The Fitness Blog

A number of people have a foolish way of not minding, or pretending not to mind, what they eat. For my part, I mind my belly very studiously, and very carefully. For I look upon it, that he who does not mind his belly will hardly mind anything else.–Samuel Johnson  (poet, essayist, biographer, lexicographer)

Nowadays, people are so conscious about their health and body figure. Some people regularly visit the gym for weight training, cardiovascular exercise, or to simply have friends who share their passion for fitness.  Many fitness gyms offer the latest in weight and cardio-machines. Others specialize in special fitness programs or routines like Pilates, Tae-Bo, Belly Dancing, Hip-Hop Exercises, and even Pole Dancing.

But lately, Yoga and Tai Chi classes have been more popular in particular among women and above-40 fitness buffs. These Indian and Chinese methods of meditation and exercise are common because of the health positive aspects experienced by those perform them.  Many health buffs claim that they now enjoy a stress and anxiety-free lifestyle because of their Tai Chi and Yoga lessons.

Studies show that these kinds of exercise do have beneficial effects on the mind and body. These religious-philosophical movements gave emphasis to your Zen.  According to Buddhism, the term “zen” refers to the attainment of a stage of “awakening.” This belief was introduced in China by a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma in A.D. 520. According to studies, people who cling to the teachings of Zen endeavor to achieve “satori” which is also called “nirvana”. “Satori” in general can only be reached through a meditation called “zazen” which, in turn, leads to a state of mushin or “no mind”. Mushin is the ability to see things more clearly mentally. It means that one’s judgment will never be blurred with negative thoughts. Although this belief originated from the south, many Western students and practitioners of Yoga and Tai-Chi are satisfied with the health and vitality it brings.

Yoga rewards

Practicing yoga increases flexibility because stretching exercises the different tendons, ligaments, and joints of the body. Studies also say that yoga is probably the only form of activity that massages all the internal organs and glands systems. These may include the prostate, which according to medical specialists hardly receives stimulation. This massage or stimulation may keep certain individuals from diseases and other forms of illness. Yoga ensures the best supply of blood to the body. This helps detoxify the body of toxins and, in the act, delays aging and renewed energy. Muscles are also toned because of repeated stimulation through yoga.

Tai Chi gains

Medical researchers and Tai Chi practitioners claim that immediate gains occur from day one of practice. These may include a more relaxed and clearer mind. Clinical studies in america show that improved balance and comfort took place after only eight weeks of training. These benefits were immediately evident after performing very straightforward set of movements taken from different Tai Chi styles. Other gains of this “soft” martial arts include improved internal organ functions, improved breathing, and better sleep. Additional reports show that people who practice Tai Chi enjoyed improved strength and  reduced stress, aside from gaining a chance to better deal with anxiety attacks.

However, people with a history of heart disease, back injuries, and anyone who has undergone recent surgery should consult a physician before starting a Yoga or Tai Chi routine. In general, Tai Chi and Yoga are very effective routines to bring back health and a sense of peace of mind to a devoted practioner. Done properly, these ancient arts of exercise and meditation can help provide anxiety relief and alleviate other forms of stress.

Click here for yoga dvd

Tai Chi trains the body and mind, yet, lots of people who are enthusiastic about it at first, do not find enough time for it in their busy schedule. Basically, this Chinese martial art relies on two types of energy movements: an internal one that relies on Tai Chi breathing and an external one that consists of the body postures and special flowing moves.

With Tai Chi breathing you inhale and exhale through the nose, from the lower abdomen not from the chest. Only a Tai Chi master can really teach you the right breathing methods: without them, meditation and personal progress are difficult. In the early training stages, the student simply has to breathe correctly. You will be surprised to discover that most people do not know how to breathe, and they think that the shallow, short inhale-exhale alternation is the essence of it.

It is difficult to oxidize all the cells in the lungs with such short breath, and the direct consequence is a low oxygen level in the blood. Then, one other objection against mouth breathing is that it sends other elements to your lungs besides air. Moreover, mouth breathing results in snoring during sleep. No matter what type of sports you practice, nose breathing is really great.

A long and deep breath pattern following small flows characterizes Tai Chi breathing. When you take a long breath, the blood gets plenty of oxygen, which increases the metabolic rate, the blood circulation and the reactions at the level of the mind. With long deep breathing you improve energy. You will will feel much better if you manage this well.

Some instructors teach both breathing techniques and body postures simultaneously. Normally, it is from the interior towards the exterior that you should approach this. Thus, Tai Chi breathing should be taught after the students master the body posture well and they know how to breathe correctly. Another name for Tai Chi breathing is abdominal breathing and other martial arts use this terminology as well. Take Tai Chi progressively, and you will constantly improve in practice!

Tai chi is the most popular exercise in the world today. It is relatively new to the western world but is becoming more and more popular. The two thousand year old Chinese martial art is quite simple to do and has many benefits.

I was introduced to tai chi by a friend, a businessman who sold affordable composite front doors for a living. I must say that I did not really know much about it before this. He stated that his life has changed in a massive way especially in helping him to eradicate his high levels of stress and depression. His name is John and he has many issues in his life which not only affect his self-confidence but also makes him very depressed at times. The first time that John went to Tai Chi classes was about eighteen months ago and he has changed in a big way since then, for the positive I might add. He decided to not share information about what he was doing to other people. On a night out I mentioned to him that he had been a lot happier in the recent months. This is when he talked to me about tai chi. He also asked if I would like to attend the classes with him, which I duly agreed to. I am very glad that we had this conversation as I can also quite easily spiral into a state of depression~I feel rather fortunate that I had this chat with my good friend as it has really helped to improve my life}. I also had heard that it can help people to learn stop stuttering which is a problem that I had had since I was a young boy.

People have also mentioned that I look far healthier and even that I look younger than before. This is supposed to be another benefit of tai chi, it helps to delay the aging process. I am certainly a person who needs all the help that I can get in this area as I have always looked a lot older than I actually am – I have had a rather hard life you see lol.

Other health benefits of tai chi:

Helps to keep people mobile well into old age

Helps to improve balance

Helps to reduce asthma

Helps people to recover from certain injuries

Helps to boost the immune system

Can potentially help people to stop stuttering

Helps to lower blood pressure

In conclusion, if you are like me and are a person who is always stressed out and often depressed, tai chi could be the answer for you. It certainly is worth a crack – my motto is you will never know until you have tried.

I am now a far happier and successful person working in the Mobile Phone Voucher Codes sector. Tai chi has given me the confidence to try new things and to cope with the stresses of life.

There are now many alternative and natural treatments to help people who suffer from headaches and migraines. In this article, I write about these type of remedies and also recommend the types of food people should avoid if they are always suffering from headaches and migraines.

There are many causes of headaches including:

Excessive amounts of alcohol

Over eating

An incorrect posture

An excess of worry

Problems with teeth

Problems with a person eyes

It is important that we learn to deal with stress and to become more care-free. There are many people who turn to alcohol when they become stressed. This can only add to their problems and can lead to even more headaches.

This was something that I did due to the fact that I had a speech impediment, stuttering. The stuttering therapy in the early days was less than impressive and caused me a great deal of stress which led me to drinking alcohol.

I would also worry about my career which was in the composite doors and cost cutting experts business. As you can no doubt tell I was quite a stress head.

If the person drinks to excess they may wake up with a hangover. If this happens to you I would advise you to drink plenty of water as you are likely to be dehydrated. Vitamin C is also useful to remove the alcohol quicker from your body.

