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Liquid Supplements and Vitamins Versus Pill-Type Supplements and Vitamins – Which is Better?

Ideally, the food we eat is supposed to provide us with the vitamins and minerals our body requires but the diet of most people lacks many of the needed nutrients due to over processing. When people suspect their basic dietary needs are not being fulfilled they should consider taking vitamin and mineral supplements.

There is a long tradition of delivering vitamins, minerals and other nutritional supplements in the form of pills, capsules and tablets. However, in recent years it has been discovered that the most effective way to have your body absorb vitamins and other nutritional supplements is in liquid form and delivered through an oral spray or a dropper. There are various reasons why liquid supplements are more advantageous.

Liquid supplements allow a person’s body to directly absorb the nutrients into the bloodstream within seconds through the buccal mucosa (the cells of your mouth). Pills, capsules and tablets are designed to be broken down in the digestive track where absorption and benefits could take hours.

The highly respected Physician’s Desk Reference contains research that states that only about 10% to 20% of the nutrients in vitamins pills are absorbed into the human body. The rest ends up as waste. It also states that absorption of liquid supplement drinks or sprays can be 98%. Other research shows that liquid supplements can be up to 10 times more effective than nutritional supplements in pill form.

Additionally, pills, capsules and tablets are made with many “inactive” or binding ingredients that have no benefit to the body and actually inhibit absorption. All you need to do is read a few labels on vitamin containers and you’ll see a list of these “inactive” ingredients that include wax, talcum powder, sugar, yeast and starch all which make it more difficult for the body to breakdown and eventually absorb the active ingredients.

Taking pill-type supplements can be tedious and unpleasant for many people especially the elderly. They cannot stand throwing pills into the back of their mouth and forcefully trying to consume them with a glass of water. Due to the varying sizes of pill type supplements many people experience a gag reflex, and the dry and chalky after-taste becomes a barrier. All of these problems are avoided by the use of liquid vitamins and supplements.

In general, using liquid supplements, particularly delivered by a spray or dropper, is much more effective and convenient to carry about and administer. They taste good and the body does not need to work hard to absorb the active ingredients. When sprayed or dropped in the mouth and held for 10 to 20 seconds the nutrients are absorbed and enter the bloodstream in seconds or minutes not hours it takes for pills. Many health experts now believe that this delivery system is most beneficial to the body considering that it offers a quicker full delivery of nutrients. Other than having them delivered through an IV at a doctor’s office or hospital, a liquid or spray is the best most cost effective way to receive your daily vitamins and supplements.

Marshall Swerman, a successful business person, has been studying and working in the area of nutritional solutions, aging and the effects of proper spray supplements on quality of life and anti-aging. Go to http://www.renuva.net and find out about his high-grade supplements, HGH and their effect on aging.

Fashion Designer Eyewear – Style For Your Eyes

Gone are the days when the mere thought of having to wear eyeglasses made you cringe and the choice in eyewear was limited. Contact lenses did bring in some flexibility and freedom but the overwhelming majority of users still thought of eyewear as a necessary evil. Not so today. Today, users have an overwhelming array of eyewear to choose from, ranging from a variety of frames and lenses in eyeglasses to different kinds of contact lenses.

The Age of Fashion Designer Eyewear

Over the years, people became more particular about their wardrobe, their accessories, even their hairstyle, making careful selections to build and enhance their individuality. The selection of eyewear however, was almost always done with a practical end in mind – does it fit well, is it comfortable, what does it cost? Things slowly started changing as big names entered the eyewear market.

Top fashion houses like YSL, Gucci and Armani started designing eyewear and people got up and took notice. The markets were suddenly flooded with eyewear that differed in look, colors, overall designs, even texture. Eyewear was no longer the boring practical accessory that it once was – it was now chosen to add pizzazz to ones’ wardrobe. In fact, it is now fairly common for people to have three to four pairs of eyewear, to wear on different occasions. More and more celebrities are also being seen in designer eyewear giving them an allure all of their own. Fashion designer eyewear is now used to make a style statement as proved by the growing demand for designer eyewear, with even zero power! Eyewear has transformed into a genuine fashion accessory.

