Types of exercises

Some of the exercises that can be done are Oblique twist, Chest fly and Squat with the wall. One can perform aerobic exercises, strength training, Pilates, yoga with the help of it. They are comfortable and supportive can be done along with dumbbells, hand balls etc. they can be easily combined with other simple props and instruments for exercising

Don't expect to lose a lot of weight by exercising. Many people believe that exercise is a good way to lose weight. This is not so. Fifteen minutes of moderately vigorous exercise will only burn approximately 100 calories, which is equivalent to 2 teaspoons of olive oil or two-thirds of a can of soda. One hour of walking at a brisk pace will burn about 300 calories, which is equivalent to a 3.5 oz. (100g) plain croissant. Running a 20-mile marathon does not burn enough calories to lose one pound of fat. You need 10 hours of moderate exercise to burn the calories equivalent to one pound of fat, but you cannot selectively burn only fat. Most of the weight lost by exercising is due to dehydration (sweat or perspiration), and this weight is regained as soon as you drink water.

The best way to lose body fat weight is through diet as discussed in the Weight Control section. Dieting alone reduces fat and bone mass, whereas dieting in combination with exercise stimulates muscle growth, shifts the ratio of fat to muscle in the body, and helps maintain bone density during weight loss.[6] In addition, exercise induces the release of endorphins which produce a feeling of well-being. Approximately 30 minutes per day of vigorous aerobic exercise has been shown to be an efficacious treatment for mild to moderate major depressive disorder (MDD).[9] The objectives of exercise are:

•Maintain or improve coordination, balance, and flexibility
•Build or maintain muscular endurance and strength
•Improve cardiovascular and pulmonary health
(cardiorespiratory or aerobic endurance)
•Feel well and have a better mood

It's axiomatic that the exercises which give you the best results are always the hardest ones to do. If you want a huge back you row and deadlift. If you want huge legs, you squat OR you do THIS leg exercise that almost no one wants to do because its one of the hardest of them all


Here's the main 6 benefits that you can expect if you regularly use the stepper machine:
•Toned and defined buttocks - As your bum and legs and doing most of the work, you can except that most of the benefits would be in the lower body. It will define and tone your lower half and it will give you a rear view to be proud of.
•Leaner and firmer legs and thighs - Your legs and thighs will also become leaner and firmer and more toned with each step that you take. In particular your quads, hamstrings, calves and inner and outer thigh will become leaner and firmer.
•Burns calories - It will also help you to burn more calories than before. And if you also follow a healthy, balanced diet, you may start to lose some weight.
•Burn fat - You may also lose some fat if you use the machine regularly and you eat right. You may also notice that you become leaner looking with regular practice.
•Reduce stress and anxiety - When you exercise regularly, your body produces a hormone called dopamine. This is a feel good hormone that will help you to feel instantly better.
•Improves cardiovascular fitness levels - Regular practice with the stepper machine will also help you to improve your fitness levels. And it will make your lungs, heart and your cardiovascular system healthy and strong





Bicycling has several advantages over other exercises:

Cycling exercises the heart better than walking without the pounding of jogging.
One can ride a bicycle almost anywhere, at any time of the year, and at low cost.
Little or no time has to be lost, as bike travel can be used to get to work, perform errands, or enjoy the outdoors.
Commuting by bike reduces pollution that causes asthma and bronchitis. A commuting cyclist is also less exposed to air pollution than a commuting motorist.
On the down side, cycling does involve some risk of injury which has been greatly exaggerated by fearmongers. Cycling actually has similar risks to traveling by automobile. The British Medical Association has estimated that the health benefits of cycling outweigh the risks by twenty to one.

One very interesting question is how much aerobic exercise should one get every day? Some medical authorities recommend as little as 20 minutes a day, three times a week, while others recommend 2,000 kCal, which would be at least four times that amount. Why the great difference? Well, most authorities recognize the more exercise the better up to some undetermined point, but many are afraid that if they expect too much, people won't exercise at all. Another reason for lowering the recommendation was due to the damage caused by jogging, a problem cycling does not share. I am afraid that those setting very low requirements are giving people the mistaken impression that they don't need any more exercise than their usual, basically sedentary activity.

How much exercise do I recommend? I find that 45 minutes of cycling six days a week (about 2,000 kCal) keeps me feeling good, but not great, two hours per day keeps me very strong and controls my weight, and six hours a day on my bicycle trips makes me feel like superman after several weeks. We might say that lower amounts of exercise improve one's health and higher amounts improve one's fitness. I would recommend a minumum of 45 minutes a day and as much addition cycling as time permits. The time spent cycling will not be wasted; in addition to having a good ride, the cyclist will be more productive during the remaining time and will live longer as well




When you exercise, you will not only be improving your fitness, health, appearance and confidence, you will also be improving your mood. Exercise can boost your state of mind, and even help to fight depression. It doesn’t require a long, drawn out period either. You can see these benefits with just 20 minutes a few times per week.

Treadmills of course are also beneficial because of how individualized you can make your workout. You can adjust all kinds of settings, including the speed at which you’re walking or jogging. This allows you to adjust for the kind of intensity you’re seeking, and your current level of fitness and experience. Even if you always want to be walking and not running, you’ll still be burning calories and improving your health.

You will also be able to adjust the incline settings of most treadmills. When you decide to walk or run at an incline, you will really be raising the intensity of your workout, and adding a new challenge. You will also be targeting different muscles in your legs, providing for a more complete lower body workout.

