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Beginner’s Guide to CrossFit: What You Need to Know Before Starting

Posted on by Posted in Fitness and Exercise, Health, Health and Wellness .

There are actually so many CrossFit gyms around Singapore now! You might even have a co-worker or a friend who’s already going to one. Being one of the most popular fitness regimes today, CrossFit has earned a reputation for being tough yet very rewarding. So, let’s get to know it better!

What exactly is CrossFit?

CrossFit is basically a fitness program that mainly focuses on strength and conditioning. It takes functional movements from many different sports like weightlifting, gymnastics, rowing, and etc. Most of the exercises utilized are in different varieties and are meant to be challenging.

Generally, workout routines will change each day testing different parts of strength and conditioning. This is in line with the focus of CrossFit to help an individual create the “fittest” form of himself with a body capable of almost anything.

A CrossFit gym can also look very different from a bodybuilding gym. You’ll see more bars, boxes, and ropes than the usual weight machines and dumbbells!

Is it the right form of exercise for me?

If you’re a complete beginner at weight training or maybe you just lift casually in an ActiveSG gym, you won’t have any problems with CrossFit at all. One of the main advantages you’ll have when starting a fitness journey through CrossFit is that you’ll be trained with the basic and most important lifts to learn.

In addition to that, the whole community is very welcoming and everyone helps each other progress one way or another. Many CrossFit athletes are even martial artists, former athletes from different sports, and just fitness fanatics in general.

Is it dangerous?

Looking at it from an audience perspective, CrossFit can look very intimidating. Watching CrossFit athlete squat 465lbs, then move immediately to a 200-pound shoulder press, AND THEN do a 400-pound deadlift can definitely make you doubt if you can even do it. The intensity of the workouts makes people think that CrossFit can cause a lot of injuries. But that’s not really the case at all.

Even if CrossFit is all about pushing your body to the limits, it’s doesn’t get to the point of actually destroying your body. The individuals you see that are already doing those extremely high-intensity exercises are already seasoned CrossFit athletes. But they started also started from the bottom like you.

What do I need to start?

CrossFit gyms or ‘boxes’ usually have all the equipment needed for the workouts. Plyometric boxes, barbells, pull-up bars will always be present in CrossFit gyms. If there’s one thing, it would be good to buy a jump rope.

Because much of CrossFit is also about endurance, you’ll want to start getting used to conditioning and stamina training before you even start. Having a jump rope can be a good way to start. So aside from the actual things you need like your training attire and extra clothes, all you really need to bring is yourself.

6 Ways to Promote Healthy Aging

Posted on by Posted in Health, Health and Wellness, Lifestyle .

To put it simply, healthy aging is the process of maintaining your functional abilities even as you grow older. Promoting healthy aging enables one to do the things he/she values even in older age. If one wants to live long and healthy, he should start considering these different things as early as possible.

Be physically active

One of the best ways we can take care of physical and even our mental health is to exercise regularly. For one, regular exercise can help you maintain or achieve your ideal weight. This can have many positive effects on your skeletal and muscular health in the long-term. Being physically active also helps us keep our hearts and minds healthy.

Eat healthily

One problem in our time today is that we eat too much food that’s high in sodium. The recommended daily intake of sodium is only 2300 milligrams but because of junk food or processed food, we even hit as high as 3400 milligrams. If this is done every day, this can be very harmful to our health since it leads to high blood pressure and eventually cardiovascular diseases. So try to limit sugary food, processed food, and other items that are unhealthy.

Get enough sleep

For many Singaporeans, the lack of sleep is a real issue. If you don’t know, humans can actually go longer without eating than without sleeping. Not having enough sleep can affect the body in different aspects. You’re not giving your brain time to rest. You’re also not giving your body time to recover and store energy. These things, of course, can build up and will not be a positive thing as you grow old.

Look for ways to relieve stress

Stress can be a major cause of cognitive decline that comes with age. It can cause hormonal changes, memory loss, lower immunity, and etc. That’s why it is also important for you to find ways to relieve stress. Exercising is already a given. You can also find a hobby or certain activities that you simply enjoy and find relaxing.

