A Cool Tool to Measure Fitness

Google Maps:  A Cool Tool to Measure Fitness

Did you ever wish you could find out exactly how many miles you walked or ran without having to download an app? A little known feature on Google maps can help.

Google maps has a very useful “measure your distance” feature:  Just tap the points of your route (end-to-end, block-by-block) on the map and you will see exactly how far the distance is that you are covering.

This free service is great for monitoring your progress, mapping a run while you are on the road, or seeing if you are up for an intended route!

To access on desktop or laptop, click the Maps Labs link at the bottom of the left-hand panel, and enable the “Distance Measurement Tool.”

On Android, choose “Settings” then “Labs” then “Measure.” Once you have chosen this setting on either, you will always see a small box with a tape measure in it on the screen.  Just tap it to enable the functionality.

Alas, this service is not available on iPhone, but everyone can use it on their laptop or desktop.

Simple Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Simple Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Definition:  Living A Healthy Lifestyle

Generally, a healthy person doesn't smoke, is at a healthy weight, eats healthy and exercises.  It sounds so simple, isn't it?

The trick to healthy living is making few changes, following more steps, adding fruit to our cereals, having an extra glass of water.  These are just some ways that we can start living healthy without more changes.

Exercise:

One of the major problems in the world today is “inactivity (lack of activity).”  We know it is good for us, but avoid it like the plague either because we are used to being inactive or afraid that exercise has to be energetic to be worth our time.  The truth is, movement is movement (am I rite?) and the more we do, the healthier we will be.  Remember even moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference.

Just adding a small movement to our life can:

• Reduce stress
• Improve joint stability
• Increase and improve range of movement
• Help maintain flexibility as you age
• Maintain bone mass
• Improve mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
• Enhance self esteem
• Reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes
• Prevent osteoporosis and fractures
• Improve memory in elderly people

So, even if we choose for few changes and a more modest weight loss, we can see the benefits.  One study has found that just a 10% weight reduction helped obese patients reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and increase longevity.

Simple Ways to Move Our Body

We can start the process of weight loss now by adding a little more activity to our daily life.  If we are not ready for a structured program, start with small.  Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burn more calories.

• Turn off the TV.  Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with family.  Play games, take a walk.  Almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch.  Do you agree with me?
• Walk more.  Look for small ways to walk more.  When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work.
• Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor.  These kinds of activities may not be 'vigorous' exercise, but they can keep us moving while getting house in order.
• Pace while we talk. When we're on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing.  This is a great way to stay moving while doing something we enjoy.
• Be aware.  Make a list of all the physical activities we do on a typical day.  If we find that the bulk of our time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways we could move more -- getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.

Eating Well

Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle.  Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve our health and quality of life as we get older.

• Eat more fruits.  Add it to cereals, salads or even dinners
• Sneak in more veggies.  Add them wherever we can -- a tomato on sandwich, peppers on pizza, or extra veggies in pasta sauce.  Keep pre-cut or canned/frozen veggies ready for quick snacks.
• Switch salad dressing.  If we eat full-fat dressing, switch to something lighter and we'll automatically eat less calories.
• Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy.  Switching to skim milk or fat free yogurt is another simple way to eat less calories without having to change too much in our diet.
• Make some substitutes.  Look through our cabinets or fridge and pick 3 foods we eat every day.  Write down the nutritional content and, the next time we're at the store, find lower-calorie substitutes for just those 3 items.

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean drastic changes.  In fact, drastic changes almost always lead to failure.  Making small changes in how we live each day can lead to big rewards, so figure out what we can to be healthy today.

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Abdominal Pain

Alternative Names

Stomach pain; Pain - abdomen; Belly ache; Abdominal cramps; Bellyache; Stomachache.

Definition

Abdominal pain is pain that you feel anywhere between your chest and groin.  This is often referred to as the stomach region or belly.

Causes

Many different conditions can cause abdominal pain.

