Improving our fitness is something that a lot of us will do over the course of our lifetime. Whether it’s fitness that happens on and off or you’re committed to doing it every day, here are four tips to improve your workout next time you’re exercising.
Always Get A Good Night’s Sleep
We are all aware of that feeling when we try to get a good night’s sleep and we wake up feeling groggy or we’ve just gone to bed later than usual. That feeling of tiredness is not going to be welcomed when you go to workout. In fact, it can be harder to motivate yourself to work out when you’re feeling tired. With that being said, it’s always good to try and get a good night’s sleep before you do a workout and that way you’re likely going to get the most out of it.
Try to take yourself to bed early, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t tend to sleep very well anyway.
Look At Taking Supplements Or Pre-Workout Shakes
For those who work out consistently and on a regular basis, they’re likely to take supplements or pre-workout shakes in order to get more from the session they’re doing. It’s worth looking at the benefits of BCAAs, amongst others that are definitely good to do your research on. Who knows, you may find something that is both enjoyable to consume but also noticeably improves your workouts.
Getting that little boost every now and then can be really helpful when it comes to your workout sessions in general.
Find What Motivates You
What motivates you when it comes to working out. It might be that you enjoy working out with weights but with other people it could be taking part in group classes. So it’s important to try and figure out what it is that motivates you to work harder and more importantly, enjoy the exercise that you’re doing.
There’s no point in doing sports and exercises that you simply don’t get any happiness from. Everyone has different tastes and preferences, and exercise is just another difference. Think about what you can do to motivate you and improve your fitness experiences so that they provide more fulfillment to you than just working out.
Make Sure You’ve Eaten Enough
When it comes to exercising, there’s a lot that is worth thinking about doing before the actual workout takes place. Many find that having food around 2 hours before the workout can be helpful to feel fully energized. There’s also drinking coffee that often helps too. Find what works for you but try to have food that’s going to give you the energy you need to sustain your workouts for longer in general. If you don’t eat enough, you may feel demotivated to continue your workout because you’re too hungry.
Improving your workouts can take some practice and knowledge of what you find beneficial. Use these tips to get the most out of your workouts going forward in life.
As any avid traveller knows, post-vacation blues are, without a doubt, the worst thing about going away. You can have the most amazing time but, if the direct aftermath is a mire of self-pity and regrets (about coming home, obviously,) then it can drastically tarnish your memories of the trip.
That’s a problem, and it’s one that we need to offset to ensure we can enjoy each adventure to its fullest potential. Unfortunately, no matter how many times you’ve been away, it’s all too easy to fall into sadness, and start questioning everything from your home to your work life as a result.
That’s guaranteed to come as a blow and, after you’ve been in that dark place a few times, it could prevent you from wanting to go away altogether. Luckily, far from being ‘just a normal part of travel,’ this struggle is a sign that you’re making certain mistakes in your post-vacation periods. Here, we’re going to look at what exactly those mistakes might be, and what you can to avoid them.
Mistake # 1 - An immediate return to work
If your flight lands at midnight and you’re back at work at eight the next day, it’s really no wonder that you feel the impact of your returns so severely. Trust us; we get the mindset of wanting to stretch that trip for as long as possible, but these attempts might just be the root of all your problems, or at least from a travel sense.
After all, if you’re quite literally leaving your unpacked suitcase on your bed and heading to work with sand in your hair, it’s going to feel impossible to concentrate or enjoy your day job in any real way. Instead, it’s vital that you give yourself a little time to decompress, not just so that you can recover from the flight, etc., but also so that you can refind your balance back home.
In fact, the best possible thing is to be gentle with yourself and leave at least a weekend between getting home and getting back to work. Spending that time meeting friends, eating out, and going for fun day trips can especially help you to love the life you’re in, leaving you refreshed and ready to rumble when Monday rolls around.
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Mistake # 2 - Sitting with vacation weight
Experiencing new cuisines is all part of the fun of travel, but all that eating out and extravagance has the unfortunate side effect of seeing most of us bring a few extra pounds home again. Given that weight is greatly tied up with mental health and general energy levels, this, too, can drastically worsen or extend those post-trip blues, especially if you fail to take action.
