How To Enjoy Yoga If You Struggle To Sit Cross-Legged

Posted on 10/08/2021 by Boris Clair

You’re reading Move, the nudge we need to get active, however makes us happiest and healthiest.

“We’re going to start today’s class in a nice, comfortable seat,” the yoga teacher says, as people around the room effortlessly adopt a cross-legged position.

You grunt and shuffle in an attempt to copy, while your knees threaten to touch your ears and a dull ache descends around your hips. It’s not exactly conducive to serenity.

Struggling to sit cross-legged can really put you off yoga – even if you can happily adopt most other postures. I say this from experience, because I’ve struggled to tuck one leg neatly under the other since childhood, and it’s only gotten worse as an adult.

But, I’m pleased to say, I do enjoy yoga now – and it’s all thanks to lockdown. Where I previously felt self-conscious at in-person classes, online classes have allowed me to experiment and adapt in private, experience the mental health benefits of yoga, and improve my hip flexibility a little in the process.

Sound appealing? If you also struggle to sit cross-legged, there are ways to adapt your practice and slowly make the position easier.

But first, let’s find out the basics.

Why can’t I sit cross-legged?

The simple answer to this is we’re all built differently. Some people naturally start to sit cross-legged as toddlers, while others instinctively adopt ‘W-sitting’. The latter refers to the position where you plonk your bum down on the floor and splay your legs out backwards either side, creating a table top with your thighs and a ‘W’ position. Intermittent W-sitting isn’t a huge problem, but prolonged W-sitting has been linked to backache and problems with hip mobility in adults, so it’s recommended it’s corrected in kids.

But our natural physiology and early sitting habits are just part of the puzzle. Our sedentary lifestyle as adults can also impede our ability to sit cross-legged, explains yoga instructor Rachel Allen.

“Prolonged sitting in chairs (more than 30 minutes at a time) isn’t supportive to our physiological design and causes tightness by limiting the range of motion in the knee and hip joint,” she explains. “If you’re struggling to sit cross-legged, it is most likely caused by tightness in the hips and knees.”

The good thing is, if muscle tension is due to lifestyle, it can be reversed with stretching and increased movement.

Exercises to help you sit cross-legged

The most important thing is to reduce your time sitting in chairs, says Allen. Where possible, see if you can get up or at least change your seated position every 20-30 minutes.

“For a juicy hip stretch, I love butterfly pose (Baddha Konasana),” she adds. “To do this, bring the soles of the feet together and your knees out wide like butterfly wings. You can do this seated or lying on your back. If seated, you can sit on a folded blanket to help elongate the spine and maybe take it into a forward fold to deepen the stretch.”

Another great way to open the hips and groin is happy baby pose (Ananda Balasana). “Lying down on your back, bring your knees into your chest and reach for the outside edges of the feet or ankles,” explains Allen.

“Draw the knees towards the armpits with the soles of the feet facing the sky. As well as a hip opener, it releases the hamstrings, lower back and sacrum and it’s a great way to tap into your inner child to boost your mood!”

Adapt the position

When you sit cross-legged, the hips should be higher than your knees. Placing a block beneath your sit bones may make the position more comfortable.

“Propping up the hips helps to relax tight hip flexors by slightly tipping the pelvis forward and can prevent the tingly feeling in your feet and legs as it assists blood flow,” says Allen. “If you don’t have a block, you can prop yourself up on stacked blankets and/or cushions, you can also place blocks or rolled blankets underneath your knees and thighs to help the inner groins to relax.”

Ditch the position altogether

Although the above should help sitting cross-legged become easier in time, don’t push it: the position isn’t for everyone and yoga is meant to de-stress, not cause you another worry.

Instead, if a teacher instructs you to adopt a seated position, try something that feels good. “Another option is sitting between the heels in hero pose,” says Allen. “A block or a rolled blanket can be placed between the ankles to sit on, and a blanket can be placed under the knees and ankles for added cushioning.”

Doing your own thing in class can be a little intimidating – especially if everyone else is making a cross-legged seat look effortless – but Allen says you shouldn’t be embarrassed if the position doesn’t work for you. “Fun fact: easy pose (Sukhasana) is the name for any comfortable, cross-legged, seated position. However, easy doesn’t mean the opposite of difficult. It means “with ease”. So, sitting in Sukhasana is actually sitting any way you can with ease,” she says.

“It’s important to remember that yoga is for everyone – regardless of age or body type. Don’t be afraid to use the props available to feel as comfortable and as supported as possible.”

Even yoga instructors can feel self-conscious at times and when the feeling hits, Allen says she finds mindfulness techniques to be really powerful.

“Start by becoming aware of the feelings arising. Try to observe them with curiosity and acceptance. When you’re ready, gently redirect your focus back to your breath or to the exercise,” she says. “You can remember this as the three As – Awareness, Acceptance and Action. Practicing yoga in this way is what makes it such a powerful tool for the mind as well as body.”

Move celebrates exercise in all its forms, with accessible features encouraging you to add movement into your day – because it’s not just good for the body, but the mind, too. We get it: workouts can be a bit of a slog, but there are ways you can move more without dreading it. Whether you love hikes, bike rides, YouTube workouts or hula hoop routines, exercise should be something to enjoy.

The Psychology Of Why Watching Sport Makes Us Want To Get Fit

Posted on 09/08/2021 by Boris Clair

You’re reading Move, the nudge we need to get active, however makes us happiest and healthiest.

A funny thing happens after a big sporting event takes over our televisions: fitness centres, gyms and sports clubs see a spike in new members.

It happened after the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, when 850,000 more women signed up to play footie. Then again during and immediately after Wimbledon the same year, when the Lawn Tennis Association saw casual player court bookings jump by around 49%.

So imagine the impact of Team GB equalling the glory of London 2012 to record their joint highest ever Olympic medal tally in Tokyo this past fortnight with an amazing 22 golds, 21 silvers and 22 bronzes – adding up to 65 medals in all.

