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exercise

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UNDERSTANDING FOOT ANATOMY AND FUNCTION: YOUR ROADMAP TO STRONGER, HEALTHIER FEET

by Admin

Our feet, the unsung heroes of daily mobility, deserve more than just appreciation—they deserve intentional care and strengthening. In this guide, we won’t just explore the intricacies of foot anatomy and function; we’ll also equip you with practical insights on incorporating foot-specific exercises into your routine and choosing the right equipment for a resilient foundation.

Getting Friendly with Your Feet’s Blueprint

Picture this: your feet are a powerhouse of bones, joints, muscles, and tendons, all working together like a well-choreographed dance. From your toes doing a jig to your heel playing the strong, silent type, each part has a role. So, let’s dive into the real deal—how to make them even more awesome.

  • Forefoot Fun: Do a little toe-tapping. Seriously, just sit down and tap those toes for a couple of minutes. It’s like a mini party for your feet and boosts flexibility.
  • Midfoot Mojo: Roll a tennis ball under your foot. Press down a bit and roll from heel to toe. It’s like giving your midfoot a well-deserved massage and helps with stability.
  • Heel Heroics: Try some heel raises. Stand up, lift those heels, hold for a beat, and then gently lower them. It’s a killer move for the calves and Achilles.

Let’s Get Moving: Super Practical Exercises

Enough with the theory, let’s do this:

  • Toe-Tapping Drill: Sit comfy, tap those toes for 1-2 minutes. It boosts circulation and keeps things flexible.
  • Towel Scrunches: Toss a towel on the floor, scrunch it towards you with your toes. It’s like a mini workout for your arch.
  • Calf Raises: Stand up, go tiptoe, hold, and then back down. Repeat for 3 sets of 15. Your calves will thank you.

Gear Up with the Right Stuff

Time to bring in the reinforcements—gear that’ll make your feet unstoppable:

  • Resistance Bands: Wrap them around your toes and flex against the resistance. It’s like a mini gym for your feet.
  • Exercise Ball: Great for balance and stability. Try standing on one foot while rolling the ball. It’s a challenge, but your feet are up for it.
  • Balance Board: This guy’s a game-changer for stability. Stand on it while doing basic moves to work your entire foot.

The Real Deal on Your Feet’s VIP Squad

Picture your feet as the ultimate VIP squad—bones, joints, muscles, and tendons throwing the best party. We’re not here to bore you with science lectures, but let’s break it down like we’re chatting over a cup of coffee.

  • Toe Bash: Kick back, relax, and tap those toes like they’re on a dance floor. A mini toe party to amp up flexibility.
  • Midfoot Magic: Roll a tennis ball under your foot – it’s like giving your midfoot a spa day. Press, roll, and let the good vibes flow.
  • Heel Hustle: Time for some heel raises – stand up, go tiptoe, hold, and back down. Your calves and Achilles are about to become rockstars.

By doing these exercises and throwing in the right gear, you’re not just pampering your feet—you’re giving them a power-up. Say hello to better balance, stability, and an all-around upgrade for your daily adventures. This guide is your no-nonsense buddy on the journey to feet that can take on anything. So, let’s get those feet flexing and tapping, and make every step count!

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Miscellaneous

3 Simple Workouts to Correct Your Body’s Balance

by Admin

Photo by form PxHere

Do you ever feel like your body isn’t quite balanced, right? Whether you’re constantly tripping over your own two feet or just can’t seem to get the form down for certain exercises, poor body balance can throw you off.

The good news is that it’s fixable with a few simple workouts. In just 10 or 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week, you can strengthen your core, improve your posture, and get your body back to equilibrium. These balance-correcting moves use body weight alone, so no fancy gym equipment is required. Ready to stop feeling off-kilter and start moving with confidence again? Here are three simple workouts that will get your body balanced in no time.

Understanding Body Imbalances and How They Develop

Our bodies are designed to move with balance and coordination, but over time imbalances develop from repetitive movements, injury, or a lack of strength in certain areas. These imbalances then become our default positioning, causing pain, impaired mobility, and difficulty performing certain activities.

The good news is that it only takes a few basic exercises to start correcting these imbalances and restore proper balance and alignment. For example, if you find yourself constantly leaning to one side or collapsing in one hip when throwing a ball or lifting heavy objects, it likely means the muscles on one side of your core are weaker or tighter than the other.

Image Reference: A and A Photography via Flickr

To fix this:

• Do planks: Holding yourself in a plank position works your entire core. Start by holding for 30–60 seconds and building up.

