Stretching Exercises for Beginners

Muscle health is vital for maintained mobility. Age and injury can derail range of motion leading to pain and loss of flexibility. Stretching can help fend off these results. By keeping muscles long and limber enables the body to enjoy activities later into life. This can be accomplished by stretching.

Static vs. Dynamic Overview

Two techniques of stretching are static and dynamic. Static stretches involve holding a pose for a period of time, while dynamic stretches are centered around body movement.

The Scoop on Static Stretches

Static stretching is what typically comes to mind when one pictures stretching. A body part is stretched as far as it can comfortably go then held. Regular static stretching helps with flexibility and range of motion.

Arm Crossovers

Stand with stomach pulled in and feet shoulder-width apart. Stretch the left arm across the chest. Bend the right arm and use the forearm to clamp the left arm in place. Hold 10-15 seconds. Repeat on the opposite side.

Reach to the Sky

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lift arms out in front, palms facing and fingertips lightly touching. Twist and bend down to touch the left hand to the right foot. Reach the right arm up towards the sky. Hold 5-10 seconds. Return to start position and repeat on the opposite side.

Dynamic Stretching Details

Dynamic stretching involves moving the body through a range of motion. Athletes use these to warm-up. This type of stretching helps prepare muscles for strenuous activity.

Leg Raises

Lying back side down, stretch arms out to form a ‘T’ with the body. With palms flat against the floor, stretch legs outward with feet together. Pull in the stomach to raise both legs slowly into the air. Slowly lower back down. Repeat.

Side Leg Raises

Lie on the right side of the body. Legs should be stacked left on top of right. Support the head with the right hand and place the left hand on the left hip. Keeping the right leg straight, slowly raise it as high as comfortable then slowly lower back down. Repeat 10 times then roll over and repeat on the opposite side.

Originally published to nicholasfainlight.org

OVERRATED BUSINESS TIPS TO FORGET

EDITWherever you go, people provide unsolicited guidance on how to grow, run, or start a business. Out of the pointers they offer, some are valuable, and you must observe them. However, others are misinterpreted, outdated, or just plain wrong for the business you’re running. Here are some overrated business tips to forget.

1. YOUR SERVICE OR PRODUCT MUST BE UNIQUE

Businesspersons are often advised to outline what makes them stand out. However, it is not necessary to find an exclusive approach to achieve corporate success. A subtle change may improve the entire experience.

2. CUSTOMERS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT

Do you need to make the customers happy? Yes. However, if your main goal is to please people, you may end up in a world of unnecessary suffering. It’s best to pay attention to the things that bring you a long-term profit, not the things that take your energy and time.

3. DO NOT START A BUSINESS WITH YOUR FRIEND

Many people think it’s a bad idea to start an enterprise with a friend, but that’s not true—friends whose expertise supplements each other may build a thriving business. Establishing a company may be straining to the relationship; however, the benefits of operating with a person you trust may be worth it.

4. PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS ON FACEBOOK

Companies have acknowledged that paid advertising is the only path to increase your Facebook image, which is still one of the world’s best social platforms. However, it is not always the top place to use up your advertising budget. There are other more effective means to reach your audience for a much lower price per lead, for instance, on platforms like Pinterest.

5. CONCENTRATE ON YOUR SITE INSTEAD OF BUILDING THE BRAND

It is important to have a brand that reverberates with ideal customers. However, investing all energy and time in the “perfect” site is not how to make it.

6. NEVER REJECT AN OPPORTUNITY

It is tempting to “do it all” and take all opportunities that cross your path at the beginning of your business. Saying “yes” to all opportunities in your corporate encounters will stifle your time and dilute your brand.

7. GATHER AS MUCH CASH AS POSSIBLE

Each business needs cash to start and grow; however, not all businesses must seek that through financiers. While funding may help some companies grow significantly, other lifestyle corporations are at an advantage without it.
Finally, despite all the advice that entrepreneurs receive, they should filter what is right for their business.

HOW TO BALANCE PROFIT AND PURPOSE IN BUSINESS

Entrepreneurs need to build business empires while still staying committed to their purpose. A significant number of business people struggle to commit to their purpose while still keeping their enterprises profitable. Businesses need to demonstrate their contribution to humanity while still growing their profit margins. Here are ways businesses can balance profit and purpose.

