Tag Archives: work out

Summer’s Coming! Health Tips To Prioritize

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Summer’s Coming! Health Tips To Prioritize

Now that spring has seen it’s last few days and summer is finally on its way, it’s time to talk about health. Our health matters differ from winter to summer. When the months warm up, we have certain things that we need to prioritize over others. With the sun coming out in full force and the days lasting longer, we can often focus on having fun over looking after ourselves. But, with these key areas, all you have to do is take precautionary steps now, and your health will be covered all summer long:

Protect Your Skin: When we’re exposed to the sun, our skin can suffer. So, it’s important to take a few precautionary measures before you head out for the day. Along with trying to avoid being in direct sunlight during the hottest hours of the day, you should aim to take breaks in the shade as much as possible. When your skin is exposed to the sun, regardless of how cloudy it may seem, you need to make sure that you wear sunscreen. That way, you’re protected from harmful rays and have a better chance of staying safe and sun burn free.

If you find yourself craving summer heat, but don’t want to risk burning, a trip to the sauna can help scratch that itch. There are distinctive benefits to a traditional sauna experience and one that uses infrared sauna light therapy. Explore both options to find the setting that is right for you!

Tackle Those Allergies: Having allergies can be hard during the summer months. Whether you’re suffering from a blocked nose, itchy eyes, or painful sinuses, the sooner you work on tackling your allergies, the better you will feel. Sometimes, taking a mild antihistamine is all you need. However, if you’re still suffering, then you might want to think about speaking to your doctor about the alternative options you may have, like natural remedies or surgery.

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Pretty!

Prioritize Hydration: As the weather gets warmer, we’re more likely to suffer from dehydration. What you would drink in winter may need to be increased for summer, because we tend to sweat a lot more. So if you drank four glasses of water a day on average in the winter, you might need to make that six for the summer. But everybody is different, so what ‘hydrated’ means to you might be too much or little for somebody else. Some great tips on staying hydrated can be found here in case you feel like you need an extra H2O boost.

Control Circulation: Poor circulation can happen for many different reasons, but when the weather warms up the effects can worsen. Whether you experience numbness in your legs, pain, or even a high level of fatigue, it’s time to take back control of your circulation. You may need to seek advice from your doctor, but you will often find that when you buy compression socks, you can not only promote good circulation again but ease the pain.

Get Active: Exercise is important for a balanced lifestyle. But when it comes to summer, stepping up your activity levels could not only improve your well-being, but give you more energy, too. Now that the sun is shining more, it’s time to get outside because cold winter days are no longer an excuse! Walk rather than drive and head out to enjoy nature parks around your area. Not only will you feel better for it, but you’ll also look it, too.

Summer is a time for fun, sun, and some much needed R&R. When you’re in the best health that you can be, the care free summer vibes will only be intensified!

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Work Out Jams

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Work Out Jams

Hellooo everyone! So as you guys know, I’m making an attempt to get my walk/run/rawk on throughout the week and it’s going pretty good so far. If you’ve read my recent Monday Update, then you will have seen that I’ve recently started to bring my iPod with me during my excursions even though I have to carry it because no arm band. I’ve been getting my emo on more often than I care to admit during these jaunts but I feel like I enjoy myself so much more with my music playing. For that reason, I compiled some of my favorite tunes together for your listening pleasure the next time that you get your work out on. Take a looksee (and, as always, I have no rights to these songs or videos!):

Lol, so as you guys can see, I definitely go for either old school emo or fairly recent rap when I’m running and I think that this list is the most funny, random compilation ever. But hey, it really does get the job done when I’m hitting the pavement because the emo-ness gets me angsty and the rap gets me hyped and the result is a much needed extra energy boost!

Normally when I’m working out, I will just have one album playing the whole way through. For example, last night I was listening to Yelawolf’s “Trunk Muzik 0-60”. But, when I’m feeling saucy or bored as I’m running, I’ll switch up my music every so often to my inner emo kid jams or anything Kendrick Lamar because he’s my best friend in my head.

