Align Pilates® Minneapolis

If you live near a lake—and in Minneapolis, it’s more than likely that you do—you’ve probably seen those people running barefoot. You might have done a double take. You might have thought, What the? Or you might have asked, Really? But the real question is, Is running barefoot good for you?

As semi-avid runners ourselves, it’s hard to believe that pattering across hot pavement and letting tiny pebbles and other miscellaneous particles of debris (let’s remember, there’s a lot of dog walkers out there) embed themselves into the tissue of our feet (unless, of course, you go this route) does not seem like our idea of a good time. Nonetheless, barefoot running remains a trendy topic amongst exercise and health experts alike. And the small portion of American runners that enthusiastically indulge in the fad say that it helps them keep better form and stay injury free.

Although we’re certain not solve the debate here, maybe this NY Times article will help shed some light on the topic, or at least help you save some cash on those fancy running shoes.

It happens again. You awaken at 3:45 am by a resounding car alarm, last night’s enchilada or for absolutely no logical reason whatsoever. So now what? Do you throw in that extra load of laundry? No. Wash those dishes sitting by the sink? Uh-uh. Exercise? You’d have to be certifiably crazy. So you flip on the TV. After surfing through the channels, all that’s there to comfort you during your wee hour of need is some silly infomercial for the latest and greatest exercise gadget recommended by some supposed fitness guru. At first, disappointment sets in. This inane drivel isn’t what you want to watch. “With over 50 channels of cable, you’d think they could come up with something better than THIS,” you grumble. And then, before you know it, the magic moment happens. Whether it’s the sleep deprivation, the TV’s flashing rays or the demonstrator’s bulging, tanned muscles bathed in spandex, you’re hooked. This thing, whatever it is, is actually quite interesting…at least it numbs the pain of being awake at this ungodly hour for a few minutes until you *yawn* wake up 2 hours later on the couch, remote in hand, chin lazily slumped to your chest and just the tiniest bit of dribble eeking out the corner of your mouth.

Later that day at work, you pause from your click-clacking keyboard to remember that intriguing apparatus you witnessed during last night’s non-slumber. You look down at your lap. Maybe you could use The Thigh Glider. But is it really worth it? Could you just save your bucks and invest in a good eye pillow instead? Wonder no more, my heavy-eyed friend. We’ve found the As Seen on TV Guide to Infomercial Fitness Gear to answer all of these burning questions and more. Luckily, iVillage Health has done all the background product testing so you can quickly find out if that thing is a scam or a score, no pinching, pulling or pulsating required. Phew! Now that we’ve got that covered, go get some sleep for goodness sake. You look like you’ve been up for a while.

The holidays are here. Time for merry making, cheer spreading and yuletide…whatevering. But let’s face it, while you’re whooping it up with families and friends this holiday season, it can be real hard to keep tabs on your healthy diet. Unlike Aunt Flo’s annual fruit cake, your weight haves and have-nots will still be there long after the holiday season has packed its tinsel and fled for the Florida Keys. So what’s a girl to do? Well, for starters, just avoid the fruit cake. Who knows what’s in that thing anyway. After that, here’s a holiday list to check twice, courtesy of WebMD: Top 10 Holiday Diet Tips of All Time. It should give you some good pointers on how to eat and drink your way out of the holiday season, allowing you to feel sensibly satisfied and leaving the stuffing for the stockings.

We are swiftly approaching the season of giving. We all know that the best gifts come from the heart, so now is