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WRENTHAM

If the University of South Carolina womens basketball team repeats as NCAA Division I national champions in 2018, Jenna Liljeberg would like to think that she will have had a helping hand.

The former King Philip Regional High and Sacred Heart University lacrosse standout is completing a two-year Masters of Exercise Science degree at the University of Delaware. Along the way, she spent two months with the Gamecocks, both before and after their summer sojourn exhibition game series in Japan.

Its a little bit different, the level of talent and the facilities, said Liljeberg, upon returning to the University of Delaware campus in preparation for the fall sports preseason training sessions. The girls on the (South Carolina) team were all pretty amazing, the talent level was a bit more advanced (than Delaware).

The Wrentham native sought out a summer internship program to coincide with her graduate studies and contacted South Carolina strength and conditioning director Katie Fowler.

I got lucky, she took me on, said Liljeberg of the five days per week sessions she spent monitoring the Gamecocks workouts in the weight room.

They have a very structured and disciplined program, added Liljeberg.

South Carolina has a refurbished $4.6 million five-room training facility, of varying sizes to meet the needs of various sports.

Like the room that we were in was used for mens and womens basketball and volleyball, which is perfect for a team of 15 people, she explained. At Delaware, we have two rooms and all the teams share the space, said Liljeberg, who was on hand for many of those 6 a.m. practices as well at the mid- and late-afternoon workouts.

At Delaware, Liljebergs graduate studies have a concentration in Exercise Physiology. She is fulfilling a graduate assistant position that is split into several responsibilities. One is to design the strength and conditioning program for Delawares NCAA Division I mens and womens golf teams, the mens and womens swimming teams, the mens and womens tennis teams, the womens crew team, and now the womens soccer team.

Liljeberg teaches and oversees the athletes lifting techniques and running mechanics, while she is also enrolled in two academic courses.

In addition, she serves as a teachers assistant and lab instructor for the undergraduate strength and conditioning class. Liljeberg teaches students the proper technique of exercising, helpful coaching strategies and how to design proper exercise programs.

Prior to enrolling at Delaware, Liljeberg was a four-year member and a two-year captain of the Pioneer womens lacrosse program at Sacred Heart. Liljeberg scored 56 goals during her career, posting double digit goal-scoring figures in three seasons as a midfielder, and concluding her senior season with 21 goals in the spring of 2016.

It was there in Fairfield, Conn., that Liljebergs career interests were perked by Pioneer trainer Chris Fee.

We didnt get an actual strength and conditioning program until my junior year and I fell in love with working out and weight training, she said.

Having spent the summer at South Carolina, also observing the womens volleyball and soccer teams workouts and meeting a lot of people exposed me to different styles of training, which is not much different than what we do at Delaware. The difference was just the set-up, the practice court, the locker rooms, not having to schedule time around other teams.

At Delaware, the Blue Hens have had consistent success in womens basketball and on the football field. This past academic year, the teams that Liljeberg prepared training sessions for met with some success the Delaware womens golf team qualified for the NCAA Tournament; the mens golf team finished sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament; the womens swimming team finished fifth at the CAA Championship Meet; the womens and mens tennis teams both advanced to the CAA Tournament quarterfinals. Only the womens soccer team (4-13-1) didnt meet much fanfare.

A $14.3 million renovation and construction of an addition to the Carpenter Sports Building was completed in 2013, The 167,000 square-foot building includes the 15,000 square foot Rawstrom Natatorium, two gymnasiums, a volleyball court, student and employee fitness centers, a, personal training studio, multiple workout studios as well as for Liljeberg and the staff of the Department of Health and Exercise Sciences.

The training for each of those teams is just a little bit different, said Liljeberg who prepares training sessions and observes their workouts twice a week with the golf teams. Those kids train at the recreation center with the student body, but they have access to a lot of the machines there.

We do a lot of circuit training, a lot of core exercises things to strengthen their backs and shoulders, she added. The golfers need a strong core. I dont make their routines different, male or female, I give everyone the same workout.

The Blue Hens tennis teams use the varsity facilities, but their training is a little different, said Liljeberg of incorporating more plyometrics known as jump training, exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power, speed and strength.

They need that explosiveness on the tennis court and we do a lot of running, she explained.

