Certified Personal Trainer, Personal Trainer Long Beach, Yoga, Pilates Mat, Personal Trainer Coach, Fitness Coach, Nutritional Advice, Nutrition, personal training course

How to Beat the Mental Fatigue Associated with Stress?

/in , ,

It is harder to deal with stress the older you get as the pressures of work, personal life, friendships, relationships, and dreams, goals, benchmarks become more demanding. So, what is a guy or gal to do?

First, there are cardinal rules about taking care of yourself. You probably know them: eat well and sleep well. Alan Li writes, “The simplest method for beating fatigue is to get enough sleep each night. Build a routine. Go to bed at the same hour every day and try getting up at the same time each morning. Make sure not to distract yourself by reading or watching TV late into the night and take whatever precautions you need to get an uninterrupted night’s sleep. Also, begin a regular exercise routine. Being in better shape gives you more energy to burn.

stress

Li explains, Eating regular nutritious meals helps your body keep in tip-top shape and lets you perform better. Be sure to eat breakfast, because failing to do so can leave you sluggish for the entire day. If you can’t find the time eat a healthy breakfast, consider snacking more often between meals to make up for it. Avoid eating junk foods with high fat and sugar content. The point is to make sure your daily meals are nutritious, healthy, and with controlled portions. Make sure you are drinking lots of water, taking lots of walks, moving your body as much as possible.

The stressors of a daily job, relationships, friendships, dating, marriage, engagement, or whatever is stressful for you, are plenty to handle. So, try to give yourself time outs, a leisure time, If removing these factors is impossible or impractical, try taking some time out of each day to listen to music, take a hot bath or doing anything else that you consider relaxing. Use your leisure time for relaxing rather than mulling over problems.

Finally, know your body and mind. Get to know when you are okay and when you are under the weather. And when you are under the weather, seek help. Seek medical help. As someone with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, I can tell you that I was used to living with the stress. But it does not have to be like this. You can relax. You can handle the deadlines, the fights, the pressures to perform at a high level.

Sometimes, you just need to have the right team on your side, cheering you on, supporting you, and giving you the help you need. It is not vain to need someone on your team. If anything, it gives you the courage, the confidence, the extra oomph to face daily struggles.

Dry Skin – The Recipe for Skin Care

/in , ,

Dry skin cannot be ignored. Dry skin leads to cracking of the upper layer of skin and gives it a real bad appearance. The main causes of dry skin include: dry climate, hormonal changes, too much exfoliation and treatment of other skin disorders. Moreover, dryness could be the inherent nature of one’s skin. Whatever be the cause, ‘dry skin care’ is very important (but not very difficult).

Dry skin care’ starts with moisturizers, the most effective remedy for dry skin. Generally, moisturizers are classified under 2 categories based on the way they provide ‘dry skin care’.

The first category includes moisturizers that provide ‘dry skin care’ just by preserving the moisture within the skin e.g. Vaseline. These moisturizers are relatively inexpensive and are readily available (even at grocery shops).

The second category includes moisturizers that work by drawing moisture from the environment and supplying it to the skin. This is a very effective way of ‘dry skin care’ in humid conditions. The moisturizers that provide ‘dry skin care’ in this way are also called humectants. For proper dry skin care, you must use a non-greasy type of moisturizer, as far as possible. Humectants fall in this category. The ingredients of humectants include propylene glycol, urea, glycerin, hyaluronic acid etc.

‘Dry skin care’ is not about just using moisturizers but also using them properly. The best ‘dry skin care procedure’ is to cleanse the skin before the application of moisturizer. You can make your ‘dry skin care’ even more effective by applying the moisturizer while the skin is still damp (after cleansing). Also, make sure that you use soap-free products (especially on your face, neck and arms). Exfoliation does help in dry skin care, by removing the dead skin cells. However, don’t exfoliate too hard. Your dry skin care procedures/products should also take care of sun protection. Avoid too much and too direct exposure to sun (simply by using an umbrella/hat etc.). Use a good sunscreen lotion before going out. A lot of moisturizers provide sun protection too, along with dry skin care.

