Category: Fitness

Fitness Sports

Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu The New Hottest Exercise Trend

November 26, 2020 Laurence Degeyter

Pre-pandemic the fitness world was steadily having a rise in interest, with more people wanting to get fit, join a gym, or find a new hobby. And one of these new trends was martial arts and had to hand combat sports. Everyone wants to tune in for the next big fight, placing bets and staying up to watch the results. And this has apparently influenced others to take up the sport, and one of the most popular ones at the moment by far is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or bjj for short. Many learn it for self-defense, or even just for fun.

When it Started

Bjj first began in the 1920s, when two Brazilian brothers who were taught Judo decided to come up with their own self-defense style of fighting. They later named this Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and after several years the art of Judo and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu was combined to create Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This made it one of the most essential forms of MMA (mixed martial arts), and it soon became a sport that people could learn and compete in.

There are many subcategories of MMA, and even more forms of Jiu-Jitsu in that, but what makes bjj so effective is the necessity to be close to your opponent, and to have speed and agility. Sports like boxing require mostly strength and stamina – throw the hardest punch and survive the ones thrown back. Bjj is a style that requires bringing both yourself and your opponent to the ground without a need for bruising and knockouts.

Why it’s Popular

There can be lots of reasons something becomes more popular, but something that is for certain recently is that more people have been taking an interest in fitness and their health. People want to be fit, lose weight, get healthy. In a world where junk food comes cheaper than proper food, it’s no surprise really that people are having to look for other outlets for getting fit, and some cheaper ones too. Some places offer the first class of bjj free, or at a reduced price, so that you can try it out before throwing yourself in at the deep end.

There also has been a steadily rising interest in fighting sports, with more people readily able to watch it and engage with it, and big names having publicized fights as well. This helped to generate a lot of interest in it, and as many people look at footballers and want to be as skilled as them, people have started doing the same to fighters. The more publicity they get, the more people look up to them and take an interest in the sport, or into a similar one.

Where to Begin

If fighting is something that interests you (the sport, not a bar brawl), or you’ve always wanted to learn self-defense, then bjj could be the perfect sport to try. There are classes at most gyms, but if you want something that feels a little more traditional, you can find a dojo that offers lessons as well.

As previously stated, most starter lessons come free, and the place itself will either sell the kit or recommend where you can find one online. If this is something you want to pick up on, make sure to look at rash guards for practicing bjj as there is lots of grabbing and gripping involved, and it could lead to some nasty bruises or scratches if you’re not careful. A mouthguard is ideal but not required, as bjj involves less hitting and more grappling and wrestling style techniques.

Fitness Strength

Exercise vs Diet: Which is More Important For Weight Loss

November 14, 2020 Laurence Degeyter

Many of us spend much of our lives wanting to change our appearance in some shape or another. Whether it’s our body, our face, or our hair, we as a species are often very rarely satisfied with ourselves. Most of the most common ways we try to change our appearance are by focusing on our weight. Often we’ll resort to fad diets in a desperate attempt to quickly lose some weight, but what many people don’t realize is that these crazy crash diets rarely actually work. You put your body through a lot of stress and once the diet is finished often times people go back to their old habits or even over-indulge to make up for lost times. The key is consistency.

This doesn’t only happen with diets, however, oftentimes in a bid to get a ‘bikini body’ as fast as humanly possible, people will hit the gym extremely hard over a short period of time, spending hours in the gym to try and get the impossible ‘perfect body’ as soon as possible, but again, similarly to the diet issue, these people often fail to realize that going to the gym is all well and good, but if you’re not establishing a routine that you will continue on, past beach season, you’ll end up falling back into the same damaging cycle in which your body adjusts from you spending hours in the gym to simply not going at all.

 

The Answer?

Well, as frustrating as it may be, both exercise and diet are crucially important if you’re hoping to lose weight. As previously mentioned, they each have their own benefits, but it won’t be until you combine both elements that you really start seeing some results in your weight loss journey. Start by making some small changes, in terms of your diet, why not invest in some kitchen equipment that will help you to prepare healthier meals in a lot less time; sites like foodplusice.com offer up reviews on all kinds of equipment.

Not only will it help you lose that weight you’ve been hoping to get rid of, but adding a better and more consistent exercise and diet routine will also just make you healthier in the long run and will ensure you live a longer and happier life. So, why not invest in a gym membership and force yourself to go consistently, at least 3 times a week. Believe us, you will start to notice a bunch of differences in all aspects of your life.

Blog Fitness

Home Sanitation: What Diseases Can Rodents Actually Bring In?

