Seated Forward Bend Yoga Pose (Paschimottanasana)

Fold into Paschimottanasana to help a distracted mind—and your hamstrings—unwind.

(POSH-ee-moh-tan-AHS-anna)

paschimottana = intense stretch of the west (pashima = west

uttana = intense stretch)

Seated Forward Bend Yoga Pose: Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1:

Sit on the floor with your buttocks supported on a folded blanket and your legs straight in front of you. Press actively through your heels. Rock slightly onto your left buttock, and pull your right sitting bone away from the heel with your right hand. Repeat on the other side. Turn the top thighs in slightly and press them down into the floor. Press through your palms or finger tips on the floor beside your hips and lift the top of the sternum toward the ceiling as the top thighs descend.

Step 2:

Draw the inner groins deep into the pelvis. Inhale, and keeping the front torso long, lean forward from the hip joints, not the waist. Lengthen the tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. If possible take the sides of the feet with your hands, thumbs on the soles, elbows fully extended; if this isn't possible, loop a strap around the foot soles, and hold the strap firmly. Be sure your elbows are straight, not bent.

Step 3:

When you are ready to go further, don't forcefully pull yourself into the forward bend, whether your hands are on the feet or holding the strap. Always lengthen the front torso into the pose, keeping your head raised. If you are holding the feet, bend the elbows out to the sides and lift them away from the floor; if holding the strap, lighten your grip and walk the hands forward, keeping the arms long. The lower belly should touch the thighs first, then the upper belly, then the ribs, and the head last.

Step 4:

With each inhalation, lift and lengthen the front torso just slightly; with each exhalation release a little more fully into the forward bend. In this way the torso oscillates and lengthens almost imperceptibly with the breath. Eventually you may be able to stretch the arms out beyond the feet on the floor.

Step 5:

Stay in the pose anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes. To come up, first lift the torso away from the thighs and straighten the elbows again if they are bent. Then inhale and lift the torso up by pulling the tailbone down and into the pelvis.

Seated Forward Bend Yoga Pose Information:

Sanskrit Name:

Paschimottanasana

Pose Level:

1

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Asthma
• Diarrhea
• Back injury: Only perform this pose under the supervision of an experienced teacher.

Modifications and Props:

Most students should sit up on a folded blanket in this pose, and most beginners need to hold a strap around the feet. Extremely stiff students can place a rolled up blanket under their knees.

Deepen the Pose:

Once you are fully in the forward bend you can re-extend the elbows. There are several ways to do this. You can clasp your hands around the soles of the feet, or turn the back of one hand to the soles and grip its wrist with the other hand. You can also place a block against the soles of your feet and grip its sides with your hands.

Preparatory Poses:

• Balasana
• Janu Sirsasana
• Uttanasana

Follow-up Poses:

• Ardha Matsyendrasana

Beginner's Tip:

Never force yourself into a forward bend, especially when sitting on the floor. Coming forward, as soon as you feel the space between your pubis and navel shortening, stop, lift up slightly, and lengthen again. Often, because of tightness in the backs of the legs, a beginner's forward bend doesn't go very far forward and might look more like sitting up straight.

Health Benefits:

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings
• Stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries, and uterus
• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause and menstrual discomfort
• Soothes headache and anxiety and reduces fatigue
• Therapeutic for high blood pressure, infertility, insomnia, and sinusitis
• Traditional texts say that Paschimottanasana increases appetite, reduces obesity, and cures diseases.

Partnering:

A partner can help you release your lower back in this pose. Have your partner stand behind you facing your back. Perform the pose, then have your partner press his/her hands against your lower back and pelvis. The hands should be turned so the fingers point towards your tailbone. Remember though that the pressure isn't to push you deeper into the forward bend; rather, gentle pressure (parallel to the line of the back) encourages the back spine and tailbone to lengthen away from the torso. Extend the front torso against this downward action.

Variations:

Urdhva Mukha (urdhva = upward; mukha = face) Paschimottanasana

Lie on your back, exhale, and bend your knees into your torso. Then inhale and extend the heels toward the ceiling. Slowly, on an exhalation, swing your feet toward the floor above your head. You may or may not be able to reach all the way to the floor. Try not to let the back of the pelvis lift very far from the floor—this is an upside-down version of Paschimottanasana, not Salamba Sarvangasana or Halasana.

