8 Exercises to Tone Every Inch of Your Body

We’ve all seen one too many workout plans that promise to totally change your body with only a few 10-minute gym sessions. Here’s the deal: getting stronger is a complex equation that involves fueling your body with healthy foods, making lifestyle changes (hello, self-care), and putting in the sweat to build muscle and endurance.

A lean, toned body takes movement, sweat, and swearing. And it takes the best exercise for each part of your 3d anatomy. Here’s a list so you can sculpt a better (and healthier) frame:

1. Squat and Shoulder Press

Works butt, thighs, arms

Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding five-pound weights in each hand, arms bent, palms facing in. Bend your knees and squat; pause, then stand and press your arms straight up over your shoulders. Do 8 to 12 reps.

2. Pull Combo

Works butt, thighs, abs

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms bent at 90 degrees, with your left hand near your hip and your right hand up by your face, like a sprinter. Bend and lift your left knee toward your chest, then lean torso forward, extending your left arm forward and left leg back. Return to standing. Next, step your left foot behind you and lower into a lunge, arms back in sprinter position; pause. Rise up in one explosive motion, swinging your arms so they switch positions, lifting left knee toward chest and rising up onto toes of right foot. Do entire sequence 8 to 12 times; switch legs and repeat.

3. Crossover Lunge

Works calves, hamstrings, butt

Stand with your arms at shoulder height, palms facing down. Step forward with your right foot, crossing it in front of your left. Lower into a curtsy-like lunge (making sure your right knee doesn’t extend past your toes); at the same time, twist your torso to the right. Untwist, pushing off your right foot to return to start. Do 8 to 12 reps; switch legs and repeat.

4. Inchworm

Works abs, chest, arms

Bending forward, place your hands on the floor in front of your toes. From here, walk your hands forward, until you reach a plank position. Do a push-up, then inch back to start, keeping your core engaged. Do 8 to 12 reps.

5. Standing Lift

Works obliques, back, shoulders

Stand with your left foot in front of your right, holding a single weight with both hands, arms extended so the weight is by your right hip. From here, rotate your arms up and across, without twisting your torso. Pause, then return to start. Do 8 to 12 reps; switch sides and repeat.

6. Side Plank

Works abs, obliques, butt, hips, thighs

Lie on your right side with your legs extended, hips and feet stacked, propping yourself up on your right forearm, elbow under shoulder. Next, place your left hand on your waist. From this position, engage your obliques to slowly lift your hips off the floor as high as you can. Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, keeping your belly button pulled in toward your spine. Lower to start, switch sides and repeat.

7. Biceps Curl

Works biceps, shoulders, back

Stand holding a weight in each hand, arms down, with your palms facing in toward your thighs. From here, curl the weights toward your shoulders, rotating your palms up toward your chest as you lift. Pause here and then lower to start. Do 12 to 15 reps.

8. Triceps Kickback

Works triceps, back

Stand with your right foot in front of left, holding a weight in your left hand. Lean forward with a flat back and bend your left elbow 90 degrees. From this position, slowly extend your arm back, lifting weight as high as you can; pause. Lower and repeat. Do 12 to 15 reps; switch sides and repeat.

Top Natural Remedies For Sunburn

Sunburn is not pleasant, but you may not want to use any over the counter treatments for this. Fortunately, there are a lot of natural remedies that you can use to treat sunburn and get your skin healthy again. Of course, not all of these remedies will work for everyone and you need to keep this in mind.

Cool The Skin

The first natural remedy for sunburn is to cool the skin. One of the best ways to do this will be to place a cool compress on the affected skin. This will provide you with immediate relief from the pain and will sooth the sunburn. When creating a cool compress, you can use ice or frozen vegetables which have been wrapped in a towel. You should never place the ice or vegetable packet directly onto the skin.

Another method of cooling the skin will be to take a cool shower or bath. If you are going to take a shower, you need to use gentle pressure. You do not want the water to hit your sunburn too hard as this can cause discomfort.

Apply Some Aloe Vera

One of the natural remedies for sunburn that most people are aware of is Aloe Vera. The gel from this plant will soothe the pain from the sunburn and help to moisturize the skin. If you are buying Aloe Vera products over the counter, there are some that contain lidocaine. This is an anesthetic which helps with the pain from sunburn.

If you have Aloe Vera plants, you can apply the gel from the leaves to the skin. Some people find that this offers instant relief and will help to treat the burns. This remedy can also be used to moisturize your skin when it starts to peel.

Apply Cool Milk

A natural remedy that few people know about is to apply cool milk to the affected area. The cool milk will need to be applied to a clean cloth and then applied to the skin. When using this remedy, you should not use cold milk.

The milk will create a protein film on the skin. This will help to ease the discomfort and the coolness will work as a compress. If you do not have cool milk, you can also use cool yogurt to soothe the irritation and pain.

Apply Vitamin E Oil

Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant which will help to reduce the inflammation associated with sunburn. You can apply the vitamin E oil to the skin, but you do need to be careful. The type of oil you have will determine whether you need to dilute it first or not.

If you have purchased vitamin E capsules, you can generally apply this directly to the skin. However, if you have a more concentrated oil, you might need to dilute it with a carrier oil. Vitamin E oil can also be rubbed into peeling skin to help the skin become healthy again.

Apply A Cornstarch Paste

If you have cornstarch in your kitchen, you can create a paste which you apply to the affected area. To make the paste, you need to mix the cornstarch with some water. The paste can then be applied to the sunburn where the starch will help to draw out the heat from the skin. It is also believed that this can help with the healing of the skin.

There are many natural remedies for sunburn that you can try. However, not all remedies will work and most of them will only help with the side effects of the burn. Your body will need to handle the healing of the skin, but you can boost this with certain oils.

