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Kettlebell Safety Tips

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Kettlebell workouts are pretty awesome. They engage multiple muscle groups and burn a lot of calories. But in order to make the most of your workouts, there are some key safety tips to keep in mind.
Choose the right kettlebell
The first step to using kettlebells safely is picking the right one, and there are a few things to keep in mind are you start browsing. Firstly, you need to pick the right weight for you. To do so, we recommend going to your local fitness store so that you can get a feel for each weight and get the advice of a sales associate. As a rule of thumb, men tend to go too heavy and women tend to go too light. Remember: you want to push yourself, but not hurt yourself!
You'll also want to get a kettlebell that is the right size for you. The handle should be wide enough so that you can grip it with both hands without having them overlap.
The worst thing that can happen in buying the wrong kettlebell is that you'll hurt yourself. The second worst thing is that your kettlebell goes flying across the room during a swing and hurts someone else. To avoid this kind of catastrophe, buy a kettlebell that is moulded from one continuous piece of material. Some kettlebells are two pieces: the ball and the handle. Steer clear of those ones. You don't want your kettlebell to break apart mid-workout!
Make sure your back is in the right position
During a kettlebell workout, your hips, not your back, should absorb the force of the kettlebell. To do so, your back should be in a neutral spine position. Dummies.com has the following tips for getting into the neutral spine position so that you protect your precious back:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms down at your sides; focus your eye gaze on a point about six feet in front of you on the floor to keep your neck and head position neutral.
2. Reach your hips back as if you're reaching back for a chair, and let your arms follow your hips back.
3. If you're in the right position, you look like you're getting ready to take a vertical leap in the air.
4. Look in the mirror; if you achieved neutral spine, you have a nice, natural S curve in your spine (in other words, your back isn't rounded).
Learn proper breathing
Proper breath work is essential for using a kettlebell safely. As I said above, it's important to minimize the amount of force that you exert on your spine. To protect your spine, you need to use your breath to tighten your abdominal muscles, a technique called abdominal bracing. To master this technique, take some time to practice breathing in and out with your hands on your abdomen. Get a sense of how you can tighten your abdominals as you breathe out. This might be a little different from what you're used to doing, but you'll get the hang of it quickly!

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Important Information - on Workout Accessories

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Exercising is an efficient way of keeping your body fit and toned up. With the right amount of exercises, you will stay healthy and have a better lifestyle. Using the right amount of accessories can improve your exercising routine and give you better results in a short span of time. However, using the wrong tools or equipment's can lead to equally devastating consequences. Therefore it is essential to use the right types of equipment while exercising.
What are the crucial aspects of exercising tools?
What should be the most important aspects to look for while using assisting equipment while exercising? Firstly, the equipment must not stain your body. They should provide a little amount of resistance so that you can shed a few more inches in a quick time frame. Secondly, the workout accessories should be strong enough to hold your body. Thirdly, they must provide some amount of comfort while exercising. Uncomfortable tools or equipment can cause severe health damage.
List of important accessories:
After discussing the necessary aspects of workout accessories, you must have understood that this equipment must be selected very carefully. Here is the list of some standard accessories that you can use safely in your home gym.
· Punching Bag:
Punching bags are some of the most commonly found accessories in a gym. A session of around fifteen to twenty minutes on a punching bag can burn up to 150 calories. A good workout on this equipment relieves the stress and works as a good cardiovascular training session. You can start your exercises on the punching bag with a session of 60 seconds workout and a 30 seconds rest period. Later on, you can gradually increase the exercise period to two minutes with the rest time of a minute.
· Using Kettle Bells:
These heavy balls of mass can burn a lot of calories leading to super toned muscles. Also, an exercising session with these Kettle Bells can improve the core strength of the body. You can find this equipment in several weight measurements. You should select the ones that you can lift with little difficulties. Choosing a more substantial set of Kettle Bells, during a workout can lead to sore muscles. In extreme cases, the problem of muscle tear might come up.
· Pull up stand:
Using a pull-up stand while exercising, can help you in building strong muscles. While applying on this tool, you can strengthen a different set of muscles. It gives you full body training and stronger core muscles. For example, if you are regularly performing widespread grip chin-ups, the latissimus dorsi muscles on your body have a full workout. Also, the rear deltoids muscle gets in better shape.
Using the right equipment helps in making the exercise session more fruitful and engaging. Your body works an extra mile because of it leading to quicker results. But before engaging an add-on tool for exercising, check if it's suitable for you and your body type. Some of the standard equipment, while exercising is a punching bag, kettlebells, and pull-up stand.

