French Manicure Instructions Guide to the Right Design and Polish for a Natural Look Without Going to the Nail Salon

The French manicure is often considered the most elegant thing you can do with your fingernails, since it combines perfect polish with a natural look that looks smooth and classy. If you're going for a job interview or just want perfect hands to show off a new ring, the French manicure is ideal. The French manicure can easily be done at home, with some patience and the right tools.

Tips for Beginning any Salon Quality Manicure at Home
Any manicure starts with scrubbing your hands, filing your nails and caring for your cuticles. Use a diamond file instead of the cheaper metal ones: it's about a dollar more expensive, but it files much quicker and smoother. For a classic French manicure, your nails shouldn't be dragon-lady long, but should have a smooth, oval shape that's slightly elongated to make the most of the white nail tips. You're going to need:

Instruction Guide to a French Manicure
A base coat in a subtle, neutral color like pale peach, nearly-not-there pink, or beige. The contrast comes with the white nail tips, which point up the hint of color in the base coat.

- White polish for the tips.
- Nail tip guide strips
- A clear top coat.

After filing your nails and tending to your cuticles by softening them and pushing them back away from the half-moons, paint your entire nail with the base coat color and let it dry. If you have chronic problems with getting the nails on your second hand painted cleanly, you may want to start by putting a little petroleum jelly on the skin of your fingers around the nail. The petroleum jelly keeps the polish from sticking to your skin if you should slip up while painting, making for easy clean-up and a neater look overall.

Using French Manicure Stencil or Template Products
Once the base coat of polish is completely dry—never try to rush this step—put the nail tip guides on your fingernails. Apply the strip guide to the area where your actual finger ends. The white tip of your nail shouldn't comprise more than 20% of the overall fingernail when you're done. Make sure to place the guide strips on each finger so that the tips of your nails are the same length for each.
Once the guides are in place, you can brush white polish onto your fingernails. This is a time for especial care, so that you stay with the guides and get no white polish on the lower part of the nail. Don't remove the guides until the white polish is completely dry, or you'll ruin the tips.

Once the white tips are dry, remove the guides. If they leave any sticky residue behind, use rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball to take it off. Don't forget and use nail polish remover or you'll ruin your whole manicure!

Professional Salon Finish to Any Mani or Pedi
Finish your French manicure by painting the entire nail with the clear top coat of polish. This does two things: it helps your manicure stay fresh longer by protecting it, and it gives a shiny and unified gloss to each nail.
You can buy a manicure in a kit, great for the new DIY nail maven, because they come with designs, color options, style ideas, instructions and all the products you need for a manicure or pedicure. You can try the new manicure polish pen, buy fun stencils and templates or go for a natural look with a brand like Sephora, Opi or Sally Hansen. For professional looking fingers and toes, you don't need a history of salon work: you can get everything you need online or from your local drugstore. And for a quick version of the French look, you can buy a nail whitening pencil. Slide it under the edge of your nail to white the tip, et viola—instant (not as elegant, but very nice) manicure!

Stop a Nail Biting Habit with Proper Natural Nail Care

The first thing we can all do in having good-looking hands is to keep them
clean by washing regularly. It’s amazing how many people (guys especially, but some women and girls too) walk around with grubby non manicured finger nails. Get a nail brush and put it by the sink, so it’s convenient whenever you wash your hands. An added plus of a nail brushing your fingers is the way it feels: those soft bristles and the luxurious soapy lather take your hands on a daily very mini spa vacation. Always follow up with a nice hand cream or lotion to keep your hands moisturized.

Stop nail biting. Break your toddler or child's habit early.
Beautiful hands and nail care start with basics, and not having raggy, bleeding cuticles is a primary step in having presentable hands. Granted, one of the hardest habits to break is to stop fingernail biting, but it’s also one of the more disfiguring things that can happen to a hand. We all know someone who bites their nails to the quick, then starts on those ragged cuticles. Nail-biting usually starts in early childhood as a toddler with some people never outgrowing it, while others only revert to nail-biting in times of stress.

