Fitness « The Publishers League

December 6, 2010

Initiating the Treatment of TMJ Syndrome Through Exercise

The formation of bone at the base of the human skull, which runs concurrently on both sides of the head up to the point where both upper and lower jaws meet is known as temporomandibular joint or TMJ. There are muscles, bones and tendons attached to the TMJ which helps it to conveniently carry out its functions in the human body. What then is TMJ syndrome and what are some of the best TMJ exercises?

TMJ syndrome is a condition of the jaw where the sufferer experiences pains while engaging in activities that necessitates movement of the jaws which includes but not limited to yawning, chewing, speaking and even smiling. Sometimes the pain is accompanied by swelling around the jaw which may temporarily immobilize the TMJ. Research has shown that there are certain exercises for TMJ which are carried out in order to get relief from the excruciating pains associated with suffering from such disorder.

The first among the TMJ exercises is the Pressure type of exercise. In this exercise, one slightly applies pressure right under the TMJ area using both index fingers. Once this slight pressure is applied, the mouth is then opened slowly until one hears a clicking sound from the jaw after which the exercise is stopped and repeated. The aim of this exercise is to help the jaw area to gradually regain its normal alignment which will aid the jaw to open and close with little or no discomfort.

The second exercise is the inhaling and exhaling exercise. In this TMJ exercise, the tongue is used in touching the roof of the sufferer’s mouth but should be done with mouth wide open. The person then inhales for some seconds, holds his or her breath and then exhales for some seconds. After the exhalation, the tongue is allowed to go back to its original position. This exercise should be repeated at least ten times, with intervals of seconds.

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October 27, 2010

Should You Get an Ab Chair?

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: ab chair, ab chair xl, ab chairs, gym equipment, home qym equipment — damon @ 12:10 pm

Ab chairs are one of the most heavily advertised pieces of home gym equipment these days. So what is it, and what can it do for you?

An ab chair is a seat that assists you in doing movements that work your abdominal muscles. The technologies involved in them vary from just simple aids to form, such as the popular ‘The Bean’ model, to complex units with various rollers and springs, such as in the Ab Rocket abdominal trainer.

There are pros and cons to using a chair to help in your abdominal exercises. One positive of any gym equipment is that purchasing it encourages you to exercise. And when it comes to motivation for working on ab trouble, every bit helps! They almost always come with some sort of plan, so you can do exercises for the specific muscles that need it. However, be careful, because one con is in the ‘get hot abs in 3 minutes a day’ sales pitch many companies use. The largest ab muscles are not the most visible ones, and in fact the ’6-pack’ abs are a result of the most superficial member of the abdominals. Another con as stated by fitness experts is that they don’t let you profit from some exercises, such as when you are assisted out of the deep part of a crunch. Full-range ab exercises can irritate the lumbar area just like a full-range sit up does, and these chairs almost always stress full-range motions. This can discourage exercise as well as cause back pain. Finally, they can be much more expensive than alternatives such as the competing Swiss Ab ball.

So if you need or want to seriously work on your abs and lack motivation, then you could consider an ab chair, though experts would suggest one of those that are simpler in design to help you do more of the work. But if you are self motivated, you may get more from traditional exercises, and if you are a gym member, take advantage of their chairs, or the assistance of a trainer, to get more bang for your buck.

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October 25, 2010

Martial Arts And Meditation

Filed under: Fitness,Health & Fitness — Tags: how to meditate for beginners, martial arts, martial arts and meditation, meditation — damon @ 10:29 pm

photo credit: Greg Livaudais

Martial arts and meditation often go hand in hand in many countries. It’s true that in America it is less common but it is still practiced at least in small amounts in almost every discipline. So what is it about these two disciplines that seem to go perfectly together almost counter-intuitively?

Some might find it odd that someone who practices martial arts self defense techniques that are meant to often punch and kick would also practice meditation. Meditation is almost the antithesis of martial arts yet they are almost inextricably intertwined. Both of these practices have been around for thousands of years and they are more prevalent now than at any time in history.

The practice of these two disciplines is really about more than the external viewer perceives. Both of these practices are almost entirely designed for spiritual purposes with the side benefit of self-defense. One of the best ways to increase your spirituality is to challenge both the mind and the body to the extreme. This is why you see such acrobatics, flexibility, and tolerance for pain in the arts. At the same time it takes an equal measure of discipline to quiet the mind for long periods of time.

Both of the techniques were designed and molded to challenge the mind, body, and spirit to inspire growth of the holy trinity within. How to meditate for beginners: Everyone has to start somewhere and in the case of westerners we often don’t find out about the benefits of meditation until we are adults. There are some fairly advanced techniques but you can experience extraordinary results with simply sitting quietly for ten minutes per day paying attention only to breathing.

Over time you will be able to quiet the chatter of the conscious mind and reap the benefits of daily meditation. This discipline coupled with martial art training can and most likely will have profound effects on your life if you give them both a chance. You could simply exercise and receive benefit as well if you cannot find the time but there is something about martial arts that is particularly fulfilling.

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September 2, 2010

Bare Foot Running – Stupidity or Common Sense?

Filed under: Fitness,Sports — Tags: new balance 991, New Balance 991 men's, New Balance 991 shoes, New Balance 991 woman's — damon @ 10:20 am

photo credit: gray_um

The latest craze is one that sees runners all over the world divided into two camps. There are supporters of bare foot running and there are those who think you need medical help if you are to venture out into the public domain with no shoes on your feet.

Let us not forget though, bare foot running is not a new concept. There was the famous Zola Budd who broke the world record twice whilst running barefooted in the woman’s 5000 meter race. She also won the Cross Country championships twice.

