Pilates Principles

The major Pilates principles are the following: control, concentration, breath, centering, relaxation, flow and precision.

1. Control

The foundation principle of Pilates system is the control over execution of all exercises and moves. These exercises should strengthen spinal muscles.

2. Concentration

Concentration provides the balance between your body and spirit. Each move is under mental control and you focus on how your body performs an exercise.

3. Breathing

Breathing is crucial for Pilates exercises. Breathing supports the balance in the body and improves control over moves. That’s why midriff breathing is trained.

4. Centering

It means strengthening the centre of the body, so called core muscles that lie from chest to hips. In this area, most important organs are located. Training these muscles strengthens the back and spinal column in the first place, easing back pain and preventing spinal disorders.

5. Flow

Flow is very important for all Pilates exercises. One move slowly flows into another without pauses and interruptions. But every move has its starting and finishing points. Each move is a part in the chain of moves. There are no fast moves, no isolation and long pauses.

6. Relaxation

Awareness is there to help balance your body. You have to relax those parts of the body that are not involved in an exercise.

7. Regularity

And the last Pilates principle is regularity. If you want to succeed, you have to do Pilates exercises, at least, three times a week.
I decided to tell you about Pilates so detailed because about a few weeks ago I attended my first Pilates class and I liked it so much, I was so impressed. It’s relaxing, but at the same time you work out very thoroughly the zones most women would like to train, such as abs, side abs, hips etc. In Pilates, first you strengthen the muscles, then you stretch them, which reduces post-training myalgia.
After the Pilate class the feeling in the muscles you worked out is amazing – you literally feel them all! And, thus, you are sure you trained each of them, so you WILL look better. This is fantastic, as even after a few training days of Pilates you notice that your posture has become straighter. So, for those who have to sit down in front of the computer all day long, it’s great. The only minus – when you lay down on the mat to do some exercises you may start yawning so after the class the only thing you want is to sleep, but it’s always a good sleep.
Briefly, I really recommend it.

Office Exercises

How come office workers are prone to be overweight? It turns out, that the reason for this is more complicated that mere lack of movements. Glucose is the energy source for our brain cells. Blood glucose levels drop more significantly under heavy brainwork than under physical work. We feel hunger when we are short in glucose, as this way the organism tries to replenish glucose levels. Thus, when we spend a lot of time in front of our computer we tend to spend less calories, but eat more food, therefore we consume more than we spend. This is the main reason why mental work results in excess weight.

How Office Workers Can Stay Fit

However, there is a solution – we need to carefully control our food consumption (considering the false hunger described above) and never forget about physical activities. Here are some interesting exercises. Those can be easily done at the office, regardless of what you wear, be it a skirt, dress or pants. The exercises concentrate on leg and buttocks muscles, make you work with your back, abs, and chest.

Exercise for Abs and Back

Stand next to a wall or a closet such that your back is leaned against it. Squat and stay in this position as long as you can. Do not lean forward. Keep your back straight by using your abs and back muscles. In a couple seconds you will feel your leg muscles at work. Relax and do another couple of sets of the same exercise.

Wall Push-ups

Next, turn around such that you are facing the same wall and lean on the wall with your hands. You will be doing push-ups and work on your upper body. Your feet need to be as far from the wall such that when you bend you arms and lower yourself to the wall there should be a 45 degree angle between your body and the wall. Wall push-ups is the simplest version of push-ups, thus you need to increase the number of repetitions to 50. If you feel like making the exercise a little bit more complicated, then you can do push-ups on one hand keeping the other one behind your back.

Snack Tip for a Better Result

This small workout will make your office day less monotone and will boost your mood as well. Furthermore, make sure to take an apple, pear, yogurt, or juice instead of cookies and coffee for your snack.
Have a great day at work!

