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What if being too busy to work out was no longer an excuse? What if you could get an effective workout in 30 minutes a day? Think about it: 30 minutes. That’s just half an episode of Gray’s Anatomy. And an effective 30-minute workout is no pipe dream, says personal trainer Jonathan Ross.

“Everyone thinks that if they don’t have an hour, than it’s not worth it,” says Ross, owner of Aion Fitness in Bowie, Md. “If you need an hour, think about how you feel at 59 minutes and 59 seconds. Then wait a second. Does something magical happen at 60 minutes?”

The answer, of course, is “NO!”.

“Our bodies are responsive to exercise on a continuum, not on a time-based threshold,” says Ross, the American Council on Exercise‘s 2006 Personal Trainer of the Year. “An effective workout can be had in any amount of time, given how you manipulate the variables of the workout.”

Fitness expert Petra Kolber agrees.

“Doing something is better than doing nothing,” says Kolber, a spokesman for the IDEA Health and Fitness Association and a contributing editor for Health magazine. “Thirty minutes is a realistic time frame for us to take out of our day to take care of ourselves.”

What Makes Up a 30-Minute Workout?

To maximize the benefits, your 30-minute workout should consist of both resistance training and cardiovascular training, Ross says.

Ross likes to make a workout two-thirds resistance training and one-third cardiovascular training. In a 30-minute workout, that’s 20 minutes of resistance and 10 minutes of cardio. Yes, just 10 minutes. But 10 strong minutes, he says.

“People don’t need more time, they just need more intensity,” he says. “The body responds more to intensity than it does to the duration of a workout.”

A more intense workout burns more calories per minute, and will result in a much stronger post-exercise reaction, says Ross. In essence, he says, when you push the intensity, you traumatize the body (but in a good way).

“The metabolic system sends a message that it needs to make this person a lean, mean, fighting machine,” he says.

For resistance training, Ross and Kolber say the important thing is to cover the whole body. Kolber opts for covering many major muscle groups at once, by combining lower- and upper-body exercises. Ross establishes an exercise “template” targeting specific types of movement so that he covers all the major muscle groups and can vary the actual exercises.

A 30-Minute Workout Program

Here is Ross’ 30-minute workout template, with Kolber’s suggested exercises included where appropriate. Remember that this list is not exhaustive. There are many exercises you can choose for each movement, as well as many versions of each exercise.

1. Lower-Body Exercise Targeting the Quadriceps.

Squats are the obvious example. Ross suggests a beginner version with the exercise ball: Stand against a wall with the ball at your low back, your feet hip-width apart and out in front of you. Slowly lower your body by folding at the hips and bending the knees, dropping glutes toward the floor.

To target more muscle groups in less time, Kolber does an overhead press while doing a squat. She notes that when doing two things at once, it’s even more important to focus on good form and technique.

In this category, Kolber would also do a forward lunge: Standing with feet hip-width apart, take a big step forward with one leg. Then slowly lower the body toward the floor, front knee aligned with ankle, back knee pointing toward the floor. For more challenge, hold a free weight in both hands and complete the lunge with a rotation in the torso, twisting the body toward the forward leg.

2. Lower-Body Exercise Targeting the Hamstrings.

Ross suggests a dead lift: Holding a body bar or free weights and standing with feet hip-width apart, fold at your hips, moving the hips backward as you lower your upper body parallel to the floor. Keep the legs straight without locking the knees, and keep the back level and the spine in neutral.

The bridge is Kolber’s option. This works the lower body, including the glutes and hamstrings, as well as the core. Lying on your back with knees bent and feet hip-width apart, slowly peel the spine off the floor, starting with the tailbone, until your body forms a diagonal line from knees to shoulders. While in this position, you can target the triceps: holding light weights, lift the arms toward the ceiling, then bend elbows toward your shoulders.

3. Upper-Body Horizontal Pushing Movement.

Push-ups are a great choice here, with many different variations depending on your strength. Ross recommends doing a push-up with an exercise ball under the hips, knees or feet as you lower and lift the body.

Kolber does a variation on a traditional push-up: From a face-down position on the floor, come to a plank position, supporting your weight on your toes and your extended arms. Lower your body down slowly, then bend your knees to the floor for a push-up.

