Catha For Council Blog

Most of us have a tendency to gain a few pounds in the winter due to inactivity. Losing the added weight gets tougher and tougher every spring because our bodies don’t bounce back like they used to. There are some simple solutions to keeping the weight off in the winter that will aid you in your quest of a healthier body, by reducing the stress of seasonal weight gain.

• Walking is still considered to be one of the best activities for health. It is the most natural form of exercise, and anyone can do it, regardless of fitness level. A treadmill is great for indoor walking or running. They are available for any skill and financial desire.
• Elliptical trainers are quickly becoming as popular as treadmills. The action is basically the same, but elliptical machines provide a lower impact workout to the joints. Priced similar to the treadmills.
• Yoga and pilates workouts are becoming more embraced in record numbers. Combining flexibility, balance, and strength, the exercises are quite appealing to many. At home or in the gym, yoga and pilates provide a better workout than you think. Fitness balls and free weights can be added for more resistance.
• Rebounders or mini-trampolines. The small trampolines have been popular fitness equipment for about ten years. Rebounders work the body at the cell level and offer wonderful benefits in building skeletal and bone structure
• Free weights and strength building equipment has and probably will always be popular. Weight benches and universal machines are relatively inexpensive and last for many years. If you have room in your home, they are definitely worth it.

As you can see, there are plenty of fitness options out there for taking advantage of. Perhaps the most important factor in maintaining weight is goal setting. Many times, our weight gets out of control before we realize it. Managing a healthy diet and getting some sort of exercise is important to all of us.

Setting good goals and writing them down is crucial. Place your goals where you will see them throughout the day, in the bathroom, on the refrigerator, or on your computer monitor. Finding a healthier body is about making healthy choices and learning a new lifestyle. An open mind to healthier foods and motivation to exercise will set you on the right path. There are many easy weight management solutions that anyone can do to maintain a healthy body and mind.

Robb Ksiazek is a successful author and publisher for Body-Mass-Index-4U.com. He has researched and written hundreds of articles in the area of weight management and healthy lifestyles. He believes the combined mind, body, and soul approach is the key to a fulfilling life.

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When selecting an elliptical trainer for your home it’s critical to make sure that it will fit into the space you’ve selected. The elliptical trainer “footprint” is the total area that the base of the machine occupies. This is the width times the length of the elliptical trainer.

It is also necessary to allow at least 2 feet all around this footprint in order for convenient mounting and dismounting from the elliptical trainer. This additional clearance is also necessary for the upper arm handles if present. There’s nothing worse than punching holes into your drywall because you didn’t allow sufficient clearance for the handles!

However, there’s another dimension that many people overlook when selecting an elliptical trainer and that’s the elevation of the foot pedals from the floor. You may ask what this is all about, but it’s important to remember that an elliptical trainer is a 3-dimensional machine and occupies space. Elliptical Trainer ceiling height is the often overlooked dimension when selecting and locating an elliptical trainer.

The good news is that rooms in most American homes and apartments are built with a ceiling height of 8 feet. In fact, many newer homes are being built with 9-foot ceilings and higher

Unfortunately the dimension that you need to calculate head clearance is not provided in many elliptical trainer specifications. The dimension called “height”, which is often provided, is of no use in calculating head clearance. Height is the maximum height of the trainer from the floor to the tips of the arm handles. What we want is the height from the floor to the bottom of the lowest extent of the foot pedals.

Precor is a manufacturer that provides this dimension. They call it “Height of footplate at lowest position (step up)”. This is the height that you should add to your own height to determine that your head will not bump into the ceiling.

If the room where you want to locate your elliptical trainer has a 9-foot ceiling then you have nothing to worry about. Just don’t position your elliptical under a low hanging light fixture. You would have to stand 8′4″ to bump your head on a 9-foot ceiling. Not much chance of this happening to anyone I know.

If your ceiling height is 8 feet, then unless you’re 7 feet tall or greater, you will still not bump your head on the ceiling. However, even if you are a few inches shorter, say 6′6″, it may feel like your head is too close to the ceiling while exercising on an elliptical trainer. This can be unnerving, so it’s something to consider.

Now, if you want to locate your elliptical trainer in your basement and the ceiling is a low one - say 7 feet, then watch your head if you’re 6′4″ or taller!

I remember lifting weights in the unfinished basement of my parents’ home and looking up at the ceiling while resting between sets of bench presses. I’d look up at the multitude of nails poking through the floorboards and wonder if I could impale my head on them if I jumped high enough. Fortunately for me I couldn’t jump that high!

Since most elliptical trainers have similar foot pedal elevations, it’s more an issue of selecting a room with sufficient elliptical trainer ceiling height than the other way around.

Rich Rojas writes unbiased Elliptical Trainer Reviews and articles on health and fitness at http://www.ellipticalhome.com

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Copyright 2005 Think Healthy

We get over-stressed now and then. It’s a natural response under
certain conditions. We need to be concern when our stress is
getting out of hand and interfering with our lifestyle. What
problems can too much stress cause?

High Blood Pressure Colds and the Flu Allergies Diabetes
Damage Relationships General Bad Health

The list goes on….

Getting over the stress is what we want to strive for. How can
we go about this? Taking the natural approach is probably the
best way to start. Here are a few ideas to begin with.

Exercise: It may be difficult to begin an exercise program but
once you start it will become easier. Exercise helps to blow off
steam and gets rid of excess stress. So you benefit by reducing
your tension and obtaining a workout as well. Of course talk to
your physician before beginning an exercise program.

Relax: Yes it is hard to relax when you are stressing. Try
taking in a deep breath slowly. Now as you breathe out picture
all the stress leaving you. You may find that doing relaxation
techniques on a regular basic when you aren’t stressed out to be
beneficial.

Learn relaxation techniques such as: Meditation Yoga EFT
Z-Point Bio-Feedback Listening to some soothing music.
Prayer Asking for Assistance Joining a Support Network

Look into what causes your stress: You may not know what is
inducing you stress. Try to understand where the source is
coming from if possible. Once you understand what is causing
your stress you can try to modify these problem areas. If you
can’t, can you substantially reduce them? Maybe you can look at
these stressors in a different way.

Have a Positive Attitude: Always look on the bright side of
things. Don’t think about what may go wrong. Take positive steps
to improve yourself, your business and your spirit. Work on your
ambitions. Find methods to enhance your routine activities. At
the end of the day understand that you have done all you can to
maintain a healthy lookout on life. Now you can relax and enjoy
the remainder of the evening either by yourself or with family
and friends.

Nutrition: A healthy diet with the proper nutrition is one key
to balancing you physical, mental and emotional health. Frozen
TV dinners or Big Macs are not good choices. You need to consume
as much unprocessed food as possible. Try to eat as much organic
products as possible to eliminate pesticides from your diet. Eat
plenty of fresh vegetables, raw if possible, and some fruit.
Drink plenty of clean water to keep those brain neurons
communicating.

Get Enough Rest: Getting enough sleep at night is crucial to
keeping stress at bay. Try to relax the best you can in the
evening. Exercise early so that you aren’t all wound up. If you
watch a movie ensure it’s not too violent are exciting. It may
be better to watch a comedy, read something soothing or listen
to soft pleasant music.

If your stress is so severe and you can’t seem to find relief
regardless of what you try then you may desire to request
professional help.

So there you have six ideas that will help you reduce stress and
enjoy life more. Don’t delay. Start on these recommendations
right away. Don’t stop there. Keep looking for new ways to
manage your stress and genuinely enjoy life once more.

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