SNEWS best fitness reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team learn this week that other fitness insiders might find interesting? Read on to find out.

• Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, homemade bread – these are just a few of the culprits that are part of the typical 3,000-calorie Thanksgiving meal the average American consumes during the holiday. Thanksgiving also kicks off the holidays, during which we gain an average of one pound and don’t lose it over the course of the year. Check out this Huffington Post story on which exercises to recommend your customers do to burn off that crazy calorie-packed meal. The exercises are for a 150-pound person.

• As noted in the previous read, Thanksgiving launched the holidays into full swing. Our city was transformed into a winter wonderland somewhere between last Thursday and Saturday night and cookies and cakes are tempting us at every corner. Check out this Sun Journal story about how to keep weight gain at bay this holiday season, including keeping your immune system strong and keeping your house free of tempting treats.

• For years as soon as Oprah praised something on her now-ended television show, and it became instantly popular among the masses. Octane Fitness (recently deemed the “best” manufacturer to work with by SNEWS Fitness Survey takers) probably hopes that’s the case, because Oprah recently named its Q37ci Elliptical Trainer among 60 of her favorite things. Check out this Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal story about the list.

• Another piece of equipment getting media attention this week is the Power Plate. In fact, this Food Consumer story gives a whole lot of love to vibration training in general, touting it as a great way to ward off osteoporosis. Retailers if your sales associates need another tool in their how to sell vibration training tool box, print up this information for them.

• Also in the news are Precor and Life Fitness, featured in this United Press International story about fitness equipment that offers great online capabilities. Doug Johns of Precor and Chris Clawson of Life Fitness are quoted as saying offering top-of-the-line technology that interacts with peoples’ gadgets is where the industry is headed. Some fitness industry folks don’t seem to agree — one club owner said it wasn’t worth the cost yet.

• Recently we attended a “Let’s Talk” event at the University of Colorado’s Anshutz Medical Campus. The talk focused on how women can manage stress and stay healthy during the holidays. In the midst of all of the healthy cooking and plans to address confrontational family members, there was the standard advice to exercise in a not-so-standard way. We were told to put on some music and have a nightly dance party with the kids. Check out this MSNBC video on more ways to get your 2.5 hours of exercise per week in ways that don’t seem like a chore.

• On days when we don’t get in our exercise before work, we find it difficult to concentrate — our minds racing from task to task not sure which to tackle first. But on days when we get in a nice run or other type of workout, we can concentrate better. Turns out there’s some scientific evidence to back up what we’ve known to be true for years. In Copenhagen, Denmark, a study found that children who walked or rode their bikes to school found it easier to concentrate than those who didn’t. Share this information with your customers, along with the nugget that if they get their exercise done with in the morning, they’ll be able to go to sleep earlier and create a positive cycle of health.

• If you believe your female customers like to do what Glamour Magazine tells them to do, you might want to get your accessories for gravity-free yoga or running ready to sell this coming January. In this article, the magazine is suggesting four fitness experiences for its readers to try: Water sports, barre classes, run a half marathon or try a gravity-free yoga class. Do you have accessories for these activities?
  

• Speaking of suggestions from news outlets, an NBC affiliate in Tulsa, Okla., recently published this story about the top fitness gift ideas this holiday season. The suggestions include a gift certificate for shoes (you never know if you’ll get the right size), dumbbells, a gift certificate to a personal trainer or a fitness book.

• If you ate the same thing day after day, you’re not motivated to eat that meal anymore, right? Well the same is true with exercise — if you do the same work out day in and day out, you get tired of it and lose all motivation. Check out this U.S. News story about how spicing up your exercise routine is the key to staying on track.

Have you read anything interesting you’d like to share with us? Maybe we’ll include it next week’s column with a little shout out to you. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo