What Causes a Girl to Bleed During Intercourse?

Women may bleed during and after sex for many reasons. If you experience this condition, you're probably looking for answers on what's happening and if you should visit a doctor. It can be scary to spot and not know why. Before you start to stress, however, learn about what causes a girl to bleed during intercourse and what you can do about it. An Infection Certain sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such as chlamydia, trichomoniasis and gonorrhea, create inflammation, causing surface blood vessels to swell and burst easily. Do you have other symptoms, such as: ItchingBurningVaginal dischargePainful urination If so, you may need to visit your doctor for an STI screening. You can also ask your partner to get tested with you. Fortunately, antibiotics can treat and cure all three infections listed above. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), an infection typically caused by sexually transmitted bacteria spreading from the vagina to the uterus, ovaries or fallopian tubes, can also cause bleeding. Do you experience pain in your lower abdomen or pelvis? Have you had a fever? If so, schedule an appointment with your doctor and discuss your concerns. If you have PID, your care provider can prescribe a combination of antibiotics. Vaginal Dryness We've all been there—it's getting hot and heavy, yet your body doesn't seem quite ready. Vaginal dryness is an issue all women have faced, and it can be brought on by several causes, including: StressSmokingVigorous exerciseCertain medications Without proper lubrication, excessive friction during sex can lead to bleeding. If this is the case, grab some of your favorite lube and make it a part of foreplay. You can find plenty of options to choose from, including products that warm and tingle. Another cause of dryness is atrophic vaginitis, a condition where the vaginal walls become thin, dry and inflamed. Atrophic vaginitis occurs when estrogen levels fall, a common manifestation of menopause. One way to ease symptoms is to avoid scent-heavy soaps and perfumes and use a water-soluble lube during intercourse. Your doctor may be able to prescribe hormone replacement therapy, too, a tablet, gel or patch that can supply estrogen to the body. Endometriosis Endometriosis is a condition where the tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is outside of the uterus, causing a chronic inflammatory reaction. This issue affects around 10% of girls during their reproductive years—about 176 million women worldwide. Beyond bleeding during intercourse, do you experience symptoms like pain during sex and periods, pelvic tenderness or fatigue? If so, schedule an appointment to speak with your doctor. While there's no known cure for this disorder, you can treat it with medication. Experts say you can also manage pain by using a heating pad, taking warm baths and staying hydrated. Benign Polyps Benign growths on the cervix or uterus are a common cause of bleeding during intercourse. These polyps are typically red or violet and rich in capillaries, meaning they bleed easily when touched. The majority of these growths are benign, and they can sometimes disappear spontaneously. In rare cases, these polyps can develop into cancer. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and the possibility of surgical removal, a process that is very easy and relatively painless. Your care provider can check for these growths during a routine examination, and they may order a pelvic ultrasound or hysterosalpingogram, an exam using an x-ray. Cervical Ectropion Cervical ectropion, also known as cervical erosion, occurs when cells inside the cervical canal are present on the outside. This condition stems from hormonal changes, such as pregnancy or being on the pill. Beyond bleeding during or after sex, you may notice discharge and abdominal pain. For most women, this condition doesn't cause problems and goes away by itself without treatment. If you experience issues with these symptoms, however, talk to your doctor about treatment options. Most health professionals will use heat to harden the soft cells and stop them from bleeding, a procedure you can get at a colposcopy clinic. How to Treat Bleeding During Intercourse What causes a girl to bleed during intercourse? It could be many reasons. Fortunately, you can take charge of your sex life by adding new products to the bedroom and scheduling a visit with your doctor. Be sure to talk with your partner about the condition, too. While it can be difficult to discuss certain topics, especially in a new relationship, communication is key to staying healthy. Before you start the conversation, consider what points you want to talk about. You can have a more meaningful chat if you can adequately explain your concerns.

