Leisure Fitness Equipment

Shape Up Safely for Summer

May 16th, 2012 by dsivak

Article by Abc-7.com– Recommended by Dana Sivak, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

Being healthy and losing weight are not only about crash diets, clothing sizes and numbers on the scale, experts say. Incorporating fitness into your life can boost your confidence and make you feel better inside and out, said the experts, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

“Start by throwing away all clothing catalogs with skinny models in skimpy bikinis on the front,” Beth Kitchin, assistant professor of nutrition sciences, said in a university news release. “Then buy a bathing suit that flatters your shape. Going to extremes for weight loss leads to yo-yo dieting and makes you feel bad about yourself.”

“The goal is to be a healthy size for you, so focus your attitude and energy on becoming the best version of yourself and enjoy the journey to health,” added Lauren Whitt, wellness coordinator at the university.

The UAB experts said it’s important to shape up for summer safely, and offered the following tips on how to reach your weight-loss goals:

Smash Your Stress: It’s no secret that stress beats up your body.

May 14th, 2012 by hseador

Article by MensHealth.com – Recommended by Hannah Seador, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

But is the way you deal helping you—or hurting you?

YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD TAKE A FEW DEEP BREATHS WHEN you feel stressed. Instead you inhale a doughnut”(or five). Strange? Not at all. Your strained brain craves instant gratification, often in the form of a quick fix like food or alcohol, says James Herman, Ph.D., a neuroscientist at the University of Cincinnati. “These things activate reward pathways while quieting the amygdala—the emotional, overwrought area of your brain.”

The trouble with the Krispy Kreme cure—besides the inevitable risk of obesity and the powdered sugar on your neckties—is that it’s really just a stress Band-Aid. In the long term you may feel more mentally steamrolled than ever. And when your psyche suffers, so does your body. In fact, in a new Oregon State University study, researchers found that chronically stressed middle-aged men were almost 50 percent more likely to die during an 18-year period than those who experienced fewer stressful events. Which of these guys do you want to be?

Good choice.

Now follow this plan for replacing your current so-called coping strategies with techniques that’ll feel like a shiatsu massage for your mind.

Build Muscle for Better Health: Strength training is about more than getting buff

May 8th, 2012 by hseador

Article by WebMD.com, Recommended by Hannah Seador, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

We all know how important cardiovascular exercise is — how it’s great for your heart, cholesterol, and blood pressure. And whether you choose to walk, bicycle, or jog, you know that any exercise that increases your heart rate helps you burn calories and melt away unwanted pounds.

But that’s only half the equation.

For a balanced fitness program, strength training is essential. It can slow the muscle loss that comes with age, build the strength of your muscles and connective tissues, increase bone density, cut your risk of injury, and help ease arthritis pain.

“Strength training is very important, not just for your muscles but for your bones,” says certified fitness trainer Debbie Siebers. “It’s preventative for [bone-thinning] osteoporosis and other problems.”

Yes, Running Can Make You High

May 7th, 2012 by egardiner

Article by nytimes.com, Recommended by Erin Gardiner, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

THE RUNNER’s HIGH: Every athlete has heard of it, most seem to believe in it and many say they have experienced it. But for years scientists have reserved judgment because no rigorous test confirmed its existence.

Yes, some people reported that they felt so good when they exercised that it was as if they had taken mood-altering drugs. But was that feeling real or just a delusion? And even if it was real, what was the feeling supposed to be, and what caused it?

Some who said they had experienced a runner’s high said it was uncommon. They might feel relaxed or at peace after exercising, but only occasionally did they feel euphoric. Was the calmness itself a runner’s high?

Often, those who said they experienced an intense euphoria reported that it came after an endurance event.

Hit the Surf With Beach Workouts

May 4th, 2012 by smitchell

Article by active.com, Recommended by Sara Mitchell, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

It’s that time of year when we all flock to the beaches. There’s nothing better than hanging out by the ocean, enjoying the sun, the surf and taking it easy. Believe it or not, this place we generally look to for a little relaxation can also be great place for a fun, calorie-burning and heart-pumping workout.

I’ve been teaching boot camp classes for 15 years now and love to take my clients at least once a month for an enjoyable little Gut Check “Hit the Surf” Workout. It breaks it up for me and makes it interesting and exciting for them. You may be asking yourself, “How can a boot camp-style workout be fun?”

Here’s how…

6 Reasons to Start Running

May 3rd, 2012 by ablandine

Article by Women’s Health Magazine, Recommended by Alexis Blandine, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

Though running may not cure everything, it’s been linked to all sorts of health benefits, emotional perks, and even disease prevention.

Here, six reasons to hit the road or hop on the treadmill during your next lunch break:

The Best Time for Your Workout

May 2nd, 2012 by lscheetz

Article by Lindsay Scheetz, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

What is the best time of day to work out?

These days, hardly anyone has a typical nine-to-five day at his or her job. Working night shifts, overtime, or from home are all common occurrences in today’s industrial world. Having errands to run and families to take care of outside of work makes people’s schedules even more different. The busier the day gets, the more difficult it can be to schedule time for physical activity. However, exercising is still important and should remain a top priority, even on a hectic day.

Planning a time to work out can ensure that exercise does happen. Setting aside time for a bike ride or a run will post a mental note, which will help you remember that you have committed to physical activity just like you committed to that meeting in the office at 10 a.m. Also, establishing a routine will promote the efficiency of your workout. Research conducted by the University of North Texas found that working out around the same time every day helps train the body to have the most energy for physical activity at that time.

Expert Calls It Hypergymnasia : Some Bulimics Found to Have Mania for Exercise

May 1st, 2012 by mgarlick

Article by www.articles.latimes.com

Recommended by Maeve Garlick, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

About a year ago, psychiatrist Adel Eldahmy began noticing an alarming trend among his patients with eating disorders–many were obsessed not only with food but with exercise.

As founder of the Long Beach Eating Disorders Clinic and Anorexics-Bulimics Anonymous, Eldahmy was familiar with the topic, but not with the twin symptoms.

The Truth About Exercise and Appetite

April 30th, 2012 by smitchell

Article by self.com Recommended by Sarah Mitchell, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

The formula for weight loss (exercise + diet = pounds off) sounds easy enough, but if it really were, we’d all look like Miss Svelte Stair Sprinter.

Exercise & Your Appetite: The Truth

Maybe you’ve heard the recent downer reports that exercise won’t make us thin because it makes us hungry, particularly for junk food. Or could be, you’ve noticed firsthand that you eat a lot more on gym days than on days off. Either way, it raises the question: If working out only sets us up to blow our diet, what’s the point?

Turn Up the Heat

April 27th, 2012 by smitchell

Article by active.com
Recommended by Sara Mitchell, Leisure Fitness – Wellness Outreach Team

“There are two things you must do every day in order to live a happy life: sweat and laugh,” offers Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, founder and owner of Golden Gate Yoga in Los Angeles.

If you practice hot yoga, you’re guaranteed to check at least one of these off your list just by walking in the door.

Running and yoga have become fast friends. Of the 7,255,000 runners in the United Sates, 36 percent also practice yoga—one of the highest rates of crossover activity, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers’ Association’s most recent participation study.

The same study shows that from 2008 to 2009, yoga grew 13.2 percent, and currently boasts 20 million participants, 76 percent of them women. In particular, hot yoga is hot. Try turning up the temp on your yoga practice to boost self-confidence, increase flexibility and prepare your body to run in mid-summer heat.

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