Fitness and Health Guide for Busy Moms

Title:Fitness and Health Guide for Busy MomsWord Count:582Summary:As a busy mom, fitness and health are very important. But how will you fit exercise into yourbusy schedule? These tips can help...Keywords:fitness and healthArticle Body:When you're busy balancing work, kids, and home life in general, you might feel that there's notenough time in the day for health and fitness. The word \"exercise\" just doesn't seem to fit intoyour vocabulary. But there's good news. With just a little daily commitment, you can achievegood health and fitness in no time without adding stress to your already busy schedule.Start with Slow Exercise and Build StrengthGet started with slow, easy exercises that you can handle. Do about 20 to 30 minutes of exerciseor activity each day or at least several times per week. Start with less strenuous activities andthen work your way up to more strenuous exercises as you build muscle strength. This willimprove your fitness and health without putting too much strain on your body, especially ifyou've been inactive for a while.Some examples of low fitness activities you might try include walking, playing outdoor gameswith your kids (ball, tag, volleyball, badminton, flying a kite, etc.), walking the dog, mowingthe lawn or gardening, housework, walking stairs, or riding a bike. When you want to have funwith your kids, opt for the park instead of the ice cream shop. Be mindful of physical activity ineverything you do. This will help your kids get exercise as well without feeling pressured aboutit.If you work outside the home, you can take walks during your breaks. Even a daily 15-minutewalk can make a big difference!Increasing Activity

As your body grows stronger, you might choose to add some aerobic exercise to your dailyroutine. Do this slowly and increase the intensity and time of your aerobic activity in shortincrements so you won't overdo it. Aerobic exercise helps you burn more calories and improveheart health.Some examples of aerobic fitness activities include fast walking or jogging, cycling, dancing,swimming, skating, skiing, step aerobics, or racket sports. You can also enroll in an aerobicsclass if you feel you're ready to commit to it several times per week. Or, there are DVDs thatteach you to do aerobic workouts at home.Another way to increase fitness activity is to invest in exercise equipment such as a treadmill,fitness band, yoga mat, ab wheel, workout weights, row machine, or stationary bike. Theseallow you to workout in the comfort of your own home with the same results as outdoor fitnessactivities.Pamper Your MusclesBe sure to pamper your muscles a little before and after workouts. Do stretches before workingout and then \"cool down\" afterwards to allow your muscles to relax. Also, take soothing bathsafter a workout or in the evening before bedtime to help your muscles and body to relax. Thiswill make workouts more enjoyable and give you something to look forward to each day.Supplement Your Diet for Better Fitness and HealthTo enhance your fitness efforts, supplement your diet with nutritious items such as protein andamino acids or other vitamins and minerals. There are nutritional shakes, protein shakes,vitamin supplement pills, nutrition bars, and other items to enhance your diet as you increaseyour fitness activity. These will also enhance your overall health. Look for vitamins that arespecifically designed for women.As a busy mom, don't neglect one of the most important tasks of all - taking care of your ownhealth. With good health and fitness, you'll be able to keep up with your kids and shareactivities with them like never before!Title:Keeping Sexual Relationships Healthy And SafeWord Count:783Summary:Many young people are not comfortable talking to their parents about having sexualrelationships. It is important that you have a trusted adult or health care provider to discuss allyour concerns and worries. Times like these can be very confusing to most young people thatis why it is always good to have someone to talk to in order to arrive at a good decision.

