Your Health and Fitness

Did you know that your heart rate can tell you when you need a break from your current exercise routine, for example your daily run? Monitoring your resting heart rate can help you prevent over training and injury. The first thing to do is determine your resting heart rate.

Determining your heart rate: Your pulse rate is the number of beats your heart makes per minute, so determining your heart rate requires finding your pulse and counting how many times it beats in a minute. The easiest places to find your pulse are your radial artery on your wrist, and your carotid artery in your neck. Us

Read full article…

Ginger is an herb with a complex chemical structure and proven efficacy in treating certain medical conditions. So why don’t we know more about it and use it more often?

Actually, many parts of the world have been using this herb for more than 2,000 years ; it is a common additive and medicinal herb in Chinese and Indian cultures.

Over the past 20 years, numerous studies have shown the efficacy of ginger in treating various conditions. In vitro studies suggest that ginger has antiemetic, anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic effects and may additionally protect against Alzheimer’s disease and cancer.

The best studied effect of ginger is its gastrointestinal properties.

Read full article…

My review of the Shake Weight has been quite popular, generating all kinds of traffic for the site. And Id like to thank all of the Shake Weight fans for visiting the site, taking the time to comment, and ultimately helping to drive traffic to HealthAndFitnessAdvice.com.

However, I am slightly disappointed that none of the Shake Weight fans have been able to provide any of the science behind the claims made by the products manufacturer. Or even some before and after photos. How hard can it be to take a couple of pictures, especially since so many Shake Weight fans claim the see and feel the difference in just days or a few weeks?

Read full article…

View full sizeStephen D. Cannerelli / The Post-Standard2009 file photo – Bikers take a break at the Erie Canal Park in Camillus. They were participants in the 11th annual Cycling the Erie Canal Tour in 2009. This year’s 13th annual bike trip starts July 10, 2011.

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — More than 500 cyclists are ready to ride the old Erie Canal.

The 13th annual Cycling the Erie Canal Tour, a 400-mile jaunt across the state, begins on Sunday in Buffalo and ends eight days later in Albany.

Read full article…

Perhaps one of the most annoying things about beach vacations is getting a sunburn on the first day and walking around like a penguin saying “Ow. Ow. Ow.” the whole time.  However, I think that sore feet can be an even bigger vacation bummer. There are many causes behind feet pain and walking.

Prevalent in many of the problems associated with pain and exercising is your choice of shoe. One day of walking on shoes not designed for a full day of walking on whatever terrain you are on, can ruin your feet and prevent you from going 100% on the rest of your vacation days. Don’t think that you can walk a whole day in the mountains on flip flops and feel no after-effects. If you don’t have the right pair of shoes with you or you refuse to put on walking shoes because sandals match your outfit better, it might be wiser to pick up a new souvenir and get yourself a new pair of shoes. Not being able to walk comfortably is one of the worst excuses for not seeing everything that you wanted to see on your trip.

If you’re lucky and you can take public transportation all over the place, like in Budapest or in Paris, then you might want to balance walking with public transportation. Give yourself a break from time to time. Sit down and relax. Don’t stress your legs and feet out to the point where you’re too sore to stand up the next morning.

There are a lot of precautions you can take to prevent soreness. One would be to wear blister bandages and good socks. Another would be to stretch throughout the day or at least once before you go to bed. Along with stretching, give yourself a foot massage and get rid of any “crinkles” in your feet. A hot shower will help loosen up your muscles as well. Even elevating your feet could keep any swelling to a minimum and leave your feet refreshed for the next day.

When I was in Budapest, my aunts and I immediately tackled the hike up to the Citadel—completely unprepared and spontaneously. I was feeling that hike for the next few days. If the damage has already been done and you’re hurting (and can’t buy new shoes), your best option is to stretch, drink water, massage, and rest. You can also try taking some pain medication.