Archive | March, 2017

Weight Loss – When Energy In Exceeds Energy Out

You head out the door with coffee in hand, ready for your workout program at the gym. You woke up an hour and a half earlier than usual to make sure you have enough time for your routine. Today it is cardio – the best exercise for burning calories. You still have not decided if you are going to use the treadmill or rowing machine. Probably the treadmill, since it never fails to help break a good sweat.

After your 35-minute treadmill jog, you stretch and think about the calories you have burned. The machine said 317. You know even if it’s true, it is still short of 500, which is the daily deficit you need to lose one solid pound of fat a week.

You arrive back at home, eat a quick breakfast and head off to work. Besides being a fruitful day, you hope it is one where you make progress towards a slimmer waistline.

Technically, if you can stick to this routine at least four days a week, you are doing great. It is one thing not to be sedentary, but it is another entirely if you can establish a routine where you are regularly doing productive exercise every week.

There are many reasons to be physically active. One surely at the forefront in your list of priorities is fat loss and weight management. Without a doubt, exercise is a great way to burn fat while providing a host of other benefits to your body and health. That being said, there is one crucial element to keep in mind if the primary reason you are exercising is weight loss…

Energy in must NOT exceed energy out.

No matter how hard you are pushing yourself in the gym, you are not going to lose weight if you have not established a caloric deficit. The best way to tell when energy in is greater than energy out is when you are physically active and still not making progress, or even potentially gaining weight despite your efforts. It is not an uncommon situation, given it’s a natural tendency to increase your caloric consumption the more you exercise. After all, you are using the body’s valuable stores of energy. So it’s expected you will see an increase in appetite to replenish those stores.

If you are to be successful at managing your weight, never forget the importance of monitoring your nutritional intake alongside maintaining your exercise routine. Only when you are expending more energy in the form of calories than you are taking in, will you be able to make significant progress.

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Burn Calories Fast With Strength Training

Did you know that muscle naturally decreases with age? And unless that muscle is replaced with more muscle, fat will naturally replace it! Strength training should be a part of any good weight loss program in order to maintain lean body muscle.

Your body will burn fat more efficiently with more lean muscle! Now you don’t necessarily have to be Mr. muscle in order to burn fat, but training the muscles you already have is always a good idea.

5 Reasons to strength train

• Develops your bones – Training your bones while you are still young will prevent osteoporosis later on in life. Even if you are older, strength training will help prevent the risk of developing osteoporosis

• Less chance of injury – Having more muscle on your body will better protect your joints from injury, which is especially important if you do a lot of cardio!

• Increase your stamina – as your muscles grow stronger, you will tire less quickly and will be able to train for longer during your workout sessions.

• Look better – Lean muscle weighs less and takes up less space than fat, so the more you train, the better your body will begin to look!

• Get better rest – Because you are expending more energy in your workouts you will be more tired and will rest better at night!

Your options

If you are a complete newbie to strength training (like I was) then the best place to start would be with hand weights. In fact, you if you wanted to start strength training you wouldn’t even have to step foot inside a gym. You can always workout from home using resistance bands or even your own body weight!

Start slowly

If you are new to strength training don’t try to be the ‘hulk’ on your first day, start off slow and only what is comfortable for you. Remember to do at least 10 minutes of stretching or brisk walking before you start your strength training session.

When more comfortable with strength training and feel that you would like to move on to heavier weights always remember the rule of 10%. A good rule of thumb to increasing your weights is to increase them by 10% at a time. But only increase you weights once you can do 10 reps comfortably!

About 3 training session a week of 25 minutes each will be good enough for the average person to lose weight. But remember to give your muscles time to recover! Slight muscle pain is normal when you are strength training, but stop if you are ever experiencing sharp pain.

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Treadmill Mistakes: 5 Habits to Break

Prior to getting too comfortable with your treadmill routine, know that using this machine should not be a robot-like activity. To reduce your likelihood of injury–and the chance that body will plateau–learn these five do’s and don’t of walking/running on the treadmill.

DON’T run on autopilot

Doing the same workout on the treadmill machine day after day can be a mindless task that your body will adjust to that. This can be less effective for the muscles and you will burn less calorie consumption as a result. This also causes your brain to drift and be easily distracted by the television or people around you.