If you grew up in a dysfunctional family, the echoes of your childhood experiences could poison your adult existence. You might develop one or many psychological disorders that interfere with your success at work and in relationships. When you are around people who didn’t experience such trauma, you can feel like a stranger in a strange land.  How can you heal from a dysfunctional family? The process takes considerable time and effort — after all, you probably spent at least 18 years enmeshed in maladaptive behaviors. However, by treating yourself with patience and love, adopting healthy coping mechanisms and seeking help, you can develop inner peace.  1. Distance Yourself  People who grow up in dysfunctional families often feel trapped as children. They depend on their caregivers for their basic needs, and running away can lead to tragic results like sex trafficking. According to the nonprofit Human Trafficking Search, of the millions of annual runaways, 800,000 fall prey to commercial sexual exploitation.  However, as an adult, you can carve a path forward that doesn’t involve your family. You might struggle with deciding whether to cut them off entirely, but if you maintain contact, do so from a safe distance. Limit your interactions with them and remember — you can now grab your keys and leave when family gatherings grow uncomfortable.  2. Build a New Support Network  Friends are the family you choose — select positive, uplifting ones. It’s also helpful to associate with others who have experienced similar dysfunction if they are actively working to overcome childhood trauma.  However, exercise caution to avoid trauma-bonding. In this unhealthy dynamic, you form an attachment with someone like an addict or alcoholic who reinforces maladaptive behaviors.  3. Educate Yourself About Dysfunctional Family Dynamics Fortunately, psychological research has made significant strides in identifying dysfunctional family patterns and the consequences children of such dynamics face. Read everything you can to gain insight into why your caregivers — and you — behave the way you do.  You can find numerous books on healing childhood trauma. Additionally, investigate online support groups. Members can often point you toward resources you might find helpful.  4. Tune Into YouTube Therapy Channels You can find dozens of high-quality YouTube channels hosted by professional psychologists and therapists. These resources are valuable, especially if you have migraines or similar health conditions that sometimes makes reading painful.  While only a licensed professional can diagnose you, you can seek expert videos that tackle issues like alcoholism or drug abuse that may plague you. Many offer advice on techniques that may help you heal.  5. Work on Emotional Regulation  Your efforts to heal from your dysfunctional family can backfire if you continue to express your emotions in the same way you learned in childhood. Maybe your father used anger to threaten you into submission, but when you vent frustration thus at work, you find yourself unemployed.  Work on labeling your emotions as you feel them. Are you irritated? Frightened? Once you identify the driving force, pause before you react. Your limbic system wants to respond in a learned pattern that’s maladaptive and leads to consequences like pink slips.  Use the space between the trigger and your response to consider the ramifications of your actions. Would you like it if someone similarly reacted to you? Is venting your spleen worth earning a reputation as the office Negative Nancy?  6. Try Meditation  Mindfulness meditation can be a potent technique for examining your inner world and understanding the forces that drive your behaviors. However, remain aware of the dangers. This practice will force you to look at aspects of yourself that might be negative — the truth can hurt, but it’s sometimes necessary for healing.  According to Dr. Deane H. Shapiro from the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine found that patients were more aware of their negative qualities after returning from a meditation retreat. You might realize that you participate in many of the same dysfunctional behaviors your caregivers did. Instead of beating yourself up, respect and embrace this new awareness and use it as a catalyst for lasting change.  7. Take Care of Your Body  If you don’t feel well, your emotional state will suffer. Plus, overindulging in substances like alcohol will cause changes in your neurotransmitter levels that can have a long-term impact on mood and behavior.  Eat a nutritious, plant-based diet full of magnesium-rich foods. Deficiency in this mineral can worsen symptoms of depression. Get regular exercise, and strive for seven to eight hours of sleep each night.  8. Find a Qualified, Competent Therapist  Finally, healing from your dysfunctional family often means seeking professional help. This intervention is vital if you endured long-term mental, physical or sexual abuse. If you don’t have health insurance coverage, look for clinics that offer care on a sliding-scale basis.  You can also avail yourself of counseling apps. These often cost a fraction of the price of traditional couch sessions and some offer limited in-person meetings along with unlimited talk and text support.  You Can Heal From Your Dysfunctional Family With Time and Love  Healing from your dysfunctional family will take time — you didn’t learn maladaptive behaviors overnight. However, with patience and effort, you can regain a healthy sense of self and way of functioning in the world. 

