Saturday, May 31, 2008
Med mal premiums in Mass., 1975-2005
American College of Physicians: E-Health Recommendations
Two Versions of End-of-Life Care
Friday, May 30, 2008
The Wi-Fi Umbrella
Our umbrellas these days are definitely developing. They all started as this umbrella that we carry around as our walking stick and then had the ability to fold itself into a smaller one that we can bring in our bags. After this, umbrellas gained a button that we can push so that it would open or close automatically. Need I say more?
Oh yeah... Umbrellas can now determine if it's going to rain and can even take pictures which you can upload to Flickr.
Check out these pictures:
1. No orcs but there is definitely rain if the handle turns blue.
2. This is another product that lets you take pictures and gets them uploaded to Flickr.
You can also view videos that you have downloaded via the umbrella screen. This umbrella has GPS and a digital compass that uses GOOGLE EARTH for you to be guided when it comes to your travel.
(This was invented in TOKYO.)
What else can we ask for?
SOURCES: http://www.thesharpedge.co.uk/ and http://engadget.com
THE GADGETCHER INTRO
The purpose of this blog is to feature items from the past to the present and even the upcoming future technology life. I will also feature websites that are helpful if you need an online store to browse for your gadget hunger.
Feel free to subscribe and leave messages if ever you want me to feature something, whether it is your site or your favorite gadgets.
- THE GADGETCHER!
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Eagle Creek
Tunnel falls
Basalt cliffs
Eagle Creek
Tunnel falls
Basalt cliffs
Eagle Creek
Tunnel falls
Basalt cliffs
Eagle Creek
Tunnel falls
Basalt cliffs
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Vaccines
Along with a nice dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, my medial deltoid received 0.28 mg of aluminum, up to 0.3 micrograms of mercury, and up to 100 micrograms of "residual formaldehyde". I got the vaccine because I like being able to chew, but I wasn't able to lift my arm for several days. I don't know if that was due to an immune response to the tetanus and diphtheria (probably) or if it was caused by the aluminum, mercury and formaldehyde they injected into my arm.
We work with formaldehyde in my lab, and I can tell you it is not to be messed with. I had to take an entire training course just to use it, during which I learned that if there's enough of it to smell, it's toxic. 0.1 parts per million in the air is enough to cause a burning sensation in the mucous membranes. We always use it in the fume hood. Formaldehyde is a toxin, a carcinogen, and a teratogen (causes birth defects). So I'm sure you'll understand why I wasn't too happy about having 100 ug of it injected into my body.
I'm not criticizing the concept of vaccines, I just wish they'd make more of an effort to clean them up!
Vaccines
Along with a nice dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, my medial deltoid received 0.28 mg of aluminum, up to 0.3 micrograms of mercury, and up to 100 micrograms of "residual formaldehyde". I got the vaccine because I like being able to chew, but I wasn't able to lift my arm for several days. I don't know if that was due to an immune response to the tetanus and diphtheria (probably) or if it was caused by the aluminum, mercury and formaldehyde they injected into my arm.
We work with formaldehyde in my lab, and I can tell you it is not to be messed with. I had to take an entire training course just to use it, during which I learned that if there's enough of it to smell, it's toxic. 0.1 parts per million in the air is enough to cause a burning sensation in the mucous membranes. We always use it in the fume hood. Formaldehyde is a toxin, a carcinogen, and a teratogen (causes birth defects). So I'm sure you'll understand why I wasn't too happy about having 100 ug of it injected into my body.
I'm not criticizing the concept of vaccines, I just wish they'd make more of an effort to clean them up!
Vaccines
Along with a nice dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, my medial deltoid received 0.28 mg of aluminum, up to 0.3 micrograms of mercury, and up to 100 micrograms of "residual formaldehyde". I got the vaccine because I like being able to chew, but I wasn't able to lift my arm for several days. I don't know if that was due to an immune response to the tetanus and diphtheria (probably) or if it was caused by the aluminum, mercury and formaldehyde they injected into my arm.
We work with formaldehyde in my lab, and I can tell you it is not to be messed with. I had to take an entire training course just to use it, during which I learned that if there's enough of it to smell, it's toxic. 0.1 parts per million in the air is enough to cause a burning sensation in the mucous membranes. We always use it in the fume hood. Formaldehyde is a toxin, a carcinogen, and a teratogen (causes birth defects). So I'm sure you'll understand why I wasn't too happy about having 100 ug of it injected into my body.
I'm not criticizing the concept of vaccines, I just wish they'd make more of an effort to clean them up!
