That's Fit

Dr. Oz's Greatest Health Tips and Foods that Sabbotage or Improve Sleep: Links We Love

AOL Health Editors — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Alternative & Green Health, Men's Health

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

At That's Fit and AOL Health we certainly love yoga (for weight-loss, to improve sex and more!), but Dr. Oz gave us one more reason to harness our inner-yogis: Loosening your muscles through yoga may mean you're less likely to injure yourself in your other fitness activities. Find 24 more health tips from Dr. Oz.

Got a case of the Monday afternoon slumps? Continue reading to find out why toast could help improve your sleep.

Ahh, the late-night fridge and cupboard rounds...Tempting though they may be, midnight snacks could hurt your chances of catching some Zzzs.

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Slim Down With Sandbags

Deborah Dunham — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health

Photo: Rodale

They have been referred to as "the world's simplest workout." They are incorporated into outdoor boot camp classes featuring unconventional exercises. And for as little as 50 cents, you can burn some serious calories with them.

Sandbags are hitting the fitness circuit by storm. When it comes to slimming down, getting stronger and toning up, this small item has big potential. Sandbags are simple and easy to use, easily adjustable to your level and the shifting weight of the sand challenges your body to expend more calories with each move.

Flexible enough for everyday athletes to professionals, some NFL players reportedly spend their off-season training with sandbags. "The ever-shifting shape of a sandbag makes it nearly impossible to settle into a lifting groove like you do with free weights or machines," head strength coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers told Men's Health. "So every workout is unique and challenging."

Continue reading Slim Down With Sandbags

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Tailor Your Workout to Your Favorite Sport

Nicole Dorsey-Straff — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation, Men's Health

Photo: Howard Wise

Playing sports and hitting the gym can be totally separate activities, but it doesn't have to be that way. Whether you're just starting out with a new sport or have been hitting the field since your school days -- you'll go further and faster if your gym routine compliments your inner athlete.

"You'll feel more body confident, prevent injuries, and improve your overall athletic performance if you use sports-specific resistance training two to three days a week in addition to regular workouts," says Tom Williams, former U.S. Olympic swimmer and owner of Burn Fitness health club in Santa Monica, Calif.

Here, Williams offers simple training tweaks for four of the most common hobbies and fit pastimes: Swimming, running, cycling and playing golf or tennis. After two to four weeks of incorporating these specific moves into your regimen and practicing your sport, you'll have a stronger core, a leaner lower body, faster reflexes and the ability to play better with more stamina.

Swimming
Swim a minimum of twice a week, but train not only with your favorite stroke (free-style, for instance), alternate it with other strokes, including a backstroke and the butterfly because each specific movement really zeroes in on different muscle groups and works your body in new ways.

Moves: Yoga side planks, ab crunches and push-ups also boost your swimming muscles and core strength. Williams recommends using a resistance band or dumbbells to strengthen the muscles all around your upper and outer back. In addition to a gym lat pull-down machine or a chest bench press, stand upright and tie a tube or band handle around a bed post or use dumbbells to row back with arms straight until hands reach hips. Return arms to full extension and repeat 10 times.

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Can Exercise Protect You From Cancer?

AOL Health Editors — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fitness, Men's Health

Get out there and run. And put some energy into it!

Men who exercise vigorously for at least 30 minutes a day are far less likely to ever develop cancer, according to a study from researchers at the universities of Kuopio and Oulu in Finland. Why? The key factor in lowering the risk of cancer is a higher rate of oxygen consumption, reports Agence France Presse.

The study: For one year, the researchers studied the leisure time activity of 2,560 men between the ages of 41 and 61 years old, none of whom had a history of cancer. Sixteen years later, 181 of the men had died from cancer, primarily from cancer of the stomach, intestines, lungs, prostate and brain.

The results: Using an intensity scale for physical exercise that measured "metabolic units" of oxygen consumption, the scientists found that the men who exercised for at least 30 minutes a day were half as likely to get cancer as those who did not, reports AFP.

Exercise appears to offer the greatest protection from gastrointenstinal and lung cancers, and this held true even when other factors, such as age, alcohol consumption, smoking and weight, were considered. "The intensity of leisure-time physical activity should be at least moderate so that beneficial effect ... for reducing overall cancer mortality can be achieved," the researchers conclude.

