February 2023 Don’t Sit While Reading This! The science of sedentariness marches on. For the past 20 years, it’s become more evident that sitting, except on an exercise machine, is dangerous to your heart and health. In light of this information, a broader health concern is how physical activity (PA) impacts the older population. TheRead More
resistance training
REAL News – November 2022
November 2022 What Causes Muscle Cramps in Marathoners? The runner’s bane is muscle cramps, those painful, activity-stopping pains in side of the ribcage that come from nowhere. Even 70 years after the jogging craze hit, we’re still not sure why these happen. Years ago, one study tested the idea that it was fluid in theRead More
REAL News – December 2021
December 2021 Resistance Training That’s Good for the Heart Resistance training (RT: weightlifting) has been recognized as an important component of a general exercise and wellness program for over 30 years now. The current federal guidelines for physical activity (Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans) recommend 2-3 days/wk of muscle-strengthening exercise for nearly everybody. Long recognized for itsRead More
REAL News – November 2021
November 2021 How to Catch Your Breath….and Why We Bend Forward While trekking one of the trails of the Grand Canyon this past May, I found myself sucking wind on the long uphill climb. And wondered, why do I bend forward propping myself up with hands on knees, like any athlete who’s winded after aRead More
REAL News – July 2021
July 2021 Whole Body Vibration Boosts Muscle Blood Flow Whole body vibration (WBV) training broke into the mainstream in the late 1990s with the introduction of affordable platforms that allowed for adjusting the amount of vibration users would receive. In its early days – and STEPS Fitness was one of the early pioneers here inRead More
REAL News – March 2021
March 2021 Does Higher Protein Intake Boost Strength in Older Women? For several years now, studies have shown that increased protein intake helps older people slow the rate of age-related muscle mass loss (sarcopenia.) This was true even as participants were dieting to lose weight. Resistance training (RT), a recognized stimulator of muscle strengthRead More
REAL News – January 2021
January 2021 Flexed-Hip Lunge vs Traditional Lunge: Function vs Tradition The lunge is a regular lower body exercise in almost every group exercise class and many lower body pre- and re-hab program. It is considered one of the more functional exercises in that, unlike the basic squat, it positions the body in a gait-likeRead More
REAL News – July 2020
July 2020 Personal Training & Gym Convenience = Better Fitness Workplace fitness centers offer otherwise-sedentary employees an on-site option by which to develop and maintain exercise-based fitness. Encouraging staff to take advantage of the facilities and services, however, is the first challenge. One idea that should be considered is more personalized supervision to provideRead More
Covid-19 Workouts by Dr Irv: #4
Do you realize how quickly you lose fitness and overall conditioning when you can’t maintain your exercise regimen? This study will scare you into doing something. So let me help. Each day I will post 4-5 exercises that you can use to stay in shape as this shelter-in-place seems to be dragging on. Below areRead More
Covid-19 Workouts by Dr Irv: #3
Do you realize how quickly you lose fitness and overall conditioning when you can’t maintain your exercise regimen? This study will scare you into doing something. So let me help. Each day I will post 4-5 exercises that you can use to stay in shape as this shelter-in-place seems to be dragging on. Below areRead More