Archive for December, 2008

16
Dec

A History of Yoga and Pilates

   Posted by: author1    in Health and Fitness, Yoga

Yoga and pilates can have a profound impact on the body — not just by reshaping muscles or helping you to relax, but also by providing the organs with clean oxygenated blood and stimulating beta-endorphin release. Practitioners in India have known yoga to be the key to mental and physical wellness for thousands of years. Now that the practice has come to the Western world, many celebrities, athletes and everyday people are adding a yoga pilates class to their work week.

Yoga and pilates are often lumped together as one. They both compliment a normal exercise routine by sculpting the body and improving strength, flexibility and coordination. They both involve stretching, slow deliberate and repetitive motions, regulated breathing processes and establishing an overall sense of wellbeing. In a fast-paced society full of various athletes, strength training and weight machines are an American pastime in many gyms. Therefore, many modern Western instructors and athletic trainers work pilates into their yoga practice to change things up a bit.

Clear differences between yoga and pilates include some of the following: First, yoga is an ancient Indian practice that dates back approximately 5,000 years, whereas pilates is an adaptation of yoga dating back eighty years to a German athlete, Joseph Pilate. Secondly, in addition to physical activity, yoga is an entire holistic program that encompasses diet, meditation, breathing techniques, religious edict and a moral code; Pilates is simply a form of exercise and body sculpting technique. Thirdly, yoga aims to unite mind and body, as well as cleanse the body of toxins, while pilates is fashioned to strengthen, define and improve posture. Additionally, in yoga, you are taught to inhale and exhale through the nose, whereas pilates employs the traditional athletic mode of breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth while performing an action. Lastly, yoga can generally be done with just a mat (although sometimes props are used), while instructors ensure everyone’s in proper form; pilates, on the other hand, has specific machinery designed to assist practitioners.

Athletes and dancers often engage in “pilates for sports” classes, either in large groups or one-on-one with an instructor. However, one needn’t attend a class to get started with pilates — in fact, there are many videos (Eleonora Goya, Dian Ramirez, Leslie Sansone, Kathy Smith, Denise Austin, Karen Voight, The Method yoga, MTV, Prevention, etc). Of course, you won’t get quite the same workout without the elaborate weight systems, but it could be a good launching point for people who are curious but not quite ready to commit to a gym or studio. Some of the most popular yoga videos include: “Yoga Zone,” “Living Yoga – AM/PM,” “Basic Yoga Workout For Dummies,” “Total Yoga: The Flow Series,” “Yoga: Mind & Body with Ali Macgraw,” “Crunch Yoga Mama: Prenatal Yoga,” “Yoga Practice For Strength,” “Ashtanga Yoga with Richard Freeman,” “The Power of Hatha Yoga” and “Kundalini Yoga: With Grace and Strength.” For yoga practitioners seeking spiritual teaching as well, classes and yoga center training are best. Choosing between yoga and pilates classes or videos is all just a matter of preference.

Practicing Yoga and Pilates is nothing new. Its been around for centuries but has enjoyed a revival of interest in the past few decades. It is not just naturalists, Buddhists or Hindus practicing, it is now a mainstream form of exercise and relaxation. If you do not have a regular workout program or even if you want a change of pace, Yoga may be what you need. You can look good and feel good quickly. Are you ready to begin learning this ancient art? Click here to read more: Yoga Poses and at Yoga For Kids also at Yoga Music

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16
Dec

Back Suffering Treatments and Options for Cure

   Posted by: author1    in Back Pain, Health and Fitness

The best care you can ever get if you have had a serious injory is to continue to be under your doctores care who will help treat your long term pain.  Sometimes those injuries are too severe to respond properly to home care and remedies, and ignoring them or assuming that the pain will just go away can lead to even more serious injury.  However you can often treat back pain at home with some simple tips and techniques if your pain is not due to a major injury and if you follow a few simple tips and techniques.

