Dr. Edward Bach, developer of flower essence therapy, classified the original 38 essences he used in his practice according to the 12-7-19 method: the Twelve Healers, the Seven Helpers, and the Second Nineteen. In part I of this series, the Twelve Healer flower essences were reviewed, along with the underlying theory of flower essence therapy – here we’ll have a look at the rhymes and reasons of the Seven Helpers.

Dr. Bach prescribed one or more of the Seven Helper essences to patients who did not seem to be responding sufficiently to therapy with one of the Twelve Healers. The Twelve Healer flower essences – Impatiens, Gentian, Mimulus, Clematis, Agrimony, Chicory, Vervain, Centaury, Scleranthus, Water Violet, Rock Rose, and Cerato – were developed by Dr. Bach to address what he saw as the imbalances of the twelve archetypal personality types. It is through the vibrational transformation of these imbalances that healing of overlying disease states can, in many cases, be initiated. However, Dr. Bach found there were individuals that did not respond to flower essence therapy with the Twelve Healers; this lead him to the discovery of the Seven Helpers.

The Purpose of the ‘Seven Helper’ Flower Essences:

The purpose of the Seven Helpers is to address chronically ingrained negative vibrational patterns which may be obscuring the primary personality type. For example, Olive, one of the Seven Helper flower essences, is prescribed for states of exhaustion, where one has been worn out by the struggle of healing or other life event. In this case, it may be difficult to see what the primary personality type of the individual may be, as true fatigue does not let a whole lot else show through – this real weariness may mask other personality traits or patterns.

Or it may be that the chronic state simply prevents progress on the healing path that could otherwise take place. Again, using Olive essence as an example – An individual may clearly be in need of one of the Twelve Healers. Perhaps they live in fear and are in need of Mimulus, and clearing this fear would allow them to heal. However, their fatigue is so great as they do not have the strength to work with these issues – in this case, it may be helpful to use Olive along with Mimulus to offer a more complete support from the flower essence therapy.

The Seven Helper essences can certainly be administered individually as well, particularly if a specific flower essence is strongly indicated. Dr. Bach had also written that if an individual is not responding to other essences, Wild Oat (one of the Seven) may be used: “If ever a case does not respond to treatment, give either Holly or Wild Oat, and it will be obvious which of the other remedies may be required. In all cases where the patient is of the active, intense type, give Holly. In patients who are of the weak, despondent type, give Wild Oat.”

Beyond the original works of Dr. Bach, the Flower Essence Repertory from Flower Essence Services offers descriptions of these seven essences beyond what a physician may see. FES broadens the application of the flowers to include their use for those needing change that may or may not be related to a health condition. This is an important point, as one may have tendencies they may wish to transform, but are at no serious risk. This application of flower essence is encouraged, for any support for personal and ’soul’ evolution is indeed invaluable. So within the following descriptions of the Seven Helper flower essences, a broad view will be maintained, so that the greatest audience may find a suitable essence.

As always with flower essence therapy, in cases of illness, treatment is not a substitute for proper professional care. It may be the case that an illness may have emotional roots, and that flowers can be of help, but one should not solely rely on self-prescription of flower essences as a cure.

And on to the descriptions…

The Seven Helpers:

Olive – As stated earlier, Olive flower essence is indicated where great fatigue has set in. An individual may be pale, worn out and / or exhausted after excessive worry, illness, grief or other struggle. The individual perhaps feels they do not have the strength to continue; that both their physical energy source has been spent. The Olive remedy allows one to tap into a new source of light, helping one see and feel a rejuvenation that comes from establishing (or re-establishing) a connection to a universal energy. This connection may provide the impetus needed for change in other areas, or may be transformative in and of itself through helping on realize that the etheric ’spirit’ body and the physical body are inseparable.

Gorse – This flower essence is used where one has lost will due to discouragement, becoming hopeless and resigned to one’s condition. They have perhaps been giving too much energy to the negative possibilities, solidifying this outlook so no progress can be made. This remedy restores hope to such individuals, so they may be able to have a brighter outlook, perhaps more joy, when confronted with life’s challenges.

