An Alternative to Medication in the Struggle to Relieve Chronic Depression

An Alternative to Medication in the Struggle to Relieve Chronic Depression
The number of people getting treated for depression, a
serious illness that causes a person to feel very
downtrodden and hopeless about life has seen it's numbers
triple in the last ten years. One becomes even more
concerned when you consider the availability and
development of new drugs and a more general acceptance of
depression as a "real" illness and something that shouldn't
be taken lightly.

Depression in its early stages has symptoms that include a
loss of energy, apathy and sadness. Other signs of
depression are a loss of appetite, a disinterest in
friends, family and hobbies and the use of alcohol and
drugs to "dull the pain" or self medicate. Depression can
lead to suicide in its worst cases. If you don't personally
suffer from depression, you probably know somebody who has
or who will. Up to 10% of Americans have a depression
related episode in the course of any year.

Although depression can always return to a person, and
likely has genetic components that pass it down in
families, it can almost always be alleviated with proper
treatment and care. Traditional care has always included
therapy and medication (primarily antidepressants),
preferably with a combination of the two. To get the
combination right, the process can take a lot of work
because not all medications and types of therapy work the
same for every person.

However, there is more that can be done than paying
exorbitant bills for therapy and medication. In fact,
simple changes in your lifestyle such as becoming involved
in athletics and exercising can greatly improve your mood,
both in the short and long term. This is linked to the fact
that exercising causes your body to release endorphins (and
other feel-good chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine).
Endorphins are your body's natural painkiller and also
contribute to feelings of elation and joy.

Many people describe what is known as a "runner's high"
after a period of intense and strenuous exercise. This can
be achieved not just by running but through playing other
sports as well. While the runner's high, a very intense
feeling of euphoria closely related to an actual drug-high
actually occurs only in rare circumstances, endorphins are
always being released when playing sports and exercising.

Involvement in sports will have an affect on your
depression in many ways. By participating in sports will
get you into better physical condition and physical health.
This will get you feeling better about your body and how
you look and provide you with more confidence. By getting
up and moving, athletics will help prevent or lessen
depression. This is especially good if you have been
sitting still all day such as at a desk. Additionally,
sports may lead to increased socialization and interaction
with people. Positive interactions with other people,
whether through organized sports or anything else will lift
your spirits.

While medication and therapy can be helpful, they may not
be right for everybody and you may not want to let your
depression get that far. Getting involved in sports can
help relieve depression as well as prevent depression from
occurring in the first place.

----------------------------------------------------
Scott Becker is an expert author mostly writing on sports
health and nutrition and depression. He is an avid golfer
and is the author and creator of
http://healthfitnessvitamin.com . If you found this
article helpful you can visit his blog now at
http://healthfitnessvitamin.com for more articles like this
one and to receive your FREE REPORT - 7 Little Known Ways
To Control Depression NOW

Want Healthy Skin? Try Vitamins!

Want Healthy Skin? Try Vitamins!
A youthful glow reflects healthy skin that has been
well-nourished. Healthy skin can be accomplished with
vitamin-enriched anti-aging cream products when your diet
alone does not provide enough of certain vitamins,
minerals, and anti-oxidants.

Here are some vitamins that can help make your skin healthy:

Vitamin C is one of the better-known anti-oxidants in use
today. It has been shown to reduce the damage caused by
free radicals. Sun exposure, smoke, and pollution all
contribute to the breakdown of collagen and elastin, thus,
leading to a wrinkled appearance and other signs of aging.
Ingesting foods with a high concentration of Vitamin C,
including citrus fruits and vegetables, and taking Vitamin
C supplements of 500-1,000 mg are beneficial. Anti-aging
moisturizing cream that contains Vitamin C will help
achieve healthy skin by forming new collagen.

