Tune Protect Group Bhd seeks to expand its scope of business from pure reinsurance of travel business into other retail lifestyle lines of business, as well as offer its insurance technology (insurtech) internationally.
Group chief executive officer Khoo Ai Lin said this will enable Tune Protect to forge strategic tie-ups with underwriters from various potential countries, with sizeable retail bases and a common goal to grow affinity business leveraging digitisation.
“By focusing on our transformational pillars and leveraging insurtech, we shall go beyond airlines, beyond travel insurance and beyond conventional insurance.
Kim Haus Loft’s strategic location in the heart of Penang is what makes this place a tourist-magnet. Located next to the famous Campbell Street Market, hawker fare of every kind is only a few minutes’ walk away along Campbell Street and Chulia Street.
Once you enter the premises, it is truly a sensory overload. The glorious smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the air is enough to draw passers-by into the cafe. Kim Haus’s bakery is popular for their fresh batch of pastries and artisanal loaves of bread.
With the New Year right around the corner, one of the most overused resolutions is to “workout” or “become healthier“. However, most tend to give up on this resolution due to your hectic lifestyles.
So instead of giving up halfway through January, here are the various physical exercises that you can do, no matter how fit or unfit you are:
1. Identify your style of physical activity
First, identify how you motivate yourself the best. Physical exercise can be done alone, with a buddy, a workout group or even with a team through sports.
The fewer the people are, the less pressuring it may seem. So if you are just starting out and have never worked out vigorously before, it is best to start alone or with a buddy whose fitness goal is the same as yours.
Things you should consider to find the perfect workout:
2. Choose your workout
Choosing a workout that suits your lifestyle has numerous factors to consider namely weather, level of enjoyment, personal history, budget, your current level of fitness and fitness goals.
Here are some options to consider when choosing your workout:
3. Low-intensity workout (ideal for beginners/ very limited workout time):
i) Walking
Walking is an ideal exercise for beginners. It doesn’t require a coach, special training or equipment.
Whether day or night, walking is as easy as physical activity gets. Plus, it’s free and you can do it absolutely anywhere. All you need is a good pair of shoes and maybe a hat for sun protection.
ii) Running
Once you feel that walking is too easy, try pacing yourself faster. Running is a weight-bearing activity so it helps to build strong bones.
It’s one of the best ways to increase your cardiovascular fitness and burns lots of calories. Just don’t forget to do a proper warm-up and cool-down.
Running has a lot of effects both good and bad on your joints, ligaments, and muscles.
iii) Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact activity that is good for your muscles, particularly your back, chest and arms.
It is an ideal form of exercise particularly for the frail, elderly or obese.
Swimming takes time to learn. It is advisable to go for lessons to prevent you from swallowing gulps of water on your first lap.
Swimming is not a weight-bearing activity, so you will not strengthen bones or burn as many kilojoules. However, it will help your cardiovascular health and ensure that you stay fit and healthy.
Motivation is the key to keep your exercise regimen constant.
4. Mild intensity workouts (intermediate level):
i) Gym membership
Gyms offer a wide range of equipment you can use. Although membership is pricey, it will give you plenty of opportunities to improve your health and fitness.
Instructors will help you use the equipment correctly and ensure the risk of injury is reduced.
Try to find a buddy that you can work out with, as you figure out how to use the equipment and be motivated not to let the membership fees go to waste.
ii) Online videos and e-books
If you feel more comfortable working out in the comfort of your home, you can start off with online videos and e-book guides.
There are many guidebooks and online coaching programs available from all over the world so you can choose which time of day you work out.
However, this flexibility can make you procrastinate your workout or do it incorrectly. Ensure that you fully understand the online workout to avoid injuries.
iii) Home fitness equipment
Stationary bicycles, treadmills and cross-trainers are ideal for people who do not have the time to exercise outdoors.
You can even watch television while working on the stationary bicycle. You might think that working out at home is cheaper than buying a gym membership, but the equipment is rather pricey.
You have to ensure that you are motivated enough to use it regularly as many stop using their equipment within five years of buying it.
5. High-intensity workouts – challenge yourself:
i) Team sports
From badminton to foosball, you can join sports clubs either for competitive or recreational purposes.
Team sports quickly build cardiovascular health because of the level of intensity from the required running and quick bursts of activity.
Due to the stop-start nature and level of competition, team sports increase your chance of injury. Additionally, team sports tend to be seasonal, so you will have to plan your own workouts off-season.
ii) Strength training – free weights and machines
Strength training includes free weights, weight training, chair exercises and rubber resistance.
