Health & Wellness

  • A Beginners Guide To Running: 4 Key Tips Every New Runner Should Know

    Beginners Guide To Running

    Running is a great way to get in shape, improve health, and feel great. If running is not something you’ve tried before it is important to start off slow in order to avoid injury and risk losing interest. Maintaining regular running workouts can result in weight loss, better health, increased energy, and the joy of a new sport.

    Here’s a quick beginners guide to running:

    Get A Great Pair of Running Shoes

    The clothes you wear while running are not nearly as important as having the right running shoes. As long as the running attire is weather-appropriate, runners should wear what is most comfortable. However, when it comes to running, do not pull out an old pair of sneakers to wear on the run. Having a well-fitted and comfortable running shoe will reduce the chances of injury. Consider going to a running specialty store to get fitted for the right shoe.

    Stretch Before You Start Running

    Before heading out for a run, it is important to stretch. Stretching will keep muscles loose and help to avoid injury. Develop a stretching routine that will be completed before going out for a run. About ten minutes of stretching prior to a run is essential for reducing muscle-related injuries.

    Stretching the correct way for running is as important as stretching itself. Do not extend the stretch too quickly as injury can occur. Gently stretch and hold each stretch for about thirty seconds. Over time, the stretching routine will become easier and even more enjoyable!

    It is important not to push the workout to any extreme. Starting slow and building strength and endurance may take some time but will be worth the effort. By overexerting in the beginning, new runners run the risk of injury, overly sore muscles, and quickly losing interest. Expectations should be realistic in the beginning. The first few runs should not exceed one mile or fifteen minutes but if that takes too much effort, only do what you can.

    Keep Running

    Running a mile or so the first week should get easier as the second week approaches. Take a day or two off from running during each week, but replace the time with another exercise that is enjoyable. Taking too much time off from running or any other workout routine will make it harder to get back into it after the break.

    When the initial distance starts to get easier, it is time to add another five minutes to the run. Add time or distance in small increments to build up endurance. Run the new distance at least three times before increasing the running time. Some people may want to run the extended distance for up to two weeks before making the next adjustment.

    Set Goals To Stay Motivated

    Running can be extremely enjoyable and allow for time to take pleasure in the outdoors while improving one’s health and even losing weight. Set small goals that are achievable to keep motivation high. If a goal is to lose weight, keep in mind that muscle mass may increase so the scale may not reflect the health benefits achieved. Be aware of increased energy, better fitting clothes, and a sense of achievement.

    Some people experience a “runner’s high” and find running time to be peaceful and invigorating. Ensure you take extra precautions like proper stretching and wearing the right running shoes to decrease the chance of injury. You can also keep your motivation up by listening to health-based podcasts. Be sure to stick to the new running workout for at least three months to experience the real benefits of this healthy workout.

    Shop Must-Have Beginner Running Sneakers

    1. New Balance Women’s Fresh Foam Roav V1 Sneaker
    2. Brooks Women’s Ravenna 11
    3. Brooks Women’s Glycerin 18
    4. Nike Women’s Revolution 5 Running Shoe
    5. adidas Women’s Edge Lux 4 Running Shoe
    6. New Balance Women’s Dynasoft Nitrel V4 Trail Running Shoe
    7. Nike Women’s Running Shoes
    8. Under Armour Women’s Surge 2 Running Shoe

  • The Importance of Using Planners To Maintain Your Health and Wellness

    using planners
    Keeping up with how well you’re taking care of yourself, needs to be tracked and monitored. To understand the effectiveness of your mental and physical health, you need to measure the activity. Planners are the perfect way for doing that so that you can keep yourself both mentally and physically healthy.

    Help Clarify and Focus On Your Goals

    Wellness doesn’t remain the top priority when we get busy and feel like we’re fine without taking a time out. Using a planner reminds you of the reason why you started monitoring your health. Wellness planners allow you to track your rest habits, daily nutrition, and workouts as a way to maintain your health. In addition, it lets you focus on your goals so that you don’t float amid various objectives. The best part about using planners is that you can always go back and remind yourself of the essential goals and why you want to remain healthy.

