Sciatica Nerve (Causes and Treatment)

resource from: http://www.righthealth.com/topic/picture_of_sciatic_nerves/images

Sciatica
Sciatica is a pain that shoots along the sciatic nerve, radiating through the buttocks and down the back of the leg and as far as the foot. The two sciatic nerves (one on each side of the lower body) are the longest in the human nervous system, running all the way from the lower back through the thighs and calves to the feet.

Sciatica is caused by different types of pressure on the sciatic nerve in the lower back or buttocks. It can also be the result of damage to the nerve roots that feed into the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is usually felt only on one side of the body. The pain can occur along the entire length of the sciatic nerve.

Sources: MedBroadcast, Mayo Clinic, RadiologyInfo.org 

Causes of Sciatica
Pressure on the sciatic nerve can have many causes, some serious and some more minor. Sciatica may be the result of something as simple as bad posture, muscle strain or spasm, pregnancy, being overweight, wearing high heels, or sleeping on a too-soft mattress. More seriously, it can result from pressure exerted on the sciatic nerve or its nerve roots by a slipped disc in the back. In some cases, sciatica is due to nerve inflammation caused by a form of arthritis, or is caused by the squeezing of the sciatic nerve by a tumour wrapped around the spinal cord in the lower back (the lumbar spine).

The spinal cord is a soft bundle of nerves that starts at the base of the brain and runs down the middle of the back. It's the main pathway for communication between the brain and the rest of the body. The cord is covered by the protective spinal column (the vertebrae). Nerves enter and exit the spinal cord all the way down its length, passing through small openings between each vertebra. Nerve roots also stick out through these openings, exchanging nerve signals with the rest of the body.

The vertebrae are separated from each other by discs made of cartilage, a substance like bone but softer. Each disc has a tough outside layer and a soft inside part that acts as a shock absorber, cushioning the vertebrae when the body moves around. If the disc is damaged by injury or through aging, the inner part can bulge or slip through the outer layer. The "extruded" or "herniated" inner part of the disc may then compress or inflame a nerve root sticking out between two adjacent vertebrae. The disc may even injure the nerve root. If this happens in the lower back area, it leads to pain travelling down the sciatic nerve in the leg.

Degenerative arthritis (osteoarthritis) is another common source of nerve root damage that may cause sciatica. Osteoarthritis is characterized by the formation of bone spurs - bits of protruding bone - that may press on the nerve roots. Sometimes, older people may also develop a condition called spinal stenosis, where the space around the spinal cord narrows and squeezes nerves. More rarely, infections like meningitis or spinal cord tumours can affect the nerves. It's also possible for the sciatic nerve to be compressed further outside the spinal column in the pelvis or buttocks.

Symptoms and Complications of Sciatica
The main symptom of sciatica is pain that radiates through the buttock and down the back of the thigh and leg. The pain may stop below the knee or continue right down to the foot. Pain from sciatica can change: it can be shooting or burning, sharp or dull, non-stop or intermittent. Pain is usually only felt on one side of the body. Some people complain of intense and acute pain. Others experience a numb and weak feeling in the parts of their leg where it hurts. This may sometimes indicate more serious neurological problems. Sneezing, coughing, straining, bending, or lifting can make it worse.

In rare cases, people suffering sciatica as a result of a slipped disc are confined to bed for a few days. Another uncommon situation is disturbance of bowel and bladder control as a result of pressure on the nerves in the lower portion of the spine. Consult your doctor immediately if this occurs.

Diagnosing Sciatica
Because of the many conditions which can compress nerve roots and cause sciatica, treatment and symptoms
often differ from patient to patient. Diagnostic tests can come in the form of a series of exams a physician will perform. Patients will be asked to adopt numerous positions and actions such as squatting, walking on toes, bending forward and backward, rotating the spine, sitting, lying on back, and raising one leg at a time. Increased pain will occur during some of these activities. Checking the spine for areas of tenderness. Tests for sensation, coordination, muscle strength, and reflexes may be performed, especially when a slipped disc is suspected. Straight-leg-raise test - lifting the leg to a 90-degree angle without bending the knee - to help locate the point of pain. Other tests may include an X-ray, or scans like computed assisted tomography (CT or CAT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Treating and Preventing Sciatica
Sciatica can be relieved by treating symptoms and any specific cause that exists, such as a slipped disc. Your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), painkillers, or corticosteroids to reduce inflammation. Moderate exercise is recommended if pain is minimal. When the symptoms have lessened, therapy to strengthen abdominal muscles and back muscles is important to prevent a return of symptoms.

Here are some other things that may help. Many of them are similar to ways of dealing with other common lower back problems:

• Sleep on a firm mattress on your side or back with knees bent.
• During bad attacks, sleep with a pillow under or between your knees.
• Try not to sleep on your stomach.
• Adjust the height of chairs so your feet are flat on the floor and the knees are a little higher than the hips.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor and do not cross your legs when sitting.
• Sit in chairs that have firm back support and sit up straight against the back of the chair.

