Fitness Blog

Forget Writing a WillWho’s Going to Manage Your Facebook After You Die?

Writing of wills has been practiced since the beginning of time and is still being practiced, since time in memorial. Wills come in handy when your time on earth has elapsed and you want your treasured possessions left in the hands of the right people who will continue building your legacy in years to come. However, most people don’t pay attention to what’s going to happen to their social accounts after they die.

Even though some people find it ghoulish spending time on planning what will happen after they pass on, let alone their Facebook account, this company has established policies to address the question at hand- what happens to your Facebook account after you die?

Facebook’s new policy simplifies things during these hard times. In the past, Facebook provided a primary memorialized account that was only visible but couldn’t be managed, or freeze the account all together after one dies. After viewing suggestions from users who had suffered a loss, the company became aware that they could do more to assist those who were mourning and those who wish to say what will happen to their accounts after they die.

Taking advantage of these attributes is not compulsory; you don’t have to set a person to control your account.

The two options were formulated was to either have their Facebook account permanently deleted or elect a legacy contact, who is like an heir to their Facebook account to manage it after they pass-on. Another option would be to have the account permanently deleted, which was not possible initially.

Naming a legacy contact
When one selects the legacy contact option, after the account is memorialized, the heir of the Facebook account has the authority to administer posts and pin them atop your timeline, acknowledge new friend requests, and update the cover photo and profile picture. However, the legacy contact doesn’t have access to any account details or private messages.

In addition, Facebook can also allow the legacy contact to download files that contain the account’s posts, photos, as well as other information, as long as you provide your contact with additional permission. The legacy contact must be a Facebook user. He/she will not be notified that you’ve selected them to be the legacy contact until your Facebook account is memorialized. However, you can send them a message informing them of your choice if you wish.

Annually, Facebook will send a reminder of your selection, which is useful just in case the person dies before you or your friendship turns sour at some point. The legacy contact will also be issued with their own Facebook login, different from the way you signed in.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: facebook, facebook memorial, social media

Re-start your Resolutions Today!

It is common for people to make New Year’s resolutions year in, year out. But the hard part is seeing those resolutions through. Hitting the gym or eating right is usually number two or three on the list right after quitting a bad habit or looking for a better career.

As the clock counts down to the New Year, each individual’s heart is filled with enthusiasm of starting a fresh and fulfilling the list that’s meant to impact their lives one way or another. But shortly after into the year, the days begin to turn into weeks, weeks into months and before you know it, another new year is fast approaching; the list is long forgotten.

You soon realize that nothing ever changes in your life. The great thing is that it is never too late to re-start those resolutions, no matter what time of year it is. So don’t thing about cancelling that gym membership or abandoning your diet plan just yet. They say that our worst enemy is ourselves. We agree to defeat even before the war has begun and become the first to beat on ourselves when something goes wrong.

Exercising and maintaining a diet plan has never been easy and the results don’t just occur overnight. Therefore, before you go so hard on yourself, first add ‘never give up no-matter what!’ to your list. Exercising and maintaining a healthy diet requires a lot of commitment, time and persistence from self.
Before you think of backing out, here are some pointers that will help you keep on track to achieving your resolutions.

1.Staying positive
Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial to obtaining the results you want. Telling yourself that ‘I am going to make it’ and believing exactly that is a great motivator to remaining focused on your regime. But don’t go rewarding yourself with a big slice of cake the moment you notice you’ve lost 2 pounds. Instead, keep at it to reap more fruit.

2.Timetable
Designate a specified time for your gym sessions and also make a food timetable so that you ensure your diet is balanced or so that no food group is omitted in your diet.

3.Great company
Surround yourself with people who have the same aspirations as you. You’ll be able to motivate each other and also make sure you don’t miss any gym workout.

It is vital to remain fit and healthy for an extended healthy life. And once you start following through on your exercises and diet, the rest will fall in line. Picture this, when you’re healthy, you feel more confident and great about yourself, meaning that you are able to work more efficiently in your workplace hence more productivity, more income. It is like killing two birds with one stone.

