Australian_Mens_Fitness_April_2017

Health
Breakthroughs

24 MEN’S FITNESS APRIL 2017

Any consistent

exercise is good

for you — even golf,

according to new

data out of the Uni

of Edinburgh, in

Britain, where golf

was born back in the

1400s. The study,

the largest and most

systematic review

ever done, found that

golfers live longer

than nongolfers and

are in better health

overall, says author

Dr Andrew Murray.

“Golf is a great

choice for longevity,

physical, and mental

benefits — and you

can play it from age 3

to 103,” Murray says.

Just ditch the cart

and carry your clubs:

An 18-hole round can

burn 1,200 calories,

compared with 600

for cart jockeys.

Thanks to the good folks at the Heart Foundation,

we know that about 32% of Australians over 18

have high blood pressure, which can dramatically

increase heart disease and stroke risk. Those are some

damn scary numbers.

Of course, if you think or have been told that you’re at risk,

taking sensible steps like quitting smoking and exercising

can help stave off high BP, also known as hypertension.

But if you’d like to be even more proactive, try yoga: A new

study presented to the Cardiological Society of India shows

thatpracticing hatha yoga an hour a day for a month can

lower blood pressure even more than lifestyle changes.

In the study, the yogis, who did stretching poses and

breathing exercises, had a huge drop in diastolic BP

(pressure while your heart is resting) over 24 hours, from a

dangerously high 81 to a normal 76. A decrease that drastic

could lower stroke risk by 15% and heart disease by 6%.

marius bugee

The way you breathe throughout the day and while exercising can

calm your body and mind and help them perform better. Yet proper

breathing is one of the most overlooked methods of improving health.

Now there’s even more evidence that breathing right is important:

In research at Northwestern Uni in the US, subjects who inhaled

through their noses were able to recognise fearful faces faster

and remember images better than when they were exhaling or

inhaling through their mouths.Researchers believe rapid (“panicky”)

nasal inhalation synchronises brain areas to make us more aware

of our surroundings.

GERMS

MAKE HUGE

ATM DEPOSITS

■Scientific

samples of ATMs

have found their

keypads to be

teeming with

bacteria. Luckily,

though, most are

harmless types that

thrive on skin and

home surfaces.

No, the real

evildoers are

insidethe ATMs,

the researchers

say: The cash the

machines spit out

is rife with more

than 3,000 types

of bacteria. Many

are linked to acne

(collective shudder),

but some are deadly

antibiotic-resistant

strains.

So consider your

hands tainted

after withdrawals

— or, better yet, get

yourself a Bitcoin

account.

TO SLEEP

SMART, CUT

BLUE RAYS

ALL DAY

■Getting enough

good sleep is one

ofthebestwaysto

stay fit and healthy.

So hear this:

Themorescreen

time you put in on

your smartphone,

computer or tablet

—allday,notjust

near bedtime — the

poorer and shorter

your sleep will be,

say UCSF scientists,

who analysed

data on 600-plus

subjects.

The culprit: Blue

light emitted by

screens, which

hinders the sleep

hormone melatonin.

To fight the blues,

blockraysfrom

your phone or

computer with an

app fromjustgetflux

.comortwilight

.urbanandroid.org.

BREATHE

THROUGH

YOUR NOSE!

Daily posing can

lower your risk

of stroke and

heart disease.

Get on the ball:

Golfers live longer

than nongolfers.

I love to hit the

golf course on the

weekends, but

my gym-loving

buddies say I’m

not getting any

real exercise. Am I

wasting my time?

Ask Men’s Fitness

Yo g a l o w e r s

blood pressure

Push blood

pressure

downward

with daily

yoga

sessions.