Mar 17

5 Incredible Ways Exercise Improves Brain Function

by admin in Mind & Body 0 comments
When you think of exercising more, what trade-offs come to mind? A slimmer physique, improved cardiovascular health, maybe even the ability to turn heads in that bathing suit you’ve been dying to get into? But have you thought about what exercise is doing for your brain? Numerous studies have proven that exercise, particularly the kind that gets your heart pumping, has a whole host of positive effects on the brain, even to the point of enhancing its structure. Here are just five of the ways exercise improves your already miraculous brain.   1. Exercise Turns Your Brain into a Pleasure Powerhouse Exercise stimulates a rich concoction of feel-good chemicals in the brain, including dopamine, serotonin, endocannabinoids, and norepinephrine, according to the American Psychological Association (apa.org), each of which has different roles in managing stress, enhancing feelings of wellbeing, and promoting an active interest in life. If that wasn’t enough, exercise increases the number of dopamine receptors in the brain, meaning not only is your brain producing more of these happy chemicals, but it’s also better at enjoying them. According to the Greater Good Science Center (greatergood.berkeley.edu), exercise is so good at delivering pleasure to the brain that it’s successfully used […]
Mar 17

10 tips to boost your mental health

by admin in Mind & Body 0 comments
“Mental health” refers to your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties. Anyone can experience mental or emotional health problems — and over a lifetime, many of us will. One in five Canadians lives with mental-health or substance-use problems. These tips can help you elevate your mood, become more resilient and enjoy life more.   1. Make social connection — especially face-to-face — a priority Phone calls and social networks have their place, but few things can beat the stress-busting, mood-boosting power of quality face-to-face time with other people.   2. Stay active Staying active is as good for the brain as it is for the body. Regular exercise or activity can have a major impact on your mental and emotional health, relieve stress, improve memory, and help you sleep better.   3. Talk to someone Talk to a friendly face. In-person social interaction with someone who cares is one of the most effective ways to calm your nervous system and relieve stress.   4. Appeal to your senses Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel calm? Does squeezing a stress […]
Mar 17

Fitness program: 5 steps to get started

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Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight — and even improve your sleep habits and self-esteem. And there’s more good news. You can start a fitness program in only five steps. 1. Assess your fitness level You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility, and body composition, consider recording: Your pulse rate before and immediately after walking 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) How long it takes to walk 1 mile, or how long it takes to run 1.5 miles (2.41 kilometers) How many standard or modified pushups you can do at a time How far you can reach forward while seated on the floor with your legs in front of you Your waist circumference, just above your hipbones Your body mass index 2. Design your fitness program It’s easy to say that you’ll exercise every day. But you’ll need a plan. As you design your fitness […]
Mar 17

How can I be mentally healthy and happy?

by admin in Mind & Body 0 comments
When many people think of a healthy lifestyle they immediately think diet and exercise and completely ignore mental health. However, mental health is one of the most important factors in creating a healthy lifestyle. “Focusing on how to be mentally healthy and happy is important in any aspect of life,” said Dr. Gregory Dikos, a trauma surgeon at OrthoIndy. “Many of my patients recovering from traumatic injuries experience significant pain and have to endure a lot of rehabilitation before they get better. My patients who practice positive thinking usually feel better sooner.” How do you maintain good mental health? The ability to manage your feelings and deal with everyday stresses and difficulties can be challenging. Maintaining good mental health means occasionally putting your own needs first. We can’t take care of others if we don’t take care of our own mind and body. If you are looking for a healthier lifestyle, start with your mental health and make sure you are finding time to relax and do things you enjoy, rewarding yourself for accomplishments and spending time with good people who value you. Seeking professional support and treatment is one way to improve your mental health. There are additional ways […]
Mar 17

How You Can Use An Elliptical Trainer!

by admin in Workouts 0 comments tags: elliptical trainer, gym cycling, how to use elliptical trainer, learn elliptical trainer, learn using gym equipment, weight based excercise
The elliptical trainer is one of the most popular devices that you will find in any gym or health club. The reason is that it combines the effect of a lot of workout devices in one place and it is together a bicycle, a stair stepper, and a cross country skiing machine. To use this you will need to step on to the machine facing the direction of the console and start pedaling after turning the monitor on. Pull on the handles evenly as you are pushing forward with your feet. You can increase as well as decrease the pedaling resistance so that you can vary the strength of your muscle training. Make sure you stand upright on the machine and don’t lean forward or backward while you are at it. Also, don’t grip on the handles too tightly and look straight ahead. Keep in mind whether your elliptical has fully stopped before you step off from it. Some tips for using it  The elliptical trainers are going to provide you with similar cardiovascular benefits as you get while running but it is going to have a lower impact on your joints, so this is great for the people […]
Mar 17

