FACTS and FITNESS

Get Me Bodied:How you can get a full body workout without even leaving your bedroom

        In today’s economy, a gym membership is just not at the top of your list of things to pay for. That’s an extra $40 you can save a month right?  Well, let’ say that money is not an issue for you, you just don’t have the time run on a treadmill for 30 minutes a day. Or maybe you’re just too lazy to even get in your car to go the gym. Well whatever excuse you’ve been making for not exercising is over.
     Nowadays, you don’t need some fancy super platinum gym membership and you don’t have to drive across town to get there. There are plenty of in-home workouts and easy to use, yet affordable equipment that will give you the same quality workout you would get in a gym. Personal Trainer Doran Page has been training for 15 years and knows a thing or two about getting in shape easily and quickly. “Various types of crunches, push-ups, dips, lunges, and leg rises will pretty much give a full body workout right in your home,” he says. With these affordable exercise aids and the proper use, you can get a full body workout right at home.            
     Resistance bands are for toning and tightening muscles. Resistance training is different from weight training. But when done correctly, your muscle won't know the difference between weights or bands.  With bands, the tension is constant, which makes it feel harder than using free weights or dumbbells. Home systems like Bowflex work the same way except they’re a lot more expensive than bands. Resistance bands are an easy to use, convenient way to get a good workout at home or anywhere you desire.          
     There are several benefits of weight training through dumbbells and free weights. It only takes 10 to 15 minutes to get a quality workout with dumbbells. They are easy to store away when you are not using them and much more convenient than bulky gym equipment that that takes up too much space in your home. Dumbbells are easily available and are found in any fitness store or sports shop, but it’s important to choose a weight that feels comfortable, yet effective. With daily use dedicated to a particular group of muscles, alternating can give you great results.           
     Exercise balls are also good exercise aids. When using exercise ball, the first thing to pay attention to is the size of the ball. You want to make sure you buy the correct size ball for you. They’re perfect for abdominal workouts because they target your core muscles. About 50 crunches a night with an exercise ball will give you a six pack in no time.          
    Fitballs are a one-size alternative to dumbbells or large medicine balls. They’re soft and convenient. They’re light weight and perfect for toning. They’re also an effective way to add weight training to your workout routine.
     Workout DVDs are a great way to get you in shape in no time. Not all DVDs are as effective as others so you’ll need to find one that works for you. Some allow you to customize your workout like 10 Minute Solutions. This instructional workout video has five 10 minute cardio and aerobic workouts. You can do them in order or mix them up. Either way you’re guaranteed to break a sweat.            
     Everyone can find 10 minutes in day to workout. Quick and efficient, these workout aids allow you to fit exercise into the busiest schedule because you can use them right in your bedroom or living room. And the best part is, if you stick to it, you’ll have jaw-dropping results. Stay healthy and get the body you want on your own time in your own home.

By Niccole Culver

Annual "Fluff & Puff"
Why it's important to have an annual
Pap smear

  For some reason, most people in their twenties feel as though they’re invincible; like nothing can get to them; like they’re immune to everything. But imagine yourself being diagnosed with cervical cancer at 21. It seems unlikely, right? Well, Jeris Williams thought that too until the day her doctor told her she had cervical cancer.       
      Williams, 27 of Atlanta, was living the life a college student at Howard University. She had plenty of friends and had just wrapped up her junior year. She was excited about being a senior and was prepared to graduate that following summer. But she hadn’t prepared for was being diagnosed with cervical cancer and having to go through countless laser surgeries in order to live long enough to even graduate. “I just remember having these crazy symptoms and my period was extremely heavy. So I went to the doctor and they ran some tests. When the results came back, they said I had cancer of the cervix,” Williams recalls. She couldn’t believe her ears. “I’m only 21,” she thought.                                                                                                                      
      But what she found out is that caner knows no age. However, Williams acted quickly. She underwent surgery to have the cancer cells removed and since then, she has been cancer free. Today, she stresses the importance of having a Pap smear, or what she calls an “annual fluff and puff”, to prevent this from happening to more young women. Especially since studies have shown African­-American women are two times more likely to develop cervical cancer than white women.                                                         
      Many young women don’t get don’t get annual Pap tests because they fear going to the doctor. For instance, Gayla Robertson, 22 of California, doesn’t get tested annual because it makes her feel uncomfortable. “I try to get a Pap test every year, but it doesn't always work out. I don’t like it because I always get a male doctor and it’s uncomfortable. Then, there’s a nurse standing over you and the doctor the whole time looking at your goodies,” Robertson says.   Other young women don’t get tested because they believe cervical cancer isn’t something they have to worry about because they aren’t sexually active. However, that is completely false according to Shannon Hughes, a registered nurse based in California who has worked in the teen clinic of obstetrician and gynecology for over five years. “Women should have their first Pap smear when they start having sex or by age 18, and continue to have one every year until they’ve had at least three normal ones. After that, they should have a Pap smear at least every three years, unless their doctor thinks they need them more often,” Hughes says.              
     “Cervical cancer is almost 100 percent curable when it is diagnosed in its early stages and treated quickly. Pap tests are the single and most effective way to identify irregularities in cervical cells that could develop into cancer,” Hughes says.  Although the death rate for cervical cancer has been reduced by almost 75 percent since the Pap test was first introduced in the 1940s, Hughes says the fight is far from over.                                
      But the discussion of cervical cancer should not end on a negative note. There is evidence that when the disease is diagnosed early and treated effectively, a woman can expect to recover completely. However, Hughes places emphasis on “early”, which is why every woman needs to commit to having regular Pap test and take the necessary steps to prevent cervical cancer. So weather you don’t like to expose your “goodies” or you think cervical cancer can’t happen to you, you must take a stand to fight the diseases that has claimed the lives of so many mothers, sisters, and daughters. You must take a stand for yourself.

By: NC