Tag Archives: Lifestyle

The secret to get rid of your phone and keep motivated during the exercise

Do you suffer from phone addiction during your sport exercise? Do you check your phone a lot with  curiosity, afterwards you lose your motivation to continue? You answer a call from your friend or text messages and you don’t become ready to take more pressure when you return to exercise?  Is that what’s worrying you?

Already Realizing that you have a phone addiction problem is the first step to getting rid of it. Here are 5 tips for you to get a great workout:

  1. Spend your time with other useful things while you rest:

The dependent person usually suffers from a lot of emptiness and boredom when resting during exercise, so prolonged use of the smartphone negatively affects mental health and increases feelings of frustration and hopelessness, causing the nervous system to have periods of rest that exceed the required duration. The ideal is to keep busy with things that do not exceed the rest period, such as a small discussion with the coach or a colleague to fill the void and pass the time.

2.Use a phone armband during your exercise:

If you want to change a habit you first have to create obstacles that will block you, for example you have to block access to using the phone with simple things like a training armband to get rid of unnecessary uses that make you want to have more, such as social networking sites. Indeed, putting the phone back in the armband after each use is a tiring thing, so you will be lazy to do it and it is an ideal way to get rid of phone addiction. In addition, the cuff is the ideal choice for holding the phone when you exercise with freedom of movement, you need to find a flexible and very comfortable model. The most practical thing is to opt for a armband that does not squeeze too tightly in order to carry out the exercises correctly. It should not be an annoying accessory for you and should also have a sweat-absorbing capacity.

3.The gloves provide complete finger protection:

If you are wondering how to stop this addiction to the phone during your exercise, you must continue to create obstacles to break this bad habit, because getting rid of it starts in the mind before the body, so that you create obstacles, your brain will persuade the body to stop repeating the mistakes. In addition to empowerment, the gloves will also give you a reduction in tiredness, support and help you fight the sweat resulting from your exercise. Moreover, with gloves, it is practically impossible to operate your phone, it is very unpleasant to have to take off your gloves to pick up the phone or consult social networks for nothing. We recommend gloves with full finger protection
4.Keep the selfies until the end of the exercise:

If your addiction to the phone during your exercise is because of the selfies, because you take a lot of pictures and at the end you are not motivated, you shouldn’t blame and judge yourself because all these things seem normal and repeated in our daily life, in order to document happy moments and share them with those we love, to become a group of beautiful memories, but we just recommend that you learn how to take pictures at the end of the exercise and at the end of each exercise, try to give yourself the opportunity to feel the feeling of relaxation, leave everything, relax on the floor and feel the effect of the exercise on your body, and make sure that you only return to this exercise in order to feel this feeling again before you even think about taking a selfie.

5.Desactivate notifications

Application notifications on the smartphone are one of the most important reasons that make you look at your phone’s screen continuously and repeatedly throughout the exercise, which can be classified as addictive phone use, so to get rid of this problem, you need to set or disable all application notifications on your phone. Indeed, if your phone does not ring repeatedly for notifications and updates, it will be easy to ignore it. You can only set an alert for important notifications, such as text messages from your family. The ideal is to distract yourself with anything when playing sports, and in this case meditation exercises are very ideal, whatever sport you do, always try to distract your attention from the pain the exercise causes you, and kill two birds with one stone.

Addiction to the smartphone will not be eliminated between a session or two, but rather requires a bit of patience and will gradually reduce usage, so remember that you need to live your life outside the screen of your smartphone and enjoy the moment of sport, enjoy meeting people with you at the gym, make new friends and accomplish the tasks of the session to the fullest. We recommend that you bring a friend who trains with you, this will ensure that you never give up exercising, it will motivate you and push you to keep going, so we always advise you to choose the right friend, a friend who is a sports fan, to join you and exercise with you, and when we say it’s appropriate, anyone who is full of energy and vitality and loves to spend time with him or her, and in this way you will love to exercise and avoid using the phone at all times out of respect and to spend time with your chosen friend.

 

 

Work-Life Balance: How to use Meditation and Mindfulness as the Bridge.

To make a mark at work, to have a buzzing social life, learn something new, spend quality time with friends and family and the list goes on- we want it all sometimes but can never quite master the perfect work-life balanceThe key to this is to slow down by practicing meditation and mindfulness.  

