Aerial Yoga

I stumbled upon this post on Glamour Magazine, and it looks so much fun! Aerial Yoga - it has two features that draw me towards it. 1) It uses a circus hammock, and I've never had or used a hammock, and 2) it's yoga in mid-air! I wonder if the instructor leads the class upside down too.

Aerial Yoga classes are held in numerous states across USA and in various countries across the world, such as Portugal, Estonia, Russia, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Holland, etc. Here's a photo of what it looks like from Glamour Magazine:

Credits: Glamour Magazine

Has anyone tried it? How does it compare to regular yoga? Share your experiences below! ^_^

Combating Sedentary Lifestyle - Take Action!

Hope you were able to make changes to your lifestyle? Did you come up with interesting ideas to overcome your habits that lead to a sedentary lifestyle? I hope so! If you need another look at the post (because I know it's been quite some time since!), here's the link: "Factors Leading to the Sitting Disease"

We discussed technology as one of the leading contributors of sedentary lifestyle. Can we stop technological sciences from progressing? No, and I don't think we should wish for that either. We do know ourselves though, ever since each of us was born. We understand our hardships, strengths, and habits that maybe the one closest to you might not know. Why don't we adjust instead? For example, I can push the idea of working out by so much that I end up skipping it for the day. But if I'm in my workout clothes, I feel more motivated. Therefore, at night I make sure to keep my clothes hung nearby; this way, when I wake up, I will be less lazy by seeing the clothes right in front of me. I will change and get right into exercise mode.    

Pick a day and subconsciously observe your normal routine. Notice how often you use the computer/laptop, watch TV, use your car to drive to a destination 1 to 1.5 miles away, etc. Make a list of those activities that you feel can use some physical exertion. I'm not saying that you should use a pestle and mortar to powder black peppers or coriander seeds (although it can really work your arms!); I wouldn't recommend ditching the washing machine to wash clothes by hand. The calories burned aren't work the time spent. Do it only if you have items that absolutely need to be hand washed or is a delicate fabric.


Add lunges while vacuuming! When pushing the vacuum forward, lunge down, and come back up while pulling the vacuum cleaner towards you. Remember to feel the pressure on your glutes (hip muscles) and thighs. Repeat this motion with the other leg too, and keep it up during the whole vacuum routine.

Credits to Nano Workout

Another thing you can do is to really focus on your arms. When extending your arm to push the vacuum, feel the pressure on your triceps. Then when pulling the vacuum back, feel your biceps do the work.

Do squats while cleaning the window! When cleaning with your hand in an up-down motion, squat down every time you slide the rag down against the window, then stand back up when working towards the top of the window. If your window is a little taller, great opportunity to do calf raises as you reach up!

Credits to bettaliving.co.uk

Washing dishes? Standing leg extensions (backwards)! Keeping your leg straight, raise your leg backwards. You will feel this in your hamstrings (back of the thigh muscles), and on your glutes. Repeat it on the same leg a number of times, whichever number is convenient to you, then do the same with the other leg. For example,if you did 10 times with your left leg, do 10 on the right leg too.

Here are more tips to incorporate exercises in your daily life:

  

Maintaining a workout routine is definitely helpful if you have a sedentary lifestyle, an hour a day is   If you're wanting to maintain your current weight, exercise 3, maybe 4 times a week. If you're trying to lose weight, exercise 5-6 times a week.

For every hour spent on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games, take a 5 or 10 minute break to move. Stand up and walk around the house or hit the stairs, anything to boost the blood flow which has been restricted in your seated position. Please try to avoid snacking during this break. Instead, drink some water! The majority of us sitting in front of screens don't drink enough water, so replenish yourselves.
At the same time, don't eat anything when in front of the screen. Like I discussed in my previous post about sedentary lifestyle factors, it's a natural instinct to crave something to eat. Once you start eating, there's no limit to it; and before you know it, you will have finished a family size bag of chips!

