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How to Do a Tabata Workout

  How it Works Tabata has been around since the ‘90s, but in case you’re not familiar, here’s your primer: Tabata workouts include 20 seconds of high-intensity cardio exercises (like burpees, lunges, or jumping jacks) with 10 seconds of rest between each move. That’s one rep, and typical Tabatas consist of eight intervals for a total of four minutes. For the study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, recruited 16 fit students to try a 20-minute Tabata-style workout—they did a 5-minute warm-up and four rounds of Tabata. Participants’ heart rate and VO2 max (breathing capacity) levels after the workout met the industry standards for improving cardio fitness and changing body composition, and the average calorie burn (15 cals per minute) met the guidelines for improving health and losing weight. Translation: Tabata is a quick, effective way to work out. Who It's For Here’s the catch: Tabata-style workouts aren’t for newbies. “It’s an advanced workout that people shouldn’t do if they’re not physically ready,” says Mike Wunsch, a National Strength and Conditioning Association-certified personal trainer in California, who was not part of the study. “You need to master good form and increase your strength before you attempt a Tabata.” But on the flip side: “If you’re in good shape and you’re limited on time, you can definitely maintain your fitness,” says John Porcari, Ph.D., head of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Program at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, in a statement from the ACE. “It’s just another trick in the arsenal of helping people get and stay in shape.” How to Do It So are you ready to tackle Tabata workout? The good news is that you can do it with almost any exercise. “The original Tabata study was done on a bicycle, “ says Porcari, “but people are now doing that 20-second/10-second format with resistance training, plyometrics, calisthenics…with almost anything.” First, remember that the key is to go as fast as your body with allow. Take squats, for example: Do as many as you can for 20 seconds, and then take a 10-second rest. Do another set of intense squatting for 20 seconds followed by a 10-second break. That’s two intervals in one minute. Try a different move for the other intervals to make it harder.

Stay Lean this Festive Season

  Make sure you make salads and soups a regular part of your regular meals. They are effective in keeping your weight in check. Load up on water, green tea, unsweetened lime juice, coconut water to keep your system flushed. Excess sweet and salty food tend to make you retain water. Be regular with physical activity, which is highly instrumental in keeping your metabolism humming. Reschedule your activity to the morning to prevent evening celebrations from ruining your schedule. If you are pressed for time or intend to simply keep your weight down during all the feasting, switch your routine to HIT mode or high intensity training. This includes plyometrics and activities like sprinting, skipping and uses a lot of compound movements like jump squats, push-ups, pull-ups et al. When heading out to celebrate, don't step out in an empty stomach. Eat a small meal which contains some protein, good fats and fibre. For intance, an olive oil tossed salad with cottage cheese or chick peas or both. If alcohol figures in your celebrations, then it is advisable to stick to a glass or two of red wine. In any case, limiting servings is important. When in a festive mood, eat only those things which you truly enjoy. Don't stuff yourself silly with everything that is served. Mindful eating can help keep those kilos off. Supplement your diet with Omega 3 fatty acids post meals from either flaxseed or fish oil. When giving or receiving gifts, dry fruits and nuts are your best options. They won't stick to your belly like sweets and fried snacks.   Stay healthy and enjoy the festive season ahead!

Neck Exercises for Neck Pain

  Why you should exercise your neck: When you exercise your neck, you are increasing the blood flow in your head region which helps to keep pain away. Exercising your neck to keep pain away will not lead to shoulder and body ache. If you exercise your neck, you will strengthen your back and keep pain away in the back region which follows later. It is important to exercise your neck after every half an hour, when you are seated at your desk so that you do not encourage a headache. Stiff necks are caused due to lack of exercises. Therefore, to prevent a stiff neck, you need to always do some sort of neck exercise. What neck exercise to practice for neck pain: Sit in a straight position. Stretch your neck backwards and look at the ceiling. Count for 10 seconds and bring back your neck to the initial placement. One of the easiest neck exercises for pain is to simply twirl your head around clockwise on 3 rounds and anti-clockwise on 3 rounds. With the help of your hands, club your neck and massage the back of your neck in lengthwise motion. If you have any pain in your neck, it will slowly decrease.

