Compression Socks and Choosing the Right Socks For You

Compression socks are unique stockings, specially designed to enhance blood flow in the legs. Normally, blood should flow upward to the heart but certain conditions can interfere with proper blood flow in leg veins. This is one of the reasons why some people have swelling in their feet and other related conditions. The stockings exert pressure on the ankles thus enhancing blood flow up the leg and in the direction of the heart. These socks come in handy in the market and are designed for different body types and different functions. 

 

 Types of Compression stockings

Graduated compression socks are designed to help enhance blood flow in patients with post thrombotic syndrome. This is a condition characterized with pain in the legs because of a blood clot. The stockings reduce swelling in the feet and to reduce pain in the leg. 

Light compression socks are designed for use during pregnancy, when travelling say, long flights or long distance travels. They prevent and reduce swelling in the feet caused by poor blood circulation. The socks prevent edema, leg cramps and vein thrombosis. They can also be used efficiently by professionals who stand or sit down for long hours to enhance proper blood circulation.

Recovery socks are designed for athletes. They enhance blood flow thus, makes healing of an injured leg simpler and faster. 

They can be worn during and after training or a running session. They are quite effective and reduce pain rapidly. 

CW-x stocks are designed to support the ankle, calf and arch of the foot

Medical or moderate compression stockings are designed for use during pregnancy. A pregnant woman can develop varicose veins due to pressure exerted on the feet or veins. The socks therefore help to enhance normal blood flow thus, preventing varicose veins and edema. They can also be used after surgery. 

The stockings are designed in a way that they exert a considerate amount of pressure on the ankles, legs and feet. They compress the surface of muscles, arteries and veins to enhance blood circulation. As a result, more blood will be pumped back to the heart leaving less blood to be collected in the legs or feet. By wearing the socks, you will reduce pain in the legs, chances of developing edema and varicose veins among other related conditions. However, the socks come in handy and it is imperative to choose the right ones for you. 

 

Choosing perfect socks

It is imperative to define needs and settle for stockings that address your needs best. This depends on your health status, sporting needs or simply stockings that help you when travelling. 

Consult a physician for better advice on the best socks to enhance proper blood flow and general health of your feet and legs. Choose socks that fit you perfectly well to ensure they exert the right pressure on the feet. Note that tight socks can cause harm and aggregate your condition. Therefore, take time to choose fitting socks

Damian @ufitnhealthy

High Protein Bread

 

I use this product daily.  If you want a delicious high protein bread try this. This is a super low carb, high protein, high fat loaf, it is gain-free, sugar-free and has dairy-free options. Delicious served toasted with eggs or avocado (or both) or just use as a sandwich base and fill with your favourite ingredients.

Prep time: 15mins
Cook time: 50mins
Yield: approx 20 slices

Ingredients:

• 3 scoops Coconut 180Superfood
• 1 cup ground linseed
• 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tbs sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 60g melted butter or coconut oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup natural yoghurt or coconut cream
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
2. Place pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds in a food processor and process until ground but still with some chunky bits.
3. In a large bowl mix together 180, ground linseed, chia seeds, sesame seeds, salt, baking powder, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together wet ingredients until well combined.
5. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix gently to combine – will make a thick batter (not a bread dough), if it seems too dry add some extra yoghurt or coconut cream.
6. Transfer to loaf tin and bake for approx 50mins until firm.

Nutritional Information:
Amount per slice – approx 20 slices 

Calories	154.8	Total Carbohydrates	4.9g
Total Fat	12.4g	Dietary Fibre	3.2g
Saturated Fat	4.0g	Sugars	0.5g
Polyunsaturated Fat	3.4g	Protein	7.5g
Monounsaturated Fat	2.9g	Sodium	53mg

Net Carbs per slice = 1.7g (Total carbs – indigestible fibre which has no impact on blood sugar).

Enjoy !!

We'd love to hear how yours turns out please post up your comments :)

Muscle Spasms and muscle knots

Muscle spasms are sudden, violent and involuntary contraction of a muscle or muscle group and may be experienced due to a disease, strain, or injury to the muscle or nearby tissues. Later on, when the basic injury is not fixed, muscle spasms form muscle knots which are painful. Oftentimes, it is this pain from the muscle knots that pushes a person to seek treatment of the injury.