Oak – The remedy for those committed to over-striving, regardless if that striving is having a positive result. Those in need of the Oak flower essence have great determination and strength, which can be true assets. However, at times it is crucial to balance this force with subtlety and grace. The individual may have even become resigned to the inevitable failure of their endeavor or succumbing to an illness, yet they continue with their efforts. Oak helps restore a balance, allowing one the freedom of letting up or resting when that is in fact what is required. An important essence in today’s hard-striving world.

Vine – For those who see their way as the ‘right’ way or the only way, Vine essence allows an opening in one’s perception for other points of view. An individual in need of Vine may have a domineering personality, insisting that everyone else follow their lead, including health professionals. Such a point of view can lead to great stress when it is perceived do not share the same ideas, and that harm, or at least lack of healing, may come about. Vine essence may soften this selfish nature, assisting one to understand that other points of view may be entirely valid, and in fact, more complete than one’s own. This allows the individual to receive needed support, often a key component in any personal transformation.

Heather – The Heather type appear self-obsessed, talking continually about their own situations and problems. Such persons are in fact truly lonely and often in great emotional pain. They may feel an emptiness or hunger, which they feed from the attention of others. This flower essence helps one make a connection to the Higher Self, finding peace and solace in the unity of all being. This realization helps one overcome the loneliness and disconnection they may feel, drawing on emotional self-sufficiency and true shared relationship with others for assistance.

Rock Water – For those that are too hard on themselves. Being reflective and aware is one thing, to go so far as to limit one’s (and one’s friends and family) enjoyment of life is another. Flexibility and spontaneity are key components to the ‘life well lived’. Further, a rigidity in lifestyle can prevent one from finding joy, an important factor in healing from many illnesses. This essence is sometimes indicated for those beginning flower essence therapy or those who do not see results, as it may assist in opening the soul to the energies of the plant realm.

Wild Oat – Health and happiness are very much connected with one’s ability to find one’s true vocation. Wandering through life feeling a lack of purpose can lead to distressed states, with addictions or despondency being possible results. Wild Oat flower essence may help align one with their true calling, so that both the individual and the greater environment can benefit. When one finds this sense of meaning, there is a strong inner light that can shine forth, supporting one’s own health, and the health of those around them.

These are the Seven Helpers, as categorized per Dr. Edward Bach’s 12-7-19 flower essence method. It is said that with the Twelve Healers and the Seven Helpers, one can support transformation of many vibrational/emotional states. At the same time, it is important to keep one’s mind open to possibilities; there are a great number of researched flower essences available, one’s that may be even more precisely applied to a particular situation. The Healer and Helper essences are however, a fantastic place to start if one is seeking an effective collection of remedies, suitable for the needs of many beings.

A Russian Kettlebell looks like a cast iron cannonball with a handle. The weight is incredibly dense and centered in an off-balance way for many excercises. The off balance state of the weight increases the difficulty of many excercises while allowing for a maximum range of movement. This combinantion allows the athlete, student, or user to receive the maximum results from their physical fitness program.

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“I am not a natural athlete. I am not a state champ in anything, I am not a world powerlifter, or a worlds strongest man competitor. I am not a pretty boy, I do not have Ken and Barbie genetics or advocate a Ken and Barbie physique. Many people have been tricked, fooled, and conditioned to use unreasonable desires as their motivation to get into better shape. I recommend a platform of health first, abilities second, and physique last.

My personal routine and goals are driven by this approach. I am a street cop with farm boy genetics. My fellow Officers and I rely on strength, staminia, endurance, aerobic and anaerobic ability to get the job done. Its not as glamorours as titles, championships, or a California beach physique, after all its only life or death. The point is that if its good enough for what I do its good enough for what anyone does. Welcome to the American Kettlebell Revoloution!

A kettlebell instructor Jason Wilterdink is here to answer any questions, classes will be starting up soon.
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Up to the kitchen you go to eat your next meal. When in the
fridge pulling out your nicely

prepared diet plan meal, you notice some left over Fettuccini
Alfredo your wife or roommate brought home.

