exercise

Is your stress level rising as shopping and preparation time diminishes? Are you the first person family, friends and co-workers turn to when they need a favor?

If you said “yes” to either question, social psychologist and best-selling author Susan Newman recommends another word—“No”—in her book, THE BOOK OF NO: 250 WAYS TO SAY IT—AND MEAN IT AND STOP PEOPLE-PLEASING FOREVER (McGraw-Hill; 2006).

from runnersworld.com

Exercise Is Fast, Effective Against Depression

When college students facing a major depressive episode were told to begin exercise walking, they found relief in just 10 days compared to a similar group told to do stretching and relaxation exercises. The proportion of walkers recording a significant decline in depression was 65 percent vs 22 percent for the relaxers.

from womens-health-fitness.com

...But Stomach Exercises Alone Will Not Improve The Appearance Of Your Stomach!

Stomach exercises for your stomach muscles, also known as your abdominals or abs, are many but few stomach exercises that most people suggest you do actually work to sculpt your stomach.

These exercises range from basic floor crunches, leg raises, sit-ups, lying hip thrusts, side bends, weighted sit-ups, hanging leg raises etc.

from yahoo.com

NOTE: Here's a simple fitness tip that might just find a place on the refrigerator door.

One simple change in your daily routine can help you burn extra calories and shed excess pounds. Anything you do every day to burn an extra 50 calories will save you the equivalent of five extra pounds over the course of a year.

While the grownup brain is less "plastic" than the brains of children, it turns out to be much more supple and improvable than originally believed -- that's a key insight neuroscientists have gained over the last 15 years. As Boomers grasp the importance of this research, and as many see their own parents ravaged by Alzheimer's, they'll begin treating their brains much as they treat their bodies -- with a steady regimen of exercise and workouts.

Read More

from nytimes.com

WHO marooned in middle age hasn’t daydreamed about once again having the limberness and heart-pumping efficiency of a 30-something body?

Two years ago, Whitney Connor, then 41, took matters into her own hands.

How, pray tell, did she turn back the clock? First, she had her so-called “BodyAge” assessed at an Equinox gym in Manhattan. Her body fat, strength, cardiovascular condition and flexibility were determined according to a test created by Polar, a maker of heart rate monitors. She was told her BodyAge was also 41.

from prevention.com

Q: "I used to run, but now I walk with a friend. I cover the same distance, but I'm gaining weight. What's up?"

A: Many people assume that walking or running a mile burns the same number of calories. But unless you're zooming along at 5 MPH or faster, walking is outpaced by running as a calorie burner. For instance, running 3 miles at a speed of 6 MPH blasts 340 calories (based on a 150-pound person). Walking that same distance at 4 MPH melts away 255--85 fewer calories than if you were running.

from yahoo.com

WASHINGTON - The gravy train — make that the sausage, biscuits and gravy train — just kept on rolling in most of America last year, with 31 states showing an increase in obesity.

Mississippi continued to lead the way. An estimated 29.5 percent of adults there are considered obese. That's an increase of 1.1 percentage points when compared with last year's report, which is compiled by Trust for America's Health, an advocacy group that promotes increased funding for public health programs.

Women's fitness expert Chris Freytag has a great journal going over at prevention.com. Here's a taste.

from prevention.com

Habits take 60 days to establish

I’m writing this while I sit on a plane waiting take off due to bad weather. Tis the season of rains, tornado watches and storms in the Midwest. I spent 2 hours in the airport prior to boarding the plane and realized at the rate flights were moving, it was going to be late evening before I landed. If I didn’t eat something before I boarded, by the time I reached Dallas, I’d be ready to eat my left arm.

From impactsports.com

The Power Glove™ is the most convenient means of calorie counting or monitoring fitness on the market today. The Power Glove™ captures and displays dynamic heart rate and calories burned right on the back of your hand without the use of a chest strap or special watch. The Power Glove™ provides instant feedback to augment your weight loss program or help optimize your fitness or calorie counting regimen. Find out more.

From medicinenet.com

If you've been way too sedentary lately, you're not alone. More than half of Americans aren't active enough to meet the U.S. government recommendation for exercise -- at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week.

Excuses run the gamut, but getting bored is a biggie.

And now, that excuse is becoming pretty passé.

From Bella Online

How you can reduce the effects of pollen

• Do not walk early in the morning or in the early evening when the pollen count is at its highest. If you can the best time to schedule your walking is between 10am and 3pm.
• Check pollen counts in your area - all television channels, radio and online resources carry details.
• Even if the sun is not shining do wear wrap round sunglasses, this will help to prevent pollen from irritating your eyes.
• A broad rimmed hat is also useful.
• Try smearing a little Petroleum jelly around the inside your nostrils which helps to stop symptoms, sounds a bit messy but it does help and you don't need to layer it on!
• Sounds simple but don’t forget to take your nasal spray with you or take your hay fever medicine before you go out.
• Wear a dust mask
  

NOTE: This article indicates that unless walkers walk FASTER, they don't see weightt-loss results. So, the fitPod question is: "WHAT BPM GETS YOU ABOVE 4 MPH WEIGHT-LOSS THRESHOLD?

From Prevention

One of the most common complaints we hear from veteran walkers is "I'm not seeing any results." Prevention's fitness director, Michele Stanten, isn't surprised. "It's easy to slack off because walking is such a comfortable, familiar activity. If your goal is to slim down, you need to keep up a faster pace."

For Karen Liptrap, 40, it wasn't until she broke 4 MPH that her body started to respond. "My tush used to hang," says the mother of three from Oakville, Ontario, who started walking 4 years ago. "Now it's firm, and my legs are strong and toned."

By Penelope Trunk - Boston Globe

Here's some career advice. Stop obsessing about how smart you are. Instead, get some exercise and you'll perform better at work -- athletes do better in the workplace than non-athletes. Even off the field. This advice is true in a wide range of scenarios -- across age groups, job descriptions, and types of exercise. Athletes make more money because their self-confidence and competitive nature makes them choose jobs that pay more money, James Shulman , author of The Game of Life: College Sport and Educational Values, said in a speech to the Division III Forum, a collegiate athletic group.

Technology companies try new ways to get in on the fitness industry

By Stacey Hirsh
Baltimore Sun reporter

This week, joggers across the country can begin tracking the pace and distance of their runs through a chip in their sneakers that talks to their iPods - the latest high-tech gizmo to help Americans get and stay in shape.

Glenn Baker is already a believer in melding fitness and technology. He used a diet and exercise program on his Treo smart phone to shed 13 pounds for his brother's wedding. And triathlete Phil Leigh follows a workout regime he receives daily from his coach via the Internet.