How To Find the Motivation to Exercise

Summer is gone and so goes play time, summer fun, vacations and the free-feeling attitude that comes with summer. It's back to school (good news for moms, not so much for students), full workweeks with heavier workloads, traffic as usual, and a more regimented schedule all around.

So maybe you're not the “bikini time - get into shape” type. Maybe you are more of a regimented work schedule type, and the end of summer is just what you need to get yourself back to exercise, eating well and more invested in your own health and fitness.

Training is essential to your mental and physical wellbeing – you know that. And with real life back in session, you are going to have to find added inspiration to manage a regular exercise regimen into your already busy schedule.

So let’s find some fall inspiration. How, even though you have been thinking about getting into better shape ‘forever’, do you finally make it happen?

1. Schedule in your workouts and let everyone who could throw off that schedule know your plan. Then get yourself committed by setting up training dates. I do this. I schedule in my workouts at the beginning of the week for the entire week and make dates with running/walking partners.

I book exercise classes, and make sure that I am committed to a minimum amount of training each week. Everyone is busy. So I make sure to get my training dates with others set ahead of time. And wherever possible I have regularly scheduled dates, which really works out well because I can schedule other things around it, knowing ahead of time that it’s there and I have someone else who is committed, too. And believe me, anyone who could get in the way of my training – whether I live or work with them – get's the heads up.

2. Think outside the gym to make it work in your schedule. You already know that you can get up 45 minutes earlier than before and get a really fabulous workout in. But if that’s truly asking too much of yourself, do half of your training before work and the rest when you get home. I made a workout video called AM/PM walking that is very popular. There are so many benefits to exercising morning and evening, and I highly recommend this at least once a week.

3. Tell yourself the truth - If you know that you won't feel like working out after a full day of whatever you do all day, here's another option: Do a really tough 20 - 25 minutes of training (intervals would be great) before you start your day and then do a strong, but not too intense, 20 – 25 minute walk at lunch time. There – you’re done for the day.

4. Get started and don’t look back. Don’t evaluate or judge your workouts (or even your missed workouts). Keep moving forward, keep the momentum going, and know that soon you, too, will be looking back only to see how far you have come, and how much you have changed.

Peace and Happy Trails -
Debbie Rocker

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Posted in: Exercise

Minimalist Fitness: How to Get In Lean Shape With Little or No Equipment

Two common barriers for people who want to exercise and get in shape are a lack of time and money needed for fitness.

Who has the time to go to the gym, or buy expensive equipment, or take long bike rides?

Well, if those are the things stopping you, you’re in luck.

It takes no equipment to get a great workout and get in shape, and with one or two pieces of simple equipment, you can turn that great workout into a fantastic one, you magnificent beast, you.

And with little or no equipment required for a fantastic workout, you can do it at home, or wherever you are. Even if you’re in solitary confinement.

It’s hard not to find time for this type of workout — you can do it while watching TV, for goodness sake!

The Pros and Cons of Bodyweight Exercises

Using just your bodyweight, you can do a large number of challenging exercises. I designed a workout that I do when I can’t make it to the gym, for example, and I can testify that it’s incredibly challenging (more on that below).

If you add just one or two pieces of equipment: a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a jump rope, a medicine ball, or a chinup bar, for example, you can increase the challenge even more.

Now, I’m not putting down lifting weights — I truly believe in lifting heavy weights when you can, but there are tremendous benefits from bodyweight exercises as well:

1. No gym fees or need to buy expensive equipment.
2. You can do the workout anywhere, anytime.
3. Most exercises involve many muscles working in coordination, resulting in great overall fitness and strength.
4. For people who are just starting with strength training, bodyweight is often more than enough to begin with. And it gives you a good foundation of strength you can build on later.

Bodyweight exercises aren’t the only thing you should ever do, however, for several reasons:

1. After awhile (a couple months perhaps), they aren’t all that challenging. You’ll need to continue to build your strength by adding weights. You can do that with some simple equipment (see below).
2. If you don’t have at least one or two pieces of equipment — a chinup bar or a resistance band perhaps — some muscles don’t get worked out as much as others. That’s not a problem over the short term, but over the long term you’ll want to make sure you get a balance.

I suggest starting with bodyweight exercises, and then slowly transitioning to a combination of bodyweight and weight training to get a good balance. And even if you’re doing a complete weight training program, you can always use bodyweight exercises anytime you can’t make it to the gym.

My Workout — Just a Sample

What follows is a little workout I’ve been doing recently when I can’t go to the gym — it’s just a collection of exercises that use compound muscles and joints to give me a total-body workout with nothing but my bodyweight and my chinup bar.

However, this is not the only workout you can do — not by a long shot. This is a sample, but you should look at the next section for a much wider variety of challenges.

How to do this workout: do a bit of a warmup — jumping jacks, jump rope, or just jogging in place for a few minutes will get your heart rate going. Then do the exercises in order, for 30 seconds to two minutes (depending on what kind of shape you’re in), with as little rest in between as possible. If you’re new to exercise, feel free to rest fully between exercises, but if you’re in decent shape, doing them one after another is a great workout. Like me, you’ll probably have to stop to catch your breath a few times — it’s a tough workout!

1. Pullups (palms facing away from you). Chinup bar required (here’s the one I use). (Video.)
2. Pushups. As many as you can (video). Do modified pushups if you can’t do full pushups, with your knees on the floor (video). If those are still too hard, do wall pushups, leaning against the wall or a chair.
3. Jump squats. Basically you squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then jump up as high as you can, and repeat. (Video.)
4. Bicycle crunches. I don’t normally recommend crunches, but these use a good combination of core muscles. (Video.)
5. Jumping lunges. (Video.)
6. Burpees. (Video.)
7. Hanging knee raises. Chinup bar required. (Video.)
8. Hindu pushups. (Video.)
9. Russian twists. (Video, but you don’t need to use the medicine ball as shown.)
10. Diamond pushups. (Video.)
11. Chinups (palms facing toward you). Chinup bar required. (Video.)

Create Your Own Awesome Workout

Now that you’ve seen my sample workout, you can create your own by picking whatever exercises tickle your fancy. Just choose 5-12 exercises and do them all, either with or without resting. Once that gets easy, do a second circuit.