The Blue Hen swimmers follow a similar regimen, minus the running in consideration of their pool time.

But we do a lot of weight training with them, squats, bench presses, push jerks, its much more power-based, said Liljeberg. Those swimmers train all day, with double sessions. I have them at 5 a.m., so theyre a tough group, they have to be.

At Sacred Heart, she served an internship at Boston University, at the Athletic Republic, a training facility in Norwood and with the MIAA, the states governing body for high school sports.

For some of my classes at Sacred Heart, I did clinical research and picked up on it, she said.

Its such an up and coming field, said Liljeberg of her graduate studies and work with honing the bodies of athletics. I have two classes, teach a lab, work on my thesis project, Im on the go a lot. Im out by 4:30-5:30 most morning and dont get home until eight or nine. At Delaware, we are getting more competitive.

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Wrentham's Liljeberg helps national champ Gamecocks, Delaware athletes with strength, conditioning - The Sun Chronicle

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About Body Restoration:Body Restorationis a boutique fitness studio offering group and privatefitness sessions thatfocus on restorative and integrated movement, mobility and pain-free living.

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Owner Doreen Puglisi, of Basking Ridge,has spent 25 years in the health and fitness field as both an educator and a practitioner -- teaching educational seminars all over the world as a result of the Pink Ribbon Program, a therapeutic exercise program for breast cancer survivors, which she created. She keeps her focus on helping others attain better and more robust health through movement, flexibility, balance and strength.

Body Restorationoffersa full schedule of group classes that include Pilates, Life Stretch, (re)barre, Pilates/Suspension/Resistance Band training, as well as Bounce 45. VisitBodyRestoreNJ.comfor full description of each class.

Medical programs throughBody Restorationare intended for those suffering from medical conditions such as heart disease, obesity, hyper-tension, or arthritis, diabetes, cancer, or those who are looking to prevent future health problems.The Dr. Fit programs offercustom designed one-on-one personal training sessions while adopting healthy behaviors to improve your quality of life.

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Tacos N' Trampoline with Body Restoration: Blow Your Tired Workout Routine Away - TAPinto.net

Proprioception and Balance go hand in hand and in the aging population it is the first thing to go. Proprioception is your brains ability to know where it is in space. While you may think you are young and this article and workout doesnt pertain to you, it actually does pertain to you. For the aging population, this might be a little advanced, but it is worth a try if you have no major orthopedic concerns. While the moves are safe, when executed correctly, these moves require a lot of body awareness and muscle sequencing which is fundamental for athletes, weekend warriors, fitness enthusiasts and those of you who are looking to challenge your entire kinetic chain through balance, multi-chain movements and multi-planar movements.

According to Dr Slava Shut of Back2HealthPT, Compound exercises that utilize multiple joints and muscles all in one exercise is most preferred. As humans, we operate in multiple planes of motion at all times. We twist, turn, walk forward, move sideways, and ultimately need our training programs to replicate these movements so that we can train our proprioceptors in the brain to learn how to fire up the muscles responsible for such movements.

So without further ado, here is the compound program which challenges every muscle in the body. Enjoy it at a slow pace, with precise movement. Breathe through each movement and perform 3 sets of every exercise, with 12 repetitions each. Take short rest intervals in between each exercise as in 20 seconds to 1 minute and then repeat.

1) Iso-Lunge to Lateral Raise:

First set yourself up into a lunge with one foot forward and the other back. Keep your hips squared forward and neutral (avoid hip hitching where one hip is higher than the other). Your back knee should be directly under the back hip. Bend both knees to a 90-degree angle and feel grounded before executing the exercise. Have a light dumbbell ready for the lateral raise. You can face your palms forward or down, whichever feels better in your body. Without disrupting your iso-lunge, exhale the opposite arm up to about shoulder height and pause at the top. Slowly return your arms back down while maintaining the same position in your legs. Keep your belly tight and your shoulders relaxed the whole range of motion. Do both sides.

