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6 Signs You’re Overtraining and How to Prevent It

By
Team JustRunLah!
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We may feel that the more we exercise, the better our results will be. But the truth is actually the complete opposite. Our bodies need time to recover after the damage we have inflicted on them during a workout – and if we just keep pushing and pushing them, they will not perform as well, and the results we are looking to achieve will also be delayed.

If you’re wondering whether you might be guilty of overtraining (either doing too much or too often), let’s look at some of the signs, and most importantly, how you can prevent it.

Fatigue

Feeling a bit tired sometimes is perfectly normal – we all experience it. However, if you lack energy on most days, if you are sluggish and fatigued all the time, and if you are also doing a lot of exercise, chances are you are doing too much.

Pain

Pain is often the first sign of overtraining – and contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to be in pain in order to progress. If you are often going through serious DOMS, make sure you cut down on the exercise and prioritize rest.

Trouble sleeping

While exercise is one of the best ways to improve the quality of your sleep, overtraining can keep you up at night, as your body struggles to repair itself.

In order to maximize your recovery time, make sure you are sleeping on the best soft mattress available, and that you are getting enough sleep every night.

Changes in your appetite

Feeling like you can’t eat anything or like you need to eat a lot more than usual is another sign of overtraining, and one that can be very harmful. If you stop consuming the calories you need, your body will suffer even more, because you’ll be spending a lot more than you are fueling your body with. If you start overeating, your results will suffer and you will start putting on weight.

A weakened immune system

Getting ill more often than you used to might mean your immune system is not up to the task of keeping illnesses like the common cold at bay. That can be the result of taxing your body so much that it has no resources left to give to your immunity.

This can open the door to a whole host of other issues, and injuries can become more common as you become less able to recover and focus.

Mood swings

If you are suddenly going through a roller coaster of moods, it may mean your hormones are out of whack, and that your cortisol levels are up.Cortisol is a stress hormone, responsible for a lot of good stuff in our bodies, but it also causes irritability and a generally darker mood.

Hot to prevent overtraining

If you have now realized you’ve been going overboard, the first thing you should do is stop your activities. Give your body seven days of rest, and only do some light cardio during that week. You might need to rest longer if you are in a really bad state, but a week should be enough in most cases.

To prevent the same thing from happening again, make sure you add rest day to your schedule. Rest days are not a sign of weakness, nor are they slacking off. They are actually the time when your muscles grow and when you become stronger.

Don’t work out too hard, and don’t push your body over its limits every time. And if you do, make sure you’ve also signed up for some proper recovery afterwards.

Don’t train when you are injured or in pain, as it will make things even worse.

Focus on the quality of your workout and not its quantity. You don’t have to spend three hours in the gym – if you train smarter, you can achieve the same results in 45 minutes.

Final thoughts

Overtraining is doing quite the opposite to your body of what you want to achieve – instead of making it stronger or fitter, it’s weakening it and causing all sorts of damage. Only if you fuel your body with the proper nutrients and provide it with ample quality rest time can it do what you’re aiming for: strengthen and improve.

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Make Abs Exercise At Home Fun With Your Partner!

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Are you sick of exercising alone and want to have more fun with your workouts? Here come partner exercises to the rescue. It is always fun to exercise with a partner/buddy and it’ll only push yourself further. According to research conducted by the University of Aberdeen, exercising with a buddy/partner will increase the amount of exercise done because of the additional layer of emotional support they receive. So, get ready to have lots of fun and set your core on fire!

1)Inchworm Hand Taps

Inchworm Hand Taps has the ability to strengthen and stretch different muscle groups at the same time, it’s ideally positioned to be included as part of an active warm-up, or as part of a high-intensity interval training routine.

  1. Stand tall, your feet roughly hip-distance apart.
  2. Take a breath in, then as you exhale, look down at the ground and start reaching your hands toward the floor in front of your feet, allowing your back to bend forward. Allow your knees to bend slightly, as needed, to enable your hands to reach the ground.
  3. Place your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Inhale and walk your hands forward, one at a time, allowing your heels to lift off the floor as your body begins to straighten. When your hands are directly under your shoulders, check your form—you should be in a full plank position with your core, chest, quads, triceps, and shoulders engaged, your body forming a straight line from heels to head.
  4. Give your partner a High-5!
  5. Keep your legs relatively straight and begin walking your feet forward, one at a time, toward your hands. This should provide a nice stretch through your hamstrings, calves, and glutes as your hips start lifting toward the ceiling. Exhale as you step forward.
  6. Stop when your feet are as close to your hands as you can comfortably bring them. Remember, you can bend your knees slightly to ease the stretch on your hamstrings, but try to keep them as straight as possible.
  7. Return to standing by slowly rolling your back up from the hips, straightening one vertebra at a time. Inhale as you go. When you’re back in the starting position, you’ve completed one repetition. Continue for time or repetitions, depending on your workout.

2) Partner Squat and Push-Up

Get in some squats and feel your arms burn with this two-in-one move.

  1. Assume a plank position and have your partner pick up your feet.
  2. Do a push-up—keeping elbows tucked and lowering slowly—while your partner squats down.
  3. As you push back into a plank, have your partner slowly stand back up. Repeat for 10 reps. Then, switch positions.

3) Knee Tucks

  • Sit on floor facing your partner, legs parallel to each other.
  • Bring knees to chest, then extend back out to the opposite side of your partner.
  • Return knees to chest and rotate sides for each extension.
  • Do 4 one-minute sets with 30-second rests in between.

4) Sit-up with a clap

Tone your tummy while high-fiving your partner on their hard work with this duo-fueled take on a core-building classic.

  1. Lay on the floor with your knees bent and feet pressed into the ground.
  2. Have your partner lie down facing you. Interlace their feet with yours.
  3. Squeeze your abs and reach your arms up, clapping hands with your partner as you reach the top of the movement. When contracting, squeeze your feet alongside your partner’s to prevent them from lifting as you sit up.
  4. Lower yourself back down in a slow-and-controlled motion. Aim for 10 reps.

5) Partner Bicycle Crunches

  • Lie faceup on floor, feet to feet with your partner.
  • Perform bicycle crunches, pressing into the feet of your partner.
  • Do 4 one-minute sets with 30-second rests in between.

After you’re done with these workouts, don’t forget to celebrate with your partner —both you’ve earned it!

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Advisory On Gradual Resumption of Sport and Physical Exercise Activities From 2 June Onwards

By
Team JustRunLah!
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The Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced on 19 May 2020 that the Circuit Breaker will end on 1 June 2020 and that Singapore will gradually resume activities over three phases. This advisory covers sport and physical exercise/activity under Phase One, which will come into effect on 2 June 2020.