A spasm is an unexpected, violent and involuntary contraction of muscle or group of muscles accompanied by sudden burst of pain which is generally harmless but may interfere with function.  It produces involuntary movement and distortion but ceases after a few minutes. 

Spasms may occur due to disease, strain or injury to the muscle or nearby tissues.  It could also be an impairment of circulation or disturbance of body chemistry which can be confined, severe or fairly generalized.

Painless or localized spasms are called tics. This involuntary movement of muscles, usually of the face, may seem to be a natural reaction or response to a certain stimulus but eventually, it will happen automatically even without any reason at all. 
Spasmodic muscle contraction may also be due to a large number of medical conditions, however, including the dystonias.

 Muscle spasms occur early after an injury takes place.  It is characterized by a tightening of muscles in the area which could be painful at times but not always.  Later on, when the basic injury is not fixed, muscle spasms form muscle knots which are painful and become part of the problem.  

Often times, it is this pain from the muscle knots that pushes a person to seek treatment of the injury. This is the case with injuries to the neck and back.

 Muscle knots, also known as myofascial trigger points in medical term, are abnormal areas within the muscle which cause pain. There is still not much information as to what muscle knots really are. However, doctors made some biopsy test by cutting a piece out of muscle knots and results showed that some abnormal protein deposits seemed to be present in the sample tissue. Some treating practitioners believe that there is excessive connective tissue in these areas, but there is little evidence in the (unfortunately few) studies that have been done to support the idea of excess connective tissue. 

The knots form because the spasm keeps the muscle working continuously around the clock which is beyond normal body function. Generally, our bodies move in normal activities with different muscles working in cycles. Since the muscles are not designed for such continuous work, time will come when muscle work overloads and forms these knots. That is why it is important that spasm is treated to help reduce this problem. 

Treatment of muscle spasms and muscle knots depends on medical professional who is working most closely to you.  

Exercise is an important method to help with muscle spasms and muscle knots.  Another helpful treatment is massage therapy to supplement other treatments. 

However, exercise and massage can become uncomfortable but the patient is expected to feel better later 

How to Warm Up Properly

There are a variety of ways to warm up, ranging from an extended cardio session to almost none at all. Each has its drawbacks and merits. Do whichever one you feel comfortable with or gives you the best results. Beginning trainers should stick with the first and second types of warm-ups while advanced trainers may wish to try the third type.

1. Full Warm-Up

This usually involves doing some low-intensity cardio work for five to ten minutes until you break a sweat. It gets blood flowing and prepares the body for work to come. Some light stretching follows this then a few light sets of whatever exercises are going to be done.

If you feel you need this much warm-up, go ahead. Keep in mind, however, not to do too much or will affect your energy levels for the actual workout. This type of warm up is particularly appropriate for novice, injured, or older trainers, though anyone can use it.

2. Light Set Warm-Up

This involves doing a number of progressively heavier sets (starting very light) on the exercise you are about to do. This prepares the specific muscle group for the work sets. Don't do too much here or your work sets will suffer. These light sets are often done before each new exercise, particularly if you are moving on to a different bodypart. If you are doing a different exercise for the same bodypart, a warm-up for that exercise is usually not necessary, though some trainers like to do a few quick, light reps to get a feel for the movement.

3. Limited Warm-Up

This type of warm-up is for advanced trainers only. Do a set of ten reps with 50% of the weight you're going to be using for that exercise. That's it. Your body can be trained to work fine with this type of limited warm-up.

• If you usually do an extended warm-up, work down to this level slowly.
• This method has the advantage of conserving energy for work sets.
• For exercises where you will be using low reps and very heavy weight (close to your max), you may want to do a low-rep progressive warm-up. For example, if you are doing deadlifts with 405 pounds, do 5 reps with one plate per side, 2 reps with two plates, 1 rep with three plates, and maybe 1 rep with three and a quarter if you feel you need it. This type of pyramid warm-up doesn't exhaust you but still prepares your body for heavy work. This type of warm-up is the best for when you going for a one-rep maximum attempt.
  