What to Do: Be present during your workout

Concentrate on your breathing, stride, and form. It’s also a good idea to alter your workout every week approximately. First, raise the length of your workout for a week. For the pursuing week, try increasing the intensity using inclines. Stick to up by incorporating high-intensity interval training workouts with running and walking the next week. Changing some misconception periodically will keep you focused and give your body a new challenge.

DON’T stomp your feet

Landing hard on your feet or working flat-footed is bad for both feet and legs, which can cause muscle strain. Stomping your foot down may also lead you to lean backward, straining your back muscles and tossing off your balance.

What to Do: pay attention to each step

Land on the ball of the foot or midfoot-not the heel or whole foot at one time. Stay as upright as you can while running or walking as you normally would in the center of the treadmill.

DON’T make your stride too long

Over-striding and stretching your hip and legs out too much causes your body weight to land in front, which is terrible for your legs joints and uses more energy. This may also cause you to lose form, producing in a less-efficient workout.

What to Do: Walk and run as naturally as you do outside

When running, scarcely lift your feet off the ground and try to keep a speed of about 15 steps for each and every 10 seconds. While walking, use natural steps.

DON’T hunch

Inclined or hunching too much forward means your body is working harder to keep its balance, which can lead to harm such as lower back pain. Poor posture may even obstruct your body’s capability to take sufficient oxygen while exercising.

What to Do: Maintain Position

Maintain your posture upright, strong. Your chin should be parallel to the floor and head and hips in line with your spine. If you find you’re having difficulty in maintaining good posture, try slowing your speed.

DON’T wear the wrong shoes

Zumba shoes may be cute, nevertheless they are totally different from shoes designed specifically for walking or running. Using kicks with a high arch or any support on the treadmill can stress your joints and quickly lead to harm.

What to Do: choose function over fashion

Look for athletic shoes made for running and walking. A shoe with extra cushioning in the soles really aids to protect foot bones and heels. Use these shoes just for your treadmill exercises, and they’ll last long keeping your feet comfortable.

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Physical Fitness Tests – Kraus-Weber Test

A good way to know your fitness level is by taking a fitness test that will test your physical endurance, body strength and help you understand the basic relationship between body strength and fitness. One of the best known methods for it is Kraus-Weber Test (K-W Test).

Components of Kraus-Weber Test (K-W Test).

A K-W test known as Minimum Muscular Fitness test has six different components, and this test is capable of measuring various muscle groups in term of their physical strength and inherent flexibility. The higher the ratings are; greater will be your fitness level.

This very test of fitness was firstly used to investigate about the progress of the treatment given for back pain problems. More than eighty percent of people who take this test failed to pass it in the first attempt.

The first test of the six K-W Tests series is used to evaluate general fitness of a person. In this test one has to keep both of the feet on the ground; do sit ups while keeping both hands folded on the back and lying body on the ground.

The second part of K-W Test series is similar to first in posture but only change is that in this test knees of person remain bent and the ankles are as close to buttocks as possible; while doing sit ups..

The third part of K-W Test series requires the person to lie flat on the back and keeps hands behind the neck and legs remain straight and lifted up, for about ten seconds in a stretch.

The fourth parts of K-V Test series person lie on hisher stomach; and while keeping the feet firm to the ground one need to lift the head and shoulders along with the chest off the ground for about ten seconds. Test number five’s posture is similar as fourth one; only addition is that one needs to lift knees straight off the ground for ten seconds.

Finally, in last test i.e. number six; one need to stand straight barefoot while both of the feet must be placed together firmly to the ground; then, while keeping the knees straight one needs to bend slowly so as to touch the ground with the fingertips. One needs to hold on in same posture for about three seconds. This test is really useful to gauze one’s fitness level and to understand what needs to be done to improve fitness level of a person who takes this test.

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The Secret to Nutrisystem Weight Loss

I guess if you look at it in terms of pounds lost, smaller clothing worn, and lifestyle changes, most would consider my Nutrisystem journey to be a success. I have lost most of the weight that I wanted to lose and have kept it off. And, I’m reasonably confident that I will be able to maintain this and not regain the weight. I also look at food in a much more healthy and less obsessive way.