The study findings were reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

--From the Editors at Netscape

Diet can help too. Click here to see which superfoods have been shown to reduce the risk of cancer.

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Are Potbellies In Style For Summer?

Katherine Tweed — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Men's Health

It's suddenly cool to sport a tummy; Photo: Matt Carr, Getty Images

Potbellies are back for men, according to The New York Times. Or perhaps they never went away?

Theories abound in the article as to the cause. David Zinczenko, the editor of "Men's Health," told The New York Times, that with so many women in the workplace, it's been more important for men to market themselves to the ladies in terms of both financial and physical prowess.

"I sort of think the six-pack abs obsession got so prissy it stopped being masculine," is how Aaron Hicklin, the editor of "Out," explains the emergence of the Ralph Kramden, as it's been coined.

Metrosexuality out, moderate beer belly in. But where is that line? It's true that women never get that sort of pass if they're sporting a bulge in the midsection. Are more young men actually letting themselves go, or is this just a trend being noted around the streets of Brooklyn?

Continue reading Are Potbellies In Style For Summer?

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Yoga Men - Are You There?

Bev Sklar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fitness, Motivation, Men's Health

Most Mondays you'll find me in Bodyflow class (a Tai Chi/Pilates/Yoga combo) with a bunch of ... women. In all the weeks I've been attending, never a guy. All the testosterone sits below in the free weight room. I have one question for fitness guys everywhere -- why aren't you there? My husband can't be the only one in town willing to commit to a Triangle Pose.

According to this article in Yoga Journal, 77 percent of U.S. yoga practitioners are female. Seems the number should be higher based on my personal observation over the years, coupled with the fact that only one in 10 Yoga Journal subscribers is a dude. The author offers a few reasons why men and yoga don't date in this country, here are three I found interesting:

Yoga is simply foreign territory -- It takes a brave man to enter that room full of calm women, likely led by a woman or if the instructor is a man, not likely the towel-snapping-let's-go-for-a-beer-after-the-game type of guy's guy.
Yoga hurts -- Scientists don't know why, but men are less flexible, with boys losing flexibility faster than girls by adolescence. Weight-training tends to take priority over flexibility-training in male sports programs.
It's a brain thing -- namely, mirror neurons. These brain cells receive signals from another person and trigger similar reactions in the observer. Mirror neurons are firing when you're watching and imitating a yoga instructor. It's unknown if women have more of these cells or they're simply more active, but women definitely mimic better than men. Guys, don't lose hope. Your mirror neurons will improve if you keep returning to the yoga mat.

OK, guys. Have you tried yoga? Will you try yoga? Let us know in the poll below. The world needs more than a few good Yoga Men.

View Poll

Gallery: Body by yoga

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Grab your whisks and spatulas, guys - today is National Men Make Dinner Day

Jacki Donaldson — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

Hurry, guys, start thinking of something healthy you can whip up for a meal tonight, because today is National Men Make Dinner Day. This great day is not intended for all you men out there who already cook. It's for those who never do, those who might be afraid of the kitchen, those who typically enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor.

I know I haven't given you much notice to plan your attack but sometimes, it's best to work under pressure. So here's your mission: Hunt down a recipe (if you're stuck on this one, ask a friend, a trusted colleague, your mom), jot down what you need to make your meal come together, pick up your ingredients at the supermarket on your way home from work (if you're already home, head out now), and go straight home and start preparing your masterpiece.

Here's my advice: Make it simple, and make it healthy. Perhaps a recipe isn't even necessary. How about grilling some chicken and serving with a side of steamed veggies, some whole grain bread, and maybe a salad with no dressing but some juicy fruit, like pineapple or grapes? Pour some sparkling water, finish with a small piece of dark chocolate, and a healthy meal you'll have. Give it whirl, why don't you? And let us know how it goes. And hey, if things don't work out for today, there's always tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day.

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Women do this better than men

Maggie Vink — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

Did you know that women tend to eat more healthfully than men? And that women are more likely to choose foods to benefit their overall health and/or select foods for a specific health purpose (e.g. digestive health)? After the somewhat frustrating news Martha gave us about the difference between men and women when it comes to fitness, I'm glad to hear women have an edge somewhere.

