The sumo squat with a heel lift will get your buttocks in shape. (Jocelyn Bong)

Your body doesn’t need to get overloaded to get good results. You’ll see great improvements with incremental progressions, and you’ll be less likely to get injured or burned out.

A sumo squat is similar to a ballet move where you have to plié in second position (as seen in the photo). The sumo squat is great for strengthening the glutes, inner thighs, and pelvic floor.

The sumo squat is great for strengthening the glutes, inner thighs, and pelvic floor.

To progress, you may lift your heels, which puts you on a less stable base. Whenever we have to stabilize ourselves during an exercise, we work our large and small muscles together, as they were designed to function. Balance work is just as important as strength, power, and flexibility for a well-rounded level of health and wellness.

Getting Started

Begin with your feet wider than your shoulders and your toes turned out, away from your body. Your legs need to be externally rotated from your hip so that when you bend your knees, they will be in line with your middle toes.

Inhale and lower your hips toward the floor. Check the position of your knees. You should be able to see your toes when you are in the deepest part of the squat. Keep your shoulders and hips in alignment with each other, and do not stick your bottom out as you bend into the sumo squat.

Exhale as you press yourself back to the starting position. Repeat the basic sumo squat approximately 10 to 15 times to warm your legs up.

Add the Heel Lift

Inhale and lower into a sumo squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Exhale and pause in this deep stance.

Inhale and lift both heels up, and then place them back down without allowing your body to move up or down.

Repeat the heel lift 10 times before returning to the starting position. Repeat this entire sequence up to five times.

Variations

In the sumo squat, lift the left heel 10 times, then the right heel 10 times.

For added intensity, pulse up and down within a 3-inch range of motion.

You may add pulses on both the single and double heel-lift variations.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and also trains Pilates teachers. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

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The side-lying double lift is designed to lengthen, strengthen, and energize. (Jocelyn Bong )

This movement comes from Pilates. It will challenge your balance and your core simultaneously. The movement incorporates the muscle of your back that runs the entire length of your spinal column and acts as a major supporting muscle for your back.

Lie down on your right side on a well-cushioned mat or soft carpet to protect your hipbone. Place your left hand on your left hip. Place your feet slightly in front of your body.

Align your hips by pushing your left hip down toward your feet, away from your torso. This will ensure that both hipbones stack vertically in line with one another.

Lift both legs off the ground and make any necessary adjustments to balance yourself well.

Repeat 12 double leg lifts. Keep your neck and shoulders relaxed and your back straight.

Inhale to prepare, exhale to lift the legs, inhale to lower the legs.

Keeping your abdominal muscles drawn inward, add an upper body lift. You should lift both your upper body and legs to the same height. Sometimes people make the mistake of lifting one higher than the other. That is incorrect.

Your right palm faces the floor. Aim to get space between your right underarm and the floor.

Repeat this 6 to 10 times, holding for 10 seconds on the last repetition.

Once completed, lift the legs for another 12 repetitions.

Repeat the entire sequence lying on the left side of your body.

Focus Points

You must have your pelvic floor muscles and transverse abdominals engaged. Otherwise it will be difficult to stay balanced, and you may overuse incorrect muscles.

Keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. Extend your top arm and fingers as far as possible when you are lifting your upper body. This will assist in a strong lift of the body and elongation of the muscles.

When you have mastered the basic movement, you can start to play around with some variations. Try lifting and lowering your top leg in a small, controlled way when you are holding the last repetition.

Another option would be to quickly bend and extend your top leg as you kick your top heel toward your buttocks.

You need to keep your body guessing to keep improving.

Team this exercise with a plank for a comprehensive core workout.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and also trains Pilates teachers. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

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The side lunge is great for toning the legs and hips. (Jocelyn Bong)

Side lunges will help you get firmer buns, leaner legs, and smaller hips. I promise! Most people see lunges as the enemy because they are tough, but do yourself a favor and befriend the infamous lunge.

For the side lunge, instead of taking a big step forward or backward, you lunge out to the side. It is important to move in all different planes of motion and vary your exercises to keep your body improving. If you perform the same old exercises session after session, your body will quickly plateau.

Getting Started

Begin the exercise with both feet hip-width apart. Step your right foot out to the side, bending the right knee and hip until your body lowers closer to the ground.

The deeper you take the lunge stance, the more difficult the exercise will get. The more you challenge your body, the better results you’ll see.

Ensure that your knee doesn’t lower over your toes. It is important to keep your knees behind your toes to ensure the safety of the knee joint. Your left leg remains straight as you lower into the side-lunge position, giving your inner left thigh a nice stretch.

Bring your right foot back to the starting position and repeat the exercise to the left.

Keep your abdominal muscles switched on and your shoulders relaxed and drawn gently back and down. Inhale as you step out. Exhale as you step back into your upright standing position.

To vary the sequence, you could perform 10 repetitions on the right side and 10 on the left side for one set, and then return to alternating sides for the next set.

Rest for 30 to 60 seconds between each set.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and also trains Pilates teachers. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

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Arm circles help stretch, stabilize, and strengthen the shoulder girdle. (Jocelyn Bong)

Not all exercise is about feeling the burn or pushing you to your limits. Our bodies are so intricate and complex, being made up of layer upon layer of different systems. Systems work in synergy to complement each other.

Arm circles are a mobility and stability exercise for the shoulder girdle. Your shoulders, along with your hips, have the greatest range of motion of all of the joints in the body.

The shoulder joint has the weakest and least amount of connective tissue surrounding it. These smaller tendons and muscles often get neglected, which may lead to shoulder injury and pain of varying degrees.

Performing arm circles is a good way to develop awareness of the shoulder girdle. This will not only help with stabilizing the shoulders, but it will also help improve the posture.

Getting Started

You can perform this exercise sitting, kneeling, or standing. When you extend your arms, extend your fingers as far from your body as possible. As you continue to extend your arms outward, begin to slowly circle them 10 times in each direction. Maintain a good posture throughout the exercise.

If you continue circling your arms without any rest, you will start to feel your shoulders working as well, which will be great for toning your shoulders. Complete 20 circles in one direction and 20 in the reverse direction for a great shoulder workout.

Focal Points

Keep stretching your arms outward so your entire arm gets a good workout and stretch. Don’t allow your elbows to bend. The top of your shoulder should be relaxed, not elevated toward your ears.

You need to concentrate on the middle of the shoulder blades and under each shoulder blade. If you can get someone to gently press between your shoulder blades, it will help you become aware of the small stabilizers working.

Variations

This is a great warm-up exercise before any upper body exercise. It will get you connected to your mid back, which will lead to great posture. The focus on your shoulder girdle should help keep you free from injury.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and also trains Pilates teachers. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

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The punch crunch is a great exercise to dynamically work your core. (Jocelyn Bong)

They are elusive and sought-after, and they require a decent amount of effort and clean, healthy eating to achieve. This week’s movement will help you on your quest for … you guessed it—gorgeous abs!

Whether you’re striving for a six pack or an eight pack or just want to flatten your stomach a little, add this abdominal exercise into the mix for terrific results.

The punch crunch is a fusion of a crunch and a partial sit-back. To get the absolute most out of this exercise, you need to engage your abdominal muscles correctly.

Start by concentrating on your pelvic-floor muscles, which are what you use for bladder control. Focus on gently pulling up those muscles.

Next, you need to switch on your transverse abdomens. This is a muscle that runs in the shape of a corset around your entire mid section. Try to draw your navel toward your spine while pulling the sides of your waist in toward your center. It will feel as though you are wearing a corset.

Getting Started

Lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet approximately 1 foot from your body. Place your hands behind your head and crunch up as high as you can while keeping your navel drawn in.

Bring your hands in front of your chest and cross-jab with each arm.

Crunch and then punch. As you punch, rotate your torso slightly to engage your oblique muscles. Then roll back to the floor with control. Repeat 10 to 30 times. The number you do will depend on your strength level and ability to perform the exercise with correct technique.

Variations

Increase the number of punches in sets of two until you work your way up to 10 punches in the reclined position. Then work your way back to two punches.

A progression would be to lift both feet off the floor when doing the punches.

Focus Points

Keep your stomach pulled in nice and tight. Always engage your pelvic floor at the start of each repetition. This will prevent your back from overworking. If you do feel your lower back overworking, stop and stretch.

Combine this move with a plank to maximize your results.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher trainer. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

The kneeling sidekick is an advanced Pilates movement designed to strengthen the glutes. (Jocelyn Bong)

Most people would love to have a tighter derrière, and the kneeling sidekick is a great exercise to help achieve that goal. It will intensely strengthen and tone your seat muscles with a special focus on the gluteus medius (which is the smallest of the glute muscles).

Having strong glutes will not only help achieve an aesthetically pleasing goal, but will help ensure healthy and balanced movement patterns. Weak glutes can make one prone to overusing the hip flexors and lower back. The gluteus medius plays a strong role in stabilizing the pelvis.

Getting Started

Start by kneeling upright with the backs of the fingers resting on the forehead and palms facing out. Extend the left hand out and tip over, like a teapot pouring tea, until the left hand lands gently on the floor.

The left hand should be in line with the left shoulder. Extend the right leg simultaneously out to the right. Keep the right hand on your forehead and not behind your head because you do not want your head to shift forward.

Inhale and move the right leg forward, flexing your foot. Exhale and reach the leg back, pointing your foot as you extend it back.

This is a small, controlled movement, but you should feel the connection to your glutes almost instantly. Both sides activate, but the supporting side will feel it more intensely than the moving side since it needs to work hard to stabilize the body.

Continue to kick the leg forward and back up to 12 times on each side.

If the exercise is too intense for you, move your hand further away from your center. This will make the angle of your hip more open.

Focus Points

This exercise will work the core as it stabilizes the body while performing the kicks. Be sure to do the following:
• Keep the abdominals engaged.
• Keep the side of the body actively lifting away from the floor.
• Keep the body still and stable as the leg is moving.

Some people may notice their shoulder working. It does need to work to stabilize the body throughout the movement.

Variations

In the Pilates repertoire, any movement you can do while lying on your side, you may do while kneeling in the kneeling-sidekick position. Here are some examples:

• Lift the leg up to hip height and lower it back down. Repeat this movement several times.
• Perform small or large circles with the leg.
• Kick front, reach your leg back, and circle the leg twice before kicking front again.

You can create your own sequence with the movements and do them all in a row or have a small rest between each different movement.

Be sure to keep your back straight, your abdominal muscles drawn in, and your head and neck aligned well while performing the tricep push-up. (Jocelyn Bong)

The tricep push-up is one of the best exercises to help tone and shape the muscles in your arms. It also strengthens some smaller muscles that play an important role in stabilizing your shoulder blades.

Stabilizing your shoulder blades is important because shoulders have an incredible range of movement but relatively small tendons and ligaments to hold them in place. Therefore you need to work on keeping your shoulders stable and strong.

Getting Started. Despite the simplicity of this exercise, it can be quite tough to master. Begin by placing your hands directly under your shoulders, with your fingertips facing forward.

Your body needs to be straight, with your core muscles active, particularly the transverse abdominals and pelvic-floor muscles. This will keep your back safe and strengthen and tone your abdominals while you work your upper body.

Keep your focus slightly in front of your hands on the floor to prevent your neck from straining.

Expect to see results in your mid back, shoulders, triceps, and biceps.

Inhale as you lower your body to the floor with your elbows hugging both sides of your body. Exhale as you press back up to the starting position. Be sure to keep your elbows in throughout the movement.

If you are already working out and feel strong in your upper body, start from your toes and see how that goes. If you do not have the strength to perform this properly, then drop your knees to the floor and perform the push-ups from this modified position.

Try to get all the way to the floor as though you were about to kiss the floor. The slower you lower and lift, the more challenging this movement will be.

Start with two sets of 10 repetitions and build up from there.

Suggestions for Beginners. Perform one set of 10 repetitions from your knees. Take a 30-second rest and stretch your arms out. Once your arms feel strong again, try to perform at least two repetitions from your toes. If you don’t get very low, don’t worry—the strength will build over time.

Focus Points. The tricep push-up tends to be a lot harder than the regular push-up. It uses the smaller muscles of the arms and back, which makes it more difficult. The regular push-up integrates the large muscles of the chest and back, so it is easier and does not target the shoulders and arms as much.

Expect to see results in your mid back, shoulders, triceps, and biceps. You need to do this exercise at least three times per week for four to five weeks to see changes in your body.

The dancer’s pose is a movement done in yoga and is often seen in dance, including classical Chinese dance. It is great for balance and flexibility. (Jocelyn Bong)

The dancer’s pose is an obvious eye-catcher, but it serves a far greater purpose than looking impressive. Although the pose originates from yoga, it can be used by anyone looking for a great stretch through the front side of the body and spine while working on improving balance.

Balance is one of the first things that begin to deteriorate with age and can be the cause of debilitating accidents for the elderly. Start adding balance exercises and stretches to your well-being plan now to avoid struggling with a lack of balance later in life. It is never ever too late to start.

Although it’s a challenging pose, the benefits you’ll get for your balance, energy levels, spine health, and mobility are huge.

Preparation

While working on this move, stand close enough to a wall so you can use it as support if necessary. You’ll need to open up the front of your thighs prior to going into the full dancer’s pose, so prepare with a basic thigh stretch.

