Apr 01

6 Weird Ways To Trick Your Mind Into Sleep That Actually Work

by admin in Mind & Body 0 comments
Got insomnia? Sleep psychologists share a few unconventional tips that will help you get those Zzzs. When it comes to falling asleep, the single most effective thing you can do is calm your mind. Sure, that might be easier said than done — especially when it’s the middle of the night and you’re desperately waiting to fall asleep. But there are several not-so-obvious ways to quiet your thoughts and prep the brain and body for sleep. Instead of taking a hot bath, pouring yourself a night cap or squeezing in a workout before bedtime, here are a few expert-backed ways to dupe your mind into sleep:   Don’t sleep One of the most effective ways to trick yourself into falling asleep is to, well, try not to sleep. Trying too hard to sleep never works, and all that worry and anxiety about falling asleep is what actually keeps so many people up at night, said Deirdre Conroy, a sleep psychologist and the clinical director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Clinic at the University of Michigan Health Sleep Disorders Centers. By doing the opposite and forcing yourself to lie in bed and stay awake all night — a phenomenon called paradoxical […]
Apr 01

Strengthen Your Immune System With These Expert-Backed Tips

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We asked a medical doctor what you can do to boost your immune system. Your immune system keeps you healthy and fights off sickness. From the common cold to the flu to COVID-19, your immune system needs to be strong enough to fight off a variety of illness, viruses and diseases. When it comes to strengthening your body’s immune defenses, there are lots of different factors at play. As tempting as it may be to pop a supplement and call it a day, there are a lot of factors that affect how well your body can fight infections and other illnesses. After all it is an entire system at work, not one entity. According to Dr. Michael Roizen, COO of the Cleveland Clinic, there are several major categories to consider when evaluating your lifestyle and strengthening immunity. These areas include sleep, nutrition and supplements, exercise and stress management. Keep reading below for more information on how to optimize each of these area for your health and better immunity.   What is the immune system and how does it work? You know your immune system is vital to keeping you healthy and fighting off sickness, but do you know exactly how it works? “Your […]
Apr 01

The Benefits of Resistance Training for Fat Loss

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Best Way to Burn Calories & Lose Fat Many individuals struggling with their weight find themselves asking, “what is the best way to shed a few pounds?” and find themselves arriving at one of two options. Resistance Training Cardio But, is one more optimal than the other? Do you need to incorporate both options into your fitness plan in order to achieve success? To answer these questions, it’s best to first try and understand how our body burns calories.   How Our Body Burns Calories When it comes to physical activity, doing something active will always be more beneficial than spending the majority of your day in a sedative state. But physical activity does not necessarily need to be structured workouts in the gym, jogs on the treadmill, or going on a run through your neighborhood. While those are all great ways to stay active, it is not the only way that our body burns calories.   How Our Body Burns Calories Naturally In fact, our body naturally burns calories throughout the day as it breaks down food for fuel, constantly creating energy internally to keep us alive and going. You would still burn calories even if you were to […]
Apr 01

Eight tips to help you build muscle mass

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Building muscle requires a positive energy balance, which means that you must take in more calories than you burn. You need roughly 2,800 calories to build a pound of muscle, largely to support protein turnover, which can be elevated with training. By following these eight tips, you’ll be able to build muscle mass more efficiently and quickly. Your body can build at most around about 227g of muscle each week, so if you eat too many extra calories trying to build more muscle, you will gain excess fat, too. We would suggest consuming an extra 250 to 500 calories per day. If you gain fat easily, stay on the lower end of the range, and if you find it difficult to gain weight in general, aim for the higher end of the range. It will take a bit of trial and error to find the right amount of additional calories to build muscle and stay lean. In addition, research suggests that consuming lean protein 15 to 20 minutes before, during and within one hour of working out may help improve muscle gain. Since you are probably not going to be eating a steak or chicken breast at the gym, a […]
Apr 01

12 Tips to Make Waking Up for Early Morning Workouts Easier

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These Philadelphia-area fitness pros have mastered the art of waking up for early morning workouts — here are their tips and tricks. Raise your hand if you love to sleep. Okay, now raise your hand if you love waking up for early morning workouts. We’re going to take a guess that we lost a few people on that second one. And rightfully so: Sleep is ah-mazing and getting the motivation to leave a warm bed to work out can be darn near impossible. Despite the fact that many of us hate the thought of leaving our beds in the morning, early-to-bed and early-to-rise is an undeniable trend in our Sweat Diaries — you know, our peek into a week in the life of local fitness pros. Because Philly trainers all seem so well-versed in the art of waking up at the crack of dawn, we asked eight local fitness pros to share their tips for waking up early. And just in case you think this isn’t for you, we’ll let you in on a secret: Some of these pros aren’t morning people either. If they can do it, so can you. Read on for 14 tips to crush your next […]
Apr 01