One fantastic and fairly simple way to offset this is to prepare a healthy meal plan before you even jet off, ensuring that you can eat right the moment you get home to give yourself a much-needed boost. If you’ve really indulged, however, you might need to try some meal replacement shakes or implement exercise habits alongside your healthier diet. Either way; laying a plan in place and getting to it the moment you get home ensures that you can get back on track, and keep those memories on fond footing. This is guaranteed to keep bad feelings very much at bay, and see you back into the swing of things in no time.
Mistake # 3 - A lack of prospective travel
When it comes down to it, post-vacation blues are often a multi-factor issue, fuelled not only by getting home but also by no longer having a trip to look forward to. After all, your week away pales in comparison to the months you spent looking forward to it. With that in mind, it’s no wonder you suddenly feel a little flat!
Luckily, this is the easiest issue of all to fix by simply booking in your next trip as soon as you can. Even if you don’t intend to go away for another year or so, getting ahead here is guaranteed to put a spring immediately back in your step. Admittedly, this probably won’t stop you from feeling a little sad that your trip’s over but, with a new adventure on the horizon, you stand the best possible chance of bouncing back in the shortest time.
Unfortunately, nothing is going to help you avoid feeling a little flat post-trip but, by avoiding these mistakes, you can certainly avoid a chronic case of vacation blues.
Photo by Fraser Bell on Unsplash
If you are an adventurous soul that loves travelling, you've probably toyed with the idea of a mobile home. Before the lure of the open road makes you take some rash decisions, you should sit back and think a little. What do you need one for? Weekends? Short trips? Extended trips? Why a campervan and not an RV or motorhome?
Campervan vs Motorhome
Motorhomes are specially built, whereas campervans might be modified models of existing vans. The cabs of campervans might be separate and not part of the rest of the vehicle. Campervans are usually more economical than motorhomes.
Campervans vs RVs
Recreational Vehicles are huge mobile homes on wheels and are usually imported into the UK. They include kitchen facilities, bathrooms and are fitted out for comfort. RVs are high on fuel consumption and other running costs, plus insurance. They are also more difficult to park.
Campervans
Campervans are the smallest of these holiday vehicles and come with different types of accommodations. On buying a campervan you have to make some decisions on how to deal with cooking and bathroom amenities. Because of the reduced space, you have to be a bit more organised about what you take along and what storage space you will have. You can also increase the space by having an awning and some campervans can also be fitted with a roof rack. The advantage is they are the size of a normal van. You can park up almost anywhere because they don't need special facilities. Campervans are also a lot more fuel-efficient and less costly as regards insurance.
Your Budget
Within the range of campervans on offer are variations. When looking to buy, to get the best deal, you have to consider how you are going to use your camper and how much you are willing to spend. Buying a campervan is usually a one-off payment, whereas using it requires constant expenses, so that has to be taken into consideration. It would also be a wise thing to do to compare campervan insurance quotes before deciding which to buy.
A basic design is sufficient for overnight and weekend trips, but if you are thinking of longer trips, you may need one with a bit more comfort. A campervan is usually fine for a couple of people who are willing to sacrifice a little comfort in exchange for freedom, although those with families will have to choose their van with a bit more care.
Traditional
We all know about the trusty VW vans, which have been an old campervan standard for decades and decades. Travellers have taken them all over the world, but many other van manufacturers now also offer their own versions which makes you spoilt for choice. On the other hand, conversions of standard vans are easy to find, or you can do it yourself.
The Open Road
Campervans always elicit feelings of possibilities and adventure. Thoughts of the open road beckon. There's nothing like getting away for a few days or longer, is there? Campervans are an ideal way to swan around where you please, but first, you must make the correct choice in regard to your needs.
Europe is not short of popular travel destinations. We all know about the charms of Paris, wonderful architecture in Barcelona, and the gastronomic delights that await visitors to Italy. Newly popular destinations such as Tallinn in Estonia, and Montenegro’s Kotar are gaining in visitor numbers every year (excepting the obvious lull in 2020, anyway). However, right in the heart of Europe, there is a location that gets less attention but is bursting with attractions for the tourist. If you haven’t visited it before, maybe now is a good time to consider Germany.
It’s not that Germany isn’t a popular spot with vacationers. It has been described as Europe’s top cultural travel destination, with Munich and Berlin perhaps the two most obvious places to visit. Still, reputationally it seems to take a back seat to other established countries such as France and Italy, so as a start to putting that right, let’s look at some reasons why a holiday to Germany is not going to be a wasted trip.