Content & Image Source: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/seated-forward-bend

Why Is It Important to Eat Healthy Food Instead of Junk Food?

Choosing healthy foods is not always easy. Many foods are high in fat, calories and sugar, but end up as regular parts of your diet because they taste good. There are multiple reasons for choosing healthy foods instead of junk food, and knowing the most important ones may help you pass on foods with no nutrition and make wiser eating choices instead. Making the right choices now will help prevent problems in the future.

Prevents Weight Gain:

Most junk food contains no nutrition and too many calories and fat. Walter Willett, author of "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating," believes that eating these foods is the primary reason why so many people are overweight or obese. Filling your diet with foods that are empty of nutrition leaves less room for nutrient-filled foods. Opt for fruits, vegetables and skim milk, because they are lower in calories and fat and higher in nutrients, which may help prevent unhealthy weight gain.

Improves Your Appearance:

A diet that is filled with fast food, packaged foods and sweets leaves out fruits, vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods. The book "Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity" notes that the foods you choose can influence your appearance. Fatty, greasy and sugary foods can cause dry skin, brittle nails and dull hair, while more nutritious foods can give you a youthful glow and keep you looking younger. Eating foods like olive oil, salmon, nuts, leafy greens and brightly hued produce will keep your skin, hair and nails looking healthy.

Improves Health and Prevents Disease:

Junk food has little to no nutrition, and if you fill up on it, your health may suffer. Your body relies on vitamins and minerals to work properly; if you do not provide a constant stream of those nutrients, your health may decline. Eating brightly colored fruits and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy will help provide your body with exactly what it needs to maintain health. Eating foods high in fiber, such as oatmeal, apples and nuts, can also protect your body from damage as well. The book "Healthy Foods: Fact Versus Fiction" reports that certain foods, including almonds, blueberries and broccoli, may prevent many types of cancer.

Improves Your Mental Health:

Junk food can impact your mental health because it contains little of what your brain needs to produce the chemicals responsible for happiness and productivity. Gary Null reports in his book, "The Food-Mood-Body Connection: Nutrition-Based and Environmental Approaches to Mental Health and Physical Well-Being," that the foods you eat impact how good you feel as well as your outlook on life. The antioxidants and nutrients in fresh fruits and vegetables can influence the hormones responsible for mental health. The omega-3 fatty acids in foods like salmon and walnuts also impact the health of your brain and your mental well-being. Junk food does the opposite, Null notes, by robbing your brain of the nutrients it needs to work properly.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.livestrong.com/article/356513-why-is-it-important-to-eat-healthy-food-instead-of-junk-food/

Corpse Yoga Pose (Savasana)

Savasana is a pose of total relaxation—making it one of the most challenging.

(shah-VAHS-anna)

sava = corpse

This pose is also called Mrtasana (pronounced mrit-TAHS-anna, mrta = death).

Corpse Yoga Pose (Savasana): Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1:

In Savasana it's essential that the body be placed in a neutral position. Sit on the floor with your knees bent, feet on the floor, and lean back onto your forearms. Lift your pelvis slightly off the floor and, with your hands, push the back of the pelvis toward the tailbone, then return the pelvis to the floor. Inhale and slowly extend the right leg, then the left, pushing through the heels. Release both legs, softening the groins, and see that the legs are angled evenly relative to the mid-line of the torso, and that the feet turn out equally. Narrow the front pelvis and soften (but don't flatten) the lower back.

Step 2:

With your hands lift the base of the skull away from the back of the neck and release the back of the neck down toward the tailbone. If you have any difficulty doing this, support the back of the head and neck on a folded blanket. Broaden the base of the skull too, and lift the crease of the neck diagonally into the center of the head. Make sure your ears are equidistant from your shoulders.

Step 3:

Reach your arms toward the ceiling, perpendicular to the floor. Rock slightly from side to side and broaden the back ribs and the shoulder blades away from the spine. Then release the arms to the floor, angled evenly relative to the mid-line of torso. Turn the arms outward and stretch them away from the space between the shoulder blades. Rest the backs of the hands on the floor as close as you comfortably can to the index finger knuckles. Make sure the shoulder blades are resting evenly on the floor. Imagine the lower tips of the shoulder blades are lifting diagonally into your back toward the top of the sternum. From here, spread the collarbones.

