ALWAYS consult your physician first-----

But I thought I would share with you this PDF on McKenzie exercises, they are often prescribed for sciatica pain (hot topic at the gym today!). I hope you never need it, but just in case.......

Have a great day, everyone. I did the hardest workout I have done in a month today (still recovering from the back thing) and it felt great, but I know this afternoon I will have some "playing quietly" time, which means laying down with an ice pack, and reading, knitting, or working on my new obsession of kumihimo (my hand work is actually a great stress reliever for me, and has been an immense help in dealing with chronic pain issues----if you don't have a hobby, I strongly suggest finding something that you like and can do with passion, it greatly adds to the quality of life!)

A Plum By Any Other Name

This topic was screaming at me from my newsfeed yesterday-----check out this article from Women's Day Magazine (yes, that's me commenting at the end of the article). A small study was done that shows women who eat 10 prunes a day for a year had a higher bone density than the control group who ate 10 dried apples every day for the same year. I'm getting a little queasy just thinking about eating 10 prunes a day (or as they are now called, dried plums). I would far rather be bioidentically hormonally balanced, take my daily Vitamin D (I take 5000 IUs daily, as always, check with your doctor on this), and do regular weight training exercise. On a side note, all that weight exercise I am doing is starting to pay off, my arms are far from beautiful, but there is a wee bit of muscle definition----I'm very proud!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

Exercise: Just 15 minutes a day has benefits

I went to a health seminar a couple years ago and Dr. Oz (yes, that Dr. Oz) was the speaker, and one of the things he said really stuck with me: "If you can't find 20 minutes a day to exercise, you need to seriously look at your life." I do exercise at least 30 minutes (usually more) daily, for me it's not just about the health benefits of fat burning, weight management, etc, but also bone health (I will NEVER take the osteoporosis drugs), and keeping my back in the best shape I can.

Interesting article popped up on the newsfeed today; even 15 minutes of exercise daily has health benefits. Read more in this article from the LATimes.

To Ward Off Dementia, Try Staying Healthy From Head to Toe

Most peri/menopausal women have experienced moments/hours/days of forgetfulness, and most of us have felt at one time or another that they may be "losing it"----early signs of dementia or Alzheimer's. I know I did, but the hormonal balance has made my cognitive functioning a lot better. I like to think my daily hour of exercise helps not only my back and hips, but also my brain.

Time Magazine discusses in this article how various health issues can affect your risk for developing dementia, and ways you can work to minimize those risks. This is a good one for me to post, I just finished a 45 minute weight and balance ball workout (I don't mind the balance ball, but ugh, I hate working with weights----but I know it's important for bone health). Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone!

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Tips to Break Out of Your Winter Rut

I'm not kidding when I tell people that I moved out of NY State because I couldn't take the winters up there anymore. Besides the heavy snow (upwards of 150 inches most winters), the sun would disappear for a week at a time, and by the end of January my depression (this was before I got my hormones balanced) was even worse than usual.

I'm much better now that I am in NC because 1) my hormones are balanced, 2) I take 10,000 IUs of Vitamin D each day (talk to your doctor about this) 3) most winter days in NC have at least some sun (today is not one of them) and 4) because the winters are milder, I am able to get out pretty much every day (being housebound two days last week because of snow and ice was very unusual).

I saw this article today on the HuffingtonPost.com by Oz Garcia, and it has some great tips to help you cope with the winter blues/blahs. I used to use a BriteLight box when I was in NY, and actually found that it did help a little. I sat with it 30 minutes each morning. I think one of the most important tips in the article is to get some exercise----that way, when spring rolls around you will be in better shape, and will feel like getting out to enjoy the fresh season!

Menopause Flexibility Yoga and Tai Chi

I know some of you are thinking "I can barely drag myself out of bed in the morning, and she's talking about exercise?" Trust me, I've been there, until I started on bioidentical hormones, exercising regularly would be the furthest thought from my mind! I started working out right around the time I started the hormones, and it has improved the quality of my life dramatically. I'm not setting any records, but I do two weight workouts a week, three days of swim, and 2-3 days of balance ball exercises (I have a very bad back so I need to keep my core strength up). Bella Online's menopause page today talks about incorporating Tai Chi and Yoga into your exercise regime------I want to get back to yoga classes (with some modifications) and I have never tried Tai Chi---something to look into.

Acupuncture, Exercise Spell Relief for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome) can be a big health problem for women, leading to infertility, very painful and heavy periods, and other issues. This article from Red Orbit discusses a study done on how exercise and acupuncture can affect this condition. Good reading.

Moderate exercise reduces bad cholesterol

This article from the India Times caught my eye this morning. While I cannot attribute it entirely to exercise, I will tell you that in the last 2 years, my total cholesterol has dropped by about 65 points, and my HDL and LHL levels are now right on the money too. I am guessing it is part exercise, part hormonal balance (remember, hormones affect every system in the body) and the supplements I take every morning. Speaking of exercise, I am off to the pool to do water aerobics---it's a gorgeous day here in NC.

DHEA and Vitamin D

I take both Vitamin D and DHEA (under a doctor's supervision---be sure to check with your doctor before adding any supplements to your diet/routine) and so I was interested in this article in the Personal Liberty Digest. Reseach by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that a combination of Vitamin D and DHEA is beneficial to bone health. Now I am off to have my protein shake and then "shake it" in the condo pool, which will have a triple benefit: exercise, a dose of Vitamin D (it's already hot and sunny here in Charlotte) and I love the peace that comes with exercising outdoors. Have a great day, everyone!

Regular exercise late in life------

(now wait a minute, what do they mean by late in life?) helps reduce breast cancer risk. Here's the link to the full article on Yahoo news