Secret Reason Why Running is the Worst Training for Runners

By Heather Ebright - Certified Pilates Instructor and Avid Runner 

I know what you’re thinking-- I’m a runner, so the only training I need is more running.

This is the by far the most widely believed myth in the running community. Although it is true that a lot of training time needs to be dedicated to running, you must also take into consideration the viability and efficiency of your running. (Keep reading to find out how you can greatly improve your running efficiency and prevent and treat knee pain and injury!)

But strength training will make me bulky and slow, right?

Wrong again! The additional strength and power gained from additional muscle mass far outweighs the stress of carrying a few extra pounds. The right strengthening techniques set you up for greater running success by ensuring the proper alignment as you land each step.  The right type of strength training will change the way your body moves as well as how it looks - you’ll see a leaner build without any bulking up.  

Running speed is a product of stride length and frequency. In other words, the length of your step times the number of steps your make equals your speed. (Who knew the math was so simple?) Stride length is a function of strength, power, and stability, and can only be increased by increasing those factors. (If you want to learn the best way to increase power and stability, while curing pain and injury, stay with me and I’ll share my secrets to improving running performance!)

So you’re telling me I need to do more leg lifts and IT Band stretches?

Nope! I’m going to let you in on a little known fact-- While strengthening and stretching the legs are beneficial to any athlete, the BEST way to increase stability and power is through core strength training.

That’s right-- you need to train your core muscles if you want to run faster, farther, and without the risk of pain or injury. The core muscles of the body function as “central command” during all movement, especially running. Your core controls stride frequency and the force production of the lower body (stride length), regulating your running efficiency. Core muscles are also integral to keeping your stride aligned to a neutral position, which is crucial to preventing and curing the three most common running injuries-- IT Band Syndrome, Patellofemoral Pain (commonly known as “Runners Knee”), and shin splints.  It’s worht noting that IT Band stretches, anti-inflammatory medications, and massages will only offer temporary relief.

So you’re saying that a weak core and improper alignment are to blame for my knee pain and my slow running times? So all I have to do is strengthen my core and straighten my stride? Then I’ll cure my running injuries and increase my speed and distance?

Now you’re catching on! It’s as simple as following my unique training program specifically designed to help identify your muscular imbalances and misalignment in your stride, AND help you target core muscle groups in your training sessions.

I’ve trained runners and athletes to increase their speed and running efficiency and build solid core strength to protect their joints from injury and pain.  I can teach you also these special techniques for less than the cost of a visit to the doctor or physical therapist. Check out my book, Pilates 4 Runners, to learn how YOU can improve your speed and cure pain and injury with a just a few simple clinically-proven exercises.

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Best Way to Stop Runners Knee Pain

By Heather Ebright - Certified Pilates Instructor and Avid Runner

Do you feel pain in your knee during or after your run or workout?  Does the pain get worse when you walk down stairs or hills?

If so, you might have a case of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, commonly known as Runners Knee.  As the name suggests, Runners Knee is one of the most common injuries that runners experience, although it can affect any athlete that engages in repetitive knee bending, such as climbers, hikers, and cyclists. If you do any activity that requires bending of the knee, you might be at risk for developing Runners Knee or a more serious knee injury.  If you're in marathon training mode and ramping up miles according to your training schedule, you should be especially on guard for niggly knee pain.  Maybe you're already feeling some pain and praying it doesn't develop into anything more so you can continue with your marathon training. 

For many years runner's knee was considered to be a direct result of softening of the cartilage of the kneecap, but current research proves that poor running mechanics are the real cause of Runners Knee.

When healthy, injury-free runners are in neutral alignment, the leg absorbs shock with every step. However, poor alignment results for MANY runners because the repeated back-and-forth, limited range of motion involved in running not surprisingly weakens all the core muscles surrounding your legs and hips.  Without the lateral side-to-side movement that would naturally strengthen your core, your trunk loses its natural stabilizer muscles and your core wears away little by little.  Weak core leads to unstable pelvis which inevitably leads to misalignment of your legs.  The alignment then causes imbalanced wear and tear on the knee joint, resulting in pain, injury, and possibly the end of your running career!

You might think that strengthening and stretching the legs would be the right approach to relieving knee pain. However the very TOP way to cure Runners Knee is to train the core muscle groups of the pelvis. The goal is to maintain good form during running, reduce loads to your joints, and eliminate any further breakdown of your tissue.

Other forms of therapy such as IT Band stretches and massage might also be helpful in relieving symptoms, but improving core strength and achieving proper alignment is the most effective and only sustainable way to relieve Runners Knee for good!