Treadmills are one of the easiest pieces of exercise equipment to use. Once the machine is assembled it is as simple as getting on and walking or running.

Not all treadmills are electric. There are manual versions of treadmills available. The benefits of a manual treadmill as opposed to an electric version are much the same. The only difference is that with the manual treadmill you will find yourself working a bit harder to get the belt to move. This in itself is a benefit because it requires a bit more exertion on the part of the person exercising




•The ball being not stable has to be balanced with the body with the perfect spinal posture. Sitting on it helps the body to align in proper posture, which reduces back pain and improves spinal strength.
•Quick stretch and mini workouts can be easily done. Sitting on it develops balance, core strength and it works on multiple abdominal muscles.
•Exercising with a ball will improve the flow of blood in the body. It can be used for total body workout as legs, arms, chest, back, abdomen and even a cardio workout can be done with an effortless ball.
•It is noticed that over a period of time there is improvement in muscle tone, endurance, flexibility, weight and coordination. This is due to greater range of motion and dynamic positions that can be easily attained.
•It also facilitates in improvement in breathing techniques, it is indeed convenient to use and a great fun too.
•It is an inexpensive piece of equipment that proffers a total body workout. Prices ranges from $10 to $200 and can hold up to 1000 pounds of static weight. A wide range of exercises can be done and people of all age groups can take advantage from it.
•These balls are popular for their strength, quality and durability. They are appealing to every one on account of unique shape and bright colors. Kids can play with them, as they are safe and enjoyable.
Some tips: -

Before buying one should try the ball that is suitable according to ones size, it should be firm and strong. Exercising becomes difficult with a much harder ball. Start with a soft ball not the one that is overly inflated. The size of the ball largely depends on ones height.

At present therapists, medical specialists, fitness instructors very much recommend the use of Swiss ball in exercises. Have a great ball with your fitness ball and enjoy and have fun in your exercising regime

Benefits of Cross Training

•Reduces exercise boredom
•Allows you to be flexible about you training needs and plans (if the pool is closed, you can go for a run instead).
•Produces a higher level of all around conditioning
•Conditions the entire body, not just specific muscle groups
•Reduces the risk of injury
•Work some muscles while others rest and recover
•Can continue to train while injured
•Improves your skill, agility and balance
What exercises should make up a good cross training routine?

•Cardiovascular Exercise (Think about adding three different exercises from the list below):
•Running
•Swimming
•Cycling
•Rowing
•Stair Climbing
•Rope jumping
•Skating (inline or ice)
•Skiing
•Racquetball / basketball / other court sports
•Strength Training
•Calisthenics (push ups and crunches and pull ups)
•Free Weights
•Machines
•Tubing and Bands
•Flexibility (stretching, yoga)
•Speed, agility, and balance drills
•Circuit training, sprinting, plyometrics and other forms of skill conditioning
With cross training, you can do one form of exercise each day, or more than one in a day. If you do both on the same day, you can change the order in which you do them. You can easily tailor cross-training to your needs and interests; mix and match you sports and change your routine on a regular basis.

Exercise can strengthen the cardiovascular system, bones, muscles, joints, reduce body fat and improve flexibility, balance and coordination. But if you want to see all of these benefits, you'll need to start cross training. What better time to start than now? I hear your friends have taken up snowboarding.




Fitness Rowing Machines

These days, you can find numerous workout machines which can help you to achieve your desired fitness goal. However, if you want to acquire excellent cardiovascular benefits then you should attempt to do rowing machine workouts. Besides works your cardiovascular, fitness rowing machine also provides you various health benefits such as a low impact workout, endurance improvement, increasing stamina and so forth.

Performing rowing machine exercise is highly regarded because it uses muscles from all of your major muscle groups as well as strengthens and tones muscles in your arms, shoulders, legs, stomach and back. Hence, this kind of workout allows you to burn off much of calories in your body simultaneously.

Fitness rowing machine provides you great cardiovascular advantages as you’re increasing the heartbeat by performing consistent exercise and motion on the device for over a period of time. When your arms back and forth move repetitively as rowing movements, the circulation to your heart is increased. As a result, it’ll improve your heart health.

Rowing is a low impact exercise where its uniform movements put little stress on your joints and muscles. Therefore, it is well suited for anyone at any fitness level. Nevertheless, like any other workout, stress and strain may occur in case you perform the exercise improperly.

When considering purchasing a rowing machine, it will be a good idea for you to do some research on the different kinds of them.


Benefits: -

Fun Fat Burning Dance Exercise Videos

Leg Flutters

A lot of people don't realize that in order to tone your middle and love handle area you also need to strengthen your back. This creates a balance in your torso and reduces the fat on your back.

1. Lie on your stomach and lift your head up slightly

2. You can keep your arms straight out at your sides or bend them with your elbows resting beside you.

3. Lift your feet and knees off the floor and flutter your legs rapidly back and forth. Do this for 20 seconds. Take a 20 second break and then repeat again

Twist Crunches

This exercise will work your internal and external obliques as well as the rectus abdominis. These are the two muscle groups that live around your waist. Fat is generally stored on top of these muscles, thus creating the love handle effect.

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent.