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5 Great Reasons --- to Use Resistance Bands

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5 Great Reasons to use Resistance Bands
In the world of sport and exercise, you soon realize that success in these areas starts with consistency. If you want to see results from the exercises that you do or the sport you play you have to be consistent. That means not skipping out on training. With the jet-set lifestyle, we live nowadays it makes it hard to keep to any training plan. We can't carry our gym equipment around with us when travelling and there isn't always a gym available in some cases. That brings us to the first great reason for using them.
Reason #1:
Resistance bands are lightweight and can easily be pushed into a travel bag or even hand luggage. This means we can carry them when travelling. They are also very flexible and can be squeezed into any free space, so long as there are no sharp items to damage them.
Reason #2:
The intensity of a training session with resistance bands is limited only to your imagination. If it feels too easy you can increase the number of resistance bands you use. Almost every exercise that is performed and the way you set the resistance bands will cause you to engage your core muscles which will strengthen them.
Reason #3:
When using weights, you are always aware of gravity. The more weight that is lifted increases the risk in gravity winning that rep. When fatigue sets in and the weights are in an elevated position, gravity wins again. To work safely with weights it is a good practice to have a spotter. With resistance bands, gravity is far less a factor. If the resistance of the band is too great you can stop without gravity winning. A spotter is not a requirement when using this item.
Reason #4:
The environment that is needed has very little limits. The limit would be that you need somewhere to attach the bands on to something secure. This isn't for all exercises but there are many that you do need to attach one end of the band to a secure anchor. If there is a doorway with a door that closes your problem is solved. Another item you can attach the band to is a pole. The resistance band is extremely versatile. In almost any environment you can do; warm-up exercises, muscle resistance training, plyometric exercises, and cardio.
Reason #5:
They are comparatively inexpensive compared to weights. When using weights, if you want to increase the resistance, more weight must be purchased. With resistance bands, you can use a number of ways to increase the resistance. It's more economical to buy an extra band than to buy an extra weight. With a band, you can shorten the band to increase resistance or stand further away from the anchor point. Once again you are only limited by your own imagination.
These are 5 great reasons for trying resistance bands out. The versatility of this item makes it very popular for professionals and beginners in the sporting and exercise fields.

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The Many Benefits Of Good Posture

