Five Post-Workout Stretches Every Runner Needs to Perform - Ajit Patel Wemet

Stretching is an important component of any fitness routine, but this is especially the case if you’re a runner. You might do a few stretches before you go out running, but then you’re really not in the mood to stop and stretch when you arrive home after a 10-mile run. Stretching has many benefits to your wellness, including increased range of motion and improved muscular coordination. Research shows that the more flexible your muscles are, the more quickly they will recover and fuel your next run.

However, if you’re worried about taking time out for extra exercise, Certified Personal Trainer Jen Mueller notes, ‘Your flexibility routine doesn’t have to take a lot of time. Just five or 10 minutes is all you need at the end of your workout. While any full-body stretching routine will do, there are some specific stretches that can help improve your running performance and prevent the aches and pains runners commonly experience. Because running, while good for you in many ways, does put stress on your body—especially the lower limbs and joints.’ Mueller warns, ‘The most important thing to remember is to only stretch warm muscles…fitness experts recommend stretching after you workout; this is when your muscles are warmest and your joints are lubricated, and therefore primed to stretch. While it’s OK to stretch after your warm-up (but before your run), doing so might actually interrupt or negate the warm-up process, which is more likely to result in injury or problems.’

So, let’s take a look at the stretches you need to incorporate into your post-running routine:

1. Hamstrings Stretch: According to Mueller, ‘Runners are notorious for tight hamstrings that can cause lower back problems and lead to pulled muscles. Tight hamstrings also limit your range of motion, which can affect running stride, form and speed. To improve hamstring flexibility, try [a] lying hamstring stretch, which keeps the spine neutral whereas basic toe touches (forward bends) do not, thereby reducing risk of low back pain.’

2. Quadriceps Stretch: ‘Stretching the quads forces your hamstrings to contract, helping them get stronger,’ Mueller explains. ‘It’s important to have strong and flexible quads since these muscles help lift your knees and increase your speed.’

3. Piriformis Stretches: Mueller details, ‘Your piriformis muscle is responsible for the rotation of the hip. Although it’s very important in activities that frequently change direction, it tends to tighten up in runners. If the piriformis becomes too tight or spasms, it can irritate the sciatic nerve, which causes pain in the glutes, lower back and thighs. To prevent these issues, try asking your trainer about piriformis stretches.

4. Calf Stretch: ‘Flexible calf muscles can improve your ability to increase the length of your stride, which results in increased speed,’ says Mueller. ‘Loose calf muscles also take some of the burden away from your shins as you bring your trailing leg forward when running, helping prevent shin pain or shin splints. A basic calf stretch is an easy one to incorporate.’

5. Iliotibial (IT) Band Stretch: Mueller comments, ‘The illiotibial band is part of a muscle that runs along the outside of the knee and can create pain when it starts to rub on the kneecap. This is typically an overuse injury (trying to do too much too soon or not giving your body adequate time for rest and recovery). Stretches that target the IT band can reduce pain and prevent future knee problems.’

Try incorporating these stretches into your post-running routine after you’ve cooled down, and see what a difference it makes to your flexibility and overall performance.

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Boot Camp Classes: Four Tips Every Instructor Needs to Know - Ajit Patel Wemet

When you take a nice stroll through the park, you might expect to see a calm and gentle scene. Perhaps you expect to see signs of family wellness, with parents and children wandering through the park and feeding the ducks. Maybe you suppose to spot an elderly couple getting some fresh air together. However, while you might have this peaceful, idyllic picture of what goes on in your local park, once you get there it’s a whole different story, packed with hardcore wellness buffs. Some are working on their wellbeing with a few park-wide sprints, while others are performing squats on the grass. This is a firsthand look at the power and popularity of fitness boot camps.

Fitness Trainer Ryan Halvorson, director of group training at Bird Rock Fit and creator of Fat2Fitin30.com, explains, ‘Boot camp classes have become a solid contender in the fitness world. According to information from the 2010 IDEA Personal Training Programs & Equipment Trends report, 41% and 25% of respondents offer small-group boot camps and outdoor boot camps, respectively. The data also show that 63% of those offering these programmes expect their growth to continue. For individual professionals and fitness facilities alike, boot camps can be a significant profit centre.’ Most things you read will tell you the benefits of boot camps to get you to attend one of these classes, but why attend a class when you can run one?

