Traditional Thai Massage (TTM) has a long history of over 2,500 years. It originated as a distillation of Indian Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese healing arts into a yoga-based method based on lines, points and remedies. The Thai system, to the present day, is based on these primary energy lines (meridians) and wind gates (chakras). TTM system of Ayurvedic medicine owes much of its early systematization, preservation, and subsequent propagation to ascetic Buddhists and their monastic institution. Throughout the ages, the practitioners of this medicine were Therevada Buddhist monks, practicing their healing at the monasteries.
As Thailand is located along the trade routes between India and China and Buddhism spreads out from India, this healing medicine spread along with it. It found its way to Southeast Asia where, for centuries, it was practiced by monks as one element of indigenous Thai medicine. Thai people, believing illness results from an imbalance in the body, mind and spirit would then seek healing at their local temples.
Evolution of Thai Massage
The evolution of Thai massage is shrouded in the mystery of time caused by the destruction of written records during the Burmese invasion of the Siamese capital of Ayutthaya in 1767. However,the influenced of yoga, ayurvedic medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is obvious, as the movements are based on the asanas of yoga, and the attention to pressure points is similar to the nadis of Ayurveda and the meridians of Chinese medicine. Buddhist monks and nuns would later integrate any beneficial medical system to the one brought from India.
The influence from China, India and other surrounding countries has played an important role in enriching the existingMassage System. As a result of modernization and western influences, traditional Thai massage which earlier was practiced in Buddhist temples by monks and nuns is no longer limited to the temples and its vicinities.
Benefits of Traditional Thai Massage
TTM is beneficial for both the young or old, active or inactive, healthy or not so healthy. TTM has been used for countless generations to treat degenerative conditions and promote wellness. However, each person will respond in terms of their own experience and present state of health. TTM builds upon the body's natural desire for complete health and a sense of ease and well-being.
The benefits of Thai Traditional Massage include pain relief, reduced anxiety, depression, reduced blood pressure and heart rate. Other benefits of TTM include blocking pain signals to the brain (gate control theory), activating the parasympathetic nervous system to stimulate the release of endorphins and serotonin, preventing fibrosis or scar tissue, increasing the flow of lymph, and improving sleep but these benefits have not been supported by extensive clinical studies.
Everybody wants a great looking body, but if you are a professional athlete or rugby player or any person who makes his income by competition, you need functional strength and fitness.
In order to improve your functional fitness, you need to design exercises that will incorporate the movements you do in your sport. You will find a wide variety of home gym fitness equipment for different types of sports. A thousands bicep curls is not going to help you get the best time on a 100m sprint, you could rather spend that time you wasted on the bicep curls, and incorporate it on your core exercises and leg exercises. Don’t get me wrong here, doing a bit of upper body will definitely help, but training your upper body should not be the focus of your training program when you are a runner. And also thousands of leg extensions will not develop a boxer’s optimal punching power. Although squats will help with your upper body strength... more on that subject later. With your own home gym fitness equipment you can achieve your fitness goals without wasting time.
I’ve been in a special operations unit for a couple of years, some of the urban training PT consisted of climbing a 4 story building up on drain pipes and climbing down on balconies, sometimes you do it with all your gear (bulletproof, ballistic helmet, weapons and ammo) on as well. That was without safety equipment. As you can imagine it developed great upper body strength. What did the rest of the PT consist of? Among other things, we did hundreds of pull-ups. We’re training for functional strength, to handle your own body weight with ease. Since then I've build my own home gym and search the net for home gym fitness equipment and bought the necessary equipment for my goal.
Bruce Lee is a legend; some believe he was the greatest martial artist of all time. He didn't become that good in martial arts because he had good genes and talent. That will count for maybe 10%, but the rest came with hard work. He was committed to his goal and trained 8 hours a day. He lived his goal and it became real. One thing he said that sticks in my head is this: A 100m sprinter trains by doing lots of sprints with all out effort; the same should be for martial arts. When you training to punch and kick, you must punch and kick with all out effort.
The same mentality must be applied to anything you want to achieve. Set your goals and revise every couple of weeks. The most important thing you can do to start any training program is to decide what your goal is and stay focused on it. Build your own little home gym, and get all the home gym fitness equipment you will need to start a fitness program with your goal in mind.
Don't wait; start your journey to a new you now! We have all the tools you need...
