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Importance of Social Connections

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Throughout history people have found the most success when it is in social groups. Whether hunting, farming, or working a day-job the social connections we form and nurture are imperative to our health. Studies show that social connections have a larger effect on your health than high blood pressure, obesity, and smoking. In our society today we are already seeing the affects of a world connected through the internet rather than socially face-to-face. Depression, anxiety, and mental health disorders are at an all-time high. Read on to discover how social relationships can provide one of the biggest health boosts in your life.

  • Quality of Life
  • Prolonged Life
  • Mental Health Boost

There are many ways that social relationships can improve the quality of your life but most importantly, social groups provide us the feeling of belonging. They give us an identity and also provide a form of support. Being a part of group of people with similar problems, triumphs, and daily tribulations helps with dealing with your stresses. You can learn from others who have experienced all kinds of situations before and avoid hardships in the future. Another benefit of having more friendly relationships is having more people out there with an already positive view on yourself. The world grows smaller and smaller as technology connects us and the chances a future employer knows one of your friends gets better and better then more friends you have. Having a far reaching social network also helps to expand your professional network in this fashion.

In the world’s “Blue Zones” where people have the longest life on average, there are a few common factors. Closeness to the equator is one, being on the water is another, and finally is social constructs that aim to include seniors. It is very common in western society that elderly are left on their own due to spouses passing or families moving elsewhere. “Blue Zones” have seniors that are active in their communities on a daily basis and it is keeping them alive. With this information in mind, make as many friends as you can and develop relationships that will last into your elderly years as it is proven to prolong your life.

With the feeling of belonging, social relationships also boost self-confidence, happiness, self-efficacy, and reduce stress. The absence of these feelings regularly is what can cause mental disorders such as depression and anxiety which are quickly becoming huge problems in our society. By gaining self-confidence and self-efficacy through building quality relationships we open up new horizons to ourselves and we believe we can do things we couldn’t before. Having the confidence is essential for setting, achieving, and resetting your goals in your life. Having good social relationships are going to go a long way in keeping your mental health in a positive state.

The benefits of fostering healthy relationships are numerous and apply to most parts of our daily lives. It effects our quality of life, our health, and our mental state which are with you in every activity you do. What is also important to remember is that creating these relationships requires trust, understanding, and a willingness to open up and connect. It may require many attempts or very few, but what is important is to never stop trying. You have everything to gain from finding a new friend, so try it today.

Tips for Better Sleep

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The recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult is at least seven hours. Often enough, people have the eight hours of free time required for this but choose to spend it otherwise. When we don’t get enough sleep we become lazy during the day, limit our gains, and thus are in a bad mood! Start by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day. If you happen to miss it, try to match the hours by setting your alarm appropriately. Being consistent will reinforce your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle and soon you won’t need the alarm. This and more are on our list for the best strategies to maximize your rest.

  • Schedule your sleep
  • Control your exposure to light
  • Exercise during the day
  • Limit daytime napping
  • Avoid alcohol and large meals before bed

Get as much sun as safely possible during your days. Expose your house to natural light, take lunch breaks outside, or exercise outside. At night, eliminate as light as possible when you sleep. By controlling your exposure to light in this fashion you will help not only improve your sleep but fulfill your vitamin D requirements.

The harder your work in the gym, the more necessary sleep is. We limit ourselves when we don’t allow our bodies to recover. If you can’t get a workout in, even light exercise such as walking for just 10 minutes a day improves sleep quality. Regular physical activity will help you fall asleep, and stay in a deeper sleep.

Long daytime naps can interfere with sleeping at night. If you choose to nap, limit yourself to up to 30 minutes and avoid doing so late in the day. Naps don’t tend to follow the natural sleep-wake cycle of the body and can cause fatigue and restlessness.

Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Although many people think of alcohol as a sedative it actually disrupts sleep, and can cause night time awakenings. Eating a large amount of food is going to make the body focus on digestion during sleep rather than recovery and potential indigestion can disrupt sleep.

By following along with our tips here and staying hydrated, you will always achieve a restful sleep. Restful sleep provides us with focus and alertness throughout the day and allows our body to grow. Don’t limit yourself.

Meal Prep Techniques

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In our day to day lives it can seem that things are so busy we lose focus on the important details, like eating the right choices. When in a rush we choose what’s easy, quick, and for many parents what the family will readily eat. Eating properly no matter how busy you get requires careful planning and execution as well as discipline to stick with it. Picking one day out of your week to prepare meals ensures that you are always eating properly and in good time. Read on to discover the best way to prepare meals for your week.

  • Pick a day and prep
  • Plan your time accordingly
  • Synergize your ingredients

First things first, you need to select a day to do your prep. For most careers that fall under the 9-5 Monday to Friday scheme people will pick a weekend day to prep as it works best for them. Find the day where your work week begins and try to prep at least the day before if not two days. What’s most important is picking a day when you will have a long uninterrupted period of time to do your cooking. Cooking often requires a careful focus and when we are rushed we begin to make mistakes and leave out important things. Leaving yourself with too little time can be a critical mistake as it will affect the quality of your meals. Pick the right day for yourself and move on to the next step.

Now is the time to begin your more intense planning. How many people are you cooking for? Are you going to create different meals or eat the same thing for the week? Can you get all these ingredients at one grocery store? Can you use an ingredient in more than one meal and therefore buy it in bulk? Ask yourself these important questions and once you have answers, you can plan out your meal prep day accordingly. If you can enter your meal prep day with a clear and specific plan you’ll save yourself loads of time and even more stress. Also remember to have a plan for storing and transporting the meals after they’re finished! Prepping would be useless without freezers and fridges to store food and plastic (preferably glass) containers.

