Fitness
Workouts you can do from home if you’ve already given up on the gym
After the initial January gym rush comes the inevitable slew of no shows. Research by Nutravita last year revealed that almost 50 per cent of new year gym joiners cancel their membership by February.
Given how dreary so many affordable gyms are with their grey palettes and unflattering mirrors, is it surprising that their allure fades so quickly? Heading home when it’s dark outside is far more appealing than hitting the fluorescent lights of the leisure centre.
Lack of time was the major reason for quitting the gym, according to the study, with 39 per cent of people failing to fit their membership into their busy schedules.
The biggest mistake celebrity trainer Luke Worthington sees people make in January is setting either unrealistic or unspecific goals. “If a goal is a general ‘get fit’, ‘‘be healthier’ it can be very difficult to quantify,” he says.
Similarly if someone is totally sedentary and they set themselves a task of completing a marathon in six weeks, he says: “That is likely to be too great a task to achieve in that time, and therefore you’re setting yourself up for failure.”
Fitness
Gainesville Health and Fitness: Dumbbell rows
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – If you’re looking to work out your back muscles, dumbbell rows could be a great workout for you.
On this week’s Gainesville Health and Fitness, we’ll show you how to get in position for this exercise.
RELATED: Gainesville Health and Fitness: Stress relief exercises
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Fitness
Promoting Health, Fitness in Holtville — This is The Way – Calexico Chronicle
HOLTVILLE — In a scene of organized chaos, the Mandolorian led Holtville youths down East Sixth Street as they made their way to Finley Elementary School, walking and riding bikes, scooters and rollerblades to promote healthier habits.
National Bike and Roll to School Day is a nationwide event that schools can participate in anytime during the month of May, with the official day marked for May 8. Holtville chose Friday, May 3, where students and many adults wore their favorite “Star Wars” T-shirts, hats and Grogu gear to celebrate “Star Wars” Day (May the Fourth), which is always the town’s theme for the activity, a decision made years ago by the man beneath the Mandolarian’s helmet, Holtville Fire Chief Alex Silva.
“About five or six years ago, we noticed there was an actual ‘Ride Your Bike to School’ event and we wanted to join in on it,” Silva said, explaining more about the event’s origin.
“We started originally as walking to school only, and the original plan was to meet the deputies and the firefighters and it spread to this,” he said pointing around at all the childrens’ bikes.
Silva wore the custom-made Mandolorian helmet for his bike ride, a 3-D printed masterpiece crafted by his son, leaning into the fictional fun with the kids. “Since it’s in May, we decided to make it ‘Star Wars’-themed. I love ‘Star Wars,’” he explained, “So I said, let’s make it every year near May 4 for ‘May the Force be with you.’”
The Imperial County Sheriff Department was present to ensure safety of the large group, with deputies talking with students and providing assistance by blocking cross-street traffic during the ride. The rest of Silva’s fire crew supervised and gave kids high-fives of encouragement while the crowd made their way down the street. All the adults worked together, providing an epic way for the youths to start their Friday.
This is the Way
The morning began with a group warm up before the ride, with Silva leading the Emmett S. Finley Elementary School students. Backpacks and bikes were parked around the edge of the basketball court while students spread out ready to follow the Mandolorian (Silva) through some warm up moves before taking to the streets. Lined up by grade, the students gathered like a bunch of cute little ewoks, ready for action.
One parent and staff member at the elementary school, Linda Serrano, said, “I’ve been coming to Finley for 13 years and I’ve never made it to this, so I’m happy to be here.”
Serrano was standing outside the Ralph Samaha basketball court before the ride began, alongside other parents, siblings, and school staff, watching the kids stretch as a group before the ride began.
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“It teaches them — the parents and the kids — to do an activity together, and promotes exercise and learning some safety too,” Serrano explained, talking about the event.
The youths warmed up with some jumping jacks and full-body stretches, laughing along to various jokes Silva tossed their way. Marco Page, Finley Elementary’s principal, was stretching on the sidelines supporting the cause alongside his students and a couple other staff members.
After the event he commented briefly, saying, “It’s another health initiative, just to promote the students to be healthy.”
Page said the school advertised in the weeks leading up to Friday, handing out flyers to students and promoting the event on social media as well.
