Stew Smith Fitness News

Here is an email that I receive with increasing regularity as of late. More and more young people have elevated blood pressure or high blood pressure and this is affecting their ability to join the military. Here is an email from such a person:I'm trying to get in the Army National Guard. I passed the ASVAB and most of the physical. I said "most" because they found that I had high blood pressure. To be honest it took me by surprise because I work out, jog everyday and do not have any type of substance abuse problem. I don't smoke,...

This week the question comes from a gentleman who was once fairly active, former military, but has not done anything in about five years other than an occasional weight lifting session at his gym. The question is, "How do I get back into working out again without killing myself after a five year hiatus?" What I recommend for situations like this is to start off easy. So many times I have seen people start off Day One with a 3-4 mile run because "that is what they used to do." This philosophy can also be seen in the weight room with...

People who exercise and those who do not, often neglect the upper back and rear shoulder muscles. Life has a way of bowing your upper back and rolling your shoulders forward. In technical terms, we are basically “internally rotated” within the shoulder girdle. Many things in life "internally rotate” us such as driving, sitting at a computer, playing video games, texting, carrying backpacks, bench pressing, pushups, situps and many more exercises and daily life events. So posture is critical to performance and our confidence. Perfect Posture is possible by adding in a few daily exercises for only a few minutes.Basically,...

The Diabetic Prevention Workout I received several emails about helping the reader repair their diet.  There is a diet plan link I refer people to at Diet Plan motivating and humorous picture as well as a free downloadable sample week of diet information.  I also have a newer plan called the Food Plan.   However, you should visit a registered dietician if you are severely overweight or pre-diabetic as many of these foods may not be the right choice for you.   Pre-diabetic refers to Type II diabetes and usually occurs in older and/or obese people who do not have to have a family history of diabetes....

This week I received a thought provoking email from a retired Army NCO who has developed diabetes (type II) since retiring from the service over fifteen years ago. This is not uncommon. Eighteen million Americans have diabetes, but did you know that over 90% of all diabetes cases can either be prevented or significantly delayed? And guess what can help you avoid diabetes? The amazing panacea of exercise and healthy diet is the answer. It seems the many medical studies published concerning American health all come back to an easy and basic fitness plan.From the National Institute of Health webpage,...