Other Causes

Spinal stenosis
Other compressive spinal causes include spinal stenosis, a condition wherein the spinal canal (the spaces through which the spinal cord runs) narrows and compresses the spinal cord, cauda equina, and or sciatic nerve roots. This narrowing can be caused by bone spurs, spondylolisthesis, inflammation, or herniated disc which decreases available space for the spinal cord, thus pinching and irritating nerves from the spinal cord that travel to the sciatic nerves.

Piriformis syndrome
In 15% of the population, the sciatic nerve runs through the piriformis muscle rather than beneath it. When the muscle shortens or spasms due to trauma or overuse, it can compress or strangle the sciatic nerve beneath the muscle. Conditions of this type are generally referred to as entrapment neuropathies; in the particular case of sciatica and the piriformis muscle, this condition is known as piriformis syndrome. It has colloquially been referred to as "wallet sciatica" since a wallet carried in a rear hip pocket will compress the muscles of the buttocks and sciatic nerve when the bearer sits down. Piriformis syndrome may be the major cause of sciatica when the nerve root is normal. 

Trigger points
Another source of sciatic symptoms is active trigger points of the lower back and the gluteus muscles. In this case, the referred pain is not consequent to compression of the sciatic nerve, though the pain distribution down the buttocks and leg is similar. Trigger points occur when muscles become ischemic (having low blood flow) due to injury or chronic muscular contraction. The most commonly associated muscles with trigger points triggering sciatic symptoms are: the quadratus lumborum, the gluteus medius, the gluteus minimus, and the deep hip rotators.

Pregnancy
Sciatica may also be experienced in pregnancy, primarily resulting from the uterus pressing on the sciatic nerve, and, secondarily, from the muscular tension and/or vertebral compression consequent to carrying the extra weight of the fetus, and the postural changes inherent to pregnancy.

Habits
The risk of self-inflicted sciatica has increased in recent years with, for instance, sitting on a wallet or feet for prolonged hours every day which can cause self-inflicted sciatica. Symptoms of numbness and or pain behind the knee cap are associated with this form of sciatica. Work-related sciatica may be caused by the use of tool belts which hang around the hips and cause significant misalignment of the sacral vertebrae over long time periods.

Source from: C.Health MediResource & Wikipedia

Yolates @ Core Fitness

Can’t decide between Yoga and Pilates? Yogilates, Yogalates, Yolates? Don’t let the name confuse you. However you spell it, Yoga and Pilates are now joined at the hip. This is a new trend and it’s not in the Starbucks menu. This trend is edging it way into the health club and studio across the world.

Yoga is an eastern Indian tradition that focuses on strength, flexibility, and spirituality. Pilates was created by German-born Joseph Pilates nearly a century ago. Pilates focuses on building strength in the deep muscles of the abdominal region, the body's core.

Both practices involve attaining specific postures. Both emphasize correct breathing. Both emphasize meditative mindfulness.

Why combine yoga and pilates?

Despite the hybrid name, Yolates is not a gimmick; it’s built on a very tried and true, historically proven form of exercise.

Yoga focuses on flexibility, then strength. Pilates focuses on stability, then strength and flexibility. Pilates helps develop a stable core, sometimes taken for granted in yoga classes. People who have complained about hurting themselves in a yoga class perhaps did not have the core development to move through the various postures, or to pull as far as they pushed. Combining the two disciplines of "yoga" and "pilates" into "Yolates" is ideal.

Who Is "Yolates" Good For?

Yolates is good for almost everyone, but it is particularly good for bad back pain and postnatal women because it builds strength through the torso. It is not appropriate for pregnant women.

Yolates is available at :
(For more information about the schedule, click here)

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

Spinning Bike - Latest Product

Would you like to have one of this high-tech spinning bike at home? Cost around RM20,000

You'll find this at the cardio area of the Fitness Centre in United State, no instructor needed, can train on your own.

If you watch the Bigger Loser on Channel Astro 702, you'll see this Spinner bike as well, can support heavy weight, really durable but expensive!

From the moment you climb aboard the eSpinner®, it’s obvious you're in for an experience you’ve never felt before. It all begins with the state-of-the-art, embedded touch screen computer. But it’s more than an intuitive dashboard – it’s also home to your very own virtual Spinning® master instructor. Simply choose their time goal and intensity level, and you off on a guided, virtual Spinning® class experience!

From top to bottom, eSpinner® has all of the quality, design and features you’ve come to expect from both Star Trac® and Spinning®. But we also knew that in order to create the next level in cardio, we had to take features to the next level in places you might not even expect. That’s why you’ll see features like a Smart Release™ system for added safety in the home, and educational programming that teaches proper hand and body positioning.

Features

• Expanding the Spinning® experience beyond the studio and onto the cardio floor.
• Built on the proven NXT Design Platform.
• Smart Relase™ braking system provides safe, dependable performance for unsupervised riders.
• Dual-sided pedals with larger platform and SPD™ compatibility.
• Star Trac’s popular personal fan creates a more rewarding workout.
• Motivational rider dashboard coaches and drives optimal performance with rider data including cadence and Heart Rate.
• Integrated touch screen computer with digital TV tuner.
• Integrated iPod® connectivity with music and video.
• USB charging station allows users to display personal content while charging media devices.
• On board customized Spinning® video classes. Proprietary randomization program creates over 1 million possible ride variations.
• Polar® compatible wireless Heart Rate.

Specifications
* Model Number: 7140
* Overall Dimensions: 60" l x 20" w x 57" h (152.4 x 51 x 144.78 cm)
* Overall Weight: 140 lbs (63.5 kg)
* Flywheel Weight: 43 lbs (20 kg)
* Color: Star Trac Silver frame, black shrouding, red flywheel

WARRANTY
10 Years: frame welds, rust and corrosion. 2 Years: parts and internal electronics components, 1 Year: wear items (seat, chain, pop-pin, and rubber feet) 90 Days on USB Port, Headphone jack and iPod® connector. Spare parts kit included (brake pad, toe cage straps). Consumer home use warranty includes 1 year labor coverage.
Spin®, Spinning® , Spinner®, and eSpinner® are registered trademarks of Mad Dogg Athletics, Inc. and used under license.

I would prefer to get a Schwinn bike-more durable-I like the positioning of the bike, fit me and it only cost around RM4500-RM6000 (shipping fees not included). I will be getting one of this for my home used next year.... Woo Hoo! Spinning at home


Schwinn A.C.™ Performance

The flagship of the Schwinn IC line-up, the Schwinn A.C.™ Performance features Virtual Contact™ Resistance Technology - this innovative system utilizes magnets and an aluminum disk to generate resistance. The Schwinn A.C.™ Performance also includes aluminum frame construction, handlebars with dual over-sized water bottle holders and 3 position fore-aft adjustment, Smart Release™, and SPD toe-clip pedals included standard.

Product Dimensions: 48" H x 43" L x 20" W (122cm H x 109cm L x 51cm W)
Product Weight: 106 lbs (48 kg)
Max. User Weight: 300 lbs (136 kg)
Frame Finish: Aluminum
Frame Color: Pearl White
Seat Slider, Handlebars and Hardware Materials: Aluminum
Drive System: Chain drive using forged steel crank and ISIS oversized bottom bracket
Smart Release™: Yes
User Compatible Size Range: Typically 4'11" to 6'8"(150 to 203 cm) tall
MPower™ Console Compatible: Yes

Commercial Warranty:
* Frame: 5 years
* Mechanical parts: 1 year (drive mechanism, braking system, cranks)
* Labor: 1 year
* Wear items: 6 months (saddle, handlebar covers, bottle cages, pedals)
* Electronics: 1 year (console, rotation sensor, power sensor)

 Schwinn A.C.™ Sport

Hip Flexor Injury

Hip flexor strain – tearing hip flexor muscles, causes pain in the front of the hip or groin.
Muscles at the front of the hip are called the hip flexors - iliopsoas ( muscle originates from the lower back and pelvis and inserts into the thigh bone (femur).
Hip flexors - responsible for moving the knee towards the chest (bending the hip) during activity and are particularly active when sprinting or kicking.
Hip flexor strains - occur due to a sudden contraction of the hip flexor muscles (particularly in a position of stretch).

Signs and symptoms:
Sudden sharp pain or pulling sensation in the front of the hip or groin at the time of injury.  
Minor strains - pain may be minimal allowing continued activity.
Severe strains - experience severe pain, muscle spasm, weakness and an inability to continue the activity, may also be unable to walk without limping. Pain when lifting the knee towards the chest or during activities such as running, kicking or going upstairs, pain or stiffness after these activities with rest, especially upon waking in the morning. Swelling, tenderness and bruising may also be present in the hip flexor muscles.

Treatment:
Minimize activities which place large amounts of stress through the hip flexors particularly running and kicking activities - rest from aggravating activities - once can perform activities pain free, gradually return to these activities.
Ignoring symptoms may to lead to chronic condition - appropriate treatment for hip flexor strain is essential to ensure a speedy recovery – to avoid future recurrence.
Apply ice to the hip flexors in the initial phase of injury (first 72 hours) will speed up recovery time - apply ice for 20 minutes every 2 hours.
Massage therapy or Physiotherapy are essential to avoid injury recurrence.
Reconditioning the hip flexor muscles with flexibility and strengthening program – gradually return to activities
Minor hip flexor strain can usually recover in one to three weeks - larger tears, recovery may take four to eight weeks or longer depending on the severity - complete ruptures of the hip flexor muscles are rare and are usually managed conservatively, recovery may be significantly longer.


