August issue 2016

AUGUST 2016

FITNESS MAGAZINE

BUILD

MUSCLES

with Cable Workouts

THE FAST LANE TO HYPERTROPHY

HANDLE

Your Hunger Hormones

6

THE FAST AND

FURIOUS

HIIT Workout for Fat Loss

REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD LIFT WEIGHT

CAIRO: 5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek.

FOR DELIVERY CALL : 0100 002 7231 OR 0127 515 9444

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August 2016 | 1

CONTENTS AUGUST 2016

NUTRITION

20 Healthy Snack Ideas to Have at 22 24 26

22

Handle Your Hunger Hormones

28

Work Handle Your Hunger Hormones Incredible Health Benefits of Nuts and Seeds You Don’t Want to Miss Teenage Obesity: How to Promote Healthy Lifestyles?

Dish of the Month: Chicken Pad Thai

COVER CREDITS:

Rowana Badry BeFit Coach Specialist in Fitness Nutrition Been into sports since early childhood, fitness addict and enthusiast Photo by: Eman El-Hawary Lighting Assistant: Bassem Yehia

18

Holistic Workouts for Ripped Biceps and Triceps

FITNESS 10 The Fast Lane to Hypertrophy 12 Unraveling Asana- From One to the Next 14 Survival Workout: Functional Fitness for Real

Life Situations 16 9 Killer Ways to Build Muscles with Cable Workouts 18 Holistic Workouts for Ripped Biceps and Triceps

2 | August 2016

THE FITNESS MAGAZINE TEAM

34

How to Overcome Burnout and Stay Motivated

Owner/Founder: Zeyad Sorour Editor-in-Chief: Ahmed El Khodary Managing Editor: Christine Kassasseya Sales & PR Director: Naira El Lamei Marketing & Project Director: Samar Zaki Art Director: Eman Salama Graphic Designer: Nada Al Azzeh Graphic Design Intern: Hana Issa Editorial Intern: Nour Hassan Financial Director: Haitham Hamouda Distribution: Ahmed Mohamed Youssef, Ahmed Fawzy, Mohamed Abd El Nasser & Alaa Hussein 23 Emad El Din Kamel St., Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt Tel/Fax: (+202) 22627533 Mobile: 01115683666

BODY & SOUL

30 Tailbone Pain: Learn About

the Causes, Symptoms, and Treatments 32 Your Road Map to Optimum Health 34 How to Overcome Burnout and Stay Motivated

THE GAME 36 6 Reasons Why Women Should 38 40 42 44

Lift Weight Why Women Are Leaning More Towards Pilates Training Baby on Board: Physical Activity for Better Quality of Life The Fast and Furious HIIT Workout for Fat Loss Tips And Tricks To Satisfy What Women Want

STYLES & FEATURES 48 Portable Gadgets You Want to Have in 2016

50 Shop the Latest

Footwear & Apparel

4 | August 2016

36

6 Reasons Why Women Should Lift Weight

The Fitness Magazine Thefitnessmagazine www.thefitnessmagazineeg.com

IN EVERY ISSUE 46 Fit Facts 54 Meet The Experts 56 Upcoming Events

CONTRIBUTORS Jasmin Çakmakçı

Personal Trainer and Group Class Instructor at JW Marriott Cairo

Trainer at Prime Fitness and Spa VIP 4th Fittest Woman in the Middle East After years of training in a variety of fields, Jasmin was able to expand her knowledge in the fitness world based on her first hand experiences and experiments, constant search for fact based readings, and her ability to follow instructions only after knowing the reason behind them. She believes that basics and permanent lifestyle changes are the key to a healthy and balanced life.

Instagram: ysemins Email: ysemin.cakmakci@gmail.com

Dr. Ahmed Mostafa

Healthcare and Nutrition Manager at Gold’s Gym Heliopolis

He holds a BA in Physiotherapy from Cairo University.

Upon graduation, he specialized in Spinal Injuries in McKenzie Institute UK and Sports Injuries Managements in Cairo University. He earned Specialist in Performance Nutrition from International Sports Science Association (ISSA). He holds certificate in Fitness and Obesity Nutrition from National Institute of Nutrition and Nutrition Certificate from National Research Center. He also has Advanced Life Support Certificate from Nasser Institute Hospital and CPR from American Red Cross.

Email: drahmedmostafapt@yahoo.com Tel: (+2) 0111 2286 473

Eman El-Hawary

Photographer & Art Director

Studied photography in Dubai in 2008 and shortly went pro, where her clients quickly recognized that what they get is not a simple “professional shot”, but rather “a moment captured”. Also studied and worked in Cairo as a print-shop expert, a graphics designer, a web designer, and a crafts entrepreneur. Though best known as a portrait photographer, she is also recognized as a competent fashion, outdoor, and corporate photographer. “There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are.” -Ernst Haas Email: emozine@gmail.com

6 | August 2016

potterycafe.net

ENJOY OUR NEW SUMMER DRINKS! • Madinaty • Chillout Mall • Sodic (westown hub) • Lpassage (Alexandria) • Court yard Maadi • New Cairo • Cairo Festival City Mall • Tivoli Dome Heliopolis & Zayed • Maadi • Zamalek • Mall of Arabia • Heliopolis

Victoria Haig BSc and Fitness Nutritionist Specialist from the National Association of Sports Medicine USA

Ten years in the Health & Fitness Industry as a Nutritionist in Madrid, Beijing, and now at CrossFit Stars Cairo.

Victoria has created Healthy Meal Advisor (a healthy lifestyle ecosystem) to show people how healthy nutrient dense food can be tasty, how their plates should look like, and which foods in which proportions they should eat. Victoria practices ‘aware’ eating helping to educate the client: ‘everything we eat is either feeding disease or fighting it’ – encouraging the client to make their healthy eating a lifestyle not a diet. Victoria is also a mother and fitness junkie with several NASM certs.

“Shifting your mindset to shift your weight.”

Dr. Omar Mamdouh

Pharmacist, Personal Trainer and Nutrition Specialist at Gold’s Gym Heliopolis Earned Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science and a Diploma in Clinical Pharmacotherapy. Certified Personal Trainer from ACE IFT® (Integrated Fitness Training Model, American Council on Exercise), NCCA (National Commission for Certifying Agencies, U.S.) and U.S. Bureau of Labor. Member of USREPS (U.S. Registry of Exercise Professionals). Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coach, Canada (Pn L1). Specialist in Fitness Nutrition from International Sports Sciences Association, U.S.(ISSA). Sports Nutrition from American Sports and Fitness Association (ASFA).

CPR/AED from American Heart Association (AHA).

Certified Presenter and Trainer from Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), UK at Logic Training and HR Development, where he held presentations about goal settings and self-motivation.

It’s never too late to start a new healthy lifestyle.

E-mail: omar.mamdouh.nutrition@gmail.com Instagram: omar_mamdouh_

Sandra Shama Kaur

Founder of YallaYoga Center

She is the founder of YallaYoga Center in Heliopolis and a pioneer in repackaging Yogic based solutions for Mind & Health Management. In 2012, she completed Yoga Teacher Training at the Kundalini Research Institute, New Mexico, USA. Upon her return, she founded YallaYoga, the center that seeks to create a community of people who are keen to live life with more awareness, better health, and in service to assist one another. She is a Yoga educator, offering group classes, one-on-one sessions and public talks across Egypt.

8 | August 2016

Fitness Healthy cells keep us alive and fit, and in order for our cells to remain healthy, the environment in which they live in and the duties they are expected to fulfill should always stay within the normal limit. When the cells encounter environmental

THE FAST LANE TO

HYPERTROPHY

changes - such as hormonal stimulation, inflammation, or increased workload – the cells try to adapt to those changes. This adaptation process is called hypertrophy.

This means that if you really want to build muscle mass, you must choose your parents very wisely.

While genetics is an indisputable factor when it comes to muscle growth, there are further approaches to maximize muscle mass without losing your family for real. But before we jump into these methods, it is vital to understand that every body is different.

Two individuals can perform the same exact program and yet gain different results. You can mimic the same program of a very prominent figure and gain faster or slower outcomes.

Hence, you need to understand your body and dig into credible researches to build the best program for your body.

10 | August 2016

MUSCLE BUILDING MYTHS

There are two popular means of building muscle in the body; myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic.

The first term refers to an increase in the size of muscle fibers, whereas the second suggests an increase in the volume of fluid in the muscles.

The latter is oftentimes refers to the fluid around the muscles, which comprise of water, mineral, and glycogen.

But it seems that both methods are not as effective as they seem to be. According to a publication by Doctor

Stuart Philips, “The amount of myofibrillar protein in skeletal muscle fiber remains remarkably constant! There are no examples of where a muscle fiber hypertrophies with resistance training and the myofibrillar pool doesn’t grow but the sarcoplasm does!

For people who think that your fibers can grow by expanding their sarcoplasm are incorrect.

If this happened the energetics of the fiber would be a complete mess due to greatly, on a relative scale, increases in intracellular distances for chemical reactions.”

So instead of looking further into how to fake more size with the above approaches, it is better to implement the following elements to accomplish your fitness goals.

LAWS OF BUILDING MUSCLE MASS

There are three main mechanisms of muscle growth: muscle tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage.

The first appears to drive all three factors, and it is the perfect ground to establish an optimal practice for muscle growth.

It goes without saying that all athletes adopt various strategies and execute them in the gym. For instance, an

individual who wants to bulk up may lift 225 pounds for one rep in the belief that this could be the best strategy guaranteed for this purpose. Sometimes when we move weight, we pay less attention to our form, which places greater load of the weight on the ligaments and joints, although the main goal is to execute the muscles.

Metabolic stress in the feeling you get when your muscles become exhausted from muscle tension. It is the process when the oxygen travelling to the muscles is weak and the metabolic byproducts like lactate builds up along with blood. This is the point where your muscle cells start to adapt to growth.

Instead of merely pushing or pulling weight, aim for a full range of motion to create a constant tension on the employed muscle. This approach focuses on adopting constant process of stretching and squeezing the muscle without rest.

Imagine the tension you can place on your muscles when you break your lifts just short of lockout on the concentric portion and then little short of the bottom of the lift to feel a stretch in the bicep. These critical points ensure constant tension, which provides a perfect environment for building muscles. Once you master the muscle tension process, the other two mechanisms follow.

As for latter mechanism, muscular damage, weightlifting certainly causes the normal good damage that forces muscles to repair itself and grow bigger. But with time you will need to add a challenge to continue to trigger damage.

This can be achieved by lifting heavier weight, training muscles from a different angle, putting emphasis on the eccentric portion of the lift, stretching the muscles while being activated, employing a diversity of techniques, or including new workouts.

The most surprising part about the abve three aspects of muscle building is that they are very linked to each other.

• Muscle tension with light weight adds more time under tension which triggers metabolic stress and helps stimulate muscle growth.

• Muscle tension with moderate weight for several reps provokes metabolic reactions and muscle damage.

• Muscle tension with heavy weights triggers muscle damage and allows metabolic stress to occur.

