Fitness : 10 Best Exercises To Build a Better Knee.

The same training philosophy applies whether you're recovering from a knee injury or trying to prevent one. Ideally, your off-road workout should include stretching and strengthening--stretching to keep the IT band from causing friction, and strengthening your hip abductors and glutes to keep you stable. Stability will help you avoid IT band syndrome and patellofemoral pain syndrome.

1- Stretches: IT Band

Lean into each stretch for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch sides.


2- Wall Banger:

Stand with your right side about six to 12 inches from a wall. Squat and lean your upper body to the left until your right hip touches the wall. "It stretches the IT band and strengthens the glutes," says Nancy Cummings, Ed.D., assistant professor at Florida Southern College.

3- Side Stretch:

 Stand with your left foot crossed in front of your right, and lean your upper body to the left with your hands overhead. Lean as far as you can without bending your knees.

4- Backward T Stretch:

Stand, feet together, facing a wall about six to 12 inches away. Hold your arms to your sides like you're forming a T. Without bending your knees, reach down and back as far as you can with your right hand.

5- Strength Moves: Hips, Glutes, and Quadriceps

Do independent of running so your muscles aren't fatigued during this program.

6-Leg Lift:

Strong hip abductors help prevent strain of the IT band. "There's less torque on the band because you're decreasing the amount of hip abduction," says sports-medicine specialist Sharon Flynn, M.D. Lie on your side with your elbow on the floor. Lift your upper leg up about a foot and return to the starting position. Do 20 to 30 on each side.


7- Four-Way Kick:

Attach your ankle to a cable machine (or use a resistance band). Face the machine. Kick your leg backward 20 times. Rotate 90 degrees and kick to the side. Repeat in all four directions (when you're facing away from the machine, kick forward). Start with two sets of 20 in each direction on each leg, and work up to three sets of 50 in each direction.

8- Lateral Step Up with Kick:

Stand with your left side next to a step that's eight to 12 inches high. Step up with your left foot, driving the right foot in the air so it's even with your waist. Step back down and repeat. It strengthens the lateral muscle of the quad to help protect the knee, Cummings says. Do two sets of eight to 12 repetitions on each side.


9- Hip Lift:

 Balance on your right foot (use a wall for balance). With your left knee bent, drop the left hip and lift it up. "Let the hip drop, and try not to bend the left leg," says Stephen Pribut, D.P.M., a sports podiatrist in Washington, D.C. "You'll feel it in the glutes." Do 15 to 20 times on each side.


10- Step Down:

 Stand on a step on your right foot. Lower your left leg toward the floor, making sure the knee of your right leg is centered over your foot. "With the step down, you're putting more focus on the glutes," says Matt Schneider, athletic trainer and physician assistant at the Boulder (Colorado) Center for Sports Medicine. Do two sets of 10 on each.

How To Decide What Exercise is the Best for You.

One of the best ways to boost your chances of success with an exercise program is to choose an activity that fits your lifestyle. Lifestyle considerations include your schedule, budget and even where you live. Here are some things to consider when deciding what exercise is best for your lifestyle.

1- Health Concerns

Your health can have a significant impact on lifestyle and exercise choices. For example, if you have asthma you may want to limit outdoor exercise on unsafe air quality days. Instead, choose indoor activities such as aerobics or the elliptical machine. Likewise if you have joint or heart issues you may want to sign up for yoga or tai chi instead of marathon training. If you have health concerns, or are over 40 and new to exercise, talk with your healthcare provider before getting started. Together you can decide on an exercise plan that offers the most benefit without putting you at increased risk for health problems.



2- Personality Type

Some people use exercise as a time to sort things out. They may look forward to workouts as personal time to boost creativity or blast through anxiety. If that sounds like you consider activities you can enjoy alone like running, swimming, skating or cycling. Other people may think of exercise as a social outlet. If you are one of them go for an activity you can enjoy with a buddy or even a group. Ideas include rowing, team sports like softball and dance or exercise classes.

3- Schedule

There just don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. Perhaps you have offered your busy schedule as the reason you rarely exercise. News flash – being busy doesn’t mean you can’t exercise, it just means you have to plan well. Take a look at your schedule and plan exercise that can be broken down into ten minute increments. For example, you may have a session of jump rope or jumping jacks along with some squats and planks for a few minutes before your morning shower. Then you can work in a ten minute power walk at lunch and finally a yoga routine before bedtime. As the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way.



4- Work setting

Maybe you work in a very casual setting. If you do it may be easy to bike to work because you won’t have to worry too much about mussing your hair or suit. If you do work in a formal setting, take advantage of the company or local gym after work. If your budget doesn’t have room for a gym membership start a walking group among your neighbors or coworkers.



5- Neighborhood

If your neighborhood has few sidewalks or feels unsafe, consider an Internet or DVD workout that you can do in the safety and comfort of your home. This is also a great option if you are a parent and have trouble finding childcare to exercise.

 No matter your lifestyle, weight or fitness level there is an exercise regimen that can be tailored to your needs. Do some investigating, experiment and get started. You’ll be glad you did.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR CORE WITH THE OFF-SET LOADED LUNGE.

