Most people are wary about complementary and alternative medicine or CAM because of the flak it received from medical organizations. However, all is well now between the two camps and even medical doctors now prescribe CAM for therapy. The most popular CAM providers at present are chiropractors, chiropractic practitioners, and chiropractic clinics. They are also the most prescribed CAM treatment providers. Not surprising because the treatment chiropractors, chiropractic practitioners, and chiropractic clinics provide are not based on wooly assumptions. The treatments are based on basic and rather medical principles.

The work of chiropractors, chiropractic practitioners, and chiropractic clinics are based upon a fundamental principle. It states that a body has self-healing properties based on spine alignment and nerve flow. Simply put, diseases and pain are caused by interruption in the nerve flow due to misalignment of the spine or "subluxation." A body can heal itself when the spine's alignment is corrected. These corrections are very different from traditional medical procedures and can be very disconcerting if you don't know what to expect. Though these CAM providers are trained and certified individuals, it won't hurt to have a clue before you visit.

Initial consultations usually involve interviews about your medical history and experiences with treatment procedures. Chiropractors, chiropractic practitioners, and chiropractic therapists will take the time to brief you about the different services they provide. They will also explain the principles behind the treatment. This is your chance to ask questions and clarify your doubts about the treatment. As professionals, chiropractors will not perform any treatment, unless you are absolutely sure about going through the procedure. If all goes well, your chiropractor will require you to undergo a full physical examination. Expect basic tests like X-rays and spine examination. Your chiropractor will base his treatment plan on your exam results.

When you finally go for treatment, do not be surprised to see another chiropractor. Sometimes, treatments may require professional assistance. Chiropractors, chiropractic practitioners, or chiropractic therapists may perform an adjustment or two. Dubbed as manipulation treatment, this involves manual therapy. Through applying pressure and massage techniques in your spine, the chiropractors, chiropractic practitioners, and chiropractic therapists will correct your spine. This may include the application of sudden but controlled force to joints and bones. Call their attention if you feel pain, only minor discomfort should be felt during the treatment procedure. Treatments are usually broken in several sessions. You may have to undergo a series of treatments to fully get the benefits of chiropractic treatment.

Excimer laser PRK/PARK vision surgery for low to moderate myopia and myopic astigmatism respectively, is another established surgical technique which has proved to be very safe and effective. Studies have shown that the majority of patients with myopia of between -1.0 to -6.0 diopters enjoy a very satisfactory outcome (20/20 vision or better) following PRK vision surgery. About 80% do not require eye glasses or corrective lenses.

Where PARK is performed, the best outcomes are achieved for myopic eyes with associated astigmatism not exceeding 1.5 diopters. As higher corrections are attempted, the outcome becomes less predictable although satisfactory results are often achieved for moderate myopia and astigmatism.

H-PRK is the most recent form of surface-based laser vision surgery. It is generally used for low degrees of of hyperopia (farsightedness) as the procedure is still in its infancy. However, early results look promising.

The three PRK procedures outlined above are all performed in a very similar manner. Tissue immediately below the thin layer of corneal surface cells (epithelium) is rubbed away to reshape the cornea during a painless procedure. The sole difference between them is the pattern created on the cornea. LASIK vision surgery, by contrast, slices a thin, hinged flap from the top of the cornea and is used for higher corrections.

The benefits of PRK vision surgery.

* PRK does not involve the creation of a hinged corneal flap which is a very exacting procedure. As a result, PRK is associated with fewer complications than LASIK surgery.

* The complications, however, in LASIK can be serious and lead to permanent loss of best corrected vision if the corneal flap is incompletely reseated or damaged in any way.

* Following PRK laser surgery minor symptoms are quite common in the first few months, but soon disappear altogether. However, problems like halo and distorted vision (now less common with the introduction of larger diameter treatment zones), or severe haze and scarring, which can result in permanently affected vision, only affect around 1-2% of patients.

* Anisometropia (a difference in focus between the two eyes after one eye only has been treated) is more marked for patients who undergo LASIK surgery for higher levels of myopia. The difference in focus might be quite marked and make driving unsafe.

Those patients with moderate myopia who cannot wear contact lenses might well consider PRK instead. Their symptoms of anisometropia may well be less pronounced between the treatment of the first and second eyes.

The drawbacks of PRK vision surgery.

