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Leg extensions can help you work on locking out your knees. Image Credit: Minerva Studio/iStock/Getty Images Terminal knee extension is the end of the range of motion for your knee. An injury or surgery can cause you to lose the ability to “lock out” your knee. Exercises to get terminal knee extension back are often an integral part of rehab programs. Advertisement Knee Injury and Recovery Surgery to repair your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may lead to a difficult recovery....

Strength training helps women replace lost muscle mass. Image Credit: Johner Images/Johner Images Royalty-Free/GettyImages Strengthening exercises for women over 58 provide many benefits, including strengthening bones and slowing aging and muscle loss. Women in their fifties should add strength training to their routines to help maintain muscle tone and bone density. Advertisement Weightlifting for Older Women As you age, you start to naturally lose muscle strength and mass. According to Harvard Health Publishing, you will start to lose muscle strength around the age of 30....

Runner's knee is totally painful but also totally preventable. Image Credit: m-gucci/iStock/GettyImages We have a secret for you: Runner’s knee can happen to anyone. “You don’t have to be a runner to have runner’s knee,” says Eric Ullman of ReThrive Wellness, a physical therapist in Scottsdale, Arizona. Advertisement "It is called runner's knee because it is commonly experienced by people who participate in sports that specifically involve running, although it can occur with any activity that involves repeated stress to the knee joint," Ullman says....

Soup may help ameliorate the symptoms of respiratory infections. Image Credit: martinturzak/iStock/Getty Images If you’ve got bronchitis or another respiratory infection, such as the cold or flu, what you eat and drink may help to at least temporarily improve your symptoms as you’re undergoing treatment. Fluids are particularly important, with hot liquids, such as soup, having a slight advantage over cold. When it comes to soup, homemade chicken noodle soup may be one of the best choices, although there hasn’t been much research comparing different types of soup....

A large bowl of salt. Image Credit: OlgaMiltsova/iStock/Getty Images The control of your heart rate is regulated by two mechanisms within your nervous system: the sympathetic system increases the rate and the parasympathetic decreases the rate. Sodium and chloride outside the cells and potassium inside the cells work together to initiate the nerve impulse conduction that causes muscle contractions. Your kidneys balance the necessary levels to maintain, within a narrow margin, a normal heart rate....

High in fiber, water and fructose, apples have a low effect on your blood sugar. Image Credit: Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images If you’re planning your diet based on the glycemic index, or GI, of foods, you can add a fresh apple to a meal or snack without causing a marked increase in your blood sugar. The carbohydrates in a food determine how that food will affect your blood glucose levels. Relative to their carbohydrate content, apples contain a high volume of water and fiber, which means that you’d have to eat a lot of apples to raise your blood sugar significantly....

A woman's iris. Image Credit: Piotr Krześlak/iStock/Getty Images Melanin is the natural substance that gives color or pigment to the skin, hair and iris of the eye. Cells called melanocytes, located just below the outer surface of the skin, produce melanin, which is in higher levels in people with darker skin. Melanin’s primary function is to protect the skin from sun damage, but it carries additional benefits that are enjoyed mostly by those with darker skin....

Softballs come in 11-inch, 12-inch and 16-inch circumferences. Softballs vary in size according to the type of softball game that is being played. There are three sizes, measured by circumference: one for fast-pitch softball, one for slow-pitch softball and one for a style of slow-pitch play that is frequently called Chicago ball because of its popularity in that Illinois city. Gloves are not used in Chicago ball, and, generally, the larger the ball, the softer it is....

Tight leg muscles are one factor that can lead to popping hips while walking. Image Credit: kali9/E+/GettyImages When you’re walking down the street, feeling your hip pop is far from pleasant. Fortunately, a pain-free snapping or clicking in the hip is rarely cause for immediate concern — your hip probably isn’t popping out of place. Advertisement In many cases, popping in your hip is the result of muscle and tissue movement that you can easily treat with some diligent stretching, targeted hip stability exercises, rest and ice....

Start your meal with a bowl of broth-based soup to fill up on fewer calories. Image Credit: rez-art/iStock/Getty Images A warm bowl of soup can hit the spot on a cold day. It can also be a healthy way to start off a meal because it tends to be high in vegetables, filling and low in energy density. Homemade soup is a better choice than canned soup, however, because canned soup often contains the chemical BPA and is high in sodium....

