What Steven Cousley Does

Describing the Zumba DVD Program

Zumba is an exercise program inspired mostly by Latin dance rhythms. It was originally created in the 1990′s in Miami by choreographer and dancer Alberto Perez. Initially he gave Zumba fitness classes in his own studios before joining up with entrepeneurs Perlman and Aghion. Together they began to produce and market a series of videos and dvd’s teaching the Zumba Fitness program. The dvd series includes levels from beginner to advanced or even the gold edition for seniors.

Today there are more than 25,000 Zumba instructors around the world and the hit Zumba Fitness DVD series is available in stores, on websites and by infomercials on tv.

What is Zumba?

Zumba is the latest craze in dance fitness. There are variations to suit any age or fitness levels. Even seniors get to burn off calories while having fun. It’s important to understand the basic principles of the program before starting so that you can get the most out of the workout.

Zumba fitness incorporates both hypnotic Latin music and easy-to-do moves that lead to a dynamic and effective workout program that will help you de-stress, have the greatest time and burn fat. The goal is to give individuals an entertaining time so they can consistently stick to a program and reach their health and fitness goals. Zumba fanatics get to have the long term benefits of the dance and exercise by doing body-energizing and muscle-pumping movements that are also very addictive.

The Principles

According to Alberto Perez, Zumba’s principles of resistance and fitness interval training enhances the use of calories and results in an overall toning and fat burning. It combines easy dance steps and movements the help to sculpt the entire body. The program itself is both fun and addictive and can be enjoyed alone by following the Zumba Fitness dvd program or in groups led by trained instructors.

Music and Inspiration

Zumba uses both slow and fast rhythms so dancers get a variety of exercise. The music is mostly based on Latin dance and the fitness program takes steps from several dance styles including meringue, reggaeton, pop, cumbia, mambo,  flamenco, rumba and calypso. Because Zumba fitness incorporates so much fun in the program it becomes addictive and individuals find themselves wanting to workout every day. This results in a very effective daily aerobic exercise routine.

People are now more conscious about their health than ever before. From food, lifestyle, and down to their fluid intakes—many people are cautious about maintaining a healthy body. As a result their has been a growth in the popularity of health drinks. Coconut water is a natural product and provides many health benefits.

Nowadays, more and more of people are getting into diets that lower down the excessive intake of fats and other chemicals that may cause illness. Many are also those who get into workouts to keep their bodies fit and healthy. And there are also those who use products such as vitamins and other health supplements to improve their bodies’ resistance to illnesses.

But many are not aware that drinking commercial healthy drinks don’t always guarantee a healthy body. In fact, many of the so-called “healthy drinks” in the market contain chemicals and additional substances that may be harmful to the body. In many cases, it would be much better to simply buy coconut water. Read on to see the coconut water health benefits.

The wonders of coconut water.

If you are one of those who are into healthy drinks, the best way to ensure that you are getting vitamins and minerals without harmful chemicals is to drink natural-based drinks such as coconut water.

In tropical islands such as those in the Caribbean, Southern Asia, Pacific Islands, South America, and Central America, coconut water is considered as the most popular drink not only during summer but also for the whole-year. Aside from being abundant, people in these areas drink lots of it not only because it is the purest natural drink available but also because of the coconut water benefits for their health,

When freshly obtained from unripe coconuts, coconut water is a rich source many organic compounds that are good for a person’s total well being. Experts agree that this is one of the best health drinks out there because it is basically 99 percent free from fat, has low amounts of sugar and low in carbohydrates which are among the major culprits in gaining weight.

For people who are on-the-go or those who undergo rigorous workouts, this is an ideal health drink because it maintains the body’s normal temperature, re-hydrates the body well, and easily replenishes the lost fluids in the body after a series of exercise.

Considered as a natural isotonic beverage, coconut water is considered as one of the best natural health drinks out there. It aids a fast but healthy metabolism, it improves the body’s immune system, while cleansing the your digestive tract very well.

For those who are into maintaining physical beauty, coconut water is a healthy drink because it greatly helps in the rejuvenation of body cells and maintaining the pH levels of the body while acting as an effective natural detoxifying supplement.

Doctors and other professionals in the medical field will also agree on the health benefits of coconut water. For people who want to protect their bodies from various illness, coconut water is a very effective health drink because it contains anti-viral properties which protect the body from diseases such as flu, herpes, and others.

It is also useful in maintaining sugar counts for diabetics, effective for those with kidney stones and other urethral conditions, and can reduce the risks of having cancer as well as in the enhancement of the blood’s proper circulation.

Must Have Mountain Bike Accessories

When entering mountain bike stores, it is very overwhelming for beginners to see a wide array of mountain biking products, each shouting, “buy me!” The question now is, “should you give in?” While many biking products are indeed necessary, there are some you can ride without or are just nice to have.  Here is a list of necessary mountain biking accessories that you must have.

Helmet
The most important of all mountain biking accessories is the helmet. Not only is it stupid not to wear one, most public parks and trails prohibit riding without a helmet. Buy it the moment you buy your bike. Many serious head injuries can be prevented by just wearing a helmet. Look for a helmet that provides better insulation; fits properly to your head; and with chin a strap to secure it to your head.

Biking Gloves
Gloves serve a double purpose: to improve your grip on the handlebar and to protect your hand from cuts and bruises in case you crash. Since the natural tendency during a crash is to stretch the arms to cushion the fall, the palms take the most beating. While I do not advise you to use your hands to protect your body from the fall, I will not recommend riding without gloves. You can choose between cutoff and full-fingered gloves, but I suggest full-fingered. Gloves are the second most important accessory you should have next to helmet.

