Category Archives: Yoga

Fitness Apps Worth a Download and a Whirl!

03 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by in Diet, Exercising, Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Personal Trainer, Running, Sleep, Top 10 Lists, Training, Yoga

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week80Yes, like there is for just about everything else these days, there are apps for fitness. Several. Probably hundreds if I dig far enough. So which one to use? Which ones are the best? Well, as 2014 is off and rolling with many new health and fitness resolutions in sight, there is no better time than now to download one or two of these popular fitness apps to help you stay in shape, on track and on goal. Below are just 10 of them for Apple wireless devices since that is what I use to test and use them!

Fitness Buddy (Buy) – With 1700+ unique exercises, 1000+ HD videos, and a workout journal at your fingertips, it’s no wonder this popular app has received accolades from Gizmodo, ESPN Magazine and even Jay Leno. This app will help revolutionize and revitalize your gym regimen with comprehensive exercises for all major equipment, including barbell, EZ curl bar, dumbbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and stability balls. By Azumio, Inc. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

HealthyOut (Free) – I saw this app promoted on GMA and had to immediately go download it and give it a go. Of course, due to the TV appearance, the app crashed with all of the requests. Once in, pre-select your diet style – such as gluten free, high protein, low calorie, vegan, Paleo and even Weight Watchers, Atkins, and more  – then the app will locate area restaurants for eat-in or take-out that meet your nutrition preferences. By HealthyOut. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

iMuscle (Buy) – If you’re looking to improve or change up your workouts, check out this app which will guide you through 450 different lifts and stretches to create a customized balanced workout without having to hire a physical trainer. There are great illustrations and written instructions for those already familiar with most exercises. By 3D4Medical.com, LL. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPad 2 and newer.

Lose it! (Free) – This is one of the first health and fitness apps I downloaded to my iPhone. Keep tracking of what you eat, how much of it, and all if it’s nutrient values (including calories) can not be in the palm of your hand. There are a number of name-brand food items or you can add your own. It also takes your daily exercise into account. By FitNow, Inc. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

MyFitnessPal (Free) – This award-winning app has won accolades for many reasons, including hosting the largest food database of any iPhone calorie counter with over 3,000,000 foods! It is hands-down is one of the best all-in-one calorie counter and exercise trackers with its enormous catalog of foods, meals, and recipes. It even includes barcode scanner for finding packaged foods’ nutritional information. By MyFitnessPal.com. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

Runkeeper (Free) – Are you a runner or a cyclist? How about a hiker or walker? If so, downloading this GPS app is a must! Filled with motivational cues and an opportunity to connect with workout buddies, this is a great little app to track your cardio. See detailed stats around your pace, distance, and time plus get notified when you hit new personal bests and milestones. By FitnessKepper, Inc. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

ShopWell – Healthy Diet & Grocery Food Scanner (Free) – Want quick assistance reading food labels to find healthier foods and achieve your nutrition goals? Consistently ranked as one of the top health and fitness apps, with ShopWell all you need to do is scan the bar code and it will reveal nutrition facts panels, calorie count, and ingredients to help you match foods meeting your dietary needs. Scan foods in booth supermarket and at home. By YottaMark, Inc. Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock (Buy) – If you are thinking, “No, I don’t need another alarm,” then you are mistaken. This “intelligent” clock not only wakes you in the lightest sleep, but analyzes your sleep. Getting enough sound sleep is just as crucial to being healthy as a healthy diet and regular exercise. This app uses the accelerometer in your iPhone to monitor your sleep movements in addition to providing metrics about how well you slept. By Maciek Drejak Labs. Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

VigorWay (Free) – This is the first social network designed to give active health and fitness enthusiasts a place to share their journeys and connect with others. Surround yourself in an online world with those who eat, sleep, breath, and believe in your healthy lifestyle! Use the active categories and Geo-Tag system to see the most trending and motivational pictures across the world and get the latest news and articles from the most reputable resources. By Vigor Health & Fitness, LLC. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

Yoga Studio (Buy) – Voted runner-up in “Best App Ever” Awards 2012 and recommended by MacLife, Fox, MSN, The Guardian, Huffington Post and others, this ultimate yoga app allows users to play, customize, and schedule easy-to-follow HD video yoga classes. Easily create unique HD video classes or participate in one of 30 ready-made yoga classes with HD videos. 20 ready-made pose blocks readily available plus library of over 280 poses with detailed advice and instructions. By Modern Lotus. Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Optimized for iPhone 5.

Remember in the end, all apps are personal choices that best fit you, your fitness lifestyle, and ultimate goals. Select apps that have features, an interface, graphics, and support that meet or exceed your expectations. You may have to try a few before determining which your prefer. If you find others you would like to add to this list, please post!

