Healthy for a Happy Life

Along with the New Year come throngs of new gym memberships. Unfortunately, many of us will waste resources on well-intentioned mistakes. Check out these six tips to get the best deal possible:
1. Try before you buy. Contact gyms near your home or office and request a no-commitment trial. Most fitness facilities will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility. Be sure to visit during the times you are most likely to work out, so you can gauge the crowds and check out other qualifiers. Try the classes that interest you, examine the cleanliness and condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, the locker room, and the swimming pool. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule so that you can plan your strategy for negotiating your membership dues.
2. Join at the end of a month and time your purchase. “You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or during any month of the year. Metcalf says that toward the end of a month, gyms trying to meet their monthly sales quotas will offer you lower rates to entice you to join. If you are not in a rush, consider waiting until the summer to lock in an annual membership rate. The summer is the slowest period for new gym memberships and maybe your best time to get the best deal.
3. Do your homework. Get references, look for a report with the Better Business Bureau, and research your options on line, reviewing complaints and feedback. Be aware that gym membership sales can be very aggressive and misleading. The Better Businesses Bureau of the U.S. and Canada handles thousands of complaints annually from dissatisfied gym members. This makes health clubs the 28th highest complaint category among hundreds of businesses. Most of these complaints stem from discrepancies between what consumers say they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract said.
4. Consider pay as you go before you commit. If you have any reservations about the contract or the cancellation policies, pay as you go until you are completely comfortable. It will cost you extra in the short-term, but will save you far more in the long-run.
5. Know what you’re buying. If you decide to sign a contract, don’t rely on what the salesperson says. Read the contract carefully. Can you terminate it, and, if so, how? What happens if you move or become disabled? Is there a separate enrollment fee? What are the monthly charges? Is there a penalty if you pay late? Does the contract renew automatically? Beware of or low-cost lifetime memberships or “free” memberships, which may be a sign that the club is in financial trouble. Make sure any discrepancies are addressed and that the contract is adjusted accordingly before you sign. Entering into a gym membership contract is a big commitment, so be assertive in your negotiations and proceed with caution.

While many of us tend to view COVID from the rearview mirror, new evidence suggests that we should protect ourselves from the very real complications of long COVID. A recent article by Frances Stead Sellers shares scientific results that sheds new light on the respiratory illness and provides sound advice to help prevent us from getting long covid (“Even 4 years on, long covid continues to confound us. Here’s what we now know,” the Washington Post, 2 January 2024).
Four years ago, we knew very little about the coronavirus, and nothing about “long COVID.” And more recently, those of us who were fortunate enough not to get long COVID were somewhat skeptical of those who did. But thanks to the work of researchers, the diligence of healthcare providers, and the transparency from patients, we now have evidence about long COVID. In September, the journal Nature published a study proving that people with long COVID developed distinct blood biomarkers, providing objective evidence that legitimizes long COVID and proves that it is not a facet of the patient’s imagination. Most importantly, as highlighted by the study’s lead author, David Putrino, the study sent a strong message to doctor’s – “Believe your patient!”
Frances Stead Sellers provides several other interesting facts surrounding the risks of long COVID:
• Long COVID, also referred to as post-acute sequelae of covid (PASC) and post-covid conditions (PCC), creates as many as 200 different symptoms
• Symptoms associated with long COVID can last weeks, months, and even years
• Long COVID appears to reactivate some viruses, such as mononucleosis and Epstein-Barr
• The most common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, dizziness, gastrointestinal symptoms, heart palpitations and issues with sexual desire
• Approximately 7 percent of Americans report having long COVID with 3.4 percent, or 8.8 million people in the United States, reporting that they are currently experiencing long COVID
• While 2.3 percent of men report having experienced long COVID, nearly twice as many women (4.4 percent) have had long COVID
• Repeat infections of COVID increase the risk of developing long COVID
• People who contracted earlier forms of COVID were more likely to develop long COVID than those who were infected with the more recent omicron version
• While there are no approved treatments for long COVID, doctors work to manage patients’ symptoms, such as treating respiratory problems with pulmonary rehabilitation and brain fog with strategies typically used for concussion patients.
While it feels easy to be complacent, COVID hospitalizations and deaths are on the rise, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting COVID being the third largest cause of death in the U.S. To reduce your risk of developing long COVID, keep your vaccination updated, wear a mask, and avoid crowded, poorly ventilated areas. Also ensure that you have rapid antigen COVID-19 tests at home in case you get sick. You can get them free from the USPS. If you do get COVID, discuss the option of an antiviral medication, such as Paxlovid, with your doctor to help lower your risk of developing long COVID.
The good news, as Frances Stead Sellers points out, is that the risk of developing long COVID appears to be decreasing, as the virus continues to provoke a less aggressive immune response.