A few suggestions:

1. Choose a variety of exercises that work out all the parts of your body. Don’t do all variations of pushups, for example. You should be doing some pulling exercises (like pullups), some lower-body exercises, like lunges and squats, and others that work out all of your body, like burpees.
2. If you want a real challenge, mix cardio exercises (see below) with the strength exercises.
3. If you have some of the equipment listed below, definitely use them. Or buy one or two pieces of equipment … but there’s no need to rush out and buy a whole bunch of things. You can get a great workout without equipment, at least for awhile.
4. If you’re just starting out, take it easy and gradually build up. Don’t get discouraged, and don’t overdo it!
5. As you get stronger, gradually add weights. Dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls are some good ways to do that. It’ll take a couple months of bodyweight exercises, though, before you really need to move to weights.

Basic bodyweight exercises

There are many, many variations of bodyweight exercises, but here are some of the more common ones:

• Pushups (there are many variations — Hindu pushups (video), dive bombers, diamond pushups (video) and others)
• Burpees (video)
• Squats (video) (variations: jump squats (video), Hindu squats (video))
• Lunges (video) (variation: jumping lunges, side lunges)
• Chair dips (video)
• Planks (video) (variation: side plank)
• Crunches - my favorite: bicycle crunches (video)
• Bear crawl - crawl quickly on hands and feet (video)
• Lateral barrier jump - jump sideways, over an obstacle (video)
• Isometrics
• Plyometrics

Exercises requiring minimal equipment

You don’t need to buy all of this equipment, but if you have any, these are great. Or buy one or two pieces in order to add an extra challenge to your workout:

• Pullup bar: Chinups, pullups, hanging knee raises (here’s the one I use)
• Resistance band
• Medicine ball
• Kettlebell (video)
• Dumbbells
• Tractor tires — there are lots of exercises where you flip tires, jump through them, etc.

Cardio exercises

• Jumping jacks
• Jump rope - requires jump rope, of course, but it’s a great workout (video)
• Side shuffles
• Touchdowns
• Run 800 meters (or a mile)
• Interval running
• Rowing (requires a rowing machine)
• Other cardio exercise machine if you have it

from: zenhabits.net

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Posted in: Exercise,Fitness

14 Myths About Fitness, Exercises And Workouts That Everyone Ought To Know

Myths are stories, legends or invented explanations that are retold so often that they are accepted as truth. They should not be that way, and they have no place in any individual’s fitness routine. Below are 14 of the most common myths on fitness, exercises and workouts that you and I should know about.

When you stop working out, muscles will turn into fat






It’s the most typical workout myth in the world. Muscle has never and will never turn into fat and neither does fat turn into muscle. During weight training, more energy is required, hence a bigger appetite. When a person stops working out, the need for extra energy stops as well. But because the stomach size has increased due to a bigger appetite, the need to feel full has become a habit. Those extra calories that were once used as fuel while training is now stored as fat. It may seem like the bulk of muscle has turned into fat, but the truth is that the body became fatter due to eating more than previously needed.

Be it protein or carbohydrates, both turns into fat when not used. Cutting back on training requires you to cut back on food consumption as well.

Food eaten after 8 at night will turn into body fat






Not entirely true. For people who workout during the later part of a day, it is important to eat accordingly. Whenever there is a need for the body to repair and rebuild, fuel is needed and the body most actively repairs during during sleep. However, it is more important to eat healthier foods during the later part of a day like lean meat, unsaturated fats, vegetables and fruits to avoid the risk of unwanted fat deposits. Give the body at least 2 hours to digest the food before going to bed.

Six pack abs equal six hundred sit ups and crunches daily






Everyone has six pack abs. Abdominal exercises do not lead to clearly visible six pack abs but fat reduction does. The first place that fat goes to in the body, is the last place fat comes off. Tummy for men and hips, butt, thighs for women. Spot reduction of fat has never and will never work. Here are some of the lesser known facts about losing weight that people ought to know about.

A six pack abs is a definite want for any man working out for it is a social muscle. Ab exercises will definitely strengthen and tone the abs but does not rid the fat. A better use of time would be to spend it on interval cardio sessions and making sure that proper food is fed to the body.

I actually have a personal digital body fat analyzer that I use from time to time that gives me a rough idea of my body’s current state. Accuracy may not be as good as a DXA but it’s good enough for me. You can easily get one at less than $US 10 from online auction sites like ebay.

Stretching and warm up isn’t necessary






I hit the gym everyday. And everyday I’ll take up 10 minutes to stretch and warm up my body from head to toe. It is necessary to avoid sprains and injuries. Even after a good day’s workout, I stretch. It greatly reduces the severity of DOMS, delayed onset muscle soreness, which will be pretty much appreciated the morning after. Here are 20 more solid reasons why warm up and stretching is important.

Supplements will boost muscle growth and strength in no time






There are only 2 ways to make the most gains in mass and might.

• A good training program.
• A well planned out diet.

Time and energy should be focused on the 2 methods mentioned above rather than on supplements that claim to be able to bring out the Arnold in you. Some supplements may have serious and irreversible side effects if taken wrongly. For example, steroids taken wrongly may lead to a loss of appetite, constipation, intestinal irritation, vomiting, nose bleeding, headaches, increased aggression and even liver cancer. It’s way better to attain the results we want naturally. Think safe, think long term. Our body’s health should not be taken lightly.

Weight training will make women look beefy






To look beefy, you’d need testosterone. Lots of it. Hundreds and hundreds of nanograms per deciliter of blood. The average testosterone levels for a human being are :

• Male : 300-1,000 ng/dl
• Female : 20-80 ng/dl

Women just do not have the testosterone levels necessary to look like The Rock in Scorpion King. As a matter of fact, weight training is the fastest and easiest way for women to look leaner, sculpted and toned. Light to moderate weights and many repetitions are the most effective for toning and strengthening and make you look like Megan Fox in Transformers.

Vegetarians will not make it in bodybuilding






It’s so wrong. There is Bill Pearl who won Mr Universe twice, first in 1953 kicking Sean Connery’s ass (6th), and in 1971 before retiring. 1951 Mr America, Roy Hilligenn is another perfect example who still looks young as hell at 77 years old. You can see more of today’s vegetarian bodybuilders at veganbodybuilding.com.