Factors to the development of a hip flexor strain
• muscle weakness (quadriceps, hip flexors or gluteals)
• muscle tightness (hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings or gluteals)
• inappropriate training
• inadequate warm up
• joint stiffness (lower back, hip or knee)
• poor biomechanics
• poor posture
• inadequate rehabilitation following a previous hip flexor injury
• decreased fitness
• fatigue
• poor pelvic and core stability
• neural tightness
• muscle imbalances

CORE FITNESS, CITY MALL
TEL: 088-448119

Mt. Kinabalu (4095m) Sabah in Malaysia Borneo

I made it to the top in 2004, twice. My second climb was a week after, got addicted, wish I can go every week but too expensive to do so. One of my 2010 New Year Resolution is to climb Mt.Kinabalu, hopefully can break my own record time, haha, cause I think I am much more fitter now.

Every year thousands of visitors climbing Mt.Kinabalu. There're no special abilities needed but is going to be very tiring. As long as you're in good health and vigor can reach the summit. Two days is the minimum for a climb from Park and Mt. Kinabalu.

The main route to the summit is simple and direct, the Kinabalu massif offers some of the best opportunities in South East Asia for expedition work and technical rock climbing. Power Station (1,824 metres) at the end of the Kambarangoh Road, is a 15 Minute drive or a 1 ¾ hour walk from the Power Park Hq. The Kinabalu Mountain Trail begins here. Carson’s Camp (2,706 metres)is about a two hours walk from the Power Station. Panar Laban Huts (3,344 metres) 2 ½ hours beyond Carson’s Camp, is the usual overnight stop for climbing parties. Located at the base of the first of the great rock faces, the two huts together sleep 10. The Laban Rata Resthouses are equipped with water heaters and electric heaters can sleep 56 persons. A third hut about 10 minutes walk below Panar Laban has bunks for 20 persons. Another hut called the Gunting Lagadan hut can accommodate 44 persons. Sayat-Sayat Hut (3,800 metres) is the highest shelter on the mountain, and can sleep 8 persons with no electricity. It is one hour climb from Panar Laban. From here the summit may be reached in another hour. A hut is also available for hire to climbing and scientific expeditions as base camp.

The ordinary mountain huts provide plank bunks with mattresses, gas stoves, cooking and eating utensils. For those who prefer to do their own cooking, they must bring their own food. However, a restaurant is also provided in the Laban Rata Resthouse where climbers can buy simple hot meals.

Climbers are advised to bring plenty of warm clothing, adequate rain gears, walking shoes, a torch, a water bottle, a hat and a pair of gloves for the climb. Energy food e.g. chocolate, nuts, raisins and glucose sweets are good during the ascent. Sleeping bags can be rented at the Laban Rata Resthouse.

Visitors must utilise the services of an authorised guide the ascent to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu. The climb normally takes two days. Additional charges are levied if porters carry heavier loads or are required to proceed above Panar Laban on the first day of the trip.

Water is always available at Carson’s Falls (near the Power Station), at Paka Cave (3,192 metres) and near all the mountain huts and shelters along the Summit Trail.

While early mornings on Mount Kinabalu are usually clear, the weather frequently deteriorates quickly. Thus, hikers are urged to stay close to the guide and to begin their day as early as possible.All successful climbers will be issued certificates.

 

 

 

Common Pain Injuries from Cycling

Most cycling pain occur due to poor bike fit or improper riding technique, it's important to have your bike asdjusted to your body.
If  you do develop an ache, pain or injury while cycling, it's likely to be among the following:

Neck and Shoulder Pain: Several factors contributing to the problem, riding positon, poor posture, technique and bicycle fit. Position: While cycling, riders should arch their backs upward very slightly, realx their shoulder, keep thier elbows slightly flexed, change their hand position often and stretch their necks frequently. Technique: Good technique includes smoothing pedal strokes by pulling back at the bottom of the stroke, relaxing the upper body and letting the legs do the work. Treatment: When pain occurs, yoga and stretching can help; effective treatments include icing affected areas, massage using essential oils.

Knee Pain
Common reasons for knee pain, include the following:

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: refers to the pain under and around the knee cap, called "Runner's Knee". Treatment: relative rest with consideration of temporary cahange to non impact aerobic activity, strengthening quadriceps, evaluation of footwear, icing after activity, addition of strengthening and stretching hip, iliotibial band, hamstrings and claves; deep tissue massage with essential oil.

Chondromalacia: refers to softening and deterioration of the underside of the kneecap. This is typically an injury from trauma, overuse, poor alignment of the knee joint, or muscle imbalance. Leads to friction and rubbing under the kneecap th results damage to the surface of the cartilage. Sensation of dull pain around and under the kneecap that worsens when walking down stairs or hills, climbing stair and other weight bearing activity. Treatment: Strengthening muscles (thigh muscles) around the knee and restore normal alignment of the kneecap (realign the patella).

Osteoarthritis of the Knee: Degenerative disease results from gradual wearing away of joint and cartilage. Typical symptoms of osteoarthritis are pain, swelling and decrease in the range of motion of the knee (morning stiffness)

Hand Numbness/ Ulna Neuropathy
This is experienced as pain and numbness of the small and ring finger, is associated with pressure on the handlebars for long periods of time.

