Preventative Health Habits Over 40

In your fabulous 40s, you still feel invincible—these are great years, after all.

But subtle changes are occurring that need to be addressed before they become problems. Here are some of the most common health shifts women experience: 

• Metabolism: Slowing by 2% per decade.
• Muscle: Down by 6 to 7 pounds from 10 years ago.
• Bone: Dropping by about 1% a year since your mid-30s.
• Libido: Declining because of high stress levels and hormonal changes.
• Stress: Especially high because of worries about kids, parents, health, career, and finances.
• Depression: More likely now than later in life.

Establish the following preventative habits now and you'll not only counter these changes—you'll stay healthier, sharper, more energetic, and more fulfilled for years to come.

Eat breakfast every day

Nutritionists agree that eating breakfast is essential to keeping weight down and calorie-burning metabolism up. In one study, women who ate a big breakfast lost 21% of their body weight after 8 months, compared with 4.5% for women on a low-carb diet who made breakfast their smallest meal. The healthy-breakfast eaters continued losing over time even though they ate more total calories, while the low-carb group started regaining weight after 4 months. 

Reason: A solid meal at the start of the day works in concert with metabolism, which is highest in the morning, fueling activity and preventing cravings that arise when blood sugar drops

Jump-start your metabolism

Strength-training for 6 months can increase your resting metabolism (a study on men showed a boost of 7%), so you’ll burn more calories even when you’re sitting on the sofa. 

Bonus: Strength-training also helps you shore up bone, maintain balance, and avoid injury—important for protecting your skeleton both now and when you’re older. Aim to exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week.

Boost calcium and vitamin D

Both are essential for strong bones, but many experts feel current benchmarks are too low. The National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends that women in their 40s get 1,000 mg of calcium and 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D every day from foods like fortified milk or salmon, along with supplements if needed. Some nutrition experts suggest getting up to 1,000 IU a day for optimal health

4. Practice stress control

A healthy, calm heart beats faster when you breathe in, slower when you breathe out. But stress inhibits this natural "heart rate variability," triggering unhealthy changes bodywide, including increased blood pressure, less energy to the brain, lower libido, and faster cell death. "In effect, stress makes you age faster," says Claire Michaels Wheeler, MD, PhD, author of 10 Simple Solutions to Stress.

To get your heart into a healthier rhythm, breathe in through your nose for 4 beats and out for 8 at least twice a day or anytime you feel pressure. "That activates the vagus nerve that runs from the brain to the pelvis, relaxing the heart, muscles, airways, gastrointestinal tract, and blood vessels," says Dr. Wheeler.

Pump up protein

Getting foods with all the amino acids needed to form complete proteins at least twice a day boosts levels of mood-lifting neurotransmitters in the brain, which can help relieve symptoms of depression, like slow thinking and poor memory. Aim for 4 ounces of protein at each meal. Good sources include fish, eggs, and quinoa. But don’t totally skip carbs: They boost mood by increasing production of serotonin in the brain.

Go out with your girlfriends

Relaxing with friends reduces stress, boosts self-esteem, and even makes you more loving toward your partner when you get home. "Women are terrific at connecting socially but often let it fall by the wayside in their 40s because of career and family demands," says Edward Schneider, MD, emeritus dean and professor of gerontology and medicine at the University of Southern California’s Andrus Gerontology Center. Women with extensive social networks through family, work, volunteer organizations, religious groups, or hobbies have lower blood pressure, less diabetes, reduced risk of heart disease, and half as many strokes as women who are less well connected.

Source:prevention.com/life/g20496315/8-things-every-woman-in-her-40s-should-do/?slide=9

Tone Up Using Your Body Weight

Why You Should Start Weight Training

Weight lifting can help you lose the fat, build muscle, and so much more.

 Here's why you should do it!

Just because you're not vying for 20-inch biceps or thunderously strong thighs like the muscle heads in the gym doesn't mean you should shun the weight room. Lifting weights gives you an edge over belly fat, stress, heart disease, and cancer—and it's also the single most effective way to look hot in a bikini. Yet somehow women are still hesitant: Only about a fifth of females strength train two or more times a week.

Here are 12 reasons you shouldn't live another day without hitting the weights.