Fitness
Busting 5 common wellness myths
During one of my recent doom-scroll sessions on the ‘Gram, I came across a fitness influencer who sticks “yoga teacher & nutritionist” against her name, has 236,000 followers, and in one of her videos was claiming to teach us how to ‘naturally’ increase our height.
The first exercise to increase your height, according to the influencer, is three sets of hanging from a bar for 30 seconds. I have been a monkey all my life and hanging from a bar is something I started doing as a kid and, firmly in my 40s now, I still do it. Since forty years of hanging from a bar failed to do anything for my height, it got me thinking how much of such ‘fitfleuncer’ content is actually factual and scientific.
While I shall save the question of whether one should follow fitness, health, wellbeing, and nutrition advice from someone with vague credentials on a social media platform for another day, for now let’s explore how much water some popular health myths hold.
A spoon of ghee/butter in coffee is good for health:This is a topic of debate in the health and wellness world, says Shalini Garwin Bliss, executive dietician at Manipal Hospital in Gurugram. She notes that proponents of this argue that the healthy fats in ghee or butter can provide a slow-release source of energy and promote satiety. However, Chandni Haldurai, the head nutritionist at Cult Fit, warns against doing this, no matter how delicious it sounds.
“Coffee with ghee or butter may sound delicious, but it’s not always a good idea. Although these fats can give you a brief energy boost, their high-calorie content quickly adds up. This tendency may not be helpful for people seeking to control their cholesterol or weight,” says Haldurai. It’s crucial to remember that this extra fat contributes to increased calorie intake, potentially hindering weight management efforts, adds Bliss.
Apple cider vinegar is good, helps burn fat:This idea is big these days as not only influencers but gym trainers and coaches also support the idea of having daily doses of apple cider vinegar. While there are several potential health advantages of apple cider vinegar, including improved digestion and prevention of increases in blood sugar, it is not a miracle cure for weight gain, says Haldurai.
“There is no magic bullet for weight loss. Simply consuming apple cider vinegar daily is unlikely to lead to significant weight loss without complementary lifestyle changes like a balanced diet and exercise,” says Bliss.
A comprehensive strategy for weight management that incorporates nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle modifications is the only efficient way to achieve and maintain weight loss. Alas, it’s common to exaggerate claims of miracle weight loss without making the necessary efforts, say coaches and nutritionists.
Jaggery and demerara sugar are safe:Sugar is the top enemy of anyone even mildly invested in health. But many simply replace refined sugar in their diet with jaggery and demerara sugar. Next time you put that second spoon of jaggery or demerara sugar in your tea or coffee, you should remember that despite being less processed than refined sugar, both are still sugars and can have an impact on blood sugar levels.
“Due to their low processing and trace nutrients, they might be marginally preferable solutions, but people with prediabetes or diabetes shouldn’t choose them. Anyone ingesting these alternatives needs to practice moderation and keep an eye on their blood sugar levels,” warns Haldurai. Moderation is all sugar and sugar substitute intake is the key, warns Bliss.
Freshly squeezed and cold-pressed juices are healthy:It is indeed true that fruit juices that have been freshly squeezed or cold-pressed retain more nutrients than packaged juices. But all such juices have little to no fibre. Due to their high fibre content, which helps slow down the absorption of sugar, whole fruits provide the most advantages, says Haldurai. However, if you must have your fruits in liquid form, smoothies that are made with whole fruits, yoghurt, or vegetables are preferable, since they retain fibre and offer a more well-balanced vitamin profile.
Hanging leads to height gain:Saved the best for last. If only hanging from bars actually led to height gain, many of us would have been giants. There is no good evidence or study to support these claims, says Dr. (Prof.) Amite Pankaj Aggarwal, directorand head of the department for orthopaedics, Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh in New Delhi.
“It’s amyth that certain exercises or stretching techniques, such as pull-ups and hanging from a rod, can make you grow taller,” says Aggarwal, dismissing the tall claim.
Height gain depends on a lot of factors, from one’s genetics to diet to muscle strength, explains Dr. Poonam Sidana, neonatologist and paediatrician, CK Birla Hospital, NewDelhi.“Those who go out and play sports such as basketball are more likely to grow stronger because they are actually running around and are able to use all their bigger muscles. So, it really is a combination of things and cannot be attributed to a single activity,” adds Sidana.
Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.
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