Daily exercise to stay fit

Just like ill maintenance of your power tools or your equipment can result in it being rusty and not functioning properly, the human also functions in a similar way. There is no possible way for you to steer clear from health complications and a long and healthy life until and unless you choose to live a healthy life style and incorporate exercise in your daily routine. In order for you to keep your internal machinery working and kicking even in the old age, all you have to do is give your body 15-20 minutes of exercise every day. Listed below are some daily exercises for people that are too lazy to hit the gym and want exercises they can do anytime and anywhere.

Basic Crunches

Basic crunches are for the Ab area and are effective for tucking away that beer belly. Be mindful of your posture when you do crunches, especially if you have lower back or neck pain. Lay on your back with the knees bent, put your hands behind your head, Pull your stomach inwards and curl up forward. In the beginning you can start with just ten to fifteen reps. Two to three sets are enough then you can increase your sets and reps as time passes by and your muscles start getting stiff. These daily crunches will keep your stomach flat and will never ensure a good physique and posture.

Push Up

Pushups are one of the most common and effective exercise proposed by trainers around the world. Simply doing 10 pushups a day can enhance your upper body strength and set you right on the path of fitness. Pushups build and fix your whole upper body posture including chest, arms, shoulders and wings. To do a push up in the right way, keep your legs stretched, back straight, push yourself up with your hands.

Leg up Crunch

Leg up crunch is an exercise for your lower abdomen and hips. You have to lie down keeping your back straight and raise both your legs at a 90 degree angle. Don’t worry, if you can’t raise both of them at once, you can start with raising one leg at a time. Gradually your muscles will open up and you can then raise both your legs after a few sessions.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jack is called the queen of exercises – a basic exercise which is performed by almost everyone in their childhood. It is one of the most beneficial exercises which helps you increase your stamina and get a toned body. You can start with a two to three minute workout and work your way up to as many as you wish.

Squats

Squats are the most renowned basic exercise for keeping your whole body toned and in perfect shape. They are mostly used for shaping your lower body and hips. Stand straight, start bending your hips and knees, keep bending until your hips are below your knees and come back up in the same position. Be sure to keep your back straight at all times. Start out with ten to fifteen squats and then work your way up.

Planks

A fairly more difficult exercise, planks are for those that are already in the routine of exercising, it’s a bit demanding but also the most effective exercise of them all. Get into a press up position, bend your elbows in a way where your body forms a straight line and rest your body weight onto your forearms. Suck your belly inside and stay in the same position for a minute. Planks reduce your back pain, strengthen your core, reduce your belly fat, increase flexibility, and also help to increase your mental strength and wellbeing.

Chair Dips

For those of us who want add to the level of endurance our inner triceps can take, chair dips is the way to go. By making your body rest and then pump on your triceps, you provide them with the much needed impetus to grow in muscle and reduce flab.

Get a chair that is sturdy enough to support your weight and rest your palms on it while the rest of body leaning on the support of your triceps in a face forward orientation. Once set, take lunges by keeping your weight supported only by your hands. 10 reps per set is great for starters while you can up the ante as time progresses and your comfort level increases.

Lunges

Without exercise, one of the areas which weaken the most is the part around the knee and the thighs. They stop supporting weight or are not flexible enough, both of which allows unnecessary bulk to accumulate in the very area. Lunges are great for strengthening your knees and building strong thigh muscles.

What you need to do here is to stand upright, rest your arms on your hips and then put forward one foot while lowering your body on to it. At the start keep the bend to a 45 degree angle as the muscles are stiff at this point and once you get used to it, increase it to a 90 degree posture.

Chest and Leg raises

This one looks quite difficult but it sure works out great as it targets the whole area around the abs and strengthens the other core thigh and hip ligaments. Lying face down, raise your chest and legs in the air simultaneously without getting the support of your arms. Get the muscles involved pull up on them, these increases the propensity of the ligaments to develop strength and avoid straining.

The Abdominal Hold

Making your arm muscles able to sustain the weight of your body, not through bare strength but a balance created by a tough core, is one of the best exercises to cut down on visceral fat in the wrong places. Sitting on a chair, put your hands on the chair and raise your feet while slowly trying to upend your whole body on the arms. It will be difficult to maintain balance at first and the required posture wouldn’t last for more than 2-3 seconds, but daily practice will enable you to prolong those arm stays and get a great body that does not only look good but has the strength, endurance and core toughness to support and sustain it.

