The Origins of Hot Yoga

The latest craze in the fitness world is hot yoga. More and more people are jumping onto the bandwagon, sweating endlessly while doing yoga poses. But actually, it's not that new. It dates back to the 1970s, back to the time when Bikram Choudhury got inspired to create his own set of yoga poses and techniques that are to be done inside a heated room.

Choudhury is the pioneer of hot yoga. He was only four years old when he first got into yoga. A champion athlete, he excelled in marathon and weightlifting. When he was 17, he suffered from a serious knee injury during a weightlifting event. Doctors told him that he was never going to walk again.

He didn't listen to his doctors. What he did was he asked to be brought to Bishnu Ghosh, the brother of famed yoga guru Paramahansa Yoganada. Yoganada is the author of the book "Yoga, the Philosophy of a Yogi." He asked Ghosh to help him engage in yoga and he used this as a way to strengthen his knee muscles. With the incredible therapeutic effects of yoga combined with Choudhury's determination, he was able to walk again, in only a span of six months.

The rejuvenated Choudhury moved to the United States and in 1974, he formed the Yoga College of India in Beverly Hills, California. Here, he created hot yoga, which eventually was named after him, Bikram yoga. His hot yoga was composed of 26 poses in a 90 minute course to be done inside a room heated to 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 40 percent humidity.

Today, there are a lot of types of yoga. Many have followed the footsteps of Choudhury, not only in making hot yoga a part of their living but also in creating their own unique style and techniques. One example is the Moksha yoga developed by Ted Grand and Jessica Robertson in 2004. The two are yoga teachers in Toronto. The term "Moksha" means release or liberation.

There is now a multitude of Moksha yoga studios spread throughout the world. Moksha yoga alone has studios in Taipei, England, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Trinidad, Canada, USA and so many more. It's not surprising since yoga can definitely benefit the body, mind and spirit in more ways than one.

For one, Moksha yoga is effective for weight loss. It can burn from 500 to 1000 calories per session. You can already lose so much weight with yoga alone. Triple the effects when you do the yoga poses inside a heated room, which will make you sweat like crazy in a very short period.

Not only that, yoga is great for toning down stress levels. You might find that hard to believe since people don't really step inside a very hot room to relax. But the results of a hot yoga session-tension release, less stiff muscles, improved sleep quality, and calmed mind-all lead to utmost relaxation.

On top of all these, hot yoga can strengthen your muscle, boost your mood, alleviate pain symptoms and prevent a wide array of illnesses like arthritis, headaches, and even cancer. Now hat you know the origins of hot yoga and the benefits that come with it, try hot yoga right away!

Hot Yoga is a highly-effective form of exercise that was created to workout your body, mind and soul. Experience the benefits of this workout by trying hot yoga.

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Why Would You Choose An Elliptical Trainer Over A Treadmill?

Walk into any health club and the two fitness machines that you will mostly likely see are treadmills and elliptical trainers. These machines are designed to address two of the major health concerns of Americans, cardiovascular health and weight loss. Both machines allow the 

user to exercise indoors in a limited space, making it easier to stick with their exercise routine. The treadmill allows you to train by running or walking, while the elliptical trainer trains your lower body muscles in a different way through the elliptical motion, and it could work your upper 

body as well as if you have moveable handlebars. Determining which machine is best for you will depend on your specific fitness goals, but I think the elliptical trainer is the smart choice for most.

The elliptical trainer gives you more options for designing a workout that matches your fitness goals. Treadmills are a good machine to train for a race, and most models give you the option 

of changing the incline and intensity. The elliptical will also let you vary the incline (with Precor's cross ramp technology), and resistance levels. But it also lets you work your upper body with moveable handlebars and some models allow you to use reverse motion by pedaling backwards, which works your hamstring and calf muscles more than when using forward motion.

An elliptical machine is also easier on your joints. The treadmill is more of a high impact exercise which is why so many people with joint problems choose the elliptical trainer. This is 

especially appealing to aging Baby Boomers and those who have had an injury to their knees. What may be surprising is this fitness machine's ability to build bone density in a low impact exercise. This is because it stresses the muscles that attach to the bone.

The lower impact nature of elliptical exercise means the machine takes less of a pounding, which is why you should expect lower maintenance costs with an elliptical trainer.

