Do You Need a Prescription for Exercise?

People who lead sedentary lifestyles could benefit from a medically prescribed, slow and progressive approach to physical fitness, one Mayo Clinic researcher argues.

Physical inactivity should be treated as a medical condition, rather than simply a cause or a byproduct of other medical conditions, Michael Joyner, MD, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., writes in a position paper in this month's Journal of Physiology.

Americans spend about 10 hours a day participating in sedentary activities, from sitting at a computer to watching television to driving, the U.S. Census Bureau reports. All that couch time is widely seen as a great health threat — one recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine even linked sitting to a higher risk of all-cause mortality. (The more hours per day you spend sitting, the worse your health outlook, the study reported.) Numerous studies have found a correlation between sitting and cancer risk, diabetes, heart disease, and more chronic conditions.

“I would argue that physical inactivity is the root cause of many of the common problems that we have,” Joyner says in a release. “If we were to medicalize it, we could then develop a way, just like we’ve done for addiction, cigarettes and other things, to give people treatments, and lifelong treatments, that focus on behavioral modifications and physical activity. And then we can take public health measures, like we did for smoking, drunken driving and other things, to limit physical inactivity and promote physical activity.”

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How Fit Are You? A Fitness Test for Adults

Simple fitness tests – most of which you can do at home – will clue you in to your heart strength, balance, and flexibility and give you a blueprint for improvement.

You owe it to yourself to make fitness a priority. Physical fitness can help prevent more than 40 chronic diseases including potential killers such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, hypertension, and even cancer.

But how do you know whether you're fit? Your overall fitness is a measure of four physical abilities — endurance, strength, balance, and flexibility — and body composition or body mass index (BMI). BMI tracks height and weight only while a body composition test, which calculates your fat and lean muscle mass, is an excellent indicator of overall fitness. For a more hands-on approach, try these personal trainer-approved fitness tests to see how you stack up.

Endurance and Cardiovascular Fitness Tests
Your endurance level reflects the health of your cardiovascular system — your heart, lungs, and circulatory system.

The VO2 Max Test: When you exercise intensely, you'll eventually reach a point when your body cannot breathe any harder to keep up. That's your VO2 max — the milliliters of oxygen used in one minute per kilogram of body weight (ml/kg/min). The more oxygen that circulates throughout your body when you exercise, the fitter you are. This is a test endurance exercisers might want to determine how much oxygen they use during intense workouts, says Mario Serban, co-founder of the LA Training Room in Los Angeles and trainer of Dancing With the Stars contestants. Because the VO2 max test requires a special face mask and other equipment, it has to be administered by a professional, usually an exercise scientist or physiologist. Talk to your doctor about your heart health before pursuing a test.

The Step Test: A simpler way to test your cardiovascular strength is the step test, says Mark Reifkind, owner of Girya Russian Kettlebells in Palo Alto, Calif. To perform the test, you need a 12-inch-high step and someone to time you. Step on the block with your right foot and then with your left so that you're standing on the step, facing forward. Reverse, going down with your right foot and then your left. Repeat this process at a consistent pace for three minutes. Rest in a chair for one minute. Then, take your pulse for six seconds and multiply that number by 10 to determine your heart rate for one minute.

The results will vary depending on your age and gender. For men ages 18 to 25, a 60-second pulse rate between 85 and 100 is average to above average; 84 or less is good to excellent, while 101 or higher is fair to poor. For men ages 46 to 55, a pulse rate of 93 or lower is good to excellent, while 113 or higher is fair to poor.

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The Beauty Benefits of Exercise

By Nicole Blades
Working out not only helps your figure, but also improves your complexion. Learn why exercise may be one of the best skin remedies for acne, wrinkles, dull skin and more.

There are plenty of reasons to exercise. For some, it’s because you booked a beach vacation, while others are focused on staying healthy. No matter what your motivation is, we can all agree that the benefits of exercise are obvious. But there’s a stealthier payoff: healthy skin. Read on to learn more about the skin and beauty rewards that come from regularly working up a sweat.

Instant Glow 
When you get your heart pumping from aerobic exercise, you’re supplying your skin with a nice dose of oxygenated blood, says Noëlle S. Sherber, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist based in Baltimore, Maryland. “It gives you that great post-workout glow.”

