The word ‘balance’ also comes with numerous definitions. It is on us to determine which one works best for us. In this article, we will discover how we can be as close to a balanced life as we can, based on the stage of life that we are currently living.

What Really Is A Balanced Life?

While a completely balanced life is a fantastic miracle, it is rather simple to build one, provided you have the grit to do so. Time and effort become the two essential keys to defining your version of a balanced life. To some, a balanced life may be the presence of financial independence, a healthy diet, a cozy place to call home, a loving partner, and other such equivalent factors. To others, balance could be the absence of pending assignments, any physical or mental weakness, unnecessary distractions, and such.

We have established that balance is not the same for all of us, hence its multifaceted use. However, certain features such as general calmness, optimism, and the motivation to get out of bed to start a new day remain common. Coming to the use of time and effort, you decide where you invest them and how.

How To Have A Balanced Life?

There may not be a manual to build a perfectly balanced life, but we can provide you with a few steps that seem to work for the rest of the world and ourselves. Life, as many say, is a continuous process of trials and errors. Explore your options and opt for what works best for you.

●      Time Management

Time is an endless yet scarce resource. Hence, it is essential to make sure we invest this resource in only the activities and places that deserve it from you. Time management is more than ticking off things from your to-do list.

It includes being satisfied with each of the activities that you do. Organizing is a crucial part of time management as it enables us to distribute our effort effectively to tasks that need urgent attention.

●      Effort Management

Similar to time, the effort we put into our activities should be optimized to best fit the occasion or situation. I’m sure we can agree that not every activity requires the same amount of effort and energy as other more essential tasks do.

Here, prioritizing is the key element. The act of selecting, deciding, and most importantly controlling where you put your physical or mental strength is one that should be carefully selected. Ideally, the tasks with the most impact on our lives deserve the most effort.

●      Healthy Diet

What we eat throughout the day is a crucial contribution to how we spend the day. At least three meals a day is a basic necessity that should not be skipped. When planning our daily meals, make sure to add appropriate ratios of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vegetables, fruits, vitamins, minerals, and more importantly, water.

It may be hard to believe but drinking at least 2.5 litres of water each day can improve a lot of digestive and skin-related issues that may be a small but significant stressor in your life.

●      Workout Routine

Just like a healthy diet is necessary to keep daily stressors away, a regular workout routine also becomes equally critical inclusion. Scientific researchers have concluded that even 30 minutes to 1 hour of regular and light exercises every day can put an end to health and basic mood-related issues that may be hindering our daily functioning.

Be it a trip to the gym, a walk in the neighborhood, or yoga at home, every effort to maintain a healthy body and mind ensures less stress on the daily. If you are worried that your age may be preventing you from starting a workout, here is an article to help you prevent muscle loss even after 50.

Why Is Balanced Life A Necessity?

We live in a world of 5G internet speed and bullet trains and the only common characteristic we have with these is the corresponding speed of our very own lives. It is easy to understand why we cannot find time for ourselves in our lives.

We often hear the phrase “work smarter, not harder” but fail at utilizing it. The simplest way to utilize it is by prioritizing important tasks, distributing our effort in a way that it is employed only where required, maintaining a healthy diet, and simply remaining hydrated throughout the day.

These habits not only improve your physical and mental health but also gradually improve the way you solve minor daily problems which then gradually lessen the level of stress you may have been facing regularly.

How To Have A Balanced Student Life?

Students in schools and colleges are some of the most stressed individuals in nearly every part of the globe. They can point out numerous relevant reasons why they face stressful situations every single dad ranging from incomplete assignments to tuition fees, and more such reasons.

Here are some tricks for the future generation to be better problem solvers and disciplined adults.

●      Get Enough Sleep

As a student, sleep might as well be the one thing that feels most unnecessary but is actually the very determinant of how good or bad your next day will be. There have been several researches and they all conclude that at least 6 to 8 hours of sleep is crucial for the body and brain to remain functional.

Pulling regular one-nighters for homework, assignments, or other reasons may not be the best in the long run of piling stressors.

●      Learn to Say NO

As a budding adult, it is often difficult to choose between the responsible choice and the YOLO choice. However, setting boundaries and limits for oneself is important in order to prioritize and put in efforts only where they are meant for.

Remember, saying no to activities that you are not comfortable with and indulging in things that waste your time makes you a more mature person.

●      Regular Exercise

This may be the activity that students often leave for later and avoid altogether. A regular workout routine and a healthy diet form the basis for facing fewer stressors throughout the day.

Starting with a simple yoga routine or other such in-house workout routines is a great way to build your immune system. Here is a guide to help beginners with their home workout.

●      Indulge in Hobbies

Hobbies are fun ways to spend time with oneself and often work like magic to relieve stress. Art, music, photography, reading, weaving, crocheting, cooking, doodling, journaling, and even simply sleeping can be helpful and artistic hobbies.

There are no limits to creativity and ways to spend your leisure time. Hobbies help one to briefly turn away from other responsibilities to focus on one’s heart. 

Conclusion

To conclude, stress management does not happen overnight, and nor does life balance itself without effort. It takes small but significant changes in daily activities to create a balanced life which in turn reduces the amount of stress we face in the long run.

It is also essential to note that the stress management method that worked for one may not work for another. As previously mentioned, life is all about trials and errors, hence you need to deploy some changes to see if they work best or not for you to get the desired results.

The post Stress Management Techniques for a Balanced Life appeared first on Live Well Live True.

Social media personalities follow and maintain a Wellness Routine that fits into their schedule and keeps them fit and away from unhealthy habits. Now, that doesn’t sound too difficult, does it? Because it is not.

What Really Is A Wellness Routine?

Building an efficient Wellness Routine includes simple changes in daily habits such as staying hydrated throughout the day, taking time out for all 3 meals, including at least 30 minutes of regular workout in your day, maintaining a sleep cycle that does not change each week, controlling your screentime, and other such effortless activities. A Wellness Routine can be your first step to leading your best days and having the courage to face the lesser good days.

Why build a Wellness Routine?

Before we start having salads for meals and investing hours in the gym, it is essential to recognize that a Wellness Routine is unique to one’s needs and physical requirements at the moment. It can be helpful to follow someone else’s routine in order to figure out what suits us best. But one such routine is only helpful when it serves our purpose right and makes us happy to follow it.

You may be impressed by the intensity of another’s routine but incorporating it into your life may not be the most practical decision. Hence, identifying what your day needs that will improve your physical and mental well-being is the key to a wellness routine.

Wellness Routine: Not A One-Time Plan

It is also important to understand that a wellness routine is not a short-term goal that one needs to tick off their to-do list. It is one such investment that will continue to benefit you as long as you maintain it regularly. As is the case with any long-term plan, results from a wellness routine may not be felt or visible immediately. However, once you have adopted one, it is needless to say that results are inevitable.

We are often deceived into believing that physical and mental wellness can only be beneficial if it is started from a younger age. In fact, wellness does not consider age, as long as one is ready to change their life for the better. Here’s a thoughtful article elaborating on what people over the age of sixty need to keep in mind regarding wellness.

Where to start with a Wellness Routine?

The first steps to building a wellness routine are discipline and dedication. It is best to make small changes before moving to the more potent changes. Here are some easy tasks to start your day feeling refreshed:

• As soon as you leave your bed in the morning, make sure to arrange it instead of leaving wrinkled sheets and disorganized pillows. You may think you will do it later but we know from experience that ‘later’ doesn’t come easily.
• The next thing you would want to do is drink at least one full glass of water. This not only helps you feel instantly fresh but also prepares your digestive system for the rest of the day.
• If you are one to cook your own meals, remember to make breakfast the most filling and nutrient-rich meal of the day. This first meal decides the course of the rest of your day. Hence a well-balanced meal is essential.
• A few minutes of relaxing meditation and yoga can help you stay active and productive throughout the day. Additionally, if yoga is not your league, a walk in the neighborhood can be equally beneficial. In-home exercises are also equally beneficial. Here’s an article for everything you need to know about exercises at home for better well-being.
• Social media is seen to have taken up most of our time, from the moment we wake up till the time we head back to bed. However, resisting the phone as soon as you wake up and during meals can reduce your screen time by considerable amounts.
• Another important step is to get enough sleep. Being exposed to the blue light radiated from devices before sleeping has adverse effects on the eyes and brain, leading to sleep at later hours, and often early morning hours for the younger generation.
• A sleep routine can be made by simply sleeping and waking up at the same time every day. Soon, the body has added this routine to its clock, ensuring your sleep cycle is maintained.
• If you do not already have an active hobby, it can be helpful to develop some. Reading, painting, knitting, photography, and journaling are some widely utilized indoor hobbies.
• If you enjoy outdoor sports and adventures, try playing a new sport, and wandering

 into a different neighborhood, swimming, rock-climbing, and cycling can be some of your choices, among numerous more.