What do BeyoncéOprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Bill gates all have in common? Well, aside from success and wealth, they all swear by meditation and have come forward by explaining how meditating daily has done wonders for their mental well-being. Whether it is to manage stress or simply boost some energy, there is no denying that meditation has become the new go-to wellness ritual. 

Along with meditation, practicing mindfulness also helps with our overall mental as well as physical health. This is when your mind is paying attention to your present-moment flow of experience without commentary, analysis or judgement. Being mindful makes it easier to savor the simple pleasures in life and helps you become fully engaged in whatever you do.   

Here are few tips to help you maintain a healthy mental state of mind:  

  • One-minute meditation  

Meditation in work place

You do not require a certain time of your day to implement a mediation session, you can start by taking one-minute breaks between work by focusing on a calming picture or listening to relaxing music with your eyes closed for a minute while deeply breathing, this will help you reduce your stress levels and help you re-focus on your work.  

 

  • Set boundaries between work and leisure. 

Separating career, work, friends and time

Don’t forget to stop working. One of the hardest parts of work-life balance is defining the boundary between the two. The best way to do this especially when working frohome, is to start by creating a designated space for work. Giving a gap between starting and ending work will help you effectively transition from life to work. Adapting these rountines  in the long run will help your brain to be wired for presence in every context. 

 

  • Reduce multi-tasking: 

Believe it or not, one of the most difficult mind exercises to do is to focus on one thought at a time. Research shows only 2% of people who can effectively muti-task. Practice doing one thing at a time as often as you can throughout the day. When you are not working or studying, remain mentally present for other interactions and activities. Mindfulness saves time and helps you focus on what matters in the present. 

Too many list of tasks to do
Source: Unsplash, captured by Luis Villasmil

For instance, if you’ve decided to take an evening off for yourself, be sure to switch off and relax – don’t half-heartedly skim through a book while watching Netflix just to make yourself feel like you are reading. 

 

  • Schedule tech- free time  

Practicing a daily digital detox will allow you to disconnect from work and enhance your ability to pay attention. Have a go at the 30-Day Digital Detox Challenge by Forbes to help you begin! Be mindful of the time you spend on social media and maybe pick one activity or time every day when you can put your devices away for 15-75 minutes. 

Remember to immerse yourself in whatever you do whether it is taking your dog on a walk, playing with your kids, painting, or eating dinner with family or friends. Consider designating a room or zone in your house where electronics are not allowed to facilitate this daily digital detox. 

Social media
Source: Unsplash, captured by Nathan Dumlao

Its essential that you take time away from your screen each day. Try giving a break mid-way through the day and in the evening to shut down and transition from ‘work mode’ to ‘home mode’. Remember, if you were previously working from a workplace, you would have a bit of down time on the journey in and home and over lunch, so make sure you schedule that time for you if you are currently studying/ working from home. 

  • Take out time to reflect.
Journaling
Source: Unsplash, Captured by Cathyrn Lavery

Journaling can help get all your thoughts out and on paper. Bullet Journalling is a great way to stay organised. It’s worth taking some time to reflect on yourself. Especially since the past year has been so different for all of us, it’s good to pen down how you felt at the start of lockdown, how you’ve dealt with lockdown and how you feel about the next phase.  This will help to ground you, will help to remind you that you are in control of your thoughts and choices, that you can deal with a new and uncertain situation and that you are resilient. To do this, why not arrange a new comfortable place to sit by a window to soak up that sunlight? 

  • Start and end your day for you.  
Reading a book
Source: Unsplash, captured by Callum Shaw

Morning and evening routines are a great way to prioritise your health and wellbeing and give you a greater sense of work-life balance. Save some time for self-care- use the first 15-60 minutes of your day mindfully: exercise, drink water or tea, meditate, stretch, read a book, anything you enjoy doing but just remember to be fully present in the moment. British author, Jay Shetty has some really useful insights on his morning routine video, why incorporating meditation, mindfulness and gratitude is really beneficial.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The vital part is staying disconnected from work and screens so you not only get a great night’s sleep but you will also wake up feeling restored. The next time you feel yourself stressing out whilst studying or at work, try a few of these mindfulness techniques to keep your mental wellbeing on check. Get the most important tasks done first, focus with greater clarity, and ultimately, become more productive at work. Striking a positive work-life balance is possible, you just need to take the first step.  

