active Archives - Tammie's Take~

6 Ways to Stay Fit and Healthy as You Work from Home

Reviews · June 5, 2021

A few years back, working from home seemed more like a reserved perk for just a few companies. In the past year, though, the work-from-home has been adopted as a reaction to the ongoing pandemic. There are some benefits of remote working. For starters, you get to work in your pajamas! There is also less commuting stress. You will save on gas or transport budget and more. These benefits are attractive to anyone transitioning into the new norm of working from home. However, being sedentary with remote work can take a toll on physical and mental health. It is necessary to take the initiative towards ensuring that you stay active and healthy. The good news is that you do not need to leave your house to achieve fitness and health. Here are a few ways you can stay fit and healthy as you work from home:

Stay hydrated

As you work from home, one of the best healthy habits is to start drinking enough water. Water is essential for the well-being of our bodies. Every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies need water. They cannot function efficiently without water. Simply put, your body cannot perform its work of keeping you alive when without water.

Water is helpful in the regulation of body temperature, lubrication of joints, getting rid of any toxins and waste in the body, and protecting tissues. Taking less fluid could put you at risk of potential health problems. For example, Dehydration can cause low energy levels or even go to the extent of impairing your brain’s function. So, try to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, depending on the weather. Of course, that is easier said than done.

Tip: Maybe you can try to have a glass or bottle of water at your workstation at all times. You are more likely to remember to drink your water when you can see it in front of you.

Talk frequent walks

Staying fit does not have to entail running. Walking is also an excellent way to promote overall health. Even just half an hour of brisk walking every day is enough to strengthen your bones, improve cardiovascular fitness, get rid of excess body fat, and boost muscle strength. Walking can also help you reduce the risk of developing diabetes and heart disease. The best thing about walking is that you do not need any equipment or training. You can also do it anytime during the day. You could opt to take walks with your friends or even your dogs during your work breaks.

Better even, have a friend or loved one take a walk with you! They do not have to be in the same physical area as you. You can facetime them or talk on the phone while taking a walk. Yes, catch up with your friends and take a break as you keep fit! Talk of killing two birds with one stone.

Exercise more

Block out some time in your day to exercise. Working out does not have to be some intense sprint for it to be effective. Just moving your body with moderate physical activity, even for thirty minutes, is sufficient. Moving your body improves circulation. You will get your heart pumping. That blood flow supplies oxygen and other nutrients throughout the body. Exercise also encourages lymph flow. It will in turn promote a healthy immune system.

The best thing is that you do not need to have a gym membership or leave your apartment to get in some activity. You can use an online fitness coach who will tailor-make specific workouts for your particular fitness goals. If you are struggling to make progress, perhaps you need to incentivize your exercises.

Reward yourself with something great when you manage to smash your workout goals. It will make you want to work out more. You can always improvise and use some of your household items as weights.

Add more fruits and vegetables into your diet

Fruits and vegetables are some of the best sources of vitamins and minerals. They are packed with magnesium, phosphorous, zinc, folic acid, vitamins A, C, E, etc. Moreover, they have low fats, sugars, and salt. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of dietary fibre that will fill you up while boosting your gut health. You can never get bored with fruits and vegetable options. There are many textures and flavors that will challenge you to get creative in the kitchen. They also have a high-water content. They will keep you hydrated! You could even spruce up your vegetable and fruit intake by making more smoothies as you work from home.

Include self-care in your routine

Self-care is an umbrella term that includes just about anything that you can do to feel good and be good to yourself. The idea behind self-care is that showing yourself kindness, as you would to other people. Working, whether from home or otherwise, is bound to get stressful. It is still working, with those reports and deadlines to meet.

View yourself as a resource that needs replenishing to avoid draining away. Self-care increases productivity. It also improves disease resistance, self-esteem, and puts you in a better position to be compassionate to others. At the end of a stressful day, try to do something that brings you joy. Be it meeting your friends for a drink, cleaning up your house, or journaling.

Get enough sleep

Good sleep is as essential to our well-being as healthy food and exercise. When working from home, it can be hard to separate between home time and work time. It is common to find your work bleeding into the late night and eating into your sleeping time. You will need to get disciplined with how you manage your time. Sleep allows your body to recharge and be ready for another day. Getting enough sleep also increases focus, prevents heart diseases and excessive weight gain.

Wrap up

A healthy mind and body are essential in achieving the best results in your personal and work life. That is why you need to prioritize your health and ensure that you stay fit and healthy even as you work from home. Use online options to stay fitter, watch your diet, and don’t forget to take breaks from work.

