I’m a fan of clean, modern, Scandinavian design specifically when it comes to lighting. There are a couple industrial pieces for Henry’s room and his basement bathroom as well which felt more his vibe.  Although designer lighting is beautiful, I was happy to find many budget friendly versions that are still fantastic (like this large wooden pendant for only $119).

You’ll also find a variety of sources here. Lots from small shops like Etsy, plus All Modern, The Home Depot, Lamps Plus etc.

I promise when we’re all set up I’ll share more photos!

(This one here was taken immediately after being hung. I was so excited the ladder’s still in the photo!)

This article was originally published by sayyes.com. Read the original article here.

This article was originally published by thehealthymaven.com. Read the original article here.

Maintaining a regular workout routine paves the way to achieving overall health, getting and staying in shape, and having a slim body. However, this routine requires devotion, persistence, and discipline. It is important that, in the first place, you have the motivation to take your workout routine to the next level and to be willing to progress. There are always newer ways to improve your workout routine and to get more satisfactory results. It is necessary to create a plan in order to implement these ways and soon you will enjoy a healthy and fit version of yourself. Guide yourself with our 6 tips to help you improve your routine and make your plan work.

Love What You Do 

You are probably acquainted with the slogan: “Do what you love, love what you do.” Believe it or not, this stands for a workout as well. In fact, one of the major reasons your previous workout routines have failed might be the fact you took workouts only as a burden or an obligation. In order to improve this healthy habit, make sure that you enjoy it the way you want to carry it out. Do some research on what type of workout suits you the best, what part of exercises you enjoy the least, and what the most, what surrounding and what company do you prefer during your workout hours and this will make it more enjoyable. Therefore, you will improve your workout habit and approach exercises as something fun and exciting to fill your day.

Take Small Steps

If you have paused for a long time with exercise, it will be rather impossible to jump into an overwhelming workout routine at once. Instead, set out a few small goals before accomplishing bigger goals. Focus on daily consistency, stick to realistic and time-bound visions. There is no benefit in overtraining, even though it might seem like a good means to improve your workout routine. Not only does it not help, but it can also cause some other unwanted problems. It can completely ruin your routine until you abandon it.

For that reason, motivate yourself by taking small steps and by not giving up on these small steps. Small, but persistent steps lead to results that never leave you disappointed. Whether you exercise at home or at the gym, start with warm-ups and as you progress, you will want to see and try out other exercises and level up your training. Make your workout habit an integral part of your day, as important as eating and sleeping. Schedule your workout and then follow your plan. Start with small, do not get exhausted and big steps will come to you naturally.

Measure Your Intensity

How hard do you exercise? What is the heaviest you can lift up? To follow your weight program as well as your level of advancement, it is a good idea to measure the intensity of your exercise. Measuring repetition maximum is helpful in improving your workout, but again, you have to take it with few precautions. Before you establish your RM and track it, prepare yourself to avoid injuries of muscles and joints.  You can calculate your 1RM at this pull up calculator and test your strength. You can also find out some more information on the downsides it carries along. You need to warm up your muscles in order to prepare them for their maximum without getting any injury. Increase the weight slightly and add episodes of rest between exercises.

Appreciate Your Workout Gear

You might not be able to go to the gym whenever you want, but that is not the reason to skip your daily exercise routine. In fact, there is so much workout gear around you may not notice. Stairs, bicycles, your carpet or bed – all these can be used as your gear, it is up to you to find appropriate exercise for them. Besides, invest in comfortable and enjoyable workout clothes. Do not hesitate on spending a bit more money on gear and clothes, since it is a long-lasting and promising investment.

You become even more responsible if you possess real training equipment at your home. This is a reason more to be conscious of their value and their power to improve your workout routine if you commit yourself as you should.

Have Your Rest Times

Your body gets tired so make sure you don’t put too much burden on it. Once you’re settled and improved your workout routine, insert resting times. Not all exercises are suitable for everyone, and you should be aware of numerous myths regarding exercising. Consider giving yourself a day off, or implementing some resting exercises like stretching, swimming, or yoga. Your body will be thankful to you and you will be able to come back stronger and thus improve your routine.

Reward Yourself 

Ask yourself: why is this routine so important to me? Remind yourself of its benefits. This will motivate you to continue and to sustain the improvement. Together with this, reward yourself from time to time for meeting your small steps and goals. Pick rewards that can be equally beneficial and healthy for you.

Move your workout status from good to great and make this routine a real enjoyment for yourself. Use your daily opportunities for a workout routine in the best way. Be smart in using your time, mindful in exercising your body, and let your motivation live until you move on from small to the greatest steps.

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.

