SNEWS best fitness reads from around the web

What did the SNEWS team read this week that other fitness insiders might find interesting? Well, read on to find out.

• If physical education were as cool as it is at Staten Island’s PS 45, then maybe there wouldn’t be such a problem motivating the American population to get moving. Check out this article in the Staten Island Advance about how PS 45 is incorporating the dance-type exercise Zumbatronic into its curriculum.

• Men can fight for their rights too. And the guys at the National Coalition for Men want to be able to join women’s-only health clubs and work out in the women’s-only sections of gyms, according to this article in Club Industry. They argued that women’s-only clubs and women’s-only sections of gyms were discriminatory. In the case of the sections at co-ed gyms, they said it was unfair for men to pay the same membership fee while being denied equal access. 

• Lifecycle from Life Fitness owes its thanks to Ray Wilson, and in this post in Life Fitness’ brand-new blog, Wilson’s story is told and commemorated, as the Lifecycle will celebrate its 38th year in 2012. Stay tuned to SNEWS to see what Life Fitness brought to IHRSA 2012.

• Is it possible to be fat and stay fit? Of course it is, according to this story in the New York Times. The piece examines the results of a University of South Carolina study, which found that as participants went for check-ups over a six-year period, they got more fit but also gained body fat. The people who remained fit but carried extra body weight were at less risk for diseases than people with the same amount of fat who were unfit.

• People are interesting creatures. We know right from wrong, but many of the times we choose wrong knowingly, especially in the case of health and fitness. The Huffington Posts’s Kristin Anderson ponders in this column why people need a health scare or a possibility of winning a ton of money in order to motivate them. She offers some tips on how to motivate yourself — and your customers — to get moving, without a health scare or cash prize.

• No matter how many times we preach that it’s about calories in versus calories out, and diet and exercise do matter, millions still reach for magic pills to lose weight. Many of these items are dangerous and not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, according to this New York Times story about a diet drug called Qnexa. The drug reportedly causes birth defects and heart problems, according to the story, but the FDA had plans to meet again to see whether they’d approve it.

• Get fit in three minutes a day? That would leave the SNEWS team with much more writing time. Perhaps we should try HIT, or High Intensity Training. This story in Medical News Today documents medical journalist Michael Mosley’s go at high intensity training, which is comprised of short bursts of intense exercise with recovery breaks in between. The story also gives readers the “simple program.”

• Not everybody lucky enough to work at a place like the Active Interest Media’s Boulder offices, where lunchtime bicycle rides and runs are encouraged. Except for maybe the Staten Island Developmental Disabilities Office, which recently kicked off its very own Biggest Loser-style contest. Four 15-member teams are competing to see who could lose the most weight in three months, according to this Staten Island Advance article. Boy, they sure do work out a lot on Staten Island.

• If osteoporosis can strike a movie star like Sally Field, it probably doesn’t care who you are; it’s coming for you and your bones. But there is hope for people who suffer from osteoporosis and love to work out. According to this story on NewsOK.com, powered by the Oklahoman, doing certain workouts could not only keep you fit, but also help strengthen your bones. Share this story with your customers who might suffer from osteoporosis.

• Ever wonder how NBA stars stay fit after their time on the hardwood court? We don’t any more after reading this Sun-Sentinel article about how former Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway shapes up these days. He said he does it mostly to fit into his clothes and be around to see his kids grow up. He admits he fell out of shape after he stopped playing professionally, and that it was hard to get motivated again. Though staying fit for health has been hard for him, he’s found help with his treadmill and stair climber. So, Miami specialty retailers, did you sell any equipment to Mr. Hardaway?

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 whoever sent it to us. Send a link to the story with the subject line “SNEWS Reads” to be considered.

–Compiled by Ana Trujillo