By Marlene Cimons, The Washington Post

Exercise by itself wont help you lose weight.

This is not to say that exercise isnt good for you; it is, in fact, great for you. It conveys an astonishing array of health benefits.

But and we all hate hearing this many experts, while extolling the benefits of exercise, say the primary villain when it comes to excess weight is whats on our menu. To lose weight, we have to cut calories.

Exercise helps keep lost pounds off, but exercise alone cant do the initial job of losing it.

I think the role of exercise in weight loss is highly overrated, says Marc Reitman, chief of the diabetes, endocrinology and obesity branch of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK. I think its really great for being healthy, but Im a strong believer that overeating is what causes obesity. To exercise your way out of overeating is impossible.

Michael Joyner, a Mayo Clinic researcher who studies how people respond to the stress of exercise, agrees. The key for weight loss is to generate and maintain a calorie deficit, he says. Its pretty easy to get people to eat 1,000 calories less per day, but to get them to do 1,000 calories per day of exercise walking 10 miles is daunting at many levels, including time and motivation, he says.

To be sure, some people can work weight off, experts say. These include those who exercise vigorously for long periods, and professional athletes, who typically engage in high-intensity workouts.

But they are the exceptions. Those high-level workouts are not something most people do, says Philip F. Smith, co-director of NIDDKs office of obesity research. Walking for an hour wont do it.

Joyner agrees. Theoretically, people can exercise enough to lose without changing what they eat, but they have to exercise a whole lot, he says.

Moreover, moderate exercise doesnt really burn all that many calories, especially when you think about a single piece of chocolate cake, which has between 200 and 500 calories. Most people burn only about 100 calories for every mile of running or walking, although this can vary depending on the person, according to Joyner. Put another way, to lose one pound, you must run a deficit of about 3,500 calories meaning that if you burn an excess 500 calories a day, it would take a week to drop that pound.

Kevin D. Hall, an NIDDK scientist who studies how metabolism and the brain adapt to diet and exercise, agrees that a modest degree of weight loss would require large amounts of exercise. However, high levels of physical activity seem to be very important for maintenance of lost weight, he adds, defining high as more than an hour of exercise daily.

In a recent study, Hall concluded that exercise typically result[s] in less average weight loss than expected, based on the exercise calories expended, and that individual weight changes are highly variable even when people stick to exercise regimens.

The likely reason is that people tend to compensate for changes in food intake and non-exercise physical activities, Hall wrote. Or, as Joyner puts it: If people replace non-exercise but otherwise active time with sedentary time, sometimes things cancel out.

Strength training or resistance training lifting weights, for example also is important for overall health, but, as with other forms of exercise, it doesnt prompt weight loss. (In fact, it may cause the reading on the scale to inch up a bit, because muscle is denser than fat.) Nevertheless, strength training is good to maintain lean tissue, Joyner says.

And you cant count on exercise to increase your metabolism for several hours afterward.

Exercise, if hard enough and long enough, certainly can do this, Joyner says. But again, it depends on how much, what type and how hard. A two-mile stroll, while a good thing, will not do too much to resting metabolism.

But now the good news: Exercise remains one of the best things you can do for yourself. It enhances health in numerous ways.

It strengthens the heart and lungs. It reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, a collection of symptoms that include hypertension, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

Weight-bearing activities, such as running, strengthen bones and muscles. Having strong bones prevents osteoporosis, helping to avert bone-breaking falls in the elderly. For older people, exercise facilitates the capacity for them to stay engaged in life, Joyner says.

Exercise also reduces the risk of certain cancers, including breast and colon cancer. It elevates mood, and it keeps thinking and judgment skills sharp.

Overall, it helps you live longer. People who work out for about seven hours a week have a 40 percent lower risk of dying early compared with those who exercise less than 30 minutes a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Exercise in almost any dose does so many good things for people, Joyner says.

Is one exercise more effective than another?

I love to play soccer, Smith says. I would do anything to play soccer, and try to play three times a week until my body cant take it. But people should exercise as much as they can tolerate and enjoy. Thats what they should shoot for.

