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For the Men: Improving Libido

Libido in other terms is generally referred as sex drive or desire. A high libido is the basic requirement of giving love, pleasure and full satisfaction to your partner. Maintaining your libido is very important for a fulfilling life. But due to several problems men lose their libido. This article discusses major causes of low male libido and how to prevent it.

A high libido is what every man desires, but only few really enjoy the pleasure of full satisfaction during lovemaking. Many men suffer from a temporary loss of libido. The good news is that the temporary loss of libido can be recovered through natural, safe and effective male enhancement supplements.

Many men who suffer sudden or temporary loss of libido may be able to improve it by simple lifestyle changes. In this article you will learn the biggest causes of low libido and some useful ideas and tips that can help.

Why libido declines?

1. Stress - One factor that can reduce sex drive is stress. You can take herbal anti-stress supplements like ashwagandha that act as overall body tonics. Ashwagandha also works as a natural aphrodisiac and boosts libido. Other useful supplements are ginseng and ginkgo which work to reduce stress and also increase blood circulation and nitric oxide production.

2. Decreased nitric oxide levels - Nitric oxide is the key in the erection process and if you don’t have enough, you simply won’t be able to get a proper erection. Nitric oxide naturally declines with age and is the problem for most older men. However, there are methods to boost it naturally and safely.

When a man has sexual feelings, the brain communicates these thoughts through the nerves, and these are transmitted to the genitals. The nerves relax the muscle cells by releasing nitric oxide into the walls of the blood vessels entering the penis. This allows greater blood to flow to the penis and an erection is the end result. If insufficient nitric oxide is produced then you will have a poor erections.

How to improve libido?

1. Zinc - It is required for the production of testosterone and zinc content of the prostate gland and sperm is higher than in any other body tissues. Zinc not only promotes testosterone, but also helps to maintain semen volume which together aide in maintaining libido and keeping your sperm healthy.

2. Selenium - Modern farming methods decreases selenium levels in foods so its deficiency is common. Almost half of the selenium in a man is in the testes and seminal ducts and men lose selenium in their semen. This helps explain why its so important for optimum sexual performance.

3. Magnesium – It is vital for the production of sex hormones, such as androgen and estrogen and the neurotransmitters that modulate the libido such as dopamine and norepinephrine.

4. Amino acid – If you have a goal to increase nitric oxide levels simply take L Argentine, a non-essential amino acid. It boosts sex drive and adds some vigor to your love life.

Continue routine preventive measures such as nutritional dieting, and exercise. It also helps to keep an open and honest communication system with your partner. There is never a reason to feel depressed, ashamed or embarrassed – you’re not alone.

Habits That Keep You Alive

I have to share this article I found by my friend, guest author mj360. I couldn't agree more about the effective combination of Metamucil, fish oil supplements and baby aspirin.

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Start your morning with a glass of water and a couple teaspoons of sugar-free Metamucil. I don’t care how old you are, Metamucil is not just for your grandparents – and honestly, it does not taste bad. Stir up your mix and drink it all down, the sooner the better, because it will start to gel up pretty quick. Take an Omega-3 fish oil supplement and a baby aspirin (88mg) with your drink. Why?

#1 Metamucil is like Liquid Drano for your digestive system. It’s made of psyllium husks, a non-digestible, non-soluble fiber, which bulks up in the stomach and traps fat molecules. In addition to trapping fat in the stomach and digestive tract, Metamucil also helps you to lose weight, purge the body of colon build-up, and clears out the fat in the bloodstream. Plus it gives you regular bowel movements and it lowers your cholesterol! If you’ve ever had issues of feeling bloated, have IBS, experience irregular BM frequencies, or have high cholesterol this will change your life almost immediately.

Here’s an interesting fact about your digestive system. It’s the hardest working muscle in the human body. The reason we feel tired some days more than others has more to do with what we are eating than how much sleep we’re getting. For example, when a person has a big dinner, or late meal, they’ll wake up the next morning much hungrier than if they had a light meal, or ate earlier in the evening. You would think if you eat later, you should be full longer. Right? Well, you spent so much energy digesting your large and/or late meal you’re literally exhausted by the time you wake up, leaving you hungry and tired.