 

 

Healthy Plate, Healthy Weight

Changing your lifestyle and workout routine is always the main focus when trying to become a healthier version of yourself.  How about looking at what’s on your plate, if you want a healthy weight you need to change your plate. 

When, What, Why

When to eat and Why

Timing your meals is as important as what you are eating, you need to make sure you start the day off with a healthy breakfast to get your digestive system working.  This will help to speed up your metabolism, which will result in you burning your maximum amount of calories without doing exercise. Do you eat late at night? Maybe this is why you struggle to fall straight to sleep and you aren’t giving your body the time to break down the nutrients. This will mean the body doesn’t use the nutrients and end up storing them as fats, remember whatever you eat is fuel for the body and it needs to have time to use this fuel or store in correctly.  

Timing your meal around a busy life can be hard but you need to make sure you do this, your body can’t run on nothing and you need to make sure you give your body what it needs to function as normal, this is not just food but water as well.  If you simply don’t have time to make a healthy meal then snacks can be used keep the body functioning, keep your strong with some great ideas here or for some healthy snacks take a look at this and make these in 5 minutes. 

What to eat and Why

Start the day off with a colourful plate, or even maybe a smoothie. This is all about giving your body vitamins it needs to allow your brain to function at its highest level, this will make you feel energised and refreshed.  For some breakfast ideas following the link here.

12pm hits you need to top up your fuel supply, it is a good idea to continue with the light meal theme as this will ensure that you don’t feel like you have over eaten and resulting in you feeling unmotivated for the rest of the working day.  Look here for foods that you can use to keep you energised for the hard afternoon ahead.

its the end of the working day you have been working hard all day and enjoying some light healthy food to get you through the day, now its time to reward yourself with one of your favourite meals. This meal should be a nice balanced out plate, you want to use all the nutritional groups. find out more about how to balance out your diet with the NHS Eat Well guide. 

What’s the Difference

It is easy to eat foods that you might think are healthy for you without knowing what you are putting into your body, follow these links to understand how you can effect you diet, understand carbohydrates, understand fats and understand nutrients.

 

Invest in Yourself: The Multi Gym VS The Gym

Have you ever wondered about building your own home gym? Imagine how convenient, time efficient and accessible a workout place in the home would be. If you’re keen to get fit, build muscle and exercise but worried about the ongoing, monthly cost of a gym membership, have a shortage of time or feel self conscious stepping into the gym, then allow us to introduce to you to the multi gym.

At excercise.co.uk, we understand the ever growing demand for fitness equipment in the home, subsequently,  basic equipment like dumbbells are frequently sold out. That’s why, we believe the multi gym is a staple piece of equipment and is truly worthy of investment. Why, you might ask? Take a look at our information below.

  • The cost factor: multi gym price vs a gym membership

We have a multi gym to suit most budgets, with prices starting from £349 and ranging up to £2,199. We also offer 0% finance payment plans across all of our products over £399, so you could secure your multi gym with as little as a 10% deposit and spread the cost over 12 months!

To put it into perspective, the average gym membership is £40 per month making the average year long membership £480, more expensive than our starting range of multi gyms! Why not invest into a lifelong machine, for less? Ultimately, the multi gym is a financial investment and a money saving machine.

  • With one machine, workout the full body!

The multi gym can work out every muscle you target in the gym, whether you’re looking to build strength, muscle or tone up – the multi gym can do it. Check out our blog on the 10 best multi gym exercises to achieve your fitness goals.

  • From beginner to professional

Did you know a third of under 35’s are too self conscious to join a gym? The multi gym is the perfect way to battle these feelings. With the multi gym, you can work out in the comfort of your own home, try new exercises and discover a passion for fitness without the pressure or anxiety of a busy gym.

Also fitting for professional, or long-time gym goers, our multi gym selection ranges from 45 kg weight load, up to a 170 kg weight load, considered the next evolution level of strength training! Check the range of multi gyms available online now.

