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We often only focus on exercising our bodies, but we can’t forget our brains. Try integrating these strategies into your lifestyle to keep up your cognition as you age. From eating for heart health to deciding which exercises to focus on or improving vision, most people know that maintaining many aspects of physical health is crucial for longevity. But keeping your mind fit may be the most important component to graceful aging. Cognition declines over time due to several factors, such as age-related structure changes, brain injuries or excess stress hormones. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in nine American adults over 65 reports cognitive decline. “The parts of our brain that help with learning information and remembering can become smaller, and the brain can weigh less as we age,” said Colleen Marshall, chief clinical officer for Two Chairs. While we will all experience health changes as we age, cognitive decline doesn’t happen at the same rate for everyone. By prioritizing brain fitness now, you can help slow the change and keep your mind sharp as you age. How to start nourishing your brain for healthy aging 1) Solve puzzles We’ll start with the […]
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If cooler temperatures and less daylight leave you uninspired to keep up with fitness, here are some ideas to keep you moving. Even if you’re not shuttling kids back to school or in a climate where autumn brings changing leaves and dropping temperatures, there tends to be a shift in our schedules and moods that comes with the start of fall, says Minneapolis-based Lindsay Ogden, a National Academy of Sports Medicine–certified personal trainer and the digital manager for content and coaching at for Life Time, a national fitness company that runs gyms and corporate wellness programs. Fewer hours of daylight might find you spending less time outdoors, especially in the evenings or early morning hours. You might find yourself less motivated to stick with an outdoor workout, particularly if you had been exercising at one of these times, Ogden says. “Maybe it’s now dark when you get up.” Some people find themselves more energized to work out at new times throughout the day, she says. Or you might find yourself craving new ways to work out altogether. That “fresh start” feeling that comes with trying new activities can be really motivating, says Ogden. The novelty can make it playful and […]
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Changing temperatures can take a toll on your immunity and health. Here are tips to stay healthy as winter transits into summer. As the season transits from winter to spring to hot summer, it is common to catch hold of ailments like cold, cough, common flu, and so on. With temperature rising a degree each day, hospitals and clinics are thronged with coughing patients. Increasing temperatures can also cause heatstroke, diarrhoea, fever and dehydration. Save yourself from this season change by following these simple measures. 1. Stay Hydrated Drink plenty of water and other fluids to keep up with your immunity. It is important to shield yourself by hydrating as increasing temperature causes sweat through which salts and fluids of your body are given away. It is advisable to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water in a day. Set your water alarms and drink water on frequent intervals of time without fail. You can also add lemonade, refreshing juices and smoothies to your diet to stay hydrated. Hydrating yourself can help you prevent problems like heatstroke. 2. Eat Seasonal Foods It is healthier to eat seasonal fruits and vegetables as they are harvested fresh. As […]
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Here’s how to start snoozing more quickly at night When you’re busy and on the go, you’ll naturally start getting tired as the day wears on. That’s perfectly normal — in fact, that’s how our bodies work. “We have a sleep drive that builds up the longer we’re awake,” says sleep medicine expert Michelle Drerup, PsyD, DBSM. “By the end of the day, that sleep drive — or pressure for sleep — is high.” However, each of us has what’s called an “internal sleep rhythm,” or circadian rhythm. This rhythm varies from person to person, and represents the time when our body and mind start relaxing and winding down for the day. “This internal rhythm influences when we start to feel sleepy,” says Dr. Drerup. “Some people might identify more as night owls, meaning they don’t get sleepy until much later. Other people are more early birds.” How long should it take you to fall asleep? You won’t typically fall asleep right away, even a couple of minutes after your head hits the pillow. And if you do conk out quickly, that’s a sign you’re probably sleep-deprived and not snoozing enough at night. “If they don’t have any […]
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If you don’t already have a go-to core routine, here are the five best exercises for sculpting strong abs, from trainers. 1. Plank How to: Start on the floor on hands and knees with hands directly under shoulders. Step feet back, one at a time. (For more stability, bring feet wider than hip-distance apart, and bring them closer for more of a challenge.) Maintain a straight line from the top of head through heels, gaze down just above fingertips. Now, tighten abs, quads, glutes, and hold. Think about digging through your heels, squeezing your quads, and keeping everything nice and tight. (If you feel your body shake, that’s a good sign you’re creating enough tension from head to toe.) Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds. 2. Side Plank Lay on left side with left forearm flat on the floor, elbow lined up directly under shoulder and both legs stacked and extended out in a long line. Option to raise right arm to ceiling or rest on right side of body. Press into left forearm, lifting hips off of the floor and balancing on forearm with your opposite hip in the air. Body should make a straight […]
