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What does JuJitsu do for you?

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

JuJitsu is a highly practical and effective art of self-defense. It can be classified as the art of defense without weapons against an attacker or group of attackers who may be armed or unarmed. JuJitsu is an art that can be enjoyed by women, men and children of all ages.

Jujitsu stands for the gentle art – Ju meaning gentle and su meaning art. The name refers to the fact that Jujitsu was commonly practiced without causing death or dismemberment unlike the Samurai’s more general approach to combat. This has led to a misnomer that Jujitsu is a soft fighting style compared to striking arts like Tao Kwan Do, Karate or kick boxing. In one sense this is true since Jujitsu masters can usually end a fight with out causing serious harm to their opponents.

Jujitsu is also some times believed a soft martial art because of it’s reactive nature. Meaning Jujitsu artists allow invaders to come to them; and then use what an attacker has given. Jujitsu is one of the best martial arts for self defense. While most martial arts are naturally offensive; Jujitsu is more defensive in nature. Plus the dynamics of Jujitsu are nearer to the dynamics of a real fight situation. It is rare if ever you will be loomed by someone who is going to strike the pose of the crane and dare you to battle.  Most people who need to protect themselves do not get any warning. They don’t even know there going to be in a battle until the fight begins. At this point fancy poses and katas are not very helpful. A trained reactive response however could make the difference of dying or surviving.

JuJitsu is perfect for self defense as it teaches the use of minimum force to control situations, you do not have to be young or super fit, it is an activity for all ages and abilities.

The art of JuJitsu embraces the following types of techniques and allows you to defend yourself.

-        Throws

-        Joint Locks

-        Weapon Defenses

-        Punches/Strikes/Kicks

-        Ground Defenses & Grappling

-        Defenses against multiple attackers and more.

The benefits of JuJitsu are many and varied. JuJitsu provides you with the knowledge of how to:

-        Throw an attacker.

-        Fall and not get hurt.

-        Obtain mental health.

-        Become self-sufficient.

-        Become self disciplined.

-        Maintain physical fitness and exercise.

-        Defend yourself against an armed attacker.

-        Defend yourself against more than one attacker.

-        Overcome an attacker by using a variety of wrist, arm and leg locks.

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Understanding the Principles of Exercise

Friday, September 11th, 2009

It doesn’t matter which fitness program you start on the basics behind them are all the same. Every fitness program or exercise relies on intensity, frequency and duration as the base and will include sets and repetitions.

The best thing about it is that you don’t need a good deal to get the benefits. Even just a few minutes a day can develop your health, well-being and help you:

  • Lose weight
  • Reduce stress
  • Boost your mood
  • Help you sleep better
  • Increase bone density
  • Give you more energy
  • Improve your quality of life
  • Strengthen the heart and lungs
  • Relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety
  • Lessen your risk of heart disease and certain types of cancer

How much and what type of exercise you do will depend on your fitness goals, intensity and time constraints, but a full exercise program should include strength training, cardio and flexibility exercises.

There are some fundamental principles that rule the world of exercise, and knowing them can help you set up and control different components of your workout.

In developing an efficient physical fitness program, you must hold to basic exercise principles, regardless of your fitness level.

  • Balance – Overstating one part of fitness inhibits your general progress. Include all four of the elements on a normal basis to achieve proper balance.
  • Overload – In order to acquire a training effect, the work load of each exercise session must exceed normal demands placed on the body. Find your one rep max lift for each exercise then rest the sum of weight used during each exercise at a level that will cause muscle failure with 8-10 repetitions.
  • Progression – The duration and intensity of exercise must slowly increase to improve the level of fitness.
  • Recovery – Alternating hard and easy days for each component of fitness or alternating muscle groups every other day, allows muscle repair and growth. Recovery can help avoid burn-out and injury.
  • Regularity – A regular fitness program entails exercising the four components of fitness at least 3 times a week. The four components are: muscular strength, cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular endurance, and flexibility.
  • Specificity – Arrange your training towards your exact goals. For example, increase your 2 mile run time using specific cardio-respiratory activities such as interval training.
  • Variety – Variety is the answer to a lifelong course because it relieves boredom and increases motivation and progress. Your muscles’ memory cells will stop budding if you don’t shock them occasionally with a change in your routine.

