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‘HEALTH & FITNESS’

To most people ’stress’ brings to mind something unpleasant. But many psychologists write about stress as something that can have positive effects. Why the confusion? The reasons lie in how an individual evaluates his or her own mental and physical state. Read more… »

Who hasn’t stressed over money? Some will reply: ‘those with a lot of it’. That’s an easy conclusion to draw when you are wondering how to make the mortgage payment. But the fact is that many people with large amounts often worry about it more. They may not stress over paying the house payment, but they often have investments that go south, money managers that prove untrustworthy and other problems. Read more… »

During the holiday season – Christmas, Hanukkah and others – people will often experience elevated levels of stress. But it need not be so. There are, indeed, many pressures unique to the holiday season. Read more… »

To most people ’stress’ brings to mind something unpleasant. But many psychologists write about stress as something that can have positive effects. Why the confusion? The reasons lie in how an individual evaluates his or her own mental and physical state. Read more… »

One of the facts that makes identifying the causes of stress difficult is that they can be nearly anything and can differ from person to person. Read more… »

Though some of the effects of stress are still hotly debated within the medical and psychological communities, there are some that are broadly agreed on. Rapid heartbeat, raised blood pressure, a rise in blood sugar level and a lower digestive rate are just a few of the physiological effects of stress. Read more… »

Many writers will offer suggestions about how to manage stress. But wouldn’t it be preferable to conquer it altogether? Here are a dozen things to try to do just that. Read more… »

No doubt it’s impractical to try to ‘cure’ stress in the sense of eliminating all occurrences. But there are several practical short-term and effective long-term strategies for minimizing it and its effects. Read more… »

There are several techniques for coping with stress. A relaxing walk, a distracting creative effort, a good workout and others can help relieve symptoms. But coping is not curing. Read more… »

Whether you have a spouse, a domestic partner or just someone who is the current live-in love of your life, living with someone close can cause stress. Note, the ‘can’ not ‘must’. Read more… »

Few things in life can lead to chronic stress as readily as parenting. But it need not be so. While raising children definitely requires more patience than any other activity, over a wider range of circumstances and for longer periods of time, it need not be a source of chronic stress. Challenges, yes. Stress, no. Read more… »

Contemporary society presents many circumstances that can encourage stress for teens. One of the chief potential stressors is often found right at home: parents. Read more… »

Who hasn’t stressed over money? Some will reply: ‘those with a lot of it’. That’s an easy conclusion to draw when you are wondering how to make the mortgage payment. But the fact is that many people with large amounts often worry about it more. Read more… »

As with raising children, dealing with pets can be stressful. But often the situation is exactly the reverse: having pets frequently provides one of the best stress relief mechanisms around. Read more… »

Some effects believed to be linked to stress have not been borne out by research. Ulcers, in particular, were thought to be caused by stress. Read more… »

Exercise helps relieve stress. That’s a fairly common sense belief these days, but it is also one backed up by a lot of careful scientific research. Read more… »

Regular exercise is one great way to deal with the symptoms of stress. Combining a proper diet with that makes for a terrific, positive addition. Read more… »

‘She drove me to drink’ used to be a popular phrase. Its essential meaning is that stress induces people to consume alcohol. While it’s true that stress can be an incentive to drink, it’s equally true that heavy alcohol consumption causes stress. Read more… »

During the holiday season – Christmas, Hanukkah and others – people will often experience elevated levels of stress. But it need not be so. Read more… »

The phrase ’stress at work’ has a dual meaning. On the one hand, it simply refers to stress experienced while on the job, usually because of some aspect of it. On the other hand, it can mean that stress is at work on you – stress is working on you, and usually in ways that are extremely unpleasant. Read more… »

Being placed in situations that demand the impossible almost inevitably lead to stress. Unrealistic deadlines to meet useless goals, enforced by unreasonable managers – are an all too common scenario. But individuals who find themselves in such circumstances still have options. Read more… »

In the fast-paced world nearly everyone lives in today, stress is an ever-present possibility. Just-in-time manufacturing, instant news from around the world, computers and a host of other modern technologies are a great benefit. Read more… »

There are several techniques for dealing with the physical and emotional causes and consequences of stress. Short-term symptom relief and long-term cures for chronic stress are possible. But there are many common strategies employed that are counter-productive. Read more… »

Aristotle helped define the standards of fitness 2,500 years ago when he taught that a thing that suits its purpose well is fit. Read more… »

Static and dynamic stretching are two elements in a warm-up routine that help prevent injury and maximize performance. But, consider, why do we warm-up at all? And, are there other aspects to a good warm-up routine? Read more… »

