ONLINE EDITION!
PRINT
DIGITAL
HEALTH - FOCUS ON YOUR HEALTH
It's so fun to pack thousands of sprinkles on a single cookie, create the perfect tree and shop, shop, shop. When you think about it, we are actually really active during the holidays. Yes, we eat a lot of fat and sugar but we move a lot, too. Caring a child on one hip while shopping for one hour can burn 207 calories. Cooking for one hour can burn 167 calories. Moderate housework will burn 242 calories in one hour. And we don't gain us much as you'd think during the holidays. According to the National Institute of Health, we average a one-pound weight gain, so don't get overly focused on the junk you may be eating. It's probably not going to ruin a year of good habits.
Your heart is a muscle. It needs to be exercised and bicep curls don't cut it. Aerobic activity is what is needed. In order to maintain heart health (not to mention youthful energy), it is necessary to increase the endurance of the heart through aerobic activity. The fortitude of your heart becomes an important indicator when measuring your physical fitness age versus your actual biological age. At the Kyoto University in Japan, a 1989 study proved that regular physical activity might provide physiological improvements that in turn might reduce the rate of aging.
Breast cancer will stop most in their tracks. So what is this about exercising while undergoing such an insidious treatment? I have been amazed, not to mention inspired, by many breast cancer patients who continue to exercise throughout treatment. At first I was completely blown away. Now, I expect it. When I was told I was going to meet a patient with metastatic breast cancer that had spread to the liver, spine and hips, I expected to greet a woman who was wasting away from severe treatment and deteriorating from disease. Whom I greeted instead was Colleen Shaffer, founder of Circle of Hope, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to those with breast cancer living in Santa Clarita.
There is no recipe for success when it comes to back pain. That's the bad news. But the good news is that with some experimentation and a serious look at individuality, your back can heal. My most frustrating moment as a dancer came when two discs decided to herniate. My fellow dancers highly recommended a certain physical therapist. I went with very high hopes, but left completely morose.
"Not something I need to worry about." That was my reaction to the threat of osteoporosis. My grandmother has it, but she's old. I have a long way to go before I need to worry. But now my mother has it and she's not quite so old. In fact, she's only 20 years older than my sister. The thing that really began to wake me up me was when I considered how different my grandmother and mother's lives were from mine.
Healthcare costs hurt. In about five years, these costs are going to hurt twice as much. Costs for health insurance are rising astronomically. In 1973, United States healthcare costs were less than 5 percent of the gross national product (GNP). In 1993, medical costs rose to 14 percent of the GNP. In order to avoid asking employees to help shoulder rising healthcare costs, many employers are seeking alternative methods. The most popular formula is prevention.
Studies have shown that Americans have one thing in common at the beginning of every new year: most of us include some type of fitness goal in our list of resolutions. When you enjoy your fitness routine, you are more likely to stick to it, and that increases your chance of success. From pole dancing to karate, Santa Clarita is full of opportunities to lose weight, tone up, build muscle and stay healthy. Whether you're a fitness traditionalist or are looking for something new, Inside SCV connects you to the professionals that will get you on track to a better life!
Take advantage of the great weather - exercise outside and do good for your body and your mind. Cheryl Broughton of Fitness Edge Boot Camp shows you how with bench dips, incline pushups, decline lunge and a nature jog.
What do you think of when "spring" comes to mind? Spring cleaning, perhaps? Puh-leeze. That's so old-fashioned. Wouldn't it be great if instead of thinking about the best ways to clean a baseboard, we pondered about the ways we were going to slough off dead skin cells? What if we switched from worrying about rubbing down Grandma's silver to getting a good rub-down ourselves? Spring is a time of renewal, of rebirth. Treating our bodies is like polishing wood - the more attention we give it, the better it feels and the more it glows from within. Make an appointment or two for your own well-being this season. It will change your idea of "spring cleaning" forever.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
