The term "cardio" is commonly used in fitness these days. But what does it mean? And whatever happened to "aerobics"? The answers are a long story, or at least a long-ish post.
Is Saturated Fat “Artery-Clogging”?
Poor saturated fat...talk about discrimination! It's been regularly bashed for decades, often based on bad data or faulty interpretations. But it has a bad reputation that sticks, largely because it's easier to bash it than to think critically about the accusations.
One of the most common slurs it endures is "artery-clogging." Sure, we can expect this kind of thing from the mostly wrong Dr. Oz but it's a phrase that gets used by too many people who should know better.
Age-Related Muscle Loss (Sarcopenia)
As people age, strength and muscle mass generally decline. This is known as sarcopenia (Sarx = flesh, penia= loss). Sarcopenia can be loss of muscle mass, loss of muscle strength, and/or loss of muscle quality. Severe muscle loss brings with it several serious risks and consequences. Ultimately, quality of life may be reduced significantly.
Sarcopenia commonly affects people more than 60 years of age and especially those above 80 years of age. However, preventive measures have the best effect when initiated earlier--in your 40s or 50s. Awareness of the condition and knowledge of possible preventive measures is a must for anyone over 40 years of age. (More on this soon!)
Two Bogus Squat Assessments
Lots of people have trouble with getting good depth on squats, including me. There are various assessments to help determine the problem(s). A couple of them keep popping up online--including from some sharp trainers--that aren't so good. They're not useless, but they don't show what some trainers think they show. In case you're looking around the 'net for answers to your squat depth questions (and who isn't?), here are a couple to approach with caution.
Eating at McDonald’s
There's a video making the rounds again lately (despite being circa 2013-14) about an Iowa science teacher who used himself for an "experiment" with his class to eat exclusively at McDonald's. However, there were caveats, and the results surprise some people. As usual there's more to the story.
How Useful is Counting Steps?
Back in hilly Pacifica again, and walking. This time, I fired up a pedometer app on my iPod Touch and did some step counting. (6,000 for a morning stroll.) Counting steps is all the rage these days, but this little jaunt got me thinking. And not just about "step by step...inch by inch..."
Rest vs. Intensity
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been a hot fitness topic for a while now. Numerous studies have shown the benefits of short bursts of training at high intensity. This makes for catchy headlines and appealing claims for quick workouts and reduced training times (a few minutes a week?) but one reality that often gets lost in the hype is the relationship between rest and intensity.