Entertainment Habits Can Predict Waist Size

The concept of a couch potato has been around for a long time, but a recent Canadian study confirms that children who watch more television are more likely to develop an extended waistline by the time they reach the age of 10. The study said that every extra hour of weekly viewing could add half a millimeter to waist circumference and reduce muscle fitness. Experts noted that young children should not watch more than 2 hours of television per day.

Extra television watching not only had an effect on the waist size of children in the study, but on their physical fitness levels as well. Standing long jump tests were used to measure the children's physical fitness. The study found that an extra hour of weekly TV viewing could reduce a jump by 0.36cm. Researchers said its not yet clear what direct impact TV viewing has on these health and fitness findings, but said, "The bottom line is that watching too much television - beyond the recommended amounts - is not good...Watching more television not only displaces other forms of educational and active leisurely pursuits but also places them at risk of learning inaccurate information about proper eating."

Habits gained during childhood usually become entrenched in the lifestyles of adults. This means that children who are couch potatoes at a young age will most likely continue their sedentary habits as adults. It's recommended that parents encourage physical activity like sports or even time on exercise machines to help instill positive fitness habits.

Physical Activity Leads to Lower Costs

There's one fundamental truth that most scientists and medical experts can agree upon; physical activity and exercise is a powerful weapon against bad health and a bad economy. Governments across the world are making efforts to encourage exercise amongst their citizens in order to improve the general wellfare and increase economic output across all sectors. Average lives in the western world have become more and more sedentary as technology has exploded and more people have office jobs and commute in their cars to work. The U.S. Department of Health and Human services estimates that a lack of exercise will cause 7 million early deaths in the next decade.

Many people think of exercise only when it comes to benefitting weight loss or athletic ability, but exercise helps improve quality of life across the board. One of the most noticeable affects witnessed by business owners is the increase in productivity gained by workers who exercise regularly. This phenomenon is really no surprise, as exercise improves mental clarity and stamina, helping people not only improve the quality of their work, but the quantity as well. This is why many offices have installed exercise equipment in their lobbies and recreational areas.

If more exercise makes business sense for companies, it must also make sense for the country and economy as a whole. "Governments worldwide, from the community level to national legislatures, are wising up to what businesses are already finding out," said Robert Sallis, M.D., a physician with Kaiser Permanente and former chair of the Exercise Is Medicine global health initiative. "Keeping people healthy has a profound impact on the bottom line. Lack of physical activity has an estimated cost of $223 billion to $381 billion per year, which is now going to treat preventable diseases."

Should You Stretch Before Exercise?

Exercise experts suggest that everyone should do some type of warm-up exercise before going into a full workout. Where experts disagree, however, is what type of stretching is necessary for certain types of workouts. Most people who grew up in the American school system are aware of the static stretch technique, whereby you stretch your body or limbs into a certain position and then hold it for a required period of time. Some studies are showing that these static stretches do not help improve performance; however, there does not appear to be any scientific consensus at this point on whether static stretching is good or bad.

Many experts believe that a more dynamic form of stretching is preferable. These kinds of stretches, like lunges or squats, blend movements together in order to mimic natural motions. Of course, some experts say that these dynamic stretches do nothing to enhance performance either. A common recommendation in recent years is to perform dynamic stretches before working out and then static ones afterward. Dr. Monique Brady, who works with athletes at the OhioSports Medicine Institute,   recommends warming up the muscles before working out. “You want to increase muscle temperature because that’s going to help them contract better and relax more quickly,” she said, adding, "Stretches both before and after exercise aim to prevent acute injury such as strains."

Despite these claims, there remains much debate about whether stretching of any kind is beneficial. The American  College of Sports Medicine reported that there was too little evidence to support either side of the argument, despite the fact that a year earlier they advised against stretching before exercise.  For now, experts and trainers are recommending that people continue using routines that are comfortable for them. The science will eventually catch up with our practices, but for now we remain in the dark when it comes to stretching.

Gym Classes Cut Despite Obesity Problems

Despite decades worth of attempted reforms dating back to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, childhood obesity continues to rise as physical education standards decline. While schools across the country cut back expenses while also trying to improve test scores, programs like P.E. are being trimmed down or cut. A recent article by the New York Times details the problems schools in the city are having with instituting physical education standards and practices.

"There does not appear to be a promotion, or support, from the Department of Education for daily physical education in many of our high schools," said Jeff Engel, a vice principal at Long Island City High School, in Queens, who is a member of the executive board of the principals' union. He said that his own school provided daily physical education, but that many did not. "We have a huge obesity epidemic in the city, yet we see many of our high schools going to non-daily physical education."

Studies have shown that as little as 20% of elementary school students receive regular physical education week by week.  Research suggests that there is a significant disconnect between the national debate taking place about childhood obesity and the actual practices of school systems throughout the country. Many physical education programs depend on exercise equipment like bikes and weights that they simply can't afford, and students are robbed of very important physical activity.