* A PRK procedure generally requires a lengthy period between the first and second treatments of between 6 and 12 months. In LASIK, on the other hand, stabilization occurs earlier than after PRK and retreatment can typically go ahead between 1 and 3 months after the primary treatment.

* As the period between primary and retreatment is a lengthy one in PRK, so several months need to elapse before 20/20 results are achieved, and then eye glasses may have to be worn.

* While the actual laser treatment is usually pain-free, most patients will experience mild to moderately severe eye pain lasting up to 36 hours. Pain killers are prescribed for what is, in effect, a large abrasion on the cornea. LASIK is relatively pain-free.

What to expect from PRK vision surgery.

Before going ahead with a PRK procedure, your eyes will be assessed by an eye surgeon which will include computerized corneal topography capable of revealing otherwise undetectable irregularities in the cornea.

Such a detailed mapping of the cornea will allow the surgeon to remove tissue to a pattern pre-determined by the patient's own refraction.

Before this corneal tissue is removed, the epithelium (thin layer of surface cells) is rubbed off, a process which takes just one to two minutes. The corneal ablation is even quicker depending upon the degree of correction being treated.

After treatment, topical drops and ointment are applied to the eye. You will also wear a pad for 6-24 hours post-surgery. Eye drops will keep the tear film lubricated and quite possibly you will need to wear glasses, and best vision could take six months to achieve.

How to choose a PRK eye surgeon.

We finish with the most important question of all: choosing your eye surgeon. Personal recommendation is usually the best method, followed by an interview of likely candidates.

Be well prepared with your questions which should include accurate information about your likely outcome; the cost of treatment (and any retreatment); what the cost of treatment comprises (are clinic reviews and medication included?) and, of course, the surgeon's qualifications and track record. Oh, and read the fine print.

The crowd is on its feet wild with excitement. One basket and the championship trophy stays at home with your team. The basketball rebounds off the backboard directly into your daughter’s hands. There are scant seconds left to play in the last period of the game. She pivots quickly to takeoff up the court outpacing everyone; all of a sudden she pulls up grimacing in pain and grabbing the back of her leg. She falls to floor the victim of a hamstring pull, possibly even a muscle tear, which could have been prevented - before time ran out!

Children are capable of placing themselves in all sorts of situations that demand good physical conditioning, especially flexibility. Running while playing soccer or baseball, high kicks in the martial arts, running the court in basketball, leaps in dance, and back walkovers in gymnastics all demand a wide range of motion from the muscles involved, in other words flexibility.

Unfortunately, when an activity is so dynamic that it extends a body part beyond its normal range of motion, an injury may occur. Usually, the injury is something minor like a muscle pull or strain, but it could also become a tear or a muscle separation from the bone on which it is anchored. To prevent such an injury all children should learn a basic flexibility program appropriate to their sport.

There are several aspects to flexibility (like joint specificity) that time and space will not allow for in this article, including some new thought on the subject that suggests extensive stretching before an activity is not as important as simply getting the blood flowing with some cardiovascular activity like jumping jacks. Stretching for flexibility then occurs after the workout for maximum benefit. Consult with your coach for flexibility techniques appropriate to the sport your child enjoys.

However, as an example to help prevent hamstring pulls (muscle on the back of the upper leg) let’s evaluate your child's flexibility in the lower back, hips, and the back of the upper legs. You can give your child this easy test.

Take a twelve-inch ruler and mark off one inch increments down the middle of a piece of paper. At the six-inch mark draw the number zero. Then, in one direction, mark the positive numbers +1, +2, + 3, etc. In the other direction, write the numbers -1, -2, -3, etc.

Have your child sit on the floor with her legs extended. The back of her knees should remain flat on the floor with her toes pointing toward the ceiling. Place the scale marked with 1-inch units at her feet so the zero aligns with her heels. Every inch mark towards the body is marked -1, -2, -3 and so on; each inch beyond the heels starting with +1, +2, +3 and so forth.

Now, have your child extend her arms out to her toes. Stop if it hurts, and by all means do not allow her to bounce or drive herself forcefully forward to get a better score! Only let her reach as far as possible without excess pain! If your child can just barely reach her toes, she would have a zero score, which would be an average score. If she cannot touch her toes, she would receive a negative score of -1 or less. A child who shows good flexibility would have a positive score of +1 or greater.