Keywords:anxiety, depression, pregnancy, birth control pill, side effectsArticle Body:Getting involved in relationships with the opposite sex is part of growing up. Teenage girlsand boys tend to think about what it means to be involved in a sexual relationship. There aremany things to be taken into consideration before one should decide to have sex. There is theissue of morality which can make one feel guilty about premarital sex. Such guilt can play amajor role in affecting one's emotional and psychological well-being, which usually leads toanxiety and depression. Health concerns are also on top of the agenda whenever a persondecides to engage in a serious, intimate relationship. Sexual health is an important matter tothink about since it is no longer safe to engage in unprotected sex. One must be aware thatsexual relationships can expose people to the risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases (STD).No one can tell if a person is infected with STD. Even healthy-looking people can have thedisease without them knowing it. Be sure that you and your partner are protected beforeengaging in any sexual activity. Unwanted pregnancy is also another consequence of sexualrelationships which young people should think about. Many young people's future have beenruined by getting pregnant even when they are not yet emotionally and psychologically readyfor the responsibility that teenage pregnancy entails. Even if you don't get pregnant orinfected by STD, consider how you will feel if the relationship breaks up.Many young people are not comfortable talking to their parents about this situation. It isimportant that you have a trusted adult or health care provider with whom you can discuss allyour concerns and worries. Times like these can be very confusing for most young people andhaving someone to talk to would do wonders to gain more clarity and objective advice aboutsexuality.Young people who make the decision to engage in any sexual activity should learn how toprotect themselves aginst STD and prevent unwanted pregnancy. For contraception, there arevarious products out in the market that are effective in preventing pregnancy. Costs, methodsof use, and level of protection against STD vary depending on the contraceptive.There are two popular types of contraception, namely: the use of birth control pills and thecondom. Both contraceptives can protect against pregnancy and STD. Males use some typesof contraception that are usually different from what females normally use. It is good to knowall about the different types of female and male contraceptions if you are into a sexualrelationship. Together, the involved partners should figure out the best choice for the two ofthem. The type of contraception can have an effect on the health of both people in therelationship. Only females can get pregnant, but both males and females can get STD. Sexualintercourse always increase the risk for unwanted pregnancy and STD. Practicing safe sexwith only one partner who is uninfected and has no other sexual partners can greatly lower suchrisk.Birth control pills are small contraceptive tablets that usually contain two types of syntheticfemale hormones, the progestin and estrogen. This is called the \"combination oralcontraceptive\". Estrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries. These hormonesprevent pregnancy by suppressing the pituitary gland, which stops the development and therelease of the egg in the ovary, called ovulation. The progestin hormone also helps to preventthe sperm from reaching the egg and changes the lining of the uterus. Birth control pillscontain only one hormone called progestin and considered to be the \"mini-Pill.\" This type ofcontraceptive works by suppressing ovulation and helping to prevent the male's sperm fromreaching the egg.The combination pill is slightly more effective than the progestin-only pill. But there are somepeople whose bodies don't react well to the estrogen in the combined pill. It is better that they

take the progestin-only pill to avoid any complications from side effects. The birth control pillis highly effective if you take the pill exactly as directed by your health care provider. The pillis to be taken once a day, at the same time everyday. Be sure to have back-up contraceptionsuch as condoms during the remainder of the pill cycle when diarrhea or vomiting occur, orwhen you are taking some other medication that could change the effectiveness of the birthcontrol pills.Aside from preventing unwanted pregnancy, birth control pills have other medical benefits,such as easing menstrual cramps, regulating the menstrual cycle, reducing the amount andlength of menstrual bleeding.Having a sexual relationship entails great responsibility, not only to yourself, but to yourpartner as well. Always remember to engage in safe sex.Title:Water and Your HealthWord Count:1097Summary:Here's a question you've heard many times before:How many glasses of water do you drink each day?Two, three, four... more? You've heard it so often because it's a very important question,prompting you to think about the amount of water you consume, urging you to drink more...Keywords:water, health,weight lossArticle Body:Here's a question you've heard many times before:How many glasses of water do you drink each day?Two, three, four... more? You've heard it so often because it's a very important question,prompting you to think about the amount of water you consume, urging you to drink more...Get the basics right, like eating a balanced diet, regular moderate exercise, rest and relaxation,fun and laughter, and life can be free of illness and poor health. Water consumption is one ofthese essential basics. If you want long-term good health, read on, we're going to give you allthe evidence you need to encourage you to drink water, as recommended by the experts: 6-8large glasses a day!Why you need a fresh daily supply

