If you have to give caffeine a break or are simply looking for a healthy alternative, try incorporating a morning cacao elixir into your routine and the benefits will surprise you. 

Ingredients:
2 cups milk (your choice)
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder
1 tablespoon honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt

Method: 
Whisk raw cacao powder into cold milk with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup, a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt (which balances the flavors) until smooth. Whisking the cacao into the milk before heating it allows it to dissolve completely (if you add it to hot milk it can clump up). Warm the hot chocolate on the stove, and enjoy! 

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When it comes to working out, there are many different types of exercises you can do to improve your fitness levels. One type that you might be overlooking is strength training. Strength training involves lifting weights, using resistance bands or doing body weight exercises to build muscle strength and endurance. Below are the detailed benefits of adding strength training to your fitness routine.

Physical Benefits

Increased Muscle Strength: Strength training can help increase your muscle strength and endurance, which can lead to improved performance in other types of exercises and daily activities.

Improved Body Composition: Strength training can help reduce body fat, increase muscle mass and improve overall body composition.

Better Bone Health: Strength training can help increase bone density, reducing the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.

Improved Balance and Coordination: Strength training can improve your balance and coordination, reducing the risk of falls and injuries.

Reduces the risk of injury: By building strength and muscle mass, you can also reduce your risk of injury, especially in activities that require physical exertion.

Improves posture: Strength training can also help to improve your posture by strengthening the muscles that support your spine.

Mental Benefits

Boosts confidence: When you start to see the results of your strength training, it can boost your confidence and self-esteem. You'll feel stronger, more capable and more empowered.

Reduces stress and anxiety: Exercise is a proven stress-reliever, and strength training is no exception. By focusing on your workout and pushing yourself to lift heavier weights, you can reduce stress and anxiety and improve your mood.

Increases mental toughness: Strength training can also help to increase your mental toughness and resilience. By pushing yourself to lift heavier weights and overcome physical challenges, you'll develop a sense of mental toughness that can translate to other areas of your life.

Improves cognitive function: Research has shown that strength training can also improve cognitive function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we age.

Strength training offers many physical and mental benefits that can help improve your overall health and wellbeing. By incorporating strength training into your fitness routine, you can build muscle strength and endurance, improve body composition, reduce stress and anxiety and increase self-confidence.

The post The Benefits of Strength Training: Why You Should Add It to Your Fitness Routine appeared first on Arklife Blog.

Routine is an overused term that some people relish and others dread. Regardless of your preference, routine forms the building blocks of success for starting your health and wellness and training. We’ve identified four key elements that will help you kickstart a successful fitness regime.
 

Nail the Small Things

To start a habit and set yourself up for success, you should build your exercise routine brick by brick. Progressively achievable rather than progressively impossible should be the mantra that makes sure every component of your routine contributes to your goal; whether that is getting out of bed early to go for a run, to the gym or for a swim. Every little action counts (including making your bed) and the less you have to think about it the more likely you are to stick to the routine.
 

Take pride in what you do

Find a sense of purpose with every small step you take, whether it be your diet or exercise. This creates the feeling that you have a degree of control through forming a positive habit and making progress towards your health and wellness goals.
 

Plan your steps

Like anything, it is easy to get carried away with goal setting and the ‘what ifs’. Setting yourself a big, massive goal is great, but just make sure you also identify smaller, readily achievable targets on your way. The journey needs to be as enjoyable as the objective itself.

 
Align with your goals

Think about your actions with your diet, exercise and recovery in the context of alignment with your overall goals. To achieve your overall goals, it is critical that your exercise, diet and recovery actions align themselves with that overarching objective.

Good luck and don’t forget to make the bed.
 

Unsure how to get started? Contact us for a personalised health and fitness plan.

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Sleep is essential for our biological life function. While we sleep, many important functions take place that help the body recover and repair, support brain development, cardiac function and body metabolism, as well as enhance learning capability, improve memory and enhance your mood.

Your central nervous system is the main information highway of your body. Sleep is necessary to keep it functioning properly. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone in our body, which is responsible for increasing sugars (glucose) in the bloodstream, enhancing your brain’s use of glucose and increasing the availability of substances that repair tissues. Cortisol also curbs functions that would be nonessential or harmful in a fight-or-flight situation. Sleep deprivation leads to elevated levels of cortisol. To heal and feel physically and mentally strong, you need to keep that stress hormone at an optimal level.

Long-term effects of sleep deprivation are real. Our sleep affects almost every tissue in our body, including our growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Research shows that lack of sleep increases the risk for obesity, heart disease and infections.

Long-term effects of sleep deprivation are real. Our sleep affects almost every tissue in our body, including our growth and stress hormones, our immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.

These reasons prove that your sleep hygiene is critical to your health. So, what is sleep hygiene? It is the system that supports your bedroom environment and daily routine to promote consistent, uninterrupted sleep. Ideal sleep hygiene consists of the following:

• A relaxing pre-bedtime routine with limited screen time to minimise exposure to blue lights
• Healthy daytime habits, including nutrition and exercise
• A stable sleep schedule
• A comfortable room that is free of disruptions

Everyone’s sleep hygiene is different. It is critical to tailor hygiene practices to your own unique needs. As you’re developing your sleep practice, it’s helpful to apply positive habits that ensure sound sleep and make you feel well rested. These habits can be as simple as limiting caffeine after 12pm. Six hours after caffeine is consumed, half of it is still in your body. It can take up to ten hours to completely clear caffeine from your bloodstream.

We encourage you to consider your sleep hygiene and develop a habit or system that works for you to enable a healthy sleep cycle and support your journey to optimal health.

The post ArkWellness: Sleep hygiene – is your sleep affecting your overall health? appeared first on Arklife Blog.