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Exercise Routines for a Busy Lifestyle

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Working out doesn’t have to conquest your life, in today’s world everyone seems to be rushing here and there and making the excuse. Exercising can take as slight as 20 minutes per day and if done on a regular basis results can be seen in both your health and appearance.

Exercising can mean strength training, sweating on a treadmill or even daily activities that we usually don’t think about, like climbing stairs, walking, housekeeping or even going for heavy shopping and walking back from the grocery store. It’s about keeping your body moving. In fact studies have shown that are short stretches of exercise can be just as effective for weight loss and health as longer exercise. This is due to the reality that many people find it easier to stick with shorter exercises.

It is forever essential that you start out with a warm up routine before exercising, this is needed to help avoid cramps during your routine and a cooling down period is also needed after your routine to allow the muscles to relax slowly.

If you don’t have much time to work out then you can do what is know as a cross training workout, this workout will allow you to workout with various equipment and exercise different muscle groups.

The main benefit this type of work out has to offer is that your exercise routine never gets boring and is an excellent way to exercise many muscle groups.

Warming up is still as essential then you could take in such exercises as walking on a treadmill, rowing, stepping and cycling, spending few minutes on each piece of equipment. Remember to cool off with gentle bending and stretching.

It is just as important to cool off after every exercise and this can be done the same way as you did for warming up with stretches.

The key is dedication; it’s about making exercise a main concern in your life by managing your time effectively so that you can incorporate exercise large or small into your daily routine. People who exercise frequently do not have extra hours in a day but have made exercise a priority rather than doing other things such sleeping, watching TV and etc. It’s about making exercise component of your day and stick to it.

You can achieve anything you set your mind to, once you have decided to go for it and have made the dedication then the next step is to start taking action towards reaching your goal, taking the first step is actually the hardest part because it means going out there and actually doing something. Thinking on what it is you have to do is the easy part as is saying you are committed to doing, but doing means facing the strange and putting your plan into action and this stage is very often where most people fail, because things get in the way and stops us from moving forward.

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The Benefits of Exercise

Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009

We know the importance of living a healthy way of life, eating a healthy diet and exercising can help us to look after our heart and ward off heart disease and other major illnesses. Having a daily exercise plan will also leave you feeling less tired and stressed and can also make you feel happier.

Exercise is physical activity that is configured and is prepared at certain intensity for a certain length of time. We take on in physical activity for health advantages if we wish to avoid disease and delay death. We take on in physical activity for fitness benefits in order to develop some components of physical fitness like cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, muscle endurance, muscle strength, and body composition.

Exercise such as walking can help you reduce the risk of developing brittle bones later in life and help with problems such as constipation, menstrual problems and pre menstrual problems.

Benefits to your health in the long term are numerous, exercising for as little as 30 minutes per day 5 days a week will reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and the development of diabetes. It can also have a positive effect on people who suffer from high blood pressure, often helping to bring it lower.

Research has proved that any amount of exercise, at any age, is beneficial. And, in general, the more you do, the greater the benefits. Physical activity is an essential ingredient of any weight-loss program, to get the most out of your fat loss while keeping valuable muscle mass. But exercise has many other health and longevity benefits. It can help avoid or improve these conditions:

Type II Diabetes. This disease is increasing at alarming rates and 17 million Americans now have it. Physical activity can develop weight loss and help stop and/or control this condition. Losing weight can boost insulin sensitivity, develop blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and decrease blood pressure – all of which are very significant to the health of people with diabetes.

Stroke. In an analysis of studies, researchers found that being active decreases your risk of having and dying from a stroke. Moderately active study participants had 20% less risk of stroke than less active participants.

Heart Disease. Regular activity fortifies your heart muscle; increases “good” cholesterol; lowers blood pressure and lowers “bad” cholesterol; enhances blood flow; and helps your heart function more efficiently. All of these benefits lessen the risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.

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The Secrets of the Art of Judo

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

judoJudo is a derived of jujitsu and is the correct word used to refer to that art in today’s language. The word judo particularly explains the truer meaning of the art as it is practiced today. The “ju” part of the word means “gentleness” and implies a flexibility of techniques, while the “do” part means “way” and signifies the application of the “ju” principle in the execution of the techniques, not only in the physical exertions of the judoist but also in his mental attitude. The older “jitsu”, which was changed by “do”, meant “technique” or “art”.

