What to avoid eating when feeling stressed
By Jake Berlin

Everyone knows that to live a long healthy life we need to eat well and exercise. Unfortunately not everyone follows these principals and ends up having many health problems as a result.

If you want to start reducing your stress levels today, then you should know that a well balanced diet is critical in preserving your health and helping to reduce your stress.

Surprisingly, certain foods and drinks have the ability to act as powerful stimulants to the body and can be a direct cause of stress. The first step to eliminating this stress is discovering which of these foods and beverages may potentially cause you to go into stress overload!

Warning: although the stimulation that the following foods provides may be quite pleasurable in the short term, in most cases they can end up being quite harmful in the long run. So please brace yourself, you may be in for a shock!

One of the biggest and worst stressful-food offenders is caffeine.

Caffeine is most commonly found in beverages like coffee, tea, Coke, etc. Even certain types of chocolate or sweets may contain caffeine. Caffeine causes the release of adrenaline in your body which increase your stress levels considerably.

Although when taken in moderation, coffee can increase your alertness, and help keep you awake, too much caffeine can also affect your muscles, nervous system and heart.

An over-consumption or caffeine can lead to unwanted long term stress. It is also important to note that caffeine intake has a direct connection with high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels and could potentially cause many serious health problems.

But the worst thing about caffeine is that it can be highly addictive.

Trying to stop drinking coffee can be one of the hardest and most challenging tasks you can undertake so you might want to take it easy when trying to reduce your coffee or caffeine consumption. If you try to quit cold-turkey you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches and irritability.

It is highly recommended that you slowly cut back on your caffeine intake over time until it becomes easy to eliminate it from your life. It should not be a struggle or a process that brings even more stress into your life.

Here’s a quick habit-busting tip: If you’re currently addicted to coffee – like most people – try drinking drink black tea instead of regular coffee; it has less than a third of the caffeine of coffee, and none of the harmful oils. It’s an easier way to cut down on your caffeine consumption than just quitting coffee cold turkey.

The next stress-offender you’re going to want to minimize is alcohol.

Alcohol has many adverse effects on the body. It can impair your judgment and even cause kidney or liver failure.

Now although when alcohol is consumed in moderation it may benefit your cardiovascular system for a short period of time, the negative long-term effects far outweigh the positive short-term effects.

In most cases, alcohol is used by many of us to help relieve stress, when in actuality it puts more stress on our bodies. Alcohol users experience problems such as nervous tension, irritability and insomnia caused by the secretion of adrenaline from alcohol intake. Alcohol can also increase the amount of fat deposits in the heart and decrease the immune function when taken in excess.

Our liver is a major part of our elimination system and alcohol limits the ability of the liver to remove toxins from the body causing many severe problems over time. When we are stressed our bodies produce several toxins in the form of hormones which require filtering through the liver.

When alcohol impairs the liver’s ability to function these toxins do not get filtered and continue to circulate through the body resulting in serious often chronic health issues.

Smoking is One of The Worst Stress-Relievers.

Surprisingly, most smokers use smoking as a way to cope with stress. For most of them it actually seems to do the job in the short term, even though most smokers know that smoking is one of the worst habits you can pick up.

Smoking cigarettes is proven to be responsible for multiple forms of cancer, hypertension, respiratory illness and heart disease.

After smoking for a while your breathing becomes restricted and forces the lungs to work harder to deliver oxygen to the rest of your body. When your vital organs are forced to work more than they are used to it adds unnecessary stress to your life.
If you are a smoker who smokes to relieve stress, you may want to think twice before lighting that next cigarette.

The Sweetest Stress-Offender — Sugar.

Although it’s found in the majority of the foods we eat, sugar has no essential nutrients. All sugar really does for us you provide you with a temporary boost of energy.

When you’re on a “sugar high” your adrenal glands end up working over-time and wear out quickly.

If you don’t mind being irritable, dealing with a lack of concentration or enjoy being depressed, then sugar is the way to go. But if you’d prefer to stay happy, keep your focus and enjoy your life, then you’ll want to do whatever you can to avoid putting sugar into your body.