2) Squat Kickbacks to Lunge with an Anterior Punch:

Starting with your feet hip distanced apart, descend your hips down to a little shy of ninety degrees, keeping your abdomen engaged to avoid arching your lower back. Keep your chest upright while sending your knees over your ankles, and a neutral lower back by snapping your belly button in towards your spine. Once youre down in the squat, bring your arms close to your side body in a low row position and then extend your elbows straight back behind you. Stay in the squat when you do this and avoid arching your back as you kick back. Exhale the breath. On the inhale come up and lift your right leg up into a single leg stance and very carefully place it down with the same technique as the first exercise. Pause at the bottom of the lunge and gentle punch the arms forward into an anterior punch. Push off of the front foot to return back to the squat and repeat the triceps kickback. Then switch to the other side and alternate back and forth.

3) Plank Row to Pushup to Knee to Nose:

Choose moderate weighted dumbbells and place your hands on the dumbbells. Stack your shoulders over your wrists. You have the option to drop to your knees or take the challenge and remain on your toes in a plank position. Draw your shoulders away from your ears activating your lats muscles. Keep your stomach muscles engaged to neutralize the pelvis and support the spine. Firm through your thighs to offer more support in the plank. Row one arm close to your side body, keeping your palm facing inward. Keep your hips neutral and facing the ground. Avoid rotating the hips. Switch sides. Find your high plank and stabilize. Then mobilize into a closed grip pushup (arms close to your side body). Push yourself back up with strong core and thigh engagement and drive one knee into your chest for a mountain climber. Switch sides. Then repeat the entire compound exercise.

4) Side Plank with Leg Abductions:

Crawl onto your right hand and the knife edge of the right outer foot. For beginners, drop your bottom knee down to the ground. Turn your chest to face the side wall and ensure that your bottom wrist is directly under your shoulder. Relax that bottom shoulder and avoid putting pressure into the bottom arm. Engage your core muscles including your lats muscles, keeping your spine neutral and your obliques engaged the entire set. Lift your top leg up and hold slightly in abduction, in alignment with your hip. Raise the leg up a couple of inches and thenslowly back down, right in alignment with your hip. No need to lift your leg too high. Watch that you keep your trunk neutral and no pressure in any supporting limbs.

5) Standing Leg Abductions with Contralateral Biceps Curl:

Standing tall with one dumbbell of moderate to heavy resistance in one hand, transfer your weight onto the other leg for a single leg stance. Do not lean. Stand up tall and ensure your foot is stable. Lift up tall through your chest. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Keep your stomach muscles engaged, lending to a neutral pelvis and spinal position the entire set. Stability is the most important aspect of this exercise, so take your time finding stability before mobilizing the opposite arm as you execute the biceps curl during the leg abduction.

Video and Photo Credits: Dr Alan

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Ever burned your arm and wondered if you should put ice or cool water on it? Answer: avoid ice, and instead, hold the burn under cold running water. Do you have digestive issues and are curious if acupuncture could help? According to the Mayo Clinics new book, The Integrative Guide to Good Health, acupuncture is an effective treatment for a variety of health issues, including digestion problems.

The Mayo Clinics doctors Brent Bauer and Martha P. Millman compiledthe newself-care book that addresses the health of the whole person to include mind, body, and spirit. Many of the strategies provided can be done in your own home on your own time, potentially keeping you from spending additional time in the doctors office.

Doctor Brent Bauer, Director of Research, Integrative Medicine and Health at Mayo Clinic, says the book is for people who are looking to take charge of their health. It blends the best of conventional medicine with the best of evidence-based alternative therapies and home remedies to give people options to transform their well-being.

As medical editor for The Integrative Guide to Good Health, Dr. Bauer offered three key takeaways that he hopes people come away with after reading the book.

There are so many mixed messages out there, says Dr. Bauer, and even more companies and experts trying to sell solutions. From diets to supplements to exercise programs, its hard to know which programs are legit and which ones are for you. The book is an empowerment tool to cut through the noise and determine at a fundamental level, what you need to do to be healthy.

The first part of the book covers integrative therapies like acupuncture, massage, and aromatherapy, in addition to mind-body techniques, herbs, and supplements. The second half includes home remedies for common ailments like PMS, jet lag, and colds. Research is given on each discipline, along with a red, yellow, or green light to indicate the level of comfort Mayo Clinic has in recommending the given practice. Bauer explains, Green doesnt mean everyone should do it. It means that evidence is strong that its generally safe, but its still good to sit down with your healthcare team to see if its best for you.

