Skin care in cold seasons

During the summer, we truly look after our skin. We hydrate it and protect it from the sun, we care for it more.
Most of us believe that the sun damages the skin but that we’re safe in the winter, and that is not true. Our skin suffers just as much during winter as it does in summer.
The continuous exposure to sudden changes in temperature, the dryness of the environment with heating, and pollution, all leave skin in very poor conditions. It gets dry, loses shine and that’s when eczemas or dermatitis appear. Just as we care for ourselves on the outside, with gloves and scarves, we must also care for the skin from within. The cold especially dries the face, neck and hands, but a moisturizing cream is not enough to obtain perfect skin.
Proper cleaning and a correct and continuous hydration are the solutions. Pregnant women, who are going through a time in which they take more care of themselves, must pay special attention to this aspect. Avoiding and battling dehydration caused by low temperatures must be among their priorities.
Drinking a lot of water is fundamental, as, during pregnancy, the loss of liquids is even greater. And during breastfeeding, the baby’s demand is so great, that the mother must be hydrated at all times. If the mother also practices a sport or any physical activity, the depletion of liquids is greater. But she’s not alone in this. Solán de Cabras has launched, for them, the app Somum, with the latest technology. Through a smart bracelet, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding can know their levels of hydration at all times, as well as the calories they consume, they can control their weight and body mass and follow nutrition and health advice. This advice is prepared by specialist doctors.

THE GARAGE BY VERONICA BLUME

Behind this project, which emanates tranquility, is none other than one of the renowned models of the 90s, Veronica Blume.  “The Garage” centers on Yoga, one of the most well known physical and mental disciplines.
And Veronica is no novice in this world…she’s been practicing yoga for over 12 years, an activity which originated in India and which, she confesses, has helped her find the way toward well-being.
That being said, if we take a look at “The Garage” calendar of activities, we not only find Yoga…
This center promises to be the meeting point for specialized professionals who wish to share their experiences, in addition to offering Pilates classes and workshops focused on health and well-being.
“When you are part of a world such as the fashion industry, where appearances are everything, you realize that what truly matters is that which prevails in time. What always makes you feel better about yourself. Inside and out.
My path to reaching that well-being is yoga, but there are many others.

And they all have a place in The Garage”, comments Veronica Blume.
You can find more information about the activities in www.thegarageblume.com

Text by Virginia Cámus

EXCERCISES TO (RE) CONNECT

Taking long walks outdoors, letting oneself go with the soft rocking of a swing, breathing and feeling the energy expand through the inside of the body. There are exercises that connect you with the environment and re-connect you with your own nature, disciplines that help you strengthen your body and mind in order to achieve a perfect equilibrium and an effective barrier against stress.
GOLF
Golf, as we know it today, has only been around for six centuries and dates back to Scotland at the beginning of the XV Century where the first course was built and the first clubs emerged. The first known document in which this sport was regulated is signed in the town of St. Andrews in 1552. From then, golf has gained followers – some claim it’s addictive – and it has become universally popular for being a complete and thoroughly relaxing sport. In Spain, the first golf course was built in Las Palmas (Grand Canary) in the year 1891. As explained by YagoMoreiras, professor at the Escuela Alicante Golf, “golf was considered an elitist sport, only accessible to older people with high purchasing power, but it has renovated itself and is no longer that way, the prices for paying on and accessing the courses are becoming more and more affordable for all types of families. My students are of all ages and genders: from children who still arrive with a pacifier (3/4 years), to more veteran ages, there is no age limit, as long as the body, the mind and the will remain. The type of student doesn’t follow a pattern, this is a family sport in which grandparents can play with their grandchildren while enjoying an amazing day.” What characterizes golf is, among other things, the setting in which it is practiced, the course, a wide open space of natural grass, generally 9 or 18 holes.  “Golf courses are very large extensions of land, with holes from 100 meters up to over 500 meters (7/8 km in total), so just walking the holes and carrying out the movements to hit the ball, require a highly recommended cardiovascular effort”, says Yago. A physical activity that also exercises the respiratory system, favors muscle toning and has a relaxing effect as it is practiced as a stable rhythm, over grass, breathing fresh air and, in the best scenario, under the sun.

