Rise & Shine

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Rise & Shine

image: Unsplash

image: Unsplash

Benefits of Morning Exercise

Morning workouts are great physically for you body but can also benefit you in other ways like: 

Establishing a routine. Working out first thing in the morning is an excellent way to establish a routine. Once an exercise routine is established, you’ll be a lot less likely to skip the gym. According to an article published by the European Journal of Social Psychology, it takes about two months on average, for a habit to stick and become automatic. So stick with it you’ll be a morning pro in no time!

Boosting physical energy and metal clarity Morning workouts are one of the best ways to feel energised and set you up prepared for the day. In fact, your morning workout can even give you more energy than a cup of coffee would alone. You’ll receive an instant energy boost and increased mental clarity that can help lead to a productive day at home or in the office. 

Improving mood boosting endorphins  Breaking an early morning sweat can reward you with a rush of endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine – your feel-good chemicals that can boost your mood and help reduce stress throughout the day. Leaving you with a post workout glow, feeling energised and optimistic and knowing that you started your day with positive action for yourself, health and vitality. 

Supporting deeper sleep and rest Exercise in general has great supporting benefits to improve sleep quality and promote better sleeping habits, but waking up early and getting moving can allow your body clock to establish earlier and can make it even easier to fall asleep in in the evening. An Appalachian State University study found that participants who exercised at 7:00 a.m. experienced deeper, longer sleep than those who exercised purely in the afternoon or evening. Morning workouts look like the best way to maximise on both of the benefits of exercise and deep sleep.

Lowering blood pressure Researchers in the above study also discovered that those who worked out in the morning reduced their blood pressure by 10%, and this reduction of blood pressure carried throughout the remainder of the day. So as it turns out, exercising in the morning might be even better to support the prevention and management of hypertension and reducing blood pressure.

Reducing stress hormones Starting your day free from built up stress and tension can be as easy as breaking a sweat. Working out before work can lower your body’s cortisol levels / stress hormones, help relieve muscle tension and help to defend the negative effects that stress can on your body + have you walking into the office or your next Zoom call clear, calm and ready to roll.

Regular exercise is important no matter what time of the day it is -  in the morning, during your lunch break, or in the evening - the best time of the day to exercise is the time that works for you.

The Lab’s Morning Workout program DAY GLO are weekday daily ten minute morning workouts to get you moving and primed for your day ahead. Available to all Gold, Silver and Platinum Members via your App or our website. Join the Breakfast Club here or come join a live morning class and enjoy all the benefits a morning practice can bring to your life:

SATURDAY 9:15AM - CORE WORKOUT 45 Minute session

image: Unsplash

image: Unsplash

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Lululemon - 5 things you didn’t know about aerial yoga

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Lululemon - 5 things you didn’t know about aerial yoga

image: © Sky-lab

image: © Sky-lab

Aerial yoga… It’s more than just hanging upside down in suspended silk hammocks. Owner of sky-lab aerial studio Shari Veitch tells us more about this unique practice. 

1. it started on broadway

Aerial yoga originated in the US during the late 1990’s by Christopher Harrison, former competitive gymnast turned Broadway aerial designer as part of a Broadway show. The hammock apparatus created for the performance was a modified single point hanging silk connected to a double point thus creating an aerial hammock, allowing the performers to complete complex aerial poses from a lower more accessible height than traditional circus silks. The practice of Aerial Yoga was born from the performers daily pre show warm up including shapes and poses from traditional floor based yoga, pilates, dance, gymnastics and aerial arts and is now the global practice of aerial yoga and antigravity yoga.

2. it can make you taller

Zero compression inversions allow decompression of the spine through gentle traction and hydration of vertebral discs. Enabling you to extend to your true natural height. This can vary between 1⁄4” to 1 1⁄2” taller and the effects are not cumulative!

3. it can increase your cardiovascular capability without increasing your heart rate

This is one of the coolest things I love about an aerial practice is that, inversions create a unique environment where the lungs and diaphragm are working harder during regular breath cycles to lift upwards against the additional weight of the internal organs, increasing cardio vascular conditioning without increasing heart rate – Who said you need to go for a run?