When deciding on what to make, keep in mind ingredients that synergize well with multiple meals. Things like onions, carrots, and broccoli can be used in all kinds of dishes. If you plan on using one of these in a couple meals on prep day, you can save money buying in bulk. If you find yourself with a free hour anywhere prior to your prep day, cook and store your synergistic ingredients. Now on prep day these are ready for you to add to any meal saving you further time. Always look for ways to get ahead on your prep day.

Using prep days is an excellent way to ensure your nutritional needs are met throughout the week and to save time. Imagine coming home to quick, nutritious, and tasty meals right away with little to no work. It’s as easy as planning your time and food in advance. With a good plan and execution you can keep your focus on the most important things in your daily life and still always have your nutrition.

No Treadmill, No Worries

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A common portion of the traditional fitness routine is cardio training. Whether it’s 5 or 10 minutes during your warm up on a treadmill or elliptical, or a full 5k run. However, if your gym lacks the equipment it can be difficult to get your workout done and even more so in the winter when you can’t get outside. So how can you still hit your cardio targets? Read on to discover some alternative methods.

  • Skipping Rope
  • Rowing
  • Shadow-boxing
  • Circuit Training

Coming first on this list is the skipping rope. The skipping rope is a fantastic alternative due to its simplicity and space efficiency. Skipping can be done in a stationary position or it can be done on the move. You can change your speed and the height of your jump at any time you want. It’s safe, it’s easy, and it can be done almost anywhere.

Rowing, while also machine dependent, is another alternative to running that can provide cardio benefits. Rowing is a full body movement that puts both the legs and arms under tension and is enough of a challenge to reach a good sweat. The intensity is also changeable on these machines in order to get to your target heart rates. Rowing is a good alternative but not great due to it relying on machine. You could also create your own rowing movement on the floor with a sturdy rack and a Theraband if space allows.

Shadow-boxing is a fantastic way to alternatively reach your cardio goals, and it’s by far the simplest thing to do on this list. By simply punching, kicking, and dodging and then combining these movements together into “combos” you can effectively reach your target heart rate. Try doing some research on what proper striking looks and feels like, what “bob and weave” means, and include it in your next session. You can even structure this further by doing rounds of boxing with appropriate rest periods in between. Add a challenge to this by boxing yourself in the mirror and dodging your own punches.

Another way you to hit your cardio goals is by using circuit training. Pick 3-4 different exercises that either isolate a certain muscle group or have the same general movement pattern, and pick a lighter weight for these. Then complete your sets one after the other, only resting when you’ve finished a set for every exercise. These parameters can be changed based on your training age and goals. Whether your circuit is 3-4 exercises or up to 10, or if you are isolating a muscle group or hitting the full body. Circuit training most importantly allows us to somewhat blend both cardio and hypertrophy benefits because it maximizes time under tension. This kind of efficiency is what you should always aim for in the gym.

Thought not always apparent, there are plenty of alternatives to the traditional machine cardio that usually dominates ½ of all commercial gym space. You can also reap some additional benefits that may not be attainable through simply running. When thinking of ways to hit your target heart rate, get creative and use this list to help optimize your workout.

Sun God Stretch (Partner Assisted)

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Mobility Stretching

  • Assume the lunge position with a pad under the back knee. Shoulders, hips, and knee are square.
  • Set the hips (eliminate anterior pelvic tilt) by flexing both the glutes and the core. Don’t allow your torso to drift forward when setting your hips. Keep your shoulders, hips, and knees square.
  • Grip a dowel with the same side hand as your back leg. (if your right leg is back, grip with right hand) Use this dowel to support your weight throughout the stretch.
  • Lean forward into the stretch. Take a deep breath. On exhaling, the partner will lift the back foot off of the ground until resisted.
  • Take another deep breath. Push the raised foot up into the partner’s palm (up) by using your hamstrings when you exhale
  • Take another deep breath. Push the raised foot into the partner’s palm (down) by using your quadriceps when you exhale.
  • Take a deep breath, and have the partner lift the foot up again on exhaling. Repeat until maximum depth in the stretch is achieved. Remember to continue breathing throughout the movements.
  • The partner needs to take caution while assisting with the stretch, very small movements can cause intense stretches that could result in injury.
  • You should feel this stretch in your quadriceps and hip flexors.

Calf Stretch

  • Place your foot into the inclined step, square your hips, and set your hips (eliminate anterior pelvic tilt) by flexing both the glutes and core.
  • Grab the rack in front of you, and pull your body forward into the stretch. Keep your hips set and allow your back foot to come up off the ground. Hold the position while taking 3 deep breaths.
  • Your hips, knee, and shoulder on the stretching side should remain square throughout the movement.
  • You should feel this stretch very deeply in your calf. This is an intense stretch.

 

Calf Stretch with knee bend

  • Place your foot into the inclined step, and allow your knee to bend slightly. Keep your hips set by flexing the core and glutes.
  • Push forward into the stretch, trying to touch your shin to your toes (it shouldn’t happen but that is where you want to push) while keeping your hips square.
  • Take 3 deep breaths while you hold the position, relax and return to the top.
  • On the 2nd and 3rd reps of this stretch, lean either left or right to isolate the two sides of your calf muscle, keep these leans very slight. Not very much movement is required to begin isolating the side of your calf.
  • Take 3 deep breaths at the bottom of these stretches and then return to the top.
  • This stretch should also be felt in the calf very intensely.