Get in Shape Without the Workout Room

We all want to be in shape and healthy right? I know that you said yes in your head, but lets face it we do not want to go to the gym and get on the elliptical or the dreaded treadmill. We also do not want to get out and run or at least I do not. 
   

There are ways that we can stay in shape that are fun but also give you results. The first way is going to the exercise classes. Zumba is a great way to stay fit and it is also fun. Zumba keeps your heart rate up and also you can get some rhythm while you are at it. There is also water zumba or aqua zumba, from what I hear it is a challenge but if you are up for it go for it. Zumba can help you with toning your arms, legs, and stomach. 

 

By:Cimm

 Another type of class that it offered is yoga. Now I know what you're thinking yoga that is boring, and guys it is not just for women. Yoga is also challenging because it test your balance and strength. This is a good alternative to lifting weights if you are trying to gain strength without looking bulky.Yoga is also a form of mention. 

By: jessebezz

 

             Men I know you are thinking well what about us, well a great class for men to take is kickboxing. Kickboxing is good for building strength and endurance. This type of workout will improve your speed and relieve stress. Kickboxing is a challenging workout, but the longer you do it the easier it will get.

By:Loura Conerney

 

           Have you ever heard of P90X? Well if you have not it is a series of workouts that build muscle and keep you in great health. The great thing about this workout is you can do it in the comfort of your own home. For this workout all you need is two dumbbells of your choice. If you are looking for something that will get you results this is the workout for you.

You may also exercise by just walking. You don’t have to walk alone take a friend with you. What my friends and I like to do is ,after eating we go to the mall or a shopping strip and walk off our meal instead of just going home and sitting down. I know that sometimes guys do not like the mall but you do not have to use the mall. Maybe go to a sports store or whatever you fancy. 
   

           Going swimming is also a good way to stay in shape, and I don’t mean just walking around the pool. When you go to the pool play games like marco polo or shark. These are fun games and will keep you moving in the pool. The pool is a great place to stay toned and get your metabolism up. The main thing is to just stay active. The more active you are the better off you will be.

Cancer is not always hereditary

When we think of cancer the first thing that pops into our minds is breast cancer maybe brain cancer. We tend to always do things for breast cancer, but what about the other cancers? Did you know that some cancer can be prevented by our actions? Like take lung cancer for example. The easiest way to avoid lung cancer is to not smoke. Simple right? the According to statistics only 5%-10% of cancers are inherited. This means that the other 90% has to be either you making bad life choices or just by chance you got some type of cancer.

 

As I said before there are ways to prevent certain strands of cancer. Some ways is just to eat certain foods or not chew tobacco.The type of cancer you can get from chewing tobacco is Oral Cancer. Oral cancer can show up in lips, tongue, cheeks , floor of the mouth , hard and soft palate, sinus and throat. This type of cancer can be life threatening if its not treated correctly.

 

How can this be avoided you may ask? That’s a great question but first you know what causes it. People who use dip, snuff, and other chewing tobacco are 50% more likely to get this type of cancer on their lips, or cheeks. Smokers may also get this form of cancer but are more likely to get lung cancer. My uncle is a smoker he smokes at least two packs of cigarettes a day. He has beggining stages of lung cancer. Our family has a history of cancer so this puts him at a greater risk to get lung cancer. This is the deadliest type of cancer for men and women. Cigarette smoke is the leading cause of this type of cancer. Another way to accumulate this type of cancer is to expose yourself to chemicals such as uranium, mustard gas, or even nickel. It’s not like we go and expose ourselves to this type of stuff everyday but if you do just know lung cancer is a possibility. A way to prevent lung and oral cancer is to just avoid smoking and chewing tobacco. I know that some people can’t avoid these things, and if you're one of these people please go to your physician on a regular basis so if you do accumulate it you can be treated.

 

Another cancer that people seem to overlook is colon cancer. This type of cancer is also at the top of the list in death from cancer. Colon cancer can start in the large intestines or in the rectum. Most all colon cancer start off as polyps that form into tumors.

