Mind and body health

07 Nov 2009 02:16 PM

Are you a runner? Do you enjoy running not only for fitness, but also for an even more rewarding reason? Do you want to run for your favorite charity? You can make a difference in the lives of someone else by raising money for a good cause. On November 8, 2009, many people around the world are choosing to run to help raise money for their chosen charitable organization.

The World Run Day was started in 1999. A man named Bill McDermott from Long Island wanted to encourage people to not only run for a healthier existence, but to dedicate one day out of the year to give to someone else who was not as fortunate. By involving everyone from around the globe World Run Day invites people do to good in the lives of other individuals.

On World Run Day young and old come together in their community either by themselves or with a group to participate. You can pick your team or run alone. You pick the route and send it along with your registration information. You pick the charity. Pick whatever is nearest and dearest to your heart. Once you register you will be listed on the website as a Running Ambassador. You will also be sent a great t-shirt depicting World Run Day 2009. On the website you can download a runner's bib with a number stating what you are all about on this incredibly special day. Information about you will be posted on the World Run Day website to acknowledge your participation in this event.

When all is said and done and you have completed your run you can then post your journey on the website.

The 11th Annual World Run Day on November 8, 2009 at 9 am is about to begin. Get ready to run!

For more information go to www.runday.com.

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, fitness, single parenting, media and health.

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05 Nov 2009 08:56 PM

As I mentioned earlier in the week stretching and balancing exercises are two of the first aspects of fitness to incorporate in to your body shaping and physical fitness routine. Stretching warms your muscles, helps your joints to move more freely, helps to reduce stress and improves your posture. Balancing, which tends to dwindle as our age progresses, will help to keep you steadier, which will decrease our chances of falling and sustaining further injury. Core strength, aerobics and muscle strength training are also advisable for a well-rounded fitness routine.

 Core strength: The core of your body is considered to be your pelvic, abdominal and lower back muscles. Essentially, this would be the middle of your body, your midsection. Core strength connects the upper part and the lower part of your body. Strengthening this area will help to prevent back injuries as you are teaching your muscle to "guard" your spine and abdominal areas, the trunk of your body. There are numerous exercises that are great for this area of your body.  Aerobics: Excellent for your heart, aerobics is a great aspect of good fitness. When you participate in aerobic exercise you move oxygen throughout your body, which includes your lungs, your blood vessels and your heart. This form of exercise increases the efficiency of the way that your internal organs function. Breathing is deeper and faster.  Muscle strength training: When you implement weights into your total fitness routine you are also increasing the strength of your bones. By strength training a couple of times a week you will build up your muscle mass, which will enable you to burn your calories at an increased rate. Therefore, if you are on a weight loss regime you will lose weight faster. If you can go to the gym you will benefit from the various types of equipment that they have for strength training. If this is something that does not fit into your budget do not worry. Hand weights are inexpensive and lifting cans of vegetables will work in a pinch too. Do not forget that no equipment is needed at all to become stronger and fit. Exercises, such as jogging, walking, sit-ups, push-ups, crunches and jumping jacks will all work to help your body become in better shape.

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, fitness, single parenting, health and media.

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02 Nov 2009 07:22 PM

An all around good and balanced fitness routine contains several aspects for your optimal health outlook. These aspects will cover all areas of your physical strength and health and leave nothing out or "off" balance. By incorporating these in your weekly health fitness routine you will not only look better, but you will feel better.

 Stretch your body: Everyone knows that a good fitness routine always begins with stretching. Stretching gives your body a chance to "limber" up and warm those muscles before getting down to the nitty-gritty of exercising. Stretching your muscles also will help to increase your joint movements, relieve your tension and achieve a better posture at a doable rate, a little bit at a time.  Balance: Balance takes practice. You may think that your balance is great, but then you get out there and try to stand and bend over on one leg and you are taken by surprise. You find that it is not so easy. This happened to me. I actually had good balance...without my shoes on. When I went to the gym and had my sneakers on that was a whole different story. I was not that steady. There are those who are in great shape, but their balance is not up to snuff. Balance needs training and as we age it tends to go downhill. This can lead to injury. Some simple steps to improve your balance can be done anywhere and anytime. Try putting one leg up behind you or just holding your leg slightly off the floor to help to improve your balance.