Before you move on the next level of exercise which might include aerobic yoga and probably weights, you need to make your body able to withstand the pressures it will encounter during those demanding physical routines. All great things require discipline which means sticking to one thing for period of time vigorously to prepare your body for the next level. Getting a great body is your goal, so you will have to work for it. An hour a day will make it around 350 hours of workout for the year, get going today to end up with that hourglass figure at the end of next year.

5 tips to protect your skin in summer

It is easy to neglect our skin in the summer. The warmer, more humid weather means our skin isn’t as dry and itchy as it is in the winter; and the sun-kissed look of a tan can make us feel better when we look in the mirror. But the lazy days of summer don’t mean we should be lazy with our skin care regime; in fact, it means we should be even more diligent. Follow these six easy steps for gorgeous healthy skin.

1. Wear safe, non-toxic sunscreen, even on cloudy days.

The worst sunburn I ever saw was on a person who thought she could stay out for hours without sunscreen because it was overcast. The sun’s burning rays are remarkably powerful and proficient, so wear sunscreen every day. When choosing a sunscreen, look for an SPF of at least 30, if you have fair skin. But don’t be seduced by super-high SPF numbers because their incremental sun protection diminishes as SPF increases, especially at higher levels. Many sunscreens with SPF from 50 to 100, for example, effectively block just 1-2% more sunburn rays than an SPF 30 products. Regardless of which SPF you choose, you should reapply often (ideally every 90 minutes), and always after swimming.

2. Avoid tanning beds.

We now know that tanning beds are linked to cancer and are no safer than the actual sun, so think carefully about the risks you expose yourself to when you go to a tanning salon. If you really want some summer skin color, avoid tanning beds and choose a safer option, such as self-tanning towels and lotions. Be sure to check the ingredients label to ensure the base formulation is safe and non-toxic (avoid methylparaben and synthetic perfume).

3. Exfoliate at least once a week, ideally twice.

Dead cells sit on the surface of your skin making it look dull, rough and dry. By exfoliating, you are removing these dead cells, allowing your more radiant, healthier summer skin to shine through. Exfoliating also allows skin cells to regenerate more quickly, which keeps aging at bay.Whenever possible, choose a gentle, more natural exfoliator. Some “fruit acid” exfoliators such as alpha hydroxy acid and beta hydroxy acid (AHA and BHA) can actually be very harsh and cause significant irritation. Choose products with natural exfoliating grains instead.

4. Moisturize your skin

In the summer it is tempting to ease up on moisturizing because your skin may not feel as dry. But good moisturizers work over time, promoting healthy skin with consistent use. We don’t stop eating well or exercising in the summer, so we shouldn’t stop taking care of our skin. If you do happen to get a sunburn, act fast to mitigate the negative effects by moisturizing liberally and often with a lotion containing aloe vera. This will keep the burned skin well hydrated, and it will help to soothe the discomfort.

5. Have lots of summer fun, but don’t skimp on sleep.

Lack of sleep can lead to increased levels of stress hormones, which may slow the production of collagen in the skin. When our skin stops producing collagen, it begins to lose elasticity and starts looking tired and worn.6. Drink lots of water.

Drinking water benefits how well your body functions and ultimately affects how your skin looks and feels. For example, proper hydration helps flush toxins from your body. When toxins build up, they cause organs such as your kidneys to work less efficiently, which has a direct impact on your skin. Sip water through out the day and consider following the 8 x 8 rule: drink eight 8 ounce glasses of water every day.

natural remedies to get a glowing skin in summer

• Apply a mixture of honey and lemon juice in equal amounts on the face and leave it for 20 minutes. It is a very effective and simple remedy for tan removal.
• Cucumber juice will also help to reduce the effect of harsh sun rays. It also helps in removing pimples, blackheads and other stains of the skin and makes the skin soft.
• A paste made out of gram flour, milk and a few drops of lime juice should be applied on the face… Leave it for 30 minutes before washing.
• A paste of turmeric powder, wheat flour and sesame oil helps in removing unwanted hair on the skin.
• Orange juice helps in giving a smooth and soft skin.
• A mixture of cabbage juice and honey, if applied regularly on the face, helps to get rid of wrinkles.
• A paste of raw carrots will help to give a glowing skin.