You'll Lose 40 Percent More Fat
If you think cardio is the key to blasting belly fat, keep reading: When Penn State researchers put dieters into three groups—no exercise, aerobic exercise only, or aerobic exercise and weight training—they all lost around 21 pounds, but the lifters shed six more pounds of fat than those who didn't pump iron. Why? The lifters' loss was almost pure fat; the others lost fat and muscle.

Other research on dieters who don't lift shows that, on average, 75 percent of their weight loss is from fat, while 25 percent is from muscle. Muscle loss may drop your scale weight, but it doesn't improve your reflection in the mirror and it makes you more likely to gain back the flab you lost. However, if you weight train as you diet, you'll protect your hard-earned muscle and burn more fat.

Your Clothes Will Fit Better 
Research shows that between the ages of 30 and 50, you'll likely lose 10 percent of your body's total muscle. Worse yet, it's likely to be replaced by fat over time, says a study. And that increases your waist size, because one pound of fat takes up 18 percent more space than one pound of muscle.

You'll Burn More Calories
Lifting increases the number of calories you burn while your butt is parked on the couch. That's because after each strength workout, your muscles need energy to repair their fibers. In fact, researchers found that when people did a total-body workout with just three big-muscle moves, their metabolisms were raised for 39 hours afterward. They also burned a greater percentage of calories from fat compared with those who didn't lift.

Lifting gives you a better burn during exercise too: Doing a circuit of eight moves (which takes about eight minutes) can expend 159 to 231 calories. That's about what you'd burn if you ran at a 10-mile-per-hour pace for the same duration.

Your Diet Will Improve
Exercise helps your brain stick to a diet plan. University of Pittsburgh researchers studied 169 overweight adults and found that those who didn't follow a three-hours-a-week training regimen ate more than their allotted 1,500 calories a day. The reverse was also true—sneaking snacks sabotaged their workouts. The study authors say both diet and exercise likely remind you to stay on track, aiding your weight-loss goals.

You'll Handle Stress Better
Break a sweat in the weight room and you'll stay cool under pressure. Scientists determined that the fittest people exhibited lower levels of stress hormones than those who were the least fit. Another study found that after a stressful situation, the blood pressure levels of people with the most muscle returned to normal faster than the levels of those with the least muscle.

You'll Be Happier
Yoga isn't the only Zen-inducing kind of exercise. Researchers found that people who performed three weight workouts a week for six months significantly improved their scores on measures of anger and overall mood.

You'll Build Stronger Bones
As you age, bone mass goes to pot, which increases your likelihood of one day suffering a debilitating fracture. The good news: A study found that 16 weeks of resistance training increased hip bone density and elevated blood levels of osteocalcin—a marker of bone growth--by 19 percent.

You'll Get Into Shape Faster
The term cardio shouldn't describe only aerobic exercise: A study found that circuit training with weights raises your heart rate 15 beats per minute higher than if you ran at 60 to 70 percent of your max heart rate. This approach strengthens muscles and provides cardiovascular benefits similar to those of aerobic exercise—so you save time without sacrificing results.

Your Heart Will Be Healthier
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that people who did three total-body weight workouts a week for two months decreased their diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by an average of eight points. That's enough to reduce the risk of a stroke by 40 percent and the chance of a heart attack by 15 percent.

You'll Be Way More Productive
Lifting could result in a raise (or at least a pat on the back from your boss). Researchers found that workers were 15 percent more productive on days they exercised compared with days they didn't. So on days you work out, you can (theoretically) finish in eight hours what would normally take nine hours and 12 minutes. Or you'd still work for nine hours but get more done, leaving you feeling less stressed and happier with your job--another perk reported on days workers exercised.

You'll Live Longer
University of South Carolina researchers determined that total-body strength is linked to lower risks of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer. Similarly, other scientists found that being strong during middle age is associated with "exceptional survival," defined as living to the age of 85 without developing a major disease.

You'll Be Even Smarter
Muscles strengthen your body and mind: Brazilian researchers found that six months of resistance training enhanced lifters' cognitive function. In fact, the sweat sessions resulted in better short- and long-term memory, improved verbal reasoning, and a longer attention span.

Source: womenshealthmag.com/fitness/weight-exercises-women

I did it!!

Well I did it. I cycled 28 miles on Sunday raising money for Blood Cancer charity Bloodwise.