  • To suit your schedule 

Social Media consultant, Lisa Williams, recently told the BBC she will not be returning to the gym after the pandemic, because home workouts fit perfectly around her family and work commitments. The multi gym is the ideal way to upgrade your home gym so you can workout anytime without sacrificing the gym-style, professional equipment.

If you’re ready to invest into yourself by purchasing a multi gym but you’re not sure which model is for you, then read our ‘Multi Gym Buying Guide.’ Otherwise, visit our website and purchase your multi gym today with complimentary delivery available!

Can I effectively work out at home?

I never really fancy exercising at home because I believe the body is an art and to create the perfect art you need to make the sacrifice to commute to a professional art studio, an environment created to enhance creativity, that forces you to be focused and mentally ready, a quiet and peaceful place with abundant tools and materials needed to create the perfect art.

For the body the professional art studio is the gym, the energy-filled environment motivates you, the sight of other gym members encourages you and reminds you why you decided to be fit in the first place and you also get to interact with them making you less likely to get bored compared to working out at home and the vast and large range of equipment available to you just screams perfection.

Oh, I miss the gym I cannot wait for everything to be back to normal and the pandemic is finally gone so I can go to the gym with zero fears or worries and get to sweat, get dirty, get my heart rate up, and most importantly for me design my body to look like the perfect art ready for summer so I look and feel good and also for the show-off.

“I don’t sweat, I sparkle!”

Fall of the fitness industry

The fitness industry was highly affected by the pandemic because of their sudden closure in most countries, the 2020 IHRSA report estimated that US gyms lost $13.9 billion between March and August 2020 as gym membership continuously declined.

Statistics like this make it feel like the home gym is here to stay as several people are now working out from home using fitness applications but against all odds, I personally have a huge feeling that when the pandemic is over gym membership will skyrocket.

Unlike the home gym, there are days when I feel tired, ready to go home not reaching my fitness goal for the day and then I look behind me to see my mate out there hitting a milestone, going hard it inspires me to take a deep breath and dive back into it. You can never get this feeling when working out at home.

“I’m not stopping until I’m proud of myself”

Realisation

I must confess it’s not always like that you know, I remember one time I saw a lad go four hours cycling, I was amazed but most importantly inspired. I really love cycling and on some days when the weather is perfect, with light winds and clear skies I cycle to work and I enjoy the commute so I believed I could also do it, I took up the challenge. The next day with just 150 pounds I bought an indoor cycle bike and started practising, it took me a while but this indoor practice made me really good at cycling as I could get on my ride at any time and most importantly scream my lungs out at home but I act really shy in the gym around people. The next time I went to the gym after several practices at home I came in and beat his record.

“You don’t always get what you wish for, but you always get what you work for”

My indoor gym

It was not all so easy you know, just like I said before I take the environment where I gym very personal but because I wanted to achieve my goal I was self-inspired and determined to make sure the next time I hit the gym I was going to break his record so started my small home gym.

We have a large room in the basement no one uses so I used it for my set up. Just somewhere quiet and comfortable for me to workout.

But as time passed by, I started to buy other gym equipment like my dumbbell, abdominal slant bench, starter weight bench and others all from the website I posted below, it was all spaced across the room because I love my space but if you do not have a large space to set up your indoor gym like me, you can read about Setting Up a Home Gym When You Have No Space here.

“Find your feel good”

Can I work out effectively at home?

After my experience, my perspective towards home gym changed I realised I could achieve my gym goals without leaving my house if I am determined and ready. Doing this without having to care about how I look when working out, I can make my loud noises, get wild and express myself anyway I can without feeling shy was exciting, I started enjoying working out at home.

“It’s easier to wake up early and work out than it is to look in the mirror each day and not like what you see”

Are you ready?

Here are the ways to gym from home effectively :

  • Try to make it fun – Getting fit from home could get really boring, but there are certain things you could to do add flavour to the process by playing music and having a playlist of your favourite songs to work out to, you can also get yourself a gym buddy.
  • Motivate yourself – It could get hard to motivate yourself when at home, so you need to make conscious efforts to stay motivated, by setting goals and ensuring you reach them.
  • Use a routine – Having a workout routine is also effective as this gives you a sense of seriousness and forces you to work out in a more organised manner.
  • Don’t restrict to a particular area – When working out from home, you do not have to restrict yourself to a particular room, you can leave your indoor treadmill and go outside for a jog or ditch your slant bench and do you sit up outside or the sitting room. Just try to move around and have fun while getting fit.

