Heat wave: 10 ways to keep kids cool !!

It’s hot outside. Don’t lose your cool.

 

As the recent heat wave intensifies, it’s important to remember that rising temperatures can be more than just uncomfortable. This record-breaking weather can be dangerous--even deadly. Staying cool is a priority, so here are ten ways to combat the sizzling heat.

 

 

 

1. Chill your wrists: Chris Baskind of the Mother Nature Network suggests running cold water over wrists for a minute every hour:

“When you were sick as a child, your mom may have brought you a cold facecloth. This idea works the same way.”

2. Stay hydrated: Kids may not feel thirsty, but it’s essential to stay hydrated, so make sure young ones are getting lots of H20. If you’re planning to leave the house, freeze some water bottles and take them with you.

3. A little help from some fans: They may be little, but those battery-operated personal fans can make a big difference.

4. Frozen washcloth: Freeze a washcloth and then plop it on the back of their necks—instant refresher.

5. Turn off electronics: If they’re not being used, unplug electronics to keep them from generating unnecessary heat.

6. Stay downstairs: Downstairs areastend to be cooler. Herd kids into an air-conditioned basement, if available. If not, stay on the first floor.

7. Don’t cook: Feed kids fresh foods like salads and fruit. Not only will this cool the core, it’ll also keep cooking-related heat from filling up the house.

8. Plan ahead: If you’re leaving the house, make sure you won’t be spending too much time in areas without shade. Bring plenty of water and dress in lightweight, light-colored clothing.

9. Precool: Lifehacker recommends “precooling” to counter overheating:

“Before you start exercising, you can use a couple precooling techniques to keep your temperature down. This includes drinking a slushie, or even just draping a cold rag around your neck. These precooling techniques can improve endurance in hot weather exercise by nearly 4 percent.”

10. Postpone laundry: Plan to do heat-generating activities after the sun goes down. Do laundry at night, for example. 

Drop two sizes!

Shed stubborn pounds fast with this revolutionary new workout plan (no running involved!).

Here's something that may be hard to believe: Just because the scale is dipping doesn't mean your fitness routine is working.
If you're logging hours and hours on the treadmill, you've likely seen the numbers on the scale decrease, but you may not be losing body fat. In fact, a 2011 review in the Journal of Obesity found that the effect of regular aerobic exercise on body fat is negligible. Instead, shorter, high-intensity workouts--some that don't even include traditional cardio--have been shown to be more effective at reducing fat than any other type of exercise. These workouts have also been shown to significantly increase your fitness level, lower insulin resistance, and improve glucose tolerance.
Case in point: When comparing the effects on women of high-intensity exercise versus steady-state exercise, one study found that only the high-intensity group had a significant improvement in fat loss after 15 weeks. What's more, there was a significant reduction in fat from their legs (usually a stubborn spot for women) compared with their arms.

Tone Up Anytime, Anywhere

  

That's not to say traditional cardio like running is offlimits--it just shouldn't be your focus if you're trying to shrink your hips and slim your waistline. Rather than having you sweat away for hours, this metabolic workout is designed to get your heart pumping and rev up your metabolism in 30 minutes, max. The surprise: You won't go near a treadmill, bike, or elliptical machine. You'll utilize body-weight strength exercises to torch calories, build lean muscle, and blast more fat.

" The Best Workout for Your Body Type "

Your All-New Fat-Blasting Plan

Think of this routine as a piece of your fitness puzzle: You'll do the moves on the next page once or twice a week in place of your usual cardio workout. (You should also tally three total-body strength sessions--best done in the gym's weight room or with some dumbbells at home--for a total of four or five workouts a week.)
We call this workout "countdowns" at the gym, and it's a favorite--but it's also among the toughest. After a quick warm-up, do five reps of each exercise, moving from one to the next without resting; immediately sprint, jump rope, or run in place for 20 to 40 seconds, then rest for two minutes. Repeat, this time performing four reps of each move; continue the count-down pattern until you've finished the routine doing one rep of each exercise.
The routine is designed so that you do fewer reps as you get more tired, making it possible to finish with the same intensity you had at the beginning. And as you become more fit, you can increase your output: After five workouts, add an extra rep so you're starting with six reps of every exercise. Continue adding an extra rep each time until you've reached 10 reps.

" 21 Ways to Make Fitness Fun! "

Mix It Up There's more than one way to perform this routine. Vary your weekly program with a timed metabolic workout:
Starting with the first exercise, complete as many reps as you can in 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds. Continue this pattern until you've finished all the exercises. That's one circuit. Repeat three more times. The key is to push your intensity during the work period and then completely recover during the rest period before moving on to the next exercise.

