Whether you currently have a gym membership or plan on joining a gym as part of a New Year’s resolution, there’s one thing you should know: health clubs potentially pose health hazards.
That’s right, even though your local gym provides many ways for you to improve your health, there are a few ways that the opposite may be true.
Skin Infection
Germs are the main health risk at your local gym. Most health clubs encourage their members to spray equipment with a disinfecting spray after using, but we all know that’s not followed by everyone.
Staph infections can spread through gym equipment, towels and even mats. They tend to occur on certain areas of the body, including the armpit, neck, groin, and butt. They start out looking like a pimple, but grow and become more painful and produce puss. While they often clear on their own, you should contact your doctor if you develop a fever or the infection grows, or becomes tender and warm. Read Full Post >
One of the biggest pleasures in life is enjoying the sunny beach and over-looking the ocean. It is definitely one of the finer creations on this great Earth.
Today, we’re going to look at my Insane Beach Workout, which will leave you tired, sweaty, sandy, and refreshed all at the same time. Anybody can get a hardcore workout at their local gym or fitness club, but the beach is where it’s at!
The total body Insane Beach Workout below is designed to target every muscle in your body, and make your heart pound right out of your chest. For those with limitations, please be careful and talk to your physician before you start a new workout routine.
Water, water, water! How nice is it that water can offer such intense and enjoyable workouts. To me, water aerobics is defined as a non-weight bearing (easy on the joints) resistance and aerobic exercise performed in shallow water. It has since evolved from just walking or jogging forward and backward in the water to jumping jacks and popular cross-country skiing movements.
Water equipment has also become more popular. Water weights, floating belts, and other useful equipment are used to increase water resistance as well as help with flotation and balance. Water aerobics can be performed just about anywhere; from health and fitness clubs to public or private swimming pools to even shallow lakes. All you really need is the motivation and dedication to splash around a little bit (warm weather wouldn’t hurt either). Read Full Post >
Swimming is one of the best non-weight bearing activities out there and I totally recommend implementing a swim routine into your workout. It’s a great way to burn an enormous amount of calories all while having a blast in the water. Non-weight bearing refers to no weight or pressure being forced onto the joints, thus great for those with injuries, arthritis, or pain.
Although indoor pools are somewhat hard to come by, they are definitely worth the small cost to use. You may find indoor pools at your local health or fitness club, university, YMCA, or hotel. Before starting your swimming workouts, here are a few things you should know: Read Full Post >
It can’t be easy making it all the way to the Biggest Loser ranch and then seven days later becoming the game’s first casualty, but James Crutchfield has embraced it. As the first eliminated contestant of the new Biggest Loser season nine, James weighed in as the second-heaviest player at an astonishing 485 pounds. It’s a weight he says shocked him, but he wasn’t surprised by it.
Voluntarily separating from his twin brother, John Crutchfield, due to the limitations of a knee injury, James went home and has done remarkably well for only having been at the ranch a few days. Down more than 75 pounds (since the September elimination), he’s proving that it’s entirely possible to lose this kind of weight on your own at home. “All I really needed was a jump start,” he says, continuing that “You don’t have to have surgery or take drastic measures” to lose the weight.
We spoke with James and asked about the concerns he had for himself and other contestants at the ranch do to their sizes, and he explained more about the swimming workouts that have allowed him to regain strength and mobility.
Whether you currently have a gym membership or plan on joining a gym as part of a New Year’s resolution, there’s one thing you should know: health clubs potentially pose health hazards.
