Online Personal Training Blog

Learn The Benefits Of Thinking About Your Health Risks

It doesn’t matter how old you are your future health is largely determined by what you do now. Its never too late to think about your future health risk. Your lifestyle and your habits have a dominant influence on how healthy you are, how healthy you’ll be, how much time you’ll spend in hospitals, and how rapidly faster you’ll age.

There are techniques you can use to prepare for your future health risk. Basically you can complete a questionnaire or analysis about your lifestyle and health habits. Your responses are combined to estimate your likelihood of developing major medical problems such as heart disease and cancer. Other estimate such as your age also may be calculated. These questionnaires have a potentially large role in helping you shape your own personal health program. You should know several things about future health risk analysis:

- The results are only estimates. Even though they’re based on the best medical studies, data are incomplete and may not apply equally to all populations.

- The predictions are only averages. Some people will do better than the tests predict and other worse.

- Any single analysis represents you at one point in time, but your actual risks depend on the changes you make and your average lifetime health habits as well. Regular repeated analysis can reveal your current status and the benefits you’ve achieved through lifestyle changes.

- A good health risk analysis should be based only on those relatively few risk factors that are scientifically well established and associated with major health problems like cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, salt, fat intake, obesity and stress level.

- The health risk analysis provides no benefits unless it results in changes in your health related behaviors. Therefore, these anaylsis are best used as part of a program that not only identifies risk but also educates you, motivates you for a change, provides suggestions and recommendations, and reinforces positive changes.

Your future health risk is about the growing role of health programs that focus attention on prevention of disease and about the use of good health assessment tools. Well designed programs are already having a large effect as far as decreasing human illness. Now check this out, they also reduce medical care costs in the long run.

Grow Up Not Old – The Inside Scoop on the Master Antioxidant

Did you ever see the episode of My Favorite Martian when Ray Walston decided to improve Bill Bixby’s education and undertook to teach him about Geometry? That’s when I learned that a dangling participle looked very much like a triangle suspended in space from the end of a string and it was a belief I held onto for many years. It’s too bad I didn’t show up for all my English classes in high school or I would have dispensed with that misconception about 20 years sooner.

I believed that pork chops were pigs cheeks and spent years wondering what a Venison looked like. And then of course there were free radicals. I don’t recall if anyone in particular besides me is to blame for this, but I always envisioned a free radical as either some heroic freedom fighter or mad terrorist – depending of course on what this particular free radical was being freely radical about. Imagine my surprise – or was is chagrin- to learn that a free radical had more to do with health supplements, aging and antioxidants than politics.

The reality of free radicals is now, to me, far more interesting and more dangerous can the concept of my political jungle fighters ever could be. Free radicals are much closer to home, accumulating in every cell, like a personal landfill, creating toxic waste to degrade my body and health and mind. Aging me. And to think that my routine attempts to be more healthy were contributing factors and vigorous exercise created these nasty little by-products. Had I known I would have watched TV instead.

I’m glad at least that Mother Nature as always, has displayed even more wisdom than my favorite martian, balancing the creation of free radicals that destroy our cells with antioxidants that can scavenge free radicals from our system. Resveratrol is one excellent antioxidant that is usually associated with red wine. It comes from grape skins and seeds. I think of blueberries as a natural antioxidant supplement to our systems, but perhaps the most useful of all the antioxidants – often alluded to as the master antioxidant- is glutathione.

The most interesting thing about glutathione is that is it manufactured within our bodies and present in every cell. How unfortunate that a substance that helps our bodies resist the ravages of time is, itself affected by the same thing, to the tune of a 10-15% reduction of the presence of glutathione in our bodies each ten years, once we cross our twenties. When this was first learned, efforts were made to increase the levels of glutathione with oral supplements, but it seems that it isn’t all that readily absorbed as an oral supplement.