After the pandemic forced the cancellation of so many sporting fixtures and events in 2020, the bonanza of summer 2021 has been all the more inspiring. From multi-screening the Euros and Wimbledon, enjoying a whole new cricket tournament in The Hundred, and getting glued to the Olympics and the Paralympics yet to come, we’ve never been more ready to tune in, then train up.

Participation data has yet to be released for the year, but we’d put money on it being big. So, why does watching sport make us want to get sporty ourselves?

Team GB's athletes celebrate their triumphs on the track in Tokyo — Team GB’s athletes celebrate their triumphs on the track in Tokyo

“Watching sport makes us realise the power of community and triggers the sense of belonging that we all crave,” says sports psychologist Dr Josie Perry , whose audiobook, The 10 Pillars of Success, is out on August 15. “We watch people trying their absolute hardest, achieving great things and looking amazing and we want a piece of that too. We want to feel part of that world.”

The pull we feel watching elite athletes is so strong, it’s even felt by other sporting pros. Five-time Olympian Jo Pavey tells HuffPost UK she gets inspired to try other sports when she watches them on TV – even if they’re out of her own comfort zone of long-distance running. And what’s true for adults also applies to kids, says Pavey, who narrowly missed out on a spot in Tokyo.

“When England were playing football in the Euros it inspired us all to keep playing football matches in the garden. When Wimbledon is on, we’re more likely to have a go at tennis,” says the mother-of-two.

“I think it’s great for kids to see role models on the TV as it inspires them to have a go at different things. I also find it motivating to watch the determination of sports people competing in different events.”

Not only does a high profile tournament inspire many of us to try something new, it can also remind us of past sporting fun, adds Dr Perry. Watching a sport we’ve dabbled in ourselves, “helps us remember the pleasure we got from both doing it and from the feeling we had mastered aspects of it,” she says.

The summer Olympics, with 339 events and 33 different sports, offers the ultimate opportunity to reminisce – even if we’re simply laughing about how terrible we were at javelin in school and wondering if we’d do better now.

The Olympians understand this knock-on-effect. “That’s why we are all here, because sport has an amazing power to inspire people and hopefully this is going to be an amazing motivation for people,” said swimmer Adam Peaty after winning Team GB’s very first gold medal of the game.

They also understand that sport is about mind as well as body. Never has a games shone such a clear light on the link between physical and mental health – as US gymnast Simone Biles showed the world when she prioritised both.

This is why HuffPost UK has chosen this moment to relaunch our fitness section as Move – a renewed commitment to celebrating exercise in all its forms, putting accessibility front and centre. We aim to provide bags of ideas for getting active, however makes you happiest and healthiest – but we’ll also get real about motivation, addressing the barriers that stop so many of us from moving more.

Take participation after a major sporting event. We know people sign up in their thousands after watching sport on TV, but we also know that many people drop out soon afterwards.

A quarter of people have given up on certain sports because they didn’t think they would be good enough, according to research from Procter & Gamble. A further 16% of people have been put off a sport, because they didn’t believe they fit the stereotype of what people playing that sport are “supposed” to look like. For many, the pandemic and long stints indoors has only exacerbated such worries, particularly among those who’ve historically felt excluded from the fitness community, and not catered for in gyms and sports centres.

Research from the disability charity Scope for its new Make It Count drive – dubbed “a movement of movers” – found that nearly half (48%) of disabled people have become less active since the pandemic began. Four in 10 (40%) said they never do sport or physical activity, but 91% want to be more active.

So, how do we take inspiration and energy from a summer of sport such as this one and harness it once the media hubbub has died down? And how can we shake off the inner critic that tells us we’ll never be as good as the pros?

Hannah Cockroft is one of Team GB's great hopes at the Paralympics in Tokyo. — Hannah Cockroft is one of Team GB’s great hopes at the Paralympics in Tokyo.

Well, we can start by stealing some motivation tactics from elite athletes, says Jeremy Snape, a former England cricketer-turned-sports psychologist, who hosts the podcast Inside the Mind of Champions.

“We have this myth that elite performers are going to wake up every morning with a zest for their painful training and are going to do that for eight or 10 years without a break, but that’s not true,” he tells HuffPost.

“A professional athlete, that’s their job, so while their motivation may ebb and flow through the various training cycles, their commitment remains the same.”

A professional athlete’s commitment – or end goal – may be winning a certain tournament or hitting a new world record. They’ll use a number of tactics to visualise not only what this might look like, but how this might feel, says Snape. They may imagine a social gathering where they’ll show family that trophy, or put an inspirational image as their phone screen saver that makes them feel good about their ambition.

Team GB's Mixed Relay Triathlon team show off their gold medals — Team GB’s Mixed Relay Triathlon team show off their gold medals

For you, the commitment may be getting fitter so you don’t get so tired out during your work week or so you can play with your kids without getting out of breath. Snape recommends thinking about how great this will feel, rather than focusing on something static – such as weight loss – as the goal.

When your motivation is high, such as after watching sport on TV, he suggests putting “architecture” in place for when it inevitably dips. This might be signing up to a class, or laying out your gym kit with your phone alarm in the shoe.

“The chances are, when we wake up, we’ll think the duvet is going to beat us, but if your alarm is going to ring in your gym shoes and it’s all laid out, you’ve 90% more chance that you’re going to follow through,” he says. “The hardest part of a run is getting out of the front door.”

Pavey recommends listening to music before and and during a workout to help “get you in the groove,” exercising with friends, and planning what you’ll do after a workout. “But the main thing is to enjoy it,” she says. “If you’re experiencing a lack of motivation try varying your workouts or maybe take the time to exercise where there is beautiful scenery as this can be so uplifting.”

And if self-doubt starts to creep in, remember that any movement is positive movement – and you don’t need to look like an elite athlete to take part.

“What we’ve got to do when we look at Olympians is look at the characteristics we aspire to. Things like their personal discipline, the selflessness in teams, [their] wellbeing.”

“You’ve got to bear in mind that it’s those people’s professions and they’ve studied and sacrificed for 15 years to look like that, some of them started their training when they were five years old,” says Snape.

