Month: January 2014

10 Houseplants that Detox Your Home

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), indoor air quality is one of the top five risks to public health. This is a result of home products made with toxic chemicals, such as vinyl flooring and air fresheners. If you don’t want to stop using these products and leaving the windows open all the time isn’t an option, there are plants that can help detoxify your indoor air. Here are some of the more effective. –

Aloe vera
You may know this plant as a sunburn soother, but it’s also a wonderful air purifier. Aloe actually absorbs chemicals from cleaning products and even gives you a warning sign by developing brown spots if the chemicals reach a high level.

Purple waffle plant
Researchers at the University of Georgia tested 28 common indoor decorative plants for their ability to remove the top five indoor pollutants. And the purple waffle plant was rated one of the best detoxifiers. This showy, low-maintenance spreading plant is an excellent choice as ground cover in a terrarium or to drape over a cupboard.

Areca palm
This beautiful palm tree pumps out loads of oxygen during the day and was rated by NASA as having the eighth highest removal rate for formaldehyde – a chemical often found in carpeting. Additionally, the Areca palm helps restore moisture to dry winter air at levels comparable to an electric humidifier.

Peace lily

This lily absorbs pollutants such as formaldehyde (found in carpeting) trichloroethylene (found in plastics), benzene (found in paints),and xylene (found in adhesives). The peace lily requires watering once a week and your choice of a bright or shaded home. Even though this is a “peace” lily, which is less toxic than true lilies, it still can pack a toxic punch if consumed by pets.

Rubber plant
The thick, deep green leaves of rubber plants help filter formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia from the air – all while improving the aesthetic of your living space. This somewhat demanding plant requires high light and frequent deep watering, and should also be kept far away from animals or children, as it is poisonous when consumed

Mother-in-law‘s tongue

Complementing the Areca palm’s daytime oxygen production, this plant is an evening oxygen producer – making it an excellent plant choice for the bedroom. To sweeten the deal, this prehistoric-looking plant is perfect for those lacking a green thumb. The Mother-in-Law’s Tongue can withstand any environmental conditions from light to dark, and wet to dry.

Golden pothos
This fast-growing vine absorbs formaldehyde, benzene and xylene. Placing this plant in or near the garage is good choice since engine exhaust is a primary source of formaldehyde.

English ivy
This glossy climbing plant comes in a variety of shades and is typically grown as a hanging plant that will also climb up walls or beams. Relatively easy to grow, English ivy is excellent at removing benzene from the air and also reduces airborne particles of fecal matter

Money plant

This superhero plant is an all-around air purifier that can remove formaldehyde and many other pollutants. It is also believed to bring the owner good luck, good fortune and good health in Chinese culture, where Money plants are often given as gifts on the Chinese New Year. Unfortunately, this type of bonsai tree is toxic to cats and dogs when ingested, and should also be kept out of reach of children.

Red-edged dracaena
Consider this plant if you’d like to add a pop of color to a room. The red-edged leaves are very attractive, and this plant can grow up to 15 feet tall–all while removing airborne chemicals from lacquers, varnishes and gasoline.

Spider plant
This “spider” is tough to kill – but that’s a good thing because unlike its creepy-crawly namesake, you’ll really want this plant to thrive in your home. It has long wispy leaves and tiny white flowers. The spider plant destroys benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene – a solvent found in leather and rubber

Source: Health Central

 

Parabens in Our Lotions and Shampoos

Are parabens dangerous?

Parabens are old-time chemical preservatives – they were first introduced in the 1950s after bacteria-contaminated facial lotions caused a small outbreak of blindness. Today, they are used in a wide range of personal care items – from cosmetics to toothpaste, as well as some foods and drugs.

It is partly because of their stable history that the Food and Drug Administration describes them as safe, at least in the trace amounts – 0.01 to 0.3 percent – found in most consumer products.

However, and here’s where the answer gets complicated, in recent years, environmental health advocates have challenged that conclusion. Their concerns grew after a 2004 study found paraben compounds in breast cancer tumors.

Although no real link to the cancer was established, research has also found that parabens are weak estrogen mimics, capable of altering cell growth in culture, and may also act as endocrine disruptors, which can disrupt the normal function of hormones and interfere with development. The F.D.A.’s position is that parabens are too weak in this regard to cause any real concern.

The primary issue has become their ubiquity. “Parabens are found in between 13,000 and 15,000 personal care products,” said Janet Gray, director of the science, technology and society program at Vassar College. “So we are not talking about a single exposure but a more pervasive one.”

A 2006 analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found evidence of parabens in more than 90 percent of people tested, with women – who use more cosmetics – registering higher levels than men. And a recent report in Environmental Science & Toxicology found that parabens were so common in products like baby lotion that infants may also receive a relatively high dose.

Researchers like Dr. Gray say we need to get a much better sense of such potentially riskier exposures. “The standard model of studying one paraben at a time isn’t telling us what we need to know,” she said. “It’s the bigger picture that matters.”

Source: New York Times

 

The village where half the people are at risk of blindness

blind

In the village school of Kuyu, in the heartland of Ethiopia’s Oromia region, more than 20 children put up their hands when asked if anyone in their family has eye problems.

“My mother has lost vision in one eye and the other is causing her big problems,” says one boy. “She can’t see where she’s going.”

Another child says her grandmother is blind in both eyes and is forever pulling out her eyelashes. “She rubs and rubs them,” explains the nine-year-old girl. “They give her terrible pain.”

No hands are raised when the children are asked if they themselves have vision problems.

Yet, when an ophthalmologist examines the children’s eyes, more than half of them are discovered to have infectious trachoma, a bacterial infection which is the world’s leading cause of preventable blindness.

The disease starts in childhood. If untreated, the bacteria causes inflammation that leads to scar tissue building up under the eyelid.

The scarring eventually makes the eyelid turn inwards, causing the eyelashes to scratch against the cornea.

It is excruciatingly painful and if left untreated leads to irreversible blindness.

“The dangerous thing about trachoma is that there are very few symptoms for children,” says Dr Wondu Alemayehu, one of the leading eye specialists in Ethiopia, and technical adviser for the Fred Hollows Foundation, which is leading a campaign in Ethiopia to tackle the scourge of trachoma.

“A child with trachoma would have a little bit of discomfort but not that much.

“It’s what they pass on to their mothers that can become dangerous.”

The World Health Organization estimates that 21 million people are affected by trachoma, of whom about 2.2 million are visually impaired and 1.2 million blind.

The Oromia region in southern Ethiopia is home to more than 30 million people and has the highest prevalence of trachoma in the country at around 42%. The disease prevails in hot dusty areas where people often lack access to sanitation.

Some three miles (5km) from the school, at a clinic set up to screen for trachoma, 60-year-old Sharage Feyine waits patiently to be examined.

She rubs her eyes incessantly and says her vision problems – pain in both eyes and terrible itching – began a year ago.

“I used to be able to cook for my family. Now I have become dependent,” she says.

Relief to thousands
“The pain and the devastation of trachoma can be stopped by 10 minutes of surgery,” says Dr Alemayehu.

Dr Alemayehu has trained a team of local health workers to perform trichiasis surgery in their community.

The surgery is designed to rotate the eyelid outwards, directing the eyelashes away from the eyeball.

Without the correction, the pain and scarring continues, eventually causing blindness.

Going from village to village, the team is taking treatment directly to those suffering from the disease.

Within Oromia alone, 200,000 people are at risk of going blind unless they have surgery.

Women are twice as likely as men to develop the disease as a result of caring for children who have active trachoma.

Mapping the problem
“Trachoma is a disease of poverty,” says Simon Bush, director of the Neglected Tropical Disease programme at Sightsavers.

“It is endemic in areas which have poor access to water and sanitation.”

The British charity is leading a coalition of NGOs with the ambitious aim of ridding the world of trachoma by 2020.

The first step is to map the prevalence of the disease – a global survey to examine four million people in more than 30 countries by March 2015.

The Global Trachoma Mapping Project, funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development, will identify where people are living at risk of the disease and where treatment programmes are needed.

Key to the mapping process are specially trained ophthalmic nurses who visit each household in the survey area.

Using an app installed on a mobile device, results are instantly uploaded to a site which charts the mapping process.

Monitors also provide antibiotics to anyone showing signs of the infection, and refer those who cannot be treated in this way for surgery.