Despite my sweaty palms from having to hold my iPod while I run, it’s so worth it because my Work Out Jams definitely make for a much more enjoyable experience! What music do you listen to when you work out? What is a song that you play to get you hyped? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Monday Update: Take A Walk (Pt. 2!) Edition

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Monday Update: Take A Walk (Pt. 2!) Edition

Hiii everyone and happy Monday!! I hope that all of you had a fabulous and fun weekend. So, if you remember from last week’s Monday Update, I started *gasp* running/walking AKA rawking and it’s going okay! I’m actually feeling pretty happy because I was able to add another lap to my time at the track since last week, meaning that I am now rawking for a mile and a half.

I have still been going to the track with my mom (in fact, we just went last night), but when she can’t go, I have taken to running around my neighborhood. This is actually kind of fun because it gives me a change of scenery, especially when I venture into the neighborhood below mine. I have also decided that even though I don’t have one of those snazzy arm bands to hold my iPod in place, that I am okay with carrying my device as I run so I can have some music to keep me company.

As you guys know, I am an emo kid at heart, so my running soundtrack has consisted of a lot of AFI and My Chemical Romance. But, I also have been enjoying listening to Kendrick Lamar, Kid Cudi, and Kanye West when I’m feeling saucy. Having my music playing while rawking definitely seems to make the time go by faster and even though my hands sweat profusely while carrying my iPod, it’s been worth it!

I’m feeling really proud that I was able to add an additional lap to my little evening jaunts and my next goal is to rawk two miles within this month. Getting my pre ex-boyfriend body back is a big fat pain in the ass, but I kind of like it – so here’s to getting to the two mile mark soon!

^^^ And, as always, I have no rights to this video!

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Take A Walk (Pt. 2!) Edition! How are you getting your beach body in check? What music do you listen to while working out? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Monday Update: Take A Walk Edition

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Monday Update: Take A Walk Edition

Hi everyone and happy Monday! I hope that all of you had a fantastic and relaxing weekend. So, technically, this Monday Update should be called Take A Walk/Run Edition (a rawk?) but Take A Walk sounds a bit more snazzy so we’ll just go with it. ANYWAYS, this past week, my mom decided that she would like to give walking at the nearby middle school track a go and asked if I would like to join her. Because I am a loving daughter and also because I’m trying to get my beach body in check I said, albeit a little grudgingly, “sure”. ALSO, the “comfort” few pounds gained when I was still with my ex-boyfriend are no joke so, I repeat, I really want to get my beach body in check.

So, my mom and I made our way to the track and because simply walking bores me, I thought that I would try to run as much as I could before taking a walking break. And LET ME TELL YOU, the ol’ smoker’s lungs were on FIRE. Despite this, I walked/ran (rawked) a mile and a quarter and felt pretty happy about it. Granted, it felt like pure and utter torture, but it was sort of fun? Can torture be fun? I guess the answer is YES.

My mom and I have gone to the track five times within the week during the evening and each time, I’ve been able to run a little bit longer than I was able to the last time. This is exciting to me. For those of you who don’t know, I was a competitive figure skater for a long time but gave it up when I was about sixteen (I’m 22 now). I miss doing things that involve athleticism (even though shopping is a sport, damnit), so it felt really good to be able to do something to get the blood pumping again and put my legs of steel to use.

Am I going to be the next Usain Bolt any time soon? Absolutely not. But I would be ecstatic if I could make it around the track once (which is a quarter mile) at a run without stopping to walk. It’s nice to have goals to accomplish even if they’re small and it’s also fun being able to be with my mom even if we’re just waving at each other from our different locations on the track.

I never thought that I’d say that I was actually looking forward to going for a rawk and getting sweaty, but I definitely find myself looking forward to it during the day. I even want to start hitting the ice again, although it would be just for fun. Being motivated in an athletic way for the first time in a long time feels good and I know my beach body goals will be achieved sooner or later. So here’s to bikini shopping not being a total pain this year!

^^^ As always, I have no rights to this song or video (I wish I did!!).

