Entries Tagged 'Health and Wellness' ↓

By R.J. Ignelzi

Friday, January 14, 2011 at 3:03 p.m.

It’s possible to put your best foot forward in any sport with the right footwear. Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the San Diego-based American Council on Exercise, offers some Shop Like the Pros tips for buying athletic shoes.

“Be honest about the activity you’re going to be doing. Shoes have become very specialized so it’s important to get a shoe that’s specifically designed for your activity,” said McCall, who most often wears Nike Free training shoes which retail for about $85.

Look for these qualities in a sport-specific shoe:

Walking shoes: Select a shoe with a lower heel (than a running shoe) and a low stable foot bed. The shoes should twist and bend at the forefoot, but not in the middle of the arch.

Running shoes: Runners need to have a raised heel to protect against impact. The sole should be flexible and bend at the ball of the foot, and the upper part should be made out of lightweight net or mesh.

Training shoes: Training shoes have multiple treads to perform various activities, with a broader toe cap and lower heel than a running shoe. Look for a mesh shoe with a flat foot bed and stability in the forefoot.

“Training shoes allow for more lateral movement than running shoes (which are made) for going forward,” said McCall, adding that wearing running shoes for lateral movement activities puts you at risk for ankle injuries.

Basketball shoes: Opt for high-tops for optimal support during jumping and leather uppers for lateral support.

Tennis shoes: These court shoes should be low to the ground and made out of leather for lateral support. There should be an ample toe protector and pivot points on the sole under the ball of foot.

Toning shoes: Don’t waste your money or time on the new rounded-sole toning shoes.

“We’ve done studies and there are no mechanical advantages to these shoes,” McCall said. “You’re better off in a shoe designed for walking.”

Some general athletic shoe shopping tips:

• If you’ve found a shoe that fits you and your sport well, checkout online vendors which may sell that same shoe for less money than brick-and-mortar stores, McCall suggests.

“You should be able to get a good quality shoe for between $50 and $85. There’s really no need to spend more than that,” he said.

• Shop by fit, not by size.

• Look for rule-of-thumb fit, with about a thumb’s width of space between the end of your big toe and the shoe.

• Try out the shoes in the store. Run, jump, pivot and kick in the shoes to see how they feel in action.

• Shoes should feel comfortable immediately.

• Stock up. If you find a pair of shoes that fit well, are comfortable and give you ample support for your sport, buy more.

“The companies are always changing or discontinuing shoe (models) so if you can afford it, buy two or three pair and put them in your closet until you need them,” McCall said.

Erics’ comments; 

My wife and I have gone to the Nike Free and Nike Tr line of cross trainers. They are true to your foot with a very natural feel and the cross trainers have plenty of lateral support with flywire, exclusive to Nike.

Eric Bravo is a Personal Trainer serving Whittier and the surrounding communities for more than eight years.

by Beth Shepard, M.S., ACE-CPT, ACSM-RCEP, Wellcoaches Certified Wellness Coach

12 Ways to Be Active With Your Valentine

1. Rent a canoe and enjoy a picnic lunch on the water.
2. Go for a walk after dinner.
3. Learn to dance — swing, tango, waltz or two-step.
4. Take a swing at the batting cages.
5. Sign up for a martial arts class.
6. Plant and tend a garden.
7. Enjoy a refreshing day hike to a new destination.
8. Play backyard badminton or basketball.
9. Train together for a 10K fun run or sprint-distance triathlon.
10. Take an active vacation.
11. Help build a house, clean up a park, or plant trees.
12. Grab your GPS for a geocaching date.

Need another good reason to squeeze in a daily walk or sweat it out at the gym? Regular exercise bestows a wealth of benefits for the mind, body, and spirit — and along the way, it can perk up your love life.

An Element of Excitement

Comfortable routines aren’t all bad — but if the extent of your weekend fun is pizza and a DVD, re-ignite the flame by learning the two-step, going on a day hike, or enjoying a bike ride on a new trail.

Being active together through sports or fitness activities is a proven way to protect your relationship against boredom. One study found that married couples who experienced new and exciting activities together reported higher levels of relationship satisfaction compared with couples who shared only familiar or mundane activities.

Men tend to build bonds through shared activities rather than simply talking about their thoughts or feelings. Chances are that joining your guy for a run will bring you closer— and glean more conversation — than saying, “let’s talk.”

Mood Matters

Does fatigue or the blues ever dampen your desire and interfere with fun together-time? Moderate exercise — like walking or biking — can boost mood for up to 12 hours. Even 10 minutes of exercise cultivates feelings of calmness, relaxation and well-being — and that bodes well for relationships and romance. Regular physical activity is often included in treatment plans for mild depression and anxiety — because it promotes good brain health and elevates mood.

To brighten your mood all day — and into the evening —grab a jump rope and enjoy a quick workout. Or go for a walk during a work break. Small investments in fitness and mood enhancement can really pay off — for both you and your partner.

Better Body Image

Exercise helps you feel better about your body, and that makes a big difference in the romance department. For college-age men, self-reported fitness levels significantly improve perception of sexual performance and desirability — and for women, the same is true for perceived desirability. A study of female breast cancer survivors found those who exercised regularly reported significantly better body image and perceived sexual attractiveness — along with markedly higher energy and less fatigue and depression than sedentary subjects.

Fitness may also help cultivate a more fulfilling sex life in older adults —a survey of active members of a fitness association linked higher fitness levels with more frequent sexual activity. Higher fitness levels were also linked with greater sexual satisfaction in older men, but not in older women. Granted, the survey respondents self-selected and may have been healthier to begin with, but if there’s a possibility that exercise could enhance intimacy, why not give it a try?