Many forms of diabetes can also be avoided if you manage to keep your sugar intake low. Too much sugar a severe load on the pancreas and adds a great load of stress to the body. The best way to deal with stress in regards to sugar is to try and keep your blood sugar levels constant, and don’t look to sugar when you need a boost. An apple or a banana will do just fine.

Why Salt May NOT be Your Best Friend.

First of all, salt increases your blood pressure, depletes your adrenal glands, and in many cases causes emotional instability.

If you have the option, try using a salt substitute that contains potassium rather than sodium. Many of today’s junk foods also contain too much salt and should be avoided. Here are a few of the salty foods that you should try to avoid or least eat less of: bacon, ham, pickles and sausage are just a few.

Remember, nutrition is a huge part of health living. IF you really want to live well, then eating right is key… especially since now you know what not to eat when you’re stressed out.

About the author:

Jake Berlin is the creator of "The Killer Ab Workout System" — a simple system designed to help anyone develop a stunning set of abs and flatten their stomach in record time.

To learn more about "The Killer Ab Workout System," visit: www.Killer-Ab-Workout

The Killer Ab Workout System" — is a simple 3 step system that shows you exactly what you need to do develop, stronger, flatter abs fast. This system can be used from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere in the world.

Why Cant I Lose Weight?
By Ray Burton

I’m sorry if I step on toes with this one, but in this politically correct world where the truth is hard to come by its easy to get opinions that make you feel good about yourself. While I do want you to like who you are, I will not say what people want to hear if it’s not the truth. I’ll say what you don’t want to hear. So if you have been working out for a few months and don’t like what you see, there is a problem with what you are doing. Here are some of the things it could be.

Why Cant I Lose Weight?

1. You don’t eat 5-6 times a day. I hear it all the time, "I cant eat that much or I will get fat". Well, you’re already fat so why don’t you try to lose weight my way? Eat 5-6 times a day to get the nutrients you need to build muscle and speed up your metabolic rate. You’re not going to make it through result producing workouts on two Twinkies and some fruit roll ups.

2. You’re eating too many carbs in the evening. You should taper off your carbs towards the end of the day. Use these energy gems to fuel your workouts and get your day started. There is no need to eat lots of carbs if you’re just going to bed. They will be stored as fat.

3. You chump out on your cardio. Don’t think that just getting on the treadmill will do it. You need to sweat and you need to breath hard. If you do 30 minutes of cardio and your shirt isn’t wet, you have been fooling yourself. Get your heart rate to at least 60% with the goal of 70% for some real results.

4. You don’t drink a gallon of water a day. Lack of water decreases performance and reduces protein synthesis. Not to mention the multitude of other systems that need water to work at peak efficiency.

5. You think you can get away with eating junk. You cant. Have a cheat day, don’t have a cheat week. You are not a special genetic phenomenon. What makes others fat will do the same to you in time.

6. Your workouts are pathetic. I see 80% of the gym just going through the motions. I also see 80% of the gym that never get any results. Work hard, it has to burn and pump. Don’t back off when you feel tired, push through. You will only get out what you put in. That’s not just a tired saying, it’s so true. Exceed your bests, push for new heights. The reward is there if you can put in the effort.

7. You are sporadic. You go some days and some days you don’t. Sometimes you follow your diet, but not always. You like certain body parts and you only work hard on those. Do or do not. Half hearted efforts will bring half assed gains.

8. You pick the easy exercises. You like cable curls but have never done a squat in your life. The seated row machine is comfy so you never do dead lifts. Harder is better. There are no short cuts.

9. You lie to yourself. This is the real reason. I hate the words "I must have a thyroid problem" and "I don’t have the genetics, or I could be skinny too". Knock it off!! If you have a problem then go to the doctor and get it fixed. If you don’t then you’re just making excuses. Claim responsibility for your own lack of effort.

