Top three tricks to make yourself exercise during the holidays

Top three tricks to make yourself exercise during the holidays
Everyone is extra busy during the holidays season, yet most people's commitments involve parties and eating, leading to weight gain that people rarely lose. Visit nearly empty gyms and sports fields, and then look at the enormous amount of calories people consume from holiday dinners, treats and alcohol, and it is not hard to figure out why everyone's waistlines are expanding like Jolly Old St. Nick's.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run, a Back Workout and Heavy Bag
I kicked up the volume and intensity a bit today starting with a good Upper Table Rock run, followed by a workout of weighted pullups, BB rows, alternating suspension pullups, and chinups.  I ended the day with a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Exercise may prevent fall-related injuries in older adults

Exercise may prevent fall-related injuries in older adults
New research suggests that exercise programs aimed at preventing falls in older adults may also prevent injuries caused by falls.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Hike
After finishing my morning sessions today, I headed out to Lower Table Rock for an intense run.......it didn't happen though.  My body was telling me it needed something different, so I still did the mileage, but reduced the intensity to a brisk hike.  And it was a perfect day for it too since the weather was great and after about 5 mins into my hike I had the Rock all to myself.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Sneaky Sources of Sugar

Sneaky Sources of Sugar
Are you accidentally loading up on the sweet stuff?
In scary news, a recent report from the CDC found that women consume an average of 13.2 percent of their total daily calories from added sugars.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Chest Workout
After a busy morning and early afternoon, I made time for a chest workout of BB bench presses, DB alternating bench presses, DB flyes, and decline pushups (feet on a 65cm medicine ball).

~Feelin' Alive!~

The Easy Way to Cut Cravings

The Easy Way to Cut Cravings
New research shows skimping on sleep can give you a serious case of the munchies. Here’s how to step away from the Funyuns and the Chunky Monkey ice cream.   read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run
It was a busy day, but I still found time for a good Upper Table Rock run.  I had intended to do some heavy lifting too, but that will have to wait for another day.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

Although I took one day off from exercise this past week, in addition to the usual yard work and walks with clients I also made time for the following:

3 Table Rock Runs (including a fantastic UTR 8 mile run)
1 squat workout
4 heavy bag workouts
1 kettlebell workout
1 upper body bodyweight workout

What did you do to maintain or improve your fitness this past week?

~Feelin' Alive!~

10 Exercise Myths Busted!

10 Exercise Myths Busted!
It's amazing how incredibly wrong some beliefs about fitness really are. People think the craziest things about their exercise, diet and fitness habits, and they'd be surprised to learn that all they are are myths--which have long since been discredited.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Kettlebells and Heavy Bag
I kept the intensity somewhat moderate today starting with a kettlebell workout of single arm swings, clean & presses, and snatches.  A little later I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

US food corporations fueling obesity epidemic with addictive ingredients

Battle of the bulge: US food corporations fueling obesity epidemic with addictive ingredients
Between 1985 and 2010, the price of beverages sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup fell 24 percent in real terms, with American children consuming on average an extra 130 calories daily from soft drinks.
If that wasn't bad enough, a 2010 Princeton University study found that rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained substantially more weight than those with access to table sugar, even if their overall caloric intake was equal.   read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Body Bodyweight Circuits and a Heavy Bag Workout
I decided that my legs were still in need of some recovery time, but I still needed to workout today.  So, I started with 10 circuits x 20 reps each of suspension pullups, ring pushups, and stability ball oblique crunches.  I followed that a little later with a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

High blood sugar may affect memory in some people

High blood sugar may affect memory in some people
Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet can help keep blood sugar at a healthy level.
People who didn't have type 2 diabetes but had blood sugar at the high end of the normal range performed worse on memory tests than those with lower blood sugar, a study out Wednesday shows.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run
After a couple of light exercise days it was time to get back on the trail again, so I headed out to Lower Table Rock for a run.  I still haven't recovered fully from all of the activity during the past couple of weeks and was feeling a bit sluggish, but it was still a good run.