A chest press is another example. Lying face-up on a bench with knees bent and spine in a neutral position, press a body bar or free weights from your chest up toward the ceiling. Fully extend arms without locking the elbows and move slowly in both directions, keeping shoulder blades on the bench. For an extra challenge, do the chest press with your head and upper back on an exercise ball.

4. Upper-Body Horizontal Pulling Movement.

If you have access to cable machines, this the best way to do an upright row. If not, try this free-weight version: Sitting straight with a neutral spine, lift weights up to shoulder height with straight arms. Then slowly bend the elbows and pull back, drawing the shoulder blades together.

5. Upper-Body Vertical Pushing Movement.

To do an overhead or shoulder press with free weights, begin with elbows bent and weights at shoulders. Slowly reach toward the ceiling, keeping the elbows under the hands and the shoulders away from the ears.

6. Upper-Body Vertical Pulling Movement.

This motion is best performed on a cable machine. Sitting straight with a neutral spine, slowly pull the bar down past the face and toward the chest. Only go as far as you can without leaning back, and control the weight on the way back up.

7. Core or Abdominal Exercise.

The choices here are almost endless. Ross suggests a slowed-down bicycle crunch: Lying on your back on the floor, fold knees in toward the chest and curl the upper body off the floor. With hands behind head, slowly rotate upper body to the right while drawing the right knee in and reaching the left leg out on an angle. Then rotate left and pull the left knee in. Focus on bringing the shoulder toward the hip (rather than the elbow to the knee), and try to keep the opposite shoulder off the floor.

Another alternative Ross likes is a side plank on the elbow. Lying on your side with a bent elbow directly under your shoulder, use your torso muscles to lift the body up into a side plank. Then lift the hips higher, then back to the plank, then lower. Do as many as you can with proper form, then repeat on the other side.

Do 10 challenging repetitions of each exercise, moving from one to another as a circuit. After you’ve completed every exercise once, start the cycle again and continue until you reach 20 minutes.

“Try to make the exercises as close together as possible as well,” says Ross. You don’t want to waste time walking back and forth across the gym to get to a specific machine.

Once the 20 minutes are up, move right to 10 minutes of cardio.

“Use intense intervals” during your cardio session, taking about a minute to get from moderate speed to intensity, Ross recommends.

Whether you’re on the stair-stepper, the elliptical trainer, or the treadmill, do:

• 30 seconds of the highest speed you can tolerate.
• Then 30 seconds of normal speed.
• Then 30 seconds of the stiffest resistance you can handle.
• Then 30 seconds of normal.

Keep toggling back and forth between speed and resistance until you’ve completed 10 minutes.

“Intensity doesn’t have to be a scary word,” says Ross. “It’s not a Gatorade commercial. It just has to be a little bit more than your body’s used to.”

And how often should you do the workout? While Kolber recommends doing this type of workout every other day, Ross notes that it’s OK to do it two days in a row if that’s what fits your schedule.

“They are not like bodybuilding-style routines where the high degree of muscular overload requires full rest to recover,” he says. “This is real-life fitness for the rest of us.”

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The problem of childhood obesity in the United States has grown considerably in recent years. Between 16 and 33 percent of children and adolescents are obese.  Obesity is among the easiest medical conditions to recognize but most difficult to treat.  Unhealthy weight gain due to poor diet and lack of exercise is responsible for over 300,000 deaths each year.  The annual cost to society for obesity is estimated at nearly $100 billion.  Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.

What is obesity?
A few extra pounds does not suggest obesity.  However they may indicate a tendency to gain weight easily and a need for changes in diet and/or exercise.  Generally, a child is not considered obese until the weight is at least 10 percent higher than what is recommended for their height and body type.  Obesity most commonly begins between the ages of 5 and 6, or during adolescence.  Studies have shown that a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80 percent chance of becoming an obese adult. 

