While walking, you should hold your posture as though you have a string going straight through your body from your feet, through your torso, and out the top of your head. This is perfect alignment. Also, your head should be held up high, and your eyes should look straight ahead, checking around you also and occasionally behind to ensure that there is no one who is too close ahead, to the side, and behind you. You should lift your feet as you walk. Today I saw a man who jogs around the park I walk in who hardly ever lifts his feet. He drags them along which is terrible for his feet and his posture. Try to keep your back as straight as you can, holding your stomach muscles in. If you have ever taken Pilates, this goes along well with the Pilates teaching of how best to “use your body.” Always swing your arms from the shoulder.

Many people look down all the time, and this is also bad for posture. It’s understandable why people may do this since there are often potholes and things strewn on the path you may be walking on a city street, but, hopefully, you have found a fairly even path or track that is safe to walk on.

It’s best to carry your bottled water and a small healthy snack or even a half of a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread plus your emergency change and cash in a small pack that ties either around your waist or on your back. This also aids in good posture. Remember to keep your shoulders back and your chest out. Keep breathing in and blowing out. You don’t have to worry about doing this if you are involved in a conversation, but many of us forget to breath deeply while exercising. You need to make sure you get enough oxygen because this is essential to keeping our posture in proper alignment and staying healthy. You may want to listen to a CD as you become more comfortable with holding correct posture, as it will make your walking time more enjoyable, that is unless you have a mate or friend you enjoy walking and talking with at the same time!

Your physical strength and athletic ability are largely determined by the strength of your muscles. Strong muscles are firm, give a sleek contour to the body and enable you to perform most types of movements with ease.

While the number of muscle fibers per muscle is determined genetically and cannot be increased or altered, exercise will enlarge the diameter of the individual muscle fibers and increase the blood supply within the muscle, thereby increasing its overall strength.

One of the major advantages of a regular, well-integrated fitness programme is that, over a period of time, it will enable you to build up both muscular strength (the ability of your muscles to exert maximum force at a given moment) and muscular endurance (their ability to perform repeatedly without fatigue).

Inactivity will cause muscles to diminish in size and to atrophy, or waste away. Diminished muscles fibers not only weaken the muscle, but also make it much more susceptible to injury by sudden and unfamiliar stresses. As the joints are supported and moved by the groups of muscles on either side, weak muscles will also tend to make for weak joints that are more susceptible to dislocation or injury to some or all of the supporting ligaments.

The strength of the large muscle groups is increased by working them, either through specific types of sports or activities or by using an exercise routine that combines certain movements to persuade the muscles to contract and then to extend. The second is the more reliable method, provided, of course, that the routine is sound, because it works systematically through each of the large muscle groups in turn.

The most effective way of increasing the strength of the muscles is by long-term resistant exercise that makes muscles work harder by providing a counter force. Examples are swimming against the tide or used buoys to add drag’, bicycling into the wind or incorporating the used of weights into your exercise programme.

A sensible use of weights will not over-develop your muscles. Instead, it will firm and strengthen them, thereby protecting the joints. It will also greatly improve the general line and contour of your body, particularly those areas, such as thighs, buttocks and upper arms, that tend to be most resistant to weight-reducing diets.

By working muscles not commonly used in everyday activities, these exercises can help you to sculpt’ a better body shape. Dumb-bells and weights held in the hand will

The following are some common exercise and cardiac risk related queries that have been presented in a simple Question & Answer format.

1. Do you know why you are exercising?

a] Are you trying to lower your cardiac risk ?

Then, cycling & swimming are the best form of exercise. Walking jogging & aerobics are also good but they are better geared to take care of other goals.

b] Are you exercising to strengthen bones & joints ? Or to prevent fractures and osteoporosis.

Then walking jogging & aerobics are best. Lifting weights is also good. Cycling & swimming do not reduce your risk of bone fractures.

c] Are you trying to build muscle ?

Then repetitive weight training is the best for you

2. Are you doing enough exercise ?

Why guess when you can measure?

