Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

Maybe yesterday’s post didn’t persuade you to start running, but, if you’re concerned about breast cancer, new research indicates you should at least get some regular exercise.

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It’s finally heating up in SoCal to the Chicago summer temps that I miss, making proper hydration more important than ever. That’s probably why Active.com recently featured an article with some of the most up-to-date info on managing hydration to improve your performance and maintain optimal health. And it turns out that some of the convention wisdom on hydration doesn’t hold water.

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If you loved jumping rope as a kid, so why not pick up a rope now to shake up your fitness routine? Fitness has developed a five-move routine that it says can burn 160 calories in 15 minutes.

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Last week I wrote about how some weight training can help those with lower back pain. What about ab workouts? Do they help or hinder your back?

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Kettlebells continue to be popular equipment at my gym. As I’ve noted before, though, they’re also perfect for home gyms. Try these moves from Women’s Health in the comfort of your home.

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Courtesy of Fitness magazine, a free 10-day trial of its online personal trainer.

Here’s how it works:

1. Fitness designs a plan with your favorite foods and workouts.

2. You track your meals and activities.

3. The virtual trainer adjusts to your changing fitness level, so you see results fast.

That’s the surprising conclusion of a study presented at last month’s annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine. Researchers at the University of Alberta found that people with lower back pain actually fare better if they lift weights more often than less.

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“We exercise to support our eating habits.” My sister wrote that the other night, as we were e-mailing about the snacks we each had planned for the evening. I’d run seven miles that day and expected to indulge a bit as a result. That’s a common rationalization for me, making me one of those active people that the American Council on Exercise has called out for making crucial mistakes in their diet. As the ACE notes, “not putting the right nutrients in your body could ultimately affect the overall fitness benefits of an active lifestyle.”

The ACE has compiled a list of the 10 most common nutrition mistakes active people make.

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Women’s Health says it’s not too late to tone up for swimsuit season. It has come up with an eight-move workout that promises to “incinerate fat and tighten muscle in record time.”

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From the American Council on Exercise: the stability ball wall squat.