While you may not change the weather, you can take some steps to feel better during the winter months. The best cure for winter depression is to exercise your way through the winters. Not only will you keep the blues away, but you’ll be keeping fit simultaneously. Read on to find more tips for fighting off winter blues.

Embrace Outdoors

Wrap-up in some warm clothes and brave the weather. Wear layers that you can easily strip off as your body temperature rises. Make a playlist of your favorite music to stay motivated. Embrace the wind, rain, and snow. Find your inner child by running, cycling, and jumping over the puddles and icy patches. You will have so much fun doing it. Sign-up for skiing, snowboarding, or ice-skating lessons for a more structured approach to staying active. Taking classes will give you a result-driven structured approach, a sure confidence booster.

Join a Training Group

The best way to start the day is with some exercise. Can’t bring yourself to get out there on your own? Book an exercise class with your friends. You will wake up on those cold winter mornings because your friends rely on your support. Do you want even more out of your mornings and want to make new friends? Why not join a running club? Joining an early morning running club is a sociable way to move with others. You’ll feel superb at the end of your running session.

Join a Virtual Fitness Class

This tip is simple to execute, and you can stay active in your pj’s. Pj’s are just fine if that’s how you like it during winters. You can join many virtual fitness classes offered by virtual gyms. Plus, you’ll connect with like-minded people who will sweat with you. You don’t need fancy equipment or tons of space. It would be best to have a small workout space, yoga mat, and weights to move around. Try Tone and Strengthens virtual fitness classes where you will get structured workout classes led by certified trainers.

Get Enough ZZZ’s

The easiest way to boost your mood is to rest up. Sleep is a massive component of elevating your mood. One of SAD’s infamous symptoms is insomnia, which starts in fall and winter due to a lack of natural sunlight. According to endocrinologists, our circadian rhythm can get disrupted without a regular sleep cycle, disrupting hormone production. If you are going to get in an early morning workout, I recommend that you catch up with your sleep at the other end of the day. Rest and recovery are essential parts of working out. Getting enough sleep and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can help you combat the winter blues.

Eat Right

Nutrition is as important as staying active to combat the winter lows. Winter season calls for an extra supply of vitamin D and serotonin-rich foods. Vitamin D levels are low during the winter months due to sunshine. Try eating vitamin D-rich foods and supplementing vitamin D during the winter months. Foods high in vitamin D like fatty fish, fish oil, tuna, and mushrooms can improve mood. Serotonin is a vital hormone that regulates our mood, feelings, and focus. Foods that boost serotonin-like spinach, eggs, hazelnuts can help fight winter blues. 

Try taking these steps to help minimize the effects of feeling down during the cold and dark winter days.

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Foam Roller is one of my favorite recovery tools. Also known as self-myofascial release, foam rolling is a bit like getting a sports massage. But in foam rolling, you’re using your body weight to exert pressure on muscles. 

Sometimes it does hurt so bad, but it feels so good afterward. That’s because when you roll, you break the adhesions in your fascia. I like to foam roll before my runs and at night before bedtime. 

If you’ve never foam rolled or heard about it, you are in the right spot. In this blog, I am going to share information about foam rolling.

What is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is a self-myofascial release (SMR) technique. Foam rollers are mostly cylindrical made of foam. Foam rollers have different shapes, sizes and firmness. Some have ridges, and some are without bumps. They are all used to release the fascial tension.

What is Fascia?

Fascia is a thin sheet of connective tissue that wraps around the inner organs. It keeps blood vessels, bone, nerve fiber and muscle in place. It provides inner structure and has sensitive nerve endings. Too much tension and stress on muscles can cause fascial layers to thicken and stick together in knots. These knots lead to a decrease in mobility and pain points in our body.

