Getting Active

Indoor cycling may be viewed by some people as the latest fitness fad, but it’s been around for over twenty years. It has proven benefits and many advantages over other forms of exercise. The South African cyclist Johnny G is generally credited with starting the revolution in exercise classes using stationary bikes. Over the past couple of decades, the equipment has evolved from a machine with a heavy weighted flywheel and friction resistance into the sophisticated indoor cycling bikes available for use in gyms or to purchase for use at home. [Read more]

Staying at home all day may be a boring experience for most people, especially those who are used to going to the gym or practicing outdoor sports.  However, staying at home doesn’t mean you have to let go of your active lifestyle and spend most of the time sleeping. Instead of complaining about a sudden lifestyle change, get creative and you’ll find plenty of things to keep yourself busy at home. [Read more]

Jogging regularly places strain on bones and muscles. Over some time, your bones become stronger and can handle increased stress. Stronger bones are less likely to break or experience an injury. Jogging is especially beneficial for older adults who experience progressive loss of bone density. Stronger bones help to decrease the risk of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and other skeletal diseases. [Read more]

If you’ve ever begun to work out feeling stressed out, and felt nothing but positive feelings by the end of your workout, you aren’t alone. A study from Princeton University has found that getting exercise changes your brain chemistry. It enhances the release of a neurotransmitter called GABA, whose function, among other things, is to lower anxiety. [Read more]

Is it time to give your exercise routine a shot in the arm? If you’ve been following the same structured program so long that you can anticipate the next moves long before you work through the current ones, you may be overdue for a change. Fitness experts encourage variety if you want to continue to improve your fitness level. [Read more]

Good intentions to the contrary, nearly everyone faces a setback in their usual healthy exercise routine at one time or another. It could be the result of illness, overbooking in work or family obligations or a simple momentary lapse in commitment to the cause. Whatever the reason, there eventually comes a time when well-meaning individuals heed the call to ramp up their fitness program. [Read more]

As much as you might wish it to be otherwise, maintaining an ideal weight is a constant, vigilant effort for many people. Temptations abound and society generally provides a more than ample supply of both good and not-so-good options to tempt your palate. You may think your gym membership, positive mental attitude and meal tracking efforts are enough to manage your weight in a manner that works for you. [Read more]

At some point in life, many people recognize the need to lose weight, build muscle or otherwise attempt to recapture the youth and vitality that seems to be slipping away. Little wonder that there are numerous options at every turn to join in some established health and fitness program promising to change your life forever. [Read more]

It’s a common scenario: You start running because you hope to lose weight. When you get on the scale, however, you see that you are actually gaining weight. [Read more]

So you want to be healthier, lose some weight, get in shape. Before you rush out and buy a gym membership, you should consider the benefits of working out at home. [Read more]