Fitness

Healthy Nutrition Means Healthy Wound Healing

December 14, 2020 by Farlyn

Wound healing depends upon a complex interplay of factors, from age and immune response, to nutrient supply. One essential factor in wound healing is healthy nutrition. In this article we will explore what healthy nutrition is, the nutrition challenges in the older population, how nutrition affects wound healing, and how nurses can promote healthy nutrition in their patients.

What Is Healthy Nutrition?

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020 include an eating plan that:

Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts
Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars
Stays within your daily calorie needs

The Dietary Guidelines are a good starting point for healthy nutrition. However, there are a few other components that comprise healthy nutrition. One is intake of insoluble fiber. According to the Journal of Nutrition, supplementing the diet with insoluble fiber, such as that found in cereal grains has been shown to improve insulin resistance and diabetes risk. The Journal of Nutrition also describes medium chain triglycerides (MCT) as a fundamental, and often missing, piece of healthy nutrition. This especially applies to the elderly population. Lastly, the CDC notes reduction in intake of sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) as an indispensable part of healthy nutrition. They write, “Adults and adolescents who smoke, don’t get enough sleep, don’t exercise much, eat fast food often and who do not eat fruit regularly are more likely to be frequent consumers of SSBs.”

Nutrition Challenges In The Elderly Population

While achieving healthy nutrition can be a challenge for anyone, for the elderly population, it is especially relevant. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “Older persons are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition. Moreover, attempts to provide them with adequate nutrition encounter many practical problems. First, their nutritional requirements are not well defined. Since both lean body mass and basal metabolic rate decline with age, an older person’s energy requirement per kilogram of body weight is also reduced.”

The WHO goes on to describe the changes in nutrient needs that occur with aging, as well as the need for ongoing review of nutrient intake in the elderly population. One factor is malnutrition, which is associated with increased risk of disease. Further, they write, “Dietary fat seems to be associated with cancer of the colon, pancreas and prostate.” Degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer, are also diet-affected.

Of note, the WHO points out that, “Increasingly in the diet/disease debate, the role that micronutrients play in promoting health and preventing noncommunicable disease is receiving considerable attention. Micronutrient deficiencies are often common in elderly people due to a number of factors such as their reduced food intake and a lack of variety in the foods they eat.”

In a panel discussion of the Nutrition Society, the Society’s President, Professor Philip C. Calder, Professor of Nutritional Immunology, University of Southampton, discussed age-related immunological decline and the immune response in the elderly population and that maintaining healthy immune response can be achieved through improving the intake of several nutrients including iron, zinc and vitamin E.

How Nutrition Healing Affects Wound Healing

For the elderly population, wound healing is a constant challenge. Successful wound healing involves many factors, but one crucial one in healthy nutrition. According to WoundResearch.com, “The role of nutrition in wound healing may be overlooked in the wound care patient. Like the specialty, it is often multifaceted, with many nutritional components playing a variety of roles in the wound healing process. Suboptimal nutrition can alter immune function, collagen synthesis, and wound tensile strength, all of which are essential in the wound healing process.”

The wound healing process depends on three nutritional factors. First, an increased energy demand. As the WoundResearch.com points out, “Caloric needs during wound healing are estimated at 30-35 kcal/kg,15 or up to 40 kcal/kg if the patient is underweight, but may need to be individualized based on age, comorbidities, body weight, activity level, stage of the healing process, and the severity, size, and number of wounds.”

The second factor is fluid intake. In wound healing fluid functions to maintain skin turgor and promote tissue perfusion and oxygenation. Water also serves as a diluent for glucose, waste removal, and micronutrients.

The third factor is micronutrient intake. Amino acids such as arginine and glutamate have been indicated to be important in the wound healing process. Moreover, vitamins such as A, C, and D have been shown to be beneficial in wound healing regardless of deficiency status, with deficiency showing impairment in wound closure. Minerals are also fundamental to wound healing, as zinc, selenium, and iron have been postulated as beneficial in wound healing.

Steps To Better Nutrition

Knowing that healthy nutrition improves wound healing empowers nurses to take active steps in improving the nutrition status of their patients. A basic starting point is to ensure adequate intake of foods rich in B12, magnesium and vitamins A, C and D. Further, the focus should be on high-fiber foods, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or nonfat milk and milk products. To prevent dehydration, the elderly should drink small amounts of fluids throughout the day, consuming at least 1.7 liters of fluid every 24 hours.

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Eating a variety of foods from all food groups can help supply the nutrients a person needs as they age. A healthy eating plan emphasizes fruit, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat or fat-free dairy; includes lean meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts; and is low in saturated fats, trans fats, salt (sodium) and added sugars.”

Lastly, according to Tandurust.com, increasing appetite can be achieved through the following steps,

Making a habit of eating meals at fixed time every day
Eating small meals frequently
Eating together, which makes the atmosphere is pleasant and social
Eating sweet and fiber foods, which can increase fullness for a longer period of time, in moderate amounts
Avoid drinking tea and coffee frequently as this may reduce appetite

How To Get Up For A Morning Workout

December 10, 2020 by lori w

Looking to change your morning routine? Perhaps you want to start your day off by getting in a great workout. Now, the trick is getting up for it! Morning workouts can be beneficial to everyone. They are a wonderful way to start your day and set the tone for the rest of your day.

There are many advantages to working out in the morning including having more energy throughout your day, putting yourself in a great mood first thing in the morning (endorphins, baby!), and not to mention, your focus will be improved for your next activity because you are more alert. With all of these advantages, what’s stopping you?