Return to Sport and Physical Exercise/Activity under Phase One

In Phase One (“Safe Re-opening”), public and private sport and recreational facilities will remain closed. However, Singaporeans should continue exercising to sustain their health and well-being.

a) Exercising at Home

  • Members of the public should continue exercising at home to minimise risks of community transmission.
  • Seniors who are more vulnerable to illness should stay home to exercise. Online resources such as https://circle.myactivesg.com/circuit-breaker, offer varied virtual classes and events, as well as tips and advice on home-based exercise.

b) Exercising Outdoors

  • Individuals may go outdoors, in their immediate neighbourhoods to engage in basic exercise such as walking, running, cycling or other similar exercises.
  • They may exercise with members living in the same household, although we still encourage exercising alone so as to reduce the number of people outdoors.
  • No one should linger outside after their exercise and they should return home immediately after they are done.
  • Safe distancing measures must be observed at all times between people of different households, and there must not be any gathering in groups.
  • Consequently, coaching by anyone from a different household is also not permitted.
  • Masks must be worn when leaving and returning home from exercise. Mask wearing is only not required when one is engaged in strenuous exercise such as running, jogging/brisk walking, cycling and other similar activities.
  • Masks must be donned after one has completed a strenuous exercise.
  • Observe exercise etiquette when exercising outdoors. Individuals can refer to the infographic on exercise etiquette to learn how they can do their part to keep themselves and the community safe.

c) Facilitating Contact Tracing

  • Members of the public should install the TraceTogether app to facilitate contact tracing.

Return to Sport and Physical Exercise/Activity under Phase Two

The Multi-Ministry Taskforce will decide on an appropriate time to move into Phase
Two (“Safe Transition”). In Phase Two, sports facilities, such as gyms and fitness studios, will be gradually allowed to re-open, subject to the implementation of safe management practices at the venue and for facility staff and users. The return to sport and physical exercise/activity under this Phase will be based on the following considerations:

a) Group Size Limitation. Limiting group size and minimising interactions within the group allows for community transmissions to be more effectively contained. The
permitted group size may be gradually raised over time.

b) Safe Distancing. Distancing requirements will influence the nature of activities
allowed and the capacity of sports facilities. For instance, safe distancing may
require sport formats involving deliberate body contact between participants to be deferred until it is less risky. However, technical training drills may still proceed. Sharing of common equipment would be discouraged. Safe distancing measures
will also apply to non-participants (e.g. observers) outside the field of play/courts.

c) Environmental Factors. Outdoor facilities with better air circulation would carry
lower risks than indoor environments.

Everyone Has a Role to Play against COVID-19

With the gradual easing of measures, Singaporeans must remain vigilant and observe safe distancing measures in place to minimise the risk of community transmissions.

As the situation evolves, measures may be amended accordingly. We will publish more updates on COVID-19 for sport and physical exercise/activity as and when available.

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Stay Home Covid-19 Exercises

By
healthobeing
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Covid-19 has affected many of our lives since the beginning of 2020. It’s not just running as a hobby, those who go to the gym, swimming pools and public places for a ride will need to be monitored.

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5 Key Exercises To Improve Your Flexibility

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Often overlooked when compared to things like strength training and conditioning, flexibility is the one thing that has a huge impact on your day to day life and sleeping habits. Why is it then that we don’t spend more time focusing on it? One of my goals during the pandemic was to become more flexible and (hopefully) get rid of the tight back and neck issues I’ve been having. In this article, I am going to share five key exercises that have improved my flexibility, and also helped improve other areas in my fitness!

Side Lean and Hold

The thing that gets me sitting in a desk all day is my lats and core flexibility. I always find myself tightening up during the day and this is mainly from sitting too much, which many of us struggle with working in an office environment. This is a great exercise to do throughout the day when you’re taking a break.

  1. Stand straight up with your feet together and interlock your hands.
  2. Bring your hands above your head and hold them up as high as you can. You’re then going to initiate the stretch while keeping your hands locked together.
  3. Stretch as far as possible to either side, keeping your legs straight and ensuring your upper body is the only thing moving. Hold for 3 seconds.
  4. Repeat and stretch to the other side. You should aim to do this exercise at least 5 times each side, a few times through the day!

Shoulder Rolls

This is an extremely easy exercise, requires no equipment and is perfect to right after getting out of bed or while you’re getting ready! There are only three steps and will only require a few minutes each day.

  1. Stand up with your back straight, and feet spread out shoulder width apart. Keep your arms loose and hanging down by your sides.
  2. Shrug your shoulders up as high as you can, then roll then backwards in a circle. You want to push as far back as possible and follow the same idea when you roll them towards the front. Repeat at least 10 times.
  3. Reverse the direction to work all muscles in your shoulders, bring them up and rolling them forwards this time. Repeat at least 10 times.

Lower Back Engage Stretch

The biggest area of flexibility I had to work on was in my lower back, every time I had to bend over and pick something up I felt like I was 100 years old! This is one of the hardest areas of the body to stretch so this exercise is one of my favourites, I do it every morning when I wake up and before I go to bed.

  1. Start on all fours and rest your glutes on the heel of your feet.
  2. Walk your hands as far forward as far as possible without letting your glutes leave the heels of your shoes.
  3. Once you feel your lower back start to engage and tighten up, hold for 5-10 seconds until your muscles start to loosen.
  4. Walk your hands 4 inches further from the previous hold, and again hold this position for 5-10 seconds.
  5. Relax and take a 10-second break before repeating. You can track your progress by marking where you place your knees and how far you reach out with your hands each day! You’ll notice a difference in only a few days.

Planks

You may be thinking this is a core exercise and what is it going to do for my flexibility, but planks are actually an excellent way to stretch your hamstrings as well as the arches of your feet. By keeping your legs straight and putting your weight on your toes and arms, you work your core and back strength at the same time as improving your overall flexibility.

  1. Place forearms directly on the ground with your elbows under your shoulders and extend your legs completely straight so all your weight is resting on your toes and forearms.
  2. Ensure that your back is completely straight and not sagging, and focus on breathing slowly and keeping your core engaged. You should not feel any strain on your back and all the effort should be in engaging your core.
  3. Hold this position for 60 seconds, or as long as you can.
  4. Repeat 3-5 times once per day

The Scrunchie

Ah yes, the “scrunchie” is an exercise you could do in your bed if you really wanted, but we don’t’ recommend that. It is best to do this on the floor or ground, using a mat so you can hold this position longer. This will help to stretch out your shoulders, upper back, glutes, and lower back! It’s really an all in one stretch that hits all the major parts of your body that seem to tighten up so it really has a major impact on improving your flexibility.

  1. Lie flat on the ground on your back, and bring your knees to your chest and hold them there with your arms.
  2. Wrap your arms around your knees, and interlock them gripping your forearms or wrists of the opposite hand as shown in the picture above.
  3. Squeeze them as tightly as possible, and bring your head up off the ground towards your knees as high as it will go.
  4. Hold this position for 5-10 seconds. Repeat 10 times at least.

