No.10 - Buy her clothes that are too small

If you buy her clothes that are obviously too small for her, not only will she finally have to admit that she’s putting on weight, but she can easily return them for her correct size. First, she’ll have to reveal to you that the clothes are too small. “Oh,” you might say, “I thought you were a size 8. Isn’t that what you were last summer?” The onus is now on her to do something about it.

No.9 - Sign her up for yoga under the pretence of “stress relief”

This works particularly well if your girlfriend still hasn’t worked out the link between an active lifestyle and emotional well-being. Tell her you have found exactly what she needs to help her relax, a regular spiritual cleanse in the form of a yoga class. Make sure you choose an intense, calorie-burning form (power yoga or ashtanga yoga), otherwise she may end up rolling around on the floor a couple times a week with no real benefits. The beauty of yoga is that if you dress it up as a way to relieve stress, she may not realize that she’s being tricked into shedding a few pounds, and even if she does, you’ll end up with a happier, more self-confident girlfriend rather than a grumpy lard-ass.

No.8 - Set out on your own weight loss plan

Here’s an interesting experiment for you using reverse psychology. A subtle way to tell her she’s getting fat is to tell her you’re not happy with your own level of fitness and she may begin to open her eyes to the wider picture. By referencing yourself in any plans to lose weight, you’re also subtly telling her that you’re not the only one who might benefit from a diet. And even if she does see through your ploy, she’ll at least appreciate the tact you have shown and will hopefully take the message on board.

No.7 - Serve her unsatisfactory portions

When dishing up meals for the two of you, try giving her smaller-than-usual amounts. By making her ask for more food, you might succeed in shaming her into an acknowledgment of her recent weight gain, and hopefully to instigate a conversation about what she’s going to do about it. If you feel as though you’re starving yourself in the process, remember you can always go back for more when she’s not looking.

No.6 - Improve your own diet

It’s very easy for the two of you to fall into the downward spiral in which many couples begin to replace sexual intimacy with ice cream and cake. Don’t let this happen by focusing on your own health requirements and staking your right to a junk-food-free home. It might even be the only way of separating her from the fatty foods which have led to the current problem.

No.5 - Playfully grab her love handles

Ask any man and he’ll tell you that he instinctively flexes his biceps whenever a woman touches them. The same thing goes for a woman when you make contact with any unwanted flab: She recoils and feels embarrassment. Use this reaction to your advantage. Even if she thinks that you’re too busy at work to have noticed a few extra pounds, if you continually rest your hand on her love handles (or even lightly pinch them), she’ll soon realize that you’re becoming increasingly aware of something that never used to be there before.

No.4 - Ask her to wear an old dress

Plan a romantic night out for the two of you and insist that she wears something from when you first got together; particularly something that you know doesn’t fit her anymore. This way she’ll have to admit to you that she’s put on too much weight and can no longer get into many of her old clothes. Follow it up by telling her how good she looked in those days, and maybe she’ll make it her mission to get back to that size.

No.3 - Schedule a formal date

Every once in a while, we print the odd joke that just doesn’t translate from our editorial meetings, such as the original No. 3 on this list: Sabotage her chair. Although we meant to be facetious in tone, we ended up sounding hateful, and for that we apologize and present you with a new No. 3: Schedule a formal date.

Tell her you’re planning an exotic vacation or a fancy night out at least six weeks in advance of the date. Not only will this give her a fair amount of time to start getting back into shape, but having a formal date to look forward to will also give her something to want to look good for (unfortunately, Friday night in front of the TV doesn’t quite do it). Be sure to tell her that you’re looking forward to taking a ton of pictures of the two of you together.

No.2 - Leave “now” and “then” photos lying around

This is a highly effective way to draw attention to the explicit changes to her body as you see them. By consistently reminding her of how she used to look, she’ll inevitably be more inclined to do something about her excess flab. Appropriately chosen and strategically placed photos should accomplish this quite nicely. Keep in mind, if she confronts you about trying to shame her into losing weight, the key approach here is denial, as you reply: “Do you actually think I would be that manipulative?” Of course you would, but she doesn’t need to know that.