Most upper body exercises have as their goal to build strength. In order to maximize the beneficial effect of the routine, you’ll want to mix in some good cardiovascular workouts – spinning, jogging, etc – and alternate the activities with lower body work. Read more… »

What kind of leg exercises you do will, of course, depend on your goal. Are you trying to build massive thighs or heart-shaped calves? Do you want to build strength, increase running endurance or improve balance and flexibility? Are you a weight-lifter, a jogger or a ballerina? Read more… »

Anyone interested in fitness wants to have great looking abs – firm, rippled and well-toned, along with a trim waist. All those are achievable, but beware accepting any myths about flat stomachs and spot reduction around the waist. Read more… »

Flexibility training involves performing a series of exercises that help maximize range of motion and muscle stability. The benefits are improved blood flow in the muscles and lower risk of injury. Read more… »

Anyone who has ever suffered from a major backache knows how central the back is, even in times you might think it isn’t important. Even something like squeezing a tennis ball, an action that involves a focus on the fingers, forearm and bicep will involve the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles. Read more… »

Being flexible – having well lubricated joints and stretchable muscles – is one of the best ways to reduce the prospect of injury and give you the basis for a wide variety of workout routines. Read more… »

Gyms offer a number of benefits, both practical and psychological. But there are a few caveats to consider before taking the plunge. Read more… »

Individuals under 20 are naturally more flexible, have higher metabolic rates and more energy than those older. But they, too, need to exercise (in appropriate ways) to avoid injury and build strength and endurance, avoid obesity and stay fit. Read more… »

Body fluid level is an important component of keeping it in top condition for best performance. Read more… »

Perspiration isn’t generally considered desirable. It makes clothes wet and uncomfortable, it makes our skin unpleasant to touch and it often smells bad. But the biological fact is that sweating is essential to good health, especially during exercise. Read more… »

Some of the major goals of exercise are to improve muscle tone, strength, and endurance. All of this is made possible by, and requires, the body’s energy production-and-use system. Central to that system is a complex molecule called ATP, Adenosine Triphosphate. Read more… »

Few subjects in health or diet ever get put to a final rest. Present studies often contradict earlier ones, until no one knows what to think. One of the few areas that almost all serious studies seem to agree on is the relationship between exercise and the immune system. Read more… »

Many factors contribute to the onset of diabetes, including genetic predisposition and diet. But exercise can help reduce the odds of getting and the severity of this disease. Read more… »

Exercise throughout the entire nine months is healthy for most women – provided they exercise (pun intended) the proper caution. Read more… »

During any exercise and diet regimen, losing the first few pounds is often very easy. That’s good because it’s a great motivator when you see results right away. But as you lose more, the rate of loss, and the speed with which you see visible effects, slows down. Read more… »

Though stereotypes are dissolving with each generation, there are some that persist – in part, because they are based on real differences between men and women. Read more… »

Exercise after surgery can be part of recommended physical therapy, or a return to pre-operative routines. In either case, done properly, exercise will help create flexibility, improve balance – by strengthening muscles that help stabilize joints – and keep the cardiovascular and other systems functioning well. Read more… »

In generations past, exercise was believed to be mostly for the younger set. It was even believed that older people couldn’t increase muscle mass or strength if they wanted to. Studies at Harvard and elsewhere have now firmly put that myth to rest. Read more… »

It’s a commonplace observation that as you age you have to work harder to keep the pounds off and to stay fit. One major reason is the inescapable biological fact that metabolism slows as we age. Inescapable for now, at least, until medical technology finds some safe way to alter it. Read more… »

Most articles on fitness, when discussing routines and exercises will recommend consulting a physician first. That isn’t just a means of covering the author against potential legal action. Read more… »

You can enjoy all the benefits of gym membership – a wide variety of equipment and facilities, good advice from staff and other members and the incentive to work out by making the gym a destination. Read more… »

If your workout consists of more than just jogging, at some point you’ll want to invest in some fitness equipment. Which you select will, naturally, depend on lots of things – budget vs price, quality vs needs, type and interests and so forth. Read more… »

From some trainers ‘No pain, no gain’ really means ‘you should feel some pain’. While mild discomfort is to be expected, especially for those just beginning a new fitness routine, pain is a natural warning sign. Pay attention to it. Read more… »

Most massage techniques make heavy use of the therapist’s hands and arms. Occasionally sticks will be used for certain specialized applications. But ‘recently’ a new tool has been added to the toolkit – hot stones. Read more… »

Sports massage may appear to be the latest ‘hot’ thing, but in fact it’s been practiced for thousands of years. The ancient Spartans, enemies of the Athenians in Greece over 2,500 years ago, regularly applied massage techniques to optimize their warriors’ effectiveness. Read more… »