Category Archives: Exercise

Tai Chi Linked to Reduced Fall and Injury Rate in Elderly

As we age, our balance, coordination and flexibility begin to deteriorate. In combination with several other aging factors such as reduced bone density, decreases in eye vision, and lower levels of lean muscle mass, trips, slips, and falls that would have once resulted in minor scrapes and bruises could be far more dangerous, potentially resulting in broken bones and severe losses in mobility.

Fortunately, there are several ways for older adults to reduce their chances of falling and possibly breaking bones or incurring other more serious injuries. Many of the various types of exercise that are well-suited for the elderly target improvements in balance, coordination, joint flexibility, and muscular strength. With this initial criteria in mind, one type of exercise, in particular, that may be ideal for a broad range of seniors is Tai Chi.

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HealthyWage: Lose Weight and Make Money

Virtually everyone is aware of the health risks associated with being overweight or obese for an extended period of time. For instance, the probability of contracting a debilitating disease, including Type 2 Diabetes, high blood pressure, various forms of cancer, several types of heart disease, stroke, gout, gallbladder disease, are significantly more likely.

In addition, there are several mental and emotional issues that have been associated with overweight and/or obese individuals including depression, lack of motivation, low self-esteem, and even suicide. However, if you are looking to lose excess body weight, would a cash incentive improve your chances of reaching your weight loss goals? According to a 2008 weight loss study, individuals were three times more likely to lose weight if their weight loss results were associated with a financial incentive.

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Struggling with Chronic Back Pain? Try Yoga, Study Says

With origins in ancient India, Yoga is one of the most universal types of exercise in the world, however, Yoga did not become popular in the United States until the 1960s. In fact, Yoga is now practiced by millions of men and women in the United States and millions of additional individuals throughout the world.

The first references to yogic principles have been proven to date back as far as the 2nd century B.C. while the oral traditions of Yoga concepts and poses most likely preceded the 2nd century by a couple of thousand additional years, although the precise date of origin is difficult to specifically pinpoint.

Many forms of Yoga are designed to stretch, elongate, and relax the soft tissue of the body. In other words, the various muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the body.

If you suffer from chronic back pain, you’ve probably tried everything from prescription medications, expensive massage, chiropractic services, to a variety of exercise types in search of relief. However, if you have not given Yoga a try, it is well worth considering as, under many circumstances and situations, Yoga is ideal for relaxing, strengthening, and calming a sore back.

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Tips for Keeping the Pounds Off During the Holidays

The holidays are upon us once again, and regardless of what your family is celebrating, one thing is for certain: the next few months are sure to be filled with cooler temperatures, social gatherings and more than a few rich, high-calorie foods.

Experienced fitness seekers know that staying healthy and keeping the pounds off during the holidays can be as difficult as fighting the crowds on Black Friday. If you want to maintain your current weight during the holiday season (or, even more challenging expectation, lose weight), you had better take the time to prepare a solid health and fitness strategy.

The Holiday season is unique in that they often times produce increased stress and anxiety in meeting commitments at work and in your personal life.

For example, many companies have year-end goals that need to be met while, on the personal side, you have your “friends and family” obligations that must be met. In the case of your personal obligations, in many instances, traveling may also be required as well.

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Posted in Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Health Facts, News, Studies, Weight Loss | 7,115 Comments

Want Big Muscle? Try Small Weights, Study Says

Significantly increasing lean muscle tissue is a combination of several disciplines and requires a high level of focus, effort, dedication, and knowledge.

The three primary factors that are required to promote serious gains in muscle density are regularly performing your strength training routine with a high level of effort, consuming well balanced protein rich foods day in and day out, and receiving plenty of sleep to allow your body to repair the muscle tissue that was damaged, torn, from the workout.

Further, when it comes to strength training, the conventional wisdom is that smaller amounts of weight should be used for toning and sculpting, while heavier weights are more appropriate for creating large gains in muscle mass, density and strength.

However, a new clinical study that was recently published concluded that regularly lifting lighter weights to increase your lean muscle tissue density, size, and mass can occur at the same rate as if you were consistently lifting heavier weights.

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Posted in Body Building, Exercise, Health, News, Studies, Weight Training | 8,373 Comments