4. hello happy hormones

Zero compression inversions allow circulatory and lymphatic systems to refresh while stimulating greater cerebellum function. Increasing the release of neurotransmitters from the brain and stimulating the release of “happy hormones” – serotonin, dopamine, enkephalins and endocannabinoids.

5. it can make you more agile and coordinated

The practice of aerial yoga can increase your kinaesthetic awareness and develop a more astute proprioceptor response allowing a fine tuning of balance, coordination and greater agility.

Contributor: http://blog.lululemon.com.au/author/shari-veitch/

Article Source: http://blog.lululemon.com.au/5-things-antigravity-yoga/

 

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Loving-Kindness Meditation to boost Compassion

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Loving-Kindness Meditation to boost Compassion

“Compassion is the greatest form of love humans have to offer.” Rachael Joy Scott

image: Sky-lab

image: Sky-lab

Compassion can help us mend relationships and move forward, build emotional intelligence and understanding as well as and improve our well-being. Enjoy the benefits for yourself of loving-kindness with this self guided meditation.

Relax Your Body:

Close your eyes. Sit comfortably with your feet flat on the floor and your spine straight. Relax your whole body. Keep your eyes closed throughout the whole visualisation and bring your awareness inward. Without straining or concentrating, just relax and gently follow the instructions.

Take a deep breath in. And breathe out.

Bring Your Attention To The Warmth of Your Heart

Keeping your eyes closed, think of a person close to you who loves you very much. It could be someone from the past or the present; someone still in life or who has passed; it could be a spiritual teacher or guide. Imagine that person standing on your right side, sending you their love. That person is sending you wishes for your safety, for your well-being and happiness. Feel the warm wishes and love coming from that person towards you.

Now bring to mind the same person or another person who cherishes you deeply. Imagine that person standing on your left side, sending you wishes for your wellness, for your health and happiness. Feel the kindness and warmth coming to you from that person.

Now imagine that you are surrounded on all sides by all the people who love you and have loved you. Picture all of your friends and loved ones surrounding you. They are standing sending you wishes for your happiness, well-being, and health. Bask in the warm wishes and love coming from all sides. You are filled, and overflowing with warmth and love.

Send Loving-Kindness to Loved Ones

Now bring your awareness back to the person standing on your right side. Begin to send the love that you feel back to that person. You and this person are similar. Just like you, this person wishes to be happy. Send all your love and warm wishes to that person.

Repeat the following phrases, silently:

May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain. 
May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.
May you live with ease, may you be happy, may you be free from pain.

Now focus your awareness on the person standing on your left side. Begin to direct the love within you to that person. Send all your love and warmth to that person. That person and you are alike. Just like you, that person wishes to have a good life.

Repeat the following phrases, silently:

Just as I wish to, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.
Just as I wish to, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.
Just as I wish to, may you be safe, may you be healthy, may you live with ease and happiness.

Now picture another person that you love, perhaps a relative or a friend. This person, like you, wishes to have a happy life. Send warm wishes to that person.

Repeat the following phrases, silently:

May your life be filled with happiness, health, and well-being.
May your life be filled with happiness, health, and well-being.
May your life be filled with happiness, health, and well-being.

Send Loving-Kindness to Neutral People

Now think of an acquaintance, someone you don’t know very well and toward whom you do not have any particular feeling. You and this person are alike in your wish to have a good life.

Send all your wishes for well-being to that person, repeating the following phrases, silently:

Just as I wish to, may you also live with ease and happiness.
Just as I wish to, may you also live with ease and happiness.
Just as I wish to, may you also live with ease and happiness.

Now bring to mind another acquaintance toward whom you feel neutral. It could be a neighbour, or a colleague, or someone else that you see around but do not know very well. Like you, this person wishes to experience joy and well-being in his or her life.

Send all your good wishes to that person, repeating the following phrases, silently:

May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain. 
May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain. 
May you be happy, may you be healthy, may you be free from all pain. 

Send Loving-Kindness to All Living Beings

Now expand your awareness and picture the whole globe in front of you as a little ball.

Send warm wishes to all living beings on the globe, who, like you, want to be happy:

Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health. 
Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.
Just as I wish to, may you live with ease, happiness, and good health.

