International Red Cross Founder’s Story Shows Health Workers’ Heroism & Humanity
By Ben Wyckoff Shore
Have you heard of Henri Dunant? If not, it’s okay. The happy few who can identify Henri Dunant as the founder of the Red Cross movement are usually the Trivial Pursuit aficionados.
But in the midst of today’s crisis, Dunant‘s life is worth recalling in more depth than a general knowledge board game answer as his contribution to humanity is far from trivial. His is a story of humanity in a moment of crisis and acute trauma. Inspired and driven by the trauma he witnessed, we come to the origin story of the Red Cross Movement.
Born in 1828 to a wealthy but pious family in Geneva, Dunant had a childhood filled with bible reading and alms giving. Even after growing up and learning the trade of the financier he managed to stay bright-eyed and naive. As a businessman, Dunant was wanting. He had the ambition and even the charisma but lacked the miserly tendencies that turn daily dimes into great fortunes. In short, he was a dreamer.
After setting out on his own and establishing a shaky enterprise in Algeria, it was not long before Dunant was in dire need of financial help and political intervention. As Algeria was then part of the French Protectorate, Dunant sought out an audience with the Emperor Napoleon III in order to get assistance in his business affairs. As it happened, Napoleon III and France were at war. Not to be deterred by that inconvenient fact, Dunant made his way to Northern Italy, where France (and Napoleon III) and Austria, and their respective allies, were readying to engage in the bloodiest European land battle in 50 years. This battle was to be called the Battle of Solferino.
Dunant, who was sheltered and Swiss, had never before seen the fallout from war. The aftermath he witnessed of the 1859 Battle of Solferino was an earthshaking experience. Warfare in the mid nineteenth century had reached a new level of killing potential as compared to the prior century with combatants trading in their muskets for repeating rifles and revolvers. Artillery had become more mobile and tactical, with industrialization providing greater availability and affordability. Battles in the mid 1800s had not yet taken on the trench style warfare of WWI focused on attrition: the Battle of Solferino featured lightning fast cavalry charges and troop movements designed to compress maximum damage in minimal time.
Among the horrors of war Dunant witnessed at the Battle of Solferino were miles and miles of thousands and thousands of young men, dead and dying, without any sort of organized aid response. The Battle of Solferino was also one of the last major battles to occur before the widespread use of antiseptic. As such, infection among the wounded was rampant, as was amputation. Worse still, there were instances of enemy wounded being sought out and killed. These truly traumatic scenes change Henri Dunant, and as a result, the world.
After bearing witness to this trauma Dunant did not fly from Solferino but rather, was compelled to stay on to help care for the wounded. He worked tirelessly as an administrator, setting up make-shift field hospitals, but also assisting in the bloody grunt work needed to physically give aid to the suffering soldiers.
Bodies were buried. The wounded recovered or didn’t. Time marched on. Dunant tried to return to his normal life but our dreamer found that he could not create distance from the trauma. The Battle of Solferino had produced a reflex in him, but his full reaction was not yet complete. He decided to document his experience in the form of a memoir. In his published work, A Memory of Solferino, he lays bare a full account of the Battle in all its gory detail.
This memoir spread through Europe like wildfire. European leaders were appalled into action. This momentum turned into a movement when Dunant, along with a small group of like minds, founded the International Committee for the Red Cross. Though this organization was founded to improve the conditions of the wounded on the field of battle, it has expanded and grown into one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world. Today the movement maintains volunteer societies in 190 countries and has alleviated the suffering of millions of people facing the effects of warfare, natural disaster, and epidemic.
Beyond founding the Red Cross, Dunant ultimately helped coordinate the Geneva Convention and was awarded the first ever Nobel Peace Prize.
I found Henri Dunant’s story fascinating enough to inspire the historical novel Terribilita. Based on much research into the era and Dunant, the storyfeatures a fictional Italian family swept up in the politics and violence of the 19th century Risorgimento movement. Dunant plays a small but critical role in the story by guiding the family to higher moral ground.
His was one of many possible reactions to a crisis but can represent an important lesson in how even in the face of devastation, individuals like today’s health workers can be driven and inspired to work selflessly for the benefit of humanity. and a message of hope as we consider the collective trauma of today.
***
Ben Wyckoff Shore is the author of Terribilita, an historical novel set in Italy at the time of the Italian unification movement (Risorgimento). An avid reader with a penchant for writing about very flawed, very human characters as well as stories about rebellion and self-sacrifice, Ben enjoys nature and loves all sorts of dogs but especially underdogs.