Muscle Cramps: Sudden tight and intense pain caused by muscle locked in spasm, or also recognize as an involuntary and forcibly contracted muscle.

Sprains and Strains: Acute injuries that vary inseverity but usually result in pain, swelling, bruising and loss of the ability to move and use the joint. 

Iliotibial Band Syndrome: IT band friction syndrome often results in knee pain that generally felt on the outside/ lateral aspect of the knee or lower.

Delay Onset Muscle Soreness: Muscle pain, stiffness or soreness that occurs 24-48 hours after unaccustomed or particularly intense exercise.

Achillies Tendonitis: Painful condition of the tendon in the back of the ankle. Chronic injury that occur from overuse, pain come on gradually over time until pain is constant, exercise and activity too painful to continue.

Arch Pain: Common foot complaint, sometimes called strain, often causes inflammation and burning sensation under the arch of the foot. Treatment of pain often consist of adaptive footwear and inserts.

Piriformis Syndrome: This muscle become tight or cramps, it can put pressure on the sciatica nerve and cause gluteal (buttock) painn or sciatica. Sometimes refer to deep buttock pain, other cause of this type of pain include spine problems ( herniated discs, spinal stenosis, etc.), sciatica and tendonitis. Piriformis muscle is a small muscle around the hip and thigh, aids in external rotation (turning out) of hip joint. Piriformis tendon and sciatica  nerve cross each other behind the hip joint, deep in, both structures are about 1cm in diameter.
 
Treatment: Stretching and strengthening the hip rotator muscles. Rest (R.I.C.E.), avoid activities that causes symptoms for at least few weeks. Deep tissue massage and over the counter anti-inflammatory medication to apply around the tendon.

CORE FITNESS, CITY MALL

TEL: 088-448119

JAPANESE SHIATSU & REFLOXOLOGY @ WISMA MERDEKA

16th November 2009
Me an Monica, already planned to go for a massage again, we are heading back to Wisma Merdeka for our massage and food. Fara tried the massage on Sunday, she said that she still prefer the one in City Mall, but me and Monica felt this is better, after the massage, we still think this was better. I found out, Fara massuer was Cat, so I asked the boss whether all the massuer using the same technique, boss said Elsie and Yati have the same technique. Maybe that's the reason Fara don't get a good massage as we do.

13th November 2009
My off day, time to go for massage, the new group exercise schedule nearly kill me, extremely exhausted, body start to ache. I must post this because I think this is the best massage place to go if you're looking forward to clear your body blockages, muscle tightness, cure your injury and even help you slim down the area you want to, always ask them to massageor focus more on your problems area or tight muscle area. If you want faster result, must go for deep tissue massage or traditional massage with a harder (strong) pressure using oil. Warning! Extremely painful, really strong and hit the your problem area all the time, very accurate pressure point and the pushing flow really help you to clear up your blockage and wind in your body. Fee charges for 1 hour massage is RM50, me and Monica went for a 1hr 30min massage, cost us RM75 each person. Michelle, Banes and Allison I think you all should go to Wisma Merdeka for your massage, you'll definitely slim down in a faster rate and have a good time shouting in the massage room, get yourself ready, extremely painful, haha, you'll want to punch the masseur most of the time. My recommendation, masseurs name Elsie (good technique/medium strength), Yati (good technique/hard strength upon request) and Cat (medium to hard strength, technique slightly different) they're good. Call before you go, if you want specific masseur, ok.

Lot No. A231, A233, 2nd Floor,

Wisma Merdeka, Phase1,

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Tel: 088-258829

H/P: 012-8036665, 016-8133065

Owner name: Jane Lee/ David Voo

FAT BURNING TRAINING

Fat Burning: Mix your training by doing - Low, Medium and High Intensity Cardiovascular Exercise

You may be confused about exactly how hard to work during cardio. You may even think that high intensity exercise is the only way to go. After all, you can burn more calories and, even better, you don't have to spend as much time doing it. But having some variety can help you stimulate all of your different energy systems, protect you from overuse injuries, and help you enjoy your workouts more.

High Intensity Cardiovascular
For our purposes here, high intensity cardio falls between about 75% to 85% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) or, if you're not using heart rate zones, about a 6 to 8 on this perceived exertion scale. What this translates to is exercise at a level that feels challenging and leaves you too breathless to talk much. You're not going all out, as in sprinting as fast as you can.
There's no doubt that some high intensity training work can be helpful for weight loss as well as improving endurance and aerobic capacity. For example, a 68kg/150lbs. person would burn about 225 calories after running at 9.6 kph/ 6 mph for 30 minutes. If this person walked at 5.6 kph/ 3.5 mph for that same length of time, he would burn 85-90 calories. But, the number of calories you can burn isn't the whole story. If you do too many high intensity workouts every week, you risk:

• Overtraining
• Overuse injuries
• Burnout
• Inconsistent workouts
• Growing to hate exercise 

Not only that but, if you don't have much experience with exercise, you may not have the conditioning or the desire for breathless and challenging workouts. And if you have some kind of medical condition or injury, forget about doing high intensity training (or any kind of training) without checking with your doctor first.
If you're doing several days of cardio each week, which is what is recommended for weight loss, you would probably want just 1 or 2 workouts to fall into the high intensity range. You can use other workouts to target different areas of fitness (like endurance) and allow your body to recover.

