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Last Updated: May 31, 2018 10:41AM • Subscribe via RSS • ATOM

Exercise Boosts Good Gut Bacteria: Cardio Improves Healthy Microbes

May 31, 2018 10:41AM

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 10:41AM

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 10:17AM ● 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 11:58AM ● By Marlaina Donato

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 06:32PM

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 11:10AM ● 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 11:39AM ● 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 12:39PM

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 12:10PM ● 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 04:14PM ● 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 03:21PM

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 01:07AM ● By Marlaina Donato

Whether incorporated into a workout routine or done on its own, a regular stretching practice can foster flexibility, balance, range of motion, coordination and improve muscle endurance.

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Aerobics Improve Brain Function: Boosts Volume and Gray Matter

Oct 31, 2017 11:55AM

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 06:18PM ● 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 11:14AM

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 11:14AM ● 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 11:12AM ● 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 10:24AM

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 10:23AM ● 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 11:24AM ● 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 11:04AM

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 11:20AM ● 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 10:48AM

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 09:21AM

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 09:20AM ● 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 11:45AM ● 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 12:28PM ● 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 12:43PM

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 12:43PM ● 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 11:33AM ● 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 10:45AM ● 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 10:13AM

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 10:00AM

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 10:00AM

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 09:59AM ● 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 12:43PM ● 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 10:50AM ● 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 10:13AM ● 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 10:09AM

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 10:09AM ● 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 11:02AM ● 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 09:48AM

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 09:48AM ● 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 04:15PM ● 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 10:43AM ● 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 04:23PM ● 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 10:26AM ● 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 09:58AM ● 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 09:24AM ● 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 09:55AM

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 09:55AM

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 09:55AM ● 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 10:19AM ● 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 01:53PM ● 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 10:12AM ● 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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Breath-Taking Wisdom: Six Ways to Inhale Energy and Exhale Stress

Sep 30, 2014 01:10PM ● By Lane Vail

Transforming breathing into a conscious activity can provide energy, dramatically improve our mental and physical health and boost creative performances. Here are six healing techniques.

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Tweet those Fitness Goals: Online Friends Help Us Stay on Track

Feb 28, 2014 11:56AM ● By Tamara Grand

With Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media sites, we can get all the fitness buddies we need, plus lots of useful strategies.

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

Dec 27, 2013 09:08PM ● 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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Natural Awakenings Yoga Guide

Aug 31, 2011 09:09AM

Yoga aims to integrate mind, body and spirit, offering healthful benefits to individuals of every age and physical condition. This guide explains the many styles of yoga to get you started.

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Exercise Detox: Six Ways to Burn Calories and Clean Out Your System

Feb 28, 2011 04:45PM ● By Annie B. Bond

Try these suggestions to rev up your metabolism, burn calories, build muscle and clean out your system.

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