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Archive for the ‘Fitness activities’ Category

Of all the fitness skills, physical balance is one that is among the most important. And yet, people seldom work on their balance skills. There is a unique piece of exercise equipment that allows you to not only work on your balance, but doing so while performing other activities. Let’s take a closer look…

How To Improve Physical Balance

Your physical balance skills are one of the most important skills to maintain as you age. Like any skill, it will deteriorate if not practiced and worked on.

Up to now, the problem has been a lack of specific exercises or equipment to improve this skill. We have weights for strength training, indoor bikes for cardio, treadmills for running, but nothing specific for balance.

We need to maintain this skill not only for fitness activities, but in our every day life. Many senior citizens suffer falls due to instability issues. Further, their freedom to perform certain activities like driving is eliminated due in part to this physical deterioration.

In short, the only way to prevent a decrease in your physical balance is to specifically target and practice the skill.

Fitball Balance Discs: How They Work

Fitball balance discs are relatively small devices, with most being just over twelve inches in diameter. They are flat on the bottom but slightly oval on top, with a durable coating to support your weight.

The disc has a certain amount of pliability or “give” to it, meaning when you stand atop the disc, you aren’t stable. Maintaining your equilibrium on the disc is what helps you train your brain and muscles to balance.

Essentially, you are working your core muscles, which are crucial for stability. Even a brief session atop a Fitball balance disc will engage your leg and core muscles in challenging fashion.

How To Use A Fitball Balance Disc

The beauty of this portable, inexpensive piece of equipment is its versatility. You can use it while standing, sitting, or kneeling. Go ahead, try to sit atop the disc and see if you can stay in balance!

Some group fitness classes incorporate the disc into their workouts. It can be used in place of a step platform or in pilates as a method to target core muscles.

One additional benefit is improved posture. Working on your balance forces you to use your leg and core muscles while keeping your torso relatively still and quiet. This teaches you to stand erect, thereby having a direct positive effect on your posture.

Summary

Fitball balance discs are an excellent addition to any fitness regimen, since they focus on balance, a critical athletic and life skill.

They are portable, durable, and inexpensive too. Most online specialty retailers sell them for around twenty dollars. Using one consistently will strengthen your core, leg, and back muscles while adding a unique challenging dimension to your workouts.

Copyright (c) 2008 Bruce Lashley
As both a health care provider and a lifetime participant in a variety of fitness activities, I consider myself uniquely situated to be able comment on physical fitness and the lack thereof. As an avid exerciser, I am able to observe people in their role as exerciser, and as a podiatrist, I am able to see the result of poor training technique, over use and injury as a result of bad luck. On a daily basis, I listen to the stories of sports and fitness participants on all levels–those who have run a dozen marathons virtually unscathed, climbers who have scaled Mount Everest, would-be athletes, who, at forty, have just started yoga, pole dancing, or a walking program, and so on. From the avid life long sports participant to the middle-aged convert, all of these people have one thing in common–they are engaged in a healthy lifestyle. As I urged you in my last article, get off the couch and get moving.

Here is a list taken from the Center for disease Control’s web site outlining the benefits of regular exercise: The Health Benefits of Physical Activity-Major Research Findings

Maintaining a physically fit and healthy body involves an effort of working out muscles and balanced diet with natural supplements. For those who have a weight that is considered to be something that is beyond normal there are ways to put things the way it should be. Losing extra weight with exercise weights involves controlled exercise; this is because when we are engaged in making use of exercise weights not only does our body burn calories it also requires to be fed to sustain weight training activities. This means we have to be careful of the food we eat while we are on a physical fitness program.

Using exercise weights may increase metabolism depending on the amount of weight being carried and the pacing of repetitions being observed by individuals. Dumbbells are common and are very useful in a variety of exercises. It may be used to tone and shape biceps and triceps, there are exercise positions that even develop back muscles and shoulder muscles using dumbbells. The concept behind using the exercise weights is to burn excess fats and in turn develops muscles. These are often integrated with exercise machines.

The best way to lose weight with exercise weights is to have fitness expert advice on the use of these things, although you may do so proceed with using it on your own but the advantage of having someone coach you through these fitness activities will make the undertaking efficient. Two heads or more is better than one; you may also consider enrolling yourself into a fitness program on a gym with fitness experts in coordination with health professionals. Aside from the advantage of using a variety of machines and tools that makes use of exercise weights your training will be maximized with the guidance of experts who uses exercise weighs as tools to fast track weight loss. Further with the aid of physicians you will have an awareness of what you can do and the limitations of your own body.

