Category: Fitness
This Veteran Broke His Neck, then Re-enlisted
If there were a real-life Ironman, it would be Neil Gussman. At first, Gussman’s life sounds “simple” enough. He joined the army in 1976 when he was 18. At that time, the Vietnam war was just ending, and Gussman was stationed in Germany as a tank commander. After the army, Gussman went to school at [...]
The Two Week Goal: Put a dent in your fitness before Turkey Day!
Thanksgiving is officially two weeks away. Before the stress of the holidays hit, give yourself an assignment, a task or a goal to do each and every day for the next two weeks. It can be anything as long as it will result in something better for your body. What you do over the next [...]
Food, Family and the Fun House Mirror Syndrome
Every now and then, a topic surfaces that deserves a little more than fleeting attention. Anyone who’s read this blog for more than a week knows health, fitness and eating clean are always on the table. I want to be abundantly clear, however, that body size is in no way the sole factor in what [...]
No Excuses (Rowing) Workout #22
If you’ve never worked out on an indoor rower, you should give it a try. As we head into the winter months, there is no greater way to lose your motivation to workout than getting bored with exercise. Rowing is the perfect solution to doing the same-old same-old day in and day out. What’s more, [...]
No Excuses (Shred-like) Workout #21
If you can dish it out, you better be able to take it – right? I was certainly put to the test over the weekend at Chicago’s Shred415, a treadmill/strength interval fitness studio on the north side of the city. The workout was probably a little more intense than the typical TraciDMitchell interval workout, but well [...]
Everyday Amazing: Her Reason to Give Back after Disease Took So Much
Body weight has been a concern in Tammy Brown’s life since she was three years old. It was then that her seemingly fit father died suddenly of a heart attack at the young age of 24 while playing in a basketball tournament. An athlete through high school, Brown’s father choose fatherhood and a job at [...]
What’s Your Fitness Level? Test it Today.
All the working out in the world is great, but if you’re not improving your health in some way, then what’s the point? Establishing a baseline fitness level for yourself gives you a point of reference to revisit every few weeks. If you’ve made progress, great. If you haven’t progressed, or even took a step [...]
Calibration Jeans, and Other Tools That Keep Weight in Check
Ten years ago I bought a pair of jeans for a trip. Around that time I decided to leave my corporate job to hone in on a new career in health and fitness. Like many new careers, you’ve got to start somewhere. That “somewhere” for me was the bottom – and let me tell you, [...]
No Excuses (Jump Rope) Workout #20
Get vertical and go for this workout that combines all the benefits of jumping rope with a few strength exercises that hit your entire body. Not sold on jumping rope? Here are a few benefits to consider: Muscle Tone: Shape up your calves, along with several other big leg muscles by jumping rope. Functional Fitness: [...]
No Excuses (Hill Run/Combo) Workout #19
Living in Chicago, I’ve never had to utter the words “I thought that hill was never going to end!” while out for a run. Gorgeous lakefront, great running trails and a few pretty incredible running groups…but no hills. Running hills is actually a great workout. If you live in a hilly area, a good workout [...]
