Daily, vigorous exercise helps kids get or stay fit

Daily, vigorous exercise helps kids get or stay fit
A nine-month after-school exercise program helped young kids lose body fat and improve heart and lung strength compared to kids who didn't do the program, according to a new trial.
It's clear that activity is good for kids, lead author Naiman A. Khan told Reuters Health. But he was surprised at just how much of a difference this program made.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run and a Chest Workout
I picked up the intensity today with a power hike up and a run accross and down Lower Table Rock.  Later, in the evening, I spent some time in my gym doing BB bench presses, DB curls, and ring pushups.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

After a fairly high volume and intensity week last week, and starting this week with several hours of heavy yard and garden work on Monday, I decided it was time for a break and a few days of lower intensity and volume.  But I still made time for:

3 Table Rock hikes
1 crosstrainer workout
1 heavy bag workout
1 Tabata workout

~No Challenge, No Change~

Understanding Rhabdomyolysis: What Can Happen When You Push Too Hard

Understanding Rhabdomyolysis: What Can Happen When You Push Too Hard
If you've done even a little bit of research into CrossFit, you've no doubt heard the word "rhabdomyolysis" being thrown around. It's a disorder that many people associate with CrossFit, but it's actually a problem that can arise when you do any type of exercise too hard.
But what is it?  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Hike
After an active morning with Hailey, a friend and I spent a few hours meandering around on Upper Table Rock.  It's amazing that even after a few hundred hikes and runs up there, that there's still new things to find.

~Feelin' Alive!~

10 Exercise Cheats That Blow Your Calorie Burn

10 Exercise Cheats That Blow Your Calorie Burn
You put in the time and effort, show up at the gym, and pride yourself in not taking shortcuts. So why is the scale not budging? Chances are, poor exercise form or bad workout habits are costing you precious calories. Fitness experts reveal the most common ways people cheat at their workouts without even realizing it, and offer ways to kick those saboteurs to the curb.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Tabatas
Although the plan this week was to keep the volume and intensity kind of low, I had the urge to do Tabata pullups, pushups, squats and crunches today.  So, even though the intensity was high, the volume was low.....one out of two isn't bad I guess.

~Feelin' Alive!~

5 Fat-Loss Myths You'd be Foolish to Believe

5 Fat-Loss Myths You'd be Foolish to Believe
We've become a duped nation. We'll believe anything that we read in a magazine or on a trendy website, without ever doing research. Fitness and fat-loss myths are hugely popular, but there are a lot of them that are just that: myths.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Hike
It was another day of keeping the intensity low, but I still couldn't just sit around and do nothing.  So I made time for a leisurely Lower Table Rock hike.  It started out just a little cool with a light breeze, but that didn't last long.  It soon got cooler with howling winds and pouring rain.  Yup, you guessed it, just the way I like it!

~Feelin' Alive!~

For Depression, Prescribing Exercise Before Medication

For Depression, Prescribing Exercise Before Medication
The use of antidepressants has increased 400 percent between 1988 and 2008. They’re now one of the three most-prescribed categories of drugs, coming in right after painkillers and cholesterol medications.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag
I'm sticking with the theme of keeping things on the lighter side again today and only made time for a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

When moms exercise, so do kids

When moms exercise, so do kids
The less physically active a mother is, the more likely her child will be sedentary early in life, according to a new paper published March 24 in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Hike
I felt the need for another light day to recover from all of the activities over the past 8-10 days, but I also felt the need to get outside.....so I compromised and headed out to Upper Table Rock for a somewhat relaxed hike.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Living from chair to chair

Living from chair to chair
You probably know that participating in regular physical activity is among the most important things you can do to improve your health. This activity can include exercise as well as just about anything else that gets you moving.
What you may not know is that being sedentary, especially spending time sitting, is just as detrimental to your health as not being active. In fact, spending most of the day sitting can undo some of the benefits of exercising. read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Crosstrainer Workout
I took a little bit of a break today, but still made time for a 30 min crosstrainer workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