Conclusion

The struggles of being inflexible are very real and during this quarantine time, some of us may find ourselves sitting for much longer periods than usual. There is also a lack of access to play sports and go to the gym, so we are forced to find different ways to keep our body in shape. Improving your flexibility will also go a long way in increasing your acceleration when running or playing other sports. We hope this guide was useful in helping you on your journey to improve your flexibility!

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What you can do (or cannot do) to maintain your personal and family’s well-being when the COVID-19 circuit breaker measures are lifted on 2nd June

By
Team JustRunLah!
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The Multi-Ministry Taskforce announced on 19 May 2020 that Singapore will exit the Circuit Breaker when it ends on 1 June, and embark on a three-phased approach to resume activities safely.

The risk of a resurgence in community transmission remains high, so Singapore must be cautious as circuit breaker measures progressively lift. Safe Re-opening is the first of these phases, a gradual re-opening of some activities which will be implemented from 2 June 2020.

Economic activities that do not pose a high risk of transmission will resume, but social, economic and entertainment activities that carry higher risk will stay closed. Everyone should continue to leave home only for essential activities and should wear a mask when doing so. As seniors are a particularly vulnerable group, they should continue to stay at home as much as possible.

As more of us return to work and school, we must ensure that we conduct these activities safely, to minimise the risk of community transmission. 

Safe Re-opening covers four areas:

  • Safe Work
  • Safe Home and Community
  • Safe School
  • Safe Care

Physical fitness

  • Sports and recreation facilities, such as stadiums, public swimming pools, country clubs, gyms and fitness studios will remain closed.
  • Organised sporting programmes will remain suspended.
  • All recreational facilities in hotels will remain closed.
  • You can continue to exercise on your own or with individuals who live with you in the same household, around your immediate neighbourhood in open, uncrowded places.
  • Public parks will remain open, but gatherings in groups in these spaces must be avoided. Safe distancing must be practised even in open spaces. All carparks in parks, gardens and nature reserves will remain closed.
  • You can check how crowded the parks are before going for a relaxing activity or running at https://safedistparks.nparks.gov.sg/
  • You can also work out at home by following fitness classes or resources online.

Social wellness

  • Social contact should still be minimised and confined to family members only.
  • Each household will be allowed to visit their parents or grandparents staying elsewhere, to allow families to spend time and provide support to one another. However, every household should limit such visits to only one per day, and to not more than two persons from the visiting household.
  • Dropping off children at parents’ and grandparents’ homes for childcare will also be allowed, subject to the same limit of two visitors from the same visiting household per day.
  • All members of both households must observe good hygiene practices during the visit.
  • You can also continue to keep in touch with family members and friends through video calls or phone calls.
  • Retail outlets that provide items and services necessary to support the daily living needs of the population will remain open. Specific outlets in the malls will remain open for this purpose. These include supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, food and beverage outlets, and other outlets offering essential services. All other physical retail outlets shall be closed.
  • You can check how crowded the malls are before going to get your essential items at https://www.spaceout.gov.sg.
  • All entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars, pubs, karaoke lounges, amusement centres, billiard saloons, bowling centres, computer games centres and cinemas remain to be closed.
  • All attractions, theme parks, museums and casinos will remain closed.
  • All other public sector social and arts activities and facilities will remain closed. These include SportSG activities, community centre classes, museums, libraries and art galleries /performance venues.

Food and nutrition

  • All restaurants, hawker centres, coffeeshops, food courts and other food and beverage outlets will continue to remain open only for takeaway or delivery.
  • Food suppliers – including food and food ingredient production, food manufacturing, food processing, abattoirs/ slaughterhouses, food caterers, importers and traders, and food logistics, cold stores/ warehouses, food safety testing, supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery retailers, wholesale markets and wet markets – will remain open. You can be assured of the continued availability of food items.
  • Food delivery services are available on three key food delivery platforms – Deliveroo, foodpanda and GrabFood.

Personal care, health and wellness

  • Healthcare services such as specialist outpatient services, medical procedures, community-based services, and chronic disease management will resume, prioritised based on medical necessity and available capacity while maintaining appropriate safe distancing and precautionary measures.
  • Preventive health services, such as flu vaccinations, will recommence.
  • Complementary healthcare services will resume for one-to-one sessions, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) needle acupuncture will be allowed for all conditions.
  • Allied health services will be allowed except for group interventions.
  • Operators that provide hairdressing & barber services (all hairdressing services, beyond basic haircut services ), optician services and sale of optical products, laundry services for Essential Services will be available.
  • Plumbers, electricians, & locksmiths will be available.
  • Operators that provide motor vehicle recovery, repair and servicing services, aircon servicing, repair of consumer electronics, and household appliances, will be available.

Family and pet care

  • Community-based centre services for persons with disabilities will also gradually re-open to serve those who need the services, with safe distancing measures in place. Activities will be held in smaller groups if needed, and persons who have medical conditions are encouraged to remain at home to receive home-based support.
  • Residential and home-based community care services such as nursing homes, psychiatric rehabilitation homes, psychiatric sheltered homes, inpatient palliative care, home medical, home nursing, home palliative care, interim caregiver service, and meals delivery services will continue to function.
  • Senior care centres, day rehab centres, psychiatric rehabilitation centres, and day hospices will be closed. Selected centres will remain open to support those with inadequate family support, as well as intensive care needs. Such seniors can also be supported with home care services including meals delivery if needed.
  • Senior Activity Centres will gradually resume some activities in a safe and controlled manner.
  • Pre-schools will gradually re-open by levels from 2 Jun, with full resumption by 10 Jun, so that young children can be cared for safely while their parents return to work.
  • K1 and K2 children will return to school from 2 Jun. N1 and N2 children may return from 8 Jun. Infant Care and Playgroup children may return from 10 Jun.
  • Student Care Centres will fully re-open on 2 Jun, along with the reopening of schools.
  • Veterinary services will be open to provide emergency and non-elective services, including the hospitalisation of your pets.
  • Pet supplies stores will be open for provision of animal feed and basic pet grooming services are allowed.

Education and learning

  • School bookshops and retail shops selling school uniforms will be allowed to resume
  • For Primary and Secondary Schools, students from graduating cohorts will attend school daily, while other cohorts will rotate weekly, alternating between Home-Based Learning (HBL) and returning to school for lessons.
  • For Junior Colleges (JCs) and Millennia Institute (MI), up to half of the students will return school at any one time. JCs and MI will prioritise the return of JC 2 and Pre-U 3 students, with some rotation of students from the other levels.
  • For Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs), polytechnics’ lessons and tutorials will remain online. Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students will rotate weekly between online and on-campus lessons. For both, students will return primarily for practical and lab sessions. Autonomous universities (AUs) students from the Singapore Institute of Technology and Singapore University of Technology and Design will carry on with online lectures and tutorials. They will return primarily for practical and lab sessions, including capstone and final-year projects. Students from other AUs will be having their vacation.
  • For Special Education (SPED) schools, students’ return will be staggered from 2 Jun, all will be back in school by 8 Jun.
  • All staff and students will need to wear masks or face shields when in school or on campus.
  • Co-Curricular Activities, enrichment activities and tuition will not resume.

