Wunderlich

Abdominal Exercise Equipment That Really Works

There have been many studies and reports about how our society as a whole has grown heavier and chubbier. The stomach, in particular, has become a trouble spot for many people. This is due in part to the fact that many of us have desk jobs where we rarely use our stomach and abdomen muscles. For others, this is where the excess fat, brought on by the fast food and extra beers, settles in our bodies. Whatever the reason for our big bellies, there has been a host of abdominal exercise equipment and gadgets to help do away with stomach flab. Some of these techniques and equipment work better than others. This article will help you sort through the hype.

Before beginning a discussion of abdominal exercises and equipment, it is important to point out that even the best ab machine will not help you loose fat in your stomach area. Abdominal exercise equipment can tone and shape your muscles, but the only way to loose the fat is to consume more calories than you take in. Exercise will help you do this, but it is a total body process, not targeted to certain areas.

It is also important to note, that for many people, a flat stomach is not in their genetics, even if they are in good physical shape. Some stomachs have a small curve, and all the crunches in the world wont change that. However, the exercises and equipment discussed below will help tone, strengthen and define your abdominal muscles.

Abdominal Exercises & Equipment

There are many different types of ab exercisers and equipment. One of the most effective of these, the Roman Chair, is not strictly an ab machine. It is a common piece of equipment found at the gym but it can be used to perform a very effective ab exercise. The Roman Chair is a somewhat taller machine with two stationary, parallel arms and a straight, padded back. There is nothing to sit on.

When working on abs, the best way to use this piece of equipment is to place your forearms flat on each armrest, with your back firmly against the padding. You should have the Roman Chair set high enough that your legs dangle straight down when you are in position. Then slowly bring your knees toward your chest as far as you can go and hold for a few seconds before extending them to the beginning position. This exercise was number two in a San Diego State University survey that ranked the top abdominal exercises and equipment.

According to the survey, the best ab exercise is the Bicycle maneuver. Many of you are probably familiar with this fun exercise. Weve been doing it since we were kids in gym class, and it turns out, the bicycle is one of the most effective exercises for working those abdominal muscles. To do the exercise correctly, lie on a mat and press your lower back flat. Put your hands beside your head. Tighten your abdominal muscles and bend your knees toward your chest until they are at about a 45-degree angle. Bring your right elbow in contact with your left knee. Then alternate with the opposite knee and elbow and repeat. You should feel it in your sides and abs.

Leg Crunches are similar to the Bicycle, but with crunches, your torso does most of the movement. Lie on the mat again with your lower back pressed flat. Place your hands at your sides or by your head, whichever is more comfortable. Be sure not to put any pressure on your arms or you will take away from the effectiveness of the exercise.

Lift your legs straight up above your head and bend your knees slightly. Squeeze your abdominal muscles and then lift your torso up off the mat toward your knees. Return to the original position with your back flat on the mat. Relax your abdominal muscles and then repeat. Remember to breathe during the exercise.

Crunches can also be done on an exercise ball and many feel it is more effective than standard crunches. You sit on the ball and place your feet on the floor about a foot apart. Roll back carefully on the ball until you are lying with your back fully extended on the ball. Tighten your abdominal muscles and raise your trunk off the ball to about a 30-degree angle. Return to the extended position and repeat.

Exercise balls are one of the most versatile and effective pieces of fitness equipment relative to their cost. Another low cost equipment alternative is a stretch band. These are just what they sound like, a stretchy band made of lycra, nylon or sometimes rubber. Sometimes called resistance bands, they allow you to work one muscle group while the resistance of the band stabilizes the opposing muscles. It is good for stretching and strengthening muscles and is often used with beginners and those who have experienced an injury.

If you are looking for something a bit more high-tech, there are several pieces of equipment made especially to work the abs. There are the Ab Crunch Machine and the Back and Ab Machine. Both of these pieces of abdominal exercise equipment have been designed to support the lower back and the neck. They also come with adjustable resistance settings.

The Ab Slider, Ab Wheel, and Ab Trainer are other examples of equipment designed to target abdominal muscles. As with most types of fitness equipment, their effectiveness often is dependant upon correct usage and, in some cases, combining them with other abdominal exercises. It is important to fully research the equipment and read instructions before using.

The quest for six-pack abs and flat stomachs has intensified over the past few years. In response, the fitness industry has resurrected some old, faithful exercises, developed new and improved versions, and even created equipment specifically to target abdominal muscles. Combine these top abdominal exercises with an overall exercise routine and a healthy diet, and chances are you will loose the flab and have a stronger, more shapely mid section in a matter of months.

About the Author:

C.J. Gustafson is a successful freelance fitness writer for Fitness-N-Exercise-Equipment.com, your complete guide to the best home fitness equipment. Find out where to shop for the best recumbent exercise bikes, ab machines and weight training equipment for your home gym.

Copyright 2005 Fitness-N-Exercise-Equipment.com

Permission is granted to publish this article on your site only if the author's byline is included and all links are hyperlinked.

My Alien Penfriend by Faiz Kermani is a fun and unique science fiction fantasy book about a young boy on earth and his pen-pal on another planet. After joining a youth group that connects people across the universe, the boys write letters to each other and send them through spacemail, a futuristic version of email. These letters are used for a majority of the story telling technique employed by Mr. Kermani.