Fad diets can often sound appealing — mostly because they’re too good to be true. Many people would love to drop weight easily, quickly and simply, but it’s never that simple. Often, the methods of weight loss that fad diets promote is unhealthy and unsustainable. They cause more harm than good most times, and usually don’t follow through on their promises. Fad diets are methods of weight loss that heavily restrict your food intake, focus on a specific food or macronutrient and are usually popular for a short period of time. They’re sensational, but drastic. The Atkins diet, weight watchers and the keto diet are examples of fad diets, though there are many more. Lifestyle changes like vegetarian diets, veganism or going gluten-free due to an allergy or sensitivity are not fad diets, as they don’t actually restrict what you are allowed to eat beyond the exclusion of a few specific ingredients. Often, fad diets are restrictive and risky, offering quick, drastic results only after adhering to an unnatural and rigid set of guidelines that are difficult to maintain over a long period of time. Fad diets aren’t designed to last, or even provide lasting results. 1. You Lose Muscle, Not Fat One of the most problematic elements of fad dieting is the fact that the quick, drastic weight loss is often unhealthy weight reduction. While the number on the scale goes down, it might even be difficult to see and feel those changes within the body because you won’t lose the kind of weight you anticipated. Fad diets often focus on calorie and macronutrient deprivation, which tend to burn muscle, not fat. Especially if you’re dieting rather than exercising, or in such a calorie deficit that you go into starvation mode, your muscle could be the first thing you kiss goodbye.  2. They Make You Feel Sluggish When you deprive your body of the nutrients it needs, you will understandably become tired and sluggish more often. Food is fuel for your body, and when your focus is weight loss rather than fuel — causing you to restrict calories and important macronutrients — you can easily feel deprived. This is especially true of low carbohydrate diets. Carbohydrates are the main source of energy that the body relies on, and trying to function without them can lead to headaches, fatigue and even immune system compromise. While some fad diets claim that lack of protein actually makes you tired, there is simply no scientific evidence to support this. In fact, diets that force your body to rely on fat and protein for energy use even more energy in the process that it takes to convert those macronutrients.  Your body needs a sufficient amount of calories and a balanced macronutrient profile to provide you with the energy you need to live life. It’s as simple as that. 3. You’ll Likely Gain the Weight Back One of the hallmarks of fad dieting is the intense, restrictive nature of the meal plans you’re given. They’re difficult to stick to, as they leave you feeling hungry, tired and uncomfortable. With all these pitfalls, it’s no surprise that people can’t usually stay on fad diets for long. Even if you do lose weight on a fad diet, going off will likely bring it all back — in fact, many people gain more weight than they began with after stepping away from a fad diet. This is due in part to the impact fad diets often have on the metabolism. When you spend long periods of time restricting your food, your body adjusts to the low calorie intake even if it’s wildly unsustainable.  Restricting your diet heavily can even increase your cortisol levels, which, among other things, can cause heart issues and raise your sensitivity to weight gain. All this being said, returning to your regular diet after you're done with the fad can bring your previous weight back and then some. 4. They Might Risk Other Elements of Your Health Humans weren’t meant to heavily restrict diets and calories to the point of discomfort. When you’re not eating a balanced diet or a sufficient amount of calories, you’ll inevitably run the risk of doing serious damage to your health in other ways. Many higher fat and protein diets can raise your risk of things like heart disease and type 2 diabetes by increasing your intake of higher cholesterol and fatty foods. The keto diet is often known for this.  The damage you risk is often specific to whatever diet you choose, but restricting your intake of nutrients and calories, or increasing your intake of specific foods that perhaps aren’t natural to eat in large quantities can pose a threat to your overall health. Finding Balance Health and wellness will ultimately never come from a fad diet or a crash diet. The truth is, the long-lasting results you want will come from a healthy, balanced diet that makes you feel satisfied, with room for a bit of fun in moderation. You don’t need to deprive yourself, and you certainly don’t need to risk your physical and mental well being for weight loss. Eating a balanced diet that works for you is key. It’s the long game, but it’s certain to pay off tenfold.