So, the other day, a coworker asked me what my secret was. Because, she knew someone else who had been on this diet who had not had the same sort of lasting success. I think that she suspected that I skipped meals or didn’t add in the sides with each meal or was exercising in a way that was dangerous or unhealthy. None of these things was true. There might be a few things that have helped contribute to my success. I’ll let you decide if you want to call them “secrets” or not. But, I’ll share them in the following article.

Is The “Friendly Glycemic Index” The Secret To Nutrisystem?: Most experts will tell you that this diet is mostly effective because the carb to calorie to protein ratio of the foods that they give you are such that they encourage ketosis. This makes your body burn more fat for fuel since it doesn’t have free reign on continuous carbs (that you likely had been providing previously.)

Now, I will certainly concede that this most certainly helps. I mean, less calories in and more calories burned or out is all very well and good and I know that this does work. But, adding in a little additional fat burning can only help and can sometimes offer quicker and better results. This is always a good thing because it’s the results that keep you wanting to continue on. Very few people are going to stay on a diet and tough it out when they aren’t getting the pay off of the results. So yes, the glycemic consideration does help. And, I firmly believe in it – so much so that in the beginning stages of the diet I was never without ketone strips to make sure that this diet was doing it’s job and getting me in ketosis.

What I Think Is The Real Secret To Nutrisystem (And To Those Who Lose A Lot Of Weight On It:) As I hope you can see, I very much appreciate the low amount of carbs in these foods, but I think that the real key to this diet runs a little deeper. I believe the real secret to success with this diet is that the maker’s understand the psychological hurdles that dieters face. The company seems to really understand the realities that no one wants to talk about.

What I mean by this are things like this: I am inherently lazy. I don’t want to have to “work” too hard for the results. Yes, I’m willing to change what I eat somewhat. I know that I won’t be eating my favorite meals every single day at every single meal. But, I can’t deny that I want to enjoy what I’m eating. I want to be able to look forward to a meal every once in a while. And, I don’t want to be kept away from foods and desserts that I actually enjoy very much. I mean, I don’t want to have to say goodbye to burgers and chocolate cake forever.

I also do not want to be a gourmet cook. It shouldn’t be difficult to come up with the foods that are going to help me lose weight. I remember trying to learn how to make a cheese cake with an almond crust for the zone diet. The cake was good but it took me about two hours to make it and I knew when I was enjoying it that I would never put in that effort again. Working that hard is just not sustainable over any length of time.

The company seems to understand this because they do most of the work for you. They provide most of the foods that you’ll consume. They’ve already counted the sugars, carbs, proteins and calories. They’ve listed every thing out for you so that you don’t have to guess at when or how or what to eat. They’ve provided free counseling that requires only that you log on to your computer or pick up the phone to use it. In short, they anticipated every objection or difficulty that you might have and have either eliminated it or fully addressed it.

Finally, if I had to define what I do that I would classify as my “secrets,” it would only be a few things. To me, the real key to this whole thing is choosing your foods well. (I always go with the custom package so that I can hand pick what I want.) I know that as long as I’m happily eating the foods, I’m not going to be temped to go off my regimen. And, sure, the Nutrisystem pizza, burgers, and chocolate aren’t exactly what I’d be eating off the diet, but they are acceptable, pretty good tasting, and they mean my jeans continue to get smaller. I still purchase ketone strips because this makes me know that I’m going to be accountable when I cheat.

And it finally got through my hard head that working out even just a little bit was going to make this go a lot faster. I will never love the gym and I will probably never go. So, I accept this about myself in the same way that I accept my being lazy about cooking. Instead, I just power walk after dinner or I walk home from my son’s school after I drop him off. This is five miles and it was hard at first, but now, I actually enjoy this and reload my MP3 every weekend in anticipation for the week ahead.

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Aerobics is Not Just For Women

There is a stereotype placed on aerobics which makes most men believe they cannot take part in it. This is a myth. These days there are many different aerobic programs designed for men to be involved in. No longer is it all about spandex and stretches. Aerobics has gone through many different transformations to get to the point it is at now. This is not to say there are not still light intensity aerobic classes designed with women in mind. There are simply more choices available for everyone who wants a good workout. The important thing is to keep an open mind when approaching fitness as you never know what you will find. You may find the aerobics class at your local gym is just what you have been looking for in order to stay motivated.

