Most people prefer to exercise outdoors. The fresh air, the sun, and nature all add a nice element to your exercise. But often, that “nature” likes to stick around when you go back to your car and home in the form of muddy footprints or clothes.  Have you ever lifted up the mats in your car during cleaning time and seen this filth of muddy footprints, long-ago spills and other “experiences” that have accumulated there? Just as the carpet in your home gathers dust, dirt, liquid spills, and other nasty substances, the ones in your vehicle may gather even more, especially for those who have an active lifestyle.

There is so much you can do to get in better shape and stay healthy outdoors that no one should give it up just because it often results in a dirtier experience. Some of the highlights could be:

• Outdoor basketball
• Extreme soccer
• Golf
• Beach games
• Volleyball
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Track and field
• Horseback riding
• Gardening
• A walk in the woods/hike in the mountains
• Picnics

For the kids:

• Playing at the park
• Painting
• Sidewalk chalk
• Arts and crafts
• League games

So how can you keep your active outdoor lifestyle without ruining your car? Cut down on interior vacuuming and impress your friends and dates even more by using all weather car floor mats.  Mud builds up on sports cleats more than one may realize. Those who participate in anything from ultimate Frisbee to golf may fail to see or acknowledge the green and brown grime that stays on the bottom of shoes. That muck is then transferred to the inside of the car. These all weather floor mats collect grime that comes from spills and shoes. They are protected against all weather conditions because of their rubber material that stands firm against liquids. Water simply collects, but does not absorb into the mat or carpet underneath. This is an effective way to keep your car looking new and to keep you feeling great about it at the same time!

It is also wise to keep some plastic garbage or grocery bags in the car in case your shoes or clothes get really dirty. You can wrap them up and keep the mess away from your carpets and seats. It would be helpful to keep a change of clothes such as some gym shorts in the car and possibly another pair of shoes in a gym bag so you can swap dirty for clean and be on your way. A towel is also useful to keep around in the same bag.

If you know you are heading out for some great fitness experiments in the woods or mountains planning ahead and making sure that you can leave nature where it belongs will make both experience and the return home enjoyable. Don’t feel like you need to stay inside just because of some dirt–get out and be adventurous and stay active and healthy!

This is an example of the forward-bend yoga pose.

There are plenty of problems that you may experience mentally first before they begin to affect you physically. Such problems include stress, anxiety, hangovers, and insomnia. Yoga actually has poses that can help you to combat these problems and heal both your mind and your body.

For anxiety, the best thing that you can do is sit cross-legged and breathe. There is an art to breathing that people usually overlook. It helps your body so much, you just need to find the time to stop. Breathing slows your nervous system down so that you are no longer in survival mode, but you transition into a relaxed state where you mind is calm. The chemistry of your body actually shows a drop in the levels of stress hormones.

When you have a headache, then there is a yoga pose called the reclining cobbler. This sounds a little strange, but it works wonders. What you do is, while sitting, you take the soles of your feet and put them together. Let your knees fall to your sides. If that hurts too much, then you can grab two pillows and place them underneath your knees to provide cushioning so that gravity does not pull them too far from your hips and overextend your muscles. Once you are comfortable, then what you do is recline backwards until your shoulder blades touch the ground and then you roll the rest of your back to the ground. This lengthens your spine and creates a good pathway for air when you breathe. Take your hands and interlace your fingers over your stomach and then breathe in and out, twenty times. This slows your thoughts down and creates calm inside your mind. Headaches can be caused by overstimulation or too much energy and stress in the brain, so when you calm down and slow everything then your head ceases to hurt. You will find that the tension in your head and face will melt away and you will be able to direct your energy for good.