Wrinkle Reduction 
Working out also helps maintain healthy levels of the stress-related hormone cortisol, Sherber says. “Elevated cortisol levels are linked to increased sebum production, which means more acne breakouts,” she says. Too much cortisol can also cause the collagen in the skin to break down, Sherber says, which can increase wrinkles and sagging. “Exercise actually supports the production of collagen,” says Amy Dixon, a Los Angeles–based exercise physiologist and celebrity trainer. “The boost in this protein helps to keep your skin firm, supple, and elastic.”

Acne Relief 
Regular exercise boosts circulation. “It nourishes your skin, bringing more blood flow and oxygen to it,” says Mauro C. Romita, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Ajune Center for Beauty Synergy in New York City. “This will help draw toxins out of the body.” Plus, all that sweating cleans out the pores of congested skin. “Working out corrects the hormonal imbalance that can cause adult acne,” Romita says.

To reap the beneficial skin effects of working out, a few extra steps are required, Sherber warns. “If you're acne prone, make sure to keep gentle, fragrance-free cleansing wipes in your gym bag.” Be

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How to Actually Get a Good Workout on the Elliptical Machine

By Alison Feller, Greatist
To reap maximum benefits, put away distractions and pick up interval training.

Doing the same workout day after day may be effective at first, but it will eventually lead to a fitness plateau.
Out of all the cardio machines, the elliptical probably gets the most side-eye. People tend to think it's boring and ineffective (research even says so!), and the go-to source for an easy, mindless workout, if even that. But it turns out there are plenty of science-backed benefits to the elliptical, like raising your heart rate even more than the treadmill and improving fitness just as efficiently as the treadmill or Stairmaster.

What's more, there's actually a right and wrong way to use it. With the correct form and plan of attack, you can get a truly killer workout on the machine. To find out how to make the most of every stride, we asked top fitness experts for their best advice, plus an effective 20-minute workout.

Do: Make a plan before hitting “start.”

Before even stepping foot on the machine, set an intention for the workout. “Ask yourself what you want to achieve that day,” says Leanne Weiner, a personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. “Then monitor your perceived level of exertion — where zero is like going for a leisurely stroll and at 10 you’re completely out of breath — throughout the workout to make sure you’re not just dialing

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10 Ways to Make Your Treadmill Workout Safer

Using a treadmill is a good way to get aerobic exercise, but there a few rules of the road you'll want to follow to use it safely.

With the news of SurveyMonkey CEO David Goldberg's accidental death on a treadmill, we are reminded that there are risks to exercise, particularly when using gym equipment. Because a treadmill is powered by a motor, rather than self-propelled, accidents can happen, especially when people lose their balance. Injuries can include bruises, sprains, broken bones, concussions, and sometimes, even death.

While the Consumer Products Safety Commission reported over 24,000 emergency room visits associated with treadmills in the United States in 2014, deaths are rare. That said, it's important for people to know their physical limits and keep safety in mind when using a treadmill.

"On those days when you can't walk or run outside due to heat, cold, or rain, treadmill exercise can offer the same benefits plus the added benefit of being able to add hill-specific workouts and pacing strategies," advises Chris Eschbach, PhD, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C.

Treadmill Training and Safety Tips

Exercise can help you lose weight, make your bones and muscles stronger, relieve depression and stress, and lower your risk for diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,

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Exercising With Physical Limitations

As Dom Lassonde felt the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis creep into his body, the 40-year-old Vancouver Islander knew he needed a different way to stay fit. The autoimmune disease inflamed his synovial membranes—a connective tissue in joints that produces lubricating fluid for smooth movement—so much it felt like shards of glass were lining his joints. Ultimate Frisbee and hockey, two of his regular activities, were no longer feasible.

After beginning a new medication regime about a year after his diagnosis, Lassonde could cycle and swim—activities that put less stress on his joints. He was right to keep moving: according to the American College of Rheumatology, regular aerobic exercise, especially when combined with strength training, can reduce joint pain.

Lassonde is one of many Canadians living with a physical limitation that makes exercise difficult. Two common issues, chronic pain and heart disease—which affect 3.9 million and 1.3 million Can­adians, respectively—make it challenging for individuals to achieve the 150 minutes of weekly moderate aer­obic exercise, or cardio, recommended by the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines (CPAG).