A finger nail biting cure that helped remedy 18 year old girl's problem from when she was a child.

I know a New York woman who stopped biting her nails when she was eighteen, because she wanted to be a flight attendant, and she had read in one of those “How to Be a Flight Attendant” guides, that bitten nails would keep her from being accepted into “Smile School”. (It was a long time ago, when airlines also had age limitations for stewardesses.) I admired her greatly as she stopped through sheer willpower.

At first, she went retro and wore gloves a lot. She also started carrying a nail file in her purse so that when a nail got split or roughened, she could take care of it on the spot. She wore gloves because taking off a glove to bite a nail is a great way to make yourself pause and consider, and then stop the behavior before it starts. She never did become a flight attendant, but she did have her hands photographed for a newspaper ad for the Chicago manicure and nail salon that she frequented and once more a few years later for a Los Angeles nail care and manicure salon.

Nail care and nail biting products
There are some products on the market to stop nail-biting, super-hot or bitter things to paint on your nails. I've heard some nail-biters say that the nasty taste didn't stop them, but they must work for some people.


Finally, for nail-biters and non-nail-biters alike, hand cream right before bed is a great way to keep your skin smooth. When things are looking rough (or if you’re a biter who’s trying to quit), you can get some wonderfully thin cotton gloves, slather on a hand cream like Sephora’s Bliss Glamour Glove Gel and glove up until morning. The cotton will keep the hand cream off the pillows and on your hands where it belongs. And for a real spa-treatment, get some little cotton socks and give your feet the same experience.


Nail polish shows off those fingers.
And for a little something extra try a nice bright nail polish for your next manicure. OPI nail products give a great professional finish that looks like you went to a manicure salon or spa. But buyer beware of the "fake" acrylic manicure. Your own natural nails are better than using fake "glue on" nails. If your manicurist doesn't properly clean tier tools, acrylic nail application can cause the dreaded nail fungus that has to be specially treated for months at a time. My advice save the acrylic french manicure for a special event or occasion like attending the Boston symphony in a black sleek gown.

Home Manicure Tips: How to Polish, File, and Buff Nails Like a Professional Nail Salon

Are you tired of spending thousands of dollars each year at the nail salon? If you’re like most of the country budgets are tighter than ever. To compensate for high gas prices and the rising cost of food, tanning and massages salons are seeing a decline in customers due to the economy. In addition, many women are forgoing their weekly trip to their professional nail technician and are doing their nails at home. However, knowing how to properly buff and prepare their nails can be a challenge. If not done correctly, you can actually damage your nails. So, take a look at these easy steps and learn the correct way to buff nails.

Use Salon Products and Tools
There are thousands of nail products on the market today and knowing which tools you need to properly buff your nails can be tricky. However, if you visit your local beauty store you will need to pick up only a few products. First, a handheld nail buffer is essential on your list of supplies. These look similar to emery boards; however they have several different colored panels and appear more like a foam block. You may also want to grab a few bottles of colored polish or OPI polish in French white if you’d like to give yourself a French manicure.


Before Filing or Buffing
Before you start filing away at your nails, there are a few things you should do first. Be sure to remove all old polish with a gentle finger nail polish remover. Look for those without acetone for the gentlest results. After getting rid of the polish, soak your hands in warm soapy water for ten minutes. This will soften your nails and skin to allow you to not only buff your nails better but also remove the unwanted cuticle areas. You can make your own homemade hand spa by filling a large bowl with warm water and adding a small amount of scented bath oil to the water. After soaking your hands, be sure to dry them completely.


