How to Spring Clean Your Health

Now that it is finally starting to feel like spring in upstate New York it’s time for some spring cleaning. Not only can you spring clean your house but you can also spring clean your health. It doesn’t have to be New Year’s for you to start new resolutions or improving your life.

The first thing you can do is bring the outdoors inside. This is one of my favorite things to do in the spring because with busy schedules it’s hard to get outside and enjoy it. You can go to a garden center for plants and flowers that thrive inside. Adding greenery to your home can actually relieve stress and it makes the space look really nice.

You can also switch out unhealthy choices in your diet. It’s actually more likely for you to eat a lot of calories during the colder months from an evolutionary mechanism to survive harsh winters. By changing certain foods in your diet it will make you feel better on the inside.

Organize. This is more of a spring cleaning your home but it will also make you feel more at ease on the inside when your cabinets and drawers are organized. For example you can organize your cabinet by either tossing foods with little nutritional value or moving those foods to the back of the cabinet. You’re more likely to eat the healthier foods if they’re in the front.

Start a breathing practice. Breathing better can actually have health benefits by reducing stress levels and regulating cardiovascular function. Inhaling fresh air is a good way to start either by going outside or opening some windows. If you breathe slower you take in more air which gets more oxygen to your body.

These are some ideas for you to spring clean your health. By adding these things to your everyday life you will start to notice you’ll start to feel better and live a healthier lifestyle.

How To Become A Happier Person

Since I have a section on my blog called happy health I decided to share some ideas on how you can become a happier person.

In order to be happier you need to change your thought process, the more positive thoughts you have the more positive you will be. It’s natural to remember negative experiences more than positives ones but you can actually train yourself to be happier.

One way of doing this is through meditating or doing yoga. This can actually change an area in your brain that involves empathy and understanding others. Developing empathy muscles will help you live a happier life.

You can also look for the positive in everything you do. For starters you can accept harsh experiences as learning opportunities. Also, don’t give up on ideas. Most people want so many things but never actually do anything to get them. By actually making a plan and going after your dreams can make you a happier person.

Do things that make you happy and make time to do them. If you love to paint but always make the excuse of you don’t have enough time for it, then make time for it. There needs to be a balance in the work that has to be done and the things that will make you happy.

Remember that happiness will only come if you let it.

 

Why Finding The Right Type Of Exercise Matters

By Victoria Barnes

I run. I run cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field on a NCAA Division III collegiate team. Let me correct my previous statement: I run a lot.

When I tell people that I run, I usually get one of two responses. The first response that I get is that the person is also a runner and loves running. The second response that I get is that the person would never be caught dead running and hates running with a burning passion. (For some reason, people either seem to really love running, or really hate running.)

Personally, I love running. I have fun running most of the time, and I’m constantly challenging myself to run faster and/or further.

However, I understand why some people might not like running as much as I do. (For instance, running is difficult on people’s joints, especially their knees.)

Running isn’t an exercise for everyone, and I accept that fact. I believe, though, that everyone should find an exercise that they love to do.

Exercise is important because it helps people become the best version of themselves both physically and mentally.

However, people finding the right exercise for themselves is just as important as exercising. If people don’t like the type of exercise they’re doing, then they’re probably not going to do that type of exercise for very long.

I love to run, but I also like to swim, bike, hike, and walk. (When I’m old and need a knee replacement because of running, I’d like to become a swimmer.)

Gyms have organized classes to help people find different types of exercises they enjoy, including Zumba, Jazzercise, yoga, water aerobics, spinning, etc. I think that people should try organized classes at the gym to find the type of exercise that they like the best, especially if they “hate exercise.”

 

5 Apps That Can Help You With Your Workout Routine

Working out doesn’t have to be hard or expensive. Not having a personal trainer can be an excuse for yourself to not exercise or you could be thinking that you don’t have the right materials to work out properly. There is a very easily solution to all of these problems and you don’t even have to leave your home. Your phone is able to do so much for us, including giving you the tools you need to help you work out.

1.) PEAR - Personal Fitness Coach (Free)

This app is eyes free, hands free audio coaching. The app provides users with guided workouts for a variety of fitness levels and intensities that adapt based on your performance.

On pearsports.com they say, “PEAR is a trusted voice that goes beyond simply tracking data and actually makes sense of it. It’s a coaching platform of interactive audio workouts from professional trainers that react in the moment to guide you, motivate you and keep you company on your journey.”

PEAR has a free option with a limited selection of workouts, but if you really want to get the most of the app you can pay $5.99 each month that gives you unlimited access to the workout library and extra features.

2.) Map My Fitness (Free)

This app is made by Under Armour. It logs more than 600 different fitness activities and syncs with more than 400 devices. You can search for nearby running routes and saves data on pace, distance, and calories burned for GPS based workouts. You can also set personal goals on the app.

3.) Asics Studio (Free)

With this app you can download unlimited audio workouts that have different recordings from different trainers. The workouts are mostly strength training, but there are also cardio workouts that you can do on a treadmill or elliptical. Each workout has a corresponding playlist if you don’t have one of your own that you like to listen to. The helpful audio cues of this app can keep you focused and motivated.

4.) Yoga.com ($3.99)

This app is quite simple, it has videos and instructions for more than 300 yoga poses. There are also more than 45 set routines that you can try if you want a full workout. Although this one does cost money you are paying only 4 dollars for endless amount of yoga support.

5.) 500 Body Weight Challenge (Free)

For your workout routine, having a goal that you can reach is very important. This app is great for that because you select a challenge to try, and it’ll prompt you to complete a certain number of reps in a set amount of time. You don’t need equipment for any of the exercises and as you progress the challenges will get harder, making you stronger.

These are 5 apps that can help you with your workout routine. Have any suggestions for me or have apps that you like? Leave a comment below so that more knowledge can be shared!