GR8TR Today Magazine

Living a GR8TR Life Every Day

Health & Fitness

How To Prepare Your Garden In The Fall for Next Spring

As the summer months wean, and the fall and winter months approach, it is time for the gardener to prepare for next year’s bountiful and colorful vegetable and flower gardens. While the temperatures are still mild, there are different chores every gardener must do to prepare themselves for next year’s spring gardening.  From cleaning, storing, and oiling tools to getting ready the soil, many gardeners view the fall as a preparation time for their spring gardening. Here are 8 gardening tips to follow to have a beautiful garden without the backbreaking chores that come in the spring.

  1. Clean the leaves, dead branches, or plants from your garden.  Gardening during the springtime will be less time-consuming and strenuous if you get rid of unwanted plants in the fall.
  2. Trim the bushes and small trees.
  3. Plant bulbs during October for a colorful spring garden. From daffodils, tulips, and crocuses, to Asiatic Lily Blacklist and Dutch Iris Sapphire Beauty, your garden will surely be a beauty to see.  Check the planting periods recommended for the bulbs you buy or want to plant.
  4. Do you want lush grass on your lawn next spring? You need to fertilize and aerate your lawn in the fall, and plant grass seed to obtain great results. Buying a lawn aerator to accomplish this task should not be too expensive, or difficult to accomplish.
  5. Getting your flower pots ready for next spring means you need to clean them and stored them for the winter. The terra cotta pots might break if you leave out in cold climates. For that reason, it is better to store them in your shed in crates or stack them carefully on a shelf.
  6. Bring delicate plants inside to keep them from dying during the winter months. Your lemon tree needs to be inside before the first frost to survive. Any other delicate plants need to have a cool temperature to make it through the winter months.
  7. Store your garden tools in the shed.  Make sure they do not get wet and are safe from the elements.  Your garden hose needs to be stored away as well. Empty your lawnmower from gasoline. You need fresh gasoline next spring for it to start without trouble.
  8. Stored your patio furniture or cover them till spring. A heavy-duty polyester covering can protect your garden furniture from the elements and keep them ready for spring.

Protecting your garden furniture, plants, garden tools, and plants from the winter will make the time you spend gardening more enjoyable in the spring.  If you clean your flower beds, leaves, brush, or dead plants from the garden, you will have more time planning the vegetable garden or design the flower garden you always wanted. Because gardening can be a wonderful hobby and an enjoyable activity, preparation is key to having a wonderful time gardening during the spring.  Fertilizing your front and back yard during the fall might not seem important, but it is if you want to have a beautiful lush lawn during the year. Your local nursery is always a good source of advice if you have a specific question about a plant, tree, or fertilizer.  Moreover, a visit to your local nursery might inspire you to try a new plant or shrub.

Six Reasons to Play Sports

Sports are tough if you do them right.  Practices should be grueling.  Injuries?  Hopefully minor. Less time to study.  Less time to spend with friends.  More aches and pains.   If you are lucky, a few family members show up to support you unless you.  So why do people play sports and why should you?

You may not know this, but large corporations put a high value on hiring people who have played sports at an elite level in the past.  The reason is simple.  They must have confidence, a great work ethic and they have to be competitive to preform well.  They also need to be able to bounce back from a failure because no one wins all the time.  Doesn’t this sound like the perfect employee if you are hiring someone?

But is all starts at a young age and there are other benefits early on where kids can benefit from playing sports even if they do not reach an elite level.

