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Entry bubble Exercise and Heart Health

By: Joanne | February 09, 2010 | Category: Health

woman riding an exercise bikeWe all know that regular exercise is good for us, but sometimes we feel like we have to be marathon runners to benefit from it. Let’s face it, most of us aren’t in any shape for a marathon or triathlon, but here’s the good news: I heard a news story last week about how regular, moderate exercise really benefits the heart.

I have a healthy heart now, and after seeing my dad go through treatments for an aneurysm, heart bypass and a valve replacement, I would like to do what I can now to avoid having heart disease in the future. None of that was any fun at all.

Recently I’ve been improving my physical activity routine. Last fall I was spending too much time in my desk chair and not enough on my bicycle seat, you know what I mean? Just because you fall into some bad routines doesn’t mean you can’t try to do better. Now (just about) 5 days a week I have a good morning routine: walk the dog, 20 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes on the exercise bike. It certainly won’t get me in shape for the triathlon, but it makes me feel good. When I combine it with a heart healthy diet, it’ll help prevent me from becoming overweight, which carries its own risks, and will help me prevent heart disease.

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Entry bubble Run Off Your Thanksgiving Turkey!

By: Jake | November 24, 2008 | Category: Health

JoggerTurkey Day is this week and Nancy will be here to assist you with all your Thanksgiving needs (you need to provide your own dinner, of course). If you're like some of my friends, you're already wondering how you are going to work that dinner off your body. Might I suggest going for a jog?

It may seem like an odd suggestion coming from someone who's not a runner, but I've noticed recently that running is a good way to work off any meal - big or small. My girlfriend always wanted to run a marathon and she ran the Richmond Marathon last week. After she signed up for it in August she averaged 25 miles of running per week, along with exercises to strengthen her core. She did this in addition to her demanding job as a fifth grade teacher (seriously - not an easy job). I played the role of Mickey Goldmill by cooking, cleaning, and getting a bike to help her train on some of her longer distance runs.

She had a diet she followed during her training, but she was able to eat a lot more than usual. You may not want to train for a marathon but, at the very least, running provides a way to work off those (sometimes) excessive holiday meals. There is plenty of government information on exercise, but there isn't a lot regarding running. I did find information about running by searching Healthfinder.gov from the American Podiatric Medical Association and American Academy of Podiatric Sports. As you might imagine, running causes a lot of stress on your feet and it is important you select the right shoes. In addition to taking a look at those links, you should check with your doctor about how you should approach running to make it a permanent hobby so you can always say yes to that second helping of turkey.

| View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: exercise   jake   marathon   thanksgiving   turkey  

 

Entry bubble Exercising with Gadgets, Gizmos, and Computerized Thingamajigs

By: Ginger | November 07, 2008 | Category: Health

Woman working out with a balance ballI am a firm believer in using gadgets and gizmos to assist me in my daily life, even when it comes to exercising. I have significantly helped the economy with my numerous purchases of exercising equipment and accessories. The government offers up these tips when buying exercising equipment.

Even with all of the exercising gadgets and gizmos, you still need to understand the fundamentals of physical fitness. According to A Guide to Physical Activity, most Americans don’t get enough exercise. If you are embarking on trying to start up a fitness routine, check out these websites for information and inspiration: Exercising for a Healthy Life, President’s Council on Physical Fitness, The President’s Challenge, MedlinePlus page on Exercise and Physical Fitness, and Healthy People 2010.

Collecting workout videos has become my hobby. For me, it’s similar to birdwatching. I currently have a library of 34 workout videos. From the common, curly-haired “Richards Simmons” to the elusive and colorful “Funk Jazzercise” workout, I have them all. From time to time, I use them, but usually they sit around collecting dust.

I own an elliptical machine. Do I use that? Well, sort of. It serves as a training device for my cat! I hang my bathrobe tie on the handle bar and the cat likes to climb up on the step to swat at it. If I could just get her to wear little boxing gloves and a mouth guard, I think she could be a contender. Perhaps she could even win some prize money, so I could buy more exercise equipment!

Recently I made the purchase of a Wii Fit program. It is software that works with my T.V. It comes with a balance board and activities that are supposed to get me moving. Before starting the training, it did a diagnostic on me to establish my fitness age. My fitness age is 58. I am actually 46, so imagine the horror of it! Looking on the bright side, I think I now qualify for senior citizen discounts. Am I using my Wii Fit? A little, but not as much as I thought I would.

No gadget or gizmo will help if it is just left sitting on the shelf and not being used. It still comes down to hard work and discipline, which is exactly what it takes if you are exercising without the aid of gadgets and gizmos.

What are your thoughts on exercising gadgets and equipment? Are they a waste of money or do they really work for you?

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Entry bubble I Like to Bike

By: Joanne | August 12, 2008 | Category: Fun

Red vintage bicycle with basket and flowers leaning on a fence on a sand duneJust about every morning before starting to work I get on my bicycle and go for a ride. I ride about 5 miles a day, which isn’t very much, but it’s all my schedule allows. Biking is great exercise, helps me manage stress, and strengthens my problem knees.

Last week, we were in vacation in Avalon, NJ and it was bicycle heaven. Avalon is on a 7 mile long island and the island has a bike lane on one of the main roads. It was fun to ride the 14 mile loop around the island and it was really wonderful to see so many people out in the morning riding bikes, running and walking. We’d even use our bikes to avoid driving in the car to pick up milk or yummy treats from the bakery. What a pleasant way to save gas.

When I was a kid I rode my bike all the time – to school, to the pool, pretty much wherever I wanted to go. Back in those days we didn’t think so much about safety – when we fell off our bikes we cracked our heads open, and we liked it! Just kidding, traumatic head injury is really no joke and that’s why I always wear a helmet now. And if you want it to really protect your head, wear your helmet correctly.

There are lots of opportunities to ride your bike. If you want to save money on gas, you can consider biking to work or to do your errands. If biking to work isn’t an option, try a ride in your neighborhood or in a park. Many federal parks have paths and trails just for bikes.

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Entry bubble Exercise Regularly, Join the President’s Fitness Challenge

By: Joanne | March 11, 2008 | Category: Health

President's Fitness Challenge: Join HereToday I’m going to sign up for the President’s Fitness Challenge, a six week fitness program encouraging Americans to be active 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The Challenge starts March 20 and is designed to help you live healthier and get fit by adding physical activity to your day.

Physical activity helps maintain a healthy weight, build strong bones and reduces the risk of many serious diseases, like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression. It is particularly important as two thirds of Americans are obese or overweight, and half of us aren’t as physically active as we should be.

I have never been a regular exerciser, and let’s say that I’ve celebrated the anniversary of my 29th birthday a few times, but just last year I began exercising regularly. A medical provider recommended it to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety that were giving me problems. I’m not eager to begin the phase of life where my day begins with a series of prescription medicine bottles, so I gave it a shot. It took a little time to really feel the benefits, but it totally worked! Now I ride my bike 5-7 miles a day and I stick with it because I feel noticeably better on days when I exercise.

Everyone can participate - kids, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities. Regular activity is good for you, no matter what your current size. Join the program on your own or with a friend to track your activities, see your progress and challenge yourself to become healthier.

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