You’re about to pick up that loaded barbell when you realize you don’t know what to do with your body. All beginners face this dilemma as they start to incorporate weightlifting into their fitness routines. It’s essential to take a pause and consider some tips before you hurt yourself. Pay attention to these weightlifting tips for women. 1. Never Skip a Warm-Up It’s always necessary to stretch out your muscles before any workout. Whether you plan to complete a 30-minute yoga session or a set of deadlifts, it’s never smart to start with cold, rigid muscles. Set aside at least 10 minutes to walk around a track and do a few pushups. As a result, your arms and legs will be ready for weightlifting. These steps can prevent potential sports injuries and increase your overall performance. You should also cool down with a similar routine after you complete your workout. This part should ensure that you won’t feel tight or sore later on. 2. Focus on Your Form Above all else, your form can make or break your weightlifting experience. If you don’t nail down the correct posture, you can suffer from different health issues. No one wants to deal with constant back pain. That’s why it’s crucial to master the squat. When you squat, you should push down on your heels. Make sure your chest stays straight and your shoulders hang back. If your chest sticks out a little, that’s alright. Your knees shouldn’t extend past your toes. Always check that you engage your core completely as you descend. 3. Find a Support System When you first start weightlifting, it’s easy to feel a little discouraged. It takes a lot of work to get to a point where you feel comfortable enough to pick up dozens of pounds. That’s where your friends can have an impact. The buddy system can be super helpful at the gym! Find people within your local weightlifting community that you can rely on for support. You could take a class or join a group to meet fellow gym-goers – or simply ask your friends to participate with you. This way, you can always rely on someone to keep you accountable and safe as you work out. 4. Don’t Go Too Overboard You may want to dive into an intense exercise, but it’s best to start small. You shouldn’t complete a ton of sets before you even have a handle on proper form. Before you increase your workload, be sure that you have the basics down. You can use a simple progression method to learn each new move that you come across. First, learn to do the exercise without any weight. Once you achieve the proper form, feel free to add weight little by little. Continue for a week or two until you’re entirely comfortable with the move. Then, add more weight. 5. Eat the Right Meals Your diet corresponds directly to your workout routine. If you don’t eat the right foods, you won’t be able to build muscle, no matter how many pounds you lift. When you’re away from the gym, make sure to create a meal plan with a lot of protein. Meats like chicken, salmon and beef can serve as a nutritious base. Other additions like quinoa and edamame are yummy sides. Remember to supplement every meal with plenty of water. You can also consume protein power to repair your muscles after a workout. Use These Weightlifting Tips for Women to Perfect Your Exercise Routine Before you venture into weightlifting, take note of these tips. This way, you can set yourself up for the best workout possible.

Everyone goes through phases of their life when they get a new hairstyle or cut their hair short. For a while, you love how it looks and wouldn’t want to go back, but then you see pictures of long, healthy hair.  Maybe you want waist-length curls or thick hair that doesn’t have split ends. Some people wait years for their hair to grow out by even a few inches, but you don’t have to spend your future wishing you’d never scheduled that last cut. Check out how to make your hair grow faster with these six simple tips. Anyone can use these tricks to encourage faster, natural growth so that you get the look you want without wasting your time or money. 1. Avoid Chemical Treatments There are many types of hair treatments that all do something a little different. A specific product may get you the platinum blonde shade you’ve always wanted or guarantee straight hair for weeks at a time. If you’ve signed up for these treatments recently, they could be the cause of your hair not growing fast enough. Chemical treatments result in dry, brittle hair. This means there’s no protective layer on the hair strands because chemicals dissolve it during treatments and keep your hair and hair follicles from retaining moisture. Stay away from these services and give your hair time to heal so that it regains its ability to grow faster.  2. Schedule Regular Trims Every eight to 12 weeks, you should head back to your favorite salon. By that point, your hair may have grown a quarter-inch or longer and will have split ends. After your stylist trims these split ends off, your hair will grow faster and appear healthier because there’s no breakage. Your body won’t waste time trying to grow from split ends and will instead thrive with healthier strands. 3. Eat Healthy Food Your first thought may be to find a new product to encourage hair growth, but you should look at your diet. What you eat affects your body, especially in terms of cellular growth and regeneration. Skip your next round of fast food or microwaved meals and eat foods that help your hair instead, like berries or sweet potatoes. These foods have all-natural nutrients like biotin, vitamin C and beta-carotene that are all linked to hair health. Find new recipes and have fun discovering new flavors while enjoying food that’s proven to help you reach your hair goals. 4. Skip Heat Styling Tools Think about how often you straighten or curl your hair. Pressing your hair against a metal tool that’s heated to extremely high temperatures will bake and fray each strand, leading to more split ends and breakage. Don’t zap all the moisture from your hair with this kind of styling. Try new ways to play with your look so that you don’t rely on harmful styling tools while you wait for extra length or volume. 5. Shampoo Less Frequently Another way to accidentally dry your hair out is to use shampoo every day. Shampoo strips your scalp of natural oils that keep your hair follicles healthy. Without this hydration, your hair dries out and stops growing at its natural, faster pace. Shampoo less frequently each week or find one that’s gentle on your scalp. 6. Rinse With Cold Water When you finish rinsing out your conditioner during your next shower, stand under cold water for at least a few minutes for longer hair. The cold temperature constricts and flattens hair follicles, which makes your hair healthier and prevents it from falling out. You’ll also decrease pore size and redness in your skin, which are just a few of the extra benefits of cold water showers. Give Yourself Time It’s hard to look in the mirror every day and wish your hair was longer, but even with these tips, it will take time to get the length you want. Keep up your new healthy routine with better food, no chemical treatments and no hot styling tools to make your hair grow faster naturally.