No-one expects you to be an expert with the first try. Therefore, you need to start slow and start small. If it’s sit-ups and squats, start with 10-15 counts, then progress to 20-30 with time. The reason why most people give up the moment they’ve just begun is because they commence at a higher level than they should.

The more you exercise and diet, the easier it becomes with time and before you know it, it becomes a part of you. So if losing weight or becoming healthy is part of your resolution and has been for a while now, it is never too late to jump start on it. Start today!

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: exercise, fitness, getting fit, new year resolution, working out

Healthy protein-rich meals you can prepare at home fast

We are constantly bombarded with information on health and eating clean. Nearly every article and book you read nowadays talks about healthy eating and healthy living. With the increase in obesity cases due to unhealthy lifestyles, most people are at risk of contracting chronic health diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and various other diseases related to poor health diets.

However, this doesn’t stop the majority from eating junk food.

The most common excuse people come up with for not eating healthy or exercising is because they have no time to prepare a healthy meal at home. We all live busy lives. We have jobs, children to pick up from school, laundry to wash, grass to be cut etc.

So the quickest option is to order take-out or buy processed foods (that we know is bad for our bodies) from supermarkets that don’t take much time to prepare, right?

Wrong! There are other that doesn’t take time a long time to prepare. For instance Quinoa; it is a seed that can be substituted for grain-based meals such as oatmeal, pasta, and rice. Quinoa contains a lot of carbs and protein.

The good thing about lean meat proteins such as boneless, skinless chicken breasts and ground turkey is that they can be purchased in bulk and can be used for used in a variety of recipes. You can also have it all cooked and store it in the freezer thereby eliminating the temptation to order Chinese. Lean ground turkey is low in fat and has high protein. You can choose to have turkey tacos prepared with cumin and onion then top it up with avocado.

Here are some examples of easy to prepare protein meals that take a short while to prepare (30 minutes max), which you can prepare yourself at home.

Chicken, peppers and brown rice
This dish is full of flavours and comes with the omission of dough, salt and fat. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare or less. The ingredients needed for this meal are chicken breasts, olive oil, garlic, brown rice, red bell pepper, yellow onions, low-sodium chicken broth, corn starch, mild curry powder, salt, and pepper.
Quinoa and yogurt parfait
This can make for a great breakfast meal, desert or snack during the day. The ingredients for this dish include quinoa, apple (Fuji or Cortland), ripe Anjou or Bartlett pear, Greek yogurt, Stevia in the raw and cinnamon.
Florentine omelet sandwich
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; therefore you shouldn’t skip it simply because you don’t have time to prepare it. This meal takes about 5 minutes to cook and it also provides the energy one requires to kick-start the day. All that’s needed to prepare this dish are eggs, olive oil, frozen spinach, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and toasted whole wheat bread.

You should never make up excuses especially when it comes to your own personal health. Eating healthily increases your life expectancy. And the way to ensure this is by preparing meals at home instead.
No more excuses for fast food takeaway!

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: healthy meals, proper nutrition, protein meals, quick meals

Smoothies that combat stress

Stress is inevitable. Unfortunately we face stressful situations on a daily basis. It can be brought about by a variety of scenarios such as work, relationship issues, the death of a loved one, loss of a job and many others. Some of these factors may be unavoidable however, there are foods that can easily help restrain the consequences of high stress levels.

When a person becomes stressed, the body secretes hormones such as epinephrine and cortisol that can lead to sleeping problems, weight gain, depression and even extreme illnesses such as diabetes and cancer. Once the perceived threat is gone, the hormone levels begin to normalize and these effects die down.
If you are often stressed out, there are foods that contain vital ingredients that will help combat and minimalize stress.

