The Keys to Ultimate Beach Fitness

Everyone's talking about beach fitness. From women to men, everyone wants to look good when they're lying out or hanging out in the water. But to get your body in bikini or swim trunk shape, you need to find exercises that really work and help you with getting in shape. Even if you don't have a lot of time, however, you can succeed at beach fitness. Here are the toning tools and fitness tips you need.

The first thing you need to do for beach fitness is to figure out what your goals are. If you're looking to lose weight, you may want to weight yourself and create a weight loss target for your body. You might also want to measure specific parts of your body arms, waist, chest, thighs, hips, etc. to keep a record of where you are losing weight even when the scale doesn't say that you are. By creating clear goals, you will be able to assess your progress as you move along and motivate yourself when your willpower if flagging.

Next, you should start looking into exercises that will really target the areas that will be seen when you're on the beach. Here are a few beach fitness exercises that you can use no matter if you're a man or a woman:

* Squats
* Calf raises or dips
* Crunches
* Bench presses
* Push-ups

While this list seems short, it targets all of the major muscle groups in the body. And if you're pressed for time, it's the perfect way to still tone your body.

But beach fitness doesn't stop there. You also need to add a cardiovascular component that will help your body burn any excess fat and inches you might have. Try to include at least thirty minutes of heart pumping exercise three days a week. The national recommendation for weight loss is 45 to 60 minutes of cardio 5 to 6 times per week, but if you're not ready for that kind of time commitment, slowly work your way up. When you do cardio exercise, you should be working hard enough that you are breathing heavily, but not so hard that you can not talk at all.

When it comes to beach fitness, you need to make sure that you're eating a balanced diet that's low in calories in addition to your workouts. While it might seem like you could eat more, you need to create a calorie deficit in order to lose the inches that you don't want to show off on the beach.

Machelle Lee owns and operates The Invisible Gym in santa Cruz, CA. Her mission is to inspire people to become physically active and enjoy the benefits of a balanced, healthy lifestyle. For more information and questions you can visit her website. http://www.the-invisible-gym.com

Power Yoga Weight Loss Series 2 Titleson1 Dvd

Weight Loss Diets - A Review Of 4 Popular Diets

1000 calorie diet

Trying the 1000 calorie diet is only advisable for one week, due to your body entering starvation mode and conserving fat. Overdoing the 1000 calorie diet is counterproductive to your body so try to stay on it for only 1 week. after 1 week you will lose between 3-5 pounds. The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. after 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your bodys metabolism from slowing down. Here is a simple 1000 calorie daily menu.

Breakfast
Banana sandwich made with 2 slices of wholemeal bread and a small banana
Small glass of orange juice

Snack
1 pot of low fat yoghurt (preferably fruit)

Lunch
1 wholemeal roll filled with tuna and low fat mayonnaise (use tin tuna in spring water)
Mixed lettuce salad, red or yellow sweet peppers, spring onions

Snack
1 bag of lower fat crisps

Dinner
Roast chicken breast (without skin)
Potatoes, mashed with 30ml semi-skimmed milk
Broccoli (all vegetables steamed or boiled)
Carrots
Gravy (made from granules)

Evening
1 low calorie hot chocolate drink made with powder and water

Drinks throughout the day
diet coke, water, black coffee or tea without sugar

The 1000 calorie diet can be used as a starter diet for a long term weight loss program. Try to aim for 2-3 pounds of weight loss and a good exercise program to begin with. Remember after 1 week on the 1000 calorie diet, try upping your calorie intake or reverting back to a not so severe diet, this will prevent your bodys metabolism from slowing down.

Vegetarian diet

A well balanced vegetarian diet provides many benefits for the body. Some of those benefits include a reduced risk of chronic diseases, such as:

Obesity
Coronary artery disease
Hypertension
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Some types of cancer and more

Your vegetarian diet, must be planned well. If not your body could end up in need of some vital nutrients. Some of these nutrients essential for the body are:

Protein
Minerals (zinc, calcium, iron)
Vitamin b12
Vitamin d

Protein sources include, tofu and other soy-based products, legumes, seeds, nuts, grains, and vegetables

Experts say that in order for a balanced vegetarian diet, you should eat nuts and whole grain cereals for good sources amino acids.

Greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli are a good source of calcium.

For sources of vitamin b12 which comes from animals, can be substituted with fortified breakfast cereals and fortified soy drinks.

Sources of iron are red meats, liver and egg yolks which are all high in cholesterol. Spinach, dried beans and dried fruits are all good vegetarian sources of iron.

A vegetarian diet is healthier than a meat diet. However this does not mean that you have the right to stuff your face with crisps, chocolate and chips everyday. Your balanced diet should include all of the above, i.e. Fruit, vegetables, nuts, dairy produce and soy. Below is a table of some calorie controls in a vegetarian diet:

Food Group 1200 Calorie 1500 Calorie 1800 Calorie
Vegetables 5 servings 6 servings 8 servings
Fruits 3 servings 3 servings 5 servings
Grains 2 servings 3 servings 4 servings
Dairy 2 servings 2-3 servings 2-3 servings
Beans, Nuts and Seeds 5oz 6oz 7oz
Total Fat 30-35g 40-50g 50-60g

You can find a massive rage of diets on the internet free of charge! A vegetarian diet is an all round healthier option, and can go a long way to helping you on the road to losing weight.

