I thought this was the cutest cardio workout gadget, or cardio exercise equipment that is great for all canine lovers! A great way to lead a healthy lifestyle, with an active partner who is always ready for a walk or run. No matter how early, or how late in the day it is.

Cardio Workout: Cardio Canine

A “hands free” human harness and dog lesh, with a secure water bottle holder.  Your dog’s leash is attached to the Cardio Canine belt, which sits securely on around your waist. Now your hands are free for other things, like carrying doggy treats, or picking up droppings.

There’s nothing difficult about this cardio gadget, quite practical actually, especially if you have larger dogs. I myself am a smaller than average person, and my dog – an angel that he is, is still a bit difficult to control when he’s excited. It gives my arms a difficult, but good workout though.

Having the Cardio Canine around the waist seems better than trying to manage your dog in one hand, and doing something else with the other. If the dog is leashed at the waist, you as an owner have more power and control because power comes from your core. Your legs are the next powerhouse in helping you control your stability, and offers leverage of force when needed.

Health Benefits with dogs

Being a dog owner, and going out for routine walks are great for practicing a regular healthy lifestyle and workout. Aside from being a great companion, dogs (and other pets) offer great benefits to their owners, aside from an active lifestyle. Other health benefits with dogs include:

• Improvement of Mood – soft fur, cute animal, and fun loving nature is enough to lift anyone’s spirit. It’s also been proven that people with pets are less likely to suffer from depression
• Lower Blood Pressure – They help you relax and get your mind off of things, even if it is only for a minute. Having a pet has been proven to help a person relax and reduce tension.
• Reduce Stress Levels – They are the best listener, which also makes a dog a better supporter, compared to another human being. Mainly because pets will never judge us, but always will love us.

• Unconditional Love – Dogs really are a man’s best friend, and has been found to be one of the best antidotes to loneliness.

Cardio Workout Gadget: Cardio Canine

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The most dreaded week after holidays, returning back to school or work and the attempt to get you back into a proper sleeping pattern. Days of sleeping late and sleeping in are now on hold till weekends, or until your next break. In the meantime, how can one expect to function properly during the daylight hours, with so little rest from the night before? Whether you need to stay awake in class or at work, here are some tips compiled to help you stay awake, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Tips to stay awake…

Eat Breakfast – Having a healthy breakfast is a good way to get your metabolism and energy up and running for your day. Skipping out may leave you unfocused, and unable to concentrate or stay awake until lunch.

Cold Water – Splash your face with cold water in the morning. Not only does this wake you up, but it also helps to close your pores from the pollutant elements in the air. During the day, if you feel tired, drink or splash your face again with cold water.

Caffeine – A common solution in society today to stay awake. Coffee, tea & energy drinks have become our main options, and from a health point of view, coffee and tea are better than energy drinks; but in comparison, tea is healthier than coffee. Many people these days are making it a point to cut coffee from their diet for health reasons. While tea is a better, cheaper, and a healthier choice for a caffeine source, one cup of coffee a day is okay compared to three cups in one day.

Did you know? Oolong tea offers caffeine that can last the whole day, without the health or jittery side affects of energy drinks and coffee. The longer you steep Oolong, the more caffeine you get – careful not to have it too dark, or it may stay awake till the middle of the night. A nice rosy color, where you can still see the bottom of your cup is good enough.

Music – In the car, or in your iPod, music has been studied, and known to affect a person’s mood. We get it all the time in movies, shopping, etc. Listening to upbeat, fast-track sounds are great wake up music (avoid soft & slow music, like jazz or classical). Either between classes, transiting, or in the work place with headphones can help you stay awake, rather than silence which can be boring, then tiring.

Snacking – Healthy snacks: Granola bars, cold veggies, nuts, etc. Work that requires a lot of thinking and a lot of concentration uses a lot of brainpower. Keep the energy going and stay awake by gradual consumption of munchies.

Did you know? Eating small meals rather than big meals is better and healthier. Small meals & healthy snacking keeps your metabolism going, which produces energy to help you stay awake. Eating big meals can make you feel tired and lazy afterwards; it also slows down your metabolism as it tries to digest the large quantity.

Exercise – A bit of light cardio in the morning is a good way to get the blood pumping, and your metabolism going. Just remember to have a bite after to replenish the energy you used.

Napping – (Not mandatory) It’s not a bad thing if you have time and you need to rest your eyes. A nap 15 – 30 minutes is best for a power nap, making you feel energized and refreshed when you get up. Anything longer will make you feel even more tired and lazy.

How to stay awake: in class or at work

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I received this in an email, and while I’m not really fond of chains and junk mail, but I thought that this one in particular was very interesting. I thought I’d share it because identity theft is common these days thanks to technology, that we all know someone who had his or her information stolen before. Either we lose our wallets, or our information is not secure enough as we had thought – the whole process of reporting the identity theft, and fixing everything back can be a nightmare.

Consider this a health post to help you live a healthy lifestyle – stress free when it comes to avoiding or dealing with identity theft. Have a read, and if there’s anything else you think you can add to help prevent identity theft, please feel free to leave a comment below .

Tips to protect or prevent identity theft:

1. The next times you order checks have only your initials and last name put on them (instead of full first name). If someone takes your checkbook, they will not know if you sign your checks with just your initials or your first name, but your bank will know how you sign your checks.

2. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put “PHOTO ID REQUIRED.”

**Some stores will argue that you should write both your signature & “Ask for ID”, or you will still be accountable – but honestly, my signatures never look the same, and cloning has yet to enter the black market – or so I hope.

3. When writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the “For” line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check-processing channels will not have access to it.

4. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks, (DUH!). You can add it if it is necessary. However, if you have it printed, anyone can get it.

5. Photocopy contents of your wallet. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Also carry a photocopy of your passport when traveling either here or abroad. We have all heard horror stories about fraud that is committed on us in stealing a name, address, Social Security number, and credit cards.

6. Checking out of a hotel that uses cards for keys (and they all seem to do that now), do not turn the “keys” in. Take them with you and destroy them. Those little cards have on them all of the information you gave the hotel, including address and credit card numbers and expiration dates. Someone with a card reader, or employee of the hotel, can access all that information with no problem whatsoever.

**These days majority of hotels won’t even ask for the key cards, and will just let you keep it. If not, do it anyways. Digital key cards can always be made again, and again.

Identity Theft: What to do when identity stolen…

Here is some critical information to limit the damage in case theft of identity happens to you or someone you know:

1. Cancel our credit cards immediately. The key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

2. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).

3. Call the three national credit-reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.

Avoid Identity Theft

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