Limit - or eliminate - the amount of caffeine in your diet.

Teens, Fitness and You

With all the pressures today's teenagers have to deal with, it's no wonder so many are in trouble.

Statistics show that teen suicide and teen pregnancy are on the rise, as is the firearm-homicide rate for teens. Smoking among teens is in vogue, and two-thirds of eighth-graders report that they have tried alcohol. And only about 38 percent of them get enough exercise - which means the other 62 percent are setting themselves up for a sedentary life and all the problems that come with it.

Now's the time to change these statistics. Research has shown that kids who play sports, or who are physically active, are less likely to have these problems. But getting kids to exercise is no easy task unless you're willing to spend time with them and learn to speak their language.

Quality time, quality talk

It's impossible to have good relationships with teenagers if you don't spend time with them. Don't expect teens to automatically think you're cool and trustworthy - you'll have to prove it.

Accept them for who they are and show them that you are genuinely concerned about them. Look past the way they dress or wear their hair, and learn to understand their language so you can relate to what they have to say.

A person who is a good listener has a good chance of developing relationships with teens, since most of them would rather talk than listen. Whatever it takes, learn to listen to teenagers, and offer your words of wisdom only when necessary. It's the only way to figure them out.

They're listening - What do you say?

The number-one thing you can do to help teens get active is to be a good role model. Live the life that you advocate; show them that being active can be fun, and they will follow your example. Let them know that being physically active does not necessarily mean going to exercise classes or playing sports, although these are two great options.

Hiking and camping, body surfing and playing Frisbee or paddleball are activities the whole family can enjoy. And, since they're having so much fun, teens will hardly realize that what they're doing is actually good for them.

Teenagers can participate in just about any fitness activity, whether it be weight training, mountain biking or martial arts. Many gyms are lowering their age requirements and offering family memberships and discounts to reach the younger market. Organized sports also are an excellent means of improving socialization and developing discipline and teamwork skills.

Competing with the negative

It's not easy to get your message of good health and fitness across when you're competing with the lure of television and video games. That's why it's so important to appeal to a teenager's sense of fun and need for social interaction.

Whenever possible, include others, such as their friends, in your fitness activities. Encour-aging a teenager (or an adult, for that matter) to become more active can be discouraging, particularly when they seem to be tuning you out.

At some point, that encouragement may become counter-productive. Instead, continue to serve as a role model for an active lifestyle and perhaps they will one day follow your lead.

The most important thing you can do for today's youth is to help them value their lives. Being healthy and fit will put them in touch with their bodies, increase their self-esteem and help them to establish a desire to set personal goals.

Bottom line, however, is that in order to get anyone to exercise, teenager or not, it has to be fun. Teenagers aren't likely to do something just because they're told it's good for them. But with your support and encouragement, you can help put them on the path to better health that lasts a lifetime.

Training to Run Your First 5k

So you've started a walking program and, after a few weeks of consistent improvement, you feel you're ready to pick up the pace and run your first 5k race.

Whether your goal is personal fitness, a sense of community or a pure sense of accomplishment, you can find yourself at the finish line on race day.

A 3.1-mile race is the perfect length to aim for as a beginner. Begin by setting attainable goals to keep you motivated and give yourself ample time to move to the next level. If you train correctly and follow a good eight-to-10 week training program, running can lead to a lifetime of fitness.

Set attainable goals

The length of a 5k is a relatively easy goal to reach as a novice runner, but it may also challenge the expert runner depending on intensity and speed.

Start out with a simple program that allows you to succeed and move forward only when you feel comfortable with your current stage. To avoid burnout or injury, do not push your limits.

Remember that your main goal is to reach the finish line. For your first race you should plan on enjoying the run and feeling good for having completed your goal.

Improve your heart and head

Accomplishing your goal improves your self-esteem and keeps your cardiovascular system in tune.

A regular training program includes exercising for at least 30 minutes three to five times per week, which falls within basic cardiovascular fitness guidelines.

Running can lead to a feeling of freedom and independence, and it is also one of the best ways to alleviate stress since it releases alpha waves in your brain, leaving you relaxed and invigorated.

Take your time

Depending on your training base, an eight-to-10 week program should be just enough time to have you running for the full 30 minutes, which is the approximate time it will take you to complete your first 5k.

Your first step should be a complete medical exam to make sure it is safe for you to begin a running program. Begin with a walk/run program four times per week for 20 to 30 minutes.

If you have not previously been involved in a walking program, it may be best to start with an eight-day walking program routine before you're ready to begin running. Begin by walking for 20 minutes the first four days, followed by walking for 30 minutes the last four days.

If you have no problems with this program, try running for two minutes and walking for four minutes five times consecutively for a total of 30 minutes.

Do this routine three times per week until you feel comfortable. Each week as you are ready add one minute to the running time and subtract one minute from the walking time. Increase each week until you are running comfortably for the full 30 minutes.

Be smart and safe

Now that you can run for 30 minutes, do not concern yourself with pace or distance. Gradual training is the key to long-term success and rest time is just as important as the time you spend training.

Be sure to have proper running shoes that suit your individual needs, and be aware of the surface you are running on as well.

The best running surface is a track. If you do not have access to a track, asphalt is better than concrete, and dirt or silt alongside the road is even better.

Beginning a running program may improve your entire life as it strengthens your cardiovascular system, ties you to your community, and boosts your self-esteem while also allowing you to appreciate the outdoors. From the novice to the expert runner, a local 5k race is a great way to get in shape and improve your sense of health and well-being.

