Today’s the day. No more excuses!
Stick to your intentions
Whether you’ve decided that 2022 is the year you hit your health and fitness goals once and for all or if you want to continue your progress from last year, here are some tips from the Herbalife Nutrition team …. tips to help you stick to your intentions.
Move to something you love The great thing about exercise is the variety. If running around the block or lifting weights at a gym aren’t your thing, try dance classes, Zumba, or yoga. The trick is to find something you love to keep you mentally motivated while you move that body. You can also give your exercise of choice an extra kick by adding some uplifting background music to it. This will help you match your movements to the beats and keep you pushing forward. Create a workout playlist of all your favourites.
Give group activities a go There’s an African proverb that says ‘if you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go together’. Exercising in a group is the perfect way to get active if you tend to throw in the towel early on. Not only will a group setting motivate you to keep going and keep up with your peers, but it can be a lot more fun. Start small by asking a friend to join you for a weekly walk or jog. For the more adventurous, you can sign up for group exercise classes, join a hiking group, try Parkruns, or volunteer for a sports team at your local community sports centre.
Say yes to dinner parties Say what? Attending a dinner party can be quite terrifying … delicious, tempting dishes every which way you look. But instead of isolating yourself to maintain your goals, compromise. Your friends will most likely understand your requests and try to accommodate you. In fact, it may be just the thing they need to kick-start their own desire to make healthy changes. And if you’re lucky enough to have a group of friends who share your passion for nutrition, set up a dinner club. Each person can host a dinner party and cook a delicious healthy meal for the rest of the group. It’s a great way to discover new recipes and share experiences and tips for better health and wellness.
Even if you mess up here and there, remember the key is not to beat yourself up about it and get back on the horse. 2022 is a time for transformative change, so make the most of it.
No pain no gain. Work out with The Crazy Store Pulse Active range … yoga ball, R179.99, fitness AB wheel, R99.99 and Netball R199.99
Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown … the primary chakras, and the vital energy centres within the body through which all life energy flows. The Charkra Energy Deck by Olivia Miller is an illustrated deck with 64 easy-to-follow exercises to help unblock and align your chakra through meditations, breath work, mudras, affirmations, and yoga poses. There’s also a booklet which gives an overview of each chakra as well as corresponding elements, colours, crystals and essential oils. Chronicle, R350
Get your om on
Shoulder pain. Stiff necks. Weakening of your neck and back. Joint issues. These are just some of the probs working from home, and too many hours spent hunched over the computer, have caused. It’s all become a pain in the neck. Quite literally.
So say Namaste to the five simple yoga inspired stretches that can be done right at your desk, shared by Joëlle Sleebos, who’s Head of Yoga at Virgin Active, who has cherry-picked these five yoga inspired stretches to help with posture, neck pain and more that can be done at your desk – wherever that may be. So, get your om on and reduce discomfort, aches and pains, all in a day’s work.
Wrist and finger stretch While seated, take the fingertips of one hand into the palm of your other hand. Extend that same arm forward, at shoulder-height, and gently pull your fingers down toward the back of your wrist until you feel a slight stretch. This stretch will give your wrists some relief from frantic typing, and has the added benefit of lowering your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome. Hold the pose and breathe for three to five slow breaths, then switch hands.
Seated Tadasana Reach your arms above your head, aligning your wrists over shoulders. Inhale: Activate your fingers and arms by reaching your hands to the ceiling and spreading your fingers as wide as possible. Engage your abs as you sit up tall. Exhale: Relax your shoulders, align your head directly over your torso and slightly lift your chin up and in towards your throat to help stretch and straighten the back of your neck, your spine and find a good posture. Hold the pose and breathe for three to five slow breath cycles.
Seated Lateral Side Stretch Move into this stretch directly from the seated tadasana. Extend your right arm overhead toward the left side of your body and relax your left arm down. Feel the length on the right side of your torso from the right hip to right armpit. Your palm can face to the left and shift your gaze toward your bicep if your neck allows – don’t force your neck into any discomfort. Create space between your shoulders and ears, keeping your shoulders relaxed and in line with your desk and each other to avoid leaning forward or back — only sideways. Hold the pose and breathe for three to five slow breaths. Then switch sides to lengthen your abdominal muscles while improving spinal flexibility.
Seated Spinal Twist Move into this stretch directly from the seated tadasana. Bring your hand to your shoulders, lift your elbows to the side at the same level as your shoulders. Inhale: broaden your chest and look straight in front of you. Exhale: Twist and look to the right, while maintaining your hips in place. You may extend your arms and actively reach your right arm behind you and the left arm to the front. Then switch sides to improve spinal strength and flexibility, reduce back pain and improve your digestion.
Seated Forward fold and backbend Take a moment, give yourself a little more space, and take a deep breath before leaning forward slowly into a Paschimottanasana – or a seated forward bend. Focus on slowly extending the top half of the body over the seated lower half – gradually stretching out while controlling your abdomen and elongating your back. To counter the forward fold, sit upright with a deep inhale before moving into the seated backbend. Stretch your hands down a few centimetres behind your hips and hold on to the edges of your chair. Push into the chair and reach your shoulder blades down and back. Hug your belly in as you blossom your heart and lift your chest up and forward. Lift your gaze slightly and if it feels comfortable you can gently tilt your head backwards too, but be careful of discomfort in your neck. Hold the poses and breathe for three to five slow breaths.
More than anything, yoga is about breathing. As you work towards stretching out those pandemic-induced kinks in your body, remember to take time to close your eyes and really focus on taking five to ten deep, slow breaths before you dive back into your inbox. Your neck, spine and spirit will thank you.
Get crazy fit
For those of you who’re wanting to get your blood pumping but aren’t keen on going to a gym, take a look at The Pulse Active range at The Crazy Store. For yogis, there are mats and balls, blocks and straps; for gymers there are ab wheels and twist trainers and pedal resistance bands, multi toners and hand grips and quick-dry towels. You can grab a pair of gym gloves and push up bars, or raise your heartbeat with a high speed jump rope. Too much? There’s swimming gear and family-fun options like garden cricket sets, soccer balls and darts. There are even whistles for dads who take things seriously! Really affordable prices, so there’s no excuse whatsoever not to get fit this year. Details: crazystore.co.za
