Are you Aware of the Hidden Health Effects of Dust?
If you normally read our articles, you know that we publish articles that focus on exercise and nutrition. Because we spend most of our time indoors, that means that we are surrounded by dust. And we should understand the hidden health effects of dust and the impact it can have on our quality of life.
And for anyone suffering from allergies, they can make us downright miserable. More times than we realize, we take medication to cope with the problem, but sometimes solutions are simpler than we think. See the Infographic below from David Smith to understand more about dust and the role it plays in making you miserable. And if you happen to be fortunate enough to live close by David’s company, Cleaning Services Group, you can see how they can be of service to you. Please help me in thanking David for the information in this Infographic. You can see David’s bio below.
The Health Effects of Dust (Infographic)
Dust can have many effects on our health and wellbeing.
Even tiny quantities of dust can trigger an allergic reaction.
What is Dust Made From?
Dust can be defined as an air pollutant created by a variety of sources and activities. Some common objects found in dust include:
Dust mites
Fibres from carpet, bedding and clothing
Biological matter including human skin and skin cells from pets (also known as “dander”)
Soil
Particulate matter from smoking
Food debris (especially in the kitchen and dining room)
Pollen
Dust & Indoor Air Quality
Studies reveal that dust can deteriorate indoor air quality. In fact, research from the EPA shows that that the level of indoor pollutants can be between 2 to 5 times higher than outdoor levels. This is important considering that we spend 90% of our days indoors. Symptoms linked with poor air quality caused by dust include frequent headaches, long lasting colds, bronchitis, and/or chronic asthma.
What is the Link Between Dust and Allergies?
Allergies occur when a person’s immune system reacts to a foreign substance. Even tiny quantities of dust can trigger an allergic reaction. Dust allergy symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose, wheezing and difficulty breathing. And these symptoms may vary in severity depending on the individual.
Dust & The Spread of Disease
Dust is an example of a “fomite” i.e. an inanimate objects that can be contaminated with and transmit viruses and infections. Some examples of infections that could be spread by dust include the cold virus and influenza.
If you are curious about dust and would like to find out more, then you should take a look at this interesting infographic from The Cleaning Services Group. This useful guide examines the most common sources of dust and explains the many ways in which dust exposure can impact your health and wellbeing.
Author Bio
David Smith is the owner of Cleaning Services Group, an organisation which performs cleaning duties for a wide range of industries throughout the United Kingdom.
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Do you know that listening to music can effect your workout? Well, there’s proof that it helps with exercise duration and intensity. A 2017 academic study showed that people exercised an average of 37 minutes when listening to music. Now compare that to people who exercised 22 minutes without music. And the heart rate of people exercising to music far exceeded those of people who didn’t listen. The impact of exercising while listening to music is noticeable. This is likely to positively influence the effectiveness of the workout.
Review the infographic below from Michael Nash for additional details. Michael works at My Fitness Boutique, located in North London (West Hampstead). You can see Michael’s Bio below as well as additional information about his previous work. Michael’s has had a positive effect on our workout and hope you agree that it’s thorough and informative. Enjoy!
Music on Exercise Infographic
Did you enjoy The Effects of Music on Exercise?
Great, see another infographic from Michael: A 500-Calorie Burn in just 30 minutes. It compares different workouts that will give you a great burn in just 30 minutes!
About the Author:
Michael Nash is the Marketing Manager of My Fitness Boutique, a gym based in north London. He enjoys creating content related to fitness and does everything he can to help people succeed with their fitness goals.
We hope you found this information as helpful as we did. In fact, we grappled with this same question in a previous post: Exercise to Music.And we are delighted that Michael got to the bottom of that question for us too.
We hope you enjoy the benefits music can bring to your workout. Wishing you the best of health!
You may have seen the Infographic “The Negative Health Impact of Stress (Infographic)” before. And if you did, because good information is worth repeating, we want to be sure you see it again. And if you have not seen it before, see below. This infographic shows you what is happening to your body the next time you are stressed out. And offers suggestions on how to alleviate the dangers. Please join us in welcoming author Aris Grigoriou (Aris’ Bio can be see below).
The Negative Health Impact of Stress
While many of us have an awareness of the mental and emotional impact of stress, there is less understanding of how it can affect us physically. However, there is a very strong link between stress and our physical well being. Furthermore, this is evidenced by the fact that between 75 – 90% of all doctor’s visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
The Stress Response
To better understand how stress impacts our health, it’s a good idea to learn more about the body’s stress response:
1. When we have feelings of stress or anxiety, the amygdala (the part of the brain that processes emotions) emits a distress signal to the hypothalamus (the brain’s control centre).
