Exercises for Diabetes, Control Diabetes With Exercises

Exercise is an important treatment in normalizing blood glucose level
in type 2 diabetes as well as in type 1 diabetes. It is also
important to know the type of exercise diabetics should undertake
that involve minimizing the risks and at the same time deriving
maximum benefits to normalize the blood sugar and giving good health.
There are mainly three types of exercises - aerobic, anaerobic and
stretching exercises.

Exercise is a vital part of the management of diabetes. All diabetics
should aim to make exercise a part of their daily routine. Exercise
can help to improve the quality of life for diabetics. But there are
some safeguards to consider before you start an exercise regime. It is
wise to consult your health professional before you begin. This would
be true for anyone, but it is especially so for someone who suffers
from diabetes.

That means that intense exercise can help to both prevent and treat
diabetes. The most tissue damage occurs immediately after eating when
blood sugar levels rise the highest. After you eat, sugar goes from
the intestines into the bloodstream. The only places that sugar can be
stored are in your muscles and liver. When your muscles are not
exercised, they are full of sugar and sugar has no place to go after
it enters your bloodstream.

Aerobic exercise, commonly referred to as cardio, raises the heart
rate and the breathing rate while working major muscle groups. Cardio
burns blood sugar and stored fat, and is recommended by most doctors
for their diabetic patients. Dancing, swimming, aerobics, tennis,
basketball, and bicycling are all forms of aerobic exercise. Cardio
offers all of the benefits mentioned above, and is especially
important for diabetics.

Exercises like jogging, swimming, fast walking and cycling are good
for diabetics. These exercises help to keep cardiovascular system in
good condition. These exercises should couple with stretching
exercises as warming and cooling down exercises. A typical exercise
session should consist of: 10 minutes of warming up exercise of
stretching type; about 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise and finally 5
minutes of cool down and stretching exercise.

A regular exercise program can help the body respond to insulin and is
known to be effective in managing blood glucose. Diabetes types
exercise can lower blood glucose and possibly reduce the amount of
medication one needs to treat diabetes. Some are even able to
eliminate the need for any medication. With exercise, one can also
improve the circulation in many areas of the body such as arms, legs,
fingers and the major joints.

Diabetes Exercise, along with good nutrition, helps decrease body fat,
which helps control glucose metabolism. Exercise and good nutrition
provide real physical payoffs-they are essential to controlling
diabetes. Exercise can help prolong your life and get better the
quality of your added months and years.

_By: *peterhutch*_

*About the Author:*

Read about Herbal Remedies [1]. Also read about Diabetes Natural
Treatment [2] and Natural Cure for Diabetes [3]

Links:
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[1] http://www.ayurvediccure.com
[2] http://www.ayurvediccure.com/dyboss.htm
[3] http://www.ayurvediccure.com/dyboss.htm

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You May be Performing Potentially Dangerous Gym Exercises

Are you using potentially dangerous exercises in your workout? You
have to be very careful with strength training equipment because it
may not be the most effective or functional available. How do you
know that the exercises you are performing are safe? Found below are
some potentially dangerous exercises with suggestions on how they
should be done correctly or avoided completely.

*Sit-up*

Traditional abdominal exercises such as the sit-up, incline sit-up and
hip-raises are exercises that are used to train the obliques and the
upper and lower abdominals.

They are performed by first anchoring the feet on an abdominal board
which prevents you from sliding back then raising your shoulders up
towards your feet, tensing your abs at the top of the movement. Slowly
lowering your shoulders back down and then completing the movement
again.

The dangers of performing this movement are the shearing forces on the
vertebrae and spinal discs when you have a flexed and rounded spine.
In this position, the pressure is mostly placed on a very small area
of the disc area, which can cause small ruptures. The safest and most
productive way to train the abs is to use the brace and hollow
technique. This is a basic isometric exercise that helps strengthen
the abs and the muscular girdle around your waist.

*Pec Deck*

The pec deck is an exercise that trains the chest (pectorals) and
shoulder (front deltoid) muscles.

This exercise is performed by sitting at the exercise machine with
your back flat against the back pad. Placing your forearms on the
padded levers and position your upper arms parallel to the ground.
Pushing the levers slowly together and squeezing your chest muscles at
the end of the movement. Return slowly to the starting position.

This exercise is potentially dangerous because it places the shoulder
into one of its least stable positions, the dislocation position.
Because of the extreme position when performing this exercise at the
starting position it can also cause tearing of the ligaments and
injury to the rotar cuff tendons.

