Add Variety to Your Workout! by Mike Klevence (ACE Certified Personal Trainer)

Are you looking to add a little something new to your workout routine? Try incorporating a medicine ball into your next session.
Exercises with the medicine ball can improve your speed, strength, power and agility. A medicine ball can challenge you to reach new levels in your physical health.

Many people are aware of the benefits that a medicine ball has on the core, but do not short change this versatile piece of equipment. Your chest, back, shoulders and legs can also be worked, as well as your cardiovascular system. Start out slowly and progress accordingly.

A personal trainer can assist you in selecting the appropriate size for your fitness level and can also give you instruction in the proper form and how to organize the exericises.

Good Health!

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How fit are you? By Sally Bratz, Personal Trainer

Want a quick gauge on how fit you are? The President's Challenge "New" Adult Fitness Test weighs aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility.

1.) Aerobic Fitness: measure time to walk one mile
2.) Muscular Strength #1: measure number of half sit-ups in one minute
3.) Muscular Strength #2: measure number of push-ups till exhaustion
4.) Flexibility: sit and reach test toward toes

This test can be taken online at www.adultfitnesstest.org.

Go for it!

Fitness Tip from Sally Bratz (USPTA #1 Tennis Pro)

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Did you ever notice how quickly you can fall out of shape and how timely it is to get back into shape?

Solution: Keep your routine fresh by adding some variety!

• Ideally, don't allow yourself to fall out of your routine. If you are going on vacation, try to keep some sort of workout or physical activity going before, during and after your vacation. Book a hotel with a fitness center.
• Try to adopt "grey" thinking about exercise. It's not all or nothing. If you don't have time for your entire workout routine, don't skip it, just do a part of it.
• Learn to be flexible with your exerice schedule.
• A goal would be to workout 6 days and leave 1 for rest!

Calcium, Weight Loss & You by Brian Casey (Steel Fitness, Bethlehem, PA)

“Milk: It does a body good,” as the industry’s slogan goes. Health conscious individuals are more informed than ever. Today we see an ever growing number of people reading labels and trying to make educated decisions about what they should put in their bodies. I have talked to many people who cut milk out of their diets due to concerns about cholesterol and fat content. However, while whole milk is loaded with fat and can be very detrimental to your health (the jury is still out), reduced fat milk can actually play a key role in keeping your bones strong and assisting in overall loss of body fat.

After much scientific study, the evidence indicates that the mix of nutrients found in milk and other dairy products (mainly Calcium) are responsible for helping the body break down and burn fat. Dr. Oz, who has appeared on the Oprah Show, conducted a study for “Obesity Research” in 2004 to measure how much fat participants absorbed and how much fat was being eliminated. Results from the samples showed that the participants on a high calcium diet doubled their fat secretion. This study, along with the many studies by Dr. Zemel MB of the “International Journal of Obesity” suggest that adequate amounts of calcium in your diet can actually help increase fat metabolism by up to 200%.

Now that we’ve discussed the benefits of adding calcium back into diet, we need to discuss the proper amount you should add to your diet. The consensus among experts seems to be 3 servings of low fat dairy per day. The FDA suggests 1200mg of calcium per day mixed with 600-800mg of magnesium to offset the side effects of a high calcium diet. Keep in mind that the same studies mentioned above saw reduced benefits from increasing calcium intake via supplements. Therefore I would suggest adding a few calcium rich, low-fat foods to your diet. Foods rich in Calcium are of course milk but also deep green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli and even tofu.

Milk…. It does do a body good.

The FACTS and Myths about Water (Brian Casey-Steel Fitness, Bethlehem, PA)

So much has been written on the necessary amount of water consumption I wanted to take a few minutes to go over some facts, myths, and recommendations.

FACTS:
1. Water aids digestion, assists in the distribution of oxygen and nutrients to the cells, lubricates the body’s joints, and dilutes the body’s toxins.
2. Water helps the respiratory system to process and use incoming oxygen and dispose of carbon dioxide and other toxins.
3. Water consumed by obese in adequate amounts has shown to be effective in assisting weight loss due to the fact that often dehydration is self-diagnosed as hunger.
4. Water helps break down fats and proteins and helps the body absorb vitamins and minerals.
5. Inadequate water consumption can lead to abnormal muscle function, poor digestion, speed up the aging process, and deteriorate the body’s muscles, cells, and skeleton.

MYTHS:
1. Bottled water is healthier than tap water.
Unless you’re abroad or south of the border, one is not healthier than the other.

2. You can get your daily requirement of water from your morning coffee, afternoon sodas, and evening beer.
Actually the opposite is true. All the above mentioned drinks contain diuretics which will actually dehydrate the body.

3. You can’t drink too much water.
Actually you can. The diagnosis is called Water poisoning. Excessive amounts of water will dilute the body’s sodium levels. Drinking excessive amounts of water and not increasing your sodium intake will result in this condition which can be fatal.

Recommendations:
For men, an average of 16 cups of water a day is adequate; for women, an average of 11 cups. (National Academy of Sciences – 2004)
A person who does not exercise should consume 8 – 10 cups per day. (U.S International Sports Medicine Institute - 2004)
A person who partakes in a regular exercise program should consume 13 – 14 cups per day. (American Council on Exercise – 2007)
A person who does not exercise should consume 2/3 of an ounce per pound of body weight. (American Council on Exercise – 2007)
A person who partakes in a regular exercise program should consume 1 ounce per pound of body weight. (American Council on Exercise – 2007)

Here are some ideas to help you remember:
Carrying a water bottle with you.
If you are working in front of a computer screen all day, keep a bottle of water on your desk and take a sip every few minutes. It will also give your eyes a break.
If you have regular breaks at work, develop a habit of starting each break with a drink.
Every time you find yourself standing in front of the soda machine opt for water instead.