Points To Be Followed Before Learning Yoga

Once you have decided to practice yoga for better living and spiritual health, you need to take care of the following points so as to prevent injuries to your physical self:

• Physical condition of the individual: usually, it is recommended that people with normal health do yoga practice. But if you are suffering from some physical problems and are using yoga to cure it, you need to follow certain precautions since performing yoga practices without proper precautions may ...

Once you have decided to practice yoga for better living and spiritual health, you need to take care of the following points so as to prevent injuries to your physical self: 

• Physical condition of the individual: usually, it is recommended that people with normal health do yoga practice. But if you are suffering from some physical problems and are using yoga to cure it, you need to follow certain precautions since performing yoga practices without proper precautions may lead to harmful effects on the body. This is because the internal organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys etc. are involved and may get harmed if you do not practice yoga properly. Hence it is recommended that you follow the yoga techniques under expert guidance. 

 

• Right advice: it is important for you to get the proper instructor to teach you the yoga techniques. Usually, people who choose the profession of a yoga teacher do not understand the scientific basis behind the yoga practice and just impose their opinions and likes and dislikes on the students. They bring an element of mystery, charge exorbitant fees and introduce rites and rituals which are not a part of yoga. 

 • Age and sex: yoga can be practiced by anybody irrespective of age and sex. However it is important to note that certain yoga techniques should not be followed under certain circumstances. Women, who are pregnant or menstruating, should avoid the poses which lay a great stress on the abdomen. Children below eight years should not practice any yogic technique but yogic breathing should be introduced only after twelve years. Very young and old should avoid the poses with the intense twists. After a certain age, avoid strenuous practice but you can practice pranayam, dhyana and simple postures.

• Place and surroundings: The place for yoga should be well protected from, animals, rodents and insects. If you choose the indoor room, keep it well lit and it should be airy. If you choose the outdoors, the surroundings should be quiet. But avoid the outdoors if it is cold, rainy or very hot.
The ground chosen should be plain and flat.

• Time: Morning is the ideal time for practice since it incorporates regularity, but evening time can also be chosen since the body is already warmed up. Your stomach should not be completely full. So if you have had a meal, you can perform yoga after five hours. 

 • Diet: Take simple and nutritious diet. Do not overeat. Keep chillies and spices to the minimum. It is not important to be vegetarians but do not eat more than your body’s requirements.

• Interval: it is advisable to be regular but if for some reason like a lot of work in office or sickness or any other reason you need to skip a day or two, it is fine. But once the reason is over, go back to your original routine. Avoid taking long and frequent gaps.

• Clothing: Choose light and loose fitting clothes. If you live in a hot climate, you can opt for the sleeveless shirt or a vest. However, in temperate climate, your clothing should offer protection against the cold weather but at the same time, they should not hinder your movements.

• The seat: Always perform the yoga practice on a mat or a carpet but never on an uncovered floor.

• The order of different techniques: When you are combining different techniques like surya namaskar, weight training etc. with yoga, keep a rest period of fifteen minutes between the two. Within the yoga practice, start off by postural techniques, followed by breathing techniques and the techniques of mental concentration in the mentioned order.

Damian @ufitnhealthy

Metabolism for the Fit Individual

The dictionary defines metabolism as the sum of all biochemical processes involved in life, or the sustaining of life.  In application concerning our health, metabolism is related to the intake and use of food.  In reference to the case in point it is our ability

The dictionary defines metabolism as the sum of all biochemical processes involved in life, or the sustaining of life.  In application concerning our health, metabolism is related to the intake and use of food.  In reference to the case in point it is our ability to utilize our food to the fullest extent.

Right now, the greatest results in raising our metabolism come from exercise and building our muscle mass, while reducing our body fat.  Adding more muscle to the body, in turn causes us to burn more calories, and this helps to elevate our metabolic rate.

Our metabolism functions also depend on how well we have taken care of our nutritional needs. Some people have really high rates of metabolism.  In other words, when they consume food, their bodies burn it up almost as fast as then consume it.  Then there are those of use who use our food intake so slowly, as to not even notice that we’re burning calories.  These people who burn quickly are often slim and trim, the people who burn more slowly are the people with a tendency toward obesity.

The body’s metabolism is a unique process for each individual person.  No two people metabolize food at the same rate therefore no two people have the metabolism.  We all use our calories at different rates, with different results.  Our metabolism, like our fingerprints is unique to each of us.  But the need to understand and accommodate this metabolism is an issue that we all face.

