Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walking. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Go walk your dog!
To burn up to 30% more calories, head out with a pup. Dog walkers increased their speed by 28% while human walking partners went only 4% faster. No dog? Shelters always need walkers.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The Gift Basket of Health
Health and Fitness Baskets
Our health and fitness baskets offer a unique and individual gift for anyone. Let our team of buyers design a creative fitness basket for your special person. Give the gift of fitness with our gift baskets.
A great way to say I love you and respect your health.
- Congratulations on Good Grades Basket
- Basket of Good Health
- Happy Birthday Basket
- Family Fitness Basket
- Mom to Be Basket
- Birthday: Here’s To Another Good Year of Health Basket
- Bride-to-Be: Bootcamp Basket
- Welcome to Your New Home
- We Will Miss You Basket
- Summer Fitness Basket
- Welcome to Winter! The Hibernation Fitness Basket
- Baskets with a Sports Theme, (basketball, baseball, soccer, swimming…)
- Healthy Lifestyle Basket
- Take to the Beach Basket
- We offer Corporate Fitness Baskets
- Great idea for pool companies to offer as a thank you to customers
We custom make each basket based upon your request. Prices and shipping costs will vary based upon each order. No perishable items will be included in your order. (Small card included.)
Let your gift make a statement, show someone you care about their health! We carry the finest in Fitness Baskets.
Give us a call and tell us a little bit about who this wonderful gift basket is for and we will custom design the ultimate in a Health and Fitness Basket. Our personal trainers will help design a basket perfect for giving! 214-407-8865. Orders may take up to two weeks for delivery, depending on size.
Item # K 121 Health and Fitness Basket…start at $49.95
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Yoga for Kids
How can yoga benefit children?
Research on the benefits of yoga for kids is limited. Anecdotal reports suggest that yoga can calm children, reduce obesity, enhance concentration and help children manage certain health conditions, such as headaches and irritable bowel syndrome. Studies suggest that yoga may also benefit children who have various mental and physical disabilities. Yoga may even help children who have eating disorders lessen their preoccupation with food. More studies, however, are needed to confirm the positive health effects of yoga for kids.
At the least, yoga can be a gentle method for your child to get more physical activity and enhance his or her well-being.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
The Culture of Fit American Families
The culture, in which a family lives, strongly influences the health of all family members and establishes a pattern of health for future generations. Every family is unique, because every family has its’ own culture. What are the habits, beliefs, and physical activities you bring to your family? Can your family culture be healthier?
Our mission at Fit American Families and Cooking Lessons from Home is to inspire and motivate parents to create their own unique family culture that supports eating healthy foods, being physically active as a family and making the most of your time together. In five years, you won't remember much about the day to day events of work, school, and activities. But your family will remember "traditions" that kept you close. And they will probably plan those kinds of family nights for their families in the future. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and each day we come closer to our children heading off to college, getting married, and having their own responsibilities. Looking back on family activities will be a great memory for everyone. Not to mention the impact it will have today, to bring your family in a little closer and enjoy each other's company now, while you are all under the same roof.
What does it take to “Live a healthy lifestyle?”
Living a healthy lifestyle means you are willing to take charge of your health and make changes that can affect your overall health now and in the future. It means that if you uphold such a lifestyle, you can reduce your chances of developing diseases like high blood pressure, type two diabetes, stroke, early dementia, heart diseases, high cholesterol levels, other diseases and have a positive outlook in life. This is a gift that keeps on giving because your children will pass their healthy lifestyle to their own children.
My family could use some help eating healthier and exercising more, where do I begin?
We offer a Healthy Lifestyle package, which includes our Weekly Healthful Meal Plan Service and our Weekly Family Fitness Challenge, it’s a one two punch to activate a healthy lifestyle in your family.
We want to make this program affordable to everyone so we offer this package for only $4.16 per month, that’s it; it’s less than 14¢ per day!
1. Cooking Lessons from Home Meal Plan: Make family mealtime an opportunity for better health.
Preparing meals at home is a great way to exert control over the nutritional quality of your family’s diet. Family mealtimes are also a chance for parents to serve as role models, encourage healthy eating habits, and establish family traditions. Other things happen during mealtimes as well, including: socialization of children; establishment of family unity, safety, and security for children; and increased literacy and language development. Let us plan the healthiest and tastiest meals for your family. Read More about Cooking Lessons from Home Meal Plan.
2. Fit American Families, Family Fitness Challenge. Children learn by modeling the behavior of their parents. By maintaining a physically active lifestyle with your family you can improve the health of your child while preventing him or her from developing a lifestyle of sedentary behavior.
