Massage and weight loss

No doubt, massage is one of the stressed-relieve methods. Even a deep-tissue, sport massage will leaves you with a wonderful stress-free feelings. Massage can relieve stress, help your recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it helps you to lose weights?

Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases the capacity to control or lose weight. By having healthy strong muscles, it will helps to burn more calories and allows you to participate in all sort of activities and therefore, improve your overall fitness level and well being.

Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or lose weight:

• Massage has been shown to improve circulation and supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supply in order for the muscles to recover and rebuild. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.

• Massage improves your muscles’ range of motion and flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum power and performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process. Also, by improving the muscles range of motion and flexibility helps to reduce muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.

• Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise and weight loss progress.

• Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic acid and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. By increasing blood circulation to these muscles, helps to eliminate toxic debris build up cause by these waste products and hence, recovery time is shorten.

• Shortened recovery time means you can safely do more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.

• Massage can also help reduce the chance over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you to rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore lose weight with maximum efficiency.

• In addition to all of the above, massage may directly aid in fat loss. According to some research studies, massage is thought to be able to burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss.

• As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesion and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track..

Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss program, which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and losing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balance lifestyle and massage is one of the essential parts of any balance lifestyle.

Calorie Intake to Lose Weight & Basal metabolic rate

Calorie Needs to lose weight


There are approximately 3500 calories in a pound of stored body fat. So, if you create a 3500 calorie deficit through your diet, exercise or a combination of both, you will lose one pound of body weight (on average 75% of this is fat, 25% lean tissue). If you create a 7000 calorie deficit you will lose 2 pounds and so on. Combination of diet and exercise is the best for lasting weight loss.


Useful guideline to lose weight, lowering your calorie intake, reduce your calorie intake by at least 500 calories but not more than 1000 calories below your maintenance level(BMR). Guideline of the American College of Sports and Medicine, recommends calorie intake of women never drop below 1200 calories
per day and for men 1800 calories per day.

An alternating way of calculating a safe minimum calorie intake level is by reference to your body weight. Reducing calories by 15-20% below your daily maintenance needs (BMR) is a useful start. You may increase this depending on your weight loss goals.

Basal Metabolic Rate

BMR also called the resting metabolic rate, amount of energy needed to support the body's most basic functions when at rest in a neutral or non-stressful environment. BMR is the number of calories specific of human needs per day to stay alive, responsible for 70% of the calories burned per day.

BMR sustained human basic functions, pumping blood, breathing, producing heat. Nonessential function, digestion and standing are not included in the calculation.
Today BMR is used to measure sn individual's metabolism, which changes with age, weight, height and variety of medical conditions; and a person exercise habits may effect their BMR.

BMR Formula

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.36 x weight in pounds) + (0.71 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.22 x weight in pounds) + (1.96 x Height in inches) - (6.8 age in years)

Note: Keep in mind that the BMR is an estimation of the calories needed for the body to perform basic functions. An individual's total caloric requirements are affected by muscle mass, illness, stress, food digestion and most important exercise.

Time of activities, to burn 300 calories according to your weight

		Body weight (lb)
		120	130	140	150	160	170	180	190	200	210	220	230	240	250
Conditioning exercises		Minutes of Continuous activity to expand 300 calorie
Cycling
	Stationary	66	61	57	53	50	47	44	42	40	38	36	35	33	32
	Outdoor (leisure)	83	76	71	66	62	58	55	52	50	47	45	43	41	40
Walking
	2.5 mph	110	102	94	88	83	78	73	70	66	63	60	58	55	53
	3.0 mph	94	87	81	76	71	67	63	60	57	54	52	49	47	45
	3.5 mph	83	76	71	66	62	58	55	52	50	47	45	43	41	40
Water aerobics		83	76	71	66	62	58	55	52	50	47	45	43	41	40
Lap swimming		41	38	35	33	31	29	28	26	25	24	23	22	21	20
Yoga		83	20	21	23	24	26	27	29	30	32	33	35	36	38
Resistance exercise		55	51	47	44	41	39	37	35	33	31	30	29	28	26
Dancing
Aerobic dance		55	51	47	44	41	39	37	35	33	31	30	29	28	26
Low-impact aerobic dance		66	61	57	53	50	47	44	42	40	38	36	35	33	32
Ballroom dance (fast)		60	56	52	48	45	42	40	38	36	34	33	31	30	29
Ballroom dance (slow)		110	102	94	88	83	78	73	70	66	63	60	58	55	53
Lifestyle activities
Golf (walking)		73	68	63	59	55	52	49	46	44	42	40	38	37	35
Raking the lawn		83	76	71	66	62	58	55	52	50	47	45	43	41	40
Lawn mowing
	Walking power mower	73	68	63	59	55	52	49	46	44	42	40	38	37	35
	Riding mower	132	122	113	106	99	93	88	84	79	76	72	69	66	63
Vacuuming/sweeping		132	122	113	106	99	93	88	84	79	76	72	69	66	63

