Help for Postpartum Depression

With the right support, treatment, and advice, you can emerge stronger from a bout of postpartum depression.

   Postpartum depression strikes 10 to 15 percent of all women after they give birth, many times arriving without any warning signs. It can be especially difficult to deal with because most women expect to feel happy, not sad, after the birth of a child.

The Health Benefits of Laughter

Laughter is a key component of a happy life, and it has powerful physical and mental benefits. No matter what you're facing, you can learn to laugh and benefit from its healing ways.

    Funny movies, sitcoms, cute toddlers, and a good friend’s jokes can all offer one of the most powerful, natural stress relievers out there: laughter. One of the best things is that laughter increases your sense of humor.

The Amazing Benefits of Music Therapy

Music has the power to help you fight stress and even manage pain, and healing music works whether you prefer heavy metal, country, opera, or something else entirely.

    If you haven’t created a personal favorite relaxation playlist, here's a good reason to do so: Healing music can help you fight stress, find comfort, and manage pain. And if you want an additional release through music therapy, put down your earbuds and pick up a drum! Getting your groove on enhances the effect of healing music.

Anger Management: How to Keep Your Temper in Check

Everyone gets mad, but it's important to recognize when your anger has gotten out of control and it may be time to get professional help.

    It’s just a fact of life that sometimes you're going to get angry. But if your anger is excessive, you may require anger therapy to help keep your emotions in check. How do you know whether your anger is over the top and if anger management might be helpful to you?

The Physical Side of Stress

Effects of stress on your emotional and physical health may be worse than you thought.

    Although female sex hormones and brain chemistry offer some protection from stress, women are more deeply affected by the physical and emotional effects of stress than men.

Women’s reactions to stress are rooted in their body chemistry. Men have higher androgen levels, while women have higher estrogen levels.

Their brains are also wired differently. Women tend to react to stress differently than men. They don’t respond with the fight or flight response — they’re more apt to negotiate.

Why Am I Going Bald?

There are many reasons for hair loss and baldness, from genetics to stress caused by illness.

    You may not know it or feel it, but you're losing hair all the time — an estimated 100 hairs from the 100,000 or so strands in your scalp every day.

Men's Health: Building a Healthy Diet

Though it's tempting to eat fast and consume foods that offer nothing but fat and excess calories, it will eventually catch up with you. Start planning your healthy diet now.

    These days, it's not always easy to follow a healthy diet. There are so many fast food and junk food options out there, a guy is tempted to just shrug, eat what he likes, and leave his health up to fate.

Keep Cholesterol in Check

Watching and controlling your cholesterol level is important to maintaining your health, and it's really not that hard.

    Controlling your cholesterol is key to preventing heart disease. For some, this can be accomplished through the same healthy diet and exercise plan that keeps a whole host of illnesses at bay. You might not love the idea of cutting back on cheeseburgers and steak sandwiches, but for men who plan to live a long and healthy life, it could be a sacrifice worth making.

How Not to Overtrain During Exercise

Are you training too hard and putting yourself at risk of injury? Here's how to tell if you're overdoing it with exercise.

    So you've finally gotten motivated to exercise, and now you're spending hours at the gym, sweating off the pounds and conditioning your body. But how are you feeling? If you're constantly sore, stiff, uncomfortable, and tired, you might be overtraining and injuring yourself.

Get Motivated With a Fitness Role Model

If you're having trouble staying motivated and sticking with your exercise routine, a role model may be just what you need.

    When starting a workout plan, it can be tough to stay motivated. At first, it's hard to see the benefits that you're getting from exercise, and the big benefits — better heart health, reduced risk of diabetes, weight loss — can take even more time to notice. You know a routine is good for you and that in the end it will all be worth it, but it's hard to stick to it when you can't see the results. Having a fitness role model can help keep you on track and make fitness a part of your life.

How to Get Out of a Workout Rut

Bored with exercise? Get a fresh start with a new workout.

    If you've been doing the same exercises as part of the same fitness routine — using the same old machines, taking the same classes, and doing the same repetitions — for ages, you might be in a workout rut. If you just aren't enjoying workouts any more or aren't getting the same satisfaction or results you used to enjoy, it might be time for a makeover.

How to Stay Motivated to Keep Exercise Exciting

It can be easy to lose your motivation if you get bored with your exercise routine. Here's how to spice up your routine.

    So you've done what you thought was the hard part: You started a regular exercise routine to get fit and healthy. But now you're finding out that keeping up with it is as hard as starting out in the first place. You need to keep exercising, but how do you do it without getting bored and losing motivation?

