Memorial Day is approaching, and we’ve got warm weather on the brain, but it’s not just about getting in shape for the beach. Hiking is a great cardio and muscle-building workout – and you can burn 180 calories in just 30 minutes . Hiking trails vary in difficulty, yet no matter where you go it’s a common sight: once-enthusiastic hikers having to stop halfway through, too exhausted and out of shape to finish the trail. When you’re on the trails, don’t quit before you want to – if you’re looking forward to a hike this season, start with these exercises. Endurance: Spend some time working on your endurance before a long hike, and it’ll all be worth it once you reach the hilltop. Increase the incline the next time your walk, jog, or run on the treadmill, and spend some time on a slower-paced, longer run during the week. Read more on how to increase your endurance here . Core: Carrying a backpack while making your way up an incline requires engaged, strong abs; strengthen your core with these seven ab workouts . Lower body: Strong legs make for impressive ascents, so go ahead, do some more squats (and then some). Here’s a list of our favorite lower leg exercises to strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and quads.

Nearly every 34 seconds someone in the United States has a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association.  In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S. But that’s where some of the similarities end. A study of heart attack patients finds that women are more likely than men to show up at the hospital without the classic chest pain symptoms of heart attack. The study also shows that women are more likely to die in the hospital following a heart attack. The study was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association . Researchers used data from more than 1 million patients in the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction, a large national database of heart attack patients from about 1,600 acute care hospitals in the United States. Women comprised 42% of the patients in the study. The database is sponsored by Genentech, Inc., which makes an anti-clotting prescription drug, but that product was not discussed in this study, which focused on sex, age, and heart attack symptoms of hospital patients. The heart is a muscle that requires oxygen to fuel it’s constant beating. When the blood flow bringing oxygen to the heart is impaired or cut off by a blockage, a heart attack occurs. Recognizing that a patient is having a heart attack and beginning treatment quickly is vital to preserving the heart. Without blood flow and oxygen, the heart muscle begins to die, forming scars that damage and impair heart function, and producing serious long term health problems. “Patients without chest pain/discomfort tend to present later, are treated less aggressively, and have almost twice the short-term mortality compared with those presenting with more typical symptoms of [heart attack]," the study authors write. While the symptoms of heart attack typically include chest pain and discomfort, likened to having an elephant sitting on your chest, previous studies have shown that women often have less typical heart attack symptoms including dizziness, shortness of breath, upper back pressure, extreme fatigue, nausea, or pressure in the lower chest or belly, according to the American Heart Association. Among the study participants, women presenting with heart attacks were older than men, averaging 74 years compared to 67 years for men. Women were also less likely to have chest pains or discomfort – 42% of women had no chest pains, compared to only 30.7% of men without chest pains. Age was also a factor for symptoms: Younger women were less likely to have chest pain symptoms compared to men of the same age, although that difference equalized among the sexes with increasing age. In-hospital deaths for women was 14.6%, compared to 10.3% for men. While the authors note the reasons for sex-based differences in heart attacks are largely unknown, they cite research suggesting that estrogen in women may have a protective effect on their hearts. The study concludes that more research – specifically looking at differences in symptoms between the sexes and age groups – is needed to better identify heart attacks that may have atypical symptoms. Filed under: Heart , Men’s Health , Women’s Health Tagged: Ann J. Curley – CNN Medical Assignment Manager

From pounding the pavement running to spending a day in fashionable shoes that lack proper support, feet take a beating. If you’re training for race this Spring and upping your mileage, it pays show your peds some love. You can do some preventive prehab to avoid coming down with a case of plantar fasciitis. This painful condition, which can be common in new runners and affects women more than men, occurs when the the fibrous band that runs from the heel bone to the base of the toes stretches too far and tears. These micro tears cause inflammation of the fascia and the tissues surrounding it, making every footstep painful abruptly stalling your training schedule. If you’re experiencing some unexplainable heel pain, try these methods keep plantar fasciitis at bay.

If you’re a consumer of natural hair and skin care products, you’ve probably noticed more and more creams, lotions and shampoos containing argan oil. And, while this may be a relatively new development in your part of the world, it’s actually old news in select Mediterranean countries such as Algeria and Morocco. There, argan oil No related posts.

Whether you take yoga, Zumba, or Body Pump classes at your gym, chances are one wall of the studio will be covered in a glimmery mirror. When I’m working out on my own at home, I actually like checking my form in a mirror when strength training – when I’m the only one who can see. It’s a different story when there’s an enormous wall-sized mirror staring back at me throughout an hour-long packed cardio kickboxing class. What do you think? Is it fun or annoying to have mirrors in the room where you take group fitness classes? Does seeing yourself make you work out harder, or is it too much of a distraction? Do You Like Mirrors in Exercise Classes? Yes, I love seeing myself (and others too) while exercising. I can’t stand mirrors in exercise rooms. It makes me too self-conscious. It depends on the type of class. I don’t care either way.

