LAKE AUSTIN SPA GIVEAWAY
OFFICIAL RULES
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

1. HOW TO ENTER: This contest begins 12:01 A.M. Central Time (CT) on May 1, 2009 and ends 11:59 P.M. CT on May 31, 2009. To enter online, go to health.com/getaway and follow instructions to submit your original essay answering the question: “Why do you deserve a spa getaway?” Limit one entry per person. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, incomplete, or entries not received for any reason. Entries become sole property of Sponsor and none will be acknowledged or returned. By entering, Entrant warrants that his or her entry (1) is original and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party, (2) has not been published in any medium or (3) has not won an award.

2. JUDGING: All entries will be judged by Health editorial staff, based on the following criteria: FOR ESSAY: Originality (50%); Creativity (50%). In the event of a tie, an additional “tie-breaker” judge will determine the Winner from among all such tied entries using the judging criteria above. Incomplete and/or inaccurate entries and entries not complying with all rules are subject to disqualification. Decisions of judges are final and binding. Winner will be notified by email or telephone by June 15, 2009.

3. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 21 years or older at time of entry. Void where prohibited by law. Employees of Sponsor and its promotional partners and their respective parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies (and members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same of household of each such employee) are not eligible.

4. PRIZES AND APPROXIMATE RETAIL VALUE: One Winner will receive a five night Refresher Package for two in Premier Accommodations and include round trip coach airfare (up to $500 worth each) to Lake Austin Spa Resort. Prize includes round-trip coach airfare for One Winner and One Guest from the major airport nearest Winner’s residence; Sunday night check-in and a 5 night stay at the Lake Austin Spa in Premier accommodations (one room); three healthy gourmet meals daily; unlimited fitness classes, discovery programs and activities, and a $700 spa and fitness allowance per person. Travel arrangements, hotel accommodations, and any other prize component subject to availability and chosen at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Certain blackout periods and other restrictions may apply. All travelers must possess valid travel documents. Each Winner’s Guest must complete, sign, and return the Publicity Waiver (where legal) and Release Forms prior to travel, or the Guest cannot accompany the Winner. Winner must travel on dates specified by Sponsor. Arrangements must be made at least 14 days prior to departure. Winner and Guest(s) must travel on the same itinerary. Once scheduled, the itinerary cannot be altered. Actual value of prize may vary based on timing and point of departure. Winner is responsible for all taxes and all other expenses not included in the prize package, including, without limitation, ground travel, parking, meals, room service, souvenirs, phone calls, incidentals, tips, and other personal expenses.

Approximate Retail Value: $10,046.74. All other expenses not specified herein are the responsibility of the Winner. ALL TAXES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. The prize is awarded without warranty, express or implied, of any kind. Limit one prize per person or household.

5. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: No transfer, assignment, or substitution of a prize permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize (or prize component) for an item of equal or greater value at Sponsor’s sole discretion. Nothing in these official contest rules shall obligate Sponsor to publish or otherwise use any entry submitted in connection with this Contest. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. By entering, Entrant represents that any essay, and other materials submitted as part of Entrant’s Contest entry are original and will not constitute defamation or an invasion of privacy or otherwise infringe upon the rights of any third party, and that the Entrant owns or has the rights to convey any and all right and title in such essay and other materials. In addition, by entering, Entrant grants to Sponsor a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to edit, publish, promote, republish at any time in the future and otherwise use Entrant’s submitted essay, along with Entrant’s name, likeness, biographical information, and any other information provided by Entrant, in any and all media for possible editorial, promotional or advertising purposes, without further permission, notice or compensation (except where prohibited by law). Potential Winner, as a condition of receiving any prize, also may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and where legally permissible a Publicity Release and confirmation of a license as set forth above within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification, certifying, among other things, the following: (a) entry does not defame or invade the privacy of any party; (b) entry does not infringe upon the rights of any third party; and (c) the [photo, essay, etc.] and other materials submitted are original and have never been published and entry has never won an award. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Acceptance of the prize constitutes permission for Sponsor and its agencies to use Winner’s name and/or likeness, biographical information, [and/or essay, photograph, etc.,] other materials submitted for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. By entering and/or accepting prize, Entrants and Winners agree to hold Sponsor and its promotional partners, its directors, officers, employees and assigns harmless for liability, damages or claims for injury or loss to any person or property including death relating to, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, participation in this Contest, the acceptance and/or subsequent use or misuse, or condition of any of the prizes awarded, or claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion or privacy. False or deceptive entries or acts will render the Entrant ineligible. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the immediate and unrestricted right to disqualify any entrant or prize winner, if either commits or has committed any act, or has been involved or becomes involved in any situation or occurrence which the Sponsor deems likely to subject the Sponsor, entrant or winner to ridicule, scandal or contempt or which reflects unfavorably upon the Sponsor in any way. If such information is discovered by Sponsor after a winner has received notice of his prize and before the prize is awarded, Sponsor may rescind the prize in its entirety. If a portion of his/her prize has already been awarded, Sponsor may withdraw the remainder of the prize that has been fulfilled. Decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters related to this paragraph. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the contest, or in the announcement of the prize.

