a fitness minute

Boost Your Memory by 23%

2015-05-18T13:55:00.000-07:00

When researchers asked people detailed questions about a short film they had just seen, those who were instructed to close their eyes during the Question and Answer correctly answered 23% more queries than those told to keep their eyes open.
"Closing your eyes lowers your brain's cognitive load by blocking out distractions, which helps you focus on the task of remembering." says lead study author Robert Nash.

Quoted from Prevention Magazine

4 Signs You Need To Lift More Weight

2015-03-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

Strength training is about building and maintaining a certain level of strength. You might not be lifting enough weight during one or many of your exercises if:

1. The current weight you are lifting is not a challenge.
Strength training is meant to be challenging, because the whole point is to "overload" your muscles so they get stronger. If the weight you are lifting isn't as challenging as it used to be (or isn't as challenging at all!), then it is time to increase the resistance.

2. You could go forever.
Each strength training exercise you do should cause you to feel muscle "fatigue" within 15 repetitions (or fewer). Muscle fatigue feels like you couldn't possibly do another repetition in good form. If you can do more than 15 reps in good form, or if you literally feel like you could go forever because the resistance you're using is so easy, then it's time to take it up a notch.

3. You have never increased the weight you lift.
When you first started strength training, then the weight you lifted was a starting point. Continuing to progress in strength training is essential to getting the most out of your workouts--that means lifting more weight as you get stronger.

4. The progress has come to a stop.
Without making your muscles work harder than they're accustomed to, they won't get stronger. As you train, your muscles will grow stronger in order to meet the demands you are placing on them. So if you keep offering them the same workload, they will keep working the same amount, and progression comes to a grinding halt.

Recognize if you are experiencing any of the 4 signs above, taking time to pay attention to the level of difficulty and challenge of each of your exercises during your workouts. If you experience any of these signs, then it is time to increase the resistance!

Wine & Exercise Reduce The Risk of Heart Attack

2015-02-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

Scientists have long suspected that red wine is protective against heart disease. About 50 years ago, scientists identified the concept of the French paradox.
The French have the lowest heart disease rate in the world yet eat very rich diets. The French drink a lot of red wine, which is thought to protect the heart.
Researchers from the Czech Republic, in a study on 146 healthy adults, found that both red and white wine reduced the risk of heart disease but only when accompanied by exercise. In their study, they found that drinking wine and exercise reduced blood cholesterol and increased heart-healthy HDL cholesterol.
Even more reason to enjoy that glass of wine--as long as you exercise too.

Young Women Have Strokes Too

2015-02-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

Up to 10% of strokes occur in people ages 45 or younger, yet nearly 3 in 4 women do not know the most common symptoms, according to the National Stroke Association. And the longer it takes to get help, the harder the recovery can be. Waiting just an hour to get treatment can lead to more than three and a half months of recuperation.

To help identify the signs, remember this cue: BE FAST:
Balance is lost.
Eyes blur.
Face drooping.
Arm weakness.
Speech difficulty.
Time to call 911.

Every Step Counts

2015-02-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

Study after study proves that the simple act of walking can have profound effects on your health.

Your Brain: Just 2 hours of walking a week can reduce your risk of stroke by 30%.

Your Memory: 40 minutes of walking 3 times a week protects the brain region associated with planning and memory.

Your Mood: Walking 30 minutes a day can reduce symptoms of depression by 36%.

Your Health: Logging 3500 steps a day lowers your risk of diabetes by 29%.

Your Lifespan: 75 minutes a week of brisk walking can add almost 2 years to your life.

Your Heart: Walking 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week drastically lowers your risk of heart disease.

Your Bones: Walking 4 hours a week can reduce the risk of hip fractures by up to 43%.

Your Weight: A daily one hour walk can cut your risk of obesity in half.

Courtesy of Prevention Magazine

Can One Habit Change Your Life?

2015-02-03T11:33:00.001-08:00

TRY IT NOW:

Adopt ONE change every day for a week-- and see how it will improve YOUR life.

2014-10-31T12:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween

GOOD ADVICE

2014-09-10T08:42:00.000-07:00

Every new diet book explains why it's better than all the previous ones. This new plan, claims the author, holds the key to losing weight and keeping it off. It will succeed where the others have failed. So we decrease our fat intake. Or increase it. We eat more protein. Or less. We eat more carbs or cut them out.

