Archive for June, 2007
June 29th, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
Falls and impaired mobility are a serious problem for our aging population. The good news is that much of the decline in balance can be reversed through a program of balance training. One study found that healthy people as old as 90 can reduce the tendency to fall by 50 per cent. It’s not hard to see that this can help keep people independent and mobile far longer, as well as reduce their risk of injury.
Balance is an integral component of almost all sports, yet many athletes neglect this aspect of their training. An athlete, older or not, who pays particular attention to balance conditioning will notice an improvement in coordination and in ability to transfer strength to movement. Studies indicate that athletes who have suffered from an injury are more likely to experience reinjury. This recurrence can be linked to failure to incorporate balance training into rehab programs.
Today, injury rehabilitation almost always includes a number of different balance exercises to ensure the patient develops kinesthetic body awareness – the body’s ability to find and maintain neutral and effective alignment in the affected joint. This helps restore the previous level of coordination, agility, strength and endurance. Balance training is absolutely critical for restoring normal functioning of joints and muscles. Without balance training, the healing joints and mucles are not as proficient at staying in their neutral, safe positions and may function inappropriately under unforeseen conditions, thus causing reinjury.
You don’t need a tightrope to train your balance system. Here’s a variety of exercises to help you implement this type of training into your workouts.
One-legged Stance
Begin by standing on one foot, with fully upright posture. Hold for 30 seconds, each side. Once you’re able to hold your balance without wobbling, do this exercise with your eyes closed. If your balance isn’t very good to begin with, you may want to have something sturdy close by to steady you if you waver.
Upper Body & One-legged Stance
It’s easy to implement balance training while doing traditional upper body exercises. Do on one leg any exercise that you would generally do standing on both legs.
2 X 4 Training
Head down to your local hardware store and pick up a long piece of 2″ x 4″ lumber. You can walk along the wood as if you are on a tightrope, then do the same on your toes, and then try it walking backwards. You can step sideways up and down the timber. You can throw a ball to and catch a ball from a partner while maintaining balance on the 2″ x 4″. Your options are endless. You can also do these exercises along a curb or on a log at the beach or park.
Exercise Balls
Any exercise you do sitting or lying on a bench can be advanced by incorporating an exercise ball. By sitting on the ball and performing, say, an overhead shoulder press, your stabilizing muscles have to work much harder because you are positioned on an unstable piece of apparatus. The same goes for lying over the exercise ball and performing, say, a chest press. By lying on the ball instead of a bench your stabilizing muscles are challenged to a greater degree.
Wobble Boards
There are various models of wobble boards, from less to more advanced versions. You can attempt to balance on one or two legs. Make it a game and see how long you can balance before an edge touches down. Maintain perfect posture, and remember to stand close to something sturdy until you get good at these exercises. Once you master the wobble board, you can continue to challenge yourself with it by performing other activities such as bicep curls or catching and throwing a ball while balancing.
Pro Fitter
This is an excellent tool for developing balance. You stand on a move able platform that slides you from side to side or forward and backwards. This piece of equipment comes with a video and a booklet that demonstrates a variety of balance and muscle conditioning exercises for the entire body. As you can imagine it is a great conditioning tool for any level of skier, whether on water or snow.
Foam Rollers
These are made of foam and are long cylindrical. You can attempt to stand on them, perform squats and lunges on them, or complete abdominal stabilization exercises while lying on them.
Fitter International also sells exercise balls and other balance products. Take a few of these exercises and perform them a couple of times per week. Soon you’ll be in balance.
For those of you who are more serious about developing your balance, there a number of balance products available. Fitter International FITTER1; www.fitter1.com). a company based in Calgary, Alberta specializes in balance products. Here’s a look at what it offers, though you will find similar equipment at other too.
Sports
There are some sports that will your balance without your ever think about it. Ice-skating, in-line skating, alpine skiing, are among the sports maintain high levels of balance as you age.
Read more on Womens fitness. Check out for back workouts and sports supplements.
