Archive for July, 2008

Do Kegel exercises really work?

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

Kegel exercises were originally developed as a method of controlling incontinence in women following childbirth. They’re named after Arnold Kegel, the Los Angeles doctor who promoted their development in the 1940s. The principle behind Kegel exercises is to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor (namely, the pubococcygeus muscles). These muscles run from the back to the front of a woman’s pubic bone and encircle the openings of the vagina and rectum. Strengthening them helps improve the urethral and rectal sphincter function.

These exercises are recommended for women with urinary stress incontinence, but many others do Kegel exercises for more fun. Advocates believe that there are several benefits for a woman who exercises her vagina. They claim that it makes it easier for her to reach orgasm, makes orgasms stronger or better, and makes the vagina more sensitive.

Is sperm nutritious?

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

You are what you eat. In this case, it is somewhat true, as sperm contains important genetic material. But sperm is not particularly nutritious or fattening. The average ejaculate, about 1 teaspoon, contains between 200 and 300 million sperm. Total calories: about 5. These calories are derived from proteins (including enzymes) and sugars (mainly fructose) secreted into semen by the prostate gland to provide the sperm with the energy to swim.
Other good stuff found in semen includes water, vitamin C, citric acid, phosphate, bicarbonates, zinc, and prostaglandins.

Why do men have nipples?

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008

We are mammals and blessed with body hair, three middle-ear bones, and the ability to nourish our young with milk that females produce in modified sweat glands called mammary glands. Although females end up with the mammary glands, we all start out with them as embryos. During development, the embryo follows a female template until about 6 weeks, when the male sex chromosome kicks in for a male embryo. The embryo then begins to develop all of its male characteristics. We are left with nipples and also with some breast tissue. Abnormal enlargement of the breasts in a male is known as gynecomastia. (Some people call them “bitch tits.”) Gynecomastia can be caused by using anabolic steroids. So if Barry Bonds shows up at an old-timers game with 44DD man boobs, then I think we will finally have our answer to the steroid controversy.

Flexibility and suppleness

Monday, July 28th, 2008

Flexibility and suppleness are vital for daily life, especially as you become older.Test how supple you are by lying on your back with one knee bent. Lift the other leg, keeping knee straight. You should be able to raise your leg by at least 50 degrees; or stand and bend forwards - you should be able to bend forward comfortably 25 degrees.

Flexibility and suppleness in your 20s
Youth is no guarantee of flexibility. However supple you were as a child or teenager, flexibility will start to decline now unless you do regular muscle stretching exercises.

Flexibility and suppleness in your 30s
Without regular use, joints and muscles inevitably become less supple - and the less supple you are, the more difficult exercise becomes. It’s a vicious circle. Don’t get into it. Do some stretching exercises every day - you will notice the difference almost immediately.

Flexibility and suppleness in your 40s
As muscle cell shrinkage accelerates, the muscles pull tighter and start to restrict movement, if you’ve neglected your exercise. If you have been active, you’ll be only slightly less flexible than you were in your 20s.

Flexibility and suppleness in your 50s and beyond
Women, on average, lose 20 per cent of the flexibility they had in their 20s by their 60s. But very gentle activity that takes the joints through their full range of movements is all it takes to improve suppleness.

What you can do now
Stretch every day: stand with feet apart and arms stretched up, then lean back, arching your back. Do the same movement forwards, bending as far as you can.Then stand at arms’ length from the wall, feet apart, place both hands on the wall and, putting one foot behind the other, stretch each back leg in turn.

Understanding Your Body Fat

Friday, July 25th, 2008

About 40 per cent of women are overweight and at risk of heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) can be calculated by dividing your weight in kilos by the square of your height in metres. If you weigh 65kg and are 1.7m tall, your BMI will be 22.4. A BMI of 20-25 is normal.

Body fat in your 20s
The eating patterns you establish now are likely to last through life. So, if you start piling on weight now, it probably
will be difficult to lose.

Body fat in your 30s
Although your basal metabolic rate -the amount of energy needed to keep your body ticking over - declines very gradually as the decades pass, keeping physically active can offset this decline. If you are less active and need fewer kilojoules, but still eat the same amount, you’ll put on weight. Try to avoid eating more and exercising less.

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Muscle Strength

Friday, July 25th, 2008

Strong muscles help maintain strong bones and make it easier to do everything from climbing stairs to carrying groceries. A simple test of upper body strength is how easily you can carry heavy things.Test your leg strength by seeing how fast you can walk 2km - you should be able to manage it in 20 minutes.

Muscle Strength in your 20s
We are all born with a finite number of muscle cells which shrink as we age. Exercise won’t generate new cells, but it does enlarge the existing ones. Muscle is a dynamic tissue - at any one time around 25 per cent of muscle protein is being broken down and built up. Exercise stimulates muscle buildup and increases your strength.

Muscle Strength in your 30s
Keep any decline in muscle strength at bay with regular exercise. You won’t really feel the effects if you don’t exercise, but the greater the decline now, the harder it will be to regain that strength 10 or 20 years down the line.

Muscle Strength in your 40s
Use it or lose it - it’s up to you. By their 40s women have, on average, one-third less muscle strength than in their 20s. You have only to look at a leg that has been in a plaster cast to see how rapidly muscle declines. Unused muscles become shorter, which means that joints can’t move through their full range of motion and may become stiff.

Muscle Strength in your 50s and beyond
Without exercise, muscle strength plummets with age.The average 50- to 60-year-old woman is up to 70 per cent weaker than she was in her 20s. Researchers at University College, London, have found that the effects of menopause, too, can cause muscle strength to decline by up to 40 per cent - so take steps to check the loss.

What you can do now
Regular weight-bearing exercise is a must - brisk walking, jogging or cycling will maintain muscle strength and keep bones strong, too. After menopause, HRT can help - University College, London, researchers have found that HRT seems to protect women against the usual post-menopausal decline in muscle strength.

Aerobic fitness

Friday, July 18th, 2008

Test your aerobic fitness - how efficiently your lungs and heart get oxygen to your muscles - by climbing a flight of stairs quickly. At any age, you should be able to climb 20 stairs without stopping or becoming breathless. Or try skipping; you should manage at least one minute without having to rest.

Aerobic fitness in your 20s
You are at your peak aerobic capacity now - even without exercise. If you do exercise, you’ll be noticeably fitter and have more stamina than people who don’t.

Aerobic fitness in your 30s
Aerobic capacity declines slowly, but without exercise the decline is far more rapid. Regular exercise should enable you to maintain the levels of aerobic fitness you had in your 20s.

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