Logo

Get Healthy!

78 Results for search "Exercise: Misc.".

Wellness Library Results

It's a tough call, but no one would dispute that back pain ranks in the Top 10 list of a pregnant woman's gripes. According to the North American Spine Society, at least half of all women experience back pain at some point in pregnancy. An aching back is usually caused by your shifting center of gravity. The weight of your baby puts strain on your lower back, but it also may simply be the result ...

If you're having a normal, healthy pregnancy, you may want to add some low-intensity strength training and daily exercise to your regimen. Pregnancy isn't the time to take up new or strenuous sports, but with your health provider's okay, you can begin strengthening the muscles in your upper and lower body -- you're going to need them! During pregnancy, the extra weight in your belly and your brea...

Sex is an undeniably rewarding form of exercise. But if it's the only type of exercise that you get, you're probably not getting the most out of your workout. Regular exercise outside of the bedroom will do more than improve your health and mood. In many ways, it's bound to improve your sex life. Setting the mood A single good workout can prime the body for sex, says Jim Pfaus, PhD, a professo...

Ever wonder where kids get so much energy? Today's typical 5-year-old eats almost 600,000 calories each year -- that's a lot of fuel for a small body. These vast reserves of energy come in handy for games of freeze tag and neighborhood bike races. But many kids barely tap into their supply. It doesn't take many calories to watch Power Rangers, sort Pokemon cards, or play Crash Bandicoot on the Nin...

Gardening is relaxing and gratifying, but there are still things to watch out for. Here's a rundown of common gardening hazards, along with some tips to help you avoid them:

  • Stretch before you start work. Backs, shoulders, arms, and hands get the brunt of the abuse from tilling the soil all day. A good routine of stretching exercises before you begin will help to get your muscles ready an...

The next time you see one of those expensive, high-tech exercise machines advertised on TV, remember this: You can't spend your way to fitness. Sure, that gym-quality treadmill or multi-part weight contraption might look good in your spare bedroom or den. It might even be fun and motivate you to stick with a fitness routine. But in the end your success depends on you, not pricey equipment or stee...

At 104, my great-aunt Lenore Schaeffer* was a sort of living legend. She appeared in Newsweek and on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, but not only because she had outlived most of her peers and the average American. It's because she out-danced most of them too. Schaeffer was probably the oldest American competitive ballroom dancer. And she had a formidable collection of trophies and medals to show ...

Whether you've been faithful to your exercise routine during pregnancy or are looking for a safe and comfortable way to stay fit, now is the perfect time to work out in the water. You don't have to know how to swim, and you don't even have to get your hair wet to reap the benefits of water exercise. Low-impact activities like swimming don't involve a lot of bouncing, stretching, or bending your j...

Every time Delaine Wright climbs a mountain or goes speed skating, sugar pills are part of her equipment. Wright, who lives in Wakefield, Rhode Island, is a certified diabetes educator, an exercise physiologist, and a self-proclaimed "exercise nut" who happens to have type 1 diabetes. In addition to climbing and skating, she likes to work out on a trampoline and, just to keep things interesting, s...

Health experts keep droning on about diet and exercise, but are they overlooking an easier, simpler way to lose weight? What if you could burn calories and slim down without breaking a sweat? That's the promise of many "passive exercise" devices such as the Chi machine (a therapeutic massager) and the AbTronic (a muscle stimulating device). Just plug it in, strap it on, and watch the pounds melt a...

During my freshman year of college, I faithfully kept a journal. I'd never done so successfully, though I'd often tried. My writing resolve always peters out after a few weeks. This time, however, was different: This was my exercise log. It began the spring of my high school graduation. I updated it daily, sometimes more. It was a simple, spiral-bound notebook, college ruled and covered with doodl...

Shirley Poor walks more than two miles on a treadmill nearly every day -- not bad for someone attached to an oxygen tank. Poor, 65, has chronic bronchitis. And emphysema. And asthma. People would understand if she decided to take it easy. But the retired kindergarten teacher from Kissimmee, Florida, plans to put many more miles on her sneakers before she's through. Simply put, walking has restore...

