Exercising relieves us from stress and all those negative vibes that we feel in a tough day. Exercising does not only benefit our health and body, but the brain as well. So, what are the best exercises that can we do to relieve us from stress?

• Swimming: Swimming is one good exercise for the brain because you workout under the soothing properties of water. The presence of water helps in cooling off our body and maybe even our hot temper. After doing a number of laps in the pool, you can also do floating exercises and just relax in the bed of water.

• Walking: I think by far, this is the easiest and most convenient exercise for the brain that anyone can do. You can absolutely do this anytime, with anyone and anywhere. When you want to talk to a friend, try doing it while walking. This can help you clear your head and be more logical in dealing with the things that worry you. Or if you have kids, get them in the stroller or even just by yourself. Being alone sometimes while treating your muscles with some movement can bring you to a meditative state that can help you relax and unwind, indeed, a good exercise for the brain

• Karate: If you opt for more serious exercising, karate is definitely a good choice to exercise for the brain. Releasing energies with a community, or rather to a partner, can motivate you to make your brain work because it also requires you think of the best strategies to attack. Add to that the self-discipline that you can develop and the feeling of security that you can protect yourself, karate is definitely worth the time and effort. Doing those routines will absolutely promote the release of your happy hormones, hence, getting to a state of relaxation and free of stress.

All these exercises can certainly help you release the tension and frustration you bring in a bad day. Getting yourself pumped up and your muscles working will help your brain promote a feeling of well-being due to the endorphins you will secrete. Therefore, instead of getting grumpy and knock yourself in a bad mood, do a little exercise for the brain and feel good about being alive and kicking.

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Though a boxing match is usually associated with men, this sport has become a popular exercise for women, too. Watching women armed with gloves and vying for a boxing title is a sure hit!

As an exercise, boxing also brings significant benefits to women. Its intensity is a lot greater than the usual kinds of workout women engage to, hence, its results are a lot sturdier and well rounded, too. So let us see why all women out there must take the time to consider boxing as an exercise.

•  Whole body fitness: In boxing, you need your arm muscles for punching and jabbing, your leg muscles for stances and other kicks, your core muscles found in the trunk of your body for balance and other muscle areas for your dodging movements. Technically, boxing requires ALL of your muscles to work, including your brain, unlike other workouts for women that tend to focus on one area alone. With this, boxing will actually force you into an increased fitness routine that will develop your balance, strength and speed.
• Weight loss: Doing boxing definitely requires intense physical endurance. You also need to incorporate constant shifts of workout, from solitary stance with a mini bag to a one on one sparring that requires you constant movement and flow. As they say, one hour of boxing will produce more sweat and calorie burning compared to a continuous one-hour jog. With this benefit alone, it will not be a surprise if more women will choose boxing as an exercise.
• Self-defense: Obviously, boxing will train women to fight. All the jabbing and kicking exercises will enhance their reflex motion skills that can make them feel braver and confident when dealing with physical dangers. When one sees that you are a woman with well-defined muscle tones, I do not think your attacker would still want to mess with you.
•  Fight cancer: Studies show that having inadequate oxygen levels in your bloodstream and cells increase the risk of cancer. And standard cardio or aerobics have been shown to be not as effective in raising oxygen levels in your blood cells. But boxing, as an intense workout, naturally does. Boxing as an exercise involves varying repetitions which constantly push you further and force you to intake so much oxygen.
• Stress reliever: Most women tend to keep within themselves their problems and other concerns. With a natural nurturing instinct, women opt to handle stress by themselves and not express it at home with the family to save them from worries. But when doing boxing as an exercise, you have some form of release. It seems like you let everything out through the punches and kicks that you throw, thus, mentally getting rid of unwanted stress. Moreover, this physical activity will leave you sleeping more soundly at night.

All the mentioned benefits provide you with no reason in not choosing boxing as an exercise. Especially for women out there, refrain from thinking of boxing as a rough sport, rather focus on the wonders it can do to your health. Maybe, by trying boxing as an exercise, you will discover just how strong you are.

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However, to assure your body that your chosen workout will work, it is important to identify first your body type.

