Classic Pilates Upper Back Strength & Flexibility Exercises

Keeping our spines perfectly balanced with Pilates strength and flexibility exercises will aid in preventing back pain, and make for better posture. What It Is: To create true functionality in our bodies we must have a balance of stability, strength, fluidity and flexibility. As we have seen in many of my previous posts, this concept of balancing the muscles and therefore the body is the core of the Pilates system. In Pilates we do not group our exercises into categories, some for flexibility and some for strength. Instead, every exercise in Pilates is for both flexibility strength at the same time. There is efficiency in every move. We get the best bang for our buck. Our Goal: The upper back, just like any other part of...

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Women Are More Masterful at Multitasking Than Men

Women remain more adept at multitasking than their male counterparts, however they experience more stress at levels that far exceed that of men. Women remain more adept at multitasking than their male counterparts. From managing a range of household chores while helping their children with homework, to performing computer work while handling a phone call, women pump up the volume of productivity to keep up in their busy lives. The downside is that women experience more stress with their multitasking performance at levels that far exceed that of men who multitask. A new study recently published in the American Sociological Review found that working moms spend 9 more hours multitasking weekly than do working dads. These women spend...

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Diabetes Device Plan May Help Patients Faster

The FDA issued guidelines this week to medical device makers and researchers working to develop an artificial pancreas, a complex system of pumps and sensors that will automate the care and treatment of type 1 diabetes. CHICAGO (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued guidelines on Thursday for the development of a new device to treat type 1 diabetes that will give manufacturers 'maximum flexibility' in getting it to U.S. patients. The guidelines reflect months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with patient advocates, medical device makers and researchers working to develop an artificial pancreas -- a complex system of pumps and sensors aimed at automating the care and treatment of type 1 diabetes. It is not...

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Funding Crunch Puts Progress on AIDS at Risk

A severe funding crisis and a decline in international donor money to HIV/AIDS is dampening optimism about an eventual end to the pandemic. (Reuters) - The international community has made extraordinary progress in the past decade in the fight against AIDS, but a funding crisis is putting those gains at risk, the United Nations health agencies said on Wednesday. A World Health Organization-led report said the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that causes AIDS and now infects about 34 million people around the world has proven a "formidable challenge" for scientists and public health experts. "But the tide is turning," it added. "The tools to achieve an AIDS-free generation are in our hands." Yet a severe funding crisis at the...

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Adding Fish to Your Diet May Ward Off Alzheimer’s

Eating at least one serving per week of baked or broiled fish could improve memory function, increase brain volume, and stave off Alzheimer’s. Consuming baked or broiled fish at least once per week could help stave off Alzheimer’s disease, according to the findings of a new study recently presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia that affects memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms often develop slowly and become more severe over time, to the point of interfering with daily tasks. There is no known cure for Alzheimer’s. Sadly, the disease affects as many as 5.1 million Americans. While previous research has suggested that including fish in...

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