18 Ways to Thrive and have Healthy Happy Holiday Season

    Happy Holiday's 

1.    Keep up you renewal routines.

Take the time to nourish yourself with exercise, whether it is walking, running, yoga, meditation, biking etc?  It is as important if not more important during the busy holiday season.  Exercise provides fresh oxygen, blood and nutrients to all the joints, organs and the brain.  It also stabilizes blood sugar and is a big stress reliever.  Time strapped do the 7 minute workout.

2.   Make breakfast high energy

Make a high Protein shake or smoothie. It must have clean high quality protein powder, good fat, (flax seed oil, nuts and seeds) leafy greens and a small amount of fruit.

3.  Cut the Carbs on Turkey Day.

Stuff your turkey with celery, onions, herbs and spices instead of the high fat high carb loaded version.  Switch high carb pumpkin pie for pumpkin soup with a dollop of yogurt and skip the bread roll.

4.   Make new Traditions

Most holiday dinners are upwards of 2500/3000 calories and that does not include alcohol or eggnog.  Old Traditions have made us fat and put a huge load on the digestive system and the heart.  It is time for new healthier traditions.

5.   Give the Gift of Love

One of the best gifts one can give a loved one is the gift of positive and loving behavior and words.  If you see all the wonderful things in your spouse, kids family members, friends etc. just imagine how great that would be and it is guaranteed to improve your relationships. The photo is my best friend Graeme and his family in 2012.

   6.    Use a minimalistic approach to Decorations and the Table.

We do not need more stuff and we all have tons of Holiday décor and the thing is that most of your guests don’t notice as much as we think they do.  What they notice is the energy and feeling of your home.  So skip the extra running around and stress and light candles.

 7.  Do a Digital Detox

Make a pact with your friends and family to put phones and iPads etc. away during dinners and outings. Spend some quality time together really listening and engaging with each other.

     8.  Connect with Community and Give Back

Giving to others during the holidays helps us help others and in turn helps us. We like to do a turkey trot and move our feet before we eat. It is something that whole family can do that is fun and good for you.  The proceeds go to charities.  We also collect bears for the local children’s hospital. Pick a couple of community events that match you giving philosophy.

      9.   Go Grain Free, Gluten Free and Zero Refined Sugar

If you need tasty ideas go to www.hemsleyandhemsley.com. These two sisters also have a great cookbook called The Art of Eating Well. Perhaps a good holiday gift for someone you know.

   10. Listen to your Body

Are you aware of your stress levels?  How often do you pretend to be fine? Pay attention to the clues your body gives and nurture yourself.

   11. Keep your Immune system strong

Sugar and stress depresses you immune system leading to colds, flu, coughs, allergies and stuffy nose. Load up on antioxidants and decrease your sugar intake.

   12. Preserve Sleep

The body rests and repairs during quality sleep.  It makes no rational sense to pull an all-nighter just to get a couple of dollars off on Black Friday. A better idea is to go to bed at 10pm and get up at 5am if you have to have those door busters.  Aim for at least 7 hours

   13. Choose a different response

How you respond to stress is what matters. Step out of the situation and view it from the outside.  Take a few breaths before you respond or don’t react at all.

   14.  Eat your Veggies

This is a great time to enjoy all those fabulous root vegetables.  They are high in fiber and loaded with nutrients.  Chew them well.

   15. Drink your Veggies

If you don’t get your adequate servings of veggies per day, drink them.  Enjoy a green drink.

   16. Hydrate

Aim to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day.  Not only will your digestive system thank you but your skin will too.  If you are flying during the holiday season drink more… I know it is a hassle to go to the bathroom when you fly, however the benefits outweigh the discomfort of dehydration.

   17. Take it Easy on the High Calorie Beverages

Alcohol, Eggnog and a Pumpkin Spice Latte count as non-nutrient dense calories.  We have a mind set that what we drink does not count as part of our consumption however it has a huge impact on weight gain, sleep quality and depresses the immune system.

   18. Beware of the Buffett

Be consciously selective when it comes to the buffet table. If you know that the choices available will not be healthy then try to eat good for you food before go to your event.

