Benefits of running

Benefits of running

          While there is the potential for injury in running, there are many benefits. Some of these benefits include potential weight loss, improved cardiovascular and respiratory health (reducing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases), improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced total blood cholesterol, strengthening of bones, possible strengthening of the immune system and an improved self-esteem and emotional state. Running, like all forms of regular exercise, can effectively slow or reverse  the effects of aging.

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Running can assist people in losing weight, staying in shape and improving body composition. Running increases your metabolism. Different speeds and distances are appropriate for different individual health and fitness levels. For new runners, it takes time to get into shape. The key is consistency and a slow increase in speed and distance. While running, it is best to pay attention to how one's body feels. If a runner is gasping for breath or feels exhausted while running, it may be beneficial to slow down or try a shorter distance for a few weeks. If a runner feels that the pace or distance is no longer challenging, then the runner may want to speed up or run farther.

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Running can also have psychological benefits, as many participants in the sport report feeling an elated, euphoric state, often referred to as a "runner's high". Running is frequently recommended as therapy for people with clinical depression and people coping with addiction. A possible benefit may be the enjoyment of nature and scenery, which also improves psychological well-being.

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Weight training and Strength training

Weight Training and Strength training

            Weight training causes micro-tears to the muscles being trained, this is generally known as microtrauma. These micro-tears in the muscle contribute to the soreness felt after exercise, called delayed onset muscle soreness. It is the repair to these micro-trauma that result in muscle growth. Normally, this soreness becomes most apparent a day or two after a workout. However, as muscles become adapted to the exercises, soreness tends to decrease.

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Weight training aims to build muscle by prompting two different types of hypertrophy: sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and myofibrillar hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy leads to larger muscles and so is favored by bodybuilders more than myofibrillar hypertrophy which builds athletic strength. 

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A bodybuilder will use sarcoplasmic hypertrophy most of the time, but may change to myofibrillar hypertrophy temporarily in order to move past a plateau. However, no real evidence has been provided to show that trainees ever reach this plateau, and rather was more of a hype created from muscular confusion.

Muscle growth

Bodybuilders use three main strategies to maximize muscle hypertrophy:

1) Strength training through weights or elastic/hydraulic resistance

2) Specialized nutrition, incorporating extra protein[citation needed] and supplements when necessary

3) Adequate rest, including sleep and recuperation between workouts

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Bodybuilding

Bodybuilding

            Bodybuilding is the use of progressive resistance exercise to control and develop one's musculature. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive amateur and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders appear in lineups doing specified poses, and later perform individual posing routines, for a panel of judges who rank competitors based on criteria such as symmetry, muscularity, and conditioning. Bodybuilders prepare for competition through a combination of dehydration, fat loss, oils, and tanning which make their muscular definition more distinct.

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Some well-known bodybuilders include Charles Atlas, Steve Reeves, Reg Park, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lou Ferrigno. Currently, IFBB professional bodybuilder Phil Heath from the United States holds the title of Mr. Olympia. The winner of the annual Mr. Olympia contest is generally recognized as the world's top professional male bodybuilder.

Natural bodybuilding

Due to the growing concerns of the high cost, health consequences and illegal nature of steroids many organizations have formed in response and have deemed themselves "natural" bodybuilding competitions. In addition to the concerns noted, many promoters of bodybuilding have sought to shed the "freakish" reputation that the general public perceives of bodybuilding and have successfully introduced a more mainstream audience to the sport of bodybuilding by including competitors whose physiques appear much more attainable and realistic.

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In natural contests the testing protocol ranges among organizations from polygraph testing to urinalysis. Penalties also range from organization to organization from suspensions to strict bans from competition. It is also important to note that natural organizations also have their own list of banned substances and it is important to refer to each organization's website for more information about which substances are banned from competition.

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Benefits of Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise

Benefits of Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise

            Aerobic exercise is a physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism. Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time. The intensity should be between 60 and 85% of maximum heart rate.

