Buying An All In One System These days, more and more people are turning away from memberships to gyms and instead choosing to invest money in a home gym. You can put a home gym in a spare corner of your home, or even in the basement if you wish. Along with helping you save money by combining several different types of equipment into one machine, these types of equipment can easily fit in small spaces and type up a lot less weight than their individual counterparts. When you are considering to buy an all in one piece of exercise equipment, you should first think about your goals. You should consider what you hope to achieve from exercising and just how well this piece of equipment will benefit you. There are several types of all in one equipment for exercise on the market and almost all of them are advertised well on television, in magazines, and on the internet. The most popular types on the market are those types that are geared towards individuals who are interested in lifting weights. Right now, the two most popular types of all in one exercise systems are the Bowflex and Total Gym brands. The Bowflex system uses resistant bows that bend instead of the traditional weights that simply lift. Bowflex is designed to fit a wide variety of budgets and needs, it's widely adaptable and extremely popular as well. To make things even better, you can store the basic Bowflex system in small and tight places, even under a bed if you choose. The larger and more expensive Blowflex system competes with the types of professional equipment that you can find in gyms, which allow you a quality workout on quality equipment. The Total Gym system is great as well, as it is advertised by martial arts legend Chuck Norris and supermodel Christie Brinkley. It is less expensive than the Bowflex and uses gravity and resistance instead of traditional weights. By using this system, you have the ability to adapt the machine to a wide variety of exercises that will work many different areas of your body. When you make that decision about buying an all in one exercise system, you must also decide on price, features, brand, and just who will use the machine. If your family plans to use it as well, then you'll need to get a system that everyone will agree on. You obviously wouldn't want a machine that is too complicated for others in your home. Even though Bowflex and Total Gym are the 2 most popular types of all in one equipment, there are several others out there as will, from brands such as Weider and many others. Before you make your choice, you should look at several to see which one offers you more for your money. (word count 465)

These days, more and more people are turning away from memberships to gyms and instead choosing to invest money in a home gym. You can put a home gym in a spare corner of your home, or even in the basement if you wish. Along with helping you save money by combining several different types of equipment into one machine, these types of equipment can easily fit in small spaces and type up a lot less weight than their individual counterparts. When you are considering to buy an all in one piece of exercise equipment, you should first think about your goals. You should consider what you hope to achieve from exercising and just how well this piece of equipment will benefit you. There are several types of all in one equipment for exercise on the market and almost all of them are advertised well on television, in magazines, and on the internet. The most popular types on the market are those types that are geared towards individuals who are interested in lifting weights. Right now, the two most popular types of all in one exercise systems are the Bowflex and Total Gym brands. The Bowflex system uses resistant bows that bend instead of the traditional weights that simply lift. Bowflex is designed to fit a wide variety of budgets and needs, it's widely adaptable and extremely popular as well. To make things even better, you can store the basic Bowflex system in small and tight places, even under a bed if you choose. The larger and more expensive Blowflex system competes with the types of professional equipment that you can find in gyms, which allow you a quality workout on quality equipment. The Total Gym system is great as well, as it is advertised by martial arts legend Chuck Norris and supermodel Christie Brinkley. It is less expensive than the Bowflex and uses gravity and resistance instead of traditional weights. By using this system, you have the ability to adapt the machine to a wide variety of exercises that will work many different areas of your body. When you make that decision about buying an all in one exercise system, you must also decide on price, features, brand, and just who will use the machine. If your family plans to use it as well, then you'll need to get a system that everyone will agree on. You obviously wouldn't want a machine that is too complicated for others in your home. Even though Bowflex and Total Gym are the 2 most popular types of all in one equipment, there are several others out there as will, from brands such as Weider and many others. Before you make your choice, you should look at several to see which one offers you more for your money.