Emotional cheating isn’t always easy to define. Usually, emotional cheating occurs when one partner finds a degree of intimacy, companionship and fulfillment outside of their relationship in a way that defies the nature or agreements of their commitments to the other person. Often, emotional affairs begin as friendships or even innocent crushes before developing into a sore spot of your love life, so it can be hard to tell if you really are emotionally cheating.  Of course, you can’t expect your partner to provide every emotional need in your life. That’s not fair to them, and it’s unhealthy for you. It’s important to have close friendships and avenues to engage in activities or conversations that your partner might not provide the best support for. In many cases, this can help you have a better relationship with your partner by alleviating pressure you both may feel to be each other’s everything. Boundaries are important, though. Where you draw the line is personal to you, your relationship and the standards you set together. However, there are some universal signs that you may be pulling away and emotionally cheating. You Once Felt Comfortable Talking to Your Partner About Close Relationships and Crushes, But Now You Don’t Being honest and open about close friendships with your partner is often a given, because you care about one another and want to know about each other’s personal lives. But sharing about harmless crushes or people you find attractive can also be very healthy!  Often, sharing things like small crushes with each other in a relationship can create an environment of honesty and trust, resulting in both parties feeling more secure and stable.  If you once engaged in this practice, but have begun to withhold things, ask yourself why. Is it because this friendship or crush no longer feels innocent and harmless? Your Feelings are Targeted at One Specific Person in Your Life Sharing various levels of intimacy across your social circle is a great practice to make sure you feel connected with the people in your life, and are getting all of your needs met emotionally. However, you might be at risk of emotional cheating if every emotional need your partner isn’t meeting is being instead met by one specific person. It is totally alright to have a close best friend or confidant — someone you tell everything to. But when there’s too much crossover — perhaps a best friendship, plus a crush, plus a level of attraction — it may be worth examining if this relationship is actually the primary emotional provider of your life rather than your partner. When you think about emotional cheating, does one specific person come to mind? You Find Yourself Hiding Your Texts, Emails or Phone Firstly, your partner should never be going through your personal property without permission. If they regularly snoop in your things in a way that makes you uncomfortable, it’s totally understandable that you may feel the desire to hide your things in order to maintain your personal privacy, and that’s on them, not you. But if you turn your screen away from harmless glances, flip your phone face down when your partner comes near or delete text messages and emails so that your partner won’t see, you might be looking at a problem. Digital communication is a prime avenue for emotional infidelity. If you constantly feel like your digital footprint is somehow incriminating, the truth is that it might be.  You Try Not to Think or Talk About Your Partner When You’re Not With Them While they don’t have to be at the forefront of your mind at all times, if you actively try to keep them out of your thoughts or conversations when you’re with other people, it might be a good idea to ask yourself why you feel that way.  Do they stress you out? Do you wish they weren’t a part of your daily life? Would you rather have someone else on your mind? Are you trying to come off as possibly single around specific people? It’s always important to give your attention to the person you’re with and let the conversation flow naturally, as this lays a foundation of respect for healthy communication. But if you try not to think about your partner or mention them around certain people, there might be an unconscious reason for that. If, after some reflection, you don’t think you’re emotionally cheating, remember that you never need to feel guilty about having friends and close relationships outside of your romantic relationship. Friendships — and sometimes even crushes — are a healthy part of life. Building a support system that includes your partner rather than making your partner your entire support system is key. If you’ve determined that you are emotionally cheating, there isn’t a set path of exact actions to take — it depends on what is best for you and your relationship. It could be beneficial to think about what in your relationship led you to need that emotional intimacy from someone else, which can help you address the issue head-on.  However you choose to solve the problem, coming to terms with your behavior is often the hardest part. Now you can think about the needs of both yourself and your partner in order to move forward.