Vaccines
Along with a nice dose of tetanus and diphtheria toxoids, my medial deltoid received 0.28 mg of aluminum, up to 0.3 micrograms of mercury, and up to 100 micrograms of "residual formaldehyde". I got the vaccine because I like being able to chew, but I wasn't able to lift my arm for several days. I don't know if that was due to an immune response to the tetanus and diphtheria (probably) or if it was caused by the aluminum, mercury and formaldehyde they injected into my arm.
We work with formaldehyde in my lab, and I can tell you it is not to be messed with. I had to take an entire training course just to use it, during which I learned that if there's enough of it to smell, it's toxic. 0.1 parts per million in the air is enough to cause a burning sensation in the mucous membranes. We always use it in the fume hood. Formaldehyde is a toxin, a carcinogen, and a teratogen (causes birth defects). So I'm sure you'll understand why I wasn't too happy about having 100 ug of it injected into my body.
I'm not criticizing the concept of vaccines, I just wish they'd make more of an effort to clean them up!
Wii Fit Craze!
Americans are obsessed with their weight. Newsstands ("10 Hot Celebrity Diets!") and grocery aisles ("Low fat! Only 100 calories! Heart Healthy!") feed our pound fixation. Not to mention we're constantly reminded that our increasingly sedentary lifestyles are contributing to record ranks of overweight and obese citizens.
Time for video games to take charge and get people off the couch.
At least that's the hope of a new slew of games catering to a player's aspirations by providing a physical side to the hours spent plunked in front of a TV. It sounds counterintuitive but it's quite possible to work up a sweat playing "Wii Tennis," a game that replicates racket swinging with motion-sensing controllers -- there are even cases of "Wii elbow." And while it wasn't intended as a fitness regimen, one fan lost 9 pounds over six weeks playing "Wii Sports" for 30 minutes a day.
Now Nintendo is releasing a game -- "Wii Fit" -- that overtly focuses on physical well-being.
The souped-up scale and digitized fitness trainer bundled in "Wii Fit" may not generate the same level of twitchy excitement among game players as "Grand Theft Auto IV," but much like Nintendo's brain-trainer "Brain Age," "Wii Fit" will certainly carry more weight with the general public -- making it one of the most significant launches of the year. There are already 9.5 million Wiis in U.S. households, according to NPD Group. It's likely that 4 million of them will contain a $90 balance-board bundle by year-end, estimates Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter.
It doesn't hurt that "Wii Fit" is already considered a runaway hit. Nintendo has sold 2 million in Japan and has had strong sales in Europe since its launch outside the U.S. in late April. There are reports that the initial shipments are already sold out at retailers such as Amazon, GameStop and Wal-Mart through pre-sales. That's thanks to one of Nintendo's largest marketing campaigns.
And like watching a friend turn into a buff gym rat, all that attention is inspiring other publishers to leap into exergames and so capitalize on the next big Nintendo trend.
There's been a healthy -- if small -- collection of fitness games in the past.
"Dance Dance Revolution," which was a hit in Japanese arcades before coming to the U.S. in 2001, has been adopted by some schools as a means to get kids moving. But while the health benefits of "DDR" were a happy accident, "Wii Fit" is one of the first games to brazenly market itself as a fitness product, says Tony Key, senior vice president of sales and marketing at French game maker Ubisoft.
"Nintendo is setting the trend," says Key. "We come to the party asking: 'How do we take advantage of it?' " Ubisoft is currently working on a line of health games that range from mental self-improvement to weight loss and yoga instruction. One such title, "My Weight Loss Coach" for the Nintendo DS, comes bundled with a pedometer so players can upload real walking data into the game. "Everyone is interested in losing a few pounds," Key says. "Health games are here for the foreseeable future."
Everyone knows hitting the gym is the best way to lose weight, says Key, but that doesn't mean folks will work out regularly. We're busy, unmotivated and though willing to buy tapes of Billy Blanks' Tae Bo training workouts, we may not get off the couch to move along.
Video games are the next stage in the evolution of the fitness video, asserts Key. And unlike Billy, these games can measure your vital stats and offer appropriate motivation. Think of them as a cheap personal trainer.
Expect to see more from other game companies in the future.
Electronic Arts hasn't formally announced a title in the vein of "Wii Fit," even though skater wannabes can use the balance board to control a deck in "Skate." But watch this space, urges EA Sports president Peter Moore. "Health and fitness is an area where I want to see EA Sports be a leader," Moore wrote in an e-mail to Forbes.com. "I think we can play in this space."
