HART-Empire Network II - Health and Fitness Channel

By Dan Patterson

Here’s a sad truth that arguably a large contribution to the obesity problem in the U.S.: Americans watch a lot of TV. Here are some interesting statistics from TVTurnoff.org:

* The average American home has the TV on for 8 hours a day
* The average American watches 4 hours and 35 minutes of television each day
* The average American household is 2.55 people, but the average home also has 2.73 televisions

Statistically, we have more TVs per household than we do people in this country! We have very quickly become a lazy, entertainment seeking people. No wonder we have such a large problem with people being overweight and obese. This is no news flash, but when you’re just sitting in front of the TV you are contributing to an overall sedentary lifestyle - a lifestyle that is proven to be prime ground for becoming overweight and obese.

The purpose of this article is not to suggest that everyone turn off their TVs for good (although that might not be a bad thing), but rather to suggest that we could all at least make some good use of the time spent sitting in front of the TV.

So how can we make this time more productive? Actually get up and do something rather than just watching the tube! Either during the show you’re watching or at least during the boring commercials, get down and do some pushups. During a standard commercial break you could probably get in at least 20-40 pushups depending on your fitness level. Then maybe during another break do some crunches or other body weight exercise. The idea here is that if you’re going to sit around a watch TV, at least do something productive and helpful towards achieving your fitness or weight loss goals.

Here is a short list of exercises that you can easily do at home that require little or no equipment that you could do while watching TV:

* Pushups
* Wall Squats
* One-Leg Squats
* Quick Jog Around the House
* Chair Dips
* Angled Calf Raises
* Anything with Bands or Free Weights that you have at home

Get creative! You could even come up with little mini workouts you can do, or even have a competition between you and other people watching the show. See who can do the most pushups before the show comes back on. That way not only are you getting in some good exercise, but you’re also have a good time with those around you and motivating each other to achieve your best.

About the Author:
Dan Patterson is an editor of BodyFitnessInfo.com.

Our goal is to help people learn to gain muscle and use techniques for natural weight loss.

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By Tracey Mallett

It’s summertime, and the living is easy – except when you have to think about putting on an itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny yellow polka dot bikini! But don’t worry, there’s still time to get in shape to strut your stuff on the beach or the boardwalk!

These tried-and-tested exercises can give you quick results with just 10 minute focused workouts every other day. (If you’re on a serious mission and feeling really motivated, feel free to go for it every day!) And don’t forget to mix up these moves with some cardio work, even if it’s a game of soccer with the kids or a brisk walk to the park. Take advantage of the extra quality time you’re spending with the kids, family or friends this summer - whether at home or on vacation - and put the fun things you do to work to stay active. Every calorie counts!

And after a few weeks with these exercises, you can look your best in the season’s latest teeny-weeny bikini fashions! Have fun in the sun – but don’t forget the sunscreen!!

Dolphin Kicks

For this exercise you want to balance your weight on your forearms with your elbows directly underneath your shoulders. Make sure to pull your shoulder blades down towards the hips (away from your ears) – this will keep the stress off your shoulders. Extend your hips and spine, pull in your abs (this supports your torso) and bend your right knee slightly off the floor for more support. First Inhale, and then as you exhale extend your left leg straight out to hip height, contracting the glutes and hamstrings. Your hips should be facing forward at all times. With a slight bend, return the left leg to meet the opposite supporting leg.

Reps: Repeat up to 20 repetitions, keeping the torso still, then switch to the other side.

Muscle Focus: Glutes, hamstrings, abs, and lats.

Super Butt Kicks

Lay down on your back, placing your arms down by your side. Lift your hips off the floor in a bridge position. Your right knee should be bent with the heel in line with your sit bone, and your left leg should be extended straight up. As you inhale, lower your left leg to the floor. Be sure to keep your hips still and maintain the bridge position. Exhale and bring the leg back up to the start position

Reps: Repeat up to 20 reps, then lower your left leg to the floor in the same bent position as the right. Lower your butt to the floor, rest, and change over to the other leg.

