Top 8 most entertaining exercises

As we all know exercise can be pretty darn boring at times. I am always looking for ways to try and spice up ordinary exercise but I thought I would write a post that shows my top 8 most entertaining exercises that will keep you entertained for months without any additional spicing up.

8 - Bike riding

This may not seem like a very entertaining exercise at first but I have been riding bikes for years around the streets and I have seen some pretty crazy and amazing things. When you are out exercising on a bike you sometimes forget that you are exercising and just enjoy the scenery.

7 - Group pool classes

I had to mention it.  The good old gym pool classes where you splash around for an hour and get fit. I don’t buy it. I suppose it could be good for people with bad joints or injuries. However, I included it in the list as an exercise that is entertaining to watch, not do.

6 - Circuits

My friends and I used to do these all the time and they are fun because you have to change exercises in such rapid succession that you often end up doing really silly things. They get you really fit though!

5 - Martial arts classes

I am a big fan of martial arts. There is a big group practicing their technique together - punching, kicking, shouting - it is great! Martial arts also has a great sense of history and tradition which can really get you going.

4 - Personal training

I know it’s not really an exercise but personal training is a great way to stay entertained. If you have your own trainer to run with you or force you to push out one more repetition then exercise automatically becomes a little more fun.

I also do some online personal training so if you need a new workout program or weight loss program then drop me an email.

3 - Team sports

I think playing a team sports is one of the best forms of exercise for staying entertained. The reason for this is that there is an ongoing season and a ladder and you always want to better your position or beat that team that beat you last week and so on. You also have a whole host of team mates around you to spur you on. It is wonderful!

2 - Hiking

I go to visit the Himalayan moutains   at the end of every year and one of my favorite exercises while I am over there is hiking up the beautiful Himalayan mountains. Obviously I don’t climb up the top but the hills and valleys that surround the mountains make for some awesome day trips which is a really good way to blast your fitness.

1 - Pole Dancing

My friend  has been doing pole dancing with a friend for about a year now and the stories they come home and tell me are simply hilarious! Learning to hang upside down on a poll and spinning around is a great way to cause an accident. However, they have both toned their upper body so well by doing weekly classes. It is really impressive.

Zumba Fitness: Making Exercise Fun.

Is fitness fun for you? Do you find yourself motivated? Do you dread the treadmill? Yes, then maybe your fitness needs to be redefined. Fitness should be fun, so that it lasts. Although diet, nutrition, hydration and a workout plan are crucial, the most important ingredient to fitness is fun.
 

Getting workout drilled into your daily routine is no doubt challenging, leaving you hung up with a hundred excuses not to do it. When it is fun, you’re more likely to find enjoyment in it. The fun in an exercise distracts you from the pain. A game of Frisbee or intramural soccer makes the exercise more fun. The pain is perceived less when you focus on the fun.
 

Zumba is a dance fitness program using primarily Latin Dance moves. Based on the principles of resistance training& interval training this workout system leads to increased caloric output and complete body toning. 

 

The dance moves are based on a variety of Latin styles including meringue, pop, reggae ton, cumbia, mambo, salsa, salsa ton, flamenco, rumba, and calypso. Squats and lunges are also included. Both slow and fast rhythms are involved so Zumba enthusiasts receive a variety to beat the boredom and increase agility and muscular involvement.

Why dancing is Popular? 
 

Dancing is fun, so people are more likely to stick with it.

The attention is shifted from duration of workout as one is left enjoying the dance moves.

You're not in the same spot, doing the exact same thing, thinking about working out and watching the clock, dreading the next five minutes. It really is like a party, all the time.

The abs or core gets a fantastic workout.

Zumba is based on the philosophy of HIIT. Interval training is an athletic training system that combines short bursts of intense activity, called intervals, with periods of lower intensity, or rest periods. By alternating the two throughout your workout, your body is forced to exert more effort than it normally would during a steady, continuous workout of moderate intensity. For example you can exchange 45 minutes on a recumbent bike, reading a magazine, with 15 minutes of interval workout.

With dance workouts you're working the whole body. While training on one sport or doing workouts with weight machines, you're using the same muscles every time.

