Studies continue to demonstrate that daily physical activity in children has incredible long term affects, not just on the body but on the mind as well.
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
Monday, 22 September 2014
Has the focus on physical activity ruined playtime for kids?
But creating scheduled playtime built only around physical activity might be draining the broader benefits out of play, a new study in Canada found.
Thursday, 11 September 2014
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
A Fat-Melting Workout From Maria Menounos
Crunched for time but still want to squeeze in a sweat session? In this video, Maria Menounos, author of Every Girl's Guide to Diet and Fitness , shows you how to do a speedy, 7-move exercise routine. Do this circuit two to three times to get a great workout in less than 20 minutes.
Fall Back Into Fitness...(Benefits of Exercise)
Fall is almost here and often during the summer months our workouts
take a summer vacation. Time to turn that around and make fitness a
priority! Many people can easily list several negatives to working out (such as no time, sweating, need to shower after, etc.), yet many cannot list more than 2 benefits. There's SO much you gain--but it needs to be a lifestyle that will last forever and NOT a 'quick' fix.
It doesn't have to be extreme and time consuming--just get moving and do something physical.
According to the 1996 U.S... Surgeon General on Physical Activity & Health: "Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the U.S..." (Source: U.S... Dept. of Healthy & Human Services, '96)
Here are a few key reasons to incorporate some form of physical activity into your DAILY life as it will REDUCE the risks/problems of some of the following:
If you need more motivation, I suggest you look into one of the many fine gyms in our area that offer a great variety of group fitness classes--these can be fun and often a group setting helps motivate individuals! Or possibly hire a personal trainer (even for just a few sessions) to help get you started and motivated. Or grab a friend or 2 and inspire each other to move---power in numbers. Whatever it takes, make the time NOW for a healthier you...I promise you won't regret making the time!
It doesn't have to be extreme and time consuming--just get moving and do something physical.
According to the 1996 U.S... Surgeon General on Physical Activity & Health: "Regular physical activity that is performed on most days of the week reduces the risk of developing or dying from some of the leading causes of illness and death in the U.S..." (Source: U.S... Dept. of Healthy & Human Services, '96)
Here are a few key reasons to incorporate some form of physical activity into your DAILY life as it will REDUCE the risks/problems of some of the following:
- Premature death
- Dying from heart disease
- Developing diabetes
- Developing high blood pressure
- Developing colon cancer
- Feelings of depression & anxiety
- Becoming overweight
- Issues with bone, joint, muscle
- For aging adults: they will be able to move around better, therefore less risk of falling or injury
- People who are usually inactive CAN improve their health & well being by becoming even MODERATELY active on a REGULAR basis.
- Physical activity need NOT be 'strenuous' to achieve health benefits.
- GREATER health benefits CAN be achieved by INCREASING the amount (duration, frequency, or intensity) of physical activity.
If you need more motivation, I suggest you look into one of the many fine gyms in our area that offer a great variety of group fitness classes--these can be fun and often a group setting helps motivate individuals! Or possibly hire a personal trainer (even for just a few sessions) to help get you started and motivated. Or grab a friend or 2 and inspire each other to move---power in numbers. Whatever it takes, make the time NOW for a healthier you...I promise you won't regret making the time!
Monday, 8 September 2014
5 Fat-Burning Body Weight Exercises
By DailyBurn
You don't need lots of fancy equipment to get fit. By performing intervals of simple body weight movements at high intensity, you'll increase your heart rate and sculpt your body at the same time. Check out DailyBurn trainer Anja Garcia's easy fat-burning moves.
You don't need lots of fancy equipment to get fit. By performing intervals of simple body weight movements at high intensity, you'll increase your heart rate and sculpt your body at the same time. Check out DailyBurn trainer Anja Garcia's easy fat-burning moves.
High leisure-time physical activity levels linked to reduced risk for HF
Researchers also found a similar but less pronounced association between greater total physical activity and lower risk for HF.
