Sit-ups: The Wrong Ways to Get Abs

Posted By Alexa Bjorkin
Categoirzed Under: Fitness
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by Alexa Bjorkin

I can’t think of one reason why you nor anyone else can’t or shouldn’t have a nice set of six pack abs. All it takes is focus and dedication to practice beneficial nutrition, a steady exercise routine, and a healthy lifestyle so you too can achieve your goal of having a flat stomach.

I′ll tell you one important thing however, if you do just a few of the basics the wrong way, you’ll end up losing a lot valuable hours and never make any significant progress towards getting visible abs.

One of those “wrong″ and pretty ineffective methods you can do when working out to flatten your stomach is doing sit-ups.

Are you sure? Yes, positive.

Sit-ups along with various forms of ab routines the focus directly on your stomach muscles are quite INEFFECTIVE for revealing your six pack abs!

Here’s why:

1. Ab workouts like sit-ups do not create enough of a metabolic response in your body to burn the fat off your stomach. Everyone has a decent pack of abs but most is hidden under layers of fat. What you need to do is burn the fat off your stomach so your abs are visible- but you can NOT do that with sit-ups and ab exercises alone.

2. Posture during sit-ups and other ab exercises is usually incorrect leaving the back vulnerable to injury. Most people either have an arched back or a flat back when doing ab exercises. The correct posture is to have a rounded back that way you strengthen the deep core muscles that support your back. Doing sit-ups with incorrect posture makes them very ineffective for reaching and even toning those important core muscles.

3. Sit-ups only tone and strengthen the ab muscles that are hidden under belly fat. They do not create enough energy to jump start the fat loss needed to uncover those ab muscles.

I bet now you’re wondering how in the world are you going to get visible six pack abs.

With full body exercises:

Lunges Squats Snatches Deadlifts Mountain Climbers Sprints

By performing each exercise above with different weights and at different angles and sets, you’ll be more likely to stick with the program and progress onto the next level of strength and endurance.

While you do full body exercises, you use many joints and many more muscles than you would if you were only doing sit-ups. That’s why full body exercises cause a much better and more effective metabolic response than sit-ups. They also increase the fat-burning hormone levels that will help uncover those sexy six pack abs.

Once again, sit-ups are fine for strengthening your abdominal muscles but they will not cause your body to burn off the belly fat covering them.

Now you have learned that doing a ton of sit-ups and crunches while trying to get a nice set of six pack abs is a waste of your valuable time. So why don’t you spend it on something that really works and you’ll have a flat stomach in less time than you think.

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Get Your Binoculars Specifications Right

Posted By James Cavalier
Categoirzed Under: Eyes
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by Gary Pearson

If you are a bird watcher, getting the right binocular specifications is essential. This is because the binocular specification you use will either enhance or undermine your bird watching experience.

When searching for a suitable pair of binoculars, the crucial thing is to have an in-depth understanding of how binoculars function. Getting familiar with the technical jargon associated with binoculars is a good way to start.

The most important specifications of any pair of binoculars are their magnifying power and light-gathering capability. These two features are expressed in numbers. For example, a pair of binoculars which has a 7 x 10 specification will be able to make distant objects look seven times larger. The number 10 in the specification above refers to the binoculars’ aperture which is expressed in millimeters. This measures how much light the binoculars’ objective lenses are able to gather.

At this junction, it should be mentioned that binoculars which have a higher magnification power are often more difficult to hold steady. For bird watchers, experts normally recommend an 8 x pair of binoculars rather than a 10 x pair; this is because the higher the magnification the more hand movement there would be.

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Ovarian Cyst Cures Overview

Posted By Jay Taylor
Categoirzed Under: Fitness
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by Jay Taylor

Before choosing between alternative health all natural ovarian cyst cures or opting for conventional treatment with your health care professional, there are some things that you need know before making that choice. First off it is imperative that you have the cyst diagnosed by a doctor. You need to know what type and the size of the cyst you have, before making any choices, whether natural or conventional treatment. Sometimes medical treatment may be necessary or be the only safe option. Many times a cyst will disappear after a few menstrual cycles. If not, most doctors will recommend surgical removal, where alternative medicine practitioners will advocate natural ovarian cyst cures.

A functional ovarian cyst usually disappears on its own even without treatment but there is a possibility that it will develop again. Natural treatment is an option to prevent development of a possible ovarian cyst. Abnormalities in the female menstrual cycle are what cause cyst development, so it stands to reason that herbs containing the right properties and proper nutrition are helpful as natural ovarian cyst cures to get the hormones levels back in order.

Supplements that assist in maintaining hormonal balance, improving immunity, and enhancing liver function are helpful for women who have suffered from ovarian cysts previously and want to prevent them from coming back. These supplements can act as natural ovarian cyst cures to help keep the body healthy and functioning well when taken regularly along with appropriate follow-up care by a doctor.

Vitamins and minerals can help a person to maintain proper nutrition. Vitamin C in particular helps the immune system and thus can help prevent ovarian cysts from occurring. Zinc assists in cell growth while the egg is maturing and aids in limiting free-radical damage to DNA as well. Similarly, the B-vitamins help maintain the balance of hormone levels by assisting the liver in converting large amounts of estrogen into substances which are not as harmful. Lastly, antioxidants help cells avoid damage.

Some women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cysts may be able to use herbs as possible ovarian cyst cures. There are herbs which have properties that help balance hormones and prevent the development of functional cysts. Bear in mind though, women who are currently undergoing hormone therapy should not use any of these herbs.