What causes obesity?
The causes of obesity are complex and include genetic, biological, behavioral and cultural factors.  Obesity occurs when a person eats more calories than the body burns up.  If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that their children will also be obese.  However, when both parents are obese, their children have an 80 percent chance of being obese.  Although certain medical disorders can cause obesity, less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems.  Obesity in childhood and adolescence can be related to:

• poor eating habits
• overeating or binging
• lack of exercise (i.e., couch potato kids)
• family history of obesity
• medical illnesses (endocrine, neurological problems)
• medications (steroids, some psychiatric medications)
• stressful life events or changes (separations, divorce, moves, deaths, abuse)
• family and peer problems
• low self-esteem
• depression or other emotional problems

What are risks and complications of obesity?
There are many risks and complications with obesity.  Physical consequences include:

• increased risk of heart disease
• high blood pressure
• diabetes
• breathing problems
• trouble sleeping

Child and adolescent obesity is also associated with increased risk of emotional problems.  Teens with weight problems tend to have much lower self-esteem and be less popular with their peers.  Depression, anxiety, and obsessive compulsive disorder can also occur.

How can obesity be managed and treated?
Obese children need a thorough medical evaluation by a pediatrician or family physician  to consider the possibility of a physical cause.  In the absence of a physical disorder, the only way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories being eaten and to increase the level of physical activity.  Lasting weight loss can only occur when there is self-motivation.  Since obesity often affects more than one family member, making healthy eating and regular exercise a family activity can improve the chances of successful weight control for the child or adolescent. 

Ways to manage obesity in children and adolescents include:

• start a weight-management program
• change eating habits (eat slowly, develop a routine)
• plan meals and make better food selections (eat less fatty foods, avoid junk and fast foods)
• control portions and consume less calories
• increase physical activity (especially walking) and have a more active lifestyle
• know what your child eats at school
• eat meals as a family instead of while watching television or at the computer
• do not use food as a reward
• limit snacking
• attend a support group (e.g., Overeaters Anonymous)

Obesity frequently becomes a lifelong issue.  The reason most obese adolescents gain back their lost pounds is that they tend to go back to their old habits of eating and exercising.  An obese adolescent must therefore learn to eat and enjoy healthy foods in moderate amounts and to exercise regularly to maintain a desired weight.  Parents of an obese child can improve their child’s self esteem by emphasizing their strengths and positive qualities rather than just focusing on their weight problem.

Related articles

• Childhood Obesity Prevention (reidmillerwrites.net)
• Children and Obesity (childrenshealthnaturally.wordpress.com)
• Childhood Obesity in the Numbers (reidmillerwrites.net)
• Positive Parenting During Early Childhood May Prevent Obesity, Reveals (biospace.com)

Check out these New LYF bags……This one is named the Islander and I bring it to the beach every time I go!!!! it is more of a guys backpack and holds all of my beach essentials such as my volleyball and towel and something to drink. But thats not all it can do it can also give you x-ray vision and super human powers! Well maybe not superhuman powers but you will definetely look like a super cool guy walking around with one of these on your back. And Ladies dont feel left out check out my next favorite the Adrianno…..

This one is to DIE for trust me it will surely turn heads…..

You can check out all of the latest styles at http://www.loveyourlyf.com/lyf-bags.htm

Dont be the last one on your block to get you LYF bag……

Nick

When I told my wife how I and our kids were almost a victim of a red light runner she just looked at me like I was somehow exaggerating but it was no exaggeration!!!!

I must have a guardian angel on my shoulder or I am just plain lucky because in all reality there is no way that I should have and or could have seen that car to my left drive right through a good 5 second red light and almost take me and my family out of this world. After I maneuvered to the right and completed a hard break I first made sure that everyone was ok, which thankfully the kids were alright a little shaken up but alright and then I thought I need to tell this person what they did I need to let them know how close they were to changing the lives of a family so needlessly and carelessly I cannot let them get away with being ignorant. So I proceeded to drive behind this person until we reached the next intersection and then I blew my horn until this man opened his car door and stuck his head out. Now this guy was about 28 to 35 years old with a scruffy beard and had a look of confusion on his face like “why is this guy blowing his horn” So I proceeded to ask him if he saw the red light he just went through??? His reply was “IT WAS YELLOW”  Now that would be the response one would expect from someone who just ran a red light and maybe just maybe he thought that red light is yellow therefore I can justify going through it but this was more than that this was a second away from what could have been a life changing event….So I replied “THAT LIGHT WAS RED FOR A GOOD 4 SECONDS!!!! AND YOU ALMOST KILLED A FAMILY OF THREE PEOPLE!!!!” A LITTLE 4 YEAR OLD GIRL A 12 YEAR OLD BOY AND THEIR DAD!!! I had to put a face with the crime I had to make it as personal as possible this guy had to understand that due to his thoughtlessness and utter inconsideration for life a family might have been torn apart because of him.