Now that we know where to start when building a brand new wellness routine, let’s look at some of the essentials that should be a part of your routine. These activities may seem intense for a beginner. But as you continue to develop and customize your routine, these will become just another aspect of your day that does not require your conscious efforts.

What to include in your Wellness Routine?

While it may seem that a wellness routine includes mostly physical aspects, a well-rounded routine includes far more than physical wellness. Living a healthy life starts from one’s own self but extends up to our work, academics, and other equivalent areas. Here are the essential elements of a successful wellness routine:

●      Self-care:

At its core, a wellness routine is nothing but a way of self-care and self-love in order to attain the best out of oneself. It includes drinking at least two liters of water each day, maintaining a skin-care routine, consuming all required nutrient supplements, including some form of workout in your day, and more.

●      A clean diet:

Dieting does not mean eating less food or eating only salads. While greens are essential for our body, eating just greens is not always the best. Nutrient-rich meals with protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, fruits, and vegetables are essential. Furthermore, controlling the amount of alcohol intake and quitting smoking entirely are major steps to maintaining a healthy and happy life.

●      Work-life Integration:

This advanced term for work-life balance encourages workplaces to incorporate emotionally and mentally beneficial methods to make sure their employees are productive and healthy.

●      Organization:

Living and working in an organized environment and office are crucial for staying motivated and getting the best professional results. This organization starts from a clean bedroom and moves further to a clean office space.

Conclusion

As mentioned previously, a wellness routine is unique to you since no one knows your life and what it requires better than you. The activities and methods mentioned here are a few of the ways that have helped most improve their lifestyle. However, when it comes to creating a new wellness routine, a trial-and-error method has often proven to be the best to help figure out what works best for one.

The post Creating a Wellness Routine: Where to Start and What to Include appeared first on Live Well Live True.

The impact?

From our physical health to our mental health everything gets spoilt without the essence of exercise in our life. You may be an extremely active person while you head out, but at home, everything just gets stagnant. 

So, how to overcome this problem? With the help of online gyms. Online gyms provide you with the ambiance and the training you need to keep your mind and body fit while you are busy working from home all day.

Understanding Online Gyms

The concept of online gyms is not new. However, since offline gyms were readily available, online gyms weren’t a preferred option then. Online gyms create a platform to ensure a virtual session for the whole gym experience. 

Now the question arises, how is the whole experience ensured online?

Either the gym or the personal trainers have their online platforms and websites where they host these sessions at a particular time online every day. People across the globe join these live workout sessions from the comfort of their homes.

The benefits of these online fitness training sessions

Do you struggle hard to make it to the gym? Do you become extra cautious while working out in public? Then online gyms are meant for you! Here are the top 6 benefits these training sessions can provide you while you make an escape plan from your work from the home schedule!

• 24*7 access pass: Work schedules and handling home can make daily routine extremely tight. In such cases, it becomes very difficult to travel and show up in the gym or to have a fixed time for a workout every single day. In such cases, online gyms grant you 24*7 access to their workout programs. Even if you cannot make up for the live session of a particular day, you can always go and check out the recorded videos so that you don’t have to miss any allotted day for your workout plan!
• Extremely affordable: Are you feeling skeptical about hitting the gym due to the heavy package prices they offer? Don’t let this become a barrier to your better health and mind. You can always check out the online training programs of the best trainers all around the world either on their website or their gym site and access them at a very affordable rate. These programs are designed so that people can maintain the optimum level of their health without having to spend much if they want to. 
• Remote workout sessions: When you are at the beginning phase of your fitness journey, it is quite obvious that you may feel self-conscious. The unwillingness to hit the gym due to public exposure becomes a huge issue due to which people often don’t hit gyms. Online gyms can become the savior in such a situation. You can practice all your workout videos from the comfort of your home that ensures a sense of comfort and security. Nobody is there to watch you hence the fear of judgment goes away automatically. 
• Expert guides: The gyms near you may not have five-star ratings. It often leads to long travel history before you reach the gym and start working out. Result? You tend to skip the gym more often. Online gyms bless you with the access of professional coaches from around the world. So, you can not only choose to get mentored by the best in town but the best across the globe! These guides layout your plans according to your work from home schedules so that you don’t have to compromise with your time management. 
• Personalized plans: Do you have your favorite style of working out? An absolute favorite diet plan? Are you not comfortable with some workouts? Or do you need a fitness plan from the personal trainers for your personalised work out sessions? All your requirements, desired results, and preferences will be kept in mind, and a personalized plan will be made just for you when you enrol for personalized online fitness training. These plans are specially designed so that you can achieve a perfect and healthy lifestyle with your preferences. 
• Focus and motivation: The online gyms host live workout sessions where people from all around the world join this community and build a healthy lifestyle together. Also, a lot of people join these programs along with you so, you will never feel a lack of motivation and focus while you enjoy training your body from the comfort of your home. 

Check out this full body workout programme in an online gym of a personal trainer. 

How to get started with this journey?

The online world seems skeptical. There are so many options available with such extraordinary claims that it gets difficult to figure out which one may be the best fit for you. 

When we opt for an offline service it is easy to figure out for yourself which one to opt for. But how to ensure the best service at the best rates with options that are perfect for you? 

Here are a few guide steps which you can follow to ensure the best online gym experience:

• All online gyms may not provide the fitness training program that you are looking for. Hence it is important to look out and figure out some top online gym websites that are providing your desired style fitness program ranging from HIIT to yoga.
• Get a fixed budget range. Things may sometimes seem way more tempting online. It is important to set a budget for yourself and fluctuate with your program options somewhere around the same. 
• Go through the reviews and recommendations thoroughly. We often tend to buy things that our friends’ circle buys. Hence, the recommendations are very important. This will help you get a clear idea regarding the training program’s quality. 
• Never miss out on freebies. A lot of fitness programs offer a free trial period for some days. Do check them out for yourself and see whatever is the best bit for you. 
• After going through all these steps, do not think twice to enroll in the perfect match you have for your online gym sessions! After all, self-investment is the best form of investment you can make to ensure a healthy lifestyle. 

Drawbacks of online gyms

Do you lack motivation when it comes to being active in your workout schedules? Are you extremely new in your fitness journey? Then maybe, online gyms are not a feasible option for you. There are a lot of talks going on regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of online gyms. Here are a few reasons why you may prefer offline gyms more than online gyms:

• Lack of self-inspiration: If you are extremely new to your fitness journey then you might not feel extremely focused upon your goals. There can be a few days when you might just feel to skip. Online gyms don’t have the option for you to get inspiration. In traditional fitness plans, people are looking after you hence, you don’t have a way out to skip. But this isn’t the scenario with online gyms. Out here, you have to inspire yourself to get up and play the workout sessions for practice. 

One way to get out of this low self esteem loop is to get yourself a subscription plan from the personal trainers of these online sessions. This will act as a drive to work out as there will be a cancellation charge and money loss from the subscription as well. 

• Mismatched formations: The workout sessions reach their prime effectivity level only when you maintain your postures and techniques correctly. Your gym trainers will not only ensure that you do these correctly to obtain the maximum out of it but also that you don’t injure yourself while doing so. However, this isn’t possible for trainers in the online gym. You have to look out for yourself and ensure that you work out correctly without hurting yourself. 

However, you can overcome these issues by hiring a personal trainer. They offer personal session that happens in a webcam via which they can guide your every movement and correct your postures. We will attach a link below about our next articles that discusses upon online personal trainers and offline personal trainers. 

• Progress check: How much physical strength did you gain? How far did you progress in your fitness journey? All these remain unclear when you train from online gyms. You have to measure all this by yourself and keep a regular track. Despite this, you may not be able to keep your progress tracked the way professional gym trainers would do. 
• Equipment Hassle: If you are opting for a beginner’s training program, it is okay if you just have a fitness mat at your home. But as you gradually enhance and willingly increase your capacity, you will need equipment such as weights, bands, and machines. All this brings in added hassle and huge expenses without which you may not be able to utilize your physical strength to its optimum level. If you stream your online gym sessions at your house itself, it may get difficult to work out the way your gym guides are performing. A lot of time you may not be aware about the correct usage of the equipment’s that may become another problem to deal with. 

All these make the online gym experience skeptical. On one side, the benefits it provides ensures even if you are sitting at home, you can have a good mental and physical health. On the other hand, you need self-inspiration to go through these training sessions regularly. 

