Health aNd Fitness Guide » Fitness

Indian Hearts At Risk

Aziz — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:31:24 +0000

India is expected to bear 60 per cent of the burden of heart disease by 2010. Indian and Canadian researchers studied around 21,000 heart attack patients across 89 hospitals in India. (more…)

Snores At Risk

Aziz — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:31:39 +0000

Snoring could be linked to heart disease and stroke. People who snore loudly have a 34 per cent increased possibility of suffering a heart attack and 67 per cent increased chance of having a stroke compared to those who do not snore, according to scientists at Semmelweis University in Budapest. But the increased risk was not seen in people who snored quietly. Though snoring is more common in overweight people, 24 per cent of adult women and 40 per cent of adult men snore while sleeping.

Husbands: Bane Or Boon?

Aziz — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:31:50 +0000

Husbands create seven extra hours of housework per week for women. Wives save their men an hour of chores each week, according to researchers at the University of Michigan. The study, based on time diaries kept by participants and questionnaires, found that on average household chores for women dropped about 35 per cent, from 26 hours a week in 1967 to 17 hours in 2005. (more…)

Pump Iron To Feel Younger

Aziz — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:31:20 +0000

If you don’t lift weights, you’re missing out on one of the most powerful ways to look and feel younger. A study found that women who strength-train three times a week have more of a type of growth hormone that counteracts age-related muscle loss and protects bone density. Producing growth hormone gets harder with age, and pumping iron is the best way to slow the decline.

Add more weights, like the ones you can lift only three to five times, once every two weeks for strong bones and muscles.

A study hints that exercise helps protect your heart from the physical damage that mental strain can cause.

Chocolate-Lover’s Chemistry

Aziz — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:31:19 +0000

Even if you don’t watch what you eat, your body will. That’s the message from a new study, which suggests that diets “imprint” themselves on the metabolic system, attuning people to the food they prefer to chow down. Researchers found that the bodies of chocolate fans reacted differently when they ate the candy, compared to other people.

At issue is the body’s metabolism system, which converts food into energy. According to Sunil Kochhar, a researcher with the Nestle Research Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland, scientists are exploring the possibility of detecting metabolic problems to help people improve their metabolisms — and weight-control — through diet. The researchers recruited 11 men who loved chocolate and 11 who were “indifferent” to the sweet. Over five days, the participants ate either daily doses of 50 grams of different kinds of Nestle Cailler chocolate — milk chocolate, dark chocolate — or a placebo. Use of chocolate was “not the point of this study”, Kochhar said, but it allowed researchers to look at links between diet and metabolism. Analysis of blood and urine samples found that the chocolate-lovers had a specific metabolic profile — low levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and marginal higher levels of a beneficial protein called albumin. It didn’t matter if they ate chocolate during the five days or not. The activity of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system, too, was different in the chocolate fans. It’s not clear if the research will help people avoid being fat, but it is a step towards manipulating metabolism to improve health. The next step would be to look at possible gender differences by studying women.

Lose those pounds with Power Plate

Aziz — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:31:30 +0000

This is the couch potato’s dream machine. Yes, it helps lose weight while doing practically nothing! The ‘new kid’ on the fitness block is called the Power Plate. Listen to its manufacturers: If you stand on the machine’s vibrating plates for 10 minutes a day, three times a week, you will lose weight, increase bone density and improve your overall health. (more…)

Exercises for your heart

Aziz — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:31:39 +0000

A healthy heart is vital to a happy and productive life. Try these hearty exercises with US-based fitness consultant T. Rose. She is a corporate trainer with Counter Express. The world’s second largest fitness center for women, it has presence in 70 countries. (more…)

Try Out That Fitness Cruise

Aziz — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:31:38 +0000

Taking a cruise is a sure way to beat workaday malaise. If you can also turn over a new leaf, quit smoking or shed a few pounds at the same time, you are a triple winner. (more…)

Watch your step

Aziz — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:31:16 +0000

People who walk to keep fit benefit more from a pedometer, a device that counts steps. “People who use pedometers increase their physical activity by about 2000 steps a day, i.e. about a mile,” said Dr Dena M. Bravata, senior research scientist at Stanford University. “They also seem to lower their blood pressure and lose more weight.” (more…)

Walkers watch your food

Aziz — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:31:36 +0000

Before your workout, eat a light, carbohydrate-rich snack such as a banana or four ounces of yoghurt within 20-30 minutes of lacing up. A quick carb-fix prevents blood-sugar level from dipping while you exercise; the calories keep you from using metabolism-boosting muscle for fuel. Eat light, as exercising and digesting require blood flow; the competition can give you stomach pain. And after the workout, have a carb-protein combo with veggies on wholegrain bread with lettuce, tomato and onion, or a field greens salad with grilled chicken and corn or beans. This is because carbohyrates replenish blood sugar and keep you fueled all afternoon. The protein, vitamins and minerals help mend wear and tear on your muscles. You will feel good the next day.