Feature Articles
Food, Fitness and Exercise
Eating for performance is often overlooked by athletes. Foods contain nutrients that are important for various body functions...more
Sports nutrition for better performance
You train hard, learn about the latest techniques and make sure your equipment is top notch. You work hard to be good at your sport. But have you fueled your body for the demands you place on it?...more
Walking: How fast is fast enough?
Every step you take reduces your risk of age-related conditions. Walking can also reduce stress, control body weight, and tone and tighten muscles which can relieve arthritis symptoms...more
MyActivity Pyramid shows adults how to get in shape
The MyActivity Pyramid, a new fitness guide developed by University of Missouri Extension, provides physical activity recommendations for adults in an easy-to-understand format...more
Active Aging—Stay Strong and Stay Healthy
When people talk about being physically active, many think of aerobic activities, but it is also about being strong. Getting the heart and lungs working to full capacity has great health benefits...more
Inactivity is taking over as children spend more hours in front of television or computer screens and fewer hours in gym classes or playing outside...more
Begin spring on an active foot
How often are you physically active? According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 25% of Americans were not active last month...more
Good health includes not only healthy eating, but also healthy exercise. In fact, you can walk yourself to good health with a brisk 30- to 40-minute walk every day. And the best part is, it’s easy. All you need is a good pair of walking shoes...more
New physical activity recommendations
The new guidelines have been revised from the last update in 1995 to help people live more active and healthy lives...more
The most overlooked component of an exercise or fitness routine is flexibility and stretching. It takes very little time to include these activities in your routine and they are equally as important...more
Pills, Powders Can't Replace Training and Diet
Young athletes, eager to be a starting player or earn a scholarship, may be tempted to follow the lead of pros and use performance enhancers to gain the competitive edge. High school and college athletes are better off focusing on their diet and training, rather than relying on performance-enhancing supplements...more
We know that being physically active promotes good health. Most of us want to be healthy but for some reason we can’t seem to make the move to get to the gym or exercise class. There is an easy way to get fit that doesn’t require a trip to the gym or expensive equipment. Walking is a way to stay fit and the only equipment you need are your feet and some comfortable shoes...more
Let's Get Walking, Tips to Get You Moving
An informational brochure on the Benefits of Walking, Walking for Fitness, an 8-Week Walking Program, Tips on Walking, Pedometers, a Health Guide for Daily Steps, Ways to Increase Your Steps, and Converting Steps to Miles...more
Get active by starting simple!
Most of us are aware that physical activity reduces our risk for chronic health problems like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Yet, many people struggle to make physical activity part of their ongoing daily routine...more
Time to Spring into Active Living
Winter is over and gone with it should be the excuses for not being physically active. The warm weather and the blooming daffodils just beckon us outside. There are a variety of activities the entire family can do to meet daily activity needs...more
MU researcher's formulas more accurately
assess body fat
If you’re an exercise fan, you may be in for a surprise the next time the trainer at the gym takes your measurements: You may find yourself a little fatter than the last time. Don't blame those holiday treats just yet. Your trainer may be using a new equation to estimate body fat from the skin-fold test...more
A key component of good health is being physically fit. We often hear about the importance of aerobic fitness and muscular strength, but what about the third component of fitness: flexibility?...more
Strength Train to Stay Healthy
When many of us hear the term strength training, we think of the football player working out on heavy weight machines to build large muscles. Football players do benefit from strength training but so can the rest of us. Strength training is something most people can do and the benefit is that your body will be at peak physical performance...more
Participating in sports can be highly competitive. There is always a desire to just be a little bit better. Many athletes try to find supplements, techniques, or special equipment that will help them perform at their maximum. An important thing to know is that you can spend countless dollars that have no proven benefit. Before you spend your hard earned dollars, know the facts about ergogenic aids...more
Drink for Optimal Athletic Performance
