Healthy lifestyle
A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people's health and well-being.Many governments and non-governmental organizations have made big efforts in healthy lifestyle and health promotion.
Mental Health
Mental health can be considered a very important factor of physical health for the effects it produces on bodily functions. This type of health concerns emotional and cognitive well-being or an absence of mental disorder.
Public health
Public health can be defined in a variety of ways. It can be presented as "the study of the physical, psychosocial and socio-cultural determinants of population health and actions to improve the health of the population.
Reproductive Health
For the UN, reproductive health is a right, like other human rights. This recent concept evokes the good transmission of the genetic heritage from one generation to the next.
Health
Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.
samedi 30 janvier 2016
Your Guide to a Healthy Happy Hour
The weekend's right around the corner, and you may be celebrating with an after-work cocktail. But while happy hour can be much-needed bonding time, make sure you're not eating or drinking so much that your weekend calorie budget is over before Saturday has even begun.
Know your counts: Get to happy hour armed with knowledge; specifically, which calorie-laden cocktails you should be avoiding. This chart of the calories in popular alcoholic drinks should do the trick.
Choose a low-cal spirit: You don't have to stick to only vodka sodas, however. Ask the bar if they carry one of these low-calorie alcohol brands; just make sure you ask for a low-calorie mixer (some work well just on the rocks), so you can rest easy knowing the cocktail you're sipping on isn't full of empty calories.
Snack smart: The truffle fries may be a great price, but they're not the best option if you're trying to stay healthy. If you're hungry, opt for something high in protein and low in greasy fat, like a hummus plate or a shrimp cocktail, to keep calories low by filling you up until dinner. Check out more ways to save calories on happy hour bites.
How Often Should You Weigh Yourself If You Want to Lose Weight?
If one of your resolutions is to lose weight, keeping track of your progress is an important part of the process. But how much is too much when it comes to weighing yourself? Experts used to suggest hopping on the scale once each week, but more studies are showing that daily weigh-ins may have more successful payoffs.
A
small study run by Cornell University found that men and women who weighed themselves daily and tracked the results not only lost weight, but after two years, the average weight regained was close to zero pounds. That's huge considering many other studies show 40 percent of weight loss comes back within a year. In another small study of college students, those asked to step on a scale every day during the first 12 weeks of classes didn't put on any weight - helping avoid the "Freshman 15" altogether. In a different small two-year study of obese gym members, those asked to weigh themselves every day and chart their results lost significantly more weight and were able to keep it off.
Related: What 1 Woman Wishes She'd Known Before Trying to Lose Weight - Learn From Her Mistakes
On a personal note, I have been weighing myself daily since the end of the Summer, and I've found that the constant checking in has kept me on track. My self-control has improved because I know if I mindlessly nosh on a snack before bed, I'll be seeing it on the scale in the morning. I also have been writing down my weight each day on the Notes app on my phone, and seeing the progress in numbers is its own form of motivation.
Of course, many experts still advise against hopping on a scale every day because the natural fluctuations can create unhealthy obsessions about weight and lead to depression, especially if you have a history of those tendencies. There are other ways to keep track of your progress such as by monitoring how your clothes fit, as well as your energy levels during the day and during workouts, or by using a fitness tracker. But if you've been struggling with sticking to your healthy ways, this could be the nudge you need. It's worth giving it a shot, so try weighing yourself daily for a month or two and see what happens. Just be sure to weigh yourself at the same time every day, such as in the morning after you use the bathroom and before jumping in the shower. Use the same scale every time and it might be worth investing in one that also tracks your body mass index (BMI).
Related: A Step-by-Step Guide to Reaching Your Goal Weight in 2016
vendredi 29 janvier 2016
Bump Up Antioxidant Levels With This Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
The following post was written by Rebecca Pytell, who blogs at Strength and Sunshine and is part of POPSUGAR Select Fitness.
