Fit and Youthful Life

Guest Author: Abhishek Agarwal


Did you know that the basic yoga postures are quite easy to learn and do? Many people who are new to Yoga do not know what the yoga poses really are. There is absolutely nothing to worry if you are new to the practice.

Yoga is a practice where unification of the body, mind and spirit takes place. This total sense of unification of the body mind and sprit can be achieved through the constant and repeated practice of yoga postures and techniques.

Many people who are new to yoga are always dumb struck when they see others doing the various postures and often wonder how to do them. A beginner to this kind of practice will want to know which yoga positions would be most suitable to them.

People who are yoga exponents or Yogis as they are referred to are of the firm opinion that yoga helps to unify the body and mind. This opinion has not undergone any change even after so many years. It is believed that when one does the yoga poses, the body gets healed automatically especially when one is in an environment which is serene.

Doctors are of the opinion that yoga has many therapeutic benefits and those people who are suffering from incurable illnesses have actually benefited from practicing yoga postures. If you are new to yoga and have been suffering from a long time illness then doing the basic yoga postures is really going to help you get better. To get yourself relieved from the disease you must have complete faith that doing yoga is going to rid you of it making you feel all the more healthy.

Yoga is not an exercise system that has been around for centuries and has been practiced and tried by many who have benefited from it. Research and investigation into the system of yoga has proved beyond doubt that it indeed heals the body.

People who are new to yoga and have just begun to practice the postures have found that their joints have become very flexible. The yoga positions meant for beginners are simple exercises which can bring about a healthy change in their present lifestyle. But the benefits become manifold the more they practice.

A new yoga student will find that the exercises are not only easy to perform but are also stimulating and interesting. Yoga helps to massage the internal organs and glands thus making them work efficiently. It also stimulates those parts which are hardly put into use.

Yoga positions for beginners can be learnt from home or at any yoga school nearby. The basic yoga poses for beginners include exercises like standing postures, sitting postures, forward and back ward bends, balancing and twisting. Once the student has mastered these easy yoga postures then they can move on to the more difficult poses which will certainly be not that difficult when they begin to practice them.

The beginners are not made to hold the yoga positions for longer periods as most will find it difficult to do so. Also they would need enough rest in between each posture so that they will have enough energy to get into the next position with ease.

Self discipline is very important for a beginner in yoga. Yoga does not mean just performing the poses it is much more than that. If you are a beginner make sure that you learn the basic poses well before you proceed to learn and master the more difficult positions.



How French Women Stay Young

Guest Author: John Wellington


Even though there are several sites that claim that they will show you weight training exercises online, in truth this is not the way to go. For those who want to start a weight training exercise program, you really need to be working with someone else. You will find that there are many options available. If you prefer you can go to the gym, use free weights at home with a buddy, or get a hold one of those machines, however if you do not do your weight training exercise with correct safety precautions, it is quite likely for you to get seriously injured.

I suggest regularly doing your weight training exercise at the gym. There are a number of good reasons for this, and I will go ahead and let you know some of the very best ones. Firstly, you can get a spot at the gym. Of all of the weight training exercise injuries, majority of them could have been avoided with a proper spotter. This is particularly true with free weights which can either hurt or even kill you if you are forced to drop them based on muscle fatigue. This is one of the main reasons to go to the gym, but it is really far from the only one. The fact is that it is easier to psyche yourself up for your weight training exercise when you do go to the gym. Especially with all of those people around you devoting their time to getting in shape, there is just no way you will feel like slacking off in your weight training program while you are at the gym. Lots of gyms even have personal trainers available, who will assist you to meet your personal best, by working you harder than you will yourself, and helping to chart your goals. In addition they can even suggest which weight training exercises you should use and how many, to build up the muscle groups that you prefer.

