Obstacle Race Training: Three Effective Workouts

Obstacle racing is rising in popularity, attracting up to 1 million Americans each year. If you're thinking of signing up for an obstacle race, you'll need to train for it. Your training should focus on endurance, strength, and mental toughness. These three workouts will help you improve in all three areas.

1. Barn Workout

The Barn Workout is a great routine to build strength and endurance. This one is best suited for intermediate-advanced exercisers.

Warm-Up

Easy jog for ½- 1 mile (or as much distance as you can cover in 5 minutes)

Stretch for 5 minutes, focusing on major muscle groups:

Hamstrings

Glutes

Quads

Back

Chest

Circuit

1. 30 Burpees

2. 30 Burpee/Pullups

3. 30 Pullups

4. 30 Box jumps

5. 30 Medicine Ball Squat Throws

6. 100 Jumping Jacks

7. 300 crunches

8. 30 body weight squats

9. 30 side kicks (each side)

10. 30 jumping lunges

11. 30 curls

12. 30 Triceps overhead presses

13. 30 frog jumps

14. 30 squat jumps

15. 3 x rope climbs

Cool-Down

Stretch major muscle groups, holding each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Hamstrings

Glutes

Quads

Back

Chest

2. Deck of Cards

Deck of Cards is a good total body circuit that will add variety and intensity to your training. You may also find it kind of fun, too.

Although it's ideal for advanced fitness levels, it can also be customized for beginners.

How It Works

Colors and/or shapes represent an exercise. You can pick what exercise each represents. Some ideas:

Clubs: Push-Ups or Burpees

Spades: Pull-Ups or Rows

Hearts: Squats, Lunges, or Deadlifts

Diamonds: Ab exercise of choice

• Intermediate-Advanced Suggestions: Hanging knee tucks or V sit-ups
• Beginners: Crunches on stability ball or floor

The numerical and face cards denote the number of reps you do per exercise. Jacks, kings, & queens = 10 reps; aces = 11; jokers can be thrown out or designated to represent another rep number.

Go through the entire deck and perform the exercises for the specified number of reps. If you're a monster-advanced exerciser, you can even try going through the deck twice!

The Deck of Cards workout can be adjusted for beginners so that you complete half the deck only or complete the deck without the face cards.

3. Beginner Intervals: Walk-Jog or Jog-Run

If you're new to running, intervals can help you work up to running your goal number of miles consecutively, water-break free.

Alternate walking-jogging or jogging-running for predetermined ratios for 3 miles. If you're new to running, you may do a walk:jog ratio of 2 minutes:1 minute.

If you have some experience running, but can't run three consecutive miles consecutive without stopping for a rest, you may try a jog:run ratio or 2 minutes:4 minutes. You can also do a variation of something in between 2:1 and 2:4 ratios.

The key to this workout is to push yourself and make yourself devote a greater portion of your session to running or jogging each time and less to the "recovery" bout of your training.

Cool down by stretching for 8-10 minutes, focusing on lower body stretches.

These are just a few workouts that will help you train for an obstacle race. Since this race will test both your endurance and strength, you can also use these workouts to build up towards integrating both strength and running in a single workout. In the long run, you'll want to train to simulate the challenges of an obstacle course race.

Do You Know Whether Nail Biting Leaves The Nails Permanently Damaged?

Numerous people aren't quite sure whether their fingertips will ever be in normal shape again. They wonder if their nail biting behavior will continue to affect them in the future. This article wants to answer the question whether to expect the habit to have some longstanding outcomes.

The good news is that the fingernails, if done correctly, can recover and refresh themselves over time. No matter, how bitten down the stumps are, they can be brought back into shape. In fact, it typically takes a few months until they are totally back to normal.

However, the bad news is that nail biting can have a variety of effects on the afflicted person in another way. Here are some of the long-term consequences that this ingrained behavior pattern brings forth.

First, you should consider the health implications. Not only does nail biting exert additional pressure on the teeth's roots, but in some cases it has even led to cracked teeth. Another way in which the habit of gnawing the fingernails, the surrounding skin and the cuticles can influence the health of an individual are nail infections. This can especially get in the way when performing even the simplest activities like holding a pen etc.