Reitman agrees. The best exercise is the one you keep doing, he says.

Read more:
Exercising is good, but calories are what count for losing weight - The Denver Post

I have been experiencing some very personal revelations regarding exercise for people over 60, and have met some amazing seniors doing great things in creating quality of life. And friends, whether or not exercise adds a single day to your life is almost irrelevant. Its not about longevity, its about quality. And even though I started by mentioning people over 60, 40- and 50-year-olds should pay attention, too.

In the past 12 weeks I have shed another 20 lbs., raising my total to a 45 lb. weight loss. I have not starved myself, and I have not suffered. I feel incredibly younger, stronger and with more mental clarity and work productivity. I have more energy for my family and friends, and I can keep a better pace with the grandkids. My blood sugar and blood pressure have totally normalized. I am sleeping better, and feel happier on a day-to-day basis. These benefits are called NSVs, or Non-Scale Values, which is just another way of saying quality of life.

OK, so thats me. Maybe Im special. But really, I am not. Average individuals are discovering functional capacity that they never thought they would achieve. One 88-year-old friend started doing one simple exercise coming to a standing position from a chair using just her legs. She walks with a walker for stability, but now has the strength to rise up and down from the chair 10 times. When she started, she could barely do one.

There are many ways to improve your health. I have recently met people in an online group in their 40s who have lost more than 100 lbs., even more than 200 lbs. through diet and weight training without bariatric surgery.

There is overwhelming evidence that diet and exercise are the two most powerfully beneficial drugs that you can take. There is also powerful evidence that weight training for seniors is beneficial at every age.

As a senior, you are not just trying to get in shape. You are seeking to change your life habits, to do so enjoyably, to incorporate good nutritional advice in an exercise program thats right for you, and most importantly, to do so without injuring yourself. These things are best accomplished in a supportive environment. I know that I needed that support to get me going. In the beginning, my goal was simple I was well on my way to becoming a Type 2 diabetic, and having watched both my mother and father have their lives very limited by diabetes, I finally reached the point where I said Enough! I am not doing that!

Now I have no concern at all about diabetes, and have discovered a huge list of positive non-scale quality of life values that keep me happy and motivated every day, and I am in a group of more than 100 other people who are all doing the same.

Here are some local resources to help you get started. If you email me, I will send you a list of valuable online sources for education and support.

Central Lincoln County YMCA Damariscotta, 563-3477Boothbay Region YMCA, 633-2855Bath Area Family YMCA, 443-4112Landing YMCA, Brunswick, 844-2801Casco Bay YMCA, Freeport, 865-9600Womans Fitness Center Brunswick, 729-5544Body Symmetry Pilates Studio Brunswick, 729-1122Orange Circuit Fitness Brunswick, 725-2944Ocean Blue Fitness Damariscotta,563-2668

Steve Raymond is director of community outreach at the Lincoln Home in Newcastle, and the producer and host of the television show Spotlight on Seniors. Jill Wallace is the owner and director of Elm Street Assisted Living in Topsham.

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Quality of life increases with diet & exercise - The Coastal Journal

Who doesn't wish they had a body like a celeb, let alone the drop-dead gorgeous figure of 48-year-old actress Jennifer Aniston? Seriously, what does she do to look completely amazing?! Recently, Jennifer sat down with Now To Love and revealed her diet and exercise secrets and because of her confessions, were officially dubbing the super-relaxed star "Zen Jen."

Along with her personal trainer, at-home, sleeping bag-style saunas (yes, really), and using the treadmill, Jen is also all about finding her inner-chill through strength-conditioning classes that are as physically effective as they are mindfully meditative and she has the mind, body, and soul to prove it. Scroll down to see Jen's diet and exercise routine!

MORE: Jennifer Aniston Dishes on Her Skincare Dos and Don'ts!

