{ TOP 10 MOST EFFECTIVE EXERCISES }

Let’s face it: Some exercises are simply more effective than others. If you are going to make the effort to incorporate regular exercise into your life, then you want to get the most out of each workout session.

In order to help you get in the best shape of your life, Fitness Pro Raphael Calzadilla provides a top-10 list of the most effective exercises out there. You’ll notice he didn’t say the best.
“I tend to get a lot of requests for the best exercises from people who are really just looking for a magic bullet,” Raphael says.

It does take hard work to get in shape. Raphael recommends people follow a healthy meal plan and adopt an exercise regimen that includes both cardiovascular activity and resistance training. He also reminds people to consult their doctor before beginning any new exercise routine.

Raphael believes certain exercises stand out in terms of overall effectiveness. Most of the exercises he selected involve compound movements, which impact multiple muscle groups. Though isolated movements are also good, Raphael believes performing exercises with compound movements can give you the best bang for your workout buck.

“I also selected these exercises based on a balanced approach to overall fitness,” Raphael says.

“Most people are out of balance with regards to strength and levels of flexibility.” If you choose, Raphael says you can do these 10 exercises as an individual workout. He recommends doing 10-12 repetitions for the upper-body exercises and 10-15 repetitions for the lower-body exercises.

CHEST

1. Dumbbell chest press: This exercise activates the muscles in the upper, middle and lower chest, as well as the shoulders and triceps. In order to complete this exercise, you need to lie on a flat bench with your spine in a neutral position. Now, hold a dumbbell in each hand at chest level with your upper arm parallel to the floor and your elbows facing outward.

Contracting your chest muscles, press both of your arms upward above the chest until they are almost fully extended, with a slight bend in both elbows. Slowly return to the starting position.

“It is important to maintain proper form throughout the movement,” Raphael says. “When you reach the top of the movement, do not fully lock your elbows. And be sure to contract the chest muscles, as opposed to just extending the arms.”

SHOULDERS

2. Dumbbell alternating shoulder press: This exercise impacts the entire range of muscles in your shoulders, as well as the biceps and triceps. Sit up straight on a bench with your feet comfortably resting on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle with your palms facing forward. When you do this exercise, your hands should be slightly higher than your shoulders.

Contracting the shoulder muscles, raise one arm toward the ceiling and stop when your arm is fully extended, with a slight bend in the elbow. Slowly return your arm to the starting position. Raise and lower the other arm in the same manner. Alternate the right and left sides in order to complete the set.

“You don’t have to do one arm at a time,” Raphael says. “They can both go up at the same time.”

LEGS

3. Barbell close stance squat: This exercise works the butt, quadriceps, hamstrings, inner thighs and outer thighs. Stand tall with your feet closer than shoulder-width apart, with a slight bend in the knees. Place a barbell across your shoulders. Be sure the bar is not resting on your neck.

Contracting the quadriceps muscles, begin to lower your body by bending from your hips and knees and stopping when your thighs are parallel with the floor. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your knees fully extending. Do not let your knees ride over your toes (you should be able to see your feet at all times).

“You may want to try this exercise without weights until you master the movement,” Raphael says. “It is a very effective exercise that involves most of the muscle groups of the lower body but if done improperly, it can lead to injuries.”

4. Dumbbell lunges: This exercise works the front of the legs and the bum. It also works the back of the legs to some degree.

Stand straight with your feet together. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms down at your sides. Step forward with the right leg and lower the left leg until the knee almost touches the floor. Contract the quadriceps and push off your right foot, slowly returning to the starting position. Alternate the motion with the left leg to complete the set.

“If you have one leg that is more dominant than the other, start out with the less dominant leg first,” Raphael says.

ARMS

5. Bench dips: This exercise works the back of the arm, the triceps and the shoulder.

“I would prefer that you perform straight dips, but not everybody can do them,” Raphael says.

Using two benches or chairs, sit on one. Place your palms on the bench with your fingers wrapped around the edge. Now, place both feet on the other bench. Slide your upper body off the bench with your elbows nearly but not completely locked. Lower your upper body slowly toward the floor until your elbows are bent slightly more than 90 degrees. Contracting your triceps muscles, extend your elbows and return to the starting position, stopping just short of the elbows fully extending.

