YOU Docs Daily
Why You Shouldn't Go to the Gym Today
Headed to the gym today for the usual? Try walking around the building instead. Or, if you go anyway, hop on the elliptical machine instead of the stair climber. Repetitive routines -- pounding the same strip of sidewalk every day, lifting weights in the same order every time -- may cause overuse injuries.
So, for the sake of your body, your mind, and your sanity, try some new moves. Walk in a different direction. Bike around the hill you usually coast down. Try yoga or chi-gong (sort of slow-mo martial arts) -- both focus your mind as well as your body, so you think more clearly. And include something aerobic (brisk enough to get your heart pumping): In another study, aerobic exercisers increased their brain volume while those who did just stretching missed out on that benefit (though they got other goodies).
Other ways to protect your mind and memory: Stimulate your brain (do the crossword in this newspaper) and fill up on foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, folate, flavonoids, and turmeric (a spice used in curries and many mustards). Translation: Eat heaps of colorful fruits and vegetables (including green ones), drink tea, sip red wine, spread mustard on your sandwiches, and when you want a little something for dessert, make it deep, dark chocolate.
