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Posts Tagged ‘healthy habits’
Exercise in Uproar
Recently, an article in a major media outlet has raised an important health question: Is exercise really an effective means for weight loss?
Jessica Lynn, H3 Director of Program Development has addressed this question with the following letter.
As a member and certified Health Fitness Specialist of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and a health and exercise professional, I can affirm that the answer is a resounding yes! A vast amount of research has definitively proven that exercise, when combined with a healthy diet, results in both weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight. ACSM just released an updated, evidence-based scientific position stand in early 2009 that proves these exact points.
Further, there is little evidence to the claim that exercising produces hunger so uncontrollable that it leads to weight gain. In fact, a recent study from the University of Pittsburgh proved just the opposite: overweight and obese women didn’t eat any more food after 40 minutes of exercise than they normally would when sedentary.
Exercise does require effort, and it does require self-control. But when these are combined to form a healthy lifestyle, the rewards are beyond substantial. Economically, expenditures are reduced (the recent Weight of the Nation conference reported that obesity accounts for some $147 billion in health care costs per year); and people lead more enjoyable, more energetic and happier lives.
Even for the non-overweight, exercise provides benefits that no single pill or prescription ever could. It treats and prevents numerous chronic conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, and even depression.
Exercise is a health tool we all need, regardless of our weight, and it is my sincere hope that the public takes its importance seriously. Further, advice about weight loss should come courtesy of a qualified health or fitness professional, instead of irresponsible articles that may not showcase the full realm of scientific facts surrounding the issue.
Sincerely,
Jessica Lynn
Director of Program Development, Hilton Head Health
Member/Certified Health Fitness Specialist, American College of Sports Medicine
Read the article here. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions about this topic!
You’re HOW Old?!
Another year has passed. If I’m lucky, there will be many more to count.
A birthday is about celebrating life – your life. Although many people think of birthdays (or either forget) as a reminder that they’re getting older, we should think of each year as a victory!
As an effort to create a world with less cancer and MORE birthdays, the American Cancer Society and the Culinary Institute of America teamed up to create a healthier birthday cake. A quote from ACS sums it up perfectly,
“Birthday cakes help people celebrate important milestones in meaningful ways. We see a significant opportunity to use the American Cancer Society’s new official birthday cake to inspire people to stay well and lead healthier lives through simple lifestyle changes.”
A healthy lifestyle is the key to reducing your risk of cancer, heart disease and other illnesses. By making small steps to live healthy, you will ultimately improve your chances to live a long and healthy life – and maybe even make it to 100 CAKES!
To make the ACS the official sponsor of your birthday, click here. (You can also download the winning cake recipe!)
I will take this day to celebrate my life and give thanks for my health – and even enjoy a slice of my own [healthier] birthday cake!
I Like to Move It, Move It
It’s a proven fact that music gets you moving! Not only does it help you move faster, but longer too.
A recent study showed that when listening to music, the subjects exercised 15 percent longer than when exercising in silence – shoot for 30 minutes and chances are you will go for 10 minutes more!
Download these songs from iTunes and GET MOVING!
DANCE, DANCE Playlist
- I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
- Just Dance – Lady Gaga
- SOS – Rihanna
- Ring the Alarm – Beyonce
- Right Round – Flo Rida
- Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
- Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
- Heartbreaker – Pat Benetar
- Rock That Body – Black Eyed Peas
- Fergalicious – Fergie
- I Know You Want Me – Pit Bull
- This is How a Heart Breaks – Rob Thomas
- With Love – Hillary Duff
- Beautiful – Akon
- Fire Burning – Sean Kingston
- So What – Pink
- Survivor – Destiny’s Child
- Sweet Dream – Beyonce
- Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
- I Hate This Part – The Pussycat Dolls
Breaking the Routine
Everyone has fallen victim to a routine. It’s easy to find something that works and continue to do it over and over again. The problem though is that you get bored and so do your muscles. After boredom sets in, motivation begins to drop. Not to mention your workouts become less effective. The key is to keep your muscles and your mind guessing. We encourage you to try new things and keep that dreaded word “routine” out of your vocabulary.
With this month’s Trainer’s Palette we begin a new video series that does just that. With each video, a new group of muscles will be worked using a variety of equipment. Changing equipment is a great way to add variety to any strength training program. This month’s video will focus on the Back and Biceps. We will show you different ways to train these muscle groups using dumbbells, a resistance band and a Fitball.
This is just the beginning of the Breaking the Routine video series. Join Adam Martin, H3 Fitness Director, as he takes you step-by-step through each move. So let’s fight boredom and try some new exercises!
*The Trainer’s Palette is a feature in our monthly e-newsletter, Living the Healthy Lifestyle. You can sign up to receive these emails here.
Shop With Me
Grocery stores can often be a bit daunting…and distracting. It can be difficult to find healthy options with all those brightly colored package labels and a multitude of tempting foods at every corner.
Here are just a few healthy staples that I often pick up that can add variety to your snacks and meals. Eating healthy does not mean you have to snack on celery sticks and bland frozen meals!
