http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/the-truth-about-six-pack-abs.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/the-truth-about-six-pack-abs.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:02:46 -0500
Have you been training for ages to get a set of rock-hard abs? If you're not succeeding, let me help by telling you the cold, hard truth about abs.

Let me explain it to you -- straight up without the whole mumbo jumbo. First of all, you need to forget all the infomercials and magazine covers that promise to give you abs in a few weeks. There is no way you're going to get those abs unless you're prepared to work damn hard for them. And I'm not just talking physical, blood, sweat and tears. You need to train hard and diet even harder -- after all, abs are made in the kitchen.

Just look at any guy or girl with abs and you'll see that they don't only have definition in their abs, but in their whole body. They also have a low body fat percentage and probably eat very little junk food.

While working out those abs to near exhaustion will no doubt build the foundation, if you don't watch what you eat, the layer of fat that covers your midsection will keep your abs hidden. Sculpting them means shaving off all the fat -- and I don't mean literally. Reduce your body fat by following a balanced diet with little or no junk and processed foods and work hard in the gym, and before you know it you'll have washboard abs to die for.


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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Health and Beauty" (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/shiny-glossy-hair-could-be-yours.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/shiny-glossy-hair-could-be-yours.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:00:19 -0500
If you follow an unhealthy lifestyle of smoking, drinking and eating junk food, chances are the signs are showing up in your hair. Make an effort to follow a healthy lifestyle and your hair (and skin and nails for that matter) will look in better condition, naturally.

Dull hair can also be caused by the food you are eating. Avoid anything in a box, as that kind of food is often processed and very bad for your skin and hair. Try to include more fresh fruit and vegetables in your daily diet. Avoid fizzy drinks, excess coffee and caffeine. Avoid deep fried food and rather opt to bake or grill your dishes. And remember to drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

If you color your hair, remember that the hair dying process strips the hair, which often results in dull hair. Boost your colored hair's shine by using products that have been specially formulated to treat and protect color-treated hair.

Avoid washing your hair every day as you will dry your hair out, therefore making it look dull and dreary. If you hair is very greasy and needs daily washing, speak to your hairdresser about a product that can help combat oiliness, or again, look to your nutrition as this could be the cause of your greasy hair.

Condition your hair when you wash and treat it to an intense, repairing masque at least once a week. When applying conditioner, never apply to the roots as this will only make your hair more greasy.

Flat iron your hair after it has dried and ensure you are using heat resistant protectants before you iron. Keeping the hair cuticles flat will help to reflect the light, making your hair appear sleeker and shinier.

Lastly, you can apply a small amount of hair silicone to your hair after you have styled it. Place a small amount in the palm of your hand and rub your palms together. Then, work the product through your hair using your fingers. Remember to avoid the roots.



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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Health and Beauty" (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/how-to-choose-a-handbag.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/how-to-choose-a-handbag.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:58:27 -0500
When putting a look together, your handbag is key: the look, the style, the color and the type of handbag all matter. Think of it as your very own arm candy. Choosing the right bag means finding one that compliments your outfit, not one that just fades away.

Just like a great pear of jeans, your choice of handbag needs to fit your body type. If you're more voluptuous, a slouchy oversized bag may make you appear rounder, whereas if you are tall and skinny a long rectangular bag may make you look even taller and narrower.

The key, according to fashion experts, is to choose a bag that is the opposite of your body shape. You also need to ensure that your handbag is in proportion to your body. The last thing you want is a handbag that appears lost or overpowering.

There is an old saying that your handbag, shoes and belt all need to be the same color. This is a falsity; they don't have to be identical. The main thing is to have items that match the overall look. Put it all together and have a look in the mirror; if it looks out of place, chances are it is. The most important thing is to ensure your look blends in together. Don't go for a mixed up style that's all over the place. Keep it clean, simple and sexy.