Step 4:

In addition to quieting the physical body in Savasana, it's also necessary to pacify the sense organs. Soften the root of the tongue, the wings of the nose, the channels of the inner ears, and the skin of the forehead, especially around the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows. Let the eyes sink to the back of the head, then turn them downward to gaze at the heart. Release your brain to the back of the head.

Step 5:

Stay in this pose for 5 minutes for every 30 minutes of practice. To exit, first roll gently with an exhalation onto one side, preferably the right. Take 2 or 3 breaths. With another exhalation press your hands against the floor and lift your torso, dragging your head slowly after. The head should always come up last.

Corpse Yoga Pose Information:

Sanskrit Name:

Savasana

Pose Level:

1

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Back injury or discomfort: Do this pose with your knees bent and your feet on the floor, hip-distance apart; either bind the thighs parallel to each other with a strap (taking care not to position the heels too close to the buttocks) or support the bent knees on a bolster.
• Pregnancy: Raise your head and chest on a bolster.

Modifications and Props:

Usually Savasana is performed with the legs turned out. Sometimes though, after a practice session involving lots of outward rotation of the legs (as for standing poses), it feels good to do this pose with the legs turned in. Take a strap and make a small loop. Sit on the floor with your knees slightly bent and slip the loop over your big toes. Lie back and turn your thighs inward, sliding your heels apart. The loop will help maintain the inward turn of the legs.

Deepen the Pose:

To help release the brain and quiet the mind in Savasana, take a block and a 10-pound sand bag. After reclining on the floor, position the block on the floor above your head. The block should sit on one of its sides (the height of the block should be about 5 inches), with one of its ends lightly touching your crown. Then lay the sand bag half on the block and half on your forehead. Scrub the forehead skin down, toward your eyebrows. Then let the brain sink away from this weight.

Preparatory Poses:

• Savasana should conclude both your asana and your pranayama practices.

Beginner's Tip:

Often it's difficult to release the heads of the thigh bones and soften the groins in this pose. This creates tension throughout the body and restricts the breath. Take two 10-pound sand bags and lay one across each top thigh, parallel to the crease of the groin. Then imagine that the heads of the thigh bones are sinking away from the weight, down into the floor.

Health Benefits:

• Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression
• Relaxes the body
• Reduces headache, fatigue, and insomnia
• Helps to lower blood pressure

Partnering:

In Savasana, it's especially useful to have a partner check your physical alignment. One of the most difficult parts of the body to align on your own is your head. Have your partner sit at your head and observe its position relative to your shoulders. It's common for students' heads to be tilted or turned to one side or the other. The partner should gently cradle your head in his/her hands and draw the base of the skull away from the back of the neck, lengthening the shorter side of the neck, so that both ears are equidistant from the shoulders. Then your partner can lay your head back down on the floor, making sure that the tip of your nose is pointing directly toward the ceiling.

Content & Image Source: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/corpse-pose

9 Ways To Find Your Weight Loss Motivation

Let’s get one thing straight: being healthy isn’t just about the number on your scale. There are tons of other factors that affect your health besides your weight, and everyone is built differently. However, if being overweight is affecting your day to day life, sometimes weight loss is the goal. Unfortunately, even if you know how to lose weight, finding the motivation to actually make those healthier choices can be another story! Whether you’ve been in a rut for a few months or many years, we’ll help you find the weight loss motivation you need to finally make a change for YOU! Here’s how to get motivated to lose weight today.

1. Find Your Why:

Weight loss motivation starts with figuring out why you really want to lose weight in the first place. Maybe it’s to to have more energy, to keep up with your kids, to lower your cholesterol, to live longer or to fit into your favorite pair of jeans! Find that  “WHY” for weight loss, and remind yourself of it every single day. The clearer you can be about your reasoning, the more motivated you will be. Long term payoffs like disease prevention are great, but some people also need an immediate payoff. Think of how great you feel about your body right after a tough workout or a day of healthy eating—that can be your why, too!

2. Write Down Specific Goals:

Studies show that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them, so get out a pen and paper and get specific! How much weight do you actually want to lose? And how will you make it happen? Maybe your goal is to do cardio three times per week and strength train twice a week. Or maybe one of your goals is to eliminate all soda and sugary beverages from your diet. These are concrete goals that will help you lose weight. Tackling weight loss one goal at a time makes it more manageable and realistic, too.

