Neck Exercises

Neck Exercises, More For Building A Stronger Neck

I feature neck exercises here not because your neck (or my neck
for that matter) needs to be toned to good beautiful shape but because you
invariably involve your neck when you do various toning
exercises .

So, there's a need to keep your neck strong by exercising your
neck muscles.

You've read or heard instructions like these:

"Tuck your chin into your chest" - this involves your neck.

"Keep your neck in straight neutral position" - this too involves
your neck.

"Hang down your neck comfortably" - this again involves your
neck.....

One way or another, in doing exercises, you'll be using your neck
to support, cushion or balance your head and upper body.

Hence, exerciseing your neck is a good way to strengthen your neck
so that it can provide strong support or cushion for your head and upper body.

Other important reasons why you should do neck exercises:

• Stress and fatigue can show up early in your neck muscles and cause pain
  
  
  
• Poor posture and poor body mechanics can lead to many neck problems
  

Regular exercise for the neck can increase the strength and
flexibility of your neck, and help you to avoid these painful "necky issues".

Then, there's another reason - this time for beauty sake.

I'll show you the type of neck
exercises to do to take away a crepey looking neck with folds of tired
looking, loose skin hanging around it.

In place, you'll have youthful-looking, no-lined appearance skin
around your neck.

Before you do exercise for the neck, it's important you take
note of a couple of things concerning your neck:

• Before you begin, always warm up first
  
  
  
• Your neck is one of the most sensitive and vulnerable parts of your body,
  and one of the most common spots for physical pain
  

  So, when you do the exercises, it's very important that you follow
  good, correct form.
  

  
  
• Carelessness can bring more harm than with other exercises. So, be extra
  careful when you do the exercises
  
  
  
• When doing exercise for the neck, you're to use smooth controlled motion at
  all times. Don't jerk or bounce at all
  
  
  
• If you've persistent and severe neck pain, please consult a doctor before
  doing any of the neck exercises featured here
  

  And if you experience any pain while you exercise the neck, you
  should stop immediately and consult your doctor.

The Warm Up Exercise

Exercise 1

Move your neck forward and backward, side to side, and turn your
head from left to right.

Do 20-30 times of each movement to warm up.

Exercise 2

Tilt your head towards one shoulder, drop your chin down your
chest half circling your head to the other side while keeping shoulders down.

Do this in as full a range of motion as you can without causing
pain.

Don't do full neck circles because you could cause compression of
your cervical spine.

Routine of Neck Exercises

Neck Exercise 1

Tuck chin to your chest.

Bend your head backward to the sky.

Relax. Repeat.

Neck Exercise 2

Bend head to the right towards your shoulder.

Then bend head to the left towards your shoulder.

Relax.

Repeat.

Neck Exercise 3

Keep shoulders straight.

Turn your head to the right as far as you can.

Then turn head to the left as far as you can.

Repeat.

Neck Exercise 4

Note: When doing this exercise, don't bend your waist or
hips

Stand with feet hip-width apart, put hands behind your head.

Bend your upper back to the right. Hold it for 3 to 5 seconds.

Then bend your upper back to the left. Again hold it for 3 to 5
seconds.

Repeat.

Neck Exercise 5

Stand with feet hip-width apart, clasp hands behind your back.

Pull downward towards the floor.

Then inhale deeply.

Stand on your toes and look up to the sky.

Exhale and return to the starting position.

Repeat.

Neck Exercise 6

Push hand against your forehead.

Then push your head against hands, resisting the motion.

Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.

Relax.

Repeat.

Neck Exercise 7

Push your right hand against the side of your head. Then push head
against your hand, towards your shoulder, resisting the motion.

Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.

Relax.

Repeat with your left hand.

Right, you're done with the neck exercises. Just commit to do
the exercises consistently, 3 times a week for a session of about 20 minutes.

You'll have strong neck to support your head and upper body - a
very good PLUS point when your neck is engaged to help you do all other muscle
toning exercises!

OK, how about doing a good stretch for
your neck to round up the exercise routine for your neck?

