Diet and Exercise ? Without Going to the Gym
July 31, 2007
Exercising and dieting are tasks that are very difficult for many of us, but usually just the thought of it that makes us queasy. There are some simple ways to get out and get fit, and you just might enjoy yourself too.
Some people like to get up and head to the gym every morning, before most of us are even out of bed. We all know that even a little exercise will be good for us, but we just don’t have the time or the motivation. Gym memberships can be a very expensive cost.
Find ways to get fit, no matter how. A gym membership is not the answer for a lot of people, but that is no excuse for laziness. Exercise equipment is right under your nose; just find something that works for you.
- Walking is still regarded as a fantastic way to exercise. Thirty to sixty minutes a day will get your blood pumping and metabolism moving. Walk around the neighborhood or find a city park.
- Use a bicycle for transportation. Of course, many times this is not possible, but bike when you can. Eventually, you’ll push yourself to go farther distances. Don’t forget your helmet.
Increase Your Rotational Strength For A More Powerful Golf Swing
July 31, 2007
Every golfer dreams of a fluid, unhindered golf swing. So why do so few of us actually achieve it?
The culprit is usually a weak core and poor posture.
You should aim for a healthy 60-degree rotation in your trunk if you want to achieve a free, smooth golf swing. Here are two simple exercises that you can perform to improve trunk rotation:
1. Improve Rotational Flexibility
Sit straight on a stool with your feet firmly planted on the ground. Hold your golf club across your shoulders. Turn around clockwise as far as you can, till you feel a good stretch. Then turn around anti-clockwise as far as you can. You might notice a difference in your turning ability on each side.
Work on your less flexible side to correct the imbalance. Having one side weaker than the other can affect your ‘feel’ for the game!
Many people perform this stretch standing, which is less effective as it permits movement at the knee and foot. Movement at these joints can compromise trunk rotation.
2. Improve Rotational Strength
Muscle Gain Visualization Tips
July 30, 2007
Visualization can play an important part in gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Gaining weight can be difficult for many people who don’t use their minds to help in the process.
Visualization is a powerful technique that can help you make lasting lifestyle changes. Just by “day dreaming”, you can significantly improve your chances in achieving your goals.
Visualization is a great weight gain tool and its as simple as visualizing your body as you want your body to look like. This mental image of yourself is then transferred to your subconscious mind, which in turn starts to work on your body, shaping it in accordance with your mental image.
This means that if you program your subconscious with a mental image of yourself as a more muscular person, through persistence your mind will accept this and aid your body to conform to this mental image.
Once your mind is programmed with the proper mental images, it will start to work in assisting you to gain weight. I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to believe in your visualization goals. You have to let go of your past failures and refuse to entertain any negative images that come into your mind.
How To Use Exercise For Golf To Strengthen Your Swing
July 30, 2007
Using exercise for golf to strengthen your swing could be one of the wisest decisions you’ve ever make in regards to improving power and distance.
Have you tried those gimmicky training aids in hopes to strengthen your swing? If so, were you successful? I can take a guess, but I won’t get on you too much.
Most of the touring pros are now using exercise for golf to strengthen their swing and have seen their driving distance go way up. And yes?their equipment has a little bit to do with it, but can’t take all the credit.
I have said thousands of times, "it’s your BODY that plays the game, not your equipment". Doesn’t that make sense to you?
Like any athlete?he or she spends a huge amount of time strengthening their muscles specific to their sport.
Why wouldn’t you as a golfer do the same thing?
Hopefully after reading this article you’ll give it strong consideration.
Using exercise for golf to strengthen your swing entails the use of a stability ball, exercise tubing, handweights and even a weighted medicine ball. These are all inexpensive golf training tools that can have a dramatic affect on your game.
Why Core is Key
July 29, 2007
Do you currently suffer or have you ever suffered from any of the following: Lower back pain, frequent hamstring injuries, a twisted knee or a pulled shoulder?
Have you ever considered that it may not be just the fact that you slipped and twisted something or your back simply ‘goes’? It could be you need to strengthen your core?
Core training is a buzzword in the fitness industry that’s been around for a while now. The measure of its popularity can be seen in the increased use of stability balls or Swiss in gyms, books, classes & videos and the fact that big name clothing stores are even selling stability balls alongside underwear and belts!
But in order to train something correctly we must understand exactly what it is we are training. Your core is a group of muscles that help with pretty much every movement your body makes. In physiological terms, the core includes the abdominal musculature (transversus abdominis; rectus abdominis; internal & external obliques), hip flexor & pelvic floor muscles and the spinal musculature ? predominantly your lower back muscles (lumbar erectors).
