Leisure Special

According to the recent research, just five minutes of exercise a day in the great outdoors can improve mental health and policymakers should encourage more people to spend time in parks and gardens. They found out that as little as five minutes of a “green activity” such as walking, gardening, cycling or farming can boost mood and self esteem.

“We believe that there would be a large potential benefit to individuals, society and to the costs of the health service if all groups of people were to self-medicate more with green exercise,” Barton said in a statement about the study, which was published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Many studies have shown that outdoor exercise can reduce the risk of mental illness and improve a sense of well-being, but Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, who led this study, said that until now no one knew how much time needed to be spent on green exercise for the benefits to show. They both looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders and mental health status taken from 10 existing studies in Britain. Analyzing the activities such as walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming.

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Before, I wonder why almost all physicians asked if the patient is smoking or not. I thought the only reason is the medicines will interfere with the nicotine or other chemicals from the smoke. Well, that is not entirely wrong. Some medicines don’t react to smokers. But, the main reason is that smoke is one of contributors to almost all kinds of sickness.

I learned this from the internet while searching for different Health Facts. Actually, hubby told me about this before, but I did not really believe even if he is in the medical field. After reading several articles about it, I can now say he is right.

For people with no relative in the medical field, it is quite alarming if one does not know this kind of information. Good thing there are lots of websites that offer all essential information about health issues that everyone like me should know. Health issues and news can now be easily access. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you could rely solely in the web. It is highly recommended to see a doctor especially if you feel anything unusual in your body.

If I knew the acne body wash before, I’m sure my brother would have not suffered from body acne. When my brother next to me reaches the age of 16, acne started showing around his body (back, chest, and arms). He tried using antibacterial soaps, but none seems to work. It even worsens the situation.

We had no idea how it happened. We are not web freak at that time, so we have less information as to its causes. All we ever thought it was caused by dirt. So, he tried washing several times a day. But, it doesn’t help either. Nothing happened even if he changes his clothes every hour.

He gave up when he reached 17. The severity of acne around his face and body continued. It leaves deep scars on his face and black spots in his body. It’s very disappointing as he has a very fair skin so all the blemishes are easy to spot. For now, he goes to his dermatologist often. But, the scars are still visible.

If only we are well-informed before, we could have prevented it from getting worse. There is less we can do now, but wait for a miracle to happen.

Finding an exercise fitness program is not as easy as you might think. First, everyone has busy lives. We have school, jobs, spouses, family, children and their activities. We have work responsibilities, lawns that need mowing and children who have to get to the dentist. Finding the time to JOIN a gym, never mind actually work out at one can be difficult and require a level of commitment that some are either unwilling or unable to make.

But our lives really do depend on us being fit. While being in shape certainly does not guarantee good health, it has been shown to be beneficial in many areas. And being in shape certainly comes in handy when the escalator is broken at the mall. Or the elevator up to your 6th floor apartment is not working again. So finding an exercise fitness program that works for you is important for everyone.

There is also the matter of self esteem. I know that when I lose those pesky 5 pounds that I seem to love to gain and lose, I feel much better about myself. When I can fit into my skinny jeans, I really do have a skip in my step. Looking good and feeling good is certainly related. Does that mean that all overweight people are miserable? Of course not! It does mean that when you are fit and healthy you feel good about yourself and your life.

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Pregnancy is one of the most important stages of a women’s life. It is the time where she will give another life to the world. But, it is also the most crucial point of her life. During this time, there are two lives in one body. Both need proper nourishment to grow and to be healthy.

According to experts, it is recommended for expectant mother to take the best prenatal vitamins during pregnancy. Conceiving woman needs higher doses of vitamins and minerals. Most of these can be acquired in proper healthy diet while avoiding certain foods, but sometimes we need extra supplementation for others.

Prenatal vitamins are formulated multivitamins that make up for any nutritional deficiencies in the mothers diet. It also helps in preventing birth defects. A good prenatal vitamin contains folic acid, iron, and calcium that are needed by the developing baby. Read the rest of this entry »

Choosing to exercise regularly at least three times per week results in numerous health benefits, old adage ‘use it or lose it’ definitely applies to exercising on a regular basis. When you neglect to engage in a scheduled exercise routine, your muscles become flabby and your heart and lungs struggle to perform. If you want to lose weight, cutting calories is only half the battle. Exercise firms your body and gives you the toned, fit appearance you want.

The benefit of regular exercise includes:

• Lowered body fat, which helps you to avoid conditions such as diabetes, obesity and cancer.
• Improved circulation, resulting in a healthier heart and blood vessels with a more efficient cardiovascular system overall.
• More stamina, building your body up over time so that it uses less energy to perform the same tasks.
• Enhanced flexibility, giving you a better ability to bend, twist and reach without injury, as well as improving your overall balance and coordination.
• Strengthening and toning your entire body for greater strength and endurance and better posture.
• Elevated endorphins to give you a better quality of life by reducing stress so that you sleep better and feel better.

Several people like bike exercise just because it is fun. However, you might want to stop and consider the health benefits of an exercise bike. Biking is a great aerobic, calorie burning activity that is fun and exciting, you will definitely escape boredom. Exercising with a bike can be done in different ways, it might be an enjoyable, leisurely ride throughout your town or it might be riding through the woods, on a trail of course, to get your heart pumping.

What is great about an exercise bike is that you can get fit, without ever feeling like you are working out. Many people become so bored with traditional workouts such as using the treadmill or lighting weights, and feel like they are doing nothing but exercising. When you experience biking, you can ride anywhere you want and feel like you are achieving something. You can ride to the store or go to visit a friend for an hour or two. Another great thing is that boredom does not usually exist, since you can change the destination or route at any time.

Biking is a great way to get out and seek new adventures. You never really know what you might experience while on a bike ride. Because the outside world is constantly changing, you may get to see sights you would not otherwise see while at the gym or in the car.

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