Staying Fit and Healthy

Most people take a break from their fitness routines when they are sick. Then, there are those who power through and risk getting even sicker. Ideally, you wouldn’t get sick at all, but that’s not reality. On the bright side, studies show that people who follow a regular fitness routine lower their risk of contracting colds and other common communicable diseases. Still, germs are everywhere. While most are harmless, experts say, roughly one percent of germs can cause life-threatening infections. To avoid upsetting your fitness routine, consider the following simple steps to help you stay healthy: Beware of Dirty Mats … Continue reading

Staying Fabulously Fit and Healthy

You can run 10 miles a day, lift weights and eat right, but if you are exposing yourself to excessive amounts of bacteria, then you could be on the verge of derailing your fitness regime without even knowing it. A new study shows that some of the fittest people are putting their health at risk by living in dirty environments. Houses are havens for microscopic bacteria, but if you know where they spawn you can help preserve your health… and your fitness routine. The Kitchen Sink’s Dirty Little Secret You may think you have a clean sink, but bacteria can … Continue reading

Are You Doing All You Can to Stay Fit and Healthy?

What happens to your fitness routine when you get sick? Do you take a few days off to recuperate, or do you push yourself and fight through the pain? Doctors recommend the former to give your body a chance to rest and heal. Health experts also suggest that you drink plenty of fluids and wash your hands frequently. Following those tips will also help you avoid getting sick in the future. The following are other ways you can prevent illness and subsequent disruptions to your regular workout routine: Bad Bathrooms A recent study found that when it comes to cleaning, … Continue reading

Exercising on the Road: No Excuses

Hopefully, you have been inspired by the change of seasons (and perhaps my blogs) and are now a few weeks into your new fitness routine. Now that you are advancing nicely you want to make sure you stay on track. This means following your exercise regime regardless of if you are at home or on the road. Whether you are traveling for business or you’re taking a short family vacation, being away from your gym shouldn’t be an excuse to halt your workouts. Executing your fitness plan on the road may be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Instead of looking … Continue reading

Exercise and the “Fat Gene”

Researchers just wrapped up a study that looked into the claim that a common genetic variation exists that makes people more likely to gain weight. The study concluded that there might be a way you can blame being fat on your genes, but even more importantly, researchers discovered that there is a way to combat your family history. The solution: Exercise. But, not just any exercise. Researchers say to overcome the predisposition to gain weight a person must engage in three to four hours of moderate activity a day. Scientists concluded that about 30% of white people of European ancestry … Continue reading

Writers Need Physical Exercises, Too

The life of a writer is great, we get up in the morning, we sit down at the computer and we start typing. But anyone who writes a great deal sits in a chair, their shoulders hunched forward, their back is slightly arched and their arms are tucked closer to their body. This is not a natural position for the body to remain in for hours at a time. You don’t really think about the stress this puts on your back, your neck and even your shoulders and your legs. Get Out of the Chair So when you spend a … Continue reading

Stress and Weight Gain

Stress and weight gain are often linked due to the effects of stress on the physiology of a person. Stress is an active part of our lives and hardwired into our biological make up allowing us to fight or flee from threatening and dangerous situations. What served our prehistoric ancestors well in situations involving evading a predator or a hostile enemy, leaves us tense with little sign of relief in a traffic jam at rush hour or standing in a long line at the grocery store. Sometimes people cope with stress by eating. Eating doesn�t just fulfill an emotional need, … Continue reading

Nature versus Nurture: Even in Fitness?

Feel free to breathe a sigh of relief, your success or failure in exercise and how your body responds to it may rest squarely on the shoulders of your parents. The argument of nature versus nurture is hardly a new one. Psychologists have been arguing about it for years. What dictates who we are going to be? Our natures, in other words, our genetic heritage? Or do we benefit from how we take care of ourselves, how often we exercise and benefiting from the nurture we give to ourselves? The Argument for Nature Some people are naturally gifted. They workout … Continue reading

Do You Prevent Your Own Success?

A friend of mine gave me a great book recently. In April, I was going to England for a week and I’m always desperate for good reading material on the plane. We’ve got an odd collection of books around here, but I love books that have buried wisdom in them. This book is called “How to Be Totally Miserable.” Our doubts are traitors, And make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt. – William Shakespeare Misery Loves Company Too often we sabotage our own success whether in life, in school or in our fitness choices. … Continue reading

Tips for Fit Living

It’s always great to kick off a new month with a new start. We get 12 fresh starts a year, if you look at it that way and in my way of thinking – a fresh start is the best way to kick off the first day of a month. So with that in mind, let’s look at some tips for living fitter, most of these are frugal in nature and don’t require a lot of changes in your personal habits – just a relative awareness. Fit Tips Balance Your Diet – Junk food schmunk food. Pay attention to what … Continue reading