You love your gym for a number of reasons: it's conveniently located; you always leave feeling refreshed after a long day; and, just admit it, you like being among the toned bodies. Ah, but here comes summer full of sunshine and warm breezes, beckoning you outside and away from the air-conditioned warehouse you call your second home.
Just because you're trading gym time for blue skies doesn't mean you have to give up trying to be a hard body. In fact, there are many outdoor activities that mimic gym workouts while yielding added benefits. Trees, mountains, rivers and lakes will revitalize you in ways that wall-to-wall mirrors can't.
Clyde Soles, author of the book Training for Peak Performance knows this all too well. "While elliptical machines, treadmills, and spinning bikes are OK if there are no alternatives, getting outside is always better," Soles says. As a prolific climber and expedition leader (as well as the founder of Trail Runner magazine), Soles has perfected the outdoor fitness regimen.
We asked Soles to name five favorite activities that would keep anyone in shape outside of a gym.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Going to Extremes for Fitness
The weather’s nice, your muscles are twitching for activity, and you just happen to have a little free time. Cool. So, how about running 135 miles? Or swimming around the entire island of Manhattan? Not good enough? There’s always pedaling your mountain bike in the desert for 24 hours straight.
Think we’re kidding? If only. While most “normal” people engage in “normal” fitness activities like running through the neighborhood, cycling or skating along the waterfront, or taking weekly spinning/yoga classes at the gym, there exist some hardy—many would say borderline insane—folks on the outer athletic fringe who regularly push their bodies to the extreme limits, all for the fun of it. Traditional triathlons and marathons are considered tame.
The adventure-racing revolution is upon us. Gone are the days of bragging about being king of the company-picnic relay race. Even Bruce Jenner, once the vanguard of all-around athleticism, seems a distant memory. Today’s extreme fitness athletes aren’t satisfied until they conquer the elements, trail-run straight up an impossible peak, kayak down a raging whitewater staircase, pedal through a swamp of mud, or navigate through a thick rainforest, all while risking life and limb for the glory of the post-exercise endorphin rush.
What drives these fitness warriors? Why isn’t exercise merely a walk in the park for them? Sports psychiatrist Dr. Robb Gaffney of the University of California at Davis, himself a noted film-star extreme skier, says it may not be a matter of people wanting to push their limits, but having to.
“Some extreme athletes may have more of a genetic loading, having inherited genes which predispose them to seeking high-risk activities,” notes Gaffney, who recently co-authored a study on physical thrill seekers. “Others may have more of a developmental loading, meaning their past has shaped their current thrill-seeking or extreme behaviors. The end result for both groups is a feeling of need to participate in these sorts of activities to develop a sense of satisfaction or well being.”
If you fit the above description, you probably don’t need a shrink. Just train hard, eat well, and find the right outlet for your skills and energy. You may even want to consider the following selected events:
Badwater Ultramarathon—Death Valley to Mt. Whitney
http://www.badwaterultra.com/
The name alone suggests illness. Not only is the running course 135 miles long, it gains more than 8,000 feet of elevation, beginning in Death Valley at -280’ and ending at 8360’ on the slope of the lower 48’s tallest mountain. As if that isn’t tough enough, the race takes place in the middle of July when temperatures in eastern California regularly push 110 degrees. Can you say sick?
Xterra Triathlon Series
http://www.xterraplanet.com/race/championship_world.html
There are triathlons, and then there are triathlons. The Xterra series takes place all year long in dozens of locales, leading up to USA and World Championship events in the fall. Often called off-road or wilderness triathlons, segments involve mountain biking, trail running, lake/river swimming, and more. Courses are often wild and strewn with natural obstacles. Not for the faint of heart—or city slickers.
24 Hours of Moab
http://grannygear.com/Races/Moab/index.shtml
As endurance events go, this mountain biking race in the southern Utah desert is top dog. Teams of two, four, or five relay around the clock on a lapped course that includes 1,000 vertical feet of climbing, sketchy downhill sections, and long stretches of sand, all set in an otherworldly moonscape terrain. If you’re feeling especially sadistic, register for the solo division. And don’t forget to bring your headlamp. We did say around the clock.