Swimming pool protection

  Like Fresh air, water is also a great healer; The best way to prove this statement is to spend 30 minutes near a beach or bank of a river or any canal nearby. When all these options are not available, then you have to go to any swimming pool, enjoy and relax yourself. Taking family membership is a great idea to spend time together in the water. If parents know swimming, then getting in pool along with kids will not only give them a sense of satisfaction but it will be full of fun while developing a sense of security among the family members. When Swimming pools extend so much of fun to you all, they also spread infections because of the chemicals used in the cleaning process and due to the high traffic in the swimming pools. Pool owners use so many disinfectants to clean the pool; chlorine is the chemical they use the most to clean the bacteria in the pool. Since this is very concentrated, taking a shower after every swim is mandatory. If kids already have any sort of infection, fever, do not send them to pool side till they recover completely. This will help your children to recuperate fast and also stop spreading infection to others through water. Do not select for the rush hours; when flow is more, pool tend to attract more germs and dirt so as infections; due to the rush, pool operators also may not be in a position to clean it as often as needed. So, please be careful and take little care, you can surely enjoy your swimming…   - M.S. Bhavana

Quick workout tips

  Our today’s life has become extremely busy that we don’t have time for anything else including our own self at times. But when it comes to our health you have to pull out time for yourself, make some adjustments and start doing your daily workout without fail.   But how long is the question lingers in most of our minds… According to experts, 30 minutes workout every day is sufficient to maintain our health. More than the time you spend, how regular you are for the workout is more important and yields better results. Walking, Jogging, Yoga, Cycling and aerobic exercises are better choices to stay fit and healthy. It always preferable to go out for a walk or jog to enjoy the fresh air; if you cannot manage time to go out you can as well continue using thread mill, stationed cycle etc. but don’t miss your daily chore. Yoga is another best alternative workout, can be done any time anywhere. Just ensure that, you have 90minutes gap after your meals. If you are doing light weights, try to arrange a trainer to guide you correctly. Any exercise which makes you feel comfortable is good to you. Enjoying while exercising is the best way to shed the calories and stay fit.   - M.S. Bhavana

Meditation for Fitness

  When you talk about Fitness, we refer to the workouts one can do and other exercises they are performing day in day out to burn the calories. … But have you ever realised that Meditation is the biggest secret to stay Fit throughout your life. Spending 30 minutes in Mediation every day can give you physical and medical health and have all the possibilities of extending your life span. Practicing Meditation for 2 months continuously will help the person to be stress free and improve Memory power and emotional balance. Meditation is nothing but sitting calmly and steadily at one place, closing the eyes and concentrating on your breath, i.e. Inhale and exhale actions. You have to observe how your breathing process is taking place and the changes occurring to the body while doing so. Initially you might be feeling disturbed with too many thoughts coming in to your mind while meditating; you still need to be firm and bring back your concentration on to your breathing and continue to meditate. While sitting for meditation, make sure that your sitting posture is good and comfortable. People, who cannot sit on the ground, can make on the chair or sofa; making yourself comfortable is the basic key so that you can concentrate on the rest of the procedure when you close your eyes and meditate. In the preliminary stage, you may not be in a position to continue the meditation for 30 min. that's why fix short goals, start with 15 minutes or 20 minutes and bring it up to 30 minutes in 10 days time. Once you master this technique of Meditation you will experience wonders in your life. All the best!!   - M.S. Bhavana

Simple Fitness tips followed at home

  Being active and enjoying a healthy life is what everyone aspires for; here are few tips to achieve the same. * Try to wake up early and catch up with sun light during your morning walks or jogging as you will feel fresh and can download some Vitamin D through sunlight. * Don’t leave much gap between your morning tea and breakfast. Try to have your breakfast as early as possible. Let your first meal be contained with fruits and vegetable juices and cereals. * Fix a snack between meals to avoid acidity and other health problems. * Drink more water; avoid soft drinks and have control on baked food. * Never wait for a right time to start your work out; Remember, Every day is a good day to start a good thing. * Try to arrange a company for your fitness program ( Your neighbours or friends) so that you get motivated by each other. * If you are a regular gym goer ensure that you do every work out under expert’s supervision and ask them to design a combo pack which suits your life style, size and shape. * Must go on building good and healthy relationships with people around; that helps you to be happy all the time.   - Bhavana