Artist Releases Coming-of-age Memoir Detailing Her Journey With Mental Illness And Disability
Long Island, NY, May 26, 2020 – It started as a college prank; a friend offered Ruth Poniarski a brownie that, unbeknownst to her, was laced with angel dust. What resulted was a debilitating accident, and the first of many mental breakdowns that spiraled into diagnoses of psychosis, schizophrenia, severe anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
Long Island native Ruth Poniarski has released her first book, Journey of the Self: Memoir of an Artist, published by Charlotte, North Carolina-based Warren Publishing. Poniarski’s unflinchingly honest memoir shares her coming-of-age story through the lenses of mental illness, disability, and steadfast determination.
For years, Poniarski struggled to cope with her new reality as she undertook a rigorous architectural program, sought out new friends (and the perfect mate), and battled through the depths of mental illness. Her journey led her in all directions as she sought comfort, solace, stability and love.
Now an accomplished artist, Poniarski considers her memoir to be a portrait of sorts. “This book, like many of my paintings, is about introspection,” she says. “So many of us, particularly when we’re young, seek definition through labels or through what others think of us. It’s so easy to say, ‘I have bipolar disorder, therefore, X’ or ‘So and so doesn’t love me the way I love him, therefore, Y.’ But none of that is who we truly are.”
The release of Poniarski’s memoir is particularly timely in light of the Coronavirus pandemic and social distancing orders. “A lot of people are stuck at home right now. This kind of isolation forces a person to examine themselves; what makes them unique beyond who they are to society,” says Poniarski. “That kind of self-reflection allows us to become more available to others. You have to know yourself first.”
“So, who am I?” Poniarski laughs. “Well … you’ll just have to read the book!”
For more information about Ruth Poniarski or her book, please visit: ruthponiarski.com.
DriSteem to Host a Free Webinar on How to Reduce Scrap, Improve Quality, and Protect Employees by Adding Humidification Systems in Print Shops
Eden Prairie, MN - May 26, 2020 - DRI-STEEM Corporation (DriSteem), the leading manufacturer of humidification, evaporative cooling, and water treatment products, announced today that the company will offer a free webinar to address the importance of humidification systems in print shops. This webinar will be presented by David Baird, Senior Applications Engineer for DriSteem.
The webinar will focus on why controlling humidity is important for print providers as proper humidification levels alleviate a variety of issues in the press room, while contributing to a healthy work environment and improving printer function. Well-balanced humidity in print facilities will help improve quality and reduce waste from static related ink smear and paper issues while extending the life of cylinders and plates. Even better, proper humidification helps protect the health of your staff and mitigate the risk of lost time from the flu, COVID, and other viruses.
David Baird will include topics that will address:
Why humidification is important in print facilities
The role of humidity in addressing common problems such as electrostatic discharge, paper moisture control, inefficient printer function and unhealthy work environment
Practical considerations for providing 40-60% RH in print shops
Attendees will receive a .5-hour Professional Development Credit with a Certificate of Completion for all that attend the full presentation.
We invite those who are interested to attend the hour-long webinar on Tuesday, June 9, 2020 at 11:30 AM. The webinar is free to all, however it does require registration. Please register for this webinar by using the link below.
“We are excited to offer this free webinar and educate people on all the benefits of humidification. Most people do not put much thought into humidification until it is too late,” said Jennifer Montville, DriSteem Director of Marketing.
About DriSteem:
DriSteem is a premier provider of humidification, evaporative cooling, and water treatment solutions for commercial and industrial applications. DriSteem offers custom systems for critical indoor environments such as health care, data centers, and other facilities requiring precise control of moisture in the air.
DriSteem’s 50-year history of development and innovation has resulted in multiple patented designs that not only meet but anticipate customers' unique needs. DriSteem is a subsidiary of Research Products Corporation, manufacturer of Aprilaire®, the leading residential humidifier brand, as well as air cleaners, heat-recovery systems, and HVAC accessories.
Genome Alberta - Understanding COVID-19 Severity in Children
CALGARY, May 26, 2020 /CNW/ - Children are affected by COVID-19 differently than adults. Exactly why is not clearly understood and here in Alberta researchers are working hard to find the answers.
Drs. Francois Bernier and Jim Kellner, co-leaders of a newly funded research project, and members of the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) at the University of Calgary believe that children may well hold the key to unlocking some of the mysteries to the varying degree of severity of COVID-19 across Alberta.
