Australians – Here’s How Technology Can Help You Save This Easter

Australians – Here’s How Technology Can Help You Save This Easter

If you’ve been reading through our blog  religiously over the last couple of years you’ve already collected some very nice tips and tricks about how to best utilize tech and gadgets available to you.

We are all aware that we’re living in the time where we spend much (maybe even too much) of our time on a laptop, tablet all staring at our cellphone. Whatever reason it is, we should seriously look into cutting the time spent on any device and dedicating ourselves to socializing with friends and family.

Holidays are perhaps the best time of the year and time when most of the families that are separated come together again. It would be a shame if you wasted that time on your laptop, instead of socializing with your closest ones, wouldn’t it?

Automate as Much as You Can

Speaking about business or about private life, you should always look into ways to automate things that can be automated.

Mint is probably the best solution for automating payments for the household. Being one of the oldest apps on the market for budgeting purposes, Mint makes it easy for you to track purchases associated with each credit or debit card on your account, makes budgeting and organizing your future spendings real smooth. Keeping in mind a few drawbacks and loopholes attributable to this neat app, you can use one of the alternatives that will fill in the gap.

For example, if you want to restrain from overspending you might want to take a look into PocketGuard, or if you’re sharing the budget with your beloved Goodbudget can be more suitable to what you need.

By utilizing one of these, you’ll not only free up some time for yourself, but you’ll be more focused and concentrated on business issues that are presented to you on an almost everyday basis. Truth be told, some things can’t (and shouldn’t) be automated, and they will require a human touch.

Don’t Spend All Your Money

During the holiday season, it’s really easy to get caught up in the spending-craze. Buying Easter decoration and all the sweets don’t sound like a huge deal, but as the stores get into the craze, you start seeing just how much of these little things end up in your cart.

Also, many families like to go on a weekend getaway on a mountain with the entire family. While you can go for a luxury package, you can still go with a more cost-effective option such as ones offered at Lantern Apartments and choose a trip that won’t cost money as well.

Not to mention that most of the arrangements are more expensive during the holiday season and for a reason of course. However, holidays don’t need to be that time of the year when you will spend all your money.

Some of these discounted sites and apps may help you save some buck for later, as holidays will certainly pass, but you’ll still need money after they’ve finished.

On that note, carefully planning for your holiday stay and hunting discounts by booking way up ahead can prove to be a lifesaver for your budget. Use one of the apps from the link above to hunt discounts and fares in advance.

Stay Fit and Healthy

Traditionally, the holiday season is known for feasting and stuffing lots of food in your stomach. At the same time, that’s perhaps part of the year when physical activity is on minimum.

If you don’t want to end up with a few extra pounds which you’ll struggle to get rid of months’ after the holidays are officially over, you can use one of the many fitness apps out there to keep track of the number of calories you absorbed and burnt during the holidays.

Yes, it’s hard to stay disciplined and strict when it comes to delicious Easter chocolates, but a little composure can be a long way really. Luckily enough, some apps can help with that as well.

Keeping cholesterol on the low is easier if you have respectable knowledge in nutritionism. Apps like Fooducate can help you raise the bar when it comes to this.

Also, and you probably already heard about this one, but FitBit is still the number one app when it comes to handling your eating and active life.

The Next Generation of the Healthy Working Environment

The work environment has gotten a major makeover over the past couple of years. Employee health has become a primary focus, transforming our vending machines, boardrooms and everything in between. Now, you may find a yoga studio next to your desk and a fridge stocked to the brim with healthy snacks and the freshest ingredients. Today, companies encourage employee bonding through sporting events, cycling classes, and other healthy activities. Some even pay for their employee’s monthly gym memberships. This is how important health has become in the workforce.

The Benefits of a Healthy Workplace

A healthy working environment encourages productivity, keeps employees happy, and improves retention rates. Financially speaking, the right environment can boost sales and prevent losses from turnover and worker’s compensations. A healthy environment is also the very backbone of company culture. Working towards an active and healthy community, companies are able to define a unique culture that unifies its employees and its ultimate vision.

