Posts Tagged ‘Heart Problems’

Aerobics Cardio

Saturday, March 20th, 2010


Aerobics (long, steady state sub-maximal cardio) aren’t much good for many health or fat loss related benefits. I’ve already done a post on why aerobics suck for fat loss. And then I went over the health benefits of interval training versus steady-state aerobics in my interval training for fat loss article

Cardio is used in reference to exercises and/or equipment intended for cardiovascular fitness and endurance training (aerobic exercise). “To do cardio” is a common term which means to engage in Running or other endurance training for a set period of time. Having Cardio equipment at home is a great way to be sure to get it in.

The exercises are also very much important to the men. These exercises will help develop the flexibility that will aid in reducing the chances of injuries to the body. These exercises also help in the continuous development of the body. The exercises work to increase the activity level and the oxygen supply to the various parts of the body.

It is important that we work out the cardio system. This is because the cardio system is the core of the body. With a weak cardio system there are not many exercises that we can perform. A weak cardio system also makes a person prone to many heart problems and diseases.

Again, that’s why you see these overweight aerobics instructors that can probably do well in a triathlon (because of excellent endurance), but don’t lose any fat weight.

Aerobics is also known as cardiovascular exercises and it improves oxygen intake and works major muscle groups like the lungs and heart. Aerobics speeds up your metabolism and this leads to fat burning and weight loss, by keeping your heart rate up for an extended period of time. Most instructors suggest 30 minutes of exercise to get the heart rate up to with a 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down.

Because you would look forward to doing it and won’t likely miss (or “play truant”) and would likely stay put in it long, to achieve your goal- either to lose weight or to maintain good health.

Cardio and aerobic exercises are helpful to strengthen the respiratory muscles and it results in smoother and unlabored breathing. These exercises are good for strengthening the cardiovascular muscles and it also improves the hearts pumping efficiency. It tones the muscles of all parts of body that results in improved blood circulation and reduced blood pressure.

Most people perform cardio training to burn excess calories. With obesity as one of the leading health problems in the Western world today, people are seriously considering doing cardio workouts since they burn much more fats and carbohydrates in so little span of time. But it must be noted that the amount of calories burned during cardio training will always be dependent on the body weight of the exerciser, the intensity of his workouts and the type of activity he does.

If you were looking to change up your aerobic routine, I would suggest you try water aerobics.Also known as aqua aerobics or aqua-fit. Water aerobics is similar to any other kind of cardio exercise. You run, do jumping jacks, perform arm movements and kicks, except you are in the water.

Read about herbal supplements and also read about boswellia and mucuna

Top Four Stress Management Relaxation Techniques

Saturday, March 6th, 2010

Stress management does mean putting work down and stopping for a while. It entails clearing your head and freeing it of unhealthy distractions, in order to jump back on track. Some stress management programs emphasize the value of relaxation. That is, learning to savour one’s time alone and use it to restore the mind and the body.


Stress management relaxation programs include meditation, progressive relaxation, autogenic training, and biofeedback. Several other techniques exist, but, for this article’s purpose, we will tackle only the cited four briefly. There are several ways to cope with stress. Relaxation is one technique which generally refers to the calming of the mind, the body and the sense, to help a you regain your ‘center’, even in the middle of a highly stressful activity.


Before we begin with any of the four techniques, we must first acknowledge that they are merely part of a bigger and much more comprehensive stress management program and that each will work to its best extent when combined with other techniques. Two very important points should be considered before taking on any stress management relaxation technique.


First, since a relaxation technique results in physiological changes, anybody under medication that affects any physiological parameter might be exploiting that parameter too hard, and


Secondly, that people with medical conditions, like hypertension, heart problems, etc. should first seek medical permission, to be on the safe side.


Once you have gotten these out of the way, you may want to try out each stress management technique first before you determine which one to use regularly.

While there is no scientific and medical way to accurately decide which one will work best for you, you will be able to determine which is a most comfortable fit.