Some information about calories in the food you eat, so you have an idea how to manage your food intake. Example:

KFC Hot & Spicy
Drumstick: 178 cal
Thigh: 362 calories
Fries(M): 380 calories
Coleslaw: 234 calories
Mashed Potatoes: 126 calories

Wanton Soup Noodle: 600-700 calories

Economy Rice: 500-900calories

Kopi Tarik/ Teh Tarik: 200-300 calories
Lemon Ice:150-180 calories








Nasi Goreng: 600-900 calories

Cheese Cake: 350-700 calories

2 slices of bread with kaya spread and butter
1 set Roti Kahwin: 250-300 calories

Mcdonald Burger: 450-600 calories
Chili's Burger: 850-1200 calories

Pau: 250-500 calories

 Dim Sum: 80-100 calories per piece

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Rest Up to Tone Up

Believe it or not, you can sculpt a tighter, sexier body by doing absolutely nada. Allow me to explain: When it comes to reaching your fitness goals, rest and recovery are just as important as all those sweat sessions.

Here's why: When you exercice, you break down muscle fibers; as the fibers heal, they become stronger. It's that healing process that reshapes your body, but it happens only when you give your muscles a break. So do your body good by taking a day off from your training.

Trust me, you'll get fitter faster if you build recovery days into your workout plan.

Get enough z's

Being sleep deprived messes with your hormone levels and depletes your energy, resulting in infective workouts and craving for sugar as quick energy. What's more your body repairs itself best when you're asleep.

Need some motivation, recent study at Stanford University had 1,000 volunteers report the number of hours they slept each night. The people who go less than 8 hours of sleep per night had higher body fat content.

Take a rest (day off)

Allow at least 24 hours between workouts and give yourself at least one day off every week. Usully 3 to 4 days training is the most your body can handle. In fact, you can get amazing resultss with just 2 to 3 times a week. A hard workout won't help if you don't build adequate recovery time.

Aches

The healing process sometimes creates adhesions or scar tissue, those "knots" in your mucles that hurt like hell. Recovery routine, massage away those adhesions and help keep your body in peak, pain-free condition.

Listen to you body

Ignoring muscle soreness or tightness is like continuing to drive your car when the "check engine" light flashes on the dashboard, it just going to set you up for bigger problems. If you start to feel pain during exercise, pause to stretch or stop your workout completely. Even better, take some time to stretch before or after your workout to keep your body running it best.

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Is Yoga a Religion?

Yoga had been well-known for its health benefits as it can increases strength and flexibility, decreases stress and lower blood pressure. However, some of us may shy away because we are concerned that this ancient Indian practice may contradict our faith.

Flash back to those old days when I was young, when yoga was not yet a ‘hot cake’ in the market, yoga had been known by some as a spiritual practice which will bring them to liberation. Most of the yoga teacher available in KL was also originated from India which practiced traditional routines.

As times passed by, people are more concerned about their health and body. Many celebrities had taken up yoga as one of their fitness regime. Hence, yoga becomes a ‘hot topic’ over the world. People begin to realize the benefits of yoga and out of sudden, yoga studios with variety types of yoga started to ‘boom’ out everywhere in the market. Even gym started to offer yoga classes in order to attract more members.

What is Yoga?

It is the Westerners belief that we ‘do’ yoga which is more towards to health and fitness regime because purely the asanas (postures) are being practiced. Researches and analysis had also been done towards the yoga postures to our human anatomy and physiology in the West. Therefore, yoga is sometimes seen today as another gym class, a stress buster or a means to a strong body and a nice bottom.