Healthy Practices

There are a variety of factors that go into creating a healthy environment. For starters, companies must cultivate healthy practices that support and foster growth among the team. This could mean hosting a meditation session during a busy season or stressful point in time. It could also mean sending a ‘Get Well Soon’ card, signed off by the whole team after an employee has gone through surgery or another medical complication. A supportive environment really is a healthy environment.

A Healthy Physical Environment

Another major component that goes into a healthy working environment is the physical environment, itself. This is one element companies continue to struggle with, even today. Due to the digital nature of everything we do, employees are constantly tied to their computer screens and crouched over their desks. This, of course, can wreak havoc on posture and overall health.

According to the American Chiropractic Association, one-half of all American workers experience symptoms of back pain. Lower back pain costs Americans close to $50 billion each year in healthcare costs. Back pain also accounts for $264 million days taken off from work every year. Clearly, health is still a major issue in the workforce.

The Benefits of a Standing Desk

Many companies are now offering their employees standing desks. A standing desk encourages a combination of sitting and active standing throughout the day. It enables workers to change the height of the desk and customize it to meet their physical needs. The standing desk ultimately inspires employees to stay active throughout the day. Compared to a sedentary position at a desk, the standing posture has been shown to burn close to 1000 extra calories weekly.

According to Healthline, a standing desk is the best desk.  It prevents weight gain and obesity, lowers the risk for heart disease, improves energy and mood, boosts productivity, and can even lead to a longer life. The same source has also found that a standing desk can reduce back pain dramatically. In fact, research participants reported up to a 32% improvement over the course of just a couple of weeks.

The Next Innovation on the Horizon

Thanks to the proven success of the standing desk, a new innovation has emerged, the BLACKROLL® SMART MOVE BOARD. The Smart Move Board may be used in tandem with a standing desk to encourage an even more active lifestyle at work. It is specifically designed to make standing more comfortable and engaging, throughout the day, combining a ridged surface with integrated tools for self-massage.

The board is constructed from the latest technology in sports therapy. Using a unique material called SmartLite foam, the board provides a light and highly elastic surface for optimum comfort and pain relief. The ridged surface of the board activates the soles of the feet to encourage stretching and massage throughout the day as well. The board even comes with a set of self-massage tools including: a roller, a ball, and a twister, each designed to relieve sore muscles and prevent future injury.  

The new product is sold by Active Life Solutions, an online platform that brings the best in nutrition, fitness training, and recovery to your doorstep. It will be sold exclusively on Kickstarter at the https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/activelifeusa/660019358?ref=769607&token=ca03e552 for the time being.  For founder and CEO, Dr. Stephen Bui, MD, the smart move board is a strong addition to its growing collection of high-quality fitness tools.

“The BLACKROLL® SMART MOVE BOARD is primarily intended for people who normally sit at work, but would like to be on their feet and become more active. However, others are interested in using the products to feel more energized, improve concentration, improve the cardiovascular system, relieve pressure on the spine, and burn more calories during the day as compared to sitting,” he says.

We are already making great strides in the workplace. But to go even further in workplace health, we must first improve the very environment that our dedicated employees are a part of. This is the next smart move.

3 Reasons Why it’s Incredible to Live in California

3 Reasons Why it’s Incredible to Live in California

Whether you currently live in luxurious Fourth Street East apartments for rent in Oakland, or you’ve always dreamed about what it would be like if you could live in San Francisco, you’ll be happy to know that we understand and realize how great it is to live in California. There are so many beautiful things about this state that make it one of the greatest in the country, if not the absolute best.

So, if you like fantastic food, lively and happy people, plenty of sunshine, and going to the beach, then you’ll absolutely flip and fall head over heels in love with Cali. And if you’ve never lived here before but think you’d like to relocate, we will tell you why this is such a wonderful place to live if you haven’t figured it out already.

With that said, we’ll now take a look at three reasons why California living is absolutely amazing. Stick around to discover the truth and so much more.