If you are a runner, then I am sure that you will know about calf cramps. Imagine this scenario if you will. Let's say that you are 7.5k into a 10k run and the road starts to incline. Ever so slightly, but enough to put that extra strain on your legs as you try to maintain contact with the leaders. And the temperature? Well, it's the morning, but it's hot and liable to get hotter before the end. And to make matters worse, you were so desperate to maintain contact with the leading group, that you forgot to take on liquid at the last feeding station. And did you use tight fitting calf length socks? I know they are all the rage, but why did you do it? So what do we have here? * Extra strain on muscles? * Dehydration? * Loss of essentials salts? * Restriction of blood flow? All in all, I think that we are describing running calf cramps, waiting to happen. I am not sure that anyone has definitive answer to the cause of cramps, but there are certainly several steps that you can take which could help save you from disaster during competition, in any sport. 1. A Proper Warm Up Ok, I know you know, but did you do it? If not, then those cramps could be coming. Seriously, if you have been involved in any sport to any level, then you will be aware of the importance of a proper warm up. And I don't just mean a brisk walk up the stairs to the changing room either! A proper warm up should include a routine that gently stretches your muscles to get them ready for the increased exertion, and gets your blood flowing around your body. Not only will a warm help prevent calf cramps, they will also help prevent some of the injuries that might occur when you put sudden strain on cold muscles. And whilst we are talking of warm ups, don't forget warm downs as well. Warming down after exercise can also help prevent cramping and reduce the risk of injury. 2. Train Hard, Run Easy Have you heard this before? No? Well you should give it some thought, because it's true. When you train for a sport, not only do you practice the necessary skills required to execute which ever event you are competing in, but you are also training your body for the rigours of the event. To given an exaggerated example, if you train for a sprint, and then try and run a marathon, your body won't be ready. If you try it, I think you could be in for some serious cramps. Remember, train hard, run easy. 3. Water is Sport's Life Blood Whenever you start to exercise, you start to sweat (or you should). Sweat is nature's way of cooling you down when you get hot, so, it's a good thing. And since your body is mainly made of water, then you should have plenty, shouldn't you? Well, considering that you lose moisture from your body when you breathe, sweating does take a lot of fluid out of your system. And your body will demand that it be replaced! If you start feeling dizzy, or experience a rapid heart beat, then these could be signs that you are starting to dehydrate. I will take it as read that if your mouth and lips feel dry, then you should be taking water on board. It is not always possible to take on fluid during sport, but always have some available as soon as you are able to drink. 4. Sport A'int No Catwalk. It's true! Sport is not a fashion parade. If you think it is, then you are hanging out in the wrong place! There's nothing wrong with looking cool whilst you compete, but be practical. Don't risk injury (or cramps) by wearing clothing that is too tight, and that restricts your body's movement, either externally or via blood flow. Believe me, I know. When I was younger, I used tie up's on my socks whilst playing soccer (not as a fashion statement you'll understand), just to keep my socks up and my shin guards inside my socks. Three quarters of the way through a game, my calves would tighten up, and I would roll on the floor in agony. Once it was understood, that I 'only had cramp', I was the object of much derision, but believe me, cramp is far from funny if you are the one suffering. Wear appropriate clothing. 5. Eat Properly. When you are sweating and working hard, not only do you lose water, you also lose nutrients. There is speculation that that athletes who get calf cramps could suffer from low levels of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. I am not suggesting that you do low level analysis of your breakfast cereal, but the message is clear. Look after your body, and your body will look after you. Eat sensibly, and eat the right foods.

If you talk to almost anyone who goes to the gym to workout and ask them how long a good workout usually takes, they will often answer with; “it takes a good hour to get in a good workout”, or even; “if I don’t spend 1 Ѕ to 2 hours in the gym, I just don’t get enough from my workout”. Based on these kinds of typical responses, you can imagine how surprised many of these same people appear to be when I tell them that I only workout for 30 minutes a day, yet still get the kind of results that they do! Many of them will say, no way you only workout for 30 minutes a day! How can you ever get results doing that? The plain fact is there are a lot of people who have such busy schedules that finding more than 30 minutes to dedicate to a workout is just impossible. It’s not that they don’t want to do it; there just aren’t enough hours in the day to be in the gym for 1 to 2 hours at a time. If there was a way to get an effective workout in 30 minutes however, then perhaps they could spend half of their lunch hour in the gym, and the other half eating their lunch. That would be perfect, wouldn’t it? But is it really possible to do a workout in 30 minutes that will bring real results? The answer is a definite yes, but you will need a few simple strategies to make it happen. Here are some tips on how to make your workouts really work in only 30 minutes a day. To start with, make sure you have a plan for each day. Write down all of the exercises you will be doing for that day and write down all of the weights you will be using for each exercise. Write down how many sets you will be doing for each exercise and how many repetitions you will be doing during each set. Do split body part routines. For example, on Monday and Thursday, do legs, arms and abs. On Tuesday and Friday, do chest, back and shoulders. This way you only have half of your body parts to work on each day cutting down significantly on time spent in the gym. Upon arriving at the gym, set up as many things as you can in advance so that when you get started, you can keep moving from one exercise to the other without wasting time getting the next piece of equipment set up. This way, you can go strait through each exercise without stopping, take 1-2 minutes rest, and then simply repeat until you finish all of your sets. Avoid socializing. While being friendly is ok, don’t let yourself get distracted by having a conversation with others in the gym. Remember, you only have so much time and 5 minutes spent talking rather than exercising is 5 minutes wasted. Explain to people wishing to talk to you that you are on limited time and you just can’t stop what you are doing at the moment or better yet, put on a pair of headphones before you begin your workout; they’ll get the clue. Always do your weight training and cardio training separately. On days you are not doing weight training, you can spend 30 minutes on the treadmill or on the stair climber. This way you are still only working out for 30 minutesbining the two only means you will have to spend more time in the gym and time spent in the gym is what you are trying to cut down on. In summary, just remember to write out a plan for each day, split those body parts on different days, keep moving during your routine, don’t socialize, and don’t do weights and cardio on the same day and you will see excellent results in only 30 minutes a day.