If you are a person who is unable to stop worrying then trying some form of complementary therapy could well be of benefit. These are the types of natural therapy I would advise:

Osteopathy

Acupuncture

Homeopathy

Yoga

Tai Chi

The Alexander Technique

There are also certain foods and drinks which are a must to avoid for people who have regular headaches. These include:

Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit

Chocolate

Cheese

Alcohol

Migraines

Headaches are annoying enough, however migraines can be severely painful. I have suffered with migraines for a number of years and have now studied the subject seeking a cure. I am determined to not have to live my life, having these migraines regularly throughout the year, as the pain is unbearable. Some people may call me pathetic but I have to admit that migraines cause me a great deal of distress.

Chinese herbs and medicine is a 4000 year practice as far as recorded history (between 2100 – 1700 B.C.) goes. But in probability, Chinese herbal has been used for as long as man has been in this region of the planet. The use, most likely, dates back to the populating of China. Given there is considerable argument here, we’ll agree, its been a long time. In general, the practice of Traditional Chinese herbal herbs fits prominently in Chinese medicine practices. In fact, if you specialize in this area alone, you could be very busy and well known for helping a lot of people. For your information, we will show its prioritized position in Chinese medicine and explain its application in this framework. The purpose of showing this order is to encourage customers to view physical conditions and their solution in a graduated process. By living in our fast paced life-style with high stress, long work hours, reduced family contact, fast food, low nutrition, reduced energy, etc., our immune system becomes extra challenged. It doesn’t happen over night and thus care is recommended at the same pace as the conditioned was entered. The exception occurs when illness is urgent and life-threatening.

TAM (Traditional Asian Medicine) CARE
(Four Tiers of Asian Medicine)

1. Food Therapy
2. Herbal Therapy
3. Exercise: Tai Chi & Qi Gong
4. Acupuncture & Cupping

I. FOOD THERAPY 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
– Hippocrates circa 431 B.C.

Traditional Chinese Medicine first employs food as a therapeutic tool. Why? Because we are very pre-occupied with food. Our stomachs will let us know that we are hungry, so most of us, unless we are imbalanced, will eat 1-6 times per day unless food is not available. Since we eat, its important to consider what we are eating due to the fact food has a major influence on the health of our bodies. If we drink pop, alcohol, eat desserts, cheese, candy, red meat, bread, processed foods, etc. then guess what happens to the body? It clogs up and gains weight and we get sick. If we eat vegetables, fruit, water, fish, then what happens? We open up, lose weight to balance and leanness and we can get well. The effective TAM practice will include food therapy with the knowledge of what food works best with a particular constitution. Ever heard of, “You are what you eat”? What that means, is that certain foods will definitely determine the cell quality in the tissues of your body. Food, ideally, provides substance to make energy from, benefitting the cells so they can do their job. The more energy, the more capacity your cells have to do their jobs. If they are obstructed with poor choices, that fit your wants, then the result will be illness. Foods that balance your ailing constitution, are essential to re-establishing your health. Master herbalists, sophisticated in this specialty, will recommend this strategy in order to form a foundation for other traditional Asian medicine. No matter what treatment methodology, allopathic or naturopathic, healing can be sabotaged, if food therapy is not seriously considered in the remedial process. Therefore, food therapy is critical to restoration of your health. Though food is a more subtle remedy, its gradual nourishing effect, has the power to restore, unnoticed, only because it takes more time. Thus, when we get sick, it is difficult, to connect the dots as to how we got in that condition.

This discussion of the Four Tiers of Chinese Medicine is further covered at Longevity Mountain. For those of you who desire to know the prioritized next 3 levels, Chinese herbs, Chinese medicine exercise and Accupuncture/Cupping.  

Chinese herbs and medicine is a 4000 year practice as far as recorded history (between 2100 – 1700 B.C.) goes. But in probability, Chinese herbal has been used for as long as man has been in this region of the planet. The use, most likely, dates back to the populating of China. Given there is considerable argument here, we’ll agree, its been a long time. In general, the practice of Traditional Chinese herbal herbs fits prominently in Chinese medicine practices. In fact, if you specialize in this area alone, you could be very busy and well known for helping a lot of people. For your information, we will show its prioritized position in Chinese medicine and explain its application in this framework. The purpose of showing this order is to encourage customers to view physical conditions and their solution in a graduated process. By living in our fast paced life-style with high stress, long work hours, reduced family contact, fast food, low nutrition, reduced energy, etc., our immune system becomes extra challenged. It doesn’t happen over night and thus care is recommended at the same pace as the conditioned was entered. The exception occurs when illness is urgent and life-threatening.

