How to Keep Your Body in Good Shape

Staying in shape is all about making good choices, and making them consistently. With the constant distractions of family and work or school, it can be easy for your body to slip out of shape before you even realize it. Fortunately, you don't need to pay constant attention to diet and exercise just to maintain your fitness level. You just need to pick up a few good habits and keep them.

Step 1
Take a brisk walk every day. Make walking a permanent part of your daily routine so you can enjoy cardiovascular health, stress management and weight loss. Pick a route with enjoyable scenery such as a park, or walk as part of your commute to work and back. Wear sneakers and dress in layers of comfortable clothes so you can adapt to any temperature. Walk for at least 30 minutes each day.

Step 2
Train with weights. Use resistance training to maintain muscle mass, promote bone health and stimulate your metabolism. Train three days per week performing exercises such as the chest press, leg press, seated row and overhead press. Most fitness centers will have a machine circuit you can follow. Train your entire body each workout. For more information on resistance training, go to the American Council on Exercise.


Step 3
Stay away from processed foods. Eliminating processed foods from your diet will help get rid of empty calories that tend to put on weight without offering much in terms of nutrition. Replace white flour, sugar and processed meats with brown rice, whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean meats. Eat 5 to 6 small but balanced meals per day. Avoid stuffing yourself. Instead of eating until you are full, just eat until you are no longer hungry.

Things You'll Need

• Sneakers 
• Comfortable clothes 
• Fitness center access 

Tips

• Keep your motivation up by getting your friends and family involved with fitness. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easier when you have the support of people doing the same thing alongside you. 

Warnings

• If you have never weight-trained before, seek the guidance of an exercise professional to help get you started safely.

7 Surprising Reasons You Have Under Eye Circles

It goes way beyond not getting enough sleep.

1. Your parents passed on bad genes.
That's right — your parents could be to blame for your dark circles. "There are hereditary conditions that run in families that can lead to darkness under the eyes," explains New York City dermatologist Dr. Bruce Katz, Director of the Juva Skin & Laser Center in New York. "This is very common in people with Mediterranean backgrounds." The good news: if it's pigmentation, there are specific lasers dermatologists can use that can help you get rid of it.

2. Eczema could be leading you to rub.
While the eczema itself may not lead to the dark circles, the constant rubbing and itching most certainly can. "Excessive rubbing can lead to increased swelling, inflammation, and broken blood vessels in the eye area, which can give the skin a dark, almost bruised appearance," says dermatologist Dr. David E. Bank, Director at The Center for Dermatology, Cosmetic & Laser Surgery in Mt. Kisco, NY.

3. Allergies can make you itchy.
Skin conditions like eczema aren't the only health concern that can cause your under eye woes. "Allergies often trigger histamines in the body which cause blood vessels to dilate," explains Dr. Bank. "Since the skin on our eyelid and under eye area is some of the thinnest in the body, it may cause those swollen blood vessels to appear darker than the rest of the face." Long story short: Take care of those allergies ASAP, then your derm can treat the pigmentation.

4. Your makeup could be irritating you.
It seems counterintuitive — makeup is supposed to cover up those dark circles, right? But if you're using a product, whether it's a mascara, eyeshadow, or even concealer, that bugs your skin, it could be leading to worsened circles. "Some people develop allergic reactions to makeup, and they get circles from the irritation, rubbing, and scratching," warns Dr. Katz. If you notice your eyes are looking a little rough after using that trendy new eyeliner, perhaps steer clear.

5. Your bone structure could be to blame.
Surprisingly, your circles could have nothing to do with your actual skin — it could simply be the way your face is shaped. "When people have deep tear troughs under their eyes, the shadowing and indentation can cause the appearance of darkness, but it's not actually from pigment or veins," says Dr. Katz. If this is your personal dilemma, Dr. Katz says fillers from a certified pro can even out the eye area.

6. Veins can give you a blue tint.
If your eye areas look particularly blue, it could simply be your blood vessels. "Blue veins under your eyes look dark, too, so it makes the eyelids and under eyes appear to have dark circles, but really it's just the veins under the skin," explains Dr. Katz. Try using one of these concealers to cover 'em up.

7. You're not protecting your skin from the sun.
You may think heading outside could brighten up your skin, but not if you let your delicate under eye area get too exposed. "Eyelid skin is the thinnest in the body, so sun damage shows up quickly in this area in the form of dilating and increased blood flow," says Dr. Bank. "As a result, you can see a dark glow or color through the transparency of the skin." Just another reason to wear SPF!

08 Everyday Habits That Are Giving You Acne

Habit No. 1: Using makeup with ingredients that can cause irritation There are certain ingredients lurking in the makeup and sunscreen you're slathering on that are causing you to break out. Now this doesn't mean you have to forgo your foundation (scary, we know) or stop applying SPF (please, don't), but you do need to keep a watchful eye on product labels.