Muscle Focus: Glutes, hamstrings, abs

Dead Bug

Lay down on your back with knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Head, neck and shoulders should be off the floor and hands resting on your knees. On an exhale, draw in your abs and simultaneously extend your left leg out and your right hand over your head. Repeat this move, alternating your arms and legs. Keep your eyes focused on your belly button at all times, and if you start to feel tension in your neck, lower your head down to the floor. (This will get easier as you build more strength in the abs.)

Reps: Build up to 20 repetitions completed twice with a 30-second to 1-minute break. Make sure not to sacrifice form.

Muscle Focus: Abs

Side Plank Leg Lifts

Lay down on your side, balancing on your right hip and resting on your right forearm. Your right elbow should be directly underneath your shoulder and your knees bent and stacked on top of each other. While exhaling, contract your abs, and lift your hips off the floor. At the same time, extend your left arm and leg out to the side of your body, making sure to keep the knee and toe facing forward.

Reps: Try for 10-15 reps, then turn over onto your other side and repeat.

Muscle Focus: Glutes, abs

Highly sought after fitness expert 15+ years in the fitness industry, Tracey Mallett can help the busiest women get into shape. Her Super Body Boot Camp Burn It and Firm It and 3-in1 Pregnancy System exercise DVDs each feature different cardio workouts that hone in on techniques that will strengthen and reshape your body’s major muscles – in just 15 minutes per day. Even the busiest women have 15 minutes in a day – so buy one of her DVDs now at: www.traceymallett.com/products.htm

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By James Penn

Summer is nearly upon us. It is a time for visiting the beach and shedding your clothes in favour of a bikini or swim shorts. Many of us are uncomfortable with our appearance because perhaps we are carrying one or two or fifty extra pounds. You want to tone your body so you can feel confident to show off your body, this article will provide you with five of the top calorie burning summer exercises so you can lose the excess weight you want to.

Running

While this can be performed in all four seasons, it’s much more fun in summer. Take a jog through your local park. Listen to music as you run and take in the beautiful scenery as the sun beats down on you. Be sure to remain hydrated to avoid dehydration.

Hiking

This summer, why not find a place to hike to burn some excess calories. Get on your hiking shoes and find a rural trek. Go with a friend, a family member or even your partner. When hiking you won’t even realise your exercising, but it is highly effective. In fact it burns around 450 calories per hour or more.

Swimming

In summer, when the sun is blazing down on you, there’s nothing better than diving in a cool, clear, outdoor swimming pool to keep your body temperature comfortable. Do a short spell of swimming and notice the difference it has on your body and mind. Swimming is the total body and mind workout.

Tennis

Tennis is the ideal summer sport. Playing against a friend or tennis partner provides the competitive edge that you may need to work that little bit harder. Tennis is great for developing toned arms and legs. For variety you can play doubles tennis, although this doesn’t burn quite as many calories.

Cycling

Cycling in the sun is a great experience. With the sun blazing down on you and the wind blowing through your hair provides a great middle ground to keep your body temperature constant. Cycling is great for working and toning the leg muscles and the best part is, you won’t even realise your exercising them!

Those are the five exercises for you to burn some excess calories and lose some unnecessary pounds to get your body in shape for summer.

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By Pat Barone

I’m going to be straight with you. Permanent weight loss is different than the quick fix.

It is different in its scope: the changes made are long-term as opposed to limited in duration.

It is different in its approach: changing mental and emotional attitudes leads to healthier behavior with food rather than simply attempting to change old behaviors through willpower. As a professional life coach, I call this “change from the inside out.”

It is different in its duration: permanent weight loss tends to be slower and steadier than highly restrictive diets.

So, while it may take more time, permanent weight loss is what we all dream about. It’s freedom. It’s fulfillment. It’s peace with food and your body.

Now, I have a question for you: Does changing old, deeply engrained behaviors and attitudes sound like hard work?

Well, like everything that comes along in life, it can be an obstacle or an opportunity, depending on how you CHOOSE to look at it.

Focusing on opportunity means you see the potential rewards and growth involved.

Focusing on obstacles means you see potential risk and loss.

Many of my weight loss clients will ask, “You want me to look at hard work as an opportunity?”

Yes! After all, it’s a chance to lead a happier life without being a slave to food impulses. It’s a chance to get what you want. Not everyone steps up to the plate and takes a swing at really getting what they want! It’s a chance to grow in a new direction.