Have a hangover? Instead of reaching for a pill or anything, roll out of bed and do the standing forward bend yoga pose. Yoga for a hangover may sound strange, but it has been the favorite of many people. Begin by spreading your feet so that they are aligned with your hips and keep your knees unlocked. Bend at the hips (the bones here, not your waist), then go forwards. Cross your arms over your head, with your hands holding the opposite elbow. Let your body just hang there and take around 20 deep breaths there. This pose helps you to kick your kidneys and liver back into gear, the two main organs that are affected when you drink.

If you are having difficulty sleeping, then the ‘legs up the wall’ pose can help you. If you have a good wall, which I am assuming that you do, then you sit with your butt up against the baseboards and your legs as straight against the wall as you can get. Do this right before bed. While sitting there, stretch your arms out to the side and take 20 deep breaths. This allows your body to know it is supposed to relax and it makes falling asleep a much easier and quicker process.

When you begin taking classes, you work out in a studio such as this one at your local gym.

Dancing has been one of the main ways that humans have expressed themselves through the ages. You do not need anything to dance, you just need your body. Many people even dance without music. It is the elemental art and method through which to convey an idea, emotion, or thought. Dancing is becoming a bigger mode of exercise in the world today. There is everything from Zumba to pop dancing.

Belly dancing is a type of dance that is often breezed over because it is a little over the top. Typically, belly dancing is very theatrical and uses a lot of bells or trinkets. That aside, it is a fantastic form of exercise. It works out hips, abs, chest, arms, shoulders, and back. Belly dancing is about isolated movement in the body and the muscles that works out are very unique and it works them in diverse ways. It has a very low impact on the joints and therefore it is great for anyone who has had joint-related injuries or has weak joints in general. It is also good if you are recovering from sports related injuries because of the low-impact workout that it is.

Zumba is a latin-inspired type of “jazzercise”. It is a dance workout that really can work you out. It uses a high level of energy in the choreography to tone you and work all your muscles. This dance is a great cardiovascular work out and it really gets your heart pumping. The best part is how it works out your gluts and bum because it give you that dancer physique.

Bhangra is a dance form that originated in India and was designed originally as a communal celebratory dance. This, I think, has some of the best dancing music. The music is all based on a traditional Indian drum and is designed for dancing and moving to the beat. Bhangra can help you to tone your abs, tighten your lower back muscles, kick you butt into shape, and get your legs and arms toned and muscular. Your balance improves with this type of dance and really can give you an all-around work out that is fun too!

African dance is also becoming more and more popular. Gyms are making these types of classes available more often because it is a trend that is sweeping the nation. This dancing looks fantastic when you do it right. It can be one of the best workouts that you ever do. The tempo is fast and the moves are dynamic. Working out this way is a good way to forget you are at the gym and you just end up having fun and giving your all.

Classes are probably offered all around you for these dances and many more. Some other forms of dances are ballet, salsa, ballroom, hip hop, tap, and jazz. Any of these will be a good workout for you. It really just depends on what you want to get out of your time at the gym and what kind of music that you want to listen to.

Green smoothies are incredibly beneficial to you as well.

After working out you need a little something in your stomach. You do not want a whole meal because then you begin to feel sick and heavy. But all you need is a little something to keep you going so that you do not die of starvation. What should go into such a snack? A big thing that you need to keep in mind is that you need protein and water after you work out. So even if you do not have a good snack with you, make sure that you are working at drinking enough water. But here are some easy ideas that you can use when creating that perfect snack.

Making yourself a shake can be super easy and super good for you. Health food stores sell powdered forms of protein that come in various flavors (it is not straight protein, but just contains a high amount of it). What you do is mix in the right amount of that with some water in a bottle and then you cap it, shake it up, and you are good to go. There are even some water bottles that contain a tumbler sort of thing that makes sure you mix it all up and do not have any little pockets of powder. There is chocolate, vanilla, and such. If you do not like it just plain, you can mix it up into a smoothie. It is really very good if you mix up some chocolate with various fruits such as raspberries or strawberries and bananas. Vanilla is good with things like mangoes and such. Either way, you can customize the smoothie or shake to fit your needs. It will not take you more than maybe five minutes at the most to mix it all together in a blender. After those five minutes you will have the perfect post-workout snack.