PUTTING THEORIES INTO ACTION

This is the part where you need to fully understand your body and fitness goals to place an effectual strategy. If you wish to build muscles, you may need to incorporate a variety of training routines to trigger all of the processes of muscle growth and develop strength.

Don’t forget to increase volume (sets x rep x weight) to constantly challenge your body, eat your protein post to workout, inaugurate a balanced diet, and do all workouts with proper form.

August 2016 | 11

Fitness UNRAVELING ASANA - FROM ONE TO THE

NEXT (BACK STRENGTHENING POSES) By: Sandra Shama Kaur In my last column, I discussed corestrengthening postures in relation to the navel chakra (manipura), bringing in determination, will power, self-confidence, drive, action, digestion, and self-esteem. We looked at the benefits of core strengthening postures from the mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional perspectives.

Today, we move into back strengthening postures. The Yogic tradition relates the back with the heart chakra and the air element, known as the anahata chakra, which is associated with the ability to embrace all challenging situations, people, and general aspects with utter acceptance, compassion, and forgiveness. An openheart chakra allows us also to open up so we can deeply love our selves and others.

In reverse, when the heart chakra is closed, we may feel pain in the heart and back areas, in addition to breathing difficulties and irregular heart beats.

On a physical level, the back side of the body takes on a lot of tension. Our postural habits, stress, and natural tendency to move mostly in the sagittal plane (forward, specifically) can all be to blame. Sitting,

Upward-Facing Dog Pose

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana Upward-Facing Dog Pose will challenge you to lift and open your chest.

12 | August 2016

standing, and walking make the external rotators of the hips, hamstrings, and calves tight and weak. Our lower back tends to house discomfort from sitting, which in return over-exaggerates the curve in the lumbar spine (hyperlordosis) and even sinks the weight into one hip while standing.

As we move up our body, the rhomboids (the muscles between the shoulder blades and spine) become weak from our tendency to round the upper back. And the upper traps (top of the shoulders and neck) are notorious for holding stress-induced tension.

To top it all off, our necks have to work very hard to hold up our heads, so tension can get trapped in the base of the skull and sometimes send referral pain to other parts of the body.

All in all, our back works really hard to hold us up every day. By focusing on the fascia, this flow can help release these common areas of tension, giving the muscles greater capacity to fire more efficiently.

On a mental- emotional level, you probably have noticed that when you are free from pain, whether in the back or in the heart,

you are much more pleasant to be around and much more likely to accept others and situations that you have little control over.

On a spiritual level, having a strong back supports us to have an open heart, which is the seat of the soul. The more open the heart chakra, the more we can dive deep into our heart center, heal old wounds, connect with our inner soul, and even have the capacity to tolerate challenges and bring a healing light to all of our life’s problems.

Think of the word “heart,” and terms like “soft” and “open” likely come to mind. The longest journey one will travel while on this earthly plane is from the first chakra – the root animal instincts up to the heart chakra – our angel side, the soul. This sequence is great for pain relief and fascia release.

It also aims to retrain those released muscles to lengthen and strengthen to their maximum ability. I recommend using this sequence as needed (daily for more pain or few times a week for less pain), holding each trigger point area for 30–60 seconds.

Bow Pose

Dhanurasana Bend back into the shape of a bow to feel energetically locked, loaded, and ready to take aim.

Bridge Pose

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana Bridge Pose can be whatever you need—energizing, rejuvenating, or luxuriously restorative.

Cobra Pose

Urdhva Dhanurasana Need an energy boost? Urdhva Dhanurasana can strengthen your arms, legs, abdomen, and spine in the process.

Ustrasana Bump up your energy by bending back into Camel Pose.

Locust Pose

Bhujangasana Open the heart and roll the shoulders down to promote flexibility in Cobra Pose.

Upward Bow (Wheel) Pose

Camel Pose

Salabhasana Salabhasana or Locust Pose effectively prepares beginners for deeper backbends, while strengthening the back of the torso, legs, and arms.

Summary:

Back Strengthening Poses work simultaneously on opening the heart chakra, known as Anahtata.

• It is located in the heart area and affects the respiratory and circulation system.

• The gift of this chakra transforms Air into energy of Compassion.

• The fourth chakra is what opens us up to all that is happening at the moment.

• The word Anahata means, "unhurt, unstruck, and unbeaten".

• The element associated with this chakra is the air element, because it is the air quality that allows us to be as light as a feather and light-hearted to be able to carry our heaviness.

• To balance this chakra, wear the color green and sing with devotion while performing the postures.

• Affirmation: Love is the answer to everything in life, and I give and receive love effortlessly and unconditionally” Always remember that Asanas need to be held steadily and comfortably.

No pain should be experienced while holding the postures or in the hours or days that follow. Or in the words of Patanjali Sutra 46: “Sthirasukhamasanam’’ (II Sūtra 46) sthira = steady; sukham = comfortable; asanam = posture.

August 2016 | 13

Fitness Have you ever wondered how soldiers train?

Want to gain strength, explosive power and speed? Eager to learn how to train so that you will be able to survive in any situation? Try out this survival workout which will challenge even the advanced trainee.

T

his workout is functional training at its best. It will not only work on your whole body but it will also work on different aspects of fitness like strength, power, and endurance. In the army, soldiers are trained to survive situations which are physically and mentally challenging. You never know what can happen in real life, so you better be ready for everything.

This workout is for individuals who have already been training for a while and have adequate strength to perform these movements. If you feel like the usual workouts don’t satisfy your mind and body or if you want to try something more intense than usual, this workout is undoubtedly what you are looking for.

When performing the workout, pay attention to correct execution of exercise techniques. In pull ups and push ups, do not kip to be able to do the movement faster. These two exercises should be performed with strict form.

Make sure that you know the technique for rope climbimg before starting this workout. Perform jumps explosively and kettlebell swings with a tight core and straight back.

14 | August 2016

SURVIVAL WORKOUT:

FUNCTIONAL FITNESS FOR REAL LIFE SITUATIONS By: Jasmin Çakmakçı

ZIG-ZAG SPRINT This workout will increase your speed and agility which will be directly noticeable in real life situations if you need to maneuver around obstacles with speed. It's important to rest between sets to resynthesize broken down ATP. Put three cones in a zig-zag alignment on a 25m stretch. Sprint at 80% of your maximum speed around the cones and walk back.

Rest for 90 seconds and repeat 10 times.

SURVIVAL CIRCUIT In this circuit you will perform the required amount of repetitions and all the movements after each other. Have one minute of rest between every round and perform 10 rounds.

Decrease the amount of repetitions (except the rope climb which is fixed at every round) with 10% or 2 reps. Try to perform the exercises as explosively as you can. Depending on the weight of the tire and the height of the rope you are using, you can modify the repetitions.

100% of your 1 rep max pull ups 20 tire flips 3 rope climbs 20 over the tire jumps

STRENGTH EMOM (EVERY MINUTE ON A MINUTE)

On a running clock, do one repetition of the first movement on the first minute and rest for the remaining time. Perform one repetition of the second movement on the second minute and rest for the remaining time. Increase the repetitions by one after every round. The workout finishes when you can’t complete the required amount of repetitions within the minute.

First movement: Weighted push ups at 70% of your 1 rep max Second movement: 20 kg kettlebell swings.

August 2016 | 15

9

Fitness

Killer Ways to Build Muscles with Cable Workouts

N

eed a new way to forge strength, boost power, and get ripped? You can upshift your performance and shave some minutes off your routine by using cable machine in nearly any workout. By adding the resistance of a cable machine to your workouts you can effectively burn calories and bulk up away

16 | August 2016

from the needless groaning of the weights room and without wandering from one machine to the other.

Cable machine unleashes a broad array of exercises that target different body parts because of the adjustable height and the ability to employ workouts from all angles, making it an outstanding way to improve

overall physique.

Resistance training is also suitable for any athlete recovering from an injury.

The smooth movement of the pulley doesn’t allow direct push or pull against the force of gravity, which puts less strain on your joints. Needless to mention the endless options you can choose from to build good

form without exhausting the injured muscles.

So what are you waiting for? Here are some cables exercises to help you become stronger, leaner, and fit. Remember that resistance training is advanced, thus you must practice workouts with proper form and build stability before boosting your strength and power with resistance band.

LOWER BODY EXERCISES

CORE EXERCISES

Cable Front Squat

Side Plank Cable Row

Face the cable machine and adjust the pulley at the lowest setting.

Feet about shoulder width apart.

Using a rope attachment, grasp the rope with your thumbs toward the ceiling.

Pull up the rope in a goblet grip position so it’s just below your chin with your elbows bent.

Lower into a squat position by sitting your hips back and keeping your knees out.

Keep the rope at the same position as you descend and back straight throughout the movement.

Return to the standing position and repeat as explosively as possible.

Cable Lateral Lunge

Begin sideways to the cable and adjust the pulley at the lowest setting.

Bring the D-handle attachment to your shoulder to the racked position.

Step away from the cable and stand straight with feet hip-width apart.

The cable will try to pull your upper body sideways, so you must stay upright through engaging the core.

Next, take a step toward the cable into a lateral lunge. Do not allow the cable to pull your upper body out of line with your knee as you sit your hips back and descend into the lunge position.

Return to the starting position by pushing yourself back explosively.

Repeat and perform the same workout using the opposite side.

Cable Step-Up

Place a box few feet in front of the cable machine and adjust the pulley at the lowest setting and the rope attachment in the suspenders position.

Face away from the cable and place one foot on the box. The knee should be at roughly 90 degrees.

Keep your hips level, core tight and the foot, knee and hip of your standing leg in line.

Step up and bring the other foot on top of the box.

Step back down with the same leg and repeat before switching legs.

Adjust the cable pulley to the lowest setting with the D-handle attachment.

From a side-plank position, grasp the handle with the top hand and place the other arm on the ground.

Row the cable handle toward your body without sagging your hips or rotating your body toward the cable.

Squeeze your core, repeat, and then switch to the other side.

Standing Cable Wood Chop

Adjust the cable pulley to the highest position.

With your side to the cable, grab the handle with one hand and move about arm's length away from the pulley.

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and grab the handle with both hands and arms fully extended. This is the starting position.

Pull the handle across your body downward to your front knee while rotating your torso, simultaneously.

Keep your back straight, arms extended, core tight, as you hinge your back foot and bend your knees to get a full range of motion.

Return back to the starting position in a controlled movement, and repeat with the opposite side.

Cable Reverse Crunch

Adjust the cable pulley to the lowest position and place a mat on the floor in front of it.

Sit down with your feet toward the pulley and attach the cable to your ankles.

Raise your legs and bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Your legs and the cable should be aligned.

With your hands behind your head, bring your knees toward your torso and lift your hips off the floor.

Pause for few seconds, and then lower your hips and bring your legs back to the starting 90-degree angle in a controlled movement.

Repeat the same movement to failure.

UPPER BODY EXERCISES Split Stance Single Arm Shoulder Press

Adjust the cable pulley at the lowest position and the handle at shoulder height with the sameside leg back.