How Walking for Exercise Helps you Lose Weight

How Walking for Exercise Helps you Lose Weight

Walking for exercise is a purposeful, brisk walk specifically designed for the purpose of improving health. It is one of the best and cheapest forms of exercise. If you want to improve your general health and keep fit, or if you want to reduce your weight, walking is a good place to start. Walking keeps you fit and helps you take off extra weight and keep it off. It's cheap, it's simple and almost anybody can do it. Walking has a multitude of health benefits for everyone. Walking helps reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke, lowers high blood pressure, helps reduce weight and body fat, helps reduce risk of some cancers, gives you more energy, helps you sleep better, helps you look better and helps those people who are recovering from a period of ill-health. Walking for exercise does not need to be strenuous to produce results. Even walking for 30 minutes a day has been reported to produce measurable benefits, even among those who are least active. If you want to feel great, have more energy and improve your overall health, take a walk. Walking is one of the best forms of exercise and you can do it almost anywhere, anytime, and for free. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise, like brisk walking, most days of the week. The idea is to use up more calories than you eat. You need to use up the day's calories and some of the calories stored in your body fat. Along with its benefits to the heart, walking improves circulation, helps breathing, combats depression, bolsters the immune system, helps prevent osteoporosis, helps control weight and helps prevent and control diabetes. It's a gentle exercise and its suitable if you are recovering from heart trouble, a stroke or other illness. It helps the total circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health. Remember, if you have a medical condition, are overweight, over 40 years of age or haven't exercised regularly for a long time, check with your doctor before you start any type of exercise program. Your doctor or other health worker can help you set sensible goals based on a proper weight for your height, build and age. Source: theirarticles.com

Incorporating Physical Activity into Your Daily Routine

Written by Matt Ream

You already know that getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each and every day is good for you, but putting that assertion into actual practice is an entirely different matter, right? Contrary to what you might think, making physical activity an everyday habit isn't rocket science. There's no secret code for success waiting to be cracked. In fact, it's something that can be worked into your usual routine with minimal, sometimes no, interruption or adjustment. The U.S. Surgeon General, the American Heart Association and many other reputable health organizations all agree that 30 minutes of moderate-intensity workout is optimal on most, if not all, days of the week. The good news is that they also all concur that this recommended prescription doesn't have to be taken all in one large dose. While the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) once called for continuous exercise of 20 minutes' duration or longer, new guidelines allow for bouts of physical activity (as few as 10 minutes at a time) intermittently spread throughout the day. When viewed in this manner, 10 minutes of exercise three times a day becomes a much more manageable goal than 30 uninterrupted minutes. Even the busiest executive and the most stressed-out mom can carve out 360 seconds for the sake of improving his or her physical, mental and emotional well-being. In fact, regular physical activity can even be considered a lifesaving practice. That's because it's been proven to extend life by warding off many chronic and deadly conditions like heart attacks, diabetes and strokes. Now that the logistics are out of the way, the question becomes: What constitutes 'moderate-intensity' activity? In concrete terms, the 30-minute recommendation breaks down to two to three miles of walking a day at a rate of 3-4 miles per hour, or to burning 200 calories per day. This aim coincides with the popular 10,000 Steps program, which can easily be reached with the assistance of a RYP Sports pedometer. Simple things like parking your car farther away from your office or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can quickly add up to that target number. For those who don't enjoy walking or running, there are many other activities that constitute moderate-intensity exertion, many of which are necessary and/or fun tasks that fit right in with your normal routine. Gardening, raking leaves, mowing the lawn, mall strolling and dancing all fill the bill. In fact, 30 minutes spent playing tag with your kids in the yard burns the equivalent amount of calories as yoga, horseback riding and walking at a pace of four miles per hour on a level surface. So, before you use the excuse that you're too busy to schedule exercise into your daily grind, reconsider. Play Frisbee with the kids, take the dog for a jog around the block, even get some much-needed cleaning done around the house. In no time flat you'll have reached your intended exercise goal, often without even realizing it! About the author: RYP Sports makes it easy for you to incorporate daily activity into your current lifestyle by offering the best in health and fitness products at the best prices. Visit http://www.rypsports.com to get our FREE pedometer e-book.

Who's Older, You Or Your Body?

Who's Older, You Or Your Body?

