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Here are a few French tips on how to stay fit without ever setting foot in la gym.

1.) Don’t save your steps, multiply them! Instead of driving your car around in circles to find a close spot, purposefully park far away and walk the couple extra feet. Do you know burning a mere 50 extra calories a day equates to five pounds a year?! Burn those calories creatively; think thrice about using interoffice mail, walk that memo to your coworker’s office. Take an extra few laps around the block at lunchtime, take the long way home when walking your dog at night. The principle is to squeeze as much physical exertion as possible during a few intervals a day into what were once routine tasks tied to avoiding any physical efforts.

2.) Incorporate simple resistance movements into your daily routine. Use your own body weight as resistance wherever possible. Isometric exercises, discreet but effective, are very French. This can be done before you even leave the house in the morning. For example, while waiting in traffic or on the subway, contract your abs for 12 seconds with your back pressed against the seat (it’s better for you than road rage). When reading a magazine at home, try sitting on the floor with your legs stretched and apart in a V and your hands on each side; this is a great stretch for your inner thigh muscles.

3.) Take care of your core. I’m a firm believer that we need to attend to our abdominals as we age. These are the muscles that hold all our vital organs in place; they support good posture and a healthy spine, something we must take care of as we get older. Do a few sit-ups as part of a little stretch/exercise/yoga routine in the morning — it’s never too early or too late to start this ritual.

4.) Acquaint yourself with small to moderate free weights (3-5 lbs.), especially if you’re over 40. A bit of extremely simple resistance training is an antidote to hours spent on gym machines. Short but focused movement with small weights is a good way to preserve upper body tone and bone density and supplement the cardiovascular benefits of an active lifestyle. A little goes a long way, and that only increases the older you get, so don’t let extremism overtake you.

5.) Get en vélo. Americans tend to see bicycling as recreation, and often either as a child’s pastime or a hobby for only the most serious triathletes. But French and European women see cycling as a mode of transportation. I encourage those who can bike to work or shopping to do so. One of my pleasures in Provence is taking my bike to run errands. Riding my bike is one of my favorite warm weather routines and is, of course, environmentally clean and efficient, so I am happy to see bikes and bike lanes increasing in New York and other cities. Cycling has well-known health benefits: it’s a low-impact, mild aerobic exercise that strengthens your heart and lungs; tones the large (read: fat-burning) muscle groups; keeps joints, tendons and ligaments flexible; builds stamina; and is generally fun, reducing stress and boosting your mood. And the view from a real bicycle ride beats the view from a stationary bike in a white-walled gym any day of the week

6.) Yoga. If there was ever a fountain of youth, it might be the practice of yoga. Not only does it reduce stress, improve your posture and help to develop longer, leaner limbs, it also speeds up your metabolism, works nearly every muscle group and promotes an overall bodily wellness that no other sport or class can compete with. I practice yoga religiously, usually in the comfort of my own home. I am no yogi; I do not spend hours upon end on my head — I simply have a handful of mastered poses and movements that make me feel good and keep me limber and trim. Most women can find 20-30 minutes a day to practice if they make it a priority. No equipment necessary.

7.) Vive l’escalier! Taking the stairs whenever possible is one of the main tenets of my philosophy. It always astounds me to see people who live no higher than the fourth floor and with nothing more to carry than themselves taking the elevator. In France, walking up and down stairs is a perfunctory part of our day. We rarely spend an hour stair climbing, but you should know that climbing stairs burns a stunning 1100 calories per hour. Climbing a couple flights a day will surely go a long way. A few times a week I choose to walk up the 15 flights of stairs to my apartment for some healthy fun — and yes, I do enjoy it.

By : Mireille Guiliano
Source : http://www.wowowow.com/

Labels: health, tips

 9:57 AM | back to top
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1. Lelaki tinggi lebih menarik

Dalam satu kajian yang dilakukan di Britain menemui teori bahawa lelaki tinggi sememangnya menarik secara seksual. Postur tubuh yang tinggi dan berbadan tegap dikatakan menjadi dambaan setiap wanita. Bagaimanapun, tidak semua wanita hanya menginginkan pasangan yang tinggi sebaliknya mementingkan ciri-ciri sampingan seperti mempunyai kerjaya dan tahap ekonomi yang bagus. Sebaliknya, majoriti lelaki yang tinggi, sukakan wanita yang lebih rendah.

