As you know if you read my blog regularly, I am a real dog lover. My dogs are a big part of me and my hubby’s life and we always do our very best for them.
My dogs Gio and Vinny are young and full of energy and it’s good to incorporate exercise everyday to increase bone strength.
No matter what age your dog may be, whether they are young or seasoned, with proper care they can have an enjoyable life.
One thing to think about is illness-preventative tips and doggies having a long happy fun-filled life.
One of the most common diseases in older dogs is osteoarthritis. This can be quite sore and painful and can restrict your dogs range of movement.
However, there are plenty of treatments for this condition that will allow your dog to live a happy, pain-free life.
Take your dog to the vet If you think your dog is suffering from osteoarthritis but he has not yet been diagnosed; the first step is to do is make an appointment to see your vet.
To properly diagnose your dog, your vet may want to take radiographs to see how severe your dog’s condition is. If your dog is diagnosed with osteoarthritis, your vet may suggest starting them on an anti-inflammatory drug, like Metacam. This will help to ease the pain and reduce long-term discomfort, as well as a form of painkillers.
If your dog has been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I feel for you, I really do. It must be incredibly difficult knowing a member of your family is in pain. To help you deal with your dogs condition, I have put together some simple tips below:
Do research Of course, in most cases your vet does know best. However, vets are often hesitant to suggest trying anything non-medically tested, which is why doing research into your dog’s condition is vital.
As you research treatments for osteoarthritis in dogs, you will notice that there are many natural treatments you could try. One natural treatment option for osteoarthritis in pets is pure aloe vera gel. This is used by people with osteoarthritis, with some amazing results.
Keep your dog active It might sound strange, seeing as your dog has a painful joint condition, but keeping him exercising is important. Keeping your dog’s muscles strong is important, as good muscle mass can help to make the condition less painful. Just like people who are dealing with arthritis are advised to exercise to keep the bones active.
Obviously, you don’t want to overdo it – running long distances and jumping should be avoided, but taking your dog for a walk or swim is ideal. Instead of taking your dog to the lake, why not book him into a local dog rehabilitation center for a swim? These rehabilitation pools are amazing for helping to keep your dog fit and healthy, without causing problems for the joints. Gently massaging you dog’s legs or back is another good tip that eases the muscles.
With the right care, a dog dealing with osteoarthritis can live a happy, healthy and most importantly, pain-free life.
Today, Wednesday, April 29th, is “Denim Day” which is a day for men and women to stand up against sexual violence.
Show solidarity through fashion wearing denim for a purpose.
JT
I came across Alert ID which is a valuable resource on how to protect yourself from sexual assault and resources on how to get help.
“There are things you can do to reduce your chances of being sexually assaulted. Follow these tips from the National Crime Prevention Council.”
* Be aware of your surroundings — who’s out there and what’s going on.
*Walk with confidence. The more confident you look, the stronger you appear.
*Know your limits when it comes to using alcohol.
*Be assertive — don’t let anyone violate your space.
* Trust your instincts. If you feel uncomfortable in your surroundings, leave.
* Don’t prop open self-locking doors.
* Lock your door and your windows, even if you leave for just a few minutes.
* Watch your keys. Don’t lend them. Don’t leave them. Don’t lose them. And don’t put your name and address on the key ring.
* Watch out for unwanted visitors. Know who’s on the other side of the door before you open it.
*Be wary of isolated spots, like underground garages, offices after business hours, and apartment laundry rooms.
*Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night. Vary your route. Stay in well-traveled, well-lit areas.
* Have your key ready to use before you reach the door — home, car, or work.
* Park in well-lit areas and lock the car, even if you’ll only be gone a few minutes.
* Drive on well-traveled streets, with doors and windows locked.
* Never hitchhike or pick up a hitchhiker.
* Keep your car in good shape with plenty of gas in the tank.
* In case of car trouble, call for help on your cellular phone. If you don’t have a phone, put the hood up, lock the doors, and put a banner in the rear mirror that says, “Help. Call police.” I have a few tips that I wanted to add for you to take note.
1. Before you get into the car check underneath your vehicle and check the seats before you get in to make sure no one is lurking or hiding.
