Dunham's Sports » Fitness

Healthy and Glowing

SportsFan — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:00:23 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

Beautiful, healthy skin projects fitness and youth. You can attain and keep that healthy glow with a nutritious, balanced diet. In fact, a healthy diet is absolutely essential to achieving glowing skin, because it allows your skin to heal, combats aging, and prevents inflammations. Adopt a nutritional regimen with the right types of protein, carbohydrates and fat, fruit and vegetables, and plenty of water, you’ll notice an improvement in the condition of your skin in just a few days.

• Here are a few guidelines that will help you on your way to a glowing complexion!

• Eat protein to repair skin cells. Good sources are turkey, fish, boneless skinless chicken, egg whites. If your a vegetarian go for sprouts, seeds, cheese, peas, grains, nuts, milk and soy bean!

• Eat fatty fish to boost the condition of cell membranes, the building blocks of healthy skin.

• Almonds, olive oil and rapeseed oil are high in antioxidant-rich monounsaturated fat to aid in rejuvenating skin cells.

• Keep your skin hydrated by drinking at least eight glasses of water a day.

• Vitamins A and B, found in milk, yogurt and oily fish, are essential for maintained glowing skin.

• The vitamin C in citrus fruits, berries, broccoli and cabbage provides collagen to heals your skin and keeps it firm.

• Vitamin E promotes healing and prevents dry skin and the formation of age spots. Foods rich in vitamin E include wheat germ, whole grains, leafy greens, nuts and seeds, olives and vegetable oils.

If you’re concerned about your skin becoming lax, remember, deeply colored fruits and dark, leafy greens have a higher concentration of skin-tightening and healing nutrients. Dark leafy greens such as kale renew your skin so that it actually looks and feels tighter, while lentils, beans and other legumes can prevent damage to your skin and make you look younger.

To maintain your healthy glow, don’t smoke, wear sunscreen during the day, and stay out of the sun during the

Follow these nutrition tips, protect against sun damage, sleep well and you’ll have healthier, glowing skin in a week … and it just gets better!

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You’re Still Not Eating Breakfast?

SportsFan — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:25:53 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

We all have heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many people — including 60 percent of young people — still don’t eat before starting their day! Now, a new study has found that eating a breakfast rich in protein is also an important factor in appetite control that and reduces unhealthy night-time snacking on high-fat and high-sugar foods!

The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, examines the impact of eating breakfast on daily appetite and evening snacking in young people, especially those who skip breakfast. For the study, 20 overweight or obese adolescent women, ages 18-20, either skipped breakfast, ate a high-protein breakfast, or ate ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. All breakfasts consisted of 350 calories and were matched for dietary fat, fiber, sugar and energy density, however, the high-protein breakfast which also contained 35 grams of protein. Participants in the study completed questionnaires and provided blood samples throughout the day. Before dinner, a brain scan (fMRI) was performed to track the brain signals that control food motivation and eating behaviors.

The consumption of the high-protein breakfast led to increased feeling of fullness or ‘satiety’ and reduced the brain activity that controls food cravings. This led to healthier, less impulsive food choices throughout the day.

A high-protein breakfast also helps fuel your metabolism and allows you to burn more calories. Not eating breakfast heightens the risk of becoming increasingly resistant to insulin, which enables your body to convert glucose to energy for basic activities and also raises the risk of diabetes.

A high-protein breakfast offers many health benefits, but remember to eat high-protein options that low in fat. Red meat and rich cheeses are high in saturated fats that can overshadow the daily benefits. Go for lean protein choices like egg white white omelets, skim milk, or low-fat yogurt. Introduce tofu into your daily regimen by adding it to a fruit smoothie for a satisfying, refreshing way to start the day. Finding lean protein sources will allow you to reap the benefits of a high-protein breakfast, without the weight gain or raised cholesterol levels that can result from high-fat protein sources.

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Fats, Sugar and Salt

SportsFan — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:59:37 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

The massive amount of salts, sugars and fats in our diet has taken over health news this week, and it’s about time! Consumption of salty, sugary and fatty foods has skyrocketed in the United States. We now consume more than three times the amount of cheese than in the 1970′s — 33 pounds of cheese per year, along with 70 pounds of sugar and six pounds of salt!

