Giving Your Feet Comfort When Working Out

Wearing the right shoes for your work out is just as important as working out in itself, therefore we must be aware of the options in proper attire for each exercise.

If you're one that enjoys aerobics, kickboxing, step or other high impact type workouts then you need to make sure that you have shoes that support those given activities. You must look for shoes that provide great forefoot cushioning, as well as stability and shock absorption.

If you're into strength training, including cardio type work outs, then you'll need good crosstraining shoes. They should be lightweight, durable and offer stability with moderate amount of cushioning.

Those that enjoy running, jumping, athlectic training or working out with a trainer need cushioning shoes that can support heavy pounding along with start-stop activitiy.

Lastly, if you rather walk, bike or hike then you're suggested to purchase shoes that allow for excellent roll through and ankle support.

Some suggestions for shoes are:

1. Asics Gel Kayano XII Stability Running Shoe Womens - great for running, bootcamp, athletic training and other pounding activities

2. Ryka N-Gage Studio Fitness Shoe Womens - recommended for kickboxing, step, aerobics, fitness dvds and ther high impact later movements

3. Merrell Passage Ventilater [Women's] - exellent for light trail running, day hiking

4. Adidas Supernova Competition 2005 - great for group classes, strength training, walking and court sports

5. Puma Alycea Yoga & Pilates Fitness Shoe Womens - suggested for those with sensitive feet

An important factor in working out and purchasing shoes is to know exactly how often to replace them and rotating pairs depending on the amount of time you spend working out.

According to BellaOnline, "the best way to extend the life of your shoes is to rotate through several pairs. If you use your workout shoes 4-5 days a week and rotate them between 2 or 3 pairs of shoes you can expect to replace shoes every 7 months."

Typically the more often you work out in one given pair of shoes, the more often you should purchase new ones, as the shock absorbancy changes and makes working out uncomfortable.

I felt that pain first hand, which was not a pleasant thing to have to deal with. I was one, like most us, that would buy work out shoes just because they looked good, but of course that doesn't always been that they'll be the most comfortable shoes.

I always loved my Nike Shox, but learned very quickly that they weren't going to give me the support I needed to use the treadmill or the elliptical, so I switched to New Balance. My feet no longer ache after working out, but rather I feel like I had a great run and focused more on that than on my feet.

Let me know what shoes work best for you, by leaving comments below.

Tips on Cutting Out 100 [or more] Calories

In case you guys haven't noticed... I live at the gym and I'm always reading the health magazines that are laying around. I was running on the treadmill and was reading a few articles in the latest Shape magazine and so I decided to check out the site for additional information.

The Eat Right section had some pretty helpful tips regarding ways to cut out calories.

Some of the tips suggested:

1. Leave several bites of your meal on your plate.

2. Skin your chicken after cooking it.

3. Blend your smoothie for roughtly five minutes.

4. Eat your sandwiches and burgers with one slice of bread instead of two.

5. Order a cup of soup as an appetizer.

6. Swap a chocolate bar [235 calories] for a glass of light chocolate soy milk [120 calories].

7. Use butter-flavored nonstick spray rather than a tablespoon of margarine or butter when
cooking.

8. Order a white-wine spritzer [80 calories] rather than a mixed drink [roughly 180 calories].

9. Spike foods with hot sauce or chili pepper, as they may help in curbing your appetitie.

10. Hold the cheese. When adding it to a salad, sprinkle only a tablespoon of grated part-skim
mozzarella [36 calories].

11. Have the miso soup [28 calories] vs having the green salad [260 calories] when eating at a
sushi restaurant.

12. Try poached eggs instead of fried, lean Canadian bacon vs regular bacon or a fruit salad in place of home fries.

13. Top salads with a half cup of crunchy celery rather than a quarter cup of croutons.

14. At a Chinese restaurant, ask your server to take away the bowl of crispy noodle strips.

15. Ditch the maple syrup and top your pancakes or waffles, with a dusting of confectioners' sugar and cinnamon or a tablespoon of low-sugar jam.


Try out these few tips and see the pounds melt off.

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2007

The key message for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2007 “be comfortable in your genes. Wear jeans that fit the REAL you,” is the message that National Eating Disorders Week is trying to get across.

The event, which is in its 20th year, will focus on the fact that body size and shape are strongly influenced by biological factors [genetics] along with the development of eating disorders.

We've all, both men and women, have struggled to get back into those clothes that once made us feel our best, but in all seriousness, it is quite difficult to accomplish. For that simple reason, many people turn to eating disorders, which risk so much of their lives, including family and friends who see them suffering.

NEDAW site put it best by stating, "while you can adopt a healthy lifestyle and aim to be fit for your particular body type, you cannot change your genes."