I wanted my soup to be a totally clean and delicious side dish. So all I used was veggies, spices, and water. It couldn't be more simple. None of those yucky extras that are added to your traditional store-bought or restaurant made condensed or boxed soups. Why add flour, soy, cream, or starches, when all you really need is the veggies? And it made one big batch! I still have some frozen to enjoy at a later date…like maybe this week?
Smokey Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Ingredients: (serves about 6 to 8)
2 Medium Butternut Squash
6 Medium Carrots (peeled)
1 Medium Sweet Onion
4 Cups of Water
6 Cracks (1/4 to 1/2 Tsp) of White Pepper
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1/2 Tsp Cumin
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds (save them for roasting!) and place face-down on an oiled and foiled baking sheet. Roast for about 1 hour or until the squash is scoop-able.
3. Next roughly chop the carrots in thirds for even roasting. Cut the onion in to a few pieces as well. Then place them on an oiled and foiled baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes.
4. Once all your veggies are roasted, scoop out the flesh of the butternuts and place in a bowl.
5. Then put about 1/2 the butternut mash and half the carrots and onions in a high powdered blender. Add 2 cups of water and all the spices. Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and then repeat with the other half of the mash and veggies and another 2 cups of water (no more spices). Blend again. Then combine that half with the other and give it a good stir.
200+ Healthy Recipes For Every Meal of the Day
It's tough staying healthy when you're eating the same boring bowl of oatmeal or lifeless salad day after day. Add a little much-needed pizzazz to your meals with one of these exciting, good-for-you recipes. Whether you're Paleo, gluten-free, vegan, or eat everything under the sun, we've got a recipe for you. Browse through them all or click the link below to skip ahead.
- Additional reporting by Michele Foley, Lizzie Fuhr, and Leta Shy
Sub in These Slim Dishes For Your Super Bowl Spread
Will you be tuning in to watch the Denver Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50? If so, you might want to avoid the pitfalls of typical pigskin party fare. Chips and dip, pizza, loaded nachos, wings, and beer can pack in around 2,500 calories - more energy than you need in an entire day. You'd have to jog around 20 miles or walk for more than 10 hours to burn all those calories off.
Here's what to bench and what to start to slash hundreds of calories off your game-day menu. These all-star substitutions have all the flavor, minus the fat of traditional football party fare.
Run Strong: How to Tone Your Butt and Thighs Even More
Running is not only an awesome form of calorie-burning, heart-pumping cardio, it also doubles as a strength-training workout for your lower body. Run and you'll quickly see how it can tone your tush without bulking up your booty. Want to get even more out of your runs? Incorporate these strength-training techniques and you're sure to notice a difference when you slip on your bikini bottoms.
When Is a Fever Too High?
With the nasty flu bug making its rounds, there's only so much eating healthy, getting enough rest, washing your hands, getting a flu shot, and avoiding germs one can do. If you're unlucky enough to get the flu, your body will hike up your body temperature to boil away all those germs. So is there a point when your temperature can get too high?
Related: Bulletproof Your Immune System With These Tips
When you get the flu, a sudden high fever is totally normal, and it can get as high as 104° F and last for three to four days. The best thing you can do is to rest and drink plenty of fluids, since a fever can cause you to become dehydrated. Don't attempt to cool off your skin with cold packs since they'll just make you shiver, which will end up raising your body temperature. Instead you should alternate between taking Tylenol and ibuprofen every four hours to help reduce your fever. Alternating these meds will help to prevent accidental overdose, and sometimes the combination of the two will be more effective in bringing down your fever. But if your fever persists for more than five days or goes over 104° F, call your doctor and get some medical advice immediately.
This Person Figure Skating in a Dinosaur Suit Will Leave You in Tears
Ice is Slippery * Watch with sound! *#trextuesdays #skateMN2016
Posted by TrexTuesdays on Tuesday, January 26, 2016
We don't know the when - or the why, for that matter - but there appears to be a new fitness-related trend involving massive dinosaur suits. And it's awesome.
Facebook user TrexTuesdays has been sharing videos of people doing pretty ordinary things in T. rex costumes. One, in particular, depicts said T. rex ice skating - and it's seriously so good we don't know how it hasn't been nominated for an Academy Award.