Protein is important and if you are not getting it through shakes or smoothies, then you need to find other sources other than that and meat. Hummus is a blend of chick peas and they contain large amounts of protein. If you have some pita bread, then you just spread some of the hummus on it, possibly after toasting the pita bread, and then you have a great workout recovery snack. Peanut butter on toast is good as well.

There are various bars that you can grab also. If you are working out at a gym where you work, then a bar would probably be the simplest solution. You can keep a stash in a drawer or in your gym bag so that you can grab it in an inconspicuous way. These protein bars come in a variety of flavors and brands. Experiment with them and find out what best suits your tastes. I am personally a fan of the super chocolate-y ones, but that is just me. There is every flavor out there, from pumpkin and strawberry shortcake to s’mores and something called ‘peanut marshmallow eclipse’.

Make sure that you choose something that will work for your body and workout and your lifestyle as well. There are so many different things out there to choose from! Whatever you do, make sure that you get SOMETHING. You cannot function properly after a workout without something.

If your room is not completely dark, then a sleep mask is a good option for you to use.

Any fitness guru will tell you that the key to a healthy body is sleep. Either that or diet. The best thing that you can do for yourself is to get a good night sleep, once you have that then everything else will fall into place.

It is best if, when you do try to go to sleep, that the room you are in is completely dark. Light includes the blinking LED on your TV or DVR console. It also means that if there is light streaming in from underneath the door, you should place a towel there to block it from getting in. Try turning your alarm clock around also because the numbers on the front do emit a light. Sometimes, if those are not potential options, it is best to just invest in a sleep mask because that will block out the majority of the light. So long as the overhead light in your room is not on, the sleep mask should work just fine.

During the day, make sure that you stay outside for a bit, especially if there is a blue sky. The blue hue of the sky actually helps to make you more alert and allows your brain to function at a more rapid pace. It also helps your circadian rhythm, so that you work then and then you are able to sleep peacefully at night.

Some people also function best when the environment around them is a bit cooler. Play around with this and see what works best for you. If the blankets are too hot, then change them. People are under the impression that they cannot change these things because they have been living so long doing it the one way. It is okay to change, it does not make you a weak person. You are in fact stronger because you did make the change.

Finally, try to avoid screens before you go to sleep. By screens I mean the TV, computer, or phone. They emit highly unnatural light frequencies that tire your brain out and make it work harder.

The video that is embedded in this post is an interview on ABC News about how to increase your sleep quality and quantity for those of you that have a busy schedule. Do all you can to get the right amount of sleep for your body. If all you are getting is six hours, that is not enough. You need between seven to ten hours of sleep in order to continue functioning the best that you can.

Sepak takraw requires that the players be able to jump in order to kick the ball over the net.

America has four sports that everyone knows: basketball, baseball, football, and soccer. Depending on who you talk to, you can add in hockey and golf. There are plenty of other sports out there, such as tennis, volleyball, and rugby. The United States of America is home to a variety of ethnicity and people and therefore has a very diverse range of sports that go beyond the typical “American” ones. However, there are many other sports that are not commonly played here in the US and are more prominent overseas. One of those sports is called sepak takraw.

The name is a mix between Malaysian and Thai. ‘Sepak’ in Malay means kick or to kick and ‘takraw’ in Thai mean a woven ball. The two together describe a game where you kick a ball. The reason the name is a mix between the two languages is because they were the two countries that played the game and came to a compromise as to what to name it.

The game is played on a court approximately the same size as a court for doubles badminton. There is a net set up in the center to distinguish the two different sides of the court for the two different teams. The balls used to be made out of rattan because that was the most common material. Now they are made out of synthetic fibers and sometimes have a synthetic rubber covering. When they do not have the rubber, they must have twelve holes and twenty intersections across the entire ball.

