Our next fitness trend for 2009 is “Getting back to basics.” Well it sounds a lot simpler than you may think.

Walk into any facility in the area you will see machines, machines, and more machines. Where did these machines come from? And what purpose do they serve? Well believe it or not, Nautilus machinery was once considered “intelligent exercise”. I find it quite funny that sitting in a machine which gives you a fixed path of motion (and may require a seatbelt) with which to work with could be considered “intelligent”.

Luckily present day science has shown that the benefits of machine work may in fact be counterproductive due to the dysfunction that they cause. Let’s take the leg extension for example, an extremely popular machine in many facilities, but an incredibly dangerous one. In lifestyle movement, whether it is walking, squatting, etc, the patella (knee cap) rotates on the femur (thigh bone) but in a leg extension it is reversed. There is also a reduction in hamstring activity, a necessary component in natural movement at the knee joint. There are countless other problems with the leg extension in regards to its safety, so overall we can deduct it is fairly useless.

Examples like this exist with most of your fixed movement exercises, so why use them? The answer for all your problems is getting back to the basics, or in buzz terminology, primal movement patterns. Primal patterns are movements your body performs everyday. By exercising within the primal movement patterns you will increase your strength and endurance of daily activities, in other words, training your body to be the best at what you need it to do.

You will find a few different primal patterns, but for my clients we use the following:

1. Squat

2. Lunge

3. Push

4. Press

5. Bend

6. Rotation

7. Posture

8. Gait

These movements are the basis of human bio-mechanics. By performing them in their basic form and then progressing to additional loading and movement through multiple planes, you can train your body for proper function and strength gains.

For an exerciser unfamiliar with these patterns and the exercises that correspond to them, search out a personal trainer at your local facility. Ask them if they understand functional primal patterns. If they look at you strange, move on, chances are you will be taken through another round of tedious machine work.

Owners and managers out there, are your trainers taking advantage of these functional processes? If not, shame on you and them. Our society is full of dysfunctional, over weight, inactive people who are constantly in pain from the simplest forms of exercises. Can exercises that allow them to sit really help? The answer should be obvious. In the meantime, send your trainers for some continuing education and give them the education to continue to grow. Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen would be a great start.

So for those of you who still spend your time sitting in a machine, wrapped in a seatbelt, and measuring your workout on the amount of “pump” you have garnered, it’s time to change things up. I guarantee you will continue to see gains all while preparing your body to be functionally preserved as long as it can.

SOURCE: HARTFORD’S FITNESS EXAMINER

Computer giant Nintendo will launch its latest fitness game next month, with the current record held by a Japanese dog.

Walk With Me has pocket walking meters to measure how active players are and allows them to set daily targets.

The game, for the portable console Nintendo DS, also lets competitors compare their performance internationally.

Currently, the record is held by a dog in Japan.

The European launch on February 20 follows the success of fitness games for the Nintendo Wii.

It has been reported that a system is currently in development which would allow players to send data from the console to medics for analysis.

Director of the National Obesity Forum Dr David Haslam said he has “misgivings” about fitness computer games.

He said: “The risk is that you’re still inside playing on your computer game, but if they’re promoted and used properly they’re OK. As long as they’re not taking away natural outdoor play.

“Nintendo put the wrong software in some of their consoles and so slim youngsters were being told they were fat. The software must be child appropriate and the activities have to be child appropriate if they are used for children.”

Walk With Me uses “fun” mini-games to encourage players to be more active, Nintendo says, and world data can be used to chart a walk through the solar system.

SOURCE: PRESS ASSOCIATION

Fitness enthusiasts will soon have help at hand. All those body-building tips they yearn for will be available in a monthly package. Muscle & Fitness, a US monthly magazine on body building and fitness, is set to hit the stands this summer. Its publisher, American Media Inc, has secured the magazine’s title rights from a local publisher who had been printing the magazine without permission.

Arnold Schwarzenneger, the Hollywood hunk, had worked with the magazine as its Editor-in-Chief for 7 years. Schwarzenneger was groomed by Joe Weider, the magazine’s founder, over 35 years ago.

