Medical blog » four

Four months of fitness and fun!

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:05:51 +0000

Pune’s
only international gym, Gold’s Gym, has a fabulous way to keep their
members motivated and keep the competitive spirit alive.
It has come up with a
programme called ‘body transformation’ for all the Gold’s Gyms
around the world, which has several fitness events for the contestants spread
over four months to ensure they get
results!
One such event was an
early morning run at the racecourse. All the participants were in great spirits
as they turned up at 7 am to do the laps. Guided by their body gurus, the
members Uppal Singh, Neelima Borawke, Alloysius and Poornima Singh were spotted
burning their calories and enjoying themselves while at
it.
At the end of four months,
one lucky winner from Pune will get to take home Rs 1 lakh and also stand a
chance to represent Gold’s Gym India at the Las Vegas convention in July
2009. With the excitement building up and some great fitness events in store for
the members, Gold’s Gym sure is ensuring people lose weight the fun
way!

Excerpt: 'The Four Day Diet'

admin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 08:38:47 +0000

Are you one of the many Americans who’ve tried diet after diet, just to end up putting the weight you’ve lost back on? Dr. Ian K. Smith, known for “The Fat Smash Diet” book and for being the diet expert on VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club,” has designed the “Four Day Diet,” a new weight-loss plan that he says helps you overcome the mental obstacles to weight loss by switching the foods you eat every four days.
Is it easy resisting temptation? Absolutely not, but this chapter will help you stay
resolved in the face of it. Let’s establish context first. Temptations are abundantly
and conveniently located throughout our environment. Whether it’s that expensive
designer scarf that you want so badly but know it’s beyond your budget,
eavesdropping on a conversation between an arguing couple at the table next to
yours, or a piece of double fudge chocolate cake—the temptations are endless.
The good news is that we are successful more times than not at resisting the
urges to indulge in these forbidden callings. So why do we lose on occasion and
give in to temptation? What happens late at night when you can’t stop yourself
from downing a handful of chocolate chip cookies or plucking off the lid to that
pint of butter pecan ice cream? It’s about the mind losing its competitive edge.
One way of thinking about temptation is as a fierce conflict, one that you
can win if you focus mentally and train properly. When it comes to resisting
temptation, your mind is locked in an epic battle with your anticipated sense
of physical satisfaction. Your body knows that buying that scarf, eavesdropping
on the juicy details of that argument, or biting into that double fudge
cake will produce a physical response of pleasure. Your challenge is to convince
yourself that the brief reward you get from the indulgence will be less
pleasurable than the reward you get from abstaining. In other words, you have to train your mind, strengthen it, and prepare it to recognize and seek the more
enduring pleasure—a pleasure that does not provide immediate gratification
but can be extremely satisfying over the long term.