However, the Indian terms of ‘yoga’ encompasses so much more than a fitness regime. Yoga means the union of the body, mind and soul which will always be related to ‘the eight limbs of yoga’ or Ashtanga system. Each limb constitutes one part of the practice and in order to reach true enlightenment, all parts must be practiced simultaneously.

The eight limbs consist of;

· Yama – the practice of universal moral principles

· Niyama – the practice of personal disciplines

· Asana – the practice of physical postures

· Pranayama –the practice of breath control

· Pratyahara – the practice of withdrawal of senses

· Dharana – the practice of focused attention

· Dhyana – the practice of meditation

· Samadhi – self realization. Enlightenment

Nowadays, most of the yoga classes available purely emphasize on the physical postures. Instead of being called as a yoga class, it was suppose to be more appropriate to described it as an Asana class or a Stretch class. 

Namaste, How Are You?
If you have been to a yoga class before, you might had seen people putting their hands together at the end of the class and said “Namaste”. Saying “Namaste” is simply greeting someone in Sanskrit, the classical language in India. It is equivalent to saying “Hello” in English and “Bonjour” in French. Meanwhile, putting your hands together symbolizes the philosophy, inherent in yoga that seemingly separate things can be brought together.

Sanskrit? How does it related to Yoga?

Traditionally, yoga was practiced in Sanskrit which is the classical language of India. Westerners, who went to India and learn from its master, returned to their homelands and started teaching in English. They translated names of the yoga poses and the anecdotes to their own languages. But without proper guidance, some people may get confuse and misled by the translation. One example is the Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). Some people thought the pose itself is spiritual as snake figure is always seen in an Indian temple.

Traditional yogis respect and live harmoniously in nature. They observed and admired the living creatures around them and trying to imitate the figure and the behavior of the living creatures. Therefore, the names of the yoga poses are mainly based on animals or plants.

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Training with Heart Rate Monitor

Heart Rate Monitors for Exercise

Monitoring your heart rate is a good way to keep track of how hard you are exercising.
Your heart rate is the same as your pulse - the number of times your heart beats each minute. Heart rate monitors are a good and convenient method for measuring it.

 

Resting Heart Rate 

The number of times your heart beats when you are sitting still is your resting heart rate. It is usually between 60 and 90 times a minute for most people. Many things can cause some people's to be different though. One of them is how fit you are. People who are more fit tend to have a lower resting heart rate. Also, stress, various medications and genetics can change your resting heart rate.

Target Heart Rate Zone 

To exercise your heart in a way that helps your heart get healthier it is important to exercise within your target zone. 
You can calculate your target zone by first subtracting your age from the number 226. This gives you your maximum heart rate. Then multiple that number by .5 - this is the lower end of your target zone. Then take that first number and multiple it by .85 - this is the higher end of your target zone. 

Here's an example for a 38 year old woman: 226-38 = 188 (maximum heart rate)

188 x .5 = 94 188 x .85 = 159.8

The target zone for this person is then between 94 and 159 beats per minute. 

Heart Rate Monitors

Heart rate monitors are a very accurate way to keep track of your heart rate. Some brands and models have features such as timers and alarms. 

If you're interested to get a Heart Rate monitor, please leave me a message on the comment box

Training Zone

Recovery Zone - 60% to 70%

Training within this zone develops basic endurance and aerobic capacity. All easyrecovery shoul be completed maximum of 70%. Benefit of working in this zone, fat burning and allowing muscles to re-energize with glycogen.

Aerobic Zone - 80% to 90%

This zone will develop cardiovascular system. The body's ability to transport oxygen to and carbon dioxide away from, the working muscles help develop and improve it. Benefit of fat burning and improve aerobic capacity.

Anaerobic Zone - 90% to 100%

This zone will develop lactic acid system. Individual anaerobic threshold (AT) is found, sometimes referred to the point of deflection (POD). During these heart rates, the amount of fat being utilised as main source of energy is greatly reduced and glycogen stored in the muscle is predominantly used. One of the by-products of burning this glycogen is lactic acid.At this point , the body can no longer remove the lactic acid from the working muscles quickly enough, this is your anaerobic threshold (AT). Through training, it is possible to delay the AT by being able to increase your ability to deal with the lactic acid for a longer period of time or by pushing the AT higher.