Whether you’re a new member, a seasoned veteran, or a staff member at a gym, January is always a busy month for everyone at the gym. The largest percentage of gym memberships is purchased in January, acc

Along with the New Year come throngs of new gym memberships.  Unfortunately, many of us will waste resources on well-intentioned mistakes.  Check out these six tips to get the best deal possible:

1. Try before you buy. Contact gyms near your home or office and request a no-commitment trial.  Most fitness facilities will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility.  Be sure to visit during the times you are most likely to work out, so you can gauge the crowds and check out other qualifiers.  Try the classes that interest you, examine the cleanliness and condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, the locker room, and the swimming pool. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule so that you can plan your strategy for negotiating your membership dues.
2. Join at the end of a month and time your purchase. “You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or during any month of the year. Metcalf says that toward the end of a month, gyms trying to meet their monthly sales quotas will offer you lower rates to entice you to join.  If you are not in a rush, consider waiting until the summer to lock in an annual membership rate.  The summer is the slowest period for new gym memberships and maybe your best time to get the best deal.
3. Do your homework. Get references, look for a report with the Better Business Bureau, and research your options on line, reviewing complaints and feedback.  Be aware that gym membership sales can be very aggressive and misleading.  The Better Businesses Bureau of the U.S. and Canada handles thousands of complaints annually from dissatisfied gym members.   This makes health clubs the 28th highest complaint category among hundreds of businesses.   Most of these complaints stem from discrepancies between what consumers say they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract said.
4. Consider pay as you go before you commit. If you have any reservations about the contract or the cancellation policies, pay as you go until you are completely comfortable.  It will cost you extra in the short-term, but will save you far more in the long-run.
5. Know what you’re buying. If you decide to sign a contract, don’t rely on what the salesperson says. Read the contract carefully. Can you terminate it, and, if so, how? What happens if you move or become disabled? Is there a separate enrollment fee? What are the monthly charges? Is there a penalty if you pay late? Does the contract renew automatically? Beware of or low-cost lifetime memberships or “free” memberships, which may be a sign that the club is in financial trouble. Make sure any discrepancies are addressed and that the contract is adjusted accordingly before you sign.  Entering into a gym membership contract is a big commitment, so be assertive in your negotiations and proceed with caution.

Along with the New Year come throngs of new gym memberships. Unfortunately, many of us will waste resources on well-intentioned mistakes. Check out these six tips to get the best deal possible:

