Zumba is dangerous exercise pandemic that is spreading fast around the globe. It started in Columbia as it is full of international influences.

7 Zumba Warnings:

1. Zumba is the worlds most addictive exercise.

2. In a Zumba class people are smiling, dancing and having fun.

3. Zumba is a great way to burn fat.

4. Zumba strengthens your core.

5. Zumba releases stress

6. Anyone can do Zumba

7. You’re a great risk of continuing to go to these classes.

Don’t attempt this if you’re not ready to lose weight!

Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

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You can help your knees by strengthening the muscles around them. Check out this video for a number of exercises that you can do at home and without any special equipment.

When it comes to the supplement part that they are talking about. I would as usual start with omega-3. It can really help your joints and it has so many fantastic effects on your health.

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Doing these quick exercises will not only keep you energized for the day, it will also strengthen your body in the long run.

Esteem Yourself shares with us more health benefits of stretching and a few basic stretching routines that you can do everyday.

Benefits of Stretching
Muscle relaxation
Flexibility
Better coordination
Lower chance of injury.
Body circulation
Less stress
Mind relaxation
More energy

Stretching Routines
Stomach Stretch:
1. Lie with your stomach on the floor and stretch your legs behind you.
2. Place your hands on the ground and push up so that they are straight.
3. Try to hold it there for 15 seconds so that you get a good stretch.
4. Repeat as many times as needed.

Back Stretch:
1. Lie down with your back on the floor.
2. Put your arms flat on the ground next to your legs and raise your legs towards your head.
3.Touch the floor past your head if you are able to.
4. Hold your legs there for 15 seconds.
5. Repeat as many times as needed.

Leg and Back Stretch:
1. Sit on the floor.
2. Put your legs together in front of you.
3. Stretch your hands towards your toes.
4. Hold your legs there for 15 seconds.
5. Repeat as many times as needed.

Just a couple of reminders: it is best to consult with your physician before attempting any exercises and remember not to bounce when you are stretching to avoid injury.

Enjoy your morning stretches and have a good day!

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So here are some tips from Apogee Lifestyle that will help you stay out of trouble while enjoying your exercises outdoors.

Stretch It Out
As the cooler weather sets in, take the time to stretch and warm up cold muscles so strains are less likely. Stretches will also help improve flexibility in the muscle tissue and range of motion in your joints.

Massage Those Muscles
If you are regularly engaging in vigorous activity or preparing for a big sporting event such as a marathon, massage therapy can be a valuable tool. By working out trigger points, muscle tension and overall stiffness, your body can become stronger progressively in a safe, well-maintained way. (I usually don’t recommend a Swedish or deep tissue massage at this point; a sports massage that involves stretching, warming the muscles and range of motion exercises is best.) After an event, massage therapy can help rid your body of harmful toxins, such as lactic acid, that build up in muscle tissue. Specific massage techniques and strokes create better circulation throughout the blood, lymph and nervous system. Planning for a massage immediately after a big event will do wonders for your recovery. With moderate or light exercise, anytime after you exercise is fine.

Take Care of Yourself at Home
If you find yourself with sore muscles, I suggest taking hot baths, icing inflamed or swollen areas and resting overworked extremities. Never ignore severe pain or chronic problems. If you do not take care of your body, you can not expect it to function at its best! I also recommend staying well hydrated before, during and after an activity. Dehydration is just as common in cooler weather as it is in hot weather. Water helps support your digestion, nervous system, muscles and joints, as well as flushes your body of toxins.

Balance Your Body
My last suggestion for injury prevention for runners and other athletes is maintaining balance in your body. If you are only training your body in one activity, some muscles become stronger than others, which can eventually cause injury. Mixing up your routine will help you build a stronger body overall. The weaker muscles will get stronger and the overworked ones will have less strain and more protection. Pilates, yoga, martial arts, weight training, etc., are great ways to bring balance to your body.

Have fun and be safe!

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Watch this video that will show you 5 types of exercises to tone your legs.

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There are hundreds of different exercises that you can do with your exercise ball. But before you start, make sure that you have a ball that’s right for you. It is important to match the size of the ball to your body size. They typically come in 3 sizes.

