If you’re reading this, you’re probably stuck at a desk job, probably typing away your time in front of the monitor, 9 to 5, five days a week. Sooner or later, the lethargy kicks in. You feel the stiffness of your neck, the dryness of your eyes and the stinging pain of carpal tunnel syndrome. Most of us have to stick it out till the end of the day.

So what do we do?

The answer is simple.

Take mini breaks and perform short 5 minute easy exercises at intervals throughout the day.

Anyway, below is a list of exercises that anyone can perform even if she’s wearing a pair of high heels or mini skirt. Choose 1 exercise for each category and exercise every 45 minutes.

Eyes

• Close your face with hand. Open your eyes and look into the darkness for 10 seconds. Now close your eyes and lower your hands. Stay at this position for 10 seconds. Repeat it all over twice.



• Focus on a word from a document for 10 seconds.



Then focus at an object into the distance for another 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Move your eye in a clockwise or anti clockwise direction, imagine moving along the edges of a big clock (12 – 1- 2), while keeping your head still all the while. Change directions after 10 rounds.

Neck

• Tilt your right ear as if to touch your right shoulder. Feel the stretch on the left side of your neck. Change sides after 10 repetitions.



• Turn your head to look right and keep it there for 10 seconds. Change directions and keep it there for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Rotate your head in a clockwise position for 10 rounds. Now move it anticlockwise for another 10 rounds. Repeat twice.

Shoulder

• Move your shoulders up towards your ears and sink your head as far as it may go. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Hold a water bottle in your left hand, extending your left arm to the left while keeping the wrist facing up.



Push the water bottle up and slowly lower it to the original position. Repeat 10 times. Do the same for the left.



• Rotate your shoulders clockwise/anticlockwise 10 rounds. Change directions and do 10 more rounds. Repeat twice.

Arm

• Hold the water bottle in one hand.



Curl it for 10 times. Do the same for the other arm. Repeat twice.



• Hold the water bottle at the back of your head with your left hand.



Straighten your arms towards the top slowly. Do this for 10 reps and do the same for your right hand.



• Move your right forearm clockwise or anticlockwise, as if spinning a wheel, for 10 rounds. Change directions and do 10 more rounds. Do the same for the left forearm.









• Stand up, make sure there is ample space in around you and swing your arms back and forth for 10 cycles. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Wrist

• Put your hands straight in front of you and pull your fingers back from the top with the other hand. Hold for 10 seconds.



Now hold your fingers back from the bottom for another 10 seconds before changing hands.



• Put your hands straight out in front of you and rotate your wrists one direction for 10 rounds. Reverse your direction for another 10 rounds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.

Fingers

• Stretch your fingers as far as they can go. Hold for 10 seconds.



Then bend them at the knuckles and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Push all fingers onto the table as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Rest and repeat again twice.



• Shake your hands vigorously in front of you, as if to get rid of a spider crawling on your hand, for 10 seconds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.



• Put your hands straight out in front of you. Pull each finger back one by one, pausing for 2 seconds at each finger.

Back

• Interlace your fingers behind your back. Then turn your elbows gently inward, while straightening your arms. Hold this position for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Space out in front of you. Bend your head down to as far as you can go and try to hug your knees. Feel a mild tension at the back. Hold for 10 seconds. Slowly come back up. Repeat twice.



• Put your hands behind your lower back and push forward while bending your shoulders back to arch your spine. Hold for 10 seconds. Rest. Repeat twice.

Waist

• Sit in an upright position. Slowly lower your right hand till it touches the floor. Feel the tension at the waist. Feel it. Hold for 10 seconds. Change sides. Repeat twice.



• Hold on to the back of your chair with your left hand and turn your waist to as far right as you can go. Pull with your left hand to go further. Hold for 10 seconds and repeat the same for the other side. Do this twice.

Upper Leg

• Put water bottle in between the knees. Squeeze and hold for 10 seconds. Repeat twice.



• Lift the left leg off the floor. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same for the right. Repeat twice.



• Extend your left leg as straight as you can. Hold for 10 seconds. Do the same for your right. Repeat twice.



• Stand up.



Slowly move your butt down, hovering just above the seat almost touching it, and then stand up again. Repeat 10 times.



• Walk up 1 floor worth of stairs. If your office is on the 31st floor, stop at the 30th floor in the mornings, after lunch, etc, and walk.



• Put your right feet on top of your left hip and push down your right knee to as far as you can go. Hold for 10 seconds. Change positions. Repeat twice.

Lower Leg

• Push up your feet from the tip of your toes and hold for 10 seconds. Rest awhile. Repeat twice.



