Month: May 2020

You may have already heard that swimming is a very good choice for exercise. As it turns out, that is a true statement.

Before we explain the benefits of swimming, we’ll explain where you can begin searching for pools or swim areas to use.

You can start by finding out if your local YMCA, high schools, or colleges have open swim time in their pools. If they don’t, find out if other nearby cities may have some. You could find another place within 20 minutes of home if you’re lucky.

If it is summertime, search and ask around about public pools. If you are lucky, you will have a friend or family member with a swimming pool. If none of these will work for you, try to find a clean water lake or pond to swim in.

1. Makes Your Heart Stronger – Your heart will benefit from swimming because it is an aerobic exercise. It also helps reduce inflammation. This will help it pump better.

2. Makes Your Heart Work Better – Swimming actually makes your heart stretch out a bit and get slightly larger. This helps more blood flow through your heart, giving your body better blood supply.

3. Low Impact – If you are submerged in water past your shoulders, the water holds 90 percent of your body weight. This reduces almost all of the pressure on your joints and bones. This activity is good for anyone with arthritis or painful, stiff joints.

4. Makes Your Lungs Stronger – Swimming increases the size of your lungs and makes them stronger. The more air you can get into your lungs, the more oxygen gets through your body. That helps you keep your energy levels up so you can keep exercising.

Swimming is lots of fun and very healthy. Everyone should know how to swim in case of emergency. If you choose to swim outdoors, try adding a hike to your plans. If you hike to your swimming spot, you’ll be more than ready to dive into the water to cool down.

We hope these tips help you in your health and wellness journey.

Have you heard of the term ‘intermittent fasting’?

It basically means that you eat food and then go a certain number of hours before you eat again.

The time spent not eating is the fasting period.

The usual number of hours to fast is around 16, but many people will fast for 24 hours, up to two days per week. Some people will fast by consuming only a limited number of calories two days per week, and then eat normally for the other 5 days of the week. The basic premise is to give your body a break from digesting food and unleash some great benefits to your health.

Fasting is a very natural process. Back in early history, it was normal for people to go long periods of time without eating while they found, hunted, gathered, and prepared food in the wild. Fasting has been recognized for its benefits for a long time, and has helped some people with weight loss or other health concerns. It helps by changing how your hormone levels behave, which then increases your metabolism. Not only are you eating fewer calories, but you can help your body process the calories you eat when you are done fasting.

How the body responds to fasting:

1. HGH – The Human Growth Hormone will increase as much as 5x the normal level, to help you gain muscle and lose fat
2. Insulin – Your body’s sensitivity to insulin will improve, and insulin levels will drop. Lower levels of insulin will help your body digest and get rid of stored body fat.
3. Cell Repairs – Your body’s cells actually repair the most while you fast. Your cells will digest and get rid of old or unnecessary proteins inside of them.
4. Genes – In relation to protection against diseases, fasting can help you express genes that will help you fight off unwanted health issues.

Due to the processes listed above, you might experience multiple benefits. These include reduced inflammation, lower blood sugar, weight loss, a healthier heart, an increased lifespan, a boost in your brain health, and prevention of cancer.

Although this article makes it sound pretty good, you should always consult your doctor before attempting any changes to your health, diet, or lifestyle. You might end up causing more problems than you intend to fix. Do your research, get as much information as you can, and make sure that this type of healthcare is right for you!

We’ve all probably experienced the fear of being seen working out, sweating, breathing heavy, and being new to an exercise routine. With the past couple of months of COVID-19 lock down, many of us are kinda out of shape and wondering how we can get back to where we were before this started.

Hopefully this article will soothe your nerves and get you excited to visit the gym, either for the first time or just to get back to what you started before.

Here are some tips for reducing gym anxiety:

1. Practice some things at home first. If there is a particular move or exercise that you fear being seen doing, try it in private first. Work out the kinks, find out the proper form, and maybe practice in a mirror. Try recording yourself on video and watching it. You may not look so bad after all. Once you get used to it and feel like you are doing it right, you may not be scared to be seen doing it.

2. Find an empty room at the gym. Many gyms have private rooms that you can use to get your workout in while not being seen by everyone. Get your confidence up in a room with less people, and work your way into the full gym crowd eventually.

3. Swallow your pride. This suggestion is for all of you logical thinkers out there. Every single person that has mastered something was once a total beginner. Imagine your biggest inspirations, and realize that they, too were once a total disaster at what they do. How can you get better if you are afraid to get started? They didn’t let their fear stop them, and neither should you!

4. Take a friend or two. Many people are much more willing to do something if they have friends to support them. If your good friends are there with you, will you feel more at ease? Consider talking to some people and sincerely ask them to go to the gym with you. You will all benefit from the deal!

5. Ask an expert. Is there someone you know that does really well in their exercises and can provide some good advice for you? How about someone to reach out to that works at your local gym? They may have the perfect way to put you at ease and make you feel comfortable going to the gym and really owning your workout.

Hopefully these tips will help you consider going to the gym and getting healthy, even if you are anxious.

As always, make sure you talk to your doctor before starting or stopping any exercise routines.

With the new COVID-19 prevention lifestyle we have been forced into, things are changing. Not only are we unable to see our family and friends, but we can’t go to doctors appointments like we used to. You may have already made an online appointment with your doctor recently, and may wonder what to expect.

Most of us have never seen our doctors outside of their office in a face to face meeting, so here are some helpful bits of information for you.

Here is how to prepare for your next virtual doctor’s appointment:

1. What you’ll need – Make sure you have a smart phone or a good computer hooked up to internet with a webcam that works. If you don’t have a device or internet, you may need to start investing into new technology. That is, so that you are able to function during this new online life caused by that big bad virus. Perhaps look into spending your stimulus money on a new phone, internet package, or computer. It’s never too late to learn a new thing!

2. Practice first – Do a practice call or practice chat with family or friends. The platform your doctor uses will probably be different, but you should learn the basics of face time chats online. This might come in handy next time you are feeling lonely and want to see friends or family.

3. Make a list – Have you been having any new health issues, or does something need adjusted? Make a list of what you may need from your doctor. Prescription refills, new symptoms, or recurring symptoms are important to discuss. Sit down a few days before your appointment and think about what you may need to talk about.

4. Audio issues – The volume and sound may not actually work on your doctor visit. You and your doctor may be doing everything correctly but there might be sound problems. Considering how many people are seeing their doctors online now and how new these systems are, bugs might still be there and something may go wrong. If the audio doesn’t work, your doctor may hang up and call you on the phone instead. Be ready to switch to a phone call appointment.

5. Looks aren’t important – You don’t need to look good. Your doctor is also working from home, and they have probably seen you at your sickest and worst anyway. Don’t give yourself anxiety about how you look. They just need to discuss your health, this isn’t a beauty contest. Do your hair and makeup if you would like, but it isn’t necessary.

With these four simple tips, you should do very well in your first online appointment with your doctor.