Vitamin E, one of the fat-soluble antioxidants, helps
reduce sun damage to the skin, as well as reducing
production of cancer-causing cells. It is also an
effective way to reduce wrinkles and make the skin look and
feel smoother. As an oral supplement more is definitely
NOT better: take no more than 400 I.U. to avoid serious
harmful side effects. When combined with Vitamin C in
lotion form, Vitamin E is very useful in protecting against
sun damage.

Vitamin A is necessary to repair and maintain healthy skin
tissue. If a person lacks the proper amount of this
vitamin, the complexion may become dry and flaky. To avoid
this, eat foods that are rich sources of vitamin A, such as
fruits and vegetables. Besides getting vitamin A from
dietary sources, applying it externally is also helpful.
This can take the form of lotions and creams. Used as a
component in OTC anti-aging creams (retinol), or in
prescription form for treatment of acne (Retin A), Vitamin
A is notable for decreasing the amount of lines and
wrinkles seen in the skin.

Vitamin B Complex, including the very important B vitamin,
biotin, can be found in many foods such as bananas, eggs,
oatmeal and rice. The body makes biotin too. This nutrient
helps form nail, skin, and hair cells. A deficiency in
this important nutrient may result in inflamed skin,
itchiness or dermatitis. Anti-aging creams that contain B
vitamins contribute to healthy looking, well-hydrated skin.
It is useful in lightening dark spots as well.

Vitamin K, when used as a cream, is most valuable in
reducing the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. It
becomes even more beneficial when used in a formula that
combines it with Vitamin A.

----------------------------------------------------
John Russell of IH Distribution, LLC brings you health,
anti-aging and skin care products from around the world.
Find fabulous skin care tips and great articles on a wide
range of topics for women at
http://www.hormones-beauty-health.com

The Dana Guide to Brain Health: A Practical Family Reference From Medical Experts. Book Review.

The Dana Guide to Brain Health: A Practical Family Reference From Medical Experts. Book Review.
Dana Press kindly sent us a couple of books. One of them,
The Dana Guide to Brain Health: A Practical Family
Reference From Medical Experts, is our topic today.

We are impressed by what Dana is doing to insert
neuroscience findings and implications into the public
discourse.

No big surprise then, to find out so much quality content
inside a 700-page one-of-a-kind guide.

The guide is really 4 books inside a common binding. Priced
at a reasonable level, and with superb in-depth text and
images in all relevant areas, the book can be used as a 1)
Brain 101 tutorial, 2) brief summary of the basics of Brain
Care and Wellness, 3) description of the stages of brain
development, 4) reference guide for around 70 brain-related
conditions.

In my personal opinion, every neuroscience, medical and
psychology student, clinician and researcher should have
this book in their hands to keep abreast of many recent
developments, and also be exposed to professional
development courses based on it. Many families and
individuals interested in the brain should consider buying
it too.

Given the focus of our blog-brain fitness for healthy
individuals-, we particularly enjoyed the sections

- on intelligence, with sentences such as "It is extremely
unlikely that an "intelligence pill" will be discovered in
the near future" (P. 215)

- on "The Brain-Body Loop" which explains, among other
things, the effects of stress,

- "Taking Advantage of New Findings and New Finding About
the Adult Brain", with gems such as "Recent research on the
brain has established two great principles. First, far from
remaining static in adulthood, as we had long assumed, the
human brain continues to grow and develop throughout our
entire life span. This development takes place in two ways:
by ongoing adjustments in signaling pathways and by the
addition of new brain cells. Knowing this means that you
should try, as you would with any fine, high-powered
machine, to practice good maintenance to give it the best
chance to provide peak performance...in many respects we
can make a material difference in how it ages, and even
induce it to perform better over time...Just as we may
choose to strengthen our muscles with challenging workouts,
we can encourage brain growth by keeping engaged in many
different mental activities".

