In addition to selecting the right shoes and putting together a training plan, deciding what to eat ranks high for making the most of your running. Eat too little or inappropriate types of foods and you may find yourself dragging way too soon. Eat too much and you could deal with bloating and discomfort.

That’s why it’s helpful to understand the best way to fuel up before, during, and after a run. We asked experts to share insights on top questions that can help optimize your eating for more energy and better performance.

What Should I Eat Before a Run, and How Much?
The answer depends on the kind of run you have planned, according to Kacie Vavrek, RD, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics and an outpatient dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. If you’re planning on a run that lasts for an hour or longer, it’s helpful to have a pre-workout snack that you tolerate well. That choice is highly individual, she adds, and it takes some experimentation to figure out what works for you.

In general, a snack that has a blend of lean protein and carbohydrates tends to be best, adds Hopkinsville, Kentucky–based dietitian Elizabeth Ray, RDN. For example, a small amount of skinless grilled chicken paired with a serving of sweet potatoes. Other options include:

Banana or apple with nut butter
Toast with half an avocado and a tablespoon of honey
Small bowl of oatmeal and berries
Bagel with nut butter
Too much protein, like a whole chicken breast or more, usually isn’t advisable since it requires longer to digest when combined with carbs, per research. This means energy isn’t as readily available to your body as the energy you get from quick-digesting carbs.

Generally, says Vavrek, a snack with quick-digesting carbs like a banana or a bagel works well, provided you had a regular meal about four hours beforehand. If you’re running first thing in the morning, just the snack is probably enough.

“It really is variable, because some people can eat a huge meal right before a run and they’re fine, while others definitely can’t do that,” she adds. “Keeping a log of what you eat and how you felt on your run is the best way to figure it out for yourself.”

Exercising regularly — every day if possible — is the single most important thing you can do for your health. In the short term, exercise helps to control appetite, boost mood, and improve sleep. In the long term, it reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, and many cancers.

Why is exercise so important for seniors?
Whether you were once much more physically active or have never been one to exercise regularly, now is a great time to start an exercise and fitness regimen. Getting and staying in shape is just as important for seniors as it is for younger people.

Why is exercise important for older people? Getting your heart rate up and challenging your muscles benefits virtually every system in your body, and improves your physical and mental health in myriad ways. Physical activity helps maintain a healthy blood pressure, keeps harmful plaque from building up in your arteries, reduces inflammation, improves blood sugar levels, strengthens bones, and helps stave off depression. In addition, a regular exercise program can make your sex life better, lead to better quality sleep, reduce your risk of some cancers, and is linked to longer life.

Many older adults hesitate to get moving because they’re unfamiliar with the types of exercise and fitness that are effective and safe, and aren’t sure how much exercise they need to do. The good news is that any kind of movement is better than being sedentary, so there’s nothing wrong with starting small and working your way up to longer workouts. Your goal should be no less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, but if you can’t start at that level, work up to it (and then past it). While there are many dedicated forms of exercise and fitness for adults, you also want to stay physically active throughout the day by taking the stairs, doing yard work, and playing with your grandkids.

When it comes to exercise and fitness for seniors, most can begin without consulting a doctor — but there are exceptions. If you have a major health condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart or lung disease, osteoprosis, or a neurological disease, definitely talk to your doctor first. People with mobility issues such as poor balance or arthritis should also get advice from their doctor.

What are the best types of exercise?
While there are endless forms of exercise, experts categorize physical activity into four broad types based on what each calls upon your body to do and how the movement benefits you.

Aerobic exercise is marked by an increased heart rate. Although most aerobic exercises require you to move your whole body, the main focus is on your heart and lungs (aerobic exercise is often called “cardio” because it challenges and benefits your cardiovascular system). Activities like walking, swimming, dancing, and cycling, if done at sufficient intensity, get you breathing faster and your heart working harder. Aerobic exercises burn fat, improve your mood, reduce inflammation, and lower blood sugar.

Strength training, sometimes called resistance training, should be performed two to three times a week. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and the exercises performed on resistance machines or using weights or bands help maintain and even build muscle mass and strength. Strength training also helps prevent falls, keep bones strong, lower blood sugar levels, and improve balance.

