Your health first

5 Effective Yoga Exercises For Lower Back Pain Page 2

3. Bridge Pose

Bridge pose is great for strengthening the overall core, back, and even toning your hamstrings and buttocks. You can choose to do this exercise exactly how it appears without moving, or you can practice lowering up and down between the ground and the final position.

To do the pose, lie down on the floor with your knees bent. Keep your heels as close to your buttocks as possible, but also not curved up under you too much. Place your hands by your side, and gently start to lift your buttocks and hips upward at one time. Hold for 30 seconds, and then lower back down to starting position. Do this exercise 10-15 times or so.

4. Half Lord of the Fishes

Half Lord of the Fishes sounds fancy, but it’s really simple to perform in all actuality. The main thing to focus on during this position is to keep your back straight the entire time as you twist to one side and then switch positions twisting to the other. Half Lord of the Fishes will help you stretch your back while also tone your core.

To do this exercise, start with sitting on the floor with your feet and knees crossed in front of you. Then lower one knee up to the opposite side (as shown), and place your opposite hand on top of that knee. Start turning to the side to twist, and twist as far back as feels comfortable to you. You should feel a nice stretch, not a harsh pull.

5. Upward Facing Down and Downward Facing Dog

I’ve paired these two exercises together, because even though they are technically two separate exercises, you’ll get a much better stretch and range of motion if they are done together in a sequence. Just remember to keep your back strong while doing these exercises and be mindful of how your body feels when doing them so you don’t pull anything.

Step 1:

In Downward Facing Dog, start standing up straight, and then lower your hands down like you were going to touch your toes, but bend forward in a straight manner with your back as you do so. Place your hands on the floor, out in front of you and let your feet stretch out on the floor behind you (as shown) while your body resembles that of an upside down triangle. (It may help to use a mirror to help you check your form the first few times you try this pose.) Focus on how your back feels the entire time you do this pose, and hold for 30 seconds.

Step 2:

Now, you’ll move down to Downward Facing Dog to get a full range of motion with this exercise. As you lower your hips down, your feet will extend backward and your core will help support you. Your hands will only come back a little bit. Picture your body like it’s a rubberband expanding and contracting in between both movements. When done correctly, this entire sequence can help relieve lower back pain fairly quickly.

There are many other kinds of exercise for lower back pain such as lifting weights, walking, and basic stretching; I just find yoga the most helpful for improving long-term flexibility and keeping my body pain-free on a regular basis. Yoga poses for lower back pain can also be wonderful tools if you work a desk job and need to do a few poses when you get home to help assist with the effects of sitting all day, and they’re especially useful during travel if you can’t access a gym for a regular workout.

12

CFFFF

5 Effective Yoga Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is something many individuals deal with on a daily basis while others may just suffer occasionally from lower back pain. Whatever the case, there is one style of exercising that can dramatically help with lower back pain provided it’s done with correct form.

So, what is it? Yoga! There are many yoga poses that can help with lower back pain, but there are a few that are more effective than others. When doing yoga poses for lower back pain, be mindful to keep your back strong and in proper alignment.

As always, you should also listen to your body and not push it to the point of pain no matter what kind of exercises you’re doing. However, after a long day or injury, this exercise for lower back pain can help you feel better quickly when done correctly and mindfully!

Exercises for Lower Back Pain:

1. Extended Triangle

This pose is my personal favorite exercise for lower back pain. It’s wonderful if you have tightness and need to improve your flexibility.

Extended triangle pose is quite easy to perform and is mostly self-explanatory. Start out by putting one leg in front of the other and then twisting to the side, reaching your right (or left) hand down to the corresponding foot. Focus on keeping your lower back strong and straight, and look up at your opposite hand for the best flexibility effects.

Hold this pose for at least 30 seconds, and then slowly stand up while keeping your back straight. Then do the exercise on the opposite side.

2. Cat Pose

Cat pose (also referred to as cat cow pose) can dramatically help you stretch out your back and core. It mimics the way a cat curls and arches its back, going back and forth in between both ranges of motion. You want to arch your back and then curl it under keeping your posture intact, not putting too much pressure on your spine.

To do the pose, start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Make sure your shoulders and hands are in alignment with one another and also be sure that your hips and knees are in alignment with one another. Move your back up and down, arching it up and down (gently) for 30 seconds or so. Focus on keeping your core tight during this so you don’t pull anything.

British scientists at the Royal Hospital in London in 2009 revealed a research where is proven that bicarbonate slows the progress of kidney disease. In addition to this, the US National Health Institute has conducted experiments that show that kidney dialysis using bicarbonate agents have more restorative properties than standard dialysis treatments.

