Sunday, September 23, 2012

Why You Should Get Your Kids Doing Pilates TODAY



We all know the benefits of practising Pilates as an adult, but what about your kids? Shouldn't they be getting some of that good stuff for themselves? Here's what you can expect as benefits for the youngster who does Pilates.

It Will Get Them Moving

Every child should spend at least one hour doing physical activity on a daily basis to stay healthy. This exercise should be aerobic for cardiovascular purposes, but strength training is recommended 3 times a week. By getting them started with Pilates you can get them fulfilling this requirement and they'll be increasing their strength and improving their posture to boot!

Moves such as the Hundred will provide an aerobic challenge and raise the heart rate. The slower movements will stretch out the muscles to make them stronger and more toned. Great for children who just love to eat!

If you don't fancy taking on the extra financial expense of signing them up to a class - don't worry you don't have to. You can purchase a DVD where a qualified instructor will explain and demonstrate the moves clearly.

It's Good For The Brain

Not only will the exercise improve circulation and the transportation of oxygen around the body, Pilates can lend a calming benefit. As it's a mindful type of discipline, it can teach your child how to focus, concentrate and control their emotions. This exercise will also increase the ability of the prefrontal cortex which enables the child to deal with complex tasks and planning.

It Will Give Them Flexibility

Children are naturally more flexible than adults, and that should be encouraged. The poses of Pilates can help the muscles of your child stay in good shape as they grow. It will also help to protect them against sports injuries - the New Zealand All Blacks Rugby Team are always at it as a protective measure! It will also help with any other activities that involve balance and strength such as gymnastics or dance classes.

Postural Improvements

We all know that many kids are just crazy about using computers, tablets and electronic games. All that sitting down is not good for the spine and we weren't designed to sit all day long. The child's posture can suffer from being hunched over electronic devices. By practising Pilates, the good habit of holding a neutral spine is introduced early and will go a long way to promote the good posture and habits that will prevent future back pain.

Teenagers can be notoriously difficult to communicate with as their hormones kick into action. By making Pilates part of the quality time that you spend together doing something useful, you can work on keeping that bond with your child. They'll be thankful that you took the time and effort to do it in later years.

If you're still wondering whether you should be getting your kids to do Pilates with you - then read up on it further, but it makes sense to build it into your daily routine and you'll be doing yourself a favour too!. It's an investment in your child - for now and the future.


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Botox As a Preventative Measure



Botox is most popular with adults in their forties but younger and younger women are utilizing the injections as a preventative measure. It has become a part of their beauty ritual that they complete either two or three times a year. The injections last up to four months, so all patients, regardless of their ages, can keep up with the smoothing effects and the distinct lack of muscle overuse that contributes to premature wrinkles. Some women are deathly afraid of aging, because the aging process is a physical one that shows wrinkles, spots and sagging. These are the three areas that many women in their twenties and thirties have begun to focus on when it comes to amplifying the effectiveness of their beauty routine.

Many women invest in regular visits to their local dermatologist. They go to repair sudden skin irritations and quite often to create or tweak a regime that can help slow down and even reverse some of the signs of aging that have begun to creep onto their faces. Younger women starting in their early twenties are listening to the tips of more mature Botox users and seeing the results up close. They are learning that they don't have to wait until the age spots or dullness has become a problem; they can nip it in the bud right now by finding the best exfoliation method for their skin type and sensitivity. The same is true for wrinkles. With the news being that the longer you use Botox the more the lines are permanently relaxed, younger women are flocking to the dermatologist's chair because preventative beauty treatments are far more satisfying and rewarding than reactionary beauty treatments that take up to 12 weeks to work and aren't made for everyone. But when the botulinum toxin injections are effective, they meet the expectations of the client for a smoother, refreshed appearance relieved of minor sinking and noticeable wrinkles. Young women don't want to worry about their looks in the future so they are preserving them now.

