The Importance of Posture in Looking Super

Everyone wants to look super. This trait is admired as much or more than having beautiful features. It’s not something you’re born with; it’s something you can achieve. Whether you like it or not, your look affects and reflects everything about you. This includes your ego, friends, mood and work. If you know you look good, you feel good.

photo credit: carla shellis my sparkle living

You can’t look super if you have poor posture. Posture is the way the body is held in sitting, standing and walking. There are many advantages for having a good posture. Your clothes will fit better if you have good posture.

Poor posture is an easy habit to get into. Usually, you're not aware of poor posture until somebody reminds you to 'sit up straight', 'stop slouching' or 'hold your shoulders back'. It takes determination to achieve good posture, but the results are worth it.

If you sit hunched over, you are curving your spine. Your lungs don't have enough room to breathe fully. This will make you feel tired quickly. Try to keep the lower part of your back touching the chair. Keep both of  your feet touching the floor much of the time. Don't cross your legs above the knees since that can prevent good blood circulation. Ankle  crossing is better.  If you've developed poor sitting habits, try to change one habit at a time.

When walking, try walking from your hips instead from your knees. Walking from the knees causes you to have a bouncy, choppy and awkward gait. Walking from the hips will keep your body in balance and will result to a smooth graceful walk. Some women swing their hips or their arms too much - they look awkward and unnatural. Watch yourself in the mirror to check if you're doing the best you can do.

Sit and stand  as tall as you can to have a good posture and to look super. Hold your head erect and lift your chest. Keep your back straight, stomach in and your hips tucked under.

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How to Maintain Good Hygiene During Summer

Keeping a good hygiene may be extra challenging during the summer season. Nonetheless, you must do your best to stay clean all throughout the hot summer months because humidity can cause skin diseases and other risks on your health. Read these tips that can help you get started.

Shower everyday. People sweat a lot during summer because this season increases levels of mercury in the body. Bacteria and germs increase in number when there's constant perspiration. To prevent these bacteria and germs from creating infection infections and irritations on the skin, you must take a shower on a daily basis. Take a shower two to three times a day if you need to cool yourself or whenever you feel itchy due to sweat.

Wear clothes and undergarments that are made from cotton. Cotton absorbs body sweat fully. This can keep your body remains dry. Besides feeling cool, you will feel more comfortable in cotton clothing.

Wash your face daily. Sebum production increases during summer due to heat and perspiration. Sebum production can result into pimples and acne especially on the face.  Wash your face daily to keep it clean. Engage in weekly exfoliation to get rid of the dirt and dead skin cell on your facial skin.

Use deodorants. Constant perspiration encourages bacterial growth that leads to the presence of a foul smell. Body odor can be decreased or relieved through the application of deodorant as soon as you finish taking a bath.

Take care of your scalp. Humidity can greatly affect the condition of your scalp and the appearance of your hair. The scalp becomes oily and the hair becomes brittle when they're exposed to the sun. Shampoo your hair three times a week. Apply a conditioner after shampooing your hair in order to prevent dirt and dust from accumulating in the scalp. Moreover, this will keep your hair manageable under the sun.

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Five Keys to Summer Wellness

Most people engage in many activities during summer.  This results to a change in their schedules and stressful circumstances. There are things which you can do to ensure wellness  in the warmest months of the year. Here's a short list of the things you must observe daily.

1) Sleep and wake up at the same time every day. Even though you don't have much work during summer, you must try your best to adhere to your regular schedule. Contrary to popular belief, sleeping or waking up at a later time than what you're used to can get you more stressed. Keep your body rhythm to avoid mental and physical health issues.

2) Exercise and eat well. Choose healthy and whole food over junk food. Too much salt, sugar and preservatives in canned and junk food can pose problems not only to your physical health but also to your mood and mental condition. Also, you must need to break in sweat in order to release the toxins in your body. You can do this by engaging in physical activities and exercise routines. If you find exercise routines boring and difficult, engage in games and other activities that interest you.

3) Limit your alcohol consumption. If you're suffering from any psychiatric symptoms, you must regulate your alcohol consumption. In fact, you must not take alcohol at all. Alcohol can help you forget your problems for a short time but it won't solve any of them. Alcohol consumption can only worsen your mental issues.

                 

4) Connect with people you trust for emotional support. You can achieve good mental health by surrounding yourself with people who are willing to listen to you without judgment. Choose a couple of friends and relatives who you can meet regularly especially when you need to unload some personal thoughts and feelings.

5) Consider tracking your mood. There  are tools which used in tracking a person's daily mood. Below is a video of an app which you can download and use for free. (I'm not endorsing it, I just found it online.) By tracking your mood, you will know the things you need to do or avoid in order to condition yourself and achieve summer wellness.