August 27, 2009 By Danie Truter Fitness Expert Get your new, better physique now! Home Gym Fitness Equipment http://www.home-gym-fitness-equipment.net Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/health.php/155479
Have you ever participated in a competitive sport? For example, an marathon, a triathlon, a tournament, or a basketball game? If you have played in any one of these competitive games before, you would understand the importance of having a pair of good shoes.
Why is that important?
Let's examine what happens to our feet when we are running or playing a game. The movement depends on what sport you are participating in. For instance, if you are running, you will be involved in a forward only motion. If you are playing basketball or badminton, you will need to move forwards, sideways, and backwards. You will also need to jump and land frequently.
In a closely matched game, when skills are on the same level, it often comes down to endurance and fitness. Whoever can outlast the competitor will win the game. In professional games, every little thing counts, and that includes shoes. Modern sports shoes like Nike shoes are very different from traditional shoes. The shoes are designed for specific purposes, and for specific movements. If you have tried on a pair of Nike shoes for yourself, you will immediately learn that the shoes allow your feet to feel more comfortable when moving around compared to other shoes. Why is that so? That's because Nike employed state of the art technology (i.e. using special software) to help design the shoes.
The movements in each sport are studied and recorded. The force of impact is also measured. Based on this data, Nike then proceed to design the shoes. The design of the shoes will help to minimize impact, reduce stress on the feet, and enhance performance. To put this in another way, when you are wearing Nike shoes, you actually possess a technological advantage. You have better chances of outlasting your opponent and winning the game.
Be sure to choose the right type of shoes for your sport though. If you are playing basketball, you may wish to pick up a pair of Nike Air Jordan or Nike Dunks. If you are into running, a pair of Nike athletics shoes may be just what you are looking for. Having the right pair of shoes is important because as mentioned earlier, different sports involve different movements. The shoes are specially built to cater to these movements. You don't want to be wearing a pair of indoor court shoes to run a marathon. That will do more harm than good.
It's not hard to sell most people on the benefits of massage therapy - who wouldn't want to lose themselves in an hour of therapeutic massage? But since it does carry some moderate expense, it helps to know about the many benefits.
Some people seek out the services of a massage therapist simply because they need some down-time to relax and refresh; certainly, this is enough of a reason to frequent the massage therapist's office in itself, but there are also many health benefits; an increasingly large number of clients find their way to the table in search of relief modern medicine has been unable to manage. Likewise, clients also seek massage therapy services to supplement and enhance both modern and alternative medical treatments.
The Many Benefits Of Massage Therapy
Regardless of the impetus, clients find numerous incomparable benefits; it is not at all uncommon for a client to come into massage therapy for the treatment of one symptom or condition, only to find wide ranging benefits that treat a number of other conditions.
The most notable advantages include:
* Improved blood circulation
* Stimulation/relief of muscle pain due to lack of activity (often caused by sedentary jobs)
* Increased alertness
* Decrease in back pain (one of the leading reasons for seeking massage services)
* Improved mood
* Reduced stress levels
* Reduced instances of stress-related illness including tension headaches
* Decreased muscle stiffness/increased mobility
* Improved ability to heal (in part due to circulation/stimulation improvement)
* Reduction in muscle spasms
* Increased physical performance/athleticism
* Improved deep breathing
* Improved posture
* Strengthened immune system
* Reduction in anxiety levels
* Lower dependence on medication
* Improved joint flexibility
* Lessened risk of depression
* Promotes healing of soft tissues, including scars
* Improved delivery of oxygen and nutrients
* Increases pain tolerance by releasing endorphins (natural pain killers of the human body)
* Eases pain of childbirth
* Relieves sleep loss/insomnia
* Increased energy, reduction in frequency and severity of fatigue
Netting The Biggest Benefits
Even a one-time visit to the massage therapist can net excellent benefits; but for the most lasting benefits, regular sessions are recommended. Regular therapy ensures that the body continues to enjoy the increase in circulatory health and relief of muscle tension which directly contribute to the benefits. Over time, the expense of sessions is easily mitigated in increased health and well-being, and in a large number of cases, in the savings enjoyed between decreased use and cost of medications, doctors' visits, and time lost from work.