According to the American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, getting enough to drink is one of the most important things to do. Lots of body fluid is lost during physical activity and those fluids need to be replaced. If your young athlete thinks it doesn’t matter that they don’t drink, let them know that even slight dehydration (equal to losing 2-3 pounds of body weight in a workout for a 150 pound person) can impact their performance...more
Pedometers help couch potatoes step up activity
Pedometers give you a way to quantify the amount of physical activity you are doing. When people start wearing them, they get motivated to get more steps in. ...more
Physical activity lowers health risks
People who are sedentary are missing out on the host of benefits that come from physical activity, including lowering their risk of chronic diseases, reducing stress and sleeping better. ...more
Pedometers are the latest craze in fitness equipment. Like stair steppers, rowing machines and stationary bicycles, pedometers will not help anyone achieve fitness unless they are put to use. Consider these points before buying a pedometer...more
The energy boost you get from the sports bar comes from the calories it provides. Period – there’s no magical or secret ingredient that’s doing the job....more
Turn off TV, Turn on a Healthier Lifestyle
Healthcare costs in this country continue to rise. While federal and state governments struggle to find solutions, we as consumers are faced with an ever-bigger part of our paycheck going to pay for healthcare insurance. So, what can we as individuals do to help hold down healthcare costs and improve our own health? The answer is as simple as turning off your television and getting up and being physically active....more
People of all ages and physical conditions have much to gain from exercise and from staying physically active. They also have much to lose if they become physically inactive—some degree of health and ability, for example. A regular exercise program is one way to avoid some of the negative aspects of aging, to stay young...more
In recent years, there have been several well-documented cases of highly conditioned athletes dying unexpectedly while exercising in the heat. Why? At rest the body is able to balance heat production and heat loss so that its temperature remains around 98º F. However, during exercise body temperature begins to rise as it converts the chemical energy from food into the mechanical energy necessary for movement...more
Stay Active Without Succumbing to Heat
Missouri’s summertime combination of high heat and dripping humidity can deter even the most ardent devotee of fitness and prompt them to seek the coolness of indoor air-conditioning. Total hibernation during hot weather, though, can set one on the path to an inactive lifestyle. A better way to stay active is to work around summer’s heat just as we do winter’s cold...more
Move It! 1 Mile Good;
2 Miles Better; 3 Miles Best
Last week I attended a workshop on Motivation to Move. We were told to dress comfortably and wear comfortable shoes, as we would be moving during the workshop. Actually, I could relate to the TV series where the Sergeant yells at Gomer Pile to “Move it! Move it! Move it!”...more
When You’re Hot, Choose the Best Fluid
We’ve had some warm days lately. On hot, muggy days, one sweats and hopes your deodorant lasts all day! If this is the case, are you drinking enough fluid? And, which fluid should you be drinking? ...more
Keeping
Fit When Weather Keeps You In
When the weather outside is frightful, you may be tempted to stay inside curled up by the fire rather than brave the elements for the sake of fitness. Staying active is too important for health, though, to do without until the spring thaw. The following suggestions may be helpful in starting or keeping a more active lifestyle whatever the weather...more
Just as baseball players need spring training to get in shape for the upcoming baseball season, this is a great time to start preparing our bodies for warm weather activities like gardening and yard work. A little time each day doing a few stretching and strengthening exercises will help prepare muscles that have been resting since last fall. The payoff will be reduced risk of injury and fewer sore muscles...more
Real Guidelines
for Real People - Everyday Activity Solutions
The best path to fitness, by far, is regular physical activity. Active people tend to be healthier and to have a better attitude toward life in general...more
Walking is one of the most important and popular forms of endurance exercise in our country today. For most people, walking is a safe, easy and no-cost way to be fit...more
Choose Strength
Training for More Than Strong Muscles
Regular, moderate strength-building activities can help you in many ways. Read more to find out how...more
Three stretching exercises are featured below: ankle, triceps and wrist stretches. Do each stretching exercise 3 to 5 times per session. Slowly stretch into the desired position, going as far as possible without pain, and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Relax, then repeat, trying to stretch farther...more
Last update: Monday, March 08, 2010
 |
Site Administrator: |
|
|
|
