Health

Do you constantly find yourself in pain during your post or pre-workout, or does your body feel stiff in rigid when you begin or end your workout? You might want to ask yourself are you taking the time to prime yourself up before working out. 

Stretching is a key component in every exercise routine and can actually increase the benefits of a workout. Having a healthy stretching routine can help improve the range of motion and decrease stiffness at muscles among other health benefits.

Stiffness & Range of Motion

Of the five components of fitness stretching should be number one. Stretching primes not only your body for your exercise routine but it also prepares your mind. Having an healthy stretching routine helps improve your range of motion, which in many cases can slow the degeneration of your joints. Flexible muscles are less likely to become injured. Increasing the range of motion through a having a healthy stretching routine will decrease the resistance on your body’s muscles while performing various exercises and activities.

Pre/Post Work Out Pain

Over time muscles will shorten and become tight losing flexibility and range of motion. When we call on these muscles for activities such as weightlifting or even jogging they are weak and unable to fully extend causing us to become injured or experience pain. Having a healthy post or pre-stretching routine will keep your muscles loose and lessen the shortening and tightening effect that will eventually lead to post-workout pains

Posture & Efficiency

Stretching regularly will help improve your posture. Stretching the muscles of your lower back, shoulders, and chests regularly will help to keep your back better aligned, improving your posture in return. Flexible joints require less energy to perform tasks and provide a wider range of motion in return you use less energy while improving your overall performance, by creating movements that are more energy-efficient.

 Muscles that are chronically tense will cut off their own circulation. This will result in a lack of oxygen and essential nutrients from reaching the muscles. Stretching will reduce muscular tension and even enhance muscular relaxation

Stress & Circulation

One of the most impressive aspects of having a healthy stretching routine is that it can help reduce stress. Muscles that are chronically tense hold more tension and calls you to feel stressed. Stretching improves the circulation of key vitamins and nutrients into the bloodstream and through your entire body.

Stretching before exercising prepares your muscles to properly withstand whatever impact the activity of your choice might have on your body. This decreases the risk of injury or of lower back pain. By improving flexibility in the hips hamstrings Flexors and the muscles attached to the pelvis area and the lumbar spine

Many of us understand the importance of having a healthy stretching routine it is it integral part of any fitness program and it is essential whether you are an athlete or a regular person who just wants to be fit and healthy. Everything from a light jog, weight training, even meditation requires you to stretch and released detention off of your body and it’s something we all should forget the importance of.

Having a strong core is more than a pretty set of abs to flash around ‘even though that is a nice benefit’. Core muscles play apart In many aspects of our life that range in everything from:

• Chores Around the House 
• Physical/Sport Activities

Even down to your

•  Sexual Performance

I know that’s intense. Think of your body as two pieces. The top, and the bottom half. The core would be the adjoining piece, connecting these two halves.

Core Performance

No matter where the motion starts it will ripple upwards and downwards through every adjoining link of the chain. In return, a weak core can also impair your ability to move your arms, and legs properly. The energy that your body uses to perform most tasks either originates or moves through your core. Tuning in on, building up core muscles will help your body produce more consistent energy and force. A strong core also helps enhance balance and stability. It is also known that a strong core can help prevent falls and injuries during sports in other activities.

By now you can probably tell that having a strong core plays a key role in all aspects of your life. A strong core is an invaluable asset. With some side effects including.

• Better Posture
• Better Balance
• Reduce Back Pain

When most people think core they think of abs. The core is made up of many different muscles including the transverse abdominis, the erector spinae, as well as your internal and external obliques. Which in other words makes up everything from above your hamstring to below your rib cage.

Core Tune Up

I cannot overstate the importance of a strong core especially as you make it into the older years of life. I recommend exercising your core muscles exclusively three times per week. 

As mentioned earlier every action moves through the core. There are many movements that we make in our everyday life that will engage your core. With many easy at-home exercises that can be performed easily without spending any extra money on Bulky and excessive exercise equipment. These exercises can be done in a matter of minutes with benefits that will be invaluable well into the future.

Quick Core Exercises

With all the obstacles in our day-to-day life, most people don’t have time to add new routines to their day-to-day operations. I’m going to give you four of my favorite core exercises that could be done in moments in the comfortability of your own home.

