The Brunette Diaries

Get Fit In 15 Minutes!

Sometimes you don’t have all the time in the world to just take care of your fitness. Here we list for you a few easy 15-minute workouts that will make you look fabulous in no time.

Dumbbell sumo squat

If you want proper shaped legs, back, shoulders and also a great-looking posterior, this exercise will work wonders for you. Stand with your back straight, toes pointed out and your feet shoulder-width apart. Grab two dumbbells of equal weight in each hand. Squat down with arms extended keeping the lower back taut and upright. Keep on holding the pose for a few seconds before you lift yourself up to the starting position again. Repeat this process three times.

Burpee

If you are running short of time but need a full work out then this is the apt exercise for you. Stand straight. Then come to a complete squat down position with your hand placed in the front, and your knees near your chest. Now spring like a frog and push your legs behind as required for push-ups. Do a push-up and now go in the reverse order to reach back to the original standing position. This workout tones your arms, shoulders, legs and endurance. To reduce the difficulty level, you can avoid the standing part of the exercise.

The reverse plank

This exercise is much harder to do than it looks, but it is advantageous as it tones the abs, triceps and posterior muscles in your body. Sit down on the floor and place your palms beside your hips. Pressurize onto your heels (toes up) and palms to lift your frame. Keep your body in a straight line as you continue to look up to the ceiling and hold the position for 30 seconds. You might not be able to keep the straight position for more than two or three breathes in the beginning. It’s only normal!

Top 5 Women Instagrammers To Follow For Best Fitness Tips

Social Media is the new bible of today’s generation. Everything is on Social Media. From Photographs to Phones, facts to food, Buying/Selling, Celebrities, etc. In fact, people search “How to lose weight?” on Google before giving up their toxic habits and hitting the gym. Naturally, people turn to social media to look for motivation so that they could lose weight or even go to the gym. For example, people follow who they like or aspire to become like, they may follow actor SRK if they’re aspiring actors, girls tend to follow role models of their liking. And people who are trying to lose weight or be more pro-active, more of a fitness person should follow these lady bosses who are masters of fitness.

1) Ishwari Patil

If you’re interested in learning YOGA the right way then she’s the one to follow. Ishwari Patil, based in Mumbai, is a Women empowerment enthusiastic. She is trying to increase the awareness of benefits of Yoga and Fitness through her Instagram account. You can see her posing at different locations all over Mumbai, she also provides online consultation to the ones in need.

Instagram Account – @_ishwari_

2) Rashmi Agarwal

Rashmi Agarwal is a fitness freak being a mother. She goes by the name #FitMom or #Momwholifts. She is a fitness model and an inspiration to many. No one can guess that she’s a mother by looking at the pictures she posts on her account. From Weight Lifting to Cross fit, there’s nothing this lady can’t do.

Instagram account – @rashmiaagarwal

3) Surbhi Sharma

Surbhi Sharma is a Rhythmic Gymnast who also practices Yoga. Her Instagram feed is filled with her pictures doing all the extreme yoga poses with a smile on her face. She is on her journey to inspire and teach people the true meaning of Yoga.

Instagram Account – @_surbhisharma

4) Jinni Shaikh

Jinni Shaikh is one of the most hardcore lady bosses of all. She is an ESN Athlete who trains in heavy lifting. Her training videos will get you off of your couch and into the gym. A perfect role model and inspiration, she shares her experiences through her posts and her feelings of motivation and dedication through her captions.

Instagram account – @jinni_shaikh

5) Priya Chandra

A certified nutrition and Fitness consultant, Priya Chandra is a Body Transformation Specialist. She provides diet and workout schedule and guidance through her Instagram account online. She majorly posts videos of her working out for her followers for them to see and do it themselves.

Instagram account – @priya_chandra94

Apps that help you lose weight

Losing weight is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is definitely achievable. With a little motivation and dedication, you can too, reach your goal weight, and that too this year itself. Going to the gym, working out, while following a strict diet isn’t going to cut it. For the constant track of your journey as well as the progress, you need a personal trainer. A trainer that isn’t just present in the gym, but is with you 24/7. Your SMARTPHONE. As many aren’t aware, your smartphone can be of a great help in achieving your weight loss dream. How? All you need to do is just need to download these following apps, which are designed specifically to keep track on your health, on your food intake, calories, workout and many more.

1) My Fitness Pal

When you download this app, it will first take your weight, height and your lifestyle to understand what you eat, and how it can help you to lose weight easily. It cuts down your weight loss goals shorter, for like what you can achieve in a month which is really motivating.

2) Lose It!

This app keeps a proper track on your food and calories, your current weight, and prepares you a plan to focus on weight loss along with tracking your workout regime and your only job is to lose it!

3) Fooducate

Fooducate educates you about every food there is to eat. It helps you understand what harms your body, which food is rich in fibre, protein, calcium and so on. With the help of this app, you know what you eat and this way you can easily substitute the harmful junk you were eating into healthy and wholesome foods.

4) Pact

We are sure you must’ve seen a video of a girl running behind a car where her friend is seated giving her cash for running. How about you get cash for every kilo you lose? That’s what the app Pact does. It’s a weight loss app that uses cash stakes to keep you motivated and help you achieve your goals.

5) Nike Training Club

If you’re not comfortable with personal trainers or their high budgeted bills and expenses, this app is for you. Here you can get professional help from Nike’s experts and tons of workout plans from, guidance from pro athletes and celebrity trainers and much more. The app considers your requirement and plans your regime accordingly.

So, which app are you downloading next?