**Keep in mind these are simply alternatives that you can try, not in any way guidelines or recommendations.
Greek Yogurt:
How is it different than regular yogurt? Not only does it have a thick and creamy consistency, it is higher in protein (12-20g per serving). Thus, it keeps you fuller, longer and in my opinion, the texture is more satisfying. You can buy it sweetened or unsweetened and add in sugar, artificial sweetener and/or honey. You can even substitute the unsweetened Greek yogurt for sour cream!
Keep in mind:
-The yogurt fat content varies by percentage. Look out for 0% and 2% on the label.
-Brands include: Fage, Chobani, Oikos, Skyr.is
Hummus:
Hummus is a spread made from garbanzo beans (chic peas). Hummus has a high protein and fiber content, making it a good choice to use as a dip or spread on sandwiches. Look out for packaged hummus (above), fresh hummus, or make it at home!
Bagged Lettuce:
Don’t have time to make a salad? Get pre-washed bagged lettuce! It is pricier than buying, washing, and cutting lettuce heads, but it won’t cost you more than the price of a hamburger! Just chop up some of your favorite veggies and chicken strips (or tofu) and toss them in to the bowl.
Nut Butters:
Nut butters are a bit more calorie and fat-dense, but do not let that deter you. Nut butters are highly nutritious and satisfying. They are high in fiber and protein as well as a multitude of vitamins and minerals.
One caveat, you just have to make sure that’s all that is in the jar!
Grinding your own nut butter is a good way to ensure the only ingredient is nuts!
Non-Dairy Milk (Soy, Almond)
For those of you that are lactose intolerant or simply do not prefer cow’s milk, give soy milk or almond milk a try. It’s a great way to get the calcium your body needs as well as some good ol’ protein. Note: cow’s milk is perfectly fine, too!
The Bulk Section:
The bulk section is good for portion control. If there is something you want to eat but don’t want to purchase a whole box, see if it’s in the bulk section! You can get what you want and only pay for the amount you want. After you finish the portion—there won’t be anymore left. Stick with nuts and seeds for healthy options. Bulk sections are common in specialty grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market and The Fresh Market.
Back to the Bike
After a 10 year hiatus, I have rediscovered my love for biking. However, I must admit, it was a scary, heart-pounding journey. Several weeks ago, my fellow intern, Maggie, asked if I wanted to bike down to the beach with her during our break. I agreed thinking ‘it can’t be that hard to pick back up.’ After all, I biked every single day with my brother around the neighborhood…back in the day.
Boy was I wrong. I could have crawled at a faster pace than my biking speed. Maggie was practically biking in circles around me! My body head to toe was sweating, my heart was bursting out of my chest, and my forearms were stiff from grasping onto the handles for dear life.
Since that day, I have biked several times each week—to the beach, to the grocery store, around Shipyard Plantation. I still can’t believe it took me so much time to get back on a bike, but I’m sure glad I did.
If you are thinking of getting back on a bike for fitness, environmental and/or recreational reasons, here are some things that helped me get back to the bike:
1) The steering took some time to get used to, but it came back to me after a couple bike rides. Having to bike on the twisty paths in Shipyard on my first try was quite an experience!
2) Making sure my seat was adjusted to the right height. For the first couple of weeks I had been biking with my seat too low and my legs had been pedaling an awkward motion. See http://www.bicycletutor.com/adjust-seat for tips.
3) Biking with a friend that knew where the paths started/ended, could watch the stop lights while my heart pounded away, and watched for oncoming traffic (!!). Plus, biking with another person encouraged me to keep pedaling along rather than turning around and giving up.
4) Practice, practice, practice. After that first day, I thought I’d never get back on a bike again. That was enough stress to last several weeks! But I didn’t let my horrible biking skills keep me away. It was challenging for me but I figured it would be an excellent way to cross train, enjoy the warm weather/outdoors, relieve stress, and exercise on the beach.
So, if you have been meaning to get back on your bike, I encourage you to go get it out of your garage/storage room and get pedaling! If anything, it’ll help you save some [expensive] gas!
Move Your Bum[mer] This Summer!
Summertime is the perfect time to get a jumpstart on (or continue living) a healthy lifestyle. The weather is warm, the pool is open, people are outside, and the sun is shining. It’s the perfect season to get active outdoors, play with your kids/pets, eat delicious and nutritious food, and try new activities! Here are just a few suggestions. I challenge you to check off 3!
- Bike to the park, around town, to the grocery store, to work, etc.
- Go rollerblading
- Play a round of golf
- Hand wash your car
- Do some gardening
- Mow the lawn
- Go on a hike
- Play catch
- Go shopping (leave your wallet at home if you don’t want to spend $$)
- Make a bookshelf
- Do an outdoor workout with your family, group of friends or neighborhood (Check back next week for a no-equipment-needed workout routine with photos!).
- Teach your kids some outdoor games (i.e. hopscotch, freeze tag, red light green light)
- Pack a picnic lunch instead of going out to eat
What are some ideas that you have come up with for staying active outdoors? Share it with us by making a comment!
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