6. INTERNET: Sponsor is not responsible for lost or late entries nor for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor or presenter on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any Web site or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Contest, the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Contest. Sponsor reserves the right to select winners from eligible entries received as of the termination date. CAUTION: Any attempt by a contestant to deliberately damage any Web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the game is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such contestant to the fullest extent of the law. If there is a dispute as to the identity of the Entrant, the prize will be awarded to the authorized account holder of the email address. The “authorized account holder” is defined as the natural person to whom the email address is assigned.

7. GOVERNING LAW: This Contest is governed by the internal laws of the state of New York without regard to principals of conflict of laws. All cases and claims pertaining to this Contest must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the City of New York, without recourse to class action suits.

8. SEVERABILITY: If any provision of this Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or appointed arbitrator, such determination shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision herein.

9. WINNER’S LIST: For name of Winner(s), log onto www.health.com/getaway after June 30, 2009, available for a period of 14 days.

10. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Contest is Health Magazine, 2100 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35209 and Lake Austin Spa Resort 1705 S. Quinlan Park Road, Austin, TX 78732.

Istockphoto

Tossing and turning on work trips and vacation? Can’t sleep in your hotel room? Try these simple solutions from Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleep.

Problem: The air is stuffy, dry, and completely over-deodorized.
Simple fix: If you can, open the window—you’ll sleep better in fresh air, Breus advises. If the windows are sealed (or if you’re in a particularly noisy or polluted city), turn on the fan on the air-conditioning unit as soon as you enter the room to get the air circulating. Then add moisture by running a hot, steamy shower and leaving the bathroom door open.

Problem: Uh oh! The mattress is too soft.
Simple fix: When you make your reservation, choose a room with a queen- or full-size bed instead of a king one. “Smaller mattresses have a tendency to be firmer,” Breus says. If you find that the bed is uncomfortable, don’t hesitate to request another room. Ask for one that’s recently been redone. Why? It’s more likely to have a newer (read: firmer) mattress.

Problem: The walls are incredibly thin—you can hear everything.
Simple fix: Book a corner room on a high floor, so you’ll be farther from street noise and less likely to have two bothersome neighbors. But if you end up near a high-volume-TV lover, bring a small white noise machine or earplugs (with a noise-level rating of 32 or less, so you can hear your alarm and the smoke alarm). Or put white noise on your iPod.

 
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With airlines charging $25 to $150 for too-heavy luggage, you don’t want to find yourself over the weight limit (usually 50 pounds for checked bags, 40 for carry-ons on domestic flights).

Ease your mind with the Easy-Grip Luggage Scale ($24.85). Just click it onto your bag and lift; it’ll display the weight (up to 100 pounds). Don’t forget to toss it in your bag for the return trip.

 
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Istockphoto

Q: Does alcohol affect you more when you drink on an airplane?

A: In a word, yes. Changes in air pressure, fatigue from flying, and especially dehydration all cause alcohol to be more potent than usual, says Eric Rimm, ScD, associate professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

“Since there’s less water in your blood when you’re dehydrated, the concentration of alcohol will be slightly higher, leading to quicker intoxication and increased potential for a hangover,” Rimm says. “Stick to one drink—and down lots of water.”

 
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Among winter’s hazards (hello, biting wind and freezing temps) are streets and sidewalks made treacherous by ice and snow. But with a little preparation, you can avoid becoming one of the 5.1 million people sidelined each year by a nasty spill. Here, strategies you need to choose shoes that’ll keep your feet steady on slick surfaces, develop better balance, and more. View the slideshow.

It’s no wonder laptops are now more popular than desktops—they’re just so liberating. But anyone who loves her laptop knows there can be agony in all that ecstasy: Using them regularly can make your neck throb, eyes ache, and shoulders cry uncle. Thankfully, some simple accessories and adjustments can help ease the ache without tying you down.

