Running outside is an effective and physically rewarding exercise. While running outdoors is wonderful, weather changes can make it tough to get the miles in that you might need to keep your fitness at its peak level. With these four alternative indoor exercises for runners, you’ll be able to maintain your hard-earned fitness all through the year.
Yoga
Yoga is an excellent indoor alternative for runners. Weight-bearing exercises like yoga can improve muscular endurance in runners. In addition to building up one's leg muscles, yoga also reduces injury risk by strengthening connective tissue and increasing bone density. What's more, yoga doesn’t require a gym membership or any additional equipment; all you need is some space and a yoga mat. Many people who do yoga daily report that they notice a difference in their endurance and feel that yoga is a great practice for both physical and mental improvements.
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing is another viable alternative to running. Swinging at imaginary opponents can help you blow off steam and keep your heart rate up, even without running. Since boxing is a full-body exercise, you’ll be able to improve your balance and agility as well as strength. If you do decide to take on a heavy bag, make sure to wear hand wraps or gloves with wrist support as boxing can put extra stress on your joints. Shadowboxers often report that they have a video or video game that tells them what movements to mimic and at what time. These videos and games typically help you stay engaged while shadowboxing and help you see progress as you get better.
Indoor Cycling
Similar to running, indoor cycling is a cardio-intense exercise and is a great way to keep your cardio up while staying indoors. Plus, it is typically easier on your knees than running. There are cycling studios that have bikes ready for you to use. If you already have a bike to use at home, you can also look online for remote classes too. One of the things that people love about indoor cycling is the community around you while you are cycling. Even if you are cycling in your own room, you can typically feel the energy of your instructor and they can help you stay motivated.
Jumping Rope
Jumping rope is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and an efficient way to get in a quality workout. Plus, you can get a killer aerobic and strength training workout by jumping rope. Jumping rope works your arms, legs, abs, and shoulders all at once. The additional bonus is that you don’t need much space to do it. Moreover, you can easily adjust how hard of a workout you get by changing your speed and jump height. Many people that jump rope report weight loss and muscle gain, which is often something that runners want.
Bodyweight workouts
You don’t need a gym membership to stay fit. Bodyweight workouts or calisthenics can be done anywhere using only your body weight as resistance. Some examples include push-ups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, and planks. Before you start a bodyweight workout program, be sure to work with a personal trainer who is knowledgeable about exercise programs tailored to runners. This will ensure that you are exercising safely and effectively. Remember that even though these exercises use your body weight as resistance, they should still be approached as hard workouts because there is still a lot of stress placed on your joints and muscles. One thing that people who do bodyweight workouts tend to report is that they notice a physical difference after only a couple of weeks of training. Additionally, they tend to report more visual changes compared to running.
Swimming
Swimming is a great alternative to running as it is cardio intense without significant force on your joints. Additionally, swimmers have reported that it’s a great way to lose weight and get stronger. This is especially true for building your shoulders, which is often neglected in running exercises. There are different types of swimming strokes and swimming drills that can help keep you engaged while you are swimming. Something that is similar between swimming and running is that you can easily see improvements. When you first start swimming, you may notice that you have to take a break after every lap or so compared to a few months later when you can swim multiple laps before getting tired.
Many runners go through seasonal slumps where they just don’t feel like exercising outside, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop running altogether! Pay attention to these four tips for alternative running exercises.
How to Alleviate Back Pain at Home
Chances are, you have some pain in your back. You may not realize it, but more than 80% of people will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. You may not even be aware of the pain until it becomes so excruciating, you lose work time and have to take a medical leave. But there are several ways you can reduce your back pain at home with natural remedies and simple exercises that will help strengthen your muscles surrounding the affected area.
Tired Young asian Sport girl feel pain on her back and hip while exercising, health care concept.
Take a Hot Bath
One of the ways you can help relieve back pain at home is by taking a hot bath. Doctors even recommend soaking in a hot bath as one of their top ways to alleviate back pain at home because it relaxes your muscles, increases blood flow, and reduces stress—all things you need if you're experiencing discomfort that is affecting your ability to function normally on a daily basis.
Use Medicated Creams
Another way to alleviate your back pain at home is by using over-the-counter medicine. Some people find that applying an analgesic cream helps reduce their levels of discomfort and muscle spasms because it contains ingredients like menthol and methyl salicylate, which help relieve things like joint pain and muscle stiffness. You can also take ibuprofen or aspirin, which are often found in over-the-counter medicines for back pain relief at home.
