Fitness Gear 101 Interactive

Anna's Healthy Breaky Tips!

Anna — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 13:42:00 GMT

Your momma was right! Breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day . Eating after 6 or more hours of fasting (which is what is happening when you sleep) is absolutely key to maintaining a healthy body weight. Making breakfast a daily ritual will help set your metabolism (your fat-burning furnace) for the entire day, and help you refrain from those mid-morning junk food binges, or pulling into the first fast food drive in on your way to work in the morning. Here are my top foods for a healthy breakfast...(read more)

Hit the hills: Anna's walking tips

Anna — Wed, 30 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

It's a gorgeous day here in Guleph! And one of the best things about this weather is that it inspires us to get outside and to get moving. Even if you were sluggish, and a bit more lethargic than you should have been over the winter months, this weather will beckon the worst couch potatoes outside to the sun - even if it's just for a walk. Speaking of walking, it's important that you keep good posture in mind when you hit the pavement, beach or hiking trail. You can injure yourself if you don't practice...(read more)

Stroke your metabolism fires

Anna — Tue, 29 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

We all know that the key to losing and maintaining a healthy body weight is your metabolism. The speed of your metabolism will determine how fast your body is able to burn calories. So obviously a faster metabolism has its benefits. The body is like a furnace, and you can think of your metabolism as the fire that fuels that furnace - a hotter fire will burn calories faster. So how do you stoke the metabolism fire? Try 'Anna's 4 Metabolism Stoking Tips' on for size: Weight train - if you don't figure...(read more)

Tone those glutes!

Anna — Mon, 28 May 2007 12:54:00 GMT

Good Monday morning Fitness Gear 101 readers. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend, I know I did. Even though it was a gloomy one I still got in a day of shopping in with my favorite girls Michelle and Marlo, which meant a few hours of walking, that's roughly 150 calories burned (hey, hey)! And I got in a night of dancing as well, which means I shook nearly 550 calories off! Speaking of burning calories, my female clients are always asking what the best activities are for toning the butt (or...(read more)

Hot Summer Workouts

Kim — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:01:00 GMT

Along with the beautiful summer weather comes the heat, which can be close to unbearable during everyday activities, not to mention during a workout. It is important to remember that physically exerting yourself under extreme heat and humidity for a prolonged period of time can be very hard on your body and can lead to illness. Proper precautions should be taken to prevent heat cramps , heat exhaustion or heat stroke . When working out on a hot day try to control the following factors: 1) Time of...(read more)

Heat Cramps

Kim — Fri, 25 May 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Heat cramps most often occur in an individual who has been physically exerting his/herself for an extended period of time, causing them to sweat excessively. Excessive sweating results in a significant loss of body fluids and electrolytes, leading to cramping in the muscles. What are the signs of heat cramps? - excessive sweating* - pain in the muscles, usually in the legs or abdomen *In a hot environment, the individual might not appear to be sweating profusely because the dry air evaporates sweat...(read more)

Heat Exhaustion

Kim — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:59:00 GMT

Heat exhaustion is a more serious condition than heat cramps and occurs because of prolonged exposure to heat, which is often accompanied with physical exertion. This combination leads to excessive sweating and could eventually lead to heat exhaustion. What is the physiological explanation of heat exhaustion? Basically, there is a good deal of fluid lost, due to sweating. In addition, in an attempt to cool the body down, blood pools in the blood vessels near the skin. This changes circulation and...(read more)

Heat Stroke

Kim — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:58:00 GMT

This condition is also referred to as sunstroke and is a life-threatening condition. It is the result of prolonged exposure to heat and humidity, possibly in a poorly ventilated area. There are two classifications of heat stroke: Classic heatstroke and Exertional heatstroke. While anybody can develop heatstroke, it is the elderly population that is most likely to be affected. Physiological explanation of heatstroke: In classic heatstroke, the body’s cooling mechanism shuts down and sweating ceases....(read more)

The origin of the word DIET!

Anna — Fri, 25 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

And it's already Friday again folks! It's been a fun and rather quick week. For me, it's been a week of learning, making some amends and a healthy re-evaluation of my lifestyle...am I really doing my best? On that note, I wanted to see the readers of FitnessGear101.com make amends with a word! Yes, a word that has stricken horror and deep loathing in many, and left many kitchen cupboards vast and tasteless - that word is DIET !!! Before you run screaming to hide your last bad of Doritos - don't worry...(read more)

Is there a difference between willpower and self-control?