More effective and less dangerous is the bench press, keeping the arms
at shoulder width and exercising in the strongest range of motion
(partial reps) and the parallel bar dip with the elbows out.

*Behind the neck Press*

This exercise trains the neck (traps) and shoulder (deltoid) muscles
and is performed by placing a loaded barbell onto your upper back just
above the trap muscle.

This exercise is done by standing with your feet about shoulder width
apart. Placing your hands on the bar about three inches wider than the
width of your shoulders. Pushing the bar overhead to arm's length,
holding and then slowly lowering back down to your shoulders. This
exercise can also be done seated. Try performing it in a smith machine
or power rack for added safety.

This is an exercise that places the shoulder joint into the
dislocation position and the range of motion puts unnecessary stress
on the rotator cuff tendons of the shoulders.

Many trainees may experience injuries from this behind-the-neck
movement. As with before stick with dips and bench presses for your
shoulder work.

*Dead lift*

The dead lift is a compound movement that works the hips, lower back
and also exercises the hamstrings and glutes (buttocks).

You can perform the dead lift by approaching a loaded barbell and
taking a stance about as wide as your shoulders. Grip the bar so that
the arms are slightly on the outside of your thighs. Your feet should
be pointing straight forward with the shins about two to three inches
from the bar.

Heave the load upward using the hips and lower back keeping the back
straight and the bar as close to the shins as possible. At the top of
the movement hold for a few seconds and then lower the bar to the
starting position.

The exercise has a knock-on growth effect on the whole body when
worked hard. The problem with the lift is that if the spine becomes
rounded during the lift it then becomes dangerous. Because of the
forces working on the vertebrae and the spine injuries may occur.

A lot of these problems can be solved by keeping the back as straight
as possible during the lift and keeping the bar held close to the body
during the lift as the forces are then not that excessive.

*Leg extensions*

Leg extensions are arguably one of the most popular leg exercises for
strengthening the quadriceps (thigh) muscle.

These are done by using a leg extension machine and sitting in the
seat with your feet hooked under the padded lever. Raise the weight
with your legs until they are pointing straight out in front of you.
Hold briefly, and then slowly lower the weight back to the starting
position.

Leg extensions are a potentially dangerous exercise because when only
the shin is in motion, the exercise draws the patella back onto the
femur increasing joint compression forces, which can damage the
connective tissue and the ligaments supporting the knee joint. It can
also cause anterior knee pain so people with existing knee problems
may aggravate them by doing this exercise.

For greater safety and equal effectiveness, try doing the Squat, Leg
Press, and Lunge for safer and more functional use.

_By: *Adam Khan*_

*About the Author:*

Adam Khan *www.argos-sports.com [1]*

Links:
------
[1] http://www.argos-sports.com

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Stability Ball Exercise Progressions for Building Muscle and Core Strength

After my article Stick Your Neck Out was published; I surprisingly
caught some flack from the "hardcore" types just because I showed
a stability ball being used in a few of the exercise applications.

Since I'm not emotionally attached to any one piece of equipment or
style of training, I was not upset in the least about this. However,
it did make me realize how misunderstood the Swiss ball is within the
"hardcore strength" community.

So, in light of this realization, I'm stepping up to set the record
straight once and for all about Swiss balls and how they should and
shouldn't be utilized in and effective strength program.

Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game

My friend and colleague Coach Rob Simonelli brought up an interesting
point when he and I were discussing this article and why serious
weight lifters dislike Swiss balls. Rob said "What serious lifters
don't understand is that it's not so much that they dislike Swiss
balls, it's that they dislike what Swiss Balls represent".

He was absolutely right. Hardcore weightlifters have made Swiss balls
guilty by association just because there are a bunch of "functional
trainers" out there doing some seriously ridiculous stuff on them.

This doesn't mean that Swiss balls can't be use for stuff that
actually has value.

To all you Swiss ball haters out there, I want you to ask yourself one
question; "Am I blaming the tool or the practitioner?"

I think you will realize that myself and Rob and are correct in saying
that, the Swiss ball, like everything else in the gym is just a tool.
One that can be used or abused depending on whose hands it's in.
Just because there are people out there abusing a certain tool
doesn't mean we should throw it out of the tool box all together. If
that were the case, we wouldn't use any equipment at all judging by
what I've seen done with barbells and dumbbells these days.

