The Biggest Loser Season 14 adds Kids..

This season (season 14) of the hit television show “The Biggest Loser”, will have three kids on the show ranging from 13 – 16 yrs old. The show is reported to have three teams lead by Jillian Michaels, Bob Harper and Dolvett Quince; each team will have one kid contribute during challenges but will not weigh in like their adult counterparts.  I personally believe, that the addition of  these kids will be a great thing and should be added from here onward.

This show will not only continue to motivate adults,  but will motivate children as well to get fit and get healthy. Over the years,  childhood obesity  has become an  epidemic that we’re finally starting to take seriously. With gaming systems like Nintendo Wii and now XBox Kinect;  both gaming systems requiring you to get off your butt and play (they even have “The Biggest Loser” game for the Kinect). I’m looking forward to seeing how “The Biggest Loser” adjusts to having kids on the show.  I can only hope that this becomes an inspiration to ALL kids overweight and slim to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Most walking shoes aren’t necessarily built with a lot of science behind it, when compared to running shoes. Walking shoes are mostly about design and current trends, however, walking shoes have a lot of support and/or thick rubber in the heel of the shoe. The heel is thicker because most walkers lead with the heel of their foot.  The basketball/tennis shoe is made for movement side to side (lateral movements) and is built for all around support for stop and go movement.

The best type of shoe for beginners and,  for people who are active in multiple types of activity (excluding running),  is the cross-trainer shoe. Cross-trainer shoes are a great all around option for different physical activities making this type of shoe the best option for beginners.

Next, make sure you purchase some comfortable and supportive walking/running shoes. By using a supportive  pair of footwear you not only help prevent injury and increases balance,  but prevent what I call “foot fatigue” or “foot stress” during your workout (I’ll have another post about footwear and how to select  proper shoes in greater detail  in an upcoming post). For those absolute beginners, make sure you go for a walk at least 20 minute to 30 minute walk, without stopping, at pace that is comfortable for you at least once a day. The idea is to maintain movement, while getting your body acclimated to your new found routine.

After a couple of weeks of walking .  .  .  keep walking,  however,  add light weight lifting to your routine by doing a high number of reps with a light amount of weight; this can be done, before or after your short daily walk (for at least 3 days out of the week).  Its never too late and your never  too  old to begin working out, by doing this simple routine, you will begin challenging your body to get into shape.

Now, speaking of schedules, one of the best things to do is (drum roll)  . . .  add the workout into your schedule. I know, I know; just a second ago I said “it was tough to squeeze a workout in”, however, it is only tough if you don’t “schedule” in your workouts. Planning to do your workouts should be just like picking up the kids from school or taking your beautiful wife or girlfriend out to dinner (it is okay to be flexible with your workout times, but officially scheduling it in,  will at least help to  remind you).

Another tip you should consider  is finding a buddy to workout with, now make sure,  you find a partner that can motivate you and help you stick to your fitness plan, however, be willing to motivate your partner as well. With a buddy, it’s way more difficult to back out of a workout when your friend is waiting for you at the gym.

Technology rules and today technology can really help you stay on track; for example there’s an awesome app called Gym Pact, its an app you can schedule visits to the gym and it uses a gps tracking feature, where if you happen to miss or skip your visit to the  gym, the app takes a dollar out of your account (an account set up with Gym Pact, not your bank account).  You can also have a similar experience with the website 21habit.com, where you can, not only, start good habits, but get rid of undesirable habits like smoking, etc.

Don’t give up!  habits can be hard to break and can be easy to make;  researchers say it takes up to 19 days, to create a habit without even thinking about it or obsessing over it . . .  So don’t fret, schedule your time to sweat.

I’ve had upper back pain for the past 2-3 months , which lead me to do  a little  research and I discovered (for myself) that upper back pain is fairly rare compared to lower back pain.  All this time, twisting, turning and stretching didn’t really help  relieve my annoying upper back pain.  So,  as I’m stretching,  I have this thought in the back of my head . . . “If I could just bend or twist and get a little more movement all the pain would go away” – – not so.

Upper back pain is a feeling of discomfort from the thoracic vertebrae, which is between the neck and lower back  (lumbar vertebrae; this part of the human spine rarely moves compared to the lower back and could be considered the strongest part of the spine. The most common causes for upper back pain is:

• Poor Posture
• Fracture of one of the vertebrae.
• A herniated disc (pressure on the spinal nerves)
• Sports or physical activity injuries

To reduce upper back pain you should use different stretching methods, other than traditional pre and post workout stretches.

The Side Stretch

Stand up on your feet, shoulder length apart, take your right arm and raise (and extend)  it over the top of your head, put your left hand on your left hip and stretch your right (extended arm) to the left over your head (lean to your left). Reverse this process to stretch to your right.

The Cat Stretch

Get down on the floor on all fours and lean back, while leaving your knees and feet in the same position and stretch like a fuzzy cat.

Push Ups (on the wall)

Stand up facing the wall with your feet shoulder width apart, put both hands firmly on the wall (arms extended fully) and slowly  bend your arms until your nose is nearly touching the wall.  Hold this position for 5 seconds and repeat at least 10 times.

These are the top three stretches I’ve tried and they’ve reduce my upper back  pain and hopefully it will help relieve yours as well. Don’t be afraid to comment with more tips on this subject; and don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook and visit our official website homegymdeals.com.

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