Fitness And Weight Loss

If you’ve never been a dancer or attended a dance class, the thought of sweating through a dance fitness class can be pretty intimidating. But given the prevalence of classes such as Zumba, Jazzercise and others, it’s clear that extensive dance training is not a requirement for getting in a good workout. Don’t stress — dance fitness classes are supposed to be fun. Instructions Ask the instructor or other students in the class what type of dance steps the workout will entail, and then check out some online videos or tutorials before you attend your first class. The Jazzercise program, for example, has a “Learn the Dance Moves” website that walks you through the steps you’ll use during the class. Practice those moves a few times at home to get comfortable with the basics. Look for classes geared toward beginners. Some exercise and dance studios have ongoing drop-in classes, while others have classes that start on a set day and end a month or several months later. Typically,

Anatomy of a FishWhile watching your pet fish swimming around in their watery home, you may find yourself wondering how they seem to swim so easily. Their skeletons and muscles work together to allow them to swim, along with their fins and something called a swim bladder. Using the Skeleton and Muscles The primary function of the skeleton is to aide movement of other parts. The skull is the only truly fixed part of a fish. It does not move in and of itself but acts as a point of stability for other bones. These other bones act as levers that cause movement of the fish’s body. While the bones provide the movement, the muscles supply the power. A typical fish has hundreds of muscles running in all directions around its body. This is why a fish can turn and twist and change directions quickly. Using the Fins As water passes over its body, a fish uses its fins to thrust in the direction it wishes to go. The caudal fins supply most of the thrust. The pelvic, dorsal and pectorals assist in s

Natural Remedies For Relieving Stress - Stress is something that many amongst us are facing in our lives nowadays. However, it is possible to get rid of stress and there are definitely home remedies for stress that will help nullify or at least reduce it considerably. Stress is basically a reaction to the body’s demand. It happens when the body is not able to function in alliance with our minds. Unhealthy foods aggravate the problems. Find out about natural remedies for stress. There are foods to relieve stress and these can be identified on the internet. It has been observed that healthy vegetarian foods help in relieving problems of headaches, appetite loss. It has been also observed that natural and home remedies for stress also helps in getting rid of problems related to osteoporosis, isolation, gas and bloating, constipation, heart burn and acidity. With a host of stress free foods, one no longer has to worry about stress and various other problems. It is possible to flaunt a hea

How to Begin a Jogging Program - Whether you run outside in the park or inside on a treadmill, before work or after work, alone or with a buddy, running can change your life, both physically and mentally. Even if you’ve never been that active before, it’s never too late to begin a jogging program. Running is one of the most popular cardio exercises in the world, and for good reason: as you rack up the miles, you can count the results. Instructions Find a good pair of running shoes. There is nothing more unmotivating than a pair of running shoes that do more harm than good. Sneakers should be purchased from a store that specializes in running. That way, employees can send you on your way with a pair of running shoes that mold perfectly to your feet and provide the correct cushion and support. Find a place to run. One of the best things about jogging is that it doesn’t require a gym membership. In essence, the world is your treadmill. However, the weather can hinder running outside, and

How to Design a Yoga, Create a Yoga Room - While it is not essential to have a yoga room in order to practice yoga, you may find that creating a special space in your home provides inspiration, relaxation and tranquility for your yoga sessions. Create a yoga room that suits your needs and style. Find a space in your home to convert to a yoga room, perhaps a spare bedroom or home office. If an entire room isn’t available, choose a corner in a low-traffic area in your house. Paint the room a color that will inspire peace and tranquility. Consider light shades of blue, green, lavender or yellow. Install a dimmer switch to the lights. Alternately, use low-wattage or three-way bulbs in your lamps. Leave enough wall space to practice poses that require wall support, such as restorative yoga poses. Otherwise, decorate the room with calming items like sculptures, artwork, shoji screens and candles. Print out inspirational quotes or order them in vinyl lettering to decorate your walls. Scent t

How to Become a Curves Fitness Technician - Curves is a franchised fitness club for women that features a 30-minute, full-body workout. Curves clubs are individually owned, so you will need to apply to each location you are interested in working at. Each owner will have qualities she seeks in her employees, but there are key skills needed to be a successful Curves trainer. Instructions Emphasize your ability to work with people. One of the key elements of Curves clubs is the social atmosphere members enjoy. Oftentimes, a visit to Curves is the social highlight of the day. Owners will be looking for trainers who can make connections with members to keep them coming. Also, trainers must be comfortable with instructing members about how to use the strength-training machines. Tout your passion for health and fitness. On your application or in an interview, be sure to talk about your belief in good health and strength training for women. Curves focuses on the benefits of working out, includ

