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references The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): “Choose The Hearing Protection That’s Right For You NIOSH: “How to Wear Soft Foam Earplugs” Is this an emergency? If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, please see the National Library of Medicine’s list of signs you need emergency medical attention or call 911. So long as you follow safety tips — and select a pair that's comfortable in your ears — there's no reason to avoid wearing earplugs to dampen sounds while you're sleeping....

Full-body stretches help maximize your time when you're tempted to skip your flexibility training. Image Credit: Oscar Wong/Moment/GettyImages If you’re short on time, you might be tempted to skip your stretches. While it might not be the most exciting part of your routine, it’s one of the most important. Tight muscles and limited range of motion can limit your ability to reach your full potential — as well as increase your risk of injury....

Finding comfortable gender-neutral workout clothes can help some exercisers feel more like themselves in the gym. Image Credit: LIVESTRONG.com To move well, you need to feel good in your clothes. And, sometimes, that just doesn’t happen with heavily gendered workout garb. Advertisement Fortunately, more brands are starting to offer gender-neutral clothing options that help people honor the truth of who they really are and want to show up in the world — and gym, says certified inclusive fitness trainer Lore McSpadden-Walker, CPT....

Doing back stretches like Child's pose daily can help release tight lats. Image Credit: Samuel Becourtney/LIVESTRONG.com Workout variety is the gospel of fitness. Whether it’s changing up your strength-training exercises or mixing up cardio modalities, keeping your body guessing is one of the best ways to see consistent progress — and avoid overuse injuries. Advertisement But when it comes to stretching, this rule doesn't apply quite so strictly. There are a number of stretches you can do every single day to loosen up tight muscles, including your lats, the large muscles of your back....

The Main Storage of Carbohydrates in the Human Body Image Credit: jacoblund/iStock/GettyImages Carbohydrates are the body’s preferred energy source. The carbohydrates you eat provide energy to your muscles, brain and nervous system; facilitate the metabolism of fat; and ensure that the protein in your muscles is not broken down to supply energy. Because carbohydrates are so important to your bodily functions, any excess carbs you eat are stored in your liver, muscles and fat for future use....

Chicken snack wraps from McDonald’s consist of a flour tortilla with chicken, shredded lettuce, shredded Jack and cheddar cheeses and either a honey mustard, chipotle BBQ or ranch flavor sauce. Grilled chicken snack wraps are lower in fat and calories than Angus or crispy chicken snack wraps, and you may be able to work these small sandwiches into your overall balanced diet without going over your calorie limit – especially if you order them without high-calorie sides or beverages....

Make sure your feet stay even and straight when doing a calf raise Image Credit: Ruslanshug/iStock/GettyImages Calves are notoriously hard muscles to grow. So much so that in 2019, more than $2 million was spent on calf augmentation surgeries, according to a report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. That’s less than was spent on breast augmentations or nose jobs, but it isn’t zero. Advertisement If your goal is to train your lower legs into sleek, diamond-shaped calves without going under the knife, you're probably doing calf raises....

Taking vitamin B12 and fish oil together may enhance their health benefits. Image Credit: titinsumartini/iStock/Getty Images Vitamin B12 and fish oil are obtained by eating certain foods or taking supplements. Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient important for human metabolism, neurological function and red blood cell formation, and fish oil contains essential omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA. Vitamin B12 supplements and fish oil supplements are very different; however they may provide some of the same health benefits....

A hiatal hernia occurs when a small part of your stomach pokes through a hole in the wall of your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is the muscle that controls breathing and is located in your abdomen. Hiatal hernias can be mild and asymptomatic or they can become large and produce heartburn. Weight lifting, either as a sport or as part of your everyday routine, can play a role in the development of hiatal hernias....

A boy, sick in bed watches as a glass with a dissolving soluble vitamin B6 tablet inside. Image Credit: VvoeVale/iStock/Getty Images Vitamin B6, known as pyridoxine, is a water-soluble vitamin the body needs for metabolism, nervous and immune system functions, and conversion of amino acids and other vitamins. Vitamin B6 is water-soluble, but that does not mean it is safe to give to children. Before giving children vitamin B6 or any supplements, parents should consult with the child’s pediatrician or a medical professional specializing in children’s health....

