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A swimming workout can be a new and refreshing way to get or stay in shape. Swimming is a full body aerobic sport that tones muscles, improves strength and flexibility, increases circulation, controls weight and enhances body contours.

Swimming workouts give you a low impact activity that can easily be tailored to match your abilities. A good way to gain cardiovascular stamina is to exercise in a swimming pool.

The secret to a good swimming exercise program is to work with the water. To accomplish this, propel yourself through the water by using your abs, hips and shoulders.

To understand why water exercise works so well, you need to know about water's unique properties. In water, your body has almost no gravity. You're relieved of 90% of your body weight so you become very buoyant.

You can float, bob and relax without feeling like you're putting out any effort. Yet water provides 12 to 14 percent more resistance than air, so as you move through it, it's like having weights around you.

Swimming laps is great exercise in a swimming pool. Try different strokes to vary the muscles you work to keep your workout balanced.

Going vertical or upright is another very effective exercise in water. These types of water workouts include water walking, jogging, water aerobics, water toning, water therapy, water yoga and water flexibility training.

You can strengthen your muscles with these vertical water workouts because you experience 75% greater resistance than swimming horizontally. This vertical position maximizes the resistance of water against your movements.

Water based activities can provide significant benefits for older adults too. In addition to increasing metabolism, physical activity can improve cardiovascular health and increase strength, not to mention the psychological and social benefits as well.

Joining an aquatics class or just sharing a swimming workout with a friend can help you feel better about yourself. You can be more socially active, engage in community activities and tend to not lose your independence because you are more physically fit.

The bottom line is to choose activities that you enjoy and will stick with. It is never too late to introduce physical activity into your life. Swimming workouts can provide a healthy and enjoyable way to get back the fun you use to have as a child.

Copyright 2005 Treadmill info.com All Rights Reserved.

This article is supplied by http://www.treadmill-info.com where you will find valuable information, ratings, reviews, articles and buying tips before you make the investment in quality fitness equipment. For more fitness related articles go to: http://www.treadmill-info.com/articles_1.html

Would you walk into a restaurant you had never been to before and tell the waiter I just want some hot food, and by the way, it doesnt matter what it costs! Most people think this is ridiculous. But honestly, it is not that different when someone with years of experience as a yoga instructor decides to open a studio, but does not really want to know about the business side of things.

I know you want to share your practice with others so that they also may benefit, but please believe when I tell you that you will be able to impact many more peoples lives if you choose to learn a little about business before starting your own studio.

One of the first things a client planning to open a yoga studio will often tell me is how many years they have been practicing yoga. They go on to elaborate on the school they went to and what other yoga experience they have. I honor and admire this kind of experience and the discipline it takes to acquire it.

At the same time, its my job to point out that if they primarily want to focus on the teaching and practice of yoga, then opening a studio is probably not for them. If youre shocked, thinking What background could be better than years of experience with yoga?!, then this article is for you.

Running a business successfully involves far more than just being good at yoga. In fact, in a recent conversation with the founder/director of one of the largest and most successful yoga studios in Baltimore, she revealed that shes not even an instructor. She emphasized that she is a businesswomen who loves yoga.

Business is a lot more than just giving a service or product to a customer. It has a whole behind-the-scenes part that we dont usually see when we walk in the front door. Business is about financial projections, strategic planning, marketing, sales, budgeting, facility maintenance, hiring, sub-contractors, bookkeeping, and so much more.

If you are someone who is willing to learn about these things (and you dont need to be an expert, but you do need to have a working understanding of them), then maybe opening a studio is for you. It can be a wonderfully rewarding and fulfilling experience. It can truly be the fulfillment of a dream for many.

However, understanding what is really involved before starting out is essential to success. Here are some things to ask yourself before diving into opening a studio.

Consideration #1:

Are you willing to work long hours in the beginning? Every small business owner will tell you about the late nights and weekends spent on building a business from scratch. Its just plain hard work. But, it has great freedom as well. If youre not sure about this, consider buying an established studio, or even a yoga franchise.

Consideration #2:

Are you comfortable learning about finances, budgeting and bookkeeping? For better or worse, money is the lifeblood of every business. Without it, the business fails instantly. To succeed, you need to have a moderate handle on finances. This means knowing how much you earn each month, how much you spend, how much you owe and how much is owed to you.

It also means knowing how much youll need to earn each month to pay operating expenses (rent, electricity, etc.), payroll (paying employees) and to pay yourself (you need to eat too!). It also means projecting this for the next year, and figuring out how the studio is going to earn this much money (how many students youll need, private sessions, etc.) This kind of planning is essential for success.

Consideration #3:

Are you able to accept that business will never be entirely smooth, but rather that it is wrought with some degree bumps and potholes, and that is just part of owning a business? It is estimated that an average U.S. business faces a crisis three to four times per year. This might be a key employee quitting, an IRS audit, a major unexpected expense, etc.