Bonus Tips

   19. Stress can be good for us

Our bodies are designed to handle stress in appropriate amounts.  Some stress can kick us into gear to get things done, provide focus, clear thinking and take action.

It is when stress is too much for too long that problems arise.

   20. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Put on bright red lipstick and a sparkly top and you are good to go…. When you look good you feel good. When you feel good you look good!

6 Exercises to Reverse Bad Posture

Did you know that for every inch the head moves forward in posture, its weight on your neck and upper back muscles increases by 10 pounds?

For example, a human head weighing 12 pounds held forward only 3 inches from the shoulders results in 42 pounds of pressure on the neck and upper back muscles. That's the equivalent of almost three watermelons resting on your neck and back!

When you neglect your posture, you invite chronic back pain. Rounding your low back while sitting for extended periods of time in front of a computer, standing for hours stooped over, sleeping improperly and lifting poorly can all lead to debilitating aches.

Maintaining the natural lumbar curve in your low back is essential to preventing posture-related back pain. This natural curve works as a shock absorber, helping to distribute weight along the length of your spine. Adjusting postural distortions can help stop back pain.

A basic remedy to sitting all day is to simply get up! Frequently getting up from a seated position and doing these six quick and easy realignment exercises can help you reeducate your muscles from getting stuck in a hunched over cave man position.

1. Chin Tuck

The Chin Tuck can help reverse forward-head posture by strengthening the neck muscles.

This exercise can be done sitting or standing. Start with your shoulders rolled back and down. While looking straight ahead, place two fingers on your chin, slightly tuck your chin and move your head back (image at left). Hold for 3-5 seconds and then release. Repeat 10 times.

Tip: The more of a double chin you create, the better the results. If you’re in a parked car, try doing the Chin Tuck pressing

the back of your head into the headrest for 3-5 seconds. Do 15-20 repetitions.

2. Wall Angel

Stand with your back against a flat wall with your feet about four inches from the base. Maintain a slight bend in your knees. Your glutes, spine and head should all be against the wall. Bring your arms up with elbows bent so your upper arms are parallel to the floor and squeeze your shoulder blades together, forming a letter "W" (image at left). Hold for 3 seconds.

Next, straighten your elbows to raise your arms up to form the letter “Y.” Make sure not to shrug your shoulders to your ears. Repeat this 10 times, starting at “W,” holding for 3 seconds and then raising your arms into a “Y.” Do 2-3 sets.

3. Doorway Stretch

This exercise loosens those tight chest muscles!

Standing in a doorway, lift your arm so it's parallel to the floor and bend at the elbow so your fingers point toward the ceiling. Place your hand on the doorjamb.

Slowly lean into your raised arm and push against the doorjamb for 7-10 seconds. Relax the pressure and then press your arm against the doorjamb again, this time coming into a slight lunge with your legs so your chest moves forward past the doorjamb for 7-10 seconds (image at left). Repeat this stretch two to three times on each side.

4. Hip Flexor Stretch

Kneel onto your right knee with toes down, and place your left foot flat on the floor in front of you.

Place both hands on your left thigh and press your hips forward until you feel a good stretch in the hip flexors.

Contract your abdominals and slightly tilt your pelvis back while keeping your chin parallel to the floor (image at left). Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds, and then switch sides.

The next two exercises require a resistance band:

5. The X-Move

This exercise helps strengthen your upper back muscles, especially the ones between your shoulder blades (the rhomboids).

Sit on the floor with your legs extended forward. Place the middle of the resistance band around the bottom of your feet and cross one side over the other to form an "X".

Grasp the ends of the band with your arms extended in front of you.

Pull the ends of the band toward your hips, bending your elbows so they point backward (image at left). Hold and slowly return. Do 8-12 repetitions for three sets.

6. The V-Move

According to a 2013 study by the Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, performing this simple resistance band exercise 2 minutes a day, five times a week, will significantly decrease your neck and shoulder pain and improve your posture.

While standing, stagger your feet so one is slightly behind the other. Grasp the handles, or the ends, of the resistance band and lift your arms upward and slightly outward away from your body about 30 degrees.

Keep a slight bend in your elbows. Stop at shoulder level; hold and return.