Brace your spine with this off-balance move.

Losing your balance, or rather, fighting to keep it, forces your core to brace your spine. One simple way to train core stability is with weight in one hand while the other is free, as in the off-set loaded lunge.

÷ Program Tips

Use the off-set loaded lunge for 6–12 reps after a squat or deadlift variation.

HOW TO DO IT: OFF-SET LOADED LUNGE

1. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand at shoulder level and stand with feet hip- width apart.

2. Step forward with your right leg and bend both knees until the rear knee nearly touches the floor and the front thigh is parallel to the floor. Keep your torso upright. Perform all your reps and then switch arms and legs.

The side holding the weight will want to bend, but your core has to work to keep your torso straight—especially while it’s moving during the lunge. Maintaining stability strengthens your abs, while the lunge trains your legs, making this move multifunctional.

Weight loss: How Easily you can Balance your Diet.

Properly balanced diet is extremely important to your goals. Whether you want to lose body fat or gain muscle, it wont happen with training alone. Consuming a well-balanced diet will help give your body the nutrients it needs to recover from training. If your diet is lacking even one macronutrient it will hinder your recovery ability. Try to keep your carbs, protein and fats all balanced. Avoid diets that are extreme, you will find yourself smaller and weaker.

Vegetables and fruits form the foundation of a healthy diet. But you can’t live on produce alone. To get all your essential nutrients, you’ll also need to eat whole grains, lean protein (fish, lean meat, beans or low-fat dairy foods) and healthy fats, including nuts and olive oil. How much do you need? Balance your diet in three easy steps.

1. Divide your plate.

Does your plate look more like A or B?

Whatever you answered, you should aim to model (or keep modeling) your plate after B. Low-calorie—yet satisfying—vegetables fill half the plate. The other half is divided into two equal portions (quarters). One is filled with a lean protein, the other with a whole-grain or starchy vegetable.


2. Calculate your calories.

Eating a balanced diet means not only getting enough of specific nutrients, such as vitamin C and beta carotene, but also eating the right number of calories for your size.

The following equation will help you determine the number of calories you need to maintain your current weight.

Your body weight X 12 = __________

Subtract 500 calories from this number to lose 1 pound per week. To lose 2 pounds per week, subtract 1,000. If you calculate a calorie target that’s less than 1,200, set your calorie goal at 1,200. For more help on losing weight healthfully.

3. Eat by the Pyramid.

To get even more accurate about ensuring nutritional balance in your diet, eat by the USDA’s MyPyramid recommended intakes for all the major food groups. Simply follow the guide below that’s closest to the calorie level you calculated in Step 2.

Recommended daily intakes by Pyramid group for a range of calorie levels:

Calorie level1,6001,8002,0002,2002,400
2,600
2,800
3,000Grains*
5 oz.-eq.6 oz.-eq.6 oz.-eq.7 oz.-eq.8 oz.-eq.9 oz.-eq.10 oz.-eq.10 oz.-eq.Vegetables**2 cups2.5 cups2.5 cups3 cups3 cups3.5 cups3.5 cups4 cupsFruits***1.5 cups1.5 cups2 cups2 cups2 cups2 cups2.5 cups2.5 cupsMilk (or dairy)
3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cups3 cupsMeat, Beans†5 oz.-eq.5 oz.-eq.5.5 oz.-eq.6 oz.-eq.6.5 oz.-eq.6.5 oz.-eq.7 oz.-eq.7 oz.-eq.Oils5 tsp.5 tsp.6 tsp.6 tsp.7 tsp.8 tsp.8 tsp.10 tsp.Discretionary calories††132195267290362410426512

Note: These suggested food amounts are calculated to meet USDA recommended nutrient intakes. The contributions from each group are based on the “nutrient-dense” form of the food, without added fats or sugars (for example, lean meats, fat-free dairy products, grains with no added sugars).
*A 1-oz. grain equivalent = 1⁄2 cup of pasta, rice or oatmeal, 1 cup of whole-grain cold cereal, 1 slice of bread, 1⁄2 of an English muffin.
**A 1⁄2 cup of vegetables or 1 cup of raw leafy greens = 1 vegetable serving.
***1 cup of cut fruit or 1 medium whole fruit (orange, apple, banana) = 1 fruit serving.
† A 1-oz. equivalent = 1 oz. lean meat, poultry or fish, 1⁄4 cup cooked beans or tofu.
†† “Discretionary calories” are those remaining in the calorie total when all the food-group portions and nutrients are consumed. You can “spend” them on whatever you want, such as

How to Get Stronger, Fitter & Healthier as You Age.

As people age their body loses its flexibility and tolerances to hardship. If once you could take a beating and survive unscathed, as you get older, you know that you need to start taking precautions and additional care so that you do not find yourself in the middle of nasty medical surprises and left-overs from the era of carelessness. This article contains 8 ways you can actually get stronger, fitter and healthier as you age.