Journalist Michael Moss’ new book Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked investigates how food scientists design foods to specifically target our “bliss point” of sugar, salt and fat when creating new food products, and the damage that diets with an overabundance of processed food has caused to our national health. As shocking as this information may seem, Moss’ work follows the 1990 work of the past commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, David Kessler. In his book The End of Overeating, Kesslert presents strong arguments that extremely high levels of salt, fat, and sugar in the American diet thus encourage us to overeat by stimulating the pleasure areas of our brains.

Reducing fats, sugar and salt in our diets is made more difficult by the ease of access to processed foods and busy schedules, but it’s vital to make the change to ensure a long, healthy life. A few rules to keep in mind are:

Reduce Fat Intake

• Eat less cholesterol by limiting egg yolks to 4 per week and reduce meat and poultry a to maximum of 6 ounces a day
• Reduce saturated fat intake of red meat, dairy products and saturated cooking oils
• Eat less trans fat found in stick margarine and shortening
• Limit total fat intake to less than 30% of total daily calories

Reduce salt intake

• Eat less canned and dried soups, fast foods, prepared meals, processed meats
• Keep away from canned sauces and vegetables, look for low-sodium labels.

Reduce sugar intake

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, multigrain breads, and cereals
• Eat at least 20-35 grams/day of dietary fiber from a wide variety of foods.
• Experiment with recipes by gradually reducing the amount of sugar by 1/4th then 1/3rd then 1/2.
• Use sweet spices—cinnamon cloves ginger or nutmeg—to bring out sweetness in baked goods.

Maintain a healthy weight

• Exercise at least 30 minutes on most days. Regular exercise improves control of blood sugar and is an important part of any healthy lifestyle.
• Always read the food labels for fat, sugar, and salt, and eat fresh foods rather than processed whenever possible.
• Choose healthy snacks for your munchie attacks!

Americans eat 1.2 billion pounds of the worst dietary offender — potato chip! The salt, the fat and high sugar content in the form of starch in potato chips create an immediate sense of pleasure, and it’s true — you can’t eat just one! So next time you reach for a chip, remember, a daily 1-ounce serving of about 15 chips contains about 160 calories and cause approximately 1.70 pounds of weight gain every 4 years. So, drop the chips and grab a piece of fruit!

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Walk Against Back Pain

SportsFan — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 12:10:31 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

At some point in their lives, 80% of Americans will suffer from back pain. It is the most common cause of job-related disability and is a leading contributor to missed work, costing Americans at least $50 billion each year in health care costs. Often, lower back pain goes away within a few days, but not all of us are that lucky! Now there’s good news if you or a loved one suffers from back pain!

New research shows that adopting a simple aerobic walking program that includes walking two to three times a week for a period of 20 to 40 minutes can be as effective to reduce lower back pain as strengthening rehabilitation programs that depend on specialized equipment in clinics. A walking regimen fits easily into a daily routine and offers people with back pain more control and more responsibility for their own health.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Rehabilitation, found that when people actively walk, the abdominal and back muscles work in basically the same way as when doing exercises that target those areas. Unlike muscle strengthening programs, which often call for specific equipment and can involve exercises that require expert supervision, and it is a simple activity that can be done alone.

The study included 52 patients with lower back pain who participated in a randomized control trial. At the onset of the research, participants were assessed for pain levels, feelings of disability, limitations on daily activities, and walking endurance. Half of the group completed a typical clinic-based muscle strengthening program, with two to three exercise sessions a week for six weeks. The other half completed a six-week aerobic walking program, walking two to three times weekly, starting with 20 minutes of walking and progressing to 40 minutes as their endurance improved. Both groups improved significantly in all areas, and the walking program was found to be as effective as clinical treatment. The walking program has the additional advantage of encouraging patients to follow an overall healthier lifestyle.

Spring will be here soon, what better time to take up a new walking program! It’s a great low-impact activity that lowers blood pressure, boosts brain and immune system functioning, and reduces stress. It can also save your back!

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Mediterranean Diet News

SportsFan — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 12:09:49 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

The Mediterranean diet has taken the spotlight in health news again, and the news is great for heart health! A new Spanish study found that a diet rich in olive oil, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables is even more effective at helping people with high risks for cardiovascular problems avoid heart trouble than a low-fat diet.

The study included a five year follow-up, during which participants who followed a Mediterranean diet with an emphasis on olive oil or nuts had a 30 percent greater reduction of risk for a heart attack, stroke or death from cardiovascular disease. Participants on a low-fat diet also improved, but to a lesser degree. These finding were published Feb. 25 in the online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. The results will also be presented this week at the International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition in Loma Linda, Calif.

