Category Archives: Health

Going Healthy, Health

How To Look After Your Back

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back, health, pain, posture, fitness
Photo by Jesper Aggergaard on Unsplash

Each year, over 250 million workdays are lost to back pain (Source: ACTA). They also estimate that a massive 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lives. 

For those with a diagnosed condition, it’s often a never-ending circle of doctor’s appointments, pain killers, and reduced mobility. For those of us lucky enough to be pain-free, it’s essential that we look after our backs every day, so that we can stay pain-free in the future too. 

Don’t underestimate back pain

If you do start experiencing back pain, it’s important not to ignore it.  See your primary care provider of a specialist at a company such as Advance Physical Therapy. They will be able to provide advice and treatment early, which often results in a better outcome. 

Exercise

Getting regular exercise is a great way to keep fit and healthy. Being active and eating a balanced diet can reduce the risk of a host of conditions including Type 2 Diabetes, obesity, heart attack, stroke, and insomnia. 

Exercising and keeping your weight in check, keeping your muscles supplied with blood and oxygen, and is great for keeping the pressure of the extra pounds off your joints. But in order to keep your back in tip-top shape, you need to be doing specific exercises to strengthen it too. 

The key to a strong back is a strong core. Exercises such as yoga, pilates, and exercise ball workouts are all good for keeping your core strong. 

Learn how to lift

Lifting too much weight, with a bad technique, can lead to serious back injuries. These can be prevented by learning some of the basis of lifting. Here are some of the basics for safer lifting. 

  • Don’t lift more than you can handle – no correct technique is going to help you if you’re lifting something that’s far too heavy for you. 
  • Stack your shoulders over your feet – you should be aiming for a straight line between the two. By doing this, you will find it easier to maintain your balance and not twist as you lift. 
  • Hold the object close to you – the closer the object is to your body, the less strength you will need to hold it. 
  • Bend at the knees – everyone knows this but few do it consistently. Use your leg muscles to lift, not your back or core. 

Correct Your Posture

Bad posture can cause a lot of health problems including back pain, muscle aches, headaches, and insomnia. It’s something that most of us are guilty of, as we slouch at our desks or lounge on the sofa. 

When sitting, try to use the following techniques: 

  • Sit up straight with your shoulders back. 
  • Keep your knees level with, or slightly higher than your hips, feet flat on the floor. 
  • Don’t sit still for too long, try and get up every 30 minutes. 

Conclusion

Though it’s a very common health problem, back pain can really affect your quality of life. We should be looking after our backs as much as any other part of our body. Your spine will thank you for it.

Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle

Wardrobe Essentials That fitness-conscious Men Cannot Miss Out On

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fitness, apparel, clothes, men, exercise

Fitness conscious men want to look good, inside and outside the gym. No doubt comfort is the top priority when it comes to gym wear, but you cannot miss out on style as well. Having stylish clothing and accessories make you feel confident and enthusiastic about working out. So it makes sense to check out your wardrobe to see if you have the essentials that would make you look stylish and feel easy as you sweat out. Here are the ones that you cannot miss out on.

Workout-appropriate tees

Look for tees that fit perfectly and are made in the sweat-friendly fabric as such options are great from both the sartorial and performance perspective. A material with elasticity and breathability is ideal as it drapes comfortably and prevents overheating. If you check the stores, you may even find some materials that are specially crafted with heat- and sweat-wicking airflow, making them just apt for a workout. Invest in some cool colors and trendy styles and you will love your gym wardrobe.

Mid-thigh shorts

Apart from the right tops, you would also need the apt bottoms for your daily run or gym workout. The mid-thigh length is just perfect as it doesn’t impede your movement and gives you all the coverage you would want to have. Look for ones with pockets so that you have a place to tuck your phone and car keys. For a great option, consider checking out ASRV shorts, which are designed to provide comfort, flexibility, and convenience. When it comes to the fabric choice, a sweat-wicking one would be great but you can go one step ahead with an anti-bacterial infused fabric.

Accessories that work for you

Some men enjoy wearing accessories as part of their daily fashion routine, and that’s great. But as evidenced by this guide detailing how to wear mens bracelets, there are many more options for wearing them than you may have previously considered. For instance, some men decide to purchase watches that have fitness utilities and waterproof trackers so they never need to take them off, other men use silicon rings to prevent skin tears, while others simply prefer accessories they can work out with and not be distracted by. Knowing that can help you make more rational choices daily.

