You cannot go through life without encountering difficult times. Whether those times are bad days or bad years is undetermined, but you have the power to control how you cope and recover. When you have specific self-care strategies in place to help you get through tough times, anything is possible. This article aims to provide you with those strategies, which work to help you relax, reduce stress, and feel better about yourself. 

Why Is Self-Care Important?

Self-care is not the same as being selfish. Ultimately, self-care is about being responsible for the choices you make about your life and health. Taking care of yourself can make you more conscious about small things that bring harmony and balance to your life. Self-care is not complex, so don’t over-complicate it. Use the following suggestions to move through life when things get tough, and you may feel more empowered and in control when you do so. 

Cue Some Inspiration

Laughter is often the best medicine if you start to feel your feelings. According to research, laughter can boost your mood, lessen physical pain, and protect you from the effects of stress. In fact, laughter can help bring you back to normal, balancing your mind and body. If you need a good chuckle, cue up a comedic podcast, audiobook, movie, or TV show that you know will elevate your spirits. Alternatively, you may benefit from positive affirmation, so consider a motivational, inspiring podcast, video, or even saved recording to reshape your mindset. 

Talk To A Friend

Talking to someone, especially a friend who understands you and your struggles, is the easiest thing to do. Reach out to someone, be it a close friend or family member you can trust, and open up to them. A great heart-to-heart conversation can make all the difference, especially if you know that someone cares about you. 

Take A Walk In Outside

If you are feeling down, a walk in a park, along the beach, or in the woods can help reset your mind. Studies have shown that being in nature can reduce stress and boost your mood. Not only does a walk in nature benefit your mental health, but it also boosts your physical activity. Walking, jogging, biking, or swimming in nature can help you clear your mind, de-stress, and rebalance your mind and body. 

Ground Yourself

In addition to spending time outdoors, it can be beneficial to connect your body to the earth via grounding. Also known as earthing, grounding is the act of putting your skin in direct contact with the earth’s surface. This allows you to absorb the earth’s electricity, which can charge you with positive energy. Some research indicates that grounding has profound anti-inflammatory and anti-stress properties. If you have the ability, go for a barefoot walk on the beach for 20-30 minutes, or walk barefoot in a local park. 

Feed Your Emotions

To be clear, this tip is not about supporting emotional eating, nor is it about letting your emotions get the better of you. On difficult days, head to your local farmer’s market or grocery store and get some fresh produce. Colorful fruits and vegetables carry beneficial nutrients that can help reduce inflammation, lower stress, and boost mental health. You can even go so far as to research a specific recipe before heading to buy food. That way, you can turn the produce you buy into a meal that comforts the soul. 

Treat Yourself To A Cafe Visit

A visit to a cafe for coffee or tea every day may not be financially responsible, especially if you are on a budget. If going to get a latte or a slice of cake with tea brings you joy, allow yourself that luxury if you need some self-love. For some people, the allure of a coffee shop is the smell of coffee brewing, the clicking of laptop keys, or the steam from a cappuccino maker. Maybe you enjoy a hipster coffee shop that plays smooth jazz. Whatever you like is what you like, and there is no sense in denying yourself that happiness if you encounter a difficult day.

Meditate

Whether you are frustrated, stuck, or just having a bad day, meditation can be highly beneficial. A lot of people find meditation to be the best course of action to overcome such circumstances. Find a comfortable place to sit or lay down and start your meditation session. You can follow your breath in silence, or you can practice guided meditation, which can help prevent your mind from wandering if that is something you struggle with. Meditation can help you regain perspective and put you in a better place to deal with your stressful day.

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According to a study from 2019 that examined close to 15,000 people, burning calories reduces the risk of death. The results indicated that burning an extra calorie per kilogram of bodyweight per day reduced the risk of death by 24%. If you weigh 200 pounds, you can reduce your risk of death by nearly a quarter if you simply burn 90 more calories per day. All you have to do is walk just over half a mile to do that!

There are two essential components to thriving with age: maintain lower-body functional strength and lower-body functional power. “Functional” means moving in different patterns and under different stressors. Stepping up and down things in different directions or lifting weights in various positions and directions are great examples of functional training. Engaging in regular physical activity that helps build strength in the legs, then, is ideal if you want better quality of life as you age. 

