Do You Know These 5 Common Myths About Exercise and Weight Loss?

Exercise is an important component of the weight loss process, but we need to know the truth about what exercise can and cannot do for us. Here are some of the most common exercise and weight loss myths.

Myth #1 Do not eat before a workout

This is one of the most intriguing myths for me as I have been told that you should have at least a small snack before you exercise. The snack is eaten to provide your body with a ready supply of glucose and the energy that you need for your workout. Food needs to be digested and absorbed before it can provide you with fuel, so large meals need to be eaten 3-4 hours before a workout and lighter snacks 1-2 hours before.

One to two hours before exercise, you can try eating breakfast cereal with milk, liquid meal supplements, cereal bars, yogurt and fruit. If you have less than one hour before you exercise and you need a quick energy burst, try cordial, jelly lollies or sports drinks. This may not be suitable for everybody though. The increase in insulin in response to the increased blood sugars can make your blood sugar drop too low causing fatigue, shakiness and dizziness. You will need to experiment to find out what works for you.

If you exercise in the morning like I do, you should only have a light snack before exercising. I actually prefer not to eat before I exercise so it is really an individual preference and a case of discovering what works for you.

Myth #2: Crunches will get rid of your belly fat

Unfortunately you cannot chose where you are going to lose fat on your body and that includes belly fat. For fat loss you need to combine a good healthy eating plan, cut out any processed foods including sweet drinks, and do a combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Crunches and other strength training exercises will help to tone you up so that you build lean, toned muscle.

Myth #3 Strength building will make women bulk up

A normal strength building plan using light weights, will not make you bulk up if you are a woman. Female body builders spend many dedicated hours in the gym lifting seriously heavy weights. If you keep your program to using light weights with more repetitions (as opposed to fewer repetitions using heavier weights), you will not bulk up.

Keep in mind that a pound of fat takes up at least twice the volume of a pound of muscle. If you lose a pound of fat, but gain a pound of nice lean muscle, you will weigh the same, but your measurements will decrease. This is why it is very important to measure yourself and possibly more important than looking at the numbers on the scales.

Myth #4 When you exercise, fat turns into muscle

This is actually a physical impossibility because fat and muscle are two completely different tissues. It is like saying that an apple can be turned into an orange. They are both fruits but you cannot turn one into the other. When you lose weight and exercise, you lose fat and increase nice lean muscle. Similarly, when you stop exercising, the lean muscle starts to waste away and if you do not eat less, you will start to put on weight (fat). Hence the illusion that muscle is turning into fat.

Myth #5 Muscle burns more calories than fat

This is a very interesting topic of discussion and it is not actually a myth. The reason why I included it is because we don't really know if muscle burns enough calories to make a great deal of difference if we are trying to lose weight. It is very difficult to measure metabolic changes after exercise, and studies vary between 6 calories up to 35 extra calories per pound of muscle for men who lift weights. Whatever we burn, this does not discount the importance of doing weight training to keep our muscular system strong and lean.

While exercise is a very important component of your weight loss plan, it is not the most important part. The most important part is to find a healthy eating plan for weight loss that you can follow. 70% of your success will be achieved through what you eat and 30% through exercise, although exercise plays an essential role in helping you to maintain your weight.

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Easy Exercises for Weight Loss

What do you think is more important: to lose weight or to lose fat? That's indeed a confusing question as people often fail to understand the exact differences between losing weight and losing fat. Whilst dieting alone might seem to be the best means to lose fat, it will also lead to muscle loss. The higher is the percentage of muscles in the body, the quicker you burn fat. Therefore, whenever you are initiating a fat loss program, it would be important for you to exercise and indulge in different forms that would help you in burning calories and building lean muscles. It is important to keep this thought in mind, as there are some exercises that would help you in reaching the goal even quickly.

Cross training is one of the most preferred exercise forms to lose fat. You would have to combine aerobic exercises with strength training for reducing fat content of the body. This would result in gradual, yet steady fat loss.

Weight lifting is also a good way of building muscles and increasing the fat burning rate of the body. You can chose to visit a gym to learn about weight lifting, or you may choose to be a member of different clubs and organizations having such facilities. Today there are many ergonomic weight lifting machines and equipments that have been ergonomically designed to isolate the individual muscles in groups to make sure that these muscles work effectively.

Your muscles would require some time to convalesce after lifting sessions. Therefore, each muscle group should be worked out very carefully, emphasizing on the specific requirements. If you are working on the arms today, work on the legs tomorrow, and make this a cycle. Your muscles would require at least 48 hours rest for repairing themselves and before taking up the next workout.

Indulge in cardiovascular workouts and exercises. When you want to lose fact in the quickest way, you must include aerobic workouts for at least thrice a week. During your aerobic sessions, the heart rate increases dramatically, thus flooding the muscles and the body with adequate oxygen while raising the metabolism.

Always pick up the best possible cardiovascular workouts for yourself, as these are fun and would keep you well motivated too. You may join the step aerobics classes or take a job as well. As an alternative, you can combine different types of aerobic workouts for keeping yourself motivated and for preventing boredom too.

