Showing posts with label fitness lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fitness lifestyle. Show all posts

Lilias Yoga Gets Better with Age Review

Lilias Yoga Gets Better with Age
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Lilias! Yoga Gets Better With Age
By Lilias Folan
Rodale Books, July 2005
Reviewed by Sharon Steffensen
Yoga gets better with age--and so does Lilias. In her new book she shares what she has learned along the path since the early days of her TV show, Lilias! Yoga and You, which first aired on PBS in 1972. By the mid-1980s the series was airing daily nationwide. It is likely that for people age 40 and older, Lilias is the most well-known yoga teacher in the U.S., having introduced millions to yoga.
Because she is familiar to so many of us, we trust Lilias as an authority on yoga. In her book she has adapted yoga postures so they can be practiced safely by people of any age. In her easy manner, Lilias clears up misconceptions about yoga. (Even today, some people are afraid of yoga because of its Indian roots.) Lilias writes about the koshas (the sheaths, or subtle bodies) and explains how to connect with these deeper layers of the Self. Lilias discusses the spiritual benefits and gives techniques for healing our emotions, connecting with our wisdom and feeling our bliss.
Lilias has also developed some new movements, one of which she calls the "three R's" --resist, relax and restretch--that free up muscles and allow much greater movement than ever imagined possible. She describes her style as yin--defined as cool, calm, inward and focused (for stretching)--as opposed to a yang approach, which is heated and intense (for strength). Therefore, her book is geared toward people who are 40 and over as well as to younger people who are looking for a gentler, yet powerful, approach to yoga.
Lilias demonstrates all the poses in 200 full-color photos. She looks fabulous as always. Like her TV show, her book is friendly, down-to-earth and very likeable.

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Nothing softens the aging process like yoga! Now, the First Lady of Yoga shows how to add more flexibility, energy, and joy to your life--with her new method of "yin" stretching for the maturing body.As Americans in their 40s, 50s, and beyond search for ways to increase flexibility, diminish aches and pains, enhance well-being, and slow the aging process, the word is out: yoga does all this and more. But traditional yoga poses and stretches can be a problem for stiffer, less pliable bodies. That is why Lilias Folan--the most beloved and admired American yoga teacher ever--has created "yin" yoga, a specific, safe, and creative way to stretch and strengthen within each yoga posture. The technique, which cannot be found in other yoga works, is at the heart of this book. Some outstanding features include:o More than 200 photographs of Lilias demonstrating the yoga postures using her innovative techniqueso Lilias, in her trademark soothing and upbeat style, guiding readers along a spiritual path that leads to increased vitality and a higher Selfo Engaging stories of her life's journey from this internationally renowned yoga master and grandmotherWhatever you're looking for at this time of life--wisdom, serenity, meaning, energy, bliss, or simply to feel better--Lilias will show how a mindful practice of yogic principles can help you find it.

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Kathy Kaehler's Celebrity Workouts: How to Get a Hollywood Body in Just 30 Minutes a Day Review

Kathy Kaehler's Celebrity Workouts: How to Get a Hollywood Body in Just 30 Minutes a Day
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In her book she says that the sub-title of this book "How to Get a Hollywood Body in Just 30 Minutes a Day" sounds a little gimmicky. You aren't going to look like Jennifer Aniston tomorrow, but you are going to be healthier and fitter as you follow this program. She focuses on getting healthy and feeling comfortable with the body shape you have. A fun mix of walking, light weight training, yoga, stretching and a handful of fun exercises that make you feel like a kid on the playground. The exercises have easy to follow illustrations, and written directions. It includes a group of exercises to help you ease back into a fitness program, recipes and fun celebrity photos and quotes that are reminiscent of reading "People" in the grocery store check-out. A good bonus: there isn't really any equipment that you need to buy that you probably don't already have.

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Stretching for Flexibility and Health Review

Stretching for Flexibility and Health
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This has clear, concise step by step diagrams, showing how to improve strength and flexability. The text explains why you need to do these stretches and how they will strengthen your muscles and improve your flexability and posture. I recommend this book to both elite athletes and weekend hackers

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The Great Medicine Ball Handbook: The Quick Reference Guide to Medicine Ball Exercises Review

The Great Medicine Ball Handbook: The Quick Reference Guide to Medicine Ball Exercises
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This truly is a great little book. I've bought other books on medicine ball training but this one has the best photos (color) and simple, easy to follow directions. It seems to be written for both beginners and the more advanced, depending on the exercise chosen. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to add medicine ball training to their routine.