Here are the Top Four Stress Management Techniques:


Stress management technique 1: Meditation


Meditation is a mental exercise aimed at getting control over your attention, in order for you to choose what to focus on, instead of being subject to the unpredictable turn of environmental events. This is best done in a silent place and involves set breathing methods.


Stress management technique 2: Progressive Relaxation


This technique stimulates nerve-muscle relaxation. It requires the contraction and release of a muscle group, then slowly moving to other parts of the body. Progressive relaxation is usually used to treat migraines, tension headaches, and other illness.


Stress management technique 3: Autogenic Training


This technique utilizes a series of exercises aimed at bringing body warmth and heaviness in the body and the limbs. It can be done lying down or in a sitting down. Relaxing images are also used to nurture mind relaxation.


Stress management technique 4: Biofeedback


Biofeedback uses certain machines and instruments to observe body movements and occurrences, which will then be used to study ways to control them. It is often used in combination with another relaxation technique.


Practice your chosen technique as recommended, with the right environment, attitude, time and frequency. Keep a consistent routine and you will be harvesting their benefits in no time. Just always keep in mind that the above four stress management techniques are simply instruments to a greater and more comprehensive method. You may choose to do them individually or adopt a combination of two or four. However which way you decide, make sure that it is done at comfortable pace. Otherwise, you will be creating more stress than what you get rid of.

Stress Management Tips – Great Ideas to Manage Stress

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Getting stressed is a perfectly normal reaction if you have too many things coming at you at the same time. But always getting frazzled and cracking under pressure isnâ??t the way to handle it. You need to apply some stress management tips to toughen yourself up in the face of pressure and to keep yourself from breaking down.

One of the biggest causes of stress is the workplace. From worrying about job security, dealing with heavy workload, and going through the daily commute, your job carries with it a lot of pressure.

Studies have shown that stress can have a severe negative impact on your health and well-being. Heart problems are just one of the physical manifestations of the tension you feel. If you bring your stress home as well, it can also severely impact your personal relationships.

Before your life reaches this point due to stress, you must take action to keep it from happening. Instead of always resorting to dealing with stress negatively, there are other means for you to approach stress in a healthier way. Here are a few stress management tips to help you overcome stress.

Stress Management Tip # 1: Take a break. Yes, thatâ??s right. To be able to cope with stress better, you need to step away from what youâ??re doing and get your energy together. Working under pressure and completing your duties while youâ??re stressed will only wear you down and could also affect your performance. Removing yourself from a stressful situation, even for a brief moment, will help you breathe more easily and give you a fresh perspective.

Stress Management Tip # 2: Pamper yourself throughout the day. It doesnâ??t have to be anything elaborate and lengthy. You can do it by enjoying a hot soothing cup of herbal tea, particular ones with calming properties, or buy yourself a small massager to soothe your aches and pains.

Stress Management Tip # 3: Be organized. If youâ??re juggling too many things all at once, you tend to forget how to schedule your work properly. Make a list of everything you need to do, and then arrange them in order of urgency and when they need to be completed. This will help you stay focused on the things that need to be done right away instead of turning your attention to the ones that arenâ??t as urgent.

Stress Management Tip # 4: Say â??noâ? to more responsibilities. You already have too much on your plate and not much time to work on them, which is why youâ??re getting frazzled and stressed. You donâ??t need more responsibilities. But donâ??t worry; this wonâ??t make you look irresponsible and incapable. If you have a hard time saying â??noâ? to extra work, simply think of all the work you need to do and the time you donâ??t have to accommodate more work.

Stress Management Tip # 5: Get help. You might want to talk to a friend or a loved one to help you vent out your frustrations or perhaps even distract you from whatâ??s causing your stress. Acknowledge that youâ??re not capable of doing everything, and donâ??t be afraid to get help around the office too.

These stress management tips donâ??t sound too hard, do they? Once you get stress under control, youâ??ll be able to work more efficiently and then go on to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life.