No.1 - Take her to places where she has to wear a swimsuit

If she seems content staying at home eating donuts in her track pants, why not start taking her to places where she has no choice but to wear a swimsuit? As she awkwardly looks around at all the slender bodies having a great time, she’ll more than likely vow to do something about her recent weight gain, especially if she knows she’ll be back there in the not-so-distant future.

Source: http://www.askmen.com/top_10/dating/top-10-subtle-ways-to-tell-her-shes-getting-fat_10.html

Are you like most of us that start up a routine and then end up not doing it for a while? You do it for a few weeks, then stop for a few and then start again. This can prevent your body from making any real progress because you are not being consistent. The best way to be consistent is with making it a habit. Let’s look at how to do that.

Some people are really great at keeping up their exercise routine. How do they do it?  There is a difference between long term motivation and short term. Most people will begin an exercise routine based upon one single event that reminds them to get in shape. Unfortunately, that event is a rare occurrence. If we want to keep our motivation up, we need to base our actions on motivation that is always around us. Here are some that worked for a certain group: General Fitness, Feelings of well-being, Pep and energy, Enjoyment of the exercise itself, a Decision to make exercise a priority, Sleeping better, Feeling alert, Being more relaxed all the time, Weight management and Overall appearance. Note that a few things are not included in the list like losing 25 pounds before summer and getting ripped abs or arms. The above motivators are more realistic and long term.

There are also some other goals you can set or strategies you can use to make the exercise habit much easier to keep. First and foremost should be the focus on reasonable goals. If you set your goals too high or unrealistic, you will probably not get those results soon enough and you’ll be discouraged. Also, pick a mix of different exercises so you don’t get bored with any one. There are thousands of movements out there from which to choose. Some are: weight lifting, walking, running, tennis, cycling, aerobics classes and on and on the list goes. Keep in mind to have options for when you travel and for when the weather is bad.

Another way to keep up the habit is to have an exercise buddy. This forces us to get up and get going when sometimes we might want to stay in bed. It can also create some healthy competition. Some people even use their family pet like their dog to be an exercise buddy. Dogs love to run.

It is also important to consider what time you exercise. If you wait until you are too busy, then you will always be canceling because you don’t have the time. Some people exercise first thing in the morning before the day starts and gets too busy. Others just after work. Setting a time can be very important if you see yourself constantly saying you have to cancel because of a schedule change.

Finally, as long as you are not overdoing it, exercise even if you’re not up to it. You may feel a bit tired or not in the mood. But, once you go out there and get started, you’ll get your energy back. This is often the case when we start a new routine. So if you are wanting to get into the habit, the best time to start is today. Don’t put it off until tomorrow!

You want to stay away from getting dehydrated. Some studies have found that a loss of two or more percent of one’s body weight due to sweating is linked to a drop in blood volume. When this occurs, the heart works harder to move blood through the bloodstream. This can also cause muscle cramps, dizziness and fatigue and even heat illness including heat exhaustion and heat Stroke.

But, what makes us dehydrate fastest? If we don’t drink enough, we’ll run out of reserves right away. This is the main cause. Oftentimes, people are not aware that they need to drink more. If you sweat too much or the weather is unusually hot, this can do it, too. It is also important to  drink during exercise if you are losing a lot of water or exercising for a long time. But be careful not to drink too much, that can be dangerous, too.

Sometimes, sports drinks can be helpful to athletes who are exercising for more than 30 or 45 minutes. Fluids supplying 60 to 100 calories per 8 ounces helps to supply the needed calories required for continuous performance. It’s really not necessary to replace losses of sodium, potassium and other electrolytes during exercise since you’re unlikely to deplete your body’s stores of these minerals during normal training. If, however, you find yourself in a marathon, Ironman or ultramarathon, you may  want to add a sports drink with electrolytes.

Be careful, though. New studies show that the citric acid contained in sports drinks can damage teeth. New York University College of Dentistry researchers cut the teeth in half and placed them in top-selling sports drinks. After soaking for up to 90 minutes, which the researchers said simulated sipping on the drinks throughout the day, the enamel coating of the teeth was partially eaten away. This allowed the drinks to leak into the bone-like material underneath the enamel, causing the teeth to soften and weaken.

