Health experts say the current Covid-19 situation in the country is not favourable for social gatherings even for welcoming the New Year.
“Current active cases have exceeded 21,000 and daily numbers are close to 2,000. We should not expose ourselves to any risk of infection,” said Universiti Putra Malaysia medical epidemiologist Assoc Prof Dr Malina Osman.
“We should also not strain our healthcare system further.”
The conditional movement control order (MCO) was eased for the sake of the country’s economy, and not for engaging in big social crowds or family gatherings, said Dr Malina.
She advised the public to continue to comply with SOP, as the vaccine was yet to be made available locally.
“Hopefully the vaccine will reach our country soon. Singapore has started the vaccination for their frontliners today (yesterday) and their cases are much lower compared to us, we have to be more consistent and vigilant against Covid-19.
“Or we can expect early next year to be markedly different from our neighbouring country,” she said.
Universiti Malaya professor of epidemiology and public health Prof Dr Sanjay Rampal said for the next few weeks, it was important to do two things.
“First, avoid being in congested and confined areas for prolonged durations. It may be hard at times to maintain the minimum 1m physical distancing but we have to.
“Second, there may be a need to maintain a social circle for longterm emotional and psychosocial support, but avoid a large bubble, and restrict mixing across networks,” he said.
For New Year celebrations, Dr Sanjay suggested that the public usher in the New Year by staying at home.
Large gatherings, if any, should be held in big, open spaces while practising physical distancing, he said, adding that the location should have sufficient amenities to promote good sanitation and hygiene.
Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah concurred that celebrations should be held in open areas with good ventilation to reduce the probability of getting infected.
Dr Raj said air conditioned and closed spaces without good ventilation posed a risk to people.
“Malaysians can celebrate in open areas by observing the SOP laid out by the Health Ministry. Use your face mask, observe social distancing, and wash and sanitise your hands regularly,” he said.
Going into the new year, Dr Raj believed there would not be “total freedom”.
“There will still be restrictions for the whole of next year. Hopefully, the vaccine can ease that for us. However, let’s remain positive and hope for the best,” he said.
A ‘Body Mind Powerbank Station’ class being held over Zoom.
TWO humanitarian non-governmental organisations are jointly holding free online classes on techniques to alleviate stress.
The Art of Living (AOL) Malaysia and International Association for Human Values (IAHV) will hold the classes, themed “Body Mind Powerbank Station”, to teach participants the proper stretching and breathing techniques that can assist people in dealing with anxiety, especially those induced by the Covid-19 pandemic and movement control order.
The classes are 20 minutes’ long and will be conducted via Zoom every Wednesday to Friday between 8pm and 9.30pm.
AOL Malaysia president Sundaresh Aw Yang said the techniques would help calm minds.
“The MCO has disrupted many lives, resulting in sleep disorder, anxiety, lost of concentration and increased anger that take a toll on the body.
“This programme, started in October, will help participants to relax and improve their energy, ” he said when contacted.
“Normal breathing will see about 20% of the oxygen we inhale go to our lungs.
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“Through the techniques to be taught in the classes, we can bring it up to about 70% to 80%.
“People who are angry will breathe heavily and in short breaths. Those who are happy will breathe lightly, long and deep, ” he added. Aw Yang said with better breathing, it would also help improve quality of sleep.
He said the techniques were started by AOL founder Ravi Shankar from India in 1981.
“It can help people to be more positive and have a peaceful mindset, ” he said, adding that there were 156 AOL centres globally and 50 in Malaysia.
IAHV president Tan Boon Yang said he had been practising the techniques for 15 years and found it to be beneficial.
“People commonly advise us to rid ourselves of anxiety and not be angry, but fail to guide us on how to do so.
“I had depression and the techniques have helped me to manage my anxiety, ” he said.
“I am now actively involved in humanitarian efforts.
“The techniques are very simple and I hope it can work for others too, ” he said.
He added that IAHV was a global organisation found in 25 countries, with its branch in Malaysia registered in 2012.
