Exercise

You may have heard recently that lack of exercise is a greater risk factor for death than high blood pressure, high cholesterol or smoking. I was curious to see whether this was a sensational headline or if there was good data to back up the claim. The article referred to in the popular press was posted on the open network of the Journal of the American Medical Association (jamanetwork.com), ...

There are moments in one’s tennis career that are life changing: earning your first direct entry into a WTA event; moving up the rankings to the next level; winning your first title; being selected to compete for your country; or learning that you are going to be a mother. For some players, motherhood and pregnancy are an exciting time. For others, finding out they are ...

Are you bored with your exercise? Do you find yourself not motivated enough to get to the gym? To stay fit, are there activities that you would rather do than working out in a gym setting? A recent Harvard health blog “Find Your Exercise Style,” addressed the issue of exercise modalities in different people. In this blog, Madhuri Kale, a physical therapist at ...

In the media and in medical literature, there are debates about which is more important for a long healthy life, being fit or being thin. There isn’t a simple answer, so I’d like to thank my colleagues for debating these points with me recently. For sure, FITNESS is VERY important. Fitness - being able to perform well on a treadmill test - proves that all systems ...

There is much discussion in the medical literature about which is more important for a long healthy life, being fit or having a healthy weight. There isn’t a simple answer, so I’d like to thank my colleagues for debating these points with me over the past few days. For sure, FITNESS is VERY important. From a medical standpoint, fitness means being able to perform ...

Although this post is about exercising and associated health impacts, let me begin by stating that being outdoors is good for your mental wellbeing. Even spending a short time outdoors goes a long way to improve focus, creativity and self-esteem! Perhaps, this is what prompted the great Naturalist John Muir to state “In every walk with nature one receives far more than ...

In these times of conflict and polarization of our society, we need love and compassion more than ever. It doesn’t matter which side you are on politically; you can’t deny the charged and contentious atmosphere. It’s palpable. I, for one, worry for our children. Children are a lot like animals in their ability to sense and pick up on emotions easily. Kids ...

Here’s what drove home the importance of strength training to me. I was helping my daughter get one last piece of IKEA furniture - I must say we are MASTER IKEA furniture putter-togethers! We were able to get the kitchen table into her car, but then came the chore of carrying it up a few flights of steps. It was heavy and packed in a long, thin carton. As we were standing ...

Yoga and Mindfulness Yoga forces us to be in the present moment, connecting inward with our breath and our body. Understanding the awareness of how your body moves, the health of your body, and your alignment, is the best way to improve your relationship with yourself. Controlling the breath is the most significant part of the yoga practice. Once you can create your poses ...

I read my friend Dr. Julia Korenman’s blog a few weeks ago about why she exercises. Julia is a better athlete than she admitted, and a disciplined one when it comes to fitness. She comes out to walk or jog on the C&O even in the deep winter. For anyone who devotes a big chunk of her busy time each week to exercise, there always seems to be a point of “awakening,” ...