“Beginners may wish to start with their feet on the floor and knees at a 90 degree angle,” Raphael says.

6. Dumbbell double biceps curl: This exercise works the biceps and part of the shoulder. Sit on a bench or chair with both feet in front of your body and keep your back straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms at each side and your palms facing forward.

Contracting the biceps muscles, raise the weights toward your shoulders, stopping just short of the weights touching the shoulders. Slowly return to the starting position.

“Your upper arms should remain stationary throughout the exercise,” Raphael says. “Do not rock the elbow.”

ABS

7. Double crunch: “The reason I like the double crunch is that you are activating the entire abdominal area,” Raphael says. “The key is to contract tightly at the top part of the movement.”

Lie on the floor with your head facing up. Bend your knees until your legs are at a 45-degree angle, with both feet on the floor. Your back should be comfortably relaxed on the floor. Now place both hands behind your head.

Contracting your abdominals, raise your head and legs off the floor toward one another. Slowly return to the starting position, stopping just short of your shoulders and feet touching the floor.

8. Bicycle manoeuvre: “Research consistently rates this as one of the most effective abdominal exercises,” Raphael says. “It works your entire ab region.”

Lie on a mat with your lower back in a comfortable position. Put your hands on either side of your head by your ears. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle. Slowly go through a bicycle-pedaling motion - alternate your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.

“This can be a more advanced exercise,” Raphael says. “Do not perform this activity if it puts any strain on your lower back.”

BACK

9. Cable wide over grip lat pull down: This exercise impacts a number of muscles, including the upper back, the shoulder and the biceps.

“Ideally, I would choose the chin-up, but most people are unable to do them,” Raphael says. “This exercise simulates the same movement, though. It is a good alternative until you are strong enough to perform chin-ups.”

In order to perform this exercise, extend both arms up and reach for the straight bar. Now, sit tall with your knees supported under the leg pad - with knees and hips at a 90 degree angle. Your arms should be a little more than shoulder-width apart, and you should use an overhand grip and keep a slight bend in the elbows. Relax your shoulders and keep your chest raised.
Contracting the upper back muscles, pull the bar down, leading with your elbows and stopping when the bar is just above your chest. Slowly return to the starting position and stop just short of the weight stack touching.

“Do not rock your body when performing this exercise,” Raphael says. “And do not allow your upper back to round or your chest to cave in.”

10. Fitball prone trunk extension: This exercise works your lower back.

“Most people don’t work the lower back, and the lower back needs to be strengthened,” Raphael says. “You can also do this exercise in your own home if you own a fitball.”

Lie on the fitball with your knees on the floor and your feet up on their toes. Place your hands behind your head. Maintain a neutral spine with your head and neck relaxed as a natural extension of the spine.

Contracting the lower back muscles, raise your chest off the ball slightly. Now, slowly return to the starting position. “Exhale while lifting your body and inhale while returning to the starting position,” Raphael says. “Do not hyperextend your back or overdo the range of motion.”

As always, check with your doctor prior to beginning any exercise program. Before attempting any of these exercises in a gym, make sure you have been shown how to use machines and weights properly by a trained instructor.

{ IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER }

Interviews with the elderly and the terminally ill do not report that people have regret for the things they have done but rather people talk about the things they regret not having done.

I'd dare to make more mistakes next time.

I'd relax. I would limber up.
I would be sillier than I have been this trip. .
I would take fewer things seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would take more trips.
I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers.

I would eat more ice cream and less beans.

I would perhaps have more actual troubles but I'd have fewer imaginary ones.

You see, I'm one of those people who live sensibly and sanely hour after hour, day after day. Oh, I've had my moments and if I had it to do over again, I'd have more of them. In fact, I'd try to have nothing else. Just moments. One after another, instead of living so many years ahead
of each day.

I've been one of those people who never go anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, a raincoat and a parachute.