The study of judo with no understanding of its secrets – that is, its metaphysical side – leaves one in partial mental emptiness. You must first realize that the study of true judo is representative of behavior and mental attitudes. The subconscious mind is where our behavior guides are collected in an immense reservoir of our years of experience.

Training in judo controls the mind through physical-symbolic exercises, bringing about a maturity of the skill of higher logic. It is the use of this skill that portrays the mental response of the judoist to a given situation when it arises. This calmness of mind is developed in correct judo practice, but the true reservoir of mental composure is built through Zen meditation.

Self-defense in judo is only one basic aspect of this art. The nucleus must be mind control, in order that mastery of the self-defense techniques may be achieved. It is important for us to comprehend that even though Zen originated in a religious environment, it is a philosophy and can be applied to any of our personal beliefs.

Judo uses easy and effective, gentle techniques like grappling, throwing, blocks, body striking etc. which are subdivided further. There are also the different forms out of which ‘Randori’ (free style sparring) is given a major emphasis. Standing and ground phases form the two phases of Combat. This is the essential part of Combat in Judo. In Judo different styles are performed in different parts of the world, among which ‘Kodokan Judo’ is well known and most popular than any other style in this form of Martial art. Though this form is an effective way of self-protection, intense and dedication training are at the basic levels in order to qualify for defending oneself.

With its gentle methods, this complete featured martial art has developed as a popular sport. It is also made an event in the Olympics. It is practically a harmless sport and can be practiced by youth un-harming themselves. Like any other Martial arts it trains self discipline, manage over one’s self and improved mental ability. A phrase is mostly recited among the Judo players which goes like this; “the best training for Judo is Judo”, which seems to be utterly genuine and true.

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Sport Supplements that Work

Tuesday, August 25th, 2009

When the body performs intense training, weightlifting, or specific sport performance many reactions occur in the body besides tissue breakdown in the muscles involved.  Inflammation takes place on many different levels:  In the immune system, in ligaments and tendons, in the hypothalamus, pituitary and adrenals, and in the central nervous system.  For total recovery to take place, all of these areas have to be assisted through proper diet and/or specific supplementation.  If recovery does not take place, over time exercise induced stress can lead to a multitude of problems including:  Ligament and tendon injuries, immune system suppression and sickness or infection, reduced testosterone levels, and muscle tissue breakdown.

A supplement is something added to the diet, normally to make up for a nutritional deficiency. Ideally, it should be used as a substitute for eating well. Supplements include the following:

  • Herbs
  • Minerals
  • Vitamins
  • Amino Acids
  • Other Botanicals

Sport supplements are dozens of dime, but the first that you should look into getting is a good multi- vitamin. Besides from the all-purpose health benefits a multi-vitamin takes into the table, you also ensure that you are getting all the vitamins and minerals your body needs throughout the day; which as a bodybuilder is much higher then the sedentary individual. Multi-vitamins are never a replacement for a healthy diet filled with vegetables and fruits, they should only be used as quality assurance. With that being said, ensure you spend in a well named brand, a lot of time what is written on the labels is not true with what is inside the vitamin so go with companies with a track-record, not the miracle cure pills. Multi-vitamins will not help greatly in building mass quick, but it will aid in recovery by ensuring that your body is getting the nutrients it needs on a daily basis.

There are a number of unique supplements that have a key role in reducing the effects of exercise-induced stress on the body.  They aid in helping the body’s soft tissue, connective tissue, nervous system, immune system, and endocrine system recover from not only intense exercise but the stress of everyday life.  It is important to keep all of these areas healthy and in balance or they will adversely affect another area of the body.

The FDA is prohibited from eliminating a product from the market except it can prove that the product will cause a medical problem. Most health hazards of supplements are learned after the product is on the market. Supplements that are hauled from the market are usually connected to a reported death or serious health risk that is tied to the use of the product.

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How to Improve Your Post Workout Recovery

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Training can rapidly reduce energy stores and spoil muscle tissue. Exercise requires specific macro and micro molecule uptake to minimize the damage to our system and enable a faster recovery from exercise.

Many people warn about the dangers of overtraining. Everyone knows that you have to put in tough effort at the gym, but the recovery phase is where your body actually gets stronger. Here are some suggestions to help you recuperate so you can keep working hard.