• Try to kick your butt from the back with one leg for 10 times. Do the same for the other leg. Repeat twice.

Personally, I use an open source free software called Workrave, an excellent program that reminds me to take micro breaks and short breaks at intervals throughout the day. Download Workrave and mix up some of the exercises with the ones listed here.

Do share your suggestions and ideas in the comments below.

Global warming is real. The rise of sea levels, retreat of glaciers and shrinking of the arctic are some of the most obvious effects. However, more is to come. Many scientists around the world have included extreme weather, alteration of the timing of seasons and radical economic repercussions as some of their predictions. An Inconvenient Truth explains it best.

Humans themselves suffer most. They will be the hardest hit, health wise. Summarized below are 5 major consequences of global warming on human health.

Overworking the cardiovascular system

source



Hotter temperatures will lead to an increase of heart and respiratory problems. Existing people with heart problems are most vulnerable as it puts on additional strain to the cardiovascular system to keep the body cool.

Ozone is harmless, only when above the atmosphere.

source



Higher air temperature increases ozone at ground level. Ozone, although helps to keep us safe from the sun’s UV rays, is a harmful pollutant. When ozone is mixed with dust, smoke and chemical fumes over urban areas, you’ll get smog. Defined as ‘fog having a high pollution content’. It damages lung tissues and affects those with lung diseases such as asthma.

Heat waves

source



Rising temperature means rising heat related deaths. Heatwaves, a period of time which consists of more than three days of maximum temperatures at or above 32ºC, will be more frequent and intense. The European heatwave of 2003 was already bad enough. It led to a health crises in several countries that saw 35,000 people dead as a result of the heat wave. When compared to cold, heat is more severe. Based on the Environment Protection Agency of America, people who die from heat outnumber those who die from cold by about 2x.

Spread of disease

source



Global warming might extend the region for insects that carry infectious diseases such as mosquitoes, ticks and sandflies. Cases of malaria, dengue fever, lyme disease, encephalitis and visceral leishmaniasis may increase to a significant level in countries that previously had no reason to be concerned with. A recent report by ABC Australia showed an increase of malaria disease in the highland areas of Papua New Guinea, where it has always been too cold for disease spreading mosquitoes.

Rising sea levels

source



You can evacuate people, but you cannot evacuate infrastructure. 13 of the 20 largest cities in the world is at sea level. Tokyo (most populated city in the world), Mumbai (3rd largest) and Shanghai (6th) are pretty good examples. It simply means that the risk of flood not only affects people but also hospitals and water treatment plants. A very good example of the impact on health care is New Orleans, where the health effects of losing those facilities continue long after the water has receded. The cause = melting polar ice caps.

Usually, the only part of your body that gets workout are your fingers. Specifically, the thumbs. Well, thanks to WII, getting fit virtually is now a reality. Below are 3 of the healthiest Wii video games you can ever find.

Wii Fit



Thanks to Shigeru Miyamoto, the man who brought us world famous games like Mario, Donkey Kong and Legend of Zelda, you can now transform your living room into a fitness center. The specially made, unique Wii Fit balance board can measure a user’s weight and their center of gravity, and calculate their body mass index when told the user’s height. The ability to compare other player’s fitness levels is good in way that it motivates you.

Some of the games include :

• A ball-rolling mini-game, where the player uses the Wii Balance Board to roll a ball on a platform into a certain hole.
• A Boxing minigame.
• Hula hooping.
• Jogging.
• Sit ups.
• Push ups.
• Ski jumping, whereby the player squats as low as possible, while maintaining their balance, and then quickly stands as fast as possible in order to gain a good jump.
• Snowboarding.
• Heading on-coming soccer balls and avoiding other objects by leaning forward and back.
• Step aerobics, including a game in which the player must step on and off the Wii Balance Board in rhythm to the background music.
• Tightrope walking, where the player must maintain the balance of a Mii walking on a tightrope from one building to to another.
• Yoga exercises.

20 minutes each of quick cardio, ski jumping and yoga will burn you around 436 calories in an hour! Which is also equivalent to cycling at an average speed of 11mph for an hour.

Wii Sports



It consists of 5 separate sports games.

1. Tennis
2. Baseball
3. Bowling
4. Golf
5. Boxing

The Wiimote provides you with realistic motion control and an ease of play. Bowling seems to be a common favourite among gamers as they enjoyed the experience. Golf on the other hand has the best content and is the most good looking among the other 5. Tennis seems to be the most fun, accessible and easiest to play. You can play more and more doubles and the opponents get better as you go along. It’s pretty addictive. Boxing provides you with the best workout as it burns more than 500 calories in an hour.