For many people, the actual getting up part is what is so difficult. How can you change your whole routine and wake up earlier for a workout? Well, it may not be easy, but it is definitely not impossible! So what’s the secret? In this article, we will give you 7 secrets to getting up for a morning workout! Let’s get started.

7 Secrets To Waking Up Early For A Morning Workout

Each person is different, so you may need to try different things and see which ones work for you. These 7 tips are a great place to begin. Try one of them, or try them all, but you will need to experiment to see what wakes you up the best. Let’s take a look:

Place your alarm clock across the room. Because hitting snooze on the alarm clock is so easy, it can be a big temptation to do rather than getting out of bed and getting ready for your day. That is why placing your alarm clock on the other side of the room can help you get up and get going. If you have to physically get out of bed to turn off your alarm, then your chances of actually getting up and getting ready for a workout are much higher than if your alarm is right beside you. You will be much less tempted to hit snooze and much more likely to get going.

Layout your clothes and set your gym bag and sneakers by the door the night before. If you practice yoga don’t forget to roll your yoga mat ready too. Rather than waiting until the morning to prepare everything, do it the night before. That way, it is all set and ready to go and you can shave a few minutes off of your morning routine to take some “you” time. Mentally preparing for your day is a great way to start it out, so having those extra 5-10 minutes not having to decide what to wear and worrying about packing everything in your bag can be very beneficial. Set everything by the door so that you won’t forget anything on your way out.

Stock up on easy breakfast options. Having an easy breakfast option that is quick and ready to go can really save you some time, and bonus points if it’s healthy! Oftentimes we feel rushed in the morning and this will either cause us to skip the gym, go eat some fast food that’s not good for our bodies, or skip breakfast altogether (which is not healthy). So if you have some healthy, ready-to-eat breakfast foods on hand, you can grab and go, making it to the gym on time and not feeling rushed!!

Plan your workout the night before. If you have your workout already planned, then it will save you the excuse of “I don’t really feel like going to the gym and winging it”. You already know what you are going to do, so you can go and get it done. It’s as simple as that. Plus, if you plan a fun workout, you are much more likely to stay motivated and get up ready to go!

Get your coffeemaker ready to go the night before. If you have an automatic coffeemaker, then set it to start brewing a few minutes before you wake up. The smell of coffee can actually begin to wake you up before you drink it, so your body will be waking up before you even are. If you don’t have an automatic coffeemaker, go ahead and get everything ready the night before so that all you have to do is push a button and your coffee is brewing! If you are more of a tea drinker, then go ahead and set everything out so that you can easily get it ready before you go.

Have a personal trainer. Working out with someone else makes things more interesting. You’re not as likely to get bored during your workout. Not only that, but it will hold you accountable. After all, it isn’t only you that will be let down if you don’t show up! It’s like having an accountability buddy.

Go to bed earlier. This simple, but the effective tip can really make a huge difference. The earlier you go to bed, the more sure you will be that you are getting enough sleep. And when you get enough sleep, you will wake up more energized and ready to take on the day and your workout! So try going to bed just 30 minutes earlier. Even those 30 minutes can make a huge difference in how your workout goes (or if it even happens at all).

Waking up for the gym can be difficult, but with consistency and a little discipline, as well as using one (or all) of these tips, you will be waking up early and getting in great workouts in no time! Consistency is key, so don’t give up! You will feel amazing once your workout is done.

Author’s BIO: Lori Wade is a journalist from Louisville. She is a content writer who has experience in small editions, Lori is now engaged in news and conceptual articles on the topic of DIY and yoga. If you are interested in sport or lifestyle, you can find her on LinkedIn.

How to Get Rid of Back Pain

August 29, 2020 by namafit

There is a wide assortment of natural treatments to soothe your back. These methods and procedures can help you reduce the intake of medications.

Like all of us are different from each other, we have different needs of methods and treatments when it comes to back pain as well. So, you have to check out the ways I’m going to provide to find what works best for you!

Blue cell background. Life and biology, medicine scientific, molecular research dna. 3d rendering — Blue cell background. Life and biology, medicine scientific, molecular research dna, 3d rendering

Drink Anti-Inflammatory Beverages

Several antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer agents can build up in your blood when you consume anti-inflammatory foods regularly. These agents can play a significant role in reducing and/or eliminating inflammatory reactions in the body over some time.

Consuming these healthy drinks, regularly, may help reduce your back pain.

Tart Cherry Juice

Cherries are rich in antioxidants. Then there are anti-inflammatory agents in this as well. Cherry juice can help reduce muscle pain. Cherry juice is readily available to buy at grocery stores and commonly holds the tart cherry extract.

Ginger Green Tea

You can also try infused-herbal beverages, such as ginger-green tea, which includes the pain-relieving benefits of both green tea and ginger. Ginger-green tea bags can be bought from shops and stores. You can easily enjoy a cup both at work or at home.

Turmeric Milk

A secure method to consume turmeric is to mix a small quantity of turmeric powder in a glass of warm milk. You can combine honey or stevia to the milk if you fancy a sweet taste. Devour this drink, preferably just before bedtime, to support the anti-inflammatory process to work while you sleep

Sleep Faster and Longer

woman with back pain hunched over holding lower back

When you have a peaceful night’s sleep, your backbone will feel less sore during the day. And with a night of therapeutic sleep you can have healing advantages and make yourself feel renewed, restored, and less stressed.