Don't panic if your child can't touch her toes, but please don't ignore it. There are many solutions to this problem. Involving your child in physical activities at a young age that focus on all aspects of fitness, especially proper conditioning and flexibility has benefits that will last into her adult life. Great activities that develop these components, especially flexibility are; gymnastics, martial arts, dance, and yoga. These are great “gateway” activities that have advantages for other sports activities.

Pay attention while your child learns proper flexibility because some of the techniques for stretching hamstrings just might help relieve some lower back pain for you too – but please check with you doctor or chiropractor first before stretching or attempting to re-live your childhood sports fantasies.

Once you get more experienced in ab exercise, you might want to move on beyond the basic exercises to do some more advanced ones. While these exercises are often complicated, they are much more effective for focusing on specific muscles. Be warned, though, that you shouldn’t try them until you know what you’re doing, as you might hurt yourself or others around you.

The first two to try both use an exercise ball. In the first exercise, you lie on your side, and then put the ball between your legs. Then tighten your abs and use your hip muscles to gently lift the ball.

A second exercise to do with the ball is the plank, which is when you do what are basically push-ups, only with your legs balanced on the ball and your arms stretched a long way off the ground.

If you have two people, a good advanced exercise is for one of you to lie on your back and put their legs in the air. Then, the other holds the legs around the ankles, and tries to bend them back towards the head. The idea is for the person lying down to try and force their legs up again against the downward pressure.

If you’ve got a metal bar or something else that you can hang from, you can do hanging ab exercises. Simply hold on to the bar, and then try to raise your legs up as close as you can get them to your chest.

However, whichever exercises you do, you still need to exercise all your ab muscles equally. It’s no good trying to ‘spot reduce’ to get rid of fat on one particular kind of your body – the only way to do it is to get fit all over. So you’d better get started!

Yoga teacher ethics should be thoroughly covered in all Yoga certification programs. With the current laws about harassment, all Yoga teachers, and anyone who works with the public, should beware. The less said, in your Yoga class about trivial matters, the better.

Just like Yoga teachers often say to their students, “Stay in the moment.” Within your class, “it’s all about Yoga” and anything else beyond that can be open to misinterpretation. Walk the middle path, avoid extremes, show loving kindness, and maintain a standard of professionalism within all of your Yoga classes.

Communication should be clear at all times. You must demonstrate, communicate verbally, and assist, if you have permission to do so. Always ask permission before making a physical assist during Asana practice.

Chakras are the energy centers of the physical and astral body. Yoga teachers know about balancing and cleansing them. Most Yoga teachers are familiar with the seven main Chakras, but there are more. No one should play with “Chakra Awakenings,” with out guidance from a Guru.

Bandhas are the many locks, but Hatha Yoga teachers should know Mulha Bandha, Uddiyana Bandha, and Jalandhara Bandha very well. These are the three main Bandhas.

Mudras are gestures and they are often integrated with specific Pranayama techniques for healing. Not all Mudras are performed with the hands. In Sanskrit Mudra means “seal.” There are many Mudras and learning this is part of a Hatha Yoga teacher’s continuing education.

Kriyas or Shatkarmas are the six hygienic “deeds” or “actions.” A Yoga teacher should be clean in mind, body, and spirit. Every Hatha Yoga teacher is familiar with these six Kriyas.

Meditation is a part of each form of Yoga. It is a tool for clearing, calming, and focusing your mind, but there are also many methods of meditation. Each path of meditation leads to tranquility. All Yoga teachers should practice meditation twice per day. Guiding Yoga students is one thing, but a Yoga teacher’s meditation practice should be regimented.

Since Yama literally means “control,” you could say that Pranayama is control of “vital energy.” When teaching Yoga classes, the four stages of Pranayama should be thoroughly explained. If you think in terms of a pendulum, it is much similar to the four stages of Pranayama. The pendulum moves in one direction, pauses, then moves in the opposite direction, and pauses again. This is the same action that occurs in the lungs, when a Yoga student practices Pranayama.

The following are the four stages of Pranayama. Puraka is the inhalation stage. Antar Kumbaka is the pause that happens when we retain the inhalation. Rechaka is the exhalation stage of a breath. Bahir Kumbaka is external breath retention and occurs after the exhalation stage.

Why should we get so technical about Pranayama techniques in the average Yoga class? Many Yoga students will come to your classes for a variety of pain relieving methods, and some Pranayama techniques usually help alleviate pain.