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Do This EVERY Day for Better Posture (GUARANTEED!)
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If you have poor posture, you are likely aware of it and looking for a quick, easy fix. In this video, I am going to show you one simple stretch that you can do to help undo that ugly, slumped posture. Doing this stretch everyday, I guarantee that you will notice an immediate change in your posture that will have you standing upright and feeling better overall.
When it comes to addressing posture, our common thought process is to attack the weak muscles in our upper back and the tight muscles in our chest. However, we often overlook our lats, which when tight, pull our shoulders down and forward. Throughout the day as we work and night as we sleep, we don’t often bring our arms overhead (which would create stretch on the lats.) Instead, we opt to have our arms down and tight by our sides. Thus, we need to address this tightness with an effective and efficient stretch that can be done every day.
Before getting into the stretch for the lats, it’s important to take a look at the anatomy of the lats to understand how to properly stretch them. The attachments of the lats are the spinous processes of the T7 to L5 vertebrae, the iliac crest of the pelvis, the inferior border of the scapula, and the humerus. As I will mention later, to stretch the lats in the best way possible, we need to get the upper attachments of the lats further from the lower attachments.
Next, I want you to try a quick test; raise your arm straight overhead, one at a time. See how far up it goes (without forcing it.) I bet you will notice that its not very far and that is indicative of what your posture looks like. We’ll come back to this after the stretch.
Now, bend your arm and raise your elbow up, bracing it against a door frame. Then, drop your leg (on the same side) back behind your other leg while dropping the pelvis. Next, to bring the spinal processes further from the upper attachments, rotate your trunk in the direction of the arm that is posted into the door frame. Now that the upper and lower attachments have increased their distance from each other, you can utilize manual soft tissue mobilization by using your free hand to move the stretched lat back and forth. Do this for 30-45 seconds each side.
Back to that test I asked you to perform. Again, raise your arm straight up overhead and notice how much further it goes. You will even notice that you are standing more upright than you were prior to this stretch, thanks to mobilization of the lats and a release of the tight upper thoracic region.
This simple lat stretch does not take very long and can be done in junction with your other posture fixes that you’re performing every day (such as hanging from a bar or doorframe in the morning.) As I mentioned before, you will notice an immediate difference by taking 60-90 seconds to address a problem that you didn’t even know was causing your poor posture.
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Do These 5 Things Every Morning, See How It Will Change You
You probably never realized how much you rely on your knees until they started to hurt. Chronic knee pain is so difficult to manage precisely because your ...
Tips for beautifulskin
To stay well hydrated, you should drink at least eight (8) glasses of
water over the course of the day, and not wait till you feel thirsty.
—AFP
WEATHER conditions, use of medication, illnesses, unhealthy lifestyle
and poor dietary habits, and lack of proper skincare can cause our skin to become dehydrated; if we don’t do something about it fast enough, the unflattering consequences will be reflected on our skin such as wrinkles and dry, flaky skin.
Not only will our appearance suffer, but our health too, as dry skin can lead to ailments such as eczema and dermatitis.
Skin
hydration is thus vital for healthier and younger-looking skin. To keep
our skin in prime condition, we must first be aware of the common
causes of skin dehydration:
Not drinking enough water
The
body loses two to three litres of water daily from biological processes
such as breathing, perspiring and urinating. With higher levels of
physical activity, we can even lose up to two litres an hour.
To
stay well hydrated, you should drink at least eight glasses of water
over the course of the day, and not wait till you feel thirsty.
Water
also helps the kidneys to flush out toxins from your body, and this has
an impact on the general condition of your skin and health.
Not taking proper care of your skin
If the facial cleanser, washing lotion or body soap you are using leaves your skin feeling dry and taut, it’s best to chuck it.
Some
cleaning products may contain ingredients such as alcohol, astringents
and fragrances that are too harsh on your skin, and cause it to become
dry and itchy. Your skincare routine matters as well. If you cleanse
your face or bathe too many times a day, you will be stripping your skin
of sebum – the layer of oil that helps to protect the skin, keep it
supple and prevent moisture loss.