I’ve developed a unique training program for runners and any athlete who suffers from knee pain, a discrete set of proven core exercises that have been shown to accurately identify your muscle imbalances, prevent and cure pain, and -- then improve performance in runners.  Because of what is definitionally involved in running, ALL runners, regardless of performance and training level, are highly susceptible to repetitive motion and impact injuries.  ALL runners need to strengthen to be able to enjoy running. 

Many runners with knee pain simply don’t prepare for the worst-case scenario when it comes to possible injury. By the time you’ve realized that you’re injured and in need of a new training routine, your performance has already suffered greatly and you’re in a lot of unnecessary pain. Don’t wait until you must stop running completely before seeking help!  

If you're in the process of training for a marathon, it's so important to accept and embrace a strengthening regimen as part of your training schedule.  Consider this: during an average one-mile run, your foot strikes the ground 1,000 times.  So during one "peak" training run of 20-miles, your foot strikes the ground 20,000 times. And the the force of impact on the foot is 3 to 4 times your weight! So during one peak training run, your foot is striking the ground 20,000 times with the force of 3-4 times your body weight.  Your marathon training probably includes 3 of these peak 20-mile runs, so the numbers just continue to pile up.  For each 'landing', your core muscles have to be strong enough to land foot on the ground in a strong, aligned way -- or you're bound to feel the knee, hip, or hamstring pain that plague so many of us.  

Remember - it's actually not about leg muscle strength.  Your training more than adequately covers that.  In fact, it's just the opposite: you're most likely overly repeating the front-and-back motion of running while the rest of your surrounding muscles which laterally stabilize -- and are SO important to safely landing each step -- just continue to atrophy.  This pattern is no surprise because by definition, running is a forward-and-back motion.  That's why the injuries that plague runners are common and predictable.

If you’re already injured and struggling with Runners Knee, take action and get to the root cause of your injury.  Don’t waste time and money dabbling on superficially alleviating the pain.  Instead, know that your injury can be cured by targeting the specific muscle deficiencies causing it -- and can be done so very quickly! 

To find out about special strengthening techniques designed to get you running without pain and even faster, check out my book on strong running. In it, you’ll find out how you can cure your Runners Knee and become a stronger, faster runner with just a few simple exercises involving no equipment or down-time -- just some honest work in strengthening yourself. Click below to find out more.


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Weird Ways to Run Faster Without Pain

By Heather Ebright - Certified Pilates Instructor and Avid Runner

Developing an adequate strength base is essential to meeting the demands of any sport, especially running. 

Some runners are hesitant to strength train, believing --incorrectly-- that strength training will harm their running performance.  On the contrary, proper strength training has been scientifically proven to improve performance in runners and any athlete who repeatedly engages in knee bending. 

Researchers discovered that runners who will suffer injury move differently than those who don’t become injured, and that most injuries are related to poor running mechanics. Recent studies show that injured runners have poor alignment of the foot, knee and hip, as opposed to healthy runners, who are able to keep their joints in a neutral position. 

While you may think your leg muscles are to blame for altered mechanics and poor running performance, it’s really the core muscle groups that are responsible for proper joint alignment. Unfortunately, although they are essential to healthy running, core muscles don’t get trained when you run. In fact, it’s just the opposite: the limited range of motion involved in running tends to weaken all the core muscles surrounding your legs and hips.  Running just involves back-and-forth motion in one dimension, not really any lateral side-to-side movement, so the core muscles that work to stabilize your trunk get weaker literally with each mile... 

If you look at other competitive sports such as basketball, football, baseball, soccer, and pretty much any other sport you can think of, you see that athletes perform sport specific exercises in the off season to get stronger, increase their power, improve core strength, and cure common sports injuries. Strength training allows athletes to perform at a higher level. 

So, let’s repeat so we can really drill this in: core muscles don’t get trained when you run, but they are essential to healthy running. 

The healthy and successful runner needs to understand that pain-free, fast running is as much about the strength of your core as it is about your legs. 

What I’ve seen over and over again is runners who like to just run.  Strengthening is seen to be a distraction or annoyance and not an essential part of running.  This is especially the case for recreational runners who often are trying to ‘squeeze in’ a run before or after work.  Or, many runners are motivated to run to keep weight under control and think that strengthening leads to bulking up.

What you must realize is that strengthening your core muscles does not translate into getting ‘bigger’ or regaining weight.  Simply, it’s a critical part of running that is about upgrading the muscles among runners that inevitably get long and weak -- the muscles you rarely use in running -- into strong muscles that can stabilize your pelvis and allow explosive power from your limbs.  

In short, a strong core is as important as getting comfortable sneakers -- it is a TOOL of healthy, pain-free running.  You have to think of strengthening as an integral prerequisite of running, not as something that’s tangential or as a bonus when you have extra time. In fact, your schedule needs to allocate specific times during the week for a set number of must-do strengthening exercises. If not, you’re inevitably going to get injured (almost all runners do) and lose even more time by having to completely stop running.  

