Month: November 2020

Your typical options for getting active and getting your heart pumping have been pushed on you for a long time now. Go to the gym, walk the dog, do jumping jacks in your kitchen, or do some leg-lifts on your living room floor.

However, these usual, everyday things have proven to be boring to many people who don’t like the options they’re given.

This article will help you realize more options for getting healthy that you may not have thought about until now. Not only that, but you may see that some of the things you do every day are actually really good exercise. Don’t be hard on yourself, but also be honest with yourself about your activity levels.

Everyday Activities For Good Exercise:

• Pushing a baby stroller for 30 minutes (about 1.5 miles)
• Shoveling snow for 15 minutes
• Walking up and down the stairs for 15 minutes
• Raking leaves for half an hour
• Removing, washing, drying, and re-applying bedding (sheets, pillowcases, blankets)
• Walking back and forth at work during your shift (such as being a waitress/server or host)
• Sexual activity for 30 minutes (protected, of course)
• Lifting heavy things at work frequently during the day, such as at work

Other Exercise Ideas:

• Hula hooping or hoop dancing for 30 – 45 minutes
• Swimming for 20-30 minutes
• Taking the stairs when out in public or at work
• Dancing for 30-45 minutes with the kids or at an adult party
• Riding a bike for 4 miles
• Walking for 35 minutes
• Running for 15 minutes
• Hiking beautiful outdoor trails for 30-60 minutes
• Playing video games that give you a workout (Virtual Reality games, Wii Fit or Ring Fit, just as a few examples)

Now that you have a better idea of what makes good exercise and what options you have, get out there and move! Staying healthy and active is one of your most powerful weapons against sickness, pain, and disease.

Most people are aware of the main reason to keep active, which is to avoid obesity. Although that is a great reason to stay active, there is more to it than that. This article will explain more reasons to keep yourself active and healthy, as well as reasons why obesity is such a danger to your health.

We all understand what it is like to get sucked into the couch with a warm, soft blanket for hours on end. Sometimes, we just need some time to relax. However, too much sitting or laying down is dangerous in many ways. Too much relaxation can lead to much higher stress on your body.

Here are some of the basic ways being too inactive can hurt you:

You don’t burn many calories, you will gain weight, and you may lose muscle strength. Combine a higher weight with less muscle strength and you have a difficult time moving or doing basic daily activities. Imagine trying to lift an extra 30 pounds off the ground when your muscles are weaker than before.

If you’re not active, your bones are losing minerals. When you are active, the bones absorb the nutrients that they should. Not only that, but the body digests and uses nutrients better when you are active.

Your metabolism may begin to get lazy and be unable to process fats and sugars like it used to. This puts a lot of stress on the body, which can affect the immune system.

Your body will be more likely to become inflamed due to inactivity, and you may begin to experience pain and pressure, causing you to feel worse and less likely to get up and move. The more inactive you are, the worse this will get.

You could develop an imbalance of your hormones. When you aren’t active, the body doesn’t produce or release the right hormones to keep you healthy. Your body needs to move in order to improve this.

This is just a glimpse into the reasons why inactivity can harm you, and kill you over time. Try to do more house work, climb your stairs a few more times a day, watch some online workout videos, and find something you really enjoy doing. If you find the right activity, you will forget you’re exercising, and you’ll move mountains.

Did you know that your feet can tell you quite a few things about your health just by paying attention to how they look and feel?

Whether you have pain, coldness, numbing, tingling, or something else, your feet are telling you something.

The feet can show symptoms of illness or disease before the rest of the body. If you have any of the issues listed in this article, contact your doctor immediately for treatment.

Loss of the hair on your feet and legs can be a symptom of a severe blood restriction in the leg’s arteries, called PAD (Peripheral Artery Disease). If you have very poor blood circulation, this can cause an inability to grow hair on the skin of the legs and feet. This is a big symptom of overall heart disease, and a sign that your heart cannot pump blood to the legs and feet like it should. On the same topic, having super cold feet and hands can be a symptom of a thyroid disease or dysfunction.

Ulcers or sores on the bottom of your feet is a sign of advanced diabetes. Approximately 15 percent of diabetes patients have an open sore or ulcer on the bottom of their feet. In addition, up to 24 percent of them will need their foot amputated due to an infection of the ulcer or sore. If you use insulin to manage your diabetes, you are at higher risk than others with diabetes. On the same topic, feeling constant pins and needles or numbness in both of your feet is a sign of nerve damage caused by diabetes, called diabetic neuropathy.