We create a unique approach to fitness that is fun for the whole family. Each week you will receive 5 fitness games that will challenge every member in your family. It’s so much fun, physically challenging and you are spending quality time as a family. Remember, in five years, you won't remember much about the day to day events of work, school, and activities. But your family will remember "traditions" that kept you close. And they will probably plan those kinds of family nights for their families in the future. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and each day we come closer to our children heading off to college, getting married, and having their own responsibilities. Looking back on family time will be a great memory for everyone. Not to mention the impact it will have today, to bring your family in a little closer and enjoy each other's company now, while you are all under the same roof.
To find out more about our Family Fitness Challenge click here.
Why is this site called Fit American Families?
Overweight and obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades. While many industrialized countries have experienced similar increases, obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world. The U.S. is ranked second behind Mexico, with 68 and 70 percent, in the proportion of adults who are overweight. The United States does, however, hold the dubious honor of fattest population of children, tied with Scotland, according to The New York Times’ Catherine Rampell. The rapidly increasing U.S. obesity rates have long been cause for concern, especially as health care costs skyrocket.
What’s Causing the Increase?
The Associated Press’s Greg Keller reports, “Franco Sassi, the OECD senior health economist who authored the report, blamed the usual suspects for the increase. ‘Food is much cheaper than in the past, in particular food that is not particularly healthy, and people are changing their lifestyles, they have less time to prepare meals and are eating out more in restaurants,’ said Sassi, a former London School of Economics lecturer who worked on the report for three years. That plus the fact that people are much less physically active than in the past means that the ranks of the overweight have swelled to nearly 70 percent in the U.S. this year from well under 50 percent in 1980, according to the OECD.”
Europeans are relatively skinny compared to Americans. But they don’t buy any more gym-memberships than Americans, as far as I know. A European lifestyle is naturally more active than an American one. Walking and biking are part of getting around. Physical activity is integrated into daily life as a necessity, not only as recreation.
But there is hope, and the best defense against the decline of Americans health starts at the home front. Each and every family must create a culture within their own family that cultivates proper nutrition and physical activity. That’s why this site is called Fit American Families and when has America ever backed away from any challenge or fight?
Our mission at Fit American Families and Cooking Lessons from Home is to inspire and motivate parents to create their own unique family culture that supports eating healthy foods, being physically active as a family and making the most of your time together. In five years, you won't remember much about the day to day events of work, school, and activities. But your family will remember "traditions" that kept you close. And they will probably plan those kinds of family nights for their families in the future. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and each day we come closer to our children heading off to college, getting married, and having their own responsibilities. Looking back on family activities will be a great memory for everyone. Not to mention the impact it will have today, to bring your family in a little closer and enjoy each other's company now, while you are all under the same roof.
The story of a person’s life begins and ends with family.
What does it take to “Live a healthy lifestyle?”
Living a healthy lifestyle means you are willing to take charge of your health and make changes that can affect your overall health now and in the future. It means that if you uphold such a lifestyle, you can reduce your chances of developing diseases like high blood pressure, type two diabetes, stroke, early dementia, heart diseases, high cholesterol levels, other diseases and have a positive outlook in life. This is a gift that keeps on giving because your children will pass their healthy lifestyle to their own children.
My family could use some help eating healthier and exercising more, where do I begin?
The Healthy Lifestyle Package
We offer a Healthy Lifestyle package, which includes our Weekly Healthful Meal Plan Service and our Weekly Family Fitness Challenge, it’s a one two punch to activate a healthy lifestyle in your family.
We want to make this program affordable to everyone so we offer this package for only $4.16 per month, that’s it; it’s less than 14¢ per day!
1. Cooking Lessons from Home Meal Plan: Make family mealtime an opportunity for better health.
Preparing meals at home is a great way to exert control over the nutritional quality of your family’s diet. Family mealtimes are also a chance for parents to serve as role models, encourage healthy eating habits, and establish family traditions. Other things happen during mealtimes as well, including: socialization of children; establishment of family unity, safety, and security for children; and increased literacy and language development. Let us plan the healthiest and tastiest meals for your family. Read More about Cooking Lessons from Home Meal Plan.
Fuel Your Body then Burn the Fuel.
2. Fit American Families, Family Fitness Challenge. Children learn by modeling the behavior of their parents. By maintaining a physically active lifestyle with your family you can improve the health of your child while preventing him or her from developing a lifestyle of sedentary behavior.
We create a unique approach to fitness that is fun for the whole family. Each week you will receive 5 fitness games that will challenge every member in your family. It’s so much fun, physically challenging and you are spending quality time as a family. Remember, in five years, you won't remember much about the day to day events of work, school, and activities. But your family will remember "traditions" that kept you close. And they will probably plan those kinds of family nights for their families in the future. Unfortunately, the clock is ticking and each day we come closer to our children heading off to college, getting married, and having their own responsibilities. Looking back on family time will be a great memory for everyone. Not to mention the impact it will have today, to bring your family in a little closer and enjoy each other's company now, while you are all under the same roof.