1. Ectomorph:Once you see a person with a small frame and bone structure, flat chest, small shoulders, and naturally skinny, you have come across with an ectomorph body type. These are the people that are born with the fastest metabolism rate that it might seem that whatever and how much they eat, it will never make them fatter.Sounds so lucky? Well, not really, especially for men. Ectomorph people have the hardest time to gain weight and develop muscles. If one of your goals is to be strong, be fast and explosive, then as an ectomorph, you have to double or triple your efforts to achieve it. As an ectomorph body type, you have to be patient enough to achieve it because ectomorphs naturally lack the muscle and strength.
2. Endomorph:On the other hand, if you come across a person having a soft round physique and thick bone structures such as wrists and ankles, then you just saw an endomorph person. This is the exact opposite of the ectomorphs. No matter how they reduce the food they eat, they still seem to get a little fatter and bigger. This is because they also have a relatively slow metabolism rate and no matter how they exercise, they just can not seem to slim down.However, endomorph people also have the bigger chances of being strong and muscular. Hence, it is advantageous for them to focus on cardio and weight training. They also tend to be the ones who can excel at sports and other physical activities. Endomorphs just need enough discipline to eat and exercise right.
3. Mesomorph:As discussed above, you have discovered the ups and downs of being an ectomorph or an endomorph. But if there is a body type that seem to have all the ups, it is the mesomorph body type. They come in natural athletic builts, well-defined muscles, and a rectangular-shaped body. They are considered to be the winners of the genetic lottery which is prized with an ideal metabolic rate and bone structure. They are lean and muscular, not skinny and big.Mesomophs pretty much do not need an intense workout for they can be physically fit without so much effort. Most of these people already do have the perfect combination of speed, strength and endurance. But to further improve their overall performance, they can focus also on cardio and weight training.

Identifying your body type is not a discouragement of reaching your goal of having the perfect body just because you belong to the wrong body type. In fact, this will even help you because you would be able to know what exercise will suit you the most and which areas you should focus on more. With just a little push, discipline and appropriate approach, undeniably, you can still have that body beautiful.

The post Look in the Mirror, What Is Your Body Type? appeared first on Tiny Muscles.

•  Keep your kitchen free from junk foods: Do not store any of those sinful cravings in your kitchen or wherever that is within your reach. Seeing them will only drive you crazy and will make your cravings even stronger. Not having them around in the comforts of your home will encourage you to slowly resist them and eventually, may even let you not think about those cravings anymore. Moreover, replace them with healthy food products that will leave you with no choice but to choose eating them.
• Distract yourself: They say that cravings usually last for only ten minutes. Thus, use those ten minutes to do something else that can distract you from thinking more about your cravings. Try running an errand, going for a walk, or calling a friend, just to take your mind off from eating something bad again. Through this, not only have you surpassed the temptation, but you also have done something more productive.
• Think about the disadvantages of eating them: If you are trying to kick that habit of eating junk foods, then there must be a reason for it, right? Focus more on your goal by focusing too on why you should not eat these junk foods. Repeatedly tell yourself the disadvantages of eating them such as the number of calories, the fats that will add to your body and all the ill effects to your health and body weight. In this way, you will always be reminded why you should not stop junk food cravings.
• Always drink lots and lots of water: Drinking water will make you feel a little more fuller than usual. And not only will water give you more energy but the feeling of being full can even lessen your craving. So if you are itching to grab a pack of your favorite chips, instead grab a glass of water.
• Exercise more: Exercising and eating healthy, as they say, coexist. Once you get active, you would want to eat more healthy foods and will naturally stay away from the unhealthy ones. Exercise will balance your body so there can be lesser chances of you lusting for junk foods that can destroy your body’s health. So engage more in physical activities and start focusing on the feeling of being healthy and you will definitely think less, or better, stop junk food cravings.

Fighting the urge to eat junk foods only to destroy your diet also entails hard work. It is not easy to stay away from delicious treats that can satisfy your junk cravings. However, also remember that getting back in shape is a lot more difficult. I do not think that you would want your body that you worked for to be defeated by a mere bag of chips.

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Also this blending or juicing is also very healthy for your body, its natural body recovery. So what I have is a recipe using the nutribullet for a post workout. Meaning this nutribullet recipe is meant for after your workout. I think these ingredients are great for your body and your muscles.