Diuretic drugs typically cause higher urine production, and they can make your urine appear clear. Image Credit: istetiana/Moment/GettyImages Certain foods and medications can cause urine color changes, but a serious health condition could also be the culprit, states Harvard Health Publishing. Consult with your physician for a definitive answer. Viewing a urine color chart can help you to determine why your urine has a specific color. Advertisement Tip Alcohol has the same effect as a diuretic drug, states the National Association for Continence....

You can use a box mix to make a delicious cake all your own. Image Credit: artoleshko/iStock/GettyImages Cake mixes cost less and might come together slightly faster than a homemade cake, but their flavor and texture can leave something to be desired. By making a few ingredient changes, you can manipulate a cake mix so it tastes homemade. Advertisement A light, fluffy texture comes from the addition of egg whites, as well as the use of a light hand during mixing....

White Italian spaghetti sauce is commonly known by its French name, bechamel sauce, although the Italians refer to it as salsa di besciamella. The major difference between Italian white sauce and French bechamel is that Italians don't incorporate clove, which imparts a warm, slightly sweeter taste, according to the Italian chef Giuliano Hazan. White sauce, rarely used alone, can be tossed with spaghetti and vegetables for a slightly creamy comfort food....

An Italian beef sandwich wrapped in foil. Image Credit: ImagePixel/iStock/Getty Images In addition to saving you time and money, frozen sandwiches make for easy grab-and-go lunches when you need them. Whether they’re leftovers from takeout or sandwiches you made specifically to be frozen, it’s hard to beat their convenience. Whether it is frozen or kept in the refrigerator overnight, an Italian beef sandwich can be reheated and enjoyed when you’re ready....

Boxing gloves encounter a lot of action during their lifetime; getting covered quite literally with blood, sweat and occasional tears. If you don't keep your gloves clean, they'll develop a strong unpleasant odor. Even worse, your gloves can house bacteria that can lead to infections endangering you and your opponents. Advertisement Preventive Care Step 1 Wipe your gloves inside and out with a paper towel when you're done using them each time....

Slow cooking bacon in the oven results in crispy bacon and little mess. Frying bacon on the stove top yields crunchy bacon, but it can also result in a greasy mess all over your kitchen. By slow cooking bacon in the oven, you can not only keep the splattering bacon grease contained, but you can also cook perfectly crisp bacon with minimal effort. Cooking bacon in the oven is a slower process than cooking bacon in a frying pan, but the ease of cooking and cleanup can be well worth the extra time....

Resistance bands work great for burning fat. Image Credit: dima_sidelnikov/iStock/GettyImages Belly fat not only keeps you from feeling confident in a swimsuit, but has an even more sinister side: It seriously endangers your health. Advertisement An abundance of visceral, or internal, belly fat raises your levels of inflammation and increases your risk of certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes, some cancers and heart disease, according to Harvard Health. Video of the Day Exercise is a good remedy for belly fat, but ab-specific exercises aren't enough....

Is Eating Fruit Before Bed Bad? Image Credit: franny-anne/iStock/GettyImages When hunger strikes before bed, it can be tough to hunker down and fall asleep without having a nibble of something. Reaching for a nutritious piece of fruit is a better choice than downing an ice-cream bar or a cheeseburger, but it’s best to keep your serving sizes small to avoid a nighttime sugar rush and a calorie overload. Advertisement Tip Eating fruit before bed isn't bad, but you should limit the amount you eat to one serving, or eat it a few hours before you lie down, so it doesn't disrupt your sleep....

Having a glass of red wine every day may boost your HDL or good cholesterol levels. Image Credit: gpointstudio/iStock/GettyImages High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is called the good cholesterol because it moves unwanted or bad cholesterol out of your arteries. Most people have to work diligently to raise their HDL level, but is it possible to have HDL that’s too high? Advertisement "The short answer is yes, but these high levels are probably not from anything you are doing to increase your good cholesterol, like exercising or having a glass of red wine," says John P....

Training on a heavy bag can help you learn how to punch with power. Image Credit: Ryan McVay/Photodisc/Getty Images If you want to start boxing, you need access to the right equipment. You don’t have to own everything yourself, but you need a gym that has access to the right kind of equipment to train with. You are best off joining a gym and signing up with a trainer who can teach you the ins and outs of boxing....