Mar 25

9 Self-Help Solutions for Reducing Symptoms of Depression

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Being depressed is painful and debilitating. An estimated 10 percent of adults in the United States suffer from symptoms of depression each year, resulting in family strife, loss of work productivity, and misery for the person affected by the condition and those around them. While getting professional medical help for depression is always a good idea, especially if the condition is severe, there are also many non-medical solutions a person can take on their own to reduce symptoms of depression. Many therapists and doctors advise that depressed patients take steps like these, along with counseling and medication. Here are nine ways a depressed person can engage in self-help to overcome or reduce the symptoms of mild to moderate depression.   1. Get Some Exercise Many scientific studies on depression find that exercise is as useful for relieving mild to moderate depression as medication.  Exercise has multiple positive benefits beyond helping with depression symptoms such as improved cardiovascular health, weight loss, and reduced risk for developing many chronic diseases. It can be quite challenging to exercise when feeling depressed, so it is best to start small and do something enjoyable. Taking a short walk each day, doing ten minutes of calisthenics […]
Mar 25

3 Simple Steps to Increase Metabolism

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Learn to Improve Metabolism to Lose Weight Effectively There are many different ways to increase metabolism, but if you’re trying to lose weight, some methods work better than others. Why? Because some metabolism diet tricks actually cause weight gain. Yep, that’s right. They cause your body to get bigger instead of helping you to slim down. So how do you sort through the science to find effective metabolism-boosting strategies? First, it’s important to learn what not to do when you’re trying to slim down.   Dos Keep a food journal Increase your daily activity Enjoy favorite treats as a reward   Don’ts Follow fad diets Take diet supplements Consume energy drinks   How to Increase Metabolism You’ve probably seen plenty of articles online and in magazines that teach you how to increase metabolism. Many times they suggest that you eat a hearty breakfast or snack throughout the day to burn more calories. The problem with those methods is that they boost your metabolic rate and your calorie intake at the same time. In fact, they often boost your calorie intake more than they increase metabolism. So the end result is that your body gets bigger instead of smaller. There’s nothing […]
Mar 25

Exercise Tips for Kids and the Whole Family

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Family Fitness Many children do not get the exercise they need. The “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans” developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommends children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Video games, television, and computers are sedentary behaviors that need to be limited to help your kids be more active. This slideshow contains to get your kids up and moving. Make an Exercise Schedule You and your children are more likely to exercise if you schedule it into your days. Set aside time for physical activity and be a role model for the behavior you want your children to follow. Support Physical Education Programs in the Schools Physical education (P.E.) at school can help kids be more active, but many states have limited programs that require little time. Be an advocate for your child and let the school administration know you want P.E. to be part of your child’s curriculum. Plan Your Vacations, Weekends, and Days Off Around Fitness Fun Vacations and days off can involve activities that get the whole family moving. Bike rides, nature hikes, swimming, or even play time on the playground. Make the activities fun […]
Mar 24

Science-Backed Ways to Push Through Workout Fatigue

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That tiredness might be all in your head. Here’s how to work past a mental block if your muscles still have some energy.   What makes your muscles want to give up when you’re trying to hold a plank, go the distance on a long run, or do speed drills? Well, research shows that they may not actually be tapped out — but instead are getting mixed messages from your brain. In other words, when you’re putting in the workout time to train your muscles, it’s your mind you may actually need to condition to get past that moment when you want to quit. That’s right: Mental fatigue can seriously affect your workout. Here’s exactly what’s going on, and how to prevent your brain from getting in the way of your gains.   What’s Happening When Mental Fatigue Inhibits Your Workout   When you work out, your muscles and your brain are in direct communication. With every step or rep, your muscles are sending signals to the brain, telling it what they need in order to keep going — namely, oxygen and other fuel — and reporting their level of fatigue. The brain then responds, adjusting muscle contraction demands accordingly, […]
Mar 24

How Many Calories Does Walking Burn? Fitness Experts Explain

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Walking as little as one mile a day burns a surprising amount of calories.   Walking is one of the most accessible ways to work out. Not only is it low-impact for your joints, but you can also do it anywhere, from strolling down your neighborhood to walking on your treadmill in the living room. And the calories burned walking can be vast too, which ultimately can help lead to weight loss if that’s your goal. “Walking is one of the best exercises for weight loss,” says Nicole Glor, fitness instructor and creator of NikkiFitness YouTube Channel. “When paired with a healthy diet and lifestyle including stress management, sufficient sleep, and exercise, walking can definitely help with weight loss efforts,” adds Shana Maleeff, M.A., R.D..   Why walking is a top choice for weight loss This simple way to move offers a variety of health benefits. “Walking gives your metabolism a boost by increasing your body’s demand for energy,” Maleeff says. In other words, it helps you burn calories. “Anything that moves your body burns calories,” she explains. “We take in energy through food and then burn them passively through body functioning (breathing or digesting food) and by actively moving […]
Mar 24

