At this site we seek to educate and illuminate on crucial health issues for women, and the people they love. We cover women’s health, men’s health, nutrition, weight loss and more.
Five Fun Boredom-Free Exercises
Exercising is one of the most important things that you can do for your health, but even the best workout routine can start to get dull after a while. We have a low boredom threshold, so if your routine starts to get boring, you could be in danger of skimping on your workouts.
But changing up your exercise a couple of times a week could be just what you need to keep boredom at bay. Here are five fun boredom free exercises to try if you feel you are in real need of a change.
Belly Dancing
Dancing of any type is known to burn calories. One of the best forms of dancing to include in your workout regimen is belly dancing. Belly dancing is a type of dance that focuses on isolating and using your muscles to move your body. On top of the great cardio workout that you get from dancing, belly dancing works ab muscles that may not get used often.
Spinning Classes
When you poke your head into a spinning class, you will see rows and rows of stationary bikes. You may begin to think that this will just be your usual bike ride. Think again. A spinning class is like a bike ride turned on its head. A spinning class will leave you exhausted and wanting more if the teacher and music are good. Do it no more than every other day in order to rest your muscles.
Ice Skating or Roller Skating
This exercise may seem more like something that you see children do. It is the same exercise. Gliding on the ice on a pair of skates is an exercise in control as well as a great calorie burn. It takes many muscles to keep you upright on the thin blade of a pair of ice skates. Roller skating also works a lot of muscles in a fun way So lace up and get going.
Boxing or Kickboxing
Have you ever watched a boxing match and wondered how those guys stay in such great shape? Boxing is a great workout for your upper body and your legs. The movements of your legs as you lean to punch the bag will get you toned in no time. You can begin by using a punching bag to help you get into shape. As you learn more about boxing, you can even move on to sparring with partners.
To add even more intensity, try kickboxing, for a whole body workout that will keep you fit and fascinated with the endless variations in each work out.
Swimming
There is a reason why swimmers have such toned bodies. Swimming is a sport that works every muscle group as you go through your laps. This exercise is one that can be done by people at any level of fitness. Jump in the water and swim your way to a healthy body.
Workouts do not need to be tedious. There are many fun and exciting exercises that you can incorporate into your workout week to change things up, work different muscles, and just have fun. Try one of these five boredom free exercises and use what you learn to revitalize your workouts.
FURTHER READING
70 Top Exercise and Fitness Tips for Busy People
Fitness Basics: How to Add Exercise Easily to Your Day, and Every Day
33 Health Facts: Exercise and Fitness
Protecting Children from the Risks of Hot Cars in Warm Weather
Since the late nineties, the incidence of children dying from being left in hot automobiles has increased. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a child dies every ten minutes from one cause or another. Learn to prevent another child from becoming a statistic.
Just the Facts
Children’s bodies react in different ways to the same stimuli. For instance, on a hot day, a child’s body temperature will rise a lot quicker than an adult’s in response to the heat. In fact, it can rise as much as five times faster.
Heating and cooling systems within a small body are also not fully regulated. While their bodies heat up faster, they can also cool off a lot more slowly than an adult. This can pose problems on a car ride on a hot day.
Tips to Help Prevent Vehicular Hyperthermia
* Be aware of where your child is at all times getting in and out of the car – Some fatalities have been due to the parent not realizing that the child was still in the car until it was too late. They might have been sleeping and they decided to wait to wake them til they had unloaded the car. If you are transporting your child to school but usually don’t, ask your spouse to call you and remind you to drop the child off at school or daycare. Place the car seat behind the passenger seat so that you can see your child in the rear view mirror.
* Don’t leave a child in a car alone at any time – Even if you are running into the gas station or back into the house for a moment, take your child with you. Sunlight comes through all sides and areas of the car, the metal, through the glass of the windows and so on. Air-conditioning doesn’t prevent a child’s body temperature from rising when the car is idling. It is like roasting in a tin can.
