March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month: What do you need to know?

Next month is Alcohol Awareness Month. Alcohol can affect your mental and physical health. Celebrate Alcohol-Free Weekend, during March 31 to April 2, 2017.

Be self-powered.

Use your legs to transport yourself. Burn more calories, less cash and gas.

Ride a bike to run errands. Parking is much easier on a bike. Check out this cool bike lane in Austin, TX.

Walk, run or bike to work. Try this once per week, then build-up to more commute hours.

Lastly, are you self-powered enough to do bodyweight exercises? Check out the bodyweight exercise at the bottom of this website. You don't always need a gym to workout.

Safe Streets = Happy People

Houston Needs Safer Streets for cyclists. Bike Houston has said our goal should be to move from a bronze city to a gold city. What do you think?

I certainly agree. We are a city almost as big as Chicago, a top bike-friendly city.

Get paid to be healthy

I've tried this new app - Achievemint and it pays me to log steps, workouts, nutrition, health stats and more! For every 10,000 points, you earn $10! I get most of my steps walking my pooch :)

 

Earn points, get cash, be healthy.

Heart Health in Houston

These lifestyle choices are important to keeping your heart healthy in any city:

• Don’t Smoke
• Be Active
• Achieve a healthy weight
• Get Screening Tests
• Eat Healthy Foods

Be the Change...

It's that simple. If you want something to be a certain way, change it. Do it. Be it. 

Houston may not be the healthiest city in the United States of America, but we can change that. Only, WE can change that. We need to use our great parks (pictures below and right of Hermann Park), demand public transit, encourage others to stop smoking, and make healthy choices.

The picture below is of garden in an elementary school in a lower-income area of Houston. It is huge!

Fitness isn't an "F-word"

Fitness Should Be Fun

Pick activities you enjoy and do them often. If you are going to do anything for an extended period of time, you must enjoy it.  If you like being outside, joining a gym may not be your best long-term fitness plan. If you like to dance, it may be difficult for you to train for a marathon. Physical activity should make you feel better, stronger and enhance your life.

Mix It Up

Although doing your favorite type of exercise often is important, mixing in other formats is crucial as well. Pick one or two days of the week to try another type of fitness. There are tons to choose from now, including blends of Pilates, yoga, dance, H.I.I.T., cycling, kickboxing, and strength training. Plus, doing the same type of workout can be boring. The best way to mix-up your fitness routine is with a friend.

Most Days of the Week

The frequency of your fitness depends on your goals, what you are trying to accomplish, where you are starting and your commitment level. In other words, everyone may have a different formula for fitness, but everyone should be active most, if not all, days per week.

Levels of Activity

You should pick an activity that you can do often and at a variety of levels. Generally, there are three levels: easy (walking), moderate (jogging) or hard (running/sprinting). For example, if you enjoy walking outside, in order to improve or increase the intensity, you may need to challenge yourself by walking briskly or jogging. This is especially true when you don’t have as much time. Even 10 minutes of exercise can be beneficial to your health and have lasting short-term and long-term benefits.

Be Safe
The benefits of fitness far outweigh the possible issues. In rare cases, problems can arise. Prevent these issues by consulting your doctor before you begin a fitness routine. Warm-up and cool-down for 5-10 minutes. An example of a warm-up or cool-down activity is one you plan to do in your fitness routine but at a lower intensity/heart rate. Gradually increase time and level of activity. Drink plenty of water before, during and after being active. Wear clothes and shoes that fit well, are comfortable and keep you dry.