Everyone needs sleep. Sleep allows the body to rest and affects both physical and mental health. While scientists are unsure of everything that sleep does for the body, there is no question that sleep is necessary for survival. But, how much sleep does a person really need?
The amount of sleep a person requires is affected by the person’s age. As people age, they tend to need less sleep. Babies need an average of 16 hours of sleep per day and teenagers require approximately nine hours. By the time someone is an adult, they generally need an average of seven to eight hours in order to remain in optimal health. Some people may function effectively on as little as five hours of sleep and others may need as many as ten hours per night in order to feel their best.
Other factors that affect someone’s sleep requirements are the amount of sleep they have had in recent days and their general health. For example, a pregnant woman usually needs additional sleep in her first trimester. Someone who is ill or has a depressed immune system generally needs additional rest as well. When the immune system is depressed, the body produces chemicals to fight infection; these same chemicals induce sleep. Very elderly people often find that they sleep less than when they were younger adults. Read more…
Between the job and house and the kids, we are too tired to do anything extra by the end of the day. We could all use more energy. The most common cause of fatigue is stress. Stress causes tension and tension zaps emotional and physical energy. There are many things that we can do to help boost our energy levels.
Exercise makes you tired? That is a fallacy. Exercise actually releases tension and helps you feel more energized. It stimulates the cells and circulates the blood and oxygen in the body. It also makes the body produce endorphins which make you feel full of energy. Depression can cause us to feel sluggish and tired. Exercising doesn’t have to be strenuous either. Dancing, raking leaves, and swimming or playing tennis are all great forms of exercise and stress relief. Exercise also promotes sound sleep.
As we said before, stress can sap energy, making us feel sluggish. So, by decreasing stress, we can inadvertently increase our energy level. When we are happy and not depressed, we feel better mentally and physically. Some other ways to decrease stress include:
-Listening to “easy listening” music, “Sounds of Nature” cd’s or classical music. All of these have been found to have a relaxing effect. Conversely, hard rock, loud, harsh music can over stimulate and actually cause tension. Read more…
Millions of people would love to live a healthy lifestyle. Everyone talks about getting on a healthy lifestyle but not many are successful in doing so. First, let us discuss what a healthy lifestyle is. It can be determined by four things. These items include the following actions: cutting out smoking, reducing your weight, eating better, and increasing the exercise you do.
Most people want to make good lifestyle choices and be trim and healthy. The problem is most people have plenty of excuses. They cannot, will not, or do not want to change their current lifestyle. One of the biggest excuses or reasons for not making the change is not having time to exercise. Many times, we come home and say no exercise today, I am too tired, or I do not have time to do that today. Another popular excuse is I am too tired today. I do not feel like cooking diner; let us just go get some fast food tonight. Being short of time is an epidemic as it affects a great number of people.
Have you noticed how we have time for the boss, people we work with and time to travel to work but have no time for ourselves and for those we love. You can do a lot in ten minutes and you certainly have ten minutes a day to spare for your own use. Read more…
There are several ways to get a slim body, instead of run on a treadmill for 45 minutes a day or swim hundreds of meters or running miles a day.
The best exercises for slim body are:
- Something that you like. Preferred activity makes you do all the time.
- Something you can do for 30-60 minutes a day.
- Something that can make you sweats.
So, what are they? Choose one that you like, i.e.:
1. Playing golf
18 holes
Condition: without a golf cart.
2. Playing with children
Spend an hour a day to play with the children. Guaranteed you will enjoy it. Benefits, not only you get slim, children are also protected from obesity. Encourage children to swim, play cat and mouse, or whatever game that can make them sweat. Read more…
Each gender finds itself with certain health risks and needs. Women are required to pay particular attention to certain health conditions because of body composition, such as reproductive organs. They are also more susceptible to certain diseases, thereby causing them to pay more attention to their health and prevention practices.
There are numerous diseases of noteworthy concern to women, though there are various ways to address those problems early through nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle changes. As pointed out by the Mayo Clinic in a recent article through information taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
1. The number one health threat to women in America is heart disease, also the most preventable of all conditions. Alcohol should be consumed in moderation and cigarette smoke should be avoided. A simple diet of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fiber, and fish are important, along with physical activity to maintain a healthy weight and the monitoring of stress levels. Read more…