My day started off a little tiring. After going to bed at a reasonable time, I couldn't seem to nod off. Still awake after midnight I finally drifted off zzzzzzzz.

I woke up to the church bells chiming 5 o'clock! The sun was shining through my window and I lay there tired, tossing and turning Still awake at 6am I decided to get up and wander around the house.

After having a good breakfast of porridge, nuts and a banana I sat with a drink and relaxed for a short while.

The time came to head off across the Humber Bridge towards Grimsby, so armed with my bike, helmet and small rucksack with essentials (extra water, suncream, flapjack and banana) off I went.

The drive down was a quiet one. The sun was beaming down and the countryside was beautiful. It looked rather hilly and this made me a little anxious as I had barely done any cycling, let alone covered any hill work!

I arrived and checked in. I waited in the line up of cyclist eager to get going.

                                                      Waiting to go

9.30am came and we slowly edged forward. I waited for my turn to go.

The sun was getting warmer and even at this time of the morning the thermometer was hitting 19 degrees.

As I rode off along a tree lined road, there was a gentle breeze. Within 5 minutes I was following other cyclists and heading for our first hill. I had barely had a chance to warm up!

It was a gentle climb and as some of the more experienced cyclist whizzed past me I was determined not to get off and walk at this early stage.

Finally puffing and sweating I reached the top still attached to my bike. What goes up must come down I thought :) A much needed gentle ride down was to follow and the breeze was very welcome.

For the next 8 miles or so it was mainly a flat ride. The odd small and dare I say easy hill but lots of downhill rides. Some of these were scarily fast and I was hitting speeds of 31 mph. My brakes were in full use and it took all of my nerve to keep steady and not fall off at times. These hills were great fun but I couldn't help wonder when I would have to go back up.

As I sped through a village and turned left my first hill hit me full on. I quickly shifted gears into a lower, easier one and then again and again. By this time my legs were really struggling to keep going and I had no gears left to use. I couldn't keep it up so I had to jump off my bike before I started going backwards!

I wasn't alone and as I walked my bike steadily up the hill (even that was hard work), I passed other cyclist who also struggled. As I continued my walk upwards, cyclist slowly passed riding their bikes and pushing with all their might.

Once at top I jumped back on and off I went, slowly heading along and eventually down again.

For the next 12 miles this was to be the route. Steep hills and downward rides. I tried to keep going as long as I could but the hills just got the better of me and again I found myself having to push my bike up.

I had been cycling for 2 hours and the sun was hitting 22 degrees. I was sweating but didn't feel tired. My bum wasn't numb and my legs felt good.

At the top of one hill I decided to stop briefly to refuel. I had been drinking from my water bottle along the way and topped it up. I needed something to keep me going so ate some flapjack and a small banana. Then I was off.

I was faced with yet another hill which was more of a gentle climb so I pushed with all my strength and managed to stay on my bike. As I puffed my way to the top, there were two gents at the top taking a rest. They informed me that this was more or less the last hill and it was an almost gentle ride down to the finish. Hallelujah .

The last 8 miles went pretty fast and with a few small manageable hills I could finally see the finish in sight.

I had done it. That feeling of achievement is incredible. Other than being extremely hot and sweaty, I felt great.

I went back to register that I was finished and found the BBQ for a well earned Lincolnshire sausage hot dog.

                                                 Me with my Bloodwise medal


As I stood and ate I noticed that one poor woman who had obviously fallen off her bike. She had a black eye and blood soaked nose and face. Them down hills were pretty fierce at times and I wondered how many casualties they would claim.

The route and my time

Once home I showered, finishing it off on cold - this helps prevent lactic acid build up which is the cause of muscle soreness. Had a snack and drink and then did what any normal person would do after 5 hours sleep and over 2 hours cycling - I took the dog for a walk :) 

That night I slept like a baby. Bliss.

Thank you for reading and for any support.

My next charity event is the Race for Life raising funds for research in to cancers that affect women.

This is a 5k run/walk on 1st June. 

My next post will be on why I believe I didn't feel tired during and after the ride and what I drank two weeks leading up to the event.

What To Expect From Your Body During Your 30's

Your 30s and your 40s are a time during which your hormones tend to balance out. This means most of the changes that happen to your body are influenced by lifestyle choices, explains Jane Mitchell, a nutrition and weight loss expert, and founder of Jane Plan - a diet delivery service.

