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In fitness, some people are confused about the topic of upper abs exercises and lower abs exercises, so here is some information to set the record straight.  The main muscle, that people talk about when they discuss the upper abs and lower abs, is the rectus abdominus.  Rectus means straight, and abdominus refers to the abdomen.  So simply put, the rectus abdominus runs straight down the abdomen.  The rectus abdominus is also the muscle that gives a lean person that six pack look.

The rectus abdominus is 1 muscle, but it has tendinous intersections that separate muscle fibers forming distinct sections.  Many people argue that because the rectus abdominus is one muscle you cannot isolate certain parts of the muscle, but I think the conversations around this topic get confusing because of semantics.  You cannot isolate only one section of the rectus abdominus while the other sections are not working, but you can emphasize one area over another.  So the problem comes with people using the terms isolate and emphasize interchangeably.

Our nervous system is so intricate.  Each nerve has thousands of nerve cells and each muscle has thousands of muscle fibers.  This allows us to move with accuracy, precision, agility, and grace.  The rectus abdominus is supplied by multiple nerves that work in a coordinated fashion to create a variety of movements.  The multiple nerve supply helps us move in different ways, and the upper abs and lower abs are emphasized when we do different movement.

The upper abs (upper part of the rectus abdominus) are emphasized when the trunk moves forward like in a crunch or sit up.  Ball crunches are also a good upper abdominal exercise, and crunch machines and ab machines will also emphasize the upper abs.  Even though the upper abs are emphasized during crunches, crunches also work the lower abs.  The entire rectus abdominus will work during any abs exercise when your trunk bends forwards or flexes.

1. There is just more emphasis on the lower abs when the legs are moving.

Now, one thing that I must mention is that abs exercises do not magically melt away stomach fat.  Doing upper abs exercises will not magically get rid of the fat on the upper part of your stomach, and doing lower abs exercises will not magically get rid of the fat on the lower part of your stomach.  This is known as the spot reduction myth.  If you want to lose stomach fat, you should use a comprehensive approach to fitness and healthy eating.

In regards to your ab workout, try to exercise your abdominal muscles 2-3 times a week, and include both upper ab and lower abs exercises to work your body from a variety of directions.  By using different forms of exercises, you will have a more balanced body.

Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.

Visit his website for Free Ab and Tummy Exercises and stomach and tummy toning exercises

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O.K. So what are they?

Uterine Fibroids (leiomyomas) are common noncancerous (benign) tumors that occur within the muscle walls of the uterus (womb). Uterind fibroids can be the size of a pinhead and show no signs or symptoms that they are there, or they can be very painful and grow to a 10 inch diameter.

There are four types of uterine fibroids:

Subserosal Fibroids, develop under the outside uterine covering. Intramural Fibroids, develop within the uterine wall. Submucosal Fibroids, develop under the uterus lining. Pedunculated Fibroids, develop on a “stalk” or stem-like structure attached to the inside or the outside of the uterus.

Fibroids may grow as a single nodule or in clusters. They may range in size from 1 mm to more than 20 cm (8 inches) in diameter. Fibroids in the uterus are a common cause of heavy menstrual bleeding and pelvic pain and pressure in women. During pregnancy, fibroids can greatly increase in size.

What are the Symptoms?

Some women with uterine fibroids experience no symptoms at all. Symptoms may include excessive and prolonged menstrual bleeding, pain, abdominal mass effect, frequent urination or urgency or constipation and many others.

When symptoms appear, they can vary greatly, depending on the size and exact location of the fibroid tumors. Women sometimes underestimate the impact of their symptoms because they have become accustomed to the excessive bleeding, pain and the pressure that fibroids can cause. Also, for some reason African-American women develop symptoms faster and with greater severity than other women.

What does one do about them?

Uterine fibroids often do not require treatment, but when they are problematic, they may be treated surgically, non-surgically, with medication or with alternative treatments. The very heavy menstrual bleeding, clotting and pelvic pain, that fibroids sometimes cause leads many women to seek treatment.

What about treatment?

There are several different types of treatments:

Hormonal: Uterine fibroid tumors require estrogen and progesterone to grow, and without these hormones, fibroid tumors usually shrink in size. Hormonal treatments (such as birth control pills) may help control excessive menstrual bleeding caused by fibroids in some patients.