If you do feel like eating, grab something healthy and arrange your plate to keep a decent portion size. When you do this, eat at the dining table, or anywhere away from the screen. Let the food be your focus of attention; this way, you'll feel fuller, and better satiated than snacking nonstop.  Do not grab an infinite supply of the food, like a full bag of peanuts, or the whole box of raisins to munch. Check out these healthy ideas:

 
       
At the end, stay on the lookout for ways to incorporate physical activity around your schedule, with regular exercise, creating workouts out of your routinely activities, and limiting the amount of time spent in front of the screen or sitting.

Share how you made these changes!

Sedentary Lifestyle - Factors Leading to the "Sitting Disease"

As I mentioned in Good Posture For a Better You Part 2, here's to analyzing the dangers of a sedentary lifestyle.

Sedentary lifestyle, or as WebMD calls it a "Sitting Disease", is rapidly growing. The #1 factor leading to this is: technology. As repetitive as it may sound, it really is one of the major root causes of our sedentary lifestyle. And I'm not just referring to computers/laptops here, but any other devices that reduce physical labor.

Gone are the days when women washed clothes by hand (in most households), rubbing and scrubbing all the dirty scuffs, rolling and wringing the clothes dry, and finally hanging them on the line. All these efforts are replaced by washing machines and dryers. All you have to do, is toss the clothes in the washing machine, then transfer them to the dryer when they're done.

Let's be honest, technology is about reducing manual work, increasing your level of comfort, and promote more luxury for the mankind.

I found this world map showing approximate statistics for the level of inactivity between men and women across the globe, take a look:




Very few places have carpet brooms, where you squat down and brush the dust and debris off of rugs and carpets. They're replaced with vacuum cleaners or carpet steam cleaners. Don't get me wrong, vacuuming does burn some calories, but not as much as the old carpet brooms. You see what I'm saying?

Every now and then, not only do I hear moms complaining about their children playing video games 24/7, but it's an unsettled affair among some couples as well. TV, and computers have been around for ages now, providing entertainment 24/7, but the gaming industry has been booming exponentially. As you might notice, there are a lot more people, as old as late 30s, who play video games regularly. The heightened sense of gaming pleasure results from better graphics, more role-playing games, and greater interactivity with the games. A popular genre has been that of MMOGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Games) which tend to be more engaging by bringing together gamers from all over the world. You might have heard of some of these, such as Guild Wars, Runescape, League of Legends, etc.



While we're engaged on-screen for prolonged hours, it's natural to reach for something to eat. The downside to it, is that you can eat infinitely! Not to mention the haphazard food choices, mainly consisting of quick foods, ranging from microwave meals to a mere ketchup sandwich; otherwise snacking on a bag of chips, pack of cookies, soda, or sugary energy drinks, and the list goes on. If you have a game party at home, everyone's snacking and playing, which can easily last for up to 5 hours. This is one of the psychological loopholes I used to finish my pack of carrots because they went bad. I ate them while chatting with a friend, and before I knew it, the carrots were gone! Simultaneously, there are some computer or gaming addicts who even forget to eat, easily spending hours with an empty stomach, which is equally unhealthy.
          
It seems like we exist with two extremes - those who are all about sports, and those who enjoy video games and other computer-related sitting activities. And to be fair, there is a population of some who manage to be engaged in both, kudos to you!

Here's a short story about Ricky Naputi from Guam, I watched this episode last year from the show 900 Pound Man on TLC. I'm sure some of you might be familiar with it:



Now don't get me wrong. I'm not targeting any race, ethnicity, religion, or nationality, but this clip only serves as an example to learn the importance of having an active lifestyle and maintaining a healthy weight.
By showing this video, I don't mean to say that this will happen to any of you. Although, when you think about it, how did Ricky gain all this weight? Sedentary lifestyle was one of the contributors, as well as poor diet - which may mean not eating enough foods of high nutritional value, or overeating. With reference to this case, it also helps to have a partner who's just as enthusiastic about keeping a healthy lifestyle as you are.    
There are quite a few jobs that demand manual labor, but several workplaces require computer usage. In most of those jobs, employees can sit up to 9 hours a day, 5 times a week. How exhausting does it sound to be in a 10+ hours flight?    