One of the effective ways to release the fascia knots is to apply some myofascial releasing techniques, such as foam rolling. Over the past decade, a lot of research has been done to look at the benefits of foam rolling. A systemic review of research studies done on foam rolling published in the international journal of sports physical therapy in 2019 found that foam rolling helps reduce muscle stiffness, increase ROM and should be combined with dynamic stretching and active warm-up before a training session (1). The optimum dosage to achieve these flexibility benefits is a total of 90s-120s of foam rolling on one muscle group. Plus, the analysis shows that foam rolling reduces delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and increases performance. 

Read on to learn more about foam rolling’s benefits and when to add it to your routine.

Improves Muscle Performance

Foam rolling can improve the muscles’ amount of force if done before an activity. Myofascial release reduces tissue tension and muscle tightness, leading to a better range of motion and muscle power. Research has shown no negative impact on athletic performance. One study found that foam rolling improves power, agility, strength, and speed when used with dynamic warm-up (2). 

Improves Circulation

The pressure from rolling helps increase the blood flow to the tissue. Increasing the blood flow means the tissue will get more oxygen and nutrients. Using a foam roller during a warm-up for a brief period can elevate tissue temperature and reduce tension. 

Reduces Soreness

After an intense bout of exercise, foam rolling alleviates muscle fatigue and soreness. Research has shown that it’s because of the reduction in inflammation (3). I find it helpful for decreasing delayed onset muscle soreness. Let’s face it, most of the time, the difference between a good workout and a bad one is the amount of soreness from the last workout. Research suggests that inflammation of myofascial tissue is associated with delayed onset muscle soreness. Foam rolling stretches the myofascial and reduces inflammation. So, you can get back to your workouts recovered.

Improves Range of Motion

Research has found that foam rolling results in increased range of motion. 

Foam rolling returns the muscles and soft tissue to their natural form. Excessive exercise can lead to knots in the fascial tissue. By releasing the knots and making the soft-tissue mobile, foam rolling increases the range of motion and improves workout performance.

Don’t wait; grab your foam roller and roll on to reap these benefits.

References:

1-PMID: 26618062

2-PMID: 27182404

3- doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-50.1.01

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Ready to get started? Here are a few ideas to get you on the path to a healthier lifestyle:

• Reduce Stress
• Clock in More Sleep
• Eat Home Cooked Meals

Reduce Stress- Ohhh! Stress. It seems to creep up so often. Doesn’t it? Stress can significantly impact your ability to maintain a healthy weight and your exercise routine. Stress produces the hormone cortisol. Research shows that cortisol triggers food cravings and increases insulin levels, which affects the ability to burn off those comfort foods (1). There are many ways to control stress in your life. Some examples are writing one affirmation about yourself every day, starting your day with a five-minute meditation, and writing a journal entry every day.

Clock in Enough Sleep- Most people need between 7 and 9 hours each night. This year putting more sleep on your new year’s resolution list will set you on a healthy path. Sleep deprivation sets up your brain to make not-so-smart decisions. Research shows lack of sleep slows activity in the brain’s frontal lobe, the decision-making hub. Plus, your brain’s reward centers rev up when you are tired and sleep-deprived. So, you reach for those late-night treats. This year take easy steps to improve your sleep hygiene, and you will be on your way to a healthier you. Some of the easy ways to clock more sleep are; setting a reminder to go to bed early, stopping electronic usage thirty minutes before bed, and stopping caffeine consumption after 4 p.m.

Cooking at Home- Put some cooking classes and meal planning on your new year’s resolutions list. You can learn to shop for and prepare healthy meals. Cooking at home will save you time, money, and all those extra calories. When you cook at home, you know exactly how much salt, fat, or sugar is going into your dish, and you can replace the ingredients to cater to your nutrition needs. Some of the easy steps to start cooking at home are planning dinners for the week, making a list of the ingredients, and buying your groceries on Friday. 

You can choose these resolutions that focus on improving your health. At the end of the following year, you might be surprised at how much weight you lost without putting weight loss on your resolutions list.

References:

1-DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102936

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Fitness coaches build a personal relationship with you and help you reach your goals while focusing on mental, physical, and social health. You get the support to be successful.

