Get active and invest in your future
A Sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for health these days.
Until a few decades ago, most of us exercised as part of our daily routine (farming, housework, walking everywhere, manual labour etc).
Sedentary behaviours pose many problems; some of them more obvious than others. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with numerous chronic diseases – from diabetes, blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis and gallstones to colon and breast cancer.
Inactivity also doubles the risk of obesity and increases the chances of developing anxiety and depression.
The Healthy Ireland recommendation is that Adults are active for at least 30 minutes a day of ‘moderate activity’ 5 days a week (or 150 minutes a week). For young people, the recommendation is an hour a day.
To sustain exercise throughout our lives, it is important to make it part of our regular routine. When you look at the habits of those that live long and healthy lives, the healthiest centenarians, they integrate exercise naturally into their daily lives through gardening, walking to work or regular walks, household activities etc.
From my own experience the most important thing is do something you enjoy. It should be fun and feel meaningful. If we are only doing things out of discipline, they don’t last.
We all have different personalities and things we love to do. Some love the gym. Some love yoga or Tai Chi. Some love to walk, run or cycle. Some love to swim. Some love to walk in forests or hills. Some love to dance. Some love to do solitary things and some love exercise to be social too.
As well as the more obvious health costs of physical inactivity, there are significant social and economic costs which are often overlooked regarding sedentary habits. Inactive children are more vulnerable to having poorer self- esteem, and higher anxiety and stress levels. In Ireland, they are also more likely to use alcohol and illegal drugs and smoke.
Working adults that are inactive have double the number of days of absenteeism from work compared with employees who are physically active. In later life, inactive people more easily lose basic strength and flexibility and ultimately are quicker to lose independence. They also suffer from poorer mental health.
If you want to get more active, have a look at your own lifestyle and see how you can best do this. The most successful exercise regimes are those that are an integral part of daily life. And if exercise is fun, you are more likely to continue.
Dancing is one form of exercise that is becoming increasingly popular. I have a number of friends that love dancing and it is easy to see why. It is a fun way to exercise and connect with others. It makes you feel great. Like meditation, it builds connection and focus.
If you aren’t drawn by dancing, go for a walk, go for a hike, try yoga. Play football with your friends and or kids.. There are so many possibilities. Take the stairs at work. Park 10 minutes from where you are going. Take a walk at lunch time. The list goes on. And if you are planning a class, make sure it is something that you enjoy If you are not sure, keep trying until you find what you love.
Get out and get active. It is not only an investment in your future. It will also make you happier, healthier and more productive today. Wishing you an active week! The kids are barely back at school and already I have had parents rushing in for head lice treatments. So it’s a good time to remind you of the natural chemical free remedies that are available to deal with this issue.
It can be extremely frustrating if your child gets them, and many parents are embarrassed by it. Lice are attracted to clean hair and some children seem to be more prone to attracting them than others.
If you’re looking for natural chemical-free head lice treatments here are some options.
Licener Head Lice treatment shampoo is a clinically proven treatment which is intended to kill both the head lice and the eggs in one treatment. Licener has proven its effectiveness through clinical studies done on children suffering with head lice. The good thing is that it’s easy to use: you simply apply to dry hair and leave for 10 minutes, then rinse.
Combing with a head lice comb will remove the dead lice/eggs.
The active ingredient in Licener is Neem which is a natural insecticide. It’s suitable for 2 years plus.
Nitty Gritty is another popular head lice treatment. Use on tangle-free dry hair, leave for 20 minutes and gently comb the solution through the hair with a nit comb. Repeat after 10 days. When you have successfully cleared the lice you can use Nitty Gritty head lice defence spray every day to prevent re-infection.
If you prefer not to use liquid treatments you could use the Nitty Gritty Nit Free Comb. The comb will remove the eggs which stick to the hair shaft, and also remove the live lice. The comb is a once off purchase. You just need to persevere with it and have the patience to comb the hair regularly. However, for best results, most people use Nitty Gritty head lice solution as well as the Nitty Gritty Comb.
Tea Tree oil is a natural repellent, always use a good quality brand like Atlantic Aromatic.
You simply add a couple of drops of Tea Tree to your family shampoo and use it as normal. You could add several drops to a spray bottle of water and spray your child’s head daily before going to school as a preventative measure.
Take a look at these natural chemical free solutions to head lice.