Maintaining Excellent Posture

Posted on October 19, 2011 by

Having good posture is important for many reasons.

1. Good posture ensures your back is in perfect working order, protecting its shape and natural curve at all times

2. Good Posture is important to ensure your head is correctly supported by your back and entire body and not just your neck, as this creates unnecessary pressure.

3. Good posture ensures you are at your tallest at all times! Being tall is attractive in both sexes; having a hunch back is not!

4. Good posture prevents any spinal conditions from developing, such as ankylosing spondylitis or sciatica.

To maintain excellent posture, you must:

1. Never slouch, always sitting upright and with your head above your shoulders, not infront.

2. Support your back with an appropriate office chair. Getting an ergonomically designed chair will help to ensure you maintain your posture when working, reducing the risk of reptitive strain injury (RSI)

3. always walk tall, in an upright position.

4. Stretch your neck and back through yoga classes london and other exercises which increase core stability and motion.

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The importance of stretching

Posted on October 18, 2011 by

Stretching is a part of exercise which many people neglect or underestimate. Professional athletes ensure that any physical activity or sport session is not started without a preliminery stretching warm up, often lasting for at least 20 – 30 minutes.

It is important to stretch before any workout to minize the risk of injury. By stretching, you will warm up the muscles, fibres and tendons within the body ensuring that they are ready to be put under physical pressure. Once your body has warmed up, you will not only reduce the risk of injury or strain, but also benefit from maximising the amount of power within the muscles.

During any yoga classes london, you will find the nature of the yoga class to be heavily involved with stretching. This is a one of a kind activity as it involves the stretching within the actual fitness programme. For this reason, you dont have to have a stretching warm up session before yoga, or even after.

That said, a good yoga class will always end with a series of relaxation techniques designed to reduce stress levels and give you a few moments of pure peace.

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High protein diets

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

High protein diets are extremely popular for a number of reasons. Many high profile diets such as the Atkins have popularised the supposid benefits of reducing or even eliminating carbohydrates in order to lose weight. This is actually not a good diet to follow as a person becomes lethargic and lacking energy without carbohydrates.

Instead, it is more efficient to have a high protein diet, and control the types of carbs that are consumed, and the time that they are consumed at.

Why have a high protein diet?

Many people choose to have a high protein diet to either build muscle mass or as a way of controlling weight. With any eating plan, maximum benefits are gained by complimenting a varied health and fitness programme. Yoga classes london are core to an exercise plan, but variety is key in ensuring you stay focused and continue to gain benefits from your activities.

If you are trying to increase muscle mass, it is advantagous for you to consume a higher level of protein than any other food type. The most crucial time to consume pure protein is in the evenings, when the body is winding down ready to sleep. As we use limited amounts of energy when at rest, any carbs which are consumed are more likely to turn into fat cells. For this reason, many high protein diets reccomend the consumption of carbs during the day up until the early evening, after which you should only consume a small amount of carbs and large amount of protein.

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Healthy Eating

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

The most important part of a well balanced lifestyle is a healthy, considerate eating plan that provides all the necessary nutrients to fuel the body. There are three main food types which all staple diets must contain:

  • Fibres
  • Carbohydrates
  • Proteins

Fibre is a necessary food type which is required to break down food enzymes and ensure nutrients are gleened from every meal.

Carbohydrates are required in order to provide fuel within the human body. Complex carbohydrates are slow energy release foods such as rice, bread, potatoes and pasta. Quick carbohydrates are fast energy release foods such as fruit and chocolate. Protein helps feed muscle growth and stability, with high protein foods including meat, fish, soya, and pulses.

If you are serious about improving your quality of life and health and fitness, taking part in yoga classes london and having a well balanced diet will help you get there.

To get the most out of your yoga classes, you need to fuel your body with complex carbohdrates before hand, and then quick carbs and protein within 40 minutes of completing your yoga class. This is to top up your energy levels and also feed your muscle groups which have been working within the yoga class.

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