You lose muscle tone.

According to Jane the process of muscle atrophy, which is basically when the muscles shrink, begins in your 30s, although it is more pronounced in later life.

She says: 'At this point a lot of women start looking in the mirror and thinking "I'm not as a toned as I used to be"'.

She recommends adding resistance training or weight lifting to your exercise plan to help tackle muscle shrinkage.

Stress at work will cause weight gain

'There is a myth that women start to gain weight during this time,' says Jane, 'But this depends more on your lifestyle than your age.'

The nutrition expert says that women who are still working are likely to spend a lot of time at their desk and have a sedentary lifestyle, which can be conducive to an expanding waistline.

 Women who have children later than their 30s often say they never get their pre-baby stomach back and this gets worse the longer you leave it to have a child

What's more, high stress levels can cause a reactionary release of hormones encouraging you to store weight around the middle

She explains: 'When we are stressed our fight or flight hormones kick in, which make the body think "I should protect myself" and so you store weight around the vital organs. This is what causes the weight gain in the middle.'

Your face becomes slimmer and more angular 

Dr Maryam Zamani an ophthalmologist, oculoplastic surgeon and leading aesthetic doctor says that a woman's face will be come noticeably thinner in your 30s.

She explains: 'Women experience volume loss in the mid face and chin because we are producing less collagen. The face can become more angular and slim, which can also look ageing.' 

Your body stops bouncing back.

As your metabolism slows down your body will take longer to bounce back, says Jane, but this is most noticeable when it comes to pregnancy.

'Women who have children later than their 30s often say they never get their pre-baby stomach back and this gets worse the longer you leave it to have a child,' Jane explains.

She says stay-at-home mums are in the most fortunate position to get back to their post-baby weight as they will be active at home running after children, while women who return to work soon after giving birth will struggle the most.

'If you have just had a baby and you're back at work you will be stressed and pushed for time so you'll be grabbing food to eat and probably not having much time to exercise.

'That's when a lot of women struggle with weight issues.' 

Watch out for the next post - What to expect from your body during your 40's 

Source: dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3269613/What-expect-body-decade-20s-50s-combat-it.html#ixzz3p174QG1b

7 Day Workout Completed - Update

After finally completing the intensive workout, my body felt a little bit like it had used muscles I never knew existed. 

As difficult as it was I really enjoyed it. I feel stronger and although it is difficult to tell whether it has made much difference to the look of my body, I certainly feel better (I can feel that my butt muscles are harder!)

I have decided that I would really like to keep on top of pushing myself a little bit harder so will continue to add a days routine into my normal exercise pattern 2-3 times a week. I will continue doing my walking/running and cycling with the addition of one days intensive routine thrown in a few times during the week.

Doing the same routine all the time is not a good idea as the body gets used to it and is not challenged by it. I would suggest changing it every 6 weeks or so and giving yourself a challenge occasionally if you want to get any kind of results.

If you would like to try the 7 Day Challenge or take a look, you will find it at 

http://www.self.com/program/best-bodies-challenge/

7 Day Intensive Exercise Routine

Two days ago I decided to try an intensive 7 day all over body workout. I am currently on day 3.

Why am I doing this you may ask?

I have always enjoyed exercise and still enjoy it to this day. However, I do enjoy upping the stakes every now and again and thought I would challenge myself a little more. Also I wanted to know if it would make any difference to my body shape after only 7 days.

My thoughts so far are that it is VERY intense. So much so I have had to improvise some of the movements to enable me to get through it. I have not always managed to complete the full amount of circuits they have suggested (but have tried to do as much as my body would allow me to).

This is not for the faint hearted and would take someone of immense fitness, in my opinion, to complete it all to the exact scale they are suggesting.

Having said that I find the challenge enjoyable and are hoping that the end results will be worth the pain. Yes that's right pain! It doesn't come without some aching my muscles are feeling right now.

Having a change in your exercise routine is good. I change my own routine every 6 weeks at least so that my muscles have to work harder and so I am working different muscles too.

This current routine comes with a 7 day food menu to follow. I must confess that I have not been following it as I feel my diet is healthy already. I have been making sure I take in extra healthy calories to feed my muscles along with taking beetroot juice which I know from personal experience is good for stamina and energy.

