John's Health & Fitness Tips
Trail Running! What's that?
Wednesday, Sep 1, 2010
The fastest growing type of running races in America is trail running. Runners in growing numbers are veering off concrete and blacktop onto dirt, grass, rock, and gravel. Trail running provides a more comprehensive workout than flat-land running, because hill climbing and obstacles engage the muscles of the abdomen, chest, back, and shoulders. For all the pain it may inflict, trail running is…
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How's That Low-Back Pain?
Tuesday, Aug 24, 2010
If you have overdone the gardening or lifted the kayak too often this summer and have developed low-back pain, how should you treat it? Until about ten years ago, doctors often advised people to stay inactive and even rest in bed. Studies since then have discovered that all that rest is counter-productive, and staying as physically active as you can helps reduce pain and improve mobility.…
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Increase Your Happiness!
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2010
The Boomers are getting happier! Weren't they told that aging, with its undeniable physical declines and looming feeling of mortality, is supposed to be depressing? Not according to the recent survey results published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of more than 340,000 Americans. Researchers discovered that, in most people, a sense of personal well-being actually…
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Summer Cycling
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2010
It has been a perfect summer for cycling. Whether you're young or old, athletic or sedentary, bicycling is an enjoyable and healthy way to travel and experience the outdoors. When done vigorously, it can also provide a good cardiovascular workout and burn up to 500 calories an hour. A recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that women who cycled regularly were less likely to…
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The Youthful Heart?
Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010
Do you think you are too young to be concerned about your heart and what you eat? Think again! The recent results of a 20 year study involving young people between 18 and 30 years old found that the cumulative effect of even modestly abnormal cholesterol levels in your blood increases your risk of developing signs of heart disease by age 45. LDL is the bad cholesterol. The study found that the…
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Watch Out Coffee Lovers
Monday, Jul 26, 2010
Coffee lovers love their caffeine, but watch out how you drink it. No source of sugar is more stealthy than the caffeine kicks dished out at coffee shops. Even an unflavored 16-ounce latte has close to 200 calories, and for the average person that represents nearly 10 percent of your daily energy requirements. Starbucks alone sells about two dozen drinks with more than 500 calories apiece…
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John's Tips: Exercising in the Heat
Monday, Jul 19, 2010
This has been the longest period of high heat and humidity in Maine in memory. You do not want to give up on your exercise, but you need to be careful. If you are just beginning an exercise program outdoors, you should…
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Mountain Top Vacation
Monday, Jul 12, 2010
Take a vacation in the mountains for some quick weight loss. German scientists found that in a study where 20 obese middle-aged men spent a week in a mountain research facility at an elevation of about 8700 feet, the men lost an average of 3.5 pounds and their blood pressure dropped significantly. They did not change their normal physical activity, but they did eat less. The scientists are not…
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Gradually Reduce Calorie Intake
Monday, Jul 5, 2010
The recently publicized results of a study by Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital indicate that the 2008 U.S. Department of Health guidelines urging thirty minutes of moderate exercise five day a week will not prevent women from gaining weight as they age unless they reduce calorie intake. Women who started at a healthy weight with a body mass index less than 25, and who gained hardly any…
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Watch the TV Watching
Monday, Jun 28, 2010
Watching television has been found to cause a greater risk of heart disease, Type II diabetes, and certain types of cancer, regardless of an individual's daily physical activity level. This finding was presented at the American Heart Association's Joint Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism, as reported by Healthyday News, 2010. The more television one views, the greater an…
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John's Tips: Fun In The Sun
Monday, Jun 21, 2010
If you plan to exercise in the sun, you should not wear cotton t-shirts. Find clothing made of fabrics that wick away sweat, ventilate the body, and block the sun. Cotton t-shirts have an SPF of only 5, yet there are sun-blocking fabrics that offer up to SPF 30 due their microfiber fabric construction. Sunburned pores are much less efficient at releasing sweat to cool the skin. If you are…
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Break Out in Laughter!
Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010
Break out in laughter! The University of California's Wellness Letter, April 2010, refers to two studies that show some of the health benefits of laughter. Japanese researchers found that laughter reduces glucose levels in people with diabetes and stimulates certain genes that control immune system activity. University of Maryland Medical Center scientists discovered that laughter has very…
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Sleek Muscles
Wednesday, Jun 9, 2010
Duke University girls' basketball coach, Joanne P. McCallie, is the most successful Maine-grown basketball coach ever. Her Duke team was a second-seed in the women's NCAA tournament. McCallie attributes much of this success to an increase of time spent in the weight room. McCallie states: "We obviously want to be quicker and faster, and you do that by getting stronger and having the ability to…
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Did you know?? - Check inside for John's Fitness Tip-
Tuesday, Mar 30, 2010
Here's a great tip for you from John Turrell, Fitness Consultant at our Greater Portland Branch:
"The most important strategy to not just survive to the age of 85, but to live healthy lives into old age is to be physically active during an individual's middle age. This was the result of a study at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical…
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