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Last Updated: Jan 01, 2020 12:00AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

Calorie Counting Does Not Work

Jan 01, 2020 ● By Erin Thole

How many people do you know who have been counting calories or doing something like My Fitness Pal or Weight Watchers forever and they are still struggling with their weight? The truth of the matter is that it’s not as simple as eat less and move more. And using an online calculator to find your basal metabolic rate (how many calories you burn a day at rest) is not at all accurate.

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When Workouts Don’t Work: Why Less Is Sometimes More

Dec 30, 2019

Exercise is a proven component in losing weight and preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but working out can serve as a physical stressor. Here's how to find an optimal balance.

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Inhaling the Joy of Life: Conscious Breathwork

Nov 27, 2019

Mindfully guiding our breath back to its original rhythm helps lower stress and improve vagal tone, easing such conditions as depression, insomnia and pain syndromes.

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Click and Sweat: Virtual Workouts Change the Game

Oct 31, 2019

Between health and workout apps, online classes and electronic devices calculating distance and monitoring bodily functions, virtual fitness offers many personal exercise experiences.

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Animal Asanas: Goats on the Yoga Mat

Sep 30, 2019

By combining the already beneficial aspects of yoga, goat yoga amplifies the practice through the well-documented benefits of human and animal interaction.

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Timeless Benefits of Dance

Sep 01, 2019

New research indicates how dancing is having an impact on physically debilitating diseases like Parkinson’s and cognitive age-related issues such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

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Get a Move On! Easy Movements for Improving Your Health

Sep 01, 2019

Our bodies are continually bombarded with environmental pollutants and chemicals. Movement is key to releasing and cleansing our bodies of accumulated toxins. Here are a few simple suggestions.

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The Power of Yoga: Tapping Into the Life Force

Aug 30, 2019

The many health benefits of practicing yoga, including protecting against loss of mobility, cardiovascular disease and depression, lowering elevated blood pressure and much more.

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Walk or Run to Keep Blood Vessels and Brains Young: Benefits of Cardio Activity

Aug 15, 2019

After six months of marathon training, running novices reversed the aging of major blood vessels; in another study, heart failure patients that walked fast were less likely to have cognitive impairment.

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Take a Cerebral Spin: Cycling for a Healthier Brain

Aug 15, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

Pedaling away for even 20 minutes a day, indoors or outdoors, fires up brain cell production and lowers symptoms of depression – and that’s just the beginning of cognitive benefits.

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Forest Bathing: Mother Nature’s Rx for Body and Mind

Jun 28, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

What was once called ‘walking in the woods’ has a new moniker – forest bathing – as well as new research showing its unique abilities to boost our health and mood.

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Just Add Water: Aquatic Workouts for Him

May 31, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

Guys are jumping right into pool aerobics and finding that it keeps them buff, fit and free from wear and tear on joints and muscles.

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Sit Less to Live Longer: Increasing Movement Adds to Longevity

May 31, 2019

Replacing a half hour of sitting or lying around with brisk walking and other moderate physical activities reduces the risk of dying over 14 years by 45 percent.

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Dancing Prevents Senior Decline: Improves Daily Living

Apr 30, 2019

Elderly Japanese women who danced for exercise were 73 percent less likely to be impaired eight years later doing “activities of daily living” such as walking, cooking, dressing and bathing.

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Prenatal Yoga Reduces Caesareans and Labor Pain: Helps With Smoother Deliveries

Apr 30, 2019

Mothers-to-be that practiced yoga had fewer C-sections, fewer low-weight newborns, and milder and briefer labor pains.

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Exercise Improves Young Brains, Too: Not Just Seniors Who Can Benefit

Apr 30, 2019

Aerobic activities improve the executive thinking skills of both young and old people, report Columbia University researchers.

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When Emotions Are Physical: Bodywork for Trauma and Grief

Apr 30, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

Trauma can get hardwired into our nervous system, but body-centered approaches such as massage, CranioSacral Therapy and aromatherapy can release those tight emotional patterns.