Non-surgical: Uterine Fibroid Embolization, UFE – Known medically as uterine artery embolization, approaches the treatment of fibroids by blocking the arteries that supply blood to them causing them to shrink or disappear. Uterine fibroid embolization is a more permanent solution than hormone therapy. When hormonal treatment is stopped the fibroid tumors usually grow back. UFE (Uterine Fibroid Embolization) isn’t considered to be surgery, but it is generally done at a hospital or specialized clinic. This uterine fibroids treatment procedure usually takes between 1 and 3 hours, depending on how long it takes to position the catheter and how easily the catheter can be positioned in the arteries to the uterus.

Although uterine artery embolization has been in use for two decades to treat bleeding after childbirth, it wasn’t until early 1997 that the technique was introduced as a potential treatment for uterine fibroids.

Follow-up studies have shown that nearly 90 percent of women who have their fibroids treated by uterine fibroid embolization experience either significant or complete resolution of their fibroid-related symptoms.

Surgical: Surgery for uterine fibroids involves either removing the fibroids (myomectomy) or the entire womb (hysterectomy). Surgery has risks, including bleeding and infection. About a third of the more than 500,000 hysterectomies done in the U.S. each year are done because of fibroids. Most of the women having these operations are said to be unaware of the non-surgical options.

Alternative treatment: Alternative treatments for uterine fibroid tumors also abound. Naturopaths, homeopaths, acupuncturists, chiropractors, and other alternative health care providers have treatments to offer as well. While some of these are not as well supported by scientific studies that prove effectiveness, the treatments are usually safer and provide a less invasive alternative than surgery.

Remember that some medical treatments for uterine fibroid tumors can affect your fertility. For this and other reasons it is very important to seriously investigate and consider alternative treatments for uterine fibroids.

Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Jorge Chavez is a researcher, writer and student of natural health. For more information about dealing with uterine fibroids treatment and what to do about fibroids in uterus, follow the link in this sentence.

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Leukemia is a disease that is considered to be life-threatening. It requires prompt intervention when discovered, in order to maximize the chances of recovering through specific treatment and therapy. Leukemia is basically a type of cancer of the bone marrow and blood, caused by inappropriate cellular activity. The disease can be of different forms, according to the types of blood cells that cause its development. Also, if leukemia is developing rapidly, it is called acute leukemia, while if the disease is developing slowly, it is referred to as chronic leukemia.

The direct leukemia causes are still unknown. In present, medical science isn’t able to establish the specific leukemia causes. However, a strong connection between certain genetic factors and the development of the disease has been revealed. Leukemia occurs on the background of genetic failure that causes the excessive production of incomplete, partially matured blood cells. Also, leukemia has a hereditary character, allowing the transmission of genetic predispositions to disease from one generation to another. Although many factors are known to contribute to the development of leukemia, they alone can’t be considered leukemia causes.

Despite the fact that statistics indicate a higher incidence of the disease in people that are exposed to some environmental factors of risk, leukemia doesn’t seem to be caused by neither of them in particular. Among the environmental factors that are thought to be leukemia causes, here are some of the most plausible ones:

- Smoking – smoking is thought to increase the chances of being affected by leukemia. Although statistics show that around 20 percent of acute leukemia cases are related to smoking, leukemia also occurs to people that don’t smoke and therefore it can’t be considered a leukemia cause on itself;

- Prolonged exposure to radiation – Radiation is considered to facilitate the development of leukemia. It is believed that exposure to X-rays can be a leukemia cause;

- Prolonged exposure to benzene – statistics reveal that this is a major factor of risk in some forms of leukemia, such as myelogenous leukemia;

- Chemotherapy and cancer treatment – previous cancer treatments and chemotherapy are known to facilitate the occurrence and development of leukemia and can be considered plausible leukemia causes. Within a few years from the completion of chemotherapy and other treatments for certain forms of cancer, most people can develop leukemia.

Among the genetic factors that are considered to be leukemia causes, the following ones are thought to be the most important:

- chromosome abnormalities – some rare genetic syndromes are known to contribute to leukemia causes;

- Immune system genetic problems – a weak immune system is very likely to facilitate the occurrence of leukemia and therefore can be considered a leukemia cause;

- Down syndrome – children born with this syndrome have a very high risk of developing acute leukemia.