Take your right foot into your right hand behind your body. Gently press your right foot into your hand and reach your right thigh back so that your two thighs are parallel to each other. If your balance is unsteady, just work on holding this stretch without holding the wall for 30 seconds on each side.

When you are ready, start to elevate your foot up behind your body as high as you can by pushing your foot into your hand. Your opposite hand will extend out in front of your body and will act as a counterbalance.

Practice this movement on each leg for 30 seconds at a time. Repeat twice on both sides.

Keeping your focus on a stationary object or a spot on the floor in front of you will help assist you in the maintaining your balance.

Besides focus, balance requires core strength. Engage your deep core muscles by drawing your bladder-control muscles up and gently pulling your navel to your spine. This will tremendously help your balance.

Focus Points

The dancer’s pose improves balance and stretches and lengthens the hip flexors, quadriceps (front of thighs), chest, biceps, and shoulders, as well as the spine. Pressing your foot against your hand will emphasize the stretch down the front of the elevated leg and into the back.

The pose replicates a movement often seen in classical Chinese dance, so it requires a high level of mobility and flexibility. Be careful not to push your body into the posture, but instead, allow the body to gradually improve within the stretch. Each day, you will see and feel improvements.

Although it’s a challenging pose, the benefits you’ll get for your balance, energy levels, spine health, and mobility are huge. Plus, once you’ve mastered it, you’ll have a move you can show off to your friends.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher-trainer with eight years experience in the field. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Jared Tallent of Victoria competing in the Open Men's 50 Kilometer Race Walk. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)

Walking is easy and inexpensive. It clears your mind while boosting your health. Walking is one of the unsung heroes of well-being.

Walking 30 minutes a day will not only improve your cardiovascular fitness, helping to keep heart disease at bay, but it will also help strengthen the muscles of your legs, hips, and stomach while keeping you fit and lean. To get the maximum benefits of walking, it is important to practice mindfulness.

Helpful Tips

Turn your walk into an effective abdominal workout. Simply imagine you are trying to make the waistband of your pants a little looser. This will strengthen those deep core muscles and promote good alignment in your pelvis.

For great posture while you’re walking, keep your shoulders relaxed and gently drawn back.

Finally, don’t forget to breathe. Take long slow breaths to support your body with the oxygen it needs.

After three to four weeks of walking, you will start to feel your fitness level improve. When your normal speed starts to get a little easy, then it’s time to up the anti. Vary your intensity by walking faster or uphill for two to three minutes every five minutes. Engage your glutes and thighs while taking long strides.

Treadmill Versus Outdoors

People often wonder if they should use the treadmill or walk outdoors. When walking on a treadmill, you can easily monitor your speed, time, and hill elevation.

Walking outdoors can be more challenging, as the terrain and surface are often ever-changing. Being in the open air can also be more refreshing and help you clear your mind.

There are benefits to both forms of exercise. Which is better depends on your environment, schedule, drive, and body. A fitness plan will be best adhered to when it is as convenient and local as possible.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher-trainer. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Toe squats are a great squat variation to help strengthen your calves and thighs. (Jocelyn Bong)

Just when you thought you could do no more with the humbling yet incredibly simple squat, try lifting your heels at the lowest end of the movement! I love this modification on such a classic exercise. It gives us all the functionality of the squat but really takes the challenge and results to a new level.

You can expect this toe squat to challenge your balance while taking your thigh strength and endurance to a new level. If you suffer from weak or injured knees it may be best to leave the variation out and stick to the basic squat. That said, this won’t be the case for everyone suffering from weak or injured knee joints, for this exercise may in fact assist your injury. If in doubt, check with your local physiotherapist or personal trainer.

Starting Position

Stand with your feet hip width apart, as you would your basic parallel squat. Shift your weight to your heels, and lower your hips and butt toward the floor as if you were taking a seat on an imaginary chair. If you can, bring your butt and hips far enough down so that your thighs are parallel to the floor. The deeper you go the harder the exercise will be.

When you go down in the squat, hold it there, and lift your heels off the floor so that all of your weight goes onto your toes. Keep your body low. Then push back up into a standing position staying on your toes the whole time.

Repeat this movement 16 times. On the last repetition stay low in the squat with your heels lifted as high onto your toes as possible and hold for 10 seconds. Then move your hips up 2 to 3 inches, and back down again 10 times. Repeat this cycle three times.

Keep your shoulders relaxed and your stomach muscles switched on. Breathe in as you lower down and breath out as your stand up.

You will feel this predominately at the front of your thighs and also into your calf muscles. This variation is great because it adds an element of balance into the equation. Anything that requires balance requires core control, so it’s offers a double whammy!

You can vary the number of pulses you do and the length of time you hold the static position to spice it up. This is one move not to leave out of your workout if your goal is to get strong, lean looking legs!

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

You can start with your hands on your hips to assist with stability and balance, and then progress to one arm up and one arm down like the picture. This will also assist in balance. (Jocelyn Bong)

We all love a good hip, glute, and thigh workout, right? Add this exercise to your next training session, and you are sure to get a superb workout.

Once again, the humble yet wonderful squat has not disappointed us. This is one exercise that just keeps on giving, variation after variation. With the friendly addition of a side kick, this movement is your new weapon in the war on flabby bottoms!

Warm Up

You really need to have mastered the basic parallel squat first. So as a warmup to the side-kick version, practice a set of parallel squats.

Keep the weight of your body in your heels, so that your knees don’t feel pain or stress. Imagine you are about to sit on a chair as you lower your bottom to the floor. Keep your knees and legs parallel the entire time.

Getting Started

Inhale as you lower into a parallel squat. Exhale as you start to stand up, and extend your right leg out to the side. By the time you are back to standing tall, your leg will be extended out to the side.

Repeat this exercise 12 times on each leg. You can practice it 12 times on one side and then the other, or you can alternate between right and left. I suggest doing a set of both options to create a combination. Remember, you need to squat in between each side kick.

Suggested Program Sequence

For a good workout, do 12 of each of the following, in order:
1. Basic parallel squats
2. Alternating side-kick squats
3. Right-side-kick squats
4. Left-side-kick squats
5. Alternating side-kick squats to finish

Focus Points

Squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor or as deeply as you can manage between the side-kick action. When you perform the side kick, try to hold your leg up for a couple of seconds so you really feel the glute muscles connecting.

Keep your shoulders relaxed with your chest nice and open so your back isn’t rounding throughout the exercise. Remember to keep your stomach muscles engaged as you exercise to ensure that your back is safe and your stomach gets a workout at the same time.

This exercise will get your heart rate up and your body heated in no time. It is a dynamic glute workout that also improves balance and stability. Perform the standing glute stretch from a few weeks ago as a counter-balance stretch. (http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/move-of-the-week-standing-glute-stretch-188537.html) Enjoy!

This is an advanced movement. Be sure to master the push-up before moving on to this variation. (Jocelyn Bong)

Push-ups are such staple exercises in all good trainers’ repertoires. They are very challenging when you first start practicing them, but as you gain strength, it is quite rewarding to go from doing 10 modified push-ups (on your knees) to performing 10 true-to-form push-ups (on your toes).

The downward-facing dog push-up is a dynamic variation of the basic push-up movement that most find even more challenging than the basic push-up. If you’re familiar with yoga poses and stretches, you will recognize the downward-facing dog.

The downward-facing dog push-up variation primarily targets your shoulders and back.

That said, this movement has no real relation to yoga—it just mimics one of the popular poses. In Pilates, this stretch is called reverse tabletop.

Getting Started. Get into a plank or push-up position. Keep your hands just wider than shoulder width apart and your feet hip width apart. Press your hips toward the sky, creating a triangular shape with your body. This is the downward-facing dog or reverse tabletop.

If it is difficult for you to get your hips up high, move your hands a little closer to your feet.

Press your chest toward your thighs so your body is in a triangle pose. The great thing about the setup for this push-up is the incredible stretch you will get in your back and hamstrings.

If you are really tight, hold this position for about 30 seconds (or 5 deep breaths).

Action. Inhale as you lower the crown of your head toward the floor. Your elbows will bend as you move your upper body closer to the floor.

Exhale as you press back into the starting position. Repeat this movement 6 to 12 times. Perform up to three sets as you get stronger.

It’s important to return to the downward-facing dog between each “push-up.” Don’t allow the various angles created throughout your body to change; otherwise you will compromise the integrity of the movement.

Benefits. Usually the main benefit of performing push-ups is strengthening the chest, shoulders, and back. However, the downward-facing dog push-up variation primarily targets your shoulders and back. It is great for building strength and toning your upper body. It also makes a workout more interesting in terms of movement.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates trainer. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

This is a great stretch for opening the upper and middle back, which often feels tight from mundane tasks. (Jocelyn Bong)

This stretch is a very effective way to stretch the middle and upper back. This area can get tight and rounded from the habits we form in our everyday lives, especially if we spend a lot of time hunching over something or letting our shoulders round forward—a complete disaster for a healthy posture.

Many activities draw us into this rounded-shoulder position. Some examples would be sitting at a desk writing, working on a computer, driving, eating, washing the dishes, and the list goes on. This highlights the importance of performing stretches to relieve this part of the body.

Equally important are doing exercises to strengthen the mid back to counterbalance all the habitual forward movements. Exercises such as back extensions or rows are the best for promoting and maintaining good postural alignment into the upper and mid back.

Instructions

Start on your hands and knees. Take your right arm and slide it along the floor under your left underarm.

Bring your head to the floor with the right side of your face touching the floor. Relax your head and neck. Reach your right hand as far to the left as possible to deepen the stretch.

To complete the stretch, and make it truly effective, have your left palm directly in front of your face and press it firmly into the floor. Look up toward the ceiling. As soon as you start to do this, you will feel the area between your shoulders start to open and stretch.

Try adding this exercise into your stretching repertoire.

To keep your body supple and mobile, aim to stretch for 10 to 15 minutes every other day, at a minimum.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Children need to play physical games in non-virtual environments in order to develop well physically and socially. (Franck Fife/Getty Images)

Developmental movement patterns are taught and reinforced by childhood play. We learn the limits of traction, how to jump, and how to land. What we learn about our bodies and ourselves as children will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Essential brain pathways are shaped through play. Measured exposure to pain and discomfort instruct on how to overcome adversity. Through active play, we develop good reflexes and build a healthy confidence level. Mental toughness and the seed of self-reliability are inherent in football, tag, jump rope, and countless childhood games.

Through team sports and games, we learn to negotiate the complexities of socialization. The highest value should be placed on providing an unaltered framework in society for “true play,” as opposed to virtual play.

Movement patterns that derive from playing virtual games may be the cause of physical problems by reinforcing improper movement patterns. They require movement patterns that are not biomechanically correct or functionally relevant to how we move through space and interact with a real environment. When playing virtual games, we do not necessarily have to follow the rules imposed on us by gravity and the solid objects we encounter in real life.

Developmental movement patterns are reinforced and introduced in much of human culture through physical games. Above all, video games have little or no consequence for failure of any kind. They downplay consequence as a whole. Games that emphasize violent action for reward deliberately warp reality for the game’s sake.

Human interaction has consequence. For example, playing tennis incorrectly can lead to strain and pain or being struck by a ball. If we are running, swimming, or biking in a clumsy fashion, or not managing our energy expenditure, then we will feel the consequences. Pain and discomfort lead us to modify our behaviors or compensate for the pain.

Virtual games reinforce a view of the world that does not exist, especially for children. In many cases, virtual games are supplanting the experiences normally present in their developmental games. Unfortunately, children begin playing virtual games at younger and younger ages. The duration of their involvement with such games is increasing.

The Next Level

Motion-tracking technology and simulations that where previously only available to military personnel are now available for personal use at a significantly lower cost. Virtual representations strive to get closer to providing as full a sensory experience as possible. But to what end?

I have no doubt that it won’t be long before the lines become blurry, and we are “running by the lake” inside our living rooms. The technology is already making inroads into direct communication between machines and the human brain. But should we want this?

Should we want for our children and ourselves a world that is not distinguishable from the classic existential question: How do we know we exist? How do you know you are not just a brain in a vat being stimulated by aliens and that everything you know and have ever known is not real?

We need to reach back to antiquity, to the ancient ways and training systems that can help us develop ourselves intrinsically. Meditation and inner cultivation systems that celebrate returning to our true selves develop our innate capabilities, which we know so little about. Why not develop to become better people? Why not encourage truth and compassion while harmonizing with our environment?

There is nothing wrong with playing a few games, but let’s be careful when virtual games eclipse true experience.

Emory M. Moore Jr. is a multi-certified fitness professional, the founder of EM Techniques training system. His website is www.emtechniques.com.

This is Part 2 of a series.

Kids attend the launch of Nickelodeon Fit for Wii on Nov. 10, 2010, in New York City.

Times change, and technology is moving at a pace never seen before in history. Things that were science fiction 20 years ago are children’s toys today. We are truly living in the future.

Cities are now large urban metropolises where people no longer have the physical demands of the past. Food that was once personally cultivated and procured is now pre-packaged and delivered to us. Mechanized conveyances carry us about. Stairs move to bring us up and down.

Modernization diminishes human physical activity. Amazing methods of virtual communication negate the necessity for actual contact. The video game is replacing our human games that centered on physical movement and human interaction.

