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Lanny Schaffer, Ph.D-4885's Articles in Fitness & Body Building

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  • Roll Away Your Pain
    Don't have the time or money for a weekly deep tissue massage? Well, here's your answer: A foam roller massage. Foam rollers are long cylindrical foam exercise devices that allow you to give yourself a personal massage that will equal any spa's deep tissue massage. Read on to find out what kind of equipment you need, how foam roller massage works and how effective it really is.
  • Help For Swimmers Ear
    Are you an avid swimmer, aquaexerciser or take regular showers after land activities? Anytime your ears get wet you are at risk for swimmers ear, a painful bacterial infection usually found in the outer ear structures and/or ear canal. Read on to find out what you can do to help prevent swimmers ear and what you can do to treat it if you are unlucky enough to acquire it.
  • Phosphatidylserine-Endurance Enhancer
    Real advances in sports nutrition are rare. Th last safe and effective supplement was creatine which came out in the 90's. We finally have another intriguing ergogenic aid called phosphatidylserine (PS) which has been shown to boost endurance performance. Read on to find where PS comes from, if it's safe, it's mechanism of action, and what kind of ergogenic effects you can expect.
  • NineTips for Effective Weight Training
    The rules of weight training have changed- and definitly for the better. The most common program seen in gyms today is the old body part isolation used by bodybuilders. This type of program is very ineffective at increasing either size or strength in the average person and only benefits the drug consuming bodybuider. Read on to find out what type or programs today's top strength coaches and athletic trainers are recommending for their athletes and clients. You'll find the ideas refreshing and the results amazing.
  • Your First Marathon!
    Congratulations! You've made a courageous decision to run your first marathon. The day you complete your first marathon will be one of your biggest lifetime acheivements. Read on to find out some training tips for first time marathoners.
  • What's Wrong With Situps
    Are you still doing situps to work you abs? Read on why this common exercise has been banned by most trainers because it's extremely harsh on your lower back and does not efficiently work your abdominal muscles.
  • Post-Exercise Recovery Meal to Boost Fitness Levels
    Most individuals who go to health clubs and work their buns off want to get everything out of their workout they can. Unfortunately, many of them are falling short because they neglect their post-exercise recovery meal which has a profound effect on physical results. Read on to find out what foods/drinks are recommended for the post workout meal, how these nutrients influence protein synthesis and glycogen storage, and when is the most opportune time to eat or drink these special nutrients.
  • What Causes Muscle Cramps
    Every athlete and fitness enthusiast has experienced those painful and performance diminishing muscle cramps. As often as muscle cramps occur during exercise, current research is unsure of what actually causes them. Read on to find out the newest theories on possible causes of muscle cramping and what you can do to prevent them.
  • Lactic Acid Loses It
    Short bursts of intense anaerobic activity can make you feel suddenly sore and fatigued. You may experience that burning sensation in your muscles. Most people think this is due to an accumulation of a substance called lactic acid. New research, however, has relieved lactic acid of it's bad boy role for causing fatigue and soreness. Read on and find out what the real mechanism for muscle fatigue and burning is, and how lactic acid is actually an ally in returning the muscle to it's resting state.
  • Causes and Treament of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness
    Have you ever did a really hard workout or one that had new moves, possibly some jumping or eccentric muscle work in it, and within 24-48 hours you were so sore you could hardly walk? This is a common phenomena that both elite athletes and fitness enthusiasts experience. It's called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). DOMS can put you at a higher risk of injury, cause you to miss several days of training and decrease your performance level. Read on to find out the latest scientific research on DOMS, how to avoid it and what are the best treatments for pain relief and recuperation.
  • Ab Myths
    Everyone wants a six pack but few know how to get one. Properly developing the abs is one of the most misunderstood training concepts in fitness. Read on to find out the five most common myths regarding abdominal training.
  • Resistance Training and Polio
    Fitness professionals are trained to work with both healthy and chronically ill clients. Rarely, however, do they come across a degenerative illness as severe as Polio or Post-Polio. Read on to find out what Polio is and how it affects the nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Find out how weight training or resistance training can improve their strength, size of their muscles, muscle cell innervation and muscular endurance.
  • Can Exercise Reduce Ulcer Risk?
    Just recently science made a breakthrough when they discovered ulcers were caused by a bacteria and not stress or high stomach acid. Now researchers looked at 11,000 men and women and determined that regular exercise reduces your chance of getting an ulcer. Read on and find out how the exercisers compared with nonexercises for ulcer risk and why exercise may exert this inhibitory effect on ulcers.
