Take the Back Pain Out of Backpacks | Health and Fitness | qctimes.com Already a subscriber?

Click on the button below to set up your account or log in if you already have one.

Purchase a digital-only subscription now for unlimited online access to local news and information.

You are the owner of this article.

Little boy elementary student with backpack and sandwich box isolated on white

Little boy elementary student with backpack and sandwich box isolated on white

SUNDAY, Sept. 3, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Backpacks can mean backaches for schoolchildren, but an orthopedic surgeon has advice for parents and kids about how to keep soreness at bay.

"Parents should inspect their child's backpack from time to time," said Dr. Joshua Hyman of New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital in New York City.

Kids "often carry much more than they should, with extra shoes, toys, electronic devices and other unnecessary items," he explained in a hospital news release.

Hyman suggests that before sending kids off to school, parents should follow these backpack safety tips:

Researching family history? Looking for a photo of something you remember from childhood? Want to see what was happening the day you were born? Try our digital archive, where you can search the text of every edition we've published -- in all its iterations -- going back to 1855.

A unique book that provides an up-close and personal look at farm life. Yours for only $29.95 for a limited time.

Read this article:
Take the Back Pain Out of Backpacks - Quad City Times

Everyone at one point in time entering university has probably heard of the infamous freshman 15, the so-called 15 pounds first-year students often gain.

So how can youa bright-eyed, bushy-tailed freshmanavoid said 15 pounds? How can you stay healthy throughout the entire school year? Its actually pretty simple. Eat a well-rounded diet and exercise.

Before we get to the tips, lets address a few things.

Being healthy is 80 per cent diet and 20 per cent exercise, so believe it or not, but consuming your weight in alcohol and following that with a basket of chicken wings will not be balanced out by a bottle of water and 30 minutes of running the next day. Lastly, slimness isnt the same thing as healthiness, so regardless of your body size, keep your health habits in check!

So now that we have that out of the way, maybe keeping off the freshman 15 isnt enough to deter you from late nights of drinking, eating junk food and consuming a litre of your preferred energy drink. But, there are plenty of other reasons one can consider. To name a few, youll have more energy, and eating well and exercising can promote better mental health, so youll feel more confident overall.

Without further ado, here are some tips from an upper-year to stay healthy in university.

Exercise regularly.

Figure out what you enjoy and make time for it in your schedule. Carleton has a great gym and offers classes throughout the week. Or if youre cheap, go on a scenic run or do some yoga around our gorgeous campus.

Drink up.

Water, that is. Water promotes healthy skin, energizes the muscles, balances your bodily fluids and keeps your brain in top shape.

Follow your moms orders and eat your fruits and veggies.

Believe it or not, your body is not made up of ramen and chips. Fruits and veggies provide your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy that typically wont be found in your mac and cheese boxes.

Try to sleep 6-8 hours a night.

I personally think its really unhealthy that our generation promotes thriving off of little to no sleep constantly. Your body needs sleep. Look up any medical study and it will show you that your body needs sleep to repair itself and work at its optimal condition. Most of the best students I know get ample amounts of sleep, do well in their academics and are able to have extracurriculars because they have good time management skills. So moral of the story: prioritize sleep.

I hope you find these tips useful and youll be able to thrive this year in university, not just survive. Remember that balance is key: a night on the town with your friends is always a good idea if done in moderation. Best of luck!

Photo by Angela Tilley

Read the original:
Health and Fitness Blog: Fight off the Freshman 15 - The Charlatan

Open house week begins Tuesday, Sept. 5 at Everfit Studios, 8 Stanley St., Bloomfield.

Kathy Terpstra, owner

The studio specializes in small group fitness, personal training, nutrition for weight loss, Fascial Stretch therapy and being proactive with your health. (See schedule and descriptions below)

Everybodys invited to try out the classes to see which ones work best for your health goals! As well as clases, there will be information sessions throughout the week on fascial stretch and the InForm Nutritional Program.

