4 Ways Your Mattress Is Affecting Your Health

December 27, 2018 Tim@inhometherapygr.com

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Given that we spend one-third of our lives sleeping (or, at least, trying to do so), it is amazing that most of us don’t really think about what we are sleeping on. Our mattress is a huge part of our everyday lives. As such, a good mattress allows us to enjoy a restful and invigorating sleep, setting us up for a productive and active day. A bad one, on the other hand, can come with a variety of health problems, both physical and mental.

Body Pains and Aches

If you have been experiencing chronic body pains, especially in your back, your mattress could be to blame. Poor spine support and alignment while you sleep can lead to recurring pain throughout the day. If it builds up into a chronic condition, it can also make it harder for you to fall asleep at night. Thus creating a cycle of poor sleep and exhaustion.

A common sign of mattress-related pain is if the ache is present when you wake up but goes away after some stretching. Restless sleep filled with tossing and turning is another sign. As your body wakes up in pain throughout the night and needs to adjust positions. If this matches your experience. It is probably time to get a new mattress designed to prevent back pain – here are the best ones on the market. While you can buy a mattress online, it’s usually a good idea to try one out in a store first to make sure it’s comfortable. Keep in mind that despite raving reviews, an inner coil mattress is one of the worst items you can put in the bedroom. The hidden metal coils create an electromagnetic field, interrupting your brain’s ability to stay rested for an extended period. This can hinder your efforts to get a good night’s sleep. Avoid these types of mattresses and opt for a memory foam model instead.

Tiredness

When a mattress is uncomfortable, it becomes difficult to get relaxed enough to fall asleep

A bad mattress may be the reason you are tired all the time. When a mattress is uncomfortable, it becomes difficult to get relaxed enough to fall asleep on it. Fatigue can then have additional negative effects on your mental health and your everyday life, from poor performance at work to an inability to go out and socialize with friends and family.

Illness

An old mattress is filled with a variety of contaminants that could be making you sick. According to CNN, mattresses are often covered in dust mite feces, dead skin, mold, and sweat, leaving behind various types of potentially harmful bacteria.

ince you can’t throw your mattress into the washing machine, you need to keep it as clean as you can. Ways to keep your mattress fresh include vacuuming (a handheld mattress vacuum might come in handy), deodorizing with baking soda, and airing it out regularly. Prevent mold and fungus by investing in a dehumidifier, and wash and change your bedding often.

The Environment

It’s not all about your personal health. Mattresses can affect the health of the planet as well, with 20 million of them ending up in landfills or incinerators every year. Whenever you choose to buy a new mattress, recycle your old one. About 80 percent of the components of a mattress are recyclable but not biodegradable, so when you recycle, you are doing the planet a big favor.

You can take apart the mattress yourself and look for recycling centers for recyclable parts like foam padding, cotton, steel springs, and wooden frames. An easier option is to use a dedicated mattress recycling service.

It’s time we all started focusing more on our mattresses and asking more of them. Most of these health concerns can develop into long-term chronic problems if ignored, so a lumpy, old, dirty, or just plain low-quality mattress is simply never worth it.

If you feel like your mattress may not be doing you much good, then it’s time to recycle it and move on to a model that will make you feel amazing in the morning. Mattresses can seem expensive, but a high-quality mattress is an investment in your health and well-being, which will last you for years to come. More importantly, it will make you wake up every morning with a smile on your face and a spring in your step.

I would like to thank Jason Lewis from www.strongwell.org for writing this guest article. He can be reached at info@strongwell.org.

Cold Outside? Bring Your Workout Indoors!

November 15, 2018 Tim@inhometherapygr.com

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Guest author

Regular exercise is an important component of any healthy lifestyle. According to the Mayo Clinic, working out regularly prevents certain diseases, helps you lose weight, improves your mood, and provides you with more energy. During the warmer months, many people enjoy exercising outside. They may run in the park, take a walk around the neighborhood, or go for a bike ride.

But what happens when winter arrives? Do you just give up on exercising until warmer days return? Not if you want to continue your goal toward becoming a healthy, strong person. If the temperature plummets, there’s no need to hang up your running shoes. Just take your workout indoors. In fact, you don’t even need to leave your house to work up a good sweat.

DVDs and Streaming Videos

One of the simplest ways to work out at home is to use an exercise video, whether it’s on a DVD or the internet. There’s a workout available for just about every interest. Kickboxing, cardio dance,strength training, ballet workouts, Pilates, yoga, indoor walking, and bootcamp workouts are just a small sample of what you can try.

If you don’t want to pay money for an exercise DVD, check some out for free from your public library. Go to YouTube and find thousands of online workouts you can do from home. If you find a workout system you really enjoy, you may be able to pay for an online subscription to get new workouts on a regular basis. Shape magazine reports that “it doesn’t get much more convenient than online streaming.” No matter how busy your schedule or how terrible the weather, you can work out in the comfort and warmth of your own home.

Create a Home Gym

It’s too cold to go outside, and you don’t feel like going to the gym either. Create your own home gym instead. You can spend as little or as much as you want. One of the cheapest but effective pieces of exercise equipment is the jump rope. According to NDTV, jumping rope for just 30 minutes burns around 300 calories. It makes your heart stronger and tones both the lower and upper body.

Jump ropes are just one piece of exercise equipment you can use to get a great workout indoors. Other exercise equipment you might try are dumbbells, adaptable resistance bands, or a Bosu balance trainer. If you plan to do yoga or Pilates, invest in an inexpensive yoga mat. Treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, and rebounders are other good choices for home gyms. Check out reviews.com for recommendations of the best yoga mats, treadmills, elliptical machines and stationary bikes.

It is easy to start to equip your home gym.

Staying Focused

It’s difficult to stay motivated when you workout from home. The many distractions can prevent you from getting your workout done. Ringing cell phones, text messages, taking care of your family, work obligations, and a hundred other things can interfere with your exercise goals.But it’s possible to stay focused when you work out from home if you schedule your exercise time into your day.

Add exercise into your calendar so you make a date with yourself to get fit. Skinny Ms. suggests you use a music playlist to “keep your energy up and keep you excited about moving and exercising.” Consider calling a friend over so you can work out together. It motivates you to stick to a regular exercise regimen if you know someone is coming to your home to work out with you.

Just because it’s freezing outside doesn’t mean you have to forget about working out. Exercising to DVDs or in your home gym can help you burn calories, lose weight, and build muscle. When you stay motivated and commit to a regular exercise schedule, you can reach your weight-loss goals or maintain a healthy weight without leaving the warmth of your own home.

This was a guest article written by Jason Lewis from Strongwell.org. He can be reached at info@strongwell.org if you would like to contact him.

Photo via Pixabay

The information contained in our website, blog, guest blogs, e-mails, programs, services and/or products is for educational and informational purposes only, and is made available to you as self-help tools. I strongly recommend that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program. You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercise.