Tag Archives: work out

Have Fun & Stay Active With Bowling

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Have Fun & Stay Active With Bowling

Did you know that bowling is one of the most popular activities out there? Most people don’t associate it with a sport, but it is. Just because you don’t need to be extremely athletic, doesn’t mean it isn’t a proper sporting activity. In fact, this makes it a perfect way for people to start exercising and being more active. If you’re new to the whole fitness thing, bowling is a brilliant way into the door. It gets you up and moving, but without loads of heavy impact or crazy strain on your body.

So, if you like the sound of this, how can you get started?

Buy the gear:

Another reason to take up bowling is that it doesn’t require a lot of gear. Usually, all you need are some bowling shoes, bowling gloves, and a bowling ball. Now, it’s important you understand what kind of bowling ball is best for you based on your ability and physical strength. It can be good to start with a lighter one and make your way up. Also, bowling alleys do supply all of these things for you anyway. So, when you’re just starting out, maybe don’t invest in the gear just yet. Play with what they provide, see if you enjoy bowling, and then commit to buying your own stuff.

As you get more into bowling and perhaps assemble a recreational team, it can be fun to go all out with some matching gear. From gloves to roto grip T-shirts or even matching bowling shoes it is a great way to symbolize your camaraderie.

Find somewhere to play:

You’ll be surprised at how many bowling alleys are close to where you live. It wouldn’t be farfetched to say that every city in the country should have at least one bowling alley. Look online for your closest one, see the reviews, and pay it a visit. It can be a good idea to go to multiple places before you decide on one to visit regularly.

Book your slots/buy a membership:

Some bowling alleys let you buy a membership that grants you unlimited access to the facility whenever you want. You still have to book a slot, but you don’t have to pay every single time. However, the majority of places will just make you pay every time you book a slot. Either way, figure out the best time to go bowling. If this is something you want to do on your own or just with a couple of friends, it can be best to book slots around the busy periods. Those of you that have free time during the day should book during weekdays as it means kids won’t be around. It can be harder to get slots after schools close because lots of kids love bowling.

From here, you’ll reap the health and fitness benefits of bowling, while also enjoying a very fun and sociable activity. Who knows, you might get good enough to go pro someday! 😀

Featured Image By: Pexels

How Exercise Can Make You Look Younger

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How Exercise Can Make You Look Younger

There are many products on the market that claim to undo the effects of time on your skin. However, there’s one aspect that people often don’t talk about when they discuss skincare: a healthy lifestyle. The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and its health depends on how you treat it. Your lifestyle factors into the condition of your skin as much as anything else, so it makes sense that being healthy and exercising can affect how youthful your complexion is too:

Exercise Can Combat Sagging:

Aside from proper nutrition and adequate sleep, exercise can be a key component as well. While many people think that only the effects of aging make us look older, we actually start to take on an aged appearance long before our time. It all starts in your twenties and thirties when the underlying muscles and bones lose their elasticity and snap back less easily. Before you know it, your body geometry is more prominently defined, and your facial features start to sag.

When you exercise the muscles in your face and neck, they become tighter and more toned. It’s actually possible to get a younger looking jawline through easy exercises! After a while, your skin will tighten up with these underlying muscles. Of course, the effects will not be as pronounced as the best non-invasive facelift treatments, but it will visibly improve your appearance.

Exercise Can Reduce Dark Circles and Puffiness:

There are many reasons why people have puffiness under their eyes – not all of them are related to fatigue or not sleeping enough. Short term swelling can often be due to crying or allergies, but chronic cases may represent a more serious medical condition.

However, exercise may help! By regularly working out, you indirectly reduce the amount of water in your body. When you sweat, it’s easy to lose a lot of liquid without even realizing it. If you’ve ever had an intense workout and then noticed that your skin was not as puffy or dark circles were not as prominent, this is why!

Exercise Boosts Blood Circulation:

If you want to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, then one thing that you should pay attention to is your blood circulation. There’s a reason why people are always trying hot stone massages, using warming masks, or lying on a pemf mat – because blood flow improves skin health.

