Ask Bonnie

ARE YOU READY to learn to play the great game of tennis?

ARE YOU READY to improve your game and become the best at what you do?

ARE YOU READY to compete with supreme confidence?

Then you ARE READY to play tennis with Florin Gheorghe,
Tennis Director located at Lifetime Fitness Athletic Club in Boca Raton.

Kids and adults (clinics or private lessons)

Tel.# 561-305-8671

Say you found him on AskBonnie.com

Life Time Fitness is dedicated to people who know that the real strength they get from staying fit is the feeling it gives them inside. That’s why we’ve created the most complete health and fitness experience you’ll find. All it takes is a visit and you’ll discover that it’s included something for everyone, no matter your fitness level, interests, experience, schedule or budget.

Hundreds of the latest cardiovascular and weight machines
Sport courts
Tennis
Soccer
Golf
Innovative classes, instructors and trainers
Indorr/outdoor pool
Full spa and salon
Restaurant
Clothing/Accessory store
Incredible Child Center for kids ages 3 mos. to 11 yrs. including summer camps
24-hour access, free lockers and towels
Affordable memberships for any budget
And much more

Located:
1499 Yamato Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-208-5900
www.lifetimefitness.com

Say you found it on AskBonnie

Regular sex boosts a man’s fertility, say doctors.

In a contradiction of conventional wisdom on the subject, research has shown those who do not have sex often produce sperm of lower quality than those who do so daily.

This is thought to be because sperm’s DNA becomes more damaged the longer it remains in the body, cutting the chances of fertilisation and raising the risk of a miscarriage in the first weeks of pregnancy.

Daily clinch: The more sex you have, the better a man’s fertility becomes

The findings, presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual conference, will be of particular significance to couples undergoing fertility treatment.

Men are currently advised to stop having sex in the days before they provide a sperm sample for IVF treatment.

Until now, abstaining from sex in the three to seven days before treatment was thought to increase the quantity of sperm produced and improve the chances of pregnancy.

Australian researchers looking at the sperm quality of more than 40 men whose wives had either failed to get pregnant through IVF or had repeatedly miscarried found that when the men had no sex for three days, their sperm contained high levels of DNA damage.

Tested again after having sex every day for a week, the amount of damage dropped by a third.

While the amount of sperm produced had also fallen, fertility doctors said the improvement in quality would help men in their quest for fatherhood.

Researcher Dr David Greening, from the clinic Sydney IVF clinic, said: “I’m convinced ejaculating more frequently reduces sperm DNA damage in most men.”

Dr Allan Pacey, a male fertility expert from Sheffield University and secretary of the British Fertility Society, said the research appeared to suggest that sperm sitting in the body accumulates damage as it ages.

He added: “If sperm is released in a steady stream, the sperm that is ejaculated contains newer and less- damaged cells.”

source:this is london.co.uk

1. Head for the Hills
Walking uphill is a great way to up the challenge without having to up your pace. Even if the hill is modest, you’ll still work more butt and thigh muscles and burn more calories. Find a hilly outdoor course or set your treadmill to a 4-8 percent incline and either sprinkle the hills into your workouts or do repeats (Find a hill or increase the incline on the treadmill for 1.5 minutes, decrease incline and rest one minute on the flat). Repeat 6-8 times.

2. Swing, Swing
Although carrying hand weights while walking ups the calorie burn by almost 5 percent, the strain on your shoulder and elbow joints just isn’t worth the risk. But since most of the additional calorie burn comes from the increased arm swing and not the weights themselves, you can still give your walk a boost by swinging your arms more forcefully and in a bigger arc for similar benefits with no risk!

3. Intervals
Short bursts of higher-intensity exercise will work wonders for your butt and thighs (ever wonder why sprinters have such amazing assets?). If you’re not ready to do an all-out sprint, try alternating fast and slow intervals. Walk at a slow pace for two minutes, a moderate pace for two minutes and then a really quick pace for two minutes. Repeat the pattern three to six times and start feeling the burn.

4. Get on the Poles
Poles are a great alternative to hand weights because they’re safer, they involve more muscle groups and, according to some studies, they can skyrocket calorie burn by almost 33 percent! You can use them on the track, on the roads or even in the mall. Although very popular in Europe but just catching on here, pole walking or Nordic walking is not only effective, it also gives you a wonderful gliding feeling. And depending on the angle in which you push on the poles, you will use various different muscles in the arms and back.

5. Listen to Your Heart
To get the most out of your walk, you need to pay attention to your heart rate and aim to work out at 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate or effort. Subtract your age from 220 to quickly estimate max heart rate, but keep in mind that this formula is not 100 percent accurate; getting it tested by a knowledgeable trainer or doctor is your best bet. Another option is simply bypassing heart rate all together and grading your intensity by how you feel on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being very easy and 10 being an all-out effort. If you choose this method, make sure to stay between 6 and 9 during the majority of the workout (excluding the warm up and cool down where you should stay between 3 and 5).

By upping the challenge and intensity of your walking workouts, you’ll burn more calories, tone and tighten your butt and thighs and increase your fitness level. Integrate these tips into your routine at least three to five times a week for 30 minutes per day and start seeing your body change.