Workplace safety

Besides essential businesses that are already operating, more Singaporeans will gradually be allowed to return to work. This starts with businesses that operate in settings with lower transmission risks, including:

– Most manufacturing and production facilities, eg. semiconductors and medical technology; and
– Most businesses with employees working in offices and setting that do not require interactions with large groups of people, eg. finance & insurance, and IT & info services.

  • Tele-commuting must be adopted to the maximum extent in businesses that re-open. This means those who have been working from home so far should keep doing so, and employees should go to the office only where demonstrably necessary, e.g. to access specialised systems/equipment that cannot be accessed from home.
  • Employers must put in place and enforce safe management measures at the workplace, and employees must adhere strictly to them. Checks will be conducted, and non-compliant businesses will have to close their workplaces. More details of MTI’s advisory on the gradual resumption of business activities can be read here.

Spiritual wellness

  • Religious services will remain suspended and places of worship can re-open for private worship, i.e. with up to 5 members of the same household praying together at any one time.
  • Where necessary, places of worship may continue to conduct funeral rites but should involve no more than 10 people at any one time.

Financial wellness

  • All financial markets in Singapore remain open, and payment services are unaffected.
  • Banking services will continue to be available through online channels, ATMs and bank branches.
  • Insurance, broking, custody, asset management, and financial advisory services will also continue to be available.
  • Some branches of banks and finance companies and customer service centres of insurance companies may close temporarily because of reduced customer traffic.

Others

  • Essential services, such as national security, law and order, regulatory enforcement, government communications, public healthcare services, transportation, foreign affairs and embassy services, border control, civil defence, critical infrastructure, utilities, greenery and animal management and environmental services will continue.
  • Key physical centres that provide help to needy Singaporeans, such as residential social services and social service centres will also remain open. 
  • Blood donation services will remain in operation, and residents are encouraged to continue donating blood during this period. As part of the additional precautions put in place for safe distancing, donors are highly encouraged to make appointments for their blood donations. Please visit HSA’s website for more information: https://www.hsa.gov.sg/blood-donation.
  • Marriages solemnisations involving up to 10 persons will be allowed to take place in-person again.
  • All government-managed columbaria (Choa Chu Kang, Mandai and Yishun Columbarium) will be remain closed.
  • During the period of closure, installation of urns into niches may continue, with permit from NEA. Next-of-kin may be present but should be limited in number, with proper safe distancing observed.
  • Choa Chu Kang Cemetery will remain open for burials, and Mandai Crematorium will remain open for cremation services.
  • Operators that provide funeral-related services (e.g. funeral directors/undertakers, crematoria, columbarium, funeral parlours) will be available.
  • Families can continue to gather for wakes and funerals, with no more than 10 persons at any one time.
  • Operators that provide telecommunications (Fixed, Mobile and Internet Access), data centres, broadcasting services (radio and television), postal services, security printing services, the publication of newspapers, waste Collection & disposal services, environmental hygiene monitoring & public cleansing services will continue.
  • All home-based businesses that operate using a delivery/collection model will be allowed to resume.

* To check if a business may resume: https://covid.gobusiness.gov.sg/permittedlist/

Social Responsibility is Key

  • Social responsibility is critical in slowing the spread of COVID-19.
  • Those who are unwell, even with mild flu-like symptoms, should see a doctor immediately. They should not go out into the public for any other purpose, and should not come into close contact with others.
  • All should adopt safe distancing and good hygiene practices even at home, and encourage your friends and family to do so as well.
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5 Burpee Variations To Burn More Calories

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Burpees are the perfect full-body workout and burn tons of calories. You will burn more calories when you include burpees into your exercise regime. Don’t skip burpees – they will boost your confidence and motivation.

Benefits of burpees

  • Strengthen the abs and core
  • Work your upper body and lower body
  • Require multiple muscle groups which leads to more calories burned!
  • Boost your cardio and muscular endurance
  • Strengthen your willpower to push your limits
  • Fit in great high-intensity workouts with an afterburn effect
  • Require the whole body to work together in a functional way

Here are 5 burpee variations you have to try!

1. 4-count burpees

  1. Start in a squat position with your knees bent, back straight, and your feet about shoulder-width apart.
  2. Lower your hands to the floor in front of you so they’re just inside your feet.
  3. With your weight on your hands, kick your feet back so you’re on your hands and toes, and in a pushup position.
  4. Keeping your body straight from head to heels, do one pushup. Remember not to let your back sag or to stick your butt in the air.
  5. Do a frog kick by jumping your feet back to their starting position.
  6. Stand and reach your arms over your head.
  7. Jump quickly into the air so you land back where you started.
  8. As soon as you land with knees bent, get into a squat position and do another repetition.

2. 6-Count Burpee

  1. Starting position- Standing straight, arms fully extended upward.
  2. Down phase- Knees are in contact with elbows. The hands will remain in this position during the course of the exercise.
  3. Plank position- The feet are projected backwards. The elbow joints are locked at 0 degrees and the back is straight.
  4. Down position- the elbow joints achieve 90-degree flexion on the eccentric phase of the push-up and return to 0-degrees during the concentric phase.
  5. Up phase- Knees are drawn back to the elbows.
  6. Ending position- Standing straight, arms fully extended upward.

3. Flat Out Burpee Tuck Jumps

  1. Start standing with your feet hip-width apart.
  2. Bend and put your hands on the floor and jump your legs back into a high plank. Bend your elbows and lower yourself until your chest and stomach touches the floor.
  3. From here, press into your hands like you’re doing a push-up, extending your arms and bringing your hips off the ground. Jump your feet back under your hips into a squat position, then immediately explode upwards in a tuck jump, driving your knees towards your chest.
  4. Jump as high as you can, raising your knees up, and then try to land softly with bent knees.

4. One-Legged Burpee

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms by your sides.
  2. Bend your knees and reach forward to place your hands on the floor, while also lifting one leg behind you.
  3. Kick your standing leg straight out behind you and immediately lower your entire body down to the ground, bending at the elbows. Keep the lifted leg off the ground the entire time.
  4. Use your arms to quickly push your body back up and hop your standing leg back underneath your body, bringing your floating leg up, slightly bent, so it’s still off the ground.
  5. Jump straight up into the air, reaching arms overhead. Place the floating leg back on the ground after you land, to end in start position.

5. Half Burpees

  1. Start in a deep squat with your legs wider than shoulder-width apart, toes slightly turned out.
  2. Reach forward to place your hands on the floor right beside your ribcage.
  3. Kick your legs straight out behind you and immediately lower your entire body down to the ground, bending at the elbows.
  4. Use your arms to quickly push your body back up, and bring your legs back to the starting position.

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Understand the Truth About Your Health With Garmin Health Monitoring

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

There is a plethora of smartwatches readily available in the market, one to suit your every need. However, understanding what the latest technology offers and how it benefits us might be difficult for many to comprehend. Here is a short breakdown on how these Garmin smartwatch features assist you in making smarter and healthier choices as we get through this difficult time. 