Begin facing away from the cable in a split-stance position.

Keeping your core tight and hips forward, press the cable overhead so that your arms meet your ear level. Don’t let the arm pass behind your head or arch your back to avoid injury.

Half Kneeling Single Arm Cable Pull-down

Adjust the cable pulley at the highest position with the D-handle attachment.

Face the cable and hold the handle with your right hand.

Take a step back with your right leg and place your right knee on the ground. Left knee should be at 90 degrees, where your knees and ankles are in line.

At this point, your arm should be overhead with tension on the cable.

Pull the handle down so your elbow at the side of the body.

Repeat and switch sides.

Single Arm Cable Row

Adjust the cable pulley at lowerchest height with the D-handle attachment.

Face the cable, take a few steps back from the cable, and stand in a half squat.

Without moving your core or rotating your hips, explosively row the cable back. Bring the shoulder blade straight across your upper back toward your spine, followed by the arm. (Do not allow your elbow to finish behind the body or your shoulder to tip forward.)

Repeat and switch to the other arm.

August 2016 | 17

Fitness

Holistic Workouts for Ripped BICEPS AND TRICEPS If you ever felt fascinated with The Rock’s massive arms or Lara Croft ripped and super defined arms, you must be wondering, “what is the best method for growth?”

Some people may miss the leg day, but never the arm day.

Basically, everyone strives to obtain massive biceps, triceps, and vascular forearms to feel strong and unbelievably defined. There are numerous ways to add size. Probably the best way to achieve it is to start with the first biceps exercise followed by the first triceps exercise, and so on. When accompanied with volume, this rotation can provide you with a remarkable pump.

So, are you ready to stop envying them and start building a pair of your own?

Here is a simple, brutal workout that will target the biceps and triceps from every angle. Note that the following exercises are not supersets. You should perform all exercises for the first muscle group before shifting on to the rest of them.

BICEPS AND TRICEPS WORKOUTS V-GRIP CABLE PUSHDOWNS Use a close grip V-bar and keep elbows in tight.

Number of sets: 5 Number of reps: 15,12,10,10,8

• Attach a V-Bar to a high pulley and grab with an overhand grip (palms facing down) at shoulder width.

• Keep torso straight, back upright with a small inclination, upper arms close to the body and perpendicular to the floor, forearms pointing up towards the pulley, and thumbs higher than the small finger. This is your starting position.

• Exhale, engage your triceps and bring the bar down until it touches the front side of your thighs. Arms should be fully extended and perpendicular to the floor.

• Hold, and then bring the V-bar gradually up to the starting position as you inhale.

• Make sure to keep upper arms stationary throughout the movement.

INCLINE BENCH ALTERNATE DUMBBELL CURLS You may go heavy on these while still staying strict because of the back support. These can be preformed with both arms at the same time, or you can alternate them.

Number of sets: 4 Number of reps: 10,8,7,6 (each arm)

• On an inclined bench, sit and hold a dumbbell in each hand at arms length. Elbows close to your torso and palms facing forward. This will be your starting position.

• While holding the upper arm stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you exhale, until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a second.

• Gradually return to the starting position as you inhale.

DECLINE CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS Number of sets: 4 Number of reps: 15,10,8,6

• Secure your legs at the end of the decline bench and slowly lay down on the bench.

• Lift the bar from the rack in a medium grip and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. The arms should be perpendicular to the floor.

This will be your starting position.

• Inhale and come down slowly until the bar reaches your lower chest.

• Hold and then bring the bar back to the starting position as you exhale. To push the bar, use your chest muscles and lock your arms.

• When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.

BENCH DIPS This exercise works as a great finishing exercise by putting enough plates on to keep your reps in the 8-10 range, then

have your partner keep taking off plates until you are only using your bodyweight.

Number of sets: 4 Number of reps: 15,12,10,8 (drop sets are employed on the last two sets when weight is added)

upwards. And then inhale as you lower your wrists back down to the starting position in a gentle movement.

• Your forearms should be stationary as your wrist is the only movement needed to perform this exercise.

BEHIND THE BACK BARBELL WRIST CURLS • Place a bench behind your back and hold on to the bench on its edge with the hands fully extended, separated at shoulder width. Extent legs forward, bent at the waist and perpendicular to your torso.

This will be your starting position.

• Gently lower your body as you inhale by bending at the elbows until you lower yourself slightly smaller than 90 degrees between the upper arm and the forearm.

• Using your triceps, lift yourself back to the starting position.

FOREARM WORKOUT

SINGLE ARM DUMBBELL WRIST ROLLS ON THE END OF A BENCH Number of sets: 3 Number of reps: 15,12,10

• Place a barbell on one side of a flat bench.

• Kneel down on both knees so that your body is facing the flat bench.

• Lift the barbell with a supinated grip (palms up) while resting your forearms against the flat bench. Your wrists should be hanging over the edge.

• Exhale and curl your wrist

Number of sets: 2 Number of reps: 12-15

• Stand straight with feet about shoulder width apart and hold a barbell behind your gluteus at arm's length while using a pronated grip (palms facing back away from the gluteus).

Hands about shoulder width apart. This is the starting position.

• Exhale as you slowly elevate the barbell up by curling your wrist in a semi-circular motion towards the ceiling. Keep the rest of your body static.

• Hold the contraction for a second and lower the barbell back down to the starting position as you inhale.

• When finished, lower the barbell down to the squat rack or the floor by bending the knees.

TIP When training arms, you shouldn’t pay excessive emphasis on the weights you are moving, but rather feel the movement of your muscles.

August 2016 | 19

Nutrition

5

Healthy Snack Ideas to Have at Work

SMASHED WHITE BEAN AND AVOCADO CLUB Yield: 2 servings Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 slices multigrain bread 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 1 small onion, thinly sliced 1 avocado, thinly sliced ¼ cup broccoli 1 15-ounce white bean can, rinsed and drained ¼ cup creamy cheese spread 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, combine beans, oil, salt, and pepper, and then mash the beans mixture with the back of a fork.

Spread cream cheese on each side of the toast, and then divide the mixture among them.

Add onion, cucumber, broccoli, and avocado slices.

BELL PEPPER PIZZAS Yield: 2 servings Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

2 large bell peppers ½ cup grated mix cheese ½ cup pizza sauce 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. parsley Any toppings desired

Instructions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Slice off each of the four sides of the peppers and set on a baking sheet.

Spread pizza sauce on each side and sprinkle mix cheese, followed by your favorite toppings.

Bake for 10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and parsley.

20 | August 2016

ENERGY BITES

Yield: 10 bites Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats 1/3 cup toasted shredded coconut ¼ cup golden flaxseed ¼ cup honey ¼ cup creamy peanut butter 3 tbsp. chocolate chips 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Place the bowl into the refrigerator and leave for few hours till harden.

Remove from the refrigerator and shape the mixture into 1-inch balls.

RICE CAKE WITH PEANUT BUTTER

Yield: 1 serving Total Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 rice cake 1 tbsp. creamy peanut butter 1 tbsp. shredded coconut 2 tsp. dried cherries

Instructions:

Spread creamy peanut butter on the rice cake and sprinkle coconut and dried cherries. Enjoy the energy-boosting snack.

CRISPY BANANA CEREAL

Yield: 2 servings Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

2 bananas ¼ cup peanut butter 1 cup toasted rice cereal

Instructions:

Peel the banana and cut each into thirds.

Dip each piece into the peanut butter and roll in the cereals.

August 2016 | 21

Nutrition

Handle Your Hunger Hormones By: Victoria Haig

Have you ever wondered why some days you feel consumed with hunger, whereas on others you’re not particularly hungry?

With this is mind let’s delve into the tale of the two most critical hormones affecting hunger: Ghrelin and Leptin.

If getting lean is your goal then understanding how to manage your appetite is essential to your success. What many people tend to overlook is that your hormones tightly regulate feelings of hunger.

Ghrelin, ‘growling ghrelin’ or ‘the hunger hormone’ as it is often referred to is the hormone responsible for triggering your appetite. Ghrelin is made in the stomach and tends to rise before meals and fall afterwards. Ghrelin also impacts our limbic system – the reward center of the brain that is responsible for cravings or ‘food memories’. These memories are what causes the munchies and drives you to seek out high carb high pleasure snacks.

Unfortunately, Ghrelin is also released in response to stress, that’s why we often reach for food in stressful situations.

If you want to be a ‘hormonal rock star’ this article will help you understand how to make your hormones work for you. You won’t need an expensive pill, deprivation diet, or magical tea – you will quite simply create a lifestyle that helps you control your hunger and achieve ideal body composition once and for all.

22 | August 2016

Leptin or ‘levelling leptin’ is the stop signal to ghrelin’s go signal because it tells the brain when you have sufficient food in your stomach and your energy levels are adequate.

At your ideal weight, adipose cells (stored fat) produce a given amount of leptin, which sustains the internal energy balance needed for proper cellar function and weight management.

Because the body makes leptin based on your body fat percentage, weight gain causes your blood leptin levels to increase, as opposed to weight loss, which causes decreased levels. That’s why you can feel ravenously hungry when dieting.

On the surface it would seems like leptin ensures our appetites are kept in check. So how then do people overeat their way to being overweight and obese?

This is because people become ‘leptin resistant’ – this is when the signals in the body become dulled or unreadable. The hormone leptin is produced but the brain isn’t listening. There is no drop in appetite or increased metabolism, thus your brain may even think that you are starving and make you even hungrier – it’s a vicious cycle.

Now we’ve got the gist of the basic hunger hormones, here are some fundamental tips for crafting the best metabolic environment, reducing hunger, and raising your metabolism.

TIP 1:

Handle your Hunger Hormones An Optimal Diet Improve your ability to interrupt hormonal signals with a higher protein, lower carbohydrate diet that is based around whole foods. Low carb doesn’t mean no carb – include some complex carbs in your diet to reset the leptin button and avoid psychological feelings of deprivation. Steer clear of simple and refined carbohydrates that wreak havoc on blood sugar and increase your hunger.

Avoid processed foods that are engineered to light up the reward system in the brain and trigger your hedonistic hunger response.

For example both MSG and fructose seem to induce leptin resistance and should be avoided at all costs. MSG confuses the leptin hormone, making you want to eat more and get hungrier sooner. MSG is usually found in fast food and processed food. Fructose prevents leptin and insulin from elevating to normal levels after a meal, which then increases your ghrelin and triglyceride levels, and you eat more. Fructose is in fruit juices and soft drinks.

TIP 2:

TIP 4:

Handle your Hunger Hormones Sleep

Handle your Hunger Hormones Don’t Over Do Your Dieting

There is some very solid research showing that sleep has a huge impact on your appetite. Those getting a habitual 5 hours of sleep per night had a 15.5% lower leptin levels, while ghrelin increased by 14.9%.

Those getting only 5 hours a day also had a slower base metabolic rate and lost more muscle over a 2-week period than those that slept for at least 7 hours.

In fact, after two days of sleep derivation, men had a 45% increase in cravings for high carbohydrate foods.

