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A healthy body and a sound mind

The Healing Powers Of Practicing Yoga

March 1, 2023 By John Jones

yoga-benefits

With over 20 million yoga practitioners in the U.S. alone, yoga and its benefits have only grown in popularity through the years.  The meditation aspect of yoga helps the heart rate go down while providing relaxation those who practice yoga.  Yoga promotes flexibility and strength poses which can bring relief to back sufferers.  Various studies and research are now backing up what yogis have claimed for years about how practicing yoga can provide a variety of health and healing benefits.

Improve Back Pain

Yoga, which emphasizes stretching, strength, and flexibility, has been the subject of many studies that have shown that practicing yoga on a regular basis actually relieves back soreness.  With more of us being confined to sitting at a desk hunched over a computer all day, bad posture and the back pain that is associated with it has become an epidemic.  According to a recent study, people who take yoga or stretching classes are twice as likely to cut back on pain medications for their backaches as people who managed symptoms on their own.

Lose Weight

With more than one-third of adults in the U.S. considered being obese and the weight loss industry yielding an annual profit of over 20 billion, there are many people who are searching for ways to lose weight.  With yoga being a practice that one can implement into their workout routine on a regular basis at any size as well as start at any fitness level, it is a great way to burn a few calories.  Jen Cassetty, an American College of Sports Medicine certified health fitness specialist, states “Yoga is not a high intensity exercise, usually, but the classes run 75 to 90 minutes of continual activity, so your muscles are working the whole time, strengthening and lengthening…”.

Improve Your Mental Health

It has been reported by many practitioners of yoga that practicing yoga can be beneficial to your sense of self.  Many people use it as a type of therapy, a way to focus on breathing and being in the moment through holding each pose.  Addicts have also reported that yoga has helped them through the recovery process.  In a publication from Harvard Medical School, it was shown that studies reveal attending yoga classes or practicing yoga in your home reduce stress, improve mood, and reduce depression.  The evidence is growing that practicing yoga is a healthy approach to improving overall health.

Yoga has been around for thousands of years for a reason.  From people who are devout yogis and practice on a daily basis to those who are just trying to find a drug free alternative to fighting chronic back pain people can enjoy yoga for a multitude of health benefits.

Originally posted on November 5, 2016 @ 12:26 pm

Filed Under: Alternative Tagged With: back pain, pain medications, Weight Loss, yoga, yoga benefits

Tips To Losing Weight Without A Gym Membership

March 1, 2023 By Lucy

2017 is fast approaching which means it is time to make those New Year’s resolutions. If you are one of the many people who vow to lose weight for the new year but don’t want to spend the money on a gym membership, then you may be looking for some tips to lose your extra pounds at home. Here are a few tips to help you lose weight for the New Year without leaving the comfort and convenience of home. [Read more…]

Originally posted on December 8, 2016 @ 5:19 pm

Filed Under: Diets, Exercise and Fitness, Health Tagged With: Weight Loss, weight loss products, work out at home, working out without a gym

4 Shocking Health Tips That Actually Make People Gain Weight

March 1, 2023 By dave

weight-loss-myths

Ever wonder how there can be so many scientists, using so many billions of dollars in research, and yet we continue to trend toward higher, near-epidemic levels of obesity, diabetes, and cancer? Well, the pressures of Wall Street on our government certainly play a role, but there’s also some very toxic and terrible advice out there that is leading people to gain weight.

Here are the four most shocking and diet-related tips that could be hurting your progress toward health, not helping it! These unlikely health and diet misconceptions can lead to obesity! [Read more…]

Originally posted on February 24, 2014 @ 1:17 pm

Filed Under: Weight Loss Tagged With: health tips, Weight Loss

Taking Your Weight Loss to the Next Level

February 28, 2023 By Guest Author

When you are dieting and trying to lose weight, you’re probably already taking your cardio exercise pretty seriously. Getting at least 30 minutes per day of cardio, at least five days per week, is the perfect start to helping you burn fat and slim down. However, it shouldn’t be the only thing you are doing. Add lifting to your fitness routines to take your weight loss to the next level.

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Benefits of Lifting

Lifting weights helps you lose weight in three key ways. First, it’s another way to burn calories, not only while you’re exercising, but also in the “afterburn” time immediately after you stop exercising. Second, muscle cells require more energy for basic metabolic function than fat cells, so every pound of muscle you add increases the baseline calories your body burns. Third, the more muscle you build, the more effective your cardio workouts will be because you’ll be able to go faster.

Preparing to Get Started

If you’ve never lifted weights before, it’s normal to feel apprehensive about it. However, lifting is actually easy to get started, and you’ll be surprised by how much your strength increases. Start by investing in a pair of dumb bells and an exercise ball, which allow you to set up a simple weight lifting routine to target the major muscle groups. In particular, focusing on your back and core will help you enhance your cardio activity to take your weight loss to the next level.

Example Weight Lifting Circuit

The best way to start weight lifting is to develop a circuit of exercises that you complete several times each week. Do 10 repetitions of each activity before moving on to the next one. Once you’ve completed the whole circuit three times, your workout for the day is done.

  • Dumb bell lunges: Hold a dumb bell in each hand and lunge forward, alternating legs, across a long space.
  • Dumb bell dips: Hold a dumb bell in each hand on the floor, with your feet extended in front of you. Dip down as you alternate pulling one leg toward you in a crunch movement.
  • Hamstring curl: Lie on the floor and rest your calves on a stability ball, then raise your hips and pull the ball toward you until your feet are flat on it.
  • Stability ball jackknife: Get in a push-up position with your shins balanced on a stability ball, then bend and extend your knees to roll the ball toward you and push it back out.
  • Balance squats: Stand with a dumb bell in each hand and one foot resting on a chair behind you. Squat down as you extend your arms straight out to the side, then come back up to a standing position.
  • Backwards lunge to kick: Hold a dumb bell in each hand and lunge backwards. When you come back up, kick the leg that was back straight forward and press the weights above your head.

You’ll probably be sore after your first day of weight training, but you’ll quickly start to see benefits. Give yourself at least 48 hours between weight training workouts and do cardio instead. As you feel comfortable with the circuit of exercises, you can look into adding even more to further tone your muscles.

Thomas is a fitness enthusiast with a love for writing. In his spare time, he enjoys blogging on behalf of Sears and other brands.

Originally posted on April 26, 2013 @ 2:22 am

Filed Under: Weight Loss Tagged With: fitness, fitness training, physical fitness, Weight Loss, working out

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