You can do functional movements in the gym, at home, or on a court or field playing sports. In the older population, there are great cognitive and social benefits that accompany the physical benefits of sport. Avoiding isolation as you age can help slow mental and physical decline. It can be intimidating to learn a new sport, especially if you don’t classify yourself as an athlete. Fortunately, the following sports typically have very welcoming communities, so you can experiment with one or more of them to see which you like. 

Dancing

Whether you want to take salsa lessons or learn to line dance, dancing is an exciting exercise that offers all the benefits of walking, and then some. Not only do you get to learn moves and have fun, but you also get to burn some calories. Dancing requires you to move laterally, taking crossover steps, in addition to moving forward and backward. That makes dance an agility-type activity, which helps perfect balance to protect you from falls. Dancing also forces you to remember the steps and patterns, which keeps you sharp between the ears. 

Tai Chi

If you have ever passed a park in somewhat warmer weather, you have probably seen a group of older people practicing Tai Chi. This form of gentle exercise involves specific, controlled movements, which you shouldn’t sleep on. Tai Chi is a low-impact exercise, making it very accessible for all levels of activity. A lot of the movements help to improve mobility and over 500 studies have found that Tai Chi can improve balance. Plus, studies also indicate that it benefits people with mental health challenges, such as depression.

Pickleball

You knew that this sport was going to be on the list, right? Although pickleball is not a new sport, it surged to popularity within the last five years. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association’s annual report found pickleball to be the easiest racket sport to learn. That same report found that it has grown 158.6% within the last three years. Not only is pickleball fun and a great form of cardiovascular exercise, but it also improves agility, mobility, wrist dexterity, and upper body strength. 

Croquet And Bocce

You may not qualify lawn games as sports, but these backyard social activities offer some sneaky health benefits. Tossing a ball, bending over to pick up the ball, or swinging a mallet require shoulder and hip mobility, core strength, and stability. Bending over to pick up the balls can prove problematic for some older people, which is why practicing proper form is essential. Do not round the back; rather, hinge at the hips and bend your knees. Regularly bending down to pick up the balls is a very functional movement that you can incorporate into everyday life.

Golf

Is it a cliche to suggest golf to an older crowd? When you consider the benefits of golf that extend beyond walking, then it isn’t. Golf is 100% outdoors, and moving outside has been associated with both mental and physical health benefits. An actual golf course requires you to walk over various contours of surface, terrain, and you may have to step over things or walk up and down hills. Swinging the club can also improve trunk mobility and upper body strength.

Swimming

As previously mentioned, any exercise that you can do outdoors comes with an added mental health boost. Research indicates that the external stimulus of being outside forces the brain to adapt and overcome; plus, there are environmental challenges to deal with. Swimming is not necessarily an outdoor sport, but it can be if you live in a warm enough place to swim in a lake or ocean. Swimming is also beneficial because the body is weightless in the water, which means that you don’t put unnecessary stress on the joints.

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To save you the time of reading this entire article to find out the answer, no, exercise does not cause erectile dysfunction (ED). In fact, research shows the opposite to be true, stating that lack of exercise contributes to ED. A 2018 review of various studies found that physical inactivity can cause ED. A separate review from six years prior in 2012 found that inactivity is a primary cause for many chronic illnesses. 

One of the reasons that lack of exercise is linked to ED is because of ED”s link to cardiovascular health. If you don’t exercise or live a sedentary lifestyle, you may experience decreased blood flow, which increases the risk of ED. Many studies confirm that regular physical activity improves symptoms in men with ED. A review of multiple studies found that weekly moderate to intense aerobic exercise helped improve ED. 

What Causes ED?

Stress, tiredness, or drinking alcohol are some of the typical causes of occasional or temporary ED. That said, ED can also be a side effect of common medications, such as:

• Sedatives
• Antidepressants
• Ulcer medications
• Blood pressure medications
• Appetite suppressants

If ED persists, it may be caused by one of the following conditions or procedures:

• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Atherosclerosis
• Hormone problems
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Surgery for bladder cancer
• Injury to the penis, prostates, pelvis, or bladder
• Multiple sclerosis 
• Chronic kidney disease

Sports And ED

Although the research shows that exercise is beneficial for ED, some research suggests that certain sports may increase the risk of ED. A review from 2019 found a link between ED and sports with higher rates of head injuries, like American football. Additionally, football, basketball, volleyball, and other similar sports have been linked to an increased risk of varicocele. This is a condition that occurs when the veins in the scrotum become enlarged and produce low sperm/decreased sperm quality as a result. 