Red Line Zone - 90% to 100%

This zone will onlyy be possible for short periods. Effectively trains your fast twitch muslce fibres and helps develop speed. This zone is reserved for interval training and only the very fit are able to train effectively within this zone.

Heart Rate variations for given intensity

• Dehydration can increase the heart rate by up to7.5%  
• Heat and humidity can increase the heart rate by 10 beats/minute  
• Altitude can increase the heart rate by 10% to 20% even acclimatised  
• Biological variation can mean the heart rate varies from day to day by 2 to 4 beats/min

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YOGA - Art of Living Well

Yoga is a physical and mental practices that originated in India more than 3000 years ago. it is an integral part of Ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine. The word "yoga" is derived from the Sanskrit verb "yuj" meaning "to join" or translates as "union".

While many exercises only benefit the body, yoga benefits the whole person - mind, body, spirit and emotion. Scientific studies yoga may be useful in treating cancer, asthma, diabetes and other chronic conditons.
As it has developed over the years, there are variety of forms of yoga that are now in practiced. Although some focus more on postures and breathing exercises while others have a greater focus on spirituality, all share common elements of unifying the mind, body and spirit, and promoting conscious living.
The physical component of yoga lifestlye is called "Hatha yoga", which focuses on physical posture and breathing techniques, is actually the lowest form of yoga, and the highest form of yoga is "Raja Yoga" or "union by mental mastery".
Hatha yoga focuses on "asanas"(poses). Practition go through a series of specific poses while controling their breathing (requires focused breathing, concentration and discipline), result in greater union of mind, body and spirit.

Hatha yoga has many variations. They include, for example:

Ashtanga Yoga: Vigorous, fast paced yoga that helps to build flexibility, strength, concentration and stamina, while remaining focused on deep breathing.

Power Yoga: Like Ashtanga Yoga, very active form of yoga that improves flexibility and stamina by completing poses, popular pratices in United States.

Bikram Yoga: Also known as "Hot Yoga", practised in a heated room to more than 37.8 Dregee Celcius.

Gentle Yoga: Focus on slow stretches, flexibility and deep breathing.

Kundalini yoga: Uses of yoga poses, deep breathing and other breathing techniques, chanting and meditation.

Iyengar yoga: Focuses on precise poses and usage of benches, ropes, mats, blocks and chairs.

Yoga- Massges Internal Organs
What is unique about yoga is that it is one of the very few techniques that can perform a massage of all the internal organs and glands, including the ones that are hardly ever stimulated during the lifetime of a person, such as prostate. The stimulation and massaging of the internal organs are beneficial in preventing disease. Our internal organs depend on our deep breathing and muscle tone in order to be squeezed, re-oxygenated, flushed and efficient in their functions, the need that yoga fulfils.
Many of the postures in yoga gently massage internal organs, like the liver, colon, heart and female reproductive organs. This bring circulation to those organs and gets energy flowing where it has been cut off.
Massaging stimulating internal organs result in healthier internal organs. For example, a yoga pose called the Stomach lift (Uddyina Bandha), raises the diaphragm, which massages the heart from below, this strengthen the heart muscle, better circulation and reduce chances of heart disease. The Forward Bend (Paschimothanasana), massages the abdominal organs and stimulates and tones our digestive organs.

Detoxifies Body
Stretching the muscles, breathing exercise and performing thorough routine will optimise quantity of blood supplied to all points of the body, result in elimination toxins from your body and helps delayed the aging process.
Yoga stretching not only for improving flexibility, they also helps release toxins from the joints, muscles and connective tissues.Yoga pose torso twisting, cleanses toxin from the internal organ much like wringing out a sponge (blood is squeezed out of the internal organ and release the twist, frest blood flows into the organ). Twisting torso also stimulates movement of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, helps to keep the central nervous system healthy.

Maintains and improves Health
Regular practice of yoga helps to normalise pulse rate, improve function of the respiratory and reduce blood pressure. It also stabilise the nervous system equilibrum, normalise gastrointestinal and endocrine function, increase range of motion around the joints, increase stamina and endurance levels, increase immunity against diseases while increasing cardiovascular efficiency, improve coordination, agility, sense of perception, better sleep and many others benefit.
For example, some yoga posture, e.g. Downward Facing Dog, Standing Forward Bend, Shoulder Stand, Camel Pose, Cobra Pose and Cow Pose can help relieve tension in your neck and indirectly aid in keeping hair healthy by increasing blood flow to the scalp (avoid this posture if you have heart problems or high blood pressure).

