how to achieve a flat stomach

I'm frequently getting asked, 'how to achieve a flat stomach'. Most people want to know what's the best exercise for achieving a flat stomach?

The answer to that question is that there is no one single exercise that will magically get you a flat stomach in a matter of weeks. Achieving a flat stomach is a combination of 3 things,

1. Low body fat
2. Strong abdominal muscles
3. Good all round fitness

It's not possible to target fat loss to one particular area of your body. Imagine your body as being is like an ice cube. Turn up the heat and the ice will start to melt across it's whole surface area, not just in one particular place. The 'heat' is your metabolism and the 'ice cube' is your body fat. Increase your metabolism and your body fat will melt away, across your whole body surface area.

How to achieve a flat stomach in 3 easy steps;

1. Increase your metabolism by doing CV & resistance exercise
2. Strengthen your abdominal muscles by incorporating abdominal & core strengthening exercises in to your routine. Make sure that you also include exercises for your lower back so as not to create an imbalance in posture
   
3. Eat a healthy balanced diet with lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meats and fish.

Exercise Induced Asthma

Question:
I would love to improve my fitness, but I suffer from Asthma. I've started to put on some weight and generally feel unhealthy due to a sedentary lifestyle. I'm afraid of suffering from an exercise induced asthmatic episode, that's why I have never participated in exercise before. Someone told me recently that exercise can actually help to relieve the symptoms of asthma. Is this true? Can exercise have benefits for asthma sufferers like myself? What are the recommendations of exercise for asthma sufferers?

Answer:
Exercise definitely has lots of benefits for people who suffer from asthma. Asthma should not be a barrier from including exercise activity in your life. The plus factors far outweigh the negatives as long as you are sensible and know your limitations.

Some of the benefits of exercise for asthmatics can be;

• Increased strength and endurance of respiratory muscles
• Reduction in the feeling of shortness of breath
• Reduction in medication dependence
• Reduction in asthmatic episodes

Before you start any new exercise program, get checked out by your Doctor. This is sound advice for anyone, not just someone suffering from asthma or any other illness. Your Doctor can tell you whether you are fit to participate and can advise you how to cope with exercise induced asthmatic episodes.

Although exercise induced asthma can not be completely ruled out when participating in exercise activity, there are certain precautions that you can take to help prevent an asthmatic episode. Than main thing about exercising with asthma is you need to be aware of your current state before, during and after participating in an exercise session. Know what your personal best (PB) peak flow reading is and always check your peak flow prior to exercising. If your peak flow is less than 80% of your PB, then train with caution. If it's less than 60% then do not train at all as an attack may be imminent. Here are some guidelines before you start exercising;

• Take your medication
• Check your peak flow, before, during and after exercise
• Always have your reliever medication close to hand
• Never train alone

Exercise guidelines for asthmatics;

The focus should be around cardiovascular training (CV). Because this will help to strengthen the lungs. Asthmatics should always warm up thoroughly before exercising. This is the most important part of the exercise routine. Warm up gradually until the main CV session. The CV session should be performed at a moderate intensity (60 to 80%). For resistance training asthmatics are advised to avoid training with heavy weights. The focus should be on lighter weights, with higher repetitions and working until the last rep feels difficult to do. The cool down should be like the warm up. Always cool down and always stretch. This helps to relax you at the end of each session and helps to prevent injury.

• Warm up - Should be slightly longer. 10 to 15 minutes every session
• CV Training - 30 minutes at a moderate intensity. 3 to 5 times per week
• Resistance Training - Circuit format. Light weights, 1-2 sets of (15-20 repetitions)
• Cool down - Like warm up, slightly longer. 10 to 15 minutes every session
• Flexibility - Every session.

Asthmatics would benefit from exercising outside in a warm climate away from dusty gyms and air conditioning. The clearer the air the better. However colder days could cause problems. It's also advisable for asthmatics to stay away from swimming as chlorine can aggravate asthma.

Diabetes Advice

Over 1.4 million people suffer from Diabetes in the UK and that figure is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. In fact by 2010 it is expected that the figure will have doubled.

Diabetes or Diabetes Mellitus to quote it's correct name, is the bodies inability to maintain normal blood sugar levels. It has been a recognized condition for over 3500 years. It is an incurable disease, but can be controlled by medication, exercise and diet.