Work Gyms: The Concept

Several experiments have been made to overcome these issues. Some people may feel extremely productive to work out every day with ease while others may not feel the push to ensure they maintain their health regularly. According to the BBC, the concept of ‘Work Gyms’ got experimented worldwide. As people from around the world got more used to the schedule of work from home, ensuring the optimum level of productivity and health was the sole concern. 

People from different countries participated in this Work gyms concept. Out here, all the participants are given a different project to work upon. They are separated into different groups to complete their work projects keeping a proper balance between the work from home routine and health. the optimum performance is made sure using a few scientific techniques such as:

1. Pomodoro Technique
2. Regular intervals
3. Support groups
4. Workout schedules

This practice showcased a lot of benefits for the people working from home in the long run. Let’s look into some of these:

• Camera accountability:  During the project session, all the members in the group are encouraged to keep their cameras on. These sessions had a particular time mostly for 30mintues. The participants tend to be more productive due to the camera being accountable along with the timeline in which they have to complete the task. The cameras helped the participants to feel the presence of their group members ensuring that they complete the task on time without feeling lazy.
• Isolation rescued: Freelancers often struggle from isolation due to their remote work ambiance. Along with them most of the working class is now confined in their home ensuring the remote work from home ambiance. The Work gyms ensure that even during remote work sessions, participators have a group or a partner working in the same condition on camera so that they don’t feel isolated and alone. 
• Deep Flow: People tend to get more productive when they are having a deadline. The time sprints for each task ensures the same. Especially when the tasks are supposed to be completed within 30mins or more, people tend to work at their productivity peak. Some participants go so deep into their flow that they work way past their time sprints. This feeling of optimum productivity ends with some participants’ task achievements. 
• Motivating talks: Each task begins with a set of alarms. In between the tasks, there are some motivating talks to ensure that the participants never feel low. There are various cycles performed wherein they give out work out schedules. They are perfectly balanced ensuring proper mental and physical health of the participants. 

https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200812-the-online-work-gyms-that-help-spur-productivity

Yes, not every organization has come up with the work gym ambiance. However, you can always practice your work gym sessions with your colleagues and friends together to ensure your perfect physical and mental health during these unpredictable times. 

The post Why do you need online gyms? Everything you need to know about fitness training online appeared first on Live Well Live True.

In simple terms, a good personal trainer can make or break your transformation journey. They can help you achieve your desired goals within the set time ensuring that you don’t feel burnt out. So, how to go about that hunt? Let’s figure out what do you need first. 

Setting the criteria’s:

You can browse through the internet the whole day still end up disheartened. To ensure that you are looking in the right direction, it is important to understand what you are looking for:

• Goal: What goals do you have? Do you want to lose or gain weight? Strength training? Prepping up for a tournament? There are personal trainers specialized in various departments. So, make sure you know in which department you seek help. 
• Experience: Are you new to personal training? Or did you go through personal training sessions before? This can become a ground-breaking factor to pick the right personal trainer.
• Style: What style of training do you seek? Do you need a trainer who can motivate you even on your low days? Or someone who can give tough love to you? Keep a note about that. 
• Certifications: There are various personal training certifications. Ensure that you have the basic knowledge about them. Have a thorough check about these certifications on the personal trainer’s profile. 
• Fees: Everybody wants to hunt for the best. But before you hit the play button, ensure that you have fixed a budget for yourself. Looking for the best in your budget is the wiser option. 

Where can you find personal trainers?

Let’s delve deeper into the 5 categories from where can you find personal trainers perfectly fit for your training:

1. Gyms: The gyms near you may have the best facilities for personal training It is always wise to look around your community first, as you can have a better idea. Hunt down for the top-rated gyms in your community and start looking into their personal training programs. Select your trainer upon the categories set above. If you are already a gym member or were a member before, your insights can be extremely helpful for your selection. You can even join the regular gym first in case you feel doubtful. After a few days, you will have an in-depth idea about the members and the ambiance around the gym. 
2. Youtube: If your hunt is going on the online platforms, youtube can be extremely handy. Many individual personal trainers have their own workout videos on youtube. It will help you to gain an idea about their training techniques and their personality. You can then opt for their paid programs as per your choice. Some top-rated personal trainers also host free workout challenges over a certain period. If you are still wandering around the fence, you can opt for these free sessions over youtube itself to try. Once you are convinced, you can avail of their paid programs to gain the maximum benefits.
3. Instagram: Instagram is an excellent platform to understand your trainers better. You can get the list of top-rated personal trainers on your required goal by just searching. All their certifications, client testimonials, lifestyle, food habit, is visible on their public accounts. Over Instagram, you can get an in-depth analysis of their price rates and payment plans. It will help you get a better idea about your options under the fixed budget range. 
4. Upwork/Fiverr: These two platforms contain a wide range of freelance personal trainers. You can register on these platforms and search for personal trainers. They will provide you with a list of best-fitted personal trainers as per choice. It will include their bio, personal details, certifications, testimonials, and their rates per hour. Having an hour session will help you understand whether you want to go forward with them or not. This becomes difficult on other platforms since most of them either have monthly plans or packages. 
5. Social media communities: Social media communities such as Facebook groups, telegram, and other community platforms can provide you with an upper hand over your selection process. You can join groups which are specific to personal training and can observe a lot of personal trainers at once. The other group members can provide you with their experience and opinion. It can ease up your process to select your personal trainer. 

Is it even worth the investment?

Hiring a personal trainer may seem like a luxury when you are on a tight budget. In the states of U.S., the average rate for personal trainers is 80-125$. Unless you are sure about your transformation journey and ready to take the next step, investing in personal training may not be the best option for you. 

So, how to ensure that do you even need that kind of an investment? Here are a few points that can help to make that decision for you-

• There are no visible results despite putting in your 100%. A personal trainer can exactly guide you out of your unknown mistakes. 
• You are a beginner, and you have no idea where to start your transformation journey. 
• From personal point of view, you need someone to hold you accountable and motivate you regularly. 
• You want to increase your strength level and get challenges under supervision. 
• Medical reasons – you have some specific illness that you need expert guidance over. 
• You are training for a specific competition/program. 
• You are no consistent with your training on your own. 

These are a few reasons that you can consider while opting in for a personal trainer. The transformation journey always gets easy when you have someone to guide you in the right direction. So, make sure you make your choice worth your time and investment. 

The post Where to find the perfect personal trainer of your choice? appeared first on Live Well Live True.

Being in your 60s is an achievement in itself! You might have plans to retire and put your professional career behind you. This is the phase wherein you’ll get to focus more on yourself than anything else. There is no better moment to build a new self than in this stage of your life, even though all the changes can be both exciting and terrifying.

At this age, you can be even more committed to feeling wonderful and staying in good health. Make the most of your retirement by striving for a long life of health and pleasure. 

So get onboard with your healthy beverage, sit back and nourish your mind with this piece of information we are about to give. 

Importance of being in check with your health 

At the age of 60, it is extremely crucial to be in constant touch with your health and routinely monitor your health status. In addition to aiding in the identification of underlying medical disorders, routine health examinations can direct you toward remedies that can hasten the healing process and assist you in maintaining and enhancing your general health and well-being.

Here are some of the important benefits of being in check with your health Preventive Care

• Recent Medical Records
• Health Care Personalization Planning
• Economical healthcare costs

Most of the time, men over 60 wait until their health has worsened even more before seeking medical advice. As the old saying goes. “A stitch in time saves nine” people can reduce the amount of time and money they spend at the doctor’s office over time by being an early bird and getting the recommended health tests for several common medical disorders promptly. 

To stay healthy and see early warning symptoms of illness or disease, any male 60 years of age or older must consider performing the following vital health checks:

• screening for prostate cancer
• Tests for any probable cardiovascular illnesses 
• Blood pressure monitoring 
• Cholesterol Diagnosis
• Blood sugar tests for diabetes

Health issues that men are most likely to face after 60

As men get older, the dynamics of their health change, making them more susceptible to certain chronic diseases. Learn more about the most common problems that men may experience as they age. 

Cardiovascular Diseases

Although adult males of any age are at risk of cardiovascular diseases, older men are more prone to it. Coronary artery disease, the most prevalent form of heart disease, is a consequence of plaque buildup in the arteries that feed blood to the heart and often results in a heart attack. Arrhythmias and congestive heart failure are two other forms of cardiac disease.

Prostate Conditions

The prostate glands in men are more susceptible to several diseases as they age. For example, the occurrence of an enlarged prostate and prostate cancer is seen more in older men than in the younger population. According to the American Cancer Society, prostate cancer is the second most frequent cancer in males, and most cases are discovered in those who are 65 years of age or older. Additionally, an enlarged prostate is seen in more than 90% of males over the age of 80.

