I just read that Weight Watchers in New Zealand will have some menu items at McDonald’s -Full Story. Say wha?
Both companies are touting this as an “enjoyable way to lose weight.” The deal between the two companies will go something like this: McD’s will put the Weight Watchers logo on its menu, and in turn, Weight Watchers will promote McD’s to its following of dieters.
I’m not loving this idea. Not one bit. First, there is NOTHING on the McDs menu that is healthy. I repeat – nothing. Maybe water, but that’s it. While I understand that “dieting” means taking in fewer calories than you burn, and any combination of foods that equate to around 1200 calories on a consistent basis will likely cause weight loss, even if those calories are from Twinkies…eating at McDonald’s does not promote healthy eating.
Luckily, according to the story on MSNBC, nutritionists and obesity experts are not on board with this idea either.
What are your thoughts? Yay, nor Nay? Please share…
May I complain about the Ohio weather a second longer? It’s the pits. But this cool tool from Virtual Active could have us “winter haters” running in prettier settings, like Yosemite, sooner than later. Say wha?
Check this out…with Virtual Active, you can preview a library of fun, scenic places to run (bike, hike) that have been filmed live. Beginning today (March 1), you can download a free, 30 min sample on iTunes! Grab the freebie while you can…prices are regularly $9.95.
How fun would it be to fake run through Yosemite while you’re on the hamster wheel? Apparently the technology they use to film these real-life adventures makes the video experience very smooth and realistic.
If any of you try it out before I do, let me know what you think!
I just finished reading a really interesting article in the WSJ about type-1 diabetics and participation in high intensity sports. I know – it seems risky, but even as a trainer, I’ve known that such feats were possible with the right training and medical support. In fact, Kris Freeman, an Olympic cross-country skier at the games in Vancouver, was doing a great job while competing – until his sugar plummeted. Still, to see that someone with type-1 diabetes can compete at this level is truly amazing, and inspiring. Obviously, athletes of this caliber train very, very hard, which makes it all the more important to monitor insulin levels while training. Check out the article for the whole story if you wish.
Below I’ve listed some tips for diabetics engaging in physical activity. Obviously, if you choose to train at higher intensities, it is important to get clearance from your physician, and to also work closely with a conditioning coach who has experience working with athletes who have diabetes.
- Immediately before exercising, test your glucose levels, then again during exercise (especially if you are just beginning a new program). You should re-check immediately after your session as well.
- If your blood glucose level drops to less than 70 mg/dl or is higher than 250 mg/dl, and you know you have ketones in your urine, do not exercise. If blood glucose is 300 mg/dl or higher (regardless of the presence of ketones), you should not exercise.
- If you suffer from diabetes-related foot problems, make sure you were well-cushioned shoes and dry-wicking socks that keep moisture away from your feet.
- Be aware that certain conditions associated with diabetes, such as autonomic neuropathy, neuropathy, or retinopathy, it is a good idea to seek your physician’s approval before beginning an exercise program. If you have one of these conditions and your physician gives you the go ahead to exercise, it is important that your trainer or exercise physiologist works closely with your physician, as there will likely me restrictions as to what activities you may participate in.
- Know the warning signs of hypoglycemia; trembling or shaking, rapid heart rate, increased sweating, excessive hunger, headache, irritability and mood changes, impaired concentration, mental confusion, and drowsiness. Stop exercising if you experience any symptoms of low blood sugar and test blood glucose to confirm hypoglycemia.
- If you are suffering from low blood glucose, eat or drink 10-15 g of simple sugar immediately to restore glucose levels. It is a good idea to keep foods such as raisins, hard candy, crackers, or boxed juice in your gym bag where it can be accessed easily, just in case you need it.
- After replenishing your glucose, rest for 10-15 minutes before resuming any activity. This will allow the intestines time to absorb the glucose.
- Continue to monitor blood glucose, preferably within 30-40 minutes of resuming exercise, if possible.
- After exercise, replenish glucose immediately with complex carbohydrates.
[Sources:
ACSM’s Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 4th ed, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001.
Exercise Physiology, 5th ed, McArdle, Katch, and Katch, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2001
IDEA Fitness Journal, Peggy Kraus, MA, “Working with Diabetic Clients,” Nov-Dec 2007]
If you are interested in pushing yourself just a little bit farther when it comes to your daily workout, then you may want to consider a cup of Joe directly beforehand. Not only will this give you extra energy and help you work out with more stamina, but recent research has shown that chemicals in coffee can block post workout muscle soreness.
This study was conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia, and they observed nine female students who were not regular exercisers or coffee drinkers. Two days after working out, they begin to experience muscle soreness, and the women either took a placebo or had caffeine from coffee. The participants that had caffeinated coffee an hour beforehand showed 40% less pain compared to those who had only taken a placebo.
The point is that as an athlete or even a moderate exerciser, it is important to use coffee to your advantage! Not only is it full of antioxidants that can prevent disease and premature aging in the body, but it will also work to prevent excessive soreness. This means that you have the potential to bounce back from a workout much more quickly, so if you are training, this is something highly important to keep in mind. Caffeine in coffee has also been proven to increase endurance, focus, and alertness. Interestingly enough, it is also something that is heavily monitored in Olympic athletes, so if you are competing in a sports event, then you may want to discuss with the officials or your coach as to how much coffee you can have before competing.
Author:Â Chuggin McCoffee is a coffee fanatic that has spent the entirety of his career cultivating and studying all of the best uses and brewing styles for optimal coffee and espresso flavor. His specialty site for all coffee needs, supplies, and >Bunn Coffee Maker Filters can be found at The Coffee Bump.
The American Council on Exercise has compiled a list of fitness trends for 2010. Though nothing stood out as drastically different from ’09, there are a few trends I thought worthy of extra page time:
- Budget-friendly Workouts at home and at the gym: The economy has left many gym-goers wondering if the monthly membership fees are worth it. Are there a lot of bells and whistles at your gym that you don’t take advantage of, and probably never will? Perhaps a scaled down version of your gym, at half the price, is a better option for you. Another alternative is to beef up your home gym, or start one from scratch, and shuck the gym altogether. Believe it or not, you can stock your gym for well under $500 with simple equipment that performs multiple functions (think stability ball that doubles as a weight bench, and a kettlebell that can be used for single muscle group isolation exercises, as well as total body training for functional movements.
- Getting more done in less time with higher-intensity workouts. I’m a huge fan of bootcamp-style fitness classes, as well as time-efficient circuits. The potential to burn gobs of calories in either of these formats (highlight each) is huge, and both formats lend themselves well to shorter workouts – perfect for lunch-hour fitness, or a quick workout on the way home from work.
- Health and Fitness Awareness. This is a trend I think (hope) is here to stay. In that case, it won’t be a trend for long. Scan any magazine or newspaper, either in print or online, and the number of studies linking healthy living to reduced risk/incidence of disease are abundant. My motto: “you can never go wrong living a healthy lifestyle.” And when you know the ramifications of living an unhealthy lifestyle, then you can’t say, “wow, I just didn’t know.!” You can’t avoid knowing…go grab a magazine, any magazine, newspaper, whatever, and you’ll see what I mean.