Make sure to keep your shoulder blades down and back straight. Repeat this exercise for 2 minutes each day, five days a week.

Good work!

OUR NEW CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAM

We are so excited to be Introducing our New Corporate Wellness Program! 

This is what our first client had to say: 

"I was referred to Dr. Pia Martin almost a year ago after I sustained a back injury and was unsuccessfully treated by other chiropractors who seemed to make my injury worse. Initially I was a little skeptical because of my previous experience however that was quickly changed on my first consult. Dr. Pia purposely took the time to fully understand what was going on and took a ‘whole person’ approach to treating me. She addressed my symptoms but also got to the root of the problem. We discovered that not only was the chiropractic treatment working but more importantly her diet and nutrition recommendations eliminated many underlying problems I was having. More than two years ago my medical Dr. diagnosed me with high blood pressure which was causing heart palpitations, he put me on a regiment of blood pressure medication which I quickly discarded because I was not willing to take medication like that at the age of 29. Through Dr. Pia we discovered I was gluten intolerant which was causing my heart palpitations, since cutting gluten from my diet I have no symptoms and blood pressure has dropped. 

Thanks to my personal experience and success with Dr. Pia, we are now very excited to have implemented a wellness program in our company, offering our employees the opportunity work with Dr Pia, promoting a happy, healthy work environment. 

I highly recommend not only working with Dr. Pia personally but, if you are a business owner or executive, seriously considering working with Dr. Pia to implement a similar wellness program in your company." 

To learn how you can offer this program to your employees: Call us 214 8696404 or Email drpiamartin@gmail.com

Move a Little Lose a Lot

Wonderful article in the USA today about how we are spending most of our waking hours sitting on our behinds!.. Endocrinologist James Levine of the Mayo Clinic has studied calorie burning for 20 years and he has written a new book to help people move more and lose weight... He says small changes add up... How True.  From a chiropractic standpoint sitting for long periods contributes to poor posture and low back pain. Moving more and strengthening your core muscles helps a lot in improving your discomfort. Here is the link so you can read the full article.

HOW TO GET BACK INTO EXERCISE AFTER A LAPSE

A good reminder for all of us:  Honor your entry ramp and slow and steady is best. Enjoy this article from the WSJ.

Pregnancy, injury, sickness or a hectic month at work can cause lapses in workout routines. Motivation and patience are key to getting back on track in a safe and healthy way. "When unavoidable situations arise, realize they are just short-term holdups to your exercise program, not permanent derailments," says Barbara Bushman, a professor at Missouri State University's Department of Kinesiology. "Have a return plan in action."

Dr. Bushman wrote a chapter called "Dealing with Setbacks" for the American College of Sports Medicine's "Complete Guide to Fitness and Health." She says motivation is half the battle. "Mentally identify what you want to accomplish," she says. "I encourage people to set both short-term as well as long term goals."

Jim Pivarnik, a professor of kinesiology at Michigan State, says setting a comeback schedule helps ease back into a workout routine safely. "A schedule helps monitor your progress and ensures that you don't go back too fast and crash in the process," he says.

Pain and undue fatigue are often signs that a person is doing too much too soon, says Dr. Pivarnik. Muscle soreness, on the other hand, isn't always a sign to take a day off. "Be mindful of it and if the soreness doesn't go away in a day or two, then take time off," he says.

He says how quickly you ease back into a routine largely depends on the intensity of what you had been doing. "If you were doing a more passive version of yoga, it would not take as long to get back into that as if you were doing a more active, cardio-intense yoga," he says. "I often tell runners who are getting back into a routine to increase their mileage no more than 10% per week."

—Jen Murphy

Squeezing in Exercise 5 Minutes @ a Time

Squeezing in Fitness Into a Busy Schedule, Five Minutes at a Time

Consistency is the key to healthy lifestyle habits: Some great tips below to help keep you on track.  Five minutes every day is better than no minutes!!

"Thirty uninterrupted minutes seems elusive for most people in our crazy day-to-day lives," says Jim White, a personal trainer and owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios in Virginia Beach, Va. "But everyone can find five minutes throughout the day if they really try."