The limited warm-up is especially appropriate for those whose jobs involve sudden physical labor without the time to warm up, e.g. firefighters (you will never see a firefighter walk around for ten minutes, stretch out, then do a few push-ups before running into a burning building to pull somebody out). It conditions your body to be able to handle sudden physical activity without injury.  Damian https://www.facebook.com/fitnhealthyu

TRX and Kettlebells Go Head to Head

The most useful exercise tool is the one you enjoy using the most. You choose your exercise equipment based on individual health and fitness or athletic goals and you never put all of your eggs in one basket. Still, if you only have around 200 bucks to spend, and you want a truly effective tool for whole body strength and conditioning, should you spend it on the highly praised kettlebell, or the innovative TRX suspension trainer? 

Exercise Choice

The number and type of exercises you can do with either one is enough to fill a book, and both can build muscle, strength and endurance. Let's evaluate the advantages of each. 

Adjustable Weight

A kettlebell is a fixed weight. However, with the recommended 35 lb. for men and 24lb. kettlebell for women, a lot can be accomplished. Also, while you will want a heavier kettle bell eventually, the lighter weights will always be useful. 

 The TRX is instantly, but perhaps not infinitely adjustable. To increase or decrease resistance, the user can adjust their angle, adjust the straps or try an alternative exercise.
Both pieces of equipment can create significant changes to your physique, whether you want to build muscle or burn off some fat. Both will provide enough variety to stimulate change in the body for a long time. 

Portable

If you can drive to your workout, you can take kettlebells or the TRX. However, the TRX is the winner when it comes to portability. Hence the name €Fitness Anywhere.' Besides, it is the only choice if you want to pack workout equipment on an airplane. At 2-3 pounds you won't notice the extra weight at all. Suspension training is designed to be done anywhere; a hotel room, a park fence, anywhere. 

 

Convenience

If you're workout space is small, you can still use kettlebells. As versatile free weights, they are totally effective even if you have no more than a yoga mat sized space to work with. Kettlebells are pound for pound the best pick-up and start with no warm up workout equipment.

The TRX is easy to use once you have it ready to go. Using their X-mount gives you a permanent anchor point in your workout space, while mounting it with the door anchor gives you a gym anywhere in your home. If possible, choose the permanent X-mount over the door anchor. Personally, the added stability personally gives me more confidence. 

Once it is ready, you can start an easy warm-up and stretch, then transition to harder exercises. This a TRX bonus. If your body needs a light workout, all you have to do is start at an easy angle and work into harder exercises. For a kettlebell warmup, work with a single kettlebell or use an abbreviated range of motion.

*Note: Both choices present an additional challenge. The kettlebell weight is unbalanced, and the TRX forces your body to stabilize to perform the exercises. Each has unique but effective movements.

Exercises

Let's see the difference between some common TRX and kettlebell exercises.
Kettlebell Swing:

Basically a hamstring exercise, doing swings at a steady pace for a few minutes pushes your heart rate sky high.

Hip Bridges:

An equivalent TRX movement would be 'suspended hip bridges' with leg curls. Both work the same muscles, and both demand control of your core during the exercise.

The High-Pull versus the Snatch. The TRX high pull is a great upper back and rear deltoid exercise. The snatch is a breath-catching nightmare that also works the upper back among other things. The difference is the high pull is more suited to building strength, muscle and muscular endurance.

A heavy kettlebell snatch can build strength and muscle, but a moderate weight can be snatched for several minutes, increasing cardiovascular fitness and muscular endurance.

Simple Routines

Because the two pieces of equipment are so different, it is hard to pick a winner. You can purchase heavier and heavier kettlebells, which may be better for building serious muscle and strength. 

Consider these two routines:

-Standing presses, Windmills with a pick-up (pick up another kettlebell from the ground while bending down,) followed by the Renegade Row then the Turkish Get-up.

Start with 5-8 repetitions each and do 3 rounds without resting. An intense workout. Now let's compare an intense routine using the TRX.

Start out with horizontal body rowing or pullups. Switch to suspended dips, then adjust the straps six inches off the floor and do a superset of suspended push-ups and chest flyes. If you need to, perform the flyes at a standing angle. 