Stretching and balancing exercises are the first two ways that you can help your body to get into better shape and promote further fitness routines into your exercise program. Anyone can do these simple stretching and balancing exercises, which will then lead to further steps to improve your physical fitness routine.

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, fitness, single parenting, media and health.

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29 Oct 2009 05:49 PM

I love to workout, but I get so bored sometimes while I am working out. Sometimes it feels like I will never be finished with my routine. What can I do to make the time go faster?

It is never a good idea to rush through your fitness routine. You are not doing your body any good when you rush. In fact, if you rush you will not receive the full benefit from your workout. You also increase your chances for injury when you are in a hurry. What you really need is some distraction. Now, you do not want to be so distracted that you neglect keeping yourself in good form while you exercise or forget how many reps on the weighted machines you have accomplished. A little distraction, however, is usually welcome because working out can become tedious.

In most fitness clubs there is usually a television to keep your mind off what you are doing somewhat. It does seem to make the time go a bit faster. There is sometimes music being played as well. This can be difficult to hear at times though so it is best to bring your own music source along, such as an mp3 player. You can either listen to the radio on it or play your downloaded music depending on the functioning of your player. The great thing about music is that it can help with your fitness routine if you follow the beat of the music and focus on keeping in time with it. This is my favorite thing to do when I exercise and really whiles away the time for me. Before you know it, you are all done. Another thing that I have seen people do is to try and talk on their cell phones. Well, for most people this is almost impossible and I would not advise it. There is a rack of magazines at the fitness center that I attend and I have seen people trying to read also. They usually do not make it past the first page, however. Again, I would advise against it. I would say that your best bet would be the television or music. My personal vote is music, hands down.

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, fitness, media and health.

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25 Oct 2009 05:08 PM

I sprained my knee about 4 weeks ago. I want to get back into my fitness routine, but I am not sure how to go about it. How do I start exercising again without risking reinjury?

You will want to make sure that you are at a point to start again safely. You will want to get your doctor's advice and permission to proceed with your workout routine. Your doctor is a professional and he will know if it is safe to do so. Do not worry that you are starting back at square one. You would have to be out of commission for a couple of months to be at that point. If you are still experiencing a great deal of discomfort, wait until you feel ready to begin. Pushing yourself when your knee is still tender will only set you back even further. If you are a person who enjoys physical activity and needs it to feel good you are probably at your wit's end waiting to start back up again. This is understandable, but you must be patient.

When you are ready to resume your previous exercise activity it is best to move carefully. Do not force your knee into a position that exacerbates discomfort. Do not do any exercises that put weight solely on your knees. Do not do any exercises that involve putting pressure on your knee. When my knee was sprained I was out of my routine for approximately 4 to 5 weeks. I started back at the gym with caution and with my doctor's blessing. His words were, "Use caution and play it by ear. You will know when to stop. Do not go beyond that point." I was extremely hesitant when I climbed up on the elliptical machine. The first few movements of the elliptical were enough to send a warning to me. It hurt. I got right off of it and concentrated on exercising my upper body. It was wonderful to move my body again. I tried the treadmill next and I did just fine. I was not running, but walking pretty smoothly and without pain. This is something that you will have to gauge for yourself. After a week or two I was able to do more. If you are feeling pretty good once you start exercising you can visit the gym again a couple of days later. I would not go two days in a row until you have exercised for about a week or two. If you are feeling pretty good after that slowly increase your gym time. If you are having discomfort you will have to back off for a while until you are feeling better again. I realize that it is very frustrating, but if you are not careful you will just set yourself back. It will take time, but before long you will be right back where you were before your injury.

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, fitness, media and health.

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