Mini workouts can be more creative than taking the stairs or parking farther away. Mr. White points to Herschel Walker, the former Dallas Cowboys running back, who was known to do more than 1,000 push-ups and sit-ups by the end of every day. He suggests making a game of a similar goal by having a partner leave notes around the house with exercise instructions. A note in a kitchen cupboard could say to do 50 sit-ups and one in the bathroom could say do 50 push-ups.

Mr. White also suggests using commercial breaks to do push-ups, sit-ups, or burpees (also known as thrust squats). With a 30-minute program, "that adds up to seven to 10 minutes of exercise."

At the office, Mr. White says static squats, where you hover over your seat, is a great way to work the leg and gluteal muscles. "Try to hover while you check your morning email or every time you take a phone call," he says.

Felicia Stoler, an exercise physiologist in Holmdel, N.J., tells her clients to sneak in an ab workout while they're driving. "Every time you stop at a red light, contract your abs for a count of five and then let go and repeat," she says.

She suggests carrying a resistance band with you to do strength exercises such as bicep curls or tricep extensions while waiting in a doctor's office. She also says to get in the habit of taking a brisk five-minute walk every hour at the office. "That adds up to 40 or more minutes a day," she says

Why the 49ers Love to Stretch

San Francisco's Players Believe Their Fixation With Stretching Has Given the Team an Edge

By KEVIN CLARK

Getty Images

Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith warm up.

The San Francisco 49ers' two-year rise from the depths of mediocrity is widely attributed to ferocious defense and the dazzling running ability of quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

But as the 49ers head to Atlanta favored to beat the Falcons this weekend and advance to their first Super Bowl in 18 years, here's another possibility: Maybe it's that they stretch a lot.

That's not a proposition you'd want to state too loudly in the 49ers' locker room. The San Francisco stretching program is something team officials refuse to talk about, ostensibly for competitive reasons. But let's face it: The same 300-pound linemen who quickly brag about how much weight they can bench aren't likely to admit that they can do the splits. That's the province of cheerleaders, isn't it?

Privately, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has made it clear that stretching isn't for sissies, for good reason. Stretching, research shows, can dramatically reduce the risk of injury, and nothing about the 49ers is more remarkable than their bill of health. Since Harbaugh took over the team two years ago, Niners players have missed 159 games due to injury. (A missed game is one player missing one game.) According to Stats LLC, the three other teams left in the playoffs have had dramatically higher injury rates. Over the past two years, the Falcons have missed 29% more games and the Baltimore Ravens 94% more than the 49ers. The New England Patriots' number is 440, an injury rate 176% higher than the 49ers.

HIP FLEXORS OFTEN THE CAUSE OF BACK PAIN

Your back hurts and then before you know it your knees are tight and your miserable....

You have stretched your low back muscles and even given you hamstrings a little care and still your back is hurting...

The answer might have little to do with your back or knees. The pain could be linked to your hips, in particular a group of muscles called the hip flexors that are in use when we climb stairs, run, dance and play soccer and even do resistance training. Also known as the iliopsoas, they help the leg move up and down and stabilize the spine. 

They are located in your abdomen and upper thigh and are among the strongest in the body. "When we sit all day, the hip flexors shorten," says Jim Thornton, president of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and head athletic trainer at Clarion University in Clarion, Pa. "When they're shortened, it impacts how we perform and can cause all kinds of problems, from our lower backs down to our feet."


Unfortunately many training programs over look the hip flexors and focus only on the hamstrings and quadriceps. To remedy the problem speak to your trainer, yoga teacher chiropractor etc and ask them to show you some basic stretches and be sure that you do them correctly so that you keep the body in alignment.  

Usain Bolt: How He Gets His Superpowers!

I am like many of you really enjoying the London Olympics.  It is amazing what the human body can do when it is given the right stuff! 

As a low force / high tech Activator Chiropractor I  had a particular high five moment when the image of Usian Bolt,  "The fastest man on earth"  was shown getting an Activator Adjustment.  Great to see that he knows the value of self care and what it means to keep the nervous system switched on so he can be at his best.

 

To learn more about the Activator Method click on the Chiropractic tab at the top of the page!