Two days after surgery, Misiak , a woman in her 40s, returns to the clinic with some trepidation to have her bandages removed.

She admits to having had a sleepless night, worrying about the outcome.

Dr Wondu Alemayehu watches proudly as two members of his surgical team remove Misiak’s bandages before applying ointment to both eyes.

Sitting up, Misiak is initially dazed, but as she begins to realise she can see again, a huge smile lights up her face.

“You are all beautiful!” she exclaims, reaching out to touch Dr Alemayehu’s hand.

Source: BBC news

Vodka to blame for early deaths of Russian men: study

Russians may toast with the words “Na zdorovie” — “to your health” — but a new study finds that many Russian men are often literally drinking themselves to death.

Russian men who drink three bottles of vodka a week double their risk of dying over the next 20 years, the study shows. It helps explain why Russian men have one of the lowest life expectancies in the world — 64 compared to 76 for U.S. men.

“Vodka (or other strong alcoholic drink) is a major cause of death in Russia,” the team of Russian and British researchers report in the Lancet medical journal.

But controls meant to limit drinking seem to be helping, they added. “Russian death rates have fluctuated wildly over the past 30 years as alcohol restrictions and social stability varied under Presidents Gorbachev, Yeltsin, and Putin, and the main thing driving these wild fluctuations in death was vodka,” British cancer expert Richard Peto of the University of Oxford, who worked on the study, said in a statement.

David Zaridze of the Russian Cancer Research Center in Moscow and colleagues interviewed 200,000 people in three Siberian cities, Barnaul, Byisk, and Tomsk, over 10 years from 1999 to 2008. These cities reflect the average Russian population, they said. They asked them about drinking habits and health, and then looked to see who died and when.

The clearest pattern was among male smokers, who also happened to be the heaviest drinkers. They cleared out anyone who already had some disease when interviewed, and came up with 57,000 men. Men aged 35 to 54 who drank less than a bottle of vodka a week had a 16 percent percent chance of dying of anything over the next 20 years. But this rose to 20 percent for men who drank one to three bottles a week and to 35 percent for those who admitted drinking three or more bottles a week.

Most men did drink a bottle or less a week, but 2,842 said they drank three or more bottles every week. “Since 2005, Russian consumption of spirits and male mortality before age 55 years both decreased by about a third but are still substantial,” the researchers noted.

Heavy drinking can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, liver failure and other diseases, and drinkers are more likely to die in acccidents or to be murdered. And people who drink and smoke together raise their disease risk even more.

The researchers checked to see if maybe drinking just a little was good for health — other studies in other countries show a few drinks a week can be good for you — but there wasn’t enough data to say if this was true in Russia.

Binge-drinking is a problem in the United States, also, although not as bad.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 38 million Americans binge drink, defined as quaffing four or more alcoholic beverages in a single bout.

Source: NBC news

Drivers With ADHD: Higher Risk for Crashes?

Drivers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are nearly 50 percent more likely to be in a serious car crash, a new study suggests.

Further, men with ADHD can dramatically decrease their risk of traffic accidents if they take medication for their condition, the Swedish researchers said.

“This study confirms the importance of treatment and medication for adults with ADHD as well as teens,” said Ruth Hughes, CEO of Children and Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, a patient advocacy group.

“The core symptoms of ADHD include problems with sustained attention and impulsivity, which can have an adverse effect on driving safely,” said Hughes, who was not involved in the new study. “All drivers with ADHD need to responsibly manage their treatment to reduce driving risks.”

The new findings come from a review of more than 17,000 people in Sweden with ADHD, aged 18 to 46. Researcher Henrik Larsson and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute used databases to track whether the patients had been in a car accident between 2006 and 2009, and if they had a prescription for ADHD medication at the time.

Overall, having ADHD increased a man’s risk of a traffic crash by 47 percent and a woman’s risk by 45 percent, the researchers found.

They then investigated the role of medication in preventing crashes by determining whether people involved in a wreck had filled a prescription for ADHD medicine within the previous six months.

Dr. Lenard Adler, a professor of psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, said despite a broad definition of taking medication, “men [who were] treated substantially lowered their risk for accidents.”

Access to ADHD medication reduced men’s risk of a car wreck by 58 percent compared to men who did not take medication, according to the study. Women with ADHD, however, did not receive any significant benefit from medication in terms of car crashes.