After many years of hard work and sacrifice, you’ve finally graduated from college. No matter which degree you have framed in your living room, you’re about to use it to start your career. It’s exciting to apply for jobs and schedule interviews, especially if your next job takes you to a new country. Plenty of college grads move across the world after they walk across the stage because it’s the perfect time for a fresh start. You could finally live in the country of your dreams or get experience from international experts. It’s a major decision that could strengthen your career, but it’s also a major move that requires extra steps and planning. Check out these six tips for moving abroad after college so that your experience is as easy as possible.  1. Learn Everything You Can It’s always wise to visit a place before moving there, but that’s not always possible when you’re moving to a new country. Instead, learn everything you can about the destinations that interest you. Look for factors like: The current state of the national and local economy How many jobs are available The unemployment percentage The price of living The average yearly weather Things to do The average age of residents where you might live These are all crucial factors that could change your opinion about a city or country. You want to move somewhere that has fun things to do, a price of living you can afford and a job market that’s ready to hire college grads.  2. Save Your Money Before you leave, try to save your money for as long as you can. After you know where you’ll live, calculate the cost of moving and any extra living expenses you’ll need to pay after you arrive. An easy way to do that when you’re between jobs is to sell almost everything you own. You’ll make quick money and avoid expensive overseas-shipping fees. You can always buy new furniture and household essentials after you arrive. 3. Check Passport and Visa Requirements You may also run into issues with passport and visa requirements. Some countries require at least 12 months validity on your passport before you can move there, which means having your passport for at least a year. You’ll also need the correct visa to travel that specifies the purpose of your trip. You might apply for a residence visa, depending on the requirements of your destination. Keep in mind that some countries require a work permit along with a visa to live there and earn money. The best way to figure all this out is to contact the country’s consulate office in the U.S. for more information.  4. Find Travel Insurance If you do need to ship things or you know you’ll travel with expensive belongings, it’s wise to find travel insurance. Compare rates and coverage to get what you need to replace anything you might lose during your move. The best protection will also cover your health costs if you were to get sick and require hospitalization before settling down and getting private or national insurance coverage. 5. Visit Your Doctor As early as you can, visit your doctor to get any required immunizations. These will change depending on what country you move to and may not fall under your health insurance coverage. While you still have your current health insurance, you should also stock up on any prescription medications you take. It may be a few months before you get coverage again or figure out all your new information to set up prescription pick up in your new place of residence.  6. Update Your Address After you know exactly where you’ll live after your move, it’s time to update your address with your bank and any of your credit card or lending companies. If you forget this step, they may freeze your accounts and assume your new international spending is fraud. The same thing goes for your monthly subscriptions and saved shipping addresses on shopping accounts. Along with your accounts, you’ll need to set up international USPS mail forwarding so nothing gets lost in the U.S. mailing system. They’ll forward all your mail to the new address for the first few months after your move, which gives you time to figure out what you’ve updated or forgotten about.  Write Everything Down Don’t leave the ease and security of your future move up to chance. Write every step of your plan down so that you don’t forget anything. Moving abroad after college can be straightforward and enjoyable if you start planning early and use these tips to remember the fine details of your move.