Want to learn more benefits of hiring a fitness coach? Here are a few:

Education– Fitness coaches want to empower their clients with knowledge. The most important reason for working with a fitness coach is to educate you on all aspects of health, fitness, and exercise. They want you to do well in your fitness journey. Knowing which muscles to work, proper form, and nutrition is necessary to maximize effectiveness and reduce the risk of injury. You won’t find this type of comprehensive good for your fitness education on DR. google.

Personalized Program– Every individual is unique. That means everyone’s fitness abilities and requirements are different. One person can be an elite bodybuilder looking to compete, while the other can come from an injury. A fitness coach will meet you where you are. For example, if you had an ankle injury and are coming back after it, a fitness coach can help you rebuild the muscles and improve mobility. A fitness coach’s expertise can help you with a customized approach.

Goal Achievement– When we start training, we expect to achieve goals like tomorrow. Whatever your goal is, weight loss, muscle gain, or increased mobility, these changes take time to show. When your goals aren’t realistic, it’s easy to get discouraged and have anxiety from this experience. Fitness coaches help you set real and measurable goals. They assess your current fitness level, help you carve out a plan to achieve your goals, and track your progress. 

Motivation– Motivation can be internal or external. You may have some intrinsic motivation to work out, like coming off the blood pressure medication or improving your posture after sitting on the desk for hours. But there are always distractions around us, which can cause loss of motivation. Fitness coaches can motivate you to make it to your workout sessions regularly. 

Fitness coaches observe your behavior and guide you through behavioral modification principles. They can help you overcome the mental barriers that keep you in a bad habit loop.

Accountability– Accountability, and motivation go hand in hand. There are  many times we have gone to bed and said, “Tomorrow I’m going to wake up, go to the gym first thing in the morning!” You hit snooze when the morning comes and stay in the warm bed. A fitness coach will keep you accountable. You are investing your money which is a commitment device of its own. We all want to slack from time to time. A fitness coach will push you to your session and let go of the other temptations. 

Variety of Workouts– If you go to the gym without a plan, you wander from machine to machine not knowing what to do. A fitness coach can help you find a purpose for each training session. If you are already working successfully, fitness coaches can bring an objective eye. They can make necessary adjustments to make your workout more interesting, more challenging, or even just more fun.

Coaches provide unique workouts from their expansive exercise library. It will keep your body guessing and you interested in your workouts. Say goodbye to plateaus. 

Wellbeing– Research shows that physical exercise can help with mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety. A fitness coach is much more than just a trainer. They help you achieve your fitness goals, but they will also help you with other wellness goals like drinking more water and getting enough sleep.

There are so many reasons why a fitness coach is essential to achieving your fitness goals. A fitness coach can keep you accountable and moving forward in reaching health goals even in busy times like holidays and busy workdays!

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I like to include the accomplishments, wins, and losses that served as a learning experience. All the events have an impact on us. 

• First, I like to be grateful for where I am. 
• Second, I look back on the past year’s events in wonder and awe. It’s hard to believe how far I have come this year with my running and business goals. 
• Third, I look to see how I can improve my future by taking unnecessary things from my schedule and improving my current activities. 

Why Reflect on Last Year?

Last year is gone. Right! It is past now. You cannot bring this time back and can’t use an eraser to undo the mistakes.

At the most basic definition, reflection is a careful thought. But the valuable kind of reflection involves the deliberate analysis of one’s beliefs and actions for learning. Reflection allows us to slow down, pause and sort through past experiences.

Reflecting on last year, you can learn important lessons and recognize behavior patterns. Listing previous year’s events allow us to identify the patterns in our reactions and will help us to enhance performance in the new year. Reflections serve as self-feedback for the last year. I recommend reflecting on the past year because it acts as a tool to improve your performance in the new year radically.

There is a paradox in life for faster improvement. To have a more significant impact in the future, we need to slow down and reflect on the past.

