Search Results for: blog the high 5 on stretching

Stretching Your Cruise Dollar

The best way to make the most of your next cruise is to select one that appeals to every member of your family.  After all, no one wants to waste time and money traveling with unhappy companions. In order to make every penny of your cruise vacation count look for ships which offer a range of activities for passengers of all ages.  Fortunately, these days mega-fun vessels are not hard to find.  Some of the world’s largest ships are home to massive on-board children’s play areas broken into separate zones for different age groups.  Other noteworthy features include multiple family-friendly … Continue reading →

Stretching Your Vacation Dollar

I’m glad we did the bulk of our summer traveling at the beginning of the season because with the price of gas hovering dangerously close to $4 per gallon, the only adventure we can afford now is a campout in the backyard. Exorbitant gas prices are not the only money trap associated with family travel. Hotel room sticker shock is another common problem frugal families face when planning a getaway. Fortunately, there are ways you can stretch your vacation dollar when booking a hotel room: Timing is Key: Hotel rates fluctuate according to availability. For example, if a property is … Continue reading →

5 Bad Habits to Overcome

Bad habits can be hard to break. But if they are standing in the way of you achieving the fit lifestyle you desire to have, it will be worth the hard work of breaking them. While everyone experiences their own challenges, there are some bad habits that are fairly common. See if you recognize yourself in any of these. The first bad habit is setting unrealistic goals. When you raise the bar too high, it can cause you to quickly lose motivation. You can’t run a marathon when you haven’t been off the couch in ages. Set small, achievable goals. … Continue reading →

Stretching Helps Avoid Preeclampsia

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A new study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research found that stretching may actually be better for women who were physically inactive before their pregnancy in avoiding preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is hypertension induced by pregnancy and it’s one of the leading causes of fetal and maternal illness in the world. If left untreated, the condition can lead to death. Pre-Natal Fitness Walking is often promoted as the best form of exercise to protect a pregnant woman from developing preeclampsia. But the study details that women who were not active beforehand and experienced preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy would be … Continue reading →

Analysts Predict Ten Years of High Food Prices

According to an Associated Press (AP) report, food prices are soaring worldwide and we probably won’t see any relief for the next ten years. Countries from Equador to Italy, Japan to Mexico are seeing food prices jump up astronomically. Many families are finding that the cannot feed their families. The poorest countries are the worst effective, but even is more prosperous countries, such as egypt and Italy, violence and protests over food prices are emerging. AP reports: “’It’s not likely that prices will go back to as low as we’re used to,” said Abdolreza Abbassian, economist and secretary of the … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: October 15th Through October 21st

From saving money on meals to free flowers, it has been a mix of different money saving tips here in the frugal living blog, where you’ll find all sorts of ideas to make your money go as far as it can. That is important, especially now when oil prices are going up and the cold weather will be setting in for good in the next few weeks. And you really won’t want to miss our guest blogger at the start of her mission to save on groceries. October 15th Keeping Warm with Blankets Using blankets is a very frugal strategy. … Continue reading →

The Ultimate Thighmaster: Horseback Riding

I remember the Suzanne Sommers commercials advertising the Thighmaster, the ultimate home workout for women to tighten up their thighs and buttocks. The Thighmaster was a focusing tool, designed to help you concentrate on isolating those muscles and using them against specific tension or resistance. The ultimate Thighmaster, however, is not a piece of equipment but rather an equine. I am an admitted equestrian with a particular fondness for horses in general and Saddlebreds in particular along with Mustangs and Tennessee Walkers. Anyway, the point is, humans have been riding horses since around 4000 B.C. that we know of. The … Continue reading →

The Do’s and Don’ts of Stretching

Stretching is an important part of overall fitness. It can improve range of motion and flexibility. Be sure to use correct form when you are stretching and in the meanwhile, here are some do’s and don’ts to keep yourself on track. Do: Stretch after a warm up and perform them with slow deliberateness in order to avoid injury Listen to your body and don’t try to overextend yourself, stretching is not supposed to injure your muscles Practice holding your stretches for 10 seconds, holding for loads longer doesn’t offer you much more Breathe through the stretches, practice deep breathing in … Continue reading →

The High 5 on Stretching

Stretching is not the highest rated activity for most people. In fact, I am not overly fond of stretching though I know better than to do any exercise or intense physical activity without a good stretch. Stretching is important though. Stretching helps you relieve tension in the muscles after a workout that can reduce cramps and other muscle pain. Stretching can also warm up a muscle, loosening them for the workout and prevent strains and tears in the muscle fiber that are pain inducing rather than strength building. So let’s talk about our high 5 on stretching: Stretching helps you … Continue reading →

Help for Families in the “Diaper Gap”

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Families with newborns quickly learn that diapers are expensive. Many families struggle to be able to afford enough diapers for their babies. This leads to difficult choices like whether to spend money on food, diapers, or utility bills. The Obama administration has a plan that utilizes technology to help solve this problem. Nearly one in three Americans cannot afford to purchase enough diapers for their babies. In some cases, parents cope by stretching the length of time between diaper changes. This can lead to serious health problems for babies and parents. Babies can end up with urinary tract or staph … Continue reading →