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Over-35 Fitness
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- Declining Weight Sets for Increasing Muscle Gains (MuscleandFitness.com)
"Every set must be performed until failure. Max effort. The rest between sets must be short; say 45 to 60 seconds. To complete successive sets the weight must be lowered each set. Because we can not repeat a max effort with such a short rest, the weight must be lessened to achieve the same number of reps on following sets."
- Fitness Resources (Fitness Partner Connection)
Provides links and articles by subject. Also allows searches by keywords.
- Measuring Muscle Gains (Skulpt.me)
Measures muscle quality and fat percentage by muscle group. Awesome Library does not endorse this product but provides it as an example.
News
- Assess Your Real Age (RealAge.com)
Provides a questionnaire to assess your real age (wear and tear). Provides a planner to improve your health and fitness given your answers to the assessment. 7-04
- Fitness Calculators (Self.com)
Use these calculators to find the bottom line.
Papers
- -04-06-10 Try More Weight and Fewer Repetitions (New York Times)
"For better tone, try fewer reps and more challenging weights." 04-10
Periodicals
- -10 Cool Wasy to Stay Fit (Time.com)
"A new generation of technology and websites are making it easier than ever to keep track of your fitness goals and to workout in new ways — often without any need to break out the gym bag. Here's TIME's list of 10 tech-savvy solutions for getting in shape for the spring." 02-10
- -Study: Exercise Correlates with Longer Life (New York Times)
"Anyone who is physically capable of activity should try to 'reach at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week and have around 20 to 30 minutes of that be vigorous activity,' says Klaus Gebel, a senior research fellow at James Cook University in Cairns, Australia, who led the second study. And a larger dose, for those who are so inclined, does not seem to be unsafe, he said." 02-16
- -The Myth of Moderate Exercise (Time.com)
"Obesity experts agree that daily exercise is essential for good health, but whether it can successfully lead to long-term weight loss is a question of much debate. What has become increasingly clear, however, is that the conventionally accepted advice — 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week — is probably insufficient to spur any real change in a person's body weight. A study published July 28 in the Archives of Internal Medicine adds to the burgeoning scientific consensus: when it comes to exercise for weight loss, more is better. It suggests that obese people would have to exercise at least an hour at a time to see any significant difference in their weight." 07-08
- A "Home Gym" for $100 (U.S. News)
"If you're unable—or simply unwilling—to pay thousands of dollars a year for membership in the new exercise studio started by Gwyneth Paltrow and her personal trainer, never fear. You don't need to be cashed up to get a good workout. In fact, you don't need to join a gym at all. We asked four fitness pros for their advice on putting together a home gym for $100 or less. Here's what they said."
- Bowflex Recall (CBS News)
Describes the recall for a Bowflex excercise system. "The machines in question were sold nationwide from 1995 to 2003 for about $1,200 to 1,600, depending on the model. Consumers are advised to stop using the backboard bench in the incline position, and immediately cease use of the 'Lat Tower.' " 1-04
- Diets that Have Always Promoted Health (US News)
"The focus is on finding the overall combination of foods that are associated with better health, without necessarily pinpointing individual elements of the diet that are responsible. That may involve studying how people in different areas of the world eat or, here at home, using statistics to study which foods the healthiest among us consume. 'You find out who's healthy, then ask what they're eating and how much they exercise,' says K. Dun Gifford, founder and president of Oldways Preservation Trust, the Boston-based food issues think tank that developed the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid. (More later on the exercise element, which often gets lost when people try to adopt a healthier diet.)" 04-08
- Examples of Moderate Exercise (NIH.gov)
"An increase in physical activity is an important part of your weight management program. Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake. Sustained physical activity is most helpful in the prevention of weight regain. In addition, exercise has a benefit of reducing risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, beyond that produced by weight reduction alone. Start exercising slowly, and gradually increase the intensity. Trying too hard at first can lead to injury."
- Exercise and Brain Power (New York Times)
"Scientists have suspected for decades that exercise, particularly regular aerobic exercise, can affect the brain. But they could only speculate as to how. Now an expanding body of research shows that exercise can improve the performance of the brain by boosting memory and cognitive processing speed. Exercise can, in fact, create a stronger, faster brain."
