Tag Archives: women’s health

Why It’s OK to Ignore your Yoga Teacher (sometimes)

Consider the phrase, “How you do anything on the mat is how you do everything in life.”

This is a quote I heard recently from one of my fellow yoga teachers that has really struck a chord with me. Ask yourself: How do you show up on your mat? How do you show up in your life? How do you deal with challenging postures in class? Do you just give in or quit? Do you stress out, compare yourself, or push too hard?

yoga teacher

Chances are, how you approach and practice your yoga is probably a good reflection of your approach and practice of life.

(more…)

Posted on March 13, 2024 by Katie McGrath

Push-ups and Squats Cut Diabetes Risk by 1/3

For years doctors have been saying that aerobic exercise and an active lifestyle lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. But scientists have long wondered if strength training combined with cardio can help lower the risk even more. Just as importantly, is just strength training alone enough to lower the risk even a little bit?

weight training

A new study answers this question. Drumroll please…. Indeed, strength training and resistance exercises (even yoga and Pilates!) are associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. Best of all, when these exercises are done in conjunction with your aerobic exercise, women’s risk drops by one-third!

(more…)

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Katie McGrath

Real 2024 Olympians Share their Cross-Training Workouts

We’re not just talking Olympic-style lifting…we’re talking what real Olympians actually do for their cross-training workouts. When not on the ice or hitting the slopes, these fierce females stay in top shape with some of their favorite activities like dance, yoga, and biking.

We also learned some fun facts about each athlete: Can you guess who’s fluent in German and which lady loves her Xbox?

 

Ashley Wagner – Women’s Figure Skating

Ashley stays graceful, strong, and lean with her routine of dance and yoga.

2014 Winter Olympic Games - Season 2014

Cross Training:  Dance, yoga, hiking and swimming in both the pool and ocean

Fun Fact:  She’s fluent in German. Guten tag!

(more…)

Posted on February 19, 2024 by Katie McGrath

How Heavy Weight Lifting Benefits Women

When you walk into the gym and step on the treadmill, you probably have one thing in mind: You want to lose some body fat. It may be 5 pounds or it may be 25 pounds; whatever that number may be I’ve got some advice for you: Step off of the treadmill. Listed below are just a few of the many upsides heavy weight lifting has for weight loss and essential health.

Weight Lifting Burns More Fat Than Cardio
While cardio has been found to be essential for good heart health, it can also burn muscle along with fat which is something you don’t want to happen.

This negative effect happens because the more muscle your body has the more fat your body burns. For every pound of muscle you gain, your body naturally burns an extra 35-50 calories per day, just by obtaining muscle! Therefore, a weight lifting session continues to burn calories even after your workout is over with where as cardio stops burning calories the second it’s over with.

“The more lean muscle mass an individual has the more calories burned at rest, therefore resistance training helps to burn fat while developing a lean, toned physique,” said Kalene Smith, certified personal trainer, lifestyle coach and owner of GoTimeTraining.com.

When you look at from in this perspective, one of the last things a woman wanting to lower her body fat should want to do is get rid of the muscle she already has. (more…)

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Danielle

The Nike Studio Wrap is the Yoga Industry’s Latest Innovation

The sale of yoga swag helps support what is now a six billion dollar industry. From ToeSox to yoga tops, yoga studios are stocking up on merchandise to sell to their peace-seeking supporters.

In today’s world, it is not uncommon to drop over a hundred bucks on either a set of yoga videos, one pair of yoga pants, and even a yoga mat. Companies such as Gaiam, Lululemon, and Manduka do not deny the capitalistic nature of the yoga business. They manufacture innovative and quality products just as fast as you can say “om.”

It is not just the smaller retail companies enjoying the fruits of the growing yoga tree. Big name brands are also getting in on the action. The latest innovation to hit the market is the Nike Studio Wrap. While it may sound like a sarong you might don at the beach, the Nike Studio Wrap is actually a pair of shoes.

Inspired by the need to maintain a firm base of support, beyond what a yoga mat can provide, the Nike Studio Wrap was created for women who spend hours working out in the studio.

Whether it is in yoga, Pilates, or ballet-fitness classes, women can now wrap up their feet in this stylish three-part system that involves a wrap, a ribbon, and a flat bottom surface. (more…)

Posted on November 15, 2023 by Jill

International Women’s Day Reflection on Promoting Positive Body Image

Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate achievements by women and inspire the generation of girls that follows. Women’s Day has been celebrated since 1909 when it was a National Woman’s Day. Today is a great day to think about nurturing a healthy body image in young girls. Whether you are a teacher, coach, mentor, or parent, every adult woman can make a difference in the lives of young girls.

One way to create an environment that promotes positive body image is to declare a Fat Talk Free Week. All of us can be role models of health for the children in our lives. While friends may influence kids more than we can, it is important to know that how much your kids eat is influenced by who they are with. To teach kids to have a positive body image, we must first learn to be confident in ourselves.

Mothers need to know just how their attitudes, choices, and words influence their daughters’ feelings about dieting. Parents also need to know how to talk to their teens about health, even though for many parents talking about weight is even more difficult than talking about sex with their kids.

(more…)

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Brooke Randolph