While everyone is well aware that proper diet and exercise are paramount to good health, still many people find it too much of an inconvenience to watch what they eat and to exercise. These people may feel that the benefits that they may get from all that effort is not worth the hassles of watching calories, cutting fat, running about, and moving weights around. But what if there was a benefit, and I mean a real good benefit, associated with proper diet and exercise? Maybe that would at least make those who don’t worry about diet and exercise give a little more thought to it. Well, as if the already known benefits of proper diet and exercise aren’t enough to make some people want to incorporate them into their lives, perhaps the following information from Purdue University and Science Daily will be enough incentive to get them off their duff’s and give it a try. According to Dennis Savaiano, dean of Purdue’s school of consumer and family sciences and professor of foods and nutrition, poor diet and lack of exercise are responsible for just as many cases of cancer as cigarette smoking. He says, “approximately one third of cancer cases are related to smoking, one third are related to poor diet and lack of exercise, and one third are related to genetic or other factors”. Most people are already well aware of the ill health effects of cigarette smoking, but the percentage of obesity and the rate of poor diet in America is a cause for serious concern. It is estimated that 65% of Americans are overweight with 30% being at least clinically obese. This is further escalated by the fact that 15 to 20% of the children in America are considered overweight. The main reason for this alarming statistic overall is the rate of poor diet seen in America. Savaiano, who is chairman of the Food and Nutrition Science Alliance, along with several other members of the organization, recently reviewed scientific studies on diet and cancer. The group has since issued a statement urging Americans to change their diets in order to help reduce the number of cancer related deaths. While Savaiano notes that some types of cancer are influenced more by diet than others, nutrition and food scientists agree that these four methods are practical ways to lower the risk of cancer: Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Avoid highly processed foods that are high in fat and sugar. Limit or avoid consumption of alcohol. Get in some moderate or vigorous exercise daily. Much of the reason why people have trouble getting into a healthy lifestyle can be attributed to lack of knowledge on how to start with exercise programs and proper diet plans, and to marketing which is mostly geared toward foods that are high in fat and excess calories and low in nutritional value. Not much marketing is done to promote fruits and vegetables or whole grains. Long hours at work also attribute to less meal preparation and more fast food and takeout food purchases. It will take some effort on your part, but making healthier food choices and exercise a part of your life can and most likely will give you rewards that no amount of money can buy.

When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins that produce a feeling of euphoria - the so called “runner’s high” that people can become chemically addicted to. Without it, you feel irritable and out of sorts till you exercise again. So you go on exercising, never stopping to listen to what you body is saying. And what its saying is, “Stop.” The reason exercise addicts keep pushing themselves probably lies in what happens when they don’t work out. Psychologists at the University of Massachusetts at Boston studied the psychological consequences of being unable to exercise. They compared 30 male and female runners who had been laid low by minor injuries for at least two weeks, with a similar group who continued to run. Those who could not run displayed more signs of depression, anxiety and confusion, and they were far less happy with themselves and their bodies. Like other addictions, exercise, they say, appears to have withdrawal symptoms. Of aches and pains Over indulgence doesn’t harm only the mind, but the body as well. Initially, the exercise will do what it’s supposed to, give you a fit body but once you cross the line, it can get lethal. Muscle damage, osteoarthritis, heart problems they’re all waiting to make an appearance. The body has its limitations and if you push it beyond that limit, you will harm yourself. Obsessive exercise tends to happen among new exercisers, people who have only just started working out. So keen are they to get fit that they overstep the limits. The initial signs of unaccustomed exercise can be exhaustion, but that leads to a build up of fatigue. This can do “irreparable harm to the body.” It isn’t only muscles that are at risk, so are bones. Some “recreational” athletes push themselves to the point of injuries such as shin splints or stress fractures, and then refuse to rest, causing greater and perhaps permanent damage. Even a morning walk is not without risk. Too much walking can lead to osteoarthritis. When you’re walking, you are working against gravity. So more than exercising your muscles, you are harming your knee joint. A lot of patients who walk up to an hour everyday come up with complaints of aches in the knee. In fact, jogging also harms the knees. Too many sit-ups can also hurt. More than 10 a day can weaken the spine. Moderation, as usual, is the key. You should begin gradually, and combine different types of workouts, something that obsessive exercisers forget. A complication factor with people who get hooked to exercise is that they tend to perform the same workouts day after day, further increasing the chances of permanent damage. Thinking right Never work out so much that you feel completely exhausted at the end of it. About 45 minutes to and hour, four to five days a week, should be your limit. Your workout should leave you feeling fresh and energetic. And make it a pint to take a day’s break every week. This is important because your body needs to relax and rejuvenate. The key to achieving this lies in your attitude. Exercising is the way to healthy life. So if you do it only to please yourself when you stand on the weighing machine, you defeat the whole purpose of the exercise. Felling healthy should be the priority. So stop fighting with your own body and you’ll be a happier person.

