Enjoy this tease of warm weather; After Tuesday we’re back to highs in the 40s, lows in the 20s. According to Gary Sforzo, a professor of exercise and sports sciences at Ithaca College in New York, the return of cold weather shouldn’t deter you from exercising. “If you are concerned about hypothermia, you don’t need to be unless the temperatures are extreme,” advises Sforzo. “The body produces a lot of…
On this morning’s ride at Umstead with Alan and Tim, the conversation ranged, as it will on a good ride, from “Avatar,” to dinosaur dung http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coprolite to, of course, biking. Alan and Tim are strong riders, and you might expect their end of the discussion to focus on training, technique, gear. And there was some of that. But what really got Tim going was a 25-mile Carolina Tarwheels group ride…
The joke at our house (at least I think it’s funny) is that when the latest “O” arrives, I exclaim with mock surprise, “Oh, look! Oprah’s on the cover.” This morning, the February 2010 issue showed up on the kitchen table. I was waiting for the coffee to finish, I didn’t feel like going out in the rain to fetch the Sunday paper, so I started thumbing through. Here’s what…
Yesterday, we chatted with dietician Kara Mitchell about the importance of knowing your Resting Metabolic Rate, the number of calories your body needs to carry on such basic functions as breathing, pumping blood, growing new cells. Go below that number and your body will think it’s in trouble, switch into survival mode and burn fewer calories to perform such tasks. That physiological fact is important to people trying to lose…
So it’s, what, day 13 of the New Year — And I haven’t lost a pound despite the fact I’ve been starving myself!!! That, says Kara Mitchell, a dietician and director of the Fitness Program at the Duke Health and Fitness Center in Durham, may well be your problem. “The biggest mis-conception for weight loss is that the more you deprive yourself, the more weight you lose. But that does…
Some recommended reading, viewing and listening, especially for those of you who have recently renewed your efforts to lose weight and get in shape. Reading “How to lose 10 Pounds in Your 30s, 40s and 50s,” Health.com. It’s not your imagination, losing weight becomes more of a challenge as you age. For one thing, your metabolism slows. For another … well, read the article. “Exercise Improves Fat Metabolism in Muscle…
Yesterday, we shared five of the top 10 — Well, pardon me, where’s my sense of propriety? Happy New Year, everyone! Now, what was I saying? Oh, yes … . — exercise trends for 2010, according to the American Council on Exercise. Today, five more. 1. Functional training workouts Functional training workouts will increase in variety, including popular Suspension Training® tools such as TRX. The portability and time-efficiency of these workouts…
Still searching for the perfect workout for 2010 (which starts tomorrow, btw)? Here are the top 10 fitness trends for 2010, according to a survey by the American Council on Exercise. Time and money appear to play a key role in how we’ll be exercising in the year ahead. “Consumers will really look to maximize their workout results while maintaining a close eye on their budgets this year,” ACE Chief…
Got a coffee shop addiction? I do. I’m in one at least once a day. Fortunately, my addiction is straight up caffeine, my delivery system of choice: the Americano. I say “fortunately” because, caffeine aside, you can get in a lot of trouble in your neighborhood coffee shop. Walking into my local Carribou a few minutes ago I picked up their “Beverage Nutrition Guide: On The Trail to Better Health,”…
I’m weak, I could stand to lose 22 pounds and I have the agility of an 80-year-old (I’m 53). I paid $324 for this? On Christmas Day, the Wii Fit entered our home, storming in with the attitude of a boot camp sergeant none-too-happy with its new recruits. It told the 11-year-old she was teetering on being overweight (she’s nowhere near: she eats better than any kid I know and…