Mixing things up throughout the year, Jen explained that 2017 is about being back in the gym and sweating it out with an interval-loving personal trainer. Im working with my trainer who has me pushing really heavy things, throwing heavy things, whipping around ropes, and crawling across the floor, she said. Hes a fabulous trainer, but its very different to what I usually do.

(Photo Credit: Splash News)

The Horrible Bosses star continued to say, "I love The Class by Taryn Toomey, [which is a yoga-based strength class also described as a cathartic mind-body experience]. Its like a massive moving meditation thats therapeutic and physical it ticks all the boxes. Its 75-minutes long and its a pretty powerful experience," she said.

Aside from her personal training sessions and The Class, Jen has a few at-home workout tips for those among us who are too busy to make it to a group-training class. Ill run on a treadmill and do intervals for 45 minutes just to get a really good sweat and burn going, she continued, adding that along with getting her heart rate up, she finds a calming, rejuvenating solace in infrared saunas. You can buy portable ones online, she said, but I do think they have them in spas now. Its like jumping into an infrared sleeping bag for an hour, which does so much good for your cellular rejuvenation and detoxification.

MORE: Jennifer Aniston Gets Real About Everyone's "Obsession" With Her Body and Plans for a Baby

Appearing in movie after movie (and, sometimes, bikini after bikini), Jen maintains a regular diet thats loaded with the kind of good-for-you foods that all of us probably have in our very own kitchens and pantries. I was never a breakfast person, so Ive had to make myself become a breakfast person because its such an important meal, she said. Usually a smoothie would be my best go-to in the morning because its simple and easy. In the cooler months, I love oatmeal with cinnamon and bananas.

Her typical lunch involves eating protein with salad or vegies, followed by a snack like an apple and a soup. Dinner is much of the same for Jen, but she wont deny herself a treat afterwards! I treat myself to a frozen yogurt for dessert if I want to have a sweet fix, she said. I do a little frozen yogurt, but Im not a sweet person. My downfall is savory: its chips, its cheese all of the salty and savory stuff. I mean, I can look at a chocolate cake and do nothing with it; it doesnt affect me in any way. Lucky for her!

MORE: Weight Loss Wednesday Marianna Lost 123 Pounds to be a Healthy Example for Her Daughters!

Mindfulness, it truly is a powerful thing (trust us, science says so), which is something Zen Jen can certainly attest to, with this perpetually busy celebrity admitting that understanding why you work out is imperative for achieving the results of the workout you choose to do.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Its vital to exercise not just to stay strong, to not become lazy. Its such a game-changer if I have an injury and I cant sweat or move my body, I just start to feel such a difference in my mood, she said, explaining that exercising extends far further than solely focusing on your abs or core. I dont know what it is, but theres something about meditation that gives me such a charge in the morning for me to take on the day things will just roll off me in a much easier way.

This post was written by Ellie McDonald It originally appeared on our sister site, Now to Love.

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Jennifer Aniston Dishes on Her Diet and Exercise Secrets (Grab a Pen and Take Notes, People!) - Closer Weekly

Though there is still debate surrounding the so-called French Paradox, a new study draws a concrete connection between a component of red wine and anti-aging effects.

A recent study from The Journals of Gerontologyrevealed that resveratrol, a compound found in the skin of red grapes and in red wine, shares many of the same benefits as a drug prescribed to fight Type 2 diabetes called metformin.

Specifically, both resveratrol and metformin have many of the same neuroprotective benefits that come from a low-calorie diet and exercise. Additionally, study researchers found that the wine component, resveratrol, also preserves muscle fibers during aging.

We all slow down as we get older, Gregorio Valdez, an assistant professor at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute who worked on the study, toldKnowridge Science Report.

We work on identifying molecular changes that slow down motor deficits that occur with aging. I believe that we are getting closer to tapping into mechanisms to slow age-induced degeneration of neuronal circuits.

To test the effect of resveratrol, researchers treated older mice with the compound for one year and studied their movements. Just as the optimum diet and exercise can improve muscle preservation and aging effects, Valdez found that resveratrol has similar benefits in the test mice.