Less serious causes of abdominal pain:

• Constipation
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Food allergies or intolerance (such as lactose intolerance)
• Food poisoning
• Stomach flu

Other possible causes:

• Appendicitis
• Abdominal aortic aneurysm
• Bowel blockage or obstruction
• Cancer of the stomach, colon, and other organs
• Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
• Decreased blood supply to the intestines (ischemic bowel)
• Diverticulitis
• Heartburn, indigestion, or gastroesophageal reflux (GERD)
• Inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis)
• Kidney stones
• Pancreatitis (swelling or infection of the pancreas)
• Ulcers

Sometimes, abdominal pain may be due from a problem somewhere else in your body, such as your chest or pelvic area.  For example, you may have abdominal pain if you have:

• Heart attack
• Severe menstrual cramps
• Endometriosis
• Muscle strain
• Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
• Pneumonia
• Tubal (ectopic) pregnancy
• Urinary tract infections

Symptoms:

·         The presence of fever suggests inflammation.

·         Diarrhea or rectal bleeding suggests an intestinal cause of the pain.

·         The presence of fever and diarrhea suggest inflammation of the intestines that may be infectious or non-infectious (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease).

Home Care

• Sip water or other clear fluids.
• Avoid solid food for the first few hours.
• If you have been vomiting, wait 6 hours, and then eat small amounts of mild foods such as rice, applesauce, or crackers.  Avoid dairy products.
• If the pain is high up in your abdomen and occurs after meals, antacids may help, especially if you feel heartburn or indigestion.  Avoid citrus, high-fat foods, fried or greasy foods, tomato products, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.
• Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory medications, and narcotic pain medications unless your health care provider prescribes them.  If you know that your pain is not related to your liver, you can try acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Labs & Diagnostic Tests:

• Barium enema
• Blood, urine, and stool tests
• CT scan
• Colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy
• EKG (electrocardiogram) or heart tracing
• Ultrasound of the abdomen
• Upper GI and small bowel series
• X-rays of the abdomen

Prevention

• Avoid fatty or greasy foods.
• Drink plenty of water each day.
• Eat small meals more frequently.
• Exercise regularly.
• Limit foods that produce gas.
• Make sure that your meals are well-balanced and high in fiber.  Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Yoga Postures

Below diagram shows us "Yoga Positions for Health"

Healthy Breakfast

Healthy Breakfast Ideas

You get up in the morning, you rush to get ready for work, you rush out the door without a breakfast.  Perhaps you grab a bagel and cream cheese, perhaps a muffin, perhaps an Egg McMuffin.  If you are lucky, you get a pastry, a hearty breakfast of pancakes and sausage and eggs, or an English fry-up.

Unfortunately, when it comes to being healthy, none of these options is a great way to start your day.

Several readers asked about healthy breakfast ideas, and in truth, it is a dilemma that many of us face each day.  Either we don’t have time for breakfast, or we don’t have many healthy options.

The first problem is a problem, because it means that you start the day with an empty stomach.  That means that by the time you are getting into the swing of work, your blood-sugar levels are dangerously low.  The result: you need an instant sugar fix, which usually means a donut or pastry or some other unhealthy choice.

The second problem is also a real problem, because traditional breakfasts don’t usually come in healthy flavors. Here are the options that most people think of as breakfast:

• Too sugary or carb-filled. Pancakes, waffles, toast, donuts, pastries, scones, bagels, pies, sugar cereals, breakfast bars, muffins (which, let’s face it, are usually just cake). I’m not anti-carb, but the problem with many breakfasts is that they are low in fat and protein, and nothing but empty carb calories. This starts your day with a high blood-sugar level, which your body will quickly adjust for and drop, and you’ll be on a roller-coaster blood-sugar ride all day.
• Too fatty. Fried eggs, sausages, bacon, cream cheese on your bagels, cheesy omelets, Egg McMuffins, Sausage McMuffins, hash browns, anything English or Scottish.

·         What does that leave us with? Actually, there are a lot of options. The 10 below are just a few ideas, but I’m sure you can think of many more. Look for protein without too much saturated fat. Look for whole-grain carbs. Look for low-fat dairy or soy options. Look for fiber and nutrients.