2. As a result, the body is flooded with adrenaline.
3. The release of adrenaline triggers the “fight or flight response”. This essentially puts the body into high-alert mode.
4. This prompts numerous physiological changes e.g. faster heartbeats, higher blood pressure, rapid breathing, and/or tensed muscles.
5. The brain then sends out the stress hormone “Cortisol”. Cortisol can temporarily modify or shut down bodily functions that are deemed to hamper survival.
6. Experts believe this to be the root cause of many of the physical symptoms associated with stress (e.g. headaches, stomach aches, insomnia etc.).
Find Out More About The Negative Health Impact of Stress
If you are curious about the science of stress you can learn more about how stress affects the body in the Infographic below, brought to you by Study Medicine Europe. This educational guide includes a detailed outline of the many ways stress can negatively impact our health and wellbeing.
Disclaimer: While we are not knowledgeable enough with Study Medicine Europe to endorse them, we do know that Aris’ message is important. Thank you for spending time with us today!
Protein Supplements to Become the Preference of a Healthy Lifestyle
Protein Supplements are becoming the preference of a healthy lifestyle. And plant-based protein supplements are a great way to ensure proper nutrition. In this world of hectic schedules and busy lifestyles, physical fitness has become a challenging task. Additionally, maintaining a proper diet with the proper amount of protein and other nutrients is not easy at all. However, following a diet with high protein and low carbohydrate is all that people do to maintain as much as they can.
Protein plays an essential role to build muscles, restore and repair tissues, and produce enzymes and hormones. You also need to have a variety of plant-based proteins to get the essential amino acids. Yet, plant-based proteins, including protein powders, are getting highly adopted, because they are lower in calories and fats than animal-based proteins.
Best Source of Protein – Plants
Plants are one of the best sources of protein. Also, plant-based proteins can balance your diet and bodies very well. Whether you need to lose weight, improve your fitness, or just follow a healthy diet plan, plant-based proteins are the best to switch to. Moreover, plant-based protein supplements carry more benefits over other forms of protein supplements. Here are some of them:
Allergy-free: The gluten-free and hypoallergenic plant-based protein supplements are better over animal-based protein supplements, as most people suffer from allergies such as gas or bloating while using animal-based protein supplements. Moreover, plant-based protein powder can be a preference and best choice for major allergy concerns.
Full of fiber: Fiber is important for our body to feel content. Plants contain large amounts of fiber that improves digestion as well as make us feel full. Therefore, supporting our diet and keeping us naturally full and regular. Additionally, fiber rewards good health to the heart.
Boosts metabolism: Protein is important to increase the metabolism of the body. As the plant-based protein supplement contains fiber, it takes longer to digest the plant protein. Therefore, making you feel content for longer times with increased metabolism.
Provides other nutrients: Plant-based protein powder offers antioxidants and adds up other vitamins and minerals in your diet. Therefore, those who are unable to maintain a properly nutritious diet can switch to the benefits of plant-based protein supplements.
Importance of fats: Our body requires some saturated fats to absorb certain vitamins and complete important functions. Plant-based protein supplements fulfill the need for such fats. These saturated fats are harmless and can be useful for weight loss, therefore no need to be afraid.
Plants are one of the best sources of protein.
Plant-based protein supplements are easily absorbed by the body
Other than vitamins and minerals they are a great source of iron as well. The variety of advantages provided by plant-based supplements has led to an increase in the demand for it. With this various food manufacturers have initiated to increase the range of plant-based proteins. Recently, Ingredion has enlarged its variety of plant-based solutions with its first protein isolate. Roquette will be launching plant-based proteins from peas and fava beans.
Ingredion to introduce new plant-based protein isolate
A new solution has been launched by Ingredion, a plant-based ingredient provider. The company has recently enlarged its range of plant-based ingredient solutions with the launch of protein isolate. This product is derived from peas and it’s 80% protein. This ingredient is a solution that ensures that manufacturers claims of “high in protein” is accurate.
Furthermore, Severine Bensa, the regional growth platform leader in marketing, specified that the demand for plant-based products is increasing. People are being influenced to reduce their consumption of meat due to health concerns. Bensa added, that with customers looking for non-animal sources of protein, manufacturers are also looking to increase their food items with plant-based sources of protein. With protein isolate, the manufacturers can now create high protein products to meet the needs of their customers.
