Riding the Wave of Surfer Fitness

To the casual spectator, surfing seems to involve primarily balance, grace, nervy insouciance and a certain laid-back, ineffable oneness with the powers of the deep. But a series of newly published studies of the actual physical demands of surfing reveal that other, sometimes surprising aspects of fitness may be as important to surfing success as the ability to judge and remain upright on a swell.

 

 

 

For the first of the new studies, which was published last month in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, scientists at Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand recruited 12 professional New Zealand surfers and asked to follow them throughout several competitions.
Studying surfing is a tricky business, since it requires tracking people who......read more


Article by Gretchen Reynolds
Link:  Riding the Wave of Surfer Fitness

healthy active billionaire!!! The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday

... before reading, The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday, here is a snapshot of who David Murdock is. Incredible man... enjoy!




Artist: Slim Aarons


- Forbes ranks him as the 130th-richest person in the "Forbes 400" list and 376th in the "World's Billionaires" list, with a net worth of US$3 billion as of March 2001.
- turned Dole into the world's largest producer of fruits and vegetables.
- Murdock's father was a travelling salesman, while his mother took up laundry and scrubbed floors to make ends meet. Murdock is the middle child of three, he had two sisters. He was particularly close to his mother, who died at 42 from cancer.
- dropped out of high school in the 9th grade.
- He was drafted by the U.S. Army in 1943 during World War II.
- after the war, Murdock was homeless and destitute.
- got a $1,200 loan to buy a closing diner, flipping it for a $700 profit ten months later.
- he acquired control of International Mining. In early 1980s, he became the largest shareholder in Occidental Petroleum by selling the company his 18 percent interest in Iowa Beef.
- After the death of his third wife, Gabriele, Murdock has been deeply committed to finding a cure for cancer, advancing nutrition, and life extension.


The Billionaire Who Is Planning His 125th Birthday

Jeff Riedel for The New York Times

One morning in early January, David Murdock awoke to an unsettling sensation. At first he didn’t recognize it and then he couldn’t believe it, because for years — decades, really — he maintained what was, in his immodest estimation, perfect health. But now there was this undeniable imperfection, a scratchiness and swollenness familiar only from the distant past. Incredibly, infuriatingly, he had a sore throat.

“I never have anything go wrong,” he said later. “Never have a backache. Never have a headache. Never have anything else.” This would make him a lucky man no matter his age. Because he is 87, it makes him an unusually robust specimen, which is what he must be if he is to defy the odds (and maybe even the gods) and live as long as he intends to. He wants to reach 125, and sees no reason he can’t, provided that he continues eating the way he has for the last quarter century: with a methodical, messianic correctness that he believes can, and will, ward off major disease and minor ailment alike.
So that sore throat wasn’t just an irritant. It was a challenge to the whole gut-centered worldview on which his bid for extreme longevity rests. “I went back in my mind: what am I not eating enough of?” he told me. Definitely not fruits and vegetables: he crams as many as 20 of them, including pulverized banana peels and the ground-up rinds of oranges, into the smoothies he drinks two to three times a day, to keep his body brimming with fiber and vitamins. Probably not protein: he eats plenty of seafood, egg whites, beans and nuts to compensate for his avoidance of dairy, red meat and poultry, which are consigned to a list of forbidden foods that also includes alcohol, sugar and salt.
“I couldn’t figure it out,” he said. So he made a frustrated peace with his malady, which was gone in 36 hours and, he stressed, not all that bad. “I wasn’t really struggling with it,” he said. “But my voice changed a little bit. I always have a powerful voice.” Indeed, he speaks so loudly at times, and in such a declamatory manner, that it cows people, who sometimes assume they’ve angered him. “When I open my mouth,” he noted, “the room rings.”
The room ringing just then was the vast, stately common area of his vast, stately North Carolina lodge, which sits on more than 500 acres of woods and meadows where a flock of rare black Welsh sheep — which he keeps as pets, certainly not as chops and cheese in the making — roam under the protection of four Great Pyrenees dogs. He got the dogs after a donkey and two llamas entrusted with guarding the flock from predators failed at the task. The donkey and llamas still hang out with their fleecy charges, but they are purely ornamental.
Murdock loves to collect things: animals, orchids, Chippendale mirrors, Czechoslovakian chandeliers. He keeps yet another black Welsh flock at one of his two homes in Southern California, a 2,200-acre ranch whose zoological bounty extends to a herd of longhorn cattle, about 800 koi in a manmade lake and 16 horses — down from a population of more than 550, most of them Arabians, 35 years ago — with their own exercise pool. He has five homes in all, one on the small Hawaiian island of Lanai, which he owns almost in its entirety. He shuttles among them in a private jet. Forbes magazine’s most recent list of the 400 richest Americans put him at No. 130, with an estimated net worth of $2.7 billion, thanks to real estate development and majority stakes in an array of companies, most notably Dole. Five years earlier the estimate was $4.2 billion, but the recession took its toll.

