Using The Athlete's Secrets To Help Yourself Get in Shape - Active Isolated Stretching

Haven’t you ever wondered how athletes can afford to push themselves to the limit daily without overtaxing their muscles? You wish you could do the same whenever you start on an intensive exercise regime to get yourself in shape. Well, the secret to this is: active isolated stretching.

Active isolated stretching is no secret among athletes, unfortunately, the masses have yet to really know about it. Not only can active isolated stretching help to tone your muscles, it actually increases flexibility levels of the very same muscles.

One should remember that there are a few basic principles to be kept in mind when attempting to perform active isolated stretching. And that is what is suggested in its name: Isolation - only one muscle should be worked at a single point in time! While a specific muscle is being stretched, its corresponding and opposite muscle should remain contracted: this would allow the corresponding muscle to be readied for its own stretching.

It is important to stretch the selected muscle gently to avoid tearing and straining of muscles. The speed at which you stretch the muscle is of consideration as well. By stretching it with adequate speed, it will increase the flexibility of the muscle, as there is less time for the muscle to be readied and contract into a protective position. Normal stretches which are slower in nature tend to allow muscles to contract into a protective position, reducing effects on flexibility.

The Straight Leg Hamstrings Stretch is a good example of active isolated stretching which allows you to stretch the hamstrings, large muscles located on the back of your thighs. All that is actually needed for this isolated workout is a simple piece of rope to target the contraction of muscles that run from the front of the hips to the front of the thighs.

Starting with the right foot, you should be lying on your back, contracting the left leg that is not targeted by bending it and placing the left foot firmly on the ground. Hold the ends of the rope, to form a loop and place the right foot in the middle of the rope. Stretch the right leg and keep your right knee locked. Lift the right knee as high as you can and tighten the hold you have over the rope by pulling it towards you, moving your hand up the rope in a climbing motion. Each stretch should last for only approximately 2 seconds long, with 10 repetitions. Repeat the procedure on your left leg. This allows the hamstrings to gain increased flexibility as you tone the muscles.

There are many other exercises that you can attempt for active isolated stretching. For more information, exercise books as well as the internet can be consulted. Given time and practice, you will be toning muscles efficiently while gaining flexibility, as well as whipping your body into shape!

Moses Wright is the founder of Stretching Exercise. He provides more useful information on , Stretching Equipment and Sports Muscle Stretching on his website. Webmasters are welcome to reprint this article if you keep the content and live link intact.

Easy way to help yourself!

Although it's easy to pick up the phone and call that friend who always has an answer, or post a message to your favorite tech forum, you might want to take a few steps to try to solve the problem on your own—or at least be prepared with the information your geek in shining armor will need to troubleshoot the problem for you. Here are ten steps that can help you solve your problems faster.

1. Update your system.

Make sure that you are using the latest drivers for your hardware—and that you've installed all the Windows Updates—and check for updates to any applications you use, especially any that seem to be related to your current computer problem.

Microsoft is always updating Windows with minor patches and bug fixes. Depending on whether you use Windows Automatic Updates, keeping the OS up to date may require some diligence on your part. In Windows XP, select Start | All Programs | Windows Update. (Other programs will often include update options on their Help or File menus.)

2. Check your connections.

This may sound obvious, but check all the cables to make sure they are plugged in securely. Don't ignore this step. USB, printer, and serial cables have a way of working themselves loose and causing problems. Also make sure all the boards are seated properly and the cables connected inside your PC. If you get a beeping tone when you boot, and no video, start by opening the machine and reseating the graphics board in its slot.

3. Reboot.

Windows sometimes gets into a confused or panic state, and by simply rebooting you can clear the memory and set things straight. Similarly, if you're having a problem connecting to the Internet, try rebooting your cable/DSL modem and router by unplugging and replugging them. But this isn't something you should have to do often. If you find yourself rebooting your router once a day, the problem is a bit deeper.

4. Roll back your system.

Windows XP and Windows Me offer System Restore, which lets you roll back your computer to an earlier configuration. By default, Windows creates periodic checkpoints either on a scheduled basis or when you make changes to the system. In case of a problem, the System Restore wizard lets you step back to a prior state when your system was running better; it won't delete data files, but will restore system files and Registry entries. To get to the System Restore wizard, go to Start | Accessories | System Tools | System Restore.

5. Roll back drivers.

Remember when we said to update your drivers? Well, sometimes that can backfire on you. If something breaks when you update a driver, you should use the Driver Rollback utility, which works much like System Restore but only on a specific device driver.

To roll back to a previous driver, open the device manager (Control Panel | System | Hardware | Device Manager), select the device with the driver you want to roll back, right-click, and open its Properties. Under the Drivers tab, you can update, roll back, or uninstall the driver.