Types of Fashion Designer Eyewear

Nowadays, there is plenty to choose from both in terms of frames as well as lenses. Along with the conventional glasses which are available in classic colors, you will also find bold, standout frames in vivid colors and patterns. Some frames are round while some are strikingly angular. You could find frames that are rimless all around but just to add that dash of variety, you could also find some that are rimless on top and some that are rimless at the bottom. And of course, there are full frames and half-frames. The material used may be metals and zyls with spring hinges to give a perfect fit.

There are also a variety of designs. There are simple differences as between frames with clean lines or ones that have sweeping curves, thin frames or those with thick rims. Then there are those like the EyeBobs with bright colors – orange, green, pink – and stand out patterns. You could choose from different types of contact lenses too depending on what the occasion is – use different colored contacts to highlight or merely change the color of your eyes.

So, if you are in need of some eyewear, look for comfort and look for fit but also look at the various designer eyewears and choose one that also gives you a unique sense of style.

Suzanne Hughes is an online eyewear style consultant specializing in reading glasses. For great styles of eyeglasses, including bifocal reading glasses, sunglasses, and folding specs, be sure to visit her website.

Eyeglasses, Retro-Chic!

It’s officially 2009! Welcome to the new year! Our crystal ball predicts that the retro look will be blazin’ this year! You won’t be able to turn a corner without seeing sweater-dresses, brightly colored tights, leggings (yes! They’re back!), and slouchy boots. What does this mean for eyeglasses, you may ask? BIG things! HUGE! With the vintage looks in full force, retro-looking eyeglasses will be all the rage when paired with your favorite outfits! How do you get away with pairing your favorite retro looks with your favorite vintage-style glasses without making yourself look out-dated? It’s easy and we’ll tell you how!

The 1950′s: back in the good ol’ days, Buddy Holly’s glasses were swell for guys and women like LeeRemick’s eyeglasses in Anatomy of a Murder were so nifty.

So how do you wear the outfits of the 1950′s without looking like you’re IN the 1950′s? Skinny jeans are hot these days, especially when worn with flats or loafers. Pair darker colored denim with a white shirt, perhaps a cardigan (a longer one is more modern looking) with some flat shoes and dark, plastic frames! Another option for women is to pair a modern looking bubble skirt with a tighter fitting tshirt, a pair of Mary-Jane shoes, and horn-rimmed glasses! Men can wear a cardigan as well but a black sweater over a white shirt with somewhat tighter jeans (think James Dean) is very hot!

The 1960′s: when hoppin’ and boppin’ shifted to swayin’ and protesting, clothing shifted from big and flowy to form-fitting and micro-mini. Faye Dunaway wore hip glasses in the Thomas Crown Affair and John Lennon switched between horn rimmed frames and metal eyeglass frames.

When replicating 60′s chic, it’s important to remember flower-power without looking like a flower-child. The early 60′s were great with jumpers and brightly colored outfits. Today, we have brightly colored leggings (they have MUCH better coverage) that pair very well with t-shirt dresses, sweater dresses, and modern jumpers. When wearing something brightly colored- remember to pick accessories to accent it, like earrings or a necklace, but stay away from making your entire outfit the same bright color… or even a few bright colors. You don’t need to look like a fruit salad.

The 1970′s: feelin’ groovy? So was Jan Smithers in her eyeglasses from the hit show WKRP in Cincinnati! Punkin’ out hard-core was Elvis Costello in his own version of the Buddy Holly eyeglass frame!

Fashion from the 70′s really wasn’t THAT bad… unless you were one of the Village People. Wide legged pants are best paired with eyeglass frames that are slightly more delicate with cool chunk heeled boots (it elongates the leg) and a slim-fitting tshirt or sweater. Higher-waisted pants are a wonderful alternative to the popular low-rise but don’t return to the 70′s, keep it modern looking. Men can still get away with wearing a plaid shirt (lighter colored – no lumberjack styles!) over a white tshirt with some loose fitting jeans and a pair of aviators!

The 1980′s: wide necked sweaters, leggings, leg warmers, sweater dresses, big hair AND big glasses! Who can forget those times? Lots of people. D.M.C. of RUNDMC made big, black plastic eyeglass frames hip again! My first pair of glasses were similar to his – only blue!

