10 Ways To Be A Gentleman At The Gym

Perhaps it is the rush of testosterone and the feeling of primal power that accompanies working out, but many men seem to check their manners at the door to the gym. But just because you’re getting in touch with your inner man beast, doesn’t mean you should turn into an inconsiderate boob. Gyms should give new members a course on etiquette, but they don’t, leaving many men wholly ignorant of how to act civilly while pumping iron. Here are the rules of etiquette every man should know and keep. Feel free to tape them up in your gym’s locker room.

1. Rack your weights. Would you whip up a meal in the kitchen and then leave the dirty dishes from someone else to do? Well maybe you would, but then your roommates are currently plotting how to get you kicked out of the house. Show some respect to your fellow gym patrons and rack your weights. And rack them correctly. Nothing pisses me off more then when there’s a 25 lb plate racked behind three 45 lbs plates. Take those few extra steps to put the same weight with the same weight.

2. Don’t hog the machines. Get in, get your work done, and leave. A gym is a community, so sharing is required. And no, you can’t lay claim to a machine by simply laying your towel on it. Not being a hog on a machine can get difficult when you’re doing super circuits. Before you move to the next machine, tell the person who’s using the machine after you that you’ll be coming back shortly to finish up your circuit.

3. Use a spotter. If you’re throwing around heavy weight, make sure you have someone spotting you. First, it’s a safety concern. Second, you’ll look like an idiot struggling with a bar over your chest.

4. Don’t hover. While hogging machines at the gym is a faux pas, what irks me more is when people start hovering over a machine that you’re in the middle of using. These hoverers passive-aggressively lurk by the machine to give you the signal that they want you to leave. If you want to use the machine, wait until the person has finished their set to approach them. Then politely ask if you can get a set in.

5. Wipe down the equipment. I am convinced that many men feel that their gyms’ “please wipe down your equipment” sign applies to everyone but themselves. How else to explain why a man who has soaked his shirt through with sweat would walk away from a machine he’s coated with perspiration? Nobody wants to sit in a pool of a guy’s sweat, much less a layer of it composed of an afternoon of inconsiderate gym goers. If you moisten a piece of equipment, wipe it down with your towel. If you are sweating profusely, also use the disinfectant spray that the gym provides.

6. Don’t drop the weights. When you’re finished cranking out a set of dumbbell presses, lay them down like a normal person. Don’t just drop them off your shoulders. First, it’s dangerous to do so. You don’t know if there are any feet or hands that the weight can land on. Second, it’s bad for the weights and the floor. Even if your gym has those rubber floors, dropping the weights from great heights will eventually cause some wear and tear. Finally, it’s distracting. Dropping weights creates a bunch of ruckus that can distract other gym patrons.

7. Don’t hit on women. The gym is not a bar. You’re there to work, and so are the women. Don’t bother them. Most women feel sweaty and messy when they’re working out, and are not in the mood for love. If the woman is not sweaty and messy, and instead has perfectly coiffed hair and a full face of make-up, you should still steer clear; you don’t want to date the kind of woman who gets guzzied up for the gym.

8. Don’t give unsolicited advice. So what if you got your college degree in sports nutrition and exercise? No one cares what you have to say about how to get chiseled abs. Only if someone asks for some advice, or is in serious danger of hurting themselves, should you step in and let loose a river of all the workout knowledge that’s stored in that big cranium of yours.

9. Leave the cell phone in the car. One of the most obnoxious things to see at a gym is a person yapping away on their cell phone while walking on the treadmill. Usually the culprits of this gym crime are snooty soccer moms, but I’ve seen men do this as well. Nothing is unmanlier than a man whose focus is somewhere else and not on developing and strengthening his body.

10. Don’t use the girly machines. No man should ever be caught on that machine that works your inner and outer thighs.

from: www.artofmanliness.com

What the Motherhood Mafia Never Told You

The miracle of giving birth has endured a lot of superstition over time. Its important to sift constructive advise from the fallacies. Learn what's true and what's not as some of the most common pregnancy myths are put under scrutiny.
Pregnancy Myth 1 - Eating for two

This erroneous belief has to top the list for its global prevalence! One of the first things a pregnant woman gets to hear is now she will have to start eating for two – which is of course not the truth. You do need extra intake of nutrients when you are expecting a child, but this does not translate into doubling your food intake! What is required is that you pay attention to what you eat.

