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November 14, 2009

Home Exercises for Anxiety: 4 Proven Exercises for Reducing the Symptoms of Anxiety

Category: Exercise, Mental Health – Denise Austin Fan 6:11 am
Do you have anxiety or panic attacks? Do you find that although you have anxiety, medication is not for you? Or maybe you are taking medication but want to supplement with some home exercises for anxiety to get even better results?

There are many things you can do at home to relieve your anxiety symptoms, reduce your anxiety or even prevent it. The number one key to treating or eliminating anxiety is relaxation, and the University of Michigan Health Center has released as guide explaining both why you need to learn to relax and how to do it.

The guide talks about the relaxation response; defined as “your personal ability to make your body release chemicals and brain signals that make your muscles and organs slow down and increases blood flow to the brain.” Drugs can to a certain extent help you achieve this, but did you know you have the ability to do it yourself without the help of drugs?

There are several different ways to achieve the relaxation response, but it’s important to understand what it is before we go into the how. When I talk about relaxation as a home exercise for anxiety, I’m not talking about taking a nap or relaxing on the couch. The relaxation we’re aiming for is a state where your body is relaxed while your mind is still alert.

Examples of relaxation techniques that you can use as home exercises for anxiety are meditation, yoga, deep breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and visual imagery. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel your anxiety evaporating immediately as you start practicing your relaxation; all of these are techniques that can be taught, and the more you practice them the better results you’ll get.

So how exactly do these home exercises for anxiety work, and which one’s the most effective? According to the University of Michigan Health Center, there is no indication that any of these techniques are superior to the rest; they all work and you can practice one, some or all of them. It’s up to you to figure out which ones suit you better.

Meditation

There are a lot of different types of meditation that can help you, but practicing mindful meditation seems to be the one that has the best results on anxiety. Mindful meditation is about being completely present in the moment. When you use mindful meditation as a home exercise for anxiety, try to not focus on anything but what is happening right this second. Focus on a word or a phrase like “peace” or “I am very relaxed”, and repeat it to yourself over and over. If you have a hard time using words, you can try counting slowly or focusing on your breath. If you notice that you are “spacing” or that your mind is wondering off, just gently reel yourself back in by focusing on you “mantra” or your breath.

Yoga

Yoga is also about being present in the moment. There are many different styles of yoga, and you can get DVD’s for a guided yoga class in your own home. If you are completely new to yoga, I will recommend that you attend a beginner’s yoga class to learn to do the postures correctly. This will help you get more out of your home exercises for anxiety, and you will learn to avoid injury.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation may sound complicated, but it’s really not. It’s simply put a series of exercises where you tense your muscles before you gradually relax them. The “science” behind this technique is that people with a lot of stress and anxiety in their life tend to have tense muscles even when they are resting. By tensing the muscles one area at a time and then relaxing, your muscles will not only go back to the state they were in before you tensed them, they will be more relaxed.

Visual Imagery

Visual Imagery is all about using your own imagination to distract yourself from your anxiety. If you experience bad anxiety, you may not initially believe that using your imagination can be one of the really effective home exercises for anxiety, but it really can. Visual Imagery is not just about imagining things, it about using certain techniques to activate all you senses while you are visualizing. It can take a little bit of practice to get into the visual Imagery technique, but when you do, you learn to focus all your concentration inward on your imagery and it’s a quick and easy way to beat anxiety and panic.

Deep Breathing

Deep breathing is not the same as a lot of breathing. When people are stressed or anxious they tend to breathe a lot of short shallow breaths. According to the University of Pittsburg Medical Center, shallow and fast breathing into our upper chest creates short restless brainwaves. Deep breaths into the abdomen and not just the chest creates longer, slower brainwaves, similar to the ones we have when we feel relaxed. Practicing deep breathing techniques is an easy and very effective home exercise for anxiety.

November 13, 2009

How To Avoid Buying Home Exercise Equipment You Won’t Use. And Save A Ton Of Money!

Category: Exercise Equipment – Denise Austin Fan 8:35 am
It is estimated that 80% of home exercise equipment is not used after the first year.

So, you’re planning to buy a piece of home exercise equipment… and you have promised yourself that this time you are really going to use it!

Maybe you already have a collection of different exercise devices… but you are convinced that with this new contraption you will definitely reach your fitness goals.

Or you keep saying to yourself… “If I only had that fitness machine I would be motivated to work out”.

Around 80% of home exercise equipment buyers said the same thing… and the equipment they bought is gathering dust in the corner somewhere along with their dreams of muscle tone, more energy, weight control and feeling great.

Don’t part with your hard earned money before you make sure you will be one of the 20% that buys home exercise equipment and actually uses it, because as we all know… you are only going to get the physical benefits from the home exercise equipment you buy if you actually do the exercise.

Who Buys Home Exercise Equipment And Then Doesn’t Use It?

