Fitness

Everyone needs a holiday from the pressures and routines of "normal" life. But does heading off for a holiday mean taking a break from regular exercise too?

The dilemma: how to balance the need to "get away from it all" with the desire to "stay on track" with your physical fitness goals.

It's a great way to shed weight or at least keep from gaining additional pounds--buy a pedometer and track your daily steps. The target number you hear most often is a daunting 10,000 steps a day. Ten thousand steps is almost five miles. That's pretty challenging if you have a hectic schedule, but it's worth it, right?

Well, unfortunately, a recent pedometer study says it may take just a bit more than that.

Last month, The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) released its world-wide fitness trends survey for 2008 So here are the trends, with a little dissection from yours truly.

Whether that special someone on your Christmas list is a health nut, or aspiring to become healthier, here are some gift ideas that won’t break the bank.

It seems that cardio-respiratory fitness is a better indicator of health than weight. In other words: you will live longer if you are fitter - even if you are overweight or even obese.

We are generally very adept at starting exercise and programs and dietary regimes... and we pretty much suck at sticking to it.

One of the most formidable reasons for this is the failure to permanently ingrain our newfound healthy habits into our psyches. Before the physical aspects of reaching your goals take place, we need to re-program our minds.

Here is a 3-step process to help you not only stay on the wagon, but get you driving the darned thing!

Just this morning I was thinking of the health consequences of severe dieting episodes.

In the quest to follow strict low-fat diets and other extreme fads - many people now find themselves with health issues that may well have resulted from malnutrition. They are less fit, heavily medicated, and most likely are the same weight (or more) than when they started the vicious cycle of dieting.

Here's the good news: there is proof that an overall health and exercise program (without dieting) can have many positive results.

We all have different goals when it comes to exercise. Despite this, walking is (arguably) the one exercise that you hear the most about.

Researchers from the University of Alberta compared fitness levels between the 10,000 step program, and a slightly more intense fitness regime. Not surprisingly they found that "gentle exercise was not enough to get fit."

Ever been called a fitness freak? Or maybe a health nut? What does it really mean and is it justified?

A selection of free fitness resources.

What has sleeping got to do with diet and fitness? Quite a lot really.

I had a friend who, for years, felt that strength training was a waste of time. Then one day he began a regular program with a personal trainer. His comments after a few weeks of working out were very positive. He said he had never slept so well in many years.

When I saw mention of the Fitness Challenge board game - my first thoughts were "how do you get fit playing a board game?"

The game is more of a motivational tool than a "sit down and roll-the-dice" game. Game rules are designed to motivate you to exercise at least three days a week, every week, for eight weeks. From walking to mountain climbing, the range of workout choices accommodates any lifestyle.

Fitness trends come and go. Spinning, Cardio Striptease, Pilates, Vibration Machines - there are loads of different exercise routines other there. Any kind of exercise is good - anything that you can enjoy that gets your body moving is a good thing. If all the options and trends are too much - then it's time to fall back on the most accessible exercise - walking.