Empower Yourself To Be Wealthy, Healthy And Free!

At least 5 years ago, I suggested there was a correlation between one's financial health and one's physical/emotional health. Since then, I have taken a special interest in the subject and, after learning a great deal from a nutritionist co-worker and trainers and doing a lot of research, I believe more than ever in the link between bad health and bad finances. I believe our ultimate goal should be to empower ourselves to live the life we desire without having to worry about our health or money.

I sincerely doubt that I made history back then with my uneducated theory and there is evidence that other better qualified folks have made the case since then. In fact, in 2009, well-known financial expert Suze Orman appeared on the NBC TV show Biggest Loser in a segment about assessing each player's finances. She advanced the notion that the players who had the best credit scores would be the ones most likely to win the contest by losing the most weight. As it turned out, the player who she deemed had the best grip on his finances did actually win the title. Danny got his financial house in order before going on the show suggesting that when you improve your financial situation, health benefits will follow.

Exercise is often overlooked, and even avoided, when someone is trying to get back on his or her financial feet. Have you ever known anyone who thinks, "Once I'm bringing money in again, then I'll have time to exercise. Exercise doesn't pay the bills, you know"? Despite one's best intentions, it's hard to adopt a workout regimen when you are 3 months behind on the mortgage or your roof is leaking, right? You become obsessed with keeping yourself afloat and, quite often, your health suffers as you do nothing but work... or look for it.

When folks are stressed, they often react by doing things that feel good to them. Unfortunately, many of these things are not healthy or beneficial. One such activity is overeating. Emotional overeating can be triggered by many factors but one of the most common is stress over money problems. According to weight loss experts and nutritionists, people under stress will gravitate toward processed and sugary foods as a way to cope with their anxiety. If the stress is caused my money problems, people will more likely buy cheaper, processed foods, as well. Such foods are now considered to be the most detrimental to good health and, as argued on a recent Dr. Oz episode, they can be as addictive as cocaine due to their effects on brain chemistry. As people gain weight, they begin to also stress about their health which simply continues the cycle.

So how does one get both his physical and financial health in order to stop the cycle? How does one finally empower himself to succeed? The answer, it seems, lies with the individual. For some people, improving their health, looking and feeling better, gives them the confidence to apply for a better job or seek out financial advice and take action. They take better care of their money because they suspect they will be around longer to appreciate it. For others, a better income opportunity relieves anxiety and encourages them to make the most of their comfortable lifestyle by getting healthy. If one puts off health improvements until she has more money, she runs the risk of never realizing her dreams. On the other hand, if one has enough money but is in poor health, the same outcome may occur.

Can improvements be made in both areas simultaneously? Human nature suggests that most folks have a hard time with that. They tend to focus on one task at a time. If you are disciplined, however, an optimal exercise/eating plan can co-exist with a job hunt or financial improvement endeavor.

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9 Great Exercises

Fitness plays a very important role in men's health. It improves the quality of the lives they live by reducing the risks of degenerative diseases such as cancer, hypertension, diabetes or heart diseases. Staying fit requires a combination of a good diet and regular exercise. The down side is that doing the same kinds of exercises every two days can not only get exhausting, it can also be a bit boring. There is therefore the need to keep changing the exercises every so often to beat this and to be able to reap the benefits of working out at the end of the day. Below, we will discuss a number of exercises that target different parts of a man's body.

1. Push ups for the chest and serratus anterior

Push ups are the best exercise for working out the chest, the arms and the shoulders. To do this exercise, lie face down with your palms at shoulder level with your fingers spreading out forward. Push your body up until the entire weight rests on the palms and the toes, keeping your body as straight as possible. Lower yourself until you almost touch the floor and repeat. You can vary the way you do this exercise by adjusting the width difference between your palms.

2. V-sit hold for the abdominal muscles

This exercise will improve your balance by working your abdominal muscles. To do this exercise, lie on your back with your arms pressed firmly to your side. Lift your upper body and your lower body into a V position while you support yourself with your butt. Hold this position for as long as possible before going back to the starting point. Repeat the process.

3. Single-Leg Side Plank

This exercise improves the endurance of the entire lower back. It also activates the glutes making it very good for prevention of lower-back problems. To do it, lie on your right side. Your knees should be straight at this point. Support your upper body with the right elbow and forearm placing the left hand on the left hip. Contract your abdominal muscles while raising your hips so that the body forms a straight line from the ankles to the shoulders. Raise your left leg as high as possible and hold for half a minute. Repeat this several times and then change to your left side and do the same.

4. Reverse Crunches

This exercise is good for working out the core and the lower back. To do it, lie straight on your back with your arms on your sides. Press your palms into the floor. Bending your knees at 90-degrees, bring them up till they are directly over the hips. Tighten the abdominal muscles while keeping the upper body pressed to the floor and curl your tailbone up off the floor, bringing your knees over to your chest. Curl back to the starting point and repeat. Do this 15-20 times.

5. Stomach vacuum for the abs

While sit-ups and press ups work on the outer stomach muscles, they do very little for the inner muscles. Stomach vacuum on the other hand works on the core of the stomach leaving one with a stronger, tighter and flatter stomach. This exercise employs breathing and if done properly, it can remove two inches from the waist in just three weeks. To do it, breathe in deeply filling the stomach like a balloon. Then breathe out slowly sucking in your stomach as far back towards the spine as you can and hold this position for as long as you can. When in position, you should continue breathing normally. Repeat ten times. The exercise is great and convenient as it can be done while standing, while on the back, while seated at your desk in the office or even on all fours.