It has stunning architecture wherever you go
Although a reputation for efficiency may leave you expecting unlovely brutalist buildings when you visit Germany, there are countless stunning examples of architecture to find. Cologne and Aachen have some of the most impressive cathedrals anywhere in Europe, while Bremen’s Marketplatz is like something out of a fantasy novel, with the old Town Hall as its centerpiece. If you’re after something more modern, Stuttgart is home to the Le Corbusier-designed Weissenhof Estate, which marries color to practicality in a pleasing way.
It’s a very tourist-friendly place
Perhaps because of the buzz around other nations, which is largely absent from talk of Germany, there is a tendency for residents of the bigger cities to be more welcoming than you might find in Paris or London. German is one of the easier languages to learn for an Anglophone, but even if your Deutsch isn’t sehr gut you’ll find people keen to help out. You might even find yourself inclined to check out online flower delivery to Berlin once you’re back home, as you’ll want to register your thanks for the friendly assistance you’re sure to get everywhere from your hotel to the street food trucks that line the capital.
About those street foods…
Germany is a true delight for people who appreciate hot, filling food that tastes great. In Berlin, you’ll find a Bratwurst stand every time you turn a corner - think hot dogs but with better-quality meat. If you’re more of a meat-free gastronome, then the popular potato pancake known as Kartoffelpuffer is a perfect hot snack (which you may see listed as Reibekuchen on menus). German gastronomy is often less intricate than what you’ll find in France or Italy, but it doesn’t lack for taste or satisfaction. Also, famously, the city of Munich hosts Oktoberfest yearly (in October, as you may have guessed), which is the world’s largest beer festival.
A visit to this country is always worthwhile - the nation’s Christmas markets, also, are some of the best-known worldwide and add a touch of modest beauty to each town - and while it might be other countries that get the name recognition, there’s a lot to love in Germany.
If you are suffering from severe levels of chronic pain, you might think that it’s going to stop you from traveling. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. Instead, you just need to make sure that you are approaching traveling a little differently. These are the key factors that you need to think about if you are going on a trip while you are suffering from chronic pain.
Think About Treatment Options
First, you should make sure that you are getting the right treatment options for your chronic pain. There are a wide variety of different treatment possibilities on the market. For instance, you could explore more traditional forms of medication that you can take with you to reduce the impact of chronic pain that you are suffering from. Alternatively, you might also want to think about exploring more advanced forms of treatment such as those that are promoted by medical experts like Kevin Lucas.
Consider Issues That Exasperate Your Condition
It’s possible that there are certain issues related to travel that could exasperate your condition. There are a few issues worth thinking about here. For instance, you might find that your pain is worse on long journeys. If that’s the case, then you might want to think about exploring flights that have plenty of connections. That way you can make sure that you take breaks to have a walk around between flights and don’t get issues in places like the back or your legs. It could also be worth making sure that you have more space on longer flights. One of the ways that you can do this is by choosing seats near the emergency door.
Another issue that can exacerbate chronic pain is heat. As such, you might want to think about packing products that you can use to cool down. This includes sprays and other forms of cooling treatment that you can use on the go. You could also think about traveling somewhere with a colder climate so that this isn’t as much of an issue.
Insurance
Finally, you might want to think about guaranteeing that you do have the right type of insurance for your next vacation. With the right insurance, you can make sure that you don’t have to worry if your chronic pain flares up and results in you not being able to travel. You’ll be able to get the money back that you paid and book another trip at a later date. You could also think about exploring different forms of insurance too that will cover everything relating to your trip. The more comprehensive your insurance plan is, the greater your peace of mind will be when you are planning a journey like this.
Be aware that chronic pain won’t be covered with all travel insurance plans, so it’s important to do the right amount of research.
We hope this helps you understand everything that you need to know to ensure that you have a great vacation, even if you are suffering from chronic pain. Take these steps and you can still have a great time exploring the world.