The list of possible leukemia causes can continue further, but these are the most common factors that are considered to be interrelated with leukemia. While some of them can be prevented, others reside within the genes and in present can’t be corrected. In future, however, thanks to medical advance, we will probably be able to prevent leukemia and other forms of cancer.

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Both men and women suffer from infertility caused by various reasons. However, it’s important for both the sex to undergo treatment for this complicated issue. Various known and unknown factors cause infertility in women. These include diseases like endometriosis, diminished ovarian reserve, ovulation disorders, and low progesterone level. Low sperm count and low sperm motility, STD, injury or chronic diseases, sperm blockage and ageing are some of the reasons men for, which suffer.

Scheduled drugs and systematic treatment can cure most of the above mentioned infertility problems except ageing and chronic diseases, although these treatments are quite expensive and may have harmful side effects. Additional treatment may be required to cure the side effects. Treatments conducted through IVF or In Vitro Fertilization and ICSI or Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection is best among the other methods of infertility treatment. In this technique, the egg cells outside the womb are fertilized by the sperm and then transferred inside. This treatment is suggested when other techniques fail to give results. This technique is a hormonally controlled ovulation progression. In this treatment involves, the ova is removed from the female’s ovaries and helps the sperm to fertilize in a fluid medium. But this is not a normal process at all and involves excavation of the eggs from the ovary, fertilizing them in an outside laboratory and putting them back in the uterus. In the normal process, the human decides to pick the healthiest sperm for reproducing the egg but in the artificial process, the embryologist takes this decision. However, when he fails to pick the healthiest sperm and egg, it may cause the ill health of the child during birth and even later in life.

Some alternative techniques with a holistic approach are fast becoming popular in order to cure the problem of secondary infertility. These techniques are all the more preferred by people as these have less or no side effects at all.

The acupuncture method, for example, especially ear acupuncture or Auricular is very effective in cases where female infertility has been caused by some kind of malfunction of the ovary. The hormonal message that is transferred from brain to ovary is the most beneficial result received from this technique. In accordance to the investigative trials, those women who have received acupuncture treatment for about 30 times within a time period of 3 months have shown good results. Those female who underwent hormonal therapy along with it suffered from side effects.

In the alternative treatment techniques, diet and lifestyle changes are given a lot of importance. Regular intake of such things that contain caffeine like coffee, chocolate, cocoa, green tea (containing caffeine), black tea and colored soft drinks which has harmful effects on conception is discouraged. According to a study, one and a half cup of coffee for a woman who is trying for pregnancy is sure to delay her conception. Thus coffee is a strictly a no-no for patients suffering from infertility.

Diets that include fish contaminated with PCB or Polychlorinated Biphenyls are also believed to be a cause for substantial reduction in the ability to become pregnant. According to one study, women who had more than one meal containing fish contaminated with PCBs (procured from Lake Ontario), developed reduced fecundity within a month.

The best result for the treatment of infertility has been reported through the Chinese medicines, acupuncture and of course, the holistic approach. The holistic approach reaches to the depth of the problem and only then delivers physical, spiritual as well as emotional treatment, rather than only investigating the organs. On the other side, the conventional approach to the problem of infertility fails to successfully detect and remove the real causes and moreover, causes side effects. The holistic approach suggests a natural remedy and a way of life that can really solve the problem as soon as the real cause is determined.

This article is based on the book, “Pregnancy Miracle” by Lisa Olson. Lisa is an author, researcher, nutritionist and health consultant who dedicated her life to creating the ultimate pregnancy solution guaranteed to permanently reverse the root of infertility, help you get pregnant quickly and naturally and dramatically improve the overall quality of your life, without the use prescription medication and without any surgical procedures. Learn more by visiting her website:

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All too often we ignore aches and pains and carry on as normal. Most of us have minor aches every now and again and most of us just carry on with life regardless. If we stopped work each time we had a pain the world would soon grind to a stop.

But don’t ignore a painful shoulder, especially if it is consistent. A Rotator Cuff Problem will|Rotator Cuff problems} often give us plenty of warning before they get bad and stop us in our tracks. If you notice weakness,stiffness, pain or swelling in your shoulder it may be time to take it easy and start the healing process.

