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17-07-2012 13:26 Crossroads intern Sarah Martens talked to some of the experts about how we can make small changes a bit at a time to affect our health and lifestyles.

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SMALL STEPS TO CHANGE Summer Health and Fitness Tips --- Sarah Martens - Video

CARRIZO SPRINGS - The Eagle Ford Shale is transforming South Texas, but the oil boom is straining health care, education and social services.

Health care centers are losing administrative staff to oil companies at the same time that some health needs aren't being met. Formerly poor school districts are becoming property rich but struggling to deal with larger, sometimes transient student populations.

Nonprofits like the San Antonio Food Banks are swamped with more requests for help, a group of speakers told members of the Eagle Ford Task Force Wednesday.

Texas Railroad Commissioner David Porter formed the task force last year by to ensure regulators can keep up with developments in the shale.

'A strain on capacity'

Dr. Carlos Moreno, CEO of Vida Y Salud Health Systems in Crystal City, said it may be a challenge for companies to keep a healthy workforce and for families to stay healthy. He said there are more patients now, and "there is a strain on capacity."

Also, he's seeing more patients with serious health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure or who are obese. He said the Eagle Ford region is lacking in parks, playgrounds and ways for people to keep fit, which may account for some of the problems.

His clinics also are seeing a spike in sexually transmitted diseases.

Moreno said the Vida Y Salud clinics already have partnered with some communities to find more ways to promote fitness, such as through 5K runs and play events for children. There is a "desperate need," too, for mental health professionals to treat problems like depression, he said, because "you can't find that at any price."

Monty Small, CEO of Atascosa Health Center in Pleasanton, spoke about how hard it is to attract health care professionals to the region because of a severe housing shortage. His center has a new doctor arriving at its soon-to-open Three Rivers clinic, but there is no place for her to live there, so she'll have to commute from a larger town, Small said.

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Eagle Ford boom strains health care, schools

CENTERVILLE The citizens of Centerville have been given more options to improve their health and lifestyles now that Snap Fitness is part of the community. The new fitness center, which was built in January and officially opened in March, contains cardio and strength training machines for everyone to get in shape for the beach, a summer wedding, or just for a life change.

Whats great about Snap is their motto. Its fast, its clean, its affordable. It sets us apart from other health clubs, explains manager Brian Worth.

Worth, originally from Albia, had always been interested in athletics. His brothers influenced him, and he played football and basketball. He attended William Penn, where he played baseball and got a degree in Physical Education, Wellness and Recreation. At Snap Fitness he is the manager and a personal trainer.

Snap Fitness, located at 710 N. 18th is a 24-hour health club with different machines and rooms to utilize. The main area contains cardio machines, such as elliptical, spin bikes and stationary bikes, strength training machines, such as bicep curl, abdominal crunch, and seated leg curl and free weights. There are locker rooms with showers available and there is also the one room that sets the facility apart.

The Fitness-on-Demand room is a room where people can go to do classes or to workout out of the sight of others. Just outside the room is a touch-screen TV, where one can choose from different classes like yoga, Pilates or kickboxing. Once the class is selected, a screen drops inside the room and a video will come on to teach the chosen class.

I like it, its clean and they have tons of equipment. The best feature, Id have to say, that I dont utilize very much would be the touch screen, says Brooke Johnson, a gym-goer. Its like you forget youre in Centerville, its so nice.

Aside from using the Fitness-on-Demand room, there is music playing and TVs on for the entertainment of those using the machines. There is also a set of cubbies near the front door to hold ones things while working out.

[Snap Fitness] thought it would be nice for the people of Centerville to have another option, says Worth. [They choose] smaller towns where there is more of a community feel [its] economical for everyone.

Snap Fitness, founded in 2003 and operating on franchising, has about 1,500 facilities in the U.S. alone and others in seven other countries worldwide. There are possible plans for building more facilities in the northern Missouri-southeast Iowa area.

Several differences between Snap Fitness and other health clubs are: there are no contracts, there are no frills and there are in-center perks. Membership is month by month, instead of a year contract. If someone is a member of the facility, he or she has access to any and all centers, not just the center he or she signed up at. Because the facility does not have a pool, gym or other frills, there is no extra cost to the member. Members pay for what they will use instead of paying extra for things they may not use in the long run. At the Centerville facility, there are in-center perks. One is the EasyFit accelerometer. It tallies movement and awards points. There are competitions within the facility. There are also fit scores. These tests are free to members and allow them to do physical fitness tests to get a base line for improvement.

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Snap Fitness offering fitness to community

19 July 2012

NEWTON, Mass. -- TripAdvisor, the world"s largest travel site*, today announced the results of its health and fitness on vacation survey of more than 1,400 U.S. travelers, revealing that healthy eating and exercise play an integral role in many Americans" vacations. Sixty-nine percent say healthy eating is important to them when traveling for leisure, while 53 percent always or often exercise when they"re on the road.