When a person has pain, he or she can think of nothing else. Pain is the companion you wish you never met. Pranayama can help us say goodbye to pain, but it must be performed technically and safely.

Here are some of the many forms of Pranayama a Yoga teacher should know. There are more, but this is a good foundation. It should also be noted that Yoga students are advised to seek guidance from a competent Yoga teacher.

Pranayama methods deserve much more respect and should not be taken lightly. One Pranayama session of 20 minutes, would make any Yoga beginner realize the hard work that goes into this practice. The value of Pranayama, and quality of life it can bring, cannot be overstated.

Ujjayi Pranayama: Also known as victorious breath is often seen in Vinyasa style Hatha Yoga, Power Yoga, and Ashtanga Yoga classes, but can be found in other Yoga styles, as well. This technique allows the Yoga student to concentrate deeper on his or her practice. However, this is also a calming form of Pranayama that can be performed before bedtime, relaxation, or meditation.

The glottis is gently contracted to draw the length of your breath out. Yoga students should seek guidance from a certified Yoga teacher when integrating bandhas with Ujjayi Pranayama.

Natural Breath: This is the breath of a new born baby. It is a full breath in the upper, middle, and lower compartments of the lungs. The stomach, intercostals, and chest should expand equally during an inhale. If a student is naturally short of breath and nervous, he or she may have difficulty learning this technique, even with the guidance of a certified Yoga teacher. However, this same student is relieved to master natural breath, as this Pranayama will also calm those who feel anxiety, nervousness, and hypertension. This Pranayama technique is not a cure for nervousness, but some Yoga students have had amazing relief from natural breath.

We still run across healthcare organizations wanting to build and maintain their own panel of physicians to perform medical peer reviews. This may have been a good practice in the distant past; however, current industry best practices suggest considering a more efficient approach.

Outsourcing has become a popular practice in the United States. This trend is based on solid benefits— reduced cost, resource flexibility and core expertise. In the past, many healthcare organizations sought to “own“ all the resources required to deliver their services and manage their business. Today, forward-thinking organizations are more likely to shed non-strategic, non-core pieces of their business, outsourcing them to specialty providers.

Let´s explore the wisdom behind outsourcing internal medical peer reviews to an independent review organization (IRO). This is an especially important topic for organizations that have already invested in building a panel of physicians to assist with internal reviews.

First, there is the high cost of building and maintaining a panel of specialists who are independent, credentialed, licensed, in active practice and board certified. In some hospitals, there is only a single specialist on staff for a specific narrow practice area. Clearly this physician cannot serve on his or her own peer review committee. The process of building and maintaining a panel that can serve specialty practice areas is very costly especially if there is a small volume of cases to amortize the cost.

Second, the changing standards of care, along with new experimental and investigational treatments, impact patient care decision-making. With the rapid advancement in medical treatments and technology, it is very difficult for an in-house panel of physician specialists to keep up with the latest advancements in all areas of medicine. The best IRO´s are constantly recruiting and credentialing specialists who have cutting-edge knowledge that can be applied to improve the overall quality of medical reviews.

Third, there is the need to assure that medical reviews are completely independent and impartial. It is difficult to make this claim when the experts are all members of the organization´s own panel. Using an outside provider assures an arms-length evaluation based on the case´s facts without a hint of contamination from existing business, personal and professional relationships that might exist among members of the panel.

Finally, by using an IRO, healthcare organizations can easily expand or contract to meet the volume of peer reviews actually required. When reviews are done in-house, there are only two choices: plan for maximum capacity which is very expensive, or let the cases queue longer when demand is higher. The latter strategy becomes problematic if the organization is subject to specific state or federal deadlines.

Not all discoveries are planned. Many a times results of research amaze the researcher itself. A similar instance was noticed when research was being undertaken on Acomplia for its weight loss properties. It was observed that the drug was helpful in reducing cravings for not only food but also smoking. This was a breakthrough discovery and was hailed by people all over the world. Obesity and smoking are two of the most severe problems grappling the society today. Today obesity causes the most number of deaths worldwide, mainly in the form of cardio-vascular complications. Smoking too contributes to nearly 20% of all deaths. A single pill to deal with both these problems – people are swooning over Acomplia’s weight loss and anti-smoking properties.

Acomplia is the brand name of Rimonabant. Developed by Sanofi-Aventis, rimonabant works by blocking a pleasure centre. This pleasure centre would get titillated and thus patients would feel hunger pangs. Researchers at Sanofi-Aventis thought that if this pleasure centre were blocked, it would reduce cravings for food. When appetite is dampened, the patient will automatically lose weight.

The idea for developing the pill came from the observations in people who smoked cannabis. After a joint of cannabis, the smokers experienced extreme hunger pangs. Studying the cause of this led them to the body’s Endocannabinoid system. Cannabinoid type I or CB1 receptors cause the hunger pangs. Thus, the idea of blocking the CB1 receptors arose.

While the effectiveness of Acomplia has been fully ascertained on the weight loss front, research is still being undertaken on its anti smoking properties.

On the weight loss front, the results of Acomplia have been impressive. Lancet, a medical journal of the UK published the results of a clinical trial conducted in 2005. It was reported in the article that overweight people, who underwent trials lost weight significantly, with just five mgs of rimonabant or Acomplia. With 20 mgs of the drug, the weight loss was 10% or greater than those taking the placebo.

Moreover, Acomplia has been found helpful in reducing waist measurements by doing away with the fat over the problem areas. Some of the other benefits of the drug are increasing insulin resistance and high density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Acomplia has been approved for sale in the UK. It still awaits approval by FDA in the US. Sanofi-Aventis is planning to launch rimonabant by the name of Zimulti rather than Acomplia.

The patient must have been prescribed Acomplia by a certified doctor for purchasing the drug. The drug is available with several internet pharmacies. It is convenient to buy the drug from an online drug store. Moreover, buying Acomplia online helps maintain anonymity of patient. But beware of the fakes that are being sold over the internet. Always buy from a recognized pharmacy to get genuine Acomplia for weight loss and cessation of smoking.

Nautilus Equipment gives you a state-of-the-art nudge towards muscle fitness with award-winning elliptical exercise machines, acclaimed treadmills, and robust indoor rowers. With top industry players, such as Bowflex, Schwinn, and Stairmaster incorporated in the Nautilus Equipment stable, this clearly is a company that revels in muscle-flexing and strength training!

A Nautilus Elliptical Machine Is No Pain In The Knee!

A switch to low impact exercise is one of the first considerations if you have a knee injury, arthritis in the knee, or knee pain. Nautilus Equipment's Schwinn Elliptical 418 is a trainer that is tough on fitness, but gentle on knees.

This cardiovascular workout allows you to increase aerobic capacity and flexibility, without compromising your joints. The unique footplate of the Schwinn 418 Elliptical follows the natural foot motion, while offering support to the heel. Your heart rate is monitored throughout the workout.

As is characteristic of Nautilus equipment, the fitness training programs feature enough variety to maintain interest. The workouts challenge you constantly to step up your performance level, and allow you to concentrate on factors such as fat burning. The console's clear display adds motivation with its detailed feedback.

This is just one of more than a dozen outstanding elliptical trainers offered as part of Nautilus equipment's exclusive range.

The Road To Fitness Starts On A Nautilus Exercise Bike

Nautilus exercise equipment includes a collection of exercise bikes, offering a training partner for every preference. The line of upright Nautilus exercise bikes sport features such as variable intensity settings, comfortable molded seats, easily readable liquid-crystal displays, and foot-straps that don't turn into foot-traps.

In the recumbent bike line of Nautilus Equipment, the deluxe cordless Stairmaster bike treats you to a training program with a difference. You will be seated so comfortably, that even a niggling back problem is unlikely to bother you.

This Nautilus equipment piece features a display with so many feedback features, that you are likely to extend your exercise session in order to play with the computer for a while longer! That is, if you are not using the convenient reading rack to catch up on your reading. All the functions, from the One-Touch Quickstart button, to the Interval Training Programs, and the Multi-Stage Fitness Testing, are focused on making the road to fitness as productive as possible.

If you prefer Nautilus equipment with a twist, cruise along on a Windjammer or Schwinn Airdyne wind resistance bike. Up the level of air resistance with the intensity of your efforts, and experience maximum cardiovascular conditioning. The training programs feature options such as Real Racing, Intervals, and Regatta.

The Schwinn Evolution Indoor Bike is another muscle-sculpting beauty you will be proud to show off to your fitness fanatic friends. Judging by features such as the Smart-Release coasting system, unlimited resistance, and stable construction, this is typical Nautilus equipment quality.

