Weak and painful knees can be the result of injury, over-stress or simply genetics, but the aching truth is that bad knees can seriously limit your workouts. Knee replacement surgery is not recommended except in absolutely vital situations and the cost is prohibitive to the average exerciser, and many people eventually give up on ever being able to carry on a normal fitness program. There is good news, though: think outside the box of normal exercise and there are still plenty of options that don’t place as much stress on the knee joint. You may not be able to run a marathon but you can still build a healthy body without totally ruining your knees.

Yoga is an excellent option for achy knees. The activity has gained in popularity since the 1990’s, not simply because it can be very relaxing but because it builds strength without putting the body under duress. Even professional sports players now incorporate yoga practice into everyday fitness because of the benefits for both mind and body. Most yoga studios will offer classes that are as low-stress as possible, so call around and talk to some of the staff to find out. Explain that you are looking specifically to avoid strain on the knees – qualified yoga practitioners will be able to tell you if their studio will meet your needs. You can almost always observe a class for free and typically you will be allowed to take one free session, so make the most of this consumer advantage to identify if this is an exercise and class that you enjoy.

You may not have a local yoga studio or simply have no interest in taking outside classes – no problem! The teacher will simply come to you. There are literally hundreds of yoga videos on the market today, many of them specifically designed with bad knees in mind, so all you have to do is find the video that suits you best. Do an internet search for specific videos and read reviews from other users. If you order through a catalog, you frequently are allowed a grace period in which to try the video out and return it if it is unsuitable. Once you have found a video that fits your lifestyle and appeals to you, watch the video several times to learn the rhythm of the instructor and become comfortable with the pace of the movements. Learning the poses ahead of time makes your practice with the video much easier. Once you’ve got the hang of your yoga video, practice with it three times during the week to begin with and then as your strength increases, practice more until you have a daily routine built up. Yoga is a very gentle exercise but you will be amazed at the changes you see in your body within the first two or three weeks.

If you really do want the teacher to physically come to you, many professionals are available for private at-home sessions for a price. It may be expensive, so consider splitting the price and sharing the instructor with two or three friends. The practice is still private and the teaching is individual, but the price becomes much more manageable.

A practice similar to yoga is Pilates. Yoga focuses more on stretching and toning while maintaining deep breathing, but Pilates focuses on building strength. Originally developed by Joseph Pilates in a World War II concentration camp, the program uses a series of movements that employ the body’s weight as its resistance to train and strengthen muscles. Few movements require strain on the knees and the leg exercises can increase the strength of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles to better support the knee joints. The first movements of Pilates zero in on the “powerhouse” or core area to build muscle support for the spine. By having a strong midsection that can keep the upper body erect, you lessen the strain placed on the knees by poor posture. Pilates can correct and relieve many areas of stress for people with bad knees.

Find a practitioner in a similar way to yoga – call around to local studios to learn information about classes and instructors. Many Pilates studios frequently offer the same option as yoga studios and allow you to observe and even participate in a free class before making a decision about joining. Individual instructors are also available for private home lessons, though this can be more expensive than yoga depending on where you live. If you’re interested in home Pilates lessons, go in with some friends and have your own mini-class – since each person pays a portion of the total price, it costs you far less but still gives you wonderful individual attention.

Well, you say, yoga and Pilates are great for building muscle and strengthening the body but what about burning fat? There is some debate about the aerobic quality of Pilates and yoga practice with most people falling on the side of a decreased calorie burn. The exception would be Ashtanga yoga, which is very physical and hard on tender knees. Pilates ultimately builds your muscles, though using the Reformer machine can help increase heart rate. Reformers are still relatively rare in gyms and studios, and the cost is prohibitive for individuals, so it seems like it is back to square one. The solution is simple: start swimming! Swimming laps is a wonderful workout for everyone but especially for people with arthritis and tender joints because the water supports the body and decreases the pressure on the frame in favor of working the muscles and cardiovascular system. Add three days of thirty-minute swim workouts to your schedule and see the fat disappear while your muscles become strong and beautiful.

Don’t you wish sometimes that you had your own personal trainer to guide you through your workout and give you hints about getting more out of your exercise? You may not be able to afford a trainer of your own but by incorporating these trainer hints and tips into your day, you’ll be on your way to making your workout even more effective!

