A Workout for the Head by Scott LaFee on Creators.com

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A Workout for the Head

Exercise really does make you feel good about yourself.

A new University of Florida study found that just the simple act of getting sweaty helped people gain greater confidence, even if the workouts produced no dramatic or even obvious results.

"You would think that if you become more fit that you would experience greater improvements in terms of body image, but that's not what we found," said Heather Hausenblas, an exercise psychologist. "It may be that the requirements to receive the psychological benefits of exercise, including those relating to body image, differ substantially from the physical benefits."

National studies suggest that as much as 60 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with the way their bodies look. As a result, they spend billions on programs, pills and various cosmetic procedures, albeit not always to good effect.

The Florida metastudy, which analyzed previous research on exercise and body image, is reportedly among the first to significantly address the psychological advantages of exercise.

While frequency of exercise mattered in boosting body perceptions, researchers said, it made no difference how long the workouts lasted, their intensity or type.

Bottom line: If you want to feel better about your body, exercise. You're likely to feel better even if the mirror shows no apparent change.

NUMBER CRUNCHER

A single slice of beef bologna (28 grams) contains 87 calories, 71 from fat.

It has 7.9 grams of total fat or 12 percent of the recommended total fat intake for a 2,000-calorie daily diet.

It also contains 16 milligrams of cholesterol (5 percent); 302 mg of sodium (13 percent); 1.1 grams of total carbohydrates (0 percent); and 2.9 g of protein.

LIFE IN BIG MACS

One hour of digging for worms with a shovel burns 272 calories (based on a 150-pound person) or the equivalent of 0.4 Big Macs.

MEDTRONICA

Scrub club

scrubclub.org

The Scrub Club is a kid-oriented site that teaches and emphasizes the importance of hand-washing as a way to reduce infections and disease. The site includes lots of cartoonish graphics and age-appropriate lessons, primarily for children 12 years and younger.

DOC TALK

Domino transplant — an organ transplant in which a donor's heart and lungs are transplanted into second person whose heart, in turn, is transplanted into a third person.

PHOBIA OF THE WEEK

Anuptaphobia — fear of staying single

OBSERVATION

Whenever you tell anyone you're an insomniac, you can guarantee what they'll say: "That's funny, because I'm asleep the moment my head hits the pillow." But when I meet a blind man, I don't say: "That's funny, because I can see perfectly."

— British comedian and novelist David Baddiel

CURTAIN CALLS

In 1990, expert kayaker Jessie Sharp thought he was so good he could kayak over Niagara Falls. And he did, but only once.

To find out more about Scott LaFee and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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A Workout for the Head