Namaste

Pia 

THE TRUTH ABOUT SPORTS DRINKS

AN INFORMATIVE ARTICLE FROM THE HARVARD MEDICAL JOURNAL

Good Timing: for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) has published several articles revealing the “truth about sports drinks.” That truth is this: drink when you are thirsty and don’t waste your money or calories on sports drinks—choose water instead.

Sports drinks are flavored beverages that contain carbohydrates (usually sugar) and minerals such as sodium and potassium. Those minerals are generally referred to as electrolytes.

The granddaddy of sports drinks is Gatorade, a beverage created in the 1960s for the University of Florida Gators football team. The British Medical Journal says it “started life as a simple mixture of kitchen foodstuffs” like water, salt, sugar, and lemon flavoring. It’s more complicated than that today. The industry is now dominated by multinational companies like Pepsi and drug companies like GSK. In the United States alone, sales of sports drinks exceed $1.5 billion a year.

Before the rise of sports drinks, athletes (and the rest of us) drank water when we exercised or got sweaty. How did we know when to drink, or how much? The way humans have known for eons—thirst. But as the BMJ team describes, sports drink makers spent a lot of money sponsoring less-than-rigorous research damning thirst as a guide to hydration and casting doubt on water as the beverage for staying hydrated. To make matters worse, recommendations once aimed at endurance athletes have now trickled down to anyone who exercises.

Over hydration is more worrisome

There is no evidence that dehydration has ever killed a marathoner, Dr. Arthur Siegel, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a medical advisor to the Boston Marathon, told the BMJ. But the drumbeat that athletes must stay fully hydrated and drink before they become thirsty has spawned a new problem—overhydration. That’s what killed a healthy, 28-year-old woman during the 2002 Boston Marathon. She collapsed a few miles short of the finish line and died a day later. The cause of death was hyponatremia—too little sodium in her blood caused by drinking too much fluid before and during the marathon. According to the BMJ, 16 marathoners have died and more than 1,600 have become critically ill due to overhydration and hyponatremia.

Sports drinks don’t appear to prevent hyponatremia. A study of marathoners by Harvard-based researchers found that 13% had some degree of hyponatremia, and that it was just as likely to happen among those who guzzled sports drinks during the marathon as it was among those who stuck with water.

Trust thirst, drink water

I asked Dr. Francis Wang, the team physician for Harvard athletics, what he tells athletes about thirst and fluids. “For most players, thirst is a good guide for hydration,” he said. Athletes who have had muscle cramps may need to drink extra, and may need more electrolytes.

What about the rest of us, who may run a couple miles in the morning or play a few sets of tennis? Thirst should be our guide, and water our beverage.

One concern with sports drinks is that they deliver unneeded calories. Some contain 150 calories, the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. Children definitely don’t need sports drinks, says Dr. Claire McCarthy, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. 

PAIN IN THE NECK!

How to Avoid the “Dreaded Tech Neck” 

 Look younger, feel more vital and increase your energy!

The human body craves alignment. The big payoff with proper posture is that we feel healthier, have more energy, and move gracefully. So while the word "posture" may conjure up images of book-balancing charm-school girls, it is not just about standing up straight. It’s about being aware of and connected to every part of your self.

Posture ranks right up at the top of the list when you are talking about good health and vitality.

Ideally, our bones stack up one upon the other: the head rests directly on top of the spine, which sits directly over the pelvis, which sits directly over the knees and ankles. But if you spend hours every day sitting in a chair, if you hunch forward it can affect you not only physically, but emotionally, too, -- from the predictable shoulder and back pain to headaches, short attention span, and depression.

For example in today’s environment a lot of us spend a good amount of time sitting in front of a computer.  If the core muscles of the back are not strong, most of us after a period of time tend to slump forward.  First the head followed by the hunched and rounded shoulders then as a consequence we tilt the low spine backwards.  These mechanical changes to the spine put undue stress on the discs, and joints. The ligaments and muscles are lengthened anteriorly in the neck and posterierly in the upper back.  They are subsequently shortened in the back of the neck and the front of the chest.  This is called Upper Crossed Syndrome, or Tech Neck! The action of the head positioned forwards of the shoulder girdle even by one-inch puts 10X the stress on the anatomical structures of the neck.  The result is muscle contraction of the neck muscles followed by impaired blood flow and decreased oxygen.  The body tries hard to compensate but gets overwhelmed and we experience headaches, neck pain, back pain, fatigue and a variety of other ailments such as sinus problems etc.  The nerves in the neck are also compromised and adequate nerve supply to the structure of head and neck is also compromised.

