However, there is a yin to our yang, and a dark side to taking exercise a little too far. Overtraining is becoming a serious problem among athletes, body builders, and even weekend warriors as they struggle to keep up a grueling pace long despite the fact the body can no longer keep up with the stress.

The key to proper exercise is to find a balance between your intensity and frequency, so you can keep the following side effects to a minimum.

Side Effects of Overtraining

• Persistent muscle soreness or general aches and pains
• Feelings of Heaviness or Depression, lack of motivation
• Inability to finish a session (that you previously found easy to complete)
• Fatigue, exhaustion, and lack of energy
• Insomnia and headaches
• A plateau in weight loss or performance

How to Counteract these Symptoms

Many people automatically assume that the best way to treat overtraining is to start working on a different part of the body: after all, you’re working different muscle groups, so obviously you’re giving your body a chance to heal, right?

Wrong!

Although there is a kernel of truth in thinking that switching up your routine from day to day can help prevent the onset of overtraining, one of the best ways to recovery from the workout stress is to give yourself a small break.

You don’t have to give up exercise completely – just give yourself a few days of rest and relaxation, then ease up on your workout intensity. While you’re chilling at home on the couch, be sure to provide your body with a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, in order to ensure that your muscles have the nutrients they need to repair and restore connective tissues.

Additionally, many people find that by getting enough sleep each night, they are more likely to have the energy they need to push through their workout rut and take control of their weight loss once again.

Health Benefits of Strength Training

Better balance and stability: If you’ve ever seen those supermodels who look so thin that they’d blow away, then you might want to keep in mind that Being healthy is more than just being slim and sexy. The more muscle you build, the less likely you’ll be knocked around by the slightest breeze.

Better Heart Health: Strength training significantly lowers your chance of coronary failure and stroke by lowering your LDL (bad) levels of cholesterol and triglyceride count. The more muscle you build, the stronger your heart and the more efficient it becomes at pumping blood throughout the body.

Better Self-Esteem: There’s a difference between looking gaunt and looking toned, and that’s pure muscle, baby. If you’re planning on losing weight, be sure to balance your cardio with your strength training. With lean muscle, you have the added self-esteem of knowing that you look as good and healthy as you feel rather than simply feeling small and thin.

Better Weight-Loss: Cardio is often dubbed the king of the weight loss world due to its ability to get the heart pumping and the calories burning. However, you can still burn extra calories through strength training, and studies have shown that regular strength training can improve your body’s ability to metabolize fat, meaning you’ll not only lose weight but keep it off in the long run.

Get Those Muscles Moving

Staying fit and staying healthy requires a healthy diet and regular exercise, and by regular exercise, we don’t mean the same number of laps around the track every day. Keep your workout fresh and fun by trying new machines and adding strength training to your workout regimen. Not only will you feel good, but you’ll look good as well.

Does it ever seem like your days just flow from one to the next, never stopping long enough to let you breathe? Or perhaps your regular 8 hour shift is draining your time and creativity, so by the end of the day you’re not only exhausted but mildly depressed about how you never have time to enjoy yourself.

Well perk up people!

This is your life. Right now. This very moment. And you only get one.

Just because you’re busy doesn’t mean you have to go through life with a frown permanently etched into your face, looking unhappy even when you’re not thinking about it. Instead, take a moment to reflect on your life and see where you need to improve. Then do it. Not next weekend when you finally have work off. Not tomorrow morning when you have a free hour to sleep in. Today.

If you need a few ideas to get you on the right track, then these tips and tricks may give you something to get started.

6 Tips to Happier You

1. Catch some Zzs: Sleep deprivation can lead to mood swings and irritability, so getting enough sleep can help put a little sparkle back into your dead-eyed look. Sometimes a twenty-minute nap can leave you refreshed and ready to take on the world.

2. Start a hobby: Even if you feel as though you have no creative talent or abilities whatsoever, taking up a hobby can result in a more satisfying and engaging life. Branch out by learning some new cooking skills. Relieve your stress by writing haikus while doing the laundry.

3. Find a Friend: Too often we focus on ourselves – what we want, what we need, what we have to do to be happy. However, the best solution is to shift our focus from our miserable selves to serving someone else. A good friend can give you the support you need during tough times, and a smiling face can help cheer your day.

4. Meditation: Even if you’re not religious, studies have shown that those who allow time for quiet meditation are more likely to lead healthier lives. Not only does finding a religion give you a focus outside of yourself to do good, but it can help you feel a spiritual connection to the world around you. If you’re atheist, then a few moments of deep thought may be enough to add a little extra focus to your life.

5. Eat some chocolate: Indulging in a little chocolate on occasion won’t completely blow your diet, and in fact, dark chocolate is rich in anti-oxidants that can help you lead a healthier happier life. So savor a small piece of your favorite sweet.

6. Smile: Even if you don’t feel like smiling, moving those muscles can trigger the release of serotonin in your brain, which will help you feel good overall. Additionally, people are more attracted to a person with a confident smile than to those with persistent frowns.