The rewards go way beyond just changing your weight too! With this type of change, you’ll build an excitement in your life that is truly motivating.

Simply dieting may become boring and rigid. Excessive exercise can lead to injury. But, changing attitudes and stripping away negativity in your life is extremely exciting, uplifting and life-affirming. Becoming more positive can affect your entire life, not just the number on your scale.

I speak from experience. When I weighed 240 pounds, I only saw my weight as an obstacle. I saw losing weight as an even bigger obstacle. It’s no wonder I saw obstacles everywhere else in life too.

As I lost weight and worked my way through the layers of resistance, sabotage, and negativity, I realized losing weight gave me some great opportunities:

- the opportunity to step out of hiding and be myself;

- the possibility of taking charge of my future; and

- a chance to stop defining myself by society’s rules, the fashion industry’s standards, and the insurance company charts.

I’ve come to believe there’s opportunity in every obstacle or roadblock that appears in our lives.

Is taking the time to prepare and take your lunch to work an obstacle, or an opportunity to show that you really care about your health and happiness?

Is telling your best friend you don’t want to continue your ritual of binging and watching movies together when you’re both dateless on a Saturday night a dreaded task or a chance to stick up for yourself and be really honest about your feelings?

Is avoiding the company holiday party when you’re under a lot of stress an obstacle that might affect your career and make you look bad to the boss or is it a gift you can give yourself? After all, some richly deserved alone time can help you de-stress and take care of yourself.

Is your family’s love of big meals an obstacle that threatens your own eating style or is it a great tool by which you can measure your success? Or perhaps an opportunity to get creative with meal planning?

You get the idea. ANYTHING can be seen as an obstacle or opportunity. Finding the opportunity inside any situation is part of the fun.

Along the way to permanent weight loss, coming up against an obstacle will happen often and it can be the turning point in your weight loss quest:

* Let an event, dilemma or problem get the better of you and you’re headed for the place you came from.

* Turn that event, dilemma or problem into an opportunity and you’re cruising ahead to more success!

Focusing on opportunities on a regular basis will create a habit of looking for things that will HELP, rather than hinder your efforts. The word choice applies again. And given choice, isn’t it beneficial to do everything possible to help yourself rather than get in your own way?

This may be one of the biggest keys to success in the quest for a permanent change in your weight.

Pat Barone earned her title “America’s Weight Loss Catalyst” by coaching thousands of clients toward permanent weight loss. Her status as an expert is heightened by her own personal weight loss success. Receive her free newsletter “The Catalyst” by visiting www.patbarone.com/sign_up.htm

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By Yvonne Nahat

Getting a schizophrenic to the doctor is no easy matter. And it should not be. Questions of personal liberty and psychic welfare are to be considered.

I have been a schizophrenic for eight years and I lived in what traditional medicine terms denial. I refused help from family members and friends over the years. I refused to see doctors, although I have been in and out of mental institutions six times. Doctors however, have also committed the classic mistakes that can be made with a schizophrenic. The cold methods of traditional medicine should be considered skeptically when wanting to help a schizophrenic. I remember screaming at my doctors in one of the clinics that I was not “ill” but “mad” quoting Nietzsche that my “sickness” is “my great health”. Intuitively I must have known that a psychosis is not just an illness parse but also itself a part of a massive healing process of the psyche and soul.

More often than not a schizophrenic will not go to a doctor of his or her own accord. Usually family or friends are the ones who manage to get the person undergoing a psychosis to get medical help. The burden frequently rests on the ones closest to the psychotic. They are the only ones willing to put up with all the hurt, pain and trouble a schizophrenic puts his or her family and friends through.

How do we help someone undergoing a deep schizophrenic experience? Experience will tell us that most psychotics live in a world unto themselves with a blind eye and ear towards the ones trying to help them. In most cases the psychotic is not aware that he or she is ill and that is certainly not all there is to the story.