Along with this routine, I also do my daily Yoga stretches just to help keep the pain in my muscles to a minimum. After showering I finish off with a cold rinse to help with lactic acid (the stuff that causes the pain of over working the muscles).

My final conclusion is that these routines are not for the newbie to exercise and not to be used as a quick last minute fix before a holiday.

I will keep you informed of my progress and final thoughts after the 7 days are complete.

Your Guide to Sitting Less

A quick guide to sitting less.

1. Plan by Minutes

Cornell ergonomist Alan Hedges recommends 20 minutes sitting, 8 minutes standing, 2 minutes walking. Repeat. The formula also improves productivity and posture, studies show.

2. Default to a Walk

Instead of mulling at your desk when you're drawing a blank, get up and take a 5-minute walk. Research suggests that you'll be 60 percent more creative when you return.

3.  Stand When Tired

Make this automatic: If you yawn, stand up. Rising fires the Ascending Reticular Activating System, a network of neurons in the cerebral cortex that enhances alertness.

4. Shift Your Mind-Set

Before you take a seat, think of this quote from Mayo Clinic researcher James Levine: "The goal of sitting should be sin-gular: to give our bodies a break from moving."

Source:mensjournal.com/health-fitness/health/sitting-the-most-unhealthy-thing-you-do-20150219#ixzz3buXahW1h

Ginger Against Knee Pain

If you have problems with pain in the knee, to release it, we recommend you eat ginger, oil and fish.

Regardless of the age of the patient and cause pain, the efficiency is high.

The problems actually might not always be a result of amortization of the wrist, which is characteristic of the elderly population. Problems may occasionally occur due to damage or due to hereditary factors.

Application of chamomile oil, olive oil, cilantro, Asian “tiger cream” can be miraculous. The only question is if it suits you or not. This is why you first need to try several remedies to see which one is the right for you.

Be sure to add sea fish salmon, mackerel and herring in your diet. These fish are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, which not only strengthen the heart, but the joints as well.

Ginger root is very efficient. The remedy is prepared in a way that you need to cut one piece off of the ginger root, grate it and rub it onto the affected area. If you want to gain even better effects, you need to simultaneously drink ginger tea.

Source:naturalhealthcareforyou.com/ginger-against-knee-pain/

Easy Exercise Ideas

Inadequate physical activity can lead to serious health problems. Start now - make exercise part of your daily routine. At any age, increasing your daily activity can make a difference.

Our bodies are designed to be active and all activity / exercise will develop and firm the muscles of the body. Exercise doesn't have to be a chore. Read on to find ways you can become more active, lose that fat and have some fun…

Walking

Make a determined effort to walk throughout the day. Get off the bus or train a stop or two before your destination and walk the rest of the way; park your car in the furthest space in the car park; walk up and down stairs (no lifts); walk the children to school; walk to the local corner shop for your newspaper or milk, etc.

15 min moderate walking will burn 52 extra kcal* 

Housework Can Do the Trick!

Turn those tiresome chores into healthy positive ones! Turn on the music and clean the windows, hoover, dust, wash up, iron and burn off those calories. 

15 min hoovering / dusting will burn 38 extra kcal*

Get Out In the Garden

Mowing the lawn, weeding and digging all count. 

15 min weeding will burn 52 extra kcal*

Clean Your Car

Time you ran your car through the wash? Why not wash it by hand? It's cheaper, better for the environment and a great form of exercise. Put your back into it and you'll get a better result!
15 min moderate car washing will burn 43 extra kcal*

Play Actively With the Kids / Get Some Friends Together

How about heading for the park for some football, rounders, catch the ball... or dusting off the bike for a leisurely ride? Exercise at a pace where you can still talk.
15 min recreational cycling will burn 45 extra kcal*

Try A Sport

Dip into our try a sport section for more information on a variety of exercise - walking,cycling, swimming, skipping, yoga ... and more.

The important thing is to become active so that your heart is pumping blood at a slightly increased rate and you are burning calories in empowering your muscles! Go for it...

*Based on a 40 year old female of 5’5" tall who weighs 12st 7lb and is moderately sedentary. Extra calories are those you burn on top of the calories you use for basic day-to-day living. Inputting your exercise into your exercise diary will calculate the number of calories you will burn based on your weight.

