Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

We’ve all seen middle-age spread, possibly in the mirror. Many of us believe running can help combat it, but data from a massive study of runners suggests that they need to boost their mileage over time to outdistance increasing total weight and waist circumference.

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Twenty-five years ago, I was a junior in high school, taking Journalism and writing editorials for the school paper. And apparently I was interested in fitness even then—at least for purposes of a single editorial assignment. Behold this simile-stretching blast from the past that I found in a box of high school junk the other day.

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I have a real sweet tooth. In fact, it might be more accurate to say I have sweet teeth. My love for sugar is one of the reasons I tend to focus more on fitness than diet—I know what I can and can’t give up, and I can’t give up sugar. But it turns out that sugar isn’t all bad.

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Want to get a strong, toned back? Try these stability ball moves that come to us from Men’s Health, via Active.com.

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Working at home, I don’t have much interaction with vending machines. But I remember working in an office or going to school and seeking snacking comfort at the machines. Such a battle: all those brightly covered candies lined up at eye level, frantically calling for your attention while the pretzels and other healthier alternatives languish sadly in the bottom row. Well, for those of you who struggle with making the right choice, Fitness has come up with a list of “just say no” vending machine options.

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You’re in a new city, with limited time. You’d like to check out the sights, but you also want to get in a run. What to do? City Running Tours provides the perfect answer: Explore hidden parts of cities on the run with a trained guide and runner. You can take guided running tours of New York City; Chicago; San Diego; Washington, DC; Charleston; and Austin. The company offers both set tours and customized runs to accommodate any athletic ability, style, training regimen or specific landmarks.

The price (including the tour, a t-shirt and a photo) is $60 per person for the first six miles and $6 for each mile after that. Discounts apply for groups of four or more.

That’s what research out of Japan suggests. In a study to be published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, scientists found that “moderate to light alcohol consumption, coupled with high levels of social support, were linked to lower rates of heart disease and stroke.”

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In my job (i.e., not here), I’ve written a lot of ledes lately that make some reference to the aching economy. Those articles mostly address business and financial issues, but the economic downturn can affect our nutrition, too. While many people are adjusting their grocery lists to account for their tighter budgets, their diets don’t have to suffer—it is possible to eat healthily for less.

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Runners have somewhat different nutritional needs than non-runners—the Atkins Diet, for example, with its low intake of carbs, could really undermine a running regimen. So what should runners eat?

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I’ve done some previous posts on the merits of sports drinks, but it seems I’ve overlooked an important aspect—the effect the drinks can have on your teeth. Researchers have found that prolonged consumption of sports drinks can cause erosion and, in some cases, staining. And brushing your teeth afterward only makes matters worse.

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