Luckily, these styles are hot again but sweater dresses should only be worn with a thick belt and funky eyeglasses. Leg warmers can be worn under boots with leggings. Please steer clear of the big hair! Guys have it easy- a polo shirt with a popped up collar and aviators bring a modern take to Fast Times at Ridgemont High!

Class dismissed!

Hillary R. – GlassesUSA.com offers prescription eyeglasses online at discount prices. Buy quality eyeglasses with a 100% money back guarantee, free lenses, and professional service.

Make it Easy For Yourself to Quit Smoking – Hypnosis Taps the Power of Your Subconscious Mind

Do you really want to make it easy for yourself to quit smoking? Hypnosis can tap into the power of your subconscious mind to cure your cravings. In order to help you quit smoking, hypnosis helps you turn negative habits into positive, healthy behaviors. So just how does it work?

Think about how you automatically drive a car. If you have been driving for any number of years, we’ve practiced every small action that goes into driving a car thousands of times. In fact, you’ve practiced them so many times that they have become automatic.

That’s why sometimes, when you’re preoccupied with something else, you can arrive at your destination and not remember driving there. You drove on autopilot, because you’ve done it so many times that your subconscious was able to take over for you.

You’ve created your habit of autopilot smoking the same way you’ve created your pattern of autopilot driving. You’ve smoked so many times, in so many situations, that most of the time you reach for your cigarettes and lighter without even thinking about it. You have actually trained your subconscious mind to make you smoke on autopilot. Your subconscious is performing the actions that it has been trained to do. But the actions are killing you.

The good news is, you weren’t born with a cigarette in your mouth. As a child, and maybe even as a young adult, you spent several years of your life as a non-smoker. That means your subconscious mind has a solid memory of “not smoking”. That’s really good news.

Even though you smoke on autopilot right now, you also know how to “not smoke”. You have direct experience being a non-smoker. So you don’t really have to learn a new behavior. You just have to unlearn a more recent (and deadly) behavior. And that’s what hypnosis can help you do.

Hypnosis can help your subconscious mind connect with your earlier experiences of “not smoking”. And it can help you practice being a non-smoker… over and over again. A good quit smoking hypnosis program helps you reconnect with the automatic part of your brain that knows how to “not smoke”.

Yes, it sounds kind of strange at first. But if you think about it for a moment, it makes a lot of sense. Connecting with that part of your brain that knows how to “not smoke” is especially powerful if you really want to stop smoking. Your strong desire to quit will act like fuel to ignite your motivation.

Many people have success the first time they use a quit smoking hypnosis program. But a lot of people have to try a second, third, or fourth time (or more) before they quit smoking for good. If you’re one of the people that has try to stop more than once, don’t be hard on yourself. Everyone’s situation is different.

Some people are lucky enough to start their quit smoking program during a calm time in their lives. Other people, even with the best intentions and motivation, quit smoking right before an unexpected life changing event happens. They get laid off, or their daughter announces she’s getting married. Even good things can be stressful.

A wedding or a new baby on the way can be wonderful news, but they still create stress. And stress is the number one trigger for most people to start smoking. That’s why self hypnosis has such a great long term track record with ex-smokers. Self-hypnosis is based on learning relaxation techniques. And if you practice them often enough, they turn into healthy new automatic habits that you can use for the rest of your life.

To learn more about how to Quit Smoking using Hypnosis, visit Quit Smoking using Hypnosis – for tips, real life experiences, and recommendations on how to quit the smoking habit, using hypnosis.

Want to Quit Smoking? Hypnosis is (Almost) Pain-Free

Do you really want to quit smoking? Hypnosis is the most painless method you can possibly choose. Compared to using patches, pills, other drugs or cold turkey methods to quit smoking, hypnosis techniques are extremely gentle, easy to use and easy to learn.

If you’ve ever known anyone who has tried to quit cold turkey, you probably steered yourself clear of them for several weeks or months. At the very least, they’re cranky and grouchy. At worst, cold turkey quitters can be just plain mean and completely unpleasant to be around.

And they can be very short tempered. They’ll shout about silly things like who ate the last chocolate chip cookie, when there’s a full, fresh box sitting in the cupboard. Sometimes they’re so overly sensitive they’ll cry if you burn the toast.

If you’ve ever tried to quit cold turkey before, you may have even done some of those things yourself. Quitting smoking is a tough process, and cold turkey is anything but painless and gentle.