The lifestyle of sports and film celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, Evander Holyfield, Dwyane Johnson is frequently featured in the magazine. In India, it has Bollwood stars Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan on its advisory board.

Muscle & Fitness is priced at $5 a issue in the US. Its promoters are also into health-related allied business like sports nutritional products, high-end protein drinks etc. In India, the magazine will be published by Health is Wealth Media Private Ltd, the Indian arm of its US publisher.

“We have managed to secure the title registration for Muscle & Fitness after a two-year legal battle with a local publisher. The publisher had been bringing out the magazine illegally after adding an extra ‘S’ to Muscle and registering the title with the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI),” said Raj Makhija, CEO, Health is Wealth.

“We were confident that we will publish the magazine. We had started working with celebrities, guiding them on their muscular and fitness needs. We worked with John Abraham for Dostana for three months in Miami…our protein and health drinks are used by leading cricketers. We may bring in foreign investment of up to $1 million over five years. Initially, our target is a monthly circulation of about 50,000,” added Makhija.

But with recession eating away the advertising revenues to magazines, will the venture survive? Makhija said 50 per cent of the content for the Indian edition will be produced locally to ensure relevant content and possible local advertisements. “This is a specialised magazine for people who are already into fitness and for those aspiring to take fitness religiously. It will have specialised advertising only, related to health and fitness domain, sports, and sporting events…this coupled with subscription by fitness clubs and gymnasiums should work in our favour,” he added.

Either Arnold Schwarzenneger or Sylvester Stallone is expected to come to India for the launch. sometime in July-August. The magazine will be priced at Rs 100.

Over 2-dozen foreign magazines are unable to enter India, despite getting all other necessary government clearances because their titles have been already registered with the RNI by local publishers.

SOURCE: BUSINESS STANDARD

Open any magazine or watch any news report and you’re almost guaranteed to see something about the demise of the family unit, family activities or obesity in our nation.

However complex the problems may seem, the answers are sometimes easier than we think. For example, the simple act of running presents an inexpensive, enjoyable and healthy activity that the family can participate in together.

Compared with other sports, running cuts through differences in fitness, age and gender and requires little in the way of equipment and gear. And, while not everyone wants to run a marathon or win a 5k race, running is an activity the entire family can participate in on some level.

There are more opportunities to enjoy quality running time with your family than you might imagine.

For instance, take the fun run. Fun runs, which are frequently as short as a mile, and provide opportunities to run, jog, walk or even push a stroller, are a great way of involving all family members, whatever their age or level of fitness. Fun runs are designed to promote participation rather than winning or chasing a personal best.

Many running events - everything from a 5K race to marathon distances - often host fun runs while their main event takes place. The idea is that there is something for everyone to be involved with and enjoy.

If you family isn’t running, jogging or walking yet, it’s easy to get started. There are no rules to family running, but a few precautions to ensure that everyone gets the most out of the day.

First, remember family runs are not races, If the whole family is going out together, there’s nothing more negating than a family member who can’t contain that competitive instinct. No two people will have the same ability and fitness levels, and that’s OK. Relax and enjoy your time together all while getting a little extra exercise to boot.

Keep to the slowest pace. It is important that everyone feels part of the run. Being a jack rabbit and darting off into the distance will do little for family bonding. Always stick to the pace of the slowest runner so that they don’t become discouraged or feel demoralized. If speed is your thing, do faster runs on your own and use family runs as recovery workouts between your harder efforts.

Think of the children first. Children aren’t just small adults and won’t be (nor should they be) running longer distances. Plan your routes in advance, bearing in mind the age and abilities of each child and don’t forget to take fluids and a few snacks with you just in case you need to top off energy levels en route.

Happy running!

SOURCE: NEWS-PRESS.COM

There are now 30 former or current inmates of Northampton County Prison suing the jail and its outside health-care contractor in federal court, claiming they contracted MRSA infections because of deplorable prison conditions and a lack of proper treatment.

