(WFN) It’s 7 AM on a Wednesday and Pat Miles is getting ready for another busy day at the office. But before she butters her toast and kicks her day into high gear she heads into her den and pops a DVD into the player. It’s time for her morning Pilates workout.

Pilates popularity has exploded in the last several years in gyms, YMCA’s, schools and rec rooms across the country. Pilates originated in Germany and was developed by Joseph Pilates who believed that mental and physical health were inseparable elements of wellness. Pilates uses precise movements to stretch, strengthen and stabilize the muscles of the body with an emphasis on breathing and focused movements particularly around the abdomen. Today, millions of men and women work out using these intense exercises and there are thousands of instructors trained in taking them through their paces. The idea is to strengthen the core muscles of the torso and have the energy flow out from them to the extremities.

Pilates demands intense focus – there are no sloppy, uncontrolled movements. Movement is expected to be kept continuous between exercises through the use of fluid transitions. Once precision has been achieved, the exercises are intended to flow within and into each other in order to build strength and stamina. In this way Pilates closely resembles the movements in Yoga or Tai Chi.

“What I like about Pilates” says Ms. Miles, “is that it helps to focus my mind as well as tone my body. I get an excellent workout to be sure and it helps me stayed toned and strong, but I really like that when I finish my session I feel more alert throughout my entire day.” Although she used to work out at a gym, the demands on her time made the convenience of working out at home almost mandatory. “The pressure at work has only gotten greater in the last couple of years and I need to keep in shape, not just for my physical health but for my own peace of mind. Though I love to go to the gym I find that I can get a great workout at home and save myself a little time, and believe me – that time is precious! I’ve done all sorts of exercise tapes in the past, including Buns of Steel, Jane Fonda’s Workout and Cathy Smith but when I discovered Pilates I felt I was getting a more complete workout experience.”

Pilates usually requires the use of special machines to get the proper stretch and tension but Pilates also developed a series of floor exercises, or matwork, to achieve the desired effect and complement the machine work. Contemporary Pilates instructors use props like balls and bands to intensify the movements of the floor exercises and these are available at most sporting goods stores and on line.

Source (article): WORLDFITNESSNEWS

Source (picture): SWEETSAMBA

(WFN) Yes. OK, now that we’ve made our point you can read on. No matter how you cut it, there is just no substitute for exercise when it comes to losing weight. Diet is, of course, extremely important and there are other factors also weigh in. But for permanent weigh loss – pounds that you keep off – some sort of aerobic exercise is necessary.

America is weight conscious and millions are obsessed with losing unwanted pounds. Of course, everyone wants it to be easy. Well, it’s not; it means you have to do something. There is no secret to weight loss. If you want to lose pounds you must burn more calories than you consume. That means cut down on excessive calories and get some cardio! Too many people are sitting around hoping that the next miracle diet will be the answer. Once they are off the diet, the pounds go back on. Why? Because they haven’t learned to burn calories with a healthy cardio workout program.

Many experts feel that if you truly want to lose weight, you need to be doing a good 45 minute to 1 hour cardio workout 4 to 5 times per week. Less than that will help you to maintain your current weight, but won’t help you to shed those pounds. For example, if you plan to lose 1 pound a week, that’s a total of 3500 calories. Then you should burn at least 500 calories a day doing cardio exercise 5 days a week.

You must commit to some kind of rigorous workout schedule. It really doesn’t matter what kind of exercise you select – running, step aerobics, cycling or spinning, cardio machines at the gym – it only matters that you commit to 4 to 5 hours a week minimum and get you heart rate up into the ‘aerobic zone’ for at least 30 minutes. The benefits are tremendous. It’s great for your heart, to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure and will definitely reduce stress. And always move your entire body (arms, legs) when doing any cardio since the more movement means the more calories you will be burning! To determine what you heart rate level is you can use the Target Heart Rate calculator at ShapeFIT.com