Also, some people are pushing for a ban on the sale of sports drinks and flavored waters in schools, warning that drinks such as Gatorade and Powerade contain as much as two-thirds the sugar of sodas, and more than three times the sodium. Some studies have shown that students who drink one 20-ounce sports drink every day for a year may gain about 13 pounds. This is no surprise to some nutritionists, who note that when you look at the ingredients, it’s water, high-fructose corn syrup, and salt.

Of course the people that produce and sell these drinks have a different view. It is up to you to decide what to use to rehydrate your body, but make sure you do. It will help with your exercise enjoyment and effectiveness.

With the fear of some of the illnesses that come from food like; Mad Cow disease, E.coli, salmonella, improper food handling, pesticides, antibiotics and hormones, concerned consumers are looking to healthier options to feed their families. Instead of avoiding meat altogether, some people are turning to organic meats, poultry and dairy.

But what is organic farming? First, what it isn’t. Organic farming is like the good old days of traditional farming before technology took over. Driven by low cost and high profits, conventional farming tends to use as many means as possible to produce more meat for every acre. But that compromises the health and sanitation of the animals to be slaughtered, and raises the issue of a sewage overload  contaminating the land and water supply. Conventionally farmed animals are kept in tightly confined areas and fed animal by-products, cheaply grown feed, and sometimes manure instead of natural grass or good quality organic feed. This really inceases  the incidence of sickness and disease with the animals. Conventionally raised feed is genetically modified and heavily treated with pesticides. The animals store the residues of these pesticides in their fatty tissue. Similarly, the animals store the residues of animal by-products they are fed as well.

So, what is organic farming? George Siemon, Founder of Organic Valley Family of Farms, an organic family farming cooperative, explains this simply: “Organic farming starts at the bottom of the food chain by raising healthy soil, which grows healthy plants, which grow healthy animals, which make healthy humans.” Certified organic meats are carefully scrutinized and tested for food safety and for strict compliance to the regulations at every step of the process. Here are some of the qualities of organic meats: No pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. They are 100% certified organic feed and pasture, which means no genetically modified foods seeds or feeds or and is raised without herbicides, pesticides or chemical fertilizers. There are no nitrates, nitrites or preservatives. The animals are never fed animal by-products. The animals have freedom of movement with full access to the outdoors and they are treated humanely. Also, farm and farm records are inspected every year by a third party to ensure the standards are being enforced.

Animals grown organically are naturally healthy – they rarely get sick. If an animal does get sick and has no alternative except for antibiotics, a farmer must treat the animal or risk losing certification. However, once the animal is treated with antibiotics, it can no longer be certified organic. After treatment involving drugs, the animal is moved to a conventional farm. So, when buying organic meat, not only are you assured the meat is virtually residue-free, you are guaranteed that you are getting meat from an animal that was healthy throughout its life.

Organic meat is an option worth exploring. We are what we eat. Choosing high quality organic animal products will reduce the amount of contaminants we consume. Beyond that, the health benefits of organic foods and farming reach far beyond our bodies to our environment as well. So check out organic meats next time you go grocery shopping.

Have you been sleeping more than required? If you have been hitting on the snooze more than three times every morning, surely we have a problem in hand. While sleeping too much is in itself a problem, there are other illnesses that follow the suite.

Over sleeping often results in diabetes, migraine, hypertension and various heart-related risks. However, it is important to understand that if you have been sleeping a little in excess, then it could be a symptom of an under-lying problem.

Study shows that people who are stressed-out often tend to over-sleep. Depressed people end-up sleeping off their troubles, something that can be a tell-tale of unhappiness in one’s life. If you happen to have a close one who has a troubled lifestyle and sleeps too much, well, get help now. Next reason to over-sleep is lack of exercise.

A good sleep is all about quality rather than quantity. If you have not been exercising enough, it is most likely that you will not be able to enjoy a sound sleep. This will result in your body compensating by over-sleeping.

Timing your meals and the nature of your diet is important for a good sleep. Make sure that you do not eat too much of junks and processed food, as your body takes trouble breaking them down. Stick to a healthy diet, as a well-balanced meal is one of the secrets of having a good sleep. There are various ways to enhance the quality of your sleep. With a few healthy tips, you will be able to handle your sleep disorders soon.