Statiscally speaking, roughly 75% of American women are dissatisfied with their physical appearance.

Sadly enough, eating disorders don't only take place amongst adults.

"51% of 9- and 10-year olds feel better about themselves if they are on a diet," reported NEDAW. "50% of 9- and 10-year olds have dieted.By age 16, 45% are crash dieting, 40% are fasting and 15% are taking diet pills."

NEDAW mission is, "to eliminate eating disorders by promoting positive image and self-esteem and by discouraging unhealthy dieting behaviors, drive for thinness, and body dissatisfaction. We encourage you to listen to your body and celebrate what it does for you!"

Some of the most common eating disorders are: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

"Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss," as defined by National Eating Disorders Association.

Some signs of anorexia nervosa are:

• Dramatic weight loss.
  



• Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting.
  



• Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, etc.).
  



• Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss.
  



• Anxiety about gaining weight or being “fat.”
  



• Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.
  



• Excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury--the need to “burn off” calories taken in.
  

Additional information regarding eating disorders and how to get involved with the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week can be found on their link.

Great Snacks that are Under 200 Calories

Dieting can be a very difficult thing to do, especially for those of us that are constantly on the go. The idea of having to eat every few hours to keep up your metabolism and yet keep down the caloric intake is hard to get used to.

I know I don't have the time to eat as often as I should, and if I do, I don't have access to the right foods at all times.

iVillage posted some helpful ideas for snacks for those that are trying to keep the calories down while losing weight and eating healthy.

One recommendation was to have 8 ounces of nonfat yogurt with 1/2 cup of mixed berries. It may not sound like the best snack, but if has both the dairy and the sweetness of berries to cure that sugar craving.

Another suggestion is to have 2 slices diet whole wheat bread with 1 cup sliced raw or cooked veggies of choice and 1 ounce sliced nonfat cheese. This snack is under 200 calories and you get grains, dairy and vegetables.

Finally there was the idea of having 1 Nature Valley Chewy Trail Mix Bar. Nature Valley's Chewy Trail Mix Bars will boost your energy levels in addition to being low-cal.

These are of course just a few suggestions to snacking that are easy/quick to make, healthy and perfect for those of us that think dieting has to be bland.

Snack away.

Dreaded Mirrors at the Gym

Have you ever really taken notice of the gyms you've visited and how some have mirrors on just about every wall, whereas others have few scattered around?

Which one do you prefer? Which is more encouraging?

I personally enjoy the mirrors, but only in the free weight area, for the simple fact that I'm able to look at my posture and make sure that I'm doing the exercise correctly. Other than that, mirrors in the gym are a bit of a discouragement.

According to a study reported in a Health Psychology, "women who exercised in front of a mirror for 20 minutes felt less energized, less relaxed and less upbeat and positive than women who exercised without a mirror."

The study, which was performed by the McMaster University, also found that "women who didn't exercise with a mirror felt less physically exhausted after a workout, while those who did their workout in front of a mirror reported no change in their levels of exhaustion."

Not much else was discussed regarding this study, but this is something I've talked about with friends and family members who work out on a regular basis.

According to WellBridge.com, "health clubs typically use mirrors predominantly in group exercise and personal training studios where they are used primarily to aid in instruction and provide visual feedback for the participant to help him/her attain correct form."

Scienceblog.com put it best when they stated, "certainly if a woman leaves the gym feeling even worese than when she arrived, she will not be particularly motivated to continue exercising in the future."

My friend Kathy believes that was the case when she first starting working out. "I used to be running on the treadmill and not like what I was looking at. I eventually had to just train myself not to look at the mirror when I was working out, unless it was during a class I was taking. I understand gyms want to have mirrors around, or maybe they're required, but it is quite a distraction."

Which way do you prefer to work out?

Leave your thoughts by clicking on the comments link below.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Posture Improving Work Outs

After working a long 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. job of course your back is going to hurt and you're going to feel sluggish, but that all can be corrected.

I know I've done the whole sitting at the end of my chair so as to get closer to the keyboard and stretching over my desk to get a hold of the mouse which eventually does give me an uncomfortable feeling.

What most of us don't realize is that working out your core muscles helps in improving your overall posture, thus less pains at the end of the day.

Sun-Sentinel posted an article in reference to such an issue with suggested exercises, which if practiced on a regular basis can make a big difference.

The first exercise mentioned was the Warrior 1 Yoga Pose, which stretches out the hip flexor muscles.

Step forward into a lunge with hips facing forward. Draw in your abdominal muscles toward your spine, sink your hips down and straighten your back leg while ligting your chest. Keep each leg extended for 20 seconds and repeat two or three times.

The Supermans exercise helps build lower and upper back muscles.