Anna — Thu, 24 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Every once in a while we all need a bit of a self-evaluation - even good ol' Anna! As soon as summer hits I make it a point to get outside more, eat more fresh produce and clean up any sluggish winter habits. Over the weekend a friend and I had a discussion about my so-called willpower - to workout regularly and stick by a fairly clean diet. Then this morning I uncovered a study by the Mayo Clinic in my latest edition of Oxygen magazine . According to Mayo researchers self-control is much more effective...(read more)

Anna's Summer Skin Protection Tips

Anna — Wed, 23 May 2007 13:21:00 GMT

Welcome back from the long weekend Fitness folks! It goes to figure that it was so cold on the weekend and today is so gone dang beautiful! If you’re going to hit a patio tonight for a well-deserved shot of vitamin D, then please go protected. Everyone wants to enjoy the warm sun, but no one wants to be left with wrinkles, dull, blotchy skin, or worse – skin cancer. So wear a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 if you’re going outside, and if you’ll be outside for any length of time bring it with...(read more)

Physiotherapy = Injury Prevention

Kim — Wed, 23 May 2007 11:49:00 GMT

I just received an excellent question from one of our readers…. Tron said: Can physio be used as a preventative measure, or is massage better suited for that? Kim said: You don’t have to wait until you’re injured to see a physiotherapist. In fact, meeting with a physiotherapist is a great way to determine if there are any muscle imbalances or misalignments present in your body. Determining this prior to starting a rigorous exercise regime will help to prevent the development of pesky injuries. It...(read more)

Congrats to my friend Jim!

Anna — Fri, 18 May 2007 13:54:00 GMT

Good golly it’s Friday – and a long weekend to boot! So I wanted to end this glorious week on a positive note. I have a friend named Jim that I’ve known since I was 6-years-old. Now just to give you an image of our history…this is the boy, who when I was given the job of crossing guard in Grade 5, used to run out in front of traffic to scare the crap out of me…as you can tell we have a long history of him tormenting the heck out of me. Well it’s been well over 25 years of friendship for us, and during...(read more)

What are the sodium-rich culprits in your diet?

Anna — Thu, 17 May 2007 10:00:00 GMT

Your doctor has given you a stern warning – cut down the sodium in your diet! So you start adding just a pinch of salt to your vegetables at dinner time. You think you’ve cut the sodium in your diet in ½ right? Wrong! Unbeknownst to you, the processed foods in your diet contribute a whopping 77 percent more sodium to your daily diet – and that’s even before you added that pinch of salt! True, your body does require a certain amount of sodium to function properly. Essential sodium maintains the fluid...(read more)

Exercise Makes People Smarter!

Anna — Wed, 16 May 2007 13:25:00 GMT

This should be a no-brainer By Fitness Mike A study reveals that exercise can make people smarter . New nerve cells developed in the brains of subjects after a 3 month aerobic workout plan. Growing new nerve cells in the brain was thought to be impossible and all it took was a simple 3 month aerobic plan. Gee, who would have thought? I always thought it stood to reason that with all the health benefits exercising provides that an increase in mental abilities would also be a benefit. Increasing the...(read more)

Jessica Alba supports teen girls' self-esteem

Anna — Tue, 15 May 2007 14:33:00 GMT

Good Tuesday morning FitnessGear101 friends! I'm back today - after a day's absence spent fighting the evil flu bug. You'll be happy to know that this morning I'm 40% snotty mess and 60% fitness diva! Must get blog up...sniffle...ok back to business... I know that I spend a lot of time criticizing the media and celebrity stereotypes in this blog, but sometimes...just sometimes...a Hollywood star does some good in the world. Who, you might ask? Well In Style Magazine reported that Fantastic Four star...(read more)

Anna's Top 5 Problogger Picks!

Anna — Fri, 11 May 2007 19:38:00 GMT

Ok fitness folks…as promised here are my Top 5 faves from the Problogger contest! For those of you who are just hearing about this for the first time, these posts came from a writing project sponsored by Darren Rowse at Problogger . Participants were invited to submit a Top 5 on any subject. I wrote and posted an article on the Top 5 ways exercise can improve your sex life . I’d just like to mention that this was a hard decision to make. There were a ton of creative, useful and hilarious posts submitted,...(read more)

Rock your socks!

