Tag: Fitness

Walking to lose weight is a simple but powerful method that can help with your long-term weight loss goals. Walking is a natural, safe and enjoyable exercise that can be done in almost any environment.

While it doesn’t burn up calories as quickly as strenuous activities such as running, jogging or riding a bicycle, it can be surprisingly effective.

Walking is perhaps the most natural physical exercise you can do.

Walking Use To Be Super Popular

Long before there were automobiles or bicycles, and even before humans domesticated horses to ride on, walking was the way people got around.

In recent years, the sad fact is that many people only walk when they absolutely have to.

They may see walking as something you do to get from your car to the store, or from your driveway to the house.

If this describes you, and your goal is to lose and get healthier, it may be a good idea to change the way you see walking.

Get Started Walking Right Now!

The great thing about walking is that you can easily start at your own pace and gradually speed up. You can also practice walking almost anywhere.

If you live in the city, you can walk on sidewalks or in a park. If you live closer to nature, you can walk on wooded or mountain trails. If you live in the suburbs, you can still find either sidewalks or a public track.

You can, of course, get a treadmill, this will allow you to walk in place indoors. This can be good for bad weather, in winter, or for people with physical limitations that make it hard to leave the house.

Otherwise, it’s best to also walk outside when you can. The surroundings make it more interesting and it’s good to get fresh air as well (unless you live in a badly polluted city).

Consistency is Key

The key to getting the most benefit from walking is to do it consistently. Walking, unlike many other forms of exercise, can be done daily with no ill effects.

You may want to find a partner or group to make it more interesting and sociable. If you walk alone, you can carry an iPod or another device that allows you to listen to music. Just make sure you are alert to your surroundings at all times.

Walking is also something you can do as it was originally intended, as a way to get from Point A to Point B. You can get into the habit of walking to the store instead of driving.

If you go to a large mall or a downtown area, you can park your car once and walk to all of your destinations rather than driving to each one. Even if you work in an office you can take more walks around the building during breaks or lunch.

Losing weight is an equation with two main variables -calorie intake and calorie burning. Walking can help with burning calories, but you also have to pay attention to your intake.

You don’t have to go on an extreme starvation diet, but if you are taking in more calories than you need, you can gradually cut back. If you do this while also increasing your metabolism by walking regularly, you should start to see some results fairly quickly.

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I have written before and I am sure I will write again about the amazing advantages to doing compound exercises.

As a reminder, a compound exercise is one where you have many muscles involved in an exercise instead of an isolated exercise. A few examples of compound exercises are squats, bench press, deadlifts. Isolated exercise examples would be tricep push downs, Flyes, and bicep curls.

Squats are A Fantastic Exercise

One of the greatest exercises of them all is the squat. Squats will work your legs obviously but also your butt, your lower back, your abs, and all the connective muscles and ligaments between them.

My wife started a 30 day squat challenge and I decided to join along with her. I always seem to have a Love/Hate relationship with squats, I love to do them, but I always seem to get a lot of lower back pain the next day if I lift too heavy.

Of course, being a deskbound computer guy does not help me, I have a weaker core than my legs so my lower back is the weak point of squats for me. this 30 day challenge should help that.

What is the 30 Day Squat Challenge?

The idea of the 30 day squat challenge is to do a large number of squats over 30 days. The first day only has 30 squats, but the last day has 175 squats.

I am excited with this challenge as instead of doing squats once every few days so probably 5 times in a month or so, this challenge will have us doing squats for 25 days of the 30 days!

This is something that anyone can try and do. As opposed to the squats that I do at the gym with weights these squats are done with no weights so they can be done in your living room or basement and only take a few minutes a day.

The only thing to worry about with squats is that when you are doing squats you are lowering and raising your body in what is nowadays a not very natural manner. Do not worry if you fall over the first couple days trying this squat challenge. Don’t laugh, I was looking around and did it myself.

• The key to doing squats correctly is to do them smoothly.
• keep you arms in front of you, either crossed or straight out and
• lower your body down as if you were going to be sitting in a chair.
• Don’t go too low, only until your upper and lower legs are at a 90-degree bend
• And finally slowly raise yourself straight up. Form is crucial

Here is a great video that will show you how to do a squat correctly so that you have something to go by.

If you notice in the video, Alycia is showing us how to do the squat with the correct form and even talks about breathing correctly. This looks very easy when she is doing it but don’t worry if you have a bit of trouble as you are getting used to the exercise.

So there you have it. a 30 days squat challenge that will take only a few minutes a day, hopefully not break a lot of sweat, but make you feel in better control of your body as you strengthen your legs, back, and core.

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There are many types of arthritis and most of them can cause arthritis in spine joints just as they can affect other joints of the body such as the hips, knees and shoulders.

Usually it is the joints of the lower back that are affected, and in fact arthritis in its various forms is one of the most common causes of lower back pain.

What is Arthritis In Spine?

Many people who have arthritis in spine joints already have another spinal disease or condition such as degenerative disc disease or spinal stenosis. These conditions place an extra burden on the joints of the spine which can lead to damage and the pain of arthritis.

Arthritis In Spine Treatment

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting many people as they grow older. About 1 in 10 people over 65 will be disabled due to osteoarthritis, although most of these cases refer to knees and hips which can often be restored to mobility through surgery.

Symptoms of osteoarthritis in the spine include stiffness and pain in the neck and/or lower back.

A problem in the neck may be accompanied by weakness or numbness in the arms; arthritis in spine lower down can produce the same weakness or numbness in the legs.

Arthritis In Spine – Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto immune disease in which the joints become inflamed and painful. As with other auto immune diseases, the cause is not known but there may be a genetic factor.

Women are three times more likely to be affected than men. Unlike other forms of arthritis it is more likely to affect the upper spine, especially the joints of the neck, along with feet and hands.

Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that involves the spine. Again this is an auto immune disease but it affects the spine more than other joints.

Unlike rheumatoid arthritis it affects men more often than women, and usually begins before the age of 40. There is back pain and stiffness, sometimes affecting the whole spine, along with general fatigue. In many cases there is also inflammation of the eyes. The pain may be relieved by movement, worse when resting.

Treatment is based on physical therapy, careful exercise and pain relief.

Arthritis In Spine – Treatment

If you suffer from arthritis in spine areas the first thing to do is to consider your sleeping arrangements. A new, firm mattress can make a lot of difference, as can switching to a special pillow if the problem is in the neck or upper back. Heat treatments may help.

Your doctor may also suggest exercises that you can do to strengthen the spine or maintain as much freedom of movement as possible. He or she can prescribe pain medication that is suitable for you. So be sure to keep in contact with your doctor regarding your arthritis in spine and let him or her know when you notice any changes.

This is your opportunity to learn the “world-class” Back Pain relief secrets that only a handful of lucky people even knew existed a short time ago…including the “super-advanced” skill, know-how and techniques. It is called the Miracle Back Pain Cure.

In some cases, surgery may be recommended. This is very much an individual matter that will be decided case by case. Spinal surgery is not undertaken lightly, but it can be helpful, especially where the arthritis in spine is accompanied by other problems that may respond to surgical procedures.

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