SPECIAL SECTION  Whether you’re training for a big event or just trying to get into shape, a key piece of any exercise routine is stretching. While everyone remembers touching your toes for 30 seconds in P.E. class, new research shows there’s a better way to stretch. Think “moving” instead of “holding.”

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ALT MEDICINE  Lose weight, gain muscle and clean out your body. Sounds great, right? Isagenix, an Arizona-based company that claims its products can do all of the above, says its happy customers and over $1 billion in sales prove that their stuff works.

Just don’t call it a diet. Read More>>

NEWS  In Newport, it’s methotrexate, used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. In Coeur d’Alene, it’s vitamin K, which stops people who take blood thinners from bleeding to death during surgery. And in Spokane, it’s cytarabine, which fights cancerous white blood cells.

Across the nation, medicines that ward off cancer or simply stymie gout have fallen into short supply, and the Inland Northwest is no exception. Read More>>

INNOVATION  Raise your hand if you would like half-a-million dollars to finally build a prototype of your genius medical device — the one that’s been nagging at you for years.

That’s the offer that the Health Sciences and Services Authority of Spokane County is putting to enterprising local businesses that are already trying to develop commercially viable new health technologies or biomedical devices.

“We wanted to throw something out there to the community that would allow for some creativity,” says HSSA board chair Nancy Isserlis. Read More>>

PARENTING  Take something as innocent as a Tootsie Pop, top it with some infected spit, throw in a wacky entrepreneurial vaccine- evader and you’ve got the makings of a fantastic news story.

The Chickenpox Lollipop controversy of late November 2011 was like crack for parenting bloggers: “Epidemic Hazard in Nashville,” “Middle Ages Vigilante Vaccination,” “Just the Gift for Bio-terrorist Moms,” read the headlines. Read More>>

FROM THE EDITOR  MY FAMILY DOCTOR recently told me that at every conference she goes to, exercise is touted over and over as the key to improving health. “You really need to exercise,” she said.

Point taken. Read More>>

GUEST COLUMN  I’m a child of the ’80s, so when I hear the word “exercise,” I visualize a group of men and women in leotards and leg warmers doing aerobics to Olivia Newton-John’s pop music. Needless to say, I much prefer the term “physical activity” to “exercise,” but there’s no denying those spandex-clad, big-haired enthusiasts were on to something. Regular physical activity is important for good health, and it’s especially important if you’re trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. Read More>>

NEWS  Dr. Brett Hagen got into the optometry business because he loves just about everything about eye care: helping people see clearly, healing infections, providing fashionable eyewear.

But those upsides have come with a constant juggling act. As owner of Garland Vision Source, Hagen must relentlessly study health plans, communicate regularly with his insurance broker, and constantly crunch numbers to make sure his business can provide health benefits to its workers. Read More>>

SPECIAL SECTION  No time to exercise? Finding time to get fit may actually be as simple as changing your image of what a “workout” looks like. In fact, if you can spare 15 minutes, you’re on the way to getting the multitude of health benefits that come with being in shape.

For the highly motivated who are short on time, twice-weekly bouts of high-intensity training, or H.I.T., may be the answer. H.I.T. is resistance training done in slow motion — pushing you to complete fatigue. First popularized by Arthur Jones in the 1970s, with his now near-ubiquitous Nautilus brand of training equipment, H.I.T has become a fixture of bodybuilding plans. While there is no single best way to exercise, for those willing to endure the workouts, high-intensity training can produce results. Read More>>

SPECIAL SECTION  Sometimes getting motivated to exercise is almost more difficult than actually doing a workout. So, to help keep you pumped up, we asked regional health and fitness experts what works for them or the people they help.

Some of the health benefits are obvious and well-documented. Other reasons are a little less so — but still important. Dr. Anna Barber, a family practice doctor in Spokane, pointed out how you’ll have more energy and avoid serious diseases, but she also listed the importance of “doing an activity you enjoy and spending quality time with those you love by exercising.” Read More>>