She has the "turtle" down. You will be an expert too! Photo by Tamara Bellis
How to Look Amazing in Photographs
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the world’s first selfie was taken in 1839 by Robert Corneulius, an amateur chemist and photography enthusiast, in the back of the family store in Philadelphia.
Whether you remember taking rolls of film to the drugstore or only have ever taken pictures with a Smartphone, photos define our lives – our headshots invite potential employers and connections on LinkedIn, and we capture real life moments on vacations, with friends and family in real time.
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Photo by Jonas Jacobsson
How to attend conferences without blowing your fitness goals
If you are in a professional services field, you know that conferences are like our Superbowl. It’s the ultimate opportunity for companies to showcase their talent, swag, and brand power.
It’s also the ultimate opportunity to pack on the pounds. A lack of choice for food options, many of which are not healthy. Wining and dining. Little sleep from compressed schedules for presentations and time zone differences.
Slowly, you make decisions that you would never make if you were at your own home base. Like, maybe that stale mini cheese Danish IS a good idea.
If I know one thing from being a professional in this workforce for many years, pre and post-pandemic, I know how to navigate this minefield. And I am here to tell you all the best tricks and tips so you can come and go like the fit boss that you are.
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Photo by ViDi Studios @ Adobe Stock
A Separate Bank Account Can Protect You – And Your Relationship
It was the fall of 1992. Kieran and Olivia* had just been married. Kieran went to the bank to make a deposit in their joint savings account (note the date – none of this was avaiable via online transaction).
The teller asked him “which account?”
He snapped his head up and asked her back. “What do you mean which account? There’s another account?”
There was another account.
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Photo by Elnariz @ Adobe Stock
Some Tips to Look Like a Classy Badass This Fall
Fitness is definitely far more than just what you do for food and exercise. The whole way you take care of yourself inside and out is essential to defining your health and well-being.
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deine_liebe @ Adobe Stock
How to ghost sugar overload this Halloween (updated)
It’s Halloween already, and we are officially sanctioned to go back to trick-or-treating and Halloween parties. The drugstores and grocery stores are teeming with bags of fun-size candy bars and candy corn pumpkins. Offices and schools have candy bowls and homemade cookies EVERYWHERE. You may be going to one or a few Halloween parties this weekend. This is NOT the time to white knuckle. There is a better answer.
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Social interaction and the act of "waking up" are advantages to returning to the office. Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com
How Going Back to the Office Might Make You Happier
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” – African proverb
The Whiteboarding. The coffee machine hissing. The Bright lights. The Big monitors. The hum of the printer and the sound of people chatter mixing with the clacks of the keyboard for an ambient tone (in fact, you can actually download it if you want.)
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Photo by svklimkin @ Unsplash
How Working Out Like a Whirling Dervish Can Make You Fall In Love With Fitness
“Wherever you are, and whatever you do, be in love.” – Rumi
The thrill of the pandemic workout craze is fading. UpSwell’s survey found that while 50% of respondents returned to the gym within 9 months of restrictions lifting, nearly a third (27.71%) of all respondents still have not yet returned to the gym, and 31.23% are working out less in 2022.
Peloton, the exercise bike company that saw huge success in the early days of the pandemic only to flounder as sales slowed, reported a $1.2 billion quarterly loss recently.
SoulCycle will close up to a quarter of its studios across the U.S., including six reportedly in the New York City area, amid adjustments related to the pandemic, the fitness company said Tuesday.
How do we bring it back? Enter Rumi, and Sufism.
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fahrwasser @Adobestock
DAOFitLife Hotlist: All the Different Ways you Can Experience the Pumpkin Spice Craze
Pumpkin Spice is EVERYWHERE – the good, the bad, and the just plain weird (uh, pumpkin pizza anyone?)
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Wait, what? Mewing isn't just for cats? Photo by Jeanie de Klerk @ Unsplash
Mewing – Gimmick or Gamechanger?
Spoiler alert: Other than the picture, this has nothing to do with cats.
But it does have to do with an important topic. Imagine walking through a gym. You pass by the weight room section and see various people sculpting their biceps with curls, benching, squatting, deadlifting, meticulously doing upper and lower ab work on the large mats. What is missing from this picture is that you do not see anyone working on the one body feature that defines us more than all of the other parts together – the face.
Now turn to your own face. Where is your tongue? According to the “mewing” phemonmenom, your “tongue posture” could potentially impact facial aesthetics, sleep and breathing quality and overall body posture.
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Even though most of us don't carry cash and most places don't accept it, you should think of saving money like putting it away in your digital wallet. Photo by Emil Kalibradov @Unsplash
The DAO of Financial Fitness Part 2
Financial fitness part I covered how to get the best bang for your buck from services. Financial services Part II will cover goods and products and how to save money on commonly needed items.