28.5 Mile Manhattan Island Marathon Swim
http://www.nycswim.com/Event/Event.aspx?Event_ID=1702
Go big or go home was never so apt. Competitors swim around the entire island of Manhattan in 10 hours or less, navigating waters usually reserved for cruise ships and tankers. Participants are warned of “chop in the water from wind and tide action,” and oh yeah, “there may be random flotsam and jetsam in the waterway.” Our tip: don’t swallow.
The Southern Traverse, New Zealand
http://www.southerntraverse.com/
One of the granddaddies of adventure racing, the Southern Traverse is a grueling, six-day multi-sport race in which teams from across the globe brave the waves, mountains, forests, canyons, and harsh weather of New Zealand’s rugged and pristine West Coast. Adding to the challenge—the course remains a secret until the night before the race begins. Those Kiwis never do anything easy.
Flex With Flair
Find more:
Stretch For More Strength
Become A Better Athlete
Treat and Prevent Sports Injuries
Before your next pickup game, try this sports-specific stretching technique from John Cone, M.S., C.S.C.S., a soccer-training specialist in North Carolina. Because each move progresses to a new stretch, your muscles transition more easily from low to full-speed movements, a shift that fuels sports injury.
1. Bend forward so your hands touch the ground, and "walk" your hands out. Make sure your knees are behind your hips and your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. Then straighten your legs and spine. Hold for 3 seconds.
2. Pick up your head and bring your right leg forward into a lunge position. Your right knee should be directly above your right heel. Press your hips down and keep your hands on the ground inside your right foot. Hold for 3 seconds.
3. Lift your torso so that your spine is straight, interlock your fingers, and press your hands overhead. Then slightly arch your back and hold for 3 seconds. Repeat the stretching circuit, this time lunging with your left leg.
The combo targets six different muscle groups.
Provided by Men's Health
Fitness: Make It a Family Affair
Do you like your job and love raising a family, but wish you have time to take up a new sport — or enjoy your old favorites? Feel frustrated because there never seems to be enough time to get out there and get your mojo moving? Here's a novel concept: Take the fam with you on your quest for exercise.
Incorporating your partner and children into an active lifestyle can be one of the biggest favors you'll do for any of you. As the American Medical Association points out, "Fitness that begins in childhood is a lifelong investment." In addition, studies show that children who are more involved in fitness at a young age tend to pursue healthier lifestyles throughout their lives.
One caution with any physically strenuous activity: Youngsters often tire, dehydrate, overheat and drop core temperature more quickly than expected. Keeping an eye to these vital signs while enjoying your conditioning time together will ensure safe and fun exercising.
With that in mind, consider one (or all) of the possible activities here as options in your pursuit of a healthier, happier family:
Let it snow, let it snow. If you have fond memories of snowball fights, sledding down crazy hills, building snowmen and igloos, then it's high time to turn your kids on to your fun of yesteryear. Hauling a sled uphill is great cardio, and building with snow can be excellent resistance training.
Children as young as six can enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and you can bundle up a wee one in your baby backpack or tow him or her behind in a special sled so all can savor a winter wonderland.
Reach for the stars. One of the newest sports to sweep America is rock climbing and, conveniently enough, you don't even need a real rock to experience it. Many gyms have added climbing walls and newer gyms may be built specifically around this feature. Definitely more challenging than a Sunday stroll, climbing is a total body workout that utilizes many of the major muscle groups. Most gyms accommodate a wide range of ages; some even offer family packages and host special family days.
Flippers 'n' fins. Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you can't swim to your heart's content. Indoor pools abound at local recreation centers and gyms; so call around to find good family-use packages. Swimming builds stamina, general strength and cardio fitness and is very low impact for those who have had former sports injuries. Whether you're working on water ballet with your baby or brushing up on the butterfly stroke with your teen, your body will thank you for the regular workout.
Park it. Weather permitting, camping, hiking and simple scenic walks in local parks are fantastic and inexpensive ways to exercise with your kids and to teach them to appreciate Mother Nature up close and personal. Why not take adavantage of some great outdoor escapes in your neck of the woods? If you want to hit the trails together on a larger scale, many of the National parks have family programs, as do local and state park systems.