Some examples of high intensity workouts:
20-minute workout at a fast pace
You can use any activity or machine, but the idea is to stay in the high intensity work zone throughout the workout. You'll find that 20 minutes is usually the recommended length for this kind of workout and most people wouldn't want to go much longer than that

Interval Training
Is a way to incorporate high intensity training without doing it continuously. Alternate a hard segment (e.g., running at a fast pace for 30 to 60 seconds) with a recovery segment (e.g., walking for 1 to 2 minutes). Repeat this series for the length of the workout, usually around 20 to 30 minutes.

Moderate Intensity Training
There are a variety of definitions of what moderate intensity exercise is, but it typically falls between about 60% to 70% of your MHR (a level 4 to 6 on this perceived exertion scale) The lower end of this range usually incorporates the 'fat burning zone.' That means can carry on a conversation without much difficulty and you feel pretty comfortable with what you're doing.

Moderate intensity workouts have some great benefits such as:

• Comfort-Hard workouts are, well, hard. It takes time to build up the endurance and strength to handle challenging exercise. Moderate workouts allow you to work at a more comfortable pace, which means you may be more consistent with your program.
• Better health-Even modest movement can improve your fitness while lowering your risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
• More choices-High intensity workouts will usually involve some kind of impact or, at the least, a fast pace. But, you can usually get up into the more moderate heart rate zones with a variety of activities, providing you work hard enough. Even raking leaves or shoveling snow, if you do it vigorously enough, can fall into that category.

For weight loss purposes, you would likely want the majority of your cardio workouts to fall into this range. Some examples:

• Walking 10,000 steps a day
• 30 to 45-minute cardio machine workout
• brisk walk
• Riding a bike at a medium pace

Low Intensity Activity
Low intensity exercise is considered to be below about 50% to 55% of your MHR, or about a level 3 to 5 on this perceived exertion scale. This level of intensity is no doubt one of the more comfortable areas of exercise, keeping you at a pace that isn't too taxing and doesn't pose much of a challenge. This, along with the idea that it burns more fats, makes this a popular place to stay. But, as we've learned, you can burn more calories if you work harder, and that's what you want for weight loss.

That doesn't mean that low intensity exercise has no purpose. It involves the kind of long, slow activities you feel like you could do all day and, even better, activities you usually enjoy such as:

• Taking a stroll
• Light gardening
• A long, slow bike ride
• A gentle stretching routine

Exercise Consistently

• Regular exercise can help you burn fat and lose weight. But, it's not just about the calories you're burning. It's also about the adaptations your body makes when you exercise on a regular basis. Many of those adaptations lead directly to your ability to burn more fat without even trying. When you exercise regularly, your body:
• Becomes more efficient at delivering and extracting oxygen. Simply put, this helps your cells burn fat more efficiently.
• Better blood circulations. This allows the fatty acids to move more efficiently through the blood and into the muscle. That means fat is more readily available for fueling the body.
• Increases the number and size of mitochondria, also known as cellular power plants that provide energy for the body.

Regular exercise will also help you manage your weight. The more activity you engage in, the more calories you'll burned, and the easier it is to create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.

Tips for Consistent Exercise

• Schedule some exercise time every day, even if it's just a few minutes.
• Split up your workouts. You can get the same benefit from short workouts spread throughout the day as do with continuous workouts.
• Change daily routines to incorporate activity. Park at the edge of the parking lot at work to add more walking time, or add an extra lap at the mall when shopping. Integrating more activity into your usual routines will help you stay active, even if you don't have time for a structured workout.
• Make exercise your focus and schedule the rest of your day around it instead of trying to squeeze it in when you can. If it's not a priority, you won't do it.

Lift Weights
Adding more muscle by lifting weights can also help with burning fat, especially if you're also dieting. Lifting weights:

• Preserves muscle mass, if you diet to lose weight, you actually risk losing muscle as well as fat. Muscle is metabolically active, so when you lose it, you also lose the extra calorie-burn muscles can provide.
• Keeps your metabolism going, some studies have found that a diet-only approach to weight loss could lower a person's resting metabolic rate by up to 20% a day. Lifting weights and maintaining muscle helps keep the metabolism up, even if you're cutting your calories.
• Helps you burn extra calories, if you lift weights at a higher intensity, you can actually increase your after burned or the calories you burn after your workout.

There's no way around the fact that, when it comes to burning more fats, we have to work at it. There is no magic exercise, workout or pill that will do the job for us. But, the good news is that it doesn't take much activity to push the body into that fat burning mode. Try incorporating some type of activity every day, even if it's just a quick walk, and build on that over time as it becomes more of a routine. Do that and you're on the way to burning more fat.

