Sunday, August 21, 2011

Sculpting A Rocking Body With Yoga And Pilates

By Adriana Noton


Practicing yoga and pilates is a great way to improve a person's health. Both forms of exercise focus on the mind-body connection in addition to strengthening the body. Many people have found relief from a number of conditions by incorporating these two types of exercise into their normal routines.

If there is one thing a human should focus on controlling to ensure their optimum health, it is their body weight. Having a body mass index over 25 will increase the risk factor for many dangerous conditions. Making a habit of doing regular exercise and eating a nutrient-rich diet is the only way to control body weight. Fresh, unprocessed foods pack the most nutritional punch. Eating a variety of healthy foods at each meal will give the body the right balance it needs to function optimally.

Not only does regular exercise help regulate body weight, but it also is a great way to blow off steam. Exercise is a healthy alternative to other methods of self-soothing. Poor choices include taking drugs, excessively drinking alcohol, smoking cigarettes, and eating junk food.

Many people today feel they are overworked and therefore overstressed. The problem is when a body is exposed to constant sources of stress, it begins to defend itself by releasing cortisol. When too much cortisol is produced, fat begins to accumulate in the belly region. This is a harmful fat that can contribute to the development of dangerous conditions like heart disease and diabetes.

The benefits to doing exercise that focuses on connecting the body and the psyche are numerous. The brain is the organ that controls all movements, so it makes sense that in order to build a healthier body one must have a healthy brain! Working out the brain at the same time as the rest of the body is a great way to improve mental function.

Another great benefit of leading a healthy lifestyle and choosing to do these workouts is the feeling of confidence that comes with having a great-looking body! When a person is confident, they are more willing to go out and try new things and experience all that life has to offer. When a person is ashamed of their appearance, they may try to hide it, passing up opportunities that may have otherwise enriched their life.

There are two types of exercise that people can do. Strength training increases muscle mass and cardiovascular workouts burn calories and are great for the heart. It is important to maintain muscle mass, especially as the body ages. The higher a person's muscle mass, the more efficiently their body will burn fat.

Strength training doesn't have to mean weight lifting. It also doesn't have to equate large, bulky muscles. By using the body's own weight for resistance, one can perform a strength training regimen that will have the results of lean, well-defined muscles.

One of the best ways to increase lean muscle mass is to practice yoga and pilates. These forms of exercise use the resistance of one's own body weight to condition the muscles. They both also focus on utilizing the middle of the body, the belly area also known as the core, to execute each movement. The stronger and more defined a person's core is, the more efficiently they will be able to work out. This leads to better overall health.




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