Fitness Archives - Healthy Smart Living

Sciatica Stretches: Relief for Sciatic Nerve Pain

May 22, 2024

Sciatic nerve pain can be debilitating and seriously hinder your quality of life. If you experience sharp, shooting pains or persistent cramps in your butt or legs, it’s likely caused by sciatica, which is inflammation or pinching of the nerve that runs down from the base of your spine and into each leg. Fortunately, sciatica is treatable and can be managed or eliminated. While it’s always best to see a doctor for an official diagnosis and personalized treatment plan, some home remedies, such as sciatica stretches, can help. Sciatica Stretches: How Simple Movements Can Make a Huge Impact In today’s world, most people want a “magic bullet” medicine to cure their aches and pains. Some people may find relief with medications like ibuprofen or similar painkillers, but this...

stretching

Pelvic Floor Strengthening: Exercises for a Stronger Core

Nicole Hopkins

April 17, 2024

Fitness

Pelvic floor exercises are beneficial for women and men alike. Your pelvic floor has three layers of muscle, and each plays an essential role in improving posture, blood flow and continence as well as helping with issues like premature ejaculation or achieving orgasm. These are the muscle tissues that support your anus, bladder and genitals. By building strength in these muscles, you can boost your physical and mental health. Additionally, if you struggle with incontinence or sexual dysfunction, using pelvic floor stretches as part of a treatment plan can boost your confidence, too! The Best Pelvic Floor Exercises For a Stronger Core 1. Kegels Nearly everyone has heard of kegels. Honestly, they’re so popular that I wouldn’t blame you for thinking they were the only pelvic floor exercises you...

pelvic exercises

Exercises for Lower Back: Pain Relief and Strengthening

Nicole Hopkins

March 20, 2024

Fitness

Lower back pain is one of the most common problems we face, and it can really take a toll on your quality of life. Taking painkillers or lying down may seem like the best options, but the truth is that lower back strengthening exercises are often a better solution. Working out when you’re hurting probably doesn’t sound appealing, and that’s understandable. However, doing some simple, gentle exercises for lower back pain can build your muscles, boost your flexibility and reduce or even eliminate your pain. Why Exercises Are Ideal For Lower Back Pain First, exercise of all kinds boosts your circulation, which means more nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood is able to reach your joints, muscles and ligaments. This helps you feel more flexible and eases stiffness. Second, a weak...

back pain

Support and Comfort: The Benefits of Sports Bras

Nicole Hopkins

December 20, 2023

Fitness, Style

Explore the benefits of sports bras that provide essential support, reducing discomfort during workouts and promoting an active lifestyle. The benefits of wearing a sports bra when working out are numerous, so it's a great idea to invest in a few, no matter what kind of physical activity you choose. Some people think that wearing a regular bra is just as good for a workout as a sports bra, but trust me when I say there are more benefits of wearing a sports bra than you might think! 3 Benefits of Wearing a Sports Bra 1. They're more supportive than regular bras. Sports bras are designed to keep the girls from bouncing, jiggling or drooping while you're active. As long as you get the right support level, you'll find they...

sports bra

Gallop to Great Health: The Enchanting Benefits of Horseback Riding

Julia Zakrzewski

September 20, 2023

Fitness, Top Picks

If you live in the city, you may never have been exposed to horses, but there are several reasons why this activity should be on your radar. Humans have been riding horses for centuries to help with transportation but also because of sport and pleasure. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of horseback riding. Is horseback riding a sport? Horseback riding is definitely a sport, and there are several equestrian events in the Olympics. These include racing, show jumping, speed jumping, and endurance events. Horses are also used to play polo, a sport where riders have mallets and hit the ball through goalposts to score points. You must have a strong level of fitness to participate in these activities. Benefits of horseback riding There are several physical...

horseback riding

Step into Pilates: A Beginner’s Primer

Nicole Hopkins

September 6, 2023

Fitness, Top Picks

New to Pilates? This guide covers the essentials, helping you embark on a rewarding fitness journey with Pilates as a beginner. Starting Pilates is an excellent way to improve both physical and mental health. As with anything new, though, trying to figure out where to start can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, beginners Pilates exercises are easy to learn and can give you a challenging (in a good way!) workout. This is a guide to Pilates for beginners, so we will cover the basics, and hopefully, you'll feel confident and excited about your fitness journey by the end of this article! Crash Course: Pilates For Absolute Beginners 1. Benefits First, let's talk about the benefits. Anyone can do Pilates because it's customizable to suit your fitness and flexibility levels. It provides an...

Unlock Your Body’s Potential with Somatic Exercises

Nicole Hopkins

August 3, 2023

Fitness

As the push for mind-body awareness and better health has increased, somatic exercises have become more popular. Somatic movement is an excellent way for people of all ages and fitness levels to incorporate activity into their daily lives, regardless of how busy they are or if they have mobility constraints. Let's talk about how to unlock your full potential by adding somatic practices to your everyday routines. Somatics: What It Is and What It Means For You [caption id="attachment_6534" align="alignnone" width="1280"] Madison Lavern on Unsplash[/caption] The definition of somatics is "of the body." In our context, though, it refers to staying in the moment and being present while you perform a set of movements. For a more scientific somatics definition, a recent article from the journal Frontiers in Psychology says...

somatic exercises

Zumba Benefits: Dance Your Way to a Healthier You!

Julia Zakrzewski

June 21, 2023

Fitness

Zumba is an aerobic dance exercise that helps you improve your fitness while having fun! You can follow choreographed dances online through Youtube or visit an in-person class to start experiencing the Zumba benefits today. Background of Zumba Zumba was first created by a Colombian dancer and choreographer in 2001. He has trademarked the name of his workout program, which is now practiced in over 180 countries worldwide. The choreography is inspired by Latin music and movement, but the sequences are meant to be accessible to all - even if you have no dance experience. In North America, most classes are between forty-five minutes to an hour long, and the music is upbeat, catchy, and easy to move to. What Makes Aerobic Dancing So Healthy? To remain healthy, your cardiovascular...

Zumba

Fight Classes: Protect Yourself and Get Fit

Nicole Hopkins

April 14, 2022

Fitness

Whether you're looking for a way to shake up your regular workout routine or want to learn how to fight, there are many options available. Regardless of your size, fitness level, or comfort zone, combat sports, and martial arts can help you feel stronger and more confident should you ever need to defend yourself. Below are five excellent self-defense workouts to help you lose weight, get strong, and learn proper offensive and defensive fighting techniques to boost your confidence. Muay Thai Muay Thai combines offensive and defensive moves. These techniques can be used in close quarters, such as a sharp elbow strike to an attacker, or to create space, such as using a push kick to give yourself room to escape a threatening situation. This martial art utilizes nearly...

self defense

What I Wish I Knew Before Running a Marathon

Casey Crowell

January 27, 2022

Fitness

2021 was the year that I finally crossed off a long-standing item on my bucket list (or maybe had a quarter-life crisis); I ran the New York City Marathon! While I was a health and exercise science major in college and learned a lot about marathon training, I realized that there was SO much that I could have never really prepared for. Below are some of the things I learned, as well as some things I wish I knew before signing up for the big 26.2. You’re going to have bad run days. Some days you’ll feel on top of the world after a good run – and some days you’re going to feel like you have cement in your shoes. That’s ok! When you put your...

marathon tips