Getting quality time with your doctor can be challenging for a variety of reasons. You may not always get the full education that you want in your doctors office.

You can get a lot of information if you start with a reliable resource like this book, and then spring out into the web to find some more details on your specific situation, Bauer says. And doesnt have any issue with people doing their own online research, either; it shows that the patient is engaged, has ideas and wants to ask questions. The informed patient or consumer is always going to be the better patient.

Most of us have heard to eat better and exercise. Thats been the mantra of conventional medicine for the last 40 years, but look at America. We aint looking so good. I think its going to come back down to the fact that most peoples brains are not engaged in the moment. Theyre worried about tomorrow or what they said to someone yesterday or 10 years ago.

Theres a dedicated section in the book on stress. It covers how stress affects the body and offers suggestions to alleviate stress. There are self-care techniques to try at home like guided imagery and music therapy, as well as other practices to look at releasing stress such as biofeedback and massage.

We have all of this energy going around, on top of the bombardment from technology, says Bauer. Every five seconds were looking at our phone. Its an overwhelming assault on our attention and our ability to focus.

Id love for people to walk away learning at least to prioritize a mind-body practice, not only for brain health but also for gut health. Id consider that a win.

Check out Mayo Clinic The Integrative Guide to Good Health here.

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Kelly Page is a Certified Transformational Nutrition Coach who helps people cultivate more energy in their life through proper nutrition and removing the obstacles that hold them back. She offers a healthy taste of food, wine and travel on her health and wellness site, Tasting Page, where she creates gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free recipes. She also shares healthier options to enjoy while dining out, or traveling the world. Join Kelly on her adventure to eat well and live well!

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The 3 Transformative Takeaways from the Mayo Clinic's New Book: 'Integrative Guide to Good Health' - Organic Authority

FROSTBURG Frostburg State Universitys Exercise and Sport Science program has been granted initial accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences.

Attaining CAAHEP accreditation is the ultimate measure of quality in the Exercise and Sport Science program, said Dr. Boyce Williams, interim dean of the College of Education. It is a professional seal of approval because it assures the public across the board parents, business leaders and policy makers that candidates coming from Frostburg State University have been prepared in exercise and sport science using rigorous national standards.

Both credentials qualify graduates for careers in the growing health and fitness industry, such as health fitness specialist, wellness coach, strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer or owner-operator of a training facility. Like athletic trainers, such careers focus on improving health and athletic performance, but exercise and sport science clientele have different needs.

Initial CAAHEP accreditation remains valid throughJuly 31, 2022.

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Frostburg State's exercise and sport science program receives initial accreditation - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration)

Alice Yan, an associate professor in UWM's Zilber School of Public Health, is studying whether exercise and other factors can help reduce the racial disparity in breast cancer survival rates. Credit: UWM Photo/Elora Hennessey

Alice Yan knows that beating breast cancer takes more than good medical care: It takes a community of like-minded women determined to live a healthier lifestyle.

Yan, an associate professor of community and behavioral health promotion at the Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, recently finished a four-week group exercise program with 12 African-American breast cancer survivors. The program is part of a two-year cancer survivorship study funded by the American Cancer Society. The study aims to address significant racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes in the United States.

"African-American women have a 23 percent lower five-year relative survival rate than their white counterparts," Yan said. "Research has shown that exercise plays a vital role in improving the lives of breast cancer survivors. Even brisk walking can be beneficial."

Unfortunately, many breast cancer survivors do not have an active lifestyle. The next step, then, was supporting African-American women cancer survivors in making exercise part of their lifestyle.

A key element in accomplishing this research study was community participation. Yan partnered with the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin to develop the exercise program, which was conducted at the Martin Luther King Community Center on North 16th and West Vliet streets.

The first part of Yan's study involved focus groups in which the women identified culturally relevant and contextual factors that presented barriers to exercise, as well as those that would enhance the likelihood that they would participate in exercise on a regular basis.

"One thing we saw was that it was important that the programs be offered where the women live, work and socialize," Yan said.

The community involvement helped ensure that the program had a culturally sensitive design.

"So, for example, the participants are very spiritual, very religious, and they concluded their exercise session with group prayer, very often expressing gratitude for the strengthboth physical and moralto participate."

Yan also feels the group setting is another factor that will help the women motivate each other to continue after the study is over.