Cardiovascular exercises work really well for fat loss. There are many motivating exercise forms, such as step aerobics or jogging that can keep you going. You can also combine different forms of cardiovascular exercises to keep yourself away from boredom. Treadmill, stair-stepper and elliptical trainer are all good forms of cardiovascular exercises for losing fat. Remember, if there are any exercise forms that can keep up the heart rate, it will be the best for you to burn fat and lose weight at the same time.

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Exercise and Weight Loss - Part 2 - The Use of NEAT To Help Weight Loss

Is Exercise Needed For Weight Loss? Will it actually help you lose pounds? Can sedentary individuals actually add significant muscle mass? Can you change your diet and accomplish time consuming exercise at the same time? Do you feel guilty not exercising like you skinny friends? These are some significant and controversial issues.

My previous posting reviewed the benefits of exercise, the problems with trying to make an Olympic athlete out of a couch potato, and what is really realistic. Here is more about a new concept- NEAT which may help sort out some of these issues and change the dieter struggling to lose weight and becoming discouraged by inability to exercise.

NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) is the new secret to weight loss.

You don't need to beat yourself up at a gym to lose all the weight you want
All you need to do is some life style exercises
You don't have to exercise like an athlete to lose weight.
Just add some NEAT a day
Overweight and thin people have different NEAT's
How you can change to NEAT and not even notice it.
Stop feeling quilty about not exercising like an sports fiend.

What is NEAT?: Increasing Your NEAT Can Make You Lean

Dr. James A Levine from the Mayo Clinic recently coined a new term from his measurements of daily activity: NEAT ( for non-exercise activity thermogenesis) to describe the calorie burning that is associated with daily activities including walking, cleaning, cooking, driving a car and even sex. (Thermogenesis is the scientific word for calorie burning). Increasing you NEAT activities just a few minutes a day can help you lose weight and improve all of your metabolic parameters like blood pressure, heart rate, and cholesterol. It will truly prolong your life.

Dr Levine divides NEAT into 2 types:

Occupational NEAT represents those calories burned doing one's occupation. A highly ambulatory or strenuous job like a package delivery man or a construction worker burns 1000 calories a day, while most of us with sedentary jobs only burn 100-200 calories a day. Remember, being busy is not the same as strenuous. A good definition of a strenuous job means that 75% or more of the day's work occurs outside a building or vehicle.

Non-occupational NEAT are those calories burned doing our daily activities, excluding those related to occupation. Dr Levine found that thin people even with sedentary jobs spend 150 minutes more a day on their feet than overweight people and overweight people spend 160 minutes more than thin people sitting.

This is not a genetic change in obesity people because it happened only in the last 20-30 years but an adaptation to the sitting environment. Some people like to sit more than others.

What are the thin people with sedentary occupations doing?

They are fidgeting, standing on their feet instead of sitting, climbing steps instead of using the elevator, going from room to room- often with little purpose, cleaning, watering the yard, cleaning their car. They get out of their car, instead of going to drive- through restaurants, banks, and even pharmacies. They will walk instead of taking the motorized walkways.

The overweight person, has learned to do daily tasks with the least amount of effort. Instead of getting up from his feet to get a file 4 feet away, he will slide his chair, or ask a colleague to grab it for him.

.Increasing Your NEAT Makes You Lean:

Increasing calories burned by doing Lifestyle Exercises when both working and not working is clearly the answer to many people's weight problem lies.

Lifestyle exercise can actually assist weight loss and, more specifically, help through plateaus. The addition of small amounts of physical activity to daily routine can improve many aspects of health. Moreover, such improvements can be experienced by virtually everyone, regardless of age, sex, or physical ability. They will not require great commitments or an enormous amount of will power.The allowing are some of the additional benefits of regular lifestyle exercises.

Strengthens the cardiovascular system

The term "cardiovascular system" refers to heart and blood vessels. Cholesterol buildup in arteries can cause strokes and heart attacks. Regular physical activities prevent this from happening in three different ways:

o Lower the buildup of bad cholesterol (LDL) in arteries by increasing the concentration of good cholesterol (HDL)

o Prevent the onset of high blood pressure if you are at increased risk of developing this condition

o Lower your blood pressure if yours is already high

Keeps bones and muscles strong

Regular physical activities are one of the best methods to prevent osteoporosis and strengthen your muscles. Choose lifestyle exercises that bear your body's weight, such as walking and jogging.

Can help to break through plateaus

Physical activities will help to increase metabolism again after the normal slowing that accompanies weight loss.

Prevents and manages diabetes

Regular physical activities, coupled with weight loss, are important ways to control blood sugar. Exercise helps insulin work and can lower blood sugar.

Eases depression and manages pain and stress

Regular physical activities can help fight depression by activating the neurotransmitters (chemicals used by nerve cells to communicate with one another) serotonin and norepinephrine. Exercise also stimulates the production of endorphins, other neurotransmitters that produce feelings of well being.

Reduces your risk of certain types of cancer

Regular physical activities may help lower the risk of cancers of the colon, prostate, uterus, and breasts.

