10 Exercises for Better Sex

1. Squats

You already know this move as a terrific leg and butt toner, but did you know that it can also get the blood flowing to the places that may energize your libido? “Sometimes your heart might be there, but you don’t feel anything in the ‘southern hemisphere,’” explains Debbie Mandel, MA, a stress and fitness expert and the author ofAddicted to Stress: A Woman’s 7-Step Program to Reclaim Joy and Spontaneity in Life. “Many women need a little physical help with arousal to get blood flowing to the genitalia.” She suggests squats. With your feet spread shoulder-width apart, “make sure your heels stay on the floor as you ‘sit’ on an imaginary chair,” she explains. “The lower you squat, the more you recruit your glutes and reap the benefits. Push off from your heels and hold your abdominals in tightly [as you return to standing position].” Do them slowly, aiming for 15 to 30 reps. Photo: Cavan Images/Getty Images


2. Happy Baby Pose

Limberness goes hand in hand with great sex—after all, who wants to deal with aching legs or a stiff lower back while in the heat of the moment? That’s why Marta Montenegro, MF, MS, CSCS, NSCA-CPT, a fitness expert and the creator of the fitness DVD seriesMontenegro Method, suggests certain stretches to prepare you for agility between the sheets. “One of the most common reasons for lower back pain is tight hamstrings and hip flexors,” she says. “Also, after spending eight hours asleep, there is a natural inflammation of the spinal discs due to the increase of the homeostatic pressure.”

The happy baby pose to the rescue! “It will stretch the spine while loosening up the adductor muscles and the hamstrings, which are heavily compromised in traditional positions such as the missionary,” she says. Lie on your back with your knees bent toward your chest. Grasp the outside of each foot with your hands, allowing the knees to drop down toward the floor. Align your ankles with your knees so that the shins are perpendicular to the floor. Apply downward pressure with your hands to encourage deeper opening. You can allow the tailbone to curl up off the floor slightly to decompress the lower back. Hold the pose for three to five minutes. Photo: Thinkstock


3. Pelvic Tilts

Want a move that will strengthen the muscles you use most during intercourse? Try the pelvic tilt. “Women tend to suffer from lower back pain, and this sometimes affects sexual positions as well as desire,” says Mandel. “Pelvic tilts give you a bonus of core strength and strengthening the lower back.” Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Raise your pelvic region in a straight line like a bridge. Hold your abdominals in while you tighten your glutes and push your inner thighs toward each other. Slowly lower to the floor and repeat, 20 to 25 reps, if possible. Photo: Ruth Jenkinson/Getty Images


4. Biceps Curls

How can you get toned, gorgeous arms and also boost your sex drive? Grab your hand weights and work in 15 to 20 reps of biceps curls! Here’s why: “Medical studies show that testosterone plays a role in sexual drive in both men and women,” explains Mandel. “Giving a woman with low libido testosterone is controversial, and could lead to undesirable side effects,” she says. “However, strength training increases levels naturally and is healthy too. The testosterone levels that are generated create the tipping point for desire.” And don’t worry—weightlifting is not going to give you facial hair or a lower voice. The testosterone that’s released is at healthy, natural levels. Photo: RUNSTUDIO/Getty Images



5. Tandem Stationary Lunges

Past research has indicated that couples who exercise together have better sex. So why not do a few moves with your guy? Mandel suggests the tandem lunge. “A romantic variation of the traditional stationary lunge: Hold your partner’s left hand with your right [as you stand next to each other] and together do five lunges, with the same legs forward so that you don’t bump into each other.” Need a stationary lunge primer? With one leg forward and one leg back, slowly bend the knees as if you’re trying to kneel down and touch one knee to the ground (but don’t let it touch), keeping both knees at 90-degree angles. Aim for two sets of five repetitions on each side—gradually increasing to 10. Photo: Image Source/Getty Images