How to Wake Up Without Stress

Alarm clock is buzzing. You are trying to open your eyes but your body is crying out for another 5 minutes of sleep. Is that how your morning begins? Feel wake-up throes through the working week? Well, imagine you were a Tibetan monk and try to wake up the way wise hermits do it. Tibetan in-bed exercises energize the whole body, provide a proper energy circulation and get you ready for new achievements at your job. The most exiting thing about this kind of waking up is that it’s simple, healthy and you don’t even have to open your eyes.

Rub the Ears

You woke up already but still half-asleep? With your eyes closed, rub your ears: press them against your head and move your palms up and down like 20 times.
Health benefits:

• It’s healthy for your face.
• This massage strengthens gums and improves blood circulation in temples.

Hands on the Forehead

Place your right hand on your forehead and put your left hand over. Move your hands back and forth like 20 times.
Health benefits:

• It prevents headaches.
• It treats dizziness.

Eye Massage

Slightly massage your eyes with thumb knuckles – 15-20 moves.
Health benefits:

• The massage puts your nervous system in order.
• It also improves eye sight.

Belly Massage

Put your palms on the belly and bend your knees. Slightly massage your belly moving palms clockwise making 30-50 moves.
Health benefits:

• It strengthens belly muscles and gets the pancreatic gland ready for breakfast.
• The massage also relieves unpleasant sensations in the liver area, “wakes” the gall bladder up.
• It improves the vermicular motion of large bowel.

Stomach Game

Remove your hands and “play the game” of protruding and drawing your stomach in, making 20 moves in total.
Health benefits:

• “Stomach game” is very healthy for your liver, kidneys and digestive system.
• It also burns excess fat off and helps against cholestasis and blood engorgement.

Knees and Chest

Bend your knees. Put your arms around knees and draw them to your chest.
Health benefits:

• It is an internal massage for stomach and chest muscles.

Time to Stand up

Now you can open your eyes! Get out of bed.
Finally, slightly massage the bottoms of your feet.
Health benefits:

• It’s healthy for your spinal column.

Why It’s Healthy to Wake up The Tibetan Way

This is a really healthy way of waking up. It involves all organs harmoniously creating a flow of pure energy. Never spring out of bed and rush in the shower when you are still sleepy. That hits your heart, digestive and urogenital systems in the first place. Your body needs some time to wake up. Tibetan monks also wake up performing breathing exercises.

What Kind of Sports Shoes Do You Need?

A pair of comfortable sports shoes is a must to have if you lead an active lifestyle and exercise. So you have to think twice before making your purchasing decision. How not to get lost in a sports store and choose the right pair suitable for the type of sports activity you are engaged in?

Basketball

Your ankle-joint needs to be well fixed when you jump up with the ball to the basket. Find a pair of light high top basketball shoes having shock-absorber element in sole.

Aerobics

Aerobic exercises put great pressure on the feet, so you should wear the lightest sports shoes. Make sure your aerobics shoes feature special cushions which take some of the pressure off your joints when you jump.

Break-dance and Freestyle

Enthusiasts of this ultra-fashionable sports activity need special footwear having absolutely flat sole and padded ankle collar! These features are crucial for smooth performance of all the turns and slides. And you definitely need that hip-hop design.

Dances

You will need a lot of flexibility from you dance shoes because nothing in your shoe should hamper arching your feet. Make sure you find a pair of shoes with arched sole for dancing.

Running and Gym

It depends on the activity, but you need your sports shoes to have flexible sole whether you do running or exercise in the gym. On the one hand, you should be able to maneuver your feet (as if you were barefooted). On the other hand, your sports shoes are supposed to embrace your feet securely. In addition, it’s better to wear breathable shoes.

Dances Are Graceful Way to Keep Fit

What training is it that burns 500 calories in half an hour, combining aerobics and cardio exercises and working all muscle groups simultaneously? Dancing! In case you don’t know, dancing pumps endorphin into your brain, a hormone that makes us feel happy. Just find what kind of dance appeals to you and enjoy yourself.

Hip Hop

Hip hop is fun and freedom, improvisation and the chance to be what you are, dance and sports activity at the same time. If you do hip hop, you don’t really need some extra fitness activity. Hip hop includes plenty of aerobics and cardio exercises, helps shed off pounds, improves the cardiovascular system and equally develops all muscle groups. I’m not telling about developing subtle sense of rhythm and having a lot of fun!

Ballet

Noble posture, grace and lightness, elegant gait and slim figure are all the things you can get from your classical dance classes. Ballet dancers are able to lose weight and strengthen muscles over the short term because exercises are quite intensive. Ballet demands precision and instant control over virtually every muscle of your body, holding your back straight, sucking your belly in, straining your buttocks and legs. While ballet movements seem so weightless, they require much straight from performer, giving fast fitness results. Besides, you get perfect stretch and basic skills to start learning any other dance.

Belly Dance

This plastic and sensual dance has its own philosophy. Dancer learns how to express herself, how to understand and appreciate her body, how to shake off complexes and constraint. In addition, it’s an effective fitness. Taking belly dance classes helps lose extra inches off your hips and buttocks, flattens your belly and strengthens your arms and back muscles effectively. Motions distinctive for this Asian dance – shimmies – work as a massage, melting away cellulite and preventing excess water to stay in the body. Belly dance is also beneficial for female health as it develops core muscles of true pelvis.

Latina Dance

Sultry Latin-American dances such as salsa, rumba, cha cha cha have formed the base for one the most popular club dance trends. Just after taking your first Latina dance classes you can show off your new skills on the dance floor. As with belly dance, Latina builds up self-confidence and invokes a sense of freedom. Being a fitness activity, the dance brings about good posture and graceful gait as well as develops various groups of muscles, from hips and back to waist and arms. By the way, you can meet a handsome guy at the classroom or at Latina dance parties.

Dancing Aerobics

It sounds like middle-ground option for those who are bored with regular aerobics and shaping routines and think dancing is not intensive enough for them. In dancing aerobics, the set of exercises is designed to put more intensity into dance movements and rhythm so you are dancing and exercising at the same time. The effect from the workouts doubles, too. Your posture improves, extra pounds go away, and flexibility and agility in movements come about.
Dance yourself healthy!

Physical Exercises Increase Brain Volume

Scientists from the University of Illinois and the University of Pittsburgh have found promising and simple ways for seniors to stimulate their brain structures, thus improving different types of memory.


 Numerous studies proved that bigger hippocampus is associated with better spatial memory. This paired region of the brain is responsible for the navigation in one’s environment. Remove it, and a person’s ability to record information at a given moment is destroyed (though long-term memory is still there).

Scientific studies showed that, for example, the hippocampus of students who studied for their final exams increased in size.

 

It is a fact that the hippocampus shrinks with age, leading to memory deterioration and cognitive declines. The rate, at which this occurs, however, differs among individuals, but all older humans are to experience it.
Earlier research by American scientists revealed that exercising can increase the hippocampus size in mice. So scientists embarked on the study to find if the same can work for humans.

They studied 165 older humans (109 of them female) between 59 and 81 years of age. Using magnetic resonance imagining, they measured the volume of the left and right hippocampi. Volunteers also had cognitive and memory tests.

They found that people who do aerobic fitness enjoyed 40% better spatial memory and bigger hippocampus.

According to the statement of professor Art Kramer in the study press-release, high level of fitness is linked to bigger hippocampus, and the people that have more tissue in the hippocampus have better spatial memory. Professor Kirk Ericson adds: “Basically, if you stay fit you retain key regions of your brain involved in learning and memory”.
The findings were published in Hippocampus Magazine.

Female Yoga

Do you want to look sexier, cure depression and get rid of premenstrual syndrome and more serious health problems? Take yoga classes. But what you need is a female yoga, not usual classes.


