Along with that resolution to join a gym or do more exercise, we all know that eating better should get equal billing. It’s now mid-January so like many of us, you’re in the process of fulfilling your New Year’s resolutions. You’ve joined a gym and started exercising more, but you may also be sabotaging this hard work. If you are making bad nutrition choices but putting the time in at the gym, all that hard work may be cancelled out by the food you’re taking in. Also, many of us have the best intensions to eat right, eat less, make better choices starting in January, but by Valentines day …
We all know that carrying a few extra pounds in not a good thing, but what does it actually mean for our overall health? Obesity has become an epidemic among Americans and the scary part is that it’s not only a problem among adults, but is rapidly becoming a public health problem for children and adolescents. What do the numbers mean? We all watch the scale to see if our body weight fluctuates, which gives us an idea if we’re packing on the pounds or not, but what is actually happening? The interesting part to weight loss / gain is that, as adults, as we age we lose half a pound of …
A few months ago I had the opportunity to sit in on a talk given by Mark Kruger, a former contestant from season 5 of the TV program "Biggest Loser". For those of you who are not familiar with the Biggest Loser, contestants who are eligible come onto the show are typically morbidly obese and have weight loss goals of 100 lbs or more. The three month season involves extreme training via cardiovascular conditioning, strength training, and a very strict nutrition regimen. Mark, a native of New Bedford, MA – started the show weighing in at 285 lbs and finished off losing 98 lbs. The talk Mark …
The first health club I ever worked at really opened my eyes to New Year's resolutions. My employers made sure when December came around to "warn" me about the onslaught of people who would come through our doors as a result of their healthy New Year's resolutions. What I soon realized was that this group's attendance was great the first week they joined our club, the second week they'd start working out inconsistently and within a month of joining they'd completely disappear. All I could think was… come on people; you can do better than that! Start with a Goal Instead of making that "New …
This time of year is a very challenging time to stay on track with our health and wellness goals, so with a little help from my colleagues we've compiled 12 tips to help you get through the holidays – that will help you stay on track or keep you from falling too far off course. To start off our list we'll start with the one activity most people tend to put on hold until after the New Year – Exercise. The holidays are an incredibly busy time and in addition to preparing our houses for out of town guests, shopping for presents and working, we're enjoying Christmas treats and going to holiday …
As a health and fitness professional, one of my favorite things to do is educate by sharing stories and experiences I have compiled over the years working with individuals of varying ages, abilities, and aspirations. Wellness is such a broad topic which can cover everything from fitness to mental health, and what "being well" means to one person can be completely different to another. Wellness can also be an overwhelming topic for many. One that gets you thinking about exercise (or lack of it), nutrition (or how much we need to improve it), stress (how could I possibly decrease it), rest (…