Another supporter of the bare foot running is Chris McDougall, who has written a book called Born to Run. He actually goes as far to say that the majority of injuries suffered by runners are because of sneakers.

People who definitely do not support the bare foot running theory have to be major players in the training shoe industry. This industry pulls in a massive 20 million each year simply by selling running shoes. A perfect example of a hot favorite product would be the New Balance 991.

Marketed as the perfect item to cushion your toes and heels, the New Balance 991 is one of the leading models of running shoes. The makers have no hesitation in telling you that they have carefully researched their customers needs and implemented features into the shoes.

Gel inserts, heel counters and Eva technology all make for the perfect shoe which allows runners to excel whilst maintaining good health. New Balance 991 is aimed to protect and cushion the runners feet at all times.

So is Barefoot running stupidity or common sense? This is not something that is answered with a yes or no. It is the personal preference of the runner. I do know however, that standing on a pebble with enormous force causes me a great deal of pain, which could have been prevented by simply wearing running shoes. If you would like to learn more about or buy New Balance 991 shoes go to Shoechampion.com.

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August 6, 2010

The Bikini Workout Made Easy

Filed under: Fitness — Tags: bikini workout — damon @ 1:45 pm

photo credit: teammarche

Many people ask me what is a surefire way to create the ultimate bikini workout? Usually they need to get in shape for a special event such as a wedding, class reunion, an internet date or some other crazy thing. Bikini’s are made to not cover a whole lot of the body. So when you have most of yourself exposed to the general public and most certainly the opposite sex I expect that you would want to put your best foot… or body forward. Many women try to include strength training into their routine to help build the required muscle needed to balance out their bodies. This is great except that many women start working on their legs and hips and forget about their upper body which is an important part of sculpting their overall look.

I recommend staying light on the lower body for the first six weeks. Light stretching and dance movements may benefit but no lower body strength training. It is important to do multiple joint exercises such as pushups, presses, horizontal rows, lat pulldowns and many core movements for your midsection, abs and lowback. When you include these types of exercises into your routine, you insure against injury and create a strong stable environment to begin performing your lower body exercises.

This bikini workout will help undo many of the imbalances you have suffered through a life of sitting in a chair for eight hours a day or eating your way to a size 12. Keep in mind that a bikini workout can only work if you are committed to putting the time and effort into it. It has never been my experience that you just one day wake up from a life full of eating unhealthy and laziness and viola’ a beautiful bikini body. Remember… commitment is the cornerstone of accomplishment.

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June 21, 2010

Tips For Mens Exercises At Over 40

Filed under: Fitness,Health & Fitness — Tags: exercise for men over 40, exercise over 50, over 40, over 40 fitness — damon @ 7:06 pm

photo credit: Ernst Vikne

We all know that statistics show that men often die sooner than women, by around five years. The biggest problem with men is that they fail to observe their health and their body organs will give in sooner than those of women. We know that a woman in general, is busier and happier than a man in ordinary life, they get to exercise more during their normal activities and their casual interaction means that they are exposed to less stress and other factors that will affect a person’s health negatively. However, a person can turn things around at any age even if they feel that their past lives was not as healthy as it should have been. By undertaking exercise for men over 40, one can minimize their aging signs, burn fat and reduce the chances of heart failure and other diseases and other conditions.

Whether you wish to exercise to lengthen your life, be stronger, look healthier or feel better about yourself, you will find the following exercise tips very beneficial to your course.

a) Aerobic and cardio exercises – Since heart diseases and conditions are the leading natural killers of men, undertaking cardio and aerobic exercises will reduce these chances by exercising to burn fat, increase heart activity to make it strong, get rid of obesity and overweight and reduce high blood pressure.

b) Weight training exercises – Since the body starts producing less testosterone, the muscle mass drops. Strength training can help you reduce the rate of losing muscle mass, increase muscular strength, endurance and power. There are specific exercise over 50 that you can do to achieve this.

c) Nutrition – this is one of the most ignored health factors by men. It is very important that you eat right to stay healthy, avoid excessive consumption of bad foods like sugars, processed carbohydrates, alcohol, saturated fats and processed foods.

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March 4, 2010

Proper workouts and diet to build chest muscle

Filed under: Fitness,Uncategorized — Tags: build chest muscle, build chest muscles, how to build chest muscle, how to build chest muscles, muscle building — damon @ 2:49 am

Everyone longs to have a good if not perfect body, men and women alike. What defines a good body may be different for men and women but the basic fact is that skin and muscles must dominate the way someone looks. People, especially men, are always trying to build their chest muscles, abdominal and arm muscles. It is tough building chest muscles because it is one area that is not directly affected by physical exercises that aim at stretching and straining the muscles for growth. To combine a look of power and fitness and power, one has to build chest muscle and make them firm, chiseled and fit.

The most important ingredient in building powerful and attractive chest muscles are proper workout and appropriate diet plans. You cannot just walk into the gym one evening and start working out to pump the chest muscles and expect dazzling instant results. Lust like everything good, a proper work out plan is essential if you are to achieve the success you need. To get results faster, I will give you some very important hints and tips that will guide you through the process of building your chest muscles.
Firstly, know that chest exercises precede supporting muscles.

When doing chest workouts, specs are not the only strained muscles but shoulder and triceps muscles as well. Therefore, working out the shoulders and triceps first will make it difficult for you to develop the chest muscles no matter how effective the workout plan is. You have to stick to healthy diet for building muscle that comprises of high calorie intake with lots of protein, vitamins and good fats. Work your pecs in different angles and directions, for instance, press the bench from different points to work out all the chest muscles. Chest presses can be done using dumbbells, barbells or other similar effect from pushups.

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