Category: Health

You Are Never Too Busy to Keep Fit

Many people claim that they do not work out because they have no time in their busy day. One of the main reasons for this is because a lot of people think that exercise is something which only takes place in a gym for hours at time and involves a great deal of agony.

The good news is that studies have shown that any physical activity can count when it comes to keeping fit. Even a simple walk will help you improve your fitness. But other things can all add up as well, from cleaning the house to cycling with the kids or even a round of golf.

So now that you know these all count, you need to do more of them. But if you say that you have no time, you need to thing again. How are your hours really passing by? You might work 9 to 5 like a lot of people, or go to school, but there have to be at least a few ten-minute breaks in your day for you to work in some fitness activities.

Yes, that’s right, even as little as 10 minutes, 4 times a day, has been proven to be as effective as a single 40-minute burst of activity.

So, to sum up, all activity counts, and no matter how busy you are, even a short session can all add up to big results. That being the case, you should now start to look at ways you can work in fitness during your daily routine.

Start as soon as you get up with a few minutes of stretches, yoga, calisthenics, Pilates or tai chi. You don’t even have to get out of bed for some of these activities.

Look for ways to work movement into all of your daily activities. For example, when you are on your way to the office, walk or take your bike. If it is too far, and you take public transport, get off a stop earlier, or a stop later, and walk from there. You will not only get in more exercise, you will get a whole new change of scenery as well.

If you are doing the housework, turn up the music and pick up your speed. Go up and down the stairs several times as your own free stair-climber.

Are you stuck in the office with barely a break? You don’t have to be. Take a walk at lunch time, get a little pedal cycle to put under your desk, or try desk yoga. Talking on the phone? If you are in a cubicle, jog in place, do knee to chest lifts, and more. If you have your own office, put them on speakerphone and do yoga, toe touches, and more while you work.

Heading home from work? Park the car but don’t go inside. Walk around the block a few times, and get the family to come with you.

At the end of the day, when you are watching TV, don’t just sit there. Get up and walk around, stretch, sit ups, crunches, jog or dance in place, use hand weights, do yoga. Try your kids’ Wii system and do Dance Central, and more.

Don’t exercise too close to bed time, as it can be very stimulating and boost your energy level, but a walk before bed, using some light weights, or doing some yoga can be an excellent way to end the day.
Fitness has been proven to give many health benefits, especially if you do a combination of cardiovascular exercise and strength training. It’s a new year, and time for a new you. Why not grab your iPod and a water bottle, and get moving for better health.
FURTHER READING
Fitness Basics: How to Add Exercise Easily to Your Day, Every Day (Health Matters)

Outdoor Fitness Fun for the Whole Family (Health Matters)

New Year, New You (Health Matters)

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Is It a Yeast Infection? Or Something Worse? Part 2

Part 2.

Once you know the signs and symptoms of a yeast infection, you can decide on the best way to handle it.

 

The most obvious symptom of a yeast infection is the discomfort in the affected area. This is certainly one of the revealing and most common symptoms of a yeast infection. The kind of discomfort is often described as an intense burning or itching sensation.

 

Pain when urinating is caused by the irritated lining of the vaginal area. In severe cases. the infected individual may experience extreme discomfort, such that carrying out normal daily activities such as walking can be affected.

 

Sexual intercourse too becomes painful for most affected women and indeed, should not be undertaken without a condom or barrier because of the risk of passing on the infection and/or getting re-infected. Oral sex should be off limits for the same reason.

 

Another way which will help you consider the likelihood of a yeast infect ion is by taking note of the appearance of the affected area. Most individuals afflicted with a yeast infection describe the area looking white and having the appearance of curdled milk. Redness and soreness is evident in the affected area most of the time as well.

 

A discharge may or may not be present, depending on the case. Note that only about 20% of women afflicted the infection report the presence of a discharge in the vaginal area. The discharge may be clear to whitish or slightly yellowish, and may be anywhere from thin to thick consistency.

 

Lastly, another sign that may help how to confirm a yeast infection is the distinct odor. The discharge may or may not be accompanied by a starchy odor, the kind that resembles bread or beer when it is being made.

 

Note that yeast is used in bread making as a leavening agent, and in beer making for fermentation. That is because the infection basically is a fungal infection, commonly caused by Candida albicans, a form of yeast.

 

Some people recommend that if you are prone to vaginal yeast infections, you should avoid eating a lot of products with yeast in them, and eat more yogurt and items with natural bacteria in them. Whatever your decision about diet, beware of using too many over the counter medications to treat yeast infections.

 

Stay clean, wear cotton underwear that is loose enough to breathe, not synthetics, and beware of thongs, as they can transfer bacteria from the back to the front of your body more easily than a regular pair of panties.

