Mature friends exercising

Exercises to Stimulate Bowel Movement

Constipation becomes more common as you age, and strikes women more often than men. It can be caused by underlying medical conditions or something as simple as stress, poor diet or lack of exercise.

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Side Effects of Sodium Sulfite

If you've browsed the high-end section at a wine cellar, you may have noticed labels that say "no added sulfites." That designation may not mean much to you, but to a small portion of the population, it means the difference between a relaxing glass of wine and a possible trip to the emergency room. The "sulfites"

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bun and bread

How Many Carbs Do I Need for Working Out?

As your primary fuel source, carbohydrates are important to your body. If you hope to perform to your potential during athletic activity, you must adjust your carb intake to match your energy output -- too many carbs can lead to fat gain, and too few carbs can leave you sluggish and fatigued.

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Will Doing Ab Exercises Burn Stomach Fat?

Spot reduction of fat is a widespread myth. Exercising your stomach will not make it smaller. What does work is a comprehensive fitness plan that incorporates fat-burning cardio five days per week and a resistance training program that works all major muscle groups at least twice per week.

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How to Get Physically Fit for the Marines

The Marine Corps requires that its members be in peak physical condition for the duration of their service. To that end, in addition to passing a physical fitness test upon entry, each Marine is required to pass the test every six months unless deployed in combat.

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Swimming pool

US Navy Basic Training Swimming Requirements

Before you complete U.S. Navy basic training, you must qualify as a Third-Class Swimmer. Further testing is required to qualify for advanced positions within the Navy, but all are based on the Swim Skills Assessment Test.

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Focused man using weights machine for arms

Can Fat People Gain Muscle Faster Than Skinny People?

Having a workout partner is a fun way to stay motivated and accountable, but it can inspire feelings of jealousy when one of you begins seeing results faster than the other one. The fault may not be entirely yours -- your workout and diet may be perfect, but genetics plays a role in your response to exercise, as well.

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Young woman touching her injured hand

Cause of Numbness in Hands and Fingers After Exercise

Exercise makes your body feel great, lifts your mood, and sometimes, can make your hands numb. This disconcerting side effect of your favorite calorie-blasting activity can be worrisome, but the actual cause is not a serious problem in most cases.

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healthy middle aged woman stretching

Does Yoga Increase Height?

If you are dissatisfied with your height, blame your parents. Then stand in front of a mirror and observe your own contribution to your short stature. Take note of a forward slump, locked knees, sloped shoulders, sagging neck and tilted pelvis. Now stand up straight -- you might instantly gain a couple of inches.

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Can Swimming Build Broad Shoulders for Women?

A zero-impact, full-body workout that keeps you cool on a hot day, swimming is the summertime cardio of choice for many women. After a few weeks, you may notice some new shoulder muscles, but don't worry -- you won't turn into a bodybuilder.

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Young male gymnast on pommel horse

How to Do a Gymnastics Workout Without Equipment

Gymnastics puts such an incredible demand on the body, it's important to plan your workouts in accordance with your gymnastic goals. Strength training is vital -- Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone devotes an hour each day to outside practice.

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Tired young man lying on his back in the gym

Is it Normal to Lose Strength When on a Bodybuilding Cutting Diet?

Losing muscle strength while on a cutting diet is common, but it is not unavoidable. Because weight loss inevitably involves the loss of both fat and muscle, you cannot expect to make any gains during your cutting phase, and you can expect your lean mass to decrease slightly as well.

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Pretty young woman eating yogurt in the kitchen.

What Is Acidophilus Probiotic Complex?

No matter what your digestive problems, probiotics may help to restore the natural bacteria balance in your gut. Acidophilus is a particularly effective and widely used probiotic strain, and is found in food like yogurt, tempeh and miso.

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Close up of a coconut

Bad Effects of Coconut Juice

Coconut juice, more appropriately called coconut water, is the liquid inside the green, unripe coconut. It was traditionally used as a source of safe drinking water for Pacific Island natives, and sailors who visited the islands would stow green coconuts on the ship to drink on the return voyage.

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ghee in jar and spoon

Is Ghee Fattening?

Cleaning up your diet can easily lead you to try exotic foods as you search for healthier alternatives to your usual favorites. Sometimes you come across things like Greek yogurt, which is a versatile and valuable addition to any nutritional plan.

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Close up of sliced red cabbage on grater

Is Cabbage High in Carbohydrates?

Originating in northern and western Europe, cabbage has become a culinary staple from America to China. The many varieties of cabbage lend themselves to different applications, and the resulting dishes can be as different from each other as kimchee and coleslaw.

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Beautiful fitness girl lifting weights in the gym

L-Glutamine for Muscle Recovery

You feel great all day after a hard workout, but you wake up the next day so sore you can barely walk -- and you thought exercise was good for you. Actually, it is, and that soreness means that you worked hard enough to get results. What you need now is to create the right internal environment for muscle recovery.

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Woman drinking water

Advantages & Disadvantages of Bottled Water

Unheard of only a generation ago, bottled water has become a ubiquitous part of the American experience. Many people keep one with them at all times, going through several per day.

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Mature businessman looking in refrigerator in office kitchen

Why Do You Crave Food When You're Not Hungry?

Dieting is hard enough, but when you've made the effort to change your eating habits only to experience powerful cravings, it can seem especially cruel. Unfortunately, many aspects of dieting are the very things that can lead to cravings, but others are emotional or lifestyle issues that you can overcome with practice.

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