~Feelin' Alive!~

No Free Lunch

No Free Lunch
What's the link between cheap food and expensive health care? Food journalist Michael Pollan explains the relationship between what we spend on food and the rising cost of health care in America.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag
It was a jam packed day of errands and chores, but I still made time for a 30 minute heavy bag workout.  Hopefully tomorrow I can find time for a good run and maybe even some heavy lifting.

~Feelin' Alive!~

When to Take a Rest Day from Exercise and Training

When to Take a Rest Day from Exercise and Training
Whether you’re just starting a training program or have been a fitness fanatic for years, you’ve probably experienced an “exercise high,” the feeling of exhilaration a lot of people experience during or after exercise. It’s brought on by the release of hormones called endorphins that serve as natural pain relievers in the brain. It’s those same endorphins that can make exercise feel addictive, sometimes making it difficult to take a much-needed break.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Rest Day
Last night the total and complete fatigue created from the previous day's activities hit hard and I took the hint (more like a slap up-side the head) and, other than a couple of brisk 1/2 mile walks with a client this morning, I took the day off from any significant activity.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Brain's Waste Removal System More Active During Sleep

Brain's Waste Removal System More Active During Sleep
Even our brains need to take out the trash.
Researchers from the University or Rochester Medical Center found that a waste-flushing system in the brain, called the glymphatic system, is most active when we sleep -- nearly 10 times more so than during periods of wakefulness, in fact.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock 8 Mile Run and Heavy Bag
I was right.....the past 2 days of intense leg work did leave a mark. But I felt compelled to add to it today and did an 8+ mile run on Upper Table Rock.....and it was worth it for the spectacular views and photo ops!
Later, in an effort to avoid working on files and bookkeeping, I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Is your workout killing you? Costly fitness mistakes that could harm your body

Is your workout killing you? Costly fitness mistakes that could harm your body
NO PAIN, no gain – right?
Sweating it out in the gym and pumping the biggest weights you can manage might seem like the fast path to fitness.
But your workout could be doing your body more harm than good if you are performing the exercises in the wrong way or pushing yourself too hard.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run and Squats
After my morning sessions today I made time for a great run on Lower Table Rock.  Later, to add insult to injury (don't forget yesterday's Wagner Butte hike/run), I did a workout of BB back squats, DB stability ball squats, and DB split squats (stationary lunges).  I definitely think this is gonna leave a mark!

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

This week wasn't a high volume week of activity, but in addition to the usual brisk walks with clients, active time with grandkids, plenty of work around the yard and garden, and even one rest day, I also made time for:

3 Table Rock runs (one of them in near record time)
1 Wagner Butte hike/run
2 heavy bag workouts
1 bench press workout
1 back workout

Did you do anything to improve your health and fitness this week?

~Feelin' Alive!~

4 Ways to Get Better Lungs and Make Exercise Easier

4 Ways to Get Better Lungs and Make Exercise Easier
The Sherpa population in Tibet is famously known for their extreme levels of high-altitude fitness, often easily conquering Mount Everest climbs alongside seasoned and extremely fit climbers who have been training for months or years. Perhaps you've seen Nepalese Sherpas parodied in a popular Simpson's cartoon, in which Homer Simpson attempts to climb a difficult peak and the "lazy" Sherpas drag him up the mountainside at night in his sleeping bag as he snores away.
However, Sherpa altitude performance capabilities aren't just the stuff of cartoons. A recent study actually found a mutation in the Sherpa population that allows them to have increased levels of an enzyme responsible for helping the cell's powerhouse -- the mitochondria -- use oxygen to produce energy.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Wagner Butte
Today I headed back up Wagner Butte for the 5th time this year.  No record setting run this time, but it was a fast paced hike with some running thrown in for fun.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Diet, exercise key for improving heart health

Diet, exercise key for improving heart health
The American Heart Association wants to improve the heart health of all Americans by 20 percent by 2020.
To meet that goal, treating unhealthy habits will be just as important as treating high blood pressure and cholesterol, it said.
Those habits include having a poor-quality diet, eating too much, not exercising enough and smoking, according to a position statement published in Circulation.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag Workout
After my morning training session I spent some time on yard and garden work.....this unusually warm weather is keeping the grass and weeds growing.  Later I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Exercise More Effective Than Prescription Drugs

