What's the worst piece of fitness equipment?

Question of the week:
What is the worst piece of equipment you've ever used?

My answer:

For me, I think the worst fitness machine has been the home rowing machine my girlfriend had in university. She stored it under the stairs and offered it to all of us roommates to use. I remember using it once or twice but found it so jerky and difficult to pull that I didn't continue... neither did she. Imagine my surprise years later when I tried the "real" rowing machine at the YMCA and liked it!

But, really, the worst piece of equipment is the one you don't use. How many times have you heard about people using their newly acquired treadmill for a clothes rack? How many stationary bikes have you seen for sale at garage sales?

The best fitness equipment is the one you will use.

What is your favourite piece of fitness equipment? What's your least favourite?

Whose fault is child obesity?

Question of the week:
Whose fault is it that kids today are obese?

My answer:
Although I don’t think it’s fair to point fingers, in this case, I do believe it’s the parent’s fault. I know that there’s a lot of pressure from media to eat at Burger King, KFC and Dairy Queen, but who said that it has to be a weekly event? When I grew up, my parents took us out maybe once every 3 months! And when we did go to McDonalds, we were allowed a burger, fries and a drink – no supersizing back then.

We were also told to “go play outside”. But more often than not, my parents came with us. I remember hiking through the back woods, swimming at the local YMCA, and biking through the neighbourhood.

My parents cared enough to say “no” to regular food outings and “yes” to exercise. They cared enough to say “no” to video games and “yes” to veggies.


What are your thoughts on child obesity? Is there something that can be done about it?


Can I exercise while pregnant?

Question of the week:
Should women who are pregnant diet or start an exercise program?

My answer:

The pre/post natal woman should not try to restrict calories, but on the other hand, they don’t need to overeat either. Dieting during pregnancy can lead to low weight gain, which in turn, is associated with a lower birth weight. Most women will gain between 25 and 35 pounds.

Exercise is important for both the pre- and post-natal woman. Women experience some calcium loss from their bones during pregnancy because of its transfer to the developing fetus and this can result in a calcium deficiency if sufficient calcium is not replaced in the diet. Exercise will help to strengthen bones by strengthening muscles, and this can help to counteract the effect of calcium lost. Regular exercise will also keep the pre-natal woman in shape for labour and delivery. After delivery, exercise will help to gain much-needed strength and endurance, boost energy and decrease stress.

The pre/post natal woman enjoys the same benefits from fitness as the “normal” person. However, this is not the time to try to increase fitness by increasing workload. Participants should be encouraged to monitor their own effort and comfort in order to stay aerobic and injury free.

Do you have any tips to share for pre- and post-natal women?

Thanks for Participating in the Giveaway Blog Hop

The 1st John 3:16 Giveaway Blog Hop is now over!

As one of the members of this great network of Christian Authors, I was excited to participate in this event! We came together this last week to showcase our books and to give you, our readers, a chance to win some great prizes as you "hop" from blog to blog.


Let's thank the following John 3:16 Authors for sponsoring our 2 free Kindles

Deborah McCarragher Joy Hannabass, Rose McCauley Elaine Cooper
Amanda Stephen Tom Blubaugh Paulette Harper Theresa Franklin
Susan Craft Carol Brown Lynn Dove Martin Roth Saundra Dalton-Smith
Katherine Harms Heather Bixler Lorilyn Roberts Laura Davis
Bob Saffrin Sid Frost Sammie Chandler Donna Dawson


Congratulations to the Grand Prize winners:

 Marnie Pohlmann

Patricia Day


Winners of our two Kindles from the John 3:16 Marketing Network Giveaway Blog Hop!
Thank you to all those who participated last week!  Also, if you signed up to win some prizes at the other participating blog sites, winners have been announced and if you were a winner, you will be notified by email within the next couple of days.
Names were selected using random.org


ALL HOPPERS WHO LEFT A COMMENT WITH THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS RECEIVED 1 OF 3 FITNESS E-BOOKLETS AND WERE ENTERED IN A RANDOM DRAW TO WIN FIT FOR FAITH – 7 WEEKS TO IMPROVED SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH E-BOOK


Congratulations to the Winner of Fit for Faith - 7 weeks to improved spiritual & physical health:


Susan Baganz!





Happy blog hopping!
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What is the set point in weight loss?

Question:
I've heard of something called a "set point" in relation to weight loss. What is it? Another real and mysterious part of losing weight, or nothing to be concerned about?

My answer:

The “set point” is the range of weight at which your body is most comfortable.

Your weight is the sum total of your bones, organs, fat, muscles and other tissue. You can have influence over the weight of fat and muscle in your body, but generally not the weight of your organs and other tissues.

Your body builds fat cells as a baby, in puberty and again in pregnancy. Once we have a fat cell, we cannot get rid of it. The number of fat cells remain the same. What we have control over (through exercise and healthy eating) is the amount of fat each cell contains.

However, we need to take the emphasis off the number on the scale and focus on body composition – fat compared to lean body mass. Two people can weigh exactly the same on a scale and yet be tremendously different in body composition. Since muscle weighs more than fat, the scale weight can be deceiving. Instead, pay attention to how you feel and how your clothes fit.

The Diet Channel offers an article on 3 ways to defeat your set point.


Have you found a good way to defeat your set point?