“In the same way you’d look at a doctor and say ‘wow that’s amazing,’ you’re not just going to turn up and be a doctor within two weeks of good intentions, because there’s a whole raft of training and skills that go behind it. I think what we’ve got to do when we look at Olympians is look at the characteristics that we aspire to – things like their personal discipline, the selflessness in teams, things like [their] wellbeing.”

Seeking inspiration closer to home can also help, says Dr Perry. “It might be the person at Parkrun who is like you but a bit faster or the guy at your football club who has worked incredibly hard on their fitness who inspires you,” she says.

“They give us what is known as ‘vicarious confidence,’ knowing they can do it helps us believe we can too. So look at friends and acquaintances – who is doing well and what element of that would you like to emulate?”

Above all, give yourself to permission to take things slowly and celebrate each win, whether that’s swimming a length for the first time, or feeling less out of breath as you walk to the end of the road.

“I think the pandemic has taught us that being outside and being active is incredibly liberating from a mental health perspective,” says Snape. “For both elite athletes and the average person, we should be not be judging ourselves on the outcome, but about our progress.”

It’s Hot Desk Summer. Are You Prepared To Share With A Co-worker?

Posted on 08/08/2021 by Boris Clair

In July, Denise Delamore finally returned to working in her Colorado office after more than a year of working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic. But her space was different. Delamore, who works as an assistant supervisor for a bank’s loan servicing department, no longer had her own personal desk.

Currently, Delamore goes into the office one day a week, with an expectation that this will increase over time. “My day is Mondays, and I’m sharing a desk with two other loan servicing departments who are in office Tuesdays and Wednesdays, respectively,” she said. “We have to reserve a desk ahead of time, and there’s no guarantee that we’ll have the same desk every time.”

Because other people use the desks, too, Delamore was given a small bin to store her keyboard, mouse and any other items she needs while working. But it doesn’t fit everything. She said she finds herself carrying more into work each day, as she still needs to bring home her planner and notes for the days she works remotely.

The personal touch is missing, too. Delamore used to be able to store granola bars, oatmeal, crackers and nuts in her desk for snacks, but now she carries a bag of any food she wants to eat that day.

“I definitely felt a connection to my workspace when I was able to leave personal items on it. It was my area. I felt grounded,” Delamore said. “Now I find it hard to focus. It could be me just getting used to working in the office again, but not having a dedicated, personal workspace makes it difficult.”

Why ‘hot desks’ are here to stay at work

Delamore is part of a growing office population using “hot desks” that aren’t assigned to any particular person. A hot desk is generally first reserved, first served. It’s not a new concept in the world of work, but the practice is gaining popularity now it’s less likely for employees to be in an office five days a week because of Covid. Many companies are moving to schedules with employees rotating in and out of the office part-time, much like the system instituted by Delamore’s employer.

Meena Krenek, an interior design director at Perkins&Will, an architecture firm that is redesigning offices in industries including accounting, tech and media, sees personal desks becoming more and more obsolete.

“Some of our clients are saying, ‘Areas where we had workstations, we want more meeting and collaborative spaces.’ We’re going in there and adjusting the furniture to… create more spaces so that our office becomes a space for collaboration, for socialising, and the individual time, what we call ‘me time,’ can get done in those home environments,” she said.

“They’re still keeping a lot of workstations, but they’re saying they’re not assigned. You go on a corporate app and you select where you sit, near a window or near the coffee machine,” she explained.

The mileage an employee gets from not being tied down to a single desk may ultimately depend on their preferred working arrangement. Citing research by Perkins&Will, Krenek described a set of co-workers who prefer to get their social and collaboration high at the office and “jump from meeting room to meeting room, and then they’ll leave the facility, whereas there are other people that need the time in between the meetings to collect their thoughts. They definitely need a focused area or a work station,” she said.

This can explain why one colleague may genuinely miss having a personal desk as their office home, while another might sound thrilled at never working in a dedicated desk pod again.

Daniel Space, a human resources consultant with business partners in strategic staffing, said that when a company uses hot desks, it’s ideal to tie the day a person comes into the office to a work reason and not a random scheduling system, such as assigning days by last name. He said he’s seen tensions eased when people are given a heads up about who is sharing their desk and the expectations for desk etiquette.

In one job, his co-workers would get copied on emails that read, “So-and-so is happy to share their desk with you. Please be respectful of their space, their stuff, treat it as though it would be your own,” he said.

Pro tip: If you do find yourself sharing a desk, remember to clean up after yourself. People who have used shared desks told HuffPost that the best etiquette is to leave a desk the way you found it, and not to take computer chargers or chairs off of unused desks without asking first.

“My desk became kind of a dumping ground while I was out of the office,” Delamore said. “Random keyboards, office supplies, etc were just piled on it. I spent two hours my first day in the office just cleaning.”

There are Covid-19 considerations, too

Of course, this is not a normal time for sharing desks. A hot desk may be a pragmatic solution when there are fewer employees entering an office everyday, but it can also be one more deterrent for those employees who are already unenthused about going into the office during a pandemic.

Space said he consulted with a company that gave employees the option of sharing socially distant desks, as long as employees were responsible for cleaning the desk and signing in and signing out for contact tracing purposes.

“Two people used it,” he said. Especially now, with the rise of the Delta variant of Covid-19, “The idea of not only bringing employees back to work, but mandating that they share a space with another employee on alternating days, it a little bit sends a signal that they are prioritising the idea of a budget and saving on real estate costs at the risk of their employees,” Space said.

Covid has already delayed some organisations’ plans for co-working. Twitter, which was asking employees to reserve a desk before they chose to come into an office, told HuffPost that it recently made the decision to close its opened offices in New York and San Francisco, and pause future office re-openings, in light of the CDC’s updated guidelines.

Is the loss of a personal desk always a loss of connection?

One potential advantage to a shared desk is that it may help to create some healthy professional distance between employees and employer.

“I always hated doing a termination with someone who had a bunch of stuff at their desk, because in many cases we would not allow them to return to the office,” Space said. “Having people pack up all of your boxes after you put in 10 years at a company, all of that feels gross. By removing all of that… it helps continuously reinforce that at the end of the day, it’s a business relationship.”