 Getting Started
 

Warm up with simple steps at a moderate pace to get your heart beating and blood flowing through your muscles. Remember to start with easy moves, and then go to the advance moves. Once you get used to the basic moves the more advanced moves will become easy. Avoid twisting and jerking motions, as well as high-impact moves, to begin with. Move on even planes of motion, forward, backward and sideways. Do the merenge. Followed by salsa and cumbia performed at a variety of paces to a wide range of salsa music. Get intense with reggae ton a modern type of dance equivalent of hip-hop. Cool down with simple steps at a moderate to slow pace. Stretch your calves and hamstrings with gentle static stretches, and breathe in a few deep, slow breaths to end your Zumba session. Pat yourself on the back for burning plenty of calories while having a whole lot of fun. Don't forget to put on your dance sneakers or aerobics shoes.  

Benefits of Zumba 

1.  Improved Cardiovascular Health
2.  Weight Loss
3.  Improved Co-ordination
4.  Improved Mood
5.  Relieve Stress
6.  Release Toxins from the body

Some dance styles are much more strenuous than others. For example, a fast-paced jazz class will burn more calories than a slow and graceful lesson in ballet. Choose a dance class that gets you up and moving! 
 

Walking: an insurance against crumbling skeleton

Exercise plays an important role in building bone in childhood and adolescence, maintaining bone before 50, and slowing down bone loss after 50. But exercises are not equal. Brisk walking (as if you are late for an appointment) for 30 minutes four days a week can help reduce bone loss before and after menopause. A study found that women who regularly walked 7.5 miles a week lost bone at a slower rate (four to seven years longer) than women who did not walk.

 

Many doctors recommend walking at least 20 minutes a day. Walking is the easiest exercise program to begin. You can walk anywhere, any time, without health club expense or high-priced equipment. Committing to just 30 minutes a day, three days a week, assures us of adequate aerobic conditioning. Walking is also an insurance policy against a crumbling skeleton as it minimizes and combats osteoporosis by actually strengthening our bones.

A healthy walk workout starts with good posture.

 

Maintaining correct posture shaves years off our appearance. Combining posture with exercise brings us an appealing, years-younger look. For proper posture, stand erect, keep chin parallel to the ground, and pull your head back so your neck is in alignment with your spine. Pull shoulder blades together, and relax your shoulders and hips. Tuck in your tummy and straighten your back, and pull your buns in so the small of your back doesn’t sway or bow. Expect to feel uncomfortable and awkward-looking for a while as you practice good posture. To test your posture, stand with your back against a wall and see how much of your back and shoulders touch the wall. Lifting your arms out to either side provides stretch as well as an additional posture checkpoint.

With posture in place, begin your walking experience. Proper shoes, designed for walking, are a good investment. Beyond that, dress appropriately for the workout, expecting to shed a layer as you warm up. After gently limbering up, start moving!

 

Take quicker and shorter strides for less jarring of the body. Walk with the heel leading. Bend arms at 90 degree angles, and allow swinging naturally.

 

One woman named, Dorothy, was diagnosed at age 60 with dangerously high blood pressure, took the pricey prescription until her insurance no longer covered the cost. With her doctor’s approval and monitoring, she bought good walking shoes and hit the road. Within one month of regular walking, Dorothy lowered her blood pressure and her cholesterol to a normal range, got off the medication, improved her overall fitness, and brightened her outlook on life. Now a spry, energetic, healthy lady, her walk is the highlight of her day. Also, a 60-second run in the middle of your walk should be enough to signal bones to add mass.

Exercise can help you build strong bones and slow bone loss. Exercise will benefit your bones no matter when you start, but you'll gain the most benefits if you start exercising regularly when you're young and continue to exercise throughout your life. Combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing exercises. Strength training helps strengthen muscles and bones in your arms and upper spine, and weight-bearing exercises — such as walking, jogging, running, stair climbing, skipping rope, skiing and impact-producing sports — mainly affect the bones in your legs, hips and lower spine. Swimming, cycling and machines such as elliptical trainers can provide a good cardiovascular workout.

