Month: May 2016

10 Ways To Spend Your Tax Refund on Health and Fitness

May 8, 2016

Here are 10 gift suggestions, on how to invest your tax refund, into health and fitness, for yourself, a family member, or a friend.

  1. PORTABLE JUICER:  Buy a juicer and start drinking fresh juice instead of store bought juice, or soda pop.  Click on the link to read more about this fruit juicer, and smoothie maker. This one is priced around $23.00 on Amazon.
  2. RICE COOKER: Buy a rice cooker to prepare brown rice, instead of that white yucky rice that gets stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Click on the link to read about an Oster brand for around $20.00 at Amazon.
  3. VEGETABLE STEAMER: This link will take you to Amazon where you can read about simple, inexpensive stainless steel steamers, and more complex digital models.  Cooking vegetables in a steamer retains the vitamins, minerals, taste, color, and texture of food.
  4. OLIVE OIL MISTER-SPRAYER: Fill the mister with oil and herbs and mist your food instead of dumping excess oil over your meals.  This device allows you to control your portion, and helps to cut back on calories.  This mister sells for around $20.00 on Amazon.
  5. QUICK VEGETABLE SPIRAL SLICER: Instantly turns zucchini into spaghetti.  Cut back on grains, and add more veggies to your diet with this easy-to-use, hand-held, kitchen gadget..
  6. EXERCISE MAT: Treat yourself to a thick exercise mat instead of that old worn out excuse-for-a-mat that you’ve had for longer than you remember.  MatsMatsMats.com sells a wide selection of exercise mats.
  7. SUBSCRIPTIONS: There’s a magazine for every type of  recreational activity.  Magazines educate, inform, and keep you up-to-date on your sport.  If you’re planning an adventure recreational adventure magazines will help you plan your trip. Here are ideas: Cycling, Backpacking, Downhill or Cross Country Skiing, Yoga, Pilates, Bowling, Running, Kayaking, Climbing, Canoeing. Search either of these websites for fitness and health magazine subscriptions: Magazine.com , Amazon.com.
  8. TRAVEL YOGA MAT: Travel mats fit into packs, bags and suitcases.  Get yourself a light weight, foldable Yoga mat at MatsMatsMats.com
  9. TRX HOME GYM: Get an anywhere workout with this device. Adaptable to out or indoor envirnments.  Take it to the beach, park, hotel, or your home.  Sets up fast.  Order it from TRXTraining.com.
  10. HIKING BACKPACK: Visit L.L. Bean if you’re looking for a backpack.  They’ve been around since 1912, and specialize in outdoor fitness gear, and clothing.  REI.com is another very good source.

Irene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. Irene owns this website, and writes all the blog posts. For her complete bio, visit the About Page.

Copyright 2016 Irene Pastore and Tour De Core.com

May Is National Posture Month: Start Training Your Core

May 1, 2016
Weak abs and back muscles result in poor posture.

A Strong Core Improves Posture

The muscles that comprise your core are the abdominals, backside, hips, and back. Weakness in these muscles results in poor posture.

An fitness routine isn’t comprehensive unless it includes core strengthening exercises.

Poor Posture and Pain

Poor posture can lead to low back pain, inadequate breathing, digestive problems, neck pain, spinal disease, muscle imbalance, deficient sports performance, and quality of life issues.

Upper Back Exercise

Muscle Imbalance Pain

When your core muscles weaken from lack of exercise, your body signals you with discomfort, or pain. When muscles receive inadequate exercise, they become imbalanced.  That means one muscle might be stronger, and overpower another.

You may often feel as though you have “pulled” a muscle.  The sensation of pulling a muscle is called a muscle strain.  Strains are mild to severe, and can take a few days, or several weeks to heal.

Abdominal Exercise

Winning Athletes

If you’re an athlete, you want to win.  An athlete with a strong core, generates power through their core, not through their arms or legs. A weak core in an athlete leads to ineffective sports performance, injuries, and poor posture.

Core Exercise on BOSU Trainer

Succeed In Business

Good posture is important for business people, and political leaders.  When you stand tall, you emanate confidence, and vigor.

In addition to affecting your image, perpetual slumping while standing or seated,  eventually affects spinal health, and digestion.

Improve Quality of Life

Poor posture may result in chronic back pain.  The pain might be so severe that you can’t sit down, or move efficiently.  Chronic pain makes you irritable.  When you become a long-term grouch, it affects your relationships with friends, family, and companion animals.

If you’re experiencing chronic pain from poor posture, the first step is to visit a healthcare provider and get a diagnosis. Exercising when you’re in pain, may make it worse.

Irene Pastore is a native New Yorker, health and fitness blogger, and personal trainer. Irene owns this website, and writes all the blog posts. For her complete bio, visit the About Page.