- Exercise and Obesity (ABC News)
"The problem ultimately is about not exercise itself but the way we've come to define it. Many obesity researchers now believe that very frequent, low-level physical activity — the kind humans did for tens of thousands of years before the leaf blower was invented — may actually work better for us than the occasional bouts of exercise you get as a gym rat." 08-09
- Exercise to Improve Health (USA Today)
"Besides reducing belly fat, physical activity lowers blood pressure, cholesterol and the risk of diabetes and cancer. It reduces depression and anxiety, and it improves bone and joint health, sex drive, sleep and memory, he [Church] says."
"But Church notes that fewer than 25% of Americans meet the minimum guidelines of being moderately active for 30 minutes five or more days a week, estimates show."
" 'The average American doesn't understand that other than not smoking, exercise is the most important thing you can do for your health,' Church says. 'They think exercising is a health suggestion on par with leaving mayonnaise off their sandwich.' "
- Fitness Articles (BetterBodz.com)
Provides an alphabetic listing of articles by topic. 12-01
- Fitness Balls Recalled (ABC News)
"People searching for motivation to exercise may have another excuse to sit still: Inflatable fitness balls that might be key to toning your abs also could explode and send you crashing to the floor." 04-09
- Fitness Training Programs (Betterbodz)
- Foods for Runners (Time.com)
"What you should eat before and after a training run — or any intense day at the gym — to help you energize, refuel and perform at your best." 09-12
- Getting Rid of Cellulite (ABC News)
"Some 90 percent of women have cellulite. Even thin and physically fit stars like Pamela Anderson, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears and Nicole Kidman have it."
- Gym Locator (Fitnesszone.com)
Provides the location of gyms by zip code or city and state. 12-01
- Heart - Interpreting Systolic and Dystolic Numbers (New-Fitness.com)
Provides a simple and clear interpretation of information on blood pressure. 12-01
- Interval Training Improves Workout (USA Today)
"A new study suggests that doing intense interval training for 20 minutes three times a week is just as effective at boosting strength and endurance as five to six hours of jogging or moderate cycling." 6-05
- Is Cardio-Free the Way to Be? (ABC News)
"Dr. Jennifer Mieres, a cardiologist and American Heart Association spokesperson, "thinks people should build and strengthen their muscles, especially women who face the possibility of developing osteoporosis" through strength training."
" 'But the evidence is overwhelming,' she says. 'You need to do some cardio workout to change your cardiac profile to make it better, to prevent death from heart disease and stroke.' "
- Is Running Really Bad for the Knees? (Time.com)
"The common wisdom is that regular running or vigorous sport-playing during youth subjects the joints to so much wear and tear that it increases a person's risk of developing osteoarthritis later in life. Studies have suggested that may be at least partly true: in one study of about 5,000 women published in 1999, researchers found that women who actively participated in heavy physical sports in their teenage years, or weight-bearing activities in middle age, had a higher than average risk of developing hip osteoarthritis by age 50."
"But over the past few years an emerging body of research has begun to show the opposite, especially when it comes to running. Not only is there no connection between running and arthritis, the new studies say, but running — and perhaps regular, vigorous exercise generally — may even help protect people from joint problems later on." 12-09
- Is There a Laziness Gene? (Time.com)
"Have you ever wondered why you can't get off the couch and exercise — despite paying for an expensive gym membership, despite your New Year's resolutions, even despite the doctor's scolding at your last checkup? Turns out that your inertia may be coded right into your genes."
- Jogging Backward (USA Today)
"Backward walking and running dates back to the 1970s, when forward-looking runners practiced it while injured. Doctors later recommended it as part of physical therapy and it's often used by baseball pitchers or track runners in preliminary warm-ups." 05-06
- Laughter and Health (ScienceFriday.com)
"Can a good laugh have some of the same physiological effects as exercise? Speaking this week at the Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim, Lee Berk and colleagues reported that mirthful laughter "appears to modulate and may optimize the appetite hormones leptin and ghrelin" similar to physical exercise. The researchers studied the hormone levels in 14 healthy individuals who viewed either humorous or distressing video clips. We'll find out more." 04-10
- Lessons from Oprah's Weight Battle (U.S. News)
"By now, everyone knows that Oprah Winfrey is displeased with her current weight and is seeking to turn things around in 2009. She elaborated on her situation in a 'falling off the wagon' episode this week. Here are some practical lessons I culled from her experience that you can apply to your attitudes about diet, exercise, and weight, even if you don't have the cash to surround yourself with trainers, doctors, and assistants."