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Getting back to working out after a break isn’t as easy as dusting off your sneakers and renewing your gym membership. If you’re wondering how to start exercising again and feel overwhelmed about where to even begin, well, that’s totally valid. First things first: Know that it’s completely okay that you had to pause your exercise routine in the first place, Teddy Savage, CPT, a Baltimore-based national lead trainer for Planet Fitness, tells SELF. Life happens, and “fitness journeys can start and stop and restart again,” he says. So instead of beating yourself up because your three-times-a-week cardio habit fell by the wayside, celebrate the fact that you’re taking steps to start working out again—and yes, reading this article counts as a step. To help you navigate your re-entry into fitness, we tapped exercise pros for their advice on establishing a routine that is safe, effective, and actually enjoyable. From how to build a workout plan, to the importance of setting realistic fitness goals, to simple tips for reducing injury risk—and a whole lot more—here’s the intel you need to get back on track with a good workout groove. No matter your current fitness level or the amount of time […]
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Do you go out to cycle every day? Find out how this activity can benefit your mind and body, and also protect and promote the environment. Why Should You Cycle? Cycling is said to be a must-do activity for people who want to stay physically active, but without having to go to the gym. Unlike many other exercises that can be boring, cycling is a form of cardio that is enjoyed by children and adults alike. It can release stress and tension after a long day at work by working on various muscles in the body, while also ensuring the strength of the bones. Cycling is great for the mind, body and soul. Scroll down to know more about its health and environmental benefits. 1. Improves Cardiovascular Health As mentioned earlier, regular cycling can strengthen your heart and lungs, and reduce the risk of heart diseases and stroke. 2. Boosts Mental Health Cycling releases endorphins, which can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, and boost your mental health and well-being. 3. Muscle Strength, Flexibility Cycling works multiple muscle groups to improve and increase overall muscle tone and flexibility. 4. Weight Management Cycling can also keep […]
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Working from home can be beneficial in many ways, but it can also present several physical, mental, and social challenges. Health tips for those working from home include wellness fundamentals, such as eating a nutritious diet and getting regular exercise. However, it is also important to address the psychological and social challenges of remote working, such as loneliness and blurred lines between a person’s job and home life. In this article, we explore how to maintain optimal wellness while working from home. Challenges of working from home While remote working has advantages, it also comes with an array of challenges. These include: feelings of isolation trouble staying motivated having to manage disruptions finding a work-life balance avoiding burnout difficulty maintaining healthy eating habits difficulty getting the recommended level of physical activity Importance of staying home During the COVID-19 pandemic, most of those who are able to do their job remotely are working from home. Staying at home as much as possible greatly reduces a person’s exposure to the novel coronavirus. Consequently, it is key to lowering the risk of contracting the virus and preventing it from spreading. Some people may have viewed working from home as a luxury […]
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To-do lists, fears and anxieties, and general discomforts have an annoying way of showing up in our lives right when it’s time for bed. Thankfully, there are plenty of holistic remedies that can help counteract racing thoughts that just get faster when the lights go out. When relaxation is your end goal, breath becomes your most important ally. Simply taking deeper, more controlled breaths can be enough to lower your cortisol levels, since breathing into the diaphragm can stimulate the vagus nerve, which kickstarts your body’s parasympathetic response. This is known as the relaxation response, and it’s been studied pretty extensively. A 2008 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that older people with chronically high blood pressure were able to lower their SBP by an average of 9.4 points over eight weeks using mind-body relaxation techniques that employed the breath. Another in Psychoneuroendocrinology found that just 25 minutes of mindful meditation over a three-day span regulated participants’ cortisol response and reduced self-reported psychological stress. Below, an introduction to five meditation exercises that can help you use the power of the breath to relax and fall asleep more easily. 1. Use a guided meditation app If […]
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Here’s a workout tip for you: There’s no denying the appeal of a big, toned chest. Case in point: Jason Momoa’s unbelievable pectorals from Aquaman. But apart from being easy on the eye, a strong chest also helps you build overall upper body strength. Perhaps that’s why the bench at the gym is always so crowded. “By working on your chest, you will start building pushing strength, which will lead to improved functionality in day-to-day life activities like lifting a heavy bag overhead, pushing a broken-down car, etc.,” says Keerthan Naik, an internationally certified fitness and nutrition coach. All you need to know about doing chest exercises at home, without any equipment How effective are bodyweight chest workouts? It is possible to ditch weight training to work on your chest, although it might take longer for the results to be visible. “You should focus on doing more and more reps when performing bodyweight chest workouts,” says Naik, explaining how more repetitions can help in breaking down muscle fibre at the cellular level by taking it through a volume of work. He suggests doing a range of push up and dip variations to build a stronger chest at home. […]