The idea is to strengthen bones, build muscle and burn kilojoules. It typically involves not just the targeted muscles but surrounding muscles too.
Strength training helps to improve and maintain your independence in day-to-day activity and is most effective over time.
Incorrect technique or trying to use heavier weights than you can manage may put you at risk of injury.
Get professional advice from a physiotherapist, exercise physiologist or qualified fitness instructor.
Minimalism is a growing trend around the world. Apart from its soft, airy aesthetics, minimalism is healthy for the soul because it is a lifestyle that teaches you to be contented with what you have, instead of always craving for what you don’t need.
It teaches you to appreciate the bare basics and to enjoy a clean, clutter-free home that celebrates space. Being a minimalist unlocks a whole new world of benefits:
1. Less is more
The minute you commit yourself to a minimalist lifestyle, you need to cut back on your material possessions.
That means no more splurging on new furniture on a whim. A clean and organised home also means you don’t have to worry about having clutter everywhere or misplacing your things because everything will be where you need it to be.
A minimalist living room is clean and organised. (pinterest.com pic)
2. You can save money
The less you spend, the more you have! Isn’t that great? In a way, minimalism does encourage thriftiness especially in shopaholics.
So if you’re an impulse shopper, your bank account will definitely benefit from this exercise.
A clutter-free home allows for more freedom in movement. (contemporist.com pic)
3. Hooray for more freedom
Minimalism may seem like a restrictive lifestyle, but it actually promises much more financial freedom.
Your bank account can finally breathe, instead of being anchored down by credit card bills and bank loans.
A tidy and clutter-free home also allows for more freedom in movement, because you won’t be tripping over things or accidentally banging your toe against something.
Minimalism focuses on the basics and eliminates clutter. (pinterest.com pic)
4. Create room for important things
The minute you decide to purge, you’ll realise how much extra space you have in your home for more important things.
Sometimes, when your judgement is clouded by all these material items, you lose sight of what’s important. Adopting the minimalist lifestyle brings you back to the basics so you can focus on what truly makes you happy.
Life will be simpler and happier after de-cluttering. (designmag.fr pic)
5. Renewed satisfaction
The art of de-cluttering is a magical one. After clearing up your home, you’ll be surprised that a huge burden has been lifted off your shoulders.
This then turns into joy and happiness because the mess and clutter around your house is now gone. It is truly amazing how different life can be when you purge your home and turn your life around to living minimally. Try it out.
Minimalism takes you back to the basics and makes you focus on the most important things in your life.
If you need help getting started on de-cluttering your home, check professional online services where dedicated cleaners and movers will be happy to help you on this journey at affordable, fixed rates.
The researchers found that for every five-year period that participants had intermediate or ideal cardiovascular health, they were 14% less likely to die, compared to those individuals in poor cardiovascular health.
The findings, which are published online in the journal JAMA Cardiology, also showed that these participants also had a 33% reduced risk of developing high blood pressure and around a 25% reduced risk of developing diabetes, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease.
Psoriasis is an auto-immune disease that affects your skin and has no cure. But changing one’s daily routine can help.
Here are five lifestyle changes to help keep psoriasis in check so you can perform daily activities with less discomfort.
1. Manage stress through meditation
The link between stress and psoriasis is undeniable — stress is seen as a likely cause of inflammation in the body, which in turn results in skin flare-ups.
It is important to take steps to alleviate stress, starting with meditation, which has been touted as one of the most effective (and cost-effective) methods to do so. In fact, studies have shown that daily meditation can relieve stress and ease anxiety.
A study published in Frontiers in Immunology concluded that meditation, which includes yoga and tai chi, is capable of altering a person’s DNA.
Researchers also found that those who consistently practise exercises involving the mind and body as part of their lifestyle produce fewer cytokines (proteins that can cause inflammation). This results in a reduced risk of psoriasis as well as cancer and depression.
2. Reevaluate eating habits
Taking baby steps today can result in giant strides towards better health tomorrow. While this may be a general belief on maintaining good health, it particularly rings true for individuals with psoriasis. Making small tweaks to your diet can help subdue the skin disease and its symptoms.
Making small tweaks to your diet can help subdue the skin disease of psoriasis and its symptoms. (Rawpixel pic)
These proven methods include eating more vegetables, replacing white bread and rice with whole grains or doing away with processed foods altogether. Avoiding foods that contain saturated fats, trans-fatty acids and excessive amounts of salt can also help prevent inflammation in your body.
