Saturday, September 29, 2012

The Basics Of Arthritis

Arthritis signals people in a variety of ways. Joints might
crack suddenly, like knees upon standing. Other joints may
be stiff and creak. Maybe pain occurs, like when trying to
open a jar. What's it all about? Let's look at the basics
and learn more.
Arthritis actually means "joint inflammation" and has over
100 related conditions or type / forms of disease. Left
untreated, it can advance, resulting in joint damage that
cannot be undone or reversed. So early detection and
treatment are important.
The two most common types of arthritis are osteoarthritis
(OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although both have
similar symptoms, both happen for different reasons. When
joints are overused and misused, the results can be OA.
What happens is that the cushioning cartilage that protects
the joint breaks down, resulting in the bones rubbing
together. This generally happens in the knees, but can be
found in the hips, spine and hands often, too. And only in
later stages will a person most often feel pain, after
quite a bit of cartilage is lost.
The second type, RA, refers to the body's immune system
attacking joint tissue. Still not fully understood in the
medical community, this condition most often starts in a
person's hands, wrists and feet. Then it advances to
shoulders, elbows and hips.
Similar symptoms include pain, stiffness, fatigue,
weakness, slight fever and inflamed tissue lumps under the
skin. And both OA and RA generally develop symmetrically,
i.e. affecting the same joints on both the left and right
sides of the body.
A difference in OA and RA to note is with swelling. With
RA, people report "soft and squishy" swelling. While with
OA, people report "hard and bony" swelling.
There is no specific age for arthritis sufferers. While it
can affect every age group, it seems to focus on those over
45 years of age.
And while neither gender is immune, a reported 74 percent
of OA cases (or just over 15 million) occur with women and
a slightly lower percentage of RA cases occur with women.
People with excess weight tend to develop OA, especially in
the knees when reaching over 45 years of age. However,
losing weight can turn the odds around almost by half.
Regular activity combined with exercise also reduces risk,
strengthening joint muscles and reducing joint wear.
There are many ways to effectively manage arthritic pain
today to find relief. Available are arthritic diets,
exercise programs, over-the-counter and prescription
medications, relaxation and positive emotion coping
techniques. Also available are surgeries, supplements, home
remedies, natural and other alternative therapies. When
arthritis is first suspected, it would be wise to seek a
medical opinion first. Then as time and resources allow,
check out the other options.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Fitness For Busy Corporates

Corporate fitness Training
Companies of all shapes and sizes are striving to make physical fitness part of their employees' lives. Aside from the proven health benefits of exercise, physically fit employees can also handle physical work tasks better, deal with stressful situations more easily and tend to be less susceptible to illness and injuries. Companies are discovering the positive benefits of providing workplace fitness programs. They're realizing that huge funds being spent on employees' medical health problems can be drastically cut by proactively investing in appropriately designed corporate fitness programs. Statistics show that companies with corporate fitness programs enjoy: Reduced Health Care Costs, Increased Productivity, Reduced Absenteeism, decreased recruitment and retraining costs, improved employee concentration, mental alertness and creativity, improved physical and emotional health, leading to better employee morale. The benefit from the employee's standpoint is improved health and energy levels, decreased body fat, and a more youthful, fit body
Recent studies show that increased exercise is a great way for employees to unwind from the pressure and stresses of everyday work. They are able to quit smoking easily. They drink less & are more patient with their colleagues & clients. As a result, productivity and motivation also increases, making businesses more profitable and less stressful. Companies are now starting to warm to this idea, either setting up corporate fitness memberships to the local gym, or better still setting up, tennis or squash court and gyms within their offices. Great, except for the fact that to get the best benefits sometimes requires a little extra help from trainers. Having a corporate personal trainer on hand for offices could maximize company's investment in that employee.
The elements of fun, acceptance, belonging, motivation, encouragement and reinforcement are attempted to institute within a corporate wellness program. Employees are treated as individuals, with their own needs and goals. The trainer notes their personal and family health history, physical limitations, expectations and fitness goals. Their fitness level is evaluated. For employees with less physical jobs, it's ideal to measure cardio respiratory endurance, body composition and flexibility. For employees with more physically demanding jobs, measure of muscle strength and endurance is taken. A person with sedentary job might have nagging back problems. Carpel tunnel syndrome, amongst person working on a computer most of the time is not unheard of. Incorrect posture in any job situation also needs to be rectified. Hunching shoulders, stooping back, poor eyesight can all be taken care of by proper counseling. Utilizing the information from the initial consultation and fitness evaluation, an Individual Exercise Prescription (IEP) for each participating employee is created. Exercise sessions include:
· Warm-up activities
· Aerobic conditioning
· Toning
· Strength training
· Flexibility exercises
Cool-down
Some other formats of fitness regimes followed by these corporate are: yoga, kickboxing, low impact, interval training, body sculpt, Pilates, tai chi, Latin dance, ' Lunch & Learn' seminars, ergonomic assessments and recommendations for the workplace, 'Corporate Wellness Fairs' , weight loss and nutrition program. For a very busy corporate, who is always on the move, an expert can design a thorough workout plan of just thirty minute capsule, which can take care of all his problems and still do justice to his fitness levels. Training sessions teach safe, effective exercise techniques and educate employees on training intensity, frequency and progression to maximize results and reduce injuries.
The employer receives detailed reports on employee group's participation rates and fitness results. The employees receive reports on their initial fitness level and subsequent improvement as determined by ongoing fitness evaluations.
The idea of corporate fitness is not just a fashionable fad; rather companies with international standards find it mandatory to prove the health & fitness of their employees. People are soon realizing that a fit body does not mean necessarily a thin body. Healthy mind in a healthy body is soon becoming the order of the day & we should all welcome this positive change in the general mindset of the masses.
With the increase in work related stress, companies are incorporating gyms in their premises.· Corporate gyms help the employees to be physically fitter & mentally alert.· It helps to increase productivity & reduce medical costs.· It creates bonding amongst the employees who workout together in less formal surroundings.· It is a good idea to hire a qualified corporate fitness trainer & seek positive results minus the injuries.
1. Speedo –aqua aerobics, Taekwonaqua and aqua aerobics for kids. 2. Reebok- Aerobics, Step aerobics, Conditioning, strength, flexibility & Core Pilates. 3. Idea- member of Idea fitness in California for personal training. 4. IFA (International Fitness Association) - Orlando, Florida- Personal Trainer, Kickboxing, Step & Aerobics 5. Resolutions of Reebok 6. Experienced in all kinds of exercise equipment: Thera Band, tubing, stability trainer, flex bar, Swiss ball, medicine ball, Rebounder, free weights, Ramp, Bosu 7. Also do Masala bhangra aerobics and dandiya aerobics. 8. Learnt Chi Kung & Zhan Zhuang and Tai Chi in Singapore 9. Learnt basics of yoga from Sivananda . 10. Shiatsu from Japan 11. CPR certified