Watch the video above, and prepare to laugh until you cry. (And yes, you should listen to it with the sound on.)
This Quick Donkey-Kick Series Will Seriously Sculpt Your A$$
We are fans of working our glutes standing, but this simple series on all fours is a great way to isolate the backside from multiple angles. Even better: it's quick.
- Begin on all fours and lift your right leg off the floor until your knee is in line with your hip.
- Flex your foot and squeeze your glute to raise your heel an inch toward the ceiling. Continue these small, concentrated pulses for 30 reps.
- Open your right knee out to the side, keeping your foot flexed, and pulse your leg one inch to the left. You are not trying to lift the knee up, but try to keep it level as it moves behind you. You should feel your glutes firing away for all 30 pulses.
- Maintain this leg position, and without moving your foot, raise and lower your knees in a small range of motion, about an inch. This movement is really isolated to the hip socket. Do 30 knees lifts.
- Repeat all three moves on the other side to complete a set.
3 Reasons Fermented Foods Are the New Health Trend
The following post was originally featured on Eating Bird Food, part of POPSUGAR Select Fitness.
Have you noticed that fermented foods are all the rage right now?! I feel like new brands of artisan kombucha, kimchi and sauerkraut are popping up every day. Whole Foods even predicted that probiotic-rich fermented foods will be a major food trend of 2016. It's funny because fermented foods aren't anything new. They've been prepared and consumed for thousands of years, but people are really starting to pay attention to them again because of their health benefits.
One of the big benefits of fermented foods is the healthy bacteria content and it's ability to improve the health of our gut, which is critical to overall health. Gut flora is a major part of our immune system and an unhealthy gut can lead to more health issues than just digestive upset.
Did you know that about 90% of our serotonin is made in the digestive system? Serotonin plays an important part in the regulation of mood, sleep, learning, and the constriction of blood vessels. So taking care of our digestive systems can positively impact so much of our lives!
Without going into too much detail about gut health (because that could be a whole post on its own) I want to share some of the top benefits of fermented foods. I've been learning more about their importance and I think everyone should be eating more of them. Here's why:
- A healthy digestive system and gut - Fermented foods balance the ratio of good and bad bacteria in the gut. They also have a unique ability to balance the production of stomach acid. If production of hydrochloric acid by the stomach is low (or high), fermented foods can help increase (or decrease) the acidity of gastric juices.
- The fermentation process makes foods easier to digest - Some foods (like beans, milk and cruciferous vegetables) are hard for our bodies to digest. The act of fermenting starts the breakdown of the components that make digestion difficult. For instance, someone who had trouble digesting milk may respond fine with kefir because it's fermented and almost 100% lactose-free after the bacteria has metabolized the milk sugar. The same goes for cabbage. Sauerkraut is much easier to digest because the fermentation process breaks down the carbohydrates.
- Increased bioavailability of nutrients - Bacteria and enzymes in our gut are what help break down food to a form that our bodies can use. Many fermented foods are rich in enzyme activity that improve this process and increase the amount of nutrients our bodies absorb.
If you're looking to increase your consumption of fermented foods, here are a few things to try: tempeh, sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, kefir, yogurt, natto, and/or miso. You don't have to eat a whole meal of fermented foods to get the benefits. Most are used as condiments and a few tablespoons a day is perfect.
A couple recipes to try: hormone balancing power breakfast, broiled salmon with a miso glaze, yogurt breakfast bowl,lemon garlic tempeh.
When buying fermented foods, just be sure that they are lacto-fermented and/or stored in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. Items that are shelf-stable (like some sauerkraut varieties) have been pickled using vinegar or pasteurized and canned, which kills much of good bacteria you want. You can also easily make your own fermented foods at home. I actually just made my first batch of fermented veggies with Isaac's mom this past weekend. I can't wait to try them!!
Do you eat fermented foods on the regular? What's your favorite?