The build-up to Christmas isn’t always filled with sparkle and joy. The festive season can also evoke feelings of stress and overwhelm. In this episode, learn how to throw out the rule book of tired traditions, excess and extravagance to create a more meaningful, memorable and magical Christmas…

This article was originally published by psychologies.co.uk Read the original article here.

It was the image of her showering in a white bikini in the Australian jungle that propelled Myleene Klass into the spotlight and helped launch her diverse career. But she’s come a long way since those days, and family, being a role model and sharing her story of miscarriage to help others are what drive her now.

Fifteen years after that memorable moment on I’m A Celebrity…, Klass sees her body in a completely different light. Not least because, since then, she’s had three children, including her miracle baby boy, Apollo, born after four devastating miscarriages that changed her perspective on life.

‘I look at my body differently now because it’s come through so much,’ she says. ‘I was given every hormone known to man to keep Apollo in there, and I still feel the effects of that. I mean, I put on four and a half stone with him and, as a southeast Asian woman, that was a lot to carry. I’m not some glamazon, six foot, Naomi Campbell type – I’m Myleene Klass from Norfolk. But I’m proud of my body and everything it’s achieved. And, ultimately, I want to make sure I show it love, kindness and positivity, especially because I have daughters.’

These days, bikinis are so far from her mind that Klass forgot to pack one for the family holiday this summer. ‘Can you believe the bikini queen forgot her bikini?’ she laughs. ‘We had to go shopping for a new one when we got there. I was too busy packing for everybody else!’

The ‘everybody else’ she refers to is the beautifully chaotic blended family of seven (they call themselves the Klotsons) she has with her fiance, Simon ‘Sim’ Motson, a PR executive. As well as their son, Apollo, two, Klass has two daughters – Ava, 14, and Hero, 10, from her marriage to Graham Quinn, a former bodyguard for Hear’Say [Klass’s Popstars band], while Sim has two children from a previous relationship. It all makes for a busy – and noisy – household, she says.

‘Apart from the logistical difficulties, everyone has different needs, so you’re trying to emotionally and mentally deliver on all that. I find myself very thinly spread – there’s never enough of me to go around.’

Does she ever get time to herself? ‘Not really!’ she laughs, joking that she might spin out our interview for another hour to escape the mayhem for longer.  ‘Getting the work-life balance right is impossible.  The only way I’ve been able to half get away with it is by creating a work environment that is family-friendly. When I make videos, I do that with the kids. When I design clothes, it’s with my kids. My family life is my work life and everything I do is centred around what happens at home,’ she explains.

‘However, I know how much I wanted this family and I thrive on the madness. I love that when we go out, we’re a tribe. We’re our own party, which is just as well because no one invites us anywhere – there are too many of us!’

During lockdown, she invested in a bigger kitchen table, one the whole family could sit around. For Klass, it was a poignant moment because it showed how far she’d come rebuilding her life after the breakdown of her marriage in 2012, when her daughters were aged four and one. The split was crushing, she acknowledges, but meeting Motson on a blind date five years ago marked the beginning of a new chapter.

‘The table was an emotional thing for me because it was symbolic. I’d bought the previous table for me and the girls, the three of us in this home I had built for us. And now, because we’d met Sim and he’d brought his kids to the table too, we needed something bigger. The kitchen is the heart of our house and, in my head, I want to be an Italian mama. I love the idea of everyone coming together around the table – a real open house. That was my vision and I’ve actually got it! I feel so grateful.’

Ava and Hero call Motson dad and Klass has said that had she not met him, the girls would have been ‘short-changed’.

She says: ‘It’s been important for the girls to see a healthy relationship because, if you can’t see it, you can’t be it. This is not about DNA. Sim’s here every day and steps up and I’m glad they get to see that. He doesn’t see them as just my children – he says “I have five children”. And the girls need to hear that.’

Klass and Motson’s son is the ‘glue’ binding the family together, and they all dote on Apollo. In a heartfelt Instagram post last year, she opened up about the four losses she had suffered before he was born. It led to her making a documentary – Myleene: Miscarriage And Me. ‘It wasn’t easy to film. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever worked on,’ she says. ‘I remember the despair, grief and anger. And the panic. But it wasn’t until I looked back at my diaries that I realised how broken I was. By the fourth time, it was just a spiral of absolute terror.’

The hour-long show will see Klass meeting women, including her friends and family, who share their experiences of baby loss. She is also backing a campaign by Tommy’s, the pregnancy charity, to change the care system to enable more women to get the support they need following a miscarriage. At the moment, the NHS won’t investigate causes until it is classed as recurrent miscarriage, which means a woman must suffer three in row. ‘We don’t expect someone to have three heart attacks before taking it seriously,’ she says. ‘And if the miscarriage happens before 24 weeks, it doesn’t necessarily go on to your medical records so every time [you deal with a new healthcare professional], they don’t know your history and you have to explain it all again.