  1. Self Esteem – If you are serious about a sport, then you are going to work on your self esteem and improve it. Very simply, your confidence and belief in yourself are primary factors in winning more.  The nice thing sports do for self esteem is it gives the player a purpose and focus to work on it.  If you only told someone to work on their confidence, with no framework, it is very hard to do.  However, when applied to a clear purpose with clear rules and expectations, it is easier to focus and develop a more positive framework for someone.  This will then translate to other parts of life over time, improving confidence and self-esteem in all areas.
  2. Sticking Up for Yourself – Some people in sports cheat or are very aggressive. While this may seem like a shocking situation the first time it is encountered, it will teach a player to stand up for themselves as well.  Parents with youth athletes should talk with them on how to handle different situations.  Over time, this adds a strength to people who simply do not roll over and take whatever comes their way.
  3. Competitive Drive – Not everything in life needs to be a competition. But let’s face it, many things are.  Some are friendly competitions and other things are real, meaningful competitive situations, like landing a client or getting a job.  Knowing how to compete at a high level is never going to be a skill you regret having in life.
  4. Fitness – This might have been the first thing that came to your mind when you saw the title of this article. Yes, fitness is a big plus.  In some cases, wanting to be better at sports will drive a person to be more fit.  In other cases, the sport is the fitness that a person who may be less serious gets while playing.  Either way, the alternative is probably staring into a screen so playing a sport, even if not at a high level, is good fitness and easier to do than running on a tread mill for an hour.
  5. Becoming a Goal Oriented Person – Initially when you take up a sport, it is normal to dream you are going to be a natural. The hard reality is it takes a lot of work to become competitive at any sport, if you are playing people of the correct level.  This means someone dedicated to being a good athlete must develop goals and have an improvement plan.  It also means managing other parts of your life more carefully to keep free time to develop your skills as an athlete.  All of this leads to a more organized and goal-oriented lifestyle.  That rarely is a bad thing in life.
  6. Unplugging – Lastly, it is hard to unplug. To not be attached to your phone or some other screen all the time.  Playing a sport may be the longest you go without looking at a screen other than sleep.  And the time flies by as you engage in competition and physical activity with a clear goal and requiring great focus and intensity.  Sports are one of the few things that truly still engage us in the real world.  We should be enhancing sports and getting more people competing, to help people stop their screen addictions.

Now for a word of warning.  Sports can be negative for kids as well.  The number one reason I see it being negative is parents applying too much pressure and having unrealistic expectations.  If you are trying to help your child become an elite athlete, you need to start early and have a ten-year plan.  Winning and losing at an early stage means nothing.  It is all about skill development and continually challenging those skills in harder situations.  This means losing to get better.  Winning is easy – just play easier people to beat.  That will not develop your long-term skills though.

Striking the right balance and putting real effort into being a good athlete will not always lead to a pro career, but it will usually lead to a person more ready to take on the world and be a happier, more well adjusted and successful person.

Daily Health Habits

Some of the best things you can do for your body take little effort and will become routine in no time. 

1. Drink more water

Start by buying a reusable water bottle and start carrying it with you wherever you go. Water fountains and kitchen sinks are always around, and to be sure the water is clean look into buying a filtered water bottle. Brita offers a BPA-free filtered bottle for less than $10. A filter lasts over two months and a pack of five filters is less than $20. This will help cut back on plastic waste and will give you fresh, clean water. Staying hydrated will keep you feeling more energized throughout the day, cleanses the body and keeps skin soft. 

When looking to go a step further, start cutting out all soda or energy drinks, which cause dehydration and are linked to many health problems. Even diet soda contains artificial sweeteners that affect the body the same as regular sugars. 

2. Set 10 minutes aside a day to stretch or practice yoga. 

Start taking care of your body. The many benefits of yoga are numerous and the practice of yoga is a very social, doable activity.  Practicing yoga can help strengthen muscles, flexibility, lower blood pressure and can help you combat insomnia. The physical and mental health benefits are longstanding and can help you live a healthier lifestyle without spending too much time in the gym.

If you decide to begin an at home yoga practice, be sure to know your limits and not get discouraged by them. What you can’t do one day may be easy the next, and that’s what keeps it fun. If you’re unsure where to begin, check out Yoga With Adriene, who offers free yoga practices online. Start with a 30-day yoga challenge or a 10-minute beginners yoga flow, see what you like and how it feels. After practicing stretching or yoga for a while, you may feel ready to try different workouts. Try some exercises with light weights, or squats and lunges. 