When Charlie Jannings, MD, talks about the value of exercise, you have to take him seriously. After all, the man is a kickboxer. He's also the reigning male athlete of the year at the Big Sky State Games, an Olympic-style event that attracts thousands of Montanans of all ages: He won four gold medals in his age group. All in all, you could say he's fairly fit for a 75-year-old. A specialist in bo...

More people in the United States visit an orthopedic surgeon because of knee problems than for any other complaint. Knee pain results in more than 12 million visits to a doctor's office a year, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Down the road, many of these folks will end up with osteoarthritis in their damaged knee joints, facing knee replacements and other surgeries. But...

Many arthritis sufferers complain of a little stiffness in the morning. Then there's Jane Kowalski,* an 83-year-old living in Baltimore. She often woke up feeling like her joints had been dipped in cement. On some mornings, she couldn't even get out of bed without help. Now Kowalski has a new way to start the day. Instead of lying there helpless, she takes the time to stretch all of her muscles b...

Taking the spills out of sledding would be like taking away the snow. Little kids may be perfectly happy to glide down a gentle slope and ease to a stop at the bottom -- but such a run may seem tame to those with a few winters under their belts. Many older kids love the feeling of flying down a hill with no guarantee of a clean landing. Left to their own devices, they might straddle a piece of car...

Experts have discovered a cheap, powerful tool that can relieve pain, improve motion, and generally make life a little easier for people with arthritis. It's powerful enough to relieve many symptoms of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, yet safe enough to use every other day. It's convenient and inexpensive, and when used properly, causes no unpleasant side effects. It's called a barbel...

What is athletic heart syndrome? Athletic heart syndrome is a heart condition that may occur in people who exercise or train for more than an hour a day, most days of the week. Athletic heart syndrome isn't necessarily bad for you -- if you're an athlete. And it's not what makes young athletes expire in mid-court. While it does lead to structural changes in the heart, a person with the conditio...

Can exercise help lower my blood pressure? Researchers have spent decades developing new treatments for high blood pressure, but exercise is still one of the best remedies around. A single workout can reduce blood pressure for an entire day, and regular exercise can keep the pressure down for the long run. What's more, low to moderate intensity training appears to be as beneficial -- if not more ...

Some people have strong, flexible back muscles. Others have muscles that could best be described as weak and stiff. Can you guess who's more likely to end up in agony after taking out the trash? While anyone can suffer from back pain, people who get regular exercise have a distinct advantage over everyone else. The strength and flexibility that comes from exercising regularly offers powerful prot...

What is a stress test? There's nothing like a good workout to find out how fit you really are. You may feel like a champion in your armchair fantasies, but playing a set of tennis can tell a different story. Likewise, you don't know how well your heart is working until you put it to the test. Almost everybody's heart beats in the same monotonous rhythm when they're resting. But during exercise, s...

If you're suffering from pain, you have an extra reason to be active. No matter what type of pain you have or where you hurt, the right type of exercise just might bring some relief. Scientists are still trying to understand all of the ways that exercise influences pain, but it's already clear that regular exercise should be a part of any comprehensive plan to bring pain under control. Arthritis ...

How fast should my heart be beating? If you're an adult, your heart should beat somewhere between 50 and 90 times per minute when you're resting, regardless of your age or sex. If you're a super-fit athlete, your heartbeat may be as low as 40 or 50 beats per minute. If you're overweight, if you're a smoker, or if you have high blood pressure, your heart rate may be a little on the fast side. How...

You never forget how to ride a bike. But if you're like many adults, you might need a refresher course in bike safety. Perhaps you're pulling that ten-speed out of storage for the first time in years. Perhaps a recent wreck or close call has made you suddenly aware of the hazards of the road. Or maybe you're teaching your kid how to ride a bike and suddenly want to set a good example. Whatever you...

How can I protect myself from sports injuries? You faithfully wear your goggles on the racquetball court, you never go in-line skating without your pads and helmet, and you stretch like a fanatic, yet you still get sidelined by injuries. What's going on? Although safety precautions are indispensable, there's more to staying injury-free than avoiding flying projectiles and cushioning your falls. ...

