But, experiencing cracked heels is one of the main drawbacks of walking long distances on concrete laden sidewalks. Of course, this warrants a frequent need for pedicures which can cost upwards of $20 here. Since, the money I was spending on such small luxuries was adding up to a small fortune quickly, I decided to come up with my own DIY spa treatment for cracked heels.

Common Causes of Cracked Heels

• Standing or walking for long periods of time 
• Being overweight
• Wearing open backed shoes 
• Medical condition which cause dryness of the skin such as Diabetes
  
• Skin conditions like Psoriasis and Eczema

A Natural Home Remedy for Cracked Heels

During this night time ritual your pumice stone is your best friend. This is a relaxing and invigorating exfoliation ritual that I recommend you follow as often as possible. I give my feet this royal spa treatment at least 3 times a week. This is what you will need:

• A pumice stone
• A large bowl of hot water
• 1/4 cup warm whole milk
  
• A clean cotton towel
• Salt; I prefer coarse sea salt but Kosher salt will work as well
• 4 tbsp Olive oil (Olive oil works great for DIY spa treatments)
  
• 2 tbsp Jojoba oil
  
• Your choice of essential oils (Optional) I prefer Lavender and Chamomile
• 1/4 cup Coconut oil
• A cozy pair of spa socks

Method:

• Put 2 tbsp of olive oil, 1 tbsp of Jojoba oil, 1/4 cup whole milk, and your favorite essential oils, in the warm water
• Soak your feet in the warm, fragrant water for at least 20 minutes
• Place your wet feet on the clean cotton towel, coat in salt and massage thoroughly. This will help remove a thin layer of dead skin from your feet
• Place your feet back in the water and rinse off the salt
• Place your feet on the clean cotton towel again and pat dry
• Coat the dry or cracked areas of your feet in the remaining mixture of olive oil
  
• Massage oil thoroughly into the skin before scrubbing the dry and cracked areas with your pumice stone
• Place your feet back in the warm water, rinse and dab dry
• Melt the coconut oil, in small portions, in the palm of your hand and massage into the skin of your feet, ankles and lower legs
• Wait for the coconut oil to be absorbed by your skin (about 5 minutes) before coating your feet in the remaining Jojoba oil (Jojoba oil is a liquid wax that will help seal in the moisture)
  
• Put on your spa socks and Relax!

Photo Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46796894@N00/2780450353/

A bath bomb is a hard-packed mixture of natural chemicals and aromatic essential oils. Bath bombs are meant to fizz when they come in contact with water and help moisturize your skin while causing your bath water to become aromatic.

Bath bombs are a fairly new novelty item that owe their current popularity to the mainstreaming of aromatherapy practices. Often, these bath bombs sell for as much as $5 each and that can add up fast if you enjoy using them as much as I do. Luckily though, its very easy to make your own aromatic bath bomb at home and save a great deal of money.

P.S. Making bath bombs is a fun chemistry experiment for kids.

DIY Bath Bomb Dry Ingredients

Citric Acid

Citric Acid is a white powder that should not be confused with Vitamin C. Citric acid is the substance responsible for the tart taste of citrus fruit. To make your bath bomb, you need just 2 tablespoons of this substance. Citric acid is cheap to buy and can also be used to flavor smoothies. I buy mine from Amazon.com.

Cornstarch

Cornstarch is another powdery substance. Cornstarch is made from the pulverized white heart of the corn kernel. It is used to thicken sauces and fillings, give pastries a delicate texture, and can also be used as baby powder. You will need just 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for your bath bomb. Cornstarch is very inexpensive and can be bought at any grocery store or drug store.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is your rising agent and the secret to our bath bomb! You will need 1/4 cup of this.

DIY Bath Bomb Wet Ingredients

Essential Oils (optional)

By adding essential oils to your bath bomb you can create an atmosphere of rest and relaxation inherent in all aromatherapy practices. Of course, this step is purely optional. If you feel that the scent of essential oils is too strong or you don’t know how to mix essential oils than feel free to skip this step. 

Those of you looking to add essential oils to your bath bomb can’t go wrong with such refreshing scents as lemon, orange, lemongrass, grapefruit, Jasmine, or Lavender. Of course, you must remember that essential oils are highly concentrated. Therefore, a few drops go a long way. For this recipe, 5 drops of your favorite essential oil are more than enough.

