Regular Yoga Practice May Help Prevent Middle-Age Spread

Take a look at this link about the weight loss/yoga connection.

http://livingleanofiowa.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/08/could-yoga-hold-the-key-to-weight-loss.html

Regular Yoga Practice May Help Prevent Middle-Age Spread

Study suggests overweight people may benefit most from yoga's fat-fighting potential

SEATTLE — July 18, 2005 — A new study led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has found that regular yoga practice may help prevent middle-age spread in normal-weight people and may promote weight loss in those who are overweight.

The study — the first of its kind to measure the effects of yoga on weight — appears in the July/August issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the study involved 15,500 healthy, middle-aged men and women who were asked to complete a written survey recalling their physical activity (including yoga) and weight history between the ages 45 and 55. The study measured the impact of yoga with weight change, independent of other factors such as diet or other types of physical activity.

The researchers found that between the ages of 45 and 55, most people gained about a pound a year, which is a common pattern as people age and do not adjust their caloric intake to their declining energy needs. "However, men and women who were of normal weight at age 45 and regularly practiced yoga gained about 3 fewer pounds during that 10-year period than those who didn't practice yoga," said Alan R. Kristal, Dr.P.H., the study's lead author. For the study, regular yoga practice was defined as practicing at least 30 minutes once a week for four or more years.

But the researchers noted the greatest effect of regular yoga practice was among people who were overweight. "Men and women who were overweight and practiced yoga lost about 5 pounds, while those who did not practice yoga gained about 14 pounds in that 10-year period," said Kristal, a member of the Hutchinson Center's Public Health Sciences Division and a professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine.

What accounts for yoga's apparent fat-fighting potential? Kristal, himself a longtime yoga student, suspects it has more to do with increased body awareness than the physical activity itself.

"During a very vigorous yoga practice you can burn enough calories to lose weight, but most people don't practice that kind of yoga," he said. "From my experience, I think it has to do with the way that yoga makes you more aware of your body. So when you've eaten enough food, you're sensitive to the feeling of being full, and this makes it much easier to stop eating before you've eaten too much."

Study co-author Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts, agrees. "Most people practice yoga in a way that's not aerobic enough to burn a lot of calories, so it has to be some other reason."

One reason, she speculates, could be that yoga cultivates a form of gentle inner strength. "When we practice yoga, although it may look easy, there is some mild discomfort. You bring your body to a physical edge that's just a little bit challenging. And people who regularly practice yoga develop the inner resources to stay with a little bit of discomfort. They develop a softness inside and an ability to stay mindful. So that when you go home after yoga class and open up the fridge and see a chocolate cake, you have the resources to stay with the discomfort of not eating that chocolate cake."

Whatever the reason behind the apparent impact of yoga on weight maintenance and loss, Kristal stresses that these findings need to be replicated.

"I think it's time now to do a carefully controlled, randomized clinical trial to see if adding yoga to a standard weight-loss program can help people lose more weight or keep it off longer. The other message, particularly to people who might be overweight, is that yoga is a noncompetitive activity. It's something that everybody can do. It brings so many benefits, and if one of the clinical benefits is that it can help you control your weight, then that's a great thing."

The participants in the yoga study were part of a larger ongoing Hutchinson Center study involving more than 75,000 residents of western Washington called the Vitamins and Lifestyle, or VITAL, study. This $4.2 million project, which began in 2000, aims to determine whether vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements reduce the risk of cancer.

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Yoga Tips That May Encourage Weight Maintenance or Loss

Study co-author and yoga teacher Denise Benitez, owner of Seattle Yoga Arts, offers the following suggestions for enhancing one's yoga practice. These tips may be particularly helpful for those who wish to maintain or lose weight:

1. Practice in a room without mirrors, and pay more attention to your internal experience than to your outer performance.
2. Learn to feel sensations more and more subtly, so that you become deeply involved in and curious about small movements, sometimes called micro-movements.
3. In your poses, find an edge for yourself where you are challenged but not overwhelmed. At this edge, practice maintaining a clear, open and accepting mental state.
4. Give yourself permission to rest when you feel overworked.
5. Pay close attention to what you are saying to yourself as you practice, and make an intentional effort to appreciate your own efforts and innate goodness.
6. Go to class faithfully, arrive early, and talk to a few people in your class before class begins.
7. Buy your own yoga mat and bring it to class.
8. Realize that the development of qualities like patience, discipline, wisdom, right effort, kindness, gratitude and many others will arise from your yoga practice. These qualities create a steady and soft mind.
9. Find a teacher who offers a balance of gentleness and firmness and whose teaching inspires you to practice from your highest self.
10. Recognize that simply attending class is a major statement of courage, self-care, and positive momentum. Realize that you are inspiring others as you become more true to your deepest desires.