Children play with virtual representations of well-known games and are having solitary dance parties, with avatars of increasing sophistication and no human interaction. However, the human body is designed to move. Gravity’s pressure develops and maintains bones, muscles, and connective-tissue integrity and aids in the proper function of our internal organs.

Movement in play teaches the brain patterns. The nervous system realizes its potential and builds copious pathways. Like kittens sparring in the grass, playing children’s games teaches us basic movement skills that we need to build our foundation for functional interaction.

Collision gives us feedback, and pain teaches us what consequences are. Our minds learn how to cope with fear using the tools of focus and perseverance.

We will draw upon this knowledge for the rest of our lives. Critical movement transitions, protective reflexes, balance, and developmental movement patterns keep us safe as we move through the world. Or are we developing a society where a lot of people will in fact not move through the real one?

I can only wonder at the deleterious effects of children connecting to a machine in lieu of our natural environment before they know what the environment is—maybe making virtual mud pies, playing virtual stickball, and virtually meeting with friends.

We are severing our basic connection from our original nature and the earth. We are tampering with forces not fully understood nor fully considered. This has consequences, and they are not good.

The Wii and the new video games use motion-capture technologies to put us in the game. They inspire participants to move and have those movements interact with avatars and be represented virtually on a screen. Games are designed to mimic old favorites like baseball, basketball, tennis, and fencing, to name a few.

Exercise routines have also been developed, enticing people who possibly would otherwise not exercise at all. These machines allow fitness routines to take place in the climate-controlled, familiar environment of one’s living room.

No more do people have to leave the comfort of their homes. The weather or memberships to a gym are no longer factors for many virtual exercisers.

Can the machine replace traditional physical fitness and sports activity and if so, should it? Is it not safer to exercise at home rather than traveling to a location like a park or a tennis court or a river where any number of things could happen?

The Wii table tennis is an amazing feat of technology. The responsiveness of the interface is indistinguishable from the action you make. When you swing the controller, the movement is translated accurately to the screen.

There are other games in which the translation is not so satisfying, but technicians are working hard to improve the systems so that one day not too far in the future, I can envision such games being even more convincing.

Companies like Microsoft and Sony have already introduced controller-less game interfaces through motion-monitoring cameras and movement tracking-based controllers.

Can they ever replace the feeling of satisfaction you get when the bat connects just right with the ball, and the body is in harmony, transmitting the forces at its disposal like an uncoiling snake?

Emory M. Moore Jr. is a multi-certified fitness professional, the founder of EM Techniques training system. His website is www.emtechniques.com.

This is Part 1 of a series.

Keep your arms back by your ears instead of falling forward in front of your arms when you press the weight up. (Henry Chan/The Epoch Times)

My fitness students often hear me exclaiming about so many different exercises, “This exercise is my favorite!” I can’t help it. There are so many wonderful moves out there, but the squat-to-shoulder press is definitely up in the top five!

Why is it one of the top five? It is a compound exercise (which means it involves more than one joint movement and muscle group) involving almost every joint and muscle group in the body. This makes it challenging and brings good results.

Getting Started. Stand with your feet a touch wider than hip width apart, with your knees soft (slightly bent). Hold a set of dumbbells or a barbell at shoulder height.

Inhale, shift your weight onto your heels, and lower your hips toward the floor into a squat position.

Exhale as you stand up while you press the weights above your head into a shoulder press.

As you return back into the squat position, lower your hands back to their starting position so you are lowering your arms and hips simultaneously.

Repeat the complete movement 10 to 20 times. You can do two to three sets of this exercise.

Low-Cost. You don’t have to rush out and buy weights to do this exercise. Instead, you can get a little creative and use things you may have around your house, such as water bottles.

The squat press works the whole body from the legs, hips, and butt to the back, shoulders, and arms.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Maurice Hood trains at the Church Street Boxing Gym located at 25 Park Place in Manhattan. Boxing is a great form of exercise for burning calories, toning up, and getting rid of your day’s frustrations. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Putting on some boxing gloves and going a couple of rounds on a punching bag or with a partner is a great way to blow off some steam after a long day at work or a challenging day with the kids.

It may seem like an aggressive way to beat your daily frustration away, but it is a super effective way to burn calories and tone your whole body, particularly your upper body. In recent years, boxing has become an increasingly popular fitness option for women as well as men.

There are lots of different types of martial arts classes that include boxing. You can choose to take a straight boxing class offered at many large gyms or smaller studios and clubs.

What typifies a pure boxing class is the use of isolated boxing combinations of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts and the exclusion of kicking, elbowing, and grappling, which are all associated with other styles.

You can expect a boxing session to consist of bag work, partner work (often with one person punching, and the opposite person holding focus pads) as well as push-ups and abdominal exercises.

The class may also include a circuit of varied strength and cardio exercises. And be warned, skipping and boxing go hand in hand, so you may find yourself becoming best friends with a jump rope!

If you are really serious about the art of boxing, you may want to take classes at a boxing gym where you will have the choice of working one on one with a boxing coach.

This by no way means you actually want to get in the ring and fight. Having a coach will simply develop your boxing technique faster than in a group fitness environment. Both will get great results, but it doesn’t hurt to know how to box properly.

You will burn anywhere between 350 to 600 calories in a one-hour boxing class, depending on how hard you work and what your fitness level and body mass are.

In the beginning, people often feel uncoordinated because of all the boxing combinations. Don’t be deterred. After a couple of sessions, it will all start to feel more natural. Before long, the words “jab, jab, cross,” yelled by your trainer, will no longer sound like gibberish.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

All three are fundamental to posture, movement, and strength and help us understand movement more comprehensively. 

When reaching, lifting, and grounding are integrated, the whole body grows more connected, ultimately improving alignment, function, and athleticism. 

The concept of reaching, lifting, and grounding can be applied to any exercise whether it is athletic or balletic. (Henry Chan, courtesy of Mind-BodyPro.com)

In order to define reaching and lifting, it might help to try these movements. For reaching, think in terms of sending a body part, like your head or your hand, away from your body, into a place in space. Can you fully extend into reaching through the end of your fingertips or the very top of your head? 

When you reach, is there a change in other parts of the body, or does the rest of the body stay unaffected? For many students, exploring reaching is literally a body-changing experience, as reaching gives the feeling of space in the body and provides a deeply satisfying stretch. 

is a little bit different because, unlike reaching, which emphasizes intention into space, lifting implies a change emphasized by the inner contents of the body, like lifting the rib cage off the pelvis or lifting the top of the neck up and backward to relieve tension in the thoracic or mid-back. 

Notice the difference. How does lifting change your alignment? Notice how lifting creates the feeling of space in your body. It can literally take the pressure off of body parts, like the pelvis and the shoulders, that feel compressed or as though they are carrying lots of weight,.

Now let’s couple lifting and reaching with grounding. Grounding, “plugging in” to your base of support, provides support for the body, from its bottom to its top. When grounding is integrated with reaching and lifting, you will discover increased whole-body connection that makes kettle-bell swings easier and safer, rock climbing more fluid, and the time at your desk less taxing.

To be clear, you can reach and lift without actively grounding yourself, but this can feel unsupported, especially over time. People often actively reach and lift; however, they will end up feeling groggy and uncommitted, or looking weak and disconnected. 

Pay attention to how it changes the power in your exercises. What a difference with such a small change!

Colleen Culley, certified Laban Movement Analyst and registered Somatic Movement Educator, teaches movement and fitness in New York City and upstate New York, including at Cornell University and the Children’s Aid Society. For more information, see Moveintogreatness.com. 

The partial sit-back is great for strengthening and flattening the abdominal region. (Henry Chan/The Epoch Times (Space courtesy of Fitness Results NYC)

Want strong, firm abdominals? Try the partial sit-back. It is a traditional Pilates exercise but is used in other variations in weight training sessions. The partial sit-back will work your abdominals while challenging your core stability and strengthening your back at the same time.

Getting Started

Sit on the floor with your legs approximately hip-width apart and with a slight bend at the knee. Start with your spine straight and your hands extended straight out from your shoulders.

Inhale to prepare. Exhale as you tuck your pelvis under without rounding your shoulders forward, and slowly start to sit back as if you are going to roll down to the floor, yet stop about halfway down.

Inhale and hold this position. Exhale and roll forward, squeezing your abdominals on the way back to your upright-seated position. Repeat 10 to 12 times per set.

Key Points

This exercise originates from the Pilates repertoire. It is crucial to engage your pelvic-floor muscles and keep your navel drawn in toward your spine throughout the entire exercise. Keeping your deep core muscles turned on will ensure your back is safe and your abdominals develop properly (flat not bulging outward).

Recline back only to a point of control. If your feet fly off the floor, you have lost the control. If you collapse in your chest, you have lost control, and if you feel your lower back working or aching, you have rolled down too far.

When you are in the partial sit-back your spine should be in the shape of the letter “C.”

Variations
1. Roll down farther to challenge your body more.
2. Hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds once you sit back far enough to deeply challenge your core.
3. Sit back and rotate your upper body to the left and then to the right to activate your obliques.
4. Extend your arms one at a time above your head while in the partial sit-back.
5. Extend your arms together above your head while in the partial sit-back.
6. Lift one leg at a time up off the floor while sitting back.
7. Lift both feet off the floor and hold for 15 seconds.
8. Lift the arms and legs simultaneously for a huge challenge and great abdominal workout.

You may need to stretch your hip flexors before and after this exercise if they feel a little tight.

At first, you may experience some instability when you recline back, but don’t give up. This is just an indication that your body is coping with something new and is building strength. Variety is the key to achieving the best results.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

The plank hip drop is great for strengthening your waist. (Jocelyn Bong)

At first glance, this week’s movement looks as though it is a plank gone a little wrong! Instead, it is a wonderful variation on everyone’s all-time favorite exercise.

Well, maybe “favorite” and “wonderful” are not the first words that spring to mind when performing a plank, especially after exceeding the first-minute mark, but this exercise will make your tummy tighter and your core stronger, so we love it, right?

Practice the plank hip drop to effectively work your oblique muscles without going into a side plank. The obliques are the cross sectional muscles that cross your trunk from your ribcage to your hips. They are used to move the trunk in rotation and lateral bending movements. When well-formed they look like a shield on the side of your waist, particularly on men.

Getting Started

Start in your basic plank position with your body weight resting evenly between your elbows and your toes. If you need to modify this, begin by resting your weight on your elbows and your knees.

Keep the spine straight and your deep core muscles activated (by keeping your navel drawn in) to prevent the overuse of your lower-back muscles.

Drop your right hipbone toward the floor, and hold this position for one to three seconds. Return it back to the starting position. Repeat the hip drop on the left side for the same amount of time to complete one repetition.

Breathe in as you lower the hip and breathe out as you lift it. The rest of your body should stay quite still; move only your hips.

Complete two sets of ten repetitions, resting for about a minute between each set. You can build this up as your body gets stronger by either adding more repetitions or adding another set.

Tips

Change the side you lead with. If you always lead with one side, it will result in imbalances in strength levels between the left and right side of the body.

Remember to breathe!

Relax your shoulders. Do not slump, arch, or round your back. You can ask a friend to check your form for you, or check in a mirror.

Share this exercise with your training buddy, life partner, or best friend for increased popularity!

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Breathe deeply as you open your hips while focusing on staying steady on your foot. (Jocelyn Bong)

There are usually a few different ways to achieve the same outcome, and it’s up to each individual to find which way works best. This principle is paramount in health and fitness, and as one develops a heightened sense of body awareness, it will get easier to make the best choices for one’s body.

To make the movement more about balance, practice this stretch without touching the floor or ledge.

I always find it interesting that when showing a group of people the same stretch, some people will be in agony from the stretch while others will wonder what they are meant to be feeling. Due to each person’s body awareness, tightness, and weakness, it will usually take different methods to achieve a similar outcome.

This stretch is a variation on some basic glute stretches. They are usually done sitting or standing and involve crossing one ankle over the opposite knee to open up the glute and external hip complex.

The standing glute stretch is great for opening the glute and hip area and has the added bonus of incorporating balance into the stretch. Balance is an important element that gets left out of many general-fitness routines.

To make the movement more about balance, practice this stretch without touching the floor or ledge.

If you keep your breath flowing, it will help your tendons and muscles relax into the stretch and open up more deeply. When exercising more vigorously, breathing will help support your body. While stretching, the breath plays the role of relaxing the body.

This is a brilliant stretch if you suffer from tight glutes and hips, and in my experience, that is true for a lot of us. Incorporate this into your routine by performing it during your rest periods between sets.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Jumping rope is a fun and challenging way to exercise the heart. (Photos.com)

We probably all had a go at jumping rope when we were children, but have you thought about incorporating it into your current fitness routine?

People may shy away from jumping rope because of its high fitness demands, but like any exercise, if approached with the right attitude, it will add a great new cardiovascular option to your workout.

The best feature of jumping rope is its accessibility. All you need is a rope and a small area. Like all first endeavors, you may find yourself wanting to walk away after getting tangled in your rope umpteen times and gasping for air. Persistence and practice is the key!

Give yourself some focus and motivation. Create a 15-minute play list of music that gets you moving. Start by skipping over the rope one foot at a time just as you did as a kid. This is a nice and easy way to start.