Do a combination of both isometric and isotonic exercises. Isometric exercises, such as doing planks and holding leg lifts, are done without movement. They are great for maintaining strength and improving stability. Isotonic exercises require you to bear weight throughout a range of motion. Bicep curls, bench presses, and sit-ups are all forms of isotonic exercise.

Stretching exercises keep your muscles and tendons flexible, preserve your posture, and improve mobility, especially as you age. Stretching can be done every day.

Balance exercises call on the various systems that help you stay upright and oriented, such as those of the inner ear, vision, and muscles and joints. Tai chi and yoga are great forms of balance exercises that can help you avoid falls and stay independent well into your senior years.

How much exercise do I need?
How much exercise you should be getting depends on several factors, including your current level of fitness, your fitness goals, the types of exercise you’re planning to do, and whether you have deficits in such areas as strength, flexibility, or balance.

As a general rule, 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) is recommended as a weekly minimum. As you become more fit, you’ll want to exceed that in order to reap maximum benefit. A natural way of splitting up the 150 minutes might be to do a 30-minute session five times per week, or you can break it up and do two 15-minute sessions during a single day. Adopt whatever schedule fits your lifestyle.

For strength exercises, aim to work all your major muscle groups twice to three times each week, leaving 48 hours between each workout for recovery. If you do total-body workouts, that’s two sessions per week. If you choose to split your workouts to target a specific muscle group (for example, “leg day”), that will require more frequent workouts. Just make sure you’re leaving 48 hours of rest before you rework a major muscle.

If you have noticed problems with your balance such as unsteadiness, dizziness, or vertigo, talk to a health care provider for recommendations about balance-specific exercises. Get in three half-hour workouts each week in addition to a 30-minute walk at least twice weekly.

It’s best to stretch after you have warmed up for a few minutes, or perform stretching exercises after you completed your workout. When stretching each muscle group, take it slow and steady, release, repeat again.

But how much exercise is too much? You should expect a little muscle soreness after workouts, especially in the beginning. But if you find that your body is simply not recovering between workouts, you may be overtraining. Remember that seniors need more recovery time than younger people. With the exception of “welcome” muscle soreness, an exercise program should make you feel good. If it doesn’t, you’re probably overdoing it. That doesn’t mean you should quit, only that you should dial back the intensity or frequency of your workouts until you hit the sweet spot in which you’ve tired out your body but then recovered enough to tackle your next session with enthusiasm.

What are the benefits of exercise?
A smartly designed exercise program will benefit your body and mind in innumerable ways.

The benefits of exercise on mental health are well documented. For example, one major study found that sedentary people are 44% more likely to be depressed. Another found that those with mild to moderate depression could get similar results to those obtained through antidepressants just by exercising for 90 minutes each week. The key appears to be the release of brain chemicals such as serotonin and dopamine, which help lift mood and combat stress.

We’re all familiar with exercise’s ability to improve cardiovascular health. But how does exercise lower blood pressure? Interestingly, when you stimulate your circulatory system through aerobic exercise, you’re temporarily increasing your blood pressure by forcing the system to work harder, but when you’ve finished exercising, your blood pressure drops to a lower level than it was before you began.

Many people think of exercise as an integral part of weight loss, and although diet is also extremely important, they’re not wrong. But what exercise burns the most calories? Generally, aerobic exercises (cardio) are great for expending calories and reducing fat. But don’t overlook the effectiveness of strength training, which optimizes your body’s ratio of lean muscle to fat (It’s also the best exercise for bone strength).

There’s no Holy Grail when it comes to a single best weight-loss exercise. The best exercise to lose weight is the one you’ll do consistently. Whatever gets your heart rate up and gets your body moving — while having fun and staying motivated — is the exercise that will help you shed pounds.

What if my exercise ability is limited?
Everyone can and should do some form of exercise, even if they face severe limitations. Experts have designed specific exercises for seniors that are low-impact, safe, and able to be done even from a sitting position if necessary.

If you’re concerned about fall risk, balance exercises for seniors can be done holding onto a chair or door frame. For example, standing behind a chair, you can hold its back and lift one leg to about the height of the middle of the calf of the other leg while tightening your abdominal muscles. As you progress, you might try holding the chair with just one hand, and eventually letting go of the chair.

