Tuesday 27 April 2021

How to Get Active Without the Intensity!

{Collaborative Content} There are so many reasons why people might not want or be able to exercise in a physically intensive kind of way. Some people have physical conditions that stop them from doing that kind of exercise, and other people simply don’t like or enjoy it. It’s up to you to make sure that you workout in a way that works for you. And if you’re looking for less intense options, the exercises below will serve you well and offer what you’re looking for.

Yoga or Pilates

Yoga and pilates are very good forms of exercise for people who also want to relax and feel mental health benefits from the activities they do. There’s a lot more to yoga and pilates than many people realise, and you need to take the time to learn the ropes if you want to do them properly. Lucky there are online tutorials and classes that can help you with that if you like.

Go Swimming

Swimming is one of the best ways to be active for people who have weight problems, weak joints or other muscle issues. That’s because being in the water gives us a sense of weightlessness and our weight isn’t having to be supported by our joints. It’s a way of being active without creating that impact on our joints and body in general that comes with other types of exercise.



Or Water Workouts

As well as swimming, there are many other water workouts that you can make the most of. Water aerobics have long been popular with older people for the same reasons discussed in the previous paragraph. But they can be just as beneficial for all kinds of people, so give them a try if something you’re interested in and you feel you would benefit from.

Make Long Walks a Regular Occurrence

Making long walks a regular part of your routine is definitely a good idea. Walking is not intense and doesn’t involve the physical exertion that comes with running and jogging. You can invest in a good pair of anti chafing shorts and supportive shoes, and from there you’ll be ready to walk long distances in comfort and reap the health benefits that come with doing so.

Put On Your Dancing Shoes

Dancing is another great way to get physically active and it’s something you might want to look into if you’ve never tried it before. It can be very intense depending on the type of dancing you choose to do, but it certainly doesn’t have to be and that’s what matters most. So why not put on your dancing shoes and give it a try? It could be just what you need.

The intensity with which you workout is not always the thing that matters most. Just because you’re not interested in intense forms of exercise, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t exercise and be active. Movement is always important and helps our bodies in a multitude of ways, so make the most of the tips above.

Friday 23 April 2021

How to Take Control of your Life

{Collaborative content} Taking control of your life and your situation might sound easy in theory. But it’s no coincidence that so many of us feel as if we don’t have control of our lives and living situations. It’s so easy to feel as if life is overtaking you and passing you by in certain ways. But you don’t have to accept the situation as it is because there are ways in which you can take control and put yourself in the driving seat. Read on to find out more about doing that.


Reassess Your Priorities

First of all, you should take the time to assess your properties and reassess the direction you’ve been taking in life. If you’re feeling a loss of control, the chances are that things aren’t going exactly how you want them to and that something needs to change.

Act on the Conclusions of Those Reassessments 

Once you’ve taken the time to reassess the things that are important to you in your life and the things that aren’t, you need to act on the conclusions that you come to. If you fail to do that, you’ll make the mistake of knowing what the problem is but not actually doing anything to change it.

Focus on the Things You Can Control

Focusing on the things that you control is always better than worrying about the things that you definitely can’t. If you make the mistake of focusing on things that are out of your control, you’ll only make yourself feel even more powerless and that’s definitely not what you want. So try to focus on the things that are most important to you and the things that you can control to some extent.

Pursue Hobbies and Interests That Mean Something to You

If you want to make sure that you feel in control of your time and the things you focus on, you should try to find a hobby that works for you. If there’s something you always wanted to try or learn more about but haven’t because of other people’s judgment or simply being unsure, why not just go for it? Learn tarot card reading with this introduction to tarot, learn a new language or try skydiving if you want to. Why should anything be off limits? 

Stop Trying So Hard to Satisfy Everyone Else

Finally, you need to make sure that you stop trying so hard to keep everyone else happy. Of course, you want those you love to be happy, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pursue the things that are important to you and the things that will make you happy in life. Not everyone’s needs need to come before yours all the time because that’s not sustainable for you.

As you can see, there are plenty of steps that can be taken to ensure you remain in control of your situation and your life. After all, your life is yours to live and you don’t need to live by other people’s rules if there are other paths that you want to explore in your life. 

Friday 9 April 2021

The Ultimate New Baby Health Buys.

{Collaborative Content} When you have a baby on the way, the sheer amount of stuff you need to buy is almost unbelievable. Before you know it, your home will more baby items than you know what to do with.