10 Ways to Work In Effective Workouts

You work eight hours a day, have kids, and manage a household — so when do you have time for a workout? You owe it to yourself, and your health, to find the time for both aerobic exercise and strength training.

    Everyone needs to get a certain level of physical activity just to stay healthy. Each week, you should be engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise, plus a minimum of two strength-training sessions. And if you want to lose weight, you may need to work out even more. Stretching is necessary, too, during your warm-up and cool-down — and possibly as a separate practice if you want the additional mind-body benefits of yoga or tai chi, for instance.

Muscle Soreness, Explained

Why do my thighs ache during light activity?

    Let's talk about muscle soreness. Delayed-onset muscle soreness, or DOMS as it is often called, is the common – one could even say requisite – result of a workout. If you do an activity you're not used to, such as taking a new type of fitness class, attacking a hill on your bike when you're used to riding on flat ground, or running a far longer distance than you are accustomed to – the difference in muscle use can cause micro-tears in muscle fibers and connective tissue. As your body works to repair itself, you may feel some low-grade pain in the area.

Exercise to Help Chronic Fatigue

It may seem contradictory, but certain kinds of exercise may help relieve symptoms of chronic fatigue.

    Chronic fatigue can be a debilitating condition that makes it difficult to make it through daily activities because you feel so exhausted. While it may be tough at first to muster the energy to exercise, physical activity is one of the most successful ways that people with chronic fatigue syndrome can manage their symptoms.

What Is Chronic Fatigue? 

    Chronic fatigue syndrome is a condition in which a person lives with severe fatigue that isn't relieved by resting. Other signs of chronic fatigue include flu-like symptoms such as body aches, sore throat, headache, and enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or armpits.

   While the exact cause of chronic fatigue is not understood, the condition often appears after an infection or extreme stress. Chronic fatigue may also occur for no known reason, and may just gradually worsen until symptoms become severe.

Chronic Fatigue: How to Start an Exercise Routine 

    Since it's difficult for many who have chronic fatigue to simply get through the day, exercise may seem an odd way to remedy the symptoms of pain and fatigue. But because there is no cure for chronic fatigue, exercise is often recommended as a way to help those with chronic fatigue cope with their symptoms. Some smart ways to start a workout plan:

• Talk to your doctor. People with chronic fatigue should always check with their doctor or physical therapist before they start an exercise program. It's also important to take exercise slowly, but to gradually increase the duration and intensity of workouts for the maximum benefit.
• Don’t push yourself too hard or too fast. The key for exercising with chronic fatigue is, first, the person has to believe in what they're doing, or the exercise they're doing has to be something that they are comfortable with. The key is not to go too fast. "Those with chronic fatigue have a tougher time. It's really critical to find exercises that they can keep doing and not succumb to their fatigue."
• Increase exercise gradually. It's a slow process to get into a workout. And the goal is to increase how much you do based upon things like intensity and frequency. You want to increase intensity and frequency by about 10 percent every week or so.

Best Exercises to Ease Chronic Fatigue Symptoms

• Aerobic activity. Exercise boosts endorphins, which make us feel more energized, and increases oxygen levels in the blood. "The best exercises to overcome fatigue are aerobic exercises, which are most effective at increasing oxygen in the blood and boosting energy levels. "Aerobic exercises are really the key to building up oxygen levels in the blood."
• Stretching and strengthening exercises are as important a part of a chronic fatigue patient's workout program as they are for anyone else.
• Low-impact, low-key exercises. Yoga, tai chi, and pilates are all great for a person who has chronic fatigue — even biking and walking.

    Often, patients with chronic fatigue syndrome feel like they don't have the energy to go to work or take a shower. Seeing how much they've accomplished and improved over time by exercising can be a big motivator, and a way to feel better, both physically and mentally.

    Over time, when you add it up, it's a major difference. The visual feedback helps — it serves the psychological part.

If you have chronic fatigue, try to start getting some daily exercise. The more you get, the better you'll feel, so come up with a workout program that you enjoy and that makes you feel better. If you stick with it, you can take control of at least some of your chronic fatigue symptoms.

Exercise for a Healthy Back: Aerobics

These recommendations are for people currently not experiencing back pain. Modifications are necessary if you have back pain. Do not continue to perform an exercise which produces pain. Seek the advice of a physician or physical therapist.

Can Exercise Control Back Pain?

    Most people know regular exercise will improve their appearance and general health, but few realize the positive effects that good physical conditioning can have on their low back pain. Many studies show dramatic improvements of low back pain in individuals who are physically fit. In addition, the person in good physical shape is much less likely than the average person to injure their back during work or daily activities.

