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FITNESS
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SPORTS & RECREATION

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SPECTACULAR, MY DEAR WATSON"
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, visited Australia in the early part of the 20th century.
Doyle later wrote: "One of my first afternoons in Melbourne was spent in seeing the final tie of the Victorian football cup. I have played both rugby and soccer, and I have seen the American game at its best, but I consider the Victorian system has some points which make it the best of all - certainly from the spectacular point of view. There is no off-side, and you get a free kick if you catch the ball. Otherwise you can run as in ordinary rugby, though there is a law about bouncing the ball as you run. This bouncing rule was put in by Mr. Harrison who drew up the original rules, for the chivalrous reason that he was himself the fastest runner in the colony and he did not wish to give himself any advantage. It was suggestive that the instant the last whistle blew a troop of mounted police cantered over the ground and escorted the referees to the safety of the pavilion."

OUT OF THE BLUE
Imminent death seemed certain for Sharon McClelland in September 1994 when her parachute failed to open on her first solo free-fall jump. Accelerating towards Queensland, Canada, the 26-year-old panicked and, in the words of parachute-school owner Frank Watts, 'failed to follow proper procedure and open her back-up chute'. She fell 3,050 meters and landed on her back in a shallow marsh, whereby she promptly jumped to her feet and began to apologise hysterically to her instructor. She escaped with very minor bruising.

CHINESE REMEDY
Traditional Chinese exercises such as qigong and tai chi could help control diabetes. Queensland researchers found the 5,000-year-old self-healing arts - a combination of movement, breathing and mind training - significantly improved several indicators of metabolic syndrome including high blood pressure, body weight and waist circumference.(Melbourne Herald Sun, December 23, 2005)

JOGGING A SMART MOVE
Jogging is not just good for the body, it helps keep your brain in shape! Researchers found that 2 half-hour runs a week increased concentration and improved visual memory. And while German scientists stopped short of claiming jogging makes you smarter, they said it certainly provided intellectual stimulus. Experts at Ulm University had volunteers jog twice a week for 30 minutes. Tests revealed their ability to recall images was substantially improved. (Melbourne Herald Sun, December 23, 2005)

ALFALFA could help treat tinea or athlete's foot. British Scientists found chemicals in aflalfa protected against fungal attacks and could be made into a cream. (Melbourne Herald Sun, 6 January 2006)

YOGA is a more effective treatment for low back pain than exercise or painkillers. U.S. researchers found 12 weeks of 75-minute yoga classes later practised at home were more effective in reducing back pain than 12 weeks of 75-minute sessions of aerobic, strengthening, and stretching exercises. (Melbourne Herald Sun, 6 January 2006)

EXERCISE BEST THERAPY Exercise is as effective as chemotherapy in bowel cancer patients. A study of more than 40,000 people, led by Alfred Hospital oncologist Dr. Andrew Hayden is the first to show that people who exercise and have low body fat are more likely to survive bowel cancer. Dr. Haydon and Cancer Council of Victoria researchers found the survival rate for people with a healthy waistline was significantly above that of those without it. Under WHO (World Health Organisation) standards, a wasit bigger than 94 cm for men and 80 cm for women is unhealthy. (Melbourne Herald Sun, 6 January 2006)