3. Get outside

Even if it’s just sitting outside to get some sun, be sure to get outside while the weather allows it. Vitamin D does great things for you and can help improve your mood. On top of that, getting fresh air and enjoying nature is an easy thing to do to feel better. Go for a walk, maybe jog and eventually try running. Do what feels best, and check out some of the nature trails or parks in your area. Instead of driving to a close location, try walking there.

4. Buy fruits and vegetables 

Buying fresh is great, check the fruits and vegetables at the store or farmers market to make sure they are not starting to spoil. Store most fruit in the fridge and if it starts to look tired, throw it in a blender. Smoothies are a great way to get lots of great nutrients and there are lots of interesting combinations you can try with your family.

Salads can be a creative way to get vegetables into your diet. Dress them up with cheese, chicken or beans to add some protein into the mix. There’s more to a salad than iceberg lettuce, try spinach, arugula or romaine. Try cooking some recipes you’re used to while adding in a vegetable or fruit with the meal. 

Starting to change your lifestyle may seem scary at first, but these are exciting changes that will improve your quality of life. Be mindful and respectful to your body, and find what you enjoy. Try to be more active every day, and don’t get discouraged if you miss a  day of exercise or eat poorly that day. Begin again the next day and remember you’re bettering yourself and improving your health. It will take time, but the journey will be worth it.

LynAnne Vucovich is a journalist who studied at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. She has a passion for culture, community and cats.

Men and Depression

According to the American Psychiatric Association, the number of women diagnosed with depression is two to four times higher than the number for men, yet in 2012, of the thousands of people that committed suicide, 78% were men.  The disparity is alarming, and there are many reasons why treatment is not sought by men and why the rate of suicide is so high among them.

According to researchers, the view of depression as a “feminine” illness is one of the many reasons men oftentimes do not seek treatment and instead find other methods to cope with depression, among them but not limited to:

  1. Anger
  2. Short temper
  3. Use of drugs, alcohol, and sexual dysfunction
  4. Overwork
  5. Excessive weight gain or loss and insomnia

For men, these are some of the non-traditional symptoms they experience without admitting they are suffering from depression, or oftentimes without even realizing it. Seeking professional help to hep diagnosed and find treatment for their depression is paramount. Many of them turn to alcohol and drugs instead of looking for professional help. Some of them believe they can get through their depression by themselves.

If you need help and are reluctant to seek it, reach to a friend, or a loved one for help first. They may be able to help you reach a professional and start the process of healing.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the suicide rates in the United States have increased since 1999 for every state in the country except Nevada which has seen a decrease of 1%. In Ohio, on the other hand, the state has a  suicide rate increase of 36% since 1999.  And although depression is a mental illness and one of the causes of suicide, it can be preventable and treatable.

If you have a loved one that is suffering from depression or has suicidal thoughts, you should seek help right away.  Depression is serious and help is available through many government agencies.  Calling 911 or the suicide prevention Lifeline 1-800-273 TALK (8255) can get you on the way to health.

Should You Make Your Child a Professional Athlete?

If your child has an inclination for sports, you might be like many parents who fantasize about helping them pursue becoming a professional athlete.  This could include dance, football, tennis, horse showing, baseball, gymnastics, soccer or any number of other physical, competitive pursuits.

I am writing this article to give these parents general advice on things to consider.  I am doing this because we, as a family, are pursuing this kind of goal.  It is fun, but also expensive and a huge amount of time and sacrifice.  Here is what you need to know.

High School sports are fun.  But being top dog in a sport in your high school is not a sign your child can go pro in a sport.  In fact, many players who are serious about their sports do not play high school because the time spent with the high school team takes away from more serious training.  My oldest daughter, for example, was a very good high school tennis player but when she tried to compete in more serious tournaments, she quickly realized younger players were much better than her.  She did not want to go pro anyway, but as a parent, we thought she was hot stuff till we saw what real competition looks like.  Don’t get too excited to early.