The heart acts as the main pump for your circulatory system, pushing fluid throughout all of your tissues. When you exercise, your muscles demand more oxygen and fuel to get a boost of nutrients and also receive a lot of fresh oxygen. This helps improve blood flow to your face, delivering useful nutrients and carrying away waste.

Oxygen is an integral part of the production process for collagen. In fact, people often describe aging as a simple case of ‘rusting’. When your body starts to slow down its mitochondrial activity (the cells in your body that produce energy), the old proteins in the body become oxidized and start to look bad. Collagen is exactly like iron – when it’s exposed to oxygen, it rusts and flakes off. By keeping your blood flowing regularly around your face, you can slow down this aging process.

Exercise Makes Your Skin Glow:

Many people have that ‘fresh out of the shower’ look after working out. You might notice that your skin looks much healthier when you’re sweaty! The reason why exercise makes us glow isn’t just because of sweat. Our bodies are constantly trying to regulate our temperature, so in times of stress or physical exertion, the blood vessels in the skin dilate. If you’ve ever noticed that your cheeks turn red after a workout, this is why.

This dilation of the blood vessels happens as a secondary effect to improved circulation. When there’s more blood flow to your face, you look more awake and ‘healthy’. This is why exercise makes us look younger – we’re literally glowing!

While exercise can’t undo the effects of sun damage or other signs of aging like wrinkles, it can make your complexion look much healthier overall. If you want to maintain your youthfulness over the years, exercise should be a significant part of your lifestyle – not just something that you do occasionally!

5 Ways To Improve Your Health

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5 Ways To Improve Your Health

It’s no secret that we’re living longer, but what is not so widely known is that many of us are living longer with a slightly worse quality of life. This is partly due to the increased amount of chronic diseases and illnesses in our society. Improving your health all starts with taking better care of yourself. Here are five ways that you can start improving your health today, whether you want to lose weight, get more sleep, or just feel better overall:

Improve Your Diet:

Diet is a huge factor in your health and what you eat has a lot to do with how healthy you are. Take control of your diet and choose more nutritious foods. Start by cutting out processed food and replacing it with fresh fruits and vegetables. It’s easier than you think to start eating better, so don’t be afraid to make small changes to your diet that could have a significant impact on your health.

Get Enough Sleep:

In today’s society, we often value productivity over health. But getting a good night’s rest can have a considerable impact on your overall well being. You’ll find that you will be more productive, your brain will function better, and you’ll suffer from less stress and anxiety. Take the time to get some sleep – it will benefit you in all areas of life.

Exercise Regularly:

Exercise is a great way to maintain health and well being. Besides the obvious benefits of exercise, such as increased energy and reduced risk of disease, exercise helps improve mood and reduce stress. It also improves your memory and ability to focus. Additionally, it can help you sleep better by decreasing the time it takes for you to enter REM sleep.

Manage Your Illnesses/ Injuries:

Managing illnesses and injuries will improve your quality of life by giving you a greater chance at living longer with fewer chronic diseases and illnesses. It will also help you recover faster. For example, if you have an injury that needs to be taken care of before it gets too bad, it will take less time for you to recover and return to normal activities than if left untreated. If you believe your injury was due to the actions of someone else, you should consider seeing a personal injury lawyer to receive compensation and extra financial help for the time when you need to rest and get better.

Improve Your Mental Health:

Mental health is just as important as physical health, and there are many ways you can start taking care of yourself mentally. You could start by focusing on your overall happiness rather than specific goals. Let go of the stressors in your life and give yourself time to enjoy what you are doing without anxiety or other negative feelings getting in the way. If you’re feeling a little down, try going for a walk, spending time with friends or family, or just reading a book to relax.

Small steps to improving your health that you take today can help improve your tomorrow as a better you!

Featured Image By: Nathan Cowley from Pexels

Snow Day!

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Snow Day!