Practice for two to three minutes to warm up and to establish a consistent pace. Change the leg that you lead with after 30 seconds of skipping on each leg.

You can progress to the next level by jumping with both feet hitting the floor at the same time. This requires more physical demands on the body, so aim to jump for 30 seconds to 1 minute; then do some push-ups or sits-ups between each jumping set. Cycle this pattern a few times and you will be surprised at how fast the 15 minutes fly by.

Your wrists should be responsible for moving the rope, not your elbows or shoulders. Your arms should stay close to your body as you rotate the rope from your wrists. Keep your knees a little bent to prevent any jarring impact on your knees.

Jumping rope is definitely a high-intensity and high-impact activity, so warming up is very important to prevent injuries. Your shins may feel strained and tight when you start out. If you experience this, stop skipping and tap your toes on the floor one foot at a time to loosen up the tendons along your shin. Good supportive shoes will help as well.

As your technique and fitness improve, start to shuffle from one foot to the other and move the rope a little more quickly. You can lift your knees up to your chest as you jump, skip side to side keeping both feet together, or scissor your legs and flick your feet back toward your heels.

Persistence and practice is the key!

It is also fun to play around with double-dutch: turning the rope twice around your body before your feet touch the floor and crisscrossing the rope. If you choose to try this move, watch out because you may get a few slaps across the back from the rope before you become successful at the crisscross trick.

Extend your playlist to 30 minutes and use the skipping variations with intervals of push-ups, squats, and sit-ups to create different sequences.

Skipping for 30 minutes continuously can burn up to 500 calories, depending on your weight and fitness level. It is by far one of the most effective ways to burn fat and improve your fitness.

You will find yourself in fantastic shape if you work this into your fitness sessions. Aim to jump rope two to three times per week for the best fat-burning results!

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

The pigeon pose is a wonderful hip opener. Be sure to stay aware of your alignment and breath as you get into this pose. (Henry Chan/Courtesy of Mind-bodypro.com)

Various daily habits such as sitting at a desk or standing at a counter can lead to tight hips and a sore lower back. Exercise can also make the body a little sore and tight if you don’t stretch regularly.

I recommend spending around 10 to 15 minutes stretching every other day. This will help keep your body from getting too stiff and help you maintain flexibility and mobility.

The pigeon stretch is such a fantastic movement because it stretches a number of muscles instead of focusing on one isolated area of your body. It is especially great for tight hips and gluteal muscles.

Starting Position

Start on all fours. Bring your right knee forward and let it relax on the floor between your hands. Line your right heel up with your left hip, rather than letting your heel rest underneath your groin. This will help prevent putting pressure on your knee joint.

Extend your left leg straight behind you. Keep your left knee pointed to the floor so your left leg does not turn out.

Take a deep breath in and as you exhale, allow your body to relax into the stretch. On your next deep exhalation, start to fold foward, bringing your chest toward your right thigh. Walk your hands forward.

If you feel a stretch around your right gluteal muscle and across the front of the left hip, you are doing the stretch correctly. You should feel slightly different stretches when your torso is upright as opposed to when it is folded forward. Play with this until you get the best stretch for your body.

Lengthen your left foot away from your body and keep your torso upright to enhance the stretch in your left hip. Hold for one to two minutes on each side.

Tips

Always breathe deeply and continuously when stretching. It will encourage your muscle fibers to release tension. It can also take your mind off the pain we often incur while stretching.

You need to be able to recognize whether the pain felt in your body is safe or unsafe. If you feel a deep stretch in the muscle and it starts to ease up a little after around one minute, it is safe.

If you feel it in your joint or feel as if the muscle is pulling too tightly, it could be unsafe, so come out of the stretch or readjust your position. Measure your perceived pain on a scale of 1 to 10. Do not push your pain threshold past 7 or 8 on the scale.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and a Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Keep your back in a neutral position, and keep your navel drawn in when holding a plank or push-up position. (Ben Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

There are so many options we have when it comes to exercising our bodies without any equipment. It’s really only our imagination that limits us when it comes to creating exercise routines. Plus, using the body as resistance is one of the most effective ways to strengthen and tone the body.

Of course, weights have their place, and it’s a case of different strokes for different folks, but never underestimate the power of using your own body for resistance.

This week’s move is a fantastic challenge for the upper body and core. It combines two of the best core and upper-body exercises: the push-up and the plank.

Starting Position

Start in a plank position (the position you are in when you are holding your body up on your elbows and toes). Keep your body weight evenly placed between your feet and elbows. Keep your feet hip-width apart and your elbows shoulder-width apart. Hold for 10 seconds.

On your right arm, transition from your elbow to your hand. Repeat with the left arm. This will bring you into a push-up position (the position you are in when you are holding your body on your feet and hands). Hold for 10 seconds.

Perform one push-up, and then transition back down to the plank position, one arm at a time. Repeat this 10 times or as many as you can with correct form.

Technique

Both the plank and the push-up require maintaining a straight back. Avoid letting your hips lift up or sink down.

Both movements are deep-core exercises, so it’s imperative that you establish and maintain a strong connection to your deep abdominal muscles. Think about the area in between your hipbones, your navel, and your pubic bone, and draw that area in as if you are trying to loosen your pants.

Avoid holding your breath. The breath is a powerful tool in supporting the body and keeping the core activated.

Change the side you lead with; don’t always use the right arm first. Perform five on the right, and then five on the left side.

This whole exercise can be performed on your knees. It is important to respect your body and the stage it is at. You will make greater progress if your form is correct, so if you think you will perform much better on your knees, go ahead and modify the exercise until you are ready to progress to the next level.

Modifications

1. As a warmup, you could leave the push-up out and just travel between balancing on your elbows and hands.

2. Get creative with your sequencing. Instead of holding the plank and the push-up for 10 seconds, hold them for 3 seconds, so you are constantly moving. Alternatively increase the time you hold the positions, or on the last set, hold the plank for a full minute.

3. Replace the single push-up with two or three push-ups. You could do a pyramid by performing one push-up and working your way up to 10 push-ups, and vice versa.

4. Change the position of your hands when doing the push-up to work different parts of your upper body. Placing your hands farther apart will work your chest and back. A narrow hand placement will work your shoulders and arms more. Make a diamond with your fingertips and thumbs to work the triceps specifically.

Hopefully you are keeping a diary of all the exercises and movements. Try to incorporate a few different body-part moves for a full-body workout. Doing 20 to 30 minutes of strength exercise three to four times a week will keep you strong, lean, and feeling good!

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and a Pilates teacher. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

I sat down two days ago with some ambition to write this column. In the end, I did not write a word. Why? As I explained to my girlfriend, “My brain wasn’t working.”

Try as I might, I found the whole idea of writing anything cogent too much. I did a quick scan of things that might have caused this state. I was not short on sleep. Neither had I eaten any wheat (I’ve found from experience this tends to turn my brain off).

Then I wondered if I might be dehydrated. It was about 4 p.m., and I could only remember passing water twice all day—not a good sign. Plus, there was no doubt in my mind that I had drunk only a small proportion of the water I would normally consume when in my own home.

I stepped up my water intake and felt quite quickly revived. It might have been a placebo response, but maybe not.

For New Year’s resolutions, I’d say many of us could do a lot worse than just to ensure we’re decently hydrated.

This morning I decided to see if there was any recent evidence on the impact of dehydration on mental functioning and indeed did come across a relevant study in the January issue of the Journal of Nutrition. In this research, 25 women were subjected to a variety of assessments of mood, mental functioning, and well-being in a normally hydrated state and a dehydrated state.

On one occasion, dehydration was induced with intermittent exercise but not heat. On another occasion, dehydration was induced not just with exercise, but also by administration of the diuretic drug furosemide.

Overall, dehydration with or without furosemide led to an average of a 1.36 percent decrease of body mass. Just to put this into perspective, for someone weighing 154 pounds, this would equate to about a quart of dehydration. In other words, this extent of dehydration would be described as mild.

At this level of dehydration, basic cognitive (brain) function was not significantly affected. But other functions were, including the amount of perceived effort used by the women to complete a task. With my experience yesterday, I could totally relate to this.

In addition, the concentration and mood of the women were also adversely affected. The women were also more fatigued and more prone to headaches. All this was the result of relatively mild dehydration.

None of this actually proves my inertia yesterday was caused by something as simple and rectifiable as dehydration but it is at least consistent with it.

For New Year’s resolutions, I’d say many of us could do a lot worse than just to ensure we’re decently hydrated. How much should we drink? I suggest enough to ensure our urine stays pale yellow in color throughout the day.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com.

School children take part in a rugby training clinic. Amsterdam researchers have found that being physically active benefits academic performance. (Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images)

Pushing aside physical education to focus on academic subjects, such as math or reading, could have a negative impact on achievement, according to new research which finds that physically active students do better academically.

Combining the results of previous studies from North America and South Africa, including more than 55,000 children aged six to 18, researchers at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam found a link between physical activity and progress in school.

“Based on the results of our study we can conclude that being physically active is beneficial for academic performance,” says lead researcher Amika Singh, adding that there may be a biological explanation.

“There are, first, physiological explanations, like more blood flow, and so more oxygen to the brain. Being physically active means there are more hormones produced like endorphins, and endorphins make your stress level lower and your mood improved, which means you also perform better.”

Also, for those getting exercise from organized sports, learning rules and how to follow them may improve classroom behavior and concentration.

However, given the general finding—that physically active kids are more likely to do better academically—she says educators should take that into consideration before cutting fitness programs in schools.

Joining a health club or fitness centre is a great way to get fit, but it is important to be a smart consumer and know your rights when shopping for a gym. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

Keeping fit is a common New Year’s resolution for many people, and one way to do that might be to join a gym or fitness club.

But just like for any other purchase, there are pitfalls to watch out for and smart ways to protect yourself if you decide to buy a membership.

The Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services offers the following checklist to help consumers know their rights and make smart choices when joining any type of facility-based or pre-paid club or classes.

• Do your research. Make sure the gym’s equipment is new or in good condition, the location and hours of operation are convenient, the instructors are qualified, and the club is clean.

• Visit the facility at the time of day you’d want to attend. The classes should neither be so full that there’s no room to move, nor so empty that they might be cancelled.

• Get the opinions of other club members.

• Review the membership agreement carefully and ask questions before signing. For example, is a fitness test required to join? Is there an extra cost for the test?

• Consumers have a 10-day cooling-off period to reconsider their decision after signing a gym membership contract.

• Don’t sign up for more than a one-year membership. Lifetime fitness club memberships are illegal in Ontario.

• Choose to pay monthly. A gym must offer the option of paying fees in monthly installments. That way, members will not lose more than a month’s payment if the club shuts down.

• If cancelling a gym membership, do it in writing. Hand-deliver the cancellation letter or send it via registered mail to be certain the club has received it.

Reference: Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services

Mountain climbers are great for working the core muscles and raising the heart rate. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

It’s very probable you are feeling a little sluggish from overindulgence and lack of exercise after the festive season. See it as a good thing. The body needs a rest and will respond even better to training when you fire it up again.

Hopefully you are feeling hyped up about your new health and fitness goals for 2012. Whether you wish to get more toned and fit or lose weight and increase stamina, the mountain-climber exercise will help you get the results.

Starting Position

Start in plank or push-up position on your hands and feet. Lift your right leg and draw your right knee to your chest; then switch legs. Continue to change legs. Every time you pull your knee up to your chest, focus on using your stomach muscles to help move your legs.

You can vary the exercise by pulling your knee to the opposite underarm instead of straight to your chest. This will start to fire up your waist muscles (obliques).

When you begin executing this exercise, perform it slowly. Remain mindful of the muscles you are working and of your alignment. As you progress through the exercise, pick up the speed until you are simultaneously drawing one leg toward your chest as you switch legs, similar to the action of running. This adds a cardiovascular element to the exercise.

Technique Tips

Ensure your hands are just in front of your shoulders or directly under them. Be careful of your wrists: If this exercise irritates them, you can bend your elbows to see if that helps, or you can work from your fists.

Keep your feet hip-width apart and your back straight. Avoid any sinking through your lower-back region. You will need to keep your abdominals engaged to help support your posture and back. Also avoid lifting your butt.

You may want to perform this exercise in front of a mirror or get somebody to check your alignment when you start practicing the exercise so you get it right from the start.

Your chest, back, and shoulders will all be working to stabilize the plank position; thus your core will get an amazing work out!

One of the most important things to remember is to keep your back straight and your core muscles (the tranversus abdominus and pelvic-floor) engaged.

How Often?

Perform the slow mountain climber 16 times. Next, perform the diagonal mountain climber 16 times.

Take a short rest in between sets. Or combine the mountain climbers with squats to create a superset.

When ready, perform the mountain climbers at a quick pace. Perform for 20 to 40 seconds per set.

The best thing about this exercise is that you can take it anywhere; you only need a small amount of space to do it. Good luck with setting new goals and climbing new mountains in 2012!

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and trainer of Pilates teachers. She is based in Brisbane, Australia.

Keep your neck and knees relaxed while hanging forward. Be sure to breathe deeply as you relax into this stretch. (The Epoch Times)

In the health and fitness industry, lot’s of attention gets paid to how to burn calories, tone muscles, and gain strength, while flexibility and mobility often get left on the back burner. However, having mobility and flexibility will enable greater results in most other areas of your training.