‘There isn’t even statutory compassionate leave for miscarriage. All these women carrying around this pain. I interviewed my aunty and she hadn’t spoken about her miscarriage for 37 years… So much pain.’ Klass’s third miscarriage occurred while she was live on air at Smooth Radio. During a toilet break, she realised what was happening, yet somehow found the strength to finish the remaining hour of the show.

‘I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to go home because I was going to have to deliver the news and break the magic. But life doesn’t stop and I took my daughter to dance class as soon as I got back. There was no time to catch my breath because I have children who rely on me and who I need to protect.

‘So, to the people who ask how I carried on, I’d answer – what else could I have possibly done? Carrying on was all I knew. And if I’d lain in bed, I don’t know whether I’d have got up again.’

Naturally, her pregnancy with Apollo was fraught with worry. At one point, she was having two scans a week, each time going through agony before they found the heartbeat. ‘I had so many scans my midwife said he was the most photographed baby in history. I didn’t want to drink water because I was scared of needing the loo and seeing blood. I know how ludicrous that sounds, but anyone who’s been through miscarriage will know that stomach-tightening feeling when you pull down your knickers, thinking “please, no blood”.’

Her decision to speak out about a subject that affects one in four pregnancies has been noted by those in power. During a moving speech in the House of Commons this year, Labour MP Olivia Blake spoke about her miscarriage and praised Klass for helping break the taboos that still exist around the subject. Klass hopes her documentary will continue to push the conversation and empower more women to share their stories and feel less alone.

‘Normalising the conversation to the point where it’s happening in the House of Commons with women standing up and recognising each other is so powerful. If we can talk about something that happens to so many, then maybe it won’t feel so terrifying and women will stop blaming themselves. I feel that if I can be part of a change, then I’m turning this pain into power.’

And she’s not only speaking out about miscarriage. Klass was recently accused on social media of having her lips done, and responded publicly that as a biracial woman [her mother is Filipino and her father Austrian], these were the lips she was given. It was an example, she says, of how everything is viewed through the prism of the white Western ‘norm’. ‘I’m not looking for a fight, but I can’t leave a whole group of girls to think I’ve had my lips done to uphold a certain ideal of beauty when we should be celebrating what mixed-race girls like me have.

‘I called it out for my girls. They are like me but transported from Norfolk into north London, and they don’t look like their friendship group. I think the next generation get it. They wear the pride flag, they take the knee, they are brave. I think we’re living in an exciting time when change feels possible.’

Klass says she’s in awe of how her daughters’ generation has handled the pandemic and being locked down for so long. ‘We underestimated them by not giving them a voice in all this. They did everything they were supposed to, better than many of the adults. All credit to our young folk – they’ve been phenomenal. I’m proud of all the children who made such a concerted effort, from clapping on their doorsteps to wearing masks to adapting to online schooling – which was hell on earth by the way.’

She does wonder, however, about the effect on Apollo and the other lockdown babies. ‘Just as he was beginning to open his eyes and recognise shapes, we shut down the world,’ she says.

On the other hand, there were positives to come out of the experience. ‘I had time to just be Mum,’ she says. ‘I stopped expressing because I was home to feed my baby and that was a special thing. I got to see his first steps, hear his first word… I didn’t miss anything and, because he is my last baby, that feels precious. I don’t want to rush a single milestone.’

Photographs: Shutterstock

This article was originally published by psychologies.co.uk Read the original article here.

Did spending more time doing the things you enjoy during lockdown reignite past passions, or reveal new ones? Or has uncertainty about your job made you question what you want to do next? Either way, the pandemic has prompted many of us to revaluate what we want, how we work and spend our time.

‘The human capacity to rise up from life’s shittier moments is incredible,’ says Grace Marshall, a coach and author of Struggle: The Surprising Truth, Beauty And Opportunity Hidden In Life’s Sh*ttier Moments. ‘As we’ve seen, life can be really hard at times, but out of struggle often comes opportunity.’

From brushing up on your digital skills to growing vegetables or learning a language, a new breed of adult learners emerged from lockdown full of energy and enthusiasm after exploring their interests and using their brain in a different way. A 300 per cent rise in searches for online courses in the spring of 2020 was made up of a combination of people upskilling to meet the demands of a challenging and changing work environment and those looking to use their spare time in a more constructive way, instead of binge-watching yet another series on Netflix.