Though resveratrol was effective for the study, Valdez says theres no way anybody could drink enough red wine to yield similar results. In fact, right now that much resveratrol in your system might not even be safe.

These studies are in mice and I would caution anyone from blasting their bodies with resveratrol in any form, Valdez said.

In wine, resveratrol is in such small amounts you could not drink enough of it in your life to have the benefits we found in mice given resveratrol.

Well, thats disappointing. Nonetheless, there are still other studies that link red wine to better cholesteroland tofighting obesity, so there are still plenty of reasons to pop that cork.

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Study: A red wine component has similar anti-aging benefits to diet and exercise - PhillyVoice.com

MODIUS is a new gadget that helps you reduce body fat and gives you a leaner body while sitting down. It comes from a Northern Irishhealth start up called Neurovalens.

The headset device was developed by neuroscientists at the University of California San Diego (UCSD). Its non-invasive and does not rely on drugs of any kind. It works insteadby sending a signal to the part of the brain that controls fat storage, shifting your metabolism to burn more fat.

Essential reading:Roundup of the best smart scales on the market

The Star Trek style gadget uses low-power electrical pulses to stimulate a system in your body called the vestibular system. This is the part of the brain that controls balance and spatial awareness.

In a sense, MODIUS tricks your brain into thinking you are engaged in physical activity, speeds up metabolismand suppresses your appetite. This in turn triggers your body into burning more fat which results in an increase in lean muscle mass percentage.

All you need to do is put the headset on, attach the sticky pads behind your ears and turn it on. Modus actually advises that you sit or lie downwhilst you have it strapped to your head.The device should be worn for 45 minutes a day, which less time than you would spend in the gym. To get noticeable results, it is suggested you wear itfive days a week for a space of four months.

The big question is, does it really work? Neurovalens says, a clinical study involving 18 people suggests users have lost up to 16% of body fat in four months, with 8-10% being the average.Inventor Dr Jason McKeown claims it reduced his body fat by a massive 44%.

Weight gain and weight loss are controlled by your brain, which controls your appetite, your hormones, your metabolic rate, how much fat you store, and more,McKeown said.

Modius resolves this issue by stimulating the vestibular nerve and activating the epicenter of it all, your hypothalamus.Through advanced technological and neurological research, weve discovered the vestibular system has a strong effect over peoples ability to lose and maintain weight.

Having secured almost 1.5 million fromInvest Northern IrelandandTechStartNorthern Ireland, the headset has launched today on Indiegogo.MODUS is looking at an official worldwide release in the autumn and will retail for 190.

Funding open:

$147,101 pledged of $50,000 goala month left

Estimated delivery:December 2017

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MODIUS: lose weight without changes in diet or exercise - Gadgets & Wearables