The aim of any exercise is to improve the performance of your body vis-à-vis the demand. It is recommended that you exercise to keep your “target heart rate” at 60% of the maximum for 20-30 minutes, thrice week. This is the minimum amount of exercise needed.

To calculate your target heart rate -

Maximum heart rate =220 -age = max

Target heart rate = max x 0.60 = target

3. Tips for starting an exercise program.

1. Consult your doctor before starting any exercise routine-

If you are older than 40 years or are overweight or have high BP or are pregnant or are on any medications. You could cause irrepairable damage to your body machine by an inappropriate exercise schedule. Please remember that vigorous exertion can trigger sudden death in persons with coronary artery disease. This concept is particularly pertinent to asymptomatic middle aged persons ( and often older ones ) who abruptly enter or reenter the competitive athletic arena by engaging in increasingly popular and intensive sports programs, often after lobg periods of sedentary lifestyle.Gradual entry into conditioning programs can reduce this risk.

2. Choose an exercise that you will enjoy.

3. Warm up for 5-10 mins.

4. Exercise at target heart rate for 20 – 30 mins.

5. Cool down for 5 – 10 mins.

6. Exercise minimum 3 times a week.

4.What are the leading medical causes of death in the world ?

In the USA the most common causes are –

1. Heart disease -33%

2. Cancer -23%

3. Stroke -6.6%

5. How to lose weight scientifically ?

To lose 1 lb weight, you need to burn 3500 kcals.

This can be done by eating 500 kcal less every day for 1 week. ( roughly works out to replacing lunch or dinner with fruit)

6. How to beat the urge and avoid bad habits ?

A good way to avoid bad habits is to delay them. Set a timer for 5 mins when you have an urge to eat ice cream or smoke or drink.

7. Should I worry about cholestrol if I am older than 65 yrs ?

Yes a study (in Sweden) has shown that thge risk of heart attack & death is reduced by lowering cholestrol in elderly. Stopping smoking & the control of BP is equally important in people above the age of 65 yrs.

8. How should I plan for a travel or trip to another place ?

Plan 4 weeks in advance to protect yourself against Jaundice – Hepatitis A vaccine (havrix) 1 ml im 4 weeks before your travel date and a booster dose at 6 – 12 months.

There are many hereditary and acquired muscle diseases, and an accurate diagnosis is crucial for effective management. Diagnosis often involves specialist assessment and investigations such as electromyography and muscle biopsy. A number of common muscle diseases are explained and discussed below.

(a) DUCHENNE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked trait that mostly affects males. It is characterized by diffuse skeletal and cardiac muscle involvement. It is universally fatal, with death occurring most commonly in late adolescence or early adulthood. Symptoms usually have their onset in early childhood with progressive muscle weakness. The focus of care at this early stage is on maximizing mobility and minimizing contractures and scoliosis. Between the ages of 8 and 11 years, affected children usually need a wheelchair and as the weakness progresses, they become increasingly dependent on carers for bathing, feeding and other personal care.

The physical symptoms most commonly encountered in the terminal stage result from respiratory failure secondary to muscle fatigue. Initially this may be present only during sleep, giving rise to symptoms such as irritability, nausea, headache and daytime somnolence. Scoliosis and retention of secretions compound respiratory muscle failure, and pneumonia is a frequent cause of death. Treatment interventions include spinal immobilization, mechanical clearing of secretions and ventilatory support. Advance-care planning is important.

Other problems suffered by these children include constipation, dysphagia (difficulty in eating), reflux, weight loss or weight gain, depression and heart failure.

(b) POLYMYOSITIS

Polymyositis has probably been overdiagnosed in the past, and currently includes a heterogeneous group of chronic inflammatory muscle diseases. An attempt is being made to define these disorders more precisely, on the basis of their pathophysiology.

There are usually clinical features of proximal limb-muscle weakness. Respiratory or cardiac muscle also can be involved. Swallowing may be affected. Raynaud’s phenomenon, rash, arthritis and pulmonary fibrosis can occur. The creatine phosphokinase is usually elevated, often in proportion to muscle damage, with other enzymes (lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransaminase, alanine aminotransferase) usually also raised. Electromyography shows myopathic potentials, abnormal spontaneous activity, and fibrillation potentials.