Now let's get one thing clear, the title of this article is not
called "Swiss Ball Exercises that You Need to Do Everyday or Else
Your Will Go to Pot". The exercises shown in this article are in no
way a necessity, they are just other options to challenge your body in
a positive manner and compliment your "core" lifts.

In other words, they are just tools in the tool box.

You just have to know when to use the tools you've got.

When Instability and Strength is Actually Good

Recently, I got to attend one of my friend Eric Cressey's classes on
training the overhead athlete. During his workshop, Eric made a great
point that I feel is relevant to this article. He said that although
it has been found that unstable surface training for the lower body
has been found to be ineffective and in some cases even
counterproductive for healthy individuals, instability training for
the upper body may actually be beneficial. Eric went on to explain
that it all has to do with the fact that the lower body predominantly
functions in a close chained (both feet in contact with the ground)
manner that does not normally involve the ground moving underneath it.
However, the upper body functions in more of an open chained (no
ground or solid surface contact) manner with things more likely to
move and change position.

This makes a lot of sense if you think of a football lineman blocking
a pass rusher. The lineman's feet are dealing with a flat and stable
ground while his upper body is all over place dealing with another
body moving in every which way trying to get around him.

Now that I have hopefully changed your mind about the Swiss ball,
I'm going to provide you a list of exercises using the Swiss ball
that we have found to be beneficial to our clients, athletes and
physique competitors.

a href="http://www.performanceu.net/article05.html">Click here to view
pictures and videos of all the exercises described below.

The Exercises

Y,T,W, L Shoulder Circuit w/Swiss Ball

The reason why we preffer to use the Swiss ball while performing our
Y,T,W, L shoulder circuits has nothing to do with the shoulders
themselves but has everything to do with the trunk. In that, when
athletes perform the Y,T,W, Lcircuits on a flat surface like the floor
or a bench, they usually start to extend from their lower back in a
superman like position. This is normally due to the fact that they,
like many athletes, lack ample shoulder flexion. Therfore, they
attempt to kick in the lumbar extensors to help raise the arms.

If you reffer to my article How Not to Warm Up, you will see why this
type of movement is undesirable. We all tend to slouch and sit too
much, in doing so we create length and weakness in the thoracic area.
So, the real goal here is to somehow create extension at the thoracic
spine, not the lumbar spine. This can be successfully accomplished by
performing the Y,T,W shoulder circuit on a Swiss ball.

With the swiss ball and some correct positioning, the extension comes
from the thoracic spine

We position our athletes so that the apex of their thoracic curve
during flexion over the ball is over top the apex of the ball itself.
We also have them flex at the hip joint which further decreases
extension at the lumbar spine. This enables us to get more bang for
our buck.

We build endurance in all the muscles invovled in extending the
thoracic spine while simutaneously reaping the benefits of the Y,T,W,
L shoulder circuit.

The Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Press

The swiss ball chest press allows us to build flexibilty in hip
flexors, strength endurance in the anterior neck muscles and glutes
while simultaneously building upper body pushing strength.

The swiss ball chest press is the only exercise that we use a swiss
ball in combination with weights. However, because it involves an
unstable surface, we only use it while performing repetitive effort
lifts and never use it while performing dynamic or max effort lifts.

Many people will agrue about the instability of the ball interferring
with strength output. When I meet coaches that are of that mindset, I
tell them two things;

1. If the feet are positioned shoulder width or wider, the instability
is pretty much canceled out.

2. We agree that instabilty interferes with max strength output. This
is why we ONLY use this exercise with submaximal loads as in a
hypertrophy phase or repetitive effort phase.

In my mind, if you want allot of bang for your buck the Swiss ball
chest press is a great choice.

Swiss Ball Perturbations

This is one of the most popular exercises we use at Performance
University amoung our high level athlets and recreational clients
alike.. Swiss perturbations are a fun and very effective way to
develop rock solid core stability. The goal of the person holding the
ball is to maintain optimal alignment and own the position thay began
in. With each diffrent strike of the ball, the torso as to make a
slight adjustment to maintain control of its position. Thi is what
Rehab spractioners call rythmic stabilization. We call it a damn good
exercise.

The unpredicatable nature of this exercise makes it more functional
than most other "core stabilization" exercises.

This exercise can be progressed by the partner striking the ball with
slightly more force or the holder standing with the feet closer
together or in a stagered stance.