You can't combat a 6 to 8-hour sitting per day with an intensive hour long, or even worse, 2-hour long workout. Note that when sitting, your lower back, hamstrings, and and hip flexor muscles are tense to maintain the seated position. If you try to even it out with an intense workout, chances are that you might end up injuring yourself. Making the body at rest to abruptly jump into full-throttle action creates unnecessary body tension. You need to keep it balanced by creating the right equilibrium between the times of resting and performing activities.

What are some ways to maintain the balance? How can we cut out some of these sedentary activities or replace them with healthy alternatives? I will discuss that in my next post. Until then, I'll let YOU decide! =}

Keeping Your Face Clean and Clear!

It's a very basic topic indeed, but it's something worth thinking about and paying special attention. These basics form the foundation to a lasting, fresh skin. Let's see how many of us find ourselves slacking off on least one of these!

Remove All Makeup at Bedtime 

This is critical! Any layer of makeup blocks your pores, causing skin to break out, get black/whiteheads, and contribute to serious acne. Makeup, no matter powder or liquid, accumulates dust and surrounding pollution, making it an unhygienic pasty layer. Picture this layer adhered to your skin, all night, for an average of 6-8 hours; your skin cells breathing in more of the impurities from all day's makeup. Isn't that suffocating?




Use a good makeup remover that can remove regular as well as waterproof makeup effortlessly;
you don't want to rub too hard and aggravate the delicate facial skin. This can potentially cause wrinkles. One of the best, natural makeup removers is olive oil. It can easily remove majority of waterproof makeup.

On a side note, limit the use of makeup as far as possible, for example, using it 3-4 times a week instead of everyday. This way you won't lose your skin's natural glow.    


Wash Your Face!

I'm shocked to hear from people that they don't wash their face in the morning. It is a healthy practice. When you wake up, your face has a layer of natural oils accumulated overnight. Washing your face refreshes and resets your face for the day. It really doesn't make sense to apply moisturizer over an unwashed face, or even apply foundation over it, which would only create a mucky texture eventually.



Similarly, wash up at bedtime. Cleanse your pores of all impurities accumulated during the day. Make sure to remove your makeup thoroughly too because that is the key medium for dust, pollution, and bacteria to cling and invade the skin.

Wash your face, let your cells breathe so that you can be ready to absorb something more nourishing, like anti-aging creams, serums, or other moisturizers.  


Exfoliate

Exfoliation is important in any skincare routine because it sloughs off the dead skin layer, bringing out the newly formed cell layer under the dead cells and letting it shine, creating the effect of a naturally glowing and clearer skin. This is particularly important if you live in cold weather places because the skin tends to dry and get flaky more often. St. Ives Apricot scrub has been around for years but it's a great basic scrub. If you're new to scrubs and exfoliation, I highly recommend this as a starter.

I've used Suki scrub recently, the price point is high for me but it works amazing!  

In my teen years when I had often had breakouts and noticeable blackheads, I used the Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing scrub, which worked very well, because of its salicylic acid content. Salicylic acid helps clear out acne or pus filled pimples by drying them out. For those with oily skin, it is a good practice to use a toner after washing your face and after exfoliation. It shrinks the pores and preventing recurring blackheads.

Exfoliate at least once a week. If your skin tends to get dry skin patches frequently, do it twice a week with adequate gaps of days in between. I recommend doing this at night because then you can moisturize and go to sleep, letting your fresh skin develop overnight, leaving you with rejuvenated skin in the morning. Check out this diagram and follow the arrows to massage the scrub onto your face/neck:

Massaging in these directions give you a mini face lift, as this
motion lifts and pulls back your facial skin, which reduces the sagging skin effect

Montagne Jeunesse masque

In addition to this, take some time out to treat your skin with a nourishing masque to address your skin concerns once a week. It can be a cucumber masque, mud pack, pomegranate masque, etc. I've been using the Montagne Jeunesse masque packets found at Ulta stores, and their results are long lasting!  