In short, lack of sleep causes muscle loss, slows your metabolism, intensifies your cravings, increases your hunger hormones, and simultaneously reduces your fullness signals; all of which are highly ineffective for getting lean – if you always feel hungry I suggest you hit the sack and stay there!

TIP 3:

Handle your Hunger Hormones Cope with Stress Stress increases the release of cortisol while increasing inflammation in the body; over time this can lead to the risk of leptin-resistance. Eliminating and managing stress is the key to avoiding emotionally driven hunger cravings.

Useful tools for stress management include exercise; working out with weights actually improves insulin sensitivity and fights stress. If hitting the gym is not your thing taking short walks, meditating, having a bath, doing yoga and listening to soothing music can all help.

Another tip for is omega 3, which has been shown amongst its many benefits to boost leptin and decrease stress.

Supplements, grass-fed meats, walnuts, salmon, anchovies, sardines, chia seeds, and flax seeds are all good sources.

If you’ve ever experienced a yo-yo effect with your weight or have ever tried a crash diet only to re-gain all or most of the weight back, the imbalance between these hormones probably played a key role.

Avoid very-low-calorie diets (1000 calories or less day). By eating more food, you’ll avoid the diet hormone surges that trigger uncontrollable hunger and the inevitable weight gain that follows.

Conclusion

“People have a lot more sway over their hormones than they think they do,” says Lena Edwards, M.D., director of Balance and Wellness Centre in Kentucky, USA. With this in mind, please use these four strategies to take charge of your hormones today and achieve your optimal body composition.

August 2016 | 23

Nutrition Incredible Health Benefits of Nuts and Seeds You Don’t Want to Miss By: Dr. Omar Mamdouh

Healthy Fats

Nuts and seeds contain healthful mono- and polyunsaturated fats. Walnuts and flaxseeds, in particular, boost your healthy fat intake because they contain alphalinolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that helps maintain brain function, lower cholesterol, and fight inflammation.

Minerals

Nuts and seeds make up an important part of a healthy diet. Many people overlook both types of foods despite their endless benefits – they offer key essential nutrients and play a role in disease prevention by maintaining good health as you age.

People who eat nuts face a lower risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

ADVANTAGES Fiber

Nuts and seeds benefit your health by providing a source of dietary fiber. Fiber adds bulk to your stool to promote regular bowel movements. Fiber also helps slow the rate of digestion. This means that sugar from your meal enters your bloodstream slowly, leading to a gradual rise in blood sugar that leaves you feeling energized after you eat. You can go for flaxseeds as an excellent source of fiber.

Plant-Based Protein

Nuts and seeds contain considerable amounts of protein. Both types of food help you reach your recommended intake of protein each day.

An ounce of nuts provides 6g of protein on average.

24 | August 2016

Nuts and seeds contain minerals such as magnesium, zinc, calcium, and phosphorus needed for bone development, immunity and energy production. One ounce of sunflower seed kernels contains 100mg of magnesium. One ounce of almonds provides 75mg of calcium.

Intake Recommendations

The U. S. Department of Agriculture has not yet set a recommended intake level for nuts and seeds. However, you can reap the benefits of nuts and seeds if you eat the equivalent of 1 ounce (28 grams) of seeds or nuts five times weekly.

N.B. Though it is healthy to eat nuts and seeds, do not overconsume as they contain fats, which are high in calories.

Meal Ideas

To boost your nutrient intake, sprinkle raw nuts and seeds (without added oils or salt) on cereal, yogurt, or salads; eat them as a snack or mix them with flour when making muffins or other baked goods.

Disease Prevention

A study published by "British Medical Journal" in 1998 found that individuals who consumed nuts five times a week had a 35% reduction in heart disease risk. People who regularly consume nuts tend to weigh less than those who rarely eat nuts, as well as face a lower risk for weight gain in the future.

Nut consumption also correlates with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Though “it N.B. is healthy to

eat nuts and seeds, do not over-consume as they contain fats, which are high in calories.

”

EXAMPLES: Almonds

Compared to most other tree nuts, almonds offer the most protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, and niacin. They are also one of the highest antioxidant nuts and preliminary research shows they may have a prebiotic effect to help support the gastrointestinal tract.

Cashews

Commonly overlooked by almonds and walnuts, cashews are actually a nutritional powerhouse, providing more iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, selenium, and vitamin K than any other tree nut.

Chia Seeds

Similar to walnuts and flaxseeds, chia seeds are an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid. And unlike flaxseeds, chia seeds do not have to be grounded to benefit from any of the nutrients; they can be consumed in their whole form. In addition, it is a good source for proteins as well.

Pistachios

Pistachios are unique from other nuts in that they provide two nutrients called lutein and zeaxanthin, which are associated with reducing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (eye disease). Interestingly, the shell helps to slow you down which has been shown to cut calories by 40%.

Sesame Seeds

These seeds come out big on manganese and copper and also offer up calcium and iron.

Walnuts

Walnuts are good for our hearts and our brains. In addition, recently published research found that men who included about 2.5 ounces of walnuts in their daily diet for three months saw an improvement in the “vitality, motility, and morphology� of their sperm.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds are high in protein and rich in the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. Its high fiber content (two tablespoons contain nearly five grams of fiber) can help reduce cholesterol and regulate bowels. They are also rich in B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese. Moreover, they help prevent certain types of cancer and diabetes.

August 2016 | 25

Nutrition

Teenage Obesity: How to Promote Healthy Lifestyles?

By: Dr. Ahmed Mostafa

Teenage obesity is a complex health issue with numerous negative consequences, and there are many factors that contribute to obesity, such as the growth of fast food sector, affluent western society, and sedentary lifestyles.

Generally, obesity is influenced by overconsumption of the wrong kind of food accompanied with inactive lifestyle that fails to burn up all of the excess energy. For instance, a single fast food meal contains enough energy to meet your entire daily requirements.

Hence, consuming fast food while integrating negligible fitness routine puts your teens at a major risk of obesity.

Studies have confirmed that poor eating habits are the major cause of teenage obesity, and may even become life-threatening if coupled with no physical activity.

While poor eating habits and no physical activity are the primary causes, the following reasons have also been found to lead to teenage obesity.

26 | August 2016

Genetic Patterns and Family Behaviors Genetic pattern plays an important role in determining a child’s weight. Parents who have a running history of overweight individuals should incorporate guidelines to their children in order to help them maintain healthy lifestyle.

Also parents’ lifestyle and their way of eating play a very significant impact on their children’s way of eating. Since children only follow the model they see every day, the healthy eating habits that parents lead will reflect to their children’s eating behaviors.

Hormonal Imbalance During Puberty

As they approach to puberty, both males and females encounter some hormonal changes that if taken for granted, could lead to weight gain especially among females due to their ability to store fat.

Lower Metabolism Low activity level and sedentary lifestyle can easily trigger weight gain among children. Parents should modify and establish a balanced diet to help their children develop a good shape and good health as they grow up.

Teenage Obesity Effects The health of young people is affected both physically and psychologically. And the more your children grow, the harder

it becomes to treat them. It has been found that kids can be mean and bully. Children who are teased about their weight possess a poor body image, low self-esteem, and symptoms of depression. Therefore, they become reluctant to go to school or college.

The teen years are all about growing up, being more independent, and developing social skills. However, obese teens many find it more difficult to grow and socialize, and tend to spend more time alone watching TV or just lying down on the bed. Over a period of time, this behavior may trigger attacks of depression and feelings of loneliness, sadness, anger, or withdrawn.

The Solution The solution is simple; avoid fast foods, do physical exercises regularly, and choose the right kind of food like vegetables and fruits.

Enjoying healthy food doesn’t have to be a hassle. You can prepare tasty, healthy meals in just seconds. There are many recipes available that can help your teens eat more healthy food while enjoying a good taste of food without feeling guilty. Several research studies show that well balanced diet and food that rank low in glycemic index are helpful in reducing teenage obesity.

Furthermore, make sure you instruct your children rather than condemn them. Explain the importance of losing weight and gaining positive image to help your teens build up more healthy future.

August 2016 | 27

Nutrition

Dish of the Month:

Chicken Pad Thai

If you are fond of peanut butter, you will definitely enjoy this tasty lunch dish. With its creamy flavor and pleasant appeal, you will be able to nourish your body with vital nutrients and build muscle in a hustle.

Âź cup cilantro, chopped 1 tbsp. fish sauce 1 tbsp. peanut butter 2 tbsp. red chili flakes 1 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tbsp. olive oil Salt and pepper to taste

Yield: 2 servings Total Time: 30 minutes

Directions:

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, cut into stripes 200 grams cooked pasta 1 cup slices mushrooms ½ cup yellow pepper, sliced

28 | August 2016

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.

3. Season chicken with pepper and one tablespoon of red chili flakes, and cook for few minutes.

4. Add mushrooms, season the mixture with salt, and cook for another few minutes.

5. In a medium bowl, mix together fish sauce, peanut butter, sugar, and chili flakes.

6. Pour the mixture over the chicken, mix well, and simmer for 5 minutes.

7. Sprinkle fresh cilantro and serve.

Nutritional Facts Per Serving: Energy:

458 Cal

Protein:

56 g

Carbs:

39 g

Fat:

14 g

5, Abou El Feda Street, Om Kolthoom Hotel, Zamalek.

For delivery call: 0101-222-8815 or 02-2737-2552

August 2016 | 29

Body & Soul

TailbonePain: LEARN ABOUT THE CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENTS

We often encounter pain or discomfort at the very bottom of the spine without fully understanding the factors that trigger it. Many women experience pain in the tailbone because the female pelvis is broader than men, and hence the tailbone is more exposed.

The tailbone, or coccyx as doctors refer to, is a triangular multisegmented bone structure held in place by joints and ligaments and its primary function is to stabilize your body when you sit.

WHY YOUR TAILBONE HURTS An individual can unexpectedly face discomfort in the tailbone post to sitting on a hard bench or a hard surface for a long period of time. Also a direct blow or repetitive friction against the coccyx, as a result of some sports, can injure the coccyx. Falls and other traumas can damage, dislocate, or break your tailbone. In rare cases, the cause of the injury can be an infection or unknown.

TAILBONE INJURY SYMPTOMS Pain from injured tailbone can range from mild to intense. The pain can commonly be worse when sitting in an uncomfortable position for prolonged periods of time. Bowel movements, straining, or sexual activity can often be painful, too. In general, anything that adds pressure to this area can trigger pain.

Oftentimes, the pain can spread all way down to the legs. In such cases, standing or walking can help relieve the stress on the tailbone.

30 | August 2016

WHEN TO SEEK MEDICAL CARE If you have the symptoms of a coccyx injury and the pain lasts more than few days, contact your doctor. It is imperative for the doctor to determine if the injury is traumatic or a sign of a severe problem, like cancer.

The cause and severity of the coccyx injury is largely determined based on medical examinations, including X-ray or MRI. X-ray pictures can be taken in a seated or a sitting position to demonstrate the problem from different positions.