But how do you find the time? You make the time. Get up 15 minutes earlier. Pack something to eat on the road or when you first get to work. Prepare it the night before if necessary. I recommend the first option — waking a little earlier — as it’s nice to be able to have a nice cup of tea or coffee with your breakfast, relaxing before the rush of the day starts.

Oatmeal, flaxseed, blueberries & almonds. To me, this is the perfect breakfast. Steel-cut oatmeal is probably the healthier choice, but if you are in a hurry, the instant kind will do fine (it doesn’t have as much fiber, but the other ingredients make up for that). After microwaving the oatmeal, add ground flaxseed, frozen blueberries, sliced almonds. You can add a little cinnamon and honey (not a lot) if you’re using the non-instant oatmeal. That’s four power foods, full of fiber and nutrients and protein and good fats, with only a couple of minutes of prep time. And very tasty!

Kashi Golean Crunch. Actually, any whole-grain, high-fiber cereal is a good choice, but I mention this particular one because it’s a favorite of mine. It has a high amount of protein and fiber, low sugar. Add low-fat milk or soy milk (which has 1/3 the saturated fat of 1% milk), perhaps some berries if you like.

Scrambled tofu. Healthier than scrambled eggs. Add some onions, green peppers or other veggies, some light soy sauce or tamari, maybe some garlic powder, and black pepper, stir-fry with a little olive oil. Eat with whole-grain toast. Fast and delicious.

Fresh berries, yogurt, granola. Get low-fat yogurt (not non-fat, as it often has too much sugar) or soy yogurt, cut up some berries or other fruits, add some healthy cereal. I actually use the Kashi Golean Crunch instead of granola, as many brands of granola have way too much fat and/or sugar.

Grapefruit with whole-wheat toast & almond butter. Add a little sugar on top of the grapefruit, and it’s actually pretty good. The almond butter is healthier than peanut-butter, with lots of good protein to fill you up.

Fresh fruit salad. Cut up some apples, melons, berries, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes … any or all or whatever your favorite fruits are. Add a little bit of lime or lemon juice. Perfect.

Protein shake with extras. I use soy protein powder, but whey works well too. Blend up with low-fat milk or soy milk, some frozen blueberries, and perhaps some almond butter or oatmeal. That may sound weird, but it’s actually pretty good, and pretty filling. A little ground flax seed works well too.

Eggs with peppers. I’m not a fan of eggs, but many people love them. Egg whites are healthier than whole eggs. Scramble with a little olive oil, red and green bell peppers, maybe broccoli, onions, black pepper. Goes well with whole-wheat toast.

Cottage cheese and fruit. Get low-fat cottage cheese. Add any kind of fruit. Apples, citrus, berries.

Gibb’s muffins & jam. While most muffins you buy at a coffee shop or grocery store are just empty carbs with lots of fat (basically, cake), this is a delicious recipe with lots of fiber and nutrition. (Note: the recipe in the link doesn’t mention it, but it’s actually a recipe from Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James — it’s her husband Gibbs’ recipe). Bake them the night before, and they’re perfect in the morning (and for days to come). A little honey or jam makes them perfect.

Stomach Exercises

    Simple Exercises To Lose Stomach Fat (Stomach Exercises)

                                     
Now a days, most of the people became fat and they don't have time to do exercises in order to reduce their stomach fat.  Especially. for those kind of people, I list out some simple exercises by spending a less amount of time and after that just check your weight and I am confident you people will be happy.

Below are the exercises that can make your dream come true:

• Air cycling
• Stomach twisting
• Hanging leg raise
• Reverse crunches
• Trunk rotations

Do the above-mentioned exercises at least 3-4 times a week and you will start getting results for 4-5 weeks.
Here, consistency is the only top secret for staying fit, so make exercising as your habit .

Please make sure that I suggested take a healthy diet along with these exercises.

Health

Health

Health is the level of function or metabolic efficiency of living being.  In human beings, it is general condition of a person’s mind, body and spirit that means to be free from illness, injury or pain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or illness.