Adding in variety by spending 12 minutes each on tennis, baseball, bowling, golf and boxing burns you 433 calories! It’s almost like hiking cross country for an hour. The only difference is you have a swinging fun time burning calories in your living room.

It has won many awards since it’s launch. They include :

• Best Sports Game of 2006 by Game Critics Awards
• Best Sports Game of 2006 by IGN
• No.1 Game of 2006 for Time magazine
• Won 6 out of 13 categories in BAFTA 2007

Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party



Basically, you step on the mat, pick a song and dance by hitting the correct direction arrows as they rise to the top of the screen. In this game, the upper body movements are also taken advantage of by the Wiimote and Nunchuk. Fun parts of the game include beating the venue master, clearing 3 songs, etc. As you progress along, you’ll unlock new songs and clothes for your character.

There’s also a workout mode that keeps track of all calories burned based on your weight and height. In an hour, you will easily sear more than 400 calories!

Sleep is the state of natural rest observed in humans and throughout the animal kingdom, in all mammals and birds, and in many reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Sleep is necessary for survival. And how you sleep will affect your morning. If you’re waking up sore and achy and your mattress is new, you may need to reevaluate how you’re sleeping. Below are the 3 most common sleep positions adopted by humans all over the world and their health effects.

Face Up



Lying flat on your back forces your spine into an unnatural position, which strains the muscles, joints, and nerves. The spine isn’t meant to be straight. It has three natural curves. One in the lower back, one in the middle of the back, and one near the neck. Snoring also happens mostly because of this position.



If you must sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees to help maintain the normal curve of your lower back and to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve in your lower back. A small rolled towel under the small of the back would do good as additional support. Always support your neck with a pillow. Snoring doesn’t happen when you sleep on your sides.

On The Abdomen



The sleeping position to be avoided. Sleeping on the abdomen exaggerates the arch at the base of your spine and cause strain. It is hard on the back and uncomfortable for the neck.

This sleeping position is only recommended to those with degenerative diseases or herniated disks int he central portion of the spine. Other than that, don’t sleep on the stomach. Break the habit by taping a beer bottle to the front of your pajamas.

On The Side With Legs Bent



The No.1 recommended position. Make a habit to sleep sideways. It takes the most stress off the back. Take the comfort further by placing a pillow between your knees to naturally support your hips and lower back. Use a bolster if you prefer.



This sleeping position is beneficial for those with hip pains, osteoarthritis in the spine or spinal stenosis (narrowing in the spine).

Good Health Rests
On a good night’s sleep

Summer is commonly viewed as the season with the longest and warmest days of the year, in which the daylight predominates, through varying degrees. Countries that are in the northern hemisphere experience summer throughout the months of June, July and August. Where I come from, it’s summer everyday.

Putting on some sunscreen isn’t as simple as it sounds. Do know that skin cancer is the No.1 cancer type in the United States. It has been predicted that more than 1 million people in the US will be diagnosed with skin cancer.

A research revealed that sunscreen becomes less effective when it is thoroughly massaged into the skin. British researchers applied sunscreen onto human skin either in a thin layer or until it disappeared, and then exposed the epidermises to simulated solar light. When they measured the resulting free radicals, it became clear that the more completely the lotion was rubbed in, the less protection skin received. it is suspected that when sunscreen is applied to the point where it disappears, it sticks into crevices and sweat glands.

The more effective types of sunblock are the ones that works like an aerosol spray.

UVA rays are the type of UV ray that is strongly linked to skin cancer and wrinkling while UVB rays causes sunburn.

The FDA has just approved ecamsule, a new sunscreen ingredient that blocks a wider array of UVA rays and breaks down more slowly than existing sunscreen agents. Anthelios SX by L’Oreal will be the first over the counter product that contains ecamsule to be sold in US. Actually, the Ecamsule chemical has been available all around Europe and Canada since the early nineties.

So be sure to lather some sunscreen whenever you’d be out exposed in the sun for a long period of time. Apply it approximately 30 minutes before being in the sun so that it can be absorbed by the skin and less likely to wash off when perspiring. Make sure it is above SPF-15 and water proof.

Massaging is the art of applying structured or unstructured pressure, tension and motion to the soft tissues of the body, including muscles, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, joints, lymphatic vessels and organs of the gastrointestinal system to achieve a response. A beneficial response. It is usually done by massage therapists and health care practitioners.

According to the AMTA, Americans spend from $2 billion to $4 billion per year on massage therapy. The surest benefit is the relaxation of both body, mind and soul. Below are the 26 benefits of a massage but take it with a grain of salt.