Final Thoughts

You don’t have to climb Mount Everest or win a nobel prize to lead a meaningful and engaging life, and hopefully with these easy to try tips, you can start living a happier one. Make each day worth living, and as the old adage states, “When life gives you a hundred reasons to cry, show life that you have a thousand reasons to smile.”

For more tips for living a happier, healthier life, you can click here and down load your own calendar.

If you feel stuck in the doldrums and the world looks gray and boring, then perhaps it’s time to add a little extra spark to your life and find the adventure in everyday things. Finding happiness in the little things can add a new depth and perspective to your ordinary routine. Although you don’t have to put all your life’s savings into purchasing a bunch of balloons and heading to South America, you can add a little color to your life with easy and fun tips.

20 Ways to Add Adventure to Your Life

1. Attend a play at your local high school or theater
2. Go outside and find 5 different types of leaves on the ground (note color and shape)
3. Take a class on a subject you’ve always wanted to learn about – there’s no time like the present!
4. Try a new and unusual hobby – collect pins, making art with wood burning, learn a new instrument
5. Drive to a nearby place that you’ve always seen but never actually gone to
6. Go for a nature walk
7. Have a picnic in your living room
8. Take bubble bath and light it with candles
9. Hug Somebody
10. Say “Hi” to the fifth person you make eye contact with on the street
11. Do something scary (but not dangerous) –such as go through a haunted corn maze
12. Try going to a new restaurant, order something completely unfamiliar
13. Type in “Local Attractions” into Google and see what looks interesting
14. Learn Morse Code
15. Leave a secret message for yourself
16. Find a new band to listen to
17. Go without a sense for the day (tie a blindfold around your eyes or wear earplugs)
18. Go people watching – imagine what their lives are like
19. Roast marshmallows – over a candle if you can’t light a fire outside
20. Buy an unusual hat or accessory and wear it to work or school –see how many people notice

And remember, the great Charles Muntz once said, “Adventure is out there!”

By taking time to unwind and de-stress, you’ll not only put give your body a chance to recover physically but you’ll be able to keep yourself from hitting that horrifying breaking point that sends friends and family scurrying behind closed doors.

Try any or all of these relaxing tips and see which works best for you. Don’t be afraid to try something new, you never know what will work unless you test it out for yourself.

5 Ways to Relax

• Breathe deeply. Focus on breathing from the lower abs and chest. Turn, “Out with the bad air, in with the good,” into your personal mantra.

• 1 minute vacations. If you can’t escape from your office cubicle, set your phone or watch timer to 1 minute, close your eyes, and imagine yourself elsewhere. The beach. The moon. They’re your thoughts, so you have no limit.

• Let your tongue loll. No, not the “laugh out loud” lol (though that’s a good for relaxation too). Normally the tongue is held tight against the teeth. Instead, relax the jaw and just let your tongue hang loose for a few moments.

• Slow down. If you feel like you’re rushing, then you’re probably stressing. Moving quickly doesn’t necessarily mean your project will get done that much faster.

• Listen to the classics. No school like the old school. There’s a certain calming charm about old music, whether it’s classical or simply your favorite song from the 60s, bask the slow-time tunes of times when lyrics actually meant something.

So let’s take a moment to breathe shall we?

A Breath of Fresh Air

Breathing is a natural part of life. Even newborn infants are born with the survival instinct to breathe.

If you’ve ever watched a children sleeping peacefully, you’d have noticed how their round tummies inflate fully with every breath, like small balloons.

However, as we age, a few of us forget how to breathe.

There are three types of breathing:
• Low breathing from the diaphragm (this expands the stomach)
• Middle breathing from the chest (expands the ribcage)
• High Breathing from the upper chest (results in short shallow breaths)

In order to rejuvenate your life, practice deep breathing, being fully aware of every inhale and exhale. Do not hold your breath too long or breathe too quickly (which will make you dizzy), but takes some time to fill your lungs with a breath of fresh air.

Benefits of Deep Breathing

1. It releases tension
2. It releases toxins
3. It brings
4. It massages your organs
5. It improves posture
6. It strengthens the immune system
7. It strengthens the heart
8. It assists in weight control
9. It elevates mood
10. It improves digestion

Conclusion

With all these benefits to breathing deeply it would be a good idea to take a moment and use those lungs of yours to their fullest capacity. Just as our bodies die without air to breathe, our souls die if we don’t take time to enjoy it.

And remember, “Breathing is the greatest pleasure in life.” –Giovanni Papini

Turns out, a little cat nap is good for you every once in a while.

Medically speaking…

According to the National Sleep Foundation, Naps have the following benefits:

*Naps can restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. A study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.

*Naps can increase alertness in the period directly following the nap and may extend alertness a few hours later in the day.

*Scheduled napping has also been prescribed for those who are affected by narcolepsy.

*Napping has psychological benefits. A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation.

And further studies have shown that those who take naps on a regular basis will live longer, healthier lives.

Why Do I like Naps?

Naps help to relieve stress. It’s true. It’s amazing how much more I can accomplish if I don’t have to prop my eyelids open every couple of minutes. In fact, I will personally guarantee you that a quick 20 minute nap will not only boost your productivity, but improve your memory as well.

