Snacking has changed over the years and experts are worried that all this snacking may be a major contributor to childhood obesity. In a study published in Health Affairs, experts looked at snacking trends over the years and found that many kids are eating up to 3 snacks a day and that more than 27% of their daily calories come from snacks. Munching on carrot sticks is one thing, but too many kids' snacks include salt, sugar and fat. The study found that desserts and sweetened beverages are the major sources of calories from snacks.

The question is, where is this trend coming from? Have we forgotten what a healthy level of snacking is or did we ever know in the first place? Are we dropping the ball when it comes to the extra calories kids get from snacking? Vote in this week's poll and then leave a comment and tell us what you think. Where are we going wrong and how can we reverse the trend?

More About Snacking

• 100-Calorie Snack Ideas
• Healthy Snacks for Kids
• Food Ideas for Kids

_Source:

_{Peirnas, C; Popkin, B. Trends in Snacking Among U.S. Children. Health Affairs. 2010; 29(3): 398-404.}

Fit Question: Do your kids snack too much? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 19th, 2010 at 05:00:39.

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In Dan's case, he was always active, but his wife had trouble being consistent with her workouts. He tried to get her to workout with him in the mornings, but she was determined to workout after work, a plan that often failed because, as Dan put it, "Life would get in the way."

When a fitness center opened up nearby, Dan agreed to give her the mornings to workout while he got the kids off to school. Two years later, she's still exercising and happier and healthier than ever.

Dan's story proves how incredibly important it is to have support from loved ones. Doing it on your own, especially when you have a family to take care of, is sometimes impossible. But, when the other person steps in to help, it can turn everything around.

What about you? Could you be more supportive of your spouse or loved one? I know I could. Read more about Dan's story and share your own if you've got one.

Reader Success Story: How Dan Helped His Wife Start Exercising originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, March 18th, 2010 at 05:00:13.

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Despite the title of this blog, there really is nothing we have to do to get ready for spring. In fact, I've been ready for it since approximately September. However, spring always feels like a time of renewal and now is the perfect time to look to the future (Warm weather! Flowers! Shorts!) and think of what's in store for us and how we can prepare.

Spring weather brings activities you haven't done all winter like walking outside without a heavy coat and looking out your window and seeing actual grass instead of snow. Beyond that, there will be gardening, yard work, spring cleaning, bike rides, hiking and more.

There are things you can do to get ready for these activities, including getting your mind in the right place and updating your gear while working on your strength, endurance and core strength.

Something else to think about is making the transition to outdoor running or walking. If you've been on the treadmill all winter, don't be surprised if you struggle to keep pace when you head outdoors. Some things to think about when making the transition include:

• Wind resistance - The wind resistance you experience outside actually forces you to work harder. One study estimates that wind resistance may increase your workload by 2% to 8%, depending on how fast you're going.
• Uneven surface - You can mimic hills by changing your incline, but nothing can mimic the natural terrain changes outside, something you don't have to think about when you're on the smooth surface of a treadmill.
• Moving belt - The moving treadmill belt actually helps you run by pulling your feet back for you. When you move that run outside, your legs are on their own, causing you to exert more energy running at the same pace.

Don't be afraid to back off if your outdoor workouts feel more strenuous than you expected.

And, now for my favorite part - learning about you. Do you do anything special as you transition to warm weather or do you just get out and go? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts about spring.

Get Your Body Ready for Spring originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 05:01:11.

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If you've been doing the same exercises for awhile, today is your day to shake things up. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take one of your usual strength training exercises and change it in a way that makes it more challenging. That change could involve any number of ideas such as:

• Do the move on one leg or with one arm
• Use a different type of resistance (maybe it's time to brave that strange looking cable machine)
• Do the movement on a BOSU, ball or other unstable surface
• Change your position - Take your feet wider or closer together. Stand on one leg for upper body moves or stagger your stance when you would normally stand with your feet together.

I've posted a few ideas below and you can find more ideas in The Basics of Exercise Progression, but be creative and see what you can come up with. Don't forget to come back and leave a comment to tell us how you challenged yourself today.

Challenge Yourself

If you usually do squats, try one-legged squats:

One-Legged Squat

With a ball supporting the back, lean against it and lift one foot off the floor (or keep the toe resting lightly on the floor) and lower into a one-legged squat, just a few inches down. Push through the heel and repeat for 10-16 reps and switch legs. Hold weights if desired.

