Fitness Freaks

Aren’t you doing physical exercise just because you think that it can aggravate your knee pain? However, physical exercise has nothing to do with your knee pain. This fact was put forward by a new research. Interestingly, this finding holds true even for people who are overweight. Researchers reached this conclusion after going through a deep analysis of about 1,300 people whom they followed for over 10 years. This observation is no doubt quite significant however, it seems standing head to head to some, previous assumptions like extra physical activity may injure knee, physical activity may lead to knee pain, etc. In order to know more precisely about the whole issue it is important to have more study on this subject and I fully agree with researcher Marian A. Minor, Ph.D, University of Missouri-Columbia when he says: The time has come for studies that delve deeper into possible causes. Image credit: Healthy Living Atlanta Via: Ivanhoe

A study was conducted on 259 Illinois third and fifth graders by putting them through classic PE routines: the "sit-and-reach," a brisk run and timed push-ups and sit-ups. The math and reading scores were high with students who had fitter bodies. If you have been putting off exercising it’s time to stop procrastinating. Exercise makes you smarter and what better reasons do you need to start exercising? Scientists have also found that vigorous exercise can cause older nerve cells to form dense, interconnected webs that make the brain run faster and more efficiently. And there are clues that physical activity can stave off the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD and other cognitive disorders. Greenough, a psychologist at the University of Illinois says: If you’re thinking that by exercising at age 20 you’re going to have some effect on what you’re like at age 70, you’d better be willing to commit to 50 years of hitting the gym. Aerobic exercise helps the heart pump more blood to the brain, along with the rest of the body. More blood means more oxygen, and thus better-nourished brain cells. Every time a bicep or quad contracts and releases, it sends out chemicals, including a protein called IGF-1 that travels through the bloodstream, across the blood-brain barrier and into the brain itself inducing production of several chemicals, including one called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF. With regular exercise, the body builds up its levels of BDNF, and the brain’s nerve cells start to branch out, join together and communicate with each other in new ways. This is the process that underlies learning: every change in the junctions between brain cells signifies a new fact or skill that’s been picked up and stowed away for future use. BDNF makes that process possible. Brains with more of it have a greater capacity for knowledge. Image Source

Every one is aware of the health benefits achieved by exercising. Women who exercise in particular find that they can avoid the onset of diseases like arthritis, high blood pressure and cholesterol. Now, researchers have found that women may be able to cope up with menopause better if they exercised, more so if they included walking as a part of the regime. Menopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, is when a woman stops menstruating and experiences symptoms like as irritability, mood swings, hot flashes and night sweats. A study was conducted by researchers of Penn State University on 164 volunteers led a sedentary lifestyle before. They were divided into three groups; the first group walked for an hour three times a week, the second group performed yoga for 90 minutes twice a week and the third group did not exercise. At the end of the program, it was found that women who walked had the most improvement in the quality of life while those who performed yoga had smaller improvements and those who did not exercise showed no improvements in the quality of life. It was also found that women who exercised could cope better with hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause. The study suggests that since women slept better when they exercised, they had adequate rest which in turn puts them in a better position to cope up with menopause. Its time to talk a walk, ladies! Image Source

There is a common saying ‘believe and achieve’ and interestingly, it seems to be working with our exercise too. That notion has been pulled out through a new study conducted by Harvard researchers. Researchers went through this study quite strategically and in this, series a group of hotel cleaners was told that their work of dusting and cleaning 15 rooms each day is sufficient to keep their selves healthy while the other group was kept blind to this notion. After four weeks, results that sprang out were quite surprising. Actually, it was found that those who imbibed the idea that physical work is good for their health were found more trim and fit than those who were kept unaware of this notion. Another study focused on the same issue also brought out similar results. This very fact makes this finding quite palpable. Expounding the importance of positive mental attitude over physical workouts, Crum and Langer write: Whether the change in physiological health was brought about directly or indirectly, it is clear that health is significantly affected by mind-set. This is not for the first time when power of positive mental attitude has been shown tiding higher. Previous studies have also dubbed positive mental attitude as a portent weapon in every walk of life.As far as, exercise is concerned it has been found quite effective in fighting several mental as well as physical disorders. Perhaps that is why an adage goes like this:- Mind-the most powerful tool. Image credit: Svetpodpalmovkou Via: IOL

You might have heard or enjoyed nude beach resorts but now you can also enjoy nude workouts too but only if you like. Actually, a Dutch gym owner has come up with this new idea enabling people to enjoy nude workouts where finding clean work-out clothes won’t be a problem. The inaugural of this restaurant came to the fore amid both negative and positive remarks. However, those who are coming to enjoy nude workouts are very enthusiastic about this somewhat strange but fantastic idea. The following remark of Ron van der Putten, who drove for more than an hour to take part in nude workout reveals his excitedness: There are things that you like to do, and for a nudist, it just feels better to do them with your clothes off. Well, it is a nice opportunity for those who wish to see their every muscle working while doing workouts. Moreover, it would provide such people with ‘no-sweat workout’. Via: The Age