Life on the planet Bartoch is about to undergo huge changes. Governments refusing the advice of a controversial scientist pay for this mistake with many lives and utter destruction of communities. Worry for his friend sets in during a communication shutdown with the planet and the depth of their friendship takes on a whole new meaning for both boys.

My Alien Penfriend is an interesting tale of two boys ranging in age from 11-15 who learn from each other by comparing differences and similarities of each others planets and in the process, they develop a strong intergalactic friendship that will last a lifetime.

Author Faiz Kermani is a scientist by trade, and My Alien Penfriend is his first childrens book. A fan of Roald Dahl, George Orwell and John Steinbeck, his style certainly reflects a love for space and children. This illustrated childrens book is tidy package at 94 pages and retails for under $12 (US).

Many parents may find themselves reminiscing about their own childhood pen-pals and the excitement they felt waiting for each letter. Educators can use the book to encourage pen-pal writing with youth in other countries and improve creative writing skills.

Author: Faiz Kermani

Publisher: Author House

ISBN: 1-4208-5860-2

~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

~ Book Reviewer: Lillian Brummet - Co-author of the book Trash Talk, a guide for anyone concerned about his or her impact on the environment Author of Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry. (http://www.sunshinecable.com/~drumit)

There is a lot of press about the need for people to eat 5 portions of fruit or vegetables a day as part of a healthy diet. It is hoped that this will increase the amount of dietary fibre, vitamins and antioxidants in the body. Despite the adverts many people struggle to eat 1 piece of fresh fruit let alone 5 a day. Could the answer to consuming more fruit be in the humble smoothie ? And are smoothies necessarily good for you ?

First up, there are different types of smoothies.

A smoothie that is comprised of nothing but fruit is likely to be good for you and come close to hitting the 5 fruit a day mark. Smoothies of this sort generally include a fruit that can add a thick consistency to the drink. In this case the good old banana takes up the challenge. A banana can add thickness to the drink and a creamy taste and texture. They are also a good source of Potassium.Using bananas as a base fruit, a smoothie practitioner can experiment with nearly any type and amount of fruit imaginable. For example

Take a handful of any fresh berry fruit strawberry or raspberry
Some freshly squeezed orange juice
A couple of bananas

Cut the bananas in to smaller chunks or slices and blend all the ingredients until the mixture is a smooth, thick consistency. Pour into a glass and knock it back. Wonderful and so simple! Of course half the fun is experimenting with the quantities and types of ingredients to get your own special recipe. Why not add fresh carrot juice in place of the berries ?

If the all-fruit smoothies are the halo wearing, harp playing angels hovering above your right shoulder then the guilt inducing, trident poking devils on your left shoulder are undoubtedly the smoothies that use dairy products.

I know, I know they taste pretty darn good. A huge dollop of extra creamy ice cream, a generous dash of milk and some kind of fruit. Blend it up and you have a delicious drink.

The classic is the banana smoothie, one banana, a dash of milk and your favorite vanilla ice cream. Blend it all together and serve. Add a bit of honey or syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

As much as a drink like this tastes great you must remember that it is probably not that good for you. In fact, smoothies that incorporate cream, ice cream , milk, honey and yogurt are not really that good for you and should be taken in moderation.

Conclusion

An all-fruit smoothie is a great way to start the day and makes it easier to have 5 pieces of fruit a day. The dairy based smoothies are best seen as a treat or indulgence and should be taken in moderation.

Maurice Canwell is a writer on Food and Drink. He is a regular contributor to http://bestsmoothierecipe.info

When it comes to choosing herbal teas for acid reflux, there are a number of things that you need to take into consideration to ensure that what you are using will help to treat the symptoms rather than make them worse.

Although you may think that all herbal teas for acid reflux can help to treat the problem, this is just not true and below we provide you with some guidelines to ensure that you only use those that will alleviate the problem of acid reflux.

Firstly when it comes to choosing the right kind of herbal tea you need to read the labels very carefully (especially on those that are prepared). A lot of them often contain caffeine which can in fact cause your acid reflux to become worse and so these kinds of teas should be avoided at all costs.

So only look at using those teas which contain no caffeine whatsoever. Also it is best that you do not drink any kind of decaffeinated coffee which you think would be safe but in fact can also trigger the symptoms associated with acid reflux. So really the best way of treating your acid reflux problem naturally is through drinking herbal teas that are decaffeinated.

One kind of tea you may want to consider using is the ones which contain ginger in their ingredients. This is because ginger is considered to be very good at helping to sooth the symptoms associated with acid reflux. However if you cannot find it in a prepared tea form, then you could actually get some and infuse it with some boiling water in a cup and then drink it after each meal in the evening.

Another superb kind of herbal tea for acid reflux is one that is made up of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Not only does it taste great but it helps to soothe the symptoms of acid reflux. You need to mix up 1 teaspoon of each of the herbs mentioned previously and boil them up with a few cups of water and then let it stand for a while before straining it and then drinking it. In order to make it a little sweeter you can add some honey.

The great thing about herbal teas for acid reflux is that you do not have to buy prepared ones instead if you wish you could actually make up your own. However what is essential is that before you start using any kind of herbal treatment for acid reflux, it is best to discuss the matter with your doctor first as some may have side effects which you are not aware of and which may also affect the prescribed medication that you are taking as well.

Ricky highly recommends using herbal acid reflux treatments. Visit his site for the different herbal teas for acid reflux and more.