According to a recent research study, both genders believe that nutrition plays an important role in health, but women came out on top in all categories studied. For example, 53% of women choose foods to benefit overall wellness, compared to 46% of men.

So c'mon guys ... consider it a challenge. Maybe by the next time this subject is studied, you'll have closed the gap.

[via Vital Juice Daily]

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Check out this 80-year-old bodybuilder

Martha Edwards — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:26:00 EST

Filed under: Healthy Aging, Fitness, Men's Health

At nearly 80, Ray Moon has suffered through polio, open heart surgery, financial ruin and two minor strokes. And he has a pacemaker. So you might be surprised to know what Mr. Moon's claim to fame is: He's a bodybuilding champ in his native Australia.

He recently took home the top prize in the Victorian Bodybuilding Championships in Melbourne in the 'over 60' category, which is quite a feat considering he is well over 60 -- by nearly 20 years! What's even more amazing? He only started working out four years ago. For more of this story, click here.

Mr. Moon works out six days a week for 2.5 hours and walks 4 km every day. Feel lazy yet? I sure do.

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Don't be an asterisk

Chris Sparling — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

"I learned it by watching you," the young man explains to his father after it's learned that he's using drugs. That's how the now famous commercial from the 1980s unfolds, reminding parents of the influence their behaviors have on their children. Fast forward 20 years or so, and kids now have constant access to information that extends far past the walls of their home, yet in some circumstances they remain utterly deprived of knowledge.

A case can certainly made these days that professional athletes, Hollywood celebrities, and rock stars have an obligation, a duty, to the youth in this country to be role models. Kids today not only turn to their parents for answers or guidance, but they rely on what they see and hear on YouTube and MySpace. And, if part what they're hearing and seeing is the concept of a physical ideal, some young people will do what they mistakenly feel is necessary to achieve it -- even it if means taking the same dangerous steps those athletes or celebrities have taken.

In efforts to raise awareness of the growing trend of teenage steroid use, and to dispel the notion that a physical ideal actually even exists, the Ad Council has launched a campaign called "Don't Be an Asterisk," referring to the asterisk that has been placed in the record books after the names of athletes who reportedly used performance-enhancing drugs. Parents and kids alike can visit the interactive website www.dontbeanasterisk.com to learn more about the negative effects of steroids, in addition to finding a surfeit of information on how to live a healthy, drug-free life.

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Dark beer and 5 other healthy man foods

Jacki Donaldson — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 07:30:00 EST

Filed under: Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

Feel free to borrow these tips, ladies, but men -- these are mostly for you. Well, those of you who just can't part with goodies like cookies, beer, bacon, and chips. This list offers you options for satisfying your cravings but without the ill-effects. Don't delay -- click on the thumbnails to read on!

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Pumping up changes laws of attraction

Laura Lewis — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:20:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Motivation, Men's Health

When you work out with weights, you naturally elevate your testosterone levels (check out this recent post about boosting testosterone). Naturally, raising testosterone levels via weight resistance training can be a very good thing for both men and women unless it causes you to be less attracted to your spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend!

A recent journal publication reveals that women who have higher testosterone levels are attracted to men who have more masculine, "manly," high testosterone-like features -- such as the physical facial qualities that Russel Crowe or Dwayne"The Rock" Johnson possess. Men with elevated levels of the same hormone are more likely to be attracted to more feminine faces like Natalie Portman or Jessica Biel.

This fascinating study was conducted at the University of Aberdeen's Face Research Laboratory. Researchers had male and female volunteers view pairs of photographs of the opposite sex and asked them to choose who they found the most attractive. Each volunteer gave saliva samples to measure testosterone levels during their photo viewing sessions. This process was conducted four times in four weeks with each session one week apart. Face preferences changed as testosterone levels changed. For women, if testosterone was found to be lower, they would choose a less masculine face and conversely, if the hormone was higher, they selected the image of one who had more chiseled, macho features! Men selected more feminine faces when their testosterone was higher. What does all this mean?

Continue reading Pumping up changes laws of attraction

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Ask Laura! Boost Bedroom Mojo with Exercise

Laura Lewis — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:21:00 EST

Filed under: Ask Laura!, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Motivation, Men's Health

Life Fitness is a process of continuous growth: physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Need motivation and guidance to facilitate positive changes in your life? Ask Life Fit Expert Laura Lewis!

