What do you do for exercise? Do you bike or walk? Why not do that on the way or at least part of the way to work.

Walking or biking to work, even part way, is linked with fitness, but very few Americans do it, according to a study of more than 2,000 middle-aged city dwellers.

In what may be the first large U.S. study of health and commuting, the researchers found only about 17 percent of workers walked or bicycled any portion of their commute.

The new study is based on tests and questionnaires from 2,364 workers who were part of a larger federally funded study on heart disease risk. The participants lived in Chicago, Minneapolis, Birmingham, Ala., and Oakland, Calif. They were asked in 2005-2006 about their commuting habits in the past 12 months. Read the rest of this entry »

Looking to make a change and lose some weight? I have reviewed the top diet on the internet and you can go and read over 200 comments people have made about why this diet has worked well for them, as well as some of the problems.

Tags: Alabama, Archives of Internal Medicine, Birmingham, California, Chapel Hill, Chicago, heart disease, James Sallis, Minneapolis, North Carolina, Oakland, obesity, Oregon, Penny Gordon-Larsen, Portland, San Diego State University, United States, University of North Carolina

I had so much fun and a good experience from readers of the blog a couple of days ago by posting some great articles from other blogs that I decided to share a few more. I just found these posts yesterday and it seems that lots of bloggers are writing some really high quality stuff, I am going to have to pick up the pace here.

How to get a muscular body

Zen to Fitness has a great highlight type article on how people get muscular. One of the highlights is that there is a great old pic of Arnold before he was governor of California at the top of the post. Eating and exercise tips.

Are School lunches healthy?

I have two kids in school and so I thought this would be an interesting read, but it was even more. Did you know that only 80 cents a day goes into food at a typical school made lunch?

TV in kids rooms can make them fat

I keyed into this article because I also think that having a TV in the kids rooms can cause them to be antisocial as well but my kids each have a TV and we make sure that the kids realize that the TV is for when everyhting else, inluding playing is done. The TVs will leave their rooms if it becomes a problem.

Finding a little time to exercise

Sometimes I think it would be great to write a book about how to exercise in 5 minutes (10 times a day). People hate a time commitment but here are four quick ways to get more exercise in. Oh and the logo for the website is great.

Building weight loss momentum

I am a sucker for a quick and easy top 10 list as you have probably realized from this blog. Here is a list of 10 ways to build momentum in losing weight. They are not altogether obvious so I think that these tips will really snap your thinking into the right frame of mind.

Tags: California, cent, food, Governor

The Center for Disease Control is reporting that Measles Cases are at the highest rate in over 10 years. Most of the reason for the really high rate of Measles outbreaks is because of the fear of Autism from kids getting the

More measles cases have been reported in the United States since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a report released today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Measles Results for 2008

Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC′s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least fifteen patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Academy of Pediatrics, Anne Schuchat, Arizona, Arkansas, Austria, Autism, Belgium, California, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, China, D.C., director, encephalitis, Europe, Georgia, Germany, hawaii, Illinois, immunization, India, Israel, Italy, Louisiana, measles, Michigan, Missouri, mmr vaccine, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Mumps, National Center for Immunization, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, New Mexico, New York, Pakistan, Pennsylvania, preventing infections, Respiratory Diseases, rubella, Russian Federation, Switzerland, the Philippines, United Kingdom, United States, vaccination, vaccination program, vaccination status, vaccines, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin

I can eat a couple of hot dogs. Sure some people like them but not as much as Joey Chesnut how set a record today by eating more hot dogs in 10 minutes than I thought was humanly possible.

July 4th is apparently a great day to eat hot dogs and hamburgers and Joey ate 69 and then 5 more to win an eat off to stay world champion. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: 4th of July, California, Coney Island, Japan, Joey "Jaws" Chestnut, Joey Chesnut, League Eating spokesman, Major, Ryan Nerz

This is a story that just supports the way that we live as a society and it is not just about quitting smoking but also about drinking, losing weight, doing drugs and buying new cars. The fact is that when people that we are around and share values with make a change in their lives then we do too.

You may have heard sometime in the past that if you want to make more money then hang around people that make more money. The same is true if you want to get in shape, hang out with people that are in shape. We all pick up on the habits of those around us and reading about the following study helps us to understand that changes do in fact come in a large part due to those around us.

A team of researchers who showed that obesity can spread person-to-person has found a similar pattern with smoking cessation: A smoker is more likely to kick the habit if a spouse, friend, co-worker or sibling did.

