Target Abs with a Stability Ball

The stability ball is designed to improve balance while targeting specific muscle groups.  It has grown in popularity since its mainstream introduction in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The stability ball can be adapted for many uses, including developing core strength, improving posture and facilitating stretching, among others. Its application is particularly widespread in the physical therapy industry, where it was first put to use in the 1960s.

Running and cycling, focuses on the lower body. Not much attention is paid to the trunk, or core, of the body. It is the muscles of the core—the abdomen, chest and back—that stabilize the rest of the body.

It is important when you are strengthening the core that you create balance between the muscles of the abdomen and the back. Many people will naturally have an imbalance between the strength of their abdominal muscles and the lower-back muscles. Exercising with stability balls helps to develop and strengthen those muscles.

Besides providing balance training, stability balls work the trunk in almost every exercise that is performed. By concentrating on the abdominal section, your posture will improve and you will find that you are generally more balanced and aware of your body movements. Your core will be more prepared to support the rest of your body in whatever activity you choose to do.

It is important to buy the right size ball and maintain the proper air pressure. The firmer the ball, the more difficult the exercise will be. The softer the ball, the less difficult the exercise will be.

If you are just beginning to exercise, are overweight, or you are generally deconditioned, you may want to consider using a larger, softer ball.  When sitting on the ball, your knees and hips should align at a 90-degree angle.

Stop by the gym, and I can show you the exercises that can be performed on the stability ball.

Working Out

You don't need an expensive gym membership to get fit. Choosing the right at-home workout equipment will maximize your exercise routine so you get the weight loss, strength training, and fat-burning results you want.
Exercise bands are useful for beginners and advanced exercisers alike. They come in different resistance levels, which are usually represented by different colors, so you can choose what you need depending on your ability and what type of moves you’re doing. Rubberized resistance helps you build muscle just like hand weights, and these bands are easy to store and handy for traveling.
Exercise balls can be used alone for ab workouts and stretches, or used in conjunction with hand weights as a balance-challenging weight bench. When you sit on or lie across a stability ball, you engage all the muscles in your core to keep yourself supported.
Dumbbells, or hand weights, are great for building muscle and sculpting your body. One pair each of 3-pound and -5 pound weights will be enough to get you going on a beginning strength-training regimen. As your strength improves, add 8-pound and 10-pound weights.
Walking on a treadmill or outside will help burn calories and improve your fitness level.
Exercising too hard can lead to injury, exhaustion or burn out. Not working hard enough can be ineffective and leave you seeing little to no results.
Feel free to email me or call to get any of your questions or concerns answered.
Ellen
516 606-0870
etrainer1@hotmail.com

The Benefits of Drinking Water

Water makes up more than half of your total body weight. In fact, every function and system in your body depends on water. It flushes out toxins, aids digestion, makes up your mucous membranes and carries nutrients to cells. According to the Institute of Medicine, healthy women should drink about 9 cups of water (or fluids) a day, and men require 13 cups.

If you're not drinking enough water (you're adequately hydrated if your urine is pale yellow to clear), you're functioning below par both physically and mentally.

Drink water before meals and you'll be ahead of the weight-loss game, according to new research. Participants who drank two 8-oz. glasses of water before each meal lost about five more pounds than those who did not drink water, according to a study from the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise conducted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Drinking water before meals helps you feel full without adding calories, which researchers believe accounts, in part, for the weight loss.

"Many times, headaches are the direct result of dehydration," says Dr. Andersen. "So, before you take that acetaminophen, drink four, 8-oz. glasses of water." Thin blood vessels in the brain respond quickly to hydration levels. Dehydrated blood vessels can go into spasms that create headaches ranging from dull aches to full-blown migraines. Instead of treating headache symptoms with medicine, try drinking water to address the root cause. 

Lack of water can dehydrate the skin, making it dry and flaky and compromising its barrier function, says Kenneth Beer, M.D., dermatologist and owner of ScientificSkin.com. "Once you've broken down the barrier function it takes very little to create a problem. People with a family history of psoriasis or eczema can easily have a flare up."

Dry skin can also cause an increased risk of bacterial infection that you would normally be able to fight off. "When your skin is dry, the mucous membrane cracks and allows bacteria to enter," says Dr. Beer. "You have to constantly stay ahead of it by drinking enough water, especially if you live in a dry environment."

"Memory and mental clarity suffer when you're dehydrated," says Sasson E. Moulavi (Dr. Sass), M.D., board certified bariatric physician and the medical director of Smart for Life Weight Management Centers in Florida. Your body is approximately 75 percent water, but the brain contains 85 percent water, making it particularly sensitive to changes in water levels, notes Dr. Sass. "Your cerebral spinal fluid is mostly water. So when you don't drink enough, your cerebral fluid decreases and you don't function as well mentally." Plus, drinking a cup of coffee to "wake up" only adds to the problem as the caffeine acts as a diuretic. Drink plenty of plain water to keep a clear head.

Keeping hydrated by drinking water helps your body fight off infection by boosting your immune system, says Dr. Andersen. "Water helps move fluid throughout the body and influences the hydration of the lymphatics, also known as our second circulatory system," says Andersen. "The lymphatics help remove toxins and dysfunctional cells out of the system, thereby cleansing the body. I call it your immunological surveillance system." Keep your immune system in optimal condition with plenty of water.

The next time you feel your energy lag during the day, down a couple glasses of water instead of reaching for that candy bar. "Drinking 8 to 12 ounces of cold water picks up your energy within a few minutes.

Exercise and Arthritis

Arthritis is becoming a more prevalent health problem. More than 40 million people have arthritis, including 33% of individuals over the age of 65. The good news is that a program of moderate exercise can offset the pain associated with this indiscriminate disease.

Arthritis means “inflammation of a joint.” Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, is characterized by a progressive loss of cartilage, typically in the hands, shoulders, hips or knees. Common symptoms include joint pain, limited range of motion and swelling. Rheumatoid arthritis, which is far less common, causes the inner linings of the joints to become inflamed.

For many years, doctors have recommended that patients with arthritis engage in flexibility training to help improve range of motion and reduce some of the stiffness in their afflicted joints. In recent years, doctors have also begun to recognize the benefits of cardiovascular exercise and strength training. Not only does a well-rounded exercise program preserve joint range of motion and flexibility, but it also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, increases joint stability and lessens the physical and psychological pain that often accompanies a diagnosis of arthritis.

Start your exercise program with a goal to improve flexibility. Try to move your joints through their full range of motion at least once per day, holding the stretch for at least 10 seconds working up to 30 seconds. Take your time with these exercises and never stretch to the point of pain or discomfort. By focusing on flexibility, you reduce your risk of injury and limber up the joints that have been stiffened by arthritis. Your physical therapist or trainer can help you to choose the most effective stretches for you.

Progress to strengthening exercises to improve muscular endurance. Once you’ve developed a flexibility and resistance-training routine, incorporate aerobic activity. Cardiovascular exercise programs reduce pain and morning stiffness and improve walking speed and balance. Aim for participating in cardiovascular exercise such as walking, swimming or bicycling three to five times per week. As with strength training, start aerobic exercise slowly and progress gradually.

Before beginning any type of exercise program, talk it over with your physician.  Once you begin a program, the primary goal is to improve functional capacity to help reduce pain and fatigue associated with activities of daily living. A secondary focus is to improve physical fitness.