Roquette enlarges its range with new plant-based proteins
Following the same trend, another plant-based ingredient manufacturing company Roquette has announced to launch two new plant-based textured proteins to meet the growing demands of the customers. The range of newly launched plant-based protein will follow one from peas and other from fava beans. Other than peas, the fava beans are the best source of protein, and it is gluten and GMO-free. Besides, fava beans follow an environmentally friendly culture. Furthermore, with the product named NUTRALYS® TP-C and NUTRALYS® TF-C the company aims to support food manufacturers with their high-added-value solutions.
Protein Supplements – Advantages offered by plant-based supplements
Grabbing a protein bar or switching your whole diet to plant-based protein supplements, will help to grow healthier. The advantages offered by plant-based proteins have outgrown its adoption amongst the people. A report published by Allied Market Research, reveals that the global plant-based protein supplement market is expected to portray a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.7% from 2019 to 2026.
Allied Market Research reports that plant-based protein supplements have an expected growth rate of 6.7% by 2026.
The rise in awareness among people for health and fitness and an increase in the vegan population have boosted the growth of the market. On the other hand, the increase in obesity rates as well has fueled the growth of the market. Let plant-based protein supplements help you to accomplish your goals of having a perfect body and fine diet. Grab some good sources of plant proteins and enjoy the healthier side of a tasty diet!
Author Bio:
Akshita Pacholi has earned a master’s degree in English Literature and is presently working as a content writer with Allied Market Research.
Akshita loves reading, writing short stories, poems, and blogs. She is a selective sports’ admirer and is an avid continuous learner.
Happy New Year to you! And, with the new year we normally think about making at least one new fitness resolution. A time to reflect on what we’ve done right and try to change things we may have let slip a bit from where we’d ideally like to be. And this is the perfect time to think about what we would like to achieve during the upcoming year.
So, if you made a New Year’s resolution to stay fit and eat healthy, congratulations. And to give you a helping hand with that, we have some tips for you. Sticking with your health goals will be the best gift you can give yourself. And if you haven’t been active in a while, it may also prove to be the most challenging.
I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that anything worthwhile isn’t, and will never be, easy. And that goes for exercising and staying active. Your new goals will require motivation and a desire to change on your part. And unfortunately, the more time you’ve spent behind your desk inactive, the harder it may be. But if you set realistic goals and attain them, the benefits are worth it. You’ll see…
What does your fitness resolution look like?
Why do we make resolutions every New Year anyway? What’s in it for us?
Let’s start by seeing what resolution really means. And by using Google search we found that there are actually six varying definitions for resolution, but we’ll focus on the two related to goal setting.
Similar: determination, purpose, resolve, will power, intentness…
—
3. the action of solving a problem, dispute, or contentious matter.
Similar: solution to, answer to, end to, resolving, settlement, conclusion…
Ok, so the dictionary states that we have to make a firm decision to do something (or not). Got that. And we have a problem we want to solve. Got that too.
What are your goals?
So now we need to zero in on what we want to do. This requires a bit more thought so dig deep. Do you:
a bit overweight?
eat too much junk food?
sit too much?
too ‘soft in the middle’ and want to firm-up?
or something else entirely?
Your goals don’t have to require a huge change. In fact, small changes are usually more manageable and sustainable. Meaning that we are more apt to stick with them, making them the perfect resolution. So let’s create that list.
For example, you may want to 1. eat less candy, 2. stop going back for seconds at mealtime, 2. stop snacking after dinner. These are perfect goals. They are reasonable and do-able.
It’s here that you’ll want to make a note of the date and the change you want to happen. If you want to lose weight or tone up, take a ‘before’ photo. Set your calendar to check in again in 3 months to see how you are doing. Do this until you hit your one year anniversary of change. Expect setbacks, it’s a normal part of life, but remember, those moments don’t define your success. The positive reinforcements of what you want success to be will. And if it will help, read these suggestions every 3 months to help with that reinforcement.
Not just for the new year, but a Lifetime Fitness Resolution
Now that we know our resolution and our goals, we should think of them every morning when we get out of bed. First thing – every morning. Think about those goals and what you want to make happen. Make it a habit. What is the problem and what are you going to do about it? What is your goal?
Towards that, we thought it would be a great time to share four tips for good health that are simple to do and easy to remember. Making it a habit means that you will soon begin to see some of the positive benefits from those goals you are reminding yourself of each morning!
Simple and Easy Fitness Improvements
1. Think outside the gym.
Remember that you don’t need to go to the gym to get a full-body workout. Many exercises including push-ups, stretches, lunges, and squats can all be done at home, without any equipment.
You can also exercise at the office with little or no sweat. Getting up from your chair each hour for a few stretches will work wonders. Don’t overdo the exercise list – you only need a few exercises – one for each muscle group to get you going. Switch the exercises every few months to wake up additional muscles (you have over 600!).