3. Seek Out A Supportive Community:

Passing on party foods or spending more time working on your health can be isolating and discouraging if your friends don’t understand. It’s scenarios like that can leave you saying “I have no motivation to lose weight at all!” You know what? Trying to pull yourself out of a rut and make positive changes can be a lonely journey sometimes. This is why finding a supportive, positive community is so important. Join a gym, enlist a workout buddy, hire a health coach, or join an online fitness community of other people who are putting a renewed focus on their health. It will motivate you to keep going even when you encounter challenges or setbacks!

4. Approve Of Yourself Just As You Are:

Focusing on your goals is great. But withholding your own approval “until you lose weight” is not a good plan. Self-love starts and ends with you, and no number on the scale can give you the internal validation you need to believe in your own worth. You have to love yourself TODAY because of the beautiful person you are, not withhold your own approval until you reach your ideal weight. Coming from a place of self-loathing will NOT motivate you to be healthy; in fact, it can lead to shame spiraling and negative associations with exercise and eating right.  There’s that saying “I workout because I love my body, not because I hate it.” Know that you are good enough just as you are, and view your journey to better health not as a punishment, but as a reward—you are treating yourself the way you deserve to be treated.

5. Create a Positive Daily Affirmation:

Weight loss is not just a physical challenge, it’s a mental one. Even before you start your weight loss journey, create a morning mantra that you recite to yourself to get yourself motivated. Maybe it’s “I’m worthy of self-care, and working out and eating right are part of that self-care.” Or maybe it’s as simple as “I will make healthy choices today.” Whatever mantra you feel connected to, develop one and repeat it to yourself. Build up your mental toughness and your self-confidence so that when push comes to shove, this mantra can get you through days when you don’t feel like working out or are feeling low.

6. Establish A Rewards System:

Human beings are hardwired for positive reinforcement, so giving yourself healthy rewards along the way can do wonders for your weight loss motivation. (As long as you’re not rewarding yourself with a binge day of ice ream and junk food after a week of healthy eating, of course.) Maybe it’s a relaxing pedicure if you get all your workouts in that week, or a new cookware set to make some healthy meals. Maybe you decide you’ll purchase a new workout outfit after a month of accomplishing those specific goals you set. You don’t have to spend a ton of money, just put some little rewards in place to motivate you to get moving.

7. Stop Making Excuses

The best way to get motivated to lose weight is to stop making excuses as to why you can’t start right here, right now. During the holidays, we often tell ourselves “I’ll start in the New Year.” It’s the same on weekends, saying “I’ll start eating healthy next week.” There is no time like the present, and if you want to lose weight, you need to cut the excuses and recognize that the time is now. You have the power with every moment, every choice, to do something good for your health. Don’t let another opportunity slip through your fingers.

8. Expect Progress, Not Perfection:

Don’t set yourself up for disappointment by seeking perfection. You will have days when you muddle through your workouts and others where you feel on top of the world. Try to avoid “all or nothing” thinking, where you totally scrap a day if you eat a cookie or miss a workout. Follow the 80/20 rule of looking at your weight loss journey: aim to eat right and workout 80% of the time and absolutely expect that 20% of the time you are a human being (and not a robot!) and life will get in the way of your ideal plan.

9. Develop A Routine That Becomes Second-Nature:

The easiest way to find weight loss motivation? Make it EASY! Develop a routine that becomes second-nature to you. I’m not saying to do the same workout every day—that would be boring and ineffective! Just have certain variables that you don’t have to think about: pick a time of day when you’ll usually be able to workout and make that your no-excuse workout time every day. Prep healthy meals for the week ahead on a Sunday so you don’t have to guess what to have for dinner after a long day of work. Make your new healthy lifestyle SO second-nature that it’s hard NOT to get those workouts in and eat healthy. They say that “motivation gets you started, but habit keeps you going.” Set yourself up for success, and you’ll stay motivated on your journey to weight loss and better health.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://gethealthyu.com/how-to-get-motivated-to-lose-weight/

A Guide to the Chakras - Lean How to Balance Energy with the Chakras

The chakras greatly influence our potential and experience. Learn to work with them in your yoga practice.