Instant Stress Eraser...

The economy is in the dumps. Gas prices continue to shoot upwards. Your kids may be off from school and driving you up the wall.

It's summer. It used to be vacation time. If only you can take a vacation from stress.

Now you can. Right now while you read this post.

Sit up straight and take a deeper breathe than you normally do. Hold it for a second or two, and let the air out with a sigh. Go ahead. No one will notice.

Now, do it again. Take a deeper breathe than before. Hold it for a moment or two and just... let ... it ... go.

Most people tend to breathe very shallow in their chest. Shallow breathing promotes stress and tension. Deep breathing melts it away.

In a few minutes of deep breathing, you can actually eliminate all stress and tension, lower your blood pressure, and instantly gain a lot more positive attitude.

My name is Gail Pickens-Barger and I teach yoga in Nederland, Texas. Forget what you've heard about yoga. You do not have to twist yourself into a pretzel to do yoga. It's for everyone. Whether you are in shape or not.

And the benefits are immediate.

It's summer so this is the best time to get started eliminating your stress with yoga.

Come to my Monday night Yoga Class at 7 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church and I'll show you some simple techniques that will eliminate your stress. And with continued yoga practice, your stress will be gone for good.

Come visit my website at http://www.yogawithgaileee.com/ or pick up the phone and call me at 409-727-3177.

Discover Secrets To Looking Great This Summer

This is the time of year when everywhere you look you see images of sleek, toned bodies.

It’s also a time when many feel the pressure to resort to crash diets, hoping to fit into a smaller swimsuit size in a few weeks’ time.

It’s also no surprise that weight-loss centers offer specials during the summer months and magazines tout diets that promise losses of 10, 15, and even 20 pounds in less than a month’s time.

Unfortunately, quick-fix and fad diets come with a painful price tag. Only 12% of Americans who lose weight on a crash diet maintain the weight loss for one year.

The rest - 88% - not only gain back the weight much sooner, but many gain back even more than they lost.

The biggest loss that crash diets actually produce is loss of morale. After gaining weight back, demoralized dieters, feeling like failures, abandon all hopes of ever reaching a weight that they can feel healthy and happy about.

Nutrition and medical experts have come down hard on crash diets for these very reasons. Diets can’t produce long-term results because they focus solely on short-term success.

They force you to think about - even count - every bite you eat instead of helping to change the way you think about food. Eating habits are deeply ingrained in our subconscious mind.

Without changing these habits, dieters fall into the same traps of cravings, binging, and emotional eating over and over again.

The reason that so many people resort to crash diets every summer is that there seems to be no other way. Fortunately, that’s no longer the case. Many health professionals, looking for a safe, effective, alternative to diets, have begun recommending a completely different way to lose weight. This revolutionary, anti-diet approach that’s already helped thousands of people lose weight successfully - permanently - is yoga.

What is Tiger's Secret?

This year, the biggest question in the golf world is, "Can anyone catch up to Tiger Woods?" Hot on his train for years had been Vijay Singh.

Did you know these two top golfers have something in common? They practice yoga.

It helps them be more flexible, have a fluid smooth swing, and helps them build up energy to hit the ball into the next zip code.

Most golfers have their hips locked, their shoulder are tight (or injured), and have problems with their back.

And let me tell you something you already know... It's affecting your golf game.

My name is Gail Pickens-Barger, E-RYT (Experienced - Registered Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance) and I can help you get your body in shape for golf.

Working with me can help unlock parts of your body and you can add power to your swing.

One golfer who recently started yoga came with a torn rotator cuff and his physical therapist told him, "no more golf!" Instead of giving up the game he loved, he started to practice yoga. You would never know he had a torn rotator cuff. His shoulders are more powerful and he has increased his back swing and added nearly 50 yards to his drives.

Oh, he's also lost nearly 60 pounds. He's also been able to focus better under pressure which is how Tiger and Viyay manage to win so often.

If your golf game is suffering because of your body, maybe it's time to take action.

Warning: Golf yoga is not cheap. And it may take several sessions to help restore your body. At my first session, I'm going to assess (with your input) the condition of your body.

