Why yoga belongs in a fitness program.

Garry Y. Itkin has helped college students over the past few years achieve peak health. He does this mainly by imparting his vast knowledge of fitness, wellness, nutrition, exercise, and ideal diets.


In today's blog, Garry Y. Itkin looks at what he believes to be one of the most underrated fitness routines in fitness – yoga. He also makes his argument as to why yoga belongs in any fitness regimen.


Garry Y. Itkin explains that yoga is an exercise routine that originated in India. Through the practice of yoga, people strike a number of poses that help promote better health and fitness through better blood and oxygen circulation, strength and balance, and proper posture, among others. On top of that, yoga has been known to provide many mental health benefits to its practitioners.


And it is an amazing supplement to any training regimen.


While not as intense or dynamic as other workout programs, yoga fits in perfectly, especially during rest and active recovery days. Garry Y. Itkin says that the poses that yoga lets a person do allow for blood to bring much-needed nutrients to the muscles and all the other parts of the body, aiding in recovery and healing.


In addition to all this, Garry Y. Itkin mentions that a yoga session is extremely easy to set up. All one needs is a yoga mat and free space.

Everyday objects that can be used for exercise.

    If there’s one thing Garry Y. Itkin knows about college life in the U.S., it’s that it’s incredibly expensive. Because of all the expenses college students face in school alone, they have very little left in their budget for anything else, including health and wellness.

However, Garry has come up with ways to maintain a health and fitness lifestyle minus the heavy price tag that often comes with it, and he has shared these ways via his series of blogs.

For today’s blog, Garry lists a number of everyday things at home or in a dorm that college students, or anyone else for that matter, may use for exercise. 

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Plastic bottles and containers

Water and soda bottles, and other household containers, when emptied, by themselves, may be virtually weightless. However, put water in them and they become good substitutes for light dumbbells. Garry Y. Itkin recommends ones that can be gripped easily or with handles.

Stairs

Many fitness enthusiasts use good old-fashioned stairs for their cardio routines. Going up and down a flight of stairs is great exercise. When done repeatedly under time, it can really burn calories and fat, and boost heart and lung capacity.

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Chairs

A good sturdy chair can be used to many different exercises. From chair squats (for those who have trouble doing full squats) to chair dips, chairs are one of the most overlooked equipment in terms of fitness, adds Garry Y. Itkin.

Some exercises for upper body toning without weights.

Living the college life truly presents you with limited options to do the things you want to do. However, in the case of freshman biology student Garry Y. Itkin, this has not stopped him from doing one of the things he is passionate about, which is fitness. In this blog, he shares some exercises that can help you tone your upper body, without using any equipment. 

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1. Push-up Push-ups are very popular for those who really want a good workout on the major muscle groups of the body, but with a limited space to do it. This particularly strengthens the shoulders, abdominal muscles, and the chest. For beginners who may find this a tad too challenging, decrease the resistance and use your knees as your fulcrum instead of your feet, suggests Garry Y. Itkin.

2. Plank The plank is simple enough to understand because all you really need to do is use up the same space as you would in doing pushups, and hold your position while remaining as motionless as a wooden plank. However, this is not simple to undergo because it really challenges your core. That’s what makes it effective in sculpting and strengthening your abdominal muscles. 

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3. Triceps box dip This exercise specifically targets your triceps, shoulders, and chest. Sitting on the floor, you can start with your back facing a step or a chair with your feet extended forward. Place your hands on top of the chair with your fingers pointing towards your body, and gently lift yourself up. This will surely tone your arms perfectly in the long run, shares Garry Y. Itkin.

The simple fact is, you don’t really need a lot of space or equipment to be at the top of your fitness game. What’s more important is your commitment to go through the motions with these simple upper body exercises.

Budgeting your finances in college for better and healthier living.

     Many young adults discover in college that newfound independence can be costly. They might end up spending their allowances on non-essentials like junk food and end up shorting their own wallet. If this is your or someone you know, the good news is managing your finances is a habit anybody can learn. Here are following things you can do to start being financially secure while staying in school according to Garry Y. Itkin.