Swiss Ball Roll Out

The swiss ball roll out is one of our favorite exerciss for training
the anterior trunk muscles. We like it because it devloped torso
strength and pelvic control without putting the spine in a flexed
position as it would be in a crunch or sit up type exercise. Mike
Boyle produced a great article called Anterior Core Training that
thoroughly desribes the theory and methodolgy behind movements like
the swiss ball roll out. In that same article, Boyle also diplayed
many progressions to the swiss ball roll out involving tools like the
ab dolley and arko wheels. However, if you don't have all of those
tools/toys available to you, here are some simple progression
strategies you can use.

The beginers version of the Swiss ball roll out starts with the elbows
bent and forearms resting on the ball.

This exercise can then be progressed by raising the torso and
straightening the arms. This lengthens the lever arm and increases the
demand on the anterior core. Shown below.

On both of these roll out variations be sure to extend both your arms
and legs while maintaining a fairly neutral spine. Only go out as far
as you can without losing optimal spinal alignment.

The Reverse Ball Roll Out

As of late we have been using another variation of the roll out which
we call reverse roll outs. To perform the reverse roll out, hold on to
a stable object such as a weight bench. While maintaining alignment,
extend your lower body until reaching a superman type position. Return
to the starting position and repeat.

The height of surface your holding onto should be approx. even to the
height of the ball. In the picture above, Tim is holding on to a bar
that is slightly higher than the ball underneath his legs. You can see
how this is causing him to sag slightly at his low back. We were in
the process of moving our gym during this photo shoot and we had to
work with what we had left in the gym.

Swiss Ball Toe Plank

This is another great anterior core exercise. We usually perform holds
for anywhere from 10-20 seconds. Proper form for this exercise is
pretty much self explanatory.

Swiss Ball Knee Tucks

If you have fairly decent "core strength", Swiss ball knee tucks
aren't really that difficult. This is why we don't use this
exercise with the intention of building strength. We use this exercise
to build awareness of what the rehab world calls" hip/back
disassociation".

All this really means is, how well you can move at your hips without
moving at your lumbar spine. There are a lot of ways to accomplish
this which are beyond the scope of this article. However, in the
context of the Swiss ball knee tuck exercise, we want our athletes to
be able to flex at their hip without flexing at their low back. If
they can accomplish this, it shows that they posses good hip/back
disassociation.

Athletes with poor hip back disassociation will always compensate for
a lack of hip mobility by increasing mobility at the lumbar spine.
Which according to the latest research is designed for stability, not
mobility? My article How NOT to Warm Up covers that science in great
detail.

The science aside, just keep this little saying in mind, "what your
hips lack can hurt your back".

So, yeah…do your knee tucks.

1 Leg Swiss Ball Knee Tuck

This version of the knee tuck is much more difficult than the previous
because there is an added rotary component. Although there is no
visual rotation, the athlete has to work to prevent gravity form
pulling them into rotation on the side of the lifted leg. This is what
my good friend JC Santana calls "training the invisible. This is an
important point to keep in mind anytime you go from a bi-lateral
position to a unilateral position.

1 Arm Holds

This is another one that's pretty self explanatory. Simply maintain
optimal spinal alignment while keeping your arm locked out. We use
holds ranging from 5-15sec.

This one is just plain tough!

Swiss ball Straight Leg Bridge

We always make sure to encourage our athletes to create the lift using
from their hamstrings and glutes, not from their low back. Athletes
with an increased lordosis (low back curve) will find this more
difficult and therefore tend to need more coaching on movements like
this.

Yes, I know you can also do this on a bench but our athletes seem to
like it better with the ball. So, as they say, "the customer is
always right".

Plus, you can't do some of the progressions I'm about to show you
on a bench.

Straight Leg Bridges (w/Long Lever)

We learned this progression from Coach JC Santana. It's a great way
to integrate in the calf's and increase the overall difficulty on
your posterior muscles.

Be sure to keep the heels off the ball.

1 Leg Hip Bridges (w/straight leg)

These are not only a great progression to the 2 leg bridges but they
serve as a nice compliment to the 1 leg knee tucks.

These work on improving hip/back disassociation in extension. We want
to see the extension coming from the hips and glutes and not from the
low back. We encourage our athletes to keep the lifted knee stable
during this exercise. If the knee moves, it means that the pelvis is
moving and therefore stability is lost.

Swiss Ball Bent Leg Bridges

The bent leg bridges are more glute dominant bridge than the straight
leg version. That said, your hamstring have to work isometrically to
hold the ball in place while the hips rise and fall.