- and, above all, the one on "Basic Brain Care: Protecting
Your Mental Capital" (Pages 31-41), where we are all
recommended to

---- Sleep: at least 6 hours a day, making sure we don't
make a habit of "cutting sleep short"

---- Eat well: the general rule here is that what is good
for the body is also good for the brain, and to be wary of
"diets advertised as "brain food"

---- "Protect the fortress" (our skull), by making sure we
use security belts and helmets whenever there may be a risk

---- Exercise regularly

---- Keep Stress in Check (stress can inhibit or reduce the
creation of new neurons, among other things)

---- Stimulate our minds through life, by ensuring a flow
of novelty and variety that enhances the creation of a
"cognitive reserve". If is fascinating for us to see how
Brain Fitness helps integrate "Brain Health" and "Lifelong
Learning", Health & Wellness and Education. Of course,
these categories are human conventions that the brain
itself probably doesn't care too much about...

In short, a great reference book for professionals and for
people interested in the brain. And a great starting point
(the only one we are aware of) for a really useful and
practical guide to Brain Health that every family should
have. In a bit more creative terms: great quality marble
looking for a consumer-oriented Michelangelo.

----------------------------------------------------
Alvaro Fernandez is the CEO and Co-Founder of
SharpBrains.com, which covers the emerging neuroplasticity
and neurogenesis fields. SharpBrains has been recognized by
Scientific American Mind, Newsweek, Forbes. Alvaro holds MA
in Education and MBA from Stanford University, and teaches
The Science of Brain Health at UC-Berkeley Lifelong
Learning Institute. You can learn more at
http://www.sharpbrains.com/

5 Healthy Skin Care Habits To Slow The Effects Of Aging

5 Healthy Skin Care Habits To Slow The Effects Of Aging
Let's face it, nobody wants to look old. Wrinkles, dark
circles under the eyes, puffy or sagging skin - these are
all signs of aging. The question many of us face as we
grow older is whether we can slow the effects of time. Are
plastic surgery and injections the only way to look younger?

Luckily, there are less drastic ways to keep your face from
showing every year! Healthy habits, along with a proper
skincare regimen, can not only slow the inevitable signs of
aging, but also actually repair damage to your skin.

Skincare research benefits from the advances being made in
nutrition, chemistry and biology. Some skincare companies
are actually using Nobel Prize-winning discoveries in thier
anti-aging formulas. These revolutionary creams use
anti-oxidants to stem the damage caused by free radicals,
stimulates collagen production, and fills in existing
wrinkles. The very best companies combine this as a
moisturizer too.

In addition to daily cleansing and moisturizing, here are
five healthy habits, which will keep you from falling
victim to aging skin.

1. Protect yourself from the sun. The days of lying out at
midday with baby oil are over. Doctors have determined
that even small amount of exposure to the sun's ultraviolet
rays is a primary factor in aging the skin. Wrinkles, age
spots, dryness and a leathery texture are just some of the
results of getting too much sun. Try to stay out of the
rays when they are at their most intense, from about 10 am
until 2 pm. And be sure to use a quality sunscreen to
protect against those UV rays.

2. Don't smoke. Cigarette smoke produces millions of free
radicals, tiny molecules that attack the healthy cells in
your skin. And nicotine constricts blood flow. This means
that oxygen and nutrients can't get to your skin cells.
Production of collagen and elastin will decrease, and deep
wrinkles will be the result.

3. Moisturize regularly. As our skin ages, it loses
moisture, a necessary component to keeping it looking young
and firm. Applying a high-quality moisturizer will keep
water in, where it is needed.

4. Drink plenty of water. Water is the basis of human
life. Our bodies are made up of 70% water. It carries
toxins and impurities away from our cells, and brings
oxygen and nutrients in.

5. Be gentle. When washing or drying your face or applying
moisturizer, use soft patting motions. Pulling at your
skin or rubbing it too hard will stretch it out, causing
wrinkles and sags.

Be good to your skin, and you will be rewarded by looking
younger and healthier!