‘These days, boot camps are varied and appeal to different types of people,’ says Halvorson. ‘Many follow traditional methods with “screaming-sergeant” instructors, while other classes are more like playtime or recess. While it’s an inspiration to see so many exercise groups at your local park, a challenge arises: How do you set yourself apart from the pack? Starting a boot camp business can be a lucrative opportunity for fitness professionals. In many cases the overhead is minimal, if nonexistent. Classes can be held in parks or at recreation centres for a small fee. Equipment adds variety to the programme but isn’t necessary to produce an effective workout.’ So how do you create a boot camp programme that works?

1. Get an Early Start on Your Brand: ‘Once you’ve decided to start a boot camp, you’ll want to come up with a good name,’ says Cat Smiley, owner of Canada’s first and longest-running fitness boot camp, The Original Boot Camp. ‘Check with local and national government agencies to determine whether the name is available before you spend any money on graphic design and website.

2. Be an Individual: While you may have the traditional view that boot camps are for those who want to be screamed at for 30 minutes, it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, doing things your own way can set you apart from the pack. ‘Use your own confidence and creativity to make your programme your own,’ Smiley instructs. ‘Many trainers don’t have it in them to do the “tough-as-nails” boot camp. Instructors are most successful when they use their own personalities and styles while teaching.’

3. Don’t Give Away the Farm for Free: Smiley warns, ‘Other trainers might call you and ask for tips and advice. Trust that you can be friendly and give advice without giving away trade secrets. Similarly, clients will sometimes want you to spend extra time helping them with exercises or nutrition advice after class. These are additional services that you can sell.’ You might be tempted to drop your prices to compete with other professionals, but stand your ground. ‘Set your price and stick with it,’ Smiley instructs. ‘Have confidence that you are worth what you ask participants to pay.’

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Home Remedies to Get Rid of Age Spots - Ajit Patel Wemet

Age spots are collections of pigment caused by exposure to the sun. (also called liver spots and solar lentigo) Age Spots also called is Liver spots and solar lentigo. Age spots are flat, gray, brown or black spots. Liver spots are flat brown-black spots that usually occur in sun-exposed areas of the body. Liver spots are extremely common after the age of 55 and occur most commonly on the backs of hands or the forehead. True age spots are harmless and don't need treatment, but they can look like cancerous growths. For cosmetic reasons, age spots can be lightened with skin-bleaching products or removed. Liver spots mostly appear in areas consistently exposed to sunlight (the face and backs of hands, for example), although they also are occasionally found on less exposed areas. Ultraviolet (UV) light accelerates the production of melanin. Melanin is the dark pigment in the epidermis that gives your skin its normal color. The extra melanin is produced to protect the deeper layers of your skin — creates the darker color of a tan. Age spots develop when the extra melanin becomes "clumped" or is produced in higher concentrations than normal. Skin discoloration is caused by increased pigmentation. Sun avoidance and the use of good sun screen protection can help lessen the appearance of both lentigines and freckles.

 

Age spots are harmless. Age spots range from freckle-size to more than a centimeter across and can group together, making them more prominent. Often, age spots are accompanied by other signs of sun damage. Symptom is a skin lesion that is a painless, flat patch or macule (area of skin color change). Liver spots are the result of a "ceroid" pigment build up in the skin of older people. These latter spots are the outward signs of free radical destruction within the body. There is pre-oxidation of fats–in the cells instead of in the liver. Free radical damage produces waste materials in cells throughout the body, including the brain and liver. Liver spots do not become cancerous. Still, if a spot changes in color, size, or shape. Age spots can be treated with freezing, acids, skin sanding, electric needle and any other methods which causes a superficial destruction of the skin. Lasers are much more precise and less damaging to the skin because light is used to selectively remove the pigment without damaging the normal surrounding skin. There is also less pain and less healing time required to recover from laser treatment than with non-laser treatments. Liver spots can be lightened with skin-bleaching products or removed by freezing with liquid nitrogen (cryotherapy). Cryotherapy (freezing) or laser treatment may be recommended to destroy the liver spots.

 

Age spots home remedies Tips

 

1.Aloe Rubbing fresh aloe vera juice or gel on the spots will help fade them. Use the gel twice a day for a month or two. Juice from the aloe plant is excellent for healing burns and is also beneficial as a general healing agent.

 

2.Apple cider vinegar Combine two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with one teaspoon of orange juice and apply to the spots, preferably on a cloth or cotton pad that is secured to the area.