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Digital glasses help children with lazy eye

Programmable electronic glasses help improve vision in children with a lazy eye just as well as the more traditional treatment using eye patches, according to research presented at AAO 2015, the 119th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Lazy Eye,also called amblyopia, remains the most common cause of visual impairment in children.

Amblyopia is poor vision in an eye that did not develop normally during early childhood. It can occur when one eye is much more nearsighted than the other, or when one eye wanders or strays inward.

The child needs to receive treatment by the age of 8 or so while their eyes and brain are still developing to prevent blindness in the weaker eye.
                  
                                                                                                    Getting children to accept treatment for a lazy eye can be hard.



Unfortunately, it is difficult for both parents and ophthalmologists to persuade children to comply with lazy eye treatments like eye patches or medicated drops, due to discomfort and social stigma.

A recent study found that 1 in 4 children feel anxious before using eye drops, and nearly 15% refuse to take them at all.

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8 Simple Detox Lemon Water Recipes for Weight Loss

Who doesn’t want that shapely body, where every part of the body is perfect, starting from the hands and legs to your skin? But the most important thing here is to get a healthy body, which will ultimately help you to get and maintain a healthy body shape. And in this process to make yourself healthy as well as getting a perfect figure, one thing will definitely help you and that is detoxifying your body, commonly known as detox.

Every day we get exposed to toxins through food, drinks and air and when the toxins get deposited in our body over a period of time, it badly affects our body.  Detox is the physiological process of the body, which is carried out by the liver. It cleanses the body and keeps it healthy by removing the toxins from it. It also makes the body perform more efficiently. This cleansing process speeds up the metabolism, thus burns more calories. And burning more calories helps to lose weight to a great extent.
Detox Lemon Water Recipes for Weight Loss

Water works as a natural detox, but when you combine it with lemon, it works wonders to lose weight. Lemon is a good diuretic, which will help you get rid of water weight. The high content of Vitamin C in it also helps to lose weight. The consumption of Vitamin C breaks down the fat that is stored in the body, the main cause of weight gain.

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How to Get Rid of White Spots on Teeth

A beautiful smile adds to the beauty of a person. And a pair of pearly white teeth without any spots is what makes your smile beautiful and attractive. But if you develop white spots on your teeth or have white spots on teeth due some reason or the other, it totally mars your look as well as your personality.
What are White Spots on Teeth?

Actually white spots on the teeth is not a major concern and can be treated, but the important thing here is that it makes your smile unattractive as well as affect your self-confidence while talking to people or while smiling in public. It makes you conscious most of the times.

People generally get white spots on teeth due to loss of mineral on the enamel of the teeth. As per medical terms, this condition of teeth is known as hypocalcification.

The white spots on teeth also lead to tooth decay or the deterioration of the teeth. In fact, white spots on teeth are the first sign that indicates that your teeth have started decaying.

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How to Get Rid of Back Fat Easily and Quickly at Home

Fat on the body is bad news. It doesn’t just look bad, but these excess pounds bring poor health with it too. It is by now an established fact that obesity can cause a lot of medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, stroke and several others. Several studies and research works have proved this beyond doubt. Obesity can kill self-confidence and bring down morale too, which again can have a long-term negative impact on the mind and the body.

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Quick Tips For Longer & Healthier Life

There are many stories that go round about ninety nine year old aunts who have never exercised, smoked their life away and have lived on a diet of everything that they fancy, from ice cream to red meat. Such instances might urge people to lead a life of unhealthy choices. However, it is to be kept in mind that, for one person who has lived a long life even after making unhealthy choices, there are countless others who have passed away prematurely due to such bad choices in life. There can be no alternative to choosing the right path for leading a long and healthy life.

Maintaining Better Health Through The Right Food

There is no alternative to following a healthy diet in order to lead a longer and healthier life. If you have a long life full of ailments, there is not much fun in leading such a life.

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9 Diet Changes Real Women Made to Lose More Than 50 Pounds

You're definitely going to want to steal at least one.

