Mint Male Magazine

The Walking Lunge;Walk Your Way to the Tightest Glutes in Boys Town
by John Cotter, Master Trainer

One of my favorite and most hated exercises is the walking lunge. Yes I hate them. Why? I am not going to lie to you but in all the years I have been working out the walking lunge is still as challenging today as it was on day one. There are very few exercises that will better sculpt the glutes (butt) and quadriceps (front muscles of the legs) and in addition, the walking lunge is a wonderful core exercise and done properly helps with balance and your proprioception or the knowledge of where your body is as it moves in space.

Form when lunging, whether stationary or walking, is crucial. The starting position is simple: stand and then take a giant slow step forward, planting your heel to maintain balance. Bring your body down low to the ground so that your leading front leg bends to a 90 degree angle; do not go any deeper than 90 degrees as that puts unnecessary tension on the knee and will increase the risk of injury.

Your following leg should be extended far behind you, and you should be using your toes for balance. From this position you will feel a stretch in your following leg quadriceps; your leading leg will have a stretch in the glutes. Now pressing your heel down with your leading leg, squeeze the quads and bring yourself back into a standing position and repeat with your other leg.

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What You Need To Know About Depression
Michael Bricker, PhD, LCP

Most of us can probably recall a time when we've felt a little blue or down-in-the-dumps. Maybe we've experienced a break-up or some difficult news, or we're in the middle of a rough spot with a partner or friend. Sadness can often be a natural and adaptive response to these events, signalling us that something important is in transition. Sad feelings can also help us to recognize our need for support and provide the momentum we need to make changes in our lives.

But, how do we tell the difference between a case of the blues and actual depression? Research shows that depression is different than sadness. Depression may involve more serious changes to our everyday routine. We may lose interest in things that are usually enjoyable to us or may lack our usual motivation to get things done. Depression can also cause us to feel fatigued, draining our energy to get things done and making it more difficult to focus and concentrate. People who are experiencing depression may also notice changes in their appetite, and find themselves having problems with sleep and being less social. It is also possible to experience feelings of worthlessness about ourselves or hopelessness about the future.

Although we all may experience these changes from time to time, depression can be distinguished from occasional periods of sadness by recognizing the severity and regularity of these symptoms. For example, while we may feel sadness for a few days, depression usually lasts longer and may also involve a combination of changes including things such as tiredness, poor concentration, and feeling badly about ourselves. Depression can also be more constant, affecting us most days over a long period of time.

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NIAID Statement on National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day: May 18, 2010

Excerpt from the statement of Anthony S. Fauci, M.D.,

Margaret I. Johnston, Ph.D., and

Gary J. Nabel, M.D., Ph.D.,

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,

National Institutes of Health

More people today have access to life-saving antiretroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS than ever before. Yet for every person who begins treatment for HIV infection, two to three others become newly infected. Treatment alone will not curtail the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To control and ultimately end this pandemic, we need a powerful array of proven HIV prevention tools that are widely accessible to all who would benefit from them.

Vaccines historically have been the most effective means to prevent and even eradicate infectious diseases. They safely and cost-effectively prevent illness, disability and death. We at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have been working for more than two decades with our colleagues worldwide to develop an HIV vaccine, and this research continues to rank among our top priorities.

National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day marks an opportunity to reflect on our progress, renew our commitment to finding an HIV vaccine, and personally thank the scientists, community educators, health care workers, and especially the many study volunteers who have dedicated their time and energy to this important endeavor. Only with the continued commitment of volunteers may we more effectively confront the global scourge of HIV/AIDS and pursue the goal of an HIV vaccine.

We have witnessed significant progress in HIV vaccine research during the past year. Notably, a major clinical trial in Thailand gave us the first indication that an experimental vaccine can protect some humans against HIV infection.

As we recognize recent progress in HIV vaccine research and hope for continued advances, we must remember that a vaccine alone will not end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. If an HIV vaccine is developed, it will need to be used in concert with multiple other scientifically proven HIV prevention tools. NIAID continues to support research into an array of investigational HIV prevention methods, including pre-exposure prophylaxis with antiretroviral drugs, microbicides, and expanded HIV testing and treatment with linkage to care.