Reflect and Plan

Select your own reflection process. I like to write in a journal. If you don’t like journaling, that’s okay. Consider talking to a close friend, and going over the last year is a great way to reflect. You can use your friend’s feedback as well.

To help you reflect on your year, I have put together some questions and resources that can help you.

I like to put my last year’s events into three categories:

Successful – had a tremendous impact

Redundant –can be left behind

Developing – needs improvement

Questions to Ask

Here are some of my favorite questions for reflecting on last year:

• What accomplishments are you proud of this year?
• What significant life events or transitions did you go through this year?
• How did you take care of yourself this year? Mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally.
• What disappointed you this past year?
• What have you overcome this year?
• What are you most grateful for in the last year? 
• What mistakes are you still holding onto from the past year?
• What challenges do you still need to conquer?
• If you could change one thing in the last year, what would it be?
• What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the past year?

So, grab a warm cup of tea and a paper to look at last year’s reflections, so that next year’s image projection is bright.

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The instructor will move with you, in a yoga inspired class, infused with strength and light cardio training, that will be sure to add heat to your daily routine, while toning every muscle group. The class will start with 15 minutes yoga flow, followed by a 20 minutes full body strength circuit, and ending with 15 minutes deep stretch flow.

All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga mat and two medium – heavy dumbbells are suggested for this class *

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All Virtual classes are recorded and recording is provided to registered participants for 48-hrs after class.

*Yoga mat and two medium – heavy dumbbells are suggested for this class *

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Next month is Breast Cancer Awareness month. 

Tone and Strengthen is raising money to help women with breast cancer and is hosting a donation-based yoga flow with a breast cancer-awareness theme to benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

The event will teach women how to do self breast examinations and will take place at 

Northampton Township Municipal park, PA 

on Sept 24th, 2021 @ 9:30 a.m. 

Open to the community. All levels are welcome. So bring your yoga mat, wear your best pink or teal outfit and join us for a donation based yoga class. We’ll raise awareness about breast cancer while practicing relaxing yoga flow!

Class taught by Aesha Tahir, founder of Tone and Strengthen

*Suggested donation of $5 paid thru cash or Paypal-  paypal.me/toneandstrengthen . All proceeds will go to Living Beyond Breast Cancer.

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There are many ways of going about it. I’m sure you know a few of those ways yourself. To make it easy for you I’m going to share a 30-day self-care calendar in this post, and I challenge you to follow this calendar this month.

You’ll love this self-improvement challenge. Taking care of yourself will uplift your whole life. Just like any other challenge it might not be easy but perseverance is the key to a successful self-care journey.

You can take this challenge and personalize it as well, be flexible, and fit it into your budget. Need alternative ideas and you are stuck. Leave a comment below and I’ll help brainstorm with you! 😊. Also, I’d love to hear how you feel during and after! Comment below or on IG and FB.

Self-Care Challenge

Read on for 30 uplifting self-care challenge items, day by day.

Day 1: Go on walk alone

I love nature and I have talked about it in my blogs how research shows that nature benefits us in many ways. So, let’s kick off the challenge by getting out in nature. Find a trail nearby and take a stroll on it. Go alone and try bringing your attention to your breath and notice the surroundings. This walk will sync your body and mind. Inhale the colors of the trees around you and exhale the soft earthy feel of the trail under your feet.

Day 2: Drink water often

Drink water as much as you can. You can follow the 8 X 8 rule, drinking 8 oz every hour for 8 hours. Make it a habit to have a glass of water in front of you. Drinking water first thing in the morning has many health benefits so keep a fresh glass of water on your bedside table.

Day 3: Be kind

Show kindness and share your love. Give a gift, a thank you note, or words of appreciation to someone. Oscar Wilde said: “The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” Your kind act doesn’t have to be big. 