Besides that, the habit helps to transfer bacteria, viruses and germs from the hands to the mouth and lips, promoting the catching of disease, such as the flue or a cold. Just imagining how many objects are being touched every day, bus poles, shopping carts, door handles, computer keyboards, the effects become clear.

But not only the health effects should be mentioned.

The biting condition frequently influences the psyche of a person as well. For example, plenty of sufferers report of constantly being on guard to prevent others from seeing their short, malformed fingernails. This can keep them from relaxing in social situations, directing their energy towards more productive tasks and enjoying conversations with others. In many cases, the hands are being hidden in pockets, under the table or the hands are being balled into fists. Especially in dates, parties or other important events, this offers a great deal of disadvantages. You don't exactly have the best chances of getting accepted in your dream job, if you show up with unattractive, bitten nails.

Although nail biting does not leave any long-term damage on the fingernails itself, it sure can affect numerous aspects of a person such as health, work and the overall contentment of life of a person.

Finding a Nursing School - Accreditation

When selecting the proper nursing school you need to consider a number of factors like the nursing programs offered, school's location, tuition costs, clinical training, number of board NCLEX or National Council Licensure Examination passers and accreditation.

One very crucial factor to look into when looking for a nursing school is the accreditation and you need to make sure that they are accredited by either the Collegiate Nursing and Education (CCNE) or National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC) because students can be assured of quality nursing education and the school provides credible endorsement from these accrediting bodies. Schools accredited by either CCNE or NLNAC have met the requirements and standards that such organizations expect from an educational institution.

The NLNAC in particular accredits virtually all types of nursing programs and the CCNE checks on the quality of nursing programs from the baccalaureate and graduate levels. Entering in an accredited school will enable students to attend any program which is supported by the government and this would make them eligible to take higher degrees of the course. Individuals who are graduates of an accredited school have greater chances of immediate employment since they have gone through intense and quality nursing instruction or training.

Accreditation for nursing programs will be based upon: course description, curriculum plan, source descriptions, clinical areas and facilities of the program, etch. The schools' personnel will also be evaluated like the deans, faculty members or directors, and other practices used by the school in protecting the well-being and health of all students.

When accredited, accrediting bodies may then request the nursing schools to update data on several enrollment figures for each class and the ratio of students, teachers, and the number of enrolled students for the last 5 years, policies utilized in choosing students for graduation, how many students graduated in the past 5 years, and how the students performed in the board examinations for the last 5 years. Accredited nursing schools will also be required to pass a list of achievements as far as meeting the objectives of the nursing program is concerned.

There will be constant inspections in nursing schools by the accrediting body and each school will be required to pass a copy of the audited fiscal report plus its expenditures and income. If the school you graduated from is not accredited, then you may have a problem qualifying for the National Certification and Licensure Examination.

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What Is a Hormone?

Animals have two types of hormones namely the exocrine and the endocrine hormones. The exocrine hormones are first secreted into a duct before flowing into the blood system. On the other hand; the endocrine hormones directly enter the bloodstream after secretion.

What are the effects of hormones in the body?

Hormones have the following effects in our bodies:

* They are useful in the psychological preparation for fighting, mating fleeing and other activities.
* Physical changes and development during various stages of life e.g puberty and menopause.
* Inhibition or stimulation of growth.
* Activation of the inhibition of the immune system.
* Change of moods.
* Regulation of the metabolism rate.
* Sexual arousal.
* Control of the reproductive cycle.

In general, hormones play many vital roles in our bodies.

Different Classes of Hormones

We have three classes of vertebrate hormones. These are:

* The peptide hormones (made up of a chain of amino acids).
* Lipid hormones (derived from lipids and phospholipids.
* Monoamines (derived from the phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine.

Important Hormones and Their roles in our Bodies
As we've already seen, hormones play very vital roles in the human body. Let us now have a look at some of the most important human hormones and the specific roles that they perform.

Aldosterone
This hormone is secreted from the outer adrenal cortex by the adrenal gland. It plays a key role by promoting the re-absorption of sodium in the kidneys, increasing water retention in the body and promoting increase in blood volume.

Anti-diuretic Hormone
Also known as the ADH, this hormone originates from the pituitary gland. It helps in the vasoconstriction and water retention in the kidneys.