I'll show you some warm up moves you should do before you head out for your next round of golf and boy, will your buddies be surprised at what's happened to your game.

Most golfers notice results right away, and I expect that for you as well.

Pick up the phone and call me at 409-727-3177. Visit my website for more details.

I look forward to helping you beat your best score.

Lose Weight This New Year

Studies show the average American gains 10 pounds from Thanksgiving through New Years.

Ten pounds of fat. What came on in a few weeks of partying may take you months to get rid of.

It’s why your clothing gets tighter and you have to inhale to get your pants to close.

But even people who watch their weight tend to gain weight during this period.

Why?

Because your eating is on automatic pilot. You’re at a party; you wisely avoid the cheesecakes and eggnog and reach for a handful of nuts (the healthy food you think). And you just keep eating.

Your body is programmed to store food. And as you get older, your metabolism slows.

You probably remember years ago you could probably eat ANYTHING and not gain weight. Not any more.

So you need to do something to get rid of the weight. And there’s no better time to start than right now.

But the secret to success isn’t lifting weights.

It’s not working out with another personal trainer.

It isn’t spending endless hours on a boring cardio machine.

The answer to your weight problems is thousands of years old. It’s yoga.

And now there’s scientific proof that yoga works for weight loss.

Many forms of yoga raise the heart rate into the aerobic range. But you don’t need to exert yourself to lose weight with yoga. Some studies show even gentle yoga and breathing techniques rev up your tired metabolism so you can lose weight.

A study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle linked yoga and weight loss. This study of over 15,000 men and women showed people who did yoga lost weight while the control group gained weight.

Another study presented last year at the America Heart Association found yoga helped overweight high school students lose weight while the control group gained weight.

And the famed Dr. Dean Ornish encourages his patients to practice yoga to help ensure weight loss. When you do yoga and make it part of your lifestyle, you’ll soon discover it’s power for weight loss.

My name is Gail Pickens-Barger and I teach individual yoga lessons and group classes right here in the Golden Triangle Area.

It doesn’t matter how much stress you have in your life, yoga will help you get rid of it in a hurry.

You’ll feel more calm right away and with practice, you’ll extend that sense of calm into every minute of your day.

No, you don’t have to be in perfect shape to do yoga.

Yes, it will help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and add to your overall sense of being fit.

I invite you to pick up the phone and call me at 409-727-3177 to learn more about yoga. We’ll chat and go over your goals and you’ll be able to book your first session with me.

Warning: My schedule fills quickly so if you are serious about making a healthy change in your life, you’ll want to schedule with me right away.


I look forward to speaking with you.
409-727-3177

PS. If I’m in session with a client, leave me a message 409-727-3177 and I’ll get right back with you.

More Proof: The Secret To Melting Stress

If you lead a stressful life, this could be the most important message you ever read.

If you’re experiencing too much stress in your life from your job, family or social life,
you can get rid of it for good without taking any pills or medications.

And it won’t take months for you to notice the difference – more like a few minutes.

Imagine going to stressful business meetings and staying cool, calm, and collected.

Or if there’s too much arguing going on at home, imagine it all just vanishing.

Stay tune for about a minute and I’ll prove this secret works – and it WILL work for you too.

When you perceive stress in your life, whether it’s an audit from the tax department or dealing with road rage, your
nervous system reacts immediately to a perceived threat.

Your blood pressure goes up, your heart beats faster, and you start to breathe more rapidly.

All of this happens in a few seconds and you may stay this way for a while.

In addition, you’ve probably seen the infomercials that cortisol rates go up when you are stressed. It’s true. Cortisol may cause stressed related eating as well.

There are nearly a dozen physical effects of stress including insomnia, fatigue, and lower productivity.

But all of these are easily erased when you pick up the phone and arrange for a one on one yoga session with me.

If you think you need to be in perfect shape to do yoga, you’re dead wrong. Any one of any age and in any physical condition can do yoga.

Forget the misconceptions; yoga will work to eliminate your stress. And it will be gone in minutes.

And with regular sessions, it will stay away permanently.

If you are ready for a stress free life, call me.

You don’t need to be in any particular shape or condition to do yoga. Your session will be a fun and effective way to eliminate stress.

Yoga will also slow down the effects of aging and can increase your strength, flexibility, and muscle mass.

You’ll increase your energy, stamina, over all health, and may even lose a bunch of weight in the process.

But the bottom line is, you’ll zap away your stress.

Pick up the phone and call me at 409-727-3177