----------------------------------------------------
Discover the same skin care secrets some middle aged models
have been using that cause them to be accused of being
under-aged: http://www.LifeCellHealth.com

Jock Itch - A Painful Infection

Jock Itch - A Painful Infection
A common infection mainly of the adult men, Jock itch is a
very painful and uncomfortable phenomenon found in the hot
countries. Caused by an excessive growth of the fungi
Dermatophytes residing in the skin, Jock itch usually
occurs when these fungi proliferate in the skin due to
moisture. This disease affects the groin area of men but
rarely affects the penis in men. Jock itch although more
prevalent in men, sometimes affects women also in the groin
area only. Jock itch is also called the ringworm of the
groin and also Tinea Cruris

This disease is caused due to following reasons:

- If a person wears fitted lower apparel like jeans, pants,
tight panties or briefs, it can lead to Jock itch. It
causes more perspiration in the groin area leading to
growth in the fungi causing Jock itch.
- To save oneself from this epidermal disease, one should
try to change his undergarments regularly especially under
wears.
- Try to avoid sharing of personal attire like towels and
bed sheets with the affected person and those suffering
from athlete's foot. Athlete's foot and ringworm can result
in Jock itch. Therefore, you should try to cure this
disease as soon as possible.
- After bathing, dry your groin area before wearing
lingerie.
- Try to wear cotton apparel which can soak moisture from
your body

Jock itch can be treated by physicians after they take
samples from your skin. A sample of your infected skin when
placed under a microscope can easily reveal whether you
have contracted this disease. A sample of your skin can be
taken after the skin lesion biopsy test, which is also
known as the Punch biopsy or the shave biopsy.

Sometimes, bacterial infections can also result as a
consequent of excessive scratching of the affected area.
Then, doctors have to give oral antifungal medicines to
treat such affections. Therefore, you should avoid
scratching of the groin area if suffering from Jock itch.
Jock itch is a very communicable disease, which can spread
by contact with skin of the infected person. Moreover, you
can also catch this infection by contact with the unwashed
garments of the infected person. Physical relation with the
infected person can also cause Jock itch. You can also go
for a KOH test for a proper diagnosis of this test.

The most effective treatment for Jock itch are antifungal
ointments available at a near pharmacy you. The best
ointments are Azoles and Allymines. Jock itch can result in
the appearance of red rashes on your skin near the groin in
the skin folds of the upper thigh and which make you
continuously scratch the affected area. These patches are
redder in the outer area than in the centre with elevated
peripheries. The appearance of abnormally dark or light
skin also means that you are suffering from Jock itch.
Slowly, the infection can spread to the anus causing
undesirable pain and discomfort. This disease can also
affect male children. Therefore, their mothers should take
care of their clothes in summers.

----------------------------------------------------
Please visit following websites for more information about
jock itch treatment:
http://www.jockitchcare.com
http://www.jockitchcare.net

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes May Be Easier Than You Think

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes May Be Easier Than You Think
What is type 2 diabetes?

Type 2 diabetes is defined as the body's inability to
control and regulate blood glucose levels. Good effective
insulin is produced, but the mechanisms whereby glucose is
taken into the cells for metabolism fails. This results in
high blood glucose levels. This ineffectiveness concerns
every cell in the body. Thus, the cells are denied vital
energy supplies. Type 2 diabetes could lead to some very
serious illness or death.

The current situation

In the USA the American Diabetes Association reports there
are well over 20 million people with type 2 diabetes. This
represents around 7% of the population. Diabetes UK reports
there are over 2 million in Britain; while three quarters
of a million don't yet know they have it (it takes about 6
or 7 years for the disease to manifest).

-No doubts that this epidemic, mostly confined to the
westernised world, has escalated out of control. It has
increased by about 700% over the last fifty-odd years.

Orthodox medical treatment versus alternative cures

The first thing to get here is because the body cannot
control blood glucose levels due to ineffective insulin, it
doesn't mean that this is the root cause of type 2
diabetes. 'It is only a symptom.