Sure looks good you think as you catch a little bit of saliva
about to drip on your shirt!

“Just a little taste won’t hurt my diet plan,” you justify…

” I’ve stuck to my diet plan all day……”

A little taste and before you know it you tell yourself the
extra carbs and calories will be a good boost to your workout
tomorrow!

An hour later your gut is stretching and Indigestion plagues
you from cheating on your diet plan!!

“I should have stuck to my diet plan!” is going through your
head as you lay down to have nightmares of a fat ass!

“Tomorrow I’ll stick to my diet plan “, you chant in your head!

But you fall from your diet plan only a day or two later!

The occasional stray from your diet plan can really add up!

And billboards,tv’s, radios and people are everywhere pushing
fast foods and junk to sabotage your diet plan!

Here are five diet plan saving tips to arm yourself against the
onslaught of the Cheating War!

Diet Plan Tip #1 – Eat Slowly – Take your time when you sit
down to eat.

The chances you will stuff yourself or overeat diminish and you
will reach the point of satiety much more quickly if you eat
slowly!

The more you are satisfied with what you have eaten the less
likely you will continue to think of food. That chocolate Black
Forest cake won’t be as tempting either!

Diet Plan Tip #2 – Have Delicious Meals That Fit Your Meal Plan
Prepared Ahead Of Time.

Having meals prepared ahead of time makes it convenient to eat
according to a plan and on schedule.

You can make it more convenient to stick to your diet plan than
it is to eat that bag of candy by having your diet plan meals
prepared and available when it is time to eat– and when you get

hungry.

Diet Plan Tip #3 – Get Used To Eating For Your Purpose Instead
Of For Your Taste Buds.

Satisfying your taste buds when you get the urge to gorge down a
Big Mac will never develop a healthy, lean, muscular physique!

Keep in mind you are eating to develop a lean, healthy muscular
physique every time you open your mouth! The temporary taste
satisfaction of a jelly-filled donut will be gone real fast but
the empty calories you just devoured can defeat a whole day’s
worth of bodybuilding effort!

Diet Plan Tip #4 – Be creative with your cooking to make
sticking to your diet enjoyable.

Ideally, with proper preparation and some recipe

research you can create delicious mouth watering meals that
meet your diet plan criteria.

Learn to cook. Employ spices from other parts of the world.
India and China are two

countries with interesting choices to really spice up your diet
plan.

When you don’t have to force feed yourself with your nose
plugged the chances are much higher you can stick to your diet
plan more easily!

Diet Plan Tip #5 – Drink Water.

Drinking water between meals can help to reduce your hunger
pains temporarily by giving a sense of fullness. For those of
you that sabotage your diet plan munching here and there,

keeping a water bottle with you wherever you go can really help.

Just sip away when its oral satisfaction rather than hunger
driving you.

For the other nine diet plan saving tips go to:

Diet
plan

Proteins are one of the most important nutrients for the body. The body needs proteins to perform many vital functions, and they are also the basic building blocks for the body, needed for bone and muscle formation. That is why you must take protein supplements if you feel that you are not getting enough proteins from food.

Meat products are the richest form of proteins, although most vegetables do not have much protein content, many pulses and grains do have proteins. If you are a vegetarian you should definitely make milk and milk products an important part of your diet.

Protein supplements are vital if you have an active lifestyle. If you work out, or play daily then taking protein supplements is essential to encourage muscle repair and growth. Without protein supplements you run the risk of torn muscles than become a permanently painful entity.

In most cases protein supplements do not have any negative effect on the body and can be taken safely everyday. However if you are using a very powerful form of protein than it might be advisable to consult a dietician or a doctor to make sure that you don’t put undue stress on your kidneys.

In many disease proteins play an important part in recovery, for example they are an important part of the crohns nutrition that is designed to prevent damage from Chron’s disease.

A room humidifier can help raise the level of humidity or moisture in the air. Increasing the humidity in the home helps eliminate the dry air that can irritate and inflame the respiratory passages in the nose and throat. A room humidifier can help relieve the discomfort of colds and the flu, and help people who suffer from asthma.