A recent study by Allbright, a professional women’s network, showed that 61 per cent of women are planning a complete career change while another survey of 1,000 women showed half had taken up a new hobby in the past year.*

Joanne Mallon, a coach and author, finds that people are getting braver in life and asking bigger questions. ‘There is a feeling that life is too short to be unhappy. People want their work to have meaning and are prepared to make big changes to make that happen,’ she says. She describes a feeling of drifting along in limbo in her book Find Your Why, and explains that this is a mindset in which people can get stuck when they lack purpose, don’t know what their purpose is or how to find it. Purpose is the ‘why’ that drives us.

Mallon suggests looking for clues in the way you feel when you do certain things, asking yourself questions and looking for repeat themes in the answers (see ‘Learning for pleasure’, below). Asking people close to you where they think your strengths lie can also give clues about what you might be suited to doing.

‘It can be excruciating, but having people you trust tell you how they see you is eye-opening,’ adds coach Helen McMillan, who specialises in purpose.

After a bit of soul-searching, you might come to the conclusion that it’s not a big leap that you need, but small changes that help you feel more fulfilled in the present and positive about the future. ‘You don’t have to give up your job and join the circus!’ says Mallon. ‘It could be taking an evening class or registering for a training course at work. Or, if it’s a passion you already make time for that brings you joy, you could look at the next steps to getting better at it and expanding your involvement.’ Becoming more expert in something you enjoy doing can be a catalyst for greater change further down the line, or it might just mean you get more out of your hobby without any performance pressure. When your confidence needs restoring, Mallon recommends retreating to something you feel naturally good at, whether that’s riding a bike or baking a cake.

Embarking on any kind of learning as an adult requires getting into the mindset of being a beginner again, something you might find exciting, liberating – and pretty scary. ‘Let yourself be curious and open to learning, without judgment,’ says Marshall, who warns about the part of a learning journey where it stops being new and can start to feel trickier. ‘It’s OK to feel uncomfortable and find something hard,’ she says. ‘If you expect that sticky middle bit, it will take you less by surprise.’ However, if you do ultimately decide something isn’t for you, that’s OK – not everything will be a resounding success. ‘Learning skills for a purpose is great but learning for play is equally beneficial,’ she says.

If you like the idea of trying something new but are still pondering what that might be, there’s one question Marshall asks her clients to help them see the light: ‘If you suddenly had an extra hour in the day, what would you do with it? Now ask, what would be the cost benefit of doing more of that?’ ‘Just having it on your radar will make it something you go to more often when you’ve got free time,’ she says.

Looking back over the past 18 months, Mallon agrees that there is insight to be gained from the things you chose to do when you had extra time to do whatever you wanted. ‘Think about what you did during lockdown and what these things tell you about your values – the clearer you are on what your values are, the easier it becomes to stay true to them.’

Open your mind to so much more

A report by the Department for Education reveals that adult learning is associated with greater wellbeing, fewer visits to the GP and improved mental health, and repeated studies show that people live longer and in better health if they have a sense of purpose. As our working life extends, we’re naturally more likely to want to change career path and will inevitably need to update our skills along the way. ‘Most of us aren’t going to retire at 60,’ says coach Helen McMillan, ‘so we need to adapt to the mindset of longer working lives. We can’t expect that a job we perhaps chose to train for in our late teens will necessarily sustain us for 50 or 60 years.’

A thirst for learning also makes you a more attractive employee. In the World Economic Forum’s ‘Future of jobs’ survey, active learning was the second most desirable skill listed by the world’s biggest employers.

Learn for pleasure

Ask yourself the following questions to help you discover where your passions lie:

* When have you felt both powerful and at peace?

* What would you be doing if you knew you couldn’t fail?

* If you didn’t have to do a job for money, what would you do?

* Was there a work or college project that particularly absorbed you?

* What was it about the project that captivated you?

* What did you want to be when you grew up?

* What do you think other people come to you for?

* Write down five things you are good at in your life today

It worked for me

After having her third child, the prospect of going back to teaching left Helen McMillan feeling flat and uninspired. ‘In theory, I had the perfect job for family life, but when I looked to the future, I felt flat and trapped by the rigid structure of my job. I didn’t want to be a teacher for the rest of my life, but I didn’t have a clue what to do or how to make a change,’ she says.

Eventually, Helen consulted a career coach. ‘I was terrified at first and surprised at how hard I found admitting that I didn’t know what I wanted to do,’ she says. With her coach, Helen went through a career transition process exploring options that aligned with her interests, until she decided that she wanted to train as a coach herself. ‘It combines the skills I had from teaching with a therapeutic basis that I really like. It wasn’t always easy and I had moments of wondering whether I’d done the right thing, but I loved learning again and meeting people from different walks of life.’

A few years later, Helen runs her own business coaching companies and individuals and feels in control and fulfilled.