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Aerobic exercise comprises innumerable forms. In general, it is performed at a moderate level of intensity over a relatively long period of time. For example, running a long distance at a moderate pace is an aerobic exercise, but sprinting is not. Playing singles tennis, with near-continuous motion, is generally considered aerobic activity. The benefits of anaerobic exercise are powerful, and anaerobic exercise needs to be a part of your fitness program. Anaerobic exercise is high intensity muscular activity that lasts for a short period of time.

Aerobic Exercise Benefits:

The benefits of doing regular aerobic exercise are:

1) Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs

2) Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate, known as aerobic conditioning

3) Strengthening muscles throughout the body

4) Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure

5) Increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen

6) Improved mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression

7) Reducing the risk for diabetes.

As a result, aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems. In addition, high-impact aerobic activities (such as jogging or jumping rope) can stimulate bone growth, as well as reduce the risk of osteoporosis for both men and women.

Anaerobic Exercise Benefits:

Anaerobic means "without oxygen," so your body does not use oxygen to help produce energy when you exercise anaerobically like it does when you exercise aerobically. The benefits of doing regular anaerobic exercise are:

1) Increase insulin sensitivity by increasing glucose uptake by muscles and improving the ability to store glucose

2) Contribute to healthy body composition of lean muscle and fat

3) Decrease body fat by raising metabolism

4) Increase muscle mass

5) Builds healthy bones, muscles and joints

6) Improves bone density and strength

7) Enhancing the speed at which muscles recover from high intensity exercise

Both Aerobic and Anaerobic can help decrease dose of glucose lowering medications or even need for glucose lowering medications. And they can lower glucose during exercise and for several hours after exercise. 

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Difference Between Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise

Difference Between Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise

            Aerobic exercise and fitness can be contrasted with anaerobic exercise, of which strength training and short-distance running are the most salient examples. The two types of exercise differ by the duration and intensity of muscular contractions involved, as well as by how energy is generated within the muscle.

In most conditions, anaerobic exercise occurs simultaneously with aerobic exercises because the less efficient anaerobic metabolism must supplement the aerobic system due to energy demands that exceed the aerobic system's capacity. What is generally called aerobic exercise might be better termed "solely aerobic", because it is designed to be low-intensity enough not to generate lactate via pyruvate fermentation, so that all carbohydrate is aerobically turned into energy.

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Initially during increased exertion, muscle glycogen is broken down to produce glucose, which undergoes glycolysis producing pyruvate which then reacts with oxygen (Krebs cycle) to produce carbon dioxide and water and releasing energy. If there is a shortage of oxygen (anaerobic exercise, explosive movements), carbohydrate is consumed more rapidly because the pyruvate ferments into lactate.

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As carbohydrates deplete, fat metabolism is increased so that it can fuel the aerobic pathways. The latter is a slow process, and is accompanied by a decline in performance level. This gradual switch to fat as fuel is a major cause of what marathon runners call "hitting the wall". Anaerobic exercise, in contrast, refers to the initial phase of exercise, or to any short burst of intense exertion, in which the glycogen or sugar is respired without oxygen, and is a far less efficient process.

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Anaerobic exercise

Anaerobic exercise

            Anaerobic exercise is exercise intense enough to trigger lactic acid formation. It is used by athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power and by body builders to build muscle mass. Muscle energy systems trained using anaerobic exercise develop differently compared to aerobic exercise, leading to greater performance in short duration, high intensity activities, which last from mere seconds to up to about 2 minutes. Any activity lasting longer than about two minutes has a large aerobic metabolic component.

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In sports which require repeated short bursts of exercise however, the anaerobic system enables muscles to recover for the next burst. There are two types of anaerobic energy systems: 

1)     The high energy phosphates, ATP adenosine triphosphate and CP creatine phosphate

 2)   Anaerobic glycolysis. The high energy phosphates are stored in very limited quantities within muscle cells. 