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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Health and Beauty" (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/hairstyles-for-your-face-shape.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/hairstyles-for-your-face-shape.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:56:55 -0500
Look to your Hollywood inspirations for styles that suit you, but remember to follow the stars who have the same face shape as you and you will be set to having gorgeous, Hollywood hair that looks like it was made for you.

There are five basic face shapes. These are: square, round, oval, heart and long face shapes. This article will help you identify which shapes A-list celebs have and give you some guidance on what you should go for and also what you should avoid.

THE SQUARE FACE

If your face is shaped like Jennifer Aniston, Paris Hilton, Jessica Simpson or Hillary Swank, you've got a square face. A square face is generally categorized by a strong, defined jaw, much like your celebrity look-alike.

When choosing a hairstyle to suit your square face, you should aim for one that will take the emphasis away from your jaw. A great way to do this is to opt for hairstyles that have texture and layers. Choppy and uneven ends that frame your face are great options for this face shape. So are side-swept bangs. Curls in varying positions also look great on this face shape.

Avoid hairstyles that end on your jawline as these will define your jaw. Remember "the Rachel" hairstyle worn by Jennifer Aniston in Friends? This one is a great option for shorter hair and works wonders for square faces.

THE ROUND FACE

Celebrities with a round face include Cameron Diaz, Kate Bosworth, Kate Hudson and Katherine Zeta Jones.

When choosing a hairstyle to suit your round face, aim to keep the face balanced. You want to keep the face clean and free from fringes and very choppy, blunt bangs. Try to keep the volume of the hair surrounding your face as minimal as possible, as you don't want to accentuate your roundness.

A great hairstyle for a round face is to have long bangs, swept to the side that cover the forehead.

THE OVAL FACE

When it comes to oval faces, famous faces that come to mind include Cindy Crawford, Hayden Panettiere, Jessica Alba and Gwyneth Paltrow.

This face shape is probably the easiest to style because it will suit most hairstyles. Depending on your individual tastes, you can have long or short hair options. Try to avoid styles that add too much height to your head, as these will make your face seem out of proportion.

Play with sexy bobs, long and loose curls and choppy bangs as these styles look fabulous on you.

THE HEART-SHAPED FACE

The distinct feature that defines this face shape is the cute, pointy chin much like celebrities such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Reese Witherspoon, Victoria Beckham and Natalie Portman. All these celebs have what is known as a heart-shaped face, because when you look at it, the point chin resembles a heart.

With this type of face shape you want to draw attention away from your chin in the center, therefore avoid straight cut fringes, which will define your chin. You can play with many options, including side-swept bangs and try them out in different positions. These will finish off your look nicely and take the emphasis off your chin.

Play with soft, wispy layers that start just under your cheekbone, or if you have long hair, longer layers are very flattering for this face shape.

THE LONG FACE

If your face is long like Anne Hathaway, Penelope Cruz, Lindsay Lohan and Liv Tyler you should try to avoid plain Jane hairstyles. Instead of parting your hair in the middle, opt for side partings and avoid straight cut styles as these will make your face look longer.

Create fullness at the top and then have sexy layers, at varying lengths to finish this look off. Romantic, loose curls look great with this face shape.



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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Health and Beauty" (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/how-to-choose-a-fragrance-that-suits-you.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/beauty/how-to-choose-a-fragrance-that-suits-you.html Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:54:51 -0500
FRAGRANCE DOS:

* Do choose a fragrance that suits you. Different fragrances will have a different affect on people, so before you go out and buy one that you like on your best friend, make sure you try it out on your own skin and see how your body chemistry reacts to it.

* Do change your perfume with the change of the season. In winter you may need a stronger scent as the cold may reduce the scent's power.

* Do shop for perfume in the afternoon when your sense of smell is at its peak.

* Do wear more fragrance if you have dry skin; you will need to apply fragrances more often than those who have oily skin.

* Do apply your perfume after you have showered and dried completely. After a shower or bath, your pores open up allowing the perfume to be soaked into your pores.