This is a tough workout at first, but that is the point. You can progress with these exercises by:

a. change the angle
b. increase the repetitions.

Eventually you may have to add add external resistance, unless muscular endurance is your only objective.

Which exercise tool is better? This depends on your goals. The kettlebell may have greater opportunities to increase resistance over time. This means anyone trying to develop more strength and power would accomplish this faster with kettlebells. On the other hand, to do this you will have to keep investing in kettlebells to a point. 

The TRX suspension training system is portable, and is challenging enough in its own right. Stabilizing your own bodyweight through difficult and sometimes awkward angles can challenge a person for a long time.

So where is the best value for your money? If you want easy portability, movement specific workouts and a kit you can stuff in a backpack, buy the TRX and take it everywhere you go. It's a must-have when you travel, and most of us will be challenged by this contraption for years.

On the other hand, for the satisfying feeling of grabbing some cold iron and heaving it this way and that, you will never regret purchasing a set of kettlebells.

There is probably room in your life, and your home gym, for both. Either way, using TRX and kettlebells consistently will transform your body and get you in the best shape of your life.

Source| Martin Christopher|GO 

Things I Know About Double-Unders

Skills
double-under practice
WOD: “The Double Russian” (aerobic training)
5 rounds:
20 Russian swings, 16K
20 double-unders
20 Russian step-ups
20 double-unders
My time: 20:13
Cashout Fun
:40 handstand hold

When I ‘graduated’ to double-unders a few months ago, I made a commitment to myself that no matter how tired I was, how uncooperative the rope, how vigorously my ego worried about the clock, I would do every double-under in a workout. There would be no compromise, no “I’ll just do singles on this round, then I’ll go back to double-unders.” See: stubborn, relentless, determined, bull-headed.

I’m ridiculously pleased to announce that on the last round of the WOD, I did all 20 double-unders unbroken, smooth as (very sweaty) silk. But prior to that, my unbroken reps ranged from 2 to 13, depending on when I tripped on, or was viciously whipped by, the rope. This could have been a pretty fast workout: 16kg is a ‘light’ weight for me on swings, and I was a very committed step aerobics aficianado back in the day, so step-ups feel like a sort of homecoming. But double-unders can be a time suck. Unbroken, they swing by fast, but f*cked up double-unders? They’ll slow a girl down. It goes something like this:

• single, single, single –> big breath and…
• whip the rope into double-unders
• trip on the rope / get whipped by the rope
• [pant] X 3 while trying to achieve optimal blend of relaxation and aggression
• single, single, single –> big breath and…
• double-unders
• REPEAT

After completing about 250 double-unders this morning (50 during our skills and 200 during the WOD), I have some observations to share about this particular CrossFit rite-of-passage.

1. Get your hands on the right rope.

I thought the need for a speed rope was just a case of Hothouse Flower Syndrome ([sigh] “I’m delicate and need things just so to succeed.”) But I was wrong. Getting a speed rope – at the right length – changed double-unders from the wistful “I can get them once in a while.” to the cocky “I have double-unders.” We really like this .Speed Rope

 If you invest in your own speed rope, play around with the length;

2. Find that magical place where you’re both aggressive and relaxed.

The day I got my first double-unders was the day I got angry. I was pissed at the rope, at my feet, at my arms, at the rising welts on my shins, at the evil mastermind that decided we should even be attempting to do double-unders in the first place. The angrier I got, the more aggressively I flung that rope and suddenly, vroop!, it had circled under my feet twice.

On my next attempt, when I was happy about that, I tripped. But when I got angry again, I succeeded.

Now I’ve learned how to whip the rope without going to a grouchy place. It’s a far more aggressive movement than I imagined. With singles you can sort of la-la-la the rope around. It’s very chill, like Muhammad Ali slamming his poetry and shuffling his feet. With double-unders, there has to be a lot of force behind the movement, BUT… you also want to keep your shoulders and jumping mechanism relaxed. It’s tricky, but once you get it, you get it.

