Girls Lose Friends for Having Sex But Boys Don’t, Study Shows

MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The impact that young teens’ sexual activity has on their circle of friends differs for girls and boys, a new study finds.

Researchers looked at data from youngsters in 28 rural communities in Iowa and Pennsylvania who were followed from ages 11 to 16, and found that girls lost friends for having sex and gained friends for making out without sex.

But boys lost friends for making out and gained friends for having sex, according to the study scheduled for presentation Monday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA) in Chicago.

The investigators found that after having sex, girls had a 45 percent loss in peer acceptance, while boys had an 88 percent increase in acceptance, on average. After making out, girls had a 25 percent increase in peer acceptance, while boys had a 29 percent decrease, the findings showed.

“In our sample of early adolescents, girls’ friendship networks shrink significantly after they have sex, whereas boys’ friendship networks expand significantly,” study lead author Derek Kreager, an associate professor of sociology and criminology at Pennsylvania State University, said in an ASA news release.

“But what really surprised us was that ‘making out’ showed a pattern consistent with a strong reverse sexual double-standard, such that girls who ‘make out’ without having sex see significant increases in friendships, and boys who engage in the same behavior see significant decreases in friendships,” he added.

The findings are consistent with traditional biases about men and women, the study authors said.

“Men and boys are expected to act on innate or strong sex drives to initiate heterosexual contacts for the purpose of sex rather than romance and pursue multiple sexual partnerships,” Kreager said. “In contrast, women and girls are expected to desire romance over sex, value monogamy and ‘gatekeep’ male sexual advances within committed relationships.”

So, Kreager added, “a sexual double-standard then arises because women and girls who violate traditional sexual scripts and have casual and/or multiple sexual partnerships are socially stigmatized, whereas men and boys performing similar behaviors are rewarded for achieving masculine ideals.”

In addition, the study found that for girls, defying traditional gender scripts by having sex can cost them both male and female friendships. Yet, for boys, making out without sex cost them male friends, but not female friends.

“This pattern suggests that other boys are the peers that police social norms when it comes to masculinity, whereas girls receive strong messages about gender-appropriate sexual behavior from boys and girls,” Kreager explained.

“It is not surprising that girls do not punish boys for ‘making out,’ as this behavior is rewarding for girls both socially and physically. However, there is somewhat of a paradox for boys stigmatizing girls who have sex because these boys are punishing girls for behavior that benefits boys both socially and sexually,” Kreager said. “We believe one reason for this is that only a small minority of boys have such sexual access, so those who do not have sex negatively define the girls who are having sex.”

This research, focused on adolescents, demonstrates that the sexual double-standards that have previously been studied in college students “also affect youth who have only just reached sexual maturity,” Kreager said in the news release.

The data and conclusions of research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

More information

The American Academy of Pediatrics has more about teen sexuality.

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Exercise Best Bet Against Diabetes for College Graduates

MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Exercise is more likely to help prevent diabetes in college graduates than in those with less schooling, a new study finds.

Researchers examined data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007-2012, and found adults with a college degree who were physically active were 6 percent less likely to have pre-diabetic symptoms or elevated blood sugar levels than those who weren’t active.

For adults who only had some college, a high school diploma or who never finished high school, being physically active reduced the risk of pre-diabetic symptoms by just 1 percent.

Overall, being physically active reduced the risk for full-blown diabetes, but this, too, varied by education level. The likelihood of having diabetes was 2.5 percent among college graduates who were physically active and 4.4 percent among those who were inactive. Rates among adults who didn’t finish high school were 5 percent among the active and 7.2 percent among the inactive.

“Essentially those with a college degree or more education are benefiting more from the positive health behavior of physical activity than other groups. That’s going to create more inequality in the future,” study author Kyle Chapman, a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of Kansas, said in a university news release.

The study was presented Aug. 24 at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Chicago. Research presented at medical meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The study supports previous findings that better-educated people have greater access to resources that promote healthy living, such as gym memberships or homes in neighborhoods that encourage walking.

The results could offer a starting point for discussion about how to prevent and manage diabetes among all Americans.

