STORY TO BE TOLD

Finding a Healthy Weight

Weight loss is a tricky topic. Lots of people are unhappy with their present weight, but most aren't sure how to change it — and many would be better off staying where they are. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines and on TV, but those goals might not be healthy or realistic for you. Besides, no magical diet or pill will make you look like someone else.

So what should you do about weight control?

Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian, who can compare your weight with healthy norms to help you set realistic goals. If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss, then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

Weight management is about long-term success. People who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all (and often more) of the pounds they lost because they haven't permanently changed their habits.

Tips for Success

Therefore, the best weight-management strategies are those that you can maintain for a lifetime. That's a long time, so we'll try to keep these suggestions as easy as possible!

Make it a family affair. Ask your mom or dad to lend help and support and to make dietary or lifestyle changes that will benefit the whole family, if possible. Teens who have the support of their families tend to have better results with their weight-management programs. But remember, you should all work together in a friendly and helpful way — making weight loss into a competition is a recipe for disaster!

Watch your drinks. It's amazing how many extra calories can be lurking in the sodas, juices, and other drinks that you take in every day. Simply cutting out a can of soda or one sports drink can save you 150 calories or more each day. Drink water or other sugar-free drinks to quench your thirst and stay away from sugary juices and sodas. Switching from whole to nonfat or low-fat milk is also a good idea.

Start small. Small changes are a lot easier to stick with than drastic ones. Try reducing the size of the portions you eat and giving up regular soda for a week. Once you have that down, start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

Stop eating when you're full. Lots of people eat when they're bored, lonely, or stressed, or keep eating long after they're full out of habit. Try to pay attention as you eat and stop when you're full. Slowing down can help because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to recognize how much is in your stomach. Sometimes taking a break before going for seconds can keep you from eating another serving.

Avoid eating when you feel upset or bored — try to find something else to do instead (a walk around the block or a trip to the gym are good alternatives). Many people find it's helpful to keep a diary of what they eat and when. Reviewing the diary later can help them identify the emotions they have when they overeat or whether they have unhealthy habits. Your doctor or a registered dietitian can give you pointers on how to do this.

Eat less more often. Many people find that eating a couple of small snacks throughout the day helps them to make healthy choices at meals. Stick a couple of healthy snacks (carrot sticks, whole-grain pretzels, or a piece of fruit) in your backpack so that you can have one or two snacks during the day. Adding healthy snacks to your three squares and eating smaller portions when you sit down to dinner can help you to cut calories without feeling deprived.

Five a day keep the pounds away. Ditch the junk food and dig out the fruits and veggies! Five servings of fruits and veggies aren't just a good idea to help you lose weight — they'll help keep your heart and the rest of your body healthy. Other suggestions for eating well: replace white bread with whole wheat, trade your sugary sodas for water and low-fat milk, and make sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Having low-sugar, whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk with a piece of fruit is a much better idea than inhaling a donut as you run to the bus stop or eating no breakfast at all! A registered dietitian can give you lots of other snack and menu ideas.

More Tips

Avoid fad diets. It's never a good idea to trade meals for shakes or to give up a food group in the hope that you'll lose weight — we all need a variety of foods to stay healthy. Stay away from fad diets because you're still growing and need to make sure you get proper nutrients. Avoid diet pills (even the over-the-counter or herbal variety). They can be dangerous to your health; besides, there's no evidence that they help keep weight off over the long term.

Don't banish certain foods. Don't tell yourself you'll never again eat your absolutely favorite peanut butter chocolate ice cream or a bag of chips from the vending machine at school. Making these foods forbidden is sure to make you want them even more. Also, don't go fat free: You need to have some fat in your diet to stay healthy, so giving up all fatty foods all the time isn't a good idea. The key to long-term success is making healthy choices most of the time. If you want a piece of cake at a party, go for it! But munch on the carrots rather than the chips to balance it out.

Get moving. You may find that you don't need to cut calories as much as you need to get off your behind. Don't get stuck in the rut of thinking you have to play a team sport or take an aerobics class to get exercise. Try a variety of activities from hiking to cycling to dancing until you find ones you like.