Before you begin doing weight training exercise, make sure you do some cardiovascular stuff. Although you can get by quite well without weight training exercise, cardio is absolutely essential to your health. With cardio, you will live longer, be healthier, and happier, and even have more energy if you do some aerobic activities every day to keep you on the go. The fact is we do not stay young forever, but for all those who get sufficient aerobic exercises do stay young for longer than those who do not. Once you start doing that, then you can also include your weight training exercise program.

Guest Author: anonymous


When you teach a friend, co-worker, or family member, one Yoga technique, you have taken the first step toward becoming a Yoga teacher. This is the traditional way Yoga was initially taught before Hatha Yoga classes became such a “magnet” to the public. Large Yoga classes are not a bad thing, but it is easy to forget the way Yoga was taught for centuries.

Now, let’s fast forward into the 21st century. Today, we have access to instant information. You can learn Yoga from television, the Internet, books, DVD’s, MP3’s, CD’s and e-Books. It would seem anyone who wants to become a Yoga teacher has all the tools, at hand, to pursue his or her dream of teaching Yoga.

Should you read Yoga books to become a Yoga teacher? Yes, you will have to read and much more. Yoga books, DVD’s, and CD’s set a foundation of Yoga teaching knowledge, but there is much more to this, in order to become a Yoga teacher.

It is daily experience, gained through teaching Yoga students, which causes a Yoga teacher to further evolve beyond the initial teacher certification process. Practical knowledge and experience becomes a “treasure chest” for any Yoga teacher.

Teaching Yoga is a journey. If Yoga teachers sit still, without expanding their knowledge, they will become stagnant. Yoga books are great references, but Yoga teachers are works in progress. In fact, Yoga is a work in progress. Yoga changes as teachers make new and innovative discoveries along the way.

Hopefully, innovative Yoga teachers will record their discoveries for future generations. None of us has a life long enough to learn all that has been written over 5,000 years, but we learn everything that will help our students live a better quality life and more. Every student ailment is researched again and again.

Yoga teachers may eventually run into a situation where the right Yoga book is not available, or perhaps it was never written. Always remember that Yoga books are very valuable, but they are learning tools for the beginning of the journey, and good references, to come back to, when you put Yogic principles into practice.

So, when do you know if you are ready to become a Yoga teacher? If you have been practicing Yoga for years, reading Yoga information, and showing your friends Yoga techniques, you have already taken the first step.

There is no promise that the journey to become a Yoga teacher will be easy, but it is rewarding. Yoga has much history behind it, but many new chapters are being written at this moment, and many more will be written in the future. The public is always in need of competent and innovative Yoga teachers.

Copyright 2007 – Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

Guest Author: Eddie Lomax


I’m just going to come out and say it.

Stop bodybuilding and start athletic weight training. If you are not a bodybuilder, or aspire to be one, then don’t train like one. Bodybuilding training is great for bodybuilding, but it is not the answer for a high level of fitness or an attractive, athletic body. There, I said it.

Just so we’re clear, here is what I mean when I say bodybuilding. Bodybuilding uses sets, reps and loads with only one goal in mind, building muscle. The exercise selection strives to isolate muscles and treats the body as a collection of specific muscles. Often, split routines are used where the body is split into different parts and trained in groups, like back and bi, chest and tri, etc.

Sound familiar?

The “success” of a bodybuilding program is based on appearance, not performance. The size and shape of the muscles are the goal, the only goal. (Of course, fat loss plays a role, but is done only so you can SEE the muscles better, and not for health or performance reasons.) Quite frankly, health and performance are of no consequence, and in my opinion are often sacrificed in the quest for bigger muscles.

So, why do so many exercisers who aren’t bodybuilders end up doing bodybuilding routines?

One of the driving forces to exercise is to look better. You look in the mirror and notice you are out of shape. Literally, your shape is out of whack. You’re covered in fat in places you shouldn’t be, and lacking in muscle where it should be. Changing your appearance is the main goal. Since the only goal of bodybuilding is changing appearance by building large muscles and eliminating fat covering them, it is easy to see how people make the transition to bodybuilding training.