Second, remember coaches are there to motivate you, earn a living and try to get the best out of the player they can.  This might result in stroking a parent’s ego a bit on how good a kid is.

Next, have a long term goal, not a short term goal.  Winning is not everything.  Proper training and physical fitness appropriate for the age along with good technique is more important than winning at a young age.  Being a serious tennis family with our youngest means we get to see parents freaking out all the time because their kid loses or has an off day.  Guess what.  Every weekend is another chance to get out there and get better.  But negativity will hurt that long term performance.

This we have seen lead to high stress in kids as well as parents getting divorced.  If you cannot deal with the stress that comes with this level of constant training and competition you may be better off not taking it so seriously.

Also, you should consider money.  Most sports are very cheap to play casually.  Take tennis for example.  Playing on a public court with 3 week old balls is a very cheap way to have fun and stay fit.  However, if you are serious about it, you are going to have 3 or more racquets that are $200ish and have them restrung each month at $35 a pop plus indoor memberships and multiple lessons per week plus a gym membership.  Then you are going to be travelling around your local area and if you are lucky, you will be travelling nationally competing in bigger tournaments and working with specialists.  In the Summer months you might spend $600 per month and Winter closer to $1,000 per month at least.  If you look at the serious Tennis academies in Florida, they are $60,000 per year in many cases.

So that $25 Walmart tennis racquet and old can of balls playing in the park can quickly become a very expensive proposition.  And in case you are wondering, no you cannot become great without some serious money and time.

Of course, there are exceptions when your child is a total freak of nature athlete.  But even then you cannot just pick up a sport in an afternoon.  Strategy and coordination must be learned.

These are just some of the issues you need to think about as a parent of a talented youth athlete.  I am not telling you not to pursue it.  I am saying you need to be realistic about chances and also about your ability to provide the resources to be successful.  Good luck.

How To Protect Your Children From The Summer Heat

Summer vacation is the perfect time for children to enjoy hours of outdoor sports and other activities. However, the summer heat also brings the risk of sunburn and heat exhaustion. These heat related problems can result in simply an irritating sunburn or serious health consequences. This is why it is important for children and parents to know some of the ways they can protect themselves from the sun. This includes knowing what clothing to wear, what places to avoid, and the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Wear The Right Clothing

One of the best ways to beat the summer heat is to dress your children in clothes that will stop them from getting hot. As a general rule, it is best to dress your children in loose clothing that is made out of as light of a material as possible. The clothing should be loose enough to allow the air to circulate, and something like a loose button up shirt will help to increase air circulation. Clothing that is of a light color is preferable, but it is important to avoid dressing your children in heavy clothing that is lightly colored. Brimmed hats will help to prevent sunburn, and will further help to keep them cool.

Avoid Cars And Hot Places

Heat stroke generally occurs when a child is exposed to a hot confined space. This is why parents should make sure that they do not leave their children in hot spaces. One of the most dangerous and common places are car interiors. It is important to never leave a child in a car unattended, and to know that simply opening a car window will not protect your child from heat stroke. Similarly, children should be provided with a shady place to rest. This is especially important during and after exercise when children are most susceptible to heat exhaustion.

Know The Signs Of Heat Exhaustion And Heat Stroke

Finally, parents should know the warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The warning signs of heat exhaustion include redness of skin, excessive sweating, cramps, dizziness, confusion, and drowsiness. The warning signs of heat stroke include cessation of sweating, vomiting, cramps, and high body temperature. Parents should know these warning signs and be vigilant. Children suffering from heat exhaustion should be taken to a cool place, and those suffering from heat stroke need to be taken to the hospital immediately.

What Happens When You Stop Drinking Alcohol?

This is NOT an article about not drinking for two years, or about substance abuse.  I am writing this based on personal experience of developing a bad habit of drinking too frequently in the afternoons and evenings, even though it did not appear to have a negative impact because I was not getting drunk.