Not a jock? Find other ways to fit activity into your day: walk to school, jog up and down the stairs a couple of times before your morning shower, turn off the tube and help your parents in the garden, or take a stroll past your crush's house — anything that gets you moving. Your goal should be to work up to 60 minutes of exercise every day. But everyone has to begin somewhere. It's fine to start out by simply taking a few turns around the block after school and building up your levels of fitness gradually.

Build muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat. So adding strength training to your exercise routine can help you reach your weight loss goals as well as give you a toned bod. And weights are not the only way to go: Try resistance bands, pilates, or push-ups to get strong. A good, well-balanced fitness routine includes aerobic workouts, strength training, and flexibility exercises.

Forgive yourself. So you were going to have one cracker with spray cheese on it and the next thing you know the can's pumping air and the box is empty? Drink some water, brush your teeth, and move on. Everyone who's ever tried to lose weight has found it challenging. When you slip up, the best idea is to get right back on track and don't look back. Avoid telling yourself that you'll get back on track tomorrow or next week or after New Year's. Start now.

Try to remember that losing weight isn't going to make you a better person — and it won't magically change your life. It's a good idea to maintain a healthy weight because it's just that: healthy.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2009

You've probably heard countless times how exercise is "good for you." But did you know that it can actually help you feel good, too? Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and even help improve your mood.

Rewards and Benefits

Experts recommend that teens get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Here are some of the reasons:

• Exercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind. Exercising causes the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that can help a person to feel more peaceful and happy. Exercise can help some people sleep better. It can also help some people who have mild depression and low self-esteem. Plus, exercise can give people a real sense of accomplishment and pride at having achieved a certain goal — like beating an old time in the 100-meter dash.
• Exercising can help you look better. People who exercise burn more calories and look more toned than those who don't. In fact, exercise is one of the most important parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight.
• Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases. Exercising to maintain a healthy weight decreases a person's risk of developing certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases, which used to be found mostly in adults, are becoming more common in teens.
• Exercise can help a person age well. This may not seem important now, but your body will thank you later. Women are especially prone to a condition called osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones) as they get older. Studies have found that weight-bearing exercise, like jumping, running or brisk walking, can help girls (and guys!) keep their bones strong.

The three components to a well-balanced exercise routine are: aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training.

Aerobic Exercise

Like other muscles, the heart enjoys a good workout. You can provide it with one in the form of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is any type of exercise that gets the heart pumping and quickens your breathing. When you give your heart this kind of workout regularly, it will get stronger and more efficient in delivering oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to all parts of your body.

If you play team sports, you're probably meeting the recommendation for 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on practice days. Some team sports that give you a great aerobic workout are swimming, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and rowing.

But if you don't play team sports, don't worry — there are plenty of ways to get aerobic exercise on your own or with friends. These include biking, running, swimming, dancing, in-line skating, tennis, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking quickly. In fact, the types of exercise that you do on your own are easier to continue when you leave high school and go on to work or college, making it easier to stay fit later in life as well.

Strength Training

The heart isn't the only muscle to benefit from regular exercise. Most of the other muscles in your body enjoy exercise, too. When you use your muscles and they become stronger, it allows you to be active for longer periods of time without getting worn out.

Strong muscles are also a plus because they actually help protect you when you exercise by supporting your joints and helping to prevent injuries. Muscle also burns more energy when a person's at rest than fat does, so building your muscles will help you burn more calories and maintain a healthy weight.

Different types of exercise strengthen different muscle groups, for example:

• For arms, try rowing or cross-country skiing. Pull-ups and push-ups, those old gym class standbys, are also good for building arm muscles.
• For strong legs, try running, biking, rowing, or skating. Squats and leg raises also work the legs.
• For shapely abs, you can't beat rowing, yoga or pilates, and crunches.

Flexibility Training

Strengthening the heart and other muscles isn't the only important goal of exercise. Exercise also helps the body stay flexible, meaning that your muscles and joints stretch and bend easily. People who are flexible can worry less about strained muscles and sprains.

