Exercise

How to Boost Sex Life?

Joggers are more likely to have better sex lives than those who don’t. If you aren’t a big fan of getting hot and sweaty outside the bedroom, there’s still hope. Active lists six more ways you can get your adrenaline pumping for better between the sheets action. Suggests a recent study in the UK.

Has your sex life left you bummed out? The solution might lie in doing things with your partner before you actually get down to doing the deed.

A UK-based survey found that joggers had more active sex lives than those who didn’t jog. Studies have also indicated that couples who jog together enjoy better sex and deeper relationships. Relationship counsellor Dr Rajan Bhonsle says that any joint activity, which results in increased fitness and a better body image, can work wonders for a relationship.

“When you work together to achieve a goal, you end up motivating and appreciating each other, as well as celebrating the results, together. The fitter you are, the better your body image and confidence, resulting in a happy, successful relationship. Besides, with people juggling personal and professional commitments in a span of 24 hours, any activity that assures quality time spent together can only make a relationship stronger.”

So, the idea is to inject fun into activities that will also help you shed those extra pounds. For instance, did you know that kissing your partner passionately for a minute will help you burn 6.4 calories? Now that we have your attention, here are some more activities to get you and your partner’s pulse racing. And yes, you can always thank us later…

Activity: swim
Calories burned: 250
Minutes: 30

It’s no coincidence that most memorable images which go down in history for being the “sexiest ever” have something to do with the leading lady and water. Remember Ursula Andress stepping out of the sea in her itsy bitsy swimsuit in Dr No and Halle Berry in Die Another Day? We suggest you ditch your fears about looking awkward in a swimsuit and take a dive into the pool with your partner. What’s more, you won’t be counting laps, but actually end up having a splashing time with your partner. Swimming is an exercise that has minimal chances of causing injury. Before you know it, you will have a fab swimsuit-model body to flaunt.

Activity: Jog
Calories burned: 300-450
Minutes: 30

Improved stamina, reduced cholesterol, lowered body-fat percentage, and the chance to spend some quality time with your sweetheart; it does not get better than this. Want more out of your daily jog? Choose a more challenging path. For instance, include uphill climbs to help burn more calories. Tread off the beaten track and discover the city and new routes together. After a few days of training, you could even have fun racing each other home, thanks to increased stamina levels.

At: Any promenade or stretch of smooth, paved land in the city.

What the study says…

According to the study carried out by UK-based charity Sue Ryder Care, joggers have more active sex lives than those who don’t jog. Research claims that couples who run together are also more likely to share a better relationship and sex life.

According to experts, embarking on a common fitness goal with your partner helps improve motivation and the commitment to stay fit.

Running couples get the opportunity to work towards a common goal and to also share the chance to spend quality time with each other.

Past studies have indicated that people who exercise enjoy sex for longer and more often. While experts say healthy competition is good, they caution against getting too competitive with your partner.

Cook a romantic meal at home
Calories burned: 75-125
Minutes: 30

As the proverb goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. There are few things that can be more romantic than whipping up a delicious meal together, cut off from the cacophonous world. Whisper sweet nothings in the flickering candlelight, and you and your partner will burn calories without even noticing, as you flip through recipe books and cook up a meal together. Spending relaxing quality time with your partner soothes nerves, improves circulation, boosts heart rate, and even releases happy hormones in your bloodstream, relaxing your mind and body.

At: Your home.
Call: We suggest you turn off your phone for this one.

Activity: Snorkeling
Calories burned: 150
Minutes: 30

Discover a new world, and each other, while snorkeling at a pristine, virgin beach on your next weekend off. Make friends with the corals, flora and fauna, and return with newfound respect for nature and picture perfect moments for the family album. Snorkeling also works wonders for the body, improving lung capacity, relieving stress, and tones up your arms and legs. Besides, the image of watching your better half, gliding in the azure blue waters under the sun should be reason enough to take the plunge.

Activity: Couple massage
Calories burned: 60-75
Minutes: 30

Combine relaxation and romance by booking a massage together. Sharing this delicately private moment with your loved one heightens sexual energy, with both partners feeling more in tune with each other. For those who are just beginning to discover and feel comfortable about their bodies, a couple massage works wonders in boosting self image and confidence.

Activity: Trekking
Calories burned: 270
Minutes: 30

Chasing that elusive breath of fresh air during a hectic week? Take off on a trek with your darling to stock up on fresh air, adventure and romance. All you need are sturdy trekking shoes. Start by choosing a trail, which suits both your interests and stamina levels. Slowly graduate to more challenging turf once you’ve worked on your skills. Trekking helps boost stamina, control obesity, keeps your heart fit and builds trust. The view of a dazzling sunset while holding the one you love, is an another bonus.

