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In almost all aspects of life, there are always some unwritten rules that you should follow, especially in public places. When it comes to exercising, it won’t matter if it’s in your usual commercial gym or even just a common hike trail, you will be expected to have good etiquette. So there’s no reason for CrossFit boxes to not have unwritten rules as well! Here are some things to remember to become a real gentleman (or lady, of course) at the gym.

Introduce yourself

If you’re a complete beginner at CrossFit, you might be shocked at how social it actually is of an activity. That’s why CrossFit is known for always having a healthy community. So, if you’re a beginner, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself. No matter if you’re completely new to fitness or you already have some lifting experience, you’ll surely be welcomed by the trainers and fellow athletes there. That being said, if some newcomers arrive and you’re the experienced one there, it won’t hurt to mingle with them a bit as well!

Avoid talking to someone in the middle of his/her workout

Though we just said that CrossFit is social, you should never talk to someone who is still in the middle of his/her workout. You never know if they’re trying to beat their personal record or they just want to stay focused before a heavy lift. Lifting heavy, for example, takes a lot of concentration. When a person is attempting one, it’s highly likely that you’ll see him focused and locked in, sometimes not even talking to others while warming up. It’s very annoying to have your focus broken, but it will completely throw you off if someone suddenly speaks to you in the middle of a set.

Double-check if someone’s using the equipment

No matter which CrossFit box you go to in Singapore, there’s always a chance that you get into a situation like this. You pick up the 35-pound kettlebells on the floor for your own workout. Then, suddenly a pissed-off dude comes to you and says he was still using the kettlebells before you took it! Of course, a very simple solution to this is to go to the designated areas where the equipment is put when nobody’s using them. And, obviously, double-checking if someone is actually using the equipment on the floor.

Make sure to clean up after you’re done

This one should be pretty obvious but, for some reason, there are still people who don’t clean up. When you do lifting exercises or pull-ups, for example, you will use the chalk A LOT. If you want to save yourself from the hassle of cleaning, just don’t go around throwing chalk everywhere. Just don’t put an excessive amount on your hands so that you won’t make a mess! All in all, just remember to wipe your sweat and put all the equipment back where they should be.

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You might be surprised to know that even with the available information on personal hygiene and more access to and choices of feminine products, there are still some women in Singapore who don’t know how to properly care for themselves. Improper practices and harmful products can cause irritation and infection, so to avoid these, keep in mind the following.

Make it a Habit

Being is busy is no excuse when it comes to personal hygiene. Daily washing will not take up a lot of your time and this can be done when you’re bathing or preparing for bed. You also don’t need to purchase special products to keep healthy down there, but you should probably rethink your choice of harsh soaps, tight-fitting undies, and the type of menstrual product you’re using.

Check Your Feminine Products

This includes the type of soap or wash you use for your delicate areas. Generally, you should avoid products with perfumes or deodorants, because the ingredients can irritate your skin. If you want to be extra careful, you should use only products that were made for feminine hygiene.

Check the detergent you use to wash your undies, too, because the ingredients can also cause dryness and irritation. You might also want to consider using tampons, menstrual cups or washable undies or napkins instead of sanitary napkins and pantiliners on your period. The chemicals used for absorbent materials can irritate skin and allow bacteria to build up.

Avoid Tight-Fitting Clothes and Undies

Invest in quality and comfortable undies made in white cotton. These are the safest options to keep your feminine parts fresh and odor-free. Some materials will not only irritate the sensitive parts but can also be a breeding ground for bacteria especially if it’s tight-fitting. You might want to change your girdles, nightwear, and pantyhose as well if they don’t fit anymore.

The Right Way to Clean

Ask your ob-gyne and they will tell you that your vagina is a self-cleaning body part, that is why some doctors advise against using special products for cleansing. All you really need to clean it is water, but you can use cleansers as long as it’s a hypoallergenic and pH-balanced product. When it comes to wipes or toilet paper, it’s best to stick to unscented products, and to never ever use the same material to wipe both your vagina and your anus.

Removing Unwanted Hair

Some women want to get rid of the hair down there, so they can wear swimsuits. There are many ways to remove unwanted hair but remember that the skin on your face (like when you shape your eyebrows) is different from the skin on your sensitive area. This means that plucking, waxing, and hair removal creams might be too harsh. Laser, electrolysis, and sugaring can still irritate the skin, but the effects are milder.

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If you are intimate with a partner, you should consider using contraceptives. Only the male condom, however, is effective against sexually-transmitted infections, so ask your doctor about other options to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

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There is a subgenre in heavy metal music called progressive metal that focuses on the technicality, variety, structure, and time signatures. The music will remind you of classical music pieces, but with heavier sounds that emphasize guitar rifts and drums.