June 25th, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
If you’re a sports fan, chances are pretty good you collected trading cards as a kid. You might recall spending your allowance on a pack of baseball cards with stale, pink gum at the corner store. You’d tear open the packs in search of your favorite star, then trade with your friends or carefully slide a few cards between the spokes of your bicycle wheel and listen to them click as you pedaled.
If you were a card collector, you probably had binders full of the carefully sorted cardboard gems lying around your room — until you discovered girls. Once the fairer sex was on the scene, the cards went to the garage sale, attic or trash.
In the years since you got rid of your cards without a second thought, the industry has boomed. Though prices have skyrocketed, trading cards have never been more popular.
Here are 5 things you didn’t know about sports cards. However, be warned: After hearing how far the hobby has come, you might want to stop on the way home and pick up a pack or two.
1- The value of rookie cards is artificially inflated
There’s little argument that Wayne Gretzky is the best hockey player to lace up skates, and his 1979-80 O-Pee-Chee rookie card sells between $600 and $900. Sidney Crosby may be billed as the best thing since The Great One, but he’s got a lot to prove. Still, Sidney Crosby’s 2005-06 Upper Deck The Cup rookie card sells at more than $10,000. We’ve got nothing against Crosby, but the fact that a largely unproven star’s rookie card can sell at more than 10 times the value of Wayne Gretzky’s is mind-boggling.
It all comes down to supply and demand. In the late 1990s, card companies introduced serial numbering, the antidote to mass-produced cards such as Gretzky’s rookie. Cards were printed in limited quantities and stamped with a unique number. Only 99 copies exist of Crosby’s The Cup card, meaning if you want The Next One’s top rookie, be prepared to pay for it.
2- Babe Ruth is still signing cards
If you pulled an autographed card from a pack in the late 1980s or early 1990s, you’d tell everyone you knew. Now, autographed cards are so popular, often with one or more per box (and in some sets, one per pack) that they hardly seem exciting anymore. What may have you calling your friends, however, is finding an autographed card of a deceased athlete.
To create these “cut” autograph cards, card companies purchase authentic autographs of sports stars, often off of paperwork or void checks from the deceased athlete’s estate, then cut out the player’s signature and glue it into a new card. So even though Babe Ruth has been dead since 1948, it’s possible to get his autograph in a 2008 product — and that goes for more of the game’s greats, such as Ty Cobb, Mickey Mantle and Ted Williams, to name a few.
3- Barack Obama has a baseball card
No, the probable future U.S. President didn’t have a short stint in the Big Leagues. Card companies have reacted to the popularity of politics in American society, and political figures have begun to appear on special insert cards. This year’s Upper Deck baseball includes a Presidential Predictor insert set, featuring cards of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain, and others.
Taking the popularity of game-used memorabilia cards a step further, some relic cards in recent years have included swatches cut straight out of American history. It’s possible to get a card that includes a small square of cloth from one of John F. Kennedy’s suits or a card containing a piece of George W. Bush’s necktie.
Other American legends (Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, etc.) are represented with memorabilia cards in today’s products. It may seem odd to get a Marilyn Monroe card in a pack of baseball cards, but these rare inserts are hot sellers among history buffs.
4- Celebrity body parts are now for sale
Topps created industry waves in 2007 when it produced three cards, each containing a strand of hair from former President George Washington. The card company got the hair from John Reznikoff, the owner of the largest collection of hair from historical figures. Despite the shock of many collectors and average citizens alike (and the disturbing wishes of some people to track down the cards so they could try to clone Washington through DNA strands), Topps’ products created a stir and collectors responded by showing there is indeed a market for these bizarre, yet intriguing, collectibles.
Topps acknowledges that DNA cards are hard to make because of the difficulty of tracking down strands of hair from deceased public figures, but the idea has already caught on. The hot insert in this year’s Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts baseball cards is a Hair Cuts series — cards that contain cut autographs and a strand of hair from figures such as George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Babe Ruth, Andrew Jackson, and Geronimo.
A Topps 2008 baseball product contains cards with hair from not only Abe Lincoln, but also JFK and Beethoven.