If our levels of glutathione are falling and oral supplements are not effective at replacing them, what’s to be done? Well, an alternative approach is to help the body produce more glutathione on it’s own and following that line of thinking, Dr. Robert Keller has developed a natural supplement called MAX GXL. MAXGXL is a glutathione precursor, a molecule whose presence in the body enables our own natural production. Based on how I felt after only a few weeks taking MAX GXL I can tell you that I felt more alert. My energy levels improved and overall I just felt better than I had in a while.

You won’t find MAXGXL in the drug store. Like many other leading edge products, it’s primarily available through MLM marketers, but you can buy it on a number of different web sites. Checkout the results when you search on the term “MAXGXL-Wholesale” I know that you buy MAXGXL at the wholesale price, without signing up to the network if you look for the chance to do that. You might decide that you want to keep on taking it but like anything else it’s nice to be able to check out a product before you commit to it.

I really like MAX GXL and I love the way I feel taking it, but that’s nothing more than a personal opinion. I’m not a health care practitioner or a medical professional so please don’t mistake anything I’ve said as a way for you to diagnose or treat any kind of illness or symptom. If you have any health care questions – seek the advice of someone who is qualified to answer your questions

Natural Cholesterol Treatments

These days there is so much talk about “keeping your cholesterol low”, but do the majority of people know what cholesterol is? Most folks know it is related to fatty intake and it is bad for your health which is somewhat right.

Cholesterol is a substance which is yellow in color, soft, and it clings to your membranes and cell walls throughout the inside of your body systems. In order to stay healthy your body does need cholesterol, but since your body produces it we definitely do not need to add to it.

There are several things that you can do to keep your cholesterol in check and to keep your body healthy without use of medications unless your cholesterol is critically out of control. some remedies for excess cholesterol have quite a bit to do with lifestyle changes.

To maintain optimum cholesterol levels you can:

Maintain your weight if it is already optimal or decrease you weight if you are overweight. Not only does excess weight cause your cholesterol levels to rise but it also affects the ratio of HDL to LDL cholesterol. higher levels of cholesterol can clog up your blood vessels. Excess fat carried around the abdominal area and is a significant indicator that your cholesterol is too high.

2) Do Regular exercise. Getting regular exercise, ideally four times a week for 30-minutes is a a great way to keep your overall health at optimal condition. Regular exercise has been found to lower your cholesterol. By exercising regularly you are able to enhance your good cholesterol, HDL, and lower your bad cholesterol, LDL. As well, by exercising regularly you will be able to lose weight at a faster rate and to keep your weight maintained once you have lost it. Although some forms of exercise are better than others just concentrate on any form of exercise to get you moving.

Foods that lower cholesterol are:

Fruits, such as mangosteen, grapes, citrus fruits, strawberries, and apples Nuts, such as walnuts and pecans Whole grain cereals Fish Chicken Seeds Olives Lean meats and more.

Higher than normal levels of cholesterol will cause a great deal of destruction to your body. It will cause health complications, such as heart disease and high blood pressure. If you have high cholesterol, consult your doctor about additional ways of lowering your cholesterol. a few lifestyle changes pertaining to weight, exercise, and dietary modifications and you can be healthier sooner than you think. It takes work, patience, self-control and lots of ambition, but it can be done. your cholesterol levels can be returned to good health by following these natural remedies.

Can Workplace Stress Be Managed?

One of the most difficult forms of stress to avoid is workplace stress. You have to go to work and once there you run across many stressing situations. But stress is not totally necessary. As with other forms of stress, there are ways to manage the stress found in the workplace. And if you cannot avoid it, then try to manage it.

Workplace stress is often manifested by everything needing to be completed today. As an example, your boss has already given you dozens of things to do, each with equal importance. Of course, there isn’t enough time to do all of them justice. And in addition, your boss comes and asks about a report or project completed sometime ago and when you get that, here is more work to do. It appears never ending but it is manageable.

