Monthly Archives: November 2021

3 Steps to Improving Flexibility

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Flexible joints are not just an asset to gymnasts and athletes; they also help prevent discomfort and pain, ease movement, and preserve the ability to perform simple day-to-day activities. Therefore, keeping all of your muscles flexible at all times is key.

Not to worry though, becoming more flexible is not as hard as you may be imagining. Instead, try these three simple strategies to up your flexibility game.

Warm-up

Before you begin an intense exercise regimen, it’s important to warm up your muscles and body. This helps you to prevent injury, gets your body in the right mood for exercise, and improves endurance. Just make sure you shuffle between walking on your toes and walking on your heels.

Choose the Best Exercise

The NHS recommends flexibility-enhancing exercises such as yoga, stretching, tai chi, Pilates, etc. While Pilates and yoga are good for building strength and boosting flexibility, yoga concentrates on increasing the range of joint motion; and tai chi loosens muscles and stretches the whole body, which is particularly great for people with limited mobility, or who are recovering from an injury.

Stretch and hold still

Stretching is important for flexibility, but not holding it for a considerable time hampers its effectiveness. It’s common to see most people only holding a stretch for 5-10 seconds; but if you really want your stretches to have a great impact on the stiffness of your tissues, you’ll need to hold it for longer – around 30 seconds or more when your body is warm.

Lastly, if you sit work at a desk all day, you’ll probably need to set the alarm to remind you to get up and stretch your muscles every hour. Not only will it improve your overall flexibility, but it can also make you more productive.

14 Great Side Dishes to Bring to Thanksgiving

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This year’s Thanksgiving dinner doesn’t have to be a calorie-laden extravaganza. There are several healthy ways to make the holidays both tasty and guilt-free. We combed the internet for these healthy Thanksgiving sides, all of which have been tried and tested by well-known bloggers who appreciate the importance of delivering a great dish that doesn’t leave you feeling like a turkey.

Cranberry, Orange, and Quinoa Salad

A blogger shares a healthy salad dish she made for Whole Foods that incorporates Thanksgiving’s characteristic tastes. It contains kale, quinoa, cranberries, oranges, pomegranate, and honey, among other fresh ingredients. To make it more healthy, you may also add nuts.

Maple Syrup Cranberry Sauce

For a fresh taste twist on an old classic, substitute maple syrup for sugar.

Low-Carb Cheesy Cauliflower Mash

There is no reason why you should have to forego mashed potatoes over the holidays! Potatoes are excellent, but mashed cauliflower is a lower-carb option. To keep the dish as healthy as possible, use 2 percent or whole milk instead of heavy cream, and choose a low-fat cheese.

Sweet Potato Casserole With Maple Pecan Topping

A blogger shares this light and vegan-friendly variation on traditional sweet potato casserole in the Kitchen. It comprises almond flour, almond milk, and coconut oil.

Clean Green Bean Casserole with Parmesan Crumb Topping

Stay fresh by avoiding canned foods. To make this Christmas classic, combine green beans, almond milk, whole-wheat flour, and mushrooms.

Garlic Parmesan Roasted Butternut Squash

Roast some fresh butternut squash with seasonings that will make it your new favorite. Cut the butternut squash carefully, and you’ll be well on your way to eating a nutritious, seasonal squash that will be a favorite at your Thanksgiving dinner!

Here Are the Best Calorie Burning Holidays Activities

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Lots of food and shopping, family parties, and some personal time – the holidays are always a great time of the year.

However, all that free time can make you binge on too much food and miss out on regular exercise. These are two bad habits that can disrupt fitness goals. Here, we share some quick ways to burn calories during the holidays without visiting the gym.

Do Some Chores

Instead of beating yourself up about the gym classes you missed during the holidays, get yourself busy with housework that gets you moving around. Cleaning, sweeping, gardening, scrubbing, and vacuuming are all great calorie-incinerating routines. Even cooking and baking are great ways to use up some calories, especially if you’re moving around the kitchen while at it.

Walk, Walk, Walk

It’s no longer news: walking is the easiest calorie-burning exercise ever. In-between every other activity you find yourself doing through the holidays, just make sure you find time to move from A to B, and keep your pace strong. To up the tempo, you could consider power walking, high-stepping, or climbing the stairs. With a moderate walking pace, you could be burning up to 300 calories per hour.

Dance

Quite similar to running, dancing offers another ample opportunity to get your blood pumping and improve your mood. What’s more? You can combine dancing with almost any other holiday task – cooking, decorating, and caroling. It’s a fun activity that also lets you discard all that extra calorie. So, create a holiday playlist, and shake that thang while you bake, clean or scrub!

Oh wait, that’s not all. Putting up the Christmas tree, wrapping up the presents, caroling (even when you’re bad at singing), going shopping, and ice-skating are other great ways to burn some calories during the holidays!

You may also want to consider supportive formulas from Lidtke that work to actively support weight management.