The Tantrik yogis understood that in order to experience a different life—one that feels more stable, more sublime, and more connected to others—we have to effect change from within. And one of the key ways to alter the inner reality is working with the chakras, the body's energetic centers.

Chakra literally means "spinning wheel." According to the yogic view, chakras are a convergence of energy, thoughts/feelings, and the physical body. Our consciousness (mind) gets projected through these wheels, and this largely determines how we experience reality from our emotional reactions, our desires or aversions, our level of confidence or fear, even the manifestation of physical symptoms.

By working with these centers in yoga practice, we can begin to unravel any blocks that may prevent the unfolding into our highest potential.

Root Chakra (Muladhara): This center is found at the pelvic floor. It is our tap root and our connection to the Earth. It keeps us grounded into embodied reality, physically strong and secure. It holds our instinctual urges around food, sleep, sex, and survival. It is also the realm of our avoidances and fears. Importantly muladhara holds our most powerful latent potential (Kundalini Shakti). Through yoga and meditation, we begin to breathe life into the sleeping power that sits in our root. Asanas such as Warrior stances, hip-openers, Chair Pose, deep lunges, and squats helps bring our awareness to this center.

Pelvic Chakra (Svadishthana): This chakra is held in our sacrum. It is our water center, home of the reproductive organs and our desires. When our consciousness moves freely through this area, we access our potential for self-healing and sensual pleasure. When this chakra remains asleep to our consciousness, we may be ruled by our attachments. Similar to the root chakra, asanas such as forward bends, hip-openers, deep lunges, and squats helps us bring our awareness to this center.

Navel Chakra (Manipura): Located at the navel, this chakra is associated with the digestive system, the element of fire, and individual power and purpose. Think of manipura as your body's energy power-house, as it holds a vast amount of our physical vitality. When consciousness moves freely in this center, we are empowered by the energy of transformation. When this area is blocked, we may experience imbalances associated with aggressive ambition, heightened ego, and the pursuit of personal power. Twists are the asanas par excellence for purifying and healing manipura.

Heart Chakra (Anahata): At the center of the chest, the heart chakra is said, in the Himalayan Tantric tradition, to be the most powerful center of all, the very "seat of the soul." Associated with the lungs and the element of air, we can imagine the heart as the meeting ground for the vast spectrum of our human emotional experience. The heart has the capacity to radiate the highest aspects of the human being: compassion, unconditional love and total faith in the Divine. But it also has the capacity to radiate our deepest feelings of insecurity, disappointment, loneliness and despair. To bring more light into the chakra of the heart, work with pranayama, heart-centric meditation, and heart-felt prayer. Backbends will also help open the energetic centers of the heart.

Throat Chakra (Vishuddhi): The vishuddhi chakra is associated with the element of ether. It is the energetic home of speech and hearing, and the endocrine glands that control metabolism. On a spiritual level, this chakra is all about expanding our conversation to the Divine. To heal and purify the throat, we can work with chant, Jalandhara Bandha, as well as asanas such as Plow, Camel, Shoulderstand, and Fish Pose.

Third-Eye Chakra (Ajna): The ajna chakra, or "command center," is located eyebrow level mid-brain. It is the meeting point between two important energetic streams in the body, the ida and pingala nadis, and the place where the mind and the body converge. Physically, it is connected to the pituitary gland, growth, and development. When relaxed consciousness flows here, we have more intuition, inner-knowing, and a feeling that we are much more than a physical body. To heal and purify this center, we can practice alternate nostril breathing (nadi shodhana) and meditations focused on this center.

Crown Center (Sahasrara) This chakra is what links us to everything that is beyond our individual ego. It is everything that lies beyond our linear intellect and personal needs, preferences and emotional experiences. It is the gateway and source point into enlightenment.

Content & Image Source: https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/a-guide-to-the-chakras

6 Popular Ways To Get More Energized For Your Workouts & Exercises

The demands of day-to-day life can sap your energy just when you need it most—for your daily workout. Once we reach the gym and get in a couple of reps, we seem to find the energy to focus on our workout. But for many of us, simply getting to the gym in the first place is our biggest challenge.

The next time you're having trouble getting motivated, try one of these six great strategies to help you prepare mentally and physically to crush workouts you didn't think you could even start.

