Fitness activities need to be consistent to result in better health and wellness. If you find a particular activity difficult and are not motivated to pursue that activity, find an activity that you want to do.Read more

Nutritionally speaking…. Nutrition is a cornerstone to good health.   Good health, athletic ability and a healthy weight are all dependent on your body receiving the nutrients it needs to maintain all normal body functions AND to support the increased energy needed too support fitness activities.  If your diet regularly supplies the nutrients necessary to sustain healthy function, the likelihood of overeating is reduced.  Healthy Food choices will also give you a feeling of being “full” and they will reduce those cravings for non-nutritious food choices. While the USDA recommends 5 to 9 servings of fruits and veggies a day, researchers have found even greater benefits when a minimum of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables are consumed each day.  A 2017 meta-analysis of current research, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology (https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/46/3/1029/3039477), studying levels of fruit and vegetable intake in relation to a variety of health outcomes concluded that...Read more

I love seeing friendships develop at the gym.  Our culture here at Fit St. Charles is very supportive – people of all ages and fitness levels generally encourage each other in the workouts – I love that. This universal acceptance is one of the things that sets us aside from the big box gyms.  At Fit St. Charles, no matter who you are or what your fitness goals are, you can find a non-judgmental and encouraging atmosphere in which to workout.  Sometimes, within the friendly atmosphere of the gym, true friendships develop.  Not everyone is interested in making friendships at the gym and that’s ok, too.  Those that do and those that don’t are equally welcome – our coaches are just happy that there are no cliques or drama here! The friendships that do develop during athletic pursuit are special – they are usually rooted in common goals and a...Read more

Let’s talk about fitness in the 1960’s! President John F. Kennedy, inaugurated January 20th, 1961, continued what Eisenhower started in the 1950’s, leading the White House and the American people into a different era of fitness in the United States. Kennedy spoke openly about the need for American citizens to improve their fitness levels, quoted saying “we are under exercised as a nation”. He furthered programs such as the President’s Council on Physical Fitness, and advocated for the government to grant greater funding to national efforts to improve the fitness of youth and nation as a whole. His commitment to fitness can be summed up by this poignant quote- “Physical fitness is the basis for all other forms of exercise”. In the same decade, we had “The Father of Modern Fitness”, Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper (a former Air Force lieutenant colonel), who is credited with shifting focus on health and...Read more

The 1950’s were an important time in the history of fitness, especially within the United States. As we talked about last week, World War II’s record breaking draft brought attention to the plummeting levels of fitness that plagued the US. And this time, the government decided to do something about it.   The Cold War era was marked by the development of the fitness test known as the “Minimal Muscular Fitness Tests in Children”. Also known as the Kraus-Weber test, it measured the overall fitness levels of school-aged children. Some of the earliest tests were performed by Bonnie Prudden, who found that 58% of US children failed the Kraus-Weber test, compared to 8% of European children. This drew attention from the United State government. So, in 1955 Prudden presented her findings to Dwight Eisenhower, which shocked the White House and got the media’s attention. The media labeled Prudden’s report as “The...Read more

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by memory loss as well as multiple cognitive disorders. It usually affects those over the age of 65, but can begin earlier in life.  We don’t 100% understand what causes it, but age is the most significant risk factor, although family history, less alcohol consumption, and not smoking seem to play a role as well. Symptoms of mild (early) Alzheimer’s includes: memory loss that leads to disruptions in daily life, poor judgment, loss of sense of initiative, losing track of dates and current location, problems solving problems, losing or misplacing items, difficulty remembering to complete daily tasks (such as brushing teeth or bathing) and/or taking longer to complete them, mood and personality changes, and increased anxiety and aggression. The stage is usually when Alzheimer’s is diagnosed. Individuals will become confused, frustrated, leading to depressive symptoms as well. It affects people to...Read more

Reviewing the effects of war we don’t often consider, it becomes evident that war often brings about changes in how we view the overall health and fitness level in societies as a whole. And the events surrounding World War II in the United States were no different. Today we are going to discuss how WWII changed the US government’s view on the state of its citizens’ health and physical state in America. As we noted last week, prior to the second World War, society as a whole was not as interested in exercise as they were during and before WWI. With the onset of the Great Depression, the overwhelming majority of society did not have the means or energy to dedicate time and effort towards improving their fitness levels. However, directly following WWII, the government, and subsequently the American people, shifted their focus back to structured exercise and healthier diets. ...Read more

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, so let’s talk about how regular exercise can help those with ADHD- in fact, exercise is among the top treatments for children and adults with ADHD! So what is ADHD anyway? Like with most things that have to do with our brains, it’s complicated and different for everyone, but basically it is a fairly common mental health condition that usually leads to a tough time paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors, and being overactive. ADHD falls in the category of “Neurodivergent” (along with Autism, Dyspraxia, and Dyslexia, although they all present differently with varying degrees of impact on a person’s life). Other symptoms of ADHD include problems sleeping, executive dysfunction, poor memory, poor time management, mood shifts, information processing issues, and forgetting to take care of basic needs.  ADHD is caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, primarily dopamine. People with ADHD have at...Read more