Fitness Scoop! for July 2013: Are extroverts better athletes? Also–find out how many carbs you need to fuel your workout, and learn how to loosen up. Read the full page in Women’s Health (pdf).
Month: June 2013
The Calorie-Free Snack that Improves Your Mood
Chew on this: Gum could help ease some symptoms of depression, according to a new study in the journal Appetite. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
Reduce Your Diabetes Risk Tonight
Night owls, take note. More rest could improve your body’s use of insulin and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, according to preliminary research presented at The Endocrine Society’s 95th Annual Meeting. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
Run Faster on Any Terrain
Ramp up your running routine. Speedy intervals improve your performance whether you do them uphill or on level ground, finds a new study in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
Wins and Losses
I usually post links to my work on this site and let them speak for themselves. This time feels different.
Since I ran the Boston Marathon as well, this article was very personal for me. I can’t share it without expressing tremendous gratitude to everyone who helped me put it together. My editors had the faith to assign me a topic a bit outside my typical realm. The experts took my calls and offered their insights on extremely short notice. And of course, the runners I interviewed trusted me with their deep and sometimes uncomfortable thoughts—a confidence I don’t take lightly. I sincerely hope I did right by them all.
As you’ll know if you read the contributors page of the print issue (or if you know me as a runner and not just a writer)—unlike most of the people I spoke with for this article, I finished Boston but did not have a good race. In part, I blame a developing injury that has since worsened. I haven’t run for almost a month now—a particularly difficult month to spend sidelined.
But having this chance to help tell the story of Boston reminded me of what writing has in common with running, and why both remain so important to me. At times, you struggle and hurt and cry, and you don’t think you can finish. In the end, though, you do. And it is redemptive.
Here’s the full article, in Runner’s World. Thank you for reading.
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(Also, I can’t share this without thanking my amazing husband Matt—who always believes I can finish and helps me do it, whether it’s mile 22 or somewhere around 4 a.m. on deadline.)
When to Go to the E.R.
Your doc’s cramped schedule could send you to the E.R.: Physicians increasingly direct patients to hospital emergency rooms for complaints they don’t have the time or technology to handle, according to a new report from research group the RAND Corporation. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You—Unless You Ask
Modern medicine can do miraculous things—but every test and treatment has a downside. And your doctor may not disclose the dangers without prompting, a new survey finds. Read the full article in Prevention News.
The Simple Way to Look Younger
Don’t let those teenage days in the sun win: Sunscreen keeps your skin looking younger—even if you start using it in middle age, finds a just-published study in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
Stay Cool During Hot Workouts
Exercising in a heat wave? Ditch this pre-run pill: Aspirin might raise your body’s temperature in hot weather, finds a new study from Penn State. Read the full article in Men’s Health News.
UTI? Maybe You Should Skip The Script
If you’ve had a urinary tract infection before, you know the drill. First, you feel pain and burning when you pee. You head to the doctor, who takes a urine sample and sends it out for a culture. If the results come back positive, you take an antibiotic to fight the bug. But what if you could get better without the drugs—and the side effects, costs, and risks of antibiotic resistance that come with them? Read the full article in Prevention News.