Moderate, low-impact exercise really can lend a hand in coping with arthritis. How? By strengthening muscles around your joints, which aids in lessening stress on joints. Exercise is recommended for everybody, but for those with arthritis, it is critical. Arthritis is a debilitating condition defined as the inflammation of a joint. It may bring about burning pains which leave you feeling tired. As the body ages, arthritis begins to develop from the wide-ranging day-to-day operations of the body. Cartilage begins to wear out and thin out. Bad posture, obesity and traumatic injury may all hasten arthritis’s development. The rubbing of the bones causes irritation and inflammation. Rest is the first treatment option and sometimes relieves the pain, but a patient can on occasion suffer pain that seems endless. In order to build up healthy joints certain exercises go a long way. Stretching every day is a great activity that can help with joints. Bicycling is another activity that is apt to be beneficial to most joints, and all age groups can carry it out. Stairs are all over the place and free to climb, you can strengthen your lower body joints and save money at the same time by foregoing elevators and escalators whenever possible. Swimming is an effective way to give all your joints a work out. Water cushions body movements and dampens pains, so water aerobics is one of the best exercises for those having joint pains. Here are few other tips to keep your joints in good shape. Make sure you are within your ideal body weight range. Watch your posture. If you absolutely must lift or carry a heavy object, use your legs. Pay attention to what your body is telling you. Rest if you feel tired, and stop what you are doing if you are having pain. The idea is to eliminate as much undue stress on your joints as possible. And, needless to say, consult your doctor if your pain is bothering you or suddenly worsens.

Every facial expression we make adds to the adverse effect on our Facial appearance. The repetition of smiling, frowning, and other facial expressions can speed up the creation of wrinkles and other aging factors. The good news is that there is a natural method to help combat this aging process. Face Exercises are free alternative to other medical procedures to help strengthen the muscles underneath our skin in our face. They help fight the natural signs of aging that can occur from years of facial expressions and using our face muscles. Regular face exercises help strengthen the damaged face muscles after years of use. While it's not easy to fathom years of smiling, frowning, and wrinkling our brow line does a toll on those muscles. Over the years these muscles begin to weaken and out face begins to wrinkle due to the elongated weakening muscles. So it makes sense that strengthening these muscles can reverse these negative effects. We tend to the rest of our body at the gym so why not keep our face in shape. Unfortunately it's more or less impossible to go through life with no expression on our faces. We'd be pretty boring company, how ever an all star poker player possibly. By regularly performing face exercises we can recapture our youthful image we had when we were younger, without going through any painful injections or surgeries. In a nutshell what happens under the skin is this. As the muscles weaken and begin to elongate our skin will begin to sag. Of course sagged skin on the outside is what causes those aging effects to occur. By working the right muscles with face exercises you are able to stimulate blood flow to those muscles, and also increase the amount of oxygen that the skin receives. By receiving more blood and oxygen the skin can begin to produce more health skin cells. Helping to reverse the aging effects. Since there is no equipment required face exercise can be done anywhere any time. You can work them into your daily routine, or do some when you have a private spare moment. It's only a few minutes a day and the results you'll experience are well worth it. The recommended time for spending on face exercises daily is only fifteen minutes. Isn't an improved appearance worth that amount of time and more.