All of this metabolic process is related to our calorie intake, our vitamin and nutrition needs, our thyroid and endocrine production, and how well all of these processes come together.  For years, people have sought ways to raise the metabolic rate.  If you can raise someone’s metabolic rate, you are then better able to control the burn of calories, especially for overweight or obese people.  This would make the goal of better or improved health a much easier reality for those people.  Efforts to date have produced very little results.  There are foods that we can consume that naturally raise our metabolic rate, but not to a great extent.  What we need is a way to directly alter the rate.  We need to be able to raise our metabolism to a point where we can actually see a benefit.

 This is where the effort to stay physically fit and active provides tremendous payoff. Over the course of your life, if you stay active, exercise, and maintain optimal health for your muscles, you will see a tremendous difference in the rate that your body metabolizes food.  As people age, their metabolism quite naturally slows down.  The greatest way to prevent this from happening is through exercise and staying fit.

I believe through careful analysis, exercise, and attention to each person’s unique needs, we could bring about a more natural balance of the metabolic burn vs. the calorie intake. To a level where optimal health and weight control are in equilibrium.  

Damian @ufitnhealthy

5 Essential Tips for Improving Running Form

Running. People either love it or loathe it more than anything. There’s no question that running for fitness can be a great way to improve many measures of health, including resting heart rate, blood pressure, body composition and bone density, among others. But how can we help our clients get the most out of their running, and turn “I guess I have to go for a run now” into “Is it time to run yet?!”

Here are a few tips you can offer clients that can help them improve their running economy and decrease their risk of injury so that they can enjoy the many benefits of running.

1. Start slowly

If your client has never been a runner, going out for a first “run” should be more of a brisk walk with a few short jogging intervals. Encourage your clients to try walking for 30 minutes and every five minutes, jog slowly for one minute. Over time, they can work toward jogging more and walking less, 30 to 60 seconds at a time. Once they have succeeded at 30 minutes of consecutive jogging, then they can begin to work on improving speed.

2. Ground contact

While jogging (slower form of running), it is important to be efficient with each foot strike. Ask your clients to think about contacting the ground with their mid-foot, rather than their heels. This way the foot will contact the ground under the hip and propel the body forward (when heel striking, the leg tends to act as a break and will slow the body down and put more stress on the knees).

3. Arm swing

While running, the arms should be swinging from the shoulders, with the elbows bent at about 90 degrees and the hands relaxed. Urge your clients to pretend they are holding two swords, one in each hand. If these swords cross over each other at any time during the arm swing, then the arms are crossing the body, which is a sign that energy is being wasted due to inefficient arm movements.

4. Body lean

The trunk should be tall, as if being pulled up from a string attached to the top of the head. Leading with the chest, the body should lean slightly forward (about 5 degrees) to propel the body in a forward direction. Encourage your clients to think of the trunk as a gas pedal in a car. Pressing it forward (not leaning forward) gently allows for an increase in speed.

5. Cadence

When an individual begins a running program, it may make sense to take long strides so as to cover as much ground as possible with each step. However, this can result in high ground-impact forces, which can lead to injury, early fatigue and inefficient running. Advise your clients to adjust their stride frequency to higher than 150 bpm (180 is ideal)—this would be the equivalent of running to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” or Kenny Loggins’ “Danger Zone” from Top Gun. 

Source : Jacqueline Crockford, MS, CSCS | ACE

Zwift-The Future Of Indoor Cycling

Cycling is Social.

Here at Zwift we believe that the best parts about cycling are the places you go and the people you go there with. Outdoor cycling is great. But weather, traffic, time constraints and distance from other cyclists can take the fun out of it. That’s why we’ve created a new destination that places you and your bike into immersive, detailed, 3D landscapes with other cyclists from around the world.

Now you can ride with anyone at anytime. Packed with real-time stats, stunning lifelike graphics,
and the latest in massive multiplayer online gaming, Zwift has kicked up the indoor cycling experience. We think it’s the greatest innovation in cycling since the bicycle.

Source http://zwift.com/index 

No Excuses Exercises

It's old news that exercising is the single best way to spark up your weight loss efforts. The activity perks up your metabolism, and eats up more calories. In addition, the more you exercise, the better the effect. Exercising builds muscle mass, which is denser and more compact than fat. That means your body has to expend more effort to pump blood through it, and it requires more nutrients to keep it healthy. The end result? Even at rest, your body naturally burns more calories..

It's old news that exercising is the single best way to spark up your weight loss efforts. The activity perks up your metabolism, and eats up more calories. In addition, the more you exercise, the better the effect. Exercising builds muscle mass, which is denser and more compact than fat. That means your body has to expend more effort to pump blood through it, and it requires more nutrients to keep it healthy. The end result? Even at rest, your body naturally burns more calories.