Eating a good three hours prior to hitting the sack or have a light supper before going to bed is a good idea for quality sleep. A good exercise routine will make you physically fit and ensure you a nice nap. Having a warm shower and soft music in the evenings, just before bed help you sleep better.

Your bedroom should be well-aerated and exclusively meant for what it is supposed to be, just sleeping. Filling your mind with happy thoughts just before sleeping only makes way for sweet dreams!

Although mostly done by young girls, jumping rope is also for Olympic wrestlers, volleyball players, skaters and swimmers. It is so beneficial, it obliterates calories, up to 1,000 an hour, and raises your heart rate on par with running, but without the joint-jarring impact. It also does wonders for your agility, posture, balance, reflexes and coordination, improving your prowess in games requiring leg strength and balance. It also blasts your calves, tones your delts and arms, and fires your abs. It’s considered the best for a warm-up and cool down for weightlifting, it’s ideal for home and travel, and easily the cheapest fitness device you can buy.

Skipping rope is not listed on American Sports Data’s annual fitness-participation surveys. People can find it frustrating when they begin. You can see elementary-school girls skipping rope on the sidewalk, but not skipping just a few times and messing up. They can skip perfectly for an hour if they want. They do this by mixing skipping techniques. It’s also more fun to do it this way. Instead of doing the same two-foot bounce over and over, change up every 10 or 20 jumps. A single bounce, a double-bounce, a skip, a jog, a knee-up, even a boxer’s shuffle like Rocky.

“The staple of a rope workout is footwork changes, which you should do every 30 seconds or so to avoid muscle fatigue,” says Chicago-based David “the Rope Warrior” Fisher, who is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for, among other things, “tush-ups” -skipping rope while sitting flat on his butt. “If you do a pogo (a basic double-foot bounce) for more than 30 seconds, your calves begin to fatigue and ache. Soon, that compromises your form, and you miss.” It also must be noted that in the beginning, you will lose your timing and get tired and mess up a bit. That doesn’t matter. It ’s easy to recover and after several days you’ll get better.

There are several varieties you’ll find on the internet or just watching the school kids play. All of these can be combined to make the workout fun and interesting. If you’re afraid of losing your macho image (for the guys), you can always do it in the garage or a room with a high enough ceiling. You’ll find that skipping rope is a great work-out that doesn’t take hours or even 30 minutes to benefit from. Sometimes 5 to 7 minutes can a be a good workout. You can do it with intensity to really get you heart pumping. And it involves the whole body, so many calories are burned and the whole system is benefited. C’mon. Give it a try!

Some of the easiest activates are also the ones that give you the lowest fitness results. Although you may enjoy them, keep in mind, they aren’t getting you in any better shape. Some of the lowest on the scale are bowling (have you seen a fit bowler?) sitting quietly and golfing with a power cart. Billiards, lawn darts and ice fishing also scored pretty low – especially ice fishing. Most of the activity is just sitting and waiting for a fish to bite. There’s not much effort in that.

Moving up a bit on the effort scale, we get into moderate activities. Backpacking and badminton are both in the same area with burning double the calories of sedentary ones. Stationary bicycling is also in the same range of effort and health benefits. It is interesting to note that when you get a on a real bicycle, all health benefits go up. Even with the same moderate effort range, a real bicycle is more challenging and will give you more calories burned.

Moving up another notch of activity into the real calorie burners you’ll find things like a stair climber, tae kwon do karate, singles tennis and swimming laps. All of these activities are, of course, keeping you moving much more than sitting still. It’s this constant motion and demand on your muscles to go quickly in spurts of action that makes all the difference. Also, the more muscle groups involved has an impact on the calories burned. More big muscles working hard equals more energy needed and expended. Jumping rope is also one of the best exercises for burning calories you can do.