Cholecystokinin (CCK)
Cholecystokinin is secreted in the duodenum. This hormone helps in the production of the digestive hormones, suppression of hunger and drug tolerance. Its main role is to ensure a proper digestion and satisfaction of cravings.

Folicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)
FSH is secreted in the anterior pituitary gland. It plays a very crucial role in the maturation of the female productive system (the graafian follicles). It is also responsible for some physical changes that occur during puberty.

Growth Hormone
Commonly referred to as GH, this hormone originates from the anterior pituitary. Its main role is to trigger cell production and regeneration. It strengthens the muscles and the bones as one grows. It enhances protein synthesis thus increasing one's bulk of muscles. Basically, it controls the growth of all the body organs except the brain.

Insulin
Last but definitely not least is the insulin. This hormone is produced by the beta cells found in the pancreas. Insulin is very vital in maintaining the blood sugar levels. It is also involved in several other metabolic processes.

Just to summarize, the concept of hormones is really wide and detailed. However, I hope that this write-up will provide you with good background knowledge on the same.

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Natural Solutions For A Healthier Digestive System

The digestive track is a complex system which combines biological and chemical reactions; it plays an important role in your overall health. When your digestive track is out of balance, your body does not absorb the nutrients efficiently which may result in nutritional deficiencies.

Your digestive track is the home of the largest part of your body's immune system, protecting you against foreign invaders by producing acids and housing beneficial bacteria that act as a defensive army fighting to protect you from harmful pathogens that may enter your body.

Some of the symptoms of an imbalanced digestive track are listed below:

• Nausea
• Heartburn
• Bloating
• Loss of Appetite
• Weight Loss
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Depression

I would like to review the digestive problems associated with low stomach acid.

As we age, our stomach acid decreases, most of the common digestive problems such as heartburn and indigestion are caused from lack of stomach acid rather than the over production of stomach acid. This condition can be corrected by supplementing betaine hydrochloride and digestive enzymes. Intestinal flora (also called probiotics) can be added. Apple cider vinegar can also be helpful in promoting good digestion. One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in one cup of juice or water can be very helpful in solving some common digestive problems.

An appropriate balanced diet of proteins, carbohydrates and fats is also very important for the balance of the digestive track. Hydrochloride acid activates enzymes for the digestions of proteins. When you are on a low-fat, low-protein diet, and the carbohydrates you eat go through the stomach so quickly that the acid is not fully utilized. It remains active in the stomach which will result in heartburn or acid reflux. It is very important to add a vegetable or meat protein to every snack or meal that you eat. Also eating a diet that includes an abundance of raw foods will aid in supplying the vital enzymes needed for proper digestion.

Digestion begins in the mouth by chewing your food well (at least 20 chews per bite). The majority of your digestive enzymes are actually originated in your mouth not in your stomach. Therefore, chewing your food allows the food to be broken down more quickly and will result in better digestion.

Our GI track has its own ecosystem! There are tiny organisms, mostly bacteria, who live in our GI track, they help us digest food, aid nutrient absorption, produce certain key vitamins, prevent disease and much more.

Below I have listed various reasons why your flora becomes imbalanced:

• Prescription drugs
• Stress
• Junk food or drink
• Poor diet
• Too much sugar
• Too many refined foods
• Candida

You can begin today to balance your intestinal flora by doing the following:

• Eating healthy balanced meals.
• Supplementing probiotics
• Avoid processed sugar
• Eat raw foods
• Avoid alcohol
• Eat fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut and yogurt

Good bacteria feast on fiber, they thrive on a generous supply of vegetables, legumes, fruits and whole grain foods, and they also like garlic, green tea and aloe vera.

I am enthusiastic about the use of the aloe vera plant and its digestive properties. This medicinal herb has a great effect on the digestive system, the polysaccharides in the aloe vera plant has curative effects on many digestive disorders. Add aloe vera to your diet on a regular basis and your heartburn symptoms will vanish in a few days. You should also adjust your diet to eliminate fried and processed foods.

Aloe vera heals the intestines and lubricates the digestive track. It will end constipation and alkalize the body helping to balance overly acidic dietary habits.

Remember, your digestive system is an extremely complex system that protects you from many of the harmful invaders that live in our environment. It is important that we become aware of this dynamic system today, so we can start healing and achieve a healthier digestive track.