5- Your son’s allowance won’t get him far in the hobby
If you collected a couple decades ago, you’ll remember when Upper Deck products hit store shelves in 1990 at the seemingly exorbitant price of $1 per pack. Almost overnight, gone were the days of 25 and 50 cent packs of cards that contained a piece of pink gum for good measure. The price of consumer goods has risen over the last couple decades with inflation, but card prices have risen because of the increased demand as the hobby boomed.
With very few exceptions, packs of cards are at least $4 and some high-end products cost more than $500 per pack — not box but per pack. And those packs might contain as few as five cards. What, did you think you’d find that $10,000 Sidney Crosby card in a pack that cost $1?
Each sport only features a couple 99 cents per pack brands each season, which means youths with allowance money to spend don’t have much of a chance of delving into the hobby. Adults with more disposable income, however, have a wide variety of choices.
Sport Cards Fan Shop is an online store with hundreds of new and vintage Sports Trading Cards including NASCAR, baseball cards, basketball cards, football cards at discounted price.
June 20th, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
OK, I have finally found the environment report comparing the impact of using cloth (looked at cotton terry nappies) and spossies (disposable nappies).. To be honest it is too complicated for a simple minded person like me to understand, but there are a few things I have noticed in the comparison.
- It is based on the production of just cotton nappies (non-organic) so includes pesticides and other nasties that can be used in the production of cotton. We know that many nappies are now made from bamboo and hemp, which are greener alternatives. Organic cotton is also widely available.
- Nappy users were asked how they washed their nappies, and here’s what their survey showed (page 63):
- Percentage wash 90° C – nappy 32.1 %
- Percentage wash 80° C – nappy 0.0 %
- Percentage wash 70° C – nappy 7.1 %
- Percentage wash 60° C – nappy 35.7 %
- Percentage wash 50° C – nappy 7.1 %
- Percentage wash 40° C – nappy 17.9 %
Nobody washed cooler than this. I’m not sure who they asked, but I have never washed my nappies hotter than 60, and I only wash that hot when very dirty. The wash care instructions on my nappies says 40 degrees.
- Apparently the average nappy user has 47.5 nappies (page 53). I think I have far too many at around 35.
- Also 80% of nappy users soak their nappies (the water used in this and the sanitisers both have an environmental impact.)(page 55) I would say that dry pailing is more popular. 5.49% of clothies use conditioner (someone should tell them they shouldn’t be!)(page 55) 6.9.5% of us find the time to iron our nappies (page 56).
- “We have assumed that tumble driers are used to dry 19 per cent of nappy wash loads. This is considered a weak assumption, and expected to be a minimum.” From page 64. This might be true. It’s worth looking at how much energy this uses up. I personally use the tumble for around 15 minutes to soften nappies.
- Page 65 “We have assumed that nappies are kept for reuse and that wraps/pants are disposed of with domestic waste.” I wouldn’t throw my wraps away. What does kept for reuse mean? Around the house as rags (all 47.5 of them) or passed on to be used as nappies again. (I took it to mean use in the house, as it specifically talks about selling on prefolds used in nappy laundering services.)
Conculsions Here’s a bit from the conclusion (page 122) The results of the study suggest that the focus for improving the environmental performance of disposable nappies should be on the disposable nappy manufacturers and their suppliers whereas, with reusable nappies, it is the user who can achieve the most environmental gain through energy efficiency drives in the home:
- disposable nappy manufacturers should focus on weight reduction and improvements in materials manufacturing; and
- reusable users should focus on reducing energy consumed in washing and drying.
I agree with this. It just shows that how we wash our nappies really does make a difference to the environment. (and with the price of electricity, our pockets too) Here’s a link to the article (all 209 pages of it!) http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/nappies_1072099.pdf
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June 15th, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
Studies have shown that one in three women has higher than normal blood sugar levels. To offset the condition’s feelings (includiing brain fog, fatigue and cravings) many women reach for quick fixes like energy drinks and fat free snacks. The problem with this is that the artificial sweeteners, refined sugars and trans fats in these products raise can glucose levels even more, triggerring recurrent yeast infections and kidney stones, poor dental health, impaired immunity and excess belly fat. However, the following strategies can keep your blood sugar in perfect balance.