  • Before the end of your exercises, spend about 10 minutes taking your strength levels down. In a cardio session, this is referred to as the settle down phase. In weight training, you seldom see it. People lift heavy and hard and then head out. This will help to eliminate lactic acid build up before you are finished with your session. A cool down is important.
  • Sleep is needed for full recovery. How much sleep can depend on the individual and the situations but generally a 6-8 hour range will cover most people. Some need more and some need less. Don’t be trapped up in some number but just the overall idea that you grow and recovery promptly when you get adequate rest.
  • Stretch after exercise to maintain. A full body stretching session is recommended. 5-7 minutes is all it takes. Again, lactic acid is flushed during this session. Since your muscles are already warm, this makes it easier.
  • Start drinking fluids during your cool down and stretching sessions. Doing so will start instantly substituting your short term glycogen stores and help with overall body hydration.
  • To avoid dehydration, muscle cramps and to even out blood volume, you should replace fluids and electrolytes after exercise. This includes sodium. If you are eating real protein sources after work out, this might be an opportunity to lightly salt your foods to replace sodium. If it’s a protein shake with carbs, it will perhaps have some sodium in it by default.

Recovery is just as important as exercise. These are easy things that will really advance your performance and health, and keep you training.

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The Health Benefits Of Martial Arts

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Martial Arts3--JPG (200x0)Created in ancient Asian cultures, Martial Arts heighten spirituality and develop character. Because of their holistic approach, several of the martial arts can make an exceptional contribution to your personal fitness course. The beauty of these methods is that, more so than other types of physical exercise, they develop the mind and soul as much as the body.

The martial arts have few competitors in the catalogue of exercises and sports when it comes to psychological and spiritual nurture. As previously mentioned, they are not designed to encourage violence or aggression. Quite the opposing, people who train in the martial arts tend to quietly avoid conflict and demonstrate no need to confront. In general, studies show that there is an opposite relationship between the length of time students of the martial arts have trained and their participation in vicious encounters.

Martial arts do not present the total range of exercise needed to achieve top physical fitness. They should be increased with conventional strength and cardio training. Nevertheless, martial arts do improve posture, strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, and stamina.

A big part of the physical control in the martial arts involves rigorous conditioning through the extended reiteration of choreographed routines. Some techniques, called the “hard” styles, incorporate aerobic and cardio-vascular workouts. The “soft” styles are less powerful but focus on flexibility, balance and control.

Asian martial arts boost character development in a way that competitive Western sports typically do not. More than simply tools for self-defense, these systems offer personal growth in mind, soul and body. If you are looking for a system that will fortify not only your body but your attitude, why not consider the workouts that the martial arts offer? There is sure to be a type that suits you.

Here is a list of some of the more popular remarkable and striking styles:

1. Judo – means the “gentle way,” Judo is a grappling technique that teaches how to wrestle and throw opponents.

2. Ju Jitsu – uses the opponent’s force and strength of attack as a weapon against him, thus enabling a stronger or bigger attacker to be subdued. One of the most complete martial arts, Ju Jitsu includes unarmed strikes, chokes, joint locks and throws.

3. Karate –this style originated in Okinawa and stresses striking techniques through punches, kicks and blocks. It is highly active and makes balanced use of a great number of body muscles; it provides excellent all-around exercise and develops coordination and agility.

4. Kung Fu – a tremendously disciplined, powerful martial art, Kung Fu is another remarkable style where strength is built in low stances and powerful blocks.

5. Muay Thai – also called as Thai Boxing, Muay Thai is the oldest known form of kickboxing. Besides a focus on kicking, the sport has changed to discourage the use of upper body and knees in its strikes.

6. Tae Kwon Do – the world’s most commonly practiced martial art, Tae Kwon Do is a Korean fighting art that looks very similar to Japanese karate. The methods are characterized by powerful and graceful movements.

7. Tai Chi – a Chinese martial art as characterized by its graceful, slow, flowing movements. It promotes an inner calm and an enhanced self-awareness. The body weight or center of magnitude of the practitioner submerged into the abdomen and trunk of the body, thus allowing more relaxed and deep breathing and overall balance.