Schizophrenia is a multidimensional world full of horrors and imagination. To the psychotic a new world has opened up. They are undergoing a deep labor of the psyche. We would do a schizophrenic wrong in just labeling them as ill. For that the visionary power of the experience is too much filled with myth and symbolism which is understandable to anybody taking the time and effort to understand what exactly is going on. A psychosis is an in depth individuation process where the person is undergoing most likely an extreme form of ego death and renewal. All these aspects of a psychosis need to be paid heed to when approaching a psychotic. In my psychosis I conjured up an entirely dualistic world picture. Evil forces were threatening to take over the world. I was part of a world wide body of people fending off these forces.

Schizophrenia is a deep world unto itself. The person undergoing a psychosis is imbedded probably in hearing voices, whether this person is conscious of it or not, hallucinations, delusions and visions. This inner life creates a world which is completely separate from the world non-psychotics live in. Reality for the psychotic has been changed and transformed.

Very often schizophrenics hear and see conflicting things; the good and the bad; damning voices for example, as well as beautiful hallucinations, colors and sounds. Frequently schizophrenics create a story within their own psyche and mind. They have people, imaginary or real-imaginary ones, with who they are in a dialogue. Often a schizophrenic will conjure up an internal dialogue where persecution, enemies and friends populate the psyche, as is shown in the film “A Beautiful Mind”.

For these reasons it is very difficult for an outsider, even if this maybe family or friends, to enter the field of consciousness of a psychotic. Often the ones trying to contact the schizophrenic, family members and friends, have been implicated in a hallucination the schizophrenic is undergoing: They are either part of a group that is trying to harm them or trying to help them and so forth. During my psychosis I had voices in my head from family and friends. In my mind they were mostly, not all, implicated in cannibalism. This caused me much confusion and the utmost form of pain.

A family member or friend trying to get through to a schizophrenic needs to be prepared for an in depth journey into the psyche of another person. Trying to access the schizophrenic from outside of his or her mind set will not work. The basis of any relationship is trust and love. So too it is with a schizophrenic. You need to gain the trust and love of the person undergoing a schizophrenic experience.

How can you do this? By offering trust and love yourself. Be there for the psychotic, no matter how trying they might be. Take them not just as an ill person, but as someone undergoing a deep labor of the psyche with a need to communicate this state with a loved one. Take the person for real. Try and understand the mental and psychic world the person is living in. Try and find out the story the person is living through. What is the story of the hallucination, the vision, the delusion? Who are the characters involved? Who in the mind of the schizophrenic is trying to harm or help them? See the psyche of the schizophrenic as a puzzle you need to put together. It has a rhyme and a reason to the schizophrenic. Enter his or her world of reasoning.

Unfortunately when I was going through my psychosis nobody reacted this way. Family members, friends and people from the health services all came knocking at my door, telling me: “Yvonne, you are sick, you need help and medication”. I however was battling inner demons of a higher order. I had conjured up a dualistic world picture with friends and foes. Half of my family was implicated in a scheme to sell my body parts in my mind. I had been hijacked by a group that could do black magic on me via cyberspace. It seemed to me that nobody could help me, least of all the family members and friends whose voices I was hearing in my head. Had somebody bothered to find out what the nature of my hallucinations were, had somebody bothered listening to my story, then perhaps I would have opened up to the people surrounding me trying to help. Instead people were telling me that I was sick and I was convinced that I was as healthy as ever. After all, did not my new consciousness prove that I was healthy? I could communicate telepathically. I could read people’s minds; hear their voices without them speaking to me in traditional terms and so on.

So, gaining the trust of the person undergoing a psychosis is of the utmost importance. As I have already pointed out, learning the in depth nature of the visions and hallucinations and delusions of the schizophrenic is indispensable in gaining this bond. This trust becomes the basis of a relationship. It will take time. Learn about the characters trying to good or harm. Find out who they are their names and their intent. Do this without judging just allow yourself to enter the story. Participate in the story. Say that you will help fend of the threats, help along with the friends. Be loving and warm. Accept the person in front of you as someone undergoing a real psychic experience and labor like in dream work.