Strokes

Your risk for a stroke might rise as a result of lifestyle choices like smoking or consuming too much salt.

How healthy eating habits can benefit you in the longer run 

The best strategy to retain health is to embrace a healthy and active lifestyle and that can be achieved with a combination of a great diet and exercise. “Consume a well-balanced diet and get plenty of sleep” is the most common answer you’ll hear from any doctor if you have ever asked them for advice on how to stay healthy. But what does a well-balanced diet even mean?

According to many adherents of the popular fad diets such as the keto diet, it entails avoiding anything that has carbohydrates in it. While for someone else it could include avoiding all types of fats. Additionally, another person might advise you to shun gluten and all dairy.

The concern is that the debate over what constitutes true health can lead to a lot of uncertainty, as well as encourage people to experiment with unhealthy and needlessly restricted diets. A well-balanced diet is a platter that has equal proportions of all the nutrients. Anything that is in excess or anything less can be dangerous to your health in the longer run. 

A nutritious diet aids in the prevention of several serious illnesses like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Additionally, it might lower your risk of getting some malignancies. Eating a balanced diet may speed up your recovery time if you get sick. It is also a key strategy for preventing obesity. 

The power of mental health on physical health 

Great health begins with a holistic approach and not just with fad diets and shortcuts. Your general well-being is greatly influenced by your mental health. A healthy mindset can help you stay in the pink of your health and fend off significant medical issues even at the age of 60. According to a study, having a healthy psychological outlook can lower your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

Poor mental health can result in dangerous behaviors and weakened physical health. Diabetes, asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and arthritis are a few of the chronic diseases that are found to be linked with poor mental well-being.

Additionally, schizophrenia, a type of mental disorder, has been associated with an increased risk of respiratory and cardiac conditions. 

Dealing with a chronic illness can also be challenging for those who have mental health issues. People with depression or other mental health issues have greater rates of cancer and heart disease death.

Thus, an overall approach is absolutely necessary for the well-being of health at the age of 60s. 

Conclusion

“Health is wealth” is an old age golden saying and shouldn’t be ignored! No matter what age you are, knowing and being in check with your internal health is a big milestone toward a long-happy life. Men over 60 need a little extra care but in the end, it is all worth it. A small step each day is ultimately the biggest one in the long run. By being updated with your health status periodically, constantly exercising, and by having a wholesome diet, there is nothing on this earth that would rob you of a healthy life. 

The most important thing that men over 60 need to know about their health is that it is never too late! And that age is merely a number, a unit and it doesn’t defy any limits. If you incorporate everything that has been mentioned in this article, be rest assured that even at the age of 60, you’ll be as healthy as a horse. 

The post What Men Over 60 Need to Know About Their Health appeared first on Live Well Live True.

What are these health apps?

Health apps are applications that you can easily access to track your health. There are specific apps meant for specific purposes such as diet planners, fitness apps, and personal training apps. 

Most of the fitness and personal trainer apps include the diet and food section. Hence, we will delve deeper into these two sections of health apps. 

Fitness apps: Fitness apps are your go-to health guiding app. These include fitness trackers such as steps counter, heart rate, basic workout plans, meal plans, and others. Fitness apps can become your best buddy to get you started in your fitness journey. Along with the online community in these apps, you will never lack the motivation to work towards your dream body. 

If you are looking for a space to be inspired and work towards a better lifestyle both physically and mentally, fitness apps are designed to provide you so. It is filled with daily inspiration and prompts to develop your overall wellbeing and develop a healthy habit.
 
Personal Trainer apps: Personal trainer apps are a level up from the fitness apps. These platforms provide you with a specific workout routine in your preferred style like yoga, cardio, running, strength training, and others. These are often guided by an expert personal trainer. Personal trainer apps ensure that you get the experience of having a personal trainer while you stay amidst the comforts of your home.  

Personal trainer apps have a more professional outlook when it comes to the overall space. It is specific, catered to your requirements, and has a laser-sharp target for you to work on. If you have any specific target to achieve such as lose weight at a certain time, strength training, yogic exercises, and others, there are programs specifically designed for each one of them. 

Fitness apps VS Personal trainer apps

This seems like a never-ending debate. While there isn’t any conclusion to the fact that which one is better, here are a few pointers we have come up with to help you choose the best one for you. 

Programs: 

The workout plans and training programs created in fitness apps are much more beginner-friendly. They also come with a wide range of options to give you a taste of every form of physical activity before you niche down to your favorite. These are quick and easy to grasp, perfect for any beginner planning to start their fitness journey. 

As the name goes by, the programs in the personal trainer apps are guided through specific expert personal trainers. These are highly target-oriented and focused on getting you results. The videos are either recorded or live hosted by the personal trainer of your choice. Once you choose the plan, it will become consistent until you reach your target. 

Pricing: 

Being beginner-friendly, fitness apps are much cheaper. The best part is that you can find some of the most renowned fitness apps for free. They provide the basic features to track your fitness goals and stick to your healthy lifestyle. 

Some of the features include a calorie tracker, water tracker, workout videos, and support community, all of them form a perfect kit to keep you motivated towards your journey. 
Personal trainer apps are slightly towards the pricier end. Since the programs are specifically designed by expert personal trainers, the membership ensures that it can provide quality services to their clients. 

The apps also have various subscription plans and membership levels for you to choose from. It makes the selection process easy. Some of them even provide a trial period for you to judge yourself. 

Features:

Self-paced, leveling up, no guide, accountability, 
Fitness apps ensure that they provide you with all the basic features and trackers. Most of the programs inside these apps are self-paced i.e. you can access them at any given point and pick up from where you left at your own pace. The trackers help you to track your own progress. You can also shuffle between various workout plans such as cardio yoga, etc, and figure out what works best for you. 

Personal trainer apps generally come with a certain duration for your programs since the personal trainers manage these. These trainers either host live sessions or upload recorded videos according to your chosen plan and ultimate goal. 

They also hold you accountable and track your progress. One of the biggest boons for having a personal trainer app is that your personal trainer will know when you need to level up your game to manifest the best results. 

Personal trainer apps VS Fitness apps- which one is the best for you?

To finally answer this question, here are a few aspects that you need to look into-

• Are you a beginner at starting your fitness journey?
• How much time can you dedicate religiously, if you can at all?
• Can you keep yourself accountable? Or do you seek help?
• What kind of programs with what intensity are you looking for your fitness goals?
• What are the features that you need from your health app?

All these criteria will help you make the best choice for your fitness journey. You can also opt-in for the trial period in these apps and pick the perfect fit for you. 

Various apps are catering various fitness needs. You may want to keep an eye on our next blog where you present our top picks in personal trainer apps both for android and IOS for various fitness goals.

The post Personal trainer apps or fitness apps? The best pick for you in 2021 appeared first on Live Well Live True.

Perks of ‘Work from Home’

The importance of mental wellbeing is no more hidden. The trendy work from home culture gives ample time to spend at home with an option to work in pyjamas. One can work comfortably that office cubicles are not equipped with. Well, this works fine for a few days but prolonged work from home has side-effects that can’t be ignored.

This new culture drives away mental peace, it makes one feel sick anxious and depressed. In addition to it, there is continuous stress to meet the consecutive deadlines which increase stress levels. One experiences loneliness and isolation followed by the prolonged work from home hours.

When everything is closed down all around the world, it is very troublesome and common to have a terrible psychological wellness condition. Notwithstanding, in the ground level stages, exercise can be the logical answer for every one of these issues. Obviously, in the event that you are now seriously influenced, it is ideal to look for some expert counsel. Be that as it may, for the ground level stages, activities can do miracles to help manage psychological well-being issues.

One step closer to be on the right track

What can be done when you are locked up inside the four walls? Home workout is definitely a good option but for how long? Sooner or later, you may have to seek help because everyone needs an expert to guide through. Talking about physical exercises, you can join online gyms which includes a virtual session to give you the gym-environment.

Or you can choose a personal trainer. The job of a personal trainer is to plan a workout routine and a diet chart keeping in mind the requisites of his clients. Every individual has a different body requirement. Once, your trainer identifies your body type, how your body reacts to different exercises and diet, if you are allergic to certain pills or meals, he or she can frame a customised plan for you.

There is a plethora of online platforms which host scheduled sessions to beat the traffic of boredom and inculcate fitness around the globe. Be it weight gain, weight loss or muscle building, set goals for yourself and let your trainer know.https://www.trainerize.me/articles/what-to-look-for-when-hiring-an-online-personal-trainer/embed/#?secret=w0IRMoTAXD

Check on this article to know more about what to look when you are looking for online personal trainers. 