So there you have it, this week’s Monday Update: Take A Walk Edition! How do you plan on achieving your perfect beach bod this year? Who else enjoys a good walk, run, or rawk? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

The Health Tips Successful People Follow To Start Their Days

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The Health Tips Successful People Follow To Start Their Days

Success is one of those objective terms that can be used to measure an array of things. For example, when we say that someone is successful, we could mean that they are wealthy. But, success isn’t just about one’s net worth. It’s a way of measuring how often you get things right, regardless of the subject.

To a lot of people, success is all about leading a balanced lifestyle and one that feels fulfilling. If you’re someone that feels like they struggle to do just about anything in their life, chances are you aren’t feeling very successful as a person! What you may not realize is that the successful outcomes you want to achieve always depend on how you’ve started your day!

If you begin the day with a negative outlook, chances are you aren’t going to see any positive opportunities that come your way. With that in mind, you might want to know how to start each day fresh and in tip top form. As you can probably imagine, how you’re feeling from a health point of view will vastly influence your outlook on the day. The following health tips are ones that many successful people (wealthy or not) follow each day. Check these strategies out and try them for yourself:

Get Plenty of Sleep the Night Before: One of the secrets to having a successful day actually starts the night before! As you know, getting the right amount of sleep will help you feel fresh and get energized for the day ahead. Some people suggest seven hours of uninterrupted sleep, while others recommend eight. Try both and see which length of sleep suits your body clock better.

Surround Yourself With Soothing Lights, Colors, and Scents: When you wake up in the morning, you don’t want to be greeted by a miserable-looking bedroom. Make sure that you have soothing lights, colors, and scents enveloping you as you wake up. You may even wish to set your alarm radio to play your favorite music when it’s time to start your day.

Cleanse Your Mind and Body With Water: Having a shower first thing in the morning will further awaken your senses and leave you feeling cleansed and refreshed. It’s also a welcome ritual if it’s the middle of summer and you’ve been sweating all night from the heat!

Cut Out the Bad Morning Habits: Drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette are two bad habits that people frequently indulge themselves in to “wake up” in the morning. Coffee isn’t good because it will leave you feeling dehydrated, while smoking can leave you with a lingering tobacco aroma that some might find off putting.

Try drinking a glass of orange or fruit juice instead of coffee. You should also eat a healthy breakfast to load your body up with essential vitamins. And instead of smoking cigarettes in the morning (or anytime for that matter), consider moving to e-cigarettes instead. https://www.lizardjuice.com has more information on what they are, and how they don’t emit any lingering tobacco smoke.

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Yum!

Go For a Run: Having a quick sprint around the block or in a nearby park before you eat breakfast can motivate your metabolism. That way, you’ll burn off fat faster and feel more mentally alert. You need not run a marathon each morning; just a mere five or ten minutes of gentle jogging is enough to kick-start your metabolism.

Try Not to Multitask at Work: Last, but not least, when you eventually get to work, try not to do several tasks at once. Doing so will leave you feeling mentally drained, and you’ll be less likely to have a successful and accomplished day. Take a look at https://www.liquidplanner.com for more information on how to prioritize and manage your work each day for maximum success.

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Featured Image By: Pexels

It’s Time To Revise The Way You Revise

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It’s Time To Revise The Way You Revise

Studying up for an exam  – whether it be school, a driving test, or work-related – needn’t fill you with dread. Changing the way you prepare yourself can make it not only more enjoyable, but more effective. Here are just a few methods worth trying out to help you conquer the next big test in your life:

It’s not about the hours you put in:

No, this isn’t an encouragement to cram the night before. Revising weeks in advance is still important, but you needn’t spend hours burrowed in a textbook each day. Instead, dedicate small amounts of time each day to brush up on a few new things that you’re not as confident with. Cram in short bursts and give yourself a break and time to relax and reward your mind, then take another crack at it the next day.

Destroying the ‘fear of the unknown’:

Exam nerves are largely a fear of the unknown. However, nowadays, there are so many online tools that can better prepare you for the examination. For example, past exam papers are often easy to find online. By knowing what came the year before, you may have a better idea of what’s most likely and most unlikely to appear this year. There are also sites such as https://gradebuddy.com/ that can provide you with class and lecture notes for any of those lectures and seminars that you may have missed.

