Exercise is an important part of our lives. Staying in shape is one way to increase your life expectancy. Weight bearing exercises are important also for increasing muscle mass and bone density as you age.
Most of us have learned what to do when it comes to exercising. The problem is where and when to get the job done. With a busy lifestyle, making time for exercise is a challenge.
Weight bearing exercises aren’t just for bodybuilders. As you age, especially once you hit the age of forty, you begin to lose muscle mass. For women especially, bone loss becomes a problem. When the body is in need of calcium it can rob it from your bones. Building muscle not only increases their mass but your strength.
Here are five easy toning exercises that can be done anywhere and whenever you have time. At home, at the office, or on vacation, you can do these easy yet extremely effective exercises.
1. The Bridge Butt Lift – Sounds like a plastic surgery technique but it is an easy way to tone your buttocks. Lay down with feet flat on the floor, legs shoulder width apart. Place your hands, palm side down, on either side of your body. Pushing with your feet, squeeze your gluteal muscles and lift your butt off the floor. Hold the position for a count of five to ten and release down to the floor.
2. Squats – Squats work the butt, the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps. If you aren’t sure of proper form, you can use a chair. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and feet firmly planted. Push your butt back as if you were preparing to sit in a chair. Keep your abs tight and your upper body straight. Once you reach chair level stop and hold the position for a count of two to five and release. At the lowest point, place all of your weight on your heels for balance and maximum toning.
3. Reverse Lunges – Lunges work the quadriceps muscles. They can be hard for people with knee problems. A reverse lunge still tones the right muscle groups but with less pressure on the knee. Stand with feet together and arms at your sides. Take one leg and move it backwards until you are in lunge position: front leg bent at a 90 degree angle and back leg extended until you are on the ball of your foot. From this position lower yourself down until the back knee almost touches the floor. Hold for a count of two and return to starting position.
4. Pushups – This is a classic toning exercise that works all areas of the arms plus the chest muscles. If you aren’t comfortable or strong enough to perform a pushup on your toes, lower your body to your knees. Be sure your arms are tucked into the body and your back straight as you lower and lift your body.
5. Crunches – Abdominal muscles can be worked every day to build strength and muscle tone. Lying on the floor in sit up position, lace your fingers behind your head. Squeezing your abdominal muscles, lift your upper body until your lower back is about to come off the floor. Hold for two to five counts and return to starting position.
These five exercise moves can be done whenever you have time. The best thing about exercise is that its effects are cumulative. Even five or ten minutes at a time will work to your advantage.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Effective Steps for Managing Anxiety
Have you ever been in a situation that brought on sweats, rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath? You probably weren’t having a heart attack but an anxiety attack. If you suffer from anxiety disorders, learning to manage it is the first step to overcoming it.
Anxiety is characterized as extreme reactions to fearful situations. When someone follows you into a dark alley, those anxious feelings of a racing heartbeat and sweaty palms gives way to heightened senses and a rush of adrenalin that can save your life. This is the fight or flight syndrome.
In the case of frequent anxiety, the fearful feelings are dread of a particular situation and not the situation itself. Getting caught in traffic can cause an anxiety attack over what might happen when you get to work late. Starting a new job can bring on anxiety attacks. You don’t know anyone and fear of that unknown can send you into a panic.
Everyone experiences panic or anxiety in small ways. Like the fight or flight example, it can save your life. In new situations, we get panicky but when the outcome we fear fails to materialize, the anxiety stops. For someone with chronic anxiety, this is not the case.
Every situation that brings anxiety is not life-threatening. More than likely it is an extremely stressful situation that has brought on the anxiety as a way of dealing with it. Unchecked anxiety of this type can lead to depression.
If you suffer from anxiety attacks on occasion or more frequently, there are steps you can take to keep your anxiety under control.
1. See a professional. This is always a good first step. Self-diagnosis of any type of physical or mental condition is unwise and can be dangerous. A professional psychologist can help you understand your anxiety and prescribe medication or other effective techniques.
2. Get a good night’s sleep. During the sleep cycle your body repairs itself. You feel more rested after several hours of restorative sleep, reaching the REM stage. Most people need eight hours a night which varies within an hour or two each way.
3. Exercise on a consistent basis. Exercise helps you to use oxygen more efficiently. It helps to get more oxygen to the brain. It also increases focus which may help you see solutions to problems rather than simply worrying about them.
