Real Womens fitness tips
health
Good health leads to a good life!
Having good health is partly genetic and partly your choice.
Even the tough stuff genetics throw your way can be improved by your actions.
That’s good news!
Your choices can make a difference in how healthy you are.
Doctor
Working with your doctor is important.
Think of him or her as being
part of your team.
Being intimidated by your doctor is not a good thing. You should be able to discuss concerns with him or her.
If your insurance allows you to select your own doctor, I highly suggest interviewing a few.
Being able to work with your doctor is extremely important!
Researching a bit about your health issues is a good idea. Then you can go in with a list of questions about your situation.
Be open minded though. Trying to diagnose yourself is not the best plan. Having some ideas to discuss with your doctor is the goal.
Be careful where you get your research information. If you go on line try to go to sites that are created by health professionals.
These sites are good sources
If you don’t have insurance this government funded service helps you find clinics in your area that will work with you.
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/
Make sure to get regular check ups with your doctor so any medical issues can be dealt with early.
Exercise
All agree that exercise is key
in staying healthy!
Few health conditions prevent you from exercising. Most conditions are improved by exercise.
You always want to check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.
Getting a daily dose of exercise is the best plan.
30 minutes of daily aerobics is the goal. For more detailed information visit the aerobic section of this website.
2 to 3 non consecutive days of strength training is the ideal plan for keeping your muscles well developed. For more information visit the strength training section of this website.
Stretching is crucial for your body’s health. For more information on stretching visit the stretch section of this website.
Your body was created to move!
Your muscles get strong, your bones get strong, your heart gets strong when you exercise. Your immune system gets strong.
There are some strong reasons to exercise!
Sleep
Get your beauty sleep!
It’s true! Sleep does make you beautiful.
If you don’t get enough sleep you not only get tired you tend to gain weight.
There are hormones in your body that are negatively affected when you lack sleep.
Your growth hormones don’t secret properly, which has proven to cause weight gain, if you don’t get enough sleep.
You have a hormone called grehlin that stimulates your appetite. When you lack sleep more of it is produced in your body making you hungrier through out the day so you eat more.
How much sleep do you need?
The healthy range is between 7 and 9 hours.
There’s lots of different thoughts about how much sleep is needed but the currant thought is that 7.5 hours is perfect. Over 9 hours is thought to cause depression.
Lack of sleep is also dangerous! Not only can you gain weight but you’re a hazard on the road. You negatively affect others health too!
Studies show that driving your car when you’ve had less than 5 hours of sleep is just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.
How can I get to sleep?
Here are tips for the best way to get you zzzzz’s...
Set a regular bedtime every night. Even weekends
Have a regular routine you go through to help you sleep like...
taking a warm bath, reading a book, listening to soft music
Keep your room dark, cool and have a comfortable mattress and pillow
Reserve your bed for sleeping and having sex in
Keep snacks light before bed. Having a big meal can keep you awake
Limit fluids so you aren’t going to the bathroom all night
Exercise regularly! Give yourself 2 to 3 hours to recover from exercise before you go to bed
Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed. Alcohol is thought to help you sleep but in reality it can prevent sleep
Sleep is a crucial element for your state of health! Get your daily supply!
For more information on sleep here’s a good site
Food
You are what you eat!
That’s a fact!
Knowing what to eat, when and how much is tough. That’s why there’s a whole career based just around that...nutritionist.
A good nutritionist is worth his or her weight in gold!
Doctors can’t know everything. They focus more on the after affect of not having a good diet.
Each person is different as to what foods are best for them. It’s not a one size fits all situation.
I really struggle with the popular diets you find on the book shelves and on different websites.
You’d be surprised how many health problems are caused from simple things like eating too much of something or not enough of something else.
I love the new TV show “House”. More times than not he finds that some simple situation like having too many sport drinks or chewing too much sugarless gum causes bizarre illness to occur.
Working with your doctor is always the best plan. He or she can send you to a good nutritionist if your health situation requires it.
I go over basic diet needs in the food section of this website. Visit that section and you’ll get some great tips.
What you eat definitely affects your health. Try to make the best choices you can!
Mind
Your mind is a very powerful thing!
It can work with you or against you.
Your thoughts control your emotions and your emotions control your actions.
What you think is under your control more than you may think.
Be kind to yourself
It gets tough some times to tell yourself good things but it’s worth the effort.
All of us hold onto unkind words that were said to us as kids and adults. Learning not to react to them but instead to replace them with more productive words is an exercise worth doing.
Having someone to talk to about situations that have caused you stress is key. It can be a good friend, a family member or you can see a therapist.
There’s no shame in going to a therapist for support when you need it. Your emotional health directly affects your physical health.
Talking things out can prevent you from bottling up bad feelings.
Once you get the stuff all talked out telling your self positive things is important.
If you tell your self “I’m stupid and worthless” you’ll be unhappy but if you tell yourself “I want to learn more and want to make a difference in the world” you can take action to get where you want to be.
You don’t have to lie to yourself but you can find words that will allow you to do things about issues that bother you.
A healthy mind
There are several neurological problems your mind may be subject too.
Science is finding out so many great things.
Adult ADHD is treatable. Parkinson’s now can be helped with medication and some surgeries.
The list of neurological disorders is big and most can be helped.
It’s so important that you seek help if you believe something isn’t quite right. There’s tons of available help.
Depression that lingers is very important to share with your doctor. That can be a health issue!
Here’s some good websites for information about neurological issues.
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/disorders.html
Work that brain!
Exercising your brain is important too!
Try to learn new things. Take classes.
Do crossword puzzles.
The brain is like your body...use it or lose it!
This is a fun site to visit. You’ll learn some exercises to relax your mind and exercises to challenge your brain!
http://esl.about.com/od/englishlessonplans/a/braingym.htm
The human mind is a sad thing to waste! Make good use of yours!
Relax
Relax about relaxing!
Some people get stressed because
they think they have to be good at relaxing.
Relaxing doesn’t come naturally for everyone. If you’re one of the people that struggles to relax don’t worry!
With time you can teach yourself to have moments of relaxation.
It doesn’t have to be fancy or planned out perfectly. It can be as simple as having a cup of tea and reading your favorite book.
Relaxing means different things to different people.
I don’t find it relaxing to sit still and meditate. It makes me tense! I like to do yoga or Tai Chi. Moving relaxes me. Others
thrive on meditation.
A good massage can do wonders
for bringing you relaxation.
Human touch is comforting.
Add to that the skill of pressure points
and yummm it can do the trick!
In conclusion
Having good health is a blessing.
If you have some issues don’t despair most of us do. It’s what you do about it that counts.
Try to stay in the solution not the problem. You’ll be amazed how much you can do to improve your health!
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