Muscle

Cardiac muscle, skeletal muscle, and smooth muscle classify the three types of muscles in the human body. All humans have muscles; and all humans associate muscles with strength, fitness, and body building. But, what exactly are muscles?

Muscles are body organs composed of bunches of fibers that expand and contract to cause movement. Muscle movements are either voluntary or involuntary. Voluntary muscles work when the person whose body the muscles are in send a signal to the brain telling the brain to make the muscles move an arm or a leg or a finger, etcetera.

Involuntary muscles work on their own, however, because involuntary muscle activity involves contraction of the heart muscle, dilation and contraction of pupils, and contraction of the peristalsis (the organ that maneuvers food through the digestive system).

In order to keep muscles shapely and prepared to perform the tasks we subject them to, we must feed and exercise them. The degree to which we feed and exercise voluntary muscles such as rectus abdominis (abs), quadriceps femoris (four muscles on front of thigh), and biceps brachii (front upper arm muscle) impacts their size and strength. And when commence a routine to strengthen our muscles, tone our muscles, or increase the size of our muscles, the way we care for our muscles – feeding them, resting them, and liquifying them – must be considered.

Consuming protein is a vital step in gaining strong lean muscles. Protein is needed to repair muscles after they’ve torn during exercise. Tearing is a normal part of muscle growth.

Carbohydrates are as important in muscle growth as protein because carbohydrates provide energy needed to perform exercises that tear muscle before muscle can re-grow into bigger and stronger states. We cannot gain muscle simply by eating protein. We must encourage our muscles to utilize the protein.

Eating foods that help you gain muscle is as important for anyone on a weight loss program as it is for those seeking to bulk up. Strong healthy muscles keeps body metabolism moving at faster rates which in turn allows you to lose weight more quickly; and as far as carbs go for those seeking to lose weight, feeding your body carbs so that your muscles can get a good work out in turn allows your body to utilize muscle building protein. So eating carbs to keep energy levels high and to help in maintaining focus helps you perform better during workouts.

Healthy carbs and protein that help you gain muscle include:

Here are some very easy steps and techniques on how to build dense solid muscle mass. First and foremost is diet, a high clean protein diet preferably food source protein rather then synthetic. Examples of synthetic proteins are powders, and bars. The best sources are tuna , eggs, whole grain breads , and red meat in moderation. Keep in mind that the body can absorb only so much protein , so each person should find their own tolerance rate with out the protein drag. What I mean about the protein drag is this: when ever I consume extremely high protein amounts I tend to feel sluggish mentally and especially physically. Constipation and lack of explosive training energy is also very noticeable. With that being said I suggest a proper carbohydrate mixture is also key to energizing the body and mind for weight training and other exercises. I have being weight training for 6 years now and had a start weight of 168 lbs, I now weigh 220lbs. I do not use illegal sources of muscle gainers such as steroids or human growth hormones (HGH), I have used creatine for some periods of my training history. I find though with building mass, a person can mentally Psyche them self up sort of like a placebo and hit their goals without the harmful side effects of steroids and human growth hormone (HGH). I utilize an approach such as this while training, I lift heavy e.g. for bench press I start at 225lbs first set 8 reps, (repetitions) second set 250 lbs 6 reps, third set 275lbs 4 reps, and for my final set I’ll try and set a new personal record lift. Even if I can only lift this new weight once or sometimes not even once it forces the body to new heights of muscle growth. I use this same method for each and every body part I train. My routine also comprises of this formula, e.g. lets say I am training a Monday, Wednesday, Friday set Monday and Friday are the same body parts. For this example lets say chest and bi-ceps with calves, while Wednesday is back, shoulders and tri-ceps with quads. the next week of Monday, Wednesday, Friday flip so chest bi-ceps and calves go to Wednesday, and therefor back, shoulders , tri-ceps and quads flip to Monday, and Friday. I feel the double impact of this routine has helped me both build strength and size as well as maintaining my physique despite of my length of training session. I recommend trying to obtain at least a minimum of one hour and fifteen minutes to train this style. More time can be added but less then an hour I find does not fulfill the total “max out” work out. A “max out” work out is one that leaves your muscles exhausted but “not” injured. I stress that causing self inflicted injuries by over training should be avoided at all costs, this may hinder muscle growth or may even discourage a person to give up training altogether. I must also suggest that a person gradually works this regiment into their training style. Add or subtract and free weight or machine you desire. I can guarantee that if done properly you can gain solid muscle mass as I did. I am the proof that this works and I feel great and look great in and outside of my body. My ultimate goal is to reach 250lbs in the next 3 years naturally chemical free and using my mass and muscle building routine.