  • Your Personal Trainer
    Are you ready to take the fitness plunge but not sure if you want to do it solo? Thinking about hiring a personal trainer? Read on to find out who benefits from a trainer and all the positive qualities you need to look for in any one you are thinking about hiring.
  • Five Greatest Fat Loss Mistakes
    Do you workout and eat soundly but still can't keep the fat off? Here are the five most common mistakes made by individuals on a fat reduction program. Read on to find out exactly what these five fat loss mistakes are, how thay can be corrected and what can be done to prevent repeating them in the future.
  • Exercise Reduces Jet Lag
    Have you ever taken a very long flight and when you arrived at your destination felt weak, confused, nauseated, tired and awful in general? This is called jet leg and it's a real physiological phenomena. New research has shown that exercise before, during and after your flight can significantly reduce the degree of jetlag and the time it takes to get back to normal. Read on to find out what type of exercise and how much is helpful for reducing jet lag as well as several non-exercise suggestions to decrease jet lag symptoms.
  • Proper Sitting Position and Microbreaks
    Do you have a full time sitdown job that occassionally causes you back, neck or shoulder pain? This condition is not uncommon when you are required to sit for hours at a time. Read on to learn some tricks of the trade involving changing your workstation posture and making changes at your work station itself that will correct your posture. Professionals also recommend performing some exercise and taking microbreaks to move around a bit which can reduce your pain and discomfort.
  • Can Less Be More?
    Have you ever sat down and wondered why some athletes train hours and miles a day? Do they really need to or are they subject to their sport's latest training trend or an overzealous coach? Newer research is clearly recommending quality over quantity for middle distance and long distance events. Read on and find out why some sports and specific events could get more for less.
  • Why Women Need Strength Training
    Despite scientific research asserting the many health reasons why women should weight train, the numbers participating in this activity are lower than expected. Read on to find out the benefits women can derive from weight training that other types of activities won't provide.
  • Common Aerobic Injuries
    Have you ever injured yourself while taking an aerobics class? It's not that uncommon with today's emphasis on higher intensities. Read to find out what the most common injuries are, what causes them, and what you can do to prevent them.
  • Footwear for Aerobics
    Do you know how important wearing the right type of shoe is for aerobic classes? Many people don't and wind up with unnecessary lower extremity injuries. Read on to find what special features an aerobic shoe needs and why.
  • Are You Ready to Exercise in The Heat?
    If you love to workout outdoors when it's warm make sure you're aware of the dangers of suddenly exposing yourself to hot weather and high humidity you're not used to. Several heat related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can occur. Read on and find out what you can do to stay cooler during your outdoor exercise sessions.
  • Exercise for Multiple Sclerosis
    Individuals with multiple sclerosis can benefit from an exercise program in the hands of a qualified trainer. Depending on the degree of symptoms, MS clients can improve the basic elements of physical fitness including flexibility, cardiorespiratory functioning, muscular endurance and strength. Read on to find out what symptoms may make it difficult for an MS patient to exercise and what a trainer needs to know to effectively and safely exercise someone with MS.
  • Healthy Fats and Exercise Immunity
    Did you know that getting the proper ratio of two essential acids could improve your immune system during training which means faster results and recovery time between workouts? Read on and find out why the omega-3 fatty acids are so beneficial to health and performance and why it is necessary to keep the number ofomega-6's down.
  • Eating for Mass and Size
    When determining what to eat to gain muscle it's not just a matter of calories in and calories out. You must take into account the various nutrient combination's effects on hormones, release of body fat and anabolic actions. Read on to find which of these meal combinations to avoid and which to embrace.
  • Reduced Fatigue During Long Workouts
    Most athletes and exercisers want to know how refueling effects the duration and intensity of their longer exercise sessions. Those who participate at moderate to hard intensities for over an hour have specific needs. Read on to find out the optimal way to fuel your body for long term exercise before, during and after your workout.
  • Morning Fat Burning
    The idea that fasting morning cardio can increase fat loss is still one of debate. Bodybuilders swear by it, while many scientists remain unconvinced. Read on to find out what the theory is behind the increased fat mobilization of A.M. cardio and what keeps the scientifc debate going.
  • The Pros and Cons of Exercise Videos
    Exercise videos are a dime a dozen. Some are quite good while other's lack good instruction and safety features. It's often inviting to think about working out in the comfort of your own home on your own time. Read on and find out the pro's and con's of using home exercise videos.
  • Fitness Trends
    The fitness industry is always coming up with new classes, ideas and variations on old themes. Read on to find out what some of the latest fitness trends are at your health club or recreation center.
  • Creatine 101
    Creatine is one of the safest, most popular and effective sports supplements on the market. There is, however, a lot of hype about creatine. Read on to find out the basic facts about this ergogenic aid, why it works and what types of sports it works best for.
