Weekly Training Article | Getting Fit With Water Aerobics | 7/23/12-7/29/12

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By Jeff Schuman II
With summer continuously being a motivation for people to workout, water aerobics is a great way for people to workout while enjoying a beautiful summer day. There are several benefits to a water aerobics workout, including being able to burn calories, build muscle and lose fat without breaking a sweat. There are several different aerobics workouts you can do in the pool, and the great thing is you do not have to take a class or spend too much on swimwear.
Besides from the fact that hitting the pool on a hot summer day is soothing, many people are hitting the pool for a water aerobics workout. One of the biggest benefits to an aerobics workout in the pool: it almost entirely eliminates any risk of injury. When you add the water buoyancy, with the support it provides for your body, you have little risk of injuring joints, bones or muscles. So how exactly are you getting a workout from standing in shoulder deep water you may wonder?
Despite the feel of a lighter workout, water aerobics present a challenge with the resistance level itself. Because of the increased density the water provides, waters resistance level is 12 times that of air. With the continuous movements and motions you make within your aerobics workout, the swaying of the water makes your movements more difficult. This in turn burns calories and tones your muscles.
As mentioned earlier, you do not necessarily have to join a water aerobics class in order to get a good workout in the pool. There are several exercises you can do yourself to stay fit without paying for a class. Many of the aerobics workouts you do on land can be done in the pool as well. For instance, walking or running in the pool is a basic workout that will work all the muscles in your body. In order to get the full workout done properly, you want to make sure you have your entire foot touch the bottom of the pool.
Another great aerobic workout in the pool can be jumping jacks. This is an exercise that will allow you to work all the muscles in the body while staying relatively in the same spot. A couple other workouts worth mentioning: jumping in a skiing motion back and forth, doing lunges in water that is chest deep and making a kick-boxing motion.
Another great thing about water aerobics is that there is no special attire required besides a swimsuit. The only other swimwear you may want to consider purchasing is goggles and/or aqua socks for better traction, and to help prevent scraping your feet on the bottom of the pool.
There is no question whether you can get a good, hard workout with water aerobics. As with aerobics on land, if you make the workout challenging enough you will feel the results and see them within a few weeks of continuous training.
Source: articlecircle.com

Weekly Training Article | Muscle Building: An Inside Look | 7/30/12-8/5/12

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By Darren O'Connell
Most people believe that inorder to build noticeable muscle size, they have to devote many hours inthe gym, 5 or 6 days a week for many years. This is untrue. Yes, hardwork is required, but devoting that much time is unnecessary.
Substantial muscle growth can beachieved with 40-minute sessions, 3 days a week ... sometimes less, ifdone correctly. Muscles will only grow in size when they have fullyrecovered from a gym workout. Then, and only then will muscle growthhappen. If your goal is to achieve maximum muscle growth in the shortestpossible time, then there needs to be more rest days than actualworkout days.
It's difficult for some peopleto believe that substantial muscle growth can be induced with 40-minutesessions only 2 or 3 days per week. It can be done, however, there is acatch:
These "few and far between" gymsessions will have to be short and extremely intensive. You have to giveyour body a very good reason to grow bigger muscles. The sessions willbe about what you thought you could not do, but somehow managed to do.
Example: If you're lifting acertain weight and you know you can only get 8 reps, you will pushyourself further than ever before and squeeze out another 2 reps, withthe help of a training partner. You will need help with the last 2 reps,but the idea is to execute a greater effort than you are used to. Thiscreates the environment for greater muscle growth.
Below is an example of an 8 Week"every other day" muscle building routine, and it shows how short thetraining sessions should be. It can also be done taking 2 days restinbetween training sessions. I'm assuming that you have weight trainingexperience behind you, and that you're familiar with the jargon. If not,I would not recommend that you push yourself too far until you havebuilt up your strength and fitness level. You should always get thego-ahead from your GP or health professional before starting or changingany physical exercise program.
Warm-ups are not included below.
Day 1: Chest: 2 sets, 10 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.Biceps: 2 sets, 8 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 2: REST.
Day 3:Thighs: 2 sets, 10 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.Hamstrings: 2 sets, 8 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.Calves: 2 sets, 12 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 4: REST.
Day 5: Shoulders: 2 sets, 10 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.Triceps: 2 sets, 8 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 6: REST.
Day 7:Back: 2 sets, 10 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.Abdominals: 2 sets, 10 reps, 1 exercise. Use the same weight for your 2nd set.
Day 8: REST.
Day 9: Start again.
Notes:*You will need someone to help you for the last 2 or 3 reps of every set.*Ifyou're doing a set of 10 reps, the weight should be heavy enough toallow only 8 reps on your own, and you will need help to get the other 2reps.*If you're doing a set of 8reps, it's really only 5 or 6 reps that you can get on your own; helpwill be needed to complete the 8 reps.*Increase the weight every week, even if it's only 5lbs. Safety takes priority over ego.*On the 4th week reduce the rep range by 2 for all sets and continue.
The idea is to put forth a muchgreater intensive effort than you can imagine. The overall reward isshorter training sessions, more rest days and greater muscle growth.Many people are now achieving greater results through smarter trainingmethods and spending less time in the gym, allowing for more free timeto enjoy other activities.
Source: articlecircle.com