It’s true that abs are made in the kitchen. Exercise without good nutrition will help, but it’ll go much further with the right food choices. Learning how to eat healthy can seem daunting, but it’ll be easier if you set goals.
Start by making small changes, such as filling half your plate with vegetables, eating a healthier alternative for dessert, or skipping 2nd helpings. If you can, preparing meals in advance. This will not only save time during the week but also help you stick to your healthy eating habits.
Don’t skip meals – waiting until you are very hungry before eating can lead to overeating. Browse our Blog Posts page for tips related to nutritional shopping and how to slowly change your eating habits.
3. Stay hydrated.
Drinking water keeps your muscles energized and helps speed up metabolism. It also helps flush out toxins after a tough workout. See if you are drinking enough water by visiting Guard Your Health and using their hydration calculator. If you are falling short of the recommended hydration requirements, here are some tips to help you stay hydrated:
Bring a refillable bottle of water to work every day
Add lemon, pineapple, or cucumber for flavor
Stay hydrated by snacking on watermelon, oranges, or cantaloupe
4. Don’t underrate the importance of sleep.
Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury. Sleep deprivation can increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, and depression. You should get 7-9 hours of sleep every night. If you are having trouble sleeping, try this:
Unplug from all devices 30-45 minutes before going to bed
Eat dinner at least two hours before bedtime
Block out sounds with white noise or earplugs
Conclusion
Create Realistic Goals
Track Your Goals and make them a habit
Reap your Fitness Resolution Benefits
Do you have fitness goals you’d like to share?
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to visit us. Wishing you the best of health and a wonderfully successful 2020!
Food journaling is an excellent way to observe your consumption habits and notice where you might be getting off track from your health goals. A study done by Kaiser Permanente showed that those who logged their food intake lost double the weight as their counterparts over a six week period. That alone makes journaling worth the effort. And the printable log at the bottom of this post is a free resource to help you begin your food journal journey.
What is a food journaling?
Before we discuss how to food journal, it’s important to note what food journaling is. A food journal is a simple log that records your food and beverage intake throughout the day. For best results, it’s recommended to log your intake immediately after consumption.
Understanding your eating mannerisms can shed some light into certain food intolerances and even point out triggers that make you eat poorly in your diet.
What to log in your journal
The longer you have your journal, the more you can personalize it based on your own eating habits and health goals. How to Start Food Journalingsuggests logging the following basics in your food journal.
The food or drink
The amount
The time
The location or environment (driving, in a restaurant, at your desk)
Your feelings (bored, hungry, tired)
The scenario (watching TV, family dinner, rushing to an appointment)
How the food was prepared (baked, boiled, fried)
Additional sides, toppings, or condiments
And once you’re in the habit of recording these basics, start logging more detailed descriptions of your consumption throughout the day.
How to Food Journal – Track trends in your diet
The longer you keep your food journal updated, the more data you’ll have on your eating habits to better gauge trends. Notice if you’re eating a lot of processed sugars, high carb, or low protein. You may find that you are eating on the go fairly often, or eating mindlessly when you’re bored. When this happens, try to come up with some action steps, like meal prepping, to save some time and better manage the type of food you’re eating.
Food Journaling benefits
Enhance your ability to evaluate your hunger and mood before and after you eat by keeping a food journal. You’ll find an increased sense of accountability in your diet and portion control. When you’re actively making decisions, and thinking of your food habits critically, the chances of unhealthy habits significantly decrease. A food journal can assist in weight loss, finding food intolerances, and accountability in your diet.
There are plenty of different methods to track food habits, but a study done by the PEW Research Center noted benefits from the 50% of people tracking their notes on paper. Using the simple food log printable shown below, with some consistency, you’ll be on your way to creating a happy and healthy lifestyle. Think about keeping your journal somewhere you’ll see it often. Consider posting it on your refrigerator or tape it to one of your kitchen cabinets.
Jessica Baker is a Junior Content Marketing Specialist who enjoys generating traffic via quality content for her clients. When she’s not in the office, you can find her enjoying nature or reading novels.
You can see more of Jessica’s work at Kitchen Cabinet Kings. Please let Jessica know if you have any questions about journaling…
If you like swimming you know that before hitting the water, you do your stretching on land. Cycling through parts of your body – arms, back, and legs – to activate muscles for a perfect swim. Then grab your goggles. Spring on the diving board. And scoot away in the pool. Though your workout is relaxing, you feel there’s more you can do in the pool than churning out endless laps.