But, more often than not, bodybuilding does not fit with the overall goals of the exerciser. How many times have I heard, “I want to put on some muscle, but I don’t want to look like a bodybuilder!” Too many to count.

In my opinion, most exercisers want the strong, lean, athletic body of an athlete. They want a body with strong, hard muscles and void of fat. But they also want to feel and perform better. They want their weight training to improve health and enable them to meet the challenges of sport, work and life with excellence. So, they want to be more like an athlete than a bodybuilder.

Athletic weight training is better for most exercisers goals than bodybuilding training. It treats you as an athlete, not a bodybuilder. This change in weight training helps you perform better and feel better, and results in the muscular, lean, athletic body most exercisers want.

So ask yourself. Do you want to look like an athlete or a bodybuilder? If you answer “bodybuilder”, then you already know what to do. (Most of the information on weight training is based on bodybuilding practices). If you answer “athlete”, you’re going to have to look a little harder. But finally reaching your fitness, fat loss and physique goals make it worth the effort!



Look 10 Years Younger

Guest Author: Martin Brinkmann


While gyms, health clubs, and spas contain acres of the newest and most expensive equipment, they still cannot improve on the kinds of basic, free weight exercises that can be done in the comfort of one’s own home. Anyone wishing to build a home gym, either as a supplement to their health club membership or as their primary place of exercise, would do well to keep the following basic principles in mind.

The first and most basic consideration for weight training is the weights themselves. Two options are available, standard plates and Olympic plates. Unless you already own a large amount of standard weights, Olympic weights are far and away the best option. These plates come in larger sizes, and have a two inch hole in their center.

What makes Olympic weights special is the bar, which has movable collars. These collars help prevent the transfer of momentum from the lifter to the weights themselves, and promote a more natural, smoother motion.

The other key piece of weight training equipment for most users will be the bench. The brands and models of weight benches are bewildering, but the key things you want to look for are adjustablity, the width of the bar supports, the quality of the padding, and the thickness of the supporting bar running beneath the bench itself.

Adjustable benches allow for a different range of exercises and body-types. Be sure the bar supports are at least four feet apart — not only is this more stable, but it will not interfere with the lifter having a proper grip on the bar.

A note on machines: while some machines provide exercises that cannot be done with free weights, the overwhelming majority of machines merely duplicate a free weight exercise. Machines have their uses, but should not be considered a primary form of training as they do not allow for the body’s natural range of motion, and can create strength imbalances. They also will not strengthen a lifter’s joints and connective tissue as free weight training does.

From a basic weight set and bench intermediate users will want to explore other options. Dumbells are valuable training aids, either as an alternative to barbell exercises or as a way of training muscle groups in isolation.

A power rack or cage is the ultimate in home gym safety, as a lifter can exercise within its rectangular frame and pursue heavy squats and bench presses secure in the knowledge that the rack’s safety pins will prevent injuries. Other basic equipment includes chalk, for grip, and knee wraps or weight belts to protect an area during heavy lifts — though users should never become too dependent on these aids.



Instant Wrinkle Reducer

Guest Author: Ric Hawkins


It seems like every 50 years or so a new substance is discovered that rocks the scientific community and so has the link between resveratrol and cancer prevention been proven?

The short answer is an overwhelming yes! It is being hailed as one of the most important nutritional discoveries of modern time.

For many years people wondered at the \”French Paradox,\” whereby the French have a similar high fat diet to Americans and smoke heavily, but have a far lower instance of cancer and heart disease.

This was found to be down to the fact that they drink a lot of red wine, which contains resveratrol and cancer experts suddenly became very excited.

It is found in high quantities in the skins of grapes, hence in red wine, blueberries and one of the most potent sources is the Japanese Knotweed plant.

Resveratrol has been shown to stop cancer at all three stages, initiation, promotion and progression due to it being a very powerful antioxidant.

 Antioxidants are needed at very high levels for optimum health and disease prevention in humans. Antioxidants prevent and repair cell damage caused by free radicals in the body. Free radicals are atoms with unpaired electrons and cause havoc in the human body by damaging cells and causing disease and aging.