* Do apply perfume to your pulse points for maximum effect. Your pulse points include the inside of your wrists, at the temples, behind the knees, behind the ears, between the ankles, toes and thighs as well as in your cleavage.

FRAGRANCE DON'TS:

* Don't overdo it. Overpowering smells can make the people around you very uncomfortable and may even cause headaches.

* Don't spray perfume near pearls or costume jewelry. Because perfume is infused with alcohol it can strip these jewels and remove their coating.

* Don't combine perfume with deodorant or deodorant soap. The combination smell may be unpleasant.

* Don't buy perfume without testing it on your own skin first. Spray a little on your skin and wear it for a few hours to see how it reacts and also to determine how long it lasts.


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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Health and Beauty" (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/education/einsteins-learning-disability.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/education/einsteins-learning-disability.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500
It is interesting to note that a review of biographical sources, however, provides little or no evidence to support this assertion.

According to LD lore Einstein failed to talk until the age of four, the result of a language disability. It is also claimed that Einstein could not read until the age of nine. To strengthen their case LD proponents point to such facts that Einstein failed his first attempt at entrance into college and lost three teaching positions in two years.

While this makes a nice story, this widely believed notion is false, according to Ronald W. Clark's comprehensive biography of Einstein, and according to "Subtle is the Lord: The Science and Life of Albert Einstein," a biography by Abraham Pais (Oxford University Press, 1982).

Pais states that although his family had initial apprehensions that he might be backward because of the unusually long time before he began to talk, Einstein was speaking in whole sentences by some point between age two and three years. According to Clark, a far more plausible reason for his relatively late speech development is "the simpler situation suggested by Einstein's son Hans Albert, who says that his father was withdrawn from the world even as a boy." Whether one accepts this interpretation, other information helps us to judge Einstein's language abilities after he began to speak.

Einstein entered school at the age of six, and against popular belief did very well. When he was seven his mother wrote, "Yesterday Albert received his grades, he was again number one, his report card was brilliant." At the age of twelve Einstein was reading physics books. At thirteen, after reading the "Critique of Pure Reason" and the work of other philosophers, Einstein adopted Kant as his favorite author. About this time he also read Darwin. Pais states, "the widespread belief that he was a poor student is unfounded."

FAILING HIS COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS

True, Einstein did not pass the college exam the first time he took it. However, aside from being only sixteen, two years below the usual age, the plain fact was he did not study for it. His father wanted his son to follow a technical occupation, a decision Einstein found difficult to confront directly. Consequently, as he later admitted, he avoided following the "unbearable" path of a "practical profession" by not preparing himself for the test.

It is also true that, after graduating from the university, Einstein had difficulty finding a post. This was mainly because his independent, intellectually rebellious nature made him, in his own words, "a pariah" in the academic community. One professor told him, "You have one fault; one can't tell you anything."

Also true is that Einstein went through three jobs in a short time, but not because of a learning disability. His first job was as a temporary research assistant, the second as temporary replacement for a professor who had to serve a two-month term in the army. Clark remarks that it is "difficult to discover but easy to imagine" why Einstein held his third job, as a teacher in a boarding school, for only a few months: "Einstein's ideas of minimum routine and minimum discipline were very different from those of his employer."

In his article "Was Einstein learning disabled? Anatomy of a myth," (published in 2004 in the "Skeptics Society & Skeptic Magazine," a revised version of an article that originally appeared in the March/April 2000 issue of the "Journal of Learning Disabilities") Marlin Thomas concludes: "Given the meager basis for the claim that Einstein was learning disabled, one has to wonder why it has become so accepted. Part of the reason is the encouragement it gives all of us to know that even geniuses have shortcomings. The claim also enhances the prestige of learning disabled individuals. Any marginalized group benefits from having one of its members be a stellar figure in cultural history. These may be salutary, but the consequence of claiming that Einstein was learning disabled without historical evidence is harmful. It distorts the historical record and it questions the credibility of other claims regarding the learning disabilities of prominent persons."


