PETER'S PRINCIPLES - Dec 17-21, 2007
With winter here Gwen from Rochester Hills wants tips for a cold weather outdoor workout!
Gwen, that's an excellent question for this time of year! The workout rules change in winter. For instance: don't over dress! Dress in layers that can be stripped off as the workout intensifies. If you're a runner you'll need even fewer layers of clothing. Micro-fiber polyester fabrics are usually the best way to go! In very cold weather... Up to three layers of clothing can be worn. An inner layer. A long sleeve outer layer and a nylon wind breaker should do trick with winter here these are tips that thousands of metro detroiters should have no problem warming up to!
Carol from Troy has the holiday blues! She emails for tips on making her christmas more merry.
Carol, here are tips guaranteed to put the ho-ho-ho back into the holiday season. Winter blues and the weight gain that can come with them can usually be kicked by boosting physical activity. Researchers find that men and women taking part in exercise tests did much better on mood tests than those not working out. Women walking or jogging twice a week were more self confident self accepting and alert. Weight training in the winter months is one of the most effective ways to fight depression. In just two and a half months seventy year old men engaged in weight training programs were three times less likely to be depressed than their sedentary counterparts! Proof positive that fitness club memberships can make great stocking stuffers!
When the weather outside is frightful, can staying inside be delightful?
During a single day in 1996, up to 30 inches of snow fell on Pennsylvania residents and temperatures dropped to 27 degrees below 0. These conditions tripled death rates from heart attacks in men aged 35 to 49 years of age. Incidence of heart attack also rose by 58 percent in men overage 65 and by 29 percent in women over 65. Cold temperatures stimulate platelet production, causing the blood to thicken. When combined with physical exertion. Such as shoveling snow, increased thickening of the blood, may lead to a blood clot that triggers a heart attack. So take it slow.
Frank emails for natural ways to help control his high blood pressure.
Frank, new research just might have the answers you're looking for. The lining of the arteries are critical to your overall health. Cells produce chemicals that control the pressure and flow of your body's blood supply. These cells are constantly being attacked by dangerous free radicals that are also in your blood stream. Now we're learning that arginine anti-oxidants and exercise can all combine to increase healthy blood chemicals while lowering your blood pressure. Vitamins c and e help your body defeat harmful free radicals the all natural way! They work by keeping healthy blood flowing to vital tissues. It's another potent weapon in the ongoing fight to battle high blood pressure.
Tammy from Grosse Pointe emails, she saw a defibrillator in her gym. Do those machines really work?
Tammy, yes they do. I think it’s so important to have defribrillators I have them in both my health clubs. In fact a new study finds defibrillators in public places can save lives. Researchers conducted a study in 11 cities in the U.S. And Canada. They found survival rates with a defibrillator are 2 and a half times greater than CPR alone. About 300 thousand americans die from sudden cardiac death each year. Experts hope defibrillators can decrease that number. The cost of the defibrillators is minimal compared to the value of a life.
