| How to Play Jeopardy with Alexa Posted: 01 Jan 2019 04:00 PM PST This wikiHow teaches you how to play Jeopardy! on an Alexa-enabled device such as the Echo or Echo Dot. If you hope to make it on the show yourself one day, putting yourself on-the-spot to answer questions within the short time limit isn't a bad way to practice! Simply enable the Alexa skill and you can answer regularly updated Jeopardy! questions each weekday. There are also versions for Teen and Sports Jeopardy which are fun if you want more specialized topics. - Say, "Alexa, open Jeopardy!" This starts the Jeopardy skill on your Echo device.
- Say, "Alexa, open Teen Jeopardy!" or "Alexa, open Sports Jeopardy!" to access these versions of the game.
- Do your best to answer the questions. After a brief intro, the skill will go right into asking you questions after telling you the category. Be sure to answer in the form of a question or your answer won't be accepted!
- Here's an example question, "The category is: Medical Words and Phrases. This word that starts with 'C' is a fancy word for a bruise." You will now have about 10 seconds to answer. In this case the correct answer is, "What is 'contusion'?" There's no need to say "Alexa" before saying your answer.
- Say "I don't know," if you don't know the answer. If you don't say anything, the game will simply close without telling you the right answer.
- You can say, "Repeat the question" to hear the question again.
- Get your results. After you've answered all 6 questions, the skill will tell you how well you did compared to every other player who answered this set. Compare your results with family and friends to see who did the best!
- Play a previous day's questions. If you haven't been playing the Jeopardy! skill every day, you'll have questions available from other days waiting for you to answer. Just wait until you've after you've heard your results and if there are more questions available it will ask if you'd like to answer them. Just say, "Yes" and the game will start up again. New questions are released every weekday.
- Members of Amazon Prime will get an additional 6 questions each day with Double Jeopardy! These additional 6 questions will be asked automatically after you have answered the first 6 for the day. If you're not a Prime member you can pay $2 a month for the extra questions.
- For the Teen and Sports Jeopardy, there are 12 new free clues released every Friday. You can also buy monthly packs of 50 clues, $0.99 for Prime members and $1.99 if you don't have a membership.
- Resume a game you had to interrupt. If you had to close the skill before you were finished, don't worry, you can easily come back to where you were. Simply open the skill again and you will be prompted to either restart the day's questions or resume where you left off. Just say, "Restart," or "Resume."
- For example, if you wanted to continue to a previously unfinished game, you would say, "Alexa, play Jeopardy." Then when prompted, say "Resume."
EditQuick Summary |
| How to Get Fit in the Gym Posted: 01 Jan 2019 08:00 AM PST Going to the gym is a great way to get in shape, but it can be intimidating if you're just starting out. Even if you're a regular at the gym, you might feel like your routine isn't producing results. Fortunately, getting fit in the gym is more than possible, regardless of your personal fitness goals. The key is to develop effective, safe workout habits and to arrive at the gym prepared and ready to succeed. EditSucceeding at the Gym - Come up with a realistic gym schedule that you'll be able to stick to. It may be tempting to plan on going to the gym every day of the week for faster results, but this can lead to burnout and you might feel discouraged if you miss days and don't meet your goal. Instead, decide how many days of the week you can realistically make it to the gym and start there. You can always increase the frequency of your workouts later on when going to the gym becomes more of a habit.[1]
- If you're new to working out, try setting aside 2 days a week to go to the gym. That way, you can get your feet wet without feeling overwhelmed.
- You could also try going to the gym every other day of the week so that you have a day off in between your gym sessions.
- If you think you'd have a hard time going to the gym on the weekends, you could go every day after work or school and then take the weekends off.
- Wear comfortable clothes and supportive athletic shoes to the gym. You want to wear clothes that will make your workout easier and that won't get in your way while you're exercising. Go with shirts that will wick away sweat and shorts that don't restrict your range of motion.[2]
- Shirts and shorts made out of polyester, spandex, nylon, or a cotton-polyester blend are good choices for the gym.[3]
- Polyester, in particular, needs to be laundered after every time you sweat in it. Unwashed polyester can quickly develop an unpleasant smell.
- Bring a water bottle with you to stay hydrated during your workouts. Working out at the gym makes you sweat and lose water, so it's important that you're replenishing your body as you exercise. Aim to drink of water every 15 minutes during your workouts.[4]
- Dehydration can actually negatively affect your workouts by causing cramps and dizziness, as well as making your muscles weaker.