Moore noted that there's a lot of potential for games revolving around health and well-being. He had front line experience with fitness pioneers during a stint as vice president at Reebok. "I admire what Nintendo has done with 'Wii Fit' and think it's only scratching the surface of the role games can play in making people fitter, happier and smarter," he added. "With games, we have the opportunity to make exercise fun. We can distract people. It doesn't have to feel like work when you're having fun while you're being active, staying fit and getting a workout."
"Active Life" relies on a pressure-sensitive floor mat that requires players to run or jump in place in order to control their onscreen characters through obstacle courses, mine cart rides and kayaking. Even more incentive: a character's physical appearance is linked to how well you play the game.
"Games provide a clearer structure for achieving your goals," says Jane McGonigal, a resident game designer at the Institute for the Future. "They set goals that are higher than you'd set for yourself. They make you more ambitious. Games take something that's solitary and miserable, like slogging through the gym, and transform it into something that's more social and can be integrated into your networked life."
Sports gear maker Nike agrees. Even though the Nike+, the small accelerometer that can track distance and pace of runs, isn't technically a game, it behaves like one. Runners can compete in various public or private challenges and share their achievements (like logging 100 miles) with the Nike+ community. The first time McGonigal ran with Nike+, she was so motivated by the thought of publishing her data that she shaved two minutes off her five-mile run -- a time that had stayed constant for the previous seven years. "[Games] make it possible for you to do things you never thought it possible to do," she says.
The idea of competition, measurable progress and dedicated communities is so powerful that McGonigal believes real world fitness activities will soon start borrowing from games. For instance, a massively multiplayer game like "World of WarCraft" could reward players who go for a run in order with in-game experience points, or it could require party members to walk a certain distance to make progress through an environment.
Mixing up fitness and gaming could also help the gaming industry by opening up the market to casual players. Plenty of people don't think they have the time or a reason to play games, says Ubisoft's Key.
"We need to convince them that their 20 minutes [of play] is beneficial to them."
And what's more important than improving your health?
From MSN Health
The Importance of Advocacy
The Importance of Advocacy
Your Instant Beach Body
4 exercises using dumbbells to blast fat, build muscle, and sculpt entire body.
By the Editors of Men's Health
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Select a pair of dumbbells you know you can press overhead 8 to 12 times. Then do all four of these exercises in succession with no rest between moves and without putting down the dumbbells. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds before repeating the sequence once or twice.
1. Traveling Lunge
Stand holding the dumbbells at your sides. Take a step forward until your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Bring your back leg forward and repeat with the opposite leg. Do 8 to 10 reps with each leg.
Builds: Lower body
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2. Pushup-Position Row
Assume a pushup position, but keep your arms straight and rest your hands on the dumbbells. Pull one weight up toward your body until your elbow is above your back, and then lower it. Do 5 or 6 reps with each arm.
Builds: Back, core, arms
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3. Traveling Shoulder Press
Stand holding the dumbbells level with your jaw. Press the weights overhead as you step forward. Lower them while bringing your back leg forward. Repeat with the other leg, and alternate steps. Do 8 to 10 reps with each leg.
Builds: Shoulders
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4. Dumbbell Squat Thrust
Hold the dumbbells at your sides and squat until they touch the floor. Then support your weight with your arms as you kick both legs behind you into pushup position. Immediately reverse the move — pull back to the squat position, and then stand up. Do 8 to 12 reps.
Builds: Core, legs
From MSN Health
Take a Pass on Gas
Avoiding the embarrassing side of healthy eating
By Jill Weisenberger, M.S., R.D., C.D.E., EatingWell.com
It's true. Beans, beans, are good for the heart. The rest of that silly childhood poem is unfortunately true too. And not just with beans, but also cabbage, onions, apples, and many other fruits and vegetables loaded with the vitamins, minerals, fibers and phytochemicals we're all urged to get more of. So what can we do to bypass the gas, short of giving up some of nature's most nourishing foods? A few cooking and lifestyle changes can go a long way, say experts.
According to Karen Collins, R.D., nutrition advisor for the American Institute for Cancer Research, many people suffer gas because their digestive tracts aren't used to a high-fiber diet—and avoiding fibrous foods like beans, broccoli and salads just worsens the problem. Rather than steering clear of the offending foods, advises Collins, gradually add them in, giving the body time to adapt. "It's important not to make the jump overnight. The body can't handle a dramatic makeover." Add one daily serving of high-fiber foods each week, she advises, aiming for a goal of 7 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables daily and several servings of beans weekly.