Maintain Healthy Body Weight
If you are overweight, the extra pounds put pressure on your back which can cause pain and discomfort. Maintaining an ideal weight will help reduce how much stress is placed on your spine so that it doesn't have to work as hard at keeping you upright, therefore helping with back pain management.
If you are underweight, this can also cause problems because your bones aren't getting the support they need to stay strong, which results in back strain and discomfort over time. An ideal weight will help reduce stress on your body so that it is easier for you to deal with any aches or pains caused by muscle fatigue.
Stretching
Stretching exercises can help you feel better and alleviate back pain at home. If you want to stretch out your back, try lying on your stomach with a rolled-up towel under the arch of your back. You can also bend over and grab onto something sturdy like an exercise bar or table leg - just make sure it's strong enough not to move when you put pressure on it.We hope these tips will help you relieve your back pain and get on the road to recovery. If not,
Winter Transition for Your Training and 4 Tips To Make It Easier
woman tying shoelaces at gym.
Want to get your fitness on but not ready to do your cardio in the cold? If you hate working out in the winter months, there are plenty of alternatives to exercising outdoors that will still keep you physically active while inside. Here are some top tips to make sure your exercise routine continues throughout the colder months:
Cardio
Many people think that it’s impossible to get a good cardio workout without venturing outside, making it particularly challenging to stay fit when it gets cold outside. Thankfully, there are many solutions for indoor cardio. Try indoor cycling, running on the elliptical or treadmill, jumping rope, or jogging in place. Whether you sign up for a virtual or in-person class or simply follow along with your own set of exercises, performing regular cardio will help you stay on track with training.
Shadowboxing
Shadowboxing is another excellent indoor winter workout to keep your body moving in cold weather. It’s easy to incorporate shadowboxing into your everyday routine because it requires no equipment, can be done anytime and anywhere, and provides an effective cardio workout. Simply practicing punching, kicking, and maintaining your fight position as you spar in front of a mirror. Use resources like Instagram and YouTube to improve your form.
Cycle Classes
When it comes to cardio, cycling classes are among the most popular. For in-person classes, there is usually more than one studio in bigger cities so it’s relatively accessible. Plus, many classes have at least one free class so you can try it out before committing to a monthly membership. There are many studios that offer cycling classes like Plan 7 Coaching. For those that have a bike at home, there are also a growing number of remote classes as well.
Weight Training
Another way to replace your outdoor fitness routine is to practice weight training indoors. The simplest way to do so is by purchasing a set of dumbbells and start using them at home. As long as you know how much weight to lift and what body parts each exercise targets, weight training will allow you to continue getting fit through the winter.
Yoga
Practicing yoga is also an option to maintain your fitness habits in the colder months. In particular, Bikram or hot yoga keeps your muscles from tightening up when temperatures drop as it requires you to sweat extensively. Yoga also improves circulation, which is key in maintaining muscle mass. If you have access to a gym with a pool or hot tub, this is another option as water makes your body feel warmer and will keep your heart rate elevated.
Instead of missing out on your workout routine all winter long, consider making indoor alternatives your go-to fitness plan this season. With these four tips, you’ll be ready to keep working out and stay fit even when the weather takes a turn for the worse.
How to Use Social Media to Promote Your New Yoga Studio
We often forget about the millions of yoga teachers and yoga classes that are now available on the internet. As you read further, you will learn some valuable tips about how marketing helps yoga businesses. To promote your yoga classes online you’ll need to use at least four proven marketing tactics to boost your yoga studio business:
Blog
A yoga instructor’s blog provides great information for online audiences about the teachings, sessions, promotions, and classes offered by the studio. Most teachers only provide one piece of information about their studio online, leaving out the best marketing ideas for marketing their studio.
When blogging it is much more important to provide an in-depth story about why yoga is beneficial to health and wellness than just mentioning the benefits of yoga to your online readers. Yoga teachers have not figured out the right balance of words that makes it easy for readers to see the potential benefits of yoga.
Promote Your Special Yoga Offers Through Social Media
You can use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to promote your classes and events. Creating a class schedule and posting it online is a great way to promote the class schedule. Use social media to create an online customer engagement by asking questions about the studio and promoting special offers. You’ll also be able to find online instructors who have dedicated their online marketing efforts to getting yoga teachers to promote their classes online for people with special needs.
Hire a Website Designer to Create Your Online Presence
Find a website designer to help you create your online presence. You’ll find many website designers who specialize in website design for yoga studios and special needs classes. The website designer will work with you to create a website that includes the right marketing ideas for your yoga studio. After you have created a website for your yoga studio, you’ll have to promote it by creating marketing campaigns that attract people to visit your website. This is an important step because you want to create an online customer engagement by creating online experiences for your online users.