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Stretching Review

Stretching
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Stretching improves flexibility and energizes the body, but it is also important for good posture. ~Suzanne Martin
Suzanne Martin has cataloged almost every stretch known to humans in one book. Page after page of head-to-toe stretches are shown in full-color photography. You can either stretch during daily activities or create an entire stretching routine.
Contents:
What Is Stretching?
Head-To-Toe Catalog of Stretches
21-Day Posture Program
Basic Stretching Routines
Stretches for Sports - Tennis, Golf, Swimming
Stretches for Daily Activities - Computer use, Long Drives, Telephone Calls, Lifting,
Standing, Sitting, Hauling.
Stretches for Pregnancy
Therapeutic Stretches for Neck and Shoulders
By stretching the body, you can stay healthy and supple, prevent injury while playing sports or relieve pain and improve your posture. No matter what you hope to achieve, Suzanne Martin's book makes it possible.
Each picture has details, like "where you will feel the stretching taking place." There are also ideas about how stretching can prevent lower back pain or even prevent fluids from being trapped in the lower body (leg swelling.)
Highlights:
A Flexibility Test
Pictures
Modifications of Stretches including how to intensify stretches
Names for all the stretches
STRETCHING is an excellent guide to more stretching techniques than I have ever seen in an exercise routine/stretching routine DVD. The practical stretching, for say computer use, makes this book indispensable.
~The Rebecca Review


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Jennifer Kries' Pilates Plus Method: The Unique Combination of Yoga, Dance, and Pilates Review

Jennifer Kries' Pilates Plus Method: The Unique Combination of Yoga, Dance, and Pilates
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...I devoured this book as soon as it arrived. I have been practicing yoga and Pilates regularly for a little over a year, and I've been "dipping my toe in the pool" trying to get into dance. With my knowledge of some of the Pilates basics and using some of the NYC Ballet Workout, as well as some classic yoga moves, I tried to come up with the best way to synthesize the three into one routine. In many cases, I felt like I came up short. This book does a very nice job combining the three, although the emphasis is cearly on Pilates.
Before introducing her full 68 move routine, Kries describes how she was introduced first to dance, then to Pilates and finally to yoga. In a nutshell, she has been dancing since she was 9, using Pilates since she was 13 and practicing yoga since she was recovering from an injury in her late teens. Dance provides the body with slenderness and agility as well as an outlet for artistic expression, Pilates with strength and yoga with flexibility, both for the body and the mind.
She next discusses the 9 essential elements that are essential in her workout, as well as exercises to help strengthen those elements. Emphasis in this chapter is on the breathing techniques needed for yoga and Pilates. She also has a chapter of pre-exercises for all three disciplines to help prepare for the complete workout. The first, the pre-rollup, is also used as a diagnostic to determine whether you should begin at level 1, 2 or 3.
And now the workout. Of the 68 exercises presented, a little more than half are level 1. Of the remaining, about 25 are level 2 and 8 are level 3. In other words, even an absolute beginner should be able to perform the bulk of the workout. The workout starts with yoga breathing, then moves onto a dance inspired warmup. Next, and for the majority of the workout, are the classic Pilates exercises, all in (as far as I can tell) the classic Pilates sequence. She begins with the Hundred and moves through non-stop until Criss-Cross. At this point, Kries alternates between yoga and Pilates. After the completion of the abdominal series, leg series teaser series and three variations on the Sun Salutation, she begins the Plie series (this series is very similar to her 3-D Toning tape). Next is the Pilates Standing Sculpting Series. Weights are optional, but the suggested range is 3 to 5 pounds. These exercises do work the entire upper body, but a lot of stress is put on the shoulders. Therefore, I don't recommend going beyond 5 pounds for this series. Finally, she begins the relaxation series, consisting of alternate nostril breathing, meditation and the corpse pose.
The last two sections of the book have routines designed to improve the performance in eight popular sports as well as two abbreviated versions of the workout, one for Beginners and one for Intermediate/Advanced.
Throughout her book, Kries intersperses inspirational quotes (the bulk seem to be from William James). Clearly, a lot to think about when you're exercising, but they definitely put you in the right mind-set. Every exercise includes photographs as well as (for almost all of the exercises) an "InSight" to help you refine your technique and a listing of the muscles used in the exercise.
I really enjoy this workout and this is a keeper in my weekly (or more) rotation. However, a couple of comments:
-I would have preferred more yoga. In her Precision Pilates video, she uses a number of yoga poses in her lowerbody workout that could have been effectively incorporated here (Chair, Lunge variations, etc.). Also, I feel that she didn't draw out the need to breathe differently for the yoga and Pilates movements.
-I would have preferred more dance. There are not too many repetitions of each of the moves in the Plie series. Minor complaint- this is a book, and one could easily add on another set if desired.
+/-Jennifer can be very profound, and judging from other comments about her, this can be very off-putting. However, I really enjoy her comments and insights.
+/-She states that this routine can take 30 to 45 minutes, and after performing this workout three times, it's taking me an hour and a half. That's down from two hours, so there is some improvement. Admittedly, much of that is me stopping to look at the sequence as well as referring to each individual exercise to look at the number of reps required. I read once in Brooke Siler's book (which I really only skimmed) that some advanced students can perform the entire Pilates mat sequence in as little as 15 minutes. Clearly then, this workout can be done in 30 to 45 minutes, but that in and of itself should be considered a goal.
+Many people have questioned the benefits of Pilates for the legs and arms. I am here to tell you they exist. After each workout, my legs have been noticeably sorer, but not painfully so. Also, after using 5 pound weights for most of the Standing Series (but I had to use 3 for the last two), my upper body is definitely feeling it the next day.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who already practices Pilates and who is also interested in yoga or dance. The yoga and dance sections should be accessible to the beginner, but the Pilates sections may be challenging to the absolute beginners. I plan on doing this workout 3 times a week, supplemented by some other strength training. After one week, I already feel the difference in my legs, arms and core.

