Tag Archives: Fitness

Obese Body Chemistry Makes Dieting Harder

Life isn’t fair and nowhere is that more evident than the findings from a new study. It appears that obese people who begin a diet with drastic changes will often do more harm than good.

“When obese persons reduce their food intake too drastically, their bodies appear to resist their weight loss efforts. They may have to work harder and go slower in order to outsmart their brain chemistry,” said Gregory G. Freund, a professor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and a member of University’s Division of Nutritional Sciences.

Freund makes a point of telling people to not start their dieting with a cleansing day, since this seems to trigger changes in the immune system that counter weight loss efforts. The fast-start approach to dieting may also bring on brain chemistry changes that significantly alter mood and motivation levels. (more…)

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Jason

5 Tips to Stay Fit This Summer

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.

For many of us, summer is one of the toughest times to stay focused on our healthy eating and fitness routine. Over the summer we are oftentimes entertaining our vacationing children or traveling. We’re also contending with the blisteringly warm outdoor temperatures and the ever-increasing temptation for cooling caloric drinks and fast foods.

For a few years now I have been able to remain on-track in spite of all the hurdles by applying these easy and common sense tricks: (more…)

Posted on June 26, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: Fourth of July Workout Mix

Is the 4th of July a chance to celebrate all that is great about America or is it just time to overindulge on hot dogs and apple pie? That depends on who you talk to, and heck, many will take part in both.

When I started to think about what songs would work in a 4th of July workout mix, I was a little stumped, mainly because I just don’t care for modern patriotic songs. They just tend to be ham-fisted and goofy (“Iraq and Roll,” anyone?).

Since traditional patriotic songs don’t make the best workout music, I thought I would put together a list of song dedicated to various states (and cities) in the Union. Happy Fourth, and remember, it’s okay to indulge a little, just get back on your horse the next day: (more…)

Posted on June 23, 2023 by Jason

Music Tempo Key to Successful Cardio Routine

Research has shown that listening to music while you exercise improves performance. As for me, I didn’t need research, I know from firsthand experience. I don’t know what I’d do without music while on the treadmill.

Music acts as a motivator, but it also distracts you from negative thoughts associated with fatigue or any insecurities or inadequacies that may creep up into your mind.

While I can be motivated by nearly any tempo if the music is right, research shows that fast paced music, ideally music with a BPM (Beats Per Minute) of between 120 and 140, is ideal for a cardio workout.

That pace also just so happens to be about what the average person’s heart rate is during a normal workout. (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Jason

Learn How to Challenge Yourself

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.

We are constantly bombarded with advice on diets and exercises. All day long we are exposed to a steady stream of fitness and diet information, such as the best equipment to use, the most beneficial techniques to implement and the super foods we should be consuming. It should not surprise us why so many of us become overwhelmed and choose against pursuing the path of nutrition and fitness.

I have often said that your first approach should be to simplify your efforts when embracing a healthy lifestyle. This is true for beginners as well as those of us who need to energize our current routine. (more…)

Posted on June 5, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: The Blues Workout Mix

Buddy Guy

Who would have thought that the blues and working out could be used in the same sentence? Well, if you choose your songs wisely, the blues can make for a good workout mix! While a lot of blues music can be somber, much of it is uplifting as well. Think of it as a liberating way of exercising your ghosts.

So without further adieu, let’s start singing the blues. Here is a nice little upbeat list of blues songs to take on your next run or brisk walk. (more…)

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Jason

Snooki Slims Down with Zantrex

Snooki looking slimmer in Italy

UPDATE 1/5/2024: Snooki is continuing to drop the pounds, reportedly weighing in now at 103 pounds, just 5 shy of her 98 pound goals. Polizzi is still using Zantrax and most would agree she is being paid for her promotion of the diet pills, with tweets like “Glad to hear reports that say I look good =) but it’s not because of HCG! Thanks @Zantrex!”