6. Narrow down the problem.

Try to isolate when and where the problem happens. If, for example, you discover your printer isn't working from Word, check to see whether it works from Notepad or IE. Many times the problem is just a wrong setting.

If your USB camera stopped working when you plugged in your printer, try removing devices and putting them back one by one to see exactly when the problem occurs. Maybe you can print when you first boot up, but it seems to go haywire after you send some faxes? Does the problem occur all the time or only after the machine has been running for a while? Is the problem repeatable? Observing what situations lead up to a problem can be a great help in determining what is causing it.

7. Know your system.

Resolving a problem over the phone requires a series of questions, often having to do with the specific hardware, OS, and software you're using. Know the model numbers for all your hardware. You can access CPU and memory info by selecting Control Panel | System. Drill down from here into Hardware | Device Manager for information about other devices such as your sound and graphics cards.

Try to remember any new software, no matter how small or insignificant, that you've installed or noticed lately. It can also help to jot down any services running in the background. To access a list of what is running on your Windows XP system, press Ctrl-Alt-Del and select Task Manager. You can also get very detailed info from Start | All Programs | Accessories | System Tools | System Information.

8. Check for IRQ conflicts.

IRQs (interrupt requests) are hardware connections that the CPU uses to receive signals from a device. If two devices are using the same IRQ, they can conflict with each other and cause crashes. In most cases, IRQs are assigned automatically when the PC boots. Occasionally, a device may want a specific IRQ, even though this causes a conflict with another device.

To view a device's IRQ listings, open Start | Control Panel | System and select Device Manager. Find the device (sound card, modem, whatever); right-click on it and select Properties, and click the Resources tab. You will see a list of resources: I/O range, memory range, and IRQ. Some devices let you configure these; other configurations are automatic. You will also see the conflicting-device list. Note the IRQ and any conflicting devices. Sometimes swapping two boards or moving one farther away will fix an IRQ conflict.

Help yourself!!

"It's about working on yourself and being happy with yourself before you're in a relationship," says reader Nichole Rich of the self-help book she shared with one of our editors in "Dear Reader" (page 212). Rich herself is no stranger to self-fulfillment: The East Taunton, Mass., preschool teacher, who is studying to obtain her doctorate in educational leadership from Bridgewater State College, holds a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do and still finds time to work as a personal trainer.

Help yourself to Tacos

We had stress-free weeknights in mind when we put together this Southwestern sampler.

Meals are easier-and tastier-with this menu. No need to stand over the stove for long to prepare our taco filling. Your slow cooker does most of the work. Plus, you can freeze the filling for other meals. Serve make-ahead Mexican Slaw on the side or on your tacos as a zesty alternative to lettuce. -SHANNON SLITER SATTERWHITE

Easy Taco Bar

SERVES 8

Slow-cooker Beef Tacos

favorite toppings

Mexican Slaw

Black Beans and Yellow Rice

Slow-cooker Beef Tacos

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 20 MIN.; COOK: 6 HRS., 10 MIN.

We brown the beef before slow-cooking to add color and enhance flavor. This mixture is also great over baked potatoes with your favorite toppings.

2 lb. boneless beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. chili powder

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste

2 cups beef broth

1 small white onion

1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce

½ medium-size green bell pepper

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. pepper

Flour or corn tortillas, warmed

Toppings: shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream

1. Sprinkle beef evenly with salt.

2. Cook beef, in batches, in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove beef, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Add 1 Tbsp. chili powder to Dutch oven; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add 2 cups beef broth, and stir, scraping bits from bottom of Dutch oven. Return beef to Dutch oven, and stir.

3. Place beef mixture in a 4 ½-quart slow cooker. Add onion and next 4 ingredients. Cook on HIGH 4 hours or on LOW 6 hours or until beef is tender. Serve with warm tortillas and desired toppings.

Black Beans and Yellow Rice

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 10 MIN., COOK: 25 MIN.

1 (10-oz.) package yellow rice mix

2 (15-oz.) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (14 ½-OZ.) can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

1 (4.5-oz.) can chopped green chiles

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers

1. Prepare rice mix according to package directions.

2. Heat beans, tomatoes, and chiles in a large skillet over medium heat. Add rice and cheese, stirring until cheese melts. DEBORAH DIETZLER ANDERSON

ATHENS, GEORGIA

Mexican Slaw

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

PREP: 15 MIN., CHILL: 4 HRS.

1/3 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. orange juice

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 (10-oz.) package finely shredded cabbage

½ lb. jicama, shredded (2 cups)

1 large carrot, shredded (about ½ cup)

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Whisk together olive oil and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add shredded cabbage and remaining ingredients, and toss to coat. Cover and chill slaw mixture at least 4 hours.