Not protecting the skin with sunscreen
Prolonged
exposure to UV radiation results in wrinkles, skin discolouration and
spots, causing premature ageing. UV rays harm the skin by penetrating
into its deeper layers, damaging DNA, destroying collagen and depleting
essential nutrients within them.
Besides choosing a
sunscreen of a suitable SPF, we must also know how to use it correctly.
Look for sunscreen offering broad-spectrum protection – that is, one
that can block both UVA and UVB rays.
Smoking
Smoking harms the skin by inhibiting collagen production and constricting the blood vessels near the surface of the skin.
Without collagen and oxygen, the skin develops wrinkles and takes on a leathery appearance.
The
most telling signs of the damaging effects of smoking on the skin are
wrinkles around the mouth, discoloured teeth and skin that is tighter
than it should be.
Smokers who are able to kick the
habit at an early age will have a better chance at stopping the damage
done to the skin. — The Straits Times/asia News Network
----------------------------------------
House and riches are the
inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.
Here
are two rules of marital and family wisdom. Only the God of the Bible could put
so much wisdom in so few words. Do you understand the two rules for success
here? Do you know how to apply the wisdom practically in your life or the lives
of those you love?
Good
fathers leave an inheritance for children, and only a virtuous wife from God
will do. If every father provided financially for his children, each generation
would be better off. If every family demanded exceptional women, each
generation would improve in godliness. These two rules are fundamental for
building a great, long-term, godly family.
Many
men do not leave an inheritance for their children. They fail for two major
reasons. Either they do not work hard enough and smart enough to generate
income beyond their needs, or they waste what they earn through foolish
spending or risky investments. Either they are too slothful to earn more than they
consume, or they are too foolish or selfish to preserve capital for the next
generation. Both are sins condemned by Solomon (Pr 18:9).
Children
should help parents in need (I Tim 5:4-8,16), but this is not God’s plan
for great families. Parents that do not provide for themselves, and need help
from children in old age, destroy families. Christians should save for their
grandchildren, not for their parents (II Cor 12:14). Good men leave an
inheritance for children and grandchildren (Pr 13:22). This is God’s rule
for great families. Note Caleb and Job (Josh 15:17-19; Job 42:12-17).
Great
families need more than wealth for prosperity. They also need the blessing of
virtuous women, for by their character, diligence, reputation, and training,
families are helped to greatness (Pr 14:1; 31:10-31). Great women make great
families. Finding an average wife is easy; finding a great wife is like
searching for hidden treasure. The LORD must bless such a search by His
criteria and His favor (Pr 31:30; 18:22).
A
lazy, odious, worldly, or self-righteous woman will keep a family from
greatness. She will undermine the son she married, and the grandchildren will have
her example and genes. God forbid! Wise parents avoid average girls; they beg God
and search for exceptional girls – those rare girls with great diligence,
graciousness, spirituality, and humility. Parents should point out examples
from scripture and life of these rare women.
A
great woman can do more for a family than most other factors. Settle for
nothing less. Seek and win them with zealous guile. Pray fervently and often
for this rare treasure. Explore every avenue to find one for each son and
grandson. Never compromise a rule of Scripture for wives, or you will pay for
it. Let nothing distract or hinder you from demanding the very best. Do not
settle for average. Forbid your sons to marry down (Gen 26:34-35; Judges
14:1-3). Find holy girls for them (Gen 24:1-67; 28:1-5; Ezra 2:61).
Parent,
catch the vision! Plan now, prepare now, and pray now to build a godly family
for generations to come by saving money for your children and grandchildren and
searching land and sea for great women. Make estate planning a godly goal. Trust
the LORD; make the fear of the LORD the most important criterion; and beg Him
for mercy in your search for godly women. Commit this family project to Him for
His honor and glory.
Oct 5, 2014 - 我和他每次接吻都会硬起来？ 我和我男朋友第一次见面拉手、第二次见面就接吻、从那以后、只要亲热他那都会硬 ... 把你最好的留给你未来老公吧.