Physical fitness is a very important aspect of good health. People who are physically fit are less likely to get ill and more likely to recover quickly from illness. If you love to run five miles a day or are fascinated by the inner workings of the human muscle system, consider a career in this expanding field. Careers in Physical Fitness Physical Education Teacher  Physical education teachers work with students to help them improve their overall fitness. Gym teachers show students how to move their bodies and enjoy sports without injury. If you want to work as a physical education teacher, you will need at least a bachelor’s degree. You can major in physical fitness. Potential high school physical education teachers should also take undergraduate classes in education and complete teacher state licensing requirements. Many schools will not hire you unless you have teaching credentials. Coach Coaches help amateur and professional athletes achieve their best physical performance possible

At present, high blood pressure is a common problem reported in health centers. What are the natural ways to reduce your blood pressure levels? This is a common question asked by many people across the world. In this article, we are going to see some of the natural ways to get rid of hypertension problems. Do you like to drink beetroot juice? If yes, drink it daily to get rid of high blood pressure problems. Beetroot juice is renowned for health benefits like widening of arteries. It widens arteries and improves blood circulation. Apart from improving blood circulation, beetroot juice is also famous for preventing allergic reactions. If you are a person suffering from hypertension problems, feel free to include beetroot juice in daily diet. How does it work? This is a common question asked by many people. Generally, beetroot juice converts nitrate present in composition to nitrite. This widens arteries which in turn improves blood circulation. Cayenne pepper is another safe cure for hi

Mastering the freestyle swim stroke lets you compete in a variety of events, from sprints to distance races to open-water swims. Technically speaking, a freestyle swimmer can use any stroke he wishes, except during a medley relay. In reality, freestyle swimming is typically synonymous with the front crawl. Learn the fundamentals to improve your freestyle times. Instructions Understand the overall freestyle technique before you begin work on individual elements. Keep your body as flat as possible in the water. Move your arms and legs at the same time — kick your legs continuously while stroking with alternate arms. Begin in a streamlined position with one arm extending forward above the water and the other arm extended backward at your side, below the surface. The forward hand should be in front of your head with your fingers pointed toward the water and your elbow higher than your hand. Face the bottom of the pool and exhale into the water in the middle of each arm stroke. Reach your l

Jogging: How To Jog With Your iPod - Much has changed over the years and running with music is now easier than ever. No longer do you have to worry about a clunky tape deck clipped to your belt, the degree of skip protection on your CD player or converting music for your MiniDisc player. iPods have reinvigorated the jogging phenomenon and updated it for the 21st century. Instructions Choose the right iPod model for jogging. Avoid the larger “Classic” hard drive based iPods as the constant movement can cause the drive to fail. Stick with the flash-based iPods such as the Nano or Shuffle with no moving parts. The shuffle is tiny and clips to your shirt; the Nano is a bit larger and allows you to view and access a wider selection of music. Use a protective case and arm band. There is always the chance of the iPod falling onto the pavement when jogging. Using a protective covering to absorb any shock and minimize the damage is wise; using an armband to hold the iPod in place without the wo

How to Get a Fitness Instructor Certification - If you love working out and would like to motivate others to reach their fitness goals, becoming a group fitness instructor may be the perfect way to earn extra money. Fitness instructors work for private gyms and organizations like the YMCA. Instructions Participate in as many group fitness classes as possible to learn different teaching styles and techniques. Doing so will also help you figure out which fitness classes you are most interested in. Examples include aerobics, spinning, cardio kickboxing and body sculpting. Pursue your CPR certification. Check with your local YMCA, Red Cross or American Heart Association to see if they offer classes. Pursue fitness instructor training through a nationally recognized fitness association. The two most popular associations are the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) and the American Council on Exercise (ACE). If you want to teach at a particular gym, talk to the group fitness ma

Swimmers can split a swimming and weight-training workout in a few ways, but it’s typically best to separate the workout into two distinct parts, with swimming in one and weight training in the other. The key question involves which part should come first. The answer depends on your specific workout goals. Whichever route you select, there’s little doubt that dryland training — exercises performed out of the swimming pool — should be a key component of a competitive swim team’s fitness program, as well as for those that swim for fitness. Benefits of Weight Training Before Swimming Conventional wisdom states that you shouldn’t perform weight training when you’re tired, so you should typically hold a weight session before any type of cardio exercise, including swimming. Additionally, by swimming after weight training, you may reduce muscle soreness the following day. Doing your weight training first, before you’re tired out by swimming, lets you lift heavier weights, leading to greater s

Instructions: How to Start Jogging - It takes a good amount of stamina and energy to be a jogger. In the beginning, it is best to start slowly. This will allow you to prepare yourself both mentally and physically to go the distance. By taking the time to really learn proper jogging strategies and techniques, you will reduce your chances of straining muscles. Instructions Develop a good warm up routine. It will help your blood circulate and get more oxygen flowing to your muscles. This will help keep you flexible and prepare your body for the demands of jogging. It will speed up your heart rate, which will minimize the amount of stress on your heart from the jog. Begin by walking slowly for five minutes. Gradually intensify until you are walking at a brisk pace. Stretch for about five minutes before beginning your jog. Gradually shift from walking to jogging. Do this by alternating between jogging and brisk walking. Continue alternating between the two for 20 minutes. Remember to walk i

