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Monday, August 31, 2009

Sleep: Why What Happens at Night Can Mean Everything to Your Day

excerpt from The Smart Student's Guide to Healthy Living

After a long day of classes, the late shift at work, or just experiencing the mayhem of your dorm hallway, you retreat to the quiet sanctuary of your room. As you climb into your bed, wrap yourself in the sheets and attempt to fall asleep, you suddenly remember that you have a biology quiz tomorrow and you haven’t opened the book yet. As you climb out of bed, you tell yourself, “Missing and hour of sleep won’t kill me,” and you study longer. You nail the quiz and feel fine. But as those nights of short sleep become the norm rather than an occasional thing, you begin to see the effects. You begin to feel drained and tired all day. Of course, there will be nights when you will sleep less, whether it is after a big concert or when you’re studying for finals. But chronic sleep loss adds up to being more than tired and grouchy. Lost sleep can cause problems like these:

Posted By newharb / 12:00 AM / Monday, August 31, 2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Create an Exercise Program that Promotes Bone Health

I [author Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D.] genuinely believe that in order to create an effective exercise habit, you must think about what you can sustain not for weeks, but for decades. What sort of movement and exercise can you do that you'll enjoy and that won't elicit the mule response? What feels good to your body? In terms of bone health, three types of exercise are known to be helpful: weight-bearing exercise, strength training, and flexibility. As to the specifics, you have to choose forms of these types of exercise that are fun or sustainable for you and that incorporate as many of those details as possible. Weight-Bearing Exercise Weight-bearing exercise isn't as complicated as it may sound. It can be as simple as walking, hiking, dancing, or climbing stairs. Your own body weight will suffice; it isn't necessary to introduce additional weight. Walking is excellent for bone health because it's the form of movement that most efficiently puts just enough gentle strain on the...

Posted By newharb / 12:00 AM / Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Monday, April 27, 2009

On Becoming Unbalanced in Midlife

By guest blogger Janet Horn, M.D. I’ve become unbalanced. This didn’t develop slowly; rather, it seemed to happen overnight. Two things occurred right around the time I realized this problem. Perhaps they even caused me to realize it. The first thing occurred with Teddy, my dog. Teddy is a standard poodle of sixty pounds and 9 years, with a prancing gait and a beautiful red coat. One of the first things you would notice about him is his posture, at both rest and in motion. At rest, he looks like a sculpture – head erect, front legs placed directly in front of him, sometimes crossed, sometimes not – holding this position completely still for long periods of time. When walking or running, he is wonderfully coordinated, no one body part moving more or less than any other part. It was with some upset, then, when one day I noticed him falling as he walked. Not just a simple fall – more like crumpling. His entire body simply folded and collapsed. At first I thought he must’ve tr...