When humidified air is breathed in, the water vapor adds moisture to secretions in the upper airway. This makes the secretions more fluid so it may be easier to cough them up. A humidifier can work only for the upper airway. Water vapor droplets made by a humidifier do not usually reach the lower airways, which include the trachea, or windpipe, and the lungs.

In the past, a steam humidifier was commonly used. A newer humidifier, also known as a vaporizer, uses special energy waves to break water down into a vapor. This results in smaller droplets than were possible with a steam humidifier. The energy waves also kill any bacteria or mold that may be in the water or the machine.

A special type of humidifier called a nebulizer can be used to deliver medication to the airway. A nebulizer is often used to treat asthma. It generates smaller water vapor droplets that are able to reach the small airways in the lungs. Certain medications, such as albuterol, can be dissolved in water and given with a nebulizer.

The medications are then able to reach the lungs in greater concentration than if taken by mouth. A new approach is to give some antibiotics by nebulizer. This type of humidifier seems to work very well on lower airway infections in children with cystic fibrosis a serious inherited condition that damages the lungs. A room humidifier may be just the help you need.

Home health care supplies and equipment
http://www.nutritional-supplement-4u.com/medical_supplies_home_health_care.htm

My Personal Experience On The Elliptical
I have to admit when I was first introduced to an elliptical trainer I was a bit skeptical about its ability to furnish a whole body workout. Boy was I (pleasantly) surprised however by the results. The elliptical is now a personal favorite for my husband and I, who use it religiously. Both of us have knee problems that do not affect us when working out on the elliptical. It’s quite easy to get your heart rate up when using an elliptical machine, but you don’t feel like you are ‘pounding pavement’ and killing your joints.

Elliptical Trainers: How Do They Work?
Elliptical trainers work much like a stair climber only they reduce the impact to your knees and joints. They provide you with footpads to stand on while you exercise. You hold onto handles that move in a manner much like you would if cross country skiing. Elliptical trainers allow you to engage in weight bearing exercise, which helps build muscle and strengthen your bones. Unlike jogging or running, elliptical trainers provide a total body workout without severely impacting your joints including your knees.

Most elliptical machines have a crank arm attached to a bar at one end of the machine and an axis at the other end of the machine. The axis then rotates when the bar moves and the end moves in a flat back and forth direction. Resistance for elliptical machines is created either through a band that attaches to the fly wheel or by magnetic resistance (most higher end models feature magnetic resistance). The motion of an elliptical machine is smooth like a bicycle ride. You can also switch your movement into reverse and rotate the areas of your legs you are working.

An elliptical machine provides continuous movements that are smooth and non-jarring. That is why so many people prefer them to the abrupt and impactful movements of a treadmill or other exercise machine. An exercise bike may provide the same smooth motion. You can’t however work your upper body the same way using a bicycle that you can when using an elliptical machine. Likewise, swimming also provides excellent smooth exercise for all body parts, but it doesn’t provide weight bearing exercise. Study after study suggests that it is important for people, especially women, to engage in weight bearing exercises to help boost bone density and muscle strength.

Benefits Of ‘Elipticizing’
Using an elliptical trainer provides many benefits including:

1. They are easy to use.

2. They are good for patients with knee problems or those looking for a low impact but effective form of cardiovascular exercise.
3. You can adjust elliptical trainers to meet your fitness level.

4. Most come with built in heart monitors so you can check your fitness progress.

5. Elliptical trainers provide a total body workout, exercising the arms and legs at the same time.

6. If you own an elliptical trainer, you probably won’t need another form of exercise equipment.

Even better, you can select from various types of elliptical workout machines to suite your personal needs. Some for example are built for home use while other higher end models are exclusively built for gyms (though many home owners prefer these because of their exceptional quality).

History of The Elliptical Trainer
The elliptical trainer first started gaining popularity during the 1990s. During this time studies began showing that elliptical trainers provided superior benefits over other forms of exercise like bicycling or running. Elliptical machines offer total body routines without high impact exercise. Traditional versions initially only worked the lower body with stable, unmoving handlebars. Fortunately the elliptical trainers of today feature movable handles that offer a more complex and sophisticated workout. Users can now workout multiple areas of the body in one session, rather than jump from machine to machine to get total body benefits.