Create a Video Marketing Campaign
Create a video marketing campaign that teaches yoga teachers how to create effective marketing strategies. Most yoga teachers can use a video marketing campaign to bring the yoga classes to the classroom by using specialmarketing tactics. Some examples of video marketing campaigns listed:
• Uploading a short video in a yoga studio class about how yoga helps to increase flexibility and reduce stress.
• Uploading a video showing the unique features of your yoga studio and a few teaching tips. In addition to creating a video marketing campaign, you should create an online marketing calendar.
This will help you to plan your daily marketing activities that you can do on your website to promote your yoga classes and special events.
You’ll be able to create an online presence through blogging, videos, social media marketing, email marketing, and online classes. Having a professional website, advertising campaigns, online classes, and a marketing calendar are the keys to creating an online presence for your yoga studio.
4 Common Foot Issues That Affect Runners
Running is a great activity that can be done by anyone, no matter what their fitness level. However, if you're not careful and don't do some research first, running can lead to many different foot issues. This blog post will discuss 4 common foot issues that runners may face when they run for an extended period of time without taking care of themselves. The four main topics are blisters, calluses, bunions, and plantar fasciitis.
Blisters
Sports injury. Woman with pain in ankle while jogging
Blisters are an issue that can affect any runner. They are caused by many factors, the main one usually being moisture or too much friction between your skin and shoes. Blisters are usually painless, but they can also be very annoying to deal with, especially if you're running for an extended period of time or doing a challenging workout that involves continuous movement.
Most of the time, these will resolve on their own. However, If a blister is causing pain and pressure, you can find some relief by safely popping it and cleaning the area. However, it is important that you use a sterilized needle to pop it in order to prevent infection. After that, clean the area thoroughly and put an antibiotic ointment and an adhesive bandage over the affected area.
Calluses
Calluses affect runners as well and they usually develop during long-distance running or on the ball of your foot. They can be caused by a variety of factors, such as shoes that aren't the right size/shape for you, too much pressure being put on one area while running (no matter what part of your feet it's happening to), bad form when running, running on uneven surfaces, etc. Calluses can be treated at home by consistently using a pumice stone after soaking your feet. If the issue persists, speak with a podiatrist.
Bunions
Another common foot issue that runners may face is bunions. Bunions are not only painful, but they can also affect your running because the joint of the big toe starts to point outward instead of being straight or following the other toes. Bunions are usually caused by wearing shoes with narrow toe boxes. The best thing to do if you think that you have bunions is go see a podiatrist or specialist in order for them to figure out the problem and how they can help correct it. This is usually done with minor surgery.
Plantar Fasciitis
Another issue that runners face is plantar fasciitis. This problem happens when the ligament in your feet that supports and holds up your arch becomes inflamed, which causes a lot of pain whenever you stand or walk for an extended period of time. This condition can be very painful, but it usually goes away after about a month if treated properly. The best way to treat plantar fasciitis is by resting, icing the affected area, taking over-the-counter pain relievers, and having a stretching routine to stretch the ligaments in your feet.Running is a great way to stay active and healthy, but if you don't take care of your feet first, then it can lead to some serious problems. Four of the foot issues that runners may face include blisters, calluses, bunions, and plantar fasciitis. Properly recognizing these issues and taking care of them right away will help
Taking a Breather: How to Properly Rest After an Intense Workout
Staying healthy and feeling good about yourself starts with having a great workout routine. Experts recommend changing up your workout medium on a regular basis to constantly challenge your body. If you've just finished an overly intense workout, here are some great recovery tactics that you should be utilizing.
Rehydrate
Most intense workouts require a lot of sweating on your part. It's necessary that you replenish your body to get your fluid levels back to normal. In addition, your muscles will need that excess fluid to heal properly. While water is always a good idea, you should also consider adding in a drink that has electrolytes in it. These are what provide a necessary recovery for your mind and body so that you're ready to continue with your day.
Take Some CBD
Over the last decade, the benefits of taking CBD have been proven in study after study. CBD works to help reduce inflammation in the body. This means less soreness coming from your intensely worked muscles. While there are many forms of CBD that you can utilize, it is important to find something that is dependable. Products like Koi D8 THC Strawberry Gummies are great for beginners. Consider taking a small amount at first in order to determine how they make you feel. Pacing yourself can help your body gauge what dosage is most suitable for you.