For The Body

• Relieve stress and aid relaxation
• Relieve muscle tension and stiffness
• Alleviates discomfort during pregnancy
• Fosters faster healing of strained muscles and sprained ligaments; reduces pain and swelling; reduces formation of excessive scar tissue
• Reduces muscle spasms
• Provides greater joint flexibility and range of motion
• Enhances athletic performance; Treats injuries caused during sport or work
• Promotes deeper and easier breathing
• Improves circulation of blood and movement of lymph fluids
• Reduces blood pressure
• Helps relieve tension-related headaches and effects of eye-strain
• Enhances the health and nourishment of skin
• Improves posture
• Strengthens the immune system
• Treats musculoskeletal problems
• Rehabilitation post operative
• Rehabilitation after injury

For The Mind

• Peace of mind
• A more relaxed state of mental alertness
• Helps relieve mental stress
• Increases alertness towards stress signals and the ability to respond accordingly
• Promotes calm thinking and creativity

For The Soul

• Satisfies needs for caring nurturing touch
• Fosters a feeling of well-being
• Reduces anxiety levels
• Increases the state of awareness between the mind and the body

Did you know that I have 2 other blogs by the name of ‘because you value your mind’ and ‘because you value your soul’?

=)

American Massage Therapy Association
Your source of information about massages

Dr. Dean Ornish tracks the dramatic rise of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease across the globe – as the world begins to eat, live and die like we do in the U.S. The good news is – It’s reversible.

70% of our body is filled with water. In diseased states where body water is affected, the compartment or compartments that have changed can give clues to the nature of the problem. Body water is regulated by hormones such as anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), aldosterone and atrial natriuretic peptide. Check out some facts about the water you’re drinking first. Try to get the best drinking water possible. Anyways, below are 18 uses of water to the human body.

1. Air is not completely clean, the food we eat may have insignificant amounts of toxic, the products that we use on our skin and hair are also toxic. Water removes the dangerous toxins that are added into our body.
2. Water cushions our body joints.
3. Water acts as a transport for oxygen and nutrition throughout the cells in the body.
4. Water helps regulate body temperature.
5. Water helps prevent blood pressure from dropping to critical levels.
6. Water helps to defend against blood clots.
7. Water encourages bowel movement.
8. Water helps the normal kidney function from getting impaired.
9. Water keeps us from getting excessively dry skin.
10. Water lowers incidence of urinary tract infections.
11. Water also helps us from experiencing reoccurring headaches.
12. Water also helps alleviate fevers.
13. Hydrotherapy is the therapeutic use of hot / cold water externally to problems.
14. Hot water stimulates the immunes system.
15. Hot water is also used to increase the body’s flow. Imagine coming home from a hard day’s work and soaking yourself in a bathtub for an hour. When you get up, your body will feel more relaxed and stressed than before. Professional athletes will usually take a steam bath or relax in a whirlpool after a rigorous training session.
16. Cold water reduces inflammation. Ice pack reduces swelling.
17. A cold water sitz bath is used to treat constipation, irregular vaginal discharge, hemorrhoids.
18. Spa treatments using alternating hot and cold water improve upper respiratory problems, congestions, foot infections, and headaches.

Learn how to release tension and feel at ease all day just by changing the way you breathe. Yoga master Rodney Yee will show us how we can open our chest and breathe more deeply and easily in 3 simple breathing poses.

Being obese is bad. It just shows plain ignorance about a person’s choice of food and lack of exercise. Obesity is a clinical condition and is being seriously viewed as a public health problem. Between 2001-2004, 66% of Americans above 20 years old are overweight. Not many know about the diseases that are associated with being obese. Below are the 9 clusters of diseases related to obesity.

1. Cardiovascular

Congestive Heart Failure



a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to the body’s other organs.

Enlarged Heart



an increase in the size of the heart that may be caused by a thickening of the heart muscle because of increased workload.

Cor Pulmonale



Also known as right heart failure. Cor pulmonale is a change in structure and function of the right ventricle of the heart as a result of a respiratory disorder.

Varicose Veins



Twisted, enlarged veins that mostly affects the lower body as a result of pressuring the veins.

Pulmonary Embolism



Blockage of the pulmonary artery (or one of its branches) by a blood clot, fat, air, amniotic fluid, injected talc or clumped tumor cells that results in difficulty breathing, pain during breathing, and more rarely circulatory instability and may result in death.

2. Endocrine

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)



Cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in the ovaries that result in high levels of androgens (male hormones) and missed or irregular periods.

Menstrual Disorder



is a physical or emotional problem that interferes with the normal menstrual cycle, causing pain, unusually heavy or light bleeding, delayed menarche, or missed periods.