Activity: dance
Calories burned: 260
Minutes: 60

With moves that allow you to stretch your entire body, and steps to help you work specific muscle groups, dancing is a great stress buster. The activity helps keep blood pressure in check, improve stamina, strength and muscle coordination. And that’s not even the best part. Dance to your favourite songs and create everlasting memories with your partner.

Workout Gear

Daily work out is become very important in every day life. If you are hitting the gym at home, you have the liberty to choose the workout gear as you like. This is not the case for those who are hitting the public place. Let examine the dress code if you re planning to hit the gym for your daily workout.

Inappropriate workout gear: Ultra-low track pants, a vest one size too small or unsightly inner wear popping out of ill-fitting workout gear are enough to alarm the fashion police and distract faint-hearted gym members. Garish make-up that becomes all the more unflattering while sweating is another thing gym-goers can’t handle. But it’s not just the aam-junta; even the stars don’t get their workout attire right. Recently some stars were was spotted wearing track pants that had ‘JUICY’ printed at the back. While most gym authorities don’t have a dress code, some say it’s about time they did. One well known Fitness trainer, says, “Obscene clothes in the gym can be a distraction. Women must remember that many eyes are on them when they’re exercising. You can’t stop men from looking when you’re inappropriately dressed. Just don’t wear hot pants to gyms.”

Flirt attack: Single and looking? Hit the gym. That’s the formula a lot of singletons apply to get hitched. Gyms are becoming networking and dating zones. Eyeing the hottie flexing his muscles or chatting up the pretty lady on the next treadmill is common. It’s what adds color to an otherwise boring fitness regime, agree gym-goers. But how much is too much? “You can’t help a little chit-chat here and there. It shouldn’t become an occasion for socializing,”.

Throwing your weight around: Looking at a reed thin girl sweating it out or an obese man trying to get into shape can be distracting. “If a really thin girl’s working out, I wonder why she’s there. I’d never bother gymming had I been that skinny.” Does seeing an overweight person on the treadmill upset one? “When I see people not losing weight after working out at the same gym for years, that’s disappointing. I need motivation for working out.”

Personal hygiene: Sweat glands are expected to work overtime while gymming, but not many keep themselves equipped with deos, towels, colognes and headbands to stay clean. A fitness expert, who’s been gymming for the past 14 years, says, “Some don’t carry towels to the gym and sweat profusely. That’s repulsive and a major distraction. Not many are keen to use the machines used by them.”

In addition to this, you have to follow a dress code which is suitable for you at the time. For those who wants to Exercise during pregnancy , may stick to the personnal gym at home. Reders can expect a Fitness DVD from Mariah Carey soon. Mariah Carey lost 14lbs recently by daily workout.

Why Exercise?

Why Exercise?

Pre-running Stretches Could be Bad

Stretching before exercise can be bad for individuals, warn scientists, who found that the integral part of any athlete’s warm-up routine can actually weaken muscles.

It has long been believed that the habit of holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, known as static stretching, is beneficial for priming muscles.

But now, in a new research, scientists from the University of Nevada Las Vegas say this should no longer be encouraged.

Their findings highlight that the two common pre-running stretches – for the hamstrings and quadriceps – may actually reduce performance by weakening muscles in the leg.

“Developing flexibility is important for reducing sports injury, but the time to stretch is after, not before, performance,” the Telegraph quoted Kinesiology professor Bill Holcomb, who authored the report, as saying.

Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 per cent. Stretching one leg’s muscles can also reduce strength in the other leg as the central nervous system can rebel against the movements.

The correct warm up, according to experts, should do two things – loosen muscles and tendons to increase the range of motion of various joints, and warm up the body.

To raise the body’s temperature, a warm-up should begin with aerobic activity, and researchers recommend light jogging. Watch out during your daily workout .

Lose Body Weight by Walking

Walking is one of the easiest and best ways to not only lose body weight but also to maintain good health

A brisk walk of 30 minutes take you far when it comes to health and weight control. Incorporate as much walking as you can in your lifestyle and reap the benefits. As diehard walkers believe, why take the car when you can walk? Even climbing stairs comes under the category of walking. They say taking the stairs is akin to taking your heart for a walk! Can you beat that?

What’s the pace?

