English - Sprout (Page 27)

What is visceral fat?

Visceral fat Visceral fat is abdominal fat that is stored deep in your body around the organs. In the average adult, it accounts for 10% of the total fat found in the body, with the other 90% being subcutaneous fat that resides just beneath the skin. Having a high percentage

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What is active assisted stretching?

Active assisted stretching refers to a type of stretching where the target muscle is actively lengthened while the opposing muscle is shortened (contracted). It’s a popular method used by physical therapists during rehabilitation and functional muscle strengthening. Massage therapists may also use active assisted stretching as part of their

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Organize your kitchen for healthy cooking

Healthy eating is much easier when your kitchen facilitates it. Organizing your kitchen to align with your healthy eating goals enables you to cook nutritious dishes that fuel your body with everything that it needs to thrive. Here are some top tips to help you organize your kitchen for healthy

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How to get family support for your new healthy eating goals

In the modern-day, life is busy and healthy eating is often the last thing on your mind. If you've set yourself new healthy eating goals, it's important to garner the support of your family to make it easier to stick to and to boost your motivation. Getting your family on

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Movement for joint health

Exercise helps to keep your joints strong, stable and mobile. Without physical activity, the joints can stiffen up, leading to problems. Over your life, your joints take the force and strain of your weight as you move around. Although they are designed to be highly durable and resistant to wear

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Neck flexor stretch

The neck flexors are also known as the prevertebral cervical muscles and they are responsible for keeping the neck stable, particularly when you bring your head forward. Although they’re very small muscles, they are hugely important to protect your cervical spine. The neck flexors can get tight if you

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How to do tricep dips

Tricep dips are a bodyweight exercise that you can do at home or in the gym to work the three heads of the tricep muscle. Tricep dips are highly effective for building muscle and strength in the upper body, and you can add additional weight to make the exercise harder

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Pilates or yoga - which is right for me?

Pilates and yoga are often used interchangeably because they are both types of low-impact exercise, but they are different forms of exercise. Almost anybody can benefit from implementing some Pilates or yoga into their routine, and to decide which is best for you, it's important to know the differences between

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Kids and healthy eating - try this tip

Getting children to eat healthily is hard enough in and of itself, let alone getting them excited about it. Luckily, there are lots of different things that you can do as a parent to get your kids more interested in healthy eating and all of its benefits. One tip is

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Chest opener stretch

The chest muscles can get tight and stiff over time, especially if you don’t take the time to stretch them. Many of the activities that we do in the modern-day lifestyle involve working in front of the body, such as typing, writing, and using our phones. You can perform

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How to develop a growth mindset

The term ‘growth mindset’ was first coined by Stanford professor Carol Dweck. It involves focusing on how each situation in your life enables you to grow and develop as a person. As simple as it sounds, developing a growth mindset takes effort and practice. Rather than limiting oneself with the

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Grounding techniques for when you're feeling anxious

It's normal to feel anxious in certain situations, such as if you've got an upcoming interview for your dream job or are facing a difficult conversation. However, when you're feeling particularly anxious, practicing grounding techniques can be helpful to calm your nervous system and relax your mind. Below, you will

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How does sleep affect appetite?

Ghrelin is the hunger hormone that is responsible for making you feel hungry. When the stomach is empty, it signals this to the brain via ghrelin, causing you to search for food. After you’ve eaten, ghrelin levels decrease, and hunger signals stop. If you’ve had a night of

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Celebrating small wins

Small wins are just as important as the bigger wins. No matter what the size of your goals or accomplishments, you deserve to feel proud for making progress. Often, the smaller wins accumulate into one large win. By celebrating your smaller accomplishments along your journey, you can stay motivated to

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What is melatonin?

Melatonin is a hormone that is made naturally by the body in response to a lack of sunlight. It is the main hormone that is responsible for regulating your circadian rhythm. When melatonin rises in the evenings, it causes you to feel sleepy, which encourages you to go to bed.

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Why should you include flexibility in your workout plans

Exercise is a key part of a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity has been linked to a longer lifespan, better physical and mental health, and a lower risk of chronic disease. There are lots of different kinds of exercise that you can do to boost your health, and it’s

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Why do I need fat in my diet?

Fat is demonized in the media and because of this, many people fear it. They avoid consuming any foods that contain high amounts of fat so that they can avoid disease and stay as healthy as possible. The demonization of fat is partially merited but the media never tells the

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Tips to become a morning person

Some people seem to be natural morning people. They find it easy to wake up early and get their day started. Others dread early mornings but seem to thrive late at night. If you're a night owl, you might be wondering how you can shift your body clock to become

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Try this trick for managing your screen time

Admittedly, most of us are glued to our phones nowadays. Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of the modern-day lifestyle and it can be difficult to get away from it sometimes. There is such a thing as technology addiction. Every time you pick up your phone and check your social

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Wrist stretches

Many of us know to stretch our quads, hamstrings, and calves. Some of you might also stretch your upper body muscles on a regular basis with an overhead triceps stretch or even a chest stretch here and there. But how often do you stretch your wrist and the muscles in

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The exercise and sleep connection

Exercise can help improve sleep quality and quantity. More specifically, moderate to high-intensity exercise can be beneficial for sleep, as it can reduce the time that it takes for you to fall asleep and improves the quality of your sleep cycles. The benefits of exercise for sleep may be more

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Fact or fiction? Will lifting weights make me bulky?

Some people shy away from lifting weights because they think that they will look too bulky. In this article, we’re going to tackle this concept and discuss why strength training is important for all adults. Weight lifting is a form of resistance training or strength training and is a

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What are sheet pan meals?

A sheet pan meal refers to a meal that fits onto one sheet pan and cooks as a single dish. This type of meal is simple and quick to make, even for beginners in the kitchen. You may also hear sheet pans being called baking sheets, baking pans, or baking

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Common junk food swaps

The ongoing consumption of junk food has been linked to a number of chronic health conditions and overall poor health. This is because junk foods tend to contain large amounts of saturated fat and sugar, and a high number of calories, all of which can increase the risk of cardiovascular

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Tips to boost self-confidence

Some people naturally radiate confidence, while others are a little more reserved and shy, especially in groups. While self-confidence can occur naturally in some, it's something that can be developed. You can learn to become more confident in who you are and what you are capable of doing. The process