When most of us think of gardening, we think of a nice, leisuredly stroll around our gardening areas, assessing what looks like it needs some TLC, watering our plants, and maybe pulling a few weeds, but whenever I “garden”, it’s always a couple of hours since I have several decorative beds to tend to, and I’m planning on also starting a small vegetable garden, so it’s actually quite straining to garden for me.

I really didn’t know that this was a major problem overseas, but apparently the thin – like anorexic thin – model craze has gone way overboard in France, where I typically like to think of them having a healthy attitude toward weight and eating.

The craze has gotten so out of control in France, where fashion reigns supreme and women are keenly aware of the way they dress and look, that the government there has proposed a ground breaking bill that would make it illegal – that’s right ILLEGAL – to support or otherwise incite extremely low body weight.

I just got my first jog in, outdoors of course, for the spring season. It’s April, and here in Ohio, it seems we are all going a little stir crazy since we’ve been cooped up for another long winter. And of course, we got all of our worst snow for the winter season at the end of the winter, so we are all ready to break out the bikes, boats, skateboards, rollerblades, and other outdoor fitness equipment and accessories, and get outdoors where the air is fresh and we can hear the birds singing again.

I’ve loved yoga from the moment I first tried it years ago. There’s just something that instills such a sense of peace and tranquility in the moves, and there’s something about it that also makes you feel strong, but not bulky as well. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a super yogi who can bend her body in the most insane poses and hold it forever or anything like that.

Back pain and back injuries are extremely common as a source of work absences and in the more severe form can cause early disability for many Americans. There are precautions that you can take to minimize the risk of injury to your back and decrease the chance of living with chronic back pain. When you are in a seated position for an extended period of time, such as on an airplane or in your car, tuck a little pillow behind your lower back. This will support the curve of your waist which will leave your joints and muscles in a more relaxed position.

Exercise seems to be a debate whenever someone is in an altered state from what their “normal” is. It’s no different for expecting moms. One time you hear that exercise should be strictly limited, and more and more now though, you are hearing that exercise not only benefits the mom, but it also benefits the baby in her womb. We are talking moderate exercise though here, not any kind of contortionist, heavy lifting and heavy cardio work type of exercise.

We just purchased a far infrared sauna for several different reasons, and we’re already loving the relaxing and soothing effects this heating machine has on our muscles both after workouts and at night after a busy and stressful day at work when mucsle tension seems to take over at night. What makes an infrared sauna different from regular saunas though?

My boyfriend and I have recently gotten a far infrared sauna installed in our basement, and we really purchased it because both of us have problems with both our necks and backs due to car accidents and other unknown injuries. Before purchasing our sauna, I had done a lot of reading about the different types of saunas available on the market today, and came up with two basic types.

The first is an “old school” sauna that uses normal, circulating heat to heat the cabin to very high temperatures and heat the surface of your body with a dry heat to produce perspiration.

Yep, that’s right, all those boring chores around your home, or more specifically, those projects that seem to never end around the house, like painting a room, picking up the yard, landscaping, shampooing the rugs, or sanding floors or decks, are excellent for the heart and getting the heart rate up in ways that you don’t get from your everyday exercise on treadmills, ellipticals and the like.

I have to admit, I was no fan of the big blow up fitness balls, or balance balls if that’s what you call them, that are found in many gyms now. I do know a lot of people who swear by balance balls though, and say that they rely on them to strengthen their “core”, which is their belly, or abs. They also are hailed as a great benefit for those with back troubles because they do essentially help strengthen the “core”, which is essential to having a strong back that is more resistant to injury.