Doctors warn that toning shoes can cause injuries

With manufactures of "toning shoes" touting record number sales and claims to tone the butt, legs and abs without hitting the gym, toning shoes have become the fastest and largest growing segment within the footwear industry. So popular has this type of shoe become with consumers, primarily among women, that the market leader, Sketchers, now wants to get men in on the excitement by hiring Pro Football Hall of Fame Quarterback Joe Montana to tout it's benefits.

But as the popularity of the shoe grows, so too does the criticism. Numerous doctors from varying fields of medicine, podiatrists, chiropractors etc. are warning that the shoes are nothing more than a gimmick and can potentially cause injuries to the wearer. Two common injuries to warn against are the rolling of the foot and also strained Achilles tendons citing that "people with balance problems or tight Achilles tendons should take a cautious approach". Interestingly enough, Nike, known in the industry for providing footwear and apparel that enhance overall performance, shuns the idea of the shoes and has no plans to get in the toning shoe game. Nike, through their spokesperson Derek Kent stated "Our focus is on creating performance products that really work. Unlike today's toning products, we won't ask the consumer to compromise on stability, flexibility or any other key performance characteristics as they train."

Although an advocate for most things that encourage people to get out and move more, I’m typically very skeptical of anything that makes overt end all be all claims. Avia’s shoe claims to be the “Personal Trainer in a box” while Reebok’s ads encourage you to “make your boobs jealous!” because the attention will be on your… ahem “assets”. I tend to agree with the sentiment stated that many of the benefits expressed by these companies can be obtained through a proper, balanced diet and integrated fitness programs involving increased cardio activity such as walking or running as well as resistance and flexibility training, and would be less expensive than shelling out $100 - $250 for a pair of shoes. But, if the mood hits and the desire to buy is there, do your research, be cautious of the claims and most importantly, recognize if there are physical limitations present in your own body that could potentially be exacerbated by the use of such products. Sometimes a quick fix for aesthetic benefits is not worth the marketing hype in the long run.


For the full article, check out: A revolutionary sneaker, or overhyped gimmick?

First Lady Launches President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition

On Thursday, First Lady Michelle Obama joined kids from the Washington, DC area to launch the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition and introduce the 2010 Council co-chairs and members. In conjunction with the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative, this year President Obama has broadened the scope of the Council, formerly known as the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, to include a focus on healthy eating as well as active lifestyles. Yesterday, the President signed an Executive Order outlining the Council’s new emphasis on both good nutrition and physical fitness.

The President has named Drew Brees, quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, and Dominique Dawes, three-time Olympian and former U.S. national champion in women’s gymnastics, 2010 Council Co-Chairs. Dawes delivered remarks at the event and Brees recorded a video message that was shown there. Joining Dawes at the event were 2010 Council Members Dan Barber, Tedy Bruschi, Allyson Felix, Michelle Kwan, Curtis Pride, Donna Richardson Joyner, Dr. Ian Smith, Carl Edwards, Cornell McClellan and Dr. Stephen McDonough. Council Executive Director, Shellie Pfohl, was also in attendance. Following the announcement, the First Lady, Pfohl and the Council Members joined the kids in participating in a series of activity stations.

For more information on the council, visit: http://www.fitness.gov/about-us/who-we-are/council-members/

 

*Source:  press release from www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/first-lady-launches-president-s-council-fitness-sports-and-nutrition

Got Chocolate Milk?

For all of you chocolate lovers here’s another bit of good news for you. A new preliminary study presented at a conference held by the American College of Sports Medicine recently suggests that a low-fat chocolate milk treat after a workout is more beneficial to the body than engineered carbohydrate only sports drinks. According to the study, low-fat chocolate milk contains just the right amount of protein and carbohydrates to rebuild and refuel muscles. Now, before you go running out to order that post-workout chocolate shake, the key phrase here is “LOW-FAT”. It should also be noted that this is a preliminary study and has yet to go through peer reviews. But in the meantime, read up, stay tuned and get the dark chocolate chips ready for meltdown…

Click here for the full story...
http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20100604/chocolate-milk-refuels-muscles-after-workout

Statement of Secretary Kathleen Sebelius National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.


This month-long focus on fitness and sports can trace its roots to the “President’s Fitness Test” schools have given for years, and for good reason. Fit kids are better students.


But physical activity also raises energy levels and sharpens concentration for adults. No matter what your age is, exercise can strengthen your heart and your bones. It brings down your stress level.


An active lifestyle, combined with healthy eating, is the number one way to prevent obesity and key to preventing a host of serious obesity-related diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and asthma. That’s why the First Lady calls her campaign to end the childhood obesity epidemic in a generation, “Let’s Move.”


It’s also why, all across the country, communities are putting prevention to work by developing walking trails, bike paths, sidewalks, and green space to keep their residents healthy, and residents are making it a part of their daily routine to get outside and take advantage of them.


During National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, the President is challenging every American to make physical activity, fitness, and sports something they try to do every day, whether it’s playing on a softball team, training for a race, walking the dog, or working in the garden.


