Tag Archives: stretching

What is Inversion?

I caught a commercial the other day for one of those pieces of equipment that let you hang upside down. Thanks to the commercial, I now know that hanging upside down is known as inversion therapy! But is it really beneficial for your health? Before doing any research, I had two theories: hanging upside down could possibly be beneficial for joints and circulation. Hanging upside down could relieve pressure on particular joints, like your knees and spine — or at least, reverse the pressure! And hanging upside down does make the blood rush to your head, so maybe that’s a … Continue reading →

Excuses For Not Exercising: #6 I Have No Time

This is another common excuse in the list of excuses why you are not being good to your body. You need to exercise and eat right in order to stay healthy. Not having enough time during the day is not an excuse. Your body needs water, so you drink water. Your body needs food, so you eat food. You do not have a problem making time for that. Maybe you do not make a dinner every night, but instead pick up something already cooked at the supermarket, but you are making time for eating. And why? It is because you … Continue reading →

Excuses For Not Exercising: #5 It Hurts

Using the muscles that you have not used for a while takes some getting used to. The muscles have pretty much been dormant and the stretching that you encounter when working out a new exercise program will cause some discomfort until the muscle has been worked on regularly. This is known as DOMS or delayed-onset muscle soreness. You are putting your muscle through a new range of movement. This occurs not only when trying a new exercise or just beginning to exercise, but also if you increase an exercise in repetitions. There could also be some muscle fiber tearing and … Continue reading →

Stretching Helps Avoid Preeclampsia

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A new study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research found that stretching may actually be better for women who were physically inactive before their pregnancy in avoiding preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is hypertension induced by pregnancy and it’s one of the leading causes of fetal and maternal illness in the world. If left untreated, the condition can lead to death. Pre-Natal Fitness Walking is often promoted as the best form of exercise to protect a pregnant woman from developing preeclampsia. But the study details that women who were not active beforehand and experienced preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy would be … Continue reading →

Two More Qigong Moves

Check out the first two qigong moves and the next two qigong moves. Here are two more moves to give you a full fifteen minute qigong routine. Scooping the earth: stand with your feet wide and your toes turned outward. Rest the back of your left hand on your lower back. Extend your right arm parallel to the floor with your palm facing downward. Bend your right knee into a lunge and lean forward from your hips while you reach your right hand towards the floor. Shift your weight to the center, then to the left side as you scoop … Continue reading →

More Qigong Moves

If you liked your first experience with qigong, you may be looking for more meditation moves to try. Here are a few more! Rocking: stand with your feet about hip-width apart and your knees unlocked. Step forward about a foot with your right foot. With your arms at your sides, bend your elbows about ninety degrees. Keep your palms facing each other. Rock forward, bending your right knee and extending your arms upward as you inhale. Your hands should circle up and away from you. Rock back onto your left knee and circle your hands down as you exhale. Flex … Continue reading →

What is Qigong?

Looking for an exercise that can give you more energy, more stamina, and a stronger immune system? You might want to look at qigong. Qigong means energy work. It is a form of active meditation that focuses on graceful, flowing movements. The results are in: qigong makes a difference. Studies from UCLA found that qigong can lower stress hormone levels and enhance nervous system activity. Healthy adults in the study who practiced qigong had ten percent more energy compared to those who practiced tai chi. Stress-related headaches may also be relieved or eliminated entirely. A Swedish study found that women … Continue reading →

Good Health in the Deathly Hallows

Has Harry Potter fever hit your household? With the final book in the amazing series due on Saturday, there will be a lot of people around the world spending the weekend reading. I must confess… I’ll be one of them. Aside from (maybe) a nasty paper cut, reading isn’t generally a dangerous hobby. However, if you’re planning to curl up on the couch and read all weekend, there are a few health tips to keep in mind: Think of your read-a-thon like it’s a long car ride or flight. Sitting still for long periods of time can affect your circulation. … Continue reading →

Fitness Journal – Pushing the Envelope

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Today’s workout was more necessary than I thought it would be. It began with my morning stretch and treadmill stroll for 30 minutes at 2.8. I had to get out of the house early and I had to get a series of errands done. I did my bare minimum workout in an effort to make sure that it was done before I headed out to go shopping and more. By the time I was done and back home with my daughter it was after 3 in the afternoon. I put her down for a nap and then went to check … Continue reading →

How to Improve Your Computer Fitness

We talked about Your Computer versus Your Fitness yesterday. Today, we’re going to talk about how to improve your computer fitness, but we’re not talking about the health of your actual machine, for tips on your computer and computing, check out our computing blog. In the meanwhile, it’s important to remember when you are sitting at your desk, hour after hour; that there is something you can do to improve your own fitness in those hours. So How Can You Do It? Take a good look at your nutrition. What do you eat and drink when you are sitting at … Continue reading →