Acupuncture - permanent cure for health problems

With the holidays fast approaching many people find themselves sucked into the shopping vortex. To-do lists are growing and finding time to get everything done is challenging to say the least. The months of November and December are also the time of year when many people slack on their fitness routines because they simply can't find the time to get in a workout.

Personally, I feel the opposite should be true. This is the time of year when you should try even harder to maintain your exercise regimen. After all, most of us tend to eat more during the holiday season and with winter weather conditions making it difficult to get outdoors and participate in leisure calorie-burning activities, it is critical to make those gym dates.

I am a runner so whenever anyone asks me for ways to burn calories I suggest hitting the road or the treadmill. However, my suggestion is often met with a litany of reasons why running is not a good exercise option. Recently, I was given this doozy of a reason as to why people shouldn't run: "Running will give you a heart attack."

If you have been using this as an excuse for not lacing up your shoes and hitting the trails know this: The heart attack excuse is a myth.

While it is true that exercise temporarily raises the odds (minimally) of a heart attack at the peak of your workout, studies show consistent exercise reduces the risk of heart problems in the long run. There is no scientific evidence that proves running causes long-term harm or actually leads to heart attacks. Bottom line: Moderate running a few days a week will do far more good for your heart than bad.

Another excuse I hear a lot from non-runners is that running will ruin their knees (or other joints). According to the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, there is no evidence that running leads to osteoarthritis. In fact, fitness experts now say weight-bearing exercise like running actually helps stave off osteoporosis by maintaining bone mineral density.

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Good news for all you sweaty stinky men who hit the gym on a regular basis--you are no longer solely to blame for spreading germs on fitness equipment. In fact, a new study found that women are germier than men.

The new study found that women have a greater variety of bacteria on their hands than men do. In addition, the study also revealed that both males and females have a disturbing amount of bacteria on their hands.

"The sheer number of bacteria species detected on the hands of the study participants was a big surprise, and so was the greater diversity of bacteria we found on the hands of women," the study's lead researcher noted.

Researchers couldn't say why women harbored a greater variety of bacteria than men, but some suggested it might have to do with the acidity of a woman's skin. Earlier studies prove that men generally have more acidic skin than women.

Researchers say other reasons female's hands are a haven for bacteria could be attributed to the amount of sweat and oil gland production between men and women, the frequency of moisturizer or cosmetics applications, skin thickness and hormone production. In addition, researchers pointed out that women also have more bacteria living under the surface of the skin that is not accessible to washing.

So what does this mean if follow a woman on the lat pull-down machine or the elliptical trainer?

Researchers say you have two options: Either spray down the apparatus with disinfectant before using it (most gyms keep a bottle filled with anti-bacterial spray in the corner of weight rooms) or thoroughly wash your hands when you have completed your workout.

I should note that researchers stressed that "the vast majority of the bacteria we have on our body are either harmless or beneficial ... the pathogens are a small minority." Meaning that you don't have to quit working out just because you are afraid to be infected by another person's germ-infested hands.

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Health experts (as well as government officials) are constantly trying to motivate people to get moving. They want couch potatoes to get up and walk, run, enroll in an aerobics class, join a bowling league, play tennis, etc. However, doctors are now saying that if the right precautions are not taken, the amateur sports that experts want people to participate in can have unexpected long-term health risks.

A new study conducted by a leading occupational therapist found that when leisure activities are not done properly they can have negative effects on the musculoskeletal system. According to the study, in the United States, musculoskeletal disorders and disease are the leading cause of disability, and are the cause of chronic conditions in 50 percent of all people 50 years and older. Researchers define musculoskeletal disorders as discomfort, pain or disease of the muscles, joints or soft tissues connecting the bones.

The study also found that the risk of injury is particularly high in sports where the body is held asymmetrically and repetitive movements are made. For example, ball sports (including golf, basketball, and tennis) feature a series of "unnatural movements" and when done improperly they can put too much stress on a person's body.

To prevent injury doctors recommend stretching to avoid long-term damage. What's more, if you play baseball, tennis, or golf, researchers suggests that you balance the asymmetrical activity by alternating the use of your right and left arms before, during and after the game, be it at home or at the office.