For many people this will sound weird and may be hard to accept, but the box you keep in your refrigerator in order to keep the ham from stinking may also save your life.

In case of a kidney failure, the first thing you need to do is to rehydrate the body. Drink the recommended amount of water per day mixed with baking soda (scientists advice do add 1 teaspoon of baking soda in one glass of water – 8 oz).

To do this, take your body weight and divide it with a constant 20. It is interesting that the result will show you the number of liters of water you should drink per day. By doing this, you will effectively improve the condition of your kidneys.

Another important thing is to avoid all items that dehydrate your body, including salt, tea, foods and drinks that are very rich in crystalline sugar, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol.

Still, the best way to solve this health problem is to treat it naturally, as thus you will find a more permanent solution. Avoid foods and products which cause infections or other kidney issues.

In addition to that, you should not eat more than the daily recommended amount of protein, since excessive protein intake can put strain on your kidneys, causing more damage.

Doctors say that is recommended to consume foods that are rich in vitamin B complex as they are known to aid in protein elimination from the body. Also, you need to eat a lot of fruits, grains and vegetables.

According to recent study, it was proved that people who eat vegetarian diet generally have a low blood pressure, and their system is alkaline, unlike those people who consume too much animal products, whose body is too acidic.

Serious diseases such as gout, cancer and others will not survive in an alkaline environment and because of that baking soda is the ideal solution.

Lose Weight And Burn Belly Fat - How To See Fast Results

The good thing about trying to lose weight and burn belly fat is that they will happen together. Losing unwanted pounds will also burn belly fat and vise versa. Making the decision to look and feel better is easy. Implementing new habits and changing bad habits is not so easy, but it is possible. If you think of changing bad habits into healthy habits, then you can enjoy a lifetime of energy, health, and looking great!
Extreme diets are difficult to manage and often times are doomed to fail. Habits stick with you and become part of the normal routine. To lose weight and burn belly fat, you can stop bad habits and start new ones on your journey to look and feel amazing.

QUIT BAD HABITS TO STOP THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL

*Drinking your calories. Stop drinking soda pop, energy drinks, and bottled juices. These beverages are loaded with sugar, or other ingredients that encourage fat cell growth and slow down energy. Choose lemon water or blend fruit and veggie smoothies instead.

*Stressed out. Lower your stress level to hinder the release of the stress hormone. The stress hormone promotes fat cell growth. Use meditation or other forms of relaxation.

*Staying up late. Being sleep deprived is doing your body a disservice. When your body systems get the rest they need every night, they will function much better. You will experience more energy and focus with adequate sleep. Set your internal clock by going to bed and getting up at the same times every day.

START GOOD HABITS WITH THESE EASY TO DO TIPS

*Water. Now this is the beverage your body cannot do without. Drink plenty of it all day everyday. Being hydrated will aid in losing water weight. Water helps you to feel satisfied and curb cravings. Drinking plenty of water will aid in digestion and help to burn fat cells.

*Exercise. Fat cells don't stand a chance when you incorporate a consistent workout schedule. Fat cells love sedentary. Be active and do vigorous workouts. Exercise also lowers stress and releases the feel good hormone.

*Eat protein. Protein based foods will aid in keeping you feeling full and satisfied. Snack on foods like boiled eggs, nuts and yogurt with chia seeds.

*Choose snacks wisely. Snack mostly on fruits and veggies or protein based foods. They are low in calories and will give you added energy and burn fat cells.

How One Woman Lost Nearly 100 Lbs by Making Weight Loss Fun

"If your workout feels like suffering, try something else."

Before: 232 lbs

After: 137 lbs

Kacey Lauchnor, 25, grew up in a family with suspect health habits. "If we ever ate a vegetable, it was covered in cheese," says the graphic designer from Herriman, Utah. Her eating habits continued throughout college and after her wedding, and by 2012, 5'6" Kacey clocked in at 232 pounds. "I knew I was getting fat," she says. "But I still thought, I'm not that fat."

After her husband—who had reached 314 pounds himself—was denied life insurance coverage because of his size, Kacey signed them up for a variety of workout classes. "It was hard at first but a lot of fun," she says. "It was always something different—cardio, lunges, squats, kickboxing." By August 2014, she had cracked the 150's, and before the winter holidays, Kacey saw 140 pounds on the scale for the first time she could remember. (Her husband dropped a cool 85 pounds too.)

12

6 Tips for Healthier Sleep

While many people turn to caffeine after a night spent tossing and turning, there’s no substitute for a good night’s sleep.

