How to Burn Calories While Sitting at Your Desk?!

For most office workers, Putting in a full day at the office can make it hard to find the time to exercise. But most of us have a bit of a lag between tasks as we sit in front of our computers, and we can take advantage of a few minutes here and a few minutes there to get some physical activity in. You won’t get an extensive workout this way, but you can get enough exercise that missing a day or two of a more strenuous activity won’t make a difference. You can also avoid some of the ills that come from sitting at a desk for too long: sore wrists, stiffness, even repetitive motion injuries.

No one wants to do a mile run or anything else that will get their work clothes sweaty, but these simple exercises can keep your clothes neat and still get your heart rate up.Being in a desk job does not have to be an ordeal for your health. If you are one of those people who have to be at a desk all day long, there are some simple steps that you can follow in order to improve your posture and keep your health in check

• Steps

1. Observe the proper sitting posture in a good chair that is designed for desk work. Your back should be straight, your shoulders back, and the top of your monitor should be level with your eyes. If you have to look down or up, then you need to adjust the height of your screen. Also, make sure that your wrists do not lie on the keyboard or on the mouse pad (unless you have a pad with a wrist rest). This will help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Keep your legs bent at the knees so that the knees are only slightly higher than your hips. Feet should be flat on the floor or on a step stool of some sort. 
2. Do simple stretching exercises. Stretch your arms, legs, neck and torso while sitting. This will help prevent you from feeling stiff.
   
   • Neck:To stretch your neck, slowly flex your head forward/backward, side to side and look right and left. This can be done almost anytime to lessen tension and strain. Never roll your head around your neck. This could cause damage to the joints of the neck.
   • Shoulders:Roll your shoulders forward around 10 times, then backward. This helps release the tension off your shoulders.
   • Arms and Shoulders: A good stretch for your arms and shoulders is to brace your hands on the edge your desk, each about a shoulder width away from your body. Twist your hands in so they point toward your body and lean forward, hunching your shoulders. Take this a step further and push your shoulders and elbows closer to the desk.
   • Wrists:Roll your wrists regularly, around every hour or so. Roll the wrists 10 times clockwise, then 10 times counterclockwise. This will help prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome if you spend a lot of time typing.
   • Ankles: Roll your ankles regularly. As with your wrists, roll the ankles in a clockwise motion 3 times, then counterclockwise. This helps improve blood circulation, and prevents that tingling feeling you can get when blood circulation is cut off, also known as "Pins and Needles".
   • Chest:Notice if you tend to hunch in front of the keyboard. To counter that, perform the following exercise: open your arms wide as if you are going to hug someone, rotate your wrists externally (thumbs going up and back) and pull your shoulders back. This stretch is moving your body the opposite way to being hunched and you should feel a good stretch across your upper chest
   • Abdomen:Contract your abdominal and gluteal muscles, hold them there for a few seconds, then release. Repeat this for every few minutes all day long while you are working at your desk. You can also perform Kegels (pelvic floor exercises) while sitting
   • Calves: Stretch your calves.While sitting, lift up your legs on the balls of your feet and set them down. Repeat until your legs are comfortably tired. Repeat after about 10 minutes later, and continue doing this routine for about an hour or so. This will exercise your calves, and will help prevent blood clots from developing in your legs. Blood clots are very common among middle-aged computer users
3. Stand up every half hour to walk around a bit. This will ensure continuous blood circulation in your arms and legs, and will keep them from getting too strained. Take walks to the water station to refill your glass. If you can afford to take longer breaks, take a short walk outside your building, and use the stairs instead of the elevator to go down. Aside from giving your legs and heart a good workout, you would be able to take in fresh air as well.
4. Take a few deep breaths. To work your abdominal muscles, hold your stomach for a few seconds when breathing in, then release when breathing out. If possible, get some fresh air in your lungs by taking a walk outside, as mentioned in a previous step.
5. Have a bottle of water by your side and make a habit of drinking some every half hour. If you do this consistently you will begin to feel more alert. Take trips to your water refilling station to refill your jug or glass, so that you can also walk around and exercise your legs at the same time
6. Take advantage of the downtime created by rebooting or large file downloads. Get up and take short walks around your floor. If you can afford to do it and do not have many co-workers around who would be bothered, try something more ambitious such as doing a few push-ups, sit-ups, and/or jumping jacks.
7. Do exercises with the help of a few tools.  