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All things unexplained has become a hotter topic than ever, yet the books available to young people (Gen-X/Y) are the same books targeted to the older generation.

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Tina Vindum's Outdoor Fitness: Step Out of the Gym and Into the BEST Shape of Your Life Review

Tina Vindum's Outdoor Fitness: Step Out of the Gym and Into the BEST Shape of Your Life
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LOVE this book, just ordered three more copies -- for my college step-daughter, my Pilates instructor and my physical therapist! Down-to-earth and practical (she gets it that we all have already busy lives) with great tips and techniques (well-researched, and the instructions are detailed and professional, much like you're in a personal training situation -- experience sure shows here). There's also some real leadership here, an understanding about where motivation comes from -- I was lacing up my sneakers after the first 4 chapters!

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From Maui to Manhattan's Central Park, Tina Vindum has revolutionized the way people around the world are getting in shape.

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15 Minute Total Body Workout (+DVD) Review

15 Minute Total Body Workout (+DVD)
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This book is perfect, exactly what I've been looking for, and the best thing is the DVD. It's incredible! It's so easy to follow, and so quick - I'm done in 15 minutes and on to the rest of my day. There's no stress on me to take 15 minutes a day to spend on my body. I can easily spend this much time experimenting with a new lipstick color. Everybody can find 15 minutes to exercise!

There are 4 different workouts and the variety keeps things interesting. The format is the same for each one: You warm up for 3 minutes, do 10 minutes of a really good routine - strength training plus heart-pumping intervals - and then cool down for 2 minutes with full-body stretches that remind me of Yoga. You can do it at home with just one set of dumb bells or a fitness ball.

And it's not just for women. My husband could do this - and should do it! He thinks that if you can't spend 4 hours working out it's not worth it; but that's overwhelming, so he doesn't do anything. The 15 minute workout is a good way to get started and be consistent. You can always add on and do more...


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Strength Training for Women Review

Strength Training for Women
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I have purchased several books devoted to strength training. I have to say, this book is the best I have found--by far.
What makes this book exceptional is how thorough it is and also how much variety it offers.
Exercises for home users--both those who use dumbbells, those who use resistance bands and those who use stability balls or all of the above--are offered. Exercises for gym dwellers are also given. This book caters to everyone in a very balanced manner.
The book covers upper body, lower body, core exercises and lots of stretching ideas.
While, sometimes, strength training can get confusing because one often questions which exercises are best, how much weight you need to use and how many reps to do, this book really does simplify the whole thing.
Also, there are both modified and advanced descriptions and photos for each exercise.
Usually when you come across a book on strength training, you see the same, basic moves you've seen (and probably done) a million times before. But Joan Pagano includes variations of moves even I, a fairly experienced exerciser, had never seen before.
The layout of the book is visually stimulating. Along with photos illustrating each exercise, there are illustrations showing which body parts are being used with each move.
The book was well-written as well. Joan's instructions are concise and encouraging.
Recently, I decided I wanted to start working out during TV commercials--just to add a bit of boost to my fitness routine. I found many exercises within this book I will be doing while watching TV.
I think this is an excellent book for an advanced exercise looking for a some new ideas. But more importantly, this is an awesome resource for a beginner. I will be purchasing this book for friends and family who are daunted by the idea of doing strength training. I suggest you do the same.