In rare cases, a local anesthetic may be injected into the tailbone area to determine the origin of the pain; whether it is from the coccyx or another area of the vertebral column.

HOW TAILBONE PAIN IS TREATED

YOGA POSES FOR TAILBONE PAIN

Yoga poses are beneficial and effective for strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and tendons attached to the tailbone.

Whether you suffer from pain in the coccyx or encounter no pain at all, here are some yoga poses to incorporate in your fitness routine.

SUN BIRD POSE

• On a yoga mat, lie on the floor with all fours; wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips.

• Inhale and extend your right leg back to form a straight line behind you. If you are comfortable with this position, extend the opposite arm forward simultaneously.

• Exhale and bring your knees toward the forehead and pause for few seconds. Inhale and repeat the same workout five times on each side.

CHILD POSE

• On a yoga mat, lie on the floor with all fours; wrists underneath your shoulders and knees underneath your hips.

• Keep both knees distant from each other while keeping the feet together.

• Lower the torso to the mat and push your pelvis back towards the heel.

• Rest your forehead on the mat and stretch your arms in front of you.

• Pause for few seconds or as long as you like.

BOW POSE

• On a yoga mat, lie on your belly, rest your arms by your side, and place your forehead on the mat.

• Bend your knees and grasp the outside of your ankles.

• Inhale and lift the torso up on the mat. Then, send the soles of the feet toward the sky. Seesaw your way higher, sending the feet up and allowing that momentum to lift the chest higher.

• Pause for five seconds and then return down to the starting position.

• Repeat 3 more times.

Some home remedies can control pain and avoid further soreness.

Avoid sitting down on hard surfaces for long period of time as this add stress to the infected area.

Instead, sit on a lean surface or use ‘doughnut’ cushions and try to lean forward to direct your weight away from the tailbone.

As with any injury or soreness, apply ice to the affected area for 15-20 minutes, several times a day to ease the pain.

You can also try over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, to soothe the pain. If they are not effective enough, you may need to inject a local anesthetic, nerve block, or steroid medicine into the coccyx, or even a combination of all to ease the pain.

Also a physical therapist can guide you through a number of exercises that can strengthen the muscles that support the tailbone and the posture of the body.

The above treatments can improve the condition drastically; however, in some rare situations a surgery may be recommended to remove part or the entire coccyx.

August 2016 | 31

Body & Soul

Your Road Map to Optimum Health Want to live a healthy long life? You must pave your road for healthy living tomorrow. Here is your checklist of healthy living tips that requires long-term commitment.

150

5

60

Duration of Run Per Week, in Minutes

Number of Daily Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables

Duration of Circuit Training, in Minutes

There has been tons of attention lately about the importance of running among Egyptians that even the less educated individuals exert tremendous effort to join the crowd every weekend. This positive initiative promise many positive reflections and benefits on the long run that extend well beyond any pill a doctor could prescribe. A study in Denmark called Longevity in Male and Female Joggers has proven that regular running has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular risk associated with low mortality rate from respiratory diseases, cancer, and stroke. Running can also lift mood, burn fat, improve knee health, defeat age-related mental problems, and reduce risk of cancer. If you are new to this, try to run three times a week for 30 minutes and then gradually increase intensity and training volume by 10% every week.

It is widely accepted that fruits and vegetables are integral components of a healthy diet and their consumption in sufficient quantities can protect from many diseases. According to a research called Measuring Intake of Fruit and Vegetables done by World Health Organization, coloring your plate with 400g of assorted fruits and vegetables can decrease the risk of several chronic diseases. While it is very hard to determine the relationship between dietary component and health outcomes, nutrients in fruits and vegetables, such as dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals, can reap benefits that range from headaches and weak immune system to heart disease and cancer. Aim to consume fruits in your snack and vegetables in your bigger meals.

Note that flavored soft drinks, tomato ketchup, commercial tomato paste, fruit cake/yogurt, and commercial ‘fresh’ juices do not count.

Circuit training is an everlasting and evolving method of exercise that refers to a number of selected workouts arranged consecutively.

Each individual should shift from one station to the other with minimum or no rest, performing 15-45 seconds of exercise of 8-20 repetitions each and using 40-60% of one-repetitions maximum. Through scientific research, it was proven that incorporating 30-minute circuit training three times a week could improve circulation and hence reduce the risk of heart disease and related risk factors, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. According to the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, weekly circuit training and healthy diet can reduce the risk of major chronic diseases and promote health.

Among the workouts you can include in the circuit are leg press, bench press, leg curl, arm curl, seated press, lat pull-down, and seated row.

32 | August 2016

90 Percentage of Cooked Meals at Home It goes without saying that fast food can easily elevate your risk of health problems such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. A study published in a 2005 issue of "Lancet" analyzed the effect of fast food consumption on weight and insulin resistance. The findings supported the assertion that fast food consumption increases your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Serving size is another vital aspect that we often disregard when consuming junk food.

Instead of a three-layered burger sandwich from a commercial restaurant, why not make the same sandwich using fresh ingredients, whole-wheat brown bun, and a grilled burger patty? Adopting healthy ways and raw ingredients can certainly taste better, cleaner, and healthier.

6 Number of Bad Habits You Must Quit

20

8

Duration of Daily Meditation and Breathing, in Minutes

Duration of Sleep, in Hours

Meditation is a technique that triggers relaxation, cultivates awareness, boosts creativity, and develops your sense of feelings like compassion, love, and forgiveness.

Meditation is proven to enhance immune system, reduce negative feelings, replenish the soul, and help you cope with chronic illness. Dr. Crag Hassed, one of the world’s leading experts in mind body medical research and the founder of the Australian Teachers of Meditation Association, said “two short five-minute meditations at the beginning of the day and early evening, can serve as full stops to punctuate the day. Twenty long, focused breaths in the middle of the day can put feelings of anxiousness back in their place.”

Everyone needs to get good quality sleep to keep the mind and body healthy and rested.

Getting enough sleep isn’t only about the total hours of sleep. It is imperative to stay away from computer and TV screens two hours before bedtime, avoid vigorous exercise two hours before sleep, and solve all problems of the day to avoid any nightmares, overthinking, or disturbing thoughts. Sleep can help you stay at a healthy weight, decrease stress levels, boost creativity, get sick less often, and lower risk of high blood pressure and diabetes. Research also suggests that sleep plays an important role in memory, both before and after learning a new task. A sleepdeprived person is more prone to a feeble learning and memory functions in terms of acquisition (introduction of new information in the brain), consolidation (process by which a memory becomes stable), and recall (ability to access the piece of information).

1. Non-stop snacking and chronic overeating can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and other serious conditions. Pay attention to your eating behaviors and control cravings and food portion.

2. The more you spend time watching TV, the less physical activity you are getting.

Either do some workouts, like running on a treadmill or bodyweight exercises, while watching TV or reduce TV time to one hour per day.

3. Any unhappy lifestyle can release a cascade of problems like stress hormones, low immune system, breathing problems, and increased risk of overweight. Any factor that stresses you puts you into bad health risks. So stop suppressing your sense of fun and stay away from anything that bothers you.

4. Cigarettes cause 30% of heart disease deaths, 30% of cancer deaths, and a massive 80 to 90 % of all lung cancers, not to mention increasing the risk of developing mouth, throat, and bladder cancer. Treat the condition like an addiction and not a habit.

5. Regular consumption of alcohol can put you into a higher risk of liver damage, depression, high blood pressure, and several types of cancer. Stick to one glass a day, few times a week.

6. While pills can cure some health problems, overusing them may deteriorate the function of other organs with time. Calming drugs, sleeping pills, and aspirin may become addictive and can leave you prone to stumbling if you overuse them. Use anything in moderation and always consult your family doctor before reaching to any pill.

August 2016 | 33

Body & Soul

HOW TO OVERCOME BURNOUT AND STAY MOTIVATED 34 | August 2016

I

t is the middle of the day and you can’t wait to jump into your seductive bed and sleep till the next day.

You cancel your afternoon appointments and crave a lazy night. You even wonder how your workmates are energetic enough to excel in their daily tasks.

If constant stress has you feeling hopeless, cynical, disappointed, and wiped out, you may be suffering from burnout. When you are burned out from stress, daily tasks become impossible and energy becomes an unreachable dream.

The misery and detachment that burnout triggers can threaten your health, job, relationships, and hobbies. Gladly, there are many ways to regain your balance and maintain a positive lifestyle. Before jumping into coping strategies, let us first understand what burnout is and the common symptoms encountered.

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion resulted by extreme and prolonged phase of stress. This state is experienced when feeling emotionally weak, overwhelmed, overloaded, or unable to meet constant demands. With time, you lose your eagerness and keenness to overcome problems.

Hence, burnout reduces productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling fragile and hopeless.

You feel burnout when you have the following perceptions…

• Every day is another bad day.

• You have no interest or passion to pursue your goals or daily demands.

• You feel drained and exhausted all the time.

• You feel unappreciated, cared for, or any different than a regular person.

It goes without saying that the above dogmas can spill over negative effects on every aspect of life. Moreover, burnout can trigger some health problems on the long run, leaving you vulnerable.

Stress vs. Burnout

Many people cannot really differentiate between stress and burnout, as they both seem to have common characteristics.

Stress involves excessive amount of pressure and constant demands, which raises sense of urgency and hyperactivity.

A person who suffers from stress will never feel alright unless everything is under control and marked as done. If this case applies to you, be aware… this may be killing you prematurely.

Burnout, on the other hand, is characterized by disengagement, lack of hope, devoid of motivation, somehow worthless, and emotionless. A person who suffers from burnout sees no hope of any positive change in life and finds no meaning in life.

Burnout Causes

Burnout often roots from life situations that required excessive workload, responsibilities, a series of unfortunate family matters, or any hardship that lasted a long time. They can stem from work, lifestyle, or personality traits.

Burnout is also highly influenced by lifestyle and personality. For instance, if you constantly accept long working hours, competitive work environment, or sweep family problems under the carpet, these accumulations can contribute to burnout. In other words, any factor that abuses you is a contributor to burnout.

Burnout Symptoms

Emotional Signs • Increasingly pessimistic and cynical outlook • Low sense of accomplishment • Isolation and loneliness • Hopeless and helpless • Defeated Behavioral Signs • Lack of responsibility • Procrastination of duties • Arriving late to work, missing important dates, skipping work • Overconsumption of food, cigarettes, or alcohol

Physical Signs • Feeling drained and exhausted • Frequent aches in the head, back, and muscles • Change in sleep and appetite habits • Increased chances of developing health problems

BURNOUT RECOVERY STEPS You must believe in the following notion…

“Stress can’t defeat you. You have a lot more control over stress than you may think.”

You must determine the key factors that contribute to the increasing feeling of burnout and discuss them with a close person who has a positive outlook and ability of assist and follow up with you. If you don’t have anyone to turn to, it is never late to expand your social network. Remember, spreading happiness to others can help you build new friendships and provide an immense pleasure and positive attitude.