Valerian

It is a supplement made from the root of the valerian plant. It may help you sleep faster and stay asleep longer. Which, in turn, will make you relieve the back pain.

Melatonin

The natural sleep hormone developed in your brain, melatonin, can be taken as a supplement to enhance your sleep cycle. It can help relieve you off of the heinous pain.

L-theanine

It is an amino acid found in tea leaves. It’s called L-theanine, and it may help some people feel comfortable and get better sleep.

Vitamins C and B6

These vitamins are the natural steroids in your body. They control your metabolism and promote good sleep as well. Supplements of vitamins B611 and C10 are known to help the body monitor and produce natural steroid hormones.

Avoid Static Posture

man holding sore back with spine highlighted in red

It is essential to pay heed to the joints and muscles of your spine and hip. Prevent tiredness and strains on these joints by following simple tips.

Rotate Activities

You can rotate your activities to avoid the same set of muscles and joints from getting over-fatigued. Take this for an example, if you have been working and standing for some time, you

might reconsider changing to a different activity, especially an activity where you can sit down. Then you can go back to standing once the muscles and joints have had a chance to unwind.

Avoid Excessive Sitting

Please, consider using a standing desk while you work. When you sit for a long duration, the stress on your spinal discs increases. Try and strive to get up every hour and walk a short-range to take the load off your back.

Check Your Posture

To do that, you can just your shoulder, neck, and back and whether they are aligned to prevent stresses on your spine. Unsupported, poor posture can lead to numerous problems in your back. It will increase or cause the pain in your back to overflow.

When you have a flare-up of symptoms, concede to less strenuous activities, such as reading a book, or crafting. Such actions can help divert your mind from the pain.

Use Red Light Therapy

woman with back pain showing red light therapy

Light therapy for back pain is one of the most exciting fresh treatments available today. It’s a painless, effective, and a completely natural solution.

The Science Behind It

Red light therapy, also called low-level laser therapy, is an unconventional method to manage pain caused by spinal disorders, osteoarthritis, muscle tears, and bone breaks.

Some instant relief comes from the soothing, gentle warmth of high-intensity red LED bulbs. The heat penetrates deeply, which relaxes the muscles.

Say, when you’re in pain, your muscles start to tense up and stay that way, which increases the perception of pain. Muscle relaxation makes the brain understand that everything is okay and that the danger is in the past. This relaxation technique helps to lower the perception of pain.

You can deliver a soothing warming effect with any light or even a hot bath. But, achieving intense and lasting pain relief depends on getting down to the cellular level. That, too, using a linear spectrum of light that’s known to have therapeutic properties.

Mindful Meditation

Meditation is an excellent way to improve concentration, release endorphins (feel-good hormones). So, through attentive reflection and meditation, you can master the way your body perceives pain.

So, don’t wait up and start practicing by finding a dark, quiet room and meditate for 5 to 10 minutes in the morning, every day. Also, try meditating before bedtime to enhance your meditative abilities.

In case you don’t like to meditate, try easy breathing exercises. These exercises and methods are only going to take 10 deep, slow breaths in a row. They are comfortable, and they won’t take a lot of your effort.

Why more Mindfulness should be your New Years Resolution

January 12, 2020 by Nika Figuring It Out

The New Year usually comes with new intentions. Everyone’s intentions may all be different but they all have one thing in common – change something for the better. There is a common quality – a sense of wanting to improve our lives or ourselves. While many people focus on losing weight, going to the gym more often or reading more books, I would advise you to consider meditating more to create more mindfulness in your life. The reason being, mediation is the key to general improvement and will support any other intentions or resolutions you might have and here’s why.

The reason we need resolutions is because so much of lives are driven by factors outside of our control that we feel the need to put ourselves in the driving seat. We don’t go to the gym because we don’t have enough free time or are tired. We can’t lose weight because we are driven by inner impulses to eat fast food. Take control of your life by being mindful through a short meditation. It will allow you to take a step back and enable you to see things more objectively and from a different perspective. For a short moment – just observe your breath. This will detach you from your thoughts and feelings (such as – I don’t feel like doing to the gym or I really need that cupcake to feel better) and take a moment to reflect. It will give you a moment to see your life with a sense of openness. Rather than being stuck in the current moment, you will be able to take a step back and see what really enables you and what disables you in achieving your goals. You will move from being reactive to being proactive being able to steer your life in the direction you want it.

Commit to meditating a short time each day and you will find other pieces fall into place. You can do it by simply taking a few conscious breaths before entering a meeting room, hopping into the bus on your commute home or opening up the next email. We tend to get sucked into the moment forgetting that there is a bigger picture to us all. By being mindful, you will be empowered to be a better you.

Go on. Give it a go and let me know how you proceed!

To find out more about meditation and other daily practices – follow nikafiguringitout.wordpress.com

What I Learned After Running a Half Marathon

January 6, 2020 by sileok

Some goals I’ve had in my life were pretty simple: get recruited to play college basketball, be the first person on my mother’s side of the family to earn a college degree, and always stay in shape and live a healthy lifestyle after I’m done with college sports. Little did I know it wouldn’t be as easy then when you have an elder adult screaming at you to run faster and lift heavier. How would being healthy look for me moving forward.

I have always been interested in health and wellness and always knew about the new trends. I also was very good at watching hours of Netflix and experimenting every wing night in town. It’s called balance, right? One thing I always knew was I HATED running. Couldn’t understand how people could run for miles on end and enjoy it. I envisioned running to Hell every time I would step on a treadmill. This would all soon change.