Make your cardio workout a priority. Quit scheduling your workouts around everything else you have to do, and instead schedule everything else around your workout. Don’t let anything interfere. If you make it important in your daily routine, then you will find ways to work in everything else you need to do. If you can join a gym get there as often as you can. You will find that working out around like-minded people will help support your goals. And, when the workout is fun chances are you’ll be better able to stick with it. If you cannot get to a gym then there are several ways to get the direction you need at home. Many full cardio workout machines, like elliptical trainers and treadmills, are available at reasonable prices. There are many excellent cardio fitness videos on the market too. And, if you can afford a machine, don’t have a DVD player or live too far from a gym then you can always put on your sneakers, step out the door and go for a run.

Joel Shapiro of Sebastian, Florida did just that. “I was about 20 pounds overweight and it was really starting to bug me. I also had high blood pressure and high cholesterol. I had trouble motivating myself to drive to the gym and I wasn’t good at sticking to a diet. One day I was sitting on my couch watching TV and having some ice cream and I realized I was killing myself. I put on a pair of sneakers, went outside and ran down the block. I barely made it to the corner and back but I did it. It was a first step. I went out the next day and the next. Now I run about 2 miles almost every day and I have lost almost 15 pounds. My pressure is down and I feel great. I know I’m going to lose the next 5 pounds and I am going to keep running.”

Remember consistency is the key to losing weight. Sticking with a cardio workout program combined with healthy nutrition are essential. According to an article on ezinearticles.com, the best 30 minute aerobic exercise routines for fat burning are: Spinning (450 calories), swimming (380 calories), elliptical trainers (265 calories), kickboxing and step aerobics (345 calories) and racquetball (345 calories). The actual amount of calories burned varies by weight, age, and intensity.

Source (article): WORLDFITNESSNEWS

Source (picture): BLOGSPOT

Exercise can not only buy you a fit body but also a better memory. A new study has revealed that physically fit people tend to have a bigger hippocampus, which is responsible for the formation and storage of new memories as well as for spatial navigation.

Researchers from the University of Illinois and the University of Pittsburgh have found that fitness increases hippocampus size, which in turn improves spatial memory, making it easier to record information about one’s environment and its spatial orientation and consequently ensuring the convenience of navigation around a familiar city.

Previous studies have depicted that the volume of hippocampus can be increased by exercising its spatial skills and its memorizing abilities. Cabbies in London are known to have a larger hippocampus than other citizens, and experienced cabbies have it bigger than the new ones. Constantly making use of the memory-making skills of hippocampus can also help it grow; study of German medical students revealed that their hippocampus got larger, while studying for finals.

Studies in the past have shown that exercise increases hippocampus size and spatial memory in rodents, but scientists have demonstrated for the first time that exercise can affect hippocampus size and memory in humans.

In the new study, researchers measured the cardiorespiratory fitness of 165 adults (including 109 females) between 59 and 81 years of age. After measuring their hippocampus, the volunteers were given a test of spatial memory. Later, their aerobic fitness was measured by VO2 max.

The scientists found a “triple association” – physical fitness was associated with a larger hippocampus, which in turn was related with better spatial memory.

Hippocampus is a brain structure inside the medial temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex, which known to shrink with age, causing small but significant cognitive decline. However, the rate of its deterioration is different among individuals.

“The higher fit people have a bigger hippocampus, and the people that have more tissue in the hippocampus have a better spatial memory,” said University of Illinois professor Art Kramer, who led the study along with Pittsburgh psychology professor Kirk Erickson.

“Basically, if you stay fit, you retain key regions of your brain involved in learning and memory,” said Erickson.

SOURCE: THE MED GURU

You know you feel better after a good laugh and laughter has long been associated with happiness and emotional release, but studies now suggest that a good gut-busting can also be good for your health. In fact, there is growing evidence suggesting that laughter boasts a wide range of health and fitness benefits, including everything from stress relief to blood flow.