What causes the noxious vapors, anyway? It begins when carbohydrate is not completely digested by the army of enzymes in the small intestine. Once the undigested sugars, starches and fibers reach the large intestine, friendly bacteria break down and ferment them—giving off gas in the process.
Increasing your fiber intake not only helps your intestinal bacteria adapt, but it also moves food and waste through your intestines faster. The quicker the transit, the better, says Collins. "The longer food sits there, the longer the bacteria act on it," she explains—which translates to more gas production.
To help speed foods through your GI tract, stay regularly active and drink plenty of fluids, adds Collins. That's good advice to heed, no matter what's in the air.
Averting a Gas Crisis
Gradually phase in high-fiber foods, chewing them well to start digestion.
Drink plenty of fluids.
Get regular physical activity (like a daily "constitutional" walk).
If certain fruits or vegetables give you gas, try cooking and/or peeling them to help make them more digestible.
When cooking dried beans, soak them first, then discard the liquid to get rid of some of the difficult-to-digest carbohydrate. Likewise, drain and rinse canned beans before using.
Flavor your foods with seasonings used throughout the world to make problem foods less gassy, such as ginger, fennel seeds, turmeric and coriander. Scout ethnic groceries for epazote—an herb frequently paired with beans in Mexico and the Caribbean—and asafoetida, a spice common in East Indian cooking.
Lastly, consider an over-the-counter aid, such as Beano®, which supplies an enzyme to digest some of the gas-inducing carbohydrates.
From MSN Health
Ampalaya (Bitter Melon) Health Benefits
The bitterness of this plant comes from the high concentration of quinine, which is used as anti-inflammatory and painkiller. It’s also effective for treating malaria. Aside from these properties, amplaya have been used as herbal medicine due to its numerous healing properties. Bitter gourd or bitter melon had been popular for its properties to treat diabetes. Clinical studies show that bitter melon increases the production of beta cells in the pancreas which leads to improvement of insulin production of the body. Ampalaya is also effective for people who are constipated because it can stimulate digestion, also effective for treating HIV infection and lowering blood sugar.
I love eating ampalaya with egg. It’s truly very delicious and very healthy. Some people don’t like the taste of ampalaya because of the bitterness. But if you eat bitter melon stir-fried with ground beef or sautéed with egg you’ll love it. But if you still can’t take the bitterness, you can put your amplaya on the freezer. Let it stay there for about 3-5 hours then it’s ready to cook.
Ampalaya (Bitter Melon) Health Benefits
The bitterness of this plant comes from the high concentration of quinine, which is used as anti-inflammatory and painkiller. It’s also effective for treating malaria. Aside from these properties, amplaya have been used as herbal medicine due to its numerous healing properties. Bitter gourd or bitter melon had been popular for its properties to treat diabetes. Clinical studies show that bitter melon increases the production of beta cells in the pancreas which leads to improvement of insulin production of the body. Ampalaya is also effective for people who are constipated because it can stimulate digestion, also effective for treating HIV infection and lowering blood sugar.
I love eating ampalaya with egg. It’s truly very delicious and very healthy. Some people don’t like the taste of ampalaya because of the bitterness. But if you eat bitter melon stir-fried with ground beef or sautéed with egg you’ll love it. But if you still can’t take the bitterness, you can put your amplaya on the freezer. Let it stay there for about 3-5 hours then it’s ready to cook.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Exercise Didn't Keep Us From Getting Fat
Granted, NHANES data are self-reported and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Chris at Conditioning Research pointed me to a study looking at changes in energy expenditure from the 1980s to the present in North America and Europe. It doesn't suffer from the same biases because it's based on direct measurement rather than self-reporting. Here's the executive summary: we're expending slightly more energy than we used to, partly because we exercise more and partly because it takes more energy to move our heavier bodies around.
I'm certainly not blaming the obesity problem on an increase in physical activity, but I do think we can safely rule out inactivity as the reason we've gotten fatter. In my mind, this only leaves one major possible cause for the obesity epidemic: changes in diet. Don't get me wrong, I think exercise is good. It has numerous positive effects on physical and mental health. But it's not as powerful of a tool for fat loss and general health as diet.
Anecdotally, I do know several people who lose fat when they exercise regularly. I also know some who don't lose fat when they exercise. Exercise and a healthy diet converge on some of the same metabolic pathways, such as sensitivity to insulin. But diet changes are far more effective than exercise at correcting metabolic problems. The reason is simple: the problems a person corrects with a good diet are caused by a poor diet to begin with.