 

Be sure to go to your doctor for regular pelvic exams. And if you are sexually active but not in an exclusive relationship, then be sure to get a thorough check up and practice safe sex at all times.

 

Yeast infections can be uncomfortable and inconvenient, but they are not nearly as bad as a sexually transmitted disease. Both can be prevented if you take the right steps to look after your health.

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Is It a Yeast Infection? Or Something Worse? Part 1

Part 1.

The best way to confirm a yeast infection is either to make an appointment with your doctor to perform a diagnosis or taking an over the counter test. Your doctor will perform a physical assessment and take a sample of your vaginal discharge. An over the counter test, on the other hand, works much like a home pregnancy kit test. In this case, the pH balance in your system is tested to confirm the presence of a yeast infection.

 

It is always a good idea to confirm that you have a yeast infection before finally deciding to treat it with over the counter medications. You may end up doing even more harm to yourself if you treat a condition that you do not have.

 

A yeast infection is a bothersome condition, to say the least. However, self medicating a suspected yeast infection may disrupt the normal pH balance of your body, causing a change in chemistry. You might kill off one bug, if you have it, but could also trigger a proliferation of microorganisms which can then lead to actual infections.

 

The trouble with resorting to over the counter yeast infection medications right away is that women are using them too often these days, resorting to them at the first sign of trouble now that they are available over the counter without a prescription.

 

A woman who goes through certain signs and symptoms may immediately think she is experiencing a yeast infection. But the truth is there are many other infections that also demonstrate the presenting signs and symptoms of a yeast infection. These may include bacterial vaginosis, Chlamydia and even gonorrhea.

 

However, there are three specific signs and symptoms of a yeast infection: discomfort, appearance and odor.  If you are experiencing these three signs and symptoms, you are most likely suffering a yeast infection.

 

However, only a doctor can be really sure. If you are sexually active, but not in an exclusive relationship, or have a partner but are concerned about their fidelity, you should definitely be sure to get checked out.

 

Knowing the most common signs of a yeast infection can help you decide whether or not to go to the doctor, or use a treatment for it.

 

Continued in Part 2

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Birth Control Pills for a New Generation?

The contraceptive pill burst onto the scene about fifty years ago. Since then, there have been new advances that have made it more effective. The only thing that hasn’t changed is the daily dose. This begs the question, is the pill still a good choice for contraception?

 

The birth control pill is one of the most effective methods of birth control with the pregnancy prevention rate being around 99 percent. The rate varies depending on the concentration of hormones in the pill but the effectiveness stays above 90 percent no matter which type of pill you take.

 

This is how the pill ideally works. When you take it, hormones are released into your system. Some pills have estrogen and progestin, while others have either. The level of hormone prevents ovulation. That’s the point at which an egg is released from the ovaries and travels down the fallopian tubes in hopes of meeting its sperm counterpart and creating a baby. Without an egg, there is nothing for the sperm to seek out.

 

There are various side effects with the pill. For instance, you can experience nausea, pain, vomiting, breast tenderness, headaches, bloating or decreased sex drive. It sounds a lot like what you already feel while you’re on your period. Certain side effects increase with the length of time on the pill and your age. Smokers are not encouraged to use the pill because there is an increase in the risk of heart disease and blood clots if you are over thirty-five.

 

Pros to Using the Pill:

 

  • The pill, when taken properly, does prevent pregnancy.
  • Certain pills have other benefits besides pregnancy prevention. With the brand Seasonale, for example, all of the pills contain the same dose of hormone. These pills are designed to prevent a period for eight months out of the year. Other pill brands help with acne, abnormal bleeding and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).
  • The pill can be taken at any time during the day but it is best to take it at the same time each day.

 

Cons of Birth Control Pills:

 

  • You have to remember to take it. There are instructions on the package for what to do when you miss a day, but another form of contraception is suggested until you take the pill for at least seven consecutive days.
  • The contraceptive pill doesn’t prevent sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV.
  • They can be expensive if your insurance doesn’t cover them.

 

The contraceptive pill is still the choice of many women today. If you get into a routine of taking it, you are less likely to forget it. For pregnancy prevention it is a highly effective method of birth control, but it does not prevent STD.

 

IUDs: Contraceptives without Worry

 

When the time is right, many women are eager to begin their family. Until then, if you are within the child-bearing age range, pregnancy can occur even if you aren’t ready. To prevent unwanted pregnancies, seek a form of birth control that works for you and your lifestyle. One such method is the IUD.

 

IUD stands for intrauterine device. Earlier devices included the Dalkon Shield which fell out of favor some twenty or more years ago when women began getting serious infections with them. Now, the IUD has made a comeback, with safer methods than ever before.

