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Feeling Better In A Fitter Body

Posted on July 21, 2017 in Fitness

Exercise can be a very helpful tool in your overall health care plan. If you’re not already active, it can be both physically and mentally challenging to get going in a regular program, but the benefits can be a boon.

It’s important to consult with your doctor before you start an exercise program, however. One of the most difficult things to master is the delicate balancing act between exercising enough to help yourself and exercising without hurting yourself.

Your doctor can help you determine what kind of exercise will work best for you and when to use it, depending on what type of physical condition you have. (Remember, with many different personal situations, what helps one may aggravate another.)

For example, the best way to make sure your gout won’t go away is to shoot a few hoops while your foot hurts. And, if you’re going through an episode of acute inflammation, such as from rheumatoid arthritis, exercise can harm you. But if things have cleared up and your doctor’s given the green light, you can start creating a fitter body. And that should make you feel better all over.

The purpose of exercise is to keep joints moving, keep muscles strong, and build up your endurance. Because swollen joints can be worse when the pressure of your weight is put on them, at first the best exercise may be range-of-motion, moving each joints gently as far as you can, and simple moves such as straight leg raises.

Another advantage of exercising is that it will help you control your weight, which in itself is a factor for supporting your health and putting less stress on your joints, especially in the legs and joints. For that matter even lighter form of gym classes such as pilates or yoga burn weight loss sessions can have a positive impact. Likewise swimming is a low impact method that equates to a low intensity cardio.

Exercising in water is wonderful because it supports your weight, which means you can move more without overtaxing your joints. A general rule: if an hour after the exercise, you feel more pain than you did before, you are hindering more than helping. Stop that particular exercise.

Here are some basic tips:

  • During flare-ups of inflammatory diseases, don’t work your joints. (You should, however, go through gentle, range-of-motion exercises once or twice daily.)
  • Start slowly.
  • Relax your muscles with a gentle massage or warm bath or shower before workouts.
  • Warm up before working out by stretching gently and exercising slowly for 5 to 10 minutes and then stretching gently.
  • Be consistent; keep a regular exercise routine. You won’t help yourself if you exercise every other day for a month and then stop for two weeks.
  • If your joints are inflamed or painful, stop.
  • Move slowly and steadily; never jerk or bounce.
  • Wear comfortable clothing and good exercise shoes.
  • Cool down by slowing the pace of your activity for the last 5 or 10 minutes, and then do some more gentle stretches.

There are three general types of exercise, and they all can be very helpful in an arthritis workout plan.

Get A Flat Belly After 50 Starting Now

Posted on May 26, 2017 in Fitness

Everybody dreams of getting a fitter body.

But being over the age of 50 does not mean you are no longer able to achieve that goal. There are a variety of ways to implement a healthier lifestyle, and when you age, focusing on a holistic approach to fitness is a must.

You need to achieve the mind-and-body connection to become holistically healthy. This means attaining both physical and mental wellness is required. Back aches, inflamed joints, flabby belly and wrinkled skin do not hinder you in thinking and feeling young.

You can definitely improve your state of health by exercising, eating healthy and incorporating lifestyle decisions that you enjoy and generally make you feel happy. Below are some of the activities you can practice to help you achieve a fitter self.

Cultivate Your Hobbies or Passion

At the age 50, you are bound to retire soon. Nobody wants to go to a party and leave feeling like someone had died. Before you retire, pursue your hobbies and passion and make it a part of your life. When you start following your passion and pursuing what you truly love doing, you will find a different kind of happiness.

Your mood will improve, your sleep will be more peaceful and you will feel fired up in life. Having this mental state sets the mood in committing to exercising and eating balanced meals.

Go For Age-Appropriate Sports

Honing a sport does not just help your muscles moving, it also makes the brain active. By the time a person is 50, he or she might have already grown to love a certain sport. It could be tennis, basketball or skateboarding.

But invasive sports like these can be difficult for older men and women to take part on. Instead, choose a more low-impact sport like swimming, golfing, bowling hiking, cricket, or shuffle boarding.

Find a sport that is appropriate for your age to prevent injuries. If you are looking to lose more weight, joining local fun run events will help you shed off some excess weight and get some cardio going for a better health.

Include Daily Cardio Exercises

For people over the age of 50, the most common medical issue is cardiovascular health. If you have never done any cardio workout before, you need to start today. This will have tremendous effects on your health.