Infertility



inability for a man or woman to contribute to conception.

3. Gastrointestinal

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)



happens when the LES ,a ring of muscle at the bottom of the esophagus that acts like a valve between the esophagus and stomach, opens spontaneously for varying periods of time which causes stomach contents along with digestive juices to rise up into the esophagus (the tube that carries food from mouth to stomach).

Fatty Liver Disease



an accumulation of fat within the liver that may cause liver-damaging inflammation and, sometimes, the formation of fibrous tissue. In some cases, this can progress either to cirrhosis, which can produce progressive, irreversible liver scarring, or to liver cancer.

Cholelithiasis (gallstones)



Gallstones form when bile, liquid that help the body digest fats, that is stored in the gallbladder hardens into pieces of stone-like material. Happens when bile contains too much cholesterol.

Hernia



occurs when the contents of a body cavity bulge out of the area where they are normally contained. These contents, usually portions of intestine or abdominal fatty tissue, are often enclosed in the thin membrane that naturally lines the inside of the cavity.

Colorectal Cancer



also known as colon cancer, is cancerous growths in the colon, rectum and appendix. It is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of death among cancers in the Western world.

4. Renal and Genitourinary

Erectile Dysfunction



also known as impotence is the inability to get or keep an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse.

Urinary Incontinence



is the loss of bladder control that results in mild leaking to uncontrollable wetting

Chronic Renal Failure



is a gradual and progressive loss of the ability of the kidneys to excrete wastes, concentrate urine, and conserve electrolytes.

Hypogonadism



happens when the sex glands produce little or no hormones. In men, these glands (gonads) are the testes; in women, they are the ovaries.

Breast Cancer



is the most common cancer among women.

Uterine Cancer



Symptoms include

• Unusual vaginal bleeding or discharge
• Trouble urinating
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during intercourse

Stillbirth



occurs when a fetus which has died in the womb or during labour or delivery exits its mother’s body.

5. Integument (skin and appendages)

Stretch Marks



are fine lines that appear on the skin that appears when a person grows or gains weight really fast.

Acanthosis Nigricans



velvety, light-brown-to-black, markings usually on the neck, under the arms or in the groin.

Lymphedema



is a condition of localized fluid retention caused by a compromised lymphatic system. Danger lies in the constant risk of developing an uncontrolled infection in the affected limb.

Cellulitis



Cellulitis appears as a swollen, red area of skin that feels hot and tender, and it may spread rapidly.

Carbuncles



a skin infection that often involves a group of hair follicles. The infected material forms a lump, called mass, which occurs deep in the skin.

Intertrigo



bacterial, fungal, or viral infection that has developed at the site of broken skin due to inflammation.

6. Musculoskeletal

Hyperuricemia



High level of uric acid in the blood that will most likely lead to gout.

Immobility



is the disease that requires complete bed rest or extremely limits your activity.

Osteoarthritis



is a joint disease caused by the breakdown and loss of the cartilage of one or more joints.

Low Back Pain



is the result of trauma to the lower back or a disorder such as arthritis.

7. Neurologic

Stroke



is a rapidly developing loss of brain function due to an interruption in the blood supply to all or part of the brain.

Meralgia Paresthetica



is a disorder characterized by tingling, numbness, and burning pain in the outer side of the thigh.

Headache



is a condition of pain in the head.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome



occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers, as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move.

Dementia

is the progressive decline in cognitive function due to damage or disease in the brain beyond what might be expected from normal aging.

8. Respiratory

Dyspnea

also known as short of breath (SOB) is perceived difficulty breathing or pain on breathing.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea



is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep with each breathless period lasting long enough so one or more breaths are missed, and occur repeatedly throughout sleep.

Hypoventilation Syndrome

occurs when a very obese person does not breathe enough oxygen while sleeping. Comes from a defect in the brain’s control over breathing and excessive weight (due to obesity) against the chest wall, which makes it hard for a person to take a deep breath. As a result, the blood has too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen.

Pickwickian Syndrome

is the combination of severe obesity, suffering from obstructive sleep apnea causing hypoxia and hypercapnia resulting in marked daytime somnolence and chronic respiratory acidosis.

Asthma



is a chronic disease that affects your airways, which are the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs.

9. Psychological

Depression



is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individual’s social functioning and/or activities of daily living.

Low Self Esteem

is a low overall of a person’s self-appraisal of their worth.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder



is a mental disorder that involves a disturbed body image.

Social Stigmatization

is severe social disapproval of personal characteristics or beliefs that are against cultural norms.

Obesity Defined
The very serious public health problem.