Another appealing feature of exercising on this machine is its lower "rate of perceived exertion". This means your workout feels easier to you than how hard your body is actually working. The elliptical motion mimics the natural motion of walking in a low impact exercise so it feels easier.

Choosing between a new or refurbished elliptical and a treadmill will depend on a number of factors, but I believe the elliptical is best for most people. The ability to vary the workout, along with the low impact nature of this fitness machine makes it an ideal choice for anyone except the most dedicated runner.

Consider purchasing a health club quality used arc trainer or elliptical trainer that has been professionally refurbished from [http://www.ellipticaltrainersdepot.com]. Purchasing a refurbished elliptical or arc trainer can save you 50% or more off the price of a new machine, which makes it more affordable for you to own the top brands such as a used Precor elliptical, refurbished Life Fitness, or a Cybex arc trainer.

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How Effective Is An Elliptical Trainer At Burning Calories?

Elliptical trainers are an excellent way to improve your health. This fitness machine can improve cardiovascular function, increase fitness, strengthen muscles, and build bone density. One of the most sought after benefits of exercise is to burn calories. How many calories you burn on an elliptical depends on a number of factors, as this machine allows the user a variety of workout routines that can have a significant impact on how many calories you burn off during that workout.

Basically, the amount of calories you burn when exercising on an elliptical trainer depends on 3 things, your weight, the intensity of the workout, and the duration of your workout.

Your weight - The amount of calories you expend during exercise depends on how big you are. Harvard Medical School says that, in general, during a half hour workout on an elliptical trainer, you will burn 270 calories if you weigh 125, 335 calories if you weigh 155, and 400 calories if you weigh 185. These are very basic statistics that have been generalized. The amount of calories expended can vary greatly depending on the intensity of the elliptical workout.

Intensity of Your Workout - Elliptical trainers have a number of features that allow you to vary the intensity of your workout. You can increase the intensity by moving the pedals faster which increases your strides per minute. The higher end models will count and display strides per minute for you. You can also increase the intensity by setting the resistance at 

a higher level. An elliptical with moving handlebars will allow you to work your upper body as well, making you expend more energy and burn more calories. Some machines allow you to vary the incline, and increasing the incline will also cause you to burn more calories per hour. Interval training will ramp up the intensity of your workout considerably. 

Instead of staying at one speed throughout your workout, increase the resistance setting for 30 to 60 seconds, recover at a lower setting for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat this cycle for 10 to 20 minutes or longer depending on your level of fitness. Interval workouts challenge your heart and muscles to work harder for short bursts, which causes your body to 

work harder and burn more calories. You can get an idea of how intensity affects calories burned by going to caloriesperhour.com. According to this website a 150 pound person who does 60 strides a minute with a resistance of 4 (out of 20) will burn about 200 calories in an hour. That same 150 pound person will burn 382 calories an hour by increasing their strides per minute to 70 and the resistance to 10.

Duration Of Your Workout - This is pretty simple, the longer the workout the more calories you burn. So if you double the length of your workout you will burn twice as many calories.

If you are looking for an exercise routine to burn calories you should try an elliptical workout. A higher end new or used elliptical has all the features you need to design a workout that can maximize calorie burn based on your fitness level.

Consider purchasing a health club quality used arc trainer or elliptical trainer that has been professionally refurbished from [http://www.ellipticaltrainersdepot.com]. Purchasing a refurbished elliptical or arc trainer can save you 50% or more off the price of a new machine, which makes it more affordable for you to own the top brands such as a used Precor elliptical, refurbished Life Fitness, or a Cybex arc trainer.

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Pre-Diabetic Diet

In the world of medicine the quotation "no two people are the same" comes to be true especially when it comes to diabetes. Diabetes makes human hormones and metabolism vary from person to person. Pre-diabetic diet is given to people whose glucose levels are above 

normal but are not high enough to be considered as diabetic. According to major researches conducted in the United States, around 57 million people are suffering from high levels of glucose in their body. There is a sufficient time period given to patients to normalize their glucose levels.

Pre-diabetic diet is given by physicians in order to lower a high case of glucose level. Since there is a certain grace period before one can have type 2 diabetes. A proper diet and regular workout can help prevent this drastic disease from even happening.