• 55cm ball – if height is between 4′11″ to 5′3″
• 65 cm ball – if height is between 5′4″ to 5′10″
• 75cm ball – if height is 5′11″ or taller

Do not forget to find labels such as anti-burst or burst-resistant to make sure you’re buying good quality exercise balls.

Now it’s time to get the ball rolling. That’s fit teaches us these 4 moves to get you started.

Basic Crunch:
• Begin lying across the ball on your back with your feet on the floor
• Place your hands behind your ears
• Slowly raise your shoulder blades off the ball using your abdominals
• Return to start position and repeat

Oblique Twist:
• Begin lying across the ball on your back with your feet on the floor
• Place your hands behind your ears
• Slowly raise your shoulder blades off the ball using your abdominals and rotate your right shoulder towards your left hip
• Return to starting position, and repeat on the left side

Chest Fly:
• Begin lying across the ball with your head and shoulders supported on the ball
• Place your legs bent with heals about two feet from ball
• Extend arms overhead with palms facing away from you
• Slowly separate your arms in a circular motion and bend your elbows slightly as you lower your arms down and rotate your palms to face each other
• Return to start position and repeat.

Squat Against Wall:
• Lean your back against a ball that is placed against a wall and stand with your feet hip-width apart and about a foot away from the wall
• Keep your back in a straight position
• Bend your knees and let the ball roll up your back until your knees bend to about a 90 degree angle
• Return to start position and repeat

If you feel you’ve eaten a lot on labor day weekend than you normally do, then you have that reason to get on the exercise ball now.

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If you want to enjoy life to the fullest, you have to be strong and fit. That’s exactly the reason why I love being active. If you have strong bones, body and mind, you can easily join any fun activity without being left out. It only shows that active lifestyle undoubtedly improves your quality of life.

Here is the 5-step plan from That’s Fit that would make you stronger, fitter, faster and even reduce your weight.

1. Get active everyday.

• Get moving by simply putting one foot in front of the other. Walking is an activity that is easily accomplished anytime, anywhere.
• Here are other activities that should get you active:

Park at the far end of the grocery store parking lot.

Climb up and down your stairs during commercial breaks of your favourite program.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Get off the bus one stop early.

Engage in some rousing play with your kids.

Get up off the couch and stretch.

2. Use the FITT principle (Frequency, Intensity, Time, Type) to get your heart pumping.

• Create an exercise routine.
• Start with an aerobic activity for at least more than 2 minutes.
• This will help you look and feel young, as well as reduce your risk of heart disease and other degenerative conditions.

Frequency: 2-4 times per week.

Intensity: Start with an easy/moderate intensity that elevates your heart rate into the target zone of 60-80% of your maximum heart rate (Maximum heart rate = 220 – your age).

Time: Aerobic exercise should be continuous activity that lasts 20 –30 minutes.

Note: there is an intimate relationship between ‘time’ and ‘intensity’, the harder the exercise the less time you will be able to maintain the activity. Make sure that you are working at a level you can maintain for 20 minutes or more, and then gradually increase your intensity and time.

Type: Great aerobic activities include fast walking, jogging,cycling, roller blading, or any cardio machine at your local gym (stairclimber, elliptical trainer, rowing machine etc.)

3. Get some strength training.

• Strength training helps develop muscles, strengthen bones and increase metabolism.
• Strength training exercises you can begin with are squats for the lower body, push-ups for the upper body and crunches and planks for the core.

4. Flexibility

• Inactivity causes your muscles and ligaments to shorten. Therefore, you have a limited range of motion.
• Flexibility allows your body to easily do everyday tasks such as lifting, bending and reaching.
• To achieve flexibility, perform gentle stretching exercises before and after workouts.

5. Motivate yourself.

• Being active would simply become a habit if you motivate yourself to stick to your active lifestyle.

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America’s nutrition expert, Mitzi Dulan says, “Staying in shape doesn’t have to be expensive or a hassle. Outfitting a room, or even a corner of space, with fitness equipment is low in cost and still very effective (with the added convenience of proximity).”

Here are some pieces of equipment that will make a good start to your home-based fitness center.

