One of my all-time favorite exercises is the Wall Sit. And though I like doing it personally, that’s not the reason it’s my favorite exercise. I like teaching it to others, and watching them experience “the burn” for the first time. The look on their face is priceless.

Since this is an article, I will be denied the pleasure of watching your face the first time you feel “the burn” – But I’m not going to let that stop me or you. All you need to do this exercise is a wall, a stop-watch or timer, and some intestinal fortitude.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Wall Sit, and perhaps you think you already know how to do it. If so, get ready for some new twists.

Here are the instructions:

1. Have your timer ready.

2. Basic position: Lean your back against a wall. Slide down the wall so that your hips are at a ninety-degree angle (“L” shaped). Your knees should also bent to a ninety-degree angle. Your ankles should be directly beneath your knees. Your knees and ankles should be about a fist apart (separated by about 4-6 inches at most). Your arms should be at your sides (don’t put your hands on your thighs).
3. Now for the two secret moves that make this exercise a real killer:
   Flatten your lower back into the wall and hold it there. This requires a bit of a posterior pelvic tilt (picture a dog tucking its tail between its legs).
   Simultaneously lift your toes and forefeet so that only your heels are in contact with the floor. Hold your toes and forefeet up throughout the exercise.

4. Hold this position for as long as you can. Grunting is optional.

The goal is to progressively increase the hold time up to 2 minutes for one repetition.

Another brutal way to use this exercise is to do a Tabata-style workout alternating Bodyweight Full Squats with Wall Sits. To do this, you perform as many squats as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, perform a Wall Sit for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat for a total of 8 sets (4 squat sets, 4 Wall Sits).

I hope you decide to give this a try. If so, maybe you can have a friend take a picture of your face for me. Or at the very least, post a comment to tell me what you think. Happy quad frying!

Don’t be miserable while your friends indulge. Order what you want, but avoid the hundreds of extra calories prepared foods will cost you. Order the HALF SIZE portion. Most restaurants do not have this option on their menu, but if you simply ask, most are glad to prepare it. Best of all, this can cut costs as well as calories. It may also be noted as the appetizer portion in the menu, but check to see what size it is – sometimes the appetizer portion can be nearly as loaded with calories and fat as the main event. In case the restaurant does not offer half sizes, just ask to be served only half of the meal, and for the other half to be boxed to take home with you.

Obi Obadike, as you may know, is a major contributor over at our sister site, ClarkBartram.com. His quick rise in the fitness modeling has caused him to receive a lot of attention and we’re sure to see more of him in the future.

In September of this year, Obi was part of the first African-American couple on the cover of a U.S. fitness magazine. He appeared on the cover of Max Sports Fitness Magazine along with our own fitness writer and celebrity trainer Basheerah Ahmed. Second, he was the first African-American male fitness model to land an international supplement ad for Dymatize Nutrition in Sept of 08 and now in December, he made his way onto the cover of Inside Fitness.

Francisca Dennis is a 3 time Oxygen cover girl and mother of six children. She is also an incredible inspiration to many women across the country. Being a mother of 6 kids makes her success story all that more inspiring to moms trying to get or stay in shape.

Having an African American couple on the cover of a Canadian fitness magazine for the first time is an incredible milestone in the fitness industry. With any luck, it will help create more diversity on fitness covers.
Models like Obi and Francisca are helping to pave the way for more African-Americans as well as other minorities that are aspiring to be on fitness covers The magazine will hit all stores December 10th. Congratulations to Obi for having an incredible 2008 year!