4. Meditate. Meditation is more than chanting mantras. Yoga is an exercise that involves quieting the mind and controlling your breathing. Simple mediation such as taking 5 minutes to clear your mind everyday can work wonders in the fight against anxiety.
5. Manage the worry. When you feel your pulse start to quicken, count backwards from ten. As you count, focus on the situation. What has actually happened? Resist the urge to read anything more into the situation.
6. Don’t use alcohol. You might think that the glass of wine is relaxing your tension but alcohol is a depressant. In anxious situations you could rely too heavily on it and gain another problem in the process.
7. Find some relaxing activities. Stress can rob you of your energy. On a regular basis, do something you like such as gardening, painting, reading or listening to music.
Anxiety can come into your life at any time. It’s normal. When the anxiety becomes frequent you could be at risk for more serious conditions. If you feel your anxiety is starting to take over your life or increasingly causing you problems, seek professional help immediately. There is no need to suffer this terrible condition in silence.
Please note the opinions expressed in the article above are in no way, explicit or implicitly, meant to replace the advice of a professional. Please refer to a professional for advice, assessment or management of your situation.
Anxiety is characterized as extreme reactions to fearful situations. When someone follows you into a dark alley, those anxious feelings of a racing heartbeat and sweaty palms gives way to heightened senses and a rush of adrenalin that can save your life. This is the fight or flight syndrome.
In the case of frequent anxiety, the fearful feelings are dread of a particular situation and not the situation itself. Getting caught in traffic can cause an anxiety attack over what might happen when you get to work late. Starting a new job can bring on anxiety attacks. You don’t know anyone and fear of that unknown can send you into a panic.
Everyone experiences panic or anxiety in small ways. Like the fight or flight example, it can save your life. In new situations, we get panicky but when the outcome we fear fails to materialize, the anxiety stops. For someone with chronic anxiety, this is not the case.
Every situation that brings anxiety is not life-threatening. More than likely it is an extremely stressful situation that has brought on the anxiety as a way of dealing with it. Unchecked anxiety of this type can lead to depression.
If you suffer from anxiety attacks on occasion or more frequently, there are steps you can take to keep your anxiety under control.
1. See a professional. This is always a good first step. Self-diagnosis of any type of physical or mental condition is unwise and can be dangerous. A professional psychologist can help you understand your anxiety and prescribe medication or other effective techniques.
2. Get a good night’s sleep. During the sleep cycle your body repairs itself. You feel more rested after several hours of restorative sleep, reaching the REM stage. Most people need eight hours a night which varies within an hour or two each way.
3. Exercise on a consistent basis. Exercise helps you to use oxygen more efficiently. It helps to get more oxygen to the brain. It also increases focus which may help you see solutions to problems rather than simply worrying about them.
4. Meditate. Meditation is more than chanting mantras. Yoga is an exercise that involves quieting the mind and controlling your breathing. Simple mediation such as taking 5 minutes to clear your mind everyday can work wonders in the fight against anxiety.
5. Manage the worry. When you feel your pulse start to quicken, count backwards from ten. As you count, focus on the situation. What has actually happened? Resist the urge to read anything more into the situation.
6. Don’t use alcohol. You might think that the glass of wine is relaxing your tension but alcohol is a depressant. In anxious situations you could rely too heavily on it and gain another problem in the process.
7. Find some relaxing activities. Stress can rob you of your energy. On a regular basis, do something you like such as gardening, painting, reading or listening to music.
Anxiety can come into your life at any time. It’s normal. When the anxiety becomes frequent you could be at risk for more serious conditions. If you feel your anxiety is starting to take over your life or increasingly causing you problems, seek professional help immediately. There is no need to suffer this terrible condition in silence.
Please note the opinions expressed in the article above are in no way, explicit or implicitly, meant to replace the advice of a professional. Please refer to a professional for advice, assessment or management of your situation.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Etsy Twitter Shop of the Week - Glitzy Events
Kimberley Williams, of Glitzy Events has one mission: to provide high quality products and personalized service to her clients. Whether working with brides-to-be, or those planning graduation, anniversary or other celebrations, Glitzy Events is a one-stop source for everything from gorgeous, fully customized invitations to products such as unity & memorial candles, place cards, menus, programs, etc.
