Squat About Squats

Every exercise has tricks that will help you to perform the exercise better and get more out of it. The squat is no exception. Here are a few tricks you can use:

1. Wear boots or solid-soled shoes
Try wearing solid-heeled work boots when squatting. They allow the power from your legs to be transferred better than when wearing soft-heeled running shoes.
The reason is simple: you can lose power at the bottom when wearing shoes with thick, soft soles (such as running shoes) because the soles will squish in when you push yourself up.
If you don't have work boots, try squatting barefoot. You will not lose any power at the bottom that way. Going barefoot will also eliminate any heel elevation you may get from footwear. It will also force you to push with your heels. When you squat barefoot, set the racking collars a little lower to make up for the lack of soles. If neither is an option, use flat or thin-soled shoes. Basically, the less padding between your feet and the ground, the better.

2. Use a Manta Ray
A plastic molded device called the Manta Ray is an excellent tool for squatting. I use one regularly and highly recommend it. There is no pain from the bar when you use this device. A towel wrapped around the bar or a foam pad can also help ease the pain of the bar but be aware that these things can slip or roll.

3. Keep your elbows pointed down
Hold your hands on the bar fairly close in to your shoulders and keep your elbows pointed down the entire time.
If you hold the bar too wide, this will force your shoulders to rotate internally. Your elbows will start to point towards the back which will then cause the bar to rotate forward as you come down. This, in turn, will cause you to lean over excessively, increasing the pressure on the lower back.
Keeping your elbows pointed down activates your external rotator muscles, which will keep the bar from rolling forward.

4. Bend the knees first
Hold a tight lordotic (lower back) arch on descent. When you start the movement, the knees should bend first, followed closely by the trunk. Most people descend with glutes leading, followed by the knees. This emphasizes the back and glutes rather than the thighs. This is characterized by excessive leaning over.

5. Yanking the bar
If you feel you are about to get stuck at the bottom of a squat, try this trick:
- Yank down hard on the bar as though trying to snap it in half over your back.
- It may sound counterproductive but if you do this while you are straining against the bar, it will cause an emergency stretch reflex in your quads and give you an extra little kick out of the bottom.

- It is important to note that you must be moving upwards for this technique to work. The stretch reflex will not be activated if you are sinking down to the ground. Pulling down on the bar at this point will only make you drop faster.

INDIAN INDEPENDENCE

At stroke of midnight, on 15 August 1947, India became an independent nation. This was preceded by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru's famous speech titled Tryst with destiny.

At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance..... We end today a period of ill fortune, and India discovers herself again.

If we are unable to quote our first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's speech in verbatim, the gist of comprehending this speech can surely ignite a strong passion of patriotism. Not many of us, young Indians have ever bothered brushing up on our old, dusty pages on books of Indian history, for their lies a world so different from modern India soaked with unspoken figures of deaths of innumerable Indians who died for our sake in the hands of our oppressors so that we can lead the plush, comfortable lives of luxury that we are now living. However, not many of us even realize that our country , India, is the greatest model to world and the first country ever to win independence through non-violence under the able leadership of the charismatic leader of our time, Mahatma Gandhiji.

Our Indian history like our vibrant culture of so many diversities in terms of religion, culture and traditional values can be a large canvass to depict our origins which has provided accommodation to change like no other country in this world. No country in the world can boast of such a cultural amalgamation.

The Day of Indian Independence is a day of celebration for every Indian to commemorate our jubilant victory over the British who ruled our country for nearly three centuries. It is to this success that every Indian stands up, chin held up with pride and salutes one another Jai Hind to mark the Indian victory.

Good Night of Sleep

Today's hectic lifestyle doesn't allow many people to get the kind of sleep that leaves them refreshed and energetic for the stresses of everyday life. Worries, fear, chronic pain, illness and outside distractions play a part in keeping many eyes open and sleep elusive.

A good night's sleep helps rejuvenate body and mind. Most people require anywhere between seven to nine hours of sleep every night. Factors such as an improper diet, the lack of exercise, high stress levels and environmental toxins and pollutants leave many tossing and turning, hoping to drift off to the nether world of sweet dreams.