Runners often think that running more is the only way to increase their performance.  It turns out the best way for runners to improve performance and prevent injury is to increase strength and the stabilization that results from a strong core. 

To learn more about establishing a baseline of strength to cure and prevent injuries and start running even faster, check out my book, Pilates 4 Runners, on strongrunning.com.  The first part will provide you with specific tests you can do to identify your weaknesses and secret, proven strengthening techniques to run faster (and pain-free!).

Get your copy of Pilates 4 Runners program

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C Section - This is What Happens During a C Section Birth

A C section is performed by using a regional anesthetic, which will numb the lower part of your body, allowing you to be awake during the operation. The reason for this is that both you and your baby are much safer than when a general anesthetic is used. The anesthetic is injected in to your spine, which is called an epidural and at the same time you may be given the choice of having a pain relieving injection that which help your post C section operation pain relief.

You will also have a catheter inserted in to your bladder to empty it's contents because when you've had the anesthetic, you won't be able to tell if it needs emptying. The operation itself will normally take around 30 - 45 minutes to complete, although emergency operations can be done in under 30 minutes.

During the C section operation, a screen will be placed over your stomach to block your view although you can request it be taken away if you'd prefer to watch. The operating table will be tilted sideways in order to lessen the likelihood of suffering from low blood pressure. This tactic also relieves any sickness you may feel as it reduces any pressure on the tummy area.

The C section incision is usually made horizontally across the lower abdomen at the top of the pubic bone, just along the bikini line. The wall of the womb is then cut through to allow the safe delivery of your baby. Your baby is then removed through the opening.

There is occasionally a chance that your baby's skin can be cut when performing a C section, but this is only usually a superficial cut and is quite rare, in fact statistics show that only around 2 out of every 100 babies are affected in this way.

After your baby has been removed, the wall of the womb will be repaired with dissolvable stitches and the abdominal wall fastened together using either suture (dissolvable stitches) or staples. Finally you may be given antibiotics and an injection of the hormone Oxytocin which helps to slow down blood loss and assists your womb to contract. Don't worry, you'll usually be able to hold your baby straight away after the birth even after having a C section.

A C section is performed by using a regional anesthetic, which will numb the lower part of your body, allowing you to be awake during the operation. The reason for this is that both you and your baby are much safer than when a general anesthetic is used. The anesthetic is injected in to your spine, which is called an epidural and at the same time you may be given the choice of having a pain relieving injection that which help your post C section operation pain relief.

You will also have a catheter inserted in to your bladder to empty it's contents because when you've had the anesthetic, you won't be able to tell if it needs emptying.

The operation itself will normally take around 30 - 45 minutes to complete, although emergency operations can be done in under 30 minutes. During the C section operation, a screen will be placed over your stomach to block your view although you can request it be taken away if you'd prefer to watch. The operating table will be tilted sideways in order to lessen the likelihood of suffering from low blood pressure. This tactic also relieves any sickness you may feel as it reduces any pressure on the tummy area.

The C section incision is usually made horizontally across the lower abdomen at the top of the pubic bone, just along the bikini line. The wall of the womb is then cut through to allow the safe delivery of your baby. Your baby is then removed through the opening. There is occasionally a chance that your baby's skin can be cut when performing a C section, but this is only usually a superficial cut and is quite rare, in fact statistics show that only around 2 out of every 100 babies are affected in this way.

After your baby has been removed, the wall of the womb will be repaired with dissolvable stitches and the abdominal wall fastened together using either suture (dissolvable stitches) or staples.

Finally you may be given antibiotics and an injection of the hormone Oxytocin which helps to slow down blood loss and assists your womb to contract. Don't worry, you'll usually be able to hold your baby straight away after the birth even after having a C section.

Jago Holmes is a certified personal trainer with over 10 years experience working with moms who have given birth by C section. He has created an easy to use and highly effective system every new mom can use to tone and flatten your baby belly and safely speed up your C section recovery. Click below banner to find out more.


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Pregnancy Exercises - How to Stay in Shape When Pregnant

For many women the thought of pregnancy means saying a fond farewell to the body they've always known. This expectation is due to many factors, not least of all, the lack of real life, every day women examples who've managed to get back in to great shape after having children.

But if you know how to stay in shape when pregnant, then it can make a massive difference to the way you look afterwards, but also the speed at which you recover following the birth.

There are a number of specific pregnancy exercises you can do which will help you out both during and after the birth. But remember, the key to any pregnancy exercises you do is that they should simply maintain the fitness you had before becoming pregnant, not to improve in any way.