“Home sweat home”

Have an Idea but non of the gear? Check out these 5 essentials to start your hiking journey.

 

 

One exercise in particular that has been on the rise since the first lockdown restrictions in March 2020, is walking. People are enjoying the outdoors a lot more and spending their days exploring as lockdown rules prohibit gyms or leisure centres from opening.

Walking hasn’t just become one of the most popular forms of exercise, simply due to weight management. It also has many other health benefits.  It is proven to reduce signs of depression and anxiety as well as improve your mood overall which is something every one can find relatable during recent months. It is also free, it costs nothing to get yourself out and exploring nature.

As lockdown restrictions begin to lift, you may be thinking and planning of walking routes outside of town and travelling further a field. Before you make that trip, make sure you’ve packed these handy essentials  to ensure you have everything you need to make your adventure a successful one.

 

1.The correct footwear is vital for walking. Trainers would only last a certain distance and on particular terrain where as walking boots keep your feet supported correctly throughout different terrains and are hard wearing.  Walking boots can often be expensive but for good reason. They will last you a long time if you spend the money and treat them well.

2. Get yourself a backpack and fill it with water and snacks. If you’re not planning a picnic then at least make sure you have water with you to stay hydrated and high protein snacks. Nuts or energy bars are good for a quick fix and to keep your blood sugars up.

3.  Walking Socks – The amount of sweat created when walking, especially on long hikes, is excessive, therefore normal socks wont quite cut it and you will end up with very painful blisters. Walking socks help to regulate body temperature as well  as soak up excess moisture from the feet and help avoid blisters.

4. Waterproof Coat – you set off this morning and the sun was shining, the weather app said 15c and you thought to yourself, ‘I wont pack that, I wont need it’. You arrive at your destination, its clouded over and dropped to 9c. Wishing you had packed that coat now! Investing in a thin, lightweight, waterproof coat will never leave you unprepared for the unpredictable British weather.

5. A Walking App – always have a plan and know which route you are going to take. Walking Apps such as AllTrails and Komoot, keep you on track. You also know how long the route will take and can plan your day better.

Travelling and nature are the top trending subjects on Instagram right now so don’t forget to take pictures of your adventures. Hashtags such as #nature and #naturephotography are also the top trending hashtags for maximum exposure.

Don’t let diabetes hold you back! Exercise your way to a better future.

Being physically active is beneficial for everyone, it helps to control weight, lower blood pressure, and helps to strengthen muscles.

For people living with diabetes, there are added benefits to being physically active, whether you’re able to go for a walk, run or swim. 

“Exercise lowers blood glucose levels and boosts your body’s sensitivity to insulin, countering insulin resistance.”

Harvard Health Publishing
Taking up a hobby like photography can help motivate you to get outside.

NHS England recommend that adults should

  • aim to be physically active every day. Any activity is better than none, and more is better still.
  • do strengthening activities that work all the major muscles (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week.
  • do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.

Getting Started

Before getting started, there may be a few things to think about

  • What time do you have available each day for physical activity?
  • What activity or activities do you enjoy? Picking something you enjoy can help ensure you stick with it.

Things to remember

  • Don’t push yourself too hard, too fast. It’s no good running 5 miles the first day but then aching too much to exercise the rest of the week, you would be better going for a 10-minute run or walk each day.
  • Start as you mean to go on and remember to take rest days.

Activity Suggestions

Top 3 Exercises

  • Walking is the easiest exercise anyone can do. Walking can be done almost anywhere and you can walk on your own, with friends or with pets.

“Spending 30 minutes of brisk walking, five times each week is a great way to increase your physical activity. You can even break this 30 minutes down into 10-minute sessions three times a day.”

Cleveland Clinic
  • Swimming helps takes the pressure off your joints while stretching and relaxing your muscles.

“To get the most benefit from swimming, we recommend that you swim at least three times a week for at least ten minutes and gradually increase the length of the workout.”

Cleveland Clinic
  • Yoga helps to reduce stress levels while building strength and improving your balance and flexibility.