  1. The Beaches Are Free

Just like those crazy kids over at Sesame Street told us that the air is free, we’re happy to tell you that the beaches are free in California too! You read that right. In places like New Jersey or Long Island or Cape Cod in Massachusetts, you’ll have to pay for the privilege of spending time on the beach. But not so in California, because it won’t cost you a pretty penny to enjoy the sandy beaches in this gorgeous paradise.

Guess what? In places like New Jersey, it actually costs money to spend time on the beach. And the water looks black and filled with garbage and the beach itself looks dirty and unattractive. On the other hand, California has crystal blue-green ocean waters, gorgeous flowers, and the sandy beaches are absolutely to die for.

  1. Experience Warm Weather All Year Round

Some people really seem to enjoy the winter weather and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. But if you’re sick and tired of shoveling your car out of mountains of snow every winter, then maybe it’s time for you to relocate to California.

In beautiful sunny Southern California, you get to experience constant sunshine all year long. No one is denying that the mornings may start out a bit cold and hazy, but once 10 AM hits the clouds part and the sun is shining through and it will last all day long until the nighttime darkness finally shows itself again.

The best part is the sunshine lasts all year long, not just for a few months and then it disappears for colder weather. In fact, the temperature hardly drops below 65°, which in our estimation is completely perfect weather that everyone can enjoy all year long.

  1. The Happiness Is Contagious in California

This next statement may seem crazy to some, but because the weather is always so nice and the beaches are free all year long, people typically tend to be happy in California. West Coast people are laid-back and much happier than their East Coast counterparts. It’s an actual fact and anyone from the East Coast who’s lived in California for any length of time can tell you it’s true.

So, if you’re tired of living a rough, unhappy, and lonesome life in other parts of the USA, you should seriously consider relocating to California. The people are happy and friendly all the time, so you’ll meet new people, make great friends, and really begin enjoying your life once you move to this gorgeous sunny state.

Final Thoughts

Are you ready to live in a true paradise? If so, it’s time to pack your bags and head out West to sunny California. The people are friendly, the weather is always amazing, and your dreams are about to come true once you relocate to the Golden State. So do not hesitate and make California your new home sooner rather than later.

How to Plan the Ultimate Destination Wedding

How to Plan the Ultimate Destination Wedding

Planning a destination wedding is a wonderful experience, but it also raises a lot of questions. Will you be traveling for the holidays, planning a cold or warm reception, and how far away should the wedding be? There are a lot of tough decisions to make, but this guide will help you plan the ultimate two-for-one wedding and honeymoon.

Pick A Meaningful Location

The first, and most important, step to planning your destination wedding is to pick a location with meaning. While you can host your reception anywhere in the world, it should be somewhere special to the both of you. Many couples choose a favorite vacation spot, but you simply need to make sure it suits your tastes and has all the accommodations you need.

Guest Considerations

While it’s already customary to give your guests plenty of time to prepare for the wedding, you’ll want to give them extra time for this one. Plane tickets, hotels, and more all require extra planning on their end if they plan to attend.

Be considerate and try to choose a reasonably affordable hotel. Price points may be an issue and you might need to travel slightly further away from the reception. Carefully consider how to ensure your guests can make it on your special day.

Finally, planning for your bridal and groomsmen parties is a must. These key individuals require a little extra thought in order to include them in the big day. Give them each a checklist of necessary items to pack to make things easier. You wouldn’t want someone forgetting their bridesmaid dress!

For more information on beautiful bridesmaid dresses, check out https://www.azazie.com/all/bridesmaid-dresses

Two Birds, One Stone

Since you’re already at a perfect honeymoon destination, why not take care of both at the same time? That’s one of the best benefits of a destination wedding, and you can easily make it happen with crowdfunding.

While this method of gift-giving is still new to wedding trends, it’s catching on fast. Guests are encouraged to skip the usual household items in lieu of a monetary donation towards your romantic getaway. There are plenty of websites to choose from, but Honeyfund is considered the best honeymoon registry around.

Hiring Professionals

This party is tricky for many couples. Not every local professional is willing to fly to your destination, and those that are will more than likely charge a hefty fee for their long-range services. Opting for a local professional at your destination can also be a challenge due to language barriers.