Written by Cecelia Yap

Could your body's age be older than your chronological age? Chronologically you're 45, but your body in terms of age, could be 53...... Ah....Your body's already on the verge of "retirement" but you're only 45...... Can you do something about your "aging" body? Or you're 33, your body's age could be 25...... Whoa! You're already 33 but alas! You've a physical body of a 25-year-old! Ain't that great? You'd feel estatic and on top of the world knowing that you're the same "body age" as a 25-year-old! And how do you achieve this "envious" state of things? Well, for both cases, you undergo the so-called "body age" test which assesses amongst a litany of things, your body fat, strength, cardiovascular condition, flexibility, cholesterol, blood pressure and ...... to determine your "body age". Many gyms now offer the "body age" test to their members. Let's say the body age test shows that your "body age" is 53, older than your chronological age of 45..... You can now do something about your "body age", to whittle down the years so your body could be years younger than your chronological age....... What's that something you can do? Exercise, of course! If the body age test shows that you're high in body fat, weak in cardiovascular system or low in strength, you tackle these weaknesses through eating a healthy diet to trim your body fat, doing effective cardio exercises to build up your cardiovascular fitness and launching into strength training to increase your strength and muscle mass. A couple of months of consistently following the exercise and eating regime, you'll be able to whittle your "body age" down to the number you want...... The next thing you want to know - how can exercise strip away the years? OK. Let's take your cardiovascular system to illustrate the point. If you're sedentary and you don't exercise, you'll lose about 5% of the elasticity of your heart every decade but studies have shown that exercise can lessen the negative effects. Granted your muscle isn't going to be as good as that of a 20-year-old, but you can still have a healthy functioning heart, even at age 70 or 80, if you regularly exercise, cardio exercise, that is. The way I look at it - this "body age" test is a kind of motivational tool as it lets you know how "old" your body is and how fast your body is aging and that perhaps by knowing the "age" of your body, you'd do that "something" - exercise, to arrest the downhill disintegration. You know, a kind of alert system to let you know it's time to exercise, a tried-and-true method of arresting or delaying some aspects of your aging. And when it's put in "age" term, it can motivate you to exercise. Still, I think the most rewarding thing you get from this "body age" test is the health status of your body - you'll know whether you're healthy in terms of cardio-respiratory fitness, body fat composition, flexibility, muscle strength, cholesterol levels, blood pressure....... However, exercise experts caution that there's only so much exercise can do to slow down aging and "body age" test should be taken with a grain of salt. I agree. Because some gyms claim that with enough exercise, you can attain the body of a teenager. That's a bit over-stretched the fact since exercise can only slow down your aging but it can't reverse aging. Face the fact- you'll be aging but it's much slower if you exercise. If you're 60, you might be more like a 50- or 45-year-old but you're not going to be like a 20-year-old! But have you thought of how wonderful it would be if, when you're 60, your body is fit like a 50- or 45-year-old? You won't be afraid of being old or bed-ridden with sickness and not able to do the things you enjoy. You'll be able to brag about taking the stairs with ease, run with heart-pumping efficiency of a 45-year-old and sprint like a cat...... Life is beautiful! I don't know about you, but I think it's the greatest motivation for me to exercise! Exercise not only slows down your aging process, it's also a great mental tool that sharpens your mind and brain, helping you stay mentally healthy and agile, warding off age-related mental diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia. And exercise is also the better way to tackle health issues such as high blood pressure, fibromylgia, diabetes, osteoporosis, lower back pain and stress. So, you reckon, who's older, you or your body? Regularly exercise to achieve good health and to maintain it; at the same time to slow down your aging. Your body will be years younger than your chronological age! You'll be much more healthier and look much younger than your peers! About the author Cecelia Yap is a seasoned exerciser who walks the talk concerning exercise. Her passion is exercise, fitness and eating right. She shows you what works and what doesn't at her website: http://www.perfect-body-toning.com You want to slow down your aging? Here's the insightful information on how exercise helps to slow down aging .

Did you know that excess Salt is Harmful?

Did you know that excess Salt is Harmful?