Born out of Kimberley's frustrations while planning her own wedding, Glitzy Events is happy to design something unique for a customer. "We can take any design in our shop and customize it completely for our clients. If a client loves our work but wants something a little different we will work with them until we can come up with a design that they love. We don’t charge any additional design fees as we feel that this is part of the custom process." Located in New York, the shop currently ships to the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK and is always happy to provide shipping quotes for other International customers.
With a full service website as well as an Etsy location, Kim's always looking for ways to save time and has found Twitter to be very useful in reaching new clients.
"Twitterfeed.com has been an extremely helpful tool. As I list new items they are posted to my twitter account automatically within 30 minutes which then results in immediate views for my products. Using this tool saves me a lot of time and allows my products to be seen by hundreds of people almost instantly. This has helped me to connect with other professionals within and outside of my industry. These connections lead to referrals which lead to sales."
Glitzy Events is offering two specials this week: Become a Fan of their Facebook Page (http://facebook.com/GlitzyEvents), leave a comment on their Wall, and receive 5% off your full
invitation order
AND
Order 2 or more INVITATION samples and get free shipping...refund to be issued via Paypal.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Finding some extra money
If your budget is stretched to the point of breaking, you may be feeling stressed, overwhelmed, and downright anxious. There are solutions out there that you may not have thought of. Many of these ideas can be done from home, so if you have small children, you don’t have to worry about the extra cost of child care.
- Sell what you don’t need: If you have a lot of stuff laying around the house that you don’t use, you can make some extra money by selling it on eBay. Some items to go through include toys or clothes that the kids have outgrown, kitchen appliances that only get turned on once a year, or books that you’ve already read,
- Direct sales could be an answer: If you like to spend time with friends and can get out of the house once or twice per week (or don’t mind having a bunch of people over at your house), you may want to consider joining a direct sales company. With these type of companies, you pay a fee to join the company as a consultant. The company will send you a starter kit that you can use to start selling their product in exchange for a commission.
- Become a virtual assistant - If you have administrative skills, consider taking on a few hours of work each week as a virtual assistant. If you are just starting out in this field, you can expect to earn around $10 per hour. If you work just 10 hours per week, you can earn an extra $100 per week or $400 per month. Sounds pretty good, huh? These types of jobs can be found through websites such as www.guru.com, as well as on job boards such as www.justonlinejobs.com
- Sell what you don’t need: If you have a lot of stuff laying around the house that you don’t use, you can make some extra money by selling it on eBay. Some items to go through include toys or clothes that the kids have outgrown, kitchen appliances that only get turned on once a year, or books that you’ve already read,
- Direct sales could be an answer: If you like to spend time with friends and can get out of the house once or twice per week (or don’t mind having a bunch of people over at your house), you may want to consider joining a direct sales company. With these type of companies, you pay a fee to join the company as a consultant. The company will send you a starter kit that you can use to start selling their product in exchange for a commission.
- Become a virtual assistant - If you have administrative skills, consider taking on a few hours of work each week as a virtual assistant. If you are just starting out in this field, you can expect to earn around $10 per hour. If you work just 10 hours per week, you can earn an extra $100 per week or $400 per month. Sounds pretty good, huh? These types of jobs can be found through websites such as www.guru.com, as well as on job boards such as www.justonlinejobs.com
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Find Time To Exercise
Did you realize how many benefits exercising has? It can make you feel better about yourself, give you more energy, and help relieve stress.
Finding the time to exercise isn’t always easy, especially if you are a busy mom. Here are some tips to help you find the time:
- Schedule it in: Pencil in some exercising time, just as you would any appointment. If it’s on your schedule, you are more likely to follow through on your exercise plans.
- Get a buddy: Ask a friend to meet you for workouts. It’s a lot harder to skip your workouts when you know that there will be someone at the gym waiting for you.
- Join a 24 hour gym: If your schedule is irregular and you find that gyms are closed during the free time you have to work out, find a gym that is open 24 hours a day. Many chains that offer this service are popping up all over the country. (check out www.anytimefitness.com to see if there is a location in your area)
- Buy some DVDs: Invest in some fitness DVDs and you won’t have to worry about making it out to the gym. Whenever you want to work out, you can simply pop in a DVD.
Finding the time to exercise isn’t always easy, especially if you are a busy mom. Here are some tips to help you find the time:
- Schedule it in: Pencil in some exercising time, just as you would any appointment. If it’s on your schedule, you are more likely to follow through on your exercise plans.