The maintenance and encouragement of health is accomplished through different combination of physical, mental, and social well-being that referred as health triangle.

Exercise

Regular Exercise

Regular and moderate exercise is better than occasional bursts and regular physical activity is better than occasional all-out workouts.

Many people go way overboard with exercise.  Now-a-days, there are many people, who use and abuse exercise to reach even exceed limits.  If we look at the recommended physical activity level, it is intensive exercise thrice a week.  But currently, almost 75% of the people cannot be confident to exercise and even they are not interested also.  They consider physical activity as a burden and don't want to do it anymore.  We recommended currently the physical activity is 5 times a week for 30 minutes.  This activity is not as formal exercising, but it can be cycling to work, gardening or performing stretches at work.

Last but not the least, listen to your body and take occasional breaks.

Tip of the Day, May 23 2012

Inactive people tend to show the most brain decline while the ones who are almost too busy to be studied are the ones who do very well.  So to keep your brain active, do any activity of your choice.

How To Reduce Fat

How To Reduce Fat

If anyone is looking out for the best fitness regime to lose the excess amount of fat stored in body, just go through the following must-knows and find a slimmer you in a very less period from now.

• Count how many calories that you eat in a normal day and keep track of it on a piece of paper or on computer.
• At the end of the day, add up the number of calories that you ate or drank.  Once you add it all up, you now have the total number of calories that you consume daily.
• From starting the day after you counted calories, eat 500 calories less than you normally do.
• Instead of eating three big meals a day includes breakfast, lunch and dinner, divide those calories out over five smaller meals.  If you follow this way, you can speed up your metabolism.
• Cardio is a must for fat loss.  Do jogging, walking, swimming, jumping rope, riding a bike, taking an aerobics class whatever.  All it takes is only 30 minutes a day.
• At the end of the week, weigh yourself.  You will notice a difference just after one week.  Losing half or one kg a week is good progress.  In this way, you can lose 2-5 kgs a month, that's around 35 kgs a year.  So, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you can lose it.  Moreover, if have just a few pounds to lose, you can lose it, too.

How To Lose Weight

How To Lose Weight

Summer Workouts:

For most of the people, summer means holidays and holidays mean putting exercising on the back seat obviously.

Below are some interesting ways that you can stay fit this summer:

Water Sports:  Water is a perfect place in order to exercise in the heat and humidity of summer.  It is obviously a good place for exercise beginners because of minimum amount of stress it offers to the joints.

Swimming:  Swimming is another great way to work the cardiovascular system, but the thing is the exercise has to be a consistent 30 minutes.  You can also try recreational activities which are as follows:

• Warm up by walking the length of the pool and then jogging it.  Do 90 seconds each of walking squats, lunges, and leg lifts to the front side and back and holding onto the edge in the shallow end.  Finish working the lower body with flutter kicks holding the edge or using a kickboard.  Then submerge to the neck and do reverse flies, bicep curls, chest presses, and arm circles to work the upper body.
• Try floating prone and supine and keeping the body straight using only the arms and abs.
• Go to the deep end and tread water as long as you can for the finale for muscle endurance.  Tread just with the arms and then just with the legs and then with both.

Canoeing:  If you are unsure of your ability or if it has been a while since you have been in a canoe, take lessons and just learning to canoe, will be a workout in itself.  It is great for the shoulders, back and leg muscles.

Working Out in the Mountains:  The Mountains are the best summer workout locations.  You can power walk for a specific period of time, then rest and repeat the same.  Walk up with strong, bold steps and then walk down slow for recovery and repeat this 10 times and you have got yourself a nice workout.

If you have got a mountain bike, get on it and explore a track.  Even a little amount of trail cycling is a great whole-body workout that does not feel like exercise.

Beachside exercise:  Walking in the soft sand of the beach alone is another workout.  Sand gives you the extra resistance that you would not have on a treadmill or on asphalt.  Do it barefooted and you will feel a great workout in your feet, shins, and calves.