Showing posts with label February 16. Show all posts
Showing posts with label February 16. Show all posts

Lower Back Exercise Using Yoga For Core Strength

Many people looking for core strength neglect lower back exercise while focusing on the abs. This is a huge mistake as the muscles of the back are vital for core strength. If you are undertaking any kind of workout program or even for normal day to day life, the back must be strong to avoid back injuries.

Why You need Lower Back Exercise

The first thing to say when we consider lower back exercise is that especially if you have current back pain or a recent injury or medical condition you should consult with your doctor or physiotherapist before undertaking any exercise program. While gentle stretching and controlled movement is generally good for healing back injuries, intensive exercise is usually better postponed until your pain is gone. Also, there are many causes of back pain and some require more rest than others.

Lower Back Exercise Using Yoga For Core Strength

lower back exercise

Assuming you are fit and well, there are a number of exercises that can be undertaken to improve your lower back strength. Some of the best of these are includedl ower back exercise in the series of stretches and poses known as yoga.

Yoga as Lower Back Exercise

Many of the forms and postures in yoga training are a perfect lower back exercise for improving the flexibility and strength of the back.

There are many different muscles in the back and if any of them are neglected, as they often are if we do not perform regular stretching exercises in all directions, they become tight. This can lead to distortion of the spine (causing back pain) or injuries when these neglected muscles are suddenly called into action.

If you do not want to join a yoga class, you can perform the same lower back exercise at home. Find a yoga DVD that includes the poses that you need. If you are looking online, searching for the Indian names of the stretches or poses (called asanas in yoga) makes them easy to find.

Look for the following lower back exercise stretches or postures:

  • pelvic tilt (not strictly a yoga pose but you will find it on many yoga sites)
  • knee to chest (pawanmuktasan)
  • supine twist (supta matsyendrasana) or half spinal twist (ardha matsyendrasana)
  • cat (marjariasana)
  • cobra (bhujangasana)
  • downward facing dog (adho mukha svanasana)

It is important to do them all because they have different and complementary actions on the spine. In other words, they balance each other out.

Lower Back Exercise – Watch your posture

Move into each position slowly and be sure to follow all of the instructions, noticing especially the correct position of your head. You can hold each position for 2-3 minutes. You will probably find that you can comfortably increase the stretch once or twice while you hold, as your lower back exercise muscles become accustomed to the pose.

Do not expect to be able to do the pose to the full extent demonstrated by the teacher. This is especially true if you are more muscular than the teacher or others in the class. A muscular body will be less flexible. There are also differences between the sexes in how far they can stretch in certain poses. That is natural and nothing to be concerned about.

Yoga is not a competition, it is just about increasing your own flexibility within the range that you have. And in your case it is a great lower back exercise.

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Keep in mind that yoga exercises should never stress the muscles or the spine. Do not try to stretch to your limits. You should be able to breathe freely without constriction at all times during your lower back exercise program.

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Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress

Almost every person reaches a point in their life where stress and anxiety become a problem. Some are able to get through the issues on their own, and do not need to examine it further, while others may have a difficult time shaking the feelings that have seemed to take over their lives.

Narrowing down the symptoms of stress and anxiety is the first step to identifying the issue and determining if you are suffering from a mental health problem. Anxiety and stress symptoms can fall into four overall groups ? cognitive, emotional, physical, and behavioral.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress

Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress

Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress

Cognitive symptoms of stress and anxiety all relate to the brain and its functions. Besides the feeling of continual worry, the sufferer may also have racing thoughts and anxiety.

They may not be able to see the positive side to things, and solely concentrate on the negative. Their ability to judge situations and make well-planned decisions is affected.

Memory may become a bit fuzzier and they cannot focus on the task at hand.

The most obvious emotional symptoms, especially to the sufferer’s friends and family – is moodiness. They may be extremely irritable and be quick to anger.

Someone suffering from anxiety and stress could have a feeling of loneliness, and feel isolated from their peers. It is also common to be overwhelmed with life in general, which may lead to depression or an overall feeling of unhappiness.

Stress and anxiety can also manifest itself in physical symptoms. The most stereotypical of these is related to the heart, with chest pains and an increased rate of heartbeats.