We normally just alternate straight and bent leg bridges each workout.

Swiss Ball Bent Leg Bridge (1 Leg)

The rules on the one leg version are the same as above. Just be sure
to prevent any sort of pelvic rotation due to the reduced base of
support.

Swiss Ball Leg Curls

Once you can successfully perform both the straight and bent leg
exercises. We simply combine the two moves to make the leg curl. This
you really can't do with a bench. You can do this with a slide board
if you have access to one.

Once your hips lift up, they don't come down until the set is
complete. Be sure to lift your hips higher up as the legs curl in.
This will create a straight line between the knee, hip, and torso.

Aside from glute ham raises is the only exercise that allows us to
train hip extension and knee flexion simultaneously. Those two motions
are always coupled together during any locomotive type action.

Running involves the combined action hip extension and knee flexion of
the rear leg as it prepares to pull through

1 Leg Ball Curl

This progression from the two leg curl, when done correctly, will
challenge even the most advanced athlete.

Swiss Ball Complex

Once each one these exercises are mastered separately, we like to
combine them into a Swiss ball complex. We use this complex as part of
an active dynamic warm up, as a warm down or as active rest on
recovery days.

We start with roll outs for 10-20 reps

Then to push ups for 10-20 for reps

Followed up with the Y,T,W,L shoulder circuit for 10-15reps each
letter

Then move to knee tucks for 10-20 reps

We finish with a toes on ball plank hold for 10-30 seconds

This entire complex is normally performed for 1-3 sets and 0-60
seconds rest between sets. Three rounds of this at 20 reps each
exercise with no break is just plain tough.

This complex is very popular with our clients and athletes because it
has a smooth flow from between exercises, it's easy to remember and
it gets a lot of quality work done in little time. Aside from that,
it's kind of fun.

a href="http://www.performanceu.net/article05.html">Click here to view
pictures and videos of all the exercises described above.

Final Comments

Well, there you have it, the definitive list of Swiss ball exercises
that don't suck.

If it's not on this list and it involves a Swiss ball then…well,
you get the point.

The exercises on this list have been a part of our performance and
physique programs for many years. They have been used at some point by
just about everyone who has walked through our doors.

I can't honestly tell you that these Swiss ball are solely
responsible for our clients and athletes consistently getting bigger
stronger and faster.

But I can tell you that they sure as hell haven't hurt.

_By: *Nick Tumminello*_

*About the Author:*

The director of Performance University, Nick Tumminello is a highly
sought after coach and educator in the field of human performance
enhancement. He is the developer of the Core Bar™ and has authored
numerous best selling DVD's which can be purchased at
www.PerformanceU.net [1] .
Nick also serves as the Strength  Conditioning Coach for Team Ground
Control MMA. Nick lives in Baltimore MD where he regularly trains his
athletes.

Links:
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[1] http://www.PerformanceU.net

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Pregnancy Exercise Video Types - Tips To Pick The Best One For You

It is very beneficial for baby and mother to exercise during
pregnancy. You should choose a good pregnancy exercise video as wrong
exercise can harm you and your baby. A specifically designed
pregnancy exercise video should be used that has various effective
and safe exercises for pregnant woman. This would help you stay fit
when you are expecting or is pregnant. It would ensure your health
and fitness during pregnancy. Such pregnancy exercise videos may have
exercises based upon yoga to massage or workouts.

Regular exercise would improve the birth weight and height of your
baby. If you continue this pregnancy fitness programme even after the
child birth then you would easily lose that extra body weight gained
during pregnancy and tone up your tummy to its shape.

There are various types of workout videos available in the market or
on internet. You can get videos for pregnancy exercises and also on
the ways to get into pre-pregnancy shape after your delivery. Other
choice is for yoga, pilates or aerobics; so that you can choose an
exercise of your type. Such exercises would help you gain good energy
level. It would also help you to improve your stamina, ease birth
process, circulation and posture although you may not like exercising
at that time.

You would develop safe movement and posture as these pregnancy
exercise videos guide you for ways to recover from caesarean sections.
In most of the cases, it has been observed that an average woman gain
around 2lbs during her pregnancy. This increases chances of back ache
and many other problems. All such problems can be easily overcomed
with the help of exercises described in pregnancy exercise videos. It
would strengthen your muscles and improves your posture to ease your
back ache.