Even when you don’t have a desk to claim as your own small bit of office real estate, there can still be ways to connect with co-workers and make a space your own. Bk Kwakye, an operations manager for a D.C.-based nonprofit that has been using hot desks since before the pandemic, said their office uses cork boards on walls and communal fridges as spaces for people to share holiday cards and photos.

“For me, it feels like an opportunity to share a little bit of your family,” Kwakye said. Space knew of co-workers who left a crossword puzzle for their deskmate to complete, one word a day.

And even when you don’t have an assigned desk, you can still personalize it. Delamore said that one upside to sharing a desk is that she knows who her office deskmate is and she can leave notes behind for her.

A recent one she left: “Happy Tuesday Friend! 🙂 Denise.”

Even with a shared desk, there can be creative ways to make connections with co-workers you don't see in person. — Even with a shared desk, there can be creative ways to make connections with co-workers you don’t see in person.

7 Lessons We’ve Learned From Team GB’s Olympians in Tokyo

Posted on 08/08/2021 by Boris Clair

So we’ve reached the final day of the Tokyo Olympics and Team GB have truly done us proud – even without the crowds there to watch them.

The Olympics is way more than just a competition anyway. Whether you’re a sports obsessive or a fan for just the summer, we can agree that our athletes have served us a true lesson in determination, strength and perseverance.

It’s kind of awe-inspiring to watch people who’ve spent a large majority of their life training for an event that lasts just a few hours, minutes… or even seconds.

That takes mental strength, as much as physical power. Most of us might not be athletes – but here are the lessons we’ve learned from our sporting heroes.

Perseverance pays off

Tom Daley and Matthew Lee of Team Great Britain pose for photographers with their gold medals after winning the Men's Synchronised 10m Platform Final — Tom Daley and Matthew Lee of Team Great Britain pose for photographers with their gold medals after winning the Men’s Synchronised 10m Platform Final

A Team GB favourite, we’ve been watching Tom Daley compete since he was just 14 years old in Beijing. Three Olympic Games later, after clinching bronze in front of a home crowd at London 2012, then failing to qualify for the finals in Rio, he finally achieved his goal at Tokyo, winning gold for Team GB. Daley is an example of true perseverance, never giving up on his dream, despite all the challenges he’s faced, including losing his dad to cancer. And he’sf done it all with a positive attitude, a smile on his face, and his knitting never far away.

Be true to yourself

It was 2013 when Tom Daley came out as gay, on his own terms, in his YouTube video, “Something I want to say.” Since then he’s got married to partner Dustin Lance Black and become a father himself. When Daley faced the press after winning gold in Tokyo, his statement was brilliant and simple: “I am incredibly proud to say that I am a gay man and also an Olympic champion. I feel very empowered by that.” What a message to send to LGBTQ people everywhere.

It’s aways worth trying

Helen Glover and Polly Swann compete during the Women's Pair heats on the first day of the games. — Helen Glover and Polly Swann compete during the Women’s Pair heats on the first day of the games.

Helen Glover is a two-time Olympic gold champion and mother-of-three. This Olympics, Glover narrowly missed out on a medal, coming fourth but she wasn’t at all in low spirits. She told the BBC that: “You can do anything you want to do. Trying and failing is no problem as long as you try.” After giving birth to twins in lockdown, it’s remarkable to see her compete. She’s not a winner this year, but she’s our example of why it’s important to always try.

Use your voice

Dina Asher-Smith with her team-mates Asha Philip, Imani Lansiquot and Daryll after winning bronze in the Women's 4 x 100m Relay — Dina Asher-Smith with her team-mates Asha Philip, Imani Lansiquot and Daryll after winning bronze in the Women’s 4 x 100m Relay

Dina Asher-Smith has been one of the most recognisable faces of Team GB. And though all eyes are set on the 26-year-old sprinter, she isn’t shy to use her voice to speak out against injustices. She supported the relaxation of rules around athlete protests at the Tokyo Olympics, telling the BBC: “I see protesting and expressing yourself as a fundamental human right.” Oh, and while injury blighted her chances in the 100m and 200m, she came back in the 4 x 100m relay, and was part of a British record-setting, Bronze medal-winning team.

Look at things differently

Adam Peaty being interviewed back in London with his three Tokyo medals.

Having won a gold and silver medal at previous Olympic Games, swimmer Adam Peaty knows the importance of a positive mindset. Optimism feels like a tall order after all that we’ve been through during the pandemic – and Peaty gets that. “Covid has taken a lot of fun out of things.” But with some perspective, it’s possible to shift your head.

“That’s why we are all here, because sport has an amazing power to inspire people,” he said after winning Team GB’s first gold of the games (and his first of three). Let Team GB’s triumphs be a catalyst for everyone at home, he added. “We’ve been through a tough time, there’s been a lot of complaining, a lot of excuses, a lot of negative things, but now we’ve got to switch our mindset.”

Pick yourself up after a fall

Charlotte Worthington in action in the Cycling/BMX Freestyle Women's Final — Charlotte Worthington in action in the Cycling/BMX Freestyle Women’s Final

Part of Team GB’s awe-inspiring BMX team, who picked up three medals in their debut Olympics, Charlotte Worthington came out fighting in her first of two rides in the freestyle final, attempting a 360 degree backflip, only to crash-land. Some might have played it safer for second place, but Worthington picked herself up and with a smile to camera that said she knew what she was capable of, attempted the exact same trick, and this time she landed it for the gold medal. “It was either go big or go home,” Worthington told the press. She went big.

Never limit yourself

Matthew Coward-Holley celebrates after his bronze in the Trap Men's final — Matthew Coward-Holley celebrates after his bronze in the Trap Men’s final

At the age of 16, Matthew Coward-Holley was told his rugby dreams were over after breaking his back twice. A decade later, he is now an Olympic bronze medalist. After being advised to stop playing rugby he turned to shooting. Something that was once a hobby became his gateway into sporting success. Our takeaway from this is to try different things, because you might surprise yourself.