Bicycling And ED

A study from 2010 suggested that riding on a bicycle seat for long periods of time can compress nerves in the perineum. That reduces blood flow to the penis, which may increase the risk of ED. A more recent study from 2020 involved 3,000 cyclists. Study authors noted a positive correlation between cycling and ED after adjusting age and other coexisting/underlying conditions. Other research found that certain bicycle characteristics led to an increased risk of ED. People who used mountain bikes, for example, had a higher risk of ED than those who used road bikes. 

Should You Take Precautions For Exercising With ED?

People with ED can benefit from regular exercise, especially if you are physically active for 30 minutes per day. Walking, hiking, running, swimming, strength training, and sports are great forms of exercise. Although cycling is a great cardiovascular workout, make sure to take the following precautions if you decide to cycle:

• Avoid tilting the seat forward
• Select a wide seat with adequate padding
• Check that the seat height is correct, so that your legs don’t extend completely at the bottom of each pedal stroke
• Position the handlebars higher than the seat

Other precautions for exercising with ED:

• Take time to warm up and cool down
• Stay hydrated by drinking the right fluids
• Speak with a doctor about an appropriate exercise routine for you
• Avoid overexertion and ease up when necessary
• Avoid exercising in hot weather

Given the research, there is some evidence that associates an increased risk of ED and certain sports, such as cycling and football. There is currently no evidence, however, that suggests excessive exercise causes ED. Physical inactivity increases the risk of ED, so many health experts encourage daily movement to avoid these issues.

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The dazzling lights, the snowy weather (location dependent), the caroling (if that’s your thing), and family time mean one thing: the holidays are here. Although that isn’t how everyone’s holiday season plays out, a lot of people associate those things with the holidays. On top of the general holiday and end of the year stress, dealing with family members can prove quite challenging, especially if you have a narcissist in the family. 

There is no need to let one sour grape ruin the bunch. How do you shrug off their behavior and handle the narcissist in your family? The following tips should help you deal with the narcissist because you may not be able to avoid their presence this holiday season. Here’s what to know. 

Always Prepare In Advance

Psychotherapists agree that you should have a plan of action before dealing with the narcissist at your family holiday gathering. Take the time to reflect on the types of boundaries you need to establish. Consider asking yourself how much of your time and effort you want to give to this person. What can you do to make sure that this person’s behavior doesn’t interfere with your holiday joy? Figure out what you are willing to tolerate and where you’ll draw the line in the sand. 

Take Some Time For Yourself

Dealing with a narcissist can be frustrating. It’s almost as if they are trying to bother you on purpose, draining your energy with every second you interact with them. Psychologists explain that toxic people do their best to put you down, insult you, and make jokes about something you’re sensitive about. They do this just to get a rise out of you because they thrive when you squirm. Now that you know that, you can have the wherewithal to take a break and resist the temptation to snap back in person. Be mindful of your own boundaries!

Stay True To Your Boundaries

You can have boundaries, but lacking the ability to keep them in place will only cause you pain. Some people may have a misconception about boundaries. “Please don’t ask me about politics,” is not a boundary. Your boundary should really be, “If you ask me about politics, I will not respond.” The difference between those two statements is that one sounds more like a question, while the other is a firm directive. Don’t wait for the other person to change because you have the power to change yourself. You may not need to change the narcissist’s behavior, because you can take action and adjust to the situation. “I will not participate in family gossip,” is another boundary you can set. 

The Gray Rock Method May Help You

If you have a plan in motion and set your boundaries, you may want to experiment with the gray rock method. This is a method that can help you deal with people who have dark personality types. The gray rock method involves you becoming as boring and uninteresting as a gray rock. Employ this method when you have to interact with a narcissist. Respond in a monotone voice and keep your interactions brief. Minimizing conversations and speaking without real engagement can invite fewer interactions from the narcissist. 