A great way to consume these foods is in the form of a smoothie. They taste incredible, easy to make and take you no time at all.
Here are examples of smoothies that help minimize stress levels

Bee pollen, nutmeg, cinnamon, Greek yogurt, avocado, carrot, walnut, and almond milk smoothie.
Banana, walnut, spinach, coconut oil, almond milk, and almond smoothie.
Fig, banana, walnut and water smoothie. This is ideal for someone who prefers fewer ingredients.
Pumpkin purée, coconut water, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, ice, banana, Greek yogurt, and walnut.
A great day starter is the banana, flaxseed, walnut, granola, and raspberry drink.
Avocado, orange, pineapple, and walnut smoothie; the ideal remedy to minimizing stress.

All these smoothies contain important foods that help you to overcome high stress level for instance walnuts; they have omega-3 essential fatty acids that are reported to boost one’s mood, and are highly related to minimizing depression rates.

Also, fruit containing high levels of vitamin C such as berries, kiwi and oranges are scientifically proven to reduce stress.
Bananas minimize stress in a natural manner. It contains a chemical compound (vitamin B6) that increases serotonin levels, soothes the nervous system, and makes you feel more relaxed and less frustrated. Fresh apple juice is great for the body and should be on the menu daily.

Ginger and vanilla bean are also great stress relievers. Ginger helps to boost your current mood and prevents negative energy. Gingerol, which is the main element in ginger, helps clear out malign chemicals secreted by the body that leads to psychological stress when a person is worried. Vanilla beans help soothe, calm and relax the body. Its very smell activates feel-good sensations in the body.
Life has several stressful situations and we will constantly be exposed to them. Having a fruit smoothie rich in vitamin C on a daily basis will help reduce, or even prevent the effects of stress hormones.

Sometimes these stressful situations are unavoidable. But the good thing is that smoothies provide way in which the stress levels can be minimized or even completely eradicated as well as tasting so good! Something as simple as a glass of smoothie daily is all it takes to make the difference.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: healthy smoothies, nutrition, smoothies, workout nutrition

Exercise -The best remedy for strengthening your body and relationship altogether

We’ve all seen the smitten couples in the gym getting their sweat on together. Taking part in a 5km race, a yoga session, or working out in the gym may not seem as the ideal romantic outing, but couples who workout together not only avoid gaining the extra pound usually associated with marriage, but they also grow their relationship bond, improve their sex life, and perhaps have a bright happy future.

It is easy to ignore regular stretching sessions because you feel fit from the workouts. But the realization that you are not as perfectly fit as you thought sets in when you reach down for an object and are unable to get up again.

Once you start experiencing muscle twinges and knee aches, those are definite signs that something is clearly amiss. Flexibility exercises especially in preparation for the summer are a great way to prevent muscle constriction and pains. Summer is usually a fun time to explore various activities such as water-board skating, dancing, hiking and various other summer activities.

Regular flexibility exercises aids improve mobility and a variety of body movements. The more flexible the body is, the lesser the chances of acquiring an injury from summer activities as well as normal daily routines. Regardless of whether it’s dancing, mountain climbing or simply just swimming in the pool, these activities require great amount of force and flexibility for optimum body movement.
Here are a few common stretching exercises that are done to improve flexibility

1.Butterfly stretch
The butterfly stretch broadens muscles in the inner thigh and groin. One is required to sit on the floor with the feet flat to the ground. Let the knees drop to the ground and squeeze the soles of your feet together. Bring your heels close to your groin without causing pain. Your back should remain straight as you gently bounce your knees up and down repeatedly to loosen the muscles. The stretch should take about 8-10 seconds. Next, gently thrust your knees towards the ground using your elbows for another 8-10 seconds.

2.Kneeling quadriceps stretch
This enhances flexibility along the hamstrings and inner thigh as well as averts injury on the whole upper leg. It starts from a kneeling position. Bring the right foot forward and position it flat on the ground. The knee of your right leg should create 90 degrees angle. With your back still straight, slowly push your hips towards your right leg. You’ll be able to feel a stretch on your left quadriceps and right hamstring. Hold that position for about 10-15 seconds before doing a repeat with the left leg.