There is nothing exotic about yoga anymore. Some people prefer Iyengar yoga, others like Ashtanga Vinyasa. Anyway, we could benefit from female yoga classes where classic asanas are performed considering women’s anatomy and physiology. You always get the maximum effect out of any training if it is built according to your individual characteristics.

The instructor in female class considers your age, fitness level and even the phase of the menstrual cycle. As a result, you can focus on exclusively female health problems. For example, the teacher will tell you in the first place that inverted asanas (such as shoulder stand or headstand) have to be strictly avoided during menstruation. But doing them the rest of the month can help you avoid painful periods.

Great way to cope with your PMS is doing crunches and intense side stretch poses because they stimulate the function of atrabiliary capsules, helping to smooth hormonal changes.

Can You Do Yoga With Gynecological Conditions?

With gynecological conditions, many types of fitness are not allowed. Yoga, on the other hand, brings only positive effects. Such conditions as cyst, myoma and endometriosis are the reason to enroll in a female yoga class. These conditions exclude tension and warming of the body. All postures are performed in a relaxed, flow and gentle manner. This is what primarily distinguishes the female class. Your teacher will instruct you on what to avoid during the class and what to be focused on. Later you will be able to build your own practice depending on how you feel and individual responses you get from your body. What’s more female yoga can help you look better.

Health Benefits of Yoga

Yoga enhances the metabolism, helping to lose weight. Your body shapes into balanced proportions, round shoulders corrected, forward tilted pelvis improved, protruding wide hips disappeared.

Baddha Konasana, The Best Pose For Women

This pose soothes menstrual discomfort, strengthens urinary bladder and womb, and helps fix urogenital disorders. Use any chance to do Baddha Konasana: at home when you’re watching TV or even in the office when you are sitting at the table (you’ll need a wide chair without armrests).
Sit on the floor and stretch your legs forward. Lift the chest up and pinch your shoulder blades. Bring your feet together with the soles touching. Drop your knees trying to touch the floor and open the hips. Don’t strain your abdomen. Bring your pelvis down and your spine up. Virtually every asana is based on the counteraction of two differently directed efforts. Breathe evenly and calmly.
 Grip your feet with the thumbs and pull them back as far as you can. The longer you can hold the position, the better. 30-60 seconds is enough time for beginners.

Scientists Have Determined the Best Physical Exercise

Scientists from the University of San Diego, US, have determined the best physical exercise. They say we have to walk for half an hour every day making 100 steps per minute. Doing this kind of walking every day will provide moderate intensity physical activity, BBC News reports.


 To achieve this conclusion, scientists monitored the health condition of volunteers in the experiment where they were walking on a treadmill. The experiment involved 97 men and women without any serious health conditions. The average age of volunteers was at 32 years of age.

It turned out that for men the rate of 92-102 steps per minute meets moderate-intensity guideline. Under this many steps heart muscle starts working with moderate intensity. For women, this rate accounts for 91-115 per minute.

Scientists do not encourage beginners to dash into walking at the rate of 100 steps per minute during half an hour immediately. Start with 1000 steps per 10 minutes and then advance gradually to reach a rate of 3000 steps per minute.

Physical exercises are the key to healthy lifestyle and brisk walking at a certain rate is the best start for those who want to keep fit and healthy. However, even though the rate of 100 steps per minute is considered moderate intensity physical exercise, scientists advise on consulting with a doctor or fitness instructor before you begin. People with poor health or weight problems are more likely to take off with lower rate.

Exercises to Keep Your Arms Fit

Doing a few simple arm exercises within your fitness routine will help make your hands look fit and graceful.
 Not only men, who crave to build a muscle definition like Schwarzenegger had in ‘Terminator’, need working their biceps and triceps. If your goal is having a nice posture, if you want to wear open shoulder dresses, tight-fit T-shirts and stunning evening gowns without being embarrassed, if you have sedentary job – you absolutely have to focus on your arms.

Can You Overtrain Your Arm Muscles?