Read the full National HVAD statement on the NIAID website

Getting Involved in HIV Vaccine Research

HIV Vaccine Awareness Day (HVAD) is a call to action to support HIV vaccine research. But what does "support"mean for you? It can mean a variety of things, from learning the facts about the search for an effective HIV vaccine, to attending an HVAD event, to providing encouragement to friends who have volunteered to participate in HIV vaccine research studies. Below are three ways that other individuals have given their support to HIV vaccine research.

Joining a Community Advisory Board.

Patrick L. Kelly joined a Community Advisory Board (CAB) at the Hope Clinic of the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta in 2005. At the time, Mr. Kelly, an HIV/AIDS educator and prevention specialist for over two decades, was skeptical of HIV vaccine development and the participation of African Americans in the research process, but he remained open-minded. Once a part of the CAB, which is composed of local residents who volunteer to learn about and provide input into study design and procedures, Mr. Kelly says, "I recognized the importance of African Americans knowing the truth about vaccine research, how they work, and how the process has strong safety nets in its development."Now a co-chair of his local CAB, Mr. Kelly both represents the community's concerns and also uses the information he learns to educate individuals locally and nationally about HIV vaccine research. "Now that I understand the importance of vaccines, I will continue to lobby and advocate for vaccine research. "

Joining a Study.

Joining a vaccine study as a participant seemed like a logical step to Scott Simpson, who says, "HIV activism was always an important component to my personal, political and professional life."After seeing an advertisement on the subway in 2003, he decided to learn more about the process, which seemed like an "excellent way to complement my other contributions."Clinicians at the Vaccine Research Center in Bethesda, MD, advised Mr. Simpson on the importance of protecting himself from HIV, because the vaccine he received was not proven to prevent individuals from contracting the virus. Even though the vaccine study he joined did not yield an effective product, he says he knows he contributed in a concrete way to the body of knowledge that will help scientists find an effective HIV vaccine. "When that day comes, I know I will be able to say that I helped do that. I'm a part of this. "

Joining a Conversation.

Active social network users are utilizing forums like Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about HIV vaccine research. Planned Parenthood of Middle and East Tennessee uses its social networks to invite professional contacts, friends, and friends of friends to events, alert them to important remembrance days, and educate them on the latest research. Last year, for example, Lyndsey Godwin, community health educator for Planned Parenthood, says posting links to news articles about the promising results of an HIV vaccine trial in Thailand prompted several conversations about the implications of the study and how vaccine trials work, including questions about how vaccines can be tested without infecting study participants with HIV. "Several times posting these links on our main pages has led to very rich conversations,"says Ms. Godwin. "Those conversations not only impact those who are involved in the online chat but also those others who may visit our pages. "

You can join the movement!

For those who are looking to get involved, find HIV Vaccine Awareness Day events in your area. Other ways you can help Be the Generation to end HIV include: linking tohttp://bethegeneration.nih.gov, tweeting about HIV vaccine research, joining an existing conversation at http://twitter.com/HelpEndHIV, blogging, volunteering at an HIV/AIDS clinic, or even organizing your own community event.

San Francisco is Ready for an HIV Vaccine!

The HIV Research Section of the San Francisco Department of Public Health works with Bay Area communities to research prevention strategies to reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS globally, such as HIV vaccines and PrEP research. Because of the hundreds of people who have volunteered in their clinical trials since the beginning of the epidemic, they have strong personal ties to their community, and work to mobilize them to get involved and make an impact in the Bay Area and beyond.

The Research Section conducts HIV vaccine studies in partnership with the National Institutes of Health's HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Currently, they are conducting a study called "UNITY,"which aims to better understand the rate of HIV/AIDS among African American men, and two PrEP Trials, called Prepare and The Strand Study.

The Research Section recently launched a new campaign, SF is Ready, featuring local community members who have volunteered for HIV vaccine studies. Through short video testimonials, the study participants talk about why they volunteered, what it was like being in a clinical trial, and what their participation has meant to them. The campaign centers around the theme: "What will it take to find an HIV vaccine? People like you joining people like us. "

"As a former HIV vaccine trial participant, it was a pleasure to meet other volunteers, interview them and then create these videos,"said Tom Kennedy, who works with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the agency that produced the online portion of the campaign. "Everyone involved in this project was touched by what they had to say and their willingness to step forward publicly. Unanimously, they said that they are proud of their participation and that being in a clinical trial was a way to help not only the community but the world. "

The campaign also stresses how the world needs a safe and effective HIV vaccine and that we need the participation of people from all walks of life to make sure that if a vaccine is one day proven effective, it can work for everyone. Here are three of the videos that help tell the multi-faceted stories of HIV vaccine trial participants:

Sean talks about the impact HIV has had in the gay community, and how a preventive vaccine would make a difference. He also talks about what it would mean for his son to grow up in a world without AIDS.

