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Do You Bosu?

Do you know what a bosu ball is? The bosu is a great fitness tool that is both challenging and engaging for your home workout or at the gym. A bosu is a half round ball on a flat surface. The texture of the top half of the bosu is like that of a balance ball. The idea of the bosu is to use it to engage your core muscles to maintain your balance while performing various exercises including push-ups, squats, bicep curls, triceps curls and more. The first time I used a Bosu ball I was working out with … Continue reading →

The Brilliant Blueberry: Growing This Summer Gem

Do you love blueberries? These little gems are delicious, and they’re packed full of antioxidants too. Some of my most wonderful summer memories come from times spent picking (and eating!) these warm berries in my parents’ garden. How do you grow blueberries? First, choose your berry. Like raspberries, different varieties of blueberries are suitable for different times and locations. Highbush Blueberry or Vaccinium corymbosum is hardy in zones 3 to 7. These blueberries will self-pollinate, but they get a better yield when they are cross-pollinated. The Rabbiteye Blueberry or Vaccinium ashei prefers zones 7 to 9, and it needs to … Continue reading →

How To Avoid Gimmicks

You know what a gimmick is – they have them in the world of fitness just like they do everywhere else. Gimmicks are usually gimmicks because they give you a lot of promises that the items or equipment can’t really deliver on. The truth is – they try to make you a promise that you will get something for nothing – i.e. the perfect five-minute workout that will trim all your excess inches and more. Tips on Avoiding Gimmicks One would think common sense is enough to avoid being tricked by a gimmick – but that’s not always the case. … Continue reading →

What is a Kettle Ball?

Have you ever seen a kettle ball? Have you heard of one? It’s a new twist on a very old technique in the fitness world. Russian power lifters used a similar device for nearly a century and you’ve likely seen the large, silver object with the handgrip on the top. Well, you have the right idea. The kettle ball itself looks like a cannon ball with a purse strap on the top. The kettle ball’s design requires that you use your entire body in the lifting of it – unlike hand weights that isolate muscles – the kettle ball requires … Continue reading →

Fitness Trend Predictions for 2007

Do you know who the ACE is? The American Council on Exercise is considered the fitness authority in America and they offer certifications for personal trainers, fitness programs and more. The Council dedicates a great deal of their research into fitness industry and more. Every year, they offer their 10 fitness predictions for the year to come. According to their research, 2007 will bring programming that offers low-cost fitness options and alternative forms of exercise for different populations from the young to the old. Among their other predictions are: Specialized fitness programs will be expanded for older adults – while … Continue reading →

Generating Conversation at the Dinner Party

There is nothing more awkward than a silence so heavy it can be sliced with a knife between guests who are seated and facing each other at a dinner party. How can a host/hostess avoid this? The status of the weather (be it hot or cold) and the cruel fluctuations of the stock market aren’t even interesting topics to many and depressing to more than a few. So what do you do to keep everyone happy and talking? Consider the following ideas. One thought is to always pair talkers with listeners and to keep spouses, bosum buddies and conversation huggers … Continue reading →

Medicine Balls – Ideal For Home Workouts

What’s a medicine ball? It’s a smaller, more compact form of balance ball that expands your traditional number of exercise options by increasing resistance, balance, form and focus. Among the exercises you can do with a medicine ball: Squats Twists Sit-ups Crunches Lunges Much, Much More How You Use Them Medicine balls come in many different weight sizes from the 1 lb. to the 10 lb. Personally, I like the 4 lb medicine ball because you can work on posture and flexibility without over straining your muscles. You can also use it to help tighten and firm up your core … Continue reading →

The Week in Review: September 9 –15

Welcome to our week in review. This week saw the fifth anniversary of September 11th and all the memorials, sadness and tales of heroism that entails. While it’s important to remember, it’s also equally important that we continue forward, making our world a better place so that hopefully none that come after us have to experience a similar tragedy. Here is your Week in Review for Fitness: September 9 We talked about Walking – is it better to do it incrementally or all in one go. There are multiple schools of thought on this, but as with all forms of … Continue reading →