6. Kegel Exercises

When it comes to fitness, Kegels count too! These pelvic-floor-strengthening exercises that your ob-gyn is always encouraging you to do can have big payoffs when it comes to sexual satisfaction, says Tone It Up cofounder Karena Dawn, a certified personal trainer in Los Angeles. “Kegels consist of contracting and relaxing the muscles in your pelvic floor,” she explains. “Improving the strength of these vaginal muscles is beneficial for greater sexual satisfaction and stronger orgasms, as well as preventing urinary or bowel incontinence and pelvic prolapse in women.” To do a proper Kegel, tighten your pelvic muscles (the ones that control the start and stop of urine). Hold for about 5 seconds, relax and then repeat. Dawn recommends doing Kegels for at least 5 minutes every day. (Psst! You can do them anywhere—even right now—and no one will know but you!) Photo: Thinkstock


7. Ab Rolls

The core is compromised of more than 20 muscles, and working them “will give you the strength to support your man’s weight without hyperextending your back,” says Montenegro. “A great exercise that works both the core and the muscles of the upper body is the roll-in, roll-out on a stability ball.” Start with your hands fully extended on the floor in a push-up-like position. Place your shins on a stability ball, keeping your back straight. Roll the ball in toward your chest and back out, using the abdominals to drag your knees toward your chest and to push your feet back out. Keep your back flat and hips tight, and don’t move your upper body. Do three sets of 10 reps. Photo: iStock


8. Plank Pose

Is there one move that can make you more sexually confident, daring and strong? Yes: the plank, a core-building exercise popular in yoga, says Madeleine Castellanos, MD, a psychiatrist who specializes in sexual medicine and sex therapy in New York City. “This exercise works upper arms, abdominals, obliques, thighs and buttocks,” she says. “These are important muscles that help stabilize you when you are engaged in intercourse on all fours, any position where the woman is on top, or in transition from one position to another while maintaining close genital contact with your partner.” Lay facedown with the palms of your hands flat on the floor on each side of your shoulders. In this position, your forearms should also be flat on the floor and will act as your support when you raise your body. Push your weight to the balls of your feet as you push up onto your forearms and palms so that your entire body is suspended in the air. Be careful to keep your body as straight and flat as possible, and avoid lifting your hips in the air. Hold this position for 10 seconds, then relax for a few seconds before repeating; do three sets of 10 reps. Photo: iStock


9. Bridge Pose

Another yoga pose that can improve your sexual enjoyment is the bridge pose. “This exercise helps strengthen the lower back, gluteus muscles and hamstrings,” says Dr. Castellanos. “It helps enhance a woman's sexual experience because it increases her strength and endurance in these muscles, which are used to create resistance during a man's thrusting, thereby increasing the intensity of the thrust.” Start out lying flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Lay your arms to the side of your body, lift your hips up in the air and squeeze your gluteus muscles. Continue to press upward until just your upper back/shoulders, arms and feet are touching the floor. Hold this position for 10 seconds, breathing normally, then slowly lower back down to the floor and relax for a few seconds before repeating again. Aim for three sets of 10 reps each. Photo: Thinkstock


10. Seated Leg Extensions

Do your thighs quiver during and after sex—but not in a good way? “The large muscles of the thighs are often used during sex and can get fatigued quickly since they are such a large muscle group,” says Dr. Castellanos. The solution: seated leg extensions. “Find a stable chair in which you can sit up straight and have your knees bent at a 90-degree angle with your feet flat on the floor,” she says. “While keeping your thigh and knee as steady as possible, lift one foot up to straighten your leg slowly, then bring it back down to the floor. Do three sets of 10 reps for each leg.Photo: Thinkstock


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TV Specs That Aren’t Worth Paying For

1. Plasma vs. LED vs. LCD
Not all HDTVs are created equal. If you're getting a new set, the first factor to decide on is the type of TV that is best for you. Your main choices include:

*Plasma - Plasmas feature an older technology, but don't completely count them out. They are cheaper, have deep blacks for rich contrast, and handle sports and fast motion well. But they are energy hogs, using three or four times as much electricity as Energy Star LEDs.