3. Remember it’s all in the wrist.

Somewhat related to #2, the movement of the rope needs to initiate from your wrist. With your shoulders relaxed in a neutral position and your core tight, you form a solid base from which your wrists can flick the rope. Again, it’s that hinky relationship between relaxed and fired up.

4. Keep your hands slightly in front of your shoulders.

Nick, champion-level double-under-er, shouted out this tip this morning (Thanks, Nick!), and it considerably improved my unbroken-to-broken reps ratio. When you’ve got the “from the wrists” thing working, try to bring your hands slightly forward of your shoulders. With elbows tucked into your sides and palms angled so they’re almost facing each other (instead of directly forward), you have a ballast against which to spin the rope.

5. Get bouncy.

Another tip from Nick: bounce! Most of the time, I have a little hitch in the rhythm of my double-unders. But if I think “bounce!” while I’m doing them, I reach a lightness and steadiness in my jumps that matches the rhythm of the rope… perfect sync.

6. Do not let frustration get the better of you.

This may be the hardest aspect of all. DUs are nasty little f*ckers and sometimes, that rope just refuses to cooperate. THAT is the true challenge of the DU. It’s not whether you can move the rope fast enough, but whether you you can put aside your frustration to learn to move the rope fast enough.

7. Channel the fighting spirit of Muhammad Ali.

I’m of the opinion that there is never a bad time to rely on Ali’s athletic model. He was charming, classy, worked hard, enjoyed his accomplishments, and did a whole lot of jump rope.

Source Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan

Quick and Easy Ways to Relax and Take it Easy

4 Quick and Easy Ways to Relax and Take it Easy

 

If you are like millions of other people you find yourself felling run down and stressed out at times.  You may be unable to sleep, restless, and cranky because of your inability to relax.  Here are  four quick and easy ways to help you relax and take it easy.

Relax and Take it Easy Tip # 1:

Take a bath.  No, not one of those jump in jump out and wash behind your ears kind of baths.  Grab a few candles, especially aromatherapy ones with great soothing and relaxing scents such as lavender, chamomile, cinnamon, or sandalwood. 

Find some luxurious bubble bath or bath oil and grab a soothing CD and escape to a magical place of relaxation.  You will be amazed how how refreshed and relaxed you feel and how the warm waters can help to ease muscle tension and rejuvenate tired aching muscles and joints; a great way to relax and take it easy.

 

 Relax and Take it Easy Tip # 2:

Turn your bed into a night time escape.  You can do this easily by using some soothing aromatherapy products such as aromatherapy pillows or a soothing night time spray that you use to lightly mist the linens of your bed with a relaxing blend of lavender and other essential oils that can help lull you away to dream land.  Add to this a CD of nature sounds to drive away environmental noise that is played softly letting you escape into the sounds of a calmly crashing surf or the awe of a summer thunder storm.  And what a better time to relax and take it easy than when you unwind for a great night's sleep?

Relax and Take it Easy Tip # 3:

Meditate.  No, you do not have to join some new age group to meditate.  The art of meditation has been used for centuries to help people relax, deal with stress and pain, and to regain a sense of balance and clarity.  Meditating is a great way to relax and take it easy by helping you to redirect your thoughts and your mental being somewhere else, to a calm and soothing place free of stress.

Relax and Take It Easy Tip # 4:

Get some fresh air.  In this hectic cubicle world many of us live in today, you will be amazed at how relaxed and refreshed you feel after merely being in nature and getting some fresh air on a regular basis.  If you have a quite out of the way beach or leisurely wooded trail that you can enjoy then take advantage of it.  But even if you do not, simply taking a good book to the park and stretching out on a blanket or walking around the gardens examining the flowers can be a great way to ease you back into nature, help you connect with a larger world around you and infuse your lungs with the much needed fresh air that they so rarely get in our stale steel and concrete tombs.  So go outside, take a deep breath, and learn to relax and take it easy.

There you go, four very simple and easy ways that you can relax and take it easy.  The biggest key is to realize that we all need that down time for our mental as well as our physical well being.  So make some time for yourself today to relax and take it easy.

Why Medicine Ball Is So Popular With Athletes?