Kasper Andersen, MD, PhD, and colleagues analyzed 39,805 people who completed a medical-history and lifestyle questionnaire in Sweden in 1997. All participants were aged 20 to 90 years and free of HF at baseline. They were followed through 2010 for diagnosis of HF of any cause and HF of non-ischemic origin.
Participants were stratified into quintiles by leisure-time physical activity level and by total physical activity level, as reported by participants in the questionnaire.
During a median follow-up of 13.3 years, 3.9% of all participants had a first hospitalization for HF of any cause, and 2.63% of participants without a history of MI at baseline experienced non-ischemic HF, Anderson and colleagues found.
After adjustment for age, sex and education, compared with the quintile of lowest leisure-time physical activity levels, those in the quintile of highest lowest leisure-time physical activity levels were at reduced risk for HF of any cause (HR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.44-0.66) and non-ischemic HF (HR=0.51; 95% CI, 0.4-0.64), the researchers wrote. After adjustment for age, sex, alcohol use, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, snuff use and waist-hip ratio, the difference between the groups remained but was slightly smaller (HR for all HF=0.65; 95% CI, 0.53-0.81; HR for non-ischemic HF=0.61; 95% CI, 0.48-0.78), they found.
After adjustment for age, sex, education and previous MI, those with the highest levels of total physical activity were at reduced risk for HF of any cause compared with those with the lowest levels (HR=0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.95), but the effect was less pronounced than for leisure-time physical activity, according to Andersen, of the department of medical sciences at Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, and colleagues.
“You do not need to run a marathon to gain the benefits of physical activity — even quite low levels of activity can give you positive effects,” Andersen said in a press release. “Physical activity lowers many heart disease risk factors, which in turn lowers the risk of developing [HF] as well as other heart diseases. Our research suggests that everyone could benefit from getting out there and moving every day.”
Disclosure: The study was supported by Ericsson, Ica Sweden and the Swedish Cancer Society. One researcher reports serving on an advisory board for Itrim. Another reports receiving consulting fees from Novo Nordisk.
Kasper Andersen, MD, PhD, and colleagues analyzed 39,805 people who completed a medical-history and lifestyle questionnaire in Sweden in 1997. All participants were aged 20 to 90 years and free of HF at baseline. They were followed through 2010 for diagnosis of HF of any cause and HF of non-ischemic origin.
Participants were stratified into quintiles by leisure-time physical activity level and by total physical activity level, as reported by participants in the questionnaire.
During a median follow-up of 13.3 years, 3.9% of all participants had a first hospitalization for HF of any cause, and 2.63% of participants without a history of MI at baseline experienced non-ischemic HF, Anderson and colleagues found.
After adjustment for age, sex and education, compared with the quintile of lowest leisure-time physical activity levels, those in the quintile of highest lowest leisure-time physical activity levels were at reduced risk for HF of any cause (HR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.44-0.66) and non-ischemic HF (HR=0.51; 95% CI, 0.4-0.64), the researchers wrote. After adjustment for age, sex, alcohol use, BMI, diabetes, hypertension, smoking, snuff use and waist-hip ratio, the difference between the groups remained but was slightly smaller (HR for all HF=0.65; 95% CI, 0.53-0.81; HR for non-ischemic HF=0.61; 95% CI, 0.48-0.78), they found.
After adjustment for age, sex, education and previous MI, those with the highest levels of total physical activity were at reduced risk for HF of any cause compared with those with the lowest levels (HR=0.81; 95% CI, 0.69-0.95), but the effect was less pronounced than for leisure-time physical activity, according to Andersen, of the department of medical sciences at Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden, and colleagues.
“You do not need to run a marathon to gain the benefits of physical activity — even quite low levels of activity can give you positive effects,” Andersen said in a press release. “Physical activity lowers many heart disease risk factors, which in turn lowers the risk of developing [HF] as well as other heart diseases. Our research suggests that everyone could benefit from getting out there and moving every day.”
Disclosure: The study was supported by Ericsson, Ica Sweden and the Swedish Cancer Society. One researcher reports serving on an advisory board for Itrim. Another reports receiving consulting fees from Novo Nordisk.