Its important to maintain a steady pace while walking. Brisk walks work well, my friend whose walking is as good as my jogging always maintained, slow walking is as good as no walking!

Way to do it

Fitness experts emphasise that it is important to do a few minutes of stretching before getting down to the business of walking, especially in the mornings. If you walk without warming up you might end up straining your muscles and suffer aches and pains.

Benefits of walking:

• It improves cardiovascular fitness by getting the heart to beat faster to send blood rich in oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. This makes the functioning of the heart and lungs more efficient, besides reducing blood pressure and the resting heart rate. Walking also helps one recover from a heart attack.
• Walking also reduces the risk of getting a heart attack. If you are over 40 years old and have heart problems, pulse rate, weight, respiration, blood pressure, or cholesterol problems, speak to your doctor before walking.
• It improves blood circulation to the arms and legs and gives a feeling of overall well-being.
• It also relieves depression, stress and anxiety because it releases endorphins, the body’s natural tranquillizers.
• A good brisk walk can also stimulate your thinking.
• By walking, you can burn a higher percentage of body fat, increase your overall health and fitness and boost your energy levels.

Don’t wait for the right reason or season before you can go out walking. Seize the moment and go out now.

The Numerous Benefits of Walking

If a daily fitness walk could be put in a pill, it would be one of the most popular prescriptions in the world. It has so many health benefits. Walking can reduce the risk of many diseases — from heart attack and stroke to hip fracture and glaucoma. These may sound like claims on a bottle of snake oil, but they’re backed by major research. Walking requires no prescription, the risk of side effects is very low, and the benefits are numerous:

• Managing your weight. Combined with healthy eating, physical activity is key to any plan for long-lasting weight control. Keeping your weight within healthy limits can lower your risks of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.
• Controlling your blood pressure. Physical activity strengthens the heart so it can pump more blood with less effort and with less pressure on the arteries. Staying fit is just as effective as some medications in keeping down blood pressure levels. Decreasing your risk of heart attack. Exercise such as brisk walking for three hours a week — or just half an hour a day — is associated with a 30% to 40% lower risk of heart disease in women. (Based on the 20-year Nurses’ Health Study of 72,000 female nurses.)
• Boosting “good” cholesterol – the level of high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Physical activity helps reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL or “bad” cholesterol) in the blood, which can cause plaque buildup along the artery walls — a major cause of heart attacks.
• Lowering your risk of stroke. Regular, moderate exercise equivalent to brisk walking for an hour a day, five days a week, can cut the risk of stroke in half, according to a Harvard study of more than 11,000 men.
• Reducing your risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes. The Nurses’ Health Study also links regular activity to risk reductions for both these diseases. In another study, people at high risk of diabetes cut their risk in half by combining consistent exercise like walking with lower fat intake and a 5% to 7% weight loss.
• Avoiding your need for gallstone surgery. Regular walking or other physical activity lowers the risk of needing gallstone surgery by 20% to 31%, found a Harvard study of more than 60,000 women ages 40 to 65.
• Protecting against hip fracture. Consistent activity diminishes the risk of hip fracture, concludes a study of more than 30,000 men and women ages 20 to 93.

The list goes on and on. Many other studies indicate a daily brisk walk also can help:

•  Prevent depression, colon cancer, constipation, osteoporosis, and impotence
• Lengthen lifespan
• Lower stress levels
• Relieve arthritis and back pain
•  Strengthen muscles, bones, and joints
•  Improve sleep
•  Elevate overall mood and sense of well-being.

Keep it steady

A steady routine is the most important factor in getting the most out of your exercise program. Walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 5 or more days a week is recommended.

Use these tips to keep you on track:

•  During your walks, you should be able to maintain a conversation. If you’re breathing too lightly, increase your pace. If you can’t catch your breath, slow it down.
•  Walk around the local area after lunch or dedicate 15 minutes to walking up and down stairs. Climbing is an excellent way to strengthen your heart.
•  At night, trade a half hour of TV for a brisk stroll around the block. Take a friend with you for company or get the whole family involved.

The Best Medicine

Any amount of walking is good, but for the best health results, set a brisk pace and walk for 30 minutes at least 5 times a week. Be sure to check with your doctor on the level of exercise that’s best for you.

Walking shoes need to be replaced every six months, but how do you know if the shoe fits? Sharon Barbano, a walking coach and a spokeswoman for Saucony, suggests these four simple tests:

Flex: The front of the shoe — but not the arch — should bend easily.

Wiggle: Move your toes up and down then side to side within the toe box. There should be room for toes to splay as you walk.

