Ways to Stay Hydrated

Health Risks Associated with Chronic Heavy Drinking

Do you have Type 2 Diabetes? Read this.

Want to know what foods trigger weight-loss hormones? Read this.

Maintaining a Satisfying Sex Life

Yes, you want a six-pack. But that’s not all you get when working on your abs. Read this.

Bad Habits That Can Hurt Your Kids' Health

What is Spinal Stenosis? Read this

What to Eat for a Healthy Eyes and Heart

Things to know about Chicken Pox

Top Food for Healthy Hair

Must Know’s When Influenza Hits Your Baby

Simple Steps in Detoxing Your Body

Things to Know About Sunburn

Are you starting to feel the summer heat? Don't let the sun stop you from going to the beach.

 

Are you a sex addict?

Health Benefits of Cheese

Hearing Loss in Children

Super Foods for Your Bones

Food That Fight Heartburn

Deep Vein Thrombosis, A Life-Threatening and Unnoticed Condition You Should Know

Some important tips about your toothbrush

Anyone addicted to cleaning their ears?

Warning Signs of Autism

Water reduces kidney stones

What can you get from a foot massage?

How to Sit in a Chair

While sitting may seem like common sense (after all, you’ve been sitting your whole life), if you experience back pain or shoulder pain or headaches after a day at the office, your style of sitting could be contributing to your problems.

Sitting for too many hours—at work, in the car, or in front of the TV—can take a toll on your body’s muscles and joints, especially if you slouch or sit with your legs crossed or one leg under your butt.

Here’s why: Your spine has curves that act as shock absorbers. When you sit, you round your spine, which eliminates the curves. This creates an unequal distribution of pressure along your spine and back. Over time and with poor sitting habits, this extra pressure can lead to tension headaches, disc problems, and pain in your lower back and shoulders.

Check out the keys to proper sitting technique below, then continue reading to see if you’re guilty of one of the four common seated positions that can hurt your body.

The Proper Way to Sit in a Chair

1. Sit with your feet flat on the ground. If you're short, put a box or stool under your feet to lift them.
2. Keep your knees lower than your hips. If you're tall, sit on a wedge or seat cushion to raise your body.
3. Your arms should be supported by arm rests without forcing your shoulders up toward your ears.
4. Keep your shoulder blades back and down, elevate your chest, and draw in your tummy.

Common Seated Positions That Could be Damaging Your Body

These popular seated positions may be wreaking havoc on your body.

Crossing Legs at the Knee

When you sit with your legs crossed, you irritate the area around your fibular head, just below the knee, which can pinch the peronial nerve. Crossing your legs also alters your pelvic position, placing additional pressure on your hip muscles and sciatic nerve. This throws off your SI (sacroiliac) joint and pelvis, which attach to your lower back, and can lead to long-term nerve irritation and back pain.

The fix: First, do your best to keep your legs uncrossed. If you find yourself sitting with your legs crossed, do the Leg Cradle - Supine. This movement helps stretch out your hip muscles that can tighten up from sitting in this position.

Slouching

Slouching is common in people with desk jobs. When you slouch, your head pushes forward and out of alignment, which makes your muscles work harder to hold it up. This pressure puts stress on your shoulders and neck and can lead to tension headaches. A slouched position also puts extra pressure on an already compressed spine, leading to lower back pain.

The Fix: Put a pop-up reminder on your computer telling you to stand up and do a posture check. This will help you become more aware of your sitting position. You can also use a lumbar roll or a small towel in the small of your back to maintain a more upright posture. Add the upward dog yoga position and Standing Y's and T's to your fitness routine to extend your upper body and lower back.

Crossing Legs Under Each Other

Placing your legs under one another in a bent position, often referred to as pretzel-style, rotates your hip and knee joints in a way that puts pressure on them. This can lead to tight hamstrings and knee and hip pain. Over time, it can irritate the meniscus cartilage in the knee and put added stress on the hip capsule from the constant rotation.

The Fix: If you find yourself sitting pretzel-style, quickly untwist your legs. Aim to break this habit over time. To help counteract the pressure on your hips and knees, add the Foam Roll - IT Band and Handwalks to your routine. This will help stretch your muscles and relieve pressure on your hips and knees.

