How to use an fitball (Swiss or exercise ball)

Diagonal Crunch Workout on an Exercise Ball
Working your Obliques Using an Exercise Ball
Strengthen Your Core Using an Exercise Ball
Strengthening Your Abs Using an Exercise Ball
Working Your Abs & Thighs Using an Exercise Ball
Squat Workouts With an Exercise Ball
Working the Under Arms Using an Exercise Ball

Diagonal Crunch Workout on an Exercise Ball

Learn how to do crunches in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Working Your Obliques Using an Exercise Ball

Learn how to work your obliques and trim your tummy in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Strengthen Your Core Using an Exercise Ball

Learn how to flatten your belly and strengthen your core in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Strengthening Your Abs Using an Exercise Ball

Learn how to flatten your belly and strengthen your abs in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Working Your Abs & Thighs Using an Exercise Ball

Learn how to slim your tummy and work your abs and thighs in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Squat Workouts With an Exercise Ball

Learn how to do squats to tone your thighs in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Working the Under Arms Using an Exercise Ball

Learn how to work your under arms in this free how-to video on exercise ball fitness and workouts. Burn fat and build muscle at home!

Lose belly fat & get flat stomach exercise

Exercise 1:
Feet a distance away from table, body slanting towards table and hands grasping side of table.
Raise knee up towards elbow and repeat with other leg many times:



Exercise 2:
Feet a distance away from table, body slanting towards table and hands grasping side of table.
Raise left leg towards right elbow, right leg towards left elbow, repeat many times



Exercise 3:
Lie on floor like doing a push-up, lift knee towards elbow, repeat other leg, alternating many times


Video: Lose belly fat & get flat stomach exercise:


Stomach exercise to lose belly fat:

Exercise is really the best medicine - motivation to continue

I have first written about struggle with high blood pressure in October 2005, about how the doctor wanted to put me on hypertension medication. I told the doctor, if I start taking those medicine, I may have to take them for life, and that I wanted to try exercise and diet first. I did and eventually the doctor told me he would not even consider me as pre-hypertensive.

Since then, my blood pressure have been fluctuating around the normal 120/88. Recently I have started an exercise regime of the following daily ritual - 5-10 minutes of warm up on the recumbent bike and 30 minutes of brisk walking on the threadmill at a rate which is close to the maximum heart rate for my age group.

The results were the measured heart rate were consistently below the normal 80/120. For example, I just measured with the heart rate and it was only 110/70

As such, I believe exercise was the best medicine for maintaining a healthy heart rate and for cardiovascular health.

However, exercise may be dull and monotonous and my motivation to continue is

1. exercise in step to the beat of a nice song or music
2. keep in mind that exercise keeps away hypertension and other cardiovascular problems, diabetes and cancer. Image those horrible medicine I would have to otherwise take if not for exercise.

Natural Remedy for prostate cancer

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco have found that men recently diagnosed with localised prostate cancer (meaning it has not started to spread) can slow down the disease by taking BRISK WALKS (note the emphasis) as they also found that just strolling does not help. So can brisk walks be a natural remedy for localized prostate cancer?

Some possibility of how that works - it had been suggested that perhaps brisk walks affect prostate cancer progression by changing blood levels of some proteins that have been shown to encourage cancer growth.

Now for some disclaimers:

1. It is possible that their results may just be because those who participate in brisk walking may be just living a healthier lifestyle such as not smoking, healthy diet, etc. rather than a direct connection and further studies may be needed

2. Those who have not previously exercise regularly should first consult their doctors before setting out to do rigorous exercises.

Whatever it is, this is another confirmation that exercise is the best medicine and I am going to restart my regular brisk walking although I have not yet been diagnosed with prostate cancer plus for for other studies that showed screening for prostate cancer need not necessarily have a higher survival rate.