Yoga Benefits In Anti Aging

  Yoga acts positively in maintaining the health of the human body. One of the most prominent benefits of Yoga is the ability to be young once again. Apart from revitalizing the mind, Yoga rejuvenates the body as well. People, who constantly practice Yoga, have found immense benefits from it and feel better than what they felt in their younger years. There is a very famous concept in Yoga philosophy. According to it, a person's age is determined by the flexibility of his spine, not the number of years he has lived.   Yoga helps in slowing down the aging process, by providing elasticity to the spine, firming up the skin, removing tension from the body, strengthening the abdominal muscles, eliminating the likelihood of a double chin, improving the quality of loose arm muscles, correcting poor posture and so on. Thus, of the numerous benefits of Yoga, anti-ageing is an important one. All you need is patience (remember, there is no one day benefit policy!!) and the determination (you need to be strong willed to practice everyday) to practice Yoga.   Yoga increases the mental competence in a person, making him/her feel younger. It possesses the power to fight the internal as well as the external diseases and dangers. This is the key to help an individual to live longer. There are various types of Yoga, of which Hatha Yoga basically aims at making people live long. Some of the anti-ageing properties of Yoga are long life, increased resistance to diseases, increased vitality, and rejuvenation of glands, looking young, improvement in vision and hearing and many other mental and emotional benefits.   Remember, there is no magic potion that can extend the longevity of life. If there is any key to longer healthy life, it has to be Yoga. One can successfully extend the period of life by constantly following Yogic practices. Even the tiniest detailing of ageing, such as gray hair can be dealt with Yoga. By practicing inverted Yoga postures, you can turn back gray hair to its natural color. These practices also delay the onset of gray hair, thereby making a person look younger. Even people with the inability to get up on their own, can enjoy replenished flexibility and freedom from joint pain, by practicing Yoga.

Benefits of swimming

  Swimming is one life sport or fitness activity that seems more like play than anything else that is meant to be. The best part about swimming is, it has no age bar and no side effects. Swimming works on every muscle in the body. Swimming can develop a swimmer's general strength, cardiovascular fitness and endurance. Swimming can help you with cross-training, with your regular workout regimes. After a land workout, swimming a few laps can help you cool-down, move blood through your muscles to help them recover, and help you relax as you glide through the water. Swimming exercises almost the entire body - heart, lungs, and muscles - with very little joint strain. Swimming has been found to help us indirectly too. It helps to develop life skills such as sportsmanship, time-management, self-discipline, goal-setting, and an increased sense of self-worth through participation in the sport. Swimmers seem to do better in school, in general terms, than non- swimmers. Swimming does help in shedding some kilos. But, if you are looking for losing weight with swimming, then you have to get a professional trainer. So many benefits tied up with fun! Swim on girls!   - Radha Krishnaveni

Daily workout at home

  Just fifteen to twenty minutes, only for yourself, can help you stay energetic and fit for the whole day. Start with a warm up. Rotate all the possible joints (neck, waist, ankle, wrist, shoulder, hip, etc) in your body for 5 rounds each. Now, do 5 rounds of stretching in standing position (bend forward and stay for 5-10 secs and repeat when bending backward) A combination of butterfly, sisupaala aasana, and cat stretch should be done, giving 2 minutes to each. All these aasanas (done in sitting position) help in balancing the gynaec system and also toning your body. Spend a little time now, for meditating. Meditation doesn’t mean something great that is to be initiated by a guru only. Meditation is a simple state of non-thinking. Just close your eyes and sit there without thinking about anything. Don’t worry, your mind will wander but you will soon experience what does ‘not thinking’ mean. Meditation when done at the end of this exercise regime will help your body and mind to relax and de-stress. Try this regime everyday for 15-20 minutes and find a lot of difference in your daily life activities.   - Radha Krishnaveni