His reply not only confused me but enraged me and if my kids were not in the car I probably would have been on the 5 o’clock news for road rage but he looked so sincere and almost oblivious when he said to me “why are you yelling?” Yes, why am I yelling? Why? Why does it matter if people disregard red lights and human life? Why does it matter??? Why? Was I yelling because I was MAD?  Was I truly mad at this guy or was I mad at the fact that this guy almost took out my family. Was I having a normal reaction when our children are put in harm’s way?  I mean a lioness will protect their cubs even if it means they are put in harm’s way?  Was I making a decision based on the old question of flight or fight when faced with a threat or danger. Was I deciding to fight to not let this random person just continue their day without having to at least hear what I had to say was I screaming out for all of the victims that do not have a voice that were not as lucky as me and could not confront their monster!  All I know is I had to have a voice I had to say something but what would I say…….Well, having a moment to ponder the meaning of life, I replied” In the future PLEASE be more careful” He nodded his head in agreement and we proceeded on our way without an incident. Having time to reflect on this event I appreciate how precious every minute we have on this earth is, with our family and loved one and how in the blink of an eye how everything can change. I also will continue to search for the answer to the question why are you yelling????

Nick

The facts show that more than 100,000 crashes a year are caused by drivers running red lights, killing some 950 people and injuring 90,000 others, making it a leading cause of fatal crashes in metropolitan areas, according to the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Worse, the numbers are on the rise: Fatal motor vehicle crashes at traffic signals increased 19 percent nationally between 1992 and 1998 (the last year for which FHWA had statistics); over the same period, all other types of fatal crashes increased just 6 percent.

“This should be viewed as an outrageous epidemic,” says Richard Retting, chief traffic engineer for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). “We’re not talking about a rare illness that requires decades of billion-dollar research to prevent or cure. This is a situation where people are dying from something that’s 100 percent preventable.”

The high fatality rate associated with red-light-running crashes is partly attributable to the fact that they are usually “T-bone,” or side-impact, crashes involving high speeds (since drivers often accelerate to get through a red light quickly). Indeed, images of vehicles broadsided at intersections often show cars cut in two or with pulverized midsections. “Of all the injuries we see, these are some of the worst,” says Harry Teter, executive director of the 2,200-member American Trauma Society. “You’re hitting the most vulnerable part of the car.” Moreover, 53 percent of drivers in a 2008 online poll said their cars were not equipped with head-protecting side-curtain air bags, even though these devices cut driver deaths in side-impact crashes by nearly half. (Last year the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a new regulation that mandates that new passenger cars have side air bags by 2012.)

PLEASE BE MORE CAREFUL!!!!!

Ok I know it is very cliché but when the ring top announcer says that the circus is fun for all ages he really means it. I sat through 2 hours of circus entertainment and could not help but laugh uncontrollably. I know it sounds crazy but I would have to say if you are looking for something to do that is inexpensive and fun then go to the Circus! Sarasota Florida has a rich history in the circus   John Ringling first visited Sarasota in 1909, when this quiet farming and fishing village had a population of just over 800. Realizing the real estate potential of the area, he bought numerous large parcels of land, including St. Armands, Bird Key, the south end of Longboat Key and 66,000 acres along the Myakka River.

In the late 1920′s, John was offered 156 acres of land if he would move his circus winter quarters to Sarasota. He recognized the many advantages of relocating, so in November, 1927, the circus train rolled into town as it would do for the next 33 years. Many other circuses followed the Ringlings, and Circus became an integral part of the social and economic life of Sarasota, giving our area its unique identity.

In 1950, Cecil B. DeMille directed The Greatest Show on Earth, a motion picture starring Charlton Heston, James Stewart and Betty Hutton. Much of the film was shot in Sarasota. Many local residents were used as extras, and circus artists advised and helped the stars with their stunts and appeared in the film. Its world premier was at what is now the Sarasota Opera House.
Today, the grand Ringling Winter Quarters is gone. While the area remains home base for many circuses and home to thousands of active and retired circus families, few Circus attractions are open to the public.