Hello! We have had an incredibly mild winter here in good ol’ Akron, Ohio with abnormally high temps and barely any snow. Thanks, global warming. That all changed this past Sunday, however, when we had a massive snow storm. It snowed all evening, night, and the following morning on Martin Luther King Day, leaving me and Johnny, as well as pretty much everyone in my apartment community snowed in. Check it out:

Johnny and I spent our Snow Day tucked inside watching movies and our programs. We had a viewing of Wentworth, the original Jumanji (Which I had never seen!), and The Fundamentals Of Caring (It was very good!). While we hibernated, I made some boozy hot chocolate for us to enjoy compliments of Christmas Bailey’s from one of my best friends – it was delicious!

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Our snow day wasn’t all fun and warm alcoholic beverages, though, because we knew that we would have to at least make an effort to shovel out our cars for work the following day. Although we didn’t have a shovel, I drew inspiration from a neighbor I spotted earlier clearing out her parking spot with a frying pan. Major props for creativity. 😀

Armed with baking sheets, Johnny and I spent a good half hour “shoveling” around my car. Unfortunately, all of that snow had to go somewhere, and ended up barricading Johnny’s car even more. On the plus side, he did get another snow day out of it! Basically everyone in my complex was out shoveling while we were and the sense of community I felt from our collective complaining was a beautiful thing. We even helped get a car unstuck that was struggling up the hill out of the complex. Great success!

Our snow day was a lot of play and a little bit of work that ended up being a great work out too lol. If you are shovelless this winter, I am also here to tell you that cooking gear works just as well! 😀

What is winter weather like in your neck of the woods? How do you like to spend snowy days? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

6 Tips For Staying On Top Of Your Health

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6 Tips For Staying On Top Of Your Health

Everyone recognizes the value of good health, but figuring out how to achieve it can be difficult. Let’s have a look at some of the options available to you in the next section so you can be your healthiest self in 2022:

Consume A Variety Of Foods:

For a healthy body, we need more than 40 different nutrients, and no single diet can offer them all. It’s not about a single meal; it’s about making long term, well balanced dietary choices that will make a difference. A low fat dinner could be offered after a high fat lunch. After a hearty beef dinner, perhaps fish should be the next day’s meal?

Eat A Wide Range Of Fruits And Vegetables:

Fruits and vegetables are some of the most important foods for getting enough vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Our goal should be to consume at least 5 servings every day. A glass of fresh fruit juice for breakfast, an apple and a piece of watermelon for snacks, and a variety of vegetables at each meal, for example.

Drink Plenty Of Water:

Every day, adults must drink at least 1.5 liters of water! Especially if it’s hot outside or they’re doing anything active. The best source, of course, is water. Fruit juices, tea, soft drinks, milk, and other beverages are all okay if used in moderation.

Maintain An Appropriate Body Mass Index (BMI):

Our optimal weight is determined by factors such as gender, height, age, and heredity. Obese and overweight people are at a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, among other disorders.

Excess body fat is caused by consuming more than we need. Extra calories can come from any caloric meal, including protein, fat, carbohydrate, and alcohol, however, fat is the most concentrated source. Physical activity allows us to burn calories and feel good at the same time. The message is simple: if we want to lose weight, we need to eat less and exercise more! You should also bear in mind that BMI could be considered as outdated. It fails to take into account things such as muscle weight, so someone who trains heavily may appear on the BMI scale as overweight.

Make It A Habit To Get Moving:

Physical activity is good for people of all shapes and sizes, as well as those with various health problems. It helps to burn calories, is good for the heart and circulatory system, keeps or builds muscle mass, improves focus, and improves overall health and well being.

To get moving, we don’t have to be Olympic athletes! It is recommended that we engage in 150 minutes of moderate physical exercise per week, which may easily be included in our daily routine. These pointers should make it easier for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle without making it too difficult.

Concentrate On All Aspects Of Your Health:

In addition to the aforementioned, you should also pay attention to other aspects of your health, such as going to the optometrist or the dentist. Whether it’s cosmetic dental procedures or just a monthly check up, it all contributes to your overall health.  It’s also important to note that health is relative, so for some, simply going on a walk three times a week can be a healthy change to their routine (walking is great exercise, after all), while for others, trying a keto diet or finding phentermine online can give them the boost they need.