About The Author:

Antigone Arthur is a successful freelance writer with 10 years of professional experience providing consumers with informative articles on such topics as
elliptical trainers, elliptical machines, and elliptical trainer reviews.

Most peoples’ goals when it comes to training bicep muscles is to increase the size while maintaining proper proportion. Increasing the muscle size of the biceps is from training with heavy weights. You can’t increase the bicep muscles if you don’t force them to grow.

Strive to always add weight or reps to your bicep exercises, without sacrificing form. You still want to train safely.

These additional reps will equate to more muscle growth. So will the increase in poundages. If you can continuously do both, your arms are going to soon pop out of the sleeves of your shirts!

Since there are many different parts that make up the biceps muscles, you want to train each effectively using a balanced approach.

Three exercises for the biceps are sufficient to increase muscle growth and strength.

One of the best exercises for building bigger biceps is the standing alternate dumbbell curl. These allow you to use maximum overload and intensity on the biceps.

When doing these, you want to use good, safe form, but don’t be too strict. Allow yourself to sway a little, so you can get some momentum when lifting the weights upward.

If you’re too strict, you’re going to limit the amount of weight you can lift, so the overload will be less.

Another exercise that’s useful for building bigger biceps is the standing barbell curl. Much like the alternate dumbbell curls, these offer the most overload and intensity for the biceps.

The last exercise for the biceps is hammer curls. These actually work both the biceps and the forearms.

With all your bicep exercises, work your arms once a week, using 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.

Start out light for a warm up and then progressively keep adding weight so you reach muscle failure at 6 to 8 reps on your heavy sets.

You want to strive to stimulate muscle growth, by increasing strength. The more weight your biceps can lift, the more muscle you’ll build as a result.

You can use either barbells, dumbbells, or cables when training to build the biceps muscles. They all target the muscles a little differently.

Since the bicep muscles are not a large muscle group, it’s easy to overtrain them. So make sure you do just what’s necessary for muscle stimulation. Then you need to let them rest and recover in order to gain muscle mass.

Training the biceps too often or doing too many exercises will slow down your results.

So if you’re after building bigger biceps muscles, use these techniques in your training and you’ll soon start seeing more muscle growth.

Yoga For Women – Yoga can assist in weight loss as well as toning the body, building muscle and increasing your overall level of general fitness. Yoga can also be practiced during and after pregnancy. Certain yoga postures can help strengthen the back. Other postures will help to reduce stress and anxiety. Breathing exercises are always useful in preparing for the birth. Yoga postures can also help with menstruation and menopausal problems. Always consult a doctor and qualified yoga practitioner before undertaking any yoga practice.

Yoga For Men – men are often reluctant to start practicing yoga, but when they realise the huge benefits that regular practice can bring, they soon incorporate yoga into their daily or weekly exercise routines. Yoga can help men increase their muscle power, stamina and flexibility. There is no dispute that yoga can help men physically but it can also be extremely beneficial as a stress reducer. A combination of deep stretching, meditation and breathing techniques will aid relaxation, reduce stress and calm the mind.

Yoga For Seniors – the great thing about yoga is that you don’t need any special equipment, clothing or footwear. Yoga can also be practiced at any time of the day. If you have never practiced yoga before, then taking things slowly is advisable. Always seek guidance from your health practitioner and local yoga teacher. There are also many good videos and dvds on the market with the aim of catering for the older generation. Regular gentle yoga practice will help to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and contribute to better circulation. Yoga will also promote improved memory and attention span.

Yoga For Children – Children’s yoga can be great fun as well as being extremely beneficial to a child’s health and well-being. Stretching will help children become more flexible as well as strengthening their arms and legs. Yoga will also improve a child’s breathing and circulation. Regular yoga practice for children will make them calmer, more relaxed and much happier.