Have A Plan If You Need A Break

If everything you do and plan for goes down the drain, make sure to have an escape route. This is the ultimate way to plan! Check in with yourself throughout the night to ensure that your energy has not been zapped. Remove yourself from the party if necessary, even if that means taking a phone call, walking your dog, or going to the bathroom to regroup. Be sure that you recharge by talking to someone you love before you re-enter the situation.

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Self-care is exactly what it sounds like: taking care of yourself. That can mean different things for different people. In general, self-care involves carving out a chunk of time, or even a day, to treat yourself properly. Take baths, pamper yourself, engage in meditation, treat your body right, or do any activity that relieves stress and makes you feel great. Practicing self-care can help improve your physical, mental, and emotional health. 

Why Is Self-Care Important?

Self-care is more than just a buzz term circling health and beauty websites. The average person spends so much time working long hours and caring for others, and they often put themselves last. Putting others first is not a negative trait, but it does mean that you may not invest quality time in yourself. It is more than acceptable, encouraged even, to pay adequate attention to your mental and emotional health. Being mindful of your own needs is the ultimate act of self-love.

We invite you to take part in self-care Sunday, which is one day of the week that you take for yourself. Sunday is usually the day because Monday starts the work week, which can be stressful. You can practice on whichever day is your Sunday, just so long as you take the time to press the reset button and recharge. 

Spend Time In Bed

Don’t rush your Sunday morning wake-up. That said, sleep experts do encourage people to practice regular sleep/wake times to establish a healthy circadian rhythm. If you wake up, you don’t have to leave your bed right away. Open a book and spend a little extra time reading in bed. You can even exit the bed, make yourself breakfast, and enjoy breakfast in bed. 

Go For A Morning Walk

This may not be at the top of your self-care to-do list, but taking a quick morning walk is a great way to start the day. You get bonus points if you soak up some morning sunshine as that helps energize the mind and body. Walking is a great way to burn a few extra calories and can help you clear your mind. Take your relaxation up a notch by walking in nature, as that has been proven to improve mood, focus, and creativity.’

Spa Day At Home

Take your self-care Sunday to the next level with an at-home luxury spa day experience. Pamper yourself and let your stress melt away in a warm bath, to which you add relaxing essential oils. Consider putting on light music and dimming the lights. You can also apply a face mask, enjoy some light snacks, and even a glass of wine. Most importantly, mute your phone, relax, and enjoy your day off. You may even find some great at-home spa kits online!

Journal It Out

Journaling is a powerful self-care tool. It helps you clear your mind and release any tension, anger, or frustration within. Journaling also helps you observe your feelings, checking in with your negative emotions and bad experiences. After letting it out on the page, make sure to follow it up with some notes of gratitude, as that helps infuse your mind with joy and happiness. 

Meal Prep

Doesn’t meal prepping take up quite a bit of your time and energy? Although that is one way to look at it, another way to look at meal prepping is that you are caring for your future self. It is very easy to spend hours on social media or binge-watching a show. Make more use of your time by being productive. Stay away from things that drain your energy or harm your mood/self-confidence. Choose a couple meals to prepare so that you have less work to do when it comes time to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner during the week. 

Meditate

For beginners, meditation can be very challenging, but that’s perfectly acceptable. Meditation is a useful tool to benefit your emotional and mental health. It works to alleviate stress, reduce anxiety, and get rid of negative self-talk. If you find that traditional silent meditation is very difficult, consider experimenting with guided meditation. This can also be a useful practice to do before bed, as it can help relax the mind and improve sleep. 

Social Media Detox

Social media can be very time-consuming and you can spend hours scrolling without any real purpose. Just think: do you need to spend 45 minutes sitting on the toilet? Social media sucks you in and most platforms can be quite toxic. On your self-care day, stay away from anything that can drain your energy or harm your mood. You might find that leaving social media alone for one day a week gives you a better outlook on life.

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Overeating is a problem in America, and the holidays, especially Thanksgiving weekend, only amplify that. The reality is that there are so many articles offering tips about how to stay relatively healthy over the holiday weekend. More often than not, people abandon their diets and decide that it’s perfectly acceptable to go off the rails. That’s why Americans eat an average of 4,500 calories during a typical Thanksgiving meal. 