Base Oil

Almond oil, safflower oil, canola oil, olive oil, Jojoba oil, castor oil and coconut oil are all examples of base oils that can be used in this bath bomb recipe. I prefer to use about 4 tbsp of melted coconut oil (1/4 cup) in my bath bomb because coconut oil melts easily in hot bath water and is a great skin moisturizer.

DIY Bath Bomb Directions

• In a glass bowl, sieve all of your dry ingredients to make sure there are no lumps in the mixture
• Mix all the dry ingredients together with a fork to make sure there is an even distribution of the ingredients
  
• Melt your coconut oil over very low heat (If you are using coconut oil)
  
• In a different glass bowl, mix your wet ingredients (Do not use a wooden bowl as it will absorb the oils)
  
• Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, making sure you mix the two together very well
  
• Use your dry hands to feel for the right consistency. If the bath bomb mixture is becoming too wet stop pouring in the wet ingredients
• Stop adding your wet ingredients to the bath bomb mixture as soon as the combination forms a solid lump
  
• Press the mixture into the plastic mold of your choosing
  
• Your bath bomb should harden within 4-5 hours
  
• If you live in a very humid area, bake your bath bomb in a 200-degree oven to really dry it out
  

Photo Courtesy of: Wikipedia

It was during the time I spent studying the ingredients often used in ancient Chinese medicine that I began to learn about the many health benefits of green tea. Of course, to this day, green tea remains the ideal home remedy ingredient because it is 100% safe, natural, highly effective and readily available. But, the very best thing about using green tea in your home remedies is that numerous scientific studies can back up the potency of this unique ingredient.

Home Remedy For The Common Cold

I like to refer to this home remedy as “my version of NyQuil” because I came up with it one night when I had a terrible flu and didn’t feel like leaving the house to go buy cold medicine. Gradually, as I began to share this home remedy with friends and family members, I realized that it can also be used to ease insomnia brought on by stress and anxiety.

Now, I know that most of you will laugh when you read the list of ingredients, because all my friends and family members laughed too when I shared the ingredients of this amazing flu home remedy with them. But, before you judge, let me assure you that there is a method to the madness behind this unique home remedy.

I make this home remedy with green tea because for centuries green tea has been used by practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine to fight the effects of alcohol and regulate body temperature, which is important if you have a fever. (To read more about this refer to the Book of Tea written by the Zen priest EIsai in 1191).

Likewise, we all know that lemons are high in vitamin C which helps boost the immune system and Ginger is highly effective at clearing away congestion caused by the common cold. Honey is well known to help ease sore throats and last, but certainly not least, the Cognac works to help the cold sufferer have a restful night’s sleep by easing the aches and pains that often accompany the common cold.

Flu Home Remedy Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 1 cup hot green tea
• 1 1/2 shots of warm Cognac
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 4 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Ginger powder

Note: It’s important to drink this home remedy while hot so that it can be absorbed more quickly.

Home Remedy For Healthy Teeth

Green tea is rich in fluoride and other compounds that can kill bacteria in a person’s mouth, thus eliminating bad breath and the likelihood of cavity formation. So, how does this home remedy work? Well, this has to be the easiest home remedy in existence because to reap the teeth preserving benefits of green tea all you have to do is brew yourself one or two cups of this aromatic tea and enjoy them while you relax. Of course, eventually you will also have to lessen your consumption of sweets to totally protect your teeth from destruction.

Home Remedy For Clear & Radiant Skin

Green tea is high in antioxidants that can help your skin stay young and radiant. Drinking green tea, instead of sugary soft drinks, will also help you stay better hydrated which is vital to skin health.

Acne Home Remedy (Homemade Green Tea Toner)

Applied topically, green tea can help kill the bacteria that cause acne and help tighten pores which greatly helps those with oily skin stay acne free.

• Brew a strong cup of green tea in filtered water and let cool
• In a glass bowl mix green tea with 1 shot of vodka and 1 tbsp of Jojoba oil

Clean your skin with running water and Castile soap (olive oil based soap) before applying this green tea toner, with a cotton ball, to areas of your face most likely to break out, at least three times a day.

Photo courtesy of: wikimedia.org

In its simplest and purest form, the act of meditation is nothing more than a conscious mental exercise during which an individual attempts to purge his or her psyche of negative energy caused by such factors as stress and anxiety. This is often done by utilizing varies ancient spiritual techniques which have evolved to help us reach a heightened sense of personal and spiritual awareness often referred to as “enlightenment”.