A number of types of training before pregnancy are not safe for you to do when you're pregnant, so don't try any of the following: -
  • Heavy resistance training 
  • Dynamic stretching and advanced yoga techniques 
  • Bouncing and high impact aerobics. 

Instead use these pregnancy exercises: -

Gentle and functional weight training 
Using supported positions, ideally seated, not on your back. Different stages of pregnancy require you to avoid exercising on your back as blood flow can be diverted from the foetus to the working muscles, reducing the oxygen supply to the baby.

Specific pregnancy yoga classes 
Led by a qualified and reputable instructor. Because of the pregnancy hormones oestrogen and relaxin, your joints are more lax (looser) than before, so now isn't a good time to develop flexibility. But regular stretching can help to offset back pain and tightness all around the body.

Very low impact aerobics 
Again specific aerobic exercises, designed to maintain a pre pregnancy level of fitness, not improve it. You should be able to carry on a conversation throughout and don't forget to drink plenty of water.

Pelvic floor exercises 
A strong and effective pelvic floor will make the whole experience of natural childbirth much easier and recovery afterwards far quicker.

Regular walking 
A 30 - 40 minute walk done two or three times a week should help to maintain a healthy weight if you combine it with a healthy and nutritious diet.

Don't try to diet 
This is not how to stay in shape when pregnant, you won't be able to lose weight and it can be very harmful to your baby if you aren't eating enough calories.
Eat a well balanced diet and stay as active as possible. This is how to stay in shape when pregnant and also how to be in the best position possible for bouncing back in to great shape after having your baby.

Jago Holmes is a certified personal trainer with over 10 years experience working with moms who have given birth by c section. He has created an easy to use and highly effective system every new mom can use to tone and flatten your baby belly and safely speed up your c section recovery. Click banner to find out more.


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Why Pregnancy Causes Back Pain and What You Can Do About It

During your pregnancy your body weight will increase and the size of your stomach will extend often forcing you to stand, walk, sit or lie in different positions to those you would normally adopt. Your lumbar arch may become more pronounced and your posture will change because of this.

These subtle postural changes are essential in order to maintain balance and to also protect your back and pelvic joints, but can cause crippling or niggling pregnancy back pain as a result.

It is possible for a woman to gain as much as a quarter of her body weight during pregnancy, adding extra stress to the back, hips, knees and ankles. The larger your baby and the bigger you get then the greater the risk of suffering from pregnancy back pain.

There are basically two types of pregnancy back pain generally associated with pregnant mums, which are lumbar back pain and pelvic pain.

Lumbar Back Pain

Lumbar back pain is generally felt in the mid to lower back area at or above the waist in the centre of the back. This can be caused by changes in posture or body shape, bad lifting technique, weak muscles or unstable ligaments and joints.

This pregnancy back pain usually gets more pronounced at the end of each day or after periods of sitting, standing or walking due to the muscles becoming weaker and not providing the same amount of support.

Pelvic Pain

The second source of pregnancy back pain or more specifically pelvic pain is called pelvic girdle pain (PGP). Pelvic girdle pain is a deep pain felt below and to the side of the waistline, on either side across the tailbone (sacrum). This type of pain can be felt on one or both sides, with the discomfort extending down into the buttocks and the top of the thighs. This type of pain doesn't go away with rest and there will usually be stiffness and discomfort in the mornings.

The following activities can cause a worsening of pelvic girdle pain, so as much as possible try to limit or avoid doing them altogether.

Rolling or moving around excessively in bed, lifting, twisting, bending forwards, climbing stairs too regularly, getting up from sitting to standing, such as getting in and out of a car, the bath or bed etc

Some women may also suffer from sciatica during pregnancy, where inflammation or pressure from the back causes the sciatic nerve to become painful and inflamed. This can weaken the back muscles or cause pins and needles. Sciatica can be present with or without pregnancy back pain and often sufferers will notice a shooting pain running down the back of the leg.

The muscles of the core support and protect the spine and internal organs, to stabilize and move the joints of the back and pelvis. As your uterus and baby grow, the separation between the stomach muscles makes it much harder to provide this support.

Pregnancy related hormones such as relaxin and oestrogen allow ligaments and tendons to become more flexible than normal, leaving the lower back and pelvis more susceptible to injury. These hormonal changes, along with additional weight gain and changes in the centre of balance all add to the possibility of injury and pregnancy back pain.

How To Alleviate Pregnancy Back Pain

There are many ways that you can get relief from pregnancy back pain. Here are some of the best ideas: -

Strengthen the Muscles

Pelvic tilting exercises will help to support your spine and improve your posture thereby reducing the strain on your spine and pelvis.

Massage

Massaging the lower back area can usually help tired, aching muscles.