- If you're going to be working out for longer than 1 hour, it's a good idea to bring a sports drink with you too so you can refuel your body. However, not all sports drinks are the same. Look for an isotonic sports drink that contains carbohydrates and sodium, which will give your body more energy during your workout.[5]
- Warm up for 5-10 minutes before your workouts so you don't injure yourself. Make it a habit to do your warm-ups right when you get to the gym. Focus on doing active, dynamic movements that bring your muscles through their full range of motion, like leg swings, high knees, and arm circles. A dynamic warm-up will get your body ready for your workout session.[6]
- Not warming up before exercising can leave your body more prone to injury, so make sure you don't skip your warm-ups at the gym.
- Do both cardio and strength-training exercises. Try not to limit yourself to just one kind of exercise. Instead, take advantage of the weight machines, cardio machines, and free weights so you're getting a balanced workout. With cardio and strength-training exercises, you'll be burning calories and also toning your muscles.[7]
- Aim to get 150 minutes of moderate cardio a week. For strength training, try to get at least 2 workouts comprised of 20 minutes of resistance training each week.
- You don't need to do cardio and strength training on the same day. Instead, you could spend one workout doing cardio and then your next one doing strength-training.
- While a balanced workout will help you get fit in the gym, you can adjust what exercises you're doing more of depending on your personal fitness goals. For example, if your goal is to build more muscle, you could spend most of your time doing strength-training exercises. Or, if you're trying to lose weight, you could focus more on cardio exercises.
- The right ratio of cardio to strength-training exercises will depend on your personal fitness goals, your weight, and the type of exercises you're doing.
- Have a post-workout snack after the gym to replenish your body. Choose a healthy snack with carbs to restore your body's energy, and protein to help build your muscles. If you're trying to lose weight, have a low-calorie snack that's between 150-200 calories.[8]
EditDoing Cardio Exercises at the Gym - Walk or run on a treadmill. Treadmills are available at most gyms, and they're a convenient way to get some cardio exercise in and burn calories. Many treadmills let you adjust the speed and incline that you want to work out with, so it's a good choice regardless of your fitness level.[10]
- You can burn around 125 calories per walking briskly on a treadmill if you weigh .[11]
- Using a treadmill can be hard on the knees, so you may want to use a different cardio machine if you suffer from knee pain or have a knee injury.
- Try using an elliptical machine. Working out on an elliptical is also a good calorie-burning cardio exercise, and like a treadmill, you can usually adjust your intensity level. Ellipticals are popular exercise machines, so you shouldn't have a hard time finding one at your gym.[12]
- You can burn 170-320 calories in 30 minutes on an elliptical, depending on your weight and the level of intensity you're working out at. For example, if you weigh , you could burn 286 calories by working out on an elliptical at a high intensity for 30 minutes.[13]
- Exercise on a stationary bike. Pedaling on a stationary bike at moderate intensity for 30 minutes can help you burn 200-700 calories, depending on your weight.[14] It's also a great choice if you have knee problems since most of your body weight is being supported by the machine.[15]
- For example, if you weigh , you could burn 250 calories by exercising on a stationary bike with moderate intensity for 30 minutes.
- If you're new to exercising, you can start out pedaling on a light intensity setting and then gradually increase your intensity level as you improve.
- Work out on a rowing machine. Rowing is a great, full-body cardio exercise that won't place a lot of stress on your joints. On a rowing machine, you can burn calories while working out your arms, legs, and core. Start out on a low-intensity setting and progress slowly so you don't hurt your back.[16]
- Depending on your weight, you can burn around 400-700 calories by spending 1 hour on a rowing machine. For example, if you weigh , you could burn 650 calories by working out on a rowing machine with moderate intensity for 1 hour.[17]
EditTrying Strength-Training Exercises - Try bodyweight exercises when you're first starting out. Using weight machines and free weights at the gym can be intimidating if you're new to working out. Fortunately, you can still get a good strength-training workout in by doing exercises that only use your bodyweight for resistance. Some bodyweight exercises you can try are:[18]
- Do free-weight exercises to add more resistance to your routine. Most gyms will have free weights you can use, like dumbbells and barbells. The extra resistance will make your exercises more effective at building muscle. Start out with light weights that are easy to lift so you can perfect your form, and gradually progress to heavier, more challenging weights. Some free-weight exercises you can try at the gym include:[19]
- Give your gym's weight machines a try. Weight machines can be intimidating if you don't know how to use them, but they can be an effective way to build muscle if they're used correctly. If you're interested in using your gym's weight machines but you're not sure how, ask someone who works there to show you the right technique, or consider working with a personal trainer who can show you what to do. Some common weight machines you can try are:[20]
- Lat pulldown machine: A good machine to try if you're looking for an upper body workout, including your latissimus dorsi, biceps, and forearms.
- The Smith machine: It's great for working out your quads, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, core, and upper back.
- Cable machine: You can use different types of cable machines to add resistance to exercises like shoulder presses, step ups, lateral raises, and crunches.
- Lower back extension machine: It's helpful for exercising the muscles along your back.
