Tag: exercise

7 Benefits Of Showering BEFORE Your Workout

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

woman showeringNearly everyone understands the importance of taking a shower following a workout. A post-workout shower aids in recovery, helps relieve muscle soreness, and cleans sweat and bacteria from your skin to reduce the risk for infections and breakouts. But did you know that taking a shower BEFORE your workout also comes with benefits?

You may be thinking, why would I shower before my workout if I’m going to get sweaty anyway? Wouldn’t showering before my workout be pointless and a waste of time?

Showering before your workout offers a number of science-proven benefits that can actually enhance your performance and bring you closer to meeting your fitness goals.Read More »

3 Awesome Reasons To Eat Cottage Cheese For Bodybuilding and Weight Loss

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

Cottage cheeseDon’t let the “cheese” in cottage cheese deter you from this healthy superfood! If your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, and improve your metabolism, it’s time to stock your refrigerator with cottage cheese.

Cottage cheese offers an array of health benefits: it’s packed with nutrients, convenient to eat, and keeps you feeling full for long periods of time thanks to its high protein content. Even if you’re not trying to lose weight or build muscle, cottage cheese lends to a stronger immune system and improved overall bodily function.Read More »

Throwing a Frisbee “The Right Way”

Sarah Ann1 Comment

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

playing-frisbeePlaying Frisbee is one of my favorite leisure activities. I’m always joking about how the man of my dreams will know how to properly throw a Frisbee and want to play with me regularly. Frisbee is fun, and puts me in a great mood.

My friend and I try to play at least once per week. In the beginning, our games were relatively mellow and we’d lazily toss the Frisbee back and forth between the 20 feet or so that separated us. Today, our games are played on baseball fields so we have enough room to run for and catch extreme Frisbee tosses.

My friend and I play with two different regulation Frisbees: this Discraft Ultrastar frisbee for daytime play, and this cool LED Frisbee by GoSports that lights up for nighttime play.Read More »

8 Natural Ways To Prevent Pimples and Acne Breakouts

Sarah Ann1 Comment

popping pimplesFor some reason my Twitter feed is always loaded with silly posts by women who have boldly announced they’ve accepted and “embraced” their problems with acne and pimples. I’ve read about women struggling with finding treatments that eliminate acne, and about women who’ve accepted that acne is “part of who they are.” This is BS, because there’s no reason anyone should ever have to live with acne problems.

Contrary to the popular belief that acne is hereditary and nothing can be done about it, acne can actually be prevented and eliminated through clean, healthy lifestyle habits. That means eating a diet comprised of healthy whole foods, exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, and practicing good hygiene, among other things.

You don’t necessarily need birth control pills to prevent acne breakouts (a healthy lifestyle can naturally help regulate your hormones), and you definitely don’t need to invest in acne products or treatments loaded with chemicals, which could only worsen your health.Read More »

5 Ways To Improve Your Running Form

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

running-shoesNow that the weather is cooler, I’m seeing a lot more runners visiting my favorite local park. This is super exciting for me, and while I’m stoked to finally be sharing the path with other runners, I can’t help but cringe inwardly when I check out other people’s running forms.

Some people angrily clench water bottles or smartphones in their fists while they run, while others look as if they took running lessons from the dancing kids in A Charlie Brown Christmas. While half of me can’t help but giggle and wonder what on earth these people are thinking, the other part of me feels bad that these people aren’t gaining much from their workouts. Poor running form not only hinders your performance, but increases your risk for muscle soreness and injury.Read More »

What Are Ghrelin and Leptin, and Why Are These Hunger Hormones Important?

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

balancing leptin and ghrelinAsk most people what they know about hormones and they’ll instantly start chattering about sex hormones estrogen and testosterone. However, there are about 50 different hormones in the human body, and all of them play important roles in your health and in normal bodily function.

For instance, stress hormone cortisol helps your body function optimally in times of stress, while sleep hormone melatonin regulates your sleep patterns and wards off disease. But when it comes to hunger and your eating behavior, the hormones ghrelin and leptin are responsible for telling you when you feel hungry, and when it’s time to stop eating, respectively.Read More »

4 Tips For Running Outdoors In Extreme Heat

Sarah Ann2 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!

running outdoorsIn my city, daily summer temperatures usually average between 100 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit. While milder summer temperatures in other parts of the U.S. are pleasant enough to lure people outdoors, most runners who live in desert climates head to their gyms for treadmill runs, or change their routines altogether just to beat the heat.

While I enjoy having the running path all to myself throughout the summer, sometimes I miss the camaraderie I could be sharing with other runners brave enough to withstand the heat. This is when I think to myself: would runners be more willing to stay outside if they fully understood the benefits of exercising in temperatures over 100 degrees? Better yet, would more runners stay outdoors if they knew how to properly care for themselves in hot temperatures?Read More »