A Dangerous Feminine Health Trend You Should Never Try
Turning to herbal medicine to cure certain illness may not always turn out as the best idea, especially if it means inserting stuff where it doesn't belong. According to our friends at YourTango, this new herbal-healing trend among women can cause more harm than good.
Do not pass go, do not collect $100, and do not put these things in your cooter.
If you're a woman in possession of womanly parts, then you're more than familiar with the awkward necessity of putting things other than wieners, digits, and sex toys up into your Queenly domain. Speculum? Ain't no thang. Tampons? Slippery, but effective. Garlic clove? Oh, you yeast infection-havin' hippies, you!
But this newest vagina-based trend is one that even the crunchiest among us would do best to avoid. They're called vaginal herbal sachets and they're just that: Sachets stuffed with herbs that you, in turn, stuff up yourself.
They say they can cure a myriad of ills, but the odds are far more likely that they will leave you chagrined, sick, or much, much worse. Like you even need them, here are seven reasons to keep the damn things away from your queefing madam.
1. Your womb isn't toxic.
Anything that claims it's a "womb detox" needs a b*tch-slap. Your womb works just fine on its own. You know that whole period thing that happens once a month? That's all the detoxing your cooch needs. Leave the rest up to sweet Baby Beyoncé in the sky.
2. "Ancient herbs" don't exist.
Guess what isn't an actual type of herb? Ancient. What does ancient mean? Old as BALLS. You know what else is ancient? Your great aunt Ethel, and you don't go putting her up into your vagina, do you? No.
3. "Womb tightening" doesn't exist, either!
Look, I can get behind tightening your neck waddle. I'll even do the Kegels to keep myself all right and tight. But what won't you find me desperate to whip back into shape? My perfect womb. I haven't had a kid yet. What if I accidentally over-tighten and the child is born with a permanent neck cramp and/or a deep and abiding resentment of me?
4. The price is ridiculous.
One sachet costs $15 and a pack of 12 cost $75. Now, I'm not an economist but I'm going to go ahead and say that it's probably a better deal to drop that kind of change on other items like cookies, vibrators, and herbal sachets that ward off people who come after you trying to sell you herbal sachets.
5. You have to leave them in your vagina for THREE DAYS.
In order to achieve maximum effects, you've got to leave the thing in there for three days. Three. Days. I once accidentally left a tampon in that long and became convinced I was going to die of TSS. When it finally emerged from my murky loins, I wasn't dissuaded from that fear. I'm a pleasure to know.
6. Your vagina is good at its job.
Your vagina is like the holodeck on Star Trek: The Next Generation. It takes care of itself. It gives you exactly what you want or need. Keep soap out of there, keep lotions or potions away. Your womanly muscle-tunnel doesn't need the world's most harrowing tea bag to keep itself operational. Trust.
7. You'll have to live with yourself after-the-fact.
"What did you do yesterday, Nancy?"
"Stuffed a cotton pearl bursting with nameless herbs into my pleasure palace."
"...."
"You know. For your health."
- Rebecca Jane Stokes
Check out more great stories from YourTango:
Become a Healthy Baker With These Surprising Butter Substitutes
Baking calms the mind and feeds the soul, but all that buttery goodness can pack on the pounds. If you're looking to make healthier baked goods, omitting some or all of the butter from your favorite recipes can greatly reduce the calories, fat, and cholesterol. There are countless ways to replace eggs in recipes, and here are healthier alternatives to using butter (great for vegan bakers, too).
- Applesauce: Often used to replace oil in recipes, applesauce can also be used as a butter alternative, and it works best in cake-like recipes (like this vegan banana apple chunk bread). Replace half the amount of butter in your recipe with applesauce; if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of applesauce. If you don't mind a denser, more moist bread, replace all the butter with applesauce to cut even more calories and fat.
- Avocado: Substitute half the amount of butter in a baking recipe with mashed avocado (it works well with cookies and quick breads like these pumpkin apple muffins); use the same method as you would when using applesauce. Using avocado not only lowers the calorie content but also creates a softer, moister baked good, and is perfect if you want to omit the dairy.
