Health
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What if your doctor could look over your shoulder every moment of every day? Would she approve of every choice you’ve made? The answer is that she probably wouldn’t, but you may also be less likely to make poor choices if you knew someone was keeping tabs. Although your doctor isn’t available to monitor you 24/7, wearable technology can provide a similar benefit. Wearable technology can help monitor your health and behavior, so you can decide whether improvements would ultimately result in a healthier version of yourself. Whether it’s tracking fitness, heartrate, or sleep, wearable technologies can give you the information you need to improve your health. Get Better Sleep It’s difficult to know whether your daily exhaustion is from poor sleep or something else. That’s why wearable technology for tracking sleep patterns has become so popular. Apps like the Shine can track how much time you spend in deep sleep versus light sleep. This is extremely helpful because it can help you pinpoint the things that may be keeping you from having a good night’s rest. For example, if you’re trying a new pillow and spend less time in a deep sleep, you may want to go back to the old one. Improve Your Diet Most people are looking for some form of help when it comes to healthy eating. And although diet books provide insights, they don’t give the type of personal analysis you can get from a wearable device. BitByte is one wearable that has set out to change the way you eat – literally. This device documents what you eat, assesses the quality of your chewing and gives real-time suggestions. Reduce Stress Breathing is an involuntary movement, but it’s one that we often forget to do when stress levels go through the roof. Spire is a...
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April 14, 2016If your goal during Yoga is to burn the highest percentage of calories from fat, make sure you stay in your calculated target heart rate range for fat burn or, in other words, your “fat burning zone.” When you exercise in your fat burning zone, you use a greater percentage of calories from fat than at other heart rate zones. You reach your typical fat burning zone when your heart rate is at 55 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Your target heart rate for fat burning is approximately 55 percent to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. Multiply your MHR by 0.55 to get your lower level threshold, and multiply your MHR by 0.70 to get your upper level threshold. So, if you are 40 years old, your lower level threshold would be 180 x 0.55 = 99 beats per minute, and your upper level threshold would be 180 x 0.70 = 126 beats per minute. This would make your fat burning zone 99 to 126 beats per minute. Another method is to take 180 and minus your age would be the top of your range. Then take 20 away from top of your range that would be bottom of your range. Example: 180 – (your age) = Top Of Your Range Top Of Your Range – 20 = Bottom Of Your Range Once you have calculated your fat burning zone, be sure to adjust your intensity during exercise to stay within those upper and lower limits. Periodically check on your heart rate using one of the methods listed above. Your percentage of calories burned from fat will decrease if you go over this range.
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March 31, 2016As a lot of us sit at a desk everyday at work with very little movement our muscles and joins stiffen up. Sitting for lengthy periods is terrible for your body. Aches and pains are the least of your problems. You’re at a higher risk of muscular skeletal disorders, obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease and more. Excessive amounts of typing is a well-known cause of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which is a painful wrist strain that can go up your arm. Keyboards can be a breeding ground for bacteria if not kept clean. If your mouse stays in the same spot all day, you can be prone to repetitive strain injury (RSI). Upper limb RSI occurs when your tendons are straining more than they should for long periods of time, which can be because of movement repetition, a sustained awkward position, or prolonged pressing against hard surfaces smart phones are also noted for this as well. To help combat this there are quick and easy yoga routines you can do right at your desk to help keep you loose and heather in that desk job. Below are some examples Routine 1 – http://yoga.about.com/od/yogasequences/tp/deskstretches.htm Routine 2 – https://healthandwellness.vanderbilt.edu/files/hpYogaDeskPoses.pdf Routine 3