Train Your Body

Hiring a personal trainer might be your best option to reach optimal fitness results. It may also make more sense if you have a hectic schedule and need some extra motivation to get to the gym.However, if you're not used to working out and feel like you're being pushed to the point of passing out, or if you have an injury, when should you skip your personal training sessions? Is there ever a time you should look for a different personal trainer if you feel yours isn't keeping your best interests in mind?Fitness experts, Grace Desimone and Neal Pire, share the safety precautions you should follow while under the care of a personal trainer.

If you've recently joined a gym, you might have some questions about how safe it is. Not just safety in terms of how stable the equipment is or the overcrowding of a fitness class, but also feeling safe in the company of the people surrounding you.The gym is usually a place where people like to go to relieve stress, tension, and escape from the hectic day. That becomes a bit more difficult if you feel uncomfortable about using certain equipment or if someone is side-eying you from across the weight room.Fitness experts, Grace Desimone and Neal Pire, discuss how you can stay safe at your gym.

Even though staying hydrated is important throughout the year, it's even more crucial during the summer months. Should be easy enough, right? Just consume enough water throughout the day.If you're outside all day, or exercising in the summer heat, does that mean you need to drink even more water? Or, are sports drinks like Gatorade a better option, since they replace the electrolytes you've lost through sweating?What truly is the best way to stay hydrated?Lewis Maharam, MD, shares the best way you can stay hydrated throughout the hot summer months, whether you're working or exercising outdoors.

Running or exercising outside can be a great way to avoid workout burnout while boosting your overall health. However, when it's humid, hot and the sun is beating down on your skin, it can pose some serious risks.Not only do you face potential sunburn, but also a risk of heat exhaustion or heat stroke, as well as dehydration.How can you stay hydrated all throughout your race day?Lewis Maharam, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss proper hydration for your summer races.

When you're trying to lose weight, or if you're trying to feel better about your health, trying to change your diet can be difficult. Not only are you used to eating a certain way, but you may have strong cravings for sugars, fats, and carbs that you never experienced before.However, healthier eating may be easier than you thought.A new report analyzed 112 studies that collected information about healthy eating behaviors and found that most healthy eaters did so because a restaurant, grocery store, school cafeteria, or spouse made foods like fruits and vegetables visible and easy to reach (convenient), enticingly displayed (attractive), and to appear like an obvious choice (normal).John P. Higgins, MD, MBA, shares this recent study on the three secrets to healthy eating.

When you think of stress, you may think of all the negative consequences that come with it and the damage it can have on your health.However, reacting positively to stressful situations may play a key role in long-term health. In fact, some believe you need a little stress in order to live.How can you learn to react positively when in stressful situations?John P. Higgins, MD, MBA, discusses how a little stress might not be so bad, and how you can learn to change your attitude toward stressful situations.

Do you ever find yourself thinking there's so many exercise options that you don't know which one to do, so you just stick to the same workout and end up dreading it? A big reason that you might find it difficult to sustain a physically active life is because you might be too ambitious and try to do too much in the beginning. Like brushing your teeth every day, the real key to sustaining self-care and a physically active life is being consistent. Why is consistency better than quantity when it comes to working out? Consistency is the core stabilizer of sustainability. So, focusing on strengthening the core by learning how to be active throughout the unexpected ups and downs of life can help you stay motivated and free from workout dread.Michelle Segar, PhD, joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss this new viewpoint on working out.

Making a commitment to get (and stay healthy) can feel like a job. You may have to force yourself to go to the gym, because you know it's beneficial to your health that you do. But, instead of dreading your time on the machines, you might be able to find a way to make exercise fun so you will actually want to go.How can you make exercise fun?Listen in as Michelle Segar, PhD, shares how you can make exercise fun and still get the weight loss results you want.

Staying active may be a huge priority in your life. Even if you've made routine trips to your gym and attended numerous fitness classes, you may start to wonder if you could be doing something more.Fitness ruts are common, and they can make your fitness goals that much harder to reach. You may also have questions about fitness classes versus a personal trainer, machines versus free weights versus your own body weight.Listen in as Neal Pire and Grace Desimone join host Melanie Cole, MS, to shed light on the exercise questions you may have.

If your doctor has told you that you should start exercising, and you've never really exercised before, it's understandable if you don't know where to start.Depending on your age and fitness level, you may not be able to jump into a fast-paced exercise routine right away. If fitness is something new in your vocabulary, there are certainly questions to consider. What should you be looking for in a gym? What type of exercises should you be doing?And, how do you spur that motivation to get started?Neal Pire and Grace Desimone join host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how best to get started on an exercise plan, as well as other considerations to keep in mind.

