Exercise Articles

If You are already fitness walking several times a week - great! Now its time to step it up a bit. Here are 6 ways to turn your walks into workouts. They involve adding a little creativity but with these few simple techniques you can maximize the be...

The Art of Multifunctional Training People often complain about how they just do not have enough time to spend working out in a gym. It seems every year the lives of many Americans become more hectic and they have less time to devote to bettering th...

For years exercise scientists and physiologists have preached that lactate/lactic acid build-up in the muscle is the direct cause of muscle fatigue and a decrease in performance. It is proposed that lactate builds up in the muscle cells during intens...

In the first article in this series (http://tinyurl.com/8ztbo), we gave you an overview of the stages of change in Prochaska's Transtheoretical model. The first three of these stages are all about getting started. They apply to anyone who's not actu...

This is a list of ten common mistakes made during exercise. Quite often the exerciser and even the personal trainer or coach is unaware of these mistakes, decreasing the effectiveness of the exercise and even risking injury. This list describes eac...

1. Cardio in Combination with Strength Training- If you need to combine your cardio with Strength training then do your Cardio AFTER your Resistance Training workout. You need that extra energy for the Hi Intensity Strength training and you also wan...

These days many people spend a significant part of their day slaving away over a hot computer and as a result, their posture is not what it should be. Bad posture can result in short-term discomfort such as neck stiffness and headaches and also lead...

Do you know the health and fitness industry is plagued by an over abundance of workout myths? A myth is a fiction or half truth, especially one that forms part of an ideology. Rob tells Jen about a new fitness program that is suppose to deliver amazi...

Rebounding: Health and Fitness Benefits As quoted by NASA, rebounding is "the most efficient and effective exercise yet devised by man". It is an excellent, non-impact, aerobic excercise gained by bouncing on a mini-trampoline. The benefits of reboun...

Quite often runners and exercisers experience painful muscle cramping either during or immediately following a strenuous exercise bout and as a result, these types of cramps have become known as Exercise Associated Muscle Cramps or EAMCs. Much confu...

Learning Tai ChiTai Chi combines movement, meditation and breathing, to enhance the flow of vital energy in the body, to increase both physical and mental well-being.Tai Chi is one of the most broadly applicable systems of self-care in the world a...

Taoist PhilosophyTo understand the purpose of the form it is important to understand its basis and roots.The origins of Tai Chi go back over 5,000 years and are based in Taoist philosophy developed and refined by the great Taoist thinkers such as...

It is thought that moderate exercise, such as speed walking, jogging, and aerobics may enhance your body's natural resistance to infection. This is due to that fact that this kind of physical activity activates the release of immunostimulatory factor...

Caring for your body is the most important thing you can do in your life. You only get one body, and it needs attention. Too often in society, we let things get out of control and then we try to find the easy way out. In weight loss, this means cr...

Did you know that walking is the number one participation sport in the world? Walking is one of the best things you can do for overall health and wellness. When you walk you use more muscles than any other sport. In fact, walking uses almost all o...

I'm sure you've heard the following statement over and over again: exercise can help you to beat stress, or alleviate anxiety or boost a depressed mind. This is only true in part. Because many exercises can actually worsen these illnesses. And even i...

Many people dismiss the cool down as a waste of time, or simply unimportant. In reality the cool down is just as important as the warm up, and if you want to stay injury free, it's vital. Although the warm up and cool down are just as important as ea...

You look at it every day and wish it would just go away; that little pouch below your belly button that keeps staring back at you. You do crunches, sit ups, the works, and yet there it is just "hanging around." There are all sorts of cute names for i...

In our 'Stretching' article series (http://optimumlife.co.nz/Fitness%20Articles/Stretching/Stretching1.htm), we discussed why it's important to stretch as part of your workout. We also touched on the importance of warming up before even *thinking* ab...

Hiking along a rocky trail, two of the three friends carefully picked their way from rock to rock. But one leaped from rock to rock, bounding by the others like a gazelle running and leaping from rock to rock. Never missing his footing, the others wo...

With a few minor adjustments it is possible to get the exercise that is suggested and not go out of your way or spend money at the gym! When you think about exercising, have you ever wondered how you can fit it into your already busy day? That is wh...

This is the latest advice to the public and many are surprised at the sheer quantity and confused as to what constitutes exercise. Finding the time For those of us with busy lives, fitting this into a day is not easy. Little time is left after a job,...

A road map is a very handy tool when you're setting out on a long trip. It helps point you in the direction you want to go and can be a lifesaver when you've strayed off course. An exercise training diary can provide the same help as a road map when ...

Getting America's children to exercise has never been more difficult as the new boob-tube generation slouches in front of TVs, or sits for hours, mesmerized behind shoot-out video and computer games. However, it is possible to foster a regular exerci...

Exercising and dieting are tasks that are very difficult for many of us, but usually just the thought of it that makes us queasy. There are some simple ways to get out and get fit, and you just might enjoy yourself too. Some people like to get up an...

Do you currently suffer or have you ever suffered from any of the following: Lower back pain, frequent hamstring injuries, a twisted knee or a pulled shoulder? Have you ever considered that it may not be just the fact that you slipped and twisted som...

IT ALL STARTED ON A TYPICAL NOVEMBER MORNING back in nineteen eighty seven. Life was changing for me quickly; I just didn't realize it at the time. I had been successful in some bodybuilding contests as a teenager, but that was really as far as I wa...

It's almost impossible to turn on the television or open a magazine without being barraged by advertisements for washboard abs, the best abdominal training machine ever designed or a 'magic' pill specifically designed to remove fat from problem areas...

Having your own home gym with free weights is not only convenient but gives you the freedom to work out anytime you want. You save time and money, have no costly gym fees, no driving time, and no child care is needed. Having a home gym with free wei...

One of the main benefits of Pilates is it refreshes your physical and mental well-being. Pilates is a series of controlled movements that unite the body and mind and creates a direct connection to the muscles. The benefit of Pilates is it helps cond...