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Posts Tagged: healthy living blog

Healthy Living — No Comments
30
Jan 12

Healthy living blog talks about using yoga to get some shut-eye

If you're a fan of healthy living blogs, chances are you've been following the Huffington Post's 21-day yoga challenge, in which one writer tries to adhere to the holistic system for the better part of a month. This week, the news source touched on a great use for yoga: using it to try to get to sleep.

As you might expect, this is not the first time this idea has been tossed around. For quite some time, researchers have been investigating the effects of yoga on sleep. In fact, enthusiasts have been using the regimen for centuries as a way to relax, reflect and get ready for bed.

It makes sense. Yoga instructors widely agree that using a stretching-and-meditation routine just before hitting the hay is a great way to improve your chances of getting a good night's sleep.

Not only does engaging in yoga encourage the release of endorphins, but it also loosens sore or tired muscles and empties the mind of work-related stress and nagging thoughts.

If you want to try the mind-body regimen as a way to get the sandman to stop by, then consider taking an Atlanta yoga class or two.

You may be one of the 50 million Americans who suffer from sleep problems, but that doesn't mean you have to take it lying down!

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Healthy Living — No Comments
17
Jan 12

Healthy living blog says plank pose is great for strength, balance

If you attend Atlanta yoga classes even semi-regularly, chances are you've encountered the plank pose. This basic yoga position is common to many holistic regimens, including Dahn Yoga, and it may be used to strengthen the back and core muscles while improving balance and stamina.

According to the South Tampa-Hyde Park Patch's healthy living blog, this yoga pose is often half-jokingly called a "resting" position. The joke is that, at first, the plank posture can be a little challenging. However, with practice, "the plank can feel restful in the flow of a [yoga] class," the news source explained.

To perform a plank pose, one can start from a lying position or from one's hands and knees, according to the Yoga Journal.

- First, place the hands about shoulder-width apart. Keep your shoulders firm and your elbows locked.

- Next, slowly walk your feet backward until they are one full body length from your hands. Your shoulders should be directly over your hands.

- If you've formed your body correctly, you will essentially be positioned as if you are preparing to do a push-up. Hold this pose for about a minute, breathing slowly and deeply. If you get tired, lower your knees to the ground. Don't push yourself!

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Healthy Living — No Comments
23
Dec 11

Yoga and healthy living go hand in hand, even over the holidays

If you're making a healthy living list for the holidays, you may as well put yoga at the top of it. For centuries, this holistic mind-body system has been helping people stay fit and free of stress. Now, with Christmas and Chanukah upon us, it is important to do whatever it takes to maintain one's well-being.

Sure, the holidays are a time of peace, friendship and giving. But they can also lead to serious stress. Just think of all the activities that can wind you up tighter and tighter:

- Gathering tons of ingredients for a large meal can be a real headache. Then there's the actual preparation and, after all plates have been cleared, the year's most mammoth dish-washing session.

- Overeating on Christmas Eve can certainly leave you laid low, especially if you indulge in plenty of fatty, oily foods and alcoholic beverages.

- Seeing relatives can leave you with an extra-short fuse.

- Even the expectations of the holidays can be crushing. After all, if it's the most wonderful time of the year, any hint that you're not having a good time can get you peppered with questions from overly solicitous family members.

To shake off some of this anxiety, try doing a little yoga each day as a way to decompress. If you'd like to learn specific poses for de-stressing, check out the other posts on this healthy living blog.

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Personal Change — 1 Comment
5
Dec 11

Yoga is as good for making personal changes as weightlifting

If you like reading the latest fitness news stories, you may have come across a new entry in the Globe and Mail's healthy living blog concerning the relative merits of yoga and weightlifting. Author and trainer Kathleen Trotter had some interesting things to say about the two.

For one thing, she noted that yoga may be better for joint health and overall muscle toning, even though it does not build as much muscle as weightlifting typically does.

In response to a reader question about what to use to allay shoulder pain, Trotter said that yoga is usually much easier on joints, whereas pumping iron can actually make joint aches worse.

She added that for someone who wants to try both activities, the best course of action is to start the week with one day of weightlifting and then spend the remaining days doing yoga, stretching, deep breathing and meditation.

In other words, unless you are looking to become a bodybuilder, yoga is typically better suited for almost anyone.

The holistic mind-body system can increase flexibility, improve breathing, reduce stress and contribute to a profound sense of peace.

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Atlanta Yoga — No Comments
28
Nov 11

Atlanta yoga classes take on enthusiasts with Alzheimer’s

If you're a fan of healthy living blogs, you may have come across a story or two about yoga and its potential benefits for patients with Alzheimer's disease. These stories are inspiring and heartwarming, but are they accurate? According to numerous healthcare professionals, yes, they are.

Of course, little is known about what can prevent the onset of Alzheimer's, a condition that afflicts around 5.4 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. Just ask Atlanta resident Myles Smith, whose wife, Ortrude White, was diagnosed with the disease at age 65.

He told the Journal-Constitution that even though she took Atlanta yoga classes and ate well, White, an architect and Harvard graduate, began getting disoriented and forgetful.

Today, she must wear a bracelet explaining her condition, the news source stated.

Fortunately for people like White, research has shown that yoga-based therapies can ease some of the mental and physical symptoms of Alzheimer's.

A study published in the Journal of Yoga and Physical Therapy found that the holistic routine helped people with the condition improve their balance. Yoga instructors also told the Boston Globe that stretching and posing can preserve mobility and relieve stress and anxiety related to dementia.

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