Thick and yellow toenails that look deformed is a sign of a fungal infection. You are at risk of this if you take certain medications like steroids, high dose antibiotics, or immune system suppressants. On the same topic, a large, swollen big toe is an indicator of Gout, which is a form of arthritis caused by too much uric acid. This acid tends to build up in cold parts of the body, such as the toes. If your toenails are shaped like a spoon, or concave, you may have a chronic deficiency of iron.

If you have any of the above symptoms, or if you have other symptoms in your feet that are alarming to you, call your doctor or go to the nearest emergency room. Your feet are trying to tell you something.

Even if you aren’t a fan of exercise and you don’t feel like joint health is important, it absolutely is critical. No matter who you are, you must move to survive and stay healthy.

Whether you need to get up to use the bathroom and take a shower without falling, or you are getting ready to run a marathon, you need to take care of your joints. The cartilage of your joints helps your bones glide over each other without rubbing or damaging each other. Healthy cartilage means your bones can move without pain or stiffness.

Some of the more basic tips on keeping your joints healthy is to get plenty of sleep, avoid injuring yourself, stay physically active, and eat a balanced diet. Not only that, but it is important for younger people to keep their joint health in mind. There are multiple forms of arthritis, and it can hit you at any age. Some of these include Osteoarthritis (most common in the elderly), Rheumatoid Arthritis (autoimmune disease), Gout (frequently in your big toe), Juvenile Arthritis (arthritis in kids), Lupus, Fibromayalgia, Psoriasis, Lyme Disease, and other certain infections.

How To Help Your Joints:

Physical Activity – Even if you already have arthritis, it is important to keep moving when possible. Children and teens need at least 1 hour of physical activity every day. It is important for them to wear protective equipment when playing certain sports. It is also important to have the correct shoes for your activity. Make sure you have the right kind of support for your feet.

For older adults with issues, remember to use a cane if you have one or to wear any protective gear such as a knee brace if you need one. Preventing more injuries is important to staying healthy with joint issues.

Healthy Diet – Many people don’t know how important diet is to the joints. If you don’t eat the right nutrients often enough, your body will have a deficiency. Sometimes, the body attacks itself to try to find those nutrients and get them into the blood to help you. If you are eating the right things, your body can digest properly and get nutrients where it needs them.

If you are overweight, you are going to put more pressure and strain on your whole body when you move. Your hips, feet, and knees will get the most stress when you weigh more. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, protein, whole grains, and lean meats. Avoid dairy products with too much fat and sugar. Avoid trans fats and fried foods. Avoid processed sweets like candy, cookies, and cakes. Also increase your intake of omega fatty acids by eating healthy foods like salmon or certain nuts.

The Bottom Line

If you take care of your joints now, they will serve you much better in the future. Everyone gets older, but not everyone has to suffer for it.

Fall is the season of many different symptoms, illnesses and ailments. They seem to get worse as winter goes on. There is an increase in allergies for many people in the fall. There is usually a wave of colds, and there are a few different types of the flu going around.

As this is the first fall season we’ve ever experienced with the COVID pandemic, many people are worried they may have more than a flu or cold. Due to the newness of this virus, barely anyone has natural immunity. Our bodies are not ready for this virus to invade.

The issue here is that symptoms of the flu and the coronavirus are very similar. However, the way the virus behaves and the way it affects your body will tell you more. Both the flu and COVID symptoms include cough, fever, difficulty breathing, body aches, fatigue, sore throat, headaches, and exhaustion. Cold symptoms include a runny nose, sneezing, nasal congestion, itchy watery eyes, face/sinus inflammation, and loss of taste or smell.

The COVID virus kills 10x as many people as the flu, so it is important to avoid. Let’s see what the differences are between the symptoms of a cold, the flu, and the coronavirus.

The Differences Between The Flu and COVID:

• If you rarely or never catch the flu and you suddenly have flu like symptoms, that is one indication that it could be COVID, because it is very contagious.
• Body aches and headaches seem to be more common with the flu than with COVID.
• It is rare to see a runny nose and nasal congestion with COVID patients.
• The flu does not typically cause a loss in taste or smell, but COVID does.
• It is common for COVID to cause diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
• If you are still sick after 10 days, you are more likely to have COVID. The flu usually lasts just a week, sometimes two.

If you are experiencing symptoms that seem like they might be COVID, call your nearest Urgent Care, Emergency Room, or Doctor’s office. Get tested, and avoid interaction with anyone until you are clear.