Remember, family time doesn't always have to center around the remote control. Get outside and get your blood pumping together — you may create some lasting memories as well as a lifelong habit of staying in shape.
Incorporating your partner and children into an active lifestyle can be one of the biggest favors you'll do for any of you. As the American Medical Association points out, "Fitness that begins in childhood is a lifelong investment." In addition, studies show that children who are more involved in fitness at a young age tend to pursue healthier lifestyles throughout their lives.
One caution with any physically strenuous activity: Youngsters often tire, dehydrate, overheat and drop core temperature more quickly than expected. Keeping an eye to these vital signs while enjoying your conditioning time together will ensure safe and fun exercising.
With that in mind, consider one (or all) of the possible activities here as options in your pursuit of a healthier, happier family:
Let it snow, let it snow. If you have fond memories of snowball fights, sledding down crazy hills, building snowmen and igloos, then it's high time to turn your kids on to your fun of yesteryear. Hauling a sled uphill is great cardio, and building with snow can be excellent resistance training.
Children as young as six can enjoy snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, and you can bundle up a wee one in your baby backpack or tow him or her behind in a special sled so all can savor a winter wonderland.
Reach for the stars. One of the newest sports to sweep America is rock climbing and, conveniently enough, you don't even need a real rock to experience it. Many gyms have added climbing walls and newer gyms may be built specifically around this feature. Definitely more challenging than a Sunday stroll, climbing is a total body workout that utilizes many of the major muscle groups. Most gyms accommodate a wide range of ages; some even offer family packages and host special family days.
Flippers 'n' fins. Just because it's cold outside doesn't mean you can't swim to your heart's content. Indoor pools abound at local recreation centers and gyms; so call around to find good family-use packages. Swimming builds stamina, general strength and cardio fitness and is very low impact for those who have had former sports injuries. Whether you're working on water ballet with your baby or brushing up on the butterfly stroke with your teen, your body will thank you for the regular workout.
Park it. Weather permitting, camping, hiking and simple scenic walks in local parks are fantastic and inexpensive ways to exercise with your kids and to teach them to appreciate Mother Nature up close and personal. Why not take adavantage of some great outdoor escapes in your neck of the woods? If you want to hit the trails together on a larger scale, many of the National parks have family programs, as do local and state park systems.
Remember, family time doesn't always have to center around the remote control. Get outside and get your blood pumping together — you may create some lasting memories as well as a lifelong habit of staying in shape.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
America’s Healthiest Grocery Stores
From superfresh local produce to on-site dietitians, these 10 standout supermarket chains are leading the way to healthier food shopping. And surprise: Many are the traditional, affordable grocers close to your home!
Let’s face it: Your weekly (or daily!) run to the grocery store is the foundation for your good health. So it’s thrilling news that the supermarket industry is on a health kick—these days you’ll likely find organic produce and “natural” packaged foods at almost any store you go to. But which chains are outdoing themselves to deliver the freshest and healthiest foods to you? And which ones provide the best tools to help you make smart choices? We asked six prominent health experts (see “Meet our Judges”) to help us pick the top 10 healthiest grocery stores out of the nation’s largest chains. Here are the true standouts. Happy, healthy shopping! View the winners in this slideshow.
Watch senior food and nutrition editor Frances Largeman-Roth explain how we chose our top 10.
Let’s face it: Your weekly (or daily!) run to the grocery store is the foundation for your good health. So it’s thrilling news that the supermarket industry is on a health kick—these days you’ll likely find organic produce and “natural” packaged foods at almost any store you go to. But which chains are outdoing themselves to deliver the freshest and healthiest foods to you? And which ones provide the best tools to help you make smart choices? We asked six prominent health experts (see “Meet our Judges”) to help us pick the top 10 healthiest grocery stores out of the nation’s largest chains. Here are the true standouts. Happy, healthy shopping! View the winners in this slideshow.
Watch senior food and nutrition editor Frances Largeman-Roth explain how we chose our top 10.
Top 3 Problems
The average doctor’s appointment lasts a paltry 10 minutes, a visit so brief it’s easy for your doc to forget to do some important checking.