After an absence of many years, Sarasota once again has its own resident circus. Founded in 1997, Circus Sarasota is committed to continuing the legacy and broadening the artistic contribution of circus. Circus Sarasota presents exciting professional family entertainment in winter performances under the big-top and special events and classes throughout the year.

You have until the end of the month to see Bello Mania and I highly recommend it. So get out of your house and off your couch and go see the CIRCUS!!!!

One of the tips on getting ripped is to train with machines/weights 3 days a week I do 5 days but you need a starting point and 3 days is a good place to start and this will give the muscles enough time to recuperate fully for growth. The biggest blunder that people commit is to over train. You should allow a minimum of 72 hours between training groups of muscles. Training with machines/weights helps to burn fat. Hence, include it in your routine of getting ripped in a major way. The push pull routine is being performed in gyms since a long time as it works, particularly in getting a ripped look. Perform these workouts on alternate days like chest, shoulders and triceps and then legs, back and biceps. These are simple yet, effective routines to do. Tips on getting ripped include keeping reps in the 8 to 12 range. If you cross 12, add more weight. If you do less than 8 reps, it will be too heavy. You are not planning to participate in a contest for strongest man. Have patience. Do a couple of exercises for every body part and 3 to 4 sets for every exercise. This does not include warm up. The main fundamental in the program of how to get ripped is to keep pushing to sure failure on each set. Do not cheat. It would be better to have a partner while training to support and help you. The main point here is that split a rep in two so that you ensure reaping benefits from both. Perform the negative feature of any rep slowly so as to get maximum results.

Perform cardio for 5 days in a week along with bursts of interval training. See to it that you build the bursts with time. You will require low settings on equipment such as a cross trainer here. You will need a maximum of 30 minutes per session. Cardio interval training will help you burn double the calories in just half the time. This will also jump start the metabolism of the body for hours later. You could get injured on stretching cold muscles hence, stretch after a workout. In this way, you will be able to train consistently, remain free of injuries and reap maximum gains. Follow these tips on getting ripped consistently so as to achieve what you dream of!

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Nutri-this, diet-that, Atkins, Zone, South Beach, it can all be very confusing – if not overwhelming. Here are some basic principles to start you off in your journey of transformation.

Weight loss or Fat loss?

When we talk about losing weight, we really mean losing fat. Weight loss can be muscle, water (fluid), or fat. Standing on the scales gives you no clue as to your body composition – so don’t weigh yourself too much – it can really play mind games. Our weight is always fluctuating (often due to hydration levels). The mirror, clothes-fitting, old photos, etc — can all provide feedback on our fat loss — not just the scales.

How do you lose fat?

In a nutshell, it’s a simple law of energy intake and expenditure. Eating more than you are using means you gain weight. Burning more than your eating means you lose weight… Unfortunately the real outworking of this is not so simple. Losing fat (for most people) is hard– get used to the idea then you won’t struggle so much with disappointment.

There are 5 principles to keep in mind – Diet (Nutrition), Cardio (Exercise), Dedication (Consistency), Goals, Weight training. It is possible to lose fat with correct diet alone (for some people) – but the best chance of success will be to apply all these principles. Even the perfect diet plan can fail if you cannot stick to it.

What’s weight training got to do with fat loss?

Weight (or strength) training is not essential to lose fat – but it sure helps. A weight training workout boosts metabolism for the whole day and helps build lean muscle. Muscle is metabolically active – it needs fuel – and therefore helps you burn more calories all the time. If you are thinking about weight training – think on this:

Do I want my body to be strong and useful, or is my body only for people to look at?

Lifting weights makes your body strong and useful.

Can’t I just eat less and skip meals?

It’s naturally what we want to do – but it’s not quite right. “I must lose weight so I’m gonna starve myself”. This is where things get a bit confusing. Starve the body too much, and it gets the hint and slows down – you’ll feel irritable, fatigued, and begin to lose muscle as well as fat. After clawing your way through hunger pangs and dreams of food, the chances are you will binge, or start eating back how you used to. Guess what happens? The weight piles on because your body is still in “slow” mode. Fat loss is all about calorie reduction, but a calorie intake that is too low will cause problems.