- Myths About Fitness Routines (ThePostGame.com)
"Take a second to think about your gym routine (I'll wait). Got it? Now, I bet you feel pretty good about the fitness moves that you’ve incorporated—you’re hitting the big muscle groups, you’re the champion of the weight room, and plus, these moves are so popular that they have to be effective. Right?"
"Wrong." 03-14
- Oldest Body Builder (ABC News)
"At 73, Ernestine Shepherd is in better shape than most people decades her junior. Up at 3 a.m. every morning, she spends her days running, lifting weights and working out other senior citizens at the Union Memorial United Methodist Church in Baltimore. She also works as a certified personal trainer at her gym." 04-10
- Recumbent Exercise Bike - Pro Form SR 30 (eOpinions.com)
Provides a review of the Pro Form SR 30 semi-recumbent exercise bicycle. Retails for around 250 dollars. 1-04
- Staying Fit at the Desk (ABC News)
"When people sit for long periods of time, their muscles tighten and eventually weaken," said Dr. Marc Bochner, a chiropractor who specializes in sports and soft-tissue injuries." Suggests solutions. 01-06
- Study: Controlling Blood Suger Levels (U.S. News)
"In this study, subjects used exercise bikes to perform six sessions of intervals over two weeks. Each session consisted of between four and six 30-second sprints, plus a few minutes of rest in between. After two weeks of training, their body's ability to control blood sugar levels improved by 23 percent, says James Timmons, the study's coauthor and an exercise biologist at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland."
"And, says Timmons, two of the major reasons we try to combat obesity are to prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes; so while interval training may not produce dramatic weight loss unless combined with dietary changes, it may produce those other physiological benefits." 06-09
- Study: Energy Drinks Help Brain, Not Muscles (Time.com)
"But exercise experts say that despite what you may think, energy drinks have no effect at all on your tired muscles. Instead, when your energy is petering out, a swig of an energy drink works on the brain to keep you inspired and motivated to push on."
- Study: Exercise Helps the Brain (CBS News)
"According to Bell, researchers are finding that exercise can do more than keep you fit; it can also make you smarter. One school in Illinois has developed a program that gets kids moving and learning."
"Although it may appear that these kids are working out, they are actually trying to adjust their brains chemistry to maximize their ability to learn."
" 'Kids who took P.E. before they took the math class had double the improvement of kids who had P.E. afterward,' Zientarski, explained." 'Ratey cites studies showing that exercise promotes the growth of new cells in the hippocampus, an area in the brain associated with memory and learning."
" 'Exercise promotes more than anything else we know the growth of new brain cells,' Ratey said."
- Target Heart Rate During Exercise (American Heart Association)
"Target heart rates let you measure your initial fitness level and monitor your progress in a fitness program. This approach requires measuring your pulse periodically as you exercise and staying within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is called your target heart rate." 03-07
- Target Heart Rate During Exercise (WebMD)
Provides instructions and an online assessment of your target heart rate, the heart rate you should try to achieve and maintain during exercise.
- Target Heart Rate During Exercise (WebMD)
Provides instructions and an online assessment of your target heart rate, the heart rate you should try to achieve and maintain during exercise.
- Ten Ways to Pep Up (CNN News)
"Fatigue and flagging energy seem to be epidemics, especially among women who burn the candle at both ends (and who doesn't?). Instead of moping, pump up your mojo with these 10 strategies from experts in sleep, fitness, nutrition, psychology, and alternative medicine." 03-08
- The 10 Worst Things to Do for Your Body (MSNBC News)
Describes 10 undesirable things to do for your body. The slide show speed can be adjusted. 01-06
Projects
- Fitness Bi-Monthly Articles (Global Health and Fitness - Tackett)
Provides over 50 articles to promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle. 3-02
- Walking and Bike Riding to School (Safe Routes to School)
"Safe Routes to Schools projects encourage and enable children to walk and cycle to school through a combined package of practical and educational measures." 3-02
- Walking and Bike Riding to School (Walk to School Day)
"Find out how Walk to School activities are being used to create more walkable and healthier communities all year long." 3-02
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