Just like adults, kids need physical activity to stay healthy. At a time when childhood obesity is on the rise — affecting more than 12 million kids in the U.S. alone, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — staying active is more important than ever to combat this growing problem. Developing a fitness plan for children is a bit different than creating one for adults, however. To keep kids engaged and wanting to come back for more, they need a routine that is diverse, fun and age-appropriate, giving them just the right amount of challenge. Aerobic Activity According to MayoClinic.com, kids 6 and older need about an hour of physical activity each day, with most of this in the form of aerobic, or cardio, activity. This type of exercise can benefit children’s heart health, help them maintain a healthy weight and lessen their risk for diabetes and other illnesses. While organized aerobic activities, like a class or DVD, offer sufficient exercise, these may not hold th

How Many Calories Are Burned Per Mile While Swimming? - Swimming is an excellent form of exercise. It uses a large number of muscle groups and is very easy on joints, such as those in the knees and ankles. Not only is swimming an excellent form of exercise, it will help you lose weight and is one of the best exercises you can do to burn calories. How Fast And How Far? How many calories you burn depends on a number of things. The first two are how far you will swim and how fast will you be swimming. Let’s use the distance of one mile (1,760 yards). We will look at two different swimming speeds in order to judge the difference in calories burned. The first speed will be 20 yards per minute. This is a slow, leisurely swim that is equivalent to roughly 0.66 miles per hour. At this speed, it will take you approximately 88 minutes to swim the one mile. The second speed will be 60 yards per minute. This is approximately two miles per hour and it will take you approximately 30 minutes to swim

Starting a running routine requires planning and discipline. From the beginning, establish a goal. Choose something realistic that will keep you motivated, such as running a specified distance in a certain amount or time or losing a targeted amount of weight. To ensure longevity, begin your running routine slowly and build on your progress as you go forward. Do not skip ahead in your program, even if you feel you can. Doing so may place excess strain on your body, leading you to burn out well before reaching your stated goal. Instructions Purchase proper running shoes. In order to get the right shoe, you must figure out your foot’s pronation. Pronation is the way the foot rolls from heel to toe on each stride. To determine your level of pronation, grab one of your old sneakers and look at the sole. Your foot overpronates if most of the shoe wear is on the medial (inside) side. Runners who overpronate should buy motion-control running shoes. Your foot underpronates if most of the shoe w

How to Breathe During Bikram Yoga - Yoga is often about breath, more than movement. Many new practitioners of Bikram and other types of yoga must learn how to properly breathe as their practice develops. Follow these steps to get it right. Use the Two Methods of Breath for Bikram Yoga Study the two types of breath used during Bikram yoga: the 80-20 breath and the exhalation breath. Each is used during different poses and achieves different results within the body. Begin with the 80-20 breath. Take a deep breath. Lift your ribs. Engage and stretch your abdominal muscles, and then hold the breath as though you were about to go underwater. As you hold the posture, breathe normally, keeping your lungs 80 percent full. Exhale only the upper 20 percent of the breath and inhale into that upper 20 percent. Use the 80-20 breath for standing poses and back-bending poses. This breath builds energy and balance within each pose. Release air on an exhalation to move deeper into poses. The exhalation

Fitness Motivation for Firemen - Sports marketing can be accomplished through many different techniques and tactics. A few of my favorite marketing techniques are apparel and video commercials. Nothing gets me more  fired up  than a television commercial that has awesome music playing in the background and an athlete running, lifting, pouring sweat, and working hard to achieve his goal. There is something about that intense workout visual that makes me want to head to the gym. As a future firefighter, I know that my success in the field depends upon an elite level of physical fitness. Yet, many firemen, especially volunteer firemen, are often out of shape and overweight. By utilizing a sports marketing tactic, I believe I could influence those firemen who lack the motivation to workout. For example, imagine a video of a firefighter lifting weights in the gym and running outside with the sunrise in the distance, then quickly cut to a video of the same firefighter in full uniform as he r

How to Run With a Doberman Pinscher - The Doberman Pinscher is a well-muscled, energetic dog that has prolific power and stamina. It is capable of running long distances, and because of this the breed is ideal as a jogging companion, according to the Dog Breed Info Center. The breed’s short coat also helps to prevent the dog from overheating as easily when running. If you want extra motivation to keep fit by having your dog run with you, there are a number of factors that must be taken into consideration to ensure that you are prepared. Instructions Take your Doberman to see your veterinarian for an overall checkup to ensure that the dog is in good health before you begin taking it jogging on a regular basis. Pack two bottles of water in a backpack for you and your Doberman when you are getting ready to go jogging. How much water you need depends on how far you intend to run. Begin by walking your Doberman to allow it to warm up and to practice leadership with your dog. Walk slightly i