Exercise of the Month | Lat Pulldown | July 2012

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The "Lat Pulldown" is a phenomenal compound exercise for the back. It is performed by grasping the bar, a little bit further than shoulder-width apart, with either a pronated or supinated grip. ... Studies have shown that a supinated grip could possibly provide a more beneficial muscle load. Maintain an erect torso, with a slight backward lean, and pull the bar to (and slightly touching) the upper chest. While maintaining the same torso position, slowly extend the arms back to the starting position.

Major muscles involved: Latissimus dorsi, Teres major, Middle trapezius, Rhomboids

National Athlete of the Month | Shannon Rowbury | July 2012

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Event: 1,500m
Born: 9/19/1984
College: Duke '07 
Shannon Rowbury has delivered top U.S. performances at recent international championships. First, in  2008 Rowbury turned in the top performance ever by an American woman in the Olympic 1,500m final when she finished seventh in 4:03.58. She then won a bronze medal at the 2009 World Outdoor Championships to post the best finish by an American in a world outdoor championships women's 1,500-meter final in 10 years. Rowbury has been on a gradual rise to global prominence as a middle-distance runner since high school. She won the 800 meters at the 2001 National Scholastic Outdoor Championships while attending Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep School in San Francisco, Calif. At the 2011 World Championships, she raced with a leopard-print ribbon on her singlet in memory of her Duke teammate Sally Meyerhoff. She enjoys soccer, film making and competed in Irish dancing for 11 years. 
USA ChampionshipsTwo-time USA Outdoor champion – 2008 (4:05.48); 2009 (4:05.07)2012 Olympic Trials runner-up (4:05.11)2008 USA Indoor 3,000m champion (8:55.19)2010 USA Indoor runner-up (4:19.48)International Championships2009 World Outdoor bronze medalist (4:04.18)Collegiate Championships2007 NCAA Indoor mile (4:44.21) and 3,000m (9:02.73) runner-up
Source: http://www.usatf.org/