Seriously, no joke intended … studies have found that laughter therapy is a viable form of cardiovascular exercise, powerfully working the body’s heart and lungs in the same fashion that a rowing machine or exercise bike might work.

Take stress for example. We know untreated stress is a precursor and risk factor for many disease processes including high blood pressure, heart disease, and various cancers. However, laughter really can elevate your mood and diminish the potential ill effects of a stressful or depressing day and help alleviate anxiety too. What’s more, scientists say that the body can’t actually differentiate between real and fake laughter so if you’re feeling down, a fake chuckle could still trigger feelings of happiness and hormones in your brain and help reduce potential illness.

Laughter also burns calories. As well as relieving stress, laughter offers an even better punch, it burns excess calories. Early research suggests that a strenuous, one-minute laugh can burn as many calories as 10 minutes on a rowing machine or bike. And if you laugh a lot, remember 3,500 calories equals 1 pound of fat.

Laughing has also been shown to boost blood flow. Studies have found that laughing can raise the flow of blood in the body by as much as 22 percent, because the heart and lungs work harder to supply oxygen to key muscles. As well as boosting blood flow, relaxed arteries also help regulate blood pressure at normal levels.

Need more convincing? How about a healthy immune system? Laughing has been linked to strong immune system function as well. While it may be too soon to tell if we can stop taking our vitamins, help is at hand if you’re willing to lighten and not take everything quite so seriously. A quick dose of laughter can significantly boost the immune system of even the most resistant skeptics. Research has found that the body’s level of killer cells, essential in attacking viruses and cancers, increase significantly after a good giggle. In contrast, these killer cells are reduced during lengthy periods of stress. So if you want to stay healthy and free of disease, it might be time for you to laugh.

SOURCE: NEWS-PRESS.COM

The NeuroActive Bike is the world’s first exercise equipment that works out both the body and the brain. This fitness bike combines a solid cardio workout with a fun brain-training program designed to increase memory and cognitive function to offer your readers a better body and a sharper mind, all at the same time.

Users of the NeuroActive Bike may select from 22 brain-stimulating exercises that train different parts of the brain, including: memory of names and faces, 3D visuo-spatial skills, concentration, word naming and arithmetic. As they pedal, they manipulate a wireless mouse to interact with the computer and complete the NeuroActive Program, the only brain-fitness program that uses an advanced artificial intelligence and a series of word problems and visual exercises to train the entire brain and sharpen 16 cognitive functions – more than any other brain program on the market.

Unlike simple brain games, NeuroActive is developed by doctors and based on scientific research that proves that brain-training exercises increase cognitive function by 20%, improve processing speed and memory and sharpen the brain so that it performs as well as it did at its peak.

To keep both the mind and the body in top shape, Dr. Bergeron, the president of Brain Center America, recommends three to four 20-minute sessions per week on this unique fitness equipment, which he says is more entertaining and rewarding than the typical alternative for those using cardio equipment, watching TV or reading magazines.

SOURCE: EMAXHEALTH.COM

A bottle of wine (or two), an order of calamari, a nice filet, and of course, chocolate cake. Sounds like the perfect romantic, candlelit dinner, right? Not necessarily. These romantic dinners could be doing more harm to your body than good for your relationship.

Laura Delcore, Leawood senior, says some of her favorite evenings with her boyfriend, Patrick, are spent dining at The Eldridge. However, these dinners can make it a challenge for her to maintain a slim physique. When Delcore started dating Patrick a year ago, she wondered if her health habits would have to take a backseat to their relationship. Delcore is not alone in her struggle to balance healthy eating and exercise with her relationship.

According to The Obesity Society, young women in romantic relationships gained an average of 15 pounds over five years and men saw similar upward trends.

Your partner’s health habits can have a large influence on your diet and exercise routine, too. “Oftentimes our behavior is shaped by the people around us,” says Jenny Prohaska, M.A. in clinical psychology. “When one member of the relationship is more sedentary than the other, the lazy person influences the more active.”