Click here to view the embedded video.

… the Nutri Bullet System

The video shows me using the Nutribullet blender/juicer – still don’t essentially know what it is. The nutribullet actually emulsifys your vegetables and fruits. Since I do not eat enough vegetables or fruits through out the day I figured I get them in my body one way or another and blending became that way.

With the mix above I include Kale, Spinach, Cilantro, Berries (Ras,Black, Golden), Banana, Protein Whey, Bee Pollen, and additional green mix. This is a great blend because I do not have to over due it on the whey protein. I can get my recovery from the drink itself since the vegetables will help with the restoration of muscles as well as the antioxidants I get from the berries.

Anyways… the ingredients in the video are as followed, even though I mentioned them above. I will break down to how many.

• 3 Kale Leaves with Stem
• Handful of Spinach
• 2 stems of cilantro, pretty strong already
• half a banana, frozen
• mix of berries (Ras, Golden, Black) frozen
• Gold Standard Whey Protein
• Bee Pollen – 1 scoop
• Orac Energy or Greenergy – 1 scoop

That is it. I know it seems a lot. I actually want to add as much stuff in my Nutribullet as possible to intake as much vegetables as I can. Again I really do not like eating vegetables, never did, even as a kid. This is why the Nutribullet has helped me a lot with in-taking the vegetables I need. Watch the video and check out what the Nutribullet can do. I definitely like it and I have been using this just over a month now. I am alway eager to explore new vegetables and fruits now with my new blender or is it a juicer?

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Losing weight can be done in a lot of ways, or diets. One example of which is the Paleo Diet. It is said to be the world’s healthiest diet because it is based on the concept of understanding that the best human diet is the one to which we are best genetically adapted.

The Paleo Diet, also popularly known as the caveman diet or the hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan which is based on the ancient diet of eating wild plants and animals. As observed, humans today tend to be obese or over weight since we are more exposed to highly processed and carb-obsessed eating patterns. Most people’s daily meals are composed of convenient foods such as bread, pasta, pizza, donuts and other fatty food products. So if this is the case today, which is the opposite of the situation 10,000 years ago, aka as the Paleolithic Period; hence the name Paleo Diet, when humans were leaner and healthier, why not go back to the kind of diet they were having before?

The Paleo Diet started when arguments rose that humans are carnivorous animals and that their diets must go with it. Experts showed that humans today, to keep a healthy body, must achieve the same proportions of nutrients that were present in the diets of the late Paleolithic people for they were known to be tall, muscular, athletic and versatile.

Surveys also strengthened the arguments by showing that they did not suffer from stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, and hypertension. Since then, a number of nutritionists advocated a return to the Paleolithic diet. They have structured diets where in the goal is to achieve the nutritional characteristics of the Paleolithic diet while incorporating modern foods that are unavailable before.

The Paleo Diet promotes eating what we can only hunt and gather back then. This means eating only animal protein and plants, namely, meat that are grass-fed, wild fish, seafoods, eggs, fresh vegetables, fruits, natural oils, nuts, seeds, and tubers. Avoid eating grains, legumes, starches and processed sugars. Focusing on eating on these pro-paleo food groups is ideal since it makes you fuller for longer periods of time, thus, refraining from eating every now and then.

Unlike processed food and other junk foods which makes you full altogether, it also triggers your hunger immediately, therefore, provoking you to eat more and more. A giant plate of vegetables and enough portion of meat can keep you full for hours, while eating carb-heavy foods such as a bag of giant chips can just make you feel hungry again after a few hours. Yes, I know, it is very difficult to choose vegetables over chips, but you said you want to get healthy, right? The key to this is focus on your goals and not on your unhealthy cravings.

Like other diets, the Paleo is not as difficult as it seems to be. In this diet, you can eat what you want among the food paleo groups and eat them anytime you wish to. You can eat as much as you can and whenever that fits your schedule. Certainly, it is a stress-free diet for you do not have to follow any schedule or strict menu. Just as long as you follow the kind of foods prescribed by the diet, you can be healthy just like the old old days.