3.Arm and shoulder stretch
Flexibility doesn’t only apply to the back, waist and legs; arm and shoulder flexibility is also important for any activity. To start the shoulder stretch, connect your fingers and rotate your wrist in a manner that your palms are facing away from your body. Slowly lift your arms over your head and retain the stretch for approximately 10-15 seconds. Go back to the starting position and place your right hand behind your head. Grasp your right elbow with your right hand and carefully squeeze it down your back as far as you can without feeling a discomfort. Hold for 8-10 seconds then repeat the whole process with the left elbow.

There are various other flexibility stretches to aid one in preparation for the summer activities. It is important however to remember that in all exercises and stretches, safety comes first. Don’t over-do it to the point where you suffer an injury. Do smaller, simpler stretches, then with time progress to the more difficult ones after your body has gotten used to it.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: couples workout, group fitness, working out

Improve Your Flexibility For Everyday Health

Most people tend to mainly focus on heavy weight lifting or things that involve running and jogging for either muscle toning or losing weight. What people do not realize or tend to ignore, is that flexibility is also important.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: flexibility, mobility, muscle soreness

The Link Between Obesity and Cancer

We are living in the ‘age’ of obesity. Within the last century, there hasn’t been as much people obesity as now. Due to the huge rise of this disease, there has also been a sharp rise in the number of cancer cases directly linked to obesity. Annually, hundreds of thousands of cancer cases are associated with obesity, as claimed by National Cancer Institute. In fact, Obesity is fast overtaking tobacco as the number one, avoidable cause of cancer. But still, most people fail to see the how obesity increases the chances of being diagnosed with cancer.

Moreover, it is believed that obesity also affects the effectiveness of cancer treatments.
With the growing numbers in obesity cases especially in children, it’s vital to know how the two are linked in order to minimize your risk.

A major steering factor contributing to the obesity pandemic is the large sugar consumption, Obesity and cancer occurs when the body is unable to burn fat as fuel (insulin resistance). Moreover, sugar also brings about persistent inflammation, thereby raising cancer risk. Fat tissue produces hormones known as adipokines, which inhabits or stimulates cell growth. When these hormones are imbalanced, the body is unable to efficiently prevent cell damage.

One of the most fruitful ways of reversing insulin resistance is by sporadic fasting. Also, making some principal diet alterations such as limiting fructose and sugar intake, and opting for healthy fats instead of carbs will decrease your risk of becoming obese and getting cancer.

Several studies have linked obesity to escalating risk of various cancers such as colon cancer, kidney cancer, esophagus cancer, pancreas cancer and breast cancer.
In a research conducted in 2003, it was reported that over 900,000 obese Americans had a greater chance of dying from cancer, in contrast to those who weighed normally.
The death percentage from cancer is likely to increase in the next decade, mostly because of the increase in obesity rates. Another recent research study that involved 80,000 breast cancer patients revealed that pre-menopausal women with BMI (Body Mass Index) of more than 30 had a 21% chance of dying, whereas women with average body mass index had a 16.6% chance of expiry from the cancer.

Most people obtain their calories from added sugar every day. This is definitely a recipe for persistent poor health. Excessive sugar intake fuels cancer. The main issue with processed fructose and sugar is the fact that the liver has very limited volume to metabolize it. All the extra sugar is normally transformed into fat, which results in long-term metabolic diseases, one of them being cancer.

Another thing that contributes to obesity is lack of exercise in both children and adults. Exercise is essential for optimal health. However, no-one can exercise their way out of a poor diet. The two work hand in hand.

In order to minimize or even do away with cancer risk as well as other persistent diseases, limit sugar and fructose intake daily. The less processed sugar you eat the less chance you have of becoming obese. Also, give sporadic fasting a shot and exercise regularly. Remember that exercise does not make amends for a high sugar diet. A healthy lifestyle is the way to go.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: cancer, obesity, preventative health

Why Women Should Lift Weights

In today’s society, lifting weights often comes with attached with a ‘stigma’. People tend to think lifting weights equals huge muscle gains, giving the person a bulkier and massive frame. For women, this type of appearance is deemed unattractive. Due to this stereotype, the majority of women avoid lifting weights at all costs.