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Bad Breath Affects Your Self

As a long time sufferer of bad breath (halitosis) I can still remember the day my girlfriend told me I had 'puppy breath'. As affectionate as that may sound, I knew what she really meant was that I had bad breath. Being somewhat shy in the first place, this only compounded my lack of confidence and made me totally aware of my breath problem from that day on.
Rarely was there a date from then on that I didn't have a supply of mints, gum, or some other type of breath altering product available to me. My bad breath was consuming me during my dates with my girlfriend, or being in close contact with anyone else for that matter.
If you are one of the millions of sufferers of chronic bad breath then I'm sure you can relate to me. And I'm not alone. According to the ADA, it is estimated that there are over 27 million people in the United States alone that suffer from chronic halitosis. That doesn't include anyone who only suffers from bad breath occasionally.
Bad breath has become an epidemic that affects both young and old, but could be especially devastating to teens and pre-teens as they cope with a whole array of pre-adolescent problems.
What causes bad breath can be attributed to a wide variety of underlying issues including, poor oral hygiene, gingivitis, bleeding gums, dry mouth, periodontal disease, tooth decay, or one of many other health related problems including sinus infections, diabetes, and even cancer patients undergoing treatments.
If you're like me then you probably have been just trying to mask the symptoms all these years as you could never find a permanent solution to eliminating the symptoms that have been
causing it in the first place. But by masking the symptoms you may actually be compounding the exact problem that may have been causing your bad breath all along by not treating it.
But did you know that you can effectively treat bad breath and cure it naturally and fast? There are some excellent products online that can give you the resources to combat the symptoms
and eliminate your problem in as little as a few days.
So if you're tired of being embarrassed by bad breath and what you can do about it, then you owe it to yourself to investigate some alternative proven methods in helping you or a loved one cure this self-conscience robbing problem.

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Home Air Purifiers And Allergies

A healthy home environment means that contaminants that are harmful to your health are removed or neutralized as much as possible. For allergy sufferers, it is vital to try to limit the free distribution of air-borne allergens that can trigger allergic symptoms. That includes airborne contaminants such as:
Dust, pollen, allergens
Pet dander, dust mites
Harmful bacteria, viruses
Pet odor removal: dog, cat, etc.
Mold / mildew removal
Cigar / cigarette smoke
Home air purifiers help rid the air of these particles that can cause allergic reactions and even trigger asthma attacks. If you can't change the way that your body treats what it perceives as a threat by allergic reaction, then you can work on changing the environment that you live in so that your body doesn't sense the presence of these allergy causing compounds.
Most home air purifiers are made to specifically clean and scrub the air within a predefined area or size of room. There is no need to buy a home air purifier that is made for large spaces when you only need it for one small room. Likewise, under buying for the area you need to have clean air is a waste of money and will not achieve the results that you want.
Home air purifiers can also be used in conjunction with other air cleaning devices like air duct filters to provide an even higher level of air quality than is possible with one method alone.
One of the great benefits of home air purifiers is that they are so easy to set up and maintain. Just find a spot in the room(s) that you plan to clean and plug the air purifier in. Most are made to run very quietly and will not be a disturbance to anyone in the room. When the recommended time for has elapsed for the filter use, just remove the current filter and pop in the replacement.
Home air purifiers are an inexpensive, simple, and easy way to help control the living environment indoors for anyone who requires high quality air filtration, especially allergy sufferers.