Strength training or weight lifting is the lifting of weights and/or resistance in a prescribed manner as an exercise or in athletic competition. Notice I said weights and/or resistance. It doesn't have to necessarily be a weight plate or a dumbbell. There are numerous TV reports, magazine articles, radio shows that explain all of the benefits of lifting weights, yet so many women seem to not be “hitting the weights” for one reason or another. One very good reason is that they don’t know how much lifting weights will actually change their body (more so than even running or any of the other cardiovascular activities). Another reason is that a lot of women are confused about what to do exactly (what exercises, how many repetitions, how many sets, etc.). This article will help shed some light on why it is so important that every woman be involved and adhering to a strength training program. You actually might be involved in a strength-training program right now. Even if you are, I want you to really pay attention to what we're going to cover for the rest of the article. I'm sure it is going to have you thinking differently about why you should be lifting weights from now on. We're going to talk about why developing a strength training program will ultimately help you lose weight, add some muscle tone, look better and feel better about yourself. We will go over some "myths" about strength training and the real facts behind them. So, whether you're new to strength training or you've been doing it for years, pay close attention. Let's first clear up some of the misconceptions about strength training and the truth behind these myths. This first myth is the "biggie" and it has prevented many women from strength training. It sounds a little something like this; "I don't want to lift weights because I don't want to get bulky." Let's explore that myth a little. When you think of weight lifters, you probably think of body builder's, right? You think of the men and women on ESPN parading around in little swimsuits with big bulky muscles popping out all over the place. There are three reasons for this: 1.)These people are an extremely minute percentage of the population. 2.)That is their livelihood and they spend 4 to 5 hours a day in the gym. 3.)Most of them are using performance-enhancing drugs (steroids, etc.) to look like that. So if you can get that image of the "bodybuilder" out of your head and think in terms of the average everyday person, you will see why the myth about getting bulky is just that, a myth! What we're going to talk about next is simple. When you lift weights your body builds muscle. The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn (even at rest). The more calories you burn the less you weigh. Let me give you an example of this that might make it a little easier to understand. Let's say two women are sitting on the couch watching some T. V. Woman #1 strength-trains 3 times a week, but woman #2 does not. After an hour of watching T. V goes by, who will have burned more calories? The common answer to that would be that they both burned the same (almost nothing), since they were just sitting and not moving. But the actual answer would be that woman #1 burned more calories, and I'll tell you why for one simple reason. THE MORE MUSCLE YOU HAVE THE MORE CALORIES YOU BURN!! Now you might say to yourself, "But if I lift weights, my muscles will get bigger, I will appear big and bulky, and wind up weighing more." This is also a myth. That myth being one of the most popular in the world of exercise, which is, "muscle weighs more than fat." That's like the old joke, "What weighs more--10 lbs. of steel or 10 lbs. of feathers?" Hopefully by now you know that the answer to that question is that they both really weigh the same. 10 lbs. is 10 lbs. no matter what it is made of. Let's examine this point in a little more detail. Muscle is much more compact than fat. It actually takes up less space than fat does because of its density. That makes sense, right? Fat, on the other hand, is very soft and jelly-like and occupies more space than muscle does. Let me give you another example to clarify this a little more. If you were to take 10 lbs. of fat and 10 lbs. of muscle and roll each of them into a ball, the 10 lbs. of fat might be the size of a bowling ball. In comparison, the 10 lbs. of muscle would be about the size of a baseball. Now let’s use this as a real life example using woman #1 and woman #2 in an example again. Let’s say for arguments sake, both women are 5' 5" tall and both weigh 140 lbs. Woman #2 does not lift weights or do any kind of strength training. Her dress size is a size 12. Woman #1on the other hand, lifts weights and follows a strength-training program each week. Her dress size is a size 8. If these women were standing side by side people would definitely think that woman #1 weighed less than woman #2. But in reality they both weigh exactly the same. How can that be? Think of what I said before, muscle takes up less space than fat. Of those 140 pounds that each woman weighs, what’s the percentage of fat and muscle on each woman? I would venture to guess that woman #1 has a very low body fat percentage and woman #2 has a much higher body fat percentage. How did woman #1 get such a low percentage of body fat? Two words—STRENGTH TRAINING (in addition to cardio exercise and eating healthy, but this article is just touting the immense benefits of strength training). That brings up another good point I’d like to make. The weighing scale is the worst indicator of losing FAT. It will tell you that you’ve lost weight, it’s great at that. But what if you lose 10 pounds of fat and replace it with 10 pounds of muscle? Will you have lost weight? According to the scale, NO! Will you have lost FAT? Absolutely, and I guarantee that your clothes will be a lot looser on you and you will look a lot better. If you can do one thing with your scale I would recommend throwing it in the garbage, or at least getting rid of it. Well all right, you say, "I'll lift weights, but I'm only lifting light weights and doing lots of repetitions." This is another mistake a lot of you are making. This is not the ‘wrong’ way to lift, but it is certainly not the only way to go about strength training if your goal is weight loss. There is and should be a place in your fitness program for higher repetitions, but it shouldn’t be the only thing you do with weights. Women do not have enough of the male hormone, testosterone, to get big muscles. You probably couldn't even get big and bulky if you tried to. So, is it all right for you to lift heavy weights with fewer repetitions? ABSOLUTELY!! Let's take a moment now to recap some of the main ideas to take away from this article: •Lifting weights will not make you bulky (it will make you leaner and more toned). •Muscle is more compact and denser than fat and actually takes up less space than fat. •The more muscle you have, the more calories you burn (even at rest!). •Every good strength training program should include light weights with more repetitions and heavier weights with fewer repetitions.