Six lawsuits have been filed in U.S. District Court in Allentown within the past month on behalf of Troy Miller, a state prison inmate; Anthony Fernandez and Eric Hockin, current Northampton County inmates; Benjamin Whitmore of Center Valley; Michael Peterson of Allentown and Ronald Holota Jr. of Bethlehem, who claim they contracted the bacterial infection formally known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus while locked up in the Easton prison.

The suits say the prisoners developed skin boils that had to be drained of pus and the holes that were left behind have permanently scarred them.

Water leaks, dirty showers, filthy blankets and cells and an inadequate flow of fresh air have fostered a breeding ground for the illness as far back as 2005, according to the lawsuits. Inmates not being required to shower contributed to the outbreak and their cells were not properly cleaned because prisoners were given dirty mop water that was passed from one cell to another and never drained, the lawsuits say.

”Mattresses that had been defecated and urinated on were not cleaned or changed between inmates, and instead were quite often left in place for the next inmate’s use,” according to suits filed by attorney Gerald J. Williams in Philadelphia.

Staff at the prison would often taunt and tease those who had been infected by calling them ”MRSA-naries,” the suit says.

The suits name the county and PrimeCare Medical Inc. of Harrisburg, the jail’s health-care service, as defendants. In addition, Corrections Director Todd Buskirk is named as a defendant.

The county’s outside attorneys in the suits — David J. MacMain and Macavan A. Baird of Philadelphia — did not return phone calls seeking comment Friday. Buskirk also could not be reached. Prison officials in 2005 confirmed there had been a MRSA outbreak in the prison.

Williams said both sides of the case are still in the discovery phase — requesting and obtaining information from each other — and no trial date has been scheduled. U.S. District Judge Thomas M. Golden on Jan. 13 ordered all cases in the matter to be joined at least during the discovery phase.

The first of the suits was filed in 2005 by former inmate Gerald R. Schaffer Jr. of Hellertown.

Williams said he expects to file more lawsuits on behalf of prisoners within the next few weeks. He said he believes people are still contracting MRSA at the prison.

”There’s been some improvement, but there are still improvements to be made,” he said.

Two former Bucks County inmates won a $1.2 million jury award in 2005 after claiming they suffered from a MRSA outbreak in jail.

Another suit filed against Bucks County by more than a dozen inmates who claimed to have suffered from MRSA was settled last year. In the settlement, Bucks officials didn’t give monetary awards, but did agree to provide better monitoring and prevention methods for MRSA.

SOURCE: MCALL.COM

When it comes to exercise, you get out what you put in. So, when you devote a lot of work, you expect fabulous results. But, sometimes, the results of a workout are far from what was expected.

From surprise orgasms to black toes, a number of strange things can happen to the body when put through its paces. These issues often occur when the exercise is intense, when it lasts a long time and is atypical — running a marathon, for example.

Many of the problems stem from simple nutrient depletion, as the body uses up fuel to sustain a tough work out.

“When the body is stressed, it reroutes resources, such as blood flow, away from non-vital systems,” said Dr. Michelle Wolcott, assistant professor and sports medicine specialist at the University of Colorado at Boulder. “Muscles, particularly the heart and leg muscles, use up all available nutrients and oxygen.”

Because of this, loading up on electrolyte salts or carbohydrates for energy won’t solve the problem, and a person can go into a state of hyponatremia, in which the body cannot even process any nutrients.

Marathon and long distance runners seem to endure the bulk of odd side effects from physical exertion, although almost any activity done to excess can have adverse effects, from weight lifting to sports.

In general, however, weird phenomena resulting from intense exercise are out of the ordinary. It is rare that the average gym-goer would experience these problems.

“It’s a distinct minority [of people] with a personality type that is probably very different,” said Dr. Linn Goldberg, professor of medicine and head of the Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland.

People who are adversely affected by a hard workout also often have underlying problems, such as a history of migraines, that make them susceptible to further issues.

Experts say the best way to exercise without side effects is to do it often, build intensity slowly and maintain proper nutrition.

“A little can be good, a lot does not mean it’s better,” Goldberg said.

The following is a list of some of the strange things that happen to the body during exercise.