Knowing your learning style:

There are different learning styles better suited to different people. Some people revise better with others, whilst other may find this too distracting for their study style. Some people are visual learners, while others get put off by images and graphs. There are also other types of learning such as physical learning (doing practice exams, writing on sticky notes, playing revision games) and audio learners (listening to audio-guides, listening to other people). Find the learning style that best suits you, so that information gets soaked up more quickly and more effectively. Guides such as https://www.lynda.com/articles/whats-learning-style-find can help you get the best out of your individual learning style so that you can better prepare for the next big test.

Education is gradually moving away from the outdated “one-size-fits-all” approach, with more schools and educators recognizing just how important it is that learning is personal. Creating study techniques that work for the strengths and potential of an individual will make a huge difference, not only to daily academic performance, but to confidence and motivation, too. Specialist education places like Shrub Oak International School have helped highlight just how valuable tailored support and adaptive learning methods can be, particularly for students who thrive with more individualized support. Learning becomes a lot less stressful and more productive when people are understood and able to learn in the way that they do best.

Consider hiring a mentor:

When it comes to higher education, don’t be afraid to seek out professional support to help you get to grips with areas of study that you’re finding challenging. A mentor such as Alice Chang PhD may be able to help you to better understand topics that you are struggling to understand by providing personalized feedback. Make sure to work with someone who is reputable and who understands the niche subject you are revising.

Get out of the house:

If you’re just revising in your room, try a change of surroundings and see what effect it has on your output. Some people find going outdoors to be a good mental stimulation – although perhaps not on a miserable day. Libraries, coffee bars, and internet cafes can also be good places to get you feeling less confined. Make sure that there aren’t too many distractions by timing your revision periods well – going to a coffee bar during a busy lunch period might result in too much noise and a less than effective study sesh.

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Love, love, love studying outdoors.

Keep your body active:

Staying physically as well as mentally active is important when having a study session. Exercise gets the blood pumping around your body helping to circulate your brain with a fresh hit of oxygen. You don’t have to go for a jog or hit the gym – taking the time to do a few push-ups in your bedroom might be all that your body needs. There are also ways to revise as you exercise, although they may not work for all types of learners. You can listen to an audio study guide while jogging or doing a workout. Or you could work with a group of friends, throwing and catching a ball and having to answer questions each time.

Study up in small bursts and ace the next big exam that comes your way! You got this! 🙂

Featured Image By: Flickr

Technology To Keep You On Track

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When it comes to health and fitness we could all use a helping hand. Whether it’s counting calories or charting our progress, it can be difficult to keep on top of things when we’re trying to get in shape. Increasingly, the worlds of technology and fitness have been overlapping. Here’s how you could be using some clever tech to get fit just in time for summer:

Healthy Eating: There are plenty of tech gadgets that make eating healthily easier. Apps are particularly popular for those looking to lose weight. We’re told a lot about the importance of keeping a food diary and holding ourselves accountable. This is good advice but can be so difficult (and annoying!) in practice. When we cook at home or eat out it’s difficult to track our calorie and sugar intake. Not only that, but it’s a lot of work to carry around a food diary and fill it in every day.

Certain apps allow users to check their intake easily. These apps are pre-programmed with nutritional information from thousands of restaurants and recipes. Not only can you keep track of your calories, but these apps can also tell you how far away from your goal you are. They can even work out the right amount of calories you should be eating, based on your BMI. So if you’re wondering what your BMI is, then you’ll need to look into a BMI calculator online to try and figure that out (they’re free). Some apps also have features which allow you to input your workout and see how many calories you’ve burned. So handy!

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YUM!!

Quitting Your Bad Habit: It’s no surprise that people looking to increase their overall health and fitness try and cut back on any bad habits. Whether your indulgence is chocolate, alcohol, or cigarettes, it’s best to try and curb these less than healthy habits for good. The world of technology came up with vapes and e-cigarettes as an alternative aid for those looking to quit smoking. Vapes and e-cigarettes require liquid and chargers, like the ones found at Vaporesence. This aid to stopping smoking is usually used as a first step on the road to cutting down or cutting out cigarettes altogether for an ultimately healthier lifestyle.

