New Government Study Says You Aren’t Exercising Enough

How many minutes of exercise did you complete today? If you didn’t participate in at least 22 minutes of moderate physical activity then health experts say you didn’t do enough. The government is cracking down on couch potatoes by issuing new physical activity guidelines for Americans. In a report released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, experts say adults should be participating in at least 2.5 hours a week of moderate-intensity physical activity such as brisk walking or 1 hour and 15 minutes per week of a vigorous-intensity activity such as jogging or swimming laps in … Continue reading

Which Comes First?

Do you include both weightlifting and aerobic exercise in the same workout? If so, which do you tackle first? If you workout at a smaller gym (like I do) then your answer might vary depending on the day. Smaller gyms typically mean less equipment, so if you enter the gym hoping to get your run in on the treadmill before heading to the weights, but all of the treadmills, stationary bikes and elliptical machines are in use, then you might be forced to switch up your schedule and lift first. On other days the opposite might be true. You might … Continue reading

Why am I so Sore?

Typically, I hit my marathon wall around mile 18. That’s when my legs feel like heavy wet logs en route to a paper mill’s pulp masher. For years I blamed my pain and stiffness on lactic acid. Lactic acid. If you run, lift weights or simply know someone who does, then you are probably familiar with the term. Heck, even my cousin, who complains about strolling to the end of the driveway to fetch the newspaper, knows about lactic acid thanks to a marathon volunteer, who insisted he bring me over to the massage tent post race so I could … Continue reading

Disorder of the Day (1)

Illnesses such as depression, ADHD, and anxiety and behavioral disorders are being diagnosed in increasing numbers throughout First-World countries. While there is little doubt that people are being more up-front about mental illness, is this trend a true reflection of what is really happening in the lives of everyday people? A concerning aspect in this upswing in the use of medication to “solve” these conditions, is the accompanying upswing in the profits of the pharmaceutical industry. While most people have always traditionally wanted a “magic bullet” to solve their health problems, in the area of mental health, the pharmaceutical industry … Continue reading