Even core-strengthening exercises for seniors can be adapted to those with limited abilities. For example, a standard plank is done by holding yourself parallel to the floor with only your forearms and toes touching the mat. An easier version allows you to also place your knees on the mat. But a still easier method is to do the plank while standing and leaning forward. You put your elbows and forearms on a desk, table, or wall while resting on the balls of your feet and keeping your back straight.

There are a variety of stretching exercises for seniors to suit people of different abilities. If holding poses on your hands and knees is out of the question, you could try a full-body stretch in which you lie on your back, straighten your legs, and extend your hands along the floor past your head. Some stretches can be done while seated, such as overhead stretches and neck rotations.

In fact, other types of exercise also can be done from a seated position. Other chair exercises for seniors include bicep curls (with dumbbells or elastic bands), overhead dumbbell presses, shoulder blade squeezes, calf raises, sit-to-stands (chair squats), and knee extensions.

What exercises are best for heart health?
The best exercise program will incorporate both aerobic and strength training, since that’s the best way to strengthen your entire body, improve your endurance, and ensure your long-term health. But if your main concern is how to improve cardiovascular health, then you should put a premium on cardiovascular exercises that force your heart and lungs to work harder, sending oxygen to your cells. While strength training certainly does have cardiovascular benefits, cardio workouts excel when it comes to reducing blood pressure, maintaining the health of the inner walls of your arteries, releasing enzymes that break down blood clots, and even promoting the growth of new arteries feeding the heart.

Regular aerobic exercise also significantly lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Although diabetes usually isn’t thought of as a heart problem, a lower risk of diabetes also lowers the risk of heart disease, since high blood sugar takes a toll on blood vessels and the nerves that control the heart. When you exercise, you call on your body’s cells to take glucose (sugar) out of the blood, which they do by becoming more sensitive to insulin, the hormone crucial to glucose metabolism. That means your cells remain insulin-sensitive long after you’re finished exercising. And since obesity is a significant risk for diabetes, exercises that help you shed fat — especially around your middle — will help you keep diabetes at bay.

I know you have heard performing high intensity interval training is the best way to burn fat and it is all the rage. Although, I agree and I believe in the results you can get from doing a HIIT workout a few times a week.

There is one population that needs to rethink how they are training and jumping around isn’t always the best option. I am referring to women who have PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) it is a hormonal disorder that not only affects fertility but also the ability to lose body fat. Many women with the disorder have higher levels of cortisol (also referred to as the stress hormone) which doesn’t help when it comes to weight loss.

I was diagnosed with PCOS over 13 years ago and I have done it all to lose weight. I tried endless hours of cardio, I tried going Paleo, I tried very low calorie diets, I tried working out for 2 hours a day, and when it all failed, I got smarter. I started to experiment on myself and journal what was working and what wasn’t and once I found something that worked I stuck with it and started putting my PCOS clients on the same type of plan.

You see hormones are directly affected by acute and chronic stress which can fundamentally alter the body’s hormone balance. Your body doesn’t know the difference between good stress and bad stress and I think we all consider exercise as good stress, right? If you are overdoing it or performing high intensity training all the time, then your body senses stress and the scale starts to rise.

When I started changing my workouts from big circuits to spilt body heavy training 5x a week followed by 20-25 minutes of walking on an incline- my body changed weekly. I take one full rest day off a week (I still walk but I don’t care about calorie burning, just focusing on getting my steps in for the day). I set aside one day a week when I don’t lift and that day I do a 20-30 minute HIIT session which usually consists of hill sprint intervals, battle rope intervals, or elliptical AMRAP circuits (if you don’t know what that is, check out my YouTube channel).

This is when I noticed positive changes weekly in my body along with focusing on a clean diet. With nutrition I focus on my macros and carb cycling. All I ever heard was follow Paleo, KETO, low carbs and that would make it too difficult to perform my workouts. I simply would run out of energy so it didn’t make sense to me. I began researching diabetic diets and they are even recommended a moderate carbohydrate allowance so why would PCOS be even different?

