Pet Your Way to
a Longer, Happier Life

Posted September 29th, 2008 By: admin

Reams of research, testimonials, and case studies can’t all be wrong. The company of a pet can elevate your mood, lower your blood pressure, compel you to exercise, give you an active social life, and drive away the blues — all signs of a healthy lifestyle.

Top 7 Reasons Why Pets Are Sometimes Better Than Your Doctor

• Regular exercise

  Exercise is the number one reason why people with pets tend to have healthier lives than those who don’t have pets. A dog takes walks very seriously, so you can’t skip this routine. And you benefit because of the regular exercise.

• Love and responsibilities:

  Some people take better care of themselves when they are responsible for the care of someone else. Having a pet is like having a child to look after. So pet owners tend to be more aware of the importance of diet & exercise and be more alert for signs of illness.

  And what better stress-buster could you find than a non-judgmental, affectionate, and comforting pet that welcomes you home.

• Boost your immune system

  A roll in the grass and a jog is good for both your dog and you. The fresh air and the rush of exercise benefits the immune system gives you a boost in energy.

• Laughing it off

  Pets are very entertaining, and by watching their antics and talking about them, pets encourage us to look at the lighter side of life. And of course, laughing it off is another proven stress buster.

• Getting over trauma

  In old-age homes, orphanages, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, therapy dogs and other pets are used to supplement post-trauma care. Their presence is found to be soothing, comforting and leads to a faster healing process. Studies have found that post-operative care is more successful for those with pets.

• It’s all in the head

  Pet owners feel healthy. They report high energy levels, a more laid back lifestyle, and a greater appreciation of the important things in life.

• Fighting the blues

  After retirement, pets provide the impetus to people to get out and have an active social life. Visiting the park, going shopping, and pet sitting with friends are all effective in banishing depression and loneliness. A sense of security develops over time, with people depending on their pets to anchor them through emotional upheavals.

A word of caution

Caring for a pet is no less difficult or expensive than caring for a child. So this is not for the busy sales executive or those who are out of town for most of the year. You have to set aside time and space to bring home a pet. Once you do be prepared to invest some time training your pet and making it feel happy and loved.

That said, there’s no doubt that pets can sniff out the livelier, healthier side of you.

Photo credit:CJ Sorg

Tags: antiaging, dogs, pets
Posted in Exercise, Lifestyle | No Comments »

The Benefits of Walking

Posted September 15th, 2008 By: admin

Walking: Makes You Live A Longer & Healthier Life

Nothing beats walking

Walking is not just one of the earliest forms of exercise you learn, it is rather efficient as well. Not only does it get you to Point B, it also relieves fatigue, clears the mind, controls weight, cures insomnia and increases bone mass.

Walking is the best overall exercise according to experts and numerous studies. If done correctly, this low-impact exercise has several long-term benefits.

Walking Increases bone mass

While eating right certainly helps, weight-bearing exercises such as walking can increase bone mass. Walking is as good as running, if not safer. Stick to a regular regime once you get started – walking for at least 20 minutes and more than thrice a week.

However, you have to be patient, it takes a lot of time to see its benefits.

The good news? No one is too old to get started and menopausal women find that this is a great way of strengthening bones.

Walking Alleviates Constipation

Walking stimulates muscles all over the body and increases blood circulation, especially in the stomach. Pregnant women adapt easily to this as a kind of light workout.

Walking Keeps a Check on Diabetes

Brisk walking helps Type II diabetics by leading to weight loss. If you walk at least a mile everyday, you would be burning close to 100 calories and after a year you would have lost close to 10 pounds.

It also helps improve blood-sugar control. Compared to those who lead relatively sedentary lifestyles, those who walk regularly find that insulin is efficiently absorbed by the body.

Walking Gets Rid of Insomnia

Insomnia can disturb the delicate balance of your body and lead to changes in your hormones. However, walking in the late afternoon or early in the evening tires your muscles, increases blood circulation and raises the body temperature. Once you get home, the temperature begins to fall, making you feel sleepy. Coupled with the right diet, walking can help alleviate sleeplessness.