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Muscles Feeling Tight? Here Are Some Methods of Relief

Tight muscles are a pain, literally.

But they're a fact of life for many of us. It doesn't matter whether you're a carpenter, an exercise nut, a homemaker or an office worker, you've felt the twinges related to tightness.

What can you do to get rid of them?

Helpful tips from some of the experience massage therapist, some of which involve massage and some of which don't.

From a massage therapist for 20-plus years who's been practicing yoga for even longer, said the key to relief is finding your "trigger points," which often are not located near the pain.

"You may feel pain in your knee, but the trigger point may be in your thigh," she said. A muscle that has knotted up in one area can cause discomfort in another.

Massage can help identify those trigger points and work to release the tension.

If you can't afford a massage, you might be able to do simple trigger-point release techniques on your own.

For instance, many computer users suffer pain in their hands and wrists. The pain might be linked to a trigger point in the neck or upper back, which can be stretched by pulling down the back of the head, so the chin rests on the chest, and pushing up the head to form some resistance in the stretch.

One of the biggest causes of muscle tightness is stress. "Emotional stress causes muscle tension".

Everyone would be smart to practice yoga breathing -- taking deep breaths that fill the diaphragm and make the tummy puff out -- whenever stress arises.

With the combination of acupuncture, massage and yoga will help people release tensions and escape pain.

When the tension is released from the body, the body feels much lighter. You have more energy.

Exercise tightens the muscles. "Those muscles then need to be stretched back out."

If you're planning a long run or bike ride, build in time for stretching afterward, he said. If you can, keep those muscles warm while you stretch.

It's always good to have a Jacuzzi available. It flushes all the toxins. If you don't have access to a Jacuzzi, a hot bath or shower will help, too.

Another thing people aren't doing is drinking enough water. A good rule of thumb is to halve your body weight and use that number as a guide for how many ounces of water you should drink daily.

And if you have a heavy workout where you're sweating a lot, you need to add even more.

On Your Own
do-it-yourself techniques for releasing tight muscles. Check with your doctor before you begin.

Back: Use a tennis ball (or any similar ball) wedged between you and the wall to rub out tight points in the back along the scapula, or shoulder blade.
Sciatica: A tennis ball also can relieve sciatica if placed on the upper glute and rubbed against a wall.
Computer users: For pain associated with computer use, pull your head down with your hands on top of your head, then try to push your head back up, creating resistance and a better stretch.
Staying put: Another good stretch for computer users, truck drivers and anyone else who stays in the same position for a long time is to stand in an open doorway and put your hands above your head on the door frame. Then lean forward, so your chest muscles stretch. Try to reach a little higher each time you stretch.

Want a Massage?
Here's what you should know about massage therapy:
Check references: Find a massage therapist with a good reputation.
Call the therapist: If a person doesn't have time to talk to you before you make an appointment, you probably don't want to go to that person.
Expect to pay: Hour-long massages generally cost RM50 to RM90.
Pick your place: Massage therapists work everywhere from private homes to fancy spas. Often, you'll pay extra for added ambience.

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Women: Do you fear fitness?

From bulky bodies to knobby knees, there are a ton of fitness fears that can keep women out of the gym. It's time to let go of the excuses - it turn out most of these myths aren't really true.

Phew! With all the warning and old wives' tales about working out, it's a wonder that any of us ever make it to the gym. But it doesn't take much research to find out that these cautionary tales. Read on to learn the truth about some of your most fabled fears.

WILL THE STAIR CLIMBER MAKE MY BUTT BIG?
By using machine correctly, we can avoid bulking up. If you use the stairs on a heavy resistance and slow pace it will have a tendency to build muscle, but if you keep the resistancel light and the steps quick you will get a workout that's more about stamina and tone.

IF I USE HEAVYWEIGHTS AND DO LOW REPS WILL MY ARMS BULK UP?
Most women don't tend toward big bulky muscles - they think they do, but they don't. They don't have the muscle capacity. If you're not sure you're doing the right weight or the right amount of reps, suggestion of doing 15 repetitions with a weight that challenges you. By the las rep, your muscles should feel like they've been worked but not overly strained.

