by | Dec 15, 2019 | Fitness |
Losing weight isn’t easy for everyone, sometimes it can be quite difficult to manage depending on your lifestyle, eating habits, and also due to your genetics. Metabolism also has a say in how much you lose too. Here how to better your weight loss in 2020 and get you to the weight or fitness that you feel most comfortable in.
Think About Your Portion Sizes
Portion sizes are easy to get wrong because when you’re cooking from scratch, you’ll always end up over portioning on your ingredients. When you’re following a recipe, you can control what you use because you know exactly what is a reasonable sizing. However, not having a recipe means that you can end up going totally off course. And rather than waste it, you’ll end up piling it into your plate and the plates of others that you are cooking for. Look at your plate and how much you are putting onto each one. If you feel like it’s too much, then take away the leftovers and freeze them or save them in the fridge for another day. There’s nothing wrong with that!
Get Others Involved In Your Fitness Journey
Getting others involved in your fitness journey can be a great way to help yourself because it can be difficult trying to stick to a regime when you’re the only one on it. When you see others treating and indulging themselves in food that’s not good for them or not exercising, it can be disheartening for you, but it can also make it more difficult for you as you battle with others around you. So why not get someone on the fitness program you’re on or to at least support you in your diet choices and perhaps coming with you to a fitness class or two. Showing that moral support might be just what you need to help you lose weight and to achieve that goal that you want from your journey.
Try Out The Right Programs
There are many fad diets out there that promise the world, but in reality, that’s not always the case. Most are sustainable for perhaps a month or so, but none can really be done forever. That’s why doing a workout and nutritional program is going to work better. Looking at your metabolism is important because that’s what helps you lose or gain weight. A metabolic factor can kick-start your metabolism into action and to hopefully help you shift the weight quicker than you would with anything else.
Don’t Be Too Hard On Yourself
When you’re losing weight or trying to improve your fitness, you are likely to fall off the wagon at some point. But that’s ok because it happens and we’re only human in the end. It’s all about getting back up and getting on with it. You’ll have days where you struggle, but you’ll get to where you want to be eventually, so don’t beat yourself up about it.
Hopefully, with these tips, you can help better your weight loss journey in 2020.
by | Dec 9, 2019 | Fitness |
Keeping your joy this holiday season is challenging enough without taking the weather into account. A long, cold winter is notoriously hard on many people’s bodies and moods, and the second half if often the hardest.
If you’re struggling a little this winter, don’t worry. These coping strategies will help you thrive through these last few cold months.
Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels
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Go For a Daily Walk
When it’s cold, going for a walk might be the last thing you feel like, but there is no more reliable way to get your blood flowing and improve your mood than a brisk walk in the bracing air. If you’ve been avoiding heading out into the cold so far this winter, try to brave a daily walk from now on. You’ll be amazed by the impact this brief daily ritual could have on your overall well being. You needn’t go on a hike every day. Just a brisk stroll around the block would be enough to see an improvement. Ideally, you would take advantage of the daylight hours to get a little vitamin D, a walk in the dark will be beneficial, too.
The right footwear is key for wintry walks, especially if you’re prone to catching colds. Fleece-lined boots with good traction are a good bet in sub-zero temperatures. Once the snow starts to melt, a pair of womens wide calf rain boots would be ideal. Not only will they enable you to wade through the slush, but you can wear thick socks underneath for warmth.
Laugh More
If you struggle with seasonal affective disorder, you might feel like winter is no laughing matter. But regular laughter could be the key to thriving for the rest of the season. Research has shown that a good dose of hearty laughter can reduce tension and stress, leaving your entire body in a more relaxed state almost a full hour afterward. And if you’re prone to catching a cold in winter, you have another excuse to enjoy a daily giggle (not that you should need an excuse). Laughing releases powerful antibodies into your bloodstream that can boost your immune system and help you fight off colds and flu. Whether you head out to the cinema for a good old Rom-Com, try out laughter yoga, or spend time laughing with your kids, don’t miss out on this great mood-enhancer this winter. (Bonus: laughter is free, too!)
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Eat Seasonally
If you’ve got this far through winter eating the same go-to weekday meals that you eat throughout the year out of habit, consider switching up your menu. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are cheaper because they are more abundant, and more nutritious because they haven’t had to be cold-stored and transported long distances from warmer climes. What’s more, they taste better because they are fresh! Introducing a more seasonal array of dishes to your regular menu will not only make your weekly shop cost less, but your meals will be tastier and more nutritious. Many winter ingredients like root vegetables tend to work best when roasted or slow-cooked, so your meals will tend towards the warmer, cozier side of the spectrum, offering comfort and warmth on those chilly winter days.