1. Stay active! Of course you’ll pack on a few pounds if you overindulge in homemade sweets and spend a ton of time in front of the tube. Yet tons of normally fit, active people fall prey to this cruel holiday tradition each year. Just because your routine is a bit different doesn’t give you an excuse to skip the gym. By setting a schedule – and sticking to it – you’re setting yourself up for success. With time off work, you may even be able to fit in MORE gym sessions. Go for a run while cooking a side dish, or while the prized Thanksgiving turkey roasts. Make a deal with yourself that you will squeeze in one hour of physical activity per day.
2. Involve the whole family. Visit a farm and chop down your own Christmas tree. You can start a new tradition and get exercise walking around and inspecting all the different pines. Take a weekend ski trip, or just visit the local ice rink. Even if your family members have health complications or problems that prevent them from partaking in more high-impact sports, you can always try to take a walk around the neighborhood (caroling, anyone?). After all, every little bit counts!
3. Track your calories. You may have to do some creative estimation with complicated recipes, but just keeping a simple log of everything you eat will help you stay aware of all the calories you’re consuming. Remember, the less aware you are, the more you eat. You can safeguard yourself from common ‘mindless eating’ habits by steering clear of nut or pretzel bowls, cookie trays, or cheese and cracker platters. Sit far away, and grab a big glass of water to stay hydrated and satiated.
4. Don’t deprive yourself of your favorites. When we restrict ourselves too much, we’re more likely to binge later. If you want a piece of Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie, by all means, go for it. It may be hard, but try to skip the whipped cream and ask for a smaller portion. Allow yourself to indulge your cravings, but do it in a conservative manner.
5. Don’t take a vacation from the scale. Be honest with yourself. Just because you’re on holiday doesn’t mean your weight is. Instead of getting a big fat January surprise, weigh yourself each week and adjust your eating patterns accordingly. This way, when New Year’s rolls around, you won’t be making a resolution that has anything to do with weight loss!

We all know what a nuisance the common cold can be. For over 60 years people have thought that Vitamin C was a great defense. In fact, Vitamin C’s popularity in treating the common cold rose greatly in the 1970’s when the Nobel Prize winner, Linus Pauling stated its effectiveness based on an earlier trial. But the question remains that whether or not there is any evidence to support the efficacy of Vitamin C?

To answer this question, I turned to the Cochrane database. Their systematic review of thirty (yes thirty!!!) trials involving 11,350 participants showed that regular ingestion of Vitamin C had no effect on the common cold incidence in the general population. However, in a subgroup of 642 marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers on sub-arctic exercises had a reduction in the incidence of the common cold by almost 50%.

Bottom line is that for most people megadoses of Vitamin C is not beneficial for fighting the common cold.

Proponents of raw food assert that the enzymes found in natural, uncooked foods stimulate digestion and prevent chronic and neurodegenerative disease. Critics nag that medical research hasn’t yet offered definitive proof of prevention, but it’s undeniable that a raw diet is full of healthy nutrition choices and benefits for the body. Raw foodists eat at least 75% of living or raw food. The goal is to consume a diet composed entirely of uncooked, unprocessed, natural food. While organic foods are prized for their low amounts of pesticides, they are not a required element of a raw food diet, just a recommended component. Health benefits can include higher energy levels, weight loss, and a more resistant immune system.

• Julia Roberts eats on only blue plates in her home. Research has demonstrated that the color blue is an appetite suppressant.
• Katherine Heigl has recently lost nearly 15 pounds by using her latest diet tool – cigarettes. For lunch, Katherine dines on a small salad and a couple of cigs. Is being a few pounds lighter really worth it?
• Alicia Silverstone has actually trained her dog to bark every time she enters her kitchen. She believes this helps to prevent unnecessary snacking. Pavlov would be thrilled.

The greatest health risk affecting America’s children today is not a horrible disease such as Cancer or Leukemia. It is actually an illness that is almost 100% preventable; it is Obesity. The number of overweight children in the United States has risen dramatically since the early 1960s. In 1960 the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reported that out of children ages 6-11, 4% were overweight, and out of children ages 12-19, 5% were overweight. In 2000, the same survey reported that children age 6-11, were 15.3% overweight, and in the 12-19 age range, 15.5% were overweight (Irwin, Symons, & Kerr).

The increasing percentage of youth who are becoming overweight or obese has become a dangerous epidemic in America. Many illnesses associated with Obesity, and previously only applicable to adults, are being seen in very young children. For the first time in history, because of overweight and obesity, today’s young people may live shorter lives than their parents.

The 1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health stated that physical activity is vitally important in reducing chronic diseases such as Obesity. Physical Education programs do not only provide children with physical activity, but also provide the skills and knowledge necessary to continue an active lifestyle through adulthood. There are many problems with the traditional models of physical education, and better quality programs are desperately needed in order to make a significant impact on the Childhood Obesity epidemic.

The ever increasing levels of Childhood Obesity and related diseases are an issue that has the attention of health and physical activity groups, and government alike. Many of these institutions agree that quality physical education can be the most powerful weapon available in the fight against youth obesity.