Combine fun, fitness with these four Dallas workout groups

admin — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 00:47:25 +0000

Dallas workout groups combine fun, fitness
11:33 AM CST on Monday, January 12, 2009
By ELSA K. SIMCIK / Special Contributor to When it’s time to exercise, you could And if fun isn’t enough of a reason Seabourne believes that the group setting That camaraderie not only helps them during Feeling the urge to get in with a group but Elsa K. Simcik is a Dallas freelance writer.
Tina Flanders of North Dallas has been playing “I don’t like to go out and exercise,” says Flanders says her team doesn’t really hold About $150 for a new player, which includes a team fee, Women over 18.
The fall season is over, but registration for the and contact the new player coordinator, who can help place Paul Pinsukanjana of Uptown was skating solo on “It’s a great way to spend time with people that There’s no real commitment, but the club has $30 for an individual or $40 for a family.
Anybody. Some people even bring their kids, . Nonmembers are welcome to skate with the group a Lillian Rudd’s free-throw percentage used to be Rudd says she thoroughly enjoys playing The league, which consists of the Texas All About $25 per year to join one of the three teams but Women over 50, even those who’ve never played Call 972-230-4980 or just show up to practice at Jim Bjurman, 58, of North Richland Hills has been “I enjoy the fellowship and the chance to not talk It can be whatever you want it to be. In A membership at the Maverick is $49 per month or $39 .
Anybody can join the Maverick and even though the or call 817-275-3348. The Dallas Morning News
grab your iPod, head outside and go for a run. You might even consider it your “me time,” a chance to be alone with your own thoughts. But if you were to go to, let’s say, soccer practice for your workout or meet up with your inline skating club, you’d probably have more fun.
for you to join a group, you’d probably get a better workout too, according to Dr. Tom Seabourne, a fitness expert and director of exercise science at Northeast Texas Community College in Mount Pleasant. “It’s called social facilitation, and that means the mere presence of another person in the room will increase athletic performance in the way of strength and speed and power,” he says.
is motivating; people like to know that those around them are working hard too. “It’s kind of like that team effect. It’s not that the team is against the coach, but they have a common goal, someone to talk to about: ‘this coach or this instructor is working us really hard today,’ a common thread. A feeling of camaraderie, affiliation is what sports psychologists call it.”
their workout, says Seabourne, it also keeps them coming back. “A lot of people find that when they train with another person or in a group then they become friends with those folks,” he says. “That friendship keeps them together, working hard.”
not sure where to start? We’ve checked into a few local organizations and teams to find out who can play, what’s required and what makes their group so great.
soccer with NTWSA since 1978. As you’d expect, she’s pretty good. But don’t let the fact that her team plays (and wins) national tournaments or that she’s also a personal trainer intimidate you. “I didn’t touch a soccer ball until I was 21. Most of these people started when they were 4,” says Flanders, 53. While her team is competitive, the league has 13 levels with teams for beginners, too.
Flanders. “When it’s with a group it kind of forces you to work out. It’s so much fun.”
organized practices; they just play every Sunday. The amount of practice and play is up to each team. NTSWA has two seasons: fall and spring.
the new member fee, medical insurance, ID card and referee fees. The costs vary depending on how many people are on the team. Some teams even have sponsors to help cover their costs.
spring season will start the end of January. Go to
you on a team. And if you want to form your own team, they can help facilitate that, too.
the Katy Trail five years ago when he saw the Pegasus Flyers holding a skate clinic. “I thought, ‘that would be kind of fun to go skate with them,’” says Pinsukanjana, 42. Now he no longer skates solo, nor does he live solo; he met his wife, Melody, through the club.
you like,” says Pinsukanjana, who is VP of technology and business development for a start-up semiconductor company. “The people we skate with, they’re really great people, so we go skate in the morning on Saturday or Sunday and then we go have lunch together.”
regular “skates” several times a week including a competitive ride, a social skate through downtown, beginners’ night, a Saturday trail skate and a Sunday morning stroll.
Pinsukanjana says.
few times to try it out.
about 88, but she says now she usually makes 16 out of 25 (or 64 percent). That’s still an impressive record, especially considering she’s 92. Rudd, who lives in East Dallas, played basketball in high school but didn’t shoot hoops again until after her husband died 11 years ago. Since joining the team she’s played in four Senior Olympics and plans to compete again in August in San Francisco. “If I come out of it alive, I’ve done well,” she says.
basketball, but especially the fellowship.
Stars (ages 65+), the Texas Comets (ages 70+) and Texas Challenge (Rudd’s team at 80+) all practice together every Tuesday from 12:30-3 p.m. They play in exhibition games and tournaments around the state but not all players have to participate.
they welcome anyone who wants to practice for free a few times.
basketball. Rudd is always recruiting: “If I see somebody in the grocery store that I think looks like they can play, I ask them,” she says.
Park Cities Baptist Church at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays.
a familiar face on the Maverick’s racquetball courts since 1985. Bjurman comes most Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays to play his favorite sport. When he shows up during the week at 11 a.m., he usually sees the same group of guys. “We all look around and see how many people are available, how many courts are available and just organize ourselves,” he says.
about work, just talk about family, friends, those kinds of things,” says Bjurman, who is the CEO of Advantix Media, an advertising agency in Grapevine. He says the game keeps him engaged. “You don’t notice that the time flies,” he says.
addition to playing a few times a week for about an hour, Bjurman will sometimes play in tournaments, which the Maverick holds monthly.
per month for a year membership. Visitors can work out at the club for $10 and guests of members pay $5. They have a free one-time visitor’s pass on their Web site:
club has some exceptional racquetball players, Bjurman says, “You don’t have to be horribly skilled; you’re surrounded by four walls. With racquetball you can be of modest skill and still get a good workout.”