Rock: Lean back on your heel and check for cushioning, stability and support. As you walk, your heel should feel snug and stable, cupped within the shoe.

Roll: Slowly take one step forward from heel to toe. You shouldn’t feel any resistance or pinching as your foot goes through the motion.

The sneaker above illustrates the most important features to shop for:

Thick tongue to prevent pressure from the laces

Ankle collar with padding; heel notch to prevent pressure on Achilles tendon

Rounded, cushioned heel

Tread (the rougher the surface, the more you need)

Mesh or leather upper

Padded insole

Round, high toe box

Reflective material on heel and toe

Laces should be snug but not too tight on the tendons on top of foot.

Choose your perfect workout from our three walking plans, tailored to fit into your schedule.

If I only walk three times a week for 30 minutes, do I really need walking-specific shoes?

If you want to be kind to your feet while getting the most from your walks, it is wise to invest in a pair of quality walking shoes. They’ll set you back £40 to £70, but they’re worth it. A well-made pair cuts your chance of injury significantly. Here are three key features to look for: 1) a flexible forefoot that bends at the ball of your foot, not at the arch; 2) a bevelled or rounded heel to ease your foot into the natural roll from heel to toe; 3) a “forgiving” upper (the part of the shoe that encases your foot).

Hotspots of Longevity

Adventurer Dan Buettner has visited four spots on the globe where people live into their 90s and 100s and outlines how they add years of good life in his book, ‘The Blue Zones.’

If you are looking for a Fountain of Youth, forget pills and diet supplements. The answer, Buettner says, includes smaller food portions, an active lifestyle and moderate drinking. “If someone tells you they have a pill or hormone (that extends life), you’re about to lose money,” Buettner says.

Buettner identifies four hotspots of longevity: the mountainous Barbagia region of Sardinia, an island off the coast of Italy; the Japanese island of Okinawa; a community of Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, 60 miles east of Los Angeles; and the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica, in Central America.

The term ‘Blue Zones’ takes its name from the blue ink Belgian demographer Michel Poulain used to circle an area of long-living Sardinians on a map.

What Buettner found in his seven years of research and travel were common denominators among the vigorous super-elderly – close family relationships, a sense of purpose, healthy eating habits. He distills them into what he calls the Power Nine.

“Picking half a dozen things off of this al a carte menu, and sticking to it, is probably worth eight to 10 (extra) years for the average American,” says Buettner, a tall 48-year-old who hopes to live until at least 100.

Buettner turned to probing the secrets of the longest-living cultures after leading three long-distance bicycle expeditions – from the tip of North America to the tip of South America; across the United States, Europe and the Soviet Union; and across Africa – in the 1980s and 1990s. He also used the internet to take classrooms on interactive quests to solve everything from the collapse of ancient Mayan civilization to human origins in Africa.

Buettner made his first expedition to Okinawa in 2000 and eventually wrote a National Geographic cover story, ‘The Secrets of Long Life,’ in November 2005.

Living long – even forever – is a human desire throughout history, says Robert Butler, president and CEO of the International Longevity Center- USA in New York. But Butler says he’s skeptical of claims of places of long-living people. “There’s always been these rumors but they’ve always turned out to be inaccurate,” said Butler.

Weight Loss Surgery

What is weight loss suregry? Is it good for you? what are the pro and cons of weight loss surgery? How does weight loss surgery work, and could it help you?

There are two basic types of weight loss surgery — restrictive surgeries and malabsorptive surgeries. Each helps with weight loss in different ways.

Restrictive surgeries (like adjustable gastric banding) work by physically restricting the stomach’s size, limiting the amount of solid food you can eat. Before the surgery, a normal stomach can hold about three pints of food. After surgery, the stomach may at first hold one ounce — although that may later stretch to two or three ounces. You eat less when your stomach is smaller.

Malabsorptive surgeries (like gastric bypass) work by changing the way your digestive system absorbs food. This type of weight loss surgery is more complicated. The surgeon removes parts of your digestive tract, creating a shortcut for the food to be digested. This means that fewer calories get absorbed into the body. The combined malabsorptive/restrictive surgery also creates a smaller stomach pouch, which restricts the amount of food you can eat.

This type of surgery is not for everyone. Doctors generally recommend it only for people who:

• Have a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more — about 100 pounds overweight for men, and 80 for women.
• Have a lower BMI (35 to 40) but also have serious health problems related to obesity — heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or severe sleep apnea.