1. Try before you buy. Contact gyms near your home or office and request a no-commitment trial. Most fitness facilities will give you a one-week pass to try out the facility. Be sure to visit during the times you are most likely to work out, so you can gauge the crowds, suggests Pam Kufahl, director of content at Club Industry, a website for fitness pros. Try the classes that interest you, examine the cleanliness and condition of the facilities, including the weight machines, the locker room, and the swimming pool. Ask members what they like and don’t like about the club, and get a copy of the fee schedule so that you can plan your strategy for negotiating your membership dues.
2. Search for the best deals. Scour the web, including Groupon, Living Social, and Gilt City, to find the best deals and use these findings to negotiate the best rates as you narrow your search.
3. Join at the end of a month and time your purchase. “You can often get the biggest discount on a gym membership later in the month,” says Andrea Metcalf, a certified trainer and health coach in Chicago. That holds true in January or during any month of the year. Metcalf says that toward the end of a month, gyms trying to meet their monthly sales quotas will offer you lower rates to entice you to join. If you are not in a rush, consider waiting until the summer to lock in an annual membership rate. The summer is the slowest period for new gym memberships and maybe your best time to get the best deal.
4. Do your homework. Get references, look for a report at the BBB, and research your options on line, reviewing complaints and feedback. Be aware that gym membership sales can be very aggressive and misleading. The Better Businesses Bureau of the U.S. and Canada, handled 5,108 complaints about health clubs in 2013, the latest statistics available. This makes health clubs the 28th highest complaint category among hundreds of businesses. Most of these complaints stem from discrepancies between what consumers say they were told by sales personnel and what the signed contract said.
5. Consider pay as you go before you commit. If you have any reservations about the contract or the cancellation policies, pay as you go until you are completely comfortable. It will cost you extra in the short-term, but will save you far more in the long-run.
6. Know what you’re buying. If you decide to sign a contract, don’t rely on what the salesperson says. Read the contract carefully. Can you terminate it, and, if so, how? What happens if you move or become disabled? Is there a separate enrollment fee? What are the monthly charges? Is there a penalty if you pay late? Does the contract renew automatically? Beware of or low-cost lifetime memberships or “free” memberships, which could be a sign that the club is financial trouble. Make sure any discrepancies are addressed and that the contract is adjusted accordingly before you sign. Entering into a gym membership contract is a big commitment, so be assertive in your negotiations and proceed with caution.

Ever wonder why so many of us get sick during the holidays? In their new book, Did You Just Eat That?, scientists Paul Dawson and Brian Shelton share the results of their germy experiments and give some simple steps to help you stay healthy through the New Year:

1. Don’t Double Dip. Tempted to imitate George Constanza and double dip at the party? As suggested in The Washington Post, you might as well put your entire mouth in the dip. In one of their studies, Dawson and Shelton found that between 100 and 1,000 bacteria are transmitted from your mouth to the dip when you double-dip a cracker. Thinner dips, such as salsa, attract the most bacteria as a greater volume of dip drops from the cracker back into the bowl.
2. Don’t Share. While it may increase affection, sharing food also increases infection. In an experiment with soup, scientists found that 70,000 more bacteria per milliliter are transported into a bowl after a spoon is placed in the mouth. While measuring germ sharing with rice, they discovered that the transfer of bacteria from the mouth back into the shared bowl of rice was 800,000 bacteria per gram of rice while eating with a spoon and more than 2 million bacteria per gram were transferred while eating with the hands.
3. Drink it neat without a twist. The scientists found that it is very likely for viruses to spread from ice and lemons when they are added to your drink. They put E. coli bacteria on hands that then touched ice cubes or lemons and found that more than 6,000 E. coli bacteria were transferred to 100 percent of the wet lemons and ice cubes.
4. Hands off the menu. When you sit down in a restaurant, nearly every surface around you is contaminated – especially the menus, which are touched continually by restaurant staffers and customers. In their study, Dawson and Shelton found more than 2,000 bacteria on six-inch- square samplings of 108 randomly sampled restaurant menus. In another study, they put E. coli bacteria on menus and found that up to a third of the bacteria transferred to customer hands after they handled the menus for one minute.
5. Beware of the holiday blockbuster. A report by the ABC show “20/20” found that the seats and armrests in New York and Los Angeles movie theaters contained fecal bacteria. Obviously, when you touch a seat or armrest and then thrust your hand into your bucket of popcorn, these same germs transfer into your snack. Dawson and Shelton found that 85 percent of the handfuls of popcorn touched with hands inoculated with E. coli contained these bacteria, while 79 percent of the popcorn samples remaining in the serving bowl contained E. coli transferred from the person taking a handful of popcorn from the same bowl.
6. Don’t let them eat cake. If any of your holiday celebrations coincide with someone’s birthday, you may want to decline the cake. Dawson and Shelton’s studies found that blowing out birthday candles transfer oral bacteria to the cake surface. In their experiments, nearly 3,000 more bacteria, and as many as 37,000, were recovered from the surface of a cake after the candles were blown out.
7. It’s more than just hot air. In addition to hot air, hand air dryers blow bacteria around public rest rooms. (Which explains why you do not see them in most medical facilities.) In this study, Dawson and Shelton found more than 18,000 bacteria on restroom hand air dryers in grocery stores and more than 2,000 in gas stations and college campuses. In addition, the activation push buttons and air intake vents in male bathroom dryers had more bacteria than hand dryers found in female bathrooms. A study from the United Kingdom found that hand air dryers increased bacteria populations on hands fivefold after washing, while paper towels decreased bacterial populations on hands by 42 percent. According to scientists, paper towels are your safest option.