Four More Reasons To Drink Red Wine

admin — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 17:56:17 +0000

The heart-healthy beverage may also keep you from developing physical disabilities or Alzheimer’s Disease.
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – It’s common knowledge that a glass or two of red wine a night will do more than enhance a great meal or put you to sleep: it can reduce production of “bad” cholesterol, boost “good” cholesterol and reduce blood clotting, all of which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. But recent studies are showing that wine aficionados may also reap even more benefits, from inhibiting tumor development to helping form nerve cells. Here’s a roundup of four recent studies that might encourage you to uncork that bottle of merlot:
1. It Can Help Keep You Fit: For senior citizens who are already in shape, moderate alcohol intake can help prevent the development of physical disabilities, according to a new UCLA study in the American Journal of Epidemiology. (The National Institutes of Health recommends no more than one drink a day for women and two for men.) Researchers found that moderate drinkers in a national survey had a lower risk than heavy drinkers or abstainers of developing physical problems that impeded their abilities to walk or dress or groom themselves. But don’t take that as a cue to rest easy: the benefits only applied to seniors who were already in good health. Seniors in poor health may already be too close to developing disabilities for the wine to be of much use, researchers said.
2. It May Help Fight Alzheimer’s. In animal trials, UCLA researchers found that compounds known as polyphenols, which naturally occur in red wine, can inhibit the development of proteins that deposit in the brain and form the plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Polyphenols also are highly concentrated in tea, nuts, berries and cocoa, the researchers, who did the study with Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, reported in the November issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The polyphenols block the formation and decrease the toxicity of the Alzheimer’s-associated protein deposits, scientists found; they plan to start human clinical trials next.
3. It Boosts Heart-Healthy Omega 3 Levels. Moderate alcohol consumption helps boost the body’s omega-3 levels, European researchers report in the January issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The fatty acids are usually derived from fish and help protect against coronary heart disease, but people who consumed alcohol, especially wine, in moderation (one drink for women, two drinks for me) had higher omega-3 levels independent of their fish intake, the researchers found after studying populations in England, Belgium and Italy. They hypothesize that this effect is due in part to polyphenols as well.
4. It May Lower Lung Cancer Risk. Moderate consumption of red wine may decrease the risk of lung cancer in men, researchers reported in the October issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. Analyzing data collected from the California Men’s Health Study, they found that each glass of red wine consumed a month correlated with a 2 percent lower lung cancer risk. Men who drank one or two glasses of red wine a day saw a 60 percent reduced lung cancer risk. There were no similar benefits for white wine, beer or liquor drinkers, though, and smokers who drank red wine still, of course, had a higher lung-cancer risk than non-smokers.
www.Newsweek.com © 2009
www.HealthNewsDigest.com

HealthNewsDigest.com

One dead, four in hospital after Toronto shooting

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:23:54 +0000

“There were more than 10 (rounds),” said Staff-Sgt. Bob Skinner. “There were numerous rounds and it appears it was indiscriminate shooting into the tavern.”
The suspect was described as a white male, in his 20s, around six feet tall with brush cut-like dark hair and dark clothing. Police expected to receive specific identification information on the suspect from an eyewitness later this afternoon, said Skinner. If the suspect is not caught, Toronto police will issue a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest, he said.
The shooting, which occurred shortly after midnight, was witnessed by about a dozen people, police said.
Police compared the shooting death to that of Jane Creba, the 15-year-old gunned down by crossfire on Boxing Day in 2005. The second-degree murder trial of one of the suspects in Creba’s death is currently underway.