Dear Laura:

My husband and I work full-time. By the time we get home and eat dinner, we really aren't interested in having sex. I know all I want to do is get ready for bed to sleep! My husband is usually asleep by the time I get into bed. I read somewhere that exercising might help by putting us "in the mood." Would joining a gym help us out in the love department?

Thanks a bunch!

"Feeling like a slug" in Chicago

Dear Feeling,

So many people are low energy, depressed, stressed and just plain unhappy. Like you, there is not a lot of activity happening in the bedroom. Many are sedentary. Yet, did you know that simply exercising, specifically doing weight resistance exercise at least three times per week can naturally elevate your testosterone or "T" levels? And the higher your testosterone levels are the more you will be in the mood to hop in the sack with your honey. If you are interested in having some smoking hot activity in the boudoir with your sweetie pie, listen up! Check out these 5 "T" boosting tips on how to turn up the heat!

1. Join a gym. If you have never had a private session with a trainer, then book one. An experienced personal trainer can give you a thorough orientation on how to properly use all of the exercise equipment a gym has to offer. Most gyms will provide a free session upon request to help you get started.Then once you get going, really focus upon the goal of doing three high intensity sets on each piece of equipment with resting periods in between sets, of 30 seconds to three minutes. Workout hard and push yourself to go beyond your comfort zone. Higher intensity workouts result in higher elevation of testosterone. Also, the harder you workout, the longer you can rest before you move on to the next set!

Continue reading Ask Laura! Boost Bedroom Mojo with Exercise

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'Bigorexics' are never big enough

Chris Sparling — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fitness, Men's Health

There are news stories frequently written about people dealing with the dangers of anorexia. In most cases, anorexia is suffered by women, although more and more cases of what's referred to as "manorexia" are surfacing in men. But there exists an opposite side of that weight-obsession coin, one that deals not with a person feeling as if they are too big, but just the opposite -- that they are too small and not muscular enough.

While it's easy to assume that the hugely muscular guy (or woman, in fewer cases) at the gym is either a competitive bodybuilder or just bit narcissistic, this may not be the case. Muscle dysmorphia is a disorder in which very muscular people believe that they look too small and that they lack muscularity, even if others tell them differently. Muscle dysmorphia can influence a person's mood, often causing depression or feelings of disgust. This is often connected with an obsessive comparison with their own body to what they perceive to be an attainable ideal, frequently resulting in the performance of extreme training sessions and the use of anabolic steroids.

Does this mean that all you workout junkies out there suffer from muscle dysmorphia? Probably not. But, if you find that your constant preoccupation with perceived muscular inadequacy interferes with school, career accomplishments, friendships and romantic relationships, you may be witnessing signs of this disorder.

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Men: This chemical might make you fat

Jacki Donaldson — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 07:44:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Reviews & Products, Men's Health

Pay attention, men, to all the stuff you've got stashed in your house -- everything from plastics to shaving creams to foods -- because a common household chemical may be found in these items and could be making you fat.

Phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are the problem chemicals, and studies found that men with the most exposure to them were on average about three inches larger in waist circumference than other men. Their insulin resistance levels were notably higher as well.

Don't stress too much about this news, because there's something you can do about this dangerous chemical: Avoid it. Maybe one day, the government will regulate it too.

For more on phthalates, from the folks who think they are not so harmful, click here. For some scoop on where else phthalates might be hiding and how to avoid all traces of the them, click here.

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Fit Factor: Keep your body swimsuit ready all year round

Chris Sparling — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

Many people work hard to have their bodies ready for beach season. But, once Labor Day rolls past and the colder, baggy-clothes-wearing months arrive, many exercise programs tend to go into hibernation until spring.

This year, however, we're going to make sure that we stay healthy and fit year round. Not only is this better for your health and wellness, but it will make fitting into your bathing suit next summer that much easier. To make this inter-seasonal fitness a possibility, it's going to take a little lot of work. Diet: clean. Stress: less. And -- what we'll focus on here -- exercise: difficult. Alright, we've already wasted enough time. Let's get to that workout, shall we?

Start first with a five-minute warm-up on a treadmill or stationary bike (or just walk around your neighborhood). Once that five minutes is up, it's time to kick things into high gear.