Buff Nails the Right Way
To begin, grab your nail buffer and file your nails as you normally would (rounded, square or oval). With the roughest side of the buffer, start to buff your nails. Use a gently side-to-side motion when doing this. The main purpose of this phase is to smooth out any major ridges your nails may have. Next, use the next roughest side of your buffer and repeat the process. This will further work any ridges out of your nail area. To finish the buffing phase, utilize the smoothest part of the buffer to polish your nails until they shine.
Be sure not to be too rough when you are using the first few sides of the buffer. These are meant to only be used gently on the nails. Being too aggressive can lead to a split or chip in the nail, which is almost always difficult to repair properly.

Tips for Professional Salon Results
After you’ve successfully buffed your nails, consider taking your homemade manicure to the next level. Grab your favorite lotion (with or without sun block) and a pair of clean cotton gloves (socks will work if you don’t have gloves). Lather your hands in the lotion, put them into the gloves and wait for ten minutes. When you pull your hands out, wash and dry them well. You will find they are incredibly natural and soft! Be sure to wipe your nails well, apply a top coat of polish and begin painting them in your desired color. Allow the first coat of polish to set and apply another thin coat. Finish with a top coat and allow it to dry.As you can see, getting beautiful nails doesn’t necessarily require an expensive trip to the salon. So, instead of spending money on artificial acrylic nails this season, consider taking the natural route and doing your nails and toe nails yourself at home!

Maximum Cardio

Depending on your goals and body type, different amounts of cardio may be required. A lean “hard-gainer” trying to add mass may benefit from only one or two cardiovascular sessions per week. On the other hand, someone like myself who is extremely prone to storing fat and sensitive to carbohydrates may require 3 or more sessions in order to maintain peak physique. Since you can only get better at a particular exercise by performing it, those interested in running marathons or participating in endurance events such as a triathlon must increase their frequency of cardio in order to prepare for the event.

MAXIM 1: Your body type and goal for training will dictate the type, frequency, and length of your cardio

When your goal for cardio is general health, you have a few decisions to make about what type of cardio you will perform. Many people enjoy taking long, slow runs. Enjoying cardio is important, so if you find an enjoyable method of cardio, there is no reason why you should discard it. The same decision should influence your choice for timing. Many people claim that you must perform cardio first thing in the morning and/or on an empty stomach to see maximal benefit. I disagree. If you have trouble waking up or putting a full effort into morning cardio, and will get a much more vigorous workout in the evening, then why not do it then? Perform cardio when you feel the best, when you are ready and know you will stick with it and give it 100%.

MAXIM 2: Find cardio that you enjoy, and do it when you feel you have the most energy

There are many styles of cardio. There is some debate about what cardio is best for you. People preach about training in the “zone” of a particular heart rate for maximum fat burning benefit. While it is true that your body will utilize more fat for energy during this period, this is not the entire picture. Moderate cardio means your body will recover quickly - your heart rate will return to normal within a short period. Intense cardio, which elevates your heart rate beyond the “zone”, may not burn as much fat during the exercise, but your body will take longer to recover. Your body must process waste and your heart rate will remain elevated for hours after the bout of exercise. You will burn more calories throughout the day, and therefore you will receive a superior benefit.

To better understand this, let’s consider a situation where you burn 200 calories during exercise. You have a choice: you might burn those calories walking at a brisk pace and reading a book, and it will take you 1 hour. Or, you might burn those calories performing short sprints followed by periods of moderate jogging, and you will burn those calories in 20 minutes. While the “hour” cardio kept you in the “zone” for fat burning, guess what? The 20-minute cardio elevated your heart rate and took you into an anaerobic zone where your body accumulated an “oxygen debt” - a need for oxygen and fat burning to help flush waste from your system and recover from the intense exercise. So during a 24-hour window, you will burn MORE than the 200 calories, and therefore be closer to your fat loss goal.

While there is no hard, scientific evidence to support this next maxim, I truly believe in it. I have witnessed this not only in my own transformation, but also with countless others as well.