SHANNON RALEY

VESTAVIA HILLS, ALABAMA

FOR MORE INFO 63 different ways to make taras: southernliving.com/features

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2006
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

Self-Help Movement In America

Books-A-Million isn't the only bookstore in my Dupont Circle neighborhood, but it is the one with the most pedestrian selection. The social science section carries 12 copies of Scan Hannity's latest outrage, but browse for George Orwell, and you'll find one copy each of Animal Farm and 1984. There's not a hint that the author was at all useful for purposes other than a term paper that's due tomorrow. What the store lacks in depth and atmosphere, however, seems to be made up for by one of the largest self-help divisions in Washington. The personal growth and New Age offerings far outstrip philosophy, poetry, and world history combined.
Indeed, self-help represents one of the largest growth areas in the publishing world. Dr. Phil McGraw, benefiting from Oprah Winfrey's patronage, has sold 23 million books in 37 languages. The nearly 4,000 new titles released each year bring in $650 million in sales--only a drop in the bucket for a $6.5 billion self-help industry also comprising weekend power retreats by the likes of Tony Robbins; life coaches who will, for a fee, coach you to become a coach yourself; and such radio busybodies as Dr. Laura Schlessinger, the physiologist who instead practices psychotherapy.
In his new book, SHAM: How the Self-Help Movement Made America Helpless, Steve Salerno identifies two particular strains of American psychological invalidism--empowerment and victimization--each with its own set of gurus and spokesmen. On the one hand, Americans enjoy deflecting responsibility for their own behavior onto such indefensible victims as society. But on the other hand, America's can-do entrepreneurial spirit supposes that, if one wants something badly enough, prays hard enough on it, and puts in a little work, one can overcome any obstacle. "Get over it," recommends empowerment enthusiast Dr. Phil, a line he allegedly first tried out years ago on his wife when confronted with suspicions of adultery.

If one positive thing can be said about the self-help industry, it is that empowerment--however vague the concept--has won out against victimization. In the 1980s, talk shows celebrated the abused and neglected; self-help books of the era referred to toxic people, toxic relationships, and toxic shame. "Victimization," Salerno writes, "became socially permissible, if not almost fashionable in certain circles." But somewhere between O.J. Simpson and Monica Lewinsky, Middle America began to sense that things had gone too far. Tender feelings, they said, led to slack criminal penalties and lower standards in schools. Oprah manned the point, first with her willingness to openly confront her weight issues and challenge women to take charge of their lives, and then by introducing the world to her baldheaded former jury consultant beau ideal.
But empowerment in theory is not the same as empowerment in practice, particularly when the therapy takes place on a sound stage before an audience of millions. As Salerno makes clear, it can be hard to distinguish television psychologists from the unscrupulous doctors who lend their white coats to the promotion of dubious natural healing products. As anyone who has been to therapy knows, psychology is more art than science. One gastroenterologist may be as effective as another, but even the most qualified and reliable therapist may not be helpful to many patients, and most practitioners operate outside any formal oversight. For those like Dr. Phil and Dr. Laura who keep their clients at a distance through books and other media, there is nothing other than their ratings to keep them honest. To ward off liability, Salerno reports, "guests are required to sign a waiver form in which they acknowledge that Dr. Phil's advice is not to be construed as 'therapy or substitute for therapy,'" although that, of course, is precisely what his show is marketed as providing.
In fact, these programs come as close to providing therapy as "The People's Court" does to providing justice. But in the final analysis, not much permanent harm is done over the airwaves. Being called a "slut" by Dr. Laura may be unpleasant, but if one is "shacking up," it's the predictable response. Nobody appears on these shows as a substitute for needed therapy. Much more disturbing are America's 25,000 "certified" life coaches who, working more intimately with their clients, are able to milk thousands upon thousands out of their needy clients.
The beauty of life coaching is that the potential market is mind-bogglingly huge--anyone with a life needs a life coach, goes the slogan. For a few hundred dollars an hour, your life coach will assist in making personal and career decisions, and setting priorities. "Many life coaches begin with diagnostics intended to yield a reasonably valid personality profile of the customer," explains Salerno. "Having established a baseline ... a coach works with him or her on a 'life blueprint' and eventually formulates a series of 'action plans.'" In short, these "New Age therapist[s] sans portfolio" earn their money by simply passing along common sense. How can this work, you ask? Life coaching is, according to Salerno, therapy with a different gender marketing plan. The word "coach," he writes, is used to draw in a male clientele: "Men make up a full sixty percent of the caseload of coaching while women represent seventy percent of the caseload in therapy."