To combat stress, many people turn to meditation or other mental stress reduction tools. But stress also creates physical responses in your body and, as such, can be managed with exercise—in particular, with yoga. Stress sends your entire physical system into overdrive. Your muscles tense, your heart beats faster, and your breathing patterns change. If [...]
Are you a loud and/or regular snorer? Have you been observed to gasp or stop breathing during sleep? Do you feel tired or groggy upon awakening, or do you awaken with a headache? Are you often tired or fatigued during the wake time hours? Do you fall asleep sitting, reading, watching TV or driving? Do [...]
A lot of us don't get the kind of day-to-day physical activity we need, so are physically "unfit." "Physical activity" means any movement of the body that is made by skeletal muscles—and requires energy to accomplish. "Physical fitness" means the ability of a person to do physical activity. Physical fitness can be measured by determining [...]
By spring, chances are good that those grand plans for self-improvement hatched at the start of the new year will have become more of a dead weight. Many people vow to eat less and exercise more; stop smoking, drinking or spending too much; and better organize our wayward lives. Research in the Journal of Clinical [...]
Here's a word of advice: If you're getting ready to make New Year's fitness resolutions—don't. Instead design a year long fitness plan to ensure effective lifestyle changes are utilized. Month-by-month plan Use this yearlong plan to improve your health each month: January: Set your goals. Take a look at your life: What's missing? What do [...]
To shed unwanted pounds and keep them off, people have to be ready to face some setbacks and keep on trying, said Dr. Jessica Bartfield, an internal medicine and medical weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola University Health System. "People need a motivation to lose weight and the new year is [...]
Some people respond to impending deadlines, financial problems, relationship meltdowns, and other difficulties by eating less. But if you respond to added stress by eating more, you could end up with added pounds. Fortunately, you can take steps to avoid stress-related weight gain. To begin, consider which of the following behaviors you’re prone to, and [...]
You would give up just about anything to be the same weight you were when you were younger, right? Believe it or not, you need give up anything. That is, as long as you keep doing what you've always done—and maybe a bit more. Other factors Although metabolism plays a large role in controlling weight, [...]
So can we really change our metabolism or are we predestined to having a sluggish metabolism? Can we blame our metabolism for our body weight? Does our age, gender or race play a role in the number of calories we can eat? Myth No. 1 – We can precisely calculate what our calorie needs are [...]
Do you often feel sluggish during the day? It might be time to give your energy level a tune-up. Your body requires energy to function. How much energy you have available depends on several factors, including: The amount and kinds of food you eat How efficiently you convert food into energy How your body uses [...]