Vegetarians get their protein from nuts, seeds, cereals and legumes. B12 vitamin and iodin are 2 other essential nutrients available through seaweed.

Your body weakens with age






It’s all in the mind. Think old and you’ll look old and act old. The fact is, body building doesn’t only improve your physique and rejuvenates your spirit, but also gives you a healthy perspective on people and the world around. Some of the older bodybuilders include :

• John Pasco, born 1928
• Bill Pearl, born 1930
• Steve Holt, born 1954

With regular exercise, weight training and a low-fat diet, you’ll gain increased energy levels, leaner body mass and an optimum body fat percentage. With the big 90 around the corner, people still do experience renewed strength, increased mobility, stronger bones and greater flexibility by exercising.

The longer time I spend at the gym, the fitter I become






For me, it’s 60 minutes of weight training plus another 30 minutes of cardio, 5 times a week. The focus here is on efficiency and effectiveness like this super cool 15 minutes workout that works every muscle in your body. An average bodybuilder does not spend more than 1 hour working out. People who just don’t have the time to workout that much will lose interest and motivation to exercise, if the myth were true. The point is, any exercise, at all, done correctly is better than none.

If I don’t feel pain in the morning, I didn’t work out hard enough






When we lift weights, our muscle fibers will tear a little. Muscle soreness is expected, but normally heals within a week. Anything more than a week is an indication of over working out. Committing to a fitness program will eventually lead the muscle into getting used to it. Changing a fitness program regularly will ensure that all muscles are worked on and experiencing growth.

However, what happens in the gym is only meant to promote muscle growth. The real process begins only when a person is recovering. Pain should not be used as a measurement of a workout session’s effectiveness. Some soreness, yes, but not pain. Always remember to stretch before and after. Get enough rest and work on different muscle groups on different days. Rest a day if the muscles are still sore.

• shoulders
• upper back
• arms
• chest
• abs & lower back
• legs

Avoid drinking water when your body is over heated






An average human body’s water content is 60% for men and 55% for women. In my body, 86 out of 143 pounds is water. If the body’s water content drops 5%, it’s already considered dehydration. An hour of vigorous exercise is enough to drain a quart (~1 liter). Drinking before, during and after is pretty important.

During exercise, muscles generate heat that will cause a rise in body temperature. This heat is doused by water when it is carried in the bloodstream and pushed to the surface as bullets of sweat. It continues to drain water from the body until it is replenished. Thirst is already a sign of dehydration. Drink a cup every 15 minutes. Keeps the muscles oiled and the body productive.

There is no need for doctors if I don’t plan on biting off more than I can chew






If you have never done any resistance training before in your life and you’re above 40, it’s best to consult your doc. Go for a physical exam that examines the temperature, blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate. Things that concern your cardiovascular fitness, blood cholesterol levels and medical history should also be taken into account. Ask doc about the best exercise given your medical profile.

The prime time for exercising and working out is in the mornings






Correction. The best time to exercise is the time that works with the individual’s body clock and fits their busy days. People working out in the morning are more likely to stick to their fitness plans as they are able to get it in before the various demands of life compete for their time.

Many, many people believe that the best way to lose fat is to start pushing your body right after waking up in the mornings, on an empty stomach. I say no. Exercise is meant for toning the muscle and burning fat. Inability to draw energy from the main source will only force the body to go to other sources of energy, which are your muscles and fat. More muscles are used up as fuel as their composition is much simpler compared to fat.

It is okay to cover a week’s worth of workout during the weekend






It’s also much better spreading a workout all over the week instead of pounding the body during weekends. A weekend warrior will lose out on other health benefits. Blood pressure and glucose levels are temporarily lowered during each exercise, which are beneficial in the long run. Exercising regularly also keeps a person’s appetite consistent.

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Posted in: Exercise,Fitness

Eating in Peace

After conquering an eating disorder, my only path to a "healthy diet" is to savor every bite
By Stephanie Dolgoff, Prevention

"I'll have the blueberry pancakes with bacon, two eggs sunny-side up, and coffee," I told the waitress. My boyfriend, Tim, glanced up to catch her eye, but I wasn't through. "Wheat toast. Oh, and could I also have the granola with yogurt and fruit? And water. And a Diet Coke with lemon. Thanks."

After Tim had placed his order (puny by comparison), I could tell he was trying hard to keep his thoughts to himself. He failed. "I just don't understand why you always get so much food when you never finish it," he said. He was right—a fleet of truckers coming off a juice fast would have a tough time downing all that. I'd usually eat just a few bites of each dish, while Tim would scarf up the rest. "It's not like you have money to waste, not to mention the waste of food. It's crazy!"

It was crazy, from where he sat. But for me, it was a sign I was getting sane. I was in my mid-20s, just a few years into my recovery from an eating disorder. It started out as anorexia when I was 13, but soon turned into a hideous, secret bulimia. I'd parse calories and adhere rigidly to my short list of permissible foods. Then I'd rebel, eating everything I denied myself and then some, hating my body and my weak will. Sometimes I'd binge and throw up six times a day.

I wasn't fat. My eating disorder was only partly about losing weight. Mostly, although I didn't realize it at the time, it was my way of trying to suppress any emotions I considered wrong or bad. Every time I felt angry, jealous, anxious, or sad, I'd stuff it down with food, or with an exercise meant to prevent me from eating, like running in place for an hour or writing a thousand times I will not eat. I honestly believed that if I could just will my body into shape, I'd be able to handle the pain of the rest of my life—my warring parents, my autistic brother, my adolescent insecurities. Of course, my eating disorder didn't conquer any monsters—it just created a new one. Food, and the feelings I was using food to avoid, melded into a frightening many-headed beast, and I didn't have a clue how to control it.

Fortunately, with a little maturity, therapy, and support, I finally realized that neither my appetite nor my emotions should be controlled—but rather fed, even indulged. Most important, they had to remain separate from each other. By ordering the entire left side of the menu, I was learning to listen to my body; my only rule was to stop when I was full. There couldn't be any restrictions, or my bulimic side would eventually rebel.