Buddy up – One of the best benefits of having a personal trainer is having someone to hold you accountable for your exercise. A trainer is paid to do this for you but the easy (and free!) solution is within your own circle of friends. Ask a reliable friend to be your workout partner and just the knowledge that she’s depending on you to work out with her will increase your odds of staying on track with your exercise. A unique way of ensuring success is to allow each partner a certain number of “cuts” per month – at a price. Failing to show up for a session with your trainer still costs you money and so should skipping your workout with your friend. Pony up $10 for each cut and let it accumulate for six months or longer. At the end of a predetermined time frame, count the money and use it to treat you and your workout partner to a luxurious splurge.

Shorter workouts can be as effective as longer ones – Sure, everyone would like to be able to work out for forty-five minutes of uninterrupted time, but let’s be serious! With todays busy schedules and demanding jobs, finding time to exercise can be a struggle, but the good news is that you don’t need a huge block of time to see results. Studies have shown that workouts as short as ten to fifteen minutes can strengthen the body and improve your health. Fit several brief workouts in your day and you not only increase your metabolism throughout the day but you also reach the ideal activity level of 45 minutes to one hour. Don’t let yourself be discouraged by a lack of time; do the best with what you’ve got.

Add variety to see results – Undoubtedly the fastest way to see changes in your body is to keep surprising it! Changing up your routine every few days prevents your body from becoming conditioned to the same exercise day after day and requires it to call on different muscles for different activities. This means more muscles are worked over the course of just a few days, so you see the effects on your body in much less time than usual. An excellent method of adding variety is to incorporate weight lifting into your cardio routine. This requires the body to respond to challenges to balance, strength, and more, and speeds up your results.

Intensify for more strength – Most trainers recommend increasing the intensity of your workout to see improvement in your strength and aerobic capability. Too often people become comfortable with their level of exertion and aren’t working as hard. Boosting the intensity keeps the body challenged and working harder. Taking deep, wide steps during aerobics and squeezing the buttock and thigh muscles challenge the body to a higher level of exertion and produce some amazing changes in just a few workouts. Weight-lifters should try adding 3-5 pounds to their current weight and see the difference in toning and strength after a few sessions.

Know your excuses and head them off – Personal trainers often deal with clients who make all kinds of excuses to get out of a session or to avoid a certain exercise, and must keep the client on track without offending. When you are your own personal trainer, though, it can be difficult to discipline yourself to your exercise schedule unless you give yourself an advantage. Sit down and write down all the excuses you would use to avoid exercising. Once you’ve done that, go back and counter all your excuses. If you wrote down lack of time as an excuse, oppose it with suggestions for short, frequent workouts rather than one long session. If you can anticipate your own excuses and know how to respond to them, you’ve won half the battle against apathy.

Make it fun! – Perhaps the most common complaint about exercise is that it becomes boring too quickly. Personal trainers help you get through boredom by changing your routine or offering you new choices for activities. Help yourself break out of the boredom rut by choosing activities that appeal to you. Instead of spending thirty minutes inside on the treadmill, go for a hike on a local nature path. Rather than doing your aerobics video for the millionth time, go outside with your kids and jump on the trampoline for a while. The goal is to choose an activity that you enjoy and that requires physical activity, so break out your tennis racquets and bicycles!

Schedule & commit.

Signing up for a personal trainer is a commitment of your time,money and energy, and perhaps because of that commitment people with personal trainers tend to stick with the program.Apply that same sense of obligation to your personal at-home exercise program and you’ll increase your chances of having a consistent workout plan. Schedule your workouts just like any other appointment and write it in on your calendar or Palm.Knowing that you have set aside time for exercise can help you follow through and stick to a successful program.

Reward yourself.

Set checkpoints throughout your exercise program to assess your progress. Whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or simply improve your health, take the time to check up on your improvement and then reward yourself for all the hard work!

The Chinese have used herbs for medicinal purposes for over 4000 years.  Today, the medical community, who once shunned the use of herbs for medicinal purposes, is starting to take notice of the benefits of using herbs. Herbs are nutritionally sound and can offer a healthy, natural alternative to nourish and heal the body. Herbs can also give the body the nutrients that the body does not always get through a regular diet.