Heart Rate

The heart is the center of all activities in our body. Beyond understanding your health condition, heart rate monitoring allows you to understand the physiological value presented by each heart rate zone and how it can effectively help you to set and achieve your fitness goal. With Garmin’s Elevate technology, it provides accurate data 24/7, allowing you to check your heart rate variation each day and your heart rate condition during exercise. 

Respiratory Rate

Breathing is an important body function that we take for granted daily. Having a low respiration rate is an indication of a healthy body. On average, an adult’s normal respiratory rate is up to 20 breaths per minute (brpm). Under stress, our respiration rate naturally increases to provide more oxygen to the body. However, rapid breathing could result in severe respiratory distress. Doing breathwork exercises help you relax, manage your stress level and improve your concentration and sleep quality. 

Pulse Ox (SpO2)

Pulse Ox (SpO2) is the measurement of your blood oxygen saturation level. While it seems more applicable to athletic individuals in tracking their performance, your blood oxygen saturation can influence your sleep quality as well as your overall well-being. Monitoring of your SpO2 works together with sleep monitoring to aid in understanding your sleep patterns and cycle. Daily checks on your pulse ox can help with managing health conditions through early detection of respiratory issues like pneumonia, where oxygen saturations are lower than normal.

Sleep Monitoring

Having adequate and quality sleep is important in building the first line of defense against illnesses and maintaining healthy body functions. When the body reaches the deep-sleep stage, our body recovers and repairs physically. Whereas in the REM stage, important mental processes such as synthesising memories and emotions happens. When monitored together with the level of blood oxygen saturation and the number of times you toss and turn during your slumber, understand the quality of your rest and how your day could affect your goal of achieving better sleep quality. 

Stress Tracking

Garmin’s smartwatches use heart rate variability to track your stress levels throughout the day. Heart rate variability (HRV) is the measurement of the time interval between heartbeats as opposed to your heart rate which is the number of beats per minute. HRV focuses on the small fluctuation of the heart which would be an indication of sudden stress imposed on your body. 

Moderate Exercises Help Boost Immunity

Boost your immunity by doing at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises each week. A mix of strength and cardio exercises can help to improve the efficiency of blood delivery to the whole body, strengthening your body’s metabolism and promote muscle recovery that aid in building your immunity. Garmin smartwatches provide insights by monitoring the intensity of your workout with your heart rate and provides recommended recovery times to ensure proper rest in between activities.

It is important for us to reconnect with our bodies and take some time to better understand the various health indicators. Monitoring our body paints a clearer picture on the different steps we can take towards making smarter and healthier choices that would benefit us on the long run.

Find out more on Garmin’s health monitoring here. 

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Staying injury-free while running

By
lynnoblast
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When I started my running journey 4 years ago, I didn’t think much about sustaining injuries – after all, I’m young and it’s just simple running, right…? Wrong. I soon learnt that even running short distances can injure a person if it isn’t done properly. Here are some lessons I’ve learnt based on my experiences!

1. Always do a proper warm-up and cool down.

It’s important to warm up your muscles and get your heart rate up before the run so that they don’t get a shock when you first start running, which may cause undue stress on both your muscles and heart. Also, after your run, you should properly stretch your muscles to ensure that the lactic acid doesn’t build up in your muscles. It also helps to gradually lower your heart rate after a workout.

This is the warm-up I usually do before a run! It’s simple and warms up the legs slightly.

My cool-down stretches will cover most of the muscle groups involved in running:
– calf stretches (lunge position against a wall)
– ITB stretches (Cross your legs while standing and bend your body down towards the opposite side from the direction you crossed. Eg, if you cross your right leg over your left, then you bend towards your left)
– thigh stretches (lift one leg up towards your butt and use your hand to hold it there) 
– glute stretches (in a sitting position, open your legs to stretch your inner thigh. Then, cross one ankle onto the other thigh, and bend your torso downwards. Repeat for the other leg.) 

2. Watch your posture when running

When I run in the parks or park connectors, I see a lot of people having different running postures that will result in injury in the long run, pun intended. Watch YouTube videos to see the correct posture you should adopt – hands should be loosely held at 90 degrees, near your body. Torso should be kept straight, yet not stiff. It helps if your core is strong enough to maintain your posture. For your legs, landing on your midfoot is the best and most efficient running posture to prevent impact on your knees. Try to keep your feet pointed forward rather than outwards/inwards (I’ve been seeing a lot of this!) If you’re unable to sustain a good running posture, you should consider doing some exercises for core strength, calf raises, squats and lunges.

For strength training exercises, I recommend blogilates and global triathlon network. They have very good exercises to strengthen various muscle groups!

3. Wear a good pair of shoes suitable for your feet

It is extremely important to wear a pair of good shoes! Not all expensive shoes are good for everyone. You need to try and see which type of shoes are suitable for you. For example, I have really bad bunions and wide feet. Because of that, I need shoes that have a wide top, as well as good support so as not to strain the ligaments in my feet since they are already strained due to my bunion. I tried a pair of shoes that had better cushioning (hence, softer) but it ended up giving me a lot of pain in my foot and toes. I ended up reverting back to Asics, which I feel gives me the best support and gel cushioning, even though they are heavier.

Just 3 simple ways to get you started on being injury-free while you run! Hope this helps (:

Note: any reference to any brand/youtuber is based on my personal experience and I did not receive any form of reward in any way.

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Strengthen Your Core with These Moves!

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Your core is your center of gravity, and a strong core allows for stronger functional movement throughout exercise and everyday life. Whether you realize it or not, you should be engaging your core constantly whether you are doing a workout, standing in the kitchen cooking a meal, or sitting down at work. A strong core will help prevent injury and promote more efficient workouts overall.

Here’s how you can build strength in your core, with absolutely no equipment and at the comfort of your own home.

Hollowman

Lie down flat on your back and contract the abs, pulling the belly button towards the floor. The arms and legs should be held straight out from the body with hands and toes pointed. Slowly raise shoulders and legs from the ground.

Planks

Planks are an ideal exercise for the abdominal muscles exactly because they engage all major core muscle groups including the transverse abdominus, the rectus abdominus, the external oblique muscle, and the glutes. Read more about 8 plank variations that will strengthen your core.

Leg Raise

Lie on a mat on the floor, face-up, legs extended. Place your hands underneath your lower back and glutes so your pelvis is supported. Begin to raise your legs toward the ceiling, pressing your thighs together and keeping the legs straight. Lift until your hips are fully flexed and you can’t go any higher with straight legs, then lower back down and repeat.

V-sit

Sit with legs extended and torso off the ground, your body forming a V shape

Superman Pull

Lie flat on your stomach with your arms straight out in front of you. Raise your arms and feet off the floor, keeping your core flat on the ground. Hold the raised position for three seconds and then lower your arms and feet back to the floor.

