health&fitnessfactorfiction.com

A weekly newsletter with health tips and a featured yoga pose

1. Drink more water. The classic wellness tip, but made all the more topical by the insane drought we’re going through at the moment. You always hear about drinking x litres, or glasses of water a day, but the secret is to constantly take small sips, instead of getting to the evening and realising you haven’t drunk enough, then chugging two litres! Large quantities at once will only result in heaps of visits to the toilet. Small sips will keep you hydrated all day, and especially if you’re in an airconditioned office, stop you from feeling too sapped of energy.

2. Have a substantial snack in the afternoon. Have you noticed how it’s always around 3.30pm when you feel like reaching for a packet of chocolate biscuits and eating the entire thing? When your blood sugar levels are low, your body craves quick fix sugar hits, which always make you feel temporarily better, but then make you crash soon after. If you have something about an hour and a half to two hours after lunch, this will keep your blood sugar levels nice and constant, and keep you away from the biscuit jar. Some good ideas to get started with:

Hoummus and ryvita (or any kind of wholegrain cracker)
Low fat yoghurt and some almonds or walnuts. Try to find a yoghurt that isn’t full of hideous chemicals to make it taste nice once the fat is all gone.
Toast with tomato, ricotta and avocado
Your favorite dip with a selection of salad veggies for dipping
Half a salad sandwich made with rye bread - you can add some turkey or ham if you like.

3. Breathe: I know, you hear this all the time, just like the “drink more water” tip. But next time you’re sitting at your computer and yawning, take a few moments to really breathe. Don’t force it, because you’ll instantly be tense. Close your eyes, and try to breathe slowly and deeply, inhaling for a count of four, and exhaling for a count of six. If that’s too long, just go with what feels right. Disturbingly, this is something we all need to practice. But the better you get at it, the less stress you’ll feel.

4. Roll your shoulders: most people I’ve written programs for work at computers, which usually means they have bad posture. Nearly everyone is stressed, and stress almost always means your shoulders are elevated. It’s not something you notice, until you find a way to make them go down, and then you realise how relaxed you feel. So try this (and if you do this, and breathe and drink water, you’ll feel great!): lift your shoulders right up to your ears, and circle them backwards, being conscious to really push them down as well as lift them up. Do it six times in one direction, then switch around and circle them in the other direction. You might hear some little noises as the joint moves in a way it’s not used to. You should feel your shoulderblades drop down your back. When you’ve finished, see if you can feel a difference. Next time you feel stressed, do this again.

5. This week’s yoga pose: 4-Part Supine Twisting Vine

One of my all time favorite poses. Fantastic for helping you relax when you’re stressed, and a gentle spine twist to help alleviate digestive problems. Depending how tight your upper back is, you may find you feel a stretch through the thoracic (back of the ribs) area as well.

A: Lie on the ground with your arms out at shoulder height. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor, slightly wider than hip width apart. If you’re using a yoga mat, your feet should be almost on the edges of the mat.

B: Let your legs drape over to the right hand side. Don’t try to force them to the ground if they don’t go all the way there - it should just feel completely relaxing. Try to keep both shoulders on the ground. Stay here for five to ten breaths.

C: Keep your bottom leg where it is (this should be your right leg), and move your top leg so your foot is close to, or on top of your bottom knee. You can use your right hand to pull your left knee over a little more if it’s comfortable. Again, don’t force the movement. Breathe - five to ten breaths.

D: Slowly straighten your top leg, letting your foot come to rest on the floor if you can. Still trying to keep your shoulders on the ground, take five to ten breaths in this position, then slowly bring your knees back together, your feet back to the floor, repositioning them if you need to. Repeat A-D on the other side.

Please note: you should avoid this pose if you have a back injury or pain, hip replacement, or neck injury or pain. Please check with a doctor before commencing any form of exercise program, especially if you are pregnant, or have had an injury. No responsibility will be taken for injury resulting from these exercises.