Health & Wellness

5 Yoga Poses to Do with a Bolster for Extra-Strength Stress Relief

Kate Hanley by Kate Hanley | July 2nd, 2009 | Comments (0)
topic: Health & Wellness, Yoga | tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Easy reclined heart opener

One of the great things about yoga is that you don’t need to invest in a bunch of equipment to reap its benefits. As long as you have a yoga mat and some stretchy clothes, and you’re good to go. And yet there is one yoga prop I wish I could magically disperse to every household in America. Heck—the whole world! And that’s the humble yoga bolster.

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How Much Water Do You Need When Working Out?

Chris Freytag by Chris Freytag | June 23rd, 2009 | Comments (0)
topic: Fitness, Health & Wellness | tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

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Most of us have memorized this rule: Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. But did you know that the human body is made up of about 66 percent water? We are more than half water — so staying well hydrated is essential when being active outdoors. But how much water you need, and when you need it, really depends on the length and intensity of your workout.

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How to Form Healthy Habits and Make Them Last

Chris Freytag by Chris Freytag | June 16th, 2009 | Comments (3)
topic: Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss | tags: , , , , , ,

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It takes about 60 days for a human to form a long-term habit, studies have shown. So why do so many Americans fail on their diet and exercise plans? They don’t give it two weeks, much less four. We are an instant-gratification society that wants quick results or forget it!

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Honoring the Big 5-0 & the Day I Revealed My True Age

Colleen Saidman by Colleen Saidman | June 15th, 2009 | Comments (1)
topic: Healthy Aging, Yoga | tags: , , , ,

Colleen-Saidman

Gaiam shot this photo of Colleen about two years ago, when she was 48.

The time has come. I never thought I would ever be a half century old. I thought I would feel different when I got to this phase in my life. I am not sure what I thought it would feel like to be one of the old folks (as I used to call my parents and their friends), but here I am.

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How to Drop the Armor, Not Just the Weight

Cynthia James by Cynthia James | June 12th, 2009 | Comments (3)
topic: Healthy Eating, Personal Growth, Weight Loss | tags: , , , , ,

In the past two years, I have been devoting a lot of time to my physical health. I changed my eating habits and took working out to a new level. I released 20 pounds and have kept if off. It has required me to be completely dedicated to honoring my commitment to living a vibrant and healthy life.

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3 Yoga Poses for Back Pain (and Why They’re Better than Pills)

Kate Hanley by Kate Hanley | June 11th, 2009 | Comments (3)
topic: Health & Wellness, Yoga | tags: , , , , ,

rodney-yee-demonstrating-extended-side-angle-yoga-pose-for-back-pain2The first time my back went out, I was 27 years old. I was about to go on a media tour, appearing on morning news programs to plug a book I had written, and I was terrified. I had a mortal fear of public speaking, and the very thought of waking up at 5 a.m. to talk eloquently about anything to thousands of people was … well, I can’t tell you because I couldn’t even ponder it. Whenever my mind wandered toward my impending TV debut, I froze. It didn’t take long for my back muscles to get the message to freeze, too — and pretty soon I was moving as gingerly as I could, whimpering with every step. And the pain lasted several weeks longer than the media tour.

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10-Minute Yoga ‘Supersets’: Better than Another Hour of Yoga

Sadie Nardini by Sadie Nardini | June 7th, 2009 | Comments (2)
topic: Weight Loss, Yoga | tags: , , , ,

supersets-knee-down-lunge-11

This year, after 15 years of yoga practice and transforming my body, I found myself hitting a plateau. Though my practice regularly involves power moves like jumping forward into crow pose and holding warrior pose for a long time, my muscle tone seemed to be stuck on autopilot: never decreasing, but never really going to that next level, either.

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Insomniac? Sleep Like You’re Doing Yoga

Jill Miller by Jill Miller | June 3rd, 2009 | Comments (3)
topic: Health & Wellness, Yoga | tags: , , , ,

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In this post: 3 sleeping positions that hurt! … Try yogic breathing to help you sleep better … 3 ways to sleep more comfortably on your side

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Not the Fastest Loser? 4 Ways to Be OK with It

Chris Freytag by Chris Freytag | May 27th, 2009 | Comments (1)
topic: Fitness, Green Living, Health & Wellness, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss | tags: , , ,

woman-on-scale-weight-loss-success-takes-time

All it takes is trying on a swimsuit and looking at your winter-white skin in the 3-D mirrors to get you whispering under your breath, “this year I’m losing weight!” And a good 5–6 pound initial weight loss can really motivate you to keep going. But when your losses taper to 1 or 2 — or zero — pounds a week, your interest in eating healthy and exercise begins to wane.

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Top 5 Keys to Success with Food Journaling

The FIRM Master Instructor Team by The FIRM Master Instructor Team | May 22nd, 2009 | Comments (1)
topic: Fitness, Health & Wellness, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss | tags: , , ,

food journal

By The FIRM nutrition consultant Sara Ryba, R.D., C.D.N.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight or eat more fruits and vegetables, a food journal can be one of the most effective weight loss tools anywhere. Yet while it sounds like a simple task to write down what you eat, these five tips on how to start a food journal, what to write in it, and what to do with what you learn from it can greatly increase your likelihood of success with weight loss and healthier eating.

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