Honestly, there are times when the patients need to acquire more patience with their daily schedules and incorporate healthy eating and sleep patterns along with their beauty regime. But oftentimes genetics combine with environmental elements to legitimately speed up the ways that aging will show up on their bodies. Botox has been proven to be a viable treatment for many women. A series of predetermined injection sites that have been shown to be effective for treating frown lines, crow's feet and laugh lines, whether the patient is twenty-three or fifty-three. For most women, when the jars of creams aren't doing enough, it's time to see what the needle of Botox can do.


Should You Do Yoga With Your Kids?



If you're wondering whether you should do yoga with your kids, then the answer is yes. Researchers have found that there are some excellent benefits for youngsters to enjoy when it comes to practising this ancient exercise discipline.

The mindfulness of practising yoga has been found to help children develop their academic, social and emotional abilities. Not only are these children able to better control and regulate their emotions, they can deal better with stress and comfort themselves. We all know that children learn better when they are calm and focused. They also generally have better social skills and this can only make them happier.

Benefits of yoga for children:

- Increased uptake of oxygen, better circulation and hormone functioning - Increased attention and control of emotions - Improved prefrontal cortex function - this area of the brain enables more complex planning and execution of these - Improved management of chronic illness - Increased strength of muscles and flexibility - Positive attitude

What can you do with your child to encourage them to do yoga with you?

Introduce them to some of the fun yoga poses such as the Cow or Cat stretch and the Cobra. They'll love to pretend that they are animals. Try the Tree - tell them they are rooted to the earth and they have to sway their 'branches' in the breeze.

You don't have to wait until your children are any particular age, you can get started early. In fact, the earlier the better so introduce them as infants. You'll be doing your part in creating a generation of a more focused and happier population for our planet.

What about yoga in the classroom?

For the older child, schools are becoming more interested in introducing yoga to the classroom. Education providers have recognised that yoga can improve listening skills and wake up sluggish minds. With all the technology that many children have at home to play on, children often exercise less and don't get the movement that they need to stay healthy. Yoga has been found as an excellent way to get them stretching and flexing their muscles for better circulation. It's also good for the posture as it stretches out the spine.

What about the child who suffers from ADHD?

By partaking in a discipline that provides a chance for personal reflexion and an opportunity to be in the moment, children who need to cope with ADHD have a lot to gain. Impulsivity can take a back seat for a few minutes whilst the child puts their mind on the now. It's also popular as it's an activity that everybody can do at once without there being any competition to be the winner. Everybody's a winner.

Are there benefits for teenagers?

The mindfulness of yoga can help to calm the teenager who has upcoming exams or tests. It's an anxiety reducer after all. Not only that, it can improve the memory and it enhances focus and concentration. Yoga is also ideal as a stretch method for those who are revising for exams and are usually hunched over a text book.

So back to your question, should you do yoga with your kids? I'm sure you can see that the benefits are very appealing for both you and your youngster.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Many Uses of Laser Treatment Procedures



Living with wrinkles and other problems on your face is not something you have to deal with, because laser treatment options are available. When people decide to do something about their skin, they will often visit a clinic that offers these types of procedures. By visiting a clinic, you can meet with a trained surgeon that will discuss your options with you. He or she will tell you about the various choices you have and recommend certain ones for your skin.

Before doing this, the surgeon will look at your face and skin and this will help him or her determine what would be best for you. One important factor to keep in mind is that you should always choose a board certified surgeon to have these things done. This is the best way to ensure that your procedure will be successful and safe.

Each type of laser treatment available is designed for a specific purpose. By using a laser to complete these procedures, there is less pain involved and the procedures are actually considered to be non-invasive. This instrument is now used for thousands of different medical and cosmetic reasons. Before you have a treatment done, the doctor will most likely have to use some form of anesthesia for you. This is done to help the patients relax and to help control any pain.

There are many different options you will have. One of these is called a CO2 laser skin resurfacing. If you have major wrinkles or scars on your face, this is one way you can eliminate those. This will successfully remove most of the wrinkles and it is also used to remove sunspots. A Thermage CPT is another type of procedure. This is one of the simpler ones and there is no downtime for a person that has this done. It tightens the skin and makes it look younger and fresher. In addition to these, there are others that you can choose too. Some are designed more for wrinkle reduction, while others are for scar removal or to correct problems of redness on the face.