    Breakdown Milestones

    Planners will help you easily break down your bigger goals and into tiny milestones making them more manageable. You will be motivated when you reach these milestones, as it will be simple for you to track the critical changes that take place in your body. The best part about using a planner is because you look at it every day you will keep your goals at the forefront of your mind, which helps you make better decisions regarding your health.

    Keep Tabs On Your Progress

    One of the fundamental reasons why people keep a wellness planner or journal is to track their progress. When you record your mental and physical health, you know whether you’re progressing or not. Seeing how far you’ve come with how many times a week you meditated, ate well, and got a good night’s rest will keep you motivated, as they are signs of progress. It allows you to check if your current routine is having the desired effect or not. You’ll know if you need to switch up things and make a new routine. When you keep track of or jot down everything in a planner, it will make your job much more comfortable.

    Plan Future Routines

    Have you ever gone to a gym without a plan? Then you are doing the wrong thing if you want to achieve some health goals. If you have a busy schedule, then most likely, you will be distracted from planning your future routine in advance. However, when you maintain a planner and jot down everything for your next training day, it will make your practice more efficient, and also you will be free to do some other activities.

    Record Important Health Factors

    Many health factors can be tracked easily by using a planner. There is plenty of information that others may mark as unnecessary, but in reality, it can significantly impact your results. You can record measures like your sleep, energy levels, what you eat, and your general mood each day. This makes planning is a single tool that helps you gather all the information which enables you to understand the needs of your body in a comprehensive way.

    Planners play a crucial role in one’s life and it’s the best route to go if you want to stay healthy, mind, body, and spirit.

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  • Health and Wellness Books I’m Looking Forward To In 2021

    Health and Wellness Books

    At the start of every year, I always look forward to new book releases, specifically health and wellness books. These are the books that will carry us through the year and beyond as they deep dive into how we can keep our minds, bodies, and spirits healthy.

    That Sounds Fun – Annie F. Downs

    Health and Wellness Books

    We know there are certain things we must have to survive–food, shelter, and safety to name a few. But there are also aspects of life that truly allow us to be joyful and fulfilled. For popular podcaster and bestselling author Annie F. Downs, fun is close to the top of that list. Few would argue that having fun doesn’t enrich our lives, but so much gets in the way of prioritizing it. Tough days, busyness, and feelings that are hard to talk about keep us from the fun that’s out there waiting to be found.

    BUY

    Cosmic Health – Jennifer Racioppi

    Health and Wellness Books

    There’s much more to astrology than weekly horoscopes, personality types, and predictions for the future. For astrologer and transformational coach Jennifer Racioppi and her clients, it is a guide to living in sync with the natural rhythms of the universe to achieve optimal health and astonishing success. Cosmic Health provides a groundbreaking cross-disciplinary approach to cultivating physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. By honoring your individuality, your role in the universe, nature, and the seasonality of life, you will be armed with the knowledge—and magic—you need to cultivate uncompromising health.

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    The Book of Light: Illuminate Your Life with Self-Love – Nia the Light

    In this inspiring, illustrated book, Nia explores a range of emotions, from pain to joy, insecurity to confidence, to help you find your own individuality and power. The journaling activities give free rein to your inner queen to document your experiences of self-love, your flaws, and life lessons. Nia shares her own path towards accepting her whole self – acne, stretch marks, and all!

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    A Rhythm of Prayer – Sarah Bessey

    Health and Wellness Books

    This book, curated by acclaimed author Sarah Bessey, celebrates and honors that prayerful tradition in a literary form. A companion for all who feel the immense joys and challenges of the journey of faith, this collection of prayers says it all aloud, giving readers permission to recognize the weight of all they carry. These writings also offer a broadened imagination of hope—of what can be restored and made new. Each prayer is an original piece of writing, with new essays by Sarah Bessey throughout.