October 20, 2020 Laurence Degeyter

Nobody likes the idea of their house being invaded by rodents. Rodents are dirty, eat your food, and can destroy the integral foundations of your home. A large sector of people also fears rodents due to their vicious behavior and the potential to cause disease.

 

If you ask someone why they don’t like rodents, you are bound to hear that they are disgusting and can cause diseases. However, if you were to ask someone what diseases they may cause, it is not likely that people will be able to tell you. This is because it’s not exactly a topic that is taught at school or a topic that people enjoy discussing in general, so little is known about the risks that rodents pose to our physical health.  If you are here then you have probably found yourself curious about the risks that come when exposed to rodents. Here is an easy guide to what you could encounter and how you can avoid rodents.

 

How do the diseases spread

Before we go into detail about each disease that could be transmitted, it is first important to know how you can contact any of these diseases so that you can take steps in avoiding potential disease in case you are already dealing with an infestation.

People often believe that if they haven’t been in direct contact with any of the rodents infesting their home then they are safe from any potential disease that they may carry, but that is not the case.

Though the infection can obviously be spread via contact with the rodent, you are more likely to catch diseases in other ways. Rodents often urinate on your household surfaces and personal items without you noticing. They also leave large amounts of saliva on your surfaces, as well as the fecal matter that can be a detrimental catalyst to any diseases that may be contracted.

If you believe that there may be signs of infestation in your home, then it is important that you take the steps to have your home sanitized. You could always attempt to take care of the cleaning yourself, however, you may not be able to achieve the deep clean that will ensure that your health is protected. Because of this, it may be worth getting in an external company to do any deep cleaning, as they will be able to take care of all of the internal parts of your home that you would not be able to reach yourself. If you are located in Sacramento or the surrounding areas, we would recommend that you tried a company such as pinnaclepest that offer deep cleaning services.

 

 

What diseases could you catch?

Now that you know how to prevent any spread of infection, it is important to know what infections you are trying to avoid. The potential diseases differ depending on which rodents have invaded your homes, so you may not have to worry about some that will be listed.

 

Hantavirus

Hantavirus can be contracted via inhalation of dangerous bacteria that is found within rat and mouse urine. This can be a potentially dangerous disease that can result in death. If you find yourself feeling fatigued or experiencing muscle ache, then you should definitely remove yourself from the environment.

 

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is an extremely dangerous disease which is caused by food poisoning due to exposure to rodent fecal matter. It can cause extreme abdominal pain and sickness, if you find yourself feeling any of these symptoms it is essential that you contact a doctor.

 

Bite infection

If you come into close contact with rodents and find yourself bitten, immediately contact a health professional as rodent saliva can be extremely infectious and lead to hard to treat damage to the skin.

Fitness Sports

How Physically Fit Do you Need to be For Diving?

August 6, 2020 Laurence Degeyter

When it comes to diving there is much debate around the level of physical fitness that is required in order to participate in the sport effectively, some argue that diving is based on technique and others will say that the power that comes with being physically fit is essential to a smooth drive. In order to be proficient at scuba diving I would recommend some form of formal training, or to take part in the activity as a part of a group to ensure your safety.

 

Stamina

Diving does require fitness to a degree, you will have to be a strong swimmer and with that, you must have enough stamina to maneuver your body underwater. In this respect, I would agree with the statement that you do have to be relatively healthy in order to ensure you have the best experience. Those who aren’t the strongest swimmers may have difficulty with being able to dive for longer periods meaning the activity is limited to the amount of time they can spend in the water without feeling tired.

 

Experience and practice also play a part in how efficient you are underwater, scuba diving sometimes relies on confidence and calmness in an underwater environment. The fittest person in the world could try their hand at scuba diving but, without confidence, it is unlikely they would be better than someone who is less healthy but more experienced as it can take some getting used to.

 

Equipment

Although a degree of health is required, some would argue the equipment that is used by scuba divers takes a lot of the strain the activity can have on the body. Being underwater would be difficult without the use of a fullface scuba mask to allow you to see, oxygen tank to breathe, a swimsuit to conserve warmth and flippers to improve swim speed. The abundance of equipment that is used whilst scuba diving is designed to allow divers to be underwater for a prolonged period of time, with that in mind anyone should be able to give scuba diving a go provided they have all of the necessary equipment.

 

With that in mind, it is important to mention that you should only take part in recreational scuba diving with a trained or experienced professional with you, even though the equipment is there to protect you if you are a beginner you could be putting yourself at risk if you are not entirely sure of what you are doing.