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Having good posture is an important part of remaining healthy. IT helps you avoid back pain and premature wear on your bones improves lung performance, and much more. In this article, we will explain what good posture is before explaining the many benefits that it provides.
What is good posture?
Posture is the form that your body takes when you are sitting, standing, and laying down. Maintaining "good" posture is positioning your body so there is less strain placed upon your body's muscles and ligaments when in these positions.
It requires your body to be as close to its natural shape as possible. So if you are sitting down, this would mean:
  • Keeping your chin up and looking forward
  • Keeping your shoulders back (not slouching)
  • Bending your knees at a right angle
  • Keeping your feet flat on the floor
  • Keeping your back straight enough that all 3 natural curves of the spine are present.
Sitting with good posture distributes weight more evenly across your muscle groups - helping you avoid neck, shoulder and back pain. It also allows you to comfortably work for longer periods and avoid some serious long-term health problems.
Having a chair with lumbar support will help you maintain good back posture.
What are the benefits of good posture?
Protects your future health
Having good posture will keep your joints correctly aligned, protecting the joint surfaces from abnormal wear-and-tear. By preventing this type of wear-and-tear, you can lower your risk of various illnesses including arthritis and the postural hunchback.
It makes it easier to breathe
The diaphragm is a large muscle that is responsible for respiration. When the diaphragm moves, it changes how much pressure there is within the thorax - causing air to either enter or exit the lungs.
Posture affects breathing because it changes how much room the diaphragm has to move. If you are slouched in a chair or while walking, the diaphragm cannot contract or expand as easily, preventing you from taking deep breaths. As soon as you correct your posture, you will immediately notice how much easier it is to breathe. This is a particularly useful benefit for anyone who has a health condition that affects their breathing.
Can help prevent back pain
Developing good posture can eliminate back pain caused by stressed muscles and poor joint alignment. It does so by actively reducing the strain placed on the muscles and joints by spreading the weight across the entire body. This ensures that certain muscles or joints are not overworked or damaged.
Over time, having good posture will even improve the alignment of your spine, which will improve the condition of your back and reduce the risk of back injuries. You will be less likely to suffer from herniated discs, muscle strains or other back problems.
Improved physical performance
Good posture requires the use of more muscle groups. Not only does this reduce the chances of straining a single muscle, but it can also lead to an improvement in overall physical performance. Having the ability to engage muscles more evenly will help you perform better during daily activities and any sports that you play.
Strengthens the core
If you have already made improvements to your sitting posture, you will have noticed that your abdominal muscles feel more engaged. Your abdominals will be "sharing the load" with your back muscles as they keep your torso stable. The more you improve your posture, the stronger your core will get, thus improving the alignment of your spine, reducing stress on your back muscles, and improving your mobility.
Makes you look more attractive
Have you ever seen an actor or actress on a talk show? Did you notice how impeccable his or her posture was? Actors and actresses concentrate on having good posture because they understand how much it affects their appearance. By sitting tall in their seat and keeping their chin up, they will look much more beautiful or handsome to the viewers at home. You will gain the same benefits as you improve your posture.
Improved digestion of food
Sitting or standing with good posture will ensure your internal organs are in their natural position. This makes it easier for the body to digest food and perform other important functions like maintaining good blood circulation.
Can improve your mood
Researchers from the University of San Francisco have discovered that having good posture can help improve a person's mood. They found that improved posture could also increase energy levels and reduce the risk of mental illnesses like depression.
Improving your posture can deliver some amazing benefits to your health and lifestyle. If you are interested in developing good posture, talk to a chiropractor or general practitioner. You can also use online resources like NHS choices to learn more.

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Simple Ways To Prevent Your Liver From Wrecking

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The liver is a large meaty organ that sits in the abdomen of vertebrates. Its primary function includes the excretion of hormones and drugs, enzyme activation, metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates and much more. To keep it healthy is a key to live a disease free life. As a liver disease can be as far as worse that call for the transplant and damage other organs as well. However, there are some easy ways you can opt to prevent the condition. So, what are we waiting for? It's always better safe than sorry, so, let's dig into these preventive tips that you should keep in mind to prevent any wreck to your liver.
· Watch Your Alcohol Intake: The liver is an important body organ that performs vital functions and alcohol has the power to damage some of its cells after the filtration of the alcohol every time. Therefore, you should say "No" to it, or at least you can limit its quantity to prevent a number of liver diseases.
· Say Yes To More And More Glasses Of Water: Water is important to keep the liver healthy and ensure its smooth functioning. It'll help to flush the bad toxins out of your body and filter it properly, which ensure its good health. Thus, you should have water on a regular basis in an adequate quantity, as per your body type. It'll not only prevent a number of liver diseases but also keeps you healthy.
· Get Moving: If you are the one whose miles away from the exercise, so, it's high time to incorporate it into your lifestyle. You should do some sort of exercise on a regular basis to keep your body moving. It is not only good for your muscles or bones but also keeps your liver healthy and away from a number of diseases or infections.
· Have A Balanced Diet: It is always good to watch out what you are having, as it plays a vital role in making or breaking the health of your liver. You should moderate your diet accordingly to ensure that all you are having doesn't leave any wrong impact on your liver or overall body.
These are a few good habits you can and you should incorporate into your daily routine, to ensure that the liver or any other disease stays miles away from you. It is always good to be careful about your health, as it is the key to live a happy life.