Begin to manage the stress by focusing on one task at a time. If you attempt to multi-task you will not be successful as it causes you to constantly change your focus. This takes time and makes extra demands on your brain as you change your thoughts from one task to another and back. Maintaining your focus on a single project helps to keep your thoughts and energy concentrated instead of being scattered by multiple projects

Coworkers are one of the biggest distractions in the workplace. Others will invariably ask for your opinion or assistance with one of their projects. Find a way to fend off these time wasters so as to avoid loss of focus. If you learn to say “no” you can prevent many distractions. This can be highly effective but it may be a good idea to temper that a little like “No, not right now” or “After I’m done here”. This can give you time to complete the task at hand. By the time you finish, they may have found their own solution, but if not then you won’t be losing focus by helping them.

There are times when your concentration just disappears causing many difficulties. You end up staring at the computer screen without being able to figure out what it means or you read the same paragraph over and over without comprehending it. At times like this you aren’t being effective so it is necessary to break your focus before you miss the deadline. Get up and take a walk around the building, go to the restroom, get a drink and when you come back to your desk, you will be refreshed and ready to continue. You will have reduced the stress level and will be able to work effectively.

Learn some desk exercises to reduce stress. Pick up a spongy ball and squeeze it or do some stretches while at your desk. Working your muscles improves circulation and helps keep you alert and aware. Of course, you aren’t going to do a full body workout while sitting at your desk, but a little exercise can help to keep your mind focused.

Lastly, examine your work environment to make sure it is comfortable for you. Is it too noisy? Is your desk the proper height? Are you comfortable? Is everything ergonomically correct? If you want to work without undue distraction you need to be comfortable to prevent more stress. Therefore, your work space needs to be set up just right for you. If you address the little things in your work space you will be able to work more consistently and confidently.

A part of working is stress in the workplace. Using proper stress management techniques can minimize the stress. Once the stress is minimized work becomes more pleasant leading to more productivity. If you take care of yourself and the work area around you first then the stress will not control you.

Sufferers of Degenerative Disc Find Relief with Massage Chair Therapy

People that have a degenerative disc problem can sometimes suffer from lower back pain. In cases where the cervical discs of the spinal column can degenerate. This condition is referred to as degenerative disc disease and affects close 30% of the population between 30 to 50 years old. The cervical discs begin to come into close contact as the degeneration occurs causing pain and discomfort. In a number of chiropractic clinics, massage chairs are being utilized to provide a natural relief to the discomfort of degenerative disc disease.

Why does the pain occur? Let us look at the structure of the spinal column. The spinal column is a vertical row of small round bones that are interconnected. The interconnection provides the ability for the spine to articulate or bend. Down the middle these round bones or vertebrae runs the spinal cord.

The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves that travels from the base of the brain out to the rest of the body. The spinal column itself protects the spinal cord and gives the body flexibility and mobility. Between each of the vertebrae are soft discs. These soft discs are there to cushion the motion between the bones so the bones do not rub directly on each other.

Degeneration of the discs can occur with the wear and tear on the spinal column. This can be caused by aging, misuse or even by smoking. The cervical discs are susceptible to degenerative changes as the stress put on the spine may not be evenly distributed. For example, if you undertake specific activities like weight lifting, you can make small shifts in alignment of your spine which causes the forces to be concentrated in a given area. This can put more degenerative pressure on certain discs or soft tissue areas.

Therefore, some deterioration may occur. The deterioration of the soft tissue separating the vertebrae is reported to cause dull or sharp pains. Massage therapy has been used in conjunction with chiropractic adjustments to help reduce the friction. This also helps to reduce the associated pain between the degenerated discs.

In general, the pain associated with degenerative disc disease is low back pain. The spinal column carries much of the weight of the body. As activity is undertaken, the physical stress is distributed throughout the spine. Normally, the low back experiences more stress and fatigue. With disc degeneration there is a high incidence of inflammation.

Massage chair therapy has been used in two different forms to help relieve the pain associated with degenerative disc disease. A finger press or rolling type of massage is used to alleviate pressure between the discs. Kneading and tapping massages are used to loosen the muscles in and around the spinal column.

The finger press massage puts pressure on each vertebra in the spinal column. This small movement helps to stretch and elongate the soft tissue and muscles around the disc. The rolling is performed up and down the spinal column, disc by disc. This helps to reduce pressure and uneven stress on the spinal column.