The life changing moment happened after my mother passed away from cancer. I was obsessed over eating cancer fighting foods and increasing my cardiovascular routines for heart health. It became a crutch for me to focus on while grieving.

In September I decided to channel this energy into training for my first half marathon. I would run it as a fundraiser for my mother and have donations go to The National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. I posted it on social media so I couldn’t back out. I immediately received so much positive feedback and immediate donations. Training would start September 1, 2019.

I chose a Nike Training Club running plan and swore to stick to it. I would run two recovery runs per week, a speed run, and then a longer run at the end of the week. I would increase mileage progressively as the 14-week plan went along. I incorporated some strength training that I would do in college and a lot of stretching. I also changed my diet to include more carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables for energy. Water and electrolytes would play a key ingredient in hydration as well. I would complete the Philadelphia Half Marathon in 2:17 on November 23, 2019.

It seems pretty simple, right? Follow a plan and see results. However, we are led to believe that one plan fits all. If you follow this plan a Boston marathoner did, you will run a half in under 1:30. Finishing this race was a huge mountain for me. I thought once I completed it, I would become this intense runner who would catch the running fever and never stop. It is not that simple and I can confidently say I will not be running a long run race this year. And here is why.

I was lucky enough to have a good job to support the resources I needed such as food, a gym membership, and outdoor running clothes I needed to brave the colder temperatures. Like I said before, there is no one fit all approach or program to running your best half marathon because it is different for everyone. I can say I did not miss a scheduled workout. Even when I would get hurt, I would lower the pace, incorporate some non-impact cardio, and ice to get back quicker. I seemed to make healthier choices throughout the process with this race in the back of my mind. I had to have my focus on energy and production over looking good in my jeans. Being consistent with my training and diet, I quickly started to see changes in my body. I developed leg muscles the size of Saquon Barkley (not really, but close.) But with the new leg muscles came new problems. For the last 5 years, I was more concerned about achieving a certain aesthetic. I ate and exercised to look good in my clothes and to feel good mentally. When I started training for the race, I started to feel anxious, like I was back in college playing basketball again. I would panic if I didn’t finish my run in a certain time. I felt if I skipped a workout, I was letting people down who were supporting me and my mom. Some days I wanted to take a bike ride to help me feel better, but I couldn’t because I had to get in my 3-mile run. This was very difficult for me.

Even post-race, people assume I’m a runner now. They think because I ran 13.1 miles, that I run all the time now or that I already signed up for another race and this is not the case. This can get uncomfortable at times since all I want to do is go to a soul cycle class or, God forbid, not go to the gym for a day and have an evening out with friends. There is still a lingering expectation of me to be a runner.

Any sort of mental or body anxiety, I feel, hits ten times harder for women in this social media, influential world we live in today. It was very hard for me to battle these insecurities for 2 months. Body image is the very forefront in our society, positive and negative. I always was body positive, because it was always the same. When I started to notice changes, my anxiety went through the roof. I knew I could finish the race, I was a college athlete before, but I was not prepared for the mental toll it took on me.

I will say the aftermath is not all bad (besides not being able to walk for two days after the race.) I have never felt more accomplished in all of my life than when I ran across that finish line. I have also felt a want to run more. I haven’t run more than 4 miles since the race but now I routinely run 2-3 miles a few times a week. Before training, I would run 1 mile once a week. Running is a great exercise you can do anywhere for free. There’s no excuse not to get a short workout in when you don’t have time to make it to the gym for a full workout or are out of town on a trip. It is something I have grown to enjoy in small dosages.

All the health and wellness advice out there teach you how to physically achieve your goals. It doesn’t always necessarily teach you how to handle the changes, the societal pressures, and how to handle life after the goal is reached. It is not always positive. We experience highs and lows throughout any journey.

If you take anything away from this article, focus on being healthy, whatever that means for you. I challenge you to educate yourself and experiment with different health ideas to see what you can incorporate and what works best for you and your health routine. The biggest value is your mental wellness. You have to enjoy the process of a healthy lifestyle. Yes, you need to push yourself in those workouts and do some you may not be up for that day as planned but not every day in the cost of your sanity. For me, my 2020 goals are to worry less and focus more on living good. I’m worried less about how I look in a pair of my favorite jeans and more about trying that new, fun HIIT class in the city. I don’t want any major medical concerns in the future and I want to live a long and happy life with my family and friends. I am setting my own standards and will follow through with them happily.

Body: Post Break-Up

December 22, 2019 by jameson roth

Like many people, I feel insecure about various parts of my body. I’m in my mid-twenties, I work full-time in a public affairs role, and I live in a major city – all of which contribute to self-scrutiny. During my last romantic relationship, I spent a lot of time and energy in showering, exfoliating, shaving and deep-conditioning my hair, and had a four-step, twice-a-day skin care regimen I didn’t dare skip. I was taking care of my body, as it felt necessary. I spent two to three evenings a week in a Pilates mat class or running on an elliptical machine at my neighborhood gym. I practiced yoga at least once a week.

I thought a lot about what I could do about the parts of myself I felt self-conscious about, like my hormonal acne and the cellulite on my thighs. I was constantly researching new potential “solutions” to these “problems”. I thought that if I could fix these things, if I could stay in good shape, I would continue to be attractive to my partner.

Said partner ended our relationship, and the factors listed above were not among the reasons why. All the same, I have a vivid, visceral memory of the week following the break-up, during which I sat on the floor of my bathroom, crying, thinking of all of the time I had spent debating between purchasing the expensive hair mask sitting on my shower rack, thinking that he would appreciate the scent of my hair more after use.