1. Take A Scientifically Formulated Pre-Workout:

Slugging down a cup of Joe before your workout not cutting it anymore? Up your game with a scientifically formulated pre-workout product. Chris Lockwood, Ph.D., CSCS, adjunct science editor for Bodybuilding.com and president of Lockwood LLC, recommends that when caffeine is used in a pre-workout, it should typically be dosed so that you get at least 1.36 milligrams of caffeine, but not more than 2.5 milligrams, per pound of body weight.[1] If you weigh 150 pounds, that works out to about 200-375 milligrams of caffeine.

If beta-alanine is present within the formula, make certain it’s the patented and tested form, CarnoSyn, dosed at a per serving dose of at least 1.6 grams. When taurine is used without caffeine, you’ll need to consume at least 20 milligrams of taurine per pound of body weight to increase performance and reduce fatigue.[2,3]

If taurine and caffeine are both present, the data is less clear, but most evidence supports that the more taurine present, the better the effects on performance.[4]

2. Go Outside:

Some trainers say that the best way to get more energy for your workout is to take it outside.

"Like most people, I spend a lot of time sitting inside at my computer," says Cellucor-sponsored athlete and WBFF pro Jen Jewell. "The last thing I want to do some days is go from being inside working on my computer to being inside at the gym."

Jewell notes that the combination of the fresh air and natural sunlight gives her an energy boost after being inside all day.

"Plus, there's the fact that working out outdoors is fun!" she says. "I always get far more energized walking or running outdoors than I do inside working the treadmill."

Get creative and see what you can come up with for an outdoor workout. Maybe you could get friends or coworkers to join you for an outside team sport, take a walk, jog along local trails, or create an outdoor bodyweight circuit.

3. Visualize Success:

Next time you're feeling the energy drain, stop and visualize perfect execution and success on the lift you want to hit. Imagine the feeling you'll experience when lifting that weight up. Experience the rush of knowing all your training has paid off.

Just by visualizing success, you can increase your body's testosterone response, which provides both a mental and a physical benefit. The confidence you gain by crushing the lift can further elevate your testosterone response, while any doubts you have about the lift can literally send it in reverse.

4. Find A Workout Buddy:

Finding a workout buddy or qualified personal trainer can help you work out more consistently—and give you extra energy to crush your workout.

For many people, working out with others helps boost their mood and outlook. You may chalk up the energy and relaxation you feel on the weekends to not having to work, but don't discount the positive influence others can have on you. When you're being social and having fun, you naturally feel more energized. Use this principle in your workout sessions as well.

Just be sure you aren't doing more socializing than working out when you bring your buddy to the gym.

5. Know Your Goals Ahead Of Time:

When you head to the gym without a firm plan in place, you might not feel very motivated. For Cellucor-sponsored athlete and IFBB pro Craig Capurso, maximizing energy in the gym comes down to knowing what he wants to achieve in each session. He says to set a firm goal so you have a reason to get to the gym and hit it hard.

"Energy, or even the illusion of it, starts with your mind," Capurso explains. "If you're performing a workout without clear focus, your execution will be unfocused, too. Instead, set clear workout goals in terms of what exercises you'll do, what weights you'll use, and how many reps you'll do. Set specific goals, and you'll be more motivated to hit them."

At the same time, don't become a slave to your routine, he says. If you feel yourself drawn to another lift, go for it. Changing your exercise order or selection can keep your workout interesting and engaging. So can doing something radically different while in the trenches of a killer workout.

Allow yourself to change things up and take advantage of the energy and mood your workout has created. In other words, it's great to have a plan, but plan to allow for change. Otherwise, you're likely to find yourself getting frustrated and emotionally drained when things aren't going according to plan.

6. Check Your Nutrition:

Finally, if your nutrition is not up to par, whatever you do prior to your workout won't be enough to get you going.

To prepare for exercise, many people feel best when they consume a meal that contains high-quality protein and complex carbohydrates an hour or two before a workout. How much fuel you'll need will depend on the workout you've planned, your goals, and your body weight. In general, aim for 25-50 grams of protein and another 25-50 grams of carbohydrates per meal.

If you can't eat 1-2 hours before a workout, don't sweat it. If you train midday or after work, you should be in good shape if you had a quality meal about four hours before your workout. If you work out in the morning, you should be fine as long as you had a good dinner and pre-bedtime protein shake the night before.

