Weight Training Exercises For Sprinters

Performing exercises that smartly strengthen your core and upper body are just as important as strengthening your principal running muscles such as the glutes and hamstrings. With a lean but strong physique, a runner can hold off muscle fatigue and maintain optimally efficient form longer. “Your body is a connective chain, “You can’t just work one muscle.

This exercise will strengthen your feet. After all, they withstand 2-3 times your body weight with each running step. So the stronger your feet are, the better! Lay a small towel out on a linoleum or tile floor. Sit in a chair with your toes just over the edge of the towel. Begin to pull the towel toward you using your toes. When you can no longer pull more towel under your toes, spread the towel out again and repeat. Once the towel crunch gets too easy,

Basic Sprints

Sprinting will develop both speed and technique. The more you train for a specific speed activity, the better your body will get at performing the activity. Perform five sets of sprints, either on a track, through a grassy field, or even on a treadmill. Sprint between 50 to 100 feet, then slow down to a jog for another 50 feet. Repeat the cycle approximately five to 10 times.

Leaps

This exercise involves leaping as high as you can, while hopping over an obstacle such as a cone or a soccer ball. This plyometric exercise will improve power and strength in the leg muscles, while promoting powerful muscular contractions. This will allow the muscle to reach maximum strength in the shortest time possible. Perform this activity by leaping over obstacles that are lined up for about 50 feet,

Squats

This mainly works your glutes, hamstrings, and quads. There are a lot of variations, but by standing with your feet hip width apart. Then lower, while sticking your butt out, until your thighs are parallel with the ground. Slowly raise from there. Make sure your knee doesn’t go in front of your toes. Do 3 sets of 25 reps.

Lunges

This exercise will also stretch the hip flexors. Keep your feet hip-width apart, step forward with a very long stride.  Then, slowly lower your upper body straight down, keeping your weight on your back leg. Return to your standing position, then do 3 sets of 10 repetitions.

Calf Raises

The calves are very involved in running. That’s why it’s so important to keep them strong and flexible. You can do them with your legs straight, or with your knee slightly bent. Focus on lowering your heel as far as possible then rising up as high as possible. Once you can do 30-50 repetitions on each leg, you can add some additional weight. Try holding a dumbbell as you exercise.

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Best Yoga Poses During Pregnancy

A pregnant woman must take into consideration her health history before beginning with the exercises. For those who are doing yoga for the first time and have not been following a regime otherwise should not rush into the same without prior medical consent. The first three months are the most crucial and chances of miscarriage are high; therefore utmost caution is paramount during this time.

The following are the Yoga Poses that can help you in dealing with the symptoms of pregnancy, ensuring smoother and easier delivery, and faster recovery after childbirth. Poses that put pressure on the abdomen and other difficult poses should not be done during advance stages of Pregnancy. You do not have to do all these Asanas and remember to listen to your body and just do as much as you easily can.

First Trimester Adaptations

Many prenatal adaptations are designed to accommodate a big belly and prevent compression of the uterus. During the first trimester, the uterus remains fairly small and is protected by the pelvis, so compression is not really an issue. However, if you feel any discomfort, even in the first trimester, you should always err on the side of caution.

Baddha Konasana (Cobbler's Pose)

It is good yoga & exercise for pregnancy. This pose is brilliant for women all the way up to the last stages of pregnancy because it opens the hips-which helps prepare for labor and delivery, but it also stabilizes the pubic bone which supports the pelvic floor and can become uncomfortable as you get closer to delivery. (As the pregnancy hormones start to soften the connective tissue in the last trimester there is a slight risk of over stretching, this pose helps with that.

Viparita Karani 

Viparita Karani cultivates several health benefits that positively affect women. Because the pelvis and legs are raised higher than the heart and head, (either on a bolster, blanket, or using the fertility balls), the effects of gravity on the circulatory system are reversed and a rich supply of arterial blood is brought to the glands of the upper body and the brain.

Hero Pose (Virasana)

Hero pose looks simple, but is great for relieving leg and ankle swelling during pregnancy, improve posture, and help stretch the back, shoulders and neck. Also, as your belly grows, it can feel like you aren’t able to get a full breath, and the arm and shoulder stretches you can perform in this pose can help stretch the abdomen and open the chest to restore the breath.

Tree pose (Vrksasana)

As you progress in pregnancy your centre of gravity changes with your growing belly. Tree Pose is a pose that help regain your balance with your new centre of gravity, as well as improving posture, and building strength and stamina for labour. 

Best Diet Tips For Weight Loss

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, stabilizing your mood, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible—all of which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and using them in a way that works for you. You can expand your range of healthy food choices and learn how to plan ahead to create and maintain a tasty, healthy diet.