We are trained to think of fast food as unhealthy. Therefore, cooking at home has become the epitome of healthy eating. Yet things are not always that simple. A quick trip to the supermarket reveals that most aisles are filled with healthy options that meet a variety of dietary requirements. If you are looking for vegetarian food, you’ll find your favorite meals in packs prepared according to the vegetarian palate. However, don’t be fooled by appearances. A pack of chili sin carne or spaghetti alla vegetarian bolognese may not be as healthy as it seems. Indeed, there may be more than one issue behind our healthy eating habits. Here’s what you need to keep in mind for your next grocery trip.
Read the labels
What is wrong with food substitutes that turn a chili con carne into a vegetarian meal? In theory, there’s nothing wrong with these. On the contrary, they are often the perfect opportunity to add more vitamins and fibers to your diet. However, in practice, it’s a different story. Ideally, you want to get familiar with the labels to avoid bad surprises. Packages, processed, and canned foods may seem like a simple switch, but they can contain high fats, sodium, and sugar. This is often true for processed meals that are designed to tackle special dietary requirements, such as vegan, keto, gluten-free, and vegetarian food for instance. A healthy diet requires nutrition education to avoid some of the food traps!
Cleanse your body from toxins
Even when you make the switch to healthy food and meal preparations, you may find it hard to feel a difference in your health. The body accumulates toxins from an unhealthy diet. More often than not, it can pay off to actively cleanse your body to remove all the toxins. Toxins and parasites may not be visible to the naked eye, but they can lead to discomfort and health complaints, such as itchiness, bloating, fatigue, etc. If you are not sure how to start your cleansing journey, you may want to take a look at this parasite cleanse course that can help kickstart your health. It’s a fantastic way of eliminating the consequences of previous diet choices.
Health food overload
You’d be surprised to know that a healthy diet could also backfire on you. This can happen when you pack your diet with too much healthy stuff. Nutritionists agree that there can be too much of a good thing. For instance, food such as carrots and sweet potatoes are great for vitamin A supply. However, anybody who used to watch Dr. House with Hugh Laurie remembers the orange patient who consumed too many carrots. This is a downside of beta carotene. Similarly, a keto diet with too much protein could stress your kidneys and liver.
Understand your body
The bottom line: There’s no such thing as a healthy diet that fits everyone. Understanding your body and what it needs can transform your approach to eating. That is where intuitive eating can help many people maintain a healthy diet without following arbitrary rules that may be counterproductive.
Healthy food choices are crucial to fuel your body with energy and nutrients. However, it’s important to build up your relationship with your body so that you can make educated choices that will benefit your health. A healthy food diet is built on self-awareness rather than easy, off-the-shelves solutions.
The thing that you need to be focused on above everything else is your health. If you are not being careful, then you could end up with a really nasty condition that could have been prevented. Of course, this is not always the case and sometimes things just happen even when we feel like they shouldn’t or they happened for no reason. In this article, we are going to be looking at three areas of health that you need to be gentle with, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
Mental
Perhaps the most delicate part of any person is their mental health. Even those who are strong mentally and have strong wills, strong morals and so on, find themselves struggling with their mental health from time to time. You see in the media all the time that even the people we think would be happy, secretly are not. It just goes to show that it doesn’t matter what you have, it is who you have, and it’s how you feel about you. It’s never easy to change the way someone feels about what they see when they look in the mirror, but it is always going to be possible.
If you notice that you are starting to struggle with your mental health, then we recommend you speak to someone sooner rather than later. Do not isolate yourself from the people who care as this will only make the problem worse.
Hearing
The next thing that we are going to look at is your hearing health. There are a number of things that need to be done in order to protect your hearing from as much as possible. For example, you are supposed to wear ear plugs around large appliances such as around a washing machine to avoid the high decibels hurting your area.
If you have already started experiencing hearing loss but you have yet to decide on any kind of treatment, we recommend that you try a hearing aid first. The reason for this is that they are one of the most commonly used pieces of medical technology seeing as so many people are losing their hearing.
Oral
Finally, your oral health is fragile because it is at the mercy of whatever you put in your mouth. This means that if you are constantly putting sugar into your body, eventually your mouth is going to be the place that it shows. Brush your teeth regularly, floss and see your dentist every six months to avoid oral health problems at their root.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the areas that you need to be gentle with when it comes to your health. Ideally, you need to give your body a break at some point. Even if you are someone who completes a lot of exercise on a regular basis, one day off is not going to tell you. Relax, it will be good for you.
*contributed post*