In the depths of my sadness, I remembered to go to the gym, through the motions on my routines, and spend time and money on personal care. I continued to feel less than confident about my body, because despite all of the above, I’d lost what I had cared about. At a low point, I had the irrational thought that my body had somehow betrayed me. Why wasn’t this formulaic devotion to body care good enough to remain attractive to my former partner?

But as the months went on, and I continued to hit my mat for yoga and Pilates classes, I realized that I was starting to care less about how I looked, and more about how I felt. I felt less insecure, and more grateful for the ability to move and be active. I started to care less about what other people see, and more about what I see and more importantly, how I feel.

Through exercise, meditation and careful thought, I’m addressing my insecurities, but for myself. With a lot of self-searching, I’ve found that it’s more important for me to feel at home in my body than it is to make it agreeable to someone else.

Why Yin Yoga Works Well for Athletes

November 25, 2019 by lalavananda

Are you looking to increase suppleness in the body, improve flexibility and a more focused mind?

Athlete or not, Yin yoga is worth trying. For those of you who may not be familiar with Yin yoga, it is a slower-paced style where poses are held for longer periods of time, anywhere from 30 seconds up to 5 minutes. It is the opposite of a “Yang” style of yoga- the more common power vinyasa classes you often see at fitness studios and gyms. Yin elements involve darkness, cool, intuition, reflection, the moon. Yang elements are light, fiery, active, strength, the sun. Both are different, yet necessary for solid balance. Yin yoga is perfect for athletes since it provides just that. Athletes usually train hard and focus on agility, speed and strength. Yin yoga is a complementary opposite. It’s also ideal for elderly folk for flexibility or just about anybody who needs to slow down (and let’s be real, that includes all of us).

When practicing Yin yoga, the focus lies more on the tendons, connective tissues and joints, areas closer to the bone, rather than the musculature system of the body. Most of the time, athletes are focused on muscle strength, but Yin style allows a deeper penetration of work towards neglected but important areas. Its benefits include increasing flexibility, loosening tight areas, and since it is a more meditative practice, helps with focus and relaxation. Along with massage and other techniques, it is an excellent method of recovery from strenuous workouts and assists with injury prevention. As much as you need to build strength, it is also necessary to release, let go and linger in a calm state which is difficult to do unless you practice it.

yoga student in low lunge, lizard pose — Utthan Pristhasana (Lizard Pose)

What happens in Yin Yoga?

A typical hour-long Yin yoga class may sometimes only have 10 to 20 poses. When you hold the body in these poses for a minute or well up to five, the body’s connective tissue and fasciae are targeted. It may sound simple but remaining still in an asana (pose) is just as challenging of a practice compared to a power yoga class which requires a lot of dynamic movement. Many times, it is your mind and your nervous system which will not allow you to hold a posture for a long period of time. With practice, and more practice, stillness will ensue. This gives the athlete a break from their normal routine of active physical training. The Yin practice is still very much active and intense but in a different sense.

Yin Yoga is also sometimes compared to acupuncture without needles. When you hold the pose, usually focused on the low back, hips, and pelvis for a long stretch and then release, this action of compressing and releasing allows a widespread of changes within energy flow- similar to when an acupuncturist taps a needle into a specific point of the body and leaves it there for 30 minutes. Penetrating deeper in the body down to the tissues, tightness is released, meridians open and in turn organs can perform more efficiently. More chi, prana, energy flow for an athlete means optimal performance levels.

Principles of Yin Yoga

Bernie Clark is a teacher of yoga specializing in Yin. According to Bernie, there are three principles of Yin yoga which follows:

Play your edges. This means to go only as deeply as you feel in your body, not forcing or rushing into it. The first minute in a pose will feel different from the third or fifth minute in a pose. Allow yourself to settle into it and let the body release to a greater depth naturally.
Find stillness. After finding your edge, try to remain still. This is of course unless you begin to feel pain, tingling, or are struggling to stay in the pose. Another exception is when the body invites you to go deeper, opening and allowing you to sink in. Otherwise, stillness is key.
Hold for time. In order to stimulate the tissues in the way we desire, the length of time we hold the poses allows the changes in our body to occur. After you play with your edges and find stillness, the final thing to do is to remain in the pose and notice the breath and mind.

Following these principles will allow for a substantial Yin practice. These principles also benefit an athlete because it takes a different type of endurance and focus to achieve the objective in a Yin class. This easily translates to better coordination, resilience and persistence in your everyday training and during competition.

Find a Yin Yoga Class at a Studio Near You

Most poses in this style of yoga involves being closer to the ground. Some common poses which you may experience in a class include Balasana (Child’s Pose), Baddha Konasana (Butterfly Pose), Salamba Bhujangasana (Sphinx Pose), Kapotasana (Pigeon Pose), Supta Matsyendrasana (Supine Twist) and the list goes on. The room may be dim to encourage going within and not focusing on your neighbor or yourself in the mirror. Props such as blankets, bolsters and blocks may assist you getting into a pose in a way so that you are able to stay still in it for a few minutes. Yin yoga is not the same as Restorative yoga because the props used in Restorative yoga prop the body up completely. The two styles are similar but there are different focuses. Sometimes the two seem interchangeable, but this is not necessarily the case. Restorative uses many props and restores the body (hence the name) while being a deeply relaxing practice. Yin yoga is relaxing as well, but more intensity may arise while trying to stay in a pose for a long period of time.