Tips to reduce belly fat

  Belly fat not only makes an ugly impression of the person wearing it, but also is an indicator of bad health. So, everything boils down to having a healthy lifestyle by including a good diet, some exercise, good sleep and stress management, to have a healthy flat tummy. The greatest cause for fat around belly in many Indian women is ‘Rice’. Yes. One of the main staple foods of Indians, Rice is rich in carbohydrates and causes a fattening of the area around the belly. Don’t stop eating it totally. Instead, switch to brown rice. A fiber-rich diet may help. Include beans, gourds, and cucumber in surplus in your diet. Even if you kept everything else the same but switched to brown rice or broken wheat, you might be able to better maintain your weight over time. Eat more of dal, vegetable and curd and reduce the intake of rice. Jog, if you're already fit, or walk briskly at an incline on a treadmill if you're not yet ready for jogging. Vigorous workouts on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective. Exercise probably has the most immediate benefits, because it gets at both obesity and stress. Siestas are good, but not always. Try and avoid day time naps. Get a good 6-7 hours of sleep. Do not under sleep or over sleep. Both would contribute to belly fat. A good exercise pattern complimented with a substantial sleep will facilitate stress management, in turn, helping you to trim that tiny paunch. Flaunt that flat tummy next time in chiffon sari!   - Radha Krishnaveni

Ways to build muscles

  It is not just the male protagonist of a film, who needs to pump up volumes of muscles to look hot and happening. We women now-a-days are looking into developing muscles in the right places to look great. The sporty look is in! A correct balance between diet, exercise and sleep will do the trick. Increase your calorific, protein and fat content. You read it right. Fat in right quantities helps your muscles build well. Rather than having two or three large meals during the day (something we've grown up with) change your eating habits so that you are eating five or six smaller meals during the day. To help keep your protein intake high, one or two of those meals can be a protein shake. Eat clean and frequently, lifting weights lowers the body’s defence system as it repairs the torn muscles, vitamins are therefore vital to boost the immune system. Lift heavy, rest often. Exercising every single day is very beneficial. Don't worry you won't harm yourself because your muscles rest in your sleep. So, do not forget to get enough sleep. Weight training, circuit training and strength training are great ways to start the build up. Limit your cardio training and ask your trainer to give you specific muscle exercises. Well, as the saying goes, nothing comes overnight. Consistency matters.   - Radha Krishnaveni

Exercise to increase height

  Height has always been an issue with many people especially when there comes a comparison with the peers. Stretching, yoga, proper posture and a balanced diet will help gain a good height. Hanging fully above the ground, from a bar helps the body to stretch uniformly. Apart from hanging for about 10 minutes, 10 repetitions of pull ups or chin ups per day have a great impact on height. Sports like basketball, tennis and badminton are all great ways to promote growth hormones in the body and help you grow taller. Running, swimming and cycling are also great options. Last but not the least; a good posture is a must to become taller.   - Radha Krishnaveni

Walking benefits for women

  All of us love to meet our friends and have chat with them every now and then, don’t we? And why not meet our buddies every morning over a walk? Apart from getting some fresh air, morning walk has a lot of health benefits. Your bones will get used to movement, in turn, delaying the onset of any bone and joint related diseases like osteoarthritis. Walking can lower your cholesterol levels and decrease the risks for cardiovascular diseases. It can also strengthen your heart, muscles and lungs. Brisk walking every day lets you burn up to 200 calories and reduces body fat. Regular walking improves the BMI (body mass index) and blood pressure levels in people with diabetes can also protect against kidney failure, heart attack and stroke. a speedy walk can give less time to the carcinogens present in the food to come in touch with the intestinal lining and reduce the risks of having cancer from the start itself. With improved blood circulation, walking brings in positive energy within the body and therefore lessens the side effects of chemotherapy. Despite the several body changes during pregnancy, regular walking can benefit you in many ways. It can reduce fatigue and related pains, help lose weight easily, and lower risks of gestational diabetes. Walking can also prevent spontaneous abortions by lowering down the hormonal fluctuations which cause uterine contractions. So, we women tend to be prone to stress related problems frequently, walking benefits not just your body but also your mind. Brisk walking helps ease stress and anxiety, reduces depression and imparts a positive kick-start to your day. It improves your self-esteem, charges up the mood and helps to keep you energetic, positive and happy throughout the day.   - Radha Krishnaveni