• Planks

( personally, planks are an essential part of any ab routine. Holding the plank position not only takes strength but it builds endurance in your abs, back, and core. This exercise is one of the best exercises for core conditioning but it also has positive effects on the glutes and hamstrings)

• Rest arms on the floor, with elbow placed directly underneath your shoulders, and hands facing forward. So that your arms are parallel to your body.
• Extend legs out behind you, while resting your toes on the floor. Keep your shoulders aligned with your heels.
• Engage your entire core, glutes, quads, and tuck your butt a little. Try to keep your lower back as straight as possible. Make sure that you are not lowering your hips, or hiking your butt up high.
• Hold head, and neck in a natural position as possible.
• Hold position.

For beginners, I would recommend 5 sets of holding the plank position, for 20 seconds. Adjust as your body gets used to doing planks.

• Jackknife

The jackknife is a complete core exercise. This means that you will have to use all of your core muscles. Just to keep your body stable.

• Lie down on your back with legs extended and arms extended overhead on the floor, keeping them close to your ears as possible, contract your abs to press your low back into the ground.
• Simultaneously squeeze your thighs, and your glutes together, while lifting your legs, and lower back off the ground. Reaching your hands forward to meet your feet, so that your body forms a V in midair.
• Keep core engaged as you return to starting position.

This is one of my favorites. I have to warn you to proceed with caution, this exercise takes concentration, and commitment. You will fill it in the morning.

For beginners, I would recommend performing at least 5 to 8 reps. 5 sets. I know you can do it and won’t regret it.

• Leg Raise

This is a great exercise for those that want to engage their core. It strengthens and lengthens the hip flexors. “which plays a key role in strength and stability.

• Lie faceup with your hands at your side and, your legs extended. ( tuck hands underside for extra support)
• Slowly raise your legs, keeping him together, and as straight as possible, until the soles of your shoes are facing the ceiling.
• Lower legs back to the ground slowly, don’t let your feet do not touch the floor, keep them a few inches off of the floor. ( that is one rep)
• Remember to keep your lower back on the floor. If holding this position is a problem, don’t lower your legs as close to the ground.

I would recommend doing 5 sets, of no less than 10 to 15 reps. Until your body gets comfortable with this exercise. Then increase as much as you’re comfortable.

Body Saw

The body saw is pretty much a cranked-up version of a plank. This exercise builds both strength and stability.

• Place a towel, or a glider under your feet, and then get into a forearm plank position. Tuck elbows directly underneath your shoulders, with your hands facing forward so that your arms, and legs are parallel to your body. Let your feet extend straight behind you. ( tuck your tailbone and engage your quads, butts, and of course, your core)
• Slowly push with your forearms, and elbows to slide the gliders or the towel towards whenever in the rear of you. move as far as you can without losing engagement with your core. ( don’t let your hip sag)
• With your arms and elbows slowly pull yourself to your starting position.

This exercise varies in involvement for beginners. I would recommend somewhere between 8, and 10 reps. 5 sets at the least.

Take it to the Core

If staying fit, and active is essential in your life, then you cannot afford to have the tire blowout while you’re on the road with your workout. Having a strong, and healthy core has more lifetime benefits than this one post could even offer. Make exercising and building a strong core a Priority in your workouts. Use these workouts as a starting point on the road to building and engaging a strong core.

If you’re looking for muscular strong toned arms, without having to spend a lot of money on exercise equipment, or you’re tired of paying for those expensive gym memberships. I have a few at-home exercises that you can do. These exercises will not only tone your arms, they will also help you build strength, as well as endurance.

Using weights and other exercise equipment is not the only way to build strength there are many exercises that you can do at home without weights that can easily improve your strength as well as tone your muscles and give them more definition many of these exercises can be done from home.

Isometric & Resistance

Strength training, as well as using one’s own bodyweight ‘isometrics’ and the use of resistance bands are underrated. It is absolutely possible to build muscular, toned, and popping biceps without weights. Weight free exercises to build biceps as well as triceps without weights are simple and can be easily performed in most places.