Go Green

In the past few years, many businesses have shown their commitment to adopting more sustainable production methods. No matter the size, every organization can play a role in reducing its environmental footprint. Surprisingly, the current generation prefers to buy green products. Therefore, companies that will demonstrate high sustainability credentials will gain numerous customers who want to buy green.

For instance, manufacturers can reduce carbon emissions by sourcing closer to home. When raw materials are transported for short distances, it helps cut both transport costs and carbon emissions. Besides, leaders who have a passion for conserving the environment can shift to renewable energy sources.

Find an Inspiration

Walk away from your comfort zone and start doing something new that challenges you. Learn from these things and find inspiration in them

Leverage Technology

Technology is changing every aspect of life, including how consumers interact with brands and how they buy products and services. For example, online sales have doubled in the past five years. Additionally, organizations are using machines to understand customer needs better. This means that businesses must stay on top of the latest innovations to remain competitive in their respective industries.

Share Your Success

Entrepreneurship is a murky journey characterized by ups and downs. Therefore, successive entrepreneurs should consider sharing their experiences with novice business people. When you balance profit and purpose, your impact is significant and tangible, and more consumers will want to be associated with your business.

Understand Your Purpose

Purpose goes beyond providing high-quality goods and services to consumers. It also means that your business prioritizes the common good of the community. For example, some companies such as Unilever have already developed a unique living plan to track their progress of minimizing their environmental footprint. Business leaders should devote time to learn about societal impact and how to improve it.

To change business operations to meet new expectations requires exceptional and visionary leadership. In today’s versatile business world, leaders who will adopt agility will be in a better position to achieve long-term success.

Social Security Basics to Know

The following Social Security basics will make it possible for people to maximize their benefits when it comes time to retire:

What Types of Benefits Can Someone Receive?

An American can collect retirement benefits from Social Security, but there are also other types of benefits. A spouse will be eligible for spousal benefits if they collect less than 50% of their spouse’s benefits from Social Security. To qualify for divorce benefits, the marriage must have lasted at least 10 years. In addition to that, the spouses cannot be married to other people. Widows and widowers can collect survivors’ benefits that entitle them to the full amount of the deceased person’s benefits. If relatives were dependent upon the deceased person, they could claim these benefits as well.

What Affects the Amount that People Can Receive?

To receive the maximum amount, a person needs to work for at least 35 years. If someone works for less than 35 years, his or her benefits will be lower. For example, people can begin to receive Social Security benefits after they have worked for 10 years, but they will not receive their full benefits if they do not work for at least 35 years.

What Age Is the Full Retirement Age?

Those born in 1960 and after have a full retirement age of 67 years. Those born before 1960 have a full retirement age of 66 years. Some people will have a full retirement age of 66 years and some months depending on the month to celebrate their birthdays.

When people reach the full retirement age, they are entitled to receive their maximum benefits. These benefits will be reduced by 30% if they claim their benefits before reaching 65. If they wait until the age of 70 to claim their benefits, they will receive the full amount they are entitled to receive, plus 32% more each month.

When people begin to take their Social Security benefits, the amount they receive in their checks will remain the same unless there is an adjustment for the cost-of-living increase.

In addition to the benefits above, people may be entitled to receive the $17,166 Social Security bonus. This bonus applies to retirees every year, but they must find out about the available strategies for taking this bonus before they can do so.

The Best Morning Workouts to Start Your Day

Morning workouts are a fantastic way to kick off your day. There is no specific time for working out, but people are likely to reap more benefits by working out in the morning. Additionally, it is daunting for many people to work out in the evening due to family priorities and tight work schedules.

Working out right away after waking up might be the ultimate solution to keep you motivated and energized throughout the day. There will be temptations to snooze the alarm to avoid working out before going to work. However, if you make daily exercise a habit, you will feel more confident, energized, and motivated.

Here are the best morning workouts to kick off your day.

Swimming

Swimming is enjoyable. Numerous people don’t know that swimming is a full-body workout that uses muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance systems. Swimming is also a suitable exercise for people with any form of injury. The bouncy of water hinders body resistance, and this is essential if you have back problems, knee issues, joint or ankle point. Water-resistance helps strengthen muscles without straining, like in strength training or running.