“This is real, and if we continue down this road, we’re going to be helping the college educated more than we’re helping the less educated. The less educated are the people who actually need it more,” Chapman said.

More information

The U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion explains how to prevent diabetes.

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CT Scan Use in Kids Fell Over Past Decade

By Tara Haelle
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Children are receiving fewer CT scans now than a decade ago, dovetailing with a move to radiation-free MRI scans and ultrasounds, a recent study shows.

Though several reasons might explain the shift, the study’s lead author, Dr. Michelle Parker, said the underlying reason may be a push to limit youngsters’ exposure to radiation. “Over the time of our study, there has been a deliberate push to increase awareness of the potential harms of ionizing radiation,” said Parker, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.

CT scans, or computed tomography, use ionizing radiation, like X-rays, to provide detailed views of internal organs, soft tissue and blood vessels. Ionizing radiation has been linked to an increased cancer risk.

Neither MRIs nor ultrasounds involve radiation. MRIs use a large magnet to create images and have no known long-term risks, Parker said. Ultrasounds use soundwaves bounced off of fluids to make images of the body’s insides. Doctors are becoming more confident in these methods of imaging, the authors noted.

“This shift in imaging modalities is good news,” said Dr. Danelle Fisher, vice chairwoman of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif.

The findings are published online and in the September print issue of the journal Pediatrics.

For the study, researchers analyzed the records of more than 150,000 children admitted to 33 U.S. hospitals between 2004 and 2012. They calculated the rates of CT scans, ultrasounds and MRIs the children underwent for 10 different types of problems, including seizures, appendicitis, concussions, respiratory infections and abdominal pain.

Over those years, the use of imaging grew for children with nearly all symptoms and diagnoses studied. Only children with stomach flu or those having fluid drained from their brains did not undergo more imaging tests.

However, the proportion of each kind of test shifted during that time. The overall rate of CT scans dropped. Meanwhile, except for those with seizures or upper respiratory tract infections, the use of MRI or ultrasound increased.

Use of CT scans for seizures dropped by almost half, and 10 percent fewer MRIs were used for children having seizures. Children with severe head trauma also saw a big drop in CT scan use.

Overall, the most common reasons children received CT scans included seizures, the procedure to drain excess fluid from the brain, removal of the appendix and brain surgery, a concussion or another head injury, the findings showed.

The use of ultrasounds increased most for appendix removal and stomach bugs, according to the report.

Another reason for the drop in CT scans could be that hospitals are making more use of evidence-based guidelines, said Dr. Clay Jones, a neonatal hospitalist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass. The guidelines, based on available research, detail best practices for patient care.

“Recent studies have highlighted the effectiveness of imaging techniques that don’t rely on ionizing radiation for a variety of conditions, such as abdominal pain and pneumonia,” Jones said. “Parents and caregivers have also become more aware of the potential risks associated with imaging, and I frequently have parents express concerns regarding radiation exposure.”

But determining which imaging to use is not always a simple decision, Jones said. For example, MRIs take longer and can sometimes require a child to be sedated, he said.

“Ultrasound requires a particular skill set as children are not simply small adults,” Jones added. “If an inexperienced ultrasound technician and radiologist are the only option when facing a child with possible appendicitis, for example, then a CT scan might be a better option because it is less subjective.”

Many conditions would require a CT scan, Jones explained, primarily when doctors need to look for an injury or infection deep within the body for something urgent.

“Often it really is the best imaging technique and the benefits far outweigh the small risk of potential cancer decades later,” Jones said. “A classic example in pediatrics would be a young child with signs of bleeding within the brain or dangerously increased intracranial pressure, such as occurs with accidental or abusive head trauma.”

In some cases, skipping a CT scan due to concerns about side effects may mean missing the cause of a problem, leading to serious immediate problems or even death, Jones said.

Parker pointed out that “there is no one-size-fits-all answer, as there are conditions where no imaging may be required, and others where CT scan is still the imaging modality of choice and may be unavoidable. However, families should always be sure they understand what their health care provider is recommending and what the risks and benefits are.”