Benefits of online personal trainers

Each one of us has an alternate body necessity. Once, your coach distinguishes your body type, how your body responds to various activities and diet, on the off chance that you are hypersensitive to specific pills or diners, your online personal trainer can outline a modified arrangement for you in the online sessions.

1. Your money, your time!

As the entire training is online, you get to choose your convenient time to consult your online personal trainer. There is no need to wait to coordinate with others, or skip the work from home hours, or travel extra miles to reach the gym. Plus, the online coaches also give away free tips when you work out at home. 

2. Pocket-conscious

The expensive personal training at gyms is enough to spoil one’s enthusiasm. But when you are looking for the same online, you will be amazed to see the difference in your monthly expenditure on an online online personal trainer. A month-long online training is much less than one hour, which can never be so, if offline.

3. Easy approach

With online mode, it becomes a lot easier to get in touch with the online personal trainer than otherwise. You can communicate via text, call, Skype, or whatsoever means. There are chances that you get more attention as your health is regularly monitored by them through the app.

4. Expert Advice

As your radius is small and access is limited, you can only consult a personal trainer residing nearby, but with open online platforms, the world is in your reach. You just have to enrol yourself to get in touch with the expert in the field and track your progress. You are in safe hands!

5. Technological advancements

One of the best perks about online sessions is the optimum use of technology. Unlike the real scenario, virtual personal training offers to screen the correct posture and viewing workouts live via camera. Phone heart rate monitor lets you check your progress precisely. With all of these, your online personal trainer also has access to set difficulty levels for you. This is made possible by the internet connected exercise machines. 

6. Inspiration

When self-motivation fails, inspiration from the right one works. With a concerned online personal trainer, your goal to achieve desired results become easier. The trainer can have a check on your daily progress and have a weekly chat for you to complete your workouts regularly. With the right motivation, you can’t resist being active but show results.

7. The Goal!

With the online apps, you can track your progress every day. Every detail that your body has performed gets tracked. Additionally, you can know stats like your body weight and fat percentage. The online apps have various options to choose from to show the graph of your actual progress.

Check out the benefits of online personal trainers.

A genuine token of advice

Don’t let these benefits mesmerise you. There is more to know when everything is online. The major question here arises is how can one find out if his/her online trainer is eligible for the training? What more can he offer? Is the training provided by him well-recommended and certified? All these details are mandatory before joining the online program. Only then, you can truly enjoy the above discussed benefits of online personal training.

1. DON’Ts to follow:

• Do not fall prey to presentation: You may be attracted to a website’s attractive look or the number of followers of an online trainer. Your judgement will be biased with the provocative look but do not fall for it.
• Do not judge a book by its cover: A fit-looking trainer s not all that speaks out loud for his training. Always refer to the testimonials and pictures (before and after) of real clients shared on the website. 
• Do not opt for shortcuts: There are plenty of supplements available in the market. If the online personal trainer is offering you these supplements even before getting to know your body requisites, diet plans, goals set, etc., do not hang on to that site any longer.  

2. Certification:

Anyone can look fit, also anyone can gain an online certification to turn into a “fitness coach”, but this doesn’t generally mean they realize how to help other people arrive at their wellness objectives. There are numerous accreditations that coaches can get, however, the best one among them is professional education in Kinesiology or related field. It is highly unlikely to become a fitness coach learning on the web or in an end-of-the-week course, what one would realize in a long-term advanced education. 

On the off chance that you don’t see a degree, don’t forget about them immediately, there are some enormous administering bodies that offer broad accreditation courses, for example, NCSA, CSEP, CanfitPro, ACE, NASM, and ACSM. 

Also, letters behind their names do not really mean a great deal. Do make it a point to check if the coach is as yet proceeding to go to workshops and read books identified with their field. Likewise, in the event that they will be recommending you a diet chart or explicit nourishment data, ensure they have some sort of sustenance confirmation or training.

Certifications you need for online personal training

3. Research on real clients:

Is the online training program as effective as it is visualised? Were others also benefitted following the tips and suggestions of the trainer?

If the coach is new to the field, he probably won’t have a great deal of when pictures but in the event that he is making professes to be the best online personal trainer or that he has helped thousands achieve the desired targets, then at that point, he ought to have evidence of these cases. If the site does not contain any of these shreds of evidence, do not waste any of your time on that website. 

Always make sure to watch that they have worked with customers like you with comparable objectives, and not just with weight lifters, competitors, or extremely fit people. On the off chance that you are a normal individual searching for weight reduction and to figure out how to practice securely and adequately, this current coach’s speciality probably won’t fall into your requirements. In this case, you need somebody who represents considerable authority as per your needs.

Should you take up the online personal training?

Consider your inspiration, objectives, and your wellness level. In case you are a beginner in working out, you may profit more from in-person training. This encourages you to keep away from wounds and gets you to your objectives quicker. Additionally, on the off chance that you will, in general, possibly appear at exercises when you have a set arrangement, then you should avoid the virtual way, rather select a mentor at your rec centre or gym. 

Yet, if you do have the self-inspiration to get to the exercise centre and overpowered when you are alone, virtual training is the right thing for you. Likewise, on the off chance that you don’t have a gym in your locality, or if you are experiencing difficulty arriving at your objectives despite the fact that you have been getting this party started all alone, or you have a jam-pressed timetable and need an exercise, you can undoubtedly start with the online personal training. It will probably be your smartest choice.

Ways of online personal training:

1. As mentioned, online training enlists exercises customized according to your objectives. However, the methods that you choose to find the right trainer and collaborate with him/her relies upon the strategy you pick. For instance, applications like Trainiac ($50/month) and Future ($150/month) offer admittance to their own list of mentors who make customized programs. 

You share your objectives and involvement in exercise in the application and a mentor will define an arrangement to match so. You would then be able to send messages to and from to share your progress and other updates.

2. Additionally, there is another strategy for online personal training which comes directly from the mentor. Numerous mentors grow their contributions outside of a studio or rec centre (gym), permitting you to take their projects any place you like. 

The coach reviews a month-long program of activities, reps, and sets, and give instructional recordings on the most proficient method to do each move in the program which is monitored by them personally. They also make themselves available to answer queries and/or concerns you have en route. 

3. A few trainers utilize an application like True Coach, which permits them to associate with customers and they give customized exercises through the app, without meeting in person.

Taking care of your wallet

Online personal training can obviously be savvier than joining with a gym trainer at the gym. Web gives you access to approach the top-level coaches, regardless of whether you don’t have one topographically close to you. As your span after the tight schedule of work from home hours is little and also your access is restricted by distance, the internet has made it possible to open up the world-class options for you. You only need to connect with the master in the field and keep tabs on your development. 

Probably the best advantage of online meetings is the ideal utilization of innovation. In contrast to the genuine situation, virtual training offers to screen the right stance and survey exercises live by means of a camera. Telephone pulse screen lets you check your advancement exactly. With these, your online fitness coach can set difficulty levels for you. This is made conceivable by advancements in web technology.

The trainers typically charge at least $100 per meeting. But in the online training, most of the applications range from $50 to $150 per month and the individual mentors will also charge comparable costs, approximately $200 per month, contingent upon the mentor. 

Another side of the coin:

With lined up benefits, there are opinions that differ.

• If you are looking for a trainer to make your postures critically right, then online training may not be up to the mark.
• You may lack motivation as there is no one to physically check on you. However, it is highly recommended that you become more independent than relying on someone else to give that extra push. 
• One more factor that may be concerning while opting your online personal trainer is its safety as the online platforms are always not reliable.

But if you do a proper investigation, like background-check of the trainer, refer to testimonials published on the website, etc., then you can easily find the legit source of the app and your online personal trainer.

How to make the most from online personal training?

To make the most from your personal online training, answer all the questions genuinely, that the coach seeks, related to you, your goals, your tenacity with physical activities, etc. 

Once you set the program with your trainer, make sure that you get the individual attention from the coach to bring out the best form of you. Your progress should be tracked every week and the coach should tell you all about it in detail. If still, you think things are not working out, have a clear chat with the coach to make the virtual sessions work as much as possible. Your strategy to beat the stress levels and tactics to escape from the tedious work from home hours should not go in vain.

Online training is sophisticated. It is for those people who need that one extra push to reach their goal set, or for those who are seeking for guidance to get in shape. One click solves the problem for all those people out there. If you are one, then remember you too are just a click away!

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The Muscles are an important organ, attached to the skeletal system that aids in nearly all the movements of the human body. The muscle fibers contract and relax to facilitate movement. With age, naturally, all the cells in the body start to wear out, leading to less efficient and weak bodily functions. Just like other cells, the muscle cells start to wear out with aging. The occurrence of muscle loss after 50, i.e associated with age, scientifically is termed Sarcopenia.