The Role of Meditation In Modern Life

According to current research, an estimated 60,000 thoughts flow through our minds on a daily basis, 90% of which are replications of our thoughts from previous days. Moreover, we spend almost half of our time worrying about things that are not likely to come true.

This negative mental energy, fueled by the stresses of modern life, is the reason why most of us can’t remember the bliss of childhood that filled our minds with glorious moments when we experienced unbound love, sparks of wisdom, and of course total harmony with the world around us and harmony within ourselves. The only good news is that we can re-experience this bliss; but only if we learn to manage our restless minds and soothe our strained spirits.

Why Meditate?

The practice of meditation will set you free from unnecessary worries, enrich your perception and heighten your senses. Although various meditation traditions and techniques exist around the world, the art of meditation can easily be divided into four categories:

• Concentration meditation
• Reflective (or insight) meditation
• Mindfulness meditation
• Creative meditation

Concentration Meditation

Concentration meditation is the basis for all varieties of mediation techniques. As we all know, being able to concentrate is vital to overcoming distractions and maintaining mental focus.

For example, imagine pouring water freely on a flat surface. This water will instantly become a shallow puddle and turn stagnant in the points of depression. But, if you channel this water in one direction and keep it under pressure, it will carry tremendous power. The mind works similarly. When left to roam freely it has little power. However, once concentrated, the mind can become a powerful carrier of our intentions. The concentrated mind will acquire greater calm, stability and clarity so that confusion, anxiety and lack of focus become problems of the past.

Reflective Meditation

Reflective meditation can be defined as disciplined thinking. During reflective meditation, you choose an idea, situation, or question and focus your contemplation on it. When your mind wonders, you bring it back to the subject of your reflection gently but firmly.

Reflective meditation is traditionally used for gaining greater insights into the nature of death, the meaning of life, or the question of your own mental quest, be it relationships, a scientific puzzle, or daily problems. During this type of meditation, the secret to gaining revealing insights is your ability to direct your attention repeatedly to your chosen theme and staying open to whatever thoughts arise in your mind as a result of that contemplation.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness is a state of awareness in the present moment, when your mind is relaxed and conscious of all your experiences, including all your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and breathing. A mindful mind accepts everything with an attitude of non-resistance and equanimity. Thus, you can experience a state of being without self-criticism. Skilled practitioners of mindful meditation describe the feeling as an outer body experience during which the soul is separated from the body and thus can look on at the “self” from the “outside”.

Creative Meditation

While concentration and mindfulness bring more focus and awareness into our lives, creative meditation helps us apply these new habits with greater efficiency. Creative meditation can best be described as a form of learned daydreaming in which we learn to foresee the life we are meant to lead. For example, during creative visualization, one of the most used methods of creative meditation, we use our subconscious mind to unravel the secrets to achieving such personal desires as attracting happiness and love.

Creative meditation works because our subconscious mind does not discern between imaginative and real-life stimuli. Thus, the visualization of an imagined positive thought or outcome can trigger in the subconscious mind an emotional, mental, and psychological reaction that eventually leads to the realization of the desired event. By bringing desirable, emotionally charged images into our mind’s eye we can begin to exercise productive control over all aspects of our lives and shape our respective futures.

Photo courtesy of: Dedda71

Make A Schedule

If you’re just starting classes, there is no better time to create a schedule of all the things you need to get done and figure out the most efficient plan of action. List out your daily responsibilities and other time commitments. First, figure out what has to be done at a certain time, like your weekly course seminar, picking the kids up from school, or making dinner. Then, make a list of all the things that must be completed, but can be done at any time. Include working out about 3-4 times a week and figure out the best times to do so.

Figure Out What Can Be Done Remotely

Because we are living in such awesomely modern times, there is no reason to go old-school when it comes to your coursework or your fitness routine. Many courses offer reading materials, drop boxes and other things online that you can use while working out. If you go to a gym, try bringing an iPad or Kindle so you can listen to lectures or do reading as you stretch or do cardio. You may even be able to download lectures onto an mp3 player and listen to them while you do more intense activities. Use the time that you would have take to get that reading finished and treat yourself to massage or sauna after you work out.

When it Comes to the Gym, Think Before You Act

When most people try to get a fitness routine together, the most common thing they do is blindly sign up for a gym membership, hoping that it will magically make it easier to work out. This is not the case. In fact, the time it takes to get to the gym, find parking, get through the changing room, and wait for machines could be much better spend studying or just hanging out, if you can find other ways to get in your daily workout. Be honest with yourself. If you know deep down that it is going to be hard to make it to the gym, find other ways to get your heart pumping.