You also have natural products for ‘dry skin care’ i.e. products that provide ‘dry skin care’ in a natural way (without the use of synthetic chemicals). These dry skin care products supply lipid enhancements to the skin, hence enabling moisture retention within the skin. Another, important thing for ‘dry skin care’ is the temperature of water you use for shower or for washing your face – Use warm water; too hot or too cold water can cause dryness too.

‘Dry skin care’ is also about being gentle with your skin. You should avoid harsh detergents and alcohol based cleansers. Also, after a face wash, do not rub your towel on your face, just pat gently to soak the water off.

Overall, dry skin care is really simple for anyone who takes that seriously.

When Does Fatigue Start in Early Pregnancy?

/in , ,

Fatigue starts, for some people, right away during a pregnancy. Trying to pinpoint and make general statements about pregnancy for everyone. According to Mayo Clinic, “Fatigue also ranks high among early symptoms of pregnancy. During early pregnancy, levels of the hormone progesterone soar — which can put you to sleep. At the same time, lower blood sugar levels, lower blood pressure and increased blood production might team up to sap your energy.

As early as the first few weeks of pregnancy , hormones can rage as your body works to create and grow a tiny new life. Your body is working so hard that it’s no wonder one of the earliest signs of pregnancy is fatigue, which the American Pregnancy Association says can set in within as little as one or two weeks after conception.

pregnancy

Between two to eight weeks, “Nausea is often one of the first warning signs that women may recognize as pregnancy. It can happen as quickly as the second week after conception , says the Mayo Clinic. While commonly classified as “morning sickness,” nausea in early pregnancy can occur at any time of day.

Afterwards, six to eight weeks later, your body starts to develop further. “Within six to eight weeks after conception, as your uterus expands, you may find yourself needing to urinate far more frequently. The American Pregnancy Association says that increased urination is a telltale sign of pregnancy. You may also find yourself craving certain foods, whether it’s pickles and ice cream or a big pizza. Food aversions also commonly appear within the first month or two after conception, and you may notice that some of your favorite foods suddenly make your stomach turn.

According to whattoexpect.com, there are so many tips to keep in mind. First, “Listen to your body. If you’re tired, rest. Pace yourself, keeping your body’s message in mind — and don’t try to be super (expectant) mom. Let the dishes wait until later, and turn the other way as the dust bunnies breed under your dining table. Don’t book activities — or take care of chores — that aren’t essential. Never been a napper — or a slacker? There’s never been a better time to try those on for size.

Another piece of advice is,  Ask for help. Don’t play the mother-to-be martyr. Let your partner know exactly how sapped you are, so he can do his fair share (and then some). If your friends or family ask if they can give you a hand, say yes — always! Having a pal pick up some groceries for you can mean you might actually have enough energy left to drag yourself out for a walk (before you drag yourself into bed).

Caring for Your Skin – Skin Cream Verses Lotion

/in , ,

There is no dearth of skin care creams and lotions in the market. Name an ailment, and you will find hundreds of skin care creams, lotions and other products for it. As a result of ongoing research and due to ever increasing demand, the number of skin care products seems to be on the increase. Skin care lotions and skin care creams are the most popular forms in which these products are available, and there always seems to be a debate on which form is better?

Well, there is no definitive answer to this. It seems more like a matter of personal choice. However, greasy creams are surely less popular as compared to the non-greasy (or less greasy) ones. Since the application of skin care creams is easier, they seem to be preferred (over lotions) in cases where the skin care product is not to be removed immediately after application.

skin

So, skin care creams seem more popular as moisturizers than as cleansers or toners. For toners, lotions seem to be preferred over skin care creams. There are some skin care creams that acts as toners too, but generally the toners are available in liquid form only. For cleansing, lotions and skin care creams are equally popular; however, the tilt seems more towards lotions.

Creams are known to be most effective in keeping skin moist; hence, the most popular form of skin care creams is moisturizers. Due to the same reason, a lot of people tend to associate skin care creams with dry and sensitive skin. Though it is true to a certain extent, skin care creams are not used only for dry skin, they are also used for making products for oily skin e.g. vitamin A creams and Sulphur creams that help reduce the rate of sebum production.