Around 10% of adults worldwide are affected by the prevalent ailment sarcopenia, which usually first appears around age 50. It largely affects the quality of life and acts as a hindrance in daily basic activities. Since it is a naturally occurring disorder, there is no complete cure. Although it can be avoided or managed with considerable care.  

So Grab your healthy snack, and sneak into your comfort corner as we enlighten you about everything about muscle loss, what can be done to prevent it and how it can be managed if you already have it. 

What Is Sarcopenia/Muscle loss?

Sarcopenia, when translated literally, means “absence of flesh.” It is a type of age-related muscle degeneration that is more prevalent in adults over 50. As per many studies, adults lose an average of 3% of their muscular strength each year after middle age. This restricts their capacity to carry out even the most basic tasks. Sarcopenia progresses with age and the muscles start to degenerate even more so. Consequently, it reduces life expectancy in those who are suffering from it. 

Signs & Symptoms of Muscle loss after 50?

Muscle weakness in the case of sarcopenia is the most prevalent sign. However one can experience other signs and symptoms that may include:

• A drop in stamina
• Inability to carry out daily menial activities
• Inability to walk fast
• Difficulty in climbing stairs
• Inability to balance oneself 
• Frequent falls and clumsiness
• Decreased size of the muscles
• Unintentional or sudden weight loss
• Loss of interest in activities that you used to like

Early indications of sarcopenia include progressively feeling physically weaker and having greater trouble than normal lifting objects that are known to you.

What primarily causes Muscle loss?

As mentioned earlier, aging is known to be a natural and primary cause of muscle loss. It is a result of an imbalance between signals for muscle cell growth and signals for teardown. Around the time when a person is in their 30s or 40s, they start to gradually lose muscle mass and strength. Between the ages of 65 and 80, this process accelerates. one could lose up to 8% of your muscle mass every decade, though rates vary. 

All people gradually lose muscle mass, but those with sarcopenia are more prone to greater muscle loss. Even though age is frequently the predominant factor, researchers have identified additional potential risk factors for sarcopenia. These may consist of:

• Lack of physical movement (sedentary lifestyle)
• Unhealthy weight (obesity)
• Diabetes and insulin resistance
• Cancer
• HIV
• Osteoporosis arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Hormonal imbalances
• Severe stress
• Protein deficiency
• Malnutrition 

The decrease in the number of nerve cells facilitates relaying the messages from your brain to your muscles.

How is Muscle loss after 50 diagnosed?

If you are experiencing the above-mentioned signs and symptoms, it is best advised to seek professional help. A healthcare professional performs an initial physical examination after which the patient needs to fill out a questionnaire. The SARC-F questionnaire is the most commonly used set of questions. It is an abbreviation for :

• S — Strength.
• A — Assistance with walking.
• R — Rising from a chair.
• C — Climbing stairs.
• F — Falls.

The patient numbers each range between 0 and 2. The highest maximum SARC-F score is 10 while a SARC-F score of 4 or more indicates the need for further diagnosis.

The diagnosis of muscle loss after 50, although cannot be made by a single test. To diagnose and subsequently assess the degree of sarcopenia, your healthcare physician could suggest several tests, that include:

• Handgrip test
• Chair stand test
• Walking speed test 
• Short physical performance battery (SPPB)
• Timed-up and go test (TUG)

How to prevent the onset of muscle loss?

Since muscle loss after 50 is a natural process, one cannot completely prevent it. However, with a good, well-balanced diet and various exercises, one may be successful to keep muscle loss at bay. The various steps and preventive measures that one can take to prevent sarcopenia include:

• Maintaining a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Since proteins are the nutrients that make up the bulk of muscle, one must include high-quality and large portions of proteins in their diet. For example, an average of 30-35 grams of protein per meal is recommended. With protein, it is also crucial that one introduce additional omega-3 fatty acids, creatine, and Vitamin D3 into their diet. 
• Exercising regularly will not only aid in maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle but also greatly influence the early onset of loss of muscular strength: Maintain a healthy lifestyle that includes physical activity like resistance training.
• Regular checkups: Inform your healthcare practitioner of any changes in your health and schedule regular visits with them.

What to do if you already have Muscle loss?

There are various treatment options available that greatly assist in the management of muscle loss after 50. As there is no definitive treatment available for sarcopenia, a combination of various treatments is given. 

Improved lifestyle

Most sarcopenia treatments include modifying one’s way of living. These alterations to your daily routine can treat and aid in the reversal of sarcopenia.

Regular exercises

Your doctor could advise progressively challenging resistance-based strength training. This kind of workout can increase your strength and stop your muscles from degenerating.

Healthy food

Consuming a healthy diet can aid in reversing the symptoms of sarcopenia when combined with regular exercise. Increasing your protein intake through food or supplements is very important.

Various Exercises to deal with Muscle loss after 50:

As mentioned above, exercises can greatly aid in reversing sarcopenia and if not reversing, it can assist in the efficient management of the condition. The various types of exercises that have proven to be beneficial in reversing muscle loss are as follows:

Resistance training

As the term suggests, resistance training is a type of exercise that is done against gravitational force. Weight Lifting with kettlebells, pulling on resistance bands, or moving a body component against gravity are all examples of resistance exercise.

When one engages in resistance training, the strain on the muscles causes growth signals, which enhance the core strength. Additionally, resistance training boosts the effects of hormones that promote development.

Aerobic exercise

Muscle loss after 50 can also be controlled by sustained heart-rate-raising exercises, such as aerobic exercises like walking, cycling, swimming, hiking, and jogging. 

A combination of both resistance training and aerobic exercises largely helps in the management of muscle loss. To reap the benefits of these exercises, one must engage in two to four weekly exercise sessions. You can also check out our article on the 5 best exercises for seniors to at home for further information.

Conclusions

Age-related sarcopenia, or the loss of muscle mass and strength, can shorten life expectancy and lower quality of life. It is an inevitable condition but with a proper diet and exercise, the degree of sarcopenia can be reduced. 

Protein that is of good quality and adequate calorie intake has been shown to reduce the rate of muscle loss after 50. Supplements like omega-3 and creatine also aid in preventing sarcopenia. However, the best approach to stop and reverse sarcopenia is through exercise.

Exercises that include resistance training and aerobic workouts, appear to be particularly helpful. However, even easy workouts like walking might reduce the rate at which your muscles are lost. The most crucial thing in preventing and reversing muscle loss is to modify your lifestyle and get a little more active. 

The post How To Prevent Muscle Loss After 50 appeared first on Live Well Live True.

It’s not only the change in lifestyle routines that is uncomfortable but starting something new in a social environment can make your nerves anxious. To top it all off, the pandemic has given another major reason for people to start focusing upon their physical fitness from the comfort of their homes. 

So, to sum all the problems and solutions up, new workout routines are coming out for you to try out online every single day. Yes, the market gets flooded with beginner-friendly workout plans and programs that can easily help you get started on your fitness journey. 

But, let’s talk about the process. How should you actually go about with your workout sessions and your training programs when you are starting with your fitness journey? Below we will discuss the basic roadmap that will help you to have an idea and get started with your fitness journey. 

How to get started with the journey?

Let’s look into the steps in detail:

• The why: This plays one of the ground-breaking factors to determine how your workout journey will actually proceed. Understand the reason for you to start. Is it for a certain program coming up, is it to get fit, is it to recover from a certain disease/injury, etc. Understanding the reason will help you to choose the type of workout that you want to go forward with and in return help, you stick through the journey.
• The vibe: Understanding your vibe plays a crucial role in picking up the workout routines and videos. Go through the online websites and other streaming platforms. Look for workout routines that are challenging you but at the same time do not exhaust you to the next level. Find out with whom your vibes match. You can try out the free trial period on these platforms for some time and then opt for the paid version. There are a lot of creators who create these routines for free as well. If you find something that matches your requirement, go for it. 
• Adapt to change: Accept the fact that it may feel uncomfortable for a few days. At this point, a lot of beginners give up. In such cases, stick through the routine, spice it up or tone it down. The key out here is to be consistent until your body gets adapted to this new level of physical training. 
• Too much on a plate: While trying out new things we often end up taking too many things on our plate. Understand that your body may not be able to take up so much exertion all at once. It can even lead to severe injury, and ultimately you have to give it up. Take things slowly and give your body the time to adjust. Once your body do not feel challenged anymore, you can amp up your routine and add some new challenges and elements.   
• Timings: Every one of us has different timings for our workout routines. Try out different routines, morning, evening, or any timing, and figure out when your body responds the best. Without understanding it you may not feel the enthusiasm and energy to follow through your training sessions, leading to inconsistency and no results. 
• Diet: By this, we don’t mean you leave every food you love. Along with your physical workout, try to eat clean as much as possible. It will complement your training sessions as a beginner and will help you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition to that, ensure that you get your regular source of all the necessary amount of vitamins and proteins. Since you will be working out, your body will require these nutrients more as compared to your previous food habit. 