 

3.Bilberry herb slows some of the aging processes and acts as an antioxidant. Take 4-8 oz. of fresh berries, 80-160 mg of bilberry extract (25% anthocyanidin), or 20-40 mg anthocyanosides daily.

 

4.Buttermilk Dab buttermilk on the spots. The lactic acid and other ingredients in the milk are beneficial to the skin. Buttermilk has been used for generations as a skin cleanser and as a beauty aid.

 

5.Castor oil Apply castor oil on the spots in the morning and in the evening, and rub well into the skin. The spots should disappear within a month.

 

6. Take fresh or canned chick peas (garbanzo beans), mash about 1/3 cupful and add a little water. Smear this paste on the spots and leave it there until it dries.

 

7.Dandelion Break open a dandelion stem and rub the sap on the spots 2-3x per day. Good for warts, too. Will Greer (Grandpa Walton) used this method successfully.

 

8.Using the ancient Chinese herb gotu kola. Mix 1/8 teaspoon of powdered herb into a cup of herbal tea or add it to plain hot water along with 1/8 teaspoon of ginseng and a pinch of cayenne. This remedy should clear the spots in a few days.

 

9. Mix one teaspoon grated horseradish root, 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, and 3 drops rosemary essential oil. Dab onto your age spots with a cotton ball once or twice a day (less if you have sensitive skin); it will exfoliate the top layer of skin and your spot should lighten. Jeanette Jacknin, M.D. in Smart Medicine for Your Skin.

 

10.Some fresh lemon juice on the spots twice daily. If you are going outdoors, wait for the juice to dry as it increases the skin's sensitivity to sunlight. It may take a few months, but the acidity in the juice will cause the spots to fade away.

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Flu-busters from History - Ajit Patel Wemet

It’s that time of year again – an itchy rasping cough, sweats and shivers, aching joints and generally feeling, well, not good.

Whilst it’s extremely unpleasant, flu has been around for about as long as human beings have and past civilisations had a horrible time with it too! Such a horrible time with it in fact, that they invented remedies to deal with it in the days before hot lemon and pain-killers were widely available.  However, most of the ingredients they used are likely to be found in the average kitchen cupboard:
Honey, for instance, was the key ingredient in a drink that helped the kind of thunderous coughs that prevent you and probably everyone else who lives in your home from sleeping. Honey has been used within traditional Chinese medicine for many years, and as a result of its effectiveness as a cough remedy, will no doubt be popular for aeons to come.  Add some honey to some water and fresh lemon juice and you’ve got a flu-busting beverage ready to go!

As well as being very nice in a sandwich, mustard is also extremely good for you.  Indeed, mustard seeds, with their healing properties were used by the Ancient Romans to alleviate all manners of flu and chest related ailments including bronchitis and asthma. Once again, its use an as a remedy is remarkably simple – combine one heaped tablespoon of mustard powder with flour, egg whites and hot water to create a paste that should be applied to where it hurts via a towel or something similar and leave for a quarter of an hour.

Other average kitchen cupboard items that may or may not have been used by past civilisations, include thyme which when infused with honey and hot water is very good at loosening mucus and making coughs more productive when inhaled and then drank.  Similarly, black pepper with boiling water and honey can help to achieve the same effect.

So there you have it – rest up, stay warm and drink these unusual concoctions and you’ll be better in no time!

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THE MIRACLE OF LEMONS - Ajit Patel Wemet

These shiny yellow fruits have a multitude of uses for cooking, home-care, beauty and health. An A-Z of ailments in my new book, THE MIRACLE OF LEMONS, includes the traditional uses of lemons as well as examples of scientific studies. For example:

Anxiety: The urine of people with panic attacks is unusually acidic. This suggests the kidneys are trying to prevent a fall in the body’s normal alkalinity. A common reason for such a threat is an acid-producing diet based on too much grain, sugar and meat and not enough fruit and vegetables. Lemons in a healthy diet could help discourage anxiety because despite their acidity, they are metabolized to have an alkaline effect in the body.

Asthma: In 1931 a London doctor measured stomach acid levels in more than 200 children with asthma. Astonishingly, 9 percent had none, 48 percent a severe lack and 23 percent a slight lack. Research also points to a lack of stomach acid in many adults with asthma, which encourages the absorption of poorly digested protein that can sensitise airways. Low stomach acid is promoted by an acid-producing diet that’s low in fruit and vegetables. Lemons can help against this and also contain useful anti-inflammatory substances, such as quercetin, which have an antihistamine action.