If you are a novice swimmer, you can start by walking in the water. Though it’s low resistance, walking in the water will help ease nagging injuries.

Walking

Walking is an underrated form of exercise. If there is something everyone should incorporate in their fitness routine is walking. If your job’s nature doesn’t keep you active, walking might be your ultimate morning workout.

Walking is a low impact physical exercise suitable for seniors and people with knee or joint pains. Also, it is the least expensive form of exercise which doesn’t require any equipment. You can start slow and increase your duration and time as you progress.

Yoga

Yoga is a moderate-intensity exercise that pushes the body to its limits. Yoga is a unique physical activity that works on cardiovascular health, muscular endurance, and flexibility. A morning yoga workout helps people to stay relaxed throughout the day.

Stretching

Stretching is another low impact and highly beneficial morning workout. Stretching helps loosen up stiff, sore, and tired muscles. Besides, stretching helps prevent pain on the knees, spine, and other joints.

Five Superb Sports Memoirs

Many celebrities are multitalented individuals. In addition to being great singers, actors, athletes, comedians, etc. there have been a lot of celebrities who’ve put out some pretty great autobiographies as well. Admittedly, some may have ghost writers helping them with the writing, but even if that’s the case, at least some of what makes the page comes from their own minds, and the thoughts and ideas are largely their own, if not the words themselves.

In my opinion, sports memoirs are some of the most enjoyable autobiographies to read because so many athletes came from humble backgrounds before stepping into the spotlight and inspiring fans. Many had to overcome major obstacles and adversities to get to where they are today, and have put their heart and soul into their sport. Theirs are true triumph over tragedy stories. If you’re a fan of sports (or even if you’re not) and are looking for a little inspiration in your life, check out my list of five excellent memoirs from some of the world’s most beloved athletes on my website, nicholasfainlight.org.

7 Fantastic Fitness Blogs to Follow

No matter where you are in your fitness journey, whether you’re just trying to get in shape or have been working out for years, you can seriously benefit from fitness blogs. You can find new ideas for workouts or some guidance on something you don’t know much about. There are plenty of fitness bloggers out there who are experts in the industry and can offer quality advice. You can learn about new products and techniques and often connect with a community of people who share the same questions and interests you do. Here are some great fitness bloggers to take a look at.

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle is created by a group of personal trainers and fitness experts who bring you the most recent news in the fitness world while also debating and offering their own opinions. You can get a wide range of information on this blog from various sources. This blog is a great resource for fitness and nutritional advice.

Tabata Times

If you’re into CrossFit, this blog is for you. Tabata Times focuses on offering tips and tricks for anything CrossFit related. You can check out the latest workouts and inspiration and easily find it on one blog.

NerdFitness

This blog aims to help people have fun while working out and strives to make fitness interesting. No matter what you like, it’s definitely a site worth checking out and often features inspiring stories of people who have succeeded in their fitness journeys. The blog focuses on all aspects of lifestyle as well, anything that can help you lead a healthier life, even if you’d never given it a thought before.

Mark’s Daily Apple

Mark Sisson shows that he clearly knows what he’s talking about in this blog, which he should, since he’s a former endurance champion. He’s also currently a best-selling author on fitness. In this blog, he discusses fitness realistically and bases his posts on scientifically-backed ideas.

Pavement Runner

Focused on runners, this blog is written by someone who’s run over 40 marathons and sincerely knows what he’s talking about. However, do not be intimidated if you’re a beginning runner, there are still valuable resources for you to check out.

Roman Fitness Systems

The editor-in-chief of this site, John Romaniello, offers quality advice on fitness, diet, and even other topics like career success. His writing is engaging and gets past any fluff, making it a great resource if you’re looking for quick, straightforward information.

Tony Gentilcore

Located in Boston, Tony Gentilcore is a personal trainer who’s worked with people from all walks of life. His posts are encouraging and offer quality advice on how to better train and target your fitness and strive toward overall well-being in the rest of your life as well.

Advice for Working Out in the Winter

No matter how dedicated you are to your fitness, the winter can be a difficult time to stay in shape. Nighttime comes early and the weather is terrible, so it makes you not want to head outside. Maybe you’re used to exercising outside, but it’s much more challenging to do so during the winter, though it doesn’t mean you have to stop. Whether you’re going to a gym or braving the elements, here are some tips for continuing to work out in the winter.

