Your health: A yoga approach
New yoga read
Want a physique as awesome as Jennifer Aniston’s? You might not be able to see it in the mirror yet, but you already have one, says Mandy Ingber. And she’d know.
The celebrity yoga and fitness instructor works out with the “Friends” star three days a week, using a plan she’s broken down for wider audiences in her new book, “Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover” ($20, Seal), according to The Washington Post.
At the heart of Ingber’s fitness strategy is a simple idea that she’s slapped right on the cover: “Having the body you want begins with loving the body you have.” It’s the advice Ingber gave herself years ago when she packed on 50 extra pounds.
“If I love myself now, then if nothing changes, I’ll at least feel better,” Ingber remembers thinking. The positive-reinforcement approach spurred on healthier choices.
The method Ingber relies on to keep her clients red-carpet ready is a hybrid yoga routine that pairs each pose with a toner. So when she’s on all fours for the spinal stretch of cat-cow, she adds in side leg lifts. After holding side plank, she does a set of tricep pushups.
“It’s a little something extra,” Ingber says. “For people who’ve never done yoga, it’s something familiar. For people who have, it makes it a little more challenging.”
Sleep tips
People with insomnia struggle to get a good night’s rest. They may be plagued by trouble falling asleep, unwelcome awakenings during the night, or fitful sleep — alone or in combination. They may feel drowsy during the day and yet be unable to nap. Insomnia can leave a person feeling anxious and irritable or forgetful.
This common sleep problem isn’t by itself a disorder — rather it is a set of symptoms. Finding an effective solution requires uncovering the cause. Here are some tips from Harvard Medical School:
Sleep restriction: Fight the tendency to spend a lot of time in bed with the hope of falling asleep.
Reconditioning: A few simple steps can help people with insomnia to associate the bedroom with sleep instead of sleeplessness and frustration. For example, use the bed only for sleeping and go to bed only when you’re sleepy. If you’re unable to sleep, move to another room and do something relaxing. Stay up until you are sleepy, and then return to bed.
Relaxation techniques: A racing or worried mind is the enemy of sleep. Sometimes tension is to blame. Techniques to quiet a racing mind — such as meditation, breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation — can help.