Yoga Helps Running??

Have you ever heard that yoga can actually improve your running?  Well now you have!
Running and yoga may seem like they are on very opposite ends of the exercise spectrum, but they can work hand-in-hang.  Running is a high intensity cardiovascular activity, and yoga is more low intensity.  Yoga stretches all your muscles out and running seems to tighten them.  But for those very reasons, they are great as a combination.  Just like any relationship, it is good to have balance.  Your workouts should be the same, you always want to have balance and mix it up!

Not only is yoga great for stretching out those tight muscles, it has been shown to improve running injuries, improve strength and balance, increase flexibility, even improves mental focus.  These are things that every runner could use!  Your running, and your body, will both be grateful.
You also have a range of workouts with yoga.  You can do anything from gentle yoga to power yoga, depending on the type of workout you are seeking.  There are even specific yoga classes dedicated to runners and focus on moves that will most help runners.
Here is an article that gives some great yoga poses for runners.  Try them out and see how you feel!
Have you ever done yoga to improve your running?  Do you regularly do yoga and running?

Are You Drinking All Your Calories?

When sticking to a low-calorie diet, those calories are precious!  It is common to focus so much on the calories you are eating, that you completely forget the calories you might be drinking.
According to the American Heart Association, your diet should contain no more than 450 calories from sugary drinks per week.  However, American adults consume on average 385 calories per day!  Ouch!
Soda is well-known for adding high amounts of calories to your diet, but have you considered other drinks?  Juices and lemonades are often even higher in sugar than soda is!  8 oz of grape juice contains 152 calories while orange soda contains 127 calories for an 8 oz serving.  Lemonades may also seem like a “healthier” option to soda, but pink lemonade still has 106 calories per 8 oz serving.  Water is definitely the best option for a beverage, but if you must have something flavored, be sure to tread lightly!
What do you drink instead of these high-calorie offenders?

Inspiration

Gladys Burrill may or may not be a familiar name, but she is certainly an inspiration.  She currently holds the world record for the oldest woman to complete a marathon – at 93 years of age!  If that isn’t inspiring, I don’t know what is.  Perhaps even more inspiring, is the fact that she completed her first marathon at the age of 86.  She is living proof that it is never too late in life to try something new.  She sounds like a marvelous woman who has lived a fulfilled life.  She has said many wonderful things about staying positive, but my favorite quote I’ve read from her is this:
“When you cease to dream, you cease to live.”
So keep dreaming ladies, and never be afraid to accomplish something new or different, you can do it!

Blueberries

Ready to keep your brain smart and young? Here's how to slip more blueberries into your diet:

• Toss blueberries into a smoothie. Protect your memory and cognition by sipping a smoothie made with frozen blueberries, yogurt, or low-fat milk. Add half a banana and some flaxseeds to increase memory even more.

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