Remember seeing those ridiculous vibration belt contraptions that was the dubious piece of “gym equipment” that may have been in a few seventies and eighties gyms across the nation? I rememember actually using one of these vibration belt machines and feeling absolutely ridiculous, and wondering how anyone could possibly think these things, which require no movement other than you just standing there, actually work to burn calories or trim the waistline.

The vibration belt machines became somewhat of a joke, being dubbed the lazy man’s workout, and there was a reason for that. They were never really proven to do anything other than maybe give you the sensation of movement, they were never proven to burn calories or condition your cardiovascular system, so they were pretty much dismised by the fitness and well being world. Until now, where they have found their niche in being able to provide the human body some sort of benefit beyond just standing there and “feeling” like you’re getting a workout.

This time though, the vibration doesn’t come in the form of a vibrating cloth or rubber belt, but rather it comes in the form of a vibrating platform, which has already gained a bit of a following in high tech and expensive gyms for it’s claims that it can intensify the workout and also dramatically improve balance and coordination (those claims I don’t doubt).

It is now thought that the vibrating platform may have some beneficial applications in the quest to help sedentary, older adults keep their muscles and bones in working order, probably because it provides some sort of stimulation and circulation, without the person actually doing strenuous physical movement, which is the point in the older, possibly infirmed or unlikely to work out population.

I have seen these new shoes that look like normal flip flops, called “Fit Flops” on display over about the past year and a half at several department stores, and often wondered if they actually do anything besides make walking perhaps a bit harder, like tone the butt or thighs or lower legs any better than just walking in regular shoes, or flip flops for that matter. They have gained popularity though, and certainly a dedicated following in some circles, which is usually a giveaway that something works, at least for some people.

Fit Flops are sold at only a few select locations, and unfortunately they are not the cutest looking sandal/shoe, so be prepared to wear something that may not be your perfect ideal of what you usually wear on your feet in terms of looks, however they are supposedly very functional and comfortable to walk in.

A friend of mine bought a knockoff of fitflops, but hers were more targeted toward reducing cellulite, which I kind of thought was a little hard to swallow, especially considering that usually cellulite only responds to direct contact with the skin and deep tissue massages or something that otherwise can get in there and manipulate the lumps and bumps under the skin so that they can be smoothed out.

However, she told me that a couple rounds with these on the treadmill and she definitely noticed that she was feeling it more in her legs and butt, so I thought they might be doing something good in terms of toning. The ones she bought though, were very high, and actually made it so you were almost walking on uneven stilts, which I couldn’t help but wonder could this be good for you back and posture?

However, the Fit Flops are supposed to be good for posture and also help to strengthen the feet, with what they call a wabble board technology, which just makes it a bit hard for you to keep your balance when you’re walking in them. This theory is a bit like the running in sand theory, and that is that if you run on a sandy beach rahter than a flat and even surface, you are getting much more workout for your time, because your feet and legs are constantly working to keep straight and balanced.

Overall, I’d say Fit Flops probably do a little extra toning, but they probably will not do so significantly, since by my knowledge they would really more so work the feet and calves, not the butt and thighs as so many of us women want to get rid of.

Well, it appears that southern folk are much more likely to weigh in at weights that are considered to be medically obese, according to new study results that show one southern state in particular, Mississippi, the ultimate tongue twister, as being the biggest culprit in obesity rates in the southern states. With an obesity rate here in the US of a staggering 25% (about one in four apparently are considered obese here in the US), the numbers are certainly nothing to scoff at, and deserve some real study if we are to have hope that we can pull the nation out of this upward trend in obesity.

So, what is to blame for the southern states beating out other demographics in the battle of the bulge? Well, many say that it may be the high rate of poverty and poor eating habits of southern people, which includes a lot of deep fried, rich and fatty fare. Yep, that’s part of why we enjoy southern food so much too, no doubt!

And the correlations that we would expect from having higher obesity rates in these southern states, as well as low activity levels and fitness awareness, is that there are significantly higher rates of things like heart disease and stroke, which is directly related usually to diet and fitness levels as modern science and nutrition science has demonstrated in studies and research over and over again.

Educational programs may help a bit, but they also need to focus on the physical fitness aspect of it all as well, which means they need to maybe get some gyms in the schools that have good fitness equipment, like ellipticals and treadmills, maybe some recumbent bikes, and rebounding equipment and wall climbing gear - stuff that makes fitness fun, not just something where you feel like a hamster on a wheel, so to speak.

Exercise helps us in so many countless and precious ways that it’s difficult to say in what cases would exercise NOT be recommended. In fact, there is not one thing I can think of that would prompt a doctor to persuade or recommend anyone to not exercise. Some form of exercise, no matter what your situation, is always recommended, and it’s no exception for those that are getting up there in years, to help prevent and slow the formation of alzheimers, the disease where your memory begins to slip away little by little.

