Posts from — October 2008

Critics of the Atkins diet have always questioned it’s health validity. When Dr Atkins was called before a Senate committee headed by George McGovern, he was forced to admit that pregnant women following his low carb diet would suffer fetal damage to their unborn babies.

Studies since have found that long term, Atkins dieters do not lose weight more quickly, or keep it off more, over a twelve month period as compared to people following other diets. The initial weight loss is mostly fluid, not fat as is often claimed.

And whilst the high levels of protein and fats, and extremely low level of carbohydrates, appeals to some people’s tastes, for most, it’s unappetizing and doesn’t produce a feeling of well being. As such, it becomes difficult to follow for long periods. Yet it is sold as a ‘way of life’, rather than a diet.

Most seriously, questions raised by Atkins’s death, and the state of his heart health as revealed in the medical report after his death, seemed to give credibility to his critics.

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While the bones meet, there’s as well cartilage, a rubbery, protective layer that controls your joints bend without pain and without. But even out cartilage can’t do this enormous job only. A thin membrane called synovium “provides fluid that lubricates the moving parts put together. While the cartilage wears on the synovium becomes inflamed, the result is mostly “osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.”

In osteoarthritis, the cartilage perhaps weakened to the point that the bone doesn’t rub on bone. These type of arthritis acquires in small stages over the life of a simple result of wear and tear on the joints over the years. Very few people escape some degree of osteoarthritis, although the severity varies widely.

As it’s, as a matter of fact, whether you’ve more than 50 years, you are probably to have at least one joint affected by osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects men and women and so far the most common form of arthritis, with nearly 16 million Americans on the list. [Read more →]

When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T.T. principle as their starting point. The good news is that with a little bit of knowledge anyone can use this principle in designing an exercise program that will help them to become progressively fitter and stronger, and help them lose or control their weight.

If you want to start an exercise program or take your current routine to the next level, you’ll find the information and tips in this article just what you need.

What is the F.I.T.T. Principle?

The F.I.T.T. principle is a basic philosophy of what is necessary to gain a training affect from an exercise program.

Specifically, the letters F.I.T.T. stand for:

• Frequency

• Intensity

• Type

• Time

Here’s what each of these four things stand for:

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Back exercises are often prescribed effectively as an alternative to surgery. Doing daily back exercises can significantly reduce back pain related to a variety of common ailments. However, not every exercise is appropriate for some conditions and certain back exercises may even make the problem worse. This is why it’s important to check with your doctor about which exercises will help or hinder you.

One of the simpler back exercises that you can do is a pelvic tilt. Lie on your back with your feet flat and knees bent. Keep your legs together and cross your arms over your chest and then you are going to tilt your pelvis and push your low back to the floor. Slowly lift your buttocks off the floor as far as you can without straining your muscles. After maintaining the position for about 5 seconds, slowly lower your buttocks back to the floor.

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Who may forget the physique of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the film Pumping Iron when he went on to win his seventh Mr. Olympia? His compounding of size and symmetry was declared by many to be the perfect body.

This bodybuilding physique guided a lot of young boys to start picking up weights and starting off on their own journey to reach perfect bodies.
Moving into ripped and extremely muscular shape is a bit harder than just picking up a dumbbell and beginning to curl, however. It needs intense determination and commitment to both diet and exercise principles.

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