Tag Archives: Fitness

Low Impact Exercise Doesn’t Have to Mean a Low Intensity Workout

For most, impact exercise is a good thing. The more force you apply to your bones, the stronger they become. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the population is physically falling apart due to being sedentary, overweight, and all around just plain horrible to ourselves.

To be fair, many have legitimate joint and bone injuries, or are recovering from surgeries that also require them to stick to low and no impact modes of exercises. There is no shame in that. Low or no impact doesn’t have to mean taking it easy- it just means working out differently. You can get just as intense of a workout while still being mindful of your limitations.

Low Impact Cardio

To determine if something is high impact, ask yourself if your feet leave the floor, and how hard they come back in contact with it. Your bones and joints are required to absorb the shock, and the impact of this can be too much for many.

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Henry Cavill is Transforming His Body to Become the Man of Steel

Henry Cavill is set to portray the Man of Steel in the next Superman movie, but first, he has to get into superhero-worthy physical state. How does he plan to do it?

“I’m on 5,000 calories a day… You’ve got to eat protein first, then a little bit of carbs…you’ve gotta keep your hunger levels going,” Cavill said. “I’m training two and a half hours a day, pushing my body beyond its normal limits, putting on a lot of muscle mass and just making myself look like Superman.”

Cavill is already a pro at transforming his body through exercise in order to play a role. Albeit in a completely different way, Cavill gained plenty of lean muscle mass for his upcoming movie “The Immortals” due out in theaters on November 11, 2024. However, he needs to really bulk up for his next role.

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Healthy Living Made Easy and Cheap

Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.

I have a confession to make. I am one of the least motivated and thrifty people that I know. So when people tell me that they cannot embrace a healthy lifestyle because of time and/or money I assure them that they can.

Fitness: My lazy and thrifty fitness plan began with an old pair of sneakers and brisk walks around my neighborhood. I walked an hour every day until I had to adjust my exercise time to fit my demanding schedule. In an effort to cut the time in half I began to run. To this day I run an average of 30 minutes a day, having increased the number of miles throughout the years. Once I get home I work on toning with weights and spot training for about 10 minutes. (more…)

Jillian Michaels Invests in Flywheel Sports

She may no longer be dispensing her tough love on the Biggest Loser, but no one can accuse Jillian Michaels of going into early retirement. She stays busy with various ventures, and now you can tack on being an investor in Flywheel Sports, a growing chain of indoor cycling studios.

Flywheel Sports, based in New York City, has been around for 18 months and is expanding its presence from six studios to 16.

“Jillian’s guidance will be so important as we bring Flywheel to new markets and new customers,” says Jay Galluzzo, co-founder of Flywheel Sports.

Flywheel Sports has three cycling studios in Manhattan, two in the Hamptons and one in Boca Raton, Florida. Next month, they will be opening a location in Chicago where Jillian Michaels will team up with Flywheel co-founder Ruth Zukerman to lead the first workout session. (more…)

People Exercising Less in Bad Economy

As goes the economy, so goes the exercise habits of U.S. citizens. According to a Gallup poll, Americans started to let their fitness activities go by the wayside in the fall of 2024. While there was a partial rebound in 2024, exercise levels are still not what they were before they fell.

Gallup based their findings on information gathered from 1,000 adults on their exercise habits. Of those who were polled, 53.4 percent said they exercised for at least 30 minutes a day, three days a week. That was down from 54.3 percent in the same month in 2024.

While that doesn’t seem significant, since the margin of error for the study was one percent, it was more significant with older Americans. The group that saw the biggest decrease in exercise was the 65 years and older group. Less than 50 percent of them said they exercise for at least 30 minutes, three days a week. (more…)

Your Personal Trainer Isn’t Really That Different From You

I recently stumbled upon a very interesting article: “9 Secrets Your Personal Trainer Doesn’t Want You to Know.” As a certified personal trainer myself, I read through each “secret,” mostly nodding my head. Because – believe it or not – they’re mostly true. Maybe they’re not all true for me personally as a trainer, but I can easily attribute them to other trainers – both good ones and not-so-good ones- I’ve worked with.