 

Wear appropriate clothes

Since the colder weather is setting in, you’ll want to be prepared for it. Get ready to change your exercise wardrobe, especially if you’re planning on working out outside. Have reflective clothes that drivers can see in the dark and enough layers and quality material to keep you warm. Even if you’re running for miles, the cold can still harm you if you aren’t properly attired. Avoid too many bulky layers as well, because it makes working out more difficult. If you’re staying inside, make sure you have warm clothes for when you leave the building.

 

Be germ conscious

When you’re working out at a gym, the winter is a perfect time for germs to spread. Wipe down machines before and after you use them, even if you aren’t actively sick. After your workout, shower, and avoid spending too much time in the locker room.

 

Create a reward system

The bleak weather can often make you feel like you don’t want to work out or maybe you feel like it isn’t worth it and you can get back into your routine in the spring. A great way to work around this feeling is to create a rewards system for yourself. Whether it’s a nice dinner, new workout clothes, or something else that motivates you, use this goal to get yourself to move.

 

Get in small workouts

There are going to be days when you just can’t motivate yourself to get in a full workout, but anything you can do is beneficial. Take time out of your day, even if it’s just half an hour, to move around a bit. Your body will be grateful and you’ll reap the benefits.

 

Workout with a friend

One of the best ways to motivate yourself to workout is by having a partner who holds you accountable for missed workouts. When choosing your workout buddy, find a friend you know won’t regularly flake on you or reinforce skipping workouts. You need someone who’s as dedicated to fitness as you are so you can push each other to stay in shape.

 

Change it up

A great way to get yourself in the mood for working out is changing up your regular routine. Get new workout clothes, start a new playlist, or begin a different kind of fitness regime. Having something exciting and different can help push you to keep focusing on your fitness and crushing your workout goals.

How the Olympic International Committee Gives Kids a Chance

There are a number of stories out there of exceptionally talented and strong-willed kids who dreamed of greatness and were able to achieve it because of the support of others. I’m talking about the untold story of the Maui Sugar Ditch Kids, Disney’s most recent film Queen of Katwe, and even Friday Night Lights.  Behind any great athlete, there is a network of people who make that athlete’s dream possible. They provide training, guidance, emotional support, and more.

This year, the Olympic International Committee created a grant program for organizations that run effective “sport for all” programs in their communities, i.e. programs that inspire people to live active, healthy lifestyles. Each of the four winners of the grant are to receive a whopping 20,000 USD to put to their respective projects. It’s an amazing way of helping out those who want to excel by giving them the resources they need to do so.

Below’s a look at this year’s winners of the Sport and Active Society grants:

BoxGirls International uses boxing as a catalyst for social change…

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org 

5 Books to Swim Through

Now that the Olympics and the Paralympics are over I’m feeling a big wide gap in my swim consumption. Sure, there’s always national and international coverage on champions and tournaments and world-records. And god knows I’ve been spending a lot of time looking back at replays both from this past year’s olympics and the prior ones. But I find myself without a story to latch onto. That’s why I’ve started to (flip)turn towards swimming books. Whether you know the characters in a story or not, every time you read a story it’s as if you’re experiencing it for the first time. Reading a story never happens the same way twice. As you change, so do your views and associations. A story may remind of one thing during your first read, but during a second read you may find yourself launched into a whole other world.

As you can tell, I’m pretty stoked to be getting some good reading on. Specifically, swimming reading. I’ve combed the interwebs and the below books are currently on my to-read list.

The Artistic Choice

The Joy of Swimming: A Celebration of Our Love for Getting in the Water

by Lisa Congdon

Just one look through the pages of The Joy of Swimming is enough to make you want to keep a copy of it on your coffee table forever. But this is so much more than a coffee table book. Using beautiful illustrations, Lisa Congdon explores the history of swimming, some of the greatest athletes ever to hit the water, and some of the most inspiring quotes ever said. Being a swimmer herself, Congdon infects every page with her passion for the sport with the end result of making you want to hop in the pool. (Note that Lynne Cox, mentioned below, writes the foreword)!

For the full blog, go to NicholasFainlight.org