Next steps

CREATE a mood board with words, pictures and ideas that inspire you and look for themes that emerge and clues about what you might wish to do next (or learn more about). This will help you uncover your passions and purpose.

LEARN: For a range of online courses – from creative arts and history to personal development and upgraded business skills, check out linkedin.com, skillshare.com, futurelearn.com and uklearns.pearson.com.

READ The 100-Year Life: Living And Working In an Age Of Longevity by Lynda Gratton and Andrew J Scott (Bloomsbury, £10.99).

Photographs: Getty Images

This article was originally published by psychologies.co.uk Read the original article here.

Mobifitness have just released its turbo exercise bike in the US. The main highlight of the Mobi Turbo Bike is that the product features an artistic design and fits into the home perfectly. Let’s find out more about it…

What Makes The Turbo Bike Special In The Exercise Bike Field?

Paired with a FREE app and course experience, Turbo Bike boasts 32 resistance levels and a vertical and horizontal seat, people can also get access to online tournaments with their friends. Above all, it is of commercial-grade quality with a residential-grade price.

See below for a more detailed review of Turbo Bike.

Pros Of The Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike

√Compact size in a well-designed style

√Sweat-absorbing handle

√Stationary bike with easy knob control

√Ergonomic features comfortable seat

√Free App Smart Experience（Digital experience enhanced by app）

√Free course and online tournament （Stay motivated and engaged with competitions, group challengers）

√12 KG flywheel with 32 resistance levels

√App supports resistance adjustment

√Vertical and horizontal seat and handlebar adjustment

√Wooden bracket for your smartphone/tablet

√be compatible with many world class app.(Zwift, Kinomap)

Cons Of The Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike

– No programs or console

Brand Introduction

Mobifitness is a smart fitness equipment brand with an office in the UK. The company dedicates itself to high-end technology and fabulous design and incorporates it into daily life. The company specifically emphasizes every detail via craftsmanship technology class game service. Mobifitness also aim to attract more people to fall in love with sports and represent a new self. The core values adopted by the company are preciseness, focus, infinity, and mutual.

The products are manufactured with intelligent sensors and by adopting modern spares. The company aims to establish a new set of intelligent exercise modes. The product team primarily focuses on improving user interactive experience and user experience including redefining the exercise agitation. Mobifitness is committed to bringing products with a sense of art and quality to consumers. Mobifitness also specializes in Rowers, Treadmills and Ellipticals. The Turbo Bike is the first product available to customers on Amazon.

Mobifitness Turbo Bike Features

The bike is manufactured with attention to detail. An artistic design sets its apart from it competitors, and also reflects all the details and craftsmanship in every segment. The Mobifitness Turbo Bike provides a free App smart experience, free online course experience, and free online tournament.

The bike ships with a 12kg flywheel with 32 resistance levels, featuring a strong frame with a compact size which can fit for in-home use perfectly.

With Bluetooth capabilities, the Turbo Bike can connect to a phone or tablet easily, and a wooden bracket makes it easy to mount the devices. The mobile app is capable of adjusting the resistance level with precise control of the knob. Moreover, the Mobi Turbo Bike includes a vertical and horizontal seat paired with handlebar adjustment.

Warranty & Guarantee

The Mobifitness Turbo Bike includes a one-year limited parts and labor warranty.

Conclusion

The Mobi Turbo Bike is available now at $899 on Amazon. The company claims that the pricing is more reasonable than Peloton considering its technology and design. Mobifitness turbo bike will set new benchmarks in the smart vehicle segment because of the abundant features and specifications.

For more information visit:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobifitness_global/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Mobifitness-109618368114906

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.

Three horses stand with me in a paddock in rural Wiltshire. One is dappled grey, muscular and beautiful. There is a little Shetland pony with a thick coat that reminds me of the woollen fur of a love-worn teddy and there is a third horse, dark chestnut, with a rough coat. Most of the time, he is preoccupied with eating – his beautiful long neck, like a dragon from a storybook, bent to the ground. The only sound is the constant ripping of grass by teeth. I have never been a rider, and have found horses intimidating in the past – but I’m curious to find out about their therapeutic value, having read about how it’s been used to treat everything from PTSD in war veterans to childhood trauma and suffering in all its forms: depression, anxiety and relationship problems.

In the field with me are Nina Thomson, who runs Track Clinic, an equine-assisted therapy centre, and her partner for the day, an integrative psychotherapist named Paula. ‘Equine-assisted therapy is more widely used in the US than here,’ says Thomson. ‘But interest is growing in the UK. Therapists and clients who are unfamiliar with this way of working are often sceptical at first but, once they try it, they are surprised and inspired by the insights it can generate.’ Thomson puts this down, at least in part, to the way that horses can sense our intentions and inner states.