Weekly Training Article | Stretching and Its Benefits | 8/6/12-8/12/12

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By Terry Sandhu
If you want to get fitter, ortry to lose weight, the first point of call is your diet. You decidewhat you should cut back on and what you should add to your diet toachieve your goals. The second thing that you will probably consider is agood exercise program. In most peoples' views, a good exercise programwill initially consist of some type of cardio exercise. After this, somepeople may try to incorporate some sort of weight training regime.
An essential part of anyexercise program is often ignored by most people. This essential part isstretching. Some people may go through the motions with a couple ofminutes of stretching before a workout, but most people do not realizethe wonderful benefits that stretching can give them. Stretching, alongwith cardio and weight training, should be considered a vital part ofany exercise program.
The first thing to remember isthat you should always have a good warm-up before stretching. This isbecause a warm muscle is always going to be more flexible than a coldone, and this will avoid the risk of injury. The second thing is to makesure that you do not push too far when stretching. Always go to thepoint where you can feel the pull and not to the point where it becomespainful.
As children we are naturallyflexible, but this changes as we get older. Our muscles begin to gettighter and this is why it is so easy to pull a muscle, or wake up inthe mornings feeling sore and stiff if we haven't slept with a goodposture. As children the bulk of our world consists of physical play. Werun around and move about in ways that stretch our bodies. When we getolder this stops. You rarely hear of children complaining of back painor pulled hamstrings.
You should have a goodstretching program consisting of 10 to 15 minutes. You will get the mostvalue from stretching if you do it after your normal workout. Thebenefits of stretching are many, and here are just a few:
When you exercise you arestressing your muscles. It's this stress that is going to make yourmuscles stronger or give you muscular endurance. Stretching after aworkout is going to reduce the stress on your muscles. -- Stretchingwill allow your blood to reach the stressed muscles more quickly, andit's your blood that carries the nutrients that are going to repair you.You will have less soreness in your muscles the day after a workout,allowing them to recover more quickly.
Stretching will improve yourposture. It will make your body feel more comfortable. This will benoticeable in the way you stand and the way you move around. Goodposture is extremely important for good physical health. After all, it'sbad posture that will end up giving you muscular problems in the longterm.
Stretching will improve yourdaily life and allow you to perform tasks with more ease. It helpsmovement and you can improve everyday things such as bending, leaningand carrying. How many times have you pulled a muscle after pickingsomething up? How many times have you turned or moved suddenly and felt astab of pain? This is because your muscles are tight and not preparedfor the particular movement, and end up becoming injured. Stretchingwill reduce the chances of this happening.
Do not ignore or downplay theimportance of stretching. Incorporate stretching into your exerciseprogram and it will give you benefits which will make you physicallyfitter, help you avoid injuries, and increase the quality of your lifeon a day-to-day basis.

Speaking 2 languages may delay getting Alzheimer's

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New studies suggest bilingual ability increases executive control in the brain, which could fight mental disease

Mastering a second language can pump up your brain in ways that seem to delay getting Alzheimer's disease later on, scientists said Friday.

Never learned to habla or parlez? While the new research focuses mostly on the truly long-term bilingual, scientists say even people who tackle a new language later in life stand to gain.

The more proficient you become, the better, but "every little bit helps," said Ellen Bialystok, a psychology professor at York University in Toronto.Much of the study of bilingualism has centered on babies, as scientists wondered why simply speaking to infants in two languages allows them to learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. Their brains seem to become more flexible, better able to multitask. As they grow up, their brains show better "executive control," a system key to higher functioning -- as Bialystok puts it, "the most important part of your mind."But does that mental juggling while you're young translate into protection against cognitive decline when you're old?Bialystok studied 450 Alzheimer's patients, all of whom showed the same degree of impairment at the time of diagnosis. Half are bilingual -- they've spoken two languages regularly for most of their lives. The rest are monolingual.The bilingual patients had Alzheimer's symptoms and were diagnosed between four and five years later than the patients who spoke only one language, she told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Being bilingual does nothing to prevent Alzheimer's disease from striking. But once the disease does begin its silent attack, those years of robust executive control provide a buffer so that symptoms don't become apparent as quickly, Bialystok said."They've been able to cope with the disease," she said.Her work supports an earlier study from other researchers that also found a protective effect.What is it about being bilingual that enhances that all-important executive control system?Both languages are essentially turned on all the time, but the brain learns to inhibit the one you don't need, said psychology professor Teresa Bajo of the University of Granada in Spain. That's pretty constant activity.That's not the only area. University of British Columbia psychologist Janet Werker studies infants exposed to two languages from birth to see why they don't confuse the two, and says bilingual babies learn very early to pay attention better.Werker tested babies in Spain who were growing up learning both Spanish and Catalan. She showed the babies videos of women speaking languages they'd never heard -- English and French -- but with the sound off. By measuring the tots' attention span, Werker concluded that babies could distinguish between English and French simply by watching the speakers' facial cues. It could have been the different lip shapes."It looks like French people are always kissing," she joked, while the English "th" sound evokes a distinctive lip-in-teeth shape.Whatever the cues, monolingual babies couldn't tell the difference, Werker said Friday at the meeting.But what if you weren't lucky enough to be raised bilingual? Scientists and educators know that it becomes far harder to learn a new language after puberty.Partly that's because adults' brains are so bombarded with other demands that we don't give learning a new language the same attention that a young child does, Bialystok said.At the University of Maryland, scientists are studying how to identify adults who would be good candidates to master a new language, and then what types of training are best. Having a pretty strong executive control system, like the lifelong bilinguals have, is among the good predictive factors, said Amy Weinberg, deputy director of the university's Center for Advanced Study of Language.But people don't have to master a new language to benefit some, Bialystok said. Exercising your brain throughout life contributes to what's called cognitive reserve, the overall ability to withstand the declines of aging and disease. That's the basis of the use-it-or-lose-it advice from aging experts who also recommend such things as crossword puzzles to keep your brain nimble."If you start to learn at 40, 50, 60, you are certainly keeping your brain active," she said.Published at: Salon