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Visit Susan's website Audiblox for more information on learning disabilities. *** This article can be freely used as long as a link to "Audiblox" (http://www.audibloxinfo.com) is provided.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/education/cognitive-skills-determine-learning-ability.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/education/cognitive-skills-determine-learning-ability.html Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500
Many children become frustrated and find schoolwork difficult because they do not have the cognitive skills required to process information properly. Many employees find themselves stuck in dead-end jobs that do not tap into their true vocational potential due to weak cognitive skills. In the later years of life, a lack of cognitive skills -- poor concentration, the inability to focus, and memory loss -- is a common problem that accompanies us.

It should be noted that, irrespective of age, cognitive skills can be improved with the right training. Weak cognitive skills can be strengthened, and normal cognitive skills can be enhanced to increase ease and performance in learning.

The following cognitive skills are the most important:

CONCENTRATION

Concentration is the ability to focus the attention on one single thought or subject, excluding everything else from the field of awareness. It is one of the most important abilities one should possess, as nothing great can be achieved without it.

Students need to concentrate and focus on completing a homework assignment, a project, or review for a test in order to excel in school, learn the subject, and get good grades. Athletes need to concentrate on performance, execution, and strategy in order to do their best and overcome their opponent. Entrepreneurs need to concentrate on all the factors involved in starting a new business and promoting their product or service. They need to do this in order to get their idea off the ground and make their enterprise into a profitable entity. Business leaders need to concentrate on their company mission, vision, and strategies, as well as the work at hand, in order to stay ahead of their competitors. Workers need to concentrate on their jobs and fulfilling their supervisor's goals, in order to complete projects and advance in their careers.

Improving the ability to concentrate allows a person to avoid the problems, embarrassment, and difficulties that occur when the mind wanders. Better concentration makes studying easier and speeds up comprehension. It enables one to take advantage of the social and business opportunities that arise when individuals are fully attuned to the world around them. It helps one to focus on one's goals and achieve them more easily.

PERCEPTION

Sensation is the pickup of information by our sensory receptors, for example the eyes, ears, skin, nostrils, and tongue. In vision, sensation occurs as rays of light are collected by the two eyes and focused on the retina. In hearing, sensation occurs as waves of pulsating air are collected by the outer ear and transmitted through the bones of the middle ear to the cochlear nerve.

Perception, on the other hand, is the interpretation of what is sensed. The physical events transmitted to the retina may be interpreted as a particular color, pattern, or shape. The physical events picked up by the ear may be interpreted as musical sounds, a human voice, noise, and so forth.

Lack of experience may cause a person to misinterpret what he has sensed. In other words, perception represents our apprehension of a present situation in terms of our past experiences, or, as stated by the philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804): "We see things not as they are but as we are."

Deficits in visual perception can hinder a person's ability to make sense of information received through the eyes, while deficits in auditory perception interferes with an individual's ability to analyze or make sense of information received through the ears.

A classic example of a deficit in visual perception is the child who confuses letters such as b, d, p and q. Many adults find their reading speed to be inadequate as a result of underlying perceptual deficits.

By improving accuracy and speed of perception, one is able to absorb and process information accurately and quickly. Reading speed will also improve and reading problems can be overcome.

MEMORY

Memory is probably the most important of all cognitive functions.

Roughly speaking, the sensory register concerns memories that last no more than about a second or two. If a line of print were flashed at you very rapidly, say, for one-tenth of a second, all the letters you can visualize for a brief moment after that presentation constitute the sensory register.