Enjoy Golden Year
For those who are 50 years old and above. This is for you. I really like what is said here and am going to try my best to follow it. Thank you to the person who wrote this. May God bless us all as we strive to be a blessing to others at this age, especially to our children.
🚩Between 50 and death. It’s time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don’t just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital.
🚩Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet.
🚩Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself. You’ve taken care of them for many years, and you’ve taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money.
🚩Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It’s easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you’re feeling well. Stay informed.
🚩Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together.
🚩Don’t stress over the little things. You’ve already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don’t let the past drag you down and don’t let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten.
🚩Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: “A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection.”
🚩Be proud, both inside and out. Don’t stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong.
🚩Don’t lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. You’ve developed your own sense of what looks good on you – keep it and be proud of it. It’s part of who you are.
🚩ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You’ll be surprised what old friends you’ll meet.
🚩Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideas as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday’s wisdom still applies today.
Never use the phrase: “In my time.” Your time is now. As long as you’re alive, you are part of this time.
🚩Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it’ll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you feel older and harder to be around.
🚩Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live by yourself
🚩Don’t abandon your hobbies. If you don’t have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a kitchen garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf.
🚩Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven’t seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a park. Get out there.
🚩Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are.
🚩Pains and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the life.
🚩If you’ve been offended by someone – forgive them. If you’ve offended someone - apologize. Don’t drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn’t matter who was right. Someone once said: “Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die.” Don’t take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life.
🚩Laugh. Laugh away your worries Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life.
My valued friends, enjoy peaceful life at this point in your life.
❤💃🙋
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Some like them big, some like them small, but either way, the size of your calves can tell a lot about your health.
MEN take pride in having them big, but women want them slender.
It’s a skeletal muscle group that’s difficult to bulk or trim, even though it’s one of the most used in daily tasks.
If you’re unsure which muscles these are, I’m referring to the calves.
Genetics and anatomical structure play a significant role in how the muscle is shaped and how large it can grow.
The calves comprise of two main muscles: the outer gastrocnemius (known as the calf belly with two “heads”, i.e. medial head and lateral head), and the underlying soleus, which is the smaller of the two.
Together, they are responsible for bending the ankle joint upwards (dorsiflexion) and straightening it to point your toes (plantarflexion).
These two muscles taper and merge at the base of the calf muscle, and attach to the heel bone (calcaneus) via the Achilles tendon.
During walking, running or jumping, the calf muscles pull the heel up to allow the body to propel forward.
There is also another small muscle that runs beneath the gastrocnemius and soleus, called the plantaris.
It has a short belly and a long, thin tendon that connects to the Achilles tendon.
Functionwise, the plantaris muscle assists the gastrocnemius, but not significantly.
In fact, in 10% of the population, this muscle is completely absent.
Bigger or smaller?
Basically, the size of your calf muscles is determined by how far your heel bone (calcaneus) projects backwards, i.e. its length.
The longer this bone is, the smaller your calves.
In one 2011 study, researchers studied individuals of similar height, weight, lower limb length and foot length, and discovered that the ones with shorter calcanei had bigger calves.
Meanwhile, those with longer calcanei had more slender calves.
They also looked at the muscle recruitment patterns and found that people with shorter heels and big calves were using their medial gastrocnemius muscle more than the lateral gastrocnemius muscle while walking.
In contrast, those with longer calcanei had more evenly distributed calf contractions.
People with skinny ankles (small girth) will not be able to build bulk in their calves, although they have a lot more agility than their counterparts with thicker ankles.
Sprinters generally have bigger calves due to the extraordinary amounts of explosive power required to sprint short distances.
Long distance runners, on the other hand, tend to have slender, toned calf and leg muscles.
In fact, the calves in animals that move fast are practically non-existent.
Sausage legs
There is no ideal or normal proportion for the calves and ankle – it depends on what is beautiful to the eye.
Aesthetically, we are all wired to desire ankles that are smaller than the calves.
However, there is a condition where the ankle is just as thick or slighter thinner than the calf, making the lower leg look like a cylinder.
