“I like to move it, move it…” 

This special event was created by the Heart Association to get people walking 10,000 steps a day, or doing 20 minutes of aerobic exercise. Go for a swim, hike or a jog with the family dog.

Learn a new dance move. The good news is you don’t have to be particularly athletic to enjoy a leisurely stroll in the neighbourhood or a casual bike ride.

A little progress each day adds up to big results

“Move it” Monthly challenge 

While diet has one of the most profound impacts upon our health, there are other important lifestyle factors that equally impact our wellbeing – like movement, adequate sleep, play, connection with others, time spent in the sunshine and outdoors generally, our mental thoughts, our ability to cope with and manage stress, the amount and way we exercise and how and what we breathe.

Healthy Habit Change Planner & Tracker

Keep a Journal

” Little Breath,

breathe me gently,

for I am a river I am learning to cross”.

MOVE IT! MONDAY

This 20 min easy yoga class from Boho Beautiful is intended to stretch and relax your entire body.

Moving through gentle postures, this class is intended for anyone that is looking for a peaceful and relaxing way to end or start their day.

Tuesday Treats

When your energy gets low between meals and hunger kicks in, it’s important to reach for a
filling snack that can power you through to your next meal.

Unfortunately, many snack foods are low in filling nutrients like protein and fibre and instead
high in added sugars and refined carbs (chips, cookies, muesli & granola bars).

This isn’t a good combination when you’re looking for lasting energy.

Skinny Gut

One of the most fascinating findings is the microbiome influences body weight.

Living in a RIGHT sized body, HEALTHY, HAPPY & ‘Free” 

Learn how to help your gut be healthy & happy

Ditch the Gym!

Gardening provides an excellent workout with the digging, tilling, weeding, raking, mowing, moving, planting, and climbing.

Plus gardening is great fun.

Each season you try to do better.

“I am more myself in a garden than anywhere else on earth.” Doug Greene

Wednesday Walking & Connect with Nature

Taking a walk is a good way to get some exercise & spend time in nature.

Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories.

And walking is something you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.

It’s not just for beginners, either: Even the very fit can get a good workout from walking.

Don’t go from the sofa to walking an hour day, though. Richard Cotton, a spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says beginners should start by walking five to -10 minutes at a time, gradually moving up to at least 30 minutes per session.

“Don’t add more than five minutes at a time,” he says.

Another tip: It’s better to lengthen your walks before boosting your speed or incline.

And while it’s perfectly fine to keep them easy and ambling, especially if they’re primarily for fresh air or mental-health purposes, there are also plenty of ways to make them hard enough that it will feel like a moderate to intense workout.

In other words, decide in advance that you’re walking with the goal of getting your heart rate up or building some strength and endurance.

Block out a walking workout on your calendar just like you would a studio or Zoom class.

Workout @ Work

Most of us spend hours hunched over computers, smartphones, and steering wheels.

That takes a toll on your back, hips, neck, and shoulders, and it’s not always easy to find the time to take care of aches and pains.

But you can stretch anywhere there’s a wall or chair.

By getting up from the computer and finding a flat wall and stretching your arms bent from the elbows against the wall – do a few repetitions.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories

Interval Training

Whether you’re a beginner or an exercise veteran, a walker or an aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you reduce weight.

Squats

Sitting in a Primal Squat or Deep Squat or Squat.

Whatever you want to call it, our joints require us to do it for a couple of minutes per day (adding up to 1/2 hour per day) can help improve flexibility and range of motion, increasing circulation, helping our joints.

Some cultures in the world, eat like this, go to the toilet like this, birth like this.

Why not make our beloved sauerkraut like this?

Squats, which work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal, are an excellent example.

“They give you the best bang for the buck because they use the most muscle groups at once,” says Oldsmar, Fla., trainer David Petersen.

Form is key, though, warns Petersen.

“What makes an exercise functional is how you perform the exercise,” he says. “If you have bad technique, it’s no longer functional.”

For perfect form, keep feet shoulder-width apart and back straight. Bend knees and lower your rear, says Cotton:

“The knee should remain over the ankle as much as possible.”

Think of how you sit down in a chair, only the chair’s not there,” suggests Gotlin.

Physical therapist Adam Rufa, of Cicero, N.Y., says practicing with a real chair can help.

“Start by working on getting in and out of a real chair properly,” he says. Once you’ve mastered that, try just tapping the chair with your bottom, then coming back up. Then do the same motion without the chair.

Gotlin sees lots of patients with knee pain, and says quadriceps weakness is the cause much of the time.

If you feel pain going down stairs, he says, strengthening your quads with squats may very well help.

“Life is not linear, it’s multiplanar,” says Rufa

And the better they prepare you for the various positions you’ll move in during the course of a day, the more useful exercises are.

Abdominal Crunches

Who doesn’t want firm, flat abs?

Experts say that when done correctly, the familiar crunch (along with its variations) is a good choice to target them.