Anaerobic glycolysis exclusively uses glucose (and glycogen) as a fuel in the absence of oxygen or more specifically, when ATP is needed at rates that exceed those provided by aerobic metabolism; the consequence of rapid glucose breakdown is the formation of lactic acid (more appropriately, lactate at biological pH levels). Physical activities that last up to about thirty seconds rely primarily on the former, ATP-PC phosphagen, system. The effectiveness of anaerobic activity can be improved through training.

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Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic Exercise

            Aerobic Exercise (also known as cardio) is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism. Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time. The intensity should be between 60 and 85% of maximum heart rate.

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Aerobics classes may allow participants to select their level of participation according to their fitness level. Many gyms offer a wide variety of aerobic classes for participants to take. Each class is designed for a certain level of experience and taught by a certified instructor with a specialty area related to their particular class.

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Types Of Physical Exercise

Types Of Physical Exercise

            Any type of physical activity is good if it makes your muscles work more than usual. People of all ages can improve their health and well-being by becoming more physically active. There are many types of physical activity as written below:

1)     Aerobics

2)     Bodybuilding

3)     Running

4)     Squat

5)     Sport

6)     Stretching

7)     Walking

8)     Weight training

9)     Yoga

Basic modes of physical exercises

People do physical exercises as a part of their healthy lifestyle to get stronger and healthier or stay strong and healthy or to improve their body image. There are three basic modes of physical exercises:

1) Flexibility exercises help the human body in general or its part in particular to be able to reach farther and bend better.
2) Aerobic exercises help the body work hard for a long time.
3) Anaerobic exercises, like lifting weights, make the arms and legs stronger.

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Basic Modes Of Physical Exercises

Basic Modes Of Physical Exercises

             People do physical exercises as a part of their healthy lifestyle to get stronger and healthier or stay strong and healthy or to improve their body image. There are three basic modes of physical exercises:

1)  Flexibility exercises help the human body in general or its part in particular to be able to reach farther and bend better.

2) Aerobic exercises help the body work hard for a long time.

3) Anaerobic exercises, like lifting weights, make the arms and legs stronger.

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Exercise can be fun, but it is important for the exerciser to do what he likes and eat enough calories, so when he exercises he is building up muscles, not just breaking them down for fuel. Carbohydrates are muscle-sparing; and if one does not get enough calories overall, there is the risk of burning muscles up with the fat to make up the deficit.

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Physical Exercise

Physical Exercise

            Physical exercise is any bodily activity that enhances or maintains physical fitness and overall health and wellness. It is performed for various reasons including strengthening muscles and the cardiovascular system, honing athletic skills, weight loss or maintenance, as well as for the purpose of enjoyment.

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Frequent and regular physical exercise boosts the immune system, and helps prevent the "diseases of affluence" such as heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and obesity. It also improves mental health, helps prevent depression, helps to promote or maintain positive self-esteem, and can even augment an individual's sex appeal or body image, which is also found to be linked with higher levels of self-esteem. Childhood obesity is a growing global concern and physical exercise may help decrease some of the effects of childhood and adult obesity. Health care providers often call exercise the "miracle" or "wonder" drug alluding to the wide variety of proven benefits that it provides.

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The beneficial effect of exercise on the cardiovascular system is well documented. There is a direct relation between physical inactivity and cardiovascular mortality, and physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for the development of coronary artery disease. There is a dose-response relation between the amount of exercise performed from approximately 700 to 2000 k cal of energy expenditure per week and all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality in middle-aged and elderly populations. The greatest potential for reduced mortality is in the sedentary who become moderately active. Most beneficial effects of physical activity on cardiovascular disease mortality can be attained through moderate-intensity activity persons who modify their behavior after myocardial infarction to include regular exercise have improved rates of survival. Persons who remain sedentary have the highest risk for all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.

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Physical Activity For Children And Youth

Physical Activity For Children And Youth

            For children and young people, physical activity includes play, games, sports, transportation, chores, recreation, physical education, or planned exercise, in the context of family, school, and community activities. From birth through age 5, kid's bodies are growing every day, in every way. Being physically active improves children's overall health. When they exercise, kids just feel good.

