Correcting Your Exercise Moves!

Here are the top 5 exercises that people often do wrong…

Save yourself injury and really make your workouts effective by learning the proper exercise postures!

When I saw this infographic, I couldn’t resist sharing it with all of our dear PGX readers. These five exercises are very popular moves to do at home and make full body workouts accessible to anyone, no gym necessary. However, they are easier said than done. As someone who guilty of making at least one (or two…fine, maybe three) of these mistakes in my earlier days of fitness exploration, I find this chart to be an excelent reminder.

For a more detailed explanation of how to do all five of these moves correctly, visit the Spark People Blog: The Top 5 Exercises You’re Doing Wrong.

 

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Tips to Get More Zzz’s!

Sound sleep and sweet dreams!

Here are some useful tips to help you get better sleep every night…

Okay, we all know how important sleep is for rest, rejuvination, balancing appetite regulating hormones, avoiding irritating eye twitches that may frighten others around you, avoiding that unattractive selfish streak (studies show that when people don’t sleep well, selfishness can kick in more than usual and can affect their relationships), keeping the cranks away and the happy bubble unpopped… You see what I mean. But what if, try as you might to get the recommended six to eight hours of sleep everyday, you just can’t seem to get some shut eye?

Well before you go speak to a specialist about insomnia, we’ve got a couple of tips and ideas for you to try…

Turn off the gadgets. Give yourself at least one hour before bedtime of iPad, computer, cell phone and television-free time to unwind after a busy day. Why is this important? All of these electronics emit a blue light that mimics daylight, which then leads your body to produce less of sleep hormone, melatonin. Try grabbing a book or a magazine instead!

Avoid caffeine. Did you know that caffeine can linger in your system for up to 12 hours? It’s true. If you find that caffeine has a strong effect on your, make sure that you don’t have any after lunch!

Exercise regularly. Getting your daily exercise is one the best ways to destress, which is often the culprit of sleep troubles. Exercising in the morning is especially good because it gives your time to cool down and keeps you energized throughout the day (needing less caffeine to function). When you exercise, your core heats up and isn’t normally a cue to your body to drift off to dreamland. If you must exercise in he evening, the experts at Shape Magazine recommend a nice steamy shower that will heat your skin. This will help kick your body into cool down mode and help it wind down towards sleep.

Invest in your bed. We spend half of our lives sleeping, so why not spend a little money on your mattress and sheets? Mattresses usually have a lifespan of five to ten years. If your mattress is sagging in the middle, no amount of flipping it over will change the fact that it’s saying goodbye to you. Also, look for quality bed sheets made from natural materials (like cotton or silk) that will breathe. And don’t forget to make your bed in the morning! Coming home to a messy room can actually bequite stressful and affect how well you sleep.

Have a routine and bedtime. Try to follow a more regular schedule of winding down and falling asleep and waking up in the morning. Also, create a normal bedtime ritual that will help you to relax and put away the stress of the day.

If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed. It seems rather counterintuitive but don’t stay and in bed trying to sleep. This hardly ever helps. In fact, it could create even more anxiety for you if you are constantly checking the clock and counting the minutes, wondering why you can’t sleep and how this will affect your day tomorrow. Get up and change your environment, but keep it low light.

Eat the right foods. There are certain foods that you can eat that contain more tryptophan or melatonin such as tart cherry juice, nonfat popcorn, turkey, garbanzo beans, and chamomile tea.

Lavender. The scent of lavender is really quite relaxing and studies have shown that people who smelt these purple blossoms (or an aromatic oil) slept deeper and woke up with more energy. In any case, it just smells lovely!

And there you have it! Get more great sleep tips from Shape Magazine and happy snoozing to you!

 

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Eat Like an Olympic Athlete!

Today’s Thursday Obsession: Eating Like an Olympic Athlete!

The 2012 London Olympics are almost here! Let’s learn to eat like an Olympian!