In the normal course Indian women require 1800 calories daily. During pregnancy this increases by another 300 calories. The nutrient needs are increased in view of the development of maternal organs such as the uterus, placenta, and breast tissue and to build up body reserves that would be utilised at the time of delivery and later on also during lactation. The requirement for calcium, proteins and iron is much more. All vitamins and supplements are also needed in greater quantity. On the other hand carbohydrates and fats do not need to be increased.

The meals need not be large meals but their frequency should increase. Instead of having three large meals you can try having three light meals with 2-3 snacks in between. The last meal you eat at night should be light and be preferably eaten early. About two hours before you go to bed.

Remember eating for two will only make it tougher to lose all the weight that you will gain. During pregnancy your increasing metabolic rate will lead to your having a larger appetite than normal. However, there's no need to over-eat thinking that it will make your baby healthier or bigger. Remember, it is the quality of the food you eat that is important, not the quantity! While it is satisfactory to indulge in food cravings, bear in mind to eat as much as you want without overdoing it. Invest your appetite in healthy foods rather than the fattening ones, which is of course easier said than done!!
Pregnancy Myth 2 - It's dangerous to exert any effort, let alone exercise while pregnant

Doctors recommend and it has been proven that regular, moderate exercise during pregnancy improves your blood circulation, which increases the blood flow through the placenta. It is also known that exercise helps keep your mood elevated.

However, it is not advisable to start a sport routine that you have not tried before. Remember also to always exercise at a pace that is comfortable for you, decreasing the intensity as and when you feel the necessity.

If you decide to exercise, it's important to start a pregnancy exercise program carefully and seek the advice of your doctor. Pregnancy and labor represent some of the most difficult and rewarding work a woman will ever do. It makes sense to prepare oneself physically. If you haven't been participating in a regular program of exercise, walking is a good place to start. Start from day one! Begin with a five-minute warm up with slow gradual stretching of all muscles. Find a nice path and some walking buddies or some good music and walk at a brisk pace for 30 to 40 minutes every day. Finish with five minutes of a slower pace or stretching, which should help you "cool down."

Or, consider joining a prenatal exercise or yoga class and build it into a support group and even future playgroup for your child. Very few women should not exercise in pregnancy, what is important to remember is that it should be always under the guidance of your doctor.
Pregnancy Myth 3 - Swimming is Dangerous

Swimming, walking and prenatal yoga are rated as being on top of the list as far as pregnancy exercises are concerned. Swimming is a great overall body workout and is considered safe as the water makes you feel weightless and you are less likely to sustain an injury or a fall.

As long as the pool is disinfected using the recommended concentrations of chlorine, then swimming in a pool poses no threat to a pregnant woman or her fetus. Care should be taken to avoid swimming in a crowded pool. Congested areas increase the possibility of being accidentally hit in the abdomen by another swimmer. Being hit on the abdomen is not a big concern for the fetus because it is in a comfortable cushion of amniotic fluid. But it is painful for the mother and dangerous in instances of low-lying placentas, in which case there isn't enough uterine wall to protect it and there could be fatal/non-fatal bleeding. For those who are sea aficionados, avoid swimming in rough waters.
Pregnancy Myth 4 - Drinking too much water will cause increased water retention

Au contraire, drink plenty of water! Not only does drinking increased amount of water reduce the possibility of water retention in the body, it also lessens the occurrence of constipation and lowers the load on the kidney by regularly washing it out.

Many women do complain of water retention and swelling of feet, during pregnancy and the blame is ignorantly put on the water they drink. Truth be known that is totally incorrect, because our kidneys can flush out even a bucket of water if the need arises! The edema is actually due to:

* Progesterone - the hormone of pregnancy has water retaining properties
* Veins getting blocked by the pregnant uterus temporarily

So ladies don’t be frugal with the H2O, it’s a good idea to drink more and more of it. On the flip side, rushing to the loo every half hour is not exactly the prenatal exercise you had in mind, is it?
Pregnancy Myth 5 - You can tell your baby's gender by the way you are carrying, or by the fetal heartbeat.

Other than an ultrasound or an amniocentesis or by chorionic villi sampling (side effects of this procedure still not established enough, so not recommended), there is no way to determine the gender of the baby you are carrying.