- Get a buddy: Ask a friend to meet you for workouts. It’s a lot harder to skip your workouts when you know that there will be someone at the gym waiting for you.
- Join a 24 hour gym: If your schedule is irregular and you find that gyms are closed during the free time you have to work out, find a gym that is open 24 hours a day. Many chains that offer this service are popping up all over the country. (check out www.anytimefitness.com to see if there is a location in your area)
- Buy some DVDs: Invest in some fitness DVDs and you won’t have to worry about making it out to the gym. Whenever you want to work out, you can simply pop in a DVD.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Finding a Great Bargain
If you are looking for a good bargain, this is a great time of year to find one. Retailers are trying to get rid of any leftover stock, as well as make room for upcoming fall fashiions. This can be the best time of year to buy coats, jeans or any other last season wear.
Before you start shopping, it’s a good idea to know what you are shopping for. Start by going through your child’s closet and drawers and evaluating what they will still be able to wear this year. Then, make a list of what your child actually needs. When you go shopping with a list in hand, you will stay on budget and be less likely to buy impulse items.
At the same time, keep an eye out for each retailer’s weekly sales ads. Each store will likely have a big sale on one or two items, in order to draw shoppers in. It may take a little bit of time to run around to each store in order to buy just the sales items, but it could save you a lot of money.
If you are crafty, you can buy plain items, such as t-shirts and let your kids customize them. Some easy ways to do this are with fabric paints or iron on transfers.
While many people head straight to retail stores, going to consignment shops, yard sales, and sites such as eBay can be more budget friendly. Before buying any used clothing, check for any tears, rips, or stains.
Before you start shopping, it’s a good idea to know what you are shopping for. Start by going through your child’s closet and drawers and evaluating what they will still be able to wear this year. Then, make a list of what your child actually needs. When you go shopping with a list in hand, you will stay on budget and be less likely to buy impulse items.
At the same time, keep an eye out for each retailer’s weekly sales ads. Each store will likely have a big sale on one or two items, in order to draw shoppers in. It may take a little bit of time to run around to each store in order to buy just the sales items, but it could save you a lot of money.
If you are crafty, you can buy plain items, such as t-shirts and let your kids customize them. Some easy ways to do this are with fabric paints or iron on transfers.
While many people head straight to retail stores, going to consignment shops, yard sales, and sites such as eBay can be more budget friendly. Before buying any used clothing, check for any tears, rips, or stains.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Little ways to save money
f you are looking for some extra ways to save money, look no further. I have some tips you can easily put into action!
• Instead of buying the latest books, magazines, or dvd’s, head to your local library and borrow them for free!
• Save the environment and your budget by carpooling or taking public transportation
• Try consolidating your services in order to get better pricing. For example, if you purchase your internet, home phone, and cable television from the same company, you’ll get a better rate than if you chose to do business with three separate companies.
• Instead of buying new items from a retail store, consider looking through eBay, FuzzB or Bonanzle listings.
• If you currently own a car that you make a monthly payment on, is it possible to sell that car and purchase a car that you own outright? Just think about how much money you would save if you didn’t have a large car payment to make each month.
Got any other tips? Add them to this list by leaving a comment on this post.
• Instead of buying the latest books, magazines, or dvd’s, head to your local library and borrow them for free!
• Save the environment and your budget by carpooling or taking public transportation
• Try consolidating your services in order to get better pricing. For example, if you purchase your internet, home phone, and cable television from the same company, you’ll get a better rate than if you chose to do business with three separate companies.
• Instead of buying new items from a retail store, consider looking through eBay, FuzzB or Bonanzle listings.
• If you currently own a car that you make a monthly payment on, is it possible to sell that car and purchase a car that you own outright? Just think about how much money you would save if you didn’t have a large car payment to make each month.
Got any other tips? Add them to this list by leaving a comment on this post.
Friday, July 3, 2009
July 4th SALE
To celebrate Independence Day weekend I am offering a special Yankee Doodle Dandy sale in all my stores. (I just can't get that song out of my head - maybe this sale will help.)
All orders of $25.00 or more will receive a 10% discount (before shipping).
This sale runs from 00:00 hour to 24:00 hours, July 4, 2009. So long as your gateway receipt reads up to midnight on July 4th, 2009.
Your discount will be refunded to you once your order has been paid for.