These six tips should help when it comes to taking care of yourself and staying healthy. We only have this body and it deserves our respect by practicing a healthy lifestyle!

Featured Image By: Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels

5 Factors To Consider When Buying Sports Equipment

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5 Factors To Consider When Buying Sports Equipment

When getting into a sport, there may come a point when you need to buy your own equipment. But just which equipment should you buy? Below are 5 factors to help you choose the right gear:

Cost:

First, you need to set yourself a budget. The price of equipment can vary a lot – brand new professional-level equipment will usually cost the most, while used entry-level equipment will cost the least.

Some sports are likely to be more expensive than others. For example, you can get into yoga with nothing more than a yoga mat. A sport like sailing, meanwhile, requires buying an entire boat. Most people end up hiring or sharing a boat until they get to a professional level as there’s often no point investing in one until then.

You should also consider seasonal factors. If you’re planning a skiing or snowboarding trip, you can visit a ski shop during spring, summer, or fall to get a better deal, especially as many stores will want to get rid of last year’s stock. As a beginner, you won’t be able to tell the difference, anyway.

Size/weight:

Equipment needs to be the right size and weight to match your body. This is important for performance and safety (it’s imperative that items like helmets are the right size – if they’re too loose, they won’t protect you). If you’re buying equipment for a child, it’s worth finding equipment targeted at their age. As they grow, you may need to invest in new equipment. This is something to keep an eye on.

Performance level:

In many sports, you can buy different types of equipment aimed at different performance levels. There’s no need to splurge on professional equipment if you’re a beginner. Unless you’re playing at a professional level, you won’t notice the difference between a basic tennis racket and professional tennis racket. Equipment aimed at beginners may even be easier and safer to use in some cases. For example, a pro-level bicycle may be more tricky to handle than an entry-level bike.

Brand reputation:

Some official sports bodies may require you to buy a specific brand. If you’re not taking part in a sport that demands this, you have the freedom to choose from various different brands – but which should you choose?

It’s worth looking into the reputation of different brands to find something that is recommended by other users. For example, when choosing a ping pong table, it’s worth spending time looking at table tennis reviews. Don’t just focus on the most well-known brands as there are many lesser known brands out there selling top quality gear and it’s generally a lot cheaper than top brands. When looking at the reputation of the brand, you might also want to research if the equipment is approved by national leagues or sports associations. For example, these pickleball paddles made in usa are approved by USA Pickleball. This can give you peace of mind that you are purchasing a high quality product.

Condition:

If you’re thinking of buying used equipment, you’ll need to consider the condition. If equipment is heavily used and worn, there may be a greater chance of it breaking in the near future. Certain old or worn equipment may even be unsafe to use and is worth steering clear of.

Try to always buy used equipment in person. When buying online, stick to local selling sites so that you can pick up equipment in person and carefully inspect the condition. It’s possible to find a lot of used equipment online being sold cheaply that is still in practically new condition, which is the type of equipment you should be aiming for.

Like many other hobbies, playing sports involves some monetary investment. Shop smart with the tips above as you pick out your gear!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Treat Day!

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Treat Day!

Hello! This past Tuesday was full of treats for me and it made for a nice, albeit exhausting, day. For the first time in several months, I had a skating lesson in the evening after work and I knew that I would need an extra caffeine jolt to see me through until my arrival home. So, I decided that it was the day to grab my annual winter seasonal drink from Starbucks: The Peppermint Mocha!

I am ashamed to admit that I waited in line at the Starbucks drive thru for at least fifteen minutes for this drink but it was well worth the wait. The Peppermint Mocha is my absolute favorite seasonal drink from Starbies and I would drink it every day if I could. My taste buds would love it but my wallet… Not so much.

My treat drink from Starbucks was as delicious as I remember it being and my only regret is that I didn’t savor it more. It was completely gone by the time I arrived to my next client. Better luck next year, I suppose! Throwing the drink back or nursing it, it definitely did the trick because I still had a shocking amount of energy by the time I arrived at the skating rink for my session at almost five o’clock. And, from a permanently sleepy girl, trust me when I say that this never happens!

