AFPA Health and Fitness Blog

Aging & Physical Activity

People who stayed physically active into old age tended to have larger brains than those who did not exercise in the study, published today in the journal Neurology. The brain typically shrinks in late adulthood, and this shrinkage is believed to play a role in age-related memory decline. The

Managed care has created a need for patients/clients to seek alternative care for the management of their injuries/disease.
Cut backs on reimbursement of services to traditional medical providers (e.g., physicians, physical therapists, and chiropractors) have provided an opportunity to develop medically supervised fitness programs or post rehabilitation. For many years a

By: John Phung

Did you know that rowing is one of the best exercises for developing aerobic fitness? Not only does working out with rowing machines or rowing ergometers allow people to develop their cardiovascular system, but they also place considerable demands on your muscular system as well!

Unlike cardio machines such as treadmills, exercise bikes and stair climbing equipment, a rowing machine exercises your upper body as well as your lower body. The rowing stroke when using an indoor rower is composed of 65-75% leg work and 25-35% upper body work.

Almost every coach is constantly looking for ways to increase the speed of their athletes whether it be for track and field events or organized team sports (Football, basketball, baseball, ice hockey, etc.). Many different methods of speed training are available today, with many of the newest innovations trickling down from our Olympic National Teams. I found a program while working as strength coach in college that has been touched on in the past, that works, and is worth discussion.

The guidelines and attitudes about exercise during pregnancy have changed considerably through the years. Previous guidelines allowed a woman to walk one mile a day, ideally broken up throughout the day. Then the 140 beats per minute (BPM) limit guideline was instituted. While our knowledge of this particular area of exercise physiology is still incomplete, we now know a lot more about the benefits and risks of exercising during pregnancy. As a result, much more specific guidelines have been established.