According to Consumer’s Union, it is the beginner, or inexperienced, exercisers that are most likely to purchase home exercise equipment and then not use it.

As a matter of fact… beginner exercisers don’t use 2/3 of the home exercise equipment they buy.

Although buying home exercise equipment seems like the logical first step to improved fitness… it is the beginners that give up using the equipment more than people who already enjoy an active lifestyle.

Let’s see why this happens…

Using Home Exercise Equipment Is An Exercise In Self Control

Most people over estimate their self control.

Even though they exhibit determination and enthusiasm when researching the home exercise equipment to buy, seeking out the best price, purchasing and installing the equipment in their home… most people just don’t have enough self control to use the equipment in the necessary manner to reap the rewards.

Thinking about exercise, talking about exercise, researching exercise and purchasing home exercise equipment is not exercise.

There is no home exercise equipment that will completely transform you and help you reach all your fitness goals without an investment of time and energy.

As a matter of fact… the costs of seeking fitness are immediate, while the benefits are delayed.

Most beginners get frustrated putting in the time and energy necessary to reap the long term physical rewards using the home exercise equipment .

As a result, 2/3 of the home exercise equipment finds its way into garages, closets and basements with the closing comments… “That thing didn’t work.”

Prove Yourself Worthy Before Buying Home Exercise Equipment

Most beginners buy home exercise equipment because they took a good hard look in the mirror and didn’t like what they saw… or they assessed their physical abilities and found them lacking.

Next step… buy a piece of home exercise equipment!

Well, hold on there… not so fast.

As I’m fond of saying… Fitness is a journey, not a destination.

The bodily changes and improvement of physical abilities you seek can only be obtained for the long term by incorporating consistent physical activity into your lifestyle.

Prove yourself worthy of the purchase of home exercise equipment by first adding physical activity to your lifestyle by using the effective, versatile and efficient piece of home exercise equipment that you already have… your own body!

If you are really serious about improving muscle tone and energy levels while controlling weight and feeling great… start by performing a workout program of body weight calisthenics exercises.

Body weight calisthenics exercise is the perfect method to use for the beginner, as well as experienced, fitness enthusiast when starting a physical fitness training program… and should remain part of a well balanced fitness training regime.

As a matter of fact… you should not start using home exercise equipment of any kind until you first have developed the ability to control the movement of your own body.

Once you have effectively added physical activity into your lifestyle… you can buy that piece of home exercise equipment to augment, vary and diversify your physical training with the confidence that you will actually use it.

In conclusion…

Body weight calisthenics exercise is the perfect place to start your physical fitness training program.

Properly done… body weight calisthenics exercise will develop a strong, lean and athletic body that actually performs as good as it looks.

Once physical training has become a habit… buy home exercise equipment to improve your already effective training.

The body and physical abilities you seek are not determined by the equipment you have at your disposal… but rather by your desire to improve and incorporate physical activity into your lifestyle!

Save yourself a lot of time and money by proving to yourself that you are not overestimating your self control… because if you fail to successfully add body weight calisthenics exercise into your lifestyle, you will most likely fail to use the home exercise equipment you buy.

So what are you waiting for?

Use your own body as your gym… and get started on your own personal fitness journey today!

November 12, 2009

You Need Home Exercise More Than You Realize

Category: Exercise, Fitness – Denise Austin Fan 6:01 am
For a healthy body and mind you need to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. You can always join a gym but many people are too pressed for time to go to the gym every day. If this sounds like you then you definitely need to design a home exercise routine that will give you the exercise you need.

If you want to start an exercise program at home you may want to consider home gym exercise equipment to get you on your way to great physical fitness.

When you design a home gym exercise routine for yourself, you must start with considering your present level of physical fitness. If you’re very unfit you want to start with a light routine that slowly works up in intensity as your body adjusts to the exercise regimen.

The next step in finding a suitable home fitness routine is to look at home gym exercises that you will enjoy and that will produce the results that you desire.

You can consider elliptical machines, treadmills, and exercise bikes for the purposes of endurance and cardio workouts and you can look at free weight equipment for building and toning the upper, mid and lower body.

There are many brands of exercise equipment available. You can get all in one machines or you can buy equipment that concentrate on specific areas of your body.

An exercise DVD can be very useful for instruction on your home gym exercises, and you can find a multitude of good books that will be very helpful as well.

Don’t forget to exercise when you are traveling. One gets smaller exercise equipment that can conveniently fit in a bag or in the trunk of your car so you can still maintain your exercise regime whether you travel on business or visit family.

It is always an excellent idea to keep a workout log where you keep track of your daily home gym exercises as well as your results.

If you are unsure about how to design your home exercise routine, then it is a good idea to obtain the services of a personal trainer to help you design exercises that are appropriate for your body type and will put you on the right track to attain your goals.

If exercise is your goal then it makes sense to start out exercising at home since many people feel too awkward to join a gym and sweat in public. Once you are into the swing of things you can then consider joining a gym because then it will at least look as if you know what you’re doing.