It’s not feasible to think that you will eat perfectly on Thanksgiving. The temptation is too high, people! Of course, everyone should enjoy the day, but just remember that what you do or what you eat on Thanksgiving determines how quickly you recover the day after. If you find yourself in loose sweats and sunken into the couch the day after Thanksgiving, then you need the tips in this article. Below, we cover how to recover faster from your Thanksgiving binge. 

Don’t Make It A Multi-Day Food Fest

A classic Thanksgiving weekend move is to just keep eating leftovers until they are gone. That means that you eat pies, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and more for lunch and dinner. Although you should allow yourself to indulge in some of the treats, having more than that is when things go south. Break the mold and try to hand out leftovers to your Thanksgiving attendees, so that you don’t end up eating yourself into a carb-induced coma. The more salt and carbs you eat, the more you weigh yourself down and slow your recovery from the big feast. 

Try Yoga

A small study examined the effectiveness of yoga as a treatment for binge eating disorder and found that it helped improve recovery and reduce binge eating. Yoga also has a positive effect on your mood, which may help prevent emotional eating. That can help you stay motivated to avoid the food the next day. Yoga reduces cortisol levels in the body, which may help reduce anxiety and depression. That ultimately influences the uptake of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that people refer to as the feel good hormone. Finally, certain yoga poses can improve digestive health, helping your body handle the heavy load from Thanksgiving. 

Fill Up On Vegetables

This is a Thanksgiving public service announcement: avoid the leftovers the day after the big feast. Dietitians encourage people to load up on vegetables post-binge because that strategy can help prevent overeating the following day. Plus, vegetables contain high amounts of fiber, which moves slowly through the digestive tract, promoting feelings of fullness. Several studies found that people who ate more vegetables lost more weight and felt less hungry compared to controlled groups. Increasing your fiber intake can help regulate body weight by influencing you to eat less food. 

Don’t Skip Meals

It may seem counterintuitive to most people, but you should plan your meals the next day after a big binge eating session. One study observed 14 healthy women who ate three meals per day instead of two. The findings indicated that eating three meals per day helped the women sustain fullness over the course of a day, and it even increased fat burning. Another small study compared the effects of eating one meal per day or spreading the same number of calories out over three meals. Eating one meal per day increased the production of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and it had other adverse effects on overall health. Adhering to a regular eating pattern after binge eating can help you prevent weight gain and get you back on track. 

Don’t Let The Food Court Trap You On Black Friday

On the biggest shopping day of the year, stores entice people with deals and mall food courts trap people. Don’t be a shopping rookie! Take some fresh fruit or vegetables to fuel you during your big shopping day. Apples, pears, clementines, celery sticks, baby carrots, and sliced watermelons are great snacks that satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you actively chewing to promote feelings of fullness. 

Go For A Walk

Besides starting your morning with a light breakfast, going for a walk the day after you overate can make your body feel better. Several studies found that walking can accelerate stomach emptying, which may relieve uncomfortable feelings of fullness or bloating. A small study observed obese women who walked 50-70 minutes three times per week for 12 weeks. The results indicated that they lost 1.5% of their body fat, a lot of which was belly fat. When you engage in physical activity, you stimulate the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine, both of which protect against depression and anxiety. By improving your mood, exercise can reduce feelings of stress, helping prevent future episodes of binge eating.

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The big day of feasting will be here before you know it. You can go into Thanksgiving guns blazing, or you can take a more prepared, methodical approach. Although the former is more common, the latter may help you feel less bloated and better about yourself. Should you find yourself slipping into a food coma after gorging 3,000+ calories, you will need the tips in this article to get you back on track.

When you finally peel yourself out of bed after a reckless night of feasting, there are a few ways you can tackle the day. The first option is to lounge about and continue to pick at leftovers. The second option is to rise before dawn and race to take advantage of in-store Black Friday deals. Now, the third option is truly what this article is all about: getting yourself out of bed, donning your athletic clothes, and readying yourself for a workout. Continue reading for a step-by-step guide to working out the morning after Thanksgiving.