Don’t be afraid you might train yourself into bodybuilder and you arms would become oversized. Really, big muscle gain would take lots of pressing and pushing heavy barbells and dumbbells in a gym and a special diet. If you want to make sure your arms would look fit, not muscular, work with light dumbbells weighing 2-4 pounds, but do more reps. Then you’ll see fat going away and your arms becoming nicely shaped.

Types of Arm Exercises

Basically, there are three types of arm exercises. First type hits all the muscles, warming them up. They are great for your warm-up routines. Second type develops biceps, or front arm muscles. And third type strengthens triceps, or back arm muscles. It is usually difficult for women to develop triceps.

Get It Started

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Place arms along your body. Breathe in and lift your arms up, hold a few seconds and return to starting position as you breathe out. Do 5-15 reps.
Assume the same position but lift your arms to the sides. Start doing circular motions: first do your wrists, moving them back and forth several times, then involve forearms and finish with windmill arms.
Grab light dumbbells (or start with plastic half-liter bottles with water) and stand with your legs shoulder width apart. Press your hands to your breast. Do regular lunges, springing the opposite arm forward as if you were trying to break invisible wall behind you with the fist. Do 5-10 reps for each arm.

Pushups

Until your muscles are not strengthened enough, you can do pushups supporting yourself with your knees, not feet. Do 5-10 pushups, placing your arms shoulder width apart (fingers are pointed forward), then 5-10 pushups with your arms slightly less than shoulder width apart (fingers are pointed inward), and 5-10 reps with your arms shoulder width apart and finger are pointed somewhat to the sides.
By the way, pushups are also great for breast muscles.

Biceps

Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and take a palms-up grip on the dumbbells. Bend and unbend your arms by turns, keeping good rhythm. Do 3 sets with 20-30 reps for each arm.
Sit on a bench or chair (make sure your tights are parallel to the floor and make 90 degree angle with your ankles). Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and press your elbow against the tight just above the knee. Bend and unbend your arm, but slower than in previous exercise, trying to control the way your muscles work. Keep doing it until you feel weariness in your muscles. Take a break and do another set.

Triceps

Stand upright and bend your body forward so it is parallel to the floor. Use one hand to prop yourself against a bench and grab a dumbbell in the other hand. Press your arm to the body and push the dumbbell up.
Assume standing or sitting position and lift your arms above your head. Bend your elbows and press them against your head. Unbend your elbows, lifting the dumbbells above your head. In the upper point, keep your hands straight. Return to starting position slowly. Control your muscles and keep doing the exercise until you feel weary. Repeat.

Fitball Exercises for Your Health

Nowadays, fitness industry can offer a good choice of programs. Fitball is one of them. A big ball used when doing this sort of fitness has the same name. Fitball does not overwork your spine and joints. Exercises can be performed at any age and anyplace, in a well-equipped gym or at home. Learn more about fitball below.

The History of Fitball

Fitball originated in the mid 20th century. Physiotherapists contributed to the development of this trend. First, Susan Kleinvogelbach, back in 50-s in Switzerland, studied rehabilitation mechanisms for patients with cerebral palsy and then Joan Posner Mauer (in 80-s, the USA) used ball exercises for rehabilitation of patients with locomotor system injuries.

How Fitball Exericses Work

The main function of fitball is to ease the strain on the spinal column and relieve the joints when needed. As a result, people with joint disorders, varicose veins or excessive weight feel comfortable enough when training. Both the young and seniors are able to do fitball exercises.
Fitball exercises improve your balance skills and precision of movements. As fitball is unstable, you have to actively involve more muscle groups. Basically, they are extensor muscles which serve to support body in upright position and counteract gravity force.

Fitball or Horse Riding?

Experts say that vibration we feel from exercising with fitball is much like riding on a horse in terms of physical impact. Balanced, systematic training with progressively increasing intensity highly strengthens muscle corset around spine, improves blood and lymph circulation as well as boosts metabolism in intervertebral discs. The improvement in spine condition, in its turn, has a positive effect on the function of all internal organs.