Ice Down Your Body
Another great way to reduce bodily inflammation is to apply ice. While ice packs are great when trying to reduce the inflammation of a certain muscle, they're not overly great for trying to handle multiple parts of the body. Instead, consider a whole-body ice bath for 10 to 15 minutes. If your gym or spa doesn't offer these, pick up a few bags of ice and mix them with cold water in your bathtub.
Do Light Exercise
While resting right after your intense workout is good, you need to get back at it the next day. The key is to simply focus on light exercises that allow your body to move. This form of active recovery can help to prevent lactic acid build-up in your body and enhance your overall circulation. While you may be tempted to try and push yourself to enjoy another intense workout, that's not a good idea. Your body needs time to heal and recover before you put it under intense stress again.
Intense workouts are great for building muscles and mental toughness. However, they can bring on some unpleasant bodily aches. Fortunately, by using the strategies above, you'll be able to help your body recover faster so that you can get back at it sooner.
Sleep and Me: The Correlation Between Health and Rest
Do you have trouble sleeping? Or do you sleep for hours and still wake up tired? Chances are, there’s something going on with your physical health. In fact, millions of people with an underlying health condition have trouble sleeping.
When you sleep, your physical, mental, and emotional wellness improve. The bodily functions that depend on getting enough sleep start to decline with insomnia, so it's best to find the remedy as soon as possible. Everything from CPAP machines to lifestyle changes can lead to better rest.
Stress
Never underestimate the negative impact stress has on your health. While some stress is healthy, constantly raising your cortisol levels can be detrimental to your overall wellness. When you’re stressed, your body has to work harder, which means you can’t afford to lose sleep. Otherwise, it becomes a never-ending cycle.
Stress-related insomnia can be solved in a number of ways. For one, try aromatherapy. Essential oils like chamomile and lavender are natural ways to calm down and improve your quality of sleep. You can also focus on creating strategies to resolve what’s triggering your anxiety symptoms. If necessary, don’t hesitate to seek a professional opinion for relief.
Health Conditions
Maybe a health condition is responsible for your inability to sleep. For instance, pregnancy, breathing problems, and even aging can lead to insomnia. In some cases, the medication you take can affect the quantity and quality of sleep.
If your sleep deprivation is medical-related, you’ll likely need to begin or modify your medication. If you’re unsure that you have a medical condition, start with a professional diagnosis to narrow down remedies.
Sleep Disorder
Unlike other health conditions, sleep disorders are guaranteed to make sleep difficult. Not only does this impact your health, but it can also hinder your daily productivity. The inability to concentrate or stay awake can even be life-threatening in some cases. Some disorders like sleep apnea can make it difficult for you to breathe normally while you are asleep. CPAP machines are designed to regulate your breathing so that you can sleep soundly without any interruptions. You may want to consider using a CPAP machine if you notice that you tend to snore at night.
Your remedy directly correlates with the severity of your condition. Keep in mind, you can become resistant to some solutions like medication, so constantly work with your physician for proper treatment.
Sleep impacts everything, from your overall health to your mood. Therefore, you must take care of your body as well as find appropriate remedies for your sleep deprivation to create overall wellness. Whether the solution involves simple everyday lifestyle changes, natural remedies, or medical intervention, invest the necessary resources into treating your sleep-related issues as soon as you can.
4 Cardio Workouts You Can Do Indoors
Cardio workouts are one way of improving your cardiovascular health. The good thing with cardio workouts is that you are not only limited to doing them with a piece of equipment. In fact, with some cardio workouts, you may not need to use a machine. Here are four cardio workouts you can do indoors:
Burpees
Burpees are a killer cardio workout. With burpees, you do not need a big space or a piece of equipment. If you want to do a burpee, alternate from doing a plank position and jumping. It is advisable to do this for at least 20 minutes. Burpees are pretty easy to do. You can burn 200 calories by doing them for 20 minutes. If you’d like to make it a little bit intensive, try standing on your toes as you jump up. It is advisable to start slowly as you work your way up to avoid any injuries.
Jumping Rope
A jumping rope is a pretty common killer cardio workout that can be done by absolutely anyone. The good thing with jumping ropes is that you can find them in nearly every store. Also, you don’t need any technical training to jump rope. Jumping ropes can help you burn over 200 calories in just 20 minutes. You’re likely going to achieve more within a short period by using a skipping rope in comparison to jogging for 45 minutes. So, next time you’re in a store, feel free to purchase a jumping rope.
Indoor Cycling
Indoor cycling is fun, energizing, and helps you burn a lot of calories without having an impact on your joints. It is the perfect blend of fun and exercise. Indoor cycling works on several muscle groups from the cores to the glutes. You’re likely going to burn over 500 calories for a 45-minute cycling session. Indoor cycling is very helpful because this is the same amount of calories you can achieve by running. However, with indoor cycling, you are having a low impact on your body.