The post Caveman Diet for 30 Days. What is the Paleo Diet? appeared first on Tiny Muscles.

There is going to be a lot of temptations and I will have to fight them all off, peer pressure especially. I am starting today because it is easier for me to test myself for this full month of June. I want to have a harder workout routine with a combination of sprint as my cardio. I have the help of my buddy who blogs at VersatileHealth.com and they are providing me a strict meal/diet plan.

… I hate dieting… it is the toughest part for me. I would rather spend more time in the gym.

The thing is dieting, is the heart of losing weight and leaning up. It is also the toughest part of the whole I want to lose weight phase. Also another aspect which will be tough is drinking. I enjoy drinking. I have gained a few pounds and rounded myself a bit from it, so I want to cut that out and see if there will be a difference. I know there will be.

I also will continue to blend using my Ninja Blender, but I did see another blender I want to get and test out. So this is the challenge to myself and I will document everything here on this blog. I want to make sure that I am held responsible for my actions. I know I can do this as I did this in the past, the problem is just peer pressure and summer time.

Here is what my schedule is going to look like.

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday – 6am workout – weights, 6pm cardio
• Tuesday, Thursday – 6pm cardio
• Weekends – Sprints

My diet is simple, I can eat whatever but it can not contain grains, dairy, sugar. Versatile Health have provided me with some meal plans as well so I do not lose track. This will definitely be a challenge for me as I have been on and off with my own workout and I hope this will put me back in my routine.

Wish me Luck!

The post 30 Day Self Test: No Alcohol, Harder Workout Routine appeared first on Tiny Muscles.

People who are born lazy tend to be really lazy most of the time. However, we know that they are no exemption to the need of exercising. Thus, here are some convenient ways for these people to engage their bodies in a little bit of moving.

Stand

Standing still is already an exercise. Getting off of your behind allows your body to burn few extra calories that sitting can never provide. So if your job entails you to sit eight hours a day, try doing your tasks while standing up. I think that more than any kind of exercise, nobody can have an excuse from doing this since you still get your hands to do what they need to do, only in a different healthier position. Do this while talking on the phone, printing some documents, or filing other paper works. Furthermore, refraining from sitting down for long hours can even alleviate common back problems.

Sleep

Yes, you read that right. Sleep is also a form of exercising. Getting enough of sleep everyday- about seven to eight hours at night – can actually do wonders for your body. It allows improved metabolism in your body and even weight control. Sleeping promotes your important body activities running smoothly and efficiently.

Skip Steps

Taking the stairs in the morning when going to work is already an exercise. But you can always make it better through skipping a step at a time. Skipping steps when climbing the stairs obviously disrupt your natural pace. This disruption increases fat loss and activates new muscles. It somehow promotes new movement in your body which tend to wake up your other stagnant muscles. Again, lazy people out there can not have an excuse for this because it does not actually require you any extra time from doing so.

Exercise Ball

Just by sitting on the exercise ball, you are already activating your muscles. Muscles such as abdominal ones and muscle fibers in your back are getting a dose of movement and stretching just by exploring with your exercise ball. So if allowed, try to replace your chair at work with this one so you can exercise while working, without actually realizing that you are exercising. You can also do this while watching the television or reading the daily newspaper.

Two-minute jumping jacks

Earlier, it is mentioned that we have a total of 1440 minutes in a day. Now, I think it would not hurt getting a mere two minutes of it and spend it doing some very easy exercise. Once your alarm clock goes off in the morning, immediately get up and do this two-minute exercise. This mini exercise would definitely contribute to your productivity and can burn an additional 200 calories.

See, getting daily doses of exercise is not so bad. You really do not have to take the trip to the gym or enroll yourself in other demanding workouts for there are a lot of ways to treat your body some exercise. So, try to incorporate this in your daily routine and start being lazily healthy.

The post Five Ways Of Exercising For Lazy People appeared first on Tiny Muscles.

If you drive yourself to the office, one convenient way of moving those muscles is by parking your car further away from the entrance of your job. This arrangement leaves you no choice but to walk those extra meters. Walking is considered to be a moderate level of physical activity and if done even just for thirty minutes a day, studies show that it can extend your life by 1.3 years.