Instead, pick a planner or coordinator who specializes in destination weddings. These individuals can take care of the hard work for you from picking flower arrangements to a DJ or live entertainment, allowing you to focus on other preparations.

Visit in Advance

If your chosen destination isn’t one that either of you have been to before, it’s highly recommended to take an initial first trip before your big day. Getting to know the area is crucial for planning. Otherwise, you’ll spend your time stressing over little things like finding the right salon instead of spending quality time together.

How Marie Kondo Could Help You Save A Ton of Cash

How Marie Kondo Could Help You Save A Ton of Cash

Let’s be honest — usually, Netflix is a huge time-waster. You turn it on when you feel like doing nothing but veg. Then four hours later the screen is asking if you’re still there, and you have nothing to show for it but a deeper butt groove on the couch.

Except sometimes, there comes along a show or documentary that inspires you to jump off the couch and do something other than binge-watch the next series.

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” is the latest title to rouse people out of their mid-binge daze. The show follows organizing consultant Marie Kondo to American homes, where she helps them let go of material items to get their living spaces in order.

The effects of clearing out the detritus of modern life has more than just an impact on your home. If you follow the KonMari method, you could see changes in your finances, too!

What is KonMari?

At the center of Netflix’s show, and every one of Kondo’s best-selling books, is a personal brand of tidying up. The KonMari method is unique in two ways.

  1. The way you organize. While traditional organization tips will tell you to go through your house room by room, Marie Kondo suggest you tidy by category. Under this rule, you would focus on tidying all the clothes in your house at once, rather than only the clothes in your bedroom. This way, you’ll see just how much clothes you have in total—from off-season storage in the basement and the outerwear in your front hall, as well as your everyday stuff in your bedroom closet.

 

  1. How you discard items. KonMari suggests you go through your belongings carefully and ask yourself how your feel about each item. Kondo encourages people to keep only those items that “spark joy”. In other words, you should throw away those old t-shirts you keep “just in case” you might need them one day, but keep your collection of whacky socks that make you smile in the morning.

How will it make you money?

On to the more important questions: how will KonMari improve your finances?

Just as Kondo’s method has two unique features, it has two applications to your bank account. Let’s go over them to see how you can start spending less and saving more right away.

 

  • Sell that which does not “spark joy”

 

Although it may be cathartic to pitch all your joyless items as soon as you realize they’re of no use anymore, you may want to hold on to them — only as long as it takes you to sell them. You may be able to earn a pretty penny for any clothes, books, or collectibles if they’re in good shape.

Check to see if your neighborhood has a second-hand store or consignment shop that pays for items in good repair. Otherwise, setting up an ad on Craigslist or eBay is simple enough, but it may take a while to entice a buyer.

If you don’t have a lot of time, these apps could help you find a buyer faster. They facilitate transactions between users, making it easy to buy and sell second-hand items.

Depending on the app, you may be able to sell your items for straight-up cash or exchange it for credit to purchase other used items—helping you avoid spending more money on other items you need to buy.

  1. Stop indulging in impulsive shopping

In all likelihood, that “need” to purchase new clothes and other items will wane after you’ve committed to KonMari — especially if you ask yourself if a potential purchase “sparks joy” before you reach the till.

This is a critical feature of responsible money management. Most financial advisors suggest people looking to save more money should trim the fat from their budgets. Once you start buying fewer things, you’ll save more of your paycheck to go towards the things that do fill your heart with joy — like a relaxing holiday or the security of an emergency fund.

An emergency fund is an important aspect of balanced finances. It helps people take on life’s biggest purchases (like homes or cars) as well as unexpected expenses (like medical bills and repairs).

There are personal loans of all shapes and sizes to help with these purchases—from mortgages and auto loans to installment loans and personal lines of credit. But as you learn about installment loans and other borrowing options, you’ll realize they won’t replace the satisfaction you’ll feel covering your responsibilities on your own.