May is the perfect time to get active and healthy. As the weather gets warmer and flowers start to bloom, regular exercise can be both important and enjoyable. You can sign up for the President’s Challenge by visiting www.presidentschallenge.org, and start making exercise part of your daily routine.


Kathleen Sebelius
Secretary

Source:  press release from Department of Health & Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2010pres/05/20100503a.html

Banned for being too big? - Lingerie ad heats up the controversy on body type

The blogosphere has been heating up this week with the controversy surrounding the new Cacique lingerie ad by Lane Bryant. The ad features plus-size model Ashley Graham walking through her apartment in various styles of lingerie offered by the company. Lane Bryant (LB) wanted the ad to air during the 8:00pm time slots while Dancing with the Stars and American Idol are aired. But their plans were quickly halted when both ABC and FOX networks initially refused to do so stating that “the Lane Bryant ad was too salacious for "family hour," a.k.a 8:00-9:00 pm” LB feels that this smacks of a double standard since according to them, Victoria’s Secret’s ad are running during that very same time-slot, a claim that FOX says is not true. According to Lane Bryant “ABC refused to show the commercial during “Dancing with the Stars” without restricting our airtime to the final moments of the show. Fox demanded excessive re-edits and rebuffed it three times before relenting to air it during the final 10 minutes of “American Idol,” but only after we threatened to pull the ad buy.” FOX has since relented and agreed to air the commercial during the last 10 minutes of Idol.



Both ABC and FOX feel that LB’s efforts are more for publicity than anything else and that there is no double-standard. But the damage has been done, the issue has taken center stage and the question has been asked of the public: “Is there a double standard in the industry when it comes to body size? Is it okay for smaller sized women to be viewed during “family hours” and not okay for larger women according to media standards to be shown?” The networks argued that it was the cleavage factor, on FOX’s Bill O’Reilly’s show, his Culture Warriors weighed in citing that with a larger woman you going to get more cleavage, if you have more you get more. Hmm… I beg to differ as that’s only part of the story considering the fact that a quick scan of television shows, magazine ads and commercials reveal in significant numbers women who are smaller in body size but whose cleavages have been enhanced either surgically or with the help of cleavage producing lingerie. Sorry Culture Warriors, but that statement is very weak.


This reminds me of the DOVE campaign a few years back that featured average sized women in their underwear encouraging women to accept themselves, and to love themselves for who they are underneath it all. Many felt that the ads were inappropriate and showed too much. My question then and now is “too much what?” Drawing the comparison then to the Victoria’s Secret’s ads I asked, so why is it okay for them and not okay for DOVE? What’s the difference? The truth, there was no difference other than the size of the women used in these ads. The ads with the larger women, garnered disdain, while the ad with the smaller sized women garnered admiration and acceptance. The interesting thing about this is that the women in the DOVE ad, just as the model in the Lane Bryant ad are curvaceous and healthy; their body types represent the average sized women, but yet by media standards they are “fat” and not “fit” for ads promoting swimwear or lingerie and consequently, are definitely not the ideal candidates for demonstrating to society what is truly ideal which is, recognition and acceptance that body types vary and the body in all of its forms are beautiful.

Lane Bryant Commercial:



Victoria's Secret "The Nakeds" Commercial:





Read the full article for more info:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100423/tv_nm/us_lingerie

Earth Day 2010

Earth Day 2010 // Bloggers Unite

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Here's a beautiful video to commemorate the day.  The song:  "Viva la Vida" by Coldplay

Too Fat to Fight

Echoing the sentiments of First Lady Michelle Obama during her Let's Move campaign kick-off in February, a group of retired military generals and officers who form the group Mission Readiness are speaking out and saying that an alarming number of young people between the ages of 17 -24 are simply too fat to fight. The group cites that 9 million young adults, which is 27% of eligible enlistees, are medically ineligible for military duty because of their weight and this has become the leading medical reason why they are rejected. If these numbers do not change, this could ultimately become a threat to our National Security. The main culprit cited: School Lunches. The study provided by Mission Readiness highlighted research that indicates that students get up to 40% of their daily caloric intake at school. The study also showed that that 80% of individuals who were overweight at 10 to 15 years old were obese by 25.


This is not the first time that the military has worked with the Federal Government to change the quality of school lunches in order to improve the physical quality of future enlistees. Ironically during World War II, the military worked closely with the government to improve the nutritional value of school lunches to beef up potential enlistees as many of them proved to be severely undernourished and underweight. After the war, military leaders pushed Congress to establish the national school lunch program so that children would grow up healthier. The program was established in 1946, "as a measure of national security." Today however, though the request is similar, the current status is quite the opposite. Instead of beefing up candidates, we need to slim them down. Today’s school lunches are high in sodium, starches and sugar and in many cases are not balanced resulting in overweight young adults. Mission Readiness is urging Congress to eliminate junk food and high-calorie beverages from schools, put more money into the school lunch program and develop new strategies that help children develop healthier habits. The school lunch bill, currently awaiting a Senate vote, would establish healthier options for all foods in schools, including vending machine items.

For more information on Mission: Readiness - Military Leaders for Kids visit:  http://www.missionreadiness.org/