One Leg Up, One Leg Down

When you sit with one leg up on your chair and the other one hanging down, you're causing your pelvis to rotate in a way that it normally wouldn't and keep it from rotating naturally. Consistently performing this motion can lead to sacroiliitis, or an inflammation of the SI joints, a common cause of lower back pain and lack of stability.

The Fix: While your first line of defense is to kick this habit, there are also ways to counteract it. Bring stability back to your body and ease lower back pain by adding Glute Bridges to your routine. Place a small pillow or ball  between your knees while performing this movement. It helps fire up your abs and hip muscles, while improving your strength and stability.

Cindy Crawford Shares Her Eating Habits, Food Philosophy

Fun fact: Cindy Crawford is 48 years old. How does she look so fabulous? We bet her diet plays a part. And lucky for all of us curious folks out there, Cindy is opening up about her daily noshing activities. The best part? Her eating habits sound totally reasonable!

"On a typical weekday, I usually have a protein shake for breakfast because it's fast—I need to get the kids out the door—and then I go right to work out. I find that sometimes if you eat you have to take extra time to let it settle," she explains in a recent piece on Into the Gloss. "And then for lunch, I'll have salad, sometimes with chicken, sometimes without. For dinner, we'll go for sushi. Or if we eat at home, I'll try to make a meal like turkey meatballs with pasta, a salad, and a vegetable. I just don't have the pasta, and the kids don't have the vegetables or the salad [laughs]. I don't like when my meals are completely different from their meals, but that works."

For beverages, Cindy says she mostly sticks to water to avoid hidden liquid calories. "I drink green tea, but I had to stop drinking as much caffeine as I used to," she says. "I had stomach issues, so coffee—especially on an empty stomach—doesn't really agree with me. Tequila, though, kills all the bugs. My husband enjoys having a cocktail, so I can't make him drink alone."

We love how Cindy doesn't take an all-or-nothing approach to healthy eating: "Diet-wise, I don't eat crap, and I don't eat a lot of packaged foods," she says. "I could easily be vegetarian, but it's not practical with my family. I try to be 80 percent good 80 percent of the time."

Making four out of five of your meals mostly healthy sounds pretty doable, even for non-supermodels. Considering giving Cindy's philosophy a shot?

Toning Your Body and Your Thighs

For many people -- particularly women -- hips and thighs are trouble spots. Efforts to achieve slim, trim thighs can seem futile, especially since exercise and diet won't necessarily reduce fat in the places you'd like. Though you target your stomach, the excess fat may come off your bottom, or vice versa. Still, dedication to exercise combined with good nutrition will trim fat throughout your body and help you tone all over, including your thighs.

Cardiovascular and Aerobic Exercise

Not only does aerobic exercise keep your heart and mind strong, but it can also help to make hips and legs more shapely and stronger. Exercise can't change your DNA; it can only do so much to counteract a genetic disposition to, say, cellulite or a particular leg and hip shape. But a good sweat will keep you healthier and firm up whatever you have inherited from your parents.

Try weight-bearing forms of aerobic exercise such as running, jogging, and brisk walking. If you can't do weight-bearing exercises, the stationary bicycle may suffice. Aim for at least three sessions of 20 minutes or more of aerobic exercise each week, according to the American Council on Exercise. If you're going after long-term weight control, work your way up to at least four sessions of 45 minutes of activity each week. And seek out opportunities for physical activity throughout the day: Take the stairs instead of the elevator, or walk or bicycle to work instead of driving.

Strength Training

Many women trying to trim down shy away from strength training because they fear they will "bulk up" -- exactly the opposite of what they want. But unless you are eating a very high-calorie diet, bulking up -- which requires heavy weight-lifting -- is unlikely. The benefits of strength training for hips and thighs are twofold: Your legs will look and feel more toned and shapely. You will be stronger so that aerobic exercise, as well as daily physical activities, will be easier and more fun.

