Mini workouts

Mini workouts. Several mini workouts can be as effective as one extended workout. For busy people it may be much easier to split a workout into several smaller sessions. Breaking up the day with several 10-minute workouts can wake you up and make you more productive during low energy parts of your day. Split exercise sessions may also make your workouts more efficient.
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Fatigue

Fatigue. Fatigue is a normal signal for your body to slow down. Persistent fatigue interferes with your daily life. Beside the normal causes of fatigue, other factors include depression, high stress, sleep deprivation, poor nutrition, alcohol use, allergies, medications, viral infections and chronic pain. Rid fatigue by getting enough sleep, exercise, stress management and good nutrition.
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Processed meat

Processed meat. Eating cured meats such as hot dogs, smoked turkey, bacon or salami may double your risk for lung disease, according to a recent Columbia University Medical Center study as published in Ladies Home Journal. Researchers believe the preservatives used in processing these meats may cause lung disease and damage lung tissue.
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Grapes

Grapes. At 100 calories per serving, grapes are loaded with nutritional value. Grapes contain Vitamins A, C, and B6, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, as well as fiber and protein. The nutrients found in grapes have been found to prevent a number of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and age-associated diseases like Alzheimer’s.
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Swimming

Swimming. The health benefits of swimming are almost unmatched by any other sport. Swimming works your whole body, improving cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength, endurance, posture, and flexibility, all at the same time. Your cardiovascular system in particular benefits because swimming improves your body’s use of oxygen without overworking your heart.
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Agonist and antagonist

Agonist and antagonist. An agonist muscle is generally the muscle we are exercising. An antagonist muscle is the opposing muscle and acts in contrast to the agonist. For example, the biceps and triceps muscles act as the agonist and antagonist muscles during a barbell curl weight lifting exercise.
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Colds

Colds. Cough and colds are most common during the winter months when indoor germs are contained and spread more easily. Use the following tips to avoid cough and cold: wash your hands often; avoid putting your hands near your eyes, nose and mouth; make sure shared items are cleaned frequently; get enough rest; drink more water; limit alcohol consumption; and eat healthy.
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Low sodium

Low sodium. Some foods are marketed and sold as “low in sodium”. The Food and Drug Administration defines the term "low sodium" as a food serving with less than 140 mg of salt per serving. Most Americans consume more than double the recommended daily amount of sodium (1,500 mg to 2,000 mg).
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Lactic acid

Lactic acid. Lactic acid is characterized as a muscle fuel. Muscle cells convert glucose to lactic acid, which is taken up and used as fuel by mitochondria, the energy factories in muscle cells. Increased muscle mitochondria allow athletes to burn more lactic acid, which makes muscles work harder and longer. Lactic acid was once considered a waste product.
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Coffee

Coffee. There are nearly 110 million regular coffee drinkers in the U.S. Some of the adverse health affects of drinking coffee include stained teeth, bad breath, increased stress level, and inducement of stomach problems. Some positive affects of coffee are short-term body stimulant, natural diuretic, and increased short-term memory retention.
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Incomplete protein

Incomplete protein. Our bodies need protein for good health. Incomplete proteins are labeled so because they lack the adequate essential amino acids found in complete proteins. Complete proteins are contained in foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products. Incomplete proteins are found in vegetables, beans and other plant products.
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Static stretching

Static stretching. This type of stretching consists of slowly moving into an extreme range of motion and holding that position for a certain amount of time. You stretch to the farthest point and hold the stretch. Static stretches are recommended for a workout cool down.
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Circuit training

Circuit training. Circuit training combines strength training exercises along with endurance exercises. Circuit's fast-paced methods are designed to work all muscle groups as well as heart and lungs. The term circuit represents the method's quick rotation of exercises.
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The President's Challenge

The President's Challenge. The President's Challenge encourages all Americans to make being active part of their everyday lives. Since 1966, the program has been motivating and rewarding kids, teens, adults and seniors to improve their lives through physical activity and fitness efforts. President Bush reinvigorated the initiative in 2002 with the President's Challenge Awards Program.
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Super Size Me

Super sized. The documentary film "Super Size Me" chronicles director and star Morgan Spurlock's one month exclusive diet of McDonalds food. Spurlock's 5,000 calorie per day diet results in drastically higher blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure, while affecting his psychological well-being. Spurlock gained 25 pounds. The film grossed nearly $29 million worldwide.
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Pilates

Pilates. The Pilates method is a physical fitness system that encourages the use of the mind to control the body's core postural muscles. Joseph Pilates developed the system as a rehabilitation program for returning World War I veterans. Pilates is one of the fastest growing exercise programs and is associated with improving core strength, flexibility and agility.
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Flu-free

Flu-free. The best way to prevent the flu is to get an annual flu vaccination. Almost two-thirds of the population is recommended to get the shot. This includes people over age fifty, children ages six-months to five years, people in close contact with children, people with chronic diseases, and health care workers.
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Take a break

Take a break. Taking breaks during an exercise regimen may burn more fat and yield more weight loss than not taking a break. According to a recent article in the Journal of Applied Physiology, Japanese researchers conducted the first known comparison between the two exercise methods and found taking a break in the middle of a workout metabolized more fat than exercising with no break.
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Vitamin D

Vitamin D. Vitamin D refers to a group of prohormones that regulate calcium and phosphorus levels in blood; promote bone formation; help regulate the parathyroid gland; and help the immune system. Food sources of Vitamin D include fish, such as salmon and mackerel, mushrooms, whole eggs and yeast. Natural sources include exposure to sunlight.
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