yoga74017

I keep hearing this nonsense about doing exercise in a hot room such as yoga. I am finding that the general public is very misinformed about human physiology and how our bodies react to exercising in hot climates. This is the first part of a 2 part article designed to give people some important information about what is exactly happening to their bodies when they attend these hot workouts, and how they may even be increasing their risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. I will also attempt to show you how many of the claims are completely false.

This is a short list of the most persistent claims I typically found about hot yoga on the internet.

Increased heat of the room allows for better flexibility and stretching

Increased heart rate allows your body to more easily burn fat and gives a cardiovascular workout

Increased Sweating helps your body eliminate toxins

Lets look at each one of these in more detail from a scientific standpoint.

Increased Temperature means increased flexibility
Increased core body temperature of approximately 3 degrees has been shown scientifically to be the threshold where connective tissues like ligaments, tendons and muscles become more elastic and flexible. This temperature increase has been shown to be possible with exercise. For example 20 minutes of cardio such as running or biking can get your core temperature up enough. External heat like heat patches applied directly to muscles have been shown to be ineffective at increasing the temperature of these tissues. If these hot workouts provide an increase in flexibility I have yet to find research to substantiate it. But if you like the way it feels I cant argue with anyone on that point.

Increased heart Rate means increased fat burning and cardio fitness
The increase in heart rate you get from exercising in the heat is a result of excessive fluid loss from profuse sweating. The heart has to pump more often because there is less blood volume per beat. This is an early sign of dehydration. This has nothing to do with fat burning or cardiovascular fitness. This will also cause you to fatigue prematurely and cause your body core temperature to heat up even more as now your heart is working even harder. This starts a vicious cycle of increasing body temperature and sets you on a path to heat illness or heat exhaustion.

Excessive sweating causes you to sweat out toxins
Sweat does not remove toxins, this is a complete lie with no scientific proof at all. The only potential way sweat could be used for detox is rehab from drug addiction if at all. In these cases the rehab should be under the supervision of a medical practitioner, and even this is very poorly represented in the scientific research and mostly shows up in alternative medicine articles. Sweating in hot environments is your bodies way of cooling down through evaporation of water. In a humid room the sweat is much less effective at cooling your body down. Toweling the sweat off also interferes with the ability of the sweat to cool your body off. If the room is humid (and from what I am reading hot yoga rooms are meant to be at approximately 50% humidity) the sweat is even less effective at cooling you off. This starts a vicious cycle of your body temperature increasing, then your body sweats more to try and cool you off, and then you become more dehydrated. This is also a dangerous situation if you stay in the heat for too long. All of this extra sweating is just a recipe for dehydration and heat exhaustion. There is simply no such thing as sweating out toxins. This is an idea that has been laid to rest by the scientific medical community decades ago. The fact that it still persists in pop culture is absolutely ridiculous.

Part 2 of this article will explain heat acclimatization, why I think this hot workout trend is simply a marketing angle, and some of the real benefits of yoga.

John Barban is a certified Strength and conditioning Specialist and a varsity strength and conditioning coach. His trademarked http://www.6minuteCircuits.com Circuit training workouts have helped thousands of women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. http://www.grrlathlete.com John's female sports training articles will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. You can ask John a question on the http://www.grrlathlete.freeforums.org a womens workout forum to help you lose fat and get in shape with circuit training and nutrition.

When you learned to write, you trained the muscles in your arm and hand to create letters. It took time and concentration to do this, but with repetition it became automatic. Your hand developed muscle memory; when you write your name, your muscles remember how to move without focusing on the process.

Dancing, yoga, gymnastics and weight training are examples of other activities that require enhanced muscle memory. We can make the learning process easier and help establish muscle memory by using a few simple techniques:

* Visual images
* Repetition
* Slow motion
* Micromovement

Imagery

Using a visual image is an effective way to train your body to perform a new dance step or exercise. The best visual images are those which are familiar and detailed.

In dance, visualizing a movement helps you perform the step. For example, if a dancer wants to make an S-curving motion with her body, she can visualize a fish swimming, a camel walking, or a snake crawling. Since the best visual images are familiar and detailed, visualizing the color, texture, shape and markings of the image make it more vivid and effective. Likewise, visualizing yourself correctly repeating a new dance step or exercise makes the learning process easier.

Many people find geometric shapes helpful. For example, you can imagine drawing a big circle to make learning a belly dance hip circle or circle step easier. A square is a useful image for learning a box step or hip square.

Repetition & slow motion

Repetition helps fix a new exercise or dance movement in your mind, so that the next time you perform it, you remember it more easily and perform it with less effort. Slow repetitions of a new exercise or dance step enable you to feel every nuance of the movement.

Rushing through a movement before youve completely mastered it skips over the important process of sensing every nuance of the movement; beginning dance students and exercisers often need to be reminded to slow down. Going slowly helps your muscles recognize precisely what the movement should feel like when performed correctly.