Progressive metal branches off into two subcategories called symphonic and power metal. The themes of symphonic and power metal also differ from other metal subgenres like death, black, and thrash metal.

These are the bands you should listen to if you’re new to the genre.

Nightwish. Some of their best songs include “Ghost Love Score,” “Nemo,” “Amaranth,” and “Storytime.”

Within Temptation. Some of their best songs include “Ice Queen,” “Faster,” “Angels,” and “And We Run.”

Kamelot. Some of their best songs include “March of Mephisto,” “Center of the Universe,” “Sacrimony,” and “The Haunting.”

DragonForce. Some of their best songs include “Through the Fire and Flames,” “Fury of the Storm,” “Cry Thunder,” and “Valley of the Damned.”

Sonata Arctica. Some of their best songs include “Kingdom for a Heart,” “Flag in the Ground,” “My Selene,” and “Wolf & Raven.”

Symphony X. Some of their best songs include “The Accolade,” “When All is Lost,” “The Edge of Forever,” and “Candlelight Fantasia.”

Epica. Some of their best songs include “Consign to Oblivion,” “Burn to a Cinder,” “Cry for the Moon,” and “Chasing the Dragon.”

Stratovarius. Some of their best songs include “Shine in the Dark,” “Father Time,” “Against the Wind,” and “Will the Sun Rise.”

Blind Guardian. Some of their best songs include “Bright Eyes,” “Sacred Worlds,” “Mordred’s Song,” and “The Bard’s Song.”

Helloween. Some of their best songs include “I Want Out,” “Future World,” “If I Could Fly,” and “Forever & One.”

Sabaton. Some of their best songs include “Ghost Division,” “Panzer Battallion,” “Cliffs of Gallipoli,” and “Resist and Bite.”

Gamma Ray. Some of their best songs include “Dream Healer,” “Real World,” “To the Metal,” and “Land of the Free.”

Opeth. Some of their best songs include “The Moor,” “Ghost of Perdition,” “Windowpane,” and “Blackwater Park.”

Hammerfall. Some of their best songs include “Hearts on Fire,” “Natural High,” “Always Will Be,” and “At the End of the Rainbow.”

Rhapsody of Fire. Some of their best songs include “The Magic of the Wizard’s Dream,” “Reign of Terror,” “Unholy Warcry,” and “Emerald Sword.”

Avantasia. Some of their best songs include “Dying for an Angel,” “What Kind of Love,” “Twisted Mind,” and “The Scarecrow.”

Dream Theater. Some of their best songs include “Octavarium,” “Pull Me Under,” “Metropolis, Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper,” and “A Change of Seasons.”

Queensryche. Some of their best songs include “Walk in the Shadows,” “Eyes of a Stranger,” “Take Hold of the Flame,” and “Silent Lucidity.”

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Before deciding to buy fish for your aquarium, you should make sure that the species is not listed under the protection of CITES, in which Singapore became a member in 1986. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora protects endangered plants and animals from illegal trading.

With that in mind, you should also make a list of the equipment you will need for the tank, but these will depend on the type of fish you want to keep as pets. You should also know which species should not be placed in the same tank with other fish to avoid fighting and overcrowding.

Freshwater Fish for Beginners

If you have no experience with keeping fish as pets, most experts recommend that you start with freshwater fish that do not easily get sick or die because of changing water conditions. However, that doesn’t mean you should neglect your responsibilities in keeping an ideal tank. Here are some of the freshwater fish recommended for beginners.

1. Gold Fish can survive in water temperatures between 62° to 74° F, but they are messy eaters, that is why changing the water every week is recommended.
2. White Cloud can survive in water with 60° F temperature, but they like living as a group with other white clouds.
3. Bloodfin Tetra can live up to 10 years with proper care and are very peaceful. They can survive in temperatures between 64° to 82° F.
4. Black Molly can live not just in freshwater, but also in saltwater and brackish water.
5. Danios are a hardy fish and are not picky with their food.
6. Platies will consume algae, freeze-dried food, and flake food. They are also peaceful and can live in groups.

Saltwater Fish

Keeping saltwater fish is not that difficult once you have learned enough about the species that you want to keep as pets. However, saltwater fish are more sensitive to fluctuations in water chemistry and temperature, that is why you need to be experienced when it comes to handling fish and monitoring water conditions.