Walking seems like an easy way to to travel, after all all humans have mastered this habit. But actually walking is very complicating achievement that is reached with following the right rhythm of your whole body.

To stay up-rite and keep moving as a walker your feet, hips, spine, arms and even your shoulders and head needs to be in balance and move as one!

So how do we do that? Let’s first look down. Your feet and legs do the essential work. To move smooth you should always keep keep he joints somewhat bent, especially your knees. When your weight moves to the forward foot your knee will bend even more. This is called “the recoil” position. It is also the lowest point in your walk.

When you move ahead your knee will straighten and lift your body higher. While you are in the highest position your other foot will pass the supporting leg. This is also called the “passing position” for obvious reason.

Next you will lift the heel off the foot that is bearing your weight and move the weight forward first to the ball off your foot and as this happens your free foot swings forward to hit the ground.

When your free foot finally hits the ground you are exactly in the half-way on the moving cycle. The latter part of the cycle should be exact mirror of the first. If it is not you will be limping.

Now let’s look at higher, what are your hips doing? First of all they are keeping the balance. Your hips are also moving together with your legs. Meaning that if your right leg is going forward so is your right hip. And when your left leg moves right hip appears to move back while your left hip is moving forward. Your hips are doing plenty swinging if you are walking in faster speed! If you ever look at the competitive walkers you will see this hip action quite clearly!

To keep the balance your your hips will rotate along the axis of your spine. Your spine is getting opposite pressure from your hips and from your shoulders and twisting while you are walking. Your shoulders are swinging in opposite direction from your hips to keep you well in balance.

Your arms usually just hang loose on the side unless you are using them like “pedals” to move even faster.

In your normal walk your head is trying to stay as level as possible while you are watching where you are going. But there is always at least a slight bob in every step to ensure that you are still balanced.

So you are using many many muscles while you are walking which makes it such a good way to stay in moderately healthy. This is why walking is recommended for many in diet programs and just to keep your body in decent shape!

Your muscles are hard at work every time you make a movement. Being able to identify both individual and groups of muscles accurately and understanding how they function is needed if learning the art of massage.

Your body contains more than 600 skeletal muscles, enabling a wide range of movement. Each has its own role, although most actions occur through the combined effect of several muscles.

Skeletal muscles can be identified by:

Location such as the intercostal muscles, located between the ribs.

Shape for instance the trapezius is a trapezium, or parallelogram.

Size such as the gluteus maximus and smaller gluteus medius.

Direction for example, rectus abdominus (rectus means straight).

Number of heads if a muscle has more than one origin, or head’, its name includes ceps’, Greek for head.

Attachments some names relate to the muscles’ body attachments.

Action some are named for their effect on joints; for example, flexors bend and extensors straighten joints.

The most familiar muscles in your body are skeletal muscles, also known as striated, or voluntary muscles. They are under conscious control, but can contract in a reflex action, such as the knee jerk reaction. Muscles that contracts to move bone is called striated muscles due to its striped appearance under the microscope.

Each muscle fiber consists of long, thin strands, called myofibrils. These are made up of two kinds of tiny, overlapping protein filaments, which give the myofibril a banded appearance.

Most movable joints can flex (bend) and extend (straighten) like a hinge. Some can move in other directions, depending on the arrangement of bone ends and muscles that act across the joint. Flexion and extension are opposing actions, meaning that the muscles which flex the joint are relaxed when it is extended, while the muscles that extend the joint are relaxed when it is bent.