2. Carefully lift your head up and place your hands behind your head without locking your fingers together.

3. Twist to the right bringing your left elbow to your right knee. Extend your left leg out.

4. Now twist back to the left bringing your right elbow to your left knee. Extend your right leg out.

5. Repeat 25 times.

Standing Trunk Twists

This is a good aerobic-type exercise that will help get your heart rate up as well as burn some calories in your middle.

1. Stand with your feet about a foot apart and knees relaxed.

2. Twist your torso to the left while keeping your hips and legs as stable as possible. As you twist to the left, cross your right arm in front of your body in a punching motion.

3. Twist back to the right and cross your left arm over your body in a punching motion.

4. Do 100 reps.

The Bottom Line:Just like getting rid of belly fat, love handles will only firm up if you start increasing your body's metabolism by exercising 3-4 times per week for at least 30 minutes. This does not only include crunches, sit ups, etc but aerobic-type exercises that will get your heart rate up.

Exercising Your Love Handles

Love handles. Ah yes....the affectionate term given to that flabby area on the sides of your abdomen that you can't seem to get rid of.

The anatomic term for them is "obliques" and unfortunately this area of the body is often neglected when it comes to exercising the stomach and ab areas.

Again, I cannot stress enough that you have to start with long-duration aerobic exercise if you want to trim any part of your stomach.

Spot toning will prove ineffective because you need to raise your metabolism enough to burn that extra love handle fat. Remember, it's all about total body fitness and losing weight all over

All the Muscle Physiology

The Basics





First, a little about anatomical position. If you stand up, place your hands at your sides, and then turn your hands so that the palms are facing forward, this is the anatomical position. A good way to picture it is to think of your pinkies touching the seam of your pants. Later when we discuss muscles being on the "inside" or "outside" of a limb, this is the position we are starting from. When a body is in anatomical position, there are three "lines" that separate body regions. One cuts horizontally through the body at the belly button, dividing us into top and bottom (Superior and inferior). The other two divide the body vertically. One is aligned with our ears and shoulders and divides us into front and back (frontal and dorsal), the other splits us right down the line of our nose (Midline). The midline will become important when we start talking about how far away something is.
Once you divide the body, there are only a few more terms that we need to know in order to get started. Here is a list of the most basic:
• Proximal/Distal: These terms are used to describe how close something is to the midline (body division) in relation to something else. They mean how they sound--distal is more distant, proximal is closer (proximity). For example, if you compare your elbow to your wrist, it is proximal (closer than the wrist). If you compare it to the shoulder, it is distal (farther from the midline than is the shoulder).
• Medial/Lateral: These terms are used to describe whether a point is on the "inside" or the "outside" of something. For example, think of your foot. The big toe is on the medial (middle) side of the foot, and the little toe is on the lateral side.
OK! Are you still here? Good! Now we'll start looking at the fun stuff, muscles! In this first installment, we will examine the different types and shapes of muscles in the body, as well as the basics of what causes a muscle to contract.
There are three different types of muscles in the body: Cardiac muscle is found only in the heart; smooth muscle is generally found in blood vessel walls, and walls of organs such as the small intestine or stomach, etc.; the last is skeletal muscle, and this is the one that concerns us the most.
Skeletal muscle comes in four different forms, parallel, convergent, pennate and circular. Most of the msucles in the body are of the parallel type. This is where the fibers of the muscle lay mostly parallel to the long axis of the muscle. The biceps (Upper arm muscle) is a good example of this type of muscle. Convergent muscles are based over a broad area, but come together at one attachment point. The pectorals (Chest muscles ) are an example of this. They are broad near the center of the chest, but come together to attach at one point on the arm (Near to the shoulder). In a pennate muscle, the fibers all form a common angle with the tendon. These muscles don't contract as much as a parallel muscle will, but they provide more direct power. An example is the rectus femoris (part of the muscle group on the top of the leg known as the quads--it is responsible for straightening the leg at the knee). The deltoids (Shoulder muscles) are also pennate muscles. The last type is circular muscle. These muscles will not be looked at, since their function is to close openings in the body. The muscles that close the lips are examples of circular muscles.
Since what actually makes a muscle move and contract is an extremely broad topic, this will not be covered in detail. There are two nervous systems that we will look at, the central and the peripheral. The central nervous system includes the brain and nerves of the spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system contains the nerves that run out to the muscles and various parts of the body and then back to the central nervous system again. When the brain decides that a muscle needs to contract, it sends out a signal through the central nervous system. This signal passes to the peripheral system and keeps getting passed from nerve to nerve until it hits the muscle. The nerve at the muscle lets out a substance that causes muscle cells to contract. As long as the nerve lets out this substance, the muscle will contract (until either the nerve runs out of transmitter substance, or the muscle cell is completely exhausted). This sounds simple, but there are thousands of nerve and muscle cells that all need to act in unison to produce a contraction and a resulting movement.
That's about it for this session, in the next article we will start looking at specific muscle groups and how they relate to movement and their significance in triathlon. We will also discuss good exercises and stretches for each muscle group. Until then, happy tri-ing and good training!