As you get your heart pumping in a cardio session, it is like pushing your car at the highest gear, everything has to run faster and more effectively. Not only will this help you get a flat stomach, it will strengthen your cardio-vascular system, muscles and bones.

Having trouble staying motivated? The best solution is getting a dog!

Owing a dog does not just promote a longer and healthier life, it literally forces you to go out every day for walks. It is the perfect motivator to push yourself to leave the house and get those muscles moving. Who knows, you might enjoy walking so much, you may consider running and joining an Ironman event some day!

Incorporate Weight Training

Weight training becomes an integral requirement as you age because it helps build up, maintain and strengthen your muscles. Growing old does not depict physical weakness and frailty. If you start strengthening your muscles as soon as possible, it will help you feel more lively, strong and energetic.

Strength training is also the foundation for preventing injuries down the line and therefore contributes to a higher quality of life. It will allow you to continue doing what you love even until you are 80 or 90 years old.

Keep Your Brain Engaged

There are many activities you can enjoy to keep your brain engaged. You can keep your brain active by practicing calligraphy, teaching yourself how to assemble a computer, or studying a different language. By learning new things every day, you are keeping your brain active and prevent neuron degeneration, even dementia type diseases.

Reading is perhaps the best and easiest way to keep your aging brain involved. Make sure to find a good book you are interested in and will enjoy perusing. Other forms of brain exercises include puzzles, sudoku and brain trivias.

Improve Your Diet

As exercising and living an active lifestyle alone are not enough to achieve a healthier body, choosing healthier foods no matter how old you are is a smart step to take. The best way to start eating healthy is to eliminate all processed foods in your diet. This will help reduce the saturated and trans fats in your diet.

Eat different types of fruits and vegetables. A rule of thumb is to keep your plate as colorful as possible to get a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Make sure to eat whole grains. Cut back on foods with too much fat and sugar.

Source your fat intake from fish, nuts, avocados and seeds. They contain essential mono and polyunsaturated fats that are good for your heart. If you keep this up, you will achieve your dream body in no time.

Staying fit after 50 requires you to be mindful of your physical and mental state. Exercising and eating healthy are crucial lifestyle changes you can adopt. Apart from engaging more in your life hobbies, try to go to bed without setting an alarm clock and train your body to wake up naturally. This kind of sleep will make you feel energized every time you wake up.

Make sure to spend some time on important matters like going out with your grandchildren, playing golf, or reading a good book – anything that you basically enjoy.

Yes it is possible to get a great body after 50, if you put your mind into it.

4 Best Natural Remedies for Treating Chronic Pain

Posted on March 11, 2017 in Wellness

When it comes to treating chronic pain from certain medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia, the conventional prescription medications may not be as effective as you would hope them to be. This is one of the main reasons why individuals suffering from chronic pain also seek comfort in complementary, alternative and natural medicine.

Complementary and natural remedies and health practices range in a variety of methods like massage therapy, herbal supplements and yoga. At the latest count there are about 21 million adults in the US who practice yoga.

According to The National Health Interview Survey 5.1% of the population was using yoga as a complementary relief in the year 2002. By 2012, there were 9.5% who incorporated yoga as an alternative remedy. That is a stark increase for only 10 years!

The use of massage, yoga and herbal or natural supplements can be used as a complement or as an alternative to your prescribed medications. However, just like any kind of treatment, these alternative remedies may not work the same way for everyone.

According to Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., the director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), there is a need for people to try different kinds of natural remedies in order to know what works well for them – it can be one treatment, and sometimes it can be several treatments combined.

Here are the top most sought after natural remedies you can opt for to help alleviate chronic pain.

Massage

This form of therapy can be used to ease body pain, decrease anxiety, reduce stress and fight depression. There are different kinds of massages but in general, they are used to manipulate your soft tissues and muscles and improve body circulation with the use of hand and arm pressure. Experimenting with different massages will let you know what works best for you.

Herbs, Spices and Other Natural Supplements

As you know, chronic pain is associated with many different health conditions, so it could be quite tricky to definitely point out what herbal remedy can help decrease your chronic pain. Among the popular choices are probiotics, fish oils, glucosamine, chondroitin and curcumin supplements.

You will find that there are certain natural supplements that work best with certain body conditions. For instance, the use of Devil’s claw, white willow bark, or turmeric curcumin supplements help take away the pain from joint inflammation or rheumatoid arthritis. The use of primrose or ginger may target muscle pain due to fibromyalgia. If you want to see reviews or if you are wondering where to buy turmeric supplements, primrose or white willow bark, you can find them at the online stores of reputable brands.