Work Out in Intervals

The great thing about taking a college class is the fact that your time can really be broken up in many different ways. You have few time constraints, other than studying and writing. Because you will most likely be doing a lot of your work at home, think about some ways to integrate quick fitness routines into your study schedule. Try getting a yoga video or meditation program to do when you need to unwind. Or buy some hand weights and use them in intervals as study breaks. It’s so much better to stay consistent and keep on working out as scheduled, even if it’s only for fifteen minutes a day, than to feel like you have to drop hours in order to get a good workout in.

About The Author

This guest post is contributed by Angelita Williams, who writes on the topics of Online Courses.  She welcomes your comments at her email Id: angelita.williams7@gmail.com.

Though mainstream academia enjoys labeling alternative health care as nothing more than quackery and scams run by opportunistic individuals looking to take advantage of the vulnerable, the fact of the matter is that alternative health care, in one form or another, is a part of all of our lives.

How many times have you prepared chicken soup for a sick friend or family member (holistic nutrition)? How many times have you rushed home after a hectic day at work, filled your bath with hot water and dissolved your favorite bath bomb in the water so that you can unwind (aromatherapy)? How many times have you offered to massage the back, neck and shoulders of a stressed out friend, co-worker or family member (massage therapy)? How many times have you attempted to console depressed individuals by reminding them of the positive aspects of their lives (positive affirmations)? Though most of us don’t realize this, these actions, along with hundreds of others that we perform on a daily basis, fall under the umbrella of alternative health care.

Alternative Health Care is Becoming Mainstream

Today, health care has become a major issue for most Americans. Health care costs are skyrocketing, many of us don’t have health care coverage and a visit to the doctor can prove both costly and unfruitful. This is mostly because, though very well educated, sometimes medical doctors don’t have all the answers. It’s because of reasons such as these that more and more people are beginning to once again see alternative medicine as a viable health care option.

How Alternative Health Care Works

Today, alternative health care practitioners work to fill in the gaps within modern medicine. Allopathic medicine, also known as Western medicine, is the field of modern medical doctors who strictly deal with the science of disease. Pharmaceutical prescriptions, lab analysis and surgery are the main treatments utilized by Western medicine.

Alternative health care focuses on the individual’s overall state of well being and encompasses diagnosis and treatment programs which analyze the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, as a whole. While the medical doctor treats the symptoms of the patient, the alternative health practitioner approaches disease as a systemic condition. In the eyes of the alternative health care practitioner the condition which brings the patient to the doctor may be only a symptom of an underlying problem of another area or organ.

One of the best examples of alternative health care approaches involves alternative quit-smoking programs. Most medical doctors prescribe nicotine patches to those who wish to quit smoking but these patches don’t always work for everyone. One alternative health care discipline, acupuncture, employs the use of fine needles, placed along the 700-plus meridians established in Chinese medicine, to eliminate the desire to smoke. Many people successfully quit smoking with the help of this alternative health approach.

Though the list of conditions being treated by alternative health care practitioners is too long to list here, it’s safe to state that good health is of utmost concern to all of us. So, if you have unresolved health issues, you owe it to yourself to investigate what alternative health care has to offer.

Jojoba oil is a uniquely American product. Even though it is commonly referred to as an “oil”, Jojoba oil is in fact a wax ester derived from the seed of the Jojoba brush, a desert brush native to the Sonoran and Mojave deserts of Arizona, California and Mexico.

Unrefined Jojoba oil is often referred to as golden Jojoba oil, because of its slightly golden color. Refined Jojoba oil, which is widely used in cosmetics, is both colorless and odorless.

Though the name implies that like olive oil Jojoba oil is edible, the fact of the matter is that in small quantities Jojoba oil is indigestible by most mammals, including humans. Thus, it functions as an especially powerful laxative and can lead to a potentially dangerous medical condition called Steatorrhea. When consumed in large quantities, Jojoba oil is highly toxic.

Fun Fact: Jojoba oil is a natural fungicide. Spraying your bathroom surfaces with a mixture of 2 tbsp Jojoba oil, 1 cup white vinegar and 4 drops lemongrass essential oil will help prevent mildew buildup and make your bathroom smell great.