Sports scientists agree that cardio-boxing is one of the best forms of exercise, because it conditions the total body and provides a complete workout for your cardiovascular and endurance systems. The major benefits of cardio-boxing include:  Increased Stamina  Increased Strength  Increased Speed  Increased Coordination Cardio-boxing also promotes a person’s well being by strengthening their self-discipline and combined with strength training it’s well and truly the total package for self-defence and fitness and usually consists of:  Adjusted heart rate work  Actual boxing techniques The usual workout consists of the age-adjusted heart rate work starting with 10 minutes for beginners and leading up to 20 minutes for the more advanced. For the second part of the workout, you’ll need to perform and practice 20 minutes of actual boxing techniques. Cardio The best way to measure the effects of an exercise program on your body is to check your pulse. The easiest way to check the pulse is to place your index and middle fingers on your carotid artery or the wrist. Immediately after the exercise, count your pulse for 15 seconds and multiply by 4. You can also check your pulse during the exercise but with safety as a first priority. To get a more precise reading of your pulse rate, purchase an electronic device from any sports store. Now you have your exercising pulse rate or heartbeats per minute. We’ll be concentrating at the upper end of your pulse region: the 50% - 70% ranges. To figure this out, deduct your age from 220. Suppose your age is 40, deduct this from 220 and you get 180. 50% of 180 is 90 beats a minute, 60% of 180 is 108 beats a minute, 70% of 180 is 126 beats a minute and so on. Don’t jump into 70% work straight away. Start with 50% and slowly work your way up to the 70% upper limit. Start with no more than 10 minutes, and work up to 20 minutes. Once you’re comfortable with working out for 20 minutes at 70% then try to increase the heart rate up to 80%. Mix up your cardiovascular activities in the gym. Use the treadmill, skipping, rower, climber, and bike and other equipment that might be available to you. Boxing The boxing stance is the posture a boxer takes before and after every action depending on whether you are left or right handed. We’ll be dealing with the most common; right-handed. For left-handed people, just reverse the instructions. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, with your left foot in front of your right foot. Your right heel should be slightly raised with your left foot flat on the floor and toes pointing ahead. Bend your knees a little and balance your weight comfortably and evenly. Place your elbows close to your body with your left fist held at head height and in a position that corresponds to your left foot. The right fist should be at head height also and guarding the chin, with both elbows protecting your body and both fists protecting your chin. This is your defensive and offensive position after throwing punches, so please practice this before going any further. When moving forward in this boxing stance the left foot moves forward first and then the right follows. When moving back, the right moves back and then the left follows. When moving sideward to the right, the right foot moves first followed by the left. When moving sideward to the left, the left foot moves first followed by the right. Practice this moving forward, back and sideward in the boxer’s stance until it is done smoothly and quickly. Remember to keep your guard up and elbows tucked in to your sides. Keep your head at eye level with your upper body leaning forward slightly. In boxing it is important that punches are thrown quickly and then bought back quickly to assume a defensive posture. Punching A left jab has many uses, it can be used for both offensive and Defensive actions. From the set stance the left arm is pushed quickly and forcefully forward, the weight is shifted to the front foot. The fist moves in a straight line and straight back again for defence. At the moment of impact the back of the hand and the lower arm are in a straight line. Keep the right fist in the defensive position and elbow tucked into the body during the movement. The straight right is also known as the punching hand and can be thrown with considerable force. The arm moves straightforward from the chin, the body weight is shifted to the front foot with the ball of the foot of the back leg pushing into the floor for more power. The back of the hand is straight and pointing up at the moment of impact. The arm is then immediately pulled back for protection after the hit. The left hook to the head and body is an effective punch for closer range work. From the set stance turn your left shoulder quickly and move your elbow up to shoulder height. The fist moves in a circular motion to the target, with the elbow bent. Rotate your hip and body whilst pressing your front left down keeping the back of your fist pointing up and in a straight line with the lower arm. The left hook to the body is similar to the above but increases the rotation of the body The right uppercut is also carried out at close range. Drop the lower part of your punching arm until the lower and upper arm is at right angles to each other. The back of your hand should be pointing away from you, now thrust your arm forward and upward to your target. Shift your body weight to your front leg and rotate your hip and shoulder on the same side. Remember to keep your left fist guarding your chin during the entire movement. Now practice all your punches until they are done quickly and smoothly. To develop speed and endurance, try punching straight left and right combinations into the heavy bag. The duration of the exercise period is the same as the rest period i. e. 10 seconds exercise, 10 seconds rest, 20 seconds exercise, 20 seconds rest, and so on. Move up higher as your condition improves.

