- What’s the point of doing a warm up?
A warm up is meant to get your joints lubricated and your muscles warm. This prevents any injuries or muscles getting pulled during the workout, because the body would be ready to start the exercises and it’s prepped for any intense movements. It can also prevent soreness after the workout and makes the recovery faster.
- What constitutes a successful warm up?
Some really good warm ups constitute of jumping jacks, lunges, hip extensions or even the jump rope; anything that would get you moving and that would get your blood pumping through your system. Ideally you want to do this for about 5-10min and personally I consider this a very important chunk of any workout I do.
- What’s the point of doing a cool down?
Cooling down provides a transition from exercise to a steady heart beat and body temperature. It returns the muscles to their optimal tension and helps avoid dizziness. It is also a great way of relaxing and improves flexibility.
- When is the best time to stretch and why?
It is known that the best time to stretch is when the muscles are already warm and pliable. I usually stretch after exercises, such as muscle toning because my muscles are cooling down from the workout and it is the perfect opportunity to stretch my legs out. Also, workout like yoga usually incorporated stretches gradually and it follow the same logic, that the best opportunity to stretch is when the muscles are pliable.
- Why is stretching important?
Stretching is extremely important because it improves flexibility, which increases the ability of a joint to move through its full range of motion. Overall, it is the best moment to cool down if you are choosing static stretches and it increase your overall flexibility.
- How much sleep should you be getting every night?
It is recommended for young adults (18 to 25 years) to get at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
- Are you getting that much? If not, what could you do to ensure that you do get
enough sleep?
On average I get at least 6 hours of deep sleep. I feel rested and I feel energized in the morning, ready to tackle the day. However, I know that I should get a few hours more of sleep but my biological clock doesn’t let me sleep more than 6 hours. I have been trying to mediate and do breathing exercises before sleeping, so I plan on continuing these exercises to fall asleep quicker and earlier.
- What are there serious health effects related to insufficient sleep?
On top of hurting the cognitive system by impairing attention, alertness, concentration, reasoning, and problem solving, it is also linked to serious health issues. In fact, it is linked to heart disease, heart attacks, heart failure and diabetes. Sleep plays a crucial role in the overall functioning of our body and muscles and we shouldn’t take it for granted.
- Give two examples of healthy snacks that you can munch on while studying.
I love to snack on vegetables (broccoli, celery, carrots and tomatoes) because they’re “hand-foods” and they’re super easy to eat and transport in little tupperwares. Also, I love to much on trial mixes and I recently started making them from scratch with nuts (almonds, cajou, walnuts), dried fruit (grapes, apples), yummy dates and coconut flakes. It;s amazing how easy and yummy it is !!
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