Being flexible may also help improve a person's sports performance. Some activities, like dance or martial arts, obviously require great flexibility, but increased flexibility can also help people perform better at other sports, such as soccer or lacrosse.

Sports and activities that encourage flexibility are easy to find. Martial arts like karate also help a person stay flexible. Ballet, gymnastics, pilates, and yoga are other good choices. Stretching after your workout will also help you improve your flexibility.

What's Right for Me?

One of the biggest reasons people drop an exercise program is lack of interest: If what you're doing isn't fun, it's hard to keep it up. The good news is that there are tons of different sports and activities that you can try out to see which one inspires you.

When picking the right type of exercise, it can help to consider your workout personality. For example, do you like to work out alone and on your own schedule? If so, solo sports like biking or snowboarding may be for you. Or do you like the shared motivation and companionship that comes from being part of a team?

You also need to plan around practical considerations, such as whether your chosen activity is affordable and available to you. (Activities like horseback riding may be harder for people who live in cities, for example.) You'll also want to think about how much time you can set aside for your sport.

It's a good idea to talk to someone who understands the exercise, like a coach or fitness expert at a gym. He or she can get you started on a program that's right for you and your level of fitness.

Another thing to consider is whether any health conditions may affect how — and how much — you exercise. Doctors know that most people benefit from regular exercise, even those with disabilities or conditions like asthma. But if you have a health problem or other considerations (like being overweight or very out of shape), talk to your doctor before beginning an exercise plan. That way you can get information on which exercise programs are best and which to avoid.

Too Much of a Good Thing

As with all good things, it's possible to overdo exercise. Although exercising is a great way to maintain a healthy weight, exercising too much to lose weight isn't healthy. The body needs enough calories to function properly. This is especially true for teens, who are still growing.

Exercising too much in an effort to burn calories and lose weight (also called compulsive exercise) can be a sign of an eating disorder. If you ever get the feeling that your exercise is in charge of you rather than the other way around, talk with your doctor, a parent, or another adult you trust.

It's also possible to overtrain — something high school athletes need to watch out for. If you participate in one sport, experts recommend that you limit that activity to a maximum of 5 days a week, with at least 2–3 months off per year. You can still train more than that as long as it's cross-training in a different sport (such as swimming or biking if you play football).

Participating in more than one activity or sport can help athletes use different skills and avoid injury. Also, never exercise through pain. And, if you have an injury, make sure you give yourself enough time to heal. Your body — and your performance — will thank you.

Considering the benefits to the heart, muscles, joints, and mind, it's easy to see why exercise is wise. And the great thing about exercise is that it's never too late to start. Even small things can count as exercise when you're starting out — like taking a short bike ride, walking the dog, or raking leaves.

If you're already getting regular exercise now, try to keep it up after you graduate from high school. Staying fit is often one of the biggest challenges for people as they get busy with college and careers.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: February 2009

Our bodies are about 70% water; and while the lungs are filled with the air, the body is slightly less dense than the surrounding water, which exerts a buoyant force on it. So to stay afloat all that is required is a slight propelling of water downward relative to the body. Because we are buoyant in the water, there is less force placed upon our joints and bones during swimming. Think about the graceful movement of a swimmer doing freestyle along a swimming pool – it’s such a majestic and seemingly easy form of exercise in comparison to the hard jolt of running on a bitumen road.

Hydration

Another benefit of swimming is the constant cooling down of the body from the surrounding water. But swimmers must be wary that just because they are presumably kept cool and refreshed throughout their swim, they are no more hydrated than they would be if jogging on the road instead. So remember to keep drinking water during a swim and afterwards. You may not feel thirsty at the time, but you really need to replace the water you are losing through sweat.

Aerobic Swimming

Fast swimming requires a high level of effort, meaning glycogen (stored glucose) rather than fat is burned. Prolonged exercise at lower intensity is better for fat-burning, and this is called aerobic exercise because it uses a relatively long exercise time, uses oxygen and maintains an increased heart rate. So if you want to burn fat it is better to swim at a moderate pace for longer instead of doing sudden bursts of sprint-swimming.