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    Set Boundaries, Find Peace – Nedra Glover Tawwab

    Health and Wellness Books
    Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram Nedra Glover Tawwab demystifies this complex topic for today’s world. In a relatable and inclusive tone, Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life. Rooted in the latest research and best practices used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), these techniques help us identify and express our needs clearly and without apology–and unravel a root problem behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more.

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    Your Time to Thrive: End Burnout, Increase Well-being, and Unlock Your Full Potential with the New Science of Microsteps – Marina Khidekel 

    This book is a Microstep bible. With chapters dedicated to sleep, nutrition, movement, focus and prioritization, communication and relationships, unplugging and recharging, creativity and inspiration, and purpose/meaning, Your Time to Thrive shares practical, usable, research-supported mini-habits that will yield huge benefits and empower people to truly thrive in all parts of their lives.

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    Every Body – Julia Rothman & Shaina Feinberg

    Health and Wellness Books

    Ever had a question about sex—whether out of curiosity, desire, or the sneaking suspicion you’re, somehow, different? Every Body will help you feel less alone. It’s a huge collection of anonymous stories, essays, artwork, and expert tell-alls on myriad subjects, all rolled into one. It’s the conversations most of us are too scared to start.

    The stories, essays, and interviews they’ve compiled touch on a wide array of topics, including first times, open relationships, body acceptance, accidental pregnancies, sex toys, pleasure, fear and trauma, sexual discovery, and more.

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    I’m So Effing Tired – Amy Shah, MD

    Does it feel like your life is too busy, your days are too short, and you’re feeling overworked, overstressed, and overtired? Chances are you’ve asked your doctor for help, only to be told that it’s because of your age, or your workload, or, worse, that it’s just “normal.”

    If so, you’re not alone. Women of all ages are suffering from an epidemic of fatigue and burnout. But exhaustion doesn’t have to be your new normal. Inspired by her personal wellness journey, integrative medical doctor Amy Shah has created this program so that you can regain your energy and reclaim your life.

    BUY IT

    The Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself – Mary Jelkovsky 

    The Gift of Self-Love is an honest, heartfelt, and relatable book that will guide you on your journey to self-love, self-care, and body positivity. Author Mary Jelkovsky, better known on Instagram as @maryscupofteaa, shares her story of conquering her insecurities (after years of an eating disorder and intense, self-sabotaging work as a bikini fitness model) and finally learning to love herself exactly as she is. Written like a letter to a close friend, this self-improvement book provides practical advice and exercises that will help you finally give yourself the gift of self-love.

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    What Doesn’t Kill You – Tessa Miller


    Tessa Miller was an ambitious twentysomething writer in New York City when, on a random fall day, her stomach began to seize up. At first, she toughed it out through searing pain, taking sick days from work, unable to leave the bathroom or her bed. But when it became undeniable that something was seriously wrong, Miller gave in to family pressure and went to the hospital―beginning a yearslong nightmare of procedures, misdiagnoses, and life-threatening infections. Once she was finally correctly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, Miller faced another battle: accepting that she will never get better.

    BUY IT

    Skin Care For Your Soul – Jude Chao


    The skincare journey. As much as we’d like it to, glowing, clear skin doesn’t happen overnight. But there is beauty in the process―not just the results. Author Jude Chao links skincare to self-care culture, giving readers a practical guide to developing their ideal skincare routine and using it to help manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The Korean skincare routine invites us to look at our skincare not only as a way to reduce lines and wrinkles or clear up breakouts but as a tool for developing our self-care habits.

    BUY IT

    You Don’t Owe Anyone – Caroline Garnet McGraw

    Inspired by the author’s viral essay “You Don’t Owe Anyone An Interaction,” this book invites us to make surprising choices that can help us get unstuck. Rather than offering more ways to effect change through sheer effort, these personal stories serve as a compassionate witness, a reflection of our own perfectionistic tendencies. They also are a wake-up call jolting us out of our martyr mentality and inspiring us to move in new, positive directions.

