Video workout

Video workout. In an effort to broaden the appeal of working out, some fitness centers are incorporating video game consoles, such as Nintendo Wii, with other traditional workout methods. Customers use Wii to punch, run and jump with the system’s movement-sensitive controller. Estimates say one session of Wii boxing, tennis or bowling equates to going for a brisk walk and can burn up to 125 calories.
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Healthy gift

Healthy gift. A great gift for those who enjoy fitness and gadgets is the Timex Bodylink System. The Bodylink System is four devices in one: a global positioning system for calculating distance and pace, a heart rate monitor, a data recorder, and a watch. All saved data from the BodyLink can be uploaded to a personal computer.
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Fitness Magazine

Fitness Magazine. Fitness Magazine is dedicated to helping its readers learn more about exercise, health, and nutrition. The magazine provides expert advice on topics such as healthy eating, optimizing your workout routine, and managing stress, as well as comprehensive reports on health issues such as breast cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Learn more at FitnessMagazine.com.
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Bursitis

Bursitis. Bursitis is joint pain that occurs from repeated use of a particular joint or trauma from a direct hit. Our joints each have a fluid sac called a bursa that provides cushioning for movement and pressure. If a bursa becomes irritated either by a direct hit or from repeating the same movement, bursitis can occur. The most common areas for bursitis are the elbow, knee, hip and ankle.
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KidsHealth.org

KidsHealth.org. KidsHealth is a popular website providing doctor-approved health information about children from before birth through adolescence. The award-winning site provides families with accurate, up-to-date, and jargon-free health information they can use. KidsHealth has been on the Web since 1995. More than 500,000 visitors access KidsHealth on a daily basis.
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Pushups

Pushups. This classic exercise works the chest, shoulders and triceps. Start by lying face down on the floor. Keeping your body straight, look straight ahead and lift your body with your toes and the palms of your hands. Lower your chest, touch the floor while bending your arms, and raise back up to the start position. Do eight to ten pushups for one set and work up as desired.
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Side leg raise

Side leg raise. This exercise works the buttocks. Start by lying on your side with your body straight and raise the top leg about 1 foot off the floor. Slowly raise your lower leg to meet the top leg, hold for two seconds and return to the floor. Each leg lift from the floor is one repetition.
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Phytochemicals

Phytochemicals. The stimulating colors and flavors in fruits and vegetables result from thousands of phytochemicals found in them. These compounds help prevent diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, and may also prevent cancer and boost the immune system. Phytochemicals are found in fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, soy, herbs, seeds, and green tea.
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Orthorexia nervosa

Orthorexia nervosa. Orthorexia, a recent term coined by Dr. Steven Bratman, refers to the obsession with eating healthfully. Orthorexics spend excessive amounts of time thinking about, planning and preparing healthy meals and snacks. Orthorexia is different than anorexia or bulimia. In those disorders people are focused on the quantity of food, while orthorexics are strictly focused on the quality.
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Cardio Karaticise

Cardio Karaticise. Cardio Karaticise is a relatively new exercise program that utilizes soft fluid motions of ancient Mandarin Kung Fu to provide gentle exercise and a great cardio workout. Cardio Karaticise gives an intense workout without stressing the joints and back. Even those that are severely overweight or those that need to protect their knees and back are able to do Cardio Karaticise.
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Mindless eating

Mindless eating. Noted nutrition author Professor Brian Wansink's recent book "Mindless Eating: Why we eat more than we think" spells out a multitude of factors why we overeat. Wansink suggests our kitchens play a large role. Factors such as bright lights, TVs, see-through containers, platter-sized plates, and snacks in easy-to-grab places put us at risk of eating much more than necessary.
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Healthy weight gain

Healthy weight gain. Estimates put the number of underweight Americans at nearly 45 million. Older adults often lose weight due to less appetite. People coming off a serious illness lose weight. Others are underweight by nature. Healthy steps to gain weight include: eat 500 more calories a day; snack throughout the day; eat healthy, high-calorie foods; eat larger portions at mealtime; eat more healthy fats.
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Calories and pounds

Calories and pounds. It takes about twenty walking steps to burn one calorie. To burn one pound, you need to burn 3,500 more calories than your body consumes over a given period.
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Fortified foods

Fortified foods. Fortified foods are food products to which extra nutrients have been added. Foods are fortified for three main reasons: to replace nutrients lost during processing and storage; to compensate for missing nutrients; and to further enrich existing nutrients. Common fortified foods include orange juice, milk, salt and breakfast cereal.
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The hamstring

