5 basic yoga accessories for every yoga practioner Regularly practicing yoga is not only beneficial physically but also mentally. There are more than 100 types and schools of yoga. However, a yoga routine mainly involves breathing exercises, meditation, performing and maintaining postures (asanas), which stretch various groups of muscles in the body. In yoga, there is no special need for an equipment, you can use a starter pack, which includes certain props and tools that help in assuming and maintaining yoga postures. So, if you are starting yoga at home by yourself or are joining a yoga class, there are certain essentials that you require for performing the different forms of yoga. Below is some information about the basics that you need to start a yoga routine. Yoga mats – A yoga mat provides comfort, stability, and give you your personal space for performing this physical discipline. Yoga mats prevent your hands and feet from slipping during your practice. One of the most effective yoga mats are the non-slippery ones. They help you with a grip, thereby, preventing accidents while you perform the asanas. Based on your taste, you can also try other types of yoga mats like natural rubber mats, plastic elastomer mats, cotton and hemp mats, jute mats, and travel mats.

Top 5 strength-building water workouts If you want to gain strength by doing something slightly different from the regular gym workouts, you can try something your grandma would do to stay fit, a water workout. Yes, it does help you build immense strength and can be an alternative to your gym workouts, and no, it is not just for seniors. Working out in water can help you build strength as the effects of water and its physical properties like hydrostatic pressure, buoyancy, and density are some of the highly useful resources for training. Walking in water takes more energy than walking on land, as water puts up resistance from all angles and vectors. Exercising in water can, therefore, be more challenging than regular exercising; however, the risk of injuries are almost none. Additionally, water buoyancy provides additional support to your muscles and joints. Therefore, working out in water can be useful, especially, when you are recovering from an injury or don’t want to accidentally strain your joints and want to prevent injuries. Below are the five strength-building water workouts you should try today. Start with a warm-up To start your strength building water workout, you must begin with a set of warm-up exercises.

Marathon is indeed is an exhausting and an intimidating endeavor. The first marathon can create a feeling of excitement along with worry as you train for the first run. Running a marathon takes both optimum mental and physical fitness to achieve the feat. But the zeal and relaxation one feels on completing the “dream run” is worthy of all the pain you might have taken to prepare yourself for the D day. Finishing the 26.2 miles in a stipulated time requires proper preparation and planning. Here are seven tips to be marathon run-ready and be proud of the amazing accomplishment. Recovery and fueling While you are preparing yourself by jogging and pushing your limits to get closer to the 26.2-mile mark every day, you are undoubtedly going to feel hungry. Thus, eating the right amount of food can help you fuel up and recover when you aren’t training. Experts recommend that consuming foods with a 3:1 ratio of proteins and carbohydrates can help you do the same. At the same time, it is important to stretch before starting to run. Keep ice or hot water bags handy to alleviate any inflammation occurring in the muscles. Heat and foam rollers are also good to soothe sore muscles.

7 mistakes to avoid while preparing for a marathon Spring is here and that means many marathon runners might shift their gears to train harder for the 26.2-mile run. It is okay to make mistakes while training for your first marathon run. But, being unaware and not learning from them can have a great impact on your performance during the future marathons. Marathon training time is precious which means, you need to make the most out of every training schedule. This holds true for a beginner as well as an experienced marathon runner. Below are the seven common mistakes you can avoid while you are getting marathon-run ready. Failing to build a base Beginners usually make this mistake. You need to achieve a base level of fitness while training for a marathon run. It maximizes your chances of success and minimizes the risk of injury. Failing to establish a base and jumping right into hard-hitting exercises might exhaust you even before you get marathon-run ready and sometimes even lead to injuries. Picking the wrong training plan Fitness experts and bloggers have numerous training plans to make you marathon run-ready. It is important to choose the right training plan that suits both, your experience in running the marathon and fitness.

Gym is probably the first word that comes to our mind when we talk about fitness! However, consistently working out in a closed space can eventually douse your fitness motivation as it gets tedious. This is one of the reasons why numerous individuals, at the moment, are switching to park workouts. As the name suggests, park workouts focus on using open, green spaces for daily exercises. Not just the fresh air, some studies demonstrate that park workouts can help burn more calories, improve mental and physical energies, and keeps infections at bay. Primarily, it proves to be beneficial because outdoors constantly challenge your body with different types of obstacles, keeping your regime versatile. Moreover, it’s absolutely free! If you are planning to ditch the gym and embrace nature, then here are some easy park workouts that you can start with. Bench jump To do this exercise, you need to stand in front of the bench, with slightly bent knees and balance the weight in the heels. Then jump up on the bench, ensuring a soft landing with bent knees. Step down with one foot at a time and repeat the process. Bench jumps are great park workout, especially if you want to tone and strengthen your calves and improve balance and coordination.