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Physical activity helps children:

1) Stay at a healthy weight

2) Reduce their risk of feeling stressed or depressed and developing obesity-related illnesses (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol levels)  

3) Build their strength, flexibility, and endurance

4) Enhance their motor skills, social skills, and brain development

5) Develop and maintain strong bones

6) Sleep better

7) Feel confident about themselves and their bodies as they grow

More and more evidence shows that children who are active tend to have fewer behavioral and disciplinary problems, do better in school, and have longer attention spans in class.

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Children and youth should be physically active every day as part of a healthy lifestyle. This helps them to build strong bones and strengthen muscles, maintain flexibility, achieve a healthy weight, improve fitness, improve self-esteem, meet new friends and increase relaxation.

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If you can make physical activity enjoyable and if you can be physically active with your child, you will increase the chance that physical activity will become part of your child's everyday life. 

Here are some ways to make physical activity a part of your child's day:

1) Plan family activities like hiking, cycling, playing ball, skating, throwing a frisbee and dancing.

2) Provide your child with opportunities to learn skills such as running, jumping, throwing, catching and kicking.

3) Balance your child's day with physical activities that are fun, informal and unstructured.

4) Encourage a wide range of activities in addition to organized sports such as planting a garden, playing chase, tobogganing, etc.

5) Help your child find a healthy balance between watching TV, surfing the Internet, and being active.

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Being Active Makes You Smarter

Being Active Makes You Smarter 

            The human body is designed for action: hinging and rotating joints that support movement in every direction; strong, elastic ligaments and tendons that encourage play while keeping bones and muscles in their proper place; skeletal muscles that facilitate every movement from explosive jumping to flowing Tai Chi; cardiac muscle that tirelessly pumps nourishment to every cell in the body. 

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Active bodies are at lower risk for heart disease, obesity, various cancers, diabetes and hypertension; and active people generally have more stamina, lower resting heart rates, more muscle tone and less body fat.

Brain booster: Stepping away from your desk may seem unthinkable on a busy work day, but an active break is one of the best ways to recharge your mental batteries. Your decision-making, productivity, and quick thinking are heightened after just 30 minutes of aerobic activity.

Stress buster: Everyone handles stress differently but the results are generally the same: irritability and deterioration of your health. A brisk walk or run takes you away from your stressors physically and mentally, giving you time to re-evaluate. And regular activity can help condition your body to handle stress by improving your self-perception and trait anxiety (how you react to stress), reducing your blood pressure and regulating your heart rate.

Pain reliever: Chronic lower back pain can leave you bedridden and inactive. Yet inactivity may make the situation worse. For some, training the core muscles can help stabilize the back and reduce back pain by improving strength and flexibility. Improving your conditioning is not limited to your back. Talk to your physician to learn if an activity program could help reduce or eliminate some chronic pain.

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Bring Your Life Into Balance

Bring Your Life Into Balance

            We are learning everyday about the ways in which we can maintain a healthy emotional state of mind.  It is integral to everything we do in life. The intent to empower you with the knowledge and support needed to take charge of your life and make healthy choices. 

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Stress, mood swings and life's daily challenges can knock your life out of balance leaving you feeling anxious, depressed, angry, and worried. If emotions are interfering with your career or personal relationships, use this toolkit to take control of your life. By learning skills that change your response to stressful experience, you can boost your emotional health and emotional intelligence.

Daily life can seem like a never-ending ride, leaving you feeling frustrated, anxious, depressed, and unfulfilled. But it doesn't have to be this way; you can get off the emotional rollercoaster. You can bring your life into balance by learning more about:

1) Stress and how to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

2) Why your emotions matter to you and to others.

3) What you can do to harness the energy of your emotions and make them work for you.

4) How you can become calm, energized, focused and more aware of yourself and others.

