Category Archives: Fitness

Resistance Bands

Fitness, ,

Have you ever exercised with resistance bands? I’ve had to do some resistance through some physical therapy for a hip bursitis. After a while, the bands may lose elasticity or dry out with age. Fortunately, they are inexpensive. Another nice thing about them is that they are small so they are portable enough to take on vacation with you!

They work by using your own body working against the bands for resistance. No matter what your fitness level, they will work for you. You may start with the softest stretch band and work your way up to the more difficult band. Join them all together for maximum resistance, if you dare!

Exercises work well for your legs, arms, glutes. There are many different exercises you can use to stretch your muscles. Have a stiff neck, try some upper arm resistance exercises.

Most sets come with a book to help you learn how or you can find some videos to help you along. They range from 10 minutes to 30 minutes in most cases.

Here are some sets you can purchase at Amazon.com:
Lightweight set

Medium set

Higher resistance set

Working out at … Kohl’s?

Fitness, ,

Kohl’s has taken on something to try to attract more customers. They have recently partnered with Planet Fitness. They are shrinking of their stores and experimentally leasing space to Planet Fitness. Previously, some of Kohl’s stores were partnered with supermarket chain Aldi as well.

The downside would be smaller inventory and fewer workers. In an effort to compete with Amazon, they are expanding their sights. They also partnered with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to open a studio for diet coaching and workshops.

As brick and mortar stores are closing across the country, Kohl’s is trying to expand and future-proof their stores. So maybe as you work out and lose the weight, you’ll be shopping for new clothes!

Source
CNN
Planet Fitness

Renaissance Periodization (RP)

Fitness, Healthy Eating, , ,

RP is a program that integrates diet with training. They sell products like “training templates” and “diet templates”. These templates allow you see your personalized program. They ask for your weight within the pound and gender and then you can purchase them for about $109.

They have a fair number of RP Diet Templates such as the original one, a simplified one, even a vegan one. They have books as well. The costliest program is a 3-month Partner Program Diet Plan which runs $1,050.00 for you and a friend or partner that includes one-on-one coaching. The training templates are Excel Spread Sheets for you to fill in. They are customized to your goals and program.

The simplified program has more flexibility with meal times and less measuring. It is more styled toward weight loss while the original program is geared toward athletic performance. The Original program will tell you what to eat and give specific times to eat.

Want To Spice Up Your Fitness Routine?

Fitness, ,

Recently it has been determined that Lightsaber Dueling has been accepted by the French fencing body as a competitive sport. For all those Star Wars couch potatoes, here is a way to get fit and enjoy your passion!

There are many leagues all over the world competing in lightsaber. There are different styles and forms depending on what you want. In any case it looks like a good aerobic full body workout.

There are many places to learn and join in. Here are some sites you can check out.
The Saber Authority – located in Singapore
Saberation – offers different forms for Sport, Fitness, or Entertainment
Total Saber Fit – for rapid fat loss and muscle toning
Meetup – find a lightsaber group near you
Saber Legion – a world-wide saber club

Interesting Question

Fitness, Health Issues, Healthy Eating, , , ,

Are you heavier or shorter than the average American?

A new government report looked at average weight, height, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) of adults 1999-2000 through 2015-2016.

Weight:
In 1999-2000, men averaged 189 pounds and women averaged just over 163 pounds. By 2015-2016, men averaged just under 198 while women averaged just over 170.

Height:
In 1999-2000, men averaged 69.2 inches and women averaged 63.8 inches. In 2015-2016 men avearaged 69.0 inches and women averaged 63.6 inches.

Waist Circumference:
In 1999-2000 men averaged 38.8 inches around the waist while women averaged 36.3 inches. In 2015-2016 men averaged 40.2 while women averaged 38.7 inches.

BMI:
In 1999-2000 men averaged a BMI of 27.7; women averaged 28.2. In 2015-2016 men averaged 29.1 while women went to 29.6. For reference, underweight BMI is less than 18.5; normal ranges from 18.5-24.9; overweight is 25-29.9; obese is 30 or more.

So the question is where do you fall in all this? Are you concerned enough to do something about it?

Read the full study here
More about BMI