IF I DO HIGH INTENSITY WORKOUT WILL I BURN FAT?
People have this idea that there's a fat burning zone when you go really slow and you do a long workout. They think that because you burn a higher percentage of fat that this is better for weight loss. "This isn't true." A workout that burns the most calories is going to be the most effective way to lose weight. A high intensity workout is actually very effective if you want to drop some pounds. You may burn more calories over a shorter period of time, even though you'll burn a lower percentage of fat, you'll burn more fat overall. All this doesn't mean you need to do a high intensity workout everyday. Twice a week is plenty, even if you're trying to shrink your waistline.

IF I WORKOUT AND THEN STOP, WILL MY MUSCLE TURN INTO FAT?
It seems to make sense - if we build muscle and then stop working out, wouldn't fat appear where the muscle once was? Not necessarily. " Fat and muscle are two different types of cells - one doesn't turn into another one. The reason people gain weight when they stop working out is because they don't burn as much fat."

5. WILL RUNNING ON THE TREADMILL RUIN MY KNEES?
"No." Running is a fantastic exercise since it doesn't require lots of skill, and other than buying a pair of running shoes, it is very inexpensive and can be done anywhere. In fact, treadmills can be better for you than running on your own street. Commercial grade treadmills (those found in the gyms) are excellent for running because the impact suface is made to absorb a lot of impact tha twould normally go into the knees if you just ran on the street.

IF I DO SIT-UPS INCORRECTLY, COULD I ACTUALLY DEVELOP A POOCH?
For most women, achieving a flat stomach is like scoring a date with Brad Pitt - a lofty dream. We got so fustrated we start wondering if we're actually doing something to provoke this pesky pooch. So are we doomed to dread our midsection for life? Well, not if you're willing to work on it. The muscle fibers in the abdomen are designed to work long hours everyday since they are postural muscles. These muscles react differently than other muscles in the body in relation to exercise and growth. Muscle fibers like those in the legs will grow stronger they are stressed by exercise. " You're more likely to develop a pooch from overloading the desserts, not the sit-ups."

WILL SPIN CLASS MAKE MY LEGS GET BIGGER?
It's another "fear of getting bigger" question, and it's a really common one. Some women are convinced that after weeks of spinning, their pants don't fit. Are they just imagining this? "Typically, activities like cycling (either spinning indoors or riding outdoors) are endurance activities and do not build big muscles." As a result of prolonged use and burning lots of calories, the legs may appear to be more muscular and therefore look bigger, but they are likely to be the same size.

IF I EAT BEFORE I WORKOUT COULD I GET A CRAMP?
You know you get grumpy when you don't eat, and a grumpy exerciser isn't likely to work very hard. So if you want to slim down and save your sanity, grab a snack before you workout. Not sure what to eat? That depends on the type of exercise being performed. If you want to avoid cramping, keep your snacks limited to no more than 250 calories and predominantly made of carbohydrates, like a small whole wheat bread or a banana.

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Try it now - Yoga

It's still the perfect way to get strong, slim and centered even after 5,000 years.

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT:
* Your Body Weight Provides All The Resistance you need to strengthen and sculpt from head to toe
* It's The Perfect Way To Cross-Train because it stretches tight muscles, increases range of motion,
enhances balance and improves alignment.
* It's Good For Your Body and Mind: Yoga boosts energy and calms you as it teaches awareness, focus
patience.

HOW IT WORK
The ideal yoga workout incorporates six types of poses, says Roger Cole, Ph.D., a psychophysiologist and yoga instructor. Together, they improve alignment, strength, flexibility and relaxation. Standing poses build strength and stamina. Balancing poses improve balance, of course, but also promote focus. Forward bends stretch back and hamstring muscles; back bends improve breathing. Twists aid in digestion and tone abs. And inversions increase circulation, leaving you calm yet energized.
Try this program designed for each group with one pose, do exercise in order given
1. WARRIOR II (standing pose) 2. TREE (balancing pose) 3. DOWNWARD DOG(partial inversion)
4. WIDE LEGGED FORWARD FOLD (forward bend) 5. BRIDGE POSE (back bend)
6. SEATED SPINAL TWIST (twist)

THE MIND/BODY CONNECTION
>> Yoga's physical, emotional and mental benefits are inextricably linked. Stretches help to release pent-up tensions, while strength-building poses boost body confidence. Plus, holding a pose for a minute or more improves your focus and gives you the opportunity for spiritual insight. So while you may not walk out of yoga class with the wisdom of a swami, at least you'll be more tune with yourself.