Fascial stretch can help alleviate pain, increase flexibility and improve blood circulation. Find out more: Tuesday, Sept. 5th 4:00-4:30pmWednesday, Sept. 6th 11:00-11:30amThursday, Sept. 7th 9:30-10:00am

Those looking to lose some weight, have more energy and feel good in their skin again are invited to sit in on the InForm nutritional program Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. or Thursday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m

Sign up for the free class pass, or get more information by contacting owner Kathy Terpstra at http://everfitstudios.ca/contact

Terpstra brings 20-plus years to the fitness industry and is a certified Fascial Stretch Therapist and nutritional coach, CanFitPro personal trainer specialist, yoga and pilates instructor.

Andrew Binks

Andrew Bolton

Personal training is also being offered with Andrew Binks on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and he will be teaching Dance Fusion (Thursday mornings) as well as Barefoot Bootcamp (Thursday afternoon).

EverFit Studios welcomes the addition of Adam Bolton, a part-time County resident who has been teaching in Toronto. He teaches several different types of classes and will be focusing on CORE Dynamics (Mondays) as well as a RESET Restorative class on Tuesday evenings.

Formal classes begin Monday, Sept. 11th and run to Friday, Nov. 3.

See the article here:
Make health and fitness your priority EverFit Studios Open House this week! - countylive.ca

Dont let 2017 be the year when youre looking back complaining about not achieving certain goals or mixing up your fitness routine.

To help, here are five ways to mix up your training programme to make a happier finish to the year.

There are plenty of excellent group fitness classes daily around Dubai and Abu Dhabi with the chance to train either before work in the morning or the evening time.

All it takes is 50 minutes for a training session to make you feel mentally and physically sharp.

It may take a while to find a class that suits you, but if you go with friends, itll make it easier and more enjoyable.

The benefits of committing to a group class is that youll get pushed harder than an average training session on your own.

If you want to be committed to a class then book into 10 classes for a set fee and that will force you to go on a daily basis.

Although were not blessed with long stretches of sunlight in the evening, you can run any time of the day over here.

If youre eyeing up the Dubai Marathon in January or any event across the calendar year, you should take advantage of the weather as it slowly cools down.

Wherever you live across the UAE, there are plenty of running routes available (check out pick of the best in Abu Dhabi and Dubai).

If you want to take it a bit more seriously, then invest in a sports watch or heart rate monitor which can be linked to many free apps on your IPhone (MyFitnessPal and MapMyRun).

Depending on where you are living around Dubai, there are many outdoor workout stations to train for free, ex: Skydive Dubai, Al Barsha Park, and the Marina.

You dont need fancy equipment and having simple tools like pull-up bars, dip bars make it easier to put a tough workout together.

If youre unsure of exercises you can do that require minimal equipment then google circuit workouts.

Yoga is incredible popular in the UAE, and this was seen during the Reebok Yoga Fest and Dubai Fitness Fest last year.

It has so many benefits, from reducing the risk to injury to increasing muscle strength and flexibility.

There are lots of yoga classes available and can act as a different form of training if you are doing cardio and other sports.

Being part of a sports club is the best way to keep fit and make friends. Spending one to two evenings a week with a team is a great method of socialising, keeping fit in a fun environment, and most importantly, taking your mind off the stressful demands of the working week.

Whether youre in a new country or looking for a lifestyle change at home, being part of a team is one of the best ways to boost happiness and stay healthy.

We Recommend

Related Tags

Related Stories

Read the original post:
Five ways to mix up your health and fitness routine for the rest of 2017 - Sport360

So you yep, you! cancelled your resolutions for 2017.

Whether you deleted them back in March, when no one was really looking, or you almost made it through Winter but the cold weather got the better of your willpower, we're here to tell you that you absolutely can still smash your healthy new year resolutions . . . and now three months out from Summer is the perfect time.

Here's why:

No need to wait until January 2018 to come up with similar resolutions to the ones you didn't finish this year. If you start now you'll be four months into your new healthier way of life.

