Category Archives: Fitness

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

Tonal

Fitness, , , , ,

Tonal is a new exercise machine that is fully digital. It has a full gym combined into one small package. You can have a full gym right in your own home and exercise whenever you want.

Digital Weight Machine. Tonal has an electromagnetic engine with adjustable arms.

The intelligent coaching gives you coaches to help guide you through your workouts. If it feels you are having any difficulty, it will adjust to you so you can finish. There are many coaches to choose from that will help you get it done. Choose

Personalized. It gets to know your goals and personalizes programs. Some programs are for building muscles, athletic performance, stretching, toning, and cardio.

This will set you back $2,995.

Physical Activity Recommendations from WHO

Fitness, , ,

WHO (World Health Organization) has developed global recommendations for health. Their recommendations include frequency, duration, intensity, type, and total amount for three age groups, including 5-17 years old, 18-64 years old, and over 65.

For children 5-17 years old:
It is recommended that children should have at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day.
Over 60 minutes has greater benefits.
Most of the activity should be aerobic, but include muscle strengthening.

For adults aged 18-64:
The recommendation for this age group is 150 moderate-intensity aerobic activity through the week or 75 minutes vigorous-intensity activities.
Aerobic activity should be spurts of 10 minutes or more.
For added benefit, increase moderate-intensity to 300 minutes per week or 150 vigorous activity per week.
Muscle-strengthening should take place 2 or more days a week.

For adults over 65:
The recommendation is similar to aged 18-64: 150 minutes moderate-intensity aerobic or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
Aerobic in spurts of 10 minutes or more.
For more benefits, jump up moderate activity to 300 or 150 vigorous-intensity activity.
Older adults with poor mobility should work on balance and to prevent falls 3 or more days per week.
Muscle-strengthening 2 or more days per week.
If they cannot do the above, they should be as physically active as their abilities allow.

http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/factsheet_recommendations/en/
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/9789241599979/en/

Vacation Tips to Maintain Fitness

Fitness, , , , , ,

Well-known fitness expert Chris Powell has some tips for you as he showed on Good Morning America to maintain fitness when you are on vacation. He has some lighter quick exercises you can do so you do not lose what you have built your fitness level to.

According to Chris, your cardiovascular system de-conditioning starts in 7-10 days. Muscles start to atrophy in 2 weeks and you will see loss in strength in 3-4 weeks. Once you are on vacation and stop exercising, it may even be harder for you to get back into your routine.

Some of his routines are as short as 5 minutes each. He starts with “sofa” squats on the front of a chair in 20-second intervals with 10 seconds rest in between for 5 minutes for lower body. He then moves to the back and does some pushups on the back of the chair for another 5 minutes in 20-second intervals for upper body. He then goes on to do 10 back lunges, 10 Hindu pushups, and 10 jack knife crunches on the chair.

You Should… or You Shouldn’t…

Fitness, Healthy Eating, , , ,

How often have we heard these words from people? “You should…eat more vegetables” or maybe “You shouldn’t…eat bread.” Sometimes words can get in our way of success. Well meaning people can sabotage our success especially when it comes to dieting or fitness.

There have been times when I thought I was doing pretty well only to have some well-meaning friend or acquaintance sabotage it completely. Once, I was feeling pretty good having lost 13 pounds only to be told it didn’t show. Another well meaning friend said, “Some people are just always going to be heavy.” This came right after completing goal weight in Weight Watchers. I guess being within the guidelines isn’t good enough for some people!

Sometimes we can’t help what others think or say. We can only help our response to it. Don’t let the turkeys get you down! Just go on and ignore the nay-sayers. Keep up the good work and stay the path.