Try to incorporate these core exercises and feel the difference in your body!

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Expert Series: How do you stay physically, mentally and/or nutritionally healthy during this period? – James Yeo (Sports Nutritionist)

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

In view of the current COVID-19 situation and measures implemented by the governments, we have asked some of the experts to share some tips with our running and sports community on how to stay physically, mentally and/or nutritionally healthy during this period.

1. How do we stay active or physically healthy during this period, considering that we are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible?

Thankfully, stay-home exercises have been introduced way before the pandemic. While we might not be able to hit high strength goals due to the limitations of weights (unless you have your own squat rack at home or something), many of us will still be able to hit maintenance and weight loss goals rather easily at the comfort of our homes.

The principles of training are generally the same whether at home or in the gym, but a little bit of creativity might be required. You can give Circuit or Interval training a go, take a jog outside of the home, or transform the staircase right outside your house into your “cardio machine”. You can also consider doing bodyweight exercises to increase range of motion, functionality, or muscular endurance.

2. How do we stay calm during this stressful period?

We don’t.

I get that times are hard and stressful for many of us during this period. The transition of work from the office to home has caused a topsy turvy transformation for many of our schedules and thus, caused us to feel stressed. While we shouldn’t stay stressed and shocked for the time to come, it is important to stay real and embrace how you are feeling, so that you can acknowledge where you are right now, and decide what needs to be done about it. So I would definitely say that step one is to stay true to your feelings and be real with yourself.

Once you feel better, a good idea would be to write down everything you need to do that you can control, and just allocate time throughout the week to get it done. If you can’t control it, don’t worry too much about it right away. After all, like the coronavirus, you can’t control what you can’t control. What you can though, is your time and how you use it to solve your problems. With time allocated and committed to getting things back on track, it’s really a commitment and process game. Great results always come from great processes, and during this time, if your plan is good, and the time spent on executing your plans are solid, you’ll be fine in no time.

3. Are there any simple nutrition plans, tips or recipes that we can follow?

Simple nutrition tips

1. Get a lot of vegetables to fill on the plate.

Since you are not moving as much, you will not need much energy too. Filling the plate with vegetables will help keep your food volume similar while reducing the calories to what your body probably needs currently.

2. Prepare your ingredients in advance.

Shave time off your main cooking time by chopping your vegetables and marinating your meat in advance. Feel free to buy frozen vegetables if you must – many of them are chopped and prepped, and the super low temperature keeps nutrients locked in. Preparing your ingredients in advance will save you hours when you cook for yourself or your family.

3. Invest in time-saving kitchen equipment.

You don’t need to spend an hour in the kitchen to cook your meals, and you certainly do not need to be a masterchef to feed yourself with nice food. Investing in time-saving kitchen tools like an oven, a blender, a sous-vide machine and/or a rice cooker can help you get a nice meal out at a fraction of the time you need to spend in the kitchen.

4. If it doesn’t fit the goal, it doesn’t go into the kitchen.

If you are like me, and you’re cooped up at home all day long, there’ll only be one thing you want to do: SNACK.

It could be because you’re bored or stressed, but the one answer to feeling comfortable again is most definitely going to be food. While you don’t have to stop eating nor snacking, you do want to avoid dishing in too many high-calorie products into your body.

A typical rule of thumb I would share with my clients is to not keep anything that doesn’t fit their fitness goal in their house. Unfortunately, it’s easier to say than to do so if you absolutely must have that packet of potato chips in the house, hide it somewhere you can’t see.

Meanwhile, choose snacks that might help your fitness goals. A lean protein snack like eggs or lean beef jerkies will come in handy to regulate your appetite, while fruits and vegetables will help you get some of the nutrients you need.

5. Always, always have emergency food lying around

I use this nifty trick as a way to avoid the hungry hippo situation. Yes, the one where you eat a truckload of junk food because you do not feel like cooking, or have simply too much work to do and when you finally feel hungry, the hippo effect hits fast and next thing you know, you ate a cow.

Keeping low to no cooked food around like skimmed milk, yoghurts, oatmeal, muesli salad greens or pre-chopped fruits allows you to have food when you are hungry, and therefore avoid moving towards the excuse of convenience due to the lack of healthy food available. You can easily mix some oats, milk, nuts and berries together to get a healthy meal ready in less than 2 minutes.

6. Keep things simple.

Ultimately, practical nutrition is not supposed to be hard. If you prepare in advance, build up a routine and have a few useful recipes to curb your hunger according to your own goals and preference, cooking in the kitchen should and will be super easy. And if not, plan some days out that gives you an allowance to order out. At least in Singapore, we have multiple options to consider eating out at, so you will be fine.


ABOUT JAMES YEO




James also holds rich experiences in both the exercise and performance nutrition industry. His experience includes sports coaching, personal training and was even a sports scientist for a well-known government corporation.

With a niche in weight management and sports performance, James is a sports nutritionist at Core Collective who empowers different individuals, including competitive athletes, salespeople, and busy business owners to achieve their fitness goals in the most successful and sustainable way possible.

Holding multiple qualifications from both exercise science and nutrition, James links both exercise and nutrition together to paint a fuller picture on how to better measure and manage your health, fitness, and nutrition to reach out to your goals. He believes that eating towards your best body doesn’t require any sacrifice in taste.

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David Beckham and Tottenham Hotspur to share healthy living tips during the circuit-breaker

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Photo credit: AIA Singapore

While sporting arenas have fallen silent in coronavirus times, AIA Global Ambassador David Beckham, celebrated coach Jose Mourinho and the stars of Tottenham Hotspur have come together to remind us that the virus outbreak can never put a damper on the true value of sportsmanship. Our shared love for sports continues to be a powerful platform to positively impact people’s lives.

Through a series of episodes, it will speak to the importance of taking even small actions to improve our health and wellness, whether relating to getting sufficient sleep, spending time with family and friends, eating well or getting enough exercise.

The episodes include a focus on the importance of getting sufficient sleep, which raises awareness of the physical and mental benefits of sleep. In one episode, David Beckham meets South Korea’s Son Heung-Min and Brazil’s Lucas Moura, both of whom credit stable sleep patterns as one of the major factors in boosting their performance in training and on the pitch.

Alongside Spurs in-house experts, they discuss how the Club supports them in establishing good routines, getting enough quality sleep and offer tips everyone can use in their daily lives. The Spurs team emphasize how the combination of all these individual actions can really help to increase both mental and physical fitness. At a time when we are all focussed on our health, doing what we can to help us be stronger, fitter and boost our immunity has never been more important.

Stay tuned!

Photo credit: AIA Singapore

“As new club owner with Inter Miami CF, I want to help our team be the best they can be. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn about Spurs’ pioneering approach to player health and wellness and to get insight from a manager as experienced and successful as Jose was a real privilege. There is a lot of science and new thinking in the game since I was a player but it’s clear that simple things like a solid routine and great sleep are still really important.”