This is just a quick guide to the general benefits that Yoga can bring to people of all sexes and ages. As you progress with your practice you will also begin to learn that yoga can also promote healing of the mind and body. Yoga is often used as a complementary therapy alongside orthodox medicine in the treatment of many common ailments.

To find out more about yoga please visit Yoga Review

There are basically thousands of diets out on the market today. Most of them are promising quick weight loss. However it may be true that some diets work, most of them fail. What’s worse is the more diets we have, the heavier we get. To put it another way. There is more fat people today than there was yesterday. It’s getting worse. The one thing most of us haven’t gained is the knowledge it takes to lose it. What we have done is complain and blame other things for our own situation.

I’m sure your just like most people. I bet you think of your weight all the time. If you are thinking about your fat, then you may be more justified. There really isn’t a simple way to say it. We don’t want to concentrate so much in losing weight as much as we need to focus on losing “fat”.

It may be time to take apart each diet and see exactly what is wrong with them if this is the road we prefer. I have a better way though. Before you start looking at the problem with the diets, it may be time to you start looking at your environment and your habits.

If you are a baby boomer, chances are you grew up with only 3 channels on the television. I’m fairly sure that you were told to play outside. If not, you preferred it. Times have really changed. We now have over 100 channels to watch on television. We have computers with unlimited time. We also have some of the greatest video games around.

Lets look back again. We had movies to go to. We had video games to play in town. We also had computers back then. We also had to leave the house to see a good movie, or play a game on a video.

Lets take this one more step. When you were young, chances are you only got to go to the store on rare occasions. Personally, I had to walk for about a mile to get there. By the time I got back, I am sure, I burned the calories completely up from the candy I got. If you look now, you see quick food places popping up everywhere. It doesn’t take much to stop and get a fix.

What’s is worse, we are teaching our kids to do things indoors. We don’t spend our time with them. We’d rather have them watch television. Some of the problems today is fear of our children being stolen, raped, killed, or hurt in some way. I have to admit, my parents worried more about the strangers coming to town in my neighborhood.

We can fix this. The first step is to realize the problems I’ve just discussed. Once you are aware of it, we have to stop blaming these circumstances. Then we must change ourselves to deal with it. Our environment may get worse, but we don’t have to get any fatter.

The second step to any weight loss is to educate yourself. I mention fat several times instead of weight mainly because you really can be at your normal weight and still be fat. To take this one step further, we don’t want to lose muscle in our diets. It’s my opinion that this is actually what most people lose when they are on the Atkins diet. There is a real good chance, you’ve already started your education. It may have started when you failed on several diets. I can personally testify, that I’ve tried so many diets and gave so much money, I should be a genius on diets.

What’s worse in this episode is the fact that a lot of fat people are depressed. They are also treated for depression. This treatment sometimes makes them gain weight faster. Well, it was hard enough just to maintain your weight, now you are fatter. Here is a quick tip. Did you know that some of these people that take omega 3 is losing weight?

The first thing I realized is the fact, that diets don’t work. Everything I’ve tried only made me hate diets more and more. I also felt like if something tasted good, it was purely unhealthy. I also found that the people telling me to take some pill and eat anything I want is nothing short of garbage.

Now, lets look back in history again. Naturally you didn’t play on the computer all day, so get up and go for a stress free walk. Also, you more than likely ate at the table 3 times a day. Mothers are in a hurry today and in our fast paced life, we feed our kids on the run. We need to slow down.

I’m sure more women work today than when I was a child. It presents a problem. Is it easier to stop off and get something for the kids from Mcdonalds? You bet it is. We can stop this too. Who ever gets home first can start dinner. It doesn’t have to focus on the woman. Fixing dinner can also take an effort. Make it a family effort. Have the kids set the table like we did.

Now, look at everything we discussed and start changing your life. You don’t want to deal with any more diets. Can we agree that diets don’t work. If so, then we need to change our way of living.

Now, here’s the hard part. You have to make a decision. You most likely found out that you are not going to lose weight with pills, patches, or liquid only. If you are as lazy as I am, you have to decide if you are happy with being fat, or if you are willing to do the responsible actions it takes. Basically it is easy if you were taught this as a child.