Unlike grape seed extract, resveratrol comes from grape skins. Both resveratrol and grape seed extract are derived from grapes, but unlike grape seed, resveratrol is extracted from grape skins like those used to make red wine. Although both substances have similar actions in the body, they each have some individual recommended medicinal uses. You might take grape seed extract for different health benefits than resveratrol. Before you begin taking either alternative remedy, consult your doctor to discuss the correct dosage and possible drug interactions....

A fat pad on the upper back is sometimes referred to as a buffalo hump. An area of fat on the upper back, between the shoulder blades and just below the base of the neck, is referred to as a buffalo hump. An accumulation of fat in this area can be indicative of excess weight or a symptom of a disease. Advertisement Features An accumulation of fat in the mid, upper back is called a buffalo hump or a dorsocervical fat pad....

The ideal protein diet helps your body get better at burning fat. Image Credit: Olga Ignatova/iStock/GettyImages A variety of methods exist for achieving weight loss, and some methods can help when you’ve been unsuccessful in the past. The Ideal Protein diet is a medically prescribed weight loss program meant for individuals who either have a lot of weight to lose or failed to lose weight from diet and exercise alone. This type of diet is only available through licensed clinics and health care professionals....

Pork tenderloin contains fewer calories than other cuts. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Stockbyte/Getty Images Red meat provides you with high-quality protein, but many cuts contain a great deal of saturated fat, resulting in a high calorie count. Lean cuts of meat still offer all the protein, with far fewer calories. When following a low-calorie diet, you can enjoy certain types of protein-rich meat, along with chicken, fish and vegetarian protein sources, to obtain optimal amounts of iron, zinc and vitamin B12 content....

Butternut squash are high in carbs. Image Credit: YelenaYemchuk/iStock/GettyImages Don’t think of vegetables as calorie-free components of your diet. Even though many vegetables have very few calories per volume, some high-carb vegetables provide energy in the form of starch — most notably potatoes, corn, peas and butternut squash. Advertisement Tip Often categorized as "starchy," vegetables like potatoes, corn, peas and butternut squash provide more calories in the form of carbohydrates compared with nonstarchy veggies like spinach or cauliflower....

The Ayurvedic diet recommends eating food and spices based on your body type, or dosha. Image Credit: byheaven/iStock/GettyImages Even though it’s been around for about 5,000 years, you may have just recently heard about the Ayurvedic diet, an eating plan derived from traditional Indian medicine. Advertisement That's probably because its tenets echo a lot of trendy, of-the-moment advice, like limiting processed foods and being more mindful when you sit down to a meal....

Flavored vodkas have about the same amount of calories as regular vodka but some flavors and brands are slightly different. Image Credit: MaximFesenko/iStock/GettyImages In This Article Smirnoff Flavors Stoli Vodka UV Blue Vodka Cherry Vodka Vodka Cruisers Regular vodka can have a particularly strong flavor — but add a dash of fruit or vanilla flavoring and suddenly it becomes much more palatable. Advertisement Flavored vodkas are available in tastes ranging from green apple to raspberry to blueberry, and make excellent mixers in cocktails....

The scale is your enemy--learn to beat it. Every athlete whose sport requires staying with a certain weight limit has, at one point or another, frantically tried to cut weight in order to qualify for the weigh-in for an upcoming event. It can be mentally and physically taxing because of the physical strains of losing substantial weight quickly and the worries about not getting to the right poundage in time. Advertisement Step 1 Avoid salty foods....

Yams on a wooden surface. Image Credit: Pichest/iStock/Getty Images Yams, according to USDA National Nutrient Database, are an excellent source of vitamin B-6 and potassium, vitamin C and fiber. With just 157 calories in a cup, yams can be an excellent food when you’re trying to lose weight. In addition, the natural fiber in yams helps to slow down the rate your body processes sugar, keeping you from being hungry between meals....

A bicyclist holding her knee in the grass. Image Credit: Wavebreakmedia/iStock/Getty Images Nothing slows down your cycling routine more than prolonged soreness. Knee pain while cycling is usually a symptom of another problem. In the case of pain on the inner side of the knee, the culprit is almost always the position of your cycling cleat. You can adjust your foot and seat position to eliminate the pain, but take care not to over-adjust and risk trading your knee pain for a different type of soreness....