I spent many of my summer vacations as a little girl visiting SeaWorld. I loved it so much that I almost pursued marine biology. The thought of riding Shamu was and still is more enticing to me than flying or any other magical act. So, bringing my family of four to SeaWorld last week was a no-brainer. This time, though, not only was I in search of fun ... I decided to dissect the park and find out how it fared in the healthy living department. Could we leave more fit than when we arrived?

I've done this experiment before at other major theme parks and vacation destinations and these are the things I look for.

• Is there an opportunity to be physically active?
• Is healthy food readily available?
• Will I and other guests be inspired to do and be better?
• Is the vacation fun?

Here, I focus on physical activity.

Source

Next week, from September 24th to 30th, parents in cities across North America are encouraged to get their kids out into the great outdoors. It's called 'Take a Child Outside' week, and it's happening with 250 organizations across the nation.

To be honest, at first I thought this was a joke -- because, really, do you need a special event to encourage parents to get their kids outdoors? But it is legit, and given the obesity epidemic, it's really not all that surprising. After all, we are living in a time where kids use treadmills.

If you ask me, every week should be 'Take a Child Outside' week. The only exception should be in cases of really extreme weather, and even then, your kids should be getting some sort of indoor physical activity. Your thoughts?

(via Calorie Lab)

Source

It was back-to-school for New York students this week, but there was a new policy in place. This year, a new policy went into effect, and students are being weighed as part of their health certificate. The data will enable health officials to map childhood overweight and obesity trends based on location.

There are 12 other states -- Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia -- with some form of student BMI reporting.

As a parent, I'm not overtly opposed to it. In fact, I remember getting weighed in gym class and during all of my physicals in order to play school sports. I do have a couple of concerns, though. I would hope that student privacy is maintained and their weight isn't being taken in a line where all the kids could see the number on the scale. I would also hope that health and a positive body image is being promoted -- the self esteem of children can be a fragile thing and I hope it's being protected.

Source

Some people might think we're a little nutty about our kids' early bedtime. I mean, we can be flexible. This summer, our boys enjoyed many a late night since they could sleep late in the morning. But mostly, and definitely when school is in session, Joey and Danny head for bed around 8 PM. That gives them 10.5 hours of sleep before we start the day with a rousing wake-up call.

Research says we're not so nutty after all, because getting too little sleep or not spending enough time in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is associated with overweight tendencies among children and teens.

Compared to normal-weight children, one study found that overweight kids slept about 22 minutes less per night and had lower sleep efficiency, shorter REM sleep, less eye activity during REM sleep, and a longer wait before the first REM period. One hour less of total sleep was associated with a twofold increased risk of being overweight. One hour less of REM sleep was associated with a threefold increased risk.

What's the deal? It seems sleep loss causes changes in hormone levels that may affect hunger. Less sleep also allows for more waking hours in which to eat. In addition, sleep loss leads to fatigue, less physical activity, and fewer calories burned. A vicious cycle for sure. And one I plan to avoid for my kiddos. Bedtime tonight: 8 PM. On the dot.

Source

Check out your fingers. Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Mine is. Uh Oh. That means I have nearly double the chance of developing osteoarthritis, according to a recent study.

Size differences between ring fingers and index fingers have already been linked to sexual and physical ability and performance in university exams, but researchers have now discovered that arthritis might also be connected to the size of fingers.

Type 3 Finger Pattern is what it's called when people have the common male trait of a shorter index finger, and it's now been linked to arthritis of the hips and knees. More common in women than men, the mechanism that accounts for this finding -- and one linking this finger pattern with early onset menopause -- is unknown.

Sounds like I could be headed for future health issues. How about you?

Source

I don't always feel like exercising when I'm down in the dumps. But I know it's good for me and whenever I force myself into physical activity, I always cheer up. I usually turn to running when I want to banish my blues. But according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, mopping my floor may be enough to boost my mood.

As little as 20 minutes a week of any sort of physical activity can help alleviate psychological distress, say researchers from University College London. While vigorous activity has the most effect, you can still enjoy an emotional lift with minimal effort. Clean the house, work in the garden, or walk around the block, and you could enjoy a 41% lower risk of feeling blah.