For one thing, you may have been told that it’s good to get off your feet to treat Back Suffering .  It’s true that sometimes your back needs some rest and isn’t going to get it when you’re hunched over your desk at work or if you’re moving furniture and boxes all day.  But being physically inactive for long periods of time can actually just make back pain even worse.  The reason for this is that when you exercise you’re loosening up and stretching those muscles of the back and are encouraging more blood and oxygen in this area as well.  A good walk is actually a basic way to treat back pain if you do so with some good shoes and on a flat surface that’s not going to shock and jar you.Lots of doctors are really just giving their patients a few routines of stretching exercises to see if this will start helping the back pain.In many more cases than you would think, just a few simple exercises of stretching and yoga really help with back pain.

You can also treat back pain with heat.  A good heating pad when you’re sitting in your favorite chair can help to loosen those muscles as well.

Another suggestion to treat Back Pain is to recline in a comfortable spot and put a pillow under your knees.Sometimes what this does is take away a lot of pressure from that area at the small of your back and transfers it to another supported spot.

And of course there’s not much you can do to treat back pain if you’re severely overweight.  When you’re carrying extra body weight the back is working that much harder to move you around and support you.  Many hate to heart this and instead opt for pain pills and other harsh measures to treat back pain but this is just masking the problem instead of really fixing it.  Most who are overweight have back pain in one form or another and the connection between the two cannot be denied.

Simple homemade remedies and tricks to treat back pain may seem just too simple for many people, but sometimes the smallest change or simplest option can give the most relief.  The back is made to function in a particular way and anytime we push it to do more or ignore what it needs to function properly, we’re going to be in pain.  But with a little support and a few simple tips and tricks, a person can actually live relatively pain free when it comes to their back.

BackSuffering.com is a new website with tons of information on back suffering. If you visit the website today you will get a free ebook with Back Suffering Tips and Tricks just for visiting! Visit BACKSUFFERING.COM now to get your free ebook.

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16
Dec

Finally some Back Pain Reduction Tips

   Posted by: author1    in Back Pain, Health and Fitness

Sometimes back pain can be caused by an injury or trauma so that it’s best treated by a doctor with prescription medication or other options, but very often you can reduce back pain on your own with a few simple changes in your daily routine.  There are also simple treatment options you can try at home that may not completely eliminate the problem but that will almost always reduce back pain by quite a bit.  Of course everyone’s condition is different and everyone should listen to their own doctor’s advice, but usually a few small changes can make all the difference in the world.

A really good massage can Reduce Back Pain by helping these muscles to relax and loosen up.  One reason that many don’t realize how a good massage can help is that they rarely get a professional massage and instead rely on a spouse or other family member to give them a back rub.  Someone not trained in the art of massage really doesn’t know how to make the back feel better and may actually be making it worse.  Even a student at a massage school can help to reduce back pain.  Do a local check of your area and you’ll probably find a massage school nearby; having a senior student do a massage for you can be much more affordable than one at a spa.

Avoid strenuous exercise or overdoing it when you lift weights, but remember that regular aerobic exercise can also reduce back pain.Exercise usually doesn’t do harm to your back muscles but actually helps to loosen it up and relax the muscles.  If you’re having back pain after a long day at work you may be thinking that physical activity is the last thing you want to do, but in reality this can be the best thing for you.Its a good idea to start with an exercise or activity that is easy on the body and low impact so you can start slow.  You won’t reduce back pain if you overexert yourself or start lifting weights that are well out of your strength range.Trying yoga or doing a stretching exercise when you wake up and when you go do bed can really help your back pain.  Stretching your back keeps those muscles loose and healthy.  Yoga too can Reduce Back Pain if you start slow and easy as this not only loosens the back muscles but strengthens the rest of the body’s muscles also so the back gets supported at all times.

Sometimes even just a simple back brace or what is called a posture shirt can help.  These items fit under the clothes and keep you upright and supported all day and help to reduce back pain caused by poor posture, something that is more common than most realize.  You can get your doctor to prescribe a brace but many are available at local pharmacies.

Try these suggestions and see if you aren’t able to eliminate or at least reduce back pain to some extent in your case. 

BackSuffering.com is a new website with tons of information on back suffering. If you visit the website today you will get a free ebook with Back Suffering Tips and Tricks just for visiting! Visit BACKSUFFERING.COM now to get your free ebook.

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