More information

Learn more about ionizing radiation exposure to children at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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CT Scan Use in Children Dropped Over Past Decade

By Tara Haelle
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Aug. 24, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Children are receiving fewer CT scans now than a decade ago, dovetailing with a move to radiation-free MRI scans and ultrasounds, a recent study shows.

Though several reasons might explain the shift, the study’s lead author, Dr. Michelle Parker, said the underlying reason may be a push to limit youngsters’ exposure to radiation. “Over the time of our study, there has been a deliberate push to increase awareness of the potential harms of ionizing radiation,” said Parker, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.

CT scans, or computed tomography, use ionizing radiation, like X-rays, to provide detailed views of internal organs, soft tissue and blood vessels. Ionizing radiation has been linked to an increased cancer risk.

Neither MRIs nor ultrasounds involve radiation. MRIs use a large magnet to create images and have no known long-term risks, Parker said. Ultrasounds use soundwaves bounced off of fluids to make images of the body’s insides. Doctors are becoming more confident in these methods of imaging, the authors noted.

“This shift in imaging modalities is good news,” said Dr. Danelle Fisher, vice chairwoman of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif.

The findings are published online and in the September print issue of the journal Pediatrics.

For the study, researchers analyzed the records of more than 150,000 children admitted to 33 U.S. hospitals between 2004 and 2012. They calculated the rates of CT scans, ultrasounds and MRIs the children underwent for 10 different types of problems, including seizures, appendicitis, concussions, respiratory infections and abdominal pain.

Over those years, the use of imaging grew for children with nearly all symptoms and diagnoses studied. Only children with stomach flu or those having fluid drained from their brains did not undergo more imaging tests.

However, the proportion of each kind of test shifted during that time. The overall rate of CT scans dropped. Meanwhile, except for those with seizures or upper respiratory tract infections, the use of MRI or ultrasound increased.

Use of CT scans for seizures dropped by almost half, and 10 percent fewer MRIs were used for children having seizures. Children with severe head trauma also saw a big drop in CT scan use.

Overall, the most common reasons children received CT scans included seizures, the procedure to drain excess fluid from the brain, removal of the appendix and brain surgery, a concussion or another head injury, the findings showed.

The use of ultrasounds increased most for appendix removal and stomach bugs, according to the report.

Another reason for the drop in CT scans could be that hospitals are making more use of evidence-based guidelines, said Dr. Clay Jones, a neonatal hospitalist at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass. The guidelines, based on available research, detail best practices for patient care.

“Recent studies have highlighted the effectiveness of imaging techniques that don’t rely on ionizing radiation for a variety of conditions, such as abdominal pain and pneumonia,” Jones said. “Parents and caregivers have also become more aware of the potential risks associated with imaging, and I frequently have parents express concerns regarding radiation exposure.”

But determining which imaging to use is not always a simple decision, Jones said. For example, MRIs take longer and can sometimes require a child to be sedated, he said.

“Ultrasound requires a particular skill set as children are not simply small adults,” Jones added. “If an inexperienced ultrasound technician and radiologist are the only option when facing a child with possible appendicitis, for example, then a CT scan might be a better option because it is less subjective.”

Many conditions would require a CT scan, Jones explained, primarily when doctors need to look for an injury or infection deep within the body for something urgent.

“Often it really is the best imaging technique and the benefits far outweigh the small risk of potential cancer decades later,” Jones said. “A classic example in pediatrics would be a young child with signs of bleeding within the brain or dangerously increased intracranial pressure, such as occurs with accidental or abusive head trauma.”

In some cases, skipping a CT scan due to concerns about side effects may mean missing the cause of a problem, leading to serious immediate problems or even death, Jones said.

Parker pointed out that “there is no one-size-fits-all answer, as there are conditions where no imaging may be required, and others where CT scan is still the imaging modality of choice and may be unavoidable. However, families should always be sure they understand what their health care provider is recommending and what the risks and benefits are.”

More information

Learn more about ionizing radiation exposure to children at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

---

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One-Third of Mass Shootings Worldwide Occur in U.S.

SUNDAY, Aug. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The United States comprises only 5 percent of the global population, but it accounts for 31 percent of public mass shooters worldwide, a new study shows.