This study involved almost 7,500 men and women, whose ages ranged from 55 to 80 at the beginning of the study in 2003. Fifty-seven percent of the participants were women. Participants had risk factors such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or high cholesterol, but no history of heart attacks or strokes. They were broken into three groups; a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet with a focus on nuts, and a Mediterranean diet that focused on olive oil. Both of the groups on the Mediterranean diet also ate plenty of fruits and vegetables, fish, and drank wine with meals. The nutritional regimen of the low-fat group included low-fat dairy, bread, potatoes, fruits and vegetables and lean fish. Oils, baked goods, nuts, red and processed meat and fatty fish were avoided for all particpants.

The results? A 30 per cent reduction in risk of heart disease for those on the Mediterranean diet over those on the low-fat diet! This is great, significant news, and if you’re not aware of the basics of a Mediterranean diet, this news should spur you on to learn more. Here are the basics:

• Food from plant sources, including fruits and vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

• A variety of minimally processed and, wherever possible, seasonally fresh and locally grown foods.

• Olive oil as the principal fat, replacing other fats and oils.

• Consumption of low to moderate amounts of fish or poultry, a maximum of 7 eggs per week — including eggs used in food preparation.

• Fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert.

• If red meat is part of your normal diet, eat a maximum of 12 to 16 ounces of lean cuts per month.

• Regular physical activity at a level which promotes a healthy weight, fitness and well-being.

New studies on various low-fat and vegan diets are in process now, but for a tried and true, heart-healthy diet, Mediterranean is the way to go!

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Tread on High Blood Pressure

SportsFan — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 10:54:21 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

Blood pressure worries? You might want to make a beeline for the nearest treadmill. Striding on the treadmill may be the most effective exercise for lowering blood pressure.

We’ve known for years that high blood pressure increases the risk of stroke, heart, and kidney diseases. Blood pressure increases during physical activity but your overall blood pressure drops when the exercise is over. It’s what’s known as post exercise hypo-tension. Until recently we didn’t know how long the effect lasted.

A new study shows that 45-minutes on a treadmill reduces high blood pressure for a full 24-hours. That’s an excellent reason to set aside a little treadmill time every day. Your heart will thank you for it!

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Home, Sweat Home

SportsFan — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 15:14:01 +0000

Whether you’re looking to create a stricter workout schedule to tone your glutes for that winter getaway to the beach, or a surefire way to cut down on the belly fat the holidays are bound to pack on, working out consistently is crucial to staying healthy. And working out at home can be a great way to stay in shape — now and throughout the year.

As a self proclaimed exercise fanatic, and frankly, someone who doesn’t usually need that extra push to work out, I have to be honest… winter is a challenging time of year, even for me, when it comes to sticking to my normal exercise routine.

It gets dark early, so at 4 p.m. it feels like bedtime — not time for a workout. Snow and ice are less than motivating when it comes to hitting the streets for a run. And constant holiday parties with hors d’ oeuvres by the tray full put a real cramp in my workout schedule — not to mention a few extra pounds on my scale.

Let’s face it: gym memberships can be pricey — especially if you join as a family — and in the immortal words of my less-than-workout-motivated husband, “Unfortunately, money is tight, my abs are not!”

Fortunately, there are some really great home gym options that can make working out year round convenient, affordable, and hopefully, a habit that sticks with the whole family.

But before I start rattling on about all of the cool equipment on the market — and all of the benefits a home gym has to offer — let me point out one important fact: the hardest part about setting up a home gym isn’t picking the right equipment, it’s actually using it. We all know that it’s easy to get complacent (especially when you don’t have to hold yourself accountable to a monthly membership fee at a gym), so there are some important things to keep in mind before you run out to purchase your own workout equipment.

First, be realistic.

What is it you are hoping to accomplish with your workouts? Are you training to qualify for the Boston Marathon? Is your husband hoping to become the next Ironman champion? Or do you just want to be fit enough so that you don’t get winded trying to keep up with your 4 year-old at the park? These aren’t trick questions, but your answers are important with regards to choosing the best home gym equipment for you and your family.

Think about it: if you’re the most athletic one in the family, and that equates to working out only 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week, chances are, you don’t need the
ultimate of all
equipment. However, if you or someone in your family is really serious about physical fitness, and that means working out for an hour or more 5 or 6 days a week, you probably want to consider some of the higher end equipment.