Snooki has lost so much weight it is spurring rumors that her eating disorder has reared its head again. Hopefully Snooks is following healthy habits in 2024, and her weight loss is healthy- well, as healthy as can be on a diet pill regimen.

Nicole Snooki Polizzi, better known simply as Snooki, weighed a reported 126 pounds last summer while indulging in a lifestyle afforded to her as a member of the popular show on MTV, Jersey Shore.

Since then she has shaped up somewhat, taking her tiny 4′ 10″ frame down to around 110 pounds. Before her recent departure to Italy for the filming Jersey Shore’s fourth season, pictures of a slimmer Snooki were revealed through her Twitter account.

It was revealed last year that Snooki struggled with an eating disorder in high school.

“In high school, I really wouldn’t eat,” she says. “I would only have lunch, and I would only have salads.” She dropped to a dangerous 80 pounds before realizing she had to do something about it. (more…)

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Jason

Visualization a Powerful Motivational Tool

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.

It happens to the best of us: we lose our motivation. Some of us try to power through and never really fall into a slump, but if you are like me, you have to reach for something to pull you out and get back on track.

One of the tools I reach for when I start to feel like I might be slipping is visualization. I give myself permission to abandon reality and wander into some deep visualization. I use this tool all the time when I go to races. I dare to believe that I am a “champion” a “winner” and that I am equipped for whatever challenges lay ahead of me.

This useful motivational tool also works for me in my daily life when I simply envision myself as an athlete. I am already at my peak weight and performance and now all I have to do is maintain. Rather than give in to the thought that I am struggling to reach my goal, I empower myself with positive self-talk and visualization. (more…)

Posted on May 29, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Fidget Your Way to Fitness

Do you find yourself twiddling your thumbs or tapping your feet and fingers out of boredom? You may be taking part in what some experts call “incidental physical activity.” A study published last month took a look at physical movements people make that don’t involve formal exercise and what kind of role they may play in people’s health.

Some of the incidental activity they considered had more purpose than tapping toes, such as preparing dinner or pulling weeds in the yard.

What ultimately matters is, do these activities have an impact on our physical fitness? The key may be in something called VO2 max, which is a reference to the amount of oxygen a person can utilize during an intense exercise. While it is used to measure an athletes cardiovascular and endurance fitness level, it has also been seen as an important predictor of the risk for premature death. (more…)

Posted on May 27, 2023 by Jason

Zumba Gold Keeps Older Adults Fit

Guest blogger, Carol Dunlop is certified through FiTour as a Personal Trainer and through the American Red Cross as a CPR, AED and First Aid Instructor. She has competed and placed in several Fitness America and National Bodybuilding competitions. To receive your Free E-course “How to Burn Calories While you Sleep,” check out her website, OptimumBodySculpting.com.

Just because you’re an older adult, it doesn’t mean that you don’t like to party and have fun while you work out. Well thank goodness. I’m middle aged and headed to the “older adult” status (quicker than I may want to), but I love a good workout that really makes me feel great and really “worked.” That is just what Zumba Gold gives you; a great workout in a fun environment with people you can relate to.

You’ve probably seen the infomercials and signs at nearly every gym displaying that they now have Zumba classes. (more…)

Posted on May 26, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Gym Music Playlist of the Week: The Exercise High Mix

If you’re just a beginner at exercise, it can be rough trying to muster up your motivation. However, once you start doing it, you will feel firsthand the natural high that you experience after a workout.

That “high” you are experiencing is very real. You see, when you exercise your body releases endorphins which are responsible for that mood-boosting feeling you get. It also reduces cortisol levels, a stress hormone.

I know how tough it can get to motivate yourself when you’re just starting out, but once you get a few exercise sessions under your belt and experience how great you feel afterward, it not only gets easier, but you crave it as well.

Until that time comes, here is a little extra motivation in the form of an upbeat workout mix: (more…)

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Jason