Personally, I subscribe to a pretty active fitness routine for overall health and happiness, but it's good to know I can bust out of my bad mood with a little light housecleaning.

Source

Joey took his first stab at indoor rock climbing the other day. He's seven. I tried the same feat when I was, oh, twenty-something, and I came barreling down from great heights (there was a rope involved, don't worry) as tears spilled from my eyes. It wasn't fear that started my water works. It was physical exhaustion and frustration. I kept trying to use my arms to pull me up, you see, unaware at the time that my legs harnessed the power to propel me upward. Joey figured this out in no time. I'm the slow one.

I told Joey as he tackled the wall that he's stronger than me. "You're just saying that so I won't quit," he said. He's also smarter than me. He can detect psychological maneuvering in a second.

Really, Joey is stronger than me. I'm not so weak now, at the advanced age of 38, but it took me quite some time to believe I possess the physical know-how to master major challenges -- like ropes courses, whitewater rafting, snow-skiing, parasailing, a 5K, and yes, rock climbing. So it's such a pleasure to watch my growing boy excel in areas that will enrich both his mental and physical world.

We're off on a bike ride tonight, me and my guy. Something tells me I'll be trailing Joey the whole time.

Finally, autopsy results are in for University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher, who died during spring drills in March -- see previous post here. The cause of death: A pre-existing medical condition worsened by physical stress.

The Orange County Medical Examiner's Office said Plancher, 19, had a sickle cell trait that caused problems with his red blood cells during physical exertion. Apparently, Plancher's heart began beating abnormally, and blood flow to the wide receiver's muscles and organs slowed or stopped. There was no evidence of trauma or illegal drugs or toxins in Plancher's body.

UCF school official says the health of students is top priority. And they may need to do a little investigating -- about a month after Plancher's death, the Orlando Sentinel reported that a group of anonymous students indicated the football player was struggling during practice, that perhaps the coach was singling out Plancher for not trying hard enough. The coach and the school say the newspaper's report is false.

Source

In my expert opinion, yes! Disney World is the healthiest place on earth. I just returned from a five-night, six-day vacation with my husband and two children and was blown away by the amount of physical activity both offered and required of ourselves in order to indulge in the full Disney experience.

We pushed our double-stroller miles through two theme parks, climbed thousands of stairs and jumped an equal amount of waves at two water-parks, danced our tushies off to live bands at various Disney resorts, and played game after game with our children as we giggled, oohed and ahhed at all the Disney magic. As a fitness trainer, one of my biggest obstacles is convincing my clients not to trash their fitness efforts when they head out on vacation. Disney offers the perfect opportunity to not only maintain one's fitness level, but improve it.

The physical adventures are endless, and Disney World has made a deliberate effort to increase the availability of legitimately nutritious, low fat, and lower sugar foods. Fruit stands have popped up all over the theme parks, and children's dining has switched from burgers and fries to grilled chicken with carrots and grapes offered as side dishes. Soda has been dumped for low fat milk! I can't get food that "clean" in my own neighborhood, unless I cook it myself! Of course, the old junkie favorites like popcorn, fries, and ice cream are still available, but if you do care about your health and want to maintain it on vacation ... Disney makes it easy.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I am a person with T-12 incomplete Paraplegia. I'm interested in learning about some decent ab workouts (including obliques) that I could do at the gym or at home. Just to provide you with a little more information, my T-12 vertebrae are connected by rods. I'd really appreciate some guidance. Thanks! Jon

A. Hello Jon, What a wonderful question! I really feel there's a gaping hole in the fitness industry which needs to address fitness training for people dealing with injuries and/or disabilities. You are the perfect example of that. A guy who's had a spinal injury, but still strives for better fitness beyond rehab facilities. I love it. I also love the spinal cord, and appreciate the sensitivity of it. Long ago, while I was earning my Master's Degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences at the University of Florida, I took a magnificent course on the spine from a brilliant woman, Dr. Christine Stopka, Professor of Adapted Physical Activity & Medical Terminology. She taught me to respect the spine first, and then went on from there. A major aspect of the course focused on educating her students about the things people with disabilities could do. She spent far more time on the could dos than the can't dos. That's one of the most important things I took away with me. I thought your question deserved the most expert advice, so I passed it on to her.

