Do my bones look fat to you?

Amazing new research in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research has shown that people who are overweight or obese can get more bone-building benefits than their lean friends. What does that mean? Your bones store fat. Your bones and bone marrow are not stable and unchanging, they are active. They make blood cells, immune cells and can make cancer cells. …

Liquid refreshments, make your own sports drinks.

Last week I talked about alcohol. Usually, when I post about alcohol, I get a lot of negative feedback, but not this time. In fact, last week, when I was just about to hit the “publish” button after a long time researching, writing and rewriting, I almost thought, why bother? I almost started again with another topic. This time I …

Start with the why.

Thanks for the great responses to my question about exercise.  “Why do you think more people don’t exercise enough? What stops you from turning up the dial on your exercise intensity? Why is this one thing, that has more benefits than any pill you could take, so hard to do regularly?” F said I’ve got lots of ideas why some …

The truth about alcohol

You may have heard the news this week that the benefits of alcohol have been overstated. I am sorry to break it to you, but drinking is not going to improve your health. I quit drinking twice. Once, the man and I decided to stop drinking while we were training for our first Half Ironman. That was in 2001. He …

9 years younger

Intense exercise keeps you younger. How exercise keeps your telomeres and you, young.

What about your knees?

If you exercise, run, go to the gym, play sports inevitably someone you just met will ask “but what about your knees?” As if being active is a direct path to achy joints. We know that exercise is good for us and we know it is good for our joints too. You don’t get osteoarthritis from being active. It was once …

Hitting the wall

If you have ever “hit the wall”, “bonked” or “ran out of gas” you will understand that feeling when moving becomes conceptual instead of physical.  At that point, you are done. Nothing is going to make moving easier or less uncomfortable.  We know that training makes your muscles better at burning fat for energy and lengthens the time you can …

3 food trends that aren’t worth it and one that is.

Food trends are not new, and most of them are recycled versions of past ones, but here are three that aren’t worth following, but never seem to go away. 1. Gluten free. The newest version of low carb diets. This one never seems to go away. 1% of the population has celiac disease and needs to avoid gluten. Currently, it …

The sweet taste of sugar

The sweetest thing. Have you ever been on a long run or ride and started thinking about sugary drinks? Then when you have one it feels like your muscles are sucking it up, like you can feel it being absorbed? Maybe you can. Carbohydrates and simple sugars are the only nutrients that can be absorbed through our tongue, directly into our …

Sit less. Move more.

Are you sitting down? Because I don’t recommend it. ​Last week I attended the Canadian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention and I found two things particularly interesting. But, you could sum up most of the conference in 4 words. Sit Less. Move More.  A few other interesting facts were highlighted more than once. First, every speaker said that Cardiac Rehab wasn’t …