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Runners have a strange relationship with rest days. Early in the year, it's hard to get them to take a day off because they fear they'll lose momentum. Later in the year, when their training loads are heavier, those same runners might be grasping for days to take a break. But no matter how far along you are in your training, resting is important because it keeps fatigue from building up and lets the body lay a solid foundation for the work to come. Here are five things you can do to rest, refocus and relax when your running schedule calls for a rest day: Take a yoga class. Yoga offers … [Read more...] about 5 Healthy Ways to Spend Rest Days

Strength training isn't just for bodybuilders and marathoners. It's for anyone who wants to feel healthier, more energetic and, yes, younger. "Strength is the fountain of youth," says Gavin McHale, a Winnipeg-based kinesiologist and certified exercise physiologist
 who works primarily with older adults. "Benefits of resistance training, and subsequent strength gains, in older adults include better control of symptoms of chronic disease, pain and depression, as well as prevention of falls, maintaining existing muscle mass, improving posture and stability, increasing bone density and remaining … [Read more...] about 8 Best Equipment-Free Strength Exercises for Older Adults

In January, we have the best intentions for the year ahead. We've made our resolutions and goals. The gyms are packed with enthusiastic people looking forward to improved health and fitness. Sadly, for many, that enthusiasm will soon wear off. But if you follow these simple tips, you can keep those goals in sight and ensure that they don't fall off your calendar by the beginning of March. Put your workout on your calendar. Many people are very good at putting business and doctor appointments in their calendars, but their workouts live on a "to-do" list instead. Unfortunately, this means … [Read more...] about 5 Simple Tricks That Will Make Your Fitness Resolutions Stick

How to navigate seasonal office parties, happy hours and travel while watching your weight. Thanksgiving is now behind us and with that, the holiday season officially begins. For many of my clients, this means the start of holiday madness. On the one hand, office parties, celebrations with friends and traveling to visit family can be festive and a lot of fun. On the other hand, the season can be stressful – especially if you are trying to stick with a healthy eating plan. Sure, I could remind you that the holidays are really just three days – Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day – and … [Read more...] about Your Healthy Holiday Survival Guide

  Tell fitness enthusiasts to sit still, and they'll scoff. Tell sick fitness enthusiasts to sit still, and their response will likely be the same. But should you really exercise when your body doesn't feel 100 percent? Medical professionals hear this question a lot and, with the flu season not too far away, it's a topic worth addressing. Most clinicians recommend that if your symptoms mirror a common cold without a fever – in other words, the illness remains above the neck – you can exercise moderately by doing activities like walking. The American Council on Exercise supports … [Read more...] about How Sick Is Too Sick to Exercise?

  People who lay off butter and cheese and pour olive oil onto their salads instead live longer and lower their risk of heart disease, researchers reported Monday. It's one of the longest and most detailed studies yet about what, precisely, to substitute for artery-clogging fats and the answers are clear: although most Americans substitute sugary treats and white bread, the better path is to go for vegetable oils and whole grains. While the advice is nothing new, this study done by the Harvard School of Public Health puts numbers on it. It doesn't take much to cut the damage done by … [Read more...] about Pass the Butter and Pour on the Olive Oil, Experts Say

If you're loading up on vitamin C and zinc to stave off the sniffles, you should try an earlier bedtime instead. People who regularly sleep six hours or less each night are four times more likely to get a cold than people who sleep just an hour longer, a new study finds. Short sleep was more important than any other factor in predicting who would get sick after exposure to the cold virus, researchers say. "It's almost alarming how strong the effects are," says Aric Prather, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco and lead author … [Read more...] about Sleep Fights Colds, Study Finds

Researchers assessing the health of women aged 40-70 have suggested that the amount of exercise they participate in during their teenage years appears to have an impact on their risk of dying from cancer or other causes as adults. The study was conducted by Sarah J. Nechuta, an assistant professor of medicine at Vanderbilt Epidemiology Center in Nashville, TN, and colleagues. Their findings are published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. Participating in exercise as an adolescent was associated with a reduced risk of cancer and all-cause mortality, regardless of the level … [Read more...] about Exercise in adolescence may reduce adult cancer risk, all-cause mortality for women