There is a large group of people out where who are casual drinkers, who probably drink more frequently than they intended.  I, for one, thought a glass or two of wine daily was good for me, years ago when I started the habit.  Of course, that usually turned into 3-5 glasses in an evening.

Over the last year, I have stopped entirely for a few weeks and then gone back to drinking again, several times.  This has given me a real insight into the positive outcomes of cutting way back on alcohol. I have good data because I wear a fitness tracker and pay attention to the data.  I also run a business and am acutely aware of productivity. Not just butt in seat time, but actually getting shit done.

One important point about this is that one day, either drinking or stopping drinking, is just a blip with little effect.  What I mean by that is the positive effects I list below get stronger the longer you do not drink, and if one day you have a couple of drinks, but do not “start back up” drinking regularly, you are not going to lose all the progress you make.  This article is about changing your trend of drinking from regularly to rarely, and these effects will show themselves over time. 

Productivity

When drinking regularly, I would never work at night unless there was a client emergency. In fact, sometimes I would have a drink at 3 or 4 and really not do much but read the news in the afternoon. One I stopped drinking for more than a week, I actually got rather bored in the afternoons and became much more productive.  When working on projects I enjoyed, I would even work late into the evening because I liked the work, I was focused, and I was making money.  This added thousands of dollars to my revenue per month and I became better at getting things done and learning new things.

Weight Loss

As someone who is not in their 20’s anymore, losing weight and keeping weight off is more difficult.  I would say I eat extremely healthy compared to average, but alcohol leads to eating more other carbs, and that leads to steady weight gain and difficulty losing it again.  The best example is recently I went on a slow-carb diet where I cut out obvious carbs.  I know I can lose weight very steadily on this diet, as I have done it before.  In the first couple of days, not drinking, I lost nearly 6lb.  Then a negative experience with someone gave me an excuse to have a drink, which led to 4 days of drinking wine again steadily.  Even though the diet remained perfect, I gained 2lb during that time.  The only difference was the wine, and it was not excessive.  Three days of cutting out the wine resulted in another 5lb of weight loss.  Especially if you are a little older, you simply cannot lose weight while drinking alcohol.

Better Sleep

This should come as no surprise to anyone, but on average, you sleep better when you are not drinking regularly.  There are other factors like exercise, but alcohol does affect sleep, and sleep is critical to your health and wellbeing.  What I found is that actually, drinking can help you fall asleep faster in the evening, but the issue is that you get a lower quality of sleep and for me, I frequently woke up at 3 AM not feeling great, and at that point, I would have trouble going back to sleep.  This often resulted in only 5 hours of sleep or less overall.  Not drinking would result in about 6.5 hours of sleep or better. This is tracked in the smart device I wear and is based on data, not my personal opinion.

Exercise

For years, I rarely miss a day of getting a good 4-mile walk in, at a minimum.  While not intense, I prefer the low impact regularity of it, and I play tennis and am active in other things as well.  While drinking I did do all these things.  But by not drinking I did them better.  It basically came down to feeling better and simply skipping fewer days, because I didn’t have the excuse of feeling sore or crappy.  The net might only be 10% more exercise when not drinking, but 10% more exercise over a year adds up to a lot more fitness activity.

Savings

People that go out and drink spend a lot per month.  Over time, I really started just drinking to relax at home, which resulted in my only spending $200 to $300 a month on alcohol.  While not outrageous, that is over $3,000 a year which could have been invested, used to fix up something in the house, or reduce high-interest debt.  It is not a game-changer, but should not be ignored either.  Once I stopped spending money on alcohol, I felt a little freer to splurge on things for myself and my family, because I knew I was saving all that money.