1. Drink a cup of konjac root tea two or three times daily. It contains glucomannan, the fiber from the root of an Asian yam called konjac, which cuts blood sugar spikes by up to 50 per cent. It works by delaying the rate of starch absorption in the stomach and intestines. If you add a half teaspoon of cinnamon, the benefit increases because cinnamon can also lower blood sugar. It is especially beneficial to drink the tea after a carbohydrate-heavy meal.
2. Applying pressure to key acupressure points helps the body better cope with sudden sugar surges so that the right amount of glucose-metabolising insulin is in the bloodstream at all times. The most effective spot is the pancreas point, which is located one finger width from either side of the navel. Press it for three seconds and then release; repeat twice. Do this sequence three times daily (preferably in the morning, in the early afternoon and at night) for best results.
3. Many women take 200 mcg to 600 mcg of chromium daily to balance blood sugar. But taking it with a breakfast that includes milk or yogurt is preventing women from getting the benefit – a problem because the calcium phosphate in dairy products slashes chromium absorption by 80%. So if dairy is a breakfast staple for you, wait two hours before taking chromium, or take the chromium with a non dairy meal.
Controlling blood sugar levels can help you lose weight by cutting down on food cravings.
Give these tips a try and find more ideas for fast weight loss at http://diet-weight-loss.best-info-on.com and you will pleasantly surprised at your results!
June 10th, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
Internet Million Dollars is one of the most famous and long standing online wealth creation products, but just because it’s been around for a while, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good, does it? In this Internet Million Dollars Review, I’m going to talk about everything I know relating to this money making program, what you will get out of it, how much money you can stand to make with it and finally, if you should be spending your cash on it. By the time you read this, you’ll know whether to buy Internet Million Dollars.
On the Internet Million Dollars website they state you can make a whole lot of money using it, however they don’t really tell you how you make money. This is what stops most people — probably you as well — form buying this product. Basically it’s an internet marketing program, though it’s not exactly what you’d call ‘standard’ and this is what I’ll talk about here
If you’ve never had any experience with internet marketing or have no idea what it is, basically you’re required to market other people’s products online for them and you take a percentage of the total cost of each sale you refer as a commission. The great thing about this is that because most of the products you’re going to be selling are totally digital products, the commission you’ll make is very high — usually between 50%-75% of the sale. You can actually make up to $100 for completing just a single sale.
While online marketing isn’t anything new and has been around for quite a long time, many of the concepts taught in Internet Million Dollars are fresh and very innovative. Traditionally, most marketing programs teach you to spend money on advertising and marketing, and while these concepts are taught in this program, you’ll also be taught many methods of marketing that literally won’t cost you a cent — you’ll only need to spend some time.
Many of the methods and marketing strategies taught in Internet Million Dollars could be beneficial to an established marketer, it’s mainly intended for brand-new marketers. The system teaches everything about online marketing from signing up to affiliate programs, choosing the right products, finding niches, marketing strategies and choosing the best methods to market a certain product.
So if you are a beginner, what can you expect to get out of it? Basically, you’ll be taught absolutely everything you need to know about making a serious income online from the very basics to advanced techniques once you get a grasp of things.
Now to the most important thing; the money. You can become a millionaire using the methods taught in Internet Million Dollars, however don’t expect that it’ll come in a day. The work is time consuming but very easy, so as long as you’re prepared to show a bit of dedication and invest some time, you will get results. If you push hard you can easily expect to be earning $150+ per day within a few weeks and the great thing about this is that once you’ve created an income stream, you have to do nothing to maintain it.
If you put in the time and effort you can be making a six figure income within a month or so, and there have been people using Internet Million Dollars who have created $1 million plus incomes within a year, but consider you will need to work to get the same result. Even if you’re working part-time, you can expect to create a six figure income within a year or so.
I have to admit that it’s not the cheapest system available online, however you should keep the old adage “You get what you pay for” in mind. It is a quality tool that will give you the results you’re after, however if you find it’s not working for you for any reason, you’ve got 8 weeks to get a refund.
In short, Internet Million Dollars is a fantastic, genuine system, though if you’re not committed to spending time on getting results, it’s probably not for you. But then again, most of the products out there promising you millions for no effort are scams anyway.