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Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness Review

Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness
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One of the best books on hatha yoga ever. There's nothing difficult to understand or apply. But the material will probably change the way you practice. It certainly did for me. I've been practicing yoga, on and off, for about ten years. I've taken classes with terrific teachers and even an agonizing series of 6 a.m. seminars with K. Pattabhi Jois. Yoga never got beyond the physical for me until I read Schiffman's book. Sometimes I wondered what the real difference was between a good hatha yogi and a contortionist. That question has been answered. Schiffman teaches the internals of yoga. His focus is on mobilizing the body's intrinsic energy--qi or prana--in each posture. The postures act as energy templates, he explains, but it's necessary to understand the lines of flow and circulation. He makes this very easy to understand and apply. And when you do, the external technique improves and you become precise without thinking about every distracting detail. Also, Schiffman's approach is beautiful. He teaches you to sense your limits and learn when you want to stay well within them, and when you want to push them. This is a method of gentle, "occasional healthy pain, tremendous gain." Schiffman is schooled in the Iyengar and Desikachar approaches. Precision is important to him. But he's taken it a quantum step farther. With Iyengar's Light on Yoga and Donna Farhi's Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit, Schiffman's book completes a trinity of the three most impressive, helpful books on hatha yoga I've seen, regardless of which style you practice or your level of skill.

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A practical introduction to hatha yoga which shows how to combine yoga with meditation to achieve healthy beauty and inner peace. 100 yoga poses are illustrated for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.

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Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition Review

Stretching: 30th Anniversary Edition
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I liked this book on stretching for several reasons. The first is its simplicity. The pictures and instructions are very straightforward, making it quite easy to do basic stretches. Stretches are given for just about every muscle and limb you'd ever want to stretch and the author has even included some suggested stretching routines for various sports. Whether you're a competetive athlete, business person or housewife, I feel that this is book will have something to offer everyone making it a very handy and "flexible" book. Also recommend Treat Your Own Spinal Stenosis for anyone with back pain looking for more specific stretches and/or exercises.

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This is the book that people tell their friends about, that trainers suggest for virtually every sport and activity, and that medical professionals recommend to people just starting to get back in shape. Stretching first appeared in 1980 as a new generation of Americans became committed to running, cycling, aerobic training, and workouts in the gym - all of which are commonplace now.It features stretching routines specific to a variety of people, including sports enthusiasts, travelers, children, gardeners, and people in wheelchairs. There is also an abbreviated version of each routine for people in a hurry, new information on the stretching vs. warming up debate, and new and improved drawings. This 30th anniversary edition features two-color inks to better define the muscle groups helped by each stretching exercise. A new section focuses on office fitness exercises, helpful for both home and office computer users.

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Stretching Anatomy Review

Stretching Anatomy
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I have been a martial arts teacher for 42 years and have authored over 20 books on the subject. So I know a little about stretching. Stretching Anatomy is a wonderful guide that is concise, yet somehow amazingly complete.
The book isn't written for one particular sport, but the savvy reader will quickly see how the many easy-to-do stretches (and a couple hard ones) will improve their performance within weeks.
Each clearly demonstrated exercise includes simple how-to-do instruction, when to do it, and which primary and secondary muscles are being stretched. The book provides three levels of difficulty, including light movements to warm-up and to help you recovery quickly from an injury or post workout soreness.
A real plus are the anatomy chart-like illustrations that show via colored shading which muscles are being affected by the stretch.
This is an excellent book that I recommend to my students.
Loren W. Christensen author of Fighter's Fact Book 2.


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See inside every stretch—and maximize flexibility! Stretching Anatomy will arm you with the knowledge to increase range of motion, supplement training, enhance recovery, and maximize efficiency of movement. You'll also gain a detailed understanding of how each stretch affects your body.

Stretching Anatomy is like having an X-ray of each stretch, only better. Not only do you see full-color illustrations of the muscles in action, but you also find out how changes in position can alter the muscle emphasis and difficulty and how variations can improve safety and effectiveness.

Each exercise includes detailed instruction on how to stretch, when to stretch, primary and secondary muscle emphasis, and which muscles are activated for support. Stretching programs provide three levels of difficulty, including light stretching that can be used as a warm-up or to aid in recovery from soreness or injury. And summary movement tables show how to customize stretching programs to focus on key problem areas.

Whether it is increased flexibility or reduced muscle soreness or tension, Stretching Anatomy allows you to see and feel the benefit of proper stretching technique.


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