Cancer: Lemons contain many anti-cancer substances, including flavonoids, coumarins, limonene, limonoids, glucaric acid and pectin. US researchers note that regular consumption of black tea is associated with a 40 per-cent reduction in skin-cancer risk, but when the black tea contains added lemon zest the protection becomes a 70 percent reduction or more. Another US study links a citrus-rich diet with a reduction in stomach-cancer risk. Lastly, early research supports the idea that an acid-producing diet encourages cancer.

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Kitchen Cleanliness – Keep Your Kitchen Free of Nasty Microbes That Can Make You Sick! - Ajit Patel Wemet

Lately it seems as if the news is filled with horror stories of food-borne illnesses. We’re all familiar with the E. Coli that can lurk in undercooked meat, salmonella in chicken and now even spinach and peanuts are dangerous. These foods are common in our kitchens, and many others are possible carriers of harmful germs.

We can fight back by keeping a healthy kitchen. Food preparation surfaces and cooking utensils must be disinfected regularly to stop cross-contamination. Soap and water alone will not kill germs; they may only spread the germs around. Only a disinfectant can kill harmful bacteria and viruses that may be hiding in your food.

With these “best practices” for kitchen cleaning and maintenance we can prevent our families from getting sick.

1.Isolate potentially dangerous foods, such as raw meat, seafood and chicken, from other foods. Clean and disinfect all surfaces and utensils with which they came in contact before preparing another food. That includes your hands!

2.Clean cooking surfaces, counters, and tabletops with a disinfecting cleaner. Handy single-use disinfecting wipes are good to keep within reach.

3.Use a solution of bleach and water (1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water) to wash down refrigerators, freezers, and other appliances that come into contact with food. However, don’t use this on steel or aluminum surfaces. This diluted bleach solution can also be used to disinfect cutting boards, pots and pans, and cooking utensils.

4.Wooden cutting boards should first be washed in detergent, and then soaked for several minutes in a stronger bleach solution (3 tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water.

5.If you use sponges, run them through the upper rack of the dishwasher. Or, better yet, replace them with disinfecting wipes to wipe down surfaces.

6.Use a multi-purpose spray cleaner to remove stains on walls, floors and cabinets.

7.If you have grouted kitchen tiles, use a bleach gel pen to remove grout stains.

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Kitchen Gadgets – Making Life Easier - Ajit Patel Wemet

Cooking dinner can be a real chore, especially if it’s for a family. So much food to make, and so little time to do it all in. Let alone learning new recipes. When you’re crunched for time and don’t know what to make, you’ll often end up eating junk food, or going out to a restaurant and spending more than you mean to. Fixing dinner only gets harder if you don’t have much in terms of skills in the kitchen on top of it all. Luckily, we don’t live in the 1860s. Cooking today can be made much simpler and faster by having the right kitchen gadgets for making life easier.

One of the fastest things you can make in the kitchen with the most options is a sandwich, but that can get pretty boring pretty fast. There are about a million options for this though, and one way to add new life to your diet is to get a panini maker! These awesome kitchen gadgets add whole new life to your simple sandwich, and make you more excited to take a few steps to make fancier ones. A panini maker is a grill that heats both on top and on bottom. The idea is to take a sandwich (commonly filled with meat and cheese, but the possibilities are endless) and butter (or lightly brush oil) on the outside of the bread and grill it in a few minutes on the press. Voila! A fancy new meal option. You can also use your press to grill things like asparagus, tomatoes, or tofu.

A more complicated and expensive purchase, but one you can do a lot more with, is a food processor. This is definitely a kitchen gadget that will make your life easier. Cooking is a lot of tedious jobs-chopping, slicing, dicing, grinding, mincing, pureeing, and kneading doughs. These are all things a food processor can take care of. So if you’re going to make a nice soup full of different ingredients, you can just switch the blades in your processor and take care of all these tasks with one machine, in just a few minutes. You can also use this to grind up your coffee beans, and replace your old coffee grinder. This saves you time and hassle.

There are a lot of advantages to life with all of the fancy gadgets available to us in this day and age. It’s easy to overlook technology in the kitchen and only think about how it affects your entertainment, but today’s technology can make cooking so much more fun. These kitchen gadgets are making life easier, and making the kitchen a less intimidating room of your home.

There is a lot out there for easy to make food. For exciting sandwiches check out Panini Makers, and to make cooking amazing things simple, check out food processors, like the bullet food processor.

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