*Traditional LCD - Bright, with middle-of-the-road cost, traditional LCDs are prone to greyish blacks, and budget models can have blockier motion processing than other options.

*LED-backlit LCD - LED displays can be brighter and thinner than plasmas and LCDs. They are more energy conscious, and the top of the line models handle blacks as well as plasmas do.


2. Specs to Ignore (or at least not pay extra for)

Resolution
Resolution is the measure of how many pixels are on the screen. The higher the resolution, the higher definition you get. HDTVs (High Definition Televisions) are generally sold as either 720p or 1080p - which have 720 or 1080 rows of pixels. You might think having more pixels is better, and you'd be right — but only to a point. The real truth is that the human eye can barely discern the difference between 720p and 1080p except at a close distance on really big TVs. So paying extra for 1080p on a smaller set doesn't make a lot of sense.

Internet connected TV
Sometimes known as smart TVs, Internet-connected TVs allow you to stream to your set all that the Web has to offer. While that's a handy feature, you can always add on a device like the Roku for around $50-$70 or the Apple TV for about $100. Also most DVD players these days also have an Internet port or a way to get access to your home wifi network.

Refresh rate (or Hz)
Refresh rates determine how fast the TV repaints the image on the screen. 60Hz models refresh the screen 60 times per second; 120Hz models refresh the screen 120 times per second. It's true that buying a TV with 120Hz refresh rate instead of 60Hz makes a noticeable difference when watching fast-moving programs like sports, where motion blur can become an issue at 60Hz.

But if you get tempted to buy a more expensive 240Hz model because you think it'll make your TV viewing even better, think again. Many tech analysts agree that the naked eye can barely perceive thedifference between 120Hz and 240Hz, making it unnecessary to pay extra for the latter.


3. Specs that Matter

Size
Buy as big as you can afford, but not too big for your room. THX came up with a useful guide that helps you determine optimal screen size based on the distance you'll sit from the screen:

  • 32 inch class TV = 3.5-5 feet away
  • 42 inch class TV = 4-6 feet away
  • 50 inch class TV = 5-7.5 feet away
  • 60 inch class TV = 6-9 feet away

If a TV's thickness matters to you, then you may want to take a closer look at LED TVs. Samsung's LED9000 series measures a wafer-like 0.3" in depth; no traditional LCD or plasma TV is that thin. LED displays can be thinner than plasmas and CCFL-lit LCDs because some models are edge-lit, meaning the LEDs that illuminate the screen are only located on the edges.

Dimming
If you've narrowed your selection down to LEDs, consider getting a set with local dimming. LEDs without this feature can look blown out, with blacks that look more like greys. Local dimming turns down the brightness in areas that are supposed to be dark, dynamically improving the contrast. Note that edge-lit models with local dimming don't perform as well as full-backlit units with local dimming capacity.

While LED with its local dimming feature, thinness, and minimal energy use may sound the ideal HDTV set, know that it can also be the most expensive option among the three. The 55" Samsung LED9000 model, for example, costs around $2,500 whereas some of Samsung's 50" plasma TVs can be priced as low as $1,149.99.

Matte vs. Glossy
LCDs used to all have matte displays, which tend to fare better in parts of the house with an abundance of ambient light. Glossy displays have better contrast and sharper colors, but you may want to place them in darker places so your TV viewing won't be ruined by glare from lights and windows reflecting on the screen.

As taken from http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/tv-specs-aren-t-worth-paying-225518304.html

Treadmill Features

1. Folding deck

Some treadmills have a hinged deck that you can raise and lock in place vertically for storage. A non-folding treadmill takes up as much floor space as a small couch; a folded model, about half that when folded. Non-folding treadmills tend to feel more stable. But where space is tight, every square foot counts.

2. Electronic programming

This useful feature, found on most of the treadmills we tested, automatically varies the intensity of the workout, the way running up and down hills does outdoors. You can also make adjustments manually. Exercise programs can be an antidote to boredom and may encourage you to work out more often.

3. Heart-rate monitor

You'll generally find a chest-strap heart-rate monitor on treadmills that cost $1,500 and up.
Less expensive treadmills may have a handgrip monitor. A heart-rate monitor helps you to exercise up to your potential while avoiding dangerous overexertion. A chest-strap monitor is the most convenient. It allows you to continually monitor your heart rate without having to hold the hand grip sensors.

4. Controls

Look for well-labeled, intuitive controls: up/down buttons, quick one-touch speed and incline buttons, and large, easy-to-read displays that show multiple functions (time, speed, heart rate, incline) at once. Poorly designed controls and displays are a constant annoyance.

5. Foot rails

Look for wide and flat foot rails alongside the moving belt. Ample foot rails make getting on and off the treadmill easier.

6. Handles or handrails

Most treadmills have them in front and on the sides. Padding is a plus. While they're useful for those who need added security, they shouldn't get in the way of your arms while you exercise.

7. Motor housing

It should be set forward far enough and relatively flush with the front of the belt or concave. It shouldn't get in the way of your feet when using the treadmill.

8. Tethered safety key

On most models, you need to insert a key on the console to start the treadmill. The key comes on a long cord, with a clip at the other end that attaches to your clothing. The cord will pull the key out and stop the treadmill if you slip and fall. It also keeps unsupervised children from starting the machine.

9. Console gadgets

A growing number of treadmills load the console with gadgets such as a CD player, a fan, and even an LCD TV. You might be able to buy these items separately for less. And if they need repair, having them serviced can be a problem.

Cause and Effect from the long SIT!

1. Screws up your posture. The fascia, the tissue that connects individual muscles into a full-body network, begins to set when you stay in one position for too long, says Men’s Health advisor Bill Hartman, P.T., C.S.C.S., a physical therapist in Indianapolis. If you’re hunched over a keyboard all day, this eventually becomes your normal posture.


Solution #1: Take two breaks an hour. Grab a drink from the water fountain. Pop over to the cube next door to say hi. Or simply stand and stretch for a minute. 



2. Makes you fatter. This happens for two reasons. First, you burn 60 more calories an hour when standing versus sitting. But more importantly, says Hartman, when you spend too much time sitting, your largest muscle group—the glutes (a.k.a. your butt)—become lazy and quit firing. This is called gluteal amnesia. And it means you burn fewer calories.


Solution #2: Stand during phone calls. It may seem like a small thing but, as Hamilton told Masters: “Small choices will help move you in the right direction. . . . It all adds up, and it all matters.” 



3. Causes lower back pain. Weak glutes push your pelvis forward, putting stress on the spine, says Hartman. Here’s the other unseemly thing that happens when your pelvis tilts forward: Your belly protrudes, making you look 5 months pregnant.


Solution #3: Don’t write long emails. If crafting an email will take longer than 15 minutes, go talk to the person instead. Or stand up and call them.


Credited goes to The Most Dangerous Thing You'll Do All Day.

How should I store oils?

Heat, light and oxygen degrade oils, which makes them turn rancid more quickly and actually promotes the formation of cancer-causing compounds called free radicals. The more polyunsaturated fats an oil contains, the more susceptible to rancidity it becomes.

Oils rich in PUFAs, such as walnut and flaxseed, are best stored in the fridge in tightly capped containers. MUFAs, such as those found in olive oil, are a bit more hardy, but you should still protect oils that contain them by keeping the lid on tightly and storing them in a dark place far from the stove or other heat source. Saturated fats, such as butter, can withstand more heat, light and oxygen, but you should still refrigerate sat-fat–rich butter, because it contains milk solids, which can go rancid. If you store oils correctly, most will last about six months to one year.

When you’re shopping for oils, reach for bottles at the back of the shelf, since that’s where they are more protected from harsh lighting that can make them go bad. Check the bottle for an expiration date (most oils have one), and every time you open a bottle, give it a whiff to make sure it doesn’t smell rancid.



