Fix Your Form: How To Do The Perfect Shoulder Press

If you don't know your way around a weight room, heading to the gym can be intimidating -- and even dangerous. But paying attention to a few simple rules of proper technique can make you slimmer, stronger and healthier all over.

We spent an afternoon at Equinox with trainer and manager Rebecca Woll, learning the ins and outs of some of the most popular strength-training machines.

We've been sharing Woll's thoughts on the biggest mistakes we all make while building muscle, plus her tips and tricks for better form. This week, we're perfecting the shoulder press.

The Faux Pas: Woll says she sees many people set up this machine so that the handles are too high. "You would never pick something up, bring it to 90 degrees, and then press it -- imagine carrying your laundry bag and then giving it to someone else," she says. "You want every [exercise] to be functional."


The Fix: Set up the bench so that the handles fall slightly below your shoulders, she says. Then press up so that the elbows are right by your ears. For a little added bonus, Woll suggests pulling slightly away on the handles to activate smaller parts of your muscles that aren't as developed.

Tell us how it goes in the comments below!

Beat the Winter Blues

With daylight savings time comes shorter days, colder temperatures, and darker mornings.

Winter can be a challenging time for many people. How do you feel as the days get shorter and colder? Do you gain weight or slack on your workout routine? What is your script about winter that you tell yourself and others?

If you honestly answer these questions, you will begin to see a pattern of behavior that may keep you stuck in a negative winter experience. Let's start with some reality testing, which is to say, recognizing that you have the power to "flip your script" about winter. There is no problem with modifying your routine because of the change in weather, but it does not have to be depressing or limiting. How you experience the colder months is totally up to you.

If you are debilitated in the winter months in a way that seriously impacts the quality of your life, you may suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Winter depression, as it is also called, is biochemical in nature, brought on by the lack of sunshine.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Winter-onset seasonal affective disorder symptoms include:

• Depression


• Hopelessness


• Anxiety


• Loss of energy


• Heavy, "leaden" feeling in the arms or legs


• Social withdrawal


• Oversleeping


• Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed


• Appetite changes, especially craving foods high in carbohydrates


• Weight gain


• Difficulty concentrating

The Vitamin D Link
Numerous studies indicate that vitamin D may be helpful for people suffering from seasonal affective disorder. Vitamin D is not found in vast quantities in most foods. Mainly, our bodies produce vitamin D from the sun's rays hitting our skin. So, when there's not as much sun and you're indoors more, there's less vitamin D being produced. A simple blood test can determine your vitamin D level. If you do have a deficiency, your doctor will recommend a daily vitamin D supplement and the appropriate dosing. Vitamin D pills are inexpensive, and can be purchased at most grocery stores and pharmacies. There are also specially-designed lamps whose rays mimic sunlight to help with the body's vitamin D production. Studies have indicated that sitting in front of these lamps for as little as 30 minutes a day can also affect brain chemicals linked to mood, thereby easing SAD symptoms. As with any medical condition, consult with your doctor to get a proper diagnosis and discuss treatment options.

Keep Radiating!
Once seasonal affective disorder is ruled out or remedied, you can focus on actions and attitudes within your control. Decide how you want to feel and make choices in line with that goal.

Some ways to stay inspired this season include:

1. Exercise
Commit to at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. If you live in an area with harsh winters, exercising outdoors might require extra planning or may not be an option. Try a yoga DVD and turn your living room into your own mini-studio. Thanks to Sandy and now the nor'easter, I'm digging Tara Stiles' four-DVD set -- variety is the spice of life and thwarts boredom! Lots of DVDs, YouTube videos, and magazines offer at-home workouts that require little or no equipment. Dancing around to inspiring music is free, easy, and fun -- and not to mention, can burn some serious calories! Find what you enjoy, and you're more likely to stick to it. Exercise gets your endorphins (feel-good hormones) flowing, which is one of the best cures for the winter blues.

2. Meditation
Every summer sunset, day at the beach, and lazy outdoor afternoon is just a visualization away. Since you have internalized all of these experiences, a dedicated meditation practice can help you consciously access them. Create a sacred space in your home that reminds you of all of the summer experiences you love and get your butt on the pillow for a few minutes a day. You may be amazed at how this lifts your mood.

3. Intention
You are the same person in July as in November. You can actively choose to flip your script about the winter months and create a joyful and inspired fall/winter season this year. The past need not dictate your future. The power of your intention is mind-blowing. So set your intention on creating and maintaining your radiance from the inside out and see what magic your new attitude brings.

If you have struggled during the winter months in the past, remember now is not then. On autopilot, your mind and body can slip into familiar patterns of behavior that have not served you, but you have the power to choose. Practice extreme self-care this season and enjoy feeling and looking good all year round!

Binaural Beats And Soothing Sounds During Cataract Surgery Could Ease Anxiety

Relaxing sounds could help people going through cataract surgery to feel less anxious, according to a small new study.

Researchers at Chiang Mai University in Thailand found that exposing patients undergoing cataract surgery -- which is often performed with just local anesthesia, meaning the patient is awake while the surgery is being conducted -- to binaural beats helped them to feel less anxious and to slow their heart rates. Binaural beats are comprised of two tones at different frequencies, which spur brainwaves that are known to reduce pain and promote relaxation. For this study, researchers exposed patients to binaural beats along with music and natural noises.

More than 3 million people in the United States undergo cataract surgery every year, making it the most common kind of surgery in the country, according to the University of Iowa.

Even though the surgery is quick, many patients still report anxiety -- one past study showed that anywhere from 3 to 16.2 percent of people undergoing cataract surgery with just topical or retrobulbar anesthesia said that "they were frightened by the visual experience of the procedure," the University of Iowa reported. This anxiety has prompted research on methods to alleviate patient stress (one past study even suggested that handholding could help).

"Our study shows significant emotional and physiological benefits from adding binaural beats to music therapy for cataract surgery patients," researcher Dr. Pornpattana Vichitvejpaisal, M.D., said in a statement. "This provides a simple, inexpensive way to improve patients' health outcomes and satisfaction with their care."

The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology; because they have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal, they should be regarded as preliminary.
The study included 141 people in Thailand, who were grouped by cataract type and age, among other factors. They were split up into groups of 47 -- one group listened to the binaural beats and music with the natural noises, the second group listened only to the music with the natural noises, and the third group didn't listen to anything at all.

Researchers found that those who listened to the binaural beats plus the music and natural noises had a slower heart rate and decreased anxiety, compared with those who didn't listen to anything. And both the binaural beats and music group and the music-only group experienced lower blood pressure than the no-noise group.

Another small study published in 2007 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine also showed that listening to binaural beats for 60 days seemed to alleviate anxiety, as self-reported by eight study participants.