''To a pharmaceutical company, a patient cured is a patient
lost''

Orthodox medicine's treatment by using insulin therefore
only handles the symptom and not the underlying root cause.
Patients with diabetes type 2 could end up being treated
for the rest of their lives with expensive insulin drugs
because they will never be cured. They could also spend the
rest of their lives in much pain, discomfort and suffer
side effects: Patients are overloaded with too much insulin
and are wrongly advised to have a high carbohydrate diet
(junk food included?), which causes weight gain and further
side effects...

-This is a bit like complaining to someone that you are
feeling hot and his or her response is to give you a coat
to put on!

Is there a way towards prevention, reversal and cure of
diabetes with no need for drugs?

The evidence suggests yes.

Looking at the situation in a new light, this what many
alternative practitioners have found and now advise:

Dietary changes

1. Reduce the high levels of carbohydrates!

Do away with those starchy grainy carbohydrates and get
some good quality food like fruit and vegetables instead,
preferably of the organic kind with a low glycemic index
(slower glucose release into the blood during break down).

2. Increase fat intake

However, do away with those nasty trans-fats and cheap
nasty junk oils like sunflower, conola, cotton seed and
corn vegetable seed oils...and take far quality more
omega-3 fat based foods instead. Omega-3 fats foods can be
found in fish oils such as cod liver oil and krill oil,
flax seed and walnuts... Good quality fats and oils have
been shown to vastly improve the uptake of glucose into the
cell.

Keep up regular exercise each day and have a positive
outlook on life with the above dietary changes and you
could well be on the road to reversing diabetes type 2.

----------------------------------------------------
I, Paul Phillips am a health writer researcher. I graduated
in 'Biological Sciences' which includes biochemistry,
physiology and nutrition. I have worked in various related
research and development labs.
I am always willing to give advice and help people in my
field. For more information please try the link below
http://www.HealthNewsLive.net

Builders Knee Braces Are Not What You Think!

Builders Knee Braces Are Not What You Think!
Of course if you mention the word "knee brace" to an
architect that brings up whole different kettle of fish:
and it has nothing to do with builders knee. Of course if
one imagines the standard type of prophylactic knee brace
or indeed the functional knee brace in conjunction with the
idea of a house, perhaps one might produce an image in
one's mind of some fantastical construction: somewhat along
the lines of the Russian folk tale of the witch Baba Yaga.
Here the wicked old dame lived in a house that bounded
along on the giant chicken legs.

No doubt these bizarre appendages, which had to support the
weight of both structure and crone, may have suffered much
in the way of ligament strain! Therefore one might picture
the house making the tricky decision concerning the
relevant functional or prophylactic knee brace: whether
hinged, comfort or other wise. One might also picture said
edifice sitting in front of a computer screen, hopefully
having acquired the appropriate advice from an
architectural orthopaedic surgeon, mulling over the
minefield of sites in a vain attempt to acquire the right
knee brace!

As pleasing as this might be, it must be sadly reported
that the architectural knee brace is not an object of such
fantastical joy! Nevertheless, the builders' knee brace is
just as vital in some respects as the hinged, functional or
prophylactic knee brace of your average serious sports
pundit, or motorcross professional.

The architectural knee brace is vital component in keeping
one roof beams in order. This knee brace is "a diagonal
support placed across the angle between two members that
are joined; serves to stiffen and strengthen the members".

These types of knee braces are not necessarily concealed
within the roof structure, quietly and unobtrusively
"strengthening the members". They may be part of the
intrinsic, visible design of the roof, forming the
aesthetics of say, a gable end. Here, the knee brace might
be plain or ornate. Place the wrong style of knee brace in
the wrong style of gable end and your design plans may be
obstructed. This is particularly pertinent when renovating
a Craftsman, Eclectic, or Tudor Revival style of American
house.