Powerful Benefits And Uses Of Garlic

Garlic is a herb that exists in different forms such as salt and powder. Its cultivation dates back to over 5,000 years. Garlic has been used for a long time to add flavor to food as well as for its health benefits. There are many benefits and uses that can be realized from daily consumption of garlic. They include:

Healthy Heart

Evidence points towards the ability of garlic being able to fight heart diseases and promote a healthy heart. Garlic is also able to lower one’s blood pressure and slow down the hardening of arteries within the body. In addition, the intake of garlic helps to fight the occurrence of strokes and heart attacks. It acts as a coagulant thereby making one’s blood thinner.

Garlic has also been found to have properties that lower systolic blood pressure. It can be very helpful to hypertension patients. The reduction of cholesterol and blood sugar levels is also possible through the use of garlic.

Protection From Group B Strep

Suggestions have been made on the effect of daily consumption of a raw garlic clove coupled with 2000 milligrams of vitamin C. These suggestions point towards how this combination can help balance gut bacteria and also avoiding GBS. More studies, however, need to be carried out to find out more about this theory.

Healthy Hair

Garlic was found to be able to reduce the loss of hair according to a study back in 2009. This was achieved when the garlic was used topically. Garlic cloves were infused into olive oil then rubbed onto the scalp to achieve these results.

Flu And Colds

Ingesting garlic can lead to the prevention of common cold and flu. This is according to a study that was done in 2001. This evidence was based on elderly people who seemed to respond better in terms of reduction of flu or colds. Do not hesitate to consume garlic during times of illness as required.

Repel Mosquitoes

No evidence had been put forth to support this theory. Nevertheless, many people believe that eating or rubbing garlic on the skin can help to repel mosquitoes. It is said that eating lots of garlic especially when going for outdoor activities such as camping can greatly help to keep mosquitoes away.

Anti-Fungal

According to a study published in the Annals of Applied Biology, garlic can help in the treatment of fungal infections such as athlete’s foot. However, garlic can be irritating to the skin. Care should be exercised during the use of undiluted garlic juice.

Anti-Cancer

Anti-inflammatory properties that are contained in garlic help in fighting oxidative stress. This makes garlic a potential cancer fighter. Garlic has been found to affect biological processes that are responsible for modifying the risk of cancer. This is according to an article by Cancer Prevention Research.

Garlic is able to speed up the death rate of cancer cells. It also slows the growth rate of cancer cells within the body. It is able to help in cancers that affect the breast, ovary, stomach, prostate, colorectal, larynx and esophageal. However, more research needs to be done to find out the connection between garlic consumption, diet and lifestyle, and cancer risk.

Ear Infections

Infections within the ear can either be viral or bacterial. Garlic can help deal with these infections within ears. It acts as a natural antiviral, antimicrobial and antibacterial remedy.

Taking garlic on a daily basis can be very useful when it comes to reaping its health benefits. Garlic can be used in cooking or making salad dressing. It can also be taken as capsules or mixed with water. Daily consumption of this herb can help one to realize its uses and benefits.

Is Sparkling Water Healthy Or Is It On The Naughty List?

People often hear about the detriments of drinking soda, but of course that is much different than enjoying sparkling water. While medical professionals do warn people about carbonated drinks, sparkling water doesn’t contain the sugar and other unhealthy ingredients that puts soda on the naughty list.

While that classifies sparkling water as ‘less unhealthy’ than soda, it doesn’t yet highlight any reasons to partake of the beverage because of its benefits. Yet, that’s not the end of the story. You’re about to learn just why you might want to add sparkling water to your diet, especially if it is a beverage you already enjoy.

Do carbonated beverages dehydrate you? This question has long been answered with a yes, but there are experts that say it’s not true. They would argue that sparkling water is going to hydrate you just like water would indeed.

Furthermore, there is evidence that carbonation can actually help your digestive system. Now, you also have to remember that too much of anything is never good. There is a true story about a person who died from a carrot juice addiction. Carrots are good for you, but too many of them killed the man.

Pardon the morbidity, but it is to make a point here. Sparkling water has its health benefits, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that it should be enjoyed in moderation. Drink plenty of regular water and other healthy beverages, too.

Additionally, it should be mentioned that filtered sparkling water is the best version of the product. And did you know that the carbonation in sparkling water can actually help in terms of suppressing your appetite? That can especially be beneficial if you are trying to lose weight.

Everyone knows that drinking only water can at times leave you a bit unsatisfied. The carbonation of sparkling water can pack an extra punch and keep you motivated as you are dieting.

Related: Learn about the power of fortified foods for school feeding schemes.

Then there are those times when people choose to stay away from water and drink coffee or soda instead, both of which will leave you unsatisfied and dehydrated over time. Perhaps you want to add sparkling water to your day to help ensure that you continue to get enough water and stay hydrated.

I was looking at a recommendation for offices to have sparkling water dispensers. It talked about how the coffee and dehydration can really hinder employee productivity midday. Think about dehydration and how it could be related to your energy level.

Many people find a nice glass or bottle of sparkling water to be very refreshing. Are you looking at buying one of the filtered systems for your home or business? Doing so could save you money if you are going to regularly drink carbonated water.

When you look at the products available commercially, you are also going to see that brands have flavored products on the market as well. As with any beverage you try, you are going to want to be sure that you examine the list of ingredients.

As mentioned, if you have a problem drinking enough water daily, sparkling water can help. But don’t allow it to excuse you from drinking regular filtered water. You still need to work on that, too.

Many of us don’t drink enough water each day. I try, and it’s not always easy. Sometimes a nice tall glass of ice water is like heaven. Other times, you’re just dealing with your day and have your mind on other things. Maybe it is time to add a nice tall glass of sparkling water to your day, just to shake things up a bit. It sounds refreshing, doesn’t it?