Beauty and Personal Grooming

Hair oiling is an ancient practice rooted in Ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, and various global haircare rituals. But when it comes to modern fitness routines, a common question arises: Is applying oil to your scalp before exercise beneficial, or does it cause more harm than good? With conflicting opinions and a mix of cultural traditions versus scientific research, this guide dives deep into: ✔ The science behind pre-workout hair oiling ✔ Benefits backed by studies ✔ Potential risks and downsides ✔ Expert opinions from dermatologists & Ayurvedic practitioners ✔ Best oils for different hair types ✔ Alternatives if oiling isn’t for you So... should you actually slather oil in your hair before crushing that workout, or is that a bad idea? Let’s settle this once and for all. The Science of Hair Oil & Sweat: What Happens? 1. How Oil Interacts with Sweat When you exercise, your scalp produces sweat—a mix of water, salt, and toxins. If oil is already present, several things h...

Here are some nuggets of wisdom in the form of fitness quotes. These quotes come from the distilled knowledge and experience of some great people and achievers who are worth emulating in most aspects - we can all only learn from them! Now, taking charge of your health and fitness is mostly a mental game. It's easy to lose track of our fitness goals and slack.

I've mentioned umpteen times in many posts that strength training and weight bearing exercises are extremely good for your bone health and help prevent dreaded diseases like osteoporosis or the brittle bone disease . And no, strength training exercises don't bulk you up -- they in fact help you preserve and enhance your muscle mass and make you look fitter and leaner.

Painful menstruation or having menstrual cramps can be very annoying and discomforting. Several methods such as popping over the counter pills as well as home-remedies are tried out by suffering women during this period. While some self-care methods and home-remedies work to relieve menstrual pain to a great extent, few know that exercise during this period can help too . And that includes treadmill workout too! Yes, treadmill workout can relieve period pain . But is it the only exercise to ease pain during menses? No. Then why the emphasis on working out on a treadmill? But before you seek an answer to your questions, take a look at the reasons that cause menstrual cramps and period pain.

Our neck being very vulnerable must not be subjected to extreme bending positions. Especially the backward bend is way more dangerous. Way back, I had posted about the "Sink Shampoo Syndrome", also called as "Beauty Parlor / Salon Stroke Syndrome" which is caused by leaning back into the hard portion of the salon sink with the neck tilted backwards, either for a head massage or for shampooing hair. Apparently, placing the neck in such an awkward position can not just cause severe neck pain but also lead to life threatening conditions like stroke. Read all about it in " Can a shampoo session in a beauty parlor trigger strokes ?"

Does your New Year resolution revolve around fitness and sports? Does it have something to do with martial arts? If so, take active measures to achieve it in 2019. Not to demotivate you, but research shows around 45% - 80% of resolutions are given up within the first few weeks of the year. Now that we have entered 2019, it is time to keep our eyes on the prize to prevent ourselves from becoming a part of this anecdotal statistic.

You can look fantastic and regain your pre-pregnancy figure if you spare a few minutes every day for your body. With a little effort a woman can look beautiful at any time of her life. Motherhood is a unique experience in every woman’s life, her very special dream. But in the age of “figure-consciousness” retaining a good figure after childbirth becomes a definite problem for many a young mother. In this age of “figure consciousness” retention of a graceful and slim body after childbirth warrants a regular regimen.

Those who are going through stress and depression are often advised to exercise and avoid sedentary lifestyle as it has been proven that regular physical activity increases the release of feel-good hormones, endorphins which boosts our moods and promotes relaxation and calmness.  A study conducted by Black Dog Institute has found that regular exercise of any intensity can  protect against depression, with mental health benefits seen regardless of age or gender -- and just one hour per week can help. Results of this study also showed that people who reported doing no exercise at all had a 44% increased chance of developing depression compared to those who were exercising one to two hours a week. Do not stop exercising; it can increase your depressive symptoms.

Who doesn’t dream of having a slim and shapely body? All those women with extra fat on their hips, arms and thighs, and those tyres around their waists have surely tried innumerable easy, and difficult, ways to shed that stubborn fat, and found it still there. Don’t lose heart. There is still an easy way out. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? So read on and find out. Easy way of accommodating exercise in your daily schedule. By “easy” way, I mean fitting the exercise schedules into hard work-load. Normally one has to keep aside those precious 20 minutes every day for exercising, sometimes, even more. And after those workouts, you are tired, hungry and wondering why the extra fat doesn’t disappear. One thing to make clear is that without exercise and a controlled diet, it is impossible to have that slim appearance. Don’t fool yourself by starving one day and eating for 2 the next! This does more harm than good. You won’t lose weight.   And crash diets (beware) a...

