Sculpt Your Back

Complete this sentence - I don’t wear sleeveless and tank tops because…

If this sentence ends in anything close to ‘My back resembles the face of a shar pei’ then this article is for you!

With back fat like a shar pei’s, there is a lot at stake. Even though we use our back muscles for almost everything we do day in and day out, we manage to ignore them. Nothing ruins a great dress or a good fitting t-shirt than bulging fat on the back. Stronger back muscles also mean that you are less prone to sprains and lower back problems.

There are a lot of exercises that you can do either with or without equipment.

Back extension : One good exercise that you can do with a stability ball at the gym (or if you have one at home) is the back extension. A very effective tool in any workout. Be sure to pick a ball that suits your body and get that ball rolling (so to speak). 

 

http://www.skinnymom.com/2015/01/15/5-moves-to-banish-back-fat/ 

Pull Ups : One of the most effective and strenuous exercises for your upper back. It is challenging indeed but go slow and push yourself a little each day to achieve the results.

http://news.health.com/2013/08/06/4-ways-to-get-rid-of-back-fat/ 

Dumbbell Pullovers : A common exercise as seen in the gym, but did you know this could also help your upper back not just your arms? 

http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/11/how-to-get-rid-of-back-fat-workout-best-back-exercises.html 

Superman or Superwoman : Or call it the I-Y-T’s - this move will kill your arms, shoulders and abs. Hold it for a complete minute and feel the burn! If you lie on your stomach with your arms stretched straight over your head this is called the I position. If you lift your arms at a 45 degree angle this is called the Y position. Lastly, move your arms to your sides for a T position. 

http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/11/how-to-get-rid-of-back-fat-workout-best-back-exercises.html 

Side planks :Great to reduce muffin tops/love handles, arms and upper back. 

http://www.leanitup.com/the-top-5-oblique-exercises-to-get-ripped-up-abs-v2/ 

Planks with arm raise: In addition to side planks, you can also do normal planks with a lateral arm raise.

http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/11/how-to-get-rid-of-back-fat-workout-best-back-exercises.html 

Jumping rope: Remember as a child you enjoyed to jump the rope? Relive those fun moments and actually work your upper back muscles. This exercise also helps to burn the overall body fat. Compete with yourself and do as many as you can.

Row your boat : If you have seen the arm and back muscles of rowers, we needn’t explain how great this particular exercise is. And come on, you have to admit that it is fun to row whether on water or at the gym.

• http://www.self.com/body/workouts/2014/05/30-workouts-30-minutes 

content source:
http://www.youbeauty.com/body-fitness/exercises-to-get-rid-of-back-fat
http://www.skinnymom.com/2015/01/15/5-moves-to-banish-back-fat/
http://tone-and-tighten.com/2014/11/how-to-get-rid-of-back-fat-workout-best-back-exercises.html

Eat Away Your Monday Blues

Come Monday and you hear groans and moans. All that fun you had on the weekend vanishes and you see a big black hole. As you drive to work, you pacify yourself with the idea that Friday is only four days away. What if you could eat away such depressing feelings especially on a Monday morning so as to ease your way through the week?

We bring you a list of foods that can help you transition from Sunday to Monday until Friday comes calling:

• If your Monday morning feels like it is going to drag you through hell, grab a whole grain or wheat toast with some black tea. This will slowly release energy into your system which you can process more easily and black tea will keep you calm yet alert thanks to its L-theanine properties. 

• Anxious about that meeting with the boss? What could he possibly want to talk about ‘first thing Monday’? You have already lost your precious Sunday night’s sleep over it. Grab foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts, salmon, flaxseeds, eggs etc. These foods are known to calm your jittery nerves and ensure that you sail through that dreaded meeting which was only about a ‘new intern’.

• For women, nothing can make Monday worse than waking up with PMS. All the women out there, hats off to you for walking into work loaded with PMS on a Monday morning after battling traffic and road rage. All the men (at work) should know better than to get in their way. If you are a woman reading this, make yourself some eggs. Those little cute eggs will make you happy and help you beat the craving for junk like chips or ice cream. 

www.laurenconrad.com 

• Pacing up and down early morning about the impending appraisal? Don’t stress, eat your favourite chocolate (dark chocolate is better). Whether you are six or sixty, chocolate always helps to lower your stress levels. It brightens your mood and reduces anxiety. 

• If you have just wasted the whole weekend cleaning up a mess that someone else made on Friday, you need to sip on green tea now more than ever. The last thing you want to do is to storm the office and vent out frustration worth of two days onto someone who has nothing to do with it. Grab your favourite flavour of green tea and sip on it as you get ready. This will help you think clearly and calmly. If it still does not help, add some ice cubes and chill! 

• Just got back from visiting your parents or a close friend? Don’t be sad, eat your cereal. A plain bowl of your favourite cereal and milk can give you the boost you need. The Vitamin D in milk is said to produce happy thoughts in your brain. 

How about that? Food can regulate your mood better than anything else. So stay healthy, stay happy!

content source:
http://laurenconrad.com/blog/2013/09/foods-to-boost-your-mood-healthy-snack-lauren-conrad-september-2013/
www.losing30lbsincecollege.tumblr.com

Creepy Cellulite

Sounds like a disease, doesn’t it? But don’t worry, cellulite is just the fat under your skin that is always waiting to surface. Like a creepy person. Cellulite is bumpy and lumpy but not harmful by any means. It ain’t pretty, we’ll tell you that! 

Anyone can have cellulite - whether you are overweight or skinny. The fact is that you can reduce the cellulite on your body by losing weight. It is most noticeable on the butt and thighs.