Abs diet

The Abs diet works on the theory that every 1lb of muscle gained, your body intern burns an extra 50 calories per day. So if you can build an extra 10lb of muscle your body will then burn an extra 500 calories per day. Using the Abs diet your body will burn more energy by eating the correct foods and exercising the correct way. Losing 500 calories per day will loose you 1lb of weight per week. Expect to loose up to 12lb in the first two weeks followed by 5-8lb in the forth coming two.

The Abs diet allows you to eat 6 meals per day which consist of 12 power foods, such as: chicken, turkey and other lean meat, olive oil, beans and pulses, almonds, low fat dairy products, green vegetables, oats, eggs, wholegrain bread, whole grain cereals, berries, and protein powder. All other food is a not allowed.

For 6 weeks you will eat a series of 12 power foods, which provide the body with all the fibre and minerals you need to stay healthy and build muscle. Along with the diet you will do a 20 min workout three times per week, which will aid in the fat burning.

The Abs diet is mainly aimed at men, however women are encouraged to participate. The range of foods you can eat is still good and you do get an exercise program out of it. Also some very good looking Abs, health and sex life. The full diet book is: The Abs diet by David Zinczenko from all good on-line book stores.

The Kelloggs Cereal diet

One of the simplest diets around at the moment is the Kelloggs Cereal Diet. It is not a crash weight loss diet which will lose you pounds upon pounds; however it will allow you to get into those jeans that are 1 size to small.

To start the Kelloggs diet all you have to do is, eat one bowl of Kelloggs Special K or Cornflakes for breakfast, and also one for a replacement lunch or dinner. Thats all! Carry this on for two weeks then you will see the results. Expect to lose around 3-6lb.

Whist on your diet, Kelloggs allow you to have the same drinks and snacks as you usually would, but recommend that you eat a well balanced meal every day, with more fruit and vegetables. Another tip from Kelloggs, is to keep a food diary to monitor and keep you aware of your current eating habits.

Article supplied by Michael Aldridge. For a complete and extensive guide to losing weight, please visit our web site at http://www.onlineguidetoweightloss.com

Living Arts

Eating Wisely and Weight Loss

Please bear in mind that I am not a dietician, or a physician, and my opinions are those of a yoga teacher, personal fitness trainer, and life-long student of Ayurveda. Always consult your family physician before changing your diet.

It may be generally agreed that eating wisely and weight loss do not often agree. Just look back that the parade of fad diets that didnt seem to work over the long term and, in retrospect, were not wise from the onset.

This article will be a union of ideas from Ayurvedic principles, modern fitness concepts, and overall strategies for better health.

It goes without saying that a vegetarian diet is healthy. Only a decade ago, there were many reservations, among local physicians in New England, in regard to this concept. How rapidly knowledge, insight, and opinions change.

Marie, my wife, exposed me to the vegetarian diet. Before that, I ate what is now called the Mediterranean Diet. The diet I eat, to this day, is a combination of the two. The combination of these two, classic diets, are easy for me to live with and it is not an effort, at all, for me.

That is the biggest hurdle for most people. Many of us take on a radical dieting change that we cannot live with. Most of us can afford to make a few small changes at a time, instead of changing everything at once - unless you are dieting under the guidance of your doctor or dietician.

Therefore, I propose a few small changes to your eating habits that will make sense. You do not have to change them all at one time.

Sit down and focus on eating your meal.

Avoid television, reading, heated conversations, etc.

Thoroughly chew your food at a slow pace and do not put more food in your mouth until you have swallowed the previous bite.

Be aware of how hungry you are before your meal.

Try to avoid too much time between meals, as this leads to over consumption and your stomach should never be more than three quarters full, after a meal.

exercise tip: Some of you practice yoga and understand the many benefits of Sun Salutations, but have you ever tried weight resistance?

Strength training increases energy expenditure during a weight resistance training session. The high intensity of strength training indicates a high utilization of carbohydrates during a training session.

During the post-exercise recovery period, energy expenditure is elevated for a period ranging from two to fifteen hours(1). The increased energy demands are obtained by burning more calories, and a good portion of the calories are coming from fat stores.

Reference (1) - Melby C, Scholl C, Edwards G, Bullough R. Effect of acute resistance exercise on post exercise energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate. journal of Applied Physiology 75(4): 1847-1853, 1993.

Even if you work every body part just once a week, this method of cross training will effectively burn calories. When you combine this with any aerobic activity, you have a powerful combination. Rowing and bicycling are good substitute forms of resistance too.

Strategies for results: Get help from a qualified Personal trainer, Dietician, or a Life Coach. You could do it all yourself, but how much time do you have to spin your wheels. without any progress? These services exist for those who dont want to waste time and want solutions now.

Paul Jerard, is a co-owner and the director of yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center in, north Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master yoga teacher since 1995. He teaches yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a yoga Business Right for You? For yoga students who may be considering a new career as a yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

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