Why bother with exercise?

There are few people that have lost fat (and maintained it), without making exercise a part of their life. Cardiovascular fitness has many health benefits – primarily keeping your heart strong. Including some form of exercise as a natural part of your life will give you an even bigger chance of success. Just remember consistency! Cardio exercise could be something like; brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, treadmill, elliptical trainer.

There’s so much to learn – Help !?

There are hundreds of diet books and weight loss programs out there. Many of them have terrific claims, but remember:

• There is no one-size-fits-all weight loss program.
• There are no magic bullets or miracle instant cures.
• There is absolutely EVERY chance that you can transform yourself.
• It is completely possible for you to lose the fat and get healthier.
• Believe in yourself.

Do I have to buy something (book, subscription, etc)?

No. If you have enough nutritional knowledge and a whole lot of motivation you can sort out your own lifestyle change. However most of us don’t have the time or know-how to go-it-alone — so we pay someone else to design, explain, or customize a fat loss program.

Do Online Weight Loss Programs Work?
The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) decided structured on-line weight loss programs worked better than “just browsing around”. (Vol. 285 No. 9, March 7, 2001). “Participants who were given a structured behavioral treatment program with weekly contact and individualized feedback had better weight loss compared with those given links to educational Web sites.”

What’s with all the different diets?

There are hundreds of diets. Some diets work for some – others don’t. There are other diets that are clearly faulty. Here’s some simple guidelines. Avoid extremes (e.g. very-low-carb or very-low-fat). Learn about carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Learn about whole foods and learn how to reduce your intake of processed foods. These factors seem to be common across the board.

We have a number of reviews of many popular weight loss programs. We do our best to try and have some objectivity, but the reality is – two different people can get two different results from the same program!

Where do I start?

It’s possible to get started just by taking some of the higher-calorie items (soft drinks etc) out of your diet, and trying to get out for some exercise. However you will find that without some serious commitment and identified goals – you will soon lose interest. There’s nothing like results to keep you motivated.

The chances are you will need some serious help, and this is where some of the commercial weight loss programs can help. Have a look at our picks for the best weight loss program, or the diet reviews, or fitness and workout programs to help get you started. Most of these programs have journals, goal-setting tools, and discussion forums with others to help keep you motivated.

It may not be a national holiday, but Super Bowl Sunday is an American tradition right up there with turkey on Thanksgiving and apple pie. In fact, I know plenty of non-football fans who look forward to this day. Why? Because the Big Game offers the perfect excuse to get together with friends and family and indulge in many of the foods most of us try and avoid on a regular basis.

Even I go a bit overboard on Super Bowl Sunday. Which is the main reason I’m on a mission this Monday to squeeze in a post-Super Bowl workout to burn some calories. (I’m pretty sure getting up off the couch to dance to some of Madonna’s

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half-time show club tunes didn’t do the trick.)

With some help from a great website called CalorieKing, I put together a rundown of how some of America’s favorite Super Bowl foods score on the calorie counter. Considering many or all of these items may have been on your game day menu, I’ll let you add them up based on what you did or didn’t eat and factor in how many pieces, slices or serving sizes you enjoyed.

• Doritos’ Tortilla Chips, Cool Ranch Flavored (12 chips) = 140 calories
• Lays’ Potato Chips, Sour Cream & Onion Flavored (17 chips) = 160 calories
• 5 Pigs-in-a-Blanket = 470 calories
• 5-wing serving of hot wings = Anywhere from 300 to 597 calories (depending on the sauce and dip they’re served with)
• 1 Slice of Cheese Pizza = 240 calories
• 1 Slice of Pepperoni Pizza = 298 calories
• 1 Slice of Papa John’s “The Works” Pizza = 330 calories
• Bowl of Chili = Calories range from 300 – 600 based on the recipe. (e.g. cheese v. no-cheese)
• 1 Light Beer (12 oz) = 96 calories
• 1 Regular Beer or Ale (12 oz) = 150 calories
• 1 Regular Soda (12oz) = 140 calories

If this list didn’t give you enough of a reason to want to get up off that chair and start and go for a run or find the next Zumba class in your area, maybe just knowing there are many people out there in your shoes and they need motivation and hopefully this will give you an extra push to break a sweat.