Anna — Fri, 11 May 2007 13:52:00 GMT

My friend and co-worker Mark runs a fantastic finance site called Rock Your Stock . This site is great because it offers readers a daily dose of investment news, tips and, the best, a Rock Your Stock 'Pick of the Day'! The other day he asked if I had any swag to donate to his reader give-aways, so I donated some FitnessGear101.com socks...I figured that even money types get sweaty feet - right? I also figure that because FitnessGear101.com readers are the best-looking and smartest Internet audience...(read more)

Check out these great Problogger posts - Day 3

Anna — Thu, 10 May 2007 14:24:00 GMT

Happy Thursday fitness freaks! I have some great health and fitness-related posts from the Problogger writing project to share with you today. I will be sharing Problogger submissions with you until tomorrow (Friday), when I will choose my own Top 5 faves. Top 5 Special Health Tips -Part 1 by Doris Chua Top 5 Reasons Why I Will Never Be Able To Get Rid Of My Beer Belly. by Ah Pek Top 5 Ways To Stop Being a Perfectionist by Krista Top Five to Do While You Live by Mark Five ways Shiatsu has changed...(read more)

Get fit while blogging

Anna — Wed, 09 May 2007 14:05:00 GMT

In yesterday's post I mentioned that I submitted it to the Problogger Top 5 project. In it I promised that I would be keeping my eye out for great posts submitted by the other bloggers. So today I'd like to share a link with you to a great post called Get Fit & Sexy While You Blog - The Top 5 Unusual Things to do at your Computer . It was submitted by RT over at RealMuscle.com, and it has some excellent suggestions for how to mix a little physical activity into your cubicle-ridden day. I particularly...(read more)

ACL Injury

Kim — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:07:00 GMT

What is the ACL? What does it do? ACL refers to the anterior cruciate ligament , which is one of the four ligaments found in the knee. The primary function of this ligament is to prevent excessive forward movement of the tibia (shin bone), which is the bone that sits directly beneath the femur. The ACL also provides stability in the knee and allows for angulation and rotation in the joint. The ACL extends from its attachment at the posterior of the femur to the anterior of the tibia. Ligaments are...(read more)

How do I know if my ACL is torn?

Kim — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:05:00 GMT

What happens in an ACL injury? An ACL injury involves a tear or rupture of the tendon, and is usually a result of pivoting while simultaneously exerting high rotational forces on the knee. How do I know if I have torn my ACL? - if you hear a “popping” noise at the time of the injury - if you experience instability of the knee joint, and the feeling that the knee will “give way” - if there is swelling of the knee joint - if there is pain in the knee joint when walking Why is an ACL tear considered...(read more)

Injury Risk Factors and Tests for Detecting an ACL Tear

Kim — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:04:00 GMT

Am I likely to experience an ACL tear? As I said earlier, these injuries most often occur in high impact or high speed sports where participants are required to pivot and change direction suddenly. Less frequently, ACL injuries are seen in the workplace and in car accidents and other traumas. Thus, if you are not involved in high impact or fast-moving sports you are less likely to suffer from such an injury. Interestingly enough, women are significantly more susceptible to ACL injuries than men....(read more)

So, I have torn my ACL. What next?

Kim — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:03:00 GMT

Surgery? Well, an important decision must be made about proceeding with surgery or not. To make this decision, the following factors must be considered: - activity level of the patient - age and overall health of patient - knee stability - likelihood that patient will comply with post-operative rehabilitation Some individuals can continue with their everyday lives as they used to without having to undergo surgery, but participation in sports and certain activities will likely be limited. Any sports...(read more)

ACL Injury Recovery

Kim — Wed, 09 May 2007 12:01:00 GMT

How long will it take for me to recover from the surgery and what activities will I be able to do? The most important factor that will affect a patient’s recovery is his/her compliance to rest and perform the required physiotherapy exercises regularly. It is not a surprise that the patient’s diligence is often reflected in the recovery time. Following rehab, 90% of patients will return to their normal everyday life and their athletic activities (including professional athletes), while there are some...(read more)