The study, published online Jan. 29 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, did not receive any funding from drug companies.

Breaking down the numbers further, the researchers estimated that between 41 percent and 49 percent of the car accidents involving men with ADHD could have been avoided if they had been taking their medication as prescribed.

About three out of five children with ADHD carry the disorder with them into adulthood, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. That amounts to about 8 million adults living with ADHD.

Previous research with ADHD patients in virtual-reality driving simulators found that they are more likely to speed, drive erratically, tap the breaks and accelerate into potential accidents, said Adler, who did not take part in the Swedish research.

Source: Web md

Why city life may be bad for you

When it comes to getting people to be more active, much of the attention is focused on the improving sports facilities, encouraging people to join the gym or lambasting schools for not doing enough PE.

But could another crucial factor be the way neighbourhoods are designed?

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) thinks so.

The organisation has carried out an analysis of the nine major cities in England – Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield – to explore this.

Its researchers looked at housing density and the availability of green spaces.

The least active areas – deprived parts of Birmingham, Newcastle and London – had twice the housing density and 20% less green space than the most active places.

This is important.

Nearly 60% of people living in these cities do not do the recommended levels of activity.

But, crucially, three quarters said they would be happy to walk more and get outside in the fresh air if their local environment was more suitable, according to a poll cited by RIBA.

People cited safer streets and more attractive green spaces as two key factors.

RIBA has published the findings as it wants councils to take note.

Under the shake-up of the NHS last year, local government was given responsibility for public health.

So RIBA president Stephen Hodder said he wanted councils to ensure public health becomes an important part of the planning process.

“It’s vital that planners and developers take the lead and ensure healthier cities,” he added.

To be fair, this is already happening in many places.

Health impact assessments have become a crucial part of the process.

But as always – for councils which have seen their funding cut dramatically in recent years – it comes down to money.

One of the examples of good practice cited by RIBA in its report was the re-development of the Brownfield Estate, an inner-London housing estate.

It under-went a major £7m building programme with money invested from a variety of public and private sources.

The project saw the walk-ways between flats become “green grids” lined with grass and trees, while play areas were created across the site.

Another scheme highlighted was the creation of a natural play area with climbing frames, a water foundation and wetland on a disused field in the former mining town of Huthwaite in north Nottinghamshire.

Once empty, the area is now packed with children (when the weather permits).

But this project was only possible because the area was given over £200,000 of lottery money.

Source: BBC News

As U.S. waistlines expand, seatbelt use falls

Obese drivers may be at a strikingly higher risk of dying in car crashes than normal-weight drivers because they frequently fail to buckle up, a new study finds.

Based on analysis of a U.S. database of nearly 200,000 fatal passenger vehicle crashes, researchers found that normal-weight Americans involved in those accidents were 66 percent more likely to have been wearing a seatbelt than those who were severely obese.

“Cars should be designed so it’s easier to put a seatbelt on if you’re obese,” the study’s lead author, Dr. Dietrich Jehle, told Reuters Health.

“It’s very important to increase seatbelt use in heavier individuals to best prevent deaths on the highways,” said Jehle, who is director of emergency services at Erie County Medical Center and vice chairman of Emergency Medicine at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Federal safety standards set in the 1960s, when Americans tended to be lighter, require seatbelts to accommodate men up to 215 pounds. Some automakers provide larger belts or extenders, Jehle said, but heavier people frequently struggle to fasten their belts, feel squeezed once strapped in and drive unbelted.

An earlier study found that individuals considered morbidly obese were 56 percent more likely to die in vehicle crashes than people of normal weight.

Other research has shown that combined lap and shoulder belts reduce crash deaths by 45 percent, Jehle and his colleagues point out.

To see whether weight is linked to seatbelt use, Jehle’s group examined nearly 194,120 drivers involved in auto crashes in which there was at least one fatality between 2003 and 2009.

It is the largest investigation to date of a connection between seatbelt use and obesity, the researchers note in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine.

Obesity is typically defined by body mass index (BMI), a measure of weight relative to height. People with a BMI between 18.5 and 25 are considered normal weight. A BMI between 25 and 30 is considered overweight, between 30 and 40 is obese, and above 40 is morbidly obese.

