Many of have used or at least heard the terms, oh its growing pains, he's going through a growth spurt, or he's got raging hormones. These are common terms that some of us use when referring to our children from a health point of view.

We have come to take these terms lightly. So if someone were to ask us, well what is causing the growing pains or the growth spurt, we might not be able to answer, other than, well he's growing. So the better question is what makes him grow? The answer to that is the endocrine system contained in his/her body.

The endocrine system is responsible for regulating the metabolism, growth development and puberty, as well as tissue function and moods. Now some of these you may understand better than the others. For example, you understand the growth development ,puberty and moods, but you're not too sure about metabolism and tissue function. So lets talk about them.

Metabolism is a word you probably know, but perhaps one that you don't know what it means. Anyone referring to the endocrine system will most surely use this word at some point. You may be familiar with it when it comes to weight loss. It is often used in that context when it comes to burning excess fat, and the body isn't doing it fast enough then it is said to have a slow metabolism.

So getting back to the kids, what does it have to do with them? By finding the answer to what is metabolism will answer that question. Metabolism as we know it in the endocrine system, in simple terms means that a series of chemical actions must take place in anything that is living, in order to keep it alive. It is this set of chemical reactions that take place in your child's body that allows him or her to grow. It does this by keeping the proper structures of the cells in the body, and allows them to respond to what's around them.

Another term we are familiar with is hormones. Well that's what part of the endocrine system function is, to release hormones. We referred to tissue function. The first basic thought is skin right? Yes this is part of it but there's more. The simple definition of tissue, is a group of different cells that all come from one specific place to bond together, to form tissue. Once this grouping takes place then in is called an organ, and will have a specific function to carry out.

So where does this all fit in with the care of our children. I mean if we give them nutritious food, make sure they get their vitamins, and their proper sleep then everything should be just fine. Yes everything should be fine, but is it great? I, just like you, want the very best for my kids. I have come to believe that I need to know a bit more about the endocrine system which is critical to not only keeping them alive, but to be able to grow into healthy productive adults. To gain this knowledge doesn't mean I have to go to medical school. There is much material available to day regarding the human body that is easily read and understood by everyday Moms and Dads.

James Ross is the founder of HumanAnatomyCourse.com - http://www.HumanAnatomyCourse.com

HumanAnatomyCourse is the awarding winning human anatomy and physiology home study course

Discover the easiest way to learn about the human body with over 3000 pages of detailed content and intricate diagrams and illustrations.

Visit the official site now to download for free, the human anatomy and physiology body 3D software now!

Usually only sold to medical professionals, this course contains hundreds of medical topics covering every region & system in the body.

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The Original Post is Located Here: What Does Puberty & the Human Endocrine System Have in Common?

It really is important to understand why you body works the way it does. You may feel like your body is in perfect shape, and you are in perfect health. Then on the other hand you maybe a little under the weather. In either one of these cases you need to be tuned into what your body is doing. A good example is, if you are car owner, you know basic things about your car. You know it needs gas because that makes it run, it needs oil and transmission fluid to keep those parts in perfect working order.

You have most likely trained yourself to listen to your car. You know just by the way its acting, if it is in good shape or something is going wrong. If you didn't know the basics, then you wouldn't be able to identify this. It's the same with your body, being able to identify that something's not quite right, even before you get to the point of feeling ill, can make a major difference to your health.

So you may be initially thinking that your skeletal system isn't all that important. I mean everybody gets aches and pains, and other than accidental breaks, there's really no need to pay a lot of attention to it right? Well that really is not a good way of thinking.

Lets first look at the basics of what the skeletal system does or is suppose to do. Of course we all know that its main job is to keep us from being a big blob on the floor. Its what keeps us walking tall. It's what allows to move. As you probably know our backbone is made up of several vertebrae. Now each individual one can only move a little bit, but when you put them all together, then you get nice fluid movement in your spine. So far, what we have talked about is pretty common knowledge right?

Now lets take a look at some facts that aren't so commonly known, unless you have had some interest in the human anatomy and have read up on it. Do you know what the curves in your spine are for? Most people just say its so we can move side to side. Well yes that's partly true, but the big factor is, it allows the spine to support and balance the body on only two legs. Which means that if you are suffering foot problems, is it because there is a problem in the back?