Helps sleep

A good night's sleep helps maintain physical and mental health. Moderate physical activities at least three hours before bedtime can help to relax and sleep better at night.

Helps prolong life

Regular physical activities definitely prolong life expectancy.

There are many benefits that can come from regular physical activity. Here are the four things to know about the role that exercising plays (or does not play) in a weight loss program:

1. "Lifestyle" exercises are equally or more effective than structured aerobic or weight lifting exercise for weight loss.

2. Having an idea about the calories really burned during exercises permits you to understand the effort it takes to burn off the calories of bad food choices.

3. Exercise plays only a minimal role in short-term weight loss; the obsession with hours of working out in gyms often diverts attention from what is really important-the foods that one eats.

4. Diet and/or exercise cannot remove genetically determined fat deposits in most individuals.

Examples of Lifestyle Exercises

o Taking the stairs instead of the elevator

o Parking the car at the far reaches of the parking lot

o Getting off the bus a stop early and walking the distance to your destination

o Walking or biking on errands

o Delivering a message in person in an office, instead of by e-mail

o Walking your dog an extra block

o Doing yard work

Walking as a NEAT Exercise

For a more formal lifestyle exercise program, try walking. Most of us have the equipment with us to do this every day, even when traveling. Walking costs nothing and can take as little as a few minutes. Even walking for ten minutes several times a day can help stimulate weight loss and, more importantly, will improve your cardiovascular health.

However, there are some challenges associated with walking, as your ability or willingness to be outdoors may be affected by the weather, pollution, or safety concerns. And remember, just because you are sweating does not mean that you are burning calories. It could simply be hot outside! Most people vastly overestimate the amount of calories they burn while walking. Here are three easy methods to quickly estimate the calories you are burning while walking

Use a pedometer, measures steps: 1000 steps =1/2 mile=50 calories

Measure out distance in your neighborhood: 1 mile= 100 calories

Factor of "4:" multiply time you walk in minutes x 4 = calories burned

*Depends on height, weight, fitness level, terrain, clothing, temperature,

Richard L. Lipman M.D., a board certified internist and endocrinologist has been treating weight and metabolic problems for 25 years in his Miami office. His recent book, The 100 Calorie Secret, describes how thousands of his patients lost weight and kept it off. Learn more weight loss and tips from a doctor who actually takes care of metabolic problems and obesity problems at [http://www.100calorie-secret.com].

Read part 1 about Exercise and Weight Loss: http://ezinearticles.com/?Exercise-and-Weight-Loss---An-Unbiased-View&id=3364736

Exercise And Weight Loss

While the majority of people recognize that exercise is necessary to effective natural weight loss, many are uncertain as to what kind of exercise they should do to get the best results. Many exercise experts disagree on what kind of exercise is best. This disagreement seems to stem from a lack of complete information regarding exercise physiology coupled with the fact that different people actually have different needs when it comes to exercise.

Let's begin with what the current research on exercise physiology tells us. It is well-established that it takes approximately 30 minutes of any kind of exercise for the body to burn off its glycogen (stored sugar) reserves and begin burning fat. Because of this, many experts will recommend half an hour to an hour of exercise to produce a good amount of weight loss. Now, if you are going to be exercising for 30 to 60 minutes, or maybe more, what type of exercise would you be able to do for that length of time? It probably would have to be low to medium intensity. In other words, you're probably not going to be able to run full speed or do any other type of high-intensity exercise for 30 to 60 minutes without a rest, unless you happen to be an elite athlete, and even then you'd be struggling. So, by default, the common recommendation for exercise to lose weight has been 30 to 60 minutes of low to medium intensity aerobic exercise. Aerobic translates to "in the presence of oxygen", which in common language means that aerobic exercise is any type of activity that you can do without gasping for breath.

In recent years, some experts have changed their recommendations to using a more intense anaerobic ("without oxygen") exercise program for weight loss. This would include things like intense weight lifting, and something called "interval training". Interval training involves brief bursts of high intensity activity with periods of rest or low intensity activity in between. For example, you might run full out for 30 seconds or a minute and then walk for a minute or two until you catch your breath and then run again full out for 30 seconds to a minute, walk again, etc.. Because this kind of workout is much more strenuous, it is performed over a much shorter period of total exercise time - about 20 to 40 minutes (at least half of which is rest time), as compared to half an hour to an hour of non-stop exercise as is recommended with low to medium intensity aerobic workouts. But how do the two types of exercise stack up when it comes to fat burning?

The aerobic exercise promoters point to the research that was mentioned earlier that has shown that any exercise, no matter how intense requires at least 30 minutes to use up the body's stored glycogen (the body will normally burn glycogen before it will burn fat) before fat burning can begin. So, they say, short periods of even highly intense exercise won't burn much fat and is therefore not a good choice for promoting weight loss. But they are only seeing part of the story.

