Health and Fitness Blogs

Local 5K races are welcoming to all ages and abilities. Not only are they fun for a serious runner to challenge themselves to go fast, but they are also motivating for new runners, joggers, walkers, and even whole families to participate in. Local races are a great way to be involved in a community fitness event. Getting the whole family involved in fitness is a great idea. Not only does everyone benefit from the immediate benefits of exercise, but it also sets the stage for kids to establish their own healthy habits.

For over 2 years my wife has been asking me to go get my eyes checked because I apparently am always squinting when reading or working on my laptop. So in the spirit of health and wellness I decided that it was a perfect time to get it done and boy was I in for a surprise.

I had it happen again yesterday, as it does often. A client informed me that he is on a "strict diet" but we're not seeing any changes...

At the end of my step class I like to incorporate at least one or two strengthening exercises. Today we will finish with some exercises to strengthen our back! I think it is often an overlooked part of our fitness routine. We are so focused on flat stomachs and big biceps (not that spot conditioning is really effective anyway!). In the end we are really selling our own bodies short, that is why the movement in the fitness industry is now more towards "core" strengthening.

Over the years, I have discovered the importance of balance in my life. You may have heard the term “Body, Mind and Spirit” which means you should achieve good physical health, mental health, and spiritual health. It always seems that if one area is off in my life, it throws the entire balance off. In other words, I may go through a time when I am exercising daily and very focused on the physical. However, I may be struggling with negative thoughts or worry. On the other hand, I may have a great outlook on life and feel positive but I'm not getting my workout time in.

Thursday, March 24, 2011: www.meganmerchant.com I plan to run 3 days a week in April and practice P90X on off days. Below is my Day Two 5k Training Run, with notes only that differ from Day One. 40 F, Brooks shoes with inserts, gloves for my hands Sore spots: dorsal flexors (top of foot) and R hip, Ab Cramp at 1 ½ miles 5 AM: 200 mg Ibprofen (accident, I meant to grab my Levoxyl!) 5:30 AM: 8 oz water, 6 animal crackers 6000 Steps Total 6:25: Warm-Up 6:30: 2 miles ½ mile segments or ¼ mile hills (Down Up/Down Up/Up Down/Down Up)

Lots of people fail on a daily basis when it comes to staying motivated. There are a multitude of reasons why people get derailed, from lack of time, family, work, money and lack of sleep. I was recently talking with my good friend, Rachel. She mentioned that people have to "value" something for it to happen. Only then will they make it happen, no matter what the obstacles are. So, if you are among the many that want to workout, but can't seem to make it happen, ask yourself this question. "Do you think you will ever find ways to get motivated and stay motivated?

I apologize to those who are married to this old school exercise. What is the goal for barbell upright row? The most popular response is the shoulders. Well, that’s specific! Most people who perform upright rows have a goal of building their shoulders (maximum muscle hypertrophy) However, we have some muscles that retract the shoulder blades, elevate, depress, protract and flex, depending on the direction of resistance, body position, and path of motion.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete is what I feel like doing to the past week of my NONEXISTENT fitness life- I have not worked out at all since last Tuesday! a recent record of inactivity for me...NOW, It's time to RE-BOOT and get focused again. My ankle and bladder are both doing much better and overall I feel better the rest was worth it and very helpful. During the down time, I've made progress on my taxes. I'm hoping to have them completely done by the end of the week!

Hi everyone just wanted to give you an update on our Weight Loss Competition. We Began our 6 week class on February 28th, and are now in the middle of week 5. Everyone has done a great job and worked really hard. Its has been awesome for me to see how far everyone has come in the past 5 weeks. As of last weeks weigh in, our front runner for the most weight lost is at 14 pounds lost, with two closely behind at 10 pounds lost. We have had another weeks worth of workouts since and will be having another weigh in tonight to get the current weight loss numbers.