• Acquire a hand gripper. They are cheap, small and light. When you have to read something either on the screen or on paper, you probably won't be needing to use your hands very often, so use this opportunity squeeze your gripper. It is an excellent forearm workout.
• Acquire an elastic band (also cheap, small and light) and use it to do the actions mentioned above (i.e., when stretching your arms, do it by pulling apart the elastic band). This will stretch and work the muscles slightly.
• Invest in a large size stability ball or stability ball-style desk chair, and sit on it with back straight and abs firm. You burn calories stabilizing your core and body on the ball. While an actual stability ball is more effective, the chair is a more viable option to use in an office environment. While sittingor talking on the phone, you can bounce or do basic toning exercises. Use the actual ball form in moderation when typing, as this is probably not the most supportive seating to prevent carpal tunnel and tendinitis

29 Exercises You Can Do At (Or Near) Your Desk

Feet and Legs

1. Toe raises. Lift your toes while keeping your heels firmly on the ground. While you can do this exercise standing, it works very well while seated.
2. Football foot drill. At practice, football players practice rapidly tapping their feet in place, simulating a run. Do the same thing while seated, for 30 seconds at a go.
3. Take the stairs. If you need a harder workout, try taking them two at a time, you’ll get a chance to stretch your legs more than you would otherwise.
4. Calf raises. Stand in front of a desk or other piece of furniture you can hold on to for balance. Raise your heels of the floor and slowly lower them.
5. Lunge. While walking, take the widest step you can and lunge forward.
6. Hip flexions. While sitting in your chair, lift your right foot a few inches off of the floor. Keep your knee bent at a 90 degree angle and hold the position as long as you are comfortable.
7. Walk the hallway. Walk down the hallway as fast as you can without actually running.
8. Plié squats. Point your toes outwards and take a wide stance. Slowly bend your knees in the direction of your toes. Once you can no longer see your toes, slowly stand up. While plié squats are more graceful than regular squats, give them a pass if your work attire includes a skirt.
9. Leg extensions. While sitting in your chair, extend your right leg until it is level with your hip. Hold as long as you are comfortable and then relax it. Alternate sides.

Hands and Arms

10. Shadow box. Stand up and take a couple of jabs at the air.
11. Arm pump. Pump both of your arms over your head for 30 seconds.
12. Shoulder rises. Raise your shoulder to your ear, hold and then relax. Repeat, alternating shoulders.
13. Wrist stretch. Stretch your arm out in front of you with the palm up. With your other hand, grab your fingers and lightly pull them down to stretch your forearm.
14. Triceps dips. Put your arms behind your back, resting on your chair and slowly raise and lower your self.
15. Elevated pushups. Lean on a sturdy piece of furniture and slowly push your body off of it in a sort of standing push up.
16. Hand stretches. Tense and relax the muscles in your hands. Make fists, spread your fingers and bend your fingers.
17. Flapping wings. Stretch both of your arms up and back, as far as you can. Bring them forward until they meet and stretch your arms out in front of you. Repeat.
18. Water bottle weights. Use a full water bottle as weight to increase the difficulty of your work out. You can do front raises, overhead presses and bicep curls with a water bottle.

Torso

19. Back twist. Sit up straight in your chair and place your right arm behind your right hip. Twist to the right and hold. Alternate sides.
20. Wall sits. Rest your back against a wall and move your feet away from the wall. The wall should be supporting the weight of your back and your knees should be bent. Hold the position as long as possible.
21. Gluteal Squeeze. Tense up the muscles of your rear end and hold for a count of 10.
22. Curls. Cross your arms over your chest and sit up straight. Tense your abdominal muscles and curl your shoulders towards your hips. Hold for a few seconds.
23. Abdominal stretch. Sit on the edge of your chair and stretch your arms out in front of you. While keeping your back straight, contract your abdominal muscles. Relax and repeat.
24. Neck rotations. Drop your chin and roll your neck. Raise your chin up and bend your neck to each side.