#2 Research on the benefits of omega-3 fish oil supplements is incredible. Simply taking this with your morning mix will help you maintain excellent cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent Alzheimer’s and so much more. Check out this intense-workout article for great information.

#3 Baby aspirin (low-dose). Research has now proven that taking one baby aspirin a day decreases morbidity. Meaning it will help you to live longer, period. It builds a protective layer around your heart, strengthening arteries and aiding in heart attack and stroke prevention. This is a no-brainer, but there are conditions when it may not be right for you. Consult your physician and read this WebMD article for more reasons NOT to try aspirin therapy.

I have been living with this morning mix for the past few years, and it’s changed my body. That’s why I recommend it, it’s simple, and it works. What have you got to lose? My cholesterol went from LDL 201 to about 171, blood pressure went from hypertension levels of 155/95 to 125/75 and I’m the most ‘regular’ and comfortable in that area than I ever have been. While true, it was not this morning mix alone that contributed to my increased health, but it is definitely a big contributor and a perfect way to start my day.

For more info contact me-

JW Fitness Training

(773) 732-8549

Exercise Your Cold Away

While more research is needed in order to fully understand the effects of exercise on the immune system, there is a link between moderate, regular exercise and a strong immune system.

Research conducted by Dr. David Nieman concluded that individuals who perform a moderate-intensity walk for 40 minutes per day had half as many sick days due to colds or sore throats as those who don’t exercise.

What’s happening internally?
During moderate intensity exercise, immune cells circulate through the body at a more rapid pace, and are better able to kill viruses and bacteria due to a temporary boost in the production of macrophages. Although the immune system generally returns to normal within a few hours, consistent regular exercise is believed to make these positive changes in the immune systems last a little bit longer.

Is more better?
While moderate exercise has been linked to a positive immune system response, there is also evidence to suggest that too much intense exercise can reduce immunity. During intense physical activity, stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline raise blood pressure and cholesterol levels and suppress the immune system. Research has shown that more than 90-minutes of high intensity endurance exercise can actually make individuals more susceptible to illness for up to 72 hours following the conclusion of the exercise session.

Tips to improve your immune system:

Engaging in moderate intensity exercise (on a scale of 1-10, moderate intensity would be about a 6) 30 minutes per day, at least five days per week. Remember, exercise can also be accumulated in shorter bouts (e.g., three 10-minute bouts) over the course of the day.

In addition to regular exercise, eating a well-balanced diet, obtaining adequate sleep, and reducing stress will also help to ensure optimal immune system function.

JW Fitness Training

(773) 732-8549

Locating Your Back Pain

There are lots of great articles about back pain, but I'd like to take some time and delve into “where” the origin of the pain is in order to effectively understand it and therefore treat it.

As if lower back pain wasn't hard enough to get rid of, did you know that where you feel your pain probably isn't where the problem is (or the source of where your pain is?) All muscles in the human body have the ability to refer pain.

This means that when a muscle is injured, tight, in spasm or congested it will often cause pain far from where the problem is. And the muscles in the Lower Back are no exception and can certainly have complicated pain referral patterns that can confuse a lot of people, even trained healthcare professionals.

To make this simple, below is a list of common back pain problems so you can decide which fits you:

1. Lower Back pain and stiffness after sitting or bending or going from sitting to standing especially along the lower spine and across the waistline-

Common causes: Hip flexor (muscles in the front of the hips) tightness, spasm or strain, especially in the Psoas muscle which attaches to all levels of the Lumbar Spine (lower back), including the intervertebral discs, and runs forward and down along the front portion of the pelvis to attach at the upper groin area. Also involved is the Iliacus muscle which attaches at the pelvis and runs forward and down along the front portion of the pelvis to attach next to the Psoas muscle at the upper groin area.

2. Localized pain at the Sacroiliac joint (the bump you feel at the waistline just below your lower back) when you stand-

Common causes: the Gluteal (buttocks) area and front of hips. Tightness and or weakness in the Gluteals as well as Hip Flexor (front of hips) tightness/ spasm.

