Aetna Launches New Team-Based Fitness And Nutrition Program To Help People Achieve Healthy Lifestyles

January 21, 2010

Aetna (NYSE:AET) today announced a new team-based fitness and nutrition program for employers nationwide that uses online social networking to encourage people of all health and fitness levels to work together with their colleagues to achieve their optimal health. Powered by Shape Up The Nation, Aetna Health Connections Get Active!SM is modeled after Aetna’s own Get Active Aetna employee program…

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20 ways to get healthier for free

December 28, 2009

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(Health.com) — Celebrate the New Year with a new you — by dipping into our smart batch of strategies to keep you happy and healthy (at no cost!) all year long.

Borrow (don’t buy) your next fitness DVD

Join the local library — for the workout DVDs. Most libraries have a big selection, the perfect antidote to a boring (and pricey) gym…

Get a free skin checkup

The Skin Cancer Foundation will provide free skin screenings during its Road to Healthy Skin Tour from April to September 2010. Check SkinCancer.org this spring for availability in your area.

Order a free health calendar

Get one from the National Women’s Health Information Center. The 2010 calendar lists recommended health tests, reveals surprising symptoms of serious health conditions, and offers important advice on how to read drug labels and get a second opinion.

Surf for deals

Thunderfap.com, FreakyFreddies.com, and Freemania.net have free-by-mail samples and coupons for items like hand sanitizer, bandages, deodorant, tampons, and toothpaste…

Get a free radon test

Radon, an odorless natural gas present in many homes, is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers. January is National Radon Action Month, so visit the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site to check the availability of free or low-cost test kits in your state.

Click off the weight

Studies show that interactive online-weight-loss programs help people drop pounds …

Strike a pose

Try your Downward Dog for free — or pretty cheap — thanks to the Internet…

Bargain hard

Many health clubs and gyms are willing to cut you deals or give you free passes to try their facilities. Bally Total Fitness, Gold’s Gym, and 24 Hour Fitness offer free seven-day trials. Remember: everything is negotiable…

Do a smoke checkup

Some local fire departments offer smoke alarms (a potential lifesaver, considering up to 20 percent of the alarms installed in people’s homes don’t even work) for free…

Create a medical family tree

Start planning a healthier future today by asking relatives …

Save $170 in the shower

That’s how much you can cut from your water bill each year by taking shorter, cooler showers, …

Snag free health apps

There are about 3,000 iPhone applications designed to boost your health and fitness — and many are free. Swine Flu Tracker Map …

Boost your immunity

To help keep winter colds at bay, get free samples of Emergen-C…

Moisturize for free

Stop by Sephora stores across the country and ask for a free sample (you can literally try out hundreds of moisturizers), …

Eat healthier, no cookbook required

Got a tummy ache that needs some soothing? Try the Belly Balance Smoothie…

Tweet for discounts

Follow your favorite stores on Twitter and get hot sales alerts…

Try a new sport

You’ve always wanted to try cross-country skiing, right?…

Give and get for free

Loads of useful items from…

Sign up for a free pedometer

JustKeepMoving.com, a healthy-lifestyle-information site…

Talk it out

There’s a free self-help group out there for what­ever is bothering you…

www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/12/25/free.healthy.christmas/

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Seated Tai Chi Chuan for Ambulatory Difficulty

October 1, 2009

By Zibin Guo, PhD, Acupuncture Today

According to CDC data, physical inactivity among people with a disability continues to be a serious concern. Physical inactivity not only tends to increase the risk for functional limitations and secondary health conditions, it also tends to make individuals with physical disabilities more reliant on multiple medications that often increase the chance of having adverse drug reactions and possible secondary health problems.

The factors that contribute to physical inactivity among people with physical disabilities include: lack of a suitable fitness program; limited transportation; inaccessible facilities and equipment; lack of affordability and lack of motivation. During recent years, a great effort has been made to identify and develop health programs that are suitable for individuals with disability and will provide them with effective and low-cost exercise options. As tai chi chuan has increased in popularity, there has been growing interest in the therapeutic effect of tai chi programs in clinical settings.

Read more…

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Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back?

June 20, 2009

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Safe, Natural Weight Loss Product Now Works Even Harder To Fight Fat

June 15, 2009

Life Extension® has combined the patented plant extract, Integra-Lean™ Irvingia, with a new Calorie Control Complex to fight fat using seven biological mechanisms. Irvingia, an extract of the West African mango fruit Irvingia gabonensis, functions via four biological mechanisms to promote weight loss. 1. Irvingia shuts down the appetite and shrinks bloated fat cells by reversing resistance to leptin.

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Link Between Successful Weight Loss And Vitamin D Levels

June 13, 2009

Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie diet predict weight loss success, a new study found. The results, which suggest a possible role for vitamin D in weight loss, were presented at The Endocrine Society’s 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

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Getting More “Health,” Less “Sickness” Into Marriage Vows

June 11, 2009

It’s June, the month when many couples promise to stay together “in sickness and in health.” But research shows both men and women tend to gain weight right after marriage so as brides and grooms-to-be prepare to tie the knot this summer, nutrition experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have some suggestions for how couples can help each other stay healthier together. Penny Gordon-Larsen, Ph.D.

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Walk a Little, Live a Lot (Longer)

September 1, 2008

What if there was something simple you could do every day that would burn calories, be good for your heart, and help you stay young. You’d do it, right? Well, that’s why researchers and doctors are so gung ho about walking, especially in light of new research that credits it for everything from cutting breast cancer risks to helping you sleep. Walking is not just a weenie activity for the nonathletic, says Michelle Look, MD, national medical consultant to the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk and a physician who specializes in sports medicine in San Diego: “It’s good for just about anybody, and the health benefits are particularly significant for women.” Here, eight reasons to start walking—or just walk a little more often.

Read the complete article by Lambeth Hochwald on HEALTH.com…

Keywords: exercise, fitness, health magazine june 2008, walking, workout

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How to walk off the belly fat

September 1, 2008

Sure, you know walking is good exercise. But here’s something you might not realize: You can give your waistline (and other body parts) a serious trimming by tweaking that walk around the block.

The three women below each walked off at least 35 pounds, much of it around the middle, using one of these secret weapons: plyometrics, hills, or intervals. The strategies also strengthened their legs more quickly than plain old walking sessions, so they could walk longer and faster to burn more calories.

After six weeks of walking four to six times a week, you will feel stronger and look slimmer where it counts.

Read the complete article by Tracy Teare on CNN.com …

Keywords: exercise, fitness, walking, workout

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