Constantly challenge your brain

Another common problem that comes with aging is Alzheimer’s or dementia. Fortunately, there are ways for us to avoid or at least delay memory loss over time. That’s by constantly challenging your brain. Do crossword puzzles, sudokus, learn a new language, and many more. Just like your body, your brain also needs regular exercise to stay sharp and healthy!

Interact with others

Lastly, you should remember to always maintain your relationships with others. Isolation is the most probable cause of depression in older people. Interacting with others can help one feel fulfilled even as he/she grows old. Social interactions are something we innately need as humans.

Rare Genetic Disorders You Should Be Aware Of

Posted on by Posted in Health .

As a parent you always want to give the best for your children. But some very unfortunate mothers and fathers unknowingly pass down hereditary disorders. If you’re expecting you’re first child, you should be aware not just of common disorders, but even of rare conditions that the baby may develop so you can prepare ahead.

Lysosomal Storage Disorders
This is a group of at least 50 diseases that affect the metabolic processes because of enzyme deficiencies. The lysosome is supposed to recycle materials that cells can still use through proteins called enzymes. However, for people with LSD, the buildup of these materials just continue until the cells die.

Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome
This disease shows a rapid aging of a person even at a very young age. The child experiences symptoms that an elderly would normally have such as hair loss, loose and wrinkled skin, and joint abnormalities. The child stops growing at some point and will usually have heart and circulation problems by the time he/she is a teen.

Hypertrichosis
Hypertrichosis is the medical term for excessive hair growth on the body. It doesn’t have other complications but the person might experience emotional trauma for having a different appearance. There is no cure for the disease, like most on this list, and even hair removal techniques can only be a temporary relief.

Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis
The person suffers from a chronic infection of human papillomavirus or HPV and has a high risk of developing skin cancer that begins in the tissues. The condition manifests through numerous growths of papules and macules on the hands and feet, body parts which are always exposed to sunlight.

Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome
Most common among males, this condition is characterized by overproduction of uric acid because of the lack of an enzyme to break down purines. It causes arthritis, kidney and bladder stones, involuntary muscle movements, failing of limbs and behavioral problems. An afflicted person tends to injure himself.

Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva
This connective and muscle tissue disease replaces injured ligaments and tendons with bone. The person grows a second skeleton as a consequence of the body’s faulty mechanism of coping with injuries. More injuries mean that the person will no longer be able to move because the body parts are frozen in place.

Harlequin-Type Ichthyosis
This type of ichthyosis affects newborns. The baby has thick and hard skin that cracks. He/she will also have respiratory problems and will be prone to infection. Thanks to advances in medicine, however, there are adults who have survived childhood through treatment and lifestyle management.

Neurofibromatosis
Tumors form on the nerve tissue causing small pea-sized bumps on the skin all over the body. Another type causes bigger tumors in specific body parts. Most of these tumors are benign and can be removed by surgery and continuous treatment.

People with rare genetic disorders do not get the attention and help they need because they are a minority and are often misunderstood. If you or someone you know needs help and support, there is a charity established in Singapore called the Rare Disorders Society.

What You Need to Know about Hoarding

Posted on by Posted in Health, Lifestyle .

There are people who will display hoarding behaviour in their lifetime here in Singapore. According to a study entitled “Hoarding in an Asian Population: Prevalence, Correlates, Disability and Quality of Life” by Institute of Mental Health (IMH), one in every fifty Singaporean will display the behaviour in their lifetime.

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The study involved six thousand six hundred sixteen respondents. About 0.8 percent of these respondents displayed hoarding in the 12 months of the study. The research was led by Mythily Subramaniam, Assistant Professor of IMH. The article is published at the ANNALS – Singapore Academy of Medicine’s medical journal. If you are interested of the study, catch the November 2014 edition.

Going back to hoarding, it is imperative that you learn everything you can about the disorder. For your information, hoarding is a behaviour that is categorized by an extreme procurement of and the lack of willingness to remove large numbers of objects that cover the living areas of your home. Acts of hoarding can eventually lead to distress or impairment of daily functions.

