Shape Up America!!

Quickies for the busy ones

By admin | July 12, 2010

In comparison to previous generations, today’s society is by far the busiest and unfortunately, most overweight. Due to the convenience of fatty fast food establishments and calorie packed quick snacks as well as the hassle of finding time to go to the gym, our society has packed on the pounds without even noticing. If you work a desk or office job that keeps you tethered to your chair for the majority of the day, it’s quite easy to gain weight due to your unintentional stationary position throughout the day. But rejoice! Here is a way to burn calories at work without even leaving your desk. Below are 5 tips for the busy individual to utilize in cutting some calories and potentially some pounds all the while at work.

Tapping or Bouncing Your Legs

Seriously, you can burn quite a significant amount of calories while performing this task even while at your desk. A study at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has shown that one can burn over 350 calories a day just by bouncing their legs up and down! That’s the equivalent of running three and a half miles a day in terms of calories burned. Try it out for yourself and reap the rewards of a healthier body and more toned legs and calves.

Chew Gum

Another unexpected, yet tried and true method of burning calories with minimum input. Although you won’t crank out the burned calories as quickly as you would with tip 5, Dan Benardot, Ph.D., R.D., author of Nutrition for Serious Athletes, has stated that you can burn 11 calories per hour by simply chewing gum. In an 8 hour work day that’s almost 90 calories and if you combine that with Tip 5 you are almost up to 450 calories per day already.

Take the Stairs

Unless you work in a one story building, your place of employment has stairs. Although you probably opt for the elevator everyday, taking the stairs is a quick 5 minute way to whisk away anywhere from 50-100+ calories per day. The average person burns 10 calories a minute or 50 calories per 5 minute period of stair climbing and slightly less for descending. So go ahead and take the stairs for a week and not only will you burn some calories but you will get in some aerobic exercise as well.

Ditch the morning coffee (or not)

Coffee is almost a given for anyone who wants to not only make it to work but actually get their work accomplished sufficiently as well but the downside to this is that drinking the magical energy elixir is bound to silently add some girth to your frame over time. Your average 16 ounce cup of coffee wit all the sugar, creme, and milk bells and whistles can easily top 200 calories and 10 grams of fat. So why not change up your recipe and see if you notice a change! Unbeknownst to most people, a cup of black coffee with no additives contains zero fat and only 2 calories so give black coffee a chance and watch the weight melt away gradually. If you can’t stand black coffee, try fat free or reduced calorie creamers and milk instead.

Join your employer’s fitness club

In today’s day and age most employers offer free or discounted fitness clubs, support groups or gyms in order to save on healthcare costs, so why not join yours? By utilizing this tool you can gain access to valuable nutritional information, personal trainer help, as well as a plethora of other services. Combine this tool with the aforementioned tips and you could be on the way to gratifying weight loss and overall good health.

In summation, by taking advantage of the above mentioned 5 tips for losing weight and attaining good health while at work, you can easily burn an extra 700+ calories per day without interfering with your already hectic daily schedule. When you note that 1 pound of fat takes 3500 calories to burn off, it becomes obvious that burning 700 per day in a 5 day work week will help you shed an easy pound a week or 50+ pounds a year!

Topics: Fitness, Productivity | 3 Comments »

5 tips to keep it simple but effective

By admin | July 8, 2010

There is an old proverb that says that “it is easier to tear down a house than to build it up” and although that may be the case majority of the time, if that house is your body and the construction material is fat-the opposite is true. We all know just how hard it is to lose weight but what a lot of people aren’t aware of is just how easy it is to gain or retain weight. The friendly guru’s at ShapeUpAmerica are here to help so don’t start panicking, as we have collected 5 sneaky little behaviors or ways that are contributing to your inability to wear those pants you keep trying on.

Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Your body has this handy little hormone that it secretes through the adrenal glands known as Cortisol. Now cortisol can have its beneficial effects, such as increased immunity and momentary bursts in metabolism and energy among other things but on the flip side it can also make you and keep you fat due to stress. When you are stressed out Cortisol turns into your worst enemy as it can cause deep plunges in metabolism, cravings for fatty, sugary and salty foods, as well as a higher chance of abdominal fat storage. In other words, stress causes you to eat bad food, prevents you from burning it, and then conveniently stores it in the worst place possible-your abdomen.

Eating Makes You Skinny

I know this sounds paradoxical in nature but ironically it is true to an extent. Your body is a stickler for daily routines so when you alter your eating habits or outright skip a meal it makes your body cranky. It is imperative that you eat throughout the day albeit wisely utilizing healthy filling meals and snacks. Did you know that following a meal, your metabolism increases by upwards of 30% for two hours following that meal? This is one of the main reasons you shouldn’t skip breakfast as it is that first meal of the day that kick starts your metabolism for the day. So don’t forget to eat regularly so as to keep your body happy and your metabolism running efficiently.