Cardio Exercise Everyone has wondered at some point in time which cardio exercise is better. To put it in simple terms, both low and high intensity exercises will help you to burn off body fat. The question here is which is the most effective to burn off more body fat. When scientists first discovered that during intensive exercises, your body burns glycogen, which is a form of stored carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscles for energy. During low intensity exercises, your body will burn a lot of fat. If your wondering whether or not it works, the answer is no because there are so many obese people still around. Even though they are working out with low intensity routines, it still makes you wonder how it can be. The scientists were right when they said the human body burns more body fat during low intensity exercises like walking or swimming. During a high intensity exercise such as running, the body will burn a lot more calories. Even if some of the calories burnt are from glycogen, there are still many fat calories burned as well. To put the icing on the cake, when your store of glycogen gets low, the carbohydrates from your food you eat will later get converted into glycogen to fill up the store and won't be converted to body fat when they are left unused for energy. High intensity cardio exercise will juice up your metabolism even after you have completed your workout. What this means, is that your body will continue to burn body fat hours after you have left the gym. This effect is nearly non existent in low intensity cardio or aerobic workout. Accumulatively, your body will burn up more and more calories during and after you have finished a high intensity cardio exercise that it will with low intensity. You can inject high intensity exercises into your cardio workout by introducing some interval training. You can walk for 5 minutes or so, then break into some jogging for another 5 minutes or so. Then, walk briskly again until you have caught your breath and then sprint for a minute before you walk again. From this point, simply alternate your running and walking for the next 15 minutes until you are finished. One of the best things about cardio is the more you do it, the more energy you'll have. Cardio will help you to burn calories, although its more useful for keeping your energy levels high. If you've never tried cardio before, you should give it a shot. If you like to exercise, you'll find cardio the best way to boost your energy and keep in top shape. If you are just starting out, you'll want to go slow and keep your cardio exercise in track - as it is very easy to over exert yourself. (word count 474)

Everyone has wondered at some point in time which cardio exercise is better. To put it in simple terms, both low and high intensity exercises will help you to burn off body fat. The question here is which is the most effective to burn off more body fat. When scientists first discovered that during intensive exercises, your body burns glycogen, which is a form of stored carbohydrates that are stored in your liver and muscles for energy. During low intensity exercises, your body will burn a lot of fat. If your wondering whether or not it works, the answer is no because there are so many obese people still around. Even though they are working out with low intensity routines, it still makes you wonder how it can be. The scientists were right when they said the human body burns more body fat during low intensity exercises like walking or swimming. During a high intensity exercise such as running, the body will burn a lot more calories. Even if some of the calories burnt are from glycogen, there are still many fat calories burned as well. To put the icing on the cake, when your store of glycogen gets low, the carbohydrates from your food you eat will later get converted into glycogen to fill up the store and won't be converted to body fat when they are left unused for energy. High intensity cardio exercise will juice up your metabolism even after you have completed your workout. What this means, is that your body will continue to burn body fat hours after you have left the gym. This effect is nearly non existent in low intensity cardio or aerobic workout. Accumulatively, your body will burn up more and more calories during and after you have finished a high intensity cardio exercise that it will with low intensity. You can inject high intensity exercises into your cardio workout by introducing some interval training. You can walk for 5 minutes or so, then break into some jogging for another 5 minutes or so. Then, walk briskly again until you have caught your breath and then sprint for a minute before you walk again. From this point, simply alternate your running and walking for the next 15 minutes until you are finished. One of the best things about cardio is the more you do it, the more energy you'll have. Cardio will help you to burn calories, although its more useful for keeping your energy levels high. If you've never tried cardio before, you should give it a shot. If you like to exercise, you'll find cardio the best way to boost your energy and keep in top shape. If you are just starting out, you'll want to go slow and keep your cardio exercise in track - as it is very easy to over exert yourself.

: Through routine exercise, your body gradually builds strength and endurance. However, if you keep your workouts TOO routine, those benefits begin to stagnate. Therefore, it is essential to periodically change your workouts so that your body will continue to reap the most benefits from your efforts. Why is change crucial? If you follow the same exact exercise routine day in and day out, your body becomes accustomed to this routine. As the body adjusts to the same workout everyday, it is normal for the body to adapt on a cardiovascular, respiratory, and cellular level. Over a period of time, following this same old routine causes the rest of the body to adapt, as well. As a result, any further physical improvements become limited, and your training becomes boring. But, wait! There's still hope! By incorporating even slight changes into your exercise regimen, you are able to kick-start the body once again to move towards those gains you've been striving for! What kind of changes should you make? Even the smallest change in your routine can make a difference. Below are a few suggestions:

Change the time of day at which you exercise.