There are two teams made up of three players each. The players have set positions, one at the back, one at the front left and the other at the front right. Like volleyball, the person at the back serves and then the teams hit it back and forth across the net. There are more rules, however they are a little more complicated. The most striking facet of the game is that it is played like volleyball except using feet instead of hands. The main rule is that “the use of hands is not permitted”. This requires great skill on the part of the players to be able to be flexible enough to hit the ball and also to jump to kick it. The average speed of the ball is approximately 140 kilometers per hour, that translates to approximately 87 miles per hour which is around the speed of a Major League baseball pitch. That is fast. The scoring of the game is very similar to that of volleyball, using faults and such to award points and scoring.

This game is, in fact, played in the United States. The US belongs to the International Sepak Takraw Federation along with many, many other nations. The King’s Cup World Championships are always held in Thailand and happen every year. The US actually has been a great competitor in sepak takraw games in the past. When they first began competing, the American team went to the National Tournament in 1987 that was being held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They ended up bringing home the gold.

Bikram, or hot, yoga utilizes the familiar poses of traditional yoga in an nontraditional atmosphere.

Hot yoga, also known as Bikram yoga, is an exercise trend that has cropped up more and more in gyms and local yoga studios. You may even have friends who have done it and that testify of the results. Hot yoga is a style of yoga that uses traditional poses but is performed in a studio that is heated to around 105 degrees Fahrenheit. There is also an atmospheric humidity in the room of around forty percent and is kept there for the entire ninety minute class. While this may sound like insanity, sweaty insanity, there is some science behind it. The heated room allows the muscles to warm up slowly and completely which eases muscle tension and greatly reduces the risk of injury when working out. The muscles respond more easily and warm up correctly.

When you do hot yoga, you are receiving all the benefits that you would when you do normal yoga. You become more flexible and your muscles become stronger and more toned. By doing yoga you are not developing a body-builder muscular structure, you are instead making your muscles leaner and stronger so that you will appear more cut than built. As you do more yoga, you will begin to see your cardiovascular system improve as well as your dietary, circulatory, and mental systems. Hot yoga adds the benefit of sweat to a yoga workout. Sweat is one way that a body detoxifies and rids itself of pollutants and chemicals. Also, your blood receives fresh oxygen which helps to improve your circulatory and other systems. This specific type of yoga, according to the creator and Indian National Yoga Champion, will help you lose weight more efficiently and digest foods more effectively.

With any type of yoga, there is a huge amount of the practice that is mental. As the body moves between poses it has time to meditate and focus on whatever the person directs it to. By allowing the mind that time to pause and truly think effectively, yoga lowers stress and anxiety. The measured breathing also helps the body to regulate itself and so the mind has more time to slow down and meditate. This brings a balance between the mind and the body. Balance can help you develop more regular sleeping patterns, decrease stress, and approach the world with peace and patience. Once you become in control of your mind, you are able to see everything clearly.

However, if you do wish to pursue Bikram yoga then you should discuss that decision with your doctor. New practicers may feel dizzy or nauseous when they begin because their body is adjusting to the new, increased temperature. Make sure that if you feel these things that you drink enough water and that you talk to your doctor because it may be something deeper than just yoga. Also, you should not practice hot yoga if you are pregnant because your core body temperature increases and that may have an effect on the fetus.

Hot yoga is worth a try if you like yoga already or you wish to receive the benefits that have been discussed. Take a look at your local gym or yoga studio to see what they offer.

Could this be the next superfood?

Smoothie joints, health food stores, and dieticians have all been talking about the health benefits of the acai berry. The trend has mellowed out considerable over the past year or two, but the craze has not ended. And rightly so because the berry is one of the most versatile fruits out there. It helps people lose weight, combat the effects of aging, increase health and energy, and also fight heart diseases and cancers.