Exercise best medicine Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease, also known as the "long goodbye", is a progressive brain disorder which prograssively destroys a victim's memory and ability to reason, make decisions, learn, communicate and carry out basic everyday activities. An Alzheimer's victim may change in personality and behaviour plus suffer from hallucinations and delusions. Life expectancy is shortened. Victims eventually become bedridden and reuires round the clock care until death. There is no known cure for Alzhermer's.

• Improve mood
• Improve sleep (People with Alzheimer's often have sleep disturbances such as becoming agitated at bedtime, wander at night or sleep fitfully)
• Reduce likelihood of constipation
• Maintain good motor skills
• Improves strength, coordination and balance and thus reduce risks of falls and injuries (Alzheimer's patients are at higher risks of falls and fractures)
• Reduce rate of disease-associated mental decline
• Improve memory
• Reduce likelihood of wandering away from home and getting lost, swearing and acting aggressively
• Improve communication and social skills

1. Mayo Clinic 2005: Walking 20 minutes 3 times a week can boost mood, decrease falls, reduce wandering, delay nursing home placement in people with Alzheimer's
2. University of Washington, Seattle, US study, 2003: Exercise lessens depression and provides improved physical functioning in Alzheimer's patients
3. Karolinska Institute, Sweden study, Lancet Neurology, October 2005: 20-30 minutes of exercise which is enough to cause breathlessness and sweating, 2 times a week, reduces risk of getting Alzheimer's by 60% and other types of dementia by 50%; and is especially beneficial for people with the gene apoe4, a known risk factor for Alzheimer's Disease
4. University of Washington study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, cited in a BBC News article 17.1.2006: Regular 15-minute walk 3 times a week reduces risk of dementia and Alzheimer's even after the age of 65 and even frailer people. The more frail a person, the more exercise likely to help them
5. University of California study, Journal of Neuroscience, 27 April 2005: Long term physical activities enhances the learning ability of mice and decreases the level of plaque-forming beta-amyloid protein fragments - a hallmark characteristic of Alzheimer's disease - in their brains
6. Proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences, March 13 2001: In a study of 193 people belived to have Alzheimer's disease, researchers found that people who participated in fewer leisure activities between the ages of 20 and 60 were 3.85 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's

Exercise regime to control blood pressure and diabetes

I had a scare many months back. The doctor said my blood pressure was 150 over 90. The next day he said it was 150 over 100. He said I have high blood pressure. He wanted to put me on hypertension medication. I said if I start, I will have to take the hypertension medicine for life. I negotiated to try exercise and diet control.

I first tried cooking my food using no salt and only garlic, onions and spices like kunyit (Curcuma longa or tumeric), pepper and oregano. I cooked with oats instead of rice as it was easier to cook. I exercise only sparingly. It helped but my blood electrolyte (sodium) went down.

Next I tried exercise more regularly. It worked. My blood pressure is now under control. However, exercises are very dull. What I did was to put on the music and march up and down following the beat of the music. It is just like soldiers marching or dancing to the beat of the music. It becomes more enjoyable and not dull. When I saw that it had a good effect on the blood pressure and heart beat (pulse) rate, I had extra motivation to exercise plus I know exercise also helps to keep diabetes at bay and lowers the resting heart beat rate. Now, motivated by the positive results, I exercise for half and hour everyday and believe me, it is not dull. It has become enjoyable.

This is the exercise regime I followed: I had downloaded songs into appropriate folders in my computer arranged according the how fast are the beat, starting with the slow ones and increasing with tempo. When it is time to exercise, I opened the folder and played the songs with Windows Media Player. I then march or jog up and down the stairs according to the music. The music not only keeps me entertained, motivated and help regulate the rate I walked up and down the staircase, it also keeps the time. I now know how long I exercised depending on which song in the playlist I stopped exercising. At the moment I am able to exercise up to Maybellene by Chuck Berry which means I have exercised for slightly more than half and hour. I also check the blood pressure and heart beat rate with a blood pressure monitor immediately after the end of the exercis and it showed that when I exercise up to Maybellene by Chuck Berry, I have achieved 97% of my maximum heart beat rate.

