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“In our earlier study, we found that middle-age people who practice yoga gained less weight over a 10-year period than those who did not. This was independent of physical activity and dietary patterns. We hypothesized that mindfulness – a skill learned either directly or indirectly through yoga -could affect eating behavior,” said Kristal, associate head of the Cancer Prevention Program in the Public Health Sciences Division at the Hutchinson Center.

To test whether yoga in fact increases mindfulness and mindful eating, Kristal and colleagues developed a Mindful Eating Questionnaire, a 28-item survey that measured a variety of factors:

• disinhibition – eating even when full
• awareness – being aware of how food looks, tastes and smells
• external cues – eating in response to environmental cues, such as advertising
• emotional response – eating in response to sadness or stress
• distraction – focusing on other things while eating.

Though logic might assume that people maintain/lose weight with yoga because of the physical activity involved, it was found it was more so related to body awareness and the sensitivity to hunger, rather than the physical activity itself. Interestingly, though their was a strong association between yoga practice and mindful eating, there was no association found between other activities (running, walking, etc.) and mindful eating.

“Mindful eating is a skill that augments the usual approaches to weight loss, such as dieting, counting calories and limiting portion sizes. Adding yoga practice to a standard weight-loss program may make it more effective,” said Kristal, who himself scored high on the mindful-eating survey and has a BMI within the normal range.

This follow-up study was published in the August issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

Post from: EveryJoe

Regular Yoga and Mindful Eating

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In an article on medicine.net, David Berman, MD, medical director and dermatologic/cosmetic surgeon at the Berman Skin Institute, Palo Alto, Calif., says exercise can also help acne.

“There’s a lot of indirect evidence that shows that when you exercise your level of stress diminishes. So your adrenal glands are producing less of these male-type hormones that are part of any acne flare-up,” said Dr. Berman.

Another consideration with exercise is that when you perspire, it helps clear out your pores. And clear pores means healthier skin. Just remember to always shower shortly after exercise. Leaving sweat, oil and dirt from your workout on your skin will only lead to more breakouts and skin problems.

Of course, diet also has an effect on the skin. You should drink 8 glasses of water a day and eat a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. Here are four food items that are also essential for healthy skin.

Flaxseed - The essential fatty acids in flaxseed help reduce inflammation and dryness, resulting in smoother, softer skin.

Green tea – The antioxidants in green tea help eliminate free radicals, which cause skin damage.

Salmon – Salmon, herring, mackerel and other fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and improve skin at the cellular level.

Strawberries – High in antioxidants and silica, strawberries are low-calorie, delicious and good for your skin.

Check out more foods for healthy skin along with more benefits of green tea.

This post was sponsored by Neutrogena skinID™ – The only Personalized Acne Solution made just for you.  Guaranteed Results or your money back.

Post from: EveryJoe

Fitness for Healthy Skin

sxc.hu

First, I determine whether something is just there or whether it’s a new occurrence. For example, I have a good back but I have built muscle over some problems that happened when I was 18. (Story: When I was 18 I was spotting my friend on a 300 lb bench press. He asked for a lift off but when I lifted off he didn’t and so I pulled my back pretty bad. I never got any treatment and eventually it went away but my back will still pull/give me sharp pain if I lift too much weight to this day – though I still do back exercises.) So first assessment is to determined whether the injury is something you have to deal with or whether you need to be weary of it.

Secondly, evaluate the severity of the injury. If it’s extreme, you either need to go to the doctor or do your own analysis and rehab yourself. (Another story: I have twice completely torn my hamstring. I didn’t really need to go to the doctor because I knew what had happened so I just stayed off it for months and then slowly rehabilitated the muscle back. My advice: NEVER EVER pull your hamstring. Stretch at all costs.) If your injury isn’t severe, do a common sense evaluation of what you’re dealing with and resume your workout accordingly. However, when you do pick your workout back up, be smart about it and work your injured area lightly.

Last, continuing from that last sentence, give your injured muscle, joint, tendon, or whatever a break. Rest works wonders. After you’ve had a good amount of rest (relative to your injury) slowly work your injured area back into the regular routine. You’ll have to play catch up for awhile but it’s better to progressively slowly than fast.

With an injury, you don’t want to be a workout warrior or a he-man/she-woman. I’ve made the mistake and plowed right through a twinged back and ended up paying for it by putting my back workouts out of commission for a month. Weight training and exercise should never injure or hurt you in and of itself. If you feel pain, drop what you’re doing and find out why. You may be over compensating, using bad form, or otherwise unnecessarily agitating your body

Post from: EveryJoe

Dealing With Injuries in Your Workout

• Biking/walking for cardio
• Crunches for core/abs
• Pushups for chest/triceps
• Pullups for lats/biceps

With this vacation workout routine, you actually don’t need any equipment. So you can do the workout anywhere. With a good workout routine, you can get healthy, have more energy, sleep better and feel good about yourself. There are some parts of the video that are a little corny but the information is good.

Also checkout the website, fitness.scoobysworkshop.com.

Post from: EveryJoe

Working Out on Vacation

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Shorten Your Rest
By shortening your rest intervals, you will finish your workout faster and your muscles will have to work faster and harder.

Start Lifting More
Add a little extra weight to your regular lifting. It will get your muscles out of the rut and improve your strength.

Raise the Speed of Your Reps
Whether you are weightlifting, doing crunches or anything else, raise the speed of your reps. Without sacrificing form, pick up the speed.

Mix Up Your Routine
Reverse the order of your workout routine and see if you see some improvement. Your muscles sometimes get used to your routine. Mixing things up will make them work harder.

