Cardio is a must for a whole slew of health reasons: it’s good for your heart, increases energy, helps reduce your risk of certain conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes, helps you sleep better, and boosts your immune system, to name a few! Of course, cardio is also essential if you’re trying to fit into the jeans you wore in college. If weight loss is your main reason for doing cardio, make your exercise count; check out the chart below to find out which type of cardio burns the most calories in 30 minutes. *All calculations are based on a 130-pound woman.

Every day this week, CNN will introduce you to one member of the  2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge team .  Today meet Denise Castelli .  As a recent amputee, Denise is searching for a way to reclaim the feeling of being a competitive athlete that she cherished before her accident. I’ve learned a lot about support over these past few years.  I often stop and think to myself that I don’t know where I’d be without my family, friends, the support of my community and the Challenged Athletes Foundation . In April 2008, I was your ordinary senior in college.  Well, maybe not entirely ordinary. I was an NCAA softball player, as well as a dean’s list student at the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut. I was only looking forward to my next journey: Life after college.  With graduation around the corner, I couldn’t help but think about the world of possibilities that were out there for me. But on April 22, 2008, tragedy struck. During one of the final games of that season (and ultimately my career), I took off from first base on a steal, headed for second and broke my leg.  I can still remember hearing the snap and the instant pain that I felt. Up until this point in my life, I had never really experienced a moment that was so heartbreaking.  I couldn’t finish out my senior year (including  the NCAA tournament) or play in my senior game, and the chances of me walking across the stage at graduation looked slim.  I wish I knew then, how little all these things would matter to me in the months to come. I wish I knew then what I know now. To make the longest, most epic medical story short, I ended up with an infection in my broken leg.  I would spend the next 18 months of my life battling that infection. After osteomyelitis (an acute or chronic bone infection) set in, I soon lost complete circulation in my foot.  An amputation was inevitable.  On November 4, 2009 I had my right leg amputated below the knee and my world, as I knew it, ended. I wish I could tell you that the first month or so after my amputation was filled with optimism and hope, but sadly, it wasn’t.  I really wanted to do nothing but lay around in my bed and cry.  I had no idea which direction to take or who to even reach out to.  That’s when fate stepped in and decided to make it happen. My prosthetist had heard about a one day running/mobility clinic held by the Challenged Athletes Foundation. With nowhere else to turn and very little confidence under my belt, I went.  That day changed my life.  My eyes were opened to an entire world of people who were not only amputees, but also athletes in every sense of the word.  From that day on, I was determined to not let this amputation beat me.  I had to find a way to not just survive, but thrive. And that’s exactly what I did. So what does Fit Nation mean to me?  In one word: EVERYTHING!  It means having the life that I used to have.  It means being active, being competitive, having a purpose.  Though I do have some fears (okay, maybe more than some) about becoming a triathlete, I realize that they’re the same fears I had when I faced my amputation.  I’ve never let the fear of the unknown stop me before and I’m not going to let that happen now. So, yes, on November 4, 2009, my world as I knew it, did end. But the beauty of it is that an entire new world opened up to me. Filed under: 2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge , Denise Castelli Tagged: Denise Castelli – Fit Nation Participant

Every day this week, CNN will introduce you to one member of the  2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge team . Today, meet Rick Morris, a web developer and volunteer firefighter who hopes to kick his smoking habit and improve his odds for living a long life. It was the week before Christmas when I got a call from the CNN Fit Nation team. I happened to be finishing up a vehicle fire call with my department when it came in. After a 10 or 15 minute interview, I felt I would be hearing from them again. A few days later, CNN Medical news producer Matt Sloane asked if I would meet with him on Skype to go over a few things. I agreed and we connected the next day – December 22, 2011. After a few words, Matt moved aside and Dr. Sanjay Gupta came onto the screen telling me I was selected to participate in the upcoming 2012 Malibu Triathlon . They caught me off guard and I was at a loss for words, but it is a day I'll never forget. In February, I'll turn 44.  Realizing that I'm not a 20-something anymore, and noticing moderate changes in my health, I knew it was about time I started paying closer attention to my medical future – especially my heart.  Like many Americans, I live a relaxed lifestyle. And what is clear to me is extended relaxation leads to all kinds of problems, medically speaking. This is one of the reasons why I submitted my entry for the triathlon . Really, there are three concerns that motivated me… First, I want to live well into my 80s or 90s. Heck, I wouldn't even mind being a centenarian! But the way I'm treating my body, I previously doubted I would make it into my 60s. Second, there are so many negatives bombarding Americans nowadays that encourage us to live and feel crappy. We have been programmed to live a convenient lifestyle. For example, drive-through windows are everywhere –- from the bank to fast-food restaurants… even convenience stores have them! Food comes so far from the garden that by the time we nuke it in the microwave, we get little nutritional value.  We super-size our food.  We have a remote control for everything.  And, there is a gimmick to make life “simple” or “easy” with a myriad of products. We sit in our car and eat in our car. Tasty, yet unhealthy food is everywhere:  In vending machines, retail shopping centers and the bedroom fridge.  We even ride powered scooters when shopping for food. The bottom line for me is that much of what ails us today is our own fault, including smokers like me.  So, I aim to change my way of thinking and living, get off my rump and get to work preparing my body for its later years. Perhaps the most drastic reason I submitted my entry to Dr. Sanjay Gupta is I want to kick the cancer stick. Yeah, I smoke and, yeah, I love it when I smoke. But I realize the serious health complications of smoking. My father died at 63 from lung cancer, following 50 years of smoking.  A brother-in-law followed a few years later from the same cause. My grandfather died at 52 from a heart attack. My brother had throat cancer and passed at 39.  My grandmother was diabetic (albeit she lived well into her 80s) but she also died after a heart attack. So I have to say that my family dynamic concerns me – gotta do something about that if I don't want to join the statistics. If you ever smoked, you'll know the immediate problems of doing this triathlon.  Less air, higher blood pressure, stinky clothes, inability to run more than a few hundred yards or climb a set of stairs without becoming winded. And then there's the risk of a heart attack. Other than the initial pleasure gained, smoking does nothing positive and only makes you feel badly. One of the things I enjoy most in my life is my participation with my local volunteer fire department, Center Pigeon Fire and Rescue in Canton, North Carolina. Nothing is more rewarding than helping rescue men, women, and children from entangled car wrecks, or helping at a fire scene. But, I've learned that to be a firefighter, you can't be a smoker. We wear airpacks and work with heavy equipment. As a smoker, I wear out quickly. I also know that the number one killer of firefighters is heart attacks. As a member of my fire department, I have always tried to be a contributor. By my contribution is limited by my poor health habits.  I'm concerned that I could endanger one of my fellow firefighters while doing an interior attack. What if something goes wrong and I don't have the energy to assist a downed firefighter? What if I run out of energy before my colleagues and cause them to have to come to my aid? Perhaps I'm over-reacting. But I volunteer with dedicated, true professionals. I refuse to let them down. NFL great Mike Ditka said it best: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today's a gift.” I plan to take advantage of today in preparing myself for many tomorrows, trying to eliminate any health-related mystery. With that, I say thanks to the entire CNN Fit Nation team for selecting me in this humbling endeavor. I realize I'm fortunate to have been selected and understand this is going to be a very challenging and rewarding journey. I can't wait to meet my six teammates, trainers and the CNN crew who are busy behind-the-scenes making this happen. Filed under: 2012 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge , Rick Morris Tagged: Rick Morris – Fit Nation Participant