The days I don’t lift, I follow lower carbs which are still around 80-100 grams. Days I lift heavy legs or back I consume higher carbs 150-200 grams and days where I am doing arms or shoulders I go more moderate 100-120. This has worked for me as well as my clients with PCOS. You have to experiment and journal everything to see what little tweaks work best for you.

The goal is to keep your body in a calm state a majority of the time and by lifting heavy with longer rest periods your body doesn’t react as negatively. I am always working towards a better me and new ways to help women with PCOS. It’s a tough disorder BUT women are tougher and when we put our minds to something we will always find a way to conquer it.

Julie Wilcoxson is a personal trainer, business owner, author, blogger, wife, and mother. She has been in the fitness industry for over 2 decades and her passion runs deep. She also has PCOS and Endometriosis and wants to help educate women on regaining their health despite the disorder.

Tired of long distance running and workouts and still can’t see the results. Well then try out rowing machines. This rowing machine works out on six major different muscles at every stretch and gives you perfect and desired results. They don’t only stretch your muscles out, but also help you to burn more calories. This machine works largely on you back and makes you 24 hours fit and going.

They work on deltoids, pectorals major, Rectus abdomens, Internal and external Oblique’s, Triceps, Biceps, Hamstrings and Quadriceps. These muscles make your bodies most visible parts. Just working out on them you can make a sweet and smart body. With the introduction of rowing machine many companies have come up with their products. We have brought out rowing machine reviews for you to decide the best.

Rowing machine types:

1. Air Rowers

Today’s most air rower uses fan air rower resistance to meet all availability levels. These rowers provide most important difficulty levels from beginner level to pro level. Depending upon the brand they may or may not be noisy. They are not purely silent because of its paddling and spinning blade.

Features:

· Flywheel adjustable resistance

· Flexible handling

· Easy workout

· Footrest design with frame lock

2. Water Rowers

This type rower is latest and trendy rowers in the market today. Though priced on a higher side, but its looks and finished woodwork shall make you work a little longer. This is well known for its better dynamics. Water rowers cast themselves into your strength and power.

Features:

· Robust design

· Efficient dynamics

· Ease of handling

· Sliding seat

3. Magnetic Rower

This is a new concept to market. The old fashion flywheel was stopped with physical force. This is replaced by flywheel with magnets which helps to stop the wheel easily. The magnet is not in contact with moving parts. Being new to market this is hardly used, but has the potential to build your body. This has only one demerit which is a reduction in force on your body which should not be the case in rowing.

Features:

· Electromagnet for force reduction

· Flywheel dynamics

· Easy handling

4. Hydraulic rower:

Are you looking for rowing machine which suits your budget. Then a hydraulic rower is best for you. This is an award winning machine for its cost effective result. Hydraulic rower is completely manually controlled and needs user to work attentively. Due to its cost effectiveness nature some of them are not durable. Hence, choose wisely between the products. Some of them have also reported to cause burning sensation on the skin after use.

Features:

· Hydraulic rowing

· Low cost

· Tough handling

Some features you must see before buying a rowing machine such as:

1. Monitoring System: These systems generally have features such as calorie meter, heart beat measurer and duration of workout which helps you access yourself better,

2. Moving parts: These parts put a lot of pressure on your body if they do not run properly. Choose between them wisely

3. Assembly system: Assembling the rowing system is another tough job. You must choose one of the rowing machine which could be easily assembled.

Exercising is an efficient way keeping your body fit and toned up. With the right amount of exercises, you will stay healthy and have a better lifestyle. Using the right amount of accessories can improve your exercising routine and give you better results in a short span of time. However, using the wrong tools or equipment’s can lead to equally devastating consequences. Therefore it is essential to use the right types of equipment while exercising.

What are the crucial aspects of exercising tools?

What should be the most important aspects to look for while using assisting equipment while exercising? Firstly, the equipment must not stain your body. They should provide a little amount of resistance so that you can shed a few more inches in a quick time frame. Secondly, the workout accessories should be strong enough to hold your body. Thirdly, they must provide some amount of comfort while exercising. Uncomfortable tools or equipment can cause severe health damage.

List of important accessories:

After discussing the necessary aspects of workout accessories, you must have understood that this equipment must be selected very carefully. Here is the list of some standard accessories that you can use safely in your home gym.

· Punching Bag:

Punching bags are some of the most commonly found accessories in a gym. A session of around fifteen to twenty minutes on a punching bag can burn up to 150 calories. A good workout on this equipment relieves the stress and works as a good cardiovascular training session. You can start your exercises on the punching bag with a session of 60 seconds workout and a 30 seconds rest period. Later on, you can gradually increase the exercise period to two minutes with the rest time of a minute.

· Using Kettle Bells:

These heavy balls of mass can burn a lot of calories leading to super toned muscles. Also, an exercising session with these Kettle Bells can improve the core strength of the body. You can find this equipment in several weight measurements. You should select the ones that you can lift with little difficulties. Choosing a more substantial set of Kettle Bells, during a workout can lead to sore muscles. In extreme cases, the problem of muscle tear might come up.

· Pull up stand:

Using a pull-up stand while exercising, can help you in building strong muscles. While applying on this tool, you can strengthen a different set of muscles. It gives you full body training and stronger core muscles. For example, if you are regularly performing widespread grip chin-ups, the latissimus dorsi muscles on your body have a full workout. Also, the rear deltoids muscle gets in better shape.

Obesity is a growing problem throughout the globe and both young and adults are equally affected. The reason behind the issue is increasing love for the digital world and ignoring the importance of outdoor play. It sure is difficult to get kids moving at such times when they are glue-stick to screens, but believe it or not, it is worth trying. Not only you can let them move, you can also make exercising fun for them in the following ways.

Yoga

Yoga is one of the best ways to curb obesity and keep your kids healthy and active. You don’t need any fancy commercial playground equipment as you just need a little space and a mat and you are good to go. You must know how to perform yoga and how it enhances flexibility, develops coordination, and improves strength. Let me tell you how you can make it fun!

Let kids mimic animal poses while doing yoga such as a cow, lion, or cat. If that seems hard, you can try making yoga a story. For instance, you would talk about trees in the story and your kids perform tree pose or you tell about a snake and they act like a cobra. They can even move out of their mats for some seconds and make interesting sounds.

Indoor and Outdoor Activities

You can perform indoor and outdoor obstacle courses with them. There are times when you just can’t let your kids go outside whether it’s due to unfavorable weather or exams around. Indoors, you can try a pillow, lining up a jumping rope, cans or bottles, or a hula hoop. Arrange several pillows vertically and ask your kids to jump it 10 times. You can try similar activities with jumping ropes and other items I mentioned.

Now, let’s talk about outdoor obstacle courses! When you take your kid to a playground, set some challenges for him such as taking swing ten times, run and cover the entire jungle gym, climb the ladder or a climbing wall. Ask him to take all these challenges at once and get back to you. Furthermore, you can make obstacle courses on your own such as tying a rope somewhere or using bases of skates.

If you are unable to try any one of these, then try using adult exercises and make yourself an obstacle course. Sounds strange? Well, you can try doing push-ups yourself and ask your kid to jump over you when you are up. This isn’t only safe, but a hell of a fun as well!

Parent-Directed

Kids crave for parents’ attention and take more interest in adult things. Rather than leaving them alone to play, it would be the best if you join them. You can do simple things such as taking a ride with them, playing their favorite music and dance around or play catching balls. What is more, you can also look for age specifications in your gym and take your kids to group classes with you.

Eating out is very common in today’s world. One does not want to be the odd one out by always refusing to eat out with friends, family and colleagues in a bid to eat good home cooked meals and sticking to their health goals. Also, people are travelling more from what they used to once – whether it is for work or for leisure. However, it is possible to have a balanced and healthy lifestyle while still eating outside of home. All that is needed is making sound choices.

While eating food at a restaurant or at a food café or at a buffet, we may not know which food options are loaded with fat and calories. This becomes difficult for people on weight loss programs or those with clinical conditions. But, it does not mean that they do not eat out. Today healthier options are available at restaurants and food cafés and good choices can be made at buffets.