Now We Get To It: Abs and Back

Ok, last installment we chewed through a lot of dry stuff about muscles, and I promised this time that we would get to some better stuff, and include a few training tips. Having said that, this trip around we are going to talk about a few sets of muscles that may be the most important you have for any athletic event.
Quads? Hamstrings? Lats? No, no no no! We are talking about the midsection muscles, the abdominals (Rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques), and the back muscle group known as the spinal extensors, or erector spinae. This group actually comprises many different muscles, but they are known in this collective form, and the exercises are the same for the entire group.
What makes these muscles so important? One word-stability. The more stable these muscles are, the smoother it makes your swimming and running, and helps prevent and mitigate that bent over, can't straighten up feeling after tucking on the bike for hours on end. Additionally, the obliques are what help turn your torso side to side, which will help with that roll/stretch combo you have been trying to perfect in your freestyle stroke. Additionally, if these muscles are not toned, then other muscles in the body have to do more work to help balance the body during weight shifts, which drains your energy faster.
Your abs (Rectus Abdominus) originate on the pubis (Part of the pelvis, around the genitourinary area), and run all the way up to insert on the lowest ribs. Their action is to flex (Curl) the spine in a forward direction. They also help to protect and stabilize the internal organs. They also help with your balance.
There are two sets of obliques, the internal and the external. The externals originate along the lower eight ribs, and attach along the iliac crest (Top of the hipbone), as well as the linea alba (This is a sheath of connective tissue that runs from the lower part of your breastbone down to your pelvis. If you look at a picture of 6 pack abs, it is what causes the line down the middle.) The internal obliques are just the opposite, the originate on the pelvis/linea alba, and run to the 8 lower ribs. These muscles are primarily responsible for rotating the torso, and bending the spine side to side.
Finally, the erector spinae. This is a generic term for several sets of muscles that run from your tailbone/hip girdle area, all the way to the top of the spine. There are a few that run all the way, as well as a lot that run in between each vertebrae. They are responsible (primarily) for extending (arching) the spine, as well as moving the ribcage.
All of these muscles help control movement of the torso, breathing, and especially balance. If they are not in the best of shape, that means other muscles have to help out, which takes more energy away from the prime goal, racing!
Well, that's all great, but how do we train these? There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about how to train the abs, tons of videos, etc. I am going to show you some basic exercises that will help build and tone all of these muscles. CAUTION! If you have had or currently have back problems, talk with a trainer or sports doc. If you do these incorrectly, they can cause further harm.
Abs are the among the most exercised "trophy" muscles. Everyone wants that washboard stomach. They are also the most widely MIS-exercised muscles in the body. The traditional sit-up means hoisting your body up at the hips to touch your elbows to your knees. Not only does this not exercise the abs (It mostly exercises a set of hip/leg muscles), it can lead to injury from tugging on your neck. There are two easy ways to exercise your abs.
Exercise #1 : Lay flat on the floor, legs drawn up at an angle, feet flat on the floor. This is similar to the "oldstyle" situp position. Place your hands on opposite shoulders, elbows pointing at the ceiling. Now try to touch your elbows to your hips by "curling" your upper body into a ball. You probably wont be able to get all the way there (At least I cant....), but you should feel a tension in your midsection just below your breastbone down to about your navel. Hold this for a second or two, then slowly relax back down. These muscles respond just as well to a slower movement, so there is no need to thrash back and forth like a whale trying to unbeach itself. ;-)
Exercise #2: This is similar to the first exercise. Lay on your back with your hands palm down on the floor along your body (Or extended out in a cross type fashion.) Bring your knees and legs up to your body (Think of the old cannonball dive position, except don't wrap your hands around them.) Now "curl" from the bottom up, trying to drive your knees through your shoulders. Hold and relax.
Don't be alarmed if you can't do many of these. If you haven't trained your abs properly before, then it may take a while before you can do a lot of them. Also, this will help to reduce the midsection some, as you tighten up the muscles, but it will NOT "spot reduce" those love handles. For you to do that (And to be able to SEE that 6 pack that is now there), you have to get rid of the fat covering the area.
The second mistake a lot of people make is to train the abs and not train the back erectors. This creates a muscle imbalance, and can be a large factor in causing some back pains. This is a rule of thumb in muscle training...if you train one set, you need to train the opposing set of muscles.
There are back extension machines at most gyms, and you can have a trainer show you how to use them properly. Or, you can do this one at home. Lay face down on the carpet with your hands extended over your head in the "superman" flying position (Hmmm...note to self...Arm and Hammer Rug deodorizer needed). Now, lift your head to look forward, and at the same time raise one arm and the opposite leg off the floor. You don't need to really arch, a couple of inches will do it. Hold for a couple of seconds, then relax. Do this with the other arm/leg. The more you can arch, the better, but again, don't push it at first. (This will also help in the swimming, when you pick your head straight up out of the water to buoy sight while stroking.)
And, those pesky obliques. Again, these are rarely exercised except by competitive bodybuilders. There are two different exercises that will work these muscles.
Exercise #1: Get yourself onto a slant board (A situp type board that slants, found in 99% of all gyms). Place your hands on your shoulders like you would for ab exercise #1, and come a few inches up off the board (This will also help train the abs.) Now try to curl your elbow to the opposite knee. Hold a few seconds, then relax. Repeat for the other side. Again, if you haven't done this much, you may only be able to do a few.
Exercise #2: Stand straight up, and hold a 5 or 10 lb dumbbell in your hand. (No, put your brother-in-law DOWN! Now, grab the metal one...that's it...) Place your free hand flat against your leg, and try to slide it down your leg to your knee. Hold for a second or two, and relax. Do a few on one side, and then switch to the other side.
Well, that's about it for the exercises. Once you start getting these muscles into shape, the rest of your workouts should be a little easier. I have coached a few people that always complained of lower back pain a couple of miles into a run. Once they started toning the back erector muscles, the pain lessened and disappeared. (NOTE: I am not promising anything...YMMV ;-) ) You may also notice a general lessening of your fatigue levels during workouts. I must stress again though, if you haven't been doing any of these, or have any history of back pains, check with the trainer or a sports doc before performing any of these exercises. See you in the next installment! (Hmm...what to do, what to do...).