For a standard crunch, says Cotton, begin lying on your back with feet flat on the floor and fingertips supporting your head. Press your low back down and begin the exercise by contracting abdominals and peeling first your head (tucking your chin slightly), then your neck, shoulders, and upper back off the floor.

Be careful not to pull your neck forward by sticking the chin out; don’t hold your breath, and keep elbows out of your line of vision to keep chest and shoulders open.

For his part, Petersen teaches his clients to do crunches with their feet off the floor and knees bent. He says that with feet kept on the floor, many people tend to arch the back and engage the hip flexors.

“Crunches can be excellent, but if they’re not done correctly, with the back arching, they can actually weaken the abdominals,” Petersen says.

To work the obliques (the muscles on the sides of your waist), says Cotton, take the standard crunch and rotate the spine toward one side as you curl off the floor.

“Twist before you come up,” he says. “It’s really important that the twist comes first because then it’s the obliques that are actually getting you up.”

But keep in mind that you won’t get a flat stomach with crunches alone, says Cotton. Burning belly fat requires the well-known formula: using up more calories than you take in.

“Crunches work the ab muscles; [they’re] not to be mistaken as exercise that burns the fat over the abdominals,” he says. “That’s the biggest myth in exercise going.”

Push-ups

If done correctly, the push-up can strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and even the core trunk muscles, all at one time.

“I’m very much into planking exercises, almost yoga-type moves,” says Petersen. “Anytime you have the pelvis and the core [abdominals and back] in a suspended position, you have to rely on your own adherent strength to stabilize you.”

Push-ups can be done at any level of fitness, says Cotton: “For someone who is at a more beginning level, start by pushing from the kitchen-counter height. Then work your way to a desk, a chair, the floor with bent knees, and, finally, the floor on your toes.”

Here’s how to do a perfect push-up: From a face-down position, place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Place your toes or knees on the floor, and try to create a perfect diagonal with your body, from the shoulders to the knees or feet. Keep the glutes [rear-end muscles] and abdominals engaged. Then lower and lift your body by bending and straightening your elbows, keeping your torso stable throughout.

There are always ways to make it harder, says Rufa. Once your form is perfect, try what he calls the “T-stabilization” push-up: Get into push-up position, then do your push-ups with one arm raised out to the side, balancing on the remaining three limbs without rotating your hips.

Bent-over Row.

Instead of just coming up with different combinations of the same old exercises, try mixing it up with totally fresh movements!

Talk about bang for the buck: This exercise works all the major muscles of the upper back, as well as the biceps.

Here’s how to do it with good form.

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, then bend knees and flex forward at the hips. (If you have trouble doing this exercise standing up, support your weight by sitting on an incline bench, facing backward.)

Tilt your pelvis slightly forward, engage the abdominals, and extend your upper spine to add support.

Hold dumbbells or barbell beneath the shoulders with hands about shoulder-width apart.

Flex your elbows, and lift both hands toward the sides of your body.

Pause, then slowly lower hands to the starting position. (Beginners should perform the move without weights.)

These exercises are excellent, efficient choices, the experts say.

But with just about any strength or resistance exercise, says Petersen, the question is not so much whether the exercise works as how well you execute.

Technique

“Done with good technique, all exercises do what they’re supposed to do,” says Petersen.

The trouble is that poor form can change the whole exercise, putting emphasis or even strain on different areas than intended. This can hurt, rather than help you.

So especially if you’re a beginner, it’s a good idea to seek the advice of a fitness trainer – whether it’s a personal trainer or a trainer at your gym — to be sure your form is safe and correct.

Intro to Meditation Guide

A plethora of articles on mindfulness have been popping up lately, as the mindful revolution grabs media attention and extols its health benefits and virtues across the globe, simply speaking, we can’t discount the fact that anyone can practice mindfulness and meditation wherever they are.

There’s no doubt that a peaceful mind equates to a healthy gut, & healthy mind.

Mindfulness is escaping from our thoughts about the past and the future in order to concentrate, body and mind, on the moment.

It’s the exact opposite to what we normally do, going through our endless tasks, thinking about what we did or didn’t do, worrying about what is still to be done and intently focusing on our to do list and social media.

I have to keep reminding myself, not all days seem to be diamonds.

Indeed, some days definitely seem as heavy as stones!

It’s okay not to feel okay…….whilst knowing from somewhere deep inside we really are okay.

It’s okay to feel loss, pain, hurt or fear……whilst – at the same time – knowing deep within all is really okay.

It’s okay to have that duality that says ‘I’m not okay but I really am okay”.

It’s called being a human.

A human embracing their inner greatness.

A Sense Of Connection

Meeting friends and family in person is something that can be hard to do when you are working, yet in many ways, doing so builds vital memories and connections, enhancing one’s sense of support and belonging.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that having strong social networks is as important as exercise and diet when it comes to measures of wellbeing such as abdominal obesity, inflammation, and high blood pressure.