Just following the simple guidelines below will help you make healthy and guilt free food choices:

1. Skip the fancy drinks

Both, alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks add to only calories in a meal. The margaritas, pina coladas and the other fancy drinks are laden with sugar. If a drink is must, a glass of wine or a simple martini can be an option. For those preferring a non alcoholic drink, buttermilk, jal jeera or a light lemonade can keep away the unwanted calories. However, plain water is always the best option.

2. Appetizers and Soups

Avoid fried or breaded appetizers, which are generally high in calories. Of course, you can also save calories by skipping the appetizer altogether. Steamed appetizers like momos, grilled chicken, dimsums, etc are good options. When choosing soups the best choices are broth-based or tomato-based soups. Cream soups, chowders and pureed soups can contain heavy cream or egg yolks.

3. Salad tips

Those opting for salads before the main course tend to eat fewer overall calories. However, avoid creamy cheese, honey based dressings, cheese, potatoes, bacon, fried noodles, croutons etc in salads as they are high in calories. Instead, squeeze a lemon or try rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar. If you want to order a dressing based salad ask for the dressing on the side as then the amount of dressing you put in the salad will be in your control. A salad with just some vegetables, corn, lean meat or beans could be a great filler. Stir fries can also be a great option instead of the salad to help you avoid eating more calories later.

4. Watch the portion sizes

At restaurants, since the dish ordered is usually sufficient for 2-3 people, split the dish with your partner instead of eating the entire portion yourself. If you are at a fast food restaurant, order the small sized meal instead of the large sized one. Let go of the fries and the carbonated beverages.

5. Make your meals low in fat

When you go out at a restaurant to eat always check how the food is prepared. Check whether the food is broiled, poached, grilled, baked, or steamed as it tends to be lower in fat than foods that are fried. Limit foods that come with cream sauce or gravy. Avoid or have butter, sour cream, gravy, and sauces served on the side. This will allow you to control how much you eat as they are high in fat and calories. While ordering for burgers and sandwiches avoid ordering them with cheese, bacon, and other sweet sauces and opt for whole wheat or multigrain bread with added vegetables. With sandwich meals, choose water and fruit or plain yogurt if they’re available, rather than sugary or carbonated drinks, chips, and fries. Choose seafood, chicken, or lean red meat rather than fatty or processed meats.

6. Add fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

At fast food restaurant ask if french fries can be replaced by fruit or salad. Order extra vegetables with pizza, sandwiches etc. Indian, Thai and Japanese restaurants have a lot of vegetarian options available. Always opt for brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat or multigrain bread and tortillas instead of white rice, pasta, or white bread.

7. Be aware of overeating at a buffet

Check the entire buffet before you start filling your plate. Always start with a soup (non-creamy, broth based), fill the plate with veggies; opt for non-fried and less oily options. Instead of sugar sweetened beverages opt for plain water, buttermilk or jal jeera. Avoid butter / oil laden kulchas, puris, parathas, butter nan and ask for plain wheat rotis. Instead of desserts go for fresh cut fruit plate. Always wait for 5 to 10 minutes before going for a second helping.

8. Be conscious of what you eat while travelling

At hotel breakfast buffets do not eat large portions. Have a healthy mix of foods rich in carbohydrates and proteins with some fresh fruits. Make healthier food choices at meal times. Always drink plenty of water during travel as that is one aspect often neglected. Pack healthy snack options like roasted makhanas, nuts like almonds, walnuts, pistachios, dried fruits like dates, anjeer, apricots, raisins etc to avoid unhealthy snacking. Instead of drinking carbonated beverages always check for the availability of coconut water, buttermilk etc. Fresh fruits are also a good option to keep yourself from indulging in fried and other unhealthy foods.

When the weather and seasons change, we often feel our bodies respond. When it’s colder outside, we feel more contained and stiff. When it’s warmer, we feel open and supple. But during this transition period, where they may be more rain or flowers blooming, there may be energy and emotions stuck in the heart and the hips that need to move out and around! All you need is a yoga mat, bolsters, and a yoga belt to get yourself on the way to spring cleaning yourself out.

Our hearts are the emotional center of love, joy, gratitude, and peace. However, when we suppress our emotions, they often get stuck down in the hips. And when we go to our yoga mat- we feel it! Here are two poses you can try to get yourself emotionally free today.