Source:weightlossresources.co.uk/logout/sport/easy_exercise.htm

6 Life Tips To Burn Belly Fat Fast

Want a flat stomach? Or maybe just shift a couple of pounds hanging onto your belly?

There are many alternative ways to do so than spending all your time breaking strenuous sweats in the gym (although working out is a key factor!)

It is amazing what certain small changes to your routine can do and how quickly belly fat can disappear.

1. Plenty of Vitamin C
While Vitamin C is perfect for fighting a cold; it also produces carnitine a compound used by the body to turn fat into fuel and help burn it off. Kale, bell peppers and kiwi along with the traditional orange are rich in Vitamin C.

2. Goodbye Sugar! 
Fighting belly fat consists of eating an 80% healthy diet enriched with vegetables, protein, whole-grain and omega 3 filled foods. Sugar is an evil ingredient, which quickly adds weight without us even realising, and forever leaves us craving more and more naughty snacks.

3. Swim! 
Stereotypically it is suggested that in order to achieve a flat stomach you need to spend your time in the gym, obviously it helps but it’s not necessarily the only way. Instead, swim! It is relaxing, provides low impact on your joints and is fantastic cardio. Not only will it burn of the fat but also tone your muscles.

4. Eat Smaller Portions and More Often
Eating 5 – 6 small meals per day helps to lose weight as it keeps your metabolism constantly running as it is burning off the food, it also prevents the common problem of being hungry.  Try a light breakfast, small brunch, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, small dinner and possibly a small late snack.

5. Sleep
Studies prove that people who are regularly tired have slower metabolisms, taking longer to burn off calories. Getting a good and long sleep collects more energy to do more within the day and quickly burn off fat.

6. Strengthen your Core 
You cannot avoid exercise if you want to lose weight… you don’t have to make it your priority but you do have to involve some into your routine! Your stomach muscles are apart of your core and there are many activities you can do to improve this that don’t just involve sit-ups – so next time you exercise focus purely on your core and you will see the fat shift fast!

Source:mindthemunchies.com/6-life-tips-to-burn-belly-fat-fast/?pub_id=44&w_id=&pd_id=&link_id=80917&r_link_id=80917

How SLUMPING could be causing your headaches

Increased pressure on the neck not stress or dehydration is to blame, experts say

• Majority of tension-type headaches are caused by pressure on the neck 
• These are characterised by a tight pressing pain on both sides of the head
• Bad posture and increased neck pressure causes knots to form in muscles
• Knots release chemicals increasing sensitivity to pain in nerves in the head

Many people put their headaches down to too little water or too much alcohol.

But experts suggest most headaches are actually caused increased pressure on the neck, made worse by bad posture.

Slumping leads to knots forming in the neck muscles, which release chemicals that make nerves more sensitive to pain.

This causes pain to be felt in the head, known as a tension-type headache - that feels like a tight, pressing pain on both sides of the head.

Experts say 80 per cent of all tension-type headaches - the most common type of headache - are caused by muscles in the neck.

+2

Most headaches are caused by increased pressure on the neck, made worse by bad posture, a survey found

New research found 40 per cent of people suffer a headache at least once a week and 67 per cent get one once a month or more.

Half of people said headaches negatively impact their quality of life while nearly three quarters said they wish they could deal with the pain more effectively.

These types of headaches typically last from 30 minutes to two days.

Julie Sugrue, a physiotherapist specialising in the role muscles play in headaches said the head and neck have at least 36 muscle groups of which 20 have been shown to refer pain to the head.

She said: 'These muscles are used for many activities such as moving the head, maintaining posture, eating, talking and facial expressions.

'There are a variety of factors such as poor posture and increased neck tension which can result in "knots" developing in these muscles.

'Tenderness caused by these knots can cause pain in a distant area, which is likely due to the nerves being sensitive.

'This is called referred pain, and is the reason neck muscles can cause pain to be felt in the head.'

Currently, 70 per cent of people wait twenty minutes or more before treating their headache, the survey found.

When they do treat their pain, more than half report using paracetamol.

But Dr Andrew Dowson, founder of headache services at King's College Hospital, London, suggests using ibuprofen too.

HAVE YOU GOT TEXT NECK? HUNCHING OVER A PHONE 'HURTS THE SPINE'

Slumping to read a text or study a selfie can put undue pressure on the neck, leading to a sore back.

