We’ve been hearing about this modern marvel as a possibility for quite a long time now. It’s the idea that people could gleen the same benefits from a pill that their body could from actually getting off their duffs and exercising. In other words, a pill that could cardiovascularly condition you just like exercise, and elevate your metabolism, as well as all those other wonderful “side effects” you get from exercising on a regular basis.

A new pill that has been developed as a drug for those who cannot exercise but need the benefits of exercising, has been tested on lab mice with positive results thus far, making scientists think they might be on to something for near future use for human consumption. The idea is that those that are incapacitated in some way would reap the benefits of exercise, since they cannot actually move around too much, but the applications may spread beyond that into a strictly cosmetic diet aid as well for all we know.

The drug was tested on sedentary mice and found that the sedentary mice who received the pills for four weeks straight burned more fat and had less body fat, and a higher metabolism than those mice that did not receive the pill and were not sedentary. This means that, at least in mice so far, who biologically are supposed to be fairly similar to humans, this drug is working it’s magic on the metabolism and fat burning capabilities of their bodies.

Although this drug sounds great, and it most certainly would be a blessing to those who truly cannot move, I doubt it could ever wholly replace all the benefits that go with exercise, like feeling great after a workout, mood balance, and possibly even the development of muscle definition. Also, we just don’t know the long term effects of drugs like these because there simply isn’t enough time to test them before they go to market. Usually something that alters the body chemistry in these ways is eventually going to have some sort of repercussion.

The ongoing debate and crisis that we have with childhood obesity rages on, and there’s yet another piece to add to this discouraging story of how our youth is being plagued by inactivity in a day and age of parents sitting their kids in front of the tv for hours instead of having them go outside and play, and kids getting glued to the television playing games for hours on end instead of the “good old days” when kids used to have no other viable entertainment options than going outside and blowing off steam (and hence burning calories) for hours and hours, until dusk many times as when I was a kid.

Well, it seems that children of immigrants are even worse off when it comes to inactivity when it comes to getting in their physical fitness daily, than American-born children, which is worrisome of course as well because these children are also more apt to become part of the bad side of the childhood obesity epidemic.

Another reason to blame for the childhoor obesity epidemic is not just inactivity and lack of true exercise of the body, but also a high amount of processed, fatty and sugary foods being substituted for healthier, fresh options like fruits and veggies, because of the convenience aspect of processed and packaged foods.

Not only do children of immigrants get much less normal activity in during the week, they also participate drastically less than US born kids in organized sports and physical activities or clubs, making it even more unlikely they will be getting the exercise they need to burn calories and have a healthy, lean body that so many active children enjoy.

I think it’s horrible that kids are experiencing these problems so young now, especially since a child’s likelihood of wanting to exercise more as they reach adulthood is slim, since scientists have proven that children have an in-born tendency to be more active and want to be more active when younger, and it is only in teen years that yearning goes away, so the window of opportunity for true activity and wanting of physical activity goes away in a narrow time frame, considering how long we are here on earth.

Apparently text messaging is causing more than a new language emerging in the teen and tween set and beyond, like LOL and LMAO, and so on and so forth. Text messaging is apparently also the cause of a lot of physical mishaps because when people are texting, they aren’t paying attention to what they’re doing. Surprise, right? That’s exactly why I always tell my friends who have jumped on the texting crazed bandwagon that I don’t like doing it.

I’m the type of person who can only focus on doing one thing at once, especially if it involves any sort of dexterity or attention to spelling or thinking about what I’m writing at all. Sure, texting is a very informal way to communicate with people, but it still takes the cognition of reading and writing while you’re usually doing something else, and that is not something the average human being is made to do without occasionally screwing up from doing too many things at once.

Emergency rooms across the US are coming up with some unique and new age injuries from kids and adults who were texting and had accidents, not just car accidents either, but accidents walking into things, falling, tripping, rollerblading, skating, you name it, oh and riding a bike too! Texting does requre more attention than I think people realize, so it’s really creating problems for those that are addicted to it if they’re trying to do it while they really should have their full attention on something else.