We’re 14 days away from watching the world’s greatest athletes compete in the summer olympics and I wondered, “What do these incredible people eat to keep themselves in tip top, spit spot shape?!” Luckily for me and anyone else who was wondering, Canadian National Olympic team dietician, Kelly Anne Erdman shared her knowledge on how these and probably all other athletes are keeping healthy to prepare for the games!

Check out the fabulous article from BCLiving.com and learn how to eat and maintaina the healthy lifestyle of an Olympic athlete!

As always PGX’ers, stay healthy!

 

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Busting Fitness Myths

Hey PGX’ers! Let’s bust those food and fitness myths!

Steven and Chris get the scoop from fitness guru Sarah Robichaud!

There are so many opinions about fitness and exercise out there, I know it’s easy to get confused. When is the best time to workout? If I’m working out early in th morning, should I eat breakfast after? If I workout regularly, can I eat whatever I want? I didn’t break out into a sweat! Does this mean I didn’t push myself hard enough?!

So many questions! I can’t answer them all in one day but Steven and Chris, with their fitness expert, Sarah Robichaud, have put together a quick read that answers a few of the most common fitness questions and debunk the myths around exercise and eating in, Busting Food and Fitness Myths.

Read on to bust those fitness myths and get your questions answered so you can get moving! Have a great workout!

 

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PGX & Red Carpet Fitness!

Want the secrets to looking red carpet ready?

Learn how you can get that red carpet glam from the celebrity fitness experts!

So did you watch the Oscars last week and think: how on earth do these celebrities get in such good shape that they look fabulous in those figure-hugging gowns and those svelte, slim-fit suits?! You’ll be happy to hear that their red carpet glam is not out of your reach. With a little perseverance, positivity and a place to start, you and I can definitely get that red carpet celebrity look!

So where to begin? Check out what celerities trainers are saying!

Allure Magazine talked to Harley Pasternak (trainer to stars such a Natalie Portman, Megan Fox and Orlando Bloom) and revealed his slim-down secrets.

Want more red carpet tips? Fitness expert Rick Miller dished out his top 5 tips and recommended exercises to get into Oscar shape!

Remember to supplement any exercise plan with good nutrition and keep up with your daily fiber!

 

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PGX and Colour Psychology

PGX Investigates Colour Psychology and Your Well Being

Can the colour of your home affect your efforts for healthy living?

You may be surprised to discover that the colours you surround yourself with may have an affect on your health and well being. Usually we pick the colours of our home based on personal preference, but now colour experts believe that hues of our homes can have an effect on our emotions.

So how does this relate to making healthy choices and keeping fit? Our emotions have a lot to do with the choices we make. If the colour of your kitchen or the gym walls can help you choose healthy snacks and run that extra mile, then why not give yourself that extra help?! Read on to get a taste of what colour can do for us!

Blue is a colour of calm, promoting physical and mental relaxation. What comes to mind when you think of blue? Blue skies and beach getaways? When you are stress free, your fitness efforts will always be more effective.

Yellow is a bright and cheerful hue that has often affected people in a positive way. It has been shown to help people with better decision-making and adopting a positive attitude. Positivity, however attained, goes a long way in helping us achieve our fitness and health goals. Like yellow, orange is considered to be one of those “happy” colours as well.

Red is a vibrant and stimulating hue associated with energy and activity. It can be a strong colour for your walls that is very well suited to spaces of movement like the stairwell, hallways or the exercise room! A splash of red might give you more of boost than you realize!

Green (my personal favourite) is the colour of nature, relaxation and wellness. Greens of various shades can be inspire calmness or in it’s lighter tones, create an atmosphere of lightness and joy! Whatever shade it is green can bring back a touch of nature and often has positive effect on your mood, which can mean the world of difference to your health.

Making healthy choices can be challenging at times. Positivity and inspiration can make or break a healthy lifestyle. You may not even notice how the colours around you affect your mood, but if yellow in a kitchen can inspire a rush of positivity or if that red exercise ball can get you pumped for your workout, why not surround yourself with mood-lifting colour?!

Want to know more about colour psychology? Visit Pittsburgh Paints’ Voice of Color.

 

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