Whether or not you’re a fan of the winter, many of us struggle with the last couple of months. These tips will help you turn your winter up a notch and power through the last stretch.
by | Nov 16, 2019 | Fitness, Lifestyle |
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There’s nothing like sitting down at the end of a long day and relaxing. Binge-watching some Netflix shows may be a fun way to spend your free time, but you might not want to spend the entire evening doing that. And you probably don’t want to spend the entire weekend doing that, either. Of course, it can be hard to think of fun and productive ways to use your spare time. When you’re not working or relaxing with friends and family, what should you do? Well, here are a few suggestions.
Start exercising
Okay, this might not be the exciting suggestion you expected to see at the top of the list. However, before you scroll past this point, consider the benefits of exercising. Physical activity can benefit your physical and mental wellbeing, so this could massively improve your mood, as well as your bodily health. And it doesn’t have to be a chore, either. You just have to find a form of exercise that appeals to you. If you don’t like the gym because it’s crowded and noisy, for example, then you could start doing press-ups at home. Or perhaps you just want to work out in a way that doesn’t feel tedious and repetitive. Maybe you could join a local dance class in your area. Or you could join a local basketball club. Exercise could become a social activity to do in your spare time. There are so many forms of physical activity in the world; all that matters is you find a way to get your body moving on a regular basis. Maybe you could start going on weekend hikes with your buddies, as a way of catching up and staying fit. Despite any reservations you might have, exercise doesn’t have to be boring. It could be a fun way to make use of your free time.
Learn an instrument
Another great use of your time might be to learn an instrument. Hobbies are always worthwhile if you’re trying to find an enriching way to spend your evenings and weekends. Music is a beautiful thing, so you could find it very relaxing and rewarding to master the art of playing an instrument. If you want to figure out whether it’s a hobby that’s right for you, before you pay for lessons, then you might want to try teaching yourself. You could do some research to learn how to play piano in 21 days. Mastering an instrument takes time, but learning the basics is quicker than you might think. This could become a very rewarding hobby for you in the space of a few weeks.
Meditate.
Meditating could be a therapeutic use of your free time, too. Your emotional wellbeing matters, and regular meditation could be a great way to safeguard the health of your mind. It helps to relieve stress and anxiety, but it can also benefit the health of your heart. Your physical wellbeing can be improved by this mental exercise. Practice breathing and focusing on the present moment. This could help you to unwind at the end of a long day. It could be a great way for you to relax in your free time.
by | Sep 23, 2019 | Fitness |
When it comes to our lives, we tend to focus on things like how much money we’re earning, or how many friends we have, and so on — but while these things can be important, there’s one area that should be given precedence over everything else: our health. Judging by the way plenty of people live, health is not the number one priority in their lives. In fact, it hardly seems to be important at all! But there are plenty of advantages to looking after your health, including improved happiness and more energy. So how can you live your healthiest life? We take a look at a few options below.
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Staying Active
Do you ever notice how the youth seems to be prime health? Sure, they’ve got age on their side, but there’s another reason too — they never stop moving. Now take a look at how some adults live; they never move. It’s into the car, to the office, and then home to the couch. It can’t be a shock if we’re not as healthy as we could be if that’s how we live. So make sure that you’re staying active. Find an activity that you love, and stick with it, even when some of that love fades. You’ll be grateful you did later in life.
Get Informed
Knowledge is power, is what they say. The more we know, the better we’re able to manage our health. Knowledge surrounding health falls into two categories: our personal health, and general knowledge. For your personal health, that’s all about knowing your body, how it works, paying attention to what it needs, and so on. General knowledge involves reading up on the things that contribute to good and poor health (good: yoga. Bad: drinking too much alcohol). If you’re concerned about your health, taking out health insurance is always a good thing to do.
Common Problems
There are certain problems that commonly affect people as they get older. While the bad news is that they’re more likely to be acquired (since they’re so common), the good news is that we understand a lot about them. Take body stiffness for example, which is something that a lot of people over the age of 25 suffer from — that can be remedied by intense stretching. Tinnitus is another issue that’s increasingly common in young adults (due to concerts and personal music devices): if you think you suffer from the condition, then click here, and get the full picture. If you suspect you’re suffering from any regular health problems, then at least know there’s usually something you can do about them.