In October 2015, I was in Dr Keith Smiths chiropractic office for an adjustment. One of his comely daughters ushered me into Room 2 while he was working on a patient in Room 1. Usually, when Keith comes through the door, hes all smiles and says something like, Boy, am I glad to see you! Ive got a kink in my neck, and I thought I was going to have to beg you to come down off the mountain to trade adjustments. But this time Keith was subdued and a bit gloomy. Small wonder: He was on two diabetes drugs, Metformin and Glucophage, was strictly following the American Diabetes Association diet, his blood sugar was continuing to climb, and the latest measurement was 135. Since normal is around 90, that was seriously bad news. It meant he was tracking to die about 10 years early, just like his father had. Usually, people dont actually die of diabetes, but diabetes causes heart attacks, cancer and kidney failure, all of which are frequently fatal. Keiths father had died in his sleep of a heart attack at 69; not a bad way to go, but not nearly as good as living another 10 years. I mentally took a deep breath, as I often do in situations like this, and told him that the American Diabetes Association exercise and weight control advice was good, but the ADA diet was wrong. Avoiding carbohydrate foods and eating high fat and protein, so as not to overwhelm his bodys very weak ability to process the carbs that the body turns into blood sugar, makes logical sense and generally works in the short run. But in the long run the ADA diet often makes diabetes worse. I explained that when insulin in the blood locks into the insulin receptors on the cell membranes, the insulin receptors send messages to the glucose receptors, telling them to open up and let the glucose sugar come in out of the blood. But fat dissolved in the cellular fluid impedes the insulin receptors messages from getting through to the glucose receptors. Since the amount of fat dissolved in the cellular fluid mirrors the amount of fat in the diet, a high-fat diet like the ADA recommends prevents the sugar from coming into the cell, so the sugar stays in the blood and keeps going higher, damaging the heart and kidneys, and feeding cancer. The ADA diet sometimes works for seriously overweight people who get lean and exercise a lot. But Keith was only slightly over ideal weight. Hes active but not an exercise addict, and the ADA program obviously wasnt working for him. So I told Keith: Look, just get a copy of Dr. Neal Barnards Program for Reversing Diabetes, follow his advice, and youll be fine. He explains it better than I do, he has a whole bunch of tasty recipes in the back, and hes the world authority on the subject. People often dont follow my advice, and Ive just learned to get used to that fact. Why would Keith listen to me, a chiropractor, on a medical problem, when the American Diabetic Association is telling him that Metformin, Glucophage and the ADA diet are the best way to treat diabetes? So I just gave Keith my advice and mentally washed my hands of the outcome. However, Keith, being a chiropractor, has had first-hand experience with how willing the medical establishment is to mislead the public on issues like using chiropractors where large amounts of drug company money are at risk. So my advice may have weighed a bit more than usual with Keith. Nevertheless, I was surprised four months later when Keith thanked me for recommending Barnards book, and told me he had been able to quit taking Glucophage, his blood sugar was down to 110, he had his energy back, and he was recommending Barnards book to his diabetic patients. A year later, 16 months after starting Barnards program, his blood sugar was in the 90s and he wasnt taking any diabetic drugs. Keith still has the genetic weakness, so he has to stay on Dr. Barnards diet and exercise plan for the rest of his life. But he no longer has diabetes and now has a full and vigorous life span ahead of him. Dr. Barnards diet consists of eating only whole foods, avoiding all animal products, and avoiding fatty plant products like nuts, avocados and olives. Many people would say that they would rather die than give up their steaks and swordfish and Swiss cheese, but really, it isnt all that bad. I eat that way by choice a lot of the time. One of my favorite quick meals is to lay a banana on a slice of whole grain bread, sprinkle on some raisins, roll it up like a taco, and start at one end. It just gets down to how much you love life. Do you live to eat or eat to live? If you truly love life, you will do what it takes to stay healthy so you can continue enjoying being here.

Dr. Gordon Ainsleigh is a graduate of University of Western States, College of Chiropractic in Portland, Oregon, and has postgraduate certification in clinical nutrition.

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Another View: Choosing the right diet to combat diabetes - Auburn Journal

New York-based Victoria's Secret model trainer Justin Gelband may not agree with London's fitness fads, but he was impressed with the local food scene on a recent visit to the capital.

"The food [in London] is better than in America," Gelband told Business Insider.

Gelband trains some of the most famous Victoria's Secret models, including Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel, Irina Shaik, Karlie Kloss, and Martha Hunt.

In June, he spent two weeks teaching at BXR London, a luxury boxing gym in Marylebone.

Though exercise is central to his brand, Gelband said that body maintenance is not just about working out. "85% percent of what you do is what you eat," he said.

Gelband does not recommend juice diets as a way to lose weight. (iStock)

Many nutrition experts have stressed the importance of healthy eating habits as a faster way to achieve your fitness goal than simply focusing on exercise.

"In order to lose a kilo of fat you would probably have to run two marathons," Michael Mosley, author of the "5:2 diet" and the "Clever Guts Diet," told Business Insider in a video interview. "In many ways it is obviously much easier simply to reduce the amount of calories you eat rather than trying to run them off because you have to do so much exercise to burn calories."

There is no one-size-fits-all diet, Gelband admits, though he's a fan of the Paleo Diet, also known as the "caveman diet." The regime is mainly based on foods that were around in the stone-age, such as fruit, vegetables, roots, and nuts.