Six Things You Can Do to Improve Your Workout Results

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When it comes to working out, do you ever feel like your results don’t match your effort? You put in your time at the gym, but your squat PR has plateaued or you’re still struggling to sustain that 8-minute mile? Everyone’s heard the mantra—stop working harder and start working smarter. But what does smarter mean? Here are six ways to smarten up your training and move closer toward your body composition or performance goals.   Prioritize Determine your goal and train for it. While this sounds straight forward, many people’s workout routines don’t support their fitness goals. Just because you “feel the burn” doesn’t mean a particular exercise is right for you. If your workouts aren’t tailored to support your goal, they’re unhelpful at best and counterproductive at worst. Want to build strength? Heavy resistance training should be the focus for most of your exercise sessions. Running a marathon? A combination of long, steady-state running mixed with short high-intensity interval work is your best bet. You can’t be a world-class power lifter and a champion distance runner at the same time. Training too hard for different goals robs you of your ability to excel at one. Instead, narrow your focus […]
Apr 01

7 tips for a safe and successful strength-training program

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Strength or resistance training challenges your muscles with a stronger-than-usual counterforce, such as pushing against a wall or lifting a dumbbell or pulling on a resistance band. Using progressively heavier weights or increasing resistance makes muscles stronger. This kind of exercise increases muscle mass, tones muscles, and strengthens bones. It also helps you maintain the strength you need for everyday activities — lifting groceries, climbing stairs, rising from a chair, or rushing for the bus. The current national guidelines for physical activity recommend strengthening exercises for all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms) at least twice a week. One set — usually 8 to 12 repetitions of the same movement — per session is effective, though some evidence suggests that two to three sets may be better. Your muscles need at least 48 hours to recover between strength training sessions. These seven tips can keep your strength training safe and effective. Warm up and cool down for five to 10 minutes. Walking is a fine way to warm up; stretching is an excellent way to cool down. Focus on form, not weight. Align your body correctly and move smoothly through each exercise. Poor form can […]
Apr 01

11 Steps to Follow for a Post-Workout Routine That Gets Results

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What you do after your workout is an important part of yielding results, such as muscle gain and weight loss, while reducing muscle soreness. A post-workout routine also helps to maintain optimum energy levels as you restore your vitality, making it easier to stick to your fitness plan. This article explores the steps to take after a workout to maximize your results. Read on to learn how you can design an effective plan to start the recovery process after you exercise.   General tips to follow   1. Get hydrated Rehydration is essential, especially if you’ve exercised intensely or broken a sweat. Replenishing your fluid levels improves muscle flexibility, builds strength, and prevents muscle soreness. Drink at least 16 ounces of water or healthy drinks, such as coconut water, green or black tea, and chocolate milk. Or you can choose a low-sugar sports drink. These drinks contain electrolytes, such as potassium and sodium, that can prevent and relieve muscle cramping. Avoid overly sugary, caffeinated, and alcoholic drinks, which may cause dehydration.   2. Eat a healthy snack Plan to eat a healthy snack or meal within 45 minutes of completing your workout. This will help replenish muscle energy stores and […]
Apr 01

Before and after your exercise, here’s what to eat for stamina, weight loss

by admin in Healthy Living, Workouts 0 comments
If you want to lose weight and gain the benefits of exercise, don’t workout on an empty stomach. Here’s what experts recommend you eat before, during and after your workout. Do you hit the gym regularly and follow a healthy diet? Yet your efforts may go to waste if you don’t eat the right things before and after the workout. “If you are working out, you need to follow a particular diet for optimum weight loss. It should be a balanced diet and will depend on your age and activity level,” says Usha Kiran Sisodia, Head dietician, Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital. If you are confused about what to eat before, during and after your workout, we offer you a nutritionist-recommended guide on how to plan it: You can have a healthy drink such as a protein smoothie made with yoghurt or coconut milk with banana and some berries as a pre-workout meal.   Before the workout You must keep a gap of at least 20 minutes to half-an-hour between the meal and the exercise session. “Have simple carbohydrates such as fruits (200gm) or dates (50gm) with some probiotics and 10 soaked and peeled almonds,” says Sisodia. The type of fitness […]
Apr 01

How to Lose Weight With 10 Minutes of Exercise a Day

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Ten minutes is not a lot of time for exercise, so you need to make the most of every second. The best way to do this is by using techniques from high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or Tabata training. These workouts focus on pushing your muscles to the extreme for a few short minutes. These methods are proven to be effective at burning calories, which is one of the main goals for weight loss. You should only do these types of intense exercises every other day so your muscles have time to repair themselves in between sessions. Moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging or cycling, can be done for 10 minutes on alternate days. High-Intensity Interval Training Begin with a two-minute brisk walk or slow jog to warm up your muscles. Do a high-intensity interval for one minute straight. This means you go as fast and as hard as you can doing the exercise of your choice. Possible exercises to choose from include sprinting, cycling on a standard or stationary bike, pedaling an elliptical machine or running up and down stairs. On a scale of 1 to 10 in workout intensity, where 10 is giving it your full effort, […]
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