Pregnant women carry babies differently based on the following features:

* Their presentation (breech, vertex, transverse)
* Their position (anterior, posterior)
* Their gestational age and weight
* The maternal weight and stature
* The mother’s parity (whether or not this is her first or eighth baby)

Judging fetal heartbeat is really no help either. Some say that a fast heart rate indicates a girl, based on the fact that women’s heart rates are faster than men’s. But we have to remember that until about 20 weeks, it is not unusual to have a fetal heartbeat in the 150 to 160 range. As the baby’s heart develops and the neurological system matures, the count may fall to between 130 to 140 (the normal range is 120 to 160). So if we try to guess the gender of the unborn baby, we would all start out as girls and turn into boys!
Pregnancy Myth 6 - Sleeping on your back can hurt the baby

During a normal pregnancy, a woman may assume any position to sleep, which she finds comfortable. It will not harm the baby in any way.

But it is beneficial for the mother to lie on a side and change from one side to the other frequently. How so? Lying on the side when you are pregnant and getting up sideways will prevent strain on the back. This will in turn prevent lower back-pains, which may be mistaken for false labour pains.

Remember if the pregnancy is high risk and there is hypertension, maternal kidney malfunction, severe water retention or fetal compromise is suspected, rest in the manner advised by the doctor.
Pregnancy Myth 7 - You can tangle the umbilical cord by raising your arms above your head

The common person is generally ignorant about the fact that about 20 to 25 percent of all babies are born with the cord around the neck, and many are born with cords around the legs. Some cords are even tied into knots! Therefore, very important to remember that - There is nothing that a mother can do to cause this.

Entanglements occur due to fetal activity during early gestation. Long umbilical cords, defined as longer than about 100 cm (most cords are 32 to 80 cm long), seem to contribute to entanglements. Excessively long cords are actually caused by excessive fetal movement.

This myth is one of the few, which benefit a pregnant mother. Going by this fallacy if pregnant women were advised not to lift their arms above their bodies, they may have been given less strenuous jobs. This in turn would have resulted in a more rested mom, and possibly a healthier baby!

So ladies, lift your arms, turn them around and do the boogie-woogie! Or balle balle as the case might be!
Pregnancy Myth 8 - Having sex during pregnancy can hurt the baby.

In a normal pregnancy, sex is not harmful to the baby. Sex is safe, because as mentioned already, the fetus is in a well-buffered medium. On a lighter vein, the man will have to be unnaturally well endowed for him to disturb the baby!

In fact the sexual experience will reach new heights for the woman in the enhanced ability to orgasm, due to an increase in blood flow to the pelvic floor. Its nirvana ten out ten!
Pregnancy Myth 9 - You lose a tooth for every baby.

Today, with the availability of supplements and fortified foods, no woman should lose a tooth for every baby!

Preconception nutrition is critical for preserving maternal health. It is during the critical pre-adolescent and adolescent years that women build stores of iron and calcium that prepare them for childbearing. If a woman’s diet is deficient in these key minerals, the demands of the growing baby often take precedence. Calcium may be lost from the maternal bones and teeth. Women should take in 1500 mg of calcium each day, either from food sources or supplement. Teeth can be lost if stores are deficient or depleted due to malnutrition or close inter-conceptional periods.

It’s a good idea therefore to prepare a year before you think of conceiving. You can make a start by taking the special nutrients and supplements under the guidelines of your personal doctor.
Pregnancy Myth 10 - Mother and the newborn should go through a 40 days confinement period

In the olden days the benefits of a medical team were still out of reach during birthing time. An age when antibiotics and other such cures were not available, the confinement period was the only way to combat possible infection. The mother also got a much needed rest period, instead of being back on her feet and working as usual.

Now most births take place in the hospital under hygienic conditions and the instances of the mother and child contracting an infection are very rare. There are enough facilities to take care of infections or deal with any medical emergency if need be.