The other names for this ball are exercise ball, gym ball, stability ball, fitness ball, fit ball, therapy ball, balance ball or medicine ball. The exercises with this ball are known by different names as exercise ball exercises, fitnessball exercises, fitnessball workouts, medicine ball exercise, etc. The size and weight make the medicine ball the ideal piece of exercise equipment for people of all ages and fitness levels. 

Medicine balls are available in various weights and styles...

The other names for this ball are exercise ball, gym ball, stability ball, fitness ball, fit ball, therapy ball, balance ball or medicine ball. The exercises with this ball are known by different names as exercise ball exercises, fitnessball exercises, fitnessball workoutgs, medicine ball exercise, etc. The size and weight make the medicine ball the ideal piece of exercise equipment for people of all ages and fitness levels. 

Medicine balls are available in various weights and sizes, perfect for all ages and fitness levels.

The medicine ball is used to develop different forms of strength, such as, eccentric strength and concentric strength. Concentric strength is used when throwing a medicine ball, pushing a medicine ball or pressing a medicine ball. Eccentric strength is used to catch a medicine ball and slow it down.

These general medicine ball drills develop strength and power throughout the torso, laying the foundation for the future use of specific medicine ball drills. Likewise, bench-press strength advanced by 23 % for the weight-trained athletes but inched upward by just 9 per cent for medicine-ball users.


Weight training proved to be far superior to medicine ball workouts, both in terms of bench-press power and throwing speed. Weight-trained athletes upgraded their baseball throwing velocity by 4.1 per cent, while medicine-ball men enhanced throwing by a statistically insignificant 1.6 percent. Control individuals also failed to improve their throwing.

Many weight-training group work out twice a week, utilizing barbell bench press and barbell pullover exercises. For the first four weeks, weight trainers completed three sets of eight- to 10-repetition max exercise per workout for both the bench presses and barbell pullovers (in other words, they used weights which could be lifted only eight to 10 times per set). For the final four weeks, employ three sets of six- to eight-RM for each exercise. All weights were lifted in a slow, controlled manner - not explosively. Medicine-ball, weight-trained, and control athletes all participated in their regular baseball workouts during the eight-week period. After eight weeks, all athletes were tested for maximal baseball throwing velocity and bench-press strength.

When you activate your II-B fibers with this explosive medicine-ball workout, you'll see big gains in strength, size and speed. The medicine ball will help you achieve fitness that emphasizes not just strength, but also explosive power, core stability and split-second responses.

Damian@ufitnhealthy 

Over-training and Weakened Immune Systems

Over-training can cause physical and mental illness because of  excessive intensity of training and not having sufficient time to rest and recover. Intense or prolonged exercise may cause large increases in cortisol levels and a decrease in the production of “T-cells,” a group of white blood cells that play a key role in the immune system. A lot of people are including exercise programs in their daily lives to gain muscle mass and reduce fat. 

Many however, make the mistake of training for extended hours to achieve their goals. 

Too much training may not give the results that these people are looking for. This practice may lead to fatigue and over-training. Over-training can cause physical and mental illness because of excessive intensity of training and not having sufficient time to rest and recover. This incident is common in weight-lifters, runners, and other athletes.

 

 Studies show that about 10-20% of athletes over-train. Athletes—professional or amateur carry a higher risk of getting sick. Over the past years, doctors caring for athletes have reported a rise of respiratory infections because of over-training. Health experts say that as individuals increase their total training load, the risk of illness also rises. This phenomenon can be attributed to the rise cortisol in the body. Cortisol is a vital hormone that is often referred to as the “stress hormone”. Intense or prolonged exercise may cause large increases in cortisol levels and a decrease in the production of “T-cells,” a group of white blood cells that play a key role in the immune system.

 

The mental stress that are encountered by athletes may also impair the body's immune function. Expectations of  coaches, family members, and other people can contribute to a drop in performance and the increase of acquiring infections. Injuries, the actual stress of competition may all aggravate psychological stress. Diminished immune systems encountered by athletes are resembles those that are experienced by people who undergo hypertension and sleep deprivation. In recent studies, highly stressed individuals had high incidences of respiratory ailments over a period of six months compared to unstressed individuals. Aside impaired immune system, men who over-train may also also experience a temporary reduction in sperm count and quality. This happens because the body literally kills itself during training and needs time to recuperate to build muscles and improve the body. Too much or too intense physical activity may reduce the level of hormones in the bloodstream and therefore affect sperm production. Sperm quality and production may return to normal after three days. 