Exercise can be a powerful remedy to stress and burnout. Aim for half an hour or more of physical activity per day – you can go for a walk during your work break, indulge into sport classes, or even try bodyweight exercises at home. There are endless options for different budget, so you really have no excuse here. Focus on your body, health, mood, and general wellbeing.

If you don’t find value in what you do, quit.

The last thing you want is to spend years and years performing duties that you have neither passion for or interest in. Find balance and satisfaction in your life by making new decisions that suit your hobbies, lifestyle, and interests. Take a long vacation now and use the time away to recharge your batteries and pursue other burnout recovery steps. And remember, it is never too late to pursue what you love.

You can always boost your body, mood, and energy with food. And we are not referring to milky chocolate bars and junk food, but rather healthy, balanced and nutritious diet full of fruits, veggies, omega-3 fatty acids, multiwhole grain carbs, nuts, legumes, and seeds.

Avoid refined carbs, sugar, nicotine, and reduce caffeine, trans fats, and alcohol.

Last but not least, rediscover your priorities and aspects that make you happy. Do not allow anyone to abuse you. Set boundaries and learn to say “no” to situations that you don’t agree with. Take a regular break from technology, work, and responsibilities, and disconnect from anything that bothers you.

Take courses that build personality traits, hobbies, or work-related fields. Nourish your creative side through hobbies. And lastly, never take sleep for granted.

Remember, life is too short to waste it being grumpy. There are endless possibilities out there.

August 2016 | 35

The Game

I

f running and pole dancing are the foundation of your fitness routine and you aren’t fulfilling the goals you want, you may need to reconsider lifting weights.

Weight training does not necessarily be hitting the weight room with bulky male crowd. And probably this is why you might be wondering if lifting heavy weight will turn you into a more muscular physique than your partner or if it will eventually turn to fat if you stop for a while. Truth is, these are mere fallacies and stereotypes that aim to distract women from reaping profound benefits of resistance training.

Did you know that your body loses about 5% muscle per decade once you cross your 30s? Aging process is associated with changes in muscle mass and strength loss after 30. With increasing changes in age body composition and loss of both muscle mass and bone mass, the overall physical capacity drops with time.

But it is never too late to put that fear and uncertainty aside and identify new fitness objectives through weight training. Here are 6 reasons why you should prioritize strength training in your fitness routine.

MORE FAT LOSS

6 REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD LIFT WEIGHT

1 2 3

When it comes to fat loss, many people engage in cardio and strict diet, but did you know that strength training could burn fat even more than cardio? Simply, a larger engine burns more fuel. Similarly, larger muscles burn more calories and fat during and after exercise.

When you complete a heavy strength training, you resume to consume additional oxygen in the hours and even days that follow, which require more caloric expenditure and an elevated metabolic rate. Furthermore, daily muscle contractions contribute to the number of calories you burn per day. So if you have more lean muscle mass and strength, you will be able to execute more muscle contractions and thus shed off calories.

HEART HEALTH

Skimping on strength training can hamper your healthy weight and put you at a higher risk of heart disease.

FEMININE CURVES

If you aim to look feminine and curvy, weight training is the ultimate choice for you. Even though endurance training - like running, cycling, and swimming - can help you lose weight, that weight occurs in the form of body fat and muscle tissue. That’s why; endurance training is an effective option for women who want to maintain a skinny form. Strength training, on the other hand, can melt fat and build muscles and some serious sexy curves.

According to a study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, individuals who lift weights are less prone to heart disease risk factors such as a large waist circumference, high triglycerides, elevated blood pressure, and elevated glucose levels.

Another study conducted by researchers in Brazil suggested that even though patients encountered increased heart rate during heavy bouts of training, their blood pressure and resting heart rate were significantly lower the following morning.

DID YOU KNOW Weight training can improve your posture and decrease chronic pain due to sciatica and other back ailments?

6 5 4 STRESS RELIEF

BONE HEALTH

In most cases, bone mass peaks during the third decade of life before it begins to lose density. Exercise can maintain muscle strength, coordination, and balance, which hampers bone loss and prevent falls and related fractures. Strengthening skeletal muscle also fortifies the bones, ligaments, and tendons. And the best way to train your bones is through resistance training.

A study conducted at McMaster University found that after a year of resistance training, postmenopausal women increased spinal bone mass by 9%. The earlier you begin weightlifting, the greater chance you have to maintain bone health later in life.

LOWER RISKS

Strength training does not merely build stronger muscles, but stronger connective tissues and better joint stability. When done in proper form, this overall combination can strengthen your posture and hamper the risk of developing injury. This will facilitate your daily duties, including playing with children, lifting groceries, and sitting on the desk for long hours.

A recent 12-year study showed that strengthening the low-back muscles had an 80 percent success rate in eliminating or alleviating low-back pain. Other studies have indicated that weight training can soothe the pain of osteoarthritis and improve joints.

Ladies, you must have endless duties to handle every single day without appreciation.

Don’t you wish you can manage this stress and build even more self-confidence through strength training?

Researches have proved that women who regularly train tend to manage anger and anxiety better and encounter less adverse reactions to stressful situations compared to women who don’t exercise. You will feel strong, determined, and confident every time you depart the weight room. Needless to mention how good you will look at the beach or pool.

So what are you waiting for?

Incorporate weight training in your weekly routine and remember to work as hard as you can to pump up those muscles.

August 2016 | 37

The Game

Why Women Are Leaning More Towards Pilates

Many women tend to dominate mat classes with the aim of embracing a healthy lifestyle and wellbeing.

Joseph Pilates, who believed in a close association between mental and physical health, developed Pilates in the early 20th century with the intention to enhance the rehabilitation program during the war which eventually helped many injured soldiers regain their health through stretching, strengthtening, and stabilizing key muscles.

38 | August 2016

The essence of Pilates is to provide a method of total body conditioning using correct alignment, control, centering, breathing, and flowing movement. Pilates also tends to develop strength, flexibility, and lean muscle tone with an emphasis on lengthening the body and aligning the spine, which makes it the perfect workout for people of all ages and different levels of fitness backgrounds. It is a low-impact exercise that shouldn’t put you in any physical risk.

Pilates, however, is a musclestrengthening activity that can help you sustain a healthy weight, but will not torch off body fat. If your goal is to lose weight, you will need to combine Pilates with healthy diet and resistance training or high intensity dynamic workout.

Health Benefits of Pilates

Pilates employs the core area that links the upper and lower body parts, which is probably the reason why many fitness enthusiasts define it as the ‘powerhouse’ of the body. Transverse abdominal muscle, pelvic floor, and multifidus muscle are among the muscles trained in Pilates.

Pilates is widely known as a method of rehabilitation. We all suffer from aches in the neck, back, head, stomach… you name it.

Some of these aches occur as a result of bad

Here is a 7-minute core-blasting Pilates workout to try at home.

The Hundred

• Lie on a mat and bring knees up toward the chest.

• Extend legs to a 45-degree angle with heels together and toes apart.

• Lift head, neck, and shoulders off mat and stretch hands by sides with palms facing floor.

• Move arms up and down while breathing in and out through the nose for 5 counts each.

Repeat for 10 sets.

Single Leg Stretch

• Lie on a mat and bring knees up toward the chest and shins parallel to the floor.

• Lift head, neck, and shoulders off mat and extend left leg straight to a 45-degree angle and draw right knee toward chest; all simultaneously.

• Grab right knee with left hand and right ankle with right hand.

• Switch legs as you inhale, pulse for 1 beat, and switch legs again on exhale, and so on.

• Make sure to keep shoulders off mat and engage core.

posture. Pilates improve postural awareness through workouts that enhance the alignment and put less pressure on sensitive joints, such as knees. The result is a lean and strong body that is less prone to injury.

While yoga is renowned for being the best way to enhance flexibility, Pilates put an emphasis on mobile movements while stretching. This allows muscles to be warm as they stretch and reach farther points without encountering pain. Hence, the more flexible you are, the less muscle tension you will

Crisscross

• Lie face up on a mat; keep hands behind neck and elbows wide.

• Lift head, neck, and shoulders off mat.

• Bring left armpit to right knee and extend left leg to high diagonal.

• Twist to the other side and switch legs, bringing right armpit to left knee and extending right leg, in a crisscross motion.

Teaser II

• Lie on a mat and bring knees to chest.

• Reach arms directly overhead and extend both legs to high diagonal.

• Stretch arms back toward ears then shift them toward toes, rolling up to a seated V position.

• Keep both arms and legs at a 45-degree angle to mat.

• From this position, lower and raise legs for 3 to 5 reps.

• Roll spine to mat one vertebra at a time, and then return to starting position.

Pilates Plank to Push Up

• Stand with feet less than shoulder width apart.

• Roll the body down and place palms on the mat into a high plank position.

• Lower body halfway to mat, elbows tucked

experience, and the better blood flow will be.

At last, Pilates isn’t the time of exercise that will leave you tired and sore. Instead, you will feel a deep connection between your mind and body that will nudge out all external stress, leaving you energetic and focused.

close to ribcage, and body parallel to the floor.

• Straighten arms to press up and repeat the Pilates push-up for 3 to 5 reps.

• Walk hands toward feet and roll back up to starting position.

Shoulder Bridge

• Lie on a mat; face up, knees bent, feet on the floor, and arms along sides.

• Exhale and lift hips off mat toward ceiling.

• Hold this position as you extend right leg and kick it to ceiling with pointed toe. Flex right heel and lower leg to level of left knee.

• Repeat 3 times, and then switch to the other leg.

Double Leg Kick

• Lie on a mat facedown with right cheek on mat.

• Place hands on low back, one on top of another; palms facing up.

• Allow elbows to fall toward mat.

• Kick both heels to gluteus 2-3 times.

• Keep legs straight, feet off floor, and then extend clasped hands toward feet and lift chest off mat, gazing straight ahead.

• Lower chest to mat, and turn head to other side to repeat.

August 2016 | 39

The Game Baby on Board: Physical Activity for Better Quality of Life

T

The definition of physical activity encompasses a range of features including all voluntary activities, like domestic, occupational, and commuting activities. When counseling the pregnant woman as to physical activity during pregnancy, it is thus important to identify the frequency, intensity, and duration of such activities.

These are the points that are neglected by most doctors and mothers-to-be.

Several studies have implemented different activities for different durations and intensities, where it was concluded that a moderate intensity workout that lasts 20-30 minutes per day for five to seven days a week could yield great benefits. Among the safe exercise routines to initiate during pregnancy are walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, low-impact aerobics, yoga, Pilates, and strength training if you are not a beginner.

Avoid activities with high risk of falling like water skiing, diving games, activities that require

40 | August 2016

Regular physical activity in all stages of life promotes health benefits and results in greater longevity. Same applies with pregnancy. Women with uncomplicated pregnancies should embrace any type of physical routine before, during, and after pregnancy, in order to maintain physical fitness, manage weight, and improve psychological well-being. Regular moderate physical activity can also decrease or prevent lower back pain, decrease blood pressure, reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, and prevent thrombosis and varicose veins.

extensive jumping, exercises that require deep knee bend, “hot yoga” or “hot Pilates”, and contact sports including boxing and basketball. Such activities are highly associated with inadequate birth weight, prematurity, and miscarriage.