The thought behind this myth might again have been to give some resuscitating period for the woman to recover from the rigors of giving birth. Traditionally, confinement did not mean complete bed rest. The woman would be active as during her pregnancy, and also get all sorts of traditional treatments like oil massages to get her body in shape.
Conclusion

In many cases, hearing predictions about the baby's sex or how much hair the baby will have is fun and harmless. In most cases however, caution is advised. Here's when you should beware:

* When the myth suggests that you contradict your doctor's advise
* Medical treatment (such as discontinuing prenatal vitamins)
* When you have to ingest or inhale something that isn't recommended by your doctor (such as herbs or drugs)
* When the myth makes you extremely fearful for your baby's health (stress on the mother can adversely affect the baby)

Pregnancy myths may vary from generation to generation and from region to region. Myths your grandmother in south claims are true might be different from what your uncle in north swears by. There is no surefire way of dealing with them, when in doubt check with the doctor!

from www.purpleparka.com

Tips To Keep Your Energy

Fall is here. This change is season makes it harder and harder to stay energized throughout the day, and nearly impossible to leave the warm cocoon of down comforters to get up and start your day. Try these tips to get on track this Fall and keep your energy up.

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Stretch!

Don’t just jump out of bed and hit the snooze, or even scramble for that first cup of coffee. Give your body time to stretch before moving. Stretching sends messages to all your moving parts that you are ready to begin the day. It not only helps your muscles wake up, it brings blood to the muscle tissues before demanding them to perform, think of it as a balanced breakfast of sorts for your muscles. A warmed up muscle will not only have more energy, it will be less likely to experience injury. Stretching is also a good way to revitalize your body, after sitting in front of a computer or desk for long periods of time.

Cold shower

Cold hip bath or deep plunge. Good Morning World! Nothing like a cold shower to get you going. This remedy as old as yoga and can be just as effective to boost your system. Some macrobiotics claim it helps create an alkaline reaction for over acidic conditions. If this seems about as appealing as wearing your bikini in a snowstorm, take your normal hot shower and at the end turn the water to a mildly cold temperature. This change will pleasantly wake you up.

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Break up your day with an exercise break

If you are one of the lucky ones who work close enough to an elements for women™ club, using your lunch break as an exercise break can boost your energy for the rest of the day. Ask your personal lifestyle coach about which exercises would be best tailored for your midday exercise break. If your lunch hour is more of a quick lunch break, take a walk. Even a 15 min walk will rejuvenate your body and keep the energizing blood flowing through your body.

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Taurine

The secret ingredient in those energy drinks is in there for a reason. Considered a non-essential amino acid because your body can produce it, at times of extreme exertion your body can no longer produce the required amounts of it. A metabolic transmitter it has a known detoxifying effect, can be found in skeletal muscle tissues, but is mostly used by the body in processing fats.

Sleep!

Get enough sleep. It seems obvious, but it is always harder than we realize. Try setting a "bedtime" for yourself and try to stick to it. This way you can wake up refreshed and watch Conan with your morning toast.

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Ginkgo tea

Drink a cup of Ginkgo tea- think well, and move well. Gingko Biloba is a herb that can imrpove brain function by increasing blood flow to the brain by imrpoving circulation. Ginko treats depression, headaches, and can prevent memory loss.

Eat Smart

The food we eat has a huge impact on how we perform. The right combination of nutrients, vitamins and minerals is essential for energy output, as is eating breakfast regularly, eating frequently during the day (mini-meals containing 250-300 calories) and getting enough fluids. Thought: Work with a certified and licensed nutritionist to determine how well you eat and where you can improve. It is really worth the investment.

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Relax

Unmanaged stress does more to rob us of energy than anything else. Stress generates negative emotions, disrupts sleep, fosters poor eating habits and interferes with exercise routines. In addition, stress hormones can wreak havoc on our cardiovascular and immune systems. The results can be disastrous for outsmarting the status quo. Learning proper ways to respond to stress is an essential life skill. Yoga, deep breathing and meditation are all great options and should be incorporated into a daily routine.

And take care of your health! Remember that “He who has health, has hope; He who has hope, has everything.”

from amolife.com

How to Safely Lose Weight in a Short Amount of Time

It’s common to want to lose a certain amount of weight so we look our best at an event or while out on the beach. While it’s only natural to want to look amazing in whatever outfit or swimsuit you put on, the problem lies in how to lose the extra weight in a short amount of time. Instead of turning to dangerous methods, there are safe options that allow you to look great while enjoying the food you eat.



When it comes to losing weight for a specific reason, often we wait until the last minute, giving us only days or maybe a few weeks to reinvent ourselves. One of the most common - and most dangerous - solutions people turn to is starvation. This should never be an option. Not only is starvation bad for your body, it only provides a temporary solution. As soon as you begin eating regularly, you are guaranteed to gain back the weight you’ve lost.



