Fitness and activity trackers have become quite popular, thanks to the increasing number of people choosing to keep a close watch on their fitness goals and progress. Wearers can track important information like steps taken, sleep, heart rate, calorie intake, pace, and distance traveled, etc. Though some consider them as a needless investment, a fitness tracker offers more than a few benefits for those who already work out regularly or are planning to start working out religiously.
Offers personal accountability
Face it! Deciding to work out daily is one thing, but sticking to the regimen and goals is a whole other ball game. For those who are about to start working out, even a little bit of encouragement goes a long way. In this regard, your fitness tracker acts like your very own personal motivator. It encourages you to compete with yourself, urging you to run a little more distance than the day before, to take a few more steps every day, and to sustain a peak heart rate for just a little longer every day. Studies have proven that wearing a fitness tracker has been so psychologically rewarding for individuals that it helped increase their fitness levels by at least 30%.
Does all the monitoring for you
One of the pitfalls of traditional forms of exercising is how one had to stop at several intervals in between to track, monitor and measure fitness. A fitness tracker can do all of that for you, allowing you to focus on exercising. The device does the job of monitoring and measuring your fitness levels. Better yet, it will offer you notifications of the same on a constant basis before, during and even after exercising.
Allows you to set tailored goals
One of the good things about fitness trackers is that they act as your own personal fitness trainer. They allow you to set fitness goals tailored to suit your body. In addition to helping you set realistic goals, they also provide you with tips to start exercising from scratch, gradually helping you meet your fitness goals without any discomfort and with as much ease as possible.
Helps you work out in groups without actually doing so
In addition to transforming you into your best competitor, these fitness and activity trackers allow you to join exercise groups with the same focus via links that connect fitness trackers in the same area. This way, you can post your achievements via messages and photos, workout in virtual groups, challenge others to compete with you, and vice versa, thus keeping you motivated to continue exercising.
Monitors your fitness levels while you sleep
No more sleeping inside a lab with tons of wires hooked to your body to determine your sleep patterns. The new age fitness and activity trackers can monitor your breathing patterns and the way your body moves, while you sleep in order to determine the quality of your sleep. These trackers also offer guidelines on how to improve the quality of your sleep based on your health and lifestyle habits.
Chronic migraine is a condition where the affected person experiences at least 15 headache days a month. It is observed that at least 8 out of these 15 days are migraine headaches with severe symptoms, and this pattern of discomfort remains consistent for 3 months. Initially, it may not be a frequently occurring episode, however, with time, the episodes may get regular with chronic headaches. If left untreated, this condition can affect a person’s life.
Causes
Several factors determine the onset of this kind of migraine. One of them includes a steady increase in the frequency of episodic headaches. Over-the-counter treatment options that are used to treat frequent headaches stop affecting over time, leading to side effects that develop into chronic headaches. Some other factors that can put an individual at a high risk of developing this condition include mood disorders like anxiety or depression, snoring, excessive caffeine intake, ongoing disturbed sleep patterns, and a history of stressful life events causing emotional or physical trauma. An unhealthy lifestyle leading to an increase in the body mass index (BMI) can also be a causal factor.
Symptoms
There is no difference between symptoms of chronic migraines and episodic migraines. However, the only thing to notice is the increased frequency of episodic headaches in a month. Some typical symptoms of this illness can be observed for timely diagnosis and treatment.
Transitioning symptoms (episodic to chronic migraines)
Diagnosis
A health professional will take a look at the affected person’s health history. If needed, the doctor may ask questions that help understand the migraine patterns. The questions include how and when the migraines begin, how long they last, are there any notable physical factors or triggers that worsen the condition, and where the location of the pain is.
The professional may also ask for a detailed history of other health conditions like anxiety, depression, lifestyle choices that may trigger these headaches, any treatment options used, and possible side effects that could be factored into the diagnosis. Based on the results, appropriate treatment methods will be advised and implemented.
Treatment options
Most of the treatment methods focus on managing the symptoms, the migraine attacks, and reducing the episodes and pain.
One of the treatment therapies includes focusing on lifestyle changes.
Some other treatment options for managing migraine attacks include:
Other techniques include:
Also, maintain a headache diary and note down the possible triggers and the number of migraine attacks in a month. If there’s a notable increase in the attacks, consult a doctor at the earliest. Knowing the triggers can help the doctor chalk out an effective treatment plan.
Preventive treatments and methods
Apart from treatment options that help manage the symptoms, there are preventive treatment methods that reduce the episodes of these headaches to a certain extent. These include using beta blockers and other therapies. One such treatment method also includes using an Allergan product named BOTOX®, which doctors recommend for those 18 years and older. The intravenous treatment method is administered around the neck or the head, where the migraine pain usually affects the person. This ten-minute procedure is not painful and can prevent headaches for three months. The procedure takes place in a doctor’s clinic under close supervision.
Chronic migraine can be painful and disrupt everyday life activities, so choosing the right treatment plan is crucial. Get all the information from a licensed health professional and seek the best possible treatment plan according to a detailed diagnosis.
Exercising is a treasure trove, making one achieve optimum health, among other benefits. With daily exercise, one can also expect better concentration and a massive energy boost to last throughout the day. The best part? One does not have to pay for a gym membership to access these benefits. Workouts can be simple and highly effective, even when done at home. So, here are some easy at-home exercises one can add to their daily routine:
Squats
Squats boost one’s core strength and lower body flexibility. One can start by standing straight, with the feet slightly apart. Then, they will need to brace their core and bend their knees as if they were sitting on an imaginary chair. While bending down, the chest and chin must be up, and the hips must be pushed back. The knees must not be outward or inward, and the thighs must be parallel to the ground. After holding this pose for a second, one can rise and repeat.
Dumbbell rows
Useful for the back and other upper body muscles, this exercise involves holding a 10-pound dumbbell in each hand and bending forward at the waist, with the back at a 45-degree angle with the ground. The back and neck should be straight as an arrow, and the arms should hang down. Then, one can gently pull the dumbbells up by bending one elbow and stopping just below the chest. One can follow the same steps on the other hand and alternate between the two.
Planks
Planks help tone the abdominal muscles and stabilize the abs without straining the back. Here, one should first plant their toes and hands on the floor while keeping their back straight, parallel to the ground, and their abdomen tight. For beginners, the plank position should be held for 20 seconds, with each subsequent one held for longer durations as the strength increases.
Push-ups
Push-ups strengthen the chest, triceps, shoulders, and core trunk muscles. First, one should get down on all fours and place their hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. After straightening the arms and legs, they can lower their body until their chest almost touches the ground before lifting themselves back up.
Walking
Walking helps burn calories, strengthen the heart, and improve blood flow. Gentle walking or rapid, brisk walking can be great warm-up exercises as well.