It does not end there. Hoarding is also associated with other health and emotional risks that can put you and the people around you in danger. Here are other things that you need to know about hoarding:

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  • Symptoms: Hoarding can cause sanitary conditions like cockroach and rat infestations. It can also cause fires and other safety hazards. With these risks, it is crucial that you identify symptoms of hoarding so you will know how to proceed. Symptoms include cluttered homes and holding unto a large number of things. Hoarders do not allow their friends and families to clean the clutter and they are very reluctant to clean it.
  • Diagnosis: According to DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fifth Edition), there are certain criteria for hoarding disorder. Some of these are persistent difficulty when it comes to discarding possessions whatever the value and strong urges to collect and save things.
  • Collecting vs hoarding: You have to know that there is a distinction between collecting and hoarding. Collecting encompasses acquiring specific things that are interesting for the collector. Hoarding on the other hand involves keeping things which are not especially meaningful to the person.
  • Treatment: There is no cure but researchers are doing their best to find one. The research is on-going. There are therapeutic interventions and medications but it needs to be modified for an effective treatment.

That should do it. Hoarding is not easy and it is not meant to face alone. If you know someone or if you personally encounter hoarding, the best thing to do is seek for help.

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How to Train Your Nose

Posted on by Posted in Health, Healthy Tips .

Chefs train their tongue to determine whether or not the food is delectable and satisfactory. For perfume addicts, the nose can be trained to determine one’s perfume profile. There are lots of exercises that you can do to train your nose. After training it, you will know what your perfume profile is. So, how can you train your nose? Here are some exercises:

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  • Smell things around: If you are still a beginner and you are motivated to learn all the scents, you can start by smelling things around you. You will find it delightful as you learn the smell and scents of aromatic things surrounding you. While you are in the streets, you can consider smelling coffees, herbs, chocolate, teas, mangoes and many more.
  • Sniff it out: If you want to smell wood notes, you can go to furniture stores and sniff a wooden chest. If you are drawn into leather, you can buy new leather purse and smell its inside.
  • Cook it: Everything has a smell. Even the garlic and the onion you are cooking. The next time you cook, slice an orange or lemon and smell it. You can also consider peaches and plums which are popular fruits used in many perfumes.

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  • Smell the classics: Some scents now are reformulated. The classic or the reformulated perfumes are still costly. If you hone your nose to some of the classics, you will find an inspiration. However, do not feel obligated. You do not need to love the classics if you do not like it.
  • Dab or spray perfume: The next best thing that you can do is dab or spray perfume in strategic locations. For example, you can put it on both arms or your pulse points. You can also dab or spray it at the base of your neck. Try it.

Now that you know how, the next thing that you should do is identify your perfume profile. What does this mean? When you were you child, you vaguely remember the scents of your neighbourhood or your garden. This will influence your taste when you become an adult. You only need to learn the kinds of performs that you are drawn to then make something out of it.

There are lots of perfume categories and clans. It is a joy to discover each one of them. Singaporeans are fond of perfume and if you want to share this information, you can do so. Your fellow Singaporean will surely understand their perfume profile and they will learn how to use their nose. If it turned out that you want to make your own scent, you are free to do that.

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Cure for Cancer from a Smartphone Game

Posted on by Posted in Health .

“It is not just a game, it’s a way of saving lives,” stated a 72 year old survivor of prostate cancer, Tony Selman who lives in Middlesex, central England. A new game in smartphone has now been studied to help find a cure for cancer patients. With this application, anyone in the world can help find cure for cancer by helping scientists gather data and make analysis.

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Play to Cure: Genes in Space game is exclusively made for smartphones. It was introduced by the CRUK or the Cancer Research UK. The application’s aspiration is to decode different patterns and causes in the spreading of cancer cells. The mechanic of the game is to travel in the future 800 years from now through a spaceship. The spaceship is said to carry on a valuable load which is the Element Alpha. When a player follow Element Alpha, it would unravel coded that would give data for cancer.

Ms. Hannah Keartland who pioneered the project explained the game mechanics during the launch at London just this month. “It is the information that will be sent to CRUK… Gene data will be tracked by different players,” she stated. If smartphone users would play this game anytime and anywhere in the world, it would absolutely be a great benefit upon determining quickly the possible cure for cancer.

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“We want anyone at any age to download and play this game,” Ms. Keartland added. According to the World Health Organization, there are 14 million cancer patients around the world. The number is expected to be 22 million every year after 20 years. The game Genes in Space would help scientists gather information on genes that cause cancer. It would also help study new techniques on how to prevent and slow down growth of cancer cells.

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