Health and Fitness Experts

3 Easy Ways To Extend The Life Of Your Sports Bra

Editor — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 02:07:38 +0000

Anita: Maximum Control Extreme Control No Wire Sports Bra

A bra, especially a sports bra that sees frequent use, should never reach its first birthday. This milestone can cause a lot of problems as you work out. Although most women don’t think much about their sports bra, wearing one that’s worn out can lead to breast pain, keeping you away from the gym.

To help yourself stay comfortable and supported while you work out, replace your sports bra every 6-12 months. However, there are a few easy things you can do to help extend the life of your sports bra.

1) Take Off Your Bra Right After Exercising

Ages ago, women didn’t sweat, they ‘glistened.’ Today’s women work out just as hard as the guys do and they’re not afraid to show how hard they’re working. If you like to run, use the elliptical, rowing machine or do another form of exercise that makes you sweat, take off your bra as soon as possible. If you have the time before dashing off to your next obligation, rinse out your bra in the gym locker room. This will help remove some of the sweat and bacteria that can cause the fibers to break down.

If your work out routine includes activities like weight training or yoga that don’t cause you to sweat (Sidenote: Just because you’re not sweating, doesn’t mean it’s not a great workout. Anyone who says yoga is easy hasn’t tried it.), you might be able to get more than one wear out of your sports bra before washing. If you’re not washing it, hang it up to make sure the bra is able to breathe in between wearings. Whatever you do, don’t leave it balled up in your gym bag.

2) Wash On Gentle, Hang Dry

If it’s not possible to hand wash your sports bra (and really, who has time for that?), wash your sports bra using the gentle cycle or a lingerie bag. If the bra has a set of hooks, take the time to close them, which can keep them from snagging on other garments during the washing cycle. Powdered detergent is best, but if you must use liquid detergent, use it sparingly. Stay far, far away from liquid fabric softeners because these can actually coat the fabric of the bra, keeping them from wicking away sweat as you work out.

After washing, take the time to hang dry your sports bra. The fabric they’re made of usually dries quickly so you don’t have to worry about wet laundry cluttering up your house. If you’re in a pinch because you forgot to throw that last load of laundry in the dryer last night and need to tumble dry your bras, forgo the dryer sheets. These act like fabric softener and can harm the fabric. Just make sure to set the heat on low because high heat can break down the fibers of the bra.

3) Know When It’s Time To Replace

Even the best cared for bra will need to be replaced eventually. An older bra will be stretched out, especially along the rib cage band and the shoulder straps. It’s time to replace your sports bra:

If you’re noticing more movement as you’re exercising
If you can’t read the care tag anymore
If it suddenly seems too big
If your workouts are working and you’ve lost more than 10-20 pounds
If you’re pregnant (working out while pregnant is completely safe — just listen to your body)
If it’s pilling or otherwise worn

Exercising can do wonders for your physical and mental health. However, if you’re not taking care of your sports bras, you could be faced with an uncomfortable injury since your breasts will no longer be properly supported. Take the time to take care of your bras and you could extend their life. These little steps can go a long way towards keeping you (and your bras) in top condition.

About the Author:
Cindy Prosser is a former underwear model turned freelance writer and mommy. She’ll happily commit to wearing her sports bra so long as she’s not obligated to do any exercise She does occasionally get out for a run with the jog stroller when she’s not busy writing for Bare Necessities.

Contacts for the Elderly

guestposter — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 23:07:25 +0000

It has been documented that 1 out of every 5 American senior or elderly citizen suffers from visual impairments and that this population of the 60 and above age group are more likely to suffer from severe vision handicaps than the younger adult population. Aging is one of life’s inevitable natural phases which are more often associated with a significant increase in sickness and diseases as one’s body sometimes regresses at this stage.

Ageing can bring about certain alterations in the clarity and health of one’s vision. As eyes are our “window to the world”, this vital organ is key as to how we function and enjoy in our environment. As such, when one reaches this particular era in their lives, utmost care and regular eye examination is a must.

Vision problems of this generation can run from mild to severe.

Astigmatism

One of the most common visual impairments that are experienced by mostly everyone at varying degrees. It is caused by an alteration in the cornea’s particular curvature and can either be hereditary or acquired. Symptoms for astigmatism may differ from mild to severe head tensions or aches, eye strain and lack of focus or clarity in one’s vision.