Salt (sodium) plays an important role in the regulation of muscle contraction, fluid balance and nerve impulses in the human body and it is essential for overall good health. All our body fluids including blood, sweat, tears, etc contain sodium. It is essential to maintain proper balance of sodium in these fluids. Sodium in the body is mainly found in fluids that surround the body’s cells, such as blood and lymph fluid. When sodium intake exceeds the amount the body can handle it builds up in the interstitial areas and the kidneys have to work extra hard to excrete it.

A build up may cause the body to hold extra fluids in the blood and around the cells, which contributes to increased blood pressure and also excess weight gain from water. The reason why water retention can be so hard to diagnose is that almost all the body’s tissues have plenty of capacity to hold a little extra fluid without looking abnormal. This extra fluid is what makes one look fat.Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it’s easy to go overboard. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for sodium is about 2,300 mg - slightly more than one teaspoon. While sodium occurs naturally in many foods and is used in food additives such as monosodium glutamate (MSG), salt itself still accounts for more than 90 per cent of the sodium in our diets.In fact, three-quarters of the salt in our diets comes from processed foods, with just 10 per cent coming from the salt we add during cooking or at the table, and the remaining 15 per cent that occurs naturally in food. This means they key to keeping salt intake down is to eat fewer processed, salty foods such as sauces, pickles, crisps, canned meats, sausages, ham, and canned soups. The good news is many of these foods are also high in calories and fat making them poor choices if you’re trying to lose weight. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have high sodium content. That’s why, when it comes to eating, it’s wise to stick mainly to the basics. Fruits, vegetables, lean meant, beans and whole grains all have little sodium.Tips to Reduce Sodium in Your DietEat canned soups or broths sparingly. These can be very high in sodium. Use fresh poultry, fish, and lean meat, rather than canned or processed types. Switch to low-sodium margarine, or low-salt butter. Avoid salted nuts, chips, pickles and other snack foods. Avoid using table salt. Do not add extra salt at the table. Reduce sodium when shopping. Read the food labels carefully to find out more about what is in the foods you eat. This will help you choose the right foods. This will help you limit the amount of sodium you eat everyday. Rinse salt from canned foods.

Dental Health: Bad Breath

Dental Health: Bad Breath

Bad breath, medically called halitosis, can result from poor oral hygiene
habits and may be a sign of other health problems. Bad breath can also be made
worse by the types of foods you eat and other unhealthy lifestyle habits.

How Does What You Eat Affect Breath?

Basically, all the food you eat begins to be broken down in your mouth. As
foods are digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, they are eventually
carried to your lungs and given off in your breath. If you eat foods with strong
odors (such as, garlic or onions), brushing and flossing - even mouthwash -
merely covers up the odor temporarily. The odor will not go away completely
until the foods have passed through your body.

Why Do Poor Habits Cause Bad Breath?

If you don't brush and floss your teeth daily, food particles can remain in
your mouth, which promotes bacteria growth between teeth, around the gums, and
on the tongue. This causes bad breath. In addition, odor-causing bacteria and
food particles can cause bad breath if dentures are not properly cleaned.

Smoking or chewing tobacco-based products can also cause bad breath, stain
teeth, reduce your ability to taste foods, and irritate gum tissues.

What Health Problems Are Associated With Bad Breath?

Persistent bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth may be warning signs of
gum disease. Gum disease is caused by the buildup of plaque
on teeth. The bacteria cause toxins to form in the mouth, which irritate the
gums. If periodontal disease continues untreated, it can damage the gums and
jawbone.

Other dental causes of bad breath include poorly fitting dental appliances,
yeast infections of the mouth and dental caries.

The medical condition dry
mouth (also called xerostomia) can also cause bad breath. Saliva is
necessary to moisten and cleanse the mouth by neutralizing acids produced by
plaque and washing away dead cells that accumulate on the tongue, gums, and
cheeks. If not removed, these cells decompose and can cause bad breath. Dry
mouth may be caused by the side effects of various medications, salivary gland
problems, or continuous breathing through the mouth.

Many other diseases and illnesses may cause bad breath. Here are some to be
aware of: respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia or bronchitis,
chronic sinus infections, postnasal drip, diabetes, chronic acid reflux, liver
or kidney problems.

What Can I Do to Prevent Bad Breath?