Habit No. 2: Over-drying your face Sucking all the oil and moisture out of your face is a sure-fire way to irritate your skin, says Nakhla. While it might seem like a good idea to dry out oily skin with harsh cleansers, soap, and alcohol-based toners -- and skimp on the moisturizer -- your skin is more complicated than that. 

Drying out your skin will actually cause it to produce more oil, says King. She explains that the skin naturally tries to correct itself, therefore if it feels dry it will try to balance the situation by producing more oil, continuing the vicious cycle. 

Habit No. 3: Pressure (literally) So what is pressure-induced acne exactly? acne caused by physical pressure on your face, be it from the cell phone you are constantly on, an instrument (like the violin), or simply a hand resting on your face as you glare into the TV or computer screen. This pressure not only exposes your skin to loads of bacteria, but the actual force of this bacteria against your face can cause you to break out. 

Habit No. 4: Pressure (figuratively) So, you're already aware that stress gets your heart racing, your stomach churning, and causes wrinkles -- but did you know that it also increases the hormones that can cause acne? So sad, so true. So what are we saying -- magically chill out just because we told you to (yeah, wouldn't that just be dandy)? No, but you can do things to relax and minimize the drama.

Reason No. 5: Your laundry schedule As if your dirty laundry isn't annoying enough to deal with, it could also be causing your acne. Think about it: Your face lies on your pillowcase for hours at a time, and if it's not clean, you're basically rolling around in a bunch of dead skin cells and bacteria. As for that towel of yours? If it's not fresh from the dryer, you could be wiping germs all over your newly-cleansed skin. 

Habit No. 6: The hair products you use Many people don't think about how their hair products can cause acne, says Nakhla, but think about how often your hair touches your face. And remember that unless you are washing your hair every night before bed, all that product is transferring onto your pillow.  

Habit No. 7: Using dirty makeup applicators Alright, so now that you are diligently checking the labels on all your makeup products for known acne instigators, you need to think about the actual brushes, sponges, and other applicators you use to apply your non-comedogenic makeup.

Habit No. 8: Your diet OK, so you've heard rumors that foods like chocolate and French fries are practically guaranteed to give you zits, but the good news (kinda) is that's not totally true.

It's really an overall unhealthy diet that effects your skin. Shamban says that having a high glycemic index, which is caused by frequently eating foods known to spike your blood sugar levels (like refined sugar, white bread, pastas, and fried foods), will mess with your body and can cause acne. So if you are eating these foods only on occasion, it's not likely the cause for your breakouts. 

Also, some people, though they might not know it, have actual allergies to foods like chocolate, wheat, or dairy that cause them to break out. So if you notice your skin goes nuts after a bagel binge or cookie dough ice cream social, take a break from these foods and see what happens. 

The Only 12 Exercises You Need To Get In Shape

Learn these moves and you’ll never need to pay for a gym membership again.

Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/sallytamarkin/get-fit-bodyweight-exercises?utm_term=.ueBGyO9J2#.jk6mzOnPq

Bodyweight exercises are moves that use only your body’s weight as resistance, such as pushups and lunges — no equipment needed. They’re a staple in many high-intensity circuit training (HICT) workouts. HICT workouts are intense and quick — like crazy quick. Like, you do them in less than 30 minutes quick. That means you can get in great shape without going to the gym, spending hours working out, or using any workout equipment at all. (Seriously; it’s science.) You’ve just gotta know the right moves.

BuzzFeed Life reached out to personal trainer and exercise physiologist Albert Matheny, C.S.C.S., founder of SoHo Strength Lab, and asked him to come up with a list of 12 exercise moves that are essential for anyone who wants to be able to do a workout anywhere and anytime. He also came up with nine different workouts that are various combinations of these moves. But you can think of these 12 moves as the building blocks for tons of variations of quick, do-anywhere HICT workouts.

Some of these moves have instructions for how to make them easier and others don’t. For the moves that don’t have “make it easier” instructions, just perform the movements as well as you can. Know that it’s better to do just a few reps of each movement perfectly, rather than doing many reps of the movements wrong. Cool!
After you’ve mastered the below moves, learn how to combine them into full 20- or 30-minute workouts here.

1. Pushup
Do
Place your hands directly under your shoulders.
Position your feet hip-width apart.
Maintain a plank position; your body should be in a straight line from from the back of your head to your hips.
Keep your neck neutral, keeping it in line with your shoulders.
As you lower, keep your elbows close to your body.

Don’t
Let your butt sag or stick up.
Tilt your head up or tuck it in.
Allow your shoulders to come towards your ears.

Make it easier
Widen the distance between your feet for better stability.