3 Beginner Shoulder Training Mistakes to Avoid in Your Workouts

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You want boulder shoulders, but you’re going about it the wrong way. Here’s how to build up your upper body better. You may think you need to carry the weight of the world when it comes to training your shoulders, but the sooner you learn that less can be more, the sooner you’ll be on the path to healthier, happier workouts. In order to build out a formidable upper body and achieve the V-taper torso, many new trainees feel the need to attack shoulder training with the same ferocity as leg day, even though the deltoids are a much smaller muscle group. The shoulders are also a much more complicated structure than other commonly trained areas, making it much easier to go too hard, too soon if you’re not working the right way. This can lead to wasted time in the gym—or even worse, injuries. Break through beginner’s mistakes with help from Men’s Health fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S. “There is no body part that is more butchered in the gym than shoulder training,” he says. Follow his tips to get on track.   3 Beginner Shoulder Training Mistakes to Avoid Here are three beginner mistakes that may be contributing […]
Mar 24

Getting Started with Mindfulness

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What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practice on a daily basis. Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.   The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes.   What is meditation? Meditation is exploring. It’s not a fixed destination. Your head doesn’t become vacuumed free of thought, utterly undistracted. It’s a special place where each and every moment is momentous. When we meditate we venture into the workings of our minds: our sensations (air blowing on our skin or a harsh smell wafting into the room), our emotions (love this, hate that, crave this, loathe that) and thoughts (wouldn’t it be weird to […]
Mar 24

Four Fitness Facts to Fuel Your Workout

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Things to keep in mind for when you’re low on motivation.   There’s rarely enough time in the day to accomplish everything we set out to do, and exercise is often sacrificed when we’re short on time. Federal guidelines recommend fitting two and a half hours of moderate physical activity into our lives each week — and making time for muscle-strengthening exercises. I sometimes find this guidance daunting, and I’m not alone. Only 25 percent of adults in the United States met those recommendations in 2020. So I grew curious about the research: How much physical activity does a person need to live longer and reduce their risk of chronic disease? How frequently do they actually need to work out? Exploring the science and talking to researchers generated surprising information, like you don’t need to work out every day, and stretching doesn’t automatically prevent injuries. Here are four research-based insights about exercise that might make you more excited to put on your workout clothes.   You can keep your workouts short. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week from activities like biking or swimming. That corresponds […]
Mar 24

Five Upper Body Resistance Band Exercises

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This five-move resistance band workout routine can help you work your upper body anywhere. The absence of weights doesn’t have to mean the absence of a good workout. These five moves can help you craft an upper-body resistance band workout wherever you are. Resistance bands come in a variety of styles, so finding the best one for your needs may vary. These exercises utilize a resistance tube with handles. However, you can modify each exercise with other band types as well. When choosing a resistance tube, use a weight that is challenging but won’t affect your form. Mary Lauff, a Health Fitness Specialist of Corporate Fitness who works at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Customer Support Center Health Club, recommends performing three sets for each of these exercises. If your goal is muscle gain, she suggests a heavier weight with four to six reps. Meanwhile, if you want to work on your muscular endurance, she recommends a lighter weight with 12 to 15 reps.   BICEP CURL A bicep curl is a classic gym move that can help you build and strengthen your bicep muscles. This resistance band exercise for arms works both biceps at the same time.   STEPS: Step […]
Mar 24

How To Adjust Your Workout When You Can’t Get To The Gym

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Feeling at a loss about not being able to stick to your normal workout routine? You’re not alone. Social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in people all over the world having to adjust their schedules to accommodate working from home, schooling and caring for kids, and finding ways to maintain as much of a “normal” schedule as possible. As a result, many people are struggling to figure out how to get a good workout in without the help of gym equipment or a personal trainer. “Anxiety over the current situation can add to a lack of motivation to workout,” says Brianna Gauna, an athletic trainer for Henry Ford Health. “But just remember how beneficial it is to move your body, even if it is just around the house.”   How A Routine Change Affects Your Body If you are used to working out every day or going hard at the gym on a regular basis, a short rest period from your routine might have its advantages. “Taking time to rest can actually be a really good thing because it allows your body to recover,” says Gauna. “You might even start to see more muscle tone set in as […]
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