Moisturize

Whether you have dry skin, oily, or combination skin, it is important to moisturize.Use a rich, hydrating moisturizer if you have dry skin. In fact, to effectively allow your product to penetrate the skin, pat dry your face after cleansing, leaving it slightly damp. Then apply your moisturizer. Water has a thinner consistency than lotions or creams, so it will help transport the moisturizer deep into your pores. There isn't a rule of whether you should use creams or lotions; use whichever works the best for you.

If you have oily skin, use a moisturizer that is water based and isn't too greasy. I suggest using lotions over creams, because having oily skin myself, I find that my face becomes an oil slick during the day if I use moisturizers with a creamy consistency. For combination skin, apply moisturizer liberally on the dry patches, such as the cheek, and pat a light layer on your T-zone.

Whichever moisturizer you use, make sure that it is applied in the morning after washing your face, during the day after showering (if you do), and at night before bedtime. The skin becomes dry overnight, from air conditioning/heating, lack of water intake during the hours slept, and if the weather is dry overall.

Make sure that the daytime moisturizer has an SPF of at least 15-30 to protect the skin from damaging effects of ultraviolet rays. It is even better if the lotion/cream mentions protection from UVA/UVB rays too. Here's a diagram that shows how SPF protects us from the harmful rays emitted from the sun as photons (simply stated as tiny beads of energy that transmit light, UVA/UVB in this case):





The nightly moisturizer can be free of SPF, but high in nutritional value for the skin. For example, containing Vitamin C extracts that brighten the skin; vitamin E for healthy skin; retinol for those who are fighting aging signs; or intense hydration for dry skin. Oily skin people, do not hesitate to moisturize liberally at night, unless you find your face overwhelmingly oily in the morning.


Drink Water

Hydration is key in maintaining a supple, fresh skin. For those of us with oily skin, this is good hydration without any oiliness! Those with dry skin probably know how important it is to prevent dry, patchy areas, or uncomfortably tight skin. Healthy skin yields to a glowing skin, which makes makeup application a breeze. Those who suffer from acne or frequent breakouts, water is even more essential for you! The hydration will control the excess oil production since your skin will become naturally moisturized from drinking water (not to mention that you should still be moisturizing your face). Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day.

For me, it really helps to carry a water bottle so that way I don't forget to drink it. The bottle acts as a reminder.
If you want to challenge yourself, get a bottle with graduated labels (as seen in the above picture); for example, my water bottle can hold up to 32oz. It is marked to show if I'm at the 8oz level, 14oz level, etc. This helps me track the amount of water I've been drinking.



"Please note that I am not promoting or advertising on behalf of any products I mention or show pictures of in this blog. All opinions are solely based on my personal experiences. Thank you! "  

Celebrity Beauty Quotes: Jennifer Lawrence

Gotta love Jennifer Lawrence!

It's a big mistake to think that you can starve yourself and workout rigorously to lose weight. It does seem logical, low energy input and more energy consumed = more calories burned altogether. This strategy made sense to me too, until I applied it. I lost about 5lbs in 2 weeks, rolling onto 6, and I was excited. I didn't see any signs of regaining weight. Then one day onwards, I decided to workout in moderation, about 4-5 days a week, and eat healthy food. Prior to this I was consuming less than 500 calories per day!

When I adopted this new plan to 'normalize' my eating and maintaining a healthy workout routine, I actually ended up regaining some of the weight. It perplexed me, because every time I looked in the mirror, I expected to see some decent weight loss. After reading articles and talking to people, I found out that it was the fast weight loss that was gaining back on me. It was frustrating, but I stuck with my plan for weeks, and never went back to starving and over-exerting myself.