Take a deep breath in. And breathe out. And another deep breath in and let it go. Notice the state of your mind and how you feel after this meditation.

When you’re ready, you may open your eyes.

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HIIT + Memory

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HIIT + Memory

When it comes to exercising for brain health intensity can be everything

HIIT study shows memory can improve by up to 30% through exercise

Exercise has many benefits for our health from strengthening muscles, improving mobility and flexibility to boosting energy levels, relieving stress and reducing the risk of certain diseases. We can optimise our wellbeing in so many ways - simply by breaking a sweat. 

image: Unsplash

image: Unsplash

New studies have shown that when it comes to exercising for brain health specifically, intensity is everything.  


The study, published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism by McMaster University in Canada, found that high-intensity interval training improved memory function in older adults.

A paper published by the University of Queensland in 2019 looked at how interval training could offset cognitive decline by boosting cerebral blood flow. The new research from McMaster University appears to back up this thinking.

The study, which involved a group of healthy but sedentary seniors between the ages of 60 and 88, compared HIIT with moderate-intensity continuous training and stretching only. Those in the HIIT group did four sets of high-intensity walking on a treadmill for four minutes, followed by a recovery period and repeated. The moderate-intensity group performed one set of moderate-intensity treadmill walking for 45 minutes. While the control group workout was limited to stretching only.

Remarkably, the study found that the HIIT group improved their high-interference memory performance by up to 30 per cent while on average the other two groups had little to no improvement.


“It’s never too late to get the brain health benefits of being physically active, but if you want to see results fast, our research suggests you may need to increase the intensity of your exercise,” said Dr Jennifer Heisz, lead author and associate director at McMaster Physical Centre of Excellence.

“This work will help to inform the public on exactly what types of exercises boost memory and keep diseases such as dementia at bay.”


Heisz added that while intensity could be key to boosting the memory, it’s important to tailor high-intensity training to match your current fitness level. Such as increasing the incline of a treadmill, walking up hills, taking the stairs or increasing pace between alternating street lamps. 


WHAT IS HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is simply alternating between higher intensity bursts of exercise with time to rest in between, with the bursts generally being less than two minutes. Steady state training involves exercising more consistently, for a longer period of time.


image: Unsplash

image: Unsplash

There have been many studies done on the impact that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) has on overall fitness, wellbeing and weight loss goals. And now a workout in less than five minutes may just increase your memory too by up to 30% - who wouldn’t want to add that to your super power! 


The Lab’s HIIT sessions are Aerial Core on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm and Saturday mornings at 9:15am if you want to super charge your memory too!

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GET BACK ON TRACK OR FLY EVEN HIGHER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE LABS FAVOURITE VITALITY ELIXIR

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GET BACK ON TRACK OR FLY EVEN HIGHER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE LABS FAVOURITE VITALITY ELIXIR

Good Morning Vitality Elixir

image: Unsplash

image: Unsplash

GET BACK ON TRACK OR FLY EVEN HIGHER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THE LABS FAVOURITE VITALITY ELIXIR

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup ideally fresh turmeric roots (rinsed, no need to peel) or turmeric powder

  • 1/3  cup ideally fresh ginger roots (rinsed, no need to peel) or 

  • 2 cups water,

  • honey or maple to taste

  • squeeze of lemon lime or citrus to taste

Instructions

Slice the turmeric and ginger into thin disks (leave skin on) place in a blender and add 2 cups of water. Blend for about 1 minute. Let stand a few minutes, strain to serve and add the sweetener and citrus to the jar, or add to your glass when serving.


GINGER: Has anti-inflammatory properties, stimulates blood flow and metabolism, and helps to boost detoxification - ridding your body of the nasties - especially after drinking alcohol. 

TURMERIC: is a renowned super spice, famous for its anti-inflammatory and pain relief benefits - perfect for a hangover headache. Turmeric also has a direct effect on liver cells, encouraging their regeneration and repair, thanks to its yellow pigments, known as curcuminoids. These work alongside turmerones — essential oils within the turmeric root — to attack free radicals, known to damage and age our bodies

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