There may be help on the horizon, but it will take a while to catch on most likely, as most new technology does when it first comes out, because we are so reluctant to hang up our old stuff, and that is using the voice recognition of some software programs to text and to call people. It means that you would be able to “text” someone hands free. by simply speaking into a phone or a mouthpiece of some sort which translates spoken words into written text and transmits them to the end user. If this technology takes off, then we may find a steep decline in the accidents in ER’s related to doing physical activity while texting.

Well, it appears that southern folk are much more likely to weigh in at weights that are considered to be medically obese, according to new study results that show one southern state in particular, Mississippi, the ultimate tongue twister, as being the biggest culprit in obesity rates in the southern states. With an obesity rate here in the US of a staggering 25% (about one in four apparently are considered obese here in the US), the numbers are certainly nothing to scoff at, and deserve some real study if we are to have hope that we can pull the nation out of this upward trend in obesity.

So, what is to blame for the southern states beating out other demographics in the battle of the bulge? Well, many say that it may be the high rate of poverty and poor eating habits of southern people, which includes a lot of deep fried, rich and fatty fare. Yep, that’s part of why we enjoy southern food so much too, no doubt!

And the correlations that we would expect from having higher obesity rates in these southern states, as well as low activity levels and fitness awareness, is that there are significantly higher rates of things like heart disease and stroke, which is directly related usually to diet and fitness levels as modern science and nutrition science has demonstrated in studies and research over and over again.

Educational programs may help a bit, but they also need to focus on the physical fitness aspect of it all as well, which means they need to maybe get some gyms in the schools that have good fitness equipment, like ellipticals and treadmills, maybe some recumbent bikes, and rebounding equipment and wall climbing gear - stuff that makes fitness fun, not just something where you feel like a hamster on a wheel, so to speak.

Exercise helps us in so many countless and precious ways that it’s difficult to say in what cases would exercise NOT be recommended. In fact, there is not one thing I can think of that would prompt a doctor to persuade or recommend anyone to not exercise. Some form of exercise, no matter what your situation, is always recommended, and it’s no exception for those that are getting up there in years, to help prevent and slow the formation of alzheimers, the disease where your memory begins to slip away little by little.

Many have described alzheimers, whether early onset of typically set on in the later years, as a living hell because there are moments of complete clarity and then moments of clouded memories and then finally, complete confusion. Alzheimers can happen to the best, most powerful and intelligent men and women, and once it is set in motion there is little that can currently be medically done to stop it or even slow it significantly. However, that best friend of ours, exercise may have benefits beyond anything anyone thought when it comes to alzheimers disease.

When the brain is affected by alzheimers you see, it begins to atrophy (shrink), which results in key memory mechanisms being compromised and then finally the ultimate, which is complete and total loss of all your most precious and treasured memories. Imagine, being a family member to someone that has this, it’s not easy, and it’s a reason that there is major research being poured into the prevention and treatment of the mental disease.

Tests so far on patients with early term alzheimers disease actually showed less brain atrophy than their counterparts also in the study and also with alzheimers in early stages, who were not physically fit - as in did not exercise, or did not exercise regularly enough to make them physically fit by today’s standards. Since the rate of brain shrinkage is double in alzheimers patients what it is in people with normal, undiseased brains, that means that the reduction in shrinkage from exercise is significant - more than significant actually!

It is important to note however, that the fit subjects did not perform better on mental tests than the non-fit ones, so there is still some work to be done on exactly how exercise works to help possibly slow alzheimers. Nonetheless the fact that it shows so far to help prevent the shrinkage of the brain matter that comes with the disease is very exciting and may lead to several new studies and developments in the world of alzheimers and brain research. It’s a significant finding!

When I saw this headline, it actually made perfect sense to me. There is gathering research, which the government is keen on continuing, and which I am in this case, willing to support (I usually think government spending is wasteful, but this would be worth it), that exercise can help prevent addiction to addictive substances such as alcohol and cigarettes.