Skin care creams are also used for products that cater to skin disorders especially for disorders that require the application of product over a small localized area. This is again due to the fact that skin care creams are easier to apply (without wastage) on the affected area. However, in cases where skin needs to be washed using a medicine/product, lotion is a better choice. Mostly, the manufacturers to realize this fact, making it easier for you to choose between a lotion and a skin care cream

Eye-creams and anti-ageing creams are other examples where skin care cream is preferred over its lotion counterpart.

Whatever your choice be, cream or lotion, knowing how to use it effectively, is more important than anything else.

Natural supplements to help with fatigue

/in , ,

Are you feeling tired? There are so many natural supplements out there to help you feel refreshed and energetic. One of them is licorice. “Licorice, also known by its botanical name Glycerrhiza glabra, is a sweet-tasting legume family herb. Licorice root is widely-used for a variety of ailments, including adrenal fatigue.

According to Dr. Sharol Tilgner, a naturopathic physician and author of “Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth,” licorice directly affects your body’s levels of cortisol by extending its biological half-life, resulting in increased effectiveness of this stress-managing hormone.”

natural supplements

Another natural supplement is Siberian ginseng, according to Livestrong.com. “Siberian ginseng, also known as Eleuthrococcus senticosus, is a Araliaceae-family herb. The root bark is used medicinally, and it has a bitter taste. Siberian ginseng is commonly used to treat exhaustion and weakness. Siberian ginseng is an adaptogen, meaning it balances your energy and helps you manage stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue.

To help you deal with your fatigue and sexual aspects of fatigue, These Panax ginsengs enhance your stamina and memory. They also help balance blood sugar abnormalities and sexual dysfunction, which may be associated with adrenal insufficiency. All of the ginsengs increase your resistance to illness.

Furthermore, there are vitamins to keep taking in order to feel energetic, “Vitamins that are commonly recommended for adrenal fatigue include vitamins C and E. B-complex may also be helpful, as well as the individual B vitamins pantothenic acid, B6 and niacin. These vitamins and others, as well as minerals, may be derived from a diverse, unrefined whole foods diet as well as in supplemental form.”

Let us focus more on vitamin B a little more. “Also known as pantothenic acid, vitamin B5 serves an important role in the manufacture of adrenal hormones. It converts into a acetyl co-enzyme A in the human body, required for the production of cholesterol. Any disturbances in the levels of cholesterol could affect the release of steroid hormones such as cortisol, DHEA or progesterone, as these are all made in the adrenal cortex from cholesterol.

Finally, there is magnesium, “magnesium plays a role in the function of more than 300 enzymes in the human body. Carolyn Dean, M.D., explains how magnesium can help with the high stress loads associated with adrenal fatigue. The mineral reduces the catecholamine release from cardiac tissue; these hormones, which include epinephrine, can contribute to the anxiety and sleep disturbances experienced by those with adrenal imbalance.

As always, rest. As a workaholic, I can tell you that it is not always the easiest step to take a break. It is crucial to know when it is time to take time out and rest. So, rest up.

What Personal Training Can Do For You And How To Know If You Are Being Trained Properly

/in , ,

In their pursuit to lose some extra kilos, people quite often go for strict diets, which involve limits on the amount and type of food a person eats. Such extreme measures may help in reduction of weight for a brief period, but pose serious health hazards if carried on for a long enough time. Exercising periodically for some time under the supervision of a personal trainer is a lot better alternative than engaging in strict dieting.

However, a high percentage of people are not sure about the advantages of working with a personal trainer, and express suspicion as to how effective such a program would be. There are, actually a whole lot of reasons to engage a personal trainer.

 

First of all, a personal trainer will create a comprehensive exercise plan for you and this will encourage you to attain your health objectives. This will help you become more driven towards your efforts to care for your fitness and overall health.

Secondly, a personal trainer, being a specialist, guides you on the correct exercises and techniques to use while working out, and will offer an exercise schedule and diet plan suited to your body and its specific requirements. Hence your self formulated exercise schedule and reckless attempts at eating less will be replaced by a more planned and concentrated program.

Thirdly, a personal trainer is more sincere to you than you tend to be with yourself, and can give you a correct picture of your fitness and health standards. Your road to a longer and healthier life will also be paved by a personal trainer who will plan for you strategies to battle against general health issues.