Whether or not you cared about which team won, I hope you enjoyed Super Bowl Sunday! If that included going a bit overboard with the food and drink, no doubt you had your fun – which means there’s no time like today to get back on track with your plans to be fit and feel fabulous!

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It may seem like a no-brainer that regular exercise can help you burn fat and lose weight. But, it’s not just about the calories you’re burning. It’s also about the adaptations your body makes when you exercise on a regular basis. My body has made a huge tranformation and many of my friends ask me what I am doing to take off the weight. I just look at them and say WORKING OUT. While you work out many of those adaptations lead directly to your ability to burn more fat without even trying. When you exercise regularly, your body:

• Becomes more efficient at delivering and extracting oxygen — Simply put, this helps your cells burn fat more efficiently.
• Has better circulation — This allows the fatty acids to move more efficiently through the blood and into the muscle. That means fat is more readily available for fueling the body.
• Increases the number and size of mitochondria, also known as cellular power plants that provide energy for the body.

And, don’t forget, regular exercise will also help you manage your weight. The more activity you engage in, the more calories you’ll burn, and the easier it is to create the calorie deficit needed to lose weight.

Tips for Consistent Exercise

• Schedule some exercise time every day, even if it’s just a few minutes.
• Split up your workouts. You can get the same benefit from short workouts spread throughout the day as do with continuous workouts.
• Change daily routines to incorporate activity. Park at the edge of the parking lot at work to add more walking time, or add an extra lap at the mall when shopping. Integrating more activity into your usual routines will help you stay active, even if you don’t have time for a structured workout.
• Make exercise your focus and schedule the rest of your day around it instead of trying to squeeze it in when you can. If it’s not a priority, you won’t do it.

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How come sitting in the sun and soaking up the rays on your face and body feels so good? Why as human beings do we migrate toward the light instead of the shade on a sunny day? Regardless of why our innate knowledge tells us to bask in the glory of the sun, science is learning and uncovering the sunny truth on why the sun, in moderate amounts, is good for us.

There is much hype surrounding the sun and its UV rays. Most of the media would have us believe that if we so much as step outside of our dark homes that the UV bombardment on our skin will kill us! Not true. Now, one thing should be clarified – sun IN MODERATION – is good for us. Sun BURNING is NOT! So, before you run out and sit for the entire afternoon in 90 degree weather without any sunscreen, finish reading this article!

The sun is a needed source of energy for all living things. For plants it provides nourishment through photosynthesis. For humans, it plays a crucial role in the synthesis of activated Vitamin D. Without Vitamin D and its chain of reactions, the body will eventually succumb to any of a myriad of illnesses such as osteoporosis and rickets. Why? Because activated Vitamin D plays an extremely important part in the body’s calcium supply. Calcium and Vitamin D work in tandem, both are needed by the body for healthy and strong bones and teeth.

The activated form of Vitamin D is now one of the leading treatments for psoriasis as it is a potent inhibitor of skin cell growth. Less well known is the fact that people who are deficient in Vitamin D show higher rates of many cancers. The current thought of why this is true goes back to activated Vitamin D’s ability to curb cellular overgrowth, which is exactly what cancer is – an unregulated overgrowth of cells.

We’ve been talking about activated Vitamin D but how does that differ from other forms of Vitamin D and what does the sun have to do with it? First of all, the sun hitting the cells of the skin is what stimulates the skin cells to produce inactivated Vitamin D. From the skin the inactivated Vitamin D must travel to the liver and then to the kidneys where it finally becomes activated. The activated form can then makes its way to the intestines where it increases the absorption of calcium and to other parts of the body where it is used in other ways.

Another very important aspect of sunlight is its affect on mood and emotions. Many people give anecdotal evidence of feeling better when exposed to sunlight, however, there is also scientific evidence pointing to the same conclusions.

In summary, exposure to the sun gets a lot of bad rap. Indeed, overexposure is extremely risky leading to DNA damage and even cancer. The health industry urges all who will be under sun exposure for an extended period of time to use sun screen accordingly. On the other side of the coin, however, is the body’s requirement for healthy and moderate doses of sunlight in reducing the risk of other serious diseases and emotional issues.

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• The Sunshine Vitamin: Get Your Vitamin D (everydayhealth.com)