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Staying in shape just keeps getting easier. You used to have to hire a personal trainer, take a health class, or read dozens of fitness books. Now all you have to do is download an app to your iPhone.

The options are almost endless. In 2010, the fitness app market did more than $12 million in sales. Experts project that this market will almost quadruple by 2016. With so many options to choose from, how can you find the best fitness apps?

The following 5 best-selling apps–available from the iTunes App Store–can help lose weight, build muscle, or track your workouts.

1. Lose It

Look up a list of weight loss tips and you’ll see that almost every one includes, “keep a food journal”. With the help of Lose It, keeping a food journal and workout diary is easy, free, and very high-tech. The app features a huge food library complete with thousands of foods and calorie, carb, fat, sodium, fiber, and protein values.

After inputting your workout and your daily diet, Lose It calculates how many calories you’ve eaten, how much you’ve burned, and how much more you get to eat that day.

2. RunKeeper Pro

RunKeeper Pro is the best fitness app for runners and cyclists. Using your smartphone’s GPS technology it tracks your route, speed, elevation and then uploads the information to the RunKeeper website when you’re done. A free version of the app is available to download, or you can get the full version for $9.99.

3. iFitness

No need for a personal trainer when you have the iFitness app on your iPhone. Featuring 230 exercises and 100 instructional videos, this app lets you design a workout that focuses on any muscle group or body region. If you want a pre-designed workout, iFitness has 12 routines that were created by workout and fitness experts. You can get all this and more for just $1.99.

4. Daily Body Workout

You may not have an hour or two to spend at the gym; but if you have 10-30 minutes to spare, the Daily Body Workout app can help you stay in shape. All the workouts on this app take less than half an hour and come with directions and photos. You can select a workout for your abs, arms, legs, etc… This app is available for free on the iTunes App Store.

5. Pocket Yoga

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced yogi, the Pocket Yoga app is for you. Complete with voice and visual instructions, this app gives you more than 145 illustrated poses and technique tips. Pocket Yoga also comes with a yoga dictionary and practices that were designed by expert yoga instructors. You can get it for only $2.99.

Finding the Best Apps

The iTunes App Store has many of the best fitness apps, but it doesn’t have all of them. You can find more options on Cydia, which is another popular app store for the iPhone. Accessing Cydia is as simple as doing an iPhone jailbreak.

Once you have one of the best fitness apps in hand, there will be one less obstacle between you and your fitness goals. Want to burn fat, build muscle, or even sleep better at night? There is an app for you.

You are undoubtedly well aware of the usual factors that weigh on your quality of health: your level of activity, what you eat, how much sleep you get, and even your genetics.

But have you ever thought that maybe where you live could have an effect on your wellness? Each year, the United Health Foundation ranks all 50 states by their overall healthiness, factoring in both physical health and emotional and psychological health.

Where does your state rank? Should you consider leaving a state with a low ranking in favor of one of these highly ranked states? Read on to see which are the best states to live in, and decide for yourself!

Vermont

One of the consistently best states to live in in terms of healthiness is Vermont. Not only does Vermont boast a low population of smokers (a mere 15.4%), but it also has relatively low obesity and diabetes counts, with 23.9% and 6.8%, respectively.

Vermont also clinches the prize for the healthiest state with their low rates of infectious diseases. Recent data shows that in Vermont, there are only, on average, 3.1 cases of infectious diseases per population of 100,000 people. Citizens of Vermont also contribute to their state’s prime ranking with their high use of early prenatal care.

As mentioned previously, these rankings do not only depend on the condition of these states’ physical health percentages; the United Health Foundation also considers factors that effect the general population’s emotional and mental wellness.

For example, Vermont also beats out the other 49 states because of its impressive high school graduation rate and low violent crime rate.

Utah

Utah is another one of the healthiest states in the nation, but for some different reasons than Vermont is. For starters, Utah has the lowest percentage of smokers in its population, and the second lowest obesity percentage. Utah also boasts an extremely low rate of cancer-related deaths.

The diabetes rate is also very low in Utah, with only 6.5% of its adult population suffering from this disease.

Massachusetts

Another representative from New England, Massachusetts, is a regularly highly ranked state, health-wise. Only 23.6% of adults in Massachusetts are considered obese, which is not too bad when compared to 34.5% obesity in the 50th healthiest state, Mississippi.

Massachusetts makes it onto the list of the best states to live in because of its low smoking percentages, its low rate of uninsured citizens, and an impressive amount of readily available primary care doctors.

As far as the emotional and psychological well-being of the people of Massachusetts goes, it is right up there with Vermont’s high standard. Massachusetts stands out from Vermont, however, with its very low percentage of children living in poverty–a mere 12.6%, which is not perfect, but it is definitely very impressive when compared to the percentages of other states.

