Breast Cancer Awareness

Breast cancer screening was in the news recently, as the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is planning to lower the recommended age for beginning mammograms. The USPSTF and the American Cancer Society now both agree that screening mammography should begin at age 40 for women at average risk. Breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women (behind skin cancer), and the second most deadly (behind lung cancer). Nearly 300,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. Fortunately, the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer is now over 90%, and it continues to rise. This ongoing improvement is due to a combination of early detection and increasingly effective treatments. Risk Factors and Prevention Risk factors increase a person’s chances of getting a certain condition. According to the National Cancer Institute, these are the main [...]

Top Fitness Apps for 2023

  Welcome to a new year full of new goals! There’s an ever-increasing number of apps that bring fitness right to your fingertips. If you’re looking to establish or change up your exercise this year, we’ve got a list of the top fitness apps you’ll want to check out. AllTrails Available On: App Store & Google Play Price: Free Version or Pro Version for $35.99/Year AllTrails is an app for outdoor fitness lovers. Search and explore nearby trails for hiking, biking, and running. This app helps you find the perfect one to fit your needs, such as being dog-friendly, wheelchair and stroller accessible, or full of scenic attractions. Each trail has a difficulty rating, description, user reviews, full map, and directions to the trailhead. With over 350,000 trails on the app, you'll likely find just what you’re looking for. The [...]

Top Mental Health Apps for 2023

  The importance and awareness of mental health have been gaining traction. The challenges we’ve all faced over the last few years have shown that taking care of our minds is an integral part of our overall health and well-being. The stigma around mental health is changing now that we have many resources at our fingertips. Let's explore several mental health apps that are trending for 2023. Calm Available On: App Store & Google Play Price: Limited Free Content, Premium Version for $14.99/Month or $69.99/Year Calm focuses on mental health and stress management. The premium version will give you access to a library of content, including meditations, music, stretching videos, and relaxing scenes. This app can be a resource when you need a quick and relaxing mind break in your day. It can also be beneficial for establishing a better [...]

Top Wellness Tips from 2022

Can you believe we’re waving goodbye to 2022? As we set our sights on a new year with new goals, we reflect on the trends that shaped our year. Our overall health and wellness are at the forefront as we emerge from the pandemic, so we’ve compiled our top wellness tips from 2022. Boost Your Immune System Staying healthy and avoiding sickness is certainly fresh on all our minds. Recent years have highlighted how important it is to keep our immune system as strong as possible. Eat the rainbow by choosing different colored fruits and vegetables to help ensure you’re getting the necessary nutrients. Talk with your doctor to find out if you’re getting enough Vitamin D, which can also help regulate your immune system. Other ways to keep your body healthy include exercise, adequate sleep, stress management, and washing [...]

5 Ways to Keep Your Exercise Consistent All Year

It’s hard enough to begin an exercise routine, let alone be consistent with one long-term. Between the change in seasons, fluctuating daylight hours, and holiday seasons, healthy habits can be hard to maintain. We’ve got five ways to help you stay on track with your exercise year-round. Plan Your Workout We often say things like, “I need to be more active” or “I need to be more consistent with my exercise.” But then, the next week rolls around, and we say the same thing. While these are admirable goals to have, action requires appropriate planning. Think about your week ahead and how you can plan specifically to fit in exercise. Plan the days, times, duration, and type of each workout. This gives you a clear picture of your exercise goals for the week. And you’ve already accounted for other obligations [...]

Exercise for Stress Relief

Our days can be full of stressful situations and feelings. No matter how much we’d like to get rid of stress altogether, we find that is virtually impossible. Instead, a more realistic approach is to manage how we react and respond to stress. Exercise has numerous benefits for the body, including stress relief. It increases the body’s production of endorphins, which are hormones that act as natural pain relievers and encourage feelings of pleasure (Mayo Clinic). Physical activity is a good way to give your mind a rest by focusing on the present moment. It’s known to help improve your mood by lowering feelings of depression and anxiety. When we’re feeling stressed, it’s easy to turn to unhealthy coping habits like extra snacking or drinking. Exercise provides a healthier choice for coping. Let’s look at several examples of exercises that [...]

Stress… More than Just Frustrating?

Stress. We all face some form of it almost every single day. It can feel like a frustrating or annoying part of life, but did you know that it can affect us mentally and physically? Stress impacts all systems of the body, including our musculoskeletal, respiratory, nervous, reproductive, digestive, immune, and cardiovascular systems. Learning how stress can affect our entire body can help us choose better ways to manage it. How Stress Affects the Body Musculoskeletal System. Stress causes muscles to tighten. Over time this can lead to muscle pain and body aches. Chronic tension can be a trigger for headaches and migraines. Respiratory System. Stressful situations can cause rapid breathing. These quick breaths can leave you feeling short of breath and may trigger panic attacks. Nervous System. The nervous system triggers the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and [...]

Sleep Awareness Month

  Had to finish the book, lost down the social media rabbit hole, or “I just can’t sleep”. Any of these sound familiar? People have so many things that occupy their time now, that sleep might be an afterthought for many.  But activity at the cost of sleep is a mistake.  Many people fail to realize that the 25-35% of each day we spend sleeping is productive, and crucial to living an energetic and successful life. Like our diet and exercise habits, it can be difficult to make sleep a priority. Sleep gives our body and mind the chance to repair, rebuild and recover from the events of our daily life. While you sleep, your body repairs itself from the stress of the day. A productive night’s sleep helps our body in several ways: Renews energy. Boosts the immune system [...]

Exercise before Bedtime

  A consistent exercise routine is great for getting better quality sleep. However, can the time of day you exercise negatively impact it? We’re going to take a closer look at the research around sleep and exercise, the best time for activity, and tips for creating healthy routines. How Does Exercise Affect Sleep? For years many have believed that evening and late-night exercise would disrupt sleep. Recently, more studies have explored this notion to figure out how physical activity affects sleep quality. Exercise raises heart rate, body temperature, and adrenaline levels which can impact the body’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. However, the Sleep Foundation’s findings from a compilation of studies indicate that those who exercise after 8 pm fall asleep quickly and have similar amounts of deep sleep as those who exercise between the hours of 4 [...]

Social Media and Sleep

Is Social Media Keeping You Awake? Social media started to gain popularity in the early 2000s with platforms like MySpace. Over the last 20 years, it has expanded immensely to become part of everyday households. The ease and accessibility of modern social media has made it more common than ever to communicate at any time of day with the press of a button. It’s no wonder endless scrolling can keep us awake at night. Benefits & Drawbacks of Social Media Social media has opened so many doors for communication and networking. It can strengthen our connections with others beyond the confines of demographics, distance, and time. It can be a great outlet for those searching for support and interaction. Social media can even help us stay connected to loved ones through messages, pictures, and videos. While these benefits are numerous, [...]