The other is mock ignorance. People know what works. People know when they should or shouldn’t be doing something. If you really don’t, ask me, Ray@buildingbodies.ca, that’s what I do. Don’t however waist my time by not following the advise you asked for. There are enough books and mags out there that no one should be in the dark on the basics of working out. You know where you are slacking and until you fix that area, don’t expect anything to change. If you keep doing what your doing now, you will always look the way you do.

10. You still use the words "if only". Lots of great things could have been accomplished in people’s lives "if only".

Find out what’s wrong with your wieght loss program and change it. Change it now. Time waits for no man and there is no time like the present. When you finally really get fed up with your current state and stop fooling yourself, you will get the body you want. If you need some help with this, check out my book Fat To Fit.

Important note: Sometimes people are sick and don’t even know it. I had one client that despite some areas in motivation and diet that did need attention he still didn’t make the forward progress he should have. Upon closer inspection (because this was really bugging me!) his doctor found out he was borderline diabetic. So once we had explained away the poor energy levels and why he especially couldn’t get away with the late night cheat meals. Things are back are now on back with the weight loss. So if you feel something is wrong even though your pre-workout checkup came up clean, keep asking until you find an answer.

Ray Burton
ISSA CPT
Calgary Personal Trainer

I hope this helps you out and if you would like to use the program that I designed that takes care of all these factors for you, please visit http://www.fattofitprogram.com Its only $29.95 and you get exercise descriptions, your diet, exercise program and a ton more. It’s the complete package if you want to lose weight fast the healthy and correct way.

Review of Turbulence Training: The Program that Promises Maximum fat loss in Minimum workout Time

Turbulence Training promises fast fat loss results for men and women who don’t have a lot of time for exercise. This is a bold promise, and the workouts promise maximum results in only three workouts per week.

Let’s take a look at this claim, and see if it really measures up!

Before we get to the program, let’s take a look at the expert behind the workouts. I’ve come across Craig Ballantyne’s name many times in popular fitness magazines such as Men’s Health and Men’s Fitness, and even in Oxygen and Shape magazines. So the program is clearly put together by a trusted fitness expert.

I’ve also talked to Craig about his training and education background, and I’ll be honest, it was impressive, unlike the trainers with weekend certifications that pop up at large commercial gyms. Craig’s experience goes back to the mid-nineties, in both the gym and in the research lab. He’s actually led research trials on sport supplements, strength training, and cardiovascular training.

Plus, Craig has been a strength coach and has worked with hundreds of clients in thousands of training sessions. This is a unique, and thorough background, so its not surprising he’s come up with a new training system for fat loss.

In fact, Craig’s articles are always pretty hard on traditional aerobic cardio workouts. So if you’re looking for new ways to spend 30 or 60-minutes doing cardio, then this program is not for you. But if you only have 45 minutes to workout, a couple of times per week, and you have access to only a bench, dumbells, and an exercise ball, then you’ll like what Craig has for you here.

Now one of the biggest questions about the program is simply, "What is Turbulence Training?" Well according to Craig, its the combination of resistance training and interval training used to boost your metabolism so that your body burns calories and fat between workouts. He says, "Cardio doesn’t boost your metabolism after exercise. Only strength training and interval training do that - while you work, sleep, and eat - your body will be shedding fat."

Fortunately, Craig’s unique system of bodyweight exercises, dumbell exercises, and interval training can all be done at home, with minimal equipment (if you are really strong, it might help to have a chinup bar). So again, if you are one of those people who loves machines, or cardio equipment, or marathon workouts, then this program is not for you.

Frankly, I’ve used the program myself and recommended to many others. Why? Because no one has time for long workouts! That’s why. After an eight or ten hour workday, a round-trip commute of 90 minutes, and spending time with my family, I just don’t have time to do another 90 minute workout every day of the week.

In fact, I either get up early and do the workout before work, or I do it just before bed. This workout is perfect for busy men and women. But its not the type of routine that is going to turn anyone into a pro bodybuilder. If you want maximum muscle and want to bulk up, try another one of Craig’s programs. But the Turbulence Training system is best for burning fat without sacrificing muscle - so you end up lean, defined, chiseled and toned.