– David Beckham, Football Legend & International Sporting Icon

About Tottenham Hotspur

Founded in 1882, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club has a tradition of playing an entertaining and attacking style of football. The English Premier League Club, based in North London, reached the final of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in its history in the 2018/2019 season having already secured qualification for Europe’s elite competition for the fourth year in a row.

In April 2019, the Club opened a new 62,303-seat stadium that sits at the heart of a £1billion sport-led regeneration of North Tottenham. The stadium is the largest football club stadium in London and is a multi-use venue with the ability to host a variety of events 365 days a year, including NFL, rugby, concerts and other major events.

When complete, the stadium development scheme will support 3,500 new jobs with £293m pumped into the local economy each year – an increase of 1,700 new jobs and £166m in local spending per year

Tottenham Hotspur also has:

  • A fan base of more than 460 million followers worldwide including 272 highly engaged, mobilised and official Supporters’ Clubs
  • A £100m state-of-the-art Training Centre that supports the Club’s ambition to attract, develop and retain the best talent
  • Commercial partnerships with globally-recognised brands including AIA Group Limited (AIA), one of the world’s leading providers of life insurance services, and Nike, the world’s leading sports footwear and apparel company
  • An award-winning Foundation that has created three million opportunities to help enhance the lives of people in its local community through education, employment, health and social inclusion programmes

The initiative is underpinned by AIA’s purpose-led brand promise of helping people to live Healthier, Longer, Better Lives. It sees David Beckham visit Spurs’ training ground and stadium where he met with Head Coach Jose Mourinho, first team players, coaches and nutritionists. David Beckham and members of the Spurs team discuss the simple health and lifestyle choices everyone can make to improve their health, whether a professional player or not.

Both David Beckham and Spurs are playing a key role in making AIA synonymous with Healthier, Longer, Better Lives, through leveraging the power of football to reach millions across the Asia-Pacific region.

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How Can A Climber Machine Help You Become A Better Runner

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Now more than ever it is of utmost importance to make sure your body is in its best condition possible. With that, there is no better form of exercise to push your body to its potential limits than running. 

There are many ways you can go about running and getting the most out of what can often be a daily experience for many, but there are few better techniques than when it comes to using a climber machine to push yourself to your limits.

A Major Calorie Burner

When using a climber machine, it ensures that you are getting the most out of the effort you are putting into your exercise. The climber machine ensures that all the major muscles in your body are working together in harmony as one, as well as increasing your body’s metabolism, which will make sure that your body is burning more calories in less time in comparison to other exercise machines like treadmills and rowing machines. It is clear, especially from websites like bestybesty, where they list a ton of pros that come with using a climber machine and even show candidates for climber machines you might want to consider buying if you do not already have one.

Intensity

For anybody who has worked out using a climber machine, you’ll know, it is not easy. In comparison to the more common similar workout machines like treadmills, rowing machines, or bikes, it is clear why they are not most people’s go-to machines when it comes to working out. That reason being pretty simple, it is harder and does more of a toll on your body in comparison to those other machines. However, should you commit to using a climber machine, it is as clear as day why they are more beneficial to use instead of the bikes, rowing machines or treadmills, despite how commonplace those machines are in our society. You will see faster and better results using a climber machine, so, despite its difficulty, stick with it, you won’t regret it when the results start showing.

Practicality

The weight loss and muscle intensity of climber machines are huge beneficial areas that the machine has over its competitors. However, there are also more pressing selling points for climber machines, some of which are stated here. 

The practicality of a climber machine is another of the main selling points when it comes to items that can improve your running ability and overall fitness. Climber machines are relatively cheap when it comes to market value for work-out machines, and are relatively easy to get a hang of once you have made the step toward purchasing one. 

The benefits of being able to use one from the comfort and peace of mind that comes from within your own home are something that many people longing for. Whether they are only starting to get into working out, or whether they are long-term gym enthusiasts. The idea of having the ability to do work out in your own time, whenever you want, with nobody watching is the perfect scenario for a bulk of people who work out consistently.

In addition, a climber machine is one of the simplest and easy-going machines to get the hang of. Yes, I stated it can be intense, but that is only for people who want that intensity. If you have nothing to do and are just plain bored, why not just hop on the climber machine for a while and get in some beneficial exercise. It is simple to get used to.

How Does A Climber Machine Make Me A Better Runner?

Using a climber machine consistently can help you learn to sustain your stamina in running, as well as help you learn to regulate your pacing when running. 

The verticality aspect of a climbing machine will also train you to learn to overcome and sustain your strength when attempting to overcome challenging or steep slopes. A climber machine is also an incredible reliever of pain for people who may potentially struggle with joint pain and joint problems in general. These can also be a great way to slow any potential fast-tracking of a joint disease you may have.

However, do not hesitate and ensure that you contact a medical professional before committing to using any form of gym machine in an attempt to help or alleviate any joint pain or joint diseases that you may have been diagnosed with. Nonetheless, along with all these reasons, the general exercise and health benefits that it will have for your body will help you in almost every aspect of becoming a better runner.

So, Should I Get A Running Machine?

In short, yes. If you are looking to become a better runner or just train yourself in general, there are few exercise machines that yield faster results when consistently used than a climber machine.

They are relatively cheap, readily available, and are incredibly efficient in comparison to their gym-market competitors like bikes and treadmills. Climber machines are the perfect gym machine for you to become a better runner, or in general, a healthier and more active person, so I would not hesitate to advise you to go for one over other machines if any of these goals are applicable to you.

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How Essential Oils Are Used To Relieve Pain And Promote Relaxation

By
Team JustRunLah!
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Essential oils are becoming more popular as each day rolls by. More people are becoming aware of the vast benefits these therapeutic oils offer and go all the way out to purchase them for physical and mental use. Essential oils are known to provide relaxation and relieve pain. Presently, it is commonplace to find these amazing products in spas, drugstores, salons, offices, and other activity-filled places.

Due to the myriad of essential oils out there, it becomes challenging to opt for the ideal product that suits your personality and needs. Besides, there are essential oils that are ineffective due to their substandard quality. If you intend to soothe a particular pain in your body or relax and meditate, you need the right essential oil. To get the ideal product, it is important to know their functionalities.

If you would like to know more about essential oils, please visit this link: https://zenveaessentialoils.com/essential-oils-uses/.

Choosing Essential Oils That Meet Your Condition

One way to find out the essential oil that will address your health condition or help you achieve some health goals is to experiment. When purchasing these products, do not use a one-size-fits-all approach, as each product is tailored to meet some specific needs.