MAXIM 3: The less time it takes to burn the same amount of calories, the more calories you will expend later that day

This maxim may seem confusing, but it’s very simple. It means that if you are going to burn 200 calories, when you burn that 200 calories in 20 minutes instead of 1 hour, your metabolism will increase throughout the day and you’ll end up burning MORE than 200 hours when that day is done. This is why high intensity interval cardio, like that recommended in David Greenwalt’s book, The Leanness Lifestyle or the “20-Minute Aerobic Solution™” which is recommended by Bill Phillips in Body-for-LIFE™ is so effective - it burns the most amount of fat in the shortest period of time

Just because high intensity cardio may burn more calories doesn’t make it superior to moderate cardio except with respect to calories burned. There is some evidence that you may improve your cardiovascular health more quickly with high intensity cardio, but this is no reason to discard your long runs. If you have a busy schedule and wish you fit 3 short, 20-minute sessions, then intensity is the way to go. If, however, you truly enjoy your long bike ride or jog on the weekends, then go ahead and do it - you will still be improving your health and burning calories, and if it is something that you enjoy, you will stick with it! Remember, too, that if you are training for a marathon, all of the 20-minute high intensity cardio in the world will not prepare you fully to run 20+ miles. You must perform the moderate, long duration cardio to prepare your body for the event.

This leads us to another maxim. Your heart rate can provide you a lot of information about your training. Over time, your resting heart rate should decrease. Mine went from the high 60’s to a current value of 48 due to my cardiovascular conditioning. When you train with weights, you can use a heart rate monitor to see what your target heart rate is (weight training will take it to the anaerobic levels, or about the maximum heart rate you would want to train at) - this will provide much better feedback than a generic formula. By tracking your heart rate, you can monitor your effort. If you train today at 160bpm then have a lousy day and don’t feel like you’re receiving any benefit, use your heart rate as a guide. As long as you are pushing hard enough to hit that 160bmp mark again, you know you are getting at least the same intensity from your training as the time before.

MAXIM 4: Use your heart rate as a tool for feedback about your progress, not as a “RULE” for fat loss (i.e. the “zone”, etc)

Many people are very intrigued by the readouts on machines when they perform cardio. Unfortunately, those numbers are based on generic equations that fit the “general population” rather than you as an individual. For example, calories burned are based on your weight. A 200-pound person at 8% body fat will have the same formula applied as a 200-pound person at 30% body fat. However, the more that you train and the leaner you are, the less calories you will burn during the same activity. In this example, the 8% person will actually burn fewer calories than the 30% person, due to their level of health and amount of lean mass. There are also issues with metabolism, activity throughout the day, nutrition, and many other factors that are not taken into account.

Does this mean that the readouts are worthless? Not at all. In fact, they are very useful. When I did my morning run this morning, the readout said that I burned 610 calories in 30 minutes. While I may not have truly expended that amount of energy, it is a great reference for me. Why? Because the next time that I perform cardio on that machine, I’m going to push myself harder and try to burn 650 calories. Again, I may not actually be burning 650 calories, but you can be certain that if the readout gives me that number, I will be working harder next week than I did today. So it is a great tool to gauge your own progress. It is also a great tool to mix up your style of training. If I do a high intensity workout and burn “400” calories, then I know if I come back and perform moderate training, I can shoot for “400” calories and expend about the same amount of energy during the activity.

MAXIM 5: Do not take the readouts on cardio machines literally - use them as a scale to gauge your own progress

It is interesting to learn the various ways that different styles of cardio expend energy. A slow, moderate run may take 45 minutes to burn 400 calories. However, the same amount of calories might be expended in a 15 minute, high intensity run. This is due to the fact that your heart rate becomes extremely elevated, and your muscles begin performing extreme work in order to help you accelerate through the intense periods. On the same token, a “slow” jog on a steep incline may burn the same amount of calories. In this situation, your body is fighting against gravity, so again you are still performing “high intensity” effort despite the slower pace.