Now the crown for the king of exercises has to go to several different activities, but all of them are truly taxing and you must be in shape to keep them up. Bicycle racing is one of them. Boxing and competitive canoeing are also near the top. Roller blading and running at 8 mph also take the cake as some of the best calorie burners. Finally, walking up stairs is one of the most efficient things you can do if you want to burn more calories. You don’t see many people doing it for exercise, though. Most people like to do sports or something provided by the gym. The stair steppers are great, but often are so tiring that people don’t do them for long.

Remember that whatever exercise you do, keep your health in mind. See you doctor if you are embarking on a new regime and take your time if you’re doing something new. Bicycling can be dangerous if you’re new on the road or taking chances. Even lifting weights in the gym can be harmful if you’re not cautious or if you pick up more than you can handle. But, starting a new routine will build confidence and improve your looks and health. Why not try something new tomorrow?

Using soap/harsh cleanser
Using soap to cleanse the skin is a common mistake that most of us do. Soap and other harsh foaming cleansers strip the face off the natural oils and moisture leaving the complexion looking dull, dry and lifeless. Soaps may also contain harsh fragrances and strong astringents which can cause irreparable damage to the skin.
Dermatologists recommend a gentle, non-foaming, fragrance free cleanser which gently cleanses your skin, without damaging it.

Sleeping with Makeup at night
Not removing makeup before going to sleep at night is a recipe for a skin disaster as the harmful ingredients and chemicals in makeup if left over-night can irritate and harm your complexion. It can also clog your pores and trap oil and dirt, leading to acne break-outs and other skin reactions. Hence, it is imperative that you remove your makeup with a gentle cleanser before going to bed.

Over-Exfoliating
Exfoliation can strip off dead cells from the skin and lend a healthy glow if done correctly and in moderation. Over-exfoliating can leave the skin dull and dry, especially in winters and in people with dry skin. Exfoliating once in 10 days with natural exfoliants such as oatmeal, crushed almonds, etc works best for all skin types.

Not Using Sun-block lotions/creams
The sun’s harsh rays are the number one culprit when it comes to damaging skin. The harsh UV rays of the sun can lead to pre-mature ageing, cause wrinkles and pigmentation and lead to serious conditions such as skin cancer. Hence it is essential to use a sun-block cream with a suitable SPF to counter the harmful effects of the sun.

Wrong Lifestyle/ Eating Habits
A healthy lifestyle is essential in maintaining a radiant complexion. Smoking and drinking can cause irreparable damage to the skin and cause it to age pre-maturely. Not consuming enough water can also lead to dull and dry complexion. So, a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet can go a long way in keeping the skin glowing and radiant.

There are salty snacks and sweet snacks, too. Some of the salty snacks that may satisfy your craving are: a handful of olives, a pretzel or two, hummus with carrot sticks, some tuna jerky, nori crackers and nuts and seeds. Some of the sweet snacks that may help you with a craving are: balance bars, yoghurt, and dried fruits like raisins. You may want to stay away from the lo-fat or lo-calorie processed foods in the form of cookies or prepared snacks as much as possible. Even though they use lo-calorie sweeteners, these are not always good for you. And diet sodas have been found to be just as bad for us as sugared sodas according to some sources.

Some of the Japanese style snacks are naturally healthy for you. Dried fish treats and seaweed are rarely unhealthy. As well as dried peas and edamame – boiled soy beans with a little salt. Popcorn can be good for you if not covered in sugar or too much salt and butter. The best snacks are of the fresh vegetable variety, though. Try to mix colors if possible; this often insures you’re getting a mixture of the right vitamins and minerals. Snack on whatever you most like: carrots and celery, cabbage or cauliflower. Also, broccoli is one of the best for you. Cherry tomatoes and green salad also do the trick.

If you must eat something out of a bag , keep it to a minimum. Most processed snacks like corn chips or potato chips may say they are healthier than others, but most are all in the same category of too salty or fatty or high in carbs. Our bodies do best with fresh foods like vegetables and lean meats. Heavy sauces and gravies may seem scrumptious, but are not good for health if eaten all the time.

Sugary snacks and those made with artificial sweeteners are always going to be the last choice if you’re watching your health. The body needs salt, but snacks with too much salt are also very unhealthy. French fries and soft drinks can probably account for 20% of the overweight of people in developed countries. If you stick with fresh vegetables and not too many fruits, you’ll do your body good. Find the right mixture of lean meats or protein sources, vegetables and fruits that work for you and your body. Everyone is different and each day is different with stresses and surprises. Stay in touch with your body and your body will be good to you.

