5 Tips To Get Active This Winter

There is no denying but winter will soon be upon us. And what does that mean to the active and health buff people out there? It will be more challenging to pound the road for a quick run outdoors or pull yourself up from bed from that nice slumber.

Getting fit is a must to live a healthy life. Winter time is not as friendly as the other seasons when it comes to exercising. Regardless, people must stay fit what ever the season may be. So, how do you get active this winter without having frostbites?

Here are some tips you can follow to help you pump that adrenalin even if you are stuck indoors especially at the coldest time of winter:


Clean the house

This can be done regardless of season and perhaps, you will still burn more calories when you do it during the colder climate because your body will try to expel those calories by warming up your body.  All those lifting, sweeping, dusting, and taking out of garbage stash can move a lot of muscles and burn fats.


Shovel snow on your driveway (and even your elderly neighbours)

Now this will be a surefire way to burn those flabs because of the torso bending and arm muscle movements you will do. Do not just shovel your driveway but also do a good favour to your elderly neighbours, if you have some.  It will be twice as much effort on your part which will burn more calories too. Many shovelled driveways = many calories burned!


Go skating, sledding, have snow fights

Not only are they fun to do during winter, they also pose many muscle movements that will help churn those calories out.

I have taken this info from sparkpeople.com to show you how sledding can burn lots of calories. This is just an example.

(Photo credit: sparkpeople.com)

Exercise at home

Yes, even if you are stuck at home, watching TV or just reading a good novel, you can interject an exercise routine at home. If you cannot go to the gym, let the gym come to you. And how, buy small gym equipments even before the cold winter comes. Your purchase does not have to be very expensive. You can buy a simple stepper, small barbels, jumping rope, or even the hula hoop! Try to equip yourself with simple gym equipments. A treadmill can prove to be wise purchase especially if you can buy one that you can store under your bed or fold later on.

(Photo credit: dreamstine.com)

Walk in the mall

If there's not much space to walk around your home, go to the nearby mall and walk inside the heated premises. That way, you get your dose of retail therapy even when you're just window shopping. Walking inside the mall can increase your heart rate and help in the burning of fats in the process. Dress warmly and appropriately for the activity because brisk walking can still make your perspire.

Easy Lemon Detox

If you're like me who gorged on sumptuous food during the festive season then probably you're also thinking of detoxing to let those toxins out.  Now that the holidays are over and we are back to the normal routine, it is also nice to cleanse or purge our systems with all the bad food we have eaten.

You don't have to do a lengthy detox. Just try these short term (max of 5 days) detox to cleanse your system so you can start fresh with your healthy lifestyle this 2015.

Here is a simple lemon detox recipe you can prepare to kick-start the healthy eating habit you have resolved to do this year.

1 fresh lemon juice
8 oz. of filtered water
8 drops of stevia (a natural sweetener derived from plant)


Prepare the lemonade and drink first thing in the morning. Eat only after 30 minutes.  You may consume solid food during this easy detox plan. However, you must avoid caffeine, meat, fowls, eggs, processed foods and other dairy products to make this detox successful in cleansing your system. After the last day of your detox, do not go back to your bad eating habits. Your goal now is to eat healthily and live a clean life. Happy detoxing!

Plank Tricks To Do To Have Better Abs

I have been dreaming of getting my flat abs back no matter what it takes. I have started exercising slowly as I ease my way back to the healthy lifestyle I used to have before I got hooked to the sedentary life I have adapted.

It is hard work and really, patience play a great role to be able to go back to a healthy and active lifestyle but if you're already there and just needed some push to have better abs, or is aiming to get the abs you always wanted, here are few tricks to do to get that washboard abs.

These tips are great to help you get that nice core. Work it out!

(Photo credit: Samantha Okazaki/Today)

Plank Jacks
It's like doing a jumping jack but into a plank position on the ground. And here's how you do it: Get into a plank position on your forearms, propped up on the balls of your feet. Your abdominal wall should be engaged, your legs should be straight and your feet together. Keeping your upper body still, jump your feet about three feet apart and back together as if you’re doing jumping jacks. Do three sets of 10 reps.

Donkey Kick Planks
Get into a plank position on your forearms, propped up on the balls of your feet. Again, your abdominal wall should be engaged, your legs should be straight and your feet together. Shift your weight to one leg, bend the other leg and bring your knee in towards your chest. Then kick your foot back and up until your leg forms a perfect "L." Knee in and kick out 10 times and then switch legs.

Side Plank with Leg Raise
This will help the obliques get toned and it's a bit tough to do. You have to lie on your side and prop yourself up into a side plank by leaning on your left forearm. Keeping that elbow at a right angle, lift the entire left side of your body so that your left shoulder, left hip and left heel form a straight line. Your body weight is on the side of your left foot. Keep good form by contracting and holding your abs. Put your right hand on your right hip, elbow towards the ceiling, and then raise your right leg as high as you can and lower. Repeat 10 times and switch sides.


Good luck and keep that form and engage your core! Let's do it!


(source: Jenna Wolfe - Today.com)

Daily Health Habits

Photo credit: averastory.org

Many people don’t feel good. They feel tired. They find it hard to concentrate at work. They have back pain and headaches. There are several conditions that are a direct result of poor health habits, but many people don’t attribute their conditions to their diet and other health habits. What people eat, how much they sleep and other practices substantially affect the way people feel during the day.

The diet a person eats directly impacts how much energy they experience. The sun is a great source of energy. This source of energy is stored by plants. Animals eat these plants and indirectly provide energy to humans when humans eat these animals. However, the further up on the food chain a person eats, the less energy a person will have. For instance, a person is going to have more energy from eating an apple than eating a lobster, which is a scavenger. A diet should consist mostly of fruit and vegetables followed by other sources of food. A big portion of the American diet consists of processed and fast foods, which do not offer significant nutritional value. In addition, people do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.

Exercise is important for health. Besides assisting with weight maintenance, exercise offers many other benefits. For starters, exercise helps the body to remove toxins from the body. The toxins are pushed through the bloodstream and exit the body via sweat. Exercise improves muscle tone to increase strength and range of motion, and exercise promotes bone strength to prevent osteoporosis.

Supplements provide many benefits for people. Some people have conditions, such as lactose intolerance. This can occur when a body is not able to digest enzymes in milk. As a result, the milk sits in the intestines producing gas and other problems. People who have a problem digesting milk may end up having issues with carbohydrates when they eat them as well. By abstaining from milk, this issue is usually resolved. However, by taking a supplement for particular conditions, long-loved foods and drink may still be ingested, such as milk. For instance, click here to view the many type of supplements that can assist the body in wellness.

Mental and emotional health is important too. This affects how people feel in regards to physical health as well. Resolving emotional issues is important because it allows people to resolve their stress, which is the biggest factor of illnesses today. Staying healthy means making daily healthy habits.