Isometrics

There are three main types of isometric exercising 

• Isometric presses 
• Isometric pulls
• Isometric holds 

 If incorporated into your workout routine, along with weight, and strength training, isometrics can improve the body’s ability to apply power from a static position, or in the case of isometric hold improve the body’s ability to maintain the position for a long period of time.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are easy to use, and are an adaptable tool that can be used in a variety of ways, to add a new dynamic to your workout. Resistance bands allow you to increase and decrease the resistance on the band as you workout. Increase tension in the band to give you a more strenuous workout.

Research has proven that resistance band exercises can actually grow, and tone your muscles similar to free weight training, and machine weight training.

Free weight training and machine weight training have their pluses when comparing muscle hypertrophy ‘the growth of muscle volume and muscle activation’. The results and definitions obtained from using resistance bands consistently during your workout are not far from those using a machine or free weights.

Isometric exercises, as well as exercises that incorporate resistance bands, are also good on the joints and muscles it is also highly recommended by chiropractors and Joint specialist to help aid in muscle strengthening.

Isometric exercises, as well as exercises that incorporate the use of resistance bands, can add new dynamics and dimensions to the following exercises.

Isometric Bicep Curls

The isometric bicep curl is one of the easiest and simple ways to build your biceps. Without using weights. ‘either free or machine” This exercise will use the force of your arms against each other. Isometric bicep curls work on the triceps and the biceps as well.

• With your palm up do a regular curl with your right hand
• Instead of lifting your arm all the way to the top of your chest stop when your arm is bent at a 90-degree angle
• From that position bring your left palm and press down on your right palm with all your Force
• Your right palm will then make contact pressing upwards into your left palm with equal resistance
• Keep pressure going for 10 to 15 count
• Relax and repeat for five reputations
• Change hands and repeat

Chin Up’s

The chin-up has always been one of my favorite exercises, but not the easiest bicep exercise to do without weights. This exercise is great for your back. The grips will allow you to add more emphasis on your biceps. Most people wonder what’s the difference between a chin-up bicep exercise, from its brother exercise to the pull-up. The chin-up is different in the grip. A pull-up is performed with a much wider grip and your hold on to the bar is from an overhand position.

In contrast, the chin-up is performed with your hands just a few inches apart and underhanded grip. The chin-up bicep exercise without weights, can and will actually work the biceps better than any push-up could possibly do.

• Placing yourself under the pull-up bar but a couple of centimeters behind it
• With your palms facing you grab the overhead bar
• Your grip on the bar should be closer than your shoulder width
• Keep the body completely straight this could be accomplished by tensing your abdominal muscles as well as your glutes
• Pull yourself slowly up towards the bar-raising your chest and pulling your shoulder blades in a downward motion
• Hold at the top for 2 to 5 seconds with your chin atop the bar
• Lower yourself slowly to your starting position

As much as I recommend pull-ups and push-ups in all fashions I would recommend you also take caution and not attempt to do these unless you can already do a push-up with ease.

Diamond Push-Ups

One of my favorite push-ups personally all push up pose different risk factors for the inexperienced. This variation of the push-up ‘the diamond push-up’ is a great bicep exercise without weights and it lays more attention on the bicep and tricep rather than your chest as is common with regular push-ups.

• From the push-up position bring hands together to form a diamond this could be obtained by making your four fingers in your thumbs touch
• Position your hands under your chest to ensure that your hands are positioned correctly under your chest to support the weight of your body
• As with any other push-up lower yourself slowly to the ground while not letting your body or your chest come in contact with the ground
• Pause in a lower push-up position for five seconds, then slowly raise yourself 2 pushup position and hold there for additional 5 Seconds
• Keep core engaged and ensure that your back is straight at all times while not putting too much pressure on your arms
• Ensure that elbows are not pointed outwards and that your arms never move away from the chest
• Ensure that thumbs and forefingers are connected making a diamond or a pyramid
• For beginners, I would recommend 10 push-ups with a minimum of three sets

Diamond push-up series

For those who are no longer finding a challenge to your push up routine I recommend, I staggered Diamond push-up series starting off with a beginning of 15 reps descending to one rep

• 15 Diamond pushups 15-second break
• 14 Diamond pushups 14-second break 

Until next time I hope you keep checking back in for our latest post if it is Diet Fitness or exercise we got you covered