Reader Success Story - How Ian Lost 40 Pounds originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 05:00:41.

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While I do have some male clients, most of my personal training clients are female and most of them have something in common: They all called me because they’d started to gain weight and, even worse, it seemed to come from nowhere. This weight gain started happening for most of them in their mid-40s and they were mystified. The reason? Most of these women were healthy and fit. They exercised, watched their diets and had always managed to maintain the same weight. For that reason, it was both frustrating and mysterious: Why were they suddenly gaining weight and why was that extra weight showing up around the middle?

Unfortunately, many of them were working their way towards menopause, a time when hormones decline and weird things begin to happen, including weight gain. The reason is a sort of Bermuda Triangle effect that comes from declining estrogen (one of the hormones that helps us manage our weight): A decreased resting metabolism, an increase in calorie intake and a decrease in spontaneous physical activity.

The trouble comes from the fact that this increase in calories and decrease in activity often happens without us being aware of it, especially because many menopause symptoms (such as lack of sleep, fatigue and depression) seem determined to keep us from moving around much.

The good news is, there’s something you can do about it and you won’t be surprised that the best action you can take has to do with exercise. Learn more about menopause and weight gain and please tell us about your experiences. Have you gone through this or do you know someone who has? How have you dealt with your changing body and what can other women do to avoid gaining weight?

Menopause and Weight Gain - Is It Inevitable? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 at 05:00:54.

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Following the large interest triggered by the first stem cell article, we are now able to provide an update from the researchers at the Royan Institute in Iran. Dr. Nasser Aghdami, the head of regenerative medicine department has been king enough to answer some of our questions.

If you’re an exerciser, chances are you work hard at your workouts. You always have a plan and, most of the time, you follow through with it. You get up before the sun or you head to the gym after work, even when you’re tired. You finish that workout, even though you wanted to quit 20 minutes ago. You grit it out, even when your iPod battery died. You squeeze in a 4 a.m. workout when you’re on the road and you always order the dressing on the side. You’re good…so good that, sometimes, you may need to be just a little bit bad. If it’s been awhile since you cut loose, here are some questions for you: When was the last time you…

• Leisurely stretched after your workout instead of skipping it or rushing through it to get done?
• Ditched your routine at the gym and played with a medicine ball or that weird blue dome in the corner (that’s a BOSU, FYI), just for fun?
• Did your workout without worrying about how hard you were working or how many calories you were burning?
• Lounged in the hot tub after your workout?
• Ditched your workout to sit in the hot tub? (aka, the Gentleman’s Workout)
• Did exactly what you wanted to do (e.g., “A nice, relaxing stretch would feel really good.”) instead of what you should do (e.g., “I better get my 6-mile run in today.”)?
• Were excited about your workout?
• Went out for a walk to nowhere in particular?
• Paid attention to how strong your body really is?
• Rewarded yourself for all your hard work, day in and day out?

So? Is it time to do something fun? Something that reminds you why you love to move your body? Maybe today is the day.

When was the last time you enjoyed your workouts? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at 05:00:08.

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Iranian Scientists with the Royan Research Center have successfully treated a skin disease using patients’ own pigment producing cells.
Saeed Shafiyan, a dermatologist with the research team, has told IRIB that the new technique removes vitiligo lesions in less than 6 months, much shorter than other available methods.
He explained that in this technique melanocyte cells were taken from an intact area and injected after the epidermis layer was separated. In this technique, there is no need to abrade the skin or expose the patient to ultra violet radiation.
The researcher said two …

Weight problems in kids and teens is something everyone seems to be talking about these days and it’s not surprising with some of the scary statistics being quoted. Some estimates suggest that more than 5 million teens were obese in 2004 and there’s no doubt that number has only grown in the last few years.

The questions is, what is the solution? We’ve focused much our attention on lifestyle changes like getting more exercise and eating healthier foods, but some experts are wondering if bariatric surgery might be the answer for severely obese teens.

In a study published in JAMA, researchers conducted a trial with 50 teens between 14 and 18 years old, each with a BMI higher than 35. The teens were assigned to either a lifestyle intervention program or gastric banding surgery and then followed for 2 years. The results? After the surgery, 84% of the gastric banding group lost 50% of their excess weight while only 12% of the lifestyle group did so. After 2 years, the gastric banding group lost an average of 76 pounds while the lifestyle group lost 6.6 pounds. They also showed better health and quality of life compared to those in the lifestyle intervention.

Other studies have shown that gastric bypass may also help morbidly obese teens reverse type 2 diabetes, but should we be resorting to surgery?

There are obviously many questions that crop up with this issue, including the risk of surgery, safety and the ability of teens to regulate their eating after the surgery, something many adults have difficulty doing.

So, what do you think? If your teen were severely obese, would you consider bariatric surgery? Should this be an option? Vote in this week’s poll and tell us what you think about teens and gastric bypass surgery.

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More about weight loss for teens and childhood obesity.

Vote in This Week’s Poll: Should obese teens get gastric bypass surgery? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, February 15th, 2010 at 05:00:27.

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Utthita Hasta Padgangusthasa (http://www.yogabasics.com/standing-balancings/extended-hand-to-toe.html) (Extended Hand to Big Toe Pose (http://www.yogabasics.com/standing-balancings/extended-hand-to-toe.html)) is about staying connected to the foundation of ease…

In honor of Valentine’s Day, I’d like to talk to you about something that may make yours a little better: Exercise. I know, I know - it’s amazing that I can make everything about exercise but, what can I say? It’s a gift.

The truth is, exercise can actually make your sex life better, a plus if you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special someone.

Exercise not only gives you more endurance and stamina, it can actually make sex better, including:

• Better performance
• More pleasure
• More frequent sex
• More satisfaction

Ooh la la! Not only that, but exercise reduces stress and fatigue, two things that often get in the way of our sex lives. Maybe a Valentine’s Day workout can help bring a little more romance into your life. A little chocolate probably wouldn’t hurt either.

Spice Up Your Sex Life With Exercise originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, February 12th, 2010 at 05:00:54.

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Celeste’s story about becoming an exerciser is kind of interesting. She only started working out because a friend invited her to try a step aerobics class but, to her surprise, she actually enjoyed it. She enjoyed it so much, she eventually became an aerobics instructor, although it took her a long time to get there. As she says, she, “Started slowly and forced myself to go even when I didn’t feel like it.” She also took her time adding more classes and starting a weight training program shortly after that.

What’s interesting is that, too often, we hear about people starting an exercise program and kind of hating it. I think that happens for many people because they often do too much or work too hard right out of the gate, which is just plain miserable - who wouldn’t hate something that makes you miserable?

What I like about Celeste’s situation is that she started slow and easy and added to her workouts over time. That may be one reason she actually started to enjoy exercise and a lesson for any new exerciser. Taking it slow and giving your body time to adjust may give you more enjoyment and staying power.

Read more about how Celeste became an exerciser and share your own story, if you’ve got one.

Reader Success Story – How Celeste Started Exercising originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 05:00:35.

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