3. Pain radiating down the outside or back of your leg when you stand-

Common causes: Piriformis muscle (a deep muscle located underneath the Gluteals) tightness and or spasm as well as Gluteal tightness, strain and overuse.

4. Pain in Lower Back while you sit-

Common cause: Spasm of the lower back paraspinal muscles (the small stabilizing muscles along our spine.)

5. Pain in buttocks area-

Common causes: Quadratus lumborum (a muscle that attaches to the top back portion of the pelvis and runs up along the spine and attaches to the lowest rib) muscle tightness and piriformis tightness.

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Now this is a small and partial list but it can give you an idea that where you "feel" the pain is not often where the problem is.

Once you can identify the true cause of your back pain, then the solutions are much more obvious. And your time spent trying to fix yourself is better utilized and more effective. Most often treatment for low back pain consists of exercises to help balance muscle imbalances. If the cause is understood, the exercises can be chosen correctly and performed correctly leading to a speedier recovery.

For more info and a free session contact me-

JW Fitness Training

(773) 732-8549

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Sign up for the ''Get Fit'' Newsletter Tips on managing Stress Ways to stay motivated The benefits of resistance training How to improve your metabolism Learn why "conventional" diets fail How to target stubborn fat areas Healthy and tasty recipes What muscle soreness really means Learn how exercise affects your mood How to choose the right health club Weight loss and diet myths revealed Flexibility, how and when to stretch How to build personal motivation How to conquer procrastination Name Email

Use it or lose it!

If you’ve been sidelined by an injury, or you’re considering taking a break from exercise, you might wonder if you’ll lose your hard-earned strength and endurance. Some loss of fitness is inevitable, but there are ways to help minimize it.

Here’s what happens to your body when you take a break from exercise.

Matters of the Heart
The degree to which cardiovascular fitness declines during a period of de-training depends upon what kind of shape you were in to begin with. Individuals who are extremely fit, such as highly trained athletes, experience a rapid drop in fitness during the first three weeks of detraining, after which the rate of loss tapers off.

A significant level of fitness—higher than that of an untrained person—is retained for about 12 weeks. Individuals with low-to-moderate fitness levels show little change in cardiovascular fitness within the first few weeks, but their abilities rapidly decline in the weeks immediately following that period.

Performance Jitters
The ability to perform a given sport or activity, whether it involves swinging a bat in softball or running 10Ks, invariably declines when the sport is abandoned for any length of time. Marathoners experience a noticeable reduction in endurance performance during a maximal aerobic treadmill test after just 15 days of inactivity.

Similarly, swimmers experience a decrement in arm strength within as little as a month layoff from their normal training regimen.

Numerous variables come into play when analyzing the ability to perform a particular sport-specific skill, making it difficult to analyze the effects of detraining. Some are like riding a bike—you never forget how—while others, such as the ability to deliver an accurate serve in tennis, involve specific timing and well-trained muscles.

Speaking of Muscles...
With the exception of a genetically blessed few, most of us have to work at building strength through formal or informal strength-training workouts. Again, well-trained athletes have the edge, because the positive effects of training remain evident for weeks, sometimes even months, after training is stopped.

Lesser-trained individuals can expect to see their muscle strength and conditioning levels decline at a slightly faster rate, though not at the levels seen in sedentary individuals.

Stem the De-training Tide
Experts agree that the best way to avoid losing much of the health and fitness benefits you’ve worked so hard to achieve is to do something. If you can’t find the motivation to run for a few weeks or longer, try walking instead. Cross-training is popular because it is a viable means of maintaining, or even increasing, one’s fitness level.

Runners can give their knees a break by switching to cycling, swimmers can work their legs on a stair stepper, and aerobics enthusiasts can take their workouts outdoors by hiking through a local park or reserve.

If an injury is keeping you from your favorite activities, take your worries to the pool. Of course, it’s always advisable to check with your physician before resuming exercise after an injury. Regardless of which activity you choose, be sure to progress gradually.

If boredom is the problem, now is the time to try that sport you’ve been considering for so long. In-line skating, tai chi, boot-camp workouts—whatever strikes your fancy. The key is to keep your heart and muscles challenged to minimize the de-training effects that come when you are taking a break from your usual routine.

JW Fitness Training

(773) 732-8549