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Into the Woods: Hiking for Health and Happiness

Mar 29, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

Hiking combines the heart-healthy and anti-aging benefits of walking with the calming and mood-elevating benefits of nature.

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Exercise vs. Allergies: All the Right Moves

Feb 28, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

The last thing we may feel like doing in hay fever season is exercising, but yoga, Pilates, walking, weight training and other approaches can actually bring relief.

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Warming Up For Winter Sports: Sure-Fire Ways to Get Fit

Jan 31, 2019 ● By Marlaina Donato

Before plunging into winter sports, we can prepare the body ahead of time by toning up major muscle groups.

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Moving Through Life: Daily Motion Adds Up to Fitness

Dec 27, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

Simply making small changes in routine tasks—from house cleaning to grocery shopping—can add up to better health than the daily hour at the gym we tend to avoid.

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Pound-Shedding Workouts: Best Exercises from Yoga to Cardio

Nov 30, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

The consistent exercise so vital to weight loss becomes easier when we choose a stress-reducing routine, set realistic goals and practice patience.

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Ease Repetitive Strain Injuries: Targeted Exercises Lower Risk of Injury

Oct 31, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

Any movement we do repeatedly, such as typing at a screen or keyboard, can cause muscle strain and injury, but the right kind of exercises can lower our risk and repair damage.

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Rebooting Libido: Exercise Rekindles Desire

Sep 28, 2018 ● By Maya Whitman

Among its many other benefits exercise increases testosterone, endorphins and adrenal hormones, all of which are essential to a satisfying sex life.

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Natural Awakenings Yoga Glossary

Aug 31, 2018

From Ashtanga to Kundalini, we break down the differences between the various schools or styles of yoga.

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Why Our Body Loves Yoga: Gentle Poses Foster Flexibility

Aug 31, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

We don’t have to twist ourselves into pretzels for our joints to benefit from the suppleness that yoga provides.

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Top Yoga Trends: Fusion Styles Offer Fresh Choices

Aug 31, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

From curvy yoga to paddleboard yoga, there’s an evolving style for everyone no matter what their age or level of fitness.

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Exercise To Sleep By: Quell Insomnia and Nighttime Anxiety

Jun 29, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

By doing the right kind of exercise at the right time of day, we can sleep soundly all night long.

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Running with the Kids: Strengthens Body, Mind and Family Spirit

May 31, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

Families with children as young as 5 easily bond when they mindfully run together at a fun pace.

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Exercise Boosts Good Gut Bacteria: Cardio Improves Healthy Microbes

May 31, 2018

Exercising 30 to 60 minutes three times a week improved healthy gut microbes in people even without dietary changes.

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Yoga Soothes the Blues: Lowers Symptoms of Depression

Apr 30, 2018

A twice-weekly yoga class lowered symptoms of depression in participants within eight weeks.

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Moving Through Menopause: Exercising Reduces Symptoms

Apr 30, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

Walking, strength training and yoga are just a few of the ways that being physically active during menopausal changes eases our days and benefits mind and body.

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Gardening Asanas: Yoga Poses to Stay Pain-Free

Mar 30, 2018

Overdoing garden work can produce aches and pains, but by integrating yoga positions while planting and weeding, we can emerge pain-free after hours of being on our knees and bending.

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Physical Activity Deters Alzheimer's: Reduce Risk with Movement

Mar 01, 2018

Walking, dancing, gardening and other physical activities significantly improve brain volume and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

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Fitness in 10 Minutes: A Full-Body Workout for Busy People

Feb 28, 2018 ● By Locke Hughes

By strategically working certain muscles in strategic sequences, we can get fit in a 10-minute, 10-step workout just three times a week.

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Be On the Ball: Putting Extra Fun into Fitness

Jan 31, 2018 ● By Marlaina Donato

Originally designed as toys, exercise balls are now used for everything from building core stability to helping healthcare patients regain mobility.

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Aerobics Keep the Brain Young: Exercise Protects the Mind

Dec 29, 2017

Exercise such as brisk walking or jogging for 45 minutes protects not just the heart but the brain from age-related decline.

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10,000 Steps and Counting: Keep Moving to Stay Fit

Dec 29, 2017 ● By Kathleen Barnes

Walking 10,000 steps a day began as a pedometer marketing ploy, but it’s become a goal worth striving for because of the way it beats back diseases like diabetes and breast cancer.

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Championing Holistic Athletes: The New Face of Sports Medicine

Nov 30, 2017 ● By Marlaina Donato

Athletes in a wide range of sports are finding that natural diets and holistic healing modalities help them achieve their personal best.

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Tai Chi Eases the Blues: Helps Depression Sufferers

Nov 30, 2017

Weekly lessons in tai chi along with thrice-weekly home practice sessions significantly lowered depression in Boston Chinese-Americans.

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Try Some Stretches: Four Ways to Flex Our Muscles

Nov 02, 2017 ● By Marlaina Donato

Not all stretches are alike, so it helps to know what kind to do for what purpose.

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Aerobics Improve Brain Function: Boosts Volume and Gray Matter

Oct 31, 2017

People with mild cognitive impairment that exercised aerobically four times a week for six months had increases in overall brain volume and gray matter and enjoyed better cognitive functioning.

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Building Better Bones: Bouncing, Leaping and Lunging Our Way to Bone Health

Sep 29, 2017 ● By Kathleen Barnes

Even in our later years, we can strengthen our bones with the right targeted movements.

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Yoga Eases Eating Disorders: Regular Practice Reduces Anxiety and Depression

Aug 31, 2017

In two studies, regular yoga classes or individual practice lowered anxiety, depression and negative thoughts in people with eating disorders.

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Rodney Yee on Yoga as a Way of Life: Simple Strategies for Staying on Track

Aug 31, 2017 ● By Marlaina Donato

The prominent New York yoga teacher counsels us never to berate ourselves about our practice and to set aside time for asanas and exploration of different yoga traditions.

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Take a Hike: Escape into Nature with a Day Trip

Jul 31, 2017 ● By Marlaina Donato

Blissful moments in nature can be found just minutes away from home, if we know where to look.

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Tart Cherry Aids Runner Performance: Improves Times, Decreases Inflammation

Jun 30, 2017

Young adult distance runners in Texas taking a powered tart cherry supplement for 10 days improved their running time and reported a third less muscle soreness.

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Four Reasons to Break a Sweat: The Fast Path to Flushing Toxins

Jun 30, 2017 ● By Deanna Minich

Pesticide, plastic phthalate, heavy metal and BPA chemicals efficiently exit our body when we perspire during a workout, sauna or sunny walk.

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New Ways to Court Fitness: Racquets and Paddles Get a Sporting Makeover

May 31, 2017 ● By Randy Kambic

Two fresh new faces on tennis courts these days are pickleball, a fun mixture of tennis, squash and table tennis, and cardio tennis, honing skills amid high-intensity aerobic action.

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High-Intensity Workouts May Keep People Coming Back: Irregular Exercisers Find HIIT Enjoyable

May 31, 2017

Sedentary Canadian adults that underwent high-intensity interval training found it more enjoyable that those who performed ongoing moderate exercise.

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Mastering Self-Defense: Staying Aware Avoids Problems

Apr 28, 2017 ● By Aimee Hughes

Effective self-defense comes when we move mindfully through environments and know how to safely redirect an opponent’s energy.

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Not-So-Speedy Pedaling Boosts Benefits: Ideal Biking Pace

Apr 28, 2017

Biking a half hour to work improves brain function, but if pollution hangs in the air, a moderate pace of 8 miles per hour tests best for overall health.