Drinking Fruit Juice Isn’t the Same as Eating Fruit

Naturally one would assume that if eating fruit is good for you, then drinking it must be just as good for you right? Wrong. Fruit juices are notorious for containing insane amounts of fructose, a substance that contains a lot of calories and also prevents your body from feeling full when you eat. Our brain has a disconnect when it comes to liquid calories as it doesn’t realize that whether it’s a 16 oz cup of concentrated orange juice or a ham sandwich, you are still getting the same amount of calories and subsequently these liquid calories fail to satisfy the hunger receptors in your brain that are looking for caloric energy. With that being said, instead of opting for that apple or orange juice that is actually mainly concentrated fruit juice and filtered water, get the real thing! Bite into an actual apple or orange as they both supply the body with copious amounts of much needed nutrients while simultaneously calming hunger cravings.

Lay Off the Booze

Alcohol makes you fat, plain and simple. Just as we stated in tip 3, your brain doesn’t respond well to liquid calories, so those 175 calories that are in your 12 ounce beer end up causing all kinds of problems. For instance, when you consume alcohol, your body actually takes some of the calories and turns them directly into fat and then the liver turns the rest of the calories into a compound known as acetate, which it then pumps into the bloodstream to be used as energy. The problem here is that although your body is burning those calories it turned into acetate; it stored those other calories as fat and doesn’t plan on using them anytime soon. To make things worse, some people carry a gene that causes alcohol to be stored as belly fat regardless of whether or not you eat healthy and work out.

Air Conditioning

Yes, I said air conditioning. Believe it or not, being comfortable is keeping you fat as just like your house-your body has mechanisms for keeping you comfortable. When you are hot your body will perspire to cool you down and when you are cold it will raise your metabolism and twitch some muscles to warm you up. So when you keep your AC or heat at that “perfect temperature” you are actually preventing your body from needing to regulate itself and in essence losing out on some free burned calories. In the winter, drop the temperature down a degree or two less than normal and I promise you that your body will compensate and the same is true with the AC in the summer as your body is very good at adapting.

So there you have it ladies and gentlemen, 5 ways that you are unknowingly either packing on pounds or retaining them. Heed the advice in this article and you will have an easier time dropping those extra pounds you accumulated by being stressed out, intoxicated, and comfortable at home.

Topics: Fitness, Nutrition | 1 Comment »

Obesity, Lack of Exercise Heighten Arthritis Risk for Women

By admin | February 26, 2010

Higher levels of obesity and inactivity, especially among women, explain why arthritis is more common in the United States than in Canada, according to a new study.

Researchers at the Toronto Western Research Institute analyzed 2002-03 data from both countries and found that the prevalence of arthritis in the United States was 18.7 percent and the prevalence of arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAL) was 9.6 percent. In Canada, the rates were 16.8 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively.

Women in the United States had a higher prevalence of arthritis (23.3 percent) and AAL (13 percent) than Canadian women (19.6 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively). Men in both countries had similar rates of arthritis (14 percent) and AAL (6 percent).

Read entire article.

Topics: General | No Comments »

Top 30 YouTube Channels With Free Exercise Videos

By admin | February 23, 2010

Looking to find a place to learn some techniques in bowling? How about softball or basketball? How about just tips for beginners on how to start exercising and getting back into shape? Well you’ve come to the right place because in this article we’ve put together top 30 channels on YouTube that provide many helpful and free exercise videos.

From the list below you can find channels that focus from full body workouts to specific muscle exercise videos. Enjoy.

Top 30 YouTube Channels With Free Exercise Videos

Diet.com video channel – This channel provide tips on diet, nutrition, fitness and lots and lots of free exercise videos.

ExpertVillage channel – They are known for largest choice of informative videos and don’t just deal with exercise and fitness. However, this channel is one of the very few on YouTube that has a huge list of free exercise videos anyone can benefit from.

LiveStrong Channel – Another site that provide numerous free diet and nutritional and exercise videos.

eHowFitness Channel – Of course this is another that makes the top list obviously. Contains many free videos for almost anything you’re looking to do/learn.

CurtisPenner Channel – From befitandstrong.com, this channel provides lots of basic exercise videos.

START Fitness – Free military style exercise videos. Nice collection.

Scooby’s Channel – This is the channel you want to subscribe to if you’re serious about body building.

Passion4profession Channel – Intends to promote through its multimedia contents, improvements in the physical condition and the development of a positive and winning state-of-mind, typical of sports environments.

Johnson & Johnson health channel – A very nicely organized channel by J&J, one of the most successful companies in the world. Lots of free health, nutrition and workout videos.

