Running is one of the most popular ways to exercise, thanks to its convenience—run anywhere, from city streets to country roads to high alpine trails. More than 40 million people in the United States run regularly, with 10 million of those running at least twice a week. Unfortunately, many of these people have experienced or continue to experience injuries, whether plantar fasciitis, illiotibial band syndrome, or stress fractures.
How’s your posture looking these days? Are you often hunched or slouched over your computer? Although many people may not pay mind to its importance, good posture is more than just about looking prim, proper, and pretty. It’s about keeping the spine in balance, and preventing any potential, future pain or health issues which may arise from not doing so.
“Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace.” - Bhagavad Gita
Have you ever heard anyone use the term "get a backbone?" Perhaps you’ve used it yourself. Or "that person is so spineless." Well, there is a scientific reason behind these old adages. It turns out the spine is linked to many things, courage and confidence included.
There’s no thrill like the buzz you got when you first learned to bike. Pedalling away madly, with the wind rushing through your hair – that rush of riding a bike for the first time is incomparable. However, riding a bike is always fun. The thrill settles down, but the exercise and the fresh air are always a guarantee. And biking or cycling, whatever you may call it, is good for physical, physiological and mental health -- for a healthy mind makes for a healthy body and vice versa.
The physical benefits of pedaling
Before ever taking my first yoga class, my knowledge was limited to terms like “Warrior II” and “Downward Dog.” Well my practice happened to start with Bikram yoga, which doesn’t have any Warriors or Dogs. Just my luck, right?
It would be two years before setting foot in an actual Vinyasa class, and eventually going through a 200-hour teacher training. I learned a lot during that time period.