Yoga is also effective to improve blood glucose levels due to the improved muscle mass that comes with consistent Yoga practice. That’s not all; apparently, Yoga helps to lower body fat and fight insulin resistance too.”

Health and Body Tips
Listening to music can help keep you motivated, here’s a yoga playlist to get you started.

Other activity ideas

If you are not ready or are unable to do any of the above at first, then activities such as housework and gardening can also be a good workout. Any exercise is better than none and once you have built up strength, you can try new exercises.

Gardening is a great form of exercise and it can be a solitary activity or one the grandchildren can get involved in!

Information on glucose levels and weight management can be found here.

There are thousands of reasons for gaining weight, but this one is really unexpected!

Not getting enough sleep can lead to gaining weight!

Extensive research shows:

  • People who sleep 6 hours a day gain more weight than those who sleep 7 hours a day, and those who sleep only 5 hours a day gain more weight than those who sleep 6 hours a day.
  • As long as the lack of sleep for 2 consecutive days, and the sleep time is less than two hours than usual, it can affect the weight.

You might say that after someone stays up all night in a row, they look haggard and disheveled. How can you explain this?

Not getting enough sleep will make you lose muscle

体重管理

In fact, the weight lost by staying up all night is actually the precious muscles of the body, and it has not lost fat, and it will make it harder to lose weight in the future. If you want to gain more muscle, you might as well take a look here.

And after people stay up late, the secretion of appetite-related hormones will be affected, and they will become more craving high-calorie foods.

12种高热量食物要减肥的MM要避开_食物卡路里_营养辅助_健身指南

The usual saying that snooze and laziness will lead to weight gain means that too much sleep time takes up exercise time, and less activity will lead to weight gain.

However, if you sleep more, you can eat less, and you won’t necessarily get fat, but if you sleep less, you may overeating the next day and make you fat!

More unfortunately…

You can’t make up for lack of sleep

It's okay, just make up the next day's sleep.

too young, too simple, sometimes naive. 

Sleeping less than 7 hours a day can still be energetic. This is really just the talent of a few people.

If you stay up all night occasionally, it’s good to make up for your sleep, but if you stay up often, you can’t make up for your sleep.

Especially for many young people nowadays, for them, time is money, and many people even deliberately train themselves to be “sleepless elites,” thinking about drinking a few large cups of super-strong coffee during the day. (IS CAFFEINE GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU?

This unhealthy routine of work and rest has caused them:

getting fatter

Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep. No matter how you practice, lack of sleep means lack of sleep. Don’t deceive yourself.

Some people will ask,

Actually I want to sleep, but I can't sleep, what should I do?

Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

科學人雜誌

Staying up late for a long time leads to irregular sleep, unable to control your own late sleep, etc. These conditions are classified as ” Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS)” in sleep medicine, which is a kind of sleep cycle disorder, rather than “staying up late”, it is more appropriate to say “irregular sleep”

Common irregular sleep injuries include:

  1. Short-term memory loss
  2. The decline in learning ability
  3. Endocrine system disorders
  4. Decreased immune system
  5. Increased risk of heart disease
  6. There is also research that irregular sleep can increase the risk of cancer

Let’s go back to the question just now. What if someone has insomnia and wants to sleep but can’t sleep?

Here are a few scientific methods to change the bad factors that affect sleep. But before, I want to make it clear: If the symptoms of insomnia seriously affect your life, you have to find a professional doctor.

Pay attention to sleep hygiene habits
  • The bedroom environment should be quiet and reduce the light.

 

  • Put down your mobile phone before going to bed.

睡前看手机或平板?快戒掉这个坏习惯- BBC 英伦网

Don’t let too many electronic light sources stimulate your vision.

 

  • Please abandon your late-night supper before going to bed.

Is Eating or Snacking Before Bed Okay? | UPMC HealthBeat

One hour before going to bed, be sure not to consume high-fat, high-calorie foods. Otherwise, after you fall asleep, your stomach is still overworked. Don’t blame it for “protesting” and wake you up in the middle of the night!

 

  • Give coffee and strong tea a limit of “don’t drink after lunch”.

周末补觉可以还熬夜债吗?你想多了_山东频道_凤凰网

Drinking such beverages as coffee and strong tea after noon can easily lead to overactive brain nerves at night. Next time before you can’t help but want to drink, please remember the late night when everyone sleeps and you wake up alone.