- Make yourself a workout playlist with upbeat, motivational music that you can listen to while you're working out at the gym.
- If you'd prefer to work out at the gym when there aren't a lot of people around, try going in the middle of the day or late in the evening when there's usually less of a crowd.
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| How to Accomplish Your New Year's Resolutions Posted: 01 Jan 2019 12:00 AM PST New Year's resolutions are goals or promises that people make for the New Year holiday to try to make their upcoming year better in some way. Many people sometimes find it difficult to maintain and accomplish their resolutions. Here is a list of things you can do to help make sure you accomplish the goals you set for the New Year. EditCreating Resolutions and Preparing to Begin - Brainstorm about changes and improvements you'd like to make. These can be about anything, not just the big ones like quitting smoking and losing weight that many people associate with New Year's resolutions. Jot down some notes while doing the following:
- Consider how you can improve your health. Ask yourself, Can I drink more water? Quit smoking? Stop eating fast food or fried food? Become vegetarian? Exercise more?
- Consider your relationships with others. Are there ways that you can be a better spouse, parent, other family member, or friend?
- Consider your work life. Ask yourself, Can I be more successful and happier at work? Be more organized? Stop procrastinating?
- Consider ways to make a difference. Are there ways you could make a difference in the world through activism, awareness raising or promoting a cause?
- Choose one or two attainable larger goals. Look over your notes and determine what items on it are most important to you. Don't take too long choosing; often it's the things that leap out at you straight away that have the most meaning for you personally.
- Create "systems." Systems are the ways that you carry out a larger goal. You need to break down large goals into smaller actions that can are easier to carry out. If you leave your larger goals too vague, you may get confused and change your mind frequently on the ways to accomplish them. This is the purpose of creating systems.
- For example: if your goal is to lose 30 pounds in the following year, you can resolve to cut out fast food, soft drinks, sugary snacks and drinks, drink more water, and walk three days a week until March, and then gradually add in two days at the gym.[1]
- Look at your list and reflect, using the SMART mnemonic. Make sure your goals are:
 - S – Specific (or Significant). This means your goals include systems for achieving them. You have specific actions that can be carried out that work toward your larger goal.
- M – Measurable. This means that the changes you see once the goal is reached is noticeable. You will feel different (better), because you are healthier, because your family or social life has improved, etc.
- A – Attainable. This means that the goal is realistic and can be reached. There are benefits to aiming high, but you don't want to aim so high that you become disappointed and discouraged from making any changes at all if you can't reach the goal you set.
- For instance, if you've never run a day in your life, don't make running a marathon your goal quite yet. Perhaps start with shorter races like a 3K or 5K, and work up from there.
- R – Relevant (or Rewarding). This means that there is a real need for your goal. You have been unsatisfied with a certain area of your life for some time, and you have a strong motivation to want to change it.
- T – Trackable. This is similar to measurable, but means that you can assess your progress throughout the process. Have you made a schedule and are you following it? Are you losing weight gradually (if that's your goal)? Are you getting along better with your loved ones? Etc.[2]
- Talk to others about your goals. Discuss your goals and why you made them with your family and friends. This step is very important!
- Ask for others' support on these goals throughout the year. If possible, team up and visit the gym or shop at the health food store together. Ask them to speak up if you slip and order a Diet Coke instead of a water, or forget another goal on your list.
- People who tell others about their goals are more likely to accomplish them, whether it's because they have extra support they need, or because they're afraid of being embarrassed if they don't accomplish them, it's hard to say.[3]
- Print out copies of your resolutions. Save a copy on each computer or electronic device you own, such as your cell phone and tablet.
- Email a copy to your work address and save it to your work computer.
- Make a smaller copy and keep it in your wallet.
- Post a copy on the outside of your refrigerator! Use bright paper so it catches your eye and don't let it get hidden behind coupons and artwork.
EditStarting Your Resolutions - Create a schedule. Even more important than a specific deadline for your goals is to set a schedule of how you will reach the goal. Some goals are actually lifelong changes that you will continue after the goal is reached.
- For instance, systems for weight loss and for improving your relationships don't necessarily "end" once you've reached the goal. To keep weight off, you have to maintain the healthier lifestyle system that you created. To maintain healthy relationships, you would want to continue the things you started doing in your resolutions. So consider:
- If the goal is losing weight, be sure that you have researched a healthy amount of time to lose a certain amount of weight, and write down your exercise schedule and the changes you will make in your diet for each day.
- If you're trying to be a better parent or friend, or to be more successful at work, make a schedule of when and how you will do each thing that's on your systems list.[4]
- Start following your plan immediately. Don't wait for inspiration to strike. The best thing to do is start on January 1 and start tracking your progress.