November 8, 2009

The Benefits of Having Your Own Home Exercise Equipment

Category: Exercise Equipment – Denise Austin Fan 9:07 am
Obesity is occurring at alarming rates these days, and unfortunately gym membership costs are not getting any more affordable.  Not to mention the fact that many people who haven’t worked out for years are very self-conscious about exercising in front of other people.  These and many other reasons are why you should consider investing in your own home exercise equipment.

Before you run down to the nearest retailer or outlet and start charging items left and right, slow down for a minute and think about what pieces you really need and how you’ll fit your exercise equipment into your house or apartment.  Do you have a separate room you can use for working out or some space in the basement?  If you’re thinking of putting the treadmill in front of the television in the living room, consider how your roommates or family may like this.  Many options for home exercise equipment today are foldable or more compact, so if you give some thought as to the placement and then take your time to shop around, you’ll find just what you need.

If you’re still not quite sure about purchasing some exercise equipment for yourself, keep in mind that if you have the equipment in your house you’re more likely to use it on a regular basis.  It’s too easy to get overwhelmed after a long day at the office and get comfortable at home, forgetting all about going to the gym.  But when you have home exercise equipment right there in front of you, it’s easier to just walk to the basement or the other room and get yourself on the treadmill.  You also don’t need to worry about what you’re wearing or how you look when you exercise.  It may seem trite or trivial, but many people shy away from the gym because they don’t want anyone to see them when they’re sweaty, out of breath, and all flushed.  But with your own exercise equipment you can get as enthused as you want about your routine without having to worry about whether or not you’re sweating or if your sweatpants are in good shape.

Having home exercise equipment is also great for those who haven’t exercised in a long time.  Many who are very out of shape can exercise for only a few minutes at a time before they’re out of breath, and this can be embarrassing when you’re on a treadmill next to someone that’s jogging away seemingly without effort.  But with your own exercise equipment, you can go for five minutes or an hour or whatever is comfortable for you without being self-conscious.

When starting out building your own home gymnasium you should consider investing in some used free weights.  Start out with a few of the lighter weights and add to them as your need arises.  You can always add more free weights as your fitness level increases so it is not necessary to have a very large outlay of money when you first start building your home gymnasium.

The price of home exercise equipment is very reasonable and modest, especially when you consider that this is an investment in your health and even your longevity.  So why not pick out a few pieces for yourself?  You’ll be glad you did!

November 2, 2009

Best Home Exercise Equipment – How Can you Know?

Category: Exercise Equipment – Denise Austin Fan 4:00 am
When it comes to fitness and exercise equipment, one of the most common questions you often hear is, “What is the best home exercise equipment?” It’s easy to understand with so many different choices being available to us. This article will help you with an overview of the more common equipment options.

Before you get started searching for home exercise equipment you may want to consider a couple of important points first.

1. What is your budget for home fitness equipment?

2. What is your current fitness level and what do you want to accomplish in the future?

Why are these questions important? Well, your budget is for obvious reasons, but enjoying the home exercise equipment is very important as well. For example, let’s say you are in good shape now and want to add additional muscle mass. You wouldn’t want an elliptical trainer for that. A Bowflex system would be a better choice.

With that in mind, let’s take a quick look at some of your options.

Treadmills

A treadmill is one of the most popular and best home exercise equipment options around. It’s ideal for cardio as well as weight loss and comes in all price ranges. You can also find some great deals on used treadmills as well. Be sure any treadmill has a wide belt, an incline setting, and a good warranty.

Elliptical Trainers

The elliptical trainer is fast approaching and in many cases, surpassing the popularity of treadmills. With their low-impact workout routines it’s easy to see why.

You control the intensity level and can easily adjust the levels of resistance. Like treadmills, elliptical trainers vary in price. Look for a good machine with a warranty.

Stationary Bike

Though this home exercise equipment option is not as popular as it once was, it is still a good choice.

You can find high end stationary bikes with built-in cooling fans as well as state of the art riding programs with video screens. It’s like you are a part of the Tour De France.

Steppers

If you want something for cardio work, a step machine may be your best home exercise equipment option. They are also great for your lower body.

Bowflex Home Gym

If building muscle mass is what you desire then you can’t go wrong with a Bowflex machine. You can several different models that all offer superior resistance training and muscle building. There are also some excellent deals to be found on used Bowflex equipment as well.

Free Weights

The oldest form of home fitness and exercise there is. Free weights are an inexpensive home fitness option that will quickly build muscle mass and get you in shape. For many people, free weights and a weight bench are the single best home exercise equipment option.

Regardless of which type of exercise equipment you choose, the key to getting any kind of results will always be in using it on a regular basis. By choosing the equipment that is in your budget and that you truly enjoy using, you will get the results you’re seeking and have some fun at the same time.