Sale applies to my following stores:
http://ImpawsibleToResist.Etsy.com
http://icraft.ca/impawsibletoresist
http://fuzzb.com/themagickalewe
https://www.choosebooks.com/profile/a15900.jsp
http://www.biblio.com/bookstores/maublake.html (on biblio.com use this coupon code at checkout B599284-4th of July)
All orders of $25.00 or more will receive a 10% discount (before shipping).
This sale runs from 00:00 hour to 24:00 hours, July 4, 2009. So long as your gateway receipt reads up to midnight on July 4th, 2009.
Your discount will be refunded to you once your order has been paid for.
Sale applies to my following stores:
http://ImpawsibleToResist.Etsy.com
http://icraft.ca/impawsibletoresist
http://fuzzb.com/themagickalewe
https://www.choosebooks.com/profile/a15900.jsp
http://www.biblio.com/bookstores/maublake.html (on biblio.com use this coupon code at checkout B599284-4th of July)
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Etsy Twitter Shop of the week - Rocki's Supplies
Deb "Rocki" Adams, of RockisSupplies.etsy.com, creates “handcrafted metalwork findings & jewelry in a variety of finishes using Sterling Silver, Fine Silver, 14k Gold Filled & now Copper”. Her signature pieces are Elfin Ear wires and they are stunning. “A couple years ago, when I was selling in my old Etsy shop, I made my own ear wires for my jewelry and started getting requests for my Signature Elfins. So, I started selling them in that shop and it took off from there.” What a nice way to get a start in selling handmade supplies!
When you look at Rocki’s Supplies shop for the first time it’s easy to assume the items are not handmade simply because they are so perfect! But her jewelry findings really are handmade!! It’s amazing! Including handmade findings in your handmade jewelry would definitely increase the value of your work as a whole. Plus you’re buying handmade for your supplies and everybody wins!
“My tag line pretty much sums it up that my findings are more than supplies, they are ‘Handcrafted Pieces of Art For Your Artistic Creations’ - I truly put my heart and soul into my work and although my days are quite long, I value the integrity of each piece I make and customer care is most important to me. I appreciate each customer and am thrilled when they share their creations with me - makes my heart happy!”
What inspires Rocki to create? “I have this inner fire that I never knew existed until several years ago - out of bad situations come good things. You know, ‘when life throws you lemons, make lemonade!’ I honestly eat, sleep, dream, and wear metal - including my mouth! Yep, braces. I have come up with new creations in the weirdest ways - from relaxing in my pool, looking at fixtures around my home, walking through hardware stores - you name it. Even my hubby gets into coming up with ideas! But, I must say that my customers inspire me tremendously! From brand new requests to tweaking some of my current work, I have made some very cool findings.”
When you look at Rocki’s Supplies shop for the first time it’s easy to assume the items are not handmade simply because they are so perfect! But her jewelry findings really are handmade!! It’s amazing! Including handmade findings in your handmade jewelry would definitely increase the value of your work as a whole. Plus you’re buying handmade for your supplies and everybody wins!
“My tag line pretty much sums it up that my findings are more than supplies, they are ‘Handcrafted Pieces of Art For Your Artistic Creations’ - I truly put my heart and soul into my work and although my days are quite long, I value the integrity of each piece I make and customer care is most important to me. I appreciate each customer and am thrilled when they share their creations with me - makes my heart happy!”
What inspires Rocki to create? “I have this inner fire that I never knew existed until several years ago - out of bad situations come good things. You know, ‘when life throws you lemons, make lemonade!’ I honestly eat, sleep, dream, and wear metal - including my mouth! Yep, braces. I have come up with new creations in the weirdest ways - from relaxing in my pool, looking at fixtures around my home, walking through hardware stores - you name it. Even my hubby gets into coming up with ideas! But, I must say that my customers inspire me tremendously! From brand new requests to tweaking some of my current work, I have made some very cool findings.”
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A million times
A million times I've needed you
A million times I've cried
If love could have saved you
You never would have died
Things we feel most deeply
Are the hardest things to say,
My dearest one, I loved you,
In a very special way.
If I could have one lifetime wish
One dream that could come true,
I'd pray to God with all my heart
For yesterday and You.
-author unknown, stock verse
A million times I've cried
If love could have saved you
You never would have died
Things we feel most deeply
Are the hardest things to say,
My dearest one, I loved you,
In a very special way.
If I could have one lifetime wish
One dream that could come true,
I'd pray to God with all my heart
For yesterday and You.
-author unknown, stock verse
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