2. Make sure your car keys are in your hands before you get to the car and you are not fumbling through your purse looking for them.
Awareness can be shown today through wearing denim, however its only the beginning as the poster says above.
Get Involved
Wear jeans, jean jacket, shirt or something denim on April 29.
Educate yourself and others on the issues.
Support survivors of sexual assault.
Resources
ALERT ID
National Crime Prevention Council DenimDayinfo.org
Fad diets and shortcuts don’t work when it comes to losing weight long term. You need to make changes to your lifestyle, eat better and exercise more for the rest of your life. However, there are some foods that can help you achieve your goals a little quicker when eaten as part of a balanced diet.
JT making Sugar free cookies
Eat Whole Grain Foods
A study by Pennsylvania State University suggested that people who are on a weight loss plan lose more fat if they eat whole grain foods. So it’s a good opportunity to ditch all those refined foods in your store cupboard, like white rice and white bread. Get your whole grain fix by eating more portions of whole wheat, brown or wild rice, whole rye, barley and corn, buckwheat, quinoa and sorghum, amongst other foods. You can eat them as part of a meal or add them to snacks. Popcorn without butter, sugar or salt is a perfect example.
Exercise Daily Make sure you are exercising daily to maximize your weight loss. You don’t have to go nuts – and, in fact, this could be dangerous for you – but make sure you are raising your pulse for a good half an hour every day. Save your heavier workouts for three, maybe four times a week, and go out for a brisk walk between workout days. Not sure what exercises are best? There are some great workouts for beginners over at GymJunkies.com.
Use Low-Fat Dairy Or Soy Milk
Don’t cut out dairy from your diet completely as it is a good source of calcium. It has also been shown that you are more likely to lose weight when consuming dairy products than taking supplements, for example. Choose low-fat versions or soy milk, and you can watch those calories, get your calcium, and help your muscles keep in shape
Eat More Fruit & Veg
Fruit and vegetables are filled with water, fiber and lots of other nutrients that are vital for a healthy body. But the reason they work for weight loss is because they have fewer calories. They can help you feel fuller quicker, and if you can combine eating more with consuming less fat, you will quickly see results.
Go Veggie
Vegetarians typically weigh less than meat eaters, and you could lose up to a pound a week – even without exercise – by switching to a low-fat vegan diet. Worried about snacks? Don’t. There are plenty of tasty vegan treats you can indulge in. However, taking this huge step is difficult to do if you love eating meat, so why not go veggie or vegan 4 or 5 days a week and treat yourself with some choice, lean cuts at the weekend?
Drink Tea
If you drink 2 cups of black or green tea every day, it could help stimulate the calorie-burning efforts of your body. Keep a few hours between drinks for the best effect and, of course, leave out the milk, cream or sugar.
JT enjoying a hot cup of tea
Get into these great habits for weight loss and see if they work for you.
Tabata Interval Training Image courtesy of the author
Are you spending a lot of time at the gym but not seeing the results you want? Maybe you want to get in better shape but can’t find time to go to the gym? What if you could get in fantastic shape exercising only 4 minutes each day, 4-5 days week? What if you could do all the exercises at home without buying any equipment? You can. This article will teach you how.
Tabata interval training is a highly effective training protocol designed to produce exceptional results in a very short period of time. In 4 short minutes, you get a complete workout that will improve your fitness performance, build muscle, and burn fat.
Tabata interval training is very simple. Perform 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest. Repeat 8 times without pause for a total of 4 minutes. The 4 minutes are challenging and very intense, but yield better results than 60 minutes of aerobic exercise.
The Science In his ground breaking study, Dr. Tabata had two different groups of athletes perform two different exercise regimes, and then he compared the results. The first group exercised for 60 minutes, 5 days/week at an intermediate intensity. The second group exercised using short but very intense intervals (20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds, for a total of 4 minutes). After 6 weeks, Dr. Tabata found:
* Group 1 improved their aerobic capacity by 9.5% but got no improvement in anaerobic capacity
* Group 2 (the interval trained group) improved their aerobic capacity by 14% and their anaerobic capacity by 28%
Later, a 2007 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found high intensity interval training (HIIT) increased fat burning capacity in women after only 7 sessions over a 2 week period.