Strength training is a type of weight training that emphasizes low weights and high reps, as opposed to the "bulk-up" type of weightlifting. Strength training helps to burn calories more effectively, enabling you to trim body fat. In addition, you'll burn more calories during your aerobic workout and even when you're sleeping because you have more muscle, which is metabolically active.

Going for It

There are a wide variety of exercises you can do at a fitness center or with strength-training equipment. Using machines such as the leg press, leg (knee) extension, leg (knee or hamstring) curl and the hip abductor/hip adductor are great ways to get started.

If you don't have access to equipment, you can use your own body weight as resistance during lower body exercises, which can be very effective in toning and firming calves, hips, and thighs.

Below are a few strengthening exercises to get you started. If you have a health condition that limits your activity, check with your physician before doing any form of exercise. You might also want to consult with an expert trainer at your gym, who can show you how to use the machines safely and effectively.

Step Up

• Muscles working: Front and back of thighs.
• The position: You will need a stable staircase for this exercise. Stand close to the bottom stair and use the handrail for support with your head up, looking straight ahead.
• The Move: Step completely onto the first stair with one foot. Keeping your weight supported on the front leg without letting your knee come over your toes, bring the other leg up and tap the toes of the back leg on the step and then slowly return to starting position. Repeat while alternating the starting leg until you have completed eight on each leg (one set), rest for a couple of minutes and then repeat one to two more sets.

Side Leg Raise

• Muscles working: Hips and thighs.
• The position: You will need to lie on the floor on your side with your legs straight and together for this exercise. Bend your bottom leg up behind you slightly (keeping your hips stacked) and put your outside hand out in front of you for balance using your inside hand to support your head.
• The Move: With toes pointing straight ahead, slowly lift your top leg as high as possible, while maintaining straight hips. Then slowly return back to starting position and repeat eight times. Then switch to the other side and do eight repetitions. This is one set. Repeat for a total of two sets.

5 Moves To Trim Those Hips and Thighs

 

Please help me shape my thighs and hips!

 

The lower body is a big trouble spot for most women. Hips and thighs are where chocolate ice cream and cheesecake come home to rest. That's because thousands of years ago, we needed fat storage to survive droughts and long winters. Women with more lower-body fat tended to survive harsh conditions and famines, and consequently passed on their genes to their children, and so on and so forth for generations. Of course, now that we have food at every corner, we no longer need this reserve. But our bodies have not caught up with the times.

Fortunately, by cutting back on super-size portions and snacks, you can shed the excess fat, and with the simple exercises described below, you can firm your lower-body muscles for toned, sleek legs. Do two sets of 10 to 12 reps on each leg, two or three times a week (leave a day of rest between workouts).

1. Single-Leg Squat Standing with your feet together and arms by your sides, shift your weight onto your right foot. Rest the toe of your left foot next to your right foot for balance.

Keeping your back straight, bend at your hips and knees, and slowly sit back onto your right leg, raising your arms straight in front of you as you lower (hold onto the back of a chair for balance, if you need to). Stop when your thighs are almost parallel to the floor, and hold for a second. Then press into your right foot through the heel and stand back up.

2. Bent-Knee Crossover Get down on all fours, keeping your back flat and head down in line with your back.

With your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle, lift your left leg up and back so the sole of your left foot is facing the ceiling. Then cross it over the calf of your right leg. Keep your buttocks tight at all times. Return to the starting position. Do one set, then repeat with the other leg. (You can add 1-pound ankle weights to make this exercise more difficult.) 

3. Standing Abduction Hold onto a wall with your left hand for balance, and stand straight up with your knees slightly bent.

Keeping your right leg extended (knee soft) and right foot flexed, lift the right leg out to the side. Lift as far as you can without moving your upper body. Pause for a second, then return to the starting position. Complete a set, then repeat with the opposite leg.

4. Double Leg Lift Lie on your left side with your legs stacked on top of each other. Prop yourself up on your left elbow. Rest the fingertips of your right hand in front of you for balance.

Raise your right leg about 12 inches, then slowly raise your left leg to meet it. Hold for 2 seconds, then lower each leg separately. Repeat.