In addition, there are daily hassles. An instructor is late, someones check bounced, the stereo doesnt work and so on. This is just part of business. And, as the owner, much of it will be your problem to deal with (until you grow enough to hire a manager, then someone else will worry for you). See it as a wild and exciting adventure that lets you share an amazing gift with the world, and youll be fine!

Consideration #4:

Do you have at least 50% more money available than it seems like youll need to get started? Most small businesses underestimate their expenses (and overestimate profits) for the first few years. It is rare that running any small business (at least to start with) costs what you expect. It always seems to be more.

This is because there are numerous unexpected and miscellaneous expenses. Everything from having the floor polished to paying business taxes to buying a new phone system. It all adds up. Plan ahead for this one, and you wont be surprised.

Consideration #5:

Are you willing to learn about marketing, or do you have the money to hire a professional marketer who will do this for you? I know, marketing makes you think of tele-marketers and used car salesmen. These are just poor examples of marketing, just as a Big Mac is a poor example of gourmet food, yet it is still food (technically).

Marketing simply means letting people whose lives could benefit from yoga know that you have something that would really help them. If you dont, you not only miss out on business, but you sell them short of having this benefit in their life. Imagine if you had a flat tire and were having a hard time changing it, and a tow truck was driving by, but he didnt stop because he felt it would be too pushy to ask you to pay him to help you change your tire!

People miss out on something they want and need when they dont know about the awesome experience your studio could offer them. Letting them know about this is what true marketing is.

Consideration #6:

Can you accept that while yoga may incorporate energy, spirit and flow, running a business adds a new kind of energy to the mix: money. If you believe your practice is above needing to worry about money, you may be reassured to know that you are not alone. What may be less reassuring is that very few studio owners who hold this perspective stay in business for more than a couple of years.

Perhaps in an ideal world, this would be different, but her, now, today, money is a part of our life. Like other forms of energy, money is simply a way to create change. This may take the form of having a new studio floor put in, donating to charity , or paying your phone bill.

Money is really just another form of energy. And it is the form that every business today requires to exist. We dont need to worship it, just view it as an important resource. Just as a car needs gas to run, a business needs money. I wish my car ran on something other than gas, but for the time being, I accept that this is how it works. Such is the case that a studio is a business and needs money to operate.

Consideration #7:

Are you really passionate, not just about practicing yoga, but about sharing the art of yoga with others? Running a yoga studio is about sharing your practice with others. Many of your students will probably be novices. Some will do things that make you cringe, others will make you proud to have made their mastering the art possible.

In running a studio, you will be quickly frustrated if you are not comfortable serving beginners, people who like yoga but do it poorly and people who dont take it seriously, as well as those that are a pleasure to watch practice.

Consideration #8:

Are you willing to make mistakes and learn from them? Success is about mistakes. Just as Thomas Edison tried over a thousand different materials for the filament of the light bulb before discovering one that worked, such is business.

Success is not about doing it perfectly the first time striving for this leads to mediocrity. Success is made of trying, failing and learning; then taking what you learned and doing it better the next time.

Sometimes this approach is referred to as FireAimFireAim If youre a perfectionist, running a business may be very frustrating to you. Business is very imperfect, and those who are most successful at it, and who find it most fulfilling, are those who truly understand that things just need to be good enough and not perfect.

Consideration #9:

Are you able to do this without destroying your personal life, should it fail? While no one plans for a new business to fail, and its certainly the last thing you want to think about, it does sometimes happen. Plan your divorce while you are still in love.

In other words, you need to design an exit strategy for the business in the beginning. You dont want to lose your house and have to declare bankruptcy if things dont pan out. Do your best to make sure you can personally survive even if the business does not. If you cant, then this may not be the best time to start a studio, or maybe finding a partner or investor to share the burden would help. There are many creative solutions that could work for you.

Consideration #10:

Are you willing to make a thorough business plan? I believe this is the single most important item on the list. The business plan doesnt need to be in the form a bank needs to lend you money, but it should be complete.

It is unfortunately all too true that failing to plan is planning to fail. A real business plan outlines the way your studio will operate. It defines the kind of people who will come to your classes and private sessions, it estimates how many clients and students you need each month in order to pay the bills. It is like having a map with you when you are on a long road trip.

By the way, the reason that banks want to see a business plan before lending money is because they know that most businesses that dont have one will end up failing, and they dont want to lend money if they might not get paid back. Doing a business plan isnt hard (I frequently guide my clients through this process. There are also numerous books available on the subject at your local bookstore). However you do it, make sure you have a plan.

In Conclusion:

These are among the most important things I believe someone should consider when opening a studio. Take your time, plan it out, then, if it still looks and feels right for you, take the leap.

Owning a studio can be one of the most rewarding things there is. My very best wishes for you on this exciting adventure. I encourage you to take a look at other items Ive written on running a studio for more guidance (visit my website at http://www.CenteredBusiness.com for weekly articles and free yoga business downloads).

If you are looking for personal, one-on-one support in starting a new yoga studio, you may find our yoga business coaching program extremely valuable. Contact me at coach@CenteredBusiness.com for further information.

Wherever your journey takes you, may you find peace, fulfillment and success.

