Exercise adds years

Exercise adds years. The Archives of Internal Medicine conducted a long-term study on exercise and found that working out has positive effects on lifespan. People who exercise five times a week live about five years longer than those who do nothing. Walking 30 minutes a day adds an extra year and a half to your life.
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Biggest loser

Biggest loser. The TV show "The Biggest Loser" has inspired fitness and weight-loss competitions in offices across the America. Companies are bonding with employees by staging biggest loser contests to improve employee health, increase productivity and lower absenteeism. Employees are winning cash and prizes, losing weight and living healthier.
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Prevention

Prevention. Prevention magazine is the 10th largest magazine in the United States. Prevention covers health, nutrition, fitness, the mind, beauty, and medical science. The magazine provides its readers with health news and research from trusted experts, including a 22-member advisory board. The magazine's mantra is “taking small steps can deliver life-changing results.” Learn more at Prevention.com.
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Don't give up

Don't give up. Everyone struggles with staying motivated and reaching their goals. Remember that it often takes several attempts to achieve a realistic goal. As an example, the American Lung Association says that the average person who quits smoking tries at least six times before successfully quitting for good.
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Hobbies

Hobbies. Taking up a relaxing and enjoyable hobby can be healthy. A relaxing pursuit outside of your normal occupation may help you live longer or recover better from illness. A recent study of people who had undergone surgery found that people who were involved in hobbies before their operation had better recovery six months later compared with people who did not have hobbies.
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Side Bridges

Side Bridges. This exercise works the hips and quads. Start by lying flat on your back and bend your knees. Keeping your upper body straight, lift your hips upward so your body is supported by your feet and your back. Extend your right leg upward and do a slow kick to the ceiling and return your right foot to the floor. Repeat for the left leg to complete one repetition of this exercise.
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Inward back curls

Inward back curl. This exercise works the abs, back and buttocks. Start by getting on your hands and knees. Lower your back by pushing your spine inwards and your butt outwards, use your abs to pull your chest up, hold for two seconds and release. Start with a set of ten repetitions and work up as desired.
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Syndrome X

Syndrome X. Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is a cluster of correlated conditions including high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, low HDL cholesterol, high triglycerides and abdominal obesity. Because these issues tend to occur in clusters, they form a syndrome. Syndrome X is preventable and reversible with weight management, regular exercise and a healthy diet.
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Lutein

Lutein. The plant carotene Lutein helps maintain eye health. Its highest concentration is in the eye tissues responsible for central vision. Researchers have also found Lutein to act as an antioxidant, which protect cells from damage. Since the body does not make Lutein, you may obtain it only from foods such as green leafy vegetables, oranges and tangerines.
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Dark versus light

Dark versus light. Dark beer has more calories per bottle than lighter versions. In terms of nutrients, however, dark beers have far more antioxidants than light beers. The antioxidants in dark beer come from the rich flavonoid content of the wheat and other grains used to make them. Antioxidants are associated with virus and cancer prevention.
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High-risk women

High-risk women. Women age 45 to 54 are 2.5 times more likely than men to suffer a stroke, according to a UCLA study published in Prevention magazine. Researchers believe that neglected blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels by women explain this difference. Less than half of surveyed women know their blood pressure and cholesterol readings, and do not know what healthy levels are.
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Carb calm

Carb calm. Studies have shown that eating complex carbohydrates can produce a calming effect. This effect is produced by serotonin, a neurotransmitter produced when you eat carbohydrates. Try some of the following carbohydrates for a longer lasting calming effect: oatmeal, popcorn, bagels, tortillas and dry cereal.
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Cycling

Cycling. Cycling for exercise or transportation makes for healthier people and a greener environment. Riding a bicycle is one of the few physical activities that can be done as part of a daily routine. The health benefits of cycling include increased leg strength and overall body mobility and coordination, better aerobic fitness, and reduced risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and obesity.
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Enriched foods

Enriched foods. Enriched foods are food products which have had nutrients added to them in order to replace the nutrients lost during processing and storage. For example, bread is enriched with B vitamins that are lost in the processing of white flour. Enriched foods do not always have higher vitamin and mineral levels than unprocessed foods.
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Aging