Massage chairs perform an invigorating tapping massage. The tapping massage is a rapid succession of quick little blows. The rollers gently invigorate the muscles and loosen up the soft tissue areas. This can help improve blood flow and to relax a muscle group. When the spine is misaligned, then the other muscles must pick up the slack. In addition to their normal load, they must also carry extra weight from a misaligned spine. The tapping massage helps to reduce this tension.

Although massage chair therapy has been successful in certain degenerative discs disease cases, you should consult with your medical provider to find the right treatments for your situation. Massage chair therapy is a convenient and practical alternative to using a masseuse. The convenience and access to these important pain relieving therapies are imperative.

Massage chairs provide an effective massage treatment to help reduce the pain in the lower back. Many massage chairs have incorporated heat therapy, music and even traction systems to provide a range of therapies. All of these are available in the comfort of your home. Imagine that you could get the pain relief you need whenever you want it!

Goal Setting Tips : Differentiating the end and means goal

Practicing goal setting is very important. It’s importance is usually underrated by most people. When you have a target to achieve, it helps you focus on important things, take action and prevent taking unnecessary actions.

As the old saying goes ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail’.

One of the most important thing in goal setting is to make sure you differentiate between end goals and mean goals. When setting goals, make sure you set end goals and not mean goals. End goals are the things that you ultimately want to achieve. Mean goals are used as a means to achieve the end goal.

Let’s take the very common I-want-to-be-rich goal. That should not your end goal because I don’t think that what you’re seeking for is more digits in your bank balance. Rather what you are seeking for is the things that money can give you, such as happiness, security, freedom and taking care of your loved ones.

It’s sad to say that unfortunately many people end up mistaking mean goals as end goals. They end up solely focusing on accumulating more wealth, so much so that even though they eventually have a lot of money, they still end up unsatisfied.

Here is a common story. A young man starts his career in a large corporation with hopes and dreams of making it big someday. He hopes that by earning big money he will have happiness, freedom and security. So he spends the next 20 years working hard to become CEO. He finally achieves it but in the process of getting there, he had to sacrifice his happiness, freedom and time. And even after he becomes CEO he is still as busy and stressed as ever.

So he may have achieved his target, but he sure didn’t get his ultimate goal. You definitely do not want to walk down that path.

For someone to set a goal, give their all, sacrifice and finally achieve it – then finding out later that it did not give them what they had wanted is a very sad thing to happen.

So whenever you set goals, take your time to do it. Do it thoroughly, think it through. You do not want to get it wrong and see all your future efforts go to waste. Make sure you do not mistake mean goals for end goals.

Gaining Self Confidence And The Misconception Of It

I know many people who are trying to gain more self confidence. They are serious about improving themselves and really put in the effort to do it. They will read various books, learn different techniques etc. But looking at their approach to gaining self confidence, I can’t help but have the feeling that they may never achieve what they want.

They will not succeed as long as they do not clear up the misconception they have about gaining self confidence. Most people who are searching ways for gaining self confidence are really doing it with the expectation that by doing all this, one day they will ‘get’ that confidence.

They feel that if they read books on confidence, learn techniques, practice etc, and do it long enough and well enough, they will have that unstoppable self confidence. Only then will they have the courage and ability to take action. They think confidence is like getting promoted. Once you’re promoted, you have more authority. To them, once they have confidence, they have more ability.

Sadly, many people do not realize that the kind of supreme level of confidence they are seeking for DOES NOT EXIST! That’s why no matter what they do, how hard they try etc it’s never gonna happen.

Most people think that the great successful individuals in the world are just naturally supremely confident. People like Tony Robbins, Donald Trump, Tom Cruise etc. Many think if only they have the confidence of these individuals, then they can be just as successful. They think that successful people are naturally confident and 100% sure of themselves.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Regardless of how successful someone is, or how confident they seem to be, no one is without doubts. Everyone has moments where they feel unsure, weak and not confident. So now the question is, if all those successful people have doubts and insecurities like the rest of us, how are they able to be so successful and seem full of confidence?