Travelers' Top Physical Activities on Vacation

Travelers' Favored Spots for Vacation Work-Outs

Training While Traveling

Healthy Road Habits

Temptations on Tour

Savvy Sun Practices

"While most Americans will spend at least some of their vacation relaxing, many now balance their fun with fitness, as TripAdvisor"s survey shows that a significant number of travelers also prioritize personal health on their trips," said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications at TripAdvisor.

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The 2012 TripAdvisor Health & Fitness On Vacation Survey Reveals Travelers’ Health Habits While Traveling

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4bNAbsMYyg

17-07-2012 16:24 What's The Apps Top 5 Health And Fitness Apps Adidas Micoach Nike + Running Myfitnesspal Pulse Reader Nike + Training

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What's The Apps Top 5 Health And Fitness Apps - Video

SHELTON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

FitLinxx, a provider of health and wellness technology that motivates people to live actively and improve their well-being, today announced that Thomas Blackadar, chief technology officer, has been elected to the Fitness Industry Technology Council (FIT-C) Board of Directors, which was formed earlier in 2012.

FIT-C was established as a non-profit membership organization focused on growing the fitness industry, improving the fitness user experience and maturing the collection of real-time wellness data through the creation of interoperability standards for technology-based fitness devices.

With this leadership position within the FIT-C, FitLinxx now participates in four associations committed to fitness and wellness programs and to the development of healthier lives, including Continua Health Alliance, Fitness Industry Association, IHRSA and FIT-C.

The members of FIT-C are working to build or improve several important technology standards for the fitness industry. Among initial work areas are the following:

According to Blackadar, FitLinxx has been focused on extracting and making exercise data accessible and informative since the companys inception. Tracking exercise performance interactively can help participants get better results and stay motivated to adhere to their programs. With FIT-C, we can work as an industry so organizations can help people obtain more and better health and wellness results. We are excited to work as part of FIT-C so that consumers garner value from data, including employer incentive programs, gaming and social networking. The goal is to provide the fitness industry with updated standards and technology.

FitLinxx offers an exercise workout tracking system called FitLinxx Professional that attaches directly to fitness equipment, adding an extraordinary intelligent dimension to the workout experience. The system guides members through their program and provides interactive feedback that helps them adopt exercise habits to achieve their health, wellness and fitness goals. By offering members a more engaging workout experience, fitness facilities attract new members, increase referrals and promote fitness adherence.

More information about FITC-C membership is available at http://www.fit-c.org/membership/.

About FitLinxx (www.FitLinxx.com)

FitLinxx develops patented health and wellness technology that motivates people to live actively and improve their well-being. Sold exclusively through partners to businesses, its wireless activity monitors, health devices and software make it easy for people to accurately track and measure daily activity levels and health indicators like weight and blood pressure. In addition, its fitness facility solution helps members adopt exercise habits that achieve health, wellness and fitness goals.

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FitLinxx’s Thomas Blackadar Named to Newly Formed Board of Fitness Industry Technology Council

How often do you look at yourself in the mirror and think one of the following: "I really could stand to lose a few pounds", "why do these pants look and feel tighter on me than they did a few weeks ago?" or the classic (and one I'm really guilty of) "geez, I feel older than I am"? Those are questions and problems local entrepreneur, and co-owner of Sustainable Health Choices, Kammaleathahh Livingstone, wants to help you with. I met Kammaleathahh a few months ago when I was in the thick of writing these articles on local entrepreneurs and was looking forward to sitting down with her, getting some advice on how to get back into shape, and get going. Then I got a new job, got consumed with it, and let everything else fall by the wayside, including my health choices. Luckily for me, Kammaleathahh reached back out to me about writing the article and we recently got together once again...someone out there really must be looking out for me.

Originally from Louisville, Kammaleathahh met her business partner, Miriam Biber, while in school in North Carolina. Miriam, whose expertise is health counseling and education around the issues of nutrition, cooking, and their relationship to our overall connection to our health, and Kammaleathahh, whose areas of expertise revolve around massage and bodywork, began sharing ideas with each other and trading services, and the idea for a partnership took off from there. Sustainable Health Choices began in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2007. In 2011 Kammaleathahh returned to her Louisville home, and now the ladies work out of both cities. The goal of their company is to not just treat symptoms or issues you may have, but to help you find the root of those issues and help you eliminate it through giving you the skills to be aware of how your daily choices impact your health...mind, body, and spiritual. We all know, or should know, that things like diet and exercise can help prevent certain medical ailments like heart attacks, etc., but it goes so far beyond that. Did you know that a tight muscle in your foot can affect other muscles in your body? Kammaleathahh is trained to know how the body interconnects and wants to share that knowledge with her clients so they have more tools to keep themselves healthy.

I recently had my first session with Kammaleathahh and during her initial body assessment she found that the muscles around my ribs were tight and were pulling my torso. After some massage and acupressure not only did I feel better, but when I stood up I actually did feel stretched out and taller...like my posture had been elongated. I highly suggest Louisville support this local entrepreneur. Sustainable Health Choices is not a company that is about making it's founders rich, it is a company that is about making it's communities, and the people within them, richer by giving them control over their own health.