You can choose intense exercises once you expertise in simple and
gradual exercises for startup. Therefore, these pregnancy exercise
videos has gradual exercises for start up and once you are fit to go
towards intense exercises you can. You should consult your healthcare
provider about the type of exercises that you would be carrying out.
It is necessary as you may be suffering from some or the other medical
ailment for which that exercise is not advised. Research has proven
that fit and healthy mothers who follow fitness programme has
healthier babies in comparison to those woman who do not undertake
such activities.

In yoga pregnancy exercise videos, different postures are included in
various trimesters to help you in preparation for birth experience.
You need great flexibility and strength for child birth during labor.
Yoga helps you achieve that easily with a completely relaxed and
supple body.

Pilate's pregnancy exercise videos helps you prepare both mind and
body for your new baby by its useful breathing exercises that are
included in the exercise schedule. Although it is advised that you
should start doing Pilate's exercises before you conceive but you can
start it during your pregnancy also if you are under some guidance or
supervision.

_By: *Abhishek Agarwal*_

*About the Author:*

Abhishek has got some great *Pregnancy And Childbirth Secrets [1]* up
his sleeves! Download his *FREE 77 Pages Ebook*, "Understanding
Pregnancy!" from his website
*http://www.Childbirth-Guru.com/774/index.htm [2]*. _Only limited Free
Copies available._

Links:
------
[1] http://www.Childbirth-Guru.com/774/index.htm
[2] http://www.Childbirth-Guru.com/774/index.htm

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Golf Fitness Exercises for Women Golfers

Golf fitness exercises can be beneficial for the woman golfer in
terms of improving the foundation of the swing, rotation in the
backswing, speed development in the downswing, and a consistent
finish position. Learn how golf fitness exercises can benefit the
woman golfer. Lowering scores and making the game more enjoyable.

It is well known in professional golf how integral golf fitness
exercises are for success at the highest levels. Men on the PGA Tour
and women on the LPGA Tour understand the benefits of golf fitness
exercises in achieving success. Outside the circles of professional
players many questions exist about golf fitness exercises. Questions
such as; what are the best exercises to improve golf fitness levels,
are flexibility exercises and stretches better than other forms of
golf fitness exercises, and what are the benefits of golf fitness
exercises for the woman golfer?

These and many questions surround the topic of golf fitness. This
article is to provide some answers for you on the topic of golf
fitness exercises for woman. It has been well documented in magazines
and television how LPGA women such as Annika Sorenstam utilize fitness
programs to benefit their play on the course. Is there a difference
between the LPGA player and the amateur woman in relation to golf
fitness training? The answer is no. Yes, the women on the LPGA Tour
are the best women golfers in the world, but the physiology of the
LPGA player and amateur are the same. The skeletal, muscular, and
neural systems are the same. The professional player has the same
number of muscles in their bodies as the amateur. The woman's
professional player has the same skeletal structure as the female
amateur, and nervous system as well. Granted the LPGA player has more
refined and efficient swing mechanics, but the body is the same.

As a result of the body being the same, the principles and structure
of a golf fitness program for any woman is similar. Before discussing
the specifics of a program for women it is necessary to understand a
few important principles. The first principle to understand about a
fitness program is sports specific. Sports specific is a term
describing the type of training utilized in a golf fitness program.
Sport specific training simply states the program utilized by the
woman athlete is geared towards improving them in their chosen sport.

A second principle closely related to sports specific training is
cross specificity training. Cross specificity training is the
utilization of exercises to develop the woman golfer in the positions,
movements, and actions incorporated in the golf swing. The goal of
cross specificity training is a transfer of training effect to the
field of competition. Simply stated, a transfer of training effect is
the ability of exercises utilized to train the female golfer having a
direct benefit on their performance on the course.

For example, golf flexibility exercises will attempt to improve the
flexibility within the player. As the player improves their
flexibility parameters in relation to the swing. She may be able to
create a bigger shoulder turn, which may increase the distance of her
drives. This benefit is an example of a transfer of training effect
onto the golf course. In summary, the three principles that assist in
the development of a golf fitness program for women are; sports
specific, cross specificity training, and transfer of training effect.
Many additional principles exist that are used as guidelines in the
development of a fitness program, but these are three essential ones.

Outside of the guidelines governing the development of a golf fitness
program for woman. Specific physical components within the body are
needed within the body to execute the golf swing correctly. Remember,
it is the body performing the biomechanics of the swing. In order for
the swing to be executed correctly and efficiently certain levels of
flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required.
These are the actual physical components within the golfer a fitness
program looks to develop and enhance in relation to the golf swing.