Why You Should Have The YOGA Way Of Lifestyle

Yoga is a Sanskrit word derived from the Sanskrit root “yuj” which means to connect, join or balance.
Yoga is a way of life, it is not removed from it. We do not need to feel disappointed or frustrated considering our limitations with regard to physical health, shape and size of the body, lack of time, lack of space or unavailability of a teacher. Yoga, in fact, is the means to overcome all these problems. Yoga includes every aspect of life. Yoga touches everything in life. All healing methods and meditations are part and parcel of Yoga. Yoga is like the sun itself, which brightens everything that comes into contact with it.

Yoga is usually defined as union: It is a unison of the limited self and the Divine Self. The aim of Yoga is not really to unite us with anything for we are already united. It is to help us realize our identity with the Divine Self, to make us know and tune into our intrinsic nature.

The Bhagwad Gita, a very widely known classical text on Yoga, gives various definitions of Yoga.

1) Yoga is equanimity of mind in success and failure.
2) Yoga is discretion in work.
3) Yoga is the remover of misery and destroyer of pain. Yoga is the supreme secret of life.
4) Yoga is serenity.

Also, check out this article (Click here) of how ATTOI is taking the initiative to bring all the YOGA professionals to the birthplace of YOGA, Kerala.

Here’s why you should make YOGA a part of your life:

1) Helps with weight management

Through the twists and bends and cleansing practices, yoga stimulates detoxification, the preliminary requirement for effective weight loss. Also, it promotes better metabolism and fat burning potential. Regular practice of yoga also helps to reduce stress, thereby lowering cortisol, the primary culprit behind the dreaded belly fat.

2) Stronger bones and joints

Various balancing postures of yoga improve bone density and strengthen the joints and bones. This cuts down the risks of osteoporosis, fractures, and arthritis through bone loss.

3) Helps with menstrual and menopausal issues

Yoga could help to ease menstrual woes, including water retention, bloating, dysmenorrhea, amenorrhea, and irregular menstrual cycles. Various restorative and balancing poses are also known to help with menopausal symptoms management, including hot flashes and osteoporosis.

4) Keeps un-curable diseases like diabetes under control

Various yoga poses and Pranayama techniques could help to improve insulin sensitivity, lower anti-diabetic drugs usage, promote weight loss, and curb spiraling sugar levels. Yoga also helps to lower stress, one of the primary contributing factors to Type II Diabetes. Yoga, when practiced regularly, gives the diabetic patients a chance to enjoy a better lifestyle.

5) Helps with blood pressure management

Conscious breathing practices promote better oxygen intake, thereby improving circulation and keeping the blood pressure under control.

Lastly, practicing YOGA every day, making it a part of your life will give you a better health, physically as well as mentally, also will improve your lifestyle drastically.

10 Proven Remedies For Fast Relief From Pain

We all suffer from some pain or another that we wish would just disappear as soon as we start experiencing it. You might’ve just stubbed your toe or that little pinky finger over a furniture, stepped on a lego or well, it was your first day at the gym. These kinds of pain are cruel and sometimes long-lasting. So, here are a few proven home remedies that will help you in the time of PAIN, but these aren’t applicable for your aching heart, sorrryyy…..

1) Hot Water

A heating pad is nice, but hot water might feel even better. Heat loosens up stiff or tight muscles. Use heat before stretching or exercising the muscle. And if you’re short on time, you can let a hot shower do the work for you. If you have time, soak in a hot tub.

2) Ice Cup

Ice is best used for acute pain relief rather than general muscle soreness. Think of ice as a pain reliever or something that can reduce visible swelling, but it may not help the muscle heal, still, you can massage the tender area by freezing water in small paper cups and then peeling back the paper to expose the ice; limit the massage to 15 minutes a session.

3) Bag Of Frozen Peas Or Corn

Hurt your hand? Once again, treat it with cold. A bag of frozen peas or corn is perfect for joints and hands because you can mold the frozen veggies around the area.

4) Bike

So, you went too hard playing cricket yesterday. There’s no reason to sit on the sidelines today. A light aerobic activity like cycling will improve nourishing blood flow to your achy muscles, plus activity stimulates hormonal responses in the brain that reduce the sensation of pain.

5) Child’s Pose

Yoga moves your body in a gentle manner to improve flexibility and strength. While the mind-body practice offers stress relief via relaxation, it can also be nearly as effective as physical therapy at providing low-back pain relief.

6) Self-Massage

If you’re dealing with pesky inside-of-the-knee pain, let your hands work it out. Massaging the inner thigh and inside of the back of the thigh, as the muscles here connect to the inside of the knee. You can also grab a lacrosse ball to get the job done.

7) Hot Towel

Another option for heat therapy is a nice, hot towel. Throwing a damp towel in the dryer for 20 minutes and applying to the aching area. It’s a great way to address tightness that you may feel more acutely in the morning.

8) Pineapple

Your hands hurt and tingle when you type. The perfect snack? A bowl of pineapple—it’s exactly what your body needs right now to feel comfortable. Research shows that eating the tropical fruit, which contains an anti-inflammatory enzyme called bromelain, can help decrease swelling in carpal tunnel syndrome.

9) Daily Stretching

If you have low-back pain but don’t want to practice yoga, try basic stretching instead. Research shows that a weekly intensive stretching class in addition to 20 minutes of daily stretching at home reduced pain almost as well as yoga did after six weeks.

10) Sleep

It’s an unfortunate reality that pain decreases your ability to sleep—yet sleep is necessary to reduce pain. The theory is that impaired sleep prompts your brain to perceive a much stronger pain signal compared to getting a sufficient amount of sleep. Adults should aim for at least seven hours per night.