Gomukhasana / Cow Face Pose

Here, we will open the hips and the heart together. Start by tucking your left leg underneath your right so the knees are squeezed tightly together in front of you. If this is uncomfortable, simply cross your legs or stack your hips up on a bolster.

Root your sitting bones down into the ground and then reach your right arm up and left your arm back. Reach for the hands behind you or clasp onto your belt for assistance. Take 5 deep breaths here and then fold forward and hold for another 5-10 breaths. Slowly release and either move onto the next pose or practice the other side.

Restorative Pigeon Pose / Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana

Transitioning from Gomukhasana, swing the right leg back and shift the hips so they are square to the front. Make sure the front leg is externally rotated so the knee points toward the front left corner of your mat. For a deep, supportive variation, place a bolster underneath your hips and one in front of you.

Straighten out your back leg and lengthen your spine on an inhale. As you exhale, slowly fold forward. Drape your torso and head over the bolster and give it a nice hug. Exhale all of your stress and old, toxic thoughts and feelings away. Breathe deeply into your hips. Allow yourself to sink and surrender into this supported pigeon pose. Stay for 2 minutes.

Active Pigeon Pose

If you desire a more dynamic practice of pigeon pose, try the full variation. You can still use a bolster for support under the hips if needed. Set the legs up in the same position. This time, keep the torso upright and reach back for your right foot with your right hand. Rotate the arm so that you point the elbow up to the sky and bring the foot closer to your head, eventually reaching back with the other arm.

Becoming popular worldwide, you will find people wearing yoga pants not only when they are working out but also as a fashion statement. You can shop online and get the latest trends.

The types of clothes you wear say a lot about you. However, at times you want to feel good about yourself without thinking much about what others say. The good thing is that they’ll have you looking fine and make you feel fantastic.

They are comfortable. You can wear them at home, during your morning run, in the gym, while shopping or any other appropriate time. Of course, you cannot wear them at work unless you are a fitness instructor.

It is important to note that according to research, what you wear has significant impacts on your well-being. Also, what you wear can enhance your self-confidence especially during social interactions. Let’s dive into some of the benefits.

Benefits for the wearer

1. They might alleviate your stress levels

If you are looking for comfort, then this has a real impact on your health as well. When you are feeling cozy and great about yourself, you tend to forget your problems for a while. Soft and light on your body they might work wonders especially for people with anxiety issues.

Anxiety never blends well with tight or heavy clothing. If you feel anxious about something, then get your favorite pair and feel cozy. But remember that you can only wear them in an appropriate place like at home.

2. They make workout sessions fun and easy

How many times have you gone to the gym after work and realized you forgot your pair of yoga pants? Then you had to exercise with your regular pair of pants. Now think about how it felt. Definitely, it was not enjoyable, and it made the whole workout session seem difficult.

Quite flexible, they stretch to allow you to move with ease. They are comfortable, light and soft which ensures your body is free during exercising. Tight clothes can limit your blood circulation when working out, jogging or performing physical activities. You can shop for yoga pants online since having more can never hurt.

3. They are cost-effective

A pair of yoga pants will have you feeling cozy, great, and hot and with all that, they won’t damage your pocket regarding money. Most yoga pants are significantly cheaper than regular pants. Designer yoga pants can be quite expensive, but there are myriads of more affordable options.

Shop online and get yourself super cozy and cheaper solutions. Make every dollar you spend worth it.

What is the main difference between yoga pants and leggings?

Many people usually confuse this type of clothing with leggings. The two are quite different in several ways. Leggings were initially meant to be worn as undergarments. However, today they are worn for any occasion.

Ideal for exercise and yoga, they are sturdy, light, comfortable and quite flexible. Leggings are usually thin and sometimes see through making them unfit for training or work out. Most people wear leggings at home.

The most significant difference between the two is that yoga pants have a wider waistband than leggings. The thick waistband makes yoga pants more flexible and ideal for work out. People prefer yoga pants for exercise because they bring out the confidence aspect.

Typically, leggings are made for warmth while yoga pants for physical activities. While shopping for yoga pants online keep this in mind.

Which are best for me?