Swimming is often a fantastic but overlooked full-body workout…
Want to take your water workouts to the next level? Be ready to improve your swimming technique a little. Even increase your swimming endurance. That way, you’ll get more out of your trips to the pool. There are plenty of tips that’ll point you in the right direction – making your experience very rewarding.
Transform Your Swimming Endurance
There’s much to focus on as a swimmer while trying to improve your swim workouts. And one of them is your breathing pattern. Effective breathing is your ticket to swimming faster and for longer. Because it enhances your energy and lowers your intensity. Getting you into a comfortable and relaxed breathing rhythm.
When your breathing pattern is more disciplined, you’re less likely to experience the hurried sensation shortness of breath elicits during a hard set. Often, in this scenario, you breathe hard with every stroke. Only to end up scrambling for precious oxygen instead of focusing on your water workouts. It’s best to use your breathing rhythm as a weapon. And you’ll ace any swimming technique you engage in.
Here’s how to practice effective breathing:
1. Start simple and progress slowly
Breathe in every four strokes you take. If this feels so challenging, try breathing every three strokes. Slowly progressing your breathing pattern every time you jump in the pool will improve endurance.
2. Warm-up your lungs
Prime your lungs for the water workouts ahead – on land – before getting into the pool. Doing this will prepare your lungs for the big challenge. Try and master breathing patterns during your warm-up. This will help get your lungs more warmed up.
3. Throw a pull buoy between your legs
Dolphin kicks consume a lot of leg energy. Best part? Your breathing pattern can remedy this when you throw a pull buoy between your legs. It’s so easy to hold your breath in water for at least five or seven strokes at a time when you add in pull sets.
Build Muscle Swimming
Taking your swim workouts to the next level keeps things in the pool interesting. Most importantly, it works for different muscle groups. To build muscle, however, you need to mix different swimming strokes for an incredible pool workout.
Choose the Muscle Group You Want to Work…
Best-known swimming strokes that work for different muscle groups:
Freestyle – Works core, shoulders, glutes, and hamstrings.
Backstroke – Works more core, hamstrings, glutes, and shoulders.
Breaststroke – Works all leg muscles and chest.
Butterfly – Works all muscles in the body, literally.
Mixing up your water workout routine is a great way to take the load off your joints. Even burn up extra calories while engaging every muscle in your body.
You can also add in pull sets and dolphin kicks to the list to avoid overuse injuries and fatigue. If you’re experiencing low-back problems, steer clear of breaststroke. Also, if you have existing injuries or joint issues, it’s best to avoid swimming strokes that will make things worse for you.
Perfect Your Swimming Technique
You now feel more comfortable in the water. You can even feel your swimming technique has improved a little, but you can’t see it. Well, it’s time to get guidance from a qualified swimming expert. And you can easily achieve this goal by taking swimming lessons to help improve your swimming technique.
Considering having lessons with a coach can make a huge difference in your swimming. And even take your water workouts to the next level. See, there are tweaks you’re not familiar with, but a qualified swimming coach or teacher can help you understand. Or better grasp in a short time.
Most newbie swimmers, and even higher-level competitive swimmers, think swimming faster requires a modicum of effort. That you have to try harder at a workout to achieve your goal. Yet all you need to do is reduce drag to reach great speed and more distance. A coach will teach you these tips and more.
Remember, jumping in the pool and churning up and down in the water will get your body so relaxed. You’ll even get fit while at it.
But you want more.
Enhance your endurance by starting slowly. Warm-up your lungs before getting into the pool. Breathe in after every four strokes. And don’t forget to throw up the pull buoy between your legs.
Do specific workouts that will help you build muscle. These include freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.
And now perfect your technique. Let an experienced coach help you get expert moves tailored just for your specific situation.
These tips will help you move all the way to your workout goals.
Author Bio:
Nikos Vasilellis is the Founder of Nereids Aquatic Coaching and has a passion and love for aquatic activities which is combined with his care for helping others. Nereids Aquatic Coaching company helps children and adults overcome their fear of water by focusing on their individual strengths and helping them enjoy the aquatic environment.
Do you need help reaching your fitness goals? Graham Salwell is joining us today to help us with some great advice about how you can use technology to achieve your fitness goals. Please join us in welcoming Graham!
5 Ways Technology Can Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals
It’s hard to find an area of our lives left untouched by technology. And while it’s true this can be a nuisance, (how many times have you heard a cell phone go off in the middle of a wedding or missed a home run because of Instagram), it also means we have more tools than ever to help us achieve what we want to in life. Including our health & fitness.