And the question remains: Which is the best diet to lose weight?

Well, we now have the answer. A study published in The New England Journal of Medicine put 811 overweight adults through four different diets, each one a different proportion of fat, carbs, and protein.

The result? On average, participants lost twelve pounds after six months and kept nine pounds off after two years. No matter which diet they followed. In terms of losing weight, no diet was better than any other. Because all diets work through a single mechanism--they restrict your calorie intake.

People lose weight when they eat less.

If that's true, then the best diet is the simplest one. So ask yourself:
What's the one thing you can change that will make the biggest difference in your calorie consumption? Everyone has one thing.

And each person's one thing could be different. For some, it might be sugar. For others, fried foods. For others, sodas. What's important is to keep it simple. Pick your one thing that can have the biggest impact and then focus 100% of your effort on that one thing.

Don't Make Exercise So Hard

2014-08-25T07:25:00.000-07:00

Research published recently in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine showed that the harder people exercise, the less pleasure they feel during the exercise and the less likely they'll be to exercise routinely. According to one of the authors of the study, "Evidence shows that feeling worse during exercise translates to doing less exercise in the future."
Obvious, right? We tend to do things we find pleasurable and avoid things we find painful. If you want to stay committed to a long term exercise program, don't make it so hard.

Strengthen And Balance Your Core

2014-08-11T08:10:00.001-07:00

Total body exercises rely on your abs, hips, and back muscles, but when you're unstable you use less weight, which means your muscles don't work as much.
Balance means strength. There's an extensive network of small stabilizing muscles in your hips, knees, ankles, and core. Develop these and you develop a stronger foundation for larger muscles, which can generate more strength.
According to a report published in Medicine & Science in Sports Exercise, volunteers who did Pilates twice a week for nine months increased their lean abdominal muscle by 21%.
For a stronger midsection and more power, incorporate classic Pilates moves into your workout twice a week.

2014-07-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

"One day,

you are going

to wake up

and notice

that you

should

have tried."

~Anonymous

2014-07-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

Watch out for that gleaming stethoscope around your doctor's neck. The diaphragm (the round part that touches your skin) was found in a new study to be a hot spot for MRSA (staph), the dreaded drug-resistant bacteria people pick up in hospitals.
There are no MD guidelines for disinfecting scopes between patients. You would be well within reason to suggest a wipe-down before your checkup begins.

Source: Mayo Clinic Proceedings
Quoted from Prevention Magazine

5 Health Numbers You Should Know

2014-07-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

"There are five numbers that strongly correlate with
aging, heart disease, stroke, memory loss, and
sexual health," says Michael Roizen, MD, chief
wellness officer at Cleveland Clinic.

1. Blood Pressure--Ideal number: 115/75
"Blood pressure at this level lowers your risk
of disability and premature death--plus
it can help keep you feeling and looking younger."

2. Cholesterol--Ideal numbers:
LDL (bad) cholesterol under 100
HDL (good) over 50
"Cholesterol at these levels is associated with
healthy, youthful arteries."

3. C-Reactive Protein--Ideal number: less than 1
CRP rises when you have inflammation somewhere in your body--and chronic inflammation can mean trouble.
A CRP reading below 1 will keep you at low risk
of arthritis, heart disease, and stroke.

4. HBA1c--Ideal number: 5.6 or lower
This test measures how much sugar is attached to your
hemoglobin, an oxygen-carrying protein in the blood.
The higher the number, the worse your blood sugar
control and the more likely you are to develop
diabetes or other problems.

5. Waist Circumference--Ideal number:
Half (or less) of your height in inches
Wrap a tape measure around your middle at your
belly button, and then suck in and measure.

Quoted from: Prevention Magazine

2014-07-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

When American adults were asked,
"if you could stop time and live forever
in good health at a particular age,
at what age would you like to live?"
Most of them said:

Source: Harris Interactive

Big Benefits From Small Tips

2014-07-19T10:42:00.000-07:00

The key to longevity--Eat nuts!

People who ate a handful of nuts DAILY were
about 20% less likely to die from any cause,
especially heart disease and cancer, over a
30-year period than non-nut eaters.

Sitting is the new smoking!