1. Squat Thrust
Stand with your feet together and your arms at your sides. Squat down to the floor and place your hands in front of your feet (a). Jump your legs back into a pushup position (b), then quickly reverse the movement and stand to return to start. That's one rep.

2. Prisoner Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands behind your head, elbows out. Keeping your chest up and back flat, push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor (b). Push through your heels to return to start. That's one rep.

3. Prone Hand Touch
Get into a pushup position, your hands shoulder-width apart and your body forming a straight line from head to heels (a). Keeping your body stable and hips parallel to the floor, lift your left hand and touch your right hand (b), then return to start. Repeat with the right hand. That's one rep. Continue alternating.

4. Alternating Kettlebell Clean
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a kettlebell (or dumbbell) sitting between your feet. Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower and grab the weight with your right hand (a). With your back flat and core tight, stand and raise the weight to shoulder height (b). Reverse the move to return to start. Repeat with your left hand. That's one rep. Continue alternating.

5. Alternating Reverse Lunge
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands on your hips, chest up, and shoulders back (a). Keeping your upper body still and core tight, take a large step back with your right foot, then bend both knees to lower into a lunge (b). Press through your left heel to return to standing. Repeat, stepping back with your left foot. That's one rep. Continue alternating.

Extra Effort If you have done five workouts--three strength and two metabolic--and want to add a sixth, do a 20-minute intense interval workout using any form of cardio: treadmill, stair climber, hill sprints, stairs, or biking.



 

Weight loss mistakes to avoid !

 

 

 

Weight loss treatments and supplements are widely available. Using these proves to be beneficial for reducing several pounds per in a month.
But, never use weight loss plans, pills, supplements blindly. Do not follow workouts that you can’t continue.
To understand what major mistakes people make while losing weight read below.

1. First biggest mistake is to focus on just one activity. Either cut down your diet plans to very less food intake or just following a walk is not enough to get faster results of weight loss. Always consider both. Follow a diet plan along with exercise gives best results. It maintains health of the body.
2. Second mistake that is most common is to cut down your food too much that you start facing a problem of deprivation. No need to stop eating or skipping meals to reduce weight. Eat well to increase your metabolism rate but digest it properly and follow diet plans and exercises to burn the calories.
3. Third mistake is to make a plan of reducing several pounds in one month. The more you reduce at once more it will come back to you. Start reducing with slow speed.
4. Fourth mistake is to eat random things. Your body needs essential mineral all the time. You can’t ignore one and start taking another. This will affect your health. Try to take all minerals that are required by the body in proper amount.
5. Fifth mistake which is very common is to remove oil from the food. Your body never works without fat. You should try some mono-saturated fats in your diet plans to provide the necessary fat to the body. Choose selective fats for the body but never choose fat free diet plans.

All these mistakes are very common. People start taking diet pills and want faster results from extra weight. You should not make above mentioned mistakes. Keep away from these and take help from experts.

If you want a flat belly, don’t eat fast!

 

We are living in a fast moving world. We want all things to be done within a short span of time. That is also the same case with eating.

Many people I have found like to take food a lot quicker. I was surprised with the speed of their eating. They might have the feeling that eating slowly will make you fat while fast eating helps burn fat quickly! A big blunder !

Burning fat from your belly requires better digestion and metabolism. If you eat food a lot quicker that will affect the metabolic rate. That adversely affects the fat burning procedure. Since fast eating makes the metabolic rate lower which in turn deposit more fats in your belly.

It has shown that eating slowly breaking down all the particles increases metabolism and while doing the exercises it will boost you to burn the fat quickly. Your confidence will get increased and you will get that flat belly faster. So keep this saying in your mind, if you want a flat belly faster, you should take your food slower.

It can be related with a proverb, Slow and Steady wins the race. Yes, that’s true. Only slow eating will lead you to that sexy flat belly. Enjoy your food slowly and steadily and drink enough water and get a flat belly of your dream.

The faster you eat the faster you get an apple belly. It’s your choice whether you need an apple belly or a flat belly? I know it’s every woman’s dream to get a flat belly and impress their loved ones. Eat slowly and get the love faster from your dear ones.

Eating speed determines the rate of gaining belly fat. Weight gain is directly proportional to Eating speed. So reduce the swiftness while having food and enjoy the food. No one will steal your food. Spend enough time before your food to get a flat belly.