You can also have another year living without cardiovascular diseases and other weakening ailments that most people with sedentary lifestyles acquire through time. Moreover, studies also show that walking everyday reduces the same amount of risk for heart attacks that a high-intensity exercise program can. So you do not really have to feel the heat and burn of walking just to guarantee that you are actually working out because a little effort exerted for that activity can already do wonders to your health.

As they say, slowly but surely protecting you from various illnesses. Now we understand that walking not only can provide a fresh start for your long day ahead but it also gives you additional days to live by comfortably and healthily. Walking is simple and I bet you do it everyday at work.

Upon entering your office, it would not hurt to add too a little more of exercise by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Though having a glimpse of that long steep stairs discourages you from doing so, try to divert your thoughts and think of the benefits it can do to your body. Do not think of it as a tiring activity, but focus more on the benefits it can contribute to your health. Try to imagine that every step you take will also lead you to a step closer in achieving that favorable health. And in no time, if you religiously commit to this convenient exercise, it will be a part of your routine and will never be like what you felt during your first attempt, tiring and stressful but instead it will be rewarding and refreshing.

These two are just some of the easiest ways to insert exercise in your daily schedules. Simple as it may sound but these sample exercises can actually help in improving our blood circulation, metabolism, calorie burning, and other essential activities in our body that keep us to be alive and kicking. We may all be busy bees the entire week, but this should not hinder us from taking care of our body’s welfare. Earning money and developing careers may be the top priority for most people, but we must also remember that without physical strength and stability, we would not have the capacity to perform what we need and love to do.

The post 2 Quick Simple Ways to Exercise at Work appeared first on Tiny Muscles.

Ripped abdominal muscles and toned body is the holy grail of fitness. Washboard abs is really the icing of the cake to the eyes of most people. Broad shoulder and muscular arms are just additions to having great impressions. Most infomercials claims to have a secret to midsection perfection or special machines to help you get ripped abs. Never ever fall for these advertisements. The truth is that there is no secret to getting ripped abs. There is no perfect flat abs diet. You just need to have the necessary knowledge and just keep in mind that what it takes is dedication. When you realize this, you’ll see that it’s not that tough.

So if you have made up your mind that you are finally ready to get into the game and do something about your physical appearance and health, a great way to start is to plan your flat abs diet. You need to get hold of the right knowledge on what kind of foods you should include in your flat abs diet.

On this post, we will mainly focus on flat abs diet – the foods that you should eat to get six pack abs.

Flat Abs Diet

First thing, you don’t get to try the flat abs diet that made your friend lose 20 pounds on and then gained 30 pounds after. You do not have to follow any flat abs diet plan that your friends do or to eat foods for flat abs that your neighbor take. Forget about it, besides what you need is a whole new lifestyle. A whole new lifestyle with the right flat abs diet plan. This lifestyle should be geared toward your fitness and health. A healthy lifestyle is the one that takes into account when it comes to your appearance and health. Do not starve yourself. You do not have to use diet pills and be hungry. What you need to do is to learn what you eat and when to eat. When you become accustomed to eating healthier foods, you will find yourself avoiding fattening and sweet foods. Reduce calorie intake and you will reduce your body fat. This is the best flat abs diet tips and it is simple as that. However, reducing calorie intake is not enough to lose weight. You need to include an excellent workout program.

You can eat a lot of what you are currently eating in your normal nutrition plan. But be sure to take these flat abs diet tips. You just need to change the amount and the frequency. Rather than having 3 large meals per day, opt to have 8 small meals evenly spaced a day in your flat abs diet plan. Through this approach, your body does not need to store excess calories and you will not be hungry which is common in most diets.

Aside from reducing calories, you will also need to reduce carbs and take more protein in your flat abs diet plan. Excess carbs are converted to and stored as fat so you really need to take control over carbs intake. If you are aiming to maintain your muscles while losing fat, you need to eat more protein. This is for the simple reason that muscle itself is protein.

Lastly, you need to know the importance of water to a healthy lifestyle. Water is the most essential element that you put into your body. it is crucial for maintaining your health and flushing toxins from your body.

The post Flat Abs Diet – Eat Right to Win Flat Abs appeared first on Tiny Muscles.