Well Being Magazine

Fall Allergies vs. Outdoor Exercise

It’s that time of year again when seasonal allergies can put a real crimp in your regular exercise routine, especially if you prefer to exercise outdoors. But it doesn’t have to. With a little planning and some no-nonsense strategies, you can exercise outdoors while keeping seasonal allergy symptoms on the sidelines. Allergy triggers – to know them is to conquer them. If you haven’t already, talk to your doctor about performing Read more »

Why Strength Training Isn’t Just for Bodybuilders

Forget the image of the consummate bodybuilder, muscles flexing, veins bulging, while he lifts a giant barbell over his head. The truth is, strength training is so much more than a way to build muscle mass. It is a key component of overall health and fitness for everyone. Well-Being turned to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Health & Wellness team for information about how strength training should Read more »

Reading on the RUN

Listening to music while you run, walk briskly or engage in other forms of exercise can benefit your workout by affecting your mood, emotions and even cognition. In a previous issue of Well-Being, staff writer Brian Parr, ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist, addressed how music enhances exercise performance in a number of ways, both psychologically and physiologically. It can make the time spent exercising seem to go by faster by Read more »

Running Hot. The challenges of exercise in the heat.

By Brian B. Parr, Ph.D., ACSM Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist, Associate Professor It’s that time of year again! Summer weather can make outdoor exercise especially challenging. Even if you take precautions to avoid serious heat-related injuries, exercise on a hot, humid day can adversely affect your performance. At the very least, your workout will feel harder. It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. The humidity is a huge factor. If you have Read more »