Indications of diabetes have no specific symptoms of its own. Often times, when symptoms arise, they are prominent symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Excessive thirst for water and frequent urination is a sign of case 2 diabetes as well. Other symptoms that may be visible are the 

feeling of being hungry all the time and unexplained loss or gain of weight. A person may feel an over fatigue and weakness that feels like that of influenza. Blurry vision and abrasions that takes a long process of healing is also a sign of high glucose levels, and it is generally the most common symptom. Aside from gum and skin infections that keep coming back, bladder infections may also occur regularly in pre-diabetes.

Doctors give out diabetic diet plans to reduce one's glucose levels. Reducing one's daily amount of carbohydrates, fat, sugar and calories helps reduce the chance of type 2 diabetes from progressing. The diet includes a list of fruits and vegetables that would be included in 

every meal. High fiber green leafy vegetables are the ideal meal for someone in a pre-diabetic diet. Simple Carbohydrates must be avoided when one is in a pre-diabetic diet. The reason for this is that it may lead towards food cravings and weight gain for most people.

A list of high fiber of complex carbohydrate foods that is good for someone engaged in a pre-diabetic diet:

• Spinach
• Turnip
• Greens
• Lettuce
• Water cress
• Asparagus
• Artichokes
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Zucchini
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Dill pickles
• Radish
• Brussels
• Broccoli
• Sprouts
• Eggplant

For more pre-diabetic diet information, visit Diabetic Diet.

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Healthy Food For Your Weight Loss Meal Plans

Rigorous exercise and diet supplements alone is not enough to control your weight problem unless partnered with the right weight loss meal plans designed for you. People have different body built, age group, metabolism rate, and availability of certain type of foods; hence we all 

have varying nutritional needs depending on what our body needs. People who have excessive weight needs food that are satisfyingly filling but, are also low in calories and fats that are known causes for the body to gain weight.

A good meal for those who want to lose weight must have less carbohydrates, minimal fat and only a few calories. A balanced meal should have more nutrients, vitamins, fiber and protein to 

facilitate the proper functions of the body. Focusing your meal on beans, nuts and seeds, legumes whole weight grains and fish or their protein alternatives to meat should help you meet the body's need of fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.

You should consider a personalized weight loss meal to have the following characteristics:

1. No processed foods- avoid preservatives and additives present on preserved foods as they contain substances that could harm your body. Eat natural foods that are bought fresh for they are healthier for your body.

2. Include fruits and vegetables- they are marginally filling and has many health benefits especially vitamins c and b complex that could strength your body's resistance to disease and fatigue.

3. Lessen sugar intake- although sugar is a good source of energy, they could also pose risk such as diabetes and heart problems. Foods rich in sugar are known to have large amount of calories.

4. Lots of Water- avoid sodas for they too have high calorie content and bottled fruit juices since they have preservatives. Drink fresh squeeze fruit juices or weight loss tea during snacks.

Successful weight loss meal plan does not take away the taste and satisfaction we get from eating by trading it to nutritional needs. You could still have the foods that you crave like chicken barbecues, ice cream, steaks, pizza and burgers provided that you decrease their amount and eat vegetables and fruits to counteract their calorie content.

Start small in shaving your calorie intake per day. An average person requires only 2,000 calories a day. If you are taking in more than that then target first to have a normal calorie intake. Then gradually decrease it to 1,800; 1,600; 1,400; etc. but never go down to the 1,00 to 1,200 calorie level as this may be considered as starving, which is an unhealthy way of losing weight.

An example of a good daily meal plan with less than 2,000 calories are as follows:

Breakfast:

Omelet made of two medium eggs, cheese and assorted vegetables

One piece raisin bread

1 cup fat-free milk

Lunch:

1/2 plate baked macaroni and cheese

3/4 cup baked potato wedges

a glass of iced tea

Dinner:

5-ounce broiled honey- lime salmon with vegetable stuffing

1/2 cup steamed broccoli

1 cup jasmine tea

Snacks:

1 slice apple pie

½ cup yogurt

One who is trying to perfect his weight loss meal plan must also remember to eat only when he or she is near starving. Eating unnecessarily is one of the reasons of weight gain aside from not having any physical activities to use the stored energy in our body.

Losing weight is an everyday struggle, but mandatory if you are overweight and you want to stay healthy. On my blog you'll find help by reading about protein diet plan, a very good way to lose weight and maintain your muscles. Good luck and stay motivated!

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Fast Weight Loss Diet Plan How to Lose 15 to 30 Pounds in 1 Month

In this article I will give you a fast weight loss diet plan that can help you to lose 15 to 20 pounds in 1 month. Many of these tips are what 

helped me lose almost 30 pounds of fat in 1 month. Obviously everyone's body is different 

and you may do better or the same as I did.

