Fitness

Testosterone, a hormone produced primarily by the testicles, is often associated with the epitome of “manhood” (although women have testosterone, too).

Indeed, it does play a large role in male sexuality and reproduction, impacting such factors as sexual and reproductive function, muscle mass, and hair growth, but also has some less “flashy,” albeit equally important, roles like maintaining bone density, levels of red blood cells and a sense of well-being…

Less than 25 percent of Americans over the age of 45 engage in strength-training exercises,1 which are actually among the most important exercises to stay fit and healthy. It’s a matter of fact that your muscle strength decreases with age… unless you do something to stop it.

That “something” is strength training. Without it, by the time you’re in your 70s, your muscle strength and tone will have declined by roughly 25 percent…

Exercise has been one of my passions for 45 years now. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to go to medical school, as I intended to use exercise as a therapeutic modality to improve people’s health. I eventually shifted more to using nutrition as my primary tool, because I realized the fuel you provide your body is really crucial to obtain optimal health.

But you really cannot be optimally healthy without exercise. More recently, I’ve become convinced that non-exercise movement…

Intermittent fasting or “scheduled eating” is one of the most powerful interventions I know of to shed excess weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

These health benefits are more or less beneficial “side effects” of shifting your body from burning sugar to burning fat as its primary fuel. I’m really pleased to see this approach now receiving more mainstream media attention, as it’s such a potent health-promoting tool…

If optimal fitness is your goal, there’s no getting around your diet. That’s right, fitness is not all about designing the ideal workout plan, as your diet can easily make or break an otherwise excellent regimen.

Knowing which foods and specific nutrients deliver the most bang for your buck in terms of supporting your fitness goals can go a long way.

First and foremost, however, keep in mind that while pre-packaged processed foods may be convenient, cooking from scratch using…

Should you work out when you feel like you’re coming down with a cold? According to the research, this may in fact be a good idea.

At the very least, it is unlikely to do you any harm unless you exercise too vigorously..

In one such study, participants were infected with a cold virus and then divided into two groups: an exercise group or a non-exercise group…

Brazilian researchers have revealed a simple test that may help predict your longevity in the next six or so years: how well you can sit and rise from the floor.

The test is different from the long-used “chair test,” which physicians sometimes use to gauge an elderly person’s lower body strength by how well they can stand up from sitting in a chair…

The most recent research shows that relatively short bursts of intense exercise—even if done only a total of a few minutes each week—can deliver many of the health and fitness benefits you get from doing hours of conventional exercise.

By doing just three minutes of High Intensity Training (HIT) a week for four weeks, you could see significant changes in important health indices.

At some research centers, participants were able to improve their insulin sensitivity an average of 24 percent with as little as three minutes of HIT per week…

Mounting evidence continues to show that exercise may be a key component in successful cancer prevention and treatment. Studies have also found that it can help keep cancer from recurring, so it’s really a triple-win.

Yet not surprisingly few oncologists ever tell their patients to engage in exercise beyond their simple daily, normal activities, and many cancer patients are reluctant to exercise, or even discuss it with their oncologist. Hopefully, you will not be one of them…

If you are like most people, when you think of reducing your risk of cancer, exercise probably isn’t at the top of your list. However, there is compelling evidence that exercise can not only help slash your risk of cancer, but can also help cancer patients get well sooner, and help prevent cancer recurrence.

Research has also shown it may help minimize the side effects of conventional cancer treatment…