Can’t Sleep?

Here are a few effective tips for catching a few extra Zzz’s. Trust me. Napping is just that good for you.

*Make sure you’re comfortable. You’re not going to sleep If your glasses squash into the side of your head every time you roll over.

*Add a little white noise—there are multiple apps available for phones, tablets, and pcs that can help soothe you into slumber. My personal favorite is a combination of wind chimes, ocean waves, and heavy rain.

*Think of something dreamy. Don’t just sit there looking at the back of your eyelids. Use a little imagination and put yourself somewhere pleasant—perhaps in the middle of a beach house during a heavy rain?

*Make sure your nap isn’t too late in the day—it may mess with your regular sleeping schedule.

And For Your Enjoyment

Click Here

A definition of music therapy is: “Music therapy is an allied health profession and a field of scientific research which studies correlations between the process of clinical therapy and biomusicology, musical acoustics, music theory, psychoacoustics, embodied music cognition, aesthetics of music, and comparative musicology. It is an interpersonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their health. Music therapists primarily help clients improve their observable level of functioning and self-reported quality of life in various domains (e.g., cognitive functioning, motor skills, emotional and affective development, behavior and social skills) by using music experiences (e.g., singing, songwriting, listening to and discussing music, moving to music) to achieve measurable treatment goals and objectives. Referrals to music therapy services may be made by a treating physician or an interdisciplinary team consisting of clinicians such as physicians, psychologists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists.”

Music therapy interventions can be designed to:
promote wellness
manage stress
alleviate pain
express feelings
enhance memory
improve communication
promote physical rehabilitation.

Research in music therapy supports its effectiveness in a wide variety of healthcare and educational settings. It’s used a lot in helping relieve pain in chronic sufferers, relieve mental illness, and also assists in pain management for hospice patients.

Brain Waves: Research has shown that music with a strong beat can stimulate brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm, meditative state. Also, research has found that the change in brainwave activity levels that music can bring can also enable the brain to shift speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening.

Breathing and Heart Rate: With alterations in brainwaves comes changes in other bodily functions. Those governed by the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing and heart rate can also be altered by the changes music can bring. This can mean slower breathing, slower heart rate, and an activation of the relaxation response, among other things. This is why music and music therapy can help counteract or prevent the damaging effects of chronic stress, greatly promoting not only relaxation, but health.

State of Mind: Music can also be used to bring a more positive state of mind, helping to keep depression and anxiety at bay. This can help prevent the stress response from wreaking havoc on the body, and can help keep creativity and optimism levels higher, bringing many other benefits.

Other Benefits: Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure (which can also reduce the risk of stroke and other health problems over time), boost immunity, ease muscle tension, and more. With so many benefits and such profound physical effects, it’s no surprise that so many are seeing music as an important tool to help the body in staying (or becoming) healthy.
(Information found at: www.americanmusicassociation.com)

Studies have proven that meditating can actually restructure your brain allowing better concentration and the ability to cope with stress. The one thing that may surprise you is science has even suggested that meditating helps you feel greater compassion.

Meditation through yoga can influence your experience of the world. Just how much yoga or meditation does it take to make a difference?

Different studies have different suggestions for the amount of meditation it takes to have a direct impact on the changes in the brain. Some studies say it takes minutes or weeks. Putting in a minimal investment into yoga might not pay off. For better well-being and mental clarity it is probably best you make meditation a part of your daily routine for full benefits.

Meditation through yoga doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. Daily sessions can range from 10-90 minutes. If you aren’t in the regular habit just yet, starting with just ten minutes is sufficient until you figure out a routine that is best for you.

Yoga doesn’t have to be practiced at a studio or gym. You can begin to take yoga at home. Mindfulness and meditation requires some concentration so choose a place where you feel comfortable and can find peace

Thousands of years ago the Indians sage and Buddha understood the significance of meditation for mental health. Now, we have the science to literally prove that meditation has a positive impact on emotions and health.

In society today, people are always go-go-go. This kind of atmosphere is just another contributor for high stress. It does a body good to relax occasionally. Meditation is a therapeutic way to rejuvenate your mind and body temporarily. However, taking a vacation centralized on relaxing is something a lot more people should consider.

Vacations in and of themselves are relaxing. The only thing more relaxing than a vacation is a vacation centered around relaxation techniques, methods, and activities.

Health travel is actually a more recent trend. Health tourism sets aside daily drama, pushes away pressure, and allows you to simple relax.

Health-related travel is becoming popular for several reasons. Most people enjoy health travel because it improves your well-being, rejuvenates your body, and even teaches you the healing traditions of other cultures.

If you don’t necessarily want to travel abroad or spend tons of money, these types of vacations are becoming so popular more health travel facilities and packages are becoming available almost anywhere. Some packages include detox packages, Ayurveda packages, and rejuvenation packages.

Health travels can also include traditional spa retreats, health cruises, stress management retreats, or fitness resorts.

For a great experience and for much needed relaxation, a stress-free vacation and health travel tourism might be just what you need.