physical activity | The Health Sessions

5 Vital Ways to Maintain a Healthy Blood Pressure

This article is written by Nicola Hopkins.

Understanding your blood pressure (BP), its effects on your body and the tools you can use to control it can have a substantial impact on your life. It is widely known that high blood pressure (hypertension) is a health issue, but so is a low BP (hypotension). For those with endocrine disease or postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), it is a variation in blood pressure that can cause problems such as dizziness and fainting.

Here we offer a basic introduction to blood pressure and the steps you can take to maintain your health.

5 Undeniable Reasons Why An e-Bike is Great for Chronic Illness

This article is written by Graeme McLaughlin.

It’s no secret that chronic pain and illness is typically what we call a ‘hidden disease’ for many, but what we also know all too well is that exercise is great for our bodies – pain or not, right?

The trouble for so many people who are dealing with chronic illness and the likelihood of frequently debilitating pain is that even walking can be too high-impact at times.

Maintaining independence is one of the hardest things to do for someone with even the most beginning stages of chronic pain or illness, as well. One of the biggest sources of depression in those suffering from chronic illness are the feelings of inadequacy, needing to depend on others to run errands, and that’s all in addition to the pain they may feel from trying to stay active and remain in charge of their lives. So how does someone with a chronic illness get their heart pumping – even a little – to gain the benefits that come from exercise?

Enter the e-bike. E-bikes are often misunderstood, in that there are people who believe it’s “cheating” or not really cycling. But it is all that and more, as the level of exercise can be set and changed by the rider to accommodate their abilities and needs.

Maybe to better understand why an e-bike is a great option for those suffering from chronic illness, there are a few things to think about.

5 Inspiring Ways Natural Mindfulness Can Motivate Your Daily Walk

This article is written by Jemma Louise Hunt from A Wellness Tale.

Many of us turn to walking as an introduction to exercise following months and years of being housebound by chronic illness. And in the early days, the first tentative steps towards movement are enough to keep us fully motivated and inspired. There is triumph in circuiting the garden for the first time, and pride in ambling up to a neighbour’s house and back, because nothing beats the euphoria of smashing your earlier walking goals.

But healing in chronic illness is never linear and there are often setbacks. Maybe through enthusiasm or sheer determination you walked beyond your current exertion limits, weakening your body and its capabilities? Or perhaps you have reached the peak of your current abilities and a long, frustrating plateau ensues?

It is at this point we might begin to lose motivation, and if the exhilarating and celebratory moments of our early achievements no longer encourage us, what can we look to for inspiration going forward?

4 Simple Ways to Make Exercise a Habit

This article is written by Veronika William

You find yourself out of breath after climbing the stairs, again. “Enough is enough,” you declare. You march into your local fitness center and sign up for a membership. Perhaps a pal in the same boat joins you. After all, if you have a workout partner, your chances of sticking with the program drastically increase.

For the first few sessions, you’re unstoppable. A week later, one of you can’t make it. “No problem,” you insist. By the end of the month, you haven’t swiped your membership card in more days than you’re comfortable admitting. By the next month, your gym bag is dusty and you’re five pounds heavier.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone. A healthy lifestyle cannot be achieved overnight. It takes some degree of effort to make it a routine. For most of us, starting a new workout regimen is easy. Sticking with it, however, often seems next to impossible. Good news: it’s not.

If you’ve repeatedly tried–and subsequently failed–to move your body on a regular basis, consider these 4 tips to turn exercise into a habit.

6 Psychological Benefits Of Dancing

This article is written by Kristin Herman.

If you’re suffering from chronic health problems, you might not have considered dance as a way to get ahead of these issues. In truth, dancing can do much more than just keep you active, when it can also give you psychological benefits.

While the neuroscience of dance is relatively new in the field of research, there’s no denying that in recent months that a variety of studies, as well as an article-based dissertation on the neuroscience of dance, are being published and brought more into light. With their amazing findings, we can have a better understanding of why we dance, and how dancing can change the human brain for the better.

With that said, here are 6 ways that dancing can benefit you psychologically.