On the other hand, the Victoria's Secret model trainer is cautious about juice-only diets, especially if people are using juicing as a method to shed pounds.

"At Fashion Week some models went on a juice diet and didn't tell me," Gelband said. "Not one lost weight, some actually gained weight. That got me in big trouble."

In a typical juice cleanse or diet, you dramatically reduce your calorie intake, which can lead the body to hold onto to extra calories.

Registered dietitian Ilyse Schapirohe told Eat This: "Once you stop eating enough food to meet your basic energy requirements, your metabolism will slow. For most people, that threshold of calorie intake is around 1,200 calories per day.

She explained that at this point your body goes into conservation mode -- or starvation mode -- because it doesn't know when its next meal is going to be. Going too low for too long, like more than a couple of days, can have the opposite effect, Schapirophe told the website. In this mode your body can start clinging on to every calorie it can get.

"There's a time and place for juice fasting -- just not for weight loss," Gelband said. "If you're on a yoga retreat in Bali, you're meditating and doing yoga and you want to drink juices because you don't want any heavy foods in your body, that's fine," he added.

Gelband said he has "a gift" for whipping Victoria's Secret models into shape, but that he "makes them eat. "Food is key to energy," he said. "They're not bean poles."

For fitness inspo, or just to watch him work his magic on some of the world's most famous supermodels follow him on Instagram @justingelband4u.

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Read the original article on Business Insider UK. 2017. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.

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Miranda Kerr's personal trainer reveals the one diet that made his models gain weight - The Independent

Scientists discovered that people who suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure in mid-life are more likely to develop the debilitating brain condition as they age.

But those who lead healthier lifestyles are less likely to suffer from dementia, they said.

The wide-ranging study, funded by Americas National Institutes of Health, looked at more than 15,000 people over 25 years.

It found that of 1,516 participants who went on to be diagnosed with dementia, a high proportion had suffered from either diabetes or high blood pressure.

Dr Walter Koroshetz, director of the NIHs Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, said: This study supports the importance of controlling vascular risk factors like high blood pressure early in life in an effort to prevent dementia as we age. Whats good for the heart is good for the brain.

GETTY

We often hear the old adage that what is good for the heart is good for the head

Dr David Reynolds

Around 820,000 people suffer from dementia in Britain, costing some 26billion a year.

The figures are also rising rapidly as the population ages.

Last night research bodies in the UK welcomed the study, led by Dr Rebecca Gottesman.

Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimers Research UK, said: We often hear the old adage that what is good for the heart is good for the head, and this is backed up by a growing body of evidence.

By following a diverse group of Americans over a long period, these researchers have highlighted factors in mid-life that may contribute to the risk of dementia in later life, although observational studies such as this do not tell us about cause and effect.

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7 things you should do EVERY day to stave off dementia

Dr Reynolds added: As our knowledge grows around the links between lifestyle factors and dementia risk, it is important we understand how best to support people in making and maintaining positive lifestyle changes.

Alzheimers Research UK is investing over 2million in a Prevention and Risk Reduction Fund, supporting studies that will help pinpoint the most effective strategies for reducing dementia risk.

While we know there are positive lifestyle changes that can impact dementia risk, its important to remember that dementia is caused by complex brain diseases influenced by age, lifestyle and genetics.

But he warned: Although adopting a healthy lifestyle may make our brains more resilient, we currently cannot prevent the onset of dementia.

Scientists conducting the new study initially found the chances of dementia increased most strongly with age and the second most common influence was the presence of APOE4 a gene associated with Alzheimers.

GETTY

An analysis of vascular risk factors then revealed participants who had diabetes or high blood pressure, also called hypertension, had a higher chance of developing dementia.

The researchers found diabetes was almost as strong a predictor of dementia as the presence of the APOE4 gene.

They also discovered a link between dementia and prehypertension, a condition in which blood pressure levels are higher than normal but lower than hypertension. They said vascular diseases increased the risk in both white and black participants, while smoking exclusively increased the chances of dementia for white people.