Foot problems are usually blamed on shoes, so when our feet hurt we just kick off the shoes, and on go the slippers. Not giving the feet another thought until tomorrow when they start to hurt again. Then we'll just blame it on the shoes again, even though we're wearing another pair. So then why do they stop hurting when we remove the shoes? Because this is usually at night, when we have been standing a great deal, which means our spine has been doing a lot of work, and at night we are taking the stress off the spine.

So for you foot sufferers, is this getting you thinking about maybe having your spine looked at? This should now make you very aware, that by having some basic knowledge of the skeletal system can be very beneficial in helping you identify minor problems that could be as a result of more significant issues.

James Ross is the founder of HumanAnatomyCourse.com - http://www.HumanAnatomyCourse.com

HumanAnatomyCourse is the awarding winning human anatomy and physiology home study course

Discover the easiest way to learn about the human body with over 3000 pages of detailed content and intricate diagrams and illustrations.

Visit the official site now to download for free: the human anatomy 3D software now!

Usually only sold to medical professionals, this course contains hundreds of medical topics covering every region & system in the body.

It is the complete home study course with key Facts, revision tests and quiz at the end of each lesson. It can't get any easier than this!

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The Original Post is Located Here: The Human Skeletal System – What is it and Why is it So Important to Us?

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Have you ever wondered why in spite of all your efforts you cannot stay absolutely fit and healthy, the way you have always dreamt to be? The answer is simple, due to our lack of knowledge about health and the human anatomy system. The more knowledge and understanding of the human anatomy we will have the easier it would be for us to remain healthy and fit.

According to a recent study, a vast majority of the American population are health illiterate. They either do not have enough health information or they are unable to interpret the available health information to control their health and maintain optimum fitness. It also showed, lack of information to be the most important factor contributing towards the majority deaths. Moreover, it was also determined that our illness are primarily a result of stress, food, environment, attitude, emotions or beliefs that triggers certain unhealthy behavior. So, to stay fit we need to refrain from such unhealthy behaviors and that can be distinguished only when there is enough information for us to differentiate between a healthy and harmful behavior. From this, the easiest and most important conclusion that we can arrive at is that we need more information about our health and the human anatomy.

Now, the second question is, do we really try to get enough health information? Today when the entire world is connected through the information highway on the internet it is really difficult to find a good reason for this lack of knowledge. Today more than 60% of the American adult population has access to the internet which is full of websites that would educate anyone about the details of health and human anatomy. There are even sites that provide you with anatomy animation that is both interesting and easier to understand the functioning of the human anatomy system. When medical students can use resources like this why don't we spend some time looking at these things? Animations of cardiovascular system or the animated display of how our eye works would definitely help anyone to have a better understanding of the systems and accordingly modify their behavior to remain fit and healthy.

A basic idea of cardiac physiology can be highly effective in understanding the detail of the simultaneous pressure characteristics in the heart (left atrium and left ventricle) and the blood flow through the different blood vessels during a cardiac cycle. In this rising trend of cardiac failures and increasing heart problems a basic understanding of the cardiovascular system can definitely be a major help to maintain a healthy body.

We must understand staying healthy is not difficult, all it requires is a bit of understanding of the human anatomy, how the different systems within our body work and some information on how we can make them work even better. We should make it a point to cultivate healthy habits that would help us to obtain the maximum level of fitness.

Ray Smith is a marketing expert with years of experience in different industries and specialized knowledge on branding and internet marketing. He also undertakes content writing jobs on a freelance basis. Anatomy Animation - human anatomy through animation.

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The Original Post is Located Here: Health Education – The Key to a Healthy Life

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Joseph Pilates and F. Matthias Alexander were important pioneers in thinking about how the human body functions, and how to improve that functioning. Their ideas, carried on today as the Pilates Method and the Alexander Technique, have had a profound influence on many other fitness training and somatic education programs.

One of the most striking parallels between these two men's work is the sweeping view they had of the health challenges facing mankind today, and of the wide-ranging benefits that would come about if their ideas were put into practice. They both spent many years experimenting and working on themselves, making their own bodies as laboratories, as it were, for testing each new idea. They both also acquired considerable experience in working with others to improve their functioning and they both repeatedly offered to demonstrate their methods to anyone in authority who would take the time to investigate them.

In each of their first major publications, they express frustration with the direction the human race is taking and make urgent calls for remedial action based on their discoveries. At the start of "Your Health", published in 1934, Joseph Pilates writes:

"Daily, from sunrise to sunset, radio, newspapers and magazines broadcast to the world how to maintain health, how to regulate health, what to eat, what to drink, even what to think.

"This conflicting information... (has caused) nothing less than confusion (to those) who are so unfortunate as to hear or read the diametrically opposed viewpoints of our so-called guardians of our health, since it is rather the exception than the rule, that these instructions are in agreement in their ideas and methods.

"To one who has devoted the major portion of his life to the scientific study of the body and, to practical application of natures's laws of life pertaining to the natural development of coordinated physical and mental health, and to the prevention rather that the cure of disease, the misinformation I have so often listened to or read borders closely on the criminal. Why? Because the acceptance of many of these popular yet bogus theories not only results in the squandering of untold millions of dollars, but, more seriously, can and does actually shorten the lives of uncounted millions."

Apart from not mentioning television or the internet, one would have no way of knowing this was written over seventy years ago. We continue to be subjected to conflicting advice about almost everything related to health - nutrition, exercise, posture, prescription drugs, to name but a few examples.

Clearly Pilates was addressing major heath issues, issues that are not susceptible to any kind of quick fix. The same is true for Alexander. In the opening pages of his first book, "Man's Supreme Inheritance", written in 1918, Alexander devotes a great many pages to the same concerns voiced by Pilates. Some idea of the flavor of Alexander's writing can be found In his Preface to the First Edition of the book. Here Alexander explains why he feels the need to put forward his ideas immediately, even though they were still in a preliminary state of development:

"...there are many reasons why I should hesitate no longer...chief among them being the appalling physical deterioration that can be seen by any intelligent observer who will walk the streets of London or New York, for example, and note the form and aspect of the average individuals who make up the crowd. So much for the surface signs. What inferences can we not draw from the statistics? To take three instances only: What of the disproportionate and apparently undeniable increase in the cases of cancer, appendicitis, and insanity? For that increase goes on despite the fact that we have taken the subject seriously to heart. Now I would not...say that because the increase in these evils has gone hand-in-hand with our endeavours to raise the standard by physical-culture theories, relaxation exercises, rest cures (and therefore) the one is the result of the other; but lacking more definite proof on the first point, I do maintain that if physical-culture exercises, etc., had done all that was expected of them they must be considered a complete failure in the checking of the three evils I have listed."

n their analyses of the sad state of human affairs, on occasion both men veered into the realm of the bizarre. Pilates, for example, viewed masturbation as "the curse of mankind" and Alexander had some strange ideas about vaccinations and about "primitive peoples". I think it's fair to say that these were aberrations that did not take away from the important discoveries these men made.

***

Pilates and Alexander put forth a number of suggestions about how the serious health crisis facing modern modern man could be alleviated. They both advocated a reasoned approach to the problem: find out precisely what is going wrong, why it is going wrong, and then think out and apply a rational solution.

Both men emphasized the unfortunate role of faulty childhood education and training which, in their views, inevitably led to harmful habits of thought and action. To overcome this, proper education (or, more accurately, re-eduction) was needed. As Pilates put it, in a statement that could easily have been written by Alexander, "..incorrect habits are responsible for most of our ailments, if not all of them. Equally true is the statement that only through proper education is it possible to replace bad habits with good ones..."

Both men felt that this re-eduction had to be based on a clear factual understanding of how we function and a clear-headed approach to improving that functioning. As Pilates writes, "...in order that one may receive the maximum benefit and resulting normal health from one's daily activities, one should understand at least some of the rudimentary underlying principles governing the mechanism of the human body in motion, rest and sleep. For example, knowledge of the leverage possibilities of the skeletal framework, the range and limitation of proper muscle tension and relaxation, the laws of equilibrium and gravity, and last but not least, how to inhale and exhale (i.e. how to breathe properly and normally) are essential if we are to benefit from any exercises."