Take treadmills for example. One of the more popular home gym staples, treadmills come in a variety of different models. Some are perfect for beginners, some are more suited to top-level athletes (and come with a more top-dollar price tag), and some give you more bang for your buck regardless of your fitness level.

According to Todd Boerboom at Johnson Health Tech — the company that manufactures both Horizon and Merit Fitness at Dunham’s — the Horizon T101 is a great mid-level treadmill that offers a good size running platform, a quiet motor, low RPMs (something that is important with regards to the life span of the motor), and neat little extras like MP3 and iPod ports.

“This treadmill is a combination of everything,” says Boerboom. “It’s a good value, really durable, and it has great features that the whole family can use.”

When it comes to a true “runners’ treadmill,” however, Craig Bailey of Icon Health and Fitness likes the ProForm 790T.

“The 790T has lots of bells and whistles,” says Bailey. “It has an extra large 20”x 55” treadbelt, and digital quickspeed to 12 MPH. The 2.5 Continuous horse power motor has a life time warranty. And best of all it is WiFi compatible which lets you run different virtual trails from the comfort of home, thanks to Google maps.”

Another popular piece of home equipment — the elliptical trainer — offers a great way to get an upper and lower body, non-impact, cardio workout.

“Elliptical trainers are really about feel, function and ergonomics,” says Boerboom. “You can get a really functional, durable machine like the EX59, for about $600, but you really have to try different machines to make sure the stride is comfortable for you — and anyone else in the family who will be using it.”

Next, be practical.

Think about how much space you really have to devote to a home gym. Are you setting up shop in a 4000 square foot basement or a tiny studio apartment?

The bottom line is this: If your equipment overwhelms your space or is not easily accessible, you won’t use it. And nothing is more depressing than a piece of gym equipment that turns into an expensive coat hanger.

That’s why John Guilbert, at Impex Inc., likes the Marcy MWM 980 stack home gym.

“This gym is compact, but it offers a wide variety of exercises for toning and strength,” says Guilbert. “It has a 150 lb stack, and is a good system for the recreational/family user as you can train every part of your body with it.”

Guilbert, whose company also sells weight benches, says that it is important to consider stability, as well as the right fit for your body size and weight capacity when purchasing a bench. According to him, unless you have a teenager — or someone who is into extreme bodybuilding — chances are, you won’t need a bench that holds more than 400 lbs of weight.

“I like the mid-size MD859P,” says Guilbert. “It’s a versatile, multi-purpose workout bench that adjusts to flat, incline, decline and military positions. It lets you work every part of your body.”

In addition to the “big stuff” that we all think of for a gym, there are also some accessories that can help take your workout to the next level.

Chuck Last, with EB Sports, sells items like jump ropes, stability balls, exercise tubes, foam rollers, exercise mats, toning bands, and kettle bells, to name a few.

“If I had to pick three accessories to include in a home gym,” says Last, “it would be a mat, a body ball, and resistance tubes, because you can work all parts of your body with these three items alone.”

Still not sold on the home gym versus the gym membership? Well, think about this: it currently costs about $35 a month for a single membership. That’s $420 a year for just you! Family memberships are usually closer to $50, so you’re really looking at about $600 a year. For that money, you could start a really nice home gym, only have to pay a one-time start up fee, and reap the rewards from a fitness center that is open 24 hours!

Look, if you’re into bad techno remixes or working out on a machine already soaked with someone else’s sweat, the gym may be for you. But, if you’d rather workout without an audience, in comfy clothes (that don’t have to match, by the way!), there are some really great equipment options that can help you get in shape now — and throughout the year — right in the comfort of your own home.

-Fitness Fanatic

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Spring is Right Around The Corner

SportsFan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 13:44:26 +0000

A winter fitness routine can ensure you’ll be ready to get in the game come spring.

We all look forward to spring and another season of outdoor sports. Whether you’ll be wielding a golf club, swinging a baseball bat, pedaling a bicycle or running a marathon, maintaining good muscle tone and cardio fitness during the winter is a sure way to get the most out of your sport. The benefits are improved performance and good health, and the cost to you is a minimal amount of time and a small investment in equipment.

Of course exercise and fitness should be a year round pursuit, but for those of us who may have developed a habit of taking to the couch as the weather turns colder, a seasonal wake-up call is invaluable.

