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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

How to Disguise Stretch Marks on Bodybuilders

12:04:00 PM

When skin has been stretched beyond its elastic limits, a stretch mark will appear. This generally affects people that grow too quickly or lose or gain weight faster than their skin can adapt to the changes. These marks usually appear on the breast or chest, abdomen, upper arms, hips, thighs and back of the knees.

Generally, women are more susceptible to stretch marks. But, men can also develop them especially extreme athletes. For example, men that practice bodybuilding are especially likely to develop stretch marks.

They work on "bulking up", which causes their skins to stretch excessively in a short period of time. It is highly common for bodybuilders to develop stretch marks along their thighs and lower abdomen. For this reason, several bodybuilders are concerned about stretch marks and stretch mark treatments.

Ways of Treating Stretch Marks

Stretch mark removal is an unlikely solution for most bodybuilders because they don't have excess skin that can be removed. Surgical options are much more adequate for people who have lost a great deal of weight and have loose skin and stretch marks. Nevertheless, there are other treatment options for bodybuilders.

When stretch marks are new, it is possible to treat them with stretch marks creams and other stretch mark products, like rose hip seed oil. However, as they get older it may not be possible to eliminate them completely. Rose hip seed oil is very effective in dramatically reducing the appearance of stretch marks but not in eliminating them.

As a matter of fact, one of the best options for bodybuilders is to cover up their stretch marks. If you are okay with this solution then you should know that there are three basic ways of covering up these bothersome striations: clothing, makeup, and self tanners. Anyone can benefit from using these solutions.

Covering Up Stretch Marks

Clothing is probably the easiest and most hassle-free way of covering up your stretch marks. You can use jackets and long sleeve shirts to cover the stretch marks on your arms while the stretch marks on your abdomen can be covered up using a top or shirt. However, since bodybuilders compete they need other options that will help cover up stretch marks. In this case body makeup or self tanners can come in handy.

Body makeup is thick and more wear-proof than traditional foundation. When you have stretch marks in areas that are hard to cover or that you simply don't want to cover with clothing, this is an ideal option for you.

Another alternative for covering up stretch marks is spray on tans or self tanning lotions. If you decide to get a real tan, then you will only be making your stretch marks darker. But, self tanners will cover the skin evenly and help you avoid too much sun exposure.By: Martha Fitzharris

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Do Push Ups to Build Muscle Mass and Boost Metabolism

10:06:00 AM

Having spent many years doing many different workouts involving weights, cardiovascular machines, and calisthenics, I determined that the best way to build mass and boost metabolism is by doing pushups. Lots of pushups! After less than three months training, I was able to complete a one-thousand pushup routine in exactly 80 minutes.

Calisthenics, like pull-ups and pushups, are commonly avoided because they can be extremely painful. Because strength training exercises are typically anaerobic, with few exceptions, the body produces a high amount of lactic acid, thus causing a burning sensation in the muscles. Coupled with physical and mental exhaustion, an abundance of lactic acid can persuade even the hardest of athletes to give it a rest. Remember that your body will prevail, as long as you maintain your mental strength.

To begin, I would recommend a routine consisting of no more than 100-200 pushups, spread out over an entire day. Break them down into even sets, of say 20 pushups per set. Whenever you feel confident in yourself, drop to the floor and pound out a quick set. If 20 pushups are too many when you begin, then do more sets consisting of fewer repetitions per set. Do not concern yourself with the amount of time it takes to complete the first few workouts, just make sure you drink a lot of water and eat a lot of high protein food throughout the day. The day following your first pushup workout, your chest, stomach, shoulders and legs will be sore. It will become apparent just how many muscle groups are worked when doing pushups. Take 2-3 days rest.

The secret to building the endurance strength necessary to do extremely large numbers of repetitions is to strategize with your own body. The workouts need to be strategically spaced apart and sometimes stacked together to maximize results.

The second workout should be the same as the first, however do not take a 2-3 day rest after the workout. Instead of taking a long break, work out every other day, until you no longer get sore the day after. It may take a few weeks in order to be comfortable doing 200 pushups every other day. Do not lose sight of your goal. Remember that pain is a result of muscle wear and recovery, and should mentally represent progress, not a limitation. It will never go away, but it will greatly diminish over time as your body adjusts.