* Keep the car locked – Toddlers can open doors or use keyless entry devices to get into a car. Once inside, getting out may be harder to accomplish. In hot weather they may fall asleep inside without anyone being aware that they are hiding or playing around until it is too late.
* The car is not a play area – Never permit your child to play in a car so they don’t get used to the idea and think it is okay to do so.
* Check the car before leaving it – Most of us are in a hurry and hop out of the car without even looking back. Check all areas of your vehicle before moving on. Some of the clever ones can pop their belts to go lay on the floor to rest or to get out of the sun, but the heat inside can still be dangerous as it builds up with the car standing in the sweltering sun.
* Set reminders – If you are dropping off your child at school, set an alarmed reminder on your cell phone to keep you on track. You can also use your calendar in your free yahoo email account to set and send regular reminders to you as you rush around during your busy day.
On a warm, sunny day, your car can get so hot so fast that you can even bake cookies on your dashboard. So prevent hot cars and children from becoming a safety issue by planning ahead and being vigilant at all times.
Food Safety for the Summer Barbecue
Barbecuing is more than a summer event. People are beginning to use their grills whenever the weather permits. But the main time of year to enjoy a good barbecue is in the summer. Here are some tips to have a safe and healthy cookout as the temperatures rise.
Barbeques are fun and family-oriented and everyone wants to have a good time, so make sure that you prepare and handle food in a safe manner so that no one gets sick.
How to Keep Food Safe
One of the types of bacteria that people can contract from unhealthy food preparation is Salmonella. It can result from undercooked poultry and from cross-contamination due to the raw food coming into contact with other foods on the grill. Here are a few food tips to keep you safe:
* Keep raw foods away from cooked foods – All foods contain some sort of bacteria. That is why washing and proper temperature when cooking are important. Introducing blood from raw meat in an area with cooked food re-contaminates the cooked food. Also pay attention to the utensils that you use. If you pick up raw meat with tongs, use a different pair for removing cooked meat from the grill.
* Precook as many foods as you can – Do not rely on the barbecue to cook things all the way through, or to a hot enough temperature to kill all bacteria like Salmonella. Reduce cooking time and bacterial contamination by defrosting frozen meats in the microwave. Sautéing chicken in a skillet before putting it on the grill keeps you from carrying around raw meat, especially if you are transporting foods from home to another venue.
* Throw away used marinade – When marinating meat, throw away the excess when you remove the raw meat from it. It will have been sitting there accumulating bacteria from the juices of the raw meat and can be a breeding ground for stomach upsets to occur. If you want to baste your meat on the grill, save some marinade that has not come in contact with any raw food. Wash well anything that has come into contact with the raw food.
* Keep cold foods cold – Improper refrigeration can lead to food poisoning. This also goes for cold salads that have a mayonnaise base. When buying meats from the store, carry a cooler or a freezer bag to transport them home so that they don’t come to room temperature and spoil.
* Wash everything – This is especially important if you are barbequing at a separate venue. Bring dishwashing soap and a jug of water. Use it to not only wash hands after handling raw food and cooked food but also to soak dirty utensils rather than put them down on a surface and risk cross-contamination. Also wash or rinse between uses, such as turning the chicken and then the hot dogs.
Do not forget to start and end with a clean grill, especially if you are using one at a local park, beach or campsite.
* Cook meat thoroughly – Avoiding cross-contamination is only part of the solution. Raw meats need to be properly cooked to an internal temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Sometimes the temperature is higher depending on the type of meat.
* Refrigerate any leftovers or use within 2 hours – It is recommended that cooked meat be refrigerated no more than two hours after coming off the grill. Food that sits at room temperature too long is not safe to eat, especially in hot weather. Cold salads need to be refrigerated sooner to avoid any problems with leftovers later. If you don’t plan on eating it later, either eat it within 2 hours or throw it away.
Use these tips to keep your summer barbecues safe and healthy.
Free ecourse on secrets to healthy weight loss
Grab your free ecourse on Secrets to Healthy Weight Loss to get started on your new year’s resolution.