The acai berry is a fruit that is indigenous to the countries of South America and comes from a specific type of palm tree. The fruit itself is short and reddish/purple in coloring. The pigments and substances that create the purple-ish color of the berry also act as antioxidants within your body. What antioxidants do is they neutralize free radicals. Free radicals are byproducts of processes performed by your body and can be harmful to your health. Antioxidants neutralize them so that your body is not harmed by them. Free radicals contribute to the development of various cardiovascular illnesses and cancers. Other berries, such as blueberries, also contain antioxidants.

The oil of the acai berry is also used in some of your beauty products. Instead of using harmful oils, such as palm oil, companies have been using acai berry oil as a substitute. Not only does this oil help your skin to become healthier when you use a product that contains it, but it also fights the effects from the other oils that you used previously. This is because the oil also contains a high level of antioxidants that help your skin greatly.

The main problem is that the effects of the berry have not been tested fully and completely, so therefore doctors are hesitant to give their opinion and endorsement of the berry. Tests are still being run on it to see if it really is the “superfood” that everyone is claiming it to be. Whether it will benefit you more than any other fruit is still a question that is up in the air. All that is officially acknowledged is that it is good for your health as a fruit and will help you to get the nutrients that you need.

Whether it is ‘super’ effective or not, it still works. You need antioxidants in your body in order to function properly and to stave off infections and diseases. It is important that if you want to fight diseases of the heart or fend of various cancers that you ingest the correct amount of antioxidants so that your body is able to perform those actions. Cancer, as well as heart disease, is on the rise in the United States. Do not allow yourself to become a statistic. The acai berry provides an alternative if you do not like blue berries or other forms of antioxidant rich foods. Some people are allergic to one berry and not to the others, in cases such as these the acai berry provides an appealing alternative.

Example of what the flavoring of oxygen looks like.

At some point in your life you were probably introduced to the term “oxygen bar”. An oxygen bar is a, well, bar except you are able to buy air as opposed to alcohol. This wellness concept was introduced in the early nineties and quickly caught on. What patrons inhale is enriched oxygen that can be occasionally flavored, depending on the inhaler’s preferences. You might be wondering why oxygen? We breathe enough as it is, why do we need more of it?

Oxygen is involved in every bodily process that goes on within your body. In fact, oxygen produces approximately ninety percent of the energy that your body uses. Just by breathing, you fulfill a huge amount of your body’s nutritional needs because of what combines to create the air in the atmosphere. So, what does extra oxygen do to your body? Some of the benefits that you can experience when you use an oxygen bar are improved physical endurance, a great reduction of stress, increased energy, and powerfully increased performance. The air that you breathe from these bars have five times the oxygen that regular air has. The result? After using one of these, people experience vitality and feel detoxified because they have expelled many irritants out of their system.

If regular air does not appeal to you, then you may enjoy some flavored air. By bubbling oxygen through aromatic liquids, a “flavor” of oxygen is created. There is a huge array of flavors to choose from. Here is a vastly reduced list: jasmine, vanilla, chocolate covered cherries, lavender lemongrass, mango, pina colada, and sugar cookie. That is only the beginning. From that list alone there are a variety of ‘mixed’ scents and different types of those flavors.

If you do not know where to find one, all it takes is a little bit of research to discover one close to you. You can find one at nightclubs, health clubs, spas, airports, yoga studios, and more. Some people even rent them out for parties and company events. If you want, you can even rent one or buy one for yourself. Companies, such as oxygenbars.com, offer various services and options for those of you who want to purchase one for yourself or for an event that you might be planning. They allow you to purchase everything you need on their website. Supplies include various aromas, nose hoses, and generators.

There are various ways you can use oxygen as well, instead of simply breathing it in. You can have something that is called an oxygen facial. This facial requires someone using a device similar to an air-brusher to pump out pure, high pressure oxygen onto and into your skin. This plumps the skin and gives it an even tone, through a relatively painless procedure.

These are all some options to experiment with if you ever want to delve into the world of pure oxygen and your health. The benefits are great and it is an all natural and organic substance.