GET RID of your muffin tops - hey look they say power yoga!!

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How to... lose your muffin top

STRIP THE FAT

Muffin tops are made up of excess fat around the abdominal area all the way round your body. Stripping excess fat from your body with cardio exercise is one of the best ways to get rid of it.

Jogging, power walking, cycling, aerobics, swimming - anything that gets your heart rate up and your body moving - will burn fat. Women tap into fat stores for energy much more slowly than men, usually after 40 minutes of exercising, so aim for at least this, but ideally building up to an hour, three times a week. 

WORK OUT LATERALLY

Women often exercise the muscles of the front of the body, backs of the legs and abs by jogging, squats, lunges and crunches, but neglect the sides and the back. Having conditioned muscles all the way round will greatly decrease the muffin appearance. Try raising your legs to the side and galloping side-to-side on your usual walk or jog.

For the less fit, you can get a fantastic workout in water by holding on to the side of the pool and kicking out behind you. Add twists or scissor kicks to tone hips. For best results do a few lengths, then a couple of minutes of exercises and repeat as much as you can. 

TAKE UP POWER YOGA

This is arguably the best way to get rid of excess bulge around the middle, with its yoga warrior and chaturanga combinations, punch work across the body and movements that involve twisting and moving side-to-side. The fact that it is high intensity, and includes balancing and core work with pretty much every sort of movement, means you really can't beat this as a muffin-top-blasting workout. 

CONSUME FEWER TOXINS

As a survival mechanism, our bodies try to protect us and keep toxins away from our vital organs by wrapping water, fat and cholesterol around them. This is then stored, particularly around our middle and hips. Toxins include processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, too many animal products or acidic foods, pollution, sugar and smoking.

Eat a low-sugar diet rich in vegetables, nuts, legumes and whole grains and drink two litres of water a day to help flush out toxins. Regular baths with Epsom salts will also help expel them and reduce excess water retention (£2.15 per 1kg pack at www.justasoap.co.uk). This is popular with celebs who want to keep their waists and hips as streamlined as possible. 

EAT MORE ESSENTIAL FATS

Our bodies need fat for energy, to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, to give us shiny hair and nails, and to transport nutrients around the body. Perversely, not eating enough fat can stop our fat cells functioning properly.

Debra Waterhouse, author of Outsmarting Female Fat Cells, believes that including around 70g of 'good fat' in our diets each day makes our cells work more efficiently, releasing stored fats to burn as energy. 

EAT LESS SUGAR

Excess calories are converted and stored as fat and this includes low-fat

foods, sugary foods and alcohol. Even though there is no fat in wine, there are the same amount of calories in a bottle of white wine as four fishfingers. A latte or glass of orange juice (containing around 200 calories each) a day adds up to around 1,000 calories over a working week. 

To lose 1lb of fat, you need to burn off 2,500 calories, so cutting out excess calories will decrease the flab. By eating slow-releasing (low GI) carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, oats and basmati rice with low-sugar foods such as nuts, fish and green vegetables, you will also help stabilise blood sugar levels.

AVOID STRESS

Cortisol, the hormone released in response to stress, encourages the body to release blood sugar into the bloodstream to give us energy for the 'fight or flight' response. If we use this energy to get away from a physical danger, there is little chance for this sugar to be stored as fat, but if it is released repeatedly through stress, the increased blood sugar will be ultimately stored as fat.

The female hormone oestrogen causes fat to be stored around the pelvic region anyway, so getting stressed makes matters worse. Try to stay calm - a few drops of lavender oil in your bath or a cup of camomile tea should help. 

IMPROVE POSTURE

Having strong core muscles (which include the abdominal, back and hip area) will not only help the muffin-top area look better because the muscles will be more defined, but by having stronger, well used muscles, the circulation will improve in this area, too. This, in turn, improves blood and oxygen supply to the cells, which will improve rejuvenation and help expel toxins.

Yoga and Pilates will help, but basic correct posture is even more important. This means sitting or standing tall, and pulling inwards and upwards by tensing your core muscles (stomach, lower back and hips) throughout the day. Over time, using these 'core muscles' regularly will work wonders. 

BRUSHING AND SCRUBBING 

Brushing and scrubbing your muffin top with a good exfoliator and gentle massage (as you would around celluliteladen bums and legs) will also help stimulate cells and improve circulation, getting nutrients in and toxins out. Next time you are in the shower, scrub as vigorously as you can for at least five minutes.

Well it has been a while since I wrote on this blog. I just usually use facebook and twitter for all my news but after a great day of yoga with new new little yogi's I wanted to share more with you today.  I really liked this article by Sonya Klepper as to why yoga is so great for your kids too!

5 Reasons Kids Should Do Yoga

By Sonya Klepper

Everyone seems to be doing yoga these days – from celebrities to professional athletes and everyone in between. Kids are even getting in on the yoga bandwagon and yoga is so very GOOD for them. Here are five reasons (believe me, there are many more) that kiddos should do yoga.

1. A Mental Break – Kids need opportunities for mental breaks! They need time away from what is expected of them in school, from after-school activities, from television, from video games…they need time just to BE. When I ask the kids I teach (k-5) what their favorite poses are they invariably shout out Savasana, Meditation Pose and Shoulder Stand as the top three. All of which require a high degree of quiet and stillness of body and mind. It’s shocking but true. They need time to enjoy the “white pace” and the “down time” that seems to be lacking in our culture just like grownups. In fact, they crave it. I always hear at least once if not numerous times during yoga this little snippet, “Miss Sonya…is it time for Savasana yet?” 

2. Feelings of Accomplishment – There is no way to “fail” at yoga. Yoga instills a sense of accomplishment that translates into other activities in life. We work on poses and break them down and go over them in a way that is fun and challenging but the idea of failure is never introduced. Every movement, big or small, is a success. Each and every child is a “winner” at yoga. It doesn’t matter the size or ability. The ability to sit in easy mediation pose is just as important as the ability to move into a more challenging pose. Each child learns that they naturally have a pose they are really good at and they are encouraged to be the “master” of that natural ability and then share it with others but also to move into areas (asana or meditation) where they don’t have mastery and give it a go.

3. Fearlessness – Kids don’t carry around fear the same way adults do but getting into yoga early gives children a distinct advantage in the fear department as they grow up. Flipping upside down as in handstand or doing an arm balance like Bakasana (crow pose) are activities that lead them into the idea that they are strong and capable. Tackling these types of poses teaches them that they can overcome fear by meeting it head on and then move into the area where they can fly (literally and figuratively).

4. Focus – Yoga helps kids focus. Taking time to focus on one thing at a time is a powerful skill. In yoga, kids learn to focus on their breath in meditation. They learn to focus on a singular movement in a yoga pose. They learn to tune into what’s happening on the inside rather than what’s happening on the outside. This helps them tremendously in taking tests, reading, completing homework and sets them up for completing tasks that are required in school and at home.

5. Fun – Yoga is FUN! It’s play time and not all seriousness. They learn that everyone falls and everyone gets up and tries again. There is no competition. Everyone is encouraged to move forward at their own pace. Each child is honored. There are lots of hugs. There is a ton of laughter and the environment is one of support and respect.

Children don’t often come to yoga with the hang-ups, hurts and injuries that adults have to contend with. Generally speaking, a child’s body is more open and receptive as is the heart, mind and spirit. But kids who can start a yoga practice at an early age have access to some distinct advantages as they grow up and move through life. So get your kids into yoga! Go and take a class with them. Get them in a class after school or in a yoga camp during the summer. Ask for a yoga program in your school.