If you usually do lateral raises, try this incline version:

Incline Lateral Raise

Lie with your left side resting on the ball, left knee on the floor for support and the right leg straight. Holding a medium weight in the left hand, lift the arm up to shoulder level, keeping the elbow slightly bent and the wrist straight. Lower back down and repeat for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps on both sides.

If you usually do lunges, try a different version like sliding lunges:

Rest one foot on paper plate and bend the front knee while sliding the back foot into a lunge (Keep the front knee behind the toe). Press into the floor to slide back to starting position. Repeat 8-16 times. Switch legs and repeat, holding weights if desired.

More About Progression

• The Basics of Exercise Progression
• Upper Body Exercise Progression
• Lower Body Exercise Progression

Challenge of the Week - Change Your Exercises originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010 at 05:00:12.

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There are moments in life that never get any easier, no matter how many times we experience them. Wrestling yourself into a pair of jeans that just came out of the dryer comes to mind. You know they'll stretch out but, for that 10 or 15 minutes before it happens, you genuinely wonder if it's possible to gain 10 pounds in a 24-hour period.

Putting on that first pair of shorts after a long winter can be equally traumatic, especially if they don't quite fit the same. That is the moment we all ask ourselves: "Are those really my legs? Because I don't remember them looking this way last year."

It's natural to gain a little over the winter what with the lack of sunlight, cold weather and endless American Idols to watch every night.  That may be why March is almost always my busiest personal training month as Shorts Trauma hits and the road back to limb-baring clothing begins.

So, what about you? Have you put on a few pounds over the last few months and is that normal for you? Do you worry about it or figure you'll work it off as you get more active? Vote in this week's poll and tell us what happened to you over the winter.

If you've fallen off the exercise wagon, learn more about how you can get back on track.

Vote in This Week's Poll: Have you gained weight over the winter? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, March 15th, 2010 at 05:00:54.

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Depression is frustratingly common and difficult to manage, even with the tools we have like exercise, medication and therapy.  What makes it even harder is that many people who are depressed gain weight...or is it that people who gain weight get depressed?

That's the question one study asked in the March issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.  In this meta-analysis, which involves researchers going through previously published studies and analyzing them, researchers found that being obese increases the risk of depression and that being depressed can contribute to developing obesity.

In fact, obese people had a 55% increased risk of depression, while depressed people had a 58% increased risk of becoming obese.

While I don't think these results are terribly surprising considering the mental and physical toll that both depression and obesity can take on you, I do think this is important information. As the authors of the study suggest, doctors should be aware that weight should be monitored in depressed patients and that mood should be monitored in overweight patients. Tackling these issues head on may help prevent these problems or at least lead to early detection before things get out of hand.

What do you think? If you've experienced depression, how did it (or does it) affect your weight? And on the other hand, if you've experienced obesity, how did it (or does it) affect your mood and psychological state? Do depression and obesity go hand in hand and can we prevent them? Leave a comment and tell us your thoughts about obesity and depression.

Fit Question: Weight Gain and Depression - Which Came First? originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Friday, March 12th, 2010 at 05:00:10.

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This week's reader success story is a little different from previous weeks because we're looking at a different kind of success. Specifically, how some of our readers have found success as personal trainers.

With so many exercise enthusiasts who visit my site, I know there are some of you who may be wondering: Could I become a personal trainer? Should I? If you've been asking yourself those questions, it may help to hear from people who've done just that.

This week, I'm highlighting Paul's story. He became a trainer because, as he says, "I enjoyed coaching my son's sports teams, so I thought I could be a good trainer. I wanted do my part for the growing obesity problem even if it's only getting one kid or adult to move more and get stronger and learn to live healthier."

Having a strong desire to help others is just one necessary ingredient. The others include getting certified and finding a job. Paul got his start by working at the YMCA, getting certified by ACSM and spending the next 6 years learning some very important lessons about working with other people.

Read the rest of Paul's story and share your own, if you've got one. Or leave a comment and tell us what you think. Do you have a secret dream of becoming a trainer? What's stopping you?

Reader Success Story: How Paul Became a Personal Trainer originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Thursday, March 11th, 2010 at 05:00:54.