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The first thing you need to learn is categorizing items into needs versus wants. When we say need, it’s something essential to living like food, clothing, or housing. As for wants, these are things that are nice to have but are ultimately things you can do without like a Netflix subscription. Once you know what those are, you can start zeroing on things that you must absolutely have room for in your budget according to Garry Y. Itkin.

Now you need to make an actual budget which is a laundry list of items you need to spend on for a particular period of time alongside their costs. This will help you ensure you’ve covered all your bases while tracking how much money you have left. This will show you if you’re financially healthy or you have to tighten your belt until you get your next round of finances as per Garry Y. Itkin.

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Of course, it won’t be all roses all the time. If you’re working with less money that you really need, will need to sacrifice spending on luxury items like eating out or subscribing to video streaming services. You’ll have to make sure you stop spending and recalculate your finances accordingly. Just divide your money and mindfully live according to your daily limits.

Budgeting can be difficult but if you have a lot of self-discipline, you’ll get by and manage.

How hard workouts can benefit the mind.

 Among Garry Y. Itkin’s favorite things about going hard on workouts are the mental benefits it carries for him. He explains that these benefits aren’t more evident than when he does HIIT and CrossFit routines. 

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Here are some examples of how hard workouts can benefit the mind.

Lowered stress levels: Any workout is a great stress-reliever. However, Garry Y. Itkin notes that the more intense the exercise, the more a person can release their pent-up stress. Hard workouts also cause the brain to release endorphins, which puts a person in a much more positive frame of mind.

Better sleep: Mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and the like all affect a person’s sleep, which in turn affects their physical and mental well-being. Hard workouts have the power to tire a person out to the point that they will be able to catch some much-needed sleep. 

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Increased self-appreciation: Garry Y. Itkin mentions that one of the most pleasant benefits that people received from regularly doing HIIT and CrossFit routines is developing a healthy appreciation for themselves and their bodies. With all the positive physical results, people who do these hard workouts see themselves in a different light, with much more confidence.

CrossFit and Intermittent Fasting: How effective are they?

Garry Y. Itkin is all about fitness and health, especially in the context of college life. He shares some of the things he’s learned in blogs.

For today, he looks at two incredibly popular fitness movements that have gained momentum over the past two decades – CrossFit and intermittent fasting, or IF. He has seen a number of people who have combined both and have showed spectacular results. 

 

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However, Garry Y. Itkin has become overly conscious of the sustainability of it all. After all, as far as fitness goes, if something cannot be done for the rest of one’s life, can it really be worth doing? For him, effectivity is connected to sustainability.

CrossFit is quite intense and extreme and may not be good on a person’s joints when done every day. But when done three to four times a week, it can be a good replacement for ordinary cardio and weight training. So, is CrossFit sustainable, Garry Y. Itkin notes that if one can afford it, the answer is very much so. 

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Intermittent fasting on the other hand, is a different matter entirely. While it may be effective in quick weight loss, Garry Y. Itkin explains that IF is by no means sustainable. Not to eat for over half of the day has obvious obstacles such as scheduling and the like. What he suggests is to do IF on a cycle basis, while doing CrossFit regularly.

Mindset: The other half of a sustainable fit lifestyle.

In all his years studying and learning about the important and finer points of fitness, Garry Y. Itkin has come to believe several undeniable truths. One of the most important of these truths is that in sustaining a fit lifestyle, one's mindset is just as important as anything else.

Here are some things people who are on their way to their health goals have to remember about their mindset.

Overcoming the “I just don’t wanna do it” mentality

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When people don't want to exercise, they will come up with almost every excuse known to man. They don't have the time. They don't have the equipment. They feel like they're coming down with something. Whatever it is, the root of these reasons is that they simply don't want to work out.

If a person wants to, they will find ways to overcome the hurdles. This is part of the mindset of people who successfully transform themselves and sustain their healthy lifestyle.

Listening to one’s body

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Like many of life's endeavors, safety still takes priority in sustaining a healthy lifestyle. What does this mean when cultivating the proper mindset? One should always consider their limit and listen to their body. If the body says it had enough for the day, then it's time to rest.

Garry Y. Itkin explains that there is no shame in calling it a day and continuing tomorrow or the next scheduled workout session. Take care of your body, and it will take care of you.