5. Lunge Standing with your feet together, hold dumbbells down at your sides with palms facing in toward your thighs. Take one big step forward with your right leg. Plant your right foot, then slowly lower your left knee toward the floor. Your right knee should be at a 90-degree angle, and your back straight. Press into your right foot, and push yourself back to the starting position. Repeat with your left leg.

Tone Your Arms—In 10 Minutes!

Shapely, sculpted arms are possible—at any age. All it takes is this 10 minute workout you can tailor to your fitness level. These four arm toning exercises work the chest, shoulders, and arms from every angle to tighten and firm the droopiness that can start when you lose lean tissue as you get older.

After a month of these easy exercises, courtesy of Kate Moran, a master trainer at Equinox fitness center in Chicago, you'll be on your way to show-off arms. 

Workout at a Glance

WHAT YOU NEED
3- to 5-pound and 8- to 10-pound dumbbells and a mat or carpeted space

HOW TO DO IT
Perform the routine 2 or 3 times a week on nonconsecutive days. Begin with a 5-minute dynamic warm-up: March in place while scissoring arms overhead (like jumping jacks). For each exercise, do 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps (or 10 on each side, if appropriate). Rest 30 seconds in between sets. Begin with the Main Move. If it's too difficult, do the Make It Easier option. Not challenging enough? Try the Make It Harder variation. 

FOR QUICKER RESULTS
Do 3 sets and add 30 minutes of cardio workouts 3 to 5 days a week.

MAIN MOVE: Sit-Up Pullover

Lie faceup on floor, knees bent, feet flat, and arms extended overhead with a light dumbbell in each hand. Contract abs and slowly curl up, lifting head, shoulders, and back off floor. Simultaneously bring arms forward in an arc toward knees. Hold for a second, then slowly reverse to start.

MAKE IT HARDER

Add a chest press. With upper body lifted and arms in front of you, bend elbows and lower dumbbells toward chest, then straighten arms before returning to start.

MAKE IT EASIER

Keep head on floor as you raise dumbbells in an arc and bring them down to floor so arms rest at sides. Reverse to start.

MAIN MOVE: Overhead Triceps Extension

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold light dumbbell in right hand, arm extended straight overhead, left hand supporting right elbow (A) to prevent it from flaring out. Bend elbow, lowering dumbbell behind head (B), then press back up to start position. Do all reps, then repeat on opposite side. 

MAKE IT HARDERUse the heavier dumbbell. 

MAKE IT EASIER
Hold the ends of a single dumbbell with each hand so it's horizontal to work both arms at the same time. 

MAIN MOVE: Single Arm Lateral Raise

Get into push-up position on knees, hands directly beneath shoulders with light dumbbell in left hand. Engaging abs to stabilize torso, raise left arm straight out to side, parallel to floor. Hold for a second, then slowly lower to start and repeat. Do all reps, then switch arms. 

MAKE IT HARDER
Bring your knees off mat so you're balancing on toes and hands as you do the reps. 

MAKE IT EASIERDitch the dumbbell. 

MAIN MOVE: Hammer-Bicep Curl

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, arms at sides, a heavy dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Bend left arm to 90 degrees, dumbbell vertical. Hold that position as you bend right arm and curl dumbbell to shoulder, keeping elbow in to side. Complete all reps, then lower both arms and repeat, holding right arm at 90 degrees. 

MAKE IT HARDER
 Hold dumbbell in the stationary hand with palm facing up so it's horizontal rather than vertical. 

MAKE IT EASIER
Alternate curling each arm up to shoulder without holding either arm stationary.

3 Steps To Sexy Arms

No more spaghetti-noodle arms! In these arm exercises, "you're moving and lifting your own body weight with grace,'' says Michael Lechonczak, cofounder of Intelligent Yoga in New York City. After a few weeks there'll be nothing left to jiggle.

Downward Dog Variation

A. Get in Downward-Facing Dog:

1. Start on all fours with your wrists 6 to 12 inches in front of your shoulders. Separate your knees hip-width apart and curl your toes under.

2. Pushing evenly into your palms, lift your knees off the floor. Lift your sit bones toward the ceiling and push the top of your thighs back so that your body looks like an inverted "V."