As a final ingredient, consider variety. I can guarantee that if you always use the treadmill, your body will become so efficient at using the treadmill that you will begin to burn fewer calories doing the same workout. On the other hand, if you perform treadmill work one session, stair climber work another session, then go for a jog, you will continue to see the benefit of increased calorie expenditure. If your training permits, try to build in as much variety as possible. This will keep the fat melting off and continuously improve your cardiovascular condition.

MAXIM 6: Variety is key - whenever possible, vary not only your style of training (i.e. moderate, high intensity, etc) but also the terrain or equipment that you train on

I often have clients complain that they don’t have access to the right equipment to perform much variety with cardio. If you simply purchase an inexpensive jump rope, you can easily train two different exercises: jogging, and jump roping. Now consider different styles of training: moderate (low intensity), high intensity interval training, and just high intensity training (where you try to elevate your heart rate and maintain that throughout the duration of the exercise). This alone provides 6 different possibilities for a cardio session, which is more than enough variety to change things throughout your training cycles.

Cardiovascular exercise is an important component of general health. While certain people may require different amounts and types of cardio, everyone should engage in at least a little cardiovascular activity each week. There are many methods for training which all have their advantages. You should learn what works for you and what you truly enjoy so that you will continue to perform cardio and reap benefits of good health.

Don’t let someone fool you into thinking cardio isn’t necessary. Even if you are in top shape, a little cardiovascular exercise can still benefit your general health. The key is to change the style and frequency of cardio to suite your lifestyle and fitness goals. Consider various styles of training, different terrains, and new types of equipment to train on. As always, learn your body and don’t use any one else’s rules to dictate your training. Keep a good journal, and find out what works for you. Peak cardio is a sure way to move closer to your peak, natural physique.

You deserve to hear this topic covered in amazing detail as part of the 5-CD audio program, Lose Fat, Not Faith - pick up your copy online at Natural Physiques today!

About the Author:
Jeremy Likness, the CEO of Natural Physiques (a division of Golden Summit Inc) is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Performance Nutrition. He has coached clients around the world to lose fat, gain muscle, and live healthy after losing over 65 pounds of fat himself. He is the author of the internationally-selling e-Book, "Lose Fat, Not Faith" that has been sold in over a dozen countries. Visit Jeremy at http://www.naturalphysiques.com and join him on his weekly coaching call at http://www.become-your-best.com.

8 Ways to Fall in Love with Fitness

No, it's not impossible. You can fall in love with exercise instead of having that dreaded feeling every time you lace up your sneakers. The trick to falling in love with fitness is finding something you love to do, and trying new things because you may discover a dormant passion for line dancing, snow shoeing, or even something as exotic as fencing. It's time to uncover your inner athlete and fall in love all over again!

Balls, Bosu and Barrels – If you were the kid who was always climbing the monkey bars and ropes at the park, you'll have tons of fun getting fit with these fitness tools. Exercise balls can be used for all kinds of abdominal exercises, a Bosu is a neat device for balance training and core stability exercises, and you can use a small barrel for practicing Pilates – all in the comfort of your own home. So next time your at the park with your kids, they'll be chasing you on the monkey bars!

Square Dancing – This energetic style of dance may look strange to you – but it's great exercise – and great fun! This folk dancing tradition has existed in Canada for hundreds of years and has maintained its popularity as a social activity often deemed "friendship set to music." Now this form of dance is even more popular as people are doh-si-dohing their way to being fit! Don't knock IT before you try it! You may forget you're getting fit because you're having so much fun!

Snowshoeing – Snowshoes are thousands of years old, and Native Canadians used to use snowshoes as a form of transport. Only in the last century has snowshoeing become a recreational sport. Now, Canadians across the country are strapping on their snowshoes and heading for the trails to spend some time outdoors, at one with nature, while boosting cardiovascular fitness and toning their backsides. Today's modern snowshoes are typically lightweight, aluminum frames with fabric decks and strap bindings as opposed to the classic bent-wood frames crisscrossed with rawhide strips. In recent years, many celebrities have talked about the physical benefits of snowshoeing, especially when it comes to toning your glutes and quads.