The Bernier / Kellner team will be working in concert with Alberta Health Services Public Health Officers, leading clinicians and Alberta Precision Laboratories (APL) to recruit children in Alberta under the age of 18 who have been tested for the SARS-COV2 virus. Some of Alberta's leading experts in infectious diseases, immunology, virology, genomics and public health will perform comprehensive studies to understand the role of children's immune response. They will also look at the children's genetic makeup to determine risk factors for severe illness and gain insight into targeted treatments. The team also hopes to identify the biological differences in the response of children to COVID-19 that may shed light on ways to better combat the effects seen in adults.
"We are grateful to Genome Alberta, and the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation for funding this research," says Francois Bernier. "Investigating children's immune system, genes, and the virus' genes is essential to us understanding why some children become critically ill and others only mildly ill. The interplay between the virus' genes and the immune response and genetic makeup of infected children is key. Mapping virus genetics also allows us to precisely trace how the virus is moving and spreading." Dr. Bernier, MD, is a professor in the Departments of Medical Genetics and Paediatrics at the Cumming School of Medicine (CSM).
Dr. Jim Kellner, MD, a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Microbiology, Immunology & Infectious Disease and Community Health Sciences at the CSM, and an infectious disease researcher at ACHRI says "We want to better understand how contagious children are, precisely how the virus is affecting their young bodies, and how children develop immunity against COVID-19."
Genome Alberta is one of the funders for the project and President and CEO David Bailey notes, "This project, led by leading Calgary pediatric clinicians will generate data that will better predict the severity of the disease and thereby directly inform the care of children and adults alike. Furthermore, collaborations have been established with pediatric research teams in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver extending the impact of this work far beyond Alberta's borders".
The UCalgary study, a collaboration between the University of Alberta, Alberta Health Services, the Alberta Children's Hospital and Alberta Precision Laboratories, is funded by Genome Canada through Genome Alberta, and the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation through ACHRI.
About Genome Alberta
Genome Alberta is a publicly funded not-for profit corporation which invests primarily in large-scale genome sciences research projects and technology platforms focused on areas of strategic importance to the province (e.g. human health, forestry, plant and animal agriculture, energy, and environment). By working collaboratively with government, universities, and industry, Genome Alberta is a catalyst for a vibrant life sciences cluster with far reaching social and economic benefits for Alberta and Canada. To date, the organization has managed a research portfolio with approved budgets totaling more than $255 million. Please visit Genome Alberta's website for more information.
About Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute
The Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) supports excellence in research, education and knowledge translation to improve the health and well-being of children and families. A multi-disciplinary institute of the University of Calgary, Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation, ACHRI researchers create new knowledge to change practice, design new treatments and shape policy to improve child health outcomes. research4kids.ucalgary.ca
About the University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a global intellectual hub located in Canada's most enterprising city. In our spirited, high-quality learning environment, students thrive in programs made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. Our strategy drives us to be recognized as one of Canada's top five research universities, engaging the communities we both serve and lead. This strategy is called Eyes High, inspired by the university's Gaelic motto, which translates as 'I will lift up my eyes'. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca/eyeshigh.
For more information, visit ucalgary.ca. Stay up to date with University of Calgary news headlines on Twitter@UCalgary. For details on faculties and how to reach experts go to our media centre atucalgary.ca/mediacentre.
SOURCE Genome Alberta
Both Feet on the Ground Shares Profoundly Therapeutic Benefits Of Immersion In The Natural World
Denver, CO, May 26, 2020 — You’re stressed out, tired of looking at the same four walls, drained by the negativity on social media, and exhausted from juggling work with homeschooling and entertaining your kids. No matter your age, location, or financial standing, there is a simple, effective therapy that is abundantly available, and it’s right outside your door.
“Get out and stay out—as often and for as long as you can,” champions Marshall Ulrich in his latest release, Both Feet on the Ground: Reflections from the Outside.
Ulrich, an ultrarunner who has also scaled the Seven Summits and competed in multi-day adventure races,shares stories of his expeditions in such far-flung places as Borneo, Tibet, and South Africa, as well as his lifelong commitment to farming his land in Colorado. Ulrich has climbed Mount Everest, run through the searing heat of the Gobi Desert, and ridden the huge waves off Morocco. But there’s no need to be an extreme athlete to reap the benefits of forming physical connections with the natural world.
Ulrich urges readers to simply unplug, plant their feet firmly in the earth, fill their lungs with clean air, and dream of bold and personally compelling outdoor adventures.