Like anything worthwhile, achieving the balance emotional awareness delivers will take practice. But no matter how long you've felt stressed, overwhelmed, or out-of-sync with yourself, other people, or your life.

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Physical Activity Prolongs Your Optimal Health

Physical Activity Prolongs Your Optimal Health

            Without regular physical activity, the body slowly loses its strength, stamina and ability to function well. And for each hour of regular exercise you get, you'll gain about two hours of additional life expectancy, even if you don't start until middle age.

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 Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, for as little as 30 minutes a day has the proven health benefits listed above as well as:

1) Improves blood circulation, which reduces the risk of heart disease

2) Keeps weight under control

3) Helps in the battle to quit smoking

4) Improves blood cholesterol levels

5) Prevents and manages high blood pressure

6) Prevents bone loss

7) Boosts energy level

8) Helps manage stress

9) Releases tension

10) Promotes enthusiasm and optimism

11) Counters anxiety and depression

12) Helps you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly

13) Improves self-image

14) Increases muscle strength, increasing the ability to do other physical activities

15) Provides a way to share an activity with family and friends

16) Reduces coronary heart disease in women by 30-40 percent

17) Reduces risk of stroke by 20 percent in moderately active people and by 27 percent in highly active ones

18) Establishes good heart-healthy habits in children and counters the conditions (obesity, high blood pressure, poor cholesterol levels, poor lifestyle habits, etc.) that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life

19) Helps delay or prevent chronic illnesses and diseases associated with aging and maintains quality of life and independence longer for seniors

 Once you get over the inertia and find creative ways to fit physical activity into your life, you'll agree that the effort to get moving is worth it.

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Physical Activity Improves Quality Of Life

Physical Activity Improves Quality Of Life

            Physical activity needs to be a regular, permanent habit to produce benefits. Set yourself up to succeed right from the start by choosing activities that appeal to you, exercising safely, charting your progress to see your success, and making your activity routine fit your personal lifestyle. Here are a few ways to make physical activity a regular part of your daily life.

Make it a priority. Many of us lead busy lives, and it's easy to put physical activity at the bottom of the "to do" list. Though, being active is one of the most important things you can do each day to maintain and improve your health. Make a point to include physical activities throughout your day. 

Try being active first thing in the morning before you get busy. Think of your time to exercise as a special appointment, and mark it on your calendar.

Make it easy. If it's difficult or costs too much, you probably won't be active. You are more likely to exercise if it's easy to do. Put your 2-pound weights next to your easy chair so you can do some lifting while you watch TV. Walk up and down the soccer field during your grandchild’s game.

Walk the entire mall or every aisle of the grocery store when you go shopping. When you go out to get the mail, walk around the block. Join a gym or fitness center that's close to home. You can be active all at once, or break it up into smaller amounts throughout the day. Do more of the activities you already like and know how to do.

Make it social. Many people agree that having an "exercise buddy" keeps them going.  If you don't already have an exercise partner, find one by joining a walking club at your local mall or an exercise class at a nearby senior center. Take a walk during lunch with a co-worker.

Make it interesting and make it fun. Do things you enjoy and pick up the pace a bit. If you love the outdoors, try biking, fishing, jogging, or hiking. Listen to music or a book on CD while walking, gardening, or raking. Plan a hiking trip at a nearby park.

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Play, Creativity, And Lifelong Learning

Play, Creativity, And Lifelong Learning

        Play is simultaneously a source of relaxation and stimulation for the brain and body. A sure (and fun) way to develop your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and mental health is to play with your romantic partner, office-mates, children, grandchildren, and friends.

Play is often described as a time when we feel most alive, yet we often take it for granted and may completely forget about it. But play isn't a luxury - it's a necessity. Play is as important to our physical and mental health as getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising. Play teaches us how to manage and transform our "negative" emotions and experiences. It supercharges learning, helps us relieve stress, and connects us to others and the world around us. Play can also make work more productive and pleasurable.

