Tag Archives: mental wellbeing

Have you ever tried to do exercise and then gave up due to procrastination? When we made an exercise plan and started to do it, many factors would disturb it. Procrastination could be a big hinder. We all know that regular exercising is an excellent way to keep fit and become more healthy, but most of us could not hold on straight to the end.

In general, procrastination is a behaviour that put the things which be done today to tomorrow. It always interrupts our training plan. We might think that we can delay for 15 minutes to browse Tiktoks or somethings else before exercising. Then, after day and day, the whole plan just collapses. How enthusiastic before we were making the plan, how guilty after we were giving it up.

There are some good methods that might help you conquer procrastination to pursue your dream of a good figure.

Motivate yourself

If you want to keep a good stature, like strong muscle or a beautiful curve, and you are difficult to start your first step. You need motivation, or you have to give yourself motivation.

All of the advantages of exercising could be your motivation, such as attracting isomerism, keeping healthy, and improving stamina. Also, exercising could be a good option for time killing. When you have a reason for doing something, you are more willing to do that than resist it.

Mostly, at the first stage of training, you might feel pain both in the body and mind. And then create a sense of fear before training. The best to conquer it is that remind the reasons for training again and again so that you could overcome your procrastination.

Moreover, listening to good music before and during the training could be a good method to improve your mood. You can also use other ways to relax, such as warming up.

Keep energy

Exercising is not mental but physical, which means you must have a good energy state before it. If you are exhausted before exercising, like after busy work overtime or stay up late, forced exercise is inadvisable.

However, this situation does interrupt your training plan. If you give up one day of training, it opens a bad precedent. Psychologically, you indulge your procrastination once. Thus, the best way is that as far as possible to avoid this situation. You have to make sure that you are vigorous at every predetermined training time. You have to keep a regular diet and timetable. If you decide to watch movies or play games all night, you have to make sure these will not affect your training.

Once you decide to give up one time of training, you must have a firm reason because procrastination is a mental barrier.

Good plan

Doing exercise needs a good plan. If you do not have a good training plan, you might take a weak result on your body. For procrastination, a good plan could form your daily behaviours as a habit.

Besides, the plan must be specific and achievable. Most people only have targets but none of the actions and plans. For example, you cannot say that I have to lose 10KG this year. It is not specific.

Your training plan must contain “how to do it”, “when to do it”, “how long to do it”, and “what is the target”. There is a good model of plan-making named “SMART goals”, and it might help you.

Additionally, how to carry out your plan persistently is also a big problem. In my advice, you could write the plan in your diary that you can easily see and remind yourself. Hiring a trainer to supervise your processes could be a good way. Also, you could let your friend overlook you. Having a training companion could also improve both of your insistence.

Share achievement

The human being is a social animal. We cannot survive without society. Sharing your achievement on social media, and let your friends know what are you doing now. For example, share a daily moment or sent a Twitter. So you can have a great number of public supervisors and take excellent feedback on your effort. Once you want to be lazy, the pressure from your social circle would remind you and push you to stick to the training.

However, what is most important is that you are training for yourself rather than your Internet expression. Sharing your achievement on social media aims to cure your procrastination, not pursue fame, following or something else. These could be a bonus but not your main target.

As we know, procrastination is a mental barrier. If you set fame or the number of following as your target, you might be persistent in your training. But actually, the problem of procrastination is not solved. It just is hidden. And you might be exhausted by social media, taking a worse influence on your life than procrastination.

Analyse your situation

Just like we told above, procrastination is not always negative. When you try to delay something, it might be an interruption from your subconscious.

When you start to make a training plan, you have to analyse your situation first. For example, if the city you live in is always raining and you do not have any plan for purchasing a treadmill or a gym membership, running could not be a good choice. If you do not have enough time in the day, you might have to move your exercise time to the evening.

Before you make your plan, you have to choose the best time and type of exercise according to your self-condition. So you could have the best experience of it, rather than resist and delay it.

Procrastination is a hot potato not only in exercise but also in our daily life. I hope my advice could help you go further on your fitness journey. But remember, exercising aims to improve our life quality, so do not be excessive.

Boxing, Exercises, Fitness, Workouts

Boxing 4 Fitness

8th March 2021 bgarmstonLeave a comment

Getting fit can be boring, following the same routines day in day out can make you become unmotivated. Boxing exercises can work the whole body, giving you a range of fun exercises to do to work the parts of the body you want to work on, mixing weights with cardio exercises. Learn how to get the most from your workout by making your daily routine more exciting, we will give you a step by step guide on boxing exercises which will help you burn fat, tone up and improve your overall fitness. We will give you the knowledge and understanding of how to use the equipment to get the most for your money, giving you the best chance to reach your goals.