‘They are highly responsive, sensitive creatures who tune into human beings. Research shows they have the ability to synchronise their heart rate with ours, even from a few feet away.’ She explains that equine-assisted therapy needs to happen in a setting with ideally more than two horses: ‘Horses are herd animals and, in the herd setting, they respond to human participants with the same “palate” of emotional and physical responses they use to express themselves. This reaction, and the human client’s perception of it, reveals a lot about the psyche of the client.’

In the three years since she set up her clinic, Thomson has been moved and surprised by the unusual responses of her horses to a range of clients with a spectrum of psychological profiles.

‘I have seen my therapy horses respond to people in ways that I’ve never seen horses respond before,’ says Thomson. ‘I’ve seen them lie down in a circle around a client with a terminal disease, run alongside a client who needed to feel connected and empowered, nudge a client from one side of the paddock to the other as a way of bringing attention to their boundaries and personal space, stand stock-still next to a fostered child with a head wrapped around their middle so they could feel a sense of stability. Their reaction is always purely instinctive and seems, without fail, to generate a reaction from the client that is meaningful.’

At the start of a session there is a gentle invitation to spend some time with the horses with no agenda to achieve anything in particular. ‘We often find that the first few minutes of a session are very poignant, revealing the dynamic at play and highlighting the blocks that need shifting,’ says Thomson.

She puts me in touch with a client of hers who illustrates the point. Jo was struggling with a combination of challenges in her personal life when she came for her first session. ‘When I got close to the horses, I had an immediate urge to sit down in front of the biggest horse with my back to him. I’m experienced with horses and everything told me this was a risky thing to do, but I just needed to do it. I asked the therapists if it was OK and they reassured me that they would stop anything they felt was unsafe, telling me I should trust my instinct. No sooner had I sat down, when I felt a warm, heavy muzzle resting on the top of my head. Tears started to flow and I stayed in this position – as did the horse, despite other horses moving around him – until the session ended. I left with a profound sense of self-trust during a time when I felt vulnerable to the core.’

This sense of deep and simple self-realisation seems to be a common theme. ‘Lots of people find that when they get stuck in conventional therapy, a few sessions of equine-assisted therapy can get things moving,’ says horse-led therapist, coach and author Pam Billinge, who offers horse-led interventions and retreats in the UK and France. ‘There are many scientific reasons why horses are good at helping us learn about ourselves: they are prey animals, so are finely tuned to pick up on the most subtle of emotional and energetic signals. When we learn with horses, we enter into a unique, vibrant and dynamic relationship with them.

They help us connect with our creative emotional brain (the right brain), instead of relying on our rational left brain, which is where our stories, anxieties and negative thinking lie. They help us to be fully present in our body and it is this felt sense of our emotional experience in the moment that can be transformational.

When we learn to honour and communicate with horses, it helps us reframe our perception of ourself and others, moving beyond blame and guilt.

Horses also get straight to the point, says Billinge. ‘They have clear boundaries and say what needs to be said, when it needs saying. This honesty helps us reach our own truth very quickly. Horses enable us to access the full range of our emotional experience and connect us with a sense of our true self – in a peaceful, joyful and safe way. They are non-judgmental.’

In the field, I can see what she means. Horses are living metaphor. Thomson has advised me to approach the session with a few questions and thoughts in mind. I’m feeling stuck and fed up with my anxious over-thinking, so I choose to focus on that.

To me, the small horse is myself (I have always had a private notion of myself as a Shetland pony trudging along, whatever the weather). The grey horse approaches me a few times, but I’m convinced it is because he thinks I have food for him, and that he’ll be disappointed when I don’t. I also think he’s more drawn to the other people in the field (especially my friend, Helen, who is visiting with me). Every time the grey approaches, he puts his nose to my heart. At the end of the session, the dark horse stops eating and comes up behind me, wrapping me in his body in what feels like a protective hug.

I have a sense that the grey horse is communicating with me by cutting through the automatic negative thinking that tells me he only wants to be friendly in exchange for food. His nose is pressed onto my chest and he seems to be saying: ‘Here you are, this is what is real. I feel you. You know it.’ It feels like a powerful communication and, driving home afterwards, I’m emotional. It reminds me to zone out the anxious thinking and to focus on what I feel at an intuitive level.

‘You can’t hide what is going on from horses, the truth comes out,’ says Anna, a mother of two from the Cotswolds who tried equine-assisted therapy with her children after a bereavement. It’s a thought that reminds me of Virginia Woolf’s statement: ‘Blame it, or praise it, there is no denying the wild horse in us.’

At a time when the wildness within us all is under constant attack from the ‘civilising’ forces of technology, it seems more imperative than ever to do what we can to open our ears and hearts to it.