Hire a Trainer
When all else fails, hire a trainer. A pro will be able to help you improve your technique and give you tips on how to get the most out of your workouts.

Post from: EveryJoe

Breaking Through Fitness Plateaus

So what other healthy habits should you incorporate into your routine, along with exercise?

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Protect your skin
Men, women and children should all wear sunscreen outdoors. Apply it to your face, necks, arms, hands and other exposed skin each day.

Eat fruits and vegetables
Most of us don’t get enough fruits and vegetables in our diet. Add an extra serving with each meal and always eat a salad or other greens before diving into to dinner. You’ll be fuller and eat less.

Exercise your mind
Read a book or magazine. Do puzzles and logic games. Study a new skill. Like your body, your mind needs to stay active.

Enjoy “me” time
Whether you like to meditate or watch sports, it’s important to take time out for yourself each and every day. Even if it’s just 15 or 20 minutes, you will feel much better.

Get enough sleep
The amount of sleep you need varies from person to person, but try to get enough uninterrupted sleep. Six to eight hours is ideal for most adults.

Post from: EveryJoe

Developing Healthy Habits

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Don’t Drive When You Can Walk
Make it a rule in your household. Never drive when you can walk. If you need to go to the store right around the corner, put on your walking shoes and get going.

Pick a Bad Parking Spot
When the rest of shoppers are clamoring for a spot near the door, do the opposite. Pick the worst parking spot you can and make the trek.

Take the Stairs
Skip the elevator and escalator whenever you can and take the stairs. Even if you can only take the stairs down when you first start, that’s better than nothing. Soon, you will be skipping up flights of stairs with ease.

Make Dessert a Special Occasion
Sweets and other desserts are not something you should eat every day. Instead of making dessert an after-meal routine, reserve it for special occasions. This is an easy way to cut out empty calories.

Ditch the Soda and Beer
Stock up on water, unsweetened iced tea, diet soda and other light drinks. Sugared sodas and beer don’t offer anything but calories and unwanted carbs.

15 Minutes
If an hour long sprint on the treadmill seems impossible, that’s because it is (at first). But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise at all. Start out with 15 minutes a day of aerobic exercise of some sort — walking, jogging, swimming, biking, whatever you can do. At the end of the week, add five minutes. For the following week, do 20 minutes a day, then add another five minutes. You’ll be up to 45-60 minutes a day in no time.

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Jump Start Your Fitness Routine

Ben Guinter, author of Dynamic Plateau Training, aims to keep people from having to make that decision. He is currently have a fitness competition where he is giving away his book for free, 24 workout shirts and two free gym memberships for a year.

Check out Ben’s website at dynamicplateautraining.com, here you can find out more about his training book and see a video about his method for losing weight, increasing speed, strength and endurance.

From June 1 through June 11, 2009, you can also sign up free for The Recession-Proof DPT Fitness Competition. After signing up, you need to send your “Before” pictures to Ben Guinter. He will then set you up a workout regimen.

You do the workout for four months, blogging about it along the way. After 4 months, you send in your “After” pictures. From there, semi-finalists and eventually finalists will be chosen to win the prizes. Check out the website to get all the details about the contest.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Recession-Proof DPT Fitness Competition

Image: Meditative Movements

This 30-minute DVD features three workout levels, so anyone can do it. Beginners can start out with the easy-to-learn low impact aerobics, while more advanced users can do the high impact option or incorporate weight resistance movements. All levels on the DVD include spoken affirmations.

This unique fitness program uses author Ellie Peterson’s method of combining exercise movements and affirmation into an active process. Ellie also has a book — Meditative Movements, which teaches more about cardio, strength training, yoga, balance and of course, the affirmations.

To learn more about the book and the DVD, check out meditativemovements.com, where you can purchase the DVD for $19.95. The book comes in several formats. The eBook is $9.95, the black and white book is $14.95 and the full color version is $24.95.

Post from: EveryJoe

Power of Positive Aerobics

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Start with 10-15 minutes of cardiovascular exercise. Treadmill, Stairmaster, spin bike, stepmill, elliptical, row machine can all be used. The goal is to get the heart rate up to 70-85% of your maximum and hold it there for the 10-15 minutes.

Then we are going to do a weight training circuit to strengthen and sculpt the muscles. The circuit will target the legs, core, and arms, all the areas exposed during the summer months. The circuit is as follows;

• Squat, curl to overhead press- This all in one exercise will get the legs, glutes, biceps and shoulders all in the same exercise.
• BOSU plank with hand walking- This is a great way to help flatten the tummy and target the chest and triceps at the same time.
• Lateral lunge with lateral raise- This focuses on the inner and outer thighs while helping to sculpt shapely shoulders.
• Combination deadlift and bent over row- Here we get the glutes and hamstrings to tighten the back of the legs and develop a strong shapely back at the same time.
• Medicine ball squat chops with rotation- Now we get the oblique’s involved while again targeting the legs and arms at the same time.

The above circuit can be done 2-4 times, depending on one’s schedule. I encourage participants to try to go from one exercise to the next without taking a rest until the full circuit is complete. The rest period should be kept to 30-90 seconds depending on the participant’s fitness level.

Once the weight portion of the workout is done, another cardio session similar to the one at the beginning is added. A 10-15 minute session is recommended with an intensity of 70-85% of maximum heart rate. This will help to burn more calories, decrease muscle soreness, and get the body in shape in no time!

Post from: EveryJoe

Circuit Training: Get in Shape for Summer