If you prefer one type of exercise, such as running, change the exercise, itself, in some way. For instance, increase the intensity level or the length of the workout.

Try a new type of exercise. Introducing a new exercise into your training will ultimately work the body in a new way. Different muscle groups may be called upon to perform, thus, challenging your body to some degree.

Alternate among a variety of exercise routines. You may mix up your routine each day, or you may alternate between one routine one day and another routine the next day. This keeps your body on its toes, so to speak...and, it helps prevent exercise boredom.

Periodically change the location of your workouts. Even a simple change of scenery can keep exercise more exciting. Such a change also has the potential to boost your energy level and improve your training.

Life can be tedious. We often find ourselves in a rut, doing the same things day after day after day. For a more exciting life and better fitness, change your workout routines from time-to-time. Your body and mind will thank you!

If you have a child of 6 to 8 years old that wants to start exercising and lifting weights, you may find yourself wondering what you should do. While some think it is perfectly fine for children to exercise, there are others that think differently. The long and short of it is that yes, it is beneficial for your child to partake in exercise or a weight training regimen although there are a few things that you should keep in mind once this starts to happen. No matter how you look at it, children aren't minature adults and therefore you can't use the same methods with growing children that you can use with adults, as children are different from adults emotionally, anatomically, and physiologically. All children have immature skeletons, as their bones don't mature until they get 14 - 22 years of age. With girls, exercise during childhood can have very critical effects on bone health that can last for their entire lives. Children are often times vulnerable to growth related overuse injuries such as Osgood schlatter disease. Children have immature temperature regulation systems due to their having a large surface area compared to their muscle mass which will cause them to be more susceptible to injury when they aren't properly warmed up. Children don't sweat as much as adults do, so they will be more susceptible to heat exhaustion as well as a heat stroke. Due to their low muscle mass and immature hormone system, it makes it harder for them to develop strength and speed. Their breathing and heart response during exercise are also different from an adults, which will affect their capacity for exercise. On the other hand, young boys and girls can drastically improve their strength with weight training although opposed to adults, neurological factors instead of muscle growth factors are mostly responsible. When you consider programs for children, first and foremost you should obtain a medical clearance. The first approach to designing a program is to establish a repetition range of 8 - 12 and keep the work load appropriate for the range. You should ensure that workouts are spread out enough to have at least 1 - 2 full days of rest between workouts. The main focus when working out should be on the form of every exercise performed, and not on the amount of weight being lifted. Before weight training, warm up and stretching should be done. Start your children off with light loads and then make adjustments accordingly. No more than 3 non consecutive exercise sessions should be done in a week. You should also see to it that they drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Getting enough water is very important with exercise, as it is often times very easy to get dehydrated - especially with children.

Chidren And Exercise If you have a child of 6 to 8 years old that wants to start exercising and lifting weights, you may find yourself wondering what you should do. While some think it is perfectly fine for children to exercise, there are others that think differently. The long and short of it is that yes, it is beneficial for your child to partake in exercise or a weight training regimen although there are a few things that you should keep in mind once this starts to happen. No matter how you look at it, children aren't minature adults and therefore you can't use the same methods with growing children that you can use with adults, as children are different from adults emotionally, anatomically, and physiologically. All children have immature skeletons, as their bones don't mature until they get 14 - 22 years of age. With girls, exercise during childhood can have very critical effects on bone health that can last for their entire lives. Children are often times vulnerable to growth related overuse injuries such as Osgood schlatter disease. Children have immature temperature regulation systems due to their having a large surface area compared to their muscle mass which will cause them to be more susceptible to injury when they aren't properly warmed up. Children don't sweat as much as adults do, so they will be more susceptible to heat exhaustion as well as a heat stroke. Due to their low muscle mass and immature hormone system, it makes it harder for them to develop strength and speed. Their breathing and heart response during exercise are also different from an adults, which will affect their capacity for exercise. On the other hand, young boys and girls can drastically improve their strength with weight training although opposed to adults, neurological factors instead of muscle growth factors are mostly responsible. When you consider programs for children, first and foremost you should obtain a medical clearance. The first approach to designing a program is to establish a repetition range of 8 - 12 and keep the work load appropriate for the range. You should ensure that workouts are spread out enough to have at least 1 - 2 full days of rest between workouts. The main focus when working out should be on the form of every exercise performed, and not on the amount of weight being lifted. Before weight training, warm up and stretching should be done. Start your children off with light loads and then make adjustments accordingly. No more than 3 non consecutive exercise sessions should be done in a week. You should also see to it that they drink plenty of water before, during, and after exercise. Getting enough water is very important with exercise, as it is often times very easy to get dehydrated - especially with children. (word count 465)