Core Fitness, City Mall
Tel: 088-448119

Lose Weight with Cardio

How Cardio Helps You Lose Weight
You already know that you lose weight when you burn more calories than you eat. The best way to do that is with a combination of cardio, strength training and a healthy diet. But, the cornerstone of most weight loss programs is cardio, cardio, cardio. Just some of the reasons it's important are:

• It helps you burn more calories in one sitting. Getting your heart rate up means your blood is pumping, breathing hard, sweating and burning calories.
• With many cardio exercises, you can burn 100 to 500 calories depending on how hard you work, how long you exercise and how much you weigh.
• Burning calories with exercise means you don't have to cut as many calories from your diet.
• You can do cardio exercise most days of the week without worrying about injury or overtraining. 
 

The Best Cardio Exercises
You know cardio is important for weight loss, but which exercises are best and how much do you really need for weight loss? 
The truth is, there really is no best cardio exercise. The best activity is the one you'll do on a regular basis. So, finding something you like is critical to reaching your weight loss goals. That said, some exercises offer more intensity than others.

Impact activities: Exercises that involve some impact, like walking, will usually boost your heart rate quicker than no-impact activities like swimming or cycling.

High impact activities: High impact, or exercises that involve running or jumping, will often burn more calories than lower impact things like walking.

Whole body activities: When you involve both the upper and lower body, as in cross-country skiing, it's often easier to get the heart rate up and burn more calories.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't bother with low impact exercise. Both types of activities offer opportunities to burn calories and doing both gives you a well-rounded program. To get an idea of just how much cardio can do for you, check out the following list of common exercises. Below is the number of calories burned for a 150-pound person in 30 minutes:

• Step aerobics: 340 calories
• Stationary bike: 238 calories
• Swimming: 270 calories
• Walking 4 mph: 170 calories
• Running 5 mph: 270 calories

How Much Cardio Do You Need?
It's tough to know exactly how much cardio we need for weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association recommend about 30 to 60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity activity on most days of the week. But, the truth is, how much cardio you need varies from person to person and depends factors such as:

• Calories you eat
• Exercise intensity
• Metabolism, age and gender
• Fitness level
• Body fat percentage and weight
• Exercise schedule (duration and time per week)

That said, there are some tips for setting up an effective cardio program:

• Beginner, start with 3 to 4 days of the cardio exercise of your choice, working at a level you can handle.
• Add time each week to work your way up to 30 to 45 minutes of continuous exercise.
• As you get stronger, try interval training once a week to help boost endurance and burn more calories.
• Work your way up to 5 to 6 days of cardio and try to vary what you do and how hard you work.

Bottom line, cardio will help you lose weight. But it is most effective when combined with strength training and a healthy, low-calorie diet.

Core Fitness, City Mall
Tel: 088-448119

Estimating Portion Size & Calories

The real challenge to recording food intake is figuring out how much food or drink was actually consumed.

Calories Estimation
Calories counting can be a big pain, but learning to estimate how many calories in various foods can really help in losing or maintaining your weight. Many people have had success in losing weight by learning how many calories are in the foods they are eating. Personally, I don’t do this. Instead, I developed an instinct for estimating how many calories are in foods. Here’s how you can develop your calorie counting instincts:


Cheese Sauce, Creams and Dressings
My rule of thumb is that whenever I have something with cheese, creams or dressings, I add around 150 calories to my estimate (per serving). That “per serving” is very important. If you have a giant salad at a restaurant (often about 3 servings worth of salad) and you put dressing on it, you have to take that 150 calorie estimate and multiple by 3. So the dressing on a big salad could be as much as 450 extra calories. This works for almost any of the sauce, creams and dressings. It will give you a good sense of the extra calorie “cost” of these things.

Portions, Portions, Portions
Portions are out of control. Most people’s ability to estimate portion size is not very good. We are so used to seeing huge portions, that we think this is normal. There are all sorts of rules to help estimate portion size (a portion of meat is the same size as a deck of cards, for example). But what I like to do is think about kids’ plates. Basically, a meal should fit on a kids’ plate (you know those small 9” plates). Your meat, potatoes, vegetables all should fit on that plate (without creating any skyscraper piles). If you stick to that guideline, you’ll be eating one portion of each thing. Then you can simple use the following to estimate calories:
• potatoes (one baked): 300 calories
• meat (one portion):200 calories
• creams, dressings and cheese sauce (one portion): 150 calories
• fruit (one portion): 100 calories
• bread (one slice, one tortilla): 100 calories
• vegetables (one portion): 50 calories
• butter (one pat): 50 calories
• cheese (one slice): 50 calories

You can see that it doesn’t take too much brain power to memorize these estimates. Of course, everything depends on knowing what a serving is and estimating how many servings you have eaten. That list should get you pretty far in counting your calories. All that is left is junk food, drinks and desserts.