The Raw Meat Diet

Many of us may consider eating raw meat as primitive, unhealthy, and disease causing. However, there is a group of people who believe otherwise. Several people believe that only eating raw meat is the key to good health, and that cooked food destroys all the nutrients that are present in its raw form. They thus, follow a diet that contains raw eggs, raw dairy and raw meat, which they find very beneficial for digestive health and highly nutritious.

People who believe that eating raw meat for health is essential, frown upon cooked or even smoked meat. They believe that cooking any type of raw meat above a temperature of 104 ºF causes the meat to lose its nutritional value, and renders it unhealthy. The food that can be included in the raw meat diet is:

- Uncooked/Unprocessed meat

- Raw eggs

- Raw dairy

- Aged meat/Fish

- Organ meats such as liver

- Century eggs (aged raw animal food)

All the meat that is consumed in a raw meat diet is free-range or grass-fed. Free-range is a type of husbandry, where animals are not caged or controlled in any manner. Instead, they are allowed complete and free access to the farm. This is done so that the cost of feeding is reduced, and so that the quality of meat is better. The environment also has an effect on animals, and the happier they are, the better the final product for you to consume.

Benefits of Eating Raw Meat

Based on several research studies, and the experience of people who have taken to eating raw meat, the following benefits have been discovered:

- Studies have shown that the body digests only raw food thoroughly, not cooked food that produces carcinogenic toxins. These toxins are known to have several side effects on the body.

- Several people have found that switching to a raw meat diet, has given them better health, and have reversed diseases that they were severely affected by.

- Research has also shown that people who suffer from vomit and diarrhea are the ones who eat cooked food, and not raw food. Apparently, the microbes and pathogens that cause food poisoning are found in the environment, and not in the food itself. This is how perhaps, those who have eaten raw meat may have suffered from food poisoning.

- Eating raw meat that is free-range makes it less prone to the development of harmful bacteria such as E.coli and salmonella. This means, the risk of developing disease from such dangerous bacteria is greatly reduced.

- According to a research, the amount of E.coli in such meat that is grass-fed is minimal. This amount cannot survive in the human system, and is easily eliminated from the body.

- Raw meat that is grass fed, and not grain fed, also has high quantities of vitamins, minerals and Omega-3 fatty acids.

While eating raw meat diet, you have to ensure that the source you purchase it from is a good, hygienic one. Grocery bought meat will never be safe, if eaten raw. Make sure that you acquaint yourself with a local raw meat supplier, identify his sources, and then start with eating raw meat.

Harmful Effects of Eating Raw Meat

If you are resorting to a raw meat diet, you have to make sure that the meat is organic, free-range, and fresh. If you do not, following are the risks you may be undertaking:

- You may contract the bacteria called E.coli, effects of which include severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and dehydration.

- Salmonella is another bacteria that can be ingested, causing symptoms of a salmonella infection such as a severe stomach upset, diarrhea and nausea.

- Another bacteria that can be consumed while eating raw meat is Campylobacter jejuni. This can cause severe abdominal problem, fever and headaches.

- Several people have already suffered from food poisoning and indigestion because of the consumption of undercooked meat.

- You also run the risk of getting tapeworm if you start eating raw meat.

Every human being has a digestive system that is different from the other. How your body adapts to the raw meat diet may be different from someone else. So, before you take to eating raw meat, do ensure that you consult a doctor, and a nutritionist to guide you in the right manner, and tell you how to eat raw meat so that it is beneficial for you, without any side effects.

It can be traced back thousands of years to china. The Chinese would place a wooden pole into the ground and perform a series of acrobatic moves for the emperor. Nowadays, in the famous Cirque Du Soleil, similar performances are done. Modern pole dancing originated in the 1920’s at height of the American depression.  The fairs would go from town to town entertaining the crowds. One particular tent housed the erotic Hoochi Coochi dancers. The word Hoochi Coochi originates from the hip movement performed by the Hoochi Coochi dancers. It’s the equivalent today’s bump and grind. The girls would dance suggestively on a small stage in front of crowds of cheering. Due to size of the tent, the tent pole would be situated at the very edge of the stage.  The dancer would approach the tent pole and begin to dance with it. The tent pole became known, as the dance pole, which still exists today, be it in a more technically advanced and socially acceptable form.