Weight maintenance not weight loss

Weight maintenance not weight loss Learning how to maintain your current weight helps women stick to healthier lifestyles andlose weight. Tight, strict regimes, exercises and diet restrictions seem to be a very fast track way of losing weight but they sure don’t last long because of their low feasibility and complexity. So, I would say, simple changes in your daily lifestyle would be easier on you to switch. Skip fast food, watch less TV, and cut their daily caloric intake by just 200 calories a day. If you’re a person who’s been unsuccessful at losing weight, the best thing you can do is try not to gain any. Include a large amount of seasonal fruits and fresh vegetables in your diet. While having a meal, stop eating as soon as you feel, you can have two more spoons or morsels. Satiating your hunger is much different from filling your stomach. Start your meal with a fresh veggie salad and end it with a fruit as dessert. Skip soda and drink water instead, or order a side salad with your meal instead of French fries—the simpler the change, the more likely you’ll continue doing it and eventually keep off (or lose) weight.   - Radha Krishnaveni

Protein food for weight loss

  The moment it enters your mouth, protein starts winnowing your waistline. High-protein foods take more work to digest, metabolize, and use, which means you burn more calories processing them. They also take longer to leave your stomach, so you feel full sooner and for a longer amount of time. The cumulative effect has obvious benefits for anyone who is watching her weight. Protein is doubly essential for making sure you lose fat, not muscle. Your body uses the amino acids in protein to build lean muscle, which not only makes you stronger and more toned but also fries calories even when you're not active—unlike lazy fat. Ultimately, this keeps your metabolism humming along at high speed so you can burn off the occasional ice cream or barfi, no problem. While nuts, whole grains, and veggies technically count, they don't contain all nine of the amino acids your body needs in order to build lean muscle. Those that do—known as complete proteins— are typically found in animal products. Your best flat-belly bets are skinless white chicken or turkey, seafood, low-fat dairy, pork tenderloin, and lean beef. Vegetarians need to be a little more creative. Pairing incomplete proteins—peanut butter on wholewheat bread, or brown rice and beans, all pulses and sprouts. Even milk products like curd, tofu, paneer, cheese, etc, have an abundance of protein. Here's one example, though a quick Internet search will uncover hundreds of delicious protein shakes: • 8 oz skim milk • 1 banana • 1 tbsp peanut butter • 2 scoops of protein powder The beauty of protein is that with so many tasty options, getting your daily dose is a simple pleasure.   - Radha Krishnaveni

Burn those extra pounds

  Its true, we can get rid of the extra pounds just by getting stuff right on our platter. No need of hitting the gyms and following crash dieting regimes Certain foods have high thermogenic effect, these can scorch the calories as we endure on these foods, They also spike up our metabolism rates. Here are the some approaches, All at your ease : • Instead of 3 square meals it is advisable to have 6 Micromeals to maintain the engery inputs and control metabolism • Water helps to flush out all the metabolic wastes and keep keeps the metabolism on fire, thus playing an important role in weight loss • Adequate Sleep is also very important to pump up our metabolism rates • Chillies, scorch calories as we chew and it has all the nutrients and compounds that stoke the metabolic rates • The Whole foods like brown rice and oatmeal burn down twice the calories while the body breaks these foods, its high fiber content improve the bowel health and makes us less likely to overeat • Proteins have high thermogenic effect, thus Lean Meat and other such foods burn down about 30% calories during digestion itself • Low fat diary products have high Calcium and Vitamin D which help in maintaining robust metabolism • The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that 4 cups of Green Tea can shed about six pounds in eight weeks • Hot peppers have a compound by name Capsaicin which is solely responsible for the kick, which heats up our metabolism and melt the additional calories • As most of us are iron deficient, this deficiency slows down our metabolism , a cup of Lentils which is packed with Iron can speed up the shedding of calories So make it a point to include right foods on your plate, which is easiest mode of Weight Loss!! Eat right! Stay Fit!!   - Siri