Think way back to when (and why) you created your goals. Was after a few weeks of over-indulging? Or was it because you desperately needed a lifestyle change? Whatever the reason, remember the catalyst for the decision and let that be your motivator.

Sure, you ignored your resolution for most of the year but it's still there in that part of the brain where you keep all those other things you know you really should do (like your tax and visiting your grandmother more). Pick it back up and refocus on getting back on track even if it's been six months since.

Okay, not the very first but you'll definitely join a select group of people who see their resolutions through each year. Studies have shown that nine percent of people who make resolutions stick to them, be part of the nine percent.

If you need a little push, or you're not sure how to truly nail healthy eating, your fuss-free guide awaits you. So ditch the excuses and revive/refresh/resuscitate/rejuvenate/rescue (and all the other "R" words) your resolutions this week.

Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Diggy Lloyd

Original post:
Reasons to Revive Your Healthy Resolutions Today - POPSUGAR Health and Fitness Australia

For many students, going to university means living away from home for the first time. With that comes a truckload of adult responsibilities, like paying bills, which can be overwhelming on top of a university course load.

For about 50 per cent of Canadian students, working a part-time job during school is necessary to make ends meet. But, maintaining a healthy balance between school, work, and extracurriculars, while still having a social life, can be tough. Here are a few tips so you dont get too overwhelmed and stressed out.

Manage your time

Time management is an important part of a work/school balance, and is a great skill to develop for adult life in general.

If youre a student juggling part-time work and a full course-load at school, odds are you dont have a whole lot of spare time. But there are lots of little ways you can use your time more effectively and get more done in a day.

For example, instead of just putting in your headphones and staring out the window, do your readings on the bus ride to or from work or school. Youre not doing anything during that time anyway, so you might as well learn something.

Prioritize

Something I find helpful is making a list of assignments or tasks I need to accomplish, and then organizing it in order of urgency or importance (if youre a real freak you can even colour-code this list by class, like I do). So if you have a week to do a reading but an assignment due in two days, do the assignment first.

Get a planner, agenda or calendar

If youre anything like me, youve probably completely forgotten to do an assignment at least once. Having a place to write down deadlines is an important part of making sure you meet those deadlines.

Because my memory is garbage, I also find it helpful to put a bunch of alarms and reminders in my phone to help me remember assignment deadlines, tests and other important dates.

Dont want to spend money on a planner that youre not sure youll use? Keep an eye out for all the free stuff available during frosh week. The Rideau River Residence Association and the Carleton University Students Association usually have free agendas and notebooks available in their offices (did I mention that theyre free?).

Ask for help

If youre feeling totally overwhelmed by your job and your courses, odds are your grades are going to be affected. So if youre struggling academically, just talk to your professors! Most of them are human beings who understand what youre going through and will help you out.

Say no

Maybe sometimes youre just too busy with school to cover someones shift or go to that sports game. Maybe you dont want to go to that frat party, and thats fine. Sometimes you need to take time for yourself and recharge.

Take time for you

Self-care is important, but healthy self-care is even more important.

As good as it might feel to stay in bed all day or eat an entire pack of Oreos as a meal or drink your sorrows away at Ollies, there are so many other forms of self-care that are not destructive to your body and mind.

Go for a walk or run or bike ride, and just do something that gets you outside. Studies have shown that going outside can improve your mental health, boost your immune system, restore mental energy and reduce stress.

Get a good nights sleep. Spend time with people you love. Spend some time with yourself. Drink good coffee. Eat good food. Listen to music that makes you happy. Do yoga. Call your mom. Drink water. Meditate. Jam out. Have a nap.

Photo by Angela Tilley

Here is the original post:
Health and Fitness Blog: Balancing work and studies - The Charlatan

TUESDAY, Aug. 29, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- If the cold weather makes you shiver, your blood vessels and heart may be quivering, too -- and that may be enough to trigger a heart attack in some people, new research suggests.