Day 4- Unplug social media

Social media accounts are a great distraction and that’s why it is so tempting to engage on social media. Studies show that social media increases depression and loneliness. It’s best to take a break from social media. Unplug yourself from social media. Ask your family member to change the password for you. You don’t have to go all in but, starting with one day of social media detox would give you a good start. See how you feel and how much time you gain back today.

Day 5- Read

I don’t have to say much here. Do I? I never get tired of reading. Pick a book and immerse yourself in the words. Books have the unique ability to convey knowledge and inspire action. You will learn something new, and you will be doing something for yourself. 

Day 6- Talk to an old friend

Memories of days past can cheer anyone up. Nostalgia is good. So, try to get in touch with an old friend. 

Day 7-Cook something new

Try a new recipe, maybe from a different culture. Cooking for yourself is distressing and eating nutritious home cooked meals make you feel better. 

Day 8- Organize

Try to organize one drawer or closet. Pick one bite-size area in your home and try to spend just an hour. Don’t overthink it. Find the items you aren’t using and donate them. Organizing will make you feel productive, and you will be able to enjoy the cleared-out drawer or closet for days to come.

Day 9- Play

Stop being serious. Play a prank at work or with your family. Watch a funny movie or TV show. My favorite show is “Friends”. 

Day 10- Get a massage

Schedule a massage for yourself and make sure that you go for it. Research shows that low pressure massage reduces depression, anxiety, and heart rate.

Day 11- Practice gratitude

Want a life hack? Practice gratitude. Take just five minutes today write down the names of three people and three things you are grateful to have in your life.

Day 12- Simplify

Take an inventory of what’s the most stressful area in your life. Meals, work, kids’ schedules, or home projects. See if you can rearrange just one area. Maybe hire help for home projects. Set aside a weekend to conquer the project yourself which has been on your mind. Often we make things more complicated than they are. Delegate some work or rethink the process and it will open up your mind’s real estate for other work that you need to tackle.

Day 13- Go for a Mani/Pedi

Take care of yourself today. 

Day 14- Eat Clean

Okay, I know you love processed food. Those Doritos and Oreo cookies are the best aren’t they. Well, they are not the best for your wellbeing! Today’s challenge is to ditch the snacks and eat whole foods just for a day. Give it a try.

Day 15- Meditate or pray

Today’s challenge is to give yourself 10 minutes of silence. Just focus on your breath or say a prayer. Evaluate where you can make a 10-minute space in your day to continue this practice.

Day 16- Attend a fitness class

Go to your favorite group-ex class or maybe try a new type of class. Try Piloxing, or Zumba toning if you have never taken these before. Can’t leave the house, we got you covered. Try a virtual group-ex class.

Day 17- Watch a Ted-talk

Instead of watching TV or spending hours on social media, listen to a Ted Talk today. Learn something new and get inspired. 

Day 18- Meal prep

Meal planning and meal prep do seem like a lot of work upfront, especially if you’re deep in a busy season, but they truly are the best forms of self-care. Planning for your meals (and meals for your family) and doing some weekend prep means that you can eat well without a lot of extra planning and thought each day.

Day 19- Donate

Look in your closet. Are there outfits in good condition that you haven’t worn in a while? Pick three things and donate them.

Day 20- Air out the house

Today let fresh air into your home. The breeze will feel good and freshen up your whole home. 

Day 21- Practice yoga

Yoga is a great way to practice self-care because it slows down the breathing and relaxes your body. Try a virtual Yoga class.

Day 22- Date yourself

First, plan this date so it actually happens. What makes you happy? Write down three activities that make you smile. Set aside 3-4 hours in the day to make those things happen. I know for me it would be going for a run on a trail, eating a yummy cupcake, and taking a hot bath.

Day 23- Eat outdoors

Being home all the time during pandemic made me realize that eating at home all the time gets boring. It’s easy to break monotony by taking your meal outdoors. Sit out on the deck or pack a picnic meal and drive to the park. 

Day 24- Get a hairdo

Get a blow dry or freshen your hair cut. Enjoy the scalp massage while the stylist shampoos your hair.