This “cankle” – a combination of the words “calf” and “ankle” – is not a medical term, but a word made popular in 2001 when Jason Alexander’s character in the movie Shallow Hal used it to criticise an overweight woman’s lower leg, saying, “It’s like the calf merged with the foot, cut out the middleman.”
When you have cankles, you’ll find it hard to differentiate the calf from the ankle. Some people call this “sausage legs”.
Women are more prone to this as it seems to run in the female line, with mothers, sisters and other female relatives tending to have the same lower leg shape.
Unfortunately, there is just so much you can do to alter it through natural means besides losing the fat that is covering the ankle.
Sometimes, however, these cankles are due to medical conditions like excessive water retention, kidney disease, bad sprains and surgery.
The calves are prone to tightening and cramping, especially after a workout, so be sure to stretch them out.
If your ankles remain swollen over a long period, do seek medical advice as it could be the sign of something sinister, like heart failure.
Managing those muscles
If you’re genetically predisposed to having big calves and don’t want to bulk further, the best you can do is to scale back on high intensity, skipping, plyometric and heavy weight-bearing exercises as they contribute to hypertrophy or muscle growth.
Also, don’t walk, hike or run up on an incline (e.g. hills or uneven surfaces) as these activities force your calf muscles to work harder.
They will definitely get stronger, but could also get bigger.
Instead, stick to running on flat surfaces.
To build your calf muscles, there are only two types of effective, yet simple exercises: heel or calf raises with knees straight (for the gastrocnemius) and with knees bent (for the soleus).
Start with one set of 12-15 repetitions with your feet parallel first.
Then turn your feet out (toes pointed out or away from the body) for the next set.
For the last set, turn your feet in. This forces your muscles to work from different angles.
To target the soleus muscle, repeat the entire sequence seated, perhaps with a light dumbbell on your thighs.
Do three sets, but only with your feet parallel.
You may not see noticeable bulk, but you’ll see some tone and more definition.
Stretch and soak
The calves are prone to tightening and cramping, especially after a workout, so be sure to stretch them afterwards.
The simplest way to do this is to stand at the edge of a step and place the balls of your feet on it.
Keep your legs straight (use the wall or railing for support) and reach your heels to the floor until you feel the stretch in your calves and Achilles tendon. This stretches your gastrocnemius muscles.
To stretch your soleus, do this with one knee bent, then repeat on the other side.
In addition, you can try soaking your lower leg in warm, salt water for 15 to 20 minutes before patting dry with a towel.
Then, apply some oil or lotion to self-massage the calves using stroking motions towards your hip.
Depending on your preference, you can use your fingers, palms, heel of your hand or knuckles.
Strong pressure reduces tension and pain in your muscles, while using a light pressure is more relaxing, especially before you retire for the night.
Benefits in all sizes
Fret not if your calves are big because there are some health benefits associated with it, according to a 2008 study published in the Stroke journal.
Apparently, regardless of age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and other vascular risk factors, those with bigger calves have fewer fatty deposits known as plaques built up in their arteries, thus lowering their risk for stenosis, carotid artery disease and strokes.
Researchers suspect this may be because big calves give the body another place to store fat that could cause problems when they’re floating in the bloodstream.
At the same time, people with bulky calves could also be more prone to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease as the calves act as a proxy for fat deposits.
In a 2013 study in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science, researchers concluded that the smaller a person’s calves are, the higher their resting heart rates might be.
In general, high resting heart rates, or anything above 100 beats per minute, have been linked to an increased risk of death, regardless of physical fitness.
A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.
A lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness.
So, all is fair whether you have big calves or small.
On that note, here’s to a brighter 2021!
By Revathi Murugappan, who is a certified fitness trainer who tries to battle gravity and continues to dance to express herself artistically and nourish her soul. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information contained in this column is for general educational purposes only. Neither The Star nor the author gives any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to such information. The Star and the author disclaim all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
The calves are prone to tightening and cramping, especially after a workout, so be sure to stretch them out.