FIND YOUR YOGA STYLE
>> Ashtanga or Iyengar? Hatha or Hot? With little knowledge, it's easy to determined the practice that's right for you.

HATHA
Best For BEGINNERS
Although it's the umbrella term for all physical yoga practices, it is often used as a name for begginers' classes that include basic poses, breath work and meditation

BIKRAM
Best for WORKING UP A SWEAT
A series of 26 poses practiced in a room heated to 105 degrees to increase flexibility.

VINSAYA
Best for RAISING YOUR HEART RATE
This steady stream of flowing movements coordinated with the breath doesn't stop until final resting pose.

IYENGAR
Best For PERFECTING YOUR FORM
This practice emphasizes precise alignment and develops strength and flexibility.

ASHTANGA
Best For SCULPTING YOUR UPPER BODY
A standardized sequence of athletic poses that connects movements with the breath.

RESTORATIVE
Best For BUSTING STRESS
Props such as bolsters and blankets support your body so you can totally relax.

Power Stretch @ ALL FIT

Definition of Power Stretch
The poses you will start with are a series of Sun salutations, which warm up the body; the sweatier you get during a class, the better. The heat you generate helps loosen the muscles and joints, both preventing injury and making it easier to perform the various poses. As you start to get hotter, you'll launch into a sequence of standing postures. These may range from fundamentals such as the Triangle to much more difficult poses requiring considerable balance. If you can't perfectly perform particular Power Stretch postures, the teacher can modify them to match your level of practice and experience.
You should try and keep your pace rhythmic and consistent, with your gaze and concentration unwavering. Once you complete the standing postures, your body will be sufficiently warm and loose to perform the sequenced moves that are specific to each series. While these sets of postures do constitute a thorough workout within themselves, they nevertheless have a particular focus. The 30+ postures in the first series focus mainly on forward bends, while the second series predominantly consists of deep backward bends, postures involving putting the feet behind the head and seven variations of the Headstand posture.
To maintain high levels of body heat during the session, you transit from one pose to the next by doing partial Sun Salutations. These may include lifting yourself up on your hands and swinging your legs back to go from a sitting position to a 'push-up' pose(more applicable to intermediate or advance), lunging from one pose to the next or even using the Plank pose for transition between postures.
Benefits of Power Stretch
Stretch is undoubtedly excellent for increasing flexibility, but one of the great power stretch benefits is that this style also gives you a workout in the more traditional sense.

In this way, it is somewhat different to the more static styles of stretches. Whilst they develop flexibility and improve overall body composition, they don't help with cardiovascular training and endurance, and unless you consciously choose to use more 'power yoga' postures, they don't necessarily develop great muscular strength.

On the other hand, the benefits of power stretch include the ability to become strong and muscular in a relatively short space of time.

Certain poses in stretch, called the 'power poses' for this reason, help train muscles. And power stretch has a lot of them incorporated in its' routines. For example, the sun salutation sequences, which start each of the series, strengthen the deltoids, triceps and pectoral muscles.

A further benefit of power stretch training is that you won't build bulky muscles. However, you do develop an increase in the size and density of muscle fibers. This has a positive effect on both strength and endurance - good hallmarks of a rounded physical fitness program.

The very nature of the way the power stretch series were designed mean that they satisfy the caveats every stretch practice should if your aim is also to be physically fit in the traditional sense. The constant movement, and the pace mean you build up a sweat and get a cardiovascular workout. This is an intensity you control, however, and easing up on the pace means less of a workout for your heart.

Power Stretch benefits extend beyond traditional fitness, however. The combination of the heat generated with the stretching allows the muscles to soften. You can thus go deeper into a stretch than you would be able to otherwise. The heat is also said to have a cleansing effect of the body. It certainly helps with circulation, and many of the poses also help with metabolism. The focus and breathing help develop concentration and coordination as well.