Buying less is just the first step—the next step to good money management will involve intentional spending. You’ll need to look over your budget to see if there are any other areas you can eliminate unnecessary spending that doesn’t “spark joy”.

Eventually, you’ll arrive at a budget, and home, that’s clutter free. With the potential for a tidier house and a flush wallet, what’s not to love in binging “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”? Finally — an excuse to watch Netflix that holds water!

Why a Social Life is Necessary for Success in University

Why a Social Life is Necessary for Success in University

Having good mental health, particularly when one doesn’t have to do much work to arrive at such a point, is an absolute privilege that should not be taken for granted. Feeling good and having a good time during one’s high school years, unfortunately, doesn’t mean that illness won’t find a way to seep into one’s college experience.

It’s often during the isolating and stressful days of college that one assumes they’ve done something wrong when anxiety ensues. Ultimately, however, depression, anxiety, and feelings of being overwhelmed are often a part of growing up under late capitalism and as a member of the neoliberal university – it’s not that you’ve done anything wrong. Nor is it the case that you have all of a sudden become hardwired for mental illness.

On the contrary, large and often unmanageable amounts of stress is situational can incite depressive and anxious symptoms. Indeed, stress promotes the release of a neurochemical known as cortisol, which impact one’s mood in a very negative way if there’s too much of it.

Most people enter university for the first time without knowing what it means to labour for a comfortable work-life balance – no doubt, coming straight from high school means one is extremely underprepared for the inner workings of adult life. This creates a kind of sink or swim scenario for students at most postsecondary institutions, where little to no guidance is offered unless intensively sought out.

In other words, freshmen year students – most of whom are teens – are forced to go about their lives like fully functional adults. Consequently, there will always be times throughout one’s postsecondary experience when coursework seems either impossible, or just too painful to undertake. A late-night shift at the job that’s paying your tuition might make last-minute studying for a mid-term exam, or finishing up a term paper even more exhausting.

 

The mental health of international students is also a difficult conundrum, as feelings of homesickness and being thrown into a complex world away from one’s comfort zone can make it hard to focus. This is precisely why it is useful to take on all of the available resources that are out there waiting to help you out! A professional and dedicated essay writing service, for instance, can make a substantial difference during those bouts of absolute, seemingly endless stress – you can, for example, click here to learn more about the many benefits of an online homework-helping service.

Companies like Homework Help Global have assisted thousands of students from all over the world who have required a helping hand. Whether it’s a book report, midterm or final exam, research paper, Powerpoint presentation, resume writing, application letter, argumentative essay, or anything in between, there are a lot of services out there to help you get a great mark on a custom, wholly original essay when time and motivation are in short supply.

With helpers on your side, you’ll be able to go out and experience the wondrousness of life firsthand, and have more of a social life – which is the best way to stave off depression and anxiety. Having a nice support system in the form of paid academic writing experts, as well as friends, will surely revolutionize your university experience.

Ultimately, the highs and lows of your time spent at college and university do prepare you for the unpredictability (often cruel unpredictability) of the larger world. You will learn what it feels like to try and juggle and unmanageable number of balls at the same time; what it means to have to sacrifice one aspect of your life for another, and what it means to be under a time crunch and have to improvise and test your limits to hand in a paper, or finish an exam on time. Contact Homework Help Global when university anxiety and depression are getting in the way of your coursework and academic writing, and let one of our expert, seasoned writers help alleviate some of the stress of campus life.

Closing the Gaps In Modern Medicine with Biohacking

Closing the Gaps In Modern Medicine with Biohacking

What Is Biohacking?

You’ve heard of ‘Life Hacks’ that ultimately make your life easier. But, have you heard about Bio Hacks? Biohacking is an emerging term in the health and wellness space. It is based upon the idea that what you put into your body has a huge impact on the way that you feel on the outside. It goes back to basics, understanding the building blocks of human biology, and the ways in which we can look and feel our best. Movement, nutrition, gratitude and even music are some examples of biohacks that individuals have found to alter their health for the better. It’s about shifting the right things in the body and the mind to boost energy, to enhance memory, to become free of disease, and to live the most healthful lives possible.

