In the loopy world of blogs, this is the first post you'll see. For us, it's the last.

From the time this blog launched with several contributors, it has always been in a bit of a gerrymandered space between the sports and health worlds, with some transportation and food thrown in.

We've lost some voices in the year since then, so it's with some relief that those of us still active move to Picture of Health this month. We hope you'll come with us so we won't have to miss you.

It's been fun. Thanks for all the comments!

Photo credit: Getty Images

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 6:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
         Tweet

(Sun photo by Amy Davis)

In case you missed them, a few stories that may be of interest:

First, reporter Joe Burris covered the Columbia Iron Girl Triathlon yesterday. Looks like it was a lot of fun! Congrats to all who competed! Read the story here.

And, transportation reporter Mike Dresser wrote that the newest version of the MVA manual addresses bikes on the roads. He writes: 

By Maryland law, bicycles are vehicles. Bicyclists are authorized users of the roadway, and have rights-of-way and the same duty to obey all traffic signals as motorists. 

Click here for more. 

Posted by Anica Butler at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Articles/Reports
         Tweet

Andrea Walker has a nice piece today about attempts by Under Armour to get flashier.

Continue reading "Under Armour takes a look at using more fashion" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Apparel, Articles/Reports, Baltimore Running Festival, Under Armour
         Tweet

The belly dancing post and comments got me thinking about abs and core muscles. I wasn't doing crunches, just thinking.

In their recent book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Abs," conditioning specialist Lou Schuler and strength coach Alwyn Gosgrove point out that you could look ripped but still have a weak core. And you could have a strong core -- including abs -- without the glamour abs. But, they write, no matter the appearance, core muscles' strength and stability are important for health and spine safety. All of that is aside from diet and nutrition, let alone weight control.

I've skimmed through the book. It's aimed not just at men. It is billed as for men and women looking to develop a strong core.

It has an abs workout program that the authors recommend doing three times a week. It also has a three-phase strength program (with pictures of buff people demonstrating exercises) and it includes options for exercising when you've got space or social anxiety restrictions. Many exercises require nothing beyond a floor to stand on, but some use suspension trainers, kettlebells and other equipment.

Interested in getting the book? Between now and Sunday night, give us a description of a core/abs exercise that's working for you. No crunches! Names go into a bag, and we'll yank out a name at random and contact the winner.

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)
         Tweet

Gardening is a combination of diet and fitness: Burn calories and tone muscles while you work to grow the good food you'll be eating.

I love seasoning tomatoes I grow with herbs I grow. I enjoy the beauty of flowering plants and shrubs, with all the butterflies, hummingbirds and even bees they attract. And relaxing in the shade is terrific, including as a place to cool down with an iced tea after exercise.

Last weekend, I was torn between going to the gym and going to the backyard to start preparing the veggie/herb garden and the like.

I did a little of both. Anyone who has gotten busy with their garden knows those activities work arm, leg and back muscles. I actually tried doing a lunge with a little shovel in my hand to attack weeds. It wasn't all that efficient for gardening, but it made for great lunges.

I checked around on the calorie burn and fitness value of gardening. Lots of numbers are out there, and fyi, weeding by hand is good for about 182 cals in 30 minutes. But I found this item, though it's not brand-new, particularly interesting. It shows gardening has health benefits way beyond growing your own yummy organic foods:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/blog/zimney-health-and-medical-news-you-can-use/gardening-is-good-exercise/

If you've got some gardening-exercise tips, share them with us!

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
         Tweet

Just as another cold and icy day this week left me with no inspiration to head for the gym, inspiration arrived. The AARP magazine -- yes, the one from the organization for people age 50 and up -- has a piece about the benefits of exercising as we age.

The article includes a fair share of aging medalists who train and still compete. But beyond that, it points to studies of adults who exercise -- and that can be running, playing tennis, swimming, anything that's physical activity. Those show that some of what we've come to think of as inevitable debilitating effects of aging aren't all wrapped up in growing older.

Studies that compared sedentary adults to those who exercised showed that being a couch potato apparently is a huge risk factor for declines in strength, endurance, aerobic capacity and muscle mass in people approaching middle age and beyond.
The people who were fit -- not surprisingly, their aerobic capacity had declined by half as much as in the sedentary middle agers.

For me, that's inspiration to watch tv while I'm on the elliptical instead of on the couch.

To read the article, click here

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
         Tweet

VitaminWater has come under attack again.

The National Consumers League has fired off a letter to the Federal Trade Commission complaining about "deceptive advertising" and writing that one of the VitaminWater ads implies that drinking the beverage can so strengthen your immune system that a flu shot's unnecessary. It claims ads for the product are misleading, and it wants the government to put an end to the ads touting health benefits that it says aren't proven.

VitaminWater says its contents are right on the label for anyone to see.

Take that as a reminder to read labels. On this one, you'll see that a whole bottle has some vitamins as promised, but also 125 calories. And it's easy to gulp down a whole bottle when you're exercising and thirsty. Me, I drink water at the gym, and then when I'm back home and unwinding, have a cup of nice hot tea, which is after all, mostly water.

Last month, the Brits' agency that regulates advertising said the drink has too much sugar in it to be marketed as nutritious, and over here, consumer groups have whined about the beverage, mostly because of the sugar.

To read about the NCL complaint, click here

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
         Tweet

Treadmills are the top home exercise machine. Frankly, one that I once had got more use drying clothing than it did anything else. It now lives in someone else's house.

In the February issue, Consumer Reports tested home treadmills and their cousin, ellipticals. The verdict: You don't have to buy the fanciest or priciest to get a decent machine and a decent workout.

