Hiring a personal trainer might be your best option to reach optimal fitness results. It may also make more sense if you have a hectic schedule and need some extra motivation to get to the gym. However, if you're not used to working out and feel like you're being pushed to the point of passing out, or if you have an injury, when should you skip your personal training sessions? Is there ever a time you should look for a different personal trainer if you feel yours isn't keeping your best interest...
Aug 18, 2015
If you've recently joined a gym, you might have some questions about how safe it is. Not just safety in terms of how stable the equipment is or the overcrowding of a fitness class, but also feeling safe in the company of the people surrounding you. The gym is usually a place where people like to go to relieve stress, tension, and escape from the hectic day. That becomes a bit more difficult if you feel uncomfortable about using certain equipment or if someone is side-eying you from across the we...
Aug 18, 2015
Even though staying hydrated is important throughout the year, it's even more crucial during the summer months. Should be easy enough, right? Just consume enough water throughout the day. If you're outside all day, or exercising in the summer heat, does that mean you need to drink even more water? Or, are sports drinks like Gatorade a better option, since they replace the electrolytes you've lost through sweating? What truly is the best way to stay hydrated? Lewis Maharam, MD, shares the best wa...
Aug 04, 2015
Running or exercising outside can be a great way to avoid workout burnout while boosting your overall health. However, when it's humid, hot and the sun is beating down on your skin, it can pose some serious risks. Not only do you face potential sunburn, but also a risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, as well as dehydration. How can you stay hydrated all throughout your race day? Lewis Maharam, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss proper hydration for your summer races....
Aug 04, 2015
When you're trying to lose weight, or if you're trying to feel better about your health, trying to change your diet can be difficult. Not only are you used to eating a certain way, but you may have strong cravings for sugars, fats, and carbs that you never experienced before. However, healthier eating may be easier than you thought. A new report analyzed 112 studies that collected information about healthy eating behaviors and found that most healthy eaters did so because a restaurant, grocery s...
Jul 28, 2015
When you think of stress, you may think of all the negative consequences that come with it and the damage it can have on your health. However, reacting positively to stressful situations may play a key role in long-term health. In fact, some believe you need a little stress in order to live. How can you learn to react positively when in stressful situations? John P. Higgins, MD, MBA, discusses how a little stress might not be so bad, and how you can learn to change your attitude toward stressful...
Jul 28, 2015
Do you ever find yourself thinking there's so many exercise options that you don't know which one to do, so you just stick to the same workout and end up dreading it? A big reason that you might find it difficult to sustain a physically active life is because you might be too ambitious and try to do too much in the beginning. Like brushing your teeth every day, the real key to sustaining self-care and a physically active life is being consistent. Why is consistency better than quantity when it c...
Jul 21, 2015
Making a commitment to get (and stay healthy) can feel like a job. You may have to force yourself to go to the gym, because you know it's beneficial to your health that you do. But, instead of dreading your time on the machines, you might be able to find a way to make exercise fun so you will actually want to go. How can you make exercise fun? Listen in as Michelle Segar, PhD, shares how you can make exercise fun and still get the weight loss results you want....
Jul 21, 2015
Staying active may be a huge priority in your life. Even if you've made routine trips to your gym and attended numerous fitness classes, you may start to wonder if you could be doing something more . Fitness ruts are common, and they can make your fitness goals that much harder to reach. You may also have questions about fitness classes versus a personal trainer, machines versus free weights versus your own body weight. Listen in as Neal Pire and Grace Desimone join host Melanie Cole, MS, to she...
Jul 14, 2015
If your doctor has told you that you should start exercising, and you've never really exercised before, it's understandable if you don't know where to start. Depending on your age and fitness level, you may not be able to jump into a fast-paced exercise routine right away. If fitness is something new in your vocabulary, there are certainly questions to consider. What should you be looking for in a gym? What type of exercises should you be doing? And, how do you spur that motivation to get starte...
