Just move… anytime, anywhere, by any means. Doing so, in any way, will dramatically improve health. That’s the message in the first new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans published since 2008.
Looking for a little Baaaamaste in your life? Here's what goat yoga is all about, and some places across the country where you can try it for yourself.
Feeling down, in the dumps, blue? Stressed and can’t shake it? Anxious about everything? If you’re like most Americans you probably head straight for the doctor and ask what can be done about it. Sleep, more exercise, diet, and even therapy are all viable options that, for many people, can preface or replace prescription drugs. There’s another ‘script docs should be writing with positive benefits...get outside!
The act of simply walking in nature can actually reduce the risk of depression. Many studies exist defending these findings, but this one from 2015 looked at the correlation of urbanization and mental health and how a little bit of nature helps a whole lot. Researchers found that a 90-minute walk in a natural setting, opposed to an urban one, reduced activity in the area of the brain connected to depression. Researchers even noted that natural areas are “vital” for mental health.
Sahar Aker knows this to be true for herself. “There's something about exercising outdoors that always helps take the edge off my depression. My go-to has always been walking outside, and I try to make it a mental workout,” explained the wellness journalist behind I Choose Beauty. During her walks, she incorporates breathing exercises or focuses on noticing the little things in her surroundings. Living in Hawai’i certainly doesn’t hurt!
As urbanization grows (currently about 50% of the world’s population), so too do mental health issues, namely depression and anxiety. Those disorders affect about 18% of the adult population in the U.S., and less than 40% of those receive treatment. Women are twice as likely to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) than men, and it’s common for it to co-occur with depression.
Whether taking your mental health care into your own hands, having a preference for non-medicinal care, or trying to save money, a trip outside away from the hustle of the city can work wonders for your mindset.
Another study, by the same lead researcher, found that time in nature, in general, has positive effects on mood, cognitive function, memory, and reducing anxiety. Can you even recall spending time outside in the sunshine, fresh air, and breeze when you came back feeling worse?
“There’s no easier way to flip a bad mood than to get outside,” shared Kelly Guy of NoThanksToCake.com. The lifestyle and wellness blogger gets away from her commute, office job, and other life stressors on a lake trail she discovered near her home outside Denver. “It doesn’t have to be strenuous, but it needs to include fresh air and a bonus if you’re somewhere beautiful at the same time.”
Whether walking, skipping, running, hiking, walking the dog, or tending a garden, there’s abundant benefit to just being outside.
A research project coordinated out of King’s College London and the National Institute of Health has found that even a singular exposure to nature can have positive effects that last up to seven hours. In other words, start your morning with a walk or run and you’ll have a good mood that carries you throughout the day. The strong link they’ve found between nature and wellbeing has even greater benefit for those at a greater risk of mental health disorders, anxiety, and depression. The outdoors can serve as a “positive distraction” from what’s bugging you.
We’ve all got a pretty firm handle on our breasts...but how much do we know about our nipples? Accessorizing our breasts or nourishing our babies, these little brown adornments can sometimes have a mind of their own and bring out the giggles in the best of us.
Also called nips or teats, the nipple has, of course, picked up a few nicknames that are sure to amuse:
If you didn’t know some of those, you may be in the dark about some other interesting tit-bits of nipple information.
Did you know…
There are 4 types of nipples. Nipples are classified as flat, protruding, inverted, and unclassified. All are normal, as is having one protruding and one inverted.
You can be born without nipples. It’s a rare congenital condition called athelia and can typically be addressed through reconstructive surgery.
You can be born with extra nipples. Often called the third nipple, these supernumerary nipples have presented with as many as seven extra non-mammary nips. They’re more common in men and occur in about 200,000 Americans.
Nipples and areolas are not the same thing. The nipple sits at the very center of the round areola and connects to the mammary gland to dispense milk.
Nipples are as tall as ladybugs. The average height is about .9 centimeters, which is about as tall as a ladybug. That’s kinda cute!
Nipple hair is for real. How could it not be when those little bumps that surround the nipple are hair follicles. Don’t freak out, these hairs can be trimmed, tweezed, and waxed, too. Don’t know about shaving, though!
Nipples get darker for several reasons. The 50 shades of nipple brown change due to a number of different stimuli and circumstances, like temperature, seasons, pregnancy, arousal, and menstruation.
Nipples get hard for several reasons. Even when it’s not a tit-bit nipply outside, it’s still possible for nipples to become erect. Ovulation, allergy to soaps or lotions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and arousal are all enough to make your nipples feel hard enough to cut glass.
Dudes have nipples, too. You knew they did, but did you know why? Males and females develop from the same genetic blueprint, and the nipples come early. The Y chromosome doesn’t start working its male magic until about the seventh week, and at that point the nips are there to stay.
