Quick Links

It’s no secret that men are less likely to seek preventative care and even less likely to visit a physician for regular check-ups. This, coupled with the never-ending schedules of today’s busy world can leave little time for good-old-dad to hit the gym. So, in honor of Father’s day, we’ve put together a list of exciting gift ideas that are both refreshing and have a healthy twist. That means no more neckties!

Gyroscopic Dumbbells

Maybe the guy in your life is a techie. He has all the latest gadgets and always has to keep on top of the trends. Well, we’ve got just the thing. The Gyroscopic Dumbbell is used by astronauts to maintain hand, wrist, arm and shoulder strength while out in space. How cool is that? It uses torque resistance to generate almost 38 pounds of resistance from one tennis ball-sized gadget.

Massage Session

What better way to let go of stress or sooth the back pain after a day of golf than a calming massage. Not only will this give dad time to unwind, but massages can help increase circulation and stimulate healthy cell growth.

Pedometer/Heart Rate Monitor

This one is for those health conscious dads out there. A heart rate monitor will help pump-up their workout and remind them when they’ve reached their target exercise rate.  It’s like having a workout partner with you at all times.

Go Nuts

If your dad is a foodie, it may be a lot of fun to order a make your own basket of goodies he can take with him on the go. But this year, try making a basket filled with exotic and tasty gourmet nuts. Things like pistachios, almonds cashews and good-old peanuts are high in protein and a great source of healthy fats.

Ergonomic Design

Like all parents, dads work hard. Often, that means sitting behind a desk for long periods of time. So why not use that opportunity to make dad’s work life a little more comfortable. Getting dad the perfect chair, keyboard or mouse can have a major impact on his stress and comfort. The right chair can eliminate back pain and help improve posture while a comfortable mouse and keyboard will ensure the prevention of arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.

So there you have it – the perfect, healthy gift for every dad. Although it may not seem like a healthy gift can be exciting, it certainly says I love you and if we can do that, we’ve done well. Happy Father’s Day to all the APOGEE Dads out there!

With Father’s day just around the corner, there’s no better time to celebrate Men’s Health Week. It’s especially important during the summer months that the fellas out there keep on top of their wellness – whether it’s the sun, fireworks or the grill, there’s plenty to keep you busy and living a happy summer dream. That’s why we’ve put together this short list of summer tips for all those male fitness buffs out there.

Be Safe When Playing With Fire

Sure, fireworks are fun. Who doesn’t enjoy a literal bang for their buck? But, as it turns out, males are injured by fireworks more than twice as often as females during the peak sparkler season, so it’s important to remember a few important rules.

• Always have a water source ready and close to any home-firework displays. A hose is best, but a bucket of water can help extinguish a rogue bottle rocket if need be.
• If you’re not sure what it does – don’t set it off! Better to be safe than risk an injury to you or a bystander
• Remember that children should always be supervised and at a safe distance for both their hearing and other physical safety.
• Use fireworks only where permitted and within an open, clear area.

The grill is a must for any summer-time fun. But a lot can go wrong when dealing with open flame.

• If you’re using a gas grill, make sure all the valves, tanks and burners are working correctly before sparking that first igniting light.
• Undercooked meat like chicken or burgers can do a real number on your stomach. Try investing a meat thermometer and always know at what temperature bacteria is sure to be gone.
• Try grinding your own beef for hamburgers – doing so will allow you to control what goes in and how much fat is involved. Red meat isn’t always good, but if you know what you’re making, it can make a tasty burger.

Make sure to treat minor burns correctly. There are a lot of myths out there like using butter to sooth a burn. The oil in the butter will make the pain subside but will actually make the wound worse.

• Cool the burn with some cold water but don’t use ice.
• Keep the burn open and able to breath – putting a bandage on it will only make it last longer.
• Take a pain reliever and keep the burn away from any further heat.

Eat to Energize

It’s easy to fall into the beer broiled sausage trend of summer eating, but having a little discretion on the BBQ can give you lots of energy and keep your healthy lifestyle in balance.

• Grill your fresh summer veggies. Things like peppers, onions and zucchini are phenomenal when grilled the right way – try it yourself and see!
• Coat the grill in healthy oil like canola or olive oil. This will give things like corn a great flavor without the need for butter and will help prevent anything from sticking to the grates.
• Instead of cooling down with a few beers, try making a nice fruit smoothie. Frozen bananas, strawberries and blueberries can help make a great cocktail with a healthy twist.

Enjoy the Summer Weather

The most important part of a healthy lifestyle is to enjoy yourself.

• Experience new activated you never thought of before like hiking or kayaking
• Spend time outside enjoying the weather – a nice nap on a hammock can do wonders for stress
• If you don’t know how to swim, take lessons. Not only is it a fun pass-time but it’s a hell of a workout too!

So on Father’s day, let’s take time to remember the guys in our life and make sure they live a happy, healthy life. And guys, let us know how you like to enjoy your summer months with a comment below or on our Facebook and twitter page!

Between the high heat, the unrelenting humidity and oily sunscreen, your skin can really take a beating during the summer months. But there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy a perfect complexion along with the summer sun. Here are some tips to keep you looking and feeling great.

Exfoliate Daily

Before you go out and in the sun, it can be a good idea to rid of all the dry, dead cells sitting on the surface of your skin. Using a lightly abrasive scrub, towel or loofah will help remove this dried up layer and get you ready to shine. Exfoliating will also help stimulate your skin, encouraging new growth and overall health.