Stop where you are, and pay attention to your body for a moment. What areas feel tense or achy? Maybe you notice that you clench your jaw or that your lower back feels like you have a red hot bowling ball lodged under your shirt.  One free way to ease stress and tension is through stretching. The beauty part of flexibility workouts is that you can do them anywhere. It doesn’t matter whether you’re standing in line at the grocer’s or sitting at your workstation. Try these moves to feel better more quickly.  Forward Folds Forward folds are the ideal method for releasing tension in your lower back. You can do these seated or standing, which lets you perform them nearly anywhere. To do a standing forward fold, bend forward as if you want to touch your toes. Breathe deeply as you hinge from your hips. You can hold on to your elbows and gently sway side to side, or, if you have the range of motion, reach down and grab your toes to pull yourself closer to your legs.  To perform a seated forward fold, again, hinge from your hip. In this position, focus on posture by lengthening your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. You can use a strap or yoga blocks to make the move more comfortable. Avoid the temptation to force yourself into the stretch. Jerking or yanking your way into a movement can lead to muscle and tendon tears.  Shoulder Mobility  Are you one of the many who carries excess tension in their shoulders? You can ease it in several ways. While standing, try moving your shoulders up toward your ears as you inhale, as if you were shrugging, “I don’t know.” As you exhale, let them release, focusing your attention on relaxing the muscles.  You can also perform shoulder rolls. If you are in a crowded area, keep them small by rotating only the cuffs forward, then backward. If you have more space, open your arms wide and trace circles in the air. You can do this with your elbows bent or your arms straight.  Cat-Cow Variations  Maybe, like many folks, you have pain in your spine. You can perform cat-cow pose standing, seated, or on all fours. To practice the most well-known variation, get on the floor on your hands and knees. As you inhale, let your belly hang down while keeping the core engaged and look up slightly. This motion accentuates the natural curvature of your spine. Then, as you exhale, round out your spine and think of opening your ribcage like an Oriental handheld fan.  To do this movement seated in your office chair, place your hands in your lap and coordinate the arching and rounding motions with your breath. If standing, you can set your hand on your thighs, leaning forward slightly as you perform the move.  Twists of All Kinds  Your spine doesn’t only move along the coronal or frontal plane, which divides you from front to back. This remarkable bone structure lets you do the twist, too. While you can dance it up on your feet, static twists work best seated or lying on the floor.  At your work desk, sit with your feet uncrossed in front of you, legs together. Place one hand on your opposite knee and the other on the back of your chair. Do one side and then the other. Don’t worry if your back cracks — as long as you avoid pushing it, you won’t cause arthritis or stunt your growth.  On the floor, lie on your back. You can bend both knees or perform a variation with one leg straight. Bring the bent knee toward your chest and then cross it over your body. Extend the opposite arm to the side.  Stand Tall and Tense-Relax Do you want a stretch that improves your posture? Stand up straight and elongate your spine. Think of reaching your head toward the ceiling and your feet into the earth. To other people, you’ll exude an air of confidence — while all you did was stretch your backbone and legs a bit.  Another full-body stretch you can perform anywhere is progressive muscle relaxation. Tighten all of your muscles — or those in a targeted area — for four to ten seconds. Then, relax them and feel the difference. This exercise helps you to identify areas of tension more readily before your muscles start to ache.  Do These Nine Flexibility Workouts Anywhere and Move More Freely  Your fitness instructor at the gym advises you not to skip the stretch section because your body needs it. Fortunately, with the moves above, you can do flexibility workouts anywhere you find yourself with a few extra minutes — like waiting in line.  

How do people in some remote tribes cure depression when one of their numbers becomes melancholy? They dance! You don’t need to have access to modern medicine to know that this form of fitness can help ease your body, mind — and spirit. Who couldn’t use that during uncertain times?  If you aren’t ready to bust a move in the gym, that’s okay. You have ample options when it comes to how to learn to dance at home. From fitness apps to old school record players, these tips have you covered.  Check Your TV Listings  Dancing is popular all over the world. Maybe you can’t perform some of the stunts the talent at “World of Dance” can master, but you can learn a few basic moves if you remain tethered to the cable box. Pick one or two steps that seem doable and practice them in front of the mirror until you feel happy with your take. Then, add to your repertoire. Add a unique signature style and flair.  Turn to YouTube  YouTube is the end-all-be-all home for free fitness, and dance is no exception. Pull up the app on your computer and type “learn how to dance” in the address bar. You’ll find tons of tutorials to choose from — you will gravitate toward the channels you love after a while.   