5 Easy Nutrition Tips for Healthy Living

5 Easy Nutrition Tips for Healthy Living
National Nutrition Month is finally here! While many of us may have adjusted our diets at the start of the New Year, after a few months the determination to stay on track with nutrition begins to fade. Rather than allowing for old habits to creep back in, try to focus your nutrition on the health benefits your will receive from eating well rather than placing all of the focus on aesthetic goals. By focusing on your long term health, you will be more likely to stick to your healthy habits.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Gardening and Yard Work
I took a break from the trails and the gym today, but it wasn't really a rest day.  I spent several hours on yard work and gardening for myself and for a friend.  It's called cross-training.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

It's been another active week.  In addition to the usual activities of daily living, I also made time for:

3 heavy bag workouts
3 Table Rock runs
1 Jacksonville Woodlands run
1 Jacksonville Forest Park hike
3 resistance training workouts

What have you done this past week to improve your health and fitness?

~No Challenge, No Change~

Exercise Cuts Breast Cancer Risk For All Women Everywhere

Exercise Cuts Breast Cancer Risk For All Women Everywhere
This could be the simplest bit of health advice ever: Exercise reduces women's risk of breast cancer, no matter what kind of exercise they do, how old they are, how much they weigh, or when they get started.
Researchers in France looked at studies that involved more than 4 million women around the world who participated in prospective studies from 1987 to 2013. They found that the more active a woman is, the better her odds of avoiding breast cancer.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Forest Park Hike
This afternoon a friend and I explored some new trails in the area...the Jacksonville Forest Park trails.  We covered about half of them and I hope to get out there again soon to explore the rest.  They should make some good running trails.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Salt, Obesity May Prematurely Age Young Cells

Salt, Obesity May Prematurely Age Young Cells
High sodium intake and obesity may act synergistically to accelerate cellular aging in adolescents, according to new research presented Thursday afternoon at the American Heart Association's EPI/NPAM Scientific Sessions 2014.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Leg Worklout and Heavy Bag
It was a day of taking care of business and personal chores and errands, but I still made time for a workout of BB front squats, DB stationary lunges, and jump squats.  A little later I headed back out to my gym for a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Goal-Oriented: 10 fitness tips for warmer weather

Goal-Oriented: 10 fitness tips for warmer weather
This week I want mix it up a little and instead of focusing on one topic I want to write a post about ten (10) quick fitness tips. I hope that one of these tips will help you reach your fitness and health goals in 2014.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run
I was going to take a break today from exercise, but I just couldn't resist the call of the Rock.....so I headed out to Lower Table Rock for a fun run.

A view of Upper Table Rock from the east edge of Lower Table Rock.

Such pretty, shiny little leaves. Don't ya just want to reach out and touch them?

~Feelin' Alive!~

Why that water bottle could be throwing off your running form

Why that water bottle could be throwing off your running form
Running used to be a simple endeavor. All you needed was a shirt, shorts and shoes. Now, it’s far more complicated. We are a nation of accessorizers, even in our exercise. We carry water bottles, music players, phones and activity trackers. And although we use them to make our runs easier, here’s the bad news: They could be slowing us down.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Woodlands Trails
In between sessions, appointments, chores and errands today I made time for a fantastic run on the Jacksonville Woodlands Trails.  Afterward I checked out the location of some other trailheads that weren't too far away....hopefully I'll be able to check out those trails soon.

~Feelin' Alive!~

That’s not fruit

That’s not fruit
Making healthy food choices is never easy. It is made more challenging by the fact that some foods that appear to be a smart choice may be less healthy than you think.
Often, prepackaged fruits and vegetables contain added sugar, fat or salt, making them less healthy than eating them fresh.
Consumption of these foods can also make it less likely that people – especially children – will eat fresh fruits and vegetables when they are available.
Here are some examples of foods that may appear to be healthy but, upon closer examination, turn out to be less nutritious than we might think.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Back/Delt/Bi Workout and Heavy Bag
After client sessions this morning, I made time for a workout of weighted chinups, single arm suspension pullups, suspension rear delt flyes, and suspension bicep curls.  Later I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Habits that feed child obesity are widespread, study finds

Habits that feed child obesity are widespread, study finds
A new study links widespread habits among the parents of 2-month-old babies with childhood obesity. Such habits include leaving the baby in front of the TV and fortifying a bottle with cereal.  read more

TOPFIT says:  Quit killing your kids!
Even if you're not causing obesity, you could still be causing serious health problems.
The damage you do to them now will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock and a Chest/Delt/Tri Workout
Today I spent some time meandering and running around on Upper Table Rock....each trip up there reveals new harbingers of spring.  Later I spent time in my gym doing BB bench presses, DB flyes, DB lateral raises, and cable pressdowns.