“Your adventures in natural places—even if, for now, it’s just sitting outside or walking around your neighborhood—can put you back in touch with who you are; how resilient, resourceful and hardy you can be,” Ulrich says.
Throughout Both Feet on the Ground, Ulrich shares valuable insights from his endeavors, along with useful findings and recommendations from other experts, all organized around themes of earth, air, fire and water. His hope is that you’ll be inspired to find new ways of engaging with these natural elements yourself to experience the healing powers of the outside world.
Author Marshall Ulrich is an extreme endurance athlete—ultrarunning icon, Seven Summits mountaineer, and adventure racer—who loves sharing his exploits to entertain and help motivate others to reach their goals. He’s raced, led expeditions, or climbed mountains in nearly 30 countries, and visited 30 more, so his stories are about more than just physical accomplishments. Cutting his teeth running across Death Valley, he’s also climbed Mount Everest, run in the jungles of Fiji, and completed a record-setting run across America. Dubbed the Endurance King, he defies the ideas of “too far,” “too old” and “not possible.” Revered among athletes, Marshall is also the author of Running on Empty. An acclaimed speaker, he’s lectured on various elite cruise lines, and given talks at businesses, schools, race expos, and professional conferences, including the Royal Geographic Society, Morgan Stanley, and Wilderness Medicine.
New poll shows almost universal support for including long-term care under Canada Health Act
86% of Canadian are in support; only 2% oppose the action
OTTAWA, May 26, 2020 /CNW/ - After 3 months of daily news about the COVID-19, we are seeing the major impact the pandemic is having, not only on people's lives and work, but also on how they see the country moving forward. Canadians clearly want to see changes made to the way our long-term care system works.
A national poll, commissioned by the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) and conducted by Abacus Data, found that
90 per cent of Canadians are aware of the deaths in long-term care facilities.
86 per cent of Canadians are in favour of bringing long-term care facilities under the Canada Health Act. Only 2 per cent of Canadians oppose this idea.
81 per cent of Canadians want to see the federal government invest whatever money and resources are needed to rebuild health care and other public services that were previously cut/minimized.
78 per cent support increasing funding for long-term care.
"This poll backs up what we've been saying," says Larry Brown, NUPGE President. "These numbers show clearly what Canadians want from the government. No matter where Canadians live, how much money they make, if they care for elderly parents, or who they vote for, people want to see further investment in long-term care and health care, and not cuts."
Though the issue crosses generational lines (80% overall), older Canadians 45+ are particularly supportive (85%) of the federal government investing whatever money and resources are needed to rebuild health care and other public services that were previously cut/minimized. The provinces with the highest levels of support for this increased investment are British Columbia (87%), Ontario (80%) and Quebec (82%). Canadians earning under $50,000 showed the highest level of support but people earning over $100,000 indicated strong support for the idea as well (81%).
"Governments considering austerity measures as we transition to a new reality should be paying attention. Canadians will no longer put themselves or their families' health at risk."
"We are seeing people looking for serious, permanent changes to avoid the tragic results that we've seen over the last several months. They want to ensure we never go back to the way things were before the outbreak. And they see the federal government playing a significant role in fixing our system of health care."
"Moving long-term care under the Canada Health Act will provide Canadians with the national standards and public accountability that has been lacking for decades," said Brown. "Governments have no right to ignore such strong public opinion on this issue."
NUPGE first issued a letter to the Prime Minister on April 17, 2020 calling on the federal government to extend the provisions of the Canada Health Act to include long-term care.
The survey was conducted by Abacus Research, with 1,800 Canadian adults between the dates of May 14 to 18, 2020. The data were weighted according to census data to ensure that the sample matched Canada's population according to age, gender, educational attainment, and region. Totals may not add up to 100 due to rounding. The margin of error for a comparable probability-based random sample of the same size is +/- 2.29, 19 times out of 20.
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 390,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. — NUPGE
SOURCE NATIONAL UNION OF PUBLIC AND GENERAL EMPLOYEES
CraftBot Canada successfully initiates a #3DPrintToProtect movement to empower communities and frontline workers
Network of partnerships allows for 3D printing of PPE for frontline workers and employees
TORONTO, May 26, 2020 /CNW/ - As Canadian businesses look to reopen this week, CraftBot Canada has launched a #3DPrintToProtect initiative with hospitals and other distribution partners to help frontline workers and employees better protect themselves.