 

  • Maintain regular schedule

Regular sleep schedule likely benefits metabolic health

 

Leave your bed temporarily

If you can’t sleep in bed for 20-30 minutes, get up decisively and leave your bed and bedroom.

Go to the living room or study room to listen to some soothing music (the sound should be low), read a light book, and quietly say that it is a good choice to prepare a book that “is sleepy as soon as you open it.”

夜晚书房图片-夜晚书房素材-夜晚书房模板下载-摄图网

Note that you must leave the bed and wait until you are a little sleepy before going to bed. If you still cannot sleep, repeat the above steps after 20-30 minutes.

Don’t think this method is silly, stick to it for more than 4 weeks, there will be surprises!

In addition, yoga can also help you fall asleep better. How yoga can help you to sleep better? Click here and learn more.

Tonight, let’s go to bed early, wish you have a good dream, nighty night~

How to manage your weight in a healthy way

Whether it is losing weight or gaining weight, managing ones weight is a hot topic in society today. And with the advent of the world wide web, the people in the society are more confused than ever before.

But why has managing ones body weight become such an important topic? NHS, WHO, CDC and almost all of the leading health organisations of the world are unanimously saying one thing, “Obesity is on the rise and more common now than ever”.


The majority of adults were overweight or obese; 67% of men and 60% of women – NHS UK


These never seen levels of obesity bring a whole host of health issues with them ranging from increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes to even cancer. The issues are not limited to the physical level, the mental wellbeing is also at risk. With teenagers having unrestricted access to social media, which has plenty of “fitness influencers” flaunting their perfect bodies, body image issues are becoming prevalent.


Content-

  • But how did it get so bad?
  • So, what can we do to manage our weight?
  • So, let us start by dispelling some common myths
    • There is no “best” diet
    • There are no “bad or good” foods
    • You can not “out-workout” a bad diet
  • Conclusion

But how did it get so bad?

The fundamental cause of obesity is an energy imbalance. There is disparity between the calories consumed and the calories expended. This can not be pinpointed to one single thing that we are doing different, rather this is a result of multiple things happening. With globalisation, there is an increase in the intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and sugars, also there is a decrease in the physical activity of people due to the increasingly sedentary lifestyle.

So, what can we do to manage our weight?

It is really hard to navigate through the internet while trying to the diet or workout plan that will work for you. The internet really is full of advice from a range of individuals that you most probably have never met before. You will go through many blogs, much like this one, in the quest of finding the right diet or workout.

So, let us start by dispelling some common myths-

  • There is no “best” diet

This might come as a surprise after so many people claim that so and so diet was life changing for them. And the options really are limitless whether it is keto or carnivore or vegan or intermittent fasting. As we have mentioned before, the only thing we need to remember is the concept of energy balance. To successfully lose weight, we need to consume less calories than what we expend. You can do that with some extreme measure like cutting the carbs out of your diet (Keto), or just living on meat (carnivore) or you can have all the foods you like in limitation and just making sure the total calories are less than what you expend.

I know it sounds a bit too easy but it really is. It would be a bit of trial and error to find the calories you need to consume but once you start figuring things out, it becomes effortless.

  • There are no “bad or good” foods

Again, this might sound very controversial with the whole internet worshipping avocados and chia seeds. Can you still be healthy if you eat a meal from McDonald’s once a weak? Absolutely. Can you still be unhealthy if you eat avocadoes or those other “super foods” religiously? Absolutely. So, sugars and fats are not evil? Absolutely.

We should try and look at food and meals as pieces of a large puzzle (calorie that we need to consume). We should see what foods would fit our puzzle nicely, according to our dietary preferences, what we enjoy eating etc. We should definitely try and consume raw foods or cook them ourselves and eat less of the processed foods. But that it is not to say that processed foods are off limits even once in a while.

  • You can not “out-workout” a bad diet

The other way to lose weight can be by looking at the other side of the equation, the calories expended. Theoretically, if we can increase our calories expended and get them higher than our calories consumed then we should lose weight. That is where exercise comes in. Whether it is running, jogging, cycling, or swimming, it is some form of cardio (cardiovascular exercise) that comes to mind when we first think of weight loss. “I am going to start running as I have put some pounds on”, we have heard this very often.