Hollaye Vladimiroff is a Nutritional Coach and her mission is nutrition. For more information go to http://www.divinelyherbal.com.

Moroccan Hair Oil, The Best?

Hair oils these days are everywhere and all claim to be better than the next. So what are the benefits and are they as good as they seem.

Well I have narrowed the top three down from my point of view; they are Moroccan Oil, Macadamia Oil and L'Oreal. Moroccan Oil is my winner and was one of the first to hit the market and for very good reason; it does what it claims on the bottle.

This treatment is very versatile, in that the nourishing and residue free formula can be used for many purposes. For example as a conditioning, styling or finishing product. It can be used to blend with other products not even in the Moroccan hair Oil range like colours etc, and even speeds up drying time. This oil treatment transforms and repairs the hair strand by adding strength plus omega-3 oils and vitamins for shine. Amazingly it also absorbs instantly to fill gaps in hair created by heated styling tools such as flat irons. So is it money well spent, well at the time of writing this article the average price for a 100ml bottle is about 30 pounds, which may seem a lot, but when you consider this will probably last month's then it is a very economical purchase. Don't get me wrong the other two oils are great also; the Macadamia Healing Oil has many of the same benefits and has a slightly larger quantity of 125ml and average price tag of around 27 pounds. What is the main difference, not a lot, they use slightly different nut oils and of course the Moroccan oil is also available in the LIGHT version which if fantastic for fine and thinner types of hair to ensure it is not weighed down.

The L'Oreal Professional Mythic Oil has been enriched with avocado and grape seed oil making it quite lightweight. I still think it does a great job of leaving the hair nourished and looking shiny. It is easy to use once again and works well before blow-drying. It just does not seem quite as polished as the other 2 in all areas if that makes sense, so this is why I have rated it in position 3. I suppose the old saying of 'you get what you what you pay for' is even true in the hair care industry.

I hope you have enjoyed this small insight in to hair oils and thank you for reading my article.

Is Chiropractic Child Care Safe And Effective?

If you are not aware, pediatric chiropractors have been providing chiropractic child care for over a hundred years already. This is because parents are concerned about preventing early sickness or ailments in their child's life. What parents like about chiropractic is that it is a natural and safe method for health care. Because of its effectiveness, more and more parents are looking into chiropractic care for early prevention.

Chiropractic child care has the same principles as regular chiropractic. Putting into action the methods are a bit different because pediatric chiropractors work with smaller bodies. The bones of infants and children are more fragile so chiropractors have to practice extra caution when doing manipulations. Chiropractic for children centers on the important relationship of the spine and the central nervous system. The basic principle of chiropractic is that any subluxation or dysfunction in the spine leads to problems in the nervous system. Chiropractors focus on aligning the spine to prevent any health problems from developing.

Adults are not the only ones who experiences stress. Growing children experience physical stress as their muscles, bones, joints and ligaments changes. In fact, the first challenge on the spine occurs when the baby is inside the womb of the mother. Babies in a foetal position will cause spinal problems for the baby. In this position, the baby will have a more difficult time going down the birth canal. Thus, even a natural method of giving birth can cause spinal problems. The ceasarian section method is believed to make infants more susceptible to health problems in the future.

Parents opt to get their newborn baby's spine checked immediately to check if there is any spinal trauma. This is because spinal dysfunctions will affect the developmental milestones of the baby. Such milestones include crawling, walking, sitting and holding the head up. Newborn babies who are colicky, suffer from gastric reflux, have allergies, have chronic infections and have difficulties with breastfeeding are associated with problems in the central nervous system. There is an irritation in the nervous system, which is caused by spinal misalignment. When the baby grows older, physical stresses like sitting all day in school, carrying heavy school bags or playing in the playground can cause spinal subluxations.

One thing that parents are concerned about is if their child will experience pain in chiropractic child care. Chiropractic for children is painless except when there is an injury. The child may feel sensitivity in a part of the body but this will change once the spinal manipulation is made. Parents who have taken their children to the chiropractor are very satisfied with the results.

The number of visits to the pediatric chiropractor will depend on how the child responds to the treatment. A child's spine recovers and responds faster to spinal adjustment. Some may take only 1-3 sessions but it will be best to take your child to regular chiropractic child care to make sure that your child is strong, healthy and capable of healing itself when health problems arise.