7 Exercises to Enhance Your Quality of Life

7 Exercises to Enhance Your Quality of Life
Most people understand that regular exercise can help improve both the way you look and your overall health. But did you know that exercise can vastly improve the quality of your life by giving you the strength and confidence to do what you want to do when you want to do it?
The right exercises can give you the skill, coordination and strength to help you move more efficiently, which can greatly reduce a number of soft-tissue injuries related to poor movement quality.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Back Workout and Heavy Bag
After today's training sessions, I made time for a workout of weighted chinups, KB rows, pullups, and hanging scapular depression/retraction.  I followed this a bit later with a 30 min heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~

6 Not-so-healthy Health Foods

6 Not-so-healthy Health Foods
If you've been fooled into thinking that a food was healthy only to later learn that it isn’t quite as good as you thought, then you’re not alone. We hear this same complaint from our clients all the time. Here, we share a few foods to look out for so that the wool doesn’t get pulled over your eyes!  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Chest Workout, Heavy Bag, and an Upper Table Rock Hike
Today was busy!  In addition to taking care of business, I also made time for a workout of BB bench presses, DB bench presses, and DB flyes.  I followed this with a 30 min heavy bag workout, and in the evening hiked (and ran a little) on Upper Table Rock with a friend.

Common Camas

Field of Camas with Mt McLoughlin in the background

Mariposa Lily, aka Pussy Ears

Mission Bells Fritillaria, aka Checkered Lily or Chocolate Lily

~Feelin' Alive!~

Seven habits of highly healthy people

Seven habits of highly healthy people
Most common chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many cancers are linked to health habits such as smoking, what you eat and how active you are. Changing these behaviors can have an impact on your health and feelings of well-being. There is no one set of recommendations to be healthy, but there are some habits common among healthy people. Here are seven habits of highly healthy people.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run
After my morning sessions, I had a great run on Lower Table Rock.  Later I found time for a little yard and garden work.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

This past week was a little light on resistance training, but I sure made up for it with lots of miles on the trail.  In addition to yard work, several hours of active time with the grandkids, and even a rest day, I also made time for:

2 heavy bag workouts
1 kettlebell workout
3 long trail runs
1 ab/core workout
1 pullup/pushup workout

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

~No Challenge, No Change~

7 invisible ways exercise improves your life

7 invisible ways exercise improves your life
Glance around the gym, and you'll probably see lots of people who are exercising in an attempt to shed pounds, tone muscle and look better.
But numerous research studies have uncovered many other benefits to working out -- ones that aren't necessarily visible from the outside.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Rest Day
I decided to take a break from exercise today.  But, that doesn't mean I was totally inactive....a few active hours with Hailey and some chores around the house kept me from becoming a couch potato.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Meta Study Confirms Homeopathy Doesn't Work

Meta Study Confirms Homeopathy Doesn't Work
The Australian National Heath and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has released a paper concluding “there is no reliable evidence that homeopathy is effective".
“No good-quality, well-designed studies with enough participants for a meaningful result reported either that homeopathy caused greater health improvements than a substance with no effect on the health condition (placebo), or that homeopathy caused health improvements equal to those of another treatment,” the report's summary states.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Kettlebells
After a few hours of active time with Mason today, I spent about 30 mins in my gym doing a light kettlebell workout of swings, snatches, and clean & presses (all single arm with a 16kg kettlebell).

~Feelin' Alive!~

Potentially unsafe additives are legally kept secret from the FDA

Gaping FDA loophole allows food manufactures to determine for themselves whether chemical additives are safe
Potentially unsafe additives are legally kept secret from the FDA -- and from the public
Federal protections meant to keep untested, and potentially unsafe, chemical additives out of our food are woefully inefficient at doing so, according to a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council. Thanks to a convenient loophole, food manufacturers are permitted to determine for themselves the safety of new chemicals added to processed foods, with no need to notify either the FDA or the public.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Pullup/Pushup Workout and a Heavy Bag Workout
I took a break from the trails today and did a couple of workouts in my gym.  I started with 30 mins of pullups and decline pushups, and later spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.

~Feelin' Alive!~