In August, the project is expanding to include 45 women. This phase includes a self-management component to help participants better manage treatment or cancer-related side effects or symptoms such as nerve pain, tiredness and joint pain. In addition to exercise programming, this project will also provide guidance on nutrition to mitigate comorbiditiesobesity, cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetesthat exacerbate those health effects.

Now roughly halfway through the study, Yan has come to know and admire the participants. And she's come to appreciate their fortitude.

"I've learned a lot about their faith, their hope and purpose of lifefactors that motivate these women to survive," Yan said. "One is their religious faith. Another is their inner strength and resilience.

"They are strong black women. Their stories are inspiring to me. In the midst of their darkest hours, these women decided to opt for a fighter mentality instead of a defeated one. To them, life was worth fighting for, as it's a precious gift from God. They've been through a lot, but they are still so committed to supporting their families and neighborspeople who rely on them."

Lisa Goodwin, a five-year cancer survivor and a lay-health adviser for the project, said she found the program helpful for her neuropathy, but also good for her mind and spirit.

She pointed out that the impact on the women has continued even after their participation was finished.

"Some of the ladies in the group called me, and we've started getting together to work out on our own," Goodwin said.

Yan hopes to build on this current two-year study with a five-year study that has a broader geographical reach.

Explore further: Could regular exercise help women battling advanced breast cancer?

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Study attacks racial disparities in cancer with exercise - Medical Xpress

MARTINSVILLE As the summer season draws to a close, many people in the Martinsville-Henry County area will adopt a more structured schedule with more time in the area and less time away on vacation. It could be the perfect time to pick up the exercise regiment many planned to begin on January 1.

The Martinsville Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness recently announced a community-wide workout schedule with free classes taking place throughout the month of August.

Held in area churches, community centers, clubhouses and health and wellness centers, a variety of workout opportunities await for those looking to add more activity into their lifestyles.

We encourage exercise because its part of what we promote with preventative measures, said Brittany Anthony, Martinsville Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness marketing, public relations and development director. Exercise is a big part of our health initiative to promote being proactive.

While many people cite weight loss as a major goal for adopting a more active lifestyle, Anthony said there are other health benefits people dont always realize theyre getting when they set out to exercise.

A lot of people will just think primarily weight loss, but in addition to weight loss, we focus on being proactive in preventative health, Anthony said. Exercise can help lower blood pressure, increase mobility and reduce joint pain for people with arthritis and can reduce risk factors for heart disease.

In addition, exercising regularly can significantly reduce the risk of developing type two diabetes. For those with diabetes, exercise may lower blood glucose and improve the effectiveness of insulin.

Another benefit of incorporating more movement into a lifestyle is that the activity can help lower blood pressure.

Exercise also increases feelings of wellbeing, Anthony said.

The Coalition offers several opportunities Monday through Thursday, as well as on Saturdays, for those looking to workout with a group of likeminded individuals.

We have a variety of different ages from the younger generation to seniors, Anthony said. There are no age restrictions.

One of the best aspects about the exercise programs is that theyre all free and open to the public.

We are about promoting health and improving access, Anthony said.

While all are welcome to attend each program offered, there are some classes that could be better for beginners, while others are geared toward a more experienced crowd.

We try to have things on both ends of the spectrum, Anthony said.

Offering something for everyone, its easy to find a perfect fit for an individuals exercise needs.

A lot of our older exercisers like the water aerobics, Anthony said. Its low impact, but theyre still getting the benefits of exercise. Its easy on the joints, a lot of people say.

Classes are held indoors and outdoors, weather permitting, at the Martinsville YMCA and the Fieldale Pool.

The cardiovascular workout, characterized by water resistance, helps participants with strength and flexibility, increases muscle endurance and improves balance.

The exercise is designed to provide buoyancy and support that causes less injury to a persons muscles, bones and joints. The decrease in gravity thanks to the water makes the exercise possible for those who typically experience joint pain.

Water aerobics is also a good way to burn calories.

Another good exercise for beginners and seniors is chair aerobics, offered weekly at the Spencer-Penn Centre. The class increases strength, balance and vitality while participants remain seated. Participants are instructed to move and stretch in a series of slow-paced movements, which helps increase the exercisers heart rate.