Compression socks

Don’t just stick to standard socks for your gym wardrobe because they provide only coverage and no support. If you want extra protection for your muscles, investing in mens compression socks is a great idea. The high performance and high fashion garment enhances efficiency and reduces soreness, which means that you will end up exercising more but feeling less tired. The best thing about these socks is that you can wear them in routine and get comfort and support for your legs.

Trainers

Another essential that fitness buffs must have is training-appropriate trainers. The shoe style you choose depends on the kind of exercise you choose to burn off the pounds. For example, running shoes are ideal if you hit the jogging track every day while you can opt for the classic gym shoes if that’s your exercise style. When it comes to trainers, adding some variety to your shoe rack makes sense.

Gym bag

Although men do not have much choice in accessories, a high-quality gym bag makes a good pick in terms of style and functionality. Choose a bag that is big enough to pack all the stuff you carry along for the workout– your towels, water bottle, a change of clothes and maybe, some protein bars. Invest in quality even if you need to shell out some extra dollars because it will last for years.

This checklist has you covered on the exercise essentials front. Just make sure that everything you pick is of top quality so that you can focus on working out rather than shopping for your workout.

Going Green, Going Healthy, Health, Life, Lifestyle, Tips

Simple Upgrades For A Healthier Home

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home, health, family, living room, furniture
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Keeping your home a healthy space for you and your family is important now more than ever. Not only is it important to make your home good for your family’s physical health, but it is also important for your home to be clean and organized for your family’s mental health. You may have started a conversation with your family about using the home to improve the health of your family, but there are other things to keep in mind as well.

Your mental health is deeply affected by your surroundings. When it comes to the things you do not like about your home, it can raise your levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Too much of this will keep your body in constant flight-or-flight mode. Over time this could cause adverse effects on your body.

When you start a home improvement project, life can sometimes get in the way causing you to leave it incomplete. Almost-finished projects can leave you feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. If you are looking for a way to keep your house from driving your crazy, both mentally and physically, here are some easy tips.

Keep Allergens And Harmful Chemicals At Bay

During the springtime, keep the pollen out of the house by shaking or brushing off outerwear. It may also be a good idea to avoid hanging your clothes outside on a clothesline during this time to prevent any allergens from getting into your clothes. If you have pets, keeping a brush and wet wipes nearby can be useful.

When taking your clothes home from the dry cleaners make sure your clothes are aired out fully. Remove the plastic bag before setting foot into your home to ensure that any lingering perchloroethylene can evaporate.

Consider adding mats on the inside and outside of the door. Allergens, bacteria and lawn chemicals are all things that can easily be tracked inside the house if not first caught on a doormat. Make sure that your doormats are washable.

Filter Your Drinking Water

There is nothing wrong with drinking water from the tap if that is all that you have, but seriously consider filtering your tap water. You can do this either by installing a water filter faucet by the kitchen sink or getting a pitcher with a water filter inside. Filtering your water can easily cut levels of lead, chlorine and other harmful chemicals.

Fill Holes And Gaps

Maybe you have done a lot of home renovations over the years. Make sure that your holes and crevices you forgot about or were too lazy to fix are caulked and covered. This is a very important step to creating a healthier home because doing so can avoid disease-infested mice and insects from crashing in your home. Whether you are covering these holes or replacing a failed caulking session in the kitchen or bathroom, this is a very important step.

Install Right Materials For Your New Floors

Instead of installing carpet and vinyl, use linoleum, cork, tile wood or stone. These are natural materials and they do not have phthalates. Some of these materials like linoleum prevent bacterial growth. Compared to carpet, all of these materials also do not collect as much dust. That is great news for your allergies if you have them.

Be Selective About Furniture

Home renovations sometimes call for new furniture. On your search for the perfect couch or end table, make sure that the furniture is chemical-free. Your house furniture should be filled with batting made from natural fibers. Your pressed-wood furniture and cabinets should also be made with little or no formaldehyde. By following this tip, you can prevent yourself or your family from becoming ill. Find more info about this by doing some quick research on the safest furniture for a healthier home.

Take Note Of The Humidity

Your home should be at a humidity level of 40 to 50 percent. Any higher and it can offset the growth of mildew and mites. It is also important not to let it fall below 20 percent. Setting up a humidity monitor will easily track your humidity levels. If your home is often in the 20 percent humidity range, you should consider getting a humidifier and finding out where to buy distilled water so that you can introduce some good, pure air into your home. Some can act as both a humidifier and an air purifier.

Take Care Of Your Lawn The Organic Way

Keeping up with your lawn may be an easy way to upgrade your home, but make sure that you stay away from harsh chemicals. They can weaken the defense against drought and disease. You also want to be cognizant of your contributions toward runoff pollution in your local rivers and lakes.