But when you quit smoking using hypnosis, you learn easy ways to handle your temper and emotions. When a strong nicotine craving grips your gut, you won’t need to grit your teeth to force yourself not to reach for a cigarette. Instead, you’ll have gentle mental techniques you can use to ease your way through.

And have you ever known anyone who tried to quit using nicotine replacement gum? Or have you ever tried it yourself? The gum tastes like the floor of a pub after closing on a busy Saturday night.

Even if you’re desperate to quit smoking, it can get really difficult to force that nasty-tasting gum into your mouth.

It gets to the point where you feel like you’re punishing yourself for quitting, instead of rewarding yourself. Chewing nicotine-laced gum is definitely not a pain-free and gentle approach to stopping smoking.

Hypnosis, on the other hand, has no disgusting after taste. And it doesn’t get harder and harder to do the longer to try it. In fact, just the opposite it true. It gets easier and easier the longer your use it.

The mental techniques you use when you quit smoking with hypnosis actually begin to become new habits themselves. You’ll find that you begin to use them automatically when nicotine cravings arise. But instead of reaching for your cigarettes and lighter, you’ll be able to just start mentally running through your hypnosis routine.

And have you ever had to stop in the middle of whatever you were doing (watching the play-off games? visiting at a friend’s house?) just to drive to the nearest store to pick up a fresh nicotine patch? When your patch runs out of juice, the nicotine cravings are just as strong (and painful) as when you were smoking.

Does that really surprise you? It shouldn’t. Stop and think about it for a minute. There’s only one difference between using a cigarette or cigar to fill your body up with nicotine and using a patch to do it: the patch doesn’t create smoke.

The patch is definitely easier on the environment. And the people around you will breathe more easily because you’re using it. Technically, you may have quit smoking when you use the patch. But you haven’t quit your nicotine addiction. And those killer cravings will keep coming back to haunt you.

But with a hypnosis program, when you get a gut-wrenching craving for nicotine right in the middle of your best friend’s wedding, you won’t have to grit your teeth in agony. Instead, you’ll only have to remember your hypnosis cues and mentally put them into play. Nice and easy. They’ll be available for you to use whenever and wherever you need them.

To learn more about how to Quit Smoking using Hypnosis, visit Quit Smoking with Hypnosis – for tips, real life experiences, and recommendations on how to quit the smoking habit, using hypnosis.

Quit Smoking Hypnosis Delivers Long Term Results

Quit smoking hypnosis programs address behaviors that quit smoking drugs don’t. Drugs might help you get through the physical nicotine withdrawal symptoms more easily than quitting cold turkey. But if you really want to quit smoking, hypnosis programs do a better job long-term

One of the reasons for the low success rate of non-smoking drugs long-term, is that they don’t address your “smoking rituals”. If you’ve ever tried these stop smoking drugs yourself, you’ll know what I’m talking about

Sure, you slap a patch on your arm or your hip, and it takes the edge off of the nicotine cravings. but you still have the feeling that you should be smoking when you’re sitting in that favorite chair and where you see that cut crystal ashtray sitting on the table, or when you finish a meal.

And you actually feel physically uncomfortable when you don’t perform the smoking rituals that you become used to. When you reach into your pocket and you don’t pull out a pack of smokes, or when you reach into your purse, and you don’t pull out that fancy lighter, it feels like there’s something missing. You just feel uneasy.

Now, if you’re a long time smoker, what you do to make yourself feel better whenever you feel anxious or uneasy? Right. You have a smoke…or two or three…and you calm down and feel much better.

But if you’re trying to quit, now you’ve got a real dilemma. If you used to smoke one pack a day, that’s 20 cigarettes, you are now feeling uncomfortable and anxious at least 20 times a day. But you can’t have a cigarettes to make you feel better!

But wait, there’s more. How about all of those other times during the day that you feel anxious or upset, when you couldn’t have had a cigarette anyway. You know, like when your boss is yelling at your about the report that’s overdue, or a nicotine craving hits in the middle of church service.

You used to at least be comfort yourself by the thought of having a smoke as soon as you got out of the office or the church. But now you can’t even take comfort from looking forward to your future smoking time!