Keeping a Sleep Schedule
The body gets used to a schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day trains the body to expect sleep at certain times. The more the sleep schedule is adhered to, the easier and faster it becomes to fall asleep at the right hour. Staying up late during weekends may prove disruptive as the body may have to readjust to a regular sleep schedule the night before the work day.

The body adjusts to changes in the sleep schedule at a rate of an hour per day. This is important to remember when it comes to adjusting to sleep schedules while traveling long distances across several time zones.

The Effects of Smoking on Sleep
Nicotine is a stimulant. While many profess that smoking relaxes them, the effects of smoking on sleep is anything but relaxing. Nicotine goes to the sleep centers of the brain that helps you keep and stay awake.

Quitting the habit for good aids in better sleep besides the multiple benefits that quitting has on the body and mind.

WEIGHT LOSS

If you want to know how to lose weight fast, continue reading the context below.

One effective way of losing weight fast is by having a control over the food you consume. Make a list of what you eat and evaluate it for calories, fat grams and dietary fiber.

Pay Attention to your calories: Pay attention to your current intake of calories. Burn more calories than you eat and you will lose weight. But, first you need to know how much you take in during a normal day.

Stay well-organized and focused: It is important to realize that weight loss is your responsibility.
Drink plenty of water – Recent research indicates that considerable weight loss is achieved by more and more of water consumption. By a lot, it means half of your body weight in ounces. If one weighs 150 pounds, then one would have to drink at least 75 oz. of water a day

Say No to starving: Many of the people don’t realize that eating is important. They try to find solution by starving themselves.

Be conscious about your body: If you have tendency to put on weight then always try to handy ways of warding off the fat. Like doing small exercises, cutting on fats, avoid eating sweets
Get Active: Ascertain what you like to do. So it’s important to engage oneself in physical activity which you enjoy to do.

Say yes to Herbal Medication: VitoSlim is the thermogenic weight loss supplement that not only reduces your appetite and calorie intake but also make you lose considerable weight within short period of time. This effective herbal pill is available online at a very reasonable price.

The sedentary lifestyle and the diet that most of the people follow are one of the main reasons of weight gain among the people. And if the excess weight is not taken care of well in time then it may give rise to a number of health risks. And a number of people in a bid to waive off that excess weight look for ways.

Though there are a number of options available in order to burn the extra calories but they may be associated with certain side effects. For instance, liposuction is a short cut to losing weight but the after math of the surgery may be quite a big price to pay for losing weight.

EXERCISE FOR GOOD HEALTH & FITNESS

Aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, dancing, biking, swimming, etc.): To promote and maintain health, older adults need moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes five days each week or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes three days each week. (Moderate intensity is when you feel "warm and slightly out of breath," and vigorous is when you feel "out of breath and sweaty.")

Resistance exercise (weight lifting, calisthenics): To promote and maintain health and physical independence, older adults will benefit from performing activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days each week. It is recommended that eight to 10 exercises be performed on two or more nonconsecutive days per week using the major muscle groups.

Flexibility exercise: To maintain the flexibility necessary for regular physical activity and daily life, older adults should perform activities that maintain or increase flexibility at least two days each week for at least 10 minutes each day.

Balance exercise: To reduce risk of injury from falls, older adults with substantial risk of falls (for example, with frequent falls or mobility problems) should perform exercises that maintain or improve balance.

Weight Loss

1. Stretch your meals to, at least, 20 minutes or longer. Your stomach, mouth and brain are all connected and it takes 20 minutes of chewing before your stomach signals your brain that you are full. To feel full and successfully lose weight on any weight loss program, you need to eat slowly for 20 minutes or longer.

2. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is important to your health, your normal diet and to help lose weight. Water is necessary for the metabolism of your stored fat. Weight loss cannot occur without an active metabolism which requires large quantities of water. Another way to use water to lose weight is to drink a large glass of ice water just before meals. The cold causes your stomach to shrink slightly which will make you feel full faster.

3. The more positive your self-esteem, the better you feel about yourself, the faster and easier it will be for you to lose weight. When you are self-confident, you are better able to take charge of your life. It also means that after you lose weight, it will stay gone permanently.

