John Wellington asked:


I have been using aerobic workout videos for about a year now, and let me tell you – if you have the right setup and the right attitude, they work every bit as well as an actual aerobics class with an expensive personal trainer. Although many people buy aerobic videos, and then leave them sitting there, gathering dust, and never do anything with them, many others use them to embark on a healthier, more successful life. What is the difference? Why do aerobic videos work wonders for some people, but fare horribly for others? Allow me to explain.

You see, the reason is not the aerobics videos at all, but the person watching them. The first and most important thing is attitude. Now, we have all heard that before but I will have to emphasize it again: attitude is everything. The right attitude towards exercise will enable you to find joys in hours of sweat which could otherwise make you give up for the tempting leisures of a potato-couch instead. The right attitude is essential to your success. Right from the onset, you need to set realistic and achievable goals and a constant schedule of exercise that will help you approach your goals. That is no easy task, I know. And nobody or nothing can help you. Motivation can not come from the aerobic videos – it has to come from within.

The most important thing is that you exercise regularly. Doing each aerobic video twice every third Sunday won’t count. Frequency matters more than how much time you spend on each once-in-a-blue-moon session. Even if you never make it all the way through your aerobic videos at first, you have to be using them every day or you will not get the maximum results from them – I doubt that you will get any results at all. Set realistic goals and stick with them. It is no good telling yourself that you will do a two hour workout with your aerobic videos every day, and then compromising that unachievable goal the very next minute. Set little goals, ones you know that you can succeed at, to build confidence and slowly move on to bigger goals.

Equally important is to have a good space to do your aerobics workout. If you live in a tiny one room apartment with clothing spread all over the floor, forget it. You can use some aerobic videos with less space than you might think, but if you don’t at least clear a little room to move around in, you will never reach any of your exercise goals, and that is a terrible excuse. The beginning of your aerobic workout is really setting a time, clearing out a space, and psyching yourself up. Don’t expect immediate success from using your aerobic videos. It will be very hard work and you might feel like giving up at times. But if you persevere, within a month you will notice major changes.



Clara

Paul Hata asked:


Before deciding to buy a treadmill what one needs is to maintain the commitment to regular aerobic exercise. But there are dozens of different treadmills, ranging from high to low prices. What to look for before buying is one of the important things? First, decide where to put the new treadmill and measure the space. One will need some free space around the machine itself. Second, dress in loose, comfortable clothing and workout shoes. As one must try out several machines before buying and finally, head off to a specialty fitness retail store.

Treadmill is a piece of indoors sporting equipment. This is used for running or walking without moving any distance. It has a belt system where the top of the belt moves to the rear. This allows a runner to run an equal and necessarily opposite speed. The speed of the run can be set and measured. The main advantage is that it allows a constant speed. They can be changed when they are required. They allow an exact adjustment of speed and incline. It provides an effective way to workout compared to other complex cardiovascular exercises.

Construction

The thickness of the walking deck and the size of the walking track should also be high on the list of priorities. The thickness of the deck affects the comfort of the legs and feet with extended use.

Choose a treadmill that has a deck thickness of at least 3/4 inch or one inch if plan to do both walking and jogging. The walking track needs enough length and width for one to walk comfortably without stepping off the track. If one plans to run on new treadmill, then go for the longer track. Test it while it is in the store. To provide effective cushioning for the legs, feet and back, the treadmill’s suspension must be directly under the walking deck.

The padding can be made of foam or rubber. After checking out the physical construction, look at a treadmill’s electronic board. The more expensive treadmills also have a range of particular preset exercise programs that repeatedly alter speed and incline, varying high-intensity effort with lower-intensity effort. Choose a quality electric treadmill, as it will last for years and provide great versatility for the cardiovascular program. Find a good specialty equipment store that can help to find the treadmill.

Where to put the treadmill?

If there is less space in the room then buy the folding treadmill. If this is important then check which ones can be folded up easily, especially if a smaller sized person might need to do it. Also think of the amount of noise it might make and when to use it. Another point to take into consideration is the surface to place it on.



Carolyn

Cindy Heller asked:


There are numerous aerobics classes to choose from today. You just have to find an aerobics class that appeals to you. However, as most people do not like exercising, there is a type of aerobics which is the dance aerobics.

Most people love to dance and dancing is on of the ways to relieve stress. It is also a way to have fun whether you do it on your own or with others. So, if you combine exercise and dancing, aerobics would be much more fun. This is why dance aerobics classes are popular all over the country. You can have fun while being healthy and at the same time losing weight.

