Ultrafit Living Magazine

Younger, Fitter, Healthier

All the latest news, articles, tips, interviews and advice on health, fitness, wellness, running, beauty and anti ageing in the UAE.

Unveiling the Radiance within: The Surprising Benefits of Face Yoga

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In our quest for youthful and vibrant skin, we often overlook the power of natural remedies and holistic approaches. Face Yoga is transformative practice that combines facial exercises, massage techniques, acupressure and relaxation to enhance the health and appearance of our skin. Beyond skincare products and invasive procedures, face yoga offers a natural and effective way to rejuvenate and nourish our face.

  1. Toning and Strengthening Facial Muscles:
    Similar to how physical exercise strengthens our body, face yoga targets the muscles in our face, helping to tone and tighten them. By engaging in specific facial exercises, such as cheek lifts, eyebrow raises, and jawline exercises, we can improve muscle tone, sculpt our features, and combat the effects of gravity. Regular practice of face yoga can lead to firmer and more defined facial contours.
  2. Stimulating Blood Circulation to the Face:
    Face yoga uses massage techniques that can help to improve the blood circulation to the face. Increased blood flow nourishes the skin with oxygen and nutrients while aiding in the removal of toxins. The enhanced circulation gives the skin a healthy glow and can reduce puffiness, dark circles, and signs of fatigue.
  3. Boosts Collagen and Elasticity:
    As we age, the production of collagen and elastin, the proteins responsible for maintaining the skin’s firmness and elasticity decreases. Face yoga stimulates collagen production, increases oxygen and blood flow helping to give a more youthful appearance.
  4. Relaxation and Stress Reduction:
    Stress and tension can manifest on our faces, contributing to frown lines, wrinkles, and a dull complexion. Face yoga incorporates relaxation techniques, deep breathing, and facial massages that release tension and promote relaxation. By incorporating these practices into our routine, we can reduce stress levels, restore balance, and experience a renewed sense of calmness, reflecting positively on our skin.
  5. Enhanced Mind-Body Connection:
    Face yoga is not only about physical exercises but also about cultivating a deeper connection between the mind and body. By focusing on the sensations and movements of our facial muscles, we become more attuned to our body’s needs. This increased awareness can extend beyond the practice of face yoga, leading to better overall self-care and healthier lifestyle choices.

How to stick to your running routine

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You might find yourself dropping off your running routine after a few weeks, the motivation might have gone down, or you are starting to become tired and are skipping days.

Here are a 6 tips to help you to keep on track:

  1. Follow a training plan, get a coach so you are held accountable. Make your run a priority and aim go for your run at the same time each day so it becomes a routine.
  2. Plan to run with a friend or group to keep yourself committed.
  3. You don’t have to push hard on every run, you can go slower or shorten the run if you are feeling tired. If you are really tired you could swap your rest day to a different day, but try not to make it a habit of skipping run days.
  4. Make your runs interesting by choosing different routes, maybe one day could be a hilly run or a run where you add some pick ups.
  5. Set a challenging but realistic goal for maybe, in 4 weeks time, such as a 5km or 10km race or a time trial to keep you motivated.
  6. Add some strength training and cross training to your program to add variety to your training and to also strengthen key muscles and improve your endurance without too much impact from running.

How to make lifestyle changes

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To live a long and healthy life you should aim to make lifestyle changes for the long term, not just for a quick fix that you most likely won’t stick to.

Below are a few tips to get you started in order to make positive changes to your life.

  1. Start with small changes and gradually change other areas that you need to improve on. It usually takes around 28 days to form a new habit so if you try to change everything all at once then you are not so likely to succeed as you won’t want to stick to it.
  2. You have to be dedicated to reaching your goal and be prepared that it can take hard work and some days you wont feel like working out but you can push through that and once the habit is formed you wont feel like missing your workouts.
  3. Have a plan, a weekly and month workout plan to follow will help you to stay on track, it can be adapted as needed and you can look back at what you have already achieved which can help to keep you motivated.
  4. Aim to eat more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables, change white rice, pasta etc for whole grains or try grains such a Quinoa which is packed full of protein and nutrients.
  5. Keep your portions smaller but don’t skip meals.
  6. Get plenty of sleep, 7 to 8 hours a night
  7. Drink more water, this will help to boost your metabolism, increase energy and also helps to improve your skin.
  8. If you are short of time, short workouts will help, try swimming, yoga, walking or even walking up the stairs, these can all help to boost your fitness.