3. Slowly start to straighten your knees-but don't lock them.

4. Gently begin to move your chest back toward your thighs until your ears are even with your upper arms; don't let your head dangle.

5. Keep your hips lifting and push strongly into your hands.

B. While in Downward-Facing Dog, create an air pocket under your palms by cupping your hands on the mat instead of placing them flat. Lift the palms so that only your fingertips touch the mat. You'll have to fire up the forearms by pressing the muscles from the elbow to the wrist into the mat to support your own body weight.

C. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths, then return your hands flat on the mat. When you're in class, use this variation in every Downward-Facing Dog after you are warmed up.

Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga)

A. Lying face-down, smoothly push your body off the ground just 2 to 3 inches and hold it there, palms flat, elbows squeezing tightly toward one another.

B. Important: "Your belly isn't hanging down,'' Lechonczak says. "Every muscle in the body is engaged and working in concert. You're one solid, integrated slab, with the legs, back muscles, and abdominals all firing like crazy."

C. Do 5 or 10 controlled reps, holding for a few seconds each time before slowly lowering through each one.

Extra Credit: Reverse Chaturanga

A. Lying face down, curl your toes under and place the palms of your hands flat on the mat beside your shoulders. Squeeze your elbows into your body.

B. As you inhale, push your body up into Chaturanga. Exhale. On the next inhale, lift your body in one fluid motion all the way up (hips in line with shoulders). Starting from a suspended position rather than the ground makes it very difficult.

C. "Try one or two of these at first and work up to 7 to 10 over time," Lechonczak says.

The Only 4 Exercises You Really Need

I do my best to exercise 5 to 6 times a week, but there are days when I simply cannot pull myself out of bed in time to sweat before work, or when I'm traveling and my normal routine is completely thrown off track. Instead of completely scrapping my routine, I’ll try and squeeze in a few bodyweight exercises—namely squats, planks, chair dips and pushups—throughout the day. These four moves give you a full-body toning and strength session in just a few minutes. I find that they also boost my energy and mood on days when I'm feeling tired, stressed or overwhelmed, too. 

Many other fitness experts agree: "I like these moves because they use bodyweight for resistance," says Alice Burron, 45, a mother of four and a personal trainer in Cheyenne, Wyoming. "That means they're simple but still challenging, convenient, and inexpensive—and they work." To sneak in one set of all of these exercises would only take you about 5 minutes. To build muscle and burn calories, try to do  three 5-minute mini workouts with these moves in one day. All in all, you’re only working out for 15 minutes.

Personal trainer and co-author of Thin in 10 Weight-Loss Plan Liz Neporent agrees: "When you do these four moves you're hitting all of your major muscle groups effectively. And they're efficient because you don't waste time isolating one muscle group at a time, as some exercises tend to do, and instead work several major muscle groups in tandem. These integrated muscle movements use the body exactly as intended— the way you typically use them in daily activities and when you do sports and fitness activities. This helps you perform better and prevent injuries." 

Want to give it a try? Follow this workout from Burron and Neporent. Start with 1 set of 8 to 15 reps of each move (unless otherwise noted), and gradually build to 2 or 3 sets.

Must-Do Move #1: Chair Dips

Great for toning your triceps and core

Sit on the edge of a sturdy, stable chair with legs together, knees bent and feet flat on floor a few feet in front of chair. Place your hands about six inches apart, and firmly grip the edges of the chair. Slide your butt just off the front of the chair so that your upper body is pointing straight down. Keep your abdominals pulled in and your head centered between your shoulders. Bend your elbows and lower your body in a straight line. When your upper arms are parallel to the floor, push yourself back up, being careful not to lock elbows. Repeat.

Make it easier: Keep feet close to the chair and the dip slow, controlled, and shallow. 

Add a challenge: If you’re intermediate, position feet a little farther from chair, and deepen your dip. If you’re advanced, straighten your legs completely, and place heels on floor, or place one or both feet on another chair, bench or exercise ball. Perform deep but controlled dips.