Gaining the trust of a psychotic might be no easy task. Often psychotics can be very harsh, they push away the ones they love, and they stop trusting relatives and friends. If you are trying to get in touch emotionally with a schizophrenic be prepared to take a lot of blows. As long as you don’t understand the world view he or she is purporting, you will be fighting a lost battle. During my psychosis I wrote hate letters to my mother, sister and husband, accusing them of horrible things. Instead of responding that no, neither were they cheating on me, or trying to sell my body parts or holding me hostage with a cybercracker war gang, they said: “ You are sick” and there I had my proof. Why were they not denying my accusations? My family was so shocked at the accusations; they did not know how to respond, other than being hurt. But that was exactly the wrong way to respond to a schizophrenic. They should have reassured me, that they want no harm.

If you want to convince the person going through a psychosis to see a doctor, don’t say: “You have to see a doctor”. But try it another way. Perhaps you can say that you want to see a friend who can help with getting rid of the enemy figures for example. Try and find a psychiatrist who is loving and warm, someone who will also enter the story of the individual and not someone who will just diagnose “mental illness” and prescribe some pills. If you want to try to get a psychotic to take medication, also try and do this in a loving manner and from within the story the schizophrenic is living through. Don’t say: “you are sick and need medication”, but try and explain that this medication will strengthen one in warding off pain, evil or whatever the trauma is the person is undergoing. Most schizophrenics are very sensitive people and they respond like seismographs to the feelings with which they are presented.

Be sure that you have found a doctor who will talk with the schizophrenic and won’t just do his or her diagnose and then follow up with a prescription. This won’t be an easy task because it is an unspoken rule within traditional medicine to not enter the mind set of a psychotic, since it is all considered “crazy” anyway. Try and find a Jungian therapist near you or another therapist or doctor who accepts the schizophrenic as a full fledged person in his or her own rite.

Dealing with schizophrenia is a labor of love for the schizophrenic as well as for family members and friends. Often the person undergoing the psychosis will have visions of love and will be very sensitive towards anything that has to do with emotions, even if this might not seem so to an outside observer. Psychotics often reinvent universal love and with a caring partner they can exteriorize this movement of the psyche. A loving understanding and in depth participation on the part of the one who wants to help is often the first step in aiding a schizophrenic in his or her first steps towards betterment.

Yvonne Nahat has undergone a schizophrenic experience for eight years. For further information please visit her website at www.schizophrenia-help-online.com

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By Edward Curtis

Before starting to work out make sure you get a full physical from your doctor and a letter stating it is ok for you to do physical activity. Many gym and aerobic centers will require this before letting you start.

Depending on how long it has been since you last did regular exercise it is recommended that you start off slow and gradually build up your workout to harder levels.

It is generally recommended to start off at the gym with just the treadmill and the lifecycle for the first week or 2. This is to wake the muscles up and to slowly get you prepared for a harder workout. You will generally want to find a speed on the treadmill that is a pace you can keep up with little discomfort and do it for 20 minutes. After this take a 5 minute break, stretch a little and have a drink of water, then go back and increase the speed just a bit then do another 20.

Remember that pushing yourself too far is taking a gamble that you may not be able to live with. In a casino you can put everything you have on the roulette table and maybe you win and maybe you lose, but in the gym if you push too hard you can die, so take things slowly. Many people make the mistake of getting back into an exercise program and going all gun ho an trying to get back in shape in just one hour, well let me tell you this will not work. The only thing this will do is make you very sore the next day and you will not be able to workout that day, and it will make you lose interest fast in the gym. Discomfort in ok pain is not. Depending on how long it has been since you last worked out, I recommend working out 4 or 5 days a week. This may seem like a lot but if you were trying to win a poker tournament you would go to a casino or an online casino and poker room to practice almost every day right? So you will have to do the same with the gym.

Working out 5 days a week does not necessarily mean you have to go to the gym every day. I recommend the gym 3 times a week and the other day or 2 you can just go for a long fast paced walk around your neighborhood. Try to vary the things you do so that you do not work out the same parts of your body 2 days in a row.

Most professionals will tell you that if you work out your arms and chest on a Monday do not exercise those muscles again for at least 48 hours. This is to give the muscles time to heal and grow. It is this straining and resting of the muscle that makes it grow not just the working it out. If all you did every day was work the same muscle group in a few days the muscle would be more likely to tear in a painful experience and the only thing you will be able to do for several months will be playing in an online casino from your laptop in bed.