TAM (Traditional Asian Medicine) CARE
(Four Tiers of Asian Medicine)

1. Food Therapy
2. Herbal Therapy
3. Exercise: Tai Chi & Qi Gong
4. Acupuncture & Cupping

I. FOOD THERAPY 

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
– Hippocrates circa 431 B.C.

Traditional Chinese Medicine first employs food as a therapeutic tool. Why? Because we are very pre-occupied with food. Our stomachs will let us know that we are hungry, so most of us, unless we are imbalanced, will eat 1-6 times per day unless food is not available. Since we eat, its important to consider what we are eating due to the fact food has a major influence on the health of our bodies. If we drink pop, alcohol, eat desserts, cheese, candy, red meat, bread, processed foods, etc. then guess what happens to the body? It clogs up and gains weight and we get sick. If we eat vegetables, fruit, water, fish, then what happens? We open up, lose weight to balance and leanness and we can get well. The effective TAM practice will include food therapy with the knowledge of what food works best with a particular constitution. Ever heard of, “You are what you eat”? What that means, is that certain foods will definitely determine the cell quality in the tissues of your body. Food, ideally, provides substance to make energy from, benefitting the cells so they can do their job. The more energy, the more capacity your cells have to do their jobs. If they are obstructed with poor choices, that fit your wants, then the result will be illness. Foods that balance your ailing constitution, are essential to re-establishing your health. Master herbalists, sophisticated in this specialty, will recommend this strategy in order to form a foundation for other traditional Asian medicine. No matter what treatment methodology, allopathic or naturopathic, healing can be sabotaged, if food therapy is not seriously considered in the remedial process. Therefore, food therapy is critical to restoration of your health. Though food is a more subtle remedy, its gradual nourishing effect, has the power to restore, unnoticed, only because it takes more time. Thus, when we get sick, it is difficult, to connect the dots as to how we got in that condition.

This discussion of the Four Tiers of Chinese Medicine is further covered at Longevity Mountain. For those of you who desire to know the prioritized next 3 levels, Chinese herbs, Chinese medicine exercise and Accupuncture/Cupping.  

Those who teach tai chi moves are very quick to proclaim the sheer volume of health benefits of practising tai chi to the consumer public. The many benefits of tai chi movements include increased health, wellness, peace of mind, etc. Needless to say, all of these perceived health benefits can greatly enhance a person’s ability to increase his or her quality of life. The good quality of life can only be realised if the tai chi moves truly provides what it claims to do. As such, there needs to be a critical examination in regards to the actual positive elements of the system and whether or not the person who studies the art will actually achieve the promised benefits.

What needs to be immediately understood in regards to the benefits of tai chi movements is actually that these benefits are based on basic cardio vascular conditioning and isometrics. In other words, the positive benefits of tai chi come from both basic physiology and biology.

Many of the mystic notions of tai chi moves originate from the early history of kung fu which is to say that these mystic beliefs can trace their origin many hundreds of years prior to the inception of tai chi and carried over into tai chi when tai chi became incorporated into the collective whole of martial arts. In other words, much of these beliefs are a result of lack of understanding of physiology and science.

You need to understand the science behind the this exercise to full appreciate the benefits of tai chi. To believe in weird mysticism will undermine success and should always be avoided. Sadly, many do not avoid it. Rather, they embrace the notion. Do not get into this trap. Always stick with logic and disappointment will be avoided.

You need to be consistent in the practise to be able to fully benefit from the this form of martial arts exercise