There are someshoulder problems that begin as the result of a knock or fall, most begin because of simple |wear and tear on the joint, either as we age or caused by a repetitive stressful movement. Okay, You can’t always do anything to stop the accidental injury but we can take early measures to cut down the damage from wear and tear. As we age our rotator cuff gets weaker through lack of use. We hold ourselves differently to how we did as youngsters, our {posture|shape gradually changes over the years. I only need to look at my waist to confirm that.

As the rotator cuff gradually gets weaker we become more prone to shoulder injuries. The right sort of physical therapy done early on to strengthen the rotator cuff can go a long way towards stopping shoulder injuries. Although these are a small group of muscles {they are key to having strong shoulders and once we get past fifty we ignore them at our peril.

So prevention is definitely better than cure, but just in case you’ve left it too late, what are the rotator cuff symptoms? Firstly, weakness and pain in the damaged shoulder. This might only occur when you use your shoulder joint. The commonest causes of discomfort are reaching up, or reaching for an object. Whenever you reach up or out the rotator cuff starts to work at its hardest. If you are having problems getting to sleep because of a painful shoulder, this is yet another classic sign. Lying on your bad shoulder can be painful, but lying on the other side so that your painful arm drops in front of you can be equally uncomfortable.

If the pain is continuous, it might well be telling you that you have a badly torn rotator cuff.

Most rotator cuff problems can be treated with rest followed by physical therapy but don’t rush out and sign up for a gym. These are a small group of muscles that need very specific exercise to build them up using either no weights or very small weights and physical therapy that are designed specifically for group of muscles.

So whether it’s simply shoulder pain or a full blown rotator cuff injury, you will almost definitely end up exercising the rotator cuff as part of your therapy. Whether that is before or after surgery really depends on whether or not you listen to your body and heed the warning signs.

If you found this article interesting check out my full story at
www..myrotatorcuffcure.blogspot.com

My name is Nick Bryant and I tore my rotator cuff lifting something that was too heavy. Despite being told that I needed surgery I have fully recovered with just phyical therapy. Check out one of my other articles on rotator cuff injury

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Do you know the causes of hair loss will determine the way it can be treated for maximum results? This is mainly the reason most people fail at finding the correct treatment.

They do not take the time to find out why their hair is becoming thin or falling out. Instead they panic and start grabbing products to put on their scalp.

This can actually make the situation worse. If they use a product that contains ingredients that are more harmful to their hair than helpful, it can make losing hair more dramatic.

Hair loss causes are not unlike any other problem that the body experiences. If you developed an unexplained pain, wouldn’t you find out what is causing this pain?

Loss of hair is no different. The reason behind the loss is going to be the key to addressing the solution.

Causes of hair loss can include an infection. These are not hard to treat and get your hair back to normal.

Hormones can be another of the hair loss causes experienced by men and women alike. These are usually caused by changes in levels of estrogen and androgen.

Many women can attribute causes of hair loss to pregnancy. This is not abnormal and will clear up within a few months of giving birth.

Stress is another major factor that will cause extreme loss of hair. In addition, a trauma, such as a death or major event in your life will also cause a shock to the system that will result in losing hair.

Some medicines you may be taking for other problems can be one of the causes of hair loss. Chemotherapy is one that is used for treating cancer and can result in the hair falling out, but this also is temporary.

Hair loss causes can be the result of your lifestyle. The body needs certain vitamins to function the way it is supposed to and if it does not get these vitamins, falling hair can be a result.

Another culprit is smoking. You are probably nodding your head and saying you knew this was going to come into play somewhere.

However, the truth is smoking causes the constriction of blood vessels. This can reduce the amount of blood that reaches the scalp and hair and may cause some hair to die.

Even though most women do not realize it, the way you wear your hair can be one of the causes of losing hair. When they pull their hair into a tight pony tail day after day, this can stress the hair follicles and cause loss of hair.

Probably the biggest hair loss causes is attributed to genetics. This can be passed from one generation to the next.

If you face facts, you will see there are so many causes of hair loss that it is impossible to say one product will work for every type. This is why it is imperative to narrow down the cause in order to find the right way of treating falling hair.

And, to help you solve hair loss problems, Kalpana shares with you a remedy to Thinning Hair and Hair Loss for both men and women that she found to be a safe and natural hair loss product. If you want to see results confirmed by other customers, visit her website, http://remedies-for-thinning-hair.com to find out more.

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The term “Hydropath” comes from Greek and stands for “water cure”. Yet, this term is a deceiving one, because the water is only the means through which other agents are activated. In fact the hydrotherapy is based on heat, cold or on the action of curative herbs. Because water is only the vehicle for these agents, scientists have suggested that the procedures specific to hydrotherapy should be grouped under a more suggestive name, that of hydrotherapy or hydrotherapeutics.

Hydrotherapy has appeared and developed as a treatment for different diseases. Using many techniques adapted to each type of disease hydrotherapy managed to increase its popularity very fast. Nowadays the hydropathical techniques are used in many fields of medicine, starting from physical therapy and ending with dermatology.

The first technique we are going to take a closer look at is the packing. It consists in covering the body in wet sheets. Over the sheets some blankets are put and fixed tightly around the body. The procedure lasts about an hour and it can be hot or cold, depending on the disease, which the patient suffers from. The packing is usually followed by a general bath. It is used for stimulating the coetaneous excretion, as sedative or as soothing, depending on the type of packing applied.

A technique greatly enjoyed by the patients is the so-called Turkish bath. They are hot air baths used for reducing internal congestion, promoting the repair of the tissues, and as vascular tonic and stimulant. It has also a powerful relaxing effect, being used for the people, which are much stressed. Such an air bath takes between 20 minutes and 2 hours and it is usually completed by a general bath and sometimes even by soaping and shampooing.

The general and local baths are mainly combinations of cold and hot water. The rapid alternations of hot and cold water have detergent, derivative, stimulating and tonic effect on the body. They can be used independently, or as shown previously, in combination with other techniques.

In addition to its curative effects, Hydropath has also relaxing effects. It represents the perfect combination between treatment and relaxation, combination very much exploited in the Centers

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Being underweight can be a real challenge for those who struggle to gain weight but just can’t seem to do so.

In modern society, with so many suffering from obesity and overweight, precious little attention is given to those who have the opposite problem. Yet being and feeling underweight and skinny can negatively impact not only on the individual’s health, but also on their self esteem and confidence.

Hard gainers very often believe that it’s their metabolism that’s too speedy and that they simply burn up everything they eat or that they just don’t manage to digest and absorb everything.

But — with the exception of certain underlying medical conditions — this is just not the case.

The simple reason why a person has difficulty in gaining weight is because they are consuming too few calories in order to do so. ‘Hard gainers’ simply eat less than they need in order to increase weight.

Often, those who constantly struggle with weight gain believe that they eat sufficient food. But this is just not so. After all, the belief that you eat a lot of food is not the same thing as actually eating sufficient food for you to gain weight.

The simple fact is that metabolism and genetics really have little to do with healthy weight gain. Yes, of course there are different body types and it’s the ectomorph that’s usually identified as the one most naturally skinny and thin. But there is no need for a person to be gifted genetically or to be really athletic in order to gain weight in a balanced and healthy way.

Of course, the ability to simply unwind and relax on a regular basis is crucial. The hard gainer really needs to slow things down and conserve energy.

What really matters when it comes to putting on weight are the psychological factors. This includes not only the psychological response and approach to food, eating and nutrition, but also the person’s own individual perception of their body and potential.

If the image held by the subconscious mind is that the person is thin and underweight no matter what, then it is certainly capable of ensuring that this remains the case.

It is the image that our own subconscious holds of ourself and of our own body image that truly determines our weight.

With the help of modern hypnotherapy techniques and strategies it is possible to reach deep inside the subconscious and alter the self image from that of a thin, underweight person to that of someone of normal and healthy weight.

Once the internalized body image has been adjusted in a positive way, then the subconscious mind does its very best to ensure that that internalized image becomes a reality.

If putting on weight is something you struggle with, then don’t despair.

With modern hypnotherapy techniques even the hardest gainer can gain weight, be healthy and feel really good about their body.

Peter Field is one of the foremost British hypno-psychotherapists, with busy clinics in Birmingham and London, England. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Health and Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. More of his absorbing article can be found on his website: Peter Field Hypnotherapy Hypnotherapists UK OR get his unique ‘Relax & Unwind’ FREE self hypnosis download here.

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