Saturday, December 29, 2007
Exercising outdoors has many benefits, and they include the following:
- Little or no equipment needed to get a good workout
- No crowded gyms or obnoxious people to put up with
- No driving time to the local fitness facility
- No need to put on makeup or special clothing to workout at the gym
- Vitamin D enhancing sunshine for our skin
- The ability to workout anytime, anywhere - even on vacation
- Two words: Fresh Air
There are probably other reasons that you can think of why an outdoor workout would fit into your particular lifestyle, so now all you have to do is learn what kind of activities can be done outside.
Refer to the following Top 7 list of exercises that are sure to leave you sweaty, worn out, and feeling great when it's all over!
Lunges
Like all exercises, lunges should be done with absolutely perfect form. When done correctly, a lunge will work every single muscle in your legs at some point throughout the movement, including the all important Gluteus Maximus (that's the primary buttocks muscle, for those of you not anatomically inclined).
Variations on lunges that require no equipment include; Standing Lunges, Alternating Lunges, Elevated Lunges, Rear Lunges, and Walking Lunges.
Push ups
Push ups have always been one of the most effective upper body exercises, but they have somehow gotten lost in the world of shiny chest press machines and fleets of various types of exercise benches. However, the push up is still an incredibly productive exercise, and it requires no equipment whatsoever.
The 3 basic push up movements include Standard Grip, Wide Grip, and Close Grip. Alternating those 3 types will ensure maximal stimulation to the chest, shoulders, and triceps. In addition, you can elevate your hands to make the movement somewhat easier, or elevate your feet to make the movement somewhat harder.
Also, if you are really feeling brave, you can even throw in some Bounce and Clap Push Ups!
Squats
Many people simply don't understand the incredible power of doing a Squat the right way. Through improper instruction, inappropriate form, and just plain laziness, the incredible effectiveness of the Squat has been lost in the mix.
Variations including Standing Squats, One-Leg Squats, Plie Squats, Wide-Stance Squats, and Overhead Squats. Think you can't get enough stimulus out of Squats? Try doing 50 perfectly formed repetitions and see how tired your legs are!
Step ups
Brutal is the best word to describe this exercise when done properly! Using nothing more than a picnic bench, a piece of playground equipment, or even just a decent size rock, you simply step up onto your elevated surface, step down, and then repeat on the other side alternating back and forth.
By keeping your back straight and your head up the entire time, you will maximize recruitment of all of your leg muscles, and you will get an incredible cardiovascular workout as well. Go for perfect form and you will quickly see the benefit of this great exercise.
Chin ups
The outdoor version of Chin Ups and Pull ups can be done using anything from a low-hanging tree branch to any number of different pieces of playground equipment.
When done properly, Chin Ups and Pull Ups will humble most people, even avid exercisers. Bring your body up completely until your chin is at or above your hands, and lower back to the start under control. Repeat for as many as you can do!
Uphill sprints
Don't try this one until you can run a good 100-yard dash on level ground! This exercise is just what it sounds like - running uphill. Run up a decent size hill as fast as you can, walk back to the bottom, and repeat. Bring oxygen, but leave your pride at home, or else the hill will take it from you!
Duck walks
This exercise is so simple, yet about as hard as it gets. Simply squat down until your thighs are at or below parallel to the ground, stay in that position, and start walking. Go about 10 steps and then walk backwards to your starting point. Repeat as many times as necessary (which won't be many) to reach total exhaustion!
As you can see, doing outdoor exercises has all of the benefits listed above including one benefit that wasn't listed - they are hard! If you are up to the challenge and sick of the gym, give your body and your mind an Earth-moment and get outside and play!
Stiv Medic is owner of several websites,including fubrus.com .You can find high quality articles
in more than 150 different categories.Come and visit http://www.fubrus.com/fitness-equipment.html for more articles about fitness.
You are most welcome to submit your own article or to take free content for your website
http://www.fubrus.com
Simple Plan for Weight Loss
The math is pretty simple. One pound of fat equals 3500 calories. Want to lose a pound a week? Then you need to consume 3500 calories less per week than you use. That's about 500 calories a day. By cutting out 500 calories a day from your normal daily diet, while keeping your activity level the same, you can lose approximately one pound a week.
All right - that doesn't sound like much, especially if you're more than 25 pounds overweight. Study after study has shown, though, that those people who lose weight gradually - at a rate of 1-2 pounds per week -are far more likely to keep the weight off and maintain a normal weight for a lifetime.
So how much exactly IS 500 calories? If you're going to reduce your daily intake by 500 calories, it helps to know what you need to cut out, right? Here's how easy it is to lose 500 calories a day:
Use milk instead of cream in your coffee. Savings? 50 calories per cup.
Skip the butter on your baked potato. Savings? 100 calories
Drink fruit-flavored water instead of a 16 ounce soda. Savings? 200 calories
Skip the Big Mac and have a salad instead. A Big Mac weighs in at a whopping 460 calories. A fresh salad with a light dressing? Less than 100! Savings? 360 calories
Pass by the bag of potato chips. An average snack size bag of chips has over 300 calories. Savings? 300 calories
Eat your corn on the ear. A 1 cup serving of canned corn has 165 calories. An ear of corn has 85. Savings? 80 calories.