Pillows

By using pillows in bed or when sitting down to create a comfortable position you may be able to reduce the pain you feel. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your legs may also help. If you are suffering discomfort around the base of your spine (coccyx), try sitting on a soft cushion or a cushioned ring to reduce the pressure on that area.

Heat and Water

A heat pack, hot bath or a shower can all help to reduce the pain.

Bend Down Cautiously

When bending down make sure you stand with your feet wide apart. Tilt the pelvis and bend the knees, keeping the back straight. Hold your tummy muscles in all the time. Try to keep your knees in line with your ankles and use your leg muscles to do the work, not the muscles of the lower back.

Lift Properly

When lifting, stand as above but try to keep the object you are lifting close to your body and avoid lifting any heavy items.

When carrying shopping distribute your weight evenly between both sides so as to avoid leaning and stand tall with your stomach muscles pulled in and shoulders back.

Back pain is a very common side effect of pregnancy, but the pain normally disappears after a few weeks of having your baby unless there are other underlying causes.

Estimates suggest that between 50% - 80% of pregnant women suffer from one type of pregnancy back pain or another and whilst not as common, some of these women will go on to experience this pregnancy pain for many months or even years after giving birth, unless some action is taken.

Jago Holmes is a certified personal trainer with over 10 years experience working with moms who have given birth by c section. He has created an easy to use and highly effective system every new mom can use to tone and flatten your baby belly and safely speed up your c section recovery. Click here to find out more.

Visit here for more exercise and fitness products!

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Discover How to Grow Taller Fast

Are you desperate to increase your height? Worry not. You can learn to grow taller fast today. Many believe that they’re doomed to live with the height their genetics gave them. You don’t have to! There are several ways to make yourself look and stay taller.

Did you know we had more bones when we were infants than we do as adults? This is because when we were babies, much of our bones were made of cartilage. It was only when we started growing that this cartilage began to fuse and harden into solid bone. During puberty, we have cartilage growth plates on the ends of our longer bones. These are what help cause the giant growth spurts we experience.

Many don’t realize that a good diet can enhance growth during this vital time. It’s very important to eat foods that are rich in protein, calcium, amino acids, and calories. You can find these nutrients in dairy products, red meat, fresh green veggies, and fruit. Calcium in particular is very important for bone health. If you don’t see why bone health is important for growing tall, you will once you realize that calcium deficiency, as well as a lack of any vital nutrient, can result in your bones weakening, breaking, and even shrinking, making you even shorter than you were before. However, with a good diet, you can provide your body with the energy it needs to keep you healthy and replenish depleted sources.

Exercise is also very important in how to grow taller fast. While you’re growing, regular exercise releases height growth hormones, which help in making you taller. There are some scam sites that claim that, after you’ve reached adulthood, you can lengthen your bones as if they were taffy by doing special stretches. While this doesn’t work, exercise is still very beneficial to your body. By being slender and muscular, it’s much easier to look taller, especially when combined with height flattering shoes, clothing, and a short haircut. Exercise also keeps your bones strong.

By keeping a steady diet, you can keep your bones healthy long into old age. Good posture is another way to make yourself seem taller while at the same time preventing many of the complications that arise from poor posture, such as back aches, neck aches, and worse.

Want to learn more about how to grow taller fast? Visit my website.

Grow Taller 4 Idiots

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Are You Stuck Being Short?

There are many people in the world who think that they are stuck with the height their genes dictate. This simply isn’t true! There are tons of ways to learn how to get taller.

First, however, let’s discuss how our bodies grow in the first place. Our bones play an essential role in this. Did you know that infants have many more bones than they do when they’re adults? This is because much of their skeleton consists of cartilage. As they grow, the cartilage gradually fuses and melds and hardens to form adult bones. This is why we have considerably less bones than babies do.

While we’re in puberty, cartilage growth plates play a huge role in our growth spurts. Throughout puberty, they lengthen gradually. Once we reach adulthood, however, no amount of stretching or exercises will lengthen them again. Any exercise program that claims to be able to do this is wasting your time and your money.

In extreme cases, some resort to bone lengthening surgery to grow taller. Unfortunately, this surgery is very risky in lots of ways. Not only is it difficult to even find a doctor that’s qualified to do this, but the complications afterward can make life very difficult indeed.

The surgery involves your bones being broken. Then metal plates are installed so that there is a gap between the broken bones. Gradually, the bones grow back together, resulting in increased height. However, oftentimes the place where the bones grew together is very weak. Breaks are very common. You risk nerve damage, paralysis, and even death by undergoing this surgery.