If I had it to do again, I would travel lighter next time.
If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. I would go to more dances. I would ride more merry-go-rounds. I would pick more daisies.

Nadine Stair (age 85)

{ HEALTHY EATING FOR WELLNESS 2 }

One of the keys to healthy eating is following a Choose More Often approach. It doesn't mean giving up your favourite foods. It means taking steps to choose more often foods that are low in fat and high in fibre. For example, if you enjoy eating steak, choose a low-fat cut, trim off the excess fat, and grill rather than fry. Pizza? To try a low-fat version that is rich in fibre, topped with fresh vegetables, and tomato sauce. Desserts? In many recipes you can reduce the fat, and substitute vegetable oils or margarine for butter. To increase fibre, use whole-wheat flour in place of white flour.

Here's what to Choose More Often

*Low-fat meat, poultry, fish
*Low-fat dairy products
*Dry beans and peas
*Whole grain products
*Fruits and vegetables
*Fats and oils high in unsaturates

Carbohydrates are high-octane fuel, they provide energy for movement and help raise internal body metabolism. They're also satisfying, but the key is not to add high-fat toppings to your car also some evidence that vegetables in the cabbage family may help protect against cancer of the colon. These vegetables are also good sources of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. To assure an adequate diet, and this is essential for healthy eating, choose a variety of foods daily. Here are some tips for following the Choose More Often approach in three important areas:

1. Grocery Shopping:

Focus on variety. Choose a wide selection of low-fat foods rich in fibre including selections of vegetables, fruits, whole-grain breads and cereals, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, lean meat, dry beans and peas. The goal is to reduce fat to 30 percent or less of calories, so when choosing foods that do contain fat, try to choose ones that contain primarily unsaturated fats.

Read food labels. To help you find foods that are low in fat and cholesterol and high in fibre, get into the label-reading habit. Many nutritional labels on packaged foods show the amount of unsaturated and saturated fatty acids and the amount of cholesterol and fibre they contain.
Check the type of fat on the ingredients list. Is it animal fat, coconut or palm kernel oil high in saturated fat? Or, is it corn or soybean oil high in polyunsaturated fat?

Choose a product with the lowest proportion of saturated fat. The label also tells you something else about a product. Ingredients are listed in order of amount from most to least by weight. So, when you buy a breakfast cereal, for example, choose one that has a whole grain listed first (such as whole wheat or oatmeal).

Pay attention to sodium. Many processed, canned, and frozen foods are high in sodium. Cured or processed meats, cheeses, and condiments (soy sauce, mustard, tartar sauce) are also high in sodium. Check for salt, onion or garlic salt, and any ingredient with "sodium" on the label. If the sodium content is given on the nutritional label, compare products and choose the ones with lower levels.

2. Food Preparation:

Use small amounts of fat and fatty foods. There are lots of ways to use less fat. For example, when you sauté or stir-fry, use only ½ teaspoon of fat per serving. When you use; margarine, mayonnaise, or salad dressing, use half as much as usual. Then decrease portion sizes of other high fat foods; rich desserts, untrimmed and fatty types of meat, poultry with skin, and fried foods, especially crumbed foods.

Substitute unsaturated fat and oils for saturated fat in food preparation. Saturated fat may be reduced even more if you want to experiment with recipes. Poultry or fish without skin are good choices because they are often lower in fat than many foods.

Use low-fat alternatives. Substitute 1 percent, skim, or reconstituted non-fat dry milk for whole milk. Use low-fat yoghurt, buttermilk, or evaporated skim milk in place of cream or sour cream. Try reduced-calorie mayonnaise and salad dressing in place of regular. Use low-fat cooking methods. Bake, steam, grill, microwave, or boil foods. Increase fibre.

Choose whole grain breads and cereals. Substitute whole grain flour for white flour. Eat vegetables and fruits more often and have generous servings. Whenever possible, eat the edible fibre-rich skin as well as the rest of the vegetable or fruit. Use herbs, spices, and other flavourings.

For a different way to add flavour to meals, try; lemon juice, basil, chives, mixed spice, onion, and garlic.

