Preparing Yourself to Live a Long Life

With the likelihood of living to a ripe old age a distinct probability for most people, it behooves us to prepare ourselves to live a longer life. Because of many changes from the past, it is entirely possible for most of the population of today to reach the age of ninety or even 100 years of age and beyond. Health and fitness, among other issues, will be of paramount importance.

Reasons why a longer life is more likely
• There have been many advances in the medical field to fight disease and dying.
• New discoveries are being made everyday in the technology areas.
• Many people are willing to put in the time and effort to improve their lives.
• People are taking better care of themselves and their health.
• Anti-aging products are having beneficial results for the older generation.

Areas in which to make preparations for living longer
• Interests. Keep your mind active and alive by educating yourself daily.
• Finances. Have enough money to enjoy life even if it means working longer.
• Family and friends. Pay attention to matters in the family to provide happiness.
• Environment. Make life more enjoyable by improving your living conditions.
• Health. Take better care of your physical health to enhance living.

Interests. It is never too late to start learning something new. People in their advanced years are returning to finish their education. Reading and studying can be achieved by anyone in any station of life.

Finances. If money is tight, there are so many ways that people can prepare to save more money for the future or to earn money if the senior citizen years have already arrived. Older people can still be productive in the workplace or can start a home based business in order to earn extra money.

Family and Friends. Although there are some few people who profess to have no family, most people are surrounded by people they love, whether family or friends. These are the people who matter most and with whom one can find the most enjoyment in life. Love is very important to everyone, and this is where it originates.
Environment. Whether a person is in a mansion or a tiny apartment, living conditions can be pleasant and happy. Cleanliness is important. A lack of clutter can provide a more peaceful and satisfying environment.

Health. The health issues are many and varied from exercise to taking health supplements of which there are many on the market today. There are many products for anti-aging which may make the later years more enjoyable and worthwhile. Finding ways to maintain or improve health is vital to one's physical and mental well being.

Prepare yourself today to live long and enjoy life.

Motivation for Fitness Beginners

Have you ever thought of yourself standing on a beach and then turning all heads around you?? Have you ever thought of wearing a tight fitting shirt and then feeling very pleased with yourself to wear it because it fits you perfect?? If not then this article is not for you, you may try reading the other sections. If yes then this is a must read for you. And I assure you, that spending your time reading this page is definitely worth your time. I am hoping that you guys would be pretty well pumped up after reading this.

What do you think is motivation?? It's basically a driving force which arises within you and which helps you tremendously to achieve your goals. Now this definition can differ from person to person. A lazy potato couch might define motivation in terms of junkies like crunchies, potato chips, soft drinks etc. On the other hand an industrious person might define it in a better manner saying that it is that force which keeps you going in your quest for success. But then there is only one winner and that is the industrious person. That's because success never comes easy, it always comes along with hard, hard and hard work!! There are a few things in everyone's life that a human being tags as their most prized possessions. I believe the most prized possession that we all have till date is nothing other than our very own human body! The human body is the mastermind behind all success stories of elegant personalities. This might sound a bit weird/different to some (whatever you choose to call it) but its fact! I have always believed that if you have to succeed in life then you should always start with taking care of his/her body.

Get up early, wake up fresh and look at yourself in the mirror. Then you have to ask yourself "Am I really somebody in this life?? Have I achieved enough greatness to inspire people?? Do I have that burning desire in me to make it big??"

Exercising was never so much in trend as much as now. Today it's a real pleasure to see teenagers going to gyms and pumping hard despite having very busy schedules. That's what I call true "DEDICATION". Because that outlines your attitude towards your own body. Such people "LEAD". They aspire to become true leaders in life.

Why bodybuilding??

I hear nerds telling me "Bodybuilding isn't rocket science". True. It isn't for the faint-hearted either. Like it is said in the bodybuilding circles "It's not a sport, it's a life style". And it truly is a life style. Bodybuilding is a full time job, you can't just finish off your workouts and call it a day. You are never really "DONE". You have to be focussed on your goals and keep awareness about your body. Hard work always has its results. Always. It may not be soon, it may not be next month either but it will happen. "PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE" - That's the key. Bodybuilding brings about discipline in your life which helps you organize yourself and behave in a certain manner. Not only do you get tough physically but you also get tough mentally.

Apart from this, regular exercising keep you fit and fine but it also boosts a lot of self confidence but it also inculcates a lot of self respect in yourself. If you do not have self-respect for yourself, if you do not have respect for your decisions in life, then it's almost a cinch that you will never make it to that landmark which you have always dreamt about all your life. Remember it's you and only you who can change your life and make it a better one. People around you can only guide you or at the most warn you about the adversities that you might face in your life. The rest lies in your own hands, in your very own hands... You might choose to end everything right here or you might choose to start and create a new history. The choice is always yours; it always has been that way. You might be lying in your bed warming your back while you know you are going to miss your workout if you do not get up instantly.

Even then you choose slumber over sweat. People often ask me, "What's going to happen if I miss my workout for one day?? One day is not going to kill me!! "But you know one day missed out of practice takes one day longer to get better!! So people don't procrastinate! Procrastination is one of our favourite passions which are quite definitely an ignominy!! Focusing on your fitness goals is very important and you should never ever lose focus, no matter what happens!!! Don't stop, doesn't stop... Go on! One more rep, one more rep and then another one and then another one till you can't do another! You are wholly responsible for taking care of yourself so do be a responsible man and take care of yourself. Just like Sir Abraham Lincoln said "If you try 99 times and fail 99 times, you ought to get up and try once again for the 100th time..That's what makes you a real man!!" Always remember that great things were never accomplished easily... All great deeds require a great deal of hard work and a lot of perseverance...