Walking Facts:

1.    Walking a mile in 30 minutes burns 120-180 calories.

2.  Walking improves self-image.

3.  Walking decreases depression and stress.

4.  Walking exercises 200 bones and over 600 muscles.

5.  Walking increases energy.

6.  Walking regularly decreases risk of heart disease.

7.   Walking regularly reduces hypertension.

Tummy Exercise Myths

Our bodies are genetically conditioned on how we lose or gain weight. Interestingly enough, the first place where we gain weight is the last place where we lose it. We cannot reduce only the part we do not like. Once we lose fat from our body, we lose inches everywhere even where we do not want to lose.

The problem with tummy muscles is that we do not generally exercise this muscle in daily life. It is not greatly challenged from climbing stairs, bending, stretching or walking. We, therefore, have to make a special effort to encourage it to come back into line. The movements have to be small and controlled and depend on the effort put in by the exerciser to get really good results. Secondly during pregnancy, as the baby grows inside the muscle (transverse) is pushed forward. A huge amount of stretching is going on and tends to leave the muscle loose and hanging forward after the birth. It is essentially the lack of strength left in this muscle which allows the tummy to sit in that rather round forward position Mothers would recognise from after birth.

In all cases it is the lack of exercise for this muscle which causes it to become loose and give the ‘pot bellied’ appearance.

Myth No: 1 
By doing some midsection exercises one can reduce "love handles".

Fact 
You cannot reduce fat from a certain targeted area of your body just by using exercise alone. And the abdominal area is no exception. So if you want to get a flat stomach and to reveal your abs, losing the fat covering them is the way to go. And the only way to do this is to lose fat proportionately from your entire body by burning more calories than you consume.

Myth No: 2 
You have to do tons of crunches. 

Fact 
Overuse of crunches will only shorten your abs, pull your head forward and gives you a bad posture. To reduce fat in your bodies, you need to do cardioexercise and eat nutritious foods in reasonable amounts. In simple language "burn more calories than you consume." The cardio helps to burn that stored fat and the lower calorie diet forces the body to use the accumulated fat for energy. In addition, the crunches and a total body workout (with weight training) helps the body to increase muscle mass. Muscles burn fat; fat does not burn itself so, the more muscle we have, the more fat our body uses for energy, so we lose weigh faster. If you only do crunches, you will develop your abdominal muscles and strengthen them. This will reflect in better posture and less back problems, but you will not be able to see your abdominal muscles because they will be covered with fat.

Myth No: 3
Exercise is more important that nutrition

Fact
Diet is one of the key factors when trying to get a flat tummy. Plan your nutrition in advance, to avoid dietary downfalls. Focus on protein, green vegetables, fiber-rich fruits, and zero calorie drinks such as Green Tea and water. Avoid all sugar.

Myth No: 4
you must do train your tummy every day

Fact
You don't need to do direct tummy training every day. Instead, train them twice per week and use non-conventional exercises such as Mountain Climbers and Stability Ball Jackknives to reduce the stress on your low back. Avoid the overuse of crunches and sit-ups in your training program. Instead, beginners, should focus on abdominal endurance with planks and side planks, and work up to more advanced exercises, but still avoid doing hundreds of crunches lying on your back.

Health tip # 39


Lactose intolerant people may be primed to avoid milk, sparing themselves uncomfortable symptoms of bloating, gas or stomach cramps.

Health tip # 38


Shin splints are a common overuse injury that causes pain and soreness in the large bone in the lower leg.

Health tip # 37


Relax For 20 Minutes a Day - Relaxing for at least 20 minutes a day will go a long way to reduce blood pressure and your reactions to stress

Health tip # 36

Quit smoking, manage stress, eat a healthy diet, avoid illegal drug use and limit alcohol use to reduce the risk of fertility problems. 

Women's Top 5 Health Concerns

Imagine living without illness to slow you down. While there are no lifetime guarantees, enough scientific research has been done to make long, healthy living a possibility.

To help women boost health, these are the five medical conditions that are of great concern to them: heart disease, breast cancer, osteoporosis, depression, and autoimmune diseases.