To begin with, understand your health challenge or desire. In the case of relieving pain, you need to get an essential oil that has the right amount of nutrition targeted to relieve the pain; this could be a swollen joint or injury. The same also applies to relaxation. The following include some essential oils and the health issues they resolve:

  • Peppermint: General pain relief, head tension, joint pain and function, muscle pain, enhanced energy.
  • Frankincense: Inflammation and relaxation.
  • Lemon: Energy and immune support and defence against viral, bacterial, and fungal infections.
  • Grapefruit & rosemary: Energy
  • Roman chamomile & ylang ylang: Relaxation
  • Copaiba, marjoram & Cypress: Joint pain and function

In general, essential oils are linked to stress relief and relaxation. For this reason, they are widely used by massage therapists. Their benefits are backed with scientific facts; presently, there are over 17,000 medical studies on the therapeutic benefits of essential oils that are channelled towards several health concerns. For each essential oil that is produced, there is a distinct combination of medicinal properties. An example is peppermint oil; this oil contains certain cooling and anti-inflammatory properties which makes it an ideal option for soothing chronic pain. Whereas oils like lavender possess sedative properties that relieve stress and tension, relax the body and mind.

Essential oils are also ideal for the promotion of digestion, detoxification, and hormonal balance. Hence, understanding what you want is key to getting the right essential oil for your condition. When applying an essential oil to your skin, ensure that you dilute it in a carrier oil. Aside from the fact that it reduces the harshness of such oils on your skin, it also retains the oil on your skin longer. Some carrier oils include jojoba oil, almond oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, and the rest.

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Zach Bitter To Attempt 100 Miles Treadmill World Record on 16 May 2020

By
Team JustRunLah!
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During this time of the COVID-19 virus epidemic where staying indoors is encouraged, American extreme endurance runner Zach Bitter will be attempting another world record – the 100 Miles (160 km) Treadmill World Record. This feat will be taking place on 16 May and streamed ‘live’ on the SFuels YouTube Channel at 6.30am PST (9.30pm in Singapore/Malaysia).

For this world record attempt, Zach will be wearing the PURPOSE PRO Performance running top and shorts for the entire duration. Runners from all over the world are invited to run with him via Zoom. Funds will also be raised for charity ‘Fight for the Forgotten’. Runners all over Southeast Asia can join him in his run via Zoom video – only limited to 250 runners, you may register at https://www.sfuelsgolonger.com/100miletreadmill.

Zach currently holds the 100 Miles Run (160 km) World Record with a time of 11 hours 19 minutes 13 seconds and also holds the World Record for Distance Run in 12-Hours with 104.88 miles (168.8 km) – a record he has set three times.

A multi-year partnership between PURPOSE Performance Wear and Zach will have Zach wearing PURPOSE for all his training and races. Besides athlete sponsorship, Zach will also be heavily involved with PURPOSE in the development of new and future running collections that will carry Zach Bitter’s brand name on them – a collaboration that will take both parties to new levels.

From Singapore, PURPOSE is a fast-growing brand in Southeast Asia. With achievements in triathlon and cycling apparel – the trisuit worn by current Ironman World Championship Age Group World Record Holder Dr Dan Plews, as well as Team Australia II’s cycling team who were runners-up at Race Across America – PURPOSE aims to bring similar successes into running with Zach.

Zach brings top-level performance in the ultra-running field, and together with PURPOSE, the goal is to create products to further cater to the needs of runners around the world. Zach primarily race distances of 50km up to 200km on trail, road, and track. He has competed on Team USA’s 100km World Championship Team on three occasions. Other notable performances by Zach include wins at both the San Diego 100 and Javelina 100. He also holds the 9th fastest time at the historic JFK 50 Mile.

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Expert Series: How do you stay physically, mentally and/or nutritionally healthy during this period? – Jing Zhi Chua (Running Coach)

By
Team JustRunLah!
-

In view of the current COVID-19 situation and measures implemented by the governments, we have asked some of the experts to share some tips with our running and sports community on how to stay physically, mentally and/or nutritionally healthy during this period.

1. How do we stay active or physically healthy during this period, considering that we are encouraged to stay at home as much as possible?

The fundamentals of staying active and physically healthy remain the same: Set outcome goals, set process goals, and then execute. 

The considerations of setting fitness outcome goals, for example, ‘doing 30 push-ups’ remain much the same pre-COVID-19. 

Event-based outcome goals are harder to set because mass participation events are likely one of the last to return as the world progressively reopens.

Three ways you can work around that is to sign up for virtual events, aim for an event later in the calendar, and do individual time-trials. 

Process goals like working out every day or leaving your seat to move every 45 minutes keep you on track to your outcome goal.

Ultimately, having goals help. 

As for execution, things are more challenging because of space, equipment, and social limitations. 

But one thing almost everyone can do is to put more focus on strength and conditioning fundamentals, which consists mostly of bodyweight workouts and mobility work. You can do these at home. 

The next step will be to follow a structured strength and conditioning plan. For this, you might need home-gym equipment or improvisation. 

Another place to start is generic workouts that are in abundance on the internet. They work excellent for the short term or if you know what you’re doing. In the long run, it might lead to overuse injuries, and eventually, a personalized approach is more sustainable. 

Regardless of your fitness understanding, the current period is an excellent time to find out more about your body through the help of professionals or self-exploration. Paying attention to your mental, physical, and emotional strength and conditioning is one of the best investments to make now.

2. How do we stay calm during this stressful period?

There’re plenty of mental strategies you can adopt. The one which worked best for me was to sense-make, plan for the worst, and then forge ahead. 

Like many, I struggled with adjusting at first. The turning point came after I tried to make sense of the change the world is going through.

During this period, plenty of paid information is cheaper or even free, so I took advantage and tuned in to more webinars, podcasts, and news. I gathered the content and analyzed them.

The result is a written piece about the most probable future for our lifestyles, the economy, and various industries. 

I sent a summary of my thoughts to my employees to let them know what things are going to be like in the days ahead and made sure that they know everyone’s taken care of. 

I’m not sure how useful it was for them, but having a better sense of the future helped me set new personal goals and direction for the company. 

Since then, every day has had more resemblance to another working day, and it has been easier to stay calm.

3. Are there any simple nutrition plans, tips or recipes that we can follow?

Yes, there are, but first I have to make a disclaimer that I’m not a professional in this area. 

I subscribe to a whole-food plant-based diet for compassionate reasons, and I find it meaningful, healthy, and sustainable.

4. Are there any recommendations on resources (youtube channel/video, social media pages, blogs, books, podcasts etc) to refer to?

For fitness and wellness goals, I believe the most efficient way to learn is to talk to a professional. I recommend seeking out residents of Core Collective, which is a co-working space for such professionals.

My team at Second Wind Nation is also working on an app that aims to mass-personalize structured strength and conditioning and running training plans. Follow us at our Instagram or Facebook for more updates.


ABOUT JING ZHI CHUA

Jung Zhi Chua is a Running Coach and the Founder of Second Wind Nation.

Jing Zhi is also a swim and bike coach who has worked with clients ranging from Southeast Asia’s top marathoners and triathletes to absolute beginners and injured folks. His services are sought after by international brands like Pocari Sweat, New Balance, and Polar.

His skillsets include biomechanical assessment, strength and conditioning, and training program design.

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