Alternatively, following a diet focused on weight loss is beneficial for keeping psoriasis under control. Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, apart from reducing the effectiveness of medications.
Eating more fish, lean meat, fruit, and vegetables and consuming fat-free or low-fat dairy products, coupled with a disciplined fitness routine as part of one’s lifestyle, will encourage weight loss as well as ease life with psoriasis, boosting the effectiveness of your medicines and lowering the risk of heart disease.
3. Sweat your way to better psoriasis control
Regular exercise, which particularly incorporates aerobic workouts, is considered one of the best ways to alleviate the stress that can contribute to the onset of psoriasis.
Be it a dance class or the practice of yoga flow, an aerobic workout has been proven to provide immediate positive mental benefits to the body.
It can be difficult for individuals suffering from psoriasis to incorporate exercise in their lifestyle, given that visible plaques, scaly and flaky skin can be uncomfortable and make one self-conscious, especially in the gym.
The only motivation needed to make this a daily priority is to understand its role in improving one’s overall mood, lowering stress and controlling one’s weight.
Regular exercise also reduces the risk of other diseases associated with psoriasis, such as Crohn’s disease, liver, kidney and heart problems.
And, if going to the gym is too uncomfortable, there are plenty of other ways to get a good workout — go on a trail run, cycle around the neighbourhood or even follow a workout video routine at home.
Regular exercise helps reduce the risk of other diseases associated with psoriasis, such as Crohn’s disease, liver, kidney and heart problems. (Rawpixel pic)
4. Choose the right body and skincare products
For those with psoriasis, certain types of skincare products may do more harm than good. These include deodorant soaps and body scrubs, which should be avoided at all cost.
Others you should avoid include those with fragrances, dyes and chemicals as they can dry out the skin, causing a burning sensation and redness. Opt for natural bath products such as Epsom salts or moisturising ointments, which can help alleviate scaly skin and itching.
When applying makeup, always ensure the products used are labelled “non-comedogenic” or “non-acnegenic”.
Non-comedogenic refers to products that will not clog the pores upon application, while non-acnegenic refers to products that will not cause acne for those with acne-prone skin.
Using alcohol-free, fragrance-free and hypoallergenic skincare products is also good for individuals with psoriasis as they tend to be less irritating to the skin than their more abrasive counterparts.
5. Quit smoking
Cigarette smoking has been associated with psoriasis as nicotine is seen as the link between the two.
Nicotine alters the immune system, increasing the risk of it attacking and killing normal tissue instead of foreign invaders, resulting in chronic inflammation that leads to psoriasis.
It is said that other ingredients contained in cigarettes cause “oxidative” cell damage that can worsen psoriasis.
Quitting smoking offers a host of benefits when it comes to keeping psoriasis in check. It enables increased responsiveness in certain individuals to medications used to treat psoriasis.
It reduces the risk of developing other diseases associated with psoriasis, such as Crohn’s disease, or illnesses that affect the heart, liver and gums. It helps increase the number of psoriasis remission periods during which there are little or no skin flare-ups.
Psoriasis is a long-term skin condition that can come and go at any time during an individual’s lifetime.
And while a number of different environmental and lifestyle factors can trigger a flare-up, gaining an understanding of these and making the necessary lifestyle changes can help improve your symptoms, making it easier to live with the condition.
New US research has found that following certain healthy lifestyle habits, such as not smoking and doing regular exercise, could substantially lower an individual’s risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Carried out by researchers at Rush University Medical Centre, the new study looked at 2,765 participants and gave them a score based on how well they adhered to five healthy lifestyle factors.
This included doing at least 150 minutes per week of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity; not smoking; light-to-moderate alcohol consumption, following a high-quality, Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet (which combines the Mediterranean diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet); and how much they kept their mind active by engaging in cognitive activities.
Take a new Defender right from the showroom a few years ago when the final models were being sold and drive it for an hour and you will feel little enthusiasm to keep driving it, in the city or on the open highway.
However, if you need to go into the rough, then this is the vehicle you want to be driving. There is no ‘middle ground’ on its delivery to its driver. Simply awful on smooth tarmac and lovely in the rough.
Students, who are not necessarily known for having a healthy routine at the best of times, may be particularly affected by the measures taken to curb the global pandemic.
Not only have lockdowns aggravated their sedentary lifestyle and alcohol consumption, but it also likely had an impact on their eating habits, reveals a study conducted by Canadian researchers.
Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada have been studying the impact of Covid-19, and more specifically lockdown measures designed to reduce its propagation, on students’ health practices.