It is true that you must exercise for at least 30 minutes to begin to achieve fat burning - but that's at the time you are exercising. Brief bursts of intense anaerobic exercise does something that even quite a lot of low to medium intensity aerobic exercise does not. Intense anaerobic exercise stimulates the production of growth hormone, which is a strong stimulator of fat burning. The thing is, the release of growth hormone triggered by intense anaerobic exercise comes 24 to 48 hours AFTER the exercise, and then it produces considerably more fat burning than is possible with all but extremely long periods of low to medium intensity aerobic exercise.

Because of this effect, most people will lose weight much more easily by doing shorter periods of more intense exercise. 20 to 40 minutes of heavy weightlifting, interval training (which could be done on foot, on a bicycle, swimming, kickboxing, etc.) , wind sprints, soccer, basketball, or any other activity with quick bursts of high intensity with periods of rest or low intensity activity in between is typically much more effective in the long run for weight loss than even hours of aerobic activity.

Now, you'll notice that I said "most people". There is an exception to the rule. Anyone who is seriously emotionally or physically stressed in his or her daily life is prone to overstimulated adrenal glands. The adrenal glands do a lot of things in the body, but with regards to weight loss, they produce two hormones. Cortisol is one of the hormones, and it stimulates fat storage in the lower abdominal area. This is typically a saggy, pendulous fat held below the waistline. The other hormone the adrenals produce is adrenaline (also called epinephrine), which actually promotes fat burning. Since the adrenals produce cortisol which causes fat deposition and adrenaline which promotes fat burning, you might assume that these two hormones cancel each other out. Unfortunately, cortisol production can be carried out by a much longer time by the adrenal glands than can the production of adrenaline, so long-term, the effects of high cortisol production (deposition of fat in the lower belly), will overcome whatever fat burning might occur from the short-term adrenaline production.

The adrenals are influenced by physical stress as well as mental stress, so for someone who is under a lot of stress in general in his or her life, high-intensity exercise will only add to the total stress and will tend to make the adrenals produce a lot of cortisol, and therefore will tend to promote lower abdomen weight gain. That's right - the wrong kind of exercise in this situation can cause weight gain! This can result in the frustrating situation in which one exercises more and more and harder and harder to try to get rid of that lower abdomen stomach "pooch", but never can seem to get rid of it. Due to the fact that the intense exercise is causing even more cortisol to be produced, their efforts are counterproductive. Because of this effect, it is recommended that people under a lot of stress and/or who have most of their weight held in the lower abdomen stick to relatively low intensity aerobic exercise. This kind of activity is usually helpful for controlling stress and reducing the level of cortisol, thereby making it easier to get rid of the deposition of fat around the lower abdomen.

I hope that this article has given you a better concept of how to maximize your exercise routine for the best possible weight loss results.

Dr. George Best is a holistic healthcare provider in San Antonio, Texas. He provides information on natural weight loss through his website and is a consultant for MyFoodWithThought.com He can be reached at DrBest@trainyourbrain4weightloss.com

Exercise and Weight Loss Myths

Getting fit and losing weight requires hard work and exercise. When you begin any weight loss program that involves exercise, you will find that there are plenty of promises, warnings, and pieces of advice, but much of these are untrue. Here are five of the most common exercise myths.

1. Pain Leads to Gain

This is an older myth. People tend to believe that the more unpleasant the effects of a workout are, the more they will benefit you. This belief can lead to anything from soreness to incapacitating injury, both of which will just leave you where you started. Most effective workouts will leave you a little sore afterwards, but if you are in pain, see a doctor. The best bet is to take your workouts at a pace that you can handle to avoid injuries. This will ensure, not only your safety, but also enable you to stick to your weight loss plan.

2. Lifting Weights = Bulky Muscles in Women

You may have seen pictures of female body builders. They usually have bulging biceps, extremely defined abdominal muscles, and sometimes protruding veins. In short, they can look masculine, and this effect can turn away other women who want to train with weights. The good news is that it simply is not possible for a woman to bulk up like a man. To achieve bulky muscles, a woman usually will consume muscle building compounds or chemicals and work out more than once a day. Women should feel free to take advantage of the benefits that come with weight lifting, because they will only tone up.

3. Exercise Means Extra Calories to Spend

It is easy to believe that if you have had a good, strenuous workout, you can eat whatever you want for lunch or dinner. However, eating a high-calorie meal after exercising just replaces the calories that you burned. To lose a pound, you have to burn 3500 calories. Your body may be getting fitter, but you may not be losing pounds or losing weight. In addition to exercising, you need to eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.

4. Lose Fifteen Pounds in One Day!

This may be possible, but most people who resort to quick weight loss programs also very quickly will usually gain it back. Because fast weight loss is often achieved by drastically reducing calories, reintroducing the same amount of food means that the body will hold onto the calories that it was missing before, and weight gain will occur. If you want to lose weight, eat healthy and exercise. The weight may take longer to come off, but it will also be less likely to return.

5. The Gym is Your Only Hope

Many people join gyms because of the structure and atmosphere that a gym provides. There are expensive machines, good classes, and trainers available at gyms that can help you stay on track. But if you are just going to the gym to use the equipment, why not save money and make a gym at home? You do not have to have a treadmill and weight machines. There are many aerobic workouts that you can do at home, and you can always purchase dumbbells to use. Buy some good walking shoes or a jump rope to take full advantage of the benefits of these exercises and lose pounds.

Exercise myths will probably always be around, but by informing yourself and carefully looking at your weight loss plan, you can ensure you are making the right healthy choices. The key is healthy eating and exercise. You will benefit from your lifestyle change in much more ways than weight loss.

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Exercise to Shape, Lift and Strengthen the Buttocks

Try these exercises for shaping, lifting, and strengthening the buttocks. You can superset two of these together or do a series of giant sets, or perform them individually. Options are endless. For those of you who have knee issues squats and deep lunges may be exercises you will want to avoid.

Squats

Squats are my favorite lower body exercise. They recruit more leg and glute muscles than any other exercise. You can do them with your own body weight, holding dumbbells in your hands, using a Smith rack, or with a barbell across the back of your shoulders (my personal favorite). Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder width, toes subtly turned out. As you begin your descent keep your back straight and head up. Focusing on a point high on the wall like the top of the mirror will help you keep your head up and back straight. Squat deep enough so that your thighs are parallel to the floor before beginning your ascent. At the bottom point use the mirror to assure that knees stay over the ankles or go beyond the toes. You want to straighten completely upward but never lock the knees. Unless you are a seasoned squatter it's always a good idea to have a spotter. Do up to 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

One-Legged Squats

Again these can be done using your own body weight or with the addition of weights or a Smith rack. Standing on one leg, extend the other leg behind you and place the top of your foot on a bench. Keeping the back straight and head up begin your descent. As your squat deepens be sure that the split between supportive leg and non-supportive leg is wide enough so that the knee of the non-supportive leg would touch the floor (if it touched the floor at all) well behind the heel of the supportive leg. Also, make sure that the knee of the supportive leg does not overshoot the toes. Use the mirror to see that the knee of the supportive leg is above the ankle (so that it's not rotating inward). Straighten upward but never lock the knee. Do up to 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions each leg.

Lunges

Lunges are fun (and grueling) because there are so many different ways to do them. You can do walking lunges, standing forward lunges, standing reverse (back- ward) lunges, or elevated lunges (stepping onto a bench 2-8 inches above ground). The most important factor here is balance. Whether performing walking, standing or elevated lunges, hold the stomach muscles tight and keep the shoulders over or slightly in front of the hips. The lower back will mildly arch to accommodate this move. Just be sure you're not over arching or leaning too far forward. And just as in the squats, don't allow the knee to overshoot the toes. Lastly, if you've chosen the forward lunge, pushing back from the heel more efficiently activates the hamstrings and glute/hamstring tie-ins. Do up to 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions each leg.

Leg Kickbacks

This is an oldie but a goody. Start out on a mat on your hands and knees, weight evenly distributed. Draw one knee forward and underneath you and then extend your leg straight behind you, lifting the foot above body position, without overarching your back. When extending and lifting the leg, the work portion of the lift should come directly from the hip area. Do not overarch your back to elevate the leg. As this exercise becomes easier, wear ankle weights for more resistance. Do up to 2 sets of 15-25 repetitions each leg.

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Exercise for Weight Loss After a Twin Pregnancy

Having twins means double the joy and happiness, double the love, and unfortunately in many cases, double the weight. The statistics are there, women who were pregnant with multiples do in fact gain more weight, but this doesn't mean you have to be miserable until the twins are off to kindergarten, blaming the pregnancy for the excess weight years later.

For successful weight loss after a twin pregnancy, not only do you have the task of losing the pounds, but also trying to get your muscles and skin toned and back into shape. While eating the right foods is extremely important for getting rid of that extra pregnancy weight, so is exercise as it's possible to lose weight, but still have a lack of muscle tone, which usually gives the appearance of extra pounds.

Easy Exercises for Weight Loss After a Twin Pregnancy

Before beginning any type of exercise or weight loss program, particularly after a physically stressful event such as giving birth to twins, it's always a good idea to consult with your doctor first. This is especially true because in the months following pregnancy, muscles and joints may be more prone to injury than normal due to the increase of the hormone relaxin. The influx of this hormone remains in the blood for several weeks to as long as two months following childbirth, leaving women susceptible to injuring their joints.

Also, with any type of exercise, be watchful of signs and symptoms such as excessive bleeding, fatigue, shortness of breath, and painful muscle aches that don't feel any better within a day or two.

In addition to doing side lunges, or lunges while walking, crunches can be helpful for tightening the abdominal muscles, if you didn't have a caesarean section, of course. Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet completely flat on the floor, place just your fingertips behind the head, without touching the hands together, and keep your elbows wide and open. Contract your abdominal muscles, causing the center of your back to touch the floor, while lifting your head and neck as well as the shoulder blades off the floor, as your chest reaches toward your hip area.

Lower back to the floor, and repeat the process 10 times, increasing the number of repetitions as your strength and endurance grow.

