IndyStar.com: Health & Fitness
Indiana's leading news source for all the top stories, local news, sports and weather.
Experts say flu virus may be on the wane
Although six Indiana residents died last week from H1N1 influenza , state health officials say they continue to see “encouraging” signs that the disease is on the wane for now. The six deaths – which included the state’s first death of a person 65 or...
Some are skipping the vaccine out of distrust
Some skeptics are choosing to skip the H1N1 vaccine Thousands of Hoosiers are lining up at clinics offering the H1N1 vaccine, yet distrust — in various forms — has spurred many others to forgo the vaccine for themselves and their...
Get rid of TV . . . and pounds
If you’re trying to lose weight and keep it off, you might consider shedding a television or two as well. People who had fewer televisions in their homes were more likely to keep the weight off for five or more years, a study in a recent issue...
Don't let medical conditions keep you from exploring the world
At first, Jeremy Warriner was reluctant to travel. A bilateral amputee after a 2005 car accident, he uses prosthetic legs and needs a wheelchair, too. But now he knows how to get what he needs and doesn’t hesitate to fly or travel. “A lot...
By adjusting his eating habits, and running, he's a new man
Chris Conrad, 43, Noblesville, director of church planter development, The Wesleyan Church I fought a weight issue much of my life. I didn’t play many sports and didn’t have a whole lot of physical activity. About 10 years ago, I finally...
3 ways to teach your child to be thankful
It’s the time of year when we are thankful, but how do you teach a child what being thankful is all about — and sustain that year-round? Imparting such lessons is particularly challenging in our current society, said Charles A. Smith, a...
Chest press abdominal crunch
Exercises that strengthen more than one muscle group at the same time are smart to do as much as possible. You get more bang out of your exercise and make better use of the time you have to work out. Jennifer Willis, a certified personal trainer at...
New advice: Skip mammograms in 40s
Federal panel’s stance draws outrage from some doctors Women in their 40s should stop having routine mammograms, an influential federal task force said in a controversial report released Monday. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which...
Successful rehabilitation requires a full-time effort
Beverly Pember, 51, Zionsville, homemaker, formerly registered nurse After a sailing vacation in the Caribbean, I was admitted to a hospital in January 2006 for severe headaches. After a couple of weeks, I had several strokes over a 24-hour period. I...
Retirement feels good
The perceived health of the newly retired improves so much that most say they feel eight years younger, a new European study suggests. That was true of all except a small minority — 2 percent — who had experienced “ideal”...
4 ways breakfast can cut cravings, shed pounds
You’ve heard it before — breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But how many of us still skip it or eat a skimpy breakfast? Too many, says Kathleen DesMaisons, San Francisco-based author of “Potatoes, Not Prozac” and...
Plank row with push-up
If you want an exercise that challenges your entire body, this is it. The exercise, suggested by Jessica and Jason Wright, who operate the Indy Adventure Boot Camp (www.indyadventure bootcamp.com, 317-658-6731) is tough because it combines the...
End-of-life talk isn't easy, but it's critical
It’s not traditional dinner table talk, but holidays offer time to discuss it with family. Consider it the conversation you don’t want to have but the one that you must have. Talking about end-of-life care is never easy for anyone...
Media scan
A peek at useful health and fitness books and magazines * Stimulating mental activities, such as those in *The Big Brain Puzzle Book (Time Inc., $11.99), combined with challenging new interests and regular physical activity, may reduce the risk of...
Track calories online
An Indianapolis software consultant has developed a Web-based calorie tracking tool, called Graphite, which promotes weight loss by tracking calorie intake and calories burned. Users of www.Mygraphite.com can select a weight-loss goal, plug in...
Are you refusing the flu vaccine?
Some people have decided they will never take an H1NI vaccine, even though they are in one of the high-risk groups. Are you a person who says you won’t get a flu vaccine? Have you decided your children will be vaccinated? Contact Shari Rudavsky...
Mom's new children's book tackles dragons, asthma
Peter, a young boy, dreams of slaying dragons. But it turns out that the monster that looms in his life is not one borne of his imagination, but asthma. So goes the plot of Janna Matthies’ second children’s book, “Peter, the Knight...
Fruit juices are feeling the squeeze
To many people, it’s a health food. To others, it’s simply soda in disguise. That virtuous glass of juice is the target of attacks as doctors, scientists and public health authorities step up their efforts to reduce the nation’s...
Balancing double arm row
Everyone, no matter what age, can benefit from exercises that help improve balance, says Jennifer Willis, certified personal trainer at So-Be-Fit, a personal training and wellness studio near Broad Ripple. A lot of people, particularly as they get...
What they say
Amy Peak, pharmacist and director of drug information services, Butler University: “I think the biggest thing is to listen to your body. If you’re experiencing any type of side effects — dizziness, headaches, jitters, heart beating...
4 ways to avoid those autumn aches and pains
As winter approaches, Ken Johnson sees the effects in his practice as a physical therapist. His patients start complaining about pain brought on by hours of raking leaves, picking up debris and performing other routine tasks to prepare their yards...
What's new
Indy wins over cyclists Indianapolis has been named a bronze-level 2009 Bicycle Friendly Community by The League of American Bicyclists, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation nationwide. The...
Exercise, technology, support keep diabetes manageable
I was 25 and in graduate school when I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Since it’s such an overwhelming diagnosis requiring lifestyle changes, the first thing I did was go to the library to research. I found hardly any recent literature...
Acne responds to milk of magnesia
Question: I started using milk of magnesia six months ago for blemishes, and it really helped clear up my skin. It was better than the things my dermatologist prescribed. I got lazy and stopped using it, and my face began to break out again. Now I...
Wellness Calendar
Saturday Harvest of Health Fair, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cottage Corner Community Health Center, 1434 Shelby St. Free flu shots. Call (317) 655-3200. Health&Craft Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Westside Garden Plaza, 8614 W. 10th St. Flu shots for ages 65 and...
Experts weigh in on growing trend toward use of supplements
The ads are so appealing — pop a pill with natural herbal ingredients that will help rev up your metabolism and burn fat off your body — fast. Of course, you need to exercise and eat healthfully, too, the ads usually say. But why not...
It'll be Monumental
More than 5,000 people from 41 states and Kenya and Brazil are expected to run and walk through Downtown and area neighborhoods during the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and Half-Marathon beginning at 8 a.m. Nov. 7. Online registration at www...
Media scan
A peek at recent health and fitness books, magazines and Web sites * Fitness legend Jack LaLanne shares his advice and fitness and nutrition tips in *Live Young Forever: 12 Steps to Optimum Health, Fitness and Longevity (Robert Kennedy Publishing,...
Wellness calendar
Today Flu Clinic, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Preferred Home Health Care, 5250 E. U.S. 36, Suite 850, Avon. Flu shot ($20), FluMist ($30), and pneumonia vaccine ($40). Call (317) 745-3855. Joint Pain Seminar, 6 to 7 p.m. Clarian North Medical Center, 11700...
Don't be afraid to ask for over-the-counter advice
The shelves of the Wellspring Pharmacy are well-stocked with a plethora of products to ease what ails you, from aroma oils to nasal sprays to pain relievers. But the best disease-fighting power may actually lie behind the glass counter with the...