The study found that more heart attacks occur when temperatures drop below freezing, suggesting people with plaques in their coronary arteries may not cope well with the body's response to cold.

"There is seasonal variation in the occurrence of heart attack, with incidence declining in summer and peaking in winter," said study first author Moman Mohammad, a doctoral student from Lund University in Sweden.

"It is unclear whether this is due to colder temperatures or behavioral changes," Mohammad said.

The body responds to cold by narrowing superficial blood vessels, reducing heat conduction in the skin and raising blood pressure, the researchers explained. The body also shivers and increases heart rate, which boosts metabolism and raises body temperature, they added.

"In the majority of healthy people these mechanisms are well tolerated," said Mohammad. "But in people with atherosclerotic plaques in their coronary arteries they may trigger a heart attack."

Using Sweden's heart attack registry, the research team identified more than 280,000 consecutive heart attacks treated at a coronary care unit between January 1998 and December 2013.

The researchers also tracked the weather conditions that occurred during this 16-year period, calculating the average daily minimum temperature for the entire country as well as six health care regions.

Although the study wasn't designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship, the researchers found a link between more heart attacks and colder temperatures. This was true across all regions studied.

This translated to four additional heart attacks in Sweden each day the average daily temperature was less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius) compared to when temperatures were a more balmy 50 degrees F (10 degrees C).

Heart attacks were also linked to higher wind velocities, reduced sunshine duration and more humidity. This was true even after the researchers took other possible factors into account, such as older age, high blood pressure, diabetes, previous heart attacks and medication usage, the study showed.

"Our results consistently showed a higher occurrence of heart attacks in sub-zero [Celsius] temperatures," Mohammad said in a news release from the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Get tips on free stuff and fun ideas delivered weekly to your inbox

"The findings were the same across a large range of patient subgroups, and at national as well as regional levels, suggesting that air temperature is a trigger for heart attack," he said.

Other risk factors for heart attack that are affected by seasons include lung infections and the flu, the researchers pointed out. They added that dietary changes and reduced physical activity during the winter months could also affect rates of heart attack when temperatures are low.

The study was presented Monday at the annual meeting of the ESC, in Barcelona, Spain. Research presented at meetings is typically viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Excerpt from:
As Temperatures Fall, Heart Attacks May Rise - Fremont Tribune

You have probably heard that eating a healthy breakfast is important. After all, breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day. Its difficult to prove that any one meal is more important than another, but research does show that eating breakfast can lead to important health benefits.

Breakfast provides energy to start the day. This is especially important if you will be active in the morning, either through an early trip to the gym or if you have a strenuous job, but even people who are less active may find that they feel more alert if they eat breakfast and not just because of coffee.

Eating breakfast can help reduce hunger and overeating later in the morning or at lunch. This is why breakfast is often emphasized in weight loss diets. In fact, 78% of participants in the National Weight Control Registry report that they eat breakfast every day as a way to lose weight and keep it off. These successful losers have lost an average of more than 60 pounds, so their advice is worth paying attention to.

What is a healthy breakfast? Unfortunately, there is no specific answer to that question. Most experts would agree that a good breakfast should include a combination of carbohydrates, protein and fat but be low in added sugar. These broad guidelines suggest that there are many ways to create a healthy breakfast, even if it doesn't include traditional breakfast foods.

A better approach may be to identify foods that would be poor choices for breakfast. Chances are, if your breakfast doesnt include items from this list, you are on the right track. However, if any of the following are true about your breakfast, it could likely use some improvements:

I think everyone would agree that foods that are frosted are better classified as dessert than breakfast. That said, from doughnuts to Pop Tarts to breakfast bars, many unhealthy breakfast foods are covered with a layer of frosting.

Just like frosting, breakfast foods that contain marshmallows are probably better choices for dessert. Marshmallows are found in cereals, granola bars and other packaged foods that are almost always high in added sugars beyond the marshmallows.

