What is Broken Heart Syndrome?

There is hope for people suffer from "Broken Heart Syndrome", a condition first described by Japanese researchers in the early 1990s

Patients with this condition, called Takotsubo cardiomyopathy,transient apical ballooning or stress cardiomyopathy, are often misdiagnosed as having a masive heart attack.

In fact, what they have suffered from is a surge in adrenalin(epinephrine) and other stress hormones tha have temporaily stunned the heart.

This could be brought on by distressing news, such as the unexpected death of a loved one.

According to Reuters report, Dr Richard REgnante from Warren Alert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, and his colleagues, said that it appears that the syndrome is temporary and completely reversible.

The symptoms typically mimic a heart attack and tend to soon after an intense physical or emotional event. However, the long term outlook is excellent and nearly all patients experience a full recovery of heart condition.

The researchers created a registry of 70 patients with the syndrome who were diagnosed between July 2004 and April last year.

2/3 of them nearly all post menopausal women had experienced a very stressful physical or emotional event just before arriving at the hospital with heart attack like symptoms, including chest pain and shortness of breath.

Although 20 per cent of these patients were critically ill and required emergency treatment to keep them alive, all patients survived the first 48hours and experienced a full and complete recovery.

"It can be difficult for cardiologists and ER physicians to diagnose and manage patients with broken heart syndrome," Dr Regnante said.

"However, these data will help us beter understand the disease process and could play a major role in developing and tailoring more effective short and long term treatment strategies."

Source : The Straits Times

Lose Weight and Burn Belly Fat Fast

Getting rid of belly fat isn't something that can be done just by doing crunches. You must work hard in several areas in order to burn off the fat and keep it off.

Getting rid of belly fat, or any fat from the body, takes a combination of several things. Proper nutrition, coupled with strength training focused on building muscles will remove excess body fat.

Dropping that belly fat doesn't have to be a struggle, as long as you follow a healthy diet plan and exercise program. By decreasing overall calorie intake, consuming foods that can help with weight loss, performing cardiovascular exercises, and toning and sculpting muscles through strength training, transforming stubborn belly fat into a sexy and toned stomach can be easily achieved.

Weight loss doesn't have to be complicated. Basically it is the calories you put in minus the calories you burn equals your net calorie gain or loss every day. Weight training should be a component of any fat loss program. Weight Loss Motivation is the key element that will get you through the tough times - holidays, binges, plateaus, or almost anything that sidetracks you.

Eat lots of protein . It’s the stuff that gets turned into muscle, organs, skin and bones. Eat as much non processed stuff as you can.

Try introducing tea into your daily diet. Eat a diet rich in vegetables and fruits. These dual diet tips will take your workouts from solo to steamy in no time.

Exercise is important of course but doing a bunch of crunches every day isn’t going to solve the problem alone. It’s hard and many people simply give up.

Exercise slowly and take little baby steps.

If you have not exercised in a while, start and then slowly build up until you're ready for more exercise. Exercise at least 40 minutes per day for 2 to 3 days per week (you must break a sweat).

Leg lifts are excellent workouts for getting rid of lower-belly fat.

Lying flat on your back, legs outstretched, slowly lift them half way then hold a moment and slowly lower them back to the floor.

Also, drinking 6-8 glasses of water per day will help keep hunger to a minimum.

Before going out to eat, fill up on a snack such as a salad with fat free or low cal dressing or a broth based vegetable soup.

Drink plenty of water, and go for more FILLING, low-calorie foods while at the restaurant. Base your food decisions on quality, versus quantity.

Drinking too much beer also causes bloating and may even be more damage causing once drinking beer is accompanied by sweet and sugary liquids like soda or even mixed drinks.

Basically just watch your calorie in take, prepare for eat right and do some basic and simple exercises 2 to 3 times a week.

Learn more about losing weight and melting away your belly fat at our Squidoo lens http://www.squidoo.com/burning-belly-fat-tips and see how easy it can be to drop those pounds faster than your thought

Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise

In my previous post, we had more or less understand what is Pelvic Floor Muscle. Similar to other muscle, you will need to perform some form of Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise, in order to strengthen it.

Here are a few tips for Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercise :

1. Lie on your back. Contract your pelvic floor muscles for 3 seconds,then relax the muscles for 3 seconds.Repeat 10-15 times.Do this several times a day. It can also be done while doing other activities,like sitting or standing.

2. Lie on your back with the bottoms of your feet together and your knees dropped to one side. Hold for at least five minutes.Repeat on other side.This will help relax the groin and pelvic floor muscles together, as they often work in conjunction.If the stretch feels too intense, place a small pillow under the knee.

3. Practise deep breathing with the feeeling of letting the pelvic floor muscles "drop away" from the body. Spend at least 5 minutes breathing this way during the day,especially when feeling stressed or tense.

The Neglected Muscles - Pelvic Floor Muscles

You may have bulging biceps, chiselled calves and sexy six pack abs, but there is probably one group of muscles that you have neglected to work out.

Hands up for those who have not trained their pelvic floor muscles. Both hands up if you have no idea what they are.

You are not alone

Located deep within the body's core and stretched across the pelvis like a hammock, the pelvic floor muscles are a crucial, and yet often overlooked.

How exactly does it feel when you are working it? Well, when urinating and do this once only - stop midstream. That was you contracting your pelvic floor.

The muscles are key for many things, like supporting organs surrounding the pelvis, preventing incontinence and maintaining normal sexual function.They also stabilise the back and support the actions of the spine and legs,allowing you to walk jump and run.

For most people having back pain, there are high chances that you are having weal pelvic floor and 90% of people with lower back pain, cannot control their pelvic floor.

A common misconception is that only pregnant women or those who suffer from incontinence should care about the pelvic floor. It is viatl for athletes too - both male and female.