Key points to start working out as a beginner at home

Once you have understood the type of workout you want to go forward with, it is now time to look into some of the key factors. These will help you to ensure that you do not fall prey to beginner mistakes and continue with your workout routines with ease. 

• Warm-up: We all love to skip the steps and get into the juicy bit all at once. But ignoring your warm-ups can result in severe sore muscles at the very least. These can also cause muscle damage due to the strain that the actual workouts can cause if your body is not warm enough. Ensure that you never miss out on this. 
• Cool-down stretch: Yes, your routine might sound exhausting already, but this is another crucial part which ideally, you shouldn’t miss. Cool-down stretches become the savior of those post-workout sore muscles. These exercises help your body relax and breathe, ensuring that your muscles are well rested and don’t cause any pain after a few hours. 
• Hydration: Ensure that you are well hydrated throughout the day. Lack of hydration becomes one of the major factors for body fatigue, tiredness, and muscle fatigue. Consume at least 4litres of water regularly if you are starting out with your workout sessions.
• Accountability partner: When you are starting to work out as a beginner at home, there will be days where you do not feel like getting out of your sweatpants and wearing your workout clothes. It can happen more often when you are training online. In such cases, getting one accountability partner on board can save you from those gloomy days. 

 You can always have each other’s back, ensuring that you are consistent with your training programs to see the maximum result. Despite you not hitting the gym, your partner can become that added push that will help you to achieve your fitness goals. 

• S.M.A.R.T Goals: Create goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Keeping all the five factors in check will help you create realistic goals for yourself without facing any disappointment. As a beginner, you may often end up expecting way too little or way too much out of a training program that you are following at home. Understanding your goals and setting proper measures helps to understand whether or not you can stick through the plan.
• Check your health: Before you even begin with your training programs, get your health checked. Getting an idea about the current condition of your physical health will help you to understand which type of workout should you go forward with. Along with that, in case if you are dealing with any injury or chronic disease, consulting a physician before you start beginner workouts at home becomes a mandatory step. 
• Measure your progress: In addition to the previous point, keep a regular check over your body to see your progress. Have a set time after how many weeks do you want to measure yourself and stick to that. Check your weight and other measurements to ensure that you are making progress and not following routines that aren’t working for you. 
• Hire a personal trainer: Working out from the comfort of your home sounds all fancy until you actually struggle to make progress. Especially when you are starting out, it may feel difficult and overwhelming to figure it all out all by yourself. 

In such cases, hiring an online personal trainer can really ease out the process for you. He/she will understand all your requirements as well as understand what your body needs. After getting all this information they will create a workout plan that fits your physical training requirements. 

How to do the common beginner workouts at home

We are not going to leave you all alone to let you figure everything out on your own. Below we will talk about some of the common beginner-friendly workouts that you can perform at home that can help you get started with your fitness journey without much hassle. 

• Press-ups: The press-up or the push-up is an upper-body exercise that focuses upon the pectoral muscles on your chest, legs, and triceps. This exercise also helps to strengthen your core muscles. Press-ups are primarily done by keeping your whole body in a straight line position while lying down. The whole pressure of your body falls into your arms and toes. 

You can follow the following steps to execute a press up effectively:

1. Lie down in a straight line with your stomach on the floor. 
2. Spread your arms slightly wider than your shoulders, 
3. With the help of your arms put pressure on your palms and try to lift your body above the floor. 
4. Ensure that your hips are not high and your body is maintaining the straight line along with your toes. 
5. Keep the palm firm on the floor and try to fold in your arms to get your body back to the original position on the floor. 
6. Keep repeating this process while ensuring that your body maintains the straight line. 

Make sure that you record yourself while attempting this until you get it perfect. Incorrectly doing this workout can cause strain on the muscles leading to soreness and even injury. 

• Skipping: Skipping or jump rope is one of the most effective exercises that you can incorporate into your routine for overall fitness. It helps to build your strength and endurance, making the overall body healthy. Jumping ropes is one of the best workouts if you want to burn more calories within a short duration of time and have fun. 

Below we will look into the step-by-step guide to practice skipping. 

1. Hold both the handles of the skipping rope with each of your hands. Stretch it on the parallel side of your body and keep the rope behind your ankles. 
2. Slowly swift it forward across your head and rotate it. Once you see the rope approaching your knees, do a small sprint to get the rope past your toes. 
3. Once you have rotated the rope quite a few times, start adding one loop after the other without any break. The handles can move swiftly, so you do not have to swing your arms way too much. 
4. After you get the hack of it, practice jumping ropes on your toes. This helps to make the process much more smooth and also ensures that you can pace up without getting tired easily. 

• Dumbbell step-up: The dumbbell step-up exercise primarily works on the quads, glutes, and calves’ muscles. These muscles can help to increase your leg strength while you are starting with your beginner workout routine at home. It also helps to even out any sort of strength imbalance that you are facing. 

Below we will look into the procedure on how you can carry out dumbbell step-up easily at home. 

1. Pick up the weight as per your choice and convenience with your hands. You can either place your hands near your shoulder or keep them parallel to your body. 
2. Press your right ankle to lift your right leg up on the step straight. 
3. Bring your left leg near the right leg and bring it up the step without bending. 
4. Fold your right leg from your knee and place it down the step. 
5. Bring down your left leg beside the right leg on the ground. 
6. Repeat the procedure to complete the set. 

While going through this exercise ensure that you are not using weights that are either too heavy or too light. It will negatively impact on your muscles, either leading to strain or no work at all. 

• Dead bug: As a beginner, if you are wondering about how to strengthen your core muscles and ensure stability over your strength, the dead bug is the perfect workout for you. It helps to build a solid foundation, strengthening your spine. Dead bugs also act as a great savior if you are dealing with back injury or back pain in general. 

Let’s look into the step-by-step procedure on how you can do a dead bug at home. 

1. Lie straight on your back on the floor. 
2. Lift both your hands up at a 90 degree i.e. your elbows should be above your shoulders. 
3. Lift both your legs up until your knees align directly over your hips. 
4. While exhaling move your right hand and left leg towards the ground, back to your original position. But ensure that it doesn’t touch the ground. 
5. When inhaling lift your right hand and left leg back to the previous position. 
6. Repeat the process with your left and hand right leg. 
7. This is the completion of rep 1. Continue doing this until the completion of the set. 

• Crunch: If you are someone who is dreaming to hoard on those perfect abs someday, you must have heard about this workout. Crunches work on your core muscles especially your abdominal area and hence are effective for the toned abs. The crunches may cause strain to your neck and back therefore it is important to follow the process keenly. 

Any sort of wrong posture can cause severe injury to your neck or back muscles. However, this workout is extremely beginner-friendly so you can master it with ease. 

Below we will look into the process of doing crunches step-by-step. 

1. Lie down straight on your back. 
2. Keep your feet on the floor and bend your knees. 
3. Cross your hands and keep them above your chest. 
4. Try to contract your abs muscles and inhale. 
5. Exhale and try to lift your upper body up while your hands are placed at your chest. 
6. Inhale and go back to the original position.  

• Two-point bridge: If you want to try out something a bit more challenging, the two-point bridge can be the next task for you. This particular workout tests your strength, coordination, and core all at once. This is an amp-up version of the normal plank and can definitely help your body to enhance its strength. Ensure that you maintain the correct posture and follow the procedure precisely. 

1. Lie down flat on your stomach. Put your palms and toes on the ground and lift your body up by straightening your arms as you do in a push-up. 
2. Contract your core muscles as you inhale. Lift your right hand and left leg up as you exhale. 
3. Inhale as you bring them back to the original position. Repeat the process with your left hand and right leg. 
4. Ensure that your body is parallel straight to the ground and your hips are not sticking high above. 

Including workouts into your daily lifestyle does not need a lot of work now. With the rates of choosing fitness as a mandatory part of your lifestyle growing sky high, it is important to understand that this is worth every hype. You can easily choose to keep yourself fit from the comfort of your own home. In the end, it is all about you leading a fit lifestyle and age healthily, disease-free. So, start working on your next fitness goal today rather than waiting for the new year’s resolution to kick in!

The post How to do a beginner workout at home appeared first on Live Well Live True.

It will not be surprising if all these sounds familiar to you. The worldwide opportunity that the working class received to work from the comfort of their home comes with its own set of mental health ruinations. As the world faces one of its greatest biological battles, we human always have this constant feeling of helplessness. 

