SATURDAY MEDITATION

I took a Yoga class on Tuesday and I must admit that the benefits attributed to yoga are not merely hype. At the close of the class, I felt so rested, so refreshed and so rejuvenated that I have decided to try it once more.

Here are some of what I learnt that day.

1.  Sit comfortably, you should not feel pain or discomfort 
2. Close your eyes and breathe in and out very deeply; try to make each breath deeper than the rest
3. Ensure that you empty your lungs with each exhalation
4. Relax and let your thoughts pass through, dont attempt to stop them or understand them

 The above are some really simple ways to relax yourself and de-stress. You can een apply these methods if your'e feeling stressed in the office.

 

Have a wonderful day ahead.

 

Chimezie

3 EASY EXERCISES TO TRAIN YOUR ABS AT HOME: THE LEG RAISE

Hello there,

During the course of my workout on Saturday, I was thinking of which exercise would effectively work my lower abs, thereby reducing the fat deposits that usually form around the stomach area.  Then it hit me; the leg raise was one of the hardest abdominal exercises I had encountered in all my years of training, rivalled only by its evil twin, the Floor Wiper.

The leg raise is of three types, the lying leg raise, the seated leg raise and the hanging leg raise. I did some research from bodybuilding.com and other fitness websites and I git some info specially for you guys. So enjoy!!!

Lying Leg Raise

1. Lie with your back flat on a bench and your legs extended in front of you off the end.
2. Place your hands either under your glutes with your palms down or by the sides holding on to the bench. This will be your starting position.
3. As you keep your legs extended, straight as possible with your knees slightly bent but locked raise your legs until they make a 90-degree angle with the floor. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement and hold the contraction at the top for a second.
4. Now, as you inhale, slowly lower your legs back down to the starting position.

Variations: The bench isn't necessary; you can do these just as well on the floor, as long as you don't let your legs rest on the floor at the bottom of the movement. Perform each rep slowly and keep those abs tight.  You can also add weight by holding a dumbbell in between your feet as you get more advanced.

Hanging Leg Raise

1. Hang from a chin-up bar with both arms extended at arms length in top of you using either a wide grip or a medium grip. The legs should be straight down with the pelvis rolled slightly backwards. This will be your starting position.
2. Raise your legs until the torso makes a 90-degree angle with the legs. Exhale as you perform this movement and hold the contraction for a second or so.
3. Go back slowly to the starting position as you breathe in.
4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Caution: Perform this exercise slowly and deliberately as it takes some getting used to. Also, do not be hasty and try to use weights on the first time; you'll have enough in your hands by holding your weight and also learning how to balance yourself so that you avoid swinging your torso. As you get more advanced you can hold a dumbbell in between your feet. However, you have to be very careful when adding weight to this exercise as if you add too much too quickly you could get a hernia.

Variations: This exercise can also be performed using a vertical bench that makes the exercise easier by supporting your upper back in place and by allowing you to hold yourself by placing your elbows and arms on the side pads.

Seated Leg raise

1. Sit on a bench with the legs stretched out in front of you slightly below parallel and your arms holding on to the sides of the bench. Your torso should be leaning backwards around a 45-degree angle from the bench. This will be your starting position.
2. Bring the knees in toward you as you move your torso closer to them at the same time. Breathe out as you perform this movement.
3. After a second pause, go back to the starting position as you inhale.
4. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

Variations: You can also perform this exercise on a mat on the floor just by placing your arms to the sides. In this case, the legs will be stretched and elevated slightly over the floor. Also, as you become more advanced you can hold a dumbbell in between your feet or attach a pulley to them for added resistance. However, you have to be very careful when adding weight to this exercise as if you add too much too quickly you could get a hernia.

3 EASY WAYS TO TRAIN YOUR ABS AT HOME

Your abs are one of the easiest bodyparts to train at home, and this top- to- bottom routine takes only about 15 minutes to complete. To ensure that you really grasp the importance of this workout routine, I have broken the routine into 3 articles in which each exercise will be thouroughly explained for your benefit. I also took the liberty of adding a video or two to make the posts easy to understand.

The Perfect Crunch

In my experience, the abdominal crunch is on of the most abused excercises you can find out there. You may not know this, but many people do not use good form when doing a crunch. Not only can this cause some really painful back problems, it will also make your ab workout less effective. Make the effort to perform your crunches correctly in order to reap maximum benefits from each workout.

1. Lie face up with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, placing your hands behind your head or across your chest. Note:  If you place your hands behind your head, make sure your shoulder blades are touching at all times by squeezing them together.
2. Pull your belly button in towards your spine and flatten your lower back against the floor. If your back arches, prop your feet on a step or platform to make it easier to keep your back flat.
3. Tighten your stomach muscles, and keep them tight all through the exercise.
4. Slowly curl your upper chest towards your knees, raising ONLY your shoulder blades about two or three inches from the floor. Exhale gently as you come up, keeping your neck straight and your chin up.
5. Hold at the top of the movement for a few seconds, breathing continuously. Remember to keep your stomach tight through this stage. Slowly lower back down, but don't relax all the way.
6. Repeat for 15 to 20 repetitions with perfect form for each rep.