 

How to train

For those of you looking to get started in scuba diving, there are certain training activities you can do in order to better prepare yourself. These activities will help improve your stamina as well as your proficiency in the water and as an added bonus they each have various health benefits that contribute to your overall fitness.

 

Swimming – It may be redundant to mention but, swimming has great fitness qualities providing a workout for the whole body, in terms of scuba diving just getting used to spending a significant amount of time in the water can do wonders for your confidence as you get to practice with how to move and remain calm.

 

Snorkeling – As well as swimming snorkeling allows you to get used to the feeling of wearing a mask and breathing apparatus underwater, this is a great way to practice being under the water but in a less daunting environment.

 

Running / Cardio – In terms of general fitness and preparation for diving, running and any other cardio exercise is a great way to boost stamina and improve your overall health. Cardio exercise is proven to boost fitness as well as increasing the time it takes for you to get tired whilst in the water which is particularly useful when it comes to diving.

 

Blog Fitness

The 6 Most Worthwhile Medical Charities

June 4, 2020 Olivia Marsh

Given what is currently going on with the global COVID-19 pandemic medical charities have become more important than ever, especially in the global south where supplies and qualified doctors are limited. Illnesses such as cancer are also becoming particularly bad even in first world countries as medical supplies get used up for COVID-19. That being said, we know times are especially tough right now with the economy and all the subsequent layoffs. Consequently, if you can’t afford to donate to a healthcare charity you can always show your support at sleekwristbands if you have a loved one with cancer for example, or through raising awareness on social media if that is more your thing.

On top of this, it can be hard to tell which charities actually help people the most. For example, the chief executive of Marie Stopes International was recently criticized for his ‘obscene’ salary, and the subsequent stories about the scandal massively eroded public trust with charities of all kinds. As a result, nobody will blame you if you feel like you can’t trust any medical charities. However, we have poured through the data and have found the best medical charities in regards to accountability and cost efficiency (i.e. how much of the money you donate actually goes directly to the cause). There were 6 clear winners, and here they are in no particular order.

Feed the Children

Feed the Children is consistently ranked as one of the best international charities based in the US. As the name implies, they focus on giving food and other essentials to children in need. These essentials include clothing and medicine. The children are usually somewhere in the global south in areas affected by famine, conflict, a recent natural disaster, or just general poverty. Feed the Children is also very cost-efficient, with 90% of the charity expenditure going directly to the delivery of these goods to those in need. In 2019, this was over $1 billion.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Bill and Melinda Gates were named Times Persons of the Year back in 2005 and for very good reason. Bill Gates seems to one of the only billionaires to seriously dedicate his life to charity, as opposed to others in the uber-rich class who use charity as an excuse to pay lower taxes. The result of his work is The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the wealthiest charity in the world. Since 1994, the foundation has spent over $15 billion on its Global Health Program, and the overall endowments for the foundation top $40 billion. This money has primarily gone to fighting diseases like AIDS and HIV, as well as tuberculosis and malaria. It has also gone to protecting the health of mothers and their children through the implementation of family planning solutions in poverty-stricken communities.

UNICEF

Created in 1946 to provide food, shelter, and other necessities to children affected by the horrors of WW2, the United Nations Children Fund is now one of the leading charities for children’s rights. For instance, UNICEF is by far the largest purchaser of insecticide-treated bed nets, which it then passes on to governments of countries in which malaria is common. Currently, the charity is using most of its money to buy children face masks and other preventative supplies as children in poverty-stricken countries are much more likely to die for COVID-19.

The Wellcome Trust

The Wellcome Trust is easily the largest medical research charity on the planet. Dedicated to achieving “extraordinary improvements in human and animal health”, the charity’s annual endowment is almost $30 billion, which it uses for five different health challenges: genetics and genomics; infectious diseases; understanding the brain; chronic diseases; and the environment.

Avert

Formed in 1986 at the beginning of the AIDS pandemic, Avert is a charity dedicated to preventing the spread of the horrible disease along with other STD’s. It has aimed at this primarily through education but also through direct treatment and care. While the charities’ total expenditure is lower than the others on this list, Avert does have the world’s most popular HIV information website, which has over 200 pages of information on the disease. The site receives a ridiculous two million page views each month, showing that it is the go-to website for people wanting, or perhaps needing, to learn about the disease.

AmeriCares

AmeriCares is an international charity based in the US (as you can probably guess) that provides medical supplies and medicines to areas struck by natural disasters across the globe. The reason AmeriCares is such a good charity, aside from the name, is that it donates over 98% of its donations to support and relief programs, making it one of the most cost-efficient charities in the world. Since its creating in 1982, the charity has given over $14 billion to various causes in 147 different countries.