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Despite the power of play, somewhere between childhood and adulthood, many of us stop playing. We exchange play for work and responsibilities. When we do have some leisure time, we're more likely to zone out in front of the TV or computer than to engage in creative, brain-stimulating play. By giving ourselves permission to play with the joyful abandon of childhood, we can continue to reap its benefits throughout life.

The lifelong benefits of play:

1) Play connects us to others

          Sharing joy, laughter, and fun with others promotes bonding and strengthens a sense of community. We develop empathy, compassion, trust, and the capacity for intimacy through regular play.

2) Play fosters creativity, flexibility, and learning

Play is a doorway to learning. Play stimulates our imaginations, helping us adapt and solve problems. Play arouses curiosity, which leads to discovery and creativity. The components of play - curiosity, discovery, novelty, risk-taking, trial and error, pretense, games, social etiquette, and other increasingly complex adaptive activities - are the same as the components of learning.

3) Play is an antidote to loneliness, isolation, anxiety, and depression

When we play vigorously, we trigger a mix of endorphins that lift our spirits and distractions that distance us from pain, fear, and other burdens. And when we play with other people, whether they’re friends or strangers, we are reminded that we are not alone in this world. We can connect to others in delightful and meaningful ways that banish loneliness.

4) Play teaches us perseverance

The rewards of learning or mastering a new game teach us that perseverance is worthwhile. Perseverance is a trait necessary to healthy adulthood, and it is learned largely through play. Perseverance and violence are rarely found together.

5) Play makes us happy

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  Beyond all these excellent reasons for playing, there is simply the sheer joy of it. Play is a state of being that is happy and joyous. Jumping into and out of the world of play on a daily basis can preserve and nourish our own hearts, and the hearts of our communities.

6) Play and relationships

Play is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. Playing together for the fun of it brings joy, vitality, and resilience to relationships. Play can also heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Through regular play, we learn to trust one another and feel safe. Trust enables us to work together, open ourselves to intimacy, and try new things. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships- as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.

7) Play helps us develop and improve our social skills

Social skills are learned in the give and take of play. Verbal communication and body language, safety and danger, freedom and boundaries, cooperation and teamwork: all are discovered and practiced repeatedly during infant and childhood play. We continue to refine these skills in adulthood through play and playful communication.

8) Play teaches us how to cooperate with others

Play is a powerful catalyst for positive socialization. Through play, children learn how to "play nicely" with others - to work together, follow mutually agreed upon rules, and socialize in groups. As adults, play continues to confer these benefits. Evidence even shows that play may be an antidote to violence. In fact, those who avoid or have never learned to play may become lost in the world of fear, rage, and obsessive worry.

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Deep-Breathing Exercises & Mental Performance

Deep-Breathing Exercises & Mental Performance

            Everyone has difficulty concentrating during times of physical or mental stress. Staying focused and relaxed when you experience mental fatigue or physical strain isn't always easy. 

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Specific deep-breathing exercises can provide a number of benefits for your mental and physical well-being and help improve your mental performance in a variety of settings.

Benefits:

            Although everyone is capable of deep, abdominal breathing, most people only take short, shallow breaths that stem from the chest and rib cage.

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Breathing in this manner can make you feel anxious and decrease your mental performance, because it prevents oxygenated air from reaching the lowest portion of your lungs. Learning the proper way to breathe through performing deep-breathing exercises may help to reduce stress, slow your heart rate, lower your blood pressure and help you feel more calm and focused.

Types:

            A variety of deep-breathing exercises can be used to promote health, improve mental performance and enhance feelings of well-being. Conscious abdominal breathing is one of the simplest deep breathing exercises to learn, as it only requires that you pay attention to breathing from your belly. Pranayama is a yogic breathing technique that focuses on breath control to increase mental focus and soothe feelings of fatigue.