The analysis of data, from hundreds of countries between 1966 and 2012, also shows a link between a nation’s gun ownership levels and its number of public mass shootings, according to study author Adam Lankford, an associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Alabama.

He defined public mass shootings as incidents that resulted in the deaths of more than four people, did not occur in homes, were not gang-related and were not hostage situations or robberies.

The findings were to be presented Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA), in Chicago. Research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“The United States, Yemen, Switzerland, Finland and Serbia are ranked as the top five countries in firearms owned per capita, according to the 2007 Small Arms Survey, and my study found that all five are ranked in the top 15 countries in public mass shooters per capita. That is not a coincidence,” Lankford said in an ASA news release.

“Until now, everyone was simply speculating about the relationship between firearms and public mass shootings. My study provides empirical evidence of a positive association between the two,” Lankford said.

However, the study did not prove there was a causal relationship between the two.

Lankford also examined differences between public mass shootings in the United States and in other countries.

Public mass shooters in other nations were 3.6 times less likely to have used multiple weapons — typically more than one gun, but occasionally a gun and another type of weapon — than those in the United States, where more than half of shooters used at least two weapons.

“Given the fact that the United States has over 200 million more firearms in circulation than any other country, it’s not surprising that our public mass shooters would be more likely to arm themselves with multiple weapons than foreign offenders,” Lankford said.

“I was surprised, however, that the average number of victims killed by each shooter was actually higher in other countries [8.8 victims] than it was in the United States [6.9 victims] because so many horrific attacks have occurred here,” he added.

This may be because mass public shootings are so common in the United States that American police have more experience and are better trained to deal quickly with such incidents, which reduces the number of victims in a given incident, Lankford suggested.

He also found that U.S. public mass shooters were more likely to strike in schools, factories/warehouses and office buildings than those in other countries, who were much more likely to attack military targets, such as bases, barracks and checkpoints.

Lankford offered Australia as an example of what stronger gun control laws can do.

“From 1987 to 1996, four public mass shootings occurred in Australia. Just 12 days after a mass shooter killed 35 people in the last of these attacks, Australia agreed to pass comprehensive gun control laws,” Lankford said.

“It also launched a major buyback program that reduced Australia’s total number of firearms by 20 percent,” he said. “My study shows that in the wake of these policies, Australia has yet to experience another public mass shooting.”

More information

The Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence offers gun violence statistics.

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Back-to-School Tips for Healthy Teeth

SUNDAY, Aug. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The beginning of a new school year is usually a big transition, as lazy summer mornings are quickly replaced by mad dashes to the bus stop.

But a pediatric dental expert warns that your children’s tooth care shouldn’t be lost in the mix.

“In the hustle and bustle of back-to-school, dental care often falls by the wayside,” Gretchen Henson, program director of advanced education in pediatric dentistry in the department of dental medicine at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., said in a hospital news release.

“Tooth care is critical, but during busy school mornings, kids sometimes forget to brush. Children should see the dentist twice a year, but adequate home care, healthy diets and trauma prevention can ensure that children’s teeth stay healthy when they get back to school,” Henson added.

There are some steps children and parents can take to help ensure their teeth stay healthy and cavity-free:

