Chemicals in Shampoo May Pose Health Risks

March 14th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
Chemicals in Shampoo May Pose Health Risks

Have you ever read the label on your shampoo bottle? You’ll be shocked to learn that the ingredients found in many shampoos may pose a threat to your health.

Research has shown that various chemicals lurking inside shampoo may induce serious health risks, like memory loss, eye and skin irritation, hair follicle damage that can lead to hair loss, and even cancer.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies personal care products, it does not regulate them. Therefore, there are no legal guidelines or boundaries for shampoo manufacturers to follow.

The descriptive “all-natural” has become a buzzword in the beauty world for environmental friendliness. What some shampoo makers leave out, however, is they still use the lathering agents, emulsifiers and synthetic fragrances that contain hundreds of harmful chemicals.

According to a company called Blinc Inc., it is very likely that the list of ingredients in a bottle of shampoo will contain some of the following additives:

* Propylene glycol, known as the main ingredient in antifreeze, is also found in makeup, toothpaste and in your shampoo. It can cause allergic reactions.

* Sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate are common causes of eye irritation. They can also damage hair follicles. When absorbed into the body from continuous contact, they can bring on asthma attacks.

* Synthetic fragrances contain hundreds of chemicals, some of which have been known to cause headaches, dizziness, rash, hyperpigmentation, coughing and vomiting.

*The National Toxicology Program found that applying diethanolamine to a mouse’s skin induced liver and kidney cancer. DEA is readily absorbed through the skin and can also be toxic to the brain. Read more…

Amazing Kettlebell Workout Produces Superior Results

March 13th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
Amazing Kettlebell Workout Produces Superior Results

Russian Kettlebells are amazing! These kettlebell workouts may be the answer to maintaining a home gym or having an expensive club membership.

With Russian kettlebells you can develop superior gains over traditional workout methods and save lots of space in your home.

The man who teaches Russian Kettlebell training is Pavel Tsatsouline. He is a former Spetznaz trainer. For those who may not know, Spetznaz is the Russian equivalent of the CIA or special forces.

As every high-risk agent would wish for, after studying some of Pavel’s books you can definitely find out how to have explosive instant power ready at all times.

But, not everyone is a spy; in fact very few of us are. So what benefits does kettlebell training have for the average woman or man?

Kettlebell training can be a great way to lose weight, tone up the body, and stay in shape once you get it there with the added benefits mentioned above.

And not only that, kettlebell workouts may be better for you than weights. In one of his books, Pavel mentions some of the fitness tests that were used to compare kettlebell training to traditional workouts.

The kettlebell trainers seemed to be in much better shape according to Pavel. And Pavel would know – You can see a picture of Pavel on his web site. The guy is well muscled and toned for someone that avoids weight training like the plague.

Speaking of muscle and tone, check out the incredible Ab muscles that Pavel can show you how to develope. Pavel, being an expert in physical training combined with his unique experience and insight is fully qualified to show you all about physical fitness.

Whether you are female or male, Pavel can show you the way to fitness. He has also collected for our benefit, what he believes to be excellent advice in nutrition. Read more…

What Knowledge About Working The Transverse Abdominals

March 12th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
What Knowledge About Working The Transverse Abdominals

A group of muscles that often gets neglected in stomach exercise routines are the transverse abdominals, the core muscles that lie below the rectus abdominus. Most abdominal exercises target the rectus abdominus and the vertical abdominals, ignoring the transverse abdominals. Even crunches, the staple of most abdominal workouts, do nothing for the transverse abdominals. These muscles are actually the most important to target, however, as they connect to both the lower back muscles and the rectus abdominus and for a girdle for the entire abdomen. Any routine aimed at flattening the stomach should include the transverse abdominals as a focus. Using the following exercises, you can work out your transverse abdominals and really make progress on that flat tummy. As with any workout routine, be sure to consult a professional before beginning and always warm up properly to avoid injury.

Pelvic Tilts
This stomach exercise requires lying on your back on a flat surface, such as the floor or a bench. Use a mat or towel to cushion your spine. Bend your knees so that your feet are flat on the floor. Raise your pelvis (and only your pelvis) off the floor, hold momentarily, and then lower it back down. Repeat for an entire set. Maintaining a controlled movement is crucial to this exercise. This will allow you to use your abdominal muscles, rather than your body’s momentum, to do the work on the exercise. Also, be sure to keep your upper body on the floor throughout.