Every time you walk, settle into a chair, or hug your child, you're using your bones, muscles, and joints. Without these important body parts, we wouldn't be able to stand, walk, run, or even sit.

Bones and What They Do

From our head to our toes, bones provide support for our bodies and help form our shape. The skull protects the brain and forms the shape of our face. The spinal cord, a pathway for messages between the brain and the body, is protected by the backbone, or spinal column.
The ribs form a cage that shelters the heart, lungs, liver, and spleen, and the pelvis helps protect the bladder, intestines, and in women, the reproductive organs.
Although they're very light, bones are strong enough to support our entire weight.
The human skeleton has 206 bones, which begin to develop before birth. When the skeleton first forms, it is made of flexible cartilage, but within a few weeks it begins the process of ossification. Ossification is when the cartilage is replaced by hard deposits of calcium phosphate and stretchy collagen, the two main components of bone. It takes about 20 years for this process to be completed.
The bones of kids and young teens are smaller than those of adults and contain "growing zones" called growth plates. These plates consist of columns of multiplying cartilage cells that grow in length, and then change into hard, mineralized bone. These growth plates are easy to spot on an X-ray. Because girls mature at an earlier age than boys, their growth plates change into hard bone at an earlier age



Humans can't live without blood. Without blood, the body's organs couldn't get the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive, we couldn't keep warm or cool off, fight infections, or get rid of our own waste products. Without enough blood, we'd weaken and die.
Here are the basics about the mysterious, life-sustaining fluid called blood.

Blood Basics

Two types of blood vessels carry blood throughout our bodies:
1. Arteries carry oxygenated blood (blood that has received oxygen from the lungs) from the heart to the rest of the body.
2. Blood then travels through veins back to the heart and lungs, where it receives more oxygen.
As the heart beats, you can feel blood traveling through the body at pulse points — like the neck and the wrist — where large, blood-filled arteries run close to the surface of the skin.
The blood that flows through this network of veins and arteries is whole blood, which contains three types of blood cells:
1. red blood cells (RBCs)
2. white blood cells (WBCs)
3. platelets
In babies and young kids, blood cells are made within the bone marrow (the soft tissue inside of bones) of many bones throughout the body. But, as kids get older, blood cells are made mostly in the bone marrow of the vertebrae (the bones of the spine), ribs, pelvis, skull, sternum (the breastbone), and parts of the humerus (the upper arm bone) and femur (the thigh bone).
The cells travel through the circulatory system suspended in a yellowish fluid called plasma, which is 90% water and contains nutrients, proteins, hormones, and waste products. Whole blood is a mixture of blood cells and plasma
body.

Red Blood Cells

Red blood cells (also called erythrocytes) are shaped like slightly indented, flattened disks. RBCs contain the iron-rich protein hemoglobin. Blood gets its bright red color when hemoglobin picks up oxygen in the lungs. As the blood travels through the body, the hemoglobin releases oxygen to the tissues.
The body contains more RBCs than any other type of cell, and each has a life span of about 4 months. Each day, the body produces new RBCs to replace those that die or are lost from the

White Blood Cells

White blood cells (also called leukocytes) are a key part of the body's system for defending itself against infection. They can move in and out of the bloodstream to reach affected tissues. Blood contains far fewer WBCs than red blood cells, although the body can increase WBC production to fight infection. There are several types of WBCs, and their life spans vary from a few days to months. New cells are constantly being formed in the bone marrow.
Several different parts of blood are involved in fighting infection. White blood cells called granulocytes and lymphocytes travel along the walls of blood vessels. They fight germs such as bacteria and viruses and may also attempt to destroy cells that have become infected or have changed into cancer cells.
Certain types of WBCs produce antibodies, special proteins that recognize foreign materials and help the body destroy or neutralize them. The white cell count (the number of cells in a given amount of blood) in someone with an infection often is higher than usual because more WBCs are being produced or are entering the bloodstream to battle the infection.
After the body has been challenged by some infections, lymphocytes "remember" how to make the specific antibodies that will quickly attack the same germ if it enters the body again

Platelets

Platelets (also called thrombocytes) are tiny oval-shaped cells made in the bone marrow. They help in the clotting process. When a blood vessel breaks, platelets gather in the area and help seal off the leak. Platelets survive only about 9 days in the bloodstream and are constantly being replaced by new cells.
Important proteins called clotting factors are critical to the clotting process. Although platelets alone can plug small blood vessel leaks and temporarily stop or slow bleeding, the action of clotting factors is needed to produce a strong, stable clot.
Platelets and clotting factors work together to form solid lumps to seal leaks, wounds, cuts, and scratches and to prevent bleeding inside and on the surfaces of our bodies. The process of clotting is like a puzzle with interlocking parts. When the last part is in place, the clot happens — but if even one piece is missing, the final pieces can't come together.
When large blood vessels are severed (or cut), the body may not be able to repair itself through clotting alone. In these cases, dressings or stitches are used to help control bleeding.