6. Squats for the lower body

Squats are a great way of exercising the lower body without weights. Squats maximize the benefits of other exercises by creating an overall anabolic environment in one's body. To do this exercise, keep your back straight. Your feet need to be shoulder length apart. You can either stretch your hands straight in front of you or you can use weights for a heavier squat. Stick your butt out while supporting yourself with the heel and lower your body towards the floor. The butt should go lower than the knees for a full squat. Push from the heels to rise and repeat.

7. Farmer's walk on toes for the calves

This exercise increases the cardiovascular fitness while working out the calves. To do it, grab heavy dumbbells, hold them at arm's length on the sides of your body and stand on the balls of your feet. Walk forward for a minute before stopping. You can use heavier dumbbells if you feel like you could have endured the pressure for much longer.

8. The Pelvic Tilt

The pelvic tilt is an exercise that strengthens the pelvis muscles and the lower back. To do it, lie on your back on a mat with your arms on the sides of your body. Bend your knees such that the heel rests straight on the floor. Tighten your lower abs pulling in your tummy towards your spine thus tilting your pelvis up into the air. Hold this position for 10 seconds before going back to the starting point. Repeat the process.

9. Kegels for the pelvis floor muscles

Kegels are exercises that are normally associated with women. They involve the exercising of the muscle that holds the flow of urine. Just like in women, the kegel exercises are very good for a man's sexuality as they reduce premature ejaculation and generally intensify the sexual pleasure. It also prevents male urinary incontinence. To exercise the pelvic floor muscles, contract your kegel muscle like when trying to stop the flow of urine and hold for a count of four to ten. Repeat this exercise for as many times as you can throughout the day whether standing, sitting or walking.

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Sports Massage - Easing The Pain of Tired And Exhausted Muscles

Are you one among those individuals who work 8 to 9 hours a day? Do you even have the energy to work that long? It's really hard to work for a prolonged period of time and at times, you get to push your body's limits. Athletes endure the same stress and weariness as they have to work and train hard each day. In fact, they even need to surpass their limits each day. That's how intensive their practices are in order to properly hone their skills and better their performance. However, regardless if you're an athlete or an ordinary office worker (who spends most of his time inside the office, sitting four couple of hours), it's essential to opt for sports massage from time to time.

Generally, you don't have to be an athlete to get the benefits of sports massage. But if you're an office worker, why not opt for the ordinary massage? Sports massage focuses on parts of the body (muscles) that are overly used during the work or practice. By focusing on these parts, the body doesn't simply get rid of the stress but also improves the performance as well as the condition of the muscles, thus preventing any severe injuries in the future. Moreover, sports massage is being incorporated in rehabilitation programs and proves to be a great help in the recovery and strengthening of injured athletes.

Also, one other good thing about storage massage the benefits can also be felt by those who have an active way of life (those who loves adventure and usually spends most of his free time outdoors). Individuals such as this will also require and seek massage in order to soothe their tired and exhausted muscles and it's best for them to seek private health facility centers that can offer medical services to massages to trainings.

Here's another reason why opt for sports massage. Extreme sports or adventures will get the muscles tired strenuously, thus requiring more extensive massage. Apart from focusing on specific muscles and body parts, sports massage is usually more extensive than normal massages. When overly tired muscles are ignored or didn't get the proper massaging that it needs, there's a high chance that it'll lead to injuries or will have a negative effect in your performance.

This is why fitness experts and sports trainer recommend before and after-game massages to most athletes in order to maintain the condition and ease immediately the pain that their tired muscles are enduring. If you want to succeed in your sports career or just want to have a fitter and stronger muscles and body, all it takes is a properly-done massage from time to time.

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Miracles to Your Weight Loss Challenge?

It can be daunting. You've tried everything. You lose, you gain, you lose, you gain. It's a nightmare -right? But it doesn't have to be that way. Keeping yourself in the zone of let's call it "Weight Awareness" doesn't need to be a full time job. However, only thinking about making changes and never actually taking the first step will keep you more in "Weight Denial" Zone for a while than anything else. So how can you become more aware and realistic and less frightened or paralyzed?

Here are 5 "Miracles" for You to Consider:

Miracle # 1 There are no Miracles. It's as simple as that. Real change requires effort, commitment and trust in the process and in yourself. You may not see results right away, but when you put one foot in front of the other and do what it takes on a daily basis, the results of all your effort is bound to show. However, I must add, that if you've been at it for awhile trying to lose weight and are not making headway, it's time to consult a professional.

Miracle # 2 Realistic Dreaming is Good for You: Yes go ahead and imagine being healthy, lean and fit. Studies show the powerful effects of visualization in achieving any goal. In your mind's eye you can see yourself energetic, fit and wearing clothes you love and dream of putting on someday. Just like Olympic athletes - you can train your brain to think positive thoughts and allow yourself to emotionally experience a New You.

Miracle # 3 Think Opportunity Not Challenge: Your weight loss and healthy eating program can be a wonderful adventure into self realization. Most people enter a "diet" with trepidation and not excitement. Try and change your thinking, suspend all judgment and just go for it. Whatever you are doing is better than doing zero, unless of course it's downright unhealthy, unsound and unproven.

Miracle # 4 One Small Step: No leaps required. The slower and more aware you are in your Weight Loss Journey the better. Don't think of this as "oh in a few weeks or months I'll weigh such and such". Think more long term - how will I feel and look in a year or two. Think one meal at a time if you need to.

Miracle # 5 Being Healthy is Never Done: It is a practice of being healthy, not a one time event. So keep at it - there are no failures. You are never done - this is a lifelong process - so enjoy it - there's no hurry!

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