The 8 Training Principles are research-based guidelines that can help you accelerate your training progress and optimize your results. Knowing how to apply these principles gives you an educated basis on which you can make informed decisions about designing your fitness or sports training program. The principles can also help you evaluate the merits of fitness equipment and personal training services.
All of the principles complement each other. For best results, they should be applied in concert throughout every phase of training.
1. Principle of Specificity suggests that your body will make adjustments according to the type of training you perform and in the very same muscles that you exercise. How you train determines what you get.
This principle guides you in designing your fitness training program. If your goal is to improve your overall level of fitness, you would devise a well-rounded program that builds both endurance and overall body strength. If you want to build the size of your biceps, you would increase weight loads on bicep curls and related exercises.
2. The Principle of Overload implies that you must continually increase training loads as your body adapts over time. Because your body builds and adjusts to your existing training regimen, you must gradually and systematically increase your work load for continued improvement.
A generally accepted guideline for weight training is to increase resistance not more than 10% per week. You can also use percentages of your maximum or estimated maximum level of performance and work out within a target training zone of about 60-85% of maximum. As your maximum performance improves, your training loads will increase, as well.
3. The Principle of Recovery assets that you must get adequate rest between workouts in order to recuperate. How much rest you need depends upon your training program, level of fitness, diet, and other factors.
Generally, if you perform a total body weight workout three days per week, rest at least 48 hours between sessions. You can perform cardio more frequently and on successive days of the week.
Over time, too little recovery can result in signs of overtraining. Excessively long periods of recovery time can result in a detraining effect.
4. The Principle of Reversibility refers to the loss of fitness that results after you stop training. In time, you will revert back to your pre-training condition. The biological principle of use and disuse underlies this principle. Simply stated, If you don't use it, you lose it.
While adequate recovery time is essential, taking long breaks results in detraining effects that may be noticeable within a few weeks. Significant levels of fitness are lost over longer periods. Only about 10% of strength is lost 8 weeks after training stops, but 30-40% of endurance is lost in the same time period.
The Principle of Reversibility does not apply to skills. The effects of stopping practice of motor skills, such as weight training exercises and sport skills, are very different. Coordination appears to store in long-term motor memory and remains nearly perfect for decades. A skill once learned is never forgotten.
5. The Principle of Variation implies that you should consistently change aspects of your workouts. Training variations should always occur within ranges that are aligned with your training directions and goals. Varying exercises, sets, reps, intensity, volume, and duration, for example, prevents boredom and promotes more consistent improvement over time. A well-planned training program set up in phases offers built-in variety to workouts, and also prevents overtraining.
6. The Principle of Transfer suggests that workout activities can improve the performance of other skills with common elements, such as sport skills, work tasks, or other exercises. For example, performing explosive squats can improve the vertical jump due to their common movement qualities. But dead lifting would not transfer well to marathon swimming due to their very dissimilar movement qualities.
7. The Principle of Individualization suggests that fitness training programs should be adjusted for personal differences, such as abilities, skills, gender, experience, motivation, past injuries, and physical condition. While general principles and best practices are good guides, each person's unique qualities must be part of the exercise equation. There is no one size fits alltraining program.
8. The Principle of Balance is a broad concept that operates at different levels of healthy living. It suggests that you must maintain the right mix of exercise, diet, and healthy behaviors. Falling out of balance may cause a variety of conditions (e.g., anemia, obesity) that affect health and fitness. In short, it suggests all things in moderation.
If you go to extremes to lose weight or build fitness too quickly, your body will soon respond. You could experience symptoms of overtraining until you achieve a healthy training balance that works for you.
For fitness training, balance also applies to muscles. If opposing muscles (e.g., hamstrings and quadriceps in the upper legs) are not strengthened in the right proportions, injuries can result. Muscle imbalances also contribute to tendonitis and postural deviations.
Keep these 8 Training Principles in mind as you design and carry out your fitness training program. They can help you make wise exercise decisions so you can achieve your goals more quickly with less wasted effort.