Am I too old to start training??

Age - This one word has become an excuse for too many now. When I advise elderly people to start building, I usually get the same dull answer "I guess I can't do this. I am too old to." But that's what he thinks. Nothing can be standing as an obstruction in your mind when it comes to chasing a goal. You have to look through them. You have to visualize the person you are trying to become. Only cowards try to hide their faces when it comes to applying themselves in some real life situation. So I guess you got to choose which category you belong to. You are never too old not to start off. You can start anytime, anywhere. You're "WILL" and not your "age" decides who you would become. So before its too late and your fears of staggering with a stick becomes a reality, pick yourself and get to the gym. After you see those results in the mirror, you will surely be thanking yourself for all those troubles you had to go through. People have made it through several kinds of difficulties in their lives. There are endless obstacles in my own life too. And I do admit that I get drifted away at times, but I soon dust myself up and get back to work on track. You should know where you belong, what you are chasing, who you want to be. Go on, and believe in your track of life. Belief is all you need to succeed.

Yoga And Sciatica Relief

Yoga is good for many things and two of these things are providing sciatica relief and the prevention of it. In this article I'm going to share with you what this ancient exercise can do for you with regards to increasing your core strength and improving your posture.

Lower back problems are a major health problem, especially in developed countries where sitting for most of the day is now the norm. Visits to the doctors and days laid out in bed could be decreased by strengthening the groups of muscles based around the abdomen, the back and the hips.

By sitting around all day, the muscles that support the spine can get very weak. This can lead to back pain as the nerves are no longer kept in place. It can also mean compression of the sciatica nerve by muscles that are out of place.

However, using yoga as the means to stretch and strengthen these muscles can prevent most back pain and give sciatica relief.

My cousin recently complained of terrible sciatic pain down the back of the leg. It was the ham strings cramping because the muscles around her spine were no longer strong enough to keep her spinal discs in place. She was in agony and was having to take a cramp preventative tablet every night before bed, and every day before driving.

When her disc felt a lot better, she was still getting trouble with her ham strings. They were too tight as she suffered from scoliosis. This is a condition where the design of the back means that the hips are held at an angle and this can cause further back pain and very tight tendons in the legs. The well-known Olympic athlete Usain Bolt suffers from this condition and has to be treated by physiotherapists to prevent his hamstrings from becoming damaged.

Going back to my cousin, she is now fit and well, because she decided to wait until the disc was back in place in her spine before she started to work on the strength of the muscles in her lower back.

So by practicing yoga for just 20 minutes every morning, she has managed to strengthen all of her core muscles so that her spine is once again supported.

She told me that she did the following exercises to help to strengthen her back and to give sciatica relief:

The cobra - lie on the stomach and lift your head and your chest up off the floor. Use your back muscles to lift you - not your arms or hands.

The locust - lift your head off the floor and lift your feet. Hold your arms down and outwards. Do not use your hands but use your back muscles to do this stretch.

The butterfly. Sit on the floor with your knees out and your feet together. This will open your hips and stretch your hip flexors.

So as my cousin says, just do twenty minutes of yoga a day to give sciatica relief. It makes a huge difference and she hasn't experienced any real back pain discomfort since and neither has she suffered from sciatica.

In fact, she feels and looks so good that I would like to suggest to her brother to start doing it too. Yoga gives sciatica relief - but it also gives piece of mind and wellness.

Pilates and Scoliosis

Pilates is good for many conditions and scoliosis is one of them. Scoliosis is a curvature of the spine and can be very painful. If you're posture is slightly lopsided with uneven shoulders and back pain you could be suffering from the condition.

If you have scoliosis then know that you're not alone. Over 8 million people in the USA have the condition and millions in the UK too. It can be uncomfortable and in some cases it can be an emotional strain in addition to a physical one. Even at a young age, the sufferer's posture can be affected and other children and adults will notice. It's not an easy condition to live with, but it is possible to improve it by doing regular exercises to strengthen the muscles that support the spine.

Scoliosis can be caused by arthritic spinal degeneration or congenital conditions. It can affect otherwise healthy people, sufferers include Princess Eugenie and the athlete Usain Bolt. It can also affect people who have conditions such as cerebral palsy.

Pilates can help by building up the muscles that support the spine. When the musculoskeletal system is out of kilter, then it's important to build flexibility, strength and improve the posture.

How Pilates can help with Scoliosis

As scoliosis begins to have a negative effect on the muscles that support the spine, it cannot support your body as well as it once did. Although Pilates won't be able to correct the curve in your spine, it can do a lot to strengthen the muscles and you won't have to endure the same amount of pain.

It can also help you to have a better posture. This will also give you less pain. Regular practice will enable you to be more aware of your posture and of the alignment of your spine. You'll be able to better adjust your posture to rebalance the body.

Some Pilates Poses that can help with Scoliosis

Pilates poses will tone and stretch the muscles around the spine. By practising Pilates regularly you'll be able to prevent or slow down disc degenerations.

It's recommended that the poses and exercises that are given most focus by the scoliosis sufferer are those that will balance each side of the pelvis and trunk area.

Try these poses for the best effects:

- Straw - The spider - Stretch with pole - The Hundred - modified - The Roll Up - Back extension with the exercise ball

After doing these exercises regularly - for example at least 3 times per week, the muscles around the spine will strengthen and less pain will be felt by the Scoliosis sufferer. Over a period of time, the posture will also be improved.

Please note that those who have already undergone spinal fusion surgery shouldn't do these Pilates exercises until further research has gone into whether it does any damage or not.