What’s more, smokers tend to quit in groups, and those who don’t stop puffing increasingly find themselves pushed to the edge of their social circles, the researchers found. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: alcoholism, California, co-worker, Harvard Medical School, infectious disease, James Fowler, Jennifer Unger, large social network, lead author, medical sociologist, National Institute on Aging, New England Journal of Medicine, Nicholas Christakis, obesity, San Diego, social network, University of California, University of Southern California

The Daily Mail in England has this very interesting story that seems to give hope to the millions of people worldwide that suffer from Alzheimers disease.

Doctors are calling for a clinical trial of an experimental drug treatment that it is claimed can reverse the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease “in minutes”.

U.S. researchers say the treatment allowed an 82-year- old sufferer to recognize his wife for the first time in years.

In the UK, specialists believe the claims should be properly tested as only a few patients have been treated so far.
The treatment involves injecting a drug called Enbrel – which is normally used to treat arthritis – into the spine at the neck. Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Alzheimer's, Alzheimer's disease, Alzheimer's Research Trust, Alzheimer's Society, ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, California, chief executive, cough, diabetes, director, Edward Tobinick, Enbrel, experimental therapy, fever, head of research, immune disease, inflammation, Institute for Neurological Research, Institute of Neurological Research, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Los Angeles, Marvin Miller, necrosis, nurse, professor, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, Rebecca Wood, rheumatoid arthritis, Serious infections, Susanne Sorensen, TB, tuberculosis, tumor, tumour, United Kingdom, United States, University of California Los Angeles

I was just writing a post of new years resolutions and realized that I had not taken a hard enough look at last year and what it brought me as well as my failures. I will list the downsides of last year first just to get them out of the way.

Over 2007 my fitness activity actually went down. The exercise that I have always enjoyed on my bike dropped as the year went on because I moved to a house that was a lot closer to work so my ride is shorter. One thing that has helped in this regard is that I have been riding a lot more days, still not enough in my opinion though to make up for the shorter ride. Another fitness issue has been my lack of weight training. This last year I was very on again off again about it and have not joined a gym because the distance is far to great for me to really make it worth my while. Lastly my eating although good also comprises some bad foods and that is one thing I will be working on this year.

I hate that part. This part is much better, my victories for 2007. In this last year I was really happy in my focus on fitness increasing, I at a lot better, I focussed on great thoughts instead of destructive ones and I strengthened my core (back and abs) more os I feel really good about myself. I got myself a new bike and although it was still under $250 it is much better than my sub $100 bike I rode for three years. I was able this year to spend more time with my family taking them to California and Disneyland in the Summer although I have to stil improve my work-family focus over the next year.

As far as this blog goes I am most excited with the fact that I moved from and old family subdomain to a whole new architecture (Wordpress) and domain of www.fitnesstipsforlife.com. Also since about the beginning of October I have posted everyday which for me proves to myself that I can be very consistent although I always think of myself as not.

Overall I am happy with how 2007 worked out. My family and work life are better this Jan 2nd than last and I think that I am more excited about this upcoming year than I have been in several years, this is a sign that I have forward running momentum I think.

Only one more post remains for this whole new years resolution stuff and I am ready for the new year anyway.

Tags: California, disneyland, exercise, family focus, fitness, new bike, new years day, new years resolutions, USD, www.fitnesstipsforlife.com

There is a new very large study of 70,000 women that is making health headlines today that shows that drinking alcohol, especially fairly heavy drinking will increase a womens risk of breast cancer. How much is fairly heavy drinking? The study shows that three or more drinks a day will increase the chance of developing breast cancer by 30% over that of non drinkers.

All types of alcohol — wine, beer or liquor — add equally to the risk of developing breast cancer in women, American researchers said Thursday.

“This is a hugely underestimated risk factor,” said Dr. Patrick Maisonneuve, head of epidemiology at the European Institute of Oncology in Italy, who was not connected to the study.

The researchers, led by Dr. Arthur Klatsky of the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program in Oakland, Calif., revealed their findings at a meeting of the European Cancer Organization in Barcelona.

Researchers analyzed the drinking habits of 70,033 women of various races and asked them questions during health exams between 1978 and 1985. By 2004, 2,829 of these women had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Tags: Arthur Klatsky, Barcelona, breast cancer, breast_cancer, California, cancer_in_women, drinking_alcohol, European Cancer Organization, European Institute of Oncology, head of epidemiology, head of epidemiology in Italy, Health Issues, Italy, kaiser_permanente_medical, Oakland, Patrick Maisonneuve

California governor and ex bodybuilding pro Arnold Schwarzenegger as you can imagine understands the need for fitness and wellness programs for everyone in the state of California. This press release not only is a bit of a plug that 24 hour fitness shows that they support the program but also makes the governors announcement yesterday a bit more public around the country.