Types of Fitballs

Fitballs come in different sizes and withstand static pressure up to 660 pounds. Fitballs are made from extra-heavy PVC material and are designed with BRQ (burst resistant quality) safety system. If punctured or cut accidently, they don’t burst or flatten as air is slowly coming out of the hole.

Fitball Sizes

Fitball’s diameter varies from 17″ to 33″ (45-85 cm) and is chosen depending on height.

• below 60″ (152 cm) – 17″ (45 cm)
• 60″- 65″ (152 -165 cm) –21″ (55 cm)
• 65″-73″ (165 -185 cm) – 26″ (65 cm)
• 73”-80″ (185 – 202 cm) – 29″ (75 cm)
• Above 80″ (202 cm) – 33″ (85 cm)
  Make sure fitball doesn’t slide before you begin exercising. When pressed slightly, it should yield about 1″ (2.5 cm) inwards. The less resilient fitball is, the more difficult it is to keep balance. On the other hand, too soft fitball greatly reduces the intensity of exercises.
  

  Fitball Fitness Programs

  Fitness program includes a set of exercises performed sitting or lying on a fitball. Right posture is when your body and thighs, thighs and ankles, ankles and feet are at 90 degree angle, head slightly up, back straight, palms flat on the back side of the ball, feet shoulder-width apart and parallel to each other. This position ensures stability and symmetry, which is crucial for maintaining healthy posture.
   Sitting exercises develop pelvic muscles and are good for prevention of urogenital disorders like prolapsed uterus and kidney. Lying exercises greatly strengthen back and abdominal muscles. Back and forth swings when you lie on the ball help to relax and ease back pains. Exercises in knee-hand position improve blood circulation in true pelvis organs and ease the spine, thus relieving low back pain.
  
  

Strip Dance: Dirty Dancing or Pure Art?

One of the fitness trends intriguingly called “strip dance” has emerged from the two dance styles: striptease and ballet. But, of course, everyone sees the word “strip” immediately and many are curious what’s going on during strip dance classes. Today we are going to tell you about just that.

Pole Dance

As a commercial erotic show, female striptease first was seen by public at a student party in Moulin Rouge in Paris, though the idea and practice of strip dance existed in almost every heathen civilization.
In 20th century the striptease became popular entertainment, in which sensual and hot dance performance dominates over simple stripping off clothes. Over the years, social attitude about strip dancers changed drastically. The girls got to be seen as artistic dancers you can only “look at”. The image of an independent striptease dancer was emphasized on the big screen, too. Such actresses as Jennifer Beals in “Flashdance“, Demi Moore in “Striptease” and Jessica Alba in “Sin City” got into the role of strip dancers who drew the line between their work and off stage life, proving that stripping off before the audience doesn’t mean being a dirty woman.
Today, the profession of striptease dancers is regarded as hard work. The dancer has to perform almost acrobatic stunts on a pole and dance in uncomfortable sky-high stilettos, smiling. Besides, the dancer’s job is to bring the house down during her short performance, and you need some artistic talent for that. Off stage many of striptease dancers work as dance instructors, teaching the crowd of girls the art of being seductive.

Seduction Classes

Strip dance classes is a great chance to let your sexuality out and surprise you boyfriend, so once you had your first lesson you would never skip another.
It all starts with stretching exercises from striptease guru Carmen Electra. These are a good deal of stretching exercises for your upper body and legs. As classes progress, your instructor will introduce elements with stripping on a chair, floor and pole.

You’ll Get Noticed

Attending strip dance classes, every woman will learn to feel music, her body and the whole life differently. You get this joyful shining look in your eyes, you walk like a cat and your sexuality shows through your every move.

What Kind of Sports Do Celebrities Do?