How many types of Cardio Exercises

  Given here are few cardio exercises: Walking : Walking is another effective cardio vascular exercise. Half an hour of normal walking can burn about 180 calories. Apart from this, if you like brisk walking, your speed of weight loss will be almost doubled. It is easy and requires no surplus preparation. Running : Running is the most common kind of cardio exercise. It is enjoyed by people of all age, especially by youngsters. In morning, running in fresh air helps to rejuvenate as well as burn calories. Swimming : Swimming is the best cardio exercise in summers. Not only does it help in overall weight and balanced weight loss, but it also provides total support to your joints and reduces the risk of any kind of injury. Bicycling : Bicycling is another kind of aerobic or cardio exercise that helps in losing oodles of weight. It also magically works on your cardiovascular fitness. Performing it as indoor or outdoor activity entirely depends upon an individual's choice. An alternative to bicycling is Power Walking. Step Aerobics : Step Aerobics is one of the most popular cardio exercises. It aims basically on the workout of the legs, hips and butts. It can make you lose 400 calories in half an hour if done with intensity. Rowing : Though at a glance, this machine looks complicated in the corner of gym. However, rowing is one of the most effective cardio. It helps in loosing about 300 calories in half an hour if done with vigor. It also gets your heart rate up, as you crazily work on your arms. Rock Climbing : Rock Climbing is a wonderful cardio. It can help you lose about 380 calories in half an hour, but is meant only for those who are well trained in this art.

Everyday Workouts to Stay Fit

  Breathe: A sallow complexion is sometimes a result of accumulated toxins. That being the case, no amount of wonder cream application is going to solve the problem. Meditate: Hair loss and wrinkled skin may very often indicate that you are handling great stress. One well proved and ancient technique to combat stress and bring the glow back is to meditate daily. Your meditation sessions can be as short as 15 minutes daily (preferably every morning) and watch your facial lines fade away as you prepare to face each day with a calm mind. If you are unsure about doing it on your own, then enroll in one of the many classes around the city to initiate you into it. The result is a drop in blood pressure and resting heart rate. Yoga: Hair fall sometimes can be the result of insufficient blood supply and circulation in the scalp region. The practice of yoga, which involves asanas like the head stand and shoulder stand, can help. Daily practice may result in arresting hair fall too! Enroll in a good yoga class to ensure proper form and execution. Make way for a more supple and flexible body today! Pranayam: The yogic breathing technique can help clear the body of toxins and clear pigmented skin. Did you know it helps in better lung functioning and overall health? Cardio exercise: A good supply of oxygenated blood is necessary to ensure a glowing skin as well as healthy hair. Moreover a healthy, clear skin demands active removal of toxins from the body (read an acne-free skin). To look like you have just indulged in a gold facial everyday, include a half-hour cardio in your routine. Choose from running, cycling, dancing, roller blading et al. A good cardio session keeps your body weight in control as well as a healthy heart. Massage: A good weekly body massage not only hydrates skin tissue and keep wrinkles at bay but also helps the body get rid of toxins. Besides indulging in a massage is a great way to relieve stress too! It leads to a faster recovery from your workout sessions and a more toned body. Weight train: Sagging skin on the face or body may simply be a result of loss of muscle mass.Weight train at least twice a week targeting all major muscle groups to gain back important muscle tissue that keeps your skin taut. Balanced diet: The nutrition demands of your body must be fullfilled in order for your skin to glow and your hair and eyes to shine. Eat a diet free of processed foods and which is rich in natural produce; whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits and veggies to keep beauty problems at bay.

Walking helps you to stay fit

  Walking is not determined by the weather. Whether you choose to walk outdoors or on a treadmill, you derive the same health benefits. Walking also happens to be the most easy exercise pattern. You need to require any athletic ability or an excellent coordination skill for walking. It is a process of body movement that naturally comes to all. This thereby makes it a no- excuse variant of exercise. In order to effectively lose weight through walking, you need to have the right gear like proper walking shoes. A light stretching before and after the walk is also important to accustom the body for the workout and settling down respectively. According to experts, walking should be a simple exercise and not be ideally be made complex by the use of ski-poles, hand weights etc. They might help to build muscles but slows down the pace and thus the weight loss gets affected. It is also required to consciously feel relaxed and stay calm and tranquil in order to attain the optimum benefits.