Exercise Can Improve Your Mood
Mon, 3/28/2011 4:45 PM
Exercise seems like the last thing you want to do when you are depressed or feeling blue. But once you get motivated, exercise can make a big difference. Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help improve mood.
How does exercise help depression? Exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:
What kind of exercise is best?
You don't have to do all your exercise at once, either. Add small amounts of physical activity throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther away at work to fit in a short walk.
Take time to take care of yourself and do activities that you enjoy that will get you moving and make you feel better.
Dawn Caldwell is a Physical Therapist in Memphis, Tennessee with Methodist Healthcare. All opinions expressed here are those of their authors and not of their employer. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. Call 888.777.5959 for more information.
Be Your Own Best Valentine!
Tue, 1/25/2011 5:16 PM
V- is for Vigor: Get out there and exercise three times a week, even if it’s just walking. Get off the couch and start moving. Exercise lowers blood pressure, decreases bad cholesterol, burns calories, adds muscle, and increases bone strength. (See your doctor before beginning a new exercise program)
A - Acceptance: Accept others for who they are. You can’t change them, so change your attitude towards them so that you can learn to be happy around them. Who knows–your acceptance may be all it needs for them to make changes.
L - is for Laughter: Spend time laughing with family and friends. Laughing increases the “feel good” hormone in your brain which improves your overall well-being. It also makes those around you feel better.
E - Eat breakfast: Breakfast jump starts your day. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It gives you energy to start your day and is linked to many healthy benefits. A good healthy breakfast has been shown to improve weight control, improve concentration in the classroom and the boardroom, provide energy for physical activity, and improve overall intake of nutrients and vitamins.
N - Neatness: Hmmm. Some people don’t like to hear that one, but being organized can help you function better in your home and at work.
T - is for Time Management: Work on finding a balance between your work and home life. In the age of smart phones and laptops, people are working longer hours than ever before often without even realizing it. Do you answer your phone at the dinner table? Check your work email while sitting with your family? Stop that.
I - Interest: Find things that interest you and stimulate your mind. This can be a new hobby such as reading, painting, music, taking a new class, etc…the options are endless. The more interested you become in increasing your thinking power, the more interesting you become.
N - Nurture: Nurture yourself, so you can do the same for others. If you are in the midst of a crisis, take some time out and spend it nurturing yourself. Get a massage, a facial, a manicure, a haircut, relax in the park with a book, meet up with an old friend, or anything that helps you to relax...Remind yourself that underneath all that stress you are a person. Treat yourself. When was the last time you nurtured yourself? It makes a difference in how you are able to nurture others.
E - Enjoy life to the fullest: Make the most of each day. Notice life going on around you. Spend some time in it. Whether you’re headed to work or at home with your family–what can you do to make this the best day possible? If you approach each day with this attitude, it becomes infectious and others want to have the joy that you have.
Make a difference in your own life, become your own best Valentine!
Gale Dering is the Clinic Manager for the Methodist Minor Medical Center on Hacks Cross Road. All opinions expressed here are those of their authors and not of their employer. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. Call 888.777.5959 for more information.
Heart Disease Prevention
Fri, 11/05/2010 10:24 AM
Weight gain and and an inactive lifestyle can influence heart diseases. These also increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and increased blood cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. Knowing how to maintain or lose weight and also to maintain cardiac (heart) fitness is important.
Tips on Calories:
Tips on Physical Activity:
Dr. Santhosh K.G. Koshy, DM, FACC, FSCAI is the Director of Interventional Cardiology and Director of UT services at Methodist Healthcare and the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis, Tenn. All opinions expressed here are those of their authors and not of their employer. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. Call 888.777.5959 for more information.
Make Exercise a Family Affair
Fri, 7/23/2010 1:51 PM
An estimated one in five American children is overweight, according to the National Institutes of Health. Serving them healthier meals and exercising as a family can improve their short- and long-term health.
Being obese increases a child's risk for several serious childhood medical problems, including diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and psychological disorders. And, in addition to childhood health risks, studies have found overweight kids are at greater risk of becoming obese adults, with all the health problems associated with obesity lasting through the life span.
Excessive "screen time" has been identified as a direct cause of obesity in children because it replaces physical activity, increases eating, and reduces metabolism.
Get 'em up
Like adults, children should be physically active most, if not all, days of the week. Experts suggest at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity daily for most children. Running, bicycling, jumping rope, dancing, and playing basketball or soccer are good ways for them to be active.
These strategies can help you help your kids get a move on:
But the best way for you to help your children get more exercise is to join in.
All opinions expressed here are those of their authors and not of their employer. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice.
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