5 Ways to Get Fit for Free

Are you getting the most out of your gym membership? Sam Murphy says there's a better way to exercise, and it doesn't cost a penny.

Last summer, I ditched my gym membership for the first time in 20 years. It dawned on me that, having visited the premises precisely twice that year, each of my workouts (in a no-frills council leisure centre, mind) had cost me £120.

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I have to admit, there are still times when I hanker after a warm, dry gym, but the joy of exercising wherever and whenever I like, without expense or time limits, more than makes up for it. And I don't have to put up with out-of-order machines, crap music and other people's sweat.

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Posted in: bodyweight exercise,calisthenics,get fit for free,gym membership,gym-free fitness

Excessive PlayStation Gaming Causes New Skin Condition

PlayStation gamers who use their consoles excessively risk painful lesions from a new skin disorder, say dermatologists.

The condition was identified in a 12-year-old girl in Switzerland who developed lesions on her hands after playing for several hours every day.

Dermatologists have called the condition PlayStation palmar hidradenitis and said the condition cleared up after the patient stopped paying altogether for ten days. Read more

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Posted in: PlayStation gaming,PlayStation palmar hidradenitis,skin lesions

Knitting Can Delay Memory Loss

Knitting or playing computer games can delay the memory loss associated with aging, but watching television accelerates it, says a recent study.

Engaging in a hobby like reading a book, making a patchwork quilt or even playing computer games can delay the onset of dementia, a US study suggests.

Watching TV however does not count - and indeed spending significant periods of time in front of the box may speed up memory loss, researchers found. Read more

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Posted in: Alzheimer's disease,anti-aging,dementia,memory loss

Lack of Sunlight Could Increase Asthma

Lack of vitamin D may increase the risk of asthma caused by air pollution, scientists warn at the launch of a major investigation.

Thousands of children in London will take part in research to establish whether lack of vitamin D exacerbates pollution-related asthma.

Vitamin D which is made by the body from sunlight and a small proportion gained from diet is vital for good lung development in the womb and in childhood, it has been found.

Air pollution, which is higher in London than elsewhere in the UK and has among the highest rates in Europe, can trigger asthma and exacerbate symptoms in those who already have it. Read more

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Posted in: air pollution,asthma,vitamin D

The Vitamin C/Apple Pectin Cure for High Cholesterol

The drug pushers are at it again. Bill Sardi at LewRockwell.com shows how the medical establishment continues to tout statin drugs to treat high cholesterol when a cheap, natural cure is readily available.

Yet another time conventional medicine has admitted statin drugs are nearly worthless, but couch their remarks in language that blames patients for the problem. A new study claims if statin drug users would faithfully comply with the doctors’ orders and take statin drugs on a regular basis the relative risk for a heart attack would almost be cut in half (–47%). [Archives Internal Medicine 2009; 169(3):260–268]

The results of the study were declared "astonishing" by one cardiologist. The study results may be used to call for every American over age 50 to receive statin drugs, even if they are healthy and exhibit few risk factors for a heart attack.

Statin drugs are much more expensive and have far more side effects than a natural supplement that is even more effective.

Vitamin C, widely known as an antioxidant, actually serves to induce oxidation of cholesterol and its conversion to bile, which facilitates its exit from the blood circulation. Provision of high-dose supplemental vitamin C to guinea pigs decreases cholesterol concentration in the blood plasma. [Annals New York Academy Science 1975 Sep 30; 258:410–21; International Journal Vitamin Nutrition Research Supplement 1982; 23:137–52] Read more

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Posted in: apple pectin,cholesterol cure,high cholesterol,statin drugs,vitamin C

Age-Related Changes in the Brain Slowed with Fitness

Need another reason to exercise? Researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center say age-related changes in the brain appear to be slowed in physically fit individuals.

Being more physically fit appears to slow down damage to the brain's memory centers in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study conducted by researchers from the University of Kansas Medical Center and presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease in Chicago.
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Posted in: age-related brain changes,Alzheimer's disease,exercise,fitness

Less Prostate Cancer Treatment? There May Be Hope

A new prostate cancer urine test offers hope of avoiding unnecessary surgery or radiation treatment.

US scientists have moved a step closer to a simple urine test to distinguish between the benign and aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Some prostate cancers are slow-growing, while others require rapid treatment.

But telling them apart can be difficult and some patients undergo unnecessary surgery or radiation treatment. Read more

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Posted in: prostate cancer,prostate cancer treatment

Another Reason to Exercise

If you need another reason to exercise, how about cutting your colon cancer risk by a quarter?

Taking exercise can cut the risk of the most common kind of bowel cancer by a quarter, research suggests. Read more

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Posted in: colon cancer,exercise,exercise benefits

How Much Exercise Do You Need to Stay Healthy? (It's Less Than You Think)

A lot of people want to know what is the bare minimum amount of exercise needed to stay healthy. The good news, according to British researchers, is that it's less than you think. Can you spare seven minutes a week?

We've heard time and time again that people should be active almost daily to stave off weight gain and disease. But busy people want to know: What's the least amount of exercise I can get away with and still stay healthy? The answer will shock you...

What number did you guess? An hour a week? A half hour? Try seven minutes. Read more

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Posted in: diabetes,exercise for health,fitness,minimum amount of exercise

Plums: New Disease-Fighting Super-Food

Plums are a new super-food and full of disease-fighting antioxidants, say experts.

Plums are being heralded as the new 'super-food' by scientists. They found the purple fruit matched or exceeded blueberries in antioxidants and phytonutrients, which help prevent disease. Read more

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Posted in: antioxidants,plums,superfoods