Beware Liquid Calories
Liquid calories can make up to 20% of some people’s total daily calories. These calories really add up fast. Sodas, juice, lattes and more can contain hundreds of calories. You should assume that any drink other than unsweetened tea, coffee or water contains at least 100 calories (many contain more). Here’s a brief (and shocking) list of the calorie counts of selected drinks:
• beer (one bottle):150 calories
• wine (one glass):150 calories
• soda (one can): 150 calories
• energy drink (one can): 150 calories
• latte (medium):300 calories
• smoothie (medium):300 calories (and up)

You can see these are pretty easy to remember –- either 150 calories or 300 calories. So now you can estimate your liquid calories in a flash. If you drink lots of the above, just switch to coffee, tea (iced tea works too) and water and you’ll have your weight loss program right there.

Junk Foods and Desserts
The last thing we get to is junk foods and desserts. Here’s the deal: they have a lot of calories. Lots and lots and lots. You can look on the bag if you don’t believe me. Assume any dessert or snacks are at least 200 calories for a small portion (and I mean small portion). Spend some time searching your favorite desserts and junk foods on a calorie counter (remember to pay attention to serving sizes (by honest about how much you eat at once). Desserts and junk food are calories bombs that you handle at your own risk. One misstep can erase a great day of exercise and dieting. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Finding the Right Athletic Shoes

When it comes to shoes for exercise, the choices are overwhelming. But the bottom-line is simple: Shoes should fit well and feel comfortable. The right shoes offer both support and flexibility where you need it. And, they protect your bones, joints, and muscles--from the toes to the top, keeping your feet in healthy positions and absorbing shock.

Walking shoes? Running shoes? Sports shoes? What's the difference? Walking shoes are the most rigid and durable. But even for walking, many people prefer running shoes. That's no problem. Running shoes provide plenty of cushioning, which can feel good to walkers. In fact, if you have high arches in your feet, running shoes may even be better because of their extra flexibility in the front (toe) half of the shoe.

More tips for runners: If you have low arches, look for hefty arch support and a fairly straight cut along the inside edge of the sole. If you have high arches, look for tame arch support and greater curve along the inside edge.
Specialty shoes are designed according to the way your feet move. Running shoes are geared for heel-to-toe movement. Shoes designed for tennis and related sports offer maximum support from side-to-side. If you engage in a variety of athletic activities, you may be looking for a pair of cross-training or general purpose athletic shoes.

Regardless of your sport, some general guidelines apply to all shoe shopping:
• Shop for shoes in the afternoon, when your feet are at maximum size. (They swell during the day).
• Wear the socks you normally wear with athletic shoes to assure the right fit.
• Try on both shoes. Most people's feet vary a bit in size from each other, so you should be sure the shoes fit your largest foot comfortably.

• Check for space at the end of your longest toe. There should be enough to let you move without pinching. Some experts recommend the length of a thumbnail.
• If you're a woman and your feet are wide, try men's shoes. These are usually cut wider. To find a size for starters, start with your own size, and subtract two.
• Move around in the shoes, and insist that they feel like a perfect fit right away. If they don't, keep looking.
• Use the "feel" test for any high-tech gimmicks. Some may help. Some may be hype. Your feet will know!
• Don't shop by price alone, but do look for materials that breathe and good workmanship.

Burn Calories with Elliptical

Burn More Calories within Short Period of Time with Elliptical Machine
You may feel risk in performing various exercise because it takes a lots of time and patience to do exercises. In order to get perfect shape of your body, you should perform the necessary exercises foreach part of body such as hands, waist, legs, thighs, etc.

Elliptical machine is the equipment which execise your entire body and help to burn more calories within short period of time.

One of the best benefit, it will improvve the bone density in your body and reduce the extra weight present in your body.

Elliptical machine workout will basically involve cardiovascular and aerobic exercises. It is easy to work with, you just have to stand on the machine by placing your feet firmly on moveable footpads, hold the handles to add upper body movement for entire body workout.

The motion will make you feel more natural and also compliments the normal body movement. Elliptical machine workout will reduce the stress in your muscle and make the joints more flexible. Safe for beginners, no side effects and pains in the beginning stage. You can attain the good cardiovascular health within this machine.

People who are suffering with cardivascular diseases are suggested to use this machine. It takes 20 minutes to elliptical exercise to start burning calories and improve your cardio health.

Benefits with elliptical machine:

• easy to burn more number of calories within a short period of time, more efficient than walking, jogging etc. Performing running exercise on elliptical machine is equivalent to running in midair.
• recommended for elderly aged people and also for the people who are recovering from joint injury.
• help to reduce pains at your ljoints and make your ljoints stronger and flexible.
• Working on upper and lower body, rotating movements of the handle bars and allows you to tone your arms and motion of your feet, working on your lower body.
• Heart rate climb more quickly, optiimizing the body energy for more efficient workout.
• You can set your resistance levels depending upon your capacity.

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