Exercise for Everyone

Even if you're new to exercise or have physical limitations, you have options. Find out how to adapt a fitness program that will enable you to progress at your own pace.

    Maybe you've never taken an interest in exercise of fitness before and don't know where to start. Or maybe you have mobility issues because of a medical condition and aren’t sure how to get started on a fitness program without hurting yourself.

6 Tips to Prevent Back Pain

Back pain is extremely common and can be caused by many simple everyday activities. Help prevent back pain and protect your spine with these important steps.

    Back pain can be the result of trauma, such as a fall or a car accident. But most often back pain is the result of an everyday activity done incorrectly — activities as common as twisting to reach or lift an object, sitting at a computer in the same position for hours, bending over to vacuum, and carrying shopping bags. The good news is that back pain prevention isn't all that difficult, often requiring just a few adjustments that will soon become second nature.

Do Mental Workouts Really Work?

Studies suggest some brain exercises may prevent cognitive decline, but researchers aren't sure which ones are best or why.

    Maintaining a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about your physical well-being, it also concerns your mental health. Like any part of your body, the brain needs the right balance of nutrients and exercise, especially as we get older and mental functions like memory and problem-solving skills start to decline.

Heart-Friendly Exercise Advice

Exercising regularly isn't only good for your waistline — it's also one of the best things you can do for your heart.

    A sedentary lifestyle is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, so becoming just a little more active can decrease your heart disease risk and increase your longevity. If you're worried you're too out of shape to get started, don't be. "It's more dangerous to remain sedentary than to start an exercise program," says Barry A. Franklin, PhD, director of the cardiac rehabilitation program and exercise laboratories at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich.

How to Exercise With Health Conditions

Learn about the benefits of exercise for everyone — even if you're not in perfect health.

    There are many benefits to be gained from regular exercise. It can lower blood pressure, improve heart function and blood sugar control, alleviate depression, ensure good sleep, decrease risk of cancer, and help manage weight, says Susan Joy, MD, director of the Women's Sports Health Program at the Cleveland Clinic.

10 Steps to Speed Weight Loss

Making simple changes that either cut out or burn off extra calories will add up to weight loss over the course of a year.

    If you're struggling with weight loss, then you already know it's the little things that add up — the "little bit more" at the dinner buffet, the "little bit too tight" feeling of your clothes. But what if you also knew about the little things you could do every day to increase your weight- loss success? Here they are.

Getting Fit With Zumba

Zumba has a huge following for a reason - the dance classes are not only fun, they also whip your body into shape. Find out how Zumba can help you reach your health goals.

    Zumba is a workout disguised as a dance party — an effective aerobic exercise delivered with a Latin-inspired beat. With dance classes being the most common choice for the more than 24 million Americans who participate in aerobic fitness classes, it’s no wonder that Zumba has zipped to the top of the list in popularity at gyms and fitness centers across the country.

Quick Ways to Speed Up Weight Loss

    It’s only natural to want quick weight loss results once you make the commitment to shed a few pounds or more. But this is one area in which slow and steady is the way to go. “Permanent weight loss can only be achieved when one makes a lifestyle change,” says Peter Vash, MD, MPH, executive director of Lindora Medical Clinics in Costa Mesa, Calif. and assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCLA’s Center for Health Sciences in Los Angeles. Eating a healthful diet and sweating it out regularly are the best ways to reach your weight-loss goal. But here’s how to make those two pound-shedding tools work to your advantage.

Toning Shoes: Do They Really Work?

Toning shoes claim to firm up and shape your legs and butt better than regular sneakers. Find out if your body could really benefit from these fitness shoes.

    Who hasn't wished for a miracle product to hit the market that can help you get fit, slim, and toned without putting in any extra effort?

Researchers, or at least marketing departments, were listening. About 10 years ago, a company called Masai Barefoot Technology, or MBT, launched their toning shoes.

An Essential Part of Women's Health

    A good fitness program involves cardiovascular (cardio) exercise, muscle toning, and stretching for flexibility — it can help keep you vital and ward off dangerous threats to women's health, like heart disease, cancer, obesity, and diabetes. And while men and women can benefit from similar workouts, women can and should tailor their own fitness routine — one that’s just right for your body’s needs and wants.

Adding Krav Maga to Your Exercise Routine

Learning this self-defense technique is also a great way to get a good workout.

    Krav Maga, pronounced "krahv muh-GAH," is a type of martial art that includes self-defense moves and techniques. Krav Maga was developed during the 1940s in Israel by a man named Imi Lichtenfeld, who taught his self-defense techniques to soldiers. Since then, Krav Maga has become an increasingly popular form of fitness and self-defense across the world, including the United States, where it is a trendy and challenging way to get in shape.

