March 10, 2026

Is Heart Rate Training for You? By Jason Saltmarsh

April 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Would you like to run longer and faster with less effort? Heart rate training can help you reach that goal. A heart rate monitor provides real-time biofeedback during your workouts to help you stay in the optimal training zone. Consult your physician to determine your specific target heart rate zones as they vary based on fitness goals, medications and state of health.

Determining Your Maximum and Minimum Heart Rate
To find your target heart rate zone, you’ll need to know your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate. Then, you can determine several training zones between those two extreme values. The idea is that you use the heart rate data during your workout to stay in the intended heart rate zone. Some people choose to run by pace per mile speeds, while others by their ability to carry on a conversation. Heart rate training is based solely on BPM (beats per minute).

The American Heart Association recommends a method for identifying your maximum heart rate. Their method is to simply subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are thirty years old, you get the following: 220-30=190.

Determining your resting heart rate by taking your pulse for one minute just after waking up, or while sitting down relaxing. Athletes usually find their resting rate is around 60 BPM.

Determining Your Heart Rate Training Zones
Variety is the spice of life and the cure for ‘lazy’ running. Runners aren’t lazy, but their approach to training may be if they’re doing the same thing, at the same effort, day after day. To see improvements, you’ll need to mix things up and challenge yourself in a variety of ways.

The advantage to heart rate training is that it’s based solely on your own biofeedback. External measures such as pace per mile do not interfere with your results. For example, if you run a flat 6 mile course on a cool day at 8:00 pace, how does that compare to running 6 miles on a hilly course under a scorching sun at 8:30 pace?

Final Thoughts
Training principles remain the same no matter what method you use. A blend of long and short, easy and hard, fast and slow, and plenty of rest will keep you fit and healthy. Heart rate training offers you an exact measure of effort and gives you the certainty of knowing that you are training at your intended level of exertion.

 

Jason Saltmarsh is an competitive masters runner at distances ranging from 5K to the half marathon. In November 2013, he raced his first 26.2 at the iconic New York City Marathon. Jason’s goal is to share with others the benefits and joys of running, fitness and healthy living. For more information, please visit saltmarshrunning.com

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Breathe!

April 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip

Stressed Out? Practice Deep Breathing exercises! Deep breathing is an exercise that may be done anywhere, anytime, and without equipment. Inhale for a count of 2-4. Slowly exhale for a count of 4-6. Repeat every hour on the hour!

Range of Motion/Breathing for Relaxation Combo:
Inhale/Pull your shoulders up to your ears.
Exhale/Pull your shoulders down and back.
Enjoy!

Make our Get Fit Quick column your go-to for motivation and inspiration to live healthy!

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5 Hidden Sources of Gluten by Gretchen Scalpi, R.D.

April 7, 2014 By Leave a Comment

For people who must follow a gluten free regime for life because of a medical condition, gluten avoidance goes beyond merely choosing foods known to be gluten free.  One needs to be extra vigilant about avoiding all sources of gluten.  Unfortunately, gluten may be lurking in places that one would never imagine. Even meticulous attention to the finer details of gluten avoidance may not prevent incidental exposure to gluten from other places.

Here’s my list of hidden gluten sources which can cross contaminate safe and otherwise gluten free foods:

1. The toaster:  If your toaster was previously used for toasting wheat products, this is a source of gluten contamination.  It is impossible to clean out the inside of a toaster adequately.  Purchase a separate toaster that is used solely for the purpose of toasting gluten free breads or muffins.  Alternatively, if you have a toaster oven with a removable tray that can be thoroughly cleaned, you may use that to toast the gluten free bread.

2. Flour sifters:  The mesh screen found in flour sifters or mesh strainers are difficult to clean.  For the gluten free kitchen, these items should be replaced.

3. Wooden cutting boards, spoons, spatulas:  Wood is porous and if used with wheat products previously, small particles of gluten remain in the wood, despite cleaning.

4. Colanders are often used to drain pasta. The small holes in colanders are difficult to clean and get completely free of gluten.

5. Peanut butter, jam, or mayonnaise are just a few examples of foods that are spread on bread.  Knives that come in contact with bread and then go back into a jar will contaminate the spread.  Purchase separate jars of each, then label “gluten free” for the person who needs to avoid
gluten.