Now although successful individuals do not have the type of supreme confidence that we thought they have, they do have something else that sets them apart from others.

The difference is that these individuals are aware that absolute confidence cannot be achieved. So unlike many others, they don’t wait until they are confident enough, they don’t wait until they are ready, until they have no doubts, until they are sure of themselves.

Instead, they take action in spite of the uncertainties. They will do as much preparation as they can, and then they go for it. They never seek to be 100% certain first. If they did, they would probably end up never attempting anything at all.

Knowing this is very important as it helps break the barrier to gaining self confidence. When we realize that even successful people have uncertainties and fears, we know that we are just like them. That proves that whatever they achieved can be achieved by us as well.

Nobody can be free of uncertainties. We can never be 100% confident in any situation. Instead we need to take action despite the uncertainties. It is through experience that true confidence is developed.

Do Stretch Mark Creams Work?

Most girls and women have stretch marks in areas around the thighs, breasts, butt and pelvic juncture (where their thighs meet their waist) due to rapid weight changes, sudden height growth and pregnancy. Stretch marks are a result of tissues underneath the skin being suddenly pulled by fast growth and/or stretching of the skin. It is common in adolescent girls and boys due to sudden growth spurts that happen around their age. Stretch marks are often difficult to remove.

Stretch marks are known fade after a while, but they will not be completely removed without the help of effective creams or expensive treatments, such as laser therapy or microdermabrasion treatment.

Collagen is protein which makes up the connective tissues in your skin. Even though skin is fairly elastic, when the skin is overstretched, the normal production of collagen is disrupted. This causes stretch marks, which looks like white scars on the skin. Stretch marks stand out from the rest of the skin, due to their bright white or pinkish/purplish pigment.

You can clear stretch marks with a little patience and determination by rubbing an effective stretch mark cream to the affected areas. Applying firm pressure while massaging the cream to the area will help absorption as well as add pliability to the area and increase circulation, which will help to regulate the pigmentation back to normal. Improvement in the marks and coloration should be seen within a few weeks of using the correct technique when administering the product.

The best natural stretch mark creams in the product today have are very effective in increasing the skins elasticity and thus preventing and treating stretch marks from their root cause, which is the lack of elasticity and sudden stretching or trauma. If you are not convinced, I encourage you to do a little research of your own on stretch mark remedies, and I believe you will find pictures of people who have tried proven creams with outstanding results.

Some common suggestions to improve the appearance of stretch marks are typically to undergo expensive and lengthy therapies advised by your dermatologist. Although they help to lessen the appearance of stretch marks or ‘blend them’ with the rest of your skin rather than remain hyper-pigmented or not pigmented at all.

Another common suggestion will be to use tanning creams or machines to cover up the problem areas. While this does improve the overall appearance, it doesn’t actually remove the stretch marks or remedy the root problem, it just temporarily hides them. It likens itself to treating the symptom instead of the disease itself.

7 Fat Loss Tips You Can’t Do Without

Do you want to lose fat? Have you tried different diets and failed consistently? If you answered yes to these questions, you are in good company. There are a lot of people who have been trying fat loss diets over the years and have failed. The reason they have not succeeded is that they used gimmicks and lose-weight-fast diets that do more damage than good. Here are some sensible things to keep in mind when you try to lose weight.

1. Why are you overweight? Do you have a problem with emotional eating? If that’s the case you need to teach yourself to turn to solutions other than food when you have an emotional difficulty. If you are just not eating right, learn how to eat well and nutritiously. Check with your doctor if you suspect a hormonal imbalance. When you find out what is causing you to gain weight, you can go ahead and find a solution that will encourage fat loss.

2. Decide that from now on you control your food intake. Look for a long term healthy diet that will allow you to live a healthy life. Do not let friends and family pressure you into eating something you shouldn’t eat. Do not let restaurant menus or food in your fridge influence what you will be eating. Eat only what you decide you will be eating in order to attain a healthy lifestyle.