The hamstring. The big group of muscles and tendons in the back of the thigh are called hamstrings. Hamstrings function by pulling the leg backward and by propelling the body forward while walking or running. Hamstring injuries are common. Treatment of a hamstring injury calls for “rice”: rest, ice, compression and elevation.
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Fast food nation

Fast food nation. America has been dubiously labeled the "fast food nation". Everyday, one out of four Americans (about 75 million people) eats a fast food meal. Most choose fast foods for the convenience as well as the expense. Fast food restaurants offer the fastest, cheapest, and usually least nutritious, dining alternative.
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Atkins diet

Atkins diet. Introduced by Dr. Robert C. Atkins, the Atkins diet is a high-protein, high-fat, low-carbohydrate plan. The diet allows for unrestricted amounts of meat, cheese and eggs while severely restricting carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, pasta, milk, fruits and vegetables. Atkins dieters use stored fat for energy versus burning glucose from carbohydrate digestion. Burning fat for energy causes weight loss.
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Healthy

Healthy. For food servings, the Food and Drug Administration defines the term "healthy" as having decreased fat, saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol and at least ten percent of the daily values of vitamins A and C, iron, protein, calcium and fiber.
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Pulled muscle

Pulled muscle. The most common sports-related injury is a pulled muscle. A muscle pulls when a sudden, severe force is applied to the muscle and the fibers are stretched beyond their capacity. It is a muscle pull if only some of the fibers tear. If most of the fibers tear, it is a muscle tear. Prevent muscle pulls by stretching before rigorous activity and work your muscles on a regular basis.
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Sleep

Sleep. Sleep experts say about ten percent of us are "morning people", twenty percent are "night owls", and the rest are somewhere in between. Some tips to become a morning person include: accommodate to how much sleep you require, get sunlight exposure as soon as you wake up, and adopt a consistent sleep schedule.
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Ballistic stretching

Ballistic stretching. Most fitness experts advise against ballistic stretching exercises for amateur athletes. Ballistic stretching involves repetitive swinging or bouncing motions during the stretch. The vigorous nature of ballistic stretching is only suitable for conditioned athletes such as gymnasts and martial arts athletes.
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Ectomorphic

Ectomorphic. Ectomorphic refers to one of three body classes defined according to different digestive, muscular, and tissue types. Those in the Ectomorphic class are characterized by a light build and slight muscular development. The other two classes are endomorphic and mesomorphic.
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Reiki

Reiki. Reiki (pronounced ray-key) is an ancient hands-on technique for stress reduction and relaxation that aims to promote the body’s innate healing abilities. Reiki methods are designed to integrate and balance one's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual centers in order to reduce illness and provide speedier recovery.
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Vitamin A

Vitamin A. Vitamin A is a generic term representing several nutrients that benefit our bodies. Vitamin A helps form and maintain healthy teeth, skeletal and soft tissue, and skin. It also promotes good vision, especially in low light. Dietary sources of Vitamin A include butter, sweet potatoes, carrots, and spinach.
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Carbs

Carbs. Carbohydrates come in two varieties: complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates are usually lower in fat and higher in nutritional value than simple carbohydrates thus making them the healthier choice. Simple carbohydrates are found in foods such as sugar and milk. Complex carbohydrates are found in foods such as whole grains, pasta and vegetables.
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Taxes and smoking

Taxes and smoking. A recent USA Today analysis has shown that higher cigarette taxes produce sharp declines in smoking. The amount of smoking rate decline is directly related to the increase in tax. New Jersey has the highest cigarette tax at $2.57 per pack. South Carolina has the lowest at 7 cents a pack.
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Blood pressure

Blood pressure. Your blood pressure is expressed as systolic/diastolic, for instance, 120/80. The systolic number represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart pumps blood into them. The diastolic number represents the pressure in the arteries as the heart relaxes after it pumps blood. The systolic pressure is higher because the heart is pumping rather than relaxing.
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Childhood obesity

Childhood obesity. The rate of childhood obesity in the United States has tripled since 1960. Roughly seventeen percent of American children ages 2 to 19 are considered overweight. The leading causes of childhood obesity include little or no exercise, excessive snacking, fast food diets, and family habits and behavior.
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September fruits and vegetables

September. Freshly picked fruits and vegetables provide more nutrients and more flavor than canned or stored fruits and vegetables, and usually cost less as well. Try adding one or more of the following fruits or vegetables that are ripe and at their natural peak during the month of September: apples, pears, cantaloupe, eggplant, garlic, raspberries and zucchini.
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