fitness – Page 2 – watercress words by Dr Aletha

Do you perform some type of physical activity regularly, or wish that you did?

jogging trail sign — Parks with trails help people stay active.

You probably know that medical experts recommend physical activity; it not only helps us feel and look better, but it can even prevent certain chronic illnesses and delay death.

Physical activity fact sheet from the World Health Organization-WHO

Ask yourself these questions :

Did you make a new year’s resolution to exercise more?
Has your doctor told you to increase physical activity to treat a chronic condition or to prevent one?
Do you need to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, control your blood glucose(sugar) or cholesterol?
Do you want to feel more fit, stronger, and energetic?

blood pressure cuff, pill holder with medication — Controlling blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol can help prevent and manage heart disease.

If you answered yes to any of these, and you own a smartphone, consider installing and using a fitness app.

Using a health or fitness app can

Motivate you to be more active
Monitor your compliance with activity
Measure your progress, and
Manage data that you and your doctor can use to improve your health.

Look for these features in a health/fitness app –

you may not need or want all of these, but they increase its usefulness

Has a user-friendly interface
Offers free trial version
Easy to initiate
Reliability during the activity
Includes a goal setting option
Offers real-time feedback
Customizable to user
Expert consultation available
Incorporates behavior change techniques based on science
Syncs with other apps and devices/computers for review and sharing
Supports social networking
Offers periodic summaries

Based on sales and independent reviews, here is a small sample of some of the top fitness apps available now.

They are organized by category, using the mnemonic FITNESS.

(This list contains affiliate links which may pay this blog a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Intense Cardio – Run Tracker

Tracking and Analytics– Fitbit

tracks exercises, food intake, calorie, weight and sleep

Net weight loss– MyFitness Pal

tracks food calories intake by barcode scanner , tracks nutrients, sugar and fiber

milk, yogurt, fruits, vegetables — Nutrition apps can help you make better food choices.

Specialized– Charity Miles

motivates more miles of walking, running, or cycling as users can earn donations to a charity of their choice for each mile travelled.

With an app and a fitness device you can overcome

some of the barriers to physical activity such as

Lack of time
Inconvenience
Boredom
Lack of motivation
Lack of enjoyment
Fear of injury
Social isolation
Lack of ability to exercise

Some reasons you may not use a fitness app or device include

Apps require basic technical skill and knowledge to use.
The financial resources to purchase and maintain.
You must “actively engage” with it to benefit.
The value of health apps to change behavior and health outcomes has not been scientifically established.

I have been using the app MapMyRide on my phone. When I’m walking or riding my bicycle, it keeps track of the distance , route and calories burned. I can manually enter activities I do when I’m not carrying my phone, like ballroom dancing. I can even enter activities like gardening, vacuuming, swimming and exercise. I like being able to look back at my workout log and see all that I’ve done the past week, month or year. It motivates me to keep it up, or step it up if I’m lagging .

If you choose to use a health app and device, set a goal for its use and periodically assess if it is helping you achieve them.

two champion athletes — You may even become an Olympic champion.

Reference for the information in this blog post-

“Smartphone Applications for Patients’ Health and Fitness”,

by John P. Higgins, MD, MBA, MPhil

The American Journal of Medicine (2016) 129, 11-19

Links in this post are provided for your convenience and do not imply endorsement or recommendation by Dr. Aletha.

On a recent trip to Colorado Springs my husband and I visited the United States Olympic Training Center . I hope these photos help you understand why his facility is called the “flagship” training center . Both Olympic and Paralympic athletes on Team USA train here.

You’re welcome to continue here, or you can read an updated version of this post at this link

Life Lessons from Team USA

As much as I admire the elite athletes who comprise the Olympic team, the Paralympic athletes captivate my imagination.

These are athletes who compete with, not necessarily despite, significant physical impairments; but to call them “disabled” does them an injustice. Many of them play and compete in physically demanding sports without full use of their arms and legs; some don’t even have all of their arms and legs.

As we walked around the complex on a guided tour, I remembered the importance of physical activity for our physical and mental health, and made a note to remind you too. Almost no one will disagree with the recommendation to include and increase physical activity in our daily lives.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans call for moderate-intensive physical activity for 150 minutes or more per week, vigorous-intensity activity for at least 75 minutes per week, or an equivalent combination of the 2, and engaging in muscle strengthening activity at least twice per week.

Medical studies show that exercise can prevent or improve many chronic health conditions and lack of exercise contributes to many diseases.
Physical activity may reduce the risk of cancers of the breast, colon, uterus, prostate and pancreas.
Regular exercise may help prevent diabetes and heart disease.
Exercise can relieve joint and back pain due to arthritis.
Depression is treated with physical activity successfully

As we walked through the USA Shooting area I picked up a flyer titled “Winning Attitudes”. I liked what it said so I am using some of the ideas to illustrate my photos. I hope they will encourage you to develop a “winning attitude” in all areas of your life.

Enjoy this brief tour through the Olympic Complex and if you go to Colorado Springs, be sure and visit; the cost is reasonable and worth the price.

Become excited, confident, and enthusiastic about your goals.

statue of athletes at entrance to facility

Winners have the ability to look inside themselves and find that special dream.

“Olympic Strength” statue- four athletes supporting the world with a figure skater beside them

Winners focus on solutions, not problems.

Winners have positive attitudes in all elements of their lives. The more you think about, talk about, and write about a thing happening, the greater the certainty of that thing happening.