~Feelin' Alive!~

How Your Diet Affects Your Metabolism

How Your Diet Affects Your Metabolism
Metabolism is the term used to collectively describe the various processes that take place in the body to sustain life and normal functioning. This includes numerous complex tasks including converting food into energy, making new cells and tissues, breathing, circulating blood, regulating body temperature, removing wastes, and much, much more.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run and a Heavy Bag Workout
After taking care of business for the day, a Lower Table Rock run seemed to be the right thing to do....so, consider it done!  Later, I spent 30 mins in my gym doing a moderate intensity heavy bag workout.

At first I thought I was getting a pic of a wild onion, then realized it was a manzanita flower that had blown to the ground....still a cool pic though.

I didn't even notice the flowers in the background until I downloaded the pics. I'll have to go back and get a good pic of them soon.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

It's been an active week.  In addtion to plenty of long overdue chores around the house, starting the spring chores around the yard, and other "activities of daily living" that really added up this week, I also made time for:

4 trail runs/hikes (leaning more heavily toward running)
3 heavy bag workouts
3 resistance training workouts

~No Challenge, No Change~

How Herbs and Spices Can Help You Stay Slim

How Herbs and Spices Can Help You Stay Slim
You might find that when cutting back on calories in order to lose weight, foods with less fat, salt and sugar don't taste as good as foods notoriously high in those ingredients. A great way to add a boatload of flavor to your food without adding additional sodium, sugar or fat is to incorporate a lot of herbs and spices into your dishes. Not only will this enhance the flavors of your ingredients and delight your palate, research has found that some herbs and spices may also house antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components, and some may even help with weight loss.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock
I started the day with a few active hours with the grandkids, and after taking care of some chores and errands I headed out to Upper Table Rock for a fun hike/run with a friend.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Leading Cause Of Death In U.S. Is...........

The Department of Health and Human Services released their long-awaited report clarifying that nearly every death is directly linked to our Heavenly Lord needing our deceased love ones up in Heaven. (watch the video below, or click on the link)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3oPJQ3yWR8

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Yard Work and a Heavy Bag Workout
After a rather lethargic start to my day, I got out for a few hours of spring yard work....there's still lots to do, but it was a good start.
Later, I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag followed by some long overdue house cleaning.

~Feelin' Alive!~

The 25 Best Snacks for Weight Loss

The 25 Best Snacks for Weight Loss
Four nutritionists share the small bites that pull their own weight in the dieting department so you don't have to.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Squats
It was a day filled with a variety of activities.  After finishing with client sessions, I spent some time in my gym doing BB back squats followed by circuits of SB leg curls, calf raises, and plyometric alternating lunges.  Afterward I spent a little time on some yard work and followed that with a short run with a friend.

~Feelin' Alive!~

11 simple weight loss tips

11 simple weight loss tips
Most people treat themselves by indulging in a gallon of ice cream or by lounging around the house, watching TV. Blatner wants "treat yourself" to mean exactly the opposite. Her definition is designed to give you more energy, help you lose weight and keep your body healthy.
"It's preplanning your grocery list. It's being in the grocery store and buying foods that nourish your body. It's eating mindfully," she told the audience at the Obesity Action Coalition's annual Your Weight Matters convention. "Those are really good things that when you do them, it's treating yourself right."
In other words, you deserve to feel good and look good, Blatner says. So putting in five or 10 minutes to plan your meals for the upcoming week or spending 30 minutes at the gym is the ultimate act of self-love.
Follow these 10 tips to "treat yourself" to a healthier, slimmer body:  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Woodlands Trails Run
I thought it was time to see what was blooming in the Jacksonville hills, so this afternoon I headed out to the Jacksonville Woodlands for a run.  Spring is definitely on it's way.

~Feelin' Alive!~