However, it is still pleasing to consider Baba Yaga's
chicken-legged abode, fitted with the sort of bionic knee
braces that technologists are devising to generate battery
power. Now that would be the definition of an energy
self-sufficient home!

----------------------------------------------------
Do builders have knee braces all of their very own? Well
they do, but they are not what you think! Find out more
about builders knee braces at
http://www.braceyourknee.com/builders-knee-brace.html , and
about knee braces in general at
http://www.braceyourknee.com/

What are Heaty and Cooling Foods?

What are Heaty and Cooling Foods?
When a Chinese uses the terms 'heaty' or 'heatiness' to
describe the kinds of foods he/she would like to have or
avoid, most Westerners would probably have no idea what
those concepts are or find them strange. In Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM), the notion of heaty (yang)(as
opposed to cooling or yin) is related to the balancing of
'yin' and 'yang'. To most people, especially the Chinese,
in Asian countries such as China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and
Singaporeans, such concepts are very much part of the
indigenous culture and are commonly used as a form of
expressing certain set of symptoms or sensations often
associated with emotional or physical reactions such as:

- Feelings of irritability;

- Short temper;

- Fever;

- Constipation;

- Flushed face or cheeks;

- Dark yellow urine;

- Sore throat;

- Nose bleed;

- Outbreak of pimples and acne;

- Rashes;

- Mouth ulcers;

- Indigestion.

Excessive "cold" energy in the body, on the contrary, will
make us feel weak, lethargic, tired and restless.

The constitution of each person is influenced by congenital
factors as well as the acquired lifestlye (e.g diet, stress
level, amount of exercise and sleep, living environment),
and this varies from person to person. In other words,
different foods act upon the human body in different ways
and affect our state of health. The body's metabolism,
functioning of organs and organ structure all combine to
determine our susceptibility to these heaty and cooling
effects of foods. Examples of cooling and heaty foods:

Cool (yin) Foods:

Bamboo shoot, banana, bitter gourd, clam, crab, grapefruit,
lettuce, persimmon, salt, seaweed, star fruit, sugar cane,
water chestnut, watermelon, lotus root, cucumber, barley,
bean curd, chicken egg white, marjoram, oyster, pear,
peppermint, radish, strawberry, tangerine, and yogurt,
broccoli, cauliflower, zuccini, corn, tomatoes, pineapple,
turmeric.

Neutral (balanced yin and yang) Foods:

Corn, abalone, apricot, beef, beetroot, black fungus, carp,
carrot, celery, chicken egg yolk, cuttlefish, duck, fig,
honey, kidney bean, lotus fruit and seed, milk, olive,
oyster, papaya, pork, potato, pumpkin, radish leaf, red
bean, plum, sunflower seed, sweet rice, sweet potato, white
fungus, yellow soybean, brussels sprouts, snow peas, sweet
potato, taro, dates, figs, raspberries, raisins, sage,
rosemary, thyme, brown rice, apple.

Heaty (yang) Foods:

Pepper, cinnamon bark, ginger, soybean oil, red and green
pepper, chicken, apricot seed, brown sugar, cherry,
chestnut, chive, cinnamon twig, clove, coconut, coffee,
coriander (Chinese parsley), date, dillseed, eel, garlic,
grapefruit peel, green onion, guava, ham, leaf mustard,
leek, longan, mutton, nutmeg, peach, raspberry, rosemary,
shrimp, spearmint, sweet basil, tobacco, vinegar, walnut,
jackfruit, durian, leek, shallots, spring onion, ,
apricots, blackberries, black currant, mangoes, peaches,
cherry, mandarin orange, grape. How a food is prepared
also matters. E.g Beef is considered as neutral, but if you
have it deep fried or grilled, it would be considered as
heaty. In addition, there are some interesting broad
guidelines to determine whether a certain food is heaty or
cooling:

Heaty/yang foods:

- grow under the hot sun;

- are sweet;

- have lots of fats;

- rich in sodium;

- are hard, dry or spicy.

