Exercises to Strengthen Your Core

Back Extensions
Lie face down, legs together and extended straight, arms bent with hands behind neck, head and neck in a neutral position.
  Lift the upper body (chest, shoulders) off of the ground, "crunching" towards the hips. Hold for a count of 5. Slowly lower to floor. Repeat 3 times.  You can also do this as the picture shows, just up and down for a count of 5.  I prefer holding it for a count of 5 and then lowering.  Either is okay. This is a very small movement-- don't move further than you can naturally and easily.

 Plank
Begin this exercise by lying on your stomach with your forearms on the floor pointing straight forward, your feet together and your spine in a neutral position. Your feet should be touching or no more than an inch apart. Lift your body up on your forearms and toes, keeping your body as straight as possible. Maintain this position for as long as possible and challenge yourself to longer periods in the plank position. Try to hold the position for 60 seconds. Don’t let your hips/knees drop, your butt raise, or shift weight to one forearm.

                                                                                                            
   Airplane Pose
Stand with feet together, arms at sides, and gaze at a spot on the ground about 5 feet ahead for balance.  Lift left foot back, bending forward until left leg and chest are almost parallel to the ground. Extend arms out as shown. I prefer to hold the pose as you bend over slightly for a count of 10, instead of going up and down as the picture shows.  I think it improves balance more doing it that way. Concentrate on centering yourself as you bend over slightly.  Remember to do the opposite leg.  Repeat for 2-3 sets. Don't worry about trying to go as parallel as she does in the picture.

  Banana Pose
Lie on floor with legs together, arms extended overhead, belly button pulled in toward spine. Keeping head between arms, slowly raise upper body and legs off floor to form a gentle banana like curve. Hold for a count of 10. Then lower. Repeat 3-4 times.

    Ball Crunches   
I like to do these with my feet  (toes) touching a wall to keep from sliding.

Begin by sitting on top of the Swiss ball. Roll in the direction your head is pointed until your lower back is supported by the curve of the ball. You can either cross your arms over your chest or place your hands behind your ears. Do not put them behind the head or clasp them together behind your head. Crunch forward, using your abdominals, until you are at approximately a 45 degree angle to the ball. Keep you neck in a neutral position. Try doing 3 sets of 15 crunches.Your lower back should feel supported while doing these.

                                                  
Twist Crunch  
Lie on the floor or a mat on your back, with knees bent and hands behind head. Feet should be flat on the ground. Keep a space between your chin and chest (looking diagonal towards the ceiling). EXHALE: As you lift up, rotate upper body toward one side, then rotate back to center. INHALE: Lower your back to the floor. Alternate sides. 10 reps each side. Repeat 3 times.

                                 

E. D. May Precede Heart Attacks

Researchers in Malaysia have found that 76% of men hospitalized for a heart attack had erectile dysfunction, or E.D., six months prior to the heart attack.  The researchers said that E.D. may precede heart attacks because penile arteries are considerably smaller than the coronary arteries.  As plaque builds up, E.D. may warn of impending heart troubles.  The lead researcher, Dr. Ramesh, says "this study demonstrates that we should consider patients with evidence of E.D. to be of very high risk for development of future acute coronary problems."

Fat Kids, Fat Problems

There are about 22 million kids, worldwide, who are overweight.
1 out of 3 kids in America are overweight or obese. What's worse is medical problems that were once diagnosed only in adults, are showing up in kids.  We're now seeing teenagers with heart disease and type 2 diabetes.  Obesity is now even showing up in kids 5 years and younger.  That's just pathetic!
Instead of relying on national programs or schools, parents need to start stepping up to the plate.  Parenting matters.  Children respond to their environment.  Parents can help change eating habits and activity levels in their kids.  Start stocking the pantry with healthy snacks.  Get rid of the sugary sodas.  Limit screen time to 2 hours a day and get your kids moving. Kids deserve to grow up healthy.

Thin Woman Kicked Off Plane So Fat Teen Could Fly

Earlier this month, Southwest Airlines kicked off a thin woman from a Las Vegas flight to make room for a fat teenager.  The 110 lb. woman bought a full fare ticket--the last seat on the plane.  She got on the plane, sat down in her seat and buckled up, ready to go. 

The fat teenager arrived late and boarded the plane.  The flight attendant told the thin woman she would have to leave as they needed to make room for the overweight teenager.  The 14 year old teenager was traveling alone and the parents had not purchased a second seat for her.  The woman protested and said, "It didn't seem right that I should have to leave to accommodate someone who had only paid for one seat." She was told to get off the plane.  She was booked on the next flight and given a free ticket by Southwest.

If they would have asked me to leave that plane, I would have been pissed.  I would not want to have been inconvenienced just because of a fat person.  
If the teenager had not been fat, this would have been a non-issue.  Were the parents in complete denial about their fat teenager?  Did they not know about Southwest's policy requiring passengers too fat to put their armrest down comfortably, to buy a second seat?
As people are getting fatter and fatter, this problem is not going away.  I can see airlines in the future, asking us our weight before we purchase a ticket.