Easy to get started

All you need is a space that is your arms width, the most fun about boxing exercises is throwing the punches. Shadow boxing is a simple exercise where you can do your own thing, throwing jab, hooks and upper cuts. If you are unsure don’t worry, here is former boxer Tony Jeffries to show you how its done. This is all about the intensity, creating your own combinations and having fun. Breaking into a sweat is easy with shadow boxing as you are always on the move, you will be able to feel the fat burning.

Add equipment, Step it up

With boxing the equipment is at the lower end of the price scale, adding simple equipment to your home workout can step you up to the next level, making your goals more achievable. We want to add resistance to the workout, pushing your body to burn fat and tone the upper body. You can use hand warps or gloves with the equipment, whatever makes you feel comfortable

The equipment

Dumbbells upto 5kg – simply hold them in your hands while you do your shadow boxing, this will make you work harder to hold your hands up when you are throw your punches
Heavy boxing bag – this will give you a target to hit and motivate you to put more power into your punches
Relax punch bag – this will get you moving and increasing your punching speed, increasing your energy out put

What you need to know

Introducing boxing into your workout is great for your overall fitness and health, it will help you tone your arms and burn fat, find out more here. Taking up boxing doesn’t just have a positive impact on your physical heath but it will have help with your mental well-being. You need to know what not to do, its important to make sure you avoid making mistakes when starting something new. Technique is key to making sure you get the most from your workout and you avoid injury, find out more here. The equipment is essential for pushing your workout to the next level, giving you the best chance at achieving the goals you have set out for yourself.

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Nutrition, Time Saving, Weight loss

Healthy Plate, Healthy Weight

8th March 2021 bgarmstonLeave a comment

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.

Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Workouts

Workout together, when we can only be apart

7th March 2021 cproudloveLeave a comment

Are you missing your workout friends and personal trainers? Working out with friends is fundamental for our exercise motivation, mental wellbeing and physical progress. With the current lockdowns, we understand that keeping motivated for exercise is hard. I mean, how many times can we run the same route or watch P.E with Joe Wicks?

Studies, such as this article by Adidas, find that working out with friends is beneficial for your physical and mental health. It is proven to reduce anxiety, increase motivation and boost your mood, that’s why, at exercise.co.uk we believe that when the world stops, that doesn’t mean you have to.

We have collated some of our favourite ways to work out together, when all we can be is apart, to help you find the motivation to workout, keep connected with your friends and improve your mental and physical wellbeing.

Compete!

Wearable technology, like the Apple Watch or Fitbit, allows you to compete with your friends through weekly competitions. These functions were created to motivate you to hit goals, whether that’s a calories burnt, standing goals or amount of steps each day. You can track your own progress and peek at your friends progress too.

Free fitness applications, such as Strava, are also great for workout motivation. Set up missions with your friends, such as to work together to complete a 20 km distance in the week, or perhaps you want to see who can run the fastest 5k? Set yourselves the competition, and go!

Keep connected

Zoom has been one of the biggest buzzwords of the year, with zoom quizzes, zoom conferences and zoom parties, why not have zoom workouts? Connect with your personal trainer or coach your friends into being the most proactive you there is… from the comfort of your living room.

Mentalhealth.org recommends many different ways to remain in contact with your friends and family throughout the lockdown period and exercise.co.uk have some great articles to help you feel motivated and find ways to ease stress and anxiety through exercise. Check out our blogs on physical & mental wellbeing during lockdown and the benefits of exercise for mental health.

Online classes

With the world quite literally at our fingertips these days, there are a breadth of online exercise classes that you can tune into. The NHS have published online workouts, YouTube hosts a whole selection of online classes whether you’re looking for yoga or want to try out a new Zumba class, these are all accessible online for free!

Our experts have written articles showing the top tips for working out at home, why not try these out with your friends and encourage each other to push harder to achieve your goals!

“Tuning in to an online workout with my friends in the morning helps me feel more productive, motivated, and reduces the anxiety I felt during the lockdown periods,” says our writer.

Do you have any ways that help you cope with stress, anxiety, and methods to make you feel motivated to work out and keep connected with your friends? Let us know in the comments section and you could help someone else combat these feelings too.

Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Nutrition, Uncategorized

How to manage your weight in a healthy way

6th March 2021 mbusakharLeave a comment

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.