To learn more about the use of herbal supplements and their specific results, you can check some reliable websites to know what works best for each condition. Checking the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health website is a good place to start.

Another way to do it is to speak to a doctor who is knowledgeable about herbal remedies. It is also best to talk to your doctor before taking any natural herbal supplements as they may interfere with some medications like blood thinners.

Meditation or Mind and Body Techniques

There are numerous forms of meditation, like for example Mindful meditation, Mantra or Transcendental. This practice has been incorporated outside the religious context due to its ability to help relax the mind and body. Meditation can help manage chronic pain, reduce stress, improve mood and even treat anxiety. It is also a powerful method for helping you cope with other symptoms aside from pain.

Yoga

For the last few decades, yoga has sprung to great popularity. It has become prevalent among young adults in the US. This form of meditation and exercise has been practiced in India for hundreds of years. It is believed to treat various mental and physical ailments that may plague people.

Aside from its ability to reduce stress, it also helps improve fitness. There have been reports that it is a great form of exercise for treating chronic back pain, due to the numerous strechinh exercises involved. This technique also teaches you the right way to breathe in order to achieve deep relaxation.

Considering alternative and natural remedies to complement your regular treatment is a great way for incorporating new activities and new experiences in your life. Attending yoga and meditation classes can also help improve your social life which has a positive effect on your stress and anxiety.

The use of herbs and natural supplements also help improve your nutrition and supports your overall health. Try different methods and techniques to know what works best in relieving your chronic pain.

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Ancient Chinese medicine

Posted on January 13, 2017 in Wellness


Even today in the modern world, many of us still use traditional healing. Whether it be a form of concoction, pills, juices, topical ointments, meditation, acupuncture or acupressure, using the old methods are still effective.

China is known to be one of the busiest traders in the world. Aside from that, their medicine was considered to be very advanced centuries ago. Since this civilization has existed for thousands of years, they had the opportunity to experiment how exactly their medicines work. As told by the old legends in China, the heavens had sent them wise kings to help them survive the hostile environment.

There’s also another legend that the kings that were sent by the heavens tasted all the plants that thrived in nature. These kings identified which among the plants are useable for medicine and which are not. From then on, the people of China made use of these plants to create their medicine.

For us to understand how and why traditional Chinese medicine has remained to be relevant, we must know its history and how it has evolved to be an intricate profession in China.

One famous traditional medicine that is still used today is the acupuncture. Its origins in the Shang times around 4000 years ago, tells us that this treatment should be effective as it is still practiced today. Though this practice can be modified, acupuncture uses 9 needles and are strategically punctured to the skin.

An expert and a professional only knows how to adjust the placement of the needles. This medicinal practice, and now considered an art, has been used since the stone age. The knowledge has been passed down from father to son for many generations.

The concept of Yin and Yang was introduced in Taoism. Yin and Yang tells us that in life, we are deeply connected to the environment. One example of this concept tells us that in the circle of life, you will have a dark and shady side and a sunny and happy disposition. Keeping both characteristics in proper balance is the key to a harmonious life.

It is believed in Taoism that if one side is thwarted off balance, you will most likely get sick. The teachings in Taoism in regards to medicine is that in order to live a healthy and happy life, you must keep your yin and yang balanced. One literal example that they teach is eating good food, and doing some exercise will decrease stress.

The Han Dynasty was the most enlightening age of traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese healers are now considered to be doctors. They write books about their experience in treating people and medicine in general. The government has mandated that only healers or doctors with proper knowledge are allowed to practice medicine.

In turn, a very strong medical ethics developed in their community. Schools were established to share the knowledge of medicine. This time, the knowledge of medicine is no longer passed from father to son. Students can learn medical skill and become doctors if they want to.

As you see, traditional Chinese medicine has been used since the dawn of time. The reason why so many people stand by it is due to the fact that it has been effective for thousands of years. If you’d read how they make their medicine from plants, you’ll know how they already have a system of measurements long before mathematicians considered it a real thing.

As soon as books and manuals by experts were published, more and more people gained access to treating and healing their ailments. Yes, many still find it mysterious, but if you study it, you’ll find yourself fascinated on this multifaceted practice by the Chinese.

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