We have to be aware of our physical capabilities and limitations because the procedures that are being implemented in various fitness programs involving exercise weights could inflict injuries should we exceed our limitations. This is why it is recommended that one should consider some preparations before entering into any fitness program.

Exercise weights will also be useless if our intake or diet is not optimal for losing weight and toning muscles. Drinking more than eight glasses of water every day will be very helpful as it increases metabolism and flushes body wastes. Consumption of foods rich in fibre like strawberries, vegetables and the likes is also a great contributing factor. There are also good fats and proteins present in fishes this prevents clotting and optimises blood pressure. It is also good to avoid consumption of foods rich in sugar and bad cholesterol like chocolates and pork fat for instance. Exercise weights are good tools for losing weight, paired with good and healthy diet.

Are you looking for a new way to tone your body? Do you want a great way to get fit at the same time? Swimming might be just the exercise that you should include in your weekly routine. If you are comfortable heading down to your local swimming baths and slipping into your swimsuit then you can take advantage of some of the following benefits of swimming.

Low Impact

Swimming is a low impact activity. So what? This means it is a great exercise if you are slightly older, pregnant, overweight, or recovering from some sort of injury. The feeling of weightlessness while swimming places less stress on your body while still enabling a great cardiovascular workout to achieve your fitness goals.

Burning Calories

As a general rule swimming will burn the same calories as walking fast or a slow jog. Obviously the harder you push yourself the more you will burn. If you are swimming front crawl or freestyle at a medium intensity for half an hour you can expect to burn around 350 calories.

Fun

Swimming is a popular pastime with women of all ages. Not only will it develop your fitness level and tone certain parts of your body but it can also be great fun. Your water fitness activities don’t necessarily need to be limited to swimming either. Aqua fitness or aqua aerobics sessions are available at many public swimming facilities so you can exercise in the water with like minded individuals.

Good For Pregnancy

Swimming is a fantastic option if you are pregnant. Again it is low impact and weight less so you can exercise away without impacting baby or body. Perhaps swim a few lengths, or alternatively you could try aqua jogging with a flotation belt simulating running but in water. Make sure that you check with your doctor before you get into the pool to make sure it is ok for you… and always stay out of the hot tub or spa pool after the swim as this can affect the development of the fetus.

There Are Some Drawbacks

As with any type of exercise there are some drawbacks to swimming.

Firstly, swimming is not necessarily the best exercise for targeting your legs. It is advisable to supplement swimming with some land based activity if you want to be toning your legs as well. Perhaps some cycling or even lunges or squats might do the trick.

Secondly… while you will burn calories and get a good workout with swimming, it is not as effective for weight loss as some non water activities. There are many theories on this. One is that you maintain a layer of fat for insulation if you are doing a lot of swimming – as you are typically training in a cool environment. A further theory is that spending time surrounded by cold water increases appetite and therefore you eat more. And finally there is a theory that the body’s metabolism increases at higher body temperatures… and cooling while swimming reduces the metabolic effect of exercise and subsequent amount of food energy burnt.

Roller skates have always been recommended to fitness freaks. They can also be a fun yet eco-friendly form of transportation. Roller skates enable the skater to travel on boots that are generally fitted with three, four or sometimes five wheels. Roller skates have two basic designs:

Quad Roller Skates: A shoe that has been fitted with four wheels on its sole to glide swiftly on a floor.

Inline Skates or Blades: These skates have three, four or even five wheels arranged in single line. Sometimes inline skates feature a rear break.

Roller skating has evolved from a pastime to a sport activity due to its popularity. Roller skating is also recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) as an aerobic fitness sport. Taking long strides can help increase the heart rate and strengthen the back muscles. Studies have shown that roller skating is equivalent to jogging or cycling and engages all of the body’s muscles. You can burn up to 600 calories while skating 10 miles per hour. According to the statistics released by the National Sporting Goods Association, inline skating topped the list of sports that witnessed the greatest growth between 1993 and 1998, in terms of participants. Roller skating is a fun and effective way of participating in fitness activities.

Roller skates have been involved in many sports:

Artistic roller skating: This sport includes several events and is generally performed on quad skates. Artistic roller skating comprise of activities such as figure, dance and freestyle.

* In figure skating, skaters form a series of circles or oval shapes to show accuracy, control and balance.

* In dance skating, the participants are judged on their choreography to music, accuracy of steps, skill and style. Skaters must pay attention to the rhythm and timing of the music to make certain moves.

