Aug 10

5 Simple Ways Dance can Improve Mind, Body, and Soul

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“Little Mermaid” co-choreographer Tara Nicole Hughes helps you find your own rhythm. As we approach the end of May, also known as Mental Awareness Month, how much time have you really devoted to finding your own rhythm in the past few weeks? If you still haven’t got those endorphins flowing by taking up running, like you promised that you would, or felt the exhilaration of hitting a PR in the gym because “life” keeps taking over, then Tara Nicole Hughes may have the perfect solution for restoring harmony between your mind, body, and soul: Dance M&F Hers sat down with the co-choreographer of Disney’s new live action spectacular, “The Little Mermaid” to find out how those of us with two left feet should begin, and what benefits we can expect to receive from letting loose on the floor. We soon learned that whether it’s on the big screen, or in a safe space at home, dance is truly a gift.   Dance Is for Everyone In the same way that we take up any other form of exercise, every individual starts their dance journey from a different starting position. “I was born with pigeon toed legs,” says Hughes, who is […]
Aug 07

I meditated for 10 minutes before exercise every day for a week — here’s what happened to my mind and body

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Just 10 minutes to boost your wellbeing   At the start of this year, I decided to make consistent meditation one of my wellness goals. And since incorporating it into my nightly routine, I’ve noticed that my muscle tension has diminished and I’m a lot more in tune with my body. Seeing all of these positive physical changes made me wonder if I could also use meditation as a warm-up before my daily workouts. Would the same practice that’s been shown to relieve stress and improve focus better prepare me for vigorous exercise? I downloaded Headspace (one of the best relaxation apps there is), searched for an appropriate guided meditation, laced up my sneakers, and closed my eyes for a few focused minutes before hitting the gym. Here’s how meditating before my workouts impacted my performance.   What are the benefits of meditating before a workout? Meditation has long been heralded as a way to manage anxiety and enhance mood, but its advantages extend far beyond emotional wellbeing. According to a study from the journal Neural Plasticity, meditation was found to positively affect endurance and cognitive function in college athletes. But you don’t have to be training for the big […]
Aug 04

Exercise is good for your body and your mind, study says

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The benefits of exercise are widely known: it helps you live longer and lowers risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. A new study published Wednesday in The Lancet Psychiatry journal suggests that when done in moderation, it leads to better mental health as well. The researchers analyzed responses from 1.2 million adults in the United States taken from a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey given in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The average number of days of poor mental health per person in the past month was around 3.4, according to the study. Those who reported exercising had about 1.5, or 43%, fewer days of “bad self-reported mental health” in the past month compared to those who did not exercise. Poor mental health was reported in the study as stress, depression and trouble with emotions. “I think in comparison to all other treatments, when a patient successfully exercises at the right dose, there is a sense of self-efficacy and confidence that the patient develops that is absolutely also a remarkably positive thing,” said Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, Director of the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care at the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical […]
Aug 01

Should you stretch before exercise? Or after? These tips on stretching could be beneficial

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Stretching can help make you more flexible, improve range of motion in your joints — and feel good. Resistance training can be an effective form of stretching too For many people of a certain age, high school gym class began with reaching for their toes. Then, over the years, we were told it was better to stretch after exercise. It turns out, both those things can be true, but the differing advice has created some confusion. Stretching can help make you more flexible, improve range of motion in your joints — and feel good. David Behm, who researches human kinetics at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Canada, offers this advice on when to stretch and how to do it safely:   Warm up first It’s almost always good to stretch, but it’s better if you warm up first, said Behm, author of “The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching.” He recommends a light aerobic activity such as jogging, walking or cycling for five or 10 minutes. Follow that with some static stretching, the traditional way of reaching and holding a position (think back to that gym class). You can then do activity-specific dynamic stretching, in which you […]
Jul 29

Working out boosts brain health

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It’s no secret that regular exercise promotes health throughout the body. Research shows routine physical activity can improve cardiovascular health, strengthen bones and muscles, and even reduce the risk of certain cancers. But did you know breaking a sweat can also strengthen the brain? A growing body of research suggests physical fitness is one way to boost brain health — and that a regular exercise routine can decrease the effects of stress on the body, improve mental health and mood, and even enhance memory and cognition.   Exercise fuels the brain’s stress buffers Exposure to long-term stress can be toxic to multiple systems in the body, even leading to medical concerns like high blood pressure and a weakened immune system, along with mental illnesses like anxiety and depression. It may seem counterintuitive that exercise, a form of physical stress, can help the body manage general stress levels. But the right kind of stress can actually make the body more resilient. Research shows that while exercise initially spikes the stress response in the body, people experience lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine after bouts of physical activity. So far, there’s little evidence for the popular theory that exercise […]
Jul 26