24 Hour Fitness today commended California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Stay Healthy California” five-point plan highlighting the importance of preventative health and wellness initiatives.

Since October 2005, 24 Hour Fitness has supported Governor Schwarzenegger’s dedication to health and wellness through the Governor’s Challenge, a program designed to track physical activity and reward young adults who are active for 30-60 minutes a day at least 3 days a week.

24 Hour Fitness exclusively offers program participants free access to its clubs to further success of the Governor’s program.

24 Hour Fitness realizes the significance of corporate client partnerships and the wellness of employees. Through its corporate wellness program, 24 Hour Fitness serves more than 4,000 corporations across the country with special packages and discounts for employees, a program proven to help improve workers’ overall health, morale as well as productivity.

“With more than three million members globally, we are excited to support Governor Schwarzenegger’s ‘Stay Healthy California’ plan of physical fitness and wellness,” said Mark Mastrov, chairman and founder.

“Together, this partnership delivers unparalleled fitness and wellness offerings to meet the evolving needs of those Californians looking to experience an active and fulfilling lifestyle.

About 24 Hour Fitness
Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., 24 Hour Fitness, an innovative leader in the health and fitness industry, serves more than 3 million members in over 350 clubs across 16 different states and four countries in Asia. Founded in 1983 as a one-club operation by Chairman and Founder Mark S. Mastrov, 24 Hour Fitness pioneered the concept of making fitness accessible, affordable and a way of life for everyone. Supporting the communities it serves, 24 Hour Fitness sponsors many charitable events and organizations including the 2004 – 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams and the Magic Johnson, Andre Agassi and Lance Armstrong Foundations. Please call1-800-224-0240 or visit http://www.24HourFitness.com for more information and to find the location nearest you.

Tags: 800-224-0240, Andre Agassi, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Asia, California, chairman and founder, Governor, Hour Fitness, innovative leader, Johnson, Lance Armstrong Foundations, Mark Mastrov, Mark S. Mastrov, San Ramon, Schwarzenegger's 'Stay Healthy, United States

What if your mind’s eye could take you to a place so peaceful that the experience eased your pain or sped your recovery from surgery? It’s not such a far-fetched concept. In fact there are many studies that show that guided imagery can be good in many parts of your life.

“Guided imagery,” a type of mind-body therapy that uses visualized images to communicate to the housekeeping systems of the body, is making its way into traditional medical settings.

“People are just now taking a very serious look at it,” said David E. Bresler, co-founder of the Academy for Guided Imagery, in Malibu, Calif., and author of the book Free Yourself From Pain. “There are a handful of hospitals around the country and around the world that are starting to implement these programs,” he said.

In one study, researchers at Harvard Medical School found that more than 30 percent of U.S. adults have used some form of mind-body medicine, a category that includes imagery, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Bresler, a traditionally trained Ph.D. neuroscientist, first became intrigued with alternative methods of pain relief in the early 1970s, as founder and director of the University of California, Los Angeles, Pain Control Unit. Patients often used vivid images to describe their pain. It felt like an ice pick to one person, fire ants to another. One particular patient, a psychiatrist with a painful rectal carcinoma, suffered low back pain that he said “felt like a dog chewing on my spine.”

Bresler knew that when patients used their imagination to go to a peaceful place, it helped them to relax, so he guided the agitated psychiatrist through a relaxation exercise. When the man’s pain flared up, Bresler instructed him to speak to the dog. Would it let go of his spine? Then, an astonishing thing happened — when the dog let go to talk, the man’s pain subsided.

Today, guided imagery has numerous applications. Sports psychologists use it to enhance athletes’ physical performance. Cancer centers often use it to relieve patients’ pain and nausea.

In a 2004 study in the journal Pain, researchers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center found that children who used guided-imagery tapes before and after routine surgery had significantly less pain and anxiety than a control group. More recently, researchers examined how children used these tapes, which suggested that they “go” to a park, at least in their mind. Many, though, put their own spin on the proposed image, allowing them to escape to places like a swimming pool, a lake or an amusement park.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: Academy for Guided Imagery, agitated psychiatrist, Author, California, cancer, carcinoma, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, co-founder, Complementary Medicine, David E. Bresler, fatigue, fibromyalgia, Florida International University's School of Nursing, founder and director, Guided imagery, Harvard Medical School, imagery, imagery researcher and professor, involving chronic, Los Angeles, low back pain, Malibu, Miami, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, nausea, pain, Pain Control Unit, psychiatrist, relaxation, Sports psychologists, surgery, Swimming, United States, University of California, Victoria Menzies