And it worked. After a year on my "liberation" diet, I was relieved to find that when I let my body choose what it wanted, it picked pretty well. Not perfectly: It preferred butter to olive oil and had a hard time passing up carrot cake, hungry or not. Still, my weight was stable and healthy, and I was ordering only one meal at a sitting, thank you very much. And that's how it was for about 15 years.

But a while ago I realized that my relationship with food was in trouble again—although this time, the signs were different. I was at a deli on my lunch break, chewing something healthy—I knew as much because of the dry, mealy texture. So I took a sip of water. Wow. That sure didn't help—now I had a floury paste on my tongue. I looked down at my fake egg salad, mortared together with tofu mayonnaise, on seven-grain bread that probably would have tasted better had they quit at two or three. Why in the world, I suddenly wondered, was I eating this horrible thing?

For the previous 5 years, I'd been an editor covering health and nutrition—phytochemicals, antioxidants, good carbs, bad trans fats. It was a demanding job. I also married and had twin girls, and was running as fast as I could to meet work deadlines and fill my family's every need. I was trying to be perfect—again—only now I wasn't a teen counting calories; I was an adult using nutritional criteria to provide rules so I could feel in control of my chaotic life.

Whole grain "good" carbs? Check. Source of lean protein? Got it. Two of my five daily servings of fruits and veggies? Roger that; so, yes, I finished that disgusting sandwich, then ate a fruit salad, replete with antioxidant-rich blackberries. I hate blackberries.

That afternoon, I mindlessly grabbed a fistful of jelly beans from a coworker's candy bowl. Then I furtively nibbled the icing off a cupcake, even though I wasn't hungry. I felt like I was sneaking, but who was I hiding from? According to my own anything-goes approach, I could eat a whole cupcake if I wanted. But lately I wasn't in touch with what I wanted. And just like in my bad old days, I felt compelled to steal some sweetness in rebellion.

Some people, I guess, can learn a lesson and be done with it, while others have to learn it again and again. In the hectic craziness of my life, I'd forgotten that I need to nourish myself emotionally as well as nutritionally.

Since the sandwich that left a lump in my throat, I've traded my job for freelancing to buy more time. Now I have enough energy to help out at school for Vivian and Sasha—and to be nicer to my husband, exercise, and occasionally see friends.

I'm back to indulgence mode, although not necessarily fistfuls of jelly beans. Now, when I become too concerned with what's healthy—and not concerned enough about what sounds good for lunch—I take it as a sign to step back and figure out what I really need to feel satisfied. Sometimes, it's a plain bagel (not whole wheat) with plenty of real cream cheese—hold the tofu stuff, please.

Provided by Prevention

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Posted in: Diet

The 5 Best Ab Exercises

The great thing about ab training is that the exercises are startlingly easy to do. Unlike exercises for the larger muscle groups like the legs, chest, or back, abdominal exercises don’t require heavy weights. There’s also little risk of injury either. How often have you heard people say that they “pulled” an ab muscle?

The key to six-pack abs is knowing what the best ab exercises are and then doing them. So what are the most effective exercises for targeting the abdominal muscles and producing a ripped midsection? One of the best studies to look at this issue was conducted at the Biomechanics Lab at San Diego State University. The researchers compared 13 abdominal exercises, ranging from the familiar crunch to more complicated exercises using gym equipment and home equipment.

Based on their findings they concluded that five of the best exercises for targeting the abdominals are:

1. Bicycles:
To do this one, lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed firmly to the ground. With your hands held at your temples bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and slowly go through a pedaling type motion. To make things more challenging touch your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee. Keeping the legs elevated and moving, stresses the lower sections of the abdominals while lifting the torso up and twisting works the upper abs and oblique muscles. Both sections will need to be fully developed to give that six-pack appearance.

2. Captain’s chair hanging leg raises :
Even though the “best” abdominal exercises have traditionally been those involving no specialized equipment, this one was found to be very effective. Start with your forearms resting on the pads of the leg raise support. Without rocking, slowly lift your knees up towards your chest. Slowly lower back down to the starting position, stopping just short of locking out the legs at the bottom. Some people perform this exercise with the legs straight but we caution against this as straight leg, leg raises place extra stress on the lower back ligaments. It’s not worth injuring the lower back for a ripped midsection.

3. Crunch on an exercise ball:
Although the relationship between bodybuilders and the medical profession has never been that close, bodybuilders can thank physiotherapists for this great six-pack exercise. SWISS balls (also called therapy or exercise balls) are now commonplace in gyms these day – and for good reason. With this one single piece of equipment you can target virtually every muscle in the body. To work the abs, sit on the ball with your feet flat on the ground. Slowly lean back until your thighs and torso are parallel with the floor. You’ll need to roll forwards or backwards to see what position is most comfortable. Next contract your abdominals and raise your torso to about 45 degrees. Slowly return to the starting position. To bring more of the oblique muscles in, you can simply move your feet closer together alternate twisting to each side.

4. Reverse Crunch:
Another simple but highly effective exercise for developing a ripped midsection. Lie back on the floor and draw your knees towards your chest as if you were going to perform bicycles. Slowly stretch your legs outwards stopping just short of a lockout. Although they primarily target the lower abs, the upper abs also get a good workout from this great exercise.

5. The Plank:
This is one of those abdominal exercises that looks far easier than it actually is. Lie face down on a mat resting your forearms on the floor. Slowly push away from the floor, raising up onto your toes and resting on the elbows. Try to keep your back flat and in a straight line from head to heels. Contract your abs and keep your butt from

from: www.justmass.com

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Posted in: Exercise

How to Live to Be 100

For the first time, research is pinpointing the biological reasons why the “simple” things in life make us healthier and add years to our lives. Recent studies from across the globe are proving that doing just what comes naturally can help maintain your health even more than all the fads and gimmicks and trips to expensive therapies. It’s good to be reminded that we came equipped with what it takes to live to be 100 and enjoy the ride.