Fourthly, preventive measures against injury and quick recuperation from an injury can also be taught by a personal trainer, and he can make you informed enough to continue with your exercises without his instructions.

Lastly, a personal trainer makes you responsible enough to meet deadlines and abide by schedules, encouraging you to develop an ongoing approach to the maintenance of your new found good health.

In a personal training program, you and your fitness needs get complete attention from your trainer. A clear idea of your health needs and fitness aims is the first step to ensuring a fruitful personal training program. Moreover you can check on references, qualifications and experience of the trainer beforehand, and develop a good way to communicate once training starts. A cautious consideration of all these factors can ensure a very satisfying personal training experience.

How to Get Leaner Without Losing Muscle Power

/in , ,

You’ve finally done it! You’ve bulked up and reached the size you always dreamed of being! All of a sudden, you’re walking around like a human tank and people are diving out of the way when they see you coming down the hall…

It’s a great feeling being your biggest and you’ll be smashing your personal bests down the gym no doubt! But there’s a problem…

bulking

With all that extra size, you’ve inevitably put on at least some fat as well as muscle. This somewhat diminishes the achievement of bulking up. Whereas before you felt small, skinny and weak… now you’re afraid to take your top off down the beach because of all the flab.

You can’t win!

So is there a way you can have your (protein) cake and eat it too? Let’s dive in and take a closer look…

Why You Get Weaker When You Get Leaner

Bulking up is actually relatively easy once you know how. You just need to lift heavy weights a few times a week and then spend the rest of the time resting up and eating big. This is what most people really don’t understand about bulking – it’s actually the resting and the eating part that makes the magic happen!

And as it happens, resting and eating is also what helps to make you stronger. The reason for this is that when you relax and eat a lot, you’re putting yourself in a calorie surplus. As far as your body is concerned, you have plenty of excess energy and it can do whatever it likes with it. That means you’re going to build plenty of muscle and build plenty of ‘fast twitch’ muscle fiber – the explosive powerful kind.
This type of muscle is highly inefficient from an energy consumption standpoint but that doesn’t matter to the body as long as you’re in a caloric surplus.

Conversely though, when you start eating less and/or exercising more, your body will need more energy. That means it can’t afford the running costs of your fast twitch muscle fiber and it will get replaced with the alternative ‘slow twitch’ kind.

And as a result of all that, you’re now going to be left with less explosive power. Did you know that couch potatoes actually have quite a lot of explosive power for this reason?

The Solution

So what’s the solution?

Of course the first thing is to taper slowly from your high carb, high protein, low activity lifestyle. Try to more gradually introduce extra activity and reduce the amount that you’re eating.

At the same time, you also need to think about ways you can protect all that muscle you’ve built. Supplementing with BCAAs can help to do this for example.

More important though, you need to start training with heavy weights. When you do that, you’ll be telling your body that you need that fast twitch fiber and you’ll be learning to use the fiber you have more effectively. This strengthens your mind muscle-connection and it allows someone as thin as Bruce Lee to be as powerful as he was.

Switch to heavy lifts around your 1-3 rep max and you’ll stand the best chance of hanging onto that strength!

Four Steps to Progressive Muscle Relaxation

/in , ,

Find a calm and quiet place where you will not be interrupted for the next five to ten minutes. Wear comfy clothes. You are able to rehearse this exercise while sitting on a chair. You are able to rehearse it lying down, but there are chances that you’ll fall asleep.

You loosen up your body by relaxing different muscles of the body. The muscles are first tensed, kept in that position, and then relaxed.

muscles

This method is practiced as follows:

  1. You begin at your feet and bit by bit advance towards your head, tensing and relaxing all the muscles on your way up.
  2. While breathing in, tense the group of muscles you’re working on. Hold the tension for eight seconds. Feel this tension. After eight seconds, breathe out and relax that muscle group. Feel a calming sensation enveloping those muscles.
  3. Start with the right foot. Then relax the right leg. Now, move on to the left foot, left leg, right hand, right forearm, left hand and left forearm, tensing and relaxing the muscle groups. Now repeat the tense and relax method with abdomen, chest, then neck and shoulders. Now, relax your facial muscles; and in the end your head.
  4. Take a couple of deep breaths. Feel the relaxation that’s crossed your whole body. Count up to.
  5. Slowly stand up.