Support your community

Since running is relatively inexpensive and a great way to stay in shape, the popularity of 5k races has dramatically increased over the past few years.

By running a 5k and donating money through your entry fee, you are supporting a larger cause and meeting new people who share similar interests and goals. A local 5k race is a great way to get in shape and improve your sense of health and well-being.

Resistance Tubing Workout

For those times when you just can't make it to the gym, resistance tubing offers an inexpensive and portable way to get a full-body, strength-training workout at home or on the road.

As with all exercise, it is important to warm up for five to 10 minutes and gently stretch the muscles you will be working. For beginners, it is best to do one set of 12 to 15 repetitions.

Intermediate exercisers (i.e., those that have been lifting weights for up to three months) can perform one to two sets of each exercise. More advanced strength trainers (i.e., those who have been lifting weights or using tubing for more than three months) should try to complete two or three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. Stretch each muscle group after each set and at the end of the entire workout to improve flexibility.

Perform the following exercises for a quick full-body workout:

Seated row (back): Sit on the floor and grasp one handle. Wrap the tubing around a bedpost or some type of anchor close to the ground and grab the other handle. Sit back so that there is tension on the elastic when your arms are extended forward. Extend your legs in front of you with your knees slightly bent. Pull the handles so that your elbows form right angles as you squeeze your shoulder blades together.

Bring your elbows back as far as you can, keeping your spine neutral. Slowly let your arms extend back to the starting position and begin your second repetition. Be sure not to slouch.

Bench press (chest): Secure the center of the tubing at chest level and face away from the anchor, grabbing the handles in each hand. Begin with your thumbs at your armpits and step far enough away from the anchor that at this starting position the tube is not gapping. Fully extend your arms in front of your body. Slowly release to the starting position and repeat.

Military press (shoulders): Stand on the center of the band with feet shoulder-width apart. With your palms facing forward and hands by your shoulders, extend your arms straight up while keeping your back straight (do not arch your back) and abdominal muscles tight. Slowly lower and repeat.

Triceps extension (triceps): Step on the tubing and pull one handle up behind your head. Bring your elbow up close to your ear and, beginning with your arm bent behind you, extend straight up until your arm is straight. You may use your other arm to hold your elbow in close to your head. Slowly lower back to the starting position and switch arms.

Biceps curl (biceps): Step on one end of the exercise band and grab the handle with the same hand. Be sure that when your arm is extended down by your side, there is some tension on the tubing. With your palm facing forward, bend your elbow, bringing your hand up toward your shoulder. Keep your wrist straight and bend only at the elbow. Slowly release and repeat. If you are using light resistance you may be able to stand on the center of the tube and work both arms simultaneously.

Squats (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes): Stand on the tubing so that you are centered. Grab the handles with both hands and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Hold the handles up by your shoulders and bend as if you are going to sit in a chair. Return to standing and repeat. Be sure to keep a flat back and contract your abdominal muscles.

Kneeling crunches (abdominals): Anchor the tubing above your head and let the handles drop down. Kneel on the floor with the anchor behind you. Hold the handles with your hands up by your ears and elbows in. Bending from the waist, curl down, bringing your head toward your knees and keeping the handles locked by your ears. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Prevent Osteoporosis Now

Today is the day to begin preventing osteoporosis, an age-related disorder in which bones become gradually thinner, more porous and less able to support the body.

This condition attacks both men and women, but women usually suffer more severely because bone loss accelerates rapidly after menopause. By the time a woman reaches the age of 70, she may have lost as much as 30 percent of her bone density.

Prevention is the key

The following lifestyle-related factors may lead to the development of osteoporosis:

• lack of exercise
• calcium and vitamin D deficiency
• prolonged use of drugs, alcohol, caffeine, high-phosphate soft drinks
• smoking

The good news is that osteoporosis may be prevented by a combination of exercise and good nutrition. Here's how:

Get plenty of exercise:

Weight-bearing exercises can help prevent bone loss and may encourage bone growth. Specific exercises to twist, bend, stretch and compress bones are needed to strengthen the common sites at risk: the upper arm at the shoulder, the forearm at the wrist, the thigh bone at the hip, and the spine. This process is known as ''bone loading.''

Before beginning any exercise program, always consult your physician. If you're given the go-ahead, start slowly and build up over time. An ideal program should include bone-specific, aerobic weight-bearing exercise three days per week. Weight-bearing exercise includes such activities as walking and cross-country skiing.

Include a variety of exercises that will stimulate as many different bones as possible. Add upper-body muscle strength and endurance training two days per week.

Stick with your program and work up to working out at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, three times per week. Also, think about ways to increase your daily activity, such as taking the stairs or gardening.

Eat for stronger bones:

You can bolster your bone strength by eating a high-calcium, high-fiber, low-fat diet.

Did you know that two-thirds of your bone is composed of calcium? Here are the recommended dietary allowances (in milligrams per day) for calcium for various individuals:

• ­18-50 years: 800 mg

   

• pregnant or lactating women: 1,600 mg for mothers under age 19, 1,200 mg for mothers over age 19

   

• women over 50: 1,000­ - 1,500 mg

   

• men and women over 60: 1,000 - ­1,500 mg

You need vitamin D to help metabolize calcium. The best source of vitamin D is the sun, but fortified milk products offer the same benefit without the risk of skin damage.

You can also get a good dose of calcium from the following sources:

• nuts, seeds, beans and peas
• fish with bones
• green vegetables

Bones to last a lifetime

Bone-loading exercise and a balanced diet are important components for preventing osteoporosis. By taking care of your bones now, they will stay strong enough to carry you safely through a lifetime of health and activity

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