The 67-year-old woman slipped off her shoes before stepping onto her doctor’s scale. At her home, in Maplewood, N.J., the bathroom scale had documented the same 25-pound weight loss she and her internist now saw. It happened suddenly, over the past few months. Initially she blamed a bout of Covid-19 that she picked up during…
Foam rollers are everywhere, so why not use them for everything? While they are typically considered a warm-up and/or recovery tool, you might be surprised to learn that they can be used to create a challenging workout as well. What’s That For? Part of the fun of fitness is discovering new ways to challenge your…
Over the past decade, foam rollers have become a ubiquitous piece of exercise equipment, found almost anywhere people like to sweat. In general, foam rollers are cylindrical sections of hard foam, approximately 6 inches in diameter, and available in a variety of textures and lengths. Softer foam rollers are pliable and mold to the shape…
Physically confident and competent children are active for life, but far too many of America’s youth are physically inactive. Health and fitness professionals are in a great position to help kids become more physically active and, as a result, more physically literate. To begin, consider how academic literacy is developed. Through the process of neural…
Just a couple of months ago, I pulled a low back muscle while lifting weights. This was not the first time I had injured this muscle, so I knew I needed to seek treatment to prevent further injury and to be able to continue with my fitness routine and yoga practice. I went to the…
It is said that abs are made in the kitchen. This same axiom applies to performance. Whether performing high-intensity intervals, strength training or endurance activities, the following six foods have been shown to enhance performance by improving time to exhaustion, decreasing perceived exertion, increasing speed, decreasing lactic acid production or decreasing levels of fatigue. CAFFEINE…
What was I in the mood to eat? Pacing inside Luv2Eat Express, a Thai restaurant in Hollywood, I sized up a dozen steel vats shimmering with curries and braises. A server behind the counter saw me agonizing over which three dishes to choose. “You can taste,” he said cheerfully, gesturing toward a stack of tiny…
Most people think strongman exercises are just about extreme heavy lifting, which isn’t surprising given the types of exercises associated with these competitions, such as deadlifting various objects and carrying them over a distance, pushing and pulling various items, and pressing things overhead. All of these types of movements, however, can be modified to suit…
There is a huge cultural shift taking place today as many states consider allowing the legal use of marijuana as a recreational drug. In 1996, California was the first state to allow the medicinal use of marijuana, and since then 24 other states and the District of Columbia have followed suit. Currently, four states allow…
According to the CDC, 17.7% of children age 6 to 11 are considered obese. This means that fitness professionals have a very important role in the fitness of future generations. By focusing on youth fitness, the fitness professional can help proactively reduce the obesity epidemic in our country and help the youth of America love…