Walking Relieves Sinusitis

Most people suffering from sinusitis feel some kind of relief when they are active in a normal environment. Indeed, any form of exercise releases adrenalin in the body that constricts blood vessels and reduces swelling in the sinuses. Walking is one such kind of exercise that relieves the problems caused due to sinusitis.

Walking Cures Varicose veins

Sitting or standing for too long makes the blood pool in your lower extremities. But walking can prevent this. Studies have shown that adults who lead sedentary lifestyles were more likely to have varicose veins than those who walked at least twice in a day.

Walking Helps Preventing Arterial & Heart Disease

Walking briskly increases the protective HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol in the body, this in turn strengthens the heart and helps in controlling weight.

Walking Also Relieves Pain

Endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers are released as a person works out. This effect lasts for several hours and can be made to last for longer if the exercise time is staggered through the day — 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the late afternoon.

Walking Beats Cellulite

Walking tightens the muscles and improves body tone. It also boosts the circulation of lymph in the body which would have otherwise led to an accumulation of fats in the tissues.

Walking Tips

Read your body’s signals before you embark on a long walk, always warm up if you have just had a meal. Check your blood pressure and heartbeat rate before and after. Do not push yourself too far, rather work gradually towards taking longer and longer walks. Wear comfortable shoes and light clothes. If you find someone to accompany you on the walks, it serves two purposes, one, you keep your mind off worrying about not doing it right, two, if while talking you are short of breath it is an indicator that you are pushing yourself too hard.

Image Credit: Trailnet

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Weightless Exercise Without Space Travel

Posted August 6th, 2008 By: Rod Newbound

As we grow older many body parts tend to well… sag. And the health and beauty industry have made fortunes with products that claim to reverse this process - at least temporarily. From $45 or more for the latest facial in a bottle to expensive spa treatments only afforded by the Hollywood elite, to tummy tucks and breast enhancements, there seems no end to the ways you can spend your money on treatments of dubious value.

Since most of this sag is directly related to the effects of gravity, one might think jumping on the next space flight might be just the ticket. After all, there’s no gravity in space, right? But, you’d be wrong…

Weightlessness Causes Similar Problems To Aging

You see life on earth evolved in the presence of gravity, and NASA has discovered many problems result in the human body in the weightlessness of space travel. And all of these problems are also present in aging.

• Cardiovascular deconditioning
• Balance disorders
• Weakening bones and muscles
• Disturbed sleep
• Depressed immune response

To top it off, Science Daily reports on a study done at Georgetown University Medical Center that indicates space radiation may cause prolonged cellular damage to astronauts. Beyond that, this damage could result in premature aging and an increased risk of colon cancer.

Now that your hopes of buying a house in space and living forever are crushed, what can you do?

Does Exercise Work?

There’s little doubt exercise can be of value, but it’s not easy. My wife who is on the downhill slide of her 40s complains the sags are persistent. This despite doing Pilates, weight workouts, and jogging 3 times a week for over a year.

So whats one to do?

Combining Weightlessness and Yoga: AntiGravity Yoga

I don’t know if it’s possible to do yoga in space, but Christopher Harrison has created AntiGravity Yoga. AntiGravity Yoga is a fitness regime designed to increase one’s overall health and physical agility while having fun and creating beauty. The benefits listed on their website include:

• Decompress tight joints, relieving pressure while aligning the vertebrae of the spine without strain
• Perform advanced yoga inversions without neck or back compression
• Hold challenging yoga postures longer and in correct alignment
• Stretch further with less strain
• Create better body awareness while increasing overall agility

AntiGravity Yoga is done with using the AntiGravity Hammock, which acts as a soft trapeze, supporting you as you master simple suspension techniques leading to advanced inverted poses. But unfortunately, just like space travel, it’s not available to everyone.

AntiGravity Yoga movement called “Wings” is started by and remains exclusive to Crunch Gyms. But currently AntiGravity Yoga classes are only available in LA, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Miami, & New York City. If you live near one of these, you can get more information by visiting the AntiGravity Yoga website.

