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Use a Stethoscope to Gauge Exercise Intensity

Keeping a stethoscope on hand makes it easy to check your pulse rate while exercising at home or in the gym. Counting your pulse at the wrist or neck is sometimes difficult. A stethoscope placed under the left breast clearly detects heartbeats, however.

Monitoring your pulse rate is Important for a safe and effective workout. To gauge exercise intensity, fitness experts recommend checking the pulse midway through an exercise session and comparing it to one's target heart rate--a figure based on age and fitness level,

To calculate your target heart rate, first subtract your age from 200. This is your maximum heart rate, or MHR. In general, the target heart rate is 65 percent of the MHR for those beginning an exercise program, 75 percent of the MHR for regular exercisers, and 85 percent of the MHR for those in advanced regimens.

A stethoscope, widely available for less than $20, is also a useful addition to home first-aid kits for detecting heart and lung sounds in an emergency.

Women's Health: Bladder Control

Women of all ages may have bladder control problems. The following self-care tips from National Institutes of Health experts can help:

* Daily exercises to strengthen pelvic muscles can maintain or improve bladder control (see sidebar above).

* Add fiber to your diet to help prevent constipation, a condition that stresses bladder control muscles.

* Caffeinated food and drinks may Increase urine excretion and should be avoided. Carbonated beverages may also irritate the bladder. ' Health professionals who treat incontinence include a gynecologist (a women's doctor), a urogynecologist (an expert in women's bladder problems), and a urologist (a specialist in bladder conditions). Dryness aids such as Serenity[R] pads provide absorbent, discreet protection to help people cope with bladder leakage. For a free sample and product information, visit www.serenity.com.

Keep Your Memory Sharp

Forgetting names and misplacing the car keys probably doesn't mean you're losing your memory, according to Mayo Clinic experts. Forgetfulness that people often report at midlife could be due to increased responsibilities or depression. Stress plays a role, too. Hormones produced by the body in times of stress can interfere with the ability to remember words. phone numbers and other details. action now can help

To help keep overcome forgetfulness your memory sharp, stay physically active, take a class or learn a new skill, and get periodic health exams. Left untreated, coronary artery disease and diabetes may lead to memory loss. For most healthy adults. there's very little change in thinking or memory before age 75. Even then, changes are minimal.

# posted by Medical Information : 1:41 AM