Found at PubMed Health

 

You have a greater risk of accumulating colon cancer if you eat a lot of red meats throughout your life. What is a red meat? Well a red meats are beef, pork, and lamb. I know we all really like these types of meats but turkey is also really good. Turkey can replace most of these types of meats. Have you ever heard of turkey bacon or ground turkey? This is a healthy and delicious substitute for beef and pork and can also help you avoid a risk of getting colon cancer. I know from experience turkey products are good and better for you.
 

According to About.com about 200,000 people die of lung cancer each year. I personally do not know anybody who has died of lung cancer,but i’m sure this really affects many people in america. On the other hand about 50,000 people die of colon cancer. I know this does not seem like a lot of people when there is a zillion people in the U.S., but you never know what could happen. Cancer is the leading cause of death in children ages 1-19. A friend of mine who just turned 16 a few months ago was just sent to Saint Judes Hospital for cancer.

 

I am not here to tell you how to live your life, but I just want to let you know that there are ways to do things that will keep you in good health. Always go to your physician on a regular basis and watch what you eat I know it seems harmless now but in the long run it could be fatal. Last but not least please refrain from smoking or chewing tobacco,I don't want any of you to get oral or lung cancer.

 

 

 About.com

The Therapist

Ever since I was a little child my grandmother has always reinforced my health. As she says me and my brothers have a “double whammy” of disease. We have diabetes and high blood pressure on my fathers side and heart disease on my mothers side. When I was a small child I always went with my mothers mom to Guntersville so she could take care of her brother. By the time I was 8 I had almost lost my uncle to heart attacks maybe twelve times. My grandmother always said to him “you better eat right Cat before you end up six feet under.” (Cat is my uncles nickname by the way ). When I was in the second grade I lost my great grandmother to a massive heart attack. One day I went to my doctor for a routine check up and she sent me to a cardiologist for a ultrasound on my heart where they found a hole in my heart. He also discovered a heart murmur which means my heart skips beats at random.

When I was about 10 my dad had developed type 2 diabetes. For the first couple of months my dad was forced to change his diet and exercise habits. I felt like I had to take care of him because in my mind my dad was really old but in reality he was just 40. My dad told me that it was hard to completely change his diet all of a sudden ,and that he wishes he knew that by just eating right he could've prevented it. My dad went 10 years without using insulin just by diet and exercise. My dad is 50 years old and is just now having to use the insulin 3 times a week depending on his blood sugar. My aunt who is my dads sister has had diabetes for 26 years.She is completely insulin dependent. My grandmother and great grandmother also had diabetes. My dad says that it is almost impossible that I would not get it as I get older. In my head I just want to keep my health up and completely avoid that demon.

When I was 10 I started playing basketball and that was the year I fell in love with the game. I played all throughout middle school and up until my 11th grade year. In the 10th grade I started varsity and that’s when things started going wrong. In one of our home games we were playing in a area game so it was an important game. I was going up for a lay up and got fouled coming down and I twisted my knee really bad. I went to the TOC (The Orthopaedic Center) doctor and he told me I could do therapy or just get a brace and be careful. I decided to just get the brace,WRONG! The next week in practice my other knee popped out of place. So now I had two Knee braces and if that wasn’t enough my back was starting to act up. In about the middle of the season one day during a game my back was really acting crazy, the next day in practice I strained my back. I went back to the TOC doctor where he sent me to physical therapy 4 times a week for 8 weeks. To say the least, I spent a lot of time with my therapist. We would talk about his job and why he choose it and over the course of the 8 weeks I decided this was what I wanted to do with my life.

About THe Amazing Kourtney Burwell

My name is Kourtney Elizabeth Burwell. The angels sent me to my mother and father on November 11, 1993 meaning I'm 19 years young. My major is exercise science and wellness with a minor in nutrition. I hope to become a physical therapist working with either athletes or maybe infants with birth defects. I have two older brothers and a wonderful 12 month old niece named Journey Elizabeth( I named her by the way). I'm from Merdianville, Al if you do not know where that is its right outside of Huntsville.I'm a friendly person and very easy to get along with.