Four Car Wreck Sends Three to Hospital

admin — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 02:38:10 +0000

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. – A four car wreck on I-85 late Monday afternoon sent three people to the hospital and tied up traffic for nearly an hour and a half.
The wreck happened just after 5 p.m. in the northbound lane between White Horse and Augusta Roads.
Troopers say one of the drivers saw debris in the road and slowed down.
Two other drivers did the same, but another driver didn’t notice and slammed into the car in front of her.
That set off the chain reaction collision.
Several of those injured were trapped in their vehicles, and had to be freed by rescue crews.
The wreck brought traffic to a standstill in the northbound lane, but rubbernecking in the southbound lane also created a major back-up.
At one point, the crew hovering hundreds of feet above the wreck in Sky 4 reported the back-up stretched “as far as we can see.”
We’re told the the injuries sustained in the wreck appear not to be life threatening.
One driver was ticketed for driving too fast for conditions.

IPL Drugs Tribunal hearing on Asif adjourned for four weeks

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 23:33:13 +0000

Mumbai, Oct 10 (PTI) The day-long preliminary hearing of Pakistan and Delhi Daredevils pacer Mohammed Asif by the Indian Premier League’s Drugs Inquiry Tribunal here today was inconclusive and adjourned for four weeks amid question marks over the body’s jurisdiction in dealing with this case.
“Right through the day’s hearing the interim objections raised by Asif’s advocate (Shahid Karim) on the maintainability of the case by the Tribunal was taken up and I have reserved my order on it for four or five days,” said tribunal member and lawyer Shirish Gupte after the day’s proceedings at the Cricket Board’s headquarters here today.
Gupte said that Asif’s team, consisting of lawyer Karim and British Sports Medicine specialist Dr Michael Graham, objected that the IPL had no locus standi to decide on the case as there was another anti-doping authority to deal with it.
“Their objection is that the IPL Tribunal has no right to prosecute him or hear the case as there’s another anti-doping unit to deal with it,” said Gupte.
“Recording of evidence and witnesses will start after four weeks, probably on November 11, but the date has not been decided,” Gupte said.
The three-member IPL Tribunal is constituted by Gupte, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar and Dr Ravichandra Bapat, ex-vice chancellor of Mumbai University’s Health Sciences.
Asif was suspended by the Pakistan Cricket Board two months ago after he tested positive for a banned substance while playing in the IPL, held between April 18 and June 1, and his ‘B’ sample also showed up the same result.
He will face a two-year ban if found guilty. PTI

Four ways to beat the winter fitness blahs

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:00:12 +0000

estimates thatseasonal affective disorder (SAD) affects 4 to 6 percent of the general population with women outnumbering men four to one. The disorder becomes more common and severe the farther people are from the equator. Some treatments include light therapy and, recently, increased vitamin D consumption. Fish, eggs, fortified milk and cod liver oil all contain significant vitamin D, as doessunshine. Getting as little as 10 minutes of exposure a day is thought to be enough to prevent deficiencies. So taking your workout outside (even in the cold) could help if you feel depressed during the winter months.

Online Health Information Category Grows at Rate Four Times Faster …

admin — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:08:54 +0000

Top 10 Health Information Sites by Unique Visitors
July 2008 vs. July 2007
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore Media Metrix

Total Unique Visitors (000)
Jul-2007 Jul-2008 % Change

Total Internet: Total Audience 180,078 189,134 5
Health – Information 56,865 69,008 21
WebMD Health 16,829 17,277 3
Everyday Health 9,009 14,703 63
Revolution Health Network 4,014 11,329 182
AOL Health* 5,913 11,095 88
About.com Health 6,947 8,682 25
Yahoo! Health 7,445 8,496 14
MSN Health 8,833 7,813 -12
NIH.GOV 8,545 7,315 -14
RIGHTHEALTH.COM 2,424 6,160 154
Quality Health Network N/A 5,822 N/A

* Due to the transition of AOL Body to AOL Health in June 2008, the July
2007 AOL figures reported in the above chart are for AOL Body while the
July 2008 figures are for AOL Health.
Top 10 Health Information Publishers By Total Ad Views*
June 2008
Total U.S. – Home/Work/University Locations
Source: comScore Ad Metrix

Total Advertising
Display Share of Exposed Unique
Ad Views Display Ad Visitors Average
Publisher (MM) Views (000) Frequency

