Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Prevention Magazine has tested eighteen treadmills and has recommended their favorites. That sounds like a big commercial to me. The headline might have well said, “Seven high ticket items to buy that will make you thin.” Then again, I’ve constantly tried to Buy Fitness, so I checked the article out.

Prevention.com – We Test It: Treadmills by Denise Foley with Tanya Beers

What I found was a list of seven treadmills to buy and tips on how to buy a treadmill. There were also links on how to buy other high ticket physical fitness equipment. If I looked, however, there were hints on how to walk on a treadmill without injuring myself and how to bump up the intensity with hill workouts. Check out those articles for ideas to help keep your treadmill workouts safe and interesting.

“There’s no easy way out. If there were, I would have bought it. And believe me, it would be one of my favorite things!” – Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine, February 2005

Here is an interesting story with ideas on how to burn a couple of extra calories. A study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota found a correlation between thin people and the propensity to fidget.

• The Daily Telegraph – Fidgety way to stay slim

One thing that they didn’t mention is that with so much fidgeting, there is less time to snack, which might also account for the difference in weight. Next time you’re tempted to nosh, consciously stop yourself and think of an active thing that you could do.

I just found out that there are two PC versions of the arcade game, Pump It Up. They are available through Red Octane’s website, but I haven’t been able to find them anywhere else.

Anyone who has read this site knows that I’m obsessed with Dance Dance Revolution. This game variation from Andamiro Entertainment uses the corners and the middle as steps instead of the traditional up-down-left-right. I’ve seen this game at the arcades, but I’m so used to playing DDR that I was reluctant to plunk down a buck just to try it out. I was scared my feet wouldn’t work.

I’m going to get this for myself as a weight loss reward. It helps to set goals, meet them and have really cool things to reward myself with. I’m so excited!

Next week, I’m going to try an Xbox Live Workout on Monday morning. If you would like to participate, you need to email me your gamertag. This is an invitation only match, so I need your gamertag before 6pm Sunday night so I can add you to the list.

Workout Details:

• Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2
• Difficulty Level: Light
• Monday Morning, 02-07-05
• 7 am Eastern (4 am Pacific)
• Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

I will warm us up with three 2-footer songs, give us time to stretch, and we will cool down with three more 2-footer songs.

I’ve always been a proponent of stretching. Since I recovered from a foot injury mainly by stretching and keeping my walking level the same, I have stretched before and after every workout. Now, a study shows that I might be placing my faith in something that has little to do with injury prevention.

• American Council on Exercise – To Stretch or Not to Stretch?

According to a study in Australia, injury prevention has less to do with stretching than fitness level and age. All I know is that it feels really good to stretch out my muscles after a workout… almost like a reward for a job well done.

The next Light Xbox Live Workout is this Thursday morning. If you would like to participate, you need to email me your gamertag. This is an invitation only match, so I need your gamertag before 6pm Wednesday night so I can add you to the list.

Workout Details:

• Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2
• Difficulty Level: Light
• Thursday Morning, 02-03-05
• 7 am Eastern (4 am Pacific)
• Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

I will warm us up with three 2-footer songs, give us time to stretch, and we will cool down with three more 2-footer songs.

I am sponsoring an Xbox Live Workout this Thursday morning. If you would like to participate, you need to email me your gamertag. This is an invitation only match, so I need your gamertag before 6pm Wednesday night so I can add you to the list.

Workout Details:

• Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix 2
• Difficulty Level: Light
• Thursday Morning, 01-27-05
• 7 am Eastern (4 am Pacific)
• Duration: Approximately 30 minutes

I will warm us up with three 2-footer songs, give us time to stretch, and we will cool down with three more 2-footer songs.

“The fastest-growing exercise trend in the US revolves around sinister-looking black cannonballs with handles, known to the hardcore fitness enthusiasts who swear by them as kettlebells. With recent media attention that has ranged from The Today Show, Time and Newsweek to Rolling Stone the kettlebell surge into the mainstream culminates this March with the first ever National Kettlebell Convention in Las Vegas.” – Dragon Door

“The fastest-growing exercise trend” That phrase seems forced to me. I have memberships to two gyms and I’ve never seen a kettlebell. Where is this trend growing? After looking at pages and pages of information on the Internet, it seems that much of the hype comes from the website mentioned above: Dragon Door.

(more…)

MSNBC has a story about the differences between uphill and downhill hiking. According to a study in the Alps, hiking uphill helps remove fat from the bloodstream, whereas hiking downhill helps remove sugars.

• MSNBC – Associated Press – Walking downhill may lower sugar levels

Unless you have hypoglycemia or diabetes, I wonder how useful this information is. As far as weight loss is concerned, you benefit either way. If you get the fats, you’ll lose weight and if you get the sugars, you’ll lose weight. It’s almost like this study is trying to tell us, “Hey, exercising is good for you.”

Surprise, surprise…

It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.
– Sir Winston Churchill, British politician (1874 – 1965)

The sad truth is that you cannot buy yourself fit or thin, but the beauty of all of this is that the converse is also true. You don’t need extra money to lose weight and be strong. Just like when I walked into the door of Weight Watcher’s, I was willing to do whatever they told me. All you need to do is be willing to do what is required.

You can get fit for free. Walk around the block. Run around the block. Play with your dog. Play with your kids. Play with yourself. Run up and down the stairs at work. Do some jumping jacks and crunches. Carry your groceries. Carry your neighbor’s groceries. Volunteer to help your friend move. Lift cans of soup. Lift sacks of flour.

You can even get paid to get fit. Get a part-time job in a warehouse or for UPS or even at a department store. All of these jobs are very active and provide you with light to moderate exercise while you get paid. Instead of going home and watching television, getting a temporary job that is very physical might be a good option for you.

What is required: Thirty to forty minutes of intense exercise every day. You should be breathing heavy, sweating, and your heart rate should be at the cardio level.

You can lose weight and cut your grocery bills. Healthy and fresh food is actually cheaper than junk food. Fruit and vegetables are economical compared to chips and cookies. Frozen dinners are more expensive than the ingredients to cook it yourself. If money is your concern, you may have to sacrifice convenience, but it is possible to become thin without spending one extra dime.

What is required: Lower your caloric intake. Follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans or the Eat More, Lose More plan from Prevention Magazine.

As long as you are willing to do what is required, there is nothing that can get in your way. As long as you are unwilling, there is nothing that you can buy that will help you get to your goal.