It felt so good to get back on the ice after a fairly long hiatus when my coach was on maternity leave and I am always pleased when I can pick up right where I left off from my last lesson. Of course, I felt dead tired the following day because it was a hell of a work out but #noragrets at all and I can’t wait to go back next week.

It is so nice to have something to look forward to during the work week but next time I will have to settle for coffee pot coffee instead of my beloved Starbucks. No one ever said the figure skater lifestyle was easy! 😀

How do you treat yourself? What is your order from Starbucks? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Easy Ways To Start Elevating Your Confidence

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Easy Ways To Start Elevating Your Confidence

If you haven’t been feeling like yourself recently, you aren’t alone. In fact, 85% of adults deal with low-self esteem or confidence in their daily lives. While these figures are high, they are hardly surprising due to the fact that there are so many different factors that can inhibit our confidence. This could include societal pressures, the expectations of our peers or loved ones, or even a setback at work.

While so much of our confidence is impacted by external forces, it’s important to remember that true confidence comes from within. Furthermore, when you start to feel good about yourself, confidence will come naturally as you will no longer care about what other people may think. That being said, confidence is a lifelong journey – it’s not something that you can obtain overnight.

So, if you’ve decided that it’s time to get your confidence back, here are some top tips to get you started:

Start taking better care of yourself:

Our confidence levels are often greatly impacted by how we look (or rather, the way we feel about how we look). While it’s important to remember that beauty comes in many different shapes and sizes, taking better care of yourself can help you look and feel better in your daily life. For example, putting together a beauty routine can help to clear your skin. Additionally, making the most of dental services available to you can help you learn to love your smile once again, meaning that it will be impossible to keep a grin off of your face.

Start working out:

Exercising more frequently is a great way to boost your body confidence. However, it’s important that you don’t work out with the intention to lose weight but rather to change your relationship with your body for the better. To achieve this goal, you should not base your success on the scale or the size of clothing you are wearing but on your capabilities. If you were to start running every day, set yourself the goal of running a bit further each day and note how your body changes as you get stronger, faster, and more capable. Setting yourself small fitness goals will also help boost your confidence as they’ll show you that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to.

Take a break from social media:

In a world where we spend so much time on our phones, it’s no wonder that social media can significantly impact our confidence. Social media constantly encourages us to compare ourselves to others, whether that’s due to the fact that every picture that your friends post looks perfect or they get a lot more likes on their latest upload than we do. If you want to challenge how you perceive yourself, it’s time to give yourself a break from the socials. Log out, deactivate, or even delete the apps from your phone, if only temporarily. When you return, you should ensure that you unfollow (or mute) any accounts that do not make you feel good about yourself.

As mentioned above, confidence is a lifelong journey and the tips above can help you get started on the right foot!

Featured Image By: Jordan Donaldson | @jordi.d on Unsplash

Simple Steps To A Healthy Lifestyle

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Simple Steps To A Healthy Lifestyle

Taking care of yourself is so important. The better you take care of yourself, the better your quality of life can be. It also potentially extends your life. But being healthy can often mean making changes to your lifestyle that may feel expensive, time consuming, and inconvenient. It is, however, vital that you make these changes. Here are a few to start with:

Managing Illness or Injury:

It’s particularly important to take care of your health and wellbeing when you are feeling unwell, hurt, or run down. This will help your body to recover as quickly as possible. If you experience an illness or injury, contact professional medical help – whether that’s urgent care or a standard appointment with your GP. They will be able to ensure that you get the medicine, therapy, or other treatment you need to get better. Recommendations for what you need can vary. Perhaps it is therapy to improve your mental health. A rehab facility for addiction. Or even a peyronies disease treatment greenville (or your local area). The most important thing is that you get the help you need to make your life the best it can be.