Exercise Mat

• Better for stretching than carpet or hardwood floor.
• Provides better resistance and cushion for joints.
• Great to have if you plan to do some yoga or pilates.
• Price range: $12-$20

Swiss Ball

• Also known as stability balls.
• Provide your core muscles (abs and back) a real workout by keeping them constantly engaged as you stay balanced during various exercises.
• Price range: $12-$15

Mini Trampoline

• Rebounding exercises are good for the lymph system, and it’s also a good aerobic workout.
• Don’t go too hard and aim to stay centered in the trampoline.
• Go barefoot; socks can be too slippery.
• Price range: $35-$40

Free Weights

• Dumbbells are one of the least costly fitness apparatuses you can find.
• Provide a greater range of motion for your muscles.
• Can work out the strength in your back and abs as well as your biceps and triceps.
• Buy some 5, 7 1/2, and 10 pound weights to start.
• Price range: Varies. A pair of 3-pound free weights can start at about as little as $6.

Non Essentials

• Consider purchasing bigger equipment such as a treadmill, a stationary bike or an elliptical machine when you get into the habit of using your home-based gym regularly.

Here are some general tips when starting your home fitness center. Always keep it:

Simple. Don’t overwhelm yourself with too many equipment to choose from. You can pick one or two of the items above.
Separate. Try to find a separate space for your equipment, even if you have to start out by keeping everything in a closet when you’re not using it. If you can manage to make it work, try setting aside a distinct corner of a room. Make sure it is not cluttered with the rest of your belongings. Your fitness is a distinct priority and it deserves a well-defined, easily accessible location in your home.
Cool. You’re going to be breaking into a sweat during your workouts. Make sure the space you choose is cool, in close proximity to a fan or AC vents. A  garage or basement is ideal. Cool temperatures are also better for your equipment’s shelf life.
Fun. If you like to keep your mind occupied while you work out, you can keep a TV in your gym, stocked with the latest workout DVDs. A small refrigerator stocked with ice-cold bottles of water can also be a motivator.
Safe. Choose equipment that you’re comfortable using and talk to a trainer or specialist before buying something that you’ve never tried out before. Also, trade in your equipment for new items once they begin to show signs of wear and tear.

Who says working out has to be pricey and time-consuming? With all these tips, you can definitely make it work at your own home.

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You are not alone. Many people out there have also experienced the same thing. But there is something you can do to exercise at any time.

You need to have motivation.

Delicious Life tells us how to get motivated to exercise at any time.

Music, please – fill your iPod, MP3 player, or walkman (don’t laugh – I was still using  one just a few years ago) with motivating music that gets you moving. I like rock – some of my (newer) favorites are Vampire Weekend, The Hives and Sloan -  older faves include U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Van Halen.

Set a goal – This is embarrassing, but I’ll tell you anyway. In the early 2000’s, when leather pants were hot, I wanted to get a pair but wouldn’t until I reached a certain goal weight/size. I called my quest “project leather pants” and came up with a whole plan to get me there -  eating clean, running on a regular schedule and working out at the gym. After a few months of my project, I succeeded and bought the pants.

Find a partner – Working out with a friend always helps get me motivated.

Just do it – The hardest part about working out is getting yourself to the gym, or pressing play on your DVD player or outside. When I was in training for my events, I decided that I  would work out first thing in the morning. Each night I laid out my workout clothes so that they would be the first thing I saw in the morning. As soon as the alarm went off, I’d roll out of bed
and put on my clothes. Once I was out the door, it was easy to get started.

The more you keep these motivation tips, exercising easily becomes a habit. So don’t wait for tomorrow. Start motivating yourself to exercise today!

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I have recently discovered Homebased Workouts, a website packed with tips and information on how to have a great workout at home.

“Joining a gym, or taking exercise classes isn’t always an option, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great workout at home. Here you will find some great workout ideas, equipment reviews and lots of tips and ideas on making working out at home fun and effective.”

Howstuffworks also have a list of easy-to-follow home exercises. It includes:

• Warm-Up Exercises
• Arms, Chest and Shoulder Exercises
• Ab Exercises
• Leg Exercises
• Stretching

If you have kids, they can also help you in your home fitness workout. This video will show you how to do it.

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