STRENGTH TRAINING MADE EASY Often enough, you’ve heard that us older adults need to engage ourselves in both aerobic (cardio) activities and strength (resistance) training workouts. For me the aerobic activities such as walking, jogging, biking, and swimming are more fun and I look forward to doing at least one of these every day. Strength training, on the other hand, is more of a challenge and I have to make myself perform a dose of these exercises a couple of times a week. On that note, I began looking around for a simple at-home routine that most of us could...
BEST DIETS RANKINGS FOR 2019 BY U.S. NEWS I’ve been away on vacation this past week. Instead of writing my regular weekly feature, I’m taking the opportunity to post this article and lists from a January 2, 2019 U.S. News article titled U.S. News Reveals Best Diets Rankings for 2019 Washington, D.C. – As many Americans resolve to become more invested in their health and wellness in the New Year, U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today released its annual assessment of the year’s Best Diets. In addition to rankings, the Best Diets...
PHOSPHATE ADDITIVES: ANOTHER REASON TO AVOID PROCESSED & FAST FOODS Recent studies suggest that inorganic phosphate may be a reason why Americans are exercising less and becoming more sedentary. Phosphorous is a mineral that’s naturally found in protein-rich foods including dairy, meat, fish, nuts and eggs. Your body needs phosphorus to help your kidneys, bones and muscles function properly Phosphate, however, is an inorganic (non-natural) derivative of phosphorus that’s often added to packaged meats, bottled drinks and fast foods as emulsifiers, to add color or to increase shelf life. New Laboratory Studies Here are excerpts from the January 7, 2019...
HOW’S YOUR FUNCTIONAL FITNESS? There are a variety of different workouts in which you can partake. Some are for strength training, some for aerobic (cardio), others for flexibility and balance like yoga & tai chi. And then there are workouts for what is called functional fitness. These exercises focus on your ability to perform everyday-life activities such as carrying groceries, getting up from the floor, walking up and down stairs, or opening heavy doors. Functional fitness exercises train your muscles to work together as in daily tasks at home or work or play. Examples of these are: A Squat, because...
TAI CHI MIGHT BE THE PERFECT SENIOR EXERCISE While traveling around China four years ago, we often came upon groups of people in public parks practicing tai chi. This was usually early in the morning and was mostly older adults who all looked like they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. A couple of times I was beckoned to join in but I’ve never tried this form of exercise and, honestly, it looked difficult with all the different moves these folks were flowing through. I likened it to learning a new many-movements slow-motion dance. I’ve meant to take tai chi classes since...
CBD—SHOULD YOU TRY IT? CBD or cannabidiol has become the hottest thing on the market. I attended the Fit Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center in January and there must have been 15 booths selling CBD in one or more forms including creams, oils, tinctures, roll-ons and pills. It’s in shampoos, foot creams, hand lotions, even special mixes for pets. I ended up buying a CBD cream to see if it would soothe the hip pain I have now and again. I’ve been trying it at home and it seems to work—although there’s always the placebo effect. In fact,...
FIT IN FITNESS IN YOUR TRAVELS You just might be planning some fun trips over the next few months. Or you might be traveling for business. In either case, there’s no reason you can’t keep up on your fitness. A combination of planning ahead and determination to put in some workout or exercise time into your travels should do it. Here are some tips: Pack for Workouts Before your travels, research to see if your hotel has a fitness facility. Also, if your trip is in the US and you belong to a fitness organization like 24 Hour Fitness or...
ALMONDS — THE CLOSE-TO-PERFECT NUT Almonds are terrific! They taste great, are perfectly portable, can be used in so many ways, and are extra healthy. I buy Trader Joe’s “Just a handful of Raw Almonds” packets, which contain thirteen 1.25 oz bags. And then, every day, one-by-one I pop these crunchy and tasty nuts as my mid-morning snack. Researching almonds for this post, I found a number of things I didn’t know about them including: We call them nuts, but an almond is actually the edible seed of a drupe, a fruit in which the outer layers are usually not...
AEROBIC VS. ANAEROBIC EXERCISE Aerobic and anaerobic describe the two methods your body uses to provide energy during your workouts. I think that many of us prefer one kind of exercise over the other. I know that I’d rather jog or bike (aerobic exercise) than lift a heavy barbell (anaerobic exercise), while you may rather lift weights than head out on foot or wheels. In aerobic exercise, also called cardio exercise, your body stays in a moderate to somewhat difficult exertion zone for a sustained period of time. In this zone your body fuels activity by utilizing inhaled oxygen to...
WHOLE GRAINS—WHOLESOME YET FLAVORFUL I keep reading that we should eat three or more servings of whole grains daily as part of a healthy diet. So, I began looking into what is considered a “serving” and also what exactly is considered whole grain. Well, I found that I haven’t been eating 3 servings daily. Have you? Here are examples of just 1 serving: ½ cup cooked brown rice or other cooked grain ½ cup cooked whole-grain pasta ½ cup cooked oatmeal 1 slice whole grain bread 1 cup whole grain ready-to-eat cereal Here’s the skinny on what is considered...
