Lopez Wellness Calendar
May 2013
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Physical Fitness

Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body; it is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.
— John F. Kennedy

Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness (a state of health and well-being) and specific fitness (a task-oriented definition based on the ability to perform specific aspects of sports or occupations). Physical fitness is generally achieved through exercise, correct nutrition and enough rest. It is an important part of life.

It is is considered a measure of the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations.

Call to Measure Duration of Obesity

Experts say the health hazards of obesity may have been grossly underestimated because we are not measuring the condition adequately. Risk calculations have focused on severity of weight gain alone and not how long it persists. Latest research suggests every additional decade of being obese more than doubles death risk. The researchers told the International Journal of Epidemiology a new measure is needed - the "obese-year". Similar to the "pack-year" used for smoking, it gives a further quantification that can be used to help estimate the associated health risks.

The Top 5 Killers of Men

It was a sunny September day in the Pacific Northwest, and Jeff Hale had just closed a $1.5 million deal. To celebrate, he was taking the afternoon off, relaxing on his patio lounge, and playing ball with his dog. That's when he began feeling compression high in his chest, some pain in his left shoulder, and an unsettling sense of dread. At 44, he was in relatively good shape, although 15 pounds overweight and under a lot of stress from work. At first, he thought it was an asthma attack and took a hit off his inhaler. But when that didn't help, he remembered an article he’d read in Men's Health.

"There were two things from that article I recalled," he recounted to our reporter a few years ago. "One was that every heart attack is unique. My symptoms will be different from your symptoms. The other was, if you suspect you're having a heart attack, take an aspirin." Hale took two and drove himself to the hospital. He almost didn't make it. Doctors found blockages in three arteries and performed a triple bypass the next day. "They told me I'd saved my life," says Hale. "The aspirin thinned my blood, and the inhaler dilated my arteries."

Heart disease is the number one killer of men, claiming the lives of nearly 400,000 fathers, friends, brothers, and sons every year. Often, the difference between life and death is razor thin — remembering to pop an aspirin, not delaying your trip to the E.R.

This week is National Men's Health Week, which was created by Congress in 1994 to raise the awareness of the health threats uniquely facing men. To commemorate, we’ve put together a list of the most popular ways to die as a man in America. Collectively, these diseases kill nearly one million of us annually. And, chances are, your lifestyle or genetic profile puts you at risk for at least one of them.

The 5 Biggest Fitness Mistakes

People are always asking me questions about fitness. Two reasons:
1) I’m an editor at the world’s largest health and fitness magazine;
2) they think I’m the other Bill Phillips.

Truth is, I’m no fitness expert, but I’ve been at the magazine long enough to play one at cocktail parties:

“Is it better to exercise in the morning or evening?”
Exercise when you feel like it, which will reduce the chances you won’t do it at all.
“Which builds muscle more effectively: machines or free weights?”
Which cleans your car more effectively: a machine wash or a hand wash?
“Why don’t I have abs yet?”
Because you have a day job, enjoy Doritos, and aren’t a genetic freak.

AIKIDO: The Art of Peace, The Way of Harmony

A modern expression of Japanese martial arts, Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba (1885-1969) after long physical training and spiritual searching. The word “Aikido” can be translated as the way (“do”) of harmony (“ai”) for the spirit (“ki”). Aikido combines powerful throws, joint locks, and pins with training in the sword (“ken”) and the Japanese staff (“jo”).