Many have described alzheimers, whether early onset of typically set on in the later years, as a living hell because there are moments of complete clarity and then moments of clouded memories and then finally, complete confusion. Alzheimers can happen to the best, most powerful and intelligent men and women, and once it is set in motion there is little that can currently be medically done to stop it or even slow it significantly. However, that best friend of ours, exercise may have benefits beyond anything anyone thought when it comes to alzheimers disease.

When the brain is affected by alzheimers you see, it begins to atrophy (shrink), which results in key memory mechanisms being compromised and then finally the ultimate, which is complete and total loss of all your most precious and treasured memories. Imagine, being a family member to someone that has this, it’s not easy, and it’s a reason that there is major research being poured into the prevention and treatment of the mental disease.

Tests so far on patients with early term alzheimers disease actually showed less brain atrophy than their counterparts also in the study and also with alzheimers in early stages, who were not physically fit - as in did not exercise, or did not exercise regularly enough to make them physically fit by today’s standards. Since the rate of brain shrinkage is double in alzheimers patients what it is in people with normal, undiseased brains, that means that the reduction in shrinkage from exercise is significant - more than significant actually!

It is important to note however, that the fit subjects did not perform better on mental tests than the non-fit ones, so there is still some work to be done on exactly how exercise works to help possibly slow alzheimers. Nonetheless the fact that it shows so far to help prevent the shrinkage of the brain matter that comes with the disease is very exciting and may lead to several new studies and developments in the world of alzheimers and brain research. It’s a significant finding!

Running can be an excellent way to burn calories and melt the fat right off, especially for those high intensity long distance runners. Rarely do you find a person who is heavy or overweight who is a regular habitual runner. However, there are some of us that find that running bulks up our legs, me included, and have opted for workouts that don’t tend to bulk up the quads and the calves, but rather create that longer look we want, especially if you’re short like me and don’t want to look bulky.

I prefer working out on an elliptical machine any day over working out on a treadmill, and that is because my quads do tend to bulk up from running. Not only that, but I beleive that running makes your muscles and joints more prone to injury because it is a very high impact activity that only seasoned people are immune to injuries from.

Now, if you take your time stretching every time of course this lowers your risk for injury, but I think back to my highschool days of shin splints from running (perhaps through my own fault of not wearing good shoes or perhaps not warming up and stretching enough), and think that I’d much rather do something more low impact that still burns as many calories.

If you’re looking for reviews on good elipticals see our elliptical machine reviews page. You’ll find reviews of my favorite brand of exercise equipment like Horizon and Reebok, and others that rank high in the “gym quality” category, which is what you want instead of something that is not sturdy or smooth and will actually hurt you if you don’t be careful.

Pilates is a newer practice that women are falling in love with for it’s notoriety as a long, lean muscle builder. Women who want a “dancer’s body” are flocking to studios that teach pilates, and it’s become an overnight sensation, although admittedly years ago now, in Hollywood where the body is everything and people are obsessed with staying lean and mean.

So, what is this machine that can help you do pilates? I thought that you could do pilates on your own, on the floor, and the exercises were very simple and could be done anywhere, without any machinery or accessories? Well, that is true, but as with everything else, there was a machine made to help you through the exercises, the pilates machine. Let’s talk about what it is and what it does.

What does a pilates machine look like? Well, it looks like (to me), sort of a rowing machine. It is long and flat, and looks like it could be stowed away fairly easily, although not all of them, I’m sure, are foldable or stowable. It has bands coming off of it, almost like a bowflex machine (which, by the way, is noted for creating that same long and lean look in mean and women), which I assume are used as a form of light resistance, just as you would be doing if just doing pilates on the floor by yourself, accept this is a more guided and precise way to make sure your movements are correct.

A good pilates machine will be quiet and have smooth rolling tracks, for a smooth, friction free workout that results in smooth muscle tone and long and lean muscles. Some pilates machines come with rebounders, which is like a small trampoline for a nice light little cardio workout before you begin the muscle workout on the machine. It’s best to get a book or DVD on what exercises to perform and how specifically to perform them on the pilates machine, so you’re not doing them incorreclty, but these often will come with the better models of the machine.

A friend of mine recently started working out with a personal trainer and brought up that since she informed her trainer that she really only wants to get long, lean muscle, and not bulk up, especially not through her legs or thighs, her trainer suggested that they work more on repetition of the exercises she gave to her and not on the actual weight being used.

This means that the weight being used, if any, would be minimal, and there would instead be more repeats of the exercise performed rather than more weight added. I know that this is definitely true when working on the arms, since women typically do not want to bulk up on their arms, but want instead a nice definition and to get rid of that “lunch lady arm” syndrome.

I remember being told by a personal trainer that I should use very light weights on my arms, and perhaps only build up to five pounds on each arm at the most if I wanted to maintain a sleek and muscled look, almost sinewy, without bulking up more like a man would bulk up in the arms. I did follow that advice one time and I did end up building up a nice definition in my arms and shoulders, without bulking up and getting too puffed out looking, which was definitely not my goal since my flabby arms and triceps were always one of my major concerns.

She did also say that diet played a big part in that, and that if you want to maintain that long, lean look you have to focus on eating only lean proteins and limiting your bad carbs because they played a role in water retention, which takes away from that lean look and the muscles showing through the skin. If you want to get long and lean, I’d suggest starting off with very light weights, say maybe one pound on each arm, and just doing a done of repetitions, say maybe twenty on each arms instead of ten, then working your way up, slowly, to the five pound weights.

When I saw this headline, it actually made perfect sense to me. There is gathering research, which the government is keen on continuing, and which I am in this case, willing to support (I usually think government spending is wasteful, but this would be worth it), that exercise can help prevent addiction to addictive substances such as alcohol and cigarettes.

When I think of how I feel after a work out, I would actually compare it to the “high” I would achieve as a smoker, or after having the occasional drink, which I still do - I no longer smoke by the way, but I do remember how good it tasted and felt to smoke a cigarette back in the day. If you think about it, if you have something to replace that feeling of a near euphoria that you know you can achieve, does it not make it easier to pass on the “quick fix” pick me ups?

It makes sense to me but I’m sure it doesn’t to everyone else, nor does it work for everyone else because Lord knows there are plenty of people who are addicted to things that work out. The thing is, that working out has been shown to affect areas of the brain that affect the mood, and this is the very reason why most people get addicted to things, because of that temporary “feel good” rush it gives them.

Also, working out has shown to improve areas such as academic achievement and motivation, which are all in the same brain area function as the exact same thing that gets taken over when we get addicted to substances, so working out may actually prevent addiction in this way too. Additional research shows that teens who smoke were shown to be much more likely to be sendentary than their non smoking counterparts, which further points to the fact that moving and exercising helps protect us from addiction.

Another interesting point brought up by those heading the study is that exercise and movement is an innate pleasure inducer in children - children actually want to move around all the time and don’t like sitting still, so part of their studies wants to see why, as adults, we lose this innate sense of pleasure from moving and view it instead as a chore. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you had that same sense of joy from exercise back that you had as a kid? I doubt the couch potato thing would be such a problem then.

I have discovered a new show that I love, and have DVR’d so that I can do it any time I want called Namaste Yoga, on the Fit network (I think it’s actually called Fit TV). The practices they do are very flowing and actually pretty quick, but I can keep up even though I’m nowhere near perfect with my yoga.

I will say that for a beginner, Namaste yoga is probably not good since you do have to constantly be changing positions and sometimes need to know what position they are talking about since you can’t see the TV in some of the positions and can only hear the calming, soothing voice of the narrator directing you what to do.

And that’s another reason I lvoe Namaste Yoga on Fit TV, the voice of the narrator is extremely calming. The girls who they show doing the practices are very peaceful and serene looking, and watching them alone can help lower your heart rate, especially since their graceful moves are set against peaceful backdrops that are reminiscent of a professional yoga studio or something one might find in a paradise like Bali or Hawaii.

The only complaint I have about Namaste yoga is of course that it has commercials. Although I fast forward through them, it kind of breaks my rhythm, and it’s hard to get back in the practice after they come back from a break. You will break a sweat however, doing their practices, which are all choreographed by someone who obviously has a great love for yoga and intermingling different positions while also making the movements seems liquid and easy, giving a soothing feel to the series.

Viagra is the butt of many jokes. It is the epitome of the male enhancement market and the erectile dysfunction drug crop, since it was the first high profile male sexual enhancement drug offered and generated much buzz when first introduced to market. It’s also been the subject of a lot of controversy, some saying it can have potentially dangerous side effects, especially if those not carefully screened prior to taking it are popping the little blue pills, since pre existing health conditions such as heart problems are a deadly conjunction with many of these male enhancement drugs since the increase the pumping of the blood, which can overload the heart in some patients who may already have poorly performing hearts.

Well, it seems that Viagra has not only made a name for itself in the sexual and even recreational drug category, but also now it is reportedly being used by some athletes as a performance enhancing drug to help them perform better in their respective sport.

The drug, who’s generic name is sildenafil, may generate a better stamina in athletes, as it does in men who are looking to increase sexual stamina, when taken, and for this reason it has gained somewhat of a popular following among athletes to enhance their performance and increase the time they can participate in a sport, and at what rate they can participate. However, experts are (of course) divided on whether Viagra actually delivers any sort of better performance, at least on the track or court, or wherever it is these respective athletes are performing or competing.

Some say that it does make you perform better as an athlete because it pumps out more blood, and this means more oxygen in the blood stream. Oxygen in the blood is what energizes you and gives you that endurance, and not having that oxygen in the blood supply is what makes people feel winded very quickly. Ever take the stairs and get winder very quickly? That’s not good. It means your blood does not have enough oxygen, or that your lungs do not have a good capacity to take on oxygen, either of which should be checked out.