For those guys who are still reluctant to try out an aerobics class, keep in mind the best way to show off muscle is to lose the fat hiding it. It is impossible to show off a six pack or chest if there is a layer of fat covering it. Increasing your metabolism is the first step in being able to show off well defined muscles. You can spend all day lifting weights and it can actually cause you to look fatter. This is because you will develop more muscle, but do nothing to get rid of the fat. You need to get your body in motion and increase the amount of calories you are burning. This is why aerobic activity is suggested to those serious about bodybuilding.

In order to attract more men, many gyms have introduced aerobic activities which include weights. These tend to be classes which include the step. You will utilize the step in order to move your body up and down and side to side. Increasing your agility and losing muscle will increase your ability to be active. This can actually open more doors to activities which will help keep you in shape. By increasing your fitness level you will be able to enjoy sports like soccer, football and rugby. It is hard to stay light on your feet when you you are not accustomed to moving around. Do not let stereotypes stop you from trying something new.

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8 Low Carb Diet Tips

I was never overweight as a child. In fact I was very, very thin. My nickname was “bones”. When I graduated high school, my life became very sedentary. I gained 20 pounds within a couple of years.

When I reached my 30’s I was 30 pounds overweight but still able to fit into pretty clothes. I then became more sedentary and as I reached my 40’s, I was 80 pounds overweight. I knew I had to do something about it.

With heart disease and diabetes in my family, low carb diets are the only diets that have easily and quickly worked for me.

With a low carb diet, you limit foods high in carbohydrates. By doing so, your body begins to burn fat for fuel.

Following any diet can be difficult to follow but these 8 tips will help you succeed!

1. Eat what you want to eat the night before you start your diet

Cravings are one of the hardest things to deal with when on a low carb diet. Make sure you curb the desire to eat high carbohydrate foods by taking the day before to eat a variety of your favorite foods. This will keep you from dreaming of that one last meal with foods that will be limited on your diet.

2. Have your pantry and refrigerator stocked

Make sure you have all the foods you need in your pantry before you start your diet. This keeps you from cheating. The day before you start your diet, you should have enough food in your house for at least seven days. This will also help you plan meals and keep you from going to the grocery store when you’re hungry.

3. Make a menu

Making menus will help you plan your meals for the day. This keeps you from trying to decide what you’re going to have for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is also a good way for you to stick to your diet.

4. Keep snacks with you at all times

Snacking is practically a rule for a low carb diet. Being able to munch on something throughout the day helps curb your appetite. Cheese, almonds and peanuts make great snacks.

5. Have fast food to break the monotony

There are many foods available from restaurants that can be made low carb. I happen to love taco salads but at fast food restaurants, they normally have at least one or two ingredients that are high in carbs. A taco salad without beans, rice or the shell kept me from cheating the very first day. A little extra beef or cheese didn’t hurt either.

6. Experiment with different recipes

By having a variety of meals to choose from, you will never be bored with your diet. Try chicken with a beef recipe or adding different spices or vegetables to one of your favorite dishes. Having a list of recipes to choose from makes it easy to create meals from any food in your pantry or refrigerator.

7. Make your favorite meal low carb

Take your favorite meal and make it low carb. If you like bacon, eggs and toast for breakfast, leave the toast out and add another low carb food like avocado or cheese. Sometimes a little more quantity is all you need to satisfy your appetite.

8. Start your day with a glass of water

Keeping your body healthy means keeping it hydrated. One any diet, you should drink 8 glasses or more of water every day. The body needs water to function correctly and if you become even slightly dehydrated, you’re cells are not in an optimal state. Start your day with a glass of water, even if you have to have coffee after that.

Losing weight is something a lot of people struggle with. Low carb diets are popular but they’re not fads. They work and they can be made into a lifestyle. Good luck and happy dieting!

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Secrets to Filling the Punch Bags

If you look on the internet (just perform a Google search on filling a boxing bag) for questions surrounding the topic of punch bags, a vast number of questions are about how to fill a punch bag. The main question people have is what material do I use?