SixPackExposed’s Channel – Get a six pack with these free videos.

Eat Stop Eat TV – Lose weight easily with the Eat Stop Eat method of flexible intermittent fasting.

Official KDT Academy Channel – FizFit Workouts, Kettlebell workouts, Crazy Monkey Defense, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Inshape4u channel – Rocky Balboa style free workout videos.

HomeFitnessTV – Lots of quick and free exercise videos to stretch and strengthen core areas.

Natural Bodybuilding How To Channel – Increase muscle mass with these free bodybuilding videos.

Ask The Trainer Channel – Lots of free videos from a personal trainer.

The Best Way To Exercise – Many videos with tips and techniques on best and simplest ways to exercise.

SparkPeople’s channel – Provides free diet, nutrition and work out videos. A very large community, tons of free exercise videos.

ZiddyFit’s Channel - Balance training.

Free Yoga Videos – Lots of free yoga videos in this channel.

Yoga Today- Another channel with free yoga videos.

VinceDelMonte channel - Advanced muscle building videos.

FATLOSS LIFESTYLE - free tips, videos on efficient ways to lose fat.

ThinQ Fitness – Free online workout videos for all ages.

The Best Way To Exercise – Largest list of free videos for full body workouts.

Runner’s World TV – Free videos for runners and cardio exercises.

DanceExercise – A set of fun low impact aerobic dance exercises. Also has a DVD you can buy if you like the samples they have on YouTube.

Turbulence Training – Lose fat and gain muscle with combination of different exercises. Lots of free workout videos.

Bodyweightcultureman’s Channel – Another channel that teaches unique ways to get into shape.

Deerunstoo’s channel – A certified public health educator, has lots of videos on YouTube that provide basic exercise videos as well as nutritional tips.

Topics: General | 1 Comment »

Top Weight Loss Foods for 2010

By admin | January 6, 2010

If you’re like most Americans, you’ve gained about 5 pounds since Thanksgiving. Each small holiday-season indulgence may have seemed like no big deal at the time, but added all together, they created the perfect storm for a juggernaut of jiggle.

Don’t believe us? Consider the caloric damage of typical holiday activities—weekly parties, with buffet tables lined with goodies and treats; cookies and cakes delivered by your well-intentioned neighbors; and seasonal beverages, from holiday lagers to rum-spiked eggnogs, that had you washing down those hundreds of extra calories with, well, hundreds of extrea calories. It’s no wonder Baby New Year always makes her debut toting a gargantuan gut!

Read the rest of the article.

Topics: General | 3 Comments »

9 reasons to motivate oneself to exercise

By admin | January 1, 2010

There are times that we all stop exercising, could be because we get sick or just lazy. When you do stop working out regularly, you feel shitty, tired and depressed.

In this article, I’ve put together a list of motivational tips to not only help myself but hopefully some of you out there as well. Hopefully, the list will get you and me motivated enough to get off our ass and exercise on regular basis (again).

GET HIGH!

It’s proven that one feels “high” after a nice workout. That’s because exercising releases endorphins in your brain giving you the high and satisfied feeling. Whenever you’re down and haven’t worked out, try thinking back to that high feeling you get after a work-out. This at times motivates me to get up and exercise.

GET REGULAR!

When you stick to working out regularly, there comes a point where omitting it from the schedule becomes unthinkable. Your body becomes addicted to the high and awesome feeling it gets after working out and there is no way it’s willing to give it up easily. It’s been said that if you keep doing something regularly for 21 days straight, it becomes a routine habit. So make exercising a habit and you won’t miss another day of it.

GET REST!

It’s been said that exercise also improves the quality of rest you get when sleeping. Your body rests better and gets re-energized when your sleep is more sound.

GET BETTER!

It maybe hard to imagine for someone who don’t exercise. But if you have in the past, you would remember that you used to feel better, look better and even had increased confidence. Why not bring these great feelings back?

GET A PARTNER!

Another best motivator is to workout with a partner. You’ll both feel responsible for each other and it would be hard to let down the other. Finding workout partners is probably one of the crucial reasons why one would stick to a workout routine.

GET GOING!

If you’re usually depressed, the true cure isn’t taking medications. Instead, head to the gym or just walk outside in your jogging pants and run. Force yourself! Run at a steady pace and keep doing it daily at any time for 30 minutes. More than likely, your depression is tied to lack of exercise and low self-esteem. Regular work-out will get rid of it for you!

GET AN IPOD!

Yes indeed an IPOD or some other type of MP3 player, Zune or something…doesn’t matter. The point is listening to something while working makes time go faster and less boring as your focus would be partly on what you’re listening to. I personally download loads of podcasts to my iPhone and listen to them while working out. Not only am I working out but I’m also gaining knowledge from the stuff I hear.