CraftBot began this initiative to fight COVID-19 by redirecting resources to setup a unique Rapid Local Manufacturing (RLM) farm concept consisting of 12 3D printers printing and manufacturing thousands of face shields, all within a two week timeframe. The RLM farm produced over 5,000 shields, which were given away to local Hungarian hospitals and businesses to help protect their frontline workers. With the RLM concept proving effective and impactful, the initiative was then shared with distributors in various countries to empower them through hardware and software support in their local fight.
With the continuing need for personal protective equipment (PPE) globally, this initiative has quickly grown to become a movement with partnerships at various levels looking to support companies to hospitals to communities. Here is how CraftBot is directly influencing a positive change for Canadians:
Hospitals: Working with the Lynn and Arnold Irwin Advanced Perioperative Imaging Lab (APIL) at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, University Health Network, recognized as the largest health research organization in Canada, to support the mass production of face shields for frontline healthcare workers and provide an additional printer to supplement APIL's printing hub for urgently needed parts for emergency ventilation systems.
Distributors: Providing a 3D printer and 500 face shields to Shop3D.ca a Canadian based 3D Printer national distributor and reseller, with complimentary support in the production of PPE for anyone requiring it.
Retailers/Communities: Setting up an RLM centre at the 3D reseller Digitmakers to help their employees manufacture PPE for the University Health Network hospitals and others that require it.
"The CraftBot culture is all about family and innovation, and now more than ever we need to come together," says John Kassis, VP Commercial for CraftBot. "This is an important initiative as face shields and PPE become the safest and fastest way to give the public confidence to return to a sense of normalcy."
"CraftBot has been integral to the network of businesses and community groups that underpins our current efforts to meeting PPE needs of frontline healthcare workers," shared Azad Mashari, Staff Anesthesiologist and Director of APIL at University Health Network. "Their generosity, professionalism and high quality systems have been a major boost to our projects."
"We are pleased of the engagement of Craftbot with Shop3d.ca and their contribution in face shields and making their Flow printer available to support us in PPE production," stated Ken Wan, General Manager of Shop3d.ca. "This is helping us in our initiative to directly support the frontline workers."
As part of this initiative, CraftBot has developed a special toll free number and web site to assist anyone that may need PPE or who are interested in helping print their own to help the community. Contact 647-428-2760, follow #3DPrintToProtect, or visit www.craftbot.com/covid-19 for further details.
"Our goal is to help make PPE available so that anyone at home can purchase a 3D printer and help with this movement to #3DPrintToProtect," added John Kassis. "We want all businesses to know that we are here to help them, whether it's with PPE's, rapid local manufacturing or just to help someone new into 3D printing. While we are acting locally within Canada, we have similar initiatives running within Germany, Hungary, the UK, and the U.S. to make this a truly global movement."
The multi-award-winning CraftBot 3D printers have set the industry standard for quality and performance for both beginners and advanced users.
About CraftUnique Ltd. CraftUnique is a developer and manufacturer of 3D printers and of the new Craftbot Flow Generation with a manufacturing in Budapest and offices in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Since it was founded in 2014, the company has developed over ten award-winning 3D printers and has sold 10,000 units worldwide. CraftUnique's innovative and entrpreneurial DNA has earned is a spot among the top 3D printer manufacturers in the world. With more than 45 sales partners worldwide, CraftUnique offers a complete 3D printing solution through its hardware, accessories, software, filament and support services. The Craftbot 3D printers are known for being user-friendly, reliable and high-quality products with a 5-year warranty. For more information visit www.Craftbot.com
SOURCE CraftBot Canada
4 Reasons You Aren't Seeing Results at the Gym
If you've been working out for a couple of weeks or months, you might be feeling way better. Energy is up, your mood has become way more positive, but there Is just one thing missing, that's right the actual body change. If you've been working out and are frustrated about not seeing results, there might be a reason for that. Therefore, the following information includes four reasons why you aren't seeing results at the gym.
Chemical Imbalance
Oftentimes it's not something you are doing that is causing you to not see results rather what your body is not doing. One of the most common issues within men when it comes to seeing a lack of results is a chemical imbalance regarding their testosterone levels. Fortunately, there are solutions to this issue, such as utilizing testosterone Androgel to help activate the muscle. However, it is always highly recommended to seek the advice of a medical professional.
Too Much Cardio
One hour of cardio and you'll swear that you lost at least two pounds in just sweat. One of the moreharmful aspects of cardio is that it gives people a false sense of accomplishment. Although cardiovascular activity can be difficult, it certainly isn't the best route to take if you want to transform your body. A better approach is to cut down cardio and only use it as a warm-up or cool down. The rest of your work should be heavily focused on resistance training. After all, muscle not only improves the look of your body, but it helps you burn fat even when you're not at the gym.