The third stage requires that you compress your workout into a set time interval. For the sake of example, let's say one hour. Find a comfortable number of repetitions that you feel that you will be able to repeat until you have reached your daily goal of 200 pushups. In this example, we'll do 10 repetitions. This workout will consist of 20 sets of 10 repetitions. 20 sets, evenly divided across 60 minutes means that you will need to do one set of 10 pushups every three minutes. Make sure that whatever goal you choose is achievable, and also poses a challenge. Repeat this routine every other day, until it becomes comfortable.

Because your muscles will quickly become fatigued doing calisthenics, it is very difficult to continually add more reps or sets to your workout. The easiest and most successful method [in my opinion] for building endurance is stacking workouts. By stacking, I mean completing the same workout more than one time in less than a 24 hour period. During the fourth stage, complete a 200 pushup routine in the morning and in the evening, followed by a day of rest. Once again, just like the previous stages, do this routine until your body becomes comfortable- this should only take a couple of weeks. At which point, you will complete the workout stacking, by coupling the two sessions into one two-hour session, consisting of 40 sets of 10 pushups, totaling 400 pushups. My buildup workouts include two sessions of 300-500 pushups apiece, followed by a day of rest. Note that you should not work the same muscle group two days in a row without rest. This method gave my body time to rest and refuel between sessions without going completely into recovery mode.

If your body responds quickly and you start to build considerable muscle mass in a short period of time, which I'm sure you will, the next thing to do is increase the number of repetitions per set and decrease the amount of time between sets. I would recommend a goal of 25-30 reps per set, beginning one set every 2 minutes. If done gradually, the workout compression can be very smooth and your 400-pushup routine can be completed in 32 minutes. It sounds very difficult, but it is achievable.

Now that you have the tools; timing your sets, timing your workouts and adding reps, you can pull the strings and make the workout work for you. If you have any difficulty in any particular aspect that prevents further gains, use the other techniques to manipulate your body into cooperating. For example, if you cannot add more reps to your sets, do more sets, or if you cannot do more sets, do two larger workouts spaced apart from one another.

Two important things to remember when doing mass building exercises such as pushups are; drink lots of water and eat lots of high protein food throughout the day. When doing my one-thousand pushup routine, I drink at least one full gallon of water daily to avoid dehydration and joint fatigue. Good luck!
Author: Richard West

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Exercise With Leg Lymphedema

12:05:00 PM

Fitness Article: Exercise with Lymphedema of the Leg...

I am writing this article from two points of view, as an experienced fitness trainer / strength coach who has studied health issues for many years and as a patient who suffers with lymphedema of the leg daily. I have been able to maintain my lymphedema pretty well, but that is because I have done extensive reading on the subject, I listened to my doctors, and I have extensive knowledge of exercise. It is on my mind every day, at almost every moment because it takes great effort to maintain properly. I have included the description of lymphedema below.

Lymphedema is a difficult thing to deal with and must be maintained all day long, every day. There is no cure for lymphedema. I have had lymphedema in my leg since my 1991 cancer surgery. I went from being a gymnastics coach and fitness trainer who exercised daily to being bedridden after my surgery as a result of the lymph nodes being removed along with the cancer. My life changed drastically, but I went back to work and learned how to maintain it as soon as possible. Several doctors told me that I would be bedridden for the rest of my life and that I would never work again. That was in 1991.

So, what is lymphedema? Here is the definition by the National Lymphedema Network...

"Lymphedema is an accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the interstitial tissue that causes swelling, most often in the arm(s) and/or leg(s), and occasionally in other parts of the body. Lymphedema can develop when lymphatic vessels are missing or impaired (primary), or when lymph vessels are damaged or lymph nodes removed (secondary).

When the impairment becomes so great that the lymphatic fluid exceeds the lymphatic transport capacity, an abnormal amount of protein-rich fluid collects in the tissues of the affected area. Left untreated, this stagnant, protein-rich fluid not only causes tissue channels to increase in size and number, but also reduces oxygen availability in the transport system, interferes with wound healing, and provides a culture medium for bacteria that can result in lymphangitis (infection)."

So, what types of exercise can a lymphedema patient perform? That depends on the patient and whether they have medical clearance to exercise. Once cleared for exercise, the best exercise to reduce the leg swelling is swimming because the person is horizontal, in motion, and performing a non-impact movement. The second best exercise for a person with leg lymphedema is riding a recumbent bike. It is also non-impact, it's a steady motion, and the legs are elevated slightly.