It is very crucial to monitor exercise intensity during pregnancy than relying on heart-rate parameters. Talk Test is a good way to measure exertion, simply by asking the pregnant woman to go through long conversations without overexerting herself.

Meanwhile, it is also imperative to remain hydrated throughout the day and especially during exercise and immediately quit the exercise if encounters any of the following symptoms • Vaginal bleeding • Painful contractions • Dizziness and imbalances • Regular painful contractions • Amniotic fluid leakage • Dyspnea before exertion • Chest pain, calf pain, swelling.

TAKE PRECAUTIONS WITH AEROBIC EXERCIDE DURING PREGNANCY IF YOU HAVE: • • • • • • • •

Severe anemia Chronic bronchitis Diabetes type 1 Extreme obesity or overweight Unevaluated maternal cardiac arrhythmia Uncontrolled hypertension Heavy smoker Orthopedic limitations

According to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, pregnant women who were sedentary or obese before pregnancy should stick to a gradual progression of exercise, while women who were engaged in high-intensity exercise programs before pregnancy can commit to their original lifestyle as long as they perform it in a suitable environment (air conditioning) with special attention to adequate hydration and caloric intake and without any regular pain. However, a study called Occupational Lifting of Heavy Loads and Preterm Birth that included 62,000 Danish women reported a dose-response relationship between total daily burden lifted and preterm birth with loads more than 1,000 kg per day. In this study, lifting loads that are heavier than 20kg more than 10 times per day was linked with an increased risk of preterm birth.

Exercise in the Postpartum Period

Many women neglect the importance of exercise post to delivery, leading to overweight and obesity. The postpartum phase is an opportune time to reinforce and establish a healthy behavior lifestyle and resume all physical activities in a gradual pattern once approved by the doctor. This procedure will not only improve maternal cardiovascular fitness, but will also deliver a healthy lifestyle to the entire family, which is what every mother wants.

BASIC EXERCISE GUIDELINES

• Wear comfortable shoes designed for the type of exercise you will do.

• Exercise on a flat surface to avoid losing balance or possible injuries.

• Consume additional 300 calories per day during pregnancy.

• Allow two hours of digestion before jumping into a workout.

• Choose comfortable clothes and a bra that provides good support.

• Never exercise to the point of exhaustion.

In short, adequate physical activity during an uncomplicated pregnancy provides various benefits for women’s health. So what are you waiting for? Join the nearest class and enjoy a relaxed body, mind, and soul.

August 2016 | 41

The Game

The Fast and Furious HIIT Workout for Fat Loss

W

ho doesn’t want to tone up, slim down, and get a sexy bikini body? Almost all ladies out there have wished for a hot body, at least once, before establishing a proper fitness and balanced diet routine.

42 | August 2016

If you have the willingness to stick to a routine, fire up your metabolism, and pump up your heart rate, HIIT is the ultimate plan for you. High-intensity interval training consists of short, intense bursts of exercise with rest in between. Cardio workouts and strength routines both qualify.

This circuit uses a 2:1 interval ratio where you can work at a moderate intensity for two minutes and then push your body to its max limit for 1 minute. Repeat the circuit three times with minimal rest between moves.

1. Moderate Intensity Minute: Squat and Rear Lunge

3. High Intensity Push: Side-to-Side Shuffle Jump

How To Do It: • Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, hands clasped behind your head.

• Bend your knees to lower into a squat while pushing your hips back.

• Step back with one leg into a rear lunge.

• Step back into squat position and lift yourself up to starting position. Back should be straight throughout the movement.

• Repeat on the other leg. Continue for one minute, alternating legs each time you lunge.

Tip:

Your tempo for this move should be on a 1, 2, 3 count: count one squat, two lunge, three squat, and then stand.

2. Moderate Intensity Minute: Squat, Plank, and Pushup

How To Do It: • Stand with feet about hip width apart.

• Squat down and reach your right hand to the floor.

• Jump up, squat down, and reach your left hand to the floor.

• This counts as one rep. Do as many reps as you can in one minute, alternating from side to side.

Tip:

Push off the floor with the outsides of your thighs, and use good form on your squat landing.

5. Moderate Intensity Minute: Tabletop Dip How To Do It: • On a sports mat, sit down, bend both knees and bring them together.

• Place hands on the ground behind hips and feet on the floor.

• Tighten your abs and lift your hips off the floor, so that the body resembles tabletop.

• Bend your elbows gently and lower hips down without touching the ground.

• Keep your face pointing toward the ceiling and maintain balance.

• Lift your hips back to the starting position and repeat as many times as you can for one minute.

Tip:

4. Moderate Intensity Minute: Side-to- Side Lunge Chops

How To Do It: • Squat down and place your hands on the floor.

• Jump your legs back to a full plank position and perform one push up.

• Jump your legs back to the squat position and keep your hands on the floor. This counts as one rep.

• Repeat for one minute.

How To Do It: • Stand with your feet together, arms overhead, and hands clasped.

• Take a wide step to the right direction and bend your right knee as you chop your arms to the right foot, simultaneously.

• Push your right leg up and return to the standing position. Repeat the same movement on your left leg.

• Continue for one minute, alternating legs each time.

Tip:

Tip:

Keep your abs tight during the entire movement to facilitate the jumping movement in and out.

Practice good lunging posture and keep your knee over your toes as you lower into your side lunges.

Keep your arms fully engaged and avoid sinking your weight into your wrists during this move.

6. High Intensity Push: Plank Pike Jumps How To Do It: • In a plank position, bring your knees and jump your feet into your hands.

• Jump up pointing buttocks to the ceiling, and then land in a plank position.

• Repeat the movement as many times as possible for one minute.

Tip:

Keep your weight in your arms to make jumping in and out easier. If it’s too challenging to jump, you can quickly ‘run’ your feet in and out instead.

August 2016 | 43

The Game

TIPS AND TRICKS TO SATISFY

WHAT WOMEN WANT

FUNCTION BETTER WITH FUNCTIONAL FITNESS

Do you want a body that functions better throughout the day? Functional fitness involves training the body for activities we perform in our daily life.

The workouts employ multiple muscles to improve strength, balance, speed, flexibility, and coordination. Add these workouts in your routine; medicine ball squat with overhead lift, stair climb with bicep curls, hope extension with reverse fly, diagonal reach with medicine ball, lunge with back row, and knee lift with lateral raise.

44 | August 2016

BANISH TIGHTNESS WITH YOGA HIP-OPENERS

Whether you spend most of the time sitting down in the office or driving around, lack of physical activity triggers tightness, discomfort, lack of lubrication to the joints, and low mobility throughout the years.

Hip-opening yoga postures tend to work the hip flexors, rotators, and gluteal muscles, to boost the overall health of the practitioner.

No matter how busy you are, commit to a 30-minute hip opening routine twice a week.

BOOB-BOOSTING EXERCISE

Because, who doesn’t want a B+ cup? Include these workouts in your routine and aim for four sets of eight reps.

Single-Arm Chest Press: Lie on your back on a Swiss ball and hold one dumbbell. Raise hips so that body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders.

Hold the dumbbell at chest and draw shoulder blades down and together. Push the weight straight up and then lower back down to the chest. Complete the

prescribed number of reps with right hand and then switch to the left hand.

Renegade Row: Get into straight-arm plank position and hold a dumbbell in each hand, directly below shoulders. Keep feet slightly wider than hip width.

Without moving hips, lift the weight up to chest while keeping elbow close to body and pointing upward. Slowly lower the weight back to starting position, and repeat on the other side. That's one rep.

THE POWER OF MEDITATION

Stress management is a crucial key for enhancing your health and quality of living. One way to sustain a stress-free lifestyle is through deep breathing. Deep breathing exercises can release physical tension, enhance the functionality of every system in the body, improve oxygen delivery, lower blood pressure, release endorphins, and release harmful toxins.

To get started, isolate yourself from any distraction for 10 minutes. Find a quite place and lie down on a comfortable seat.

Seek out places that are holding tension and release in. Inhale deeply, brining air to abdomen and lungs. And then exhale deeply, emptying your lungs completely and releasing tension from your muscles. Concentrate on your breathing pattern and resume this exercise, counting slowly to five each time you inhale or exhale.

4 MYTHS ABOUT EXERCISE AND AGING

“There’s no point to exercising as I will get old anyway.”

Exercise and strength training helps you stay active longer.

Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and obesity. Not only can exercise help stem the decline in strength and vitality that comes with age, it even improve it.

“Older people shouldn’t exercise.”

Sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for adults over 40 and may trigger several health problems

accompanied with low energy and capability to carry on daily duties.

“Exercise makes me prone to injury.”

Building strength and stamina prevents loss of bone mass, improves balance, and decreases the risk of falling.

“It’s too late. I’m already too old to start exercising.”

You’re never too old to start exercising and improve your health! Start with low intensity workouts that place low strain on joints and muscles and maintain proper posture. Once you master the exercise, add challenge to upshift the performance.

GET RID OF CELLULITE

Most of us are plagued by those dreaded, uneven dimples caused by fat and toxin deposits below the surface of the skin.

Thankfully, there are methods to combat cellulite.

• Adopt stretching workouts and use foam roller more often to loosen the muscle fascia, enhance blood circulation, and break up interwoven fat fibers.

• Amp up collagen production by consuming dark colored foods, such as blueberries, blackberries, cucumbers, black olives, and celery.

• Eliminate unhealthy, fatty foods such as fast food, processed foods, cooking oils, and sugar.

• Stimulate the lymphatic system and kick dimples to the curb through exercise. Try sledgehammer, single leg curl, donkey kick, and dumbbell lunge with twist.

PROTEIN SHAKE MYTH DEBUNKED

Protein is an integral component of the muscle-building process. It is also important for neurotransmitters and hormones.

To build muscles, you must first break your muscle tissues down in the gym and build them up outside the gym. With proper protein intake, amino acids come to the rescue of your damaged muscle, repairing those tissues so they grow back even stronger.

And this is where protein shakes come in; it nourishes the body with essential amino acids for growth.

SLIM YOUR THIGHS IN TWO MONTHS

For some reason, every calorie we consume seems to migrate to our hips and thighs! Well, there is no particular food or exercise that will melt away your lower body’s fats, but rather a combination of aspects.

• Kick up the cardio five times a week for 60 minutes.

• Pump up the treadmill’s incline to target and tone your thighs, hamstrings, gluteus, and calves.

• Fire up your metabolism and fuel your day with protein and fiber-filled complex carbs.

Stay away from refined carbs, sugary meals, and fast foods.

• Enjoy two 150-calorie homemade snacks per day.

• Flush calories away with not less than 2 liters of water per day.

August 2016 | 45

People burn more calories during the 23 hours at rest than in the hour they do.

When your muscles are dehydrated by 3%, it can actually cause you a 10% loss of strength.

Fit Facts

To have a well-rounded fitness routine, you must incorporate workouts that you can actually mimic in your daily life.