Full Body

25. Low-impact jumping jacks. Raise your right arm and tap your left toe to the side at the same time. Keep your right foot on the floor. Alternate sides for a full minute.
26. Pretend jump rope. Hop either on both feet at once or alternating feet.
27. Pretend jump rope, version 2. Move your arms as if you are turning a jump rope while tapping one foot in front of you. Alternate feet.
28. Chair dips. Place the palms of your hands on your chair and your feet on the floor. Move your rear end off of the edge of your seat. Bend your elbows and lower your body. Straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
29. Chair squats. Lift your rear end off of your seat and hold for a few seconds.

How to Burn Calories and Build Muscle While Sitting at Your Desk

Fidgeting while sitting
the best way to just burn calories if you don't really care what muscles you are using is to fidget. Shake a foot back and forth, bounce your legs up and down, and wiggle in your seat all the time or whatever else you can think of that will keep you moving. If you are fidgeting constantly while you work, you will burn at least an extra 500 calories every day!
Forearm Exercise while sitting
this exercise is great for times when you are on the phone and have your hands available. The basic principle is to work the muscles in your forearm by clenching and unclenching your hand. Many "stress balls" sold for just a few dollars in stores are useful for this exercise, and repetitive squeezing of a stress ball will build muscle in your forearm. If you don't have a stress ball, just make and loosen a fist repetitively. Don't forget to work both of your forearms, not just one!

Bicep Exercise While sitting
Another good exercise to do to build muscles and burn calories while on the telephone is bicep curls. With your elbow resting on the desk and your palm facing up, bring your hand up toward your shoulder. This motion is a bit too easy without resistance, so either bring in a free weight or two to keep at your desk, or if you would like to be more discreet, hold a good-sized paperweight in your hand. Again, make sure that you switch arms occasionally so as to not have unbalanced biceps.

Quadriceps Exercise While Sitting

This exercise is difficult to do if your desk is against a wall (or against other people's desks), but if you have space in front of your feet, you can do quadricep extensions. Bending at the knee, bring your feet up so your legs are fully extended, and then lower them to the ground again in a controlled manner. Like the previous exercise, this one is significantly better if you have some resistance, so either wear ankle weights or lift something with your feet.
Calf Exercise While Sitting
This exercise is easy and mindless, and in no time you will find that you have really well-defined calves. The key to this one is repetition, because it's tough to get enough resistance to do much at once. The benefit is that it keeps you in constant motion, which burns lots of calories! To do calf raises at your desk, simply push into the floor with your toes until your heels are as far off the ground as they will go, and then lower them to the floor again. If you would like to work one calf at a time with more resistance, rest your other leg on your knee so you have to lift that too.
Shin Exercise While Sitting
Your shin muscles are typically not used much, unless you are a runner, but there are some great ways to build shin strength while sitting at your desk. The easiest is toe taps, where you quickly and repetitively lift your toes off the ground and let them fall again, all while keeping your heels firmly planted. Another exercise for your shins that takes significantly more focus, so probably isn't the best thing to do at work, is to lift your whole foot off the ground and spell out the alphabet with your toe.

If you are doing one or more of these exercises at a time while you are at work, you will find that you burn a lot of calories and develop muscle just by keeping moving while at work. Of course, it is also important to have some cardiovascular exercise as part of your routine, so don't cut the gym out of your schedule entirely!