We've all heard the cardinal rule of skincare: Always remove your makeup before bed. This beauty commandment has been drilled into us by dermatologists, aestheticians, and every skincare expert worth their salt. But here's a crucial twist that doesn't get nearly enough attention: You should be removing every trace of makeup before you exercise too. Yes, that post-work glow isn't so glamorous when it's mixed with yesterday's foundation. If you're guilty of hitting the gym (or even your living room yoga mat) with a full face of makeup, you could be causing serious damage to your skin - especially if it's become a regular habit. Makeup & Workouts: Why You’re Damaging Your Skin (+ Fixes)

Did you know that siting is the new smoking and that standing every now and then can help you lose weight? Yes it's true!   Long back I had shared how sitting for long hours is detrimental to health and how standing more often and moving about can help lower your risks of several lifestyle diseases. Prolonged sitting has been linked to the obesity epidemic, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.    Charles E Matthews, an epidemiologist at the National Cancer Institute says that sitting for hours is linked to more cancers than just breast and colon cancer. He warns that we need more physical activity than we thought - but more importantly, we need to sit less.    Just one hour of TV a day puts even the most active of us at a higher risk of not just breast and colon cancer - which we already knew - but also nine other cancers including lung and head or neck.    Furthermore if you just laze around the whole day by sitting or lying down and then do vi...

The other day, I met a lady walking in the park. There was a spring in her step and her eyes were bright and sparkling. No, she wasn’t a 20 year old in love, but a grey-haired lady nearing 70. She was radiating so much energy and life that I wondered about youth - that passing shower that everyone craves to get soaked in for eternity.                   Everyone is in search of the proverbial Fountain of Youth ( Image Credits ) Time waits for no one and walks on relentlessly, yet there are ways to delay the physical ravages caused by old age, ways to imprison the spirit of youth and to keep it burning in our hearts.

The main purpose of practicing yoga includes the likes of creating strength and harmony within the human body and not only will this confer everyone the right amount of confidence and self-esteem to make sure that they are not going to be hampered by any factor in their daily lives but it will also ensure the fact that they will lead a healthy lifestyle. The phenomenon has taken the world by storm as more and more people start practicing it and it has been proven by researchers over the last couple of years that relaxation techniques as well as the amount of exercise done in a yoga session will help with issues such as chronic pains as well as boosts the immune system and makes a person who practices it lead a better overall lifestyle.

You’re getting married! Congratulations! You have the perfect ring, your engagement was everything you ever dreamed of, and you have the venue booked. Everything is falling into place. Well, it’s all falling into place for YOU. Your Maid of Honor, on the other hand, is struggling to plan the perfect bachelorette party for you and your closest friends. Fortunately, you have a great idea: a yoga retreat!

Does this make me look fat? This time honored question has been plaguing females for decades. This little insecurity hides deep inside our psyche, waiting to rear it’s ugly head at all the worst times. Typically, whispering the loudest when we are trying on a new outfit, preparing for an upcoming special event, or contemplating swimsuit season. Suddenly, we are analyzing every bulge and wiggle, stretch mark or muffin top, in a tiny room filled with mirrors.

Procedures in the field of plastic surgery are complicated, and not at all harmless, which is why the process of recovery must be taken very seriously. Going back to the workout routines after the surgery is of an utmost importance, but it must be safe for the patient so that it does not jeopardize the results of the procedure. Exercising benefits both body and mind, which is another reason to go back to it after the recovery is over.

You will have to pay attention to your kid’s overall health as they are growing up and make sure that they stay active at all time. In the age we live in, it is very easy for kids to get distracted and to lose their focus. However, if you manage to fill their time with useful activities, you do not have to worry about them becoming couch potatoes.

If you have been trying to lose weight and are vigorously pursuing exercise and other workouts, you might have wondered whether exercise makes you feel more hungrier than usual. I've also pondered over this issue - whether  exercise increases our hunger pangs or suppresses our appetite! Alright, let me give you some background. A few years ago, when I had put on some kilos and was trying to shed some weight, I found that exercise alone won't help. Along with exercise, one must do some portion control, introduce a few diet restrictions  and cut calories in order to lose weight.  And that's what I did! I didn't attempt something drastic like Atkins, Paleo, Keto and other types of diet fads. I lost up to 7 kilos within a period of 6 months by this method, which was not bad at all.

New Year usually brings a set of resolutions; one of the most common is an intention to get fitter. The need to have a flat, toned stomach will probably be high in your list; the many stunning models featured in the pages of the glossy magazines will help to inspire you! Thankfully, it is not necessary to sign up to a new gym membership; it is possible to tone you stomach up at your desk, when watching TV, or even when cleaning; just follow these tips.

Every experienced yoga practitioner and yogi in the world claims that this Hindu philosophy is extremely beneficial to our health – both mental and physical. It is also particularly useful for preventing injuries, as well as for treating them. If you are one of those people who don’t believe in yoga, you will certainly change your mind in just a few minutes. Here are the most important benefits of using this marvellous practice for injury prevention and recovery.