Addressing the Root Cause of Disease

Biohacking encourages us to look within and understand how different inputs yield significant outputs. This is different from modern healthcare, which tends to respond to the disease instead of the source of imbalance. According to board-certified physician of internal medicine, Dr. John Limansky, modern medications work to suppress symptoms and fail to address the root cause of modern western diseases. Essentially, traditional medicine caters to Sick Care, rather than Health Care today. This is exactly what he hopes to change with his medicinal platform. “By taking simple steps such as modifying diet, exercising, incorporating stress reduction, improving sleep and focusing on meditation among other techniques, many of the diseases afflicting our society may be reversed,” Limansky contributes.

Enhancing Interaction in Medicine

Another problem with traditional medicine is a lack of interaction. Older physicians will reminisce on the days where they were on a first name basis with their patients. They miss having adequate time to delve into the real issues behind the disease and find a personalized solution. As a practicing physician, Dr. Limansky is also limited in the number of patients he can interact with on an individual basis. It is for this reason why he and his team created online platform, biohackMD.

The patient-facing platform educates the public on the benefits of biohacking as well as the ketogenic diet. It is a place where readers can find research-backed information that is also processed by a physician. All content is free and available on multiple platforms. Essentially, biohackMD serves as a conversation between you and your physician. It provides a sense of personal power as well. “By introducing the concept of biohacking to the public, my goal is to show how everyone can regain their health, wellness and increase longevity while being able to stop taking medications,” Dr. Limansky adds.

Coupling the Ketogenic Diet with Biohacking

While biohacking is a new and emerging concept, the ketogenic diet has been recognized with a great deal of popularity in the last couple of years. It is also one of the oldest diets in terms of research. Back in the early 1920s, the keto diet emerged as a medicinal treatment for children with epilepsy. Today, the diet continues to be studied as a potential remedy for type two diabetes as the disease continues to skyrocket among young populations.

Recognized as ‘The Keto Doctor’ and one of the foremost authorities on the Ketogenic lifestyle, Dr. Limansky sees Keto as a sustainable tool that boasts a variety of benefits. “The ketogenic diet has gained in popularity for the simple reason that it works. It is a pathway to eating real non-processed foods in the right ratio. By incorporating a ketogenic diet, we are able to gain control over our insulin levels, improve hormone levels, lose fat while gaining control over our hunger signals. A ketogenic diet enables us to relearn what it means to be hungry instead of simply craving foods,” he adds.

Supplementing Health

By coupling the Ketogenic Diet with Biohacking, Dr. Limansky helps to point individuals towards optimum health and longevity. Consulting performance athletes and everyday champions, he demonstrates how health is a personal practice and gives individuals the tools to take back control of their health. Supplementing nutrition and modern medicine, biohackMD provides a variety of keto supplements to help achieve and maintain ketosis. The company currently offers Keto Matrix, Green Matrix, Whey Matrix & Multi Collagen Matrix to support individuals on their health journey.

Getting back to healthy basics has never been easier.  Having a deeper understanding of the physical body, and the factors that contribute to health, enables us to rediscover ourselves in a new light.  

Four Studies Supporting the Benefits of the Foam Roller

Four Studies Supporting the Benefits of the Foam Roller

Move over FitBit, there’s another fitness tool that’s taking over the weight room. While perhaps less sophisticated in nature, the humble foam roller is literally on a roll, with more and more research supporting its wide range of benefits. This includes everything from increased flexibility and pain prevention to enhanced performance.

Increased Flexibility

According to the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation, the practice of foam rolling, coupled with static stretching may increase range of motion in the hip more so than stretching alone. Essentially, it helps to increase flexibility in ways we can’t necessarily achieve on our own.

Ever pushed through a great workout only to be punished later on with stiff, cranky muscles? We work out to enhance our lives, but when our workouts leave us in an aching heap the next day, it can become pretty counterintuitive. This is where the foam roller comes in. The tool is a method of self-myofascial release (SMR), an alternative therapy that treats immobility and pain in the muscles.