Exercise More Effective Than Prescription Drugs
We all know we need to get moving, but new research gives us one more reason to stay or become active.  According to a large review published in the British Medical Journal this week, researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and Britain’s London School of Economics found that exercise was more effective than prescription drugs for stroke recovery.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run and a Back Workout
Today I did a fantastic Upper Table Rock run with a time of 17:37 going up.....missed my old record from 3.5 yrs ago by 31 seconds. Ah, to be young again!
Afterward I pieced together a workout of weighted pullups, single arm high cable rows, and bodyweight chinups.

~Feelin' Alive!~

How Dangerous Is Candy?

How Dangerous Is Candy?
"Noah’s mom, Laura, stocked their pantry with normal kid stuff—Popsicles and juice boxes and Teddy Grahams—so I didn’t think much about offering the jelly beans. But Laura seemed taken aback: 'Well, he’s never really had that before ... I suppose it couldn’t hurt.'"  read more
TOPFIT says:  All of that "normal kid stuff" isn't any better than candy.....just like the cereal so many people feed their kids.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Rest Day
Exercise just wasn't in the cards today.....time to let the body rest a little.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Working out can lower chances of breast cancer development

Working out can lower chances of breast cancer development
Post-menopausal women who are regularly working out are less likely to develop breast cancer due to the fact that they have lower estrogen levels, based on new research.
Many scientists have often connected working out with low breast cancer risk for older women partially because of the lower levels of estrogen in their bodies, because increased estrogen levels are known to also increase the risk of developing breast cancer.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run and Bench Press
After my morning sessions I headed out to Upper Table Rock for a fun run.  Later I made time for a workout of BB bench presses, alternating DB bench presses, and decline pushups.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Aerobic exercise can help suppress hunger

Aerobic exercise can help suppress hunger
In a new study, researchers have made the conclusion that aerobic exercise such as rope jumping, which involves the body's vertical movements, can suppress appetite and cravings for fatty food. Researchers, who published their report in the journal Appetite, sought to find out if exercises that involve up and down bodyweight movements, which lead to "gut disturbance," actually affect hormones such as ghrelin, which our body releases when we are hungry. Moreover, the study compared the level of hunger in men who did rope-skipping to those who did cycling.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag Workout
The plan was to do a tough run and some heavy lifting today, but circumstances conspired against me.....however, I still made time for a 30 min heavy bag workout.  Hopefully I'll be able to get to the tough stuff tomorrow.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Exercise May Help Knees More Than Glucosamine And Chondroitin

Exercise May Help Knees More Than Glucosamine And Chondroitin
If you're among the estimated 27 million Americans who suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee or hip, then perhaps you've tried the nutritional supplements glucosamine and chondroitin. They've been marketed for joint health for about 20 years, and sales are still brisk. But do they help?  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run
After finishing my morning sessions today I made time for a Lower Table Rock run.....there were certainly no records set today, but it was still a good run.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT DAily Activities Review

As usual, it was a week of varied activities including some yard/garden work, a plank challenge with a client, active time with grandkids, and brisk walks with clients.  In addition to this, I made time for:

2 Table Rock runs
1 Jacksonville Trails run/hike
1 Lower Table Rock Savannah Loop 5k run (new PR)
1 squat workout
1 pullup/pushup workout
3 heavy bag workouts
1 delt/bi/tri workout

What did you do to maintain or improve your fitness this past week?