Colorado

Colorado is definitely one of the healthiest and overall best states to live in, possessing the lowest percentage of obese adults in the entire country. There is also a very low percentage of adults with diabetes–that percentage is a mere 6%.

Colorado also ranks highly on the list of the healthiest states because of its environment. People living in Colorado enjoy extremely low levels of air pollution, and the state gets on average 115 out of 365 clear, sunny days a year, boosting overall health as well as mood.

Pick Your State!

There you have it–some of the best states to live in if you want to improve your health. If interested in homes for rent, try RentalAds.com. Living in any of these states could make a difference in not only your physical health but also your overall well-being.

The unfortunate thing about aging is that every year you look older. Your skin doesn’t look as nice as it used to, those pants that used to be your favorite pair haven’t been worn in about three years, and you have less and less energy each day.

The fountain of youth doesn’t really exist. If it did, we would all look 21 forever. There is no magic way to look younger, but there are some things that you can do to help you look and feel a little younger.

Exercise Daily

Daily exercise is something that most people don’t like to think about, but it is so important. Exercise has so many benefits. One benefit is that you will feel less stiff if you get up and move around every day – even if it’s only for a few minutes. Nothing says “old” like stiff muscles.

Exercise will also reduce your risk factors for certain diseases. Daily exercisers typically have lower blood pressure, more lean muscle, less fatty buildup all over their bodies, and are just healthier overall.

One thing that will make you feel younger is energy. It may seem backwards, but if you exercise, you will actually have more energy and stamina throughout the day.

Lose Weight

Losing weight will not only help you look younger but it will also make you feel younger. Everybody has their own way of keeping their weight down. Some exercise while others eat healthy. These are both proven and effective ways to help you lose weight in a healthy manner.

Another thing you can add to your weight loss routine is a weight loss supplement. There are many weight loss pills out there that can help you burn fat more effectively. They can also give you more energy which will help you feel younger. Lipofuze is one weight loss pill that can help you lose weight and give you more energy.

Reduce Stress

Stress is one thing that can age you immensely. Stress has been linked to obesity. Stress can also give you wrinkles and weaken your immune system. Chronic stress can cause dangerous health problems like ulcers and high blood pressure. Dealing with these symptoms may increase stress which will only begin the cycle of sickness and stress symptoms.

As you get rid of your stressors, you will be able to focus on more important things and enjoy your “youth” again.

Drink Water

Drinking water has many health benefits. Drinking enough water has been shown to keep your skin looking healthy and help you lose weight. Your body’s systems will also work better when they are well watered.

In Conclusion

There may not be a fountain of youth, but these tips are the closest thing you will probably get. Trying to look younger can be frustrating, but it is well worth it. Don’t be afraid to get a little help. Take an exercise class, try a new diet pill, or grab a friend to help. You will be surprised how far a little effort can go.

If you’ve ever found yourself complaining about your commute, you’ll most likely be able to console yourself by saying, “at least I didn’t give birth.”

But the same cannot be said for Rabita Sarkar of Harrison New Jersey who delivered her son on a PATH commuter train to New York City.

Even though Rabita might be one of the relative few that have given birth on public transportation, there are many horror stories about babies who completely surprise their mothers and come at unexpected times.

Yet, there are also some women who experience hours and even days of contractions before their baby finally arrives.

Are Women Ignoring Signs of Labor?

Not necessarily, says Dr. Vargas. What may be happening is the phenomenon in which some women don’t actually feel the pain of labor contractions.

This lack of cognition that your body is in labor is much different than not realizing you are pregnant in the first place, a medical oddity that has been highlighted in the TLC show, “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant.”

Most of the women in this show say that they didn’t see any weight gain or notice any other signs of pregnancy until a baby was coming out of their nether regions.

Although phenomenons like these spontaneous birthings are rather rare, most women do have normal and healthy births.

Despite the fact that the majority of the births in the United States take place in hospitals, it is more of a precautionary measure as most women and babies are perfectly fine, whether born on the train or in the hospital.

In recent years, there has been some concern about the safety of plastic water bottles among consumers.

Federal Regulation

Despite what people have heard, consumers can have peace of mind knowing that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration carefully review food and beverage packaging materials before they are allowed to be sold or placed on the market. This includes plastics and plastic additives used for bottled beverages.

Scientific tests are conducted to make sure there is a minimal amount of transfer between a plastic package and food. If there is any transfer, it is tested for safety to human health. Producers cannot sell these products unless the FDA approves them.

Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is the most common kind of plastic used in plastic bottled beverages. PET is popular because it is lightweight and shatter resistant. In addition, PET has been extensively tested for safety.

The FDA has approved PET plastic to be used in food and beverage packaging for both single and repeated use products.