Do two sets of 12 repetitions of squat thrusts, resting 30 seconds in between sets. Once you've finished your 12th rep of your second set, jump right onto a treadmill (or, if you're outdoors, just start running). Run for 90 seconds at a very high speed (almost a sprint), and then slow down to a moderately-paced jog for three minutes. Repeat this process three times and then rest for two minutes.

Continue reading Fit Factor: Keep your body swimsuit ready all year round

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Secondhand smoke damages blood vessels quickly

Chris Sparling — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:30:00 EST

Filed under: Healthy Habits, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Men's Health

About a month and a half ago, while I was out in Wisconsin, I was surprised to find that smoking is still allowed in restaurants. Being a native New Englander who has also lived in California -- where smoking in restaurants and bars has been banned for quite some time -- my personal knowledge of smoking bans caused me to be somewhat presumptive in thinking this was a nationwide trend. No offense to Wisconsin (or any other states that don't have a restaurant/bar smoking ban) ... but shouldn't it be?

If you take a recent Women's Health article on the topic of secondhand smoke into consideration, it's hard to argue against such a suggestion. According to said article, it takes thirty minutes or less for secondhand smoke to damage blood vessels and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Even such brief exposure disrupts normal expansion and contraction of blood vessels -- and it destroys EPCs, cells that help repair the arterial lining.

Look, I'm all in favor of people having the right to live their life without too much government interference. But, people eating at a restaurant also have the right to not have secondhand smoke destroy their blood vessels. While it's true that these folks could always eat somewhere else if the smoke bothers them, frankly, shouldn't it be the smokers who should go somewhere else?

Your thoughts?

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The 5: Ways to recover from over-training

Chris Sparling — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Men's Health

What do headaches, depression, fatigue, illness, irritability, weakness, joint pain, insomnia, loss of appetite, and muscle atrophy have in common? If you answered a day in Amy Winehouse's life, you're probably right, but that's not the answer we're looking for. What is the answer, then? They are all signs of over-training.

As important as it is to push yourself during your workouts, it's entirely possible to push yourself too hard and too far. To help remedy the effects of an overzealous workout program, Men's Health offers the following five tips:

1. Take a Week Off Exercise. Rest is the most effective way to treat over-training, as it provides your body with the time it needs to fully repair the damage.

Continue reading The 5: Ways to recover from over-training

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Prostate exam gone public

Maggie Vink — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celebs & Entertainment, Men's Health

Regular prostate exams are recommended for men over age 40. Tomorrow during the celebrity-packed Stand Up For Cancer TV show, Brad Garrett will draw attention to the importance of the exam in a brand new way. He's going to get a prostate exam... on TV.

I can't imagine how -- or what -- they're planning to show on TV. After all, prostate exams are necessary, but they're not exactly fodder for family viewing. But, knowing Brad Garrett, I'm sure they'll make it humorous and humor is often an excellent way to draw attention to serious issues.

Tune in to Stand Up to Cancer on September 5th. The special airs on ABC, NBC, and CBS.

Gallery: Stars standing up to cancer

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Uncover your six-pack

Chris Sparling — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Womens Health, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health

Hundreds upon hundreds of crunches, leg lifts, and twists, yet a six-pack is nowhere to be found. Sound familiar? If so, it's time you got off the floor and on your feet again, because the only way you're going to get those abs popping is to reduce your body fat.

Generally speaking, the men and women you see gracing the covers of fitness magazines have a body fat percentage of less than ten percent. And, as you can tell by looking at them, they definitely have ab muscles. The thing is, so do you; the only difference is, if you can't see yours, it's because they're hidden behind a layer of subcutaneous fat.

To shed this fatty layer and expose your six-pack, stick to a sensible diet (no simple sugars, keep unhealthy fats to a minimum, eat plenty of protein, and keep caloric consumption under control) and follow a cardio program that works for you. For some people, this means utilizing a high-intensity interval training workout, which has been shown in numerous studies to blast fat at a rapid rate. Other people prefer longer durations of moderate-intensity cardio work, which is effective in its own right. One suggestion would be to alter cardio programs every four to six weeks, so as to avoid reaching a fitness plateau. Another great way to help reach your goals faster is to incorporate a resistance training program, ideally in the form of a weightlifting circuit routine. Follow this approach and those ab muscles of yours will come out from hiding in no time.

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