It is true that Weightlifting helps for muscle increase. But there are many other benefits of lifting weights. So ladies, don’t run just yet!

Contrary to most people’s perception about weightlifting, it can in fact help build a person’s self-esteem and confidence, while offering an attractive toned, strong body.

Weightlifting is a type of resistance training that goes along well with other cardio exercises. Working the treadmill and doing some yoga are great exercises; but usually they are just not enough to get the body you want.

Here are a few reasons why women should include strength training into their fitness regimen.

1. More potent fat loss

Weightlifting is not only effective in generating tones arms and thighs. When compared to cardiovascular workouts, weight training is the most effective in burning calories. The greatest benefit of this is the body’s ability to burn fat during and after a workout.

2. More calorie dissipating, more muscle
As you build lean muscle and strength, your body utilizes calories more productively. Wright lifting encourages a lot of muscle contraction. The more muscle contractions performed, the more calories you burn. The amount of calories you burn during a workout does depend on the intensity,

3. Sufficient sleep

Weightlifting extensively boosts the quality of sleep. It helps an individual to fall asleep faster, sleep soundly and have minimal wake interruptions in the night. Having quality sleep is crucial for recovery as well as decreasing stress which leads to the next point of…

4. Stress eradication

One of the best ways of managing stress is through exercise. Those who lift weights tend to manage stress compared to someone who doesn’t exercise. In addition, minimal resistance training in older adults tends to improve their cognitive function and memory.

5. Escalated strength
Weight lifting increases energy use after training. Some studies show that the persistent increase in energy use, even after minimum resistance training session positively affects fat oxidation and energy balance.

6.Heart health
Lifting weights minimizes risk of contracting heart diseases such as high triglycerides, large waist circumference, high blood pressure, and high glucose levels.

7.Bone health
The risk of losing bone and muscle mass increases with aging, especially postmenopausal women who are at a higher risk for osteoporosis since the body doesn’t secrete estrogen anymore. Weightlifting is a great way to fight against body mass loss and minimize osteoporosis risk. The earlier one begins the resistance training, the higher the chances of maintaining bone health in future.

Everyone wants to feel confident, strong and determined in everything. Weightlifting benefits all aspects of an individual’s life. Weight lifting is definitely not just for men; the benefits are unisex. All women should include weightlifting into their fitness training to experience all the benefits of weightlifting. So next time ladies, when you’re in the gym, pick up a set of dumbbells and try it out. You will see how weight lifting can benefit your life.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: women exercise, women weightlifting, women's fitness

Clean Up – Self Myofacial Release

Working out is essential to staying healthy and having a longer livelihood. But exercise alone tends to constrict muscles, create soreness and body aches.

What’s not to love about spring? Flower blossom and crisp fresh fragrance in the air offering a perfect serene and ambience during morning workouts. A morning run in the spring is a very delightful way to start the day.

Working out is essential to staying healthy and having a longer livelihood. But exercise alone tends to constrict muscles, create soreness and body aches. Not everyone can afford a personal athletic trainer or masseuse to massage the soreness, kinks, and our muscles’ tight spots. Nonetheless, there is a way one can massage him/herself with the advantage of controlling precisely the place and amount of pressure to register.

Self myofascial release has gained popularity over the years and is a form of exercise that focuses on specific muscle areas with the aim of releasing the tension. Such exercises employ the use of massage balls and foam rollers among others. Fascia is a layer that covers every body structure such as the blood vessels, nerves, muscles and organs. Trauma or overuse of the muscles causes an overstress that result in tearing of the fascia layers. Improper healing of those tears then leads to the formation of adhesions (spots) that cause discomfort and pain.

