Something we can probably all agree on: It's freakin' tough to stay fit when life's this busy, and it only seems to get harder every year—especially when it comes to our abs. But with a little effort—just 10 minutes a day of smart strength training—you can see a mega difference in your core. "It's amazing how quickly your body will respond," says trainer Larysa DiDio, who created this Fit in 10 routine. 

It doesn't take much to improve your core; you just gotta do it. In front of the TV; on your office floor (just shut your door for privacy); in your hotel room; wherever. Just find a way to get it done. Will you have the abs you had in your 20s? Of course not; that's silly. But will you look and feel your best? Absolutely! And that's worth a little effort—as long as it doesn't mess with the bajillion things you have to do today—don't you think?

How to do it: Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, resting for 30 seconds between moves. Repeat the circuit twice.

1.Upper Ab Crunch

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place a mini exercise ball (or a rolled up towel) underneath your shoulder blades and bring your hands behind your head with your elbows out to the sides. Crunch abs and lift chin and chest a few inches higher. Return to start, then immediately repeat.

Expert tip: Don't pull on your neck; pretend there is an orange between your chin and chest.

2. Oblique Squeeze

Lie on your back with your knees bent and lifted over your hips. Place a mini exercise ball (or a rolled up towel) between your knees. Bring your hands behind your head, elbows out to the side. Crunch abs and bring right elbow to the middle of the ball. Release and repeat on the opposite side. Continue alternating sides.

Expert tip: Use your abs to lift your torso; don't pull on your neck.

3. ½ Teaser

Lie on your back with your legs extended over your hips, and arms extended on the floor behind your head, holding a mini exercise ball (or a rolled up towel). Use your abs to lift your upper body and arms overhead, reading the ball toward your toes. Lower and repeat. 

Expert tip: Move slowly and with control; you want to really engage your abs.

4. Leg Drops

Lie on your back with your legs extended over your hips. Place a mini exercise ball between your knees and place your hands behind your head, elbows out to the side. Lift your shoulders up and keep them there. Lower your legs to about 45 degrees (right before your back starts to arch) then back up. Repeat.

Expert tip: Really focus on pulling your belly in and pressing your lower back into the floor

Source: prevention.com

Adam Levine does Yoga

Yoga has been described by some as both calming and challenging. It has the remarkable ability to calm the mind while getting adrenaline levels up as you move from one pose to another. And its popularity has caused a variety of classes to sprout up, from vinyasa to bikram to aerial yoga. There are several other reasons to get into this activity; Dindin Reyes, writer and yoga instructor, draws from her own experiences on the mat to share her top reasons for keeping at it.

1. Connect with yourself

I love yoga because it teaches me how to love myself, and others. Beyond sweating it out on the mat, yoga is a practice that helps you quiet down the mind and set aside unneeded thoughts and emotions. Even if it’s just for the short time you’re on the mat, you get to connect with the version of you that isn’t weighed down by judgement or fears. All you actually have to do is breathe. 

2. Improve strength and flexibility

Physically, with continued practice yoga can give you strength and flexibility. You’ll get to know muscles you didn’t even know you had! I love it because eventually, you also grow into your body, and into enjoying having the body that you have.

3. Deal with stress in a healthy way

I got into a serious yoga practice because of a classic case of work stress. My work schedule and work load was starting to become a bit much and to add to that, my relationships in the workplace were becoming toxic as well.

I started out just because I was looking for something to do other than work. My twice a week practice became thrice a week, and eventually became daily. 

4. Invest in your overall well-being

At this point of my practice, yoga has helped me watch my thoughts. When I’m starting to get angry or jealous, I see it and I’m able to tell myself “Wait, you’re getting angry.” It helps me pull back from indulging in negative feelings or impulsive emotions. Health wise, I started out just like anyone else – I had a weak upper body and I could not reach my toes for the life of me. Now, I can say I’m at the strongest I’ve ever been and the most flexible.

5. Lead a better lifestyle

Yoga has also helped me become more mindful of my health, what I eat, what activities I take part of. As an example, yoga has helped me to quit smoking. Next thing I’m working on: sugar.