This corresponds closely with Alexander's belief that it is important to have some knowledge of how we are designed if we wish to make useful changes. Some of these ideas have been elaborated on in recent years by Alexander Technique teachers and termed "body mapping" - a simple, systematic, process by which one can discover some some very basic, practical, anatomical information about yourself.(1)

It's telling that both Pilates and Alexander had occasion to make disparaging comments about anatomists. Pilates castigated them for failing to understand what he perceived to be the true mechanism of the spine and proper methods for training it. Alexander once met with a group of anatomists and later commented that their studies had done nothing useful to enhance their own posture and movement patterns. For Alexander it made no sense to study anatomy if you weren't going to use your knowledge to improve your own functioning.

Both men were self-trained in the field of anatomy and, for the most part, their understanding of human form and functioning was accurate. On occasion, however, they both were guilty of profound anatomical misunderstandings. Pilates made a very serious error when he insisted that the ideal human spine should be straight - that any spinal curvature at all is not natural. Alexander, for his part, put forth an odd test designed to quickly determine the level of someone's quality of functioning ("use" in his terms) based on hand positions - a test that has subsequently been completely discredited.

In the grand scheme of things, these failings are of minor significance in evaluating the overall importance of these two men's' approach to health and fitness.

2008

(1) Alexander Technique teachers Bill and Barbara Conable have been leaders in this development. Their book “How to Learn the Alexander Technique - A Manual for Students” is a good start for anyone who wants to explore ways of improving posture and movement patterns on their own.

The Pilates and Alexander Homepage at http://pilatesandalexander.com explores in depth the parallels and similarities between the Pilates Method and the Alexander Technique.

Robert Rickover is a teacher of the Alexander Technique living in Lincoln, Nebraska. He also teaches regularly in Toronto, Canada. Robert is the author of “Fitness Without Stress - A Guide to the Alexander Technique” and is the creator of The Complete Guide to the Alexander Technique website at http://www.alexandertechnique.com

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The Original Post is Located Here: Pilates, Alexander and the Health of the Human Race

Pilates has become a hot fitness trend. Nearly everyone can do Pilates either or in a class under an instructor supervision. Pilates teachers and instructors are in great demand. Pilates instructor can make a booming career. The Pilates teacher training has no statutory ordinance governing it. Dozens of registered professional association award the Pilates certification.

There are many levels for Pilates Instructor Certification. Mainly it is divided into two parts, pilates mat certification and pilates apparatus certification. There are advanced training available in sport specific or rehabilitative aspects of pilates. Each category of certification elaborates the different types of Pilates workout.

1. Pilates equipment Instructor certification: a student for this certification should have minimum a year of study in Pilates including number of private lessons. Completion of mat teacher training is usually required before learning to teach equipments. At this level, the student undertakes basic education in anatomy and physiology, the history and evolution of Pilates method. The full course has its own program design and they vary widely. The cost of teacher certification varies with the programs. The basic training would cost at least $ 2000.

2. Pilates Mat Instructor certification: It is recommended that one actually study Pilates before taking a teacher training class. Pilates mat training will cover all of the basic mat exercises with modifications to suit the clients needs. This course is usually offered as a weekend intensive or over the course of two weekends. Basic mat instructor certification would cost $100- $300.

3. Hybrid certification: The growing trend is to combine Pilates with other methods of exercises and fitness equipment as yoga, aquatics, exercise bands and balls. These type of certification do not demand any pre-requisite and are offered as weekend programs.

There is no National Pilates Certification and training eaxams are not standardized. Most Pilates certification are complete with self- testing. Professionals Pilates associations such as PMA ( Pilates Method Alliance), NETA ( National Exercise Trainer Association), AFPA ( American Fitness Professional Association), Pilates studio, Polestar eduction and Stott Pilates have study exam kit. You can purchase them from the websites. The price of the package varies from $50 to $400 depending on its level and depth. Usually the kits also contain materials, books and a study guide.

Pilates certification confirms upon a instructor the responsibility to help other peopleof all ages and ability levels as they discover the benefits of having mind and body working together in harmony.

Rajesh Karavadia is the author and webmaster of [http://www.pilatesbodynow.com], an informative website about pilates videos [http://www.pilatesbodynow.com/pilates-videos.html] and pilates exercises [http://www.pilatesbodynow.com/winsor-pilates-exercises.html]

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The Original Post is Located Here: Certification Pilates – The Beginning of a Rewarding Career