That’s exactly where a good self hypnosis program to help you quit smoking comes in. You can think of it as a training program to help you learn to become a non-smoker again. After all, there was a time way back in your past when you didn’t smoke.

There was a time, at least when you were a child, when you didn’t smoke when you felt nervous. You might have sucked your thumb or chewed your nails. But you didn’t smoke. So you know you can successfully live without smoking.

A lot of people use the smoking cessation drugs, like the patch or nasal sprays, to help them get through the physical nicotine withdrawal. They are designed to wean you gradually off of nicotine. Over a period of several weeks, you get smaller and smaller amounts, until you finally don’t use them at all.

But many people also use hypnosis to help them get through the mental withdrawal of losing their smoking rituals. They combine hypnosis with the quit smoking drugs. They take advantage of all the help they can get.

Smoking cessation hypnosis programs can also help you develop healthy new habits to replace your old smoking rituals. So when you feel uncomfortable or restless during the day, you can use a healthy response to make yourself feel better, instead of smoking.

Over time, the healthy techniques that you learn during a quit smoking hypnosis program replace your old bad habits. And that’s the way people successfully stay off of cigars or cigarettes forever.

To learn more about how to Quit Smoking using Hypnosis, visit Quit Smoking Hypnosis – for tips, real life experiences, and recommendations on how to quit the smoking habit, using hypnosis.

Quit Smoking Hypnosis Programs – Which Kind is Best For You?

You already know you want to buy a quit smoking hypnosis program. But there are so many to choose from! How can you tell which one is best for you?

First you have to decide whether you want your hypnosis program to be live-in-person, or if a print or audio version will suit your needs. Here are three things to consider: your personal learning style, your available time, and finally…how much will it cost?

First, what is your personal learning style? Some people learn better when they can talk to another person. They like to ask a lot of questions, they like to get feedback or they simply want reassurance. If that sounds like you, you might want to consider a one-on-one and hypnosis counseling program to help you quit smoking.

Or you might want to consider a group counseling, setting. Many people benefit from interacting with other people who are going through the same experiences. Peer support can be useful if you like using the “buddy system”, or if you like doing things in a team environment.

Next, you have to consider how much time you have available, and how flexible you can be with that time. Individual and group hypnotherapy sessions require scheduling. You have to make a commitment to show up in person at a given time, on a regular basis.

For people who have routine schedule already, it may be just a matter of putting another date on the calendar. But if you’re one of those people who already has so many things on your calendar that it’s overflowing, it might be difficult for you to squeeze another commitment in.

Or what if your schedule is unpredictable, or changes every week? Even if you really have your heart set on joining a quit smoking group, or having a weekly face-to-face meeting with your smoking cessation counselor, it just might not be practical for your lifestyle.

Last, there’s the matter of cost. Of course, if money is no object for you, you can just skip reading this paragraph! But for most people, money is a consideration. And even though your cash flow will improve when you stop buying cigarettes or cigars, you might still have to think about your budget.

In-person hypnotherapy programs for smoking cessation are not cheap. They can cost $100 per session or more. Now multiply that by the number of sessions that you’ll need to quit smoking. Now you have a good estimate of how much smoking counseling might cost you.

If that’s more than you want to or can afford to spend, there are still really good options available. You can purchase a quit smoking hypnosis program in print or in audio for a one-time cost of less than $100. You can buy stop smoking books or CDs, or downloadable e-books or MP3 files that you can play on your iPod.

These quit smoking hypnosis programs are just as effective as the in-person approach for many people. And they’re especially good for people who like to be able to review their lessons. If that sounds like you, then you’re in luck. There are a lot of great products to choose from.

You’ll have to decide whether you want a product that you can read, or if you would prefer a product that you can listen to. Sometimes you can even find both options in one product.

But even if you have to be concerned about your budget when you buy a program to help you quit smoking, make sure that you don’t make your purchase based on price alone. Sometimes the cheapest really is the best. But if it’s not, you deserve the best that you can afford. After all, it’s your life.

To learn more about how to Quit Smoking using Hypnosis, visit Quit Smoking Hypnosis – for tips, real life experiences, and recommendations on how to quit the habit, using hypnosis.