A fruit smoothie can be a healthy breakfast, but a fruit smoothie topped with whipped cream is probably closer to a milkshake as far as sugar and calories are concerned. The same goes for coffee drinks. A mocha-caramel-latte with whipped topping may contain coffee, but it also has far more sugar, fat and calories than you might expect.

Research shows that eating chocolate may have health benefits, but the research involves consuming small amounts of dark chocolate, not chocolate donuts or chocolate-flavored cereal. Again save the chocolate for dessert.

More specifically, you got the food while you were in your car, which means it likely came from the drive-through window at a fast food restaurant. Fast food is just as poor of a choice for breakfast as it is for lunch or dinner.

Of course, there are exceptions to these guidelines. There is nothing wrong with treating yourself to a chocolate frosted doughnut once in a while. But if your daily breakfast includes items from this list, you could benefit from a breakfast makeover, and this list should help you avoid many unhealthy choices.

Dr. Brian Parr is an associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science at USC Aiken where he teaches courses in exercise physiology, nutrition and health behavior. You can learn more about this and other health and fitness topics at http://drparrsays.com or on Twitter @drparrsays.

Go here to read the rest:
HEALTH & FITNESS: Tips to choosing healthy breakfast - Aiken Standard

When asked his secret to being productive, billionaire Richard Branson's short reply to journalists was "working out". For every hour he spends working out, he gains four hours in productivity.

It's one of the quotes that Sydney-based go-to trainer for corporate executives, Greg Stark uses in his book, Sweat Equity, to highlight the mind-body connection. Healthy body, healthy mind.

Corporate health is his niche. And Stark says it's not all about achieving a six pack of abs, although that can be a welcome by-product of a new exercise regime.

It's more about helping busy executives make time for fitness.

And, as Branson is on the record as saying, many people fail in business because they feel the only way to succeed is to sacrifice all other areas of life. He said: "It's difficult to keep running at 100mph when you're on zero."

Stark, a personal trainer for 12 years, tells how his time spent looking after elite athletes such as South Sydney Rabbitohs league players translates to looking after everyday athletes.

"I could see the same principles we were applying to the elite sports world would benefit people at the top of the corporate world."

Stark says often the hardest challenge is finding the time to allocate to health and fitness.

"That is the same for a lot of people whether you're a high-level executive or a stay-at-home mum.

"The other part we find, particularly with executives, is it is not about us trying to push them harder, but trying to slow them down. To regenerate and recover, just like you do with an athlete."

He says staying healthy is also about how people perceive stress.

"People think stress is evil: that it is making us sick physically and mentally. But stress is what makes us improve, it builds resistance, it makes our fitness better, it makes our hearts stronger.

"The key is understanding that stress can help us, but we need opportunities to switch off as well.

"And that is where a lot of people struggle. The on switch is always on. We often spend the last five minutes of our sessions doing a form of breathing that is similar to meditation, to hit the reset button. So, your mind and body perform better."

His book is broken up into four sections: mindset, movement, nutrition and recovery.

"The first part of the book is about keeping perspective on where all those things in your life sit. You have to be aware of your priorities.

"I think people have to be a little bit more selfish in some ways, and look after themselves first.

My perspective on health and fitness is that, to be the best for everyone else around me, whether it is the people I am working for, or my clients or my family, I need to be in the best condition myself. I don't want to be a drain upon them, so I need to be keeping myself fit and healthy."

Unfortunately, it often takes a health issue or relationship breakdown for people to realise they need to look after their health.

"A lot of people have the mentality that they will deal with getting fit and healthy when they get enough money or enough time. But unfortunately, those points never occur. A relationship breakdown or a health decline makes them assess priorities.

"The wonderful thing about the industry I work in, is I have seen so many people rebuild themselves."

Greg Stark.

So how much time does it take to change?

Stark says a common mistake is that people go overboard.

"They will go from not training at all to training seven days a week or doing a crazy diet. People will do it for a short period of time and then it all becomes too hard.

"We say come and see us once a week for a personal training session. That will help them start to make the changes around their health."

He works with his clients to establish three keys to drive their success.

