Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

The very first marathon runner, setting out in 490 B.C.,  presumably ran barefoot (true, he is said to have died at the end, but let’s set that aside). So do we really need $100 running shoes today?

Photo from The Final Sprint (http://www.thefinalsprint.com/2007/12/move-of-the-day-fast-feet/).

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Circuit training gained notice in recent years with the rise of facilities like Curves. While questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the Curves program, the underlying concept of circuit training can pay off if done correctly. And circuit training is yet another type of exercise you can successfully adapt for use at home.

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From my “why bother?” file of research studies: “Botox Can Improve First Impressions for Attractiveness, Dating Success.”

A press release explains: “The popular cosmetic enhancement, botulinum toxin A (Botox) positively effects first impression judgments in relation to attractiveness, dating success, and athleticism, says new research.”

And the second impression? The third?

Remember those horrid annual “Presidential Fitness Tests” we had to take as kids in gym class? Well, the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has launched an online version for adults.

Unlike the version you might remember, the Adult Fitness Test doesn’t involve pull-ups, shuttle races or 50-yard dashes. The tests focus on “health-related fitness,” as opposed to “performance-related fitness.” The activities provide an estimate of your level of aerobic fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition. You can use the results to track your progress in each area as you become more physically active.

Check out the tests below:

Aerobic Fitness Test (1-mile walk or 1.5-mile run)
Muscular Strength & Endurance Test (half sit-up or push-up)
Flexibility Test (sit-and-reach)
Body Composition Test (BMI and waist size)

Each test includes instructions on how to interpret and improve your results.

Not sure if you’re healthy enough to take the tests? The web site provides a questionnaire that will let you know.

Last month, I wrote that I rarely listen to music when I run or otherwise work out. Instead, I listen to podcasts. As I explained, I just find podcasts more distracting than music. And now I know I’m not the only one who sees the benefits of podcasts over music!

Yesterday, I got this email from my sister, a dedicated walker and now runner who spends hours on the paths:

“As you know, I tend to listen to music while I’m out on the path. When I do listen to spoken-word stuff, it’s always been just while walking. Today, though, I decided to try it during my run, to see if that worked for me.

I don’t know if/how it affected my pace—sometimes the beat of music helps me pep things up—but it was, I think, a better mental distraction from the exertion. It helped that I was listening to a really good ‘This American Life.’ David Sedaris‘ item on the details of St. Nicholas in Holland was especially diverting. I must have read it at one time, but only his readings do him full justice.”

My sister also listens to books on her iPod, something I don’t do (unless it’s a book of essays, a la Sedaris). I’ve wondered if audio books would be as effective as podcasts because you can’t listen to an entire book in a walk and chapters leave you wanting more. She theorized that “books on tape” that leave you wanting more might actually increase motivation to work out the next day—to see what happens next.

As for her point about how only David Sedaris’ readings of his work do him full justice, I couldn’t agree more. Here’s the text version of the St. Nicholas story she mentioned. The audio version is available on his “Live at Carnegie Hall” CD or here. His use of tone and emphasis adds so much to the story. You will definitely LOL.

Did you celebrate National Guacamole Day last week? I totally missed it—too distracted by International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I guess. Fortunately, there’s still time to dip into Spicy Guacamole Day in November. And Wholly Guacamole’s 100-calorie snack packs make a great way to celebrate the holiday and enjoy the health benefits of avocados.

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We’ve been hearing for years about how the Mediterranean diet is associated with longer, healthier lives. Now comes word that Mediterranean eating habits have been Americanized. As a result, the people of Greece, Italy and Spain are seeing an increase in diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity.

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Use your own body weight to shape up

Get ready to give up another excuse not to strength train—you don’t need to join a gym, build your own or buy even simple equipment to get in shape. You can use just the weight of your body to gain strength and flexibility.

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Multi-tasking has become a must for many of us these days. But some people are taking it to another level—combining work and workout at treadmill desks.

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Lately I’ve noticed more people at the gym using a piece of fitness equipment that looks like something Bugs Bunny might drop off a cliff onto the Roadrunner. Often described as cannonballs with handles, these kettlebells  (sometimes called “kettle balls“) offer a calorie-burning workout that also increases strength—and they’re perfect for a home gym.

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