I read a very interesting study that was performed by the Department of Exercise Science and Sport Management at Southern Cross University in Australia. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=5&hid=15&sid=49b29fd6-a6d5-4366-9746-9576917459cc%40sessionmgr3
The experiment was focusing on the effect of obesity on posture and the hip joint. Considering the hip joint is involved in numerous constant activities, it’s been said being obese puts great stress on the hips resulting in decreased range of motion as well as a person’s posture. Not only does the hip joint bear a person’s body weight, but the interfering adipose tissue (fat tissue) of an obese person prevents the joint’s range of motion. ROM of the hip is always affected by tight tissues, so this make sense because of all the compacted adipose tissue restricting the hip to move and function properly.
The test consisted of a control group of ten obese women and ten normal weight women doing two different exercises of seated and standing flexion while being monitored to see the difference between joint motions. Although the seated position trials didn’t show much contrast in ROM between the obese and normal weight group, the standing flexion trials were significantly different. The obese group’s posture of the hip joint was extremely flexed proving one’s BMI and posture have a major relationship. Also being that the pelvis is associated with transition components between the back and lower extremities, it plays a role along with the spine in forward flexion in minimizing the space between the pelvis and thoracic cage. Again, considering there is such excess adipose tissue in a person of obese status, the tissue barricades the components of forward flexion which leads to angular displacement and surplus of flexion on the hip resulting in posture change and decreased ROM. Obesity all together puts a large amount of stress on the hip joint and all of its functions, after bearing an overload of body weight, the hip’s are unable to function properly.
Although I found this study interesting, I didn't find it shocking; being obese is in no way healthy for your body at all. There's millions of negative effects being overweight has on one's body, this is just one more to add.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Does Taking Vitamins Actually Benefit Our Health?
I take a multi vitamin every day along with a separate C & E vitamin, and come to find out, I do it for no reason! Supposedly and according to research, supplement vitamins C & E don't do anything to prevent cancer or heart disease. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27752936/
I know it's unfortunate for everyone who thought they were doing their body good, but experiments oppose it. Howard Sesso of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston performed an 8 year long experiment; a group of doctors took vitamin C and E supplements whereas the other group just took placebos, the results were as expected. The doctors that took the supplement had no more or less of a risk for getting cancer or heart disease as the doctors who took the placebo. It sounds crazy but its true, other tests were performed to prove that getting these vitamins for a healthy and balanced diet, did decrease the risk of getting cancer and heart disease.
Although I found this article really interesting, I think I'm going to continue taking my multi vitamins. I know they're proved to not affect the risk of cancer, but they don't cause any harm to the body either. Unless you don't take an excess of vitamins, I still personally feel they do more good for our health than bad.
I know it's unfortunate for everyone who thought they were doing their body good, but experiments oppose it. Howard Sesso of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston performed an 8 year long experiment; a group of doctors took vitamin C and E supplements whereas the other group just took placebos, the results were as expected. The doctors that took the supplement had no more or less of a risk for getting cancer or heart disease as the doctors who took the placebo. It sounds crazy but its true, other tests were performed to prove that getting these vitamins for a healthy and balanced diet, did decrease the risk of getting cancer and heart disease.
Although I found this article really interesting, I think I'm going to continue taking my multi vitamins. I know they're proved to not affect the risk of cancer, but they don't cause any harm to the body either. Unless you don't take an excess of vitamins, I still personally feel they do more good for our health than bad.
Take More Naps!
"Not only do we need to remember to sleep, but most certainly we sleep to remember," is the newly researched line we need to keep in consideration says neuroscientist from City University of New York, Dr. William Fishbein. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27893642/
The studies have shown that not only does the amount of sleep a person gets each night affect health, but so does the quality. Getting woken up throughout the night supposedly negatively affects our memory. In detail, the sleep before REM sleep (or even a power nap) gets our brains working more efficiently and creatively.
In one experiment, a group of English speaking college students were shown a list of Chinese words, then half the group took a power nap (they were being monitored to make sure they didn't fall into REM sleep) and the other half stayed awake. When the napping half were woken up, both groups were put to a memory test based on the Chinese words they had previously learned. Come to find out, the half that took the nap seemed to have a much better memory as opposed to going without any brief sleeping period.
As stated before, not only does napping improve memory, but disturbing sleep decreases memory. Another study to prove this was a test on rats performed by Dr. Dennis McGinty of the University of California, Los Angeles. McGinity hooked a group of rats up on brain monitors for 2 weeks and had them all sleep as they normally would. However, using these monitors, he had made it so half of the rats were frequently disturbed and woken up. After the trial period was over, he let all the rats sleep as much as they wanted for the next 2 weeks. The results proved the following resting period after the disturbances didn't help. McGinity put both groups to the test; he set up an escape hole in each of their cages, the group who had slept normally and peacefully throughout each night found the route by using certain cues, whereas the rats that had been disturbed, couldn't find the hole and couldn't seem to use obvious cues that lead the way to the hole.
Personally, I never ever take naps, I've always felt like I couldn't or shouldn't fall asleep during the day and have more important things to do. I was proved wrong, now I'm going to try to find time to wind down and fall asleep in the middle of the day. I can't make excuses either because it was also proved that napping for even 12 minutes has the same positive affect! so take a nap :)
The studies have shown that not only does the amount of sleep a person gets each night affect health, but so does the quality. Getting woken up throughout the night supposedly negatively affects our memory. In detail, the sleep before REM sleep (or even a power nap) gets our brains working more efficiently and creatively.
In one experiment, a group of English speaking college students were shown a list of Chinese words, then half the group took a power nap (they were being monitored to make sure they didn't fall into REM sleep) and the other half stayed awake. When the napping half were woken up, both groups were put to a memory test based on the Chinese words they had previously learned. Come to find out, the half that took the nap seemed to have a much better memory as opposed to going without any brief sleeping period.
As stated before, not only does napping improve memory, but disturbing sleep decreases memory. Another study to prove this was a test on rats performed by Dr. Dennis McGinty of the University of California, Los Angeles. McGinity hooked a group of rats up on brain monitors for 2 weeks and had them all sleep as they normally would. However, using these monitors, he had made it so half of the rats were frequently disturbed and woken up. After the trial period was over, he let all the rats sleep as much as they wanted for the next 2 weeks. The results proved the following resting period after the disturbances didn't help. McGinity put both groups to the test; he set up an escape hole in each of their cages, the group who had slept normally and peacefully throughout each night found the route by using certain cues, whereas the rats that had been disturbed, couldn't find the hole and couldn't seem to use obvious cues that lead the way to the hole.
Personally, I never ever take naps, I've always felt like I couldn't or shouldn't fall asleep during the day and have more important things to do. I was proved wrong, now I'm going to try to find time to wind down and fall asleep in the middle of the day. I can't make excuses either because it was also proved that napping for even 12 minutes has the same positive affect! so take a nap :)
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