Micromovement

Micromovement means performing a movement in a very tiny way, using the least range of motion possible. For example, if you were writing the letter O ten inches high and then writing o in a script so tiny it could barely be seen, your O would require a much larger hand movement than tiny letter o, the micromovement. Using a tiny range of motion helps you sense subtle muscle movements which are occurring, but micromovements must be performed with awareness to get the full benefit. Going slowly helps.

Have fun with learning!

Select the movement or exercise you are working on, then answer the following:

Imagery: what animal, shape or object does it remind you of?
Repetition: what kind of music would help you when practicing this movement?
Slow motion: how many counts does it take you to complete one repetition?
Micromovement:what is the smallest range of motion you can use for the movement?

Ramona is the author of Dynamic Belly Dance, the Joyful journey of Dancemaking and Performing. See free belly dance videos, read book excerpts and order an autographed copy at http://www.DynamicBellyDance.com

Copyright 2007 - All rights reserved worldwide. Reprint Rights: You may reprint this article as long as you leave all of the links active, do not edit the article, give author name credit and follow the EzineArticles terms of service for publishers. Thank you!

The Greek holiday home market never used to be flavor of the month, however, over the past decade it has joined the handful of established Mediterranean second home destinations.

A buoyant market on a human scale...

Since the Greek property market opened to foreign buyers in the early 1990s, thousands of holiday homes in Greece have been coveted and ultimately purchased by British, German, and other western European buyers. During the same period, the Greek property market has enjoyed steady growth rates of 8-12%. The Greek economy is, notably, one of the fastest-growing in the euro zone; and, thanks to the countrys stable and predictable economic growth, the real estate market can be relied upon to grow at a realistic pace as well, rather than in extreme upswings and drastic downturns all too often seen in up-and-coming markets.

Though pocket change is hardly enough to buy property in Greece, holiday homes here are, by comparison, still an excellent value for overseas buyers in search of that ray of sunshine and the downtempo lifestyle that goes with it. These are available in abundance; in fact, Greece is the perfect alternative to the traditional Mediterranean favorites: it is accessible, safe, beautiful, loaded with character, and prices in like-to-like comparisons of Greek and French or Spanish property can be up to 50% lower. There is a large variety of holiday homes for sale, but massive residential developments are not the norm. In most cases, summer homes in Greece retain their local style since, as a rule, the most sought-after locations for second homes are the islands and smaller villages where because of building rules, properties built are in the local traditional style. And, for supporters of green architecture, the sublime climate in Greece provides the perfect grounds for bioclimatic structures, maximizing the benefits of sun and breeze to create energy-efficient, sustainable homes with reduced maintenance costs.

Since a significant percentage of holiday home buyers originate from Western Europe, it comes as no surprise that a lot of new construction is customized to suit these buyers preferences. The concept of homes that are ready to wear has caught on, as travel times between Greece and the rest of Europe have diminished and popping over to Greece for a weekend is no longer utopian; fully equipped homes, sold turnkey with everything from furnishings to linens and cutlery sets, ensure that the fortunate owner can spend all weekend by the pool rather than curtain-shopping for the house. Similarly, the concept of Buy-to-Let properties is taking shape; while property management and guaranteed rentals are in an early stage of sorts, they are increasingly available in, primarily, tourist-savvy locations. This is an important feature, considering that holiday homes usually belong to absentee owners wondering how to make the most out of their investments while, at the same time, enjoying the peace of mind that comes with knowing their property is looked after while they are busy working to fund it.

It is rather unfair that Greece, one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, has settled in peoples collective conscience strictly as a Sea-and-Sun destination. As a result, the overwhelming demand by overseas buyers is for summer homes, with seafront properties carrying the respective price tag and giving credence to global real estates Location, Location, Location mantra. Still, inland traditional and newly-built properties abound and they are an excellent alternative for those who cant afford a seaside property, but dont mind driving to the beach and yearn for an insiders take on the famously relaxed village life. after all, even on the larger islands, the beach is never too far away.

Whats next?

Is this buoyant market heading for a plateau anytime soon? Well, as in most situations, the answer is It Depends. At the moment, Greece is basking in the limelight. The 2006 tourist season ended with a record number of tourists visiting the country (an 8,5% increase compared to last year, according to The Economist), a promising statistic after a slower tourist influx in the previous couple of years, and despite the lack of any long-term marketing campaign on a national level. It is imperative that Greece waste no time capitalizing on the momentum generated by the very successful 2004 Olympic games and the subsequent, priceless, visibility abroad. Furthermore, developments in Greek Real Estate are teeming with promise. Demand for holiday homes is expected to outnumber supply, keeping property prices rising, and real estate professionals expect holiday home prices to increase up to 10% over the next few years. It is no coincidence that so many large development companies with solid track records in commercial and urban real estate have delved into holiday home projects; their high quality developments with a western flair in select locations aim to attract discerning foreign buyers and investors.