• Do side planks: support yourself on one elbow and the side of one foot, lift your hips off the floor, and hold. Repeat on the other side. This works the muscles on one side of your core at a time.

• Do bridges: Lying on your back with knees bent and arms at your sides, lift your hips while squeezing your glutes and core. Hold briefly, then lower back down. Repeat for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

By focusing on these few simple exercises a couple of times a week, you can build strength and flexibility where you need them most. Be patient and consistent, as it can take 4-6 weeks of regular practice to correct long-held imbalances. But sticking with it will get your body back to balanced, pain-free movement in no time.

Photo by Mejaguar via PickPik

Correcting Imbalances with Targeted Stability Exercises

Have you ever noticed how some people just seem naturally balanced and coordinated, while others (maybe you) struggle with balance and posture? The good news is that you can correct imbalances and improve your stability with targeted exercises.

Core Stabilization

Your core muscles support your spine and midsection, so strengthening them is key. Planks, bridges, and boat poses are great for this. Start by holding each for 30–60 seconds and building up. These exercises will strengthen your deep core muscles.

Single-Leg Balances

Standing on one leg challenges your body’s stability in a major way. Try standing on one leg with the other foot slightly off the floor, holding a wall or chair for support if needed. Aim for 30–60 seconds on each side. These help strengthen stabilizing muscles in your hips, glutes, and ankles.

Resistance band exercises

Resistance bands add an extra challenge for balance and stability. Try seated band walks (slide feet out to sides and back in), band kickbacks (extend one leg behind you using the band), or band walks (step sideways with the band around your ankles). Start with 2 sets of 10–15 reps each. These exercises strengthen your glutes and hip muscles, which are key for balance and stability.

With practice of these targeted exercises a few times a week, you’ll be well on your way to improved balance, stability, and posture. Staying active and maintaining a healthy weight will also help keep your body balanced and supported. Now get to work; your core and stabilizing muscles will thank you!

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Miscellaneous

BEST DOOR ANCHOR STRAP TO FIT RESISTANCE BAND PRODUCTS

by Admin

 In any workout plan, resistance band door anchors are a useful tool. They are small, easy to carry, and good for building strength. They also let you do more workouts at home with your bands. The following are the best door anchor strap resistance band products;

1. WHATAFIT RESISTANCE BANDS:

Whatafit resistance bands is a 100% natural latex with different color adjustable resistance bands. . You can use it to work out in different ways. It doesn’t wear down easily, is very stretchy, has a non-slip handle, is soft, and soaks up water.

It comes with 5 exercise bands, 1 door anchor, 2 cushioned handles, a travelling case, and an instruction manual so you can do as many resistance training exercises as possible at home. It has more than 40,000 reviews on Amazon around the world.

What a customer had to say about the product: “I purchased these resistance bands to use in a physical therapy program. They are versatile with a wide range of weight resistance. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and completeness of the bands. The handles are covered with a soft foam which allows me to use them with my feet, which are painful due to neuropathy, and hands. The bands are easily attachable to my bench which allows me to broaden the range of therapeutic exercises, particularly for the legs and feet. I expect to use these for a very long.”

2. BLACK MOUNTAIN PRODUCTS RESISTANCE BAND:

The black mountain product resistance band is a set of bands that can be stacked and can provide up to 75bls of resistance. It has a metal carbiner clipping system that lets you connect it to soft-grp handles or ankle straps. It comes with an ankle strap, an exercise plan, a carrying bag, and a door anchor.

It has over 10,000 reviews on Amazon, and most of the people who have bought it have spoken positively about it.

What a customer had to say about the product: “I travel a lot for my job and stay in shape is very hard. I bought these band because they were a cheaper alternative than any kind of weight and way lighter. When I received them I was surprised by the quality. All the bands I’ve tried before looks now cheap to me. The clip to paired them with the accessories to use it is very strong and the band itself is durable. The only thing bad I could say about these is that you have to stay in a apartment where you have enough space close to a door to use it because like all resistance band you have to stretch enough to use it. If I knew how much I would love those, I would have bought the more complete kit with the purple and orange bands and the two ankle strap, but I guess I’m going to buy them separately later. The official website for Black Mountain Products also offer a wide variety of exercises to do with them so you’ll know how to use them at home, you can also do also every machine workout with them at home without difficulty. I highly recommend them.”

3. BOSS FITNESS PRODUCTS:

The boss fitness resistance band is a heavy-duty professional-grade anchor door. It has a big 3″ soft foam stopper that’s meant to keep your door from getting scratches or dents. The stopper is big enough to be used at any point on the door, even the bottom, which makes it useful for attaching exercise equipment.

