Allergies and asthma linked to Cleanliness

It was quite surprising to as well as shocking to me when I decided to share this article with my fellows in the blogsphere. In our school days we have heard of the famous proverb "Cleanliness is Godliness" .The research carried out seems to be total contrary.

Little girls growing up in western society are expected to be neat and tidy, "all ribbon and curls". But this cleanliness may be linked to higher rates of allergies and asthma in adult women, says a new study. 

Oregon State University philosopher Sharyn Clough, who studies science and gender differences, points out that women have higher rates of allergies and asthma and many autoimmune disorders, the journal Social Science & Medicine reports . 

Clough documents a variety of sociological and anthropological research showing that society views young girls differently from young boys, according to an Oregon statement. 

"Girls tend to be dressed more in clothing that is not supposed to get dirty, girls tend to play indoors more than boys, and girls' playtime is more often supervised by parents," said Clough, adding that this is likely to result in girls staying cleaner. 

"There is a significant difference in the types and amounts of germs that girls and boys are exposed to, and this might explain some of the health differences we find between women and men." 

However, that doesn't mean that parents should let their daughters go out into the back yard and eat dirt, Clough points out. 

"What I am proposing is new ways of looking at old studies," she said. "The hygiene hypothesis is well-supported, but what I am hoping is that the epidemiologists and clinicians go back and examine their data through the lens of gender." 

Physical Activity gets boosted by Best Friends

If this piece of information is to be believed then, best friends have an impact on children’s physical activity. According to a study undertaken by the University of Bristol, kids playing with their best friend within the neighborhood have higher levels of physical activity. It was pointed out that friendship groups may encourage boys and girls to be active, especially outside school.

Throughout the study, authors focused on highlighting the physical activity modelling and physical activity actions of best friends linked with the physical activity of 10- to 11-yr-old kids. Data from 986 children of whom 472 provided complete physical activity and best friend information was evaluated. Subjects had to identify their ‘best friend’ within the school and answer how often they took part in physical activity with the friend or if the friend had encouraged them to be active. Then, with the help of an accelerometer scientists examined the physical activity of all children and best friends.

Scientists also gathered the mean minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day (Mean MVPA) and mean accelerometer counts per minute (Mean CPM) of all children and best friends. Regression models were run separately for boys and girls for analyzing seeming relationships between child and best friend physical activity. Dr. Russ Jago, Reader in the Centre for Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, and colleagues conclude that supporting physical activity among friendship groups and encouraging friends to be active together, particularly outside school aids in introducing vital changes to children’s physical activity.

Boys with best friends who are physically active supposedly engage in greater amounts of physical activity. On the other hand, girls who frequently take part in active play with their best friend gain higher levels of physical activity than girls who do so less recurrently.

'Godfather of Fitness' is no more

Jack LaLanne,the man who hosted the television fitness show for decades and who has been a inspiration for a generation of exercise enthusiasts expired at the age of 96 a couple of days back in his home in California due to pneumonia.He has been a fitness freak from the age of 15 and he was a "pioneer" who brought health clubs and gyms to the
masses.

He opened his first health studio way back in 1936 in Oakland and placed an emphasis of using weights to work out.He invented the first pulley machine using cable which is still now used in the modern day gyms and clubs.

He was a dynamic person and expanded his health clubs motivating even elderly and disabled people to exercise.By the year 1990 there were more than 200 health clubs in the US which now operate under the name of Bally Total Fitness

In the year 1951 he started his own television workout programme "The Jack LaLanne Show" which urged viewers to get rid of sofa and do sit ups.

Jack LaLanne's show was the first show based on fitness to be aired in US and lead path to a number of shows hosted by other experts such as Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda.

He was also successful business man as he had the ability of turning fitness into business.Currently in US there are 23,000 health clubs with around 43 million members out of which 90 percent can be attributed to Jack LaLanne had on fitness

Exposture to Sun for 15 Minutes

We know that sunlight is a good source of Vitamin-D for the human body.Several Indian infants are at risk of bone deformities, seizures and poor growth because of no exposure to sunshine. So doctors have recommended daily 15 minute exposure to the sun from 10 am to 3 pm.

This study was conducted by pediatricians from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) who studied the significance of vitamin D prevalence among newborns and their mother. This shortage was even greater among their mothers. Therefore under the National Health programs the Government should implement vitamin D supplementation for all pregnant and lactating women as is recommended by the American and European Academies of Pediatrics.

Assistant professor of pediatrics, AIIMS and lead author of the study Dr. Vandana Jain said, "Vitamin D deficiency among infants and mothers in both summers and winters can be attributed to decreased cutaneous synthesis of Vitamin D due to higher skin pigmentation in India. But the primary reason appears to be less exposure to the sun, lack of participation in outdoor activities and excessive use of sunscreens by women, who block UV rays essential for the skin to synthesize Vitamin D."

Aerobic Exercises and Weight Training

There have been confusions over aerobic exercises which some of them thinks that it tones and firms muscles but the fact is that only resistance training firms and tones the muscles.There is a weight loss of 56 percent when both aerobic and strength exercises are combined.

Strength training involving several sets of multiple repetitions using moderate weights will not result in huge muscles. Instead it builds bone mass and increases the metabolism, as well as toning and firming the muscles, giving a leaner look.

Strength training benefits everyone, no matter what age or sex, and is becoming recognized as an important component of fitness. Research is indicating that the muscle loss found in elderly people doesn’t come from age, but lack of activity. Even a young person who doesn’t get enough exercise can lose muscle mass and strength. Strength training, such as lifting weights or performing weight-resistance exercises, as little as twice a week can help maintain or increase body mass.

It is very important to do both aerobics and strength exercises. The aerobic exercises help your heart and lungs get stronger and help your body utilize oxygen more efficiently, which in turn helps with strength training and overall fitness. The strength exercise helps develop muscle, reduce body fat and maintain bone mass.

Bicycling, aerobic dance, swimming, walking, and stepping are all examples of aerobic exercise. Which ones to chose depends on your physical condition, your history, your interests and your goals. Many experts believe it is better to alternate between 2 or more types, to get a better workout.

Don't miss out the exercises

The urbanization and changing lifestyle have introduced the worst food habits.So it becomes important to take care of health first. A balance between diet and a proper exercise regime can only give a good health. Health can be defined as being free from disease physically with proper calm of mind. Improper health can lead to a number of diseases related to heart and mind.

Everyone needs to know about the apt exercises they needed to perform and have an idea about Frequency, Intensity, Type of exercise and Time are the perfect guide that can help us while planning our health regime.


Building simple physical activities in our daily routine is the foremost step, which can help a long way. Walking or cycling or playing in the comfort of a health club can be of help. One can simply start by slow walking or playing any sport of choice.

There are many different types of exercise available for different individuals, aerobic exercise and callisthenics exercise being two of them. Aerobic exercise such as jogging, swimming, basketball etc helps in building up stamina of the body and also reduces fat. It improves the breathing and is beneficial for the heart and lungs.

In our modern busy lives where physical works have been replaced by machines it isn't a magic amount of exercise you need to do to get a benefit, the key is to make an effort and persevere.