Exercise Didn't Keep Us From Getting Fat
Granted, NHANES data are self-reported and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Chris at Conditioning Research pointed me to a study looking at changes in energy expenditure from the 1980s to the present in North America and Europe. It doesn't suffer from the same biases because it's based on direct measurement rather than self-reporting. Here's the executive summary: we're expending slightly more energy than we used to, partly because we exercise more and partly because it takes more energy to move our heavier bodies around.
I'm certainly not blaming the obesity problem on an increase in physical activity, but I do think we can safely rule out inactivity as the reason we've gotten fatter. In my mind, this only leaves one major possible cause for the obesity epidemic: changes in diet. Don't get me wrong, I think exercise is good. It has numerous positive effects on physical and mental health. But it's not as powerful of a tool for fat loss and general health as diet.
Anecdotally, I do know several people who lose fat when they exercise regularly. I also know some who don't lose fat when they exercise. Exercise and a healthy diet converge on some of the same metabolic pathways, such as sensitivity to insulin. But diet changes are far more effective than exercise at correcting metabolic problems. The reason is simple: the problems a person corrects with a good diet are caused by a poor diet to begin with.
Exercise Didn't Keep Us From Getting Fat
Granted, NHANES data are self-reported and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Chris at Conditioning Research pointed me to a study looking at changes in energy expenditure from the 1980s to the present in North America and Europe. It doesn't suffer from the same biases because it's based on direct measurement rather than self-reporting. Here's the executive summary: we're expending slightly more energy than we used to, partly because we exercise more and partly because it takes more energy to move our heavier bodies around.
I'm certainly not blaming the obesity problem on an increase in physical activity, but I do think we can safely rule out inactivity as the reason we've gotten fatter. In my mind, this only leaves one major possible cause for the obesity epidemic: changes in diet. Don't get me wrong, I think exercise is good. It has numerous positive effects on physical and mental health. But it's not as powerful of a tool for fat loss and general health as diet.
Anecdotally, I do know several people who lose fat when they exercise regularly. I also know some who don't lose fat when they exercise. Exercise and a healthy diet converge on some of the same metabolic pathways, such as sensitivity to insulin. But diet changes are far more effective than exercise at correcting metabolic problems. The reason is simple: the problems a person corrects with a good diet are caused by a poor diet to begin with.
Exercise Didn't Keep Us From Getting Fat
Granted, NHANES data are self-reported and should be taken with a grain of salt. However, Chris at Conditioning Research pointed me to a study looking at changes in energy expenditure from the 1980s to the present in North America and Europe. It doesn't suffer from the same biases because it's based on direct measurement rather than self-reporting. Here's the executive summary: we're expending slightly more energy than we used to, partly because we exercise more and partly because it takes more energy to move our heavier bodies around.
I'm certainly not blaming the obesity problem on an increase in physical activity, but I do think we can safely rule out inactivity as the reason we've gotten fatter. In my mind, this only leaves one major possible cause for the obesity epidemic: changes in diet. Don't get me wrong, I think exercise is good. It has numerous positive effects on physical and mental health. But it's not as powerful of a tool for fat loss and general health as diet.
Anecdotally, I do know several people who lose fat when they exercise regularly. I also know some who don't lose fat when they exercise. Exercise and a healthy diet converge on some of the same metabolic pathways, such as sensitivity to insulin. But diet changes are far more effective than exercise at correcting metabolic problems. The reason is simple: the problems a person corrects with a good diet are caused by a poor diet to begin with.
Shrink 2 Sizes by Summer — Calorie-Sizzling Cardio
The ultimate shape-up plan to flatten your belly, firm your thighs, sculpt your butt, and get you swimsuit ready. See results in 4 weeks!
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3 Fat-Burning Cardio Routines
High-intensity workouts burn more calories per minute than easy exercise; so to lose fat fast, you have to move fast. The good news is that even brief bursts are enough to get the job done. In a Canadian study, exercisers who did 30-minute workouts that included some short but hard efforts lost 3 times as much fat after 15 weeks as their peers who did similar 45-minute workouts without vigorous bouts.
Here are three 30-minute cardio workouts you can do while walking, running, cycling, swimming, using any cardio machine, or even just dancing in your living room. Each workout is based on an effort level of 1 to 10: 1 to 2: No effort; barely moving. 3 to 4: Easy effort; can sing. 5 to 6: Moderate effort; can talk in sentences. 7 to 8: Hard effort; can only talk a few words at a time. 9 to 10: Very hard effort; no talking, just breathing!
