Recently, scientists in Germany gathered several groups of men and women to look at their cells life spans. Some of them were young and sedentary, others middle-aged and sedentary. Two other groups were, to put it mildly, active. The first of these consisted of professional runners in their 20s, most of them on the national track-and-field team, training about 45 miles per week. The last were serious, middle-aged longtime runners, with an average age of 51 and a typical training regimen of 50 miles per week, putting those young 45-mile-per-week sluggards to shame.

From the first, the scientists noted one aspect of their older runners. It was striking, recalls Dr. Christian Werner, an internal-medicine resident at Saarland University Clinic in Hamburg, to see in our study that many of the middle-aged athletes looked much younger than sedentary control subjects of the same age. (more…)

It is well known that strength training improves muscle strength and function in men and women of all ages, but some new research suggests that resistance training in older adults can actually change the makeup of the body, effectively turning back the clock on muscle aging. (more…)

Everyone knows that weight loss is basically getting the correct “calories in, calories out” formula. A low calorie diet can be the simplest form of dieting, nothing more than reducing the number of calories you consume. Although it is possible to lose weight that way, there can be a problem in just cutting your food intake down. (more…)

With spring just around the corner, everyone wants to have a flat stomach and even, better six-pack abs! The question is, how do I go about getting them?

There is a lot of misinformation out there about this topic that can cause a lot of frustration. Many people think that they can get flat abs if they do enough abdominal exercises. This is based on the inaccurate premise that you can do an exercise for a certain area of the body, and get rid of fat there.

A review of the headlines of any popular fitness magazine will help you understand what feeds that belief. Headlines like “Flat Abs in 2 Weeks” and “10 Quick Tips to Flatten Your Tummy” lead one to believe that spot reduction is not only possible, but easy!

The real truth is that the only way to get flat abs is to lose body fat, and the only way to lose body fat is to: (more…)

Here is a demonstration of an ab crunch exercise on a FitBall exercise ball.

Recommended Exercise Equipment:

FitBall Exercise Balls

Medicine Balls

Contact your local HealthStyles Exercise Equipment fitness consultant for the best product recommendation to meet your personal goals, abilities, and budget.

Here’s a demonstration of a core workout that you can do anytime, anywhere – a great workout for beginners or a valuable supplement for the more advanced. ACE’s (American Council on Exercise) Jessica Matthews and Fabio Comana as walk you through the 5 core abdominal exercises.

Perform only one set of each exercise as described resting for at least 30 seconds before doing the next exercise. For optimal results, try to do the exercises at least two times during the week and once on the weekend for a minimum total of three days per week.

Recommended Exercise Equipment:

Harbinger Deluxe Tri-Fold Workout Mat

Harbinger Dura-Foam Exercise Pad 2ft x 6ft

Contact your local HealthStyles Exercise Equipment fitness consultant for the best product recommendation to meet your personal goals, abilities, and budget.

Here is a demonstration of a simple 2 minute ab workout.

Recommended Exercise Equipment:

Harbinger Deluxe Tri-Fold Workout Mat 

Harbinger Dura-Foam Exercise Pad 2ft x 6ft

Contact your local HealthStyles Exercise Equipment fitness consultant for the best product recommendation to meet your personal goals, abilities, and budget.

Here is an example of an advanced ab exercise, the V-Up, using a Bosu, Balance cushion, or other balance board.

Recommended Exercise Equipment:

BOSU Home Balance Trainer 

FitBALL Balance Disc – Blue 

FitBall Deluxe Balance Board 

Fitter First Classic Wobble Board 

Contact your local HealthStyles Exercise Equipment fitness consultant for the best product recommendation to meet your personal goals, abilities, and budget.

The 2010 Olympics are just days away. Soon we will all be mesmerized by the amazing feats and figures of the athletes. Their muscles carefully sculpted for power, speed and endurance.

Wow! What does it take to get an Olympic body? Can the average guy or gal ever hope to look like an Olympic athlete?

Of course you can if you are willing to spend the time. Obviously most of us do not have the time to devote to training that Olympic athletes do. But don’t despair, joining the fitness game at any point can produce amazing results.

Here are 10 Tips from the experts on how you can get started (more…)

February is Healthy Heart Month and a good time to review what types of food can help prevent heart disease:

Fruits and Vegetables: Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables ensures that you are taking in a wide range of nutrients to protect against heart disease. Fruits and vegetables are high in vitamin C, beta carotene, bioflavonoids and phytochemicals, all of which are essential antitoxidants in the prevention of heart disease.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Omega 3’s have been found to help decrease triglyceride levels, the rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and arrhythmias. Fish high in Omega 3 include: salmon, sardines, herring trout, mackerel, bluefish, halibut, striped bass, tuna, Atlantic cod, and flounder. Other sources of Omega 3- rich foods include: canola oil, flaxseed, walnuts and wheat germ.

Soluble Fiber: Soluble fiber helps to decrease cholesterol levels, therefore working to decrease risk for heart disease. Foods high in soluble fiber inclue: oats, oat bran, pectin, psylim, flax, lentils, legumes, apples, pears and grapes.

Nuts: Nuts are high in fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, and essentially fatty acid. Eaten in moderation, nuts can help decrease risk for heart disease. A few examples of some heart healthy nuts include: almonds, walnuts, chestnuts, peanuts, and pisctchios.

Folate: Foods righ in folate help to decrease risk for heart disease by helping to regulate homocysteine levels. Green leafy vegetables, orange juice, lentils, whole grain enrighed cereals, and asparagus are great sources of folate.

Jeanne Luetke, MS,RD, CLT
EveryBody Nutrition Consulting
825 Grand Avenue
PO Box 622
Glenwood Springs, CO 81602
PHONE 970-309-0784
Email: JL.RD@LIVE.com