Unfortunately, the prospect of exercising tends to elicit groans from most people. There's all the logistics to work out - the time, equipment, expense and the sheer, utter boringness of it all. Negative thinking about exercise can sabotage all your good intentions. Here's a list of answers for some of the most commonly used excuses not to exercise.

I don't have time to exercise!

Exercise could be one of the most important things you'll do for your health today. MAKE time to exercise. If you're doing traditional workouts - move those weights and mats right out into the family room and make use of your television time. Instead of flopping down in a chair while you watch the news or your favorite show, be active. Run in place, do leg lifts or heft weights. Use time in your car to tighten and tone muscles with isometric tummy tighteners. Walk up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Exercise doesn't have to be a solid hour at the gym. Anything that revs up your motors is great for your body. 

 

I don't have the right equipment at home.

You don't need equipment to exercise. A brisk walk around the block is good for you - and burns over 200 calories. Vacuuming your carpets can burn nearly as much. Flip on your radio or pop on your favorite high-energy tracks and dance. Don't fool yourself into thinking that your 'exercise' has to be a carefully planned workout to work all the right muscles in the right order with the right tension. Exercise means being active. Just do it. 

 

I can't afford a membership to the gym.

If you'd rather exercise at the gym (and have access to their fitness machines, whirlpools, swimming pool and trainers), there are a lot of ways to make it more affordable. Check with your health insurance company to see if they offer incentives. Most of the major health insurance companies, including Blue Cross, cover part or all of fitness club memberships as part of your benefits. If yours doesn't, or if you don't have health insurance, call your local GYM or Crossfit Box . Most offer  memberships to their facilities. 

 

But exercise is such a chore!

Says who? Make getting your daily exercise fun. Play a game. Go dancing. Grab a few friends for a weekend hike . Exercise doesn't have to be routine. Stop thinking of it as a chore and start thinking of it as recreation. You'll be amazed what a difference it makes.

Whole Body Cryogenic Therapy: A Weapon For Recovery ?

Entertain, for a moment, the idea that the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks had an ace up their sleeve during their fabled 2011 championship run. Listen to the then-38-year-old point guard Jason Kidd days after beating the Heat in Miami, running his jaw to ESPN Dallas: “We thought it was our secret weapon.”

Now, imagine that the folks who put that silver bullet in front of the Mavs brass had discovered “it” stuffed away in a nondescript shopping complex in North Dallas. “Nobody knew [the Mavericks] were using it,” says Mark Murdock, one of two men who introduced the NBA team to the secret weapon called whole-body cryogenic chamber therapy. 

“The whole time, the announcers kept saying things while they were watching the game like, ‘It looks like Jason Kidd has found the fountain of youth.’ ”

In reality, the “fountain of youth” was a vertical chamber that spits out nitrogen vapor below 200 degrees Fahrenheit, engulfing whoever’s inside for about three minutes. The person in that frigid tube is naked, except for his or her underwear and the woolen socks and gloves that keep the extremities from becoming frostbitten.

The person’s socks and gloves and underwear have to be dry, though. The American sprinter Justin Gatlin climbed into one of these chambers in 2011 and suffered frostbite on his feet due to his sweaty socks.

So, what exactly is whole body cryogenic (pronounced kry-o-GEN-ic) chamber therapy? “We are sending all the blood to the core for three minutes while they’re in this unit,” Murdock explains. “What we’re also doing is stripping the tissue, skin, surface tissue, and muscle tissue around the surrounding joint space of everything that causes pain and inflammation that slows recovery.”

Proponents of “cryo” therapy say it shifts a person’s post-workout recovery process into overdrive, doing in three minutes what typically takes the human body 48 hours. Its critics say it’s a waste of money, that the science to support the claims is questionable, and that people like Murdock are selling icy snake oil vapor. 

Murdock and his business partner, Eric Rauscher, own Dallas-based CryoUSA, a therapeutic center boasting a pair of cryogenic chambers. Since its founding, CryoUSA has become a vendor as well, selling the Ukranian-made chambers for between $45,000 and $50,000 each. Murdock says he has sold at least 70 chambers to buyers across the country, including to 10 NBA teams. The New York Knicks, he says, have two.

The 46-year-old Murdock is wiry and fit, the result of all those rope climbs and power cleans and kettlebell swings he does in the CrossFit gym a couple times each week. Discussing CryoUSA’s brand of physical therapy, his speech speeds up, as though he’s trying to fit in as many words as he can between breaths. 

When he finishes a thought, he often smiles and sums up his explainers, like this: “We are taking the process that God designed that takes 48 hours and shoving it into three minutes.” 