It seems that it has the ability to turn off and kill unhealthy cells which could turn cancerous, while leaving the healthy cells alone.

This is in contrast to chemotherapy treatment which kills the healthy cells as well, so resveratrol and cancer curing could have a very real future, and many millions of dollars are currently being invested to develop it, and even  a major pharmaceutical company is now investing heavily too.

It can stop or inhibit many types of cancer including lung, stomach, pancreatic and breast, as well as helping prevent many other diseases like heart disease, diabetes and reversing the aging process.

Experts agree the best way to take it is in supplement form, combined with other nutrients to increase its effects.

For example resveratrol is synergetic with turmeric and green tea extract and this enhances its cancer fighting abilities.

A good natural multi supplement can bring many other benefits if it has the right blend of synergistic ingredients. Resveratrol and cancer prevention is just one of many diseases that could be prevented.

We would all like to live a longer, healthier life and that seems like a possibility now with amazing nutrients like this one, and taken with other beneficial ones, we can really be responsible for our own futures, and avoid many of these increasingly common and deadly diseases.

Resveratrol and cancer prevention is just the beginning.

If you would like to learn more about the synergistic products which I personally take, including resveratrol, why not visit my website.  

 

 

 

Guest Author: Alien


There are so many different anti aging products in the market today that it is sometimes difficult to determine which ones actually work. One good way to recognize the best anti aging product for you is by familiarizing yourself with the ingredients associated with anti aging.

The best anti aging product is most likely to contain ingredients that fight aging: Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHA), antioxidants, collagen and Vitamins C, D, E and K.

Beta-Hydroxy Salicylic Acid (BHA) or its alternative Alpha-Hydroxy Acids rids the skin of dead skin cells through exfoliation. The less dead skin cells are accumulated in pores, the fresher and cleaner and younger-looking your skin becomes. However, one must keep in mind that although these are widely used in anti aging products, some individuals experience irritation due to the ingredient’s exfoliating abilty.

Other ingredients like antioxidants work more than just on the surface. The antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 encourages cell turnover by restoring and preventing damaged skin. This also gets rid of dead skin cells that cause discoloration.

Collagen has hydrating properties that moisturize the skin, protecting it from further damage. Collagen is known for plumping the skin and is widely used in lotions as well as in other treatments such as collagen injections.

Several of the anti aging products we have in the market these days already have added vitamins. These are Vitamins C, D, E and K which are important in preventing deficiencies, as well as in healing wounds, smoothing out scars and strengthening the immune system. Many of these vitamins are antioxidants which fight against free radicals in the body. These free radicals cause the skin to age.

There are some anti aging properties that claim to work but are actually questionable. For one, it is not yet scientifically proven that Vitamin C can penetrate the internal layers of the skin or that it has any function there. This could be the reason why creams that contain only Vitamin C as their main ingredient (Vitamin C creams) might not have any major effect on the skin when used as an anti aging cream.

It is by far antioxidants that make the best anti aging product work. It has been observed that a formula without these essential ingredients just wouldn’t be effective. Free radicals are naturally produced in the body, but its release of unstable oxygen can damage healthy cells. As it has been observed, free radicals are the culprit when it comes to age-related problems. Antioxidants help keep free radicals at bay, thus delaying the aging process.

Other popular anti aging supplements such as estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, thyroid and melatonin are also essential in an anti aging product. These are more commonly as hormone supplements that delay aging. These hormones are also known to increase libido, stabilize sleeping patterns, prevent cancer and help strengthen the immune system.

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), oxytocin, erythropoietin (EPO) and insulin may also be effective to some degree and are used by fewer consumers. Human chorionic gonadotropin is responsible for fertility in humans; oxytocin supports the reproductive system; erythropoietin is known to treat anemia; insulin is used to treat diabetes mellitus type 1.

Supplements can have varying effects on different individuals. Therefore it is crucial to see a doctor before using anti aging products containing any of these.