Health specialists add that drinking a cup of coffee a couple of hours after training may help improve sperm quality and quantity because of the anti-oxidants it contain. People who over-train may also experience the following:

.lack of energy
.insomnia
.headaches
.dehydration
.depression
.decreased appetite
.increased risk of injury
.respiratory infection
.muscle pains
.high blood pressure

Individuals who decide to make adjustments on their exercise routines are encouraged to consult doctors and other health professionals for workout advice. This is important because a lot of individuals tend to workout too much, improperly, and use the inappropriate equipments. Health professionals may device an appropriate workout program to complement one's health needs. Understanding proper workout and including a healthy diet in one's lifestyle may lead to improved health and overall well-being.

Damian @ufitnhealthy.com

Points To Be Followed Before Learning Yoga

Once you have decided to practice yoga for better living and spiritual health, you need to take care of the following points so as to prevent injuries to your physical self:

• Physical condition of the individual: usually, it is recommended that people with normal health do yoga practice. But if you are suffering from some physical problems and are using yoga to cure it, you need to follow certain precautions since performing yoga practices without proper precautions may ...

Once you have decided to practice yoga for better living and spiritual health, you need to take care of the following points so as to prevent injuries to your physical self: 

• Physical condition of the individual: usually, it is recommended that people with normal health do yoga practice. But if you are suffering from some physical problems and are using yoga to cure it, you need to follow certain precautions since performing yoga practices without proper precautions may lead to harmful effects on the body. This is because the internal organs like the heart, lungs, kidneys etc. are involved and may get harmed if you do not practice yoga properly. Hence it is recommended that you follow the yoga techniques under expert guidance. 

 

• Right advice: it is important for you to get the proper instructor to teach you the yoga techniques. Usually, people who choose the profession of a yoga teacher do not understand the scientific basis behind the yoga practice and just impose their opinions and likes and dislikes on the students. They bring an element of mystery, charge exorbitant fees and introduce rites and rituals which are not a part of yoga. 

 • Age and sex: yoga can be practiced by anybody irrespective of age and sex. However it is important to note that certain yoga techniques should not be followed under certain circumstances. Women, who are pregnant or menstruating, should avoid the poses which lay a great stress on the abdomen. Children below eight years should not practice any yogic technique but yogic breathing should be introduced only after twelve years. Very young and old should avoid the poses with the intense twists. After a certain age, avoid strenuous practice but you can practice pranayam, dhyana and simple postures.

• Place and surroundings: The place for yoga should be well protected from, animals, rodents and insects. If you choose the indoor room, keep it well lit and it should be airy. If you choose the outdoors, the surroundings should be quiet. But avoid the outdoors if it is cold, rainy or very hot.
The ground chosen should be plain and flat.

• Time: Morning is the ideal time for practice since it incorporates regularity, but evening time can also be chosen since the body is already warmed up. Your stomach should not be completely full. So if you have had a meal, you can perform yoga after five hours. 

 • Diet: Take simple and nutritious diet. Do not overeat. Keep chillies and spices to the minimum. It is not important to be vegetarians but do not eat more than your body’s requirements.

• Interval: it is advisable to be regular but if for some reason like a lot of work in office or sickness or any other reason you need to skip a day or two, it is fine. But once the reason is over, go back to your original routine. Avoid taking long and frequent gaps.

• Clothing: Choose light and loose fitting clothes. If you live in a hot climate, you can opt for the sleeveless shirt or a vest. However, in temperate climate, your clothing should offer protection against the cold weather but at the same time, they should not hinder your movements.

• The seat: Always perform the yoga practice on a mat or a carpet but never on an uncovered floor.

• The order of different techniques: When you are combining different techniques like surya namaskar, weight training etc. with yoga, keep a rest period of fifteen minutes between the two. Within the yoga practice, start off by postural techniques, followed by breathing techniques and the techniques of mental concentration in the mentioned order.

Damian @ufitnhealthy