Bad breath can be reduced or prevented if you:

1. Practice good oral hygiene. Brush twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to
   remove food debris and plaque. Brush your teeth after you eat (keep a toothbrush
   at work or school to brush after lunch). Don't forget to brush your tongue, too.
   Replace your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months. Use floss or an interdental cleaner
   to remove food particles and plaque between your teeth once a day. Dentures
   should be removed at night and cleaned thoroughly before being placed in your
   mouth the next morning.
   
2. See your dentist regularly – at least twice a year. He or she will conduct
   an oral examination and professional teeth cleaning and will be able detect and
   treat periodontal disease, dry mouth, or other problems that may be the cause of
   bad mouth odor.
   
3. Stop smoking/chewing tobacco-based products. Ask your dentist for tips on
   kicking the habit.
   
4. Drink lots of water. This will keep your mouth moist. Chewing gum
   (preferably sugarless) or sucking on candy (preferably sugarless) also
   stimulates the production of saliva, which helps wash away food particles and
   bacteria.
   
5. Keep a log of the foods you eat. If you think the foods that you eat may be
   causing your bad breath, record what you eat so that you can determine which
   foods may be contributing to the problem. Bring the log to your dentist to
   review. Similarly, make a list of the medications you take. Some medications may
   play a role in creating mouth odors.

Who Treats Bad Breath?

In most cases, your dentist can treat the cause of bad breath. If your
dentist determines that your mouth is healthy and that the odor is not of oral
origin, you may be referred to your family doctor or to a specialist to
determine the odor source and treatment plan. If the odor is due to gum disease,
for example, your dentist can either treat the disease or refer you to a
periodontist, a dentist who specializes in treating gum conditions.

What Products Can I Use to Eliminate Bad Breath?

You can buy a number of mouthwashes over-the-counter that claim to eliminate
bad breath. However, keep in mind that many of these mouthwashes generally
provide only a temporary way to mask unpleasant mouth odor. There are, however,
several antiseptic mouth-rinse products available that instead of simply masking
breath odor kill the germs that cause bad breath. Ask your dentist about which
product is best for you.

The Facts about Bottled Water

The Facts about Bottled Water

The human body is made up mostly of water and depends on water to keep organs
and systems functioning properly. Water regulates body temperature, helps remove
waste, cushions the joints and transports nutrients and oxygen to billions of
cells. Increasing water intake sometimes can help alleviate a condition called
dry mouth, or xerostomia. And water that contains an adequate amount of fluoride
helps prevent tooth decay and builds strong teeth.

Health experts generally recommend
consuming eight to 10 cups of water a day. The amount may vary based on body
size, physical activity and exposure to hot weather.

More health-conscious consumers are sipping bottled water. Some even forgo
fluoridated tap water in their homes for costly bottled water. A recent study
shows that Americans consumed more than 5 billion gallons of bottled water in
2000, more than double the amount from a decade earlier. Some predict that
bottled water soon may become the nation's second most popular beverage after
soft drinks.

If bottled water is your main source of drinking water, you could be missing
the decay-preventive benefits of fluoride, a naturally occurring mineral that
helps prevent tooth decay.

Water fluoridation is a community health measure that is recognized widely
for its role in fluoride occurs in water below the optimal level, preventing
tooth decay. In areas where natural many communities add a minute amount of
fluoride to the water supply to make certain that residents receive the benefits
of fluoride.

While the fluoride content of bottled water varies greatly, the vast majority
of bottled water varies greatly, the vast majority of bottled waters do not
contain optimal levels of fluoride. Some contain no fluoride. When water is
treated before it is bottled, fluoride may be lost. For example, many popular
brands of bottled water undergo reverse osmosis or distillation. These
treatments remove all of the fluoride from the water.

How can you make sure you and your family - especially children-are getting
the right amount of fluoride protection in bottled water? Check the label for
fluoride content. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's current regulations do
not require bottled water companies to indicate fluoride content on bottled
water labels, unless it has been added to the water.

Contact the company if the fluoride content is not shown on the label and ask
what level of fluoride the water contains. Amounts of fluoride are the same
whether they are reported in parts per million or milligrams per liter. To help
prevent tooth decay, water should contain 0.7 to 1.2 ppm of fluoride. One ppm is
equal to 1 mg/L. Consider:

• How much bottled water do you (or family members) consume each day?
  