1. Pyramids Burns 145 to 240 calories*
Push for increasingly longer intervals with little recovery to go up the pyramid; then shorten the intervals on the way down. You'll keep your heart rate high to use more calories and improve overall fitness.
| Minutes | Effort level | |
| 0-4 | Warm up | 3-4 |
| 4-5 | Push | 8 |
| 5-6 | Recover | 5-6 |
| 6-8 | Push | 8 |
| 8-9 | Recover | 5-6 |
| 9-12 | Push | 8 |
| 12-13 | Recover | 5-6 |
| 13-17 | Push | 8 |
| 17-18 | Recover | 5-6 |
| 18-21 | Push | 8 |
| 21-22 | Recover | 5-6 |
| 22-24 | Push | 8 |
| 24-25 | Recover | 5-6 |
| 25-26 | Push | 8 |
| 26-30 | Cool down | 3-4 |
2. Roller Coaster Burns 165 to 260 calories*
Like the carnival ride, this routine builds and builds until you hit your peak effort; then it goes back down for an easy recovery. These types of vigorous intervals give your endurance and metabolism a huge boost — even after your workout is over.
| Minutes | Effort level | |
| 0-4 | Warm up | 3-4 |
| 4-7 | Build | 7-8 |
| 7-9 | Build | 8-9 |
| 9-10 | Peak | 10 |
| 10-13 | Recover | 5 |
| 13-16 | Build | 7-8 |
| 16-18 | Build | 8-9 |
| 18-19 | Peak | 10 |
| 19-22 | Recover | 5 |
| 22-25 | Build | 7-8 |
| 25-27 | Build | 8-9 |
| 27-28 | Peak | 10 |
| 28-31 | Cool down | 3-4 |
3. Chutes and Ladders Burns 155 to 245 calories*
Work as if you're climbing a ladder, then slide down to an easy pace for equal amounts of time. Because you get plenty of recovery, really push it during the intervals to maximize your cardio fitness level and fat-burning ability.
| Minutes | Effort level | |
| 0-4 | Warm up | 3-4 |
| 4-5 | Ladder | 9 |
| 5-6 | Chute | 5-6 |
| 6-8 | Ladder | 9 |
| 8-10 | Chute | 5-6 |
| 10-13 | Ladder | 9 |
| 13-16 | Chute | 5-6 |
| 16-19 | Ladder | 9 |
| 19-22 | Chute | 5-6 |
| 22-24 | Ladder | 9 |
| 27-30 | Cooldown | 3-4 |
*Calorie-burn ranges based on a 150-pound person doing activities such as walking (low end), cycling (mid), and jogging (high end).
Flat Belly Diet: Ab Exercises
By Linda Rao , Linda Rao is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to Prevention.
1. Tilt your pelvis. Lie on the floor, arms at your sides and knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Next, press your lower back to the floor so that your pelvis tilts upward. Maintain this tilt as you straighten your legs by slowly sliding your heels along the floor. Stop when you can no longer hold a full tilt position. Hold and count aloud to six. Bring one leg, then the other, back to the starting position, maintaining the pelvic tilt throughout. Hold the starting position for six more counts. Relax. Repeat 12 times. The next two exercises trimmed nearly 4 inches off the waistline of Poughkeepsie, NY, resident Marion Alexandra Licchiello, 35.
2. Lie on the floor with your legs straight up in the air. Place an exercise ball between your knees. Next, do a slight pelvic tilt from the hips. Squeeze for 1 second and relax. Start with 10 repetitions and work up to an amount where you feel fatigued.
3. Start in the same position as the previous ab exercises, with the ball between bent knees. Lift your hips off the floor so your knees move toward your chest. Squeeze for 1 second and then relax. Start with 10 repetitions and work up to an amount where you feel fatigued.
In addition to strength training, Angela Susi attributes her flat stomach to the following two moves.
4. Lie on the floor, face down, and support your upper body on your elbows, forearms, and hands. Slowly lift the rest of your body off the floor until you're on your toes. Keeping your body straight, hold for as long as is comfortable, then slowly lower and relax. Repeat as many times as possible until fatigued.
5. Lie on your left side, supporting your upper body on your left elbow, forearm, and hand. Your elbow should be directly under your shoulder. Slowly lift the rest of your body off the floor, so all that's touching is your forearm and feet. (Use the other arm to balance. For an advanced move, hold that arm straight up in the air.) Keep your body as straight as possible for maximum effect. Hold as long as is comfortable or until you can no longer maintain good form. Then slowly lower and relax. Repeat on the other side. Do as many times as possible until fatigued.