Pain Prevention

Myofascial release techniques are intended to bring gentle and sustained pressure to the body. Working to smooth out those hard ‘knots’ in the fascia, or connective tissue, the technique encourages a sense of release in the body. And according to a study published in Current Sports Medicine Reports this may be just the release you need. In the study, it was concluded that self-myofascial release has a positive impact on delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOM) and can help to decrease soreness following DOM. This can lead to enhanced performance in the long run as it allows the active individual to exercise longer and more actively.

In another study, individuals were to perform 10 sets of 10 repetitions of barbell back squats over the course of four weeks. In order to identify the effectiveness of foam rollers on quadricep muscle soreness, some subjects completed 20 minutes of foam rolling. The control group did not perform any type of post-exercise treatment at all. When the results came around, the difference was quite astounding. In fact, those who did perform foam rolling were significantly less sore than those who did not, according to the Journal of Athletic Training study.

Enhanced Performance

Don’t let soreness keep you from playing in the game! By incorporating foam-rolling exercises, you may prevent the limiting pain that keeps you from doing what you love. You might also become a better athlete for it. In a study featured in Sports Medicine, it was discovered that those who use a foam roller actually experience an increase in maximal voluntary contraction. For lead researcher, Dr. Lewis Macgregor, there is a strong case to be made for the foam roller as a pre-workout activity to both enhance performance and lower the risk of injury. “I surmise that foam rolling prior to exercise helps to light up the pathway between the brain and the muscle, providing a better understanding of what is required,” Macgregor says. He continues, “Our research—for the first time—suggests that foam rolling offers a viable alternative warm-up technique that does not result in diminished muscle strength, which is often associated with static stretching. It shows that foam rolling may be a useful technique in helping to reduce stress and strain on muscles during exercise and, therefore, could reduce injuries.”

Whether you’re an elite athlete or an active individual, the use of a foam roller can benefit your performance on and off the court. It’s inexpensive, it’s easy to use, and it’s even easier to find ways to work towards your health and fitness goals. Luckily, recovery and training company, BLACKROLL, sold through Active Life Solutions, is making it even easier to reap the benefits.  Active Life Solutions focuses on healthy living, healthy lifestyles and products, which not only rehabilitate, but also prevent injury.  With a full family of products in-house, Active Life offers everyone from the beginner to the elite athlete the products and tools they need to succeed.

Regeneration and Functional Training

BLACKROLL’s foam rolling products are intended to help in two main ways, regeneration and functional training. Used for regeneration, the foam rollers can be used to heal from the aches and pains of daily life and an active lifestyle. While helpful for healing and restoration, the Myofascial release tool may also be used to challenge the intensity of your workouts and to build strength, overall.

Whatever you’d like to achieve, BLACKROLL helps you get there, providing the right exercises to engage and relax various muscle groups. BLACKROLL even provides a convenient phone app, The Blackroll® App to guide training and self-massage techniques.

So, the next time you’re at the gym, you’ll understand just why this tool has become so popular. And with a tool like BLACKROLL at your fingertips, you’ll be ready to roll!

Yoga for Your Face

Yoga exercises for the face are easy and convenient — and they show results! They restore the flow of blood to your facial muscles, which gives your skin a healthy glow, and they can also smooth out wrinkles and help turn a flabby frown into a confident smile.

You don’t need much of anything to begin practicing facial yoga. Just a mirror and the determination to spend ten minutes a day in front of the mirror, making faces.

Here are some of the best facial yoga exercises to give your looks a more youthful, energetic, appearance:

The lion

Open eyes wide. Open mouth wide. Stick out the tongue as far as you comfortably can. Hold this pose for the count of five. Relax. Repeat at least six times.

The monkey

Purse your lips as if about to kiss someone. Keep your eyes half shut. Breath in and out through your nose only, for a count of ten. Then relax. Repeat at least half a dozen times.

Hurricane

Take a deep breath. Exhale forcefully while keeping your lips closed, but not tightened; letting the air flow past your lips so that they make a flapping motion. Concentrate on relaxing your lip muscles so they feel as if they will drop off your face. Repeat this a dozen times; you’ll be surprised how pleasant the tingling feeling for your entire lower face.

