That's Fit

Getting a pedicure is one of the best ways to relax after a hard day, but hitting the salon every time you feel stressed can get expensive. But no worries!

Creating a relaxing mood at the dinner table is half the battle when it comes to relieving tension and connecting to each other as a family, but it's often easier said than done. The key to setting any kind of mood is details details details! Here are 4 tips for getting a mellow mood off and running, or rather, relaxing at your next meal:

• Minimize background noise Namely the TV as it 's distracting and can even help spark disagreements.
• Set the mood Depending on your family the options are endless -- try setting up nice matching plates and a pretty centerpiece, light candles, have dinner out on the porch or deck, or even plan a picnic-style meal on the floor on pillows and blankets. Whatever will get everyone the most comfortable and relaxed.
• Get in the right mindset Take a moment before the start of the meal (and encourage everyone else to do the same) to clear your mind of the day's clutter and focus on the positives in the food and family around the table.
• Make cleanup a family affair Everybody should chip in when it comes to cleaning up, even little kids can help bring their dishes into the kitchen when the meal is over.

Walking a labyrinth regularly is good for your health, but probably not for the reasons you think. Most people think labyrinths are a kind of maze that takes thinking and memory to solve, but many labyrinths are just a path that follows a single direction, usually taking the form of concentric circles or a looping pattern. The difference between a maze and many labyrinths is that a labyrinth doesn't have choices, there's only one path in and the same path gets you back out. No dead ends, no tricks, no confusion.

So why is walking one good for you? Because, according to an article in the recent issue of Natural Health, it can be a kind of "moving meditation" that can help you relax, bring you peace, and help relieve stress. There's no trick to doing it right -- just walk in and walk out, at your own pace and in your own way. Wanna try it? Check if there's a labyrinth in your area with The Worldwide Labyrinth Locator.

Time. Our greatest resource. I'll debate it with anyone. And I'll win.

Lack of it is responsible for most of what stresses us out. And taking it back is what makes us feel better. The idea of taking a few minutes to relax at the end of the day is possibly the most commonly given advice for recovering from a stressful day. Such a simple solution and so satisfying. But how often do you actually do it? Seems I witness more time spent complaining about now having time than taking time to shut up and relax.

And it makes a world of difference. However, those few minutes would not be quite as decadent for me if not for adding a glass of wine to the equation. Also pretty common, I know. Again, when's the last time? And it's not such a bad idea. In moderation, wine can actually be a good thing. It can even have an antioxidant effect. For some adding chocolate makes for the ultimate de-stress recipe.

So stop fretting that you don't have time or can't afford the calories and sit down with a bite or sip of something nice. For five minutes. OK, two. Whatever. The point is this: ridding ourselves of a day's stress isn't about large quantities of time, wine, chocolate or anything else. It's about coming up with your perfect recipe, whatever that may be. Just so long as it's small and simple.

The other day, after a particularly stressful morning, I got into my car and suddenly took stock of myself. My heart was racing, I was breathing quickly, and my head was pounding. "That's it," I thought to myself, "You need to take five minutes and get yourself together. This isn't healthy."

Stress can be hard to avoid sometimes, but chronic stress can affect not only your mental and emotional health, but your physical health as well. CNN (via Parenting.com) has 13 ways to destress in five minutes or less. These are great little activities that you can do during a stolen moment to try to recenter yourself and remember what's important. My favorites include:

• Jump rope -- it releases those endorphins that make you feel so good.
• Say your ABCs backward to take your mind of what's stressing you out.
• Play some music; studies say it's a proven mood-booster.
• Get some sunlight to give yourself a serotonin boost.

Stress in unavoidable, but with these tips and the others you can turn your mood around before that stress pulls you under.

Call me square. Call me granola. I'm up for any method of reducing stress that doesn't involve prescription or illegal substances.

So I really like these holistic ideas for brightening your outlook and lightening the mental load. The authors emphasize taking things slow when it comes to stress reduction. No quick fix or single solution is key. I especially appreciate the idea of doing things that are easy and free. There are such things. Incorporating the following 10 simple tips into daily life, many of which I do myself, can make a big difference:

• Add something beautiful to your life on a daily basis (e.g., flowers).
• Do some enjoyable activities whenever possible.
• Walk, work, and eat at a relaxed pace.
• Take a short break after meals to relax.
• If possible, go outside at least once per day and notice the simple things such as the weather, scenery, etc.
• During the day, whenever you remember, notice the tension in your body (jaw, neck, diaphragm, shoulders, etc.). Breath deeply and gently stretch and relax any tense areas.
• If you notice your mind racing or worrying about the past or future, take a minute to breath deeply and gently focus on something in the moment such as your breath, scenery, birds.
• Take breaks during the workday to relax.
• Wear comfortable and loose clothing when possible. Take off your shoes when you can.
• Avoid holding in feelings day after day, but instead, find a safe place to feel, express and embrace them.

Good luck!

Source: www.holisticmed.com

Swimsuit season is fast approaching! It's just around the corner so now is the time to uncover that beautiful beach body you've been keeping under wraps all winter. Is yours hidden beneath an extra layer of winter flab? Have a great exercise plan in mind but having a hard time getting motivated because of stress, pain, anxiety or even depression? Relaxation is one of your body's best healing mechanisms, but it's not always easy to do. Natural techniques like breathing exercises, muscle relaxation, and guided imagery can help, plus you don't need any special equipment or training to reap the benefits.

A new survey of sex therapists concluded that the optimal amount of time for sexual intercourse is 3 to 13 minutes. The median time for sex, from start to finish: 7.3 minutes. Now this figure does not count foreplay so as you consider your schedule, add time accordingly.

