Newsweek has an article this week called 7 Silly Get in shape Gimmicks. The list is strange and includes the following:

Weighted Hula Hooping
Strippercise
The Bodyblade
Cirque du Soleil-Inspired “Aerial Aerobics.”
Wind-Relieving Asana
Wii Fit Ski-Jump
Dorm Room Workouts

So what do you see in all of these different faux-exercises? Well to me it looks like they are all bad ideas that are an extension on something good. Yoga is good, stripping may be good exercise, the Wii is good exercise when done correctly and of course the hula hoop is fun and helps your core strength. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: Newsweek

Going to the gym is supposed to be good for your health, but if you don’t take the proper precautions, it may have the opposite effect. Newsweek has an article about germs and gyms that gives some great tips. Germs can lurk on any surface, from exercise equipment to the spigot on the water fountain, and locker rooms are ideal places for bacteria and fungi to thrive. But you can lower your risk of catching other gymgoers’ germs—and with them the risk of catching a cold, athlete’s foot, or even the potentially deadly staph infection methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (or MRSA). Portland, Ore., sports medicine internist Dr. Carol Otis offers these tips:

Cover any breaks in the skin. Normal, unbroken skin can’t be invaded. But when a skin break—even one as minor as a small scratch or the raw skin characteristic of psoriasis— comes in contact with an infected surface, MRSA and other bacteria can worm their way in. The earliest danger signs: pimplelike red bumps or boils. To protect yourself, put a band-aid on any cuts, abrasions or blisters. And don’t shave immediately before a workout to avoid being in the locker room with cuts and scratches. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: athlete, athlete's foot, blister, blisters, Carol Otis, Clean exercise equipment, cuts, exercise equipment, Newsweek, Oregon, Portland, psoriasis, Sports Medicine, sports medicine internist, staph infection

Michelle Kwon wrote this article about the history and benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar. I thought you may be interested in this as well.

In addition to being a tasty, low-calorie dressing, apple cider vinegar could be a miracle elixir for melting away fat, boosting the immune system and even restoring arthritic joints.

What is Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is an old folk remedy claimed to be beneficial in treating . a list of ailments. It’s thought to guard against osteoporosis, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, heal infection, assist in digestion, and relieve everything from headaches to heartburn and hay fever.

It is still not known why apple cider vinegar provides benefits. Some proponents say it is due to its enzymes, minerals such as potassium, phosphorus, fluorine, silicon, trace minerals and pectin. Yet research shows that it actually only contains very slight amounts of these. Others say its natural malic and tartaric acids help fight body toxins and inhibit unfriendly bacteria.

Though nothing has been clinically proven, researchers can’t discount the myriad of accounts of healing that have been collected throughout history. The qualities of apple cider vinegar have been known for thousands of years. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, used it as an antibiotic and antiseptic in 400 BC. It was used in Biblical times as a healing agent and is mentioned in the Bible. In Paris in the Middle Ages it was sold from barrels by street vendors as a body deodorant and health drink.

Even Christopher Columbus had it on his voyage to discover America in 1492 in order to prevent scurvy. In 1820, poet Lord Byron made the vinegar and water diet popular. During the US Civil War, soldiers used it as a treatment for pneumonia and indigestion. It was also used to treat wounds during World War 1. For centuries in Japan, Samurai warriors drank it for strength. The vinegar is now officially recognized in Japan as functional food because it is said to stimulate bifidus bacteria in the bowel, contributing to gastrointestinal health.

This conclusion was also reached by popular 1950s author DC Jarvis, who advised those with GI problems to consume a tonic with each meal to destroy harmful bacteria in the gut. His book Folk Medicine praised apple cider vinegar as the solution for ailments including chronic fatigue and fat reduction. He declared that cider vinegar tonic would reduce body fat because it caused fat to be burned instead of stored.

But what about the Apple Cider Vinegar science?

Read the rest of this entry »

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