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Barefoot Running Improves Technique: Ditch the Shoes for Better Form

Mar 31, 2017

Spanish athletes that ran barefoot for 12 weeks during a study saw positive changes in their foot rotation while running and landed more often in a desirable mid-foot position.

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Run Fun: Races Beckon Beginners

Mar 31, 2017 ● By Aimee Hughes

Spring is a fine time to lace up our running shoes and head for the road or trail; maybe even start training for a community race.

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Hello Gyro: Workouts Use Natural Body Patterns

Feb 28, 2017 ● By Aimee Hughes

Gyrotonic exercise, the latest trend in fitness studios, uses special equipment to enable smooth, circular motions that make the body more fluid and supple.

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Fit For Life: How to Stay Healthy, Flexible and Strong

Jan 31, 2017 ● By Aimee Hughes

The human body is designed to wear well at least through age 70, and with the right exercise, diet and activities, we can push that number higher.

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Exercise in Midlife Helps Preserve Mental Sharpness: Keeps Cognitive Impairment at Bay

Dec 28, 2016

A Finnish twins study found that people that exercised physically in middle age were less likely to be cognitively impaired when elderly.

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Body Sculpt with Kettlebells: Workouts Burn Fat and Tone Muscle

Dec 28, 2016 ● By Taylor Geiger

Kettlebells are coming of age, delivering a speeded-up, full-body workout that burns as many calories as a six-minute mile.

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Fitness 2017: New Year’s Resolutions that Stick

Nov 30, 2016 ● By Aimee Hughes

Guidance from a personal trainer, clear goals and an ability to forgive our own slip-ups are key to staying on track with an exercise program.

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Pilates Unbound: New Fusions with Yoga, Dance and Boxing

Oct 31, 2016 ● By Aimee Hughes

As Pilates expands its reach and creative potential, it goes beyond improving people’s posture to enhance coordination and self-confidence and reduce stress.

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Music Makes Exercise Easier: Provides a Workout Boost

Oct 31, 2016

Individuals that worked out to music rather than silence felt less fatigued and exercised more effectively.

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Senior Joggers Enjoy Youthful Metabolic Rate: Benefits of Running Later in Life

Sep 30, 2016

Runners older than 65 that run three times a week burn oxygen at the same rate as 20-year-old runners, thus expending a similar amount of metabolic energy.

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Sweat Can Transfer Happiness: Contagious Emotional State

Sep 30, 2016

In a double-blind study involving armpit pads and cameras recording facial expressions, Dutch researchers have found that positive emotions can be transferred from one person to another via human sweat.

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Walking Meditation: The Calming and Centering Effects of Labyrinths

Sep 30, 2016 ● By Gina McGalliard

For those of us that want to meditate but can’t sit still, labyrinths provide an active way to get in touch with our innermost self.

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Relax and Unwind: Restorative Yoga Poses Foster Healing

Aug 31, 2016 ● By Meredith Montgomery

If even touching our toes is too much of a stretch, restorative yoga might be a good first move. It uses pillows, blocks and blankets to support the body in deeply healthful asanas.

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Just Walk: 22 Minutes a Day Boosts Well-Being

Jul 29, 2016 ● By Randy Kambic

The good news about walking keeps mounting: A brisk stroll reduces anxiety and depression, helps us think more clearly and fosters honest shared conversation.

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Zen Golf: Master the Mind to Master the Game

Jun 30, 2016 ● By Aimee Hughes

More golfers are turning to meditation, breathing and visualization to keep their minds focused and free of distraction.

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Unsafe Playfields: Artificial Surfaces Pose Risks

May 31, 2016

Athletes suffer more injuries on artificial turf, and now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called for new studies to determine if links exist between synthetic surfaces and cancer in young athletes.

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Buff and Balanced: Bodybuilders Turn to Yoga

May 31, 2016 ● By Aimee Hughes

Yoga, with its long slow stretches and inner focus, complements and balances the physical iron-pumping and competitive culture of bodybuilding.