Herbs can include leaves, bark, berries, roots, seeds, stems, gums and flowers. They can also come in many forms including tablets, capsules, bark pieces, powders, extracts, creams, lotions, oils, liquids and salves. When buying herbs of any kind, it is important to look for the word “standardized” on the label. Because most herbs are not FDA approved, the label on herbs provides important safety and dosage information. When purchasing herbs you should look for freshness. Those that are loose and sold in bulk have almost no nutritional value. Instead opt for freeze-dried over air-dried herbs.

Herbs have always been used as a weight loss remedy. There are many herbs that can be used both safely and efficiently to suppress appetite and help control weight loss. For people need or want to shed a few pounds but who already eat healthy and participate in regular exercise, adding natural herbs to the diet can help aid in weight control. Herbs may not be a good choice for those seeking to loose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Some herbs do have side effects and some should be taken carefully. As with any weight loss program or diet, caution should be used and it should be used in conjunction with regular diet and exercise. The following are good starters to help you curb your appetite with herbs.

Brazilian Cocoa: This herb is almost identical to caffeine. Both stimulate the central nervous system and increases metabolic rate. Brazilian Cocoa has a very mild diuretic effect. The side effect of this herb is that is also similar to caffeine.  When taken in excess, it can cause restlessness, trembling, nervousness and anxiety.

Cayenne: Cayenne pepper when added to food can help stimulate capsaicin, which stimulates saliva. It also stimulates digestion and can help accelerate the metabolism at a safe level.

Green Tea: Green tea is a natural stimulant that acts much like coffee, but has the added benefit of vitamin C and antioxidants. By steeping the tea quickly or for a longer period of time, it is possible to control the strength of the tea. Green tea is available as a capsule formula, but works better in the body as a liquid.

Evening Primrose: This herb has been shown to be effective as a natural alternative to help reduce cholesterol levels and help people who do not process fats correctly loose weight.

Seaweed: Seaweed is a good natural source of trace mineral and is a natural thyroid stimulant. It is widely available in capsule or tablets forms at many health food stores.

Psyllium: Studies show that the granules of these seeds consumed with water before a meal helps control the appetite. This herb causes an instant reduction of appetite by making the stomach feel full. The full feeling leads to less caloric and fat consumption.

Queen’s Flower: Queen’s flower has been shown to be one of the most effective plant used in alternative weight control and diabetes.

Herbs can be taken in using different methods. Infusion involves using the soft part of the herb plant including the leaves, flowers, and the whole herb. Infusion of herbs is much like tea is made. Boiling water is poured over the plant and allowed to steep. Then liquid is then strained and the liquid is consumed. Honey may be added to the infusion liquid to improve the bitter taste. With decoction, the tough part of the plant-the bark, root, twig and stem are simmered for about thirty minutes and then consumed.

Juice can also be made using small pieces of the herb. The juice is taken right after it is made because the vitamin content declines rapidly. This method works well for getting vitamins and are sensitive to heat. Tinctures are often considered the best way to take herbal supplements. It is a good way to take well-preserved herbs. During this method, the herb is soaked in alcohol or a water mixture. The mixture is pressed and this makes the tincture.

Circuit training as a concept is designed to be exercise that achieves an all round physical fitness as opposed to fitness for a specific sport. Only by physically working the body can our muscular and respiratory system be improved on. Circuit training combines the use of physical resistance, aerobic and stretching activities to help increase the body’s endurance capabilities. Not only seniors but women, new exercisers and even experienced exercisers will receive the benefits of circuit training.

For seniors, it is of course critical to starting at a low level increasing both intensity and duration gradually. You will want to be sure that a slowly progressing load is being placed on the exercisers cardiovascular system. Circuit training is not the same as weight training. In weight training, a person works at a high weight level, theoretically using the most weight a person can successfully handle for 8-12 repetitions. In weight training, the lifter then has a period of rest before making a second attempt at the exercise, repeating the weight level and the repetition numbers.