•  Tips:

1. Set your chair back rest at an angle larger than 90°.
2. Don't neglect the health of your eyes! It is detrimental to your eyesight to focus at one thing for long periods of time (i.e., your monitor) so take breaks to look out the window and focus at something at a further distance away to maintain good ocular health. Also consider purchasing an LCD screen which is easier on the eyes. If you are at your computer for long periods of time, optometrists recommend following the "20-20-20" rule, for every 20 minutes spent focusing on your computer screen, spend 20 seconds focusing on something else 20 feet away.
3. Try not to squint when reading something on the screen, as squinting can be bad for your eyes. Most computers have an option to increase font size. If you press Ctrl and +, the font size will increase, so you don't have to strain your eyes as much. Pressing Ctrl and - will make the font smaller, and pressing Ctrl and 0 will put the font back to normal. Even if you have 20/20 vision, it doesn't hurt to try to keep it.
4. Don't sit still. As long you keep moving, you will be helping to keep yourself in better shape.
5. If you are a runner or jogger, you can sit on the floor and stretch as you use the computer. It will save you time too if you have to do both anyway.
6. Make music while working to provoke body movement and relieve stress. A smaller instrument will be more convenient.

• Warnings:

1.      When muscles remain stationary, circulation decreases, muscles tire, and tasks become more uncomfortable to perform

2.      Incorrect computer posture habits combined with long-term stationary sitting may cause medical problems known as cumulative trauma disorder (CTD) or repetitive stress injury (RSI)

Have a nice day!

What To Eat Before And After Workouts?!

The food an athlete eats before, during and after a workout is important for both comfort and performance during exercise. Energy foods including bars, drinks, gels and other easily digestible carbohydrates can help prevent the distracting symptoms of hunger during exercise and keep you from depleting your energy too quickly. The major source of fuel for active muscles is carbohydrate which gets stored in the muscles as glycogen in the days before exercise. It takes time to completely fill glycogen stores, and what you eat after exercise can help or hinder this process. Eating the right foods at the right time after a workout is essential for recovery and being ready for the next workout.

What you eat before exercise often depends upon your unique needs and preferences, but should be designed according to the intensity, length and type of workout you plan to do.

• When to Eat Before Exercise

Exercising on a full stomach is not ideal. Food that remains in your stomach during an event may cause stomach upset, nausea, and cramping. To make sure you have enough energy, yet reduce stomach discomfort, you should allow a meal to fully digest before the start of the event. This generally takes 1 to 4 hours, depending upon what and how much you've eaten. Everyone is a bit different, and you should experiment prior to workouts to determine what works best for you. If you have an early morning race or workout, it's best to get up early enough to eat your pre-exercise meal. If not, you should try to eat or drink something easily digestible about 20 to 30 minutes before the event. The closer you are to the time of your event, the less you should eat. You can have a liquid meal closer to your event than a solid meal because your stomach digests liquids faster.

• What to Eat Before Exercise

Because glucose is the preferred energy source for most exercise, a pre-exercise meal should include foods that are high in carbohydrates and easy to digest. This includes foods such as pasta, fruits, breads, energy bars and drinks.

• Suggested Foods for Exercise

Eating before exercise is something only the athlete can determine based upon experience, but some general guidelines include eating a solid meal 4 hours before exercise, a snack or a high carbohydrate energy drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise, and fluid replacement 1 hour before exercise.

1 hour or less before hard workouts

• fresh fruit such as apples, watermelon, peaches, grapes, or oranges and/or
• Energy gels
• up to 1 1/2 cups of a sports drink.

2 to 3 hours before

• fresh fruits
• bread, bagels, pasta
• yogurt
• water

3 to 4 hours before 

• fresh fruit
• bread, bagels
• pasta with tomato sauce
• baked potatoes
• energy bar
• cereal with milk
• yogurt
• toast/bread with a bit of peanut butter, lean meat, or cheese
• water

Glucose (Sugar) and Exercise Performance

If you are an endurance athlete, evidence suggests that eating some sugar (glucose) 35 to 40 minutes before an event may provide energy when your other energy stores have dropped to low levels. However, you should experiment with such strategies before competition because some people do not perform well after a blood glucose spike.