Cowles Mtn Sunrise Hike with Nate Dog (my Nephew, AKA: Nathan) San Diego, CA

Thank you for the great hike this morning Nate Dog!

San Diego Real Estate - Michael Ginn

Revive Your Resolutions

The iconic Times Square globe wasn't the only ball to get dropped in early 2011. Of the 120 million Americans who rang in the New Year with a resolution, 36 percent ditched their vows by February. Chilly temps, dreary days, and a wardrobe full of parkas and sweats can make a Snuggie seem more alluring than a spin class.

But it's possible to rebound. Researchers found that 71 percent of people who eventually met their goals said an initial slipup made them all the more determined to get back on track.
And thanks to this season's mild weather and long daylight hours, it's the perfect time to renew your slim-down vows. Now, for that kick in the pants...

Resolution: Hit the gym every day.
The problem: Aiming to do anything every day, besides eat and breathe, is setting yourself up for failure.
The fix: Commit to a more realistic schedule of four days a week, says Bonnie Pfiester, co-owner of BCx Boot Camp in Vero Beach, Florida. That gives you three days of wiggle room (for late work nights or Saturday-morning hangovers), but you have to consider the four workout days nonnegotiable.
"You likely failed the first time around because you saw workouts as optional," says Pfiester. "If you schedule them like business meetings or lunch dates, you'll be more likely to follow through." Create a specific action plan (e.g., Monday, 7 p.m.: spin class; Wednesday, 6 a.m.: circuit workout plus 20 minutes of cardio intervals; Thursday, 6 p.m.: 30-minute power walk before dinner; Friday, 7 a.m.: vinyasa yoga class). Then put it on your calendar.
10 Ways to stick to your workout.

June is National Dairy Month

Dairy's Role in Women's Health:  According to the USDA, nearly nine out of ten women (ages 20 and up) fail to meet calcium recommendations.  Milk is an excellent source of calcium and provides eight additional essential nutrients, including protein, potassium, phosphorus, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin. Milk and milk products help build strong bones, teeth and muscles. Research shows that when cutting calories to lose weight, three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt each day helps people burn more fat and lose more weight than just cutting calories alone. Dairy foods can also reduce the risk of osteoporosis, kidney stones and PMS.

Recipes:
Beef Burrito with Pepper Jack Cheese and Black Beans
Banana and Yogurt Crepes 
Pomegranate Smoothie

Congratulations Ben and Jessica!

A full night’s sleep can help you stay healthy

Getting a good night’s sleep is important. It can sharpen your focus, give you more energy, and even help you ward off the common cold. But did you know that it can affect your long-term health, too? A recent study in the European Heart Journal suggests that people who regularly get fewer than 6 hours of sleep a night are at an increased risk for cardiac problems, including heart attack and stroke. In fact, sleep-deprived study participants were 15 percent more likely to have a stroke. And more and more people are cutting back on their shut-eye in order to meet the daily challenges of life and work.
To help protect your health, try these tips and aim for 7 hours of sleep each night.

• Set a regular time each night for powering down your computer, putting away your smartphone, and turning off your TV.
• Before bed, make time for a quiet activity, such as writing in a journal, reading, meditation, or taking a bath.
• Create a healthy sleep environment.
• Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning — even on weekends.

Better for blood pressure: Cardio or weights?

Are your Parents and Grandparents committed to strength training?

Maybe they should be.

Video Link: Better for blood pressure: Cardio or weights?

Sarcopenia noted in Article, "What's the Single Best Exercise?"

Sarcopenia - (from the Greek meaning "poverty of flesh") is the degenerative loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength associated with aging.

Physical activity incorporating resistance training is probably the most effective measure to prevent and treat sarcopenia.

Natural history of Sarcopenia
Strength losses with ageing for men and women are relatively similar. They are greater for lower than upper extremity muscles. Maximum attainable strength peaks in mid-twenties and declines thereafter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarcopenia


What's the Single Best Exercise? 