Depending on the severity, several options are available to remedy this condition but the most prescribed would be the toric lenses as they correct the curvature of your cornea to bring back your sense of sight. toric contacts deals are available in optical shops and through online retailers.

Watery or dry eyes

This condition may be two pronged; one can experience watery eyes due to sensitivity to the elements such as light, wind or sudden changes in climate and temperature; or one may suffer from dry eyes characterized by the lack of moisture in the eyes resulting in irritation and impaired vision. Treatment can range from wearing eye glasses with enough UV protection, to medicated eye drops and at times, contact lenses provide the most viable solution.

Presbyopia

Simply put this is described as an incapability to focus clearly on close distances and is usually associated with old age. It can run from difficulty in reading to getting headaches or eye fatigue. early presbyope contact lens are mostly recommended to correct this type of vision impairment as they allow your eyes to be able to focus and see clearly at close distances.

Floaters

They are named as such because they are mostly characterized by seeing floating specks hampering your clear vision. When frequency and degree of these floaters increase, it is better to seek the advice of your eye doctor as this could be a symptom of detachment in your retina which could lead to a far more serious visual impairment.

Aging should not be feared rather should be something that you would look forward to. Like any part of your body, keep in mind that your eyes are also subjected to the daily wear and tear brought about by our particular lifestyle. Keeping your eyes healthy gives you much better chances of enjoying the twilight years of your life.

Tips to Staying Fit on Vacation

guestposter — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:45:24 +0000

Vacations are always the best time to unwind, pig out and have a completely grand time. It is that once in a year experience that we all look forward to, whether you are basking in the hot and sandy beaches of Cyprus or enjoying the feel of the icy cold snow in Aspen. And it is during these times that we throw caution into the wind, forgetting about eating healthy or staying fit. We somehow have the notion that vacation and exercise just don’t mix.

Most of us binge out during vacations then we scram to get in shape afterwords. Vacations do not necessarily mean we need to let go of our healthy lifestyle. Here are some simple tips you can follow to ensure that you have a nice time on your vacation and still stay fit and healthy.

Explore

Most countries are known for certain sports, you can explore and try out the particular sport of the country that you are vacationing in, it will be a good way to exercise and at the same time learn about their culture. You can try the British rugby or get some Cyprus tennis experience.

If you are staying in a hotel or a resort, chances are they are equipped with facilities for recreation and leisure. Find out what options are available and take some time off your sightseeing to whip your body into shape.

Eat Light

Start your day with a heavy breakfast and since you are on a vacation and would most likely want to try out new delicacies, you can opt to eat a light snack every 3 hours just so you can make the most of your vacation while still keep to a healthy regimen.

Get Moving

As you enjoy the new sights in your vacation paradise, might as well get your body moving and lose those extra pounds, you can try brisk walking along the Mexican mountain trail path, running along the sandy shores of the Bahamas, or getting a full body work out by enjoying a game of tennis in Cyprus.

Watch What You Drink

Avoid mixed drinks or juices high in sugar content and certain additives, opt for water and sugar free drinks instead. Do not over indulge in the heavier alcoholic beverages; a healthier glass of red wine is a much better alternative.

Keeping yourself in top shape even on vacation is easily achievable, just keep in mind these very simple steps and keep those unwanted fats off your body all throughout the year.

Organic Herbal Remedies: Nature’s Way of Healing

guestposter — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 20:42:30 +0000

Though herbal remedies have helped mankind from the very beginning, scientific research on herbal medicine in our modern world is still considered to be in its stage of infancy. Herbalists and herbal medicine has long been a target of skepticism especially from the medical authorities. Though the medical field has undoubtedly paved the way for breakthrough treatments for the most dangerous of diseases, herbal remedies also trace their roots from science. Let us not forget that most of the drugs that we use today were made from plant based substances. The most common, aspirin, was traced from the plant willow bark which has long been used in relieving headaches.

Though in its early stages of research, the efficacy of herbal drugs have long been accepted and now that more consumers are looking into natural alternatives for their health needs. Herbal remedies are again gaining the recognition that it has long established in past civilizations.