With summer in full swing, you might have already attended a few outdoor picnics and BBQs.With the sweltering heat from the powerful sun beating down, do you know which foods are safe to be kept outside? For instance, how long can your mayonnaise-based potato salad be left out for guests to enjoy?Listen in as Felicia Stoler, PhD joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss summer food safety tips that you and your family should follow while attending parties and other outdoor events.

Now that summer has arrived, you might have noticed the produce section looking colorful, fresh, and ample.There are so many yummy choices to pick from throughout the entire summer. But, specifically during July you might want to try out these foods: Figs Peaches Cherries Rhubarb Peas What are some other foods you should buy in July?Listen in as Dr. Felicia Stoler shares the top five foods you should be eating during this hot summer month.

If you're someone who's always looking to take your fitness to the next level, or if you're looking for a new fitness goal, why not consider the senior games?Originating in St. Louis, MO, back in 1985, the senior games strives to promote a healthy lifestyle for adults through education, sport, and fitness. The games include a 19-sport, biennial competition for both men and women that are over the age of 50.How can you participate?Pam Peeke, MD, shares who can participate in the senior games, who can try out, and why it might be something to consider.

You obviously already know how old you are, but does that number match up to your fitness age?Whether you make frequent trips to your gym, or engage in daily physical activities, you may be wondering how fit you really are. Your fitness age is determined by your VO2max, which is your body's ability to take in and utilize oxygen. Your VO2max indicates your current cardiovascular endurance level and can be used to compare your personal fitness level with people that are the same age.Unfortunately, if your VO2max level is below average for your age group, that means your fitness age is older than your actual age.Is it possible to get your fitness age lower than your real age?Pam Peeke, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss what your fitness age means and if it should be younger than your chronological age.

As a society, getting the right amount of quality sleep at night has become a serious problem. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, insufficient sleep is a public health epidemic.You might have noticed the damaging effects loss of sleep has on your health, including grogginess, memory loss, irritability, hormone inbalance, increased risk of obesity, and other serious health issues.You may already know what you should be doing to get better sleep at night: dimming lights, avoiding screen time on your phone and TV, no eating before bed, and sticking to the same sleep schedule (even on weekends). But, what about exercise? Is physical activity the key to better sleep?John P. Higgins, MD, shares the physical activities that can help you sleep better at night.

Asthma occurs when you have inflammation in your air passages that results in the narrowing of the airways that transport oxygen from your nose and mouth to your lungs. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing and tightness in the chest.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current number of adults suffering from asthma is 18.7 million.If you're someone who has asthma, you might think that exercise would worsen your symptoms. However, certain types of aerobic training can actually boost your cardiovascular health.What is falls under the category of "aerobic training"?Aerobic exercises include any type of cardio that stimulates your heart and breathing rate. This type of exercise requires your heart to pump oxygenated blood to your muscles that are doing the work.What types of aerobic exercises can you do to improve your asthma symptoms?John P. Higgins, MD, joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss the different types of aerobic exercises you can do to help reduce your asth

Osteoporosis is a disease that occurs when your bones lose their density, become fragile and are more likely to break or fracture. Even though both men and women can develop osteoporosis, women are more likely to suffer from the condition.This is because after menopause, women produce lower levels of estrogen, which is an essential hormone for protecting your bones.How can exercise prevent osteoporosis?Research has shown that you can preserve your bone health by participating in physical activity. This includes weight-bearing endurance exercises (stair climbing, jogging, walking, tennis) and resistance exercise like weight lifting, three to five times a week.What other exercises can you utilize to preserve your bone health?Fitness experts, Grace Desimone and Neal Pire, join Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss osteoporosis and how you can prevent it.

Everyone has different "personal space" needs, and some people need to have more space than others. This is especially true if you're working out in a group fitness class or having a one-on-one session with a personal trainer.What's the proper etiquette for maintaining personal space between you and your personal trainer or fitness instructor?Fitness experts, Grace Desimone and Neal Pire, join Health Radio to discuss professional etiquette when it comes to your personal space.

In such a crazy and on-the-run society, it can seem like you're juggling several tasks throughout each day. This might make it seem like your time is focused on others' needs, instead of your own.Sometimes you need to put yourself and your needs first in order to feel both healthy and happy.How can you use self-care as essential fuel for what matters most in your life?Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, joins host Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss why self-care is crucial for living life to the fullest.

If you've been at the gym several days a week for a long period of time, some days you just feel tired and want to skip your daily trip to the gym. That's not a bad thing. But, when it turns into weeks of trading in your run for a nap on the couch, you might be experiencing some burnout and finding it hard to stay motivated.The good news is, this happens to everyone. However, it's up to you to find a way out of this slump and get through your workouts.What are the secrets to lasting fitness motivation?Michelle Segar, PhD, MPH, shares the secret to lasting motivation and how you can continue to stay on your exercise path.