With numerous accessories such as water bottles, bottle cages, seat pads, and training videos to complement your Nautilus equipment, working on cardio capacity and muscle fitness becomes a pleasure!

Since most everyone talks about the “bad” side effects that occur when you try to lose weight somebody else’s way (starving yourself, not exercising correctly, popping pills to lose weight), I want to focus on the positive side effects that you will feel when you decide to change your life by doing it the right way.

Let’s quickly make a list of the “side effects” of not getting on a fitness exercise program and healthy eating plan vs. making a change to a newer, greater you…

Not on Health/Fitness Program “Side Effects”:

- Gain weight
- Lose muscle (If you had any in the first place)
- Add fat
- Decreased stamina (In ANYTHING you do)
- Increased rate of illness (colds, flu, etc.)
- Increased rate of disease
- Frequently tired
- Depression
- Lowered self-esteem

Now, let’s list a few side effects of being healthy when you start to adopt a positive change in your life:

- More energy
- Confidence
- Greater feeling of self-worth
- More muscle
- Less fat
- A general feeling of happiness
- Feeling that you can conquer anything you want to (and you can!)
- Lost weight

It’s a pretty easy pick, isn’t it?

And that’s just the beginning, folks.

Today we live our lives in the fast lane, and as a result we do not have sufficient time for daily exercise. Our days seem full of stuff to do on a constant basis. Therefore by the time we get home from work, looked after the children cooked dinner, and all the other necessary chores we need to do, we are often too exhausted to even think about going to the gym or doing any type of exercise at all.

This is not good for us as the fact remains that exercise is a very important element in the battle against hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Never mind exercise, do we even unwind at all?

Exercise helps prevent these types of diseases and is much more cost effective both in monetary and lifestyle terms. Cardiac problems can be improved by as much as 300% just by doing regular exercise. Also if you suffer already from these types of diseases you may eventually be able to lower your medication dosage.

You do not have to join a gym when you begin an exercise program, even though that is a really good idea.

If you are starting an exercise program, particularly if you already suffer with a medical problem make sure to consult your doctor to ensure he is satisified for you to start exercising. He may caution you to take it easy and not to over do it, but will be happy that you are deciding to try and get into shape.

If you are joining a gym, make sure you are assessed by a fully qualified personal trainer. They will assess your general condition and work out a fitness regime to specifically suit you. Then as your fitness level gets better your regime will be monitored and gradually enhanced to meet your improving health levels.

But you do not need to join a gym in order to start exercising. You may try methods like walking, cycling or swimming. As before you should always start in moderation and build up your sessions as your fitness levels improve.

The best benefit about improving your hypertension and your general health by getting fit is that you will improve your fitness levels and maybe start losing some weight, and even finding your blood pressure starting to fall by itself without the aid of medication to more acceptable levels.

Eventually it could even be possible to get prescription dosages down to a minimal level. The benefits of this would be much less side effects from your medication, and who knows you may even be able to quit under supervision eventually.

There are plenty of simple ab exercises that you can do on your own, in your house, with no special equipment required.

Most of the best exercises for strengthening the ab muscles are crunches. Crunches are exercises where you bring your body right forward, curling upwards to bend yourself into a tight ‘V’ shape. There are very many variations on crunches.

One of the most popular is the exercise ball crunch, which is where you lie back onto an exercise ball, and then do a crunch slowly, without the ball moving. This allows you to keep a good crunch speed, as well as supporting your back while you crunch.

Another good method is the full crunch, where you extend out your legs and then put your hands behind your head. As you pull yourself up with your hands, push outwards with your legs. If it is done right, this will exercise both your upper and lower body.

You might also try the reverse crunch (sometimes known as a V-up), where you lie on the floor, put your legs in the air, and then instead of bending up towards your legs, you bend your legs back towards you. This has the same effect, but is less strenuous, as you are lifting less weight.

A word of warning: as ab exercise becomes more popular, some companies are trying to cash in by hawking ab exercise machines and tools – those little frames that you put around yourself while you exercise, and that rock you back and forward. However, research has shown that there is no difference between the benefits of using these machines and just doing a normal ab crunch. There is, however, certainly a very large difference in price (the difference between free and very expensive), so it’s best to just avoid them altogether.