 

Blog Fitness

The Recovery Revolution: Why Medical Spas are the Next Big Thing

May 26, 2020 Laurence Degeyter

Physical recovery after an accident or traumatic experience is difficult. Some say it is more painful than the injuries themselves. And this does not just apply to physical ailments either. Mental issues can have a lasting consequence for an individual that essentially change the way they live their life. The recovery process is a grueling, heartbreaking, and agonizing mountain for anyone to climb. But the rewards are monumental. Researchers and medical experts are always looking for more efficient ways to go about the recovery process. Everything from unique training regimes, better equipment, and natural medicines to speed up recovery.

Enter: Medical Spas. The next step in the recovery revolution. For those who are unaware of what a medical spa is, it does what it says on the tin. It is a spa designed around medical care. You can’t simply book a trip to the sauna at one of these places, you need to have a valid reason for attending. But for those that do use them, the benefits can be noticed almost immediately. Below we are going to be looking at what makes them so brilliant, why you should consider attending one, and, for those seeking to start up a medical spa, we will look at some tips.

The Benefits

So why exactly are medical spas so good for patient recovery? The most obvious answer is the same reason normal spas are so good for general wellbeing. A relaxed body that has been pampered is always a good thing. Physical care is important for anyone. Our bodies are machines that need to be well maintained and a spa is a pit stop. And for those on the path of recovery, these pleasures are amplified and improved.

More than that, medical spas offer different services than normal spas. For example, messages. A normal massage and a sports massage do vastly different things to our bodies. A regular massage simply relaxes our muscles. It relieves tension in a pleasurable way. This, in turn, releases chemicals throughout our body that creates a relaxing experience. A sports massage hurts. But this pain is necessary. The muscles and knots are massaged intensely, which hurts but loosens them up and allows them to start the healing process faster. Professional athletes regularly receive these massages to avoid seriously injuring themselves. Without them, the muscles build up too much lactic acid and risk becoming seriously damaged. For those on the path to physical recovery, this is more important than ever.

These medical spas often have gym sections built into them. This means the patients can go through their physical therapy sessions with the professionals and then make use of the fantastic facilities available to them after. This is important as those undergoing physical therapy are put through a painful process. Their bodies are already weakened so having the extra facilities so close to hand is fantastic. Which leads us to the next point.

Accessibility

Not all gyms or physical therapy areas are going to be able to accommodate everyone. A medical spa can accommodate those who require both mental and physical recovery. Medical spas often offer services that deal with both these issues. This means that patients who need more in-depth, and personalized care, can find it here.

Some medical spas can often cater specifically to differently-abled patients. Those who, for example, were or suddenly are wheelchair-bound or those with issues that require them to use crutches. Medical spas can specialize were some physical therapy centers cant. This is important in our society as accessibility is important. There are so many people with different needs and these facilities are a great step forward in facilitating everyone.

Running A Spa

If you are interested in running a medical spa, first off, we commend you. It is a tough but rewarding experience that will benefit so many people within your community. But there are a few things you need to look at before you get started.

Assuming you have secured a location and got everything sorted, you need to make sure you have medical experts working with you. This isn’t a normal spa, keep that in mind. Everything needs to be designed around recovery and if you have no experience in the medical field, outsource this.

Secondly, you need proper marketing. Our recommendation is to outsource this as well. You want to be running your spa for recovery, not as a business. So having an outside firm, like https://practicebloom.com/medical-spa-marketing/ running your marketing is going to free up your time to dedicate towards running the facility, hiring staff, and taking care of patients in a positive and fulfilling way.

Overall, Medical Spas are a powerhouse in the recovery industry and they are here to stay!

Fitness Strength

The Good and the Bad of Prescription Exercise Supplements

May 24, 2020 Olivia Marsh

As a nation, we have become far more conscious about our health and regular exercise has continued to grow in popularity over the years. With Australia’s fantastic weather and sporting opportunities, it would be unusual to waste the chance to go outdoors and play some fun sports with your friends.

Not only has exercise grown in popularity, but people have started to compete in sporting tasks and try to beat friends to see who can build up muscle mass. One of the ways in which people have been trying to improve their physical fitness is through the use of prescribed exercise supplements.

However, not a lot is known about these supplements so a lot of people are hesitant to try them. Here is the good and the bad of prescription exercise supplements

The Good

They’re non-invasive

A lot of people may know about the prevalence of steroids within the sporting community and prescription exercise supplements have taken away many of the scary sides of exercise supplements. Instead of steroids, people instead choose to use sarms.