If you have been maintaining the gluten free diet for a while, yet still experience symptoms, dig a little deeper to see whether you are exposed to gluten from a “hidden” source.  In addition to the suggestions I’ve listed here, don’t forget to check your medicine cabinet, vitamin, and mineral supplements as well!

Gretchen Scalpi is a Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Certified Wellcoach. She is the author of “The EVERYTHING Guide to Managing and Reversing Pre-Diabetes 2nd Ed.”, “The EVERYTHING Diabetes Cookbook 2nd Ed.”, “Virtual Grocery Store Tour: Getting The Most Nutrition Out Of Your Food Shopping”, “Pre-Diabetes: Your Second Chance At Health”, “The Quick Start Guide to Healthy Eating”, “The Quick Start Guide To Pre-Diabetes” and “Quick Start Recipes For Healthy Meals”.  Read her articles, recipes and blog at
http://www.nutritionxpert.com and learn more about her books at http://www.gretchenscalpi.com.

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Get Moving!

April 4, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip

Circuit train! Adding cardiovascular intervals in between strength training sets is a great method to an efficient time-saving workout. Simply alternate 1 weight-set, immediately followed by a cardio interval, until all sets are complete. Be sure to include a warm-up and cool-down.

 

Make our Get Fit Quick column your daily go-to for motivation and inspiration to live healthy!

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Walk your way to fitness! By Nicole Bryan

April 3, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Walking for fitness is one of the simplest activities from which we can reap worthwhile metabolic benefits, as well as cardiovascular benefits.

Begin with a five to ten minute warm up of walking at a slow to moderate pace, followed by fast paced walking. Important points regarding walking for fitness form include:

 

Focus on walking heel to toe, instead of landing with a flat foot. Doing so reduces our chance of falling and allows us to use our calf muscles easier to power our body forward.

Stride out. Try to cover at least twelve inches with each stride. Also pay attention to keep right foot stride and left foot stride even.

Keep feet parallel. Keeping our feet parallel will insure lower body musculature is able to work at full power.

Knees should be pointing forward. Pay attention to not twist knees in, out or sideways.

Keep hips facing forward. To walk more efficiently don’t rotate the pelvis with each step. Instead focus on swinging legs in a forward direction.

Belly button should be held in tight. Pulling the belly button in tight should be done without holding the breath. Doing so, helps us maintain proper upright posture.

Keep hands open. Clenching our fists will only waste energy and cause us to raise our shoulders up adding tension to our neck.

Pull shoulders down and back. Pinching our shoulder blades together slightly will force our shoulders into a back and down position.

Power arms forward or back. Keeping our arms moving forward and band, not in a side to side motion is the most efficient method to maintain a fast walking pace.

Chin should be parallel to the floor. Keeping our chin parallel to the floor, instead of tilted up will ease neck tension and allow our arms to move forward and back easier.

Head should be lifted with eyes looking straight ahead. When we are looking down the entire time, the tendency is to hunch our shoulders forward and curl our back forward as well. Both of these posture positions can add strain to our lower back and neck.

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Log it!

April 2, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip

Log your workouts! Logging can be as simple as a check-mark on your calendar or as detailed as making note of all specifics. Logging your workout provides visual reinforcement of your efforts! You’ll increase motivation by seeing how far your fitness has come.

 

Check back often for your useful and practical healthy living and fitness tip! Our Get Fit Quick tip will always be easy to remember and you’ll be able to implement it the very same day. Our tip will be so clear and concise you’ll be motivated to forward it to all your friends and family to inspire them to live healthy and fit as well!

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Is your alarm set?

April 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Introducing…our Get Fit Quick Tip

Let’s be honest, we don’t always have time to read an entire article offering several ways to add health and fitness into our day. Enter, our new feature that will offer an article-at-a-glance approach, one easy and practical tip to live healthy and fit! This is a tip that you’ll easily remember and be able to implement the very same day. Our tip will be so clear and concise you’ll be motivated to forward it to all your friends and family to inspire them to live healthy and fit as well!

Here’s our first one to get you started:

Set the alarm/timer on your smart phone to signal a Stretch-Break every 2 hours during your day. Taking scheduled stretch-breaks during your day will decrease physical tension and clear your mind. The result: you’ll feel better and think better. Start now!