Regular Check-Ups
Some health matters are obvious — you just know that something is wrong. But other matters can’t be felt. They’re happening deep inside the body, under the radar, so to speak. As such, it’s recommended that you attend regular check-ups to ensure that everything is in order. The best treatment for a disease is to catch it early — you can usually prevent it from becoming a big matter if you’re on top of the issue as soon as possible. No-one regrets having a regular check-up!
by | Jun 26, 2019 | Fitness |
Despite them being incredibly important, our ears are often one of the parts of our body that we forget to look after. Whether you’re too busy focusing on other areas of your health or you simply don’t know how to take care of them, ears and hearing difficulties are at the bottom of most people’s lists when it comes to their concerns. If you are worried about the health of your ears and how you can help prevent hearing loss, you’re definitely in the right place. This blog post is designed to show you how you can protect your ears and your hearing, in six easy tips:
Make Sure You’re Using Ear Plugs Around Loud Noises
If you are exposed to loud noises, whether it’s regularly or a one-off experience, it’s important you’re thinking about how you can protect your ears. Although there are certain experiences where you won’t want to wear earplugs, you need to consider whether or not it is going to be damaging to your health. Going to a couple of gigs, for example, won’t be damaging to your health unless you’re constantly standing right next to the speakers. If you use loud machinery for work, you will definitely want to consider wearing earplugs. To buy earplugs, you can visit this site here.
Give Your Ears Time To Recover
If you’re working with loud machinery or attending gigs, you’re going to want to give your ears to recover each and every time. Although they won’t recover instantly, giving them a chance is the best thing you can do.
Use Your Headphones At A Low Volume
For those that use headphones on a regular basis, your phones have a volume warning for a reason. Make sure you’re not exceeding the recommended volume and if you do, ensure it is only every once in a while. If you are concerned about the volume level on your headphones, consider asking someone for advice. You may find that you have gradually been affected if you’ve been listening at the highest volume for long periods of time and you may need to use hearing aids in the future. To learn more about hearing aids and insurance, you can click here.
Protect your ears and save your hearing.
Stop Using Cotton Swabs In Your Ears
Although you may think it’s good to clear out the ear wax in your ears, cleaning it out with cotton swabs is bad for you. No matter how much you want to clean out your ears, it is dangerous to be sticking anything into them, let alone a cotton swab that could perforate your eardrum. If you want to clean your ears of excess wax, there are services available that do it in a safe and professional way.
Try To Keep Your Ears Dry
Keeping your ears dry at all times is difficult, but doing your best to stop water getting in them should be one of your main priorities. Whether it means wearing earplugs when you go swimming or avoiding activities where you need to go underwater, you should be doing everything you can to keep your ears safe.
Go For Regular Check-Ups At Your Doctors
Finally, to ensure your ears and your hearing are always in good health, make sure you are going to your regular doctor’s check-ups.
Do you struggle when it comes to looking after your ears? What can you do to ensure they’re in good health all the time? Let me know in the comments section below.
by | Jun 18, 2019 | Fitness |
At the beginning of every year, we may find ourselves promising new year’s resolutions. You might want to improve your money situation or get a better job. But for many, the resolutions are solely focused on health, fitness, and getting a body that you are happy with. Some people forget, and then reignite this focus towards summer. Wanting the bikini or beach body, whatever that may be. But, it shouldn’t just be a one time focus. Getting lean and healthy is a great way to live your life, all year round. So here are some of the ways that you can get a healthier lifestyle starting today.
Think about your diet
When people think about their diet, it might be for one reason, and that may be to lose weight. While, of course, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight for your height, it shouldn’t be about losing the pounds fast for materialistic reasons. A diet should be developed with your health in mind. This is why crazy diets often work in the short-term, but never last beyond you actually doing the diet. Your body needs all of the food groups to nourish itself in different ways, which is why you need the likes of carbohydrates for energy, protein, and other vitamins and minerals. It’s all about balance, which is why it’s best to ensure that you eat a variety of foods, and even enjoy your treat meals and sweets in moderation.
Find an exercise you enjoy doing
Too often people jump right into a fitness regime, purely to lose weight or increase their fitness levels, but the enthusiasm can fade after a while. The biggest reason for this is that you don’t enjoy the exercise you are doing. It’s vital that you have passion and enjoyment from it or can see the benefits you are getting which will ultimately encourage you to keep on going. Try out different things. Look at workouts on Youtube, try alternative exercises like joining pilates classes or consider yoga. Maybe even join a gym if you like the environment, or just heading out for a run a few times a week. Find something you enjoy doing, then stick with it. You will find it much easier when you see the results, and actually look forward to the exercise.
Don’t forget about your mental well-being
Finally, too many times we can neglect our mental well-being, but this is just as important as all the physical stuff. Our mindset can determine everything we do. The food we eat and the exercise, or lack of, that we take and implement into our lives. Having a negative thought process is just as bad as not eating the right things and failing to exercise. So take better care of your mind and feel the difference it can make. It is important to identify exactly where you are at mentally, so work out if you are more negative or positive, and then build upon it. Negative thoughts can be overcome by actively making them positive. It can feel forced at first, but as you develop new habits of positive thinking you will begin to see the difference.
Let’s hope that these tips help you when it comes to a healthier lifestyle.
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