At any one time, between 55 and 75% of your body weight is water. Your body's need for wateris second only to it's need for oxygen! Take a look at why you need so much of this life-givingliquid:It assists the digestion, absorption and elimination of the food you eatIt assists the excretion of waste from your bowel and kidneysIt regulates your body temperature 24/7It lubricates your joints and membranesBlood is your body's transport system, constantly distributing nutrients around the bodyYour blood is made up of approximately 92% waterBody secretions and digestive juices are almost entirely water (your digestive system producesapproximately 1.7 litres of saliva each day)Because of these many important tasks, in normal conditions your body needs between 1 and ahalf to 2 litres of water daily, in order to function optimally. This daily amount is also affectedby your size, diet, how active your lifestyle is and even the weather conditions! The list belowshows how your body loses water:Through exhaling, perspiring and elimination (urine, faeces) your body lose 1.7 litres dailyIn hot weather, perspiration increases so more water is needed to help regulate bodytemperature and keep you feeling coolDuring cold weather, additional moisture is lost through breathingFor each hour of physical activity, you need and extra 1-3 glasses of waterCentral heating has a drying effect, so you need to drink more, or turn down the heatDID YOU KNOW?Water is a natural appetite suppressant. Lack of water can lead to over eating, this is becauseyour brain doesn't differentiate between hunger and thirst, so when you think you are feelinghungry, chances are, your body really needs water, so drink a large glass of water before you eat.In most cases, you will probably find this will satisfy what you thought were hunger pains.Are you Dehydrated?You can probably appreciate by now that many, many people are walking around in a constantstate of dehydration! So is your body gasping for water? How would you know? You can checkfor yourself below - we've started with the most common symptoms, right through to the moresevere symptoms:Headaches A major function of water is to flush toxins from the body. Your brain is 75% water,so even being slightly dehydrated can cause headaches.

Poor Concentration/Fatigue If your body is overloaded with toxins and not enough water toflush them out, you will feel less energetic while your body struggles with the toxins.Constipation Water speeds the process of elimination adding bulk to the stool, so drinkingadequate fluid assist the flow and regularity.Reduced urine Output/Dark Urine The kidneys filter waste products out of the blood.Amazingly, approximately 180 litres of water is recycled by the kidneys daily! This processrelies on an adequate fresh supply, without it, output of urine is reduced, waste productsbecome more concentrated, resulting in darker urine.Furry tongue/bad breath If not enough fluid is passing through the mouth to wash away foodparticles, bacteria builds up in the throat and mouth, and on the tongue as a white film of fur.Dry Mouth Saliva lubricates the mouth, dehydration reduces the amount available.In More Severe DehydrationMuscle Cramps This happens when not enough oxygen is getting to the muscles via the bloodstream because of insufficient water in the body.Skin If there is not enough water to feed the skin, it loses elasticity. Test by pulling the skin onthe back of your hand, it should snap back instantly.Eyes Sunken eyes and dark skin around/under the eyes are a sign of severe dehydration.Get Into a Life-Long Water HabitYour aim is to drink water consistently throughout the day. Avoid drinking too much water atonce, or too fast, because it will pass through you with little benefit to your body. For the firstfew days you may experience more frequent trips to the toilet, this is because your body isn'tused to being so well hydrated and needs time to adjust. You should also begin to notice areduction in weight and centimetres, as your body's water stores become redundant andgradually release their cargo!TIP If you don't have a water cooler/dispenser at work, take a two litre bottle with you each day- it will also help you monitor your water intake.Water is your body's life force, without it, you would literally dry up!WATER RETENTIONDon't overlook water retention... The less water you drink, the more the body will try to storewater for later use. This will result in water retention as the body cells swell with their preciouswater stores, giving the appearance of 'extra weight'TAKE ACTION NOWChoose your Source Wisely

Some fluids work against hydrationCOFFEE - TEACoffee and traditional teas contain caffeine, which produces increased urine output and istherefore a dehydrating agent. The more you drink, the quicker water will pass through yourbody.DIET DRINKSDiet drinks contain artificial sweeteners in place of sugar. These sweeteners send confusingmessages to the brain that food (energy) is on the way to the stomach, but because sweetenerscontain no calories, no energy arrives, so the brain sends out hunger messages until food finallyarrives. People who drink diet sodas on a regular basis therefore tend to eat to much.FRUIT JUICESWe generally think of fruit juices as being good for us, but in reality, they are sugar water. fruitis always far healthier when eaten in it's whole, fibre and nutrient-rich form. if you do drinkfruit juice, dilute 50/50 with water to reduce the sugar content. Beware of fruitcordials/squashes, which are usually sugar-saturated or contain artificial sweeteners - check thelabels.