As you approach menopause, your ovaries begin to secrete less estrogen. The decline in your natural supply of this hormone puts you at increased risk for heart disease and osteoporosis -- which leads to brittle bones. Getting plenty of aerobic exercise can help ward off heart problems by keeping your ticker in shape and by lowering your blood pressure, improving your circulation, and helping you k...

Your job leaves you frazzled, your bank account is shrinking, and the paper is full of bad news. Rather than breaking into an (unhealthy) sweat, why not try smacking a tennis ball, going dancing, or taking a long walk? Exercise won't make stress disappear, but it can prepare your mind and body to deal with life's difficulties. In fact, many doctors are prescribing exercise to battle stress as well...

What's the difference between a strain and a sprain? Both strains and sprains are injuries caused by over-stretching. The muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your body are all elastic tissues, made for stretching to a point. Past that point, the tissue breaks. Both types of injuries can cause sharp and immediate pain. A strain is damage to a muscle or the tendon that links muscle to bone. The mos...

I love to jog. But lately, as I trot along, sometimes my shins feel like they're splintering and my knees ache. The pain is usually worse the next day. I've tried everything. I've bought shoes with high-tech insoles. I've jogged on grass. I've even attempted a low-impact shuffle that earns me some weird looks on the jogging trail. Nothing works. My legs still protest. One day, a disturbing though...

At a time when regular exercise among Americans seems to be at an all-time low, those who take the time to work out have reason to be proud. When exercise leads to a strain, sprain, or overuse injury, the pain is not only physical but psychological. Though it's easy to start feeling down when you can't invigorate yourself with your usual walk, run, or swim, don't fall into the "Why me?" trap. Inst...

What is cardio kickboxing? All the rage at fitness centers around the country, this workout borrows moves from the Thai sport of kickboxing to make participants work up a sweat. A typical hour-long class will take place in the center's aerobics studio. With everyone facing the mirror, a teacher leads the group through specific punches and kicks, usually to the beat of dance-club music. The moves ...

Not surprisingly, people living in Boulder, Colorado, have access to some pretty decent rocks. Climbers come from all around to scale the famous Flatirons and other stretches of sandstone or granite in this part of the Rockies. But the mountains aren't the only game in town. In recent years, many serious -- and not so serious -- rock climbers have taken their sport to the great indoors. Climbing ...

How can I make myself exercise when I'm so tired all the time? Start out slowly. If you haven't been active in awhile, see your doctor before starting an exercise program. Then try just walking for a few minutes each day. In the beginning you may find that you're tired after a workout or that you have to force yourself to take a walk even though you'd rather take a nap. But if you can stick with ...

How effective is exercise in relieving PMS symptoms? The jury is still out. A few small studies have found that regular exercise can ease some of the pain and stress that you may have each month during the week or two leading up to your period. In one trial, researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver had eight previously sedentary women work up to running 12 miles per week ove...

How important is exercise for my heart? You may not care about increasing your strength. "Firm, sexy abs" may be the last thing on your mind. Fine. But even if you don't know your biceps from your bicuspids, there's one muscle you should never ignore: your heart. Other muscles just get small and flabby when they aren't used. Your heart, on the other hand, might stop working. According to the Ame...

When a young soccer player has a wheezing fit on the field, you can bet there's an extremely worried parent on the sidelines. What can a parent do when a child's favorite sport sets off asthma attacks? The natural reaction may be to pull him off the team and have him do something safer, like play video games. After all, no parent wants to hear a child wheeze and gasp. But before you make your ch...

Cancer can happen to anyone. Still, a healthy lifestyle can definitely help push the odds in your favor. According to the Institute for Cancer Research, between 30 to 40 percent of all cancers are linked to poor diet and a lack of physical activity. If you've already made a pledge to avoid cigarettes, getting the right blend of nutrition and exercise is the next best thing you can do to avoid canc...