 What can we do to combat this problem?

First make sure you have a good chair and your desk and computer are at the correct height for your body frame.  Your legs should be at right angles the back straight and your arms at right angles to your keyboard. The chest open, your shoulders soft and away from your ears and the computer screen high enough so that your eyes hit the middle of the screen.

Now that you are sitting in a proper position, it is important to get out of your chair every hour to get the blood moving.  A good rule of thumb is to get up and get a drink water, so not only do you get the body moving but you also stay well hydrated.  Fatigue is often caused by dehydration. 

Second, a strong core is needed when it comes to good posture. You need to work on a strength and flexibility routine. It does not need to be long but it does need to be consistent!!  Pilates or Yoga are wonderful disciplines when it comes to increasing core strength and putting the spine through it's full range of motion.    

Third,make an appointment to with a good chiropractor in your area.  

In summary poor posture distorts the alignment of bones, chronically tenses muscles, and contributes to stressful conditions such as loss of vital lung capacity, increased fatigue, reduced blood and oxygen to the brain, limited range of motion, stiffness of joints, pain syndromes, reduced mental alertness, and decreased productivity at work. According to the Nobel Laureate Dr. Roger Sperry, "the more mechanically distorted a person is, the less energy is available for thinking, metabolism, and healing."

A healthy spine that’s in align, makes the whole body feel divine!

The Ultimate Anti Aging Tool!

Happy St Pat's for this weekend. A good time to celebrate all that is healthy and green! Enjoy this week's article.

Dr Pia

The Ultimate Anti-Aging Tool is Exercise!

It is the secret to better posture, less pain and better mental health.

Whether you’re 9 or 90, abundant evidence shows exercise can enhance your health and well-being. But for many people, sedentary pastimes, such as watching TV, surfing the Internet, or playing computer and video games, have replaced more active pursuits. People always say that they do not have enough time to exercise? What if you took some of that TV, Computer or video game time and exercised? Problem solved? The hard part is starting. Once you decide to start honor your entry ramp? How long since you last exercised? How old are you? and so on. It is better to start slow, build and be consistent that it is to flame out and hurt yourself by trying to do to much at once. You can't make up for a years of couch/ chair time in one or two sessions. Use mindfulness when you exercise. Know when to push and when to take it a little bit slower. Your looking for the sweet spot between challenge and good stress.

What does exercise do for you?

The benefits of exercise may sound too good to be true, but decades of solid science confirm that exercise improves health and can extend your life. Adding as little as half an hour of moderately intense physical activity to your day can help you avoid a host of serious ailments, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, and several types of cancer, particularly breast and colon cancers. Regular exercise can also help you sleep better, reduce stress, control your weight, brighten your mood, sharpen your mental functioning, and improve your sex life.

A well-rounded exercise program consists of four components: aerobic activity, strength training, flexibility training, and balance exercises. Each benefits your body in a different way.

Fighting disease with aerobic activity

Aerobic exercise is the centerpiece of any fitness program. Nearly all of the research regarding the disease-fighting benefits of exercise revolves around cardiovascular activity, which includes walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling. Experts recommend working out at moderate intensity when you perform aerobic exercise .

Protecting bone with strength training

Strength or resistance training, such as elastic-band workouts, and the use of weight machines or free weights, is important for building muscle and protecting bone.

Bones weaken with age, but strength training can help slow this trend. Not only can strength training make you look and feel better, but it can also result in better performance of everyday activities, such as climbing stairs and carrying bundles. Stronger muscles also mean better mobility and balance, and thus a lower risk of falling and injuring yourself. In addition, more lean body mass aids in weight control because each pound of muscle burns more calories than its equivalent in fat.