  Have tried and failed to lose weight by nonsurgical means, such as diets.

  Fully understand the risks and are motivated.

What are the pros and cons of these surgeries?

Gastric Banding Surgery

The Pros:

• Gastric banding is often a minimally invasive surgery — performed with small incisions, a laparoscope (a tiny camera), and special instruments.
• There is no need to cut into the stomach or intestine, and recovery is usually faster than with gastric bypass surgery.
• The surgery can be reversed by surgically removing the band.
• Tightening the band further restricts stomach size, to increase weight loss. The band can be tightened or loosened in the doctor’s office. To tighten the band, saline solution is injected into the band. To loosen it, the liquid is removed with a needle.

  The adjustable band allows a nutritionist to address nutritional issues that may occur after surgery.

• Serious complications are uncommon. But gastric bands can slip out of place, become too loose, or leak. Surgery is needed to correct this.

The Cons:

• Your weight loss may be less dramatic than with gastric bypass. The average is to lose 21% of your weight after one year, and 47% of your weight after two years.
• You may regain some of the weight over the years. Ten years after surgery the average weight loss is about 13%.

Gastric Bypass Surgery

The Pros:

• Weight loss is quick and dramatic. People lose an average of 38% of their body weight in the first year, and 62% in two years.
• Because weight loss is quick, quality of life — and related health problems — improve quickly. That includes diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis, sleep apnea, and heartburn.
• Many people keep most of the weight off for 10 years or longer. After 10 years the average weight loss is 25%.
• Loss of stomach tissue results in a drop in the so-called “hunger hormone” Ghrelin, which helps control appetite.

The Cons:

• Gastric bypass surgery is riskier and results in more complications. Although the surgery is generally safe, 10% of people have minor complications. Less than 5% have serious (potentially life-threatening) complications. The risk of death is under 1%.
• The surgery may result in dumping syndrome, which occurs when food moves too quickly through the stomach and intestines. Dumping syndrome can cause shaking, sweating, dizziness, and severe diarrhea.
• Gastric bypass is irreversible. The surgery permanently changes how your body digests food.

What are typical risks after weight loss surgery?

• Vomiting may result from eating too much too quickly — and not chewing well.
• Constipation is a common problem. Mineral oil and other liquid cathartics can help. High-fiber Metamucil and psyllium can cause obstructions, and should be avoided.
• Nutritional deficiencies, such as anemia, osteoporosis, and metabolic bone disease, may develop after weight loss surgery.
• As with any surgery, wound infections can occur up to three weeks after surgery. These can be treated with antibiotics, and sometimes require further surgery.

Complications that may develop:

• Hernia
• Gallstones
• Ulcerations
• Gastric prolapse
• Severe scarring of the new stomach pouch
• Excess skin that may need to be removed in an additional surgery

Rare but serious complications include:

• Bleeding in the stool, or black stools.
• Leaks in new connections made by weight loss surgery. These usually occur within five days of surgery.
• Blood clots in the lungs, called pulmonary emboli, occur less than 1% of the time. They are the most common cause of death after weight loss surgery. Blood clots can be prevented with blood thinning medicines and frequent activity.

Vegetable Diet Reduces Heart Attack Risk

A 24-year-long American study has offered the strongest evidence yet to show that a diet rich in vegetables, low on animal protein and moderate intake of low-fat dairy products cuts chances of heart attack in middle-aged women by nearly a quarter.

The study, which followed over 88,000 otherwise-healthy nurses, found that those who followed the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet —fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk and plant-based protein — over meat had 24% less chances of suffering a heart attack and 18% less likely to have a stroke than women who consume more meat.

Women in the study were in their mid-30s to late 50s when the research began in 1980.
Reporting this finding in the latest edition of the journal “Archives of Internal Medicine”, scientists from Simmons College, Boston, said that even though the study only followed women, men too would benefit equally by following a similar dietary regime.

The study’s lead author Teresa Fung said: “People might think they don’t have high blood pressure, so they don’t have to follow it. However, the results suggest that even healthy people should get on it.”

Reacting to the study, senior cardiologist at Apollo hospital Dr Deepak Natarajan said: “Besides essential nutrients, food also produces bioactive compounds that improves health and protects against disease. A low cholesterol and high fibre diet, which includes at least six portions of vegetables and fruits a day, contain essential micro-nutrients and vitamins that produce antioxidants — substances that protect cells from the damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Antioxidants prevent advent of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.”

