Clasuae

Q. I tend to stay away from sit-ups because they often hurt my neck. Is there an effective way to work your abdominals so that you don't strain your neck? A. When done correctly, sit-ups will help to tone the muscles in your midsection as well as work to protect your back and enhance your overall posture. But do note that doing sit-ups incorrectly can be a complete waste of time - and even cause injury to your back. In order for sit-ups to be effective, proper  technique  is a must. More often than not, I'll see people using so much momentum that most of the work is being done by the neck, arms and legs rather than the abs. Keeping your knees bent during sit-ups helps to neutralize the action of the hip flexors (structures that comprise the hip joint) and therefore forces the abs to work harder. Do note, however, that the abs work hardest during the initial phase of the sit-up, because shortly after the initial lift, the hip flexors take over. The best approach is to lift yo...

IF I ASKED you what Judi Dench, Joanna Lumley, Pierce Brosnan and Robin Williams had in common, you would rightly say they are all actors. But if I were to throw Paul McCartney, Roald Dahl and George Bernard Shaw into the mix, perhaps you wouldn't be quite so sure. So I will put you out of your misery and let you into the secret. All of the aforementioned personalities have turned to the Alexander Technique to help them overcome muscle problems, poor posture, anxiety, asthma and a variety of other ailments -- and the number of people joining them is growing. Next month, from July 13-18, an Alexander Technique Summer School will take place in the  University of Limerick  and promises to show participants exactly how to make the method work for them to cure niggling pains, correct posture and ultimately save them a fortune in medical bills. I have always had back problems, thanks to a childhood incident in which a car drove over my foot. Unsurprisingly, it was a pret...

Yoshitaka Takeya thought he was heading for a playoff after squandering a late lead at the Japan Golf Tour Championship. Instead, he walked off with his first title as a pro. Takeya won the Japan  GTO  tour's second major when South Korea's Lee Sang Hee was assessed a two-shot penalty after catching the Japanese on the last hole of the final round Sunday at the Shishido Hills Country Club in Kasama, Ibaraki Prefecture. Takeya, the overnight coleader who started the round three shots ahead of Lee, rode a hot putter in a run of five straight birdies from the ninth hole, but bogeyed the final two holes to shoot a 68 and finish at 17-under 271. Lee, who had eight birdies, sank a par putt on No. 18 to apparently force a playoff with Takeya after trailing by four strokes with four holes to play. But tournament officials reviewed Lee's actions on the 11th hole, assessing him a penalty for improving his line on a putt. Lee said he was sweeping away debris with his fingers, but offi...