Walk 30 minutes a day

Reasons To Start Walking

1. Walking is versatile.

Whether you’re staying local or traveling, exploring the neighborhood on foot is the easiest way to get moving. It clears the head, gets you outside, maintains your fitness and, because it’s low impact, isn’t as likely to cause injury as other sports.

2. You’ll get an endorphin and serotonin boost.

Scheduling a walking meeting with your boss or client not only gets you

out of the neon-lit conference room, but commits you both to including exercise into your daily schedule. What’s more, the release of endorphins and serotonin brings on a natural high, making that pay raise or contract so much easier to negotiate.

3. Listen to a podcast.

Walking solo? If you don’t have time to listen to podcasts at your desk, download them. Just stay alert of your surroundings if you’re walking with headphones, and check your phone carrier’s download limit to avoid hidden costs.

4. You’ll meet people.

If you’ve always wanted to participate in a marathon, buddy up with a friend and train for a walking marathon — it’s a great place to start. Or if you prefer something less intense, join a walking group, or attend a local walking meetup in your city. Who knows what you’ll discover or who you’ll meet…

5. Walking is good for you.

Don’t buy into the myth that walking isn’t sweaty or strenuous enough to offer real benefits. Research shows that regular, brisk walking is associated with lower blood pressure, improved mood and better cholesterol ratios.

Habits That Will Get You Healthy & Fit For Life

Being fit and healthy doesn’t mean you have to resign yourself to working out for hours a day and eating nothing but chicken and steamed broccoli for every meal. In fact, there are several more effective (and less painful!) habits you can adopt today that will not only help you get in shape in the short-term, but will help you stay that way for the long run as well.

These seven habits are easy to implement into your everyday lifestyle, and will help get you healthy and fit for life:

1. Stop making excuses

I know, you’re too busy to go to the gym. It takes too much time to pack a healthy lunch and too hard to find something healthy to eat out. You would work out at home, but you don’t know how.

All of these excuses are valid in their own way, and yes, we’ve all been there. But if you really want to get — and stay — fit and healthy, you have to learn to give up your excuses and start making your health and fitness a top priority today.

2. Walk more.

Even if you go to the gym six days a week, the real key to lifelong fitness is to simply be more active and walk more in your day-to-day life. Try making a conscious effort to walk whenever and wherever you can: to the grocery store, to get your afternoon coffee or go on a post-dinner stroll with your family. Try and aim for at least 10,000 steps a day.

3. Don’t always deprive yourself

Although it may seem counterintuitive, striving to always be “perfect” with your nutrition is actually not a good long-term strategy to get or stay in shape. Depriving yourself of dessert and all the foods you love will only result in a binge of those very same foods when your willpower is at a moment of weakness.

Instead, try following the 80/20 strategy: eat healthy around 80% of the time, then let yourself have some treats here and there. Just make sure they’re really good ones!

4. Find activities that get you moving.

Instead of always going to the movies or sitting around for long meals, try finding some activities you and friends or loved ones enjoy doing together.

Go for a bike ride, take a scenic hike, set up a game of bocce ball for the whole family to enjoy — the list is endless! Not only will you get moving, you’re bound to have more fun as well.

5. Shorten your workouts.

When you have to plan an hour or more for a workout, of course it’s not always possible to go to the gym. But when you pack your entire workout into an efficient, 10-20 minute HIIT workout that works your entire body and leaves you soaked in sweat, you’ll no longer have the same excuse to skip your workout as often as you normally would. Just remember to work hard!

6. Make sleep a priority

Many of us underestimate the importance of a good night’s rest, but it’s crucial for long-term health that you give your body a proper amount of sleep each night. And if thinking long-term isn’t enough of an incentive, remember this: too little sleep can also impair weight loss efforts due to raised cortisol levels. Try and get around seven to eight hours a night on a regular basis.

7. Find ways to actually enjoy your veggies.

I get it, not everyone loves the taste of vegetables. Although I now crave veggies like broccoli, brussels sprouts and kale on a daily basis, there were definitely times in my life when I ate nothing but mac and cheese for days (college, anyone?).