~Feelin' Alive!~

Easy food swaps that cut calories

Easy food swaps that cut calories
These wouldn't all work for me (actually most wouldn't work for me), and maybe not for you either, but you might find one or two things that could make a big difference in your diet.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Trails
After a few hours with Hailey and Mason that a toll on my energy levels, I spent an hour running and hiking the Jacksonville Trails with a friend.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Tips

4get it
Too many people spend more time socializing in the gym than they do working out, so when I hear someone say "I don't have time to go to the gym today", I tell them "4get it!"  GET in, GET busy, GET done, GET out. Keep the chatter and rest periods to a minimum---you’ll probably get a better workout and you’ll feel great about yourself for not skipping it.
For more health and fitness tips, visit my Fitness Tips page.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag
I kind of took it easy today and kept things low key and low intensity.  Other than some light chores around the house, the only exercise I made time for was a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

6 Ways to Burn More Calories in the Bedroom

6 Ways to Burn More Calories in the Bedroom
A sweaty romp in the sack may feel like a workout, but you 're probably burning fewer calories than you think. Old information suggested that a round of lovemaking torches 100 to 300 calories, but a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that the average session burns a paltry 21 calories--the amount in a couple of orange segments.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Savannah Loop 5k
I started my day with a couple of brisk 1/2 mile walks with a client, and when I was done with business for the day I pushed myself through a 5k run on the Lower Table Rock Savannah Loop.  I hit a new PR on this route of rolling hills with a time of 26:28.

~Feelin' Alive!~

6 Tips to Turbo Charge Your Workout

6 Tips to Turbo Charge Your Workout
Want to be in phenomenal shape like all those people that stroll around the gym like they own the place? It takes a lot of hard work, but you also have to go about it smartly. If you're going to get in shape, take the following pieces of advice to heart as you create your ideal diet and fitness program.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run and a Plank Challenge
After a busy morning I made time for a fun Upper Table Rock run in the afternoon.
And on a different note, why do my clients like to see me hurt so much?
I've been having a plank challenge with one of my clients and after working our way up to a tie at 4 mins we took a  break from the competition for about a month.
And then yesterday she called and said she hit 5 mins....damn!
So, you know what I had to do.....I hit 5 mins 15 secs......and it was a fight.....ouch.....this is starting to get serious.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Experts: Stick with simplicity if you want exercise routine to last

Experts: Stick with simplicity if you want exercise routine to last
It should come as no surprise that the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention found that 80 percent of American adults do not get the recommended amount of exercise a week. Sure, it's easy to go the the gym once in awhile if you're motivated, but it's hard to continue a routine long enough to get results.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Body Workout and Heavy Bag
Today I made time for two workouts, starting with a circuit workout of pullups, pushups, oblique crunches and planks.  I followed that a little later with a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Stop whining! Nine favorite no-exercise excuses shot down

Stop whining! Nine favorite no-exercise excuses shot down
Here are some of the most common excuses, lamebrained and otherwise, and ways trainers suggest you talk yourself out of them.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run and a Delt/Bi/Tri Workout
I got out for a fantastic run up and across Lower Table Rock this morning....20 mins and 20 secs up......still 51 secs off my record time, but not bad for the day after a good squat workout.
Later I did a delt/bi/tri workout starting with circuits of DB shoulder presses, DB curls and cable pressdowns, followed by circuits of DB lateral raises, suspension tri extensions and suspension curls.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Paleo: Putting the “Die” in “Diet”

Paleo: Putting the “Die” in “Diet”
According to the diet’s proponents, the human body is best suited for a lifestyle of hunting and gathering, so everything we've done from the invention of farming through the present was a mistake.
The motivation of our prehistoric relatives was simply to avoid starvation from day to day, not to find the healthiest foods possible.
The paleo diet is at best a wildly uniformed guess about what life used to be like and at worst a calculated lie that could destroy civilization. It can’t be a coincidence that every single one of our ancestors who allegedly ate this diet is now dead.
read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Squats, Squats, Squats and Heavy Bag
After my morning sessions and too much time at my desk dealing with bills, bookkeeping and banking, I spent some time doing squats......BB squats, DB squats and jump squats.  Later I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

This week was another mixed bag of activities.  In addition to a few brisk walks with clients and a ton of fall cleanup around the yard and garden, I also made time for:

3 Table Rock runs
1 Oredson Todd Woods run
1 Upper Rogue River run
2 heavy bag workouts
1 BB & DB bench press workout
1 BB & DB row workout
1/4 mile of walking lunges

Did you stay fit and active this past week?