How to Train Like an Olympian

Instead of just applauding the Olympians in Vancouver, get inspired! Use these tips to train like a gold medalist and create a world-class workout.

    You may not be an Olympian, but there are lessons you can learn from them if you want to improve your athletic performance and overall fitness.

The Benefits of Outdoor Exercise

Outdoor exercise has many advantages. Get some tips on getting fit while enjoying the great outdoors.

    There is no debating the health benefits of daily exercise. All agree that we need at least 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity every day. The good news is that you don't have to work out in a gym to get in shape. Outdoor exercises are just as effective, can be more fun, and have some appealing advantages.

Kickboxing Your Way to Fitness

Relieve stress, burn calories, and kick and punch your way into shape with a safe and effective kickboxing workout.

    Cardiovascular or aerobic kickboxing is a good workout for the entire body. Kickboxing borrows movements from karate and other martial arts in order to tone your body rather than knock out an opponent. Many gyms and health clubs offer kickboxing classes, or you can buy or rent kickboxing DVDs to get a good workout at home.

10 Ways to Improve Your Treadmill Workout

Using a treadmill is a good way to get aerobic exercise, but there a few rules of the road you'll want to follow to use it safely.

    "On those days when you can't walk or run outside due to heat, cold, or rain, treadmill exercise can offer the same benefits plus the added benefit of being able to add hill-specific workouts and pacing strategies," advises Chris Eschbach, PhD, director of the Human Performance Laboratory at Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C.

Getting Fit With Martial Arts

Learn how karate and other martial arts can refresh your exercise routine and challenge your mind and body.

Martial arts can help you defend and protect yourself, but there are a number of health and fitness benefits associated with them as well.

The Fun of Indoor Cycling Workouts

Spinning can provide new excitement for your exercise routine.

    For people who love to bike or are searching for a challenging, structured workout that can be done in any weather, an indoor cycling class might be ideal.

Indoor cycling, also called spinning (after a trademarked class that uses specially-designed bikes), offers many health benefits. In the average cycling class, you get an intense cardiovascular workout, and can burn 500 to 700 calories.

Boost Your Energy Level With Exercise

Regular workouts can make a real difference in your energy level. Learn how to get the maximum benefits.

Feeling sluggish, tired, and sleepy? Just don't have any energy to do what you need to do? Skip the extra cups of java and hours of sleeping in, and head to the gym.

The Mind and Body Benefits of Yoga

The stretches of this ancient discipline can burn calories, increase flexibility, and relax your mind.

    Looking for a way to relieve stress, burn calories, and get fit, all at the same time? Yoga can help accomplish these goals by conditioning both your mind and body.

Yoga, which originated in India more than 3,000 years ago, centers around physical strength and toning. It also focuses on principles of meditation and relaxation. Yoga typically involves a series of poses and deep-breathing exercises. It can be a fast-paced, cardiovascular workout or a slower, more relaxing toning session. It all depends on which type of yoga you perform.

Is Fitness Boot Camp For You?

If you're looking to jumpstart your exercise routine, fitness boot camps are a great way to get in shape and improve your cardiovascular health.

    If you're having a hard time motivating yourself to exercise but want to start burning serious calories fast, a fitness boot camp may be the right place to start.

A fitness boot camp is a type of group exercise program that focuses on boosting stamina, endurance, fitness, and weight loss over a period of several weeks. It's called a “boot camp” because of the team training environment, and because participants are pushed and challenged beyond what they think they can do. Teams of exercisers train together regularly during the classes, which may be run by a fitness instructor at a health club, a personal trainer, or even a former military instructor.

Planning Your Pregnancy Workout

Stay healthy while you're pregnant with a workout designed for expectant moms.

    Pregnancy can make you feel exhausted, achy, and just plain uncomfortable. Exercise can help you naturally feel better and improve your health, which benefits your baby's health as well. But being pregnant will probably mean adjusting your regular fitness routine, especially as you reach the later months. That’s why a pregnancy workout can be your best bet.

Get Fit With a Stability Ball: The Basics

Working out with exercise balls can be great for your body – and especially your abs.

    Ever tried to tone your abs by doing what seemed like endless crunches? If so, you might want to add a stability ball to your workout plan. A stability ball, also called an exercise ball, allows you to do a number of exercises that efficiently strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles, and it's also a good way to stretch out your torso and improve flexibility.

Which Health Club Is Right for You?

Finding a health club that fits your needs will determine if you actually show up and get your money's worth. Get some tips on how to make the right choice.