Edward Curtis, is editor of the www.online-casinos-789.com

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By Zoe Routh

‘Jan’ explained that she knew she wanted to improve her fitness because it would she would feel better about herself as well as improve her job prospects in the acting field.

However, she felt that she lived too far away from her gym; it was inconvenient to get there and interrupted the flow of her day. She also mentioned that she had discovered a yoga class that she enjoyed thoroughly. She felt fantastic afterwards, energised, centred, and really happy. However this was even more out of the way than the gym.

As Jan spoke it was obvious there were various structural and internal blocks to the implementation of an exercise regime.

First of all, determining a motivation that is inspiring rather than a ’should’ is essential, otherwise she’d just end up resisting the exercise routine all the time. For this client, the ’should’ was in the pressure she felt to measure up to the other acting class candidates: they were thinner and she felt her chances for employment would improve if she was more fit. There was no joy around this motivation. When she spoke about the yoga, her voice rose with excitement and you could really hear the joy the yoga practise created for her. She also felt that she would not get the physical results she desired if she did the yoga; resistance training and cardio vascular exercise was what she needed.

For this client, motivation was tempered by obligation and expectation from others, rather than an inherent pleasure and joy in the fitness and health itself. This is draining and feels like hard work. In addition, the location of the gym and the yoga classes were also detractors from implementing a solid program.

The solution for this client is multi-faceted:

First, Jan needs to determine a reason to exercise that feels good. The biggest clue here is the feeling she had when she engaged in the yoga: that sense of inner calm. This is the real key to the motivation or inspiration to do exercise. Tangible and physical results will occur as a side effect, but should not be the main reason for engaging in an exercise program. It is the process that needs to be enjoyable; otherwise she is constantly working uphill against herself through the pile of ’shoulds’, expectations, and external drivers.

Secondly, Jan needs to create environments that support the intention. She needs to make it as easy as possible to follow through on the commitment to fitness and health. This means choosing a gym or location that is convenient and fits in to her routine. It may also mean hiring a personal trainer to create accountability and support for her intentions.

Having discussed these options, the client put forward some further objections in that she thought that there might not be any trainers who would suit her need for flexibility. Jan was trying to figure out how to fit in to the needs of the trainers, rather than asserting her own needs first. By knowing in detail what she desires and wishes, her next job is to focus on finding services that suit her; she is to create an environment that suits her needs, rather than trying to fit in with everyone else’s. This is what it means to live life on one’s own terms. Otherwise she will be constantly putting herself second and complying with other people’s demands and expectations.

Does it work? Nothing works as well as when you feel completely in line with your innermost desires and intentions, and have an environment that supports you effortlessly in achieving this. When it feels good from the inside out, then you know it is working. Exercise becomes an integral part of the routine that inspires and uplifts, rather than feeling like drudgery.

Zoë Routh is the Head Coach at Inner Compass. She has paddled 30 weeks by canoe in northwest Ontario, run 6 marathons, hiked hundreds of kilometres in Australia’s outback, bellydanced at various festivals, written a book, Absolute Productivity, survived cancer, married a fair dinkum Aussie bloke, and wrestled a 6 meter crocodile. It’s all true, except for the crocodile part. Sign up for more inspiration in Compass Bearings at www.innercompass.com.au

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By Tammy Foster

Pilates is a fabulous form of exercise known to help lengthen your muscles, tone your abdominal muscles, increase your overall strength and improve general flexibility.

Sounds like a winning idea to me!

With its gentle movements, Pilates is well suited to the majority of folks. It is gentle on the joints and can even help you to relax if you follow along with the breathing exercises which accompany the movements.

Pilates focuses on you concentrating on the precise movements of the exercises as well as the prescribed breathing which go along with the controlled movements.

Once you’ve been able to learn the basic movements of Pilates you may consider adding Pilates’ accessories which can enhance your practice. Pilates’ accessories can help you to keep form getting more and can add more challenge to your exercise routines. Some of these accessories are also well suited to take along on a business or pleasure trip so that you don’t have to settle for a less then stellar routine.

The Pilates Magic Circle is one of the most popular Pilates’ accessories on the market today. The original tempered stainless-steel Magic Circle was developed by Joseph H. Pilates.