I’ve seen answers given including: “fill it with water” or “use sand” or even better – “grass” – LOL. Water, sand is fine, but it really does depend on the heavy bag and the material the shell was made out of… Trust me, if you fill a regular punching bag with water, you could be in a lot of trouble… and you might need to buy a mop!

You can’t use grass because it will smell. In addition, grass just don’t pack well. The bag will be way too soft. If you disagree, well, do this: Cut your lawn and fill a garbage bag with grass. Try punching it… you’ll get the point.

So for this article, I’m going to tell you what you need to know about filling a boxing bag. And I’m giving it all away based on years and years of experience at both dojos and boxing clubs.

The first important lesson to always keep in mind when filling the punch bags is the outer shell. I’ve had many of my students (unfortunately on a lower budget) come to me saying – what kind of material should I use so my aunt can sew me a bag? My answer – if you want to spend a lot of time & money buying material over and over, then you can do this.

Ok, what about buying a sack? A sack isn’t supposed to be hit with hard punches over and over. It wasn’t made to withstand that kind of pressure. Again, like I said earlier, go this route if you’re wanting to waste time and money. The best thing to do if you don’t want to buy a punching bag that is already filled is get an unfilled bag. They were made to fill!!! Make sense?

And quite often, unfilled bags are cheap… because it’s really the filler for the most part that distinguishes say Everlast from TKO or Aries.

So we don’t have Everlast’s special engineered filler… now what!? The next thing to keep in mind is the strength / stiffness levels of punch bags. Some heavy bags feel like hitting a brick wall… well, to the beginner it may seem this way. Others are like hitting a bag of grass… Well, not that soft (at least we hope not!) but you get where I’m coming from.

There are a variety of different materials you can use to fill a boxing punch bag. Through years of experience filling bags, the hands-down best way, in my opinion, is to fill the boxing bag with a combination of materials.

Here are materials you can use to fill boxer bags with:

* Cotton

* Wool

* Air

* Mattress Foam

* Water

* Clothes

* Saw Dust

* Feathers

* Rice

* Sand

* Styrofoam

* Rolled up and tightly packed garbage bags

* Shredded Tires

Now, let’s bring this together. If you want a good speed bag, fill it with air.. it’s that simple. For heavy bags, this gets a little bit more complicated. I’ll tell you exactly what we used to do with the punch bags at the friendly neighborhood dojo when I was in martial arts school… Just don’t tell anyone I told you.

I want you to look out for something: If you go to a boxing club or dojo, the majority of the answers you will hear from people about filling a boxing bag is to fill it with sand. Sand is I guess you could say, a common filling ingredient… but to people’s dismay, it’s NOT THE ONLY INGREDIENT in the filler. Professionals can get away with filling boxing bags with sand. Sand will make the bag very stiff. If you’re a beginner, no doubt, you will injure your hands.

Here’s what the dojos do… and probably nobody will tell you this about filling a punching bag… it’s very simple! Here it is… short and sweet:

Fill with cloth. Then pack it tight. If it’s too loose you’ll have a deformed punching bag that will be too soft and uncomfortable to hit. The solution?

Use fine sand at the bottom to keep the punch bag essentially a “heavy bag” and keep it’s shape. Fill the outer wall with cloth. Sleep mats or army sacks work very well. Proceed to fill the core of the punch bags you’re filling with a mix of feathers and shredded tires and/or any rubber that’s available.

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Healthy Eating Tips Which You Must Follow

“Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy” – this is a common saying and it is very unlikely if you have not heard it in your lifetime. Every one of us wants to stay healthy. To maintain a healthy life, we need healthy diet too. Without having a healthy diet, we may not even survive too long. But healthy eating style does not necessarily mean a boring diet. On the contrary, you can add a great variety in your healthy diet and enjoy its delicious flavor.

Practically, there is no secret about healthy eating. This should be a perfect blend of variety, balance and regulation. Additionally, you need to promote healthy lifestyle in terms of maintaining few useful strategies such as not smoking, minimum level of alcohol consumption, and stress management. In this article, we will explore few great healthy eating tips that can keep you healthy without compromising your taste-buds.