A muscle contracts when stimulated by a nerve impulse, which causes chemical changes to take place that shorten muscle fibers. Contraction of an opposing muscle, which is triggered by a chemical called acetylcholine, stretches the filaments of the original muscle.

When a muscle contracts it exerts a pulling force (load) on its bony attachments. The type of movement that results depends on the configuration of bones and joints that the muscle crosses.

The ability to rotate the forearm is peculiar to humans and apes. The actions used are pronation (palm facing

Walking is one of the easiest forms of exercising. Many of us working people walk everyday, whether it is during working hours, while grocery shopping, and inside our homes. However, have you ever stopped to think about how much calories you have lost? I am very sure that a good percentage of us do not even count all of the steps we have used in one day. That is, if you do not have a pedometer handy. Nevertheless, walking is very important for our health, whether we are on the job or just having a good time doing it.

I would like to share a quote which is stated by English novelist Charles Dickens. This is what he had to say about walking: “Walk and be happy, walk and be healthy. The best of all ways to lengthen our days is to walk, steadily and with a purpose.” From that quote, Dickens acknowledges the aspects of having to walk for enjoyment, not just during those working hours. There is even a study from New York City that took a close glance at the lifestyles of walkers and non-walkers. A total of 110,000 persons were being observed during the first four week of their illnesses. Now pay attention to what happened by the end of the fourth week: 41 percent of those who were non-walkers died; 23 percent of the walkers stayed alive. As physical activities were used, 57 percent of the inactive have died; 16 percent of the active lived on.

Walking works just as well as for the breathing inside a human body. It is in the form of a muscular action; all of the foot, leg, and hip muscles are involved. The abdominal muscles contract and support their share of weight, while the diaphragm and rib muscles increase their action. For the arm and shoulder muscles, they are known to work as immediate actions. Both the shoulder and neck are worked out as the head is held erect. Last, you may not realize it but as you look about, you are putting your eyes into a fitness routine.

Recalling Dickens’ statement, walking is a fun activity. As we walk on our feet, we are also putting our bodies into the busy motion. This will benefit the heart as it continues to pump the blood throughout our bodies. I certainly walk everyday, and I am very sure that you do as well. The more you become active, the more flexible you will be.

With the ab and core muscles being at the center of our body structure, both top and lower muscular development is effected by the strength and symmetrical development of the Oblique, Rectus Abdominus, and Transverse Abdominus (deep) muscles. With all these core ab muscles being at center abdominal line above the belly button, it supplys and supports the posture and symmetry for the rest of our body’s internal muscular architecture. Through excercise of the ab and core muscles, progression is apparent when gaining the proper form and complete strain of ab and core muscles during excercise in an evenly postured workout. Transforming body structure internally through out, eventually tightening fat layers of these core muscles. It is significant in order to progress the entire bodies strength and evenly firming the form and look of muscles including the lower back, chest, arms, buttocks, and legs. By fixing the more internal unsymmetrical muscles and of spine and tailbone as well, ab and core prgoression can fix a twisted tailbone which is a solution for uneven posture and unsymmetrical abdominal formations, therefore making working out the back to shoulders more effective and symmetrical. This is proven in inducing higher percentage muscle gains. This slow and easy formation of ab and core can be done with this proper form to undertake and redirect mishapen spine and tail bone, due to years of having a mishaping body posture and or working out with strong and dominate sides overcompinsatingly, a tail bone can begin a slow twist at the end of spinal cord. Therefore this action slowly corrupts the level of each side of core abdominal’s strength, size, and shape. A twisted tailbone has also been known to be the relevent connection been the premature or minute unsymmetrical formation of the jawbone. It all goes back to the excerise of ab and core muscles progressing to the proper tailbone compensation and support, then therefore to the spine and rest of the shoulders and jaw as well. The body is all interlocked at the inner and core muscles. Therefore making the intiated support of the body by excercise progression of this area is very important to other more unthought of variable body sections. With this information in mind you can understand a clear idea of why the ab and core muscles are indictive and in gaing a progressive excercise that works for the rest of the developmental body structure.