When you've got a lot of weight to lose, deciding where to begin can be super-overwhelming—but we've got a good place for you to start. We've talked to dozens of women who completely transformed their bodies—we're talking shedding 50-plus pounds—and pulled together a list of the nine simple changes they made that had the biggest impact on the scale. Their tried-and-true tips might be exactly what you need to get on the path to serious results. But don't just take our word for it: These women's results speak for themselves.

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3 Reasons to Get Your Cholesterol Checked, ASAP

Too young to worry about cholesterol? Don't be so sure

It may not top your list of health concerns, but new research links high cholesterol to serious conditions beyond heart attack and stroke. Plus, high cholesterol is often hereditary and can occur without any early warning signs. Here's why you should get tested, like, today.

1. A by-product of cholesterol functions in mice like the hormone estrogen, says a Duke Cancer Institute study; having too much can fuel the growth and spread of the most common types of breast cancers.

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6 Yoga Moves for a Better Butt

Have you ever wanted to wear those tight, figure hugging pants that make your bums look great? Well, no doubt these are pretty tight pants and for that you really need to have a great body with great butt. So how do you get it?  Well the answer lies in Yoga. Yes, there are certain yoga poses that stretch your muscles, make use of your body weight from head to foot and sculpt and tone your body and gives you the perfect Yoga Butt.

Why Yoga?

Yoga poses helps in sculpting, molding, and toning your body, especially the lower part, using just your body weight. The various yoga poses also help in strengthening your muscles moves and stretch, elongate your muscles besides toning them. Calories will also be burned doing yoga. It is said that our hips are the largest muscle group. So when need to tone them, our metabolism also needs to be worked upon and this is possible through Yoga.

Yoga Poses for a Better Butt
Try these simple yoga moves to get that perfect, toned sculpted butt that you had always desired:
Chair pose (Utkatasana):

 This is a popular yoga pose to tone our butt. Your core muscles, inner thighs, outer thighs back and the glutes are all used doing the chair pose. This pose works with the whole body back region. Stand with your feet together. Now bend

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How To Lose Weight Fast

 Overweight or obesity has become major concern in the recent times. The younger generation, although is very conscious about weight gain and is desperate to get ways to lose weight. As long as weight gain is concerned, it is crucial to keep in mind that calorie consumption should be minimal. However it is quite common among people to go into crash diets or starvation for losing weight fast. But, that is not the answer. Starvation will only cause your metabolism to slow down and as soon as you get back on the previous diet, you will gain weight very easily.

Often people get unnecessarily stressed with the question how to lose weight fast. It is quite easy to lose weight, with some changes in the lifestyle and food habits. There is no hard and fast rule that you need to lose weight in just seven days, lose weight at your own pace. What you eat is more important than how much you eat. With right food habits and lifestyle, you can drastically cut your calories count in order to achieve your weight loss goals.

First and foremost, we should look after what exactly you are eating. You are, what you eat, therefore, you have to cut on your intake on foods such as pizza, cake, cookies, candies, puddings and everything else that adds up to your calorie count. The processed and sugary foods not only makes you overweight but causes many diseases as well. There are many packaged foods that comes with the label of “low fat”, in reality they are quite high on sugar.

Diet Plans to Lose Weight Fast

Change your diet habits to more healthy options. Add meat, fish and eggs in your diet apart from the leafy vegetables, fruits and whole grains. While meat, fish and eggs contain high amounts of protein, vegetables contain wide range of

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The Plank Workout That Will Tone Your Abs, Sculpt Your Tush, and Strengthen Your Arms.

We don't like to play favorites, but...for planks, we'll make an exception. "They are, without a doubt, the best core exercise there is," says trainer David Kirsch, who works with Kate Upton and Liv Tyler. The harder-than-they-look poses in this workout take


it up another notch. Adding movement-like, say, raising an arm off the ground—while holding a plank position increases the challenge to your abs. It also recruits your legs, chests ,back, shoulders, and arms to get in on the action—meaning it can firm you up all over.Try this routine, created by Kirsch, two or three days a week. Perform 10 to 15 reps of each

exercise, moving from one to the next without resting. (If your form starts to slip, raise your hips to give your core a break, or place one knee on the floor for a few seconds. And remember that proper plank form means hands on the floor directly under your shoulders, with your body forming a straight line from head to heels.) Rest for

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