With some practice, the PMR will give you a rich sensation of relaxation. Then you can practice it any time you experience stress overwhelming you, and get quick relaxation.

Self Hypnosis: The Road to Stress Mastery:

What is Self Hypnosis? 

Self-hypnosis is a method through which you’re able to communicate with your subconscious. Acquiring the help of your subconscious minimizes the chance of self-sabotaging conduct and ideas. You’re able to bring about the desired changes in your thinking with self-hypnosis. This method is extremely efficient in reducing tension levels and bringing on relaxation.

Self-hypnosis is a three-step process:

  1. You bring yourself to a calm frame of mind.

  2. You set aside your critical and judgmental mind for the time being. In that state, your conscious mind is able to communicate with the subconscious mind.

  3. You give yourself suggestions to bring about favorable changes. Since critical judgment is set aside for the time being, this method is extremely powerful in bringing on favorable changes in self. When you know that what you’re suggesting is beneficial for your well-being, the same is accepted by the mind without reservations.

Benefits of Self Hypnosis

  • Self-hypnosis is extremely efficient in the following areas.
  • Depression and anxiety.
  • Dependencies and unwanted habits.
  • Interrupted sleep.
  • Low self-esteem.

 

 

 

How You Can Control How Fast (or Slowly) You Age

/in , ,

No one wants to get older but unfortunately, until they discover an elixir of youth, it’s fairly unavoidable.
But just because you have to get older, no one said you had to do it quickly. And no one said you couldn’t age well and keep your youthful good looks, energy and health!

Many of us make the assumption that getting old automatically has to mean getting covered in wrinkles, losing our ability to walk around and eventually developing incontinence and dementia. As it happens though, none of the-se things are inevitable and most of them are only partially related to age!And you can see this too just by looking around!

aging

While some people seem to be struggling to stand up straight and remember their name at age 65, others are still playing sports and writing books well into their 80s and 90s. Is the difference entirely genetic? Not at all! In fact, there are numerous lifestyle changes that can make all the difference to the way you feel as you age and many of the problems that are associated with old-age can actually be avoided entirely.

So yeah, Aging is still inevitable. But the way you age is almost entirely up to you! The difference comes down to your knowledge and your ability to apply that knowledge to make the most of your own body and health. YOU have the choice and the sooner you take action, the more effectively you can stave off the most unappealing aspects of getting older.

Yes, that’s right, this isn’t just a book for ‘old people’. It’s for young people too. In fact, it’s more aimed at young people because you are the ones who have the time to ensure you get the very most out of your body and mind as you get older.

But How Do You Slow Aging?

Anyone can claim that Aging is something you have control over. The hard part is backing that claim up with some hard evidence. How can you really slow down your Aging? And how can your decisions end up putting your body in ‘fast forward’ mode?

Here are some examples…

Mobility

A lot of people will tell you that your knees have a finite amount of time be-fore they start to tire out. The same goes for your back. But more and more, we’re discovering that’s not true. The ‘functional strength’ crowd are making it very apparent that you can keep on training into old age and that in fact, things like running should give you more longevity.

The problem is just the way we’re training. And our lack of activity generally. The way it goes for many people is that they stay very fit and healthy when they’re younger because they run around, play sports and generally en-gage in activity. Once they’re middle aged though, they slow down and they start sitting at the computer all day long.

Their metabolism slows down yes but most of the changes they see in their body are really a result of being constantly stressed and constantly static. This results in muscle imbalances caused by maintaining the same posture for so long and it results in injury when they do get active. Don’t use your back long enough and it’s sure to go when you try and lift that suitcase!

This injury then leads to ‘corrective’ posture and biomechanics. You have a bad knee or back, so you put more weight on the other leg/you hunch over. This in turn means that you actually exacerbate the muscle imbalances that you already had. And the longer this goes on, the more of a hunch and a limp you can start to acquire and the more pain you can expect to experience. The solution is not to be less active but to be more active – while making sure to use the correct technique.