SOURCE: ABC FITNESS

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)–Malaysia’s health ministry Thursday said it was investigating the Famous Amos cookie chain after it withdrew dough from several of its outlets amid fears it was contaminated by the salmonella bacterium.

The action followed an outbreak of salmonella poisoning in the U.S., which has made at least 474 people sick since September as a result of infected peanut- butter and peanut-paste dough, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, Web site.

The health ministry said it had started a probe into Famous Amos, a unit of Kellogg Co. (K), based on information it received that the infected dough had been exported to Malaysia for the company’s use.

“The health ministry has investigated and found the company is indeed using the dough, which contains peanut butter and peanut paste, which is imported from the Peanut Corporation of America,” it said in a statement.

“The company has withdrawn the dough, which is sold at three of its premises,” it added.

Famous Amos company representatives said the company did use peanut butter in cookies in Malaysia but that all its cookies were safe for consumption.

“There is only one dough (suspected of being contaminated with salmonella), called premium choice, which we had carried and (which was only) available in limited locations,” the company’s general manager Jesrina Liew said.

“The batch, which they suspected of contamination, is still in our inventory and has not been distributed yet. (The premium choice cookies) we have recalled were from an earlier batch of dough and had not been contaminated,” she added.

The salmonella bacterium is spread most often by the consumption of food contaminated by animal fecal matter, according to health experts.

The microbe usually flourishes within the intestinal tracts of fowl and mammals.

An estimated 1.4 million human salmonella infections occur each year, causing about 15,000 hospitalizations and 400 deaths, according to the CDC.

SOURCE: CNN.COM

Jan. 20, 2009 — There has been an “alarming rise” in antibiotic-resistant head and neck infections in young children in recent years, researchers from Emory University in Atlanta report.

Specifically, researchers say more and more elementary school-aged children are developing Staphylococcus aureus (”staph,” or S. aureus) infections that do not respond to the antibiotic methicillin. The bacteria responsible for such infections are called MRSA (for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). MRSA is a common culprit in head and neck infections, and doctors believe it’s responsible for almost every skin infection.

Before the 1980s, most MRSA infections occurred in patients who were hospitalized. But in the past decade, the bacteria have become more common in crowded community environments, such as nursing homes and prisons, and among those with no known risk factors, according to information in the journal article.

“In recent years, there have been increasing reports of community-acquired MRSA infections in children,” the authors write in the journal report.

For the study, Iman Naseri, MD, and colleagues from Emory’s department of otolaryngology reviewed pediatric head and neck infection records from more than 300 hospitals in the U.S. between 2001 and 2006.

Over the six-year period, MRSA head and neck infections in children jumped from 12% of all S. aureus infections in the study in 2001 to 28% in 2006. The average age of the children was about 6 1/2. Most MRSA head and neck infections occurred in the ears (34%), followed by the nose and sinuses (28.3%) and the throat and neck (14.2%).

The findings, published in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology — Head & Neck Surgery, have prompted a call for more cautious use of antibiotics. According to the FDA, increasing use of antibiotics plays a large role in the development of antibiotic resistance. The U.S. government calls antibiotic resistance a major public health threat.

“Judicious use of antibiotic agents and increased effectiveness in diagnosis and treatment are warranted to reduce further antimicrobial drug resistance in pediatric head and neck infections,” Naseri’s team writes.

The authors say their results “depict an alarming increase in MRSA in the United States.” They encourage more rapid testing of suspected head and neck infections so that caregivers may prescribe the appropriate antibiotic treatment immediately. Using the wrong antibiotics or using antibiotics to treat a viral infection (such as a cold) can lead to further drug resistance, according to the FDA.

SOURCE: WebMD.Com

Tea tree oil is obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia”. The tea tree is a plant that is native to Australia. Tea tree oil is a concentrated plant oil from the leaves of a tree native to Australian coastal areas. The oil is distilled through a steam process and used on the skin as an herbal remedy. Tea tree oil should not be confused with tea oil, the sweet seasoning and cooking oil from pressed seeds of the tea plant (drinking tea) Camellia sinensis or the tea oil plant Camellia oleifera. Melaleuca oil is a clear to very pale golden color essential oil with a fresh camphoraceous odour.

