Train Your Body

Should you be doing High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS)? It depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish with your workouts. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) requires you to execute a certain exercise at maximum physical effort for a minute or two. You then rest for two to three minutes. This cycle repeats with different exercises until you are exhausted, which is roughly five times. HIIT includes exercises like burpees, mountain climbers, and jumping jacks. Low Intensity Steady State Cardio (LISS) is aerobic exercise that requires you to operate at 60-70% capacity for at least 20 minutes. The intensity does not change through the entire workout. LISS exercises include walking, cycling, jogging, and swimming. HIIT burns more calories, takes less time per workout, and builds lean muscle mass. There is greater chance of injury, and you can’t do it every day. LISS improves cardiovascular health without building muscle mass, has a shorter recovery time, and is

All adults should strength train at least twice weekly. Women and men can use the same strength training techniques, but the results will differ. Men typically see greater muscle mass gains than women. Men are also less susceptible to injury, due to increased tendon strength from exercise. Men and women both respond similarly to muscle endurance conditioning. Two to four sets of 10-25 reps, with 30-60 seconds rest between, will improve endurance. Workouts for strength and size are the same for men and women, even though men see greater muscle mass gains. For volume, try one to three sets of 8-12 reps, with one to three minutes for rest between sets. For strength, try one to three sets of 8-12 reps, or two to six sets of 1-8 reps, with one to three minutes of rest between sets.Listen in as fitness experts, Grace DeSimone and Neal Pire, share the he-said/she-said perspective on strength training.

The recommend amount of daily protein for Americans is 10-35% of calorie intake. That's roughly 46 grams for women and 56 grams for men.It's not difficult to get the daily recommendation for protein if you consume two to three servings of protein-rich food each day.However, you may find you need to supplement your diet with extra protein, especially if you're exercising at a moderate or intense level.Felicia Stoler, PhD, shares how to get enough protein on a daily basis, as well as if you need to supplement your current diet.

Every five years, the Department of Health and Human Services releases updated Dietary Guidelines. This report contains the government's thoughts on how Americans should be eating.What recent changes have been made to the Dietary Guidelines? Cut back on animal protein. This is especially recommended for men and teen boys, largely because they are not consuming enough produce. Cut added sugars. The report recommends cutting sugar intake to 10% of your daily calorie intake. This means cutting added sugar from coffee and limiting sweets. No need to limit cholesterol. There is no longer a limit of 300 mg of cholesterol per day, but the report recommends looking at what foods are providing your cholesterol. Omelets and avocados are preferred to cheeseburgers and pizza. Felicia Stoler, PhD, discusses these new Dietary Guidelines and how it may impact the way you feed yourself and your family.

It’s mid-February... the time when so many fall off the fitness wagon. It's not too late to get back to those goals and make progress.How can you stay on target with your 2016 fitness goals?Listen in as fitness experts, Grace DeSimone and Neal Pire, share some tips that will keep you on target, help you achieve your goals, and prevent you from becoming a victim of the six-week slip.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you might be considering ways to spend more time with your partner. You might also want your partner to be more active, so why not work out together?But, is that really a good idea? Should you train with your partner?Listen in as fitness experts, Grace DeSimone and Neal Pire, share the he-said/she-said perspective on training with your better half.

A recent study that was posted by JAMA Internal Medicine found that young adults who participated in cardiorespiratory fitness had lower chances of developing cardiovascular disease and avoided the potential for early death. Researchers looked at 4,872 adults who were between the ages of 18 and 30. The study involved the participants using treadmill exercises from March of 1985 to June 1986, as well as 2,472 individuals who were tested seven years later. What did the researchers find? Out of the 4,872 participants, 273 died and 193 experienced cardiovascular disease during the follow-up tests. Among the 273 deaths, 200 were non-cardiovascular. How can cardiorespiratory fitness help young adults?John Higgins, MD, explains the study and discusses why fitness is so important to heart health, especially in young people.

A study recently published in JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology found that being overweight or obese while in adulthood contributed to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death. Researchers used data from the Nurses’ Health Study, which looked at 72,484 women during a 32-year span (1980 to 2012). Researchers looked at the relation between body mass index (BMI) and weight gain and the risk for sudden cardiac death, death from coronary heart disease, and non-fatal heart attacks. What did the researchers find? Over the 32-year period of the study, researchers found 445 cases of sudden cardiac death, 1,286 cases of fatal coronary heart disease, and 2,272 non-fatal heart attacks.John Higgins, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the study and how being overweight and/or obese can cause an increase of cardiac death.

Healthy development is crucial for your child. A recent study conducted by Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University found that your child's weight and activity level has an impact on his or her's ability to think.Researchers looked at 45 normal-weight children that were between the ages of seven and 11. Of these children, 25 were active and 20 weren't.What did researchers find?Results showed that children who were lean and active scored better on cognitive tests than the inactive and overweight children.What else did the researchers find?John Higgins, MD, shares more details of the study and explains why weight and exercise matter when it comes to your child's cognitive health.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one-third (78.6 million) of U.S. adults are obese.A recent study conducted by the University of Wisconsin Madison found that using a Fitbit can help postmenopausal obese women stay motivated to lose weight.The participants included 25 overweight or obese postmenopausal women, and each received a 16-week technology-based intervention that used the Fitbit physical activity tracker and website.The overall study's goal was for 150 minutes/week of moderate and intense physical activity; however, individual goals were reset after week four based on progress.What were the results of the study?John Higgins, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the study and how a Fitbit or other wearable device can help you stay motivated.