A stability ball [which can be purchased at Target] is needed for this exercise, as you will be sitting on the ball with both feet on the floor and your knees bent to make a 90-degree angle. Lie on the ball, facing down, with your legs outstretched and your arms in front of you. Position yourself so that you are still able to lift the weights that will be on the floor in front of you.

Take a deep breath in and while exhaling, draw your shoulder blades together and down. Lift the dumbbells off the floor and begin to lift your chest up off the ball. Lift yourself as high as you can and then lower yourself back down to the starting position. Repeat this move 10-15 times.

The last one mentioned was leg lifts, which is perfect for your abdominal muscles.

For this one you'll be required to lie on the floor with your legs straight up in the air. Place your hands behind your head with your elbows pointed out. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor and maintain this position for the entire exercise.

While breathing in, slowly lower your legs to 45-degrees [or until you begin to feel your lower back come off the floor]. While breathing in, bring your legs back up to the starting position by pulling in your abdominal muscles. Repeat this move 10-15 times.

These exercises, along with others, will assist you in having that proper office posture which will making working that much easier.

Try them out and let me know how they work for you.

Importance of Water

We've all heard the, "drink eight cups of water every single day," line, but do we all really understand the importance of water and why we must drink that amount ?!

Water cleanses the body of the toxins we consume within our meals, flushing out all the other things our bodies aren't using.

It's essential to drink water every day for the simple fact that we must stay hydrated. Those that are constantly on the go or working out for longer amounts of time require more water than others, which is easily understandable.

The harder you work out the faster your body is working and thus the more water it requires to repair the body and remain hydrated.

An important rule when drinking water is to remember that you must continously drink. Although you may feel as though you've had enough, keep drinking.

Bodybuilding.com has a water calculator that estimates the amount of water [in ounces] that you could be consuming based on your weight. Check it out and see if you've been drinking the right amount.

Many of us, including myself, have belived that the more water you consume the more bloated you'll feel. Apparently that is not the case. If you are not consuming the right amounts of water, your body will hold onto what it already has and use it in less amounts throughout the day.

The more you consume the faster your metabolism works, thus eliminating that bloated feeling, and burning more calories in a single day.

There's a section on the site that gives you tips on staying hydrated, which are quite easy to do.

Tips to Staying Hydrated

* Drink less amounts of water more frequently

* Drink cold beverages to cool your core body temperature and reduce sweating

* Carry a water bottle with you at all times to make sure you drink the amounts that are required for your body

* Start and end your day with water

I used to think that drinking eight cups of water was going to be difficult, but I've gotten myself to drink more than that and I love it.

Actually, a friend and I were talking the other day and she stated, "I used to force myself to drink water, but now I feel worse when I don't drink enough. I've noticed a change in my skin and I feel refreshed from drinking so much."

Good luck, drink up and notice the changes.

Trainer Suggested

It's always been a wonder to me why women desire to lose weight and men want to gain it. Turns out it's not just about gaining pounds for the sake of being big, but for the fact that men want to turn those pounds into muscle. They desire to have larger biceps and triceps, more defined ab muscles and stronger legs.

My male friends are forever on that scale getting all excited at the fact that they gained another few pounds and are getting closer to their weight goal. They are constantly taking supplements, protein shakes, energy bars, eating meal after meal after meal just to get those numbers even higher.

One of the trainers at the gym has recommended several of my friends to check out a site called bodybuilding.com, which offers meal suggestions, exercises and supplements for both men and women and lists contests for those who want a bit of motivation.

There's an exercise section that offers suggestions on working out the back, neck, shoulders, lower back and more.

The supplement section is broken down into: fat loss, general health, immune function and muscle building to name a few. No matter what your goal is, there are supplments, including vitamins, that are listed for you to check out and purchase.

The site is pretty intense when it comes to finding exactly what you want in your fitness routines and the types of results one is looking for. I'm not looking to get bigger, but there are various areas that I found interesting and thought you might enjoy too.

If you're looking to lose or gain weight, define, gain strength or just maintain, the site covers everything you need to know about fitness and nutrition.

Enjoy your work out!

Working Out Yoga Style

My best friend has been trying to get me to try yoga for the longest time, but I've never really gotten into it.

Actually, I'm skeptical on the idea that just laying on a rug and moving your body into some odd positions, could be a serious way of working out.

Being that I'm at the gym just about every night of the week, I have plenty of time to search through all the Shape and Fitness magazines for the latest suggestions on exercises and getting into shape. Therefore, through flipping the pages, I landed upon YogaFit and decided to check out the link.

Turns out YogaFit was started back in 1994 by Beth Shaw. Shaw started practicing yoga in 1989, but soon discovered that the key points to teaching, and learning yoga, in a health club setting.

In order to get a larger crowd of attendants, "she eliminated the Sanskrit names of the postures and avoided the oming and chanting sometimes associated with traditional yoga practices. YogaFit was born," stated the site.