Aging. Our bodies are on a constant cycle of creating new cells to replace dead cells. Some foods have been identified as hastening the body's aging process by causing cell degeneration during this regeneration process. Such foods include high carbohydrates, sugar, chocolate, preserved meat, chips and fries. Foods with high a concentration of heavy metals also induce the aging process.
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National Relaxation Day

Relax. August 15 has been designated as National Relaxation Day in America. This is the day to kick back, relax and enjoy some down time. Do nothing, go to a spa, go fishing or lounge in the back yard hammock. Relax.
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The Godfather of Fitness

The Godfather of Fitness. Jack La Lanne is considered the Godfather of Fitness. Gaining fame in the 1930s as a bodybuilder, La Lanne opened up health clubs and introduced several exercise machines. The Jack La Lanne Show --the first TV program devoted to exercise-- aired for 34 seasons through 1985. La Lanne has published fitness books and videos, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
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Laughter

Laughter. There are positive health benefits to laughter, including reduced stress, lower blood pressure, and an enhanced immune system. Some researchers estimate that laughing 100 times is equal to 10 minutes on the rowing machine or 15 minutes on an exercise bike. Mentally, laughter provides a way for stressful emotions to be harmlessly released from your body.
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Home health library

Home health library. The health and fitness editors at Good Housekeeping magazine recommend the following websites as the best online home health references. The sites are: familydoctor.org, mayoclinic.com, healthfinder.gov, health.ucsd.edu/healthinfo and medlineplus.gov.
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Americanized

Americanized. The American Institute of Cancer Research compared the serving sizes of three popular food items introduced to America. The American croissant contains about 100 more calories than the French version. The bagel is about triple the size and calories of the original Jewish bagel. The quesadilla has doubled in calories and in serving size from the original Mexican version.
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Exercise physiology

Exercise physiology. An exercise physiologist is a scientist whose focus is to get the best possible performance from athletes. Working with athletes, video and computers, they analyze athletic performance and the human body. Exercise physiologists commonly hold advanced degrees. They usually work in sports medicine centers, corporate fitness centers, college sports centers and university research labs.
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Endomorphic

Endomorphic. Endomorphic refers to one of three body classes defined according to different digestive, muscular, and tissue types. Those in the Endomorph class are characterized by a heavy rounded build, often with a marked tendency towards obesity or being overweight. The other two classes are ectomorphic and mesomorphic.
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Abs

Abs. There are six abdominal muscles in our bodies. Besides providing our bodies with the “six pack” abs look, abdominal muscles are significant because they provide postural and back support for our bodies. Healthier back and body posture is obtained when abdominal muscles develop closer to the spine, which provides a more powerful effect and contributes to better support.
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Fluoride

Fluoride. Fluoride is added into a majority of municipal water supplies in the U.S. and is a commonly known ingredient in tooth paste. Fluoride is generally credited with preventing tooth decay and cavities in our teeth. Some water fluoridation critics contend however that the practice of adding fluoride to public water causes dental fluorosis and bone cancer.
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Walking cities

Walking cities. Madison, Wisconsin ranks as the best walking city in America. The American Podiatric Medical Association ranked cities for walking based on factors, such as percent of population that walks for exercise; parks per square mile; points of interest per square mile; and percent of athletic shoe buyers. Other high ranking cities include Austin, Texas, San Francisco, Charlotte and Seattle.
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Water consumption

Healthy water consumption. For good health, the recommended number of glasses of water per day is calculated as your weight divided by two then divided by eight. For example, at 170 lbs the recommend number of eight ounce glasses of water per day is about ten.
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Cholesterol

Cholesterol. Your body's total cholesterol level is a measurement of three protein lipids that circulate in the blood. Total cholesterol is the low-density lipo-protein (bad cholesterol LDL) count plus the high-density lipo-protein (good cholesterol HDL) count plus one-fifth of your body’s triglyceride count.
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Back pain

Back pain. The World Health Organization declared lower back pain an official epidemic in 2001. More than seventy percent of adults will experience back pain at some point of their lives. Back pain symptoms represent the second most common reason for doctor visits in the United States, according to a recent National Ambulatory Medical Care survey.
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August

August. 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 August: avocados, corn, cucumbers, grapes, okra, plums and tomatoes.
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