This is because, the core muscles transfer power from large to small muscle groups, and are a major stabilising axis in the trunk. If the core muscles are weak, one will tend to over compensate with other muscles, and that can lead to injury.

Exercises to train the pelvic floor are simple. But under training and over training it could result in problems. It is best to see a physiotherapist, possibly also with the use of an ultrasound machine, to learn the proper technique.

Source : The Straits Times 25th Apr 2009

Avoid Commont Fitness Pitfalls - By Lynn Bode

Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for each individual.

Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for a free sample workout and to sign-up for their monthly fitness newsletter. Fitness professionals take your business online, visit: http://www.trainerforce.com

Here's an article from her :

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While exercising isn’t complicated, it’s very easy to make mistakes. Often times the mistakes are made because of lack of proper technique training or simply due to rushing to get the workout completed. Regardless of the reason for the mistakes, they can lead to injuries or at the very least be counter-productive to your fitness goals.

Of course it’s important to know specifically what to do to be successful at meeting your health and fitness goals but it is also crucial to understand what not to do. So take note of the following common mistakes and how to avoid them. These tips will help ensure your workout time is effective and help prevent injuries.

Too Much, Too Soon
Many new exercisers try to lose weight or tone up too quickly, by exercising too frequently or trying exercise programs that are too difficult for their fitness level. Be sure to start with an exercise plan that takes your current fitness regimen (or lack of) into account.

Pie In The Sky Goals
Despite what many advertisers would like you to believe, it’s unrealistic to think you can lose 30 pounds in 30 days or that you can have Hollywood abs simply by doing 10 minutes of crunches a day. It’s good to set goals but be sure they aren’t too aggressive and realize it’s okay to periodically re-define them.

Ignoring Expert Advice
It’s always advisable to consult your physician before starting an exercise program. Working with a fitness professional is also a good idea so you can learn proper technique, the latest fitness information and learn how to avoid injuries.

Over-Exercising
If you start to feel overwhelmed, neglect important daily activities in order to workout or repeatedly get injured, then it might be due to exercising too frequently. Realize the importance of balance and that more is not always better. Consider reducing the frequency of your workouts or the intensity of some of them and periodically resting for a few days or a week.

Improper Breathing
Sure, breathing is an involuntary bodily function; something that most individuals tend to ignore. But, breathing correctly during fitness sessions is very important. Incorrect breathing can lead to lack of oxygen and even faintness. When working out ensure that you don’t breathe too shallowly and try to breathe through the nose and out the mouth.

Selecting The Wrong Size
Choosing the proper weight size when strength training is trickier then it sounds. Lifting weights that are too heavy for you can lead to improper form and ultimately to injuries. Use weights that are too light and the exercise session can be ineffective. If possible consult a fitness trainer to determine the correct amount of weight for your size, strength and goals. A trainer can also help you develop a plan for safely progressing forward on weight sizes.

Not Staying Hydrated
Drinking enough water on a daily basis is important. When you exercise you need to consume even more water. You should drink 16 ounces for every hour of exercise you complete. Plus you should try to consume 1-2 cups of water about 30 minutes before you begin working out.

Eating Too Little
No, that’s not a typo. Not eating enough can be as detrimental as eating too much. When the body is not fed consistently, it goes into a starvation mode. Five to six smaller meals evenly spaced throughout the day helps keep the metabolism running smoothly. Just be sure to control portion size.

Hanging Out Instead Of Working Out
Just showing up at the gym is not going to help you get more fit. Socializing while leaning on a weight machine won’t build muscles. It’s important to enjoy your exercise time but make sure that the focus remains on physical activity.

Fixating On The Scale
If you think the scale doesn’t lie, consider this. Many professional athletes would be considered obese based on their weight alone. Look at the bigger and more relevant picture. Monitor your body fat percentage, if possible. Otherwise track measurements. Also don’t underestimate the importance of improved physical and mental well-being.

Myths About Sweating

Its been a long time since I updated my blog. I will try to update more often from now on as I had completed my course of study.

First thing for today, is about Sweating. There are some myths about sweating which most of us still believe in. Hence, at here I will try to list out a few and hope to correct the wrong peception of sweating.

Myth 1 : No Sweat, No Workout
Most of us tend to thinks that it is a must to sweat as much as possible when working out. If one do not sweat during work out, that means we are not getting any benefit from it. This perception is totally wrong.

We must first need to understand that sweating is just a cooling mechanism for our body. When we sweat, it means that we are really hot and our body needs some way to cool down the temperature. Some of us will be able to tolerate a higher temperature than others, hence may sweat less during the workout, but this does not mean that those who sweat less are not working as hard as those who sweat more.

Myth 2 : The More I Sweat, The More Weight I Lose
When we exercise, our body temperature rises and result in sweating. As mentioned earlier on, sweating is a way for the body to cool down. Hence, sweating has no relationship with weight loss. It was the fat content in our body that gives us the weight that we do not want. The weight that lose from sweating is just weight of the water. You will regain that weight when you start to drink after your workout. The only way to lose weight is to reduce the the fat content or to burn the calories in a correct manner.

Myth 3 : Sweating Helps to Get Rids of Body Toxins
First thing you must know when performing detoxification for your body is that, sweat itself contains not toxins. Toxins can only be removed by our healthy kidney and liver. Our kidney and liver helps to counter off all we do to ill treat our body, such as less exercise, unhealthy eating habits and lifestyle. When we sweat, we are not detoxified, we are in fact, overheated.

Finally, a piece of advise to all, the best way to reduce weight is to perform more or mix of cardio exercise such as running,cycling,swimming plus a balance diet. Excessive sweating is not a way to go for weight lose. Excessive sweating will cause a body to dehydrate and a dehydrated body will be more prone to heat exhaustion and stroke.