Mar 01

What Is Mind-Muscle Connection and Why It Is Important?

by admin in Mind & Body 0 comments
Mind-muscle connection (MMC) refers to paying attention to your body while moving. MMC does more than just promote progress with purpose. It also entails thinking about directly engaging the core muscles as you move. The mind-muscle connection is an intentional and conscious type of activity. It refers to the capability to direct the tension created during exercise to a muscle group or area of muscle throughout the body, which differs between passive and active strength movement. When concentrating on the use of muscle groups to generate contractions, the brain recruits a higher proportion of muscle fibers to accomplish the task. This also prevents muscle fibers that are not in use from being innervated. The body can gain size and muscle strength in all the correct spots if you create tension in the correct muscles.   What Is The Importance of the Mind Muscle Connection? According to research, thinking more deeply about muscles’ movement stimulates the muscle tissue more than conducting the exercise without paying attention to it. In other words, the more you focus on the target muscle while going to perform an exercise, the more strength and memory you will gain. When we direct our thoughts and attention to […]
Feb 28

Mental Health: Try These Self Care Tips To Boost Your Health

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Here we discuss a list of self-care tips you can follow for better mental health. Self-care plays a crucial role in maintaining and boosting mental health. These can help boost not only your mental health but your overall health and quality of life. Self-care tips ensure you get the treatment you require to function well. In this article, we discuss a list of self-care tips you can follow for better mental health.   Here are 10 self-care tips that can positively impact mental health:   1. Regular exercise Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. It also helps reduce stress hormones. Find an activity you enjoy, whether it’s jogging, yoga, or dancing. Start with small goals and gradually increase intensity.   2. Adequate sleep Quality sleep is essential for cognitive function and emotional well-being. It helps in managing stress and improving overall mood. Establish a consistent sleep schedule, create a relaxing bedtime routine, and ensure your sleep environment is comfortable.   3. Healthy nutrition A balanced diet provides the necessary nutrients for brain function and emotional stability. Include a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains in your meals. Stay hydrated and limit processed foods.   4. […]
Feb 27

Here’s how you can protect your skin while working out in winters

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Workout helps you in more ways than one- from bursting with stress to keeping you fit and active. It’s hard to imagine that there could be any downsides to sweating it out. Well, turns out, it can. Not on the body but it can ruin your skin especially if you work out outdoors in the colder months of the year. Skin expert, Dr Manasi Shirolikar, Consultant Dermatologist and Founder of the online consulting brand (drmanasiskin.com) says “Winter air tends to be not only colder but also drier. If there is some wind, it can also lead to drying your skin out. This can cause irritation and barrier impairment.” She also laid down some important tips to keep in mind while working out in low temps so your skin doesn’t pay the price of your workout session:   1. Don’t Skip Sunscreen People mistakenly think they won’t get sun damage during winter but that is not the case. Use sweat-resistant sunscreen not just on your face but also on your body if you are working out during the day. Opt for SPF 30 or higher. A cream-based sunscreen will moisturise, whereas a gel-based one would be better for oily skin.   […]
Feb 25

Recharge your mind and improve work productivity with these yoga asanas

by admin in Mind & Body, Workouts 0 comments
Postures that stretch the back muscles are considered cooling in Ayurveda, and soothing for those feeling overly stressed, frustrated, or angry   Work productivity can reduce due to multiple reasons — having a poor manager, not feeling a connection with your workplace and its values, or the work, in general. While there are some remedial measures like feedback, and open communication that can help, it may take time before the changes are actually reflected. That is where our personal philosophy, stress management skills, and ability to cope with tough situations can come into play. Yoga is an empowering practice that can help you manage stress because it integrates three aspects of health and wellness – body, breath, and mind.   Here are a few yoga techniques that are exceptionally helpful in coping with stress.   Sun salutations Moderate levels of aerobic exercises are great for mental health, and sun salutations are perfect for that. When practised with the correct breathing pattern, for 6-12 rounds, they help relieve tension, elevate mood, and boost energy, too.   Balance on one leg Single leg balances like tree pose, warrior III, or dancer’s pose help improve balance and stability. The simple act of balancing […]
Feb 24

Depression may be making you hotter, literally, study finds

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A study published in Scientific Reports has found that people with depression have higher body temperature. The recognition of major depressive disorder has risen significantly over the years. People are not only recognizing the value of acknowledging their symptoms but also seeking necessary help. Mental health issues are often considered to be difficulties of the mind. However, it was debunked many years ago that mental health issues can alter the brain and body chemistry. Researchers from UC San Diego and UC San Francisco looked at data from participants and measured their body temperature. They predicted that individuals with depressive symptoms are likely to experience heightened body temperature. They believe that their research contributes to furthering our understanding of depression.   How does depression impact body temperature? Much research has been done to understand the signs of major depressive disorder. While studies have been conducted on the relationship between MDD and body temperatures, they have been done on a small scale. It means that the sample of people included in studies is small. The aforementioned study tried to take a step higher and included 20,000 international participants. As it had a large number of participants, its findings became relatively more valid […]
Feb 21

Feel like a slug? You may have the wrong exercise mind-set.

