Beauty Breathing

Vitality is one of the most important aspects of health and beauty but not everyone understands its chief source. Take a deep breath and you have the answer. Vitality comes from correct breathing.Deep breathing brings oxygen to your red blood corpuscles; without it they can't survive.

And it isn't all breathing in. Exhalation counts too. Exhalation burns carbon dioxide and eliminate impurities from the blood. The longer and deeper you exhale , the more pollution is removed from your lungs and the more energized your whole body becomes. (Watch your complexion improve.) Incidentally, deep sighs are often a sign of your body's need to exhale.

Noisy breathing is not necessarily good breathing. Well regulated respiration is silent; you should not hear yourself breathe. Always breathe through your nose - it warms and filters the air and allows normal aeration of the lungs. Breathing through the mouth is wrong.

Most people breathe very shallowly in the upper chest area jus below the throat, and take in insufficient amount of oxygen. Infants breathe correctly and so do sleeping persons; they use diaphragm. A good way to re-educate your diaphragm is to lie flat on your bed and breathe slowly and deeply in and out, letting the diaphragm function naturally. Your awareness of the way it works should then help you breathe correctly in an upright position.

In the morning, wake up your muscles by raising your arms straight above your head and trying to pull your whole body upwards so as to stretch your spinal column. Then, standing in front of an open window, back erect practice these three steps of the "yoga cleansing breath".

1. Inhale a complete breath slowly through your nose.
2. Retain the air a few seconds.
3. Pucker up your lips, as if for a whistle, and exhale small amount of air vigorously through the opening. Pause a moment, then continue to exhale a little more air. Repeat until the air is completely exhaled. If you feel dizzy at first, it's because the blood stream is unaccustomed to handling the oxygen.

Deep breathing is a kind of de luxe tranquilliser. It frees tensions and leaves you relaxed so that you can get a good night's sleep. Another surprise is that oxygenated blood cells seem to encourage optimism while lack of oxygen brings depression.

Also, bad air is something to avoid- watch out for the stale, dry air so often found in air-conditioned homes and offices

A Firmer Fitter You

Do you have flabby thighs or a saggy bosom or maybe a dimply bottom? Then it's time you began working towards being firmer and fitter. If you jotted down all the reasons why you should take more exercise the list would be longer than your arm. Here are some:

• To promote body fitness,muscle tone, stamina, and suppleness.
• To ward off fatigue and lethargy and improve circulation.
• To keep trim by turning off fat.
• To reduce tension and anxiety
• To improve confidence because you look and feel healthier.

A few minutes throughout the day is good start. Try to build up the time you spend exercising to 15 minutes a day.

Early exercises should be done gracefully like a snow motion ballerina. We don't want to shock the system before it's fully awake. Begin by exercising for a few minutes on the first day and gradually extend the time in following weeks.

There are at least 5 hours of each working week that could be put to better use. Rather than munching your lunch away or burying your head in book, get motivated. Power- walking (brisk walking) is the latest craze. It can be practiced in a group or done solo. Power walking can burn at least 600 to 1200 kilojoules an hour. If you work in the city try brisk window- shopping, not window-stooping. Lunch time work outs, in the gym or aerobic classes, jogging, playing squash or tennis, swimming, skipping or running on the spot could fit into your mid day break. The idea is to keep moving not sitting. You will find that, apart from the health benefits, having some exercises at lunch time will make you feel more alert in the afternoon.

After a day of work, play and/or study you just want to hit the sack. But exercise can relax you.