Here are three health issues that medical experts say should never be skipped or ignored.
#1 Earwax:Sometimes the gooey stuff gets impacted, which can lead to pain or hearing loss. When your doc routinely checks your ears, ask about earwax. And remember: Sticking a swab in your ear often causes impaction.
#2 Moles:Any mole should be looked at during an annual checkup, because it’s crucial to catch skin cancer early. Make sure you and your doc are paying attention, and see a derm for a complete exam if you have concerns.
#3 Oral Cancer: The human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer, is responsible for about 25% of oral cancer cases. (Blame oral sex.) Ask your dentist for a five-minute oral cancer screening at each checkup.
Here are three health issues that medical experts say should never be skipped or ignored.
#1 Earwax:Sometimes the gooey stuff gets impacted, which can lead to pain or hearing loss. When your doc routinely checks your ears, ask about earwax. And remember: Sticking a swab in your ear often causes impaction.
#2 Moles:Any mole should be looked at during an annual checkup, because it’s crucial to catch skin cancer early. Make sure you and your doc are paying attention, and see a derm for a complete exam if you have concerns.
#3 Oral Cancer: The human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer, is responsible for about 25% of oral cancer cases. (Blame oral sex.) Ask your dentist for a five-minute oral cancer screening at each checkup.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
What is mental health?
Overcoming Anger
The Art of Resilience
Understand Your Sources of Stress
Optimism and Your Health
Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. Mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, procure a balance between life activities, and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.
The Art of Resilience
Understand Your Sources of Stress
Optimism and Your Health
Mental health is a term used to describe either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. Mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life, procure a balance between life activities, and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.
breaking the addiction.What is Addiction?
Beyond 12 Steps
Treating Teenagers’ Drug Habits An addiction is a recurring compulsion to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life. The term is often reserved for drug, alcohol and nicotine addictions but is also applied to other compulsions such as compulsive overeating.
The Truth About Painkillers
Kicking the Smoking Habit
Treating Teenagers’ Drug Habits An addiction is a recurring compulsion to engage in some specific activity, despite harmful consequences to the individual's health, mental state or social life. The term is often reserved for drug, alcohol and nicotine addictions but is also applied to other compulsions such as compulsive overeating.
The Truth About Painkillers
Kicking the Smoking Habit
common questions.What are allergies?
Are Allergies Different in the Spring?
Allergies: Facts vs. Fiction
Are Food Allergies on the Rise?
What's the Link Between Asthma and Allergies?
An allergic reaction is an overreaction of the immune system to a substance called an allergen. Allergens include chemicals, foods, medicines, mold, plants, and pollen. Symptoms of an allergic reaction can range from mild and annoying to severe and life-threatening.
Food Allergies
Drug Allergies
Insect Sting Allergies
Hay Fever
Peanut Allergies
What is HIV? What is AIDS?
HIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, the body’s natural defense system. The last stage of HIV infection is AIDS. Even without treatment, it takes a long time for HIV to progress to AIDS—usually 10 to 12 years. If HIV is diagnosed before it becomes AIDS, medicines can slow or stop the damage to the immune system. risk and treatment
How HIV Spreads: Myths and Facts
Current Treatment Options
What's the Best HIV Test?
Reducing STD Risk
4Ways Women Are Different From Men
Despite the obvious differences between men and women, we're only beginning to learn how the sexes differ in terms of health and disease. Until recently, most medical research focused on men and often didn't consider gender differences. We're learning more every year, but here are four important things that you and the women in your life need to know right now.
1. Your brain
The good news for women is that they live, on average, five years longer than men. The bad news is that with extra longevity comes increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The majority of people living with Alzheimer's are women, and more than twice as many women die from it as men. We don't know all the causes of the disease, but there are steps you can take to keep your brain healthy.
Exercise your mind and your body. Studies show that physical and mental activity may improve brain health. Mental exercises that draw on memory and reasoning have even been shown to reverse some of the signs of aging in the brain.
Eat fish or take a fish-oil supplement. The omega-3 fats found in fish and fish oil are linked with better brain health. Choose oily fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, and mackerel. Chunk-light tuna is preferable to albacore or sushi, because it usually contains fewer contaminants, such as mercury.