In 2009, a study found that men performing HIIT doubled their metabolic rate and increased glucose and fatty acid oxidation (burned fat) for three hours after exercising.
In 2013, Dr. Olson found that a 4-minute Tabata routine of jump squats burned 13.5 calories per minute, (5 times the calories burned in the average cardio workout) and doubled the subjects’ metabolic rate for 30 minutes after the workout ended.
What Exercises Can Be Performed in Tabata Interval Training? A variety of exercises can be performed, but they must be compound movements that activate a lot of muscle mass. So think squats, not calf raises. Bodyweight exercises like squats, sit-ups, and push-ups can be done as well as full body movements like burpees, sprints, or jumping jacks. You can also use weighted movements like deadlifts or power cleans. You can mix and match exercises depending on your fitness goals.
How to Perform a Tabata Interval Workout, Step by Step Step 1: Plan the Exercises Determine the exercises you will perform. No equipment or gym membership? No problem. Bodyweight exercises are perfect for Tabata interval training. Go to http://strength.stack52.com/periodic-table-of-bodyweight-exercises/ for a periodic table of bodyweight exercises complete with instructional videos on how to correctly perform each exercise. They are arranged by difficulty, so you can pick exercises that fit your fitness level. Don’t have time to plan the exercises? You can use Strength Stack 52 bodyweight exercise cards. Simply shuffle the deck and deal yourself 8 cards.
Step 2: Warm up Start with some dynamic stretching and then perform full body movements (jogging, rowing, etc.) that increase your body temperature until you achieve a light sweat. As you warm up, get fired up and mentally prepare for an intense 4 minutes. Remember, a 4 minute workout is more fun than a 60 minute workout, and it’s more effective too!
Step 3: Get a Clock Get a clock or stop watch handy. Better yet, if you have smartphone or computer go to http://www.tabatatimer.com/ for a Tabata timer with voice commands that tell you when to start, stop, and rest between intervals.
Step 4: Workout Set the timer, get in position for the first exercise, and wait for the beginning bell to ring. Without sacrificing technique, get as many reps as possible for each exercise in 20 seconds. So if you’re doing squats, try to get as many squats as possible using good technique before the 20 second timer is up. When the timer rings, stop the exercise, breathe deeply, and get in position for the next exercise. Repeat this for all 8 intervals at the highest intensity you can manage.
Step 5: Cool down Yes, you just finished an awesome workout, and it only took 4 minutes! You will be thoroughly exhausted. Breathe deeply and walk briskly until your heart rate and breathing returns to normal. Finish by lightly stretching your muscles.
The Stack 52 4-Minute Workout Want to get started right away? Try the Stack 52 4-Minute Tabata Workout. First watch the video of each exercise and practice a few reps to make sure you know how to perform the exercise. This will help you warm up to a light sweat. Then get your Tabata timer ready and go for it!
Conclusion Not only can you get a great workout in only 4 minutes, you will get results faster than anyone doing 60 minutes of cardio at the gym. Tabata interval training is wonderfully challenging and extremely effective. After a few weeks, you will notice your overall fitness has dramatically increased, and you have burned a lot of fat. I worked out for 10 years at gyms, and I never had 6-pack abs until I started doing Tabata interval training. If you play sports, you will notice that you can play with much more intensity for longer periods without getting winded. You will run circles around your friends who will think you’re some kind of freak who doesn’t get tired.
You can become extremely fit and love the way you look working out for just 4 minutes a day, 5 days a week. That’s only 20 minutes a week! You can do this, and if you use bodyweight exercises, you can do it anywhere without equipment!
If you have preexisting health problems or are not used to performing exercise at a high intensity, be sure to check with your doctor before attempting Tabata interval training. Remember to start at your own pace and increase the intensity as you are able.
This article was written by Kurt Boyd, fitness fanatic, and director of Strength Stack 52, a unique way to transform bodyweight exercises into fun, competitive workouts that can be performed anywhere.