Mobility and flexibility will also promote a body that is far less injury-prone. So if you’ve been ignoring these vital parts of a balanced program, you may want to reconsider and start making your program more well-rounded today.

Having and keeping a mobile spine is crucial to having a healthy, pain-free body. As we age and the curse of unsupportive habits take over our often overly sedentary bodies, our spines can become stiff and fused in particular areas.

The roll down is a good way to start encouraging the spine to loosen up. Give this very simple movement a go at the start of a workout, between exercises, and at the end of a workout. Before bed is also a good time. It will assist your spine in mobility and your hamstrings in flexibility.

Starting Position: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms relaxed by your sides. Have even amounts of pressure on both feet. Keep your knees relaxed.

Action: Inhale to prepare, and as you, exhale drop your chin gently to your chest and continue the movement of rolling your upper body down to the floor.

When your hands are on the floor or as close as possible, check that your neck is relaxed. Let it hang free like a rag doll. Hold this position of being folded in half for a few deep breaths.

When ready, extend your right knee, keeping your left knee bent. You will feel a strong stretch down the back of the right leg.

Hold for 10–20 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Maintain an easy and even breath.

Roll back up to standing after stretching each leg, stacking one vertebrae on top of the next as you roll up through your spine. Your head is the last thing up.

Repeat the whole sequence three to four times.

Key Points: Keep your knees relaxed the whole time when rolling down to prevent your back from feeling tight. This will also allow you to get your hands to the floor if the back of your thighs and knees are tight.

Try to keep your upper body close to your lower body. Imagine you only have a really small space to roll down in.

Gently engage your stomach muscles so your lower back is supported.

Avoid holding your breath when you are stretching your hamstrings at the bottom of the roll down. Your breath will enable your muscles to relax more than if you hold your breath.

Variations:

• Try standing beside a wall. You will need to start with your feet a little further away from the wall so you don’t fall over when you roll down.
• Vary the timing: Roll down and back up a little faster and with fluid movement.
• Roll down as slowly as possible.
• Leave out the hamstring stretch and simply roll down and roll back up.

I finish practically every session with this movement whether it is a class or a one- on-one session. You can do it on its own or during your program. Incorporate the roll down into your day, and your spine will feel healthier in the long run.

Emma-Kate Stampton is a personal trainer and Pilates-teacher trainer based in Brisbane, Australia.

The kneeling lean back is more challenging than it looks. Be sure to warm up well before starting and pay attention to keeping your alignment correct and your core strong throughout. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Although this is exercise looks seemingly easy, it packs a serious punch for your thighs. The kneeling lean back will help create definition in the front of your thighs while keeping them mobile and lean.

The exercise belongs to the Pilates repertoire of exercises and requires concentration to execute well. It is important to contract the deep muscles of the core, the pelvic floor, and the transverses abdominus while performing kneeling lean backs. This will ensure your back is supported and help you maintain correct posture throughout the exercise.

Starting Position: Start in an upright kneeling position. Keep your knees and legs parallel to each other and about 3 inches apart (about the size of a tennis ball). Keep your arms relaxed with your hands beside your hips.

Action: Inhale as you lean back and lift your arms up to shoulder height. Keep your neck and shoulders completely relaxed.

Exhale as you bring your body back to the upright starting position and lower your hands until they are alongside your body. Repeat this movement 8 to 15 times and perform two to three sets.

Key Points: The body should remain in a straight line throughout the entire exercise. Knees, hips, rib cage, and shoulders should stay stacked on top of each other like building blocks. In an effort to go farther back in the lean back, people often let the rib cage lean back farther than the hips. This will put pressure on your back.

You need to start leaning back from your knees. The farther you go, the harder it will be. Start small and gradually start leaning farther back. It is important that you keep your deep core muscles engaged throughout the exercise. Your breathing will help with that, so don’t forget to breathe.

Modifications: You can make the exercise harder by adding new elements. For example:

• Lean back and hold for 10 seconds before returning to the starting position.
• Reach your arms one at a time over your head or out to the side four to eight times before you return.
• Take both arms up or out to make the exercise even more challenging.
• Make small circles with your arms in front throughout the exercise.
• Keep your hips straight and twist from your waist to add an oblique workout to the exercise.

Emma-Kate is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher-trainer based in Brisbane, Australia.

As you inhale, begin to lower your hips toward the floor. Keep your heels down for as long as possible. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Most people have the goal of toning and strengthening their legs. Squats are an exercise that has stood the test of time and is guaranteed to get results for your lower half.

Squats are a complex exercise, so they involve multiple joints. The angle of the ankles, knees, and hips are all altered, so squats target a wide range of muscle groups.

Squats are incorporated into in our daily lives more than many of us realize, thus making it a very functional exercise. This also means it is even more important to be able to squat effectively.

The plié squat is a great variation on the basic squat, giving a little more focus to the inner and outer thighs.

Action

Start with your heels together and your feet turned out. Ideally, you want your whole leg to externally rotate so your knees point in the same direction as your toes.

Inhale and lower your tailbone toward your heels as your knees open nice and wide. Your knees will be in line with your second toes throughout the exercise.

As you lower your hips all the way to your heels, keep pressing your knees open, dropping your tailbone down, and keeping your belly in. (Benjamin Chasteen/The Epoch Times)

Your heels will lift off the floor to allow you to go closer to the ground. If this is too difficult to start with, keep your heels down and only lower half way down.

Exhale and push your heels back toward the floor as you extend your legs until they are straight. When you are standing straight, avoid relaxing. Keep your inner thighs and buttocks together to keep the muscles active.

Practice two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions or until you are too fatigued to continue the exercise with correct form.

Add an extra set when you have mastered the technique or are able to increase the number of repetitions you can perform: for example, two sets of 20 to 25 reps or three sets of 15 reps.

Technique Tips

Your back should remain straight, and your bottom should not stick out—it lowers straight down to the floor. Check this in a mirror to be precise. Keep your stomach muscles drawn in and your shoulders relaxed and open.

Going up onto your toes will challenge your legs more and target your balance at the same time.

If you feel any pain or strain in your knees, ankles, or hips, check in with a personal trainer or physiotherapist to make sure your technique is correct.

This is a fantastic variation of your basic squat. Guys, don’t be put off by the name. Give it a go and you will be surprised at just how effective the plié squat is for an all-over leg workout. Enjoy!

Emma-Kate is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher-trainer based in Brisbane, Australia.

Although this exercise looks easy, it will definitely challenge your triceps. (The Epoch Times)

Triceps make up the muscle group that runs from the armpit to the elbow. If neglected, the triceps will flap like chicken wings when you are waving to someone. 

Although it is not possible to spot-reduce, you can target specific muscle groups to ensure the best possible results in that area. A great way to strengthen your triceps is by using your own body weight, such as in tricep pushdowns. This basic exercise requires no equipment and is a super-effective way to have you waving vigorously and confidently without the flapping wings!

Because this exercise is performed on all fours, it strengthens more than just the triceps. Done with correct form, tricep pushdowns will promote shoulder stability. It also requires activation of the abdominal muscles to ensure correct pelvic alignment and core connection. So you get a lot of bang for your buck with this one, great exercise. Let’s do it!

Set-Up

Start on all fours with your knees directly under your hips. Slide your hands under your shoulders and turn your elbows back toward your knees. 

Your elbows need to be angled toward your knees throughout the entire exercise to ensure the tricep muscles are activated.

Action

Inhale as you bend your elbows (keeping them close to the sides of your body) and lower your upper body to the floor. Your nose will move toward your fingertips.
Exhale as you press back up to the starting position. It’s a simple movement, yet very effective!

Do two to three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions. Start with two sets of 10 reps. 
Build from there, or just keep going until your triceps fatigue. 

Key Points

1. Imagine your butt is up against a brick wall. The key to this exercise is to lower your chest straight down and not let the body move backward. You will feel the back of your arms working when you are doing it correctly. 

3. Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in, especially the lower ones. Your back should remain straight at all times—no arches or dips in the lower back or between the shoulders. Get a friend to check your form, or perform the exercise beside a mirror until you get it.

Everyone always has a good wince while doing tricep pushdowns, as you can really feel them, but you will be over the moon with the results!

Emma-Kate is a personal trainer and Pilates teacher-trainer based in Brisbane, Australia. 

Pilates is a great way to keep fit and although private sessions can be costly, there are often group classes that more are affordable. (The Epoch Times)

Although falling under the genre of a mind-body practice, it is free from any spiritual connotation, unlike Yoga. The unique principles of Pilates include concentration, alignment, breathing, centering, connection, balance, flow, and control. In fact, prior to being called Pilates, after creator Joseph Pilates, Joseph aptly named his system Controlology. 

Participants achieve a mind body connection through deep concentration on their muscle movement while performing the different exercises and are encouraged to connect their breath pattern to flow with their movements. Pilates consists of a variety of exercises in different planes of movement, for example, lying on your back, side, stomach, kneeling on all fours, and some standing work. This is all incorporated to help improve one’s balance skills. 

German-born innovator, Joseph Pilates, pioneered his exercises in 1912 during World War I in a hospital ward. Pilates resourcefully attached springs to patients’ beds, which allowed them to perform light resistance exercises, despite being bedridden. 

During an epidemic of influenza, Pilates’s ward was the only ward to escape death, he attributed this to the increased breathing capacity and muscular strength the patients developed from his practice. Joseph had been sick as a child and was motivated by his own weakness to become strong through exercise. He practiced boxing, gymnastics, and yoga to increase his strength that created a platform to develop his own system. 

Patients were taught to use “lateral thoracic breathing.” This involved breathing deeply into the top and middle of their back and expanding their lungs sideways, as opposed to the normal pattern of breathing, which is limited to the diaphragm and stomach area. Lateral thoracic breathing is still one of the fundamental techniques of Pilates. It enables people to increase the amount of oxygen coming into the body. This stimulates the body on a cellular level and in turn gives a feeling of increased energy and breath awareness in general. Deeper breathing can also lead to less anxiety in times of stress.

Due to the outstanding results achieved through the practice of his exercises, Joseph Pilates was approached to teach soldiers by the German army. Instead, he left Germany and migrated to the United States in 1926, where he opened a “body-conditioning studio” in New York with his wife Clara.

It wasn’t long before Pilates’s methods were embraced by the New York dance community as a set of exercises that improved strength and mobility, while helping prevent injuries. It became the exercise for the elite, but wasn’t embraced by the wider public until the late 1990s.

Today, Pilates is available to anyone interested. Pilates was initially designed to be practiced in a studio environment in small groups or one-on-one, but has now been safely adapted to a class environment in health clubs and gyms around the world.

Pilates can be practiced on a mat, or on other apparatus like the wunda chair, cadillac, and ladder barrel. It is also practiced on a reformer machine, which is an adaptation of Joseph Pilates’s hospital bed. Apparatus are usually only utilized in a Pilates studio or physiotherapy clinic. Mat work is practiced on a wider scale, as all you need is a mat!

To assist in improving postural imbalances or simply to improve current posture, a strong focus is placed on finding and maintaining the natural curves of the body, in particular the pelvis and lower back. One of the crucial elements of Pilates is working on the deep layer of abdominal muscles, including the transverse abdominis and the pelvic floor. Participants are taught how to contract and isolate these muscles to create a stronger core for a healthy body and spine. 

Pilates is now incorporated into many physiotherapy treatment sessions to assist in the relief of back ailments and postural problems. Whatever your motivation may be, the end result will keep you coming back for more. Consistency is the key to achieving great results. 

There are a few different ways to get started on your Pilates journey. One-on-one sessions or small groups are ideal for beginners. Try either a Pilates studio or physiotherapist that offers Pilates. Prices can range from $30 to $175. Small groups usually start with technique classes and then work toward a more intermediate level. 

In a class environment, don’t be shy. Always let your teacher know you are a beginner so they can keep an eye on you. Like all new things, don’t expect to be a master on the first go. It may feel a little unnatural at first, but put your judgments aside, until you have done at least three classes and take it from there.

If you need some extra motivation to get into shape, getting together with a handful of others, with a "boot camp" coach, might help. Fitness boot camps often take place outdoors. (Urban Mixer)

Like most people, when I hear the term “boot camp,” I immediately think of the Army and a group of hard-core guys running through the mud getting yelled at severely by an even tougher guy.

Well, soften the yelling (a little) and add a group of everyday people wanting to get fit, and you have a fitness boot camp!

What stays the same are obstacle courses and the use of car tires, sandbags, boxing equipment, and like most activities that get you fit, a fair amount of running.

Over the past 10 years, boot camps have really made an impact on the fitness industry, with a major emphasis on group training outdoors. The combination of fresh air, a challenging workout, and group participation has proven to be a successful formula, and boot camps are now part of most gyms and health clubs around the world.

There are large businesses that focus entirely on boot camps, but there are lots of small studios and individual personal trainers also getting in on the boot-camp action.

Typically, boot camps run for a period of anywhere between 8 and 12 weeks. You will have measurements taken, fitness and strength goals prepared, and goals recorded, so that you will have a very clear indication of your achievements at the end of the boot camp.

