Health Archives - Pittsburgh Quarterly

Question: I was recently informed that I may be suffering from osteoporosis or weakening of the bones. What if anything can I do to improve my bone health? Take some solace in the fact that your situation is not uncommon. Osteoporosis, which literally means “porous bone,” is a condition where the quality, quantity and strength of …

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Health

Is There Such a Thing as Exercise Addiction?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: I began an exercise program about a year ago? Initially I worked out two or three times a week, but I felt so good that I began exercising five days a week, and now it is every day per week – sometimes twice a day. Lately I feel tired most of the time and …

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Health

Must We Gain Weight as We Grow Older?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “My middle-aged friends and I watch what we eat and try to stay active, but all of us seem to be gaining weight as we get older. Is getting fatter simply an unavoidable consequence of aging?” Although weight gain is generally considered part of the aging process, there are no legitimate reasons why a …

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Health

The Many Benefits of Functional Fitness

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I’ve read that ‘functional fitness activity’ can help maintain a healthy body weight and provide additional benefits as well. However, I am not sure what functional fitness is all about. Can you explain?” “Functional fitness” activities relate more to a person’s lifestyle than what we consider to be formal, structured workouts. The term generally …

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Health

Fit Facts: Hard Truths about Diet and Exercise

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “There’s so much information available about dieting and exercise. I’m not sure what to believe. How do I separate fact from fiction? I feel your pain! There is an enormous amount of material available through workout videos, diet and exercise books, health club promotions, fitness equipment companies and the internet. Sifting through information can …

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Health

We Need New Blood

by Kelly Casey

Our region is thirsty for blood. On a typical day, Vitalant Pittsburgh (formerly Central Blood Bank) sees 250 blood donors. It needs 600 donors to meet the local demand for blood. “Our region collects less than half of what we need. People’s jaws drop when we say this,” says Mark Giaquinto, president and chief financial …

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Health

Walking: Exercise of Choice in a Pandemic

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “In the past few months, I’ve noticed more people walking for exercise than ever before, perhaps because health clubs have been closed due to the pandemic. How beneficial is walking as a substitute for more strenuous workouts?” I am in the habit of walking my dog Winston a couple of times every day and …

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Health

Training Guidelines to Improve Strength and Endurance

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I want to improve my overall level of strength and endurance. Are there any guidelines to ensure I can do it safely, correctly and effectively?” Getting the most out of an exercise program can best be accomplished by understanding and implementing fundamental principles that apply to all forms of physical training. These principles include …

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Health

How Can We Motivate Kids to Exercise?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I have read that American children are falling behind the rest of the world in performance on basic fitness tests. How can we get kids to exercise more and improve their fitness?” Your assessment of the physical status of our younger generation is spot on. Over the last few decades, American children have become …

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Health

What Determines a Healthy Body Weight?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “How can I determine a healthy body weight for myself?” For sake of discussion, let us consider a healthy body weight to be one where a person generally feels good with her or his weight, can complete routine physical activities and exercise with relative ease, and is free of or successfully managing chronic disease. …

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Health

How Much Exercise Is Required to Reap Health Benefits?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I realize that exercise is good for us. How much daily exercise is required to get positive health benefits?” Here is what we know for sure: An overwhelming amount of evidence points to the fact that a physically active lifestyle provides a variety of positive health outcomes. Participating in regular exercise, whether it be …

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Health

The Importance of the Warmup and Cooldown

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I fit my aerobic workouts into a very tight schedule. How important is it to spend time warming up before and cooling down after exercising? I often do neither.” Warming up prior to engaging in more vigorous exercise serves several important functions. From both a mental and physiological standpoint, it prepares the body for …

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Health

Harness the Power of Habit to Achieve Fitness Goals

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “One of my 2021 goals is to lose a few pounds and get in better shape. However, I am hesitant to go to a gym because of the pandemic, and I am simply not into exercise classes. What is the solution?” The process of changing outcomes begins with changing habits. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines …

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Health

How Can I Improve My Flexibility?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I am becoming less flexible as I get older. Simple tasks such as bending over to pick up a bag of groceries have become more difficult. What can I do to improve, or at least maintain, my flexibility?” Your situation is not unusual as most people become increasingly less flexible as they get older. …

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Health

How Many Calories Do I Require Each Day?

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “How can I determine how many calories are required daily to maintain my present weight?” Calories are units of energy obtained from the proteins, fats and carbohydrates that we eat and drink. Maintenance calorie requirements can vary widely from one individual to the next due to a variety of factors that include age, gender, …

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Health

It’s Hard to Eat Healthy

by Julia Fraser

“Ba da ba ba ba.” In 2003, faced with slumping sales, McDonald’s commissioned a jingle. The fast-food giant recruited the era’s biggest music producer, Pharrell Williams, and pop icon Justin Timberlake to create “I’m Lovin’ It.” The catchy hook became the heart of McDonald’s first worldwide campaign. It was sung in 20 languages throughout 120 …

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Health

Improving Muscular Fitness: The Basics

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I am a 40-plus-year-old who has never lifted weights, but I want to get stronger and more toned. Can you provide some guidance?” When we speak of getting stronger and more toned, we are really talking about improving muscular fitness, which comprises three primary components: strength, endurance and power. Strength is the maximum force …

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Health

Combating the Middle Age Spread

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “I am experiencing the ‘middle age spread’ and want to flatten, tone and tighten up my stomach. What machine or exercises would you suggest?” Popular infomercials would have you believe that using a single abdominal machine for a few minutes a day can provide you with washboard abs, but it is not that simple. …

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Health

Rethinking Obesity

by Julia Fraser

Tammy Dolan had always been a “heavy kid.” Still, she never considered herself “really big.” Then came college and weight gain. She graduated and was ready to face the world. But, “I wasn’t happy with myself,” said the 39-year-old from Centerville, Crawford County. She tried dieting and exercise but couldn’t lose the pounds. After consulting …

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Health

Exercising in the Heat: Tips to Stay Safe

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “My primary forms of exercise are jogging and biking. Are there any special precautions I should take when exercising in extremely hot and humid conditions?” Four primary factors—air temperature, humidity, wind velocity and thermal radiation—interact to determine the level of heat stress imposed on the human body when exercising outdoors. For example, jogging on …

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Health

Rating the Aerobic Exercises

by Joseph A. Luxbacher

Question: “Which aerobic exercise is most beneficial in terms of burning calories and improving fitness? How do you rate them? I want to get the most benefit for time invested.” The key to realizing the many benefits aerobic exercise has to offer, including calorie burn, can be summed up in one word: consistency. It is …

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Health

Mysterious Melanoma

by Kelly Casey

In 2010, Thomas Lauritzen and his second oldest daughter both began treatment for melanoma, diagnosed with the condition only a month apart. “Our melanomas were almost identical in size and in the same location (shoulder blade area),” Lauritzen said. The father and daughter would spend the next year going to UPMC for infusions of the …

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