Baby your eyes with a filter
Anti-glare filters can help reduce the eyestrain you can get from staring at shiny, reflective screens (you tend to blink less when looking at them), says ergonomics expert Alan Hedge, director of Cornell University’s Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory. The Protection Filters from 3M ($35 to $55, depending on monitor size, at Staples) attach to your screen with small plastic clips. If you need both a glare fix and an answer for nosy java-joint neighbors, 3M’s Privacy Filters ($40 to $60 at OfficeMax) make your screen seem black to anyone not looking at it dead-on.

Save your back with a stand
Traded your desktop for a laptop but still feel tethered to your desk? A stand can help eliminate many problems, including the back and shoulder pain that Boston University researchers recently documented in 90 percent of laptop users they studied. Experts say the aches come from squeezing your arms together to finger a laptop’s compressed keyboard and hunching over to see the low screen. The APC Ergonomic Notebook Stand with USB 2.0 Hub ($79.99 at Best Buy) offers relief by elevating your screen to eye level and providing space and hookups for a full-size keyboard and mouse. The stand connects to your laptop via a short USB cable, and you plug the other devices into the stand. Got to run to a meeting or catch a flight? Just unplug the one USB cable from your laptop and go.

Lighten your load
The right laptop case is a must for long airport dashes that can do a number on your shoulders and back. That’s why wheeled bags are so popular with the frequent-flyer crowd. We like the Travelpro Runway Deluxe Brief/Tote ($199.99 at Marshall Field’s and Bloomingdale’s), with single-hand operation and ergonomic zipper pulls. For the nonwheeled, try the American Chiropractic Association–endorsed Kensington Contour Carrying Case line ($59.99 to $129.99, depending on bag size, at Best Buy, Circuit City, or www.kensington.com). Because the case hugs your body, the laptop feels lighter, and the heavily padded strap eases shoulder strain. Another smart option: the classy Pacific Design Urban Executive Case ($99.95 at www.pacificdesign.com), whose vertical style allows you to more evenly distribute the weight of your computer on your hip.

Beat heat with a cooling pad
Most laptops heat up pretty fast, and a cooling pad can protect you from the kind of thigh burns reported by laptop users in a number of medical journals. A pad might also guard against another problem identified in a recent State University of New York at Stony Brook study on men: hikes in scrotal temperature, which can decrease fertility. Take the edge off with the comfortable and lightweight (less than a pound) Targus Chill Mat ($29.99 at CompUSA and Staples), a sleek silver pad that uses ultraquiet fans to suck heat away from your notebook. The mat makes your computer run cooler on both your legs and hard surfaces, and that may extend its life.

Take frequent breaks
Beyond accessories, Cornell’s Hedge says just taking a breather can do wonders for aches and pains. But if you’re so busy blogging that you forget to step away and stretch, try reminder software. Stretch Break 6.0 ($44.95 at www.stretchbreak.com) flashes a box on your screen every 30 minutes (or however often you like) with directions for three quick body and eye stretches. It plays soothing music, too.

How to Beat BlackBerry Thumb
Regular use of those Lilliputian keyboards on personal digital assistants (PDAs) like the BlackBerry can lead to thumb tendonitis. “If you’re text messaging ‘R U there?’ you’re probably not going to have problems,” says Cornell University ergonomics expert Alan Hedge. But lengthier missives mean trouble. His advice: Keep your wrists straight while typing, rest arms on pillows, and take breaks. Better yet, connect a specially designed Man and Machine keyboard ($80 to $189 at www.man-machine.com). They’re big enough to let you type with all your fingers, water resistant, and rubbery so you can roll them up for storage.

 
Rachael Moeller Gorman writes about science and health on her brand-new notebook computer—with a stand and external keyboard, of course.

Let’s face it: Most of us have a limited understanding of our cars. Maybe we’ve figured out how to program the radio, regulate the temperature, fill the gas tank. But when it comes to the really important things—how antilock brakes work, what to do if you hit a patch of wet leaves, how to clean your battery posts—we’re sadly lacking. That’s why we’ve asked car and driving experts from coast to coast to share their advice on how to be a safe driver and have a safe car. Here’s what you need to know.

 
By Dana Sullivan Kilroy

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Savvy drivers know they need a jack, a tire iron, a first aid kit, a can of  “Fix a Flat,” and some extra fluids (1 quart of oil, 1 gallon of water, 1 gallon of wiper fluid, 1 gallon of antifreeze) in the trunk. But you won’t want to leave home without these smart essentials either.