Initially, you may be worried that your fitness level isn’t at a high enough standard to join in your local boot camp. But don’t stress about it. The groups are divided into fitness levels, so you will be working with people at a similar stage as you. They will most likely share some of the same fitness goals. Team spirit is a huge motivator in the whole process.

This National Guardsman is scanning the U.S.-Mexican Border. During his 24-hour shift, he sleeps for four hours at night. This schedule makes him at greater risk for MS. (John Moore/Getty Images)

When I was an on-call junior doctor, I was not thrilled when my beeper would go off in the middle of the night. It was not uncommon for this to happen after a busy day at work. Sometimes, I might have had little or no sleep the night before. And perhaps the night before that.

A weekend shift might entail starting work on Friday morning and not finishing work until Monday night. I distinctly remember senior colleagues telling me that this kind of work is character-building and never did them any harm. Well, that might be the case, but my belief is that sleep deprivation almost certainly harmed (and killed) patients.

Doctors’ hours have changed now, and along with nursing staff, their hours tend to work-shift patterns. That could mean working during the day for a few days with no night duty. It could also mean working at night, with the idea that sleep will be had during the day.

Health professionals in hospital are not the only people who might work this way. Security staff, policemen, airplane pilots and cabin crews, and factory workers may also spend time living a nocturnal existence.

Getting the body clock to bend to our will is not always easy and can result in sleep loss. This has consequences in energy, vitality, and general health.

There has been discussion in the scientific literature that shift work is associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases, including breast cancer. Some have suggested that this might have something to do with disruption in the secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin. Melatonin is an antioxidant, and in theory may help prevent cancer as well as other chronic diseases.

I was wondering whether another explanation for this association might be sunlight exposure and vitamin D. Previous research published in February this year in the journal Neurology has linked sunlight and vitamin D with a reduced risk of multiple sclerosis.

Other evidence published in March 2010 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that sunlight might exert a protective effect in a way that has nothing to do with vitamin D.

Multiple sclerosis tends to be most common in northerly latitudes.

The research linking shift work with multiple sclerosis was conducted in Sweden, which may be relevant. Sunlight is a relatively precious commodity there, and someone working at night and sleeping during the day will risk lacking sunlight exposure and vitamin D.

This is all speculation, but those engaged in shift work might make a conscious effort to get safe exposure to sunlight when they can. And it might be an idea to have their vitamin D levels checked and supplement with this nutrient if its level is low.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Going to bed late and waking up late is 'associated with an unfavorable activity and weight status profile, independent of age, sex, household income, geographical remoteness, and sleep duration.'(Photos.com)

Young late nighters are less physically active and fit than their early bird counterparts, suggests new research from Australia.

“Late bedtimes and late wake-up times are associated with an unfavorable activity and weight status profile, independent of age, sex, household income, geographical remoteness, and sleep duration,” reads the abstract of the study, which was published in the journal SLEEP on Oct. 1.

A team of scientists from Adelaide studied a total of 2,200 Australian adolescents, aged 9 to 16 years old, using time interviews and pedometers.

Despite similar sleep durations, late-rising and late-sleeping adolescents were observed to undertake 27 minutes less daily physical activity than the early risers and early sleepers, who went to bed 70 to 90 minutes earlier and woke up 60 to 80 minutes earlier.

“The children who went to bed late and woke up late, and the children who went to bed early and woke up early got virtually the same amount of sleep in total,” said study co-author Carol Maher from the University of South Australia in a press release.

“Scientists have realized in recent years that children who get less sleep tend to do worse on a variety of health outcomes, including the risk of being overweight and obese. Our study suggests that the timing of sleep is even more important.”

“It is widely accepted that the sleep patterns of adolescents are fundamentally different from children and adults, and that it is normal for adolescents to stay up very late and sleep in late in the morning,” Maher said.

“Our findings show that this sleeping pattern is associated with unfavorable activity patterns and health outcomes, and that the adolescents who don’t follow this sleep pattern do better.”

Interestingly, late risers tended to live in major cities with lower household incomes, had fewer siblings, and had part-time jobs.

Overuse of any personal digital assistant (PDA) can result in tenderness or pain in the thumb, the base of the thumb, and wrist. (Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images)

Along with other repetitive stress injuries that are appearing in this fast-paced, technology-focused era is a malady known as BlackBerry thumb.

Actually, we can overuse any personal digital assistant (PDA), resulting in tenderness or pain in the thumb, the base of the thumb, and wrist.

Red flags that signal a need to change how we use PDAs and possibly a need to consult a qualified health care professional are occasional aches in any of these areas.

Left untreated, BlackBerry thumb can develop into severe pain, weakness, and even disability.

What Causes It?

BlackBerry thumb is the result of asking the thumb joints to repeatedly perform the same action too often. Excessive tapping, flicking, and clicking do thumbs no favors.

Some sports enthusiasts make themselves work through the pain. They believe that by pushing the body beyond its current limits it will gradually become accustomed to new demands. That approach does not work with joints. And since BlackBerry thumb is a joint problem, forcing thumbs to go above and beyond will only lead to further trouble.

Diagnosis and Typical Treatments

Physical examination and X-rays can determine if a patient has BlackBerry thumb.

Treatment typically consists of resting or splinting the thumb. Medical doctors may suggest anti-inflammatory medicines, cortisone injections, and as a last resort surgery.

Doctors of chiropractic are educated to use a variety of non-drug, non-surgical approaches. Giving the thumbs a chance to start the healing process may include a program of rest, thumb strapping, gentle stretches, or targeted massage.

A chiropractor may decide to use instrument-assisted soft-tissue mobilization (IASTM) to help alleviate the problem. One of the better-known techniques is Graston Technique, which utilizes stainless steel instruments in the hands of practitioners skilled at treating damaged soft tissues. Certain nutritional supplements can help reduce inflammation and swelling.

What Can I Do?

Doctors cannot simply make BlackBerry thumb go away without the patient’s cooperation. Moderation and flexibility in how we use PDAs are key. The following tips can make our PDAs do what they were designed to do-serve us, not hurt us:

• Avoid typing for more than three minutes without a break.
• Hold the PDA comfortably and close to the body.
• Insert it into a holder and set it on a desk or a briefcase.
• Turn the device off on weekends or at least on Sundays.
• Decide that you will check emails and text messages just four times a day.
• Reduce the number of keystrokes and keep messages short and simple.
• Abbreviate.
• Consider using the autotext feature.
• If a message must be longer, use your computer keyboard, not your PDA.
• Practice using other fingers for typing, especially when thumbs hurt.
• If thumbs are in pain, use a thumb or wrist support.
• Pay attention to your grip. Keep wrists upright and straight.
• Don’t slouch while texting. Slouchers often develop neck pain in addition to thumb pain.

Adapted with permission from the American Chiropractic Association, www.acatoday.org

Men's testosterone levels drop when they become fathers. (Barbara Sax/AFP/Getty Images)

A man’s testosterone level drops by about half immediately after the birth of his child, then rebounds somewhat, according to a new study.

Levels of the male sex hormone drop sharply after men become fathers, a biological change that suggests men are hard-wired to care for their children, according to researchers studying human testosterone. 



Previous studies have found that fathers have lower testosterone levels than non-fathers. Northwestern University biological anthropologist Christopher Kuzawa says there are at least two possible explanations. 



“Is it that fatherhood reduces your testosterone?” he asked. “Or … [are] men with low testosterone to begin with … more likely to become fathers? And so what we did is, we followed men through time and measured their hormones before and after they became fathers.”

Kuzawa and his colleagues tapped into a decades-long study that measured testosterone levels in 2005 and in 2009 of a group of men in the Philippines. 



During that time, some of the men were still childless, but others had become fathers. 



“And those are the men where we see the largest decline in testosterone,” says Kuzawa, who found that testosterone levels dropped by about half immediately after the birth of the child, then rebounded somewhat. Men who were actively involved in caring for their children produced less testosterone than men who were not involved. 



It might be that men are programmed to have lower testosterone levels so they can focus more on parenting than procreating. But Kuzawa says the hormone reduction carries with it some health benefits, too. 



“Having high levels of testosterone can increase your risk for diseases like prostate cancer [and] testicular cancer. Also, testosterone can suppress the immune system so that you’re less capable of fending off pathogens.”



Kuzawa’s study is published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Weight-lifting exercises increase muscle mass and strength in the elderly. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

This fall the mention of Boston brings the Stanley Cup to mind. But there’s more to Boston than hockey and baked beans. I recently visited 711 Washington St. in downtown Boston. Why?

Because it’s the address of the world’s largest research center on nutrition and aging. Three hundred scientists there are studying a disease that affects everyone, sarcopenia.

No whiz kid in Latin, I assumed the name was a Latin word. My wife informed me it’s Greek, meaning “poverty of flesh.” (It’s wise to marry a smart woman).

Today everyone fears cancer, heart attack, or Alzheimer’s disease as they age. But it’s also important to think about the poverty of flesh, a slow creeping fragility that robs people of their independence.

If you want to witness sarcopenia, visit a nursing home. Many of the elderly in these facilities don’t have cancer, heart problems, or Alzheimer’s disease. But they do have a poverty of flesh, the loss of muscle mass—so much so that they cannot get off the toilet or care for themselves in other ways.

Rachel Perez of Tuft’s University Human Nutrition Research Center writes in the Health and Nutrition Letter that sarcopenia affects 15 percent of people older than age 65 and 50 percent of those over 80.

Sarcopenia begins in the late 30s and increases at the rate of 1 percent a year. By age 80, many people have lost from 30 to 50 percent of their muscle. Women are at particular risk since they start off life with one-third less muscle mass than men. Since they also live longer, there’s also more time to lose muscle strength.

There’s no way to stop Father Time. But Dr. Roger Fielding, director of Tuft’s Nutrition, Exercise, Physiology, and Sarcopenia Laboratory (NEPSL), reports researchers are gradually finding new ways for people to age more gracefully.

Fielding suggests that strength training increases muscle size and muscle strength. But it’s difficult to grow muscle as we age. And a major problem is the gradual accumulation of fat in aging muscle cells.

So should you sign up for weight-lifting classes? Early studies showed this did not increase muscle mass and strength in the elderly. The reason for the initial poor result was the fear that pushing older people too hard was unwise.

But later, when larger weights were used, those between the ages of 60 to 72 doubled their leg strength in 12 weeks of training. In fact, some frail 90-year-olds tossed away their canes after eight weeks of exercise!

What happens to these muscles? Dr. William Evans at the University of Arkansas says that high-intensity weight lifting causes microscopic tears in the muscle. The muscles then rebuild protein, and the cells become stronger.

I’ve never done weight lifting, as I believed walking was good enough. But according to Dr. Evans, brisk walking or jogging can’t compete with stress-bearing exercises. Nevertheless, walking is still better than taking the car to the corner store.

A lack of protein may also play a role in developing sarcopenia. Researchers showed that older women who consumed low amounts of protein lost muscle mass in just eight weeks.

A 150-pound person needs 68 grams of protein daily. But studies show that one in three over age 60 fails to eat this amount. Three ounces of steak, chicken, or fish contains 21 grams.

Tonight, I’ll order a 9-ounce steak just to be sure. As well, I’ll enjoy 5 ounces of red wine that contain 0.3 grams of protein. But this meager amount is so depressing I’ll linger over a little more. This will provide time to wonder about a topic for next week’s column.

I don’t drink and drive. I always walk to my favorite steak restaurant.

Dr. Gifford-Jones is a medical journalist with a private medical practice in Toronto. His website is DocGiff.com He may be contacted at Info@docgiff.com

EXTREME EXERTION: One does not have to run a marathon on a treadmill to benefit from the effects of exercise. Marathon runner Noel Bresland runs on a treadmill inside a capsule of the London Eye, the tallest Ferris wheel in the West. (Ben Stansall/AFP/Getty Images)

There’s a new study published online in The Lancet on Aug. 16, 2011, based on research from Taiwan, that shows that, compared with being sedentary, exercising for just 15 minutes a day (about 1.5 hours a week) is associated with a 14 percent reduced risk of death over the course of the study.

This study is widely being reported as evidence that even low levels of activity (lower than generally recommended) can reduce death risk. Much that I would like to think that this is so, from a scientific standpoint, this is an unsupportable conclusion.

The study in question is epidemiological, which means it is assessing associations between things (in this case, exercise habits and risk of death over time). Associations do not prove causality. We don’t know from these sorts of studies if exercise is having a positive impact on health.

It might, for example, be the other way round. Maybe individuals who are healthier are more inclined to exercise. Maybe being sedentary is a sign of sickness. Basically, we just don’t know. All we know is that even low levels of activity are associated with reduced risk of death.

Long-term studies, which randomize people into exercise or non-exercise groups and then follow them until death (to see if exercise actually reduces death risk), do not exist. However, we do have shorter-term studies that show improvements in terms of disease markers. These are changes we would expect to translate into reduced risk of disease (and perhaps death) in time.

Also, with exercise, I think there is a “law of diminishing returns.” Let’s say you exercise for an hour each day. How much more can be gained from exercising for, say, an hour and 15 minutes? The incremental benefit is likely to be small in comparison to the benefit from exercising for an hour.

However, if we go from no activity (sedentary behavior) to 15 minutes of daily exercise, the relative benefit is likely to be huge. This is one of the reasons I encourage normally sedentary individuals to do something.

