Lifetime Fitness 4 Men

Get Relief From Back Pain With Simple Lumbar Exercises

Lumbar or back pain can be an extremely debilitating condition and is one of the most frequent complaints with about nine out of ten adults experiencing back pain at some point in their lives.  It usually originates from the muscle, nerves, bones, joints or other structures in the spine. There are a number of different treatments for lumbar back pain such as heat therapy, medications, massage and lumbar exercises.

Although lumbar back pain can be a sign of a serious medical condition, the vast majority of cases are due to inflammation that typically lasts between two and thirteen weeks.  It is essential that you seek professional medical advice before embarking on any form of treatment.

Although the performance of lumbar exercises varies with each patient, try to achieve a smooth gentle movement throughout the exercise and hold for a few moments at the end.  You can expect to experience some pain when practicing these lumbar exercises, but it should last for a short time only and be of a moderate intensity.

 
The first lumbar exercise is simply lying down on your front in a prone position.  This is especially useful with restricted ability to extend your spine.

Next is a spinal exercise that I personally used when I suffered from low back pain, so it could be used in conjunction with other low back pain exercises.  It is a yoga exercise and starts in the kneeling position.  Now slowly stretch your back out over your bent thighs until you reach a curled up position with your face as near to the floor as comfortable.  Hold for a few moments and then relax.  Spinal exercises tend to stretch the whole of your spine.

Another lumbar exercise you could do is to lie on the bed, grasp one knee and slowly and gently pull it up towards your chest whilst keeping your other leg flat down.  When you reach the furthest position, hold it there for a few moments and then lower back down.  Repeat with the other leg.
Finally, whilst lying on the bed, slowly and gently pull both of your knees up towards your chest.  Hold for a couple of seconds and then gently lower back down.

Recovering from back pain is a slow business and for spinal exercises to be successful, they have to be repeated daily over a long period.  I must repeat again that before commencing any exercises, you must seek advice from your doctor.

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A Simple Tennis Elbow Exercise Video

Hi,

Here is a simple tennis elbow exercise on video that you might find useful in relieving the pain.

Best wishes,

Alan

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Relieve That Pain With Tennis Elbow Exercises

Without doubt, tennis elbow causes sufferers immense pain and can affect their daily lives greatly.  Even the simplest tasks like holding a cup can be a painful and difficult operation.  But, there is help at hand.  By performing some easy tennis elbow exercises, you can help relieve some of the symptoms of this debilitating injury.

This condition, where the outer part of your elbow becomes sore and tender, is more formally known as lateral epicondyitis, the term ‘tennis elbow’ being first used in 1883.  It is a popular belief that tennis payers only are prone to this nagging injury and this is true for about one third of all players but, in fact, they account for five percent only of the total sufferers.

As the underlying cause can be continuous repetitive actions or a blow to your elbow, lots of people are at risk of suffering the symptoms of tennis elbow.  With tennis players, it is the continuous striking of tennis balls that is believed to cause damage to their forearm tendon attachment at the elbow.

Some symptoms are:

A painful feeling at the outside of your elbow and a nagging pain from there to your wrist; gripping and wrist movements are extremely painful and difficult to carry out; attempts to extend your wrist causes pain and you have less strength in your forearm.

If you find you are suffering from suspected tennis elbow, then your first move should be to see your doctor.  Following that, you may, after consulting with your doctor, choose to try these tennis elbow exercises and help to bring relief to some of these symptoms. 

For the first exercise, use something like a hammer that you can grip quite easily.  Then, with the hammer in your upturned hand and your forearm supported on your knee or a chair arm, slowly rotate your hand to a palm down position.  Now, rotate your hand back so that your palm faces up and you are back to the start position.  Repeat the movement once more.

The second exercise starts with you holding a can of soup or something similar in your hand palm down and your forearm supported so that only your hand is able to move.  Slowly lower your wrist down until it is at almost a right angle to your forearm and then slowly raise it back to the start position.

The third tennis elbow exercise requires the use of a thick rubber band which is interwoven around all your five fingers.  With your elbow held as straight as you are able without pain, attempt to spread and straighten out your fingers.  Now hold this position for three seconds.  Finally, allow your fingers to return to their natural position without closing your hand completely.  Try three sets of twenty five repetitions.

Finally, try squeezing a ball in your hand as firmly as you are able; hold it for a moment and then release.

Although your tennis elbow pain may cause you to reach for the pain killer tablets initially, tennis elbow exercises are well worth considering as a no side effects option.

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How To Balance Starting Swiss Ball Exercises

Hi lifetime fitness seekers,

Many of you have emailed to say that you are finding it difficult to find your balance when positioning yourselves to commence Swiss ball exercises.  Hopefully, the following article, “How To Balance Starting Swiss Ball Exercises” will help.

How To Balance Starting Swiss Ball Exercises

When first performing Swiss ball exercises, you may experience problems keeping your balance.   The very effort of trying to balance works your stomach muscles and that, in turn, helps you to lose belly fat.  As you practice exercise ball exercises, your balance will improve, but then maintaining your balance will also keep your stomach muscles engaged.

If your exercise ball workouts include exercises such as the exercise ball chair that require you to sit on top of the Swiss ball, then stability may be found by sitting on the centre top with your feet placed flat on the floor.  Adjust the spread between your feet until you feel balanced.

To position yourself face down on a Swiss ball, kneel over the ball and position your chest in a comfortable position.  Now stretch your legs out and use your arms to keep balance.