How to Get Kate Upton's Abs Without Doing Crunches: Health & Fitness: glamour.com

 

 

 

1 of 5

• Spider-Man Plank

  (works all abs muscles, plus calves, thighs, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)Start in push-up position with hands directly below shoulders. Pull right knee out to the side, hovering toward the right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat on opposite side. Do 15 reps per side

 

 

 

2 of 5

• Spider-Man Plank

  (works all ab muscles, plus calves, thighs, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
  Start in push-up position with hands directly below shoulders. Pull right knee out to the side, hovering toward the right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat on opposite side. Do 15 reps per side.
  
  

• Leg Scissors

  (works abs, especially the rectus abdominis)
  Sitting on the floor, prop yourself up on forearms, pull belly button toward spine, and extend legs at a 45-degree angle. Scissor legs (right over left, then left over right, as shown) as you slowly lower them toward the floor. Continue lifting and lowering for 30 seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 of 5

• Spider-Man Plank

  (works all ab muscles, plus calves, thighs, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
  Start in push-up position with hands directly below shoulders. Pull right knee out to the side, hovering toward the right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat on opposite side. Do 15 reps per side.
  
  

• Leg Scissors

  (works abs, especially the rectus abdominis)
  Sitting on the floor, prop yourself up on forearms, pull belly button toward spine, and extend legs at a 45-degree angle. Scissor legs (right over left, then left over right, as shown) as you slowly lower them toward the floor. Continue lifting and lowering for 30 seconds.
  
  

• Superman

  (works back and abs)
  Lie facedown with legs extended and hands behind head. Pull belly button in and slowly lift chest and legs off the floor as shown. Hold for five counts, lower, and repeat. Do 10 reps, holding the last rep as long as you can.

 

 

 

 

 

4 of 5

• Spider-Man Plank

  (works all ab muscles, plus calves, thighs, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
  Start in push-up position with hands directly below shoulders. Pull right knee out to the side, hovering toward the right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat on opposite side. Do 15 reps per side.
  
  

• Leg Scissors

  (works abs, especially the rectus abdominis)
  Sitting on the floor, prop yourself up on forearms, pull belly button toward spine, and extend legs at a 45-degree angle. Scissor legs (right over left, then left over right, as shown) as you slowly lower them toward the floor. Continue lifting and lowering for 30 seconds.
  
  

• Superman

  (works back and abs)
  Lie facedown with legs extended and hands behind head. Pull belly button in and slowly lift chest and legs off the floor as shown. Hold for five counts, lower, and repeat. Do 10 reps, holding the last rep as long as you can.
  
  

• Cross-Knee Plan

• (works abs, especially oblique's, plus thighs, butt, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
  From push-up position, bend and lift left knee, bringing it across body toward right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat, bringing right knee to left elbow. Do 15 reps per side.
•  

 

5 of 5        

• Spider-Man Plank

  (works all ab muscles, plus calves, thighs, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
  Start in push-up position with hands directly below shoulders. Pull right knee out to the side, hovering toward the right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat on opposite side. Do 15 reps per side.
  
  

• Leg Scissors

  (works abs, especially the rectus abdominis)
  Sitting on the floor, prop yourself up on forearms, pull belly button toward spine, and extend legs at a 45-degree angle. Scissor legs (right over left, then left over right, as shown) as you slowly lower them toward the floor. Continue lifting and lowering for 30 seconds.
  
  

• Superman

  (works back and abs)
  Lie facedown with legs extended and hands behind head. Pull belly button in and slowly lift chest and legs off the floor as shown. Hold for five counts, lower, and repeat. Do 10 reps, holding the last rep as long as you can.
  
  

• Cross-Knee Plank

  (works abs, especially obliques, plus thighs, butt, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
  From push-up position, bend and lift left knee, bringing it across body toward right elbow, as shown. Return to start and repeat, bringing right knee to left elbow. Do 15 reps per side.

• Plank With Torso Rotation

• (works all abs muscles, plus thighs, back, chest, arms, and shoulders)
• Start in a push-up, with a three-pound dumbbell (or full water bottle) in your right hand. Lift right hand and hug it across your chest, as shown. Then raise your arm up toward the ceiling, as shown. Return to start. Do 15 reps, switch sides, and repeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stretch Your Body Before And After Workout :)

As you age, your muscle will become so tight and the range of motion of the joints will be minimized. Simple activities you have done in the past will become extremely difficult because of this. Stretching regularly solve this problem to a greater extent.
Stretching is important to people of all age groups. It helps to elongate and loosen your muscles. One of the major benefits of stretching is that you will be able to increase the range of motion, which means your joints and limbs can be moved further before an injury occurs. There are several other benefits of stretching.

• Increases mobility and flexibility

Lesser flexibility can lead you to slow down the movement of joints and muscles, muscle strains, ligament sprains and other serious injuries. Stretching helps you make more flexible.