Caffeine and Performance

Caffeine acts as a stimulant on the central nervous system. It had been thought to boost endurance by stimulating a greater use of fat for energy, and thereby reserving glycogen in the muscles. Research, however, doesn't seem to support that theory. When caffeine improves endurance, it does so by acting as a stimulant. Caffeine can have serious side effects for some people. Those who are very sensitive to its effects may experience nausea, muscle tremors, and headaches. Too much caffeine is a diuretic, and can result in dehydration, which decreases performance.

• Foods to Avoid Before Exercise

Foods with a lot of fat or fiber can be very difficult and slow to digest and remain in the stomach a long time. They also will pull blood into the stomach to aid in digestion, which can cause cramping and discomfort. Meats, doughnuts, fries, potato chips, and candy bars should be avoided in a pre-exercise meal. Keep in mind that everyone is a bit different and what works for you may not work for you teammate or training partner. Factor in individual preferences and favorite foods, and an eating plan is a highly individualize thing.

• Is there such a thing as a pre-workout nutrition plan?

Certainly, and following a correct one will yield you great results than either exercising on an empty stomach or one filled with the incorrect food.

Actually, a correct pre-workout nutrition plan will be one that can supply quick energy sources, mostly carbohydrates, that can preserve your energy reserves, and also able to provide added blood flow to the muscle tissue.

• The Pre-Workout Essentials;

Carbs and Proteins
Carbs

When you workout for periods longer than 30 minutes, you start using up your energy reserves. These energy reserves are merely glycogen, it is the sugar stored in the liver and muscles.

Exercising will burn your stored energy quickly, and it can't use the oxygen kept in the fat deposits as a fuel. Therefore the body needs to find sugar fast, and does so in the muscle tissue and from the blood.
So, it's best to eat something with simple sugars in it just before training. This will reduce the amount of body glycogen used during your training.
An added benefit is that eating the simple sugars before training will give you a sustained performance. It must also be mentioned that keeping your glycogen levels high, along with those of insulin, make the best environment for muscle growth.

Proteins
As mentioned above, you need to get the blood flowing into those working muscles during a workout. It is very important then, to insure that you have enough available amino acids for muscle tissue.
A lot of people think that proteins are necessary after the workout. They are not wrong, but they error if they think they are not needed BEFORE the workout.
In fact, it is proven that if you can supply available amino acids to your body before the workout, it will be more easily taken up by the muscles than it will after the workout.
Research has proven "the response of net muscle protein synthesis to consumption of a protein solution immediately before resistance exercise is greater than when the solution is consumed after exercise". The reason for this is consumption of protein before the workout.

• Why to eat After a Workout?

The post workout meal (the meal you eat after a workout) is probably the most important meal of the day for anyone who is into nutrition and fitness. However, in a lot of cases this importance also leads to confusion. Maybe it's because of the many ready-made shakes available. Maybe it's the trouble with fitting it in with the rest of your diet. Maybe it's just not knowing whether you should even eat anything after you've worked out. Whatever it is, something about it confuses people.

Nutrition following a training session is one of the most important recovery factors that you can control. You've just spent the last one, two, or five hours depleting your energy stores and pounding your muscles. Not only is it important to replenish these stores so you can recover quickly and exercise again soon, but this is also critical for gaining fitness and maintaining and building lean muscle. Exercise provides the stimulus needed for adaptation, but the body will only grow stronger if you supply it with enough energy.

What to eat after a Workout?

Simply put, aside from water (which you should already know you need) your post workout meal also needs to contain 2 things, protein and carbs. Some suggestions can be:

• Dried fruit and nuts
• Fruit OR Vegetable juice along with Chicken or Vegetable sandwiches (preferably brown bread)
• Veggie omelet with toast or roll
• Chocolate milk
• Cereal with milk
• Eggs and toast
• A protein or energy bar
• A protein or energy shake

What NOT to eat after a Workout?

You should NOT be eating fat. Again, Fat slows down digestion. It would also be slowing down the digestion of protein and carbs that you had after the work out. This is the exact opposite of what you want to happen.