However, there are lots of alternative methods in how to get taller. Having a good diet and exercise can be wildly effective in getting taller and staying taller. When you’re young, it’s extremely important that you exercise regularly and have a diet rich in calcium, protein, amino acids, and other nutrients so that your body has the energy it needs to grow and replenish itself. Failing to do this can result in stunted growth. Similarly, continuing to neglect your body in this manner can result in weakened bones and even shrinkage when you become elderly.

Want to learn more on how to get taller? Visit my website.

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Are You Desperate to Look Taller

Are you desperate to look taller? Have all the methods you’ve tried failed? Don’t be discouraged. There are several fashion mistakes out there that actually make you look shorter. Many people don’t realize it at all! However, you’ll learn how to look taller by the end of this article.

Before we go into fashion, however, let’s talk a bit about bone health. Many people don’t know that your bone health greatly affects how tall you are. It is very important that you exercise regularly and have a good diet throughout your life, or you may find yourself even shorter than before.

How is this possible? When we are first born, much of our skeleton is made up of cartilage, rather than solid bone. As we grow, this cartilage warps and hardens to form adult bones. When we are in puberty, cartilage growth plates on the ends of our long bones are what contributes to our growth spurts.

By having a poor diet during these vital years, you can actually stunt your growth. This is why you must have a diet rich in protein, calcium, calories, and amino acids, as well as other important nutrients, to ensure that your body grows as much as it possibly can. During puberty, your is a powerhouse of important changes, and it’s good to do as much as you possibly can to help it along.

As we grow older, poor diet and a lack of exercise makes our bones weaker. This makes them more prone to breaking. Worse still, low calcium levels can result in our bones actually shrinking as our bodies draw calcium from our bones in a desperate attempt to make more. Keeping a good diet will keep your bones healthy and strong and prevent this from happening.

Exercise, in the meantime, is also important in how to look taller. When you are slim and muscular, it’s easier to look taller. Heavyset frames tend to look even shorter still.

If you want to look taller, let’s discuss clothing. Wearing darker, solid colors is good for looking taller, as it blurs your waistline. In contrast, wearing dark pants with a white shirt actually draws attention to your middle. Additionally, wearing pinstripes is wonderful for looking taller. Even wearing vertically striped stockings can be very helpful in making your legs look longer.

Want to learn more fashion tips? Visit my website.

Grow Taller 4 Idiots

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101 Ways to Increase Your Height - Does Exercising Work?

If you are looking ways to increase height and are still in the process of growing, there are many different things you can do to help this process along.

Your diet, of course, plays an important role in growing taller. By eating foods rich in protein, calcium, amino acids, and calories, you will give your body the energy and nutrients it needs to grow and renew itself. It will also help when you exercise to increase height.

There are many different scams out there that claim that you can exercise to increase height after your body is finished growing. Do not believe these claims, for they are simply not effective ways to increase height. There is no way to lengthen your bones, short of surgery, once they stop growing on their own. 

Why is this? To understand, it’s good to know a little bit about how we grow at all. When we are first born, much of our bones consist of flexible cartilage. As we grow, much of the cartilage fuses together to form solid bone. In our teenage years, growth plates located on the ends of long bones gradually lengthen. Eventually these growth plates stop growing once we reach the end of puberty. Not even hormone treatments or vitamin supplements can make them grow again.

However, by exercising regularly while you are still young, you can speed up your growth process as well as promote healthy bones long into your life. By keeping good habits, such as a healthy diet and steady exercise, you can even prevent bone weakening diseases as well as the shrinking that occurs frequently during old age.

Another advantage of using exercise to increase height at an early age is that it releases height growth hormones, which speeds the growth process.

What are some of these exercises? Contrary to what you may think, many useful exercises that release height growth hormones do not involve stretching. Instead, focus on workout routines that focus on strengthening your muscles. Not only will this improve your overall appearance, but it will promote bone strength as your weight increases.

Want to learn more ways to increase height? Visit my website.

Grow Taller 4 Idiots

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Beauty and Fitness

Health is wealth. By being physically fit, it can make a person look lean both inside and out.

There is a lot a person can do such jogging or walking  in the morning, playing basketball or any other sport with friends but if a person wants to have muscles and look lean, the best thing to do will be to sign up and workout in a gym.

Just like taking any medicine, one should first consult the doctor before undergoing any form of exercise.

Physical exercise is beneficial because it helps maintain and improve ones health from a variety of diseases and premature death.  It also makes a person feel happier and increases ones self esteem preventing one from falling into depression or anxiety. It has also shown to make a person with an active lifestyle live longer than a person who doesn’t.

The best exercise plan should have cardiovascular and weight training exercises. This helps burn calories and increase the muscle to fat ratio that will increase ones metabolism and make one either gain or lose weight.