TECHNOLOGY FROM JAPAN
Murdock first stepped into a cryo chamber in 2009. He was skeptical, he says, until hours later. Back then, he was running between 13 and 22 miles each day. He spent the remaining day “wrecked.” This time, he did his standard 13, then drove to North Dallas and got the therapy.

“I got out [of the chamber] and thought, ‘OK, my legs feel completely fresh,’” he says. Then came the doubt: “This is in my head, it’s psychosomatic. I’m not a Kool-Aid drinker, I’m very pessimistic about this.” 

 

He had heard his friend Rauscher proselytize about getting in that odd therapy tube at the behest of his Ukranian father-in-law, who’d listened to Rauscher complain about his stiff back. The cryotherapy seemed to work. Rauscher went to work researching the business potential and found there was no such industry in the United States. Murdock, a Division II basketball coach for 17 years, started looking into the science of it. 

The technology was created in Japan in 1978 for individuals suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. It’s relatively new to America, meaning stateside researchers haven’t performed many peer-reviewed studies.

European researchers, however, have delved into the technology. So far, their findings are mixed. Some discovered that cryotherapy aids recovery in the short-term, while others contend that cheaper alternatives offer similar results. (A typical session at CryoUSA costs $75.) 

A German study published in 2000, which can be found on the website of the National Institutes of Health, showed that “the pain level after application of the cold therapy decreases significantly” for about 90 minutes. Long-term effects were negligible, but the study found it had a positive effect when used as part of a rehabilitation regimen. 

Another study, which examined whether athletes should return to physical activity after cryotherapy, found conflicting results that prevented researchers from reaching a definite conclusion about its effectiveness.

Still another study was damning: “Until further research is available, athletes should remain cognizant that less expensive modes of cryotherapy, such as local ice pack application or cold-water immersion, offer comparable physiological and clinical effects.” 

“I don’t know that the literature is strong enough to say one way or the other,” says Dr. Rebecca Stearns, the vice president of operations and director of education at the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute, a nationally renowned program that researches ways to improve the health and safety of athletes. “We definitely need more literature in this area, and it’s going to vary case by case.” 

Stearns, though, notes what many cryo users say when confronted with the varying results of those studies: If the person using it feels that he or she benefits from it and the risk level is low — which is the case with cryogenic therapy — there’s no harm in continuing to climb in the tube. 

“Perceptually, if they’re convinced that it works and they can afford it and they like it and there’s no reason to think it’s giving them any negative health benefits, that might just be what works for somebody,” she says. 

TCU CLIMBS ABOARD
Count Dallas Mavericks head athletic trainer Casey Smith among the converted.

The New York Knicks training staff was in town in the fall of 2010, Smith recalls, and set up a meeting with Murdock and Rauscher, whose business was then known as Millennium Ice and located at the Shops at Willow Bend in Plano. Smith tagged along and was impressed with the presentation. 

Soon, he brought a few players to try it out. “Anecdotally, they had a good report from it and they liked the way it made them feel,” Smith says. “So we incorporated that into our recovery solutions.” 

It became an important part of the recovery process for Kidd, Jason Terry, and Shawn Marion, Smith says. After winning the NBA title, Rauscher snapped a photo of Terry donning a championship cap and a toothy smile in the chamber, the frigid vapor creeping up above his neck. The Mavericks began using the chambers so often that the cryo company moved from Plano to the Park Cities in Snider Plaza so the players didn’t have to drive as far. 

The spread of cryogenic therapy is intrinsically linked to its stamp of approval from the Mavs. The press that followed piqued the interest of business owners, athletes, and sports trainers, and the business took off.  

Athletic higher-ups at Texas Christian University, for example, took note of superstar Dirk Nowitzki undergoing the therapy and began researching the process. A booster bought the school its own cryo unit in 2012. During football season, the players will use it upwards of 120 times a week, says David Gable, the team’s head athletic trainer. 

The therapy is used as part of the team’s standard post-workout recovery regimen, similar to the way ice baths are used. Gable says it’s appealing to players because of its convenience. It’s much quicker than waiting to dry off after a stint in the ice tub: 

“They can get in the chamber for three minutes, and then they’re on their way to dinner,” he says. 

But the chamber also produced beneficial effects that Gable and his colleagues didn’t anticipate. It’s proven effective in helping athletes recover from acute injuries, for instance. Gable says the swelling on a tweaked ankle, say, is visibly lessened after a session. 

Combined with another recovery modality, such as electrical stimulation and a compression unit, the therapy helps “get swelling out a whole lot quicker than we were previously able to,” he says. 