If it's time for you to train and you just haven't had time to have a full meal beforehand, you can always reach for your trusty shake containing BCAAs or whey protein. If it has some carbs in it, you should be good to go.

If you do eat a pre-workout meal, avoid foods that are high in fats, simple sugars, and fiber because they can make you feel tired, sluggish, or bloated just when you need energy the most.

References

1. McLellan, T. M., Caldwell, J. A., & Lieberman, H. R. (2016). A review of caffeine’s effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 71, 294-312.
2. Warnock, R., Jeffries, O., Patterson, S., & Waldron, M. (2017). The Effects of Caffeine, Taurine or Caffeine-Taurine Co-Ingestion on Repeat-Sprint Cycling Performance and Physiological Responses. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 1-24.
3. Lim, Z. X., Singh, A., Leow, Z. Z. X., Arthur, P. G., & Fournier, P. A. (2017). The Effect of Acute Taurine Ingestion on Human Maximal Voluntary Muscle Contraction. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.
4. Souza, D. B., Del Coso, J., Casonatto, J., & Polito, M. D. (2017). Acute effects of caffeine-containing energy drinks on physical performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Nutrition, 1-15.

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/6-ways-to-get-more-energized-for-your-workouts.html

Easy Yoga Pose (Sukhasana)

Don't let the name fool you. If you're used to sitting in chairs, Easy Pose or Sukhasana can be quite challenging.

Easy Yoga Pose (Sukhasana) : Step-by-Step Instructions:

Step 1:

Fold a thick blanket or two into a firm support about six inches high. Sit close to one edge of this support and stretch your legs out in front of your torso on the floor in Dandasana (Staff Pose).

Step 2:

Cross your shins, widen your knees, and slip each foot beneath the opposite knee as you bend your knees and fold the legs in toward your torso.

Step 3:

Relax the feet so their outer edges rest comfortably on the floor and the inner arches settle just below the opposite shin. You'll know you have the basic leg fold of Sukhasana when you look down and see a triangle, its three sides formed by the two thighs and the crossed shins. Don't confuse this position with that of other classic seated postures in which the ankles are tucked in close to the sitting bones. In Sukhasana, there should be a comfortable gap between the feet and the pelvis.

Step 4:

As always, you should sit with your pelvis in a relatively neutral position. To find neutral, press your hands against the floor and lift your sitting bones slightly off the support. As you hang there for a few breaths, make your thigh bones heavy, then slowly lower your sit bones lightly back to the support. Try to balance your pubic bone and tail bone so they're equidistant from the floor.

Step 5:

Either stack your hands in your lap, palms up, or lay your hands on your knees, palms down. Lengthen your tail bone toward the floor, firm your shoulder blades against your back to you're your upper torso, but don't over arch your lower back and poke your lower front ribs forward.

Step 6:

You can sit in this position for any length of time, but if you practice this pose regularly, be sure to alternate the cross of the legs. A good rule of thumb: On even-numbered days, cross the right shin in front of the left, and on odd-numbered days, do the opposite. Alternately, you can divide the practice time in half, and spend the first half with your right leg forward, and the second half with the left leg forward.

Also Read: Standing Forward Bend Yoga Pose

Easy Yoga Pose Information:

Sanskrit Name:

Sukhasana

Pose Level:

1

Contraindications and Cautions:

• Knee injury
• Beginner's Tip
• Sit with your back to a wall, slightly closer than the length of a yoga block, and wedge the ends of the block between the wall and your lower shoulder blades.

Health Benefits:

• Calms the brain
• Strengthens the back
• Stretches the knees and ankles

Content & Image Source: https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/easy-pose

6 Science Based Secrets To Staying Motivated @ The GYM

Your 5:00 am alarm sounds, and instead of popping up for that morning sweat sesh, something else takes over your body and mind. You're entering the workout spin zone — those 60 seconds where you side-eye your gym bag and then start to justify why you absolutely don't need to get your butt to the gym today. Where did all of your motivation go from the night before?

It’s currently recommended that Americans get in at least 150 minutes of physical activity each week (that's about 20 minutes a day), but in reality, about half of American adults are falling short of this goal. Could it be that some internal, demotivating dialogue has killed our fitness mojo?

