Southaven Second-Graders Are On the Ball!

When I say that Southaven Second-Graders are on the ball, I mean that literally. The second-graders at Greenbrook Elementary School in Southaven were in for a surprise when they walked into their classroom on the first day of school and found that instead of chairs, there were exercise balls at their desks. Rachel Anglin (2nd grade teacher) sought the donation from the DAC-Southaven in order to promote fitness and good posture among her pupils.

Now, when I think of these exercise balls, added with a bunch of second graders, I just know that chaos will ensue. But from the pictures on the internet, it looks like the kids are being pretty well behaved and are using them as regular chairs. If one misbehaves, they’ll lose their ball for the day and have to sit in a chair. Many straighten up pretty quickly because they want their balls back. I still wouldn’t take those chances though, lol.

Exercise balls are actually pretty beneficial, and not to just help second-graders to get the wiggles out. Apart from providing you with balance training, almost every exercise that you perform with the exercise ball strengthens your core by working them, and they exercise multiple muscles at the same time while you are forced to balance your body while performing them. Even just sitting on them helps with posture.

If you’ve always wanted to “get on the ball” so to speak, replacing your desk chair with an exercise ball is a great idea. There are multiple reasons why this could be beneficial such as it helping your posture and balance, and having you move around more rather than sitting in one spot all day.

Exercise balls are exercise and fun at the same time! Have you ever used an exercise ball in  your workouts? If not, throw one into the mix the next time you’re working out in the Church Lake Apartments fitness center.

photo credit: Wikipedia, Wikipedia

Laughter Yoga: Does More Than Tickle Your Funny Bone

They say that laughter is the best medicine, and often times, I agree wholeheartedly. There have been many times where I’ve been down in the dumps, and a joke or a funny video has immensely lifted my spirits. It also helps me out when I’m in a slump at work. But in this aspect, laughter can help in your exercise techniques with a practice called ‘Laughter Yoga‘.

Laughter Yoga is a revolutionary idea – simple and profound. It’s an exercise routine that is sweeping the world and is a complete well-being workout. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. It revolves around the ideal that the body can’t tell between real and fake laughter, but you get the same end results.

The whole thing just sounds like uber fun to me. A workout that incorporates laughing? How cool is that? Do you want to join in on the fun? Well, lucky for you a Laughter Yoga class is near you! Classes are every Tuesday from 5:30 to 6 pm on the 2nd floor of the First Congregational Church at 1000 South Cooper, Memphis TN and is open to everyone, from 10 to 100. That’s about a 20 minute drive from Church Lake. Sure the class is only 30 minutes, but I’m sure you’ll feel that it’s worth it.

Would you like to try even more different types of yoga?

Are you a tea drinker? Studies say you should be

We’ve all read the reports on how tea is so good for you and has been known to fight certain cancers to decreasing the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease, to controlling cholesterol and even reducing tooth decay. But do you know which teas are the most beneficial?

Check out these health facts. I’ve listed two for your benefit:

Skin Protector: Not only has tea been shown to be effective in decreasing cancer risk when consumed orally, but it may also be beneficial when applied superficially to the skin. This evidence has led many cosmetics companies to start adding green tea to their skin care products.

Good for Teeth: Compounds in tea protect teeth by increasing the acid resistance of tooth enamel and acting as antibiotics that kill off dangerous, decay-promoting bacteria (6). Tea also contains fluoride, which is essential for keeping teeth strong and healthy.

information provided by: Shine.yahoo.com

What’s your favorite kind of tea?

photo credit: anna_rchy

DeSoto County Recieves Clean Bill of Health

DeSoto County is the healthiest county of all 82 counties in Mississippi! Talk about a breath of fresh air!

The rankings show DeSoto residents are healthier overall than people in other parts of the state, especially the impoverished Mississippi Delta. DeSoto’s top health ranking was followed by Rankin and Lamar counties. Holmes County finished at the bottom of the county-by-county rankings with Grenada County coming in 76th.

With a successful health promotion campaign and the overall health awareness of the residents, it’s no wonder that DeSoto claimed the top spot! Great job everyone and breathe easy!

What do you do to keep healthy during cold and flu season?

Do You Drink Milk?

What do you drink with breakfast in the morning? If you’re not eating breakfast that’s an entirely different blog post altogether, but if you are you should consider going back to that glass of milk. Drinking milk in the morning helps you consume fewer calories throughout the day and as a result, helps you lose weight.

For more milk advice click here.