5 Weekend Morning Mistakes That Secretly Screw Up Your Whole Week

Posted on 07/08/2021 by Boris Clair

By the time the weekend rolls around, most of us are exhausted. Burnout is at an all-time high and people, understandably, want to use their weekends (or whatever days they get off during the week) to relax, socialise and sleep in.

But creating and maintaining a weekend morning routine can really help set the tone for the rest of the week. With that in mind, here are five common mistakes people tend to make on their days off — and how to create a healthy morning routine that won’t mess with how you’re feeling on other days.

Mistake #1: Sleeping too late

No one wants to be scolded for sleeping in on the weekends. But many experts agree that blowing past your usual wake time can hamper overall well-being. Research shows that significant variability in sleep and wake times leads to less healthy behaviours overall. Studies have also linked “social jet lag” — the shift in sleep habits from weekdays to weekends — to greater overall fatigue and sleepiness.

“Getting up at around the same time daily helps to set your body clock with light exposure, awakening the body and allowing one to start to build up an appetite for sleep for the following night,” said psychologist Shelby Harris, author of The Women’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia Without Relying On Medication.

“Sleeping in on the weekends makes it harder to fall and stay asleep the following night simply because you’re not awake for enough hours to be hungry enough for sleep that next night,” she added, noting that she makes an effort to practice what she preaches and gets up consistently at 6 a.m.

However, not all research knocks catching up on ZZZs on the weekend. One study found that people who were sleep-deprived during the week but caught up on the weekend lived just as long as people who got sufficient sleep overall. (As opposed to people who were sleep-deprived, who were more likely to die early.)

Ultimately, balance is key.

“Sleeping in a little bit is one thing; sleeping in for hours and hours so that you then can’t get to bed on Sunday night is another,” said Debra Swan, a Chicago-based health coach who works with clients around the US. She stressed that you should try to keep your sleeping in to an extra hour or two.

Mistake #2: Not hydrating first thing

Hydrating is really important first thing in the morning, Swan said, particularly after a night of drinking. And she really thinks it’s best if coffee isn’t the first liquid you have in a day.

Sipping H2O ― even if you’re not thirsty ― helps you stay adequately hydrated throughout the day. There are plenty of ways to sip it if the idea of starting off your Saturday or Sunday with a tepid glass of tap water sounds meh. Have a seltzer on hand if that’s your preference, or try herb- or fruit-infused water. Your goal should be to try to find something you actually like, so you’re more likely to make a.m. hydration a long-term routine.

Hydrating when you first wake up is important.

Mistake #3: Not making yourself accountable to someone or something

It’s easy to stick to routines on weekdays because we all have someone or something we’re accountable to, whether it’s waking up to take kids to school or to get to work on time. Try to build that same sense of accountability into your weekend mornings, Harris suggested.

“Kids are frequently a helpful routine alarm, but if that’s not in the mix, consider signing up for a workout class in the morning or meeting a friend for coffee, or even doing your laundry in the building on Saturday morning because it is quiet,” she said. “Accountability is very helpful in beginning a routine.”

Or maybe you want to find an accountability partner, like a friend or family member who can help you if you’re, say, really struggling not to sleep until noon.

Mistake #4: Not prepping for the week ahead

“You should absolutely relax on the weekend,” said Swan, who took pains to point out that morning routines should be really manageable and not feel like a chore.

She knows people need a chance to unwind. Still, she thinks it can be a missed opportunity when people don’t use their time off prepare for the days ahead, and said the mornings can be a really nice time to do a bit of that work.

“The weekdays are so busy, and people have high hopes of meals and eating healthy – but preparation is key,” she said.

Swan often recommends that clients she work with use the weekends to think about any recipes they want to try out, then make sure they have the ingredients they need on hand and do any possible prep work, like chopping vegetables, ahead of time.

That way, you’ve made your life easier for hectic weekdays – and you’ve also helped set the tone for the rest of the week.

Mistake #5: Not getting outside

“Get some fresh air and sunshine,” Swan said, adding that it’s good to get outside shortly after you get out of bed. “Bright light lets your brain know it’s time to wake up.”

Spending time outdoors has all kinds of health benefits, including how people say they feel overall, and research shows that morning light exposure can lead to better rest at night.

Going outside in the morning isn’t the kind of change that’s particularly difficult or burdensome, but it’s powerful.

“How you behave one day influences how you behave the next,” Swan said. “Yes, the weekend is less structured. Yes, it’s a time to relax. But you still want to have a good start to the day.”

Small Talk With A Stranger Can Still Save Lives, Say Samaritans

Posted on 03/08/2021 by Boris Clair

Small talk is something many of us avoided even before the pandemic, and neither months of social distancing or the awkward return of socialising has made it easier – but it’s something that can still save lives.

That is the message from Samaritans, as the mental health charity and helpline relaunches its campaign to raise awareness about the role small talk can play in preventing suicide on the railways and in other public settings.

The ‘Small Talk Saves Lives’ campaign has run in partnership with Network Rail, British Transport Police and the rail industry since 2017. But as the UK steps out of lockdown, it is focusing on rebuilding public confidence to trust our gut and start conversations with anyone who looks as though they may need help.

Brits are known for being quite reserved, especially in public. We rarely go out of our way to speak to strangers and keep ourselves to ourselves. But engaging in the smallest of conversations – it could be as simple as asking “hello, what’s the time?” – may help interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts, Samaritans says.

Handsome confident businessman on his way home from work. He is standing on the train station platform at sunset, waiting for his train.

The pandemic has had a huge impact on mental health – and while it may have made the idea of small talk more daunting, it has also made us value a sense of community.

Dom, who prefers not to give his surname, knows how important small talk can be. As a teenager, he was experiencing suicidal thoughts but was interrupted at a crucial moment by someone who used small talk to ask if he was ok.

“When I was 19 years old, I was struggling to cope and didn’t know where to turn,” he tells HuffPost UK. “I was on my way to university one day and found myself thinking about ending my life. A lady came over and started a conversation with me and when I heard her ask, “are you ok?” it instantly snapped me out of thinking about harming myself.”