Strength training and cardio workouts can involve many different exercises, including abdominal crunches, lunges, and working out with dumbbells and ankle weights. Add yoga, tai chi, or Pilates to the mix and you'll not only keep yourself from getting bored, but also be sure you're working different muscle groups as well as increasing your lung function and improving your heart rate at the same time.

While exercising, breathe in deeply through the nose, and exhale through the mouth. Remember to stay well hydrated throughout the day, not only while you're working out, to avoid becoming dehydrated, which, of course, is imperative if you're breastfeeding. Also, always warm up first before exercising, doing stretches for about 10 to 15 minutes, and then complete your workout with a "cool down" period, also stretching the muscles to protect them from injury.

Since you now have not one, but two beautiful babies to look after, exercising regularly will help to keep both your energy level and your mental capacity where they'll need to be, on high alert.

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Exercise For Weight Loss And Hypnosis For Motivation

If you have made the difficult decision to reduce - congratulations! For most, committing to their own health is the hardest aspect. But in spite of self-motivation, many people find they don't know what exercises to use for rapid weight loss.

There are three main kinds of exercise: aerobic exercise, such as biking or running; flexibility exercises, like yoga and other forms of stretching; and strength training, such as weight lifting and resistance exercises.

Aerobic and strength training will help you burn up the most calories. Since losing weight is dependent on either taking in less calories or burning more, it is best to focus on these at first to make sure your self motivation continues as you lose weight.

Usually, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is best. Increase the time and frequency as you develop.

But many people whose self-motivation has gotten them to begin an exercise for weight loss program overlook the importance of strength training. Aerobic exercise burns more calories in the beginning, but weight lifting increases muscle mass, and muscle burns more calories than fat. A pound of muscle needs 35 calories a day to function at rest; a pound of fat needs just two calories for the same function.

The fitness consensus used to suggest that to "build" muscle, you should do fewer reps (3-5) with heavier weights, and to simply "tone," higher reps (12-15) with lighter weights was the best way. But there is no such thing as "toning." Definition that comes with what is wrongly called toning occurs because you have lost the layer of fat on top of the muscle, making the muscle more visible. The size of the muscle underneath depends on how strenuously you train.

You must "tear down" the muscle so it can rebuild itself afterward. In fact, you don't build muscle while working out but you do in the days afterward when it is "resting." The broad guideline for strength training is beginning with three sets of 8-12 reps at a weight that leaves you nearly incapable of executing the entire set. Then, rest for 30-60 seconds before starting your next set.

Don't be disappointed if you are not able to accomplish all of the reps on every set. In fact, use that to determine when to add weight. If you're doing each set without any muscle strain, you will want to add weight.

Self-motivation got you to begin your routine, but many people have difficulty keeping the pace. It helps understanding that the source of our motivations is a belief. Think about it: If you didn't believe the gnawing sensation in your stomach meant you were hungry, you would not feel motivated to eat.

Figuring out what ideas motivate you is imperative to losing weight, because when you feel powerfully motivated, you will exercise without fail. NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) is a form of self-hypnosis. And there are NLP methods that can create exercise motivation because, over time, desire to exercise for weight loss alone likely won't be enough to keep you going. Exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can help.

Your first task is naming the most important things in your life. We call these things your highly valued criteria. Highly valued criteria are typically intangibles: money would not be highly valued criteria, but the fun, freedom or security that money can provide would be.

Next, determine what you need to believe to feel highly motivated to exercise. It is important to bear in mind that logic has nothing to do with belief. Things don't have to be logical to believe them. You may find you already have a belief that goes against this new idea. That's okay.

While understanding what motivates us is important, exercise hypnosis motivation therapy can put these ideas to work by ensuring self motivation persists. Hypnosis for motivation does this by changing the computer codes in your brain, so you believe thoughts that motivate you.

Belief systems are based in our unconscious mind, which is like a computer. Computers don't have the ability to reason. The input controls the output. The methods used in hypnosis for exercise motivation therapy can make you believe nearly anything, as long as you're willing to believe.

You begin by creating an image in your mind that illustrates something you already believe, like, "I love my children." Then you learn to calibrate the elements or 'Submodalities' of that mental belief picture.

Next, you make a mental movie that illustrates your motivational idea. Let's say your motivational idea is, "If I exercise, then I will look great and my marriage will improve." Then you learn how to adjust the Submodalities of this mental image to correspond with the Submodalities in your calibrated belief picture. On the other hand, if a belief is holding you back, the same technique can change that belief to doubt.

Self-hypnosis for motivation that incorporates NLP can provide you with something of an internal personal trainer. Using a hypnosis for exercise motivation program ensures that the passion you began with remains until reaching your objective, and then helps you maintain that objective.

Alan B. Densky, CH has specialized in all aspects of weight loss hypnosis cd recordings, including motivation psychology CDs since 1978. Visit his Neuro-VISION self-hypnosis website and get the benefit of Free hypnosis articles, videos, and newsletters.