And its fun! So many workouts are boring (i.e. long cardio) or repetitive (i.e. doing the same bodybuilding workout over and over again). But Turbulence Training uses a lot of unique (but not fluffy) exercises, including some cool, killer bodyweight moves that will make you more athletic and increase your functional and core strength - again, all with minimal equipment needs.

But, I am even able to recommend this program to friends who are just starting out, because Craig has put together a 6-week introductory program, and a 4-week intermediate program in addition to the 16-week advanced training phase (PLUS, the Turbulence Training program comes with a massive amount of bonus workouts for muscle building, bodyweight only, advanced fat loss, and even a female specific bonus).

But each workout progresses into the next. He’s used all of these workouts with hundreds of clients - so they are safe and effective. Sure, you can get other programs that leave you smashed and puking after the first workout, but Turbulence Training is not like that. Soreness doesn’t matter, only results matter! And you are in expert hands with Turbulence Training, and Men’s Health expert, Craig Ballantyne.

Craig’s Turbulence Training also contains a contract — basically, your pledge to being committed to the program. It also includes an ebook on Nutrition Guidelines from expert, Dr. Chris Mohr, Ph.D., and an extensive Q&A section, a 21-Healthy Habit Building Plan, plus the complete Turbulence Training workouts for beginner, intermediate and advanced level individuals.

All users will benefit from the Turbulence Training MP3 audio where Craig goes over the program, plus you can find every single exercise explained in detail, complete with photos.

Okay, so bottom line. Turbulence Training is NOT….

• Long, slow cardio workouts
• A machine-based exercise circuit
• A bodybuilding program to gain bulk
• A workout with lots of time-wasting isolation exercises
• A restrictive eating plan

Turbulence Training provides NONE of the above. On the other hand, Turbulence Training is perfect for busy men and women who want to burn fat in the comfort of their own homes without spending a lot of money on equipment or space on exercise machines. Oh, and you’ll actually have fun and you won’t "dread" these workouts - heck, they will be over before you know it!

If you’re in the slightest bit curious, I recommend you look closely at Craig’s program. I was very impressed with all of the Turbulence Training workouts, the bonuses, the guarantee, and Craig’s expertise. For the money, it’s the best deal in the fitness and fat loss industry - so much better than diet pills! And remember…

Craig Ballantyne’s Turbulence Training is backed by a 8-week money back guarantee. And this is a real guarantee… if you are not completely satisfied, you will receive your money back, no "ifs," "ands," or "buts." So you really have nothing to lose.

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com

What are the Best Abdominal workouts for Reducing your Stomach Flab?
By Mike Geary
www.truthaboutabs.com

As a fitness professional, I often get asked what the best types of exercises and workouts are for losing stubborn stomach fat in order to bring out visible six pack abs. The problem is that most people with excess stomach fat looking to try to uncover their abs are searching for some "miracle abdominal workout" that is going to slash the fat off their abs in no time.

The thing is… they are going about the problem entirely the wrong way! The truth is that you don’t lose stomach fat by doing ab workouts. So the answer to the age-old question of "What is the best ab workout for fat loss?" is…

Not an ab workout at all!

The problem is that focusing most of your efforts on abs exercises and ab workouts to try to flatten your belly and bring out 6-pack abs is simply wasting your time from doing the REAL workout techniques that will acutally reduce your body fat for good.

If I were to choose an answer as to what the best exercises are for losing belly fat, my answers would include full body exercises like various forms of squats, lunges, deadlifts, clean & presses, snatches, swings, presses and pulls, mountain climbers, sprinting, etc. These types of exercises would encompass a much higher percentage of the workouts I would design instead of abs exercises directly targeting the midsection. The way you combine those full body exercises into a strategic workout that maximizes your metabolism is also very important.

Don’t get me wrong… I do recommend a certain amount of exercises that directly target the abdominals and core area, but this is only a small fraction of the programs I design for my clients as your time is better spent focusing on the full body exercises that stimulate the greatest hormonal and metabolic changes within the body. In addition, a side-effect of training using mostly full body multi-joint combo exercises are that you indirectly work your entire core area even though you are not specifically trying to target the abs.