Enhanced Sexual Function

Too much exercise can result in overtraining, fatigue, and reduced sex drive, but the right amount can actually enhance sexual function. Health experts point out that exercise improves circulation all over the body, and that includes sexual organs. Several studies have shown that a combination of regular exercise and weight loss reduces erectile dysfunction in overweight and obese men. While one study showed an improved sexual response in women after 20 minutes of vigorous exercise, more research is needed to better understand the effect of exercise on female sexual function.

Live Longer — Together

Sharing an active lifestyle with someone you love can be one of life’s greatest pleasures. Raising children, maintaining a home, working, and travelling — everyday life pursuits — demand a significant amount of energy, strength, and endurance. When you’re fit, you can do more with less effort, and enjoy many activities that sedentary people can’t physically tolerate. Best of all, when you and your partner make regular exercise a priority, you reduce your health risks — and increase your odds of a long and healthy life together.

1. Aron A, Aron E, Norman C, McKenna C, Couples’ Shared Participation in Novel and Arousing Activities and Experienced Relationship Quality, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,2000, Vol.78, No.2, 273-284
2. WebMD, 18 Secrets Guys Wish You Knew, 2010. http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/slideshow-18-secrets-guys-wish-you-knew
3. Kilpatrick M, Exercise, Mood, and Psychological Well-Being: A Practitioner’s Guide to Theory, Research, and Application, ACSM’S Health & Fitness Journal. 12(5):14-20, September/October 2008.
4. American College of Sports Medicine, News Release, Boost your mood at least half the day with physical activity, May 2009. http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=ACSM_News_Releases&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=12890
5. Meston C, Gorzalka C, The effects of immediate, delayed, and residual sympathetic activation aon sexual arousal in women, Behav Res Ther Vol. 34 No. 2, pp. 143-148, 1996. http://homepage.psy.utexas.edu/homepage/group/MestonLAB/Publications/sns_imm_delayed.pdf
6. Penhollow T, Young M, Sexual desirability and sexual performance: Does exercise and fitness really matter? EJHS Vol. 7, Oct 5, 2004  http://www.ejhs.org/volume7/fitness.html
7. Esposito K, et al. Effects of intensive lifestyle changes on erectile dysfunction in men. J Sex Med, 2009 Jan; 6(1):243-50
8. Esposito K, et al. Effect of lifestyle changes on erectile dysfunction in obese men: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2004 Jun 23;291(24):2978-84
9. Pinto B, Trunzo J, Body esteem and mood among sedentary and active breast cancer survivors, Mayo Clin Proc. 2004 Feb;79(2):181-6

What a fun article for all you love birds out there. If your single, you may find someone while trying one of the suggested activities.

Eric Bravo. 

Personal Trainer serving Whittier and all

surrounding communities.

It’s natural to feel nervous when you forget something, knowing that Alzheimer’s disease now affects 5.3 million Americans.  But a memory slip doesn’t always mean the worst. According to KPHO, the following five situations point toward normal, age-related memory loss.

1. Lapses Don’t Interfere With Everyday Life

   Slowed recall of information from time to time is normal — erverybody forgets stuff.  What’s not normal is when memory impairment interferes with your ability to get through the day.

2. You See an Improvement After ‘Brain Training’

   Dementia is not a problem of retrieving old memories so much as it is is an inability to form new ones. If you can still learn new things, you’re still forming new memories.

3. You’ve Just Started A New Medication

   Drug side effects are one of the more common causes of memory trouble.

4. Nobody Else Seems To Notice Anything’s Amiss

   Usually, there’s a lot of family friction around the kind of memory loss that predates a diagnosis — arguments over who neglected to do something, missed appointments, or forgotten messages.

5. You’re Forgetful When Stressed, Sleep Deprived or Multitasking

   A stressed brain is not the same thing as a demented brain.

KPHO December 9, 2010

Pass on a good thing!

Your Personal Trainer

Eric Bravo

Whittier Ca.

Several studies have shown that people eat faster and leave sooner when loud music is playing — so restaurants have been turning up the volume to increase flow-through.And this isn’t the only tactic restaurants use. Diners seated at tables in the middle of the room tend to be less comfortable and eat faster. The same holds true for uncomfortable chairs.

They also want you to eat more as well as faster. Warm colors — like red, orange and yellow — stimulate the need to eat.

CNN reports that:

“On hectic nights, the reservationist at Salumeria Rosi Parmacotto in New York City will inform diners that they need the table back in 90 minutes for the next party.If you lurk over your digestif too long, chef Cesare Casella will place your name on Salumeria’s ‘no salami’ list.”

Sources:

  CNN April 30, 2010

Thought you guys would get a kick out of this article.

Your Personal Trainer in Whittier,

Eric Bravo.

Ewww. Well you really shouldn’t be drinking soda anyways. Pass this on.

A recent study has revealed that a full 48 percent of soda fountains at fast food restaurants contain coliform bacteria — a bacteria that grows in feces. Eleven percent also  contained E. Coli.

Other opportunistic pathogenic microorganisms found included Chryseobacterium meningosepticum and of Klebsiella, Staphylococcus, Stenotrophomonas, Candida, and Serratia. Most of the identified bacteria showed resistance to one or more of 11 antibiotics tested.

While there have been few certified outbreaks over in the last ten years related to soda fountains, many incidents of food poisoning go unreported.

Sources:

  Treehugger January 7, 2010

  Int J Food Micro 2009

Always looking out,

Your Personal Trainer

in Whittier, Eric B.