Cosmetic Uses of Jojoba Oil

Though in the past whale blubber was widely used in cosmetics, and especially lipsticks, today cosmetic companies have much cheaper and more politically expedient options available to them. In fact, with the moratorium on whaling, other, plant-based, products such as Jojoba oil have completely replaced whale oil in lipsticks and other cosmetics.

The discovery of Jojoba oil as a natural alternative to whale blubber revolutionized the field of natural cosmetics. Today, Jojoba oil is a key ingredient in a wide variety of cosmetic and personal care products including lipsticks, lotions, moisturizers, shampoos and conditioners.

If you find that you’re having a hard time staying on your exercise regimen, the following are five easy-to-follow tips that may help you.

Choose An Activity You Enjoy

Let’s face it, if you don’t like what you’re doing, it will be all that much more difficult to motivate yourself to do that activity several days a week. Be sure you really enjoy whatever form of exercise you choose. And mix it up a little. Don’t do the same thing every day. You’ll get a much greater benefit from incorporating different types of exercises in your routine—cardio and weight resistance, for example—than if you try to do the exact same exercise 7 days a week.

Set Specific Fitness Goals

Make your fitness goals related to the activity rather than the results. You can never tell how quickly or slowly your body will show the results of your exercise routine. If you set a goal of losing 3 inches from your waist in 6 weeks, and you don’t achieve that goal, it’s easy to get discouraged. Instead, set goals related to the activity. For example, if you start out walking 1 mile per day, 3 days a week, set a goal to walk 2 miles a day by the end of your second month of exercising. As you gradually increase your efforts, your body will eventually show the results. Be sure to set the goals high enough so that you’re making steady progress, but don’t set them so high that you can’t achieve them.

Select A Regular Workout Time

Some people prefer to exercise in the morning, while others prefer after work or the evening. Whatever your preference for time of day, set a regular time and stick with it. Choose a time that fits into your schedule. Trying to exercise everyday at noon may be a struggle if you have a demanding job where lunch hours are likely to be short. Instead, choose a time that’s free from other commitments—one you know you’ll be able to have all to yourself each day.

Find A Support Group

For many people, it’s always easier to stick with an exercise routine if you know that other people will be joining you. Working out with others also makes your exercise session more social and, therefore, more enjoyable. If you prefer to exercise on your own, be sure you share your accomplishments with at least one family member or friend. In that way, you’ll still reap the benefits from a support group without actually having them there exercising with you.

Reward Yourself

Before you started a regular exercise routine, maybe you rewarded yourself with a dessert or a cocktail for a job well done. Now that you’re on a regular fitness regimen, make sure your rewards are just as healthy as your new lifestyle. If you’ve finally reached your goal of jogging 6 miles a week, for example, buy yourself a new pair of jogging shoes as a reward. If food rewards are more your style, make it a healthy, low fat smoothie at a local juice bar instead of alcohol or a high-calorie dessert. You should be proud of your accomplishments, and you should be just as proud of how you reward yourself for them.

Sticking to an exercise routine isn’t nearly as difficult or challenging as you might have once thought. It’s just a matter of making a firm commitment, following a few easy guidelines and getting it done. After a few short months, you may be surprised at how exercising just becomes a daily habit. Before you know it, you’ll be reaping the benefits of your exercise routine in how you feel and how you look.

About The Author

Roxanne Jones is a blogger for Cadiz Laser Spa, an Austin spray tanning salon, specializing in laser hair removal. 

Photo Courtesy of: Gold Hill Mesa

So when you do go to the supermarket for your groceries, you should arm yourself against the myriad temptations designed to extract as much money from you as possible. If you fall prey to the supermarket’s many traps, it will be at the expense of your wallet and your overall health. To save yourself, consider these survival tips on your next trip to the supermarket.

Don’t Stray From Your Grocery List

The cardinal rule of grocery shopping is to make an itemized grocery list before attempting a visit to the supermarket. The corollary to that rule is to stick to your grocery list no matter what. As you’ve heard before, supermarkets are cleverly laid out to cater to the shopper’s impulse; necessary items like milk, fruit, and bread are usually spread out across an entire store so as to make shoppers walk through as many aisles as possible. As you scout around the supermarket for your goods, do yourself a favor and keep your head down and your eyes focused on your list to save yourself from superfluous spending.