A 5-foot-10-inch tall man who weighed 300 pounds would have a BMI of 43, for example.

One-third of Americans are considered overweight and another third are considered obese, according to 2009 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new study relied on police reports and direct observations about whether drivers involved in fatal traffic accidents wore seatbelts.

Jehle’s team found that the closer to morbid obesity a person was, the less likely he or she was to have been wearing a seat belt.

Compared to the morbidly obese drivers, moderately obese people were 23 percent more likely to have been buckled up. The slightly obese were 39 percent more likely and the overweight were 60 percent more likely than the morbidly obese to have been wearing a seatbelt.

“Not buckling up is a deadly decision,” Jehle and his colleagues write. “Obese drivers are far less likely to wear seatbelts than are drivers of normal weight, which puts them at a greater risk of being subjected to higher impact forces and being ejected from the vehicle, both of which lead to more severe injury and/or death.”

Peggy Howell, a spokeswoman for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, agreed that seatbelt use is important and told Reuters Health she obeys the seatbelt law despite difficulty.

“As a woman who’s busty, the seatbelt rides up and strangles me. But I wear my seatbelt, as does my sister, and we’re both clinically obese women,” said Howell, who described herself as close to 300 pounds.

Deb Burgard, California psychologist who specializes in eating disorders, praised the study for calling attention to the need for seatbelts that work for heavy drivers.

Burgard and Howell expressed concern, however, that the findings could shift blame for not wearing seatbelts to obese people.

“I’m just wondering if this is going to lead to insurance companies trying to charge fat people more,” Howell said. “Are police going to start profiling? What are the long-term ramifications of a study like this?”

Jehle said he would like the study to prompt car manufacturers to make longer belts and for safety regulators to use larger dummies in crash tests.

“A lot of the crash studies are done on dummies that do not fit in with our current population, which is one-third overweight and one-third obese,” he said. “When they sell you a vehicle, they should sell it with all the equipment you need to wear a seatbelt.”

Source; Reuters

8 Tips for Hydrating in Cold Weather

Although we tend to think of it as a summertime concern, dehydration doesn’t disfavor the cooler months.

In fact, the likelihood of dehydration is accelerated when you train in cold weather—and at higher altitudes. In these conditions, the air you breathe is drier, and your lungs have to work harder to humidify that air and warm it up. The harder your body works, the more you need to drink.

Use these tips to stay hydrated this winter.

Wear Layers
Sweat can reduce your body temperature and force your heart to work harder to maintain blood flow and body temperature. Wear layers of clothing that will absorb perspiration.

Replace What You Lose
Water exits the body through exhalation, perspiration, and urination. If your urine is pale and plentiful, you’re well-hydrated. If it’s dark and scant in volume, you need to drink more fluids.

Match Your Drink to the Duration of Your Activity
If you’re exercising for up to 1 hour, you can rehydrate with water alone. However, after an hour, add electrolytes and carbohydrates. If you’re doing a sport at higher altitudes, increase your fluid requirements.

Hydrate With Room-Temperature Beverages
Cold liquids are absorbed quicker. Warmer or room temperature drinks, on the other hand, are better at keeping your internal temperature optimal. Choose the latter when you’re exercising in cold temperatures.

Eat Fruit
Winter fruits are excellent sources of water. To name a few: apples are 84% water; pears are 84% water; and clementines are 87% water. Plus, these fruits contain vitamin C, which helps fight off the flu.

Eat Salty Foods and Soup
Foods that contain salt will help you retain water. And soup, with all its broth and vegetables, is hydrating. Some great winter options: tomato soup, butternut-squash bisque, or minestrone.

Drink Hot Chocolate
You’ve likely heard that chocolate milk is the ideal post-workout recovery drink because of its 4:1 carbohydrates-to-protein ratio. Hot chocolate provides the same benefits—with added warmth.

Limit Alcohol and Caffeine
Caffeine and alcohol have diuretic effects. Save them for after your cold-weather workout.