1 – Exercise

Walking, running, weight lifting, yoga, pilates, massage and every other kind of exercise that is moderated and tailor made for your specific body type is an absolute necessity to balance the loss and stiffening of muscle mass and to keep the heart pumping and in good rhythm. Do not overdo it though. The results will be the opposite.

2 – Omega 3 & Multivitamin Supplements


A gram of a marine based food contains enough Omega 3 fatty acids to reduce the heart and brain disease risks. Vitamins B, D and E, antioxidants and calcium supplements help balance a less than optimal diet and avoid further heart and blood pressure problems. However, make sure you do not consume more than what your body requires.

3 – Diet

Avoid chemical foods. You can still eat meat but make sure it’s grass fed and local. Make your diet more balanced with vegetables, fish, low fat, brown rice, nuts and quinoa. These will balance the metabolic changes that occur as you age, and are the main reason for the increase of weight.

4 – Blood Tests

You should check your blood numbers as often as possible. Especially the glucose levels as diabetes is the most insidious of diseases and when you realize you have it, most of the times it’s too late. Regular pressure tests will also establish a regular baseline for comparisons.

5 – Deep Sleep

Do not overlook the necessity of a deep sleep. During the first four hours the necessary growth hormones are released. Do not push past your natural fall asleep cycle. Whenever you feel you cannot keep your eyelids open, go to sleep unless there is a very important reason not to do so.

6 – Sex

People think that sexual drive always declines with age. Wrong. Many people enjoy sex more in their fifties than in their thirties. It can be far more satisfactory and keeps up the psychology which is the major factor of everything. It needs, of course, some pushing – but that will not come from little blue pills. It will come from cutting down on alcohol and sugar.


7 – Smoking

There is no need to point out any more how bad smoking is for the condition of even the healthiest of individuals. But smoking here is not limited to tobacco. It refers to any kind of smoking/substance abuse.

8 – Stress

This is perhaps the most difficult thing to do something about. But it is the one thing that can cancel all the benefits of all other ways to stay healthy, fit and strong. About 90% of all diseases is either created by, or complicated by stress. Learn how to breathe. It will do miracles on your stress level. Use herbs like chamomile and green tea. Anything to reduce your stress levels naturally including a change in diet and exercise should be adapted.

How to Recover From An Injury faster & Stay Fit.

Nobody enjoys getting injured. For athletes, injuries are a part of the game. You give it your all when you play. Your competitive spirit drives you to be the best you can be and go for gold every time. For exercisers, injuries also creep up at inconvenient times. Overuse injuries like tendonitis can pop up. Sore, tight muscles can lead to strains and sprains. And improper form is probably the number one reason for injuries in exercisers.

With the reason for injuries aside, if you become the unfortunate victim of an injury that sidelines you for a number of weeks or even months, your doctor may prescribe rest or physical therapy. Either way you’re going to be recovering from an injury. But how can you stay fit as you heal?

You don’t have to throw in the towel and give up exercise! Obviously it depends on the nature of your injury, and physical therapy will focus on the specific injured area. You will be getting some exercise with physical therapy, but for the most part, the attention will be spent on retraining your neural pathways and teaching the muscles to get strong again. If rest is prescribed for your injury, ask your doctor what you can do, so you have a clear idea of your limitations or freedoms. The worst thing you can do when injured is try to come back too fast or too soon. You risk re-injury or bring the possibility of disallowing the injury to heal properly.

If you have a foot injury and have to wear a boot for a month, don’t stop lifting weights with your upper body. Keep that same mentality if your shoulder is in a sling. Find a recumbent or stationary bicycle and keep those legs moving! The point is, recovering from an injury is zero fun. You want to be back to normal. You’re sick of the pain. It’s completely understandable, but you can stay fit as you heal. Just be careful. Your doctor will tell you what you are allowed to do, but don’t be afraid to ask, for he or she may not just come out and tell you it’s OK to keep exercising the other areas of your body.

Pay attention to your diet as well. Some injuries need a lot of rest, and this rest is going to lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. When you stop moving, it’s going to get tougher for your body to burn calories. Don’t overeat. If at all possible, focus on your core muscles to maintain proper posture and strength.

When you recover from an injury, you can stay fit as you heal. Don’t let the injury get you down or make you feel like you shouldn’t workout. The endorphins released from the exercise can definitely help your mood and help you stay positive as you heal.

Fitness Tips : Sensoria – Smart Socks to Track Your Running.

Fitness Tips : Sensoria – Smart Socks to Track Your Running

Sensoria Smart Socks deliver what other trackers on the market can’t: real-time updates based on dynamic data and statistics. Data is gathered from an electronic anklet that attaches to the special socks with built-in sensors. Going beyond the typical tracking parameters of distance, calories, steps, and the like, Sensoria Smart Socks also analyze your foot landing technique and cadence. Real-time data collection, made possible with Bluetooth, is uploaded directly to the Sensoria phone app. From there, the app will give you real-time audio notifications of how to improve, such as breathing on a certain foot to better utilize energy. You can also use the app after your run to examine your running style in order to improve time, identify injury-prone habits, and even to set and break goals. The Sensoria Smart Socks bring running to the 21st

More info.