Here's a favorite from Virginia Markstein, 22, of Birmingham, AL, who also works on reducing her waistline by using an exercise ball.
6. Play catch. Get into a crunch position--lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, shoulders and head off the floor with your abs contracted. Then have someone throw an exercise ball (or basketball) to you--first to your left side so you have to twist and reach to catch it, and then to your right. Do as many times as is comfortable, and try to increase the number each week.
7. Work against gravity. Using an L-seat at the gym to do hanging leg lifts is one of the best exercises for your midsection. You're using the weight of your own legs against gravity. To do it: Support yourself on an L-seat with your forearms, legs hanging straight. Using your midsection muscles, slowly pull your knees up toward your chest and then lower. Keep your back against the seat, and don't swing your legs. For a more advanced move, keep your legs straight as you lift them.
8. Do it at home. Here's a variation of the previous exercise that doesn't require gym equipment: Sit up straight in a firm, armless chair. Place your hands on the sides of the chair in front of your hips. Tightening your abs and supporting yourself with your hands, slowly pull your knees up toward your chest. Keep your lower back against the chair back. Hold and then slowly lower.
From Prevention.com
Best Body for Summer
By Caroline Bollinger , Caroline Bollinger is Prevention's fitness editor.
2. Bridge with Fly: Tones chest, shoulders, legs, butt, and abs Holding a dumbbell in each hand, lie faceup with upper back and head on chair or bench, knees over ankles. raise dumbbells, arms straight, palms facing in (2). With abs tight and hips lifted, lower arms out to sides until level with shoulders (2a). Raise arms, squeezing chest muscles, for 1 rep.
Make it harder: Extend right leg so parallel to floor (2b). Switch legs halfway through reps.
3. Plank with leg raise: Tones chest, arms, abs, and butt Place hands shoulder-width apart on chair or bench, arms straight, feet hip-width apart, and body aligned from head to heels (3). Keeping abs tight, raise right leg 6 to 12 inches off floor, squeezing glutes (3a). Hold for 1 count, then lower. Alternate legs for 1 rep.
Make it harder: Bend elbows and lower into a push-up. holding in the down position, raise and lower right leg, and then push back up.
4. Core reach: Tones abs and back Lie faceup with legs extended toward ceiling, arms overhead with palms up (4). Contract abs as you raise head and shoulder blades off floor. Reach hands toward feet (4a). Hold for 1 count, then lower.
Make it harder: As you reach hands toward feet, lift hips a couple of inches off floor.
2. Pelvic lift: Tones hamstrings and butt Lie faceup with left heel on chair, knee slightly bent, and right leg extended toward ceiling (2). With arms at sides, press heel into chair and squeeze glutes to lift hips as high as possible (2a). Lower hips about an inch from floor for 1 rep. switch legs halfway through set.
Make it harder: Squeeze a small ball or rolled-up towel between thighs to engage inner-thigh muscles.
3. Lunge with curl: Tones legs, butt, and biceps Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding dumbbells at sides, palms forward. Step right foot forward about 2 to 3 feet, lifting left heel. Bend knees and lower until right thigh is almost parallel to floor, right knee over ankle. at the same time, curl dumbbells toward shoulders. Lower weights as you press into right foot and stand back up. Alternate legs for 1 rep.
Make it harder: Bring back foot forward to meet front foot, then step forward with foot that was in back.
4. T-Chair: Tones legs, butt, and shoulders Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with back against wall, feet 1 to 2 feet from wall and about 6 inches apart. With arms at sides, palms in, bend knees, squatting until thighs are parallel to floor, knees over ankles (4). Holding squat, raise arms out to sides to shoulder level (4a), then lower, for 1 rep.
Make it harder: Lower into squat, then lift left foot several inches as you do arm raises. Switch feet halfway through reps.
Shrink 2 Sizes by Summer: Body Shape-Up
The ultimate shape-up plan to flatten your belly, firm your thighs, sculpt your butt, and get you swimsuit ready. See results in 4 weeks!
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Forget sharks! When it comes to summertime stress, Jaws has nothing on swimwear.
A resounding 90% of women worry about stepping out in public in a swimsuit, reports a recent survey of 1,670 women by BizRate Research. Seventy percent said hiding trouble spots such as midriff bulges and bikini-bottom jiggle was a top priority when shopping for a suit. Well, drop the sarong — we've got you covered.
Our workout will flatten your belly, tone your arms, firm your butt and thighs, and burn off fat so you can hit the beach with confidence. The core of the plan is a 30-minute sculpting routine combining trouble-spot toners and cardio-based moves, like side hops and push-up jumps, that rev your metabolism and keep it elevated even after the workout, so you slim down and firm up fast.