Interestingly, researchers also found another factor related to amateur sport injury is a person's mindset. Doctors found that a person who doesn't get enough rest prior to participating in a sport often increases his risk of injury. Researchers also noted that people should avoid stressing about their participation in amateur sports. If you find that you get anxious when you can't find time for the team each week or you constantly worry that your performance is negatively affecting the team, doctors say the stress can exacerbate a predisposition to chronic health problems.

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A new study suggests that women who participate in vigorous exercise can lessen their risk of contracting breast cancer. The new research was conducted by the National Cancer Institute and gives post-menopausal women hope for healthier years ahead.

The study followed more than 32,000 women who were enrolled in a Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration. Each woman provided answers to a questionnaire asking about their physical activity (including everyday tasks like housework, work related activity and leisure activity) over the course of a year. Researchers then performed statistical tests to estimate the relative risk of post-menopausal breast cancer linked to physical activity.

In examining the results researchers found a link between vigorous exercise, lean women and the reduction of breast cancer. The study found that vigorous activity appeared to reduce breast cancer risk. The results were significant for lean, but not overweight and obese women, which researchers says suggests that "physical activity acts through underlying biological mechanisms that are independent of body weight control." Meaning it was the exercise that was beneficial and not the weight of the women. Basically, regardless of whether the vigorous exercise resulted in weight loss, the women who participated in some type of vigorous activity lessened their risk of cancer.

Researchers defined "vigorous activity" as: heavy housework like scrubbing floors and washing windows; digging in the garden; chopping wood; shoveling snow; strenuous sports and exercise, including running, fast jogging and aerobics (as opposed to walking or golf); bicycling on hills (as opposed to flat surfaces); and fast dancing.

Researchers say based on the study's results women should consider participating in more vigorous activity. While doing so will not automatically eliminate your chances of contracting breast cancer it will benefit your overall health and possibly reduce your breast cancer risk. What's more, researchers say every bit helps. Meaning you don't have to exercise 24/7 to enjoy the benefits of vigorous activity. Rather, shoot for 30 to 45 minutes per day at least four times a week.

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Celebrities were out in full force in New York today. Not for a movie premiere or an awards show; rather, a handful of determined stars were sweating it out in the Big Apple for the 2008 New York City Marathon.

This year's biggest celeb finisher was actor Ryan Reynolds. Scarlett Johansson's better half crossed the finish line in 3 hours, 50 minutes--better than the four-hour target he was aiming for.

"I'm still standing. I'm very excited about that," Reynolds told reporters after finishing the 26.2-mile course. "It was an incredible experience."

Unlike some other race participants who entered to test their physicality, Reynolds says his goal was to raise money and awareness for Parkinson's disease. The actor ran for Team Fox in honor of pal Michael J. Fox (who lives with the disease) and his father, who has battled Parkinson's for the past 15 years.

Reynolds says the last leg of the race was the most challenging, but he was given a burst of motivation when he saw one special spectator during mile 20.

"When I saw Michael J. Fox on Fifth Avenue, I gained about 15 pounds in goose bumps," said Reynolds. "It kind of pushed me through the last six miles or so."

Reynolds's mother and brother greeted him with hugs at the finish line in Central Park. Once they departed shock jock Howard Stern moved in to cheer on his new bride Beth Ostrosky.

Stern's 36-year-old wife of less than a month crossed the finish line in 4 hours, 15 minutes.

"This was the happiest day of my life," said Ostrosky, who ran to raise money for Long Island's North Shore Animal League.

The couple told reporters that they planned to celebrate Ostrosky's finish with a dinner of sushi and pasta.

Olympic gold medal winners Brandi Chastain (soccer) and Kerri Strug (gymnastics) were among the other dozen or so celebrity participants competing in this year's marathon.

The athletic duo participated in the race as ambassadors for a program that promotes youth fitness. Both said they had to retrain their muscles to undertake the long haul, but in the end were glad they pushed themselves to the finish the race.

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