1. Clownfish are not picky with food, but they are usually territorial although not aggressive.
2. Damselfish are not picky eaters, but you should not keep more than a pair of them in the tank. There are varieties that are aggressive, so be sure to check with the pet shop about the type of damselfish you’re getting.
3. Firefish are peaceful fish, but they are also known for their ability to tell you that your tank’s quality is diminishing through their dorsal fin.
4. Wrasse are very large fish and often prefer live food. When purchasing one, ask about the classification and aggressiveness of the fish.
5. Shrimp are fairly hardy creatures, but they are sensitive to changing nitrate levels, so be careful when using copper to treat your aquarium.
6. Crabs are also sensitive to changing nitrate levels and copper, but they create variety in your tank.

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Cataracts are the clouding of the lens, the part that helps focus the light on the retina, and is primarily caused by aging. It can affect one or both eyes, but will not affect the other eye unlike other visual problems.

The vision becomes blurry because the retina is not able to receive clear images from the light that passes through the lens. Therefore, poor light will also result in blurred vision. Think of your lens as a camera lens that will adjust the focus of a photo.

What can you do to prevent or treat age-related cataracts?

Risk Factors of Cataracts

Although a lot of people claim that age-related cataracts do not appear until old age, some individuals get cataracts as early as 40 and 50 of age. That is because there are other medical conditions and lifestyle practices that will increase the risk of cataracts, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, smoking, alcohol abuse, eye injuries, high myopia, and exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. Age-related cataracts are usually caused by the clumping of proteins in the lens that can grow over time and impair vision.

Symptoms of Cataracts

Individuals who have cataracts will experience blurry vision, cloudy images, faded colors, glare from lights, the appearance of halo around sources of lights, reduced night vision, and multiple images or double vision. Although some of the symptoms may be caused by other conditions, the most obvious sign is looking at objects as if you’re seeing through a cloudy glass.

Types of Cataracts

There are three types of cataracts that you should know about, such as; subcapsular cataract that affects the back of the lens and is often caused by diabetes; the cortical cataract, which affects the lens cortex and results in the appearance of white opacities in the lens; and the nuclear cataract, which affects the nucleus of the lens.

Preventing Cataracts

Cataracts can be prevented with adequate intake of vitamin E, vitamin C, zeaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids, and lutein. However, studies only show that these nutrients will only reduce the likelihood of having cataracts, but the cause of the condition and how it can be prevented still need further research.

Treatment of Cataracts

When you experience any of the symptoms, you should consult an ophthalmologist in Singapore to get the right treatment as soon as possible. The doctor might prescribe eyeglasses for temporary relief, but if the condition has progressed, surgery is recommended. Cataract surgery is quite successful in restoring good vision by removing the clouded lens and replacing them with an IOL or intraocular lens. Some patients will still need to wear eyeglasses after surgery depending on the type of IOL used.

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There are a lot of successful stories of professional athletes coming back from a horrific injury, but that does not mean they are not changed forever by the experience. The body is not like a mechanical equipment which can be repaired or replaced, because it can wear down over time even with the best treatment.

Here are some injuries which can leave lifelong consequences on the body.

1.  Sprain. Light sprains are usually brushed off, but they actually take long to heal. Remember that the injury is caused by stress to the joints or ligaments, that is why severe sprains require braces. But even then, you are more likely to get sprained again in the same area with severe sprains.

2.  Concussion. This is considered an emergency and has even made some professional athletes retire. If not treated properly, it can even lead to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

3.  Hamstring Strain. Minor strains can be caused by jumping or sprinting, but it is a recurrent injury that might lead to a major rupture. If it is a recurring injury, it will affect your mobility for the rest of your life.

4.  Meniscus Tear. The meniscus is the cartilage that cushions your thigh bone and shin bone. More pressure and stress on the knee joints will cause wearing on the surface and joint degeneration as you get older.

5.  Stress Fractures. These types of fractures are common in areas of the body that bear the weight such as the wrists and feet. It is also a recurring injury like those on this list, and if not healed properly, can even lead to chronic pain and limited mobility. There are even cases where the fractures don’t heal with repeated injuries.

6.  Patella Dislocation. In simple terms, the name means the dislocation of the kneecap. You can recover from this injury, but that does not guarantee you will not be at risk of a repeat injury. More stress on the knees also out you at risk of permanent kneecap dislocation.

7.  ACL Injuries. Rest and rehabilitation will mostly treat this injury, but if you are a professional athlete, you will want to cut the time it takes to recover. Usually, the pros undergo surgery, but this means that the condition of the knee ligament will never be the same again. Those who have also undergone surgeries to repair the ACL are prone to repeated injuries and therefore more surgical procedures to recover.

8.  Tennis Elbow. This injury can take months or a year to heal that is because the tendons are inflamed from overuse. It can also lead to nerve damage and may become chronic, which is why it must be treated properly to avoid long-term effects, not just the pain.