Weight loss, in the most basic sense, comes down to simple arithmetic.  You must eat less calories than you burn.  Period.  And the best way to go about creating this caloric deficit is a combination of diet and exercise.  But you already knew that.  Let’s get to the meal plan.

Almonds

These filling, snackable bites can help keep your blood sugar steady. A study from the Toronto found that people who ate almonds with white bread didn't experience the same blood sugar surges as those who ate just the slice. And the higher blood sugar levels rise, the lower they fall; that dip leads to hunger, causing people to overeat. Plus, blood sugar changes cause the body to make insulin, which can increase abdominal fat. Eat almonds on their own, or in almond-butter form.

Apples

An apple a day can keep weight gain at bay, finds a study from Penn State University at University Park. People who chomped an apple before a pasta meal ate fewer calories overall than those who had a different snack. Credit their high-fiber status—4 to 5 g each—which fills you up. Plus, the antioxidants in apples may help prevent metabolic syndrome, a condition marked by excess belly fat or an "apple shape.

Cauliflower

Cauliflower is also a vitamin C standout: Just 1/2 cup nets you 36 percent of your daily needs. Plus, this cruciferous veggie is a proven cancer fighter—it's been linked to a lower risk of colorectal, lung and stomach cancers. And like almost all veggies, cauliflower is low in calories while still offering filling fiber. This veggie is also super versatile and can make a great replacement for heavier foods. Try cauliflower roasted until crispy as a side dish to burgers or sandwiches, mashed up with a little trans-fat-free margarine to mimic mashed potatoes, or pureed and added to soups instead of cream.

Boca Burger Grilled Vegetable burger

Description: This zesty, soy-based vegetarian alternative to the high-saturated-fat American BBQ staple contains hints of zucchini, red-bell pepper, garlic, onion, and even a couple of cheeses. It tastes great and provides a good dose of protein. Add some lettuce, tomato, ketchup, or your other favorite toppings, and you'll hardly notice the difference from the traditional burger.

Alvarado Street sprouted wheat tortilla

Description: It's easy to make your own delicious wrap and save hundreds of calories. With this tasty, organic, whole-wheat tortilla you'll have no trouble fixing a quick, hearty lunch. Boost your vitamin and mineral intake by loading on a handful of greens, shredded carrots, tomato, and peppers along with grilled chicken, lean meat, turkey, or a bean-based filler.

Yoga Asanas For Weight Loss

Yoga is a known stress buster, but it's also one of the most effective workouts for fighting stubborn fat stores, especially the ones that crop up after age 40. Yes, you can use yoga for weight loss. The reason: Studies show that yoga lowers levels of stress hormones and increases insulin sensitivity—a signal to your body to burn food as fuel rather than store it as fat. The following yoga poses for weight loss will do just that while firming up your arms, legs, butt, and abs. Start now to see weight loss results in as little as 3 weeks.

Practicing yoga on a daily basis has certainly helped many people in reducing and gaining weight. People often blame their genes for being overweight or underweight. But that is not the case every time. It’s not always genes which are responsible for weight gain. Our lifestyle and eating habits also play a negative role in weight gain. There is a lot more you can do to reduce weight naturally.

Mandukasan

Sit down on the floor in Vajrasana position. Now make fists with both your hands & place them on your stomach in such a way that the joint touches the navel. Press both the fists against your abdomen. Now try to touch the ground with your forehead. Try bending downwards as much as you can. Hold this position for 20 seconds & then release. Practicing this yoga asana daily will help in reducing belly fat.

Dhanurasana

This is also known as Bow pose. All you have to do here is to lie down on the floor with your belly touching the ground. Keep your hands besides your chest. Now take a deep breath and lift your legs & thighs up. At the same time, you have to try to catch your legs with your hands. Remain in this position for 30 seconds & release

Surya Namaskar

yoga poses combined to form a sequence called Surya Namaskar. It is the best yoga has to offer as far as the poses are concerned. It works on the whole body especially on the big muscle group. A beginner can start with a few rounds of it and gradually increase the no. of rounds. It helps to shred the weight and also known as king of the asanas.

Cobra Pose

This is the pose which works on the chest and the back region. The heart opening pose helps to take deep breaths resulting in more oxygenated blood being pumped to different parts of the body. The oxygenated blood helps to burn the fat. Helps in toning the buttocks too.

Side Bends

It’s as important to work on muscles in the stomach region as often as working on other muscles group. After a certain age the body stops to grow and the fat starts accumulating in the stomach region. Side bends helps to melt those love handles. These bends might not help to burn a lot of calories but will be instrumental in inch loss. Don’t be surprised if you need to wear belts as your pants will be loose the next time.