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After being married for going on 10 years, I've learned something important: You can't make other people do what you want. You may want them to exercise and eat healthy but they won't always do it. You may even want them to, say, pick up their dirty socks or stop leaving 1,000 pairs of shoes by the door, but they won't do that either (not that I'm talking about anyone in particular). For some reason, these people we get involved with tend to make their own decisions. I know...what's up with that?

I bring this up because of a few interesting comments I got in a reader's response article, Who sabotages your weight loss? and some readers mentioned loved ones as a common culprit. One woman said:

"Husband is heavy, I lost 160 pounds and was so proud of myself...I told him the compliments I was getting (big mistake). What followed was anger and fighting and jealousy. I just wanted him to be proud of me. I have now gained almost all of it back and even if I try to lose it will not come off. Sometimes I wonder if I don't want it bad enough. I do not want to go through what I went through before. "

On the other side of that is the self-described enabler who said:

"Looks like hell is other people. In my house, I'm the cook, the one who makes fatty, sugary, salty, carby meals, and who is overweight. I'm a foody, I can't stand to limit portions, exercise hasn't helped much in the past. I'm doomed!"

In previous posts, I've talked about ideas for encouraging them to exercise, but what do you do when you've changed but your loved one hasn't? How do you handle things when you have to make separate meals or find ways to avoid their unhealthy cooking? What do you do when your loved one gets upset about your exercise time?

If you're in this situation, leave a comment and tell us about your experiences. Have you found a way to encourage your loved one to exercise? If so, don't be shy - we need all the help we can get. Share your story and tell us what to do when our loved ones just won't exercise.

What to do When Your Spouse/Loved One Doesn't Exercise originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 at 05:00:00.

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Some of my Type A clients have a lot of trouble making time at the end of their workouts for a stretch and I know how they feel. It's hard to slow down and relax when you have to so much to do - Who has time to stretch, right? Unfortunately, you're doing your body a disservice when you skip stretching. Not only can you improve your flexibility and relax your body, you can also work on those chronically tight areas that only get worse as the day goes on (like the hips, back and chest).

To help my busy clients out, I put together 3 simple yoga-based moves that stretch multiple muscles at the same time. Each move flows well together, so you can do them as a series 2-3 times, which should only take a few minutes. In fact, these stretches are great at any time, so you should probably do them right now...just watch for the boss.

Warrior I

Step forward with the right foot into a lunge, keeping the back leg straight and the left toes pointed out at about 45-degrees, heel down on the floor. Keep the right knee directly above the ankle and the hips squared to the front. Sweep the arms up and overhead and look up as you slide the shoulders down and away from the ears. Stretch and hold for 10-15 seconds and move into Modified Triangle.

Modified Triangle

From Warrior I, turn to the side and take the right arm down, resting the forearm on the thigh. Take the left hand straight up over the shoulder. Focus on keeping the spine straight rather than rounding over the leg. Hold for 10-15 seconds and move into Low Lunge with a Twist.

Low Lunge with a Twist

Get into a low lunge with the left leg back, back knee resting on the floor, right knee forward and directly over the ankle. Twist to right, bringing the left elbow outside of the right thigh and pressing the palms together in a prayer position. Use the arms to deepen the twist, feeling a stretch in the hip flexor as well as the back. Hold for 10-15 seconds and then repeat the series on the other side.

Got any favorite stretches? Leave a comment and tell us about them.

Exercises of the Week - Tri-Stretch for Better Flexibility originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 05:00:25.

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I find that it's easy to get set in your ways when it comes to your workouts, especially when you've created a routine that works for you. You get up, you have your coffee while you get dressed, your bag is packed with the usual fitness accessories and you hit the gym, ready to hop on your favorite machine. But what happens when you show up and the power is out at your gym (as it was for me the other day)? Or when the weight room is closed for repairs?

For some people, all that's required is a shrug and a moment to refocus on a different workout. For others, it means the workout is over.

In this week's poll, I'm asking about your experiences. Are there any deal-breakers when it comes to your workouts? Is there anything you must have to workout or are you okay with unexpected obstacles in your path? Vote in this week's poll and tell us if there's anything you just can't live without.

Vote: When it comes to my workouts, I can't live without... originally appeared on About.com Exercise on Monday, March 8th, 2010 at 05:00:46.

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