SEARCH:       Friday, May 18, 2012
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Fitness Tip of the Day!
Training for a Marathon
Of the 6000 registrants for the 2011 Austin Marathon, it is estimated that a middle-of-the-pack finisher averaged about 885 training miles in the year leading up to the race.







FITNESS ADVICE
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FITNESS GEAR
Comparative data on consumer Fitness Gear.
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FITNESS INFO
Reviews of exercise, fitness, wellness, and sports nutrition topics. Reviews of exercise books & videos.
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SPORTS NUTRITION
Look up details on Energy Bars, Energy Gels, and Sports Drinks.
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Physical Inactivity: The Biggest Health Problem of the 21st Century

An article written by fitness expert Professor Steven N. Blair published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine states that a low level of "cardio-respiratory fitness" (CRF) is a greater risk factor for death than ANY of the other cardiovascular risk factors that our medical establishment routinely measure. In other words:

Low CRF is a greater risk factor for death than hypertension, obesity, elevated cholesterol, diabetes, or smoking.

For several years now, Professor Blair has pointed out that obesity is less of a health risk than a sedentary lifestyle. In fact, he states that "obese men who were moderately/highly fit had less than half the risk of dying than normal-weight men who were unfit."

But, what really surprised me when reading this paper was that being sedentary was a bigger risk factor than even smoking! Here are the risk factors, listed from highest to lowest:

  • low cardiorespiratory fitness
  • hypertension
  • smoking
  • obesity
  • diabetes/high cholesterol

The research evidence continues to grow: Regular exercise, particularly, aerobic exercise, is a powerful health-enhancing factor in your life. If you're not doing some kind of physical activity on at least 5 days out of each week, well, it's time for you to get moving!

Stan Reents, PharmD
Editor In Chief
Member, ACSM
ACSM-Certified Health Fitness Specialist

May 2012

(ref: Blair SN. Br J Sports Med 2009;43(1):1-2.)



Mobile Apps

Our novel Exercise Calorie Converter contains a database of over 2000 food items.  Now, it's available for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, and Android-enabled smart-phones!

To purchase the app, click on the appropriate button below. Only $2.99!





Today's Featured Topics



Heart Rate Monitors
Heart rate monitors are not just for serious athletes. Monitoring your heart rate can provide valuable insight into not only your level of fitness, but, also, the health of your cardiovascular system. Everyone should own one and use it regularly. Learn more about these devices at: "Heart Rate Monitors"

For Kids: "10 And Under" Tennis
The USTA has come up with a novel way of getting kids more interested in tennis: "10 And Under" tennis. The balls, the racquets, and the court dimensions have all been modified so that learning tennis isn't so frustrating for children. Read more about it at: "Tennis For Kids: '10 And Under' Tennis"

Exercise and Back Pain
It is estimated that nearly 80% of Americans suffer from simple low back pain. This may be related to all the hours spent sitting, particularly if your posture is bad. Exercise can help, but it is important to do the right exercises (surprisingly, improving muscular "strength" is not the goal!). To learn more, read our review: "Exercise and Back Pain"


Exercise Books and Videos



TITLE:  "Advanced Sports Nutrition, 2nd ed."
AUTHOR:  Benardot, D
LENGTH:  411 pages
LIST PRICE:  $23.95

There are quite a few sports nutrition books on the market. (And, we've reviewed many of them!...). The 2nd edition of "Advanced Sports Nutrition" is now available. Author Dan Benardot, RD, PhD, has worked with US athletes at the 1996 and 2004 Olympic Games. This book is really more appropriate as an academic text. However, some athletes might want to include it in their personal library. Read our review...





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