A sedentary lifestyle with no exercise inevitably leads to stiffness and a limited range of motion. If you have not worked out in years, you can restore lost flexibility through specific exercises such as  Thai yoga, a variation of yoga that originated in India and was imported into Thailand through the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia.

What’s Thai yoga?

Thai yoga is referred to as ruesri dat ton or “the hermit’s auto-cure” in the Thai language. Unlike the much better known Thai massage, Thai yoga is practiced alone without the help of a therapist or masseur, although learning from a teacher in person is a must for a serious practitioner.

Photo by myyogaonline

What’s Thai yoga exercise like?

Like other types of yoga exercise, Thai yoga is made up of a body of postures. The yoga assumes each posture in an exact manner to get the desired health benefits. Every pose works on different parts of the body through twisting, bending, stretching and balancing. The yogi watches his breath and syncs it with his every move.  While holding the breath, the yogi concentrates on sending energy to those areas via the sen lines, an invisible network of energy in the body. According to the principles of traditional Thai medicine, the sen lines are responsible for keeping the body in good shape.

What good is Thai yoga?

You do not have to believe in the existence of energy lines, or even know anything about them, to use Thai yoga. Just doing the exercises correctly improves your range of motion. In Thai yoga, you pull and bend in all directions, working on the whole body. With regular practice, the bones and muscles grow stronger and more elastic. It enables you to move more smoothly and reduces the risk of injury. Common problems such as stiffness and back pain disappear.

Who practices Thai yoga?

Anyone who wants to enjoy better health can practice Thai yoga so long as they have no serious health problems. If you are sick or have a serious injury, talk with your doctor first and let your yoga teacher know. Special provisions or restrictions may apply depending on your condition.

Besides this, there are safety guidelines that everyone should follow, such as not holding the breath for too long, and not pushing yourself too hard when exercising. The ability to do yoga does not come to people overnight. You have to work for it and that takes time. Take it easy on yourself.

Thai yogis practice with the Buddha’s teachings in their hearts. Buddhism embraces the “middle way.” Compassion, harmony and moderation are keywords to live by.

How do I learn more about Thai yoga?

Not many people know about Thai yoga. Even the Thai people do not practice ruesri dat ton as a rule, preferring Thai massage instead or even yoga from India. Because it is hardly known, there isn’t a lot of Thai yoga training available. In Thailand however, a few yoga masters still teach this art to earnest students.

Teeter is the manufacturer of Teeter Hang Ups inversion tables. Teeter EP – 950 and EP – 550 are two of their latest series of inversion therapy tables which are both popular and widely used for fitness and inversion therapy because of their great features and top – of – line quality and durability. They are even reasonably priced so you can be sure that you are getting a value for your money. In this post, we will talk mainly about EP – 550 because I have made another article for the other EP – series.

Teeter Hang Ups EP – 550 Inversion Therapy Table

Teeter Hang Ups EP-550 Inversion Therapy Table

If you are looking for natural and alternative ways to get rid of your back pain, inversion therapy with the use of EP – 550 could provide the perfect solution for a reasonable cost. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars for the most expensive inversion machine or frequent visit to your physical therapist, chiropractor, or physician and for purchasing medicines or considering invasive back surgery. This machine is designed and engineered for top – notch performance in reducing back pain and allowing qualified users to experience all the magnificent benefits of inversion therapy. It features a durable and sturdy frame which can be adjusted to fit users up to 6’6” tall. It has a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds, backrest with Flex technology, adjustable foot platform with 2 settings, and adjustable pillow. Its additional features include its EZ angle tether strap which will allow you to preset your desired angles of inversion. It also comes with instructional DVD which will serve as your guide all throughout the therapy session. EP – 550 is originally priced at $399 but if you shop around, you can possibly get it for as low as $269 to $299. 100 dollars is a pretty big savings for an inversion machine that you can use for your daily inversion needs over a long period of time.

When it really comes down to the quest for a lean figure and a good level of fitness it is not rocket science. A rapid weight loss plan doesn’t have to be difficult. As a consumer you can choose to complicate things and immerse yourself in the thousands of products and information out there or you can go with a more simple solution. I prefer to keep it simple. I have a theory that all we need to do is get back to our roots. We as humans were not made to eat saturated fats and processed foods everyday nor were we made to be inactive all day. Do you think our ancestors thousands of years ago were searching diets for quick weight loss? Not a chance!

The Modern Man's 2 Main Food Groups

21st Century living often puts us in the position where we are sitting all day, i.e. you have a desk job and we are just not getting the workout we naturally were meant to have.  So that being said, get up and move and stop eating fatty, sugary food. If you really need it you can give yourself a treat once a week or a healthy treat low in calories once a day if that works better for you. But whatever you do just regulate the intake of processed foods including saturated fats in your daily dietary intake.  No-one really knows the long term effects of these things on your health and they will most certainly slow your metabolism down and pack on the weight without you even trying!

My advice would be to start looking at treadmills – they are a no fuss easy way to incorporate regular activity into your daily (week days x 20/30 minute exercise sessions work well) exercise regime. There are a number of variations to getting a treadmill- you can look at leasing or buying one new or you can look at second hand treadmills for sale. Exercise is essential if you are looking for rapid weight loss.

But don’t make the mistake of embarking on your exercise campaign without considering your new energy output requirements.  Your muscles are going to be shaping up and you should take steps to nourish them so your workouts are not energy empty and a drag to get through.  The quickest and easiest way to do this is to find the best protein powder that you can and work it into your diet every day. A great way to do that is to have a protein shake about an hour before your workout. That way your body is prepped to begin repairing your body as soon as your workout is finished.

It really is that simple decide what you want (i.e. fitness), obtain for yourself the equipment you need, supplement your body with the fuel it needs, get to work and reap the benefits!

Setting weight loss goals is easy but reaching them needs a lot of time and effort. Most people tend to give up halfway through their slimming programs and failed to shed those unwanted pounds because they lose interest in the program they’re following or just too lazy to carry out the exercises. As such, this article will discuss the three different rapid weight loss techniques that are deemed as effective yet enjoyable by many people. These are also burn a lot of calories per hour. Meaning that you can spend less time working out and more time enjoying the thinner you.

1.      Tennis (burns 440 to 570 calories per hour)

For many people, tennis is a far more interesting weight loss sport as compared to running. Unlike the mundane running exercise which is usually done alone, tennis involves interaction with another partner, who can be your source of motivation. A competitive tennis game allows a person to burn a large amount of calories and it is a great way to stay fit.

2.      Aerobics (burns 410 to 530 calories per hour)

There are many kinds of aerobics and one of those that encourages rapid weight loss is the dance aerobic. Dance aerobics require fast movements which are found to be effective for the calorie-burning process and research has also shown that doing a dance aerobic workout is equivalent to running five miles. Another benefit of doing aerobics is that it improves your overall well-being. These are also usually done in a class type setting making it even more fun.

3.      Swimming (burns 380 to 490 calories per hour)

Although the amount of calories burnt when swimming is fewer compared to tennis and aerobics, swimming is one of the best activities that can tone and shape up your entire body because it involves almost every part of your body. In addition, a person who swims will also face reduced risks of injuring the joints. Swimming is also good for building muscle. This is the long lean muscle that will help you look thinner and more fit. (Not the kind that will make you look like a body builder!)

Besides jogging, cycling and skipping, the above three activities can help in maintaining or losing weight. During the slimming process, it is very important to find an activity that you have passion for because this will determine your success rate.