Relaxation Couldn't Be Simpler

Written by Kim Beardsmore


Many people use their sofa and TV to help them 'switch off and relax'. In reality, television programs can suspend you n stress for yours, with depressing or thrilling storylines, violence and madness!

True relaxation is achieved when all tensions and thoughts are eliminated. Inside, you are calm, peaceful, yet alert and focused. You are in control and feelrepparttar strength of just 'being'. The good news is, anyone can do it.

The aim is not to escape from stress momentarily for a 'breather', it is to developrepparttar 114675 ability to maintain normal breathing and heart rate, so that you can stay calm and in control, in any given situation.

All you need is between 5 and 20 minutes of personal time to slip away somewhere quiet…

1.Switch off your phone, ask others not to disturb you

2.Sit or lie comfortably

3.Just as if you were switching off allrepparttar 114676 lights in a huge supermarket atrepparttar 114677 end ofrepparttar 114678 day, switch off all your thoughts

4.Close your eyes -repparttar 114679 darkness is soothing

5.Now focus onrepparttar 114680 sensation of your breathing, feelrepparttar 114681 rise and fall of your inhale and exhale, listen torepparttar 114682 air coming in and out of your body

Walk off the Cholesterol and Increase Cognitive memory

Written by Pauline Robinson


If you hear a little voice inside say, "Go for a walk," that might be your brain telling you what it needs.

I've just come across two new studies that reveal howrepparttar simple act of taking a walk each day may offer significant protection from one ofrepparttar 114674 most feared of all health problems.

------------------------------------------------------------ Mission: healthy cognition ------------------------------------------------------------

Cognitive decline is a symptom that signalsrepparttar 114675 possible onset of Alzheimer's disease, which isrepparttar 114676 leading cause of dementia among aging adults. In September,repparttar 114677 Journal ofrepparttar 114678 American Medical Association (JAMA) published two studies that specifically addressrepparttar 114679 effects of light exercise on cognitive decline in older women and dementia in elderly men.

Researchers atrepparttar 114680 Harvard School of Public Health conductedrepparttar 114681 first study. Questionnaires were used to assess physical activity levels and exercise patterns for more than 18,700 women, aged 70 to 81 years. The questionnaires covered a minimum of nine years, and were followed up with two telephone interviews with each subject to assess cognitive health measures such as memory and attention span.

Inrepparttar 114682 conclusion torepparttar 114683 study,repparttar 114684 Harvard team wrote that significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline were both strongly associated with "long-term regular physical activity, including walking."

Lead researcher, Jennifer Weuve, ScD., told Internet Broadcasting Systems that women who walked two to three hours at an easy pace each week "performed significantly better on these tests of cognition than women who walked less than one hour per week." And even less cognitive decline was noted in women who walked six or more hours each week.

These results reminded me of another benefit of regular walking among women. Inrepparttar 114685 e-Alert "Second Pass" (4/5/04), I told you about a six-year breast cancer study that included data on more than 74,000 women overrepparttar 114686 age of 50. Researchers found that women who exercise regularly have lower breast cancer rates. And in many cases, only a couple of hours of brisk walking each week may provide enough exercise to reduce breast cancer risk.

------------------------------------------------------------ Men onrepparttar 114687 march -------------------------------------------------------------

Inrepparttar 114688 second JAMA study, researchers atrepparttar 114689 University of Virginia School of Medicine looked atrepparttar 114690 association between walking exercise andrepparttar 114691 risk of dementia in men aged 71 to 93.

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