• Brush before breakfast. There is little time to spare on most school mornings. Sometimes kids eat their breakfast on the way to school. It’s not necessary to wait until after breakfast to brush. This will help ensure kids brush their teeth before heading off to school. “The goal is to prevent the pH of the mouth from dropping to an unsafe zone since cavities form in an acidic environment,” said Henson. “Studies show that if we brush before we eat, the mouth’s pH will not dip low enough to form cavities.”
• Don’t micromanage. Some parents tell kids to hold off brushing until after they’ve fixed their child’s hair. Allow children to brush their teeth while their hair is being done so no time is wasted and teeth are clean.
• Consider diet. School meals may contain processed and sugary foods. Parents who pack their child’s lunch should focus on sending perishable items, such as fruits and vegetables, that will provide children with healthy alternatives.
• Don’t overthink it. A little variety is nice, but there is no harm in giving kids the same lunch each day if it means it will be healthier. For example, cutting fruits and vegetables, and adding hummus and pita bread is healthy and convenient.
• Consider shelf life. Packaged foods that can sit on the shelf for a long period of time, such as crackers and pretzels, contain starch. Starch coats the teeth and can breed cavity-causing bacteria. Since kids may get these snacks at school, parents should avoid adding them to their pantry at home. Instead, opt for fresh fruits and vegetables or dried fruits like raisins.
• Choose water. Juice often contains more sugar than children should have in an entire day. This sugar can coat the teeth, promoting tooth decay. Sugar can also lead to an afternoon crash, which interferes with schoolwork. Instead of juice, give kids fruit and teach children to drink water.
• Be safe. Kids participating in organized sports should wear mouth protection. This is particularly true if they play soccer, baseball and basketball. Children should also always wear a helmet when riding bicycles or scooters. Helmets should also be worn when roller skating or rollerblading.
• Seek help. Children who fall on their face should visit the nurse and the dentist. Sometimes issues can develop slowly. A minor problem could actually affect the root of a tooth. If a permanent tooth is knocked out it must be replaced within 30 minutes. Never scrub a tooth that has fallen out, even if it looks dirty. This could kill its root.
• Don’t expect pain. Cavities in children don’t hurt until they become infected. So, some children with cavities may not complain about tooth pain.
• Be careful about braces. Dental care for those with braces is even more important. It can be tough to brush around braces and plaque can build up, leading to permanent damage. Teens often wear braces and hormonal changes that take place during adolescence can alter bacteria in the mouth.

More information

The American Dental Association has more about children’s dental health.

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Sex Lives Best When Couples Share Child Care Duties, Survey Shows

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

SUNDAY, Aug. 23, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Couples who share the responsibilities of child care end up feeling more satisfied with both their sex lives and their overall relationship, new research suggests.

The finding applies to both married couples and couples who are living together, and stems from responses to a survey completed by nearly 500 heterosexual partners, all of whom were parents.

“Relationships with respect to child care have changed greatly over time,” said study author Daniel Carlson, an assistant professor of sociology at Georgia State University in Atlanta. “And even though there’s really not been much research specifically on the role of child care, we have known for a while that sharing labor equally, whether paid or unpaid, is something that couples have been moving towards, and appears to be something they seem to prefer,” he added.

“The main story here is that this study clearly shows that when it comes to child care, when couples share the workload and both partners pitch in, it produces higher quality solid relationships, less conflict, better communication and more intimacy,” Carlson said.

Carlson, along with graduate students and study co-authors Sarah Hanson and Andrea Fitzroy, is to present the team’s findings Sunday at the American Sociological Association’s annual meeting in Chicago. Experts note that research presented at meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

In the study, child care was defined as making and enforcing rules for children; monitoring and supervising; doling out punishment when rules were broken; issuing praise when appropriate; and playing with the kids.

Based on the survey answers, the researchers divided up participants into three groups: couples in which women performed most or all of the child care duties, meaning 60 percent and up; couples in which men performed 60 percent or more of the work; and couples in which the duties were essentially split equally.

Each couple’s child care dynamic was then stacked up against the way each partner graded their relationship in terms of overall satisfaction, degree of conflict, and the quality of their sex life.

Investigators found that the worst relationship scenario was when women were saddled with the lion’s share of child care.

In that instance, both partners indicated that their overall relationship and sex life was wanting, relative to couples who shared child care equally, the findings showed.

By contrast, when the dad handled most of the child care duties, both partners indicated that their overall relationship was just as healthy as that of 50-50 couples, and reported equally active sex lives. And the moms of such couples ranked the quality of their sex life as being even better than that of moms in couples in which child care was split equally.

The men, however? Not so much. Despite having no complaints about the amount of sex they were having, men tasked with most of the child-caring chores said theirs was the worst quality sex of all the men in the study. Why remains unclear.

“But the factor that really matters here — the thing that seems to explain a great deal of these associations — is the degree to which there is satisfaction with the arrangement,” suggested Carlson. “Satisfaction, or dissatisfaction, is a strong predictor of how much conflict a couple has, how satisfied they are generally with being together in a relationship, and whether they’re happy with the quality and quantity of sex they’re having,” he said.