Benefits of Health Club Membership 

With close to 30,000 health clubs in America, there is probably one that’s just right for you. Some benefits of gym membership include:

5 Great Outdoor Exercise Workouts

Outdoor workouts like hiking, biking, and in-line skating are great warm-weather options. Learn the best ways to exercise outdoors and get fit.

    Winter weather offers such exercise options as skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating to get you out of the gym. But after a few months of the cold, warm and sunny weather is a welcome arrival for exercise enthusiasts. When winter breaks and it's the first warm, sunny day of spring, break out of the gym and head outdoors for a workout.

Walk Your Way to Fitness

A regular walking workout can benefit your overall health. Find out why fitness walking is so important and how you can get started.

    If you’re like most people, you walk just under three miles every day in the course of your normal activities. Now it’s time to get a little more purposeful. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Surgeon General all agree that at least 30 minutes of brisk physical exercise is good for your health, and walking is one of the easiest forms of exercise to get.

Pilates: A Mind-Body Exercise

Find out what Pilates fitness is all about and if it might be right for you.

    Pilates is a fitness workout that builds flexibility, strength, and endurance without adding muscle mass by focusing primarily on the abdominal, hip, and back muscles, called the body's "core" muscles. It was created more than 90 years ago by Joseph H. Pilates, a German athlete who devised his own exercise technique after studying yoga, Zen, and the physical training used by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Pilates was also a proponent of the mind-body connection and his exercises include focused breathing and mental concentration.

The Many Benefits of Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a mind-body exercise that started in China and can improve cardiovascular health, balance, and flexibility, no matter what your age or ability level.

   Tai chi, or "moving meditation," is a slow, graceful, and relaxed series of movements that combines aerobics, flexibility, balance, and weight-bearing exercise with deep breathing and meditation. Tai chi dates back to 12th century China and it is believed that the Taoist monk Chang San-Feng developed the practice as a martial art form. It is said that the movements were derived from observing a snake and a crane in battle. Chang San-Feng believed that these creatures were the ones most able to overcome a stronger opponent.

Strength Training Equipment: A User's Guide

Strength training is an important part of overall fitness. Find out about the benefits and learn how to design an effective strength-training program.

    You should be including strength training twice a week as part of your overall fitness routine. Research shows that strength exercises are safe for all ages and that strength training combined with aerobic exercise can improve your physical and mental health.

Aerobic Equipment: The Treadmill and More

Aerobic exercise is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Find out more about aerobic equipment that can help keep you fit.

    Millions of Americans walk or run on treadmills or use other types of equipment to get aerobic exercise, and according to the National Sporting Goods Association, they spend billions of dollars every year on home aerobic equipment and gym memberships. The benefits of aerobic exercise done on these machines include better cardiovascular health, improved bone and muscle strength, and an increased sense of well-being.

Why You Need Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is good for your heart. Learn about the latest aerobic exercise guidelines and the health benefits of aerobic exercise.

    The most recent guidelines from the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommend 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise five days a week or 20 minutes of high intensity aerobic exercise three days a week to maintain good health and reduce your risk of chronic disease. For aerobic workouts, 60 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate is generally the zone you should reach and sustain to get the most benefits.

Design Your Best Workout Plan

Take an active role in finding a workout plan that fits your personality and fitness goals.

    According to the National Institutes of Health, lack of physical activity, along with poor diet, is the second leading preventable cause of death in the United States. "Many Americans are overweight and most don't exercise regularly. Both of these contribute to cardiovascular disease, the number one killer in the world," says John Higgins, MD, assistant professor of cardiology and an exercise physiologist at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

The Secret to Stronger Muscles

If you want bigger, stronger muscles, you don't need to reach for the heaviest weight on the rack.

    One look at Olympic weight-lifters shows that the heavier the weights, the stronger the weight lift, right? Although there's definitely some truth to this conventional workout wisdom, a new position paper published in the journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism argues that there's more to the story. 

Should You Try the Bar Method?

Move over Zumba, there's a dance-based workout craze in town. Here's how the Bar Method can help you burn fat and tone your major muscle groups.

    If dancing your way to fitness sounds like more fun than logging hours on a treadmill or sweating through a Pilates class, consider a bar-based class, such as the Bar Method. A bar workout is a dance class that combines ballet moves with core conditioning, yoga, Pilates, and weight training, and lasts about an hour. Bar Method is simply the name of the original franchise that created and popularized the workout. In the past few years, the Bar Method and other forms of ballet-based fitness have experienced a surge of popularity, thanks to the workout’s ability to help exercisers shed pounds, sculpt their bodies without bulk, and gain more energy in a motivating group exercise class.