Group exercise 'boosts happiness'

The BBC website highlights a new study which suggests that exercising together appears to increase the level of the feel-good endorphin hormones naturally released during physical exertion. Exercising alone seems to result in a lower level of endorphines.

"But more generally we know from experience that exercising in groups is good for people at many levels, it's motivational, it's social. Groups sessions really do work."

Bless you!

The FIEC (Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches) grouping of churches has published a document called Blue Pages Extra - Influenza Pandemic Arrangements, outlining advice in relation to swine flu. Topics covered include Medical matters, Possible curtailment of activities, Hygiene on church premises, Communion services, Staffing the church programme, and Pastoral issues.

See: also Online copy of complete Blue Pages Extra and Church of England advice on swine flu.

No time to exercise?

Struggling to fit exercise into your daily routine? Here are two schemes to help:

• Natural England’s Walking the way to Health programme encourages you to enjoy your local natural spaces and benefit your health by taking part in health walks. As the largest national body promoting and setting the standards for led health walks, WHI aims to encourage people to do regular short walks in their communities. Over 525 local health walk schemes are supported – find your nearest using the Walk Finder.
• The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy recognises we all lead busy lives and that it is hard to find the time to take up an intensive exercise regime. Their leaflet The Lazy Exercise Guide identifies a number of activities you can easily build into your daily routine.

Swine flu: impact on communion

On Thursday The Archbishops of Canterbury and York wrote to Bishops in the Church of England recommending the suspension of the sharing of the chalice at communion. The Archbishops’ letter follows advice from the Department of Health not to share “common vessels” for food or drink. For those who wish still to offer both bread and wine, the Archbishops have recommended use of “personal intinction by the presiding minister” allowing the priest to dip communion wtafers in the chalice before handing them out to communicants.

Elsewhere, thermometers sell out with swine flu scare and prayers for the pandemic.

Preparing for hiking

[Above: Summit of High Raise, Grasmere weekend 2005]

Those of us planning on tackling one or more of the Three Peaks are beginning to step up our training. Here are some useful links on preparing for strenuous hikes:

• Hiking Preparations - How to Prepare for a Hike
• Hiking Physical Fitness Training - Exercises for Hiking
• Pre-Hike Training - Training before a Hike
• How To Take Care Of Your Feet When Hiking
• How to Prevent Walking Injuries

Tea4health

Tea4health is a website from the UK Tea Council dedicated to bringing facts about how tea, the world’s favourite drink, can help you maintain your health as part of a balanced diet and healthy, active lifestyle. The website provides: the science behind the facts, background articles, how to make a perfect brew, interactive games, and a section on tea at work, including a special tea chart to remind colleagues of how you take your tipple!

Isn't it good to know that "drinking at least 4 cups of tea a day is a good way for you to help maintain your health"?

Espresso: the ideal beverage for a recession

The espresso is Italy's gift to the world and the ideal stimulant for the creative mind, writes Graham Farmelo in the Times Higher. I learned a number of new facts in this essay on the joys of espresso including the fact that the word "coffee" derives from the ancient Arabic "qahwat", meaning "wine of the bean".

I stand by my conviction that the espresso is, when well prepared, one modern culinary component that is impossible to better. Come to think of it, at around £1.30 a cup, it is probably the cheapest of all uplifting gastronomic treats, making it the ideal beverage for a recession.

Last year, Britons spent about £750 million on coffee, but only a small fraction of this on espressos. Think of the huge amount of money that would be saved if the majority of coffee-bar patrons switched to espressos from cappuccinos. The country's milk bill would fall and its carbon footprint would shrink too. Better yet, millions would appreciate the joy of savouring in a single shot Italy's greatest gift to the modern world.

Hallucinations more common in heavy coffee drinkers

A study from Durham University reveals that people who drink more than seven cups of instant coffee a day are three times more likely to hallucinate than those who just drink one. Read the article 'Visions link' to coffee intake for the full story. Don't forget you can check out how much caffeine is in your cup.

Resolutions 'bad for your health'‏

The BBC website warns that deciding to turn over a new leaf in the new year could do more harm than good. However, the chief executive of Mind, Paul Farmer, suggests that we focus on a few steps to improve all-round mental health in 2009:

• Being active - exercise releases endorphins and even a gentle stroll is beneficial for mental well-being
• Going green - evidence has shown that connecting with nature can boost moods
• Learn something new - it will keep minds stimulated and give confidence
• Give back to the community - it can be just as rewarding for you as those you choose to help

Sounds a bit like the focus of Infusion....

More health benefits of tea

We talk about tea a lot in this blog (maybe the logo is a giveaway?) so hearing of new research that finds health benefits for drinking tea is always a good thing. The latest findings from Singapore are that black tea may cut risk of Parkinson’s Disease.

Big Garden Birdwatch

The 2008 Big Garden Birdwatch takes place next weekend. All you need to do is watch your garden or local park on either Saturday 26 or Sunday 27 January, and spend an hour counting the birds, recording the highest number of each species seen in your garden (not flying over) at any one time. You can download a counting sheet to help you keep track of how many birds you've seen; the sheet has pictures of the commonest birds seen in gardens and space to cross off how many of each species you have seen in total.

The Big Garden Birdwatch is the world's biggest bird survey. Thanks to its simplicity and the small time it takes to do, the Big Garden Birdwatch has always had great support, providing the RSPB with a vital snapshot of the UK's birds each winter.In 2007, over 400,000 people took part by counting the birds in their garden for an hour. Together they spotted 6 million birds across 236,000 gardens, helping reveal the winners and losers in the garden bird world.

If you need an additional reason to take part, a report commissioned by the RSPB reveals that nature improves your fitness and reduces stress.

Health news

The good news is.....this winter's norovirus outbreak may not be as bad as the media have made it out to be (which friend who is a doctor told me two weeks ago). The bad news is....your computer keyboard is a breeding ground for bacteria and almost certainly a health hazard! We can't all afford to use the ultrasonic cleaning discussed, but there are a number of websites that advise on How To Clean Your Keyboard, including this Step By Step Guide.

Ecotherapy

There's an article in today's Guardian which discusses recent research that concludes that "country walks can bring startling reductions in depression and raise self-esteem". In the report, the charity Mind describes ecotherapy as "getting outdoors and getting active in a green environment as a way of boosting mental well-being". Although today is the first time I've heard the term "ecotherapy", this is one alternative therapy that I'm happy to endorse.