I have found at studios that the class name for Yin yoga varies and may be called such names as ‘Surrender’ or ‘Deep Healing’. To find a Yin class near you, look at a studio website’s class descriptions or simply call and ask! Many studios include this offering in their schedule and Yin yoga is becoming more popular since the need to slow down is relevant for many people. No matter what drives you to your mat, it will surely benefit you. Furthermore, if you are an athlete wanting to improve your flexibility and maintain suppleness, look no further and give this practice a shot. Happy training!

Welcoming Cellulite Because There’s A Natural Way To Get Rid of It

October 16, 2019 by stevenshannah

We’ve all been there: standing in front of the mirror after trying on a pair of shorts, a bathing suit bottom, or our favorite dress that usually shows off our legs to perfection, and wondering where in the world that unflattering skin came from. Was it there last month when we were at the beach? Did it just show up all of a sudden?

We know that we have been watching our diet and getting to the gym as often as we can, but still, there it is. Cellulite. We hate it and we want it gone. But is it just a natural part of life? Do we have no choice but to accept is as we grow older? Absolutely not! And to prove it, we have some surefire tips to help you get that sleek and smooth look back without breaking your back working out or starving yourself on some fad diet.

What is Cellulite?

Cellulite is the result of fat protruding past the connective tissues, which create visible dimpling of the skin. Although there are factors that aggravate the weakening of these connective tissues such as aging, targeting skin-health alone doesn’t target the root cause: excess fat.

So, how do you actually get rid of cellulite?

Increase Your Liquid Intake

This is something everyone should be doing regardless of whether or not they are battling the uprising of cellulite. The truth is that most of us are drinking far less water and other healthy fluids than we need to be. Things like water and natural or herbal teas carry key nutrients throughout the body and help to eliminate waste products that enable cellulite retention. These metabolites cause fat deposits and poor skin health.

Exercises That Target Specific Areas

If anyone tells you that you can get rid of cellulite without exercise, the next thing they should be seeing is the back of your head as you walk away, because you have just been lied to. While it isn’t necessary to kill yourself in the gym trying to leg press a minivan, there are definitely body part-specific exercises that should become a regular part of your gym routine. They include such moves as squats, lunges, side-to-sides, and step-ups.

Choosing these exercises targeting the specific areas doesn’t target fat through isolation, but compound movements with appropriate resistance allows for testosterone release as a whole. The result? Testosterone, as a hormone, does multiple benefits to fat lost over time. At higher levels, metabolism of fat is surely triggered with compound movements and is something you want to keep as part of your exercise routine.

Shifting to a More Mindful Diet

No need for extremes such as solely eating salads or eating a lower amount of calories; this is not what your body needs to help with long-term fat loss. A balanced diet that aids in muscle-building, carb-metabolism, and healthy fat levels is a good place to start.

Have you ever heard of a personal trainer saying, “You can’t target fat in one spot!” Well, he’s preaching the truth. The best way to target fat is understanding that your body fat percentage can only be targeted as a whole. Hence, the importance of a more intuitive diet.

One Last Bonus Tip

The sleep benefit that most people overlook is the fact that a good night’s rest, with an appropriate length of sleep, is fat metabolism’s best friend. The majority of your day’s fat metabolism happens continuously as you are sound asleep. In contrast, not getting enough sleep leads to a spike in cortisol which automatically releases serotonin to balance out the cortisol release. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that enhances your cravings for high-fat and high-carb food.

Be sure that you don’t minimize the importance that proper sleep and a complete daily rest cycle have on your overall appearance and function. Numerous studies have shown how getting enough sleep is essential to the body’s general wellness, healing, and recovery processes. Schedule time to rest just as you would a trip to the gym.

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Personal Training Industry

October 1, 2019 by Ed

What You Didn’t Know About the Personal Training Industry

Let’s take a look at our list of things to remember when making choices about the personal training industry.

The total number of gym memberships in the U.S. grew more than 38% in the past ten years, and the need for personal trainers has grown right along with them. Choosing a personal trainer can be a challenging task for someone new to fitness training because there are so many different programs and points of view.

There are many unknowns about the personal training industry, mostly because it’s still a relatively new idea, and many things are still being ironed out. We are going to help by arming you with the information you need to make an educated decision about the qualifications of your trainer.

1. Don’t Train

Many people feel that they should put off hiring a personal trainer until they get into better shape on their own. They believe that they need to hire a personal trainer only when they get stuck and need assistance.

The downside to this approach is that you can learn bad habits that can be hard to break later. Sometimes bad habits can lead to personal injury and setbacks that will extend the time required to achieve your goals.

It’s a good idea to get your trainer early to prevent learning bad habits. They can also help to get you on track for fast results. Your trainer will prefer to be there at the start.

2. A Good Trainer Knows Your Limits

Your trainer should begin by discovering your physical limitations and areas of weakness. Your trainer will also need to look for any muscle imbalances and test your flexibility. The trainer will also want to check your form while doing each exercise to make sure you perform each of them correctly.

Your trainer will also need to know your goals for weight training, weight loss, etc. so hey can help you reach them. If your trainer does not do this evaluation, they cannot develop a plan to reach your goals. If you begin training without a plan, you could injure yourself. Skipping the evaluation could suggest that this trainer might not be right for you.

Your trainer will evaluate you and learn these things by beginning with a detailed written assessment called the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire. You will need to supply your medical history, and might need a body fat measurement. You may also need an evaluation of your posture and diet.

