Go For Swimming For Your Health and Welfare

If you are hunting for an activity which is beneficial as well enjoyable to perform, then swimming is the ideal choice. Swimming is one of the widely performed and universal forms of exercise. Regardless of gender and age, people can engage themselves in swimming. It is also an economic mode of leisureliness as individuals can easily perform swimming without having to spend any large amount of cash on it. There are many commercial establishments like clubs and resorts, which allow …

Expert: Athletes must protect against heat stroke, cramps

Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and potentially fatal heat stroke are risks when exercising or playing sports during the summer, but they can be prevented by taking a few simple precautions, advises a Medical College of Georgia expert. Heat illness occurs when the body loses its ability to cool itself, Tim McLane, a certified athletic trainer at the MCGHealth Sports Medicine Center, said in a news release from MCGHealth. In normal conditions, the body uses sweat evaporation to cool itself during exercise. But hot, humid weather hinders sweat evaporation, which increases the risk of heat illness, he explained. ADVICE: Know symptoms, steps to avoid heat stroke, dehydration HYPERTHERMIA: More kids die in hot cars; parents forget them HEAT: Brings danger for elderly…

Guidelines suggest ways to minimize the risk of high-altitude sickness

While planning my dream vacation — a seven-day, 60-mile round-trip hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro — I couldn’t help but wonder how my body would hold up under African skies. It wasn’t the warnings about contaminated water or disease-carrying mosquitoes in Tanzania that concerned me most. It was the oxygen — or, more precisely, the lack of it. I’m not usually a worrier. But my concerns about high-altitude illness — particularly its most severe forms, cerebral and …

Including time for rest in a workout routine can help fitness goals

If you’re like me, you may be looking at some upcoming vacation and thinking: I wonder how many extra workouts I can squeeze into all that free time? This Story Breaking for a better workout More Fitness and Nutrition News Previous MisFits columns Bad idea. Instead, stop and remember why you tear yourself away from work for a few weeks each year: to rest. Rest, in its various forms, is critical to your fitness program. Skip your days off or easy days to cram in extra exercise, and you risk injury, burnout or setbacks in reaching your goals, experts say. “Even God rested for one day,” says my sister-in-law, Tamie DiNolfo,a…

Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals: What makes him a great pitcher?

What makes Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg such a great pitcher? The 22-year-old can throw triple-digit fastballs while guiding the ball to an exact spot in, or not quite in, the strike zone. His curveballs seem to fall off a cliff. His changeup — a slower pitch, meant to confuse the batter — clips along at 89 mph, the speed of some pitchers’ fastballs. This Story The Strasburg strikeout: How does he do it? Stephen Strasburg: The pitch A Star Is Born, Part I: Stephen Strasburg’s journey: Blending in, standing out A Star Is Born, Part II: Stephen Strasburg’s journey: Strasburg in the center of a storm A Star Is Born, Part III: Stephen …

Quick Study: Testosterone supplement may have cardiovascular risks for older men

TESTOSTERONE For older men, supplementation may have cardiovascular risks THE QUESTION Testosterone supplementation has been shown to build muscle and strength in older men, who often experience a drop in this male hormone. But does it do the same if the men are not fully healthy? THIS STUDY involved 209 men, who averaged 74 years old and had low testosterone levels and mobility problems. High blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, high levels of blood fats and heart disease were also common in the group. They were randomly assigned to apply a testosterone gel (Testim) or a placebo gel daily. After six months, …

A new direction in the Me Minus 10 weight-loss challenge

I weigh 133 pounds. I never thought I’d be able to say that. It’s by far the least I’ve weighed in my adult life. It’s a bit less than my Me Minus 10 goal of 135. And, man, it feels good. This Story One goal down, another one to go Weight-Loss Journeys: Show us before-and-after photos of your weight-loss triumphs The Checkup: Me Minus 10: Keeping the change When I set out in February to lose 10 pounds (and keep it off …

Acupuncture may trigger natural painkiller

The needle pricks involved in acupuncture may help relieve pain by triggering a natural painkilling chemical called adenosine, a new study has found. The researchers also believe they can enhance acupuncture’s effectiveness by coupling the process with a well-known cancer drug — deoxycoformycin — that maintains adenosine levels longer than usual. “Acupuncture has been a mainstay of medical treatment in certain parts of the world for 4,000 years, but because it has not been understood completely, many people have remained skeptical,” lead author Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, co-director of the Center for Translational Neuromedicine at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said in a news release. “In this work, we provide information about one physical mechanism through which acupuncture reduces pain in …

Plastic surgeons provide a fine-looking model of success at gathering

The first thing you notice at a convention of plastic surgeons is how attractive everyone is, or at least looks. These doctors — most are men, but there are a few women, too — are walking advertisements for their own profession. Well-dressed and impeccably groomed, they have a certain glow. Some of them will tell you: They’ve had a little work done themselves. Either way, these surgeons cut fine figures, so to speak. The barons of Botox, the lords of liposuction, some 2,000 strong, have been meeting for the past few days at the…

Calorie-heavy snacks help push childhood obesity rate up

Lately, my 4-year-old’s favorite refrain is, “Mom, I need a snack!” with an extreme emphasis on the need, occasionally accompanied by a funny little dance meant to express the true urgency of the situation. And regardless of how I feel about his constant nibbling, it seems that society is only too happy to oblige: He has snack breaks during school, soccer class, birthday parties and play dates, while special events such as the movies or a baseball game are associated with popcorn and “treats,” too. Eli isn’t the only kid after more cookies, chips, cheese sticks and granola bars. …

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