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Photo by Tim Mossholder @Unsplash
The DAOFitLife Hotlist: Summer workouts to enjoy before fall
There are murmursof a “false fall” or “early fall” happening. But despite some of these breezy days, we still have 3 weeks until real fall. So let’s get out there and enjoy some fun outdoor sports.
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Photo by Alexander Mils
The DAO of Financial Fitness – Part I
“Time is money.” You’ve heard that phrase, right? But I argue it isn’t. Unlike money, you can never make back the time you waste. Yesterday is gone forever, and unless we find dramatic new technology to cryopreserve ourselves and freeze time, we cannot get it back.
But money is also money. And if you think about it, we waste a lot of it. The good news is, there are hacks that will make you richer and thinner.
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Photo by Creative Christians
How to Cure Tech Neck
Did you know looking down at your phone is like putting the weight of a bowling ball on your neck? Not to mention, when you add stress, your neck will tense up further. The way we sit in front of the computer and look at our devices means we are always looking down. Overt time this causes your head to move forward, and eventually throw off your neck alignment. This is known as “tech neck.” And this is beyond an annoyance. Over time, untreated neck issues can cause massive tissue damage and harm to the spine including slipped or herniated discs. The good news is, there are easy hacks and exercises you can do right now to ease the tension in your neck and cure the related headaches.
Here is your guide to cure tech neck AND get better posture below.
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Photo by Kofi Buckley
DAOFitLife Hot List: Summer Smoothies to Glow Up Before Fall
Smoothies, if done right, can be an excellent way to start the day or get through an afternoon slump. In fact, sometimes I have a smoothie as my lunch so I do not feel weighed down. Here are my top recipes with superfood ingredients that will energize you and slim you down.
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Photo by GRAHAM MANSFIELD
How Exercising for Success is as Easy as 4-3-2-1
Finding time to exercise (see my earlier post) is half the battle. The other half is actually doing it. This is where we get struck by analysis paralysis. What workouts are the best for body goals – burning fat, maintaning muscle mass, and feeling great?
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Photo by Claudio Schwarz
When I dip you dip: The 10 Best Low-Calorie Veggie Dips
Dipping veggies in tasty sauces has been an important factor in how I have been able to not only achieve, but maintain my weight. Let’s face it – when all is said and done, mainstream media and advertising content are showering us with temptation all day long. You cannot go about your normal day without having images of fried food shoved in your face. But you can outsmart the temptation and have your dip too.
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Photo by Rayhan Fahmi
8 Tips to Beat Travel Anxiety
Traveling is almost unbearably stressful – even if it is for vacation. Especially if it is for work and you have to be places on time. Ironically not traveling during the pandemic was taking a serious toll on our mental health. But now, traveling again is affecting our mental health in new and different ways.
Sleep deprivation, time pressure, lack of a regular food and exercise routines, and unavoidable delays are hallmarks of travel, even pre-pandemic. But now, there is definitely a more palpable pressure and it seems to boil over when you get to the airport. Even if you have your boarding pass prior, you have to figure out what to do with your checked luggage, where to go to verify your documentation, and then deal with security, having your bags taken aside for screening, and long, crazy lines. That is, if random storms and airline strikes do not cause your flight to cancel altogether. Airlines are making things a little bit easier by allowing you to upload test results and attestation forms beforehand, but it still is a big to-do to even get through airport security. And, if your last journey was like mine, you will sit on the tarmac for 3 hours because of some “missing paperwork.” Why is paperwork always such an issue – is that code for something else? Seems like an almost anachronistic reference, like isn’t everything in the cloud? Regardless, these delays can cause you stress especially if you have a connecting flight.
This current situation has turned up the travel stress to about 1000. But we need to keep on going – especially for business travel. So how do we deal with the stomach-gnawing anxiety and uphold our mental health? My tips follow – and they are the best ones, because I just tried them out on myself in real time.
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TRX is not a new currency - the equipment has been around since 2001 and like crypto was a pioneer of innovation. Photo by Quantitatives
The Best Full Body Workout
Is.... the TRX. It is not just a cryptocurrency. It is the currency of a shredded, next level body. This post will explain the TRX and how you can use…
Photo by Alexander Shatov
The Best YouTube and Fitness Apps
As professionals on the go we often have to rely on the guidance of others to just be able to wake up and jump into a quick workout before we hit the shower and get ready to start the day. Or, we may be traveling and need something on the go when we do not have access to our home equipment or gym. Or it may be over 100 degrees outside and you need a good indoor workout in the comfort of your air conditioning and ability to be barefoot and in super comfy clothes.
Last year, I started a YouTube Channel and I realized this is a great way to curate and collect content just like I have been doing for the blog with all of the articles. I have made playlists for cardio, strength training, stretching and yoga.
Check out each link, or scan the QR code to open it on your own device. 90 percent of the workouts are NO equipment. For those workouts that do
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Dry Shampoos: DAOFitLife Hotlist
Time vampires come in many shapes and forms. One of the biggest ones is washing your hair.
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