10 Easy Self-Care Ideas That Can Help Boost Your Health

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To say the COVID-19 pandemic is stressful is an understatement, but one silver lining is that it’s made more people realize the importance of self-care. While you may think of self-care as enjoying rose petal-infused bubble baths, that’s not all it is. There are several different types, all of which are important for your physical, mental and emotional health.   What Is Self-Care? “My definition of self-care means knowing what is needed to ensure your health and happiness in life,” according to Robyn Gobin, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and author of The Self-Care Prescription who’s based in Savoy, Illinois. “It’s pouring into yourself and taking care of yourself.” You could think of it as being a good mother to yourself, adds Los Angeles-based clinical psychotherapist and A Year of Self-Care author Zoe Shaw, Psy.D. “When we think of what a good mother is, it’s someone who is nurturing and warm, but it’s also someone who makes you eat your vegetables, go to bed on time and brush your teeth,” she says. Self care takes all this into account, refreshing the body as well as the mind.   What Are the Benefits of Self-Care? Self-care may sound like a fluffy […]
Jul 23

7 Brain Exercises to Strengthen Your Mind

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While you might know that you need to exercise your body, did you know that it might also be important to exercise your mind? You’ve probably heard the old adage “use it or lose it.” Many researchers do believe that this maxim applies to your brain health. Brain training is often touted as a way to sharpen your mind and even boost intelligence. While many cognitive scientists suggest that the claims surrounding brain training are both exaggerated and misleading, there is an abundance of research suggesting that certain types of activities can be beneficial for your brain’s health.   1. Take Care of Your Body to Take Care of Your Mind If you want to take care of your mind, you need to start by taking care of your body. One study suggested that exercise can protect your brain from shrinkage as it ages. Researchers have also found that exercise can promote neurogenesis, or the formation of new brain cells, in the brain’s hippocampus. One study published in 2013 looked at healthy behaviors in nearly 2,300 men over the course of thirty years. Researchers looked at the participants’ behaviors and cognitive abilities starting in middle age and tracked their progress […]
Jul 20

Mind & Body: 5 Ways Meditation Boosts Brain Power

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Meditation has emerged as a transformative practice that enhances brain power and cognitive abilities in numerous ways. Read ahead to know them.   In today’s fast-paced world, where information overload and constant distractions abound, finding moments of tranquillity and focus has become more important than ever. Meditation, a practice that dates back thousands of years, has gained significant popularity in recent times due to its myriad of benefits for mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Among its many advantages, meditation has been shown to significantly boost brain power.   Ways Meditation Boosts Brain Power Let’s explore various ways in which meditation enhances cognitive function, enhances attention and memory, fosters creativity, and promotes overall brain health.   1. Strengthening Attention and Concentration In a world full of distractions, maintaining focus has become a challenge for many individuals. Regular meditation practice has been found to strengthen attention and concentration by training the mind to stay present in the moment. Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation, a popular form of meditation, can increase grey matter in brain regions associated with attention, such as the prefrontal cortex. In addition, according to a study Brief Mindfulness Meditation Improves Attention in Novices: Evidence From ERPs and Moderation […]
Jul 17

Active mind/body, healthy mind/body

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Spring is just around the corner and if you’re ready to reboot one of your New Year’s resolutions, here’s why exercise should be at the top of the list. Current medical research continues to robustly establish vigorous physical exercise as a major influence on overall health and well-being, in addition helping in the treatment of many diseases including depression, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and arthritis. A recent study found that regular, intense exercise beneficially influenced the action of 400 genes — that’s right, 400 genes, a huge number — that produce proteins increasing the healthy functioning of mitochondria, the energy-producing machinery inside every cell. Exercise is synergistic with medicines and surgery. Developing, undertaking, and maintaining an exercise regimen is one of the best steps a person can take toward a self-actualized style of medical care.   An exercise “prescription” We are a physician couple who have been physically active all our lives. We prescribe exercise regularly in our practices (one of us is a neurologist, the other a psychiatrist) and approach it in exactly the same way that we approach prescribing a medication, informing patients of dose and frequency benefits, possible side effects, and mechanisms of action. We describe a concrete […]
Jul 14

How to trick your mind into losing weight

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1. Psychological tricks to lose weight Losing weight is hard and maintaining a healthy weight once you’ve got there is even harder. While we mostly think that weight loss is all about eating a calorie-deficit diet and sweating out in the gym, it all actually starts and ends with your mindset. With the right and focused mindset, you will do all these necessary activities to lose weight. However, with a distracted mind, you may go on a diet for three days, only to chomp on chocolate chip cookies the next day. So what do we do to trick, or in a way, train our mind to lose weight for real? Read on to find out!   2. Build a streak One of the best tricks to lose weight is to be consistent in whatever workout or diet plan you choose to stick to. Just like building streaks on social media, create a health streak for yourself and see how long you can go on. Note that once your streak breaks, and it will, do not spiral and justify to yourself that now that you have eaten one chocolate and broken your streak, you can eat five more since nothing matters […]
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