Fitness Training & Exercise For Weight Loss

All my life as what i had been experience when i had a weight problem . The part of the problem is genetics and another part is poor eating habits. I had accepted this as my way of life, until our daughter started also to have a weight problem. We discussed our weight and decided that we would work on the issue together. Along with eating healthier we started fitness training. We all could use a bit more fitness training in our lives. Those who do not certainly know who they are. As for the rest of us, getting into shape is instant. Well, that is if you want to live a long and healthy life without the burdens of high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, and heart failure. Yeah, you pretty much heard me correctly. This is why I adopted a great fitness training program.

Both of us changed significantly when we started our new way of living tow years ago. The fitness training has not only toned our muscles and reduced our weight, but it has also improved our self esteem. I didn't realize myself having a low self esteemed before starting fitness training, but i realize that many of the decision in my life have centered on my weight. I have been involved with countless diets over the years. I have arthritis so I often used this as a reason to not consistently exercise. All of that changed by being motivated to help my daughter and by finding fitness training that was right for me.

After we started dieting, my daughter and I joined a health club. The club employs several personal trainers, but we thought we would develop our own program. One day as when we started using the fitness equipment one of the trainers started giving my daughter tips on her posture as she was using the treadmill and started talking to us about important posture in fitness training. He also told us that we should include weight lifting to build strength in our upper bodies. My daughter thought it would be fun to have a full fitness training session with the personal trainer so we signed up for a time the next week.

And that was the beginning of our transformations. Having a professional guiding us was extremely helpful. We worked harder at the fitness training while at the club and we were more motivated to walk and bike on the days that we were at home. After two years we have both lost weight and have toned our muscles. e have also grown much closer to each other because we openly discuss the concerns about our weight. I believe that the fitness training kept us motivated at first and now the positive effects of the weight loss are keeping us committed to our new way of life.

We all know that it is possible to love your fitness training regime. I integrated a regular training ritual into my weekly fitness training program. This offers me better self-defense skills and a good cardio workout. For all you guys out there, this is the ultimate way to bulge up. And NO it's not steroids! The funny thing about steroids is that a lot of guys take them and don't even gain any muscle mass whatsoever. You need to do some heavy weight training to get stacked. You have to push those muscles and empty them that will causes the fibers to tear and grow back bigger and stronger.

It's funny because not too long ago I changed my fitness training program. After doing some intense research on the web, i have found out that i was doing too much. Can you believe that? I needed to cut my weight training. I pushed it to the limits with three chest exercises and a total of 12 sets. This was wrong! Not the exercises or sets themselves, but the three times per week. I should have been doing this once each week. Your muscles need that 7 day period in between to heal and grow. Without proper recovery, you're wasting your time.

It's time to get involved if you have already figured out a decent fitness training program for your body and goals. If you need more assistance regarding on this, then maybe the Internet can offer some ideas. So, what are you waiting for get on line now and sort through infinite fitness training programs that suits nearly to you.

If it is time for you to start moving more and lose some of that weight, then take a look at weight loss using exercise programs at out web site.

Should You Get in Shape With Aerobic Exercise Or Weight Training?

When first starting an exercise plan a lot of people are unsure as to what is best for them, either Aerobic or cardio exercise or weight training. The best answer to this question is - both. A good exercise program will include both cardio and weight training. But before you start you need to know the differences between the two and the difference in the results you will get from both.

Aerobic exercise or cardiovascular exercise strengthens your cardiovascular system. Targeting your lungs, heart and blood vessels. By strengthening your cardiovascular system, it is going to give your body more endurance and it is also going to help your heart and lungs and the blood vessels which feed your muscles, to work together more efficiently. Good cardio health will reduce your risk for heart disease and heart attack. It will also reduce your risk of most cancers. It will also reduce risk of stroke. Having good cardiovascular health will give you all around good health and give you longer life.

Weight training is the process of increasing muscle strength by the use of weight resistance. Having a strong body reduces risk of injury and illness. Weight training not only strengthens muscles but it also increases bone mass, reducing the risk of bone fractures. Studies have shown that people that lift weights benefit in the same way as those who do cardio workouts.

Ideally the best exercise program is one that combines cardio and weight training work outs. One exercise that combines both work outs in one activity is swimming. Swimming requires a lot of muscles to be used at the same time, increasing heart rate and breathing. Swimming also requires a lot of aerobic stamina. Even if you are just treading water, you are using both cardio and weight training at the same time.

When looking for or planning an exercise plan, try to incorporate both cardiovascular and weight training. If you do not have access to a pool to swim, make sure your work out contains things such as jogging, spinning(biking), walking, aerobics, basically anything that increases your heart rate from its usual resting rate. Then combine weight training within the same workout. If you are new to weight lifting, stay away from the free weights. If you do use free weights always have a spotter or help from a trainer. Start out with a light, easily managed weight and increase as you are physically able. Just a side note, if you are looking to lose weight, do not solely rely on weight training. By lifting weights you will increase your muscle mass and muscle weighs more than fat, though it may look like you are losing weight, you may actually be gaining.

Most importantly, always consult your doctor before starting at diet or exercise plan.

Alan Gardner has been writing articles on many diverse subjects for over a year now. Although he specializes in diet, fitness and weight loss, you can also check out his latest website at www.lecreusetoutlet.net which reviews and lists the best Le Creuset Outlet.