Cold/yin foods:

- grow in little sunshine;

- are salty;

- are lean;

- rich in potassium;

- soft and wet;

The heatiness and cooling effect of foods refer to their
capacity to generate sensations - either hot or cold in our
body. They do not refer to the state of the food but its
effect on our bodies. For example, tea is a cooling food.
This means that it generates cold energy in our body. To
seek a balance in diet, we can classify food as
predominantly yin or yang. Hence, if you eat predominantly
yin foods, your body will be capable of producing only cold
energy, in contrast, eating predominantly yang foods
produces hotter energy. If a person suffers from cold
rheumatism, eating foods with a warm or hot energy would be
helpful. If a person's acne condition deteriorate due to
consumption of fried foods, it is beneficial to eat cooling
foods to counter heatiness and relieve symptoms. Hence, to
strike a yin-yang balance in the diet, it's almost natural
for the Chinese to have a glass of a lemon barley or winter
melon (cooling) drink to go with a plate of (heaty) fried
rice, or a bowl of (heaty) spicy noodle with some (cooling)
fruits such as star fruits or water melon.

The concept of heatiness is not meaningful or relevant in
the western medicine paradigm. However, it is believed that
there is some parallel to Acid (heaty) and alkaline
(cooling) balance, or protons and positive charges (heaty)
and cooling (electrons and negative charges). Medicine
evolves. Conventional medical doctors in the west has long
started to integrate and learn about alternative treatments
or medicines and incorporate them into their practice.
Today they believe that these new medical approaches are
beneficial and effective in many ways.

----------------------------------------------------
Benefits of Honey at http://www.benefits-of-honey.com is a
huge honey resource community specially built for all the
honey lovers and fans in this world. This site is packed
with immensely rich, quality information on honey and
health-related issues based on our knowledge and experience
with honey, so as to promote its invaluable benefits which
we believe could bring many positive spin-offs in your
everyday life and to your family and friends.

Six Super Exercises: Putting the Pieces Together for a Powerful Exercise Program Part 2

Six Super Exercises: Putting the Pieces Together for a Powerful Exercise Program Part 2
Below are a few of the training goals for which the Super
Six can be adapted:

- Strength

- Fat Loss

- Hypertrophy (muscle gain)

- Athletic Performance

- Stability and Endurance

Another adaptive property of the Super Six is that they
can be performed virtually any place, any time, and with
any type of or even no equipment. Below is a list of just
a few of the training environments in which the Super Six
can be used:

- Barbells training

- Dumbbells training

- Stability training

- Bodyweight training

- Cables/Tubing training As you can see from just
these few examples, there are a multitude of goals and
methods which can utilize the Super Six exercises. So
many, in fact, that you should never experience any
training boredom.

What is so Super about the Super Six

- Once you have learned the technique for each of the six
exercises, you will have established a great foundation
with which you can develop and apply any program to meet
your specific goals.

- Ask anyone who has been successful at increasing athletic
performance, improving overall fitness, or has lost
significant amounts of body fat what exercises he/she used
and I would bet money that he/she will name at least a
couple of the exercises from the Super Six.

- You get the most "bang for your training buck" with Super
Six exercises. As a result of being multi-joint
movements that require the use of numerous different
muscles, they are also very time-efficient exercises.
Therefore, if you are in a pinch for time, always perform
your Super Six exercise(s)first and then move on to the
other movements you have scheduled.

- They apply directly to daily activities. Whether it is
carrying boxes of files, lifting carry-on bags into
overhead bins, walking your pet, or playing with your
children/grandchildren, these six exercises will prepare
you for the moment when you need to perform.

A Simple Super Six Plan:

Here's a very simple way to start applying the Super Six
exercises immediately. This plan is based on three
workouts per week. All you need to do is select and
perform one #1 exercise, one #2 exercise, and one #3
exercise.