Keep in mind that the most important aspect of losing body fat to see your abs is actually in the nutrition arena. No matter how hard you workout, if your diet is full of junk, then your abs will be covered with fat. Nutrition is simply the "king of getting six pack abs".

So lets clear this up for good…

Stop wasting so much of your time focusing on crunches, situps, leg lifts, and all those silly worthless "ab gadgets" in your efforts to try to develop flat six pack abs. Instead focus on high intensity combinations of full body lifts using combination multi-joint exercises all strategically combined into highly effective workouts. Couple that with a clean diet full of unprocessed natural whole foods as close to their natural state as possible, and those elusive 6-pack abs will be in your future in no time!

For more info on Mike’s Truth about Six Pack Abs Program, be sure to check out:

>> http://truthaboutabs.atozfitness.com

Michael Geary is a nationally Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist, and author of the internationally-popular "The Truth about Six Pack Abs" ©2004-2007. In addition, Michael is the owner of TruthAboutAbs.com & BusyManFitness.com, and publishes a fitness newsletter, Lean-Body Fitness Secrets e-Zine, that is enjoyed by 10’s of thousands of subscribers in over 100 countries around the world.

Abdominal Myths Your Should Know
By David Grisaffi,
Author, Firm And Flatten Your Abs
www.FlattenYourAbs.net

Developing a great set of six-pack abs is really quite simple once you understand my unique Firm and Flatten Your Abs system, which includes two important components:

1. A workout program consisting of carefully selected, biomechanically correct abdominal exercises, and

2. A nutrition program that optimizes fat loss and maintenance or growth of lean muscle tissue.

As simple as this sounds, I’ll be the first to admit that ab training can be an extremely confusing subject at first because there is so much conflicting information on the subject.

Opinions Are Just That! Opinions

Countless opinions, rumors, and theories about ab training are continually being circulated by an endless parade of "experts" including doctors, personal trainers, infomercial gurus, and even friends, teachers, and parents. Some information is valid, but most of it isn’t. It’s hard to sort through it all, let alone know what to believe. Abdominal mythology abounds, and some myths never seem to die.

That’s exactly why I wrote the e book Firm and Flatten Your Abs: To help you cut through the myths and lies and lead you straight to the truth that will help you develop the type of body that you’ll be proud to show off the next time you hit the beach.

Before we discuss the anatomy and physiology of the abdominal muscles or the actual training routines, the first thing to do is clear your mind of the myths, lies, and misconceptions that have been polluting your brain as a result of gym folklore, false
advertising, and bad advice from self-proclaimed experts.

More bad information is published and told about ab training than any other health and fitness subject, and I’ve boiled it down to 14 myths that are particularly damaging and pervasive. I will explain 3 of them in this article.

Let’s put them to rest permanently, shall we?

MYTH #1: If you train abs every day, you’re guaranteed a six-pack. One of the most common abdominal myths is that training your abdominals every day is the best way to get a small waistline and develop the six-pack look in your stomach. This misconception was probably funneled through the bodybuilding world, because so many bodybuilders train their abs daily prior to competitions. Despite the fact that bodybuilders appear on stage with incredibly ripped abs, their abs come from their diet, not just their daily ab
workouts.

Daily training is not only a waste of time, it’s an approach that won’t work for the average person who doesn’t use performance-enhancing substances or have a naturally high recovery capacity.

There are two reasons that daily abdominal training is unnecessary and does not guarantee you a six-pack.

First, the muscle tissue of your abs is virtually the same as the muscle tissue in the rest of your body. Abdominal muscles cannot become stronger and more developed without time to rest and recover after each workout, just like any other muscle group such as your biceps or chest. You wouldn’t do 100 barbell curls every day to "see your biceps" or 100 bench presses every day to "see your pecs," so why do the same for your abs?