Yoga pants are perfect for yoga or exercise. Other people use them for other purposes like when running errands or lazing around at home. There is a slew of different styles to choose. Shop for online and get the ideal style for you.

Here are some of the most popular styles;

1. Bohemian Yoga Festival Pants

These tend to be looser and flare out at the bottom. Boot-Cut pants are comfortable and are used for certain types of yoga. However, since they are loose, they might be unfit for other forms of yoga.

2. Women’s High Waisted

Foldover pants are equipped with a foldover waistband. The style makes the pants looser at the waist, and hence the pants are quite comfortable.

3. Rainbow

Long leggings are tight, and most people use them as yoga pants. They are comfortable, light and flexible. Short leggings can also function as yoga pants. Their length gives them their name.<

Capri pants are short as well. They flare at the bottom like boot-cut pants. The difference between boot-cut pants and Capri pants is the length. Capri pants are shorter than boot-cut pants.

5. Wide Leg Women’s

The pants are loose and suitable for Kundalini yoga. They are not popular since they are unfit for many types of yoga. Harem pants are baggy as well with a band at the ankle.

There are different types of yoga such as Bikram, Kundalini, Vinyasa, and Hatha among others. There are different designs to cater to every person’s yoga needs. While shopping online, you can get the most appropriate one for your yoga session.

The best styles for you

1. Rainbow Full-Length Yoga Leggings

It is among the most popular yoga pants worldwide. It has the best features such as a high-rise waistband, lightweight, comfortable, quite flexible and style among others. These yoga pants are perfect for exercise or jogging. They have a perfect length as well.

2. Thick Velvet Warm Leggings

They are among the best yoga pants because of their uniqueness. They are stylish, comfortable, versatile, extra-long and flexible. They might be unsuitable for hot yoga, but they bring style to another whole level.

3. Mesh Patchwork

These yoga pants are a bit thicker but with large pore sizes. The large pore size makes them incredibly comfortable and breathable.

People say that night sweats resulting from the after-effects of illnesses can never be tamed and it is seldom that people can sleep peacefully at night. Even though night sweats are something you cannot control especially when you have contacted health issues as that of infections, cancer, hormonal imbalances, depression, diabetes, etc., there are measures that you could take to keep yourself safe and healthy.

Not everyone may witness instant or effective results but following these tips can bring about a change in the way you sleep and preventing sweating.

Be surrounded with comfortable clothing

So love wearing sensuous nightwear to sleep while the rest find it cold during the winters and wear night suits made of flannel. These are known to trap heat and result in you sweating in the middle of the night. Consider wearing light and fluffy clothing while you sleep. You could also consider ditching the underwear while letting your body breathe. Choosing clothing made up of cotton as well as laying cotton sheets to sleep on can help you stay away from sweats at night.

Change eating habits

There are several who have this tendency of consuming alcohol at night before they sleep. Some prefer a cup of coffee or probably spicy food to finish the day with. All of these tend to trigger body temperature fluctuations, and that would result in night sweats. When you drink alcohol, the blood vessels of the body tends to dilate, and that is where you start sweating profusely.

Breathe deeply more often

It is said that the fast-paced lives that we lead has curbed the way we breathe as well. We are known to take short breaths which leads to stress, When you are stressed, you automatically tend to witness night sweats. Taking up Yoga or probably meditation where you can undergo deep breathing sessions can help you calm down and be less stressed. This can help you get back to normal and not sweat when you sleep.

Keep yourself hydrated

When we sweat, we tend to lose out a lot of water, minerals and salts from our body. When you witness night sweats, drinking a glass of water immediately can help you receive relief in multiple ways. There are times when you can get better almost immediately while at times taking sips from the glass can help you recover.

Take control of the temperature around you

When you witness sudden night sweats, ensure that the temperature of the room is brought down. It could be switching on the fan or lowering the temperature of the air conditioner; you could help yourself accordingly. Gel mattress toppers to help you stay can and cool when you are sweating. There are modern mattresses that allow you to feel cold and adjust the temperature accordingly. Buying one of these especially when you are frequent with sweating at night can help you get that required relief and not feel the discomfort that you witness when you go through night sweats.