Big bottoms ward off diabetes
If you've got a little cush in your tush and are thinking about dropping a few pounds, you might not want to go too lean, because U.S. researchers announced yesterday that a type of fat that accumulates around the hips and bottom may offer some protection against diabetes.Subcutaneous fat -- the type that collects just under the skin -- seems to help improve sensitivity to the hormone insulin, which regulates blood sugar. We're not talking visceral fat -- the kind that collects in the abdomen and can raise the risk of diabetes and heart disease. It's the fat that deposits down lower that appears to shelter some people from metabolic disease.
So, not all fat is bad fat. Celebrate that pear-shape if you have one, then. And consider yourself lucky.
I wasn't sure what my physical therapist meant when she told me to "zip it up" as I was exhaling during an ab exercise. So she explained: Suck in your stomach just like you would if zipping really tight jeans. Aha. We all know how that feels, right? My exercise suddenly became easier. 
This piece of news was rather hilarious to read, but here goes: a researcher in Maine believes that standing on a vibrating platform for 15 minutes per day could help many of us develop those six-pack abs.
Why isn't that ab exercise you do each day making those chunky thighs and fat pockets disappear? Well, although you are tweaking the muscles down in those areas, that's not going to help you lose the fat on top of those muscles.
For some people
Are sit-ups a total waste of time? If you enjoy doing them then the answer is 'no,' although if you're doing them just to build core strength you might be wasting your time. Why? Sit-ups and crunches have been around since the very beginnings of exercise, and it's not that they don't build strength and tone but in truth there may be better more effective ways to get the same results. Sit-ups and crunches are essentially isolation exercises, and doing comprehensive moves that involve your whole body where the abs and core can develop in coordination with the rest of the muscles can provide a strong core along with strong arms and legs and everything else.
Can women have love handles? Or are they called "muffin tops" instead? Whatever you call it, that extra layer of flab so many of us have around the midsection just might be one of the most annoying fitness challenges -- especially during this season of skimpy clothes and skin-baring swimsuits. Getting rid of those stubborn deposits of chub is best achieved with a combination of eating right and exercising fairly intensely in both cardio and strength training regimens. iVillage has put together a workout plan
Overweight children have been found to have something in common besides extra padding around the middle: they all seem to share
Are you shaped like a spoon? That is, mostly thin except for a a big round part -- your mid-section? You might be a 'spoon', according to
The appendix: the one organ of the body that doesn't have any well-defined purpose -- well, any purpose other than randomly bursting without notice.
Fibroids are non-cancerous muscle fiber growths that occur in the uterus, and 40% of women develop them during child-bearing years -- thankfully often without symptoms. But when fibroids do cause problems it's no small issue with heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic soreness, and pain being the most common symptoms that, until recently, almost always led to the same treatment. Having a hysterectomy has been the only option for women with problematic fibroids, but now there's the
Tight abs and a flat stomach are two very enviable features. But not all of us have the time or knowledge to pursue such sculpted bodies. Nothing comes easy, but there is a right and wrong way to go about getting the tummy of your dreams.