MIAMI-DADE (CBS4) – The Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department has jumped into the county’s fight against childhood obesity. As part of September’s National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, Miami-Dade Parks has launched “Fit-to-Play: Health, Wellness and Obesity Prevention” Out-of-School program. Kids, age 6-14, can enjoy fun, fully-supervised programming after school, with team sports and activities focused on nutrition and wellness, and develop their appreciation of nature, science and the cultural arts.  “As today’s kids are prone to spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console, it is more important than ever that we encourage them to be more active and develop a healthier lifestyle,” said Miami-Dade Parks Director Jack Kardys. The impact of childhood obesity on children’s physical health includes increased risk for pre-diabetes, heart disease, as well as bone and joint problems. Statistics also show that children who are overweight are at a higher risk of remaining overweight in adulthood. Each “Fit-to-Play” session begins with homework help, followed by SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids). SPARK is dedicated to improving the quantity and quality of physical activity for children, focusing on activities that develop and improve motor skills, movement knowledge, and social and personal skills. With parental permission, Miami-Dade Parks will track key health indicators in children, such as blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI), assisting parents and children in making the correct decisions about their fitness and nutrition. Upon completion of the programs, participants will be able to know their fitness improvements which will be measured throughout the year. The University of Miami UHealth System, a long-time partner of Miami-Dade Parks’ “Fit-to-Play” Summer Camp and Out-of-School programs, serves as a year-round oversight of its health, wellness and obesity prevention initiatives.  UHealth also provides all of the health testing and education components for these programs, covering such topics as stress management, safety, BMI (Body Mass Index) testing, nutrition, and more.  Miami-Dade Parks’ Fit-to-Play Out-of-School program operates Monday through Friday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., from August 22, 2011 through June 7, 2012 at several sites. Transportation is available to pick up the children at certain nearby schools and transport them to the program, for an additional charge, at select park sites only.  Miami-Dade Parks also offers these Specialized Out-of-School programs at select park sites: •  Miami-Dade Parks Disability Services’ Out-of-School program for those with disabilities, ages 6-22, is funded by The Children’s Trust, and is offered at six park sites –Camp Matecumbe, Tamiami, Westwind Lakes, Greynolds, Coral Estates, and Goulds. The program includes cultural arts, literacy, fitness, nutrition, hygiene, snacks, and field trips. •  Children, ages 6-16, interested in the arts can attend the out-of-school programs at African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, where they can learn instrumental and vocal music, dance, theatre, and visual art; and at Raices Cultural Arts Center at Miller Drive Park, where children, ages 6-14, learn dances from various Spanish-speaking countries, instrumental music training and arts and crafts. Transportation from select school locations is available for a weekly fee. •  In addition, the Deering Estate at Cutler offers out-of-school programming opportunities through the Estate’s award winning Living Classroom.  Equipped with fossils, artifacts and tools, live or preserved specimens, photographs and simple laboratory experiments, the Estate’s Education and Interpretive Staff use hands-on interdisciplinary curriculum in the fields of ecology, geology, marine biology, archaeology, history, and art.  The School Yard Science Program can be scheduled at any park or community center as part of an after school care program.  Classes are typically offered once weekly for a two hour session.  The EcoAcademy is taught onsite at the Deering Estate at Cutler and can be offered at the various nature centers upon request or through a home school program. For more information, please visit www.deeringestate.org  or call 305-235-1668, ext. 222. There is no deadline to register, however parents are encouraged to register early before programs fill to capacity.  Affordable prices vary per park and parents must register directly with the individual park.  For more information, please visit Miami-Dade Parks’ website at www.miamidade.gov/parks , or call 3-1-1 or any of its parks listed below. Miami-Dade Parks is funded in part by The Children’s Trust.  A list of Miami-Dade Parks Fit-to-Play: Health, Wellness and Obesity Prevention Out-of-School program sites follows below: North •       Arcola Park, 1680 NW 87 St., 305-835-7987 * •       Arcola Lakes Park, 1301 NW 83 St., 305-836-5095 •       Country Village Park, 6550 NW 188 Terr., 305-622-2594 •       Gwen Cherry Park (Y.E.T.), 7090 NW 22 Ave., 305-694-4889 •       Highland Oaks Park, 20300 NE 24 Ave., 305-932-2164 •       Jefferson Reaves, Sr. Park, 3100 NW 50 St., 305-635-2081 •       Little River Park, 10525 NW 24 Ave., 305-694-5121 •       M. L. King, Jr. Park, 6100 NW 32 Ct., 305-633-2044 * •       North Glade Park, 17355 NW 52 Ave., 305-621-2461 •       Olinda Park, 2101 NW 51 St., 305-633-4066 •       West Little River Park, 2326 NW 84 St., 305-694-5096 Central •       Bird Lakes Park, 14365 SW 48 Ln., 305-207-1644 •       Continental Park, 10000 SW 82 Ave., 305-274-9666 •       North Trail Park, 780 NW 127 Ave., 305-207-2420 •       Rockway Park, 9460 SW 27 Dr., 305-223-8769 •       Ron Ehmann Park, 10995 SW 97 Ave., 305-271-3853 •       Ruben Dario Park, 9825 W. Flagler St., 305-222-2194 •       Tropical Estates Park, 10201 SW 48 St., 305-226-5782 •       Westwind Lakes Park, 6805 SW 152 Ave., 305-388-4771 South •       Cinco de Mayo Park, 19350 SW 384 St., 305-242-7930 * •       Deerwood Bonita Lakes Park, 14445 SW 122 Ave., 305-234-1660 •       Devon Aire Park, 10411 SW 122 Ave., 305-270-4951 •       Eureka Villas Park, 14301 SW 180 St., 305-254-5856 •       Goulds Park, 11350 SW 216 St., 305-255-2399 •       Hammocks Community Park, 9885 Hammocks Blvd., 305-380-6917 •       Leisure Lake Park, 29305 Illinois Rd., 305-248-1527 * •       Modello Park, 28450 SW 152 Ave., 305-247-1553 •       Naranja Park, 14150 SW 264 St., 305-258-1945 * •       Sgt. Joseph Delancy Park, 14450 Boggs Dr., 305-235-4503 •       South Dade Park, 28151 SW 164 Ave., 305-247-9453 •       Southridge Park, 11250 SW 192 St., 786-293-4549 •       West Perrine Park, 17121 SW 104 Ave., 305-235-2053 Specialized Out of School Programs: Out-of-School Program for Children with Disabilities (ages 6-22) •   Camp Matecumbe         11400 SW 137 Ave., 305-752-4966 •   Coral Estates Park 1405 SW 97 Ave., 305-226-1622 •   Goulds Park 11350 SW 216 St., 305-234-1673 •   Greynolds Park 17530 W. Dixie Highway, 305-945-3425 •   Tamiami Park 11201 SW 24 St., 305-222-2128 •   Westwind Lakes Park 6805 SW 152 Ave., 305-380-9106 •   Cultural Arts Out-of-School Programs (ages 6-16): •   African Heritage Cultural Arts Center Auditorium                 6161 NW 22 Ave., 305-638-6771 •   Raices Cultural Arts Center at Miller Drive Park 5510 SW 94 Ct., 305-271-0812 Deering Estate at Cutler Out-of-School Programs – School Yard Science/Eco Academy: •  Deering Estate at Cutler 16701 SW 72 Ave., 305-235-1668, ext.222  Website:  www.deeringestate.org

