Summer Travel Plans? Don’t forget the exercise!

Summer 2023 is coming up fast - Lakes Park, Fort Myers, Florida. Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

With schools letting out in a few weeks and the official start to summer not too far away, summer vacation trips are in full planning mode!

However, remember while you are planning, that we are creatures of habit and as such we rely on the force of habit to support our healthful lifestyles.

Our routines get us to the gym each morning, help us choose low-fat nutritious meals and enable us to effectively cope with stress. Anything that disrupts our routines, such as:

  • travel,
  • vacations and
  • holidays

can send our habits into a tailspin.

Instead of abandoning your hard-earned fitness gains, why not plan to take advantage of the change in routine to reaffirm your commitment to yourself and a healthy lifestyle?

PLAN AHEAD — 

It’s not enough to say “I’ll try to exercise” or I’ll try to health healthfully”.

Everyone KNOWS what they should do,...

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The 4 Surprising Keys to a Happier, Healthier Life

Create time to walk, hike, run or bike, each day, outside.  Here's Friday, April 14's trail in Lakes Park, Fort Myers, Florida.  Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

Is there ever enough time in a single day?

Like the U2 song from 1987, “ Race Against Time,” each day is a constant effort to get as much done in 24 hours and still find time for sleep.

When we become overburdened, our health and well-being get pushed to the back burner.

The trick isn’t needing more time, but rather being able to get the most out of time you do have without burning yourself out so you can maintain your health and well-being.

First, create a to-do list.

If something needs to get done, write it down.

The stress of carrying chores around in your head will only keep you awake at night and there is a good probability that you will forget them while focusing on other tasks.

Keeping a notebook handy is a great way to track and prioritize tasks so they get done, leaving more time...

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Take the Pain Out of Running

A beautiful day for a early Spring Run in Lakes Park, Fort Myers!  Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

You hit the ground running.

Literally.

Running five times a week.

You’re feeling good and setting new personal bests along the way.

Then it happens …

After a few weeks, you start to notice that little niggle has developed into an ache in your shin, or a stabbing pain in your knee or burning at the back of your heel.

It’s upsetting, even common, but it can be fixed.

When diagnosing this pain, it’s important to acknowledging that you aren’t in pain because you’re running, it’s how you are running.  

When starting any new activity, you should gradually ease into it. Every structure within your body has a specific capacity to resist stress and load.

When too much stress is applied without enough time for your body to adapt, pain will occur. As running is essentially repeating the same movement over and...

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This is Your Brain on Exercise!

A beautiful early March sunset in Lakes Park, Fort Myers, Florida. Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II

It’s 5 a.m. and your alarm goes off. You immediately begin the battle of whether to get up and exercise or not.

You know you’ll feel better if you do, but why?

This is your brain on exercise.

The reason that we feel so good when we exercise and get our blood pumping and our muscles firing is that it makes our brain feel good.

Essentially, building muscles and conditioning the heart and lungs are bi-products or side effects from exercise as there is a biological relationship between the body, the brain, and the mind.

It can be said that a key point of exercise is to build and condition the brain.

The relationship between food, physical activity, and learning is hardwired into the brain’s circuitry and therefore to keep our brains at peak performance, our bodies need to work hard.

Fitness: What to do when your workout stops working

The reason physical activity is...

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It May Be Time to Reframe Goals & Ditch the Scale!

A gorgeous February day on Naples Beach in Southwest Florida - Feb 19, 2023. Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

With almost 2 months of the new year gone, how are you doing with your big year goals?

For many, weight loss was at the forefront of our minds and you may or may not be feeling successful.

Although weight loss is a great goal, it is an outcome-based goal which relies on behavioral change.

As important as it to maintain a healthy weight, it is also important for us to incorporate non-scale goals which can help modify our behavior.

Ultimately, these will help to support the intended long-term outcome of weight loss.

With that in mind, try incorporating non-scale goals to help reach your ultimate outcome.

Hydration — 

Water is an important nutrient that every cell in our body requires to function optimally.

Through daily natural physiological processes like breathing, digestion, sweating, we lose water that must be replaced. Studies show that an increase in...