Snowshoes are inexpensive compared to skis and snowboards, and snowshoeing is not a difficult sport, but don't let that fool you into thinking you are not getting a good workout. Using poles, whether specially designed for snowshoeing or made for cross-country skiing, they will help you maintain balance and give your upper body a good workout too, especially when you're doing some intense climbing.

Buddy Up! – It's no secret that having a fitness buddy helps get you going. Let's face it, when your doorbell rings at 6 a.m., you're not going to hide under the covers and ignore your buddy. Or, when your work buddy grabs you for your daily lunchtime power walk, you're less likely to sit at your desk and graze. A workout buddy provides a little extra incentive to get you going, and a little less response time to say no to exercise!

Feel Good in Fun Clothes! – Remember the old adage about how when you look good, you feel better? This goes for the gym too. If you buy yourself some fun fitness clothes that you feel good in, you are more likely to have more confidence in yourself and as a result, push yourself harder at the gym. Stores like Winners and The Bay offer great deals on workout clothes that are able to stand up to any fitness test. Remember, if you look the part, you're more likely to feel the part!

Bring the Outdoors Inside – So what if the temperature is way below zero and the wind chill is making you shake like a leaf. Quit lamenting warm days gone by, and bring your beloved outdoor sports indoors. Shed all your layers, and find an indoor rollerblading rink, grab your tennis partner and hit your local tennis club, climb the rock wall at your local YMCA, hit a spinning class, or throw on your bathing suit and swim laps at your local pool. Create your own warmth, and you won't be missing those days any longer.

Position Yourself Properly – Sometimes watching others can give you just the boost you need to get going at the gym. Look around you and position yourself next to someone who inspires you and watch yourself take off! You'll soon be running to keep up with them...

Take Your Toddler With You– Most mothers never know when they'll be able to squeeze in a little exercise time while running their kids around all day. Nowadays, many gyms have daycares, but if you don't want to leave your children, you can exercise with them! Of course, you can run around outside all together, play in the snow, and build snowmen. But, if it's too cold, why not try a kid-friendly Pilates video? Most companies which sell Pilates videos have kid-friendly ones too. Your kids will have a blast getting fit with you while trying all those fun exercises!

About the Author:
Richard Moore is the Founder an President of Everything Health and Beauty! For Men and Women Our WebMall is quickly becoming one of the most trusted and easy to use collection of shopping stores to create a fun and relaxing online shopping experience...and we are constantly searching for other stores with quality products great prices and top notch customer service. If there is a shop you like...please tell us about it and we will do our best to put it on our site. Our goal is to have everything you need for your Health Beauty Fitness and Wellness needs...all in one place. Everything Health and Beauty! http://www.everythinghealthandbeauty.9k.com

Treadmills – Keep On Running

There are advantages to the use of treadmills as part of your exercise program. A treadmill provides a wonderful cardio for your heart, your lungs and your movement. It is low impact on joints, making it easier and less painful training. It is an excellent training for pregnant women. Because it is low impact and cardio-vascular in nature, it builds endurance which no doubt during labor.

Carpets are easy to use and they are not particularly expensive than the models below. The use of a treadmill will help you lose weight and body fat. A non-physical benefit from a treadmill may be that they do not much room. Oh there are some that could use a chamber ensemble, but if space is the question, then you can find the manual carpets are powered by your movement only once. Really do research and talk to professionals about which might be appropriate.

It is better to compare different models. What type of features you want on your carpet? Some things to watch when you compare different models. It can be overwhelming because all you really want is to develop. The engine type is important because it can affect the size of your machine. The belt trackers are the most important things to consider.