Try a Fitness App  Do you have an Amazon Fire Stick, or do you use a device such as a tablet? You can find a world of apps out there, many of which offer free content to let you try-before-you-buy. You can find one with videos that you love and pay to upgrade as your budget permits. With literally thousands to choose from, you won’t get bored even if you never drop a dime.  Lose Yourself in the Music Who said you needed anything other than the beat? Put on your favorite jams and dance around your living room. You can find wireless Bluetooth speakers to let you fill your entire house with sound for that matter — why not? A single command to your smartphone can let you get in the groove while you fold the laundry.  Involve the Little Ones Do you have children at home? You can get them involved in dance, too! Kids lack the inhibitions of adults, and as such, they love to move their bodies in a way that gives them joy. Embrace their spirit of playfulness while you frolic around the house together. You’ll strengthen your bond and help prevent childhood obesity in one fell swoop.  Try Adding a Barre or a Pole  If you took ballet as a child and loved it, why not consider adding a barre to your in-home fitness room? You can perform a ton of toning and flexibility exercises with this device, which comes in handy during yoga balance poses, too.  If you want to free your inner temptress while you burn calories, you can find portable poles for exotic dancing. While they do tend to cost more if you don’t want to have to mount one as a permanent fixture in your home, if you have the cash, it’s worth the investment. You can’t find a better upper body system of exercise that only uses your weight.  Include Plenty of Flexibility  Dancing looks effortless, but it is a full-body workout. You twist, you pirouette, you leap — is it any wonder that leg injuries predominate among dancers? One way to prevent ending up on the disabled list is by including ample flexibility in your dance routine.  When you perform bodyweight movements, they tighten your ligaments and tendons. While you want to strengthen them, you also want to elongate them to prevent tears. Think about yanking on a warm rubber band versus a frozen one, and you can see this principle. Keeping your muscles and connective tissues pliable allows them to give instead of ripping if you accidentally move the wrong way.  How to Learn to Dance at Home? Listen to Your Body and Move It You can learn to dance, even if you think you have two left feet. Try the tips above, and you’ll be ready to hit the nightclub and show off your moves. 

If you've never thought about your trampoline as a fitness tool, it's time to try some new workouts. With the right technique, a rebounder can help you build and strengthen muscle – and protect your joints at the same time. Plus, you can burn some serious calories. Here are five fitness trampoline workouts to incorporate into your exercise routine. Complete each exercise for about one to three minutes. 1. Tuck Jumps With this workout, you can tone your abs as you jump. You can also alleviate lower and upper back pain when you exercise on a trampoline. If you fall, you won't injure yourself, either. It's essential to follow up each activity with a recovery jump, or a follow-up jump that limits impact and acquaints you with the movement. To complete a tuck jump, stand up straight on your rebounder and gain some momentum before you jump. As you get into the air, pull your legs up so that you can tuck them into your chest. When you land, try a recovery jump. Eventually, you should be able to jump continuously without a pause. 2. Single-Leg Bounces If you want to start with a less extreme rebounder workout, try some single-leg bounces. This exercise can help increase ankle stability, which improves balance. It's also a simple way to build strength within your legs, especially if you're unable to complete more rigorous leg workouts. Stand so that your feet are hip-distance apart. Then, push your weight onto one foot. Lift your other leg and bounce up and down. After a minute or two, switch to the other leg. Make sure to focus on your stationary leg so that your knee doesn't buckle. 3. Pike Jumps A set of pike jumps can help you increase flexibility, which leads to better physical performance. You may not be able to extend your legs fully without practice, but a consistent effort always helps. Over time, you can master this exercise. Stand up straight on your trampoline. As you jump, you'll want to extend your legs outward. Reach your arms so that you can try to touch your toes mid-air. Then, return to your original position. Feel free to squat as you land to reduce the impact. 4. Twist Jumps This workout tones your core as well as your back. If you want a more intense exercise, you can incorporate a free weight or a medicine ball as you jump. When you want to develop your abs, it's best to create movement throughout your workout to engage the correct muscles. Stand up straight with your arms at your side. As you jump, you'll want to turn your legs one way as your chest rotates the other way. This movement creates a twist. After you land, repeat this motion in the opposite direction. 5. Squat Jumps Here's a terrific way to work on your glutes and thighs. Normally, squats can cause your knees to feel somewhat sore or tight, so this exercise can prevent that pain. You may also want to add weight as you learn how to perfect this workout. Stand up straight with your arms at your side. Once you jump, be sure to spread your legs slightly so that you land in a squat position. Keep your back straight and extend your arms outward. Return to your original form before you start again. Incorporate These Fitness Trampoline Workouts Into Your Routine If you're on the hunt for a few new exercises, try these ideas. A trampoline or rebounder can allow you to work on your body, all while you protect your joints.