Must-Do Move #2: Pushups

Great for toning your chest, shoulders, triceps, back, hips, and abs

Start in a basic push-up position with hands directly beneath shoulders and body in a straight line. Bend elbows out to sides and lower body almost to floor (or as far as you can). Keep abs tight and body in a line. Hold for 1 second, then push back up. Repeat.

Make it easier: If you’re a beginner, do pushups on knees. Keep the movement shallow and controlled. Still too challenging? Start with a pushup on the wall, progressing to the floor as you become stronger.

Add a challenge: If you’re advanced, try lifting one leg off the floor as you do each pushup. 

Must-Do Move #3: Squats

Great for toning your glutes, hamstrings and quads

Stand with feet parallel and hip-width apart. Bend your knees and lower your body into a squat position, as if you are sitting back into an imaginary chair, keeping knees behind toes. Stop when your knees are at 90 degrees. Slowly press through your heels and squeeze your glutes as you return to standing.

Make it easier: Don’t bend knees as deeply

Add a challenge: Add weights, do a single-legged squat, or perform squats on an unstable surface, like a balance disc or Bosu ball. To incorporate cardio, do squat jumps.

Must-Do Move #4: Plank

Great for toning your abs, back, chest, forearms and shoulders

To come into plank pose, hold a push-up position, weight on balls of feet and hands, wrists directly below shoulders, arms straight, and body in line from head to heels. Hold for as long as you can, working up to 1 minute. That’s 1 rep. Do 2 or 3 reps.

Make it easier: Instead of being on hands, lower yourself to your forearms.

Add a challenge: Raise 1 leg off the floor and hold for 30 seconds. Switch legs and hold for another 30 seconds to complete 1 rep. To add variety, try side plank: Lie on your right side with your legs straight, and feet stacked, right hand directly under right shoulder. Lift hips off floor and raise left arm to sky, keeping left hand directly over left shoulder. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds. Switch sides and repeat to complete 1 rep.

Knees Hurt? Here's How To Keep Moving

Reader question: My knees hurt when I walk. Help!

Larysa's answer: You've finally gotten moving on your walking program and you've been really motivated and consistent when—BAM! You feel a pain in your knee that just won't go away. You panic. One of the hardest decisions you have to make is whether to stop or continue. Do you suck it up and press on (because gosh darn it, you're a trooper!), or do you risk making your pain and possible condition worse?

Knee pain can be caused by a wide variety of issues ranging from mild overuse injuries including tendinitis or bursitis, to more major injuries like ligament tears or cartilage damage. If you're just starting a new workout program, it's not uncommon to have a little bit of joint pain. However, if the pain lasts longer than 2 weeks, it's a good idea to consult a physician. Here are some tips to deal with and managing knee pain:

Stop. Always let pain be your guide. If you start having pain, temporarily discontinue the activity.

Stretch. Tight thighs and hamstrings can pull on your knee and cause slight pain. The good news about stretching is that it will always help, not hurt. Next time your knees feel sore (or better yet, before they start hurting and as an addition to your program) do these two quick and easy stretches:

• Hamstring stretch: Place an extended leg on a slightly elevated surface (like a curb) and reach your opposite arm to your knee or ankle. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat on the other side.
• Quadricep stretch: Standing straight, bend your knee and grab the top of your foot behind you; gently pull your heel towards your butt. Keep your chest up the whole time. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds and repeat on the other side.

Freeze it. Ice is the most effective and natural anti-inflammatory. After activity, put ice in a plastic bag and place directly on the painful area of your knees for 20 minutes. Need more help? Take an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory (like Advil) as well.

Manage your program. Remember to change only one aspect of your program weekly to minimize stress on your joints and injury. Pick either frequency, intensity, or duration to make your program harder. For example, if you decide to pick up your workout by doing an extra day or two, don't go faster, or at a steeper incline. Choose only one variable per week.

Keep your weight in check. Every extra pound of body weight adds 4 pounds of stress on your joints. Combine your walking program with a healthy diet to make sure you get to and keep your optimal weight.

Do You Sweat All The Time?

Do you sweat a lot? Like, a lot? We’re not talking about sweat dripping off your face during spin class or trickling down your back on a humid day. More like, totally drenched underarms when you’re just sitting still, or palms that always are wet to the touch. 

