Den Sefiro's Open Salon Blog

Pedal power: how to get the best from your bike

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:10:08 -0400

According to the cycle charity Sustrans, almost one third of commuters in the UK now use the National Cycle Network. In London alone, more than half a million bike journeys are made daily by commuters, a figure that has doubled since 2000. Cycling is not only greener and an effective way of beating the rush-hour, it also provides a daily workout without the need to visit a gym. But is the bike alone enough to guarantee a high level of fitness?

Cycling is among the best cardiovascular activities and works all the leg and buttock muscles. Coasting along at a snail’s pace will burn about 180 calories an hour, and more intensive pedalling can consume up to 400 calories an hour or more. The bad news, however, is that not all your fitness needs are met on a bike.

“Cycling isn’t the best route to all-round conditioning,” says John Brewer, professor of sports science at the University of Bedfordshire. “If cycling is your only form of exercise, it may be worth adding other activities as well.”

So where does cycling fall short?

Bones Unlike running or weightlifting, cycling is not a “weight-bearing” exercise. Bones react to external stress through impact with the ground or resistance by stimulating growth so that the skeleton becomes stronger. “Cycling is great for people who suffer from joint injuries,” Brewer says. “But it does not prevent osteoporosis.”

Studies have shown that cyclists who spend long hours in the saddle are more prone to brittle bones. One, published this year in the US journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, found that almost every member of a group of male cyclists in their 20s and 30s had signs of osteopenia, a medical condition one step below full-blown osteoporosis. In March researchers at the University of Missouri found that cyclists had lower bone density than runners or weightlifters.

How can I improve the appearance of my skin?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:10:15 -0400

Q I suffer from psoriasis. Although taking methotrexate has helped a great deal, I have noticed a decline in the overall appearance of my skin. What can I do? Natalie, 30

Sarah says: The problem with immunosuppressant drugs such as methotrexate is that they can also suppress other processes carried out by the body. It is likely, then, that this is what is affecting the overall appearance of your skin. It doesn’t mean you should stop taking it, but you may find that a few judicious supplements will help diminish the side-effects.

Shabir Daya of online health store Victoria Health (victoriahealth.com) says that there is anecdotal evidence to suggest that psoriasis sufferers may be short on essential fatty acids. He recommends Cellular Support capsules by Sibu (£24.95 for 60 tablets), which have all the omega fatty acids including the rare omega-7, which helps maintain lipid levels within the skin.

Sex advice: the fallout from a gay fling at work

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:10:09 -0400

Q A gay colleague helped me while I was working late one evening. I said, in mock gratitude, “I could kiss you”, to which he replied, “Why not?” Soon we were engaged in a sexual act. I feel very excited whenever I look back on the incident. Should I start a relationship with him, or try visiting a gay bar to find out whether this is what I really want, before discussing it with my wife? Or should I view the episode as a one-off?

A Before we deal with the issue of your sexuality, I would like you to consider how you would feel if your wife “accidentally” had sex with one of her work colleagues and subsequently felt conflicted by a choice between (a) establishing a relationship with the man with whom she had sex, or (b) secretly experimenting with other men in order to establish whether she was (c) 100 per cent certain that she did, or didn’t, want to have sex with you any more. Harsh, isn’t it? Cheating is cheating, regardless of whether it is with a member of the same sex or of the opposite sex, and your confused sexuality does not excuse selfish or insensitive behavior.

Same-sex experimentation is pretty common. Research at Harvard School of Public Health in the US in 1994 found that 20.8 per cent of men and 17.8 per cent of women admitted to same-sex sexual behaviour at some point.

While one homosexual experience doesn’t define anyone as gay, a married man who re-evaluates his sexual identity as the result of a brief encounter can be sure that he isn’t completely heterosexual. Many men and women successfully ignore sexual attractions to people outside their marriage, but if the events you describe were just a one-off sexual experiment, you wouldn’t now be contemplating clandestine trips to gay clubs. Let’s face it, if you were incontrovertibly heterosexual this probably wouldn’t have happened in the first place, since total sobriety and a wife waiting at home would usually be more than enough to deter the average man from engaging in an impromptu sex act with a gay work colleague.