Second, even if you could achieve excellent muscular development in the abs with daily training, you won’t be able to see your abs if they’re covered with a layer of fat. Daily abdominal training does not burn the fat off your midsection! Fat is lost by creating a
calorie deficit through your diet. Build the muscle tissue with exercise; burn the fat with diet.

During the initial phase of the Firm and Flatten Your Abs program (Level 1), I recommend that you perform exercises daily for the first two to three weeks. However, these Level 1 exercises are very basic movements using only your body weight, and they are designed to prepare, strengthen, and neurologically program your body for the more advanced exercises to follow.

For the long term, you can get fantastic results training your abs every other day (about four days a week), and once they’re developed, you can maintain your abs with even less frequent training.

MYTH #2: You can eat pizza and hamburgers and still maintain a six-pack as long as you work out right after you eat them. The truth is that developing your abs is achieved through exercise, but seeing your abs is more a function your diet than any other factor. You could have a great set of abs completely covered with fat. The secret to uncovering the abdominal muscles is nutrition.

Theoretically, you could lose the fat covering your abs while eating whatever you wanted, as long as you still had a caloric deficit. However, eating calorie-dense junk food makes it much harder to maintain the caloric deficit you need to burn body fat. Furthermore, eating fast food and other nutritionally-void junk as regular daily staples in your diet will eventually exact a serious toll on your health.

You simply cannot expect exercise to cancel out poor eating habits. It takes proper exercise and nutrition to get optimal results. Go into your local fast food restaurant and look around. How many people do you see that have an envious abdominal region? Chances are, you won’t see any!

MYTH #3: Sit-ups develop the abdominal muscles best. It’s ironic, but the sit-up, which is the most popular exercise in the world for the abdominals, might be the absolute worst exercise and could even be dangerous for some people under some circumstances.

What most people don’t realize is that the sit-up is not a true abdominal exercise. During a sit-up, your main trunk flexor, the iliopsoas muscle, often does the majority of the work while the abs are not optimally recruited.

Because the iliopsoas muscle originates on the lower back, the sit-up literally pulls on the lower back with every repetition, especially if your feet are held down or anchored, or the repetitions are performed quickly in a jerky fashion. This is why too many sit-ups can lead to a strength imbalance between the iliopsoas and abdominals, as well as poor posture and lower back pain.

Some people who have very strong abs and lower backs may be able to perform conventional sit-ups more safely than others. There are also some safer and more effective ways to perform sit-ups. One is the Janda sit-up. This exercise uses the law of reciprocal inhibition, which means that if one muscle is working, its antagonist (the opposing muscle) must relax.

During a Janda sit-up, instead of holding your feet down, your partner reaches around and holds your calves. As you sit up, you contract your hamstrings and glutes by pulling your calves back against your partner’s hands. (You can also press your lower legs
back against small dumbbells or a heavy weighted barbell.) When the hamstrings and glutes contract, this shuts off the iliopsoas, making your abs do more of the work.

If I prescribe sit-ups, I simply have my clients do Janda sit-ups. However, Janda sit-ups can be difficult to perform on your own and because of the injury potential from sit-ups in general, and since there are so many other more effective exercises, I have left sit-ups out of this course completely.

It’s incredible, but true: You can develop amazing abs without ever
doing a single sit-up!

Coach David Grisaffi,
Tacoma Washington

P.S.If you enjoyed this workout, then you will love the workout programs in my Firm And Flatten Your Abs E-book. You can get more information on the home page at:
http://flattenyourabs.net

About the Author:

David Grisaffi majored in physical education and holds multiple certifications including 3 from the prestigious CHEK Institute: Level II high Performance Exercise Kinesiologist, Golf Biomechanic, and health and lifestyle counselor. He’s also certified by the ISSA as a personal trainer and specialist in performance nutrition. David has been a high school wrestling and baseball coach and is currently an independent trainer and strength coach. He has been sought after by some of the top athletes in professional sports including world champion boxer Greg Haugen and professional golfer Michael Putnam. David’s ebook, Firm And Flatten Your Abs is an online best seller which teaches you how develop “six pack abs" while improving strength, function and athletic power at the same time. Find out more on the home page at: www.FlattenYourAbs.net

How to instantly increase your energy levels with this simple secret
By Jake Berlin

If you’ve ever wanted to boost your energy and you’re not quite sure, how to do so without coffee, then you need to try this.