When you are trying to recall a telephone number that was heard a few seconds earlier, the name of a person who has just been introduced, or the substance of the remarks just made by a teacher in class, you are calling on short-term memory, or working memory. This lasts from a few seconds to a minute; the exact amount of time may vary somewhat. You need this kind of memory to retain ideas and thoughts as you work on problems. In writing a letter, for example, you must be able to keep the last sentence in mind as you compose the next. To solve an arithmetic problem like (3 X 3) + (4 X 2) in your head, you need to keep the intermediate results in mind (i.e., 3 X 3 = 9) to be able to solve the entire problem.

A poor short-term memory may lead to difficulties in processing, understanding and organization. By improving one's short-term memory, one is better able to process, understand and organize incoming information.

Long-term memory is the ability to store information and later retrieve it, and lasts from a minute or so to weeks or even years. From long-term memory you can recall general information about the world that you learned on previous occasions, memory for specific past experiences, specific rules previously learned, and the like.

Research has shown that, on average, within 24 hours one forgets 80% of what one has learned. By improving long-term memory schoolchildren and students are able to store and retrieve information more effectively.

Visual memory is a person's ability to remember what he has seen, while auditory memory is a person's ability to remember what he has heard. Various researchers have stated that as much as eighty percent of all learning takes place through the eye. Needless to say, improving visual memory will have a tremendous effect on a person's learning ability. The same is true of improving auditory memory.

LOGICAL THINKING

Logical thinking is a learned process in which one uses reasoning consistently to arrive at a conclusion. Problems or situations that involve logical thinking call for structure, for relationships between facts, and for chains of reasoning that "make sense."

According to Dr. Albrecht, author of "Brain Building", the basis of all logical thinking is sequential thought. This process involves taking the important ideas, facts, and conclusions involved in a problem and arranging them in a chain-like progression that takes on a meaning in and of itself. To think logically is to think in steps.

The ability to think logically allows a person to reject quick and easy answers, such as "I don't know," or "this is too difficult," by empowering him to delve deeper into his thinking processes and understand better the methods used to arrive at a solution. It has been shown that training in logical thinking processes makes a person brighter.


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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Learning for information on Audiblox and Compublox, two cognitive enhancement programs, designed to improve concentration, perception, memory, and logical thinking.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Learning" (http://www.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/science/education/cognitive-development-not-an-automatic-process.html http://www.articletrader.com/science/education/cognitive-development-not-an-automatic-process.html Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500
By general consensus, Jean Piaget stands as THE central theorist in contemporary child study. He developed a whole field of cognitive development, observed regularities in children's performances that no one has noted before him. His theory concerns how the child thinks, how thinking changes from infancy to adolescence, and how the changes reflect an interesting series of structured stages.

Although Piaget set clear stages of cognitive development, which continues to be useful to contemporary child educators, he omitted to say that cognitive development is not an automatic process. The fact is that the child will not reach any of these stages without proper education. Contrary to the animal, the human being only knows, and can only do, what he/she has learned. This fundamental principle is confirmed by studies that compared children who were raised in an enriched learning environment and children who were raised in a deprived learning environment. This principle is further confirmed by stories of feral children.

EXPERIMENT AT THE GLENWOOD STATE SCHOOL

Research has shown that an enriched learning environment can dramatically increase IQ, whereas a deprived learning environment can lead to a decrease in IQ.

A particularly interesting project on early learning involved 25 children in an orphanage. These children were seriously environmentally deprived because the orphanage was crowded and understaffed. Thirteen babies of the average age of 19 months were transferred to the Glenwood State School for retarded adult women and each baby was put in the personal care of a woman. Skeels, who conducted the experiment, deliberately chose the most deficient of the orphans to be placed in the Glenwood School. Their average IQ was 64, while the average IQ of the 12 who stayed behind in the orphanage was 87.

In the Glenwood State School the children were placed in open, active wards with the older and relatively brighter women. Their substitute mothers overwhelmed them with love and cuddling. Toys were available, they were taken on outings and they were talked to a lot. The women were taught how to teach the babies and how to elicit language from them.