                          

                             Tom Seabourne demonstrates how to perform the perfect crunch.

BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES FOR TONED ARMS

Your arms are one of the most exposed parts of your body (especially when you're wearing a sleeveless outfit). This means that whenever fat accumulates around the arm area it becomes very obvious, very quickly.

I have found that it doesn't take much to get your arms looking good; in fact you need only about 10 -15 minutes of exercise on a daily basis to achieve that really toned look within 2 weeks (You know, the Michelle Obama look). Any other thing you do is just icing on the cake. 

You don't need to get an expensive gym membership, or pay any gym fees to perform these exercises; in fact, I believe you can get amazing arms with a minimum investment of time and resources. You don't need much more than a light weight (this could be a filled water bottle, a dumbbell, or any cylindrical household object). However, if you feel more comfortable working out in a gym or using more sophisticated equipment, be my guest.

This workout takes the form of a 15 minute circuit, with the exercises performed in an unbroken sequence.  You can mix up the exercises to meet your tastes, and when the exercises get monotonous, you can add a few more to make your workout more interesting.

That said,  Here we Go!!!!

- Shadow box non stop for 3-4 minutes, you can be creative with this; bob, weave, jab, cross, uppercut and knock out your imaginary opponent to your hearts delight (Dont forget to celebrate when you knock him out). This gives you a fun filled cardio workout, while warming up your biceps an shoulder muscles. 

Ensure that you breathe evenly throughout the workout, this helps your body take in the valuable oxygen it needs to work, and it helps burn off that pesky fat.

Bonus: Get a punching bag; believe me, it makes the boxing experience so much more intense.

- Execute 20 Push ups ( Please note that if you can’t do the normal push up, you can simply do the pushup from your knees. It is still the same thing). Try slowing down the pace of each rep so that it takes you 6-8 seconds to complete each rep; this adds an isometric element to your push ups, with all the attendant benefits

- Jumping Jacks – Just to keep your heart up and prepare your body for the next phase

- Perform 20 bicep curls using your dumbbell, waterbottle or any other heavy object you can find ( I once used an interlocking paving stone for this). You can slow this down to make your workout more intense. Avoid increasing your pace, it can only lead to injury.

- Hold yourself in the plank position for 1 minute. Remember to breathe normally and keep smiling through the workout. This will keep you in a positive frame of mind.

- Perform 20 squats with good form. To do a squat, set a normal sized chair or a bench behind you, push your butt back like you want to sit on the chair, just as your butt comes in contact with the chair/ bench, flex your butt muscles and stand upright.

To add more intensity to your squats, while giving your rear shoulder muscles a workout, interlace your fingers behind your head, while squeezing your shoulder blades together. this will build your shoulder and trapezius muscles.

Note: Using the wrong form for squats can cause serious damage to the tendons and ligaments around your knees.  Always strive to perform your squats with the right form.

- Elevate your feet on a box, chair, or bed. Hold the position for about 1 minute. This works your triceps and shoulders.

When you're through with the above, DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN  AND AGAIN!!!!!!!

Don't give up working for the body you want. Keep testing new approaches and exercises, hit your muscles from different angles and they will surely respond. When your efforts click, people will tell you immediately, they will see the wonderful body you have built for yourself and they will want to know how you got it.   

Get toned NOW!!!

Once Barack Obama joined the presidential race and attended events with wife at his side, the media, bloggers, and people everywhere started buzzing about Michelle's toned arms--and asking how on earth she does it. Even at the Presidential Inauguration, much of the talk was about Michelle's amazing arms. Media outlets from GMA to CNN to MSNBC have covered the story, inspiring women across the country to call their personal trainers and say, "I want Obama arms!"

Many women have told me how frustrated they were with their bodies, especiallly their flabby arms, and how much they yearn for really toned arms. I have recieved several requests from clients and friends alike to provide tips on how to get firm, toned arms within a short time.

This program is designed to help you build sexy, toned arms with minimal equipment. An added bonus is that the nutrition program is practical and easy to follow; you dont hve to starve yourself or gorge tasteless salads. This program will have you working out far less and eating more than many other fitness programs out there.- while delivering superior results everytime.

The program aims at burning fat, sculpting muscle, and boosting metabolism. Once you have removed the excess fat, and sculpted the muscle underneath, your arms will look their best, giving a solid toned foundation that eliminates sagging.

Sounds good doesnt it?

Watch out for the next article.

 

3 Ways to INSTANTLY boost your sex drive

Honestly, I do hope someone responds to this question with some good insight. I spent 3.5 years of my life with a man who left me because I had no sex drive. We loved each other more than life itself, but there was nothing I could do, and how fair is it to hold the one you love hostage to a sex-less relationship? So, I, in particular, would LOVE to get some advice.