When to eat?

The first hour after a workout is considered the body's "golden hour." It's during this time after a workout that glycogen stores are depleted, and the enzymes that convert glucose into glycogen are in a state such that sugar (glucose) can be consumed and is rushed directly to the muscles to replace lost glycogen stores. A post-workout meal or drink is also important in replacing fluids lost through sweating to rehydrate the body. Replacement of glycogen stores, fluids, and potassium should start within 30 minutes after exercise to promote a quick recovery.

 Enjoy your workouts and have a nice day! :)

How to Treat And Prevent Dry Cracked Lips?!

What are cracked lips?
Cracked lips are a symptom in which the lips are dry, peeling or chapped. Breaks may appear on the surface, and the lips may become painful and may bleed. Loss of moisture in lip skin causes chapped lips.
In most cases, cracked lips are not caused by a serious condition and do not pose any health risks.
Often, you may be able to correct your cracked lips with healthy habits such as regularly applying lip balm, using sunscreen when spending time outdoors, and drinking plenty of water.

 What causes cracked lips?
Cracked lips are usually a mild symptom that occurs as a result of environmental factors, personal habits such as licking your lips, or conditions such as mild dehydration and the common cold. Cracked lips are rarely a sign of a severe condition.

1-Environmental causes of cracked lips

Cracked lips may be caused by environmental conditions including:

• Cold weather

• Dry weather

• Indoor heating

• Sun damage

• Wind exposure

2-Other common causes of cracked lips

Cracked lips may also be caused by:

• Allergic reaction to lip products such as lipstick or lip balm
• Medications could be a factor. Suspect any newly started medications as the potential source of irritation.

• Breathing through the mouth
• Due to the thyroid hormone imbalances

• Canker sores

• Cold sores (herpes simplex virus infections)

• Common cold (viral respiratory infection)

• Mild dehydration

• Repeated licking of the lips

• Vitamin deficiency (B vitamins)
• Chapped lips can also be triggered by your hypersensitivity to a new lipstick, in which case throw it into the garbage and never buy any product of the same brand again

3-Serious or life-threatening causes of cracked lips

Rarely, cracked lips associated with a medical emergency. However, cracked lips may be a sign of  severe dehydration (loss of body fluids and electrolytes)and electrolyte imbalances that can result in shock or coma and may be life threatening. Seek prompt medical care if your cracked lips are persistent or cause you concern.

Questions for diagnosing the cause of cracked lips

To diagnose your condition, your doctor or licensed health care practitioner will ask you several questions related to your cracked lips including:

• How long have you experienced cracked lips?

• Do your cracked lips worsen when you use certain lip products, such as lipstick?

• Are you experiencing any other symptoms along with your cracked lips?

• Are your cracked lips becoming worse or more frequent?

What are the potential complications of cracked lips?

Cracked lips are generally harmless and do not produce long-term complications. Damage to the lips from irritation may predispose you to the development of secondary bacterial or fungal infections.  Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications.
Although these complications are rare with cracked lips, left untreated, severe dehydration can lead to serious consequences including:

• Acute renal (kidney) failure

• Bacterial infections

• Electrolyte imbalance

• Fungal infections

Mouth symptoms that may occur along with cracked lips

Cracked lips may accompany other symptoms affecting the mouth including:

• Bleeding

• Canker sores

• Cold sores (herpes simplex virus infections)

• Dry mouth

• Hoarse voice

• Redness, warmth or swelling

Other symptoms that may occur along with cracked lips

Cracked lips may accompany symptoms related to other body systems. These may include:

• Feeling very thirsty
• General ill feeling
• Headache
• Rash
• Stuffy nose or nasal condition

20 Ways To Cure And Prevent Dry Lips

The irritation of chapped lips often escalates from a small cosmetic issue into a persistant painful condition, sending one on the endless pursuit of soothing comfort.
The change of seasons, with overnight fluctuations in temperatures and humidity, often ushers in weeks of discomfort for many children and adults.