How to get into yoga: Pace yourself

If you’re a beginner, it would be a good idea to ask the studio you’re practicing in which class is for newbies. Even if you’re quite strong, a beginners class is a good idea because the slower pace will give you time to learn and enjoy the movements. In basic classes, the teachers really spell each pose out so you get to start becoming more mindful of the body and appreciative of the huge differences little muscular actions make. When you’re ready, you can move on to more advanced classes or ask your teacher about advancing.

All you need to do is to make sure you come in with comfortable clothing and an open mind. It’s also a good idea to bring a towel. Yoga is slow but very detoxifying, a.k.a you’ll be sweating a lot

Source: lifestylenetwork.tv

This is The Milk I am Drinking Now. It's  Low-Fat Milk

As kids, most people heard phrases along the lines of "drink your milk so you'll grow big and strong!" While many people simply rolled their eyes and finished their milk so they could get to the good part (dessert!), the truth is that milk does provide valuable nutrients that kids need during their development.

There are several benefits from drinking milk other than just ‘strong bones’. These benefits come from milk products such as cheese, butter, cottage cheese, and flavored milk as well. Milk consumption is essential to maintaining good health and is a great source of calcium for all ages. The following are 6 benefits kids and adults gain from drinking milk.

Calcium  

Milk is the best source of calcium for our body. Calcium protects our bodies from bone loss, migraine headaches, obesity in children and aids in losing unwanted fats. It is essential to get the recommended amount of daily calcium intake in order to maintain strong bones and health benefits and prevent future health risks due to lack of calcium.

Vitamin D  

Vitamin D actually helps the body absorb calcium. Therefore, almost all milk produced within the United States has been fortified with 100 to 120 IU of Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps bone strength by promoting bone growth and reducing the risk of brittle bones. It also reduces inflammation and increases immune function.

Healthy Bones

There are three main factors that contribute to healthy, strong bones. Genetics, physical activity, and proper calcium intake. With one eight ounce serving of milk providing 290 mg of milk, it is an excellent source of calcium. You can also offer a serving low-fat cheese which boasts 204 mg of calcium. Since milk is rich in calcium, which is essential for growth and proper strong bone structure milk helps prevent bone growth disorders and decrease the chance of bone fractures when injured.

Healthy Teeth

Encouraging young children to drink milk will result in great dental health. Milk protects the enamel surface against acidic substances. Drinking milk for energy and good health with help children reduce the consumption of soft drinks, thus reducing the risk of decayed teeth and weak gums.

Rehydration

Milk contains a good amount of water molecules so it helps keep bodies hydrated. Especially for children who are constantly active and running around it is important to stay hydrated. Therefore having a glass of milk is a great resource for hydration.

Improving Vitamin Intake

Milk contains vitamins and minerals to keep you fit, healthy and strong. These vitamins and minerals are good for eyesight, carbohydrates that increase energy and protein for body repair and growth.

Key Takeaways

Milk is one of the best sources of calcium for the body.

Milk is filled with Vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium.

Proper calcium intake contributes to strong and healthy bones.

Drinking milk provides other benefits such as healthy teeth, rehydration and improves vitamin intake.

Source: www.supercow.com

Here are the reasons why dogs are often considered best friends or even family members. Did you know that dogs to have an amazing healing power and may improve the physical and mental health of their human companions?

 Source: Naturalblaze.com

People wonder why I’m so strict on food.

The way I see it, is that I can’t enjoy all my money if I’m sick.

I can’t enjoy my life if I am coughing, riddled with disease and sick to the bone.

A lot of what we eat has to do with how we feel. If you have ever gone on a healthy kick for more than 2 weeks, the food sucks, but you feel awesome.

Full of energy, pep, vitality and happiness.

Then you eat a hamburger and your whole body goes into a tailspin. You’re fatigued, angry, cranky, hyper, and feeling bloated.

I’ve done the above (once), and it may not be fun to eat well all the time, but it’s better than feeling like crap.

Think of how you feel after a huge burger (nasty), and multiply that by a thousand. That’s what it feels like to be chronically sick.

Money can’t buy everything. It can’t buy health.

I read this rather sad story of a David Murdock, a billionaire who is planning to live until 125 who lost his mother and later, his beloved (third) wife Gabriele to ovarian cancer, which devastated him.

He would have probably given up every penny he had at that point, to cure her, and he surely tried.

…he suspects that lifestyle was a culprit, and is convinced that if the two of them had eaten better sooner, she would have been spared the surgery, the radiation, the chemotherapy, the wheelchair, the year and a half of hope and fear and pain.