Eat three squares like you’ve heard before. Sit at the table and not in front of the television. Go to movies more often. Stay away from fast food places and plan your meals for the whole family. When you shop, be very aware of what you are buying. Last, keep educating yourself on nutrition. I’m sure you’ve heard that losing weight fast is a sure sign that you’ll more than likely gain it back. I’m not telling you anything you didn’t know. You are a smart person. You just have to decide what is more important.

If you are aware of counting calories, you should know that cutting back 7000 calories per week is by far enough to cut back on. A pound is equal to 3500 calories by what I’ve read. If you don’t lose enough weight to see it on a scale for a few days, don’t get discouraged. You have changed your life and eventually you will be where you want to be. Relax. Quit worrying about it. Just change your life. Good luck.

In this two-part article I will reveal some of my experiences overcoming frustrating knee, ankle, back and joint pain caused from osteoarthritis. I reveal my success with solutions like weight loss and dietary supplements.

Dietary supplements with promising results were supplements like Glucosamine Sulfate, Biocell Collagen ll, and a product called Phosoplex.

Most men are considered weekend warriors after 40, and can be prone to sports injuries when trying to compete even for fun. A few years ago I injured both my knees trying to play basketball with some teenagers.

I sustained these injuries after training for 3 months in split training which consisted of lifting weights and running over three miles 5 times a week.

My aerobic activity included running three miles a day or playing 1 hour of basketball in the morning (after miles walking to the track each way). Then I would do 45 minutes of weight training in the afternoon.

This rigorous training for three months did pay off big time, in that I lost a lot of weight, and was in the best shape of my life. In matter of fact, the teenagers became frustrated because I obviously had better strength and conditioning.

It seemed obvious to many of them a man more than twice their age had superior endurance and sports skills from experience. I was old enough to be their father.

This training and conditioning did come with a price at my age, because it was evident that my joints were just not the same as in my younger years. My joints and muscles were ache after hard fought basketball games.

Are their ways to avoid stiff and painful joints? This article is a reflection of one man’s journey in trying to alleviate joint and back pain.

In search of the more healthy and active lifestyle it is important to minimize pain.

If you are experiencing stiffness and pain in your joints like your knees, elbows, and back perhaps you may have Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a condition caused by the worn cartilage. Cartilage is the tissue between your joints that cushion their movements.

As you age the connective and cushion like material between your joints becomes worn. You will therefore experience more pain in your joints.

The pain can be very debilitating and frustrating if you want to live an active lifestyle.

However, these are some of the actions I took to overcome Osteoarthritis.

- Slowly Lose Weight

I woke up one day after dealing with a very stressful period in my life and I was 196 pounds. This was the heaviest I had ever been, and I knew something had to be done quickly. At only 5′10″ a healthy weight for me, at my age, would be about 170 – 175 pounds (most of my life as a young adult I was about 150 pounds).

Therefore I started walking briskly until I could run. Slowly but surely I am now able to run 2 or 3 miles in about 20 minutes.

I cut down on eating after 7:00 PM. Furthermore I stopped ordering so much food at take-out restaurants.

The most important factor in getting fit is to have realistic goals. After checking with your doctor, to make sure you are fit enough to exercise.

I would have goals to slowly but surely increase my speed and cardio training. Once I became more fit I decided that I was not going to let anyone pass me on the track.

Later I decided I was going to pass other people two or three times on the track. I really pushed myself.

Now I plan to compete in 5K races and complete the NYC marathon in 2006. You don’t have to set these types of goals, but set some goals so you can keep yourself motivated.

Don’t forget to rest and not “over-train”. Only workout 3 – 5 days a week. Give your body a chance to rest and heal, especially after forty.

Losing weight may help you alleviate your Osteoarthritis pain, because it can be worst in over weight adults. This is because the extra pressure of your weight puts more strain and wear and tear on your joints.

In Part 2 of this article we will discuss wearing the proper sports equipment and using supplements like Glucosamine Sulfate, Biocell Collagen ll, and Phosoplex found at places like Amazon.com and www.bodestore.com can help you lead a more active lifestyle.