It comes with an extra-large stopper that can be used on all parts of the door, even the bottom. It works great with resistance bands. It has more than 5,000 ratings and reviews on Amazon around the world, and most of them are good.

What a customer had to say about the product: “This door anchor is definitely heavy duty in a good way. It is easy to use and significantly more substantial compared to the door anchor that came with my package of bands I purchased from a different company a year ago. I only wish I found this product earlier. I have only used the Boss door anchor a few times since I recently purchased it, however I feel confident recommending it.”

4. BREBEBE DOOR ANCHOR STRAP:

The Brebebe door anchor strap is a simple and useful exercise tool that you can use to do a wide range of exercises at home, such as pull-and-stretch, flying, resistance band training, back, wrist, and foot kicking, and more.

It has specially designed 5 stainless steel D-rings on the door anchors, making it easier to connect the carabiners. It has more than 1,500 scores and reviews from people all over the world on Amazon.

What a customer had to say about the product:

“This is a really interesting system. It was simple to install and fit on my door perfectly. And it is very bit as versatile as it looks on the product page. There are a couple of different ways to secure the bands to the connection points along the height of the door strap. But you can hit pretty much everything. Need more weight? Add a strap. It’s really simple. Now, I am a big dude with a pretty good strength base, and I am looking to do reps to slim down, which this system is perfect for. So, no matter your size, if that describes what you are looking for, high reps and lots of ways to move, this is a really great answer.”

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Miscellaneous

How to protect your skin from chlorine before and after swimming 

by Admin

Image Credit: Jacob Lund via Shutterstock

Swimming is one of the best cardiovascular and muscular physical exercises that we can perform without fear of injuring our joints or other parts of the body.

If you are thinking of starting a swimming routine in a pool or you already do it, you must take into account its pros and cons.

Among its advantages is the benefit of health:

  • It is a sport that exercises the whole body and increases your metabolism, which many calories per hour therefore helps to lose weight.
  • Excellent for joints when floating, muscles do not have to support our weight. For that reason, it is recommended for people with arthritis, overweight or muscle aches.
  • Strengthens the immune system and reduces cases of flu and colds in winter.
  • Greatly reduces stress and anxiety.
  • Strengthens the heart, reduces the risk of heart attacks as it is one of the best cardiovascular sports.

However, besides being an excellent sport with numerous health benefits it has its disadvantage as well and one of them is because of chlorine. You must take care of your skin, since you are more prone to the appearance of fungi. The pools are disinfected with chlorine and other chemicals so it can cause skin allergies such as dermatitis, and also irritate the mucous membranes mainly the eyes.

In addition to mycosis or fungi on your skin, many times after swimming, you will notice that your eyes become red and irritated, and your skin is left feeling dry. This happens more often when chlorine levels are not respected and that is why we must protect our eyes and skin. You should also know that a lot of chlorine damages our hair by drying it out.

Image Credit: OneShutterOneMemory via Shutterstock

But what is chlorine? Chlorine is a chemical agent used to treat pool water, that in certain concentrations usually irritates the mucous membranes and the respiratory system.

According to the standard, the amount of chlorine that the water in a pool must have must be between 0.20 and 0.60 milligrams per liter  (chlorine is perceived by smell when it contains 0.30 mg / l). If our pool has more chlorine than necessary, the first effect on our body is seen in the eyes, which red, then dry the nose, throat …

Tips to protect your skin from chlorine

  1. The first is extremely important. Shower before entering  in the pool. With this we get rid of certain bacteria that we can carry in sweat  or even on bare feet. For example: When leaving the pool, back to the shower so that the tap water drags as much chlorine as possible from our hair and skin.
  2. When you get home as soon as possible bathe with soap to eliminate all the chlorine that may remain on the skin.
  3. It’s time to recover the elasticity of the skin: use a moisturizer and apply it to your body and face.
  4. The hair also suffers similar consequences, it dries out. That’s why it’s important to wear a bathing cap. In the shower, already at home, use conditioners I would recommend using argan or coconut oil that are very moisturizing after a day of swimming.

Equipment to protect you during swimming

Image Credit: Lilkin via Shutterstock

I recommend a swimmer’s cap and goggles. Wear sandals when getting out of the pool and walk around it.

To avoid skin rashes after a pool session I recommend using calendula, aloe and green tea creams, then you should moisturize your skin with a good moisturizer. I recommend the Farmasi brand’s high quality skincare products that I use after swimming.  They work very well in maintaining healthy hair and  beautiful, clear, skin. 