When you're running on five hours of sleep and the long list of things you need to get done isn't getting any shorter, it can be extremely tempting to reach for an energy drink to boost your energy levels.However, just one energy drink comes with a risk.According to a study by the American Heart Association, drinking one 16-ounce energy drink boosts blood pressure and the stress hormone responses in young, healthy adults.What else did the research find?Listen in as John Higgins, MD, shares information from the recent study, including this new-found link between energy drinks and the risk for heart disease.

Whether you're celebrating at a wedding, or toasting to the New Year, champagne might be your go-to drink.It turns out that there may actually be some health benefits from popping bottles. For example, while a glass of wine usually contains 120 calories, a four-ounce glass of champagne contains only 90 calories.A recent study also found that drinking one to three glasses of champagne a week can help delay the onset of dementia and memory loss.Will you be toasting to good health this year?Listen in as John Higgins, MD, shares the health benefits of drinking champagne.

During the months of October to January, you're at an increased risk of gaining weight and losing sight of your health and fitness goals.In fact, during the holiday season, the average person gains one to two pounds and people who are already overweight can gain close to five pounds.What are some tips to help avoid weight gain and to stay on track during the holidays?Listen in as fitness experts Grace Desimone and Neal Pire share the best fitness strategies for the holiday season.

Throughout the holidays, it can be extremely tempting to just embrace the food and alcohol that surround you. You may think you can give yourself a break and that you'll start "fresh" in the New Year.Even though this plan sounds appealing, it could actually backfire and set you back further in your health and fitness goals.You might also be thinking the extreme opposite, pushing yourself at an unhealthy rate. Working out constantly while not getting enough food can be dangerous and unhealthy.How can you find a balance and not sabotage your health and fitness during the holidays?Listen in as fitness experts Grace Desimone and Neal Pire share tips on how to stay healthy throughout the holiday season.

When you're traveling and are expected to be somewhere at a certain time, it can be extremely frustrating when your flight has become delayed.To pass the time and help ease stress, you might want to consider doing some exercises. In fact, many airports offer exercise rooms and health clubs for passengers waiting for their flights.What are some exercises you can do while stuck at an airport?Listen in as Christopher George Berger, PhD, shares simple yet effective workouts you can do in an airport if you have some time to kill.

During one of the busiest times of the year, getting sick at an airport might be the last thing you want to worry about.You may try to avoid getting sick while traveling by taking care of your health before you take off. But, with airborne illnesses, new environments, and typically unhealthy foods, it can be difficult to prevent.How can you stay healthy during your holiday travels?Listen in as Christopher George Berger, PhD, shares how you can stay healthy while traveling during the holiday season.

Heart rate monitoring can be extremely beneficial for your overall health. For example, high resistance intervals are an effective method for improving the aerobic qualities of fast twitch fibers through constant oxygen delivery to your muscles.However, before buying a heart rate monitor, there are some things you need to be aware of. What are some of the features you should look for when purchasing a heart rate monitor?Listen in as George Centeio, MA, shares the benefits of heart rate monitoring, as well as what you should look for when you buy a heart rate monitor.

Within the past few years, heart rate monitoring has become a popular fitness trend.Monitoring your heart rate can be used to measure how hard you're working during an exercise, and track changes in your fitness level. Cardiac intervals are a high-intensity option for increasing the power of the cardiac muscle and its mitochondrial density.Why would you want to consider using this method of fitness?Listen in as George Centeio, MA, shares the basics of heart rate monitoring.

The annual survey of worldwide fitness trends is now in its 10th year, and this go-around has some very surprising results.Back in 2014, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) took over the number-one spot, which was previously long-held by educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals (in that position since 2008 and now at number five).Body weight training took over the number-one spot for 2015 but fell to number two in 2016 behind newcomer wearable technology.The 2016 ACSM Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends continues to support previous trends, with two additional trends appearing in the top 20: flexibility and mobility rollers and Smartphone exercise apps.What are the most popular Smartphone exercise apps?Listen in as Walt Thompson, PhD, shares the most popular Smartphone exercise apps, as well as the other fitness trends of 2016.

If you're trying to lose weight or transform your life into a healthier one, you might have thought about using a wearable device that tracks your running mileage, calories burned, and your average heart rate.The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has announced its annual fitness trend forecast, and, for the first time, exercise pros say wearable technology will be the top trend in fitness. The results were released in the article "Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends for 2016: 10th Anniversary Edition" published in the November/December issue of ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal®.What can you expect for the months to come as trends in fitness?Listen in as Walt Thompson, PhD, shares the top fitness trends for 2016.