Heart Rate

One interesting data point to keep an eye on when you drink is your resting heart rate.  This was the most obvious change that occurred right away.  The resting heart rate reduction and increase would happen the very next day when I would start drinking or stop drinking.  Typically, I was in the Good range anyway because I exercise and eat well.  However, there was a range from 65 to 80 and the single thing that made the biggest impact was alcohol.  Drinking would result in a cumulative 2 point a day increase of about 10 total points if I drink 5 days straight.  Not drinking would result in a loss of 1 – 2 points per day.  High 70’s when I drink, mid 60’s when I do not.  Why is this important?  Less stress on your heart, and it is probably one of the reasons you also sleep better.  I am no doctor, but this is an obvious data point that you can see very easily.

Gain Time

When you start drinking in the afternoon, you tend to relax and chill.  Occasionally this is great.  But if you are doing this multiple times per week, you are probably feeling like you cannot get stuff done.  The reality is the afternoons seem boring when you stop drinking, at first, because you are still alert and have energy.  Over time you will start getting more done at this time and it will seem like your day has many more hours to achieve your goals and get tasks done.

Better Habits

Making positive changes is difficult no matter what.  When you are drinking alcohol regularly, you are less likely to make a positive change or develop new good habits. The fact is, in the evenings your willpower will go down due to drinking.  When your willpower goes down, you start making excuses in your head to do something you are trying not to do (eat sweets) or not do something you are trying to do (go to the gym). If you want to develop good habits, try doing them one at a time and start with reducing your drinking to special occasions or one specific day a week, at most.  Then when you add more habits you want to develop, you won’t let alcohol sabotage the effort.

Tips to Reduce Drinking

  1. Substitute Other Liquids – I find I am accustomed to having a beverage and sipping it.  When I keep a glass of water, unsweetened decaf iced tea, or decaf hot tea with me in the evenings it really reduces my urge to drink alcohol.
  2. Don’t Keep It In The House – This way when you have a bad day, and really want a drink, you have to go out and buy it.  This won’t stop you all the time, but sometimes it will.
  3. Change Habits with Friends – One friend of mine always wanted to go out for drinks.  I started to offer to meet him for breakfast instead, and while we are still friends, we see each other a lot less because he was more interested in a drinking buddy and not as interested in getting together often.
  4. Avoid Labels – Whether you are an Alcoholic, a Social Drinker, an Abuser of Alcohol, a Weekend Binge Drinker, or you just drink to relax is not really the point.  The point is you have to be clear you would like to make a change and stick to a reduction or elimination of alcohol.
  5. Track progress – I found an app called LESS – Alcohol Tracker that is very light, no groups, and does not sell anything.  It just tracks your days without drinking to encourage you to keep streaks up.
  6. Don’t let a drink trick you – When you have one drink, realize your mind will start saying “You already had one, might as well have another…” and the same might go from one day to the next, with reasoning like “You already messed up the week, might as well enjoy it and drink again today.” Or you might even just hear that little voice in your head “…it’s Thursday night…it’s Friday… it’s Saturday … I just mowed the lawn and it is so hot… “ Practice shutting down those excuses your head makes because it is trying to trick you into having “one more drink.”
  7. Seek Treatment – if you are struggling to make a change that sticks, seek treatment.  It is a struggle for many people, and some need more help than others.  The change is worth it.

I hope this article is useful to you.  Please remember I am neither a doctor, psychologist, addiction specialist, or any form of a health expert.  These are just my personal observations over time.  I will still have a drink occasionally, but the more I reflect on what drinking does to me, the less I feel inclined to easily go back to drinking most days of the week.  You are really gaining more time in your day, and more years to live.  You cannot buy more life with money, but you can through your actions.

Don’t Let Your Lifestyle Choose You

One of the most common things that make me think about moving to a different location from Ohio is the idea of being in a place where the healthy lifestyle of people is more prevalent.  It is a legitimate thought as the healthy lifestyle indexes for Ohio are middling at best.

However, just because the averages are not where someone would like it does not mean you need to let the lifestyle of where you live pick you. 