If the patient is in good physical condition otherwise and they have the lymphedema under control (as much as possible) they can use the elliptical machine. That is, if they can tolerate it from a fitness and medical standpoint. Make sure the lymphedema patient has permission from their doctor to perform exercise, especially an intense exercise such as the elliptical. Keep the person with lymphedema OFF THE TREADMILL. Walking and running cause the leg swelling to become MUCH worse because they are high impact. Picture someone putting ice cream into an ice cream cone and then packing it in. The swelling becomes dense, packed in if not maintained properly. The more severe, the more difficult it is to deal with.

In my experience, it can take an hour with the leg elevated before the swelling even BEGINS to go down and several days or weeks for it to completely drain. People with lymphedema should be wearing their compression stocking if their doctor prescribed it and sleeping with her legs elevated every night, unless their doctor has told them otherwise. It is important to stay in motion and to only perform non-impact exercises. For example, squats are often better than walking lunges for someone with lymphedema. The walking lunge is an impact exercise. Do NOT encourage a person with leg lymphedema to participate any exercise classes that include impact exercises. If they are in good shape the spin classes will keep the circulation going and help will lose or maintain a healthy body weight. It's all about keeping the body in motion without ANY impact exercises.

Keep in mind that of the lymphedema is from a new surgery the patient MUST be cleared to begin exercise because if they begin to exercise before the doctors allow them to exercise they will cause problems with the lymphatic system. My doctors told me the swelling from the surgery would never go down if I started to exercise too soon and that I would cause permanent damage. I was told to wait one full year after my surgery before I was allowed to exercise my legs. I waited 10 months and couldn't stand it any longer. I HAD to return to exercise because it was what I enjoyed and it was my life. Not being allowed to exercise my legs was extremely difficult for me because I spent a lifetime in the gym. Again, make sure the lymphedema patient has FULL medical clearance to exercise.

Here is something that many people do not know. When a person with lymphedema is not in motion and does not have compression stocking on their leg, they must keep their legs elevated in order to prevent swelling. Something as simple as waiting in line at the grocery store could cause enough swelling to keep a person in bed the next day. The swelling begins in less than a minute, literally, when standing still or sitting without the leg elevated. It is truly a challenge every minute of the day to keep the leg from swelling and those around lymphedema patients must be patient and considerate.

There is plenty of information on lymphedema. It is either primary or secondary. Secondary lymphedema would be caused from something such as a cancer surgery. Mine is secondary because my lymph nodes were removed from my upper thigh on one leg during my cancer surgery. If the lymphedema is not controlled it can end up being elephantitis. Yes, it is a real medical condition and it is very serious. There are lymphedema support groups throughout the USA. The National Lymphedema Network has plenty of information.

Let me know how I can help you...
Karen Goeller, CSCS

Karen Goeller, CSCS has been training athletes since 1978. She has an education that includes training in emergency medicine, physical therapy, and nutrition. She has held certifications that include Fitness Trainer, EMT-D, Nutritional Analysis, and many Gymnastics Certifications among others. Goeller has tremendous experience with training in a variety of settings. Karen Goeller is the author of the Swing Set Fitness books, the Gymnastics Drills and Conditioning books, and many additional products. She has written more gymnastics books than anyone in the USA. Her books are used by fitness experts, sports coaches, teachers, and athletes worldwide. Karen Goeller has worked for world's most famous gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, owned a gymnastics club for ten years, and has been featured in several newspapers and on television many times. Karen Goeller offers sports performance training in NJ and through the web.

By Karen Goeller

Monday, June 9, 2014

Lipozene: Can you Really Lose Weight Fast With Lipozene?

11:24:00 AM

One of the more recent "stars" of the diet supplement world, Lipozene has been touted as a fast, easy route, to substantial weight loss. But does it really work? (For more information on this, go to: http://celopindietpill.blogspot.com/ )

The Lipozene diet pill is manufactured by Obesity Research Institute. You may have heard of them - they previously marketed similar products under the names Fiberslim and Propolene.

The central ingredient in Lipozene, is a substance called glucomannan. And this is the same substance that was used in Obesity Research Institute's prior diet products. So first, you need to take a good look at what exactly is glucomannan.

Without getting too technical, (I don't want to put you to sleep with a bunch of terminology from my Chemistry lab manuals!), glucomannan is basically a fiber supplement, derived from a plant. It is a substance that your body cannot absorb, so it just passes through your system, while providing fiber to help move everything else through. (Trying hard, not to get disgusting here!)

