In the class we went over the sequencing of steps to take when you think someone needs help. The first thing is to check for a response. If the person is unresponsive, you check to see if they are breathing.  If they are not breathing you should tell someone to call 911 (and get an AED if available) or do this yourself.  Then immediately start chest compressions.  It's 30 compressions at a rate of 100 per minute. (that's pretty fast)  Then you tilt their head back by lifting the chin, pinch their nose, give 2 full breaths and watch for the chest to rise. Go right back into chest compressions and repeat until EMT arrives. This is single person adult CPR.  It is different for 2 person and infant CPR.  We also went over how to respond to choking victims.

I was surprised to learn in class that you increase a person's chance of survival by only 5% by starting CPR;  40% if you have an AED.  Anyone can use an AED.  They are very simple and many places are required to have them on site.  Once turned on the machine will give you instructions.

I highly recommend everyone get certified in CPR, especially if you have children.  It's very inexpensive and takes just a couple of hours.  My class was fun and I made some new friends.

One reason why you should not change your exercise program too often is that muscle remodels to match function. All muscles are continually being remodeled to match the functions that are required of them. Their diameters are altered, their lengths are altered, their strengths are altered, their vascular supplies are altered, and even the types of muscle fibers are altered. (This is why a sprinter's body looks and performs differently than a long distance runner's body.) This remodeling process is quite rapid but does take nervous system adaptations. This process usually requires 8-20 weeks so if you continue to change your exercise program weekly or bi-weekly your body never has the opportunity to complete the alteration.

My suggestion would be to make certain that you stay challenged during any fitness program. Your breathing and or heart rate (HR) is an excellent indicator as to whether you are feeling challenged or not. Incorporate balancing challenges to your existing program.  And never sacrifice form and technique for speed and more weight.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3057313?ordinalpos=6&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Some substances inpair iron absorption. They include tannins of tea and coffee, the calcium and phosphorus in milk, and the phytates in fiber of legumes and whole grain cereals. The amount of iron absorbed from a meal depends partly on the interaction between promoters and inhibitors of iron absorption. When you eat meat with legumes (for example, ham and beans or chili with beans and meat), the iron from the meat is well absorbed, and MFP factor enhances iron absorption from the beans. The vitamin C from the slice of tomato and a leaf of lettuce in a sandwich will enhance iron absorption from the bread. The bit of vitamin C in dried fruit, strawberries or watermelon helps absorb the nonheme iron in these foods.  The meat and tomato in spaghetti sauce help absorb the iron from the spaghetti.

3 oz of clams have a whopping 23.8 mg of iron.  Other good sources include beef steak, spinach, navy beans, swiss chard, beef liver, black beans.

  Although there is a strong genetic component contributing to osteoporosis, environmental contributing factors can be easily addressed. An environmental factor that affects bone deposition and withdrawal is calcium and vitamin D nutrition during childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. Although dietary calcium and vitamin D later in life cannot makeup for earlier deficiencies, they may slow down the rate of bone loss. Good food sources of calcium are, sardines with bones, (3oz 324 mg) Cheddar cheese, (1 1/2 oz 306 mg) milk (1 cup 300 mg) turnip greens, (1 cup 197 mg) broccoli (1 1/2 cup 93 mg) Black-eyed peas (1/2 cup 105 mg).

Muscle strength and bone strength occur together.  The hormones that promote new muscle growth also favor the building of bone.   As a result, active bones are denser and stronger than sedentary bones. The best exercises to keep bones healthy and prevent falls seem to be weight bearing, such as vigorous walking, jogging, weight training or pilates exercises. A 5 month study of resistance training compared with jogging found that resistance training produced significantly better increases in lumbar bone density than the aerobic exercises. These studies suggest that regular exercise, specifically exercises such as resistance training, can maintain or improve bone density.

If even half of these benefits were yours for the asking, wouldn't you step up to claim them? In truth, they are yours to claim, at the price of including physical activity in your day.