~Feelin' Alive!~

25 Ways To Cut 250 Calories

25 Ways To Cut 250 Calories
Despite what marketers and diet sites may tell you, losing weight isn't easy -- if it were, we wouldn't be sucking in our muffin tops while zipping up our pencil skirts. But you can make weight loss easier with these clever bite-sized strategies to burn more calories and consume fewer of them -- without your stomach noticing!  read more
TOPFIT says:  There are some great tips here, but they overestimate the calories burned or saved in many of them.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Rogue River Hike
After a few active hours with Hailey and Mason this morning, a friend and I headed to the Upper Rogue River around the Natural Bridge for a fantastic hike and run.

~Feelin' Alive!~

The Three Grossest Sentences You'll Read About Chicken Nuggets Today

The Three Grossest Sentences You'll Read About Chicken Nuggets Today
Chicken nuggets are delicious things as long as you don't have to think about what parts of the chicken they actually are made from. The Journal of American Medicine looked into that question, leading Reuters to produce three sentences that might make you never want another chicken nugget again.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Rows
In addition to more yard work today, I also made time for a back workout of BB and DB rows, weighted pullups and hanging scapular depression/retraction.

~Feelin' Alive!~

5 Reasons Most Diets Fail, and How to Succeed

5 Reasons Most Diets Fail, and How to Succeed
The No. 1 thing most diets have in common is the lack of stick-with-it-ness. Many of us equate the word diet with short-term deprivation, something you go "on" and ultimately go "off."
In a survey out this week, a UK food company found that of those who diet regularly, two out of five quit within the first seven days, one out of five last a month, and the same number–just 20%–make it to the three-month mark.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Run
This afternoon, after my morning sessions, I made time for an intense Upper Table Rock run.  Later I spent more time on fall cleanup around the yard and garden.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Fad diets and trendy workouts: what works?

Fad diets and trendy workouts: what works?
Everywhere you turn, someone's doing something she swears will change her body. Maybe the co-worker whose green-juice bottles clutter the office fridge claims she lost 3 pounds in three days. Perhaps your pal says her clothes are looser after hot yoga.
In an iEverything world, where instant gratification rules, it's easy to think there's a magical way to drop pounds fast. Before you guzzle, sweat yourself silly or do anything extreme, know what the experts have to say.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Bench Press and Heavy Bag
I took a break from running today and instead did a workout of BB bench presses, DB alternating bench presses and DB flyes.  Later I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Learn to Love Breakfast

Learn to Love Breakfast
A 2002 study by the National Weight Control Registry, a group of more than 3,000 people who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for at least a year, found that breakfast eaters were more successful at maintaining their weight loss. Another study found that women who skipped breakfast made up for it by eating more throughout the day.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Walking Lunges and Lower Table Rock Run
I started my day around 5:30am with a couple of brisk 1/2 mile walks and 1/4 mile of walking lunges with a client.  I could have called it quits there considering everything I've done this week so far, but I just couldn't resist a Lower Table Rock run.  And, it was great......I even had a couple of snake encounters.....one silver Racer and a gopher snake, both soaking up some fall sunshine on the trail.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Feeling Down? This Type of Exercise May Be the Best Remedy

Feeling Down? This Type of Exercise May Be the Best Remedy
If depression has you down, here's some uplifting news: Research shows that exercise can work just as well as antidepressant medications, and it doesn't come with any of the potential side effects. The activity is free and available to all, so give it a shot if you're feeling the blues. Although only a mental-health expert can evaluate your condition, there is a chance that exercise is all you need for mild to moderate depression.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Oredson Todd Woods Run
After dealing with business earlier in the day, I got out with a friend on the Oredson Todd Woods trails in Ashland for great run that started with an intense uphill grind.
Later I spent a couple of hours taking care of some fall cleanup in the gardens.....I'm sooooo far ahead of the game compared to last year!

~Feelin' Alive!~