3. Eating Out:

Choose the restaurant carefully.

Are there low fat as well as high-fibre selections on the menu?
Is there a salad bar?
How are the meat, chicken, and fish dishes cooked?
Can you have menu items grilled or baked without added fat instead of fried?

These are important things to know before you enter a restaurant, fast food or otherwise. Seafood restaurants usually offer grilled, baked, or poached fish, and you can often request butter and sauces on the side. Many steak houses offer well-trimmed steaks and have salad bars. Try ethnic cuisines. Many Chinese, Japanese, and Thai dishes include plenty of steamed vegetables and a high proportion of vegetables to meat. Steamed rice, steamed noodle dishes, and vegetarian dishes are good choices too. Ask that the chef cook your food without soy sauce or salt to decrease sodium. Some Latin American restaurants feature a variety of fish and chicken dishes that are low in fat.

{ ANTI-AGING FOODS }

You might not like prunes, but they are at the top of somebody’s list.

That list is in fact the ten most effective age-fighting fruits and vegetables. Because prunes are so high in antioxidants that fight the free radicals, they are able to protect the collagen and elastin fibres that keep your skin firm and wrinkle free.

Recent research from Monash University in Australia shows that women with a diet high in antioxidants had the least wrinkles. From Tuffs University in the USA scientist have formulated the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale, which measures how effectively some foods attack free radicals.

So here is that list of the ten fruits and vegetables that are the most efficient at fighting free radicals and therefore the best anti-aging foods. (The values are per 100g serve)

Prunes 5770
Raisins 2830
Blueberries 2400
Kale 1770
Cranberries 1750
Spinach 1260
Raspberries 1220
Brussels Sprouts 980
Plums 948
Broccoli 890

As you can see, Prunes are well out in front, but if you can include any of these foods in you diet on a regular basis, you will not only be helping your skin to look younger but you will also help reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease through the antioxidants.

{ HEALTHY EATING FOR WELLNESS }

Healthy eating is all about your diet. Say the "D" word and most people will assume that you’re on a weight loss regime. Open any paper or magazine and turn to the advertisements and you will find the word diet is synonymous with weight loss; we are virtually programmed to believe that this is so.

Our diet is quite simply what we eat on a day-to-day basis. If you’re an Eskimo it’s more than likely your diet would include a lot of fish. Asian countries tend to have rice as a staple and all good TV cops live on coffee and doughnuts!

Seriously though, unless we are really overweight or underweight, we should discipline ourselves to eat a good all round healthy diet. Healthy eating habits don’t have to be boring or regimented; a common sense approach is all that’s required. With the holistic approach to healthy eating, balance is the key word.

According to the Bureau of Statistics, of all deaths each year, twenty two percent or three out of every four deaths, will occur as a result of cardiovascular disease or This need not be. What is Healthy Eating, or how does a person eat for life? It's easier and more enjoyable than you might think. These practical ideas show you how to make healthful, tasty, and appetizing food choices at home and when you're eating out.

These seven basic guidelines are:
-Eat a variety of foods.
-Maintain desirable weight.
-Avoid too much fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
-Eat foods with adequate starch and fibre.
-Avoid too much sugar.
-Avoid too much sodium.

If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation. Keep in mind that staying healthy requires more than just good nutrition. Regular exercise, getting enough rest, learning to cope with stress, and having regular physical check-ups are important ways to help ensure good health. Check-ups are especially important for early detection of cancer and heart disease. Controlling high blood pressure (hypertension) can greatly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Remember, three of the major risk factors for heart disease are largely under your control. They are:

-Smoking
-High Blood Pressure
-High Blood Cholesterol

How do the foods we eat affect our chances of getting cancer and heart disease? There is much still to be learned about the relationship between the foods we eat and our risk of getting cancer or heart disease. The NHLBI and NCI are conducting a great deal of research to find out more about this relationship. There is, however, a lot that we know now. The relationship of diet to cancer and the relationship of diet to risk factors for heart disease are summarized here:

OBESITY: We know that obesity is associated with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Extreme obesity has also been linked to several cancers. This means that if you are obese, losing weight may reduce your chances of developing these serious diseases or conditions.