3. A Bad Trainer is Counter-Productive

A personal trainer needs to be right for you and your needs. They need to have your best interests and goals at heart and be knowledgable enough help you realize those goals.

Using the wrong personal trainer can lead to injury or force you to pursue goals you do not wish to achieve. They will create a bad overall experience that can de-motivate you, and cause you to stay home instead of reaching your goals.

Many people might continue to use a poor trainer if they have a good reputation, or other people have recommended them. But if your trainer is not leading you towards your goals, they are leading you away from them.

4. There is No Standard Certification

One thing many people don’t know about the personal training industry is that there is no standardized certification program in place. There is no college or exams you need to pass to become a personal trainer the way there is for becoming a lawyer or a public accountant.

No standard certification means you need to look carefully into the credentials of any potential trainer to avoid scams. Don’t accept a long list of certifications without researching what it took to receive them. Some certifications only require an hour or two of training while others require going to college for years.

Here are a few popular certification programs that many personal trainers complete. Anyone certified from one of these places is very likely to know what they are doing, but this list is not exhaustive.

Top Certifications

National Acadamy of Sports Medicine
International Sports Sciences Association
American Council on Exercise
American College of Sports Medicine
National Strength and Conditioning Association

You can indeed get great results from a trainer that doesn’t have a certification, and not everyone certified will be a good trainer. Certification provides an excellent place to start when inquiring about the depth of knowledge someone has on a subject, and it can give insight into their specialties.

5. Personal Trainers Need Insurance

Any pro trainer with steady work will have liability insurance in case something goes wrong. If the trainer is an employee of the gym, they will likely provide the protection. Coverage will also protect you if you get hurt. If you get injured and the trainer does not have insurance, you might have to pay for care out of your pocket even if you win a settlement. Make sure your trainer is insured.

6. Reaching Your Goals Can be Expensive

Depending on where you start and where you want to end up, it can get expensive and take a long time. As a general rule, it can take three to five months for the average person to get results, and cost can exceed $1200 per month in some cases.

Frequently when you begin training with a personal trainer, you will go several times a week until you have a plan in place. Once a program is in place, you may need to see your trainer less frequently, but costs can still add up over time.

It’s essential to budget for the trainer early on, so you are not surprised or forced to quit your program. A false start can set you back and reduce your morale.

7. The Trainer Doesn’t Get the Money

Even though the cost can be high, a trainer can help you reach your goals much faster than you could on your own, and the high fee is not just to pay the trainer. Often, a large portion of the cost goes to the gym or other facilities where the trainer works. Some of the money might be used to pay the insurance we talked about, and many times you might need special equipment.

8. Some Trainers Have an Agenda

Unfortunately, steroids are still prevalent in the gym, and some trainers might downplay their harmful and illegal aspects to make extra money. Any trainer that pushes a product over diet and exercise is not working for you. They are working for that product. They are not personal trainers. They’re salesmen.

9. Training Goes Beyond the Trainer

You will only spend a fraction of your time in the gym with your trainer so you will need to set up a plan for what you do during the remaining time. Diet will play a big part, and so will exercise. There may also be times when you need to contact your trainer for unexpected help. Ultimately, reaching goals is up to you.

10. Fire Your Trainer

Many people struggle to get along with their trainer for any number of reasons and continue working with them longer than they should. If you feel that you’re not on track to meet your goals, it’s perfectly acceptable to fire your trainer. You should never enter any long term contracts with any trainer because you don’t know if they are right for you.

Summary

That brings us to the end of our insights into the personal training industry. We hope you have learned something, and will feel more confident next time you are looking to hire a personal trainer for yourself. Use this guide to help you make your choice. If you enjoyed these personal trainer tips, please share them.

Body Positivity in the Fitness Industry: An Interview with Carly Compton

September 13, 2019 by Alison Hirshan

I’m ecstatic to share an in-depth and personal interview with someone I deeply look up to and have had the pleasure to work with. As co-facilitators at Project HEAL’s Communities of Healing program, she constantly inspires me to love and respect my body each and every day, and reminds me what it means to practice true self love and self-compassion.

Carly Compton is a model, fitness trainer, mentor, and coach, and I can’t wait for you to get up close and personal with her in this interview. She will explain the how and why behind her wellness company Paradise Fitness with Carly and how she practices body positivity within the fitness industry.

CARLY COMPTON model — Carly Compton from Paradise Fitness with Carly

ALI: What inspired you to start your own fitness brand?

CARLY: Despite being a multi-sport athlete and actively participating in things like yoga and hiking while growing up, I always hated my body. I struggled every single day to love my body and accept it for what it was even though it had always supported me and pushed me through difficult games, practices, drills, and other physical activities. Looking back, I believe the lack of representation I saw of my body type in popular media and especially in fitness played a huge role in fostering my insecurity, as did the diet and fitness industries that prey on your insecurities and always promise versions of a “better” you.

Throughout middle school and high school, I attempted every single diet and workout program, but none of them “worked” as I had wanted; my body wasn’t changing, and I was frustrated. My junior year of high school, I had a friend who was losing a lot of weight and getting a lot of attention for her “improved” looks. After asking what she was doing to get such visible results, I found out it was not because she had suddenly acquired a newfound passion for health and fitness but, rather, because she was bulimic. I immediately realized that I could do the same thing! I could lose weight and still eat in front of friends and family without them having any suspicion.