This is the playlist I used:
Respect by Aretha Franklin
I wanna hold your hands by the Beetles
She loves you by the Beetles
Satisfaction by the Rolling Stones
Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys
Good Vibrations by Chuck Berry
What's I do by Ray Charles
Blowing in the wind by Bob Dylan
Maybellene by Chuck Berry
Hound Dog by Elvis Presley
Whole lotta shakin' going on by Jerry Lee Lewis
Sunshine of your love by the Cream
Jail House Rock by Elvis Presley

So far I had been successful in exercising right up to Maybellene by Chuck Berry which has an extremely fast beat and I practically have to run up and down the stairs and it induced my heart beat rate up to 155 beats per minute which is a little bit below the maximum heart beat rate of 160 for a sixty year old (220 - age = 220 - 60 = 160).

Exercise intensity guideline for good health

Health specialists are agreed that one need half an hour of moderate exercise for 5 days a week to stay healthy. However, what is moderate exercise (intensity of the exercise) is not stated. Researchers at the San Diego State University led by Simon Marshall did a study on 97 healthy young men published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine gave a rough guide - average of 100 steps per minute of brisk walking.

Actually, to be more specific, they concluded that men needed to walk at a pace of 92 to 102 steps per minute while for women it is 91 to 115 steps per minute to achieve a moderately intense workout for their hearts. According to Simon Marshall, health will benefits with bouts of exercises of 10 minutes, a good starting point will be to walk 100 x 10 = 1000 steps within that 10 minutes and gradually increasing it to 30 minutes, that is 100 x 30 = 3000 steps within 30 minutes.

Exercise - How much is enough?

OK we are convinced that Exercise IS the best medicine. So how do we go about it? Or to put the question in a more precise way, how much is enough?

Perhaps Dr. Harbinder Singh can answer that question. According to Dr. Harbinder, to maintain good health, one must undertake a minimum of 500-600 METs worth of exercise per week spread over at least 3 sessions or more per week. MET is short for Metabolic EquivalenT and 1 MET is the amount of oxygen consumed when sitting quietly which is approximately about 3.5ml of oxygen per kilogram of body weight per minute. So if spread over 3 sessions, each session will be 600MET/3 = 200MET per session

Walking briskly at a speed of 5 to 6 km/Hr will approximates to about 4-5 METS per minute. Taking it as 5METs per minute, each session of brisk walking will have to stretch over at least 200/5 = 40 minutes. Or if spread over 5 sessions per week, it will be 600MET/5 = 120MET per sessions which will be equivalent to 120/5 = 24 minutes.

Looks like I will have to exercise more than what I am currently doing.

Exercise reduce colon cancer risk

Here is another study which reinforces the claim of exercise as the best medicine:

According to a review of 52 previous study and published in the British Journal of Cancer by US scientist, active people who exercise are 25% less likely to develop colon cancer. Lead researcher Dr Kathleen Wolin, from the Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis said: "These results give us a very reliable calculation of the positive effect that exercise can have on reducing colon cancer risk. It's very positive to see that exercise has such a clear benefit in reducing cancer risk and we hope it will encourage people to enjoy a healthy active lifestyle as well as treating it as a way to minimise their colon cancer risk."

Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7883480.stm

Exercise best medicine memory dementia

Here is another confirmation that exercise is the best medicine. A study conducted by a University of Melbourne team on the impact of physical activity on volunteers of more than 50 years old on memory problems showed that there is improvement in cognitive function for those who complete three 50-minute sessions a week of moderate physical activity, such as walking, for 24 week as compared to those who did not exercise.