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Shopping Secrets Retailers Won't Tell You


Don't Turn Right When Entering the Store
"Retail shopping studies have found that most people turn right when they enter a store. That's because the majority of the population is right-handed and right-oriented," says Underhill.
Knowing this, stores highlight tempting new items and trends to the right of the entrance. You'll find that the music is louder and the displays are brighter to attract you where you will look and turn first. This is also where the most expensive items in the store are generally displayed.

Why Clearance Items Are in the Back
The clearance racks are placed in the back of almost every mall store on purpose — so you'll be tempted by everything else more expensive in your path.
You have to pass all the new trends and displays, all the sales and promotions. Retailers are betting that your hands may be full by the time you reach that clearance area, so you will not be able to stay there and search for the better deals, says Underhill in his book.
Why the Clearance Area is Messy
"It's really hard to conquer the clearance area in some stores because it's actually designed to make you not want to spend time there," says Kay.
Retailers know shoppers want to easily find the size, price and item neatly displayed. So they purposely create the frustration of the poorly marked and poorly organized clearance area to tempt you toward the beautifully displayed and perfectly organized full-price merchandise.
Beware the Small Stuff Around the Registers
Impulse items are tempting goodies such as jewelry, sunglasses, fragrances and magazines that you did not plan to buy. They are displayed purposely near the register. In retail jargon, these are called add-ons (in addition to your main purchase), and they can increase your credit card debt faster than you can say, "Oooooh, pretty!"
More tips at here

10 Things That Make Your Home a Target for Thieves


1. Leaving your garage door open or unlocked. Once inside the garage, a burglar can use any tools you haven't locked away to break into your home, out of sight of the neighbors. Interior doors between the garage and your home often aren't as strong as exterior doors and may not have deadbolt locks.
Instead: Always close and lock the garage door. Consider getting a garage-door opener with random codes that automatically reset.
2. Hiding spare keys. Burglars know about fake rocks and leprechaun statues and will check under doormats, in mailboxes, and over doorways.
Instead: Give a spare set to a neighbor or family member.
3. Storing ladders outdoors or in unlocked sheds. Burglars can use them to reach the roof and unprotected upper floor windows.
Instead: Keep ladders under lock and key.
4. Relying on silent alarm systems. Everyone hates noisy alarms, especially burglars. Smart thieves know that it can take as long as 10 to 20 minutes for the alarm company or cops to show up after an alarm has been tripped.
Instead: Have both silent and audible alarms.
5. Letting landscaping get overgrown. Tall hedges and shrubs near the house create hiding spots for burglars who may even use overhanging branches to climb onto your roof.
Instead: Trim any bushes and trees around your home.
6. Keeping your house in the dark. Like overgrown landscaping, poor exterior lighting creates shadows in which burglars can work unobserved.
Instead: Replace burned out bulbs promptly, add lighting where needed, and consider putting fixtures on motion sensors or light sensors so that they go on automatically.
7. Not securing sliding doors. These often make tempting targets.
Instead: When you're out, put a dowel down in the channel, so that the door can't be opened wide enough for a person to get through.
8. Relying on your dog to scare away burglars. While barking my deter amateurs, serious burglars know that dogs may back away from someone wielding a weapon, or get chummy if offered a treat laced with a tranquilizer.
Instead: Make your home look occupied by using timers to turn lights, radios, and TVs on and off in random patterns.
9. Leaving "goody" boxes by the curb. Nothing screams "I just got a brand new flat-screen, stereo, or other big-ticket item" better than boxes by the curb with your garbage cans.
Instead: Break down big boxes into small pieces and bundle them together so that you can't tell what was inside.
10. Posting vacation photos on Facebook. Burglars troll social media sites looking for targets.
Instead: Wait until you get back before sharing vacation details or make sure your security settings only allow trusted "friends" to see what you're up to.

5 Email Habits That Send the Wrong Message

Abusive Subject Line Behavior
Intention: By typing the word "URGENT," "ACTION ITEM" or "READ ME" in the subject line, she is hoping to stress the actionable items of her email. Her message is clear. Perception: Her subject line implies that she presumes her message is more important than any other correspondence you might have received. The perception is that she is over-confident and thinks very little of your time.