After five long years of battling bulimia, I was constantly tired, my body was malnourished, I was over-exercising, my throat constantly hurt, and I was just tired of lying. I realized I could just no longer live that lifestyle and, instead of succumbing to societal expectations that were only negatively impacting my physical and mental health, I instead needed to fight the cause of my insecurities head-on. In my attempt to lose weight in order to become “more healthy,” I was actually the unhealthiest I had ever been. Throughout my recovery and afterward, I knew that I wanted to continue to exercise and properly fuel my body, but I also knew that I somehow had to do so without focusing on weight loss.

However, I did not know of any workout programs or nutrition guides that didn’t somehow have weight loss as an explicit or primary goal. I didn’t know of any trainers that weren’t going to ask me how much I weighed, how much weight I wanted to lose, and how quickly I wanted to do it. So, instead of relying on these toxic workout and nutrition plans that were counter to my actual goals, I created Paradise Fitness with Carly, an at-home workout and lifestyle program that helps individuals develop a HEALTHY relationship with food and exercise. Since recovering and changing my mindset toward physical activity and eating, my relationship with myself has never been better. I finally feel like I can truly be me.

“Looking back, I believe the lack of representation I saw of my body type in popular media and especially in fitness played a huge role in fostering my insecurity…”

ALI: What is the mission behind Paradise Fitness with Carly?

CARLY: Paradise Fitness with Carly is, at its simplest, a lifestyle and way of thinking; it is everything I believe in and everything I hope to change about the fitness industry and its role in shaping society. The first thing that came about through Paradise Fitness with Carly was PFWC: At-Home Transformation, an at-home workout and lifestyle program that helps individuals develop a healthy relationship with food and exercise, but–most importantly–by starting with THEMSELVES. It takes the focus away from weight loss and shifts it toward strength, confidence, and self-love. The program consists of at-home high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts that don’t require weights or equipment. This was VERY intentional. I wanted to create something that was convenient, low-stress, low-cost, and great for all levels. My mission behind PFWC: At-Home Transformation is to allow individuals to take back control of their lives, move their bodies how and when they want to, fuel their bodies without complete restriction, and work everyday on strengthening that self-love muscle. Recently, I’ve started the PFWC Podcast to talk about similar topics like this with like-minded people.

ALI: What is the hardest part of being a body positivity advocate within the fitness industry?

CARLY: Many people believe I am promoting an “unhealthy” lifestyle by promoting body positivity. This could not be further from the truth. Body positivity to me is accepting every person’s body for what it is. It is about representing minorities in size and color, acceptance and de-stigmatizing of fat bodies, desexualizing black and brown bodies, and eschewing the gender binary, among other things. These ideas that form the backbone of the body positive movement are directly translatable to the fitness industry. Healthy looks different on every body; there is not just one specific body type that represents healthy. Most of the fitness industry unfortunately relies on the complete opposite of this idea, that there is a singular “type” or societal standard that we should all strive to look like. My hope is to change that idea.

ALI: How do you see body positivity portrayed in the fitness industry – online and in-person?

CARLY: Body positivity in the fitness industry is about loving and accepting every body no matter one’s shape, size, color, and ethnicity, as well their own respective athletic ability. It is about showing that people can move their bodies and do amazing things no matter their abilities. For me, it’s so important to remind individuals that their body type shouldn’t stop them from doing what they love. The toxic sides of the fitness industry and society at large should not stop them from moving their bodies in whatever way makes them happy.

CARLY COMPTON by a basketball court — “When people look at me, they don’t see what they expect a “typical” healthy lifestyle coach to look like. They see my bigger body and just assume I’m “unhealthy,” which is an incorrect correlation we have been fed by the diet and fitness industry.”

ALI: What obstacles have you come up against within the fitness industry related to your body?

CARLY: I have been fat shamed by so many people. When people look at me, they don’t see what they expect a “typical” healthy lifestyle coach to look like. They see my bigger body and just assume I’m “unhealthy,” which is an incorrect correlation we have been fed by the diet and fitness industry. It can be hard at times because I sometimes let the bully inside my head tell me that I don’t have the right to help people live a healthy life. I have days when the comments get to me, and I think “You’re right! Maybe I shouldn’t be a healthy lifestyle coach because I don’t have the ‘look.’” But then I simply ask myself, “What does a healthy lifestyle coach look like and why?” This always helps me snap out of any negative thoughts. There is not a specific look or body shape you must have in order to have a positive influence and help individuals take back control of their lives.

ALI: How do you stay aligned to your mission of body positivity as a fitness trainer?

CARLY: I always think back to the “junior in high school Carly”, the girl who hated her body because she did not see her shape and size represented. I think about how strong my body was and how active and successful it helped me become even though I had convinced myself it wasn’t good enough. These are feelings I have since overcome and that I am trying to help others avoid. I believe that as long as you move your body, fuel your body, talk positively to yourself, and give up comparing your body to others, you will do AMAZING things. When you treat your body with love and respect, it treats you back.

CARLY COMPTON in the desert — “Do what you LOVE.”

ALI: What advice would you give other women about their own journey with fitness and body positivity?

CARLY: Do what you LOVE. Find a form of exercise that brings you excitement and happiness. Stop looking at what everyone else is doing, stop falling for the fad diets and workout programs, and start doing what makes you happy, whether that is running, yoga, walking, rock climbing, etc. Do it for YOU! The same goes for food. Fuel your body and recognize when your body feels good and not so good. But, at the same time, take days to enjoy the foods you love. Life is all about balance; EMBRACE that balance! Lastly, embrace YOU. You are beautiful, strong, and capable already–it’s just about believing it within yourself.

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