Exercises, Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Recovery and Prevention, Yoga and Stretching

BE PREGNANT. BE HAPPY. STAY CONNECTED.

6th March 2021 Laila Lapse BergaLeave a comment

“Carrying a baby is the most rewarding experience a woman can enjoy.” – Jayne Mansfield

WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN WAYS

Being happy during pregnancy is not only very possible but also important for mother’s and baby’s health. Each women will have her own ways of keeping herself in emotionally and mentally good shape. There are many tools for you to use, such as:

Mindfulness
Mediation and guided visualisations
Pregnancy exercises
Yoga to relieve stress
Walking outdoors
Making a good exercise playlist to keep yourself physically active
Self-care routines
Reading a good book, doing crafts, etc.

However, we wanted to highlight such underestimated thing as connecting with other expectant mums. Before revealing more of this, we have to understand WHY it is important.

YOUR EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS MATTER

Have your heard about anxiety, depression and similar non-positive experiences pregnant women can face during and after their pregnancy? We don’t want to scare you, however we want to make sure that you know importance of respecting your emotions and feelings early in the pregnancy (and even before!) to avoid experiencing such things.

This is called Perinatal Mental Health. And it matters.

Just be aware. Read up on this and listen to other expectant mums to gain an insight into this topic just simply to avoid it from happening with you. And if it does, don’t worry! There is a great support and help available for expectant and new mums.

The last thing you want to be feeling is loneliness. Sometimes just by having a chat with other pregnant women can help massively. This has a power to reduce likelihood of ending up with some type of mental health problems.

CONNECTING WITH OTHER EXPECTANT MUMS

Keep it simple. You don’t need to find a girlfriend which will become your best friend forever. You just need to surround yourself with women who are pregnant, the same as you.

You can either find some local mums-to-be groups or connect online! Nowadays distance is non-existent. Especially now, during the Covid-19 pandemic, this might be the best and safest option for yourself. Online meet-up groups via Zoom is a great way to connect and build a support network around yourself.

Connecting with other mums over a cuppa and having a friendly chat sometimes is everything you need! Whatever it takes for you to avoid social isolation and feeling lonely. It’s great to share worries and stories, ideas and expectations. And sometimes just to discuss what’s new on Netflix.

SOME IDEAS

In UK many expectant mums are looking to connect with others and there are different groups and websites for women like yourself. As example, net-mums website is a great source to find ante-natal courses and local groups and there are many charities offering support to pregnant women across the country.

And, if you live in Yorkshire, there are many activities in Hull and East Yorkshire for young parents, including the Us Mums programme which offers free online exercise sessions, mediation and meet-up groups for pregnant women and new mums.

Has this blog post encouraged you to look out for other mums to be? Let us know in comments section below!

We are very confident that you can find suitable and positive way how to connect with other expectant mums. Now it’s over to you… Go, find it & just give it a go!

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Weight Training, Workouts

Tips for exercising at home easily that you should know

2nd March 2021 gvijayasingamLeave a comment

Kettlebell

When you want to build up your muscles and stamina, tone your body and lose weight at the same time. There are some tips you should know !One of the best equipment’s to start with are Kettlebells. There are varieties of exercising with a Kettlebell available, which you can try out. You will find below five of the easiest to begin with.

1.Kettlebell Slingshot

The slingshot is a very easy type of Kettlebell exercise, where you pass the Kettlebell around the body from one hand to the other. The benefit of slingshot is that you will adapt to the Kettlebell weight and involves working out the shoulder, core, and grip. It is important to keep the head and hip steady and still while passing the Kettlebell around the body. Once you get use to it this exercise it will be useful to catch the breath between other exercise or for a warm up before the main work out. To watch a video of the Kettlebell slingshot can be click here.

How to practice: To start , do 10 repetitions one way and then 10 repetitions in the other direction. Afterwards increase to 20 reps each way.

2.Kettlebell Halo

The Kettlebell Halo exercise is another easy exercise for beginners to try. To do the exercise you have to lift the Kettlebell closely around your head in one direction and then switched into the other direction of your neck. It is important to keep the Kettlebell during the exercise close to the neck as possible and swing around the head in a slow motion. The benefit of this doing this exercise is to strengthen your connection with your mind- muscle. As this needs the full attention involving your shoulder, triceps, back and core to move the heavy weight round your head. Doing this leads to full focused, increased intensity and the effectiveness of the whole upper body which ensures the best results. As mentioned earlier with slingshot exercise, the halo can be used as a part of a warmup exercise or as a less intense exercise between other workouts. For an example of how to complete the exercise watch here.