Answering The Wrong Question
Intention: When a colleague on a group email answers questions that are under your purview before you have a chance to. He's saving his colleague the hassle of answering—hey, he knows the answer too! Perception: It's the online version of shouting out the answer without raising your hand. His colleague might think that he is undermining their authority or worse—out to get their job.

Copyediting A Coworker
Intention: He wants to ensure that the higher ups see a clean, well-spoken document. By editing his coworker's email and resending it, he ensures that the grammatically correct email is higher in the supervisor's inbox. Perception: Public shaming of a colleague is never going to get him anywhere. Both the colleague and the supervisor are made aware of this one-upsmanship. And neither of them like it.

CC'ing Up
Intention: When you're having an email exchange with a co-worker, and s/he escalates the conflict by sneakily CCing a higher-up. She's resolving the issue efficiently by letting a higher-up in on the conflict. Perception: She's sneaky, conniving and out to make them look bad. Even more nefarious: the BCC.

Instant Follow Up
Intention: He wants to make sure you've received and read his email—calling or emailing right away seems like the logical way to find out. Perception: Give me a break! If you expect an instant response to a query, the more efficient route is to pick up the phone. Following up shortly after sending an email makes you seem impatient and self-righteous.

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Harmless Headache


The good news about these headaches, says Dr. Holt, is that they're all completely harmless. But not every aching head is a simple headache. 


1. Tension headache: This is your garden-variety headache, with diffuse pain wrapping across the top of your head. These headaches often result from stress or lack of sleep. They're not usually disabling, typically fade overnight, and can be easily relieved with ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin.


2. Migraine headache: Migraines tend to hit one side of the head, and can last from several hours to several days. They’re usually marked by a sensitivity to sound and light. When a migraine strikes, you can manage it with Advil Migraine or Motrin Migraine Pain (both ibuprofen medications) or Excedrin Migraine (a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine).


3. Cluster headache: This one is an excruciating attack that explodes behind one eye, reaches a crescendo after about an hour, and then vanishes—only to return in a day or so. This goes on for a few weeks, and then stops for months. Numerous drugs target clusters, including some of the migraine meds.


Serious Headache


Here are six that could be a sign of something serious—and potentially deadly. Watch out for....


1. The Thunderclap Headache
If head pain hits you like a bolt out of nowhere, intensifying in a few minutes into the worst headache you've ever had, call 911. The list of causes for this kind of headache isn't long (aneurysm, stroke, meningitis) but almost everything on it can be very quickly fatal, says Dr. Holt.
2. The Exercise Headache
If your headache comes on quickly and furiously with violent physical exertion, see a doctor right away. Chances are, the cause is benign, says Dr. Holt. But it also could be a subarachnoid hemorrhage.


3. The Headache that Spreads to Your Neck
Benign headaches stay in your head, says Dr. Holt. Headaches that don't can be meningitis or a hemorrhage. So yes, call 911, especially if you have a fever, are just getting over a bacterial infection, have a rash, or can't think clearly.


4. The Headache that Won't End
A headache that comes and goes for days—with a low-grade fever, visual disturbances, and aching in one or both of your temples—often signals an inflammation of the arteries that can leave you blind if not treated. See your doctor right away, says Dr. Holt.


5. The Contagious Headache
Your family is all home on a cold, rainy Saturday. As the day goes on you develop a headache that grows steadily worse. If anyone else has the same headache, move everyone outdoors immediately. There's a malfunction in your heating system and it's spewing carbon monoxide. Once you're out of the house, call the fire department. Your headache should clear up in a few hours.


6. The Headache that Wakes You Up
You should also be concerned if your headache has been worsening for weeks, says Dr. Holt, or if it’s present every morning when you wake up. This is the classic pattern for a slowly expanding mass. It may not warrant a 911 call, but you should see your doctor and schedule an MRI right away.


Source http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/6-head-pains-you-should-never-ignore