Work can often be a stressful activity and lessen our productivity throughout the day. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had a personal masseuse to knead the kinks and help us relax? Well we do, ourselves! There are a number of tricks for stress relief that we can execute with our own two hands right in the office. Here are six amazing tips that will not only boost your mental energy but will leave your body in utter peace.

Pitter Patter

Ball up your hands into fists and gently bump your arms and legs. Work from the top of the limb to the bottom. When you’re done, move on to the torso. Repeat the same bumping action, only this time, go from bottom to top. Pitter-pattering the body will increase blood flow and help you to relax. This is a great massage to do when you wake up in the morning because it will energize you and kick start your day.

Belly Rub

Most of us do this anyway, but when you have finished your meal, give yourself a belly rub. Open your palms wide and rub in a clockwise motion. This will help you to digest your food and save energy.

Hand Massage

Massage your hands with lotion. Begin by kneading the muscles at the bottom of your palm with your opposite thumb. Then move to the big muscle where your thumb connects, but be gentle here (this area should be particularly satisfying to massage). After that target the middle of your palm. And to finish it off, give a gentle pinch to all the webbings in your fingers.

Football

Another great way to relieve stress is to target your feet. All you need for this massage is a tennis ball. Take your shoe off and place the ball under the arch of your foot. Apply pressure and roll it around to help stretch out those muscles. Then, move the ball to your heels continuing that circular motion. Last but not least, place the ball under your toes and roll the ball side to side.

Neck Knead

Use your hands to massage the back of your neck. Gently knead those muscles on either side of the spinal column with the heels of your hands. One at a time, rub the muscles on both sides of the neck just below the skull (just in back of your jaw) with your fingers. When massaging the left side, use your right hand and visa versa. This should feel like you are on cloud nine.

Face Time

Another way to relieve stress is to concentrate on certain areas of the face. Start at the bridge of your nose. Use your index fingers to press slowly across your brow line. Repeat this step about ten times. Then, move to you temples. With both your index and middle finger, execute a clockwise circular motion (this one is great for head aches too). Lastly, find the muscles at the corners of your jaw and give them a firm rub down.

Practice these non-creepy self-massage techniques and you will see your energy levels rise (along with your productivity).

Athletic prowess knows no age limit and some children are born athletes, full of energy and practically running a mile with ease barely after learning how to walk.  For those children, parents may become excited at the prospect of having their kids involved in sports, but there are certain age-related factors to consider and different types of activities that will be appropriate according to what age the child is.

Toddlers (1-5)

Energy seems boundless for little ones in this age group!  Jumping, playing, dancing are all fun activities that they enjoy and can’t seem to get enough of.  Actual organized sports at this age can be impractical because the mental attention span simply isn’t always there, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do athletic activities and put all of that energy to good use!  The best things to get them involved in at this period would be dancing, tumbling, running/racing, climbing on things, and well supervised water fun.

Kids and Preteens (6-12)

Now they can understand the tenets of teamwork and more easily get the concept of structured play and cooperation.  Most sports, done safely and with proper equipment, are an option for kids to play.  Great team games like soccer, basketball, softball are fun to learn how to be a part of a team and cooperate with others, while sports like martial arts, tennis, gymnastics, and golf can teach coordination and discipline.

Teenagers

Teenagers and up of course can participate in all sports if it appeals to them.  There are now even video games such as the Wii Fitness System that will let them combine their love of video games with getting healthy and playing sports!  Biking, hiking, jogging, team sports, and swimming are worthy ideas to get your teenager out of the house and onto being active!  Join them in a game of touch football or ride bikes together to have a great time of family fun.

Gaining weight is completely normal for women during a healthy pregnancy, however excessive weight gain may not be healthy for either you or your little one. This article will focus on ways how to control your weight during pregnancy in a healthy way.

It has been estimated that the average woman gains 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy (this number varies for women who were over or under weight before pregnancy). While nutritional intake naturally increases during pregnancy, women shouldn’t be taking in more calories; 1,800 calories a day is sufficient. Rather, they should be consuming more nutrients. For a healthy baby and a healthy mother, implement this list of food groups and recommended examples into your diet.

Protein…

Is vital for a healthy pregnancy. Pregnant women are recommended to eat four servings of protein a day. Recommended sources of protein include, 1 egg white, or a 4 oz. piece of chicken or lean steak. Eating high protein foods will not only regulate blood sugar but it will curb your appetite.

Calcium…

Is also a necessary nutrient for pregnant women. Milk, cheese and yogurt are all excellent sources of calcium. If for any reason you don’t eat milk products, then soy and rice milks may be suitable substitutes.

Fruits and Vegetables…

Are absolutely essential as well. It is recommended that carrying women eat 3 to 5 servings of vegetables a day and 3 servings of fruit a day. Broccoli, spinach and other green vegetables are especially good. Also, citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits and are healthy for the baby and the mother.

Fiber…

Is an excellent addition to an expectant mother’s diet. Pregnant women often suffer from slow digestion, which allows fats to be absorbed more easily. Consuming high fiber foods will help you digest your foods more rapidly.

Water…

About eight glasses a day will make you feel better by giving you more energy and depleting your appetite. Try not to drink water out of plastic bottles, but at least for the duration of the pregnancy make it a habit to buy spring water in glass bottles.

Food cravings are completely normal during pregnancy and sometimes it’s completely fine to indulge. However, needless to say, the baby is the priority, so you owe it to her or him to eat healthy because what you eat, they eat. So, eat right and you will not only have a healthy, happy baby but you will have a healthy, happy self.

Humans are social beings who enjoy the love and affection of one another.  Part of this socialization includes the act of having sex, which not only feels great but also has the added benefits of being healthy for you and a bit of a workout.  It is an activity that fully engages all of the muscle groups as well as inner workings such as breathing and endorphins; find out below how weekly sexual activity can prolong your health for a better life.

An interesting fact is that around 300 calories an hour can be burned while having sex, sure beats a lot of other workout activities!  While not a complete substitute for other types of fitness, it helps to get the heart going and the breathing heavy for more oxygen flow and great circulation.  The endorphins released carry tides of well-being throughout your system and can help keep you well or heal a headache/migraine.  Doing the deed three times a week could ward off strokes later in life and heart attacks as well!  For men, the chances of prostate cancer goes down with ample activity so that is something to keep in mind.

Studies have shown that sex with a loved partner multiple times a week benefits both mental and physical health while adulterous sex can up the chances for a stroke, perhaps because of the added stress of being caught.  The close connection of stable lovers feeds into the social nature of human beings and the desire to feel connected and close.

New lovers often have intense passion for one another and the increase in sexual activity can help to shed pounds.  Rigorous love-making can burn upwards of 150 calories plus every half hour so making time in the schedule for a passionate coupling can have more benefits than cons.  Switching up positions engages different muscle groups and keeps the magic alive, making sex the exercise that you don’t have to become bored with and therefore will do often enough for it to count as a great form of exercise.  Be creative with your lover and not only will they stay interested, you can prolong your good health.