Author: Kristy Lee Wilson

Salads are becoming very popular and they are a great way to increase your daily intake of vegetables. You can get your five daily servings, if not more, from just one nutrient dense salad! A salad of just plain vegetables is generally very low in calories and could leave you still feeling hungry. So, it’s important to create a high-energy sports salad and be sure to include enough carbohydrate and protein rich foods to make it substantial. But you must beware because it’s very easy to make calorie destroying mistakes when choosing a salad. Not choosing wisely could easily pack on hundreds…

How many people do you know that constantly make excuses for why they can’t exercise? Chances are you know at least one. Maybe you are one of them? I know at times I have been guilty of thinking up some lame excuses. But let’s get one thing straight … excuses are not reasons. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention more than 50% of American adults do not engage in the required amount of physical activity for health benefits, and 25% of adults are not active at all. That’s a lot of people making excuses! Constantly making excuses…

American children are growing more and more obese each decade. In fact, all Americans are growing more obese each decade. The problem isn’t just limited to the children. However, it is as children that we learn to eat correctly, get the right amount of exercise and place a high value on our health. For good health it is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of physical activity on all or most days of the week. The time doesn’t have to happen in one sitting or be involved in just one activity. For instance the total can be accumulated…

When training the core it is very important to remember not to focus solely on only the abdominals. I see many people who are striving for that washboard stomach doing hundreds of crunches, yet forgetting about their back muscles. This will lead to muscle imbalance of the core and eventual back pain. In any core conditioning program you should aim to have the total amount of flexion (abdominal) exercises equal to, or very close to, the total amount of extension (back) exercises. Another thing I want to stress is the importance of training with correct technique. There is only one…

Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Even now, obesity continues to be a serious problem and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020. One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese. Below are just some of the diseases that you are putting yourself at risk for if you are carrying around extra pounds. Heart disease Stroke Diabetes Cancer Arthritis Hypertension Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases. The quick weight loss methods, which have spread like wildfire these days, do…

Kids today are not as active as they were twenty years ago. Video games and television have made them more sedentary. But kids need to be active to avoid obesity and to keep their growing body in tip-top condition. If you want to promote fitness for your kids, you need to set a good example. Have an exercise routine and stick to it. Let your kids see you exercising. You have more influence on your children than you think you do. It is a good idea to limit the time that your children are allowed to watch television, play video…

More children are entering the fitness movement each year due to the increasing media coverage regarding the rising number of children and adults who suffer from obesity. As a result many parents are asking whether or not their children should be using weights. To date there are differing opinions on the matter but there is currently no researched evidence to suggest that using weights properly will cause damage to the joints or growth plates of a child. In fact there is evidence to suggest that children who begin good health and fitness habits early in life will have a lower…

One of the questions I get asked most often is: What exercises do gymnasts do to train their abdominals? People are always in awe of the strength gymnasts possess. Gymnasts are small athletes, but pound for pound some of the world’s strongest. Gymnastics is an extremely demanding sport which asks its athletes to do things the body physiologically just shouldn’t do and core strength is a major part of any gymnast’s conditioning routine. Without a rock solid core there is no way these athletes could perform the skills and routines they are required to do. Below are 5 common exercises…

Below are some simple weight loss diet tips that can be followed anywhere, everyday: 1. Make a delicious low-fat mayonnaise by combining one teaspoon of Dijon mustard and some low-fat yogurt. 2. Do not skip meals. Skipping meals causes the body to slow down metabolism, in order to conserve calories during a period where limited fats and fuel are available. Remember that eating increases the metabolism. 3. Stuff vegetables like green peppers and zucchini with flavored fillings or minced chicken, white meat or fish. These are healthy and are low-fat. 4. Eat pita bread roll ups or wraps with salad…

Until recently, only 5 to 10 percent of America’s children were overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one-third of U.S children – approximately 25 million – are now overweight or at risk for becoming overweight. Obesity is the most prevalent nutritional disease of children and adolescents in the United States. It is estimated that eighty percent of overweight ten-to-thirteen-year-olds will become overweight adults. In addition to this, the more overweight a child is, the higher his or her risk for obesity and type II diabetes. It’s time for us to take action and make some…