6 effective ways to prevent injuries during your fitness regime The sedentary lifestyle coupled with our tendency to binge eat during the weekends has unsavory results. However, if you are one of those people who is adept at balancing their penchant to eat unhealthy food occasionally with a regular workout regime, then you have mastered the art of balancing your diet and your life. Though working out in the gym is an incredible way of staying fit, it does pose a risk of sustaining injuries during your fitness regime. Workout injuries can put a stop to your journey to attain the desired weight goal or the dream body you have been so relentlessly working for. One of the ways of preventing these workout injuries to ensure that your gym trainer supervises the various exercises you perform. Another way of ensuring that you don’t sustain any workout injuries during your fitness regime is to adhere to certain preventive measures that can help you steer clear of fitness injuries completely. Here are some of the effective ways in which you can prevent workout injuries. Warm-up and cool-down Your gym trainer must have impressed the need to warm-up before you begin your workout and ending it with a cool-down period.

To look good and feel confident, most people try to lose those excess pounds off their body. There are several ways to lose weight and get fit. Usually, a combination of regular exercise and a good diet plan works well. Now, while choosing a diet plan, you must consider your height, weight, and overall health status. While some diet plans reduce the number of calories you consume, others focus on curbing your appetite. Consulting a nutritionist or doctor is important before following any diet plan. Why do you need diet plans? To become leaner, you need to lose more calories than you consume. So, naturally, apart from exercising every day, you need to watch what you eat. This is where diet plans play a major role. Good meal plans can also boost your energy levels, improve your overall health, and lift your mood. The right meal plans can enhance your immune system and keep infections and common ailments at bay, besides making you strong and fit. Plant-based diet plans Plant-based diet plans focus on whole foods that will meet your nutritional needs. The meals revolve around natural, fresh, and minimally-processed plant foods in this case. The food options include legumes, tubers, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

Are you eyeing a career in the fitness industry? If yes, you have probably encountered two terms innumerable times: fitness instruction and personal training. The question is, are these two jobs the same? No. Depending on the role you opt for, your everyday responsibilities will change dramatically. Also, one requires more knowledge than the other. Below, we will discuss the differences between fitness instruction and personal trainin g   for you to understand and choose better. Who is a fitness instructor? Fitness instructors are usually found inside gyms. They instruct people on how to use different equipment like free weights, resistance machines, cardiovascular machines, etc. At times, they also write exercise manuals that help members follow an exercise routine correctly. Who is a personal trainer? People hire personal trainers to receive guidance and advice on fitness, nutrition, and exercise. They help people change their lifestyles and adopt healthy habits to meet their overall fitness goals. Clients retain their trainers only on noticing progress, which can be challenging. To become a personal trainer, your understanding of different exercises should be cutting edge. Only then will you be able to offer the most versatile techniques and strategies for keeping your clients engaged.

It is important to eat healthy and keep your diet in check. It is healthy to consume 1400 calories a day. You can choose from several free diet meal plans that you can choose from. Below is a 1400 calorie meal plan, that can be tweaked a little, and personalized. Breakfast: ½ a cup of egg substitute, or a whole egg, and 1 white egg with a teaspoon of butter (which of course is optional), makes for the most famous breakfast delight. Additionally, a cup of cantaloupe and whole wheat bread or an English muffin should do the trick. An optional menu to this would be a cup of fat free milk, ½ cup of strawberries, and a whole wheat muffin. Most people do think that stopping butter and oil will help you reduce weight. But in reality, our body needs the basic needs of nourishment, and one teaspoon of butter would work out well. Snack: Always remember that eating more than three meals a day is necessary. Eat in small quantities, but eat more often. Two tablespoons of granola + ¼ cup fat-free milk or one graham cracker, can fill your little biscuit urges. Consume this with one cup of fat free milk with two tablespoons of chocolate syrup.

Pulled hamstrings are common among athletes but are painful and require treatments to ease the pain and cure the pulled tendons. This condition occurs when the tendon of thigh muscles get stretched beyond their stretching capacity. While it can happen when you are running, or playing football, or skating, there are things you can do to avoid getting a hamstring injury. Always warm up before you start a physical activity. Even if you are going for a run, prepare your muscles for intense movements by doing basic warm exercises. Be slow with your warm up exercises. There are incidences where people get a hamstring injury not while running but while warming up. The irony can be avoided by going slow while warming up. Do not over train yourself. As the saying goes, too much of too good is not so good. It is true in every case including training and exercising. Over exertion can not only lead to a pulled hamstring but also fatigue. Train only as much is required. Try glute training to avoid hamstring injuries. These can also help you in treating hamstring injuries if you get them. Do not overload your hamstring while sprinting on each step.

When you are working out, an ill-fitted bra can make you uncomfortable, reducing the intensity of your workout session. Here are five amazing tips you should definitely follow to pick the right sports bra for your workout sessions. Choose bras based on the type of workout There are two basic kinds of bras you find in stores and online websites: Compression bra – These are cheaper and come in universal sizes like S, M, L, XL etc. Compression bras are great for women with a  small cup size. For low-intensity workouts, these work best. Encapsulation bra – Encapsulation sports bra is known for its maximum support while workouts. They come in individual cup sizes and will definitely fit you right. Choose an encapsulation bra for high-intensity workouts such as cardio. Pick bras with adjustable bands many sports bras have pullover straps. However, pullover straps come with minimal support. With time, the fabric stretches and is no longer comfortable. Choose bras that come with adjustable hooks or straps. Skin show If you are buying bras online, check the size charts in detail before placing your order. If you are shopping at sports stores, then definitely try out samples before you purchase them.