Five Important Weight Lifting Techniques

Weight lifting technique is extremely important and there is a lot to know. Its an ongoing learning process that takes years to perfect. Even still, there are at least five incredibly important techniques that everybody should know right away.

Five Important Weight Lifting Techniques

1. Bend Your Knees. When you are lifting in a standing or lying down position you should always bend your knees slightly to take pressure off of the low back. This is also called "keeping the knees soft" because it's not much of a bend. It's more about not locking your knees than anything else.

Common exercises for this technique are standing shoulder press and dumbbell curls, floor crunches and chest press. *Note- While performing a bench press (on a weight bench)your feet should be on the floor or the supports provided if your feet don't reach the floor. The only time you should bend your knees and put your feet on the bench is if you are lifting very light and experience current back problems. Otherwise you risk losing your balance and toppling off the bench while holding weights. Not very safe!

2. Don't Push With Your Wrists. A common mistake is using your wrists to do all of the work. I see this mostly with bench and shoulder presses. When you lift, you want to focus on using the muscle you want to work, definitely not your poor wrists. You will know if you are making this mistake if your wrists seem to collapse under the weight and your palms face upward or toward the dumbbell. When performing lifts correctly, your wrists should be straight and in line with your arms. Your palms should be facing the same direction as the under side of your forearm.

3. Breathe. This is a common one. Holding your breath raises your blood pressure and puts you at risk for various acute and chronic conditions. Always remember to exhale on exertion. This means, exhale during the hard part, or the lift and inhale on your way back to starting position. If this is too hard in the beginning, just remember to breathe!

4. Don't swing the weights. If you are swinging, you are lifting too heavy. Either drop the weight before your next set, or start with a heavier weight and when you start swinging, switch to a lighter weight to finish. Swinging weights takes the focus off of the muscle you are trying to isolate and puts a lot of pressure on bones, ligaments and areas you do not want to work hard, like your rotator cuff.

5. Start from bigger muscle groups to smallest. Starting with larger muscle groups is the correct way to organize your lifting program. Starting with bigger muscles helps to warm up the smaller ones. Also, the larger muscle groups need more energy and should be performed at the beginning of the session. Bigger muscles are the glutes, chest and back. Smaller muscles are the calves, biceps, triceps and shoulders.

Weight lifting is one of the best ways to tone your body for a fit and healthy appearance. Not only does it make you look and feel fabulous but it strengthens bones and ligaments and improves balance and co-ordination.

Lift with proper technique to reduce the risk of injury so you get the most out of your workouts.

Lift Safe!

Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist
http://www.kalisthenixfitnessblog.com

Get Fit For Next Summer - Start With Weight Lifting

Summer is the most enchanting season of the year, and everyone likes to look their best. Weight lifting is the best way to get into shape this summer.

Weight lifting is a type of strength training program that helps improve muscle strength and size. Weight training can be one of the safest exercises if done properly and under the guidance of a qualified professional. Always consult a physician before getting into any program.

Weight training is perfectly safe for women. Women do not develop muscles like men because they do not have testosterone, a hormone that helps men build up muscles. Women instead get curves and an athletic figure and a stronger body. It increases the metabolic rate and helps burn more fat, and increases the muscle to fat ratio in the body.

Weight training also strengthens the joints and bones and beneficial for women. Many people start weight training to look better. Most of them stick to it because of the increased levels of strength and energy. Dumbbells, pulleys, weight machines, Swiss balls and barbells are few of the instruments used during weight training. The body weight of a person is important in squats and pushups.

Dumbbells, barbells and Swiss balls come under the free weight category and they can be purchased and used at home. However to use the weight machines many people prefer enrolling in gymnasiums, as these machines can be very costly.

Few of the good exercises include

For the Arms: - Bicep curls, triceps extensions, lateral raise

For the legs: - Squats, lunges, standing calf raise, leg curl, seated calf raise

For the upper body: - bench press, chest fly

For the abdominal region: - tummy crunch, leg raise

For the back: - back extension, bent over row, the pull down

For the entire body: - push ups, chin ups

Some things to keep in mind while exercising.

Make sure that you are physically fit to undertake weight training. While exercising if you feel any kind of pain or discomfort, you should end the session. If the pain or discomfort continues you should visit a physician. According to many physicians the right age to start major lifts is 15 years or above. At this age the body is mature enough to cope up with the pressure involved with heavy weights.

Warm up exercises should be done before a session of weight training as they help prevent injury. Five to ten minutes of warm up exercise if generally sufficient. Always end the session with five to ten minutes of cool down exercises.

Always start with lower weights and then increase when you and your trainer feel confident that your body can cope up with the weights. Wrist bands should be used when lifting heavy weights as it puts less pressure on the wrist joints. Sweating causes dehydration sipping drinking water is a safe way to re hydrate the body during exercises.

We can therefore say that weight training is one of the best ways to get into shape this summer provided you follow a few cautions to take care of your health and well being, as health is wealth.

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