Click on this link to read the full article;
http://www.kickstartfit.co.uk/articles/article_diabetesadvice.htm

Get Rid of Body Fat

Well it's that time of year again. We all want to look good because it's party time, yet we feel obliged to go out an indulge in rich food and alcohol. Then when Christmas is over, it's a mad manic rush to start fresh and get rid of the excess pounds of body fat we have accumulated over the holiday period. It's crazy, but most of us go thorough the same cycle year after year. Take a minute and look back over the years. Is this something you have been doing for the last few years? Has it almost become a habit? Why not try and make 2008 and different? Don't do what you have always done, try something new. After all, if you always do what you have always done, then you will always have what you have always got! Ring any bells. Don't start tomorrow, start now.

I'm off to a Christmas party tonight, not my first and certainly not the last. But I have decided, that I'm going to do things differently this year. I'm still going to enjoy myself, have a drink and eat some nice food, but what I am going to do is think about what I'm doing to myself. So I'm going to be sensible and that means, not drinking too much and eating sensibly. I want to be able to get up tomorrow, without the hangover and feel fresh enough to get out for a long morning walk. That will be my exercise for the day Then I can have a relaxing day and not feel guilty about over indulging the night before.

One of the main problems about todays society, is that we are too busy running around doing things for other people and not taking enough time to do things for ourselves. Just take some time to sit back and think about what you are doing to yourself and how it will effect you in the future. Don't do what other people say or do. Do what feels right to you. How many times have you heard someone saying, 'Oh go on, it's only one more drink, what harm can one more do you?' Well, the truth is, it can do you harm. The problem is, if you've heard that saying too many times, then it's not one more drink is it? It's 5, 10 or even 20 over the years.

Based on this, here's a few tips on how to try and prevent and even get rid of body fat over the holiday period, just so you can be in a better position for the new year.

1. Cut down on the alcohol. Alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks
2. Don't fill up the buffet plate until you can't fit any more on it, take a few bits and eat them slowly. Wait for a few minutes, if you are still hungry, go back and get some more, but the secret little and often.
3. Fill up on salad, vegetables and meats. Leave the pork pies, sausage rolls, crisps. These are the things that don't fill you up and are high in processed fats, sugar and salt.
4. For a sweet, opt for the fruit salad and creme fresh rather than pies and cheese cakes.
5. Dance the night away. Dancing is great exercise and helps burn off those excess calories.
6. Hydrate. Make sure you drink water, before the evening begins. Alcohol dehydrates you and that is what gives you the head ache in the morning.
7. Eat an apple before you go out. It helps to suppress hunger and will stop you pigging out at the buffet.
8. Mix with like minded people. If you are on a fitness campaign, find people to talk to who are doing the same thing. Stay away from those who are likely to sabotage your efforts.
9. Take some exercise before you go out. It will put you in a positive frame of mind, so you will feel more relaxed, better about yourself and less likely to want to get drunk to feel relaxed.
10. Make an effort to get up early the next morning and go for a long relaxing walk or cycle ride to get some fresh air. It'll clear your head. You'll feel better for it and it will help to erase the calories form the night before.

Remember; losing body fat is about 3 things;
1. Setting a goal
2. Eating a healthy
3. Getting active

Weight Training - Understanding weight training and how it can help you to achieve your fitness goals.

The image of training with weights has long been tarnished by the vision of sweaty gyms populated with huge muscle bound steroid abusing hulks. I can tell you now, all that has changed. More and more people are including weight training into their exercise regimes and quite rightly so. Here are some of the reasons why.

If you have never trained with weights before, then I suggest that you seriously reconsider. Weight training has so many health benefits it’s hard to list them all. But, recent research by the American Heart Association has suggested that adults should complete at least 2 resistance-training workouts per week. Other research suggests that regular resistance training with weights helps to improve strength and appears to reverse the signs of ageing in muscles. As little as 2 hours per week is all that is needed. Both these studies help to give credit to the value of exercise.

Believe it or not, your muscles do not know your age! They will respond to regular exercise whether you are 18 or 80, by becoming stronger. Your goals at 18 may be completely different from someone who is 80. But muscles are meant to be used and as the age old saying goes ‘Use it or lose it’ that is exactly what happens as you get older. Remember that your heart is muscle and that a sedentary lifestyle may increase the risk of having a heart attack. Regular exercise is one way to help reduce heart attack risk. Exercise can easily be adapted to target several different health concerns. Whether you are in a wheelchair, use a walker, need to be seated for exercise, or can dance the night away, exercise should be a part of your life.

In a nutshell weight training (or resistance training as it is also referred to), is beneficial at any age. Some of the main benefits are; to assist you in completing everyday tasks without difficulty, maintaining muscle mass, increasing your metabolism by helping you burn more calories, maintain strength and improving posture. And you are never too old to start.

Have you ever wondered why old people often stoop over?

Read the full article online.........Weight Training - Understanding weight training & how it can help you achieve your fitness goals.