  • Ten Health Club Secrets
    Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes at your health club? Gyms are not just a bunch of buff bodies and smiling faces who appear to be your saviour towards fitness. Read on and find out ten secrets health clubs don't want you to know about.
  • Aquatics 101
    Tired of your same old fitness routine? Then take the plunge into something totally different-the word of aqua aerobics. Water exercise classes often have the reputation of being "low intensity". Far from it! There are numerous fun gadgets such as hand paddles, weighted belts, ankle weights, webbed hand wear, drag suits and much more. Read on if you think you're ready to take the plunge into the exhilarating world of aqua aerobics.
  • Healing Hands
    The health and sports enhancing benefits of massage have been known since before the first Olympic Games. Athletes are now practicing self massage to increase circulation, reduce injury, relieve pain and allow for faster recovery time. Read on to find out how self massage compares with having a traditional massage therapist and learn some of the basic self massage strokes.
  • Spin it!
    Have you ever heard about those tough, awesome indoor cycling classes? Ever wonder if you were really in shape to do one? Read on to find out just how hard these spinning classes are, what precautions you might take before starting and what questions you should ask yourself before jumping into your first class.
  • Best Ways to Injure Yourself in the Gym
    Want to find out the very best ways to injure yourself in the gym. This article has a sarcastic twist to it but it will give you 14 not so uncommon ways people still injure themselves while working out.
  • New Warm-up Techniques Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance
    Most of us still do the old fashioned light exercise/static stretching type warmup. New research has found this outdated method to be less effective than what new studies call dynamic warm-ups. Read on to find out what comprises a dynamic warm-up, and what the benefits are especially to sports specific training.
  • Can You Drink Too Much Water?
    Most athletes and fitness participants worry about lack of hydration. The opposite condition, overconsumption of fluids, can be just as serious. Read on about this conditon, known as hyponatremia, and what you can do to prevent it.
  • Great Nutrition Equals Great Abs
    Everybody wants to know how to get a six pack set of abs. Some try doing a lot of extra sets of abs while others try to increase the amount of their total daily workout. Neither of these are the answer. Ripped abs are a function of a very low percentage of body fat. Read on to find out what it really takes to shred your midsection.
  • Best Rest Intervals for Strength Gain
    Research has supported the idea that mulitple sets are superior to single sets to build strength while resistance training. Research has now come out with some guidelines on how much rest you should take between sets depending on your strength goals. Read on and find out the best rest interval for your specific type of weight training and what other factors need to be in place.
  • Exercise Ball vs. Office Chair
    A new office trend is to sit on an exercise ball instead of an office chair. Proponents claim it strengthens their core muscles, burns more calories and reduces back stress. Read on to get a glimpse at what the newer research says and find out if it really makes a difference whether you sit on ball versus a chair.
  • Body-Mind Exercise Boosts Immune System
    Mild to moderate activities of any kind can boost your immune system. Body-mind exercises such as Qigong, t'ai chi and yoga all have special characteristics that promote and enhance immune system function. Read on to find out why these types of exercises positively affect the immune system and why they work better than other types of fitness activities.
  • Weight Training is Good for Your Heart
    For decades we've been performing long duration low intensity aerobic exercise to improve cardiovascular conditioning. New research has indicated that shorter more intense workouts are superior. Weight training, believe it or not, has been found to improve several heart healthy parameters. Read on to find out how and why resistance training enhances cardiac function
  • Give Your Workout a Chance
    All fitness programs need variety and change to be successful. Some of us, however, bounce from program to program without giving our existing routine time enough to work. Read on to find out how long you should stick to a routine before deciding whether or not it is effective and the importance of logging your results during this time period. Also, find out how to make appropriate changes when it's time.
  • Improve Your Warm Up For a Better Workout
    Most people perform the same old five minute cardio warm up regardless of what their main work out consists of. This general warm up is not specific enough for most activities. Read on to find out what an activity specific warm up is and how it can help you reduce injuries and improve performance.
  • Medicine Ball Training Makes A Comeback
    Medicine balls have been around for a long time in hospitals and rehabilitation settings. They are just now becoming popular in health clubs and sports conditioning programs. Read on to learn more about who can benefit from this type of training, common exercises, and what fitness components it develops.
  • Calories Aren't Everything
    If you want to gain weight keep doing long slow cardio. In the past, it's been recommended you burn around 300 calories per session. Unfortunately, with traditional aerobic exercise that's all you get. Find out why focusing on intensity rather than calories is superior for increasing metabolic rate and losing fat.
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