Start Slow

Whether you are a routine gym rat or someone who walks on occasion, there is no need to go hard straight out of the gate. That is especially true after you put your body through a night of excessive caloric intake. You won’t have a lot of energy and the body will have spent most of the night digesting all of that food and drink. Ease into your workout, starting with a gentle walk around the block a few times. There is no need to hit the neighborhood block in a full sprint. Once you engage in some mild cardio, you can decide how you proceed from there. 

Get In Your LISS

Low-impact steady state (LISS) aerobics can help warm up your body and elevate your heart right. When you get your blood pumping, you get your digestive system rolling. Consider pedaling on an exercise bike, or head out on a bike ride around the neighborhood. Jogging or running will cause your stomach to bounce, which isn’t something you want after a night of heavy eating. Begin your LISS at a leisurely pace for about five minutes. You’ll start to feel better at that point, and then you can increase your speed and resistance. Ideally, your aerobic workout should last 15-20 minutes. 

Time To Train

Once you finish your 15 minutes of aerobics, get ready to hit the weights for some strength training. You probably won’t have the energy for high-intensity interval training (HIIT), or even a full-body workout that leaves your muscles tired. Ideally, you want a moderate-intensity circuit that helps to target all your major muscle groups, while also working the cardiovascular system. Try the following circuit in the order as the exercises are listed. Complete the following three groups twice and your body will feel way better than it did after the big meal. 

First group:

• Bench press 3 sets of 10 reps (3×10)
• Standing rows 3×10
• Bodyweight lunges 3×10 per leg

Second group:

• Military press 3×10
• Barbell bicep curls 3×10
• Bodyweight squats 3×10

Third group:

• Tricep extensions 3×10
• Cable lat pull-downs 3×10
• Leg press 3×10

Time To Digest

Your tummy may or may not feel iffy the morning after Thanksgiving. That is why you must hydrate with water from the moment you wake up. Try your best to avoid dehydrating beverages, such as alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and soda. Replenishing the body with water will help you detox all of that alcohol, turkey, pie, and stuffing from the night before. Consider a green smoothie for breakfast, or some chia pudding or oatmeal. In addition to water, your digestive tract is begging for fresh ingredients and fiber!

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Hard calluses on your feet can be quite uncomfortable. If they bother you, what can you do to get rid of them? These thick layers of skin form because the skin aims to protect itself from friction or pressure. Calluses typically look like raised, hard bumps of skin that are flaky, dry, or even waxy. 

If you play instruments, you can easily develop calluses on your fingertips. You can develop calluses on your hands if you do a lot of manual labor or if you lift weights. Calluses on your feet, especially your heels, result from wearing tight shoes, avoiding socks, or walking barefoot. The hardened skin actually protects that area from further damage, friction, or pressure, according to foot and ankle surgeons. 

You may go your entire life without experiencing a painful callus. In fact, you should ignore them if they don’t bother you. If they start to hurt, or you simply don’t like how they make your feet look, the following tips can help you remove them. 

File Away With A Pumice Stone

The rough, abrasive texture of a pumice stone can help shave away hardened skin. Most people agree that it is the most effective at-home callus remover. There are electric callus removers that essentially shave off dead skin, but a pumice stone is incredibly effective. Continue reading for a guide on how to use a pumice stone:

• Soak the affected area in warm water for about 10 minutes to help soften the skin. This step will make the callus removal process much easier. 
• Using gentle, circular or sideways motions, rub the pumice stone on the callus until you remove the dead skin. Stop as soon as you reach a layer of skin that is soft and healthy. If you continue to file, you may end up irritating healthy skin.
• After filing away your callus, make sure to rinse and dry the area before applying a gentle moisturizer. This step will help keep your skin soft and supple. 

Use An Over-the-Counter Moisturizer Or Callus Dissolver

If you prefer a gentler approach to filing with a pumice stone, use daily moisturizers to help soften callused skin. This may take a lot longer, but applying a daily moisturizer with smoothing ingredients like salicylic acid, ammonium lactate, or urea can help remove a callus over time. Urea creams can be great because they usually contain exfoliating ingredients, in addition to other moisturizing ingredients that soften irritated skin. 

Should You See A Podiatrist?