When I think of how I feel after a work out, I would actually compare it to the “high” I would achieve as a smoker, or after having the occasional drink, which I still do - I no longer smoke by the way, but I do remember how good it tasted and felt to smoke a cigarette back in the day. If you think about it, if you have something to replace that feeling of a near euphoria that you know you can achieve, does it not make it easier to pass on the “quick fix” pick me ups?

It makes sense to me but I’m sure it doesn’t to everyone else, nor does it work for everyone else because Lord knows there are plenty of people who are addicted to things that work out. The thing is, that working out has been shown to affect areas of the brain that affect the mood, and this is the very reason why most people get addicted to things, because of that temporary “feel good” rush it gives them.

Also, working out has shown to improve areas such as academic achievement and motivation, which are all in the same brain area function as the exact same thing that gets taken over when we get addicted to substances, so working out may actually prevent addiction in this way too. Additional research shows that teens who smoke were shown to be much more likely to be sendentary than their non smoking counterparts, which further points to the fact that moving and exercising helps protect us from addiction.

Another interesting point brought up by those heading the study is that exercise and movement is an innate pleasure inducer in children - children actually want to move around all the time and don’t like sitting still, so part of their studies wants to see why, as adults, we lose this innate sense of pleasure from moving and view it instead as a chore. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you had that same sense of joy from exercise back that you had as a kid? I doubt the couch potato thing would be such a problem then.

Viagra is the butt of many jokes. It is the epitome of the male enhancement market and the erectile dysfunction drug crop, since it was the first high profile male sexual enhancement drug offered and generated much buzz when first introduced to market. It’s also been the subject of a lot of controversy, some saying it can have potentially dangerous side effects, especially if those not carefully screened prior to taking it are popping the little blue pills, since pre existing health conditions such as heart problems are a deadly conjunction with many of these male enhancement drugs since the increase the pumping of the blood, which can overload the heart in some patients who may already have poorly performing hearts.

Well, it seems that Viagra has not only made a name for itself in the sexual and even recreational drug category, but also now it is reportedly being used by some athletes as a performance enhancing drug to help them perform better in their respective sport.

The drug, who’s generic name is sildenafil, may generate a better stamina in athletes, as it does in men who are looking to increase sexual stamina, when taken, and for this reason it has gained somewhat of a popular following among athletes to enhance their performance and increase the time they can participate in a sport, and at what rate they can participate. However, experts are (of course) divided on whether Viagra actually delivers any sort of better performance, at least on the track or court, or wherever it is these respective athletes are performing or competing.

Some say that it does make you perform better as an athlete because it pumps out more blood, and this means more oxygen in the blood stream. Oxygen in the blood is what energizes you and gives you that endurance, and not having that oxygen in the blood supply is what makes people feel winded very quickly. Ever take the stairs and get winder very quickly? That’s not good. It means your blood does not have enough oxygen, or that your lungs do not have a good capacity to take on oxygen, either of which should be checked out.

We all know that exercise, and more importantly regular exercise that is done on a normal basis, is good for our health and mental health on so many levels that it makes it almost a moot point when trying to weight the pros and cons. Well, I guess you could say the only con is that it takes time out of your schedule, because there really are no other cons, unless you are really sick, which is the only time experts recommend you do not work out, or you have some sort of serious injuries.

A huge reason to exercise is that it can have dramatic results on the levels of cortisol in your blood stream. Cortisol is a natural hormone that occurs in the body, and it’s fine to be in the body when it is at normal levels, but the problem is that cortisol, dubbed the “stress hormone”, skyrockets during times of extreme duress or mental stress, and this has been linked to many problems, including as a contributor to weight gain and obesity, so it’s a very detrimental hormone to us in quantities that surpass what’s considered “normal”.

Right now, as I sit typing this article, I can feel the levels of cortisol are higher in me, because I have not been able to work out for the past few days. It’s almost a sort of tightness in the chest that occurs when your stress levels are high, and that’s a really bad sign, since the chest area is where the heart is and we all know that stress, and lots of it is a sign that there may be heart trouble down the way. Many medical experts believe that high stress is linked very solidly to heart attacks and even strokes, and that the control of cortisol is a key component to managing heart problems and preventing cardiac arrest.