Diet:

Of course, what you put into your body is your fuel. So, you need to make sure that you’re fueling your body the right amount and with the right foods. Let’s start by looking at calorie counts. Every person requires a unique amount of calories, but the amounts outlined below should serve as a good rough guide:

  • Children aged 2 to 8 – 1000 to 1400 calories
  • Girls aged 9 to 13 – 1400 to 1600 calories
  • Boys aged 9 to 13 – 1600 to 2000 calories
  • Active women aged 14 to 30 – 2400 calories
  • Sedentary women aged 14 to 30 – 1800 to 2000 calories
  • Active men aged 14 to 30 – 2800 to 3200 calories
  • Sedentary men aged 14 to 30 – 2000 to 2600 calories
  • Active adults over 30 – 2000 to 3000 calories
  • Sedentary adults over 30 – 1600 to 2400 calories

Once you know your calorie count, you should do your best to eat as balanced a diet as possible. This means not cutting out any key groups. It also means eating everything in moderation – not too much or too little of one thing or another.

Exercise:

You should get one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise every week or seventy five minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise every week. All too many people fail to achieve this. This is often because they can’t find a form of exercise that they actually enjoy, so there is no motivation to engage with it. There are all sorts of exercises out there, so you simply need to think about what you like. Do you like socializing? You may prefer team sports or fitness classes with members and instructors. Do you like building your strength? You could try weight lifting or machinery in the gym. Do you like being in the water? Swimming could be an option for you.

Or maybe you have children and would like to include them in your exercise routine to ensure you’re all getting the physical activity you need. Find a form of physical activity you all enjoy and commit to it. For example, if you enjoy baseball, consider watching batting videos and learning to improve your technique to help your children engage in the sport too. Exercise is crucial for the whole family, not just the adults, so don’t forget to include them. When you find activities that involve the entire family, it will make it harder to miss out on any exercise sessions.

These steps are simple to incorporate into your day to day routine. It’s just a matter of habit and building them into your schedule. Hopefully, you’ll be able to benefit from them because they can really make all the difference!

Featured Image By: Pexels

What’s Going Wrong With Your Health Right Now?   

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What’s Going Wrong With Your Health Right Now?   

What is wrong with your health right now? We can almost guarantee that you are not as healthy as you would like to be, which means that you need to make a conscious change. You don’t want to be stuck in a cycle where you change one thing about your health, to then change another, lacking on the first until it is non-existent. Sometimes, you’ll need to take big action like getting addiction rehab to help your health. But oftentimes, it could also be some minor lifestyle changes that you need to make. In this article, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that could be wrong with your health right now and the things that you can do to combat them:

You’re Not Eating Properly:

The first thing that you need to do is look at your diet. It’s likely the case that you are not eating properly which is terrible for your body. For example, if you are constantly reading up on dry-aged steak news rather than actually cooking healthy meals with the food that you have in the fridge, you’re going to be ordering a lot of takeout. We’re not saying that takeout every now and then is bad, but we are saying that you need to make use of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats if you eat them, and other healthy foods.

Your body needs the correct vitamins and minerals in order to keep going, and you are responsible for giving them to it. If you don’t, you are going to see some changes to your body that you are not going to like.

You’re Not Attending Checkups:

When it comes to your health, you need to be attending any and all checkups that you are called for. This could include anything from screenings to hearing checks. There will be more things you are at risk of developing as you get older so it is essential to stay on top of your health and well being. It may be that a hearing check informs you of your need for hearing aids, don’t worry there are many different types to choose from and they can help you live a better, fuller life.

You’re Not Moving Enough:

It might also be that you are not moving enough. If you are somewhat of a couch potato, then you know that you need to exercise more. If you’re thinking that exercise isn’t your thing, it doesn’t need to be. Nobody is saying that you have to go and sign up to a gym right now, completing high-intensity workouts six times per week as this is going to be far too much. In fact, you will probably hurt yourself if you try to do this. Instead, we recommend that you start going on a walk twice per day for around half an hour. This is enough to get your body moving, get your blood pumping, and help you become fitter.

You’re Not Sleeping Enough:

Sleep is important because this is when your body does all of the things that it can’t do when you are awake. If you are not sleeping enough, you need to make some conscious changes such as removing all tech from your room when you go to sleep at night and going to bed at an earlier hour.

We hope that you have found this article helpful and now see some of the things that could be going wrong with your health right now!

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