Fitness

New Year, New You: How Healthy Savannah helps people make meaningful lifestyle changes

Published

8 months ago

January 23, 2025

New Year, New You: How Healthy Savannah helps people make meaningful lifestyle changes

It’s never too late to start to change your life. That’s why, every year, as the clock strikes midnight on Jan. 1, people across the country resolve to a “new year, new me.” Sixty percent of Americans intend to focus on health, fitness and exercise in 2025, as found in a nationwide survey of 159 million adults by the Health & Fitness Association.

If you’re one of the 96 million adults looking to prioritize those things this year, the new director of Healthy Savannah Armand Turner wants to help Savannahians do just that this year―and beyond.

Healthy Savannah, formed in 2007, leads and supports a culture of health in the area by creating an environment that makes a healthy choice, the easy choice.

Turner has been with Healthy Savannah since 2019, serving as the organization’s first Physical Activity Program Manager and most recently as the first deputy director of Healthy Savannah. He takes over the helm from Paula Kreissler, who is retiring after serving the organization for the past 17 years.

New year, new you

Turner said that when people think about getting into shape, the gym is the first thing they think of. Being physically active is important, but those looking to get fit don’t have to buy a gym membership, he said—we’re lucky enough to be living in Savannah.

“Even on the coldest day, it’s usually better than a lot of America,” Turner said. “So, we really do have to take advantage of that. I always say, it’s the small things like parking in the back of a grocery store parking lot and taking the extra time to walk, or walking with groups in your community.”

Healthy Savannah hosts a walking group every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., featuring locations throughout Chatham County. He said they want to plant the seed in peoples’ minds that there are places accessible to them where they can walk. The organization’s website features an interactive map that lists every single location of the health walks, alongside other details, such as if it is ADA accessible, if there are sidewalks, parking lots and more.

“We also have to remember that it starts in the kitchen, with what we eat and what we put into our bodies,” Turner said. “We believe that there’s a ton of options that we have access to that are a lot healthier than what we usually eat. We just have to change the way we look at those foods and these products. There are healthy versions of those that we can be digesting instead.”

Like many other cities across America, especially in the South, Savannahians are faced with obstacles like high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease and so forth. Turner said that a lot of that goes back to what food we eat, and what we have access to, and those problems are even more potent in African American populations.

“These are issues that boil down to not just us not wanting to eat healthy or us not wanting to be physically active; it’s an equity issue,” Turner said. “Are communities built for us to walk and bike and be physically active, or have access to healthy fresh produce and fruit? In many such cases, it’s not.”

Healthy Savannah is continuously focusing on policy, systems, and environmental change to ease access. A big deal for the organization has been the involvement in the Tide to Town 30-mile walking trail to connect communities that lack sidewalks and have been underserved. The Savannah-Chatham Food Policy Council, part of Healthy Savannah, is working on identifying policies to ensure communities across the county have equitable access to affordable, nutritious, locally and sustainably grown food, starting the year with a focus on community gardens.

“Some organizations may look at addressing physical activity as working out, going to the gym, or addressing nutrition issues as providing free food,” Turner said. “Those things are needed, but what can we do on the other end of that to address some of the long-term issues that are facing the community? It’s really about looking at the long-term solutions to the health issues that we’re seeing.”

Destini Ambus is the general assignment reporter for the Savannah Morning News, covering the municipalities, and community and cultural programs. You can reach her at DAmbus@gannett.com

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Fitness

Donald Trump Fitness: Can His Golf Workouts Replace the Gym? Explore Trump’s Golf Exercise Routine and Health Benefits

Published

4 days ago

September 26, 2025

Press Room

Donald Trump Fitness: Can His Golf Workouts Replace the Gym? Explore Trump’s Golf Exercise Routine and Health Benefits

Donald Trump’s fitness routine centres around golf, not the gym. Let’s know how his golf workouts burn calories, improve health, and whether golf can truly replace traditional exercise.

When you consider Donald Trump, you probably don’t think of fitness. Yet, one thing that he always swears by is golf. Beyond being a hobby, Trump uses golf in his leisure a great deal, as a way to stay active, socialise, and keep his body in motion. But here’s the big question: Can Trump’s Golf Workouts Replace the Gyms? Let’s explore his regimen and discover the unexpected health benefits of golf as a form of exercise.

Does Donald Trump Work Out At The Gym?

Unlike several celebrities or political figures who are stuck to a gym regimen, Donald Trump is not known for pumping iron or running on treadmills. Instead, it is his fitness in playing golf that comes first. Trump is said to spend hours of his day at the golf course, walking around, swinging and being active while he is managing both business and leisure conversation. While it may not sound like a real workout, golf requires you to move around, control your posture and your coordination all the time, making it a low-impact exercise for burning calories.

How Many Calories Does Playing Golf Burn?

Yes, and here’s why. On average:

Walking 18 holes may cover 4 – 6 miles.
The number of calories burned by carrying clubs or pushing a cart is 600-1,000 calories per round.
A golf cart even allows golf players to burn up to 300-450 calories because of swinging, short walks, and postural control.

And when you’re an early riser, a workaholic and a frequent visitor to the course, as Donald Trump is, that calorie burn adds up, making golf something of a fitness powerhouse.

Health Benefits Of Trump’s Golf Routines

People grossly underestimate golf, but Trump’s steady play grants him some wrist flexing fitness advantages:

1. Improves Heart Health

Walking the course and swinging regularly provides greater blood circulation and makes the cardiovascular system stronger.

2. Increases Flexibility and Balance

The golf swing to develop: Spine, shoulders, hips, and core. After a certain period of time, repeating the same movements helps your body gain flexibility and balance.

3. Improves Muscles Without Heavy Lifting

While not weight training, swinging a golf club develops arms and shoulders and core muscles.