One of my favorite exercise regimens to prevent high cortisol levels is yoga. Especially a variety called Ashtanga, where you move very quickly but also very fluidly. It gets the heart rate up and gets some of that bottled stress out, but it also has a very calming effect on the body and the mind at the same time. I especially love doing yoga and then getting in the infrared sauna, since it is like being at a spa and getting a massage, but also an incredibly invigorating workout at the same time. That is one of my ultimate cortisol busters.

Well, we all know exercise is one of the best ways we can ensure minimal health problems, a longer life, a slimmer waistline and therefor lower BMI, and many, many other great attributes, but yet another one is in the process of being proven as to another reason why everyone should be working out. There is new evidence that regular exercise may help those with substance abuse problems to kick the habit, drinking or taking some other form of addictive drugs), or never start in the first place.

This is really great stuff, especially for all those people and medical specialists who have, over the years, touted exercise as one of the greatest boons to human happiness, illness prevention and overall health benefit, in other words, exercise is the best thing for anyone who wants to create a wall of protection around them when it comes to disease, depression and other ailments, including substance abuse.

The study prompted interest in the prevention of substance abuse via exercise when surveys were held with college students and they were asked to answer some questions that would tell researchers what the common theme was in those that experienced substance abuse. And guess what? Those that answered they were not addicted to nicotine or alcohol also reported that they regularly exericse, while a significantly higher percentage answered yes to the addiction question answered in the physicaly category that they were more sedentary.

The study further goes on to state that the relationship between exercise and substance abuse may be that the exercise provides the same type of pleasure driven feelings that substances can produce. In other words, just like cigarettes (see page for if you want to quit) or alcohol, or any other sort of substance that is considered a street drug, exercise provides that sort of pleasurable experience and essentially replaces the pleasure that might be caused by certain substances, making the subjects that exercise more less apt to go in search, whether consciously or subconsciously, of those substances that also produce some sort of a void filler.

So folks, this is just another reason to exercise. And, even if you addicted to something not, it’s never too late to start exercising. The mind needs and craves physical activity, and if it doesn’t get it, you just may find you’re looking elsewhere to fill that need, and that’s never good when it comes to controlled substances and addictive chemicals. Go out and try a Horizon treadmill or some other form of exercise equipment to have around at all times, so no matter if it’s winter or summer you have some sort of outlet for pleasure and satisfaction that replaces these sorts of addictions.

They say that one of the reasons for the increasing and worsening obesity problem here in the US is the fact that we can control our environmental temperature so easily and readilly these days. Now, on hot days when our body normally would be subjected to temperatures in the nineties and above, and our bodies would have to work double time to pump out sweat and keep our bodies cool, we have air conditioning to keep us nice and comfy, and keep our bodies not working too hard.

Likewise for cold days, we have state of the art heat now, where at the touch of a button, we can just turn the heater up and become comfortable again, without shivering and making our bodies struggle to keep us warm - all of which also, you guessed it, burns calories. So all these things that people didn’t have years ago, when by the way, the obesity rate was not so bad, we have now, to make our bodies not have to do as much work.

Sure, it’s comfortable and we like it, but in actuality, it really may be part of the reason that we are such an obese society. Well, another huge reason of course is the food choices and abundance of availability of food, as well as the fact that we are very sedentary as a society in general, but the climate control thing definitley just adds more fuel to the fire.

This brings me to the point I wanted to make about working out. You may actually burn many more calories if you are working out in heat. For example, you may burn way more calories if you’re jogging outisise on a hot night or day, versus jogging inside, in a temperature controlled environment, on a treadmill. This is another reason why I love my far infrared sauna, because it forces my body to break a sweat, and elevates my heart rate, making me burn more calories and possibly even increasing my metabolic output - which burns more calories.

Not only because of the unevenness of the terrain outside, which by the way can be duplicated by the best treadmills out there, but also because of the heat and that fact that your body’s working double time to cool the body off by pumping out sweat and elevating the metabolism to make for the extra calories burned and energy released.