Switch to low-fat cream cheese on your bagel. Savings? 90 calories per ounce.
Love those fries and can't give them up? Swap the skinny fries out for thick steak-cut ones. Thin French fries absorb more oil than the thicker, meatier ones. Savings? 50 calories per 4 ounce serving
If you'd rather look at losing weight from an exercise perspective, you can also lose one pound a week by upping your activity level by 500 calories a day. How easy is that to do? Take a look:
Take a half-hour walk around the park. Aim for a pace that's a little faster than a stroll, but not fast enough to be breathless. Burn: 160 calories.
Get out your bike and take a ride. Tackle a few moderate hills and aim for about five miles total. Burn: 250 calories
Go dancing - and really DANCE. The longer you're out on the floor instead of at the table drinking up high-calorie drinks, the more you'll get out of it. Dancing that makes you breathless and warms up your body will net you a nice calorie savings. Burn: 400 calories for one hour
Swimming is great for you, and a lot of fun, too. The water resistance means you burn more calories, and you avoid the stress impact on joints from aerobics, dancing or walking. Do a few laps at a slow crawl - if you can get up to an hour you'll be doing great! Burn: 510 calories
Get out into your garden. An hour of gardening tasks that includes bending and stretching can burn up to as many calories as a brisk walk. Burn: 250 calories.
Play a game of tennis. Hook up with a friend for a weekly tennis game and you'll be amazed at the difference. One hour of vigorous tennis is one of the best calorie burners around. Burn: 800 calories
It's important to keep in mind that all exercise/calorie numbers are based on a woman weighing 130 pounds. If you weigh more, you'll burn more. Want an added bonus to burning calories through exercise? When you exercise, you build muscle by converting it from fat. Three guesses which kind of body tissue burns more calories - even when you're not exercising. You got it - your body uses more energy to maintain and feed muscle than it does fat.
For best results, mix and match food savings with exercises that burn calories. Do keep in mind that eating less than 1000 calories a day for more than a few days will convince your body that it's starving and slow your metabolism. Keep calorie ranges reasonable, and consult a doctor if you want a quicker, more drastic weight loss.
Stiv Medic is owner of several websites,including fubrus.com .You can find high quality articles
in more than 150 different categories.Come and visit http://www.fubrus.com/weight-loss.html for more articles on weight loss.
You are most welcome to submit your own article or to take free content for your website
http://www.fubrus.com
How Echinacea helps the immune system
In this day and age everyone is looking for ways to boost their immune system. In recent years their has been an herbal remedy that seems to provide some relief to colds and flues and assist your immune system is Echinacea.
What is it?
Echinacea is one of the oldest and popular herbal supplements in the world. Echinacea is a Native American plant that is a natural fighter. It is categorized as an immunostimulant, which is a substance that is known to boost a body's immune system.
How does your immune system work?
White blood cells are part of the body's cells that make up the immune system. These are the body's first line of defense. If a flu virus enters an individual's body and begins to multiple, the white blood cells calls in for help from the T-lymphocytes, and also they can get help from lymphocytes. All these working together allow the body to destroy the viruses that have invaded it.
How does it work?
Echinacea works differently from other treatments. It works directly, killing the germ by strengthening an individual's immune system. There is evidence that Echinacea stimulates the body into producing more white blood cells. It also stimulates the release of interferons. These are what the body uses as a fighting weapon. Echinacea also helps to prevent bacteria from producing an enzyme called hyaluronidase, which works through the membrane, and invades the tissue. Echinacea also has been known to destroy viruses, such as the common cold and flu.
How to take it
This depends on an individual's immune system. You may want to check with your doctor before. They are some illnesses that you should not take Echinacea if you have. In most cases, it is safe for an individual to take three hundred milligrams three times a day.
Some individuals take Echinacea on a daily basis to prevent colds and flues from developing. Others people will begin to take it once they feel a cold coming on, and to greet it with a line of defense.
If you have a child, the studies on how Echinacea can help them has been up in the air. It is recommended that you for children ages six to thirteen you give them half the dosage recommended for adults. Under the age of six, you should consult your doctor. Children's immune systems work differently than adults, many times they have not built up all of their resistance and need to do that before bolstering it with herbal supplements.
Does it work?
While Echinacea is just gaining ground in the United States, it has been research in Europe. Echinacea has been studied in Germany in a controlled study. No one knew which they were getting. The individuals who took the Echinacea experienced less frequent and severe virus infections. Studies continue to show that there are no toxic effects to taking this herbal supplement. As with any medication or supplement they are some side effects, some side effects with Echinacea are diarrhea. This has been the most frequent side effect anyone has noted.
They are many things that an individual can do to help to boost your immune system. Taking Echinacea is just one of the natural herbal supplements that we can take. Studies continue to show the effectiveness of this supplement, and as more and more people continue to look to other alternatives, Echinacea will continue to gain in popularity. Remember to always check with you doctor before taking any supplement as it could have an interaction with any medication you are currently taking and could have a negative reaction.
Author Rich Marsiglia, Natural Health Products at YourHealthyPlace.
|