"The squat, and weight training in general, are particularly good at combating sarcopenia, he said, or the inevitable and debilitating loss of muscle mass that accompanies advancing age. “Each of us is experiencing sarcopenia right this minute,” he said. “We just don’t realize it.” Endurance exercise, he added, unlike resistance training, does little to slow the condition."

"... a sedentary person’s risk of dying prematurely from any cause plummeted by nearly 20 percent if he or she began brisk walking (or the equivalent) for 30 minutes five times a week. If he or she tripled that amount, for instance, to 90 minutes of exercise four or five times a week, his or her risk of premature death dropped by only another 4 percent."

"Walking has also been shown by other researchers to aid materially in weight control. A 15-year study found that middle-aged women who walked for at least an hour a day maintained their weight over the decades. Those who didn’t gained weight."

“I think, actually, that you can make a strong case for H.I.T.,” Gibala said. High-intensity interval training, or H.I.T. as it’s familiarly known among physiologists, is essentially all-interval exercise."

“Sprinting up stairs is a power workout and interval session simultaneously.”Meaning that running up steps just might be the single best exercise of all. Great news for those of us who could never master the butterfly."

Read More:  Article Link

03.30.2011 Torrey Pines State Beach, San Diego, CA - Active Living Testimonials!

Jenny - Active Mom loves to surf, run, and eat healthy!
Kiwi - Pregnant, committed to exercising outdoors 5 days a week!
Linda - 59 years old, maintains an active lifestyle to be a positive role model for her kids!
Andy - Military Vet, ultra cyclist stays hydrated by drinking plenty of water!
Keith and Diana - Enjoy nature and mountain biking together!

The Worst Reasons to Work Out

Stay Motivated by Exercising for the Right Reasons

We all have our own reasons for working out. And while all reasons have merit (and there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel good about the reflection you see in the mirror), some reasons for hitting the gym are definitely better and more motivating than others.

In fact, the goals you set and the reasons why you work out help set the tone for your entire lifestyle and can even play a role in your long-term health and success. Of course, it is recommended that you choose empowering and uplifting reasons to lose weight and work out.

Here are five common reasons people exercise that might seem positive at first glance but can actually be unhealthy or destructive. If you fall into one (or more) of these categories, don't despair! We have included better reasons to work out that will help you flip your thoughts into a more motivating direction.


The 5 Worst Reasons to Work Out 
Because you feel fat. Do you hit the gym hard the morning after a night of unhealthy eating to help you undo the previous night's damage? While a good bout of exercise can get you back on track, what you don't want to do is punish yourself with exercise. Working out shouldn't feel like torture or used as a way to right your wrongs when it comes to food. When you do that, you're completely missing how awesome exercise is for your health and well-being—and you could be on a slippery slope that leads to more serious food and fitness issues (such as exercise bulimia).

Better reason: Exercise to feel strong and energetic. Instead of punishing yourself by overdoing your workouts, focus on how great exercise makes you feel. From feeling strong and energetic to perking up your mood and improving your health, moving your body is more than a way to burn calories—it helps you take care of yourself inside and out!

To eat whatever you want. If your sole motivation to work out is to help make up for your regular fast food or dessert habit, it's time to re-examine your priorities. Sure, working out can allow you to offset the calories of indulging in more food, but it's much easier to overeat calories than it is to burn them off. In fact, it takes about an hour of jogging to burn off just one Big Mac (and that doesn't include the fries and soda). Not to mention that exercise can't always undo the negative health effects of a poor diet. Sweets and other junk foods don't give you all the vitamins and minerals you need to reach your fitness goals, either.

Better reason: Exercise to indulge occasionally in your favorite treats. Instead of exercising to eat whatever you want, think of it as a way to support your healthy lifestyle by boosting your health and happiness—not trying to outsmart a bad diet. You'll still be able to enjoy a treat now and again without worrying so much about the extra calories, but the key is to make those treats occasional—not the norm.

To run away from your problems. We all come across problems and stress in our lives, and exercise can be a good stress reducer. But if you're using exercise as a way to escape and run away from all of your problems, you may be asking for trouble. Exercise alone won't solve everything; you must deal with life's struggles directly.

Better reason: Exercise to be better equipped to handle problems as they arise. Instead of running away from your problems, use your work out time to clear your head for a while or use the time to think through any issues you may be facing. Sometimes, when you're engaged in physical activity, a new solution or idea will come to you that you can then implement in your life to resolve issues. But remember to use exercise as an outlet for improving your life—not a way to stick your head in the sand to avoid your thoughts and feelings.

