June 16, 2009
Best Life Newsletter
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Bob Greene
From the Community

"I'm approaching my 50th birthday, and thinking about spending the rest of my life in the overweight, inactive condition I was in terrified me. When I looked at some ladies I knew who were older than me and saw how their quality of life had declined because of their weight, I knew I had to do something. My husband has always been active and we loved biking and hiking together, but that had stopped because I was so unfit. I wanted that lifestyle back. It was time to make the choice to live my life or be a spectator. I chose to live!"

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best foods
the travel workout

By Michael Scholtz, M.A., Best Life fitness expert

Thanks to room service, pay-per-view and wireless internet, your hotel room can also serve as a restaurant, movie theater and office. And, as long as you pack a few things—like your sneakers and some exercise tubes—it can also be a gym. Use this in-room workout to stay on track while you're away from home. (Start with one set of eight to 10 repetitions of each move; build up to two to three sets of 15 to 20 reps.)

Arm/Leg Raise
Works: Lower back, abdominals, buttocks, hips, hamstrings, upper back, shoulders. Begin lying prone on the floor with both arms forward, resting on the floor. Lift one arm up while simultaneously lifting the opposite leg. Return to the start position and repeat with opposite arm and leg. Continue alternating sides.


Pushup
Works: Chest, shoulder, triceps. Begin in a pushup position (or on your knees) with your hands about six to 12 inches wider than your shoulders, and your arms fully extended. Lower your chest until your elbows are bent about 90 degrees. Return to start and repeat.


One-Arm Row
Works: Upper back, shoulder, biceps. Sit on a chair or stand facing a door. Tie one end of an exercise tube securely to the doorknob. Hold the handle in one hand, arm extended, palm facing inward. Pull your hand straight back, keeping your elbow close to your body. Finish with your elbow just behind your hip and squeeze your shoulder blade down and toward the center of your body. Return to start; repeat. Switch sides.


Stationary Lunge with Torso Twist
Works: Quads, hamstrings, buttocks, hips, lower back, obliques. Begin in a stride stance, facing a door, with one leg forward, keeping your back leg slightly bent with your heel up. Hold one handle of an exercise tube (anchored to a doorknob) with both hands directly in front of chest. Bend your front leg to 90 degrees at the knee, lowering your back knee toward the floor, while rotating your torso toward the lead leg, arms extended and hands directly in front of the center of your chest. Return to start; repeat. Switch legs.
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strawberries
it's strawberry season

Sure, you can purchase strawberries all year long, but berries that are picked in season—typically from late May through July—will be a real treat for your taste buds. And when you buy locally grown, you often have the advantage of choosing from a variety of strawberries. (Only a few of the heartier versions can survive the long trip from other states or countries.) Before you fill up your basket, read these tips:

  • Wash well; strawberries, an excellent source of vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber, tend to absorb more pesticides than other fruit. Or opt for organic.
  • Strawberries are pretty perishable, so try to eat them within a couple of days of buying them. Keep them in the fridge and be sure to remove any berries that become moldy or start to go bad to keep the others fresh.
  • Toss strawberries into smoothies, add them to your cereal or mix them into your yogurt for a high-calcium snack.
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