Ample Protection From Hard Floor

We don't always have the best platform to exercise on, and this provides ample protection from hard floor workout spaces.

Out of 3,152 buyers, this mat gets 4.5 out of 5 Stars!

" The mat itself is wonderful: perfect level of "sticky" without being noisy, a beautiful rich color, and the extra thickness comforts joints and tender points. I cannot recommend it enough for people with arthritis or fibromyalgia.

And the "new mat smell" aired out within an hour of unrolling my new mat (other brands of economical mats can take days or weeks)."

• 71" long 24" wide Yoga mat ensures comfort for people of all shapes and sizes
• Ideal for yoga, pilates, stretching and toning workouts
• Easy-to-clean, Durable and Long Lasting material. Features an integrated carry strap
• 1/2" Ultra thick mat with specially designed memory foam; Protects your knees and joints, while still allowing you to grip the floor for balance
• Ribbed surface on one side with a smooth surface on the other; the non-slip surface grips the floor to prevent injuries

I have been using an old and much smaller mat over the carpeting inside my front door because of the heavy rains and more traffic in my place right now.

Awful I know! My precious meditation and Classical Stretch mat!

I was just browsing for a new one and I've just decided this is it! Even for shorty me, the old one was not long enough.

And unless on a carpet with padding, it was never quite right for kneeling poses.

Check out this thick mat for yoga, stretching and Classical Stretch.

 

Best Workouts For Women

For the older, or younger women who are forward looking and getting prepared for aging, this DVD is one of the best workouts for women.

The activities of daily living and all the movements we do, support our muscles and skeletons. Theoretically, and I say that because so many of us have jobs where we sit down most of the day.

If we do that for a decade or three, we still have time to recover. Start right now, I tell myself and do more, keep moving, and eat right and I'll be aging backwards gracefully!

Diet Exercise Plan Weight Loss

Diet with an exercise plan brings weight loss.

Doesn't it?

I want to tell you how it is working for me.

Firstly, I'm "old". Yup, a senior.

Having grown up in ballet, aging started at about 28 years old. I know, awful right?

Yet before I got pregnant at 37, I weighed 105 pounds. My mom called me "the skull".

But wow did that pregnancy ever change everything. Yet in spite of it, I got pretty thin afterwards.

Fast forward to menopause...and many health challenges...and gaining weight.

I have tried so many things!

Now, at a desk job (sitting is the new stroke - are you as tired of hearing that as I am?) and writing in my own time, what on earth can work?

Recently I read Dr. Mercola's book "Effortless Healing" and learned about the intermittent fasting, eating your meals within 8 hours a day. Not hard to do.

And I pulled out a DVD, a Classical Stretch DVD by Miranda Esmonde White a school mate of mine. I have a few!

O.K., so shameless bragging - for an old lady who  sits on a chair all day.

Two weeks ago I started the intermittent fasting. And added in the Classical Stretch workout three times a week. Insulin resistant me - yes moi!

Over the first four days I lost five  - that is 5 - pounds!

I know that you and I, already know there is no good diet plan without exercise.

And no good exercise plan without diet - right?

I may have found the winning combination! Seriously, if you're frustrated with exercise and losing weight - try it!

"Effortless Healing" by Dr. Joseph Mercola covers a lot of health information.

And DVD's by Classical Stretch and Essentrics (mom and daughter development) will not let you down.

Need A Muscle Roller Stick - Check Amazon

The Handy Muscle Roller Stick

There are many reasons why a muscle roller stick is in the equipment bag or cubby for those of us who love to do fitness stretching workouts.

A muscle massage stick is like a self-application of myofascial release physical therapy. I talk about myofascia more in this blog post.

The Elite Sportz Equipment stick is backed up by the company's money back guarantee.

Reviews are very positive about this particular muscle massage tool. Both athletes and casual exercisers use it both before and after workouts.

Use of this roller helps loosen up tight muscles and increases circulation before a workout. Use it before your regular warm up, your golf stretching exercises, your shoulder workout routine or your stretching to get a higher arabesque!

This massage roller stick can be used to enhance muscle recovery after a workout, golf game, or ballet class. You can get rid of accumulated muscle tension fast.

Here's a short video demonstrating how easy it is to use the Elite Sportz muscle roller stick on Amazon.

I use it on my upper back too - held behind me, rolling it back and forth between the spine and shoulders.
 It can be used easily, sitting, legs bent, on the calves and hamstrings. I think this muscle roller stick is a good buy!

Upper Back Pain Relief Exercises

Upper back pain can be decreased every day, with pain relief exercises done three times a week.

If you have severe neck, shoulder, or back pain, a physical therapist or a chiropractor will help correct your posture, stretch you some, and help you learn to reverse your habits of chronically straining your neck.

 It's up to you to follow up with upper back pain relief exercises!

If your work station, for example is poorly set up, your your neck muscles are tense all day, unnecessarily. You may need a lumbar support on your chair, and you may need to lower or raise your computer monitor.

Your muscles don't work in isolation. Poor use of the neck muscles will involve

• the shoulder

• upper back

• low back

• chest

• arm muscles 

You may feel the pain in your neck first. Then you will most likely feel upper back pain, low back pain and shoulder pain too, at some later time.

A little about myofascia "wrap".

Fascia is a wrap, connecting all of your soft tissues. It would look like plastic wrap, enveloping your muscles and other soft tissues.

There is one section that goes from head to toe. When your myofascial wrap turns to Shrink Wrap - you'll feel it! Your fascia can wrinkle, shrink, get tense and less flexible.

Yet you can learn to change that, so easily. 

The following short video clip shows pain relief exercises for the upper body:

Developing chronic neck and back pain can be prevented, by changing your lifestyle a little bit, and including a routine from the best stretching exercises I've found yet.

Classical Stretch The Complete Season 8 -Age Defying Series

Your overall flexibility will increase with neck tension release, and you can buy this neck and back pain relief series right now!