Bacteria

Because plastics are sanitary materials, plastic bottles do not have a higher risk of containing bacteria than any other drinking containers.

Consumers should not be concerned about bacteria in their plastic drinking containers if they regularly wash them with soap and hot water, just as they would with any other drinking container. However, some bottles that are not intended for multiple uses have smaller necks, making them harder to wash. In addition, because reused plastic bottles have frequent contact with mouths and hands, they are likely to encourage bacteria growth due to moist conditions.

According to Dr. Rolf Halden of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, consumers face a much greater risk from potential exposure to microbial contaminants (germs) in bottled water then from chemical ones.

Leaching

An urban legend has been leaking around through e-mails and the media stating that unhealthy compounds from reused water bottles have been found in water. This has created a scare among the public and has even turned people away from using plastic water bottles.

This rumor started from a University of Idaho student’s masters thesis. However, the thesis was not peer reviewed and was found to be incorrect. The FDA has reviewed the data and determined that it does not pose a risk to human health.

Due to economic and cultural reasoning, not safety concerns, PET beverage containers have been designed for one time use. In fact, the difference between one time use water bottles and those intended for multiple uses are thicker sidewalls and a wider neck.

As mentioned above, any risk from reusing water bottles will be a result of bacteria rather than chemical leaching.

Freezing Plastics

Another e-mail hoax prompted a scare about the dangers of freezing plastic water bottles. The hoax claimed that when frozen, PET bottles will release dioxin, a known carcinogenic chemical. However, Professor Rolf Halden explained that plastic water bottles do not contain dioxins. In addition, dioxins can only survive in very hot temperatures, so even if dioxins were present in plastic, freezing them would make it less likely to leach into the water.

Dangerous Plastics

It is true that some plastics can leach chemicals into foods when heated. However, these plastics are very uncommon and will always have a label warning. If you do come into contact with these types of plastics, only use them for cold food or beverages.

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that affects 1 in 3 women.

This disease causes a person’s bones to thin; this weakens the bones and increases the risk of bone fractures. Some of these bone fractures can cause serious consequences.

Risk Factors:

There are certain factors that will make a person more susceptible to this disease. Aging, being a female, having a low body weight, smoking, and drinking excessive alcohol are all risk factors for osteoporosis.

Symptoms:

Often times, people are unaware that they have osteoporosis until they actually fracture a bone. This quiet disease will progress without any symptoms.

However, there are a few signs that may lead someone to realize they have osteoporosis. Losing height may be noticeable, or a person may develop a Dowager’s hump.

Prevention & Treatment:

Osteoporosis is very difficult to reverse. Therefore, prevention is very, very important.

There are four basic prevention tactics that will lower a person’s risk of the disease.

Calcium & Vitamin D
Calcium is so important because it builds strong, dense bones. It is especially good if a person develops strong bones while they are young.

Calcium is lost every day through sweating, skin, nails, hair, and sweat. Our body is unable to produce calcium on its own, so it is very important for us to get the daily calcium we need from the foods that we eat.

It is recommended that a woman under the age of 50 needs 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day; women 50 and older need 1,200 milligrams. Men under age 70 need 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day; men 70 and older need 1,200 milligrams.

Dairy products are the most well-known sources of calcium. Consuming dairy products is a great way to get all the calcium your body needs. There are also other foods that contain calcium as well. For example: almonds, spinach, cooked kale, broccoli, and soy products also contain calcium.

You can also find many products that are calcium fortified. Many juices, breakfast foods, cereal, snacks, breads, and even bottled water can come with added calcium.

If a person is unable to get enough calcium through their regular diet, plenty of supplements are available.

Vitamin D is so important because it is necessary in order for the bones to absorb calcium. Vitamin D can also improve muscle strength.
The best way to get vitamin D is through sunlight exposure. To get vitamin D from the sun, the average person will need to spend 5-30 minutes in the sun twice a week. If a person is not able to spend time in the sun, they can get their vitamin D through nutritional supplements or foods fortified with vitamin D, such as some milk.

Exercise
Exercise is another way a person can prevent osteoporosis. Exercise is so important because it helps build strong bones and slows down bone loss.

Starting to exercise regularly while you are young is most ideal, however, your bones will benefit from exercising no matter when you begin.

To get the most out of your exercise, you should combine strength training exercises with weight-bearing exercises.

Don’t Smoke
Aside from all of the other reasons to quit smoking, smoking puts you at a higher risk of osteoporosis. Also, smoking can increase the rate of bone thinning after it has already begun.

Avoid Excessive Alcohol
If a man drinks more than 2 alcoholic beverages a day, and if a woman drinks more than 1 alcoholic beverage a day, they are at an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Excessive alcohol reduces your body’s ability to absorb calcium and lowers your bone formation.