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Exercise Myths Debunked - The Best Ways to Burn Fat

A beautiful Florida winter early evening run in Lakes Park, Fort Myers, Florida. Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

There are so many misconceptions surrounding exercise and the best ways to lose fat.

Some you may know and some may be new.

Let’s debunk these myths once and for all...

Myth #1 — You can spot reduce fat from certain body parts.

Spot reducing fat from your stomach or thighs, for example, is impossible. The concept of targeted fat loss or spot reduction is false.

The best way to explain this is to understand that the only thing exercises target are muscles, not the fat that is covering those muscles. 

The only way to lose fat in a specific area is to lose overall body fat.

Myth #2 — Doing loads of cardio is the best way to lose fat.

If your goal is fat loss, doing cardio for hours a day isn’t the best way to achieve it.

Yes, cardio workouts will help increase your calorie deficit but the most effective way to burn fat, increase your...

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Manage Acute Injuries to Stay In the Game

Enjoy exercising with family & friends by pedaling in the new Swan Paddle Boats in Lakes Park (January 2023)! Photo courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

If you’ve experienced a bad injury, you know how frustrating it can be to not be able to work out.

This is especially true when training for an event. There is also a lot of conflicting information about what to do and when.

Let’s clear up the confusion.

In the first few days after an acute injury, the body will go through the the first stage of healing, the inflammatory stage.

If you’ve had a sprain or strain in the past, you might remember the first 3 or 4 days are usually the worst in terms of pain, stiffness and swelling.

To protect the injured tissue from further damage and avoid any subsequent bleeding, the advice is to avoid ‘HARM’ for 72 hours.

The acronym HARM stands for:

Heat: Avoid any heat packs, prolonged hot showers or hot baths.

Alcohol: The less the...

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The Perfect Anytime, Anywhere Workout!

Enjoy a fast-paced walk, stopping to do some Calisthenics (or body weight) training in a park!  A great well rounded exercise. Photo courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

With so many of us hunkered down and working from, it can be challenging to find a workout to fit your space and fit your needs.

Not to worry.

You already own the most versatile and potentially challenging piece of equipment available today...

Your body. 

If you’re not sold, think ‘Cirque Du Soleil’ meets ‘American Ninja Warrior’?

The unique combination of strength, stability, and control required to perform such acts is unlike anything else.

Visually, it’s one of the most eye-catching feats of strength possible, but being able to suspend yourself in mid-air is much more than just showing off your strength.

Training the body without the use of external resistance equipment, such as free weights, dumbbells or cables, is known as calisthenics. It’s been...

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Cycling For Your Health

With so many ways to maintain fitness, people are looking for alternative ways to get in their exercise... 

Remember, "variety is the spice of life", right?

That said, what better way to enjoy the fabulous outdoors than on a bike?

And, the mere act of being on a bike ensures you are practicing proper social distancing. So, grab your helmet and let’s get going.

Like all forms of moderate intensity exercise, regular cycling (3 to 5 times a week for a total of 150 minutes) will reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease and improve your overall health, and may even reduce the risk of some forms of cancer.

Cycling will improve your endurance and aerobic capacity, while toning the muscles of your lower body like the calves, thighs and buttocks.

An hour of cycling can burn between 250 and 700 calories depending on the intensity and it is an excellent way to reduce stress.

In addition, for anyone carrying extra weight and/or people who have joint problems who may find it...

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Walking Is The Perfect Low Impact Exercise - Do It Regularly!

An incredible walk on beautiful Naples Beach - November 2022. Photo Courtesy of Charly Caldwell II.

If you haven’t exercised in a while, or are looking for something easy you can do every single day, give walking a try.

It’s easy to do, there is no equipment required and anyone can start regardless of their fitness level.

If it’s been a while since you exercised, start by going for a 10-minute walk around the neighborhood and gradually build from there.

Maybe your doctor suggested that you move more, or maybe you just want to be proactive about your health and well-being. In either case, walking is the perfect way to start.

Begin by finding a pair of comfortable shoes, put them on and go for a stroll through your neighborhood.

You could also find a local park with a nice path or head to the beach. If the weather doesn’t permit walking outside, head to the mall to walk or hop on a treadmill.

No treadmill? No problem.

You can even walk in place at home in front...

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