Or perform the pushup as described above, but rather than starting in and returning to a plank position, do the pushup with your knees touching the ground. Just make sure to keep your back and thighs in a straight line.

2. Plank
Do
Plant your hands under your shoulders, or slightly wider apart.
Squeeze your glutes. (That would be your butt.)
Keep your body in a straight line from the top of your head through your feet.
Tighten your core.
Tuck your chin.
Fix your gaze on the floor, either between or just beyond your hands.

Don’t
Let your butt lift or sag.
Lift your head.
Hold the position if your form is suffering — the only good exercise move is one that you do right.

Make it easier
Hold the position for a shorter period of time.

3. Glute Bridge
Do
Lie on your back.
Place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, toes pointing forward, with your knees bent.
Contract your abs.
Push through your heels to lift your hips off the floor.

Don’t
Stop contracting your abs.
Push your hips so high that the neutral position of your hips and back becomes compromised.

4. Spider Lunge
Do
Start in the top of a pushup position.
Bring your right foot to the outside of your right hand.
Land with a flat foot.
Bring your foot back to the starting position.
Repeat on other side.
Maintain a strong plank position throughout.

Don’t
Allow your shoulders to move away from directly over your hands.
Allow your hips to sag.

5. Plank Tap
Do
Begin in a plank position.
Lightly tap your left shoulder with your right hand.
Return your hands to the plank position.
Alternate on the other side.
Maintain a strong plank position with a tight core and glutes throughout.

Don’t
Allow your weight to shift as you tap your shoulders.

6. Squat
Do
Position your feet somewhere between hip- and shoulder-width apart.
Turn your toes out as needed to accommodate flexibility through the movement.
Keep your chest tall.
Look ahead and slightly up.
Be sure your knees are tracking in line with your toes.
Squat as deep as your flexibility allows.

Don’t
Let your knees travel forward past your toes.
Let your knees buckle inwards.
Lift your heels off the ground.
Shift your weight to your toes.

Make it easier
Keep the squat shallow if going deeper is difficult or pulling uncomfortably.

7. Side Lunge
Do
Keep your chest up.
Shift your weight through your midfoot and heel.
Lunge as low as your flexibility allows.

Don’t
Let your knees travel forward past your toes.

8. Squat Jump
Do
Squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
Keep your chest up.
Hold your arms straight in front of you as you squat, pushing them behind your back as you jump.
Jump as high as you can.
Exhale as you jump.
Land softly.

Don’t
Allow your knees to travel past your toes.
Shift your weight to your toes while squatting.

9. Jumping Lunge
Do
Keep your front knee at 90 degrees.
Lunge as low as flexibility allows without the back knee touching the floor.
Maintain a vertical torso.
Keep your weight evenly distributed between your front and back foot.
Jump to switch your foot positioning — front foot goes back, back foot goes front.
Coordinate arm movement so that the front arm pumps forward while the opposite leg lunges back.
Land softly.

Don’t
Allow your knee to touch the floor.

Make it easier
Don’t jump — just do regular lunges.

10. Single-Leg Deadlift
Do
Maintain a flat back.
Keep your core tight.
Keep your weight evenly distributed in your planted leg.
Raise one leg straight behind you, keeping your toes pointed down, as you bend forward, hinging at the hips.
Bend only as low as your flexibility allows.
Pull yourself back to standing using the hamstring (the back) of your planted leg.
Keep your head neutral.

Don’t
Reach for the floor by leading with your fingertips, which causes your back to round — instead, focus on keeping the back flat and hinging at the hips.
Try to touch the floor if your flexibility will not allow it.
Alternate legs between each rep — stick to one leg per set, and then switch to the other leg for the next set.

11. Reverse Lunge
Do
Start in a straight standing position.
Step one foot backwards.
Keep your front knee at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your chest up.
Distribute your weight evenly between front and back foot.
Allow your back knee to lightly touch the floor.
Push through your front heel as you stand up.
Coordinate your arm movements so that your front arm pumps forward while the opposite leg lunges back.

Don’t
Shift the weight in your front foot to your toes.
Allow your knee to travel beyond your toes.
Allow your front knee to cave inward.

12. Walkout
Do
Keep your legs as straight as your flexibility allows.
Keep your back flat.
Bend at the waist and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
Maintain a tight core as you walk your hands forward until you’re in plank position and then backward to standing.
Push your hips as high as possible and press your heels into the ground as you walk your hands back in.

Don’t
Walk your hands past the pushup position.
Allow your hips to sag below neutral.
Sway side to side from your hips.
Bring your shoulders up toward your ears.

Make it easier
Bend your knees slightly if you’re unable to reach the ground, with the goal of increasing your flexibility over time and working toward straight legs.