Students in relationships may have a hard time finding activities to do together that are healthy. In the beginning of Andrew Wank’s relationship, the Leawood senior says he tried to impress his girlfriend, Kristen Conway, by taking her out to dinner and to movies. Both found it hard to continue their healthy diet and exercise habits with meals at restaurants and movie popcorn every weekend.

“I transferred from a school where my only focus was tennis. When I came here, I no longer played a sport and I spent more time with her so I got away from diets,” Wank says.

However, as a beauty pageant competitor, it was not a choice for Conway to let her diet and exercise go. Being in the pageants kept Conway motivated and showed how the trend of conforming to your partner’s habits can work both ways.

This fall, Conway suggested they make a commitment to having a healthier relationship. “We both had to be ready to do it for ourselves before we could do it for each other,” Conway says.

Since then, Conway and Wank spend time going on walks, playing tennis and cooking dinner for each other. It is a far cry from the fat-laden meals and hours spent in front of the TV that consumed their relationship before. Cori Colombe, holistic health counselor with Your Wellness Connection, says this is a perfect example of how to resolve a diet-related relationship issue.

Colombe says communication is the key. She says people have a hard time understanding when their partner says “ugh, I’m fat … ” Colombe says it is much more effective to say you want to be healthier or have more energy. From there you can find things you would enjoy together, such as yoga, golf, tennis and the gym.

Some suggestions for maintaining a healthy and fit romantic relationship include taking up a new sport together, parking farther from dinner or exploring new, healthy recipes at home. Colombe recommends going back to what made you happy as a child—being outside, playing sports, or playing a simple game of tag.

No one is saying you have to throw those romantic dinners out the window, just modify them. In the end you will be a happier and healthier couple.

SOURCE: KANSAN.COM

Are you ready to share more of your location information with Google (NSDQ: GOOG)? If so, Google’s My Tracks software for Android will let cyclists, hikers, and joggers record their routes and share them with others.

Last week, Google announced Latitude, a product that allows friends to share their location information so they may see one another on a map.

Google’s My Tracks takes the same idea and wraps it around the idea of improving fitness and the community of those who like to share their fitness activities.

My Tracks is only for the Android-based HTC G1 at the moment.

According to Dylan Casey, product manager and former professional cyclist, “My Tracks records tracks of outdoor activities using the phone’s built-in GPS. It shows these tracks on a map and presents live statistics, including an elevation profile. And here’s the best part: it lets you easily share your activities with friends and the world using Google Maps, as well as archive your training history with Google Docs.”

Not only will you have a way to record your circuit, but you’ll be able to share it with friends who may enjoy that particular road, path, or route.

It offers a bunch of tools and capabilities. With My Tracks, you can record and visualize GPS tracks while running, hiking, biking, skiing — or any other outdoor activity; get live statistics, such as total/moving time, (average) speed, distance, and elevation profile; send performance statistics to Google Docs to build a training history; and mark places and describe activities for others to discover via Google Maps.

SOURCE: INFORMATION WEEK

Michelle Cabral was ready for another night of fun with her friends.

But she wasn’t at a club. She was inside a school cafeteria in a quiet neighborhood preparing to teach an exercise class.

“It’s almost like you’re going out with a bunch of friends to go clubbing, but you don’t have to worry about the cigarette smoke or the crazy men coming over to you,” Cabral joked.

If all this sounds a bit odd, you don’t know Zumba.

The Latin-influenced fitness program has been gaining popularity for the past year or so in the county, with classes sprouting up at a host of local gyms, community centers, and through the county’s Recreation and Parks Department, which also offers children’s Zumba.

Cabral is currently teaching three classes through the department, including the one that met Wednesday at Piney Orchard Elementary School in Odenton.

Long after students had departed for the day, more than 30 women clad in sweats filed into the cafeteria and got ready to salsa, merengue and mambo their way to better bodies. Zumba is a kind of hybrid of Latin dancing and traditional aerobics, with an emphasis on the dancing to create a fun, fast-paced fitness environment.