Happiness Is a Focused Mind

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By Jenifer Goodwin
HealthDay ReporterIf you want to be happy, try to stay focused.New research shows that when people’s minds drifted from the task or activity at hand, they reported being less happy than when they were fully engaged in whatever they were doing.The human mind is uniquely capable of wandering — that is, to ponder things that have happened, to anticipate things that will happen, and to plan for things that might happen, explained study author Matthew Killingsworth, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard University. The ability is one of the traits that makes human beings human, he noted.Yet, cognitive wandering comes at a cost, which is that when people are thinking about something other than what they’re doing, they feel less happy, the researchers discovered.“Human beings seem to have this unique capacity to focus on the non-present. They have the ability to reflect on the past, plan for the future and imagine things that might never occur,” Killingsworth said. “But at the same time, human beings are clumsy users of this capacity and it tends to decrease, rather than increase, happiness.”In the study, 2,250 participants were prompted at random times throughout the day using an iPhone Web application. They were asked how they were feeling, what they were doing, if they were thinking about something other than what they were doing and whether whatever they were contemplating was pleasant (say, daydreaming about a vacation), unpleasant (perhaps worrying about a relationship or finances) or neutral in nature.According to the study, participants spent nearly 47 percent of their waking hours with their mind in a wandering state. “This study shows that our mental lives are pervaded, to a remarkable degree, by the non-present,” Killingsworth said.That is, with one notable exception. When describing what they were doing, participants could choose from 22 activities, including walking, eating, shopping, watching TV, commuting and working.The only activity during which people seemed to be quite good at staying on task mentally was while making love. During sex, only 10 percent of people reported wandering thoughts.Generally, people also reported being the happiest when making love, exercising or conversing. They said they were least happy when resting or sleeping, working or using a home computer.When it came to what they were thinking about, 42.5 percent thought of pleasant topics, 26.5 percent thought of unpleasant topics, while 31 percent were thinking neutral thoughts.And while people who were thinking of pleasant things were happier than people thinking of unpleasant things, even those thinking happy thoughts were less happy than people who were fully engaged in whatever they were doing.The study is published in the Nov. 12 issue of Science.In some ways, the research provides scientific evidence of what many self-help books and some religious traditions espouse, which is that being in the “here and now” is critical for happiness, Killingsworth said.Participants were from 83 counties, a wide range of occupations and ranged in age from 18 to 88.Barbara Becker Holstein, a psychologist and “happiness coach” in Long Branch, N.J., said the findings speak to the importance of doing things that provide a sense of purpose and meaning. Such activities make it easier to stay focused, Holstein explained.“This research is fabulous and fascinating,” Holstein said. “But long before the research, psychologists and many educators recognized that in order to feel a sense of well-being, you need to feel you have purpose and meaning in life. That means you are containing the mind around certain projects and activities, and are forcing the mind not to be all over the place all day long.”If you feel your mind starting to head down a “dark tunnel” of worry and anxiety, try to snap yourself out of it by bringing your thoughts back to the present, she said.“It’s such a natural tendency to go over bad news or things that haven’t worked out, to dramatize the drama we are already experiencing,” she said. “But if we can distract ourselves by getting involved doing something, we get some distance from whatever we were ruminating on and it’s better for us.”More informationIf you’d like to be part of Harvard’s happiness research project, visittrackyourhappiness.org.SOURCES: Matthew Killingsworth, doctoral candidate, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.; Barbara Becker Holstein, Ed.D., psychologist and happiness coach, Long Branch, N.J.; Nov. 12, 2010, ScienceLast Updated: Nov. 11, 2010Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.