One excuse I often think about is the seasonality of Ohio.  You cannot always do the same things year-round.  We love hiking as a family but not into Winter hiking.  So I tend to do less in Winter.

However, if you look at some of the best places for active lifestyles in the nation, some of the top cities have the same seasons.  Wisconsin, Colorado and Idaho all have highly ranked health indexes based on lifestyles.

So, what can you do to not fall into the trap of a less healthy lifestyle in Ohio or other cold weather locations?

1.      It is critical to have a year-round plan.  You can choose activities that you can do year-round, such as a gym, indoor tennis, racket ball, basketball, working out on equipment you own, etc.

2.      You can also tough out an activity year-round even if it is not traditional.  One person I know who is very fit runs every day year-round with a group except for thunder storms.  All other conditions she goes out, no matter the temperature or condition.

3.      Not planning to do the same thing year-round, know what you can do in each season and have a backup plan for when the weather is not cooperating.

A healthy lifestyle is not just about the exercise.  It is also about diet and let’s face it, we have less healthy places to eat and more easy but bad places to eat.  But this is a matter of planning and doing a bit of research as well.  Places like Chipotle have healthy options for something fast and most places will have healthy options.  If you are looking for a breakfast or lunch, First Watch is a great option that is healthy and sprinkled around the Ohio area.

We are not going to have all the options of a big city on the West coast any time soon but they do exist.  Plan ahead and you will be able to not just default to a bad option when you are famished. 

Plus, you can always start preparing some more things in advance and not needing to grab a meal out as often.  If you are taking care of  more meals at home and taking advantage of outdoor activities such as the wealth of walking paths and hiking trails in Ohio you can save a lot of money, improve your fitness and choose the lifestyle you want, instead of defaulting to the one most common near you.

 

Beginners Guide to Yoga Types

The practice of yoga has developed for thousands of years and more attainable than ever before. Yoga studios are in every town, and Youtube channels like Yoga with Adriene ensure than there’s a practice for everyone out there. Yoga is about challenging yourself to better yourself and it’s an exciting journey. Here are seven common types of yoga to get started.

Iyengar Yoga

Iyengar Yoga is a branch of yoga that focuses heavily on proper alignment and relaxation. This style of practice is heavily modified with props such as straps, blocks and chairs. This method is perfect for those with aching bodies or handicaps and beginners. The tempo in this practice is slow and gentle, allowing you to reach full relaxation, with proper alignment in a number of poses. Iyengar increases stamina, flexibility and strength while promoting inward reflection and developing focus. By focusing on alignment, this practice will bring new strength to less used areas of the body.

Hatha Yoga

 

This is a more traditional practice of yogic poses and breath work meant to cultivate the body, mind and spirit. Any yoga practice that leads one through poses is considered Hatha and has been used to describe many Western practices of yoga. A typical Hatha practice will guide you through an asana, yoga postures and sequences, and pranayama, breathing techniques. A class described as Hatha won’t leave you feeling sore, but more flexible and calm.

Bikram Yoga

Bikram yoga is a practice containing 26 postures that are performed in a studio that is heated to temperatures over 90°F. This yoga practice has become the basis for hot yoga classes, which differ through postures taught during practices. These special poses are shown to work every part of the body and give attention to the internal organs, muscles and ligaments. These positions are meant to work together with the heat to release every benefit possible from the practice.

Yin Yoga

Yin Yoga’s purpose is to release tension in the body to allow energy to flow more freely. Poses are held for 45 seconds to 3 minutes typically, soothing joints and allowing moments of deep focus and meditation. This branch of yoga is slow paced, and deeply relaxing. Beginners, those with limited mobility and highly stressed persons will appreciate this class that promotes patience and is a great way to get started on a yoga journey.

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini is a practice for those who are looking for a deeper, more spiritual connection through yoga. Besides yoga poses and flows, Kundalini incorporates chanting and meditation throughout the routine. This style’s purpose is to awaken the energy at the base of the spine to flow into all seven chakras. The yogic devotion allows the mind to become clear and feel more in tune with oneself. Some yogis describe having a sort of awakening through this style of practice that allows them to see their potential and purpose in life.