    BUY IT

    The Scandinavian Guide To Happiness – The Editors of Whalen Book Works


    There’s a reason Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and The Netherlands consistently rank as the top 5 happiest countries on earth! Find out the secrets to their happiness and fulfillment in The Scandinavian Guide to Happiness, which shares centuries of Nordic wisdom. These basic principles will help you see how to have a happy life without buying anything, changing yourself, or making any other crazy drastic changes! Topics include Simplicity, Happiness, Health & Wellness, Relationships, Nature-Inspired Living, and more. Full of inspiring, encouraging ideas—and charming illustrations!—this thoughtful Scandinavian guide is sure to put a happy glow on your life.

    BUY IT

    Laziness Does Not Exist – Devon Price, Ph.D.

    Laziness Does Not Exist explores the psychological underpinnings of the “laziness lie,” including its origins from the Puritans and how it has continued to proliferate as digital work tools have blurred the boundaries between work and life.

    Dr. Price offers science-based reassurances that productivity does not determine a person’s worth and suggests that the solution to problems of overwork and stress lie in resisting the pressure to do more and instead learn to embrace doing enough.

    BUY IT

    Fitness for Every Body: Strong, Confident, and Empowered at Any Size – Meg Boggs

    In Fitness for Every Body, Meg shares her personal story and inspires you to celebrate your own body for all its capabilities. Featuring a dozen step-by-step, full-body workouts, this book is more than a workout guide or a training manual. It’s a reminder that you’re more than just your weight, that you are stronger than you believe, and that just because you might not be thin, doesn’t mean that you can’t be an athlete. Your body is capable of doing incredible things—you just have to let it.

    BUY IT

    Are there any health and wellness books being released this year that you’re looking forward to?

  • New Year’s Self-Care Checklist {FREE Printable}

    This year is FINALLY coming to a close. With everything that happened, it felt like it’s been 2020 for 10 years. 2020 was supposed to be the year we lived our best lives. It was going to be the roaring ’20s 2.0. Instead, it was the year of Murphy’s Law, and everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Despite there being some positives, the year overall was mentally, emotionally, and physically draining.

    No one wants to go into the new year feeling frazzled. That’s why this self-care checklist is crucial to getting you (and me) back on the path of remembering to do the little things. Contrary to popular belief, self-care doesn’t have to cost a bundle. At its bare bones self-care is really about taking time out to do things that keep our lives flowing smoothly. This can look like a few moments of reflective meditation, making sure all your health appointments are scheduled, taking time out to phone a loved one.

    This checklist features 15 simple everyday activities that are meant to bring peace and calm to your body and environment. The best thing about this is (other than it being free) you two designs to choose from to print, or you can save the PDF on your device and digitally check off things there. The key is ensuring this list is going to be someplace where you will see it every day.

    There is no right or wrong way to use this self-care checklist. You can simply tick off a few at your leisure and come back to the others later, you can break them up over the course of January, or you can challenge yourself to complete one new thing for 15 consecutive days. The choice is truly yours.

    On this list you’ll find the following:

    Setting goals for the new year
    Starting a new book or journal
    Scheduling work and health appointments
    Cleaning up your computer files (Shameless Maya has a great video on this)
    Meditation, working out, and eating right
    Creating morning and evening routines
    Turning off social media
    Calling a friend
    Filling your home with your favorite scent

    Self-Care Checklist mommyrandr valerie pierre

    Click to download:: New Year's Self-Care Checklist (Pink) (335 downloads)

    Self-Care Checklist mommyrandr valerie pierre

    Click to download:: New Year's Self-Care Checklist (Purple) (316 downloads)

    Also, if you haven’t done so already download my 12-month undated wellness calendar. It’s a FREE printable featuring Black women in the wellness space.