References
Tabata I. et. al. Effects of moderate-intensity endurance and high-intensity intermittent training on anaerobic capacity and VO2max. Med Sci Sports Exerc. (1996) 28(10):1327-30.
Talanian J. et. al. Two weeks of high-intensity aerobic interval training increases the capacity for fat oxidation during exercise in women. Journal of Applied Physiology Apr 2007, 102 (4) 1439-1447
Gibala M. et. al. Brief intense interval exercise activates AMPK and p38 MAPK signaling and increases the expression of PGC-1α in human skeletal muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology Mar 2009, 106 (3) 929-934
Olsen, M. O. Tabata Interval Exercise: Energy Expenditure and Post-Exercise Responses
Scharff-Olson Kinesiology Lab, Auburn University Montgomery, Montgomery, AL
Caps are an essential part of every man’s wardrobe, but it is something that many of them get wrong. A bad cap can ruin a fine outfit if it is the wrong style or fit, so make sure you run through this guide to keep on top of your man’s look. Let’s take a look at some of your options.
My hubby wearing his cowboy hat in Santa Fe.
My hubby enjoys wearing many different styles of hats and caps. In the photo above, he is wearing one of his favorite styles, a cowboy hat. Whatever style of cap that you decide for the man in your life, you want to make it a style that he enjoys wearing and that it looks good on him. If he doesn’t like the style, it doesn’t matter how good the cap looks, he won’t enjoy it.
Snapback
The snapback cap is an American classic. It’s a slang term for the baseball cap, which are a huge seller all over the world. They are cheaper than more traditional caps and have seen a resurgence with modern youth in recent years. They are made by a huge range of manufacturers. Clothing labels such as Carhartt, Nike and Vans are popular brands, and there are also specialists cap makers like New Era. You can get custom New Era hats made for your man or go with the popular designs that include baseball team logos. The key to wearing a good baseball cap is to break it in. It takes a little while before it takes on the shape of the head – a combination of heat and moisture will gradually make it happen over time.
The Flat Cap
Flat caps are very adaptable and can be worn with a wide range of outfits, from suits and dress shirts to casual. It has its origins as a working man’s hat and when made of thick wool or tweed, is often identified as countryside style. However, corduroy, felt or linen versions work well in warmer climates and can be worn anywhere, including the city. Make sure you buy the correct size for your man’s head. It doesn’t just have to fit right, it has to look right, too. Large peaks are better for big heads, for example, but can overwhelm a smaller face.
The Newsboy
The newsboy cap is also referred to as the driver’s cap or a Gatsby. It is a more casual cap then the flat cap, and can be worn with a wide range of outfits, including a good suit. A simple pair of jeans and t-shirt can be jazzed up amazingly with a newsboy. Throw on a light scarf as well, and it is a simple and effective way of turning a plain outfit into something more dapper entirely. Again, your guy’s head size and shape will have a big effect on whether they can pull of a newsboy. It can have a mushroom effect on people with thin facial structures, or emphasize a big skull. Bring someone with you when trying it on and make sure you get a second – and third – opinion before buying a newsboy for your man.
JT with my hubby wearing his newsboy’s cap while at Fishermen’s Wharf in San Francisco.
The Military Cap
Military caps are based on the designs used by the military forces. They are very popular, but should be worn with more casual clothes. It is inadvisable to wear one alongside camouflage or military-inspired clothing unless somebody wants the full-on look. Military caps are adaptable, and will look good on the majority of heads. They are a great option for when people don’t have time to spend searching for an outfit, or need some sun protection while they go out on a run or a walk with the dog. However, they should be avoided for any formal occasions.
I hope this article can give some great ideas for buying a new hat for the man in your life. The key to all of it is getting the fit right. And don’t forget that every cap will look better as it starts to take the shape of the head.
Learn More About JT
Bubbling with Elegance and Grace started out as an outlet for my passion for fashion but has evolved into a place for me to teach, collaborate, and inspire. My hubby has since joined the team and we have been digital creators for 13 years. We are thankful for those who believed in us from the beginning and those who have just started riding with us on this lovely journey.
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