 

Training Like The Elite With Wearable Technology

Training Like The Elite With Wearable Technology

Wearable technology is everywhere: from walking our dogs and checking our Apple Watches to a myriad of other products.  What was once something rare has now become commonplace. Wearable tech is growing, and so are the uses, providing users with access to data they never had before, in ways they never imagined. Where it is having the largest impact: the fitness industry. Here, users are able to not only track their health, but also understand how to prevent injury, recuperate properly from it, and learn so much more about how their bodies work.  It helps us push further, as well as step back when we are at the brink of needing either.

For those that don’t know, wearable technology is a massive growth industry which is exploding at the moment. There are both consumer and professional wearables markets, making the veritable buffet of uses for this technology unlimited.   It seems like so long ago that the first Bluetooth headset was sold, but for those that remember, it was less than twenty years ago. The Bluetooth headset was really the trigger that launched an entire new category of connectivity, including everything from the FitBit to the Apple Watch and beyond.

Early wearables were constrained by the amount they could do.  Today, those limits have been exceeded tens of times over. Companies like dorsaVi have changed not only the way we look at wearables and health, but also the manner in which we use them.  DorsaVi’s real-time data analysis, tracking and profiling enable users to change the way they exercise, move, and even work. For a market that is continuing to explode, this opens doors never seen before.  To put it is context, Statista recently reported that the number of connected wearables is expected to reach 830 million in 2020. For those implementing them in their everyday practices that is truly an incredible measure of growth.

While some have expressed concern over the validity of the information, it is important to remember that it is the partnership between the technology and the human that is doing the work.  The data is measured, reported and based on real-life interaction with the wearable and the data interpretation is by experts in the industry. Companies like dorsaVi are partnering very closely with industry professionals to create, not only client benchmarks, but also programs and protocols which make a significant difference.  The wearables enable, in one word: customization. By partnering with physical therapists, chiropractors, pain physicians, strength and conditioning trainers, as well as coaches in the NFL, NHL, MLS, and NBS, dorsaVi’s motion sensors are making a significant difference both on – and off – the field.

Information that was once only available to the elite is now readily accessible for the average consumer.  DorsaVi is an FDA-cleared wearable based on biomechanical technology. By leveraging biomechanical instruments with smart sensors, the company is able to bring professional-level information to the average person.  With a smart dashboard and user-friendly reports, this wearable device company is providing an easy-to-understand view on our own physical assets.

The company has a strong history rooted in the practice of medicine.  As a practicing physiotherapist, co-founder Andrew Ronchi determined that he needed more personalized insights for his clients. He felt limited by what was available on the market for his practice and in doing so, realized early on, that the wearable market was the place to head. By having the foresight to do so, today, dorsaVi’s smart device is readily available in three main verticals: elite sports, clinical practice(s), and workplace safety.

DorsaVi’s solutions are used by a range of health and performance professionals, while the organization is a market leader in day-to-day training and rehabilitation products. The dorsaVi Professional Suite captures objective movement data that cannot be seen elsewhere.   This data then enables professionals to create customized programs based on their client’s specific needs. With this information, the clinician can mitigate the risk of injury, while guiding rehabilitation when needed. The data also helps make the difficult “return to play” decisions easier, while helping athletes increase their performance the healthy way.  

On the other hand, in the workplace, the insight helps increase safety significantly.  With the custom insight on workers, companies are able to match their physical needs with those of the company and reduce the risk of on the job injuries significantly. This real-time, real-life data also helps companies with their training protocols and manual handling processes, thus benefiting everyone from the company to the employee to the greater market itself.

“In the health space, where dorsaVi operates, improvements in technology continue to make what was once impossible possible,” says Megan Connell, Chief Marketing Officer of dorsaVi.  For this company and those that use their products, the true differential is that dorsaVi has made it possible to see clearly, what was once a significant blind spot, in a cost-effective and user-friendly manner, with medical-grade accuracy.