Sarms are supplements that can be taken orally and promise to build muscle mass over a period of time. These are favored among athletes as you don’t need to inject them, which is one of the negative elements of using steroids as there are plenty of health risks that come with injecting.

They’re legal

Prescribed supplements are perfectly legal to use and break no sort of laws within competitive sports. This is because they use natural ingredients and don’t use any chemicals that may give you an unfair advantage over any competition or affect your body badly. This makes them a favorite among athletes as they don’t have to worry about being potentially disqualified or removed from any sporting competitions.

Side effects

Though there are side effects that come with using prescribed supplements, they are not as intense as other supplements or steroids. This is because they are regulated in how they are made, so they are not using too much of any of the more harmful ingredients. This means that you will be able to enjoy the benefits of the supplements without being overwhelmed with a lot of negative side effects.

They work

A lot of supplements are FDA approved and have lots of evidence of them actually working. There have been great results from using supplements and these results are easily found online for anyone that is curious about the potential results

The Bad

They’re not always trusted

One of the main issues that come with using supplements is finding a reliable supplier. There are plenty of websites online that claim to sell high quality and safe supplements, but this is not always the case.

You have to make sure that you are researching every potential source and researching any reviews that they may have and other customer experiences. It’s easier to find a lot of distributors that are not genuine than it is to find genuine distributors, so you could be buying cars with any ingredients that may not be safe to digest, so make sure that you are being careful.

Side effects

Though the effects are not as severe as a lot of other supplement options, there are still a number of potential side effects. There is a long list of side effects. For example, there are a lot of possible physical side effects. Such as acne, water retention, and hair growth. There are also a lot of possible internal side effects. For example, they can really lower your mood and even cause illness.

Fitness Physiotherapy

Why Group Physical Therapy is so Effective

May 10, 2020 Laurence Degeyter

For those of you who are more experienced with physical therapy, you can understand why so many struggles, many have found that doing therapy with friends or loved ones, or even in a group of strangers in a similar position to yourself can make the process much more effective. Physical therapy can get frustrating, especially if you find your progression isn’t moving as quickly as you thought. There are many ways to deal with the stresses that therapy can cause and do it in groups is just one great solution. If you find your methods are not proving to be the best it makes sense to change it up and find a way of getting through physical therapy.

 

By working in groups you are provided with a much stronger support unit to help you not only with the physical therapy but also the emotional aspect of what you are going through. As you are working with like-minded individuals who understand the toll physical therapy can have on your body and mental health, it is likely for you to feel more comfortable in this kind of format as opposed to trying to deal with it on your own.

 

Sharing Stories

Group physical therapy isn’t so much about being physically more effective, the mental support that it provides as well as the friendships you make are reasons alone to join group therapy. Why not take the opportunity to reflect on your experiences, being in a group of people that share similar experiences can provide a great mental release. A big part of your physical recovery is coming to terms with what you are going through, many struggles with accepting what their body can physically do and may struggle if they find their recovery is not as speedy. By being in a group you are able to vent off any emotions you are feeling, you may even find it easier than talking to family as your group has a stronger understanding of what you are going through.

 

Safety in Numbers

Confidence is another key issue that many faces when going through physical therapy, many of you may suffer from confidence issues when it comes to your physical progress. Depending on the type of person you are, you could be more comfortable in a private environment with you and your therapist. However, it has been noted by many the huge confidence boost you can get by working in a friendly group of other patients. Working in a  group can encourage a friendly competitive spirit, generates real friendships, and makes the whole thing seem less daunting as there are a number of you in the same boat.

 

Socializing and Mental health

Another amazing benefit that conducting group physical therapy has would be the aspect of socializing, it can be a very hard and lonely time period when you are injured. Having to take time away from work whilst the rest of your family continue with their daily lives can lead to a lot of independent time. Working in a group and visiting group meetings for your physical therapy provides a real opportunity to make friends and get out of the house. It has been scientifically proven that increased socialization can be very beneficial in improving your mental health, and a popular technique in group therapy is the use of social games like most likely to, which help break down the barriers between people and allow them to get to know each other better.. At a time so serious your mental health is as valuable as ever and your efforts should be put into your recovery. Maintaining a healthy mind and body as much as you possibly can is vital in order for you to focus on your physical recovery.

Obviously it totally depends on what you are comfortable with and of course, you will have the option to change to a group therapy if you feel ready. Your physiotherapy is totally dependent on you and your lifestyle if you are easily intimidated with things like physio you may find it easier and less daunting to do it in a group. It can be very beneficial to your mind to work in a group and have a safe place to vent your emotions. As previously mentioned only do what you are comfortable with and if you would prefer to keep things private, then do so.