Articles written by Matt Bird in Health & Fitness

Where Knowledge Rules

What is Helium

About me - Matt Bird

What's there to say, really? I'm a Canadian Journalism student who loves to write. I've done it since I was a child and I hope to continue writing 'til I'm in my grave. Prior to Journalism I went to the University of Toronto, St. George Campus for English

+ more bio information

RSS Feed

Health & Fitness > Gym & Health Club Top mistakes people make in the gym: 2 of 25
Most people who walk into a gym for the first time have no idea what they're doing. The only thought that went through their head before paying admission was probably "need to lose weight". Consequently they end up doing things all wrong, and in some cases the "wrong thing" can make their situation even worse. Don't be one o... More..
Health & Fitness > Substance Abuse & Addiction (Other) Do you smoke or have you ever smoked marijuana?: 6 of 59
Amazingly enough, despite the people I hang out with and the parties and/or shindigs I've gone to, I have never once smoked marijuana. Nor have I tried any other drug beyond those doled out by a pharmacy, for that matter. I've had lots of chances, trust me. Virtually every person I know has given it a shot at one point or an... More..
Health & Fitness > Exercise (Other) Working out doesn't always require gym membership: 4 of 37
Gyms seem to be synonymous with working out these days. Rightly so, too, considering that's what they're designed for. But gyms exclusively? No, that I can't find myself getting behind. Yet that's the way many people think. The moment you step inside a gym you're in workout mode; the second you leave, you're done. All the mo... More..
Health & Fitness > Exercise Tips Walking for health: 3 of 22
All too often people fall into the delusion that gym equals health. The only place you can go to get fit and keep your body in good shape is to go to a gym, and all other places are just, well, life. And, true, the gym is great for keeping active. But who needs a bunch of crazy gadgets and an expensive membership to get thei... More..
Health & Fitness > Nutrition & Health Issues Guide to the worst fast foods in the United States: 1 of 7
The very combination of fast and food evokes images of greasy food in colorful packaging. Rolled out in conveyor-belt fashion with mindless, quick preparation in mind, fast food forgoes nutrition in favor of mass production. I don't think anybody could successfully argue that fast food is better for you than home-prepared fo... More..
Health & Fitness > Healthy Living & Wellness Easy ways to mininimize stress: 4 of 26
Unless you live the life of a prince or princess and have people waiting on you hand and foot, you probably have to put up with a certain amount of stress. Some of it is tolerable; some may even make your time on this planet worth living, as a stressful job feels all the better once it's over with. You've accomplished someth... More..
Health & Fitness > Gym & Health Club How to avoid germs at the gym: 4 of 20
I don't know about the rest of you, but when I visit the gym it's to improve my health, not make it worse. And though the gym is an excellent place to tone your body and get your muscles pumping it's also a great place to pick up plenty of nasty germs. Why? Well, because of the emphasis on using the body. When people are wor... More..
Health & Fitness > Asthma How to control my asthma: 1 of 5
I've lived with asthma for longer than I can remember, and even though it has abated to a degree the pesky debilitation is still hanging in there. After at leats two decades of dealing with it, however, I've learned that there are certain ways of not only controlling my asthma, but making sure that it doesn't kick in in the ... More..
Health & Fitness > Diet (Other) Having a sense of humor about weight problems: 4 of 18
I was never what you'd call a 'fat' kid. I didn't end up in fat camp, I was never restricted in going on rides at Canada's Wonderland and I didn't shake the ground when I went for a walk. I was always on the cusp of fatness, however - I had the pudgy checks, a few extra rolls around my belly and more weight than the average ... More..
Health & Fitness > Aging & Longevity The top 5 keys to a longer life: 2 of 9
I'm sure that everybody has their own methods of stretching their life beyond the norm. Some may work; some may not. And I'm quite sure that the majority of ACTUAL methods wind up going ignored by most people, as they're not always practicable in this busy bee world we've got running these days. I'm not sure why, though. A l... More..