Uses of Herbal Medicine

As homeopathic remedies – Homeopathy is based on the principle that the body is uniquely capable of healing its own illness. Our body’s natural healers are found in the very soil, in plants and in minerals, and when taken in sufficient quantities can strengthen the body’s defenses against diseases. It is nature’s own brand of vaccination to ward off and treat certain illnesses in our body.

As skin care medicine – Herbs have long been used as natural remedies for acne, wrinkles, aging as well as skin burns and lesions. The detoxifying properties found in most herbs promote the elasticity and resiliency of our skin. Long before the moisturizing creams and anti aging serums, nature has already given us an abundance of plants that we can use to keep our skin young and beautiful.

As medicines for digestion – Roots and herbs have been used in the kitchen as spices for a reason. These spices are incorporated with natural properties that aid in digestion and used as treatment for most gastrointestinal disorders such as constipation, bloating, diarrhea and gas pains.

As herbal detoxifiers – Detoxification is ridding our body from harmful toxins that can trigger the weakening of our body’s natural defenses making us susceptible to certain diseases. Herbal detoxification has been a method used for many years to detoxify and cleanse our liver, lungs and kidneys. Herbs such as dandelion, chamomile, coffee and parsley are just some of our natural detoxifiers.

As antioxidants – Based on recent studies by the US Department of Agriculture, herbs are a rich source of antioxidants that prevent and slow down the production of free radicals that can damage our body and cause cancer.

Herbal remedies are nature’s gift to mankind. Whether you believe in it or not, the fact is that you have been knowingly or unknowingly using these remedies for a long time, as every bit of spices that you add in your food contain herbal properties that help keep your strong and healthy.

Staying In Shape During The Winter Months

guestposter — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:32:40 +0000

Anyone who loves to get their exercise though outdoor activities knows quite well just how hard the winter months can be to stay in shape. Whether it’s the shorter days, the holidays or something else, we struggle to find the time and energy in our already busy days to workout. Some may take refuge at their local gym, while others try to stay motivated with their own home exercise equipment. Regardless of how you maintain your fitness level, the important thing is that you do. Here are a few tips to help keep you fit through the winter.

Find A Workout That Works

The first place to start is by developing a workout that will fit your schedule and your fitness needs. Focus on using gym equipment to incorporate both strength training and cardiovascular fitness. This will mostly likely entail the use of a weight machine and some variation of an aerobic activity (ie. exercise bike, treadmill, elliptical). If you do not enjoy lifting weights or utilizing stationary equipment, you will need to find an alternative. Many people find classes to help keep them going. Programs like Cross Fit are becoming very popular for this reason. Cross Fit is notorious for working all the major areas of fitness in one short, intense class that can also offer great comradery as a social event that also helps keep you motivated.

Stay Positive

The winter can be a long few months when you are struggling to motivate every other day for a routine workout. Staying positive is critical to your success with staying in shape. A positive attitude will help the time during your workout go by much faster and leave you feeling renewed.

Have Fun

Just because old man winter is hanging around does not mean you can not get outside and enjoy the weather. Cross country skiing, snow shoeing, alpine skiing and snowboarding are terrific ways to stay in shape while having fun during the winter months. If you are new to any of these sports consider a lesson as it will give you the knowledge to be able to enjoy the sport that much more.

Hopefully these tips will help you maintain your physical fitness throughout the winter months and bring you eager and motivated for the coming spring!

Understanding the Treatment and Cures for Psoriasis

guestposter — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 06:36:42 +0000

Psoriasis is the probably the longest known illnesses of humans and at the same time the most misunderstood. It has been first confused as a variety of leprosy and was even called Willian’s lepra (lepra is Greek for ‘scaly skin’) when an English dermatologist named Robert Willan differentiated it from other skin diseases. It eventually was named psoriasis by the Viennese dermatologist Ferdinand von Hebra deriving from the word psora or ‘to itch’.

This skin disease is caused when the immune system sends out incorrect signals that speed up the growth cycles of skin cells. Although psoriasis is not contagious it is chronic or long lasting. There are five types of psoriasis namely plaque, guttate, inverse, pustular and erythrocyte. The most common of the five is plaque psoriasis which displays red and white colors of scaly patches on the top most layer of the skin or epidermis.