August 24, 2009 By Denise K. Wood Dr. Denise K. Wood is an educator and sport and fitness training consultant from Knoxville, TN and creator of www.womens-weight-training-programs.com She has trained a wide range of clients from beginners to Olympians. Dr. Wood is a former national track and field champion with years of international experience. She has been recognized as an outstanding professor in exercise science and research/statistics. Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/8-key-training-principles-for-fitness-and-sports-training-805728.html
Why and How There are many considerations for how and why to plan practice. Each coach has generally the same amount of practice time whether you are in the professional ranks, college level, or high school. What separates the best coaches from the mediocre is what they do with those two hours of practice time. Organization and planning can make any practice more efficient and effective. Below are some considerations for coaches:
1. The most important - the length of practice - which should be determined by the time of season
2. Space available: one full court, 6 goals vs. 4 goals
3. Time available. How long do you have the facility?
4. Number of players to work with - 18-20 players requires different approaches than working with a squad of 10-12
5. Number of returning players. Large number, you can allow less time for explaining drill procedures, rotation of drills, etc.
6. The school year schedule: holidays, concerts, and other functions that will take the gym. Considering these things in your master plan or weekly plan will help ensure getting what you need in on other days, or planning a day off.
7. When we think of conditioning, we consider both physical and mental. Through the year, we plan for and extemporaneously use tapes, records, talks by our staff, selected articles, and poems etc. to facilitate making the players more coachable.
8. We always try to begin our practices with flexibility and warm-up drills, and close with competition and fun.
9. One of the laws of learning is repetition. We believe in giving small doses and repeating frequently. Maximum effort for short periods of time.
10. We believe in small group or station teaching.
11. The most important considerations we can give to devising our practice plan is the organization of a drill so that the players are not standing in line for long periods of time.
12. Plan water breaks.
13. We try to make sure that all of our drills are applicable to our offensive and defensive systems and simulate game conditions. Don't drill just to drill.
14. We believe in using drills that incorporate all or most of the fundamentals every day. The players know this.
15. We try to introduce new drills, or plays in the early part of practice. Most players learn better when they are fresh and not tired.
16. When presenting a new team system, we present the whole on the floor first, then work on the breakdown next, and present the whole on the chalkboard, before implementing the whole again on the floor.
17. Most importantly, record and file every practice for later evaluation.
Stress is more of a problem than ever. Life has sped up so fast that many are stressed out trying to catch up. Some of the elements that seriously contribute to this ongoing problem are worldly concerns, financial difficulties, keeping up with everyone else’s expectations, marital problems, job insecurity, and much more…
The built up stress for many can cause a number of diseases, disorders, and early aging. Stress relief is more important than ever! Along with the increase of stress, much more understanding on relieving it has developed. One great way that can make a big difference is the hand and foot massage.
All along your stressful days and possibly nights, you spend a lot of time on your feet using your hands. They carry out a majority of your entire bodies works. With stress and fatigue, they impact how your whole body turns, works and moves as well. Stress adds up at these critical points. Reflexology on the hand and foot can relieve much of your daily stress. With the pain from every day life gone as a result of massage in these locations, can even cure certain types of diseases.
The hand and foot massage usually takes somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes to complete. This may vary on your mood as well as choices as to which massage parlor you have this reflexologyperformed on both hand and foot. While there you should be able to see a map of how your foot as well as hand effect stress relief along with pain throughout your body. You can see where this massage will help.
Your relaxation is required to make your hand and foot massage the most effective. Without you will probably not find the results of relief you want. The masseuse will often play relaxing music to help your mind go with the flow, allowing you to better concentrate on enjoying your hand and foot massage.
Among the other benefits of a hand and foot massage, include improvements to circulation, relief of accumulated pain from long driving, walking, and many other daily physical demands. You will be amazed at the results when you have a hand and foot massage from a professional provider.
You can investigate further on how a hand and foot massage is done, prior to having one of your own. There are many resources online and various books on the subject as well. You will find that along with the hand and foot, a massage is a great way to relieve all kinds of stress and muscle pains.
When you are ready to go for your hand and foot reflexology, be sure the massage parlor you choose is certified utilizing only qualified masseuses. This is important as you have probably found, since inexperienced rubs can actually cause damage and maybe even more pain.
With that all said, go and try a hand and foot massage today. See from your own experience what your opinion will be. Though you may find yourself hooked and unable to stop once started. Happier healthier life may be at stake though so have no fear of a hand and foot massage.
August 19, 2009 By Madison Taylor You may even be interested in learning more about a massage therapy degree. For info you simply have to know, be sure to visit the New Massage Therapy Site. Check it out today here: - http://www.newmassagetherapy.com. Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.com/health.php/54696