Now, there are clinical studies which confirm that glucomannan lowers blood-fat levels, and levels of the "bad" cholesterol (LDL). There is also some confirmation that consuming glucomannan with water before a meal, will give you a full feeling (the idea being that you will then eat less).

But before you run to your computer, to order a year's supply of Lipozene, I'm going to give you the honest truth. There are very serious problems with this product!

Yes I realize, you may have heard lots of stories about successful weight loss using Lipozene - from people trying to sell it to you! Well, fortunately for you, I refuse to sell people something that I wouldn't use myself. So I am going to reveal to you, the whole true story, about Lipozene and weight loss.

First, you need to clearly understand the problems:

#1: Diet pills are still drugs. And ALL drugs cause associated side effects. And sometimes, these side effects can even be dangerous.

#2: Glucomannan is a fiber product. And all fiber products can cause certain vitamins and minerals to bind with them - thus preventing your body from using those essential vitamins and minerals. Thus, it is advisable to take a quality multi-vitamin supplement, if you decide to use this type of diet pill.

#3: Since Lipozene is essentially a fiber product, this brings up the question: Why not just buy one of the commonly available fiber supplements, at a cost that is far less than Lipozene?

#4: There are many claims of success floating around the Internet, purportedly from Lipozene users. However, even these people state that they were following nutritional diet plans, and engaging in regular exercise, while on Lipozene. This means that we have no way of knowing whether they would have succeeded equally, merely by using a diet plan and exercise alone.

None of the problems above, however, addresses the most serious concern with Lipozene: Consumer Fraud.

The company that makes the product (Obesity Research Institute), has been cited numerous times for billing customers under false pretenses, and for refusing to provide refunds under conditions where a refund was promised. Furthermore, the Federal Trade Commission has charged the company with making "false and unsubstantiated claims" in the past. As a result, the company has been forced to pay $1.5 million in "customer redress"!

So as we can see, rather than living up to its promises of "easy weight loss", Lipozene comes with a list of concerns, and even questionable results. Plus, it is sold by a company with a history of criminal actions! Fortunately for you, there are other alternatives to Lipozene, which WILL help you to lose weight quickly.

Author: Ron R

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Lose Belly Fat Faster With These 4 Herbs & Spices

12:04:00 PM

In this article I would like to talk about 4 powerful spices and herbs that you should add to your diet to help lose belly fat faster.
To lose weight, lose belly fat, gain lean muscle, and improve your overall health, it is obviously very important to make sure you are getting plenty of water daily, plenty of sleep every night, exercising (cardio + weight training), eat several small meals daily, and eat the proper foods. The proper foods in general categories would be fiber, complex carbohydrates, fruits & veggies, protein, and healthy fats. However, to amp up those foods for an even more powerful belly fat burning effect, you should add these 4 herbs and spices a long with some of your foods.
Here are the 4 herbs & spices in no particular order:
1. Ginger: Causes your tissues to use more energy thus burning more calories. Ginger is also good for improving joint functionality, controlling cholesterol, and several other health conditions.
2. Cinnamon: Mm mm! I do not eat one bowl of oatmeal without adding cinnamon! Studies have shown that cinnamon has a positive effect on your blood sugar level. It also is a great source of fiber and calcium which are highly important in your efforts to lose weight and build muscle. Here is a little tip. Now this may take some getting used to, but, to substitute sugar in your coffee, try adding one teaspoon of cinnamon instead. Your coffee may not have that sweet flavor you were used to, however, cinnamon will remove the bitter taste of plain coffee and you are reducing your sugar intake.
3. Cayenne Pepper: I love cayenne pepper on grilled chicken! Studies have indicated that cayenne pepper (also known as chili pepper, red pepper, or paprika) has the ability to boost your metabolism to burn off fat. It is also proven that cayenne pepper can also help in reducing your appetite. It is recommended to get about 20-30 grams a day for maximum benefits.
4. Ginseng: A powerful substance that can increase energy, boost your metabolism, increase strength, and increase endurance. This substance is highly recommended for people who are overweight and suffer from excessive water weight. Ginseng can also be used as a remedy for several other health conditions such as high blood pressure and so much more.
Add those spices to your current health foods and experience an extra boost in how quickly you can lose belly fat, lose weight, and improve your complete overall health!

I wish you the best of success in getting yourself in better health! Good Luck!