Zero cost and very effective treadmill (exercise machine)

It is well know that exercise can help keep diabetes and cardiovascular disorder like hypertension (high blood pressure) at bay. I belong to the high risk group for both. 2 of my cousins and an uncle died of ruptured blood vessel in the brain and another cousin had been taking medicine for 20 years to control his blood pressure. My father had diabetes and suffered a stroke. I am fortunate to be not diabetic. Since retirement, I had become an Internet addict and had spend most of my waking hours sedentary in front of the computer. Probably because of lack of exercise, I had a scare recently. My blood pressure was 150 over 90. One week later, a second measurement showed it to be 150 over 100 putting me in stage 1 hypertension. It is not that I had no exercise at all. I had been joining a group in low impact aerobic exercise. However, the doctor said that was not enough.

So now what I do is to is turned on the video of that low impact aerobic exercise and walk to the beat of the music



and walk up and down the staircase

This photo belong to Bashar Al-Ba'noon

Presto, I have a cost free exercise machine which is better than a treadmill. It is the one of the best exercise machine I ever have. Not only it didn't cost me a cent, it is also fun to walk up and down the staircase to the beat of the music. It is not boring and very effective. Within just 2 minutes I will be sweating and slightly breathless which is exactly the type of exercise I need. And my blood pressure is now lower.

Caution: Before embarking on any program of strenuous exercises, consult your doctor. Take care when going up and down staircase to avoid fall which can cause injuries. I slide my hands over the banister as I tread up and down the staircase so I can stabilize myself in case I become unbalanced

My struggle against boderline high blood pressure

I have boderline high blood pressure, so this post is about what can be done to reduce high blood pressure. Even if one does not have high blood pressure, it would be wise to keep lifestyle that can keep high blood pressure at bay.

Apparently, the best course of action, and the hardest, is to exercise. Regular exercise can reduce stress, lower blood pressure and decrease resting heart rate. Exercise can lower blood pressure.

Another is a healthy diet. Keep salt intake low while increasing intake of calcium, magnesium and potassium. Potassium-rich foods are avocados, bananas, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, grapefruit, nectarines, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green peas, potatoes, and squash. Foods rich in magnesium include nuts, rice, bananas, potatoes, wheat germ, kidney and lima beans, soy, and molasses.

I eat a bowl of oats every morning. Oats not only help keep the weight down, but also lower cholesterol and blood pressure. I cut slices of banana to put on top of the oat porridge to add interest. Banana is also extremely high in potassium while very low in sodium, so is ideal for cutting risk of high blood pressure and stroke. Daily Oats Improve High Blood Pressure.

I am taking raw garlic with my evening meal. It seems garlic can lower blood pressure by 5 to 10%. As mentioned in my previous post, garlic can lower cholesterol 15% which is a plus factor (Using food to control cholesterol). Garlic can also thin blood.

A previous post also mentioned kefir, which I take occasionally. Another weapon in the arsenal against high blood.

I am also eating tempeh (fermented soy bean). Tempeh contains isoflavones which can also help reduce blood pressure.

And cut or reduce smoking, which is not a problem as I don't smoke.

And my report card - the last test I had done showed that my diastolic blood pressure was reduced from 90 to 85, which is a good sign. I will have to take the test again soon.

LATEST UPDATE Monday, November 7, 2005
Blood pressure: 120 over 80
Blood sugar: 4.6 mmol/L

Looks like it is working.

UPDATE Wednesday, 16 August, 2006
Blood Pressure: 120 over 80. Normal

Footnote:
For elevated blood pressure linked to mental stress, it may be a good idea to take 2 stalks of celery everyday. Acording to William J. Elliott, a pharmacologist at the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine, celery contains 3-n-butylphthalide which he speculate lowers blood pressure by reducing blood concentration of stress hormones that cause blood vessels to constrict.

Books from Amazon

Control High Blood Pressure Without Drugs : A Complete Hypertension Handbook

Controlling High Blood Pressure the Natural Way

Good News About High Blood Pressure : Everything You Need to Know to Take Control of Hypertension...and Your Life

Exercise and diabetes

My father was diabetic. I have had a Glucose Tolerance Test done, and the test shows that after consuming the sugar solution, my blood sugar falls slowly, which means I have Impaired Glucose Tolerance.

I have come across many articles mentioning that regular exercise is good for keeping diabetes at bay.

Healthy Ways to Keep Diabetes at Bay
Exercise a Day May Keep Diabetes at Bay

Children should exercise more to keep diabetes at bay, experts warn
Diet and Exercise May Be Keys to Avoiding Diabetes
Diabetes and Exercise

Conclusion? I need to exercise.

Exercise can lower High Blood Pressure

I remembered reading an article in the Readers Digest that exercise can help lower high blood pressure. Here is another one that mentioned regular aerobic exercise reduces resting blood pressure in people who have hypertension by an average of 11 points off the top number (systolic) and 9 points off the bottom number (diastolic)
Taking the Pressure Off: How Exercise Can Lower High Blood Pressure

Here are a few more:
Exercise can lower blood pressure
Why is being active good for you?
High Blood Pressure: Things You Can Do to Help Lower Yours
Blood Pressure and Exercise

I have tested for my blood pressure a few times, and each time I was told my blood pressure is 120 over 90. This (90) puts me in the boderline high blood pressure group. I need to exercise.

See also My struggle against boderline high blood pressure
Another weapon in the arsenal against high blood
Using food to control cholesterol

Books from Amazon

Guide to Contented Hearts: Cardiac Risk Management : Cholesterol, High Blood Pressure Exercise, Stress, Weight, Diet

Controlling High Blood Pressure the Natural Way

Exercise to keep dementia at bay

Want to avoid getting dementia in your later years? Exercise! Do physical activities which last 20-30 minutes at least twice a week and which is enough to cause breathlessness and sweating.

Dr Miia Kivipelto and colleagues studied 1,500 men and women, of whom nearly 200 developed dementia or Alzheimer's disease between the ages of 65 and 79. The researchers looked back at how physically active the study participants had been up to 21 years earlier, when they would have been in their late 40s and early 50s. Those who developed Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia were far less likely to have been active when they were middle-aged than those who remained free of dementia.

Reasons why regular exercise might be good for the brain include exercise helping to keep the small blood vessels of the brain healthy, protecting against other conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes that might make dementia more likely, reducing the amount of protein amyloid that builds up in the brain in Alzheimer's disease.

Exercise now to cut dementia risk. BBCNews.

Exercise Keeps the Old Mind Healthy

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Exercise may prevent pain in older adults

Dr. Bonnie Bruce of Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, said that running and other forms of vigorous exercise may prevent some of the aches that come with age. In a study of 866 healthy adults age 50 and over, Dr. Bruce and her researchers found that those who exercised regularly were less likely to develop painful joints and muscles over the next 14 years, with the active adults' pain-rating scores consistently 25% lower than their peers despite them being more likely to have a history of bone fracture. Sedentary peers had a higher rate of arthritis. Reuters Health

Let your exercise be your medicine, and your medicine be your exercise?

"Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food"
Hippocrates 460 - 359 BC

In this case, the medicine is not even food. It is exercise, intense exercise.

A study randomly assigned 80 people diagnosed with mild to moderate depression to one of five groups. One group did moderately intense aerobic exercise on a stationary bike or threadmill for 30 minutes 3 days a the week, the second group 5 days a week, the third and fourth groups uses the same equipment at lower intensity also for 3 days and 5 days a week respectively. The last group, considered a placebo group, did only stretching and flexibility exercises for about 15 minutes 3 days a week.

The result. After 12 weeks, those who did the most intense exercise had 50% fewer symtoms of depression, 30% less for those on lower intensity exercise, and 29% less for the placebo group. The number of days a week did not influence the results.

So, let your exercise be your medicine, and your medicine be your exercise?