The more social ties people have from an early age, they found, the better their health is at the beginning and end of their lives.

The best thing about unplugging from technology for a day off or a few hours each day, is that it prompts people to find new ways to fill in free time.

Cook & Ferment Together with friends

Let’s build a healthier, happier world through the joy of food!

When life throws you a curveball, hit it out of the park!

There’s an old saying that the only thing constant is change.

With the number of changes that the world seems to be offering up lately, let’s hope that the number of folks who are ready to roll up their sleeves outnumber the ones who don’t when our team goes to bat.

Understand that changes WILL happen.

Even if you’re a creature of habit that thrives on routine, there will be times when routine goes out the window and reality takes on a whole new shape.

That’s ok. You’re ok. Breathe.

Your routine might need to change, but that doesn’t mean you can’t establish a new one.

Some changes will be challenging.

VERY challenging.

These times can be trying, but they can also be rewarding. You might discover a hidden talent you didn’t know you had. Or you might learn that you can stay cooler under pressure than you ever thought possible. You might just impress yourself with how much you’re really able to handle when it’s thrown at you.

These are all awesome self-discoveries waiting to happen!

Accept the new change in your life

When a change is looked at as a fresh opportunity and a chance to learn something new, it’s no longer quite as scary. Even if you had no intention of ever pursuing this new direction, embracing rather that resisting is always the method of least resistance.

Keep an open mind. What initially sounds like a complete disaster might end up being the best thing that ever happened to you. But without an open mind you could miss the opportunity.

Kill it with kindness and humour

Sometimes if we don’t laugh, we’ll cry, so we might as well make it the former. Maintaining a sense of humour during difficult times helps put others at ease and you might actually start to trick yourself into feeling like things are A-OK. And that right there is half the battle.

Do something kind for yourself

Your own personal care might be the last thing on your priority list, but it shouldn’t be. Taking time out to treat yourself to something that makes you feel great really does help the healing process.

Think: reset button for your brain

Get out there. While you may feel like curling up in a ball and staying inside forever, getting out there and embracing your new reality will actually feel a lot better. Your life is an adventure worth pursuing, so don’t let setbacks, even major ones, derail you completely. Take the time to acknowledge and embrace the change and then get back on that horse and ride, baby, ride!

What to do when life throws you a curve ball:

Keep batting and don’t give up. Learn to hit them right out into the stands and run all the bases for a home run.

Hear the crowd go wild. Feel the glory inside that you didn’t throw down your bat in defeat.

We are all pitched a few curve balls in life. Some can throw your whole game off if you aren’t prepared to deal with them.

We only have to watch the news, read the newspaper, lose our jobs, become ill, lose a loved one, have problems in relationships, age, or experience financial setbacks to know we have just been thrown a curve ball.

Just about anything can feel as if we were pitched a deuce.

It can leave us feeling frustrated, discouraged, defeated, anxious, angry and depressed.

So, “how” do we handle these unexpected curve balls?

That is the question and the answer. It is all in the “how“. Even if you miss the pitch, it doesn’t mean it has to throw your whole game off, or that you are out of the game. It’s a temporary setback, an unexpected toss, a curve ball.

The thing is, we will experience challenges from time to time in our lives. The more curve balls we are thrown, the more practice we will have at hitting them and running those bases for a home run.

You have to know that when you hear, “Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three, You’re Out”, it doesn’t mean you are out of the game. It means you are only out until the next time you are up to bat.

There will be another inning, another game, another chance, and “how” you handle the curve balls is really up to you. You can lose your confidence, your spirit, your love of the game or, you can take your stance at home plate, swing like you have never swung before and know you have a chance a hitting that ball far out into the outfield or the stands.
In a sense, you’re the batter, the team, and the crowd. Your attitude is what gets you onto the first, second, third or home base. You are your own team and crowd cheering you on, or booing and beating you down.

Which will you choose?

If you choose to have an attitude of defeat, guess what?

You will be defeated. Yet, if you have the attitude of “how” am I going to get to the first, second, third or home plate, you are opening up a whole playing field of opportunities.

Yes, you might get a little dirty, in fact, even muddy. You might strike out a few times and not get to any bases right away, but know they are there in every game and you will get to them.

You just have to pick up the bat and you will be hitting home runs again in no time at all. Perhaps it’s time for a new stance, a new bat, a new team or crowd. Maybe… you missing the curve ball is really an opportunity to hit a home run on the next time up to bat.

You see, you never know when you step up to bat what kind of ball is going to be thrown your way. All you can do is practice at hitting different ones and know that one of them is going to be a home run, and that there are other innings and other games.

It’s not about winning the game. It’s really about “how” you handle those curve balls and whether you throw down the bat in defeat, or know that your next time up to bat could be a home run.

Exercises Source:

https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/7-most-effective-exercises