If you are wondering how working your muscles can actually make your bones stronger, it is because the force of muscles pulling against bones stimulates the bone building process.   It will actually stimulate bone formation and the retention of calcium in the bones that are bearing the weight load.  Not only does exercise help with bone density, but it also increases muscle strength, coordination, and balance which decreases the risk of falling and bone injuries especially in the elderly.

Osteoporosis is more common in women than men.  This is why lifting weights is so important for women and should be included in their exercise routine.  So women don’t be afraid to pick up  those weights.  It might be your best way to fight against osteoporosis.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100413170710.htm

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2010/03/04/hm.fitness.and.academics.cnn

http://www.self.com/fooddiet/2008/07/foods-for-weight-loss

I hope since it is February your Resolutions aren’t already forgotten and you are still trying to stick to your health and fitness goals.  Everyone thinks that setting your goals is the easiest part rather than actually sticking with them.  But it is the goal setting that is actually just as hard.  The hard part is setting REALISTIC goals that will really help you to ACHIEVE them.  For example if you are trying to lose weight break it down into a weekly goal of 1-2 lbs per week rather then saying I want to lose 20 lbs in the next 2-3 months.  You will feel better when you hit that weekly goal and it will keep you going to the next week.  Most importantly don’t set an unrealistic goal of losing 20lbs in a month.  Which first of all is unhealthy and second you will get frustrated when the weight isn’t coming off fast enough.

Also, validate your goals.  What I mean by this is don’t keep them to yourself.  First of all write them down so you validate them to yourself.  Also, tell close friends and family what your goals and plans are.  By saying them out loud makes them more realistic and helps you to stick with them.  It is also nice to have the support from your friends and family.

So if you have already given up on your resolutions, don’t be upset with yourself for not keeping to it, but reevaluate them.  Were your goals realistic to achieve?  Did you write them down?  Did you express to your close friends and family what your new plans were?  Learn from your mistakes and move forward to achieve your goals!

 Unfortunately, fat tends to go more to the belly. Especially as we get older.  It is also the worst fat to have since it surrounds your organs.  It causes stress to your organs and can gradually damage them.  So, it is really important to keep off the belly fat, but if doing 1,000 crunches a night won’t get rid of your belly fat than what will?

 Here are your best options:

 1.  Muscle burns fat.  So you need to target bigger muscle groups.  Target leg, chest and back muscles.  Strengthening these muscles will actually help you burn more fat and lose inches around the middle.

 2.  Interval training.  This is doing cardio at two different speeds for about 30 minutes.  The best interval training is to run at a fast speed for about 2 – 3 minutes and then walk for 2 minutes.  Of course make sure you warm up for 5 – 10 minutes prior to doing this.  The slower speed burns fat and the faster speed burns carbohydrates.  So you are losing the fat that is already there and the carbohydrates that are waiting to turn into fat.

 3.  Cut down on your carbohydrates.  We need carbohydrates for energy, so completely eliminating them is not the best thing to do.  However, whatever carbs we take in and do not use for energy our bodies will store away for later use and convert to fat.  This will add to those unwanted inches on the belly!

 Try these few things and you should notice that the inches start disappearing around your middle.  Keep at it and you will have a flatter stomach in no time!

http://health.discovery.com/videos/health-issues-with-dr-oz-weight-loss.html

Here is the statement from Prevention Magazine:

“If flipping through a magazine keeps you motivated, by all means do it,” says Coopersmith. “But reading while exercising is so distracting that you’re probably working at an intensity too low to burn a significant number of calories.” Magazines and books are just the tip of the iceberg–1 in 10 of us reads texts or e-mail on a cell phone during workouts, reports a new survey by Standard Life, a health insurance company.

Instead, turn on some tunes to increase the duration and intensity of your cardio bout: Researchers at Brunel University in London discovered that runners who listened to motivational rock or pop music (think Queen or Madonna) exercised up to 15% longer–and felt better doing it. You don’t have to nix TV shows, cell phones, books, and magazines every workout–just leave them behind a couple of times a week so you can focus on intensity.