When Carrie Cooper realized she could still go rock-climbing while pregnant, even she was surprised. Read more about exercising during pregnancy at the USA Today..
Product Reviews: Garmin Forerunner and Prospera Ultimate Jade Massager
With spring just around the corner, more people will be taking to the streets to run or power walk and gear up for upcoming marathons, 5K, 10K and other race-related events. No matter your level of experience, many runners and walkers will be looking to purchase products to help them with their fitness routine. Below are just two products that we decided to take a look at and review for you.
Garmin Forerunner 110 GPS-Enabled Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor
Are you a distance runner or just a fitness enthusiast? No matter what type of training we do, many of us like to keep track of our workouts. The Garmin Forerunner 110 uses GPS to accurately record your distance, time and pace. Data from each run is stored in the unit, so you can go back and review how you did last week or last month.
We loved this device because it was easy to use—it works like any other GPS. Just take it outside to locate GPS satellites and then answer a few easy, setup questions. Then just press start and take off. Once you’re done, press stop. when your workout is over, you can upload to Garmin Connect to store and share your data, see the route you traveled on a map and even create goals.
Just one note to keep in mind, the Forerunner 110 is designed more for runners and not cyclists. So if you’re a cyclist looking for some cycling info—you won’t get the data you want. However, for runners, this is a great gadget. It also doesn’t have a lot of the bells and whistles other tracking devices have—but it’s this simplicity that we loved. It gave us the pertinent information we wanted: distance traveled, pace, calories burned, heart rate, and time. We highly recommend it.
Living Healthy with Diabetes
Your health matters
By Dr. Judith Black, medical director for Senior Markets at Highmark Inc.
Diabetes is the most common disorder of the endocrine system and affects more than 25 million people in the U.S. alone. Did you know as people age, their risk for developing type 2 diabetes increases? In fact, about one in four people over the age of 60 has diabetes. If you have diabetes, you know that it’s a serious disease. But even though you have this condition, you can take steps to stay healthy. The key is to get involved.
Diabetes can increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and other complications. While there is no cure for diabetes, it can be managed through proper care by getting plenty of exercise, working with your doctor and eating a nutritious and well-balanced diet.
Regular screenings are a big part of that process, too. These vital tests allow you and your doctor to catch problems early on and treat them if needed.
- Cholesterol Checkups: Blood tests that help monitor cholesterol and triglycerides. You should have this tested two times a year.
George C. Halvorson on the Power of Walking
Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO George Halvorson explains the extraordinary health benefits of walking. Hear how simply walking 30 minute a day, five days a week can dramatically cut the risk of diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, dementia, depression, anxiety, and even the common cold.
10 Ways to Turn Fitness into a Family Affair
Brant Secunda
By Brant Secunda and Mark Allen
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, if one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that their children will also be obese. But when exercise becomes part of the family culture, everyone wins.
Thereare several tips to keep in mind when it comes to kids and exercise. First, most young kids prefer “activities” to conventional exercise–for example, they’re more likely to do a nature hike than run laps around a track. Second, as kids get older, they’re more apt to become engaged if their friends are invited. And third, many kids are very motivated by goals, targets, and tracking progress. Watch how your child responds to different activities and scenarios, and find the best ways to make fitness easy and natural for him or her to enjoy.
Mark Allen
Here are 10 ways to turn exercise into a regular family activity that’s fun, motivating, and healthy.
The New Way to Walk It Off
Wake up your routine and burn up to 50% more calories with this workout. Your secret weapon: Walking poles. Read more at Prevention Magazine.
How To Choose a Health Club
IHRSA, The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, a trade association representing over 10,000 health clubs and fitness businesses across the globe offers the following suggestions for choosing a health club.
A Gym Membership is an Investment in Your Health: The most important thing to remember is that your health club should work for you. Choose a club that will help you attain your goals in a fun and engaging way. When deciding which club is right for you, remember that a fitness club membership is an investment. When investing in your health, you should make a choice based on how much you expect to get out it.
If you are planning to use a gym for a quick workout on the treadmill during your lunch break, a small, express club may meet your needs. However, if you are looking to participate in group classes, personal training and/or social activities and sports leagues, a full service club may be the right choice for you.
Since there are clubs geared to all types of members, in order to find the club that’s right for you, you’ll need to consider your level of fitness experience (will you need an unintimidating club with hands on service and special programs for beginners or a fully stocked weight room designed for an experienced athlete); your lifestyle (will you be working out before work, during lunch, on weekends, at 3am) and your fitness goals (will you want to train for a marathon or to be better able to play with your grandkids).
Finding My Peace Through Yoga
By Dominique Ponko
For each of us, life is full of transformation. For me, peace has come through the growing presence that yoga has had in my life, and with acceptance of the limitations of my body and the flow of continual change.
In 2003, I was working as a massage therapist, and teaching yoga for fun. At the age of 26, with no apparent health challenges, I had a violent and completely unanticipated seizure. I woke to find myself in the hands of paramedics who were asking me basic questions I could not answer.
An MRI led my husband and I to a grim meeting with a physician who explained that I have a brain tumor. I have what is known as a glioma, which is a tumor located in the left temporal lobe which are the areas of the brain that impact speech and memory. Because of its location, the tumor cannot be removed without great risks for a loss of both my memory and speech. This type of tumor is slow growing, but still very much alive.
Finding out that you have a brain tumor that cannot be completely cured causes most people to stop and reflect, as I did. My childhood and early life experiences were tumultuous ones, and I’ve always been drawn to sources of healing and comfort in my life. By the time I was 20, I felt like I had lived a lifetime. I was, quite simply, exhausted to my core.
How Yoga Helped Me Navigate Choppy Waters
By Melanie Camp
I was 56 years old and I found that I fit the statistic of the average age of widowhood. I felt too young to be a widow and as my practice improved I knew that the door to a happy life could swing open. Yoga helped me see that the possibility of a healthy and full life was ahead of me and that there were no limits to my flexibility. Because each posture addresses so much of the “inner mind”, my adjustment to this new chapter was enhanced by a positive focus and a consistent practice. After a few months of reflection, I decided to participate in my yoga teacher’s first Yoga Teacher Training along with sixty other yogis from around the world.
I enrolled for five weeks of intense training, six days a week from 7am until 9pm or later. I did it…I completed my training and while I was not convinced that I would be teaching, I wanted to share my knowledge. With a body that was more toned than ever, I began sharing the message wherever I traveled. “Yoga can change your life!” became my theme song. With meditation and concentration, I sent a message out to the universe that I wanted more than ever to “participate” in this new life; explore my new freedom and challenge my fears.