In my last book, “Waist Disposal,” I included a brief, home-based exercise session made up of a mix of resistance exercises (like push-ups, sit-ups, and squats) and more-aerobic exercise (running on the spot). The session is designed to be 12 minutes long.

Compared to doing nothing, this brief session can do wonders for improving strength and physique, and I believe it likely impacts positively on health. This sort of regime is unlikely to allow us to qualify for next year’s Olympics, but I believe its impact on health and well-being can be profound.

If we tack this sort of regime onto recreational walking and perhaps some stretching, I believe our exercise needs will be largely met.

This new study from Taiwan tells us very little about the purported benefits of exercise, and I think its findings have been overstated. However, I utterly support its message: Devoting even small amounts of time to activity and exercise is much, much better than doing nothing.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

I’m a huge advocate of sleep. There is much evidence that demonstrates the importance of sleep’s role in physical and psychological well-being.

In recent years, there has been growing interest in the scientific community regarding sleep and risk of obesity. The data here has shown a U-shaped association, with enhanced risk of obesity seen in individuals who either sleep for very short or very long periods.

Lengthy sleep might be a marker for ill health and enhanced risk of excess weight from conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and low thyroid function. Also, there’s a possibility that long sleepers have relatively sluggish metabolisms and are generally tired and inactive. They risk gaining weight as a result.

What about those short sleepers? These individuals may be tired and sluggish during the day because they’re not getting enough sleep. They may be less active over time as a result.

However, there is also evidence that hormonal changes may play a role. For example, curtailed sleep has been found to raise levels of the appetite stimulating hormone ghrelin and lower levels of the appetite suppressing hormone leptin.

Curtailing sleep has been found to make some people hungrier, prompting them to eat more. It’s also been found to cause insulin resistance, which predisposes to weight gain.

A study published online in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition on July 27 examined the effects of “sleep fragmentation” on a variety of metabolic processes. A group of young, healthy men were tested in a respiration chamber for two days while they got about eight hours of sleep each night.

On another occasion, the men were awakened by an audible alarm every hour and required to get up to turn the alarm off. This not only interrupted their sleep, but also meant they got less sleep—about 6.5 hours a night compared to about 8.0 hours a night when there was no alarm.

The results of this study showed that the amount of energy these men metabolized when sleep was disturbed was actually a little higher than before. This seemed to be due to increased activity, which the authors attributed to getting up repeatedly during the night.

Scores of exhaustion roughly doubled under the disturbed sleep conditions, and symptoms of sleepiness increased considerably.

Perhaps the most interesting findings from this experiment related to the men’s metabolism, specifically the rate at which the men metabolized carbohydrate and fat.
In moving from uninterrupted to interrupted sleep, carbohydrate metabolism went up from an average 324 to 346 grams per day (statistically significant).

At the same time, fat metabolism dropped from 61 to 29 grams per day. In other words, the rate at which these men burned fat dropped by half over just two nights of interrupted sleep.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

Any exercise can be applied to the Tabata method. If you do apply resistance to the Tabata training, keep it manageable and remember to exercise with a partner for safety. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images )

Is 16 minutes enough for an intensive workout? Also is it beneficial? Is it a long enough time to work out? Well, the answer to all these questions is—yes. It is called the TABATA training method.

Tabata was invented in 1996 by Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. In six weeks of testing, Dr. Tabata noted a 28 percent increase in anaerobic capacity in his subjects along with a 14 percent increase in their ability to consume more oxygen (aerobic capacity). The subjects were already physically fit athletes.

Tabata training is an interval training cycle of 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise, followed by a 10-second rest, repeated without pause eight times for a total of four minutes with rest in between exercises. This workout consists of four separate intervals each four minutes long. Hence, the total time for the entire work out is 16 minutes.

Always begin your workout with a warm-up and finish with a cool down session.

This can be applied to any exercise training both anaerobically and the aerobically. To be exact, this is not eight sets of eight. It is doing as many reps as you can at a high-intensity for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest.

When doing Tabata training, it is good to see a wall clock with a secondhand. Watching helps you focus and keep a count of the eight intervals. Tabata timers can be purchased or downloaded via iTunes for five dollars at most.

There are two sample Tabata workouts I often use for myself and my clients for strength and one for cardio conditioning. For strength, I recommend doing: push-ups, squats, crunches, and jumping-jacks. For a cardiovascular workout, I recommend: jumping rope, sprinting, squat jumps, and stair climbing.

For beginners to do this type of training, you should check with a physician and take one to two minutes rest between exercises, so it will take a little longer to complete the workout at first. But, the goal is to work up to no rest between exercises.

Tabata training is challenging to people of all types of fitness levels whether you have a little time or a lot. There is no set of specific exercises in Tabata training. Any exercise can be applied to the Tabata method. If you do apply resistance equipment to the Tabata training, keep the weight manageable and remember to exercise with a partner for safety.

Kevin Mills has a MS in Health and Physical Education. He is also a Team Beachbody coach For more information, please visit: www.tidalwavefit.com, or email: kevin@tidalwavefit.com.

SLIMMING STRATEGY: Body-image coaching helps shed excess weight. (Photos.com)

Most people don’t like getting harsh criticism from others. However, many of us can be our own worst critics. This is particularly the case regarding weight and body image.

Some of us can consciously and unconsciously spend a lot of time feeling a range of negative emotions about our size and shape. For some, such self-judgments can lead to a tendency to eat poorly, which can compound any weight issues.

A study was published on July 18 in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. It was conducted it Lisbon, Portugal, and it took 239 overweight and obese women and enrolled them into a yearlong program. Half of the women were given information and support regarding healthy eating, stress management, and the importance of looking after oneself.

The other group got all this but also attended regular group sessions. A major focus of these sessions was dealing with body-image issues. The women who attended the group sessions made progress in this regard and also found it easier to regulate their eating.

This study seems to show there is some value in making peace with one’s body. In the study, the women coached regarding body-image issues attended 30 group sessions over the course of the yearlong study.

Is there an easy way to overcome a negative body image? My belief is that changing thoughts is generally hard. What works better is replacing negative thoughts with new, more-positive ones. Here’s a quick three-step guide that individuals often find can get and keep them in the right mental space for sustaining healthy behaviors.

See It. It’s important to have a clear image in your mind of the benefits and improvements you’re looking for. The idea is to positively move toward your desired outcome. This could be, for example, a smaller waist, increased fitness, or enhanced vitality.

The mental approach is not the same as not wanting to be fat, unfit, and fatigued. There’s an old adage: What you resist, persists. So, keep your focus on positive goals, and have a clear mental picture of what these look like.

Some who have a lot of weight to lose can find they’re somewhat daunted by the apparent enormity of the task they face. A useful trick can be to focus on an intermediate goal, such as getting into the next dress size or trouser size down. Once this is achieved, a new goal can be set.

Feel It. After forming a positive image of the changes you desire, engage with this emotionally. Imagine what it would feel like to achieve these goals and get excited about it.

Be It. The final step is to act according to the improved version of yourself you desire to be. Eat the health-giving foods the “new you” eats. Engage in activities you believe the lighter, healthier version of you would take part in. Do anything and everything that is representative of the person you aspire to be.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

NAPPING: These Japanese businessmen are napping after the noontime meal, which helps enhance brain function, energy, mood, and productivity. Napping also helps regulate the sleep-wake cycles. (Oshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images)

Dietary habits, patterns, and irregularities can contribute significantly to sleep-pattern disruptions. The largest smoking gun in the kitchen is caffeine and related compounds like theobromine (found in chocolate). These ingredients directly interfere with sleep as a result of their stimulatory effects on the central nervous system (CNS).

Another frequently abused dietary ingredient, ethyl alcohol, initially depresses the CNS and promotes drowsiness, but it leads to significant disruptions of sleep patterns and poor sleep quality.

Meal size and timing can significantly affect sleep. Large meals consumed shortly before bed distend the abdomen, put pressure on the diaphragm, restrict breathing, and lead to discomfort. Going to bed hungry with an empty stomach can cause hunger, trigger low blood sugar, and stomach discomfort. Both over- and under-eating can prevent sleep.

Both over- and under-eating should be discouraged. Consuming a small snack shortly before bedtime promotes the coordinated release of neurotransmitters and endorphins, creating a primal sense of well-being, facilitating sleep induction.

The digestive process also contributes through a phenomenon known as an alkaline tide, which is marked by a slight rise in blood pH after eating. This chemical change appears to trigger drowsiness, ease the transition into sleep, and promote longer sleep duration.

Some foods naturally high in the amino acid tryptophan (turkey, nut butters, figs, rice, tuna, and bananas) are more likely to induce sleep when consumed shortly before bedtime. Foods high in magnesium and B-complexes may also augment sleep.

Other foods high in the amino acid tyramine (spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, and soft cheeses) delay or retard the evolution of sleep.

Napping shortly after the noontime meal (a traditional practice) not only helps enhance brain function, energy, mood, and productivity. It also helps regulate the sleep-wake cycles, leading to improved nighttime sleep patterns. This nap must be brief—not more than 20 minutes.

Americans and many other fast-paced, modern societies appear to be experiencing an upsurge in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The act of reclining or sleeping after a light meal does not cause GERD, and the recommendation to avoid sleep after eating does not prevent GERD.

If GERD is present, then it must be specifically addressed with proper techniques to resolve it. Once this is accomplished, through nonpharmacologic means, napping, and presleep snacks can both be achieved without harm.

Those at risk for GERD should avoid overeating and follow essential nonpharmacologic steps to strengthen the lower esophageal sphincter to actively resolve this condition.

This is the sixth of a 10-part series.

Next week: Insomnia and the environment.

Dr. Whitmont is a classical homeopathic physician and internist who practices in New York. His website is HomeopathicMD.com

HYDRATE FOR PERFORMANCE: Rugby player Sebastien Chabal drinks water on the eve of the France versus Australia match. (Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)

I often advise individuals to avoid dehydration because I’ve noticed how it can provoke lethargy, particularly mental lethargy.

There are studies in which individuals have been made dehydrated through exercise, sometimes in the heat. Such studies have generally found brain function is impaired in such situations.

The problem with these studies is that we can’t be sure if it’s the dehydration, the heat, the exercise, or a combination of these things that is responsible for a decrease in mental function.

A summary of a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition on June 7 reported on men who were subjected to each of three test conditions:

1. Forty minutes of walking on a treadmill with a steep incline (5 percent) at a speed of 3 to 4 miles per hour in a temperature of about 82 degrees. The men were also treated with the drug furosemide, a diuretic that causes dehydration.

2. The same conditions as above, but instead of being given furosemide, the men were treated with a placebo.

3. The same conditions as above while the hydration status of the men was maintained. In other words, they were not allowed to become dehydrated.

Conditions 1 and 2 were designed to induce dehydration of different severities (the one with furosemide being more severe), and condition 3 was designed to act as a control, in which individuals expended about the same amount of energy in the same heat but did not suffer dehydration. The study subjects were subjected to tests of mental function, fatigue, and mood.

Dehydration was found to reduce vigilance and working memory (the ability to actively hold information in the mind needed to do complex tasks such as reasoning, comprehension, and learning). Fatigue during exercise was worse during dehydration. Measures of tension and anxiety were also greater.

What this study shows is that dehydration does indeed have the capacity to affect brain function and mood, and therefore it pays to stay topped up with water.

Our requirements for water vary according to weather, temperature, how active we are, how much we sweat, and how much water we get via what we eat. A good guide, in terms of water intake, is to drink enough to keep urine pale yellow throughout the course of the day.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

THE EDGE: World No.1 tennis player and 2011 Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic has eliminated gluten from his diet. (Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images)

I had two long drives to do last weekend and had the radio on quite a lot. On Friday, I listened to the men’s Wimbledon semifinal, which featured British tennis player Andy Murray. He lost.

Andy Murray is ranked fourth in the world, but he has never won a grand slam. After the match was over, we had the usual pundit-based analysis and speculation regarding whether he is ever going to win a big event.

Yesterday, I was in the car again and listened to the men’s final featuring Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. Djokovic won (impressively). In fact, he’s won 48 out of 49 matches this year and has risen in the ranks to become the No. 1 tennis player in the world.

How has he done it? A lot of hard work and belief in himself, I would imagine. But he also attributes much of his success to a change in diet in recent months.

It turns out that he was diagnosed with sensitivity to gluten (a protein found in grains such as wheat, oats, and rye) and has eliminated gluten from his diet. I read that as a result, he feels lighter and stronger.

I’m delighted for Novak Djokovic but not surprised. I’ve seen countless individuals remove gluten-containing foods, and in particular wheat, and feel a lot better for it. If Djokovic is gluten-sensitive, then he will obviously have benefitted from getting this out of his diet.

However, let’s not forget that there’s plenty of other things grains don’t have going for them, like being rich in substances called lectins that can provoke food sensitivity problems and phytates that impair the absorption of nutrients.

And of course grains tend to be disruptive to blood sugar levels. The roller coaster of blood sugar highs and lows caused by eating a lot of grain just can’t be the best thing for ensuring consistent, predictable blood sugar levels and therefore energy.

As it turns out, Andy Murray’s diet was in the news earlier this week too (before he got knocked out of Wimbledon). It’s the usual carb-loaded fare many sportsmen and women are advised to eat.