- If your goal is to lose weight, don't say, "I'll start tomorrow." Start right away! Starting may actually be the toughest part, but once you get into a routine it should become easier.[5]
- Create accountability. Set up dates for evaluation with a mentor. This helps you to stay focused and evaluates methods for improvement.
- It's even better if you find someone who has the same resolution. If you have a friend who's also trying to lose weight, check in with each other and motivate each other. It may also help to consult with your doctor or a trainer about your progress
- Remind yourself about your goals. For every day on your calendar or schedule, write down what you will do for that day, what time you will do it, and don't forget to actually do it, no matter how busy you are.
- If your goal is losing weight, write down what you will eat, and when and how you will exercise each week.
- Focus on the process rather than the end goal. Take each step one at a time and be happy with your progress. The only way you'll get to where you want to go is to complete every small step along the way, checking it off with pride as you accomplish each step.[6]
- Remind yourself of the weight you are losing or how you are feeling healthier instead of the fact that you haven't reached a certain number of lost pounds yet. You will get there.
- Create your environment so that you will accomplish your goals. It's also good to get rid of habits that don't coincide with your goals and may contribute to you being unable to reach them.
- For example, set your running shoes next to the door. Put fruits and veggies in the front of the fridge. Get rid of the junk food and don't buy more.
- If something you regularly do for fun with family and/or friends includes eating out at places where most of the food is unhealthy, choose a different place that offer healthy meals. Or, don't eat out at all and do something else like go for a walk or a bike ride instead.
EditMaintaining and Accomplishing Your Resolutions - Reward yourself. Determine ahead of time what rewards will be at small milestones of accomplishment. Have frequent small rewards and a "grand prize" for completion.
- If your goal is losing weight, you might buy new clothes to replace old ones that don't fit anymore at each milestone, and then plan a nice vacation for when you've reached your goal.
- Remind yourself of your successes. It can be hard to maintain your motivation and dedication to making a change in your life when you can't see immediate results for your efforts.
- At each low point, have faith that persisting and being consistent in reaching your goal will pay off in the long run. If you're trying to lose weight and are struggling to keep up with your workouts, just think about how each minute you exercise burns fat and gets you closer to your goal.[7]
- Face your fear of change. Fearing change often stops us from achieving a goal. Making a goal sounds good at the time, but then the fear of change surfaces. To avoid this happening to you, realize that your excuses are a way of covering up a fear of change.
- Look beyond "I can't" and start substituting this with "I can" and "I am".
- Identify your excuses for not going through with parts of your goal. By listing excuses, you can see them for what they are and move beyond the fear of change.
- Sidestep blaming other people or circumstances for not achieving your goals. If you take responsibility for achieving your goal, these external factors cannot sap your power to do what you've said you'd do.
- Recognize your self-defeating behaviors. Write down the things you do out of habit that distract you from what really matters. Then, list things that you consider to be more positive and fulfilling behaviors and choices you want to make instead.
- This includes adjusting the habits mentioned in a previous step, even if they were things you once enjoyed. For instance, if are trying to lose weight and you eat out with family or friends as bonding time, either choose restaurants that offer healthy meals or decide to do something else fun together instead of eating out.
- Begin again if you slip up. Everyone encounters occasional outside stressors and events that take us out of focus on our goals. Use Monday as your day to regroup and start over if you slip and have a bad week completing your goals for any reason.
- The "Monday Campaigns" is a group of nonprofit health organizations that organize various healthy things to do on Mondays, such as "Meatless Mondays," "De-Stress Mondays," and "Move-It Mondays." Don't be too hard on yourself if you slip and remind yourself of the progress you have made. Just start over on Monday.[8]
- Lean on your support team. Whoever you've chosen to help you, be it family, friends, a life coach, therapist, or someone else, lean on them to support you through times of weakness, when you need a booster to get back on track.
- Don't expect to do this completely alone; look for other people's advice, ideas and feedback to help you keep going.[9]
- Keep a journal. Document at least one thing every single day in the following year for which you feel grateful and one sentence for the progress you have made.
- When writing, consider: What memorable moments can you draw from each day? In what ways did you grow today or find that your awareness shifted? Keeping note of this will help you to stay grounded and motivated with your goals.
- Don't try to plan your resolutions when you're in a bad mood or pressed for time. Taking time to make a thoughtful list will make your goals easier to achieve.
- Keep a Diary of your goals. Mark when you began, and set a date to accomplish them by. Do this for every goal and try to always improve upon your previous time.
- Research your goals. Be sure you understand how to schedule your system to accomplish what you want to accomplish.
- Consider setting up a little competition with your family or friends to keep focused on a tough goal. Should the loser buy a healthy lunch? Maybe take a family vacation to a great beach if everyone hits their goals by July.
- Track the results in your diary so that you get to know you improved and feel to hard work until you reach your goal.
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