Quit Smoking – Hypnosis Can Save You More Than Just Money

You’ve already decided to quit smoking. Hypnosis is just one of the methods you’ve heard about. You know someone who’s using nicotine gum to quit, and he says it tastes like dirty socks. And you’ve already tried cold turkey a couple of times and remember every agonizing minute of it. So the quit smoking hypnosis program sounds pretty good. But aren’t those programs really expensive? Won’t they cost more than nicotine patches or pills?

Of course, if you’re really concerned about the expense of quitting smoking, there’s no need to tell you that your smoking habit is already costing you a small fortune. You already know that your money is literally going up in smoke. And if you didn’t already know it yourself, your friends and family are more than happy to tell you how much money you’re wasting…over and over again. It’s one of the many reasons you want to quit.

So, as long as the quit smoking method you finally choose costs less than what you’re spending on cigarettes or cigars, you’ll be coming out ahead, right? Maybe not.

Do you know how much those other quit smoking methods really cost? Nicorette gum can cost you more than $100 a month. Using a nicotine patch can also cost you more than $100 a month. And how about those nasal sprays and inhalers? Well, they’ll cost you anywhere from $100 to $400 per month or more. And prescription pills? There’s another hundred dollars per month, at least.

And that’s just the beginning. Smoking cessation programs that use these methods usually plan for you to be on them for two to six months. So you could be looking at a cost of anywhere from $200 to more than $2400 to quit smoking

Of course, double or triple that amount would still be worth it if you really quit smoking for good using those programs. But 8 out of 10 people who use quit smoking drugs end up smoking again after spending all that money. And if they want to try quitting again, using those same methods, they’ll need to spend that same amount of money or more the next time around.

Now compare those costs with the cost of learning how to use hypnosis to quit smoking. Depending on the program you use, hypnosis for quitting smoking can cost anywhere from $40 to $500. Of course, it’s more expensive if you choose to find a hypnotherapist and go to one-on-one, in-person counseling sessions . And it’s less expensive when you buy a book or CDs, and learn to use self-hypnosis.

But whether you learn the techniques in person from a therapist, or from a book or from an internet download, the hypnosis tools you use to quit smoking are just as effective . That’s because what you’re really learning is how to use self-hypnosis to cure yourself from both your physical addiction to nicotine, and from your mental and emotional smoking habits.

When you use gum, patches, sprays, inhalers or pills you’re spending money to address your physical addiction to nicotine. Yes, the nicotine replacement drugs address the physical cravings. But they don’t help one bit with changing all of your day to day smoking behaviors, habits and rituals.

That’s probably the biggest reason why drug approaches alone aren’t very effective for quitting smoking in the long run. When you really want to quit smoking for good, you’ll need to learn how to handle all of the cravings that come up…physical, mental and emotional.

Hypnosis has the best track record for long term success for smoking cessation. You’ll learn effective methods to handle the physical cravings of nicotine withdrawal. And you’ll learn techniques to deal with those slippery mental and emotional triggers that can get you off track on any given day if you’re not prepared.

To learn more about how to Quit Smoking using Hypnosis, visit Quit Smoking Hypnosis – for tips, real life experiences, and recommendations on how to quit the habit, using hypnosis.

Surf Yoga – The Key To Surfing And Living Better

What if I told you that your surfing will take on a whole new meaning once you have have cultivated physical, mental and spiritual growth. If you’re like me, your first question might be “Ok, what’s the catch? Do I have to quit smoking and eat beet greens every day?” The answer is “yes,” those things are no-brainer’s. But the real secret lies in a growing phenomenon that is deeply rooted in history – surf yoga.

Your ability to surf better is directly related to your core strength, balance, your focus and determination and your mental and spiritual well-being. Improving your ability in the water just doesn’t happen with out a good surfing fitness program. Yoga is practiced by many of the world’s best surfer’s, most notably 9-time World Title holder Kelly Slater. Kelly is just one of thousands of surfer’s who practice surf yoga as a ritual, and the benefits are obvious; improved performance in the water, improved mental health and improved physical well-being.

Disciplining yourself and getting to know your body in this way may be something new to you, so take it easy at first and then push yourself once you have an idea of where your limits are. Learning what your body is actually capable of will not only surprise you, but will translate directly into more radical turns, faster recoveries from slip-ups and falls, and overall harmony with the waves.