Instead of going down this route, make small changes in your everyday lifestyle that will allow you to lose weight safely without negative side effects. Once you set your timetable, following these tips will help you meet your goal. Some changes may be easier than others but if you’re willing to commit, you’ll be happy with the end result and happier with yourself physically and mentally.



What you do to your body on the inside always reflects itself on the outside. What good is it to be a few pounds lighter when your complexion looks like a mess? Start incorporating more water into your life. Six to eight glasses a day is more than enough to help prevent dehydration and flush out all those bad toxins. Toss aside soda and other caffeinated drinks and keep a bottle of water at your desk at work, in your house or in your car when you’re running errands.



Limit yourself to one glass of fruit juice a day. Drinking more than that will add too much unnecessary sugar to your diet. Natural juices from a health food store are best.



Avoid eating any food in a box or can. Substitute canned and boxed food for fresh, organic and natural foods. This will prevent unhealthy fats, calories and other ingredients from entering your body. Replace all your luncheon meat with chicken and beef and stay away from frying or other cooking methods that tend to be more fattening than healthy. For example, eating a hearty salad tossed with chicken is an excellent meal for any time of day or night. Also include plenty of vegetables, especially leafy greens. Toss out any sugary foods, snacks and sugar substitutes to avoid temptation.



Eating plenty of blueberries, cherries and blackberries will give you health and your skin a huge increase in antioxidants. For a good skin care treatment, eat a small portion of fish everyday as a meal. Salmon is an especially good choice because of the vitamin A and essential fatty acids it contains.



Finally, exercise, exercise, exercise! Nothing helps a special diet and weight loss than a few minutes of daily exercise to burn off calories and to keep your body in tip-top shape. Whether it’s running, taking a brisk walk or doing a few sets of sit-ups, including exercise in your daily routine will add the finishing touch to your new look.

from carefair.com

Why You Should Avoid Crash Diets

Why You Should Avoid Crash DietsWe all know that crash diets are bad but do you know the details behind the “why?” From teens to adult women, many have tried a crash diet at one time or another. Even the strongest of us can fall prone to crash dieting in an effort to lose pounds quickly, but once educated about the harm they can do to the body, you’ll think twice about pursuing this method.



Crash diets are used when someone wants to quickly lose pounds. This diet alternative often comes into play around summertime, when everyone is trying to look their best in a swimsuit. But what you may think is a quick fix can quickly become harmful to your body and your health if you get caught up. By definition, a crash diet is a diet that involves extreme methods to achieve instant weight loss - usually in a few days to a week. Such methods vary but the common goal is to deprive the body of food in order to drastically reduce one’s calorie intake. Some actually starve themselves down to their ideal weight, while others limit themselves to how much and how often they eat.



Crash diets are intended for short-term use, but can quickly become habit forming. The scariest part about doing a crash diet is that you actually aren’t losing weight. Even though the scale may say you are a few pounds lighter, in reality your body is suffering. Instead of losing fat - which is the common goal for crash dieters - your body has exhausted its supply of glycogen, which is a type of carbohydrate. When this happens, water loss also occurs. The end result is a change in your weight when you step on the scale.



There are a number of health risks you can make yourself prone to if you do a crash diet. Once your body’s glycogen levels are completely used up, you’ll start losing weight from your body’s tissues. The longer the crash diet is, the more areas your body will target and destroy in the process of searching for energy. Denying your body the proper daily amounts of vitamins and minerals, even if only a few times, puts your health in jeopardy and can cause you to become susceptible to illness and disease.



While most people use crash diets for only a few days or a week, once the weight comes back, the urge to do another crash diet comes into play. Pretty soon this develops into a behavior known as the “yo-yo” effect. This type of dieting is terrible for the human body because the metabolism gets thrown off whack and is not able to recover long enough to become stable and healthy. Yo-yo dieting also makes you more at risk for harmful levels of cholesterol in the blood, increasing your odds for developing heart problems and arterial disease. Crash diets leave your body with more fat and less protein so when you start to see the pounds add back up, going back on the crash diet will only feed into the yo-yo diet behavior.



Not only is crash dieting bad for your body and your health, it can eventually affect you mentally as well. It is not uncommon for those doing a crash diet to be extremely moody, irritable, tired, lethargic and prone to extreme food cravings.

from carefair.com