That ones sitting down, so its not as strenuous, Anthony said.

There are other classes presented by the Coalition that require quick movements and lots of energy, like Tabata and step combo, both offered at the Bassett Community Center.

For Tabata, exercisers perform workouts at maximum intensity for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds before jumping into the next movement.

Step combo combines basic steps, intervals and cardio techniques in order to condition muscles and strengthen the abdomen. Exercisers use light weights and aerobic balls during the workout.

The Community Fellowship in Collinsville offers a community favorite when it comes to exercising yoga.

I think everybody likes yoga, Anthony said.

The class is designed for people of any age with any level of physical conditioning. Along with building abdominal strength, participants also practice flexibility.

The majority of the classes last an hour and take place on weekday evenings.

For those that work, theyre able to take part [in the classes] after work, Anthony said. Also, a lot of our instructors have other jobs during the day.

While classes are free and registration isnt required, prospective students are asked to fill out a participation form upon arrival. Filling out the form helps the Coalition track attendance.

In addition to the fitness classes, the Coalition provides primary and medical care at Bassett Family Practice to all ages regardless of ability to pay, based on a sliding fee scale. The Coalition also operates Health Connect, a one-stop shop for individuals in Martinsville and Henry County who need help breaking through barriers to health and wellness and can link individuals to services such as mammography, eye care services for diabetics and affordable prescription medications.

To learn more about the classes offered through the Martinsville Henry County Coalition for Health and Wellness or to see a calendar of events for free workout opportunities taking place in the area, visit the organizations website at http://www.healthycommunitymhc.org and click on the aerobics/fitness tab.

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Health and Wellness Coalition offer free workout classes - Martinsville Bulletin

Its no secret that exercise makes your heart bigger in a healthy way, helping it to pump blood more efficiently and lessening the potential for heart failure. Figuring out a way to mimic the way exercise manages to do this could be an extremely beneficial way to treat certain types of heart conditions. A study out this week shows how a protein called cardiotrophin 1 might in fact do this: have the same positive effects on the heart, minus the actual exersise part.

So, from a basic science perspective it looks like cardiotrophin, by itself, with nothing else, will stimulate that beneficial growth of the heart, says Lynn Megeney, senior author of the study and a senior scientist at The Ottawa Hospital and professor at the University of Ottawa. Itll make [each] heart muscle cell, and consequently the entire heart, look like and behave like its exercised. Itll gain those beneficial changes, which you normally attribute to exercise programs, just with the protein alone.

This could seriously come in handy for people who suffer from right heart failure. This varies from congestive, or left, heart failure, in that left heart failure has several drug interventions that can slow the process down. These conventional processes dont offer much help to people with right heart failure, says Megeney, and oftentimes the only solution for these patients is a transplant.

Interest into the positive effects of cardiotrophin go back several years when researchers initially identified several proteins found in cells that could make a heart muscle grow in a beneficial way. The researchers thought that since cardiotrophin causes the heart to appear exercised when no work out has taken place, perhaps it could be a good way to benefit those with right heart failure. After witnessing the positive effects of cardiotrophin in cell tissue cultures, Megeney and his colleagues moved on to testing the protein in mice and rats. Turns out, in those models, cardiotrophin is very effective at limiting the progression of right heart failure in mice and rats with the condition.

The biology of a heart in a rat is actually more similar to a human than it is to a mouse, so that kind of propelled us forward to start testing these particular proteins in a rat model, he says.

Cardiotrophin works by activating a series of proteins that under other circumstances would actually kill the cell, inducing something called programmed cell death or apoptosis, says Megeney. However, timing is key, in this case. Cardiotrophin turns certain proteins and cell pathways on. If they stay on too long, they would lead to major problems like programmed cell death. But cardiotrophin only allows them to stay on long enough to activate other cellular pathways (almost like a domino effect). These pathways are the ones that benefit the heart. Luckily, cardiotrophin activates yet another pathway that shuts off the damaging pathways before they start causing problems.

It flips these two switches on simultaneously, one to start to remodel and make those beneficial changes, but quickly shuts it off before it can remain on and cause problems, he says.