Health – Information 1,556 100.0% 53,556 29.0
WebMD Health 290 18.6% 14,992 19.3
Revolution Health Network 201 12.9% 8,320 24.1
AOL Health 186 12.0% 8,780 21.2
Everyday Health 154 9.9% 10,355 14.8
MSN Health 109 7.0% 7,751 14.1
About.com Health 98 6.3% 7,242 13.5
LIFESCRIPT.COM 92 5.9% 3,406 27.0
Weight Watchers
International 61 3.9% 1,962 31.0
Yahoo! Health 59 3.8% 7,902 7.5
AARP Sites 34 2.2% 1,696 20.3

* Excludes house ads and very small ads.

http://www.comscore.com

COMMIT TO FITNESS CHALLENGE: 2009 contest kicks off with four …

admin — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:26:23 +0000

The third Commit to Fitness Challenge will be no walk in the park for the four contestants chosen to compete, although there will be plenty of walking, not to mention stretching, running and lifting.
For three months Mike Dyer, Danielle Malaise, Neal Wallace and Jerry Whetstone will be pushed to their physical limits by fitness professionals from Anytime Fitness Altoona and quite possibly beyond.
Under the direction of Anytime Fitness Altoona owner Desiree Fletcher-Hayes and her staff, including club manager Chris Richter, contestants will receive free personal training and guidance at the club. Each participant is expected to train at least four days a week, but personal training sessions will gradually decrease from four times a week for the first two weeks to once a week in weeks seven and eight. From then on, the quartet will be expected to continue their workouts on their own.
The winner will receive a lifetime membership to Anytime Fitness. But all four will be given the grand prize: health and fitness habits and nutritional information they can carry with them for a lifetime.
Competitors will balance a rigorous training regimen with the idea that the surest way to victory and a lifetime of fitness and health is with a safe diet, slow and steady weight loss and weight management.
There is no finish line in fitness, Fletcher-Hayes said. It is a lifetime journey.
New to the contest this year is Elizabeth Westermeyer, dietician at Hy-Vee Altoona. Westermeyer will coach contestants on good nutritional tips and help them develop shopping habits that will make sure theyre buying the right foods.
To help them stay on track, competitors will be required to keep a daily nutrition journal. Theyll log everything they eat and drink, how much of each, and how they felt at the time hungry/thirsty, happy, sad, bored, and so on so they have an idea if theyre submarining their diets with emotional eating and empty calories.
While each of the four contestants has their own respective reasons for competing and their own goals theres one thing that drew each to the contest: help.
I needed help. I knew I couldnt do this on my own so this seemed like a good opportunity to get the help I needed and do what I want, Malaise, 34, of Pleasant Hill said.
Malaise and her husband, Curtis, have two kids and she finds it hard to keep up with them.
I cant run after them or do very much for very long before Im done, sitting back in a chair again, she said.
Wallace, 41, of Altoona, said hes tried to get fit on his own, with no real success.
I needed something to drive me to lose the weight, he said. Being as competitive as I am on some things, I just figured it was a great opportunity to both cut weight and have a little fun and competition.
Whetstone, chief of the Altoona Fire Department, suffered a stroke in October of 2006, has seen unwanted pounds build up since then. He said he wants to be in better shape by the time he turns 50 in March, which happens to be around the end of the contest.
The past couple of years Ive been putting weight on and its been going on a lot easier than its coming off, he said.
I transport people with weight problems and I see the problems that they have. You wonder if people didnt weigh this much would they have the health problems some do? You just dont know.
Dyer wants to prove to himself and others that a little commitment to health and fitness can go a long way.
I dont have anybody specific that Im trying to mentor or anything like that, he said, but if I can prove that I can do this then maybe other people that are in the same position that I am would think they could do it as well.
Readers can follow the contest weekly in the Herald-Index. Along with thoughts from each contestant, Westermeyer and the Anytime Fitness Altoona staff will be providing occasional nutrition and fitness tips that everyone not just those in the contest can follow.
Herald-Index readers will also be given a chance to vote for a winner as the end of the contest nears. Look for more information about online voting in future issues of the Herald-Index.