It shouldn’t be surprising that one of the top three factors in these reports is to eat five servings of fruits and veggies a day. It’s nature made and so are we – what a perfect combo. Also in this first category of do’s is to drink in moderation and to kick the cigarette habit all together. These and an active lifestyle, which is defined as 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week can add 14 years to your life according to British researchers. In fact, older folks who get this level of activity are showing that they are less likely to die over the next 7 years than those who don’t exercise regularly. That’s a good reason to get up and take a walk together!

While you’re up and at it, be sure you’re doing something fun. A University of London study found that women who feel “happy, excited or content” have decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and less C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 which are linked to heart disease. So take hold of your long life and cut of the things that stress you and make you feel “undone.” It’s time to smile and be happy with who you are and what you do.

Want to add 6 years to your life? Get creative. According to another recent study, women who have creative jobs – and that means anything from art to teacher to designer to stay at home mom, anything that stimulates you and causes you to learn new things – have the cardiovascular fitness and other heath attributes of women 6 years younger. Infusing creativity into your life isn’t hard, take up a new hobby, learn a new language, heck just learn new things about your town and then go and explore what you’ve learned.

The basics are once again proving to be just what the doctor ordered. Eat well, exercise and be happily creative. Making these changes can be simple and fun. Get your friends and family together and start to take trips, spend afternoons or evenings sharing what you’ve been learning, cook new meals, speak only the new language you’ve learned, take adventure walks – you’re never too old. You can do it. We’ll see you on your 100th birthday and swear you weren’t a day over 80!

from cair fair.com

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Posted in: Exercise,Fitness

Ten Crazy Beauty Tips That Work

There are thousands of crazy beauty tips out there that claim to work on whatever problem you have. Problem is, they don’t always work successfully and you just end up wasting your time and money. Here, I’ve compiled a list of crazy beauty tips that actually work. How do I know they work? Well, I’ve tried them!

Powder Your Roots

If your hairline starts to look greasy, dig up a big, fluffy makeup brush, and dip it into a pot of loose powder. Tap it once on the back of your hand to remove excess, then dust it over your roots. It mops up oil and blends into your strands, so no one will know you didn’t shower!

Spot-Treat Smudges

Dip a cotton swab into eye-makeup remover, and trace it along your lids to erase any slipups or goofs when there’s no time to redo your whole look!

Fix a Flushed Face

If you turn red and stay that way after exercising, take an antihistamine like Benadryl when you leave the gym to reduce redness. Works like a charm!

Use Makeup Remover on Stubborn Lipstick

Don’t try to rub off red lipstick (which makes it smear across your mouth-not hot!). Instead, take a cotton ball or tissue, dip it in makeup remover, and just dab to erase the dark stain fast!

Tame Your Eyebrows with Eye Cream

Pat any kind of rich eye cream over brows to help keep them hydrated and banish those icky white specks that look like dandruff.

Brush on Hair Spray

For the final step of your blow-dry, spray hair spray onto your brush, and run it through your strands from roots to tips. This way, your do isn’t so plastered and stiff but still holds volume and shine!

Cure a Cold Sore With Cream

When a cold sore is coming on, dab a bit of thick moisturizer, like Aquaphor, over it to prevent it from getting worse.

Use Toothpaste on a Zit

Use just a pea-size amount. Let it sit for about 15 minutes to absorb the oil so the pimple won’t get more clogged, then wash it off!

Use Soap Without Water

You know those fancy bars that are actually too pretty to use? Toss them in your underwear or tee-shirt drawers to make your skin smell extra delicious!

Press a Tea Bag on Splotches

If your skin is sensitive or just looking irritated and puffy for whatever reason, steep a bag of green tea for a minute or two, let it cool down, and bad it over your face. The antioxidants in the tea take down inflammation.

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Best 9 Fat-Burning Eating Tips

Now don’t get all excited. We don’t have any magic wand solutions that will take the place of exercise and eating right. But we do have a few foods that could help you on your journey to rid yourself of excess flab. Hungry Girl’s here with the scoop…

LEAN PROTEIN
To put it simply, protein takes a lot of effort for the body to break down and digest. A lot more than, say, fat. So while your body is working hard to process that protein, you’re burning calories. HG tip — eat fish! Chances are you’re not getting enough of it. Not only is fish a fabulous source of lean protein, BUT many types are full of those Omega-3 fatty acids you’re always hearing about. Beans are also a wonderful source of protein. And it’s no secret how we feel about our friend the soybean. (Let’s have a cheer for veggie patties and soy-meats!)

WHOLE GRAINS
Belly fat is not particularly cute on anyone (except maybe babies), so it’s exciting news that whole grains can do a number on that stubborn flab around your midsection. One of the easiest ways to get whole grains into your diet? Oatmeal in the morning. Quaker’s Simple Harvest Multigrain Hot Cereal is really good and just full of grains. Also, Kashi GoLean’s Hot Cereal packs in 7 whole grains and a big 5 - 7g fiber! Mmmmm…

GRAPEFRUIT
Ever since you were a kid popping Flintstones Chewables, you’ve known that Vitamin C is good for you — and that certainly hasn’t changed. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant AND has been shown in studies to help burn fat. So, if you’re looking for a snack, how’s about a nice, juicy grapefruit? The theory is that grapefruit helps to lower insulin levels, which keeps you from being hungry all the time! We know it smacks of classic diet food, but those Ruby Reds are MIGHTY delicious! If it’s too sour for you straight, sprinkle it with some no-calorie sweetener like Splenda or stevia.

GREEN TEA
Green tea is EVERYWHERE. It’s been classified as a “superfood” as it’s been linked to reduced rates of heart disease and cancer. And now it helps us lose weight too? Green tea has been shown to raise our metabolism, which is key in our battle with the bad stuff. Researchers also suspect that substances called polyphenols combined with caffeine are responsible for its fat-burning properties. If the hot murky stuff doesn’t do it for you, try HG’s Green Tea Crème Swappuccino! Only 75 calories and SO GOOD!

SPICY FOODS
You know how when you eat spicy foods, you sometimes start to sweat a little (ew)? That’s because it’s given a little kick to your heart rate. These little kicks will result in a temporary increase in your metabolism, which will help you burn fat a little easier for a bit. A quick hit with cayenne, red pepper flakes, or whatever hot sauce you fancy should do the trick and get your blood pumping. And these spices are practically calorie-free. Yes!

