Be Active

Walking can improve your health and fitness by helping you lose body fat, improve your fitness and avoid heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and some cancers. Try to walk briskly for at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Walking with others can turn exercising into an enjoyable social occasion.Some of the benefits include:

Increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness
Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
Improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes
Stronger bones and improved balance
Increased muscle strength and endurance
Reduced body fat.

Yoga has profound health benefits: Weight loss, a strong and flexible body, glowing beautiful skin, peaceful mind, good health – whatever you may be looking for, yoga has it on offer. However, very often, yoga is only partially understood as being limited to asanas (yoga poses). As such, its benefits are only perceived to be at the body level and we fail to realize the immense benefits yoga offers in uniting the body, mind and breath. When you are in harmony, the journey through life is calmer, happier and more fulfilling.

Cycling is low-impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Regular cycling has many physical and mental health benefits. It is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of health problems such as stroke, heart attack, some cancers, depression, diabetes, obesity and arthritis.The health benefits of regular cycling include:

Increased cardiovascular fitness
Increased muscle strength and flexibility
Improved joint mobility
Decreased stress levels
Improved posture and coordination
Strengthened bones
Decreased body fat levels
Prevention or management of disease
Reduced anxiety and depression.

It’s a piece of advice yogis have given for thousands of years: take a deep breath and relax. Watch the tension melt from your muscles and all your niggling worries vanish. Somehow we all know that relaxation is good for us.

Now the hard science has caught up: a comprehensive scientific study showing that deep relaxation changes our bodies on a genetic level has just been published. What researchers at Harvard Medical School discovered is that, in long-term practitioners of relaxation methods such as yoga and meditation, far more ”disease-fighting genes” were active, compared to those who practised no form of relaxation.

Health Benefits of Deep Relaxation or meditation

Increased immunity, emotional balance, increased fertility, Relieved irritable bowel syndrome, lower blood pressure, anti-inflammatory, Calmness

The process of making art — whether that be writing, painting, singing, dancing, or anything in between — is good for you.

There are both physical and mental benefits from creating art, expressing yourself in a tangible way, and sharing something with the world.

In our always–on, always–connected world of television, social media, and on–demand everything, it can be stupidly easy to spend your entire day consuming information and simply responding to all of the inputs that bombard your life.

Art offers an outlet and a release from all of that. Take a minute to ignore all of the incoming signals and create an outgoing one instead. Produce something. Express yourself in some way. As long as you contribute rather than consume, anything you do can be a work of art.

Dance has physical and mental health benefits. Dancing is good exercise and a fun way to keep fit. Ballet, belly dancing, salsa, ballroom dancing, hip-hop, square-dancing and tap dancing are different dancing styles.

Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes. It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including:

Improved condition of your heart and lungs
Increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
Increased aerobic fitness
Improved muscle tone and strength
Weight management
Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
Better coordination, agility and flexibility
Improved balance and spatial awareness
Increased physical confidence
Improved mental functioning
Improved general and psychological wellbeing
Greater self-confidence and self-esteem
Better social skills.

We all know that our diet is a major influence on our health. Our food choices determine whether or not we are getting adequate amounts of the nutrients our bodies need to function properly. According to research, it seems that eating home cooked meals may lead to better health outcomes than eating out frequently. This is definitely not surprising, but the extent of the benefits and some of the specific benefits may surprise you. Hopefully the following information will motivate you to make time for nutritious family dinners that are not only good for your health, but your family’s health as well.

Music has a special power to move us and stir our emotions. Now, scientific studies have shown that music really can change our mood and even help us concentrate.

Listening to a song can have a real effect on various parts of the brain, with studies showing that areas responsible for aspects, such as memory and vision, can ‘light up’ in response to music.

‘There’s a very wide range of reactions in the body and mind to music, and brain imaging studies have shown that various parts of the brain may be activated by a piece of music,’ says Dr Victoria Williamson, lecturer in psychology at Goldsmith’s College, London.

We like trees around us because they make life more pleasant. Most of us respond to the presence of trees beyond simply observing their beauty. We feel serene, peaceful, restful, and tranquil in a grove of trees. We are “at home” there. Hospital patients have been shown to recover from surgery more quickly when their hospital room offered a view of trees. The strong ties between people and trees are most evident in the resistance of community residents to removing trees to widen streets. Or we note the heroic efforts of individuals and organizations to save particularly large or historic trees in a community.

The stature, strength, and endurance of trees give them a cathedral-like quality. Because of their potential for long life, trees frequently are planted as living memorials. We often become personally attached to trees that we or those we love have planted.

The positive effects of outdoor activities as family have been recognized and accepted for generations, but are even more relevant today because of the nature of our modern lifestyles. In our fast paced urbane lifestyle there is little time for social relationships, and a picnic offers considerable benefits for the health of the individual and as well as a bonding experience for the all. Picnics are a great stress buster as it helps reduce the stress and anxiety related to work and home. Being the adult isn’t always easy, and it’s great to be able to ease up on the responsibility from time to time. Picnics and outings provide you with such an opportunity, where you needn’t worry about fussy children wrecking your house or throwing tantrums, as this is the time when kids are most receptive. Consuming healthy foods also keeps you energetic and active through the day. A visit to the countryside is also just what you need, particularly if you suffer from any respiratory disorder. The fresh air should invigorate you leave you feeling rejuvenated.