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A new study shows that thinking you’re failing at exercise is bad for your health. Tracking all your movements can help. Many of us worry that we don’t get enough exercise. But the mere belief that we aren’t moving enough can have negative consequences for our health, according to emerging science about how our mind-set affects our bodies. A fascinating new study of mind-sets and exercise, though, shows that learning how much we actually move by tracking our steps could help us start thinking of ourselves as active people, which can pay health dividends, even if we don’t start exercising more. In the study, 162 adults who had never counted steps before wore tracking watches for four weeks. One group was given a watch that wildly inflated step counts — instead of averaging 7,000 steps, they thought they walked 9,800. Another less-fortunate group wore a watch that deflated step counts, lowering them by about 40 percent, to around 4,000 a day. And two groups wore watches that told the truth — they were walking about 7,000 steps a day. But some of the participants also watched videos about the power of mind-sets and how they can influence our health. These […]
Feb 18

Fitness expert shares top safety tips for outside winter exercising

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As we head toward Christmas, many will be considering getting a head start on their New Year fitness resolutions. However, with snow and ice guaranteed for many states throughout December, it is important take safety into consideration when exercising outdoors. Matthew Magnante, an exercise author at FitnessVolt, has compiled a list of his most important safety tips to keep in mind when exercising outdoors during the colder months, shared via a press release.   Drink even if you don’t feel thirsty Many may not realize this, but we are at an elevated risk of dehydration when exercising in colder temperatures. When it is cold, our blood vessels constrict to reduce the amount of heat lost through our skin as a way of maintaining our core body temperature. During this process a hormone called plasma arginine vasopressin that normally signals thirst, is secreted at a lower rate than when exercising in hot weather. This explains why you might find yourself craving water less when exercising in winter. Research has found that exposure to cold weather can reduce our thirst sensation by as much as 40%. To prevent dehydration, continue to drink water as you would during summer and opt for a […]
Feb 14

Want to Stop Stress? Add These 7 Simple Habits to Your Life

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Don’t let daily stress overwhelm you. Use these surprisingly easy strategies to regain control over your mood. Being intentional about focusing on positivity can go a long way when things are stressful. It sounds small, but it can make a big difference in boosting your satisfaction and mood. I’m not talking about big, sweeping changes to your life. It can be as easy as making yourself laugh and meeting up with friends. Nourishing your mental health will help you connect more deeply with others, reduce anxiety and boost your confidence. Small things can do right now will make a difference, and it won’t cost a thing. Start with these seven happiness hacks today.   Simple mental health habits to start using today   1. Make relaxation a routine Very few things in life are promised, but stress-free times are unfortunately guaranteed. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed or stressed out, but you can control how you respond to the strain. Implementing relaxation techniques into your daily routine can help you manage stress. Meditation is a popular way to relax as it can help reach a state of calm, decrease stress and improve your mood. Some people even use […]
Feb 11

The Mind-Body Connection: How Mental and Physical Wellness Are Linked

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In ancient Greece, three doctors would see a patient together. They were the “knife” doctor, the “herb” doctor, and the “word” doctor. The people who “invented” medicine understood there was a connection between the mind and body and practiced accordingly. Our modern-day Western counterparts (surgeons, physicians, and therapists) rarely even speak with one another. There is increasing evidence the ancient Greeks were right: Our thoughts, feelings, and attitudes can affect our biological functioning, and what we do with our physical bodies can affect our mental state. In fact, until about 300 years ago, most systems of medicine treated the mind and body as a whole. It wasn’t until the 17th century that Western cultures began to see the body and mind as distinct entities. Researchers began revisiting the mind-body connection in the late 20th century, and since then, they have compiled an impressive amount of data that indicates our bodies and minds share a common chemical language and are constantly communicating with each other. In this article, I will introduce just four of the ways research demonstrates this connection between the mind and body. Perhaps the most obvious of our examples is the effect of chronic stress, which we often […]
Feb 08

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, says […]
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