In a study from Anderson University, exercisers who did this type of high-energy strength-training boosted their calorie burn 11% more than those who did a traditional routine — and kept their metabolism 6% higher for an hour afterward. It's supereffective at flattening your belly, too, since all the moves target your midsection. We've also included a series of 30-minute cardio routines that burn up to 260 calories per session and an easy-to-follow, satisfying diet plan to speed up your results. Start today and you can drop about 15 pounds by summer.
Program at a Glance
The Workout
What you'll need: 5- to 10-pound dumbbells. The weight should be hard to lift by the end of each set. When it starts to feel too easy, increase the amount.
What to do:
3 days a week: Do the Summer Body Shape-Up. Perform the exercises in a circuit, moving immediately from one move to the next until you've completed the routine 3 times.
6 days a week: Do Fat-Burning Cardio. Rotate through these 3 high-energy aerobic workouts, doing a different one each day, to blast fat fast. Each 30-minute routine burns about 200 calories and turns up your metabolism so you melt extra calories for hours after you're done.
The Diet
Follow the Summer Body Diet, a 1,500-calorie daily meal plan, to shed more fat without going hungry.
Summer Body Shape-up
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1. Plié with Kick
Firms shoulders, abs, hips, butt, inner and outer thighs; boosts heart rate
Stand with feet in a wide straddle stance, toes angled outward. Hold weights at shoulders, palms facing in. Bend knees until thighs are almost parallel to ground, knees over ankles. At the same time, extend arms overhead. As you straighten legs and lower weights, raise right leg and kick it around in a half circle, from left to right, keeping foot flexed, toes forward (inset photo). Repeat move, this time kicking left leg. (That's 1 rep.) Do 15 times at a brisk but controlled pace.
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2. Dead Lift and Row
Firms back, abs, butt, backs of thighs (hamstrings)
Stand with feet together, arms by sides holding weights, palms in. With abs tight, slowly raise left leg behind you as you lower upper body forward until parallel to ground, arms hanging beneath shoulders. Keep shoulders and hips squared toward floor, left toes pointing down. Bend elbows and pull weights toward chest (as pictured). Hold for a second. Lower arms and then left leg, rising to start position. Do 10 times with each leg.
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3. Push-Up Jumps
Firms arms, chest, abs, butt, fronts of thighs (quads); boosts heart rate
Stand with feet together. Extend arms in front of chest at shoulder level, palms in. Bend knees and hips and sit back 45 to 90 degrees into chair pose, keeping knees behind toes (A).
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Step left leg back into a lunge and place hands on ground on either side of right foot, right knee directly over ankle (B).
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Bring right foot back by left and lower knees to ground, feet in air. Perform a push-up (C). (For a challenge, do a full push-up: legs extended, balancing on toes.) Jump or walk feet forward toward hands and rise up into chair pose (A). Repeat, lunging with right leg back. Do 5 times with each leg, moving at a brisk but controlled pace.
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4. Dip and Bridge
Firms triceps, abs, butt
Sit with knees bent and feet flat. Place hands behind butt, fingers pointing forward. (If wrists hurt, make fists and balance on knuckles or hold dumbbells to keep wrists in line with arms.) Squeeze glutes and lift butt off ground so body forms a table. Keeping abs and butt tight, bend elbows back to lower body about 4 inches. Straighten arms, raise body, and extend right leg (as pictured); hold for a few seconds and then lower leg. Do 10 times with each leg.
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Firms abs, butt, thighs; boosts heart rate
Place dumbbells on ground about 2 feet apart to serve as markers. Stand with feet together behind left dumbbell and lower into a partial squat, hands on thighs. Spring up and hop sideways toward other dumbbell with right leg leading and left one following. Land one foot at a time with knees soft and lower into a partial squat (the lower you squat, the more challenging the move). Hop back again quickly. Do 5 to 10 jumps per side.
6. Sit-Up Fly Bridge
Firms chest, abs, butt
Lie faceup, knees bent, feet flat on ground. Hold weights in hands, arms open out to sides, elbows slightly bent, palms facing up. Squeeze chest and bring weights together above chest. Contract abs and lift head, shoulders, and upper back off ground into a crunch (as pictured) and hold for a second. Lower upper body, bringing arms out to sides, then contract abs and butt and lift hips a few inches off ground. Hold for 5 seconds and lower. Do 20 times.
7. Reverse Reach
Firms sides of abs (obliques)
From MSN Health