To find out more about our Family Fitness Challenge click here.
Why is this site called Fit American Families?
Overweight and obesity in the United States has been increasingly cited as a major health issue in recent decades. While many industrialized countries have experienced similar increases, obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world. The U.S. is ranked second behind Mexico, with 68 and 70 percent, in the proportion of adults who are overweight. The United States does, however, hold the dubious honor of fattest population of children, tied with Scotland, according to The New York Times’ Catherine Rampell. The rapidly increasing U.S. obesity rates have long been cause for concern, especially as health care costs skyrocket.
What’s Causing the Increase?
The Associated Press’s Greg Keller reports, “Franco Sassi, the OECD senior health economist who authored the report, blamed the usual suspects for the increase. ‘Food is much cheaper than in the past, in particular food that is not particularly healthy, and people are changing their lifestyles, they have less time to prepare meals and are eating out more in restaurants,’ said Sassi, a former London School of Economics lecturer who worked on the report for three years. That plus the fact that people are much less physically active than in the past means that the ranks of the overweight have swelled to nearly 70 percent in the U.S. this year from well under 50 percent in 1980, according to the OECD.”
- Poor Response From Governments USA Today’s Nanci Hellmich writes,”Neville Rigby, director of the European Obesity Forum, says the OECD report ‘is important because it provides clear evidence that the way most countries have been approaching obesity has been doomed to failure. … Obesity must be tackled by a multi-pronged approach that involves a combination of strong policy measures at the same time as individual management issues are addressed by physicians and their teams. … [The report] makes the case for a much more robust set of government and societal actions,’ Rigby says. If society waits for business and individuals to do what is really needed, ‘the obesity epidemic will simply get much, much worse.’”
Europeans are relatively skinny compared to Americans. But they don’t buy any more gym-memberships than Americans, as far as I know. A European lifestyle is naturally more active than an American one. Walking and biking are part of getting around. Physical activity is integrated into daily life as a necessity, not only as recreation.
But there is hope, and the best defense against the decline of Americans health starts at the home front. Each and every family must create a culture within their own family that cultivates proper nutrition and physical activity. That’s why this site is called Fit American Families and when has America ever backed away from any challenge or fight?
But this time our fight doesn’t start in The White House…it starts in YOUR HOUSE.
How Many Calories do you Burn in a Day?
How many calories should I consume in a day? Well the answer depends on the weight you want to be and the amount of calories your body needs just to function.
Here is a formula that will determine how many calories your body needs just at rest; ( This formula is good, the example came from Wikipedia Answers)
To determine the amount of calories you burn at rest, you need to know your: weight, height, and age. With this information, you can determine your BMR (amount of energy your body needs to function at rest). Use the formula below which only applies to adult females:
655 + (4.3 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age) = ____ calories
Fill in your weight, height and age. This number will be your daily calorie intake (or how many calories your body needs) without any exercise. This calculation will tell you how many calories your body needs-or how much it 'burns.'
Example: A woman who is 25 years old, weighs 140lbs, and is 70 inches tall.
655 + (4.3 x 140lbs) + (4.7 x 70 inches) - (4.7 x 25) = 1469 calories
This woman would only need 1469 calories a day for her body to function at rest. Be sure to type this calculation into your calculator all at once, or else you might be getting answers close 9000 which is incorrect. To make sure you calculate your BMR correctly, try typing in the example above and see if you get the right answer.
For an easier calculation, I use the following formula:
Lets say you would like to weigh 120 pounds. Take that number and multiply by 10. So you should consume about 1200 calories per day. Please do not use this rule with children, it is best to discuss your childrens weight and BMI with your pediatrician.
To Your Good Health,
Kim Wechsler
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
My Informal Observation #2
Drive around any city in the U.S. and you will see 24 Hour Fitness, Lifetime Fitness, Gold's Gym...They are everywhere except France. I am not saying there are not any fitness facilities but I could not find a single one. When I asked some French women about going to a gym, they did reply that they do not believe in going to the gym. This does not mean they don't have physical activity in their day, they just don't hit the gym! So how do they maintain their healthy weight (check out yesterdays blog to find out about healthy weight) They walk! Everywhere! Physical activity is built in to their daily life without having to schedule it in. I am talking about people of all ages, kids are on scooters, no not the motorized kind the kind you push with your foot. Older couples walk to the farmers market with their shopping carts at least twice a week. I know you are thinking well that's city life, but its true in small villages as well. They walk in flats, heels, boots, but not athletic shoes! Begin Your Life as a Walker. I know it sounds difficult, especially here in Texas, in which everything is so spread out, but take baby steps literally walk to a friends house, walk to the grocery store, or walk to a park. I challenge you to trade in your car for walking shoes for just three days, the possibilities of places you can walk to will be revealed to you. Please let me know if you are up to this challenge.
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