Vinyasa Yoga

This is one of the more common types of practice, especially in the West. Vinyasa flows yoga postures together, by moving with the breath. The practices are usually never the same and move through asanas at a faster pace than Yin yoga. Breath is the driving force of this practice and leads you to your intentions and movements. While moving through a flow, you might find yourself beginning on your hands and knees and then transitioning into down dog. Ujjayi breath is encouraged during this practice, a rhythmic breath through the nose, which increases relaxation.

Sivananda Yoga

Sivananda is another style for those looking to grow a deeper connection through yoga. This practice follows five principles, designed to improve mind, body and spirit. Sivananda uses exercise, breath work, relaxation, a vegetarian diet and meditation as a way to live a more full, healthy life. Beginning in this practice is fairly easy, as it begins with 12 basic poses to master before moving on. This is slow, mindful work that will promote a balanced way of living.  

Yoga is meant to create discipline and higher relaxation in life and has numerous benefits for mental and physical health. Connecting to the breath is an important step, and accepting your body where it’s at that day is vital. Some days might be more difficult than others, or some styles of yoga might not be for you, but don’t give up on the process.

LynAnne Vucovich is a journalist who studied at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. She has a passion for culture, community and cats.

Busy Parents Exercise Tricks

Parents juggle a lot of demands, but they need to stay in peak health as well to keep up with the family, both mentally and physically.

If you read the countless studies about depression, exercise is one of the many paths a person can take to combat this debilitating illness.  In the United States and According to the CDC-The Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention-in 2017-2018, 42.4% of the adults 20 and over were overweight. That statistic is likely to be higher with more recent data because the trends of obesity continue to climb.

For many Americans, finding the time to exercise can be difficult if one considers the juggling act of balancing work outside the home, taking care of children, and in some instances taking care of aging parents. Time can be difficult to find as more and more daily chores accumulate in one’s life. Nevertheless, exercise should be at the top of anyone’s list and should be considered an activity one must do to promote healthy living among family members.

Choosing the right exercise and diet has to begin with our free will to become healthier, and to change the way we do things if we are unhealthy.  Doctors, parents, spouses, or significant others cannot tell us to do something if we are not ready to do so. The decision has to be taken on our own.

For any parent that wants to lose weight, and want to do it guilt-free, it is very important to schedule a time where you can do the exercise at the same time every day to form a habit. Exercise can extend one’s life expectancy, and that’s worth the time, and the effort it takes to exercise.

Here are some ideas for the best time to exercise daily:

  1. Right after you drop your kids at school-This is especially convenient if you work from home or are taking some time off to raise your kids.
  2. Afternoons are very convenient for many people. During the summer months where the days are longer, walking outside after dinner can be a great time for any parent to jog or walk a mile or two.
  3. Early morning-Before your kids wake up and need to get them ready for school, twenty minutes of exercise will lift your mood and get you ready to start your day
  4. Late at night-After you send your kids to bed, you might want to relax after an arduous, hectic day. But,  twenty minutes of exercise before bed will allow you to sleep better and lose weight.
  5. Before picking your children from school-Any time you have free before you need to pick up your children from school. You can exercise, and shower and be ready to pick them up and help them with homework before dinner time.


If you choose a time to exercise and it doesn’t work out very well, change it. You can change the days, the time and the exercise you want to do. But, if you start the exercise, try it for two weeks before quitting.  It is a habit one is forming, and it takes time to stick to it.

For any parent, free time is never abundant.  But exercising should be an activity that takes priority over other meaningless ones.  Watching TV, checking Facebook, Twitter, or other social media platforms takes more time than we want to admit. Unfortunately, those activities bring us no health benefits, yet we continue to do them religiously.

Start exercising today, you will be a healthier person for yourself and your family.