6 Health Benefits of Outdoor Exercise

Mia Barnes 04/17/2023

You already know exercise is necessary for a healthy body and mind, but did you know that where you work out can also influence how you feel? In addition to saving money you would’ve spent on a gym membership, exercising outside provides several unique health benefits. Here are just a few advantages you can expect when you spend your active time in the great outdoors. 1. Utilizing the Terrain for a Challenge When you exercise outdoors, you can use the terrain to your advantage. For example, you’ll meet more resistance going for a run in the sand than on pavement. Use what you have near you to create more fulfilling workout challenges. You don’t have to go far to find some resistance in your workouts.…

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Categories: Institute of Women, Wellness & Work, Self-care, Subscriber Content, Wellness & Personal Growth

Tags: health, self-care, wellness

Mia Barnes

How to care for yourself while taking care of others

Caregivers, this is for you. Even before the pandemic, more than 16% of the US population was providing unpaid care to an adult 18 years or older, including family members with Alzheimer’s or dementia. Women make up about 75% of those caregivers, and they put in the work while juggling jobs, children, and ongoing domestic-task overload. With nearly 23 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the US, caregivers are under additional pressure to care for and protect their loved ones. If you’re a caregiver, the stress may seem relentless, and you may be: having trouble sleepingunder/over-eatingself-medicating with alcohol or drugscanceling (or not even booking) your own doctors’ appointments That’s because when you’re a caregiver, caring for yourself tends to happen only after everyone else’s needs…

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Institute Editorial Team 01/24/2021

5 Exercises for Practicing Self-Compassion

Have you ever beat yourself up or said unkind words to yourself? If you’re like most of us, your answer is probably “yes.” Especially as women, we tend to be our own worst critics, and we usually treat ourselves in cruel ways that we’d never treat other people!But there’s a different way. Self-compassion is the practice of being kind and understanding with ourselves — not only when we succeed, but when we fail, too. Here, we’ve compiled 5 exercises you can use to start practicing self-compassion. These practices are based on extensive research by Dr. Kristin Neff, a psychologist who specializes in self-compassion. Try to incorporate them into your daily schedule as much as possible. You can use these 5 exercises at any time, day…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 02/28/2022

woman sitting at desk thinking, stressed, should you return to pre-pandemic job?

Is Your Pre-Pandemic Job Still Right for You?

Is Your Pre-Pandemic Job Still Right for You? The world is slowly returning back to “normal” 一 or as close to normal as things get while continuing to live with the threat of a global pandemic. And this return to “normal” has left many of us wondering: do I want to go back to exactly the way things were pre-pandemic? Here are some things to consider when weighing the pros and cons of staying at your pre-pandemic job. Many are leaving their pre-pandemic jobs As employers call workers back into the office, many people are choosing not to go back to their old jobs at all. Although a record number of open jobs are available in the U.S., hiring has gone way down. And people…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 10/18/2021

woman sitting at table thinking about self-care and work-life balance

4 Self-Care Practices to Disconnect from Work

Why do we need self-care practices to disconnect from work? As we cope with the stress of phase 2 of the pandemic, many women are headed back to the office. Finding a healthy work-life balance seems to be more difficult than ever. Imagine this: You finally leave the office after a long day at work. You’re exhausted, and can’t wait to get home. But in the car, you start thinking about that project you’re working on, or that client, or that meeting tomorrow. You’re filled with worry and self-doubt, and you can’t stop thinking about work the whole way home. You get home and you are still thinking about it. Your body is physically at home with your family, but your mind is still at…

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Gina Messina, Ph.D. 09/06/2021

How to Start Running Regularly Even as a Beginner

Running is a great workout that strengthens your heart and lungs and improves your fitness. It also has mental health benefits. Here are nine tips for running regularly even if you are a beginner. 1. Start Slow It’s tempting to want to push yourself at the beginning of your running journey to achieve your goal as quickly as possible. You want to run long distances and know it takes work, so why not try to get there soon as possible? You could injure yourself if you try going too far or too fast. At the very least, your muscles will be extremely sore, and you might feel sick. This will set you back and could dissuade you from continuing to run. 2. Follow a Program…

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Mia Barnes 04/24/2023

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