February 2011 [Volume 10, Issue 2]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• The Bike Body: Working With Cyclists
• Fitness: The Importance of Squatting
• A Look at Depression

The Bike Body: Working With Cyclists

It's astonishing the money and time many elite and "weekend-warrior" cyclists devote to retrofitting racing bikes to conform to their bodies rather than first restoring function to the most critical piece of racing equipment: the rider's body. Muscle imbalances, faulty movement patterns and joint fixations distort the body's bony framework. While the cyclist is led on a never-ending journey searching for that perfect bike fit, the place they should start looking might just be with a massage therapist.

Read the full article.

Fitness: The Importance of Squatting

The origins of squatting date back to the beginning of time. It was one of the movements most essential to everyday life. Basically, anything that took place on the ground was usually done from a squat position. Based on the idea that form follows function, it's easy to see why many people have lost the ability to squat effectively. The changes brought about by chairs, cars, and computers, to name a few, have turned a squatting society into a sitting society.

Read the full article.

A Look at Depression

In a group of studies by the Touch Research Institute, which included about 500 men, women, and children with depression or stress problems, researchers measured the stress hormone cortisol in participants before and immediately after massage. Massage therapy lowered levels by up to 53 percent. Massage also increased serotonin and dopamine: neurotransmitters that help reduce depression. Massaged subjects were less depressed and anxious and showed behavioral and stress hormone changes including a decrease in anxious behavior.

Read the full article.

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