Why should I be concerned about diabetes? In the United States, type 2 diabetes (formerly called adult-onset diabetes) is reaching epidemic proportions. It has even reached an alarming number of teenagers and young adults, a group that seemed practically immune to the disease just a few decades ago. There's no mystery behind this increase in incidence. Scientists don't need to explore various the...

Do I need different pairs of shoes to play tennis, run, and do aerobics? While it will do some damage to your bank account, you need a sport-specific pair of shoes for any activity you do more than three times a week. Otherwise you risk injury and may hamper your performance. A running shoe, for example, provides extra cushioning and has a more durable outsole (the bottom of a shoe) than an aerobi...

What's a good running shoe for me? That depends on your foot type and running motion. If you're flat-footed, your feet probably also pronate -- that is, roll too far inward when they hit the ground. If you have a high, rigid arch, they're likely to supinate, or roll outward when they hit the ground. And if you have a medium arch, they probably come down normally without rolling much either way. It...

The term "shin splints" means different things to different people. In the broadest sense, it refers to any pain in the shins that flares up during exercise. The pain often comes from inflammation in the tendons, the cords that attach bone to muscle. Another common culprit: tiny stress fractures in the leg bone (tibia), which occur as the soft tissues pull away from the shin as a result of overuse...

The shoulder is the most flexible joint in your body. You take advantage of that flexibility every time you scratch your back, throw a ball, or stretch to reach the top shelf in the kitchen cabinets. Healthy shoulder joints allow you to move your arm into all sorts of positions, but this flexibility comes with a price: It's easy to push the joint farther than it should go, resulting in a strain, t...

What are anabolic steroids? Anabolic steroids are a class of synthetic drugs that closely mimic male sex hormones such as testosterone. They can be taken orally, applied as a patch, spread on the skin in cream or gel form, or injected. The term "anabolic" means the drugs can build muscles -- often at unusual speed. Doctors frequently prescribe the drugs to AIDS patients and other people who are l...

How can seniors benefit from aerobic exercise? Like virtue, exercise is its own reward -- and it can help you feel as strong as you did when John F. Kennedy was president. Lifting weights is an excellent way to roll back the years, but the cornerstone of most senior fitness programs is aerobic exercise. Anything that gets oxygen into your system and works your lungs and heart -- whether it's walk...

Now that you're older, you may not spend much time flexing in front of the mirror or trying to add inches to your vertical leap. So why bother lifting weights? The truth is that building your muscles is more important than ever at this stage of life. Muscles tend to weaken with age, and this decline can eventually rob seniors of their active, independent lifestyles. Fortunately, you can reverse th...

What is "andro"? Short for androstenedione, andro is a hormone that became a star in the bodybuilding supplement industry in the nineties. The substance, a natural forerunner of both testosterone and estrogen, made headlines in 1998 when a reporter saw a bottle of the stuff in the locker of baseball star Mark McGwire. Encouraged by wild claims that andro could boost their testosterone levels by a...

What is creatine? Creatine is a natural compound that works like a gas pump for your muscles. The fuel from which muscle cells draw energy is a molecule called adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and creatine helps cells make new ATP to keep your tank from running low. Your kidneys, liver, and pancreas make about 1 to 2 grams of creatine every day, and most people get about that much daily from meat or...

Exercise has long been known to strengthen bones. But even if you already have osteoporosis, exercise can be good medicine. You may not realize it, but the health of your bones is closely linked to your workouts and daily habits. If your bones sense that you're active, they'll soak up extra minerals to give you the support that you need. But if you don't get enough exercise, your bones will start ...

If you're a regular runner, you probably have fond memories of your early training days. You may have begun with an easy walk-run schedule. In a few weeks you finally built up to your first all-running mile. Then came your first 5K, then your first 5-mile or even 10K, and perhaps your first road race. Those were heady times, filled with thrills of meeting ever higher goals. Now, though, you've se...

Walking is the most popular form of exercise in the United States. It's convenient (you can do it anywhere). It's inexpensive (the only investment you have to make is a pair of shoes). And it requires no special skills. Walking might not feel like a workout, but the health benefits can be huge. Circle the answers on this true-false quiz to find out how to walk your way to fitness. 1. Walking is ...