Platelets (also called thrombocytes) are tiny oval-shaped cells made in the bone marrow. They help in the clotting process. When a blood vessel breaks, platelets gather in the area and help seal off the leak. Platelets survive only about 9 days in the bloodstream and are constantly being replaced by new cells.
Important proteins called clotting factors are critical to the clotting process. Although platelets alone can plug small blood vessel leaks and temporarily stop or slow bleeding, the action of clotting factors is needed to produce a strong, stable clot.
Platelets and clotting factors work together to form solid lumps to seal leaks, wounds, cuts, and scratches and to prevent bleeding inside and on the surfaces of our bodies. The process of clotting is like a puzzle with interlocking parts. When the last part is in place, the clot happens — but if even one piece is missing, the final pieces can't come together.
When large blood vessels are severed (or cut), the body may not be able to repair itself through clotting alone. In these cases, dressings or stitches are used to help control bleeding.

Nutrients in the Blood

Blood contains other important substances, such as nutrients from food that has been processed by the digestive system. Blood also carries hormones released by the endocrine glands and carries them to the body parts that need them.
Blood is essential for good health because the body depends on a steady supply of fuel and oxygen to reach its billions of cells. Even the heart couldn't survive without blood flowing through the vessels that bring nourishment to its muscular walls.
Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system to be removed from the body.
Blood cells and some of the special proteins blood contains can be replaced or supplemented by giving a person blood from someone else via a transfusion. In addition to receiving whole-blood transfusions, people can also receive transfusions of a particular component of blood, such as platelets, RBCs, or a clotting factor. When someone donates blood, the whole blood can be separated into its different parts to be used in this way

Platelets
Platelets (also called thrombocytes) are tiny oval-shaped cells made in the bone marrow. They help in the clotting process. When a blood vessel breaks, platelets gather in the area and help seal off the leak. Platelets survive only about 9 days in the bloodstream and are constantly being replaced by new cells.
Important proteins called clotting factors are critical to the clotting process. Although platelets alone can plug small blood vessel leaks and temporarily stop or slow bleeding, the action of clotting factors is needed to produce a strong, stable clot.
Platelets and clotting factors work together to form solid lumps to seal leaks, wounds, cuts, and scratches and to prevent bleeding inside and on the surfaces of our bodies. The process of clotting is like a puzzle with interlocking parts. When the last part is in place, the clot happens — but if even one piece is missing, the final pieces can't come together.
When large blood vessels are severed (or cut), the body may not be able to repair itself through clotting alone. In these cases, dressings or stitches are used to help control bleeding.
Nutrients in the Blood
Blood contains other important substances, such as nutrients from food that has been processed by the digestive system. Blood also carries hormones released by the endocrine glands and carries them to the body parts that need them.
Blood is essential for good health because the body depends on a steady supply of fuel and oxygen to reach its billions of cells. Even the heart couldn't survive without blood flowing through the vessels that bring nourishment to its muscular walls.
Blood also carries carbon dioxide and other waste materials to the lungs, kidneys, and digestive system to be removed from the body.
Blood cells and some of the special proteins blood contains can be replaced or supplemented by giving a person blood from someone else via a transfusion. In addition to receiving whole-blood transfusions, people can also receive transfusions of a particular component of blood, such as platelets, RBCs, or a clotting factor. When someone donates blood, the whole blood can be separated into its different parts to be used in this way

Diseases of Red Blood Cells

Most of the time, blood functions without problems, but sometimes, blood disorders or diseases can cause illness. Diseases of the blood that commonly affect kids can involve any or all of the three types of blood cells. Other types of blood diseases affect the proteins and chemicals in the plasma that are responsible for clotting.
The most common condition affecting RBCs is anemia, a lower-than-normal number of red cells in the blood. Anemia is accompanied by a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin. The symptoms of anemia — such as pale skin, weakness, a fast heart rate, and poor growth in infants and children — happen because of the blood's reduced capacity for carrying oxygen.
Anemia typically is caused by either inadequate RBC production or unusually rapid RBC destruction. In severe cases of chronic anemia, or when a large amount of blood is lost, someone may need a transfusion of RBCs or whole blood.
Anemia resulting from inadequate RBC production. Conditions that can cause a reduced production of red blood cells include:
Iron deficiency anemia. The most common type of anemia, it affects kids and teens of any age who have a diet low in iron or who've lost a lot of RBCs (and the iron they contain) through bleeding. Premature babies, infants with poor nutrition, menstruating teenage girls, and those with ongoing blood loss due to illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease are especially likely to have iron deficiency anemia.
Lead poisoning. When lead enters the body, most of it goes into RBCs where it can interfere with the production of hemoglobin. This can result in anemia. Lead poisoning can also affect — and sometimes permanently damage — other body tissues, including the brain and nervous system. Although lead poisoning is much less common now, it still is a problem in many larger cities, especially where young children might ingest paint chips or the dust that comes from lead-containing paints peeling off the walls in older buildings.
Anemia due to chronic disease. Kids with chronic diseases (such as cancer or human immunodeficiency virus infection) often develop anemia as a complication of their illness.
Anemia due to kidney disease. The kidneys produce erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates production of red cells in the bone marrow. Kidney disease can interfere with the production of this hormone.
Anemia resulting from unusually rapid red blood cell destruction. When RBCs are destroyed more quickly than normal by disease (a process called hemolysis), the bone marrow will make up for it by increasing production of new red cells to take their place. But if RBCs are destroyed faster than they can be replaced, a person will develop anemia.

