One of my favorite stretches to do after a run or bike ride is anything that targets my hip flexors, the muscles on either side of my legs, right below my pelvis. This is a variation of the Hip Flexor Lunge, but when your back foot is propped up against a wall, it intensifies the stretch even more. This move is great to do after Kneeling Quad Stretch.

• Fold up a towel and place it about eight inches away from a wall.
• Kneel down and place your left knee on the towel and your toes against the wall.
• Now place your right foot on the ground in front of you, and lower your hips down until you feel a stretch in the front of your left hip. Make sure your right knee is directly above your ankle.
• Place your hands on your front knee to help keep your torso straight. Stay here for at least 30 seconds. Then slowly release and do this stretch on the other side.

This is an important stretch to do after running and biking.

There are so many health-related reasons to quit smoking, and now there is a new reason to add to that on-going list. This reason, however, has nothing to do with your heart or lungs; it has to do with your social standing.

A new study found that smoking might just be detrimental to popularity and social standing. Where smokers were once the center of the party, they have been moved to the periphery (think of all the smokers outside of bars). It seems that people start smoking in groups and also quit smoking in groups. If members of a social group quit smoking, there is a 36 percent chance that their friends will quit, too. A positive pack mentality (pun intended). If some members of the peer group continued to smoke, they tend to form their own social groups on the periphery of their former social network. However, once the smoker that was slow to quit stops smoking, they tend to move back to a more central position in their friendship groups. It pays to quit smoking, not only for your health, but for the health of your friendships.

Looking to quit? Check out: Tips to Quit Smoking. Since it is easier to quit in groups, why not make it a group activity and invite your friends to a smokeout.

Source

Often touted as the hot new superfood, açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) is a delicious fruit harvested from palm trees in the Amazon. The boldly flavored berry tastes sort of like chocolate-covered cherries, and its health benefits are just as enticing. The pulp is packed with antioxidants — more than you get from blueberries, pomegranates, or red grapes — plus lots of fiber, amino acids, and heart-healthy fatty acids.

According to Dr. Nicholas Perricone, who calls açaí one of the top 10 superfoods, the antioxidants in this "energy fruit" help combat premature aging, while the "almost perfect essential amino acid complex" aids in muscle regeneration and the healthy fats help digestion. To find out how to get it in your diet, read more

Germs definitely freak me out because I hate getting sick, especially in the Spring and Summer. If you feel the same way, then you may want to disinfect these five things, or avoid touching them altogether:

• Your vacuum. Since you're sucking up germs, dirt, and other nasty things, vacuums aren't exactly clean. Actually, scientists found that 50 percent of vacuum brushes contained fecal bacteria and 13 percent had E. coli. All contained mold. Since the brush is so gross, to avoid contaminating clean surfaces, spray the brush with a disinfectant spray after you're done with it.
• Your weightlifting gloves. Staph infections bind strongly to the polyester, which is often used to make gloves. It's best to ditch the gloves altogether, since not only will you avoid bacteria, but you'll also strengthen your grip.
• Gym Equipment. If you belong to a gym, you might want to know that a 2006 study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found rhinoviruses (what cause colds) on 63 percent of the gym equipment at the fitness centers they tested. To avoid the germs, try not to touch your face, nose, or eyes while working out, and as soon as you're finished, wash your hands and face thoroughly to prevent getting sick.

What else contains tons of germs? To find out read more