Dr Gottesman explained: Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence linking mid-life vascular health to dementia. These are modifiable risk factors. Our hope is that by addressing these types of factors early, people can reduce the chances that they will suffer from dementia later in life.

The scientists then answered the question of whether having a stroke, which is also associated with the presence of vascular risk factors, may be the reason for the results.

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But they found diabetes, hypertension, prehypertension and smoking increased the risk of dementia for both stroke-free participants and those who had a stroke.

Dr Jacqueline Wright, director at the NIHs National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, said the study called Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) is a powerful source of information for medical research because it spans many years of data from a large and diverse population.

She added: This epidemiologic study aimed to improve our understanding of atherosclerosis and heart disease and, through the investigators efforts.

It has become a great resource for research on dementia and other diseases of ageing.

The investments in longitudinal cohort studies like ARIC will benefit all of us for many years to come.

Dr Gottesman said she and her team now plan to investigate ways in which undiagnosed vascular problems may influence the brain and why race is associated with dementia.

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Stay active to BEAT dementia: Exercise and diet will stave off condition in later life - Express.co.uk

Three Northern Arizona University grads are hoping to jon a growing field: bringing the exercise world into the social media world.

Anthony West, Anthony Lawson and Matthew Drapkin are currently testing their new app, Universal Fitness, in San Diego and Flagstaff. They hope to releasethe beta version to the public before the end of the year.

The app is a kind of mashup of Facebook, Yelp and your favorite exercise tracking app. It allows users to share their workouts, tips and dietary advice with others and ask questions, as well as track their workouts, find and rate gyms and other facilities, and test their fitness. The number of places listed on the app is expected to grow as the number of users increases.

West and Lawsonacnowledged that Universal Fitness has many of the same features as millions of exercise apps currently on the market. However, most of those apps dont allow users to track more than one exercise type, provide a map for local gyms and workout facilities, or try to create and encourage a community of fitness, Lawson said.

We wanted to bring in all types of activity, West said. We wanted to bring different communities together who share a similar experience in trying to stay fit. It doesnt really matter what you do as long as you do it.

They want to create a voice and a place for individuals young and old who want to improve their health but need motivation from others to do so, Lawson said.

For example, there are some people who just lift weights and other people who just do cardio workouts like running or the elliptical, he said. But there is also a large and growing group of people who like mixing things up and doing both. Other apps in the Google Play and Apple iTunes stores focus on one type of activity: running, yoga, etc. Universal Fitness is designed to provide one location to track all of a users exercise, weightlifting, running, swimming, hiking, etc.

West and Lawson got the idea for a health app after they saw the effect that a lack of exercise and good diet had on their family members.

We both have a lot of family members with ill health, Lawson said.

We wanted to bring health and wellness to others, West added. We want to create a community of support for fitness here and across the nation.

The original idea behind the app was to make it easy to find locations to work out no matter where you are in the U.S., and eradicate the old excuse of not being able to work out while on a trip or vacation because you dont know where the closest gym is, Lawson said.

Users can add their favorite gyms and workout areas -- such as hiking trails -- to the app, which allows visitors with the app to scope out locations to workout, hike or run while visiting for work or on vacation, he said. This also allows you to connect with local fitness groups or enthusiasts who you might be able to partner with on a run or workout.

The app morphed into something much bigger when Drapkin joined the team, West said. Drapkin has a background in nutrition sciences. It was his idea to try to create a nutrition blog to provide information on diet and exercise app users and an exercise tracker to the app to count steps or reps. Theyre also toying with the idea of a rewards system for the app, much like the badge system that other exercise apps like FitBit and Strava use.

The app includes a blog with nutrition tips, recipes and a social media-type tab for photo and video shout-outs to friends or to ask questions. A shortcut button for feedback to the developers is also included.

While the finished app will be free to download, the trio is considering a monthly subscription service that would help users test their fitness and create custom workouts. Most of the financial support for the app will come from ads, Lawson said. He said the group is in negotiations with several advertisers now.