You're Constantly Doing the Same Thing
As a beginner, you may find it a little daunting and difficult to suddenly switch your workout. However, it is paramount that you diversify your workouts in order to keep your muscles guessing. When you put your muscles through the same type of workout each and every day, they will get used to it.
You Are Not Resting Enough
It can be easy to remind yourself that there is no gain without pain. The reality is that once that pain emerges, you should definitely rest. Your body understands when it needs rest, and it will show it to you not only in pain from, but also during your workouts. Suddenly you become weak on a movement you've been setting personal records on. Your coordination is gone, and it seems that you can never truly have a pain-free workout. The best thing to do for yourself is to get an appropriate amount of time off the gym.
There's no doubt about it, after spending countless amounts of money and hours in the gym trying to get a great body, not seeing results can be a real downer. Therefore, it is paramount that you adhere to the list above in order to not only prevent issues from arising but understand how to fix them.
Hawaii’s Big Island-based contractor and avid surfer Jerry Iwankiw, has announced the release of AWESOME BALM™, an all-natural, handcrafted balm that melts away the discomfort of sore muscles, aching joints, and everyday tension – helping one’s body to perform at its best. So, listen up surfers, yogis, athletes, adventure and beauty secret seekers alike - this product was created for those with enthusiastic and active lifestyles who dream of living more, hurting less as well as playing hard and recovering fast.
AWESOME BALM™’s first product released on May 15 was its Warming Muscle Melt ($28.00 retail), developed in Hawaii with world-class ingredients including essential oils, seed extracts and proteins found in the following ingredients:
·Kukui Nut Oil - aims at moisturizing, rejuvenating the skin and supporting skin cell health;
·Turmeric - assists with anti-inflammation;
·Arnica Essential Oils - assists with muscle-soothing;
·Beeswax – aims to support anti-allergenic support and soothe irritated skin;
·Coconut Oil – aims to hydrate skin, improve elasticity and collagen production and includes antioxidants such as Vitamin E and Vitamin A, that helps to reduce the damage from free radicals and the sun;
·Menthol, Camphor, Ginger, Cayenne - a natural heat-building blend that adds a warming sensation, increases circulation, and eases tension;
AWESOME BALM™ products have 100% plastic free packaging and include a recycled paper tube inside a recycled paper carton. Attached please find the Press Release that includes more information. For more information, please visit www.awesomebalm.com or via social channels @awesomebalm #awesomebalm additional information.
4 Types of Equipment to Help Make Your Workout Challenging
If you want to build strength or improve your endurance, making your workouts challenging is essential. Pushing yourself is key to seeing major fitness results. In some cases, though, getting a challenging workout requires having the right equipment on hand. Here are four types of equipment you can use to make your workouts more challenging.
Incline Treadmill
Cardio is an important part of achieving good overall fitness, and a treadmill is probably the most common machine used in cardio training. If you’re using a treadmill with only variable speed, though, you could be missing out. Consider getting an incline treadmill, which will allow you simulate walking or running uphill to give yourself a harder workout. With a good incline treadmill, you can get the experience of running uphill at any time from the comfort of your living room.
Adjustable Weights
Having some basic weight room equipment on hand will make it much easier for you to build muscle through progressively harder exercises. Adjustable dumbbells, a barbell, and a basic weight bench can form the core of your home gym, allowing you to do a wide range of different weighted exercises. Having adjustable weights is key, since you need to be able to gradually increase the weight you’re lifting as you get stronger in order to keep your lifts challenging.
Resistance Bands
As useful as weights are, they aren’t the only way to add resistance to your workouts. Resistance bands can be used to simulate weighted workouts or to add some extra difficulty to body weight exercises. Having a decent set of resistance bands will give you versatility in your exercise routine, and they’re also great to have on hand for exercises outside the home.
Ankle Weights
One great way to add difficulty to your daily routine is by wearing ankle weights under your pants. These weights make it more difficult to walk, giving you both a good leg workout and a decent amount of cardio. While you probably won’t want to wear them all the time, having them on hand makes it easy to get some exercise on busy days when you can’t find time to squeeze in a proper workout.
With these four pieces of equipment, you can raise the intensity level of your workouts and see better, faster results from your fitness regimen. Always remember to practice proper form when working out, since making an exercise too difficult and then performing it with poor form is a recipe for injuries.
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