Believe it or not, popcorn can be a healthy snack; corn kernels are considered a whole grain, and its nutritional benefits are similar to a serving of brown rice or whole wheat. It’s the additives like sugar, oil, butter, and salt that stir up caloric trouble. Air popped popcorn has only 31 calories per one cup serving. Loaded with fiber, popcorn will aid digestion, make you feel fuller longer, and balance your blood sugar levels. Popcorn also has high amounts of polyphenols , an antioxidant that helps the body protect itself from free radicals. The B-complex vitamins found in popcorn provide an energy boost too. It’s so easy to make homemade popcorn , either by microwave or stove top, so there’s no excuse to opt for the pre seasoned bags. So you can indulge in a guilt-free snack that’s still loaded with flavor, we’ve provided some healthy topping alternatives after the break.

The berries I bought at the beginning of the week were soft by the weekend, so I used them to make these whole wheat pancakes. The fruit adds natural sweetness, so you don’t need much sugar in the batter. And instead of dousing them in a river of maple syrup, I increased the protein by making my own creamy maple-flavored yogurt sauce. They were outstanding and a huge hit with the fam. Keep reading to see my easy recipe and find out how much this breakfast will run you in calories.

You get more bang for your exercise buck doing full-body exercises, so we have rounded up three of our fave moves – each will work you from head to toe. No worries if you’re a newbie to strength training! This video contains moves appropriate for all fitness levels. If you think the advanced burpee (aka squat thrust) is beyond you, check out these variations of the move . One will surely work for you.

Being that February is heart health month , it’s a good time to review how to keep your ticker ticking properly. Ditching artery-clogging meat and dairy products, which increase risk for heart disease, sounds like a step in the right direction, but unfortunately going vegan like Alicia Silverstone doesn’t automatically put you on the safe list. According to research , vegans may not be getting enough iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids from their diets, which are all essential for a healthy cardiovascular system. On the plus side, vegans do tend to have lower BMIs (body mass index) and cholesterol levels. But to do their hearts good, vegans need to make sure to get their fill of the heart-healthy essential vitamins and nutrients mostly found in meat and dairy products. Learn where to find those nutrients in a plant-based diet.