LIGHT DAIRY
Hey, dairy queens! Good news! It turns out that people who eat low-fat or fat-free dairy lose MORE weight than people who don’t. Sure we mentioned protein before, but it bears bringing up again since the magical combo of calcium and protein seems to work wonders. We’re WAY into yogurt, so we suggest picking up some Fage Total 0% Greek Yogurt and mixing in your favorite fruits, sugar-free preserves… or whatever! Also, light string cheese is a GREAT little snack, with only around 50-60 calories and 2.5g fat a pop. Not bad for hard cheese, people.

WATER
Experts say it’s important to drink lots of water if you’re trying to burn fat Your body can’t work effectively if it’s dehydrated — not only will you FEEL like you don’t have any energy, but also your body really won’t have what it needs to function and burn off fat. Keep that machine humming — drink around 8 glasses of water a day!

CINNAMON
Sure this stuff tastes good — that’s why it’s found in SO many things. But those chefs might not know that their sprinkling of cinnamon is helping the body process sugar more effectively and lower blood sugar levels. High blood sugar can lead to the body storing more fat, so maybe put together a little shaker of cinnamon and Splenda to sprinkle on your favorite foods! Then whip up some fat-burning cinnamon toast by using your new concoction on whole-wheat bread!

APPLES
An apple a day isn’t going to keep the gym away, but it’ll probably make your diet plan more effective. Word on the street is that the pectin contained in apples limits how much fat your cells can absorb. (SWEET!) Plus it’s a naturally soluble fiber, which is always good. So next time you feel all snacky, grab whichever apple looks best to you (we love Fujis!).

from: www.mytorontoweightloss.com

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Posted in: Burn Fat,Weight loss

Is Stress Making You Fat?

If you're living a stressful life and wondering why those pounds keep creeping on, there is scientific evidence that has proven that stress can actually make you fat. The good news is that there are many ways you can combat stress and start getting healthy. But first, let's look at why stress can cause you to gain weight.

1. Stress releases hormones that allow us to store fat more efficiently.

Storing fat is a bad thing for many of us, and although it's necessary to some degree, stress causes our systems to go a little haywire and we start producing too much cortisol. This causes our bodies to retain fat around the middle, which is not only unsightly, but incredibly unhealthy. Since most of us live with stress on a daily basis, we're producing far too much cortisol and this is leading to weight gain.

2. Stress interferes with sleep - which causes more weight gain.

Recent studies have also shown that a lack of sleep can lead to weigh gain, once again thanks to hormones that run amok in our systems. Even if you're not feeling stressed, your body is and it's reacting by producing more hormones. When we are physically stressed, our whole body tightens up and our minds start racing. It's pretty hard to get enough sleep when you feel like this and we get trapped into a vicious cycle that is very hard to break. Stress piles on more stress and pretty soon, those pounds starting coming on.

3. Stress causes emotional eating.

While some people respond to stress with a reduced appetite, by far the majority end up eating to combat their stress levels. Whether it's increased snacking simply because we feel so edgy or emotional eating of comfort food, stress is a major reason that many of us overeat. When combined with the factors above, you've got a recipe for disaster.

But there is a way to change all of that and break the stress cycle. While you'll never be able to remove all stress from your life, there are ways that you can combat it and break free of that cycle.

First, you need to learn to realize when you're feeling stressed out. As soon as that feeling creeps up, you'll need to learn to take deep breaths to counteract what your body is telling your brain and vice versa. Practice deep inhalations and exhalations until they become second nature.

Next, you'll need to learn to start treating your body right instead of abusing it, which only makes stress worse. If you're having a rough time or a bad week, schedule a massage. It will do wonders for your mind and your body. If you're feeling overworked, take a personal day and do absolutely nothing. You'll be able to recharge and get back on track.

Little changes add up when it comes to beating stress in your life. While it is difficult to address what causes stress in our lives, we can change the way we respond to it.

From: www.weightladder.com

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Posted in: Weight loss

Basic Abdominal Exercises

Basic strength in the stomach can be developed with following abdominal exercises. Start by aiming for 1-3 sets of 10 repetitions three times per week and gradually build up to 20-25 repetitions.

Static Contraction
1) Lying flat on your back bend your knees bent so feet are flat on the floor.
2) Contract your stomach muscles and try to push the small of your back into the floor.
3) Hold for a count of 5 seconds remembering to breathe gently. Relax and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Keep your neck and face relaxed. Many people have a tendency to hold their breath during this exercise which can increase blood pressure.

Wrist Ups
1) Lying flat on your back bend your knees to right angles keeping your feet flat on the floor.
2) Place your palms on your thighs and sit up until your fingertips reach your knees as you breathe out. Return to the start position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Imagine you have an apple under your chin. That's about the distance your chin should stay away from your chest during the movement.

Oblique Crunches
Abdominal exercises such as these emphasize the internal and external obliques rather than the rectuse abdominus and transverse abdominus.

1) Lie flat on your back, knees bent at right angles and twisted to the left.
2) Place your fingertips to the side of your head just behind your ears.
3) Curl up just enough to lift both your shoulders off the floor a few inches.
4) Hold that position contracting your abs as forcefully as possible as breathe out.
5) Repeat for the desired number of reps before to switching to the other side.

Supermans
This is not technically an abdominally exercise at it works the lower back.

1) Lie on your front with arms outstretched over your head, palms on the floor.
2) Simultaneously raise your right arm and left leg off the floor about 6 inches keeping them extended.
3) Hold for 5 seconds and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

4) Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

from: www.sport-fitness-advisor.com

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Posted in: Exercise

Feel Better About Your Body

Does this sound familiar? You look in the mirror, berate yourself for gaining weight and then give in to feelings of depression and hopelessness. If you’re an emotional eater, you might even turn to food to comfort yourself, thus perpetuating the problem.

Now imagine feeling great about your body—no matter what your current size or shape. No more getting down on yourself for your weight or putting your life on hold because of insecurities. Well, it’s possible. With just a little attitude adjustment, you can boost your body confidence, which is the first step to leading a healthier life. “When you feel better about yourself,” says Judith Beck, author of The Beck Diet Solution, “you have more energy and feel more motivated to initiate changes, such as starting an exercise program.”

