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A close-up of cyclists in action with focus on red cycling shoes.. Image Credit: Ryan McVay/Digital Vision/Getty Images The right bike shoes will make all the difference in your ride, because they will save you a significant amount of energy. Many cycling shoes come in European sizes rather than U.S. sizing. Some use only men’s sizing, and the sizing on cycling shoes can vary by manufacturer as well. You should know how to convert the sizing to get the proper bike shoes....

SI joint exercises can help, but biking could make your pain worse. Image Credit: GibsonPictures/E+/GettyImages You might not think much about your sacroiliac (SI) joints — that is, until they hurt. Sacroiliac joint inflammation is a literal pain in the butt. SI joint exercises can help, but biking could make your pain worse. Advertisement About SI Joint Problems SI joint dysfunction — a condition that affects the joint where your sacrum and pelvis attach — doesn’t just cause pain in the buttocks....

Swallowing air while swimming can lead to excessive burping and belching. While swallowing air is almost unavoidable during your swim, certain triggers can make it worse. If you notice pain with your burping or frequent episodes, talk with your doctor to ensure that it isn’t a sign of something more serious. Burping Having an influx in the amount of air in your stomach causes the stomach lining to stretch. When this occurs, the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, relaxes, explains an article on the website Medline Plus, a service of the U....

Eating healthy, low-calorie foods like fruits and vegetables can help create a calorie deficit in your diet. Image Credit: Fascinadora/iStock/GettyImages Creating a calorie deficit — where you burn more calories than you eat — can help you lose weight. And calculating your calorie deficit can help you determine how many calories to eat and burn every day to accomplish your weight-loss goals. Advertisement Tip A caloric deficit is created by eating less, moving more or a combination of both....

A mountain biked riding up a steep hill. Image Credit: serchio/iStock/Getty Images Pedaling uphill is far more difficult compared to cycling on a flat or downhill incline. This simple fact is the reason you burn more calories biking uphill. Your body works harder because you’re pedaling against the forces of gravity. It’s possible to estimate the effects of cycling uphill, but getting an exact figure is nearly impossible. Many factors influence your calorie-burn figure, including the steepness of the hill, duration of cycling, speed, gear you’re in, wind resistance and other factors....

The correct formula for building a strong core is not always the same for every person. While you may want to train your abdominals twice a day, every day, more may not always give you the results you seek. Abdominal muscles need rest just like the other muscles of your body, so proceed with caution. Washboard Abs Four muscles are located around your midsection. The rectus abdominis is long and flat and extends from your rib cage down the middle of your abdomen to your pelvis....

Everybody can make progress towards doing splits. Image Credit: Westend61/Westend61/GettyImages If you can’t do the splits now, you probably won’t be able to do them next week. But what you can do in a week is start building the habits that will safely improve your flexibility and help you work your way toward that goal of doing full splits. Advertisement Tip Not everybody is able to do the splits, whether it's due to the bony anatomy of your pelvis or the amount of diligence needed to develop the right amount of flexibility....

references Mayo Clinic: "Abdominal Pain" Harvard Health Publishing: "Is Something in Your Diet Causing Diarrhea?" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Flu Symptoms & Complications" Stanford Medicine: "Gastrointestinal Symptoms Common in COVID-19 Patients" National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Digestive Disease Statistics for the United States" Cleveland Clinic: "Clear Liquid Diet" Johns Hopkins Medicine: "Gastritis" Mayo Clinic: "Gastritis" Gut: "Meat intake and risk of diverticulitis among men" Cleveland Clinic: "Food Problems: Is it an Allergy or Intolerance" American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: "Meat" Mayo Clinic: "Alpha-gal syndrome" Mayo Clinic: "Diverticulitis" Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Food Poisoning Symptoms" Is this an emergency?...

Drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages may cause indigestion. Image Credit: Userba011d64_201/iStock/Getty Images Coffee and indigestion may go hand-in-hand for some individuals. Coffee contains caffeine and other compounds that cause your stomach to produce more acid and may irritate its lining. Advertisement Tip Drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages may cause indigestion, advises the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Symptoms of indigestion may include bloating, burping, pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, gas and feeling overly full after eating....