• Is bottled water also used for meal preparation and added to canned or
  powdered soups, juices and other drinks?
  
• Is another source of drinking water used during the day, such as an
  optimally fluoridated community water supply at day care, school or work?
  

Don't overlook your home water treatment systems, such as reverse osmosis and
distillation units, which may remove the fluoride from water supplies. It's a
good idea to look at the manual for these devices or to contact the manufacturer
if you can't determine their effect on fluoride levels.

Prepared by the ADA Division of Communications, in cooperation with The
Journal of the American Dental Association. Unlike other portions of JADA, this
page may be clipped and copied as a handout for patients, without first
obtaining reprint permission from the ADA Publishing Division. Any other use,
copying or distribution, whether in printed or electronic form, is strictly
prohibited without prior written consent of the ADA Publishing Division.

6 Foods and Tips for More Fiber

6 Foods and Tips for More Fiber

Experts say we need 25 grams of fiber a day on a
2000-calorie diet. How can we possibly eat that much? Here's how!

We all know fiber is good for us. Not only can dietary fiber lower
cholesterol, it also helps keep us trim and feeling full.

So how do you get more fiber into
your daily diet? Here are six painless ways to work in 25 grams a day — the
recommended amount for someone eating 2,000 calories a day.

Before you start, keep a few things in mind: When you increase fiber, you
should increase your water intake along with it. Add fiber gradually to give
your gastrointestinal tract time to adapt. And if you have gastrointestinal
diseases, including constipation, check with your doctor first.

1. Go for whole grains whenever possible.

Check the ingredient list to make sure the whole grain is the first or second
ingredient on the list. Products that say "100% wheat" or "multigrain" are not
usually whole grain.

• 2 slices of whole-wheat bread = 4 grams of fiber
  
• 1 cup of cooked brown rice = 4 grams of fiber
  
• Reduced-Fat Triscuit crackers = 3 grams

2. Choose the right breakfast cereals.

Some cereals have little whole grain. And some whole grain cereals are loaded
with unnecessary sugar.

• ½ cup Fiber One = 14 grams of fiber
  
• 1 cup Raisin Bran = 7.5 grams of fiber
  
• 1 cup Frosted Shredded Wheat Spoon Size = 5 grams
  
• 1 cup Quaker Squares Baked in Cinnamon = 5 grams
  
• ¾ cup cooked oatmeal = 3 grams
  *Recommended serving sizes.
  

3. Eat beans a few times a week.

Beans offer more fiber than most plant foods, plus they're loaded with
healthy plant protein.

• 1 cup of canned minestrone soup = about 5 grams fiber
  
• 1/2 cup vegetarian or fat-free refried beans, used to make microwave nachos
  = about 6 grams
  
• 1/4 cup kidney beans, added to a green salad = 3 grams fiber
  
• Bean burrito at Taco Bell (or made at home) = 8 grams

4. Have several servings of fruit every day.

You can add it to your morning meal, enjoy it as a snack, and garnish your
dinner plate with it. Or have it with — or instead of — dessert.

• 1 large apple = 4 grams of fiber
  
• 1 banana = 3 grams
  
• 1 pear = 4 grams
  
• 1 cup strawberries = 4 grams

5. Every day, stir a tablespoon of ground flaxseed into your smoothie, soup,
casserole, etc.

One tablespoon will boost your daily fiber by 3 grams. Flaxseed contains a
balance of soluble and insoluble fiber, too.

6. Have several servings of vegetables every day.

Include a vegetable with lunch, have raw veggies as an afternoon snack or
pre-dinner appetizer, and enjoy a big helping with dinner. Make a point of
enjoying vegetarian entrees several times a week.

• 1 cup carrot slices, cooked = 5 grams of fiber
  
• 1 cup cooked broccoli = 4.5 grams
  
• 1 cup raw carrots = 4 grams
  
• 1 sweet potato = 4 grams
  
• 1 cup cauliflower, cooked = 3 grams
  
• 2 cups raw spinach leaves = 3 grams