Dom, who now works for Network Rail himself, says he’s supporting the ‘Small Talk Saves Lives’ campaign because it saved his.

“From my own experience, I know suicidal thoughts can be interrupted and it was the kindness behind the small talk that also made a difference to me,” he says. “That human connection made me feel seen.

Working in the railway sector for almost a decade, Dom has used small talk on several occasions when someone’s behaviour has concerned him.

There aren’t “typical” signs someone might need help, Dom says. “When I’ve approached people, sometimes it’s because they’ve looked withdrawn, distant, or upset. Other times, they seem completely calm, but I’ll notice that they’re in an unusual location in relation to the environment. I would say, if you get a sense that something might be wrong, trust your instincts and start a conversation – as I’ve experienced, you could save a life.”

The public is better prepared for these interventions that you might expect.

A YouGov survey for Samaritans found over three quarters (78%) of UK adults have engaged in small talk during the pandemic – 37% of those surveyed said they had chatted with neighbours they hadn’t spoken to before and 37% with strangers at the supermarket.

Almost one in five said they are also more likely to want to make small talk with a stranger face-to-face not that restrictions are lifted. Given that small talk makes 57% of respondents feel less lonely and boosts the mental health and wellbeing of a further 45%, there’s potential to make a real difference here.

Of course, starting a conversation with a stranger can be difficult and it’s natural to feel nervous.

“If you spot someone you’re worried about and aren’t comfortable approaching them, then that’s completely fine as well,” Dom says. “You can still act by trying to find someone else who might be able to help, for example, a member of staff or police officer, or you can call 999 in an emergency.”

But with everything that’s happened in the past 18 months, Dom is optimistic that people can make a difference. “One thing I’ve noticed is the pandemic seems to have brought out a greater sense of community,” he says.

“I think we all recognise how important human connection is and that checking in on each other – whether it’s a friend or family member, a neighbour or key worker you’ve never spoken to before – can make a huge, positive difference to someone else’s day, as well as your own.”

Useful websites and helplines

Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI – this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).

Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.

CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.

The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk

Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.

6 Exercises You Should Do In The Morning If You Wake Up Tired

Posted on 02/08/2021 by Boris Clair

You’re reading First Thing, a weekly series on HuffPost UK helping to make your mornings happier and healthier.

Does your morning exercise routine consist of working your arms by smacking the snooze button for the third time? (No shame ― sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do!)

It may feel like exercising at the start of the day is an impossible feat when you’re so exhausted. However, you don’t have to spring out of bed and start running a 5K to feel energised. Even a little bit of movement will go a long way when it comes to revving you up for the day.

“Moving your body when you first wake up helps your circulation and stimulates your lymphatic system,” said Jennifer Jacobs, a certified personal trainer and founder of The J Method, adding that exercise helps fluid move through your body and reduce inflammation. “As a result, you feel more energised.”

We asked experts to share the best energy-boosting moves that’ll help you kickstart your morning feeling loose and alert. Here are their favourites:

1. Downward dog

Start your a.m. with a downward dog to get your blood flowing and increase alertness.

One of the reasons you may not want to drag yourself out of bed is because your body is stiff from sleeping all night. This yoga pose is a great way to kickstart blood flow and wake up, said Megan Roup, founder of The Sculpt Society.

Starting on your hands and knees, stack your shoulders over your wrists and spread your palms out wide. Pressing through your palms, tuck your toes and lift your knees, pointing your hips toward the ceiling as you press down through the heels.

“To make this stretch more active, you can pedal out the feet while you actively press into the floor or bend and straighten both legs,” Roup said. Hold the pose for 15 seconds and repeat for three to four rounds.

2. Hamstring flossing

“This dynamic stretch helps to loosen up your hamstrings and your lower back more effectively than doing a static stretch, which may cause muscle spasms if your body isn’t properly warmed up,” said Theresa Marko, a board-certified orthopaedic clinical specialist in physical therapy and owner of Marko Physical Therapy.

To do this move, start by lying on the floor with knees bent and feet flat. Gently grab behind one of your thighs and straighten and bend the knee repeatedly (just make sure not to overextend your knee). This back-and-forth flossing motion will give your hamstring a stretch-and-release sensation. Do 10 repetitions on each side for two to three rounds.

3. Wake-up bounce

Don't underestimate the cardio and energy power of a little dancing. — Don’t underestimate the cardio and energy power of a little dancing.

“This is my go-to morning move that really wakes me up,” Jacobs said. “Choose a song that’s roughly three to five minutes and spend the duration of the song bouncing through the balls of your feet. You’ll start to increase blood flow – not to mention sneak in a quick calf workout – and may find that after the song ends your mood has improved, too.”

4. Child’s pose to side bend

It may seem counterproductive that one of the stretches to wake you up resembles a move that looks like you’re sleeping, but Khalil Jones, a certified personal trainer who also trains at Rumble Boxing in Philadelphia, said this move is great for stomach sleepers. This is because it can reset the spine after having the lower back rounded forward all night. (And reducing stiffness in your back allows you to move more freely and feel more energised.)

Kneeling on the floor, spread your knees hip-width apart and bend forward to place your torso between your thighs. Lengthen your tailbone and place your hands out to the side. Hold for 15 seconds for three to four rounds. As you come out of child’s pose, do a side bend: Grab one elbow with the opposite hand over your head and lean away from the elbow. This will stretch your back and triceps and improve mobility in your upper body.

5. Hip flexor stretch

A hip flexor stretch can alleviate tightness in multiple parts of your body.

“Hip flexors are such an important muscle,” Marko said. “Tight hamstrings can tug on your lumbar spine, and this can cause pain.”

Dropping down into a half kneeling position, do a slight pelvic tilt, lunging yourself forward to stretch your hip flexors. Hold for 15 seconds, repeating for three to four rounds.

If you feel too tight to try this, start by lying on the floor first, knees bent and feet flat. Keep your knees together and rock your legs side to side. Next, let your knees fall all the way down to one side to get a more intense stretch on your lower back. Switch sides, holding for 15 seconds each time, and then try the hip flexor stretch again.