Several causes of increased red blood cell destruction can affect kids:
G6PD deficiency. G6PD is an enzyme that helps to protect red blood cells from the destructive effects of certain chemicals found in foods and medications. When the enzyme is deficient, these chemicals can cause red cells to hemolyze, or burst. G6PD deficiency is a common hereditary disease among people of African, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian descent.
Hereditary spherocytosis is an inherited condition in which RBCs are misshapen (like tiny spheres, instead of disks) and especially fragile because of a genetic problem with a protein in the structure of the red blood cell. This fragility causes the cells to be easily destroyed.
Autoimmune hemolytic anemia. Sometimes — because of disease or for no known reason — the body's immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys RBCs.
Sickle cell anemia, most common in people of African descent, is a hereditary disease that results in the production of abnormal hemoglobin. The RBCs become sickle shaped, they cannot carry oxygen adequately, and they are easily destroyed. The sickle-shaped blood cells also tend to abnormally stick together, causing obstruction of blood vessels. This blockage in the blood vessels can seriously damage organs and cause bouts of severe pain

Diseases of the White Blood Cells

Neutropenia occurs when there aren't enough of a certain type of white blood cell to protect the body against bacterial infections. People who take certain chemotherapy drugs to treat cancer may develop neutropenia.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks certain types of WBCs (lymphocytes) that work to fight infection. Infection with the virus can result in AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), leaving the body prone to infections and certain other diseases. Newborns can become infected with the virus from their infected mothers while in the uterus, during birth, or from breastfeeding, although HIV infection of the fetus and newborn is usually preventable with proper medical treatment of the mother during pregnancy and delivery. Teens and adults can get HIV from sex with an infected person or from sharing contaminated needles used for injecting drugs or tattoo ink.
Leukemias are cancers of the cells that produce WBCs. These cancers include acute myeloid leukemia (AML), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The most common types of leukemia affecting kids are ALL and AML. In the past 25 years, scientists have made great advances in treating several types of childhood leukemia, most notably certain types of ALL.
Diseases of Platelets
Thrombocytopenia, or a lower than normal number of platelets, is usually diagnosed because a person has abnormal bruising or bleeding. Thrombocytopenia can happen when someone takes certain drugs or develops infections or leukemia or when the body uses up too many platelets. Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys platelets.
Diseases of the Clotting System
The body's clotting system depends on platelets as well as many clotting factors and other blood components. If a hereditary defect affects any of these components, a person can have a bleeding disorder. Common bleeding disorders include:
Hemophilia, an inherited condition that almost exclusively affects boys, involves a lack of particular clotting factors in the blood. People with severe hemophilia are at risk for excessive bleeding and bruising after dental work, surgery, and trauma. They may experience episodes of life-threatening internal bleeding, even if they haven't been injured.
Von Willebrand disease, the most common hereditary bleeding disorder, also involves a clotting-factor deficiency. It affects both males and females.
Other causes of clotting problems include chronic liver disease (clotting factors are produced in the liver) and vitamin K deficiency (the vitamin is necessary for the production of certain clotting factors).

Eating Before Exercise - Foods for Athletic Competition

Want to Loose Weight?





Look Good And Live Life Again.
What an athlete consumes before, during and after exercise is important for comfort and performance during exercise. While eating soon before exercise doesn't provide the bulk of the fuel needed for the activity, it can prevent the distracting symptoms of hunger during exercise. The major source of fuel for active muscles is carbohydrate which gets stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before exercise. This is one reason that the post-exercise meal is critical to recovery and being ready for the next exercise session



When To Eat
Exercising on a full stomach is not ideal. Food that remains in your stomach during an event may cause stomach upset, nausea, and cramping. To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to workouts to determine what works best for you.

If you have an early morning race or workout, it's best to get up early enough to eat your pre-exercise meal. If not, you should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event than a solid meal because your stomach digests liquids faster.

What To Eat
Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. This include foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars and drinks. Also see: Energy for Exercise - Fat or Carbs?.

Planning
Planning is essential if you are competing in an all-day event, such as track meets or other tournaments. Consider the time of your event, the amount of your meal and the energy required. Also, be aware of the amount of fluid you consume. You should plan ahead and prepare meals and snacks that you have tried before and know will sit well with you. Do not experiment with something new on the event day.

Suggested Pre-Exercise Foods
Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and fluid replacement 1 hour before exercise.


1 hour or less before competition


•fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
•Energy gels
•up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.
2 to 3 hours before competition

Why You Need Cardio Exercise

Each week I get questions about cardio--how often we should do it, how hard we should work and why we need it in the first place. Many of us are confused about what to do because there are conflicting opinons about how much cardio we really need. The guidelines published by the American College of Sports Medicine suggest 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week, or vigorous cardio 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week. For weight loss, you might need even more (up to 60-90 minutes) depending on your diet and other activities. It's tough keeping all these rules straight and, the good news is that you don't have to. Sometimes it's best to forget the rules and get back to basics: Cardio isn't just for weight loss.



Our Bodies Are Made to Move




If you have a sedentary job, think about how your body feels at end of the day. Do you have tight muscles, an aching back, feel exhausted even though you haven't done anything physical? Maybe your shoulders burn from tension and your head hurts from staring at a computer screen for too long. Now, think about how your body feels after a workout. Your muscles are warm and flexible, the blood is pumping through your body, providing oxygen and energy. You feel energized, confident, proud of yourself and ready to take on the world. It's much different, isn't it? Our bodies are made to move--not sit around all day and yet, that's exactly what we're doing.

