We Need to Walk More

We all know that walking has a plethora of health benefits. It’s also a cheap date idea for those who want to be thrifty. But recently, it has been linked to the “decrease in the incidence of breast cancer in African American women.” So strap up your sneakers. It might be time for a jog.

The researchers at Boston University’s Slone Epidemiology Center in Massachusetts conducted a study on “the health of black women, the Black Women’s Health Study (BWHS).”

They found that women who exercised vigorously for seven or more hours each week were 25% less likely to develop breast cancer, compared to those who exercised less than 1 hour each week.

Such types of exercise included playing “basketball, swimming, running, and aerobics. The results were similar if women walked briskly, but there was no benefit for walking at normal pace. The results did not differ by the estrogen receptor status of the breast cancer.” According to Lynn Rosenberg, ScD, a professor of Epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health, this was “the first large scale study to support that vigorous exercise may decrease incidence of breast cancer in African American women.” So run and tell #bae or your homegirl that you might want to take a stroll through the park this weekend, just in case.

You Need a Linkedin Account

Listen. According to Experian Hitwise, 86 million people are on Linkedin. That makes it the fourth popular social networking site, behind Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. So why aren’t you on it? Not saying you need to sign up for every social media account, but I mean this one has benefits. Linkedin has been around for over ten years (I know right?) and is a great source for professional networking. And there are a few other perks to being on this website.

It makes it easy to apply for jobs.

A lot of HR websites have Linkedin-integration, so you don’t have to update your resume, save it, and upload it into the server. This allows you to just connect to your profile and allow all your information to automatically pull itself in. Linkedin also has job postings on their platform, which works out if you’re interested in something new or want to find something for a friend or family member. And applying for those jobs are often easy as submitting your Linkedin profile. The site also tells you if you have any connections in common with the HR manager that posted the job. If so, you could always send them a message to let them know you might be down.

You can also look up potential interviewers, managers, and coworkers too. After receiving my interview calendar request, I looked up the people that were going to interview me days later. This gave me a glimpse into their background which actually led into a conversation during my interview. (Just don’t request to connect if you don’t know them.)

There are a lot of lurk opportunities.

Besides the example just mentioned above, there are a lot of educated, working men on Linkedin. Not necessarily suggesting that you use the social networking site for love, but…I mean it’s nice to glance at the eye candy around you. Honestly, it’s nice to see twenty and thirty-something year old Black men involved in professional organizations with graduate degrees and full-time jobs in their field. However, Linkedin also snitches when you look at someone’s profile so unless you change that setting, he’ll know you came across his page.

So if you thought Linkedin was just a boring social media platform, you’re not completely wrong but you’re not completely right either. It isn’t a bad account to have and the advantages listed above should help prove why you need a Linkedin account.

Credits: A Name Like Shields Can

No Love Lost: Maintaining a LDR with Your Best Friend

Happy Best Friend Day! One (horrid) symptom of growing up is mobility and finding yourself hours away from some of the people you hold near and dear, particularly your best friend. I actually met my best friend in high school (we celebrated our 10 year best friendaversary at the beginning of this month with sappy Instagram posts) and you would think I would be okay with living far from her by now. That is still not the case. As I stare at the random DIY love present that I just made (and will hopefully actually ship), I miss her a lot and pray that one day our paths cross again.

Ok, emotional moment over. (I hope.)

One of the best things about our friendship is though we haven’t been able to see each other daily for over 8 years, we’ve been able to keep our relationship strong. If you’ve recently moved away from your bestie, or just wondered how to keep a long distance bestie relationship strong for a lifetime, I have a few tips for you.

1. Set expectations.

How often do you need to talk to keep that long distance bestie loving going strong? My best friend and I can go weeks without talking. No hard feelings on either end, life just gets busy. She’s in med school. I’m always running around like a headless chicken. We don’t take offense at these moments because have the mutual understanding that we won’t talk every single day. But once we do pick up the phone, we’re laughing and chatting it up like always.

2. Talk and listen.

Sometimes in catch-up calls it can be easy to rattle on about what’s going on with you. Be sure to take time to listen to your best friend and ensure their well-being. A simple hello could be a cry for more, and you don’t want to miss out on that. Whether they just need an ear or they need your advice, be ready to be there emotionally for your friend, no matter near or far.

3. Make technology work for you.

Facebook. Snapchat. Skype. FaceTime. There’s really no excuse not have that face-to-face time, or at least in a virtual sense. Sometimes when my best friend and I are particularly busy, I’ll send her Apple calendar invite for a catch-up call just so we both remember. Living in the digital age is great. Make the best of it!

4. Share something.

Whether it’s Scandal or Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (current read, very obsessed), pick something you can share and discuss. I enjoy calling my best friend and talking about Scandal characters like we know them. It’s like high school gossip but better. And bound to be a lot of laughs.

5. Plan visits.

Since my best friend is from the same state I am, I try to catch her when we both are home for the holidays. Communication is great but nothing beats physical time together. Currently, I am also selling kidneys and scraping pennies to go visit her soon. (Just kidding about the kidney part, kinda.) No pressure, but when you can, it’s pretty darn great.

All in all, it will serve you well to treat your long distance friendship like a long distance relationship (minus the sexting and whatnot). You’ll get what you put into it. Luckily, it is easier than ever to stay in close contact with texting, social media and other technologies. And don’t forget to give your best friend an e-hug and tell him/her Happy Best Friend Day!

Credits: Travis Isaacs