Here’s how to turn that negative cycle into a more positive one.

Don’t tie your self-worth to the number on the scale. “Remind yourself every single day that your outward appearance is irrelevant to who you are inside,” suggests Beck. “Think about what you would say to a close friend if she were overweight and feeling badly about herself.” Chances are that you would remind her of all her good qualities and offer encouragement rather than criticism. Do the same for yourself. The positive feedback will help you feel more able to take control of your body and health.

Don’t put your life on hold. If you put off starting an exercise program or buying clothes until you lose weight, you will perpetuate the rut. Even a 20-minute walk can increase endorphins and other feel-good chemicals. You’ll not only burn calories, which can help you reach your long-term fitness goals, but also reduce depression and stress right away.

Ease up on the pressure. You don’t have to work out like an Olympian. Choose an activity you’ll enjoy. Studies show that moderate exercise actually does more to improve your mood than longer, more intense workouts. It also can help you to sleep more soundly, which will make you look and feel better. Concentrate on how great it feels to be doing something good for yourself rather than obsess about how far you still have to go.

Congratulate yourself on your efforts. Acknowledge the progress you’ve made. “After all, you could spend your day in front of the television eating ice cream, but you don’t,” says Beck. “Giving yourself credit for what you accomplish each day—even running errands—can boost your mood, make you feel better about yourself and help keep your difficulty with weight in perspective.” And that’s the first step to the kind of body confidence that lasts.

By Michael O'Shea PARADE

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Posted in: Fitness

Fitness Myths—Busted!

Whether your goal is to look like an iron man or simply (and more realistically) to shape up and improve your health, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions that can get in your way. Here, we separate fact from fiction to help you get the best results.

Myth Crunches will get rid of my spare tire.
Reality Everyone stores extra weight differently, but the gut is one of the most common problem areas for men. Even if you do a gazillion stomach crunches and sit-ups, you won’t burn enough calories to lose the fat around your middle and see the muscles you’ve built up underneath. To get flatter, more defined abs, you need to cut calories and add more overall exercise. Stick to a low-fat diet of lean protein and healthy carbs while doing a combination of cardio and strength-training. But keep in mind that you still need to do some stomach exercises.

Myth The fastest way to build muscle is to do more reps with lighter weights.
Reality If you’re looking to bulk up quickly, follow this general rule: Heavier resistance with fewer reps will build up your muscles faster. If you’re just looking to shape up, however, doing more reps with lighter weights has benefits too, including improving your muscular endurance. (“Heavy” weights are those you can use for only eight reps or fewer. “Light” weights enable you to do 12 to 20 reps.) The best fitness plan includes a combination of both, to enhance strength and endurance. Another reason to do both: If you always lift the same amount of weight (light or heavy) for the same number of repetitions, your body will acclimate, and progress will be slow or nonexistent.

Myth Real men don’t take yoga classes.
Reality Boredom is one of the main reasons people stop exercising, and yet most men are resistant to taking classes at a gym—despite the fact that they are one of the best ways to stay psyched and active. The benefits are not just psychological: When you do the same exercises all the time, your muscles adjust, and you hit a plateau. Changing things up will challenge your muscles and make them stronger. The social interaction also keeps many people from giving up or dropping out. And for those of you who think yoga is just for long-limbed women who can twist themselves into pretzels, think again. Even one yoga class a week can help you remain limber, reduce stress, and prevent injury. (Need proof? Many pro athletes have taken it up.)

Myth Working out hard on weekends will keep me in shape.
Reality Being a weekend warrior may sound like a good plan for those of you too busy to get to the gym during the week, but the idea that you can pound your body for hours to make up for a week’s worth of inactivity is faulty. It’s also one of the leading causes of injury. Whether it’s with a game of pickup basketball or a too-long run, overexerting yourself on the weekend to compensate for the rest of the week is both ineffective and risky. You will not train your muscles, heart, or lungs effectively, and the soreness that results may keep you from being able to get off the couch for days. To really get in shape, consistency is key, even if that means just a 30-minute workout most days of the week.

By Michael O'Shea PARADE

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Posted in: Fitness

7 Diet Dos (and Don'ts)

By Joy Bauer, PARADE Magazine

Doesn't it seem like cravings and emotionally driven eating are amped up when you're on a diet? The good news is that there are many tried-and-true methods to help keep you on track. I'm about to let you in on a few.

Do fill up on fiber

Protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrates and fat, so it takes fewer calories to fill you up. Fiber slows mealtime digestion and absorbs water, which expands your stomach and creates a feeling of fullness. Lentils and starchy beans (for example, navy, kidney, black, pinto, and garbanzo beans) naturally combine protein and fiber in very impressive amounts, so consider eating them in soups and salads or as a side dish instead of rice or pasta.

Don't miss out on sleep

Recent studies show that sleep deprivation can make it difficult to fit into your favorite jeans. When you don't get enough shut-eye, your body produces more ghrelin, a hormone that makes you hungry, and less leptin, a hormone that increases satiety. Discipline might enable you to resist, but why not give your body a well-deserved rest?

Do downsize

Scientists at Cornell University and the University of Illinois researched the effect of serving-bowl size on eating behavior and then published their findings in no less an esteemed publication than the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers found that students serving themselves from a large bowl took 53 percent more and ate 56 percent more food (the equivalent of 142 calories) than those who served themselves from smaller serving bowls. If 142 calories doesn't seem like much, try multiplying it by three meals a day for 365 days. If the resulting yearly weight gain of 44 pounds doesn't inspire you to consider a new china pattern, I don't know what will!

Do veg out

Nonstarchy vegetables (anything but peas, corn, acorn/butternut squash, and potatoes) are "filler foods" in the best sense of the term. Low in calories and packed with water and fiber, vegetables fill you up without filling you out. Enjoy them in the form of stir-fries and soups, and munch on baby carrots, celery sticks, green beans, or cauliflower between meals.

Don't eat standing up

Back when people ate most of their meals while seated at their kitchen or dining-room tables, rates of obesity were far lower. Coincidence? I think not. When eating is limited to a particular place, your brain doesn't associate other places with food, and the cascade of bodily signals that stimulate appetite is activated less frequently. So, no more chowing down while leaning over your kitchen sink or strolling down the street, OK?

