November 21, 2025

Is Stretching Important? By Sarah Johnson

April 23, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Is stretching important in fitness?

There has been some recent controversy as to whether stretching is important: Does it actually prevent injury? Should you stretch before or after a workout? Why should I stretch at all? Whatever you may have heard, I’d like to share my reasons why I believe stretching has its place in a fitness program.

 

• It helps establish your intentions. Take a few minutes after your warm-up to stretch. Remind yourself why you are doing this; what your goals are and how is this activity going to help you get there.

• It lets you think about your plan. When you set out for a run, walk, hike or any other activity, beginning with a light warm-up and stretch gives you a few extra minutes to think about your route, to clear your head or plan for any obstacles you may encounter.

• Stretching helps you focus. Instead of jumping right into the workout without thinking, you can spend a few quiet minutes lightly stretching, making sure your mind is in the present without any distractions. No matter what your belief is about stretching preventing injury, an unfocused & distracted person plus exercise can be a recipe for an injury!

• It also helps you wind down. After a grueling workout or long training session, five minutes spent relaxing your mind and loosening your muscles is the best way to think about your accomplishment!

By the way, I do believe stretching is most successful when done after your body and muscles are warmed up, when they are most loose and pliable. And as far as if it’s even worth doing (as some have argued), if it feels good and you have the time for it, I say ‘Why not!?’

Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahJChicago

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Buddy Up for Fitness Results

April 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip

 

Buddy Up. Finding an Exercise Accountability Partner is a great way to stick with your workout. Having an Exercise Partner doesn’t always mean doing every single workout together, it simply means you agree to hold one another accountable to your fitness and healthy living goals. Find a friend, family member or co-worker with whom you’ll agree to check in on a regular basis as to the progress of your workout goals.

 

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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Nettle Frittata by Kristen Yarker, R.D.

April 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Nettle Frittata

Nettles grow in the wild in many parts of North America and Europe. As one of the earliest edible greens to appear in the Spring, they’ve long been associated with health and Springtime cleanses.

Nettles taste similar to spinach. But they have one big difference, which you can likely guess when I call them by their full name: stinging nettles. Yes, they will sting your skin (and mouth) when raw. So be sure to cook them well before eating! And, don’t touch them with your bare hands when picking or washing.

You can forage for nettles but I usually buy them at my local farmers’ market or grocery store that has a great local produce section.

Ingredients:
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1 leek, finely diced
3 cups nettles
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 generous tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp salt
½ cup shredded cheese of your choice, such as mozzarella, cheddar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Lightly grease a 9 inch glass pie plate. Set aside.

3. Fill your sink with cold water. Add the nettle leaves. Using tongs, swish the nettles in the water to wash well. Using tongs, remove from the water. Remove the excess water by spinning in a salad spinner. Using the tongs and a knife, carefully remove the nettle leaves from the stalks.

4. Combine eggs, milk, mustard and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

5. In a frypan, heat the oil. Sauté the leek until softened. Add the nettles in batches as they wilt.
Cook until the nettles are well-wilted (remember you need to cook them until you’ve taken out the sting.)

6. Transfer veggies to the pie plate. Pour in the egg mixture. Top with the cheese (if using).

7. Bake in the oven about 20 to 25 minutes, until the centre is golden brown. Let rest a few minutes before serving.

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps Moms and Dads support their picky eaters to try new foods on their own (without being forceful or sneaky). From introducing solids through the picky eating years, she helps Moms and Dads be confident that they’re giving their kids good nutrition today… and instilling a life-long LOVE of healthy eating. Get scientific evidence-based answers to real questions from real parents (recipes too!) by signing up for her 101 Healthy Snack Ideas at: vitaminkconsulting.com

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Trail Fitness by Nicole Bryan

April 18, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Looking for outdoor fitness? Consider heading to the hiking trails for exercise. Try the following stretches after your next hike. As always, consult your physician before exercise.
 

Standing Figure-4 stretch:  Cross your right ankle over your left knee.  Bend forward from your hips and sit back feeling a stretch in your right leg.  Hold on to a stable object for balance. Repeat with your left ankle crossed over your right knee.

Standing Hand-to-Ankle stretch:  Bend your right leg and hold your ankle with your right hand behind your body feeling a stretch in the front of your thigh. Release, and repeat holding your left ankle with your left hand.

Standing Lunge stretch.  Step back about three feet with your right leg into a lunge position.  Push your right heel down and bend your left knee until you feel a stretch in the calf of the right leg. Release, and repeat stepping back with your left leg.
 

Standing Hamstring stretch.  Place your right foot into an object in front of you about knee-height.  Lift your chest and bend forward from your hips, until you feel a stretch in the back of the right thigh. Release, and repeat with your left foot.

Stretching after your hike is a nice transition from exercise to rest. Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds and never stretch into pain. Add deep breathing into your stretching regime. Inhale deeply while moving into each stretch and exhale while relaxing further into the stretch.

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Aching Feet?