For example, technology has made it easier than ever for us to take courses and improve our educationso that we can be better at our jobs and move forward with our careers.
But another great example is the ways in which technology can help achieve our fitness goals.
And this is great news since getting in shape is a top priority for most of us, but it can also be overwhelming.
Tap to Shop Amazon Fitbits
Access to technology such as fitness devices, blogs, apps, and social media all make it much easier to make progress in your fitness life and improve yourself in the ways you want to.
Here are five specific ways technology can help you achieve your fitness goals.
1. Technology Can Help with Fitness Goals – Goal Setting and Progress Tracking
It’s important to set goals if you want your fitness journey to be a success. These goals include not only tangible achievements such as “I want to reduce my mile time to less than 7 minutes,” or “I want to be able to run 10 miles,” or even “I want to lose fifteen pounds,” but also daily goals such as “I want to work out six days a week,” or “I want to eat more fruits and vegetables.”
These different types of goals are so important because they help keep you motivated and working towards something.
Technology helps you achieve these goals because it allows you to track your progress, which is critical for keeping the right mindset. This is because there will be days where you feel like you’re moving backwards. Perhaps you couldn’t beat your previous time, or you needed to stop before your goal distance. Without a record of your progress to date, it’s easy to allow yourself to overreact to this minor setback, which can stall you even more and put your whole program at risk.
One great app for this is MyFitnessPal, which lets you set all sorts of goals and track progress, as well as record your meals and calories, if you’re into that kind of thing. Nike+ Run is also good, but Apple Fitness is a simple app for those who are looking for a more basic tool to track their progress towards goals.
These apps will also send you notifications and they “gamify” your progress, which although technically meaningless, can, at times, be just the push you need to get to the gym and keep working towards your goals.
2. Technology Can Help with Fitness Goals – Gain Accurate Readings
All this progress tracking is important, but it’s useless if you don’t have a way of accurately measuring what you’re doing. Of course, for things such as reps and weights, this is pretty simple. But when dealing with other things such as distance and time, the accuracy of our phones and other devices, such as a Fitbit, are useful.
They can even provide you with measurements of your heart rate and other vitals, which become increasingly important as you march forward in your fitness journey and get more focused on what you’re trying to achieve.
Achieving your fitness goals will ultimately require you to adapt a high-quality diet
This is also really useful for your food. Achieving your fitness goals will ultimately require you to adapt a high-quality diet, and fitness apps can help you figure out exactly what you’re eating, which will allow you to plan better and build a diet that is supporting all that hard work you’re putting in at the gym.
3. Technology Can Help with Fitness Goals – Access Valuable Research and Advice
Another way technology helps you reach your fitness goals is by providing you with instant access to all sorts of fitness related content on the web. Of course, sometimes this can be bad, such as when we pay too much attention to certain aspects of body image on social media sites such as Instagram. But in general, you will find the web is full of supportive, helpful communities that all have one goal: helping you achieve your goals.
Reading blogs about other people’s journey’s, or following them live on social media, can help you recognize some of the challenges you’re facing, and this can also turn you onto some new things that might make it easier for you to achieve your goals.
Furthermore, the web gives us access to tons of academic research. It’s no secret the fitness space has been an area where scammers and people touting other hoaxes flourish.
But now, if you read a claim that seems too good to be true, or are curious to see why a certain supplement seems to be helping someone, you can usually find tons of information about this stuff from other sources, allowing you to make more informed fitness decisions that will put you more firmly on the path to success.
4. Technology Can Help with Fitness Goals – Connect with Fellow Athletes
In addition to this, technology makes it easier than ever for you to communicate and connect with like-minded individuals who have similar goals. Building such a relationship, even if it’s entirely digital, can be super helpful as it will give you someone to talk to who is going through a similar struggle.
Such a relationship can be even more motivating when the going gets tough. We all know how easy it is to give in and not work out after a long day, or to not push ourselves the way we had planned because we just want to get on with other things. But having someone there to encourage you will help build accountability, keeping you focused and working towards your goals.
If you can’t or don’t want to find someone connected to fitness, there are lots of coaches out there that will work with you over the phone or the internet to provide you with the social component of your fitness plan so that you can be more effective.
There are apps specifically designed to do this, such as Jaha, which runs on iOS and you can purchase from Apple’s App Store, as well as RunSocial, and Strava, both of which are available to Apple and Android users. However, Facebook is another place to look, especially if you are interested in meeting people in your local area with whom you can connect in person.