Jul 14, 2015
With summer in full swing, you might have already attended a few outdoor picnics and BBQs. With the sweltering heat from the powerful sun beating down, do you know which foods are safe to be kept outside? For instance, how long can your mayonnaise-based potato salad be left out for guests to enjoy? Listen in as Felicia Stoler, PhD joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss summer food safety tips that you and your family should follow while attending parties and other outdoor events....
Jul 07, 2015
Now that summer has arrived, you might have noticed the produce section looking colorful, fresh, and ample. There are so many yummy choices to pick from throughout the entire summer. But, specifically during July you might want to try out these foods: Figs Peaches Cherries Rhubarb Peas What are some other foods you should buy in July? Listen in as Dr. Felicia Stoler shares the top five foods you should be eating during this hot summer month....
Jul 07, 2015
If you're someone who's always looking to take your fitness to the next level, or if you're looking for a new fitness goal, why not consider the senior games? Originating in St. Louis, MO, back in 1985, the senior games strives to promote a healthy lifestyle for adults through education, sport, and fitness. The games include a 19-sport, biennial competition for both men and women that are over the age of 50. How can you participate? Pam Peeke, MD, shares who can participate in the senior games, ...
Jun 30, 2015
You obviously already know how old you are, but does that number match up to your fitness age? Whether you make frequent trips to your gym, or engage in daily physical activities, you may be wondering how fit you really are. Your fitness age is determined by your VO2max, which is your body's ability to take in and utilize oxygen. Your VO2max indicates your current cardiovascular endurance level and can be used to compare your personal fitness level with people that are the same age. Unfortunatel...
Jun 30, 2015
As a society, getting the right amount of quality sleep at night has become a serious problem. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic. You might have noticed the damaging effects loss of sleep has on your health, including grogginess, memory loss, irritability, hormone inbalance, increased risk of obesity, and other serious health issues. You may already know what you should be doing to get better sleep at night: dimmi...
Jun 23, 2015
Asthma occurs when you have inflammation in your air passages that results in the narrowing of the airways that transport oxygen from your nose and mouth to your lungs. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current number of adults suffering from asthma is 18.7 million. If you're someone who has asthma, you might think that exercise would worsen your symptoms. However, certain types o...
Jun 23, 2015
Osteoporosis is a disease that occurs when your bones lose their density, become fragile and are more likely to break or fracture. Even though both men and women can develop osteoporosis, women are more likely to suffer from the condition. This is because after menopause, women produce lower levels of estrogen, which is an essential hormone for protecting your bones. How can exercise prevent osteoporosis? Research has shown that you can preserve your bone health by participating in physical acti...
Jun 16, 2015
Everyone has different "personal space" needs, and some people need to have more space than others. This is especially true if you're working out in a group fitness class or having a one-on-one session with a personal trainer. What's the proper etiquette for maintaining personal space between you and your personal trainer or fitness instructor? Fitness experts, Grace Desimone and Neal Pire, join Health Radio to discuss professional etiquette when it comes to your personal space....
Jun 16, 2015
In such a crazy and on-the-run society, it can seem like you're juggling several tasks throughout each day. This might make it seem like your time is focused on others' needs, instead of your own. Sometimes you need to put yourself and your needs first in order to feel both healthy and happy. How can you use self-care as essential fuel for what matters most in your life? Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss why self-care is crucial for living life to the fullest....
Jun 09, 2015
If you've been at the gym several days a week for a long period of time, some days you just feel tired and want to skip your daily trip to the gym. That's not a bad thing. But, when it turns into weeks of trading in your run for a nap on the couch, you might be experiencing some burnout and finding it hard to stay motivated. The good news is, this happens to everyone. However, it's up to you to find a way out of this slump and get through your workouts. What are the secrets to lasting fitness mo...