Deirdre believes it is important for transgender people to participate in studies, so that researchers can understand how the vaccine works for them. She feels proud of volunteering in a study, and often tells her friends she was part of the HIV vaccine research effort.

Edgar reflects on his experience in the study, explaining that the study clinic staff were very intentional in explaining he should not take unnecessary risks, since it is unknown whether the vaccine protects against HIV, and he might be assigned to receive a placebo instead of the vaccine. He felt cared for by the staff, and thought the experience might have even been better than seeing his regular doctor.

Exhale Core Fitness

CORE FUSION

Ready to Run?

Considering the Challenge of Completing a Marathon? Our Guide to the Path of Most Resistance.

By: Ian Millington

So, you're considering taking on the challenge of a marathon? Of course the first step is simply signing up. Then you'll tell everyone you know you are doing it and they'll all think you're crazy or laugh at you. Then you will either go through with it or, and surprisingly a lot of people don't, you won't.

It is estimated that only about 1% of the U.S. population have ran a marathon and that data is loosely based on the amount of participants that actually signed up to run. So completing a marathon is a pretty big deal but completing in a decent time is even better. Now don't get me wrong, my hat goes off to anyone that successfully completes a marathon but if it takes you longer than five hours and there isn't some extenuating circumstance as to why it took you that long ? you are doing something wrong. I mean let's be honest, no one wants to be Katie Holmes with a time of 5:29:58 – she clearly phoned that one in.

All that being said, the task of preparing for a marathon is not easy ? it costs a lot of money and it means that you will have to sacrifice some Friday or Saturday evenings to get up early the next day and run a ridiculous amount of miles for 18 weeks! Do I still have your attention? If I still do, I will tell you what to expect and what to look forward to, as it is actually a pretty enjoyable experience.

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TITLE: FAST AFFORDABLE HEALTH

by Jennifer Smith, RD, LDN

Life today is over scheduled, over planned, and over stressed with little time to focus on our health: especially what we eat. Our schedules make it difficult to fit in a good meal in the middle of the day when we get preoccupied with emails, business meetings, co-workers and family. Usually lunches contain vending machine snacks, fast food, or just more coffee, all of which are not the best choices for our health or our pockets.

Why can't we find time to nourish ourselves without wasting our time and money? With the right tools, you can. Follow these easy meals and strategies to get in nutritious and inexpensive meals that will fuel your body throughout your busy workday.

1. Plan ahead. Taking just 5 minutes the night before a busy day can be the difference between fast food or a delicious home-made meal. On your Sunday, make a large portion of chicken, rice, and a salad. Cut up veggies and put them in small plastic bags. Make small servings of your favorite nuts, crackers or cereal. The next morning just put a serving of salad or chicken and rice in a plastic container and you are ready to enjoy a healthy meal to keep your energy elevated and spending low as you go throughout your day.

2. Use your leftovers. If you are making a meal on a Monday night, make a double batch. Take the extra serving and portion them into small plastic containers to enjoy the next day at lunch. A warmed meal of last night's rice, chicken and steamed veggies is not only filling but will keep money in your pocket and leave you feeling much more satiated than your unhealthy alternative options of chips or candy.

3. Simplify. Don't make it complicated. Don't like cooking? No problem. Meals don't need to be filled with multiple ingredients, spices and measurements. Taking whole, basic foods with the right combination can be a very enjoyable and satisfying meal. Try a can of tuna, whole wheat crackers, 2 tablespoons of hummus and baby carrots.; Combine as you wish to get in a serving of protein, whole grains and healthy fats into your diet. So don't forget the basics ? who said a whole grain peanut butter sandwich, banana and yogurt wasn't satisfying?. It was when our moms packed it on our brown bags growing up!

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