“We don’t really know exactly what is behind this,” he acknowledged. “But it could be that a relationship suffers when one person feels overburdened, overworked or overtired. Or it could be that a certain degree of dissatisfaction with having to do all the work, while the other isn’t doing any of it, undermines the bond between couples. And that can carry over to the bedroom.”

Robin Simon, a professor in the department of sociology at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., said the findings fall right in line with what she would have expected.

“This isn’t surprising at all,” she said. “These findings are supported by decades of research that has examined the mental health outcomes among parents who split up chores equitably. And any way you look at it, by every measure, studies have consistently found that egalitarian marriages end up making for more satisfying relationships.”

More information

There’s more on child care at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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Focus on Healthy Backs for Back-to-School

SATURDAY, Aug. 22, 2015 (HealthDay News) — With the new school year here, parents might think about measures to protect their children’s spinal health, an expert says.

“Parents should be attentive to the amount of time children devote to their devices, be sure they are using their backpacks appropriately, and take any complaint of back pain seriously,” said Dr. Hargovind Dewal, an orthopedic surgeon with Long Island Spine Specialists and the Peconic Bay Medical Center in New York.

Limit backpack weight to 10 to 15 percent of the child’s body weight, he advised. For example, the backpack of a 100-pound child should weigh no more than 10 to 15 pounds, he said.

Using both shoulder straps will evenly distribute the weight of the backpack, keep the weight close to the body, and help the spine stay aligned, he added.

Research shows that for every inch the head tilts forward, pressure on the spine doubles, Dewal said in a news release. That means children need to take breaks from electronic devices and avoid being hunched over for hours a day.

When using electronic devices, they should look down with their eyes and try not to bend their necks. Encourage them to use the voice option on phones to send text messages, rather than typing, Dewal said.

Regular neck stretching exercises are also helpful. Move the head from left to right several times. Tuck chin to chest, then raise the head. Try to pull the shoulder blades back and down.

Football players should use proper tackling techniques and avoid “spear tackling” or other improper methods that can result in severe injury, he added.

Parents need to remember that back pain in children is unusual. A child who complains of back pain should be evaluated by a doctor, Dewal said.

More information

The American College of Emergency Physicians offers a back-to-school-health checklist.

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The Only Warm-Up Routine You Need to Get the Best Workout

We’re constantly buzzing about how to get in shape, stay in shape, and make progress. But there’s a big piece to this puzzle that isn’t talked about enough, and it’s probably one of the most important topics when it comes to health and fitness: warming up.

What you do before your workout is arguably the most important step in exercise. It not only prepares your muscles for work, but also gets your mind and cardiovascular system ready as well. Without a warm-up, your performance suffers and you might get injured.

When you’re setting up to go on a run, camp out on the elliptical, ride your bike, or any other cardiovascular activity, the warm up is simply a slower version of what you’re preparing to do. You can start by going at a moderate pace for 5 minutes to get your blood flowing and let your muscles know that work is ahead.

RELATED: Stretching: The Secret to Running Better, Faster, and Longer?

On the other hand, weight training, plyometrics, or sprint intervals, a more in-depth warm-up is required. These activities require the use of fast-twitch muscle fiber, and you want to make sure your muscles are ready to react without being injured.

Here’s a warm-up I put together that you can do before any activity. Each of these stretches is a dynamic stretch—which means you’re active throughout. (Remember, stretch-and-hold moves are better done after your workout.)

Knee Pulls

Photo: Jen Cohen

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Lift one foot off the ground and hug your knee up and into your body with your hands. Hold for 1 second and then lower your foot back to the ground. Alternate between both legs for a total of 15 reps each.

Foot Pulls

Photo: Jen Cohen

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Lift one foot off the ground and pull your foot behind you and into your body. Hold for 1 second and then lower your foot back to the ground. Alternate between both legs for a total of 15 reps each.

RELATED: 3 Yoga Stretches to Relieve Stress and Anxiety

Glute Opener

Photo: Jen Cohen

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Lift up one knee and externally rotate that leg so your inner thigh is pointing up. Place your outer ankle on your opposite thigh and sit into it in order to stretch the glutes further. Slowly lower your leg to repeat on the opposite side and alternate for a total of 15 reps each.