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Improve Mental And Emotional Health By Taking Care Of Yourself

Improve Mental And Emotional Health By Taking Care Of Yourself

            In order to maintain and strengthen your mental and emotional health, it’s important to pay attention to your own needs and feelings. Don’t let stress and negative emotions build up. Try to maintain a balance between your daily responsibilities and the things you enjoy. If you take care of yourself, you’ll be better prepared to deal with challenges if and when they arise.

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Taking care of yourself includes pursuing activities that naturally release endorphin and contribute to feeling good. In addition to physical exercise, endorphin are also naturally released when we:

1) Do things that positively impact others. Being useful to others and being valued for what you do can help build self-esteem.

2) Practice self-discipline. Self-control naturally leads to a sense of hopefulness and can help you overcome despair, helplessness, and other negative thoughts.

3) Learn or discover new things. Think of it as “intellectual candy”. Try taking an adult education class, join a book club, visit a museum, learn a new language, or simply travel somewhere new.

4) Enjoy the beauty of nature or art. Studies show that simply walking through a garden can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. The same goes for strolling through a park or an art gallery, hiking, admiring architecture, or sitting on a beach.

5) Manage your stress levels. 

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Stress takes a heavy toll on mental and emotional health, so it’s important to keep it under control. While not all stressors can be avoided, stress management strategies can help you bring things back into balance.

6) Limit unhealthy mental habits like worrying. Try to avoid becoming absorbed by repetitive mental habits – negative thoughts about yourself and the world that suck up time, drain your energy, and trigger feelings of anxiety, fear, and depression.

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Health And Wellness

Health And Wellness

            Health is a dynamic process because it is always changing. We all have times of good health, times of sickness, and maybe even times of serious illness. As our lifestyles change, so does our level of health.Those of us who participate in regular physical activity do so partly to improve the current and future level of our health. We strive toward an optimal state of well-being. As our lifestyle improves, our health also improves and we experience less disease and sickness.

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As our lifestyle improves, our health also improves and we experience less disease and sickness.

The other components of health that are just as important as physical health include the following:

1)      Social health:The ability to interact well with people and the environment and to have satisfying personal relationships.

2)      Mental health: The ability to learn and grow intellectually. Life experiences as well as more formal structures (e.g., school) enhance mental health.

3)      Emotional health: The ability to control emotions so that you feel comfortable expressing them and can express them appropriately.

4)      Spiritual health: A belief in some unifying force. It varies from person to person but has the concept of faith at its core.

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Wellness is the search for enhanced quality of life, personal growth, and potential through positive lifestyle behaviours and attitudes. If we take responsibility for our own health and well-being, we can improve our health on a daily basis. Certain factors influence our state of wellness, including nutrition, physical activity, stress-coping methods, good relationships, and career success.

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Healthy Eating For A Healthy Weight

Healthy Eating For A Healthy Weight

            A healthy eating plan that helps you manage your weight includes a variety of foods. If "healthy eating" makes you think about the foods you can't have, try refocusing on all the new foods you can eat

Fresh Fruits: In botany, a fruit is a part of a flowering plant that derives from specific tissues of the flower. All fresh fruits are great choices. When your favorite fresh fruits aren't in season, try a frozen, canned, or dried variety of a fresh fruit you enjoy. One caution about canned fruits is that they may contain added sugars or syrups. Be sure and choose canned varieties of fruit packed in water or in their own juice.

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Fruits have been such a major part of the human diet, different cultures have developed many different uses for various fruits that they do not depend on as being edible. Many dry fruits are used as decorations or in dried flower arrangements, such as unicorn plant, lotus, wheat, annual honesty and milkweed.

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Fresh vegetables: vegetable is largely based on culinary and cultural tradition. Apart from vegetables, other main types of plant food are fruits, grains and nuts. Vegetables are most often consumed as salads or cooked in savory or salty dishes, while culinary fruits are usually sweet and used for desserts

 Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways, as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutritional content of vegetables varies considerably, though generally they contain little protein or fat and varying proportions of vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin K and Vitamin B6, provitamins and dietary minerals. Vegetables contain important nutrients necessary for healthy hair and skin as well.


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