Today’s circles are designed with newer materials but the circle still does the job just the same as the original model. The Magic Circle provides resistance during the traditional Pilates movements which enhances the muscle strength.

The Magic Circle can often be found as a package deal that not only includes the circle but also Pilates DVDs which incorporate the circle into the practice. This is a delightful Pilates’ accessory which I am sure that you will find beneficial.

I also adore the Pilates Balance Ball which helps to improve your core stability since you have to learn to maintain your balance on an unstable surface while performing the Pilates movements. With the ball, you perform movements on the ball instead of on the floor. This makes for a challenging round of exercises.

Pilates Rings are also a nice addition to your Pilates’ accessories. These basic rings add more challenge to arm and leg movements. This helps you to increase flexibility and toning on specific areas.

Pilates Flex Bands or Pilates Resistance Tubing are a piece of cake to use! These bands are the ideal accessory since they are lightweight, travel easily and come in a variety of resistance. Many of those who begin to use Pilates’ accessories find that they enjoy starting out the Flex Bands before moving on to the Pilates Magic Circle.

Remember Pilates’ accessories are designed to add resistance and challenge to your Pilates’ exercise routines.

They can help you keep from getting bored and can definitely help you to see changes in your body. Stronger, more toned and healthier, Pilates is a great choice for exercise.

So get up off the couch and get moving!

For more information on Pilates be sure to visit the-pilates-zone.com. You’ll find tips and advice on Pilates techniques, Pilates basics, Pilates and pregnancy, and much more information.

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By Brian A Hunt

The average human body reaches complete maturity at about 25 years, and afterwards it is all downhill for every muscle and organ we have. This means that the athlete wishing to maintain fitness has to exercise a little more each day, or watch performance levels drop rapidly.

If you are not a performing athlete earning a living at a sport that requires extreme fitness, speed, and strength, you must be extremely cautious about most forms of exercise, because the chances are that you can do more harm than good.

In any event, all muscle building exercise after maturity for all adults can only have one result; you have to continue the exercises every day of your life, or the developed muscles will quickly turn to fat and flab.

Never Exercise to Excess

Today numerous fitness programs and workout regimes encourage people to fling their body about the room in time to the rapid beat of popular music; stepping up and down a wooden block, doing an amazing array of callisthenics, or running purposelessly for tremendously long distances.

Extremely fit and athletic appearing people in tight-fitting clothing always demonstrate the videos and sales literature for these body-busting routines. If you are over 25-years old, your body is carrying more weight than you want, and you have a shelf full of health books, diets, and exercise videos, I recommend that you throw them all away right now. Joining a fitness club may sound good, and may produce the desired affect in the short term, but the very day you stop is the day you start to revert to your previous condition.

You can speak to any doctor worldwide, and they will all give you the same advice, “Exercise in moderation…” and nobody ever listens. They do not want to lose a few ounces each month, they want to lose pounds every week, and so they exercise like a maniac fleeing the demons from hell.

The Main Purpose of Exercise

It is the one thing that you dread every day, and the one thing you have a million excuses to avoid, but if you think that the purpose your daily exercise session is to lose weight, you are sadly mistaken.

You probably will lose some weight, depending upon the regularity, severity, and length of the exercise sessions, but to what purpose, because the weight will return.

If your medical or health professional advised you to take some moderate exercise, the main purpose would be to increase the flow of your blood. This aerobic exercise, gentle exercise over a long period, depletes the oxygen levels in your cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and all working muscles.

Do not worry; the oxygen is quickly replenished once you rest!

The relationship between regular aerobic exercise (walking and swimming) and cardiovascular health and longevity is well established, and this exercise they advise; certainly not the whirling dervish type, which you must avoid at all times.

Some Extra Weight is good!

The human race is some 6 million years old, civilisation is about 5 thousand years old, and the modern way of life is only a couple of hundred years old. This means that for the vast majority of its existence and development, the human race and each individual has been self-sufficient.

The natural thing for all living creatures is to eat well in harvest times and put on a little weight; this is later consumed during the winter months when food is less abundant. Similarly, pre-civilisation, when a person is young they could forage for food quite easily, but as they aged this became harder each year. Nature compensates for this by ensuring that older people carry more weight.