Eliminate As Many Prepackaged Foods As Possible

This point will divide many shoppers with loyalties to old food brands, but it’s a good exercise for people who want to make a concerted effort at eating healthier foods. While it might be tempting to purchase your favorite bag of cookies or frozen dinner, a quick look at the item’s ingredients list and nutrition facts might change your mind. I’m personally suspicious of items that list twenty or more ingredients when under normal circumstances I could make them myself with less than ten. Of course the mysterious preservative and synthetic materials in the majority of process and prepackaged foods don’t have any immediate effect on the body. But for a person adhering to a healthy diet, they’re almost never the right choice.

Skip Most of The Drinks

Supermarkets have two main drink sections, those in the refrigerated aisle and those available at room temperature. The drinks in the refrigerated aisle are mostly “fruit juices” from concentrate whose alluring labels are covered with promises of high vitamin and calcium levels. What these bottles don’t explicitly advertise is the levels of sugar that they contain. You might be surprised to learn that many popular fruit juices have just as much sugar per serving as a regular can of soda—not exactly something to guzzle down daily. The room temperature drink section houses the usual culprits—sodas and fizzy fruit drinks who make no excuses for their sweet tastes. These drinks are fine in small, infrequent doses, but they’re not really something to fret over buying on a routine grocery trip.

Avoid Sales

This tip will seem counter-intuitive to thrifty shoppers, but they’re precisely the ones who I’m addressing with this advice. Supermarkets always advertise some sale to entice the shopper trying to save a little money. But the deals that they thrust upon shoppers are not often for products that they need nor would they particularly want under normal circumstances. Indeed, supermarkets will arbitrarily post sales for items that they have overstocked, or those that have been selling poorly previously. Unless the item for sale happens to be on your grocery list, you’ll only be helping the supermarket when you purchase it.

About The Author

Jemima Lopez is a freelance blogger and writer who writes for Zen College Life, the directory of higher education, distance learning, and online degrees. She welcomes your comments at her email: lopezjemima562@gmail.com.

Photo courtesy of: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Infrogmation

The technique components you are going to learn are all equally important; if one of them isn’t good then they are all not good. The first thing that you need to do, to have superb swimming technique, is to work on your kick. The best way to do this is to just to grab a kickboard, and do laps in the pool, just kicking. While you are kicking, you should make sure that your kick rolls through your whole leg; from the hip, down to your feet. Many people just kick with their knees, but it really doesn’t accomplish much. In order to get the most out of your kick, you’ve got to use your whole leg. Also, pointing your toes will help much more than just kicking with your feet in their natural position.

Your stroke is just as important as kicking; without proper stroke technique, you won’t get the most out of your swim. It’s a little difficult to illustrate with words, but I’ll give it my best shot. Okay, the first thing you should do is remember that stroking takes place when you alternately pedal your arms through the water; first the right one, then the left one, and so on and so forth. The basic version is reach out and grab a handful of water, throw it to your feet, and then do the same with your other arm. The best version requires a little more refinement though. Start by gliding your hand over the water as far as you can, then smoothly insert it into the water, and pull the water down to the lower part of your body. When you bring the arm back, you should bend at the elbow and bring your hand to the side of your head, and then you extend it like before mentioned. It’s a little complicated at first, but it isn’t hard to get down. *In case that was just a little too confusing, here is a video that might help you understand Freestyle stroke:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH9z7eTfEvo

Now let’s talk about body position. During your swim, you should always be parallel with the water, completely sideways. You should also keep your head facing the bottom of the pool. Lifting your head up to look at the wall will lower your feet. The body is just made that way I guess; in water, when you raise your head up, your legs go down which creates unnecessary drag that will hurt your technique and cause you to not get as much out of your workout. Also, you should train your body to behave as if there is a pole sticking through your body. It should be completely rigid and rotate around the “pole” when you stroke. You should also come up with a breathing routine; breathing every stroke is not recommended, as your attention will be more focused on how often you are breathing, rather than your technique. Though it’s still pretty often, I would suggest breathing every other stroke cycle; which would look like this: breathe, stroke left, stroke right, stroke left, stroke right, breathe. Don’t worry about oxygen, there is enough of it and it’s always going to be there!

Well there you have it, that’s the most basic form of swimming; but even at its most basic, it gives a great workout. Use swimming in conjunction with diet and healthy eating and you will make all of your friends jealous at how fit you are.

About The Author

Jordan Vane has written numerous articles for various websites, because he likes sharing his knowledge about different ways to get exercises. He is a sports and fitness nut and blogs about them at SportsBlame.com

Photo courtesy of: wikimedia.org