Laser treatment is also used for removing hair and spider veins. Hair removal is often done with the use of this tool because it is effective and it is less painful than other options. It can be done for hair that is located anywhere on the body, and is great for both men and women. Spider vein removal is something that is helpful to people that have spider veins or broken capillaries. There is also another procedure similar to this that is used to remove skin tags, moles, and other irregularities on the skin. A trained surgeon is able to accomplish all of these procedures.

Sunday, September 2, 2012

The Many Uses of Laser Treatment Procedures



Living with wrinkles and other problems on your face is not something you have to deal with, because laser treatment options are available. When people decide to do something about their skin, they will often visit a clinic that offers these types of procedures. By visiting a clinic, you can meet with a trained surgeon that will discuss your options with you. He or she will tell you about the various choices you have and recommend certain ones for your skin.

Before doing this, the surgeon will look at your face and skin and this will help him or her determine what would be best for you. One important factor to keep in mind is that you should always choose a board certified surgeon to have these things done. This is the best way to ensure that your procedure will be successful and safe.

Each type of laser treatment available is designed for a specific purpose. By using a laser to complete these procedures, there is less pain involved and the procedures are actually considered to be non-invasive. This instrument is now used for thousands of different medical and cosmetic reasons. Before you have a treatment done, the doctor will most likely have to use some form of anesthesia for you. This is done to help the patients relax and to help control any pain.

There are many different options you will have. One of these is called a CO2 laser skin resurfacing. If you have major wrinkles or scars on your face, this is one way you can eliminate those. This will successfully remove most of the wrinkles and it is also used to remove sunspots. A Thermage CPT is another type of procedure. This is one of the simpler ones and there is no downtime for a person that has this done. It tightens the skin and makes it look younger and fresher. In addition to these, there are others that you can choose too. Some are designed more for wrinkle reduction, while others are for scar removal or to correct problems of redness on the face.

Laser treatment is also used for removing hair and spider veins. Hair removal is often done with the use of this tool because it is effective and it is less painful than other options. It can be done for hair that is located anywhere on the body, and is great for both men and women. Spider vein removal is something that is helpful to people that have spider veins or broken capillaries. There is also another procedure similar to this that is used to remove skin tags, moles, and other irregularities on the skin. A trained surgeon is able to accomplish all of these procedures.


Saturday, September 1, 2012

Sore Knees? Here's What Yoga Can Do For Them

Before I started yoga, I hadn't realised how many ailments this ancient exercise is good for. When my neighbour told me that he had bad knees, then I knew immediately what could help him.

It's easy for the alignment in legs and in the back to get off kilter, but through stretching and strengthening of muscles in the vicinity, there are usually less problems experienced. None of us have perfect posture, and there will always be some part of the body that is sore or not properly aligned.

When it comes to knees, it's possible to strengthen muscles on either side of the knee, the inner and outer thigh muscles so that they can effectively support the kneecap.

When doing any exercise, it's important to align the body so that the strengthening of the muscles does not occur when they are in the wrong position.

Here's a little tip on how to ensure that your knees are in the correct position before you get started with a yoga session. Stand with your feet about 12 inches from the wall. Put your back on the wall and then slowly slide downwards. Check that your knees are pointing outwards directly over the centre of your foot.

Before you begin your yoga session, it's vital that you warm up your muscles. You can do this by running through the core sun salutations. Keep your focus on your breathing - keep it slow and deep through the nose.

There are several poses that are great for strengthening the muscles around the knee area. These poses will also help with the muscles and tendons running down the back of the leg so that there is good alignment. These are: - Corpse pose - Triangle pose - Cobra pose - Single leg raises - Relaxation pose

If I give a word of advice, it's to always keep an eye on how your knees are feeling as you go through the motions. This is particularly important for any poses that require your knees to be bent. Don't ever force yourself into any particular position and know that the hips also have a big influence on the knees. So any postures and poses that work on the hips will also help to keep your knees in good shape.