- Earth Balance: Replace all the butter with Earth Balance to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol. Using Smart Balance rather than Earth Balance will also save some calories, but note that Original Smart Balance contains whey, so it's not vegan.
- Canola oil: In certain recipes, replacing butter with oil works well, especially if the recipe calls for melted butter. Fiddle with your favorite recipes to figure out when canola works instead of butter; when baking chocolate chip cookies, I've had success substituting half a cup of canola oil for half a cup of unsalted butter. Although slightly higher in calories, canola is much lower in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
- Greek yogurt: Replace half the amount of butter in your cookie recipes with half the amount of full-fat plain Greek yogurt. For example, if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and one quarter cup of yogurt. You'll reduce the calories and the saturated fat. Play around with using more yogurt and less butter to see if you still like the taste and consistency. Here are more ways to use Greek yogurt in baking recipes. If you're avoiding dairy, use soy yogurt instead, like this recipe for protein banana bread.
- Prune purée: Often used to help little ones stay regular, prune purée also makes a low-calorie and low-fat alternative to butter. Whatever amount of butter the recipe calls for, replace it completely with store-bought baby food prune purée (unless you have time to make your own; just purée prunes in the food processor). This option works well in recipes that involve chocolate and cinnamon.
jeudi 28 janvier 2016
The Best Fat-Blasting Cardio Exercises You Can Do in Your Living Room
Exercising hard enough to raise your heartbeat will burn major calories, but not everyone loves to run. Luckily, there are many ways to hit your cardio goals that don't involve miles. These 43 cardio moves will help burn fat and build muscle, no running required. Find your new favorite ways to cardio here.
Here's How Much Green Tea Is Safe to Drink
Between its metabolism-boosting powers and ability to prevent colds, green tea is a miracle in your mug. While there are several reasons to sip it each day, many wonder if one glass alone can provide you with the acclaimed benefits. Before you go to town guzzling, learn if it's possible to have too much of a good thing (the results may surprise you).
If you find yourself drinking a cup or two of green tea a day, you're doing things right! Dr. Zuo Feng Zhang, a cancer epidemiology researcher at UCLA, and the University of Maryland Medical Center recommend two to three teacups (not mugs) a day, which will prove beneficial to your health.
However, drinking up to five cups a day has been shown to decrease risk for stomach cancer. In fact, if you're trying to lose weight and to boost your metabolism, the best results have been seen with drinking seven cups a day (this study, though, has not been tested directly on humans). Additionally, many other medical studies have shown that the more green tea consumed daily the greater the benefits, with 10 cups being the upper limit. If you are sensitive to caffeine, or suffer from insomnia, 10 cups of green tea is probably going to be too much for your system, regardless of the benefits.
There are a few negative consequences to drinking lots and lots of green tea. The tannins found in both green and black tea can decrease absorption of folic acid, an important vitamin that helps decrease birth defects. If you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant, you should definitely limit your green tea consumption to two cups a day, or skip it altogether. Green tea can also interfere with the absorption of iron, too, so it's recommended that you avoid drinking green tea with meals and just drink it between them.
How many cups of green tea do you drink a day?
- Additional reporting by Emily Bibb
The 2 Stretches You Should Be Doing After Every Workout
Whatever the workout, it's essential that you stretch once it's over - even when you're pressed for time. If you find that you don't have time to go through an entire stretching series, it's OK, just as long as you have these two stretches in your back pocket. These easy-to-do stretches target the lower body and also open up the shoulders, a neccesity after any intense running or strength-training session.
Why It's Time to Start Loving Chia Seeds
If the word chia brings up a mental image of a clay creature sprouting hair, you are not mistaken. But the seeds responsible for sprouting fuzz on Chia Pets are also an excellent source of anti-inflammatory omega-3s. Who knew?
For women, the RDI of omega-3s is 1.1 grams (1,100 mg) a day, so if you're looking for a new source that's vegan, gluten-free, and easy to consume, you'll want to pick up some of these seeds immediately. One ounce of chia seeds (about two tablespoons) contains 137 calories, one gram of saturated fat, 11 grams of fiber, four grams of protein, 177 milligrams of calcium, and 4.9 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Aside from offering omegas, when chia seeds come in contact with water, they bulk up just like flaxseeds do. So when you eat them, they make you feel full. This means not only will they prevent you from overeating, but they'll also improve your digestion.