“I think it’s great for the mind, body and soul,” Cabral said. “It just feels so good.”

So good, in fact, that dietitian Nicole Mazur is thinking about getting certified to teach classes herself. She’s in her third session with Cabral.

“I love the energy,” Mazur said. “I think it’s the music in combination with the dance.”

It’s also an alternative to “boring” workouts on the treadmill or other more traditional cardio work at the gym, she explained.

“They don’t go fast,” she added. “Here, the music and energy keeps you going. You don’t even feel like you’re exercising. This is the first class I’ve ever looked forward to coming to.”

Anne Raup, a Piney Orchard resident who was standing nearby, said the 45-minute session seems like it takes 10 minutes. The intensity shows up in perspiration. “I never, ever sweat when I exercise,” she said. “But (with) this, I’m drenched in five minutes.”

Cabral, whose outfit included black exercise pants and a white tank top that said “Zumbalicious,” taught the class from the stage at the end of the cafeteria. Several times during the night, she invited a couple participants to join her onstage. Even the initial warm-ups looked like a dance, albeit a bit slower than the ones that followed.

“It’s the moves,” said Rosie Neely of Annapolis. “You get to shake it up a little bit. I’ve always done dance (and) I’ve always done aerobics. But now, I get a combination of both.”

It’s probably safe to say Melinda McArdle is more at home with Zumba than most instructors.

She teaches it in the basement of her Annapolis home, which is equipped with a sports court. Three times a week, McArdle holds houlong Zumba sessions in the space. She also teaches at a couple local fitness clubs as well.

“The biggest thing about Zumba is that it’s fun and easy to follow,” McArdle said. “I think a lot of people are intimidated when you say ‘dance.’ Most people have a very negative opinion of themselves and their dance ability. (But) if you can breathe, you can dance.”

And like Cabral, she starts off classes slowly, building to the more intense and involved routines. She coaxes her students along, but also realizes different people have different skill sets.

“(It’s) fun … and nonjudgmental,” said Tracy Exarhakis of Annapolis, who smiled continuously during the class. “There’s no expertise required.”

Terry Sindler, also of Annapolis, said the comfortable atmosphere also contributes to the classes’ appeal. “The camaraderie keeps you going and giving a little extra,” she said.

“This is more friendly,” added Jan Funkhouser of Edgewater, who has lost 25 pounds since September, thanks to Zumba and a nutrition plan.

Although a few men have been known to attend Zumba classes, it’s definitely a rarity. Raup’s explanation is that men might be a bit embarrassed by the amount of hip shaking involved in the routines.

“It’s too bad more men don’t feel comfortable doing it,” she said.

Added McArdle, “It’s movement that’s so far out of the box for men.”

There wasn’t too much time in either class to ponder the issue further, though, because the music had started. “I want to see big legs,” McArdle said over the thumping rhythm. “Go for the gusto. Dance like your life depended on it.”

And the women did, as sweat beaded on their foreheads and their expressions grew more determined. At the end of the session, everyone looked like they’d worked out hard, yet all were happy.

“It puts a smile on your face,” McArdle said. “It’s a mood lifter — and that’s worth the price of admission.”

SOURCE: MARYLAND GAZETTE

Brian Christie is wearing an Old Guys Rule surfing T-shirt, but the University of Victoria neuroscientist knows that one of the best ways to keep his brain young is to exercise.

It has only been a decade since scientists discovered that brain cells could be increased and made more active through exercise, not just lost through disease–and Christie was part of that groundbreaking research team at the Salk Institute in California. Granted, the studies were on mice.

He’s still looking at ways to help regenerate neurons in the adult brain and isn’t waiting for the research on humans.

“Exercise creates new cells and changes old cells for the better,” says Christie, who bikes or runs two kilometres to and from UVic each day.