Jumping Lunges
Jumping lunges is another killer cardio workout that focuses on improving your lower body strength. With jumping lunges, you are targeting the quadriceps and hamstring, muscular groups, in the lower part of your body. This exercise also challenges you to balance and coordinate your body as you land on each movement and quickly drive upward again. Jumping lunges helps you burn 20 calories per minute.
Doing exercises has never been easier. You can perform any of the cardio workouts highlighted above or combine all of them to burn more calories. Fortunately, you can do most of the exercises above without any equipment.
How to Navigate Beyond Trauma and Emerge Stronger than Before
Los Angeles, CA, August 16, 2021 — Personal trauma can take many forms, including what Dr. Randall Bell calls the “difficult Ds”: death, divorce, disease, disaster, and destruction. But any circumstances that you’re having difficulty processing and moving beyond can be considered trauma, he explains.
“Trauma affects us all at some point in time,” Dr. Bell said. “But the good news is, we can get through it and actually heal from it.”
In his latest book, Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience, Dr. Bell draws upon his decades of experience and scientific research to deliver a three-stage framework — Dive, Survive and Thrive — that can help readers process their trauma, make the conscientious decision to accept help and move forward, and eventually, tap into the energy generated by that trauma to achieve more than they ever thought possible.
In Post-Traumatic Thriving, he shares stories of real people (many of them, like Leo Fender, are familiar) who were able to move beyond trauma and thrive in the aftermath, including:
• A deaf man with a glass eye invented the electric guitar and became a household name, remarkably wealthy and most importantly, happy.
• A convicted murderer took responsibility for the damage he caused, graduated with honors from college, became a minister and turned around the hearts of the most hardened criminals.
• A girl born with cerebral palsy landed the world’s first starring role on national television and spoke at the White House three times.
• A woman hid in a basement for years and lost her entire family in the Holocaust. She eventually found true love and paints stunning artwork.
• The sister of a murder victim helped millions of women in toxic domestic relationships.
• A woman’s car crash resulted in an addiction to prescription drugs, a divorce, a loss of her children and a cot in a homeless shelter. She has rebuilt it all back and more.
• A man set to go to the Olympics had his hopes dashed by Jimmy Carter and went on to build a worldwide business empire.
Dr. Bell juxtaposes outcomes of scientific studies with these stories to reveal common denominators among “thrivers,” revealing to readers a healthy path toward healing and a life where post-traumatic thriving is possible.
As a socio-economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”
Often called the “Master of Disaster,” Dr. Bell is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. His research has been profiled on major television shows and featured in numerous magazines and the international media. More information can be found at www.posttraumaticthriving.com.
Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience
Ontario's doctors call for mandatory shots for those who work in schools for safe back-to-school
TORONTO, Aug. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - Ontario's doctors are calling for mandatory vaccination of those working in schools and mandatory indoor masking to ensure a safe return to school, the Ontario Medical Association said Thursday.
"Children are currently ineligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines and are therefore reliant on others to keep them safe," said OMA President Dr. Adam Kassam.
"Schools should be safe places for everyone. That's why we are calling for vaccine requirements for teachers and others who work in schools in addition to mandatory masking indoors and other measures as schools reopen in September."
The call for back-to-school safety measures as the province moves toward reopening and the Delta variant spreads follows two earlier recommendations by Ontario's doctors: one for mandatory vaccinations for health-care workers, and one asking the province to create a vaccine certificate that employers and private businesses could rely on to know their customers, employees and colleagues have been fully vaccinated.
Ontario is moving toward Step 4 of re-opening, and a spike in COVID-19 infections driven by the highly contagious Delta variant is leading to rising hospitalizations among unvaccinated and concerns about a fourth wave.
The OMA says the best way to stop the spread of COVID-19 and prevent a resurgence of the pandemic is for everyone to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, and to continue following all public health measures.
"Together, the measures recommended by doctors will help us all stay safe," said OMA CEO Allan O'Dette. "By protecting our health, we are also protecting a continued reopening of our economy."
It's time to change Ontario's health care for the better as the post-pandemic recovery begins. Complete our survey at betterhealthcare.ca and help shape the future of health care.
About the OMA
The Ontario Medical Association represents Ontario's 43,000 plus physicians, medical students and retired physicians, advocating for and supporting doctors while strengthening the leadership role of doctors in caring for patients. Our vision is to be the trusted voice in transforming Ontario's health-care system.
SOURCE Ontario Medical Association
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