* Freestyle skating is all about the combination of steps an individual inline skates

* l can perform on music, such as choreographed movements, jumps and spins.

Roller Hockey: Roller hockey can be played using quad skates or inline skates. It is a very fast game. To make the ball more visible, rinks are being built using blue or white pavements.

Inline skating: Inline skating is an aggressive sport, which is basically performed on the streets, parks and sidewalks. .

Roller Derby: Roller Derby is a fast growing sport that has been around for years. It is growing more and more into a high contact ladies’ sport that is very fast paced and very competitive.

Speed Skating: Many skaters enjoy the thrill of the sport of speed skating. You can speed skate on quad skates or inline skates. Many speed skate competitions are held indoors at a skating rink but a lot of races do take place outdoors on closed streets or tracks.

Skating is a fun activity that improves your overall health and does not adversely impact the joints and muscles, unlike running or jogging.

If you are looking for the best range of skates on the market, you need TheSkateAuthority.com. We provide our customers brand name skates and superior customer service at the most competitive prices. Our expert team of experienced professionals is here to understand your need and help you select the best available skate for the sport or activity of your choice.

There are many reasons why a body needs a regular physical fitness routine. Physical activity is any movement that uses energy. Exercise is a structured physical activity that is performed at a specific intensity, for a certain length of time. Performing physical activity on a daily basis is proven to improve a person’s overall well-being.

Over time, a person can see many benefits from performing a regular exercise routine. Both regular exercise and increased physical activity can add years to a person’s life. Health benefits are obtained from increasing the amount of any physical activity performed regularly. Engaging in physical activity provides fitness and health benefits that will improve the following: cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscle endurance, flexibility, body composition, and help avoid disease. Exercise is the best way to burn calories, along with these additional benefits:

- Enhances emotional functioning: Fitness allows an individual to become more tolerant, relaxed, and enthusiastic. Exercise increases oxygen intake, which activates endorphins, or positive hormones. These create a positive feeling. In addition, physical activity helps you feel good about yourself, increasing self-esteem and self-confidence. Fitness makes you feel more motivated; this gives you the ability to create the lifestyle you desire.

- Improves cardiovascular health: Active people have greater endurance and generally exude greater vitality. Cardiovascular exercise improves an individual’s lung capacity. It strengthens a person’s lungs, enlarging their capacity to absorb oxygen and expel waste products. A conditioned heart (and lungs) works efficiently to minimize the risk of heart disease. As the cardiovascular system adapts to more strenuous exercise, the heart rate actually returns to its resting level more quickly after exertion.

- Improves mental functioning: Exercise promotes proper blood flow, which clears the mind and gives the body more oxygen intake with proper circulation. People become more dedicated to their fitness as they discover they’ve gained improved concentration and alertness without boredom and fatigue.

- Increases muscle: Performing exercises, or any physical activity, will help decrease fat tissue and increase muscle tissue. Unexercised muscles deteriorate and become weak. Regular exercise makes the muscular system strong, firm, and defined. Good muscle tone holds bones and organs in their proper places.

- Increases metabolism: Exercise helps increase an individual’s metabolism, allowing the person to burn off more calories. Someone who is in shape is able to burn more calories, even while resting.

- Increases brainpower: Exercise increases the flow of oxygen to the brain. Increasing an individual’s metabolism will provide extra energy for the person to think and concentrate on a tough situation.

- Leaner body composition: Exercise uses up extra fat stored for energy, giving a person a leaner appearance. The individual’s body will achieve a greater muscular look and stronger posture.

- Lowers resting heart rate: The average resting heart rate is 72 beats per minute. Cardiovascular activities strengthen the heart, helping to circulate more blood per beat; this results in a lower resting heart rate. A lower resting heart rate signifies that the cardiovascular system is working efficiently.

- Medical conditions: Exercise reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, and colon cancer. In addition, exercise can help people deal with the stressors associated with having an ailment.

- Reduce fat: Exercise burns calories, reducing an individual’s percentage of body fat. Any extra calories not utilized by the body become fat. Exercising will help burn the extra calories your body does not need to function properly.

- Strengthen bones: Exercise helps develop dense and resilient bones and joints. Fitness offers joints a much wider range of fluid motion, which allows a person’s body to move more freely. Over time, this will lower the discomfort level. Exercise also helps slow, stop, and possibly even reverse the effects of Osteoporosis. Exercise will help strengthen your bones, along with the muscles that support your bones.