Researcher Eric Corty said he hopes these findings ease the minds of those who believe that more is better. Some might think if you really want to satisfy your partner, you should last forever. That's simply not true, he says. In this case, endurance is not critical for optimal performance.

"Most people's sex lives are not as exciting as other people think they are," says another researcher.

"People who read this will say, 'I last five minutes or my partner lasts 8 minutes,' and say, 'That's OK,'" Cordy says. "They will relax a little bit."

Does this news, to be published in the May issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine help you relax?

An important part of being successful in your working life is to take advantage of vacation time benefits to refresh and revive your mind, body, and spirit. But obviously getting sick on vacation and spending the majority of the time not relaxing but recovering and suffering instead does nothing for you but waste your money and your time and send you back to work feeling more exhausted than when you left.

Taking some simple steps towards staying healthy can be the difference between coming back from vacation feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to hit the ground running or coming back tired, drained, and barely able to get motivated. Whether you're going on a cruise through the Caribbean or on a drive across the country Forbes has compiled some tips to help you stay healthy and make the most of your time away from your desk, your career, and all the other stresses of your everyday life.

Being that it's Valentine's Day, it seems most apropos to talk about the state of our hearts. Remaining the number one killer of Americans, preventing ourselves against heart disease is actually becoming more and more difficult. That's because our concerns are not limited to diet and exercise these days; today's supercharged lifestyles are replete with a number of additional stressors. From BlackBerries to iPhones, sky-high mortgage payments to daily foreclosures, all this work and worry is doing a number on our hearts.

An interesting WebMD article takes a closer look at the effect modern life is having on our tickers. Mimi Guarneri, M.D., the founder and medical director of the Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine in La Jolla, Calif., and the author of The Heart Speaks: A Cardiologist Reveals the Secret Language of Healing, explains how these lifestyle factors are a risk and what we can do to help keep us around long enough to enjoy Valentine's Day for many years to come.

The takeaway from the article, more or less, is that we need to relax. We need to stop making instant, rushed decisions that cause the release of adrenaline and cortisol. We need to not work around the clock, seven days a week. And, we need to take steps to reduce our stress levels, which includes turning off our BlackBerries and taking a nice, long walk once and a while.

Despite a few slothful years I enjoyed as a teenager, I've never been the type of person you could describe as 'lazy.' Not that I'm a workoholic either, but I get bored easily. I can only watch TV or play video games for a couple of hours at a time, and though I could spend an entire day reading, I rarely find books that grab my attention enough to warrant me sitting on my butt for 12 hours. No, I'd much rather enjoy life than put it off. I need fresh air and a certain amount of movement to be content. I'm happiest when I'm doing something good for myself or getting something accomplished.

But according to the author of The Joy of Laziness: How to slow down and live longer, Dr. Peter Axt, the key to a long, healthy life isn't exercise -- it's laziness. Apparently, putting your feet up and relaxing is much better for you than working out. It all comes down to what he calls your life energy, which is finite. When life is hectic and fast-paced and physically demanding, you use up more life energy, which shortens your lifespan. But when you slow down, you conserve your life energy. Hmm. If this is true, I'm probably going to die young.

I'm all for the idea of slowing down your life and taking more time to relax, but I'm not sure if cutting out exercise is the answer. For me, exercise is relaxing, and it gives me much more energy than lounging does. What do you think?

(via Crabby McSlacker)

It's December 27th. The presents are unwrapped, the feast has been eaten, the dishes are done--heck, even the boxing day shopping is done. It's been a stressful season and finally, it's over. But today are you tackling some big task around the house, catching up on work or even heading into the office? Don't. You need a day off.

Never under-estimate the impact that stress can have on your physical and mental well-being. The holidays are particularly stressful, so for your own sake, and the sake of your family, take some time off to unwind. If not today, then tomorrow or the next day, but make sure you're taking some time off for you.

Are you somebody who looks forward to the holiday season, or dreads it? I think we all battle with the stresses of balancing family, friends, working, shopping, eating right, exercising, and (deep breath) traveling while also trying to keep some sense of sanity in our lives. And it is not easy. But paying attention to key things like what you're eating, how much physical exercise you're getting, and how well you're watching for warning signs that you're getting too run down is key. Try these ways to deal with your holiday stress and let us know in the comments if you have any other tricks that work for you!

Ugh, holiday weight gain. Yes, it's mostly the treats and meals and festive decadence, but there's no doubt it also has something to do with the stressful and hectic nature of the season. It's just so hard to find time for working out and eating right when your regular routine is completely in shambles. There's shopping trips, cooking, traveling, and visiting with family that all make it near impossible to keep a healthy handle on things, and then throw in holiday parties and obscure relatives and friends coming out of the woodwork and you might as well kiss your healthy efforts goodbye -- and say hello to those extra holiday pounds.

Unless you can learn to just say 'no' nicely and manage your schedule a little better.

If you're having trouble staying on track with your workout it might have something to do with your stress level. It's hard to make time for working out if you're already feeling rushed with a mile-long 'to do" list, but if you can just get yourself started exercise can be a great outlet and a wonderful way to relax. But not all forms of exercise are created equal in this department -- some are much more relaxing than others.

The best workouts for relieving stress:

• Yoga and Pilates. The stretching and controlled breathing help to relax you and to relieve anxiety. It's important to make sure you're doing the moves correctly though, so if you're a beginner it would probably be a good idea to enroll in a class.
  
• The Batting Cage. This one sounds like FUN. Improve coordination and release stress by smacking some balls with everything you've got. It's surprisingly inexpensive and they can be found in most areas if you know where to look (usually private gyms or family-oriented amusement parks).