physical

People who exercise can add three years to their lives, and their hearts reap benefits from something as simple as brisk walking a half-hour a day, two studies suggest. Three years of extra life: It's a very clear message that makes it easy to grasp what might be the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle, said Dr. Oscar Franco, coauthor of one of the studies and a researcher at Erasmus Read more...

Belly dancing has emerged as a form of exercise for those who find its sultry undulations more their speed than hours of aerobics or weightlifting. As with Pilates and yoga, you do not have to be willowy to belly dance. "You get to a certain age where you can't do ballet anymore," said Anne Cornely, 46, of Brunswick, her face covered in a film of sweat after finishing a dance. Read more...

EXCELSIOR, Minn. - Fitness advocate Jhannie Tolbert doesn't own an expensive elliptical trainer, fancy treadmill or other big home gym equipment. Tolbert, who sports the physique of a bodybuilder, says he's never worked out in a gym. He uses his toolbox as a stepper, hefts soup cans to tone his shoulders and wraps a bungee cord around a bench for stretching exercises. He has always Read more...

WASHINGTON (AP) - Veronica McClurg has a ball just by lying on a ball. "I could do it all day long," McClurg said. "It's like giving yourself a massage." Massaging tired, tight muscles by rolling them back and forth on balls of varying sizes is a common way to work the tension out. "You can do any muscle," said McClurg, a Pilates instructor in Surrey, British Read more...

When exercise is accompanied by pain, it often deters people from continuing with a regular fitness program. But, often, the discomfort is not a cause for concern and will actually diminish as your body adjusts to the new demands being placed upon it. How do you know when it's safe to push on and when it isn't? If the pain is associated with an acute injury -- a sudden ankle sprain or a Read more...

There is much to like about yoga. It helps make you limber, and stronger and calmer. It is even used to ease medical conditions and prevent injury. And just about anybody can do it. Yet yoga can lull you into not paying attention. And it is hardly as simple as it looks. There are so many forms, teaching styles, demands, levels of understanding and shades of quality in instruction. In a sick Read more...

Being on the golf course on a warm spring day can be a treat for the mind and body, especially if you've been little more than an armchair athlete since last fall. But an injury to the bones, muscles or joints that may result from improper technique can quickly cast a big shadow on your day in the sun. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 102,000 Read more...