Yoga for Surfers borrows the best poses and exercises from other Yoga disciplines and combines them into a routine that targets specific muscle groups, builds the inner body strength surfers need, and provides the same mental focus lessons that have benefited all peoples for centuries. After becoming familiar with your body’s needs, you will develop a shortened routine that you can practice on the beach before every session out. You will come to love this time just before paddling out; your opportunity to bring mind, body and spirit together.

The opening prayer for the practice of yoga reads:

“Because I want more peace of mind and stability in life, I faithfully practice Yoga as it has been passed down by the surf gurus.”

I’ve taken the liberty of adding “surf” into the mantra before “gurus” just for you. Recite it a couple times. Close your eyes and clear your head for a moment. Set aside your worries and inhibitions. Breathe deeply and slowly a few times. Picture yourself flashing the peace sign as you tuck into a perfect barrel. Feel the crystal clear blue water as it spills over your shoulder. Now, relax your body and focus on the words “surf gurus” and you’ve got it. You’re ready to start practicing surf yoga and soon you will be opened up to a whole new perspective on life, and most importantly, surfing.

All surfers are young at heart, but the harsh reality is that the body just doesn’t keep up. If you want to continue to surf better, then you need to start looking after your body. Surf Yoga is a whole lot more fun that running on a treadmill, lifting weights, or just plain stretching. Yoga for surfers is really an extension of the sport you already love. Embrace it now, or you may as well start giving away waves to the kids next time you paddle out.

Costa Rica Surf Guru Kelcey Parker has traveled in Costa Rica and around the world to provide you with the best info on Surf Yoga retreats in Costa Rica. To find out about the best surf yoga camps visit CostaRicaSurfGuru.com

3 Better Ways to Workout at Home

Most of us now know that weight training helps you build lean muscle tissue. But did you know that lean muscle allows your body to burn more calories not only during exercise but also when your body is at a resting state. Muscles are “metabolically active” 24 hours a day and unlike fat require constant oxygen, blood flow and nutrient consumption.

If you’re interested in fast ways to workout at home that burns more calories try these three tips.

1. Choose exercises that target multiple body parts when you are training. Pick a small muscle group and a large muscle group. For example, I plan to work on arms and legs today. So instead of splitting these two workouts up I will combine them with one effective exercise for a faster way to workout at home. Using an exercise like the lunge combined with bicep curls allows me to do this and helps me burn more calories in less time.

As you perform the lunge, you are going to add a bicep curl on the downward lunge motion to train the biceps, quadriceps and gluteals all at the same time. The lunge is also a great way to get some cardio work done as it is a very dynamic exercise that requires you to concentrate on posture, balance and coordination.

2. Use a fitness ball during dumbbell exercises. Instead of sitting or lying on a bench, try performing exercises like chest flies, curls and shoulder press on a fitness ball. This helps you burn more calories because the unstable ball forces your body to activate more muscles in your core and legs to maintain balance on the ball. Dumbbells and fitness balls are cheap alternatives to expensive gym memberships and take up little space for home workouts.

3. Use “high intensity interval training” to boost fat loss and burn more calories. Recent studies have shown that interval training can stimulate your metabolism far more AFTER the workouts than lower intensity training. This means you continue to burn more calories and fat for long periods after you’re done training. Not so with low intensity training. There is a lot of research being done about high intensity interval training and how it is becoming the workout of choice versus aerobic training for losing fat. I think we will all be hearing more about this and how it can help the body burn more calories.

Ways To Workout At Home In 15 Minutes Or Less

1. Pick 3 to 6 exercises that target the upper and lower body.

2. Perform each exercise back to back 8 to 15 reps without rest. The heavier the weight the less reps.

3. After you complete all the exercises one time rest for 30 to 60 seconds. You will have completed one set.

4. Repeat this sequence again until you have completed 3 to 5 sets.

This is one form of High Intensity Training that is so popular and effective for fat loss because it burns so many “total calories”.

Be creative. Think of all the exercises you currently do and adapt them to multi-muscle exercises. You will also have a fast way to workout at home and “brand new” exercise routines to help you get out of that workout rut. You can do this!

IMPORTANT: It’s always a good idea to check with your doctor to make sure you are ready to start an exercise program.

Richard is a physical therapist who specializes in health, fitness and rehabilitation. Want some home workout routines? Visit his site at Ways To Workout At Home!

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