9.  Sciatica. A person who experiences lower back, buttock, and leg pain might eventually suffer from spinal stenosis if the underlying cause is not treated. It can even lead to paralysis.

10.  Shoulder Dislocation. Once you have experienced this, you are more likely to get you shoulder dislocated again and will even affect the ligaments.

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Even with care and proper training, it is still possible for some athletes to suffer a form of injury. One of the most common is called the runner’s knee or jumper’s knee, known to doctors as patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS).

Causes of PFPS

PFPS is the most common condition that causes pain around and under the kneecaps in most athletes, but anyone can also get it even those who have a sedentary lifestyle. However, even doctors still cannot pinpoint the exact cause PFPS although it is associated with several factors.

One is overuse of the legs, especially with repetitive stress. This leads to irritation. Second, is injury to the kneecap such as a fracture or a dislocation. Third, surgery on the knees after suffering from an injury can also lead to PFPS. This is especially common in cases where the anterior cruciate ligament is affected because the patellar tendon will be used by the surgeon as graft. Fourth is the muscle weakness or muscle imbalance. Conditions that affect the alignment of the hip and knee muscles increase the risk of getting PFPS.

Sports that require squatting, running, and jumping can especially be hard on the knees. Other factors such as age, gender, and the sport you participate in will also matter. Arthritis increases the risk of PFPS especially in the elderly, although PFPS affects mostly the young and active. Women are also more likely to have PFPS because of the wide pelvis and the subsequent angle alignment to the knee joints.

Symptoms of PFPS

The name patella refers to the area around the kneecap, which means that the pain will be more pronounced as the person walks, runs, walks up or down the stairs, squats, and sits for a prolonged period. The tell-tale sign of PFPS is the dull pain on the front knee.

Sometimes the knees pop or crack when performing any act, but if the person experiences a locking knee joint, this could indicate a different condition called meniscal tear, which is different from PFPS but share the same symptoms. PFPS does not cause excruciating pain that is why most people ignore it and associate it with old age. To diagnose PFPS, the doctor needs to conduct a physical exam through motion exercises. Only will imaging tests be required if some symptoms point to other types of injuries.

Treating PFPS

PFPS is not easy to treat because some patients successfully recover with rest, but there are others who will eventually suffer from permanent pain. In fact, there is no sure method or medication to treat PFPS, that is why it is important that you discuss this openly with your doctor especially if you are an athlete. PFPS is misunderstood even among experts starting with its name.

Conventionally, PFPS is treated through medications, therapy or surgery depending on the severity of the symptoms. Pain relievers may be needed but therapy such as supportive braces, rehabilitation, ice compress, and taping are required. If there is no improvement, surgery such as realignment of the kneecap or arthroscopy to remove damaged cartilage may be necessary.

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For the people who have their eyes set on the good things in life, Singapore may be their paradise. Shopping in Singapore is welcoming to everyone without discrimination of how much are you willing to spend. Before we give you the best places to shop, let’s start by explaining why Singapore is a shopper’s paradise. Way back in history when the trade and discovery was very popular, many different countries found Singapore to be the perfect dock connecting both the western and the south-eastern world.

This was where Singapore started to get its reputation as to becoming the port for everyone and naturally when you are a port, you get access to things from many different cultures and places. This practice kept on going on even up until now that Singapore has become a very successful country when it comes to import, export, and trade.

Here are a few places you might fall in love with:

Orchard Road

The first on our list and the very well deserved place to be a shopping haven is Orchard Road. If you are into thrift shopping or bargain hunting, this is definitely the perfect place for you! Although thrift shopping is not that available, you will be able to bring out that inner bargain hunt as you haggle for the best deals of your life!

Chinatown

A lot of Singaporeans are confused as Chinese and this is because a great number of them are. This is one reason why Chinatown in Singapore is a great place to visit. Artwork, clothing, and food are not just affordable but are also excellent! The humble Chinese artworks can be found just around the block and looking around for clothes would not be a problem as clothing can be found almost everywhere! Now the food in Chinatown is amazing! The taste of an amazing quality home cooked meal made with love and skill can be found in Chinatown.

Haji Lane

For the inner hipster who wants do deviate from conventional clothing and experience every once in a while, Haji Lane is somewhere you can visit as this place is a beautiful place to not just shop but also look around and enjoy the beauty. Don’t forget to take a picture or two as you pass by Haji Lane!

These are but a few magical shopping places in Singapore and to be perfectly fair, you’d have to try them yourself just to experience the magic. You don’t need to overspend in Singapore, you just have to know where to look.

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