In a dance aerobics class, all you have to do is dance to your favorite music. The instructor will teach you the moves that will help you to not only lose weight but also to become a better dancer. As every aerobics session usually last twenty to thirty minutes with at least three times per week, a dance aerobics class will be the best option for those not motivated enough to exercise for long periods. Twenty to thirty minutes will fly by in the blink of an eye in a dance aerobics class. You will be having so much fun that you won’t even realize that you’re exercising.

Dance aerobics classes are usually filled with people who enjoy dancing as well. This will make your experience more fun and fulfilling because you will feel that you are not alone in your exercise plan. You can dance and make friends while having fun and losing weight all at the same time. There aren’t many other exercise programs that offer the same thing.

Tips On Performing Aerobic Dance Steps

Before beginning an aerobics dance step workout, you probably have had the opportunity to witness dance aerobics classes. If you are impressed with the high levels of energy and the coordination of the participants who were performing aerobic dance steps and feel a little intimidated to join a dance aerobic class, remember that everyone in the class was at one point of time, at the same level that you are at now. There is a beginning to every aerobic dance step class.

The instructor will guide you step-by-step with the dance movements. All you have to do is to follow the instructions and imitate the instructor. Above the music in the aerobics dance class, the leader will shout out instructions to the class. The dance aerobics instructor will be leading the group, shouting out instructions to the class. He will be using the words like left and right. These words refer to the left or right arm or leg. The best advice for you if you are confused while learning the aerobic dance steps is to at first ignore the commands from the instructor and simply imitate his lead.

Understanding The Basics Of Dance Aerobics

Dance aerobics patterns are usually measured in beats. These beats are usually 32 or 64 per minute. However, it is again important not to worry about counting the total beats. All you have to do is simply follow the lead of the instructor. Usually, in keeping time, the only counting that needs to be done in a dance aerobics class is in intervals of four and eight. The entire dance step segment will fall into either one of these counts. A typical aerobic dance step session is performed in four or eight counts.

In addition to dance steps, the dance aerobics routine may also include arm movements. The arm movements are added to the dance steps to increase the heart rate. Remember that it is important to feel comfortable with the basic aerobics dance steps first before adding other movements at your own pace.

Remember Not To Be Self-Conscious

It is important to always keep in mind that you are performing these aerobics dance steps movements to improve your health and your general well-being. You may also have other goal such as toning your muscles or loosing weight. Therefore, you must try not to be self-conscious when performing the dance aerobics steps. If a few times you are out of step or you do not get the routine right the first few tries, remember that the actions you perform will still be beneficial to you and that you are doing aerobic dance steps for yourself and not for others. Also remember that practice makes perfect, so you must keep on practicing to get the perfect aerobics dance moves.



Margaret

Helen Hecker asked:


The typical average loss of hair amounts to about 100 strands a day. Male pattern baldness, also known as alopecia, is characterized by hair that is receding from the lateral sides of the forehead, known as a receding hairline; an additional bald patch may also develop on top of the head. The severity and nature of baldness can vary greatly; it includes male and female pattern baldness which is alopecia areata, which involves the loss of some of the hair from the head, and alopecia totalis, which involves the loss of all head hair, to the most extreme form, alopecia universalis, which involves the loss of all the hair from the head and the body.

Hair loss can occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance; correcting the hormone imbalance can stop the hair loss. Some mycotic infections can sometimes cause massive hair loss. Traumas such as chemotherapy, childbirth, major surgery, poisoning, and severe stress may cause a little-known hair loss condition known as telogen effluvium.

In the past it was believed that baldness was inherited from a person’s maternal grandfather; and while there’s some basis for this belief, both parents actually contribute to their offspring’s likelihood of hair loss. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder, also known as “spot baldness”, which can result in hair loss ranging from just one area to every hair on the body. Hair loss can occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes.

Hypothyroidism can cause hair loss, may also induce localized baldness. Recognizing and treating infections early may help stop hair loss.

Propecia is available with a prescription; it comes in pill form, is only for men and may take up to six months before you can tell if it’s working. There are natural home remedies and many recipes you can use for making mixtures to apply topically to the scalp. A wide range of products for hair loss include: shampoos, shampoos and conditioners, conditioners, lotions, creams, concealers, thinning hair shampoos, laser combs, laser brushes, the Lasertron Hair Growth Brush, herbal-based products, chemical-based pills or tablets, Nizoral shampoo, Neutrogena T-Gel, and many others.