Jun 09, 2015
Many popular breakfast foods and drinks for children contain so much added sugar, it can be the equivalent of eating dessert for your "most important meal of the day." For example, "juice" drinks commonly contain as much sugar as soda, as do breakfast cereals that contain marshmallows and chocolate. Even foods that are advertised as whole grains can contain lots of sugar, so it's difficult to make smart choices. The sugar trap doesn't just affect kids... many favorite breakfast foods among adult...
Jun 02, 2015
Social support is an under-appreciated key to successfully losing weight or adopting an exercise program. Having supportive family, friends, and co-workers is a sort of "secret weapon." All too often, however, people trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle encounter a lack of support that ranges from others simply not being helpful to individuals interfering, consciously or unconsciously, with the behavior change. In some cases, it can feel like sabotage. Remarkably, this can come from the people ...
Jun 02, 2015
Distractions such as cell phones and TV's can keep your workout at a lower intensity. Your exercise doesn't have to end when you leave the gym. Walking instead of driving is a way to keep moving after your work out. Michele Stanten, a walking coach (mywalkingcoach.com) and ACE-certified fitness instructor, discusses distractions while you exercise and the best ways to aid your fitness even when you're not at the gym....
May 20, 2015
When choosing your exercise instructor do you take gender into account? Qualifications aside, choosing the gender of your instructor(s) should be based on your comfort level. With instructors often having intimate access to your body, this decision is an important one. On this week's installment of "He Said, She Said," Neal Pire and Grace DeSimone help you make this all-important decision so your workout experience can be as comfortable as possible....
May 19, 2015
As a leader in sports medicine and exercise science, ACSM uses its research expertise to provide the 2015 American Fitness Index report as a reliable measure of community fitness for the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. Cities that ranked near the top of the index have more strengths that support healthy living and fewer challenges that hinder it. The opposite is true for cities near the bottom of the index. In this segment (Part 2 of 2), Walter R. Thompson, PhD, discusses the 2015 Ameri...
May 19, 2015
As a leader in sports medicine and exercise science, ACSM uses its research expertise to provide the 2015 American Fitness Index report as a reliable measure of community fitness for the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. Cities that ranked near the top of the index have more strengths that support healthy living and fewer challenges that hinder it. The opposite is true for cities near the bottom of the index. Walter R. Thompson, PhD, discusses the 2015 American Fitness Index Report and wh...
May 19, 2015
If you're a runner, you've probably suffered from shin splint or cramps. They can be painful, but fortunately, there are ways to prevent them from occurring. Shin splints and cramps are a few running-related injuries that, with proper equipment and training, can be avoided. But, if you do get them, what can you do to relieve the pain as quick as possible? Hydration is the best and most important way to begin. Stretching before running and using proper equipment goes a long way in avoiding injuri...
May 12, 2015
Your body is a kinetic chain of bones, muscles, joints, and tendons. Running with a single weak link causes physical imbalance and ultimately leads to injury. But, you can strength train your entire body to improve your running mechanics and reduce your chances of getting hurt. Jordan D. Metzl, MD, discusses running safety, whether you're a weekend jogger or a dedicated marathoner....
May 12, 2015
If you’re looking to be more proactive about your health and fitness, “there’s an app for that” rings true for you. Some experts argue that health apps have the potential to make a broad impact on the health of the general population. But, others explain that there's not enough evidence to support such claims and suggest that health apps may even be harmful. John P. Higgins, MD, discusses health and fitness apps and whether they're good or bad for people who are already healthy....
May 12, 2015
It's been proven, time and time again: eating healthy and exercising regularly will help you lose weight. But, which exercises are the best to help you achieve weight loss success, while losing the weight safely? Right off the bat, walking is the number-one exercise for weight loss. It doesn't require any equipment (other than a pair of walking shoes), and there's no need for a gym membership to do it. Vigorous swimming can burn anywhere from 400 to 700 calories an hour, and all types of swimmin...
May 12, 2015