In modern times, pole dancing has evolved into different genres, exotic, empowering and pole fitness. There is a great deal of difference between them, so, why not try them all? Some several million women have discovered pole dance classes and take part each day. Exotic Dance classes are found to be a source of both mental and physical health.  The workout is rigorous and challenging.

The standard dance pole typically consists of a hollow steel or brass pole with circular cross section, running from floor to ceiling. Another common pole is the spinning pole; as its name suggests, it is similar to a standard dance pole but spins using ball bearings. The purpose of this pole is to create better momentum and higher rates of speed, in order to have a greater dramatic effect. There are even some versions of poles for dancing that you can use at home.

A group of advocates are even pushing for pole dancing to be represented as a test event in the 2012 London Olympics. But because this is a relatively new trend, scoring for competitions is not standardized, while names of the techniques vary among different clubs in different regions. In Australia, ‘Miss Pole Dance Australia’ was started in 2006.

Pole dancing even has its share of celebrities getting in on the action. So, whether you want to be an exotic pole dancer in a night club or just do it for basic health and fun exercise, pole dancing may be your secret to the end of boring exercises like jogging and weights and the beginning of a new adventure in fitness.

Thai Massage is relatively new to modern spas, but it was actually developed by Buddhist monks in Thailand as a healing modality 2,500 years ago. Thai massage uses passive stretching and gentle pressure along the body’s energy lines to increase flexibility, relieve muscle and joint tension and balance the body’s energy systems. Thai massage is both deeply relaxing and energizing.

Thai massage takes place on a futon mat on the floor, and you wear loose fitting clothing. Some spas, like The Mandarin Oriental, Miami, provide you with an outfit to wear. Others may ask you to wear something loose and comfortable, like sweat pants, during your Thai massage. You start by laying on your back, and the therapist uses gentle compression and stretching techniques to open up your body, beginning with you legs. Some people say Thai massage is a little like doing yoga without any effort, because the therapist will push your body into various positions without any work on your part.

What does Thai massage feel like?

Thai massage is more energizing and rigorous than more classic forms of massage. Thai massage is also called Thai yoga massage, because the therapist uses his or her hands, knees, legs, and feet to move you into a series of yoga-like stretches. Many people say Thai massage is like doing yoga without any work. Muscle compression, joint mobilization, and acupressure are also used during treatment. People describe Thai massage as both relaxing and energizing.

What should I expect during my visit?

Thai massage is usually done on a padded mat on the floor. No oil is applied, so you are fully dressed. You are usually asked to bring or wear comfortable clothing to the massage. A typical Thai massage is 60 minutes to two hours long.

What conditions is Thai massage used for?

Many people find that Thai massage has the following benefits:

- Relaxes

- Reduces stress

- Improves circulation

- Increases energy

- Increases flexibility

- Improves range of motion

- Centers the mind and body

Precautions

Massage is not recommended for certain people:

- Infectious skin disease, rash, or open wounds

- Immediately after surgery

- Immediately after chemotherapy or radiation, unless recommended by your doctor

- Prone to blood clots. There is a risk of blood clots being dislodged. If you have heart disease, check with your doctor before having a massage

- Pregnant women should check with their doctor first if they are considering getting a massage. Massage in pregnant women should be done by massage therapists who are certified in pregnancy massage.

- Massage should not be done directly over bruises, inflamed skin, unhealed wounds, tumors, abdominal hernia, or areas of recent fractures.

Additional tips

- Don’t eat a heavy meal before the massage

- If it’s your first time at the clinic or spa, arrive at least 10 minutes early to complete the necessary forms. Otherwise, arrive 5 minutes early so you can have a few minutes to rest and relax before starting the massage.

- Be sure that your massage therapist has your complete health history, because people with certain conditions should not have Thai massage.

- If you feel discomfort at any time, let your massage therapist know.