A person who has never worked out before should do it gradually. Doing it too much for the first time can make one pull a muscle or have an injury making it worse. Endurance will never be built in a day and doing it repeatedly will surely be good to the person.

Focusing on certain portion in the body can help make it improve. A good example is going to the gym and doing a workout more often in a specific area such as the abs can give one a chest pack.

But beauty is not only about having muscles which is what people can see. It is also about enhancing the beauty within.

Here are some things one can do everyday to stay beautiful and healthy;

- Reading books and other reading material more often keeps the mind sharp just like working out keeps the body in shape.

- Work no matter what kind it is produces stress. One can reduce this by taking the time out to do something special like lying in a hot tub, shopping or watching a movie. Studies have shown it is reliever and helps one from looking haggardly.

- Pollution is something people cannot control given the size of the problem. When one goes out, it is best to put some form of protection such as beauty products that contain antioxidants that protect the skin from damage. There are also other beauty products available and choosing the right one with the help of a dermatologist can help the person.

- Another way to stay healthy is to give up some vices. Most people smoke and drink. Smoking has been proven to cause lung cancer and other diseases as well complications for women giving birth. Excessive drinking has also shown to do the same.

- For people who don’t smoke, it is best to stay away from people who do since studies have shown that nonsmokers are also at risk of developing cancer due to secondary smoke inhalation.

- Lastly, it is best to always start the day with a positive outlook. Just as studies have shown that exercise makes a person feel happier, smiling produces the same effect. A smile can do a lot and it is contagious in a positive sense. It brightens the day of not only one but others as well.

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Fitness for Women- Stay Fit and Healthy!


Here are 10 tips for women to stay fit and healthy:

1.    Staying fit and healthy starts with a balanced diet. Know and monitor the right weight for your age. Consult your doctor to learn what food you should avoid and follow your eating discipline routines. If you are trying to lose some weight, foods with high calories should be omitted from your meals. Food with high fiber and low fat should be included a priority in your grocery list instead of red meat, sugars and fats.

2.    Drink plenty of water. Drinking at least eight glasses of water everyday. This cleanses the body from impurities. It is also advised for lactating women to increase water intake to keep the body hydrated.

3.    Take Vitamins and Supplements. Do not forget your Calcium supplement.  Sufficient Calcium intake is beneficial for women of all ages. This has been proven to prevent having cramps and Pre-Menstrual Period (PMS) Symptoms. It also prevents Osteoporosis especially for menopausal women. Vitamin E boosts strong immune system. Women who undergo menopausal period should take Vitamin E-400 as it stops night sweats and hot flashes. Also, Vitamin E is said to be best in avoiding wrinkles when aging.

4.    Quit smoking. If you are smoking, stop. It is also a big “NO” for pregnant women, as this will affect the health of the baby. Pregnant women who smoke may pass the harmful content of cigarettes to babies through the bloodstream. Recent studies have shown that women smokers are more prone to diseases than men smokers. Women who smoke have a high risk of getting breast cancer. Also limit your alcohol intake.

5.    Incorporate exercises in your daily routine. Take a walk after work, use stairs instead of elevator or play with your kids when you are at home. Home exercises are also effective especially when you do not have time to go to the gym and would like to lose some weight. Yoga and Pilates are only a few of the many effective exercises you can do at home. Exercises help in limiting the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

6.    Avoid stress. Many women are prone to too much stress. Stress has been known as cause to many sicknesses. As much as possible take time to relax. Read a good book, hang out with friends and engage into sports. Pamper yourself by going to parlors or you can do some shopping. And do not forget to get enough sleep to revive your energy.

7.    Use sunscreen to protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Wear hats when under the sun to protect your skin. Too much sun is bad for your skin. The skin is prone to cancer when exposed to too much sunlight. It also speeds up the aging of skin cells, which causes wrinkles to women.

8.    Make sure to visit your dentist to keep that beautiful smile. Always have it cleaned to prevent cavities and bad breath.

9.    Visit your Gynecologist. Women who are eighteen and above should have their Physical Examination annually especially for the Pap Smear test. Women who are forty and up should have their mammograms and the Breast self-exam is encouraged once puberty has been reached and should be a habit as they mature

10.   Safe sex is strongly recommended. Use condoms to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

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Moderate Exercises to Fitness!


Have you ever felt tired and stressed out from work and by the time you get home you see your three children running towards you asking you to play basketball with them? You refused and promised them that you will after you take you rest.

Instead of disappointing your children, why not say, "yes" after all? You will be surprised by the amount of energy you will have after that 30-minute activity.

Did you know that by exercising at a moderate pace for only 30 minutes, you would feel a lot better, mentally? It has been proven that this improves the appetite and sharpens your style in problem solving. Not only that. You will also feel that it is easier to sleep at night if you do moderate exercises even for only 30 minutes every day.