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Get Healthy With Tai Chi

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Given that tai chi is a practice that brings the mind and body together, regular practice of tai chi techniques and forms will help you reduce stress. If you are the type of person who gets easily stressed or is always under a lot of pressure from work, it’s imperative that you put a lot of focus on your movements and breathing while doing your tai chi session. This way it will help put you in a situation of calm and relaxation. Whatever stress, anxiety or tension you may be feeling at the moment will definitely go away. While tai chi is a great way to improve your overall health, it is still not a substitute for the usual kind of medical care. Seniors may find tai chi a very appealing fitness program because of the low impact movements that doesn’t put much stress on their muscles and joints. If you have arthritis or you’re currently recovering from an injury, tai chi is definitely a great exercise program for you.

Tai chi practice

For beginners, it’s still best to seek the guidance of a tai chi instructor first before trying out any of the exercises. Also, there’s no specific type of clothing needed for you to be able to practice tai chi, just make sure that you’re comfortable in your workout clothes. If you chance upon a group of people practicing tai chi, inquire about hot to get in touch with their instructor so that you will have proper training on how to do specific positions as well as how to regulate your breathing. This is a must especially for people who are suffering from any injuries, who have chronic health conditions, or have trouble with their balance and coordination. This is because even though tai chi is a slow and gentle form of exercise and practically has no negative side effects, contracting injuries are still possible when the movement/poses are done properly. Either you could strain yourself or even fall, so it’s best that you have an instructor to guide you.

If you want to reap the full benefits of practicing tai chi, make sure to practice tai chi together because developing a routine makes it a whole lot easier to enjoy the tai chi experience and make sure stick to your program. However, if you do not have the comfort of time in your hands, just allot a few minutes of your day to your tai chi program to at least lessen the stress from your busy work.

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Walk It Off

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

walk

How can I lose weight?

Eat less, exercise more.

But I’ve heard that if you eat less, your body slows down to compensate.

That’s true – to a point. The body is a motor that runs all the time. The rate at which the body motor stills is called its Basal Metabolic Rate. The faster the motor runs, the more fuel is used.

In the body, when fuel supplies are cut, an inner mechanism turns down the idling under conditions of starvation, but it defeats the person trying to lose weight.

Can this reaction be prevented?

Activity and exercise speed up the body’s metabolic rate. Not only are more calories burned during the exercise, but the effect continues for several hours. That’s why most people feel more active when their exercise program promotes weight loss by pepping up the metabolism – burning calories faster.

But I’ve heard that you have to run 10 miles to work off an ice-cream sundae.

There are other choices. You can burn the calories by sleeping for 15 hours, or by watching TV for 12 hours.

The problem, of course, is the there aren’t enough hours in the day to sleep away two ice-cream sundaes. That’s why exercise is so important – otherwise you’re not burning calories, you’re storing them away.

How many calories do I need?

Multiplying your current weight by 10 approximates the daily calories you would need to maintain the status quo if you are bedfast – this is your BMR. Your activity calories are on top of this: most people need an additional 30 percent of the BMR for this. Added together, this represents the number of calories you must eat every day to maintain your weight.

If you’re fairly sedentary and weigh 150 pounds, for example, your BMR needs would be, 1,500 calories, and your activity calories would be 450, for a total of 1,950 calories.

To lose weight, you need to reduce this number of calories or increase the number of calories used. When you develop a negative energy balance, you force your body to burn its reserve fuel, that is, fat.

Doesn’t muscle tissue turn into fat as a person gets older?

Muscle tissue does not turn to fat. It is physiologically impossible for this to happen.

When people become less active, however, their muscles shrink. Eating habits often are not adjusted to this lessened activity, so as excess calories accumulate, the body stores the fat in numerous places, including the spaces around the muscle fibers.

An important point to understand is that the muscles burn fat. When more muscle tissue is present, fat will burn faster and more efficiently. On the other hand, lack of exercise and overly rigorous dieting will cause the body to lose muscle. If this situation persists for a long time, it may become almost impossible to lose further weight.

Is 30 minutes of exercise three times a week enough?

Once a person has reached normal weight and a good level of fitness, that is may be sufficient. But people who are unfit and people who need to lose weight must aim higher – do an hour a day.

What is the best exercise?

The safest and best exercise is walking, with swimming a close second. People with high levels of fitness may select more tough exercises.

Start slowly with what you can do. How fast you go isn’t the most important thing; it is the total distance covered and the duration of the activity. Some individual must start with only 5 minutes at a time several times a day.

If your want to get thin, get in shape. Put your best food forward, begin a walk your way out of obesity, and keep going for a lifetime.

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