5. Technology Can Help with Fitness Goals – Make Use of Your Exercise Time
While it shouldn’t be this way, time is often one of the main reasons why we forgo working out so we can do other things. It’s time well spent, sure, but going to the gym or for a run can often feel like a chore, especially when you’ve got other things to do.
However, technology makes it easier than ever to multi-task. You can listen to podcasts or watch videos that are relevant to something else in your life, or you can even spend time on the treadmill or stationary bike reading or catching up on the news.
Of course, in an ideal world, you would leave your workout time for just working out, as disconnecting from the rest of your life is often one of the best perks of exercising. But for those days when it feels like the rest of your life is going to win out, knowing technology can help you have it all could be an important factor that encourages you to keep pushing forward.
Keep Working Towards Your Goals
Fitness is a journey, and in many ways, it’s also a lifestyle. The technology you use will support you in this journey, but these tools will not, by themselves, deliver results. In the end, that’s up to you and your commitment to getting and staying well.
However, this drive usually comes after you’ve directly experienced the benefits of focusing on your fitness, and technology can help get you to this point more quickly, bringing you that much closer to achieving your goals.
About the author: Graham Salwell…
Graham is a self-confessed tech nerd and fitness enthusiast. When he’s not writing content on technology and digital business you can find him running in the park and open spaces around Los Angeles.
Gluten-Free Airline Dining for Gluten-Free Travelers…
While global flight carriers have made tremendous strides to accommodate the dietary needs of passengers who cannot eat gluten, there’s not much clear information available about the popular airline policies. If you are looking for Gluten Free airline food, you have to do your research. That is why we want to share this preview of a guide that will simplify all of that for you!
The guide lists 54 popular airlines and how friendly they are for gluten-free fliers. We believe this is a must-read for you if you are planning a long flight and have special dietary needs. For the full article, please share the link below with someone you know that requires special dietary attention from the airlines. Read on…
You need to know:
Some of the most common foods – chocolate, nuts, cheese – are the most risky
The majority of airlines allow a 24-hour notice, but some require up to 72 hours ahead for special meals
Airlines don’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to the in-flight dining experience. However, those of us who complain about the standard choice between “chicken or pasta?” should count our blessings.
While traveling with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, you aren’t so much concerned about a bland piece of protein and veggie preferences as you are about your own safety and wellbeing. Putting your gastrointestinal health in someone else’s hands can be worrisome – even more so while 40,000 feet in the air.
Fortunately, Reservations.com rounded up a guide to airline dining for gluten-free travelers that offers some interesting research as well as practical tips for flying with a gluten sensitivity. After surveying 54 airlines, they fortunately round that nearly all offer “Special Meal” requests to accommodate a variety of food allergies and/or healthy conditions.
Here is a quick overview from the guide:
Most airlines allow you to reserve a “Special Meal” request up to 24 hours before departure. But be sure to check, some airlines cut off at 48 or even 72 hours prior
A handful of the airlines surveyed charge extra for meal accommodations
Many airlines cannot guarantee gluten-free meals were free from cross-contamination; others explicitly state their options are just “low in gluten”
The sooner you input your “Special Meal” request, the better
Do your research and be prepared to bring your own snacks and meals if you’re unsure of the care they put into the preparation.
Please keep in mind that this is only an overview. Find the entire guide, “Airline Dining for Gluten-Free Travelers” to save and use as a reference for yourself or a loved one that could benefit from this important information.
How to avoid some airline food, like this: And Get Helpful Travel Tips, like this:
Gluten-Free Airline Dining for Gluten-Free Travelers…
While global flight carriers have made tremendous strides to accommodate the dietary needs of passengers who cannot eat gluten, there’s not much clear information available about the popular airline policies. If you are looking for Gluten Free airline food, you have to do your research. That is why we want to share this preview of a guide that will simplify all of that for you!
The guide lists 54 popular airlines and how friendly they are for gluten-free fliers. We believe this is a must-read for you if you are planning a long flight and have special dietary needs. For the full article, please share the link below with someone you know that requires special dietary attention from the airlines. Read on…
You need to know:
Some of the most common foods – chocolate, nuts, cheese – are the most risky
The majority of airlines allow a 24-hour notice, but some require up to 72 hours ahead for special meals
Airlines don’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to the in-flight dining experience. However, those of us who complain about the standard choice between “chicken or pasta?” should count our blessings.
While traveling with celiac disease or a gluten intolerance, you aren’t so much concerned about a bland piece of protein and veggie preferences as you are about your own safety and wellbeing. Putting your gastrointestinal health in someone else’s hands can be worrisome – even more so while 40,000 feet in the air.