How to practice: To begin with the exercise do 5 reps in one direction and switch and do 5 reps in the other direction.

3. Kettlebell Single Arm Deadlift

The Kettlebell Single Arm Deadlift exercise is one of the most effective exercise beginners can do. To start, the weight should be lifted up using a movement pattern known as the hip hinge. It is crucial to keep your back flat as possible otherwise your back could be left damaged. Your bottom does most of the weightlifting. The benefit of this exercise is that it I useful for the entire body. By not wearing a footwear it will help the movement and will be easier to activate the muscle. Maintaining the weight on the back of the foot guarantees the best outcome. Follow video of Kettlebell single arm deadlift by clicking here.

How to practice: To start with this exercise you should do 5 reps with one hand and 5 reps with the other hand gradually. Afterwards you can increase it to 15 reps either side to receive the best outcome.

4. Kettlebell Good Morning

By doing the Kettlebell Good Morning exercise, the stress within the majority of body muscles will be reduced overall when positioning the Kettlebell lower. It is advisable to work out doing this exercising before more challenging exercise such deadlifts. To begin with the exercise, make sure your hold the Kettlebell behind your back with both hands balanced, also the arms must be kept straight and shoulders lent to the back. Next step is that you make sure that your feet are slightly apart with your knees kept straight and leaning forward at your hip level. Afterwards bringing the top half of your body as far as possible but also making sure your spine is straight. Follow the video of the Kettlebell Good Morning exercise by pressing here.

How to Practice: To begin with the exercise you could do 5 reps to train your breathing when you lean forward. Afterwards build up to 10 reps.

5.Kettlebell Goblets Squats

The Final exercise beginners should know , when working out with Kettlebells is known as the goblet squat. The main benefit of this exercise is to strengthen the movement pattern of the barbell back squat as you lift the Kettlebell up to the chin level the same way goblet would held. It is a heavy exercise if you want to perfect your technique of doing heavier compound lifts and avoid back injury it is advisable to practice squats in advanced before taking heavy weights. The main purpose of the exercise is to burn fat due to the increased reps. The hips become more flexible due to the squats , also the strength of lower body will improved. Similar to the original squat position the only difference is that you hold a weight with both hand under your chin. To Watch a video about the Kettlebell Goblets Squats click on the link.

How to practice: To start with this exercise you need to practice some squats safely and than add the Kettlebell and do 20 reps. Afterwards increased it gradually.

How exercising improves our mental health

Did you know that doing exercise not only improves our mental health but also our sleeping habits? Research has found that exercise lifts your mood to help to reduce depression, anxiety and the stress level of a human which leads to feeling better overall within our self’s. By regularly exercising its motivates you to your mindset, which automatically improves your well being. Your happiness levels are increased which leads to sleeping better feeling more well rested and have more positive thoughts in general about yourself. Exercising is a natural remedy to maintain a good mental health. So therefore it is important to keep exercising not physically but also mentally.

According to a study conducted by MIND revealed that 94 per cent said outdoor activities including running and walking had benefited their mental health.

Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Performance, Recovery and Prevention

The Health Benefits of Cold-Water Therapy and How you can Try it at Home

26th February 2021 mporter-raweLeave a comment

Did you know that immersing your body in cold water can have a wide range of benefits for your mental and physical wellbeing? The idea of stepping into cold water sounds completely unappealing and is usually something we actively aim to avoid. However, cold-water therapy is now becoming increasingly more popular amongst a wide range of advocates who are incorporating the practice into their daily lives.

Not quite convinced to take the plunge? Here are some of the benefits it can have:

Reduced Muscle Soreness

DOMS, or delayed onset muscle soreness, can be painful and debilitating. It can diminish your determination, leaving you stuck between a rock and a hard place, especially when your goals require you to complete intense daily exercise. Cold water immersion is a proven natural way to help your body recover faster. This is because the cold water causes your blood vessels to constrict helping with swelling and inflammation. The cold also lowers the temperature of the damaged muscle tissue and numbs the nerve endings which can bring much needed pain relief without reaching for the Ibuprofen!

Improves Lymphatic Drainage and the Immune System

The lymphatic system is a vitally important part of our immune system and is organised through a network of lymph nodes which attack bacteria, viruses and parasites.