Next, take a moment to remember all the benefits of cardio exercise:

•Weight loss
•Stronger heart and lungs
•Increased bone density
•Reduced stress
•Reduced risk of heart disease and some types of cancer
•Temporary relief from depression and anxiety
•More confidence about how you feel and how you look
•Better sleep
•More energy
•Setting a good example for your kids to stay active as they get older
Notice that weight loss, while a big focus for many people, is only one benefit of cardio. Despite that, weight loss is often our only goal and not just for health, but to look good. While there's nothing wrong with wanting to look good, having that as our only goal can make exercise harder. Why? Because losing weight takes time...what happens if you don't see results on your timetable? Where will your motivation go if the scale doesn't cooperate? Open your mind to other reasons to exercise--you might just find new ways to make exercising easier.

Cardio for Better Quality of Life

Appearance is important. That's why I take a shower every day, make sure my clothes match and check that I don't have anything green stuck in my teeth. But I worry that we've gotten so obsessed with how we look that we no longer care about how we feel. If you look at the benefits listed above, all of them translate into feeling good now and in the future. Despite that, we still seem more entranced with getting six-pack abs than feeling good, both physically and mentally.

Have we forgotten that being active can make our lives better? Moving around increases blood flow to our muscles, strengthens the heart and lungs and teaches the heart to work more efficiently. Not only that, when you exercise you set a good example for your kids to do the same, which could mean a better future for them.

If all this is true, why isn't that enough to get us moving? Why do so many of us struggle with being active? Part of it might be how we think about ourselves, our bodies and exercise. Read on to learn how to Change the Way You Think.

How to Do Neck Backward Resistance Exercise

The posterior muscles of the neck are the ones responsible for neck extension. These muscles are splenius capitis, semispinalis capitis, suboccipitals, and the trapezius muscle. To strengthen these muscles, application of resistance is done at the back of the head, opposing the extension of the neck. This type of exercise can be executed in two ways -- static and dynamic exercises. In static or isometric resistance exercise, a fixed or immovable resistance is applied, to allow muscle contraction but without any movements from the joint. Dynamic resistance exercise on the other hand, involves application of constant pressure, that allows both muscle contraction and joint movement. Here are some different methods of doing neck extension or backward resistance exercise.


1

Standing or seated, clasp your hands together and place them behind your head. Then gently push the back of your head against your hands as you attempt to move your head backwards (neck extension). Apply enough opposing resistance on your hands to not allow neck extension. Do not tuck your chin while doing this motion. Increase the resistance gradually to a tolerable level, hold it for 5 seconds, and relax. Perform this procedure 5 to 10 times.

2

Begin by sitting on a chair with your head in neutral position. Loop the towel around the back of your head and hold on to the ends of the towel from the sides of your head. Make sure that both your hands are holding firmly to the ends of the towel. Gently push your head against the towel as you attempt to move your head backward (neck extension). Apply enough opposing resistance on the towel so that your neck is not able to extend. Increase resistance gradually to a tolerable level, hold it for 5 seconds, and relax. Repeat this 5 to 10 times.

3

Start by lying on your back (supine position), with a pillow on the head, and head in straight position. Now gently push the back of your head against the pillow. Gradually increase the amount of resistance to a tolerable level, hold it for 5 seconds, and then relax. Repeat this procedure 5 to 10 times.
Dynamic Backward Resistance Exercise of the Neck

1

Start in standing or sitting position with your neck flexed (looking down on the floor with your chin tucked to your chest). Clasp your hands together and place them at the back of your head. Then gently push your head against your hands as you lift your head backward (neck extension). Apply tolerable opposing resistance on your hands, while allowing your head to move backwards, until head and neck is in erect position (head is at the center of your shoulders). Stop with head in straight up position and do not go beyond this point. Repeat this procedure 5 to 10 times and be sure to provide few seconds of rest in between.

2

Sit on a chair with your head flexed, as in looking down on the floor, with your chin tucked on chest. Loop the towel around the back of your head and hold on to the ends of the towel from the sides of your head. Make sure that both your hands are holding firmly to the ends of the towel. Then gently push your head against the towel as you lift your head backward (neck extension). Apply tolerable opposing resistance on the towel, while allowing your head to move back, until your head and neck is in erect position. Stop with head in straight up position and do not go beyond this point. Repeat this procedure 5 to 10 times with few seconds of rest in between.

3

Lie on you stomach (prone position), with your head over the edge of the bed. Carefully allow your head to dangle beyond the edge of the bed until you can feel a stretch at the back of your neck. Slowly lift your head back from starting position and hold it for 5 seconds. Then relax and bring your head to dangled position again. Repeat this procedure 5 to 10 times allowing a few seconds of rest in between

How Much Water You Need to Drink Today

While water is very important for your health, there are some times when drinking too much water can be a problem:

* If you have any kidney or adrenal problems, or your doctor has you taking diuretics, you need to consult with your doctor about how much water to drink each day
* Don't drink all of the water you need per day all at once. Divide the amount you need and drink several glasses of water throughout the day. This is especially important if you engage in lots of heavy exercise.
* Infants should be given only formula or breast milk unless your pediatrician tells you otherwise.