Dr Natarajan added: “A recent study, examining the importance of heart disease risk factors, looked at more than 20,000 people in 52 countries and found that most Indians follow a non-vegetarian diet. Not only is the volume of vegetables consumed low, reheating of vegetarian dishes — a common practice among Indians — destroys the micro-nutrients. Indians, therefore, face heart attacks five years earlier than people in the West.”

Designed to stop hypertension (high blood pressure), the DASH diet has previously been shown to reduce both systolic and diastolic BP levels — top and bottom numbers, respectively — in people with high or normal BP.

This BP-reducing diet has been linked to a reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), commonly called bad cholesterol. To examine the association between the diet and cardiovascular health, the team analyzed 88,517 female nurses, none of whom had cardiovascular disease or diabetes in 1980.

At this point it may be helpful to look into the Genes link to High Cholestrol.

On seven occasions between 1980 and 2004, participants in the study detailed the types of foods they ate frequently over the past year.

The researchers used eight food and nutrient components from the data to develop a DASH score for each woman. If women ate more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, then their DASH scores increased. As participants ate more red and processed meats and sweetened beverages, their scores decreased.

After 24 years of follow-up, the researchers found that 2,129 women had a non-fatal heart attack, 976 died of coronary heart disease, and 2,317 had strokes. Women with higher DASH scores were found to have a reduced risk for heart disease and stroke.

It is proved that Spinach help build muscle. On another topic debate is still going on Egg good or bad for health?

Treatments For Jet Leg

International travellers, who often complain of jet lag and sleeping disorders will soon have a treatment in hand, as scientists have now discovered a unique “cog” in the sleep-controlling human body clock which may help them avert these disorders.

It is believed that the body clock governs the circadian rhythms of the body and connects the cycles of metabolism and behaviour to the cycle of day and night.

It often gets disrupted by old age, disease, international travel and shift work and such disturbance not only causes problems sleeping and eating, but also leads to serious illness.

And now, researchers have identified a molecule, known as c-AMP, a common signalling molecule, which plays a major role in keeping the body clock’s “rhythms” going. This molecule is located in the hypothalamus of the brain, which harbours cells that keeps the body clock in alignment with the other major organs including the heart, lungs and liver.

Led by Michael Hastings, at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, the study found that the body clock keeps ticking owing to the daily activation of this molecule, or “cog” in tandem with the body’s genes and proteins.

When the circadian day starts, genes are switched on which then produce proteins, which in turn go on to switch off the same genes at the end of the day. These proteins are then broken down over the circadian night and the process continues again beginning the next morning.

The scientists have claimed that this knowledge of the mechanism of circadian clock may pave the way for new treatments for jet leg and other sleep disorders, in which the body clock is effectively “reset”. The technology arm of the laboratory has applied for a patent application for looking after the pharmacological methods of manipulating the molecule.

Trapeze

Bored of working out on the ground? Well, then may be its time for you to try out some mid-air exercise.

Ex-trapeze artist Lorelei MacDonald has developed a new fitness craze, which involves toning up the body while you hang from the ceiling on a rope. Gravity Defying Fitness (GDF) takes aspects of a person’s usual workout. “Trapeze is great for your reflexes, muscle control, flexibility, balance and strength,” the Sun quoted Lorelei, as saying.

“So I teach people everything I learned in the circus, with some little tweaks – making it the perfect workout for the average person to be fit and strong.

“I also work with fitness trainers who specialise in track and field work, so the workout is based on interval training – which means you are constantly moving.

“But 99% of the class is based on circus skills from hoops and silks to ropes and swings. We start on the ground with a warm-up and stretching and then focus on core work as this is where all your strength comes from. The first thing you do in the air is just hanging, holding your own weight on the rope.

“Then we add in full-body exercise moves that get gradually more complex.

“An hour of Gravity Defying Fitness can burn up to 600 calories,” MacDonald added. The 42-year-old also revealed why is aerial fitness better than working out on the ground. “Learning new skills gives you a real sense of achievement. When you climb the rope for the first time you get a buzz that you don’t get if you go to aerobics.

“At school we were all taught to climb the rope, but never shown the real technique so a lot of people didn’t enjoy it.

“I teach people new tricks that you couldn’t learn anywhere else. “You train your mind as well as your body and strive to reach new goals. “So the focus is about what you can achieve, rather than just improving your body. “All exercise is good for you but nothing is as effective as this for co-ordination and definition — the two things we lose as we get older. “I’m a 42-year-old woman with a six-pack — so it must be working and sounds like a good alternate daily workout!

Sponsors

• Free Directory – domaining.in