Skin problems, wounds, worm bites and stings, and ringworm can all be treated by applying this oil from Melaleuca tree. It is a known antifungal broker, and efficient in vitro against dual dermatophytes establish on the rind and is used in medically used esthetic products. It is sometimes recommended for warts, which are caused by viruses. It too treats and soothes acne, burns, hemorrhoids but you can merely take the vital oil to handle blemishes. It can too be used to handle damaged hair and works as an expectorant when inhaled and has a calming consequence but should not be taken internally.

Used as a component in an amount of technical products, such as gels, lotions, creams, toothpaste, mouthwashes, and shampoos. In new words, it has antibacterial activity that can too defend terrible breather, foot odour, thrush, and rashes. It too contained a constituent called terpinen-4-ol that is thought to be accountable for most of tea tree oil’s antimicrobial action. Tea tree oil can be dissolved in water or used complete power. It is too accessible in the kind of ointments, creams, lotions, and soap. Tea tree oil is frequently sold in blue glass bottles with a dropper on the ceiling to forbid light from affecting its effectiveness.

When used to treat infections and skin conditions, the oil can be applied directly to the skin in full strength or diluted form using cotton swabs. Parasiticide and Insect Repellent Tea tree oil is known to soothe the pain and itching of insect bites. The oil can also be found in deodorants, shampoos, soaps, antiseptic first-aid creams, cosmetics, and household cleaning products. Tea tree oil can help to reduce inflammation when rubbed and absorbed into the skin. It can relieve the pain of burns and bee stings as well as reduce the chance of scarring on the skin. Use tea-tree oil to protect yourself from airborne germs while traveling, or in any crowded space.

SOURCE: JULIET COHEN@jjrealestatebg.com

Cut up your gym membership card, fire your personal trainer and cancel that Jenny Craig food order. If you want to get lean in 2009, perhaps you should start with a video game console.

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, fitness-themed games could get you more excited than Richard Simmons at a short-shorts sale.

OK, this isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. We’ve seen dancing diversions such as Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution games for many years now, but the “exer-gaming” trend really took off with Nintendo’s Wii Fit ($89.99) when it debuted last spring, thanks to its collection of aerobic exercises, stretches, yoga lessons and minigames for the Nintendo Wii console. Included with the disc is the Wii Balance Board, which resembles a white bathroom scale that measures your weight and senses your movement when you stand on it.

More than a dozen other fitness games have launched since, all designed to trim a waistline. Even the sexy star of the reality TV show The Biggest Loser hosts her own exercise game. Majesco’s Jillian Michaels’ Fitness Ultimatum 2009 ($39.99) dishes workout regimens, expert advice and stretching cool-downs while you follow along on the Wii Balance Board. While the graphics aren’t anything to write home about, this is a good purchase for weight-conscious players who already own Wii Fit because the Wii Balance Board is required.

While not compatible with the Wii Balance Board, Ubisoft’s My Fitness Coach ($29.99) for the Nintendo Wii is like having a virtual trainer on your TV. Your coach in the game, Maya, motivates you and teaches nearly 500 unique cardio exercises, strength training, yoga and more.

The Nintendo DS version, called My Weight Loss Coach ($39.99), includes a pedometer you can clip on while walking around your home or city or on the treadmill that counts your steps and imports the data into the bottom of the portable player. You can set various goals to reach and are rewarded with amusing stick-figure animation, unlockable games and other goodies.

Video games are also helping players eat better. Atari’s What’s Cooking with Jamie Oliver ($29.99) for the Nintendo DS leverages the famous U.K. chef’s name to serve up a digital cookbook with hundreds of recipes to tackle in your kitchen.

Ubisoft’s Gourmet Chef ($29.99), on the other hand, lets you master the art of French cooking through dozens of missions. You can use the Nintendo DS stylus pen to cut, mix and cook 70 authentic meals as you cater to 20-odd types of customers (including food critics) and work your way up to become top chef at a high-end restaurant.

SOURCE: USA TODAY