Wearing gloves can help keep your hands warm while exercising. Image Credit: AJ_Watt/E+/GettyImages Cold hands can prove bothersome, but icy hands that last for long periods of time and hamper your everyday activities can be worse. Cold, stiff hands and exercise are linked in an interesting way. Advertisement Exercise can sometimes be the cause of your glacial sensations, but it can also be the key to treatment in some cases. Video of the Day Causes of Cold Hands The causes of cold hands while or after you exercise can vary from one person to the next....

Salmon filet on a plate with a salad Image Credit: graletta/iStock/Getty Images Yes, they’re both B vitamins. Yes, they’re both needed to make new cells. And yes, not getting enough of either vitamin in your diet can lead to anemia. While there are several similarities between vitamin B-12 and folic acid, there are also a number of differences. Knowing the differences between the two B vitamins might help you understand the individual importance of getting both in your diet....

A man wipes sweat from his face after a workout. Image Credit: Ingram Publishing/Ingram Publishing/Getty Images Salt, or sodium chloride, is the primary dietary source of sodium, an essential electrolyte mineral needed to maintain fluid balance within the body. Salt is 40 percent sodium by weight. As too much sodium in your diet can have negative health consequences, doctors advise against consuming more than about 1 tsp. of salt a day, according to MedlinePlus....

Both too much and not enough exercise can mess with your immune system. Image Credit: John Fedele/Tetra images/GettyImages Exercise is one of the best ways to show your body some TLC. Not only can it boost your mood and self-confidence, but a regular workout routine is key in the prevention of heart disease and can help keep the sniffles and sneezes away — just as long as you don’t go overboard....

Ginger, an herb sold as an over-the counter supplement, has a long history of use to treat stomach ailments in Chinese herbal medicine. Ginger is still used as an alternative medicine to treat nausea and vomiting; ginger ale, although it no longer contains much, if any, real ginger, was originally used for this reason to quiet stomach upset. However, if taken in large quantities, ginger can cause other stomach problems such as diarrhea....

Breast reduction surgery is an option for men and women whose breasts are not only a cosmetic concern, but also can cause back, neck and shoulder pain. Also known as reduction mammoplasty, breast reduction surgery involves the removal of fat, skin and tissue in the breasts to reconstruct them in a smaller size identified by you and your physician. As surgical techniques improve, recovery time following breast reduction surgery often is reduced....

Stretch your IT band to help with knee clicking. Image Credit: kbycphotography/iStock/GettyImages Knee problems are common among all age groups. A clicking sound in the knee may indicate one of several issues. Overuse of the knee may irritate the bands of synovial tissue in the knee, called plicae, which can cause plica syndrome and clicking. Advertisement Clicking may also indicate a tear in the meniscus cartilage on the sides of the knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome — also called runner's knee — where knee clicking happens when you straighten the joint....

Ginseng royal jelly combines the properties of Asian ginseng and royal jelly. Ginseng royal jelly combines the medicinal properties of Panax ginseng, also known as Chinese or Asian ginseng, and royal jelly, the nutrient-rich food source of the queen honeybee. Practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine consider ginseng the "king of herbs," according to the Tao of Herbs website, and its combination with royal jelly has become one of the most popular herbal tonics throughout Asia....

Nasal congestion is commonly thought of as the result of too much mucus in the sinus cavity, but it is mostly caused by inflammation in the nasal tissue. Your nasal passages are made of soft tissues lined with mucus membranes that help filter the air before it enters the lungs. If you’re allergic to gluten, a protein found in various foods and grains, you may develop nasal congestion within a few minutes of eating foods that contain gluten....

A young woman is eating at her desk. Image Credit: nensuria/iStock/Getty Images A reliable indicator of whether a diet plan suits your goals is your ability to maintain that diet for more than a few weeks. Eating plans that rely on deprivation to shed pounds quickly are generally short-lived for a reason. Individual factors, such as your weight, age and activity level all contribute to your calorie needs. While a 1,200-calorie diet works well for some people, others need more calories to support their lifestyles....

Compare your own caloric needs with the average person. Image Credit: Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock/Getty Images The body uses calories as a source of energy for daily activities. Counting calories is a popular tool for weight management and establishing a healthy diet. The calories burned by an average person are based on their basal metabolic rate and their activity level. Advertisement Basal Metabolic Rate A person’s basal metabolic rate is related to the way your body utilizes energy....