YogaFit was designed to improve the health, performance of athletes or individuals interested in improving their level of fitness. It blends balance, strength, flexibility and power in a fitness format, while still being enjoyable.

YogaFit overcomes the mystery of yoga by delivering a practical, user-friendly style which is doable by individuals at any level of fitness.

Another great benefit of yoga is that it reduces the risk of injury, and increases the recovery for ailments such as stress, lower back pain and tension.

YogaFit's site provides additional videos and equipment for someone who's looking forward to taking up yoga. I think that anyone who's interested would find the link quite interesting.

Wish me luck as I step outside of my normal work out routine and try this whole yoga thing.

The 5 Factor Diet

I was at the gym the other night and was reading through Us Weekly when I came across the Diet Special section. I love gossip magazines and working out so I kept on reading.

Turns out that there are a few new diets that Hollywoods famous faces are using to either lose some excess pounds or keep in shape.
One that was mentioned several times was The 5 Factor Diet. The book, which can be found at Amazon.com, has been used by celerities such as Katherine Heigl and Eva Mendes.

The program was created by celebrity trainer and diet specialist Harley Pasternak, author of 5-Factor Fitness.

The 5 Factor Diet consists of 5 small meals a day, 100+ great recipes with 5 or fewer ingredients, and just 5 minutes to make.

The concept of the plan is quite simple and is broken down into five parts – a five day a week fitness plan, eating five meals a day, all within the five basic food groups to wrap your diet around, all lasting a total of 5 weeks.

The only downside to this diet is that there isn't too much information out about it, because it's so new. I've come across it in several magazines so it is getting out into the public.

The positives to it is that it's a simple to follow program and recipes are included.

We couldn't ask for a better diet plan!

Enjoy!

American Heart Association and "Start!"

According to Health Central, "each year, 1.2 million Americans suffer a heart attack. In fact, cardiovascular disease and stroke claim 870,000 lives each year, making it the No. 1 killer."

Because Americans are working longer hours and many lack physical activity, they are at a greater risk for heart disease and stroke.

The American Heart Association has started a program called "Start!", which encourages workers and their corporations to participate in physical fitness in the workplace.

The campaign focuses on walking, for the simple fact that walking is easily accessible and free.

A pretty interesting fact that I found was that, "adults gains two hours of life expectancy for each hour of regular exercise," according to the American Heart Association.

"Start!" is built upon four key elements:

MyStart Online: an online fitness and nutrition calculator

The "Start!" Fit-Friendly Companies Recognition Program: cites employers that champion the health of their employees

The "Start!" Walking Program: encourages walking at work

The "Start!" Heart Walk: fundraiser that combines walking with raising money to fight heart disease and stroke

Anyone interested in joining "Start!" can fill out their online application here.

Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

Super Bowl Sunday is FINALLY here! For the past week all you've heard about was the upcoming game and everyone's plans for the big night. Of course there are going to be burgers, hot dogs, chips, salsa and plenty of beer at just about every party.

The thing to keep in mind is that enjoying the big game doesn't mean you have to just munch on the greasy foods. There are healthy snack options for the celebration.

The post-gazette gave some awesome suggestions for party snacks such as serving baked potato chips to save on fat grams. Placing a fruit salad with a variety of berries is great for those that want to pass up the chips and enjoy some refreshing watermelon or strawberries.

Bowls of nuts are also a great snack and are packed with protein.

iVillage listed 15 Suggestions for a Healthy Super Bowl Party such as: ordering pizza without the cheese and adding vegetables, use low-fat microwave popcorn and more which can be found on their site.

Have fun watching the game and of course... GO BEARS!

Exercising Outdoors

Living in South Florida definitely has its perks, with the great weather and beautiful scenery being at the top of the list. Therefore, working out out doesn't have to always take place in a gym or in the middle of our living rooms.

There are a variety of parks in South Florida that service not just baseball and soccer fields, but also tracks and nature trails. There are playgrounds for children to run around at, as well as open fields to throw a football around.

John Prince Park, located in Lake Worth, has options of a nature trail, golf and baseball training center, batting cages, tennis courts, softball fields, a playground, a five-mile bike path and exercise trail to name a few of its amenities.

Okeeheelee Park, in West Palm Beach, is popular for its BMX bicycle-racing track and also features a golf course, tennis courts, plenty of sports fields (softball, soccer, football, rugby), a nature center, volleyball court, exercise course, water-skiing and nature trails.

Snyder Park, located in Fort Lauderdale, holds areas for in-line skating, basketball courts, sanded volleyball courts and a dog park.

These are just three of the Top ten parks in South Florida. Check out the link to see what other parks are in your area for you and your friends/family to enjoy.