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Lumo: Lumo is at the forefront of some pretty impressive fitness tech. Lumo Run, for instance, is a sensor that you clip onto your running shorts. The device links up to an app on your phone and gives you a post-run analysis. Along with the usual details, Lumo Run can advise you about your running form and even recommend specific personalized exercises. It measures your pelvic drop, rotation, bounce, and braking to come up with feedback on how to improve your technique for a better work out.

Lumo Lift, on the other hand, is all about great posture. Again, you attach a clip to your shirt and it will gently vibrate when you slouch or have bad posture. It can track your posture, calories burned, steps, and distances too. So get those shoulders back, but if not, let Lumo remind you! Now, straighten up!

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Go, go, go!

Feeling Good This Winter! How To Stay In Shape

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Over the winter, it’s tough to find the motivation to stay in shape. Not only is it dark and miserable outside, but it’s easy to swathe yourself in big cozy sweaters and forget about the body underneath. Here are some tips to help you stay in shape this winter:

Do a Cleanse: Cleanses are sometimes criticized by the media but the truth is that they can often really help you by helping you cut rubbish food out of your diet for a while. A lot of the time at the end of a cleanse you’ll feel great, with glossy hair, clear skin, and strong nails – and a few pounds down, of course! There are many cleanse programs out there, like Isagenix – and how does Isagenix work for weight loss, I hear you ask? It can reverse months of bad habits and make you feel far more healthy. Make sure that you don’t do a cleanse too often, because that lifestyle isn’t sustainable. Rather, start exercising more frequently and eat cleaner. Make your own recipes from scratch, along with your own dressings and sauces. Make sure that you eat a good breakfast like oatmeal with berries or an egg white omelette every morning and drink plenty of water throughout the day. (The water part is easier said than done – especially if, like me, you have to go to the bathroom CONSTANTLY to begin with!)

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 Yum!!

Go Hiking: You might think that hiking doesn’t sound like much fun in the winter – but on the contrary, you might just have a fantastic time if you wrap up warm and encourage your partner or some friends to come along. Put on a hat with ear flaps, mittens, and a warm thick scarf to keep yourself cozy along with some stout boots and your warmest coat, and go out to appreciate the frosty winter scenery. Go out for some lunch afterwards like a hearty soup along with crusty bread to celebrate your achievement. (Cafes with a fireplace are also a plus!)

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 DOG!!!!

Join a Fitness Class: There are a lot of fitness classes that you could join over the winter time. Even if you visit your local gym regularly, it’s hard to force yourself out of the door in the evenings to just go and work out on the machines by yourself. Going to a fitness class means that you have to go out at a certain time and it’s also more motivating to be encouraged by an instructor. Chances are, you might just make friends with some classmates and that will also encourage you to keep going! There is such a wide range of fitness classes that are available now. If you want something more active, try a cardio class. If you love dancing and you have some rhythm, go for Zumba. If you want to strengthen your core, try out pilates.

As you begin working out, it is so important to listen to your body. Pushing too hard and improper technique can cause injury and the last thing you want is to be laid down when you have the motivation to get moving. HIIT, for example, can be particularly hard on the body which is why the Lagree Method is becoming increasingly popular. This type of workout has a lower impact making it easier on your joints while avoiding excessive heart rate spikes. If this is something that you are interested in trying, simply enter a search for “lagree megaformer perth” (or your local area). Pay close attention to your trainer and give it your best shot!

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Get a Fitness Buddy: It’s so much easier to motivate yourself when you have someone to be motivated with. Whether you have a gym buddy who can spot you and encourage you or whether you’ve met some new pals through the above-mentioned exercise classes, it’s great to have someone to get fit with. Encourage your partner to do Couch To 5K with you. You could also do some fitness videos like Yoga With Adriene! Even if you aren’t very good, you’ll laugh a lot together and make some fun new memories.

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