The nonprofit consumer organization gave its best-buy rating to seven treadmills, three nonfolding and four folding. Even so, the highly rated nonfolding PaceMAster Platinum Pro VR costs some $2,000. A highly rated folding treadmill, the Horizon T202, costs $800. Three ellipticals got a best-buy rating: the Nautilus E514, the Horizon EX-68 and the Schwinn 420.

Among their tips: Ellipticals elevate you, so make sure you've got enough ceiling clearance. Test out treadmills to make sure they're long enough for your running stride. Spending more $$ on a treadmill usually gets you more horsepower and a sturdier machine. Sturdy design, a good warranty, your comfort and features you really will use are what to look for.

How many shirts it will hold for drying wasn't part of the evaluation.

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
         Tweet

As a bit of a companion to last week's post about trail/road intersections, here's some new information: In Virginia, a test of lines on the road -- some a bit bizarre -- at trail intersections appears to be a success.

Continue reading "Report: Strange lines help at trail crossings" »

Posted by Patrick Maynard at 4:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
         Tweet

MSNBC is reporting that Jack LaLanne has died at the age of 96.

Here's the full obituary from the Associated Press:

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron for decades before exercise became a national obsession, died Sunday. He was 96.

LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast, his longtime agent Rick Hersh said.

Lalanne ate healthy and exercised every day of his life up until the end, Hersh said.

“I have not only lost my husband and a great American icon, but the best friend and most loving partner anyone could ever hope for,” Elaine LaLanne, Lalanne's wife of 51 years and a frequent partner in his television appearances, said in a written statement.

LaLanne credited a sudden interest in fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked tirelessly over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too.

“The only way you can hurt the body is not use it,” LaLanne said. “Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late.”

His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the ‘70s. LaLanne and his dog Happy encouraged kids to wake their mothers and drag them in front of the television set. He developed exercises that used no special equipment, just a chair and a towel.

He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by two sons, Dan and Jon, and a daughter, Yvonne.

Posted by Anica Butler at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Articles/Reports
         Tweet

Something to consider in business and vacation travel planning: nice hotel gyms.

Many hotel gyms have gotten an upgrade from the dingy closet-like afterthought with three iffy pieces of equipment to a well-kept, spacious fitness center -- if not in the hotel, then a pass to a nearby one. Some hotels tout them on their web sites along with other amenities they've improved in recent years, like the addition of Wi-Fi.

Most don't charge extra, unless that's their arrangement with a fitness center or pool within walking distance -- but you should always ask if there's a charge. Some hotels lend bicycles and fitness gear to guests -- but again, ask about a charge.

Looking for more on this trend? Click here.

And click here

Posted by Andrea Siegel at 6:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Articles/Reports, Bicycling, General Fitness, Gym, Newbies
         Tweet

In case you missed it, the Consuming Interest blog had a post last week about things to consider if you're planning to join a gym as part of your New Year's resolution.

And today, reporter Joe Burris writes about locals who've resolved to eat healthy and lose weight this year. 

Last week, Jerry and I agreed that we don't really believe in making New Year's resolutions so much as we like to make fitness goals.

My goals include more events (see a list on Jerry's post) and a faster half marathon. Feel free to share yours.

Btw - did anyone do a New Year's resolution run? How was it? 

Posted by Anica Butler at 2:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Articles/Reports
         Tweet

I hadn't heard about this until Monica mentioned it in a comment earlier, but apparently, the makers of Activia Yogurt (you know, the yogurt that has the commercials with the strange hand movements) and DanActive will pay $21 million to settle claims of deceptive advertising.

According to a statement from the Federal Trade Commission, Dannon made claims about the health benefits of the yogurt products that were not backed up by research. 

Here's the part I found most interesting:

Dannon may not make any other claims about the health benefits, performance, or efficacy of any yogurt, dairy drink, or probiotic food or drink, unless the claims are true and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence. 

Seems like that's something we take for granted with these kinds of claims. 

Here's the story from the L.A. Times where I found this information. I really had no idea that Dannon was claiming Activia could help prevent colon cancer!

Monica seemed to be standing by her yogurt in her comment. I'd be interested to hear what others think about the decision. 

Me - I am always extremely skeptical of health claims made about food, and cosmetics, for that matter. But saying that yogurt can prevent cancer seems really egregious.And requiring food makers to have scientific proof behind their claims seems like a no-brainer to me.

Posted by Anica Butler at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Articles/Reports
         Tweet

At risk of sounding obnoxious, I am going to tell you about one of my greatest fears: Office Butt.

When I first starting working in a professional office (The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper!) at the age of 19, I noticed that among the workers of a certain age, there seemed to be a common physical phenomenon going on.

I called it "Office Butt."

Through the years, as I saw more and more cases, I became convinced that Office Butt was an inevitable result of having a desk job. As long as I was a reporter -- meaning, I was always on my feet, running around -- I didn't worry myself about acquiring one.

But about four years ago, I stopped being a reporter and found myself spending as long as 12 hours a day planted in a chair. I have been worried about my butt ever since.

Then last week, I came across this article on MSN.com from a Men's Health reporter. My worst fears have been confirmed. OFFICE BUTT IS REAL!!!! It's not a figment of my vain imagination after all.

According to the article, we are, in general, working out more than we did 30 years ago. But we are also spending more time sitting. Unfortunately, the working out does not cancel out our sitting, the article says.

OK, OK, the article is really about all the negative effects that sitting for so many hours has on our entire body. People who sit all day are more likely to suffer from heart disease, and other medical problems.

But this is the part of the story that caught MY attention:

"If you spend too much time in a chair, your glute muscles will actually 'forget' how to fire," says Hartman. This phenomenon is aptly nicknamed "gluteal amnesia."

Or, Office Butt.

Whatever alarms you about this article, the message is clear. We need to sit less and move more. I'm gonna stand up right now.

Posted by Anica Butler at 3:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Articles/Reports
         Tweet