The Science

Much has been written on the use of equine-assisted psychotherapy in addiction recovery and in the therapy of children with ASD and ADHD. A newly published study in the US, which looked at the impact of equine-assisted therapy on 25 children with ADHD, ADD and autism, found that a year on, children saw improvements in motor skills, behaviour, academic performance and social and communication skills. Similar studies show that equine-assisted psychotherapy reduced the violent behaviour of psychiatric inpatients and improved the psychological functioning of adolescents who had suffered sexual abuse.

Next Steps

WATCH: The Ted talk ‘Wisdom of the herd’ with Ruud Knaapen, a Dutch equine-assisted coach, is a moving account of his professional and personal experiences.

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Words: Zoe McDonald

Photograph: Getty Images

This article was originally published by psychologies.co.uk Read the original article here.

The predicted fitness trends of 2022 are slowly starting to emerge and after a crazy couple of years we are more than ready to see how we will be working out next year.

The pandemic has made us reassess so many different aspects of our lives and the way we approach exercise and our fitness has changed significantly as a consequence of this. It has highlighted the need to stay fit and healthy for long term good health, but perhaps even more so it has opened our eyes to the powerful effect that exercise has on our mental health and wellbeing, something we very much want to continue working on in 2022.

So, come with us as we take a look at some of the fitness trends of 2022:

Calisthenics

If you’ve ever seen pictures or videos of people suspended horizontally from lampposts in a kind of human flag position… that’s calisthenics. Well OK, that’s very advanced calisthenics, so let’s strip it right back and see what this form of fitness is all about.

Calisthenics is a form of strength training consisting of various bodyweight exercises to push the body to its true physical potential. Sounds intense, we know, but don’t let that put you off, because chances are you’re already doing a few beginner calisthenics moves in your existing workout without even realising it. Squats, lunges, press ups, and planks are all basic calisthenic exercises that are used as a foundation to move onto bigger, more impressive moves. This is all about form however, mindfully moving through the exercise, taking note of body position to ensure a strong central core and smooth line.

Whilst equipment such as resistance bands, dip bars, pull up bars etc. can be used, for the most part, and certainly to start you off, all you need is a body… and we all have one of those, so there are no excuses! 2020 taught us that we don’t need gyms with their fancy high tech machines, all we really need is what we already have combined with a whole heap of motivation and perhaps a YouTube vid or two.

Hormonal Balancing

Thanks to more open conversations about menstruation and the menopause, there has been more research carried out about the part that hormones have to play in female fitness and this is set to be one of the biggest fitness trends of 2022.

Although men and women have the same number of hormones (50 to be exact), the level of each hormone varies. Women have higher levels of oestrogen and progesterone for example, and men have higher levels of testosterone, and this can affect the way we workout. Fitness pros are now paying more attention to the varying flow of female hormones and are creating specific workouts to help support and balance these hormones during the different stages of our cycle.

Progesterone and oestrogen levels are at their lowest when your period starts. These levels then gradually increase throughout your cycle. Lower levels of these hormones can make you feel more tired and if you also factor in blood loss, which also adds to feelings of fatigue, it’s no wonder this affects performance.

As a rough guide, here’s some suggestions of the type of exercise you should be doing at each stage of your cycle:

• Menstruation – You are likely feeling tired and perhaps experiencing cramps. Exercise is probably the last thing you feel like doing. However, gentle stretching exercises, yoga, and Pilates will help ease cramps and other symptoms. The key thing in this phase is not to stop exercise entirely, but to take things down a notch or two.
• Follicular – Your period’s over and you are feeling full of energy. Now is the time to challenge yourself and bust out all the high intensity stuff. HIIT, boxing, and strength training are perfect for this stage of your cycle.
• Ovulation – This is also a high energy phase, so continue to take advantage of this by doing lots of cardio like running and circuit training.
• Luteal – You’ll start this phase feeling energised but as it draws closer to menstruation you’ll feel your energy and motivation dropping, so it’s time to start decreasing the intensity of your workouts again and cutting yourself some slack.

Now obviously, this ‘plan’ is a lot easier to follow if your menstrual cycle runs like clockwork. However, if you are experiencing hormonal imbalance, for example if you have entered the perimenopause stage of your life, it’s not quite so clear cut. It can be a lot harder to find the motivation to exercise and you may also be suffering from joint pain, fatigue, inflammation, hot flushes, and a whole host of other perimenopause symptoms. Which is where having the help of a personal trainer, especially one who has knowledge of hormone balancing workouts, is going to be your absolute saviour in 2022.

