Reality Check, Everyone!

Shakira, Shakira

Belly-Dance is good for you

by Angelique
http://www.angeliqueandfriends.com/good.html

Many people are surprised to learn that Middle-Eastern Dance, commonly known as "belly-dance," involves much more than the belly! In fact, belly-dance can benefit many parts of the body. Here are some of the health benefits of Middle-Eastern Dance:

• Exercising the carrying muscles without impact. A belly-dancer uses her quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes to hold her steady as she performs hip movements or travels smoothly across the floor. However, even though she gets a great lower-body workout, the amount of impact to her knees and ankles is minimal. Impact is measured not only by how hard our feet strike the ground, but by how much stress is placed on our joints. Using this measure, most of Middle-Eastern dance is considered non-impact; some tribal and folk dances are low-impact.
• Building the back muscles evenly. Belly-dancers use their torsos a lot-much more than ballet, modern or tap dancers. Only jazz dancers come close to our use of rib movements and undulations. These movements, coupled with shoulder movements, exercise the back muscles, and they exercise the muscles evenly. Strong back muscles prevent back injuries, and they promote good posture as well.
• Exercising the arms. New belly-dance students are always surprised by much they have to use their arm muscles. Belly-dancers have to hold their arms up for long periods of time, and it actually takes quite a lot of strength to perform arm movements slowly and gracefully.
• Aiding digestion. It's true! Exercising the abdominal area, not just by rolling the belly, but also by swaying the torso, helps food move along the digestive system. Any form of exercise will have this effect to some degree, but belly-dance is especially good for this purpose.

(Source : Atlanta belly dancing)

Never thought that belly dancing is challenging as I have been dancing in school since I was 7 years old. I thought that it is just about shaking of hips for the fun of it. I wanted to try this class because I heard that it can relieve PMS. So for my boyfriend's sake, who always have to tolerate with my moodiness! I thought that why not give it a try, just shake hips and it would be beneficial to myself and also people around me, like who likes grumpy people?

But after going for classes, it is more than that. It works the abs, and arms. And when I say it works the abs, it(the burning) feels like you are doing crunches! My arms were totally tired of holding it up for one whole hour of the class. 

One class was all it takes for me to be addicted and come back for more fun-while-toning-my-whole-body class!

Favourite Yoga Poses

Each yoga poses have its own benefits. It had helped me in my life in many ways. I would come to any of the poses randomly whenever and where ever. And below are a few of my favourite poses that I usually do.
Whenever I have back pain after sitting in front of the computer for long hours:

I would come to this pose called extended child pose. It really relieves the back. I care about my backbone. According to my yoga teacher, we have to take care of it so that it will benefit us when we are older.

I would sometime come to this pose called cobra pose. This is to build muscles and strengthen your backbone. So that when I get older like 40-50 years old, I would not have much problem with my back as the muscles are still there to support my backbone. Apart from this, I would also watch my posture when I sit,  so that I would not adapt the bad habit of slouching.

Whenever I am feeling 'fat' :

I would go to this position called boat pose, where I feel my stomach 'burning'. My yoga teacher would call this good pain, and indeed it is! If you would want to try it, it is advisable not to do it straight after your meal,  do it 3 to 4 hours after meal.

After that to this :

This is the bridge pose, I do it to recover after doing the boat pose. Even after I did crunches or sit-ups, I will turn to this pose, to relieve the back.

And also this :

Half spinal twist - After practices, I believe that it has made my waist smaller!

That's all for today. Be back with more tips!

Work It Out

I think looked thinner in an unhealthy way back then. I used to be influenced by the concept of thinspiration. But I did not really starve myself. However, since I was working part time while studying, I had that extra money to go for Slimming sessions. (which I totally regret now. What a waste of money!) I was so desperate to get thin I don't know why!


I even bought like some kind of slimming coffee from them that will make you urinate all fat-acids out when you consume it and will increase your metabolism. I ended up having bladder problem, because in order to let all the fat-acids out, I have to drink lots and lots of water. I dislike drinking plain water, therefore it had a bad side effect on me. Learned from my mistake, I just stick to exercising, instead of doing all those stupid things . 

Because I am a big eater and I care about keeping in shape, I have been with a fitness club for 2 years where there are a lot of fun activities that I really enjoy doing like yoga, belly dancing, body combat and more.

Love Your Body

To Be Or Not Be Healthy..

It all started while growing up, when you enter high school, somehow you will grow increasingly unhappy with your figure, comparing your shape with peers and you are addicted to stepping on the weighing scale. Have not you realize how much battle with your body has taken over your life?

Unhealthy dieting throughout the day may cause you to feel weak and fatigue, being unable to focus on studies. Changes in skin and low heart rate may occur(Source). However, what is the point when at the end of the day, you will gradually gain back weight sticking to that very-low-calorie diet. 

The reason is because it influences your metabolism. The key is a balance exercise and diet. Being healthy does not mean depriving yourself from the food you love.

Lifestyle change to boost your metabolism: (Source,Source)  

1. Do not skip meals or drastically reduce your calorie intake
2. Workout
3. Increase the amount of protein in your diet
4. Get Adequate Sleep

So to be or not be healthy.. the choice is yours.

Never Thin Enough

Eating disorder is common among girls. I have a couple of friends who would go each day without eating, or live with just an apple for the whole entire day! It is like they are never going to be happy with their own body. It is pressurizing to see them that way.

I guess they are all influenced by the media, e.g. American's Next Top Models, Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Comments like this:

"Sure, we had to be skinny. I lived on Diet Coke and apples for two years. For the couture, we had to get up at 4 am to be sewn into the clothes and there was huge pressure to be thin. But I made a million dollars by the time I was 20, I bought a town house in Manhattan and put myself through Columbia. Does that make me a victim?" -Abbey Lee Kershaw's Diet

interview on one of the top models' diet - will be an inspiration to them to live up the unhealthy lifestyle. 

Yes, it is good have that thinking of the cliche 'if they can do it, you can too', but it is not a positive attitude in this situation.

Stay tuned on how to overcome this.