Basically, you can lose weight without going to a plastic surgeon or confining yourself to one of those grueling mainstream diets out there. And how do celebrities make it? The key is doing “outstanding” sports, or to put it more specific, workout commitment. So what kind of sports do celebrities do?

Jennifer Lopez and Krav Maga

Beautiful Jennifer Lopez can not only dance and sing. She could handle too much annoying fans without her body guards as she knows Krav Maga self-defense techniques. This self-defense system is very different from other martial arts. It’s very simple and has nothing to do with oriental systems. There is no meditation, bows to an opponent, sophisticated tricks you need to hone over the years. This system is accommodated to suit a student’s fitness level. Krav Maga (meaning hand-to-hand combat in Hebrew) is essentially a survival skill.

Jennifer Lopez displayed her Krav Maga skills in the movie ‘Falling Down’ where she played a fragile but self-confident woman who could fight back her rowdy husband. Krav Maga is a great way to strengthen your arms, legs, abs and buttocks.

Angelina Jolie and Kickboxing

Angelina Jolie, this invincible Lara Croft Tomb Rider, spent long hours in the gym to be able to get into the role. As a result, her character, and so the actress herself, learned to skillfully use both different weapons and her own body. In fights, she was supposed to block kicks and then evade punches right away, so she needed some kickboxing training. Women pick up this essentially male martial art because kickboxing gives them strength, courage, self-confidence, self-discipline, and robust health.

Dance Classes for Sarah Jessica Parker

Sarah Jessica Parker gets classical dance classes from a personal instructor. The actress says dance bar helps her maintain perfect feminine figure – smooth body shape and minimal size.

Kylie Minogue and Ballet

The owner of a beautiful ballet dancer silhouette, the singer Kylie Minogue, also works hard at a ballet bar, which pays her off with amazingly sexy cat-like agility in movements and great showmanship.

Celebrities Preferring Classic Dance

We are witnessing classic dance explosion in America these days. Teenagers seemed to get to really love it. A close relative to choreography, callanetics is growing in popularity, too. Charming and inducing “basic instinct” in men Sharon Stone is big fan of it.

What Is Callanetics?

So what is callanetics like? This is a special, more intense gymnastics based on stretching exercises. The effect of 60 minute callanetics workout is equal to 7 hours spent in a gym doing gymnastics or 24 hours of aerobics. Yours stress will disappear as if by magic.

Surfing for Cameron Diaz

Leggy blonde Cameron Diaz is very skeptical about diets and fitness. But she’s not simply blessed with her slim figure. The actress is crazy about surfing and rushes to the beach with a board any time she has a chance. Cameron first rode on waves for the movie ‘Charlie’s Angels II’ and never stepped off the surfboard since. But once riding on waves, the Hollywood celebrity was thrown off the board and broke her nose.

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Fencing

Stunning Catherine Zeta-Jones, who put a spell on an irreversible Casanova Michael Douglas, has taken fencing classes. The actress had to master this noble art of fighting for ‘The Mask of Zorro’ movie where she played a sultry Mexican girl. Her duels with Antonio Banderas were the most thrilling and captivating parts in the movie. Catherine herself says that fencing classes have strongly improved her coordination and the flexibility of the body.

Madonna and Yoga

We all know that ‘The Material Girl’ has strengthened her body and spirit by practicing yoga over the years. She’s also promoting it, by the example of her great shape rather than by words. She keeps mastering new asanas, putting herself in full control of her own body.

Other Celebrities That Do Yoga Too

This ancient art also appeals to gorgeous Gwyneth Paltrow and stylish singer Sting says yoga helps him reverse the time. The practice, originated in India more than two thousand years ago and based on the idea of a balanced energy distribution throughout every faucet of life, encompasses gymnastics, breathing techniques and meditation, allowing modern ever pressed for time human being to find harmony and peace in the union with the Universe. Yoga is not only fitness but also aerobic exercises.
 And what sports do you do to maintain beautiful figure?