Principals across the country blame the test focused approach of administrators for the decline of physical education. While physical fitness and health have been shown to be closely related to academic performance, many districts fail to see the value of outdoor time and physical activity in the bottom lines of their budgets. Parents are urged to find out how much physical education their children are getting in order to make sure they're getting enough physical activity during the week.

Exercise and Staying Hydrated

One of the leading causes of exercise cramps and failure is dehydration. Water is essential for all body processes, and a shortage of water can lead to reduced performance, fuzzy mental processing and even pain. Staying hydrated for exercise means drinking enough liquids before, during and after activity. If you start to feel thirsty during exercise, you've already reached a point where you have a water shortage. Drinking water isn't rocket science. Listen to the signals your body sends your brain and drink to satisfaction. If you ever start to feel dizzy or abnormally fatigued, you should stop exercising immediately as you are likely dehydrated.

Water is good enough for most people on a normal exercise routine, but people who have intense or unusually long routines would benefit from fluids that help replace vital nutrients and energy. Chocolate  or coconut milk are great at replenishing the body, but regular sports drinks can do the trick as well. Some football players are known to drink water and suck on an orange in the locker room during half time. Whatever your choice of beverage is, make sure you take the time out of your routine to replace the fluids you have lost.

It is possible to drink too much water, but it is very uncommon. One famous case of water overdose was a radio show water drinking competition in which a woman drank herself to death. Drinking this much water requires you to force drink, which is very unpleasant and something nobody would do under normal conditions. Normal drinking while working out on an elliptical or treadmill produces nearly zero risk.

Exercise Improves Performance

It's no surprise the regular exercise helps you lose weight and get in better shape, but exercise can also help improve performance in almost every aspect of life. People who exercise regularly tend to feel better during the day, helping them perform better at their job and give a more positive image with everyone they interact. Individuals from every profession from pro sports to stand-up comedians use exercise machines to increase their endurance and heighten their performance capabilities when they need it most.

Machines like treadmills and ellipticals help increase cardiovascular performance. What this means in a practical sense is being able to do things like walking and standing up for long periods of time. When you train your body and heart to do long periods of intense exercise on a machine, less intense tasks start to feel easier. Imagine how easy standing up for an eight hour shift must feel to a marathon runner.

Strength exercises can be just important to everyday performance. Strength circuits can help you work core muscles that can make everyday tasks feel lighter and easier to accomplish. Strength training isn't just for body builders like Tom Platz, which is why he works so hard to get as many quality new and used strength machines out into the world as possible. Building muscle improves everyday performance and increases quality of life.

America's Five Healthiest Cities

America seems to be getting fatter and more unhealthy by the day, but some cities are making a significant effort to curb obesity trends by creating policies and spaces that encourage good health and fitness. The ACSM releases a annual report that ranks the most health conscious cities in the United States. We're going to go through the top five rankings and discuss what makes these cities so special when it comes to health and fitness.

1. Minneapolis/St. Paul - Most people probably think the warm southwest or Florida would outrank a Midwest city when it comes to health and fitness, but they'd be wrong. A drop in the number of people who smoke, new rules about smoking in public places, and improvements in the health status of residents were responsible for bringing this metro area to the top spot.

2. Washington/Arlington - Second place Washington, D.C. gets high marks for a higher than normal number of swimming pools, tennis courts, and recreation centers. Residents of the nation’s capital also do their part by eating 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables a day, made easier by the presence of numerous farmers’ markets. Capital residents are less likely to be obese and more likely to bike or walk to work or take public transportation to work, plus there are fewer people lighting up.

3. Boston/Cambridge - This New England metro area has low smoking rates, lots of farmer's markets and a high percentage of people with health insurance.

4. San Francisco/Oakland

5. Hartford

How Much Exercise Is Healthy?

Most people know that exercise is good for the mind and body, but they're not exactly sure how much is too much or too little. One of the most common recommendations we hear from personal trainers and health professionals is "for at least for 30-minutes three times a week." There are people who take this recommendation literally, but it is more of a guideline than a strict rule. How much you exercise will depend upon your fitness goals and daily routine. No matter what, any kind of exercise you do will most likely bring you health benefits and more mental clarity.

A good general guideline for people who exercise with equipment is to split your time between cardio exercises and strength training. Many people only think about cardio when they are trying to get into shape, but lifting weights is essential for developing toned muscles and increasing your metabolic rate. Free weights are great for strength training, but modern strength circuit machines are perfectly acceptable for people looking to develop their core muscles.

Most people can do as much exercise as their body can physically take. Athletes often workout for more than 5 hours a day during training in order to reach top physical condition. Obviously, most of us are not athletes, so that sort of training isn't necessary or even even possible. The most important thing to factor when thinking about over-exercising is your physical safety. If you push yourself too hard when working out there is a possibility that you can get sloppy in your routine and put yourself in a dangerous situation. If you are planning to workout a lot, you should also consult your physician. Some people have heart conditions that make exercising a risky activity.