Day 25- Affirmations

How you speak to yourself dictates how you live your life. Write down three affirmations for your-self and say them out loud to yourself during the day. Show yourself some love and encouragement.

Day 26- Take a bath

Anything can be fixed with a long soak in the bath or under a hot shower. 

Day 27- Listen to music

Listen to your favorite playlist for as long as you can. Charles Darwin said, “If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”Recent research shows that listening to music improves our mental well-being and boosts our physical health in surprising and astonishing ways.

Day 28- Watch a sunset

Next, either get outside early or step out in the evening to watch the colors of the sun as it moves. Really notice the waves it makes in the sky and the beauty of a simple sunrise or sunset.

How lucky we are to know the sun will be there for us every single day.

Day 29- Write a love letter

Write a love letter to yourself. I know it sounds silly. Talking from experience, it’s very hard to do. When you write it, you will find out a lot of your strengths. You will get to know yourself better. Self-love is important. 

Day 30- Reflect

It’s the final day of our self-care challenge. Time flies! Right? This day is for reflecting upon the last 29 days. What did you like in this challenge? What habits will you continue going forward? 

The post 30-Day Self Care Challenge 0 (0) first appeared on Tone & Strengthen.

 Numerous research studies show that, yogic practices enhance muscular strength and body flexibility, promote and improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, promote recovery from and treatment of addiction, reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, improve sleep patterns, and enhance overall well-being and quality of life. A study published in International Journal of Yoga,  found that yoga produces a physiological event sequence in the body that reduces stress. Yoga poses inhibit the posterior or sympathetic area of the hypothalamus in the brain. This inhibition optimizes the body’s sympathetic responses to stressful stimuli and restores autonomic regulatory reflex mechanisms associated with stress.

One of the yoga pose categories provides this benefit significantly more than others.  That category is the forward bend poses. Traditional yoga texts say forward bends can cure disease. Scientists are discovering how these poses help in reduces stress.

One of the explanations comes from our childhood.  Children like to hug their knees to their chest to self-cradle. Forwarding bending yoga poses operate in the same way. Forward folds also help by bringing calmness because they encourage us to pull our senses inward. This allows us to connect and stay with our inner essence. Forward bends are also known to protect your heart and abdominal region. According to Savanna Stevens,  forward bends give space between the spinal discs when we drop our head down. Our autonomic nervous system is lead by our spine. These elements combined make this category of poses a perfect one for moving from fight and flight to rest and digest mode.

There are many variations of forward bends. We will focus on three in this blog. The seated forward bend, standing forward bend, and child’s pose.

Seated Forward Fold- Paschimottanasana, the seated forward fold, is one of the twelve postures of hatha yoga. It’s easy to practice seated forward bends.

• Sit with your legs extended in front of you. Knees can be bent or straight.
• Inhale, reaching your arms up overhead, lengthening your spine.
• Exhaling, bend forward from the hip joints. Imagine your torso coming to rest on your
• Rest your fingertips on your shins, ankles, or feet.
• Repeat 3-4 reps and then hold for up to a minute.

Standing Forward Fold- Standing forward fold lengthens the hamstrings and calves and opens up back muscles. Here is how to practice this pose.

• Come into a mountain pose with raised hands.
• Sweep your arms down, bending at your hips lengthening your torso.
• Bring your fingertips in line with the toes. You can drop your hands down or rest your hands on a block.
• Let your head hang heavy under you.
• Inhale and rise, pressing your tail bone down and heels into the mat.

Childs Pose- Balasana is a standard yoga pose. It is a resting pose used during yoga practice.  Here is how to practice it.

• Begin on your hands and knees. Spread your knees shoulder-width apart and glue your toes together.
• With an exhale send your hips to your heels, bow forward, draping your torso between your thighs. Drop your forehead down on the mat or a yoga block.
• Hold for a minute or three breath cycles.

Next time you are stressed out, lay down your yoga mat and practice a few forward bends.

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