Health Tips

Staying physically and mentally fit while waiting for golf season can be tough, especially if the off season is a long, cold snowy one! However, waiting for the sun to shine and the snow to melt before you think about pulling the clubs out of the closet can put you at risk for injury early on in the season. So why not use the winter months to commit to a golf specific conditioning program and make that transition to Spring easier on the body.

Implementing a golf specific fitness program in the off season that includes strength training, flexibility & mobility training and cardiovascular conditioning at least three times a week can decrease injury or re-injury risk and improve golf performance. This is important as the golf swing requires a lot of effort and power that creates a large amount of stress on your body. If you begin the season with weak, inflexible, and unconditioned muscles you are setting yourself up for injury – especially to the structures in your low back where you rely on complex movements such as flexion, rotation and extension during your swing.

Let’s look at the benefits that improving your fitness in the winter season can have on your golf game. First we’ll look at increasing the strength of your golf specific muscles. Your leg muscles provide the power for the beginning of your swing. Your abdominal and back muscles move that power to your torso to increase the speed of your swing and produce a strong rotation from the core. Last but not least your shoulder and arm muscles will help with accuracy and control of the club head.

Another crucial component in decreasing the risk of injury and improving swing performance is flexibility & mobility training. This type of program should focus on your golf specific muscles such as hips, upper and lower back, and shoulders. You can also include core specific stabilization exercises such as yoga or pilates. Stretching is an important component both pre and post strength or cardiovascular program.

Finally in order to have the stamina to complete 18 holes you must include cardiovascular conditioning into your golf specific fitness program. Pick an exercise you will enjoy doing – walking, treadmill, squash, biking, etc. Committing to a cardio conditioning program will ward off early fatigue on the back nine and help keep you focused the entire game.

The combination of all three of these training principles (strength, cardio, flexibility) implemented into your off season fitness program will not only help you mentally while you wait for the season to begin, but will more importantly help reduce your risk of injury, enhance your motivation, and best of all improve your golf game!

Tips for the Off Season:

* Before you start a conditioning program, assess your current level of fitness. Consult with your family Doctor, or seek advice from a qualified health professional.
* Book a golf performance assessment to find out your physical limitations.
* Make a commitment to begin or maintain a golf specific conditioning program to correct your physical limitations. Write down your goals.
* Take advantage of indoor golf facilities to practice your skills.
* Use the winter months to refine your swing. Seek training from a golf Professional.
* Include practice swings into your weekly conditioning program
* Drive for show, putt for dough. Use the off-season to become a great putter indoors. Work on your stroke, accuracy, and speed.
* Improve your mental game. Visualize your swing.
* Don’t let minor injuries become major injuries. Pain is a warning system to alert you to developing problems. Get help from your local health professional
(Doctor, Athletic Therapist, Physiotherapist)

Learn more about golf fitness. Stop by Meryl Wheeler’s site where you can find out all about golf specific fitness and what it can do for you.

from: http://healthandfitnessreport.info/tips-for-teeing-off-in-top-shape/

Growing up, I lived in a 3 bedroom row home in the city. Although we did have a backyard, it wasn’t large enough to have the garden my dad always wanted. But he know how to take advantage of the space he did have using a few techniques that I am about to share with you. None of them were particularly crazy, just some practical, common-sense, easy to follow solutions.

One of the easiest things you can do right now is to pick plants that have high yields. By growing plants that grow more produce per plant, you will need to plant fewer of them. For instance, cherry tomato plants, peas, beans, zucchini, all have very high yields. So, simply planting just one or two could produce all that you need.

Do you companion plant? Companion planting is when lay out your vegetable garden so that plants with different needs are next to one another. It may mean that they have different nutritional needs and by planting them together, they do not fight for the same nutrients. Two plants may structurally support one another. For example you can plant Royal Burgundy Beans in between your corn and allow the beans to use the corn as a trellis. Or, it may mean that one plant provides needed shade for a smaller plant. I love planting lettuce under my tomatoes in the hot summer. The tomato?s shade keeps the lettuce from bolting.

You should rotate crops from season to season to prevent disease. You can also do an in-season crop rotation. To accomplish this, you plant your vegetables based on their temperature requirements. Plant cold tolerant plants in the early spring when temperatures are cool and then replace them (after they have been harvested) with summer varieties.

Learn how to grow vegetables vertically. You might be limited on the amount of space you have, but the sky is the limit, literally, when you grow your plants vertically. Vegetables such as cucumbers, beans and some squash are great candidates for vertical growing. Allowing them to grow horizontally can consume a tremendous amount of your precious garden space. If plants grow up a strong structure, you can use all that vertical space to your advantage. And, this will allow you to grow more varieties, too.

As you can see, these basic, common sense solutions can solve the real problem that many people face with limited garden space. Follow these suggestions and you will be well on your way to harvesting more vegetables from your garden this season.

Looking for inspirational gardening ideas, then visit www.gardendesignnow.com to find the latest on gardening trends.

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Make the Most of Your Small Vegetable Gardening Space

from: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/imarketingbiz/Xrni/~3/8k1MiT-f04g/

Beneficial microflora in the gastrointestinal area of the body are important to digestive health. Not only do prebiotics increase the activity of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria they increase the ability to absorb minerals and improve the immune system. As one of the newest fields of nutritional research it offers promising benefits for your immune system and heart.

Derived from carbohydrate fibers called oligosaccharides prebiotics stimulate the good bacterial growth to keep you healthy. These fibers can be found in such foods as fruit, whole grains, yogurt and whole grains. Yogurt also contains bifidobacteria which are known as fermentable fiber that is very beneficial as well. This fiber can protect the body against food poisoning.

Prebiotics can be taken as a supplement and also are added into some processed foods. Yogurts contain them. Supplements can be added to drinks, to foods or taken in a capsule or pill form.

Certain vegetables contain prebiotic fiber like bananas, chicory root, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks and onions. If you suffer from blood sugar imbalances it will help to produce acids to balance the sugars. Stomach aches, ulcerative colitis and thrush have all been shown to be improved on this type of diet.

Cholesterol and triglycerides levels have been lowered with the use of prebiotics. Inulin has reduced arteriosclerosis by 30%. Foods high in fiber are a particularly good source which include oatmeal, berries, and legumes. White blood cells are boosted and T cells. Osteoporosis and diabetes have been treated with prebiotics. Keep your body healthy, feed it the right things and you can maintain a balanced system.

Creating a slightly acidic environment in the colon reduces the hydrogen sulfide gas and short chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) that are produced to aid in the health of the colon walls. You may experience some bloating and gas and an increase in bowel movements when you first start eating this type of diet but as your system balances these symptoms should subside.

Preliminary evidence has shown that prebiotics can aid in the treatment of such diseases as early stage colon cancer which has been said to have stopped or been prevented entirely, ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer. Calcium and mineral absorption increases and the immune system functions better. Antibiotic-related diarrhea, gastroenteritis and bowel functions have all improved with the use of prebiotics.

Balancing your body with good bacteria, feeding your digestive system with the foods that help it help you is the path to staying healthy and feeling your best. Stress, drugs such as anti-biotics and a diet filled with processed foods and sugars as well as unhealthy lifestyles are all contributors to reducing the good bacteria in our guts. Eat the right foods and maintain a healthy balance.

Find out more about prebiotics. Head online and find out more by visiting http://tommiehoward.offershop.us/health. Go today and find out more.

from: http://healthandfitnessreport.info/following-a-prebiotic-diet-for-digestive-health/