Unfortunately, nature is not aware of the supermarkets with their year-round profusion of appetising foods, which the older person consumes in large quantity, and so modern adults tend to carry more weight than nature designed.

When you try to slim down to the ridiculous sizes suggested by the models in the glossy magazines and on the exercise videos, you are going against nature and that is a battle you can never win. So why start? Think of all the octogenarians you know, because the vast majority of them are happy, rotund people without a care in the world.

There is only One Solution

Your current weight is reflected by the food you consume, and it is all too obvious for people to say, “Eat less food…” and “You are what you eat…”, when they encourage you to lose weight. Furthermore, it is far too difficult for the majority of people to resist the lure of their kitchen refrigerator, and minutes after some moderate exercise, they will rush into the kitchen to rustle up a snack.

If you did not follow my advice earlier, do so now and dispose of all your weight loss diets, health books, and exercise videos before continuing this article. You will soon learn the secret that can put all those fitness clubs right out of business.

Okay, now that is out of the way, let us continue…

The solution to your current weight and health problems is really quite simple, but nonetheless, extremely powerful and completely safe. Countless people have also proved it over time and when you read the next sentence, you will start to lose weight by the minute and you will soon become healthier.

Your weight is a condition of your mind and not your body.

A statement worth repeating: Your weight is a condition of your mind and not your body. That does not mean you can simply ‘think thin’ and start to lose weight, because nothing is that simple. You just have to accept that your mind controls both your weight and general health, and you have taken the first step. After that, it will start to happen naturally, but you can help it along the way.

If you accept that your weight is a condition of your mind, you must now start to train your mind to improve it. Many books have been written on the subject, and it is generally accepted that as humans we are what we think about. The first thing you have to do is to start thinking about the weight you want for your body. This must not be a ridiculous figure, but more one that you believe possible. The last three words of the previous sentence are probably the most important in this article, so please read them again.

The second thing you must train your brain to understand is that you do not require all that wonderful food you see on television, movies, in restaurants, and of course in your supermarket. Think only about the fruit and vegetables you like; whenever a picture of a Danish pastry, sugary donut, or Black Forest gateau comes into your mind, immediately replace it with a juicy red apple, a couple of bananas, and a mango or two.

The third thing you must do without fail is to condition your mind that you cannot possibly eat all that food on your plate. When you sit down to a meal at a table heaving with dishes of every size and description, you must simply nibble a little bit of this and that, because you are not hungry, and you must carry that thought in your mind during every meal.

You may think this is hard to accomplish, but I have a friend who is so successful at this mind conditioning and telling himself that he is not hungry, that he has not been able to eat a full meal for 50 years, and his weight has been 43 - 45 kilo for decades, without an ounce of fat. Naturally, it is very easy for him to continue with the habit today, because his stomach has now shrunk to the size of a walnut!

The fourth and last thing you have to do is write the first three principles to healthy weight on a card: Your ideal weight, your ideal foods, your smaller portions. Then you must read the card many times every day and as you read, envision each event:

1. Your weight gradually approaching your ideal

2. Your meals changing to the white meat, fruit, and vegetables you like best

3. Your portions reducing as your age increases

It really is that simple, because after all, your weight is a condition of your mind and not your body.

When all else Fails!

Like all experts, I have a ‘plan B’ for those who are unable to master the above regime and I am sure it is one you will enjoy.

I mentioned earlier that doctors often recommend light exercise to ‘open up the arteries’ and get the blood flowing, because modern diets clog them up fast. Well, the same doctors also recommend that a glass of whisky each day can thin the blood and reduce the chances of stroke and other heart problems.

So please drink a double whisky and jump into bed with your spouse for an hour or two of gentle aerobic exercise, and repeat it every day until you reach the required weight!

© Copyright 2007. Brian Hunt. All Rights Reserved.

Brian Hunt www.PowerBusinessPublishing.com/

The author of this article is Brian Hunt, who has been writing, publishing, and marketing books and articles on business and leisure related subjects for the past seven years. He is a highly successful person with a broad depth of sales and marketing experience in various fields gained over many years in business. In addition to his publishing business, Brian works as a consultant for selected clients wishing to expand their marketing presence online.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brian_A_Hunt

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