Although it’s not a high-impact exercise, it is true that, depending on the terrain and the weight carried by the golfer, a previous warm-up is recommended – between 15 and 20 minutes of stretches and light running – to ensure an excellent physical fitness and prevent injuries.
Golf movements concentrate in the arms, and the upper extremities acquire firmness and strength, improving the tone of the back and thorax. But in the moment of the swing (that masterful spin that precedes the hitting of the ball) not only do the upper muscles intervene, but the lumbar, the abdominal strength and the joints in the hip and knees, are essential elements for achieving the coordination and precision required for a good stroke.
Golf is specially recommended for people with cardiovascular problems, as it is a dynamic but low-impact sport, which is why it’s also recommended for those with slight neurological and muscular-skeletal system problems. Furthermore, thanks to those outdoor strolls, it also ensures healthy blood pressure, increases good cholesterol and is an excellent method for relaxing and preventing stress and osteoporosis. “And yes, it is addictive, it’s a sport of self-improvement and patience. This desire to improve, to hit the ball further, higher, straighter, with a spin, of dominating different strokes, that self-improvement, and the fact that you never stop learning new things, is what makes you addicted to golf.” And always remember: the green is your objective and the eagle your victory.
AEROYOGA
If you combine various disciplines such as Natha Yoga, the Mallakhmab Rope, Ayurveda and Pilates, with the liberty of movements provided by being suspended in the air, then a sport emerges which is almost an art form, it is AeroYoga.
Rafael Martinez, a graduate of Fine Arts and a yoga professor with over 30 years of experience, is the creator of this discipline (registered and official throughout the EU) whose foundation, as he mentions in his website “is the act of conceiving the human body as a work of art whose objective is recreation, as, on one hand, it is a method of enjoyment and, on another, a tool for recreating oneself and becoming the person we’ve always dreamed of”.
AeroYogais practiced on a swing that allows you to play with suspension and weightlessness, which takes pressure of the neck, the spine and the legs, as they no longer have to carry our weight. Controlled exercises, adequate breathing and postural correction manage to improve physical abilities, and tone and stylize the muscles. Being suspended in the air, the trajectory of the movements is greater and it improves blood flow, circulation and the body’s natural drainage, liberating toxins and water retention.
But its benefits are even greater because AeroYoga is a method of personal growth and promotes our emotional and mental abilities. The total body control helps control stress, fight phobias (doing simple aerial acrobatics awards self-esteem and confidence) and increases creativity. Aerial exercises improve the blood flow in the head and cerebral activity, but also elevate the state of mind as the body-mind connection connects you with your inner self, relaxes you and allows you to reach states of sedation and deep sleep. Let’s get flying.
FELDENKRAIS
“Close your eyes, imagine a line that connects your right shoulder blade with your left, think about how they are resting on the floor, which part of them is exerting greater pressure on the mat…” Imagine. Visualize. Those are the most used verbs in a session of Feldenkrais, a therapy based on self-perception and movement in order to get to know our own body and having complete control over it, thus awarding it well-being.
“It is a method of somatic education ”, explains Jaime Polanco, physical therapist and professor of Feldenkrais in Vivirenmovimiento, “which entails working with soft movements in order for the nervous system to recognize how there can be a better organization for our overall organism, including the emotional aspect, thought and perception…”
Feldenkrais therapy intends that the person be aware of the gesture they are carrying out, comprehending the sensations it produces. The participation of our bran in essential, it is the receiver of this new information and responsible for registering and automatizing it for use in our daily life. “The brain is fed images, and images of movement, so if you change the images of movement, you can change the movement itself. That is the essence of self-conscience through movement. It is a work of self-imagery, the image you have of yourself, of the actions you carry out, of how you relate to your surroundings. You are your movements and, if you reach their full potential, then things change for you, your optimism, your fears, your anxiety…you feel, if the expression permits, omnipotent.”
The Feldenkrais Method (created by Moshe Feldenkrais, Ukrainian physicist of the mid XX Century) is based on knowledge from the study of neuroplasticity – the ability of our nervous system to reorganize its connections under any circumstance -, the efficient use of the skeleton, infant motor development or cybernetics. In other words, how the different parts of a system communicate and how the position of your head influences your pelvis or how your pelvis affects the use of your arms.
Everyone can practice it, but it is highly recommended for those with chronic pain, arthritis, lumbago, osteoporosis, muscle contractions…”There is also important work done on neurological alterations, cerebral paralysis, hemiplegia, spinal injuries, those who need their nervous system to reconnect”, explains Jaime, and, furthermore, it improves performance in sports as it improves the use of your own body.
Breathe. Visualize how the air expands your lungs. Visualize how your back broadens. Imagine you are “omnipotent”.  Imagine.
Text Bárbara Vidal

BARRECORE – ABS ARE POSSIBLE

This training technique has become the new fitness method preferred  by women all over the world thanks to its quick results and its uniform way of working the muscles and trouble zones; 60 min. which combine bar exercises, ballet movements and HIIT intervals and guarantee a toned and slender figure. Barrecore emerged in 2011 in London, when its creator, Niki Rein, took advantage of the existing gap in the field of fitness for those women looking for quick results through training that made them feel feminine. Thus, she went from giving classes in an old garage, to opening her first studio in Chelsea and giving way to a fitness revolution which has gone global. The essence of this technique is combining high-intensity isometric exercises such as squats and abs with cardio and stretching at the bar and on the floor with weights, balls and bands.
One hour divided into a 5 minute warm-up, 10 minutes of core training, 25 for legs and glutes and 20 for conditioning which, aside from toning and exercising every muscle in the body, reduces cortisol, a hormone which stimulates the production of glucose, which sends a hunger signal to the brain and leads the cells to store fat mostly located in the abdomen and muscles.
The success of Barrecore has driven the creation of alternate varieties which are adapted to the various needs of the women (and men, who are gaining interest) who practice it: BarreSana which also works on the emotional state, BarreStretch which applies yoga and dance techniques or BarreFoundations, which focuses on poses.
It is still not available, in Spain, for practice in studios or gyms, but you can learn about the technique, and practice it at home, through their website.
Text by Paula. C

CONTROLLING CANCER IS A CLOSE AND ATTAINABLE MILESTONE

“Controlling cancer is a close and attainable milestone” Isabel Oriol, president of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC).  The Spanish Association Against Cancer has turned 62. What are its objectives now?