Sometimes the world is a rubbish place to be. We all have our own stuff to deal with, and then there’s murder, death, disease, destruction, bombings, bullying, riots, poverty, stupid weather… it can get a little depressing.

Negativity is so rife in the world today that it has become quite an effort to actively think positive thoughts. What is for sure is that often, positivity is a choice – it may be difficult but has its pros.

According to the clinical experts at the Mayo Clinic, the health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

• Increased life span.
• Lower rates of depression.
• Lower levels of distress.
• Greater resistance to the common cold.
• Better psychological and physical well-being.
• Reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease.
• Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress.

Interesting…..

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So – you have finally joined a gym (yay!); you’ve been on the tour, watched equipment demos, but everything seemed to have gone in one ear and straight out the other. (Brain. Not. Computing. Sound familiar?) – The consequence of which is that you have no idea what to do and potentially no money to pay someone to tell you where to start.

Fitness Buddy to the rescue!

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Running. It seems to be what the young and successful do these days. I blame it on the movies; all those good looking people slicing their way through central park in their too-cool-for-school-running gear – why wouldn’t anyone want to take it up.

Wait… oh yes! – I remember! Pretty much every runner who has passed my line of site looks to be in the severest sort of discomfort. No pain, no gain – right? Scepticism aside…

Running is a great cardio workout. Here are ten reasons why running is good for you:

1. It’s a great way to distress – running floods the brain with endorphins, which are the body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemicals. Running will send you on a high and it’s totally safe!

2. The fit factor – running is good for your health.

3. It burns calories – running burns up to 30-40% more calories than in the gym as you fight wind resistance and tackle hilly terrain, according to celebrity trainer Matt Roberts  – (“Marie Claire” magazine).

4. Status value – much that goes on in life is about the ‘cool factor’.

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I have never been a domestic goddess, and never will be! In my house, cleaning is a necessary evil and ironing happens on a need-to-wear basis.

With small children around, it’s impossible to maintain a pristine environment, but important to find ways to keep up with the basics, so a sense of balance is imperative!

In my house, we opt for cleaning short-cuts that keep us respectable without taking up valuable time reserved for fun and family. Here’s some sensible household tips for you:

1. Don’t iron: iron only those clothes that really need it, it for the rest, squash creases out of still-warm clothes after drying and fold neatly. They will spend enough time in the drawer that ironing would have been a waste of time anyway! If you pull a t-shirt out and it looks a little wrinkled, put it on and flatten out under the heat of a hair-dryer – job done!

2. Clean everything you can with the vacuum: you’ll find uses for attachments you never knew you had!

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What is the best sleeping tip? Daily exercise is a great way to get a good night’s sleep, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation.

And the good news is that you only have to exercise for 10 minutes each day to get the benefits!

Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, who led the task force that conducted the poll, said: “If you are inactive, adding a 10 minute walk every day could improve your likelihood of a good night’s sleep. Making this small change and gradually working your way up to more intense activities like running or swimming could help you sleep better.”

What the poll revealed, which backs up the fact that exercise is the best sleeping tip:

• Exercisers report better sleep

  

• Vigorous exercisers say they sleep the best Continue reading →