By Avy Barnes

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

How to Lose Stomach Fat the Easy Way

6:59:00 AM

Nobody likes to have stomach fat. Thanks to today's fashion there are fewer ways to hide your belly fat and losing it in favor of the "six pack" abs that have become so popular (with "washboard stomachs" not far behind) is on most people's priority lists. Here is the good news: having some stomach fat doesn't always indicate poor health. Usually having a "belly" is more of an indication that your body is distributing your weight unevenly. Here are some quick tips to help you lose stomach fat:
1. Eat a healthy diet that is free of saturated fats and processed food. Natural foods are low in calories and easier for the body to digest. Eating a healthy diet is the first step in getting rid of belly fat.
2. Exercise regularly. It is important to exercise your whole body. That said, here are a few exercises designed specifically to help you lose stomach fat:
Lunges
Lunges help your backside as well as your "front side." Begin by standing tall with your hands on your hops and your feet a few inches apart. Tighten your stomach muscles but don't arch your back. Beginning with your right leg, take a large step forward while lifting your left heel slightly but keeping the rest of your left foot on the floor. Make sure your toes and your knees are pointed forward.
While keeping your legs in this position, lower your upper body until your front knee forms as close to a ninety degree angle as you can get without hurting yourself. Your knee should be over your ankle but not over your shoelaces. Your goal is to line up your pelvis with your right knee.
While returning to an upright position, bring your left leg forward to meet your right leg and repeat the process using your left leg.
Squats
Squats can be done any where at any time. Here's how to do them: start by standing upright. Your feet should be hip width apart. Your toes, knees and hips should form a straight line. Pull in your stomach muscles so that your belly button moves in toward your backbone and contract your abdominal muscles. Slowly bend your knees while keeping your upper body straight. The motion should feel like sitting down on a chair. You want to create ninety degree angles with your knees--or as close as you can get without hurting yourself. Your knees should stay behind your toes.
Hold this position for a single count and then slowly stand back up straight. When you stand back up take care to keep your weight on your heels or else you could do damage to your hips and knees. You should also take care not to lock your knees when you return to your standing position. Instead keep them bent a little bit. Don't raise or lower yourself too quickly. Each direction should take about three counts.
A single set of squats involves between ten and fifteen individual squats. To see a significant difference in your stomach fat you need to do between one and three sets every day.

By Terry Edwards

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Lose Belly Fat Faster With These 4 Herbs & Spices

7:51:00 AM

I wish you the best of success in getting yourself in better health! Good Luck!

By Avy Barnes

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Best Foods to Eat While You Are Pregnant

9:55:00 AM

No matter how healthy your diet may be, you might have to change it a little while you are pregnant. Some foods you may want to eliminate altogether, while others, you will want to increase in your daily menu. In our modern research, we try to figure out more about health, food, and nutrition during pregnancy. In order to do this, we need to learn more about the very foods that we eat and how they affect our bodies.
For example, you might ask what impact vegetarian diets, red meats, strong cheeses, organic foods or others may have on how your baby grows during the nine months of pregnancy.
Foods You Want to Eat
During your first trimester, foods that have a lot of protein, are the best foods that you can choose to eat. By consuming more protein you will be giving your baby the main building block of all cells. Protein is especially critical, since your tiny unborn child develops their major organs in these 3 months.
Vegetarians
Any vegetarian diet should be filled with foods that contain protein for cellular growth and development. You may be surprised at the variety of vegetarian protein that is really available. Beans with rice very high in protein and come a colorful variety.
Meat Eaters
For non-vegetarians, turkey, beef, tuna, and finally chicken have a high level of protein per ounce ranked from most to least. If you are on a vegetarian diet, beans and rice are excellent protein sources when combined. If money is tight, two eggs or peanut butter are other options.
For a fast, handy snack, vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, can have protein by grabbing a small handful of natural almonds with a sprinkle of cinnamon. Almonds are packed with vitamins and minerals that help you ensure that your baby gets exactly what nutrition it needs the most.
Organic Foods
Organic foods also need to be carefully selected, since they may be prone to have more natural residues. However, if they are grown locally, these foods may be better for your body since it is more used to the immediate environment. Be sure to check where and how they are grown, such as being a hybrid of two or more strains of foods.
Foods You Want to Avoid
There are certain types of fish and cheese, that may actually be bad to eat while pregnant. These are foods that you may want to check out, before heading to your favorite seafood restaurant or fixing yourself a sandwich. Check with your medical provider before munching on raw sushi, oyster, muscles, octopus, and similar raw fish.
Cheese
In addition, some strong cheeses may carry bacteria that could hurt your baby. Blue cheese, feta, wine cheese, Manchego sheep milk cheese, and others that have a potent aroma often require getting used to for adults, let alone a tiny fetus. You will most likely want to take these foods off your menu, at least while you are pregnant.
Sugar
Foods high in sugar take your body on an energy roller coaster, stressing both you and your unborn child. Pregnancy takes an enormous amount of energy already and may suffer by extreme energy swings. If you must have something sweet, try foods such as applesauce, grapes, or other raw fruit. Use spices to add flavor to fruit to make it have more taste. Do avoid honey as it has a bacteria that can hurt small children.
Healthy Food Makes A Long Term Difference
Through all stages of your life, eating the proper foods makes a difference to your overall health. But, during pregnancy it is absolutely critical to the normal growth of your baby. Making a list of the right and wrong foods to eat can help you and your baby stay on a nutritious track.
By making a careful selection for your menu, you help to ensure not just a safe nine months of pregnancy, but a safe start so your baby can grow those first teeth and strong legs to walk on.