Give yourself at least a day's rest in between training
days. If you are training on Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday, your program would look like the example below.

Exercise Selection:

1. Deadlift or Squat

2. Bench Press or Overhead Press

3. Rowing or Pull-up

Exercise Program Example:

Monday ' Deadlift

Wednesday- Bench Press

Friday ' Rowing

If this is all that you have time for, that is fine. You
will still be able to achieve some pretty amazing results;
however, if you want to fill in with some auxiliary
exercises that is also fine.

Each cycle of three Super Six exercises should be performed
for 3-6 weeks and then you should switch to the other three
exercises. As far as sets and reps are concerned, I am
going to leave that up to you. However, if you are just
learning the movements, I would recommend that you keep the
resistance pretty light and the repetitions pretty high to
allow yourself some time to learn the technique.

Once you have become proficient with your technique, you
can advance accordingly. If you are already more advanced,
you may want to play around with some different protocols.
It is totally up to you and what your goals may be. The
variations are endless. My number one goal for
developing the Super Six concept was to have a set of
movements that were foundational to many other movements
and for those movements to be applicable not only to
athletic performance but also to everyday life.

Hopefully, it is now evident that not only can the Super
Six exercises be adapted to any goal, training protocol,
and training environment, but they can also be incorporated
into the busiest lives and produce astonishing results with
very little training time.

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Troy M. Anderson is the owner of Anderson Training Systems,
LLC, a fitness coaching business based in Tempe, Arizona.
Troy is often referred to as "the MacGyver of coaching" for
his unique ability to build effective fitness programs
using only the most basic equipment.
For more articles and instructional video, visit
http://www.andersontrainingsystems.com
To Read the ATS Weekly Blog go to:
http://troyats.blogspot.com/

Strengthen And Define Your Abs By Doing Crunches

Strengthen And Define Your Abs By Doing Crunches
Ab workouts have become one of the most popular forms of
exercise in recent times. For most people looking to get
into shape, having a well defined and visible six pack is
the ultimate goal from all the dieting and exercise. Not
only does working out your abs help you to look sexy, but
there are other numerous health benefits from having a
strong core including improved performance in sports and
for improvement of several chiropractic problems.

The most popular and basic way to exercise your abs are by
doing "crunches". There are also many different ways to
perform a crunch and we will look into how to do several of
these below.

1. Basic Crunch

I'm sure most of you have tried this one before, it
involves laying on your back with your knees slightly bent
with your feet on the floor, and with your hands either on
your chest or placed behind your head, you slowly lift your
upper body by contracting your abdominal muscles. There is
no need to fully raise yourself as you will no longer be
using your ab muscles but three quarters of upright
position is good.

This is the perfect exercise to begin strengthening your ab
muscles before moving on to more difficult and strenuous
variations of the standard crunch. As the abdominal muscles
are some of the quickest to recover, you may if you like,
perform ab workouts daily.

You also need to remember to do them slowly, and make sure
your ab muscles are doing all of the work, if you go too
fast you will end up using your momentum to lift you rather
than your abs.

2. Oblique Crunch

If you really want the visible results of an ab workout you
should try oblique crunches. Your obliques are also known
as your "love handles" and are found on the sides of your
body from your waist down to your hips. This type of crunch
also works your upper abs and will give you the quickest
visual results.

To perform an oblique crunch, you get into the same
position as a standard crunch but instead of raising your
upper body straight up, you twist your torso to the left or
right (remember to alternate to workout both sides of your
body) to work out those other muscles. While doing oblique
crunches, try to focus on your oblique muscles by
contracting them as hard as you can as you lift yourself
off the floor.

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Do you want the kind of abs that will make you the envy of
your friends? Find out how to get a six pack in the fastest
way possible by visiting:
http://www.six-pack-abs-the-truth.com