“Even if you’re diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, if you exercise, the progression of your disease will slow considerably. As little as 20 minutes of brisk exercise three times a week–if you just do that, it re-ally produces a lot of benefits.”

Backing that is a 2008 study by Dr. Jeffrey Burns of the University of Kansas that found only one-fourth the brain shrinkage in fit people with Alzheimer’s disease compared to less-fit participants.

Abnormalities in new brain-cell growth and connections are linked to Alzheimer’s, major depression and schizophrenia. It’s especially important because brain volume and the production of new neurons decline with age.

SOURCE: CANADA.COM

Carnegie Mellon is encouraging the campus to “Take the Challenge! Restore Balance.”

In an effort to promote health and fitness awareness on campus, the objective of the 2009 Fitness Challenge is to exercise at least 20 minutes a day, three times a week, and to make two smart choices a week.

The program lasts for six weeks, and participants are encouraged with a daily e-mail from someone on the Carnegie Mellon Fitness Challenge team.

Jessica Daluz, a junior business major, said, “The Fitness Challenge is a good way to get people motivated to exercise. I think sometimes people get so caught up in studying and extracurricular activities that they forget to take care of themselves and their health.”

Participants are encouraged to make two smart choices a week, such as taking the stairs one day instead of the elevator, eating an extra piece of fruit or vegetables, or drinking water instead of soda.

Each smart choice or exercise earns Challenge participants a sticker for the smart choice, or a colored-in block for the exercise.

The blocks are located on a wall across from the UC Equipment Desk. Each participant’s name is in a column with various colored-in blocks.

The crayons and stickers are available at the UC Equipment Desk.

If participants are wary about beginning a workout regimen alone, there are a number of fitness classes available to join.

Printed on the back of the Fitness Challenge information cards is a weekly schedule of fitness classes that take place in the UC Gym every day.

In order to take a class, gym-goers must purchase a card from the UC Equipment Desk with a certain number of hole punches available. Each fitness class requires at least one hole punch per class. There are single class cards available, but all cards purchased at the Equipment Desk must be purchased with a check.

The Fitness Challenge program is not focused solely on helping people get back in shape, but on restoring order and balance to participants’ lives.

Several yoga classes are available throughout the week and the Challenge coordinators encourage yoga practices and meditating as smart choices.

Elisha Clayton, a first-year CIT major, feels inspired when she sees the Fitness Challenge board with everyone’s name on it. “I have been thinking about working out more often now that I know there’s a program to help people stay motivated.”

Most people have that same sentiment about the program.

Dominique Davis, sophomore creative writing major, has been faithful to the Challenge, “but I keep forgetting to put my little stickers up there. I definitely get my workouts in but I haven’t been keeping up with coloring in my blocks. Either way, the e-mails remind me to keep going, and that really helps.”

Along with the daily e-mails, Challenge coordinators also plan sessions with specialists to help people fit more ways to restore balance in their lives.

Two sessions were planned for Monday in Rangos 2 with Chris Rose and Tracy Linza.

Chris Rose is Carnegie Mellon’s head athletic trainer and on Monday will explain why and how to choose the best walking and running shoes for fitness activities.

It is important to have the proper foot equipment, as serious injuries can result from wearing the wrong shoes.

Linza is from the Heinz School and will lead participants through a meditation experience in their chairs.

The session is encouraged for a quick release of tension anywhere in the body. There is also a professional personal trainer in the UC weight room every Friday from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the month of February for participants who may have any questions about their workout regimen, or for those who need help modifying the intensity of their regimen safely.

The 2009 Fitness Challenge is slightly altered this year from last year’s program.

The introduction of smart choices takes the pressure off of having to work out as often, yet still makes an impact in a person’s weekly routine.

The goal is to live a healthier lifestyle, and for an added incentive, all participants who meet the six-week challenge will be awarded prizes and be included in a raffle on March 19 in the Danforth Lounge from noon to 1 p.m.

SOURCE: THE TARTAN