6. Lateral breathing

If you just can’t get yourself out of bed to stretch and move before you need to be productive, don’t sweat it. Nikki Chrysostomou, a licensed movement therapist and founder of Movement Integration, said you can practice this stimulating stretch anywhere ― in the car, at your desk or even on your bed.

All you need to do is inhale and exhale deeply and focus your mind on getting the breath into your sides. If it’s helpful, you can place your hands on your ribcage to help you monitor where your breath is going.

“Lateral breathing helps to stimulate the mind,” Chrysostomou said. “To do this, work on taking breath away from the stomach. Think of breathing into the back of your ribcage, into the sides of the ribs and into your armpits. This creates a bucket-handle effect, with the ribs expanding out, and can perk you up.”

First Thing is a weekly series on HuffPost UK Life giving you tips and advice on how to enjoy your mornings. Whether you’re an early bird or night owl, starting your day off right will make for a happier and healthier day. We’ll be sharing exercise advice, nutrition guidance, as well as ideas on forming new habits. (And no, the answer to a productive morning isn’t just setting an alarm for 5am!)

6 Psychologically Damaging Things People Say At Work

Posted on 02/08/2021 by Boris Clair

The words of co-workers and clients can stay with you long after you leave a job and certain phrases can detonate a professional relationship, making people question whether they ever truly belonged at a company or if they can ever work with or trust a colleague again.

That’s why it’s so important to learn to identify and avoid such phrases, whether they’re obviously rude or seemingly innocuous. Here are psychologically damaging but commonly used phrases to watch out for in your work communications.

1. “No offence but …” or “No disrespect but …”

Mary Abbajay, president of the leadership development consultancy Careerstone Group, was once hired by a company to conduct team building. When she met the manager of the team she would work with, he told her, “With all due respect, I’ve forgotten more about team building than you’ll ever know.”

Abbajay ended up turning down the job as a result. “This was 15 years ago, and it stills sticks with me,” she said. “If he hadn’t said ‘with all due respect,’ I might’ve taken it differently. That’s just the icing on the cake that shows ‘I do not respect you, I think you’re wrong.’”

Along with the similar phrase “No offence …,” she said, these condescending words signal that the speaker does not respect the other person’s point of view.

2. “I don’t have time for this.”

Psychological safety is key to keeping teams together. Researchers describe it as the mental space in which employees are free to speak up, share bad news, and ask for help when they are in over their heads.

If your pattern in responding to colleagues’ requests is telling them that you are too busy or don’t have enough time, it sends a signal that the other person is not a priority and that they shouldn’t go to you when they need help.

“That person is going to be reluctant to come back to you again if there’s a problem or situation, and it may throw them off so much that they’re worried too much about taking your time and annoying you than getting what they need,” Abbajay said.

When managers say this, it can silence their team and make members less likely to own up to mistakes, she added.

3. “What X is trying to say is …”

If you’ve been in a meeting with a colleague who feels the need to reframe what you just said in their own words, then you understand the frustration of hearing this phrase. Abbajay said this is the one she dislikes the most, because it doesn’t move the conversation productively forward even if that’s the speaker’s intent.

When someone does this to you, you may jump to a conclusion like “I’m inarticulate, I’m stupid, people aren’t understanding me, people aren’t respecting it out of my mouth, so you feel like you have to say it out of your mouth,” she said. “It’s very diminishing. It lowers the other person’s status.”

Rather than rephrasing colleagues’ words, Abbajay said colleagues could simply request when they need more of an explanation in a conversation.

4. “You seem young for …” or “You’re so articulate for a …”

Lawrese Brown, the founder of C-Track Training, a workplace education company, cited the type of undermining comments that you can sometimes be the recipient of when you go against a colleague’s assumptions and expectations of how you should present yourself at work. These comments can range from microaggressions about your identity to questions about your leadership potential.

Brown said she has heard from clients who have been told they were being a “weak” leader or “seemed young.” One client was advised to change her hairstyle.

“Her manager told her people would take her more seriously if she straightened her hair,” she said. “These all fall under the umbrella of, ‘You’re being perceived as not appropriate; something about your self-presentation or the way you’re being perceived causes people to question your ability to do the job.’”

These kind of comments can get under employees’ skin and make them feel inadequate at work. “We start to feel the way we’re operating is not appropriate or effective, or we’re just conscious that it could be a knock against us,” Brown said.

5. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

Brown said it’s OK to note that words can be interpreted differently, but that you should be careful not to be dismissive when others disagree. “I didn’t mean it like that” is a common defensive comment that does not acknowledge how your words can be received, she said.

The goal is to recognise that your words carry weight, and can do harm. Remind yourself someone is on the receiving end of your comment, and first ask yourself, “Is it productive?” before you say it, she said.

6. “Nobody else has brought this up to me” or “You’re taking this personally.”

Brown said managers commonly make the mistake of using invalidating comments such as, “Nobody else has brought this up to me” when a team or employee raises a concern. According to Brown, that can send the message: “If this is only important to you, is this worth taking seriously?”

When colleagues invalidate your feelings like this, or you do it to others, it can stop much-needed conversations from happening.

″‘You’re too emotional about this, you’re taking this personally. Other people haven’t said this.’ What you’re missing by saying this is you’re undermining the other person,” Brown said. “These are phrases, that once said, very few people have the tools to have the difficult conversation to unpack that. People just don’t say anything.“

And ultimately, when co-workers stop talking to each other, communication breaks down, mistakes are more likely to happen, tensions run higher and everyone is more on edge.

Your colleagues will “tend to be more people-pleasing, because they no longer trust their own voice, or perception of an experience, or it inhibits their ability to trust their colleagues,” Brown said. “When we don’t trust, we put more rigid processes in place, and it’s because we don’t believe that our word will be acknowledged or that our needs in environments will be met.”

Heat-Related Deaths in UK Could Triple In The Next 30 Years

Posted on 27/07/2021 by Boris Clair

Heat-related deaths in the UK could triple in the next 30 years, according to a new report by the British Red Cross.