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Never Kiss A Parrot

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Beware pets that can become health pests!
Because if you give him an unwanted peck, he might give you Psittacosis. Whazzat? That's another way of spelling 'fatal attraction'... And while you're about it, you might as well also watch out for (Ouch!) pussy's claws, (Scratch, scratch!) leaping fleas, and (Eeeagh!) hairy-scary caterpillars...
If you are suddenly besieged by high fever, chills and a splitting headache, you'll probably think you have malaria. Or even pneumonia. So might your doctor. Then he might embark upon a whole lot of anti-malarial drugs - even those for resistant malaria. You won't get better, so he'll switch over to strong antibiotics. Again, no go. Then you'll both beat your foreheads in frustration. But, finally, if your physician is perceptive enough, he'll ask you if you've got a bird. You'll answer in the affirmative. Suddenly, his face will light up with a 'Eureka' expression. He'll have just realized you're suffering from Psittacosis.
Come again, you say, Psittacosis. It's a disease that is passed on to man by birds. When parrots and parakeets are the culprits, sorry, carries, Ornithosis, is the word used. Other birds that carry this disease are pigeons and poultry (although it's quite rare to get the disease from hens). Apart from the symptoms already mentioned, you could get a harsh, dry, intermittent cough and occasionally bring up a little sputum and even blood. There is generalized body ache and the back and neck muscles could become stiff and painful, so the condition could even be mistaken by doctors for meningitis. Some patients feel tired, listless and depressed and complain of insomnia as well. With such a wide range of possible symptoms, it's easy to see how doctors can be misled. Especially when you consider that there could be even further complications of this illness - including pleurisy with effusion or water in the lungs, inflammation of the heart muscles or myocarditis membrane or pericarditis. The malady could even prove fatal. Actually kissing parrots, not washing your hands after handling birds (and their feeding dishes) before you sit down to lunch, and staying in extremely close proximity to them could make you a victim of psittacosis a week or two after contact, that's how long the incubation period is. Occasionally, however, you could just get a mild 'flu-like indisposition which might pass off by itself.
But why take chances? The disease can be diagnosed by getting an x-ray done; this shows a pneumonia-like picture. There is also protein in the urine. But the confirmatory test is a blood culture which reveals the causative bacteria. Otherwise, the overall picture of the disease can be confusing, since Psittacosis could be mistaken for Tuberculosis and Infectious mononucleosis as well as the other conditions listed above. Tetracycline is the best drug for this disease.
BEWARE OF PUSSY'S CLAWS!
Chances are you've heard of an ailment called cat Scratch disease, but is there really such a thing? Yes, there is, rare though it may be. All you need is a cat, sharp claws, some provocation and - OUCH! She's raked her nails into you! What happens next? A tiny, pimple-like swelling may appear at the site of the scratch, approximately three to ten days later. Two weeks after this, the lymph glands in the neck (or armpits or groin) become swollen and painful. Very often, this is all that happens. But in some patients, there may also be high fever, headache, nausea, and exhaustion. Only five percent develop a body rash that resembles measles.
A skin test confirms the diagnosis. A biopsy of the swollen gland may also be done as additional confirmation.
This ailment cannot be transmitted from one person to another, so there's no need to isolate the sufferer. Usually, no treatment is needed, apart from giving medicines for the fever. The outcome is excellent. The swollen glands disappear spontaneously in two to six months. The subsequent immunity to this disease lasts a lifetime. On the whole, this is a very rare disease, so you needn't throw out your poor feline.
WATCH OUT FOR THOSE LEAPING FLEAS
One can get a skin irritation from the fleas of dogs, cats, and rats. Several people show no response to a flea bite, but in those who are sensitive, the flea's saliva causes a tiny, raised, reddish swelling. There is intense itching, so they scratch the affected area, again and again, introducing infection into the skin, which ulcerates or develops pustules. This condition is known as Flea Dermatitis. One can control the fleas by keeping the house and all pets scrupulously clean (oneself too!), regularly delousing one's pets and their beds with powders or by using flea collars. The dermatitis is treated with soothing creams and anti-allergy pills.
STAY AWAY FROM MR. CATERPILLAR!
Caterpillars do seem to appear in the most unexpected places - like the chair in which you're just about to sit, or on your sweater hanging out on the clothesline! Before you can say 'hairy horror', one has brushed against you. And left its stinging bristles deeply embedded in your skin. You feel a terrific burning pain in the area. Redness and urticaria (hives) develop. And the more you scratch, the deeper you push the hairs in. some enterprising victims employ dough, which is rolled in a to-and-fro motion over the area. Let me tell you an even better method, a sure-fire one - using sticking plaster. Just fix a strip of it to the skin where the hairs are embedded, press, lift off one end and pull sharply - presto, all the bristles come out and the itching soon subsides.
If left alone, the inflammation usually subsides in 24 hours, but in some people, a severe allergy develops which may have to be treated with I.V. Calcium Gluconate. In less serious cases, anti-allergy pills and soothing creams help after the hairs have been pulled out.



