Super Bowl… the sporting event that doesn’t only attract sports fans!

With the Super Bowl right around the corner, sports fans are not only becoming more and more excited for the game, but are becoming anxious to see the commercials and new social media apps! As a big sports fan and a friend of many non-sports fans, I know first-hand that the Super Bowl does not only attract football fans. Although commercials are played every day, on every channel, on every network, they somehow do not compare to those broadcasted during the Super Bowl. These commercials are created to increase awareness of products and services through comedy and creativity.

Social media networks like Twitter, Facebook and other applications allow fans, nonfans, celebrities, athletes, sports writers, and other television networks to post their feelings about all aspects of the Super Bowl. This can include commercials, game outcomes, half-time concerts, uniforms, attendees, weather, parties and events and much much more. Hash tags and @ signs are used every minute to discuss common topics, allowing complete strangers to agree, disagree or choose not to comments on others’ opinions. Controversy does occur because of this, but what would a major hallmark event like the Super Bowl be without a little competition? Personally, I find it very entertaining and informative.

When visiting Twitter (https://twitter.com/search?q=super%20bowl%202013&src=typd) I typed in “Super Bowl 2013.” The first post that caught my eye was one from Huffington Post. They tweeted a link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/29/celebrity-super-bowl-commercials-videos_n_2576026.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 which gave followers the ability to watch videos from “Celebrity Super Bowl Commercials of the Past and Present.” It’s great to look back on past commercials to make predictions on this year’s best and worst commercials!

Facebook even has a ongoing list of pages related to the Super Bowl. In relation to Twitter’s Super Bowl commercial posts, I found this link which is always appealing to me: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Super-Bowl-commercials-2013/368567936544738

Pictures are posted from this season’s games, coupons for Pizza Hut and other fast food restaurants that will be having specials on Super Bowl Sunday, and sneak peaks of potential commercials. People worldwide who have “liked” this Facebook page have the ability to comment on posts, “like” status updates, and view all links, videos and pictures. It’s a great way to stay connected and updated with all aspects of the hallmark event.

Other websites like http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/super-bowl-food-top-10-best-super-bowl-recipes/story?id=9745102 offer tips on healthy food options and recipes for Super Bowl Sunday. Followers have the option of “recommending” the link to friends on Facebook or sharing their thoughts on the link with their followers on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google. As we all know, Super Bowl parties are extremely popular. For the strict new year’s resolutioners watching their figures, links to healthy snack and meal options is a great way to increase awareness of chefs and restaurants as well as party hosts that are looking to expand their variety.

How can a good night’s sleep benefit you?

Yes, it’s January, the beginning of the year. The time when all of the resolutioners are back in the gyms until about mid-February. They are purchasing supplements, diet products and “better” foods. Little do they know that they don’t need fancy supplements, they don’t need to do crazy workouts or take on the latest diet fad. The key ingredient for a healthier lifestyle is getting more sleep! The article below goes into great detail about why sleep is vital for men and women of all ages. Participating in physical activity, taking the stairs instead of the elevator at work, and parking further away from the mall can all help a person’s health and decrease risks of heart disease and other issues; buying more nutritious foods and having portion control at meals can also help a lot.

However, without a good night’s sleep, it’s tough to stick to any of these decisions. Sleep gives the body more energy, allowing people to feel better, have a better workout, and perform better at work. Not only is sleep extremely important for the every day person, but it is crucial for athletes since they are typically participating in higher-intensity workouts. On days that people participate in different forms of physical activity, they will even find that they will sleep better. When researching how much sleep is enough sleep, it sometimes depends on the type of lifestyle one lives, how much physical activity is performed on a daily and weekly basis and even the age or sex of the person. No matter what the results say, each person can benefit from the pointers discussed in this article below. They relate to various parts of our everyday lives that work together to help maintain overall function of the human body. This includes our memory, weight, mood, cardiovascular health and prevention of diseases.

After working at a fitness center for over 2 years and participating in sports since I was 5 years old, I’ve always looked for the next best trend in the fitness industry, just like many others. However, when I think about it, getting more sleep is probably the easiest adjustment to make at any age. I found this Harvard based report very interesting. They created a list on the “Six reasons not to scrimp on sleep:” 

1. Learning and memory – memory consolidation occurs better after we sleep when learning new tasks (and tests scores reflect the difference)
2. Weight and metabolism – chronic sleep problems can cause weight gain by altering the way our body processes and stores carbohydrates and by altering the hormones that affect appetite
3. Safety – increased fatigue = a greater tendency to fall asleep during the day, which can be catastrophic (car accidents, industrial accidents, etc.)
4. Mood – the lack of sleep can increase irritability, impatience, concentration loss and moodiness
5. Cardiovascular health – serious sleep loss has been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat; Heart health is a very important part of sound deep sleep.
6. Disease – alters immune function and may help fight cancer.

The Sleep Foundation, found at the link below, is a great place to determine what may be causing #insomnia, #excessivesleepiness and other sleeping-related issues. The slogan is, “Helping America sleep better! Sharing info about the importance and benefits of sleep, and how to overcome and cope with sleep disorders.” https://twitter.com/sleepfoundation

Facebook has also created a page called “Sleeping” where people who “like” this page can view the definition of the word, friends who have also “liked” the page, pictures of themselves and their friends sleeping (which is pretty hilarious) and recent posts made by friends on the topic. Over 24 million people have “liked” this page and many of my friends have made comments related to sleeping behavior and patterns they have noticed. What’s interesting is that many of my Facebook friends who have posted statuses about sleeping issues are non-athletes. This makes a lot of sense after reading the Harvard articles and Twitter links regarding athletes receiving better sleep due to performing more physical activity.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sleeping/102168219824412