Why Men Have Fun Working Out

Don't miss any of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line. Add our address, HealthyWomanfromBottomLine@news.bottomlinepublishing.com, to your Address Book or Safe List. Learn how here. May 26, 2011  Why Men Have Fun Working Out Tumors Dried Up and Gone in 2 Months Soothing Healer for Vaginal Infections Heart Attacks Are Now Preventable Can Mammograms Screen for Heart Disease, Too?   Why Men Have Fun Working Out As her husband headed off to the gym with a great big grin on his face, my neighbor shook her head in amazement—and frustration. "He really gets a kick out of exercising. But to me, it’s just one more chore," she admitted. This discrepancy in attitude doesn’t surprise me. Many men find physical activity fun (as my boss says, men are boys—and boys like to play)... whereas women tend to see a workout as work (because we’re all about getting things done). After reading a recent report on how gender affects exercise habits, published in the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, I called the lead author, Ro Di Brezzo, PhD, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Arkansas. She outlined several reasons why women get less pleasure from getting physical—and suggested ways to find the fun. Why there is an enjoyment gender gap... Men tend to feel more confident. Fun depends a lot on how confident and capable you feel. Older women in particular—many of whom did not grow up playing sports or lifting weights—may worry about injury or find it hard to relax when exercising. Women who are out of shape also may lack self-assurance. "Many gyms cater to people who are already fit, and this can be intimidating to women who are just beginning an exercise program," Dr. Di Brezzo noted. Men are more competitive. Guys love to best their buddies and earn bragging rights by lifting heftier weights or scoring more points. But this notion is foreign to many women. Women fill their minds with harsh self-talk. They chide themselves inwardly for being fat or weak or tell themselves that they’ll never master a certain skill. "Such negative thoughts sap motivation along with any possibility of enjoyment," Dr. Di Brezzo said. Women often set unrealistic goals. Then when they fall short, they feel frustrated and stressed out, which diminishes their fun and makes them more likely to give up. Dr. Di Brezzo’s suggestions for pumping up the pleasure... Get a workout buddy. Women tend to be sociable, so take advantage of this trait. Make plans to meet a friend at the gym or on the tennis court. Not only will you enjoy yourself more, you’ll also be more likely to stick with it—because even if you would be tempted to renege on your own exercise plans, you wouldn’t let down a friend. Find a fitness facility that fits you. Is your gym a singles scene for buff 20-year-olds? "No woman who is 50 or 60 wants to walk into a gym and feel like she’s on The Dating Game," Dr. Di Brezzo noted. You’ll feel more comfortable surrounded by patrons who are similar to you in age, appearance and exercise ability. Choose an activity that suits your personal sense of fun. Do you love the outdoors? Try walking, hiking or golf. If you like to socialize, sign up for a bowling league or softball team. For a contemplative workout, consider yoga, tai chi or swimming laps. If you did ballet or another type of dance in your youth, now is the time to try Zumba or ballroom dancing. If you enjoy exploring new trends, look into Pickle-ball. This racquet sport, which is gaining in popularity, combines elements of badminton, tennis and ping-pong. Hire a trainer or instructor. An expert can show you how to use unfamiliar equipment, teach you to perform exercises properly, help you improve your skills at your chosen activity and familiarize you with sport-specific lingo. Once you know what you’re doing, you’ll have more fun, make swifter progress and be safer, Dr. Di Brezzo noted. You don’t need to work with the trainer or instructor forever—just learn the basics, then check in every now and again to advance your skills. End each session on a high note. Hate squats? Get them over with early in your workout... and save your favorite moves for last, so you take away a pleasurable memory. Keep records on your progress over time—how many push-ups you can do, how much weight you can lift, how far you walk each day. It will give you a satisfying sense of accomplishment to see how far you’ve come... and make you look forward to the workouts to come. Source: Ro Di Brezzo, PhD, is a professor of kinesiology and director of the Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Over her 35-year career, she has coauthored more than 50 journal articles and received many awards, including the Research Award from the Southern Academy of Women in Physical Activity, Sport and Health. Tumors Dried Up and Gone in 2 Months "Within two months, every tumor had shrunk, dried up and fallen off," said Tom to Dr. Gary Null about the miraculous disappearance of his rapidly spreading cancer. Tom had already gone through surgery once for skin cancer on his forehead. Unfortunately, his skin cancer was melanoma. Just 10 days after the operation, the cancer was back with a vengeance. It reappeared on his forehead, and quickly spread to his arm, upper body and chest. Four doctors all agreed: There was nothing they could do to cure this cancer. They all still wanted to operate. But Tom wanted to live—not just get sliced up. Read on... Soothing Healer for Vaginal Infections Those unwelcome, yet all too familiar, signs—vaginal itching and burning, icky discharge, nasty odor—announce that a vaginal bacterial or yeast infection has made an appearance. Can you fight back without resorting to antibiotics or antifungal medication? Yes, you can, with Lactobacillus acidophilus vaginal suppositories, said Laurie Steelsmith, ND, author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health. Unhealthful bacteria and fungi thrive when the pH of the vagina becomes too alkaline, she explained. Using Lactobacillus suppositories, starting as soon as symptoms appear, populates the vagina with friendly bacteria, which in turn restores a healthy, more acidic vaginal pH. This combats existing infections... and ultimately helps prevent future infections. Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories are sold in health-food stores and online. Dr. Steelsmith recommended Gy-Na-Tren Vaginal Health Solution Kit ($27 at www.Natren.com), which is used daily for up to two weeks. The kit has two separate products—14 vaginal suppositories of a specific and effective strain of Lactobacillus combined with homeopathic Boricum acidum... plus 14 oral Lactobacillus pills to further support vaginal health. A more economical alternative is to make your own suppositories using plain, sugar-free yogurt and the o.b. brand of tampon (which has no applicator and is inserted with a finger). Dr. Steelsmith advised, "Coat the outside of the tampon with yogurt—don’t soak it or it will get too wet—then quickly insert it into the vagina and leave it there for one hour. Do this once daily until symptoms are gone, then stop. Typically, this takes as few as three treatments, but intractable cases of bacterial vaginosis or chronic unrelenting yeast infections may take up to 14 days of treatments to be completely resolved. I also recommend using these suppositories to prevent a vaginal yeast infection whenever you are taking oral antibiotics." Do not continue indefinitely—overuse can cause an overgrowth of Lactobacillus that exacerbates itching. With either method, if your symptoms are not completely resolved within two weeks, see your doctor. You may have a different condition, such as a sexually transmitted disease, that will not respond to Lactobacillus suppositories. Source: Laurie Steelsmith, ND, is the author of Natural Choices for Women’s Health (Three Rivers) and a medical reviewer for HealthyWoman from Bottom Line. Her private practice in naturopathic and Chinese medicine is in Honolulu. www.NaturalChoicesForWomen.com Heart Attacks Are Now Preventable The number of heart attacks has increased by 27% over the past 20 years, in spite of all the supposed advances of modern medicine. What’s going on here? Could we be mistaken about some things? Perhaps we’re under some major misconceptions about heart disease. Like... Myth #1—Heart disease and heart attacks are an inevitable part of aging. Myth #2—Cholesterol is the main cause of heart disease and heart attacks. Myth #3—Blood pressure drugs help you avoid heart problems and live longer. Myth #4—Aggressive, "type A" behavior increases your risk of a heart attack. Myth #5—Low-fat, low-cholesterol diets are good for you and your heart. Learn more... Can Mammograms Screen for Heart Disease, Too? Today we go for routine mammograms expecting to learn whether our breasts are healthy—but soon that test also may reveal whether we’re at risk for heart disease, new research suggests. Background: Breast arterial calcification (BAC), or calcium buildup in breast arteries, is visible on 3% to 29% of regular mammograms but is not routinely included in mammography reports. In the new study, published in Obstetrics & Gynecology, women underwent mammograms and then were followed for five years. Coronary heart disease developed in 21% of women whose mammograms had revealed BAC, compared with only 5% of those without BAC. Women with BAC also were significantly more likely to suffer a stroke. Surprising: The heart disease risk associated with BAC was even greater than that associated with better-known risk factors, such as high cholesterol, hypertension or family history of coronary heart disease! Best: Ask your radiologist to include BAC status in your mammography report. Since no extra testing is needed, there should be no additional cost. While the ultimate meaning of BAC is not yet definitively known, the information may prove helpful, researchers say... and if you do have BAC, it is even more important to have your other heart disease risk factors assessed. As usual, be sure to follow your doctor’s recommendations on exercising, not smoking, and controlling diabetes, cholesterol and/or blood pressure. While these measures are unlikely to make BAC go away (since BAC probably is a marker for other factors), they will help reduce your overall heart risk. Source: Peter F. Schnatz, DO, is associate chairman and residency program director in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Pennsylvania, and lead author of a study on 1,454 women.    Tamara Eberlein, the editor of HealthyWoman from Bottom Line, has been a health journalist for nearly three decades. An award-winning author or coauthor of four books, she is committed to helping other women in midlife and beyond live healthy, fulfilling lives. Her latest book is the updated, third edition of When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads (HarperCollins). She is also the "chief health adviser" to her husband of 25 years, college-age twins and teenaged son.    BOTTOMLINESECRETS.COM Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy About Us Contact US Bottom Line Publications | 281 Tresser Boulevard, 8th Floor | Stamford, CT 06901 You received this free E-letter because you have requested it. You are on the mailing list as healthwellness82@gmail.com. Or... a friend forwarded it to you. Click here to easily unsubscribe. To change your e-mail address click here. To update your e-mail preferences click here. © 2011 by Boardroom Inc. All Rights Reserved.