We looked at the risk factors for each disease and asked the experts what women could do to prevent such ailments and encourages women to take charge of their health. women need to work in partnership with their doctors by finding out their family medical history, educating themselves on health issues, and paying attention to their bodies.

You know what makes you feel good, you know when you don't feel well. Understanding your body is key..

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading killer of both men and women. In women, the condition is responsible for about 29% of deaths, reports the CDC.

Yet death in itself isn't the biggest problem for women with heart disease. The real trouble is in premature death and disability. There are far too many women dying of heart disease in their 60s, when no one expects to die because that's too young in this country. There are (also) women, who, for many years, are really ill with heart disease -- being out of breath, not being able to walk up one flight of stairs … because heart disease impairs their ability to get around."

Although more men die of heart disease than women, females tend to be under diagnosed, often to the point that it's too late to help them once the condition is discovered.

The symptoms for women are typical for women, and they are often missed by doctors and the patient themselves. We often think of symptoms … like chest pain. Some people may have that, but others may just have a little bit of jaw pain, shoulder ache, nausea, vomiting, or shortness of breath."

·        The risk factors for heart disease as:

·        Increasing age

·        Male sex (men typically develop heart disease at a younger age)

·        Heredity (including race). People with family history of the disease have greater risk. So do African-Americans, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, Native Hawaiians, and some Asian-Americans.

·        Smoking

·        High blood cholesterol

·        High blood pressure

·        Physical inactivity

·        Obesity and overweight

·        Diabetes

The burden of heart disease in women is very great. The earlier folks adapt healthier behaviors, the lower their overall risk for heart disease or stroke outcomes."

Burke says people can reduce their risk of heart disease by modifying lifestyle to include a well-balanced diet and exercise

Four Missing Moves that every woman should be doing for a better workout.

If you’ve been pumping iron at the gym with little to no results, it may because you are omitting some very important moves from your workout. I don’t mean dance moves, although dancing is a great form of cardio exercise, I mean THESE moves:

1. High-intensity Training: Coasting along, singing a song on the elliptical trainer isn’t going to melt the pounds away as quickly as high-intensity training. Also called, HIIT, High intensity training is typically 10 to 20 minutes of short, high-impact workouts. This is one of the best ways to burn fat and improve your overall fitness.

2. Heavier Lifting: It’s better to do 8 reps per set with a 15lb dumbbell, instead of 15 reps with an 8 pound one. Lifting heavier quantities will not only increase your strength, it will create better muscle tone, and who doesn’t want that!

3. Upper Body Focus: You can’t spot-reduce fat by JUST focusing on the areas where fat is store, which for a woman is thighs, hips and waist. By working on your upper body, not only are you converting stored fat into muscle, but you are also building strength, which is very important for women to have mainly for good posture.

4. Train with a barbell: Again, this improves posture and can also lend a hand in toning up the lower parts of your body as well.

Overall it’s important to work out the entire body -and to switch up your routine as much as possible. This way you optimize your workout time and make it count towards your fitness goals.

Health tip # 31


You can live 3 weeks without food, However you can only live for three days without fluid, one could suggest that water is fairly important.

Love Your Body

Ask any woman you know how she feels about her body—no matter what her weight, and get ready for an earful. Odds are, she'll launch into a laundry list of what she doesn't like about her looks. For some the big problem is the tummy pooch from her second pregnancy. They say  it's been two years and the bulge still don’t  go away. "My belly is so embarrassing,It makes me feel sloppy and uncomfortable with myself." Sometimes they  rather just stay home in baggy sweats than go out. And their self-consciousness is also taking a toll in the bedroom. "It's very hard for me to feel at ease getting intimate with my husband because of how I look," they admit.

Whether it's occasional or constant, nearly every woman struggles with the way she feels about her body. A Cornell University study found that 87% of normal-weight women wish they were a size smaller. The vast majority of women have what's called normative discontent—dissatisfaction with the size and or  shape of their bodies, even if it's just a wish for flatter abs or a rounder butt.

In fact, tummy, hips and thighs top our most-hated list—and that's true whether we're 25 or 65, according to research published in the journal The New School Psychology Bulletin. What else is on that list of dislikes? Everything from the bump on your nose to your size 10 feet.