A Double-barreled Approach

The best exercise routines combine cardio work and resistance training. Peter Nielsen, a nationally acclaimed fitness expert, points out that after the age of 30 we lose muscle tissue. Resistance training compensates for that loss. He adds that since your heart is the most important muscle in your body, taking care of it with cardio work is essential.

Cardio work is any activity that is constant and taxing enough to raise your heart rate and keep it there for an extended period. Running and walking are classic examples, but they’re not the only roads to cardio fitness. Any activity that is continuous and gets your heart beating faster can get the job done. Peter recommends 45 to 60 minutes a day of cardio work, five times a week. To get maximum benefit you should work hard enough to increase your heart rate to 70% of maximum. To arrive at that number, subtract your age from 220 and then multiply the result by .7. For example, for age 40, the formula (220 – 40) x .7 yields a train-ing heart rate of 126.

Resistance training involves putting muscles to work. When muscle tissue is taxed, it grows, and strength increases. In addi-tion, adding lean mass causes your body to burn more calories, so it’s easier to limit the size of that spare tire. Lifting free weights or working with machines that resist arm and leg motion is the common ways to tax muscles, but again, there are alterna-tives.

You don’t have to worry about developing excessive mass through a normal fitness routine. A noticeable increase in the size and appearance of muscles requires extensive resistance training, and it comes about gradually. No one who exercises moderately – or even heavily – will go to bed looking like Woody Allen and wake up looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Feeling it with Fuel

New this year are some relatively inexpensive yet effective exercise aids from Fuel Pureformance. These products cut the cost of a good workout, yet they are fun to use, portable and easy to store. Peter points out that because many of these exercise tools can be used to provide both resistance training and a cardio workout, those activities can be combined. By mixing up the routine and moving from one exercise to another in rapid succession, you will be doing what is known as interval training, an effective way to exercise.

One of the most popular Fuel products is the Adjustable Height Plyometrics Box. Essentially a step built tough to withstand heavy-duty workouts, the Plyometrics Box can increase the benefits of a cardio workout. Stepping on and off the box, with left and right legs alternately, not only raises the heart rate quickly, it provides an extra workload for glute and leg muscles, shaping and strengthening them. To make those muscles work even harder, the height of the box can be raised. To work other lower-body muscles, try stepping on and off sideways.

While the step is great for lower body toning and cardio work, it can also be used to do incline pushups. With arms placed on the step and feet on the floor, pushups are easier than when done on a flat floor and the bulk of the load is transferred to other muscle groups. With feet on the step and hands on the floor, the amount of weight you lift with each pushup is magnified and, again, different muscles come into play.

The Battle Rope looks like something you might use to rope a steer, but it’s a very effective exercise device that can provide an excellent cardio workout and resistance training. To feel the burn, you simply wrap it around a pole, grasp one end in each hand, and saw back and forth by alternately pulling each hand in toward your body, while resisting that motion with your other hand. How hard you resist determines the workload for the opposite arm’s muscles. How rapidly you perform the exercise dic-tates how effective it will be at increasing heart rate.

Fuel Products’ 80-lb. Sandbag Training Set is a fun and practical alternative to free weights. The sandbags can be used to per-form curl and press exercises, just as one would with free weights. Additionally, they can be used to perform arm-extension and toss-and-catch exercises like one might do with a medicine ball.

A good arm-extension exercise, known as big circles, is performed while standing with feet apart and knees slightly bent. Pick up a sandbag that can be gripped with two hands, extend your arms above your head, and without bending your elbows, rotate your arms counterclockwise, making large circles in front of your body. After you’ve completed ten circles, reverse direc-tion and do another ten. You can find other great exercises that can be performed with a sandbag by searching for “sand bag ex-ercises” on the Internet.

Yet another use for the sandbags is to increase intensity when doing crunches or leg lifts. Simply rest the bag on your chest or legs and perform the exercise with that additional weight in place. The additional resistance increases the value of the workout.

The Dip Station from Fuel is like an abbreviated set of parallel bars that provide a means to perform those muscle-building dips without having to make a trip to the gym. Dips are performed by raising your body above the bars with arms extended. While bending your elbows, you dip down as low as you can while maintaining control. Then, you use your arm muscles, partic-ularly the triceps, to raise your body back up to the arms-extended position. There are few better ways to replace that underarm flab with attractive, sculpted muscle.