4. When you go fat free or low fat, you also cut out much of the taste of the foods you eat. Add the flavor back with herbs and spices. Strong flavors such as vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cayenne, curry powder, rosemary and tarragon can be used to doctor up any food you are eating. For your low fat and fat free diets, experiment with different herbs and spices until you find some you like. Staying on your fat free or low fat diet will be easier and your weight loss will be speeded up.

5. Increase your metabolism by as much as 40% by using hot and spicey foods such as hot peppers of all varieties and mustards. Research shows these foods all increase your metabolism. For double duty, give up fat filled mayonnaise for mustard and add hot peppers to your food for greater flavor and increased metabolism.

6. Negative emotions will also interfere with your weight loss program. It's difficult to stay motivated to lose weight when you feel bad. Overeating often accompanies negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, fear, guilt and anger. If this is true for you, begin a stress management program including some exercise and relaxation exercises.

7. To lose weight faster, reduce your intake of caffeine. Caffeine leads to an increase of insulin in your body which retards the burning of your stored fat.This is a simple chemical reaction in your body that you can change. Reduce your caffeine intake by 50% and see what happens. Here is a rough guide to use when looking at the amount of caffeine you currently take in: Brewed coffee (6 oz. cup) - 100mg; Instant coffee (6 oz.) - 70mg; Tea (6 oz.) - 50mg; Soft drinks (12oz.) - (Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew) - 50mg; Dark chocolate (1 oz.) - 20mg and Milk chocolate (1 oz.) - 6mg.

8. Incease your intake of fiber rich foods. They will help fill you up faster and will help all the food you eat pass through your digestive system more easily.

9. Exercise is probably the most important key to increasing your metabolism and burning off excess fat. Research shows that you burn more stored fat for energy when you do aerobic exercises on an empty stomach than on a full stomach. Research also shows that you burn more stored fat when you exercise late in the day rather than in the morning. Put together, the best time to exercise to lose weight by burning your stored fat is in the late afternoon/early evening before dinner. Second best is in the morning before breakfast. Our metabolism naturally starts to slow down about 8 hours after we wake up. Thirty minutes of aerobic exercises in the evening, before dinner, will not only burn off stored fat but it increases your metabolism for about two to three more hours just when it was starting to slow down. This produces a significant increase in fat burned off, even after the exercise is over.

10. To lose weight quickly, never skip a meal. Your first meal after waking starts your metabolism. Your metabolism then speeds up for about eight hours and then starts slowing down until you go to sleep when it goes to low until you wake and eat and start the cycle again. Skip breakfast and your metabolism doesn't get started until lunch time. You've just missed three or four hours of fat burning time. When you skip meals during the day, your metabolism also slows down. Weight loss through the burning of stored fat is all about eating enough of the right kinds of foods so you stay full and your metabolism stays as high as possible. Remember, if you feel hungry, your metabolism slows down. Stay full with healthy, nonfattening foods and your metabolism will continue to burn your stored fat as fast as your body will allow.

PHYSICAL EDUCTION/BODYFITNESS

1. Physical education is needed because due to advanced technology the lifestyle of people becomes sedentary and they become passive entertainer.

2. Physical education is needed during

elementary & secondary education for proper growth and development.

3. It is beneficial during adulthood to maintain good health and fitness.

4. During old Age, physical education is important to prevent and treat various ailments and disease.

5. It is important as it provides us the knowledge of our bodies from musculoskeletal, physiological and biochemical point of view.

6. It teaches us various physical activities that can be practised now in later life such as motor skills for the games and sports of volleyball, tennis, swimming and so on.

7. It also teaches us the value of ethical behaviour in sporting situations.

8. It teaches us the value of physical fitness and how to become physically fit.

9. It teaches us the value of physical fitness and how to become physically fit.

10. It is important for aesthetic reasons as by participation in physical fitness programmes like gymnastics and dance, beauty and grace in cultivated in the movement.

11. It is also important for catharsis reasons with mean releasing of energy, emotion, tension or frustration and some people let off their extra steam by participating in various games and sports which are part of physical education. This way physical education helps in checking juvenile delinquency.