From Kammaleathahh's website:

"I am a Kentucky and North Carolina licensed massage and bodywork therapist. My work is centered in compassion, safety, and relief as I believe this is the foundation of high quality health care. My job is to help alleviate your pain and the imbalances in your soft tissue through myofascial release and other therapeutic techniques. As a Sustainable Health Choices practitioner I want to offer services that truly support people and larger communities to live in a more harmonious, cooperative, and vibrant world."

You can learn more about Sustainable Health Choices, what they do, and what they're about at http://www.sustainablehealthchoices.com. You can also learn more about Kammaleathahh's massage therapy at shcmassage.com and contact her directly at 502.265.5849 or Klivingstone@shcmassage.com

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Louisville Entrepreneur Profiles - Sustainable Health Choices [Fitness & Health]

Power training has become increasingly popular among the general training population.

Power is defined as work divided by time, or the speed at which you can do a particular task. In contrast, strength is the amount of force you can generate at a specific force, and power is how fast you can generate that force. A very heavy deadlift is an example for max strength; a heavy load moving slowly. Throwing a baseball is more of a power exercise; moving something relative light very fast. Both are important for athletic performance and daily living.

For athletes, the need for speed and power is arguably more important than max strength, and is so for the general population as well. It is even more important as people age.

As people age, they lose muscle mass and strength; however, people lose power at a higher rate. This is problematic because many daily activities, such as climbing up stairs and jumping over a puddle, require power. In fact, most of my clients are amazed by how difficult power training can be sometimes. Activities like simply jumping with both feet can be quite challenging, as many people haven't tried to jump in years, if not longer. If you don't use it, you lose it.

An effective way to increase power and add some fun and variety into your training program is to add plyometrics. Plyometric exercise is defined as a quick powerful movement that rapidly stretches then shortens a muscle group. Jumping up and down with minimal ground contact time is an example.

Plyometrics work by using the body's energy like a spring. When a person lands from a jump they store some energy in the muscle, like a spring being coiled together. If the person can then jump up again with minimal ground contact time, they can get an extra jolt of energy, like a spring being uncoiled rapidly.

Plyometrics are more of an advanced example of power training and are not for everyone. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the athlete should possess basic levels of strength, speed and balance before adding plyometrics to their training program. Athletes should have a maximum squat of a least 1.5 times his or her body weight and bench press at least their body weight. They should be able to squat and bench press 60 percent of their body weight in five seconds or less. Finally, the athlete must be able to stand on one leg for 30 seconds without falling. People weighing over 220 pounds should be careful as they may be at an increased risk of injury attempting plyometrics. Many people are not used to this type of training and it should be incorporated gradually to avoid injures.

A basic power move I like to have my clients perform is a medicine ball toss. It is easy to teach, the risk of injury is rather low, and most importantly it is kind of fun. If you have the space and a medicine ball, one can chest-pass the ball to work on upper body power, jump over it, for lower body power and then slam it into the group, to work the anger out.

--

Kyler Crouse, BS, CSCS is a personal fitness coach at Sierra Athletic Club and in the homes of clients in the greater Lake Tahoe area. Visit http://www.KCstrength.com for more info.

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Health and Fitness: Add variety with power training

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16-07-2012 11:07

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health and fitness by rob clarke - Video

Washington, July 17 : A new study has found that the more hours young children spend watching TV, the worse their muscular fitness and the larger their waist size as they approach their teens, with possible consequences for adult health.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of two should not exceed more than two hours of TV viewing a day. However, evidence suggests that an increasing number of parents now use the television as an 'electronic babysitter'.

As a consequence, a research group from the Universite de Montreal, Canada, set out to determine whether there is a correlation between the number of hours spent watching TV in early childhood and subsequent physical fitness in the same school-age children.

The Canadian team used participants from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, and assessed parental reports of the number of hours the child spent watching TV per week at 29 and 53 months of age. Muscle strength and abdominal fat correlate with fitness, and, were therefore measured when children were in the second and fourth grade, using the standing long jump test and waist circumference.

The researchers found that each hour per week of television watched at 29 months corresponded to a 0.361 cm decrease in the Standing Long Jump Test, indicating a decrease in muscle strength.

An extra hour's increase in weekly TV exposure between 29 and 53 months of age predicted an extra 0.285 cm reduction in test performance. Also significant was that waist circumference at fourth grade increased by 0.047 cm for every hour of television watched between the ages of 29 and 53 months, corresponding to a 0.41 cm increase in waistline by age 10, or a 0.76 cm increase for those who watched more than 18 hours of TV a week.

Since physical fitness is directly related to future health and longevity, increased waist size and reduced muscular strength that carries into adulthood could predict negative health outcomes later in life.

"TV is a modifiable lifestyle factor, and people need to be aware that toddler viewing habits may contribute to subsequent physical health," the team's lead investigator, Dr Caroline Fitzpatrick from New York University who conducted this research at the Universite de Montreal and Saint-Justine's Hospital Research Centre, commented.

"Further research will help to determine whether amount of TV exposure is linked to any additional child health indicators, as well as cardiovascular health," she added.

The study has been published in BioMed Central's open access journal International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. (ANI)

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Too much TV in childhood could lead to larger waistline later in life