Fortunately, Reservations.com rounded up a guide to airline dining for gluten-free travelers that offers some interesting research as well as practical tips for flying with a gluten sensitivity. After surveying 54 airlines, they fortunately round that nearly all offer “Special Meal” requests to accommodate a variety of food allergies and/or healthy conditions.
Here is a quick overview from the guide:
Most airlines allow you to reserve a “Special Meal” request up to 24 hours before departure. But be sure to check, some airlines cut off at 48 or even 72 hours prior
A handful of the airlines surveyed charge extra for meal accommodations
Many airlines cannot guarantee gluten-free meals were free from cross-contamination; others explicitly state their options are just “low in gluten”
The sooner you input your “Special Meal” request, the better
Do your research and be prepared to bring your own snacks and meals if you’re unsure of the care they put into the preparation.
Please keep in mind that this is only an overview. Find the entire guide, “Airline Dining for Gluten-Free Travelers” to save and use as a reference for yourself or a loved one that could benefit from this important information.
How to avoid some airline food, like this: And Get Helpful Travel Tips, like this: Wishing You Happy & Safe Travels!
We hope you found Reservation.com’s article so helpful that you share it with your friends. And we want to thank you for taking time out of your day to visit with us.
Wishing you the best of health!
Wishing You Happy & Safe Travels!
We hope you found Reservation.com’s article so helpful that you share it with your friends. And we want to thank you for taking time out of your day to visit with us.
Try Outdoor Activities for stress-free fun! As you may know, we focus on helping people with sedentary jobs become more active and stay motivated. And additionally, since these jobs usually lead to stress, how to deal with that stress. And what’s the best way to deal with stress?
Being Active with Outdoor Activities, of course!
And having said that, we know that the best way for professionals with desk jobs to get active is with a great vacation. And towards that, we were fortunate enough to be introduced to Julie Singh (see Julie’s Bio below). Julie wrote an amazing article containing 62 activities to do in the great outdoors. Need we say more? Sunshine anyone?
So, if you want to plan an adventurous outdoor vacation, here’s some inspiration from Julie! We’ve just provided a sample here, but you can check out Julie’s complete article here:
Summer Outdoor Activities
1. Nature Walks
An outdoor activity for people of all ages and all experience levels. Just get outside, pick a trail and walk around enjoying the great outdoors. Take in the beautiful views, nature around you, and wildlife. You can even search for specific plants or wildlife on your walk.
2. Hiking
Discover why so many people fall in love with hiking! Get into the outdoors and leave your worries at the trailhead. Hiking can be any difficulty, from a quick half hour saunter along a river to a strenuous multi-hour mountain trek. Choose what best suits your ability and study up on trail reports before going – usually found on state recreation sites online.
TIP: Our favorite hike finding, and navigation app is Alltrails. The Pro version allows you to download offline maps, which can come in handy for backcountry adventures if you’re not packing a map and a compass.
3. Backpacking
If you enjoy hiking and camping in any form, then combining those outdoor activities is exactly what you should do! While backpacking, you will carry everything you need for the duration of your trek on your back. This approach to adventuring in nature can be highly rewarding as people can feel much closer with nature and aware of their surroundings. Be sure to have the right gear and look up trail and weather reports before setting of on your journey! Some essentials for your backpacking trip include:
Winter Outdoor Activities
53. Ice Skating
A great activity for all seasons, you can find an indoor rink in the hot summer to stay cool or check out some beautiful outdoor rinks or even a frozen pond in the winter months. You can rent skates and get out on the rink to practice your speed, your balance, or even your grace practicing spins and jumps.
54. Sledding
A must do winter-time outdoor activity! You can purchase a sled or make your own following DIY instructions or even use something as accessible as a garbage can lid find a hill with some snow and let the sled do the rest of the work. The adrenaline rush going down the hill will make it worth the climb back up every time!
55. Snowshoeing
Don’t let snow stop you from taking a hike in the winter, keep exploring your favorite trails. Feel the effects that snow has on nature as everything has a blanket of calming silence over it. Snowshoeing allows you to access otherwise inaccessible areas in deep snow and offers incredible rewards with stunning wintertime views. Most outdoor gear stores offer rentals and advice, and don’t forget to check forecasts before hitting the trail!
About the Outdoor Activities Author – Julie Singh…
Julie is passionate about outdoor adventure, wildlife and conservation. She spends her free time mountain biking, hiking, paddle boarding and snowboarding, and she also loves to challenge herself with new outdoor adventures.
Julie spent 15 years in Retail, Merchandising and Finance, leading teams and growing large businesses before she co-founded TripOutside with her husband Reet.