Easing back pain with flexibility exercises

Stretching or flexibility training is the third prong of a balanced exercise program. Muscles tend to shorten and weaken with age. Shorter, stiffer muscle fibers make you vulnerable to injuries, back pain, and stress. But regularly performing exercises that isolate and stretch the elastic fibers surrounding your muscles and tendons can counteract this process. And stretching improves your posture and balance.

Preventing falls with balance (core strength) exercises

Core Strength and balance exercises take only a few minutes and often fit easily into the warm-up portion of a workout. Many strength-training exercises also serve as balance exercises. Or balance-enhancing movements may simply be woven into other forms of exercise, such as tai chi, yoga, and Pilates.

Exercise at a glance

In a nutshell, exercise can:

• Improves your resilience quotient and helps your immune function
• Helps you manage your blood sugar and blood pressure
• Helps you manage your stress, which we all need.
• improves mood and mental functioning by releasing feel good neurotransmitters
• keeps your bones strong and joints healthy by providing nutrients via the blood and other fluids.
• helps you maintain a healthy weight.
• helps you maintain good posture

Bottom Line... Start and once you start don't stop ever!!

Warning : Sitting is bad for your health

I thought you would enjoy this article by Elizabeth Ward.

I work out at a moderate pace five or six times a week, and I often mentally pat myself on the back for maintaining such a schedule. I figure that much exercise is sufficient to ward off a long list of health conditions.

As it turns out, I may not be active enough.

A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (AJCN) as well as findings released late last year by the American Institute for Cancer Research are causing experts to reconsider the importance of moving throughout the day in addition to getting regular exercise.

CAPTION

By KATHLEEN GALLIGAN, Detroit Free Press

Sit less, live longer?

"The more you move around, the greater the health benefits," which include a lower blood pressure, easier weight control, and less stress, says Miriam Nelson, PhD, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention, and associate professor of nutrition at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Nelson is also co-author of The Social Network Diet, Change Yourself, Change the World.

Working out at a moderate pace for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week, as prescribed in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAG) that Nelson helped to create, may not offer enough protection against obesity and other chronic illness.

That's the conclusion of the AJCN article which found that even high levels (more than 7 hours weekly) of moderate-intensity activity– the amount I get– cannot completely cancel out the health risks linked to long periods spent sitting or watching TV (7 hours or more daily).

Bottom line: The more you sit, the greater your risk for dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer.

No study is perfect, however, and Nelson says this one left some stones unturned.

"For example, the researchers didn't look at vigorous activity, which, unlike moderate-intensity activity, may help reduce disease risk no matter how much we sit," she says.

According to the PAG guidelines, 75 minutes of vigorous activity, such as running, is worth 150 minutes of moderate activity, like walking.

Is sitting the new smoking?

Now you know: It's not enough to exercise and sit for the rest of the day. Yet, most of us can hardly avoid the inactivity of modern life. At the office, we're tied to our desks, and many people have long commutes. As a writer, I spend hours in the chair. Then there's the hour or more when I collapse on the couch every night to watch TV.

When registered dietitian, author and diabetes expert Jill Weisenberger decided she'd had enough inactivity, she invested in a TrekDesk.

"I bought the desk because I was sitting so much and it was hard to get much activity other than 30-60 minutes of exercise on most days," Weisenberger says. "When I'm writing or doing other work at my desk, I walk slowly on the TrekDesk. I can log seven to nine miles a day, and I average about 30 miles a week."

Weisenberger and other health experts will tell you there's no need to spend one cent to increase physical activity. Here are some inexpensive ways to be more active every day, which you should do in addition to getting a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week:

• Pace when you're on the phone, or when waiting for an elevator, bus, train, or plane.

• At work and at home, set a timer on your phone, computer, or microwave to remind you to get up every 60 minutes and move around.

• When watching TV, get up during every commercial and walk around the house.

• Skip the email and phone and deliver messages in person to colleagues and neighbors.

• Bring the laundry upstairs one load at a time.

• Take the groceries in from the car, one bag at a time.

• Keep light (3- and 5-pound) hand weights in your office or at home to use when you're on the phone or reading email.

• Always take the stairs.

• Park further away from your destination.

• Walk with a friend instead of lingering over coffee or drinks.