These adhesions prevent the muscles from functioning as they should, hence barring the body from exploiting its full potential for fit, natural action. This is where self myofascial release applies. When pressure is enforced on these adhesions, it releases them thus restoring the body back to its optimum physical performance. Aside from relieving these adhesions, self myofascial release also helps prevent injuries, enhance flexibility, release stress from the body, eradicates tightness and knots in the muscles, minimizes soreness from exercises and improves blood flow which aids in quick recovery from a workout session.

Foam roller, ball and yoga block are commonly used for the self myofascial release routine. There are several types of foam rollers on the market for example high density foam roller, PVC piped roller and grids foam rollers. Although the high density roller is the most affordable, it tends to lose shape over a short period of time. The PVC piped roller offers a deeper and more profound intense massage.
Lacrosse ball is the most recommended by mobility trainers and physical therapists for self myofascial release. Things like mismatched socks and yoga block are not really a necessity for self myofascial release but depend on an individual’s preference.

Self myofascial release has become extremely prominent especially amongst fitness enthusiasts and athletes. It is a technique to minimize persistent pain and reintegrate a variety of injuries. However, it is important to know what to do and how to do it because performing it wrong can lead to discomfort and pain if you end up applying pressure on joints and bones instead of the muscle.
Just like performing any other workout, it is important to remain hydrated by drinking plenty of water after an extreme self myofascial release session. The good thing about self myofascial release is that it can be combined with the usual warm-ups during workouts.

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: fitness, foam roller exercises, massage therapy, Self Myofacial Release

Walk Fit

Walking is a great addition to your current workout routine. It has a plethora of benefits and is a universal exercise. You can do it anywhere, and mostly anyone can do it, it’s free, it doesn’t require special equipment, and you can do it any time of day. By just adding 30 minutes of walking into your daily workout routine, you can change you! The benefits are countless.

It lowers blood pressure that can also be good for your cholesterol levels, and in turn reduces the risk of obesity. Walking is not only one of the best activities for your health and mental well-being, it can help you lose weight and keep it off. It will help your heart become more efficient and every day activities will become easier. You’ll sleep better, have more energy, and benefit from a little Vitamin D from getting outside.

Benefits of Walking:

It strengthens your heart. Regular walking reduces your risk of heart disease and stroke.
It lowers disease risk. It slashes your risks of type 2 diabetes, asthma and some cancers.
It keeps weight in check. It helps you lose weight and keep it off.
It can help prevent dementia.
It can help prevent osteoporosis. As a weight-bearing activity, it helps strengthen bones.
It tones. A good walk help shape and tone your legs, giving definition to calves, hamstrings and lifting your glutes.
It tones your arms. All the regular movement you experience in your arms while walking will help tone your arms, shoulders and even upper back.
It boosts your vitamin D levels. A little bit of sunshine outside each day will put you in a great mood and help your bone health and immunity.
It gives you energy. A brisk walk with help boost your circulation and increase oxygen supply to every cell in your body.
It makes you happy. Regular moderate-intensity exercise is a great antidepressant. It helps reduce stress and anxiety. It can also be done with friends while enjoying a nice chat.

Even though you are already in a regular workout routine at the gym several times a week, doesn’t mean walking isn’t for you. The key to overall fitness is cross training, or participating in various activities, and walking is the perfect complement to any training regimen. By adding walking to your routine, you end up training opposing muscle groups and end up balancing out your strength and reducing the chance of injury. Also, if you are used to high impact activities, your body could benefit from taking it down a notch once in awhile and walking. You’ll get all the benefits of exercise without the wear and tear and giving your muscles time to recoup.

Add a walk to your daily workout routine. You’ll be able to cash in on all the additional benefits it has. Speak with your trainer and see when the best time for you would be to work that walk into your schedule. Sometimes, to get you moving during the day, first thing in the morning may be best for you. Or, if you feel a little sluggish and tired by mid-day, head out for a walk on your lunch. Start walking towards a healthier you!

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Filed Under: Top Menu Tagged With: fitness, walk fit, walking, weight loss, workout