One thing all these complaints have in common: They can do a real number on your self-esteem. When you hate such an integral part of who you are, it can have a profound effect on your confidence, even leading to depression and eating disorders. In effect, you start to believe what you think you see in the mirror. You begin to like yourself less, which makes you feel uncomfortable in social situations, ill at ease sexually and a lot less assertive.

Health tip # 27


Except for professional athletes, most of us do not have the mental discipline to keep exercising by our- selves. Join a group, a gym or get your husband to go with you. If a bunch of your friends get together to exercise you will be motivators and conscience-keepers for each other

Health tip # 26

Almost as Fast as a Speeding Bullet. It takes only about 23 seconds for blood to circulate throughout your entire body. 

Health tip # 25


Between birth & old age,u will walk about 70,000 miles.Walking is 1 of best activities u can do to keep heart-lung complex in good condition

Health tip # 24


Exercise as a Drug. Aerobic exercise is one of the best preventative medicines available and one of the cheapest.

Health tip # 23


When u stand up,if u didn't have valves in ur veins,all the blood in your body would literally fall downward, filling up your legs and feet.

Why is Exercise Important?

Have you ever heard the expression "use it or lose it"? It's true! If you don't use your body, you will surely lose it. Your muscles will become flabby and weak. Your heart and lungs won't function efficiently. And your joints will be stiff and easily injured. Inactivity is as much of a health risk as smoking!

Helps Prevent Diseases 
Our bodies were meant to move -- they actually crave exercise. Regular exercise is necessary for physical fitness and good health. It reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes and other diseases. It can improve your appearance and delay the aging process.

Improves Stamina 
When you exercise, your body uses energy to keep going. Aerobic exercise involves continuous and rhythmic physical motion, such as walking and bicycling. It improves your stamina by training your body to become more efficient and use less energy for the same amount of work. As your conditioning level improves, your heart rate and breathing rate return to resting levels much sooner from strenuous activity.

Strengthens and Tones 
Exercising with weights and other forms of resistance training develops your muscles, bones and ligaments for increased strength and endurance. Your posture can be improved, and your muscles become more firm and toned. You not only feel better, but you look better, too!

Enhances Flexibility 
Stretching exercises are also important for good posture. They keep your body limber so that you can bend, reach and twist. Improving your flexibility through exercise reduces the chance of injury and improves balance and coordination. If you have stiff, tense areas, such as the upper back or neck, performing specific stretches can help "loosen" those muscles, helping you feel more relaxed.

Controls Weight 
Exercise is also a key to weight control because it burns calories. If you burn off more calories than you take in, you lose weight. It's as simple as that.

Improves Quality of Life 
Once you begin to exercise regularly, you will discover many more reasons why exercise is so important to improving the quality of your life. Exercise reduces stress, lifts moods, and helps you sleep better. It can keep you looking and feeling younger throughout your entire life.

How Often Should I Exercise?

The benefits of any exercise program will diminish if it's disrupted too frequently. A "stop-start" routine is not only ineffective, but can cause injuries. Being consistent with exercise, therefore, is probably the most important factor in achieving desired results.

People often assume that more is better. Wrong! Doing too much too soon or performing intense exercises on a daily basis will have deleterious effects, such as muscle/tendon strains, loss of lean tissue, and fitness-level plateaus.

If you are a beginner, start off slower than you think you should. Three days per week is realistic, safe and effective. If you are experienced, do cardiovascular (aerobic) exercises such as walking, jogging and bicycling for no more than 200 minutes per week with no more than 60 minutes per session.

Weight training should be done no more than three times per week targeting the same muscle groups. Exercise the same muscle groups on non-consecutive days because muscles need adequate time to recover and cannot be effectively trained if they are tired or sore.

Many people forget to stretch or make the excuse that they don't have the time. Flexibility is important, so make the time! Stretching can be done every day, but stick to a minimum of three times per week in order to reap the benefits. When the body is warmed up, such as after a workout session, perform five to 10 stretches that target the major muscle groups. Hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.