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana

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Following My Mother’s Footsteps into a Healthy Lifestyle

05 Thursday May 2011

Posted by in Health and Wellness, Nutrition, Vitamins, Yoga

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In honor of this upcoming Mother’s Day, I thought I’d write about the great influence my mother has had on my own healthy way of living today. I have mentioned my mother a few times in my writings before and, I must admit, I have yet to meet another woman as passionate or absorbed into healthy eating and exercising as Mom.

Just this morning, Mom called me up to discuss Bob Greene’s latest book, “20 Years Younger: Look Younger, Feel Younger, Be Younger.” He was on ABC’s Good Morning America earlier and she caught the clip. She suggested I should buy his book and that she’s going to get it, too. Mom is 86 years young.

You have to love Mom’s spunk and relentless dedication to health and wellness. As long as I can remember, this was her way of living. When I asked how her interest in living healthy first began, Mom says she happened to catch a television program, sometime between the births of my two older brothers, that instantly ignited her interest and fascination into wellness. And she took to the subject like a sponge.

Mom was always a ferocious reader and she began reading all of the latest and greatest health and nutrition books of her time. She scoured newspapers and magazines for columns and articles, and surfed radio and television channels for shows broadcasting the latest and greatest on diet, exercising and overall wellness.

For years, she drove from the suburbs of Philadelphia into the City of Brotherly Love to take yoga lessons from a then well-known instructor. His name now slips her, but that’s okay; after all Mom is in her mid-eighties. When finding the time to travel to the city for her classes became challenging, Mom switched to practicing the physical discipline at home. Sometimes I would see her in her bedroom stretching and bending into all sorts of yoga positions and poses, then to the teachings of Mara Carrico.

In addition to her yoga, Mom rode the stationary bike we kept downstairs, walked at a nearby track with a neighbor of ours, and followed the exercise routines of Francois Henri “Jack” LaLanne, the renowned exercise and nutritional guru who is referred to as the “godfather of fitness” or the “first fitness superhero.” As a child, I remember seeing his classes on TV with LaLanne dressed in tight-fitting clothing, and my mom following his instructions to a tee.

Accompanying Mom’s commitment to exercising, she also faithfully followed the teachings of several public health advocates which lead to her attraction to vitamins and nutrition. Almost daily, you would hear her listening to Dr. Carlton Fredericks on the radio in our kitchen. Once considered “America’s Foremost Nutritionist,” Dr. Frederick discussed vitamin and nutrition therapy for nearly half a century on the radio, broadcasting six days a week and nationally syndicated. Dr. Linus Pauling was another favorite of hers. An author of best-seller “How to Live Longer and Feel Better,” Dr. Pauling was an advocate on the very high intake of vitamins, especially vitamin C. Mom read this book and others of his. Then there is urologist James Balch, M.D. who co-authored “Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A to Z Guide to Supplements,” a book that has sold over 3.5 million copies to date. Dr. Bach also authored “Prescription for Dietary Wellness,” “Prescription for natural Cures” and “The Super Antioxidants.”

Mom also has read the writings of Dr. Stephen Sinatra, a board certified cardiologist, nutritionist, and anti-aging specialist specializing in integrative medicine; Dr. Isadore “Izzy” Rosenfeld, perhaps the most famous cardiologist in the world, plus a distinguished Professor of Medicine at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and a well-known health authority in medical media; and Robert Kowalski, a renowned medical journalist and another best-selling author who was known for his a pioneering advocacy for quitting smoking, reducing saturated fat and cholesterol, increasing  exercise and adding oat bran and fish oil to a heart-healthy diet.

As a result of Mom’s healthy lifestyle, our refrigerator was stocked with all sorts of vitamins, supplements, minerals and herbs while growing up. No sweets could be found in our house, vitamins were served with breakfast, and all food labels were examined by Mom before entering our kitchen. When I was a child, she enrolled me in every sporting activity under the sun and encouraged me to continue my athletic endeavors well into my adulthood.

Although I didn’t see it then, Mom’s ways had a way of rubbing off on me. The older and wiser I become, the more I am like my mom with a similar strong allegiance to nutrition, fitness and overall wellness. Like her, I have added yoga to my workout regimen and, for the last several years, read books by Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Steven Pratt, Dr. Rosenfeld and Dr. Mehmet Oz among others. And to top matters off, vitamins come with breakfast, food labels are read before entering the kitchen, and, with the exception of dark chocolate, no sweets are in the house.

Thanks to my mom for a wonderful upbringing and an amazing life. As one of the early trailblazers who saw the value of good nutrition, regular exercises and overall wellness, Mom is my role model and my mentor. Her healthy ways are now my healthy ways. And on this Mother’s Day, when Mom unwraps Greene’s “20 Years Younger” book in large print, she will once again bask in the euphoria of learning something new and noteworthy about living a healthier life at any age.

Be Fit. Be Strong. Be Well.
Adriana