Alongside all of the cute clothes and baby toys, it’s also a good idea to have a range of items that can help you to deal with all of those infant coughs and colds they might get. Here are a few items that parents swear by. 

A First Aid App
Many parents to be take specialist infant first aid classes before the birth of their baby. This is an excellent way to build up knowledge and confidence. Remembering everything you learn in these can be difficult. There are a number of great apps that you can download that will be able to give you information on treating illnesses and detecting symptoms. 

Make sure you use one that is produced or recommended by the NHS so that you know the information is accurate and in line with current medical advice. It can often help you to make a decision on whether to visit a pharmacist, make an appointment with an online gp or see a doctor. 

Thermometer
A temperature is often one of the first signs that your child is under the weather. You can often detect a fever by placing your hand on the chest or back of your baby. But if you have hands that are usually too hot or too cold then it might be more difficult to tell how hot they are. That’s where a thermometer comes in very handy. You can track your child’s temperature accurately. Various types of thermometer exist and can cost anything from a few pounds to almost £100. 

You can buy digital thermometers that can be placed in the mouth, but these are often difficult to use with babies who tend to be uncooperative. Easier options are in-ear thermometers or infrared ones which you don’t even need to touch your baby with. They simply need to be placed near your baby’s head. These are extra useful for taking the temperature of a fussy or sleeping baby that you don’t want to wake up.
 
Nasal Suction Bulb 
When your little one has a blocked nose, it can make them really fussy and affect how they eat and sleep. That’s where this ingenious little device comes in. It’s a complete suction bulb that you use to remove the blockage from your baby’s nose and make them a lot more comfortable.

Extra Mattress Protectors
A baby who is vomiting or has diarrhoea is likely to produce a lot of mess. While you can wash clothes and sheets, you want to protect the mattress of your crib or cot. It’s best to have more than one mattress protector so that you can swap over quickly when you need to. 

Fever Reducing Medicine
Babies have their own brands of medicine, often Nurofen or Calpol. These are used to reduce pain and fever when your baby is ill. Having a supply of these in the house can be a great help when your baby is feeling unwell. Be sure to read the label carefully and follow the correct dosing instructions for your child. 

Even though they are designed to taste nice to kids, babies often won’t take them well from a spoon. Some brands come with a really handy syringe that you can use to feed the medicine straight into their mouth.
 
Colic relief
Colic can be really distressing condition for parents as well as the baby. It involved prolonged periods of intense crying and discomfort that can last for hours. The exact cause of colic isn’t clear but it doesn’t cause any long term harm even though it’s an incredibly difficult time in any parenting journey. 

There are a number of products on the market that can provide some relief from colic. Gripe Water, Infacol and Colief are the most well known. 

Always get colic diagnosed by your GP or health visitor to rule out any other issues.

Antiseptic Cream
There are so many uses for a tub of Sudocrem, you’ll wish you bought shares in it. You can use it for soothing nappy rash, skin complaints, cuts and scrapes and insect bites. It can be used by all of the family too so it’s cost-effective. 

High Factor Sun Block
Baby skin is extremely sensitive and burns much easier than that of an adult. It’s so important to keep it safe. You should keep the baby out of the sun wherever possible and keep their skin covered and a hat on. Use factor 50 sunscreen designed for children too. 

Baby Monitor
Once your baby moves into their own room for sleeping and naps, you want to be able to keep checking on them without necessarily having to go into the room and disturb them. 

There are a number of different types of monitors, from a basic sound only model to a high-def, sound-activated, video monitor with night mode and temperature tracking. 

With smart assistants becoming more popular in people’s homes, they are opting for cameras that can be accessed and controlled through their smartphones or Alexa speakers.
 
Room Thermometer 
Keeping your child at a comfortable temperature when they are sleeping is really important as overheating can be dangerous. A digital room thermometer will let you know if your baby’s room is too hot or too cold. Some are basic thermometers and other models have coloured surrounds that change from blue to red depending on the temperature.
 
Nail Clippers
Baby nails grow so quickly, they can even be born with really long ones. It’s best to keep them cut short as this will prevent them from scratching their own faces or getting dirt trapped under them. Cutting their nails can be a bit nerve-wracking. You can find many types of specialist baby nail clippers which have safety guards to stop you from accidentally catching your baby’s skin. 

Takeaways
Looking after a baby can feel a little daunting, especially if they are ill. Having a selection of helpful medical devices and medicines at home can make it a little easier to cope during these times.