Source

Here at That's Fit, we're forever grateful for the service, courage and sacrifice made by the heroic men and women who serve as military, law enforcement officers, and firefighters. We're so grateful, that we'd like to dedicate some features to both showing our heroes off, and learning a little bit in the process as well. If you serve your country courageously, are a veteran or know someone who does, please return this form completed to Fitz along with a photo and we'll share your story with the world.

Name: Erik J. Fritz

Age: 19

Occupation: Bulk Fuel Specialist at the Marine Corps and Navy Reserves Unit

If you're in the military...where are you? Green Bay, WI,

How often do you exercise? Almost every day

What type of exercise do you do? Running outside and on the treadmill, lifting weights, and a lot of push-ups.

What gets you to workout, even when you're feeling lazy? Knowing that I have to stay in good shape to pass my PT.

Source

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, My question for you is: how can I lose weight when I'm no longer able to exercise due to a life time injury. I'm even stuck relying on the government for my income and food. Lisa

A. Hey Lisa. As if staying in shape isn't hard enough! Dealing with a disability truly makes weight management a challenge. It's not an impossible accomplishment though. It's just going to take a decent amount of education about nutrition for you, and an even greater amount of discipline.

Source

Boys need gym class. But girls need it more, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

It's clear following a survey of 5,000 students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade that girls who got 70 to 300 minutes of physical education per week scored higher on standardized tests. Funny because gym classes are being increasingly scaled back to make room for academics and testing when if the exercise was instead more frequent, girls would do even better. They'd concentrate better too. And participate more in class. Not so true for the boys, though.

The CDC study found no correlation between gym class and test scores for boys, maybe because they play more actively and physically during recess and outside school.

Source

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz, I'm 56, run three to four miles, five or so days a week. Lately, as I'm walking to cool down, the back part of my right knee tightens up and bending it becomes very painful as I do post-run stretching. No pain when running. Anyone familiar with this condition? Dave

A Hey Dave. I get soooo many questions about knees. In fact, I had knee surgery long ago, so some people think I'm some sort of knee expert. I'm not. In fact, I don't think anyone who isn't a physician or physical therapist and hasn't seen you in person should give you advice on your condition. Not helpful, right? Wrong.

Source

On Monday, I graduated from my rehab stint. Physical therapy rehab, that is. There was no big ceremony or anything. Just me and my therapist reviewing my progress over the past five weeks. It was pretty enlightening, what we talked about, and I left the clinic feeling both successful and motivated.

When I first walked through my rehab clinic doors, I wasn't sure anything could be done to fix the tightness, the limited range of motion, the sometimes pain I felt in the area of my left arm. It had been three long years since I'd had surgery to remove a breast cancer tumor, after all, and almost that long since radiation zapped the whole cancerous area. Both are to blame for what I was experiencing and the way I considered it, if my problems weren't solved long ago, there was little that could be done now.

I was wrong.

My therapist took tons of measurements when we first started working together. I moved, bent, stretched, pushed, and pulled so she could record numbers of all sorts. Then we spent weeks on our tasks. She massaged and manipulated and broke down scar tissue, stiffness, knots. Armed with weekly exercises, I stretched and strengthened by body at home. Together, we achieved victory -- my improved numbers prove it. I'm responsible for 50 percent of the success, my therapist tells me. She takes credit for the other 50 percent.

Before I left my final appointment, my expert shared a few parting words. Here they are.

• My posture is better. She could tell the moment I walked in the door. Must be the exercise in standing tall she'd given me during one visit and my new awareness of the poor posture I'd been carrying with me all these years.

• I should be sleeping on my back, not on my side. Back sleepers enjoy better alignment and less rounding of the shoulders -- one of my posture problems. My assignment from this moment on is to sleep on my back with one relatively flat pillow under my head. I should make sure my pillow fills the gap between my neck and my bed. I should enjoy the benefits of this technique immensely, says my therapist.

• Keep at it, says this same gal who streamlined all my at-home exercises and told me precisely what I need to do to hang on to the results the two of us have achieved.