Below is a link where the skincare products can be found: https://www.farmasius.com/

Finally, I recommend swimming in a pool three times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, allowing your mucous membranes, joints, skin and hair to recover on the non swimming days.

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Miscellaneous

GoFitness Super Push Down Bar Review

by Sports Benches

Here’s another amazing fitness product that is easy & safe to use right away at anytime, anywhere – let me introduce you the GoFitness Super Push Down Bar.

You can do so many exercises that can help you train your upper body, such as the chest, arms, shoulders, abs & back. It also comes with a two-page workout guide, so you know how to get the best out of this machine. 

There are a few things you need to know before looking to buy this product – if you want to increase more muscle then you will need a separate resistance version of the GoFitness Pull Down Bar that comes in a variety of ranges from 70lbs (Elementary) to 90lbs (Strong) & 110lbs (Professional). 

It will take a bit more space if you have all resistance versions of this GoFitness machine, but a little more organisation & tidiness when storing them will fit in just fine compared to storing a variety of light & heavy dumbbells/barbells in a rack.

And make sure you push/pull at your own pace when doing a few quality reps of each workout, if you’re willing to be patient by achieving your fitness goals. You can go & try out this GoFitness machine when you shop at Amazon starting from $80 here.

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Other Sports

How to protect your skin and hair from chlorine while swimming

by Admin

Written by Sarhay

Swimming is one of the best cardiovascular and muscular physical exercises that we can perform without fear of injuring our joints or other parts of the body.

If you are thinking of starting a swimming routine in a pool or you already do it, you must take into account its pros and cons.

Among its advantages is the benefit of health: It is a sport that exercises the whole body and increases your metabolism, which many calories per hour therefore helps to lose weight.

Image Reference: Jacob Lund via Shuttershock

Excellent for joints when floating, muscles do not have to support our weight. For that reason, it is recommended for people with arthritis, overweight or muscle aches.

Strengthens the immune system and reduces cases of flu and colds in winter.

Greatly reduces stress and anxiety. Strengthens the heart, reduces the risk of heart attacks as it is one of the best cardiovascular sports.

Image Reference: Cavan-Images via Shuttershock

However, besides being an excellent sport with numerous health benefits it has it’s disadvantage as well and one of them is because of chlorine. You must take care of your skin, since you are more prone to the appearance of fungi.

The pools are disinfected with chlorine and other chemicals so it can cause skin allergies such as dermatitis, and also irritate the mucous membranes mainly the eyes.

In addition to mycosis or fungi on your skin, many times after swimming, you will notice that your eyes become red and irritated, and your skin is left feeling dry. This happens more often when chlorine levels are not respected and that is why we must protect our eyes and skin. You should also know that a lot of chlorine damages our hair by drying it out.

But what is chlorine?

Chlorine is a chemical agent used to treat pool water, that in certain concentrations usually irritates the mucous membranes and the respiratory system.

According to the standard, the amount of chlorine that the water in a pool must have must be between 0.20 and 0.60 milligrams per liter (chlorine is perceived by smell when it contains 0.30 mg / l). If our pool has more chlorine than necessary, the first effect on our body is seen in the eyes, which red, then dry the nose, throat …

Image Reference: OneShutterOneMemory via Shuttershock

Tips to protect your skin from chlorine

The first is extremely important. Shower before entering in the pool. With this we get rid of certain bacteria that we can carry in sweat or even on bare feet. For example: When leaving the pool, back to the shower so that the tap water drags as much chlorine as possible from our hair and skin.

 2. When you get home as soon as possible bathe with soap to eliminate all the chlorine that may remain on the skin.

3. It’s time to recover the elasticity of the skin: use a moisturizer and apply it to your body and face.

4. The hair also suffers similar consequences, it dries out. That’s why it’s important to wear a bathing cap. In the shower, already at home, use conditioners I would recommend using argan or coconut oil that are very moisturizing after a day of swimming.

Equipment to protect you during swimming I recommend a swimmer’s cap and goggles. Wear sandals when getting out of the pool and walk around it.

Image Reference: Lilkin via Shuttershock

To avoid skin rashes after a pool session I recommend using calendula, aloe and green tea creams, then you should moisturize your skin with a good moisturizer. I recommend the Farmasi brand’s high quality skincare products that I use after swimming. They work very well in maintaining healthy hair and beautiful, clear, skin. 

Below is a link where the skincare products can be found: https://www.farmasius.com/SarhaySkaggs

Finally, I recommend swimming in a pool three times per week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, allowing your mucous membranes, joints, skin and hair to recover on the non-swimming days.

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