Taking A Break

Will be taking a break from blogging until the end of the month. Check back and we'll see you soon!

This Exec Keeps Up With His Boys

How does a busy exec keep up so he can participate in physical activities with his sons?

Hoyt Harper, the 56-year-old lead branding executive for Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, found himself achy after doing things like paintball and flag football with his sons. In keeping up with four sons ranging in age from 14 to 22, these activities required Harper to be a "weekend warrior".

Read Jen Murphy's account of how Harper's workout routine now keeps him up to the task of his weekend warrior activities with his sons.

Harper also found his physical lifestyle adjustments helpful in his work when Sheraton rolled out a nutrition and exercise program.

Timing Snacks Effectively

Some interesting research is available about effective timing of snacking.

According to a recent study by the American Dietetic Association, women who snacked during the mid-morning hours lost less weight than those women who snacked at other times of the day.

The theory here is that once you start snacking early in the day, you're more likely to continue snacking throughout the day.

Read the article from Katherine Hobson in the Wall Street Journal to learn more about the impact of this study as it might relate to you.

How Much Rest Is Enough?

How long should you rest between workouts?

We need rest between workouts, but how long does rest between workouts start to have a reverse effect? Generally, after two days, you can start to lose the benefits of your efforts.

Certainly, there is truth to this, but we have to rest our bodies at some point or we risk overtraining and injury. Check out this post by Jen Mueller at www.dailyspark.com to learn more about the effect of rest on the body.

Trick Yourself Into Smaller Portions

Do you want to eat less? It's simple - all you have to do is provide more contrast between the color of your food and the plates you use to serve it.

I found this interesting -- according to a recent study -- overserving was reduced when food was served on plates that contrasted in color to those plates. For example, you'll serve yourself less of a red-sauce pasta dish if you eat it on a white plate.

I'm not making this up. Check out Ann Lukits' recent article in the Wall Street Journal to learn all about how this works.

Training On The Treadmill

Most runners don't enjoy treadmills. However, when it's February in the Midwest, we often have little option if we want to keep running.

If you live in an environment like where I live in Iowa, the winter months bring quite a bit of ice that doesn't allow for safe running outdoors. While treadmills are BORING, they provide a safe alternative to keep your running workouts up.

But consider these other "upsides" to treadmill running:

You can't "cheat" the treadmill, so you can control the pace and elevation you want to achieve.

It's a bit of a softer surface than running on the concrete or asphalt.

Matt Fitzgerald posted an article on the pros and cons of treadmill, including what to seek if you're looking to purchase a treadmill, for www.active.com. Check it out and don't forget to click at the end of the article for Part II.