If you already suffer from hypertension and are overweight, weight loss alone can often lower your blood pressure to normal levels. Because fat (both saturated and unsaturated fat) has more than twice the number of calories than equal weights of carbohydrate or protein, decreasing the fat in your diet may help you lose weight as well as help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease. Today, most of us get about 37 percent of our daily calories from fat. Many experts suggest that figure should be reduced to 30 percent or less.

HEART DISEASE: We know that high blood cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease, especially as it rises above 200 mg/dl (milligrams of cholesterol per decilitre of blood). The evidence is clear that elevated cholesterol in the blood, resulting in part from the foods we eat and in part from cholesterol made in the body, contributes to the development of atherosclerosis, a disorder of arteries that results in their narrowing and in reduced blood circulation. This condition can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Blood cholesterol levels are greatly influenced by the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol found in many of the foods we eat; of the two, saturated fat seems to be the major dietary factor which affects blood cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol are often found together in foods.
Saturated fat is provided primarily by animal products such as the fat in meat, butter, whole milk, cream, cheese, and ice cream. There are a few vegetable fats; coconut oil, cocoa butter, palm kernel and palm oils which are also high in saturated fat. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish and dairy products. Plant foods such as vegetables, grains, cereals, nuts, and seeds do not contain cholesterol. A few foods are high in cholesterol but relatively low in fat, for example, egg yolks and liver.

Watch out for items in the grocery store that are labelled no cholesterol or, contains no animal fat. They may still contain a large amount of fat or saturated fat. Examples are peanut butter, solid vegetable lard, non-dairy cream and baked products like biscuits and cakes. For people trying to lose blood cholesterol level, these foods should be chosen less often.

We know that substituting unsaturated fatty acids (which are usually liquid and usually come from plant sources) for saturated fats can help reduce high blood cholesterol. Sunflower, corn, soybean, olive, and canola oils are major sources of unsaturated fats. The omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fish and seafood, may have a favourable effect on blood fat and reduce the risk of heart disease.

There is an association between too much sodium in the diet and high blood pressure in some individuals. Sodium is a mineral that occurs naturally in some foods and is added to many foods and beverages as salt or other additives. Most sodium comes from salt. One teaspoon of salt contains about 2 grams of sodium. In countries where people eat only small amounts of sodium, high blood pressure is rare.

We also know that when some people with high blood pressure greatly reduce their sodium intake, their blood pressure will fall. According to the National Academy of Sciences, a safe and adequate amount of sodium in the diet of the average adult is between 1 and 3.3 grams daily.

CANCER: The National Cancer Institute estimates that about 80% of all cancers may be related to smoking, diet, stress and the environment. They also estimate that about one-third of all cancer deaths may be related to the foods we eat.

Their studies suggest that eating foods high in fibre may reduce risks of cancers of the colon and rectum. Adults now eat about 11 grams of fibre daily, but NCI studies recommend that we increase the daily amount of fibre we eat to between 20 and 30 grams, with an upper limit of 35 grams daily.

The NCI also emphasizes the importance of choosing fibre rich foods, not supplements. Good sources of fibre are whole grain breads and bran cereals, vegetables, cooked dry peas and beans, and fruits.

Diets high in fats of all kinds have been linked to certain cancers, particularly those of the breast, colon, lining of the uterus, and prostate gland. Some studies have suggested that fat may act as a cancer promoter (an agent that speeds up the development of cancer).

There is evidence from studies of vitamins as they are found in foods, that diets rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and beta-carotene (the plant form of vitamin A) may help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

That is why NCI recommends that you eat a variety of foods rich in vitamins rather than relying on vitamin supplements. Good sources of vitamin A include: yellow-orange vegetables such as carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin; and fruits such as peaches, cantaloupes and mangoes.

Sources of vitamin C include: dark-green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, watercress, broccoli, asparagus, and tomatoes. Some fruit sources of vitamin C: are oranges, lemons, grapefruit, peaches, berries, and cantaloupe.