“If I had known what I know today,” he says, “I could have saved my wife’s life. And I think I could have saved my mother’s life too.”

Gabriele Murdock died 18 years into their marriage, in 1985.

She was 43.

It got me thinking that with that kind of mentality, why wouldn’t I, someone young and healthy, continue to try and stay young and healthy so that I don’t ever have to be in that position?

That’s not to say that I think cancer is caused by diet per se, but there are preventable diseases out there, particularly Type 2 Diabetes, which runs in my family.

I will not be able to go to Mr. Murdock’s extremes, but I am actively doing things to preserve my life such as:

• Very little sugar in general (this includes honey, maple syrup, etc because your body doesn’t know the difference)
• Cutting back on salt significantly
• Ban on fast food and processed foods — it means nothing in a box or a can other than dried pasta/rice 
• Eating less meat (beef, pork, and chicken)
• Eating more vegetarian and vegan meals
• More fruits and veggies
• Eating raw, and as real as possible food (meat has to look like the part of the cow it came from)
• Exercise — even half an hour a day helps

It’s both empowering and scary to think that food can make such a difference in your health.

Most people will spend their LAST 10 years of their life in sickness.

So imagine that when you’re sick with the flu for instance, you don’t even want to get up and out of bed to do anything. Can you imagine spending 10 years in that same kind of funk?

Your body doesn’t work, it aches, you feel pains, your joints are inflamed… these are all problems that we experience as we get older, so why not take care of our bodies NOW with good fuel and food so that they don’t have such problems (or less of them) as we age?

Food is really the best medicine for your body.

Improve your health with minimal effort

Getting fit and healthy can sometimes feel like a major effort. However, there are many health-boosting changes you can make that won’t feel like such a chore. To help make the shift into exercise and healthy living, check out our top 10 health tips for lazy people.

Lazy health tip 1: Build exercise into your routine

Many of us think we need to spend hours working up a sweat at the gym to stay fit. However, while intense workouts are beneficial, they can also be extremely off-putting and are not strictly necessary. Research shows that regular daily activity could be more effective than sporadic workouts, so rather than allotting a specific “exercise time” a day, try peppering your day with gentle bits of activity such as taking the stairs instead of the lift, doing the housework, or walking to the shops at lunch.

Lazy health tip 2: Make your own ready meals

We all know that eating fresh, homemade produce is good for us, yet many of us are far too tired to be whipping up a culinary masterpiece after a hard day’s work.  However, rather than falling into the trap of relying on shop bought ready meals which may be lacking in nutritional value, try making your own healthy versions instead. By cooking up healthy meals in large batches at the weekend, you can be sure to have plenty of healthy choices in your freezer for those days when you’re too lazy to cook.

Lazy health tip 3: Get a pet to improve your health

If you want big health results without making a big effort, getting a pet could be the way to go. Multiple research studies have shown that pet owners have improved physical and mental health, including lowered blood pressure, better ability to cope with adverse life effects, and lowered stress levels. For those who need encouragement to up their fitness levels, getting a pet dog may also provide you with that push you need to get out and get active.

Lazy health tip 4: Exercise while watching TV

Vegging out in front of the TV can be the quickest way to pile on the pounds. However, couch potatoes needn’t despair; there are plenty of ways to keep healthy and active in front of the screen. To boost your fitness while watching TV, try squeezing a mini-workout into each commercial break. From situps to skipping or a quick run up and down stairs, there are plenty of ways to introduce activity into your TV-watching schedule. The golden rule is simply to keep moving, with research suggesting that even fidgeting while sitting can burn up to 350 extra calories a day.

Lazy health tip 5: Do a crossword puzzle

If you really can’t find the energy to put yourself through a workout, take the opportunity instead to work on another area of your body – your brain. Boosting your mental health is just as important as improving your physical wellbeing, and luckily this can be done from the comfort of your couch. Research has found that frequent participation in mentally stimulating activities can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease, so rather than switching on the TV when you get in from work, give your brain a challenge and reach for a crossword, Sudoku puzzle or book instead.