April 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Aching feet? Range of Motion Exercise yields huge benefits to decrease stiffness and soreness. Simply move a joint through its range of motion to increase circulation and decrease tension. Begin with:

 

Ankle circles. 5-8 times.

Lift your heels. 5-8 times.

Lift your toes. 5-8 times.

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

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Your mother was right!

April 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip:

Your mother was right with her constant nagging, “sit up straight!”

Functioning in proper posture during your day means all systems of your body are able to work properly. Neutral posture means your ears should be lined up over your shoulders, and your shoulders lined up over your hips. Your chin should be parallel to the floor and your shoulder blades should be pulled down and back.

Sit up straight for increased energy and decreased muscle tension and soreness!

Check back often for our Get Fit Quick Tip. A fitness and healthy lifestyle tip that you’ll easily remember and be able to implement the very same day.

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Spinach Salmon Bake by Helen Agresti R.D.

April 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Spinach Salmon Bake

One dish and that’s it!  This heart healthy salmon bake contains an abundance of omega-3 fatty acids and cancer fighting antioxidants.  Omega-3′s are less likely to be stored as fat due to their many important functions throughout our body.  They’re also known to ease joint pain, improve cognitive function, and decrease belly fat.  Spinach, well-known for it’s high iron content is loaded with antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and K.  The green leafy powerhouse and colorful fingerling potatoes combine to add a generous amount of heart healthy fiber.

Ingredients:
•    1 lb fingerling potatoes, washed and quartered
•    2-3 salmon filets, skinned
•    3 c baby spinach, washed
•    extra virgin olive oil
•    1/2 lemon, juiced
•    1 teaspoon rosemary, crushed
•    sea salt, to taste
•    balsamic glaze, to taste
•    orange ginger seasoning, to taste, *a little goes a long way.

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat baking pan with no stick cooking spray.

2. Place potatoes on bottom of pan. Lightly coat with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and sea salt. Bake alone for 20 minutes.

3.  Remove potatoes from oven and turn oven temperature down to 350 degrees.

4.  Place spinach on top of potatoes.  Toss spinach with olive oil and sea salt.   Place salmon over spinach.  Top with lemon juice and orange ginger seasoning.

5.  Bake for 40 min or until internal temperature of salmon is 140 degrees.

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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Take your exercise outdoors! By Tera Busker

April 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment

When the weather is beautiful, the last thing we want to do is be cooped up inside any longer than we have to. Step out of the gym and head out to your local park to change up the scenery for your  workout. Always consult your physician before participating in exercise. The following exercises are for those without injury concerns.

WARM UP
Walk or jog 5 minutes around the park.

WORKOUT
Beginners: 10 reps each exercise for 1-3 circuits, resting 30 seconds between exercises
Intermediate: 15 reps each exercise for 2-3 circuits, resting 15 seconds between exercises
Advanced:  20 reps for each exercise for 3 circuits, no rest between exercises or do 30 seconds of jumping jacks between exercises

EXERCISES
1. Platform Pushups
Find a platform like a bench or a step. Place your hands about shoulder width apart on the platform. Keeping the back flat, core tight and hips down, perform a pushup. Make sure the movement comes from the elbow and shoulders – not the hips.

2. Bench Step Ups
Using a bleacher or a bench, step up on to it with your left foot. Use and up, up, down, down cadence. After 30 seconds, switch and step up starting with your right leg.

3. Plank
To get into the plank position, start on elbows and knees, locking hands together. Straighten legs and raise your body so that you’re supported by the balls of your feet, with feet hip-distance apart. Face the ground, being careful not to arch your back or stick your hips in the air.

4. Walking Lunges
Walking lunges are very similar to the way walk but include an extra element, the lunge. With your right leg, lunge forward about three feet until your right thigh is parallel to the floor and your left knee is nearly touching the floor. Pause momentarily and then repeat the forward motion with your left leg. Make this exercise harder, try doing the walking lunges up a hill.

5. Bench Dips
Head back to the park bench and have a seat. Grab the edge of the bench keeping your hands close to your hips. Walk your feet forward slightly until your hips are off of the platform and your knees are at a 90 degree angle. Bending your shoulders and elbows, bring your hips straight down towards the floor. Push yourself back up.

6. Hanging Abs
This one is tough! Hang from the high monkey bars. (Your feet should not be able to touch the ground.) Pull your knees up towards your chest and then lower them back to your starting position. Be sure to keep the movement slow and controlled. This is an ab exercise, so try not to use the momentum and swing the legs.

Tera Busker is an ACE Certified Personal Trainer and owner of Fitness To Go, an exclusive In Home & Private Studio Personal Training Service based out of Roberts, WI. www.fitnesstogo.net

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Are you on a Fitness Plateau?

April 10, 2014 By Leave a Comment

Get Fit Quick Tip

Change it up! If your workout results have slowed, you may be on a fitness plateau. A fitness plateau simply means your body has adapted to your current workout. Mix up your routine by: change the number of sets, change the number of reps, or change out a specific exercise.

 

Check back often for our Get Fit Quick Tip. A fitness and healthy lifestyle tip that you’ll easily remember and be able to implement the very same day.

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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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