Category: Sports
Origami as a Hobby
Origami is widely known throughout the world today. Most commonly used by people to make different animal sculptures by folding pieces of paper, origami is both a recreational activity as well as an art form. This art form said to have originated from ancient Japan, roughly a millennium or so ago. Some scholars debate that the art form originated back in the 6th Century AD, while others believe that it could be even older.
The term “Origami” derives from two Japanese words “Ori,” which means folded, and “Kami,” which means paper. Origami is an art form that incorporates the aspects of creativity, games, and mathematical puzzles into a single craft. In its art form, origami is able to attract a lot of people today. A simple activity, people are able to produce the most ingenious sculptures and designs by doing nothing more than intricately folding a piece of paper.
Several art and crafts forms involve the use of paper, but origami is a technique that stands out. The unique quality about origami is that you just need to use paper without the help of any other material to form sculptures.
Through a series of well-planned folds and creases, people can make anything from the simplest of animal sculptures to highly sophisticated structures. There is no cutting, gluing or any other technique involved.
Many people think origami has little more use than being a pastime for children, but this art form carries more weight than it is generally given credit for. Mathematicians, architects, medical professionals, computer programmers, and engineers are just some of the professionals at the top level who are able to take inspiration from origami in their fields.
Traveling from Japan to China, and then to the rest of the world over the centuries, the art of origami is now an internationally practiced craft. It is used as a pastime for children and adults alike. This art of paper-folding even extends from use as a leisure activity to use in various professional fields.
After retiring from computer technology job, Amita Vadlamudi now likes pursuing hobbies, fitness, reading and occasionally tweeting. The following is Amita Vadlamudi’s Twitter Page.
Crossword Puzzles Make a Good Hobby
With the digital technology dominating contemporary times, pursuing crossword puzzles as a hobby may seem like a primitive activity, a relic left over from ancient times. But even in this computer dominated age doing crossword puzzles on the paper is a major hobby for many people – young and old alike. For many enthusiasts crossword puzzles are an integral part of their morning ritual. They are as welcoming as the morning light and as stimulating as the hot sip of freshly brewed coffee.
This seemingly old-school hobby is more relevant today than ever. Aside from simply keeping the people occupied, crossword puzzles have many healthful benefits such as stimulating minds, keeping the brains sharp, and helping people connect with others. Following are some of the benefits that the crossword puzzles can bring.
- Shortcut to Smartness
Crossword puzzles flex cognition, boast verbal skills and prepare peoples’ brains for challenges they face. They trigger connections between ideas and words, stimulate brain activity and help hone the memory and recall skills.
- Therapy without Cost
The satisfaction that comes after solving a puzzle is not as short-lived as you think. It triggers the production of dopamine – a neurotransmitter which gives feelings of pleasure and uplifts your mood instantly. This intellectually demanding activity can take your mind off everyday worries and help you deal with stress as well. Solve puzzles, solve problems!
- Maintain Social Bonds
When pursued as a group hobby, crossword puzzles help strengthen social ties by creating shared memories and a sense of group accomplishment. It nurtures the ability to collaborate strategically and manage conflicts. If you feel lonely too often, this hobby will turn your spare time into an opportunity to socialize!
Choosing the right kind of hobby can completely transform your outlook on life. Crossword puzzles could be just what the doctor would have ordered for individuals who have free time to fill, who would like to keep their minds and brains sharp and who would like to make and keep healthy social connections. Start your crossword puzzle journey today and see their wholesome impacts unfold.
Amita Vadlamudi is the author of numerous articles on this site as well some of her other web sites. Following are the links to some of Amita Vadlamudi’s other articles dealing with hobbies:
https://amitavadlamudi.wordpress.com/2019/03/24/stamp-collecting/
https://amitavadlamudi.wordpress.com/2019/06/01/candle-making/
https://amitavadlamudi.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/the-hobby-of-coin-collecting/
Improving Breathing Technique While Swimming
Breathing Technique
Image: active.com
Amita Vadlamudi spent over three decades working as a computer systems engineer. Holding a bachelor’s in computer science from Saint Peter’s College, she has supported and maintained numerous operating systems and has a solid understanding of UNIX system technology, IPFC, and Java. Dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Amita Vadlamudi attends the gym regularly and enjoys swimming.
Although many swimmers overlook it, breathing technique greatly affects the overall success and ease of various strokes, especially the freestyle. As swimmers move through the water, their face should be pointing down toward the bottom of the pool. Beginners often struggle with this and instead keep their head above water. However, doing so pulls the rest of the body down. This causes increased resistance and swimmers tire faster. A similar problem is rotating the head with the body. This decreases coordination and makes it difficult to establish a good breathing rhythm. Ideally, the head remains in one position unless the swimmer is taking a breath.
In many cases, new swimmers hold their breath while their face is in the water. When they turn to take a breath, they must exhale before they can inhale. Swimmers should be exhaling while their head is in the water. This lets them take a full breath when they need it and promotes better rhythm. Breathing into the trough improves rhythm even more. Instead of turning the head completely to the side, swimmers can turn it slightly and take advantage of the lower water level by the side of their face. Swimmers should also time their breaths with their movements and make sure to switch breathing sides to prevent imbalance.
Health Benefits of Swimming
Health Benefits of Swimming
Image: health.howstuffworks.com
A former computer systems engineer, Amita Vadlamudi now focuses on pursuing her personal interests. Amita Vadlamudi maintains an interest in personal fitness and regularly attends her local gym.
Swimming offers a variety of health benefits to the fitness-conscious individual. A high-quality cardiovascular workout, it raises the heart rate and increases circulation of blood through the body. Studies have shown that the adoption of a swim training regimen can increase the volume of blood pumped per beat by as much as 18 percent while strengthening maximum oxygen consumption by 10 percent.
Also a good strength-building workout, swimming engages almost all major muscle groups. It improves overall muscle tone and power while potentially building mass. Muscles further benefit from water’s inherent 12 to 14 percent resistance increase, which makes the muscles work harder and increases the gains from each movement.
While a number of activities offer these benefits to heart and muscle health, swimming is unique in that it minimizes stress and strain on the joints. The sport involves no ground impact and thus has earned the recommendation of the Arthritis Foundation as a beneficial activity for those with joint disorders. The low-impact nature of swimming also makes it an ideal workout for those with injuries of the knee and other lower extremities, whose prescribed recovery often includes water workouts.
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