“You just can’t cheat it,” Watson said. “There’s no pill, there’s nothing that you can take to try to overcome, or to try to replace it.”

To help you stop fighting and start sleeping, Watson offers these tips:

1. Keep a Regular Sleep Routine

You can help sleep along by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, as well as by sticking to your pre-bed routine so that your body knows that sleep is coming.

2. Prepare a Sleep-Friendly Environment

Cool, dark, and quiet are essential. Turn out the lights or use light-blocking curtains or shades. If you live in a noisy environment, white noise machines or ear plugs may block out some of the sounds.

3. Avoid Caffeine After 2:00 p.m.

If you must drink caffeine, avoid it after two in the afternoon, because it can increase your chances of insomnia later that night.

4. Don't Exercise Right Before Bed

Regular exercise can help you sleep more soundly, but for some people, it can be disruptive if it's done right before going to bed.

5. Skip the Pre-Bed Cocktail

Alcohol may make you drowsy, but it can disturb your sleep later as the alcohol wears off.

6. Create a Tech-Free Zone

Cell phones, computers, and tablets can all disrupt sleep because their ever-glowing lights—especially those in the blue wavelengths—can throw off your circadian rhythm by mimicking daylight.

Benefits of Honey You May Not Know

Benefits of honey were largely forgotten when easy and cheap sugar made its entrance into our modern world. Until the arrival of this bleached white sweetener most people had a bee hive in their garden or at the very least knew a local bee keeper or two from which they purchased their honey.

Honey is packed full of nutrition with a huge amount of essential vitamins, minerals, enzymes and the most incredible healing properties. It is a fat free food which also tastes divinely sweet. Far sweeter than sugar which means you need less of it.

In remote areas of tropical forests and mountain regions local people go to extraordinary lengths to retrieve honey from tree and rock hives. They literally defy the thought of any dangers to climb these trees and cliffs to get to this source of nutrition to feed their families.

By eating a couple of good spoonfuls of honey each day you will be consuming these essential ingredients which will help to keep your immune system in tip top condition. The benefits of honey include its ability to cure any bad bacteria lurking around in your system but will leave all the essential bacteria needed alone.

Most stomach bugs and digestive disorders including IBS symptoms are relieved with the benefits of eating honey even to the extent of destroying helicobacter pylori which is the main cause of stomach ulcers. That alone has to be an impressive honey benefit.

Almost everyone when suffering with a cold, cough or symptoms of flu will seek out medication which contains honey and lemon but by having these two natural ingredients to hand in your own kitchen and stirring into a glass of boiled but not too hot water you have your own instant cup of comfort. These will soothe your throat, calm that irritating tickle, relive your headache and induce calmness helping you to drift off to sleep.

Add the benefits of honey with fresh ingredients such as garlic, apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger and also cinnamon will relive many uncomfortable conditions such as arthritis, heartburn, nausea and help to keep your heart healthy.

Many top sports people use the benefits of honey and its nutritional content as a super energy boost which is long lasting and also helps to allow their bodies recover more quickly after extensive exercise.

The medical benefits of honey have been documented for centuries however; these too have been largely forgotten due to Chemical Giants inventing more and more different types of artificial anti-biotics. The reason for more and more of these inventions are quite simply we become immune to them!

This just doesn't happen with the benefits of honey; we cannot become immune to their benefits. They are natural and healing and now researched more thoroughly as it has been discovered honey is capable of curing MRSA. Now, there are many hospitals that use this for the treatment of burns, on patients with open post operative wounds, bed sores and even severe nappy rash on babies.

There is actually nothing new here, soldiers fighting in terrible wars even recently during the Gulf wars have used the benefits of honey to treat their war wounds. Honey eats away at infections promoting quick and effective healing and because it doesn't dry out will not pull away new skin tissue when dressings are changed.

Bacterial infections lurk around every part of our bodies which also includes our eyes, skin and mouths. Drip a little diluted honey into your eye infections; use it as a mouthwash, dab some on your cold sores, spots and pimples and all these bacteria will be destroyed very quickly without any nasty side effects.

7 Benefits of Drinking Water You Probably Didn't Know

Water is Life

Fact: The human body consists of 70 percent of water. Hence, water plays a vital role in our existence. When we have a sufficient supply of water in our body it makes us feel comfortable and healthy.

Without water, parts of our body cannot function correctly. Water is an element that has a dynamic function not just for the human body but also for the ecosystem. What are the benefits of drinking water? There are a lot of benefits that you can obtain from drinking water. However, let me simplify them into seven categories.