Inspirational quotes are a good place to rekindle our fitness commitment, and music can be a melodic path to getting into a fitness groove. Keep them both in your back pocket when you need a mantra or song to get you through those last reps. But there are other proven methods to help get you fired up in the first place, says Deborah Feltz, PhD, a distinguished professor of Kinesiology at Michigan State University and author of numerous fitness studies.

Make your workout routine a habit with these six science- and expert-backed ways to get (and stay) motivated for the long haul.

1: YOUR HARD-AND-FAST RULES WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN

One big hurdle to jump over is to not give yourself hard or set rules, like “I have to start my workout program on a Monday or else I can’t do it.”

“Doing this makes it easy to talk yourself out of something,” says Feltz. And if you just set yourself up even just for something very small, like just getting in a walk (even if it’s not Monday), you’re more likely to say ‘This feels good, I think I can spare more time.’”

2. A LITTLE FRIENDLY COMPETITION CAN LIGHT A FIRE

Whether you’re looking to take home first place or just want to go faster than the person next to you on the treadmill, friendly competition has some major boosting power.

Even if you're not a competitive person by nature, Feltz suggests finding an individual or group that is slightly better or faster than you. “It can be helpful in terms of either a little bit of competition or just in terms of what we call a conjunctive task,” she says. “It’s a team effort, but the performance depends on whoever is quitting first.” In other words, nobody likes a quitter, even you.

3. FIND A FRIEND WHO WON'T LET YOU OFF THE HOOK

Some people prefer solo workouts (more power to them!), but for those that need a little push in the motivation department, scheduling regular workouts with a buddy or group can make all the difference. You're less likely to hit snooze or head home for the night if you know you're leaving your workout partner in the lurch.

“We do know that just to get out there and to exercise, having other people or being part of a group can help get you off the couch,” says Feltz.

It can also get you excited about your fitness journey again.

“Having other people around me with those same goals is always exciting,” says Diana Mitrea, an ACE-certified personal trainer in New York City and co-founder of Stronger With Time. “We’re all talking about the right things and pushing each other and we celebrate their victories as well as mine.”

Even having a supportive partner, family member or friend can be motivating. If you announce you’ll be participating in an upcoming race, you’ll be less likely to slack off training if you know they’ll be there to cheer you on.

4. STOP MAKING EXERCISE ABOUT HOW YOU LOOK

"The moment I stopped working out for my physical appearance I became more motivated," Mitrea says. "When exercise is all about the way you look, and you fall short of your expectations a few times, you end up just giving up."

Instead of focusing on bigger, more elusive goals (hey, six-pack abs), try setting micro goals that'll help you celebrate smaller victories along the way, like losing 5% of your body weight, nailing a push-up for the first time or running one mile without stopping.

“You should feel amazing about these accomplishments and you should tell someone — an instructor or friend — and be proud and loud,” says Mitrea.

5. DOUBLE TAP OR TAG YOUR FRIENDS ON SOCIAL TO BOOST YOUR FITNESS GAME

Social media can be extremely overwhelming at times (hello, unicorn everything), but it’s a good lever to get some fitness motivation and some social platforms can even help you lose weight!

Healthy social competition and support on social media platforms motivates people to get out and workout more, according to a 2015 report from the University of Pennsylvania Annenberg School for Communication.

“Use social media to hold yourself accountable and help you stay on track and support one another,” says Mitrea. “The main thing is to be thoughtful about goals and who you have as guiding force and motivation — your friends should be excited about same things as you are.”

6. MAKE A BET ON EXERCISE AND YOU'LL WIN TWICE

Okay, so the health benefits of exercise aren't enough to rouse you out of bed at the crack of dawn, but if part of your paycheck is on the line, there’s no way you’re going to miss that workout, right?

Fitness accountability apps, like PACT and Diet Bet, allow participants to set a goal, and if it doesn’t get met, the participant has to part with cold hard cash. And because the payout is attached to your bank account, the idea of backing out is a lot less tempting. On the flip side, if you do meet your goal, you'll win it all back and then some! And it's not just a clever gimmick — a study in the medical journal JAMA found that dieters with a financial incentive were more likely to eat right, exercise and lose weight.

See you tomorrow, 5:00 am?

Content & Image Courtesy: https://www.nbcnews.com/better/pop-culture/how-motivate-yourself-get-out-bed-work-out-today-ncna743006