The charity’s Feeling The Heat report looks at how prepared the UK is for rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves, and warns of a dangerous perception gap when it comes to awareness of the risks posed by heat.

Heatwaves – defined as a period of extreme heat lasting three days or more – have increased in the UK, with 84 registered between 2000 and 2020, and will continue to do so, the report says, both in intensity and length.

“The average length of warm spells have more than doubled in length in the last few decades, and by 2050 the UK will be 50% more likely to experience hot summers, while heat-related deaths could more than triple, to around 7,000 per year,” the charity’s briefing says.

The report, which surveyed 2,000 UK adults in June, comes after another period of weather in the UK that prompted extreme heat warnings, and found the risks that can come from heatwaves are not matched by the level of public concern.

A man sunbathing in St James's Park, London on the hottest day of the year so far. — A man sunbathing in St James’s Park, London on the hottest day of the year so far.

Even the word heatwave has positive connotations for the public, and is seen as bringing good weather, with a survey suggesting more than a quarter (26%) of people see heatwaves as a good thing. Meanwhile, more than a third (37%) believe heatwaves will be a problem in the future, but not now.

However, August 2020 heatwaves caused a record 2,556 excess deaths in England, as well as significant disruption across the UK, it warns. A severe water shortage led to more than 300 households in West Sussex having no water for five days, and there were an estimated five million staff days lost, at a cost of approximately £770m to the UK economy.

The survey suggests the majority (60%) of UK adults have experienced at least one adverse effect of hot weather in the UK, most commonly headaches (33%), dizziness or feeling faint (22%), or heat rash (21%). However it found that 40% of adults have never seen information on how to protect themselves during a heatwave, and 9% said they’ve never had advanced warning of a heatwave.

People who are more vulnerable to heatwaves

Hot weather can impact us all, but the following groups can be more vulnerable, the report says:

Older people and people who live in care homes

Babies and children

People who are pregnant

People with chronic health conditions

People with mental health conditions

Those drinking to much or taking recreational drugs

People who live alone or are socially isolated

Homeless people and marginalised groups

Refugees and migrants

Outdoor workers

Despite those aged 75 and above being at high risk form these effects, more than half of this age group surveyed said they do not consider themselves as vulnerable to the impact of heatwaves, the research found.

“Through the British Red Cross’s work responding to emergencies here in the UK and abroad, we are already seeing the devastating impact of climate change, including hot weather,” the report says. “But we also know that extreme weather emergencies don’t need to be disasters.”

The charity is calling on the government to ensure the most vulnerable to heat have access to adequate information and support. Former TV weather presenter Sian Lloyd has joined the call for greater awareness and understanding of the risks associated with rising temperatures.

“The UK is getting hotter,” she says. “As a result of climate change, heatwaves are becoming longer and more extreme, and many people’s health and wellbeing will continue to suffer as a result.

“We already know that certain groups are more at risk from extreme heat, including people aged over 75, adults with underlying health conditions, children and babies, as well as people living in top floor flats and in built-up urban areas where temperatures are higher.”

Matthew Killick, director of crisis response and community resilience at British Red Cross, said: “Despite what many think, UK heatwaves can impact us all.

“But heatwaves don’t need to be deadly. From checking on your neighbours to providing first aid, simple early actions can keep you, your family and friends safe and well during hot weather.”

The 5 Most Commonly Reported Covid-19 Symptoms

Posted on 01/07/2021 by Boris Clair

The official list of Covid-19 symptoms should be expanded as the existing one could “miss many Covid-19 cases”, experts have argued.

The UK should follow other countries and include a broader range of symptoms, according to a group of scientists. Classic symptoms of Covid-19, listed on the NHS website, are a high temperature, a new continuous cough and/or a loss or change to a person’s sense of smell or taste.

But the most commonly reported symptoms by people taking part in the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Covid-19 Infection Survey are cough, headache and fatigue.

The latest ONS release shows 61% of people who tested positive reported symptoms. Of these, 42% had a cough, 39% reported headache and 38% reported fatigue, according to the ONS. Muscle ache was reported by a quarter of people and 32% reported having a sore throat. Meanwhile a third reported fever and 21% reported loss of smell and 15% reported loss of taste.

A separate study – the Zoe Covid Symptom study – recently reported that a headache, sore throat and runny nose are now the most commonly reported symptoms. These are most likely symptoms of the Delta variant.

What do the experts say?

Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Dr Alex Crozier and colleagues – including Professor Calum Semple who is a member of Sage – suggest that limiting testing to only people with fever, cough and a change in taste or smell could “miss or delay identification of many Covid cases”.

They suggest this could “hamper efforts to interrupt transmission” of the virus. The group argue that increasing the symptom list could improve Britain’s pandemic response by expanding the criteria for self-isolation and eligibility for symptomatic testing.

The “narrow” case definition “limits” the early detection of contagious people, which restricts the efforts of the Test and Trace programme, they say. Non-traditional symptoms “often manifest earlier”, they added.

The US Centres for Disease Control lists 11 more symptoms than the UK, and the World Health Organisation includes nine more. The testing capabilities are now able to facilitate people with a broader spectrum of symptoms, they added. They say testing people with a single non-specific symptom could overwhelm capacity in the UK, but “combinations of symptoms could be used to help identify more cases sooner without overwhelming testing capacity”.

The authors continue: “The UK’s decision to adopt a narrow case definition was based on ease of communication, avoiding confusion with other infections and preserving testing capacity. This situation is now different — testing capacity is high.

“Covid-19 is associated with a wide range of symptoms. Many patients do not experience the UK’s official case-defining symptoms, initially, or ever, and other symptoms often manifest earlier. Limiting the symptomatic testing to those with these official symptoms will miss or delay identification of many Covid-19 cases, hampering efforts to interrupt transmission.

“Expanding the clinical case definition of Covid−19, the criteria for self-isolation, and eligibility for symptomatic testing could improve the UK’s pandemic response.

The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment by PA Media. We will update this piece if there is a response.