The individual may also have digestive problems, like upset stomach, ulcers, nausea, diarrhea or constipation. Overall aches and pains are also a sign of stress and anxiety. The person may also seem to catch more colds than the typical person. There can also be a noticeable drop in sex drive.

Symptoms of Anxiety and Stress

A person’s behavior may also change when they are under stress. They may start using (or have an increased use in) drugs, alcohol, or cigarettes to help them cope with their emotions.

Outsiders may witness nervous habits like nail biting, pen tapping, pacing, or other repetitive motions. The person’s appetite may increase or decrease. Sleep can also be affected, where the person dealing with anxiety may sleep more or less. They may isolate themselves from friends and family or from society in general.

You may also notice one of the symptoms of anxiety and stress is that they suddenly start neglecting their responsibilities or procrastinate more than usual.

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Why Eating Alkaline Foods is Healthy

A few weeks ago I began starting my day by drinking a very large glass of water (more like 2 glasses) with the juice of a squeezed lemon. I started doing this after I heard a bit about the health benefits of starting the day by eating alkaline foods

Alkaline diets are promoted and marketed primarily by practitioners of alternative medicine, with the claim that such diets might prevent cancer, fatigue, obesity, allergies, osteoporosis, and a variety of other physical complaints and illnesses. Proponents of an alkaline diet include Robert O. Young, Edgar Cayce, D. C. Jarvis, and Herman Aihara.

A similar diet, called the Hay diet, was developed by the American physician William Howard Hay in the 1920s. A related alternative medical system called nutripathy was derived by another American, Gary A. Martin, in the 1970s.

 

vegetables are alkaline foods

vegetables are alkaline foods

Proponents of an alkaline diet include Robert O. Young, Edgar Cayce, D. C. Jarvis, and Herman Aihara. A similar diet, called the Hay diet, was developed by the American physician William Howard Hay in the 1920s. A related alternative medical system called nutripathy was derived by another American, Gary A. Martin, in the 1970s.

 

So how do you get started doing this? I am not interested right now in becoming a vegetarian but I think it is very important to be more alert in what I eat always and trying to eat alkaline foods at least sometimes will make a big difference in doing this.

In general, the alkaline diet involves eating certain fresh citrus and other low-sugar fruits, vegetables, tubers, nuts, and legumes. The diet recommends avoiding grains, dairy, meat, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, and fungi. Proponents believe that such a diet maintains the balance of the slight alkalinity of blood without stressing the body’s acid-base homeostasis.

Here is a list of great Alkaline foods that you can try incorporating into your diet

Vegetables that are high alkaline foods

Alfalfa, Beet Greens, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrot, Cauliflower, Celery, Chlorella, Collard Greens, Cucumber, Eggplant, Garlic, Green Beans, Green Peas, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Peppers, Pumpkin, Radishes, Rutabaga, Spinach, green, Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Watercress, Wheat Grass, Wild Greens

Fruits that are high alkaline foods

Apple, Apricot, Avocado, Banana, Berries, Blackberries, Cantaloupe, Sour Cherries, Coconut, Currants, Dried Dates, Dried Figs, Grapes, Grapefruit, Honeydew Melon, Lemon, Lime, Nectarine, Orange, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Raisins, Raspberries, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Tangerine, Tomato, Tropical Fruits, Watermelon

Protein Sources that are high alkaline foods

Almonds, Chestnuts, Tofu, Whey Protein Powder

Non-Alkaline – High Acid Foods to Avoid

You can see by the list above that most fruits and vegetables are high alkaline foods and that at the same time meats and proteins are not included as they are high acid foods. Below I have included a list of some foods that are high acid and therefore not alkaline so you should try to minimize (remember though that I do eat meat and other non-alkaline foods as well)

High Acid Vegetables

Corn, Lentils, Olives, Winter Squash

High Acid Fruits

Blueberries, Canned or Glazed Fruits, Cranberries, Currants, Plums, Prunes

High Acid Nuts and Proteins

Cashews, Legumes, Peanut Butter, Peanuts, Pecans, Tahini, Walnuts

So try this out for yourself. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables is definitely good for you no matter what the science about alkaline foods. I personally have found a much better feeling and energy have been my results of eating alkaline foods.

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