Your core is key because:
1) It is the link between your upper and lower body
Getting Fit With A Smooth Treadmill
July 29, 2007
Treadmills are one of the most popular fitness machines available today, viewed consistently as a straightforward piece of equipment that can provide a good workout for everyone, regardless of their fitness level.
And though treadmill workouts are sometimes viewed as a little predictable, there are a huge variety of great machines available that offer an array of features than can bring a real element of challenge to a workout. A Smooth treadmill, for example, combines power and innovation in their range of machines, and choosing a Smooth treadmill will provide you with the tools you need to get fit, and to enjoy every step of the process along the way.
One of the most exciting aspects of fitness is recognising the improvements in your body as you move towards your ultimate goal, both in terms of how you look and the way you feel. There is very little as satisfying as finally beginning to reap the rewards of all your hard work, but unfortunately, sometimes the differences in our health and our physique are not as apparent as quickly as we would wish them to be. But thankfully the people at Smooth treadmills understand how important a sense of improvement is in helping to keep us motivated, and they have incorporated many great features in their treadmills that will allow us see the small differences each time we exercise.
Fitness Ball Training for Golf
July 28, 2007
There are many training tools available to help achieve better balance in your golf swing. The most effective way to improve balance is by training the core musculature. Any time you put yourself in an unstable environment through the use of balance pads, fitness balls, or various other balance training aids, you increase your body’s awareness and balance. As golfers make their way through the exercise continuum they will progress from simple to more complex exercises.
Fitness balls are an effective training tool for increasing strength, improving joint and body stability and increasing joint flexibility. The ball’s round surface allows activation of the core stabilizer muscles. The unstable surface forces the body to adapt from moment to moment producing better balance, coordination between muscles and, ultimately, greater stability.
It can be suitable for people of all ages and activity levels because there are many progressions for each exercise. It can effectively and safely work essentially every muscle of the human body through a full range of motion with or without external resistance. The body’s core is the foundation for all movement, so strong arms and legs without proportional core strength is counterproductive.
Muscle Building Training Tips For Beginners
July 28, 2007
(*) Proper bodybuilding exercises technique.
First steps in muscle building training are easy. Spend the first few weeks in gym knowing the exercises. During the first few weeks of muscle building training, the muscles react to the stress put on them, even with relatively light weights, with important increase in strength and muscle tension.
(*) Train whole body on one workout.
Every major muscle group should be trained and developed to prevent muscle imbalance on muscle building training. The major muscle groups include legs, calves, chest, shoulders, back, arms and abdominals.
(*) Muscle building exercises.
Chose compound movements for each body-part (multi-joint movement like bench press, squat, dead lift etc).
(*) Weights.
During the first couple of muscle building training sessions, you will want to go pretty light just to get a feel for how to do the movement correctly. After you feel comfortable with the form, begin adding weight. Train in the range at 10-12reps.
(*) Sets.
A set is combination of any number of reps of a single exercise. You should have somewhere between 2-4 sets for each exercise of the muscle.
(*) Breathing.
Back Fitness for Senior Golfers
July 27, 2007
Back injuries are prevalent among golfers of all ages and especially for senior golfers. Age has a way of letting us know subtly that our bodies no longer react like the good old days of 20 something. The back is one area of our body we can’t afford to take for granted. Whether you suffer from minor aches and pains, mild discomfort or even general tightness, your back could be at risk as well as your game.
So how can we protect our backs from the wear and tear of age while creating longevity in golf?
The first thing to check is your posture. If you don’t know the right way to sit, stand or lift weight, then you are far from learning the complexities of swing mechanics!
The “perfect swing” is something many attempt to learn by watching or reading a book. Yet, it’s a motor skill, which also draws upon your ‘feel’ for things.
When you first learned to swing a golf club, you might think you were learning things from ’scratch’. But were you?
Using Nutrition to Boost Your Cardio
July 27, 2007
So, you’re doing cardio religiously and you’re not getting any results?What’s the deal?! Good news. You’re probably just making some minor mistakes that need to be corrected. If you want to make changes to your body, it’s probably pretty important for you to understand how your body works. After all, I doubt you’re running on the treadmill because your cable got shut off and the cardio-theater at your gym is the only place you can watch "The OC." I’m almost certain you want to burn fat. So, let’s learn how that works.
We’re going to talk about using nutrition to maximize the benefits of your workout. What you eat and when you eat it can make a world of difference. But first, we need to talk about how your body works.