Dawson and Shelton suggest that one of the best ways to stay healthy is to practice good personal hygiene habits and encourage them in those around you. These include effective hand-washing (10-second warm water rinse, ­10- to 15-seconds lathering and scrubbing of the hands with soap, warm water rinse long enough to remove all the lather, and then drying with disposable paper towels); covering your mouth when coughing and sneezing; keeping your hands out of your eyes, nose and mouth; staying home when you are sick and limiting your contact with those who are sick.

None of us want to spend the holidays in quarantine, but I hope you will consider these tips and enjoy a healthier and happier holiday season.

As I walked into a recent workshop, I received a gruff greeting from a wickedly ripped man with biceps the size of my head. John Hansen, former Mr. Universe and Mr. Natural Olympia, turned out to be a terrific instructor and I learned a lot from him. By knowing a little bit about your muscle fibers, you can make some simple adjustments to your activities to help meet your health goals.

In general, there are basically two different types of muscle fibers in the body, which are classified based on how they produce energy, and are referred to as being either slow-twitch (type I) or fast-twitch (type II). Slow-twitch fibers are associated with endurance activities such as distance running, and they use oxygen to create the energy that allow you to exercise. Fast-twitch fibers are used in powerful bursts of movement like sprinting and power lifting and they use glycogen to fuel activity.

Things to know about slow-twitch muscle fibers:

1. Slow-twitch fibers use oxygen to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP ), which is the chemical that fuels aerobic muscle contractions.
2. Slow-twitch fibers are red, because they contain more blood-carrying myoglobin.
3. Slow-twitch fibers can sustain force for an extended period, because they create their own energy, but they are unable to generate a significant amount of force.

Things to know about fast-twitch muscle fibers:

1. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are further broken down into two categories: moderate fast-twitch (type IIa) and fast-twitch (type IIb).
2. Moderate fast-twitch muscle fibers fatigue more rapidly than slow-twitch fibers. During moderate aerobic activities, such as swimming, the slow-twitch fibers are the first to contract. When these slow-twitch fibers become fatigued, the fast-twitch fibers kick in.
3. Fast-twitch are the most powerful and least enduring.
4. Fast-twitch fibers are responsible for the size and definition of muscles.
5. Fast-twitch fibers are generally white, because they do not contain much blood.

Ways to improve your workout: You can rearrange your fitness activities to more efficiently burn fat and increase muscle definition. A sample routine might look like this:

1. Five minutes or so of dynamic stretching
2. Weight training session with 8-12 repetitions of the exercise before reaching muscle failure with three sets and a 30-90 second break in between sets. Another option is to conduct supersets instead of taking breaks between sets.
3. 25 minutes or more of cardio
4. Cool down with static stretching.

There are several benefits to this sequence of events, especially if you are aiming to burn fat. With this structure, the body gets rid of more stored fat, as it burns glycogen while weight training and uses fat as fuel for cardio.

The final step to your most efficient workout can double as a tasty reward. Be sure to get a good source of protein within half an hour, to help your muscles recover. It is also suggested that having the protein with a few carbs helps your body absorb the protein more efficiently. Enjoy!