Historical treatments of psoriasis were traced back to ancient Egypt. Egyptians were believed to have applied cat feces on red lesions on the skin. Other topical remedy included urine, goose oil and semen, sea salt, onion and a mixture of wasp droppings in sycamore milk.

Psoriasis is a life long condition without a permanent cure, although various treatments are available to help control the symptoms. The most common treatment is a bath solution and a topical treatment or application of moisturizers, mineral oil and petroleum jelly to help soothe the affected areas of the skin and reduce dryness that comes with plaque psoriasis.

Phototherapy is another well recognized treatment of psoriasis. It has been proven that short, non-burning exposure to sunlight helped to improve a patient’s condition. UV rays or Ultraviolet light, specifically Ultraviolet B (UVB), is absorbed by the epidermis and has beneficial effect on psoriasis. Exposure to UVB for several times a week resulted in a reduction.

For those cases that prove to be resistant to topical and phototherapy treatments, medications are done to help control psoriasis. Orally taking pills and regular injections of drugs are offered to patients. Patients undergoing these systemic treatments are required to have a regular blood and liver function tests due to the toxicity of the medications.

An alternative therapy, on the other hand, is much, much simpler. Some studies suggest that psoriasis symptoms can be relieved by changing one’s diet and lifestyle. Diets that are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids like fish (NCB Alaska deep sea fish oil) and turning to a vegetable and fruit diet, according to some studies, show beneficial effects such as serious arthritis issues like juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. These studies also revealed that severe cases of psoriasis are connected with alcoholic abuse, smoking, sleep, stress and exercise.

Maintaining Your Workout Results

guestposter — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:09:46 +0000

Finishing a workout program is a wonderful achievement. Not many people can say that about themselves. Many people buy all these workout DVDs but after a couple of weeks they just quit because it’s too darn hard. I read that only about 10% of the people that start a workout program have the will power to see it through.

So you are one of those ten percent. First of all congratulations. The fact that you just did that is really impressive. But now you stand before another task, maintaining your hard worked results. So now people are asking you for a fast weight loss tip, but how do you keep your weight the same so in the future you won’t have to sweat again to lose belly fat. The best thing would be to keep doing the same workout over and over without increasing the weight or the number of reps. But that isn’t an option for everyone. One hour a day, for the rest of your life, that’s a lot of time.

Another option is to include a yoga day, one weight-lifting day and one cardio day per week. Yoga is really relaxing and you won’t feel like you are doing an actual workout. But yoga is great at maintaining muscle tone and joint flexibility. One weight-lifting day so you don’t lose strength. You don’t have to do an actual cardio workout. You can add some sport activity in your schedule, like running, hiking, biking, something you won’t consider a chore and you will enjoy doing.

I am doing a Yoga workout on Monday, pull-ups and push-ups on Thursday and on the weekends I go hiking and backpacking. This really seems to work for me, because I can still do 15 pull-ups and 50 push-ups without a problem, just like at the end of my last 3 month workout program.

Succeeding through Physical Fitness

guestposter — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:02:37 +0000

The world today is a battlefield. You need to compete in order to succeed. You need to outsmart and outperform other people to be on top. You need to perform better and work harder to achieve more. And in order for you to perform better, you need to be more physically fit. Knowing that physical fitness translates to success, you need to give physical fitness its due importance if you want to succeed.

Being physically fit is no easy work. You need a lot of discipline, patience and determination to achieve the right level of fitness you need to be able to perform at your best, maximize your potentials and the ultimate goal – to succeed.

How to Achieve Physical Fitness

There are three main components needed to be monitored and controlled to be physically fit. These are exercise, rest and proper diet.

You might blurt out, “I don’t have time for workouts! I’m busy!” Many people today are so focused only with their careers and set aside their physical health but without a healthy body, how will they be able to be work properly and be productive? Without proper exercise, your body will succumb to diseases and problems that could stop you from achieving your goals. It may be true that people today are much busier because of so many deadlines to beat and projects to be completed, but allotting several minutes a day to devote to workouts is not very difficult if you really are determined to get physically fit. There is even home fitness equipment available in the market like electric treadmills and dumbbells so you can have your workout at home.

Exercise

You can go to a fitness studio and subscribe for a workout schedule. You can buy your own workout equipment and install in your home. You can even devote a few hours of walking and jogging every morning before going to work or school. You also have the option to do sports. You have a lot of alternatives if you’ll think about it. No reason for you not to have regular exercise.

