Want to Get Fit? Don’t Take Up Ballet

That’s according to sports medicine researchers at The Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. Their recently published study claims that young female professional ballet dancers face health risks when they don’t eat enough to offset the energy they expend. In addition, according to the study, most top ballet dancers suffer from amenorrhea (lack of menstruation), abnormal vascular function and low bone density. The study queried 200 dancers about their menstrual patterns and eating habits. In addition, participants also underwent a blood test for hormonal levels. The results showed that 36% of the group had abnormal eating habits, and 77% were … Continue reading →

Is Birth Control Sabotaging Your Fitness Goals?

If you are using oral birth control, it may be, without you even realizing it. A new study found that oral contraceptive use impairs muscle gains in young women, and is associated with lower hormone levels. That’s a shocking find, especially for active young women, who are looking to improve their fitness performance while taking oral birth control. Researchers at Texas A&M University and the University of Pittsburgh studied 73 healthy women between the ages of 18-31 for 10 weeks. During the study the women were broken up into two groups and completed whole-body resistance exercise training. The first group … Continue reading →

Celebrities and (Lack of) Fitness

You know your fitness regime needs tweaking when people constantly ask you when your baby is due… and you’re not pregnant. Right, Kate Moss? The fashionista, who became famous for being super skinny, is… well… not super skinny anymore. But, she’s not pregnant either. People just think she is because she gained some weight (gasp!) and stopped exercising. For the first time ever the 35-year-old catwalk queen is wearing a bra because, as Moss puts it, she has recently “grown breasts.” The super model also reveals that the rest of her extra pounds “went to the right places.” Consequently, she … Continue reading →

More Ways to Get Fit After Giving Birth

You had your baby three months ago and now you are dying to get back into your old jeans, but your body is not cooperating. So what now? The last thing you want to do is go on a diet. It may sound strange, but experts maintain that going on an official “diet” could derail your post-pregnancy weight loss goals. The reason: Studies show that moms who feel deprived of their favorite foods while experiencing stress from a new baby actually pack on extra pounds. Rather than diet, experts recommend eating a healthy menu featuring a variety of fresh foods. … Continue reading →

Tips for Slimming Down Post-Baby

Just because it’s been a year since you gave birth doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve returned to your pre-baby body. After all, giving birth is only the beginning of life after baby. There are feedings to worry about, diapers, laundry, and new sleep schedules. So, when are you supposed to find time to workout? Experts suggest easing back into your fitness routine after giving birth. In fact, leading obstetricians advocate a gradual approach to weight loss as opposed to crash dieting and exercising like a fiend to shed unwanted baby weight. Doctors say, typically it should take between 9 to 12 … Continue reading →

Can Exercising Reduce Your Risk of Breast Cancer?

A new study suggests that women who participate in vigorous exercise can lessen their risk of contracting breast cancer. The new research was conducted by the National Cancer Institute and gives post-menopausal women hope for healthier years ahead. The study followed more than 32,000 women who were enrolled in a Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration. Each woman provided answers to a questionnaire asking about their physical activity (including everyday tasks like housework, work related activity and leisure activity) over the course of a year. Researchers then performed statistical tests to estimate the relative risk of post-menopausal breast cancer linked to physical … Continue reading →

Stretching Helps Avoid Preeclampsia

A new study funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research found that stretching may actually be better for women who were physically inactive before their pregnancy in avoiding preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is hypertension induced by pregnancy and it’s one of the leading causes of fetal and maternal illness in the world. If left untreated, the condition can lead to death. Pre-Natal Fitness Walking is often promoted as the best form of exercise to protect a pregnant woman from developing preeclampsia. But the study details that women who were not active beforehand and experienced preeclampsia in a previous pregnancy would be … Continue reading →

L is for Ladies

Ladies fitness is its own multimillion dollar fitness industry – after all, women comprise more than 50% of the population and women tend to be more aware of the differences in their bodies than men do. That being said, it should hardly be surprising that there are a lot of ladies only fitness centers that target this demographic with specialized exercises and exercise programs. Curves for Women Chief among these fitness centers is Curves for Women. I reviewed the Curves experience in January of 2006 when I was first starting out here in the fitness blog. Curves for Women offers … Continue reading →

Moms Across America – Get Stroller Fit for Your Kids

Remember when I asked if you were a stroller mom a few months ago? Well, attention all stroller moms, tomorrow, moms across America will be strolling a few million miles to illustrate the importance of fitness and exercise to their kids. The Strollometer is one of the first speedometer/odometers of its kind for strollers and StrollerFit is a nationwide fitness group that is joining Strollometer for the 2007 Million Mile Moms Challenge. What is the Challenge? The challenge begins tomorrow (June 15th) and continues through July 15th. Moms are encouraged to collect logs of their millions of miles spent walking … Continue reading →

Women’s Fitness: Target Your Hips

The sad part about being a woman is that we carry most of our excess weight on our hips, tummy, thighs and bottom end. Many people think that those are the hardest areas to lose weight off of, but the truth is – anywhere you want to trim excess inches is usually the hardest area. There’s an old saying that the first place you gain weight is the last place you lose it. But today, let’s talk about our hips and trimming excess inches off of them. There are plenty of specific area exercises that you can do to target … Continue reading →