I know a number of trainers who have relied on coffee and cigarettes to stave off hunger in order to fit in a smaller-sized workout pant. I know a lot of trainers who work out hard, and often play hard — pounding beers and pizza most of the weekend. There are definitely trainers who dial up the customer service for higher-profile clients, and I’d be remiss to not admit that some clients I’ve had myself didn’t really need me to get a good workout. Also, believe me that all trainers hate it when you cancel an appointment at the last minute, even if you do pay for the session.

Surprised? Don’t be. Personal trainers really aren’t that different from you. Sure, they have more workout experience and knowledge than you do, and them standing there with that clipboard and correcting your form makes them seem like they’re superhuman sometimes, but they have a lot of the same health and wellness hang-ups and struggles that you probably do.

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Gym Music Playlist of the Week: The Meditation Mix

This week we’re going to do something a little different in our workout mix. In reality, it’s not a workout mix at all. This time we’re going to address an aspect of our health that gets the least attention: our mental health.

While we need to do cardio and strength training exercises for our physical health, we also need to take time to relax and maybe even meditate. There have been plenty of studies that back the health benefits of meditation (and considering the fact that my 5-year-old daughter is currently throwing a temper tantrum in the other room, I may need a little time for it after I finish writing).

Meditation has been shown to do everything from lowering stress and anxiety levels to enhancing the immune system and normalizing blood pressure levels.

The following is a mix of ambient music and atmospheric jazz that will let you get lost in the soundscapes and hopefully leave you more grounded and ready to take on the stresses of everyday life. (more…)

Change Your Fitness Vocabulary

Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.

One of the biggest challenges I have encountered is getting my friends and family to change the terminology they use when talking about their fitness. Whether we realize it or not, words not only communicate our thoughts to others but also send a message to ourselves. Those messages are powerful and can either motivate you or sabotage you. It’s for this reason that the words I choose are both realistic and encouraging.

Not Diet – Live it! I do not use the word “diet” in relation to weight loss. Fitness guru Richard Simmons said many years ago, “it’s not a diet, it’s a live it”  The word “diet” immediately evokes thoughts of deprivation – dry toast, bland tuna and lots of grapefruits. (more…)

Country Strong: The Kenny Chesney Workout

Being a famous country star has its perks and privileges, but the downside is that you can be scrutinized down to the very last detail. Musicians, just like Hollywood actors, are called out even for the slightest fluctuation in their weight.

It used to be that country troubadours looked were run-of-the-mill, working-class, salt of the earth, whatever-folksy-description-you-want-to-use. These days, image is just as important as talent.

Whether it’s for his image or a passion for staying in shape, Kenny Chesney is one of the fittest people in the music business. There is no denying his hard-fought trip to the top of the music business is exemplified in his dedication to fitness.

Chesney says that staying in top form is his way of making sure he gives his fans the best experience possible during his live shows. Since he’s grossed about $500 million in the last decade, his fans apparently approve. (more…)

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Summer Workout Mix

While summer is all about getting outdoors more and having fun, it’s also a great time to be more consistent with your workout routine. Why not enjoy the weather and burn a few calories at the same time?

Maybe most of us aren’t out of school with nothing to do for the next two months, but we can still take the time to combine a little of something we all love (great weather) with something most of us do because we really should (exercise). Here’s a list of songs that will make your next summer workout a little more enjoyable: (more…)

Pippa Middleton’s Diet and Workout Plan

What’s it like being the sister of a princess? While I’m not a Royal watcher, I did hear a little joking about the presumed jealousy that must be brewing in Pippa Middleton, sister of Kate and sister-in-law to one Prince William.

Yes, I’m sure it’s a royal pain to be considered Britain’s most eligible bachelorette and now to be rumored to be back dating an ex-flame George Percy, who just so happens to be the son of the Duke of Northumberland and one of the richest men in Great Britain (Percy’s inheritance will be worth a reported $350 million).

She also doesn’t seem to be short on self-esteem, as the 27-year-old is known for her athletic-level of dedication to exercise and diet.

One look at Pippa’s figure and you can see that she has the body of an athlete. That’s because she is an athlete. Pippa is known for taking part in triathlons and other events, not to mention she was a college athlete, winning scholarships for hockey and tennis to Marlborough College. (more…)