After 18 months, the dramatic findings were that the children who had been placed with substitute mothers, and had therefore received additional teaching, on average showed an increase of 29 IQ points! A follow-up study was conducted two and a half years later. Eleven of the 13 children originally transferred to the Glenwood home had been adopted and their average IQ was now 101. The two children who had not been adopted were reinstitutionalized and lost their initial gain. The control group, the 12 children who had not been transferred to Glenwood, had remained in institution wards and now had an average IQ of 66 (an average decrease of 21 points).

More telling than the increase or decrease in IQ, however, is the difference in the QUALITY of life these two groups enjoyed. When these children reached young adulthood, another follow-up study brought the following to light: "The experimental group had become productive, functioning adults, while the control group, for the most part, had been institutionalized as mentally retarded."

FERAL CHILDREN AND WHAT WE LEARN FROM THEM

Probably the best-known story of feral children is that of the two girls, Amala and Kamala, who were raised by a she-wolf. In 1920 the reverend J. A. L. Singh saw a mother wolf and cubs, two of which had long, matted hair and looked human. After considerable preparation and difficulties, the two human creatures were captured. They turned out to be two girls whose ages were assessed by Singh at about eight years and one and a half years respectively.

The creatures were taken to an orphanage in Mindapore, India, where the Reverend and his wife were stationed. Singh described them as "wolfish" in appearance and behavior. They walked on all fours and had calluses on their knees and palms from doing so.

They were fond of raw meat and stole it when the occasion presented itself. They licked all liquids with their tongues and ate their food in a crouched position. Their tongues permanently hung out of their thick, red lips, and they panted just like wolves. They never slept after midnight and prowled and howled at night. They could move very fast, just like squirrels, and it was difficult to overtake them. They shunned human society altogether. If approached, they made faces and sometimes bared their teeth. Their hearing was very acute and they could smell meat at a great distance. Furthermore, while they could not see well during the day, they could orientate themselves very well at night. In September 1921 both girls became ill, and Amala, the younger, died.

There are many other stories of feral children in the literature, among others the story of a boy who lived in Syria, who ate grass and could leap like an antelope, as well as of a girl, who lived in the forests in Indonesia for six years after she had fallen into a river. She walked like an ape and her teeth were as sharp as a razor.

These stories do far more than just to confirm the important role of education. They actually show that a human being not only can but must be educated to become a human being at all. A bear does not have to learn to be a bear; he simply is one. A duck needs no lessons in duckmanship. And an ant leads a perfectly satisfactory life without any instruction from other ants. Even when isolated from birth, animals usually retain clearly recognizable instincts. A cat that is raised among dogs, will still behave like a cat. He won't try to bite the postman. There are only a few exceptions, such as the lion cub, which would not be able to hunt the wildebeest when raised in isolation.

Man, however, enters this world very poorly equipped. The knowledge a child needs to become fully human is not dormant. Everything the child eventually knows, or can do, must be learned. This of course excludes natural body functions, such as breathing, as well as the reflexes, for example the involuntary closing of the eye when an object approaches it. Everything else, however, must be learned.

Therefore, whenever you encounter the term "cognitive development," always keep in mind that it is NOT an automatic process.


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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Learning for information on cognitive skills and cognitive skills training.


This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Learning" (http://www.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/gym-vocabulary.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/gym-vocabulary.html Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600
AEROBIC

While aerobics does refer to the morning TV workouts your mother or grandmother used to do in tight leotards and brightly colored sweat bands, an aerobic workout basically means that oxygen is required. Aerobic is usually associated with any cardiovascular activity which requires a prolonged amount of exercise. For instance, running on the treadmill, going for a ride on the stationary bike or going on the stepper would all be considered aerobic activities.

CIRCUIT TRAINING

Now this can get a bit confusing. Most gyms have a "circuit" set up, which is basically a combination of machines that are designed to be utilized in a sequence and each move is to be performed as many times as possible within a required time period, before moving on to the next machine quickly and while keeping your heart rate elevated throughout the exercise. Circuit training can be applied to any set of exercises you put together, however, the ones in the health clubs are designed to target each and every muscle group in the body.

