Kickstart Yourself Back Into Movement

By Leanne Hall on Feb 15, 2:58pm

We’ve all been there. Hitting the gym regularly, eating really well and feeling fabulous. Then it happens. Maybe we over eat at a work function, or take a week off the gym because we’ve been feeling unwell. Or maybe we just feel bored with our current fitness routine. Whatever the trigger, the result is the same. Motivation takes a drastic nose-dive and we find ourselves frustrated, and perhaps even depressed at the fact that we just can’t seem to pull ourselves together and get back on track.

So how can you get back on the health and fitness wagon? Well, here are my tips to help get you back to your healthy self again!

Identify Obstacles

When motivation disappears, the first question you need to ask yourself is this: “Why?”

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Who Needs A Healthy Liver?

By Dr Cris Beer on Jan 27, 6:30am

For the first few years that I worked as a general practitioner I had underestimated the liver's significant role in the general wellbeing of my patients. I had learnt that the liver was important from a physiological point of view and that it helped keep us alive, but I hadn't fully considered how it keeps us feeling well on a day-to-day basis.

I had been taught how to detect liver-function abnormalities in blood testing and how to feel for an enlarged or tender liver - all signs of obvious and severe liver damage. But as for understanding liver damage well before any obvious clinical signs begin to show, I was completely in the dark. I had seen severe liver damage from chronic alcoholism and from liver disease such as hepatitis, but the...

How To Be Happy - 10 Routine Changes Scientifically Proven

By Juice Daily on Jan 19, 6:12am

Nothing spells a bad day more than spilling coffee on a crisp white shirt come Monday morning, but trivial as it may seem, it can be an instant downer on your mood.

While it’s only natural to get in a funk every now and again – according to a British survey, we have at least 10 grumpy days a year (five hours a week) – it can play an unhealthy part in our overall sense of wellbeing.

The biggest mood booster for women, according to the Healthspan survey is ‘me time.’ So while you can’t out run a bad day, you can shape and mould your routine a little bit each day to care of yourself and make the overall outcome that bit brighter.

Here, scientifically proven tweaks to make life happier. 

1. Do exercise you like

With music you like. A...

Three ways to achieve your New Year’s resolutions by building ‘goal infrastructure’

By Peter A. Heslin on Jan 18, 12:40pm

Every year most of us make New Year’s resolutions. Eat healthier. Exercise regularly. Invest more in valued relationships. Learn a language. And so on. Often they are the same resolutions as last year.

Why do our resolutions often so swiftly wither away?

A prime culprit in this annual rollercoaster of optimism and disappointment is overconfidence in the power of our intentions.

The excitement of a new year (and perhaps the fruit of celebrating a little too hard) cloud remembering a hard fact of life: good intentions readily evaporate without a trace in the face of everyday experiences such as exhaustion, temptation and long-standing habits.

Fortunately, academic research on goal-setting can help. Studies over several decades have...

A Beginner's Guide to Fitness

By Kirsty Welsh on Jan 17, 1:41pm

I’ve worked in the health industry for long enough to know the biggest goal when an individual joins a gym is, ‘I want to get fit!’

What does this even mean?

If you want to ‘get fit’ you need to start with a good definition of what fitness means to you, otherwise where do you even begin? It can be overwhelming!

Here’s a little bit of help to get you going. Physical fitness can be defined as the ability of the body to perform with energy and alertness. (Yes please, where do I sign up!) 

Fitness to me is not just physical; although we normally focus on the physical, I prefer to look at fitness as a blend of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. The beauty of physical activity is that movement allows us to think clearer,...

Want to exercise more? Try setting an open goal for your New Year’s Resolution

By Christian Swann on Dec 27, 2:43pm

It’s that time of year when many of us are setting goals for the year ahead. The most common New Year’s resolution – set by 59% of us - is to exercise more.

But our research suggests the way we typically set goals in exercise often doesn’t work. So, what should we do instead?

Our research interviewing elite athletes suggests one possibility is to set open goals instead.

Specific goals can actually put us off

Generally we’re advised to set specific, or SMART, goals (where SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timebound). Aiming to walk 10,000 steps per day is a common example.

This advice is typically based on goal-setting theory from the 1990s. However, that theory has now evolved, with research now suggesting...

Blueberry, Mint & Lime Mocktail

By The Mindful Mocktail on Apr 30, 3:39pm

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 10-12 blueberries
• 8 mint leaves
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sparkling water or kombucha
• 1 tsp sweetener of choice (opt)

Method

1. Place blueberries, mint, lime and sweetener (if using) into a glass.
2. Muddle together for about 1 minute to release the juice from the blueberries and lime, and the flavour from the mint. If you don’t have a muddler, use the back of a wooden spoon or similar.
3. Top with sparkling water or your favourite kombucha and stir gently.
4. Add ice and garnish with some extra blueberries and mint.

For more recipes like this, follow @themindfulmocktail on Instagram

Exhausted by 2020? Here are 5 ways to recover and feel more rested throughout 2021

By Peter A. Heslin on Jan 22, 3:08pm

For most of us, 2020 was an exhausting year. The COVID-19 pandemic heralded draining physical health concerns, social isolation, job dislocation, uncertainty about the future and related mental health issues.

Although some of us have enjoyed changes such as less commuting, for many the pandemic added extra punch to the main source of stress – engaging in or searching for work.

Here’s what theory and research tells us about how to feel more rested and alive in 2021.

Recovery activity v experience

Recovery is the process of reversing the adverse impacts of stress. Leading recovery researchers Sabine Sonnentag and Charlotte Fritz have highlighted the important distinction between recovery activities (what you do during leisure time) and...

12 Healthy Snacks for Work

By Cindy O'Meara on Jan 21, 6:56am

Most people take a briefcase to work, but I’m more likely to take a bag filled with healthy goodies. When you eat healthy foods, you not only improve your physical health, but you will also help your mind and body deal with stress.

When preparing snacks for work, the key is to be organised and prepared. 

With the right nutrients, the brain performs better and stays alert during the day. Your thinking will be clearer and you will get tasks done faster, and the morning and afternoon slump will be a thing of the past! 

Here are some examples of things I take on a regular basis to work. Pick and choose different ones during your week, to make sure you're getting a variety of healthy, nutrient rich, satisfying and delicious...