Crunchless Crunch
This first exercise is fairly simple but can also be fairly difficult. Essentially, it involves trying to pull the belly button in towards the spine. This can be tricky, as it involves using muscles which you may not be used to activating. To start, either lie or on your stomach or kneel. You might want to try both ways and see which helps you feel the exercise better. Relax your body as much as possible, then try to use only the lower abdominals to move your belly button toward your spine. Hold for ten seconds. If holding for ten seconds feels easy, hold for a longer period. The goal is to hold the contraction until you either cannot feel it, or you feel other muscles working harder than the transverse abdominus. When you feel this, let the contraction out. Read more…

What Knowledge About The Best Stomach Exercises

March 11th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
What Knowledge About The Best Stomach Exercises

It is only natural, most people want to look their best, and exercising their stomach muscles is usually a huge part of most fitness programs. If so much time and energy is going to be focused on this muscle group, it is a good idea to know what the best stomach exercises are. There are many resources available for finding the best stomach exercises, and plenty of people to say what they consider the best, so how can a person decide for themselves which truly are the best exercises for working their stomach muscles?

First of all it is important to note that the best stomach exercises are those that a person is willing to do. No matter how effective the exercise is, if a person isn’t going to do them consistently the exercise will not benefit that particular individual. It is also important to note that the best stomach exercises do not necessarily require equipment to perform them, although some machines and equipment may work quite well for some people.

When a person decides on a fitness program that includes stomach exercises, it is best to include stomach exercises that work the different parts of the stomach. If a person simply concentrates on one area of their stomach, there workout will not be as effective. The best stomach exercises, combine working the oblique, which are the side muscles, the lower abdominals, the mid section and also the upper section. Read more…

What Knowledge About Alcohol And Exercise

March 10th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
What Knowledge About Alcohol And Exercise

On Friday afternoon after you leave work, you probably think about going out and having a few drinks with friends to relax and wind down. Even though you may think you deserve to go out and have a few drinks, there are some things that you should certainly keep in mind.

Like any other day, tomorrow is going to be a day for exercise, and since you are exercising on a regular basis, a few drinks of alcohol won’t really hurt anything, right? Before you decide to rush out to the local bar, there are a few things below that you should think about before you make your choice about going out to drink some alcohol.

Research has proven that even small amounts of alcohol with increase muscular endurance and the output of strength, although these types of benefits are very short lived. After 20 minutes or so, the problems will begin to surface. All of the negative side effects associated with alcohol will easily outweigh any possible benefits that it can have. No matter how you look at it, alcohol is a poison that can really harm your body if you aren’t careful.

The negative side of alcohol can reduce your strength, endurance, aerobic capability, recovery time, ability to metabolize fat, and even your muscle growth as well. Alcohol will also have an effect on your nervous system and brain. If you use it long term, you can cause severe deterioration of your central nervous system. Even with short term use, nerve muscle interaction can be reduced which will result in a loss of strength.

Once alcohol reaches the blood cells, it can and probably will damage them. With alcohol users, inflammation of the muscle cells is a very common thing. Over periods of time, some of these cells that have been damaged can die which will result in less functional muscle contractions. Drinking alcohol will also leave you with more soreness of your muscles after you exercise, which means that it will take you a lot longer to recuperate. Read more…

Why You Really Want A Horizon Treadmill

March 9th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
Why You Really Want A Horizon Treadmill

The Horizon treadmill company are probably best known for producing a good treadmill package that is easily affordable by even those would-be exercisers on a tight budget. With a range of features that you might expect to see on higher priced fitness equipment, a Horizon treadmill offers you a great treadmill workout without breaking the bank to achieve it.