Bone Density

Now, because there is little impact on the joints and bones which will save on wear and tear, there is a related diadvantage of swimming in that it does barely anything for bone density. Bone density is important in protecting against diseases such as osteoporosis (porous bone - osteo = bone, porosis = porous) at the later stages of life. Achieving a higher peak bone mass through exercise and proper calcium intake during adolescence is important for the prevention of osteoporosis. So it's beneficial to engage in other forms of exercise that are higher impact such as walking or jogging.

An All-Round Form of Exercise

Swimming exercises almost all muscles in the body. Usually, the arms and upper body are exercised more than the legs. Those of you who engage in the sport will feel your arms tighten as you leave the pool – so remember to stretch them after each session.

In competitive swimming, excessive leg muscles can be seen as a disadvantage as they consume more oxygen, which would be needed for the muscles in the arms, although this depends on the swimming style. While breaststroke generates significant movement with the legs, freestyle propels the body mainly with the arms. You can see the importance of having ‘beefed up’ arms in regards to swimming if you just look at any Olympic Swimmer.

Even when you are not consciously swimming for exercise you will still be burning calories in the water. Just go to the beach and play around in the surf and you’ll still be exercising because of the resistance of the water! But I usually opt for the pool as there are less sharks, sting rays, and bluebottles…

source taken from: http://www.health-fitness.com.au/

Jogging And Your Knees

Jogging is perhaps the most common and practical exercise that anybody can be do anywhere and anytime. Statistics shows that more people jogs or runs more than people going to aerobic classes or visits the gym. But do these joggers know that jogging is actually a high impact exercise for their knees?

The knee is a very complex joint. It includes the articulation between the leg and thigh (tibia and femur) and the knee cap (patella). The most common knee problems in jogging relate to what is called the "patellofemoral complex". This consists of the quadriceps, knee cap and patellar tendon. What is now called patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is also known as runner's knee. For many years runner's knee was considered to be breaks down of the cartilage inside the patella.

Symptoms Of Runner's Knee

When you feel pain around and sometimes behind the kneecap, this would signal you that you might be suffering from runner's knee. As one of the most common injuries among joggers, runner's knee most often strikes as joggers approach forty miles per week for the first time. Even after taking a few days off, the pain seems to come right back, sometimes even more intense, after the first few miles of the next run. The pain often is the worst when running downhill or walking down stairs, and the knee is often stiff and aching after sitting down for long periods. You might hear a clicking sound when you bend or extend your knee.

To Test If You Have Runner's Knee

The foolproof test for runner's knee is to sit down and put your leg out on a chair so that it's stretched out straight. Have someone to squeeze your leg just above the knee while pushing on the kneecap. He should push from the outside of the leg toward the centre. Meanwhile, tighten your thigh muscle. If this is painful, you're suffering from runner's knee.

Early Treatments

Runner's knee can be further aggravated by simple overuse. If you have steeply increased your mileage recently, you might consider holding back a bit. Stop doing any activities that hurt the knee, and don't start again until you can do them without any pain. If you really have to exercise, select other forms of exercise which will give your knees a lower impact or strain, exercise such as swimming would be a better and advisable choice.

Use the R.I.C.E. formula:

Rest: Avoid giving impact on the painful knee. Most people will temporarily switch to a non-weight bearing activity, such as swimming.

Ice: Apply cold packs or ice wrapped in a towel for short periods of time, several times a day.

Compression: Use an elastic bandage such as a simple knee sleeve with the kneecap cut out or knee guard that fits snugly without causing pain.

Elevation: Keep the knee raised up higher than your heart.

It is always a good idea to look after your feet and legs because in order for them to serve you longer (for as long as you wish to live going places), you need to give them ample rest and attention. Many people does not know that foot health is as important as their internal organs' health, and sometimes neglected symptoms such as knee pains or heel pains which could change their lifestyle if not rectified early.

Therefore it is vital that attention is given to foot health and foot health information is easily obtained both online and offline. Help your feet and legs and they will benefit you for life.

source taken from: http://ezinearticles.com/