3. Eat frequent meals. Skipping meals and eating irregularly can do strange things to your metabolism. Instead of eating a few big meals each day, consume multiple smaller ones. Every two to three hours is usually good timing for most people. Your metabolism will keep working throughout the day, instead of going through a series of ups and downs. Watch out for snack foods, though. Even though they’re high in fat, it can be much better to snack on nuts than it is to grab a sugary, processed treat out of the vending machine.

4. Eat slowly and savor the food you are eating. When you eat fast, your body doesn’t get a chance to realize that it’s full until you’ve eaten too much. When you chew your food thoroughly you will eat less and enjoy it more.

5. Don’t make huge changes. Many fat loss diets want you to eat totally unfamiliar foods or make big changes in your lifestyle. Those are pretty hard to maintain, and can be frustrating. Instead, start out with small, manageable changes in what you’re already doing. Once you’ve been doing them for long enough that they’ve become a habit, you can move to other healthy changes. Never starve yourself – that can actually make matters worse by lowering your metabolism.

6. Eat a balanced diet and don’t eat processed food. Eating processed food is really bad for you because it is high in fat and sugar. It will cause you to gain weight and put you at risk for diabetes and other physical problems. Foods like lean protein, whole grains, and fruits and vegetables are much better for you and will help you stay healthy in the long run.

7. Drink enough fluids. You need to drink plenty of water, unsweetened teas, and other beverages. It’s better to stay away from caffeine and diet sodas because they will not hydrate you well enough. Not drinking enough can cause you to feel hungry when you are really thirsty, so make sure you are drinking enough throughout the day.

Use Self Affirmations Correctly & Effectively

There’s a lot of talk by people claiming that practicing self affirmations is really effective. That it can really bring positive changes to many different areas of their lives. However, many others do not experience this. They claim that despite practicing self affirmations, they don’t see any results from it.

So why are there 2 opposing opinions? What creates the difference between the 2 groups?

First of all, let us understand what self affirmation is. Self affirmation is the practice of repeatedly affirming what you desire to have. This is done in a way similar to reciting to chanting your affirmations. There’s no limit to what you can affirm for. You can do self affirmations for almost anything.

This is an example of a self affirmation;

- “Everyday in every way I am getting healthier and healthier”

Or just use a simple “I am becoming more…..”. You don’t necessarily need to use “everyday in every way”.

Use ‘I am’, ‘I can’ and ‘I will’ statements to make affirmations. For example “I am healthy” or “I can achieve my goal” etc.

What Makes Affirmations Work?

Practicing self affirmations can work because of the power of intention. Though it seems so, affirmations are not just all talk and no action. Chanting affirmations is a signal of your intent. You are declaring your intention to everyone and everything in the universe.

When you vividly imagine something, the brain cannot differentiate between imagination and reality. The more intense and real you make your imagination; the more likely your brain will accept it as reality. Same as when you chant affirmations. Do it with intensity and with emotion while visualizing it and your brain would accept it as reality too. This is why self affirmations work.

The more you repeatedly chant the affirmations, the more ‘real’ it becomes to the brain.

So what makes it not work for some people?

So why is it many people say that self affirmations are ineffective? Is it because the power of intention is not real? Or does the brain actually feel that what you’re affirming does not reflect the truth?

There are basically 2 reasons why people don’t see any results from practicing self affirmations.

First of all it is because they are doing the affirmations the wrong way, without any power, passion, intensity or emotion. If you chant affirmations in a weak and non-enthusiastic manner, it will never work. That statement will not be accepted by your brain or the universe. There is no power of intention in it. Don’t practice affirmations just for the sake of it, don’t just go through the motions with it. Do it correctly, which is with belief and power.

The second reason is due to lack of congruency after practicing the affirmation. After the doing the affirmation, you must also put in your effort to make it work. You must try your best to be congruent with it.

We should always adopt this mind-set when practicing affirmations. Affirmations should not be thought of as the end all solution for any problems. Rather, effort and determination on our part is required to ensure that practicing self affirmations can indeed be effective and useful.