 
Be prepared for anything
No car-safety kit is complete without an emergency bag. Stocked with tools for every kind of roadside emergency, the Lifeline AAA Road Adventure Kit ($60; www.target.com) has everything from screwdrivers to hazard triangles.

 
Stash a bright slicker
Keep this bright ISIS Rainbow Poncho (shown in Apricot, $69; www.isisforwomen.com) in the car for those annoying and potentially dangerous times when you have to get out in the rain to change a tire or walk along the road. Add reflective striping, which will make it easier for drivers to see you.

 
Flash ’em
Every well-prepared woman needs a trusty flashlight in the glove box. The cute, compact Attitude flashlight ($20; www.princetontec.com) gives off better light than most small models and lasts for more than 75 hours.

 
Hammer away
Let’s hope you never need to escape from a trapped car or from under water, but if you do, the Life­Hammer (starting at $14.95; www.lifehammer.com for retailers) is what you’ll want in your glove box.

 
Contain the chaos

To keep your phone, bag, and other stuff from flying across the seat (causing you to take your eyes off the road), corral it all in this SwingAway Driver Organizer XL ($15.95; www.autosportcatalog.com), which attaches to the front passenger seat. Also, be sure to throw in some disposable window-cleaning sheets to remind you to wipe the inside of your windshield: Dust and glaring sunlight can combine to obscure your vision.

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Don’t know your tire pressure from your battery posts? Bone up with our primer, and you’ll be able to do your own maintenance—or at least communicate with your mechanic.

Why does it matter? Doing these five simple things on a regular basis will decrease your chances of a roadside breakdown by 70 percent, auto expert Barbara Terry says.

 
Tires

How to check them: Look in your owner’s manual or on the inside of the driver’s door for a sticker that specifies pounds per square inch (PSI) for your car’s tires. Keep a tire gauge handy so you can check the PSI every time you fill your gas tank.

How often: At least once a month; twice a year for the spare.

 
Windshield wiper blades
How to check them: Make sure the wipers’ rubber blades are pliable and don’t have any cracks or rips.

How often: Once a month; replace at least twice a year, ideally once before winter or your area’s rainy season.

 
Fluids(oil, brake, transmission, power steering, antifreeze, and windshield
How to check them: Get under the hood when the engine is cold. In many vehicles, the essential fluid reservoirs are opaque so you don’t have to remove the caps to check them. Before removing any caps, though, be sure to wipe them to prevent grime from dropping into the reservoir.

How often: Twice a month.

 
Battery posts
How to check and clean them: First, put on rubber gloves. Remove the negative battery cable (black) from its post, and then remove the positive (red). Spray some anticorrosion solution (or carbonated cola, which will bubble away corrosion) on the battery posts, let it sit for 5 to 10 seconds, and then pour warm water over it to rinse. Replace the cables, positive first and then negative.

How often: Every six months.

 
Air filter

How to change it: Check your manual for a picture of the air filter. It’s typically found inside a black plastic casing near the center top of the engine. Use a flat-head screwdriver to open the clips on the casing. The air filter inside is proba-bly orange or yellow and made of paper. If you see dirt and grime, replace it.

How often: every 12,000 to 15,000 miles; 6,000 if you live in a dusty or desert environment.

By Dana Sullivan Kilroy

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Here’s a look at some of the safety features your next vehicle should have or that you can install on the wheels you’re driving today.

Side-impact air bags (SAB) are designed to protect your head and chest during a side-impact crash.

Electronic Stability Control (ESC) helps you keep control of your car when you’re driving on slippery roads or doing  “extreme steering maneuvers” (curves, ice, sudden braking). The ESC senses when a vehicle is starting to lose control and applies the brakes to individual wheels to help turn the vehicle.

An on-and-off switch for air bags lets you disable the system when it could be dangerous—when you’re traveling with a child under 12, a rear-facing infant carrier, or a frail passenger, for example.

Tire-pressure-monitoring systems (TPMS) come standard in all vehicles built after September 2007. Represented by a dashboard warning light, the TPMS lets drivers know if tire pressure is too low. Underfilled tires are involved in 20 percent of flat-tire and blowout cases that result in a crash.

A backup sensor lets you see behind your car. If yours doesn’t have one and you have young children, consider having an after-market product installed. Go to www.consumerreports.org and search for “auto backup systems” to find out about current options.

A global positional system (GPS) will become as indispensable as your cell phone if you’re cursed with a poor sense of direction, travel in unfamiliar cities a lot, or just like to know where you are at all times. It’s optional equipment in most new cars, but you can also buy an add-on system such as Garmin.

 
By Dana Sullivan Kilroy

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