Megeney and his team plan to get a clinical trial in right heart failure patients rolling in the next three years, while simultaneously investigating other factors or drugs that work in a similar way as cardiotrophin. Were trying to move forward as fast as we can with what we have in our hands now," says Megeney. "Which is the protein itself, as well as [the ability to] find other drugs that can do the job just as well or better.

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This protein makes your heart fit without actually exercising it - Popular Science

The truth is that no medication or supplement even comes close to exercise for being able to do so much for so many people -- or probably ever will.

While we've all heard that regular exercise can improve heart health and strengthen muscles, it can also enhance the quality of your life in a number of ways. Five such benefits may surprise you.

Researchers aren't sure why, but they suspect that physical activity may help by affecting body temperature, metabolic rate, heart rate or anxiety level, among other things.

Of course, everyone is different, so it's possible that nighttime exercise may make it harder for you to sleep. But the only way to know is to try. You may be pleasantly surprised at what a little pre-bedtime sweat can do for your sleep.

Fewer colds

You may have heard fitness buffs claim that they never get sick. This may seem like baseless -- not to mention annoying -- boasting, but there is scientific truth to it. Numerous studies have linked regular exercise to a lower risk of colds.

Research in animals and humans suggests that exercise chases away colds by boosting the immune system. At the same time, very intense activities may suppress immunity by increasing levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Though this is a potential issue for elite athletes or people who do marathons or triathlons, the level of activity among most exercisers -- even if it's vigorous -- is far more likely to keep colds at bay than bring them on.

Healthier eyes

When you hear about a connection between exercise and eyesight, maybe you picture those eye exercise programs that promise to sharpen your vision. But that's not what we're talking about. Instead of moving your eyes, the idea is to move your feet.

Scientists aren't sure why exercise protects against cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. One possibility is that it reduces inflammation, which is associated with both conditions.

Cataracts and AMD have also been linked to risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including elevated blood sugar and triglycerides, which regular exercise can improve. Further, some research suggests that people who are overweight or obese are more prone to cataracts and AMD, so physical activity may help by preventing weight gain.

Enhanced hearing

Exercise may protect against hearing loss by improving blood flow to the cochlea, the snail-shaped structure in the inner ear that converts sound waves into nerve signals that are sent to the brain. What's more, it may prevent the loss of neurotransmitters, which carry those signals between nerve cells. Exercise may also help by reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, both of which are linked to hearing loss.

Of course, blasting music into your ears while you exercise could have the opposite effect and do damage to your hearing. Noise-canceling headphones are a good option because they reduce the need to turn up your music as much. But don't use them while exercising on a busy road. By being unaware of approaching traffic, you could be subjecting yourself to a risk far more serious than loud music.

Better bathroom habits

A urinary problem familiar to many middle-aged and older men is nocturia, the need to get up more than once a night to pee. Often, the cause is an enlarged prostate, a condition known as benign prostatic hyperplasia. Exercise can help prevent nocturia or reduce its severity.

Exercise helps by decreasing transit time. That's how long it takes food to move through the digestive tract -- not, as it sounds, the amount of time it takes to get to work. Alas, a shorter commute is one benefit that exercise may not have -- unless, of course, biking to work is faster for you than driving in heavy traffic.

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Benefits of exercise: Better hearing, less constipation - CNN - CNN

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GILBERT - The Larry Joe Harless Community Center is now participating in a program available to West Virginia residents who are insured members covered under an AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan insured by United Healthcare Insurance Company.

If eligible, participants will only pay half of the Senior Monthly Membership fee. (Participants must visit the center FOUR or more times per month to qualify.)

The Larry Joe Harless Community Center offers many senior programs to assist in gaining mobility and flexibility. Morning classes include Arthritis Aquatics and Moving as Medicine (chair aerobics).

Over 42 percent of all Mingo County residents suffer from some form of arthritis. Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. The LJHCC provides certified instructors that assists you in getting the best out of your exercise regime.

If you have rheumatoid arthritis, ask your doctor if you should exercise during general or local flares. One option is to work through your joint flares by doing only range-of-motion exercises, just to keep your body moving, or exercising in water to cushion your joints. The LJHCC classes offer these types of exercises. Ask your instructor for more information.

AARP Medicare Supplement Insurance holders may call the center to see if they qualify for the new program.

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Harless Center offering AARP discount - Williamson Daily News

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