Workout at least 3-4 times a week, particularly with weights, to tone and define those muscles. Eat quality food with high amounts of protein. Protein helps you feel satiated for longer, helps repair and build body cells. Have sugary foods only in moderation; perhaps once a week, or, in my opinion, once every 2 weeks. When you abstain from a food you like, it's normal to have cravings. If you hold back for too long, you can become vulnerable to gorging on that snack in one sitting. That's why, it doesn't hurt to have some once in a while. ONCE IN A WHILE. And, ofcourse, drink at least 8 glasses of water. By doing this, not only will you feel fresh and renewed everyday, but you will feel mentally active, have healthier skin*, and feel fitter and stronger!    


*Here's a link to my clean and healthy skin post: http://themorningdew23.blogspot.com/2013/12/keeping-your-face-clean-and-clear.html

Celebrity Beauty Quotes: Beyonce

A great quote from Beyonce which is so true, believe it or not!



You really can't describe the spark that lifts and enlightens your face every time you smile. No matter how hard you worked on highlighting your cupid's bow, or how artistic you were in creating the perfectly graduated lips with a gorgeous lip color, they need to do what they're made for! Beauty is not about making it so perfect and delicate that you can't use it - at least not among us humans who're always mobile. Be pretty and functional, and that is what your lips should do too.

When you smile, it makes your mood better, especially when practicing those smiles in front of the mirror. At the same time, you never know that the person you smiled at might have had a bad day. Your smile might make his/her day, so isn't this virus worth spreading?

For those who think your smile isn't pretty, or at least doesn't turn out to be so in photos, try changing your pose, perhaps the head position? But, do not stop smiling! Let those endorphins work their magic, and more importantly, stay confident! Remember, the level of confidence can change everything about you.


Follow this link for Jennifer Lawrence's beauty quote: http://themorningdew23.blogspot.com/2013/12/celebrity-beauty-quotes-jennifer.html

Celebrity Beauty Quotes: Tyra Banks

Somehow I got into a whirlpool of celebrity quotes and here's this one from Popsugar:




 How's that for a beauty quote?

Is it true? For Tyra Banks, and possibly a couple more of us, yes.

Should I use makeup? Why not!

Is it the holy grail to ultimate beauty? No, but if you want a superficial opinion, then yes.

Personally, I think that makeup should be used to enhance your natural beauty. Please, I don't want to hear "what if we aren't naturally beautiful?" or "what beauty?" Do keep in mind that beauty is, in fact, in the eyes of the beholder. We've all been raised differently, brought up in different environments; some of us are from different racial or ethnic backgrounds and have our own likes and dislikes. These factors contribute to our personal 'standard' of beauty. Even if you're not happy with how you look, you never know who might something attractive about you when you least expected it.

The unfortunate rule of the thumb: Nobody is happy with what they have (90% of the time) and wish to change that about themselves. We need to push this percentage back, aim to revert it with the majority feeling content and happy in their own skin and unique beauty.

Being happy with yourself should be your confidence booster. Makeup is only to accessorize your best features. For example, if someone has large eyes, accentuate them with eyeliner in a way that's flattering.
If you have pretty lips, make the perfect pout out of them so that they stand out. You want your best features to stand out, but even if you don't have makeup on, learn to be content.

I feel bad for those girls who push themselves so hard that they wake up at the crack of dawn to put on their makeup so that their husband/bf doesn't see their bare face. Or even those who go through unnecessary cosmetic surgery. You are responsible for how someone else perceives you. If you're complexed about your appearance, you will reflect it in your body language without even realizing it. Then, ofcourse, other people won't hold back from noticing it as well. Be confident in your talents, abilities, and your natural appearance. Click the image below to read my post about maintaining a naturally beautiful face. For now, focus on what you've been gifted with, appreciate yourself, and don't listen to Tyra Banks on this! ;)    



Follow this link for Beyonce's beauty quote: http://themorningdew23.blogspot.com/2013/12/celebrity-beauty-quotes-beyonce.html

Click this image to learn how to maintain healthy,
glowing skin!

   

Good Posture for a Better You! Summary

Were you able to apply some of the guidelines from previous posts to your daily activities? I hope you did and I'm sure it made a world of a difference for those of you who haven't been cautious about your postures!

