ZUMBA

The class highlight today is ZUMBA! This is one of my favorite classes to attend, there is so much energy in a Zumba class. It's fun, different and makes you want to come back for more.

About

Let's face it, working out can be healthy, rewarding and beneficial. Working out can be lots of things, but it's never been known to be an exhilarating experience…UNTIL NOW!

The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked. Zumba® Fanatics achieve long-term benefits while experiencing an absolute blast in one exciting hour of calorie-burning, body-energizing, awe-inspiring movements meant to engage and captivate for life!

The routines feature interval training sessions where fast and slow rhythms and resistance training are combined to tone and sculpt your body while burning fat. Add some Latin flavor and international zest into the mix and you've got a Zumba® class!

In the past years, the Zumba® program has become nothing short of a revolution, spreading like wildfire, and positioning itself as the single most influential movement in the industry of fitness.

As of July 2009, the Zumba® program is being taught at over 40,000 locations in 75 countries, has sold millions of DVDs, and has changed the lives of Zumba® Fanatics worldwide with an astonishing five million participants taking Zumba classes every week.

Why? Because it's the best party around.

History

Celebrity fitness trainer, "Beto" Perez, stumbled upon the concept of Latin-inspired dance-fitness in his native Cali, Colombia in the mid-‘90s.

One day, he walked into his aerobics class and realized he had forgotten his aerobics music. Thinking quickly, he grabbed whatever tapes he had in his backpack. Beto's tapes were comprised of songs he loved, the traditional Latin salsa and merengue music he listened to all his life. But it was a challenge to improvise a whole class on the spot using non-traditional aerobics music. Beto rose to the challenge and from this last-minute improvisation a revolutionary new concept in fitness was born – the Zumba Fitness-Party™! The class soon became the most popular class at his fitness facility.

*More Info. at- Zumba Fitness

So go to a class! Try something new and you will be amazed at how much fun you really can have while working up a sweat.

Check out these great Zumba Sites-

Pojo Fitness

Zumba with Allison

Zumba Fitness

Pomegranates

Fresh pomegranates are generally found in the produce section of your local market between September and November.

Now you know what a pomegranate is, but what does it do? Pomegranate juice has properties that are similar to aspirin in that it helps prevent blood clots. Pomegranates are high in antioxidants, which are believed to prevent atherosclerosis.

Another health benefit found in pomegranates is the increase in the amount of oxygen that gets to the heart muscle. It is believed that drinking three 8 ounce glasses of pomegranate juice can be beneficial to the heart. It has been report that prolonged drinking of pomegranate juice may help fight erectile dysfunction. Researchers are also optimistic that that pomegranate may prevent prostate cancer or possibly even inhibit the progression of the disease. Investigators are even finding evidence that pomegranate can reduce the risk of breast cancer.

There is a lot of recent evidence that shows that pomegranate juice has many health benefits and would be a value to your diet. Scientists are starting to look into pomegranate juice for reducing the effect s of arthritis. Swelling is believed to be reduced. While this is still in the early stages of development, there is no harm in adding pomegranate to you diet and it just may help.

While pomegranate juice is known as a remedy for diarrhea, if you drink too much of it you could end up with constipation. One other problem that you may encounter with pomegranate juice is the way it can interact with medication. It is similar to grapefruit juice in that respect.


Check out more info. about the above article at 'Pomegranates: The New Super Food'

While this is all great information, when I was in Jr. High my nutrition teacher taught me that anything (veggie or fruit) that is deep in color, eg. spinach, beets, rasberries, etc, is full of all kinds of vitamins and minerals and is super good for you. I think that pomegranates definitely fall into that category, so eat up!

Calf Muscle

So last week I had a comment left wondering about the calf muscles and good ways to strengthen them. I knew some of the good basics but decided to do a little bit of research to see what else I could find. To sum it up the best exercise for the calves is calf raises, BUT it can be done many different ways and with different types of equipment. Here are some that I really liked.

***With all of these exercises you can keep both your feet facing forward, turn both of your feet in, or turn both of your feet out facing away from your body. This will help to work the different sides of your calf muscle.

Seated Calf Raises-
This is a picture of a calf raise machine. Beginners start with little to no weights and add weights as you feel you are ready for more of a challenge. To do this exercise take a seat, there will be pads that rest right above you knee, place the your toes and palm of your foot on the given bar and press up engaging your calf muscles. Start with 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions or if you are able and want more of a challenge do 6 sets of 8.

Standing Calf Raises-

***Note that these can be done using the machine pictured above or free-standing on the ground without weights, with dumbells or a barbell.

Here is a great picture of standing calf raises. I actually think that this picture does a great job of showing how this exercise needs to be done. Stand with feet hip width apart, with neck spine and pelvis in a neutral position. This can be done with no weight or with lots of weight. If you are on the machine start by sinking your heels to the ground and then pushing straight up on your toes really focusing on using your calf muscles to perform the exercise. I really like to do 3 sets, low weight, 15 reps. slow (slow up and down), 10 reps. fast. Next set 10 reps. slow, 15 reps. fast. Finally 15 slow, 10 reps. fast.

This can also be done standing on one leg if you really want to isolate the calf muscle.

Jumping Squats-

To do this exercise stand with feet shoulder width apart, with your neck, spine and pelvis in a neutral position. Start by squatting down and back, watching that your knees never go out past your toes. From this position jump as high as you can really utilizing your calf muscles for the end part of the jump. This should be a continuous motion squatting down, jumping up, landing with your knees soft ready to squat right back down.

This exercise can be done a few ways. First, arms to your sides, this will help keep the momentum going as you do repetitions as you jump up and squat back down. To make it more difficult you place your hands behind your head as shown above. This will make so you don't have the swinging motion of your arms and it will make you work your legs even more.

Start by doing 8-10 repetitions to see how you feel and how your knees feel. If you feel like you can do more try doing 3 sets of 10-12. If you are in any pain, discontinue this specific exercise.

***For other good calf exercises check out MyFIT.ca Health & Fitness

(I started this post a few little while ago, but published it 10/19/09)