There is an unending list of benefits that can be pulled down for the facility of work from home but, staying at home 24*7 causes massive damage to the mental wellbeing. This constant struggle with the personal and professional life has drawn a big chunk of society worldwide into the victim hands of ill mental health. 

Why is taking care of mental health important now, more than ever?

Good mental health acts as the 70% fuel for our optimum productivity level in our day to day life. Neglecting mental health struggles has been a part of our life for the longest time. But now is the time to take care of it more than ever. 

• Good mental wellbeing ensures that negative hormones are secreted in minimum amounts in our body. 
• It directly ensures that we have a positive behavior and approach towards everyone and everything we do. 
• During these hard times, a positive mental wellbeing ensures that we look after our dear ones better. 

When you avoid the symptoms that your body is showcasing as a sign of ill mental health, it tends to increase as time passes by until one fine day when you are overwhelmed with it. 

So, what are these mental health issues we are talking about as an effect?

• Increased stress due to work ambiance and style.
• The constant struggle with anxiety
• Feeling stuck and depressed
• Overwhelmed with loneliness and isolation
• The constant pressure to hustle harder. 
• A mixed emotion of some or all of the above. 

These are some of the most common mental health issues that most people are dealing with as a result of work from home scenarios. So, now the question arises, how to cope up with this situation?

When everything is shut down globally, it is quite difficult and natural to have a bad mental health condition. However, in the ground level stages, exercise can be the scientific solution to all these issues. Of course, if you are already severely affected, it is best to seek some professional advice. But, for the ground level stages, exercises can do wonders to help deal with mental health issues. 

Benefits of exercise upon mental health issues

Before we speak about the benefits, it’s important to keep in mind that we are not suggesting hitting the gym and that isn’t feasible either. What we are trying to implicate is how exercises at home can help you deal with and achieve good mental wellbeing. 

• Exercise increases the level of good hormones such as endorphins that helps you to deal with the feeling of pain and other mental health issues. 
• It keeps your body moving hence it helps you to stay fit physically that directly affects your mental health. 
• While you work from home, you often forget to take breaks away from the work thoughts. Exercises help you to get that break away from work. 
• Yoga and meditation are specifically designed to take care of your mind. The exercises are easy yet mindful that help to deal with some of the greatest mental health issues. 
• Constant work from home makes you work anytime and every time of the day making your routine the same. The brain fails to shut down work even if you aren’t working due to the same ambiance. Exercise helps to break the monotonous schedule and allows your mind to calm down.

All the goodness infused with basic home workout can help you beat mental health issues you are going through due to hectic work life at home.

Let us dive deep into each of these mental health issues and how exercise can help to come to terms with it in a better way.  

Here is a You tube from a psychiatrist, the Medscape video reference for the benefits of exercises upon mental health issues:

Mental health effects due to work from home:

Stress-

Is the first thing you do after waking up is put on the multiple task hat? While you are working from home, it is quite obvious that work isn’t the only thing that you are doing. A mixture of all the household routines along with work can leave anybody stressed. According to a report by European Foundation for the Improvement of living and working conditions, 41% of remote working employees report higher levels of stress compared to 25% of the ones who work at office. 

What stresses out the situation more is uncertainty. Yes, despite this being a part of life, uncertainty about the job, work, healthcare has struck badly into the stress levels.

Another major cause of stress at such times is the loss of control over the future. People like to have a general plan set about the near and far future that gives them a sense of control. However, during these times, it is not possible to predict or plan for the future as times may take a turn anytime. All these thoughts become an add-on to the stress levels. 

How exercise can help to deal with it?

• Yoga: Yogic exercises and stretching give in a sense of control over the body and mind. When you can attain this, your mind becomes more poised for you to take control over. 
• Walking: A brief walk or run at the terrace can give you that desired break from the overwhelming work schedule your brain is longing to have. 
• Workout: Light workout can help your muscles relax a bit releasing all the added tension that got built up due to the unending work hours. 

Work from home schedules tends to keep our body stagnant at one place building up all that extra stress. The idea is to take short breaks in between and keep your body moving that helps your mind to adapt to the change in the environment. 

Anxiety-

Is your body muscle in a constant shake while you freak out glaring at your laptop screen? Then chances are there that you are having anxiety. 

Excessive stress leads to an upscale mental health issue leading to anxiety. One cannot differentiate much between stress and anxiety unless you observe minutely. However, the scale of reaction in anxiety is higher. Your body never seems to rest even if you are not working, the mind seems to be overwhelmed with all the thoughts that are not in your control even when you go to sleep. 

Well, that’s not it. Anxiety can worsen your sleep pattern leading to some episodes of anxiety attacks. These attacks are mental breakdown periods when you don’t have any control over your emotions anymore. 

How can exercise help you deal with anxiety?

Anxiety leads to build in a lot of stress that tends to move out of the body. Due to this, your muscles feel at a constant move whenever you are anxious. Exercise helps to process out this excess energy in a better way.  

• Workout: To get rid of that excess energy build-up, there is no better way than doing freestyle workouts at home. You can either do it yourself or take the help of online applications or videos to do the same. 
• Dance: There is no better way to get rid of anxiety and uplift your mood than dance. It helps your body to work out that energy without letting it feel like an added mental pressure. 
• Meditation: one of the major symptoms of anxiety includes a racing heartbeat and shortage of breath. Meditation will help you to calm your mind and get your heartbeat in control. 
• Deep breathing: Nothing works better for someone who faces anxiety than deep breathing. An excess amount of oxygen into the body gives it a sense of control and calm heart rate. It is important to do if you feel you are losing control over yourself i.e. near to an anxiety attack. 

Depression-

When you are constantly working from home for months, chances are there that you might be going through a feeling of being stuck. Being in that loop of working without any promotion, without a change in ambiance, without anyone to talk to often makes one feel hopeless in life. As if they are not fulfilling their goals and that they are doomed. 

Depression can be a result of anything or everything that is affecting your mental well-being constantly. If you unnecessarily feel burnt, face constant emotional breakdown without reason, and feel hopeless about yourself, you may be leading into the paths of depression or are already depressed. 

You need to seek professional help for this. There is no alternative. Depression isn’t a battle that you can overcome alone. However, in addition to professional guidance, exercise can help you and become your right arm in the battle. 

• Cardio exercise: Cardio exercises are the ultimate gift you can give to your body and mind. The amounts of good hormones such as endorphins, dopamine secreted during cardio exercises help you to deal with depression better. 
• Tai Chi: Similar to yogic exercises, this form of light movement exercises practiced in the eastern region can help you break-free the aura of depression your body is dealing with. 
• Yoga: Nothing better than yoga can help you attain that blissful balance of mind and body. It gives a sense of connection and understanding of what your body needs without being overwhelmed with it. 
• Walking: at times being in the same environment for a long time can become a bonus to your depression journey. So, change and amp up your ambiance a bit, go for a walk. If not outside, at least at the terrace.

Pressure, loneliness, and isolation-

Working from home and staying in at all times have caused our life to cut out from a lot of important aspects. Social interaction, communication with one’s own-self and others, and ultimately, cutting out the interaction of our mind with our body. All this leads to a constant build-up of unknown pressure, loneliness, and isolation. 

Exercise helps you to gain that lost connection. It helps you to gain clarity with what your body needs and is trying to convey. 

• Social workout sessions: due to the overwhelming routine you are having, there is a clear excuse to avoid social interaction. Get a workout buddy along with you. It will help you to get over isolation and enhance your body balance well. 
• Walking: Having a walk outside (even terrace) can help you feel more connected to social beings. It will enhance your interaction decreasing your sense of loneliness. 
• Dance: Dance your heart out. It will help you to get rid of all the extra pressure built up and overcome isolation. Also, this works as a good cardio workout hence, all the hormones secreted will uplift your mood like no other. 
• Community Yoga: There a lot of online yoga communities that practice yoga every day at a particular time. Join these communities to keep your social interaction in check while enjoying the perfect blend of your mind and body control at the same time. 
• Meditation: Meditation helps your body and mind to deal with all the mental wellbeing challenges your daily routine brings in. 

The wellbeing of your mind is extremely crucial to have an immune body system and healthy life. Exercise plays a vital role to attain the same. Having the same ambiance, the whole day and night doesn’t help your brain and mind to shut your work off and relax. The whole difference between work life and personal life gets blurred when you work from home. Yes, it comes with its own sets of benefits but with the price of your mental wellbeing. 

The responsibility of your mental health is upon your own hands. Exercise and meditation at home is your best friend to do so. It is important to take care of your mental wellbeing now so that you can be at your productive best at all times.

The post How to adapt exercises at home to ensure mental wellbeing? appeared first on Live Well Live True.