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Facial Fitness: Exercises to Tone Your Face and Neck

Apr 29, 2016 ● By Kathleen Barnes

Crows’ feet and wrinkles need not mark the passage of years; just follow these easy DIY routines.

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Tai Chi Eases Effects of Chronic Disease: Patients Experience Improved Well-Being

Mar 31, 2016

A review of 33 studies found that Tai Chi reduces depression and muscle stiffness and increases well-being for patients with some chronic conditions.

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Millennials’ Take on Fitness: They Like Short, Social and Fun Workouts

Mar 31, 2016 ● By Derek Flanzraich

More attuned to fit muscles than fat rolls, millennials are remaking the exercise world with workouts that are intense, social and customizable.

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Rolling for Fitness: DIY Rollers Ease Pain and Aid Flexibility

Feb 29, 2016 ● By Randy Kambic

Rollers that rub out muscle kinks are the latest fitness trend, offering self-massage relief to everyone from soccer players to stiffening seniors.

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Gliding Across Snowscapes: Cross-Country Ski to Explore Winter’s Wonders

Jan 29, 2016 ● By Randy Kambic

It lacks the speed and intensity of downhill skiing, but that’s the charm of cross-country skiing for those that love quiet time in nature while losing weight and building muscle.

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The Power of Conscious Dance: Creative Movement Connects Body, Mind and Spirit

Dec 29, 2015 ● By Gail Condrick

People are flocking to dance exercise workouts combining moving meditation and self-expression that has dancers glowing.

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Airplane Yoga: Six Easy Stretches Ease the Journey

Nov 30, 2015 ● By Cynthia Bowman

With certain movements, we can avoid the stiffness, poor circulation and swollen feet that often accompany long plane flights.

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Barre Your Way to Better Fitness: Ballet-Inspired Workouts Create Long and Lean Muscles

Oct 30, 2015 ● By Lynda Bassett

Imagine having a ballerina’s grace, strength and flexibility… that’s the potential of barre, which combines ballet, yoga and Pilates principles.

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Ground Rules for Runners: A Guide for Running on All Terrains

Sep 30, 2015 ● By April Thompson

From cement to sand to slopes, the surfaces that a runner’s feet touch dictate distinct strategies to prevent injuries and ensure a good run—or calorie-burning walk.

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Yoga Boosts Brain Gray Matter: Regular Practice Improves Mental Health

Aug 31, 2015

Compared to chronic-pain patients, yoga practitioners have more desirable grey matter in key brain regions, Duke researchers report.

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Daily Exercise Adds Five Years to Life: Get Moving to Reduce Risk of Early Death

Aug 31, 2015

Just 30 minutes of moderate to intense exercise six days a week reduced risk of early mortality by 40 percent for men during a four-decade Norwegian study.

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Yoga Enters the Medical Mainstream: Research Proves its Health Benefits

Aug 31, 2015 ● By Meredith Montgomery

The latest authoritative studies on yoga are showing its healing power for conditions ranging from cancer to diabetes to daily anxiety.

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Swimming in Nature: Splashing Safely in Lakes and Oceans

Jul 31, 2015 ● By Lane Vail

Swimming in open water is a summer delight—provided we take care to avoid lightning, rip currents, careless boaters and other killjoys.

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Savvy Cycling: Keep the Hard Knocks Out of Biking

Jul 10, 2015 ● By Randy Kambic

By choosing the right bicycle, wearing a helmet, pedaling a little faster, and keeping an eye out for distracted drivers, cyclists can fully enjoy the road without suffering pain or bruises.

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Yoga for the Bro’s: Men Find it Builds All-Around Fitness

May 29, 2015 ● By Meredith Montgomery

Don’t get hung up on the om-ing! Increasingly men are turning to yoga for its physical and therapeutic benefits.

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Diet and Exercise: Does It Have to Be All or Nothing?

Dec 27, 2013 ● By Matt Gunelson

Eat too much; go on a diet. Eat too much; go on a diet. Does this sound familiar?

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