Improvements in infrastructure and construction, largely because of the 2004 Olympic games, have been tremendous. Thanks to new transportation and road networks, travel times have diminished and previously remote areas are within reach. Soon to be completed is one of the largest road construction projects in Europe, the Egnatia Motorway in northern Greece; a gateway to southeast Europe and the Balkans, it will provide a quick East-West link. Other significant developments with a favorable impact on the Greek holiday home market include:

 A nationwide Land Registry in progress which, upon completion, will greatly simplify the home buying process
 ADSL / Broadband internet connections are now widely available and enable individuals to conduct business away from home
 Mortgages with low interest rates are also widely available to both Greek and foreign buyers
 Improvements in the leisure industry, such as golf courses, which are gaining in popularity and becoming the highly marketable focal point of many new developments

Naturally, all that glitters is not gold. Newly introduced taxation laws (Capital Gains and/or value Added Tax on select properties) may, according to some, have a deterrent effect on property purchases; whether or not this will be the case remains to be seen. Also, Greece must keep working to remain on the map of competitive Mediterranean real estate. The truth is that with the exception of a marketing campaign around the time of the Olympic games, Greece is unfortunately not advertised enough, however the countrys list of charms is long:

 Clean, beautiful beaches
 A perfect 4-season climate
 Low crime rate
 A stable economy and long-standing EU membership
 Lack of internal strife
 Ancient history and a world-renowned culture
 An all-around very high quality of life
 Untapped potential of winter tourism

An overseas homebuyer usually visits Greece, and first falls in love with it, as a tourist. More tourists equal more homebuyers its a simple logic.

Just as important, on the service level, is the need for integrity and professionalism. The real estate sector is no exception. The estate agents experience, professional affiliations, and language / communication skills (especially for foreign buyers) are of key importance for a painless, fruitful homebuying experience. The good old word of mouth way of finding a reliable estate agent is still, probably, the best way. The Hellenic Association of Realtors, the only official body recognized by C.E.I. (the European Confederation of Estate Agents), is another recommended starting point. after all, for most of us buying a home is the purchase of a lifetime; skimping on our homework at the last minute is definitely the wrong approach!

Katerina Roussou works with Property Greece Ltd., a group of Real Estate / Insurance Agencies throughout Greece. For more information on buying property in Greece, or to browse Greek property for sale, please visit http://www.propertygreece.com. Questions? Feel free to send an email to info@propertygreece.com

People who travel consider their luggage as indispensable as tickets or money, even they only travel infrequently or on occasion. Purchasing luggage can get to be expensive, so its really necessary to carefully think about each purchase you make before buying a single thing. A few crucial factors have to be kept in mind when buying luggage; these may help you decide what to buy and how much to spend.

Your luggage can be both trendy and sensible, you know. The more you use your luggage, the faster it will wear out. Durability and practicality should be the most important features of any luggage you buy, especially if you travel frequently. If checking baggage is a regular aspect of your travels, then you should consider not only durability and practicality, but cost as well. Losing a set of expensive, designer luggage through the airline can be extremely stressful and frustrating, to say the least. Statistically speaking, the chances of losing luggage and never getting it back are fairly low, but your odds increase the more you travel.

Luggage can be purchased either by individual pieces or in a set, so you should determine how much luggage you need. When traveling for business purposes, a garment bag, suitcase, and travel bag may be all that you need. You can usually buy luggage sets that include all these at a better price than purchasing them individually, but make sure to compare prices and brands first before making a decision. A four or five piece luggage set may prove to be more adaptable as time goes by, thus getting you the best value for your money.

Purchasing luggage that fits your exact style and design should be considered, especially if you really need only one or two pieces. How you usually carry or bring along your luggage will help you decide what style you should buy. Larger suitcases and bags become heavy when fully packed, so you should look for styles that are easier to carry and move, such as travel bags or suitcases with handles and wheels. The inside design of the luggage should also be considered, in order to be sure that there is enough room and compartments to hold the items you typically travel with.

Designer luggage is generally considered to be of high quality, but don't forego the possibility of finding well-made luggage from a discount retailer when youre looking for pieces for periodic or light use. You usually only need a couple of pieces of luggage when going camping, going off to college, or the occasional road trip, so it shouldnt matter if the luggage youre going with are mismatched. However, experienced travelers warn against bringing along mismatched luggage when traveling by airplane, since matching sets are usually easier for baggage handlers to identify.

You should also look up department stores, discount retailers, and online retailers, so you can compare different brands and prices. reading a consumer guide before buying would be helpful for checking consumer ratings on the different types of luggage that you might be planning to buy. Comparing cost, style, durability and practicality will help you select just the right luggage for your travel needs and will help assure you that your purchase is a good one. If you are buying luggage for someone as a gift and don't want to consult them, consider purchasing a basic three piece set in a neutral color and style.

Azlan Irda is a co-founder of http://www.onestopdiscountshopping.com, where you can get high-quality luggage at the best prices. visit us for your luggage needs.