WARM-UP

A warm-up is designed to get you started on your workout by 'easing in'. A typical warm-up would be a light stroll on the treadmill or easy, five minute cycle on the bicycle, which prepares your body for the workout ahead.

COOL-DOWN

A cool-down is performed after your workout and gives your body a chance to recover, and your heart rate to return to normal. A cool-down would be a five to ten minute stretching session, or light walk on the treadmill after your workout.

PLATEAU

A common term used among gym goers. When you reach a plateau in your training program, you have basically reached a stage where no further gains or changes are occurring, despite keeping everything else the same. This happens all the time and is common. To solve this problem you need to make a few changes in your program to 'shock the system'. Try upping the intensity or going for a heavier weight.

REPS

Reps or repetitions means moving the weight load through its complete range of motion in one complete move and back again to the starting position. For example, ten repetitions of a dumbbell bicep curl would be lifting the weight ten times, completing the move and returning to the starting position.

SETS

A set is a series of repetitions that are broken down into a prescribed number of repetitions. For example, three sets of ten bicep dumbbell curls, indicated as 3 x 10, would mean that you would need to complete ten repetitions of bicep curls, before having a short rest, then completing the second set, resting again and finally competing the third set. So, in essence, you will be doing thirty bicep dumbbell curls in sets of ten.

TEMPO

The tempo refers to the speed of execution in the concentric phase.

INTENSITY

Intensity refers to how much workload you are putting on your specific muscle group, or workout duration. Intensity can be measured in "levels" 1 to 5 with 1 being easy and 5 being the most difficult.


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Visit Susan's website A 2 Z of Health and Beauty for information on health and beauty, nutrition, fitness, skin care, weight loss and more.

This article can be freely used as long as a link to "A 2 Z of Health and Beauty" (http://health.learninginfo.org) is provided.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/growing-your-own-bonsai-tree.html http://www.articletrader.com/home-and-family/gardening/growing-your-own-bonsai-tree.html Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600
The art of bonsai growing is believed to be derived from ancient China, by healers who wanted to distribute and transport medicinal plants through the use of containers. Its early focus was on the display of stylistic trunks in the shape of animals and mystic figures. A number of these early works exist today, and are highly valued. Japanese bonsai is derived from the Chinese art form, and was introduced to Japan by imperial embassies in the Chinese Tang Dynasty (the C7th–9th).

There are various styles of bonsai, including formal and informal upright, cascade, raft, literati, semi-cascade and forest.

If you want to have your own bonsai, you can either purchase an already grown bonsai tree from nurseries. However, these are quite pricey and prices increase with the type and age of the tree. For a cheaper alternative, and if you have the patience, you can purchase the seeds or bonsai seed packs from your local nursery and grow your own bonsai tree. Here's how:

The pack generally consists of a specific type of bonsai seed, a miniature pot, a small bag of compost, a drainage sheet as well as instructions and illustrations to help you get started. Different packs will give you different instructions, and it is important to follow these to the tee for optimal bonsai growth.

Watering your bonsai has also been said to be an art form in itself. The soil needs to be monitored every day to ensure that it is neither sopping wet nor bone dry, not even for a little while as this will cause damage. In the warmer climates, it is also advisable to set your bonsai in a shallow tray filled with water in order to allow it to absorb water throughout the day.

Once your tree has sprouted, you can begin shaping and dwarfing it through a variety of techniques. There are many resources available to help you achieve this in the form of books, classes and online resources. Pruning is also essential together with a lot of love and care. Remember that bonsai trees are like humans -- they will get depressed (die) if they are not given enough attention. It is important to ensure that your bonsai is not exposed to too much heat, sun or wind, as this will cause it to dry out.


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