Lazy health tip 6: Have leisurely meals

If there’s one instance where being lazy is an advantage, it’s when eating your meals. Taking long, leisurely meals – as opposed to eating on the run or multi-tasking – is a great way to look after your digestive system and also help you lose weight. By eating more slowly and focusing on your food, you will enjoy and savor it more and cut the risk of overeating. Also, as it takes 20 minutes for your body to register the feeling of being full, by eating more slowly you will feel full after less.

Lazy health tip 7: Order a fruit and veg box

If compiling your own healthy shopping lists feels too much like hard work, save time and energy by letting someone else do the work. Many farms and health food stores now deliver seasonal fruit and veg to local areas on a weekly basis, making it easy to try varied healthy produce without stepping foot out your door. Alternatively, for those who want more and have pennies to spare, several companies now offer the option of having prepared healthy meals delivered direct to your home.

Lazy health tip 8: Hit the dance floor

While the idea of a workout fills many with dread, there are plenty of ways to stay fit without it feeling like hard work. If you struggle to get motivated for an organised exercise session, try turning a night out into a workout instead. Hitting the floor for a dance is a great way to get fit, burn calories and tone and strengthen the body. More importantly, unlike with the gym, it provides a fun workout that won’t feel like exercise.

Lazy health tip 9: Supplement your diet

Keep falling off the healthy eating wagon? Try complementing your diet with a good quality nutritional supplement or “superfood”. While it’s no substitute for a healthy eating regime, on those days when your good intentions slip by the wayside a good supplement should help tide you over. Try a multi-vitamin complex or a natural “superfood” – such as spirulina, wheatgrass or bee pollen – which is packed with nutrients to help keep your health on track.

Lazy health tip 10: Get lots of sleep

While laziness is generally considered to be detrimental to your health, when it comes to sleeping it can actually pay off. Research has found that sleep can help you live longer, boost your memory and reduce stress, while getting less than five hours a night can lead to accidents, weight gain, and increased risk of heart disease. While it’s possible to have too much of a good thing, getting a regular eight hour’s sleep is a cheap and simple way to boost your health.

Source: Realbuzz.com

Ever wonder why we perform deep squats (that is, squats below parallel) in the first place? Has your doctor ever told you that squatting deep is bad for your knees? Read what the folks at T-Nation have to say about deep squats and why they are good for you.

"The ability to perform a picture perfect (deep) squat pattern demonstrates that someone has proper ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, thoracic extension, and glute activation."

“Squat Like You Mean It”

The ability to successfully perform a deep squat is a fairly good indicator of one’s overall fitness level and movement quality. Is it the end all, be all? Absolutely not, but it ranks right up there.

Squatting, for all practical purposes, is a complex movement that requires stability of the trunk and mobility of the extremities through constantly changing tension and position.

"What limits squat depth? “Stiff ankles, poor hip mobility, poor core stability” and more…"

Moreover, the ability to perform a picture perfect (deep) squat pattern demonstrates that someone has proper ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, thoracic extension, and glute activation, which, as my good buddy and ass-Jedi Bret Contreras has noted, helps counteract or “undo” much of the musculosketetal issues we see in every day society: low back pain, anterior knee pain, hip pain, hamstring strains, and groin strains, to name a few.

Lastly, the ability to perform a deep squat demonstrates one’s obvious ninja-like qualities. But that goes without saying.

Yet some people just aren’t ready to head to the gym on any given day and squat. They could have really stiff ankles, poor hip mobility, poor core stability, or something more structural in nature like femoral acetabular impingement – all of which can play a role in whether someone can squat to depth.

Yes, Squatting Deep is Safe for Your Knees

Depending on your athletic background, squatting below parallel may be a foreign concept to you initially, or you may have been told by a health professional that squatting deep is not good for the health of your knee. However, this has not been proven to be true.

At the risk of preaching to the converted, I can’t emphasize enough that squatting deep is not dangerous for the knees.

A deep squat requires that the anterior surface of one’s thigh drop below knee level on the descent. If one has the ability to go lower, great! But I find the above criterium to be a fair starting point, and tends to be far lower than what most trainees are used to in the first place.

Just to clarify, I’m not saying that everyone needs (or has) to squat “ass-to-grass.” I’m not that naive nor pigheaded. The fact is, not everyone can (or should) squat below parallel without considering their training history, injury history, postural deficiencies, and/or mobility deficits. I’d be remiss to state otherwise.

Source: tabatatimes.com