Sitting too long can increase risk of
high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease,
even if you hit the gym after work.
Moving even a little bit- standing up for a minute
while talking on the phone, for example-adds up.
Don't just sit there for long periods of time.

Watching your weight saves you money!

Staying trim could help save some dough, at least when it comes to health-care costs. A study from the journal Obesity found that health care costs were lowest for people with a body mass index of 19, which falls into the lower range of a healthy BMI. The heavier people got, though, the more those costs rose.

2014-07-13T10:34:00.000-07:00

Walk Strong

Life has a way of placing unexpected and sometimes

deeply unwelcome challenges squarely in our path.

The key is learning to breathe through the pain,

accept the change, and get stronger for what comes next.

~Quoted from Prevention Magazine

2014-02-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Working out is just like brushing your teeth. It's a routine that is essential to the body for overall health and longevity. When you treat exercising like it's a luxury, you are more likely to blow it off. And then your body won't look, feel or perform at its best. Find the best workout for you.

2013-12-31T10:40:00.000-08:00

Carbs are not the enemy

2013-10-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

19% of Americans erroneously believe that calories from carbs cause more weight gain than calories from fats or sugars.
The bottom line is a calorie is a calorie whether it comes from carbs, fats, or sugars. There's no scientific reason to cut out an entire food group. Instead, get the most mileage from carbs by choosing those high in dietary fiber, like whole wheat pasta and brown rice.

Source: The International Food Information Council Foundation 2012 Food & Health Survey

Run Your First Race

2013-10-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

"If you can walk briskly for 30 minutes, you can train for a 5K (3 mile) race in eight weeks", says John Honerkamp, the head of training for the New York Road Runners. He suggests doing the following workouts two or three times a week.

Week 1: Run 1 minute; walk 1 minute. Repeat for 20 minutes.
Week 2: Run 2 minutes; walk 2 minutes. Repeat for 20 min.
Week 3: Run 4 minutes; walk 2 minutes. Do 5 times.
Week 4: Run 8 minutes; walk 3 minutes. Do 3 times.
Week 5: Run 10 minutes; walk 3 minutes. Do 3 times.
Week 6: Run 1 mile; walk 2 minutes. Do 3 times.
Week 7: Run 1 1/2 miles; walk 2 minutes. Repeat once.
Week 8: Run 2 miles; walk 2 minutes. Repeat once.

2013-10-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

People who exercise 5 or more days a week spend 43% fewer days with upper respiratory infections, according to an Appalachian State University study.
Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of exercise daily. It boosts your blood flow so that immune cells circulate throughout your body.

Do Good, Live Long

2013-09-30T12:48:00.000-07:00

Helping family, friends, and neighbors can add years to your life. Researchers have found that helping others reduces your stress -- and counteracts its harmful effects on your health. So volunteer to lend a helping hand or even just a "listening ear" to a friend.

"The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up." Mark Twain

2013-09-24T14:49:00.000-07:00

Some Fruits Are Better at Reducing Diabetes Risk

2013-09-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

Eating fruits is good for you, but new research suggests that some fruits may be better than others in reducing diabetes risk.
Using data from three large health studies, researchers tracked diet and disease over a 12- year period in more than 185,000 people, of whom 12,198 developed Type 2 diabetes.
After controlling for many health and behavioral factors, they found that some fruits---strawberries, oranges, peaches, plums and apricots--had NO significant effect on the risk of Type 2 diabetes. BUT eating grapes, apples and grapefruit ALL significantly reduced the risk. Even better, they found that eating one to three servings a month of blueberries decreased the risk by 11%. Eating five servings of blueberries a week reduced the risk by 26%!
Substituting fruit juice for whole fruits significantly INCREASED the risk for disease.

Hugh, You've never looked better!!!

2013-09-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Photo: Twitter

Hugh Jackman says he was embarrassed by the insane Twit-pic he posted of his X-Men workouts.
The Wolverine actor took to his Instagram and Twitter accounts to show off his bulging biceps and vein-popping form as he trained for new movie X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Lifting an estimated 210 kilograms, a red-faced Jackman told his followers that “if it ain’t bendin, then you’re just pretendin (sic)”.
“I’m a little embarrassed about that. That was a moment. (of) just showing off, completely showing off… I’m about to turn 45, I will never do this again and I want to document it,” he told Access Hollywood.