The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that children and adolescents engage in at least 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity everyday, plus additional strength training at least 3 days a week as part of that hour. Some kids will surpass that if they are involved in sports or extracurricular activities. It is recommended that adults do a minimum of 75 minutes per week...

While most of us as young adults are naturally flexible like children, withstanding most twists, turns, and falls, our pliability gradually decreases as we become adults. With age, our risk for injury dramatically increases, especially in those who are less active.  In order to safely engage in physical activities, flexibility is indispensable. Whether you exercise or not, stretching improves range...

Rebounding involves the use of a mini-trampoline for jumping as a form of exercise. It’s a light impact exercise which can benefit everyone, especially those with joints issues. Benefits: Using a rebounder (mini-trampoline) for as little as 3 to 5 minutes a day gets the blood rushing to all parts of the body, conditions and strengthens the heart and other organ systems, ultimately slowing the...

Yoga is an ancient practice geared towards the integration of mind, body, and spirit. Yoga originated in India, specifically the Indus-Sarasvati civilization in Northern India, over 5,000 years ago. This practice started to be acknowledged in the Western world in the 1980s as a form of exercise, and it has become increasingly popular ever since. Yoga incorporates controlled breathing, meditation,...

Meditation is a practice in which one trains the mind to be still and focused in order to achieve relaxation and generate a higher state of consciousness. It aims to build up positive internal energy that promotes life and vitality and releases negative tension. The internal tension initiated by overcrowded schedules, ill-perceived stress, and toxicity, throws off pH levels and inflames the body,...

Mindfulness is the practice of remaining aware and present throughout all your daily experiences, “moment-to-moment”, internally and externally. Working to remain in the present helps one to let go of negative events and emotions from the past, and prevents worrying about what may happen in the future. Negatively focusing your attention on the past or future can lead to overwhelming negative emotions...

Visualization, or guided imagery, is a form of meditation that requires you to imagine something in the most real way possible. The practice originated from the Hindu Monistic theory of the Universe, where imagination is used to visualize specific events transpiring in one's life. When using visualization for relaxation and peace of mind, it involves imagining a place of tranquility and peace, where...

Everybody knows that without BREATHING you simply cannot live, but what most people do not know is that the way you breathe greatly influences your health. Deep breathing can be a simple, but potent, relaxation technique. It aims to fixate on full, cleansing breaths to ease the mind-body. Deep breathing is the foundation of many relaxation practices that can be traced back to Eastern cultural traditions,...

Body scans are a form of relaxation and meditation. During this practice, you survey your body slowly, concentrating on each body part individually, breathing deeply, while remaining in a relaxed state. Without wanting to change anything, allow yourself to really experience how each part of the body feels. This allows you to become more in touch with your innate intuitive senses, generating a greater...

Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique used to identify and control any muscle tension in the body. The objective is to systematically tense and then relax different muscles in the body. With enough practice, progressive muscle relaxation swiftly alerts you to be more conscious of muscle changes, like when muscular tension arises as an early sign of stress. As the tension is released from the...