Breakfast is two bowls of cereals plus bread and peanut butter. I heard on the radio that Murray describes this as his “breakfast of champions” (hope the irony is not lost on him). In reality, though, it’s a breakfast I’d advise only for someone who is keen to ensure he will be devoid of energy in the mid to late morning.

Murray allegedly eats pasta and chicken at lunch, which apparently is followed by up to 50 pieces of sushi for dinner. On top of his main meals, there are cereal bars and protein shakes. Some fruit with yoghurt on top takes Murray’s total calorie intake to about 6,000 calories per day.

The fact is, the bulk of Murray’s diet comes not from real food, but fodder. He may be able to get by on this, but something tells me whatever he has achieved in the sport has been more in spite of his diet than because of it.

I’m assuming he gets professional nutritional guidance. My sense is that if he really wants to be a contender, he’s going to need to get himself a new nutritionist.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

CREATIVE CONDITION: Insomnia can be used for poetic inspiration. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Sleep hygiene is the practice of certain activities that sustain the internal and external environments in a manner conducive to sleep. Sleep hygiene requires attention to the details across a range of environmental, chemical, emotional, behavioral, and dietary factors.

Careful evaluation of these details should be followed by diligence in mitigating and correcting the obstacles to natural sleep.

Sleep hygiene works best when specific patterns are followed repeatedly and consistently without significant variation or interruption on a daily and weekly basis. This means that sleep and waking cycles should be observed and adhered to with as much regularity and as little variation as possible.

Causes and Treatment

Medical. Thorough medical screening of insomnia is essential since nearly 50 percent of cases are related to preexisting medical conditions. Any underlying illness or condition can be associated with insomnia. Some of the more common conditions include headaches, asthma, fibromyalgia, GERD, menopause, and pain syndromes.

A complete review of systems coupled with a thorough medical history is essential in every case of insomnia. Holistic management of these conditions focusing on resolution should be the object of any modifications in treatment. Holistic management not only helps to resolve the underlying situation but also may limit exposure to potentially toxic treatments and side effects.

Classical homeopathic and holistic medical management can improve health and reduce dependency on medications thereby significantly reducing the risk of sleep complications from many illnesses.

Psychiatric and Emotional Disorders. Approximately 40 percent of people with chronic insomnia suffer from coexisting psychiatric or emotional problems. Almost any psychiatric condition can contribute to insomnia. Examples include depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and paranoia.

In addition to psychiatric conditions, any significant change in emotional status can contribute to acute insomnia. Grief, worry, fear, joy, exaltation, and boredom are all associated with altered states of brain chemistry and the potential for disruptions in sleep. Emotion has an extremely powerful effect on brain chemistry and sleep.

A thorough mental-emotional inventory, including a review of significant changes in personal relationships, must always be included in the interview. Investigation should also address any emotional state that may have been present at the time when the sleep disturbance initially developed, particularly if this condition began during childhood.

The role of emotional factors and stresses must be considered, including any learned fear of sleep or dread of insomnia, which can contribute to the problem.
Attention must be paid to any history of abuse, neglect, or trauma, which are all commonly associated with insomnia. These may require psychological counseling and psychotherapeutic intervention before improvement in sleep may be expected.

Since any strong emotion can impair the ability to sleep, it is important to become conscious of these factors so that appropriate steps can be taken to resolve them. A variety of methods exist to help with these emotional states. The solution may be as simple as a conscious decision to set aside these issues so that they may be picked up in the morning.

Techniques like meditation, visualization, and relaxation are extremely helpful tools that should be instituted early in treatment. Many other interventions, including depth psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), autogenic training, biofeedback, hypnosis, paced respirations, and progressive muscle relaxation can be helpful in calming these emotional factors and increasing the likelihood of sleep.

Techniques of “paradoxical intention,” whereby the insomniac is advised to gently try to remain awake for as long as possible, can also be effective.

Classical homeopathic treatment can be helpful in many cases of psychiatric and emotionally driven insomnia.

The use of pharmaceutical medications to quell these symptoms should be reserved as a means of last resort since these agents will frequently complicate any chemical imbalances, introduce unpleasant and crippling side effects, and eventually worsen sleep in the long run.

Sometimes shifting one’s perspective to accept the inevitability of insomnia can help neutralize the stress created by this condition. Once this situation is de-stressed, the time can be constructively utilized for inward reflection or meditation.

In this way, insomnia can be perceived as a window of opportunity to explore and quietly contemplate one’s life (an opportunity that is frequently missing in the busy, hectic world).

The gift of insomnia means that nighttime can become a time of deep reflection, introspection, poetic inspiration, solitude, and silence, which is missed during the busy day. Taking advantage of insomnia in this manner can diffuse the angst and stress while providing personal insight, emotional freedom, and greater self-understanding. Insomnia might be considered an opportunity to creatively explore within.

This is the third of a 10-part series.

Next week: Chemical and herbal causes of insomnia

Dr. Whitmont is a classical homeopathic physician and internist who practices in New York. He is a clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at New York Medical College. His website is HomeopathicMD.com

MEDICAL RESEARCH: 'Daytime Sleepiness Is Associated With an Increased Craving for Carbs Among Teens.' (Photos.com)

I came across an article published online on June 15 in Science Daily: “Daytime Sleepiness Is Associated With an Increased Craving for Carbs Among Teens.” It concerns a study presented at Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Minneapolis.

The study used 262 teenagers with an average age of 17 who were rated on measures of daytime sleepiness, depression, and carbohydrate craving.

The main reported finding was that the more sleepy individuals were, the more they craved carbohydrate and the greater their risk of being depressed.

In the report, there is comment from one of the authors in which he refers to “sleep deprivation” as an important factor. Yet, there is no mention that sleep per se was assessed.

I don’t know what precisely has gone on here, but I have a feeling that in the author’s mind, daytime sleepiness equates to sleep deprivation. If that’s the case, then I think this is an over-simplistic view because there are lots of things that can cause people to be sleepy that have nothing directly to do with sleep deprivation.

When individuals drop their blood sugar level, not only can they feel sleepy, but also they can crave carbohydrate. And since brain function generally depends on a good supply of sugar (glucose), we won’t be too surprised to learn that low blood sugar can cause problems with mood, including sadness and depression.

In other words, the one thing that could explain the constellation of sleepiness, carb cravings, and depression may not be sleep deprivation but blood sugar imbalance.

However, could there be a link between blood sugar imbalance and poor sleep? The answer to that question in my view is an unequivocal yes.

One of the effects of low blood sugar is to cause the body to attempt to top up blood sugar levels internally through the release of sugar from the liver.

To do this, the body can ramp up activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which plays an integral part in the stress response. The body can also release stress hormones such as adrenaline (epinephrine) that simulate sugar release.

An activated stress response isn’t good for sleep. At the very best, it will impair the depth of sleep and our ability to feel truly rested. Worse than that is its habit of waking people up at about 3:30 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. and not letting them get back to sleep until about half an hour before their alarm goes off.

I’ve found that rectifying blood sugar imbalance with a primal, relatively low-carb diet does wonders for improving energy and mood. And within a couple of weeks, it will have usually sorted out any craving for the carbohydrate-rich foods that usually are the cause of the problem in the first place.

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and author with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His website is DrBriffa.com

HEELS: High heels can promote poor posture, deformed feet, and permanently tight calves and Achilles tendons, which often lead to pain in the soles of your feet. (Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)

As a personal trainer, I spend most of my time either barefoot or in sneakers. During this past week, however, I attended a cocktail party, went out to the theater and dinner with my family on Mother’s Day, and then attended a wedding the next day.

For each event, I wore high heels to complement my outfits. I became acutely more aware of how my clients who wear heels on a regular basis must feel. My hamstrings and calves felt very tight, and my feet ached and felt tighter than usual.

I understand why women wear high heels, and despite my knowledge of how bad they are for us, I also understand why they are fashionable and why one may not wish to give them up, despite tight legs, aching feet, and possible back pain.

In addition, high heels can promote poor posture, deformed feet, and permanently tight calves and Achilles tendons, which often lead to plantar fasciitis (pain in the soles of your feet).

However, all of the problems can be lessened with some regularly targeted stretches and strength-training exercises. If you choose to wear high heels, I recommend performing these exercises every day.

Static Calf Stretch

Face a wall or a counter top and step the right foot back. Keep the left foot flat on the floor with the knee slightly bent. Keep the right leg straight, and reach the right heel toward the floor.

The heel does not have to touch the floor if the calf is too tight; however, the right leg has to be reaching far enough back so the calf feels a stretch.

As you stretch your calf, remain aware of the rest of your body. Keep a nice posture as you lengthen your right heel toward the floor. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and breathe slowly and deeply. Repeat on the other side.

After stretching the calf muscles, focus on the Achilles tendons. Bring your back foot forward a bit and bend the back knee while keeping your weight shifted forward. If you are in the correct position, you will feel your Achilles tendon stretching. Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds and breathe slowly and deeply.

Dynamic Calf and Hamstring Stretch

Standing at the back of a long room or hallway, with your feet parallel to each other. Drop your chin to your chest, then soften your chest and keep rolling down through your spine until you are in a forward bend.

Take a few deep breaths, allowing the weight of your head to lengthen your spine and your hamstrings to open up a bit more.

Shift your body weight forward onto your hands and walk them out until you are in a plank or push-up position. Reach your hips toward the sky as you go into a downward-facing dog position.

Bend your right knee and step it forward about 3 or 4 inches. Then extend the right knee, reaching your heel toward the floor. Now step the left foot forward, about 3 to 4 inches in front of the right and extend it.

Walk your feet in toward your hands until your weight is back onto your legs, and roll up through your spine to standing. Repeat this eight or nine more times.

Cat-Cow Stretch

High heels can promote a tight lower back by tipping the body weight forward onto the toes. Mobilizing your back will feel very nice.

Although we may love how heels look, if we do not take the time to tend to our body’s needs, we will end up feeling stiff and sore. Take time each day to stretch, breathe deeply, and pay attention to your body and how it is feeling.

SLEEP SCHEDULE: This koala is in tune with his circadian rhythms and knows when to sleep. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

Sleep was once thought to be a relatively passive process of decreased brain activity. More-recent data indicates that sleep, like consciousness, is an active process characterized by a myriad of complex electrical and neuroendocrine brain activities.

The benefits of healthy sleep are profound as are the drawbacks of deprivation. Every system of the body is affected by sleep, including physical, emotional, and cognitive functioning. Sleep promotes healing and recovery from illness, improved stamina, and the ability to learn and remember new skills.

Healthy sleep usually includes dreaming (even when it isn’t remembered), which also appears to play a powerful role in psychological and emotional health, well-being, memory, and the ability to learn new tasks.

Healthy sleep is still somewhat of a mystery since it is only partially understood and has never been artificially duplicated. While medications mimic the appearance of sleep, they do not reproduce the quality or restorative, integrative functions of sleep.

In most cases, medications used to promote sleep eventually backfire and erode it, making the condition dependent on escalating doses of drugs and more resistant to treatment.

Deep sleep has anti-inflammatory benefits. It helps restore hormonal balances, provides rest, and clears the mind like rebooting a computer.

Sleep deprivation causes significant physical and emotional effects, including changes in cardiovascular function, glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and elevations of blood pressure, blood sugar, and cortisol.

Long-term effects of deprivation are linked to increased risk of developing many chronic diseases, including cancer, premature aging, depression, and gastrointestinal disorders.

Sleep deprivation is an effective method of persuasion, with a history of use in times of war and in indoctrination programs, including military and medical- residency training. Deprivation affects sanity, impairs vigilance, and erodes physical endurance.

Deprivation makes for more-compliant subjects who think less, concentrate poorly, and rely on automatic behaviors. Deprivation alters brain chemistry and interferes with a sense of reality, eventually disturbing mental and emotional stability.

Passage into sleep requires a gentle lapse of consciousness and awareness, coinciding with internal and external environmental supports to sustain it. In cases of chronic insomnia, the body actually looses its innate ability to relax, lapse into and sustain healthy sleep.

Sleep is an unconscious process that relies on an elegant network of biologic, chemical, hormonal, and neuroendocrine pathways collectively working together as biorhythms or circadian rhythms. When these circadian rhythms are allowed to function unhindered, they reproduce the same biochemical patterns on a daily basis.

The body relies on this system like an internal clock to efficiently manage the sleep-wake cycle. Unless it is tampered or interfered with, these internal rhythms help maintain a healthy mental, physical, and emotional balance through sleep.

When the circadian pattern is regular and uninterrupted, day after day, week after week, and year after year, the physical and emotional body learns to anticipate and depend on the pattern, preparing for these cycles many hours in advance.

Breaking the biorhythm in an irregular or unpredictable manner disrupts the intricate chemical network of hormones and neurotransmitters and forces the body to readapt, sometimes in midstream.

The body adjusts readily enough in youth, but as it ages, it is less able to change as quickly. Sometimes even simple changes in routine can lead to large disruptions of sleep and wakefulness. This is one reason why advancing age is associated with a greater number of sleep disturbances.

This is the second part of a 10-part series.

Next week: Sleep hygiene and treatment of sleep disorders.

Dr. Whitmont is a classical homeopathic physician and internist who practices in New York. He is a clinical assistant professor of family and community medicine at New York Medical College. His website is HomeopathicMD.com