Torso Twists

Photo: Jen Cohen

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms straight out on either side of you. Reach with your right arm down to your left toe, while rotating your torso to the left and allowing your left arm to aim straight up towards the sky. Hold for 1 second and repeat on the other side.  Alternate back and forth for a total of 15 reps on each side.

RELATED: 4 Things You Need To Know About Foam Rolling

Arm Circles

Photo: Jen Cohen

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your arms straight out on either side of you. Move your arms in a circular motion moving forward 15 times. Repeat this with a backwards circular motion for another 15 reps.

Have you ever had trouble figuring out what the best way to stretch is? Check out 5 Stretching Myths That Have Got To Go.

Jennifer Cohen is a leading fitness authority, TV personality, entrepreneur, and best-selling author of the new book, Strong is the New Skinny. With her signature, straight-talking approach to wellness, Jennifer was the featured trainer on The CW’s Shedding for the Wedding, mentoring the contestants to lose hundreds of pounds before their big day, and she appears regularly on NBC’s Today Show, Extra,The Doctors, and Good Morning America. Connect with Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, G+ and onPinterest.

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Should You Switch to Organic Tampons?

Photo: Getty Images

Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company recently launched a new line of organic feminine hygiene products, and they’re now available for sale. But are organic tampons, which are generally more expensive, really better? Are normal tampons leaching chemicals into our vaginas?

The answer: no and no.

It makes sense that people are concerned about this subject, says Megan Schwarzman, MD, MPH, an environmental health researcher at the University of California Berkeley Center for Green Chemistry. “Substances absorbed through the vaginal wall pass directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the metabolism that occurs when substances are ingested by mouth,” she explains.” So if there are contaminants or hazardous chemicals in feminine hygiene products, it’s at least biologically plausible that they would be very efficiently absorbed by the body.” On top of that, there is a surprising scarcity of research when it comes to the long-term safety of tampons and other feminine hygiene products, generally. (A bill was recently re-introduced in Congress to remedy that.)

But there is no evidence organic tampons are healthier, and because tampons are medical devices, they’re regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means they get more testing and oversight.

RELATED: The Crazy Way Tampons Could Help Detect Ovarian Cancer

One rumor is that these products contain dioxins, which are environmental pollutants that have been linked to cancer and other health problems. All tampons on the market are made of cotton, rayon, or blends of rayon and cotton. And in the past, one bleaching method of rayon—which is made from wood pulp—“was a potential source of trace amounts of dioxins,” writes the FDA. “[B]ut that bleaching method is no longer used.”

The organization goes on to say that tampons and tampon materials are tested, and that the dioxin levels in them “are at or below the detectable limit. No risk to health would be expected from these trace amounts.” And in case you’re wondering what “trace” means here, the FDA has an answer to that, too: 0.1 to 1 parts per trillion—which is comparable to “one teaspoon in a lake fifteen feet deep and a mile square.”

As for pesticides, the FDA guidelines also say tampons should be free of any pesticide or herbicide residue. Though the organization does not regularly monitor these products for pesticides, they require test results from the manufacturers. And they can take legal action against a company if dangerous amounts are detected.

RELATED: The 20 Best Moments in Women’s Health

The bottom line: the likelihood of any significant pesticide or toxin exposure from a tampon is extraordinarily low, says to Alyssa Dweck, MD, an ob-gyn at the Mount Kisco Medical Group in Westchester County, New York, and the author of V is for Vagina ($12, amazon.com). 

That said, your personal health is not the only thing at stake here. Schwarzman points out that the cotton used in tampons (and other products) can be a pesticide-intensive crop, which isn’t dangerous to the person buying tampons, necessarily. “The largest human health impact may come from a point upstream, in the production process, where people might be working in hazardous conditions,” she says. “Our product choices have ripple effects.”

As Dr. Dweck puts it, “it makes perfect sense that some women want to use a natural product. If it gives you peace of mind, try it.” But don’t stress too much over it if they’re out of stock.

RELATED: 4 Scary-Sounding Tampon Problems You Probably Don’t Need to Worry About

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