In the Summer, we don’t need to worry about getting enough vitamin D since we spend so much time in the sun. When cold weather blows in, most of our skin is covered and we spend less time outdoors, so doctors often recommend taking vitamin D supplements. Before you start popping capsules, be warned that a recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association shows too much vitamin D can be dangerous for your heart . When higher than normal levels of vitamin D are found in the blood, it can cause your heart to beat too fast and out of rhythm, a condition known as atrial fibrillation. Taking supplements doesn’t automatically put you at risk since people absorb them differently, but high levels of vitamin D only happen in people who take supplements. That means if you do take over-the-counter Vitamin D, it’s important to have your blood tested to make sure your levels are within a healthy range (41 to 80 nanograms per deciliter). Also talk with your doctor about the dosage that’s right for you. The RDI of vitamin D for healthy adults is 600 IU (15 micrograms). You can skip the supplements (and the risk to your heart) by making sure to get your fill of vitamin D-rich foods such as milk, soy milk, salmon, tuna, egg yolks, and cheese. For more sources, check out this list of 10 common foods high in vitamin D .

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There are many health benefits to both coffee and tea – disease-fighting, metabolism-revving, and memory-boosting benefits to name a few. But in order to maximize these health benefits, there may be a few tweaks you should be doing to your morning routine. Read on for the dos and don’ts for making your morning cup of coffee or tea even healthier! View Slideshow ›

Inadvisable Use?: Pricey heart devices used in cardiac resynchronization therapy may not help 38% of the patients for whom they’re currently indicated, the WSJ reports , citing a study published online by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The devices — whose makers include Medtronic, St. Jude and Boston Scientific — help synchronize the contraction of the left and right ventricles, but a subset of patients don’t seem to receive any benefit. The president of the Heart Rhythm Society says the study isn’t enough to change current practice guidelines. Humira Suit: A man who took Abbott’s Humira for rheumatoid arthritis has sued the company, saying it failed to warn him about the risk of the serious fungal infection he developed, Bloomberg News reports . The suit alleges Abbott stalled for more than 18 months before sending warning letters to doctors, BN says. An Abbott spokeswoman tells BN that the company’s risk-mitigation plan wasn’t approved by the FDA until April 2010 and that its warnings fell within the agency’s time frame. Harnessing Immunity: New therapies from Dendreon and Bristol Myers-Squibb may herald new interest in using immunotherapy to fend off cancer, the WSJ reports . While drugs are expensive and can carry significant side effects, the notion of harnessing a person’s own immune system to fight the disease is promising enough that 23 such therapies are in the pipeline, the paper says. More Info, Fewer Readmissions: Reducing hospital readmissions is a hot topic; a new study finds that making sure Medicare patients understand their conditions, prospects for recovery and the medications they’re taking can help cut the readmission rate by almost 20%, USA Today reports . The study appears in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Image: iStockphoto

See which lovely ladies of Hollywood gave up animal products for good . Trainer Harley Pasternak’s advice for getting a boob lift naturally through exercise . Make your fitness gear count with these eco-friendly products . Our latest FitSugarTV video will work you from head to toe. Kerri Walsh brings her ball to the beach for this full-body workout . She’s dropped 80 pounds, but Jennifer Hudson ‘s fiancé isn’t used to her new body . Check out Nicole Richie busting a move with her trainer Tracy Anderson. Spring is here! Time to whip up these tasty asparagus dishes .

Assuming 2% and 5% yearly increases in the cost of care produces 2020 estimates of $173 billion and $207 billion respectively.

According to recent figures released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approximately $200 million dollars are wasted each year in health care costs and loss of productivity due to smoking. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030, smoking related deaths will reach the 8 million mark annually. These figures may be Related posts: Quit Smoking for Good Addiction Alternatives Sugar and Mental Health