2. Betik tingkatkan kesuburan

Seperti yang diketahui, buah betik memang kaya dengan vitamin C dan merupakan antioksidan yang baik untuk tubuh badan. Selain itu, buah betik mempunyai kelebihan lain terutama dalam meningkatkan jumlah dan kesuburan sperma. Tahukah anda, kekurangan vitamin C dalam badan boleh menyebabkan ketidaksuburan sperma? Oleh itu, langkah terbaik untuk meningkatkan kesuburan dan kuantiti sperma adalah dengan mengambil buah betik dalam diet harian. Pengambilan 500 miligram vitamin C setiap hari amat perlu untuk lelaki dewasa.

3. Vasektomi jadikan lelaki lebih ghairah

Kajian di Indonesia ke atas 400 lelaki yang melakukan vasektomi (pemotongan dan pengikatan pada vasa diferensia kanan dan kiri) mendapati keghairahan meningkat 50% sewaktu melakukan hubungan seks dengan isteri berbanding sebelumnya. 40% menyatakan tiada perubahan, dan 10% menurun. Hal ini menunjukkan mereka yang melakukan vaksektomi berupaya memberi kepuasan yang lebih kepada isteri.

4. Lelaki abaikan kesihatan

Kajian Persatuan Andrologi Malaysia dan Kajian Penuaan Lelaki (MSASAM) dan Pusat Perubatan Universiti Malaya ke atas 351 lelaki di Lembah Klang berusia melebihi 50 tahun menunjukkan, secara umumnya lelaki mengamalkan gaya hidup tidak sihat, dengan 41.9% merokok (atau pernah merokok), 43.3% minum arak, 57.3% kurang bersenam dan 78.7% mengalami obesiti. Hasil kajian mendapati lelaki juga banyak mengalami gangguan kesihatan seperti tekanan darah tinggi; kencing manis serta masalah jantung, prostat dan pendengaran. Lebih 66.1% dilaporkan menghadapi sekurang-kurangnya dua masalah kesihatan dan hanya 13.4% benar-benar sihat. Meskipun senarai masalah kesihatan ini panjang, hanya 38.4% menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan.

5. Berlari 8 jam seminggu elak kanser prostat

Kajian oleh Universiti Harvard terhadap 17 ribu alumninya menunjukkan senaman seperti berlari lapan jam setiap minggu mampu menurunkan risiko gangguan prostat. Oleh itu, perhatikan diet anda kerana lelaki Asia dikatakan berkemungkinan besar diserang gangguan prostat berbanding lelaki Barat kerana pemakanan orang Asia lebih tinggi lemak dan kolesterol yang boleh mendorong pembesaran prostat. Selain senaman, lelaki juga perlu membanyakkan pengambilan buah-buahan dan sayuran dalam diet.

6. Agar tidak letih lesu

Jika anda lelaki yang telah berumur 40-an, anda perlu amalkan gaya hidup yang sihat bagi memastikan tahap hormon testosteron tidak menurun. Penurunan hormon ini akan membuatkan anda cepat letih, lesu dan mengantuk selepas makan malam serta tidak berselera mengadakan hubungan seks. Apabila ini berlaku, anda akan mudah mudah naik angin atau meradang tidak tentu pasal. Dari segi kesihatan, testosteron penting kerana kekurangan hormon ini akan menyebabkan lelaki mengalami pelbagai masalah kesihatan seperti peningkatan kolesterol dan masalah jantung. Selain itu, tahap kesuburan lelaki yang memasuki umur 40-an menurun akibat penuaan menyebabkan mereka seperti wanita berisiko mendapat zuriat terencat seperti Sindrom Down.

7. Lelaki lebih lemah daripada wanita

Ada banyak bukti menunjukkan lelaki sebenarnya jauh lebih lemah berbanding wanita terutama dalam aspek kesihatan. Laporan Pusat Kawalan Penyakit (CDC) 2004 menyenaraikan 10 pembunuh utama lelaki Amerika diterajui penyakit jantung (28.4%), kanser (24.1%), kemalangan (5.8%), strok (5.2%), penyakit sekatan pernafasan kronik (COPD, 5.1%), kencing manis (2.8%), influenza dan pneumonia (2.4%), bunuh diri (2.1%), buah pinggang (1.6%) dan penyakit hati kronik (1.5%). Berdasarkan maklumat kesihatan Mayo Clinic, tabiat atau gaya hidup lelaki menyumbang kepada kematian awal kerana lelaki lebih ramai merokok, minum minuman keras, menyalahguna dadah dan terbabit dengan aktiviti seks bebas.

8. Makanan laut tingkatkan kualiti sperma

Ingin tingkatkan kualiti sperma? Manjakan diri kamu dengan makanan laut seperti abalon, tiram dan siput-siput laut yang lain. Makanan laut dikatakan mengandungi mineral yang boleh meningkatkan kualiti sperma.

Labels: health, marriage, tips

 12:32 PM | back to top
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