By Thomas Straub

Friday, May 31, 2013

Weight Loss Benefits of Massage

3:05:00 AM

There is no question that having a massage makes you feel great. Even having a deep-tissue, sports massage makes you feel wonderful afterwards. Massage can relieve stress, help you recover from hard physical activity or injury and even reduce anxiety, but can it help you to achieve your weight loss goals?
Research shows that massage can have a positive effect on your muscle-building capabilities and fitness levels, which in turn increases your capacity to control or loose weight.
Healthy strong muscles burn calories and give you the freedom to participate in all sorts of sports and activities that can help you burn excess calories and improve your overall fitness and wellbeing.
Massage has the following benefits that can directly influence your ability to control or loose weight:
1. Massage has been shown to improve circulation and the supply of nutrition to the muscles. Massage increases the interchange of vital substances between the blood and tissue cells, which increases tissue metabolism. After muscles are exercised, vital nutrients must be supplied to them so that they can recover and rebuild themselves. Massage maximizes the supply of these nutrients and oxygen though increased blood flow, which helps the muscles to grow and burn more calories as a result.
2. Massage improves your muscles' range of motion and their flexibility. This allows them to maintain maximum power and performance while active, and burn the maximum number of calories in the process.
Improved range of motion and flexibility also reduces muscle soreness during periods of recovery and muscle repair.
Having a wide range of motion and maximum muscle flexibility also reduces the danger of experiencing injuries during exercise which can severely limit activity, exercise and weight loss progress.
3. Massage helps to shorten the recovery time needed between your workouts. Waste products such as lactic and carbonic acid build up in muscles during and after exercise. Increased circulation to these muscles helps to eliminate toxic debris buildup caused by these waste products and in doing so shorten recovery time.
Shortened recovery time means you can safely have more workouts over a given period of time, which in turn means that you have the opportunity to burn more total calories in your effort to achieve your individual weight loss goals.
4. Massage can also help reduce the chance of you over-training. Massage has a relaxing effect on the muscles and a sedative effect on the nervous system. By helping you to rest, which is a very important element of any exercise program, massage can reduce the likelihood of you experiencing over-training syndrome, which is known to limit your ability to build strong healthy muscles and therefore loose weight with maximum efficiency.
5. In addition to all of the above, massage may directly aid in fat loss. According to some research studies, massage is thought to be able to burst the fat capsule in subcutaneous tissue so that the fat exudes and becomes absorbed. In this way, combined with proper nutrition and exercise, massage may actually help in weight loss.
6. As we have already touched upon, massage helps prevent and heal injuries. By stretching connective tissue, massage improves circulation to help prevent or break down adhesions and scar tissue that result from muscle tears and other common muscle injuries. Massage also influences the excretion of certain fluids (nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur) that aid in tissue repair. Fast and effective recovery from injuries means that you can begin exercising sooner after suffering an injury and getting your weight loss progress back on track.
So there you have it. Massage has a lot of benefits that can indirectly and possibly even directly aid you in achieving your weight loss goals.
Regular massage is just as important a component as regular workouts and correct nutrition in any comprehensive fitness and weight loss program, which is great news for those of us who thought that exercising and losing weight was all hard work! Remember, weight loss is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and massage is an essential part of any balanced lifestyle.
By Scott Haywood