Do limit your choices

Contrary to popular belief, variety is not all that it's cracked up to be—at least when it comes to snacks. When you have more to choose from, you tend to sample a little of this and a little of that, which can lead to a lot of extra pounds. Besides, research shows that we are generally happier eating our favorite foods repeatedly than experimenting with a wide variety.

Don't eat in the dark

Dining by candlelight may be romantic, but the end result can be anything but. Eating in a dimly lit room tends to make people consume more calories. Simply put, in the light you're more self-conscious of others watching what you eat. Also, in low lighting, you can't see your food as well, which may cause you to lose track of how much you're eating. So, if possible, nix the dimmer.

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Posted in: Diet

Loses 6% weight by eating fruits and vegetables

A recent study revealed that, besides including a hypocaloric diet, these foods protect from oxidative stress and diabetes and cancer.However, what we all believed known has been confirmed in a recent study indicating that the intake of fruits and vegetables collaborates with weight loss. Such foods are a great source of antioxidants, therefore, to be part of a hypocaloric diet, help to lose more than 6% body weight.

Among the additional advantages of eating these foods are lower cardiovascular risk, greater satiety due to fibre content, lower levels of blood cholesterol and better control of diabetes. On the other hand, to integrate fruit and vegetables in our diet we are integrating vitamins, minerals, fiber, plant protein and complex carbohydrates. In other words, a balanced diet and healthy formed by these and other products do not generate risks of nutritional deficiencies and encourage health.

If we think about all the consequences arising from the metabolic obesity, is of great significance for the inclusion of fruits and vegetables not only help you lose weight, but that will improve the rest of the values altered blood and reduce health risks. Of course, we must not forget that with diet alone, are not achieved the same results if we accompany our plan thinning with a good routine exercises that will allow us to increase the caloric expenditure, reduce stress and improve fitness.

from: www.feeltaste.com

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Posted in: Diet,Weight loss

Pain Management - What Can You Do to Help Control Your Pain?

What Can You Do to Help Control Your Pain?

Your pain is unique. Only you know where your pain is located, how it feels, how much it hurts, how long it hurts and what makes it better. The key to getting the best pain relief is talking with your doctor and nurse about your pain. They will want to know how much pain you feel, where it is, and what it feels like.

The First Step: Talk About Your Pain

Telling your care team in detail about your pain is the best thing that you can do to assist in your cancer treatment. Sometimes patients don't receive the best pain treatment because they don't let their care team know about their pain. Patients may not want to complain, they may fear becoming addicted to pain medications, they may fear the side effects of pain more than the pain itself, or they may want to save their pain treatment options until they "really" need them. Each of these beliefs will hinder pain treatment and also hinder cancer therapy.

Why Pain Should Be Treated

Pain can affect you in many ways. It can keep you from being active, from sleeping well, from enjoying family and friends, and from eating. Pain can make you feel afraid or depressed. Pain may also prevent your full participation in general rehabilitation programs and may slow your recovery from treatment.

Most cancer pain can be controlled with treatment. When there is less pain, you will probably feel more active and interested in doing things you enjoy. Tell your doctor or nurse right away if you are feeling pain. Getting help for your pain early can make pain treatment more effective.

Answering the questions below will help you communicate with your health care provider about your pain. After discussing your pain, your doctor or nurse may want to examine you or order x-rays or other tests. These tests will help the doctor or nurse find the pain's cause.

To communicate how you feel, ask yourself the following questions:

Where is the pain?You may have pain in more than one place. Be sure to list all of the painful areas.

What does the pain feel like?Does it ache, throb, burn or tingle? You may wish to use other words to describe your pain.

How bad is the pain?You can use a number scale to rate your pain (pdf) from 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain and 10 means the worst pain you can imagine. Or, you can describe your pain with words such as "none", "mild", "moderate", "severe" or "worst possible pain". A special pain rating scale that uses faces(pdf)to indicate levels of pain has also been developed to help children communicate how they feel. You may find these scales useful for keeping track of how your pain changes in response to treatment, activities or the time of day.

What makes the pain better or worse?You may have already found ways to make your pain feel better (for example, using heat or cold, or taking certain medicines). You may have also found that sitting or lying in certain positions or doing some activities affects the pain.

If you are being treated for pain now, how well is the treatment working?You may want to describe how well the treatment is working by saying how much of the pain is relieved, such as all, almost all, none, etc.

Has the pain changed?You may notice that your pain changes over time. It may get better or worse or it can feel different. For example, the pain may have been a dull ache at first and has changed to a tingle. It is important to report changes in your pain. Changes in pain do not always mean that the cancer has come back or grown. Describe how the pain was before and how it is now.

Next: Havea Plan

Work with your doctor or nurse to write a pain control plan that meets your needs. In a pain control plan, you and your doctor or nurse plan your pain control activities, including when you take your medicine, how and when to take extra medicine, and other things you can do to ease and prevent your pain. Your doctor or nurse may also list medicines and other treatments that will help with side effects or other aches and pains, such as headaches.

Many medicines and treatments can be used to treat pain. If a schedule, medicine or way that you are taking the medicine doesn't work for you, your doctor and nurse can help you find the medicine or approach that will help the most.

It may be helpful to keep a record of how the medicine is working. Sharing that record with your doctor or nurse will help them make your treatment more effective.

When To Take Your Pain Medicine

Take your medicine on a regular schedule (by the clock) and as your doctor tells you. This will help to keep pain under control. Do not skip a dose of medicine or wait for the pain to get worse before taking your medicine. The goal is to preventthe pain. Once you feel the pain, it is harder to get it under control.

Your doctor will usually give you additional medicine for "breakthrough pain" (a brief and often severe pain that occurs even though the patient is taking pain medicine regularly). If some activities make your pain worse (for example, riding in a car), you may need to take extra doses of pain medicine before these activities. Ask your doctor or nurse how and when to take extra medicine.

Call your doctor or nurse immediately if your pain increases or if you have new pain.Also call your doctor early to receive a refill of pain medicines. Do not let your medicines get below three or four days' supply.

From Yahoo Health

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Posted in: Pain Management