Regular exercise is an important part of effective weight loss, weight management, as well as disease prevention and improving your overall health.  Research consistently shows that regular exercise, combined with healthy eating is the most efficient and healthful way to control your weight.  In addition, regular exercise can help prevent heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, back pain, and osteoporosis.

Your weight is controlled by the number of calories you consume each day minus the number of calories you use each day.  Everything you do, from sleeping, breathing, and digesting your food, uses calories.  Physical activity, in addition to your usual daily activity, will help you to burn extra calories.  Balancing the number of calories you expend through exercise and physical activity with the number of calories you consume will help you achieve and maintain your desired weight.  The key to effective weight loss, weight management, and improved overall heath is to make physical activity a part of your daily routine.

There are a variety of different types of exercises or activities you can do to achieve the benefits mentioned above.  The key is to participate in a variety of activities and to do them consistently.  Ideally, you should be participating in some sort of physical activity for 30 minutes each day.  Mixing up your activities is important so that your body doesn’t accommodate to one form of exercise.  A program that consists of aerobic exercise, weight training, speed and agility activities, as well as sports participation will prevent your body from getting used to one routine, improve your metabolism, and be most effective for weight management and improving your overall health.

We know that it is easy to find reasons not to exercise:  Limited time, being intimidated by a gym or fitness facility, not knowing how to get started, lost motivation, etc.  Do not let these reasons get in the way of your health.  All Access can help you!  Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for help and suggestions.

It’s February, so why are we talking about the Rigors of Golf?  To most of us, golf is a leisurely sport that does not require a great deal of physical conditioning.....or does it?  If not, why are professional golfers involved in exercise and conditioning programs?  And why are there more and more golf specific conditioning classes or programs being offered?  The reason is golf is a physically challenging sport, and in order to play it properly, you should prepare your body for it. 

Golf season is just around the corner, despite the piles of snow still on the ground.  Now is the time to prepare your body for the rigors of golf!!!  Improving and working on your flexibility, balance, core and extremity strength, and endurance can help your game. 

Flexibility:  You need flexibility in your trunk, arms and legs in order to develop a consistently smooth swing that will also be more powerful and accurate.  When muscles are tight around your hips, back or shoulders, your swing plane will be thrown off, causing compensatory movements in your swing that may lead to a visit to the pro shop to purchase balls for the ones you lost!

Balance:  Maintaining balance during your golf shots is important as well.  It is easy to stay balanced on the driving range where you are usually hitting from a flat surface.  But out on the course, your ball may land on an uneven surface causing you to adjust your stance and reposition your club.  Having good balance during these types of shots will prevent the extreme hook or slice from occurring.

Core strength:  Without a stable core (upper and lower trunk), not only is your swing at risk, your back is as well.  Strengthening your core can prevent back injuries that may occur during your swing.  Being able to properly activate your core musculature will lend to better balance and accuracy, as well as more power during your swing.  Poor core control lends to erratic shots because the muscles cannot control your body's momentum or mechanics during your swing.

Upper and lower extremity strength:  Your legs serve to provide a stable base for your entire swing as well as to give you power during your shot.  When these muscles are not conditioned properly, the "base" becomes unstable and you lose both power and accuracy.  Arm strength is important at the wrists, elbows and shoulders.  Wrist strength allows for proper follow-through at impact.  Elbow extension strength is important for the lead elbow in order to drive through the ball with power and consistency.  Shoulder strength is important for being able to generate rotational power throughout the swing plane as well as being able to lift the club in the first place. 

Endurance:  A round of golf is generally 4-5 hours long if you are playing 18 holes.  Between the number of swings you take, the varied terrain of the course, and the amount of walking you do, you need to have good overall endurance to play the game effectively the whole round.  Participation in a conditioning program will allow you to have the endurance you need to play the game at your best!

If you are like me, the holiday season leaves you feeling frazzled, stressed and worn out.  It is hard enough to find the time to do the things you have to, never mind fitting in the 2 1/2 hours of exercise per week that the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended as a minimum guideline.  You may be thinking "there is no way I can do that."  But think again: If you are constantly on the go, have an irregular schedule and have not been exercising, you put yourself at risk for developing a variety of not so fun musculoskeletal and cardiac conditions that will make everything you do even more difficult.  Why do you think we are in business? 

The urge to “fatten up” and “hibernate” in winter is strong, even for us humans. However, you are better off staying in shape than struggling to catch up come spring. Winter exercise benefits more than just your physical fitness: it is also a powerful antidote for the winter blues.

Options for winter workouts vary by your interests and your location. People who live in warmer, sunnier climates have the outdoor advantage over those of us in the Northeast who have to live with the cold temperatures and snow. But being outdoors in the winter can be exhilarating. Look at Rocky Balboa…all he needed was 2-3 feet of snow covered wasteland, a pile of wood to cut and throw around, a cold barn to workout in, a “Paulie” weighted sled, a few trees to chop down, and a snow covered mountain to climb (watch this if you need a visual: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8xHjC27YvM&NR=1). If it worked for him, it can work for you. And look at how much fun he had!!!