ActivAided Blog

Don’t Take a Vacation from Your Diet

Everyone loves going on vacations. They let us get away from our regular routine and can be beneficial to our mental wellness. Vacations are the perfect way to experience new scenery and rejuvenate ourselves, but they can also take us away from the healthy eating habits that we have worked to form at home. But traveling doesn’t have to result in unhealthy eating. The key to staying healthy on vacation is making smart dining choices throughout your trip. By filling…

Why Posture is A Smart Investment

Many employers understand that they should have a vested interest in the health of their workers. By offering benefits like health insurance, sick days, and paid vacation, your boss ensures that you will continue to provide them with quality work at an efficient pace by helping you stay healthy. But the way your workstation is set up can also impact your physical and mental health; proper posture has a profound effect on your productivity and mood at work. For companies…

5 Reasons We Love Pittsburgh Bike Share

Photo courtesy BikePGH If you’ve been out and about around the city these past few weeks, you’ve probably seen these stations popping up all over town. No, those aren’t confetti cannons -- they’re Healthy Ride stations! Healthy Ride is Pittsburgh’s new bike sharing program. With 50 stations and over 500 bikes available for short-term rental throughout the city, Pittsburgh has become one of many cities embracing this new active model of public transportation. We couldn’t be more excited about it,…

Take a Hike: How and Where to Hike Pittsburgh

Next to fishing and making s'mores around a crackling fire, it's hard to imagine a more iconic camping activity than hiking. Right now, in the crux of spring and early summer, it is the perfect time to explore the magnificent beauty of the great outdoors. The rolling hills and mountains around Pittsburgh make our region the ideal setting for hiking. Exploring nature on foot is rewarding on its own, but the benefits of hiking go beyond seeing beautiful sights. Hiking…

Best Workout Machines to Combat Back Pain

Back pain can make daily life debilitating. In response to the discomfort, many people try to limit physical activity or stop working out entirely. While this is an understandable approach and may be a good short-term solution, when done for too long it can actually undermine healing. Instead, try exercises that strengthen the muscles in the core and back to rehabilitate the spine and relieve back pain. For those dealing with chronic back pain, the gym may seem like a…

Posture: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

The spine is naturally curved to facilitate its shock absorption, balance, and range of motion. While similar among everyone, the degree of curvature does vary from person to person. Using the following posture tips as your guide, listen to your body to find your correct posture. Good posture is maintaining the natural curvature of the spine. Bad posture is altering the spine’s natural curves either by exaggerating or flattening them. What Does the Normal Curvature of the Spine Look Like? Normal…

Calcium: Maintain Strong Bones for Life

Ever since you were a child, you’ve probably heard that calcium is an essential part of a healthy diet. Children are often encouraged to consume milk and other dairy products to help “build strong bones,” but this essential mineral should remain a vital part of any diet during adulthood as well. Calcium not only helps maintain strong bones and fights osteoporosis, it also helps blood clot, nerves communicate, and muscles contract. Still, many adults do not get the recommended amount…

3 Ways to Prevent Nighttime Back Pain

Not getting enough sleep each night is enough to make you feel irritable the following morning. When your lack of sleep is due to an aching back, it can make the hours you spend out of bed even more painful. If back pain keeps you tossing and turning, you may need to make certain adjustments before heading to bed at night. Here are some ideas for preventing nighttime back pain to help you rest easy: Try Bedtime Yoga Not only…

Why Poor Posture is a Pain in the Neck

There’s a reason why “That’s a pain in the neck!” is a common phrase: Neck pain is not an unusual problem. With the many hours we spend hunched over computers in this day and age, the poor posture that frequently causes neck pain is a national health issue. According to the American Osteopathic Association, more than a quarter of Americans report being affected by neck pain. How Does Poor Posture Cause Neck Pain? Neck pain often worsens over time. This…

Hydration Tips for Race Day

In 1968 when Amby Burfoot won the Boston Marathon, he did not drink a single drop of water on the course. Back then, this was not even unusual. Like most other marathons at the time, Boston did not offer water stops; most runners believed that they would become “waterlogged” and that quenching their thirst would only weigh them down on their way to the finish line. Today, we know better. Consuming water and sports beverages has become an essential part…

Stay Active in Pittsburgh this Spring

Spring has arrived in Pittsburgh! This season is a wonderful time to rid yourself of cabin fever and exercise outdoors. While the gym can serve you well on the inevitable rainy days to come, many studies suggest there are benefits to exercising outdoors that you cannot replicate inside. Take advantage of the warm weather and try all of these fantastic ways to stay active in the Steel City this spring. Hiking Hiking is a fantastic cardiovascular workout. The beautiful rolling…