This is because bending the neck increases the pressure put on the spine.

Bending the head at a 60 degree angle to look at a phone screen puts 60 lbs – or 27kg – worth of pressure on the cervical spine, the part of the spine above the shoulders, the study found.

At more than four stone in weight, that is heavier than the average seven year old.

The extra pressure put on the neck leads to early wear and tear and the person may eventually need surgery, experts said. 

He said: 'Ibuprofen is recommended as one of the first lines of treatment for tension-type headaches in guidelines for healthcare professionals by the British Association for the Study of Headache, alongside paracetamol and aspirin.

'Consumer confusion around headache management and treatment is part of the problem.

'It's important that consumers understand that it's the tenderness in the head and neck muscles, commonly described as "knots", that trigger release of pain-causing chemicals.

'These chemicals make nerves more sensitive to pain and produce the symptoms of tension-type headaches.'

The research was carried out by Nurofen Express.

The news comes after MailOnline reported in November 2014 that slumping to read a text or study a selfie can put undue pressure on the neck, leading to a sore back.

This is because bending the neck increases the pressure put on the spine.

Bending the head at a 60 degree angle to look at a phone screen puts 60 lbs – or 27kg – worth of pressure on the cervical spine, the part of the spine above the shoulders, the study found.

At more than four stone in weight, that is heavier than the average seven year old.

The extra pressure put on the neck leads to early wear and tear and the person may eventually need surgery, experts said. 

Source: dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2961684/How-SLUMPING-causing-headaches-Increased-pressure-neck-not-stress-dehydration-blame-experts-say.html#ixzz3SfQxIGpw

How to Burn Calories by Walking With a Weighted Backpack

When you wear a weighted backpack, you burn more calories because you have to work harder to carry the extra weight. For example, a 150-pound person walking at a rate of 4 mph for 30 minutes burns 175 calories. Add 5 pounds and the same individual burns 181 calories, according to the HealthStatus website. Walking with added weight also puts stress on your joints, including your back and knees. The key to burning calories by walking with a weighted backpack is to ensure that you get the maximum burn with the minimum risk of injury.

Step 1

Use a backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip strap. The hip strap will keep the backpack from bouncing and moving as you walk and protect your back and shoulders. The padding will prevent the straps from digging into your shoulders.

Step 2

Unzip the backpack and open it all the way. Lay the weights lengthwise inside the strap side of the bag and arrange them from the center out.

Step 3

Use duct tape to tape the weights inside the bag to keep them in place. You want the weight evenly distributed from top to bottom. Do not let the weights lay in the bottom of the bag, which can pull you off center. Having the weights in the bottom of the bag can also press against and irritate your hips and lower back.

Step 4

Zip up the backpack and put it on. Adjust the shoulder straps so that the bag is centered on your torso, and secure the strap around your hips.

Step 5

Walk outdoors or on a treadmill for at least 30 minutes plus a five-minute warm-up and cool-down. Keep your shoulders in line with your hips and your chin level with the ground. Pump your arms as you walk to increase your heart rate.

Step 6

Incorporate hills and stairs into your routine. Hills and stairs will raise the intensity and increase the number of calories you burn.

Step 7

Do intervals. Walk at a rate of 3 mph for two minutes, then speed up to 4 mph for one minute. Alternate between fast and slow for at least 30 minutes.

Warnings

• If you feel pain in your knees, ankles or hips, reduce the amount of weight or stop using the weights altogether.

Tips

• Start with one to five pounds of added weight and work your way up as you get stronger. Do not add more than 20 pounds to your backpack.
• If you do not have room to tape all of the bars inside the backpack, you can use the outside pockets as well. Just make sure the weights are evenly distributed and that none of them rest or swing against your lower back or hips.
• If you do not have weight bars, use flexible, sand-filled ankle weights. You can put the ankle weights in the bottom of the backpack but, as with the weight bars, you should evenly distribute the weight.
• Consider using a walk vest, which is specifically designed for weighted walking with its own weights and evenly spaced pockets..

Things You'll Need

• Backpack with hip strap
• 1-pound weight bars
• Duct tape

Source: livestrong.com/article/494473-how-to-burn-calories-by-walking-with-a-weighted-backpack/