A podiatrist, foot doctor, can use a scalpel or surgical blade to trim away the callus if you have difficulty removing the skin at home. This usually is not necessary, but this will depend on the severity and thickness of your callus. Have a podiatrist tend to your calluses if you have diabetes or another condition that causes poor blood flow. A minor cut can become infected very quickly! A doctor can remove the callus without damaging healthy skin, which ultimately helps you avoid other complications. If you notice that your callus is red, inflamed, or pus-filled, see a podiatrist immediately because your callus may be infected. 

If you want to prevent calluses on your feet, there are things you can do once you remove your callus. You can wear a protective covering if you have a spot on your foot that is prone to friction. Felt pads, non-medicated corn pads, or even bandages can protect the area. Keep your toenails trimmed because long nails can push your toes up against your shoe, creating a potential callus over time. Lastly, wear comfortable shoes with socks, and consider getting shoes with a wide toe box so you can comfortably wiggle your toes. You may need custom orthotics from your podiatrist if shoes are an issue in general.

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What do people focus on when they hit the gym? Legs, back, chest, arms, shoulders, and cardio, which is often an afterthought. What shouldn’t feel like a chore or an afterthought is working on your core strength. Maintaining a strong core is essential for most of the movements you do with your body. Without a strong core, you become more prone to falls, back pain, and your range of motion decreases. And you have to work on all of your major back muscles, pelvic floor, glutes, and abs to strengthen your entire core. 

Your core accounts for a lot of muscles that you may not consider to be core muscles. The abdominal, hips, back, butt, and legs are all core muscle groups. Working all of these muscles will help strengthen your entire core. Your core can help stabilize your pelvis and spine, so a weak core makes you more prone to back injuries, general back pain, and pelvis misalignment issues. If you have difficulty doing core stability moves, including planks, glute bridges, or dead bugs, then you know your core is weak. Check out the following beginner-friendly exercises to strengthen your core muscles. 

Stir The Pot

This is a dynamic variation of the plank and it works more core muscles in a shorter amount of time. It activates the same core muscles as a plank, only it incorporates movement, so you pass the workload to various core muscle groups. You will need an exercise ball for this exercise. Begin in an elbow plank by placing your forearms on the ball and feet extended behind you. Keep your core strong and don’t let your hips sag. Use your arms to roll the ball in small, controlled circles. Do five clockwise and five counterclockwise to complete one set, rest, and then complete two more sets to fulfill three. 

Clamshell

The clamshell aims to strengthen your hip muscles and pelvic floor by engaging the inner and outer thighs. This is a great move for runners because a lot of ankle and knee alignment comes from a stabilized pelvis and hips. Lie on your left side, stacking your right leg on top of your left. Bend your knees so that they are at a 45-degree angle and keep your feet in line with your hips. Rest your head on your left hand, which you prop up by resting your left elbow on the ground. Engage your lower abdomen by drawing your belly button in toward your spine. Raise your right knee as high as you can, but don’t shift your hips or pelvis and keep your left leg on the ground. Hold for one second and then return to the starting position. Complete a total of 10 reps and then switch sides. Complete a total of three sets of 10 reps per leg. 

Dead Bug Crunch

This is a slow-paced core exercise that calls for your constant engagement throughout. It activates both the transverse abdominis and builds spinal stability. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle stacked right over your hips. Make sure your shins are parallel to the floor and extend your arms toward the ceiling. Reach your right arm next to your ear, hovering it above the floor, as you extend your left leg out and down toward the floor, stopping about six inches above the ground. Engage your lower abdomen and glue your lower back to the floor. Return to the starting position and then alternate. Continue alternating for 30 seconds, rest for a minute, and then complete two more sets.

Bear Hold

Think of this like a traditional plank pose, only the pressure is much less on your lower back. A lot of HIIT and barre class instructors incorporate this into their workouts because it activates stabilizers that support the lower back. Begin in a tabletop position on your hands and knees, stacking your shoulders over your wrists and hips over your knees. Keep your spine neutral and core engaged as you lift yourself off the ground in a controlled manner. Only your hands and toes should be on the ground. Engage your abdomen, chest, and glutes, holding the pose for 15-30 seconds. Try to work your way up to a minute as you get stronger. 