Add fish meals at least twice a week

Typically fish is a ‘must-have’ inclusion in healthy eating tips. It is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. If you take at least 2 fish meals in a week, it offers you a great health benefits such as lowering high blood pressure, cardiac problems, and lowering cholesterol level.

Omega-3 fatty acids can not be produced by our body. Omega-3 fatty acids are helpful in decreasing cardiac problems, reducing high blood pressure, reducing the risk of arthritis, regulating abnormal heart rhythms, and promoting healthy brain function.

Add varied lean red meat meals several times a week

While considering healthy eating tips, a special emphasis must be given on lean red meat meals. You may have this meal several times a week. If you are a vegetarian, you must have legume or nuts daily in your diet. If you do not have it or its alternatives in your daily diet, it means you are lacking the required supply of iron and zinc. These are the essential minerals that can keep your brain healthy and active.

Add vegetables and fruits in daily diet

Vegetables and fruits are great source of dietary fiber. We need dietary fiber in our daily diet. It helps us not getting constipated. Additionally, it has other health benefits such as lowering cholesterol level, regulating glucose level and reducing the risk of cardiac problems. Remember it as an important ingredient of healthy eating tips.

Avoid eating in heavy volume

This is one of the important healthy eating tips that you probably should not avoid. Different scientific studies confirm that if you take your food in frequent segments rather than having it in bulk at a given time, it promotes healthy metabolism. That means, if you supply low amount of foods in different periods of time in a day, you actually help you metabolic system to function more efficiently. Hence, it lowers the risk of accumulated fat in the body and allows you to stay fat-free and healthy.

Drink plenty amount of water

‘Water is life’ and possibly there is no one on the face of earth who can deny the fact. Every one knows the health benefits of water. This is an essential part of healthy eating tips.

Almost 2/3rds part of our body is made up of water. Our blood contains 83% water, our muscles contain 75% water, our brain consists of 74% water and bone contains 22% water. Literally, the benefits we receive from drinking water are countless. Water is essential to absorb vitamins and nutrients in the blood stream. It also promotes the detoxification process by carrying out the bodily wastages from the body. Apart from that, it helps keep skin glowing and healthy. You should drink 5-6 liters of water daily to keep your system clean and healthy.

Exercise, Exercise and More Exercise

Although not directly belongs to the area of healthy eating tips, but if you wish to maintain a life in a healthy fashion, doing regular exercise has no other alternatives. You need to follow a daily schedule for exercise along with healthy diets to keep yourself fit and steady.

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How to Survive Your First Kick Boxing Class

The most important part of all exercise of course is being prepared. The best way to prepare for your first class is to dress appropriately. You will certainly want to be in loose fitting clothing and comfortable footwear. Try and avoid the big bulky clothing such as hoodies because they will make you far too hot. Plus the pull strings for the hood will swing wildly and hit you in the face. I recommend a simple T-shirt and shorts that are not too short) or some simple sweat pants. Be sure the shorts of pants of choice have enough room to stretch as you raise your legs to the side or the front.

The other things you will want to consider are food and water. Be sure you have a water bottle with you so you can stay hydrated. While you won’t really need food during class, the high level of muscle use in a kick boxing class can take some people by surprise who are used to more traditional cardio. So stay away form that steak and potato dinner right before class to avoid cramping. If you eat a couple of hours before class, keep the foods light and moderate in protein. Something like a granola bar or some fruit usually fits the bill. Other people have good energy and stamina with the classic PB&J sandwich.

Finally, remember to have fun. Leave your ego at the door and simply relax. Too many people will walk into their kick boxing class trying to be the next Chuck Norris. This usually brings about an excessive amount of power in your technique which often leads to injury (for yourself or your partner if you are working with someone) and fatigue. Remember that everyone knows you are new and no one expects you to be perfect or even to know what you are doing. So it’s always okay to make mistakes and look like you are new to kicking and punching. Everyone in that class started out exactly where you are, so they understand. So go easy, have fun and keep the ego in check. You will have much more fun if you simply play around with the techniques rather than try and impress everyone and yourself.

Extra tips:

o Also be sure to arrive early to class to say hi to the instructor and introduce yourself. This will make you feel like less of a stranger and the instructor will feel more comfortable helping you when they know a little bit about you.

Be fit and live free,

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