The swing requires the body to move through a long range of motion for
an efficient movement to occur. Much of this is contingent upon the
ability of the core to coil and uncoil during the swing. In order for
these two biomechanical actions to occur efficiently, the development
of proper flexibility in the core is necessary.

We utilize flexibility exercises that are cross-specific to the
movements in the swing to develop flexibility. The majority of these
flexibility exercises are rotational and dynamic.

The swing is a dynamic movement, indicating that the body is in
constant motion. It is crucial to develop a range of motion in a
dynamic rather than a static (not moving) method. The goal of these
exercises is to create a range of motion in the core for the golf
swing. Flexibility is the first physical component requiring
development within the woman golfer.

One needs to maintain, dynamically, a stable body throughout the
entire swing. We have all hit balls at the range and know what happens
when we do not stay balanced during the swing. Improving the balance
and stabilization capabilities of the core translates into a better
golf swing. Better Balance equals a Better Swing. Even subtle
movements are consistency killers; thus we need to develop and
maintain balance for a consistent swing.

Balance is connected to the efficiency of the nervous system and
strength of the muscular system working together. The development of
greater balance in the core and swing is the result of two types of
specific exercise. The first challenges the nervous system creating
greater efficiency. The second are exercises that create increased
strength in the core. The combination of these two types of exercises
permit for the body to maintain posture, promote efficient weight
transfer, and create power in the swing. The result is a more
consistent, accurate, and powerful swing. This is the second component
included with a golf fitness program.

Remember that the golf swing is a repetitive movement. The mechanics
of the swing repeat with each stroke. This process can be repeated
hundreds of times in a round of golf. Ever go to the range and hit two
buckets of balls? At some point the body starts to tire, and shots
scatter.

Proper endurance training enables us to repeat a sound swing. We
produce this through a series of exercises developing endurance in the
entire body. This nets us a consistent swing through eighteen holes.
Increasing endurance leads to lower scores. This is the third physical
component of the golf fitness program for women.

Club head speed is a function of power. The more power generated by
the body, the greater speed at which a club head impacts the ball.
More power to the ball equals longer drives. Developing higher levels
of power within the muscular system of the body is achieved through
the implementation of power exercises. These types of exercise assist
in creating higher power outputs of the muscles involved in the golf
swing. Power training is the final component found in a golf fitness
program for women.

In summary a golf fitness program for the LPGA or amateur woman golfer
is relatively the same. Golf exercises for the woman golfer are sports
specific. The exercises are cross-specific to the movements,
positions, and requirements of the swing. The exercises within a
woman's golf fitness program induce a transfer of training effect onto
the course. The swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance,
strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. A golf fitness
program for women will look to enhance these physical components of
the body. The end result is an improved swing equating to lower scores
and more enjoyment on the course.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in
the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with
professional golfers, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil
Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go
to http://www.seancochran.com

_By: *Sean Cochran*_

*About the Author:*

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in
the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA
Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson.
To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf
exercises go to www.seancochran.com [1]

Links:
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[1] http://www.seancochran.com

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What Ab Exercises Should You Do and How Intense Should Your Ab Exercises be

It has been quite a common occurrence to encounter people who have
invested lots of their precious time in abs training and yet, have
not seen any visible improvement in their abs area at all. This
phenomenon is due to the fact that they have either choose the wrong
ab exercises for their workout or have worked too much on the same
workout exercises.

Having an effective abs workout program is essential in helping you
get the 6 pack abs.Choosing what ab exercises should you do and
deciding how intense your abs exercise shall be is what constitutes of
an effective abs workout program.

Therefore,in this article, I will be covering on what abs exercises
should you do and how intense should your exercises be.

*Exercise Selection.*

A common myth of abs training is you should work your "upper abs"
and "lower abs" separately. However . the truth is that, you
can't separate working these muscles as they contract simultaneously
during any ab exercises.

If you are going for agility , you will need to focus on decreasing
your base of support as much as possible. In other words, you will
need to focus on ab exercises which requires you to stabilize your ab
muscles while doing it. In this way, your muscle fiber tissue will be
worked on most effectively, giving you the most workout possible.

Some ab exercises that require stability are as follows :

1) Abdominal work on an exercise ball

2) Twisting work standing on a bosu ball

3) Partner work with medicine balls.