Canicross

Hands up if you bought a dog during lockdown? According to research carried out by the Pet Food Manufacturers’ Association 3.2 million UK households bought a new pet during lockdown, with the majority of those being dogs. But as life slowly started to get back to some semblance of normal, with many of us converting back to commuting into the office, suddenly trying to fit in walking the dog as well as a morning run wasn’t so easy. Which is where canicross comes in.

Canicross is basically running with your dog, and it is a great form of fitness for both you and your canine friend. The most important bit of kit you need to do canicross properly is the correct harness for your dog and a proper fitting stretchy lead and waist band for you. There are lots of specialist brands out there for this type of kit so do a quick Google search and you’ll find what you need with lots of advice. If you don’t use the right harness for your dog there is a chance your dog may get hurt, injure themselves, or have joint problems in later life and the same applies to you if you don’t get the right support from the waist band you use.

Benefits of canicross both for you and your dog include:

• Improved bone, ligament, and joint health.
• Increased cardiovascular health.
• Better sleep.
• Builds a stronger bond between the pair of you.
• Improved mental health and wellbeing.
• Saves time.
• Socialisation.

It takes a bit of practice, and it will certainly keep you on your toes when you suddenly have to speed up because your dog’s spotted a squirrel or you have to stop and straddle your dog because he’s suddenly decided to do his business right in front of you, but hey we’re all for throwing a few body weight moves into a run. But as with anything practice makes perfect and before long you and your furry buddy will be running as a team.

Outdoor PT’s

Last year it was all about the online workouts and training plans, well we didn’t have much choice really, did we?!? When gyms closed, personal trainers had to get clever with what they could offer their clients that both fitted in with the new rules as well as allowing them to continue working. And while we know online workouts are here to stay, we’re also pretty certain that now we’re allowed back out there in the world most of us want to take full advantage of being away from the confines of our homes.

There are many benefits to be had from having someone take charge of your fitness and who helps make you accountable. Having a structure to our workouts, with set goals rather than mindlessly sweating it out at the gym, is exactly what we need to keep us focused and motivated.  And so, we predict that the fitness trends of 2022 will include the rise of the personal trainer once more, but this time they’re taking us outdoors.

Outdoor activities have increased in popularity over the past 18 months and it’s clear to see why. Fresh air and sunshine raises our endorphin levels and gives us a healthy boost of vitamin D. And being outside allows us to stay social but without being too close to people. Expect to see PT’s running bootcamps and 1 on 1 sessions in parks, woodlands, and green spaces to help keep our bodies fit and our minds healthy.

Breathwork

You might be wondering how on earth breathing could possibly be classed as a trend, after all we’ve all been doing it from birth, so what’s the big deal? But the thing is, many of us have picked up a few bad habits when it comes to breathing, and there’s far more to it than we’d be led to believe. Now more than ever, what with covid and everything, the importance of good breathing is top of our priority list as we head towards 2022.

Breathwork involves specific breathing techniques that help to open up the lungs and better equip the mind, body, and soul to deal with stress. Breathwork techniques include:

• Deep Abdominal Breathing – to experience full breath capacity to encourage the body to relax.
• 4-7-8 Breath – where you inhale for 4 counts, hold the breath for 7 counts, and then exhale 8 counts to give focus and to help still a busy mind.
• Alternate Nostril Breathing – to help balance the body and mind.
  
• Breath of Fire – a more advanced technique that involves engaging the abdominal muscles for rejuvenation.
  
• Holotropic Breathwork – an even more advanced technique, which usually requires the assistance of a trained breathwork professional, to breathe on the inhale and exhale without pause.

Learning to regulate the flow of your breathing, so that you are in control of how you breathe, is actually quite an acquired skill to have. This all natural workout works wonders for every aspect of our health, and we can’t wait to introduce this into our daily workouts as a means to slow down and be more present in the moment.

Exercise As Medicine

We’re all aware of how good exercise is for us in a physical sense, but since the pandemic it’s become more and more apparent of how good it is for our mental health too. And so, in the emerging fitness trends of 2022 we see the idea of exercise as medicine, with particular focus on exercise as medicine for the mind.

One thing we can do to help in the fight against covid is to keep ourselves fit and healthy both in body and mind. There’s no question that mental health has suffered over the last couple of years, and it is clear we need a much more holistic approach to health going forwards. Next year will see counsellors, physiotherapists and nutritionists teaming together with physical fitness classes offering their services as a complete package. Kind of like a mind body overhaul if you like.

The new year will soon be upon us and it you’re looking to make some healthy changes to your lifestyle perhaps some of the fitness trends of 2022 will help inspire you to try something new.

Check out last year’s trends here:

Fitness Trends 2021

This article was originally published by artofhealthyliving.com. Read the original article here.