In circuit training, the exerciser works at a much lower level of weight or resistance, doing so usually over a period of time before moving to a different exercise. In circuit training there is often minimal rest between exercises. For a beginner’s circuit, there are several basic rules that should be followed. As with any form of exercise, the circuit should begin with a thorough warm up and stretch. In addition, all aspects of the upcoming routine should be clearly demonstrated to the participants. Such a demonstration can be part of the warm up period if done properly. A proper circuit will ensure that the amount of time spent on each exercise can be handled by the weakest member. When beginning a new circuit program, participants should have built in breaks, if not at least modest pauses between exercise stations. Finally, the process should also include a thorough cool down and stretch period so as to take the participants pulse down gradually.

Circuit training will likely include exercises to improve both physical strength and aerobic capacity during the session. Such training can include time on the universal weight lifting machine along with step climbers, treadmills, time spent doing stretches and the traditional exercise routines that are forms of sit ups, push ups, even the old-fashioned jumping jacks that were taught in our physical education as we grew up. Most athletes find an exercise program that they enjoy which will help them stay with the program. Same goes with seniors and circuit training. Often seniors will not only enjoy the exercise, the time out of the house, and the health benefits, but also the new found friends. This encourages seniors to return to the circuit training program.

In thinking about circuit training, seniors must find a locale that focuses on their respective needs. As mentioned earlier, the training sessions must be appropriate for all members of the group to have the proper impact. Obviously, over taxing the body during such sessions can lead to injuries if not aches and pains that prevent future work outs. In examining the site, seniors should also pay close attention to the trainer that will be assigned to lead the circuit sessions. The trainer will be in charge throughout the work out so they must have a full understanding of a senior needs as well as a commitment to meet those needs. In addition a trainer who can make it fun, is willing to incorporate appropriate music and helps to motivate is critical for making the activity enjoyable.

Because of the socialization that accompanies circuit training; many seniors find this form of exercise best for them. By joining a club that has such sessions, you already have a built in support network of colleagues who are seeking to gain the same level of fitness you seek. A common aspect of senior circuit training is to create teams who work together while another team rests and coaches the first team into a positive effort. Sometimes, such groups may even want to have a healthy competition between teams. Most importantly, these classes provide participants with numerous exercise buddies that can then lead to other connections and additional exercise opportunities that are appropriate to your skill level.

The body’s metabolism is a unique process for each individual person. No two people metabolize food at the same rate therefore no two people have the metabolism. We all use our calories at different rates, with different results. Our metabolism, like our fingerprints is unique to each of us. But the need to understand and accommodate this metabolism is an issue that we all face.

The dictionary defines metabolism as the sum of all biochemical processes involved in life, or the sustaining of life. In application concerning our health, metabolism is related to the intake and use of food. In reference to the case in point it is our ability to utilize our food to the fullest extent.

Right now, the greatest results in raising our metabolism come from exercise and building our muscle mass, while reducing our body fat. Adding more muscle to the body, in turn causes us to burn more calories, and this helps to elevate our metabolic rate.

Our metabolism functions also depend on how well we have taken care of our nutritional needs. Some people have really high rates of metabolism. In other words, when they consume food, their bodies burn it up almost as fast as then consume it. Then there are those of use who use our food intake so slowly, as to not even notice that we’re burning calories. These people who burn quickly are often slim and trim, the people who burn more slowly are the people with a tendency toward obesity.

For years, people have sought ways to raise the metabolic rate. If you can raise someone’s metabolic rate, you are then better able to control the burn of calories, especially for overweight or obese people. This would make the goal of better or improved health a much easier reality for those people. Efforts to date have produced very little results. There are foods that we can consume that naturally raise our metabolic rate, but not to a great extent. What we need is a way to directly alter the rate. We need to be able to raise our metabolism to a point where we can actually see a benefit.

This is where the effort to stay physically fit and active provides tremendous payoff. Over the course of your life, if you stay active, exercise, and maintain optimal health for your muscles, you will see a tremendous difference in the rate that your body metabolizes food. As people age, their metabolism quite naturally slows down. The greatest way to prevent this from happening is through exercise and staying fit.

The best way to date to control our metabolic process is through proper nutrition, daily exercise, eating the foods known to have an effect on our metabolic rate, and plenty of rest. The metabolic process can be indirectly controlled by the methods we just discussed. Direct control is not available, to date.

I believe through careful analysis, exercise, and attention to each person’s unique needs, we could bring about a more natural balance of the metabolic burn vs. the calorie intake. To a level where optimal health and weight control are in equilibrium.

.