It is the placement of the belt operation and the type of belt movement that you are working. You want a belt that moves smoothly on the rollers instead of being jerky. Did you ever see a belt check in the market that starts and then jumps and jumps and starts again? If the movement is on your carpet as there can have more impact on your joints than necessary and may cause injury.

The length and width of the belt is something else to watch. A belt that is too long can cause run-off "the end of the belt. A belt that is too narrow will not necessarily support your position. Try the machine if possible or one so much as far as possible.

The type of slope and the percentage of the slope will affect training and the impact on your joints. Many carpets door adjustable so that the progress you, you can increase the inclination of where you are on foot, as you would on a steep hill. The speed, how fast moving belt and should be adjustable. What is the minimum and maximum speed? Knowing this will help you plan your training and make it more effective.

One of the features you should look on your carpet to monitor the console is a heart rate monitor. You can make your workout more beneficial if you know your resting heart rate and your target heart rate is the more you get to get the maximum benefit from your market. The console will also display your speed, your time and the distance you have covered.

It is imperative that you learn how to properly execute your carpet before trying to use it. The control panel should be easy to read. Does the control panel be used without the software? You do not want a noisy treadmill. Although there will be a little noise, you do not want the noise to be overwhelming.

Is the noise level acceptable to you? How thick is the belt? A thin belt can wear more time for you want a belt that is thick enough to last long. Some belts began to stretch. To help make your carpet last sure to regularly check the belt has not stretched or cracked everywhere. Make sure the monitor is working properly.

Other factors to take into account how heavy the machine. Some shipping companies will only bring to your door, then up to you to do it in the house and put in place. How is it seems important, because if you do not like how it looks in your home you are less likely to use it. Will it be easy to store when not in use? Most likely, it will occupy the same space when not in use if you want May to consider (before you go to the house) if it is acceptable.

Your carpet should be situated away from walls to prevent injury from falls. It should be about eight feet to a ledge, wall or window. Son and all food must be out of walk areas or tape to avoid tripping someone to entry into or out of your carpet.

Here are some tips on using your new treadmill. Before arriving on the belt straddling the belt and make sure it is set to the correct speed. Keep your eyes before your eyes follow your feet. Be sure to stay in the heart of the belt to prevent some slips and falls.

(c) www.1st-4-fitness-equipment.com

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About The Author
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of Home Fitness Equipment which includes Home Gyms, Exercise Bikes, and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information. http://www.1st-4-fitness-equipment.com.

How to Start a Walking Program

Did you know that walking is the number one participation sport in the world? Walking is one of the best things you can do for overall health and wellness. When you walk you use more muscles than any other sport. In fact, walking uses almost all of the 650 muscles and 203 bones found in the human body. So what are you waiting for?

There is not much involved in starting a walking program. You can start immediately and you don’t need a coach to teach you how to walk. The equipment required to start is minimal and relatively inexpensive.

Important Equipment

The most important piece of equipment you will need is a good pair of walking or running shoe. Most shoe stores and sporting goods stores should be able to supply you with a good selection. You can also check out some of the online stores, you will find some good sources at DrLeonards.com or FootSmart.com. You may also want to think about getting yourself a pedometer. Pedometers are handy little gadgets that can measure your distance and time and help you keep track of your progress.

Why am I walking?

Now that you have your equipment and are ready to go, it might be nice to know why you are starting a walking program. The health benefits of walking are many and include the following:

· Helps with weight loss.
· Helps to reduce blood pressure
· Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
· Relieves stress
· Boosts overall energy levels
· Strengthens the heart and reduces the risk of heart disease
· Studies have shown that walking relieves depression and anxiety
· Strengthens your body
· Burns almost the same amount of calories as running

How should I start?

Since walking uses almost all 650 of your muscles it is a very good idea to warm up before you begin a walk. This will loosen up your body and help to avoid injury. Click on the link for some great warm up exercises.

How long should I walk?