Source: health

Got Lemon? 6 Beauty Tips And Tricks Using The Fruit

Beauty treatments can dig deep holes into your pocket and not only that, but some of the treatments might not be that effective. So hundreds of dollars might be spent with no positive outcome. Before heading to the dermatologist or the department store, take a look in your own kitchen for your own beauty remedies. Lemons are a versatile fruit providing a number of aesthetic benefits. Originating in Asia, lemons have an extensive history but mostly of one used in cooking. However, many dermatologists and beauty gurus have recommended the use of lemons in daily skin maintenance.

“The alpha hydroxyl acid in lemons is similar to the ingredients you’d find in a dermatologist’s peel,” the Oz blog reported, speaking to Dr. Elizabeth Hale, professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine. Lemons also provide a number of other skin, nail, and hair benefits. Take a look at six helpful beauty tips below:

1. Remove Blackheads: Take a lemon and slice it in half, rub the juice all over your face and wait five minutes before rinsing it off with cold water. Lemons have antibacterial properties, making it a perfect blackhead remedy. Blackheads are caused by clogged pores, and the acid called alpha hydroxyl from the lemons help to exfoliate the skin.

2. Lighten Old Acne Scars: Instead of heading to the dermatologist to help fade acne scars, just take a look in your refrigerator. Take a cotton ball and soak it with a little freshly squeezed lemon juice, and rub it all over your face. The lemon juice when applied daily will gradually help to lightens up the scars as it works as a chemical peel.

3. Removes Calluses, Corns, And Warts: Using the inside of a lemon (the white part) and placing it against any of these skin imperfections will help to dry out the callus, corn, or wart. Leave it on overnight and in about week they should fall off.

4. Lighten Your Hair: Skip the dye. This is a perfect and gradual remedy for those sunny summer days. Mix the juice from four lemons with ¼ cup of warm water, put it in a spray bottle, and spray it in your hair until it’s damp. Make sure you only expose your hair to the sun for about 30-60 minutes, depending on how light you want to make it. After you’re done, take a shower and use conditioner, as lemon juice can sometimes dry out your hair.

5. Strengthen Nails: Soaking nails into lemon juice for about 10 minutes and rinsing them with warm water once a week will not only help them to grow but will also remove any discoloration.

6. Lighten Discolored Armpits and Elbows: Discoloration and hyperpigmentation happens to people when there is more melanin in their skin. The more melanin a person has in their skin, the darker it will be. Since lemon acts as a bleaching agent, rubbing a cut lemon on armpits or elbows will help to lighten the skin in those areas.

We hope you try some of these home remedies. However, in no way are these tips intended to cure or teat any type of skin, hair, or nail issue. Before trying any of these, please seek out the approval from your health care provider.

Source: medical daily

Do your muscles hurt more when it’s cold outside?

Cold weather causes muscles to lose more heat and contract, causing tightness throughout the body. Joints get tighter, muscles can lose their range of motion and nerves can more easily be pinched, according to Los Angeles-based orthopedic physical therapist Vivian Eisenstadt.

Thanks to the effects of colder temps, muscles are forced to work much harder to complete the same tasks they complete easily in milder weather. This causes more damage to the muscle tissue and can result in increased soreness. To counteract the damage, be sure to warm up for a little longer than usual.

“It is normal to feel muscle soreness for a few days after exercise, especially if it is a different type of activity or at a more intense level than your body is used to,” says Amy McDowell, a physical therapist and Pilates instructor from ARC Physical Therapy in Chicago.

“If you feel more sore in the winter after the same level of exercise than you do the rest of the year, it could be that your body needs a longer warm-up period.”
Try beginning your workout with light cardio exercises, like brisk walking. This will raise your core temperature and ensure that oxygen and blood are flowing throughout your body.

A basic rule of thumb is that you should warm up for 10 minutes when the temperature is between 35 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. For each 10-degree temperature drop below 35, extend your warm-up by five minutes.

Some bodyweight exercises — like push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and bicycle crunches — are ideal for getting your blood flowing after your warm-up walk, Mentore says. Then, after those exercises, stretch only the tightest muscle groups in your body; for most people, these groups include the hamstrings, quadriceps, chest and shoulders.

Follow your warm-up with a cool-down that takes about the same amount of time. However, in addition to stretching the body’s tightest muscle groups, also focus on other areas like the back, arms and calves. “This will prevent muscle soreness and enhance your overall performance during the winter,” Mentore says.

Source: upwave