In case you missed it, click the following links to the two parts of postures series:
PART 1: Learn and understand the natural 
body structure as well as how to
maintain a healthy standing posture

PART 2: Utilize your knowledge about the body
structure and learn how to sit in the best posture 
                           

To sum up the posture series, here's the full infographic that revises quick tips for a better posture, and includes proper postures when running and sleeping, not to mention how you can check your own posture as well to make sure you're on the right track!

Credits: bitrebels.com

Follow this link to Tyra Banks' beauty quote: http://themorningdew23.blogspot.com/2013/11/celebrity-beauty-quotes-tyra-banks.html

The Morning Dew: Good Posture for a Better You! Part 2 - Sitting

The Morning Dew: Good Posture for a Better You! Part 2 - Sitting: I hope you had a good read with  Good Posture for a Better You! Part 1 , which was about maintaining the right posture while standing. In th...

Good Posture for a Better You! Part 2 - Sitting

I hope you had a good read with Good Posture for a Better You! Part 1, which was about maintaining the right posture while standing. In this second part, we'll discuss the importance and ways to having a proper posture while seated. As discussed before in the previous blog, the spine will be important here as well.

Credits: Creative Leather Furniture

No matter how comfortable a couch is, it unfortunately encourages our tendency of slouching, and that depends on the type of couch you have, too. I mean, check out this one, I can't imagine sitting upright for too long on this couch!
If you are tired of standing around, it is best to be seated instead of slumping or hunching.

   

Credits: photos1.blogger.com

Now compared to the above, you probably may not be able to slouch for long on this one to the right or may not want to at least, because it is so well-structured and not as plush, and, I would feel guilty of ruining its shape >.<  

The type of furniture you have contributes to your posture to some extent. For example, if you have a wonderful, cushiony, cuddly couch/sofa that you love unwinding to after a hard day's work, by curling up in the softness or tossing yourself on it; chances are that you will be more likely to adopt that unhealthy posture.

This doesn't mean that we should head out to find new furniture, but we can always adjust our lifestyle accordingly. It can be by simple changes, such as sitting on a firm chair for a change, sitting on the ground against a wall or something similar to support your back. If you find yourself slouching at other times, maybe you're tired and need to lie down. Laying down would be more supportive for your spine as compared to sitting if you're unable to sit upright. 

Sitting checklist:

ü As with standing, make sure to keep your head upright, looking ahead, such that your chin is parallel to the ground. Many of us using laptops have a tendency to tip our chins down to the chest; this is bad for your neck, especially if you're working like this for hours.

ü Keep your back upright and shoulders back and aligned, but relaxed.

ü While seated, check that your whole spine is against the backrest of the seat, from the neck to the hips. Some people keep the upper spine against the backrest only; this creates a gap between the lower back and the backrest, which means that your spine would be carrying your weight and this can cause backaches.

ü Try to position your knees slightly lower than your hip level. Placing your knees at right angle will inhibit your natural blood flow to the feet because of the sharp bend at the knees. Therefore, be sure that they're at a sloping angle from your hips.

ü If you're sitting on a chair, try not to cross your legs one over the other, or even crossing your ankles together. Both of these positions will add to poor blood circulation in your legs. Moreover, crossing your ankles for prolonged period of time can be painful for your knee caps in the long run because of the unnecessary stress. An example of this is that of people working in offices 8 hours a day. Imagine how detrimental this position would be even by the end of the day.

ü If you're working at a computer, keep your elbows at a slightly lower level than your upper arms. You don't want the lower arms to be perpendicular with the upper arms as this can inhibit blood flow as well. Also, find something to support your wrist and arms. Some of you might have seen or worked with mouse pads or keyboards that come with a wrist cushion. I highly recommend those, and if you have mini cushions to place under the lower arms, that would work perfectly too.

Keep in mind that for most of the day when we're seated, we are typically watching TV or working on a computer. For the average person, these activities can last for 4 hours per sitting! (This is unhealthy for the body itself, but I shall discuss this later!) Therefore, it is essential for your body to be comfortable during these sessions in order to prevent future cramps or joint injuries.