If you are going for strength and are using weight, you will need to
execute movements that require you to move through a large range of
motion. By doing this, your ab muscles can be strengthened from the
greatest angles possible.

Some good ab exercises for strength build up –

1) Decline sit-ups

2) Cable cross-bends

*An important point to take note about abs exercises :*

Our body has an extremely high adaptation ability towards any
exercises. Once your abs muscles have adapted itself to a particular
abs exercises, the abs exercises wont be as effective as before
anymore. Therefore, we will need to introduce variability in our abs
exercises for our abs workout program.Hence, Abs exercises must be
changed on a regular basis if you want to see results fast.

*Intensity of abs exercises*

The intensity of abs exercises varies from individual to individual.
Knowing what volume of abs exercises is needed for you brings you a
step closer to getting the 6 pack abs.

Bear in mind that  the weight lifted during training is indirectly
proportional to the total reps you do. In other words, the more
weights you use the fewer reps you should be doing.

If your objective is agility, two or 4 sets of weightless abdominal
works will be enough ( with each sets limiting yourself to the 10-15
reps range )

On the other hand, If your objective is strength, you should be doing
weighted abdominal training. Therefore, you should be going for fewer
reps ( 3-6 reps range ) and increasing the number of sets to 6 to 10.
This would be enough to have some good muscle size growth.

_By: *Alan Tii*_

*About the Author:*

Sick and tired of all the online bogus programs that just refuse to
give you the 6 pack abs that you have all along dream of?

Want Real concrete information on how to get 6 pack abs?

Check out the top-rated guide for 6 pack abs [1] that will change your
life forever!

Links:
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[1] http://www.perfectabs.notlong.com

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Top 7 Exercise Myths

Both aerobic exercise and strength training are key components of any
fitness program, but with so many exercise myths out there it can
hard to develop an effective workout routine. Here are seven of the
most common myths related to exercise.

*1. Spot reducing is possible*. Spot reducing is based on the flawed
notion that it's possible to "burn off" fat from a specific area of
the body by selectively exercising that area.  Numerous studies have
shown that spot reducing is not possible. When you lose fat, you're
unable to choose the area in which the fat loss will occur. Your body
determines which fat stores it will use. Exercising a specific area of
the body will build and strengthen the underlying muscle, but it will
have no direct effect on fat loss in that area.

*2. No pain, no gain*. Many people incorrectly assume that exercise
must hurt to be beneficial. Exercising to the point of pain can
significantly increase your risk of injury.  Pain is your body's way
of telling you that there's something wrong. A serious exercise
program will sometimes be uncomfortable, but it should not be painful.

*3. The more exercise the better*. This is one of those exercise myths
that far too many people still believe is accurate. The truth is that
you can get too much exercise, and it can lead to burnout and/or
injury. When it comes to exercise, you need an appropriate balance of
training and rest.

*4. Women who lift weights will bulk up*. Many women use this excuse
to avoid lifting weights. What they don't realize is that weight
lifting is a very effective way for women to lose body fat and
increase lean muscle mass. Women usually don't have the genetic
potential to develop large, bulky muscles because they don't have
enough testosterone, which is the hormone needed for muscle
development.

*5. Your muscles will turn to fat if you stop exercising*. Fat and
muscle are two different types of tissue, so one can't convert to the
other. The truth is that muscles waste away when not used. Therefore,
if you stop exercising, but continue to eat as you always have, you
will see a loss of muscle mass and an increase in body fat.

*6. You should stretch before exercising*. Contrary to popular
opinion, stretching should be done after a workout, when the muscles
are warm. Several recent studies have shown that stretching cold
muscles slightly decreases muscle strength and power for up to an hour
after stretching. Stretching cold muscles can also cause injury.

*7. Low intensity aerobic exercise is best for fat loss*. Not
necessarily. Low intensity aerobic exercise will burn more fat while
you're exercising, but high intensity aerobic exercise will increase
your metabolism and burn more fat for an extended period of time after
you finish exercising.

Don't be fooled by any of these exercise myths. Rely on proven
information to help you meet your fitness goals.

_By: *Jim Plummer*_

*About the Author:*

Jim Plummer is a longtime health and fitness enthusiast. His website,
http://www.functional-fitness-facts.com [1], contains information,
advice and resources that will help you get fit and healthy. Visit his
website and pick up your free fat loss report [2].

Links:
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[1] http://www.functional-fitness-facts.com
[2] http://www.functional-fitness-facts.com/free-fat-loss-report.html

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