General financial knowledge, budgeting, and loan and credit management are important tenets of financial literacy. However, resources for assistance with tax returns are top of mind this time of year. If the thought of filing taxes yourself brings up anxiety, there are a few programs worth checking out.
Kids and teens are often encouraged to join sports teams to learn how to work with others, make friends, and stay active outside of school. However, athletic leagues also offer the advantage to foster cooperation and friendly competition for adults, too. Registrations for adult softball leagues are open through February 28. So, what [...]
Some people want to drive faster when they’re in a red car. Blue light helps others stay alert. Longer periods of darkness during winter months leads to seasonal affective disorder for some individuals. While you may have heard similar claims about the effects of different colors on the mind and body, is there any scientific [...]
Modern-day living offers up plenty of distractions and the urge to overcommit. If the many demands on your time and energy leave you feeling that you never get a moment to yourself, you risk burning yourself out. Taking time out to relax is essential for your wellbeing, helping to combat anxiety and depression.
Drooling over food pictures in cookbooks or on Instagram, but find yourself fixing the same staples each week? With so many food blogs and pictures of professionally-styled dishes at our fingertips, the thought of trying a new recipe may seem more overwhelming than enjoyable. However, trying a new healthy recipe each week can be interesting, [...]
Ashevillians looking for motivation to get moving during colder months can join friends, neighbors, and other community members as the city runs, walks, and rolls during the free Fit 50 Challenge. Back for its second year, Asheville Parks & Recreation’s challenge allows participants to track their progress as they complete 50 miles between February 1-April 1.
Walking is a great way to improve or maintain your overall health and wellness. Just 30 minutes of walking each day can increase cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) capacity, strengthen bones, improve balance, reduce body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, joint stiffness, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers.
If you’re committed to trying something new, learning a new skill or hobby, and soaking up culture in 2022, Asheville Parks & Recreation has many free and low-cost opportunities for lifelong learning.
2022 is only five days old, but it’s a good time to assess early progress on your New Year’s resolutions. Research shows that setting small and measurable goals leads to higher success rates among participants who resolve to change some aspect of their behavior, accomplish a personal objective, or otherwise focus on self-improvement. If you aim to get more active this year, this could mean increasing time spent walking, in the fitness center, or dancing by five or 10 minutes each week until you reach your target.
As the Asheville community reflects on the year that was 2021, many of us resolve to continue healthy habits, change some aspect of our behavior, accomplish a personal goal, or otherwise focus on self-improvement in the new year. Though the decision to make a life change can happen any time, studies have found a higher success rate among those who make the commitment as a New Year’s resolution.