However, unlike the circulatory system, the lymphatic system doesn’t have the heart (pun intended) to pump the lymph fluid around our body and instead relies on body movement and the contraction of muscles to push the fluid around the system.

Science lesson over, this is where cold-water therapy comes in. Cold temperatures cause lymph vessels to contract which forces the system to pump these fluids through the lymph nodes. After regular practice this can help cleanse the body and avoid a build-up of toxins. Leaving you infection-free!

It Has the Potential to Reduce Stress and Anxiety

Firstly, cold-water therapy is not a cure for stress or anxiety and should not be treated as such, however research into the iceman, Wim Hof, has shown that by inducing stress on the body (through cold-water immersion) and combining this with meditation and breathing exercises, the brain releases opioids and endo-cannabinoids.

These cause a variety of effects such as:

Pain relief
Reduced anxiety
Regulation of sleep
Regulation of memory
Enhanced mood

There is also a separate theory that cold-water therapy can reduce your reaction to stress over time, as your body and mind begin to adapt to a stressor (the cold water).

Want to try mediating before cold-water therapy? See our guide to Mindful Meditation.

Having a Go at Home

We understand you won’t be jumping straight into an ice bath or rushing to your nearest body of water for some wild water swimming just yet. But having a cold shower at home is just as effective and a really easy and safe way to replicate these methods at home and start reaping the benefits straight away:

Firstly, it’s completely up to you whether you hop straight into a cold running shower or take it nice and easy; gradually dropping the temperature from warm to cold.
Each day push yourself to stay immersed for a little bit longer and set yourself timed goals.
Start with 30-40 seconds on the first day and keep progressing.
Focus on controlling your breathing.
Breathe deeply and count each inhale and exhale.
Take note of how you feel, do you feel awake, energetic, happy?

Set yourself a challenge and have a go! It offers the opportunity to discover a range of benefits for your body and mind all in the comfort of your own home.

However, if muscle recovery is your main concern and cold water don’t suit you, have a look at our guide; What Type of Bath is Better for Muscle Recovery?

Exercises, Fitness, Mental Wellbeing and Motivation, Nutrition, Toning, Workouts

4 Tips to Fitness With Less Exercise; Always And Forever!

13th February 2021 iakwetey- nyanuLeave a comment

Wondering how to reach fitness with less exercise whilst staying healthy and young always and forever? Then keep reading, because this blog has got you covered. But before we start slicing the cake, have you ever heard the saying prevention is better than cure? I bet you have. Keeping that in mind and as a Generation Z /millennial member, one of the smartest gifts you could give yourself is to personalize this saying in terms of your health and nurture your God-given healthy skin and body into your desired form and shape by practising the 4 tips below

1. Have a Life

Yes, it’s that simple; have a life. Life is too stressful to be serious at all times. So, whether you are a student or a worker, ensure you live a balanced life. How is this possible? Pick one or two healthy activities which are of interest to you and practice them at least once a week. In my case, I chose to dance Kizomba once every Thursday for about 3 hours in heels. By so doing, I ended up burning my calories, obtained a toned body and improved my body fitness. This obviously doesn’t require much exercise in comparison to other alternatives. In effect, I achieved an enviably toned body, mastered the art of walking and dancing in heels and overall, obtained improved mental wellbeing. The trick, however, is to begin practising this strategy whilst you are young and fresh.

2. Have a Workout Plan

Identify areas of your body which you would love to tone and then create a mild workout plan around them to undertake twice a week. Since our end goal is to remain healthy and fresh forever, It is advisable to get one or two workout equipment in your household as an alternative to the public gym. This will ensure you have 24/7 access to them in the face of any unforeseen circumstance in the future.

3. Be Conscious About Your Diet & Eating Habits

Pay attention to everything you consume daily: you can’t afford to be passive about this. Thus, control your nutrients intake. Especially, in this 21^st century where myriad information exists regarding nutrition and how to go about it. Click here in case you aren’t sure where to start. You also might want to eat slowly by chewing all your meals thoroughly to expedite digestion as this process begins with the saliva in your mouth. Drinking more water also helps in keeping your body & skin healthy as it keeps you hydrated and flushes out toxic materials from your body. A rule of thumb is to drink eight glasses of water a day.

4. Get Enough Sleep

Sleeping is so vital to the body and your health such that, you cannot underperform it. Your brain depends on it to function properly and what I love most about sleeping is that it involves zero exercises, yet it helps your body and wellbeing in tremendous ways. Medical experts have posited an average of 6 to 10 hours.

Okay, there you have it. Your comments are welcomed.

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