Right now, the trio has a Kickstarter page set up to help with startup costs and plans to release the beta version of the app by the end of the year.

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Universal Fitness: Putting the social in working out - Arizona Daily Sun

Fifty percent of women are on a diet at any given time, but despite our best efforts, sometimes the numbers on those scales just wont budge. We look at what you can change to boost your weight loss

Excess sugar is the main culprit when it comes to weight gain. When we have too much sugar, our body is programmed to store the excess as fat cells. You might avoid the obvious suspects of chocolate and cookies, but if youre replacing these with honey or dried fruit, your sugar levels could still be too high. The reality is that sugar is sugar, no matter how healthy the form.

TRY: Run a sugar audit for a few days. Keep a log of your diet you may be surprised by just how much youre consuming. Try weaning yourself off gradually, cutting back on sugary treats one at a time.

We drive around, sit at desks and use moving staircases, but the human body was designed to move. If youre exercising a couple of times each week but still not seeing results, take a look at what youre doing the rest of the time. Your workouts should be extra exercise on top of an active lifestyle. Studies have found that 80% of people fail to meet the government target of around 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week.

TRY: Introduce free exercise into your life take the stairs, walk the dog, bike to work if you can, or park your car further away from your destination so you have to walk the last part of your journey. It could be just what you need to kick-start your metabolism.

If you dont make time to eat mindfully, it can impact on your waistline. Breakfast is often eaten on the go, with 60% of people wolfing it down in under five minutes, and its common to eat lunch at our desks too. Plus, Brits eat six out of 10 of their meals in front of the TV meaning were not thinking about eating, and the average person only spends around 23 minutes per day chewing food.

This is bad news for our digestion. Our gut contains hormones that control appetite and tell us when were full, so taking the time to chew food properly helps activate these mechanisms.

Try: Challenge yourself to chew food for longer, aiming to be the last to finish when eating friends - you'll notice that your internal STOP button is more effective.

Youve probably cut down on the obvious fattening foods, but are you paying enough attention to portions of healthy food? We often assume that you cant have too much of a good thing, but a large portion of nuts, seeds or pulses can add up to a hefty calorie intake. While nuts do contain essential fats and are more nutritious than biscuits, theyre also very moreish and a handful of walnuts can contain 500 calories.

TRY: If you think its time to monitor your portions, then try the nifty kitchen gadget Mealkitt (39.99 from Mealkitt.com). With slots to weigh out carbs, oil, protein and veg, its a handy tool for retraining yourself to eat sensibly.

Craving carbs and sugar after a bad nights sleep is common. When youre over-tired, the reward receptors in your brain kick in, encouraging you to look for comfort food. Sleep deprivation also impacts hormone levels that regulate appetite, meaning the hunger hormone increases and the appetite suppressant decreases. A staggering 63% of people say they are unhappy with the amount of sleep they get, with only 8% stating they wake up feeling refreshed.

TRY: To ensure a better sleep, stick to a sleep schedule going to bed and waking up at the same time each day (even at weekends!). Give yourself a bedtime countdown, so you can start winding down an hour or so in advance.

Most of us juggle too many things: jobs, families, shopping, cooking the list seems endless. Stress is supposed to be a short-lived alarm response, but our busy lives can mean its a permanent state, rather than a passing mood. When you feel stressed your body releases the hormone cortisol, which floods your body with a glucose energy supply for that fight or flight moment.

The bad news is that cortisol causes your body to take healthier fat from places like your bum and thighs, and relocates it to the abdomen, where it becomes unhealthy visceral fat that puts pressure on your internal organs.

TRY: Try to include some calming activities in your life, such as crafting or yoga. Factoring me time into your schedule could make a big difference to your weight loss regime. For on-the-spot destressing, eating a banana is good, because the potassium helps to regulate your blood pressure.

Read more here:
6 reasons why your diet isn't working - including not getting enough sleep and feeling stressed - Mirror.co.uk