• Improves blood circulation

Stretching exercises increase blood flow to various parts of the body and muscles. This increased flow of blood nourishes your  muscles and helps to remove waste products from your blood. Increased blood circulation also speeds up recovery of muscle injuries.

• Improves body balance and coordination

Stretching improves your body balance and coordination as a result of increased flexibility. You will feel more comfortable while doing daily activities as a result of stretching.

• Helps reduce lower back pain

Stiff muscles in the hamstrings, lower back, buttocks and hips can cause lower back pain. If you Stretch regularly, that will loosen this muscle and also increases the strength and endurance that helps prevent from injuries and pain in the future.

• Improves cardiovascular health

Stretching is also considered to be the best exercise for your cardiovascular health. It helps to lower blood pressure, increases lung capacity and improves artery function.

• Improves posture

Since stretching strengthens your spine and almost all muscles, it improves the posture of your body and you will more confident while facing the public.
Most of the people have a misconception, they think that stretching is the first one to perform before starting the workouts. You have to do at least 5-10 minutes warm ups before stretching. Your muscles will be trained to face the challenges of stretching through warm ups. Now you can do stretching. Never forget to stretch before and after workout. It is very important to avoid injuries. To reap most of the benefits of stretching, always make sure that you are doing proper in proper form and in right time. Stretching should target your hips,  thighs, calves, back, ankles, shoulders, arms and neck. Bridging, knee stirs, calf stretch, rotating the necks, touching the toes, alternate leg touch, shoulder shrugs, wall touches are the major stretching exercises that target these areas. There is no need to stretch till you feel pain in your muscles. You have to stop stretching before that. Stretching is to make your muscles more movable and to improve your whole body, not to make your body more painful.
Everyone can stretch, regardless of their flexibility, age or gender. Whether you exercise or not, try to make the stretching exercises part of your daily routine. It does not have to involve a huge time  or commitment to do those exercises, but stretching can give you unbelievable results!

Health Tips : Exercise to Avoid During Pregnancy !

Women goes through many changes and difficulties during their pregnancy period. Therefore you have to plan your routine according to that changes in your body.

 

You don’t need to avoid all the exercises but proper planning is required during these times.
A well planned exercise plan will help you to boost your energy level and maintain your fitness level and prepare your body for the delivery.

• The first exercise you have to give special or you could take away from the routine during pregnancy time is squats. Your body gets loosened during this period and your lower back and legs would not be able to manage the stress caused by the squats. You can do squats using a fitness ball if doesn’t cause any problem to your knees.
• Deep knee bends are also recommended to avoid during this time.
• Weight lifting above your head or standard military presses should be avoided too. Excess curve during pregnancy causes huge stress on your lower back.
• Avoid all exercises that uses weights and that causes the abdominal muscle contraction. This will make you dizzy and lightheaded.
• Avoid bouncy, jerky movements and extreme stretching of your muscles.
• Avoid push ups and pull ups. You can replace those with wall push ups.
• You can also avoid lunges.
• Avoid all high intensity exercises.
• Workout only for 30 minutes and should exceed 4 times a week.

You should avoid certain exercises during pregnancy, since you are going through a special condition in your life your body needs extreme care and the exercises should be free from the stresses that affects your lower back and stomach. You are not recommended do any exercises that have fast and jerky movements.
The main exercises you could do while you are pregnant includes walking, parental yoga, light dance steps, stationary biking.
 

Tips for the day ! Get Flat Belly~ and you can added to your list ~ AVOCADO ;))

Benefits of avocado for your health and flat belly !
  


Avocados are the fruits that have been a part of the healthy diet for more than thousand years. These are native to south American continent. Avocados have a lot of health benefits and that will help you get a flat belly.
Avocados are not magical foods but they are good for you overall health. Avocados can inhibit the growth of prostate cancer and they are able to find out the pre cancerous and cancerous cancells and will destroy that cells without causing any problem to healthy cells.
Avocados are rich with beta-sitosterol, that compound helps to lower your cholesterol levels and it

WATER or COKE!

 

 

 

FYI- Found it on another page and thought I would share!

 

 

Very interesting indeed! Water or Coke? We all know that water is important but I’ve never seen it written down like this before.

WATER
...

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 30%.

4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

5 myths about tea

 

 

 

 



 

Find out the truth behind 5 common myths about tea                                                          

You probably already know that tea is an incredibly healthy beverage. In fact, studies show that if you drink tea regularly, you may reduce your risk of Alzheimer's and diabetes, plus have healthier teeth and gums and stronger bones. But not everything you've heard about tea is true. Here are 5 myths about tea busted.

—Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.