Brain Stimulation

The Brain is part of the nervous system and is the main basis of our movements. It consists of about 90 percent water. When water is sufficient in our brain, it can function easily, sharply and be alert. If it lacks water, our minds can be as slow as a turtle.

Stronger Stamina

Water helps our muscles work. It produces oxygen for muscles to endure longer workouts and other physical activities. During exercise, it is important to drink water to maintain the muscle cells' strength. It keeps our muscles and joints lubricated. Because of this, you are able to protect yourself from cramps, strains or sprains.

Body Temperature Regulation

Through water, our body temperature becomes regulated or balanced. Through perspiration, our body's temperature is lowered which makes us feel cool and fresh. When we produce a lot of energy through a lot of movements such as exercise, our sweat glands produce perspiration to cool off our bodies. Hence, a need for regular water intake is necessary.

Active Nerves

Nerve cells send messages to and from the brain through the use of electrolytes. Water takes a crucial role in maintaining electrolytes at the normal level for nerve functions. Through water, nutrients and other elements are being transported all throughout the body system.

Stomach and Intestinal Tract

Water is used also for digestion. With only a small amount of water in the digestive system it can cause constipation and other stomach disorders. It also cleanses our body for nutrient absorption.

To Beautify and Clean

To be hydrated is to keep our body moisturised and that helps keep our skin healthier and smoother. Also, it detoxifies our system by flushing out body fats and other body toxins which in turn help us lose weight. Water supports our body's metabolism. Moreover, through constant drinking of water, our eyes and mouths are moisturized, too. Water cleanses them through taking away the dirt and dust. Drinking water has also been proven to prevent halitosis or bad breath.

Protects our Organs

Water protects our vital organs such as the heart, liver, and kidneys. These organs play a major role in our overall well-being. Individuals who drink at least 8 glasses of water a day are less likely to experience heart attack or stroke.

By drinking water, we're protected from head to toe. The above mentioned benefits simply prove that we can't live without water. It's one of our ultimate sources for a healthier and happier living!

Start Walking, Here's How!

I recently went on vacation. I didn't get to write as much as I had hoped, but I did get to walk. And that's a good thing because I ate a lot, and the things I ate included bread and desserts. I also drank a bit of alcohol every now and then during the week.

Those things can definitely put on the calories. Fortunately I didn't gain any weight. Why? Because walking is one of the best exercises. Unfortunately, we don't usually do enough of it. The proof is all around. More Americans are fat, even obese, and more of us every year have associated health problems, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Think you know how many steps you walk daily? If you are like many Americans, working at a job where you sit all day, you walk 2,000 or 3,000 steps each day. Maybe you're a little more active and you walk 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day.

Are most of your steps from your chair in front of the TV to the refrigerator? If that's you, it's not too late to change. But you have to admit that that's you. Then you have to want to change. If you have been really sedentary, see your doctor first. Make sure that increasing your activity will not dangerously affect your health.

Next, count your daily steps. You can't go around counting your steps in your head all day, so you will have to buy a pedometer or some activity tracking device.

Don't get the cheapest pedometer you see. You will give up quickly when it breaks or just stops working.

Set up your new pedometer. You may have to install the battery. Many come ready to start counting steps. If you want to know the distance you are walking, you will have to enter your stride length.

For now, you don't need to bother with that if you aren't interested, or think it is too complicated. Just get used to wearing the pedometer or carrying it around. Keep track of your steps for a week or two. See what your average daily step count is. Write it down.

Once you have some idea of your usual number, you can work on increasing it. So how will you do that? You won't get far if you usually walk 4,000 steps a day, and you set yourself up to walk 10,000 steps tomorrow. You won't be ready physically or psychologically. You will have to be patient and realistic.

You need a plan. Try to increase your average number of daily steps by 200 to 300 each week. Maybe your weekly increase will only be 100 steps a day. That's okay. But try not to go backwards. Some days you will be more active than other days. That's normal, but in general you want to become more active than you are now... every day.

What are you working toward? Would you like to decrease your risk of death? Then walk 6,000 steps a day. Want to get into overall good health and lose weight? Walk 8,000 to 10,000 steps. Don't feel badly if you're starting out at a very low daily number. Most people find that they don't walk anywhere near as much as they think they do, so you're in good company. The difference is that you are choosing to make this change, and make yourself healthier.

Wearing the pedometer and counting your steps will serve as motivation. You will start consciously looking for opportunities to increase your steps. You can walk up stairs. You can park your car further from the mall entrance. Get a group together and walk at lunchtime. Take a walk around your neighborhood in the morning, evening, or both. I'm sure you can think of more ways to get your step count up. Leave a comment and share your ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7943143