4 SUPER BENEFITS OF EATING FERMENTED FOODS

by kevin in Healthy Living 0 comments
Think about probiotics, and yogurt is definitely the first thing that comes to mind. But most people don’t know that other fermented foods like tempeh, pickles, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi also turn out to be excellent sources of the ‘good’ gut bacteria that the digestive system needs. Here are 4 super benefits of adding more of these foods to your diet. Improved Nutrient Absorption When consumed in the right quantity and coupled with regular foods, fermented foods help improve the activity of the gut bacteria and thereby increase the production of digestive enzymes. This helps create an ideal balance in the system which helps increase and improve the uptake of nutrients from food. Better Digestive Health Probably the most obvious benefit of consuming fermented foods is that it helps introduce beneficial bacteria in your digestive system and gut, and maintains the optimum balance there. In addition, the consumption of probiotics has also been found to slow down the progress of, and possibly even reverse some digestive diseases and ease the symptoms. Some experts also believe that these foods could help strengthen immunity in the long run. Budget-Friendly You don’t need to spend a lot of money to ensure digestive health- […]
Mar 16

5-minute breathing exercises can improve your mood and reduce anxiety

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Cyclic sighing appears to be particularly effective among different breathing exercises and better than mindfulness meditation, a study says   Most of us don’t think about our breathing, but if we put our minds to it, it can make us feel better. “Respiration is the perfect interaction between conscious and unconscious,” said Angelo Gemignani, psychiatrist and neuroscience professor at the University of Pisa. Breathing is a way for both the mind and body to work together to help regulate our emotions. A study in Cell Reports Medicine showed that just five minutes of breathwork each day for about a month could improve mood and reduce anxiety — and these benefits may be larger than from mindfulness meditation for the same amount of time. “We’re always busy doing instead of being,” said David Spiegel, an author of the study. “And it’s a good idea to just take a few minutes to collect yourself, commune with your body and help it prepare to deal with whatever you want to deal with.”   The mental health benefits of breathwork In a randomized controlled study of 108 adults, the researchers compared three different breathwork exercises, in which participants deliberately guided their breathing in various […]
Mar 16

8 Pieces Of Expert Fitness Advice For 2023

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Looking back on yet another year of navigating life through a pandemic, you might feel as though fitness remained on the back burner or that you generally didn’t get to move as much as you had hoped. But that’s okay—with a new year comes a new chance to hit the reset button and refresh both your wellness goals and how you think about them. Here are eight pieces of expert advice on fitness from our Forbes Health Advisory Board members to help inspire you to get moving in 2023.   Put in a Daily Effort “Exercise is of particular importance as we age,” says Robert Lahita, the director of the Institute for Autoimmune and Rheumatic Disease at St. Joseph’s Health in Paterson, New Jersey. “Remember: It doesn’t mean running marathons or Spartan races. It needs to be a daily effort to work the body in favor of the biological soul—to let go, relax the brain, stress the body in a good way and luxuriate in the flow of hormones, endorphins and cytokines.”   Use the Right Gear “Many New Year’s resolutions revolve around being more active, and having the right support for that activity can help prevent injuries and keep […]
Mar 16

9 Tips I Wish I Knew Before Starting Yoga!

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Former newbie Emma, shares her learnings that provide great foundations for beginners to yoga The idea of starting yoga might spark fears of inadequacy and self-doubt, so much so that so that you give up before you even start. It’s a difficult mental hurdle, stepping out of our warm, cushy comfort zone and trying something for the first time. But equipping yourself with some tips from others who have already been down this road can help knock down some common misconceptions and barriers that prevent people from taking their first step onto the yoga mat.   1. You don’t have to be flexible to start Of course, you’re not going to do a full split in your first class. Some people have this misconception that ‘I’m not flexible enough for yoga’…ummm how do you think your yoga teacher got so flexible? It’s like learning any new skill, you start with the foundations and work up from there. The best way to start yoga is…to start yoga.   2. Get in the right mindset. And ask why you’re doing it… This is very personal and isn’t really anyone else’s business but your own. But having a purpose behind choosing to start […]
Mar 16

5 simple gym hacks to speed up muscle growth as recommended by a strength coach

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Unlock your full muscle-growing potential by using these body-building shortcuts Feel like you’re doing a lot in the gym but not seeing the results you were hoping for? Fitness coach, James Alexander-Ellis, has shared five simple hacks in a recent Instagram post that he says will level up your existing exercise plan or workout routine. Here they are, in no specific order:   1. Use ‘time under tension’ stimulus for all of your sets Time under tension, or “TUT” as it is also known, refers to the amount of time a muscle is held under any amount of strain during an exercise. To perform a TUT workout, you simply need to lengthen each phase of the movement to make your sets longer. The idea here is that it forces your muscles to work more, therefore optimising their strength and – eventually – growth. Ellis advises that you should lower your regular weights much more slowly and count those seconds in your head. For example, in a typical 10-rep set, you’d be looking to make the set last for around 40 seconds, so 3 seconds down and 1 second up, for 10 reps.   2. Train twice a day (for a […]
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