GET A MIRROR!

Take your shirt off in front of a mirror and look at yourself. How good do you look? If you like what you see, then you’re one of the lucky ones and most likely work-out regularly already. However, if you see flabby stomach, chest and resemble a middle aged Jewish guy, then you better hit the gym. If looking at the mirror and hating what you see don’t motivate you enough, then I don’t know what will.

GET ORGANIZED!

So many times we get this amazing urge to just walk out of the house and run or head to the gym or imagine taking karate classes and become the next Dave Magadden. This urge usually comes after watching an inspirational movie but that’s OK. This is a good thought, it doesn’t matter how you get the motivation to get off your ass and start working out as long as you start somewhere and stick to it.

The best way to stick to your plan is to get organized. Write on a notebook or rip out a piece of paper and jot down a very basic exercise plan. Do 30 minute cardio 3 times a week, simply jog outside or on treadmill. That in itself is a huge step forward to get you in shape.

Finally, if you don’t like working out in a gym in general, then find something else that you enjoy doing. Like riding a bike, hiking, jogging with a friend, handball, basketball…whatever.

Anything that gets you off to doing something you enjoy and keep doing it on regular basis. Understand that change takes time so whatever you decide to do on the road to getting into shape, do it in moderation and realize that exercise should be part of your lifestyle. You will not see improvements overnight, it will take time.

Topics: General | 4 Comments »

20 ways to get healthier for free

By admin | December 28, 2009

I just came across a nice article by Health.com on getting back into a healthy lifestyle and 20 different things that could make it easier for free.

Here are the list of 20 ways to get healthier for free:

Borrow (don’t buy) your next fitness DVD
Get a free skin checkup
Order a free health calendar
Surf for deals
Get a free radon test
Click off the weight
Strike a pose
Bargain hard
Do a smoke checkup
Create a medical family tree
Save $170 in the shower
Snag free health apps
Boost your immunity
Moisturize for free
Eat healthier, no cookbook required
Tweet for discounts
Try a new sport
Give and get for free
Sign up for a free pedometer
Talk it out

Read the entire article here.

Topics: Fitness, General | 1 Comment »

If you’re serious about losing weight…

By admin | December 25, 2009

Stop consuming high fructose corn syrup or HFCS. At the least consume in moderation…Why all of a sudden HFCS is becoming the bad kid in the block? It’s been around since the 70’s and no one seemed to make a big deal of it before…so why now?

I’ll tell you why…because modern science and research has caught up to it and recent studies have linked it with major diseases such as diabetes, obesity and everything that branches from being over weight. There is now enough statistical data to compare life before HFCS and during it and the results are clearly shocking.

Theconsumption of HFCS increased > 1000% between 1970 and 1990,far exceeding the changes in intake of any other food or foodgroup. HFCS now represents > 40% of caloric sweeteners addedto foods and beverages and is the sole caloric sweetener insoft drinks in the United States. (American Society for Clinical Nutrition)

HFCS is one of the major causes of everything that is unhealthy in America. A general consensus has been that HFCS is directly linked with diabetes and obesity.

I have compiled a list articles and reasons why you must stop consuming high fructose corn syrup if you’re serious about losing weight, being in shape and staying healthy for life.

Reasons to Stop Consuming HFCS

Studies on HFCS

You can research all other studies by going to The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition website.

Topics: General, Nutrition | No Comments »

Death by Healthcare

By admin | December 20, 2009

Receiving free health care should be a fundamental right of every human being, not only in the United States but in the entire world. We shouldn’t be rejected from care when it comes to our health no matter where we live but of course, it’s not a perfect world.

Back to the issue of health care. A new study recently published by American Journal of Public Health reports that nearly 45,000 annual deaths are linked with lack of health insurance.

“The uninsured have a higher risk of death when compared to the privately insured, even after taking into account socioeconomics, health behaviors, and baseline health,” said lead author Andrew Wilper, M.D., who currently teaches at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “We doctors have many new ways to prevent deaths from hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease — but only if patients can get into our offices and afford their medications.”

This new figure is two and a half times higher than previous estimates done by older studies. The uninsured are less likely to get help for health issues and as a result there is a 40 percent higher risk than those who are insured.

Read the entire article here.

Topics: General | 1 Comment »

Never Mind the Flu

By admin | December 3, 2009

Happiness, laughter, and smiles are often described as infectious. It turns out you can catch loneliness too.

Having just one lonely friend, relative, or neighbor increases your risk of feeling lonely by 52%, according to a new study led by John Cacioppo, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Chicago.

Loneliness, in fact, spreads through networks of friends, families, and neighbors more quickly and easily than a sense of social connectedness does, the study says.

Read the full article.