Manage your mood. Anxiety, worry, anger, and depression have been linked with higher rates of cognitive impairment. If you're feeling stressed or down, don't ignore the problem. Talk with a friend or get outdoors and move your body. If that doesn't help, talk with your doctor or a trained counselor
1. Your brain
The good news for women is that they live, on average, five years longer than men. The bad news is that with extra longevity comes increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and dementia. The majority of people living with Alzheimer's are women, and more than twice as many women die from it as men. We don't know all the causes of the disease, but there are steps you can take to keep your brain healthy.
Exercise your mind and your body. Studies show that physical and mental activity may improve brain health. Mental exercises that draw on memory and reasoning have even been shown to reverse some of the signs of aging in the brain.
Eat fish or take a fish-oil supplement. The omega-3 fats found in fish and fish oil are linked with better brain health. Choose oily fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies, herring, and mackerel. Chunk-light tuna is preferable to albacore or sushi, because it usually contains fewer contaminants, such as mercury.
Manage your mood. Anxiety, worry, anger, and depression have been linked with higher rates of cognitive impairment. If you're feeling stressed or down, don't ignore the problem. Talk with a friend or get outdoors and move your body. If that doesn't help, talk with your doctor or a trained counselor
High Blood Fat Levels Common in Americans
MONDAY, March 23 (HealthDay News) -- Many Americans have higher-than-recommended levels of the blood fats called triglycerides, and most aren't making the lifestyle changes necessary to bring those levels down, a study finds.
"Clearly, the focus in this country has been on cholesterol levels," said Dr. Earl S. Ford, with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lead author of a report in the March 23 Archives of Internal Medicine. "But there are a fair number of studies that suggest that triglycerides have a role in cardiovascular disease."
While just about everyone knows about the link between cholesterol and heart disease, few Americans seem concerned about triglycerides, which are the most common kind of fats in the body -- and in food.
Triglyceride levels aren't nearly as big a concern as cholesterol levels. While the journal report states that, "increasing evidence supports triglyceride concentration as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease," the report also hedges that a bit, saying, "if triglycerides are indeed a risk factor."
Nonetheless, the National Cholesterol Education Program offers a list of recommendations about blood triglyceride levels: that they are best kept under 150 milligrams per deciliter; considered borderline high between 150 and 199 milligrams per deciliter; and deemed high at 200 or greater.
Data on 5,610 Americans in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys between 1999 and 2004 found that 33.1 percent of them had borderline high triglyceride levels; 17.9 percent had readings of 200 or higher; 1.7 percent came in at 500 or higher; and 0.4 percent were at 1,000 or higher, the study found.
Use of three triglyceride-lowering drugs was limited, with 2.6 percent of those in the borderline high group and 3.6 percent of those in the 200-and-higher group taking them. The drugs -- gembifrozil, niacin and fenofibrate --are also prescribed to raise levels of HDL cholesterol, the "good" kind that helps prevent artery blockage.
That may be just as well, Ford said. "Unlike LDL cholesterol, where we have all kinds of trials showing the benefits of statins against cardiovascular disease, there is not as strong a database for triglycerides," he said. "Until we get stronger evidence of benefit, drug treatment of triglycerides remains a little uncertain. Whether taking these drugs will reduce cardiovascular disease is unclear."
So the recommended treatment for elevated triglyceride levels is the kind of lifestyle recommended for high cholesterol levels, Ford said. Indeed, survey participants with high triglyceride levels tended to be overweight, inactive and smoke.
Losing weight, getting exercise, eating low-fat foods and giving up smoking apply to triglycerides as well, Ford said. An additional recommendation is to reduce consumption of alcohol, which promotes triglyceride production by the liver.
Dr. Stephen Nicholls, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, believes that triglycerides may deserve more scrutiny by physicians. "Many doctors are not sure about how aggressive they should be in treating elevated triglycerides," he said. "There are always other issues, such as obesity and smoking, involved. But we are understanding more and more that looking after triglycerides is important in providing heart care. If you look at large populations, those with high levels of triglycerides always do worse."
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