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Find Fitness Support on Twitter

March 31, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Find Fitness Support on Twitter! Follow us via @HealthyWayMag and join us every Monday:

Where: On Twitter at #HealthyWayMag
When: Every Monday at 5pm(Pacific)/8pm(Eastern)
WHY: Gain motivation, find fitness support, pick up workout tips, learn about new workouts…just to name a few!

THANK YOU to our March Fitness Chat Sponsors. Check them out and learn how they can help improve your fitness and healthy living efforts:

Photo Finish Frames. Frame your most treasured race or sporting gear memorabilia with their ready-made framing kids. Each kit is hand-made with high quality materials. Each frame also includes a free diamond engraved brass or silver placard. Find more product information on Twitter @fotofinishframe.

Handana. Handana is an innovative sweatband worn on your hand. They offer a variety of colors and sizes to fit every athlete and every workout outfit! The high performance soft fabric wraps around like a fingerless glove to make wiping easy-you don’t even know it is there until you need it. Follow them on Twitter for details @myhandana.

Jessica Matthews. Fitness expert, college professor, yoga teacher, fitness writer, trainer, group exercise and health coach. Sign up for her free 30 day challenge for healthy living, wellness and fitness ideas. You’ll be inspired to live a happier and healthier life! Find more information by following her on Twitter @fitexpertjess.

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HELLO Spring! By Angelena Riggs

March 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Spring is here, time to take your fitness outside!

Are you feeling bored with your current indoor workouts?  Now that Spring is finally here, it’s time to take your workouts outside for a change.  You can get some sun, have some fun and get a great workout in too.  Ready to head out and burn some calories?

 

Here are a few ways to get outside:

Take a trail hike:  Find a local State Park that has trails marked for with walking paths.  Trails are a great alternative to treadmill inclines and work your entire lower body!

Do some track sprint intervals: The local high school is a great location to work on your sprints.  Try walking, running, then sprinting in intervals to burn major calories.

Play sports: Grab a friend, your spouse or even your kids for a fun game of tennis or basketball.  Playing sports is a fun way to take your fitness outside while spending time with your loved ones.

Fitness Trail Loop:  There are many parks and trails that offer fitness activities. Some activities include pull up bars, sit-up benches, and monkey bars.  Not sure where to find one, do a quick internet search for one in your area.  This is a fun way to challenge your fitness and try something new.

Get on your Bike: Spring is the perfect time to get your bike out from the rack in your garage and hit the trails. Biking is a great workout and you can ride the sidewalks in your neighborhood or find a local bike trail.  Grab a friend or two and get pedaling.

Whatever activity you choose to do, just get moving.  Spring is the perfect time to take your workouts outside and get your friends and family involved and off the couch.

Angelena is a mom, healthy living blogger at On Fire Fitness Healthy Living (www.OnFireFitnesspt.com), a NASM Certified Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist. Her goal is to inspire others to take the steps to living a healthy lifestyle. Visit Angelena on Facebook and on Twitter.

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Healthy Baked Potato Soup by Helen Agresti, R.D.

March 26, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Healthy Baked Potato Soup

This recipe is easy, healthy, and doesn’t contain any heavy cream.  I enjoy the challenge of taking a calorie dense recipe and making it deliciously nutritious!  Potato skins add fiber and plenty of nutrients.  Enjoy the warming and comforting powers of this healthy baked potato soup.

 

Ingredients

5 lbs russet potatoes, diced not peeled
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 large yellow onion, chopped
64 oz low-sodium chicken broth
8 oz  1/3 less fat cream cheese
3 (6 oz) low-fat plain greek yogurt
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheddar
chives

Directions

Combine first 4 ingredients in a slow cooker, cook on low for 8hrs or on high for 4hrs.  Add cream cheese, yogurt, bacon bits, salt, and pepper.  Blend well with a handheld blender.  Serve warm, sprinkled with cheese and chives.

This recipe will most likely leave you with plenty leftover.  For future meals, you may want to add chicken or shrimp with vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, or corn.

Helen Agresti is a Registered Dietitian with Professional Nutrition Consulting, LLC.  She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and 5 children.  For more Nutrition advice and healthy recipes follow her on twitter @HelenAgresti. For more information and recipes, go to www.pronutritionconsulting.com

 

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