Exercise may be the furthest thing from your mind with a chronic illness. Even if you have never been active, exercise can become one of your favorite activities. Ask your doctor before you start to exercise. With more medical professionals recommending exercise to their patients with chronic illness, it is imperative to learn how to exercise safely. A good exercise program will help to reduce fatigue, neuropathy, weakness, lymphedema, and a significant emotional toll. Once

Your workouts should be changing as you age.

This week we will discuss the importance of keeping a food diary. Keeping a record of food intake can be difficult for some at first. It can be embarrassing to record eating a box or cookies or a quart if ice cream. Analyzing the food diary will tell you why and when you over eat. Ask yourself the following questions: What were you doing when you ate the high calorie food? Were you bored or unhappy? Were you with anyone? Were you watching TV or out to dinner? Are you an em

What is the motivation to get back to exercise? An exercise program will improve your overall health. It can help your heart, bones, and decrease your risk of diabetes. Starting an exercise program can be a challenge. Just think of all the benefits to exercise. It can improve the chance of being there for your children and grandchildren. You will also be a healthy lifestyle role model for your family. It will increase your energy and concentration so that you can perform

The school of thought has definitely become less common, but there are still many women who avoid strength training (e.g. lifting weights, resistance training, bodyweight exercise), either because they think it will make them look "too muscular" or even because they simply just don't know that it's actually an essential part of maintaining overall good health. Strength training, or resistance training, is especially important for women not only because it helps to build and m

Want to maintain your fitness, but don’t want to turn down extra stuffing or homemade cookies? Don’t worry, you can have your cake and eat it too, literally. John Heiss, Ph.D., senior director of sports and fitness for worldwide product marketing at Herbalife and former USA Cat 2 cyclist, offers a few cycling tips to exit the holiday season without losing fitness or happiness. 1. Crank up the intensity.For most of us, the fall and winter mean long, slow base miles. If you are

In addition to the dreaded (and easily avoidable) holiday weight-gain, we have to be concerned about an increased risk of injury. Increased stress levels during the holidays affect the entire body, as stress can exacerbate neck and back problems. If you’re flying or driving a long distance to your Thanksgiving dinner, get out of your seat and move around frequently (but not while you are driving). While cooking, remember to take breaks and adjust your posture. Carrying heavy

Start by stating your goal and writing it down. Then, break it up into small attainable goals. Small changes can lead to big results. Your goal might be to feel good, energetic, and strong. These goals have just as much importance as the number on the scale. If you have a bad day quickly return to your new healthy habits. Try not to throw in the towel and give up. Accept the fact that we can make mistakes and be flexible. In order to reach and maintain goals you have to have