Studies done on subjects of various ages suggest that weight training alone may increase levels of testosterone in studies where aerobic exercise only was compared to either weight training or a moderately sedentary life. Hair loss treatments and remedies range in price from free to expensive. Topical application of the chemical Ketoconazole, which is both an anti-fungal and a potent 5-alpha reductase inhibitor, is often used as a supplement to other approaches.

Regular aerobic exercise can help keep androgen levels naturally lower while maintaining overall good health, lowering stress and increasing SHBG. Stress reduction can be very helpful in slowing hair loss. Very little testing has been done regarding the long-term effects of Minoxidil on women.

Massage the scalp nightly with oil made from one part rosemary oil and two parts almond oil. Try lying on a slant board with head down for 15 minutes a day, but get clearance from your doctor first. Try using double-strength herbal sage tea as a hair rinse or apply it to scalp every day as a tonic.

Some home remedies: Raw onion remedy for hair loss – take half a raw onion and massage the scalp with it; cover the head overnight, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Garlic oil remedy for hair loss – at bedtime, puncture a couple of garlic pearles, ****** the oil on the scalp, massage, cover with a cap, shampoo and rinse in the morning. Also raw apple cider vinegar used as a hair rinse may stimulate hair growth.

Garlic as a hair loss remedy – an hour before bedtime, slice open a clove of garlic and rub it on the hair loss area, wait for an hour then massage the scalp with olive oil, put on a cap, go to bed, shampoo your hair in the morning, repeat for a few weeks, and hopefully hair will stop falling out and regrowth will appear. Make sure to test remedies on a very small area first and check with your hair loss doctor or skin doctor before trying any natural home remedy if it includes any irritating ingredients. Also try scalp massage every day to increase circulation to the area which is very important.

Resveratrol, from grape skins, is a lipase inhibitor and by decreasing the body’s ability to absorb bad fats through the intestine walls, it reduces the total fat and calorie content of a person’s diet. For an onion juice and honey remedy for hair loss: prepare a hair-growing elixir by combining 1/4 cup of onion juice with one tablespoon of honey; massage the scalp with the mixture every night.

Treating hair loss with chemicals from the inside or topically may or may not be the best treatment for you. Consider picking one of the least harmful, topical, natural home treatment remedies (the kind you whip up at home), and try it on your scalp for at least 30 days. Remember that regrowing hair is a slow process so don’t look for results overnight for any home remedy or treatment you try.



Louise

Mansi Gupta asked:


Creatine is a substance that helps increase energy at the cellular level. Without getting too technical we’ll examine how this works. Creatine supplementation has become a science of its own. There are many different theories about whether it works or not, and how it works.

When we look at energy at a cellular level it is created by the creation and breakdown of chains of molecules. ATP (adenosine tri-phosphate) is one of these molecular structures. There are three phosphates attached to the molecule. When a phosphate is separated from the ATP molecule energy is released from the breaking of the connection. This energy is used by the cells. The molecular structure is then changed and what was once ATP becomes ADP (adenosine di-phosphate) with only two phosphates attached. This new molecule begins searching for a free phosphate somewhere to reattach.

The muscles go through three energy phases. The first, and the one we are looking at, is the ATP-PC system where ATP is broken down for energy and rebuilt. This system is the immediate energy system and according to some research can last as long as three minutes, or until all ATP is depleted and there are no free floating phosphates. The next system is the lactic acid system in which the various metabolic processes produce energy and give off lactic acid. This system last approximately ten to twelve minutes and then the aerobic system kicks in. This system carries the body’s energy needs over extended periods. It is important to note that one system doesn’t stop when the other takes over. They do overlap and the ATP-PC system kicks in every once in a while.

With all of the technical stuff out of the way, let’s look at Creatine and what it does. Creatine introduces phosphates into the energy cycle allowing ATP to be built for a longer amount of time. It is also believed that the body will produce more stored ATP for future use with regular supplementation of Creatine. This allows for a more explosive muscular contraction and a longer lasting ATP cycle. This is important because the muscle contractions are more intense and stronger during the ATP energy cycle.

Creatine is also said to pull more water into the muscles giving them a fuller appearance. This added water also provides more leverage and aids at the cellular level. This increase in water uptake can be dangerous if a person does not drink adequate water during use. Making sure to drink plenty of water keeps the body from becoming dehydrated and enhances the efficiency of the creatine.

There are many different versions of creatine on the market and each claim to work in a different, but better, way than the others. Any product that will introduce more phosphates at the cellular level and increase energy production and release will benefit muscular energy and strength. Whether you are looking for more power while lifting, more explosive take off when sprinting, a longer work capacity or fuller muscles creatine can be an asset to your program.



Sally