The Best Ways to Keep a Sharp Mind

Reviews · October 28, 2018

One of the most devastating things that can happen with age is that our minds can deteriorate. Our memory can become weak (generally, it’s short term memory that’s affected) and our decision making ability can slow down. We can find ourselves walking into a room and forgetting what we were going to do, or having a word on the ‘tip of our tongue’ but not being able to easily remember it. While conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia can occur later in life, this is something completely separate. It’s not an illness or disease within itself, but instead is a result of not using our brains to their best potential. Just like if you don’t use a muscle it will become flaccid and weak, if you don’t use your brain you really can start to lose some of your cognitive abilities. This might be something you associate with much older people, but can actually be experienced as early as the late twenties or early thirties. It’s because the symptoms aren’t a result of cell death in old age, and instead are a result of ‘brain plasticity’ which thankfully can be reversed. For this reason, it’s absolutely crucial that we all use our noggins and stay sharp. After all, it’s our thoughts and character (resulting from our brain function) which is what makes us who we are- and so it’s something to be protected at all costs! Here are some of the ways you can ensure your mind stays sharp throughout life.

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Keep on learning

A higher level of education is strongly associated with better mental functioning during old age. Education is so good for the mind, as humans we are programmed to want to learn but its something so many of us don’t pursue as we reach adulthood. These days, there are courses you can take online from the comfort of your own home meaning education is accessible to just about everyone. It could be an online nurse practitioner program, engineering degree, psychology or whatever floats your boat. But spending your free time studying really gets your brain working and is extremely good for it.

Read and write regularly

Reading and writing are both fantastic ways to use your brain. They’re enjoyable, and something that all of us can do. Both activities ‘work out’ your brain, and have been shown to help preserve memory later in life. You could start a blog, journal, write an e-book or have a go at writing poetry. With hundreds of thousands of books online that you can download in an instant, there’s no excuse to not have one on the go.

Stay physically active

It’s well established that the body and mind are closely linked, and so looking after your body is a great way to look after your brain and cognition. Exercise helps to regulate hormones which can affect mood, and ensures that lots of richly oxygenated blood is reaching your grey matter. Working out stimulates the brain, encouraging the growth of new cell connections.

4 Ways to Keep Warm During the Colder Months

Reviews · January 15, 2018

Sometimes it doesn’t matter what we seem to do, we feel the cold. That’s especially true for the ladies who tend to stay colder than men, especially in their extremities. To avoid getting sick in the first months of the year while the temperatures are often frigid, here are a few tips to stay warmer.

Keep the Fireplace Well Stocked

In homes that are permitted to have a natural wood burning fireplace, not running out of chopped firewood is priority number one. The last thing you want is to run out of prepared wood ready to burn in the late evening when the temperatures outside are less than friendly.

Finding the best splitting axe reviews is not easy, so if you don’t already own a suitable one, take care to choose carefully according to both your body size and arm strength. A quality axe that’s too heavy for you to easily swing up and down is an ineffective one; pick based on your height, arm strength and overall flexibility.

Fluffy Blankets

Gone are the days when a rough-feeling blanket is your only choice. Now there are soft, fluffy blankets with interesting designs for adults or little kids to cover themselves on cold nights. Whether using one to feel cozier while lying on the sofa in front of the TV or over the comforter to provide greater insulation throughout the night, you can never go wrong with an extra blanket, or three.

Also, consider whether you may have guests over during the colder months who are using your guest bedroom. They’ll surely enjoy the optional blanket and will feel it’s a thoughtful touch, whether they find that they need it or not. And, if you have one or more dogs in the home, they will love their own blanket too.

Play Games That Keep You Active

Playing games as a group is ideal because it creates a competitive environment to enhance gameplay. However, on colder days, playing games like Twister and other ones that involve you physically interacting with the game helps you stay warmer by preventing couch surfing or being sedentary. Other indoor games that stay away from the cold outdoors are excellent options too.

Eat Hearty Meals That Warm Your Body

A hearty winter stew or creamy chicken soups and thick, crusty bread to dip into it make for good winter warmers at the dinner table. The last thing you want is a cold salad, even it has some delicious dressing on it! Corn Chowder is another dish that remains popular to warm the heart up. Also, baked chicken pies with mash potatoes or Mac ‘n’ Cheese with cauliflower both remain favorites that are delicious when hiding from the cold indoors.

Staying warm on cold days is half the battle to avoid getting sick and developing a serious illness. The other half of the battle is feeding yourself well, so your immune system stays strong enough to ward off any winter germs flying around unsympathetically, ready to strike.