The Horizon treadmill is available in a range of models, with price tags that range from well under a thousand dollars right up to the two thousand dollar mark. Consumers who have enjoyed the budget end of the Horizon treadmill range might think about investing in a higher spec model, to try to match their treadmill workout to their ever improving fitness levels, but reviewers would advise against such a switch ?the Horizon treadmill is a favorite in the budget category, but treadmill ratings suggest that if you are looking to spend a little more to achieve the treadmill workout you want then another choice might be more appropriate. Though the features offered on the lower price Horizon treadmill type are second to none for a budget treadmill, the experts say that the improvements you might expect to find on a more expensive Horizon treadmill simply aren’t up to scratch.

So what do you get with a Horizon treadmill? A range of features, including an easy fold system, shock absorption technology and a fan to help keep you cool while you avail of one of the pre-programmed or customizable treadmill workouts the Horizon line have to offer. But as reviewers are quick to point out, it is not the features included in the Horizon treadmill that are under scrutiny ?these are almost uniformly agreed to offer a great treadmill workout to anyone who purchases a Horizon. Rather it is the possibility of what might be sacrificed in the Horizon treadmill to offer these features at a budget price, namely the quality of the Horizon parts and the long-term durability of the treadmill as a whole. Read more…

Why Proform Treadmills Offer Any Decent Accessories

March 8th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
Why Proform Treadmills Offer Any Decent Accessories

Well-known for the technological innovation they employ in constructing their fitness equipment, Proform treadmills carry their innovative streak into the range of treadmill accessories they offer to the treadmill consumer. Regardless of whether you are a seasoned professional runner, or just looking to get in shape, sometimes running alone is not enough to take you where you want to go, but with their range of treadmill accessories, Proform treadmills offer the consumer a more complete exercising package to help you achieve all your fitness goals.

It is easy to become overwhelmed at the range of treadmill accessories available today, but Proform treadmills offer a range that is both comprehensive and straightforward. From the simple maintenance accessory kit that includes such tools as treadmill belt cleaner and lubricator that can help prolong the life of your Proform treadmill, while helping to maintain its optimum performance, to the treadmill accessories that will help you make the most of your fitness endeavors, Proform offer a mix of accessories that really hits the mark.

One of the most popular of the treadmill accessories that Proform treadmills offer is their interactive fitness program, called iFit. Specially developed by fitness experts, this technology brings a Proform personal trainer right into your home, helping you make the most of your Proform treadmill fitness sessions. With scientific research to support the fact that many people who exercise with this kind of guidance perform better than those who exercise alone, it is easy to see why this is one of Proform’s most popular treadmill accessories.

Cardio exercise should only be one aspect of your fitness regimen, and Proform treadmills show that they have thought of this too, by offering strength training equipment as part of their treadmill accessories. The Proform exercise ball is the ideal way to work on those all-important core muscles, the stomach and back muscles that support your entire body. A strong core is essential to achieving total body fitness and the Proform exercise ball, combined with the Proform sculpting bands which help you build the muscle in your arms and legs, is the ideal way to round out the workout afforded by Proform treadmills. Read more…

Why I Need A Quinton Treadmill

March 7th, 2010 Guideasy No comments
Why I Need A Quinton Treadmill

A Quinton treadmill is one of those rare items in the densely populated consumer world ?a product that is actually so good that there is little to no hype surrounding it. For those of us wearied by the in-your-face buy Treadmill!?advertising that attacks us almost every time we switch on our TVs, a Quinton treadmill could be just the breath of fresh air we are looking for.

The pervasive drive towards fitness that dominates our culture today can lead us toward making impulse purchases just so that we can have what we want when we want it ?right now! Looking good is an important part of our lives, and a treadmill can help us achieve that goal. But if you are affected by today’s invasive advertising and dreaming something along the lines of just buy treadmill! Must buy treadmill!?then you probably won’t have taken the time to read about the many benefits a Quinton treadmill can offer, and that would be a real shame. A Quinton treadmill really is the quiet treadmill champion, and one you can’t afford not to buy.

If you have succumbed to those buy Treadmill?voices, then you can’t afford not to do your research ?your fitness depends on you making the right treadmill choice. And while a Quinton treadmill won’t be splashed all over the TV or Internet like so many other brands, a Quinton treadmill is well worth a second look. Consumer reports rate the Quinton treadmill as one of the best available. If you really care about your fitness, then you need to add a Quinton treadmill to your buy Treadmill?list! Read more…