A 16-ounce bag of chia seeds costs around $14 and will last a long time. They have a mild flavor and don't require much prep, so with a little creativity, chia seeds can easily be incorporated into your diet.
- Drink and debloat: Celebrity trainer Valerie Waters recommends all her clients drink this debloating chia seed drink to start their day. By boosting levels of fiber and aiding in elimination, you'll be feeling free of bloat thanks to chia.
- Blend into breakfast: High in vitamin C and boasting more than 10 grams of fiber, this refreshing antioxidant smoothie bulks up breakfast with some chia power.
- Dress up your salad: Chia seeds and poppy seeds are similar in stature, so amp up the fiber and protein in this lemon salad dressing with chia seeds; the flavors are a riff on classic poppy-seed dressing.
- Bake them into muffins: Versatile chia seeds are easy to toss into a classic baking recipe like these gluten-free blueberry muffins that are low in calories but full of tasty flavor.
- Enjoy a sweet treat: Chia seeds and coconut milk marry for a Paleo-friendly pudding that works great for breakfast but feels like an indulgence. Mix together the ingredients the night before, pop it in the fridge, and look forward to it tomorrow. It's that easy.
This Exercise Gets You Sore in All the Right Places
I am always pleasantly surprised how sore my butt is when I add this simple move, which combines a sumo squat with a standing side crunch, to any workout. This bodyweight exercise is not a plyometric move, but springing up from a deep sumo squat to stand on one leg is really effective for activating the glute muscles. And adding the side crunch works the abs nicely too. And these are two areas of my body I always like to work.
- Start in a wide stance with your toes pointed out; bring your hands behind your head with your elbows wide.
- Keeping your chest upright and lifted, bend your knees over your toes, coming into a wide sumo squat with your thighs almost parallel to the floor.
- Push off both legs, but shift your weight into your left foot so you can lift your right knee up. Bring your right elbow to your right knee to perform a side crunch. Hold this position for a second to test your balance and ensure you are not relying on momentum and are really using the muscles to control your limbs and create this slightly awkward shape.
- Straighten your spine as you bring your right foot quietly to the floor, and bend both knees coming into a sumo squat. This completes one rep. Repeat the move on the other side.
- One set consists of 20 reps, alternating sides. Aim to do two to three sets.
Since this move requires no weight, you can really do it anywhere or anytime.
Take Your Healthy Cooking to the Next Level With These Ingredients - Recipes Included
It's time to freshen up your virtual recipe box and experiment with some new foods and learn new ways to cook with your standbys ingredients. We've rounded up our favorite recipes featuring foods trending in the healthy cooking sphere to help you bring your kitchen to life this year. Read on to see why you should be eating these foods and fun recipes to cook with these go-to ingredients.
Fitness-Inspired Cakes, Because Fit Fanatics Love Cake, Too
We can't be healthy eaters all the time, and let's face it. Some of us work out for the sheer purpose of being able to stuff our faces with our favorite treats without feeling a drop of guilt. So go ahead; go to the gym and have your cake too with these adorable and creative fitness-themed cakes.
Yes, Stephen Curry Dancing With a Group of Little Kids Is as Cute as It Sounds
In an effort to promote the NBA's Fit Live Healthy Week - a health-conscious initiative aimed at children and young adolescents - Stephen Curry surprised the students at East Oakland Elementary School. The epic visit from the Golden State Warriors point guard and 2015 MVP resulted in the cutest dance sesh ever, naturally. What's more, the United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy stopped by to join them!
See a snippet of Curry's visit in a vine posted by the NBA, above.
Sit, Stand, Move: Tips For a Healthier Workspace
The following post was originally featured on Fit Bottomed Girls and written by Kristen, who is part of POPSUGAR Select Fitness.