Recipe for my fruit smoothie.

Although you’ve probably heard time and time again that you should stretch before doing any kind of physical exercise, do you know the reasons why stretching is important?

Well after this quick lesson, you’ll find out why an you’ll also learn how to get the most benefit out of your stretching sessions every time.

Stretching before and after any physical activity can help prevent injury, increase range of motion and it also allows your muscles to warm up and cool down faster.

The more more time you spend stretching, the more flexible your muscles and connective tissues will become.

And if your muscles and connective tissues are flexible, you’re less likely to develop painful chronic symptoms such as arthritis. Plus by increasing your flexibility, you’re also increasing your ability to move your bones and joints, reducing your risk of injury.

Be Warned: If you do any type of physical activity at the moment and neglect to stretch, your risk of injury grows with age!

Little do most of us know, but it’s not actually the muscles that are doing the stretching, it’s actually the connective tissues that hold you muscles in place that are getting lengthened.

This connective tissue needs to be stretched slowly and in a controlled movement, or it could easily get injured if the proper precautions aren’t taken.

This connective tissue kind of acts like cellophane wrap in a way. If you grab a piece of cellophane and you slowly pull on it, you’ll notice it slowly begin to lengthen… but if you pull on it to fast, it tears, resulting in cellophane wrap that is no longer usable.

Stretching your muscles using quick, jerky movements can lead to serious injury and can cause you to have a restricted use of that muscles until it’s fully healed… which could be weeks, months or even years after the incident!

So to prevent this from happening, follow some of the following simple guidelines:

When Stretching, you should always use slow, deliberate movements and hold the active stretching positions for a minimum of 30 seconds at a time if you want to get any real benefit from doing it. Your tissues only begin to relax and loosen after 12 seconds in the same position and only get any really benefits if you hold the stretch for more than that time.

The optimal amount of time to hold your stretches is between 30 and 60 seconds at a time, and it’s recommended to stretch the same areas up to four times per session.

So pick your stretch, slowly get into position with a controlled movement, hold that position for between 30-60 seconds, slowly release the pose, and repeat the stretch another 2 or 3 times to get the maximum benefit from your stretching session.

The best times to stretch are first thing in the morning after getting out of bed to give your morning a kick-start, right before bed to enjoy a more relaxed and restful sleep, after coming home from stressful day of work to relieve tension, and of course, before and after any physical activity to help reduce the risk of injury and avoid muscle soreness.

But if stretching isn’t already a part of your daily routine, do whatever you can to find a way to fit it in somehow.

Over the long run, you’ll notice that stiffness from sitting at a computer all day, or from muscle soreness exercise will be reduced and your ability to move around in your body will be greatly increased over time.

If you make stretching a part of your daily habits you’ll reduce the risk of any type of injury, your muscles will respond better and you may be able to avoid or even eliminate arthritis all together!

About the author:

Jake Berlin is the creator of "The Killer Ab Workout System" — a simple system designed to help anyone develop a stunning set of abs and flatten their stomach in record time.

To learn more about "The Killer Ab Workout System," visit: www.Killer-Ab-Workout

The Killer Ab Workout System" — is a simple 3 step system that shows you exactly what you need to do develop, stronger, flatter abs fast. This system can be used from the comfort of your own home, or anywhere in the world.

Hi again,

Sarah and I got our hands on a copy of Ray’s e-book Fat to Fit which goes with the previous article The Practical Way to Lose Fat I sent this morning written by Ray.

I should have put it at the bottom of the article but Sarah just gave me her review, She reads faster then me I’m still digesting it BUT IT IS GOOD !

Below is Sarah’s review of Fat to Fit by Ray Burton.

Btw it is short and sweet and only takes a minute to read .