Tight end Stephen Bryant, a self-described “big sweller” after an injury, says he saw an immediate impact on an ankle injury he suffered last year. “Right after I got out, the swelling had gone down,” he says. “You could see it dramatically after being in there three minutes.” 

Gable says the TCU kinesiology department is launching a small study on cryogenic therapy, which the football team will be a part of. He knows there needs to be more research done, but he also knows the results he’s seen. Athletes feel an endorphin rush after the therapy, and they report sleeping better at night. “I think we’re only hitting the tip of the iceberg with what this thing can do right now,” he says.

He scoffs at the assertion of one study equating the effect of cryogenic therapy to that of an ice pack. Those types of statements only illustrate the need for further research, he says. It works on an anecdotal level, he says; now it needs to be proven empirically. 

“It goes back to simple science,” Gable says. “What’s occurring in your body is occurring; it would happen whether you were standing out in the cold or whatever the case may be.” 

Then he pauses and sums up: “It’s a great tool to have, and we use the heck out of that thing.”

 Source : Healthcare / DMagazine

 

Living a Healthy Life

We’re so busy racing through our day to day lives that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. It’s really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down. What are some simple things that we can do to improve our quality of life?

In the fast paced world that we live in it can be easy to neglect our health and wellness. We’re so busy racing through our day to day lives – family, friends, work, social engagements – that we don’t take the time to look after ourselves. It’s really no wonder that so many of us are tired and run down. What are some simple things that we can do to improve our quality of life?

Drink Drink Drink…

You’ve heard it a million times and you’ll probably hear it a million more – drink more water!

Think about it: The human body is 72% water. A 5% drop in fluids creates a 25-30% loss in energy. A 15% drop in fluids causes death! At this point in time 66% of us aren’t drinking enough water, so over half the population isn’t running on all six cylinders to begin with – before things like bad air, bad food and stress take their toll.

It’s not really a difficult thing to remedy. Just drink one glass of water every half hour or so – or 10-12 glasses of water per day – and you’ll notice a huge jump in your energy levels.

Living Food – Loving Life!

A little known fact is that heating food above 116°F destroys much of the nutrient content. Considering that we already aren’t eating enough veggies, that’s a fairly substantial problem. Nutritionists recommend five serves of fresh vegetables per day. How many of us are actually taking that advice?

A great way to get the nutrients found in fresh veggies without spending all day at stove or eating raw celery sticks is to juice your veggies. Make sure that you own a good juicer (some juicers expose vegetables to heat created by friction during juicing, which breaks down important enzymes), grab some fresh vegetables and drink your way to good health. It takes a fraction of the time (there’s no cooking involved, for one thing) and it’s convenient. You can take your juice to work and even give some to the littlies for school lunches!

Wheatgrass in particular is an excellent source of nutrition. It’s high in chlorophyll (sometimes described as ‘plant blood’ because it closely resembles human red blood cell molecules) and has over 100 elements that the body needs. Fresh grains are another excellent source for vitamins and minerals.

Energy In – Energy Out

Exercise is another dirty word for most of us. The thing is, exercise doesn’t have to be horribly time consuming or mind-numbingly boring. There are plenty of options.

Now you can add Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, Spin classes and a whole range of new workout options.

If you don’t really have the time or money for the gym, or prefer to spend your mornings/nights at home, then try an exercise bike or walker. I’d be lost without my SPIN – I set it up in front of the television and peddle away merrily during my favorite shows.

An excellent way to get back into a physical routine is to start slowly. Ridiculously slowly, it may seem. For the first couple of weeks, walk/ride for 5 minutes per day – exactly 5 minutes, no more, even if you think you could continue. When the 2 weeks are up, increase to 7 minutes, then 10 minutes, 12 minutes… continue to gradually increase your activity until you’re at a level that you’re comfortable with.

It may sound a little silly, but it works. In effect, you trick your body into producing more energy. You’re building your exercise time up so slowly that your body doesn’t really realise what’s happening. Follow this method and, before you know it, you’ll be comfortably exercising within your limits every day.

So, folks, that’s the basics. If you can rearrange your life a little to allow for better eating habits and a little exercise, and if you remember to just drink a glass of water every half hour or so, you’ll be well on the way to living a healthy life. On a final note, don’t forget to take some quiet time for yourself. Meditating is an excellent way to minimize stress. You don’t have to sit around for hours, just give yourself 5 minutes of quiet time every day – even in the shower, if that’s the only place where you can get time out – and have a little catch up with yourself.

And, last but by no means least, laugh! In fact, laugh like a loon – the louder the better! You’ll be amazed at how much such a simple thing can lift your spirits!

 

 Damian @FitnHealthy