V-Ups

The V-up is a simple movement, but challenging to pull off. It works your entire rectus abdominis, the core muscles that go from your pubic bone to your sternum. Lie flat on your back with your arms and legs extended and resting on the floor. In a fluid motion, reach your arms up and bring your toes to meet your hands in a “V” shape. Return to the starting position and immediately repeat, continuing until you complete 10-12 reps. Complete a total of three sets. 

The Farmer’s Carry

A lot of people only focus on planks to increase core strength, but the core is so much more than your abdominal muscles. Some of the best core exercises are often the simplest, which is the case for the farmer’s carry. You will need two kettlebells, dumbbells, or weights for this exercise. Begin in a standing position with your feet hip-distance apart and the weights on either side of you. Keep your back straight as you squat down to pick up the weights and then stand back up, engaging your glutes and hamstrings to do so. Make sure that you feel balanced and that the weights are not too heavy. Hold the weights by your sides (about a few inches from your legs) and start walking. As you walk, maintain a neutral spine and drop your shoulders to lift your chest. Try to walk for 20 steps and then turn around to walk back. Repeat for a set number of steps or time limit and then stop to rest before repeating a couple more times.

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Everyone has their own bedtime routine. Some people pamper themselves by lathering on the skin care products, while others prefer to read in bed for 30 minutes. Maybe you draw a warm bath, light some candles, and enjoy a cup of herbal tea to help relax the mind and body. What you may not know is that your bedtime routine can affect your thyroid gland. 

That little butterfly-shaped endocrine gland in your neck is vital to your overall health. It works to control your metabolism and aids other bodily functions like digestion, breathing, brain development, and fertility. You thrive when your thyroid does! That said, certain habits can either benefit or inhibit optimal thyroid function. The following nightly practices can help your thyroid function at its best. 

Skip Soda

Soda is tempting because of its fizzy deliciousness, but soda and other sugary-sweetened beverages contribute to inflammation. Harvard Health Publishing explains that added sugars trigger inflammation, and chronic inflammation affects the thyroid. Additionally, sipping on these types of sugary beverages can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other metabolic conditions. Added sugar should only contribute to 10% of your daily total calories. The problem is that sodas and other sugary beverages make up the majority of added sugar consumption in the American diet. Give your thyroid some love and skip the nighttime soda (and anytime, really). Stick to water and herbal teas. 

Go For A Walk

A post-supper stroll is a simple yet effective strategy that can both benefit your thyroid and your digestive system. Moderate exercise, such as a 20-minute walk, helps all your systems and organs function their best. Not only does walking reduce your risk of certain chronic illnesses, but it also strengthens your bones and muscles, helping you maintain a healthy weight. Walking is a great way to reduce stress hormones, including adrenaline and cortisol, and it helps to boost endorphin production. Managing stress is essential if you want to keep your thyroid healthy.

Make Meditation A Habit

As previously stated, reducing stress can benefit your thyroid. Researchers note that a nightly meditation routine, especially mindful meditation, is a great approach to reduce the body’s response to stress. Focus on the present moment and engage in breath work to improve both anxiety and depression. You don’t have to become a full-blown monk, but taking a few minutes to meditate every night can help you clear your mind and wind down before bed. Meditation may also contribute to better quality sleep. 

Eat Plenty Of Vegetables With Dinner

The general recommendation from dietitians is to fill at least half your plate with vegetables. Eating more vegetables means that you’ll consume more antioxidants, which work to fight free radicals and inflammation in the body. Chronic inflammation can potentially affect your thyroid over time, contributing to illnesses like heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and more. Research shows that there is a direct connection between eating more anti-inflammatory foods and better thyroid health. For reference, the average adult should consume at least two to three cups of vegetables per day, but a couple more cups won’t hurt you!

Prioritize Sleep

It’s safe to say that sleep qualifies as a nightly habit, but a lot of people experience sleep difficulties. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t function at your best. A July-September 2021 study found that people with sleep problems experienced an increase in certain hormones on thyroid function tests. This concluded that poor sleep quality may affect thyroid hormones. Researchers believe that the connection between sleep and thyroid health has something to do with stress. To experience better thyroid health, try to sleep between seven and eight hours every night.

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