But what we fail to realise is that workout or exercise can be a tool that can be used in tandem with caloric restriction to achieve superior results. But on its own, without any control over what we are eating, cardio will not be that effective. The calories people normally burn while working out will usually only account for about 5 % of the total calories expended in the whole day.

This is not to portray exercise as something negative. It is definitely encouraged, and a workout plan should be followed which will allow you to achieve your goals whether they are weight loss, muscle gain or anything else.

If you want to learn more then check out the blog post linked below

How to make a successful workout plan

Fitness Myths: Cardio will make you lose weight

Conclusion

I am hoping this would have cleared some of the common misconceptions with regards to approaching weight management or fitness goals.

Overall, our goal should be to eat or consume calories according to our goals. If we want to lose weight, then we need to consume less than what we expend or vice versa if we want to gain weight. No foods should be off limits unless you are allergic to them or if you do not like them!

Exercise can be a great supplement when used with a controlled diet. In fact, people should be encouraged to move more. Whether that is by going to the gym and working out for an hour or just making more movement conscious decisions during the day (taking the stairs rather than the escalator) etc.


Before beginning any exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician, doctor or other professional. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or persons with pre-existing health problems. Exercise.co.uk assumes no responsibility for personal injury or property damage sustained using our advice.

If you experience dizziness, nausea, chest pain, or any other abnormal symptoms, stop the workout at once and consult a physician or doctor immediately.

Just Get Out: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Exercise

Just Get Out: A Guide to Eco-Friendly Exercise

Forest to show the environment

Exercising and caring for the environment are two things that are becoming more entwined in our society with more people looking to be environmentally friendly in their lifestyles. Lots of people often struggle with the idea of eco-friendly exercise and we’re here to say…just get outdoors!

By now, we all know we need to reduce our carbon footprint by making changes to our lifestyles; we know it’s better to walk to work than drive and we know we should stop silently cursing restaurants for their paper straws. We also know we need to stop drinking so many plastic bottles of water at the gym and stop replenishing our gym equipment so often. We’re here to help and give you all the tips you need for eco-friendly exercise.

Walking

walking outdoors
Walking

Walking is perhaps the simplest form of exercise with little to no impact on the environment and can take you to some beautiful places! Whether you’re looking to escape into the tranquillity of the countryside or wander through the streets of your hometown, walking can be fabulously interesting and calming. It can help you build your fitness and gives you a stress-free break from your day.

 

Top Tip – Use a route planner to discover new adventures and find the public bridleways meandering the countryside

 

If you’re looking for eco-friendly walking shoes, these Vivo Bare Foot shoes come highly recommended by us. They’re even used by some of the countries’ best explorers, including Ed Stafford, who became the first man to walk the Amazon

If you want  to push yourself on your walks, try adding ankle weights. Incorporating weights into even a gentle walk can really help tone muscles throughout the full body, and help you burn more calories if you’re looking to lose weight. These Davina Ankle Weights are a great investment – made of neoprene, they’re not as environmentally friendly as others, but are extremely durable and won’t need replacing so often. If you’re looking to lessen your environmental impact, buying durable products is a good place to start.

Running

running outdoors
Running

Running is a great way to improve your cardiovascular health and lose weight, and is accessible to all fitness levels. It has been shown to largely improve mental wellbeing and reduce stress, and can be brilliant for anxiety and depression. Why not get out for a jog and see how you feel afterwards

It’s important to stay hydrated whilst running – eco-friendly water bottles are the way forward; using stainless steel, these Gaiam Water Bottles keep your water cooler for longer and have a mouth wide enough for ice cubes to tackle the cold-water cravings.

Yoga 

outdoor yoga mountain pose
Yoga

Yoga is a wonderful way to connect your mind and body with the earth. It’s easy for everyone to have a go at – you don’t have to be as bendy as you think! Be sure to incorporate a little yoga flow into your day to calm the mind, stretch the body and gently lift your carbon footprint from the earth with this natural occurring, sustainable cork yoga mat.

Whatever exercise you love to do, take it outdoors and use the environment to refresh your mind.

 

Top Tip – If you’re lucky enough to live near a local farmers market, check out their eco-friendly goods for your post-workout greens!