*Purpose: Get in tune with why their health is important

*Progress: Establish their current state of wellness and where they want to get to.

*Perception: Address challenges or limiting beliefs that might inhibit their ability to achieve greater health.

"People will find going for one long walk once a week or changing one thing in their diet can have a dramatic effect on all areas of their of health," he says.

And research is showing that health and fitness not only have physical benefits but improve how we perform in our working days.

Companies looking for ways to engage their employees can allow them to exercise in company time. "By valuing your employees' health, there is no greater gift than that."

Stark says another misconception is that if people exercise, they can sit at their desks for eight hours straight.

"Sitting is now the new smoking.

"Research shows that all the benefits you can get from your exercise is negated by that time spent sitting."

However, the opposite of sitting isn't standing, it is moving.

He suggests strategies to help get moving in the workplace.

"Every time you take a phone call, stand up and walk around the room.

"Drink plenty of water so that you have to get up and go to the bathroom on a regular basis.

"Just having a quick stretch for two minutes every hour helps to keep the body performing."

Walking meetings are another option.

"I do it with my team when I have a one-on-one catch-up, rather than having a sit-down meeting. They are often the best meetings we have because of that body/brain connection. The body is moving, the brain is thriving."

Stark is based in Australia but he says his book addresses universal problems.

These are universal principles and there will be one thing that you can incorporate into your lifestyle."

Sweat Equity, Simon & Schuster, RRP $35

Read this article:
Put fitness into your schedule - New Zealand Herald

Dear Doctor: Ever since the news about lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan, I've wondered about the water in my own home. I live in Oklahoma, and our house was built in 1988. Should I be worried?

Dear Reader: You've asked a timely question that, unfortunately, has a complex answer. Let's start with why the presence of lead in our environment whether in the water, air or soil, or in the products we use or come into contact with is of grave concern.

Lead is a highly toxic metal that has a detrimental effect on virtually every system in the human body. Children, with their developing brains and nervous systems, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of lead. The amount of lead that an adult can tolerate with minimum ill effect can cause significant damage to a child. The challenge is that until it becomes acute, lead poisoning virtually has no symptoms.

Lead causes anemia, hypertension and damages the kidneys and the reproductive system. Even low blood levels of lead affect the development of the brain and nervous system. In children it can result in lower IQ, hearing problems and behavioral changes like reduced attention span. The neurological damage caused by lead is believed to be irreversible.

Exposure to lead is bio-accumulative. That means the lead you ingest stays in the body and, as exposure continues, blood levels increase. And although the health crisis in Flint has put the spotlight on lead in water, the presence of lead-based paint in older homes poses the most common risk. It's a topic we've addressed in a previous column.

As for your situation, there is some good news. In 1986, two years before your home was built, the Safe Drinking Water Act significantly reduced the amount of lead permitted for use in plumbing fixtures, including pipes and solder. However, it wasn't until 2014 that the most stringent regulations regarding the use of lead in water delivery systems went into effect.

You will also want to find out whether your water supplier is in compliance with federal lead contamination regulations. Federal law requires regular testing for contaminants. The results are published in a document called the Consumer Confidence Report. Ask for a copy. Should you wish to test your own water, the Environmental Protection Agency has a list of certified labs on its website. Most home improvement stores also sell water-testing kits.

If you believe your water supply is contaminated with lead, the EPA suggests the following:

Flush your pipes for 30 seconds to two minutes before using water for drinking or cooking.

Use only cold water for drinking or cooking. Hot water may contain higher levels of lead.

According to the EPA, it is safe to bathe or shower in water that contains lead, as it is not absorbed through the skin.

Consider installing a water filtration device that is certified to remove lead.

We recommend a visit to http://www.epa.gov, where you'll find a wealth of information and resources.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla.edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o Media Relations, UCLA Health, 924 Westwood Blvd., Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA, 90095.

Follow this link:
Flint crisis has homeowner worried about water supply | Health and ... - Hanford Sentinel