There are a ton of factors that can cause cellulite in a person’s body:

• Hereditary : You may not like this but it is true. If your Grandma had cellulite, something that grossed you out as a kid, chances are you will have it too. Certain genes in the blood can predetermine the chances of developing cellulite such as slow metabolism, distribution of fat etc.

• Diet: What’s new? Too much fats and carbohydrates a.k.a. junk food can lead to cellulite. In addition, high content of salt and lack of fibre is only going to make it worse.

1. www.fitness.makeupandbeauty.com 

• Hormones : Blame it on the hormones! Certain hormones like estrogen, thyroid hormones play a role in the production of cellulite.

• Lifestyle : If you are leading a sedentary lifestyle, don’t be surprised if your behind resembles a Droopy’s face and your thighs look like a healthy turkey’s legs. Desk jobs and lack of exercise are most common causes in cellulite production. 

• Extreme Dieting: All those diets that come and go only leave behind one thing - cellulite and a low self esteem. Stay away and do better.

Now that we have covered Cellulite 101, let’s get moving and exercising. Cellulite is not going to melt itself!

Forget those creams and oils on the counter of your beauty shop and follow the exercises in the images given below to get rid of the stubborn cellulite naturally. Remember to follow it diligently and give it time.

Content source:
http://www.webmd.com/beauty/cellulite/cellulite-causes-and-treatments
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/149465.php

Hello Hydration

Summer is back and so is our thirst. This simply translates to increasing our water intake and in this season, more is less. But don’t worry, we are not going to tell you to drink ten litres of water everyday. Instead we have a few suggestions as to how you can keep hydrating your body through the day with more than just plain old water.

• Switch up the taste of water by adding certain herbal flavours to boost your taste as well as your health. The summer heat can be overwhelming especially for those who travel by public transport or have a travelling job. This can often result in the person feeling parched and nauseous. Sipping on ginger tea is a great way to fight nausea in the scorching heat. If a hot cup of tea is not your thing, add some ice cubes and let the tea settle your tummy. Add a dash of peppermint or lemon juice for a zing.

  www.thenerdswife.com 

 Coconut water is a great alternative to water. Have it as it is or to spunk it up by adding it to a mixed fruit popsicle. Simply chop your favourite fruits and dump them in a popsicle or ice cream mould and pour coconut water on top. Freeze overnight and enjoy your tropical ice cream. A smart way to get the kids to eat a variety of fruits.

• Keep up your energy by drinking lemon water through the day. It will not only hydrate but also cleanse your body from the inside and give you an energy boost. Add honey or mint to make it more delicious.

• There’s no better time to load up on Vitamin C. Grab those citrus fruits and blend them all together for a citrus fruit punch. Load up your glasses with ice cubes and sip away the summer heat. Fruits with high amount of water content are watermelon, musk melon, peach, pineapple and berries. ’Tis the season to juice, people!

www.positivemed.com 

• You can also replace fruit juices with vegetable juice or green smoothies to add iron and potassium to your diet. 

• Does anyone remember Hamdard’s Rooh Afza? Rooh Afza is as old as free India and has been a part of almost everyone’s childhood, especially during summers. Rooh Afza, although a fruit concentrate, is made of extracts from fruits and vegetables as well as herbs. Add a dash of Rooh Afza to a glass of milk or lemon water and wait for the magic to happen. A sip of this drink is a much needed respite from the heat as it instantly cools your body from within. 

• It is advisable to stay away from concentrates and squashes as they are not natural and have very high sugar content in them. Too much sugar can make you more sluggish in the heat. Stick to natural ingredients and be sure to have a bottle of water at hand at all times. More often than not, we tend to lay back lazily as even getting up for a glass of water seems like an arduous task.

Content source:
www.lifehack.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooh_Afza

The Future Of Fitness : Boot Camp

Boot Camp style of fitness and exercise has been around for a long time, but given the upsurge of importance given to one’s health especially in today’s time, it is finally getting the attention it really deserves. Boot Camp fitness is an inspired form of military style fitness. It is not as rigorous and intimidating but it is serious fitness which results in some serious fat burn.

A typical boot camp fitness comprises of a group training indoors or outdoors and the workout is a mix of a high and low intensity workout. A typical boot camp regimen is a mix of intense and light bursts of strength and aerobic workouts beginning with cardio training, lifting weights, pushups, situps, squats, burpees, using body weight etc. It ends with some stretching exercises and yoga or pilates moves.

Boot Camp pushes you do give your 110 percent and brings a great amount of variety to the workout regimen. You might find it tough in the beginning but by the end of the workout, it makes you feel like you have accomplished the impossible. Also, it is human nature to compete with others, so the group training keeps you motivated and working out with driven people makes you test your boundaries too.

Enrolling in boot camp is a great change from the usual gym routine. It gives you something to look forward to when you are counting your sets, therefore it keeps you going. It is hard but effective.
Boot camp also makes you mentally strong and can act as a vent for your pent up stress or burn out. It is known to help people lose upto 5 kilos of weight in four weeks and maintain it. For someone who is looking to control their body weight in order to take control of their life, boot camp is the perfect solution.

www.apronsandapples.blogspot.com

Boot camp is no cakewalk, once you have signed up you have got to stick to it before you see any results. And there is a good reason why boot camp is the talk of town - because it works, people. It works in ways more than one - it certainly helps in better body function and weight loss and more importantly in staying motivated through peer interaction. 

Boot Camp is for everyone however you are the best judge of the intensity upto which you can do a particular workout. In addition, it also depends on how good your trainer is. All you have to do is show up each day and meet your goal.

content source:
http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/boot-camp-workout/art-20046363
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/boot-camp-fitness
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/fitness-boot-camps-should-you-enlist?page=3