Energy

Meanwhile, staying active can also boost your energy levels and help you to start feeling better. That means the tiredness and sluggishness that we feel as we get older again isn’t inevitable. Actually, when you combine the right exercise regime with the right diet, you can increase not only your heart strength and circulation but also the efficiency of your mitochondria.

Mitochondria are the small ‘energy factories’ of your cells. They exist to help you convert glucose into use able energy (ATP) and their number and strength is one of the big determining factors that influences your energy output and the way you feel. In fact, differences in mitochondria have been suggested to be one of the main differentiating factors between the energy levels of young children and those of older individuals. It’s why kids seem to be able to run around and around in circles for hours screaming, without ever tiring out.

Nutrition

Nutrition is also responsible for a large proportion of the problems you’ll struggle with as you get older. Contrary to popular belief, many of the health issues associated with old age are actually cumulative and result from years of poor nutrition. A lack of nutrients can lead to problems with vision, problems with hormone production, problems with bone density and much more. Thus by eating the right diet, you can stave off numerous con-ditions and stay healthier and stronger into older age.

Toxins, Cell Damage and Heart Problems

Many of the health complaints associated with old age can also be com-bated with the right lifestyle. Sure, it’s always possible to be unlucky and to suffer from cancer with no ‘cause’ as such. But this is much less likely if you are able to protect yourself with the very best, healthy lifestyle choices.

For example, heart disease is one of the leading killers in men by far but it is very much possible to reduce the risk of this problem by getting plenty of exercise and sticking to a diet designed to keep your blood pressure and cholesterol at the most desirable levels.

Brain

The same rules apply to your brain as to the rest of your body. In other words, if you keep your nutrition up and actually keep using your brain it will stay nimble.We’ll get into all of this and a lot more in greater detail in the subsequent chapters but hopefully this is enough of an explanation to make a believer of you.

The point is, you do have control over the way you age and if you take the right precautions then you can stay healthy, mobile and able well into older age. This article is going to act as your road map and your blueprint to help you do exactly that. Follow these tips and you’ll be able to fortify your body against the invading forces of old age!

5 Reasons You Should Use a Yoga Ball Chair at Work

/in , ,

First of all, what the heck is a yoga ball chair? It’s simply a yoga or exercise ball that fits into a chair frame. Some allow you to adjust the height, some have casters, and others have backrests for the upper back. They don’t look comfortable, but they are. What’s more, they can help with the aches and pains of sitting in an office chair all day, every day.

As the ball is the seat, you need to make slight adjustments to keep yourself balanced. While you may not even realize you are doing this, you will notice as you use it more because these stabilizing adjustments give your core and thigh muscles a passive workout. These are just a couple of the benefits of using a yoga ball chair as your desk chair. Below we’ll outline even more reasons why you should use one of these at your desk.

yoga ball

Aligns the spine

As you need to stay balanced on the ball of the chair, you naturally sit up straight rather than slouching, which is typical in a regular office chair. Our brain recognizes that we are somewhat “unstable” and so keeps our spines in proper alignment in case we need to suddenly adjust our position. This alone eases back pain.

Enforces movement

One reason for stiff, sore muscles after sitting all day is because we hold the same position for hours at a time. But when sitting on a ball, we are forced to make micro-movements to stay balanced and stable. These small movements are just enough to keep our blood from pooling in certain areas of the body which keeps it from circulating, causing pain

Boosts Energy

Ever feel sluggish and lethargic after a day at the office? This is not only caused by consistent mental stress, but also from staying in one seated position for extended periods of time. Using a yoga ball chair increases
your movement naturally, as mentioned earlier, which keeps your energy higher throughout the day.

Burns calories

It turns out, those micro-movements end up burning around 350 more calories every 8 hours than would occur when sitting in a normal chair. This strengthens your core and burns calories. What else could you ask for in a chair?

Improves circulation

When we sit in a chair for 8 hours each day, our circulation is in effect cut off, causing our legs or feet to go numb or feel heavy once we get up to move. When using a yoga ball chair, you have the micro-movements working for you, but you are also in better alignment, so your blood can flow more freely rather than pooling in your lower extremities.