Summer at the Naval Academy means the running of the plebes

Thirty feet in the air, an Indiana Jones-style rope bridge loomed, strung between two poles, wobbling occasionally in the morning sunshine. Even for 18-year-olds, who are certain they’re invulnerable, its irregularly spaced wooden slats screamed caution. But the instructors had been clear: The best way across was for these incoming college freshmen to launch themselves off the first step and allow speed and momentum to carry them over the gaping spaces to the relative safety of the next tiny, elevated platform. Some looked nervous. …

Fitness begins with an attitude makeover

No one said getting in shape is a cakewalk, but many readers say you can make great strides if you simply put your mind to it. “Whether physical activity is fun rests entirely on your attitude,” says Kellie Tayer, 49, of Shaker Heights, Ohio. She is walking a lot more this summer and playing more tennis. “If you think playing tennis in 90-degree heat is fun, then it is.” Tayer and her family have been participating in this year’s USA TODAY Family Fitness Challenge, which was designed to encourage families to try some new activities this summer so everyone becomes healthier. The activities were created by five top national health and …

Stacey and Adam Capers lost weightand ultimately won

The most transformative part of being contestants on “The Biggest Loser” for Stacey and Adam Capers of Prince William County wasn’t anything that happened on the reality-TV show. It was getting kicked off. This Story The road not taken: A healthful staycation : Get in shape while vacationing at home Inspiration: They busted the camera-adds-10-pounds myth A healthful staycation: One week to a stronger you From the archives: Squeeze in a workout in between chores View All Items in This Story View Only Top Items in This Story The folks remaining on camera had …

Including time for rest in a workout routine can help fitness goals

If you’re like me, you may be looking at some upcoming vacation and thinking: I wonder how many extra workouts I can squeeze into all that free time? This Story Breaking for a better workout More Fitness and Nutrition News Previous MisFits columns Bad idea. Instead, stop and remember why you tear yourself away from work for a few weeks each year: to rest. Rest, in its various forms, is critical to your fitness program. Skip your days off or easy days to cram in extra exercise, and you risk injury, burnout or setbacks in reaching your goals, experts say. “Even God rested for one day,” says my sister-in-law, Tamie DiNolfo,a…

Do you know which of these will help you sleep?

A number of my apparently sleep-deprived friends and colleagues, upon learning I planned to write about foods that might help people sleep better, have told me they’re eager to see what I come up with. This Story Do you know which of these will help you sleep? The Checkup: What puts you to sleep? More Fitness and Nutrition News I so hate to disappoint them. But it turns out science has yet to find a magical food that can send us right to slumberland. “The bad news for people trying to talk about food and sleep is that . . . generally it’s hard to find foods that help with sleep,” says Michael Grandner, a sleep researcher at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Sleep …

Ropes courses and zip lines turn exercise into an adventure

You might say Adan Caraballo is an adrenaline junkie. Actually, you definitely would. “I’m always hang-gliding, skydiving and jet-skiing,” says the 49-year-old graphic designer, whose recent vacations have taken him bungee-jumping and to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. So how does he keep his body primed for such thrills? By traversing wobbly logs and pulling himself up cargo nets every other weekend. This Story Ropes courses and zip lines turn exercise into an adventure Get in the swing Caraballo holds a season pass at Terrapin Adventures, an outdoor amusement park that opened in spring 2009 …

D.C.’s Providence Hospital kicks off weight-loss challenge

A wiry man, clad in a top hat and coat, approached a table of volunteers at Providence Hospital in Northeast Washington on Saturday, signing on to one of the largest community weight-loss initiatives in the District’s history. “Abraham Lincoln,” he called out when asked to identify himself, requesting that dietary and fitness tips be sent to Abe@whitehouse.gov. “We appreciate you participating, Abe,” said Sister Elaine Jordan. “But I’m not sure how much weight you can afford to lose.” The man shrugged, not admitting to a glimmer of irony, and the 16th U.S. president’s name was added to a growing list of …

Cancer survivors urged to exercise

WASHINGTON (AP) — Cancer survivors, better work up a sweat. New guidelines are urging survivors to exercise more, even — hard as it may sound — those who haven’t yet finished their treatment. There’s growing evidence that physical activity improves quality of life and eases some cancer-related fatigue. More, it can help fend off a serious decline in physical function that can last long after therapy is finished. READER FORUM: Living with Cancer BREAST CANCER: Exercise reduces side effects Consider: In one year, women who needed chemotherapy for their breast cancer can see a swapping of muscle for fat that’s equivalent to 10 years of normal aging, says …

Teenage stars of ‘Huge’ television series aren’t just acting overweight

If you’re curious about what it’s like to be an overweight teenager, tune in to ABC Family’s new series “Huge.” This Story Teenage stars of ‘Huge’ television series aren’t just acting overweight : Weight-loss advice for adolescents The Checkup: Why are so many teens so overweight? The series, debuting June 28 at 9 p.m. and starring Nikki Blonsky of “Hairspray” fame, follows a group of overweight teens at a summer weight-loss camp. Based on Sasha Paley’s young-adult novel of the same name, the show has funny moments, but …

Too fat to fight? Military recruits and obesity

Whatever you think of U.S. involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is a little unnerving to read a recent report by a panel of top retired military officers on the physical fitness of military recruits. Titled “Too Fat to Fight,” the April study bluntly concludes that 9 million 17- to 24-year-olds — 27 percent of all young adults — “are too fat to serve in the military.” The report by the nonprofit organization Mission: Readiness calls this trend “a threat to national security” and notes that “being overweight is now by far the leading medical reason for rejection.” From 1995 to 2008, the study says, “the proportion of potential recruits who failed their physicals each year because they were overweight rose nearly 70 percent.”…

Next Page »