The darker the chocolate, the more benefits it provides to the brain.

It takes 12 weeks of a consistent exercise program to see actual results in your body. However, in less time your endurance will increase and brief results will begin to show.

46 | August 2016

Exercise release serotonin in your brain which makes you have a clearer mindset and be a better thinker.

Styles & Features

PORTABLE GADGETS YOU WANT PROFORM THINLINE

Available at www.amazon.com for EGP 17,758

PULSE PLAY

Available at www.pulse-play.com for EGP 1,145 Pulse Play is a smart watch for all tennis, squash, badminton, or even ping-pong players!

Pulse play is a wearable score tracker that documents your movements and keeps track of your game’s score then display it on the wristband. Pulse Play was designed and created to be a piece that others would enjoy to wear and flaunt which is why it comes in eight different colors! The tracker uses advanced smart technology and can be connected to an app on both IOS and Android for logging your scores so that you can see the development over time. It charges in about 3 hours and has a long lasting battery life.

Treadmill Desk is a solution for all those who feel like they’re too busy to work out.

You can now walk or run on your treadmill while functioning fully with your own work desk where you can continue typing your presentations, watching the stock market, or listening to an important video. The desktop can adjust according to height and the whole treadmill can be folded into 12 inches, which makes storage even easier.

SENSORIA SMART SOCKS

Available at www.amazon.com for EGP 1,767 Sensoria Smart Socks are here for the rescue. Sensoria Smart Socks are a pair of socks that are made from high-tech friendly fabric where there’s an anklet that’s strapped to the socks that can track your movements and gather data. Sensoria’s phone app also allows you to receive real time audio notifications that will also give you tips about developing your overall exercise.

48 | August 2016

IGRIP’S PORTABLE ISOMETRIC TRAINER Available at www.amazon.com for EGP 621

IGrip’s Portable Isometric Trainer will let you know your true strength and will allow you to increase it as well. IGrip measures the strength of your grip and trains you to have a stronger one. IGrip has an LCD display where you can see how much force you’re capable of using. With the right amount of exercises, you can accomplish major development with IGrip.

TO HAVE IN 2016 QUELL’S OPTI THERAPY

Available at www.quellrelief.com for EGP 2,210 Quell’s Opti Therapy is basically wearable pain relief FDA approved technology that helps take way chronic pain. Quell is designed in a way that makes it light weighted and comfortable to use. Quell is worn below the knee and once you activate it, it connects to your body’s signals and begins to block the pain released within your body, giving you a sense of relief. You can also customize therapy by using the app and connecting it to the device.

THE HEALBE GOBE MONITOR

Available at www.amazon.com for EGP 2,218 The Healbe GOBE Monitor is your first step towards living a healthier lifestyle. The band is constantly measuring the amount of calories that you’ve eaten, the number of calories you’ve burnt, the amount of sleep you’ve had, the activities you’ve conducted, and so much more. The monitor is waterproof so have no worries when it comes to water damages and its battery life can last up to 3 days. GoBe also has an app that you can connect to, that stores all your data and gives you analysis of it as well.

THE HUG

Available at www.kickstarter. com for EGP 621

2VI FITNESS TRAINER

available starting December 2016 at www.kickstarter.com for EGP 1,766 2VI Fitness Trainer is a device that has been long awaited for; it’s the first artificial intelligence personal trainer. You no longer have to go out of your way to get motivated because VI offers you all that you need and more right at home. Through VI, you’ll be connected to headphones where you’ll be trained and each day of training, your device gets a better understanding of you and coaches you into even better results. VI is a personal trainer that will help you set goals and reach them through a plan that’s customized especially for you. You can also play music and answer phone calls without having to shut off the device.

The Hug will make sure you’re keeping track of you water intake.

The Hug is basically a sensor band that you wrap around your water bottle and then connect to your phone. Through IOS, it detects the amount of water you intake and the amount of water you need. It also tracks your exercises and gathers data to get you to drink water properly according to your age, weight, and height.

August 2016 | 49

Styles & Features

MONCLER LONG POLO SHIRT

SHOP THE LATEST FOOTWEAR & APPAREL NIKE STADIUM DRI-FIT TOUCH (NFL JAGUARS) THE UPSIDE RIBBED-PANEL JERSEY TRACK PANTS

NIKE ROSHE ONE HYPER BREATHE SHOES

DOLCE & GABBANA COTTON JOGGERS

MACROMAURO KAOS BAGPACK 50 | August 2016

TOPO DESIGNS DUFFEL 22

NIKE AIR PIVOT V3 MESH SHORTS

VALENTINO ROCKRUNNER LEATHER AND SUEDE TRAINERS

August 2016 | 51

ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY RUNNING CLIMACHILL® MESHPANELED STRETCH SHORTS GIVENCHY MEDIUM LEATHER BACKPACK

NIKE SIGNAL PRINTED JERSEY TANK

ATHLETIC PROPULSION LABS TECHLOOM PRO 2 MESH SNEAKERS

LIVE THE PROCESS STRETCHSUPPLEX® BODYSUIT

NIKE FREE INNEVA LEATHERTRIMMED WOVEN SNEAKERS 52 | August 2016

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• Social Media Specialist

MEET THE Dr. Otis Brawely, Chief Medical Officer, American Cancer Society

Is secondhand smoking really that risky?

Dr. Michelle Miller Professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health

Do new fitness technologies like Fitbits actually work?

I think it’s accountability, I mean, it’s huge.

If you don’t have social support, if you don’t belong to a group, or if you don’t have a huge family or have that family support, you can go about by yourself, and if you haven’t reached ten thousand steps for that day, walk until you reach ten thousand steps.

Smoking is always to be discouraged. I can think of no epidemic as devastating and preventable as that caused by tobacco consumption.

Tobacco is the only product that I can think of that, when used as intended, causes premature death to at least half of its users. Smoking causes lung cancer, at least a dozen other cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease and lung disease. Secondhand smoke, which is also called environmental tobacco smoke, is smoke inhaled involuntarily. Components of tobacco smoke such as carbon monoxide, nicotine, benzene and small particles can easily be measured in the air of a smoker’s home or workplace. It is truly a form of indoor air pollution.

These smoke byproducts can be measured in the blood and urine of nonsmokers exposed to them. This means they inhaled the byproducts and the byproducts got into their body. We worry about exposure of children and especially young children who cannot get away from adult parents who smoke. Children are also destined to long-term secondhand smoke exposure.

Secondhand smoke exposure causes eye irritation, asthma and other acute respiratory diseases and is thought to be a cause of infant crib death.

Robin Parker Community Health Clinical Manager, IU Health Bloomington

For people who go through major weight loss through intensive programs, how do you keep those pounds from coming back?

My take on anytime you’re going to change your eating to lose weight, just remember, you can’t separate the means from the end. So whatever means you choose to meet that goal of weight loss is probably going to be a mean that you’re going to live with for the rest of your life to some extent.

So if it’s so extreme that you’re not going to be able to maintain that, then you’re not going to be successful in keeping that weight loss.

54 | August 2016

E PERTS Micheal W. Smith Medical Director

Is there some way to naturally detox or cleanse your body?

There is a lot of hype around “detoxing” and “cleansing” these days. Most of what you’ll hear is untrue, and can be just a waste of your time and money. There’s no evidence that detoxing and cleansing has any health benefit.

Nonetheless, there are lifestyle changes you can make to “detox” your body. Cutting back on saturated fats, daily calories, refined grains, sugar, and sodium can help you reap all kinds of health benefits. Instead, choose fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, lean protein, seafood, and healthy fats.

Katy Smith, Personal Trainer

Dr Patrika TSAI Health Guide

Is doing the same workout every day a bad thing?

Varying your exercise regimen has several advantages. Many people become bored and less motivated with the same workout. Changing your routine may keep you more interested in exercise and enthusiastic about staying active.

When you do the same exercises each day, your body becomes more efficient at performing them, and you may not see as much change in weight loss or muscle strengthening as you experienced when you first started. Adding new exercises will often allow you to develop parts of your body that may not already be targeted by the activities you are currently doing.

What are some healthy foods/snacks you recommend for people who don’t have a lot of time to cook?

”Not enough time” is the No. 1 excuse I hear as to why people don’t exercise or eat right. But a healthy diet doesn’t have to involve a ton of time cooking. The key is preparation. Spend a Sunday night stocking up for the week at the grocery store, and preparing everything so that you have an easy grab-and-go situation for the remainder of the week. Bake a tray of skinless chicken breasts with your favorite spices so that they’re ready to throw on salads anytime you want. Chop up bell peppers and other veggies ... so you have easily accessible snacks. Make a big pot of steel-cut oatmeal that you can refrigerate and pull out every morning for breakfast. Throw in some fresh berries, stir in some protein powder and a splash of skim or almond milk, and you’ve got a perfectly balanced morning meal.

August 2016 | 55

UPCOMING EVENTS SERGIA LOUISE ANDERSON WORKSHOPS BY POLE FI EGYPT AUGUST 9

THE BEACH RUN EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

This summer, The TriFactory is taking you to Diplo in partnership with INERTIA, and we’re bringing The Beach Run! We’re challenging each and every person on the beach - no matter what their ability or age is - to get fitter and faster, and have some fun while they’re at it! The Beach Run is taking place every Friday and Saturday at 9 am. Meeting point is the INERTIA booth in front of Costa/Grand Cafe in Diplo. Come with your running shoes on; we’ll be running on the promenade beneath the palm trees!

Sergia is a visual storyteller. A master of character, she suffuses each performance with honesty and depth through her richly detailed choreography. Her breathtaking musicality, spirited movement and crisp, elegant lines sweep the audience along and immerse them in the moment. Sergia brings this personal connection from the performance stage into the classroom, enabling students to find the energy in their own movement. Drawing on her background in salsa, ballet, jazz, and theater, she provides a firm technical foundation for innovative tricks and transitions; accessible to dancers at all levels.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: 0106 551 7134

For more information and reservation, you may contact: +202 2737 2585

SATORI TRANSFORMATION ADVENTURE AUGUST 4 URBAN RACE SEASON 3 AUGUST 12

The most anticipated fitness event of the year - Urban Race 2016 is coming to Marassi, North Coast once again on the 12 of August!

The only obstacle course done by Stallions Egypt. The event is a combination of entertainment, sports and lots of surprises and fun activities. Anyone can join the race; 12-55 years old.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: Register online at www.urban-race.com

After going through 6 successful Satori experiences, and still seeing its effect on people’s life, especially that we are committed to make regular follow up meetings that has powerful impact on Satorians people. Now we are excited to announce the launching of the 7th round of Satori experience. So if you are in search of a new perspective on life, or a new challenge, you are in the midst of one of life’s many transitions-career change, etc. and are looking to write the next chapter in your life. So let’s make it real and book your seat in SATORI Transformation Adventure.

For more information and reservation, you may contact: 0109 8860 949

Now Open

5 Abou El Feda st., Zamalek For reservation : 02 273 703 80 Tavolino Zamalek

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