Proper diet

Almost one out of two Americans are overweight. Look at the one sitting beside you and see if he or she is overweight. If not, then you may want to weigh yourself and see if you are. And when you learn that you weigh a bit too much, then you may want to start monitoring your diet. You don’t want to suffer from serious health problems brought about by clogged arteries and high uric acid and blood sugar content.

Rest

Five hours of sleep is not enough. Contrary to common belief that five hours of deep sleep is enough, doctors believe that an adult needs to have at least seven hours of sleep to accumulate enough energy to last the whole day and perform many activities. Poor performance is sometimes the result of inadequate sleep.

If you decide to devote yourself to staying physically fit, then you are on the right track to succeeding and achieving your goals.

A Great Pilates Workout

guestposter — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 05:08:39 +0000

If you are looking for a great workout, the Pilates Reformer is a professional level piece of equipment usually found in gyms and other health focused salons. Created through a series of exercises by Joseph Pilates, it began in a hospital room and became a world-wide sensation.

Now you can find a great version of this exercise equipment in the form of the Pilates Performer. It can be used in home along with your favorite DVD for Pilates and weight control. You can also choose special DVD’s available to accompany your machine once you are ready to workout.

The Performer is budget friendly for anyone and performs just as well as the more costly professional version. It provides a controlled workout for every part of the body to core depth and stretches muscles for the best in a complete training program. Once you get better at the exercises, you can add more resistance for the next level of workout. You will need enough space to set up and move around. Be sure the Pilates machine sits on a level surface for best results.

Now you can add an Aero Pilates Performer to you machine for a great cardio workout to improve your breathing and heart rate for a healthy life. The instructions provided make it easy to attach and learn to use. This will give you one of the best pieces of exercise equipment on the market today. You will see overall improvement in the amount of calories you burn with each use. Your body will slim and you will feel better as each week passes.

By investing in your Pilates Performer you will have the ultimate in a great workout for the whole body. There is no price too great for improved health and lifestyle. This great machine includes everything you will need to create the best workout program for your body.

Probiotics Side Effects – The Inner Healers

guestposter — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:14:40 +0000

Probiotics can be considered our body’s internal doctors as they not only provide us with nutritional benefits but go beyond that to nutritional care. These good bacteria help our body strike a healthy balance in both our digestive and immune system. Lack thereof would result in certain illnesses that will affect one’s general well being. Though research has also established some very mild probiotic side effects, the good they do to our body far outmatches those of some minor side effects.

Dr. Casey Adams, one of America’s renowned pioneering alternative health Guru whose work on probiotics have been published many times over, has thoroughly researched on the positive effects of this good bacteria and its vital role in our body’s immune system processes. He further adds that one’s body is innately endowed with over 32 billion good and bad bacteria and these good bacteria counters the negative effects of their bad counterparts. A proper apprehension on the importance of probiotics in our overall health and well being especially in its capacity to protect our body from harmful bacteria that may put us at the risk of numerous diseases is highly relevant.

It was in latter part of the past century when microbiologists first identified a certain beneficial micro flora in our gastrointestinal pathways. These discovered microorganisms will be more popularly known as probiotics, the good and friendly bacteria, and these marked the beginning of more research and studies on these helpful microorganisms. Mounting curiosity on the seemingly endless benefits of probiotics grows even stronger as the research progresses. Moreover, the World Health Organization regards probiotics to be one of the body’s most significant immunity defense mechanism.

Numerous positive effects have been attributed to probiotics as evidenced by science. These benefits range from reducing inflammations to helping our body cope with infectious diarrhea, lactose intolerance, irritable bower syndrome (IBS) and improve constipation as well as assist in our body’s assimilation of vital nutrients.

As we learn more about probiotics, the more scientists thinks of ways for our body’s to sufficiently acquire them. Including them in our regular diet can ensure that these good bacteria will always be present to look after our body’s defenses. They are commonly found in most fermented and dairy products like soft cheeses, buttermilk, cream cheese and yogurt, soy products like tempeh and miso, kimchi, and other juice drinks.

As we grow older, the more we need to build up on our immunity and digestion and probiotics helps create this perfect synergy in our body.