You should build up to walking for about one hour. Your current fitness level will determine the length and time of your first walk. Some people will only be able to walk around the block, others will able to walk the full hour. Do what you feel comfortable with and build from that point. Keep a log to measure your progress. As you become fitter, increase the pace and distance.

Personally, I like to measure my walks in distance. A pedometer will be of great assistance. Measuring your walk in distance helps to compensate for days when you might walk a little slower or faster. After your first few walks try to achieve a brisk pace where you may be puffing a little but you can still talk. Remember, there is not much difference in the amount of energy (calories) expended by walking or running a specified distance.

After you have finished your walk don’t forget to cool down. Try to spend about 5 minutes walking slowly. This will allow your heart, lungs and blood flow to return to normal gradually. This decreases strain on your heart and can help to prevent muscle strain and soreness.

JUST DO IT!!!

Hey, you’ve seen the commercials. Now you just have to commit yourself to walking on a regular schedule. Make it part of your routine just like brushing your teeth. It’s easy to do and doesn’t require special training or equipment. Just do it!

About the Author:
Mike Brooks has been a life long follower and proponent of the fitness lifestyle. Through his avid research, Mr. Brooks has come to the realization that being healthy is a choice and encompasses not only proper diet but also a fitness regimen that includes the mind, body and soul. Mike Brooks is the publisher and editor-in-chief for the health information site www.ultimatehealthreport.com.

Understanding Relation Between Diabetes and Yeast Infections

Diabetes is a condition that has many associated health problems attached to it. One such is the possibility of developing yeast infections although many people might not be very expressive about the problem if they are suffering from it. Many feel that a yeast infection is a source of embarrassment and would not like to openly discuss about it.

But, this is an important complication of diabetes that one should not ignore as many diabetics who have trouble keeping their blood sugar levels under control suffer from yeast infections. This mainly occurs as increased levels of glucose in the body affects many other bodily mechanisms and has an influence on the immune status of the body.

Most diabetics have lot of trouble sticking to a strict regime and keeping their diet under regulation and control. Although diet management plays a vital role for every diabetic to help keep diabetes in check, it is also of importance in keeping other complications of diabetes under control. This not only affects the physical and mental wellbeing of the person, it also has an effect on the social and emotional wellness of the individual. A person constantly suffering from any illness is more likely to remain withdrawn and become very irritable and remain aloof from the support of friends and family members.

Many a times, yeast infections have turned worse and severe causing extreme effects in terms of symptoms although it is usually not so. But, usually the symptoms caused by the infection is generally very simple to treat and overcome but when it gets severe, especially in a person already suffering from other problems due to diabetes, it can cause severe stress on the health status of the individual.

As it is generally a source of embarrassment, women might be tempted to douche before consulting a doctor. This however, is not advisable as the doctor will then see the after effects of douching. This may alter the symptoms at physical examination and mislead the doctor while making a diagnosis of the condition. So, when you are seeing a doctor in a suspected situation of yeast infection it is best not to douche before you go for the consultation.

You can discuss with your doctor on the line of treatment, and you will either be prescribed a proper medication or the doctor will let you know about some over-the-counter product that you can use. Doctors generally prefer giving a prescription to a medication that you can use. But, ensure that you discuss about other medications you are on so that the doctor will know if there is any possibility of undue adverse interactions between the medications you are taking.

Whatever be treatment modality you are opting, it is essential to complete the entire course of the treatment while treating yeast infections. This can prevent the possibility of recurrence of infection and resistance to the medication. Even though you do not find any visible signs and symptoms of the condition, the causative factors are still existent and will take some time to completely get nullified. So, if you stop medication as soon as your symptoms disappear without completing the course, the infection can again surface. This is especially true for diabetics as their immune levels and capacity for healing is generally below normal.

Although yeast infection can occur in anyone, diabetics are more prone to them and need more special care to see that they get proper remedy for the problem.

About Author Larry Do :
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