4. Reduces Stress

Golf is an outdoor game, and it is played in often lush and calm surroundings. For Trump, it’s also a break from the pressures of politics and business, mentally.

5. Promotes Longevity

Studies show that golfers live longer on average due to the combination of moderate physical activity and the provision of relief.

Can Golf Replace The Gym?

This is where opinion becomes polarised. For Donald Trump, golf might be sufficient to get a workout, but for most people, the gym allows for targeted exercises on strength training and cardio intensity which golf simply cannot match. However, golf is an excellent option for those who hate gyms but still desire a regular workout. The combination of walking, swinging, and being outdoors means that this is an effective low-impact workout.

Golf Smart: Maximise Your Workout

If you want to follow in Trump’s footsteps-but maximise the amount of fitness benefits you are getting-try these:

Use your feet to walk the course rather than use a cart.
Carry or use a push cart for your own clubs.
Always warm up before playing by stretching.
Galea does weight exercises, such as squats or push-ups, after golf to try to balance with force.

While Donald Trump is not known for lifting heavy weights or running marathons, his golf workouts keep him active and in shape in a sustainable way that is both fun and engaging. While a game of golf cannot completely take the place of a workout in the gym, it proves that fitness doesn’t always need to come from traditional workouts.

Fitness

Michael Chiklis Had to Get in Football Shape Well After 50. Here’s How He Did It.

Published

6 days ago

September 24, 2025

Press Room

Michael Chiklis Had to Get in Football Shape Well After 50. Here’s How He Did It.

MICHAEL CHIKLIS HAS played tough cops in shows like The Shield and a granite-strong superhero in The Fantastic Four, but the most difficult physical challenge the actor has faced over a long career might just have been playing a regular, real-life guy. That regular guy did something remarkable, however—Chiklis’s most recent film, The Senior, is about 59-year-old Mike Flynt, who suited up for college football as the oldest player in the NCAA.

Stepping into the shoes of this character wasn’t a stretch for Chiklis, who is now 62—he says he was the captain of his football team in high school, so he has the background—but getting in shape for the film well after 50 was a trial. The actor did “about 90 percent” of the football action on screen, so he needed to be able to do more than just look the part. He had to be able to move, too.

How did he do it? A dedicated strength and conditioning plan (and plenty of focused warm-up and mobility). Chiklis stacked up full-body training sessions to prep his body to get into football shape. He did more than just gym training, however; Chiklis says he would often spent 40 minutes in the pool jogging and walked 10,000 steps to raise up his general activity levels.

Chiklis says that overall, the most important part of his training was preventing injury. His priorities are being healthy and strong—both for his career, and for the stage he’s at in life. “If you’re an older person and you’re interested in keeping your body strong and being fit, then listen to yourself,” he says. “Don’t get pulled into the whole machismo crap.”

Check out Chiklis’s breakdown of his routine here.

Michael Chiklis’s The Senior Workout

Lower Body Exercises

Reps or 45 seconds per exercise

Suitcase Squat

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Dumbbell Lateral Lunge

Dumbbell Goblet Squat

Push and Pull Movements

4 rounds of 30 to 40 second intervals

Pushups

Dumbbell Floor Press

Dumbbell Row Variations

Arm and Shoulder Circuit

4 sets of 45 seconds per exercise

Dumbbell Curls

Arnold Press

Triceps Kickbacks

Want more celebrity workout routines? Check out all of our Train Like videos.

Brett Williams, NASM-CPT, PES, a senior editor at Men’s Health, is a certified trainer and former pro football player and tech reporter. You can find his work elsewhere at Mashable, Thrillist, and other outlets.

Fitness

How Many Days a Week Should You Do HIIT? A Trainer Weighs In

Published

1 week ago

September 23, 2025

Press Room

How Many Days a Week Should You Do HIIT? A Trainer Weighs In

For some people trying to lose weight, they might find that they’ve plateaued and wonder if there is anything they can add to their workout routine to jumpstart their metabolism. Enjoying a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workout a handful of days per week can be just the thing that works.

“If you’re looking to be more explosive, athletic or build muscle, HIIT workouts are best suited to help you do that,” Rafique “Flex” Cabral previously told TODAY.com.

Trainer Tip of the Day: HIIT Workouts 3 Days a Week Boosts Metabolism

A HIIT workout focuses on brief moments of super-intense activity with rest periods sprinkled between the exercise. While the high energy exertion occurs in quick bursts — often 30 to 45 seconds, with rest in between — it demands more of the muscles. This type of exercise builds and maintains lean muscle mass, which can help with weight loss.

“Maintaining a routine that involves HIIT training three to four times a week will help compound that post-workout effect on your metabolism,” Cabral said.

HIIT sparks something called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), which enables people to burn calories even after their workout ends. The American Council on Exercise says that HIIT works best for kickstarting EPOC.

“You will produce an after-burn effects with 25% more calories burned post-workout compared to going for a walk or a run,” Lisa Reed, a performance coach and owner of Lisa Reed Fitness, previously told TODAY.com.

Why It Matters

HIIT’s impact on people’s metabolism lingers for some time — Reed estimates it bolsters metabolism up to 10% for three days after a workout.

Having lean muscle mass helps with weight loss but also promotes healthy aging. People with more lean muscle are less likely to experience falls and engage in their daily activities with ease.

How to Get Started

Dedicating even 20 minutes three times a week to a HIIT workout can lead to boosted metabolism and weight loss. Workouts can be customized to exercise preference and the equipment people have handy.

“You can also keep things interesting by switching up the sequence or swapping out different exercises from strength to high-intensity movement,” Reed says. “HIIT workouts are an excellent way to increase your workout intensity in a short amount of time — 20 minutes or less.”

TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.