Milk thistle is a very helpful herb. It is also known as Silymarin marianum. Milk thistle has properties to help detoxify the liver there by improving it’s function and removing excess hormones from the body along with destroying abnormal cells and removing the effects of harmful chemicals. Another herb that is very good is Echinacea, which can improve the body’s natural defence to fight off infections and abnormal cells, by increasing white blood cells. Echinacea should not be taken daily, it works best when taken for 10 days and then a 3 day break and then again for 10 days.

In all cases, women should look after their diet and make sure they are receiving adequate nutrition. Any woman taking supplements or herbs should discuss these options with her doctor first. A doctor is the best person to properly guide you toward the right ovarian cyst cures.

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Follow These Simple Steps and Avoid the Freshman 15!

Posted By Gail M. Davis
Categoirzed Under: Weight loss
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by Gail M. Davis

The “freshman 15″ is the term used to describe the extra weight that is often gained by students going off to college for the first time. For many of these students, it is the very first time they have lived away from home and experienced so much freedom. Emotional eating, late night eating, cafeteria food, drinking, and lack of exercise all combine to create that perfect environment for packing on the pounds!

While this happens more often than not, being aware of the possibility is the first line of defense. There are easy steps that all students can take to avoid the dreaded “freshman 15!” Following these simple tips can even help you finish your first year of college healthier than when you began. We’ll discuss a few of these steps here.

The first important step to avoiding college weight gain is to never skip breakfast! Breakfast wakes up your metabolism and gets it ready to function for the day. If walking to the cafeteria each morning for a nutritious breakfast isn’t realistic, then keep healthy breakfast options in your room for a quick grab and go.

The next step in avoiding the “freshman 15″ is to make healthy food choices 90% of the time. College cafeterias are offering more variety and healthier options but a buffet is still a buffet! While it’s okay to occasionally select macaroni and cheese or dessert, these indulgences need to be rare. Limit yourself to one “free” meal a week!

Another important tip is to make good decisions about your beverages. Limit sodas and sweet drinks. They provide no nutritional value and slow weight loss. Make water your main source of hydration. Drink skim milk with your meals. Calcium-rich diets burn more fat!

Another good tip is to avoid snacking late at night. Stop eating several hours before bedtime so that excess calories won’t be so easily stored as fat. Have healthy snacks available for those times when you know you’re going to need them. Chewing sugarless gum often helps take the place of snacks.

One of the most important steps that you can take to avoid the “freshman 15″, and the last one we’ll discuss here, is to find an exercise buddy and schedule regular workouts. Take advantage of the college facilities for weight training, walking, running, swimming, tennis, racquetball, and basketball.

Follow these five simple steps to avoid gaining those unwanted pounds as you go away to college. Ignoring the problem can cause the “freshmen 15″ to turn into permanent baggage that you won’t want to carry around with you. Being aware that it can happen is essential and enables you to make wiser choices before it’s too late.

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Could Alternative Medicine Save Your Health?

Posted By Stew honeycutt
Categoirzed Under: Fitness
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by Stew honeycutt

There are healing processes that span the world rooted in religion, spirituality, possible metaphysics or rooted to nothing at all they just don’t belong to Western medical traditions. These types of healing processes are what is known as alternative medicine.

This is not to say that Western medicine does not under certain circumstances adopt certain alternative medicine practices. This is usually only done once a alternative medicine process has been tested and proved to be a healing process. This is when “conventional″ medicine and alternative medicine merge. This is especially true when it comes to herbal supplements and remedies.

To a point this is the case with herbs. Western doctors struggle with whether or not they buy into the benefit of herbal supplements or herbal drugs. Discerning whether an herbal supplement really works or if it is a sham takes time. With the influx of herbal supplements on the market it is pretty obvious that the manufacturers have convinced the everyday consumer. The good news is that now you can protect yourself.

There are a few steps you can follow to protect yourself. One such step is to read the labels of the herbal supplement that you are considering taking. On that label there should be a stamp from either the United States Pharmacopoeia or the NSF International. These two agencies try to help regulate herbal supplements. The second step, don’t take the herbal supplement if one of those validating agencies did not give it a stamp of approval. The reason for this is that if an herbal supplement has a stamp from the USP or NSF then it passed the strict guidelines these agencies have to prevent you from being scammed. Know that there are still many that are currently on the market that are in the waiting line for these agencies approval. We have a huge “thank you″ to give to Duke, Stanford and Harvard universities for all the research they are doing in this area.

These universities have taken up research of alternative medicine and their aim is to find out which herbal remedies are beneficial and how they work. Such research has already validated certain practices and products and they are deemed safe and effective. Examples of such alternative medicines are acupuncture for pain, glucosamine for pain in the joints, guided imagery (the going to ‘another place’ via focus on relaxation and breathing) and certain supplements for PMS. These include calcium, magnesium and vitamin B6 which prevent bloating. However these supplements require time and may take up to six to eight weeks to work.

Before you begin an herbal supplement or treatment you need to talk to a specialist in the area of alternative medicine. To find one you can check out the Consortium for Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine. These specialists have studied alternative healing processes and will be able to help you find the appropriate herbal supplement to treat what ails you. You wouldn’t go to a heart specialist to treat your gastrointestinal problems or the dog trainer down the street. You go to the person trained to help you in that area. If you won’t get professional advice at least make sure that the product you are using does in fact have the stamp from the NSF or USP.

Proponents of alternative medicine are also known to be opponents of regulating agencies such as the FDA, these agencies are seen as restrictive and controlling moguls. The reason is that the advocates feel that agencies such as the FDA, NSF or USP delay the potential to help people with their strict guidelines. However they also feel that if these agencies do find fraud then these agencies should punish the individual manufacturers.

Universities are already offering bachelors degrees in Naturopathy. In India, research into these treatments is carried out by AYUSH, the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy. Make sure you don’t fall for treatments that do not have any basis or validation.

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