At this time it appears they have no “home version” of the antigravity yoga. But we’ll keep an eye out for home versions of antigravity yoga. And let you know about it.

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5 Ways To Combat Aging

Posted May 28th, 2008 By: Yorick Pinto

Hope You Can Cut a Cake with a 100 Candles on it One Day!

1. Drink a lot of water

The benefits of drinking water cannot be understated. It is used by the body to flush out toxins and other waste products. Water also is one of the best tools for weight loss, besides assisting in clearing your skin.

Drinking a good amount of water could lower your risks of a heart attack. A six-year study published in the May 1, 2002 American Journal of Epidemiology found that those who drink more than 5 glasses of water a day were 41% less likely to die from a heart attack during the study period than those who drank less than two glasses.

The important question to bear in mind is how much water should one consume? The amount would be different for different people, depending on factors such as the body weight, physical activity, health of the person, etc. However, you should avoid drinking water only when you are thirsty, instead you should make a routine – drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, another glass with each meal, one between meals and before, during and after a workout. Thus you should ensure that you do not feel thirsty.

(To get a quick and easy formula that tells you how much water your body needs, subscribe to the “7 Essential Secrets to Longevity” above.)

2. Have an anti-oxidant rich diet

It is a well known fact that the aging process is directly influenced by the food you eat. Hence you should consume a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, squash, berries, apricots, and pink grapefruit, as they are rich in anti oxidizing agents. The anti oxidizing agents or antioxidants as they are commonly referred to, protect the cells of our bodies from the damage caused by free radicals. This in effect means they slow down the aging process of the body and thus help you live a long, healthy life.

Also you must ensure that you get sufficient doses of Vitamin C & Vitamin E as these two are important anti-oxidants. The common sources of Vitamin C are citrus fruits such as oranges and lime, green peppers, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries and tomatoes. Whereas nuts & seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and liver oil contain Vitamin E.

3. Ensure that you exercise regularly

Exercise will not only help you lose weight and stay in shape, but it also helps in slowing down the aging process. If you exercise regularly, a number of ailments associated with aging can be reduced. These include insomnia, back and joint pain, flexibility, stress related disorders, weight-gain, etc. Also exercise has the added advantage of making you feel more energetic, preventing the incidence of high blood pressure, increasing blood flow to your skin, reducing stress and increasing your metabolism rate.

Another aspect of exercise – especially during the aging process – is that it helps you be more independent and increases your self-esteem, thus reducing the phobias/fears normally associated with aging.

4. Reduce stress

You would be familiar with stress and its harmful effects on the human body. However, you must remember that not all stress is bad! To a certain extent, stress is needed by the body to perform its day-to-day functions.

The problem arises when the stress level increases and the body is affected by its harmful effects. Hence in order to minimize the damage done to the body by excess stress, it is necessary to keep it in check. There are many ways by which this can be done such as deep breathing, listening to soothing music, meditation, yoga, etc.

Another way to alleviate stress is to learn the art of time management in your daily life. This will help you allocate some time for yourself on a daily basis, which can be used for practicing meditation or any other technique to reduce stress.

5. Sufficient sleep

The lack of sufficient sleep not only makes you age faster but also makes you look older.

When you do not get enough sleep, you feel tired and find it difficult to concentrate. Also you tend to be irritable and grumpy, as a result you may not be able to perform your tasks efficiently. The best way to avoid all the problems caused by lack of sufficient sleep would be to ensure that you get a good night’s rest.

The main problem is how many hours of sleep does an individual require? This figure differs from person-to-person and generally reduces as one grows older. A good way to check if you are receiving adequate sleep is to see if you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning and you do not feel sleepy during the day. If not, chances are you are not getting sufficient sleep. In such a scenario, it is essential to sleep for some more time and see if the drowsiness reduces.

Posted in Exercise, Food & Diet, Lifestyle | 4 Comments »