Exercise Now to Improve Your Retirement

Exercising now can save you a great deal of money during retirement. This article highlights the importance of living a health focused and active lifestyle. Studies show that this approach greatly reduces the chances of common medical problems that occur later in life. Read the article below for an in-depth look at the way your health impacts your retirement.

The JAMA study involved 1,635 inactive men and women between the ages of 70 and 89 in eight different centers around the country, who participated in the study for an average of 2.6 years. Most lived in their communities, and none had major cognitive impairment.At the outset of the study, all the participants could walk a quarter mile, or 400 meters, within 15 minutes without sitting, leaning, or the help of another person or a walker. (Canes were allowed, since their use involves higher functioning than a walker.) Yet this was not a robust group. Many had chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure and diabetes. What’s more, their sedentary lifestyles put them at high risk of losing their ability to walk a quarter mile, and in turn their independence.

— Elizabeth O'Brien

Kick Energy Zappers to the Curb

It takes discipline to reshape habits that have been practiced over time. It takes time to build discipline. The true question is where to begin. This article suggests starting in the small choices made in our daily food choices. Then focus you're attention on infusing healthy diet items into your overall eating habits. Keep reading to learn how to kick the energy zappers out of your meal line-up.

When you need a boost of energy don’t reach for another double espresso or chocolate bar. The caffeine and sugar may boost your energy in the short term, but will leave you feeling even lower later. Try one of these fast-acting natural pick-me-ups instead.

— Healthy Living

Metabolism Boosters

Here's a pick me up for your exercise routine. All you need is eight minutes to boost your metabolism. Don't believe us? Check out these powerful gym tips to try at your next workout session and don't miss the launch of our new fitness programs at Harbour Ridge Yacht & Country Club.

The routine consists of five different movements performed in a circuit; do eight reps of each, then go to the next. Complete as many reps as possible (aka an AMRAP) in eight minutes. You won’t believe the results!

— Chris Artis

Healthy Living at Habour Ridge: Salad Sensations

We're kicking off a new series of fitness & health programs for Healthy Living at Harbour Ridge. Living a healthy lifestyle begins with a balanced diet. This article shares great suggestions on how to incorporate better choices in your daily diet. Keep reading for cool ways to kick your salads up a notch.

Salads aren’t just a prelude to a main meal—done right, they’re bursting with flavor, packed with nutrition, and deliciously satisfying. The secret ingredient in each of these recipes: a centerpiece of high-quality protein, whether that’s grilled chicken breast, hearty steak, simple seafood, or even a vegetarian-friendly option. These recipes were created by Carlo Filippone (aka the “Muscle Chef”), a three-time national bodybuilding champion and the founder of Elite Lifestyle Cuisine, who knows what it takes to eat clean without losing flavor. 

— Moya McAllister

Here's to A Healthier Summer

Students across the country have started their end-of-the year countdown. With the sun-filled days of summer quickly approaching many families are beginning or finalizing plans for their highly anticipated getaways. Summer vacations are usually associated with overeating and softened exercise regimens but they don't have to be. Check out this article for great tips on making your summer vacation healthier and filled with fun activities.

After putting in long work hours all winter and squeezing in those extra bench presses, it’s finally time to take a break! Whether you’re relaxing on the beach or exploring a new city, a time out from the normal routine can be wonderful thing. But it can also make it tough to stay fit—all those meals out and indulging in a few (OK, a lot of) cocktails doesn't exactly help either. All that fun means you might return home feeling less than refreshed. The good news is feeling healthy during and post-vacay is totally possible. Making just a few smart choices will keep you active and energized and help you get the most out of that vacay—and looking forward to the next one.

— 24 Tips for a Fitter, Happier Summer Vacation

Balancing a Healthy Lifestyle

Maintaining your health is certainly a hot topic these days and that means there are excessive amounts of information staying healthy. How do you know which tips to follow? This article recommends heeding the voice that lives precisely in the middle of both extremes. When programming your body for maximum results the key is to find a good balance. Eating the proper food and keeping a healthy exercise routine can significantly increase your body's well-being.

Much like the precarious line between thinking carefully about food and obsessing over it, exercise is also a highly beneficial component of a healthy lifestyle that can easily become problematic.These days, we hear almost as much about the health risks of excessive exercise as we do lack of physical activity."One end of it is avoidance of exercise, versus the other extreme extreme, which is too much exercise," says Jennifer E. Carter, Ph.D., the director of sport psychology and the Ohio State University Sports Medicine Center. "Balanced exercise finds the middle ground." Some of us need an extra push to get off the couch, or some reigning in once in a while. For others, finding the balance between too much and too little physical activity comes easily.

— A Healthy Relationship with Exercise

Are Pesticides Ruining Your Healthy Diet?

Food is vital facet in attaining a healthy lifestyle but some of the foods we trust to help us do more harm than good.  This pesticide list published by the Dirt Dozen compiles the pesticide residue data from 48 well-trusted fruits and vegetables. Read this before making your next grocery list.

For decades, various toxic pesticides were claimed to be 'safe' -- until they weren't, and either banned or phased out because they posed risks to people," Sonya Lunder, EWG's senior analyst and author of the Shopper's Guide report said in a statement. "While regulators and scientists debate these and other controversies about pesticide safety, EWG will continue drawing attention to the fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide loads."

— Pesticide Report

Need a Little R & R?

 Relaxation is critical to living a healthy and balanced life. Yet it can be the hardest technique to master for most people. This article breaks down practical strategies for achieving relaxation and getting the rest you need to be more productive.

Even if you sleep like a baby most nights, you’ve probably had at least the occasional bout of insomnia. Whether it’s that late-night snack that keeps the sandman away, stress or something less sinister, here are six relaxation techniques to try when sleep eludes you: 

1. Guided visualization Lie in bed and tell your body to relax from head to toe, suggests Joshua Jacobi, MD, an interventional cardiologist in Pasadena, California. “Forehead relax, eyes relax, cheeks relax,” and so forth down until your toes. “Then, I picture lying on a beach. I bring in all the sensory awareness to the setting. So I feel the sand in my toes, the warmth of the sun, a cool breeze. I see the waves slowly coming in to the shore. I see palm trees waving in the wind. I hear the sound of the waves as they come in,” says Jacobi. Picture this scene or something else that is relaxing for you.

— Relaxation Tips