Quick Diet Plan To Lose - How To lose 30 Pounds In One Month

Circle The Date: Grab a calendar and circle the date one month from now. Also write down your current weight on today's date. Write down your goal weight on the date you circled one month from now. Be realistic here. If you are 250 pounds and eat very unhealthy food and never exercise then following this plan it would be realistic to lose 20 or so pounds in a month. BUT if you're 180 pounds and only need to lose 15 or 20 pounds and you already eat fairly healthy then obviously its gonna be much harder for you to lose the weight that quickly. Take your situation into account because you know your body better than anyone.

Find A Diet Plan: Which one? The one you will stick to for 30 days! DO NOT go out and pick a plan that can make you lose 30 pounds quick but is impossible to stick to. It would be better to find a milder diet that you can stick to that fits into your lifestyle and personality. You can even create your own. If you have done something in the past that has helped you lose weight then just do it again and follow the additional tips in this article. The most important thing about a diet is to find one that feels like you aren't even on a diet. How easy will it be to lose weight when you're on a diet and you don't even realize it? Its much much easier.

Water Consumption: The benefits of water and weight loss are too numerous to expand on in this short article but whatever you're drinking now you probably need to increase it. Try to get at least half your weight in oz.

80% Full Rule: Only eat till 80% full. This is my favorite tip that I think has helped me the most. You will need to start eating slower so you can gauge when you are at eighty percent. Portion control is one area where Americans are just plain out of control. Learning to do this has allowed me to even cheat sometimes and do things that you otherwise couldn't if eating till you're stuffed. If you do any of these here make this one it.

Although these tips are important its not the holy grail. You may need to experiment and tailor it to your body and style. If you can't afford a nutritionist to perfectly plan out your meal plans then it might come down to a lot of trial and error.

Want to lose 30 pounds in 30 days but cant afford a personal trainer or nutritionist but still need step by step help? See before and after pictures and stories of how Phil and others did it at Idiot Proof Diet [http://www.idiotsproofdiet.com].

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Best New Weight Loss Program Created by 2 of the Biggest Losers - The Weight Loss Twins

The best new weight loss program for 2009 is about to be launched by 2 guys who know how 

to lose weight fast.  Bill and Jim Germanakos, better known a s the Weight Loss Twins who 

won season 4 of the Hit TV show The Biggest Loser are back nearly 2 years after their win 

to share their secrets for rapid fat loss and how to keep it off.

Bill and Jim came began their journey with a combined weight of 695 pounds.  In just 8 

months the brother shed an unbelievable 350 pounds and were both declared winners, Bill won 

the overall competition and Jim, who was voted off the show in week 5 was awarded the eliminated players win.

The brothers say the key to their success was a combination of many things all working together.  Here are some tips for the system they put together and why it proves to be the best new weight loss program offered.

1.  Motivation is key.  You must find what it is that motivates you to stick with your plan.  The twins are masters at motivation and pass that on in their new system by revealing personal stories from their journey and offering an opportunity to interact directly with the brothers.

2.  Metabolism must stay high.  Too many rapid diet plans cause your metabolism to take a nose-dive, this in turn causes your body to stop burning fat and your weight loss plateaus.  The twins show how eating smaller more frequent meals and also taking a regular day "off" to eat your favorite foods actually keeps your fat burning metabolism strong for rapid loss.

3.  Find your inspirations.  The mental side of weight loss is so important.  Bill and Jim both wanted to lose weight for themselves and to be healthier but they were also inspired by their families and higher goals that helped them pull through challenging times.

The best new weight loss program comes from a couple of big losers who have had the real life experience of losing weight fast and keeping it off.

The winners of Season 4 of The Biggest Loser are about to reveal The Truth About Diets.

Combined these two men lost over 350 pounds in only 8 months (photo & video) They have taken their experience and education from the show and put together the Rapid Action Metabolism Weight Loss System (The RAM System).
They want to inspire and motivate you to shed those stubborn pounds once and for all! Click The Link To Visit My Site and Learn More and Grab their FREE Meal Plan!

The author, Dr. Becky Gillaspy, is a Doctor of Chiropractic and Certified Wellness Coach connecting you with the most effective methods for weight loss and fitness.

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