Fitness and Health: Get fit for the summer

FITNESS AND HEALTH

3 WAYS TO SHAPE UP

With spring time just upon us, and summer right behind it. It’s still time to get your bodies right. As we know, what goes in the body is just as important as to how your body will look on the outside. What I have below is a quick and easy workout tips that will start you off in the right direction to propel you in getting the body you’ve desired. The main thing to remember is that the body needs REST. Rest is KEY to the growth of the human body. Three days a week is all it takes for gains with rest in between working out. What I have below is three exercises that will help you in your endeavors.

EXERCISE 1: CHEST 4×10-20

(Movement) With dumbbells in your hand, and palms facing each other. Lower the weight slowly down to the side of your chest and slowly push the weight above your chest and turn the weight once fully extended in the air. Your palms should be facing away from you. Once you’ve turned the weight, you should be contracting your chest muscles. Giving your Pecs a good squeeze for two seconds makes them work.

(Tip) Doing the workout slow on the negative and positive phase makes your chest muscles work for maximum gains. In between each positive and negative movement, count at least three seconds.

(Movement) Lay on an incline bench at a 45 degree angle, with a pair of dumbbells. Head back on the bench, palms facing outward curl the dumbbells towards your upper body. Making sure you squeeze and hold at the top of the movement.

(Tip) To get the maximum results remember to not lift the dumbbells all the way to the top. It’s best to stop the movement just above the halfway mark. This will allow the biceps to stay under stress. It’s important to lower the weight all the way down on the negative phase.

TRICEPS 4×10-20

(Movement) Laying flat on a bench using a E-Z bar, hold the bar with a in close grip and lower the bar slowly to the forehead, and press the weight towards the ceiling, and squeeze. Make sure that your elbows are close together and the tension is on the Triceps. This exercise is known as Skull Crushes.

(Tip)It is important to remember that when lowering the weight on the negative that you should control the weight going down as slow as possible. (It’s not called Skull Crushes for nothing)

Pre Workout Shake

Ingredients

Hand full of ice 1 Banana 1 scoop of protein 3 spoons of honey Place all contents into a blender and blend 10-20 seconds.

Post Workout Shake

Ingredients

2-3 ice cubes 2 Bananas 1 scoop of protein 1 cup of chocolate milk

Place all contents into a blender and blend for 10-20 seconds

Congratulations! Now you’re in full motion preparing for the summer.

EXERCISE 3: LEGS. 4×10-20

(Movement) While standing in a squat rack with bar placed on the top of your back, squat the weight down until your body is parallel to the ground. Once you have reached the parallel position, drive the hills of your feet into the ground and push yourself back up to the starting position.

(Tip) If you are a tall individual then it is not necessary for you to go down parallel. This can cause serious injury to your knees.

(Additional Tip) Squats are a great body building exercise because it releases growth hormones throughout your body. With that being said, the more you build the bottom half of your body, the better your upper body will look.

EXTRA WORKOUTS

It’s good to perform pull ups at the end of your workouts to stretch your muscles out. So four sets of wide grip pull ups will help loosen up the tightness of your body.

Doing crunches also will add to your physic as well, but remember, when doing crunches its best to do them slow. The slower you do the movements, the more your Ab muscles will work. Meaning, the fewer amounts of repetitions you will be able to complete.

FITNESS AND HEALTH Seven Ways to a Healthy Home

During the winter months, it’s important to take extra care of your home, your family and especially yourself. In addition to taking steps to prevent cold and flu viruses that are common at this time of year, you should also pause to relax and recharge, if only for a few minutes each day. –Luckily, there are a number of simple, yet impactful ways to keep the entire household in good health. Here are seven examples to get you and your family on the right track toward winter wellness.

1. Pencil in Cleaning Routine household cleaning keeps clutter – and germs – at bay. Corral loose items into decorative bins and baskets, then use disinfecting wipes on common high-touch areas such as faucets, door knobs and light switches to reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria. Be sure to dust regularly, as dust particles often contain pet dander, chemicals or other irritants that have the potential to aggravate allergies. If you have any sensitivity to cleaning products, try a natural solution of equal parts water and distilled white vinegar to clean everything from windows to appliances.-

2. The Power of a Shower Installing a new showerhead can go a long way in improving your frame-of-mind, whether you use your shower to awaken your senses on a cold winter morning or relax at the end of a long day. The Twist handheld shower from Moen has four unique settings, from “Immerse” and “Drench” to “Soothe,” and is available with an adjustable slide bar, allowing everyone in the house to create the perfect custom showering experience to wash away the winter blues. Another important feature of Twist is the “Shine” setting, which is ideal for cleaning the tub and shower tiles, keeping mold and germs to a minimum. –

3. For the Dogs Pets are extensions of our families and should be treated as such – even when it comes to bathing. These four-legged friends have the tendency to bring many allergens into the home. To minimize this problem, dogs should be bathed regularly and wiped down with a damp cloth when they come in from outside. Moen’s Twist handheld shower is perfect for bathing kids and pets alike.

4. Sweeping Surprise For years, we have counted on our vacuums to get rid of dust and allergens in our homes. But, it turns out that the machines we rely on to clean our floors and furniture may actually be making them dirtier. A recent study by researchers from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia found that many vacuums – especially older models – actually suspend harmful allergen particles in the air, increasing our exposure to them. If you have an older vacuum, consider upgrading to a new one with a HEPA (High-Efficiency-Particulate-Air) filter, which releases less dirt and bacteria into the air than a standard model. Regardless of the age or features of your vacuum, clean it regularly to ensure a healthier sweep. 5. Door Etiquette Dirt and pollen are often brought into a house on the shoes of guests and family members. Adding a door mat on both sides of a door and having everyone promptly remove their shoes upon entering can significantly cut back on what is being tracked inside. The Carpet and Rug Institute estimates that up to 80 percent of dirt and allergens can be caught with a washable door mat – keeping your family healthy and your floors clean.

6. Air it out One area many homeowners might not consider when it comes to a healthier home is the mattress. Although changing your sheets weekly is an important ritual, delay putting on clean linens to allow time for mite-friendly moisture to evaporate. Now you’ll have a clean mattress to go along with your clean sheets.

7. Household Workouts The perfect prevention for winter illness – from cold and flu viruses to a case of the winter blues – is exercise. According to Neil Schachter, a professor of pulmonary and critical care at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, any kind of moderate daily exercise can improve lung and immune function by enhancing the ability of virusattacking white blood cells to ramp up the immune response. If you can’t get outdoors for a daily walk during the colder months, consider purchasing a treadmill or stationary bike, beef up your workout video library or pick up an active game, like Just Dance or Dance Central, for your motion-activated gaming system to kick germs to the curb.By following these helpful hints, you and your family will be better prepared during the long winter months – preventing the spread of germs and making wellness a top priority. —(BPT)

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