Tips To Keep Fit During Ramadan

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During the holy month of Ramadan you can still stay healthy and fit. Try these tips to keep in shape and avoid gaining weight.

  1. Just as you should never skip breakfast, never skip Suhour, the meal before dawn. Eating well at this meal will help to keep you going until Iftar when you break your fast. Try to eat complex carbohydrates such as oats, cereals, whole grain bread, brown rice, potatoes and vegetables along with lots of fruits.
  2. Drink juices and plenty of water to keep hydrated and try to avoid tea and coffee as these will dehydrate you.
  3. Eat plenty of protein rich foods such eggs, yogurt, lentils, chickpeas and meat.
  4. Avoid sugary drinks and foods and fatty dishes, replace them with nourishing soups, salads, beans and lean meats.
  5. Eat smaller meals once you break your fast, don’t eat a big meal straight away.
  6. Take a multivitamin or try wheatgrass to make sure you are getting all your vitamins and minerals.
  7. The best time to work out is just before you break your fast to avoid dehydration or a couple of hours after you have eaten.
  8. Try more gentler workouts such as yoga, core exercises and toning routines or try swimming or walking.

Boost Your Immune System

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During this time when the Coronavirus is spreading it can be stressful not knowing how long you will be at home in isolation for, having reduced or no income can be hard to deal with and not knowing when it will all end can all be very distressing. It is important to boost your immune system to help to prevent illnesses and to give your body a chance to fight back if you do get sick. Below are some healthy ways you can boost your immune system naturally.

Immune Boosting Foods

There are lots of foods which can help to keep your immune system strong. Here are a few you can add to your every day diet.

Garlic, ginger, turmeric, spinach, almonds, blueberries, broccoli, sweet potatoes, live yoghurt, mushrooms, watermelon and green tea.

Exercise

Regular exercise can help your immune cells to regenerate, it helps to reduce your stress hormones and to ward off other illnesses such as heart disease, strokes and obesity. Walking, jogging, circuit exercises and Yoga are some examples to choose. There are lots of video’s online at the moment to try.

Get Enough Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can can lower you immune system, aim for at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. If you can’t get that amount each night, try to have a short nap during the day of no longer than 30 minutes.

Reduce Stress Levels

Stress will lower your immune system, reducing your bodies ability to fight off viruses. During this time it can be very stressful so try to maintain contact with your family and friends, listen to some relaxing music, try meditation or Yoga and breathing exercises, there are lots of videos online that are really effective.

Keep safe at this time!

Marathon Tips During the Final Week

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Congratulations you have been training hard for months building up for your big race! Maybe it’s your first marathon or you have run many before. All the hard training and dedication you put in could be lost if you don’t prepare well during the last week. Below are a few tips to help you to prepare and get the best out of yourself on race day.

  1. There is no point in trying to make up for any missed training or trying to add extra training runs in thinking it will make you go faster or perform any better. Anything hard you do in the last week is not going to improve your performance, it might even make you too tired or you could injure yourself.
  2. Don’t do lots of walking or site seeing during the last few days, stay off your feet as best you can, maybe do some light stretches and use a foam roller.
  3. Rest a day or two before the big day and maybe do a short easy run the day before of up to 20 minutes to get the legs moving.
  4. Stick with you usual sleep and eating routine, try not to change things too much and don’t eat anything the night before that you aren’t used to as it could upset your stomach on race day.
  5. In the few days before the marathon, eat complex carbs that your stomach is used to like brown rice or wholemeal pasta, quinoa and sweet potatoes. Eat vegetables and some protein. Don’t suddenly eat large amounts of pasta as your stomach might not like it. Eat a good meal the night before the race so your body has enough fuel stored in your muscles and liver to help to reduce the risk of fatigue and hitting the wall on race day.
  6. On race day stick to a breakfast that you are used to such as toast, cereal, oats, bagels and maybe a banana.
  7. Take fuel such as gels or sweets during the race but only take what you have practiced during your training, as anything you take on board could upset your stomach. Ideally 30 – 60g of carbohydrate per hour. 
  8. Start off at a bit easier pace so the first half of the race feels easier and to help you to avoid depleting all your fuel too quickly and hitting the wall. The rest of the race could be painful if you do.
  9. Hydrate well but don’t over do it or you could risk depleting your body salts which can be dangerous.
  10. Enjoy the race, you have done all the hard work you need.