Use the Right Moisturizer

After you exfoliate, shower or shave, it’s always a good idea to moisturizing your skin. It’s important to find the brand that works for you. If it ends up clogging your pores, you’re going to have a harder time keeping your skin rash and complexion free once you hit the heat outside. Read the ingredients and experiment with different types to find the one you like the most.

Always Use Sun Block

Some people think they’re going to get a great tan by not applying any sunscreen – this approach will leave your skin dry, damaged and worse for wear. You should always apply at least SPF 15 before stepping outside for long periods of time. The trick is to find the right level of protection along with a formula that works best for you. Sunburn, heat rash and hives are definitely not summer fun.

Quick Tip for sunburn – try soaking a paper towel in green tea and applying to the burnt area. This will prevent any damage to the skin cells from taking place. As for cooling off the burn – aloe, aloe and more aloe.

Drink Plenty of Water

Your skin is the largest organ of the human body. And considering we’re made of almost 70% water, it’s a good idea to stay hydrated. Water will help keep your skin looking great and even help cool it down. If you think your skin is taking a beating, find a nice shady spot and kick back with a glass of water. A book and hammock are optional.

The most important thing is to stay safe and enjoy the summer weather while it lasts. Take care of your skin and you’ll be looking as great as you feel.

Summer is finally here. But with the nice weather can come some nasty downsides. So we’ve compiled a short list of summer tips that will guarantee a good time no matter what – From avoiding pests to salvaging that sunken cellphone, these tips are sure to come in handy.

Relieve Mosquito Bites

It’s inevitable – if you’re going outside, you’re going to get stung. But don’t worry, next time your scratching away at that bite, try a little toothpaste or vinegar right on the bump. Within a few minutes, you’ll forget it’s there. Another option is to crush some aspirin and add a few drops of water – rub on the bite and done. You can stop scratching and get back to horseshoes.

Save a Soaked Cellphone

Oh no. You jumped in head first and forgot your phone was in your pocket. It happens. Try quickly dropping your soaked electronic device it in some uncooked rice. The rice will absorb all of the surrounding moisture and, hopefully, draw all the water away from the vital sections of your phone until completely dry. In some really severe cases where phones are all but lost to water, try spraying them down with some WD-40. WD-40 actually stands for Water Displacement Formula Number 40 – so it’s designed to repel water. It may buy you enough time to dry out the phone before it’s lost.

Repel Bugs Cheaply and Safely

Bug repellents can get costly and often contain some rather unwanted chemicals. So why not make your own bug repellents at home? Start off with some soy wax, melt it in a double boiler, add some citronella oil (found at most health food stores) and pour into an empty jar or old can with a wick. Now you have your own citronella candle, perfect for keeping off the bugs. Add some different scents and colored crayons to your mix for a more pleasant candle.

Don’t like the idea of candles, some plants will naturally protect against mosquito and other bugs. Flowers like citronella (for obvious reasons), catnip, rosemary, and marigolds all repel bugs. And, as it turns out, Mosquito hate soap. So next time you’re in the backyard, hang some dryer sheets on the deck or set up a bubble blowing machine. Independent research shows these can really cut down on the number of unwanted bug visitors.

Clean the Grill without Harsh Chemicals

It was a long winter. And we’re willing to guess that those grill grates prove that fact. Or maybe it’s just been a few years since they’ve had a good scrub. Well, not many of us have a pressure washer to blast that grit away and chemicals that close to food just seems like a bad idea. Don’t worry – there’s an easy fix. Use a halved onion face down on a heated grill to remove grit and grime without the use of harsh chemicals or expensive pressure washers. If onions bring tears to your eyes, you can also use a balled up piece of aluminum foil to get the stuck on grease right off.

So there are some of our tips for having a perfect summer. If you have any tips, let us know by sounding off in the comments below, on Facebook or through Twitter. Have a great summer!

It happens to all of us – we walk into another room to grab something and suddenly can’t remember what it is we were looking for. For the most part, episodes like this can be attributed to lack of concentration. Unfortunately, we can all count on these events happening more often as we get older. Well, new research shows, maybe not.

Much of our creating and accessing a memory day-to-day is based upon pattern separation. Although we might eat oatmeal for breakfast or park in the same area each morning before work, we tend to recognize the smaller differences in each day. This helps separate and “file” our memories accordingly. You may have had oatmeal three days in a row, but maybe you had it with apples on Monday, yogurt yesterday and cinnamon today. These small, but significant, details help provide a distinct memory.

Age, as we all understand, has a tendency to dull the ability to make these distinctions causing our memories to blur together. That’s because of a degenerative process caused by aging to our dentate gyrus – the part of brain thought to be responsible for the formation of new memories.

But new research has shown that there may be a way to help stimulate this portion of our brain and help stimulate the creation of new brain cells. No, it’s not crossword puzzles or brain teasers –  it’s good, old fashioned exercise.

In a study conducted at the National Institute on Aging, researchers found that mice which regularly and voluntarily exercised using their play wheels showed an increased ability to separate closely spaced images on a screen – a test used monitor pattern recognition and memory in animals. When compared with their sedentary roommates, the mice that ran more frequently also showed more new neurons within their brain’s memory zone.

Although the extent to which exercise can help facilitate this reaction in humans is still unknown, it does lead to some promising theories. The bottom line – exercising can never hurt. So why not try it anyway? Get out and get active. The only problem is remembering where you left your keys.