Some exercise ball exercises require a face up position and this can be more difficult to balance.  Start by sitting on top of the ball and then start to walk your feet forward.  Lean into the gym ball and allow it to roll up your back until you are resting in a balanced position.

Remember, every effort that you put into your exercise ball workouts will assist you in your battle to lose bell fat.

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How To Lose Belly Fat With Swiss ball Exercises

Swiss ball exercises, known also as exercise ball workouts, stability ball exercises, gym ball exercises and exercise ball exercises, have become popular in the pursuit of losing belly fat and attaining lifetime fitness.

Developed in 1963, the Swiss ball, larger and lighter than a medicine ball, comes in different sizes. They vary from the easily manipulated small ones to the larger ones that are great to practice balance and flexibility exercises. Just choose the size that suits your chosen exercise ball exercises.

The primary benefit of practicing Swiss ball exercises is that because of the instability of the exercise ball, your body engages many more muscles in an effort to just maintain your balance. Consequently, those muscles over time become increasingly stronger.

By focussing your exercise ball workouts on your abdominal and back muscles, and combining them with a healthy diet, you will be able to lose belly fat.

So what Swiss ball exercises could you include in your exercise ball workouts?

Firstly, there is the Crunch. In this gym ball exercise, position your lower back on the Swiss ball, making sure that it is fully supported, with your hands on your upper thighs. Next, start to curl up your upper body as far as it is comfortable whilst, at the same time, sliding your hands along your thighs. The idea is eventually for your hands to reach your knees, so stop if you do so. Now, slowly uncurl your upper body back to the starting position.

Next exercise is the Roller. Throughout this exercise, keep a straight line through your torso. Now, kneel on the floor, place your hands on the Swiss ball and keep your elbows straight. Now, gradually roll the ball away from you moving your point of contact from your hands to your forearms. When you reach a position that feels comfortable, hold it for five seconds.

Another addition to your exercise ball exercises is a gym ball variation of an exercise I mentioned in a previous article, the Plank. Position yourself on your hands and knees with your ankles and shins resting on the ball. Now you need to gradually push the ball back which should lift and straighten your knees. You should now have your body in a straight line from your shoulders to feet and you need to hold that position for as long as possible.

Here are some more Swiss ball exercises:

Place your hands on the floor and rest your shins on the ball. With your stomach pulled in and your back flat, gradually bring your knees up in the direction of your chest pulling the ball towards you. Then slowly push the ball back away and straighten your legs.

I love this exercise ball exercise that is called the exercise ball chair. That is basically what it is, an exercise ball chair – you just simply sit on it. Does it sound simple just sitting around on ball? Yes, it probably does however, easy it is not. You will find that trying to hold your balance whilst sitting on a Swiss ball will challenge your body and exercise your muscles. This is based on the theory that, in order to maintain balance and posture whilst sitting on the ball, your abdominal and back muscles are constantly active and engaged.

Combining Swiss ball exercises in a regular exercise ball workout together with a healthy diet is a sure method of achieving your goal of losing belly fat and having fun at the same time.

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Best Stomach Exercises For Men

Do you look in the mirror sigh and think, “I need to flatten my stomach, lose belly fat and those love handles have to come off. What are the best stomach exercises to achieve this?”

There is something about having a nice tight and flat stomach with chiselled six pack abs that just simply fires the imagination. There is no doubt that apart from improving the look of your upper body, strengthening these core muscles gives other positive health benfits.

Probably the most popular reasons for performing stomach exercises are cosmetic ones – we want to look good. Whilst these are understandable, there is a far more important reason to strengthen and flatten your stomach – the protection of the vital organs that lie behind your stomach wall.

Without losing belly fat, that lean abs pack will not be visible however hard you exercise. So, you must include changes to your diet otherwise a layer of belly fat will cover what you have achieved. There are numerous healthy diet plans available in magazines and online.

So, what are the best stomach exercises for men?

As well as a healthy diet, there are two types of exercise workouts necessary to achieve your aims. They are regular cardio and abs workouts.

To help burn belly fat, the cardio workout that I favour and probably the most accepted strategy is interval training. Whether using gym equipment like an exercise bike or running, swimming or cycling, interval training techniques are the most efficient use of time.

An example of interval training consisting of a thirty minute running workout would be a warm-up of five minutes, then two minute intermittent sessions of sprinting and jogging, finishing with a cool down session.

The second type of workout concentrates on building muscle. Exercises that concentrate on your obliques, the upper, middle and lower sections of your abs, are the ones to practice. Example exercises are: crunches, the plank, squats and sit-ups.

The bicycle exercise has been identified in recent studies to have a beneficial impact on your abs. which is ideal for men. Position your body on a flat surface so that your lower back is pressed to the ground and your hands behind your ears. With your knees positioned at a forty five degree angle, move your legs as if pedalling a bicycle. Alternate touching your left elbow with your right knee and your right elbow with your left knee whilst keeping your breathing relaxed.

A superb Pilates stomach exercise that is ideal for men is the Plank. Position yourself face down on the floor and using your elbows, push up your body and remain on your elbows and fingertips for a count of thirty to sixty seconds. Repeat the movement three times.

There is a breathing exercise that I like for which you slowly inhale filling your lungs to capacity. Then as you slowly exhale, pull your belly button towards your spine. Immediately you feel your sides tighten, hold your breath and position for a count of ten seconds, and then exhale completely. Repeat this exercise ten times.

These are some of the best stomach exercises for men, and combined with a good cardio workout and a healthy diet, will reward you with that chiselled six pack look of your dreams.

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