Coach Al Lipper

Business Coach for yoga Studios
Destiny: Success
Website: http://www.CenteredBusiness.com
Email: coach@centeredbusiness.com
Telephone: (805) 544-3938

Coach Al Lipper of 'Destiny: Success' helps yoga studio business owners smoothly run and expand their yoga studio business. He helps stressed and overwhelmed yoga studio business owners who spend most their time wrapped up in daily business tasks, who can't handle any more clients, or who can't make any more money out of the yoga studio. Coach Al helps clients find new yoga business strategies which result in generating more clients, increased profits, and more free time for the business owner. The amount invested was small compared to the results. Contact him today to discuss your yoga studio challenges at (805) 544-3938 or visit http://www.CenteredBusiness.com.

Call me crazy, but I dont worry that much about global warming and how us pitiful humans are supposedly making the Earth heat up. Maybe its just knowing that over the millennia since the Earth was born it has gone through massive warming and cooling cycles and a myriad of other devastating events. And all long before us evil capitalistic humans arrived on the scene.

Asteroid collisions spewing more dust into the atmosphere than can be imagined, massive volcanic eruptions belching quantities of sulfur oxides that cannot be comprehended, fluctuations in sun spots and solar temperatures, dinosaurs as big as buildings depositing trillions of tons of poop directly into rivers without waste water treatment plants, and so on all came before evil humans and our oil burning beasts. Lush jungles and massive glaciers all came and went over that time all without human interference.

Make no mistake. Humans can do great harm to ourselves by the actions we take and the junk we dump into our surroundings. But we do also tend to scare easily, freak out and go overboard causing harm as well.

For example, all it took to get DDT banned was a poorly written piece of fear mongering propaganda by Rachel Carson called Silent Spring in which she lamented the lack of birds singing because their eggs had been made weak and their cute little baby birds died all because of DDT. Even despite being completely rebutted it is still to this day on the reading lists at many colleges.

After Carsons book millions died from mosquito born illnesses around the world that would have easily been prevented had the ban on DDT not followed. Once the camels nose was under the tent did anyone think it would be long before the whole camel was inside?

And how can we forget the numerous times we have been told that we were going to run out of oil in so many years only to completely blow by those dates? Today we continue to discover vast reserves of new oil.

Then years ago we had to put catalytic converters on our cars to convert pollutants such as Carbon Monoxide, oxides of Nitrogen and unburnt hydrocarbons into less harmful things like O2, N2, CO2 and H2O. It was a glorious day hailed by environmentalists as a huge victory. And while it certainly was a good thing that emissions which caused potential problems were reduced into common substances the fact that it was done by the federal government was really the goal and the ultimate victory so-called environmentalists celebrated.

Im not saying that I disagree with the result. But I do disagree with the process of citizens turning to government to make it so. All the people had to do was refuse to buy such polluting vehicles from manufacturers. Believe me as a greedy capitalist myself, someone would have listened and produced a car demanded by the people. But thats not how we chose to act. Now it was not just the camels nose that was under the tent, but its entire head.

Sadly, since then the entire camel has not just come inside the tent but it has also been knocking over tables and pots and lamps ever since generally causing a huge mess.

If you doubt it take note. Now the Supreme Court is being asked to weigh in on the premise that even some of those products created by catalytic converters to be less dangerous are now in need of regulation according to 12 states and some dozen or so environmental groups. The government is being asked to regulate CO2 which is more commonly known as plant food.

Just wait until these folks start looking into water vapor! Because it is a stronger greenhouse gas than CO2 could ever hope to be and, as previously noted, it is also a byproduct of catalytic converters.

On top of that we have areas full of this dangerous and deadly pollutant euphemistically called lakes, rivers, seas and oceans just to name a few. Obviously emissions (i.e. natural evaporation) from these dangerous reservoirs of pollution will also have to be regulated.

Quick! Someone get God on line one and tell him he has to file a permit and put a control device over those dangerous pollution sources!

Ok, so CO2 from tail pipes is a pollutant? Then the solution is simple! Rip the catalytic converters off cars. That will reduce CO2 emissions dramatically. Sure well be back to having large amounts of CO instead, but at least disaster will be averted!

But thats not the goal here. The goal is incremental control by government over the lives of people. First regulate the pollutants from combustion then mandate catalytic converters and then regulate the emissions the catalytic converts cause. Eventually we will be buried under so many regulations well need to fill out a request in triplicate and wait six months for approval from a government bureaucrat just to fart. After all, if cow flatulence causes global warming dont you know soon us evil humans will need to watch our farts as well?

Now however for a serious question. If we begin to regulate and limit CO2 from tailpipe emissions how long until environmentalists sue on the behalf of trees and other plants that we as humans are starving them and denying them their basic right to food? What about the rights of plants? Dont laugh. You might be surprised at how insane some people are.

J.J. Jackson is the owner and Lead Editor of American Conservative Politics - The Land of the Free and American Conservative Daily. He is also the owner of The Right Things - Conservative T-shirts & Gifts