If so, you’re not alone. You may have a condition called hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating, which affects up to three percent of the U.S. population. And awareness is on the rise. "There’s no longer that attitude of 'Don’t worry about it—it won’t kill you,' from doctors," says Dee Anna Glaser, MD, president of the International Hyperhidrosis Society. "Now, we understand the impact on quality of life."

There are more treatments available now than ever, so we’ve done the research to bring you the pros and cons of each. If excessive sweating is taking a toll on your day–to–day (not to mention your dry cleaning bills), check out these ways to put a stop to all the sweating.

Antiperspirant Before moving to stronger treatments, your doc will likely suggest you try super strong antiperspirants. Make sure you’re using the products correctly, whether it’s an over-the-counter clinical strength formula or a prescription strength option, for maximum effect. "These preparations work best when applied at night," says Glaser. Surprisingly, it doesn’t wash off, even if you shower in the morning. "It has to do with the aluminum-based compounds (the active ingredient) getting down into the sweat duct and blocking the sweat from coming up." Some scientists have suggested that these compounds may be a risk factor for the development of breast cancer, but according to The American Cancer Society, no clear link has been made between antiperspirants that contain aluminum and breast cancer. 

Botox The frown-line-freezing injectable is FDA-approved to treat excessive underarm sweat. (And doctors often use it off-label to treat sweating in the hands, feet, and face.) It works by blocking secretion of the chemical that turns your sweat glands on, interrupting the signal that starts the sweating. "Botox works well and has an outstanding safety record," says Glaser. But it's not a permanent fix. "One treatment will generally last seven months, so I tell patients to plan on coming in twice a year." And though it really doesn’t hurt much in the underarms (we swear), the pain level goes way up if you have it done on your hands and feet, which contain far more nerve endings. Side effects are generally pretty minimal, though bruising and discomfort at the site of the injections are possible. As for cost, it varies by city and doctor, but you can expect to pay between $1,200 and $2,000; in many cases, the procedure is covered by insurance.

Iontophoresis Iontophoresis uses water to run a mild electrical current through the skin’s surface (don’t worry—you won’t get electrocuted). Experts aren’t quite sure how the procedure works, but it’s thought that the combination of minerals in the water and the electricity thickens skin's outermost layer, keeping sweat from reaching the surface. It requires a lot of treatments (roughly 10 20- to 40-minute sessions to stop the sweating initially, plus weekly maintenance treatments), so most patients opt to buy their own iontophoresis devices to use at home. Models can cost upwards of $900. Pricey, yes, but the process is effective (a success rate of over 80% for treating hands and feet, according to the American Academy of Dermatology), and there are no scary side effects.

Medication If you’ve already tried antiperspirants, Botox, and iontophoresis but haven’t gotten any relief, your doctor may suggest medication. The most common kind used to treat hyperhidrosis (called anticholingerics) block the chemical messenger that triggers the sweating response from reaching the sweat glands. They work all over the body, which can make them very effective, but they can come with side effects like dry mouth, blurred vision, and heart palpitations. And if you’re an athlete or highly active person, take note: You may have trouble keeping cool while on the medication, putting you at risk of overheating. But your doc can help tailor the meds to your specific sweating needs. "With a low, monitored dosage, we can reduce the excessive sweat without eliminating the ability to sweat altogether," says Glaser.

miraDry This procedure uses electromagnetic energy to destroy the sweat glands in your armpit. If you're wondering "Won’t I overheat if I don’t have sweat glands there?" fear not: "We have sweat glands all over our body, so getting rid of a few glands in one specific area really doesn’t impact our ability to regulate body temperature," explains Glaser. MiraDry requires two treatments done roughly three months apart— and that’s it. But it’s not currently covered under any insurance plans, and it can cost up to $3,500. 

Endoscopic Thoracic Sympathectomy Known as ETS, this surgery is considered a last resort. Thoracic surgeons discrupt nerve signals from the spinal column to the sweat glands by cutting or destroying the nerve. And while Glaser says the surgery itself is safe, the known side effect is serious. It’s called compensatory hyperhidrosis, and it means that once the sweating stops in the area targeted by ETS (usually the palms), patients will start sweating excessively in a new area. Up to 80% of ETS patients experience it, and it cannot be fixed. "When I talk to a patient, I really urge them to try all the other options first," says Glaser. "It’s not that I don’t ever recommend it, but it should be reserved for those who’ve tried and failed the other therapies." 