1. Use lip balms with cocoa butter and/or beeswax. Examine lips balm ingredients very carefully as some components of “medicated” lip balms can actually act as irritants (see step 7 below).
2. Use a multivitamin supplement daily as chapped lips could indicate a nutritional deficiency.
3. Eat foods high in calcium, magnesium and flaxseed oil Calcium rich foods include milk, yogurt, cheese, beans, and salmon. Almonds and tofu are very high as well. Combine calcium intake with magnesium (seek out legumes, nuts, whole grains and vegetables) and flax seed oil. These three ingredients are proven to aid in the healing of lip surfaces.
4. Drink more than the recommended 8 glasses of water a day (experts recommend 100 ounces of more per day for chapped lips), preferably heated. Sipping hot water or decaffeinated tea slowly, throughout the day, dilates the circulatory system and will increase moisture to the tissues.
5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol which are major tissue dehydrators.
6. Avoid flavored lip balms which can cause more frequent lip licking, increasing the degree of chapping.
7. Avoid phenol and camphor which are often found in lip balms. Phenol is a mild anesthetic and camphor adds a cooling, tingling sensation which in the short term may bring temporary relief but could irritate already sensitive lip tissues.
8. Treat chaffed, chapped and scaling lips overnight with a homemade ointment mixed from 1 tsp glycerine, 1 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp castor oil. Spread on lips overnight, refrigerating the leftovers for future use.
9. Add humidifiers to your home. Lips, hair, nails and skin all thrive in humidified air.
10. Add a coat, when you wear a coat - Keep lips shielded against the elements with a coat of petroleum jelly, balm (non flavored, without phenol or camphor) or Aquaphor ointment (a celebrity favorite).
11. Goose or Duck Fat:  Our grandmothers used goose or duck fat to facilitate the healing of chapped lips. Those are truly wonderful remedies, so next time when you are making a roast duck with apples, do not discard the fat, but keep it in the fridge as a traditional medicine. If you do not have any, do not despair coconut oil, or olive oil, or shea butter, will work great, as well. Apply frequently until your lips heal.
12.  No Alcohol: Do not use any gel, balm, or lipstick that contain alcohol, they for sure will worsen the condition and will make your chapped lips feel even dryer and more painful. Use only natural remedies. A good rule is to put on your lips only edible ingredients (this rule also works well for any other body care products.
13. No Hot, Spicy, Salty: Abstain from eating any hot, spicy, or salty foods for as long as your lips are still dry, cracked, and painful.
14. Stay Home: Avoid going outside if the weather is dry and windy. If you must, use a generous amount of natural oil to protect your lips from unfriendly environment.
15. Be patient:  It may take up to a week for your lips to heal completely.
16. Ensure your body is not deficient in B vitamins, iron or essential fatty acids. These deficiencies can cause scaling of lips and cracking of lip corners.
17. Don't lick your lips, it will cause more chapping. Licking lips doesn't moisturize them.
18. Lip lickers also tend to be lip biters and pickers. Biting lips removes their protective covering which causes further drying. Tell a friend to stop you every time you pick your lips.
19. Use a soft toothbrush to softly buff your lips to remove the deposit of dead cells that will cause more drying and flaking.
20. Ordinary Vaseline works wonders. It prevents sun blisters as well if applied before venturing into the sun.

Tips

• Chapped lips can be a problem. To prevent it try to put lip balm or chapstick before you go to bed.
• When you wake up the next morning your lips will be smooth and soft. Also in the morning apply lip balm and add a coat of lip gloss.
• You can also use sunscreen and put them on you lips if you wish.

Medical attention should be sought if symptoms persist without improvement. Your physician may choose to prescribe antibiotics or may consider prescription treatment for dermatitis. The return of the lips you long for is imminent.  It is always better to prevent than to cure. Chapped lips can be caused by a number of factors, and many of them, such as being for a long time in a dry and cold environment, eating very salty dishes, or kissing outside in a windy weather, can be avoided or at least minimized.

Have a beautiful day! :)