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How Moms Can Motivate Themselves to Exercise

It is a given that moms have a lot of responsibilities to take care of at work and at home. These responsibilities often become the roadblocks that stop them from sticking to a fitness routine. In this post, I will share with you some tips on tearing these barriers down so that you can be the healthy and fit mom you've always wanted to be.

Get started. Fitness doesn't have to be complicated. You can start with it by doing the simplest physical activities your energy and time allows. Begin by exercising for a few minutes whenever you can --- before going to work or during breaks. Execute basic exercising movements and optimize later.

Inject fun in your fitness routine. Do physical activities which you really enjoy. This will prevent boredom from creeping into your quest to be physically fit. Instead of listing up for calisthenics, join a group where you can learn to dance. You might also want to consider signing up for sports program.

Build positive habits. Don't be easily dismayed when you fail to hit your fitness goals on time. Stop being hard on your self and try your best to think and act positively in all circumstances. Focus on enjoying healthy years with your children instead of counting calories, routine repetitions and missed steps. Focusing on the bigger picture will motivate you to get up and do your best each day.

You might find this video helpful if you're getting back from a long period of time with no exercise.

(Note: All credit to the owner/publisher)

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Ladies Bike Types - Know Which Suits You

Women’s bicycles are one of the all time favorites of ladies across countries. Many reasons come with this fact. Primarily, riding a bike is capable of bringing back the carefree days we all enjoy as little children. This is an enjoyable way to distress and treasure life.

There are many kinds of women’s bicycles you can choose from depending on your riding style and location. Below is a list which you can consult when purchasing the right bike for your needs.

Do you always run errands or go to the nearest store to purchase groceries you lack at home? If yes, consider the most common type you will see on the streets – a three speed bike. Its main features include big and comfortable seats and tall handlebars. All these contribute to an easy cycling downtown. Should you find yourself in a location with moderate hills, you can use its three gears to maneuver safely. The great thing about this bike is its provision for big baskets on the front and saddle bags on the rear.

Perhaps, you want something to use for your recreational or sports. You can have your pick from different styles of ladies mountain bikes. In comparison to other bicycles, these are manufactured with bigger and wider tires. In addition to that, they have excellent traction, suspension and multiple gears. The more versatile and cheaper kind of mountain bikes is called hardtail. Full-suspension bikes, on the other hand, are more costly but you can count on the overall shock absorption it can provide especially when you are traversing back country trails or steep and bumpy single tracks.

Next in line is the hybrid. It is a combination of a mountain bike and a road bike. Just like mountain bikes, hybrids are sturdy and are fit for riding on cemented streets or unpaved paths. A hybrid can also give you the speed you need as you drive it comfortably.

Foldable bikes represent another kind that gains the interest of most lady riders. Since they are foldable they can be placed inside a bag and carried along as you travel. Most lady commuters store them in their homes or offices when not in use. These foldables are light-weight and sturdy at the same time.

The last of the women’s bicycles that are gaining popularity these days are those powered by electricity. The best thing about these bikes is that they allow application of less pressure on the pedals since electricity runs them. No need to worry about getting tired driving long distances or traversing uneven and inclined locations. You just have to do half the effort with these bikes.

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How Moms Can Benefit from Fitness Boxing

Boxing has become a very popular sport for many moms. Fitness boxing not only helps to build and tone your muscular stature, but also helps you to gain mental strength. It is a great workout that stimulates the mind, body and soul of busy moms. Here are the other benefits this sport provides to moms.

Development of self-defense skills - Boxing can teach you countless combinations of kicks and punches. This can be used as self-defense if you ever end up in a dangerous situation.

Weight loss and weight management - Boxing can burn as high as 500-1000 calories in a single hour work out depending on the intensity. Hence, boxing can greatly assist with your weight loss efforts.

Stronger heart - Regular boxing sessions help to maintain a balanced heart rate. It also helps to improve the strength of heart muscles, building a stronger heart.

Strong bones and muscles - Boxing improves the strength and flexibility of all muscle groups in the body. It also helps to develop joints and overall skeletal system.

Body strength - Because boxing involves sparring, bouncing, ducking, pivoting, punching (and even kicking), it requires repetitive motions of your entire body. These repeated movements provide strength and power especially to your arms, legs and core area.

Stress relief - Boxing helps to relieve physical and mental stress. Research shows that people who box regularly are more cheerful, getting rid of stress and tension with every punch!

Anger release - Boxing provides a good opportunity to release pent up anger. When you kick and punch during boxing, you can let go of anger without blowing up at someone. This can help you relax.

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