Failing grades for physical activity

Failing grades for physical activity
It's probably no surprise that the majority of Americans are not active enough. Only about half of adults meet even the minimum recommendation for physical activity of 30 minutes per day, five days per week. Compounding this problem is the fact that many people spend much of their time at work and home being sedentary – some spend more than 12 hours per day sitting!
What may be surprising is that this is a problem for children, too. Less than half of children ages 6 to 11 are active for 60 minutes per day. Among teenagers, it is less than 10 percent! The health effects of too little activity in kids is similar to that of adults.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Forest Park Hike
From the Halls of Manzanita to the Shores of Jackson Creek........
Even though I didn't feel like a run today, I still felt the need to get out on the trail.  So, I spent a couple of hours hiking on the Jacksonville Forest Park trails.......Rail Trail > Ponderosa Snag > Rail > Ridge View > Cantrall Canyon > Granite > through the Halls of Manzanita > Naversen > Ridge View > Rail.  Quite a maze of trails going through everything from humid, heavy undergrowth down by the streams, to hot, dry and dusty up at the top of the Granite trail and through the Halls of Manzanita..

~Feelin' Alive!~

The Real Reason We're All Overweight

The Real Reason We're All Overweight 
Just think about America’s breakfast of choice for school-age children: Sugary cereal and a glass of orange juice. When they arrive at school, 50 percent of them will be served fast food for lunch. Sometimes it seems like we’d rather send our kids to the doctor, or even surgery, like one 400-pound boy in the film who ultimately signs up for gastric bypass surgery, than to provide proper meals for them at home and at school.  read more

TOPFIT says: Although the food companies do share in the blame, each and every person is still responsible for their food choices.  But we are, by and large, a society that needs to place the blame on others and not take responsibility for out actions.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Table Rock Hike
It was another low energy day, but I still needed to do something.  So, after taking care of morning sessions, I went to Upper Table Rock for a relaxed hike.

~Feelin' Alive!~

9 Habits Of People With A Healthy Relationship To Exercise

9 Habits Of People With A Healthy Relationship To Exercise
Much like the precarious line between thinking carefully about food and obsessing over it, exercise is also a highly beneficial component of a healthy lifestyle that can easily become problematic.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Hike
I wasn't feeling too energetic today, but really needed to be outside.  So I headed to Lower Table Rock for a moderately paced hike, and was joined by a large gopher snake....for my first snake sighting of the season (finally!).

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

Although the week was a little light in resistance training again, in additon to plenty of yard work and ADLs, I made time for:

3 Table Rock runs
1 Bandersnatch run/hike
1 chest workout
1 back workout
3 heavy bag workouts

What did you do this past week to give your body the activity it so badly craves?

~No Challenge, No Change~

Adults who follow exercise guidelines still gain weight

Adults who follow exercise guidelines still gain weight
For people who want to avoid packing on extra pounds, a new study suggests going above and beyond commonly cited exercise guidelines.
“Current recommendations of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 60 minutes of vigorous exercise per week might not be sufficient to prevent long-term weight gain,” lead researcher Trine Moholdt told Reuters Health in an email. “More is needed.”  read more

TOPFIT says: I always thought the official recommendations seemed too low.  Just more of the dumbing down of health and fitness to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Child's Play and Workin' Around the House and Yard
I took a break from any specific exercise activities, but I was far from sedentary today.  Three hours of active play with Mason, yard/garden work, and housekeeping chores kept me moving for most of the day.

~Feelin' Alive!~

AGING AMERICA: Exercise as the Fountain of Youth

AGING AMERICA: Exercise as the Fountain of Youth
Exercise may be the closest thing we have to a fountain of youth, one of the best ways to age happy and well.
"The mantra now is, exercise is a drug" — able, like some medications are, to prevent and treat a host of age-related ailments, said Dr. Andrea Cheville, a Mayo Clinic expert on exercise in the elderly.  read more

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Bandersnatch Run/Hike and Lots of Yard/Garden Work
After a morning session with a client, a friend and I ran and hiked on the Bandersnatch trail above Ashland.  Afterward, I spent some time helping with lots of heavy yard and garden work.

~Feelin' Alive!~

5 Exercises Every Runner Should Be Doing

5 Exercises Every Runner Should Be Doing
Spring has sprung and people are once again flocking outside to enjoy regular runs.
Just the other day a man came into my office looking for upper-body strength exercises. “My legs already get enough of a workout with my running,” he said. I was able to shed some light on the importance of overall strength training to improve his running alignment and efficiency, and to stabilize those joints that take a beating.
If pounding the pavement is part of your workout routine, don’t forget the importance of other exercises, not only to help you become a better runner, but to keep you injury free this season!  read more

  

 

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag
I took it a bit easier today and kept my activities fairly simple.  Other than the usual ADLs, I only made time for a 30 minute heavy bag workout.

~Feelin' Alive!~