I spend a lot of time on my computer. Like, a lot. A whole lot when you consider the fact that so much of what I'm doing on said computer is related to health, fitness and overall well-being.
Because of that, I'm always on the lookout for ways to make my keyboard-pounding hours a little less detrimental to my health. I've got the standing desk and the unstable seat. I make a point to walk around my office now and again if I've been in the same position too long. I focus on trying to maintain proper posture. But is there more I could be doing?
Turns out, the answer is yes, and I bet that's the case for you, too. I recently read Don't Just Sit There: Transitioning to a Standing and Dynamic Workstation for Whole-Body Health, and it gave me a lot to think about (and incorporate into my daily routine). If you're looking for some simple ways to make your hours at work a little better for your body, here are a few takeaways. (But there are loads more in the book - if you're interested in really stepping up your game, I'd recommend giving the whole thing a read.)
5 Tips for Proper Posture and Better Health at Work
1. Don't just sit there … but don't just stand there, either. One of the biggest points the book makes is that maintaining any position for hours on end is bad news. If you're sitting, moving to a standing position now and again is great, but even just crossing your legs back and forth is helpful. If you're standing, alter your stance and don't be afraid to incorporate intervals of sitting.
2. Use proper posture. Whether you're sitting or standing, there are right ways and wrong ways to hold your body. Some are obvious, like keeping your head "ramped up" (i.e. properly stacked with your ears above your shoulders, but without just lifting your chin to tilt your whole head back), but others, like keeping knees soft or holding your ribs down, are less obvious.
3. Think outside the desk. You don't have to choose between simply standing or sitting at a desk (unless you're in an office environment that requires you to stick to those positions). If you're working on a laptop, take it to the floor, stack it on some books and sit on the ground with your legs to the side. Move to a kitchen counter and work from a stool for a bit. Change things up and see what you find challenging and comfortable - that may give you some insight into the parts of your body that could use strengthening and/or stretching.
4. Take frequent, tiny breaks. This is a great tip that can work for just about anyone, even if your office requires you to sit at a standard desk all day long. The author, Katy Bowman, recommends walking for three minutes every half hour of your workday - that adds up to 48 minutes of exercise each day! If possible, also consider setting up a pull-up bar - even if you're not quite up for chin-ups and pull-ups, it'll give you a spot to hang for a moment, which will give your body an instant boost. Incorporate other feel-good stretches, too, like calf stretches (hey, you don't even have to stop typing to do that!), forward bends, etc.
5. Watch your screen time. We know this, don't we? Regardless of how perfect your posture is, too much time staring at a screen is no good in lots of ways, especially if you're gazing into that blue light with no natural light around. But also, just as your body shouldn't remain in one set position for eight hours at a time, your eyes shouldn't only look at a screen 20 inches away all day long. During your work day, make a point to look away from your screen to a point as far away as possible - take quick glances every five minutes, and extended gazes every half hour.
Let me be clear - this is only a smattering of what the book covered. I mean, there are pictures! And descriptions! And product recommendations! Oh my! But I'm guessing even just the list above has you reevaluating your workspace, doesn't it?
What are your best tips for making your workstation as conducive to health and fitness as possible? I saw that a friend of mine has taken to bringing small pieces of fitness equipment in each week and encouraging her coworkers to do various exercises with it whenever they come into her office. I love that! - Kristen
Not a Drop of Dairy in These Creamy Smoothies
If you're cutting down on dairy to help clear your skin or debloat, you can still have a creamy smoothie witout throwing Greek yogurt or milk in the blender. Check out these flavorful, nutrient-dense smoothies that are completely dairy-free.
Reveal Your Six-Pack With This Fat-Blasting Ab-Sculpting Workout
This short 10-minute workout will leave you breathless with your abs burning - two things we love from a short sweat session! It's full of killer combination moves that strengthen your abs from all angles while getting your heart rate up to torch calories. Celeb trainer Idalis Velazquez keeps you moving and inspired for the entire workout! Grab a five-pound dumbbell, press play, and get ready to work.
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