Repair kit
There is nothing worse than having a breakdown in the middle of nowhere and you cannot do anything about it. Make sure that you carry a repair kit as you can never tell when you will hit a major bump and blow your tire  or when your chain will break due to excessive metal stress. That said, your repair kit should include a chain repair tool and tire repair tools such as patches, glue, portable pump with gauge and a spare inner tube. Also include a multi-tool set with wrenches to repair mechanical damages.

Hydration system
Just like any other physical activity, mountain biking causes your body to heat up and sweat to keep your core temperature normal. As you sweat, you lose a substantial amount of water, and even more if biking is extended for a longer period of time. To replace the water lost and avoid dehydration, you must drink fluid regularly. A water bottle is a minimum but if you can afford a hydration pack with bladder, it is much better.

Eye protection
Sunglasses are more than just a fashion statement. Glasses offer protection from dust, insects, wind and other foreign objects that can enter your eyes while mountain biking. Glasses also protect you from infrared radiation and ultra-violet rays and it can be used to filter or enhance lighting.

Mountain Bike Clothing
The point of buying clothes especially made for biking is to provide enough protection and comfort while riding. But regular shirt and sweatpants are good enough.

Choosing among different brands of bike clothing can be difficult and expensive. Your task is to prioritize what to buy. I suggest that you invest on padded biking shorts first since you have shirts and jackets you can readily pull out from your closet.

Shoes
To add comfort while pedaling, specially-made bike shoes are available. Pick the right shoe that will fit to the terrain you will be riding in and will fit to the type of pedal your bike has.

The accessories are listed according to importance. If cost is a problem, look for your nearest discount mountain bike parts store. If the list goes beyond the budget you set, prioritize on buying the things from the top of the list down.

Knowing how to change a tyre is just as important as carrying the right tools.
This video will show you how it’s done.

Plastic bag Alternatives – Why We Need Them And Some Of Your options

Plastic bags are one of our icons of convenience culture.  Some people say that the disposable plastic bag is the most common consumer item out there, with trillions of examples loose in our waste stream and our environment.  The hazards of plastic bags pollution start with the production, since they’re made from petroleum products (with all the impacts of using fossil fuels) and the inks used in some bags contain lead and other toxic colorants.

Then the bags have to be transported to stores, using fuel on the way, and purchased or given to customers.  Each year in America alone, over a hundred billion plastic bags are tossed.  Some of them have only ever carried one small item – it’s standard for anything you buy to be placed in one of these bags, and you’ll get one unless you request otherwise.  Throwing away that many bags is the equivalent of throwing out about twelve million barrels, all full of oil.

Only about one percent of the bags we use are recycled, if you look at world numbers.  For the US by itself, that number rises to two percent.  However, almost all bags are thrown away, adding to the plastic bags pollution problem and they’ll never decay.  Whether they’re spending forever buried in a landfill, or they’ve been tossed by the side of the road and blown away, plastic bags don’t leave us.

They don’t necessarily stay put when landfilled, either.  Plastic bags can be lofted by the wind and carried miles away.  Once they’re in the air, these bags become a nuisance in streets, get hung up in trees and on fences, clog drainage systems, and wash into water systems and eventually out to see.  There’s a huge raft of floating trash – mostly plastic bags and bottles – floating in the Pacific Ocean, and it’s only growing larger.  Right now it’s about twice as big as the state of Texas.  Birds take bits of bags to their nests, animals accidentally eat them or get tangled in them, and bags leach toxins into the water, too.

Some countries are choosing to ban or otherwise take measures against this plastic menace, as are some cities in the US.  In Oakland and San Francisco, for instance, you have to use either paper bags with a high recycled paper content, or bring your own.  Taxes on bags in Ireland have reduced usage, and incentives by some stores (such as a nickel off your bill for every bag you don’t use), have increased the number of bags brought from home.

So what are your options if you’d like to stop using plastic or cut down on how many bags you use?  There are quite a few, and it’s easy to make the switch.  You can make bags on your own (knitted, knotted, or crocheted string bags or sewn totes), or purchase a number of ready made bags.  In many areas, stores are offering more durable bags made from paper or cloth for a relatively low initial cost.  Look for reusable bags that fold up small enough to be kept in a purse, satchel, brief case or car trunk, so you’ll be more likely to remember them.

For situations where a reusable bag doesn’t work, such as a trash bin liner or for pet waste, investigate recycled or biodegradable options.  It’s true that biodegradable plastic doesn’t degrade very quickly in landfill conditions, but it’ll last for fewer years than regular plastic.  Avoid using a plastic bag when you don’t have to, and you’ll be making a real difference to the plastic bags pollution problem and the world around you.

I’m looking forward to the upcoming release of the new X-Files movie on July 25th. Little information is available on the net regarding the plot but it does appear the movie will be in the form of a stand-alone supernatural story. I’m a long term fan of the tv series and first movie. Six years without a Mulder and Scully fix is way too long.

Currently the film is being referred to as “The X-Files Movie Untitled” or by it’s production name “Done One”. The series author, Chris Carter originally planned to begin production of this movie after the ninth season. Due to various delays in production, writing, negotiation etc it’s taken a bit longer but now the wait is finally over. Hopefully there will be more such movies to look forward to after this one.

Being a stand-alone story, audiences won’t need to be familiar with the mythology of the series. You can see more on the official movie site here. However, for a reminder of just some of the mystery and appeal of the original X-Files episodes, check the clip below.