Whatever you decide, I hope that my Internet Million Dollars review has helped you to make a more informed decision about this product and you can achieve considerable success with using it.
For more INTERNET MILLION DOLLARS info, you can CLICK HERE David Morris is an extremely successful online businessman who has created an online income doing everything from currency trading to online marketing.
June 2nd, 2007 -- Posted in Story |
The World Heritage area that covers some 20 per cent of Tasmania is at it’s most wild and beautiful on the island’s West Coast. Here the thundering waves of the Southern Ocean and the uninhabited rocky shores meet each other head on, as unpredictable as the rapidly changing weather of the region. As it is largely uninhabited, a journey down the West Coast is like a trip through an age-old landscape, through ancient rainforest and past steep sided gorges. Just one town exists on this coastline, a historical village called Strahan. Strahan is seen as holding the keys to the World Heritage Area, and a visit here will unlock for you sights, sounds and experiences you would never have thought existed!
Three hours drive from Devonport (where the ‘Spirit of Tasmania’ docks), and four and a half hours from Hobart, Strahan is in an isolated position on the northern edge of the Macquaire Harbour. This is a large shallow inlet that the Gordon River and the King River empty into, and all three are the basis for much recreational activity in Strahan. On a still day the waters of the harbour create a mirror image, and boat cruises down its 50 kilometre length are a pleasant way to pass an afternoon. These will take you past the salmon farms, where the still waters are churned into a froth by 60 000 kilograms of Tasmanian Salmon!
Strahan has a rich history- it was initially a base for businessmen seeking the Huon Pine that proliferates in the region. Just off shore on Sarah Island a penal colony was established, and it gained the reputation as the worst colony in the country. Convicts would have to row to shore through the notoriously dangerous entrance to the harbour known as Hells Gate, and then harvest the Huon Pine before rowing back. Its convict past and its port heritage gives the town a sense of character and atmosphere that most others just do not have, and a walk down the main street, the Esplanade, is likely to provide interesting insights into Strahan’s history.
The Esplanade is also lined with numerous gift shops, and many of the products in these are crafted from Huon Pine harvested from the region. This wood is in high demand because it creates its own protective oil that makes it very durable, so you anything you buy here is likely to become a family heirloom! A tour of Morrisons Huon Pine Mill will teach you more about the product, and also about its importance to the area. The mill is located next to the visitors centre in Strahan, and is renowned for being one of the few of its kind to still cut with a reciprocating saw mill.
The Huon forests themselves are simply beauiful, and well worth a drive through in your rental car. A more thrilling way of seeing them however is to jump on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, a steam-operated train that runs between Strahan and Queenstown, which is inland. This 35 kilometre guided tour takes you along a railway that is over 100 years old, through rainforests that are over 2000 years old and over a mountain range that is, well, as old as the hills! Its a journey past some amazing sights and a journey into the history of the area too.
Another popular way of seeing the sights, this time from a water based vantage point, is to take a river cruise up the mighty Gordon River. Its dense banks are home to copious amounts of bird and wild life, and the evening times are a particularly good time to see these. The smooth flowing waters are also a prime surface for canoeists and kayakers to ply their sport, and if you fancy joining them then equipment is for hire in the town.
For an experience like no other you have to visit Ocean Beach, a 40 kilometre long stretch of hard sand which has the crashing Southern Ocean on one side and tall sand dunes behind it. A walk on the beach really does make you feel as if you are on the edge of the world, especially when you consider the waves here have not seen land for many thousands of kilometres. The beautiful sunsets seem out of this world, and are a fitting end to a busy day exploring the wild Strahan Coast.
A visit to Strahan is certainly not your usual type of holiday. Sun baskers and surfers are not your standard fare here, but the beautiful environment and the rich history provide a different sense of enjoyment, relaxation and satisfaction. Why not pick up a hirecar and give the region a go? Thousands of others do it each year, and none have left disappointed…
Gavin Wyatt is a journalist with a passion for travel. originally from Zambia he has traveled around the world to end up on the sunny shores of Australia. For more of his articles visit Tasmanian Car Hire