Answer

1. Get Creative

Recent research shows that partaking in new and challenging experiences both in and outside the bedroom with your partner can boost the brain chemical dopamine, which helps fuel sex drive. Boredom often leads to low sex drive; banish boredom by trying out new positions and environments.

2. Get to the Gym

Aerobic workouts not only improve blood flow to sex organs but can also boost your mood, pumping up "feel good" brain chemicals called endorphins. Cardio such as swimming,running and sprints are great for this as they train the heart to become stronger. Yoga is also a great way to reduce stress and keep flexible.

3. Relax.

 Too much stress increases the stress hormone cortisol, which causes testosterone to plummet. Find a way to tune out for 15 minutes a day, whether through meditation, yoga, chilling to music, or hanging out with a friend.

Ensure you get at least 6 hours sleep each day; research has shown that failure to get sufficient rest is a causative factor in low libido. 

Look for creative venues and positions

5 ways to look good Naked this Easter

a bit risque...but you get the idea

Hi, I'm a 16 year old girl and i absolutely hate myself. I feel like I am different to everyone else and I would go to any lengths to be a size 6-8. I have considered everything, I have dieted and exercised. I am now considering diet tablets and I have no doubt that liposuction is on the cards for my future. I can't be happy until I have it. To be honest I just needed somewhere to write this down X

 Answer:

It is said that the mirror never lies....  In truth, it shows you what you wish to see

For many people, the mirror is the only time they ever see their toes . . . their excess flab, their love handles and every other bit hang without support – which means ‘how to look good naked’ is more than looking good in clothes.

And I believe the best way for you to look good naked is for you to actually work on your body so it’s the best it can be. It’s not shallow or shameful to want to look great – it’s basic human nature. I doubt there’s even one of us who would rather be ugly unless we have psychological problems about attracting attention.

Nevertheless you can do a lot without making yourself feel bad about your body and feeling you are less than perfect because you can’t manage 2 hours a day in the gym.

So what can you do WITHOUT too much effort?

1. Love Yourself - Just as you are!!!!

This is the first step to looking good naked is to be comfortable in your own skin.  Adore your body despite its imperfections.

You could work out 10 hours a day, buy the best clothes, skin products and make up, but none of that will matter if you don’t love yourself. What you feel about yourself on the inside will always show through no matter what you do to mask it.

So each day take time to honour yourself , look in the mirror and appreciate the person staring back, and then the tips below will only serve to enhance that which is already fabulous. Listen when people tell you that you look faboulous and start believing it.

2.  Join an activity that makes you feel AMAZING!!!!

Sometimes you want your fitness routine to work so badly, you go to the gym  and do things you don’t always want to do. Sometimes, it sucks. Sometimes, it’s rewarding, but it's never fun.

Finding an activity you enjoy and can stick with in the long term can be difficult. In fact, boredom is one reason people give up on their workouts soon after they start.

Why do you want to get fit? Health benefits? To feel athletic? To finish a triathlon? To feel more energetic? Figure out what makes you want to be fit and place reminders of your reasons around your home.

List activities that you enjoy doing. these can be everyday activities like walking the dog, gardening, cleaning, cooking etc.  The list can also include things you used to like in the past, but haven't been able to practice in some time, like a sport you played in your teen years.

Connect with people around you that share your purpose.They will motivate you when you feel discouraged. 

3. Walk Gracefully and Confidently

To be graceful, it helps a lot to be physically fit. So if you don't exercise, now is the time to start. You don't have to run marathons or lift huge weights. Just do a little at a time, and do it consistently every day, or at least a couple of times a week. Yoga can really be of great help!

The trick to looking graceful is to move smoothly. You want to look as though every move is deliberate and considered, but not too slow or hurried. This will take some practice. 

Graceful people stand up straight and sit straight. Don't slouch when you're sitting at your desk (adjust the chair height if needed). You might want to consult a chiropractor, if you can afford it. If you work for a big company, chances are you can get an expert to make sure your work space is "ergonomically correct."

4. Shave any Excess Hair

 Disregard this if you want to look like a gorilla.

5. DANCE!!!!!

Don't just dance in dance class. Dance on your own time. You don't need to be at a party, and in fact it might help if you practice alone. Just put on some music, move the furniture if necessary, and dance in your room.

Any kind of dance will engage your movement and teach you rhythm and coordination, which will help you to be more graceful.

 

How to do the Bench Press

1. Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position.
2. From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest.
3. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it.
4. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.
5. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

Caution:

If you are new at this exercise, it is advised that you use a spotter. If no spotter is available, then be conservative with the amount of weight used.

Also, beware of letting the bar drift too far forward. You want the bar to touch your middle chest and nowhere else.

Don't bounce the weight off your chest. You should be in full control of the barbell at all times.