It is easy to see why ashtanga is so popular, especially amongst those who want a more vigorous and traditional workout with the unique benefits that stretch can bring. To get real fitness benefits, however, you need to be doing 3 to 5 sessions per week each lasting 1 hour. The power stretch series take about that long to do. Just remember to hold each position for 5 or 6 breaths, no more, so you don't lose the dynamism and heat generated.

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ALL FIT @ BLUE SEVEN PENAMPANG

Tel: 088-701 828. 

Angeline & Monica Yoga's Classes 

are available at ALL FIT

Running & Jogging - Health & Benefits

Jogging or running is a popular form of physical activity. Running is an appealing exercise because it doesn't cost a lot to take part and you can run at any time that suits you. Some runners choose to participate in fun runs, athletics races or marathons.





Health benefits
Regular running or jogging offers many health benefits:

• Help to build strong bones, as it is a weight bearing exercise
• Strengthen muscles
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Burn plenty of kilojoules
• Help maintain a healthy weight.

Running versus jogging
The difference between running and jogging is intensity. Running is faster, uses more kilojoules and demands more effort from the heart, lungs and muscles than jogging. Running requires a higher level of overall fitness than jogging.

Both running and jogging are forms of aerobic exercise. Aerobic means 'with oxygen' – the term 'aerobic exercise' means any physical activity that produces energy by combining oxygen with blood glucose or body fat.

Goal setting
Think about what you want to achieve from running or jogging. Issues to consider may include:

• Getting fit – beginner you should start with brisk walking, progress to jogging and work up to running. This should take a few months.
• General fitness – mix your running with other forms of exercise (such as swimming or team sports) to maximise your overall fitness.
• Weight loss – adjust your diet to include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, wholegrain cereals and low fat dairy products. Cut back on dietary fats, takeaway foods, soft drinks and sugar.
• Companionship – you could run with a friend or join a local running club.

Getting started
Some general tips for beginners:

• See your doctor for a check-up before you start a running program. This is especially important if you are over 40 years, are overweight, have a chronic illness or haven't exercised in a long time.
• Start with brisk walking. Aim for 30 minutes per session. Allow a minimum of six weeks to build up to regular running. Aim to increase your jogging time each session, and alternate between walking and jogging.
• Ensure you warm up and stretch thoroughly before you head out. Cool your body down with light stretches when you return.
• Ensure you have plenty of fluids and take a water bottle with you on your run. Try to drink plenty of water before, during and after any activity.
• Allow at least two complete rest days per week to avoid overtraining, which may cause injury. Consider other low impact activities, such as swimming, at least once each week.
• Plan your route. If possible, choose flat, grassy areas rather than hard or loose (such as sandy) surfaces to reduce the risk of injury.
• Avoid running near roads. This is especially important if you have a pre-existing condition such as asthma. Vehicle exhaust fumes can increase your risk of various cardiovascular and respiratory complaints or illnesses.
• Avoid the 'peak hour' periods to reduce your risk of inhaling air pollution from motor vehicles. If possible, schedule your runs for either the early morning or the evening.
• Wear loose cotton clothing. Dress your upper body in layers of clothing so that you can take off layers as required.
• Apply SPF 30+ sunscreen to exposed skin areas.
• Buy an appropriate pair of shoes.

Choose your shoes wisely
Issues to consider when choosing running shoes include:

• Don't wear your old sneakers. Poorly fitted shoes are a common cause of injuries.
• The running shoe should bend easily, feel comfortable and have a wedge of shock-absorbing material in the heel.
• The fit should not be too snug. Your foot will splay as it impacts with the ground.
• When buying the shoes, wear the socks you intend to wear while running.
• Have your shoes professionally fitted.

Health and safety suggestions
Suggestions include:

• Make sure you eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
• Avoid eating directly before going for a run.
• Avoid running during the hottest part of the day in summer.
• Drink plenty of water before, during and after your run.
• Take your mobile phone with you.
• Wear reflective materials if you're running in the early morning or at night.
• Tell someone where you plan to run and when you think you'll be back.
• If you injure yourself while running, stop immediately. Seek medical advice.

Things to remember

• Both running and jogging are forms of aerobic exercise.
• A beginner to exercise should start with brisk walking, progress to jogging and work up to running.
• See your doctor for a check-up before starting a running program.

Core Fitness City Mall,
S-1-5 1st Floor,
Lorong City Mall,
Jalan Lintas,
88300 KK, Sabah.
P: 088-448119