 

The IUD is over 99 percent effective at stopping pregnancy. It rivals the traditional birth control pill for pregnancy prevention. With an intrauterine device, pregnancy is prevented for anywhere from five to ten years as long as the device stays in place.

 

The general shape of an IUD is like a capital letter “T.” the device is inserted into the vagina by a doctor. The top of the device extends into the fallopian tube openings with the rest of it hanging inside the vagina. There are two strings that extend from the end of the device for easy removal when you are ready.

 

There are two types of IUDs on the market: copper and hormonal. The copper IUD is branded ParaGard. It can be inserted for up to ten years at a time. The device works by releasing copper into the vagina which in effect, kills the sperm. The device also inhibits implantation of the egg should the sperm reach it.

 

The Mirena is a hormonal IUD. It contains hormones much like the pill that makes the uterus unsuitable for implantation by an egg. It has the same shape as the copper IUD and inhibits the motility of the sperm to reach the egg.

 

Pros of IUD Methods of Birth Control:

 

  • Both IUDs, copper and hormonal, offer protection from pregnancy without worry. The device stays in place with low maintenance. Doctors recommend you check once a month for the presence of the strings to be sure it is still in place in the vagina.
  • The Mirena offers women lighter or, for some, the absence of periods. Also, cramping is virtually nonexistent with the hormonal version.

 

Cons of IUDs:

 

  • IUDs do not protect against sexually-transmitted diseases. If you are not in a monogamous relationship, this device may not be for you.
  • There is a chance of bacterial infection after insertion.
  • The device can expel itself spontaneously. This is why doctors recommend you check to see if you can feel the strings regularly. Once the device is out, pregnancy can occur at any time.
  • Heavy menstrual bleeding is a side effect.

 

IUDs offer birth control without worry. You don’t have to remember each day to take something or have to concern yourself with regard to insertion and removal. IUDs work best when the two partners are committed to each other, but are not ready to start a family just yet.

 

 

 

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Condom Choices for Effective Birth Control

Contraception is used to prevent pregnancy. Some methods have the additional benefit of preventing sexually-transmitted diseases such as syphilis and HIV. They are called barrier methods of birth control. One popular barrier method is the condom.

 

The idea behind the condom is that it would provide a barrier between the egg and the sperm. If the two can’t get together, then they can’t make a baby.

 

Condoms have come a long way in the last 90 to 100 years. They have been made of rubber, animal skins and plastic. Some have been thick and some really thin. Their first job is to prevent pregnancy.

 

Condoms work by fitting over the male penis or into the female vagina. Female condoms are sold, but they haven’t taken off as well as the traditional male condom. Condoms that are the right size fit snuggly but leave room at the top for ejaculated semen. Female condoms fit in the vagina using two rings to secure it.

 

Animal skin condoms aren’t used much anymore. It was usually sheepskin condoms that were sold. Just like your skin, sheepskin had tiny pores in it. These pores were large enough for certain diseases to be transmitted from one partner to the other. If you are concerned with other issues besides pregnancy (and most of us are) animal skin condoms are a definite no-no.

 

Latex condoms compose the majority of condom brands. They have no tiny pores and have a percent pregnancy prevention rate in the mid-80s. Unfortunately, some people are allergic to natural rubber latex. When you think of latex allergies, you first think of gloves being a problem, but using a latex condom causes its share of irritation and rashes down below.

 

Companies have also created a polyurethane, or plastic, condom for those with latex allergies. It is also supposed to be effective, provided you use it in the same careful way as you would any condom.

 

Pros of Condoms:

 

  • Condoms are a barrier 85 percent of the time against pregnancy. That percentage increases when using condoms that contain a spermicidal ingredient such as nonoxynol-9.
  • Condoms also protect against sexually-transmitted diseases if using latex or plastic varieties.
  • Condom manufacturers have created a line of condoms that are designed to combat the complaint of decreased sensitivity. Users can choose from extra sensitive, warming condoms, colorful condoms (including glow-in-the-dark), ribbed and even flavored condoms.
  • Condoms are cheap and can be picked up for free from most health departments.

 

Cons of Using Condoms:

 

  • Female condoms can cause vaginal irritation from the rings.
  • Condoms only work if you use them and use them properly. A poorly fitting one can malfunction, as can one that is out of date.
  • They are not always easy to put on. Poor placement can lead to possible pregnancy or STDs.

 

Condoms are a favored method of birth control because they do double duty. With the new features for condoms it is easier to work them into your sexual experiences and therefore make sure they get used each and every time. But again, they are only as effective as the way you use them, and how often.

 

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