What are the benefits of regular exercise? It promotes self-discipline and has a positive impact how you perceive life. Exercise helps in lifting your spirits and getting you out of any depression. For first timers, it can be done for 15 minutes for 2 to 3 days a week. You can increase the time you spend once your body gets tuned up for it.

DON'T you ever force your body! If you get hurt, then stop. You can take a break from exercising for a few days and then you can start again but you need to start from day 1.

Here are some moderate exercises you can do and enjoy:

1. Do the Walking. Make use of your surroundings. You can walk your dog, with your partner or child. Encourage your family to do the walking exercise daily and you will find yourself burning calories while enjoying the surroundings and getting enough sunlight that is also good for your body.

2. Discover the wonders of Yoga. Yoga is one effective exercise that energizes not only your body but also your soul. You may want to learn even the basic yoga positions that are not too complicated but proven effective. A five-minute yoga exercise can perk you up and recharge your body with the energy you lost for the whole day. You relax and at the same time you stretch!

3. Engage yourself into sports. Play basketball, football, baseball, tennis or badminton. Many doctors have recommended sports as an effective way to stay fit and healthy. Sports can also be done in moderation. Do not take it seriously. Shooting basketball with a friend is one moderate exercise that is also considered a sport.

4. Join exercise programs at work. If you still do not have exercises programs at work, then why not start it? You can talk to your boss about it and start with your colleagues. You do not only lose calories but it is also one good way to bond with them. This can be done 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

5. Exercise while doing household chores. Gardening, raking leaves, lawn mowing, doing the laundry, vacuuming and car washing are effective moderate exercises at home. Make use of these chores to sweat and burn calories. Instead of using machines and gadgets to perform these chores, why not do it with your hands and lose some fats?

Making exercises as part of your daily routines will surprise you of how much calories you will lose. Doing these moderate exercises of the same amount every day can burn 150 calories up to 1,000 calories a day!

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Health Pointers for the Fitness Babes

Exercise is an essential in life. Most people will certainly nod their heads to this. Exercise is not only perfect for losing weight, it is also good for keeping a reasonable body weight, for giving a boost on the metabolic rate and also for burning those unwanted excess calories. Exercise also revs up the heart and the lungs' machinery making them more efficient in doing their natural functions.

Aside from these, exercise also works for strengthening the bones and keeps people looking good and feeling good about themselves. Exercise also gives people the stamina to enable them to keep up with the pace of their lifestyles. Unfortunately, not many people chose to do what is good for them. Most people could not decide exactly what to do when waking up in the morning; whether to exercise or to press the snooze button one more time.

The following tips are very helpful in reaching and maintaining the ideal body weight. This is especially great for women since they get through a lot of things going on in their bodies and are more susceptible to osteoporosis. Not to mention that many women are under the pressure of keeping themselves beautiful. It is recommended that one or two of these tips at a time are incorporated to the work out routine.

Worry not that the exercise routine is not enough. It is important to keep the commitments one makes. Ideally, it is advised to exercise three to five times a week for 20-60 minutes. However, this is not exactly the case in the real world. One should not frustrate herself by aiming for the ideal when she knows for herself that it is utterly impossible. If she an manage it two times a week for twenty minutes per session, that will do just great.

It is best to focus on doing what one knows she can do than to reproach herself for having not done enough. She can start from this point and then progress on afterwards. This should make her feel successful for having kept her commitment to herself.

Weight lifting should always come first. Many women always do cardio exercises first before weight lifting. A disadvantage of this is that it is possible to miss a critical component of the routine and spend all of it on cardio training. A women may notice this by not being able to see results even after devoting long hours at the gym. This can be avoided by reversing the order. This will guarantee visible positive outcome.

Remember to monitor heart rate. It is recommended to exercise at 75-85% of the maximum heart rate. Many people stick with just pumping up only 50% of their maximum heart rate. To ensure that one is working out at the prescribed target heart rate, she should use a heart rate monitor or any exercise equipment with this feature.

Work out for only an hour or less. Doing this will keep one from dreading the gym. Focusing on the exercise and the aim to be accomplished will make each work out session more and more efficient.

Have some sort of fitness social support. Being in a fitness community maybe the important element lacking in your training program. A social support can do amazing wonders and therefore should not be underestimated. It would be helpful to work out in a gym once in while if one customarily does her work outs at home. One can also try classes in activities that have always been interesting such as yoga, pilates or sailing perhaps. One can also join clubs such as a walking club or a running club for instance.

Pep talk yourself. One should not pressure herself too much; rather, it is best to congratulate one's self and give out words of encouragement in between exercises. One should never forget to say some positive feedback for herself.

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