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3 Tips To Reaching Your Health and Fitness Goals With A Busy Lifestyle

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Life has this sneaky way of creeping in and throwing curve balls left and right. Life will always happen. There will always be a busy day at work or family problems or relationship highs and lows or sick children. Once a conflict arises, it seems like health and fitness routines go haywire. We seek comfort food or we just don't feel like moving. These are the things that help us stay clear and balanced in both body and mind though! So what do we do when conflict smacks us in the face (and it happens to everyone so if you're reading this - you're not alone)? Avoiding the conflict is not reasonable because we can't always control what comes at us. Figuring out how to navigate through any issues is what needs to happen to stay on track.
I think so many times we approach health and fitness goals with an "all or nothing" mindset. For example, you might think your day is ruined because you veered off of your diet with an unhealthy meal or snack. Or, you decided not to workout today because you couldn't do the allotted 60 minutes that you had planned for. Instead of doing something, you may have chosen nothing at all. You gave up on day two of 30 days of clean eating. Do any of those sound familiar? It doesn't have to be all or nothing and something is better than nothing. My tips below might give you some perspective on how to reach your health and fitness goals even when life throws you a curve ball.
My philosophy is to nourish, movement, mindset. If we can work on nourishing our bodies, moving them mindfully and maintaining a healthy attitude, we can function a little better day by day, week by week, month by month and eventually get into the healthy habits on a regular basis that we need to achieve total body balance.
1. Nourish.
Focus on one small thing at a time. Start simple and work from there. Don't expect to change your eating habits overnight. Small changes executed day after day, week after week and so on can lead to a really big change. So pick one small nutrition action and practice it for one to two weeks before adding in a new change.
Examples: Work on portion control (without regard to food quality), add one colorful food in at each meal, take 15 minutes to meal prep tomorrow's healthy food or omit your sugary after dinner snack (swap it out with a healthy alternative). You could eat slowly and chew your food completely or focus on balancing your meals so that you have protein, carbohydrate, and fat at each meal. Omitting processed foods at one to two meals per day is also another great option. These are just some examples but it's up to you to figure out which little step you can take to improve your nutrition.
2. Movement.
Take advantage of the time that you DO have. Carve out space in the small pockets of your time. We get fixated on time so often that we don't realize that a little is always better than nothing. For example, it's so easy to think that you have to do a workout for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Wouldn't 15 minutes of that workout be better than nothing though? The answer is yes! So squeeze in what you can, when you can.
Get unconventional. Maybe you don't have time to get in a "workout". Do what you can with what you've got. Maybe you take the stairs that day instead of the elevator. Park in the parking space furthest away from the building (gasp!) to get some extra steps in. Stand up from your desk and walk around for a minute every 15 or 20 minutes. Run around at the playground with your kids. The movement doesn't always have to be in the form of a straight up 30 minute HIIT workout. It can be moving and active - outside or inside. What are the ways that you could get in some more movement?
Move mindfully. Pay close attention to your body and what it's trying to tell you. Your body and energy levels will fluctuate day by day to take advantage of more vigorous workouts when you can and also add in active recovery, lighter workouts or even yoga or stretching when necessary.
3. Mindset.
Don't give up. Don't throw in the towel on eating right and moving your body. It seems easy to take the "all or nothing" approach but that's not necessary. Something is always better than nothing. Don't beat yourself up! Life ebbs and flows for everyone. Take a look at where you're at right now and what you can make work right now.
The most important thing is to honor where you're at. Only you know what you're capable of at this point in your life. Make sure the small steps you take are 100% doable for you and your lifestyle. Small steps over time can add up to big change.



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