To energize when you're lacking sleep. Exercise is known as a natural energy booster, but if you're using workouts as a way to get going when you're not getting enough sleep in the first place, you could be doing your body more harm than good. Without proper rest, you could experience the effects of overtraining, which can break down your muscles and make you weaker. Not to mention that too many sleepless nights have many adverse health effects; from weight gain to an elevated risk of heart disease. Add strenuous exercise on top of poor sleeping habits, and your body could view your workouts as yet another stressor.

Better reason: Exercise to improve your overall health, including the quality of your sleep. It's so important to respect your body and give yourself the rest it needs. Instead of amping yourself up with exercise, work out because you want to improve your overall health, happiness, and sleep. Research shows that exercise can improve sleep patterns, so start focusing on the positives instead of using exercise as a quick fix to get through your day. If you have to make a tough choice between sleeping a few extra hours or exercising, choose sleep most of the time so you can meet your body's daily 7-8 hour quota; choose the gym over adequate sleep too often, and your body may not benefit in the way you hope!

To get skinny. There is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, and exercise can help you get there. But if you view exercise as nothing more than a means to fit into a certain size, you could be sabotaging yourself. Regardless of body size or weight, working out is a must for everyone! If you view exercise as a temporary fix, a chore to achieve your dream body, or if you're exercising in extreme amounts or intensities in order to "get skinny", you must change your mentality. These are unhealthy reasons to exercise that are simply not sustainable. If you choose to go this route, the only thing you'll end up with is a major motivation problem.

Better reason: Exercise—at any weight—because it's good for you. Exercise isn't just for people who need to lose weight—even "skinny" people need to work out for their health and well-being! So, instead of focusing your workouts on looking a certain way or being a certain size, refocus on finding workouts that you enjoy—you will then stick with them for the long haul. This goes for intensity, too. If you can't keep up with long workouts five days every week, switch to something that you can maintain as part of your healthy lifestyle. There is nothing wrong with working out to feel more confident about your body—but it's not the only reason to do it. Come up with a list of exercise benefits that matter to you, and think of them when your motivation is low—or when your body isn't responding the way you'd like. Because even then, you will still benefit and reach other fitness goals.

Working out for the right reasons will not only help your body reach optimal health, but your emotional health will benefit too. So, the next time you head to the gym because you "feel fat" or want to undo some hefty eating, think about the real reason you're working out—to improve the quality and longevity of your life!

By Jennipher Walters, Certified Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor

TAKE The Physical Wellness Assessment

Dimensions of Wellness:  Physical Wellness

Physical Wellness Assessment

The physical dimension of wellness involves encouraging regular activities that produce endurance, flexibility and strength. Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always = 2 points           
Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point          
Very seldom = 0 points

_____  1.  I exercise aerobically (vigorous, continuous) for 20 to 30 minutes at least three times per week.
_____  2.  I eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day.
_____  3.  I avoid tobacco products.
_____  4.  I wear a seat belt while riding in and driving a car.
_____  5.  I deliberately minimize my intake of cholesterol, dietary fats, and oils.
_____  6.  I avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or I consume no more than one drink per day.
_____  7.  I get an adequate amount of sleep.
_____  8.  I have adequate coping mechanisms for dealing with stress.
_____  9.  I maintain a regular schedule of immunizations, physicals, dental checkups and self-exams.
_____ 10. I maintain a reasonable weight, avoiding extremes of overweight and underweight.
_______ Total for Physical Wellness Dimension

Score: 15 to 20 Points -  Excellent strength in this dimension.

Score:  9 to 14 Points - There is room for improvement.  Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0.  What changes can you make to improve your score?

Score:  0 to 8 Points - This dimension needs a lot of work.  Look again at  this dimension and challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here.  Remember:  The goal is balanced wellness.

Can Exercise Keep You Young?

Article Link:  Can Exercise Keep You Young?

“Exercise alters the course of aging,...”

"We all know that physical activity is beneficial in countless ways, but even so, Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, a professor of pediatrics at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, was startled to discover that exercise kept a strain of mice from becoming gray prematurely."

"Mitochondria combine oxygen and nutrients to create fuel for the cells — they are microscopic power generators."

"Many scientists consider the loss of healthy mitochondria to be an important underlying cause of aging in mammals."

Deni & Jeff Jacobs Challenged Athletes Center GRAND Opening Success!!