Learn more about excessive sweating at the International Hyperhidrosis Society’s website (sweathelp.org).

6 Moves To Shrink Your Belly

The quest for a whittled waistline gets harder as you age. The reason: Hormonal changes encourage excess calories to make a beeline for your belly, where they are stored as—you guessed it—fat. When researchers at the University of Vermont tested 178 healthy-weight women ages 20 to 60, the oldest had 55% more belly fat than the youngest.

A bigger belly, however, isn't inevitable, and tummy-toning exercises can help. A pilates workout and training is your secret weapon because it works all of your abdominal muscles: the six-pack rectus abdominis, which runs down your center; the waist-defining obliques, which wrap around your sides; and the deep transversus abdominis, which is often missed in traditional ab workouts, says LA-based Pilates instructor Michelle Dozois, who designed this Pilates workout. For maximum results, flatten your belly by pulling your navel toward your spine during each rep. Do a Pilates workout three times a week, every other day. 

Toe Dip

A. Lie on your back with your legs up and bent at 90 degrees—thighs straight up and calves parallel to the floor. Rest your hands at your sides, palms down. Keep your abs contracted and press your lower back toward the floor. 

B. Inhale and lower your left leg for a count of two ("down, down"), moving only from your hip and dipping your toes toward the floor (without letting them actually touch it). Exhale and raise your leg back to the starting position for a count of two ("up, up"). Repeat with your right leg and continue alternating until you've done 12 reps with each leg.

Leg Circle

A. Lie on your back with your legs extended along the floor. Raise your left leg toward the ceiling, with toes pointed and hands at your sides, palms down. Hold for 10 to 60 seconds. (If this position is uncomfortable, you can bend your right leg and place your right foot flat on the floor.)

B. Make a small circle on the ceiling with your left toes, rotating your leg from your hip. Inhale as you begin the circle and exhale as you finish. Keep your body as still as possible—no rocking—by tightening your abs. Do six circles, then reverse direction for six more. Repeat with your other leg.

Crisscross

A. Start as in the Toe Dip but with your hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides. Curl up to raise your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor. 

B. As you inhale, rotate your torso to the right, bringing your right knee and left shoulder toward each other and extending your left leg toward the ceiling in a diagonal line from your hips. As you exhale, rotate to the left, bringing your left knee toward your right shoulder and extending your right leg. That's one rep. Do six reps.

Leg Kick

A. Lie on your left side with your legs straight and together so your body forms one long line. Prop yourself up on your left elbow and forearm, lifting your ribs off the floor and your head toward the ceiling. Place your right hand lightly on the floor in front of you for balance. (If this position is uncomfortable, extend your left arm on the floor and rest your head on your arm.) Raise your right leg to hip level and flex your foot so your toes are pointing forward. 

B. Exhale as you kick, swinging your right leg forward as far as comfortably possible and pulsing for two counts ("kick, kick"). Inhale, point your toes, and swing your leg back past your left leg. That's one rep. Do six reps without lowering your leg. Then switch sides and repeat.

Back Extension with Rotation

A. Lie on your stomach with your forehead on your hands, palms on the floor. Separate your feet to hip width. Pull abs in.

B. Raise your head, shoulders, and chest off the floor. Rotate your upper body to the right and back to the center, then lower. Repeat to the left side and continue alternating until you've done six rotations to each side.

Side Bend

A. Sit on your left hip with your left leg bent in front of you and your left hand beneath your shoulder. Place your right foot flat on the floor just in front of your left foot so your right knee points to the ceiling. Rest your right arm on your right knee.

B. Pull your abdominals in, press into your left hand, and lift your hips off the floor. As you come up onto your left knee, straighten your right leg and raise your right arm over your head so you form a line from your right fingers to your right toes. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds. Lower and repeat on the other side.