The 20-lb. Performance Body Kit is an easy way to increase the intensity of cardio exercises like walking or running. Essen-tially a comfortable vest that accommodates weights, the kit adds a bit more workload when you get up and go. The result is a bigger benefit derived from time spent doing cardio.

Ready, Set, Go!

In addition to the Fuel equipment, Dunham’s carries numerous types of exercise aids and machines, including treadmills, cross trainers, ellipticals, spin bikes, recumbent bikes, home gyms, free weights and more. Our sales assistants are trained to help you select the gear that’s best for your workouts.

Plan a winter exercise routine today. Every day you put it off is a lost opportunity for improved fitness. If you set aside time for exercise now, come spring, you’ll be driving that golf ball 20 yards further than you did last year or knocking that baseball over the outfield fence.

-Fitness Fanatic

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Working Out With a Cold: It’s Nothing to Sneeze At

SportsFan — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:03:58 +0000

[Written by Peter Nielsen].

You feel it coming on, the sore throat, the sniffling. That first loud sneeze makes it official: you have a cold. You would really love to stay in bed and rest rather than go to the gym. Now rest is a great thing, no doubt about it. But sometimes it can cause you to lose your hard earned training groove. But you’ve also heard the advice not to work out with a cold. So what do you do? I’m going to help you take the guess work out of it right now.

The first thing you have to determine is whether you have just a cold or the flu. Numerous doctors say it’s okay to go ahead and work out, as long as you are only suffering with a cold. In fact a recent study sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine found exercising moderately while you have a cold does not affect the severity or duration of the symptoms. During the study researchers injected 50 moderately fit volunteers with cold germs and divided them into two groups: exercising and non-exercising. Over a ten day period each volunteer kept a daily log of their physical activity. The exercise group worked out for 40 minutes every day by either running, using a stepper or biking, at no more than seventy percent of their maximum capacity. After the study, researchers looked at their symptom severity and mucus measurement. They found there was no significant difference in the symptom severity or duration in the exercise group compared to the group that did not exercise. The study determined that exercising at a moderate rate does not increase the intensity of cold symptoms or compromise the immune system.

BUT-previous studies have found that high intensity exercise such as weight lifting or high intensity aerobic exercise can have a negative impact on the immune system. Because it can be very difficult to tell whether you have the flu or just a cold, a small group of doctors still strictly advise you to avoid exercise completely while suffering with a cold. “We wouldn’t even think of suggesting that men who are sick should be vigorously exercising,” says Dr. David Neiman of Appalachian State University. Neiman cites lab studies showing that strenuous exercise can weaken the immune system. Yet no one has proven that minimal changes in the immune system will have a significant influence on the common cold. There does not, however, appear to be any studies on the healing rates of athletes suffering from colds who choose to work out, versus those who prescribe to a complete rest.

So how do you determine whether you’re too sick to exercise? Definitely if you’re suffering from more than just a cold, if you’re suffering with the flu, you should throw in the towel for now. The flu is a far different consideration for the man who exercises. The common cold more or less remains in the cells lining your nose, but the flu and flu-like viruses can invade muscles, and even invade the lining of your heart. Such heart infections can be very serious, even deadly.

So how do you know the difference? If your symptoms are all from the neck up, sneezing, scratchy throat, mucus free cough, slight sinus headache-you more than likely just have a cold. In that case, go to the gym as usual, but take caution. Don’t work out with maximum intensity. If you feel okay after the first ten minutes of exercise, continue your regimen in a moderate fashion. If you don’t feel great, it’s better to be safe than sorry. If you do continue to exercise, make sure you drink plenty of fluids so you don’t dehydrate.

About 200 separate viruses can cause the common cold. But certain flu viruses can also cause cold-like symptoms. So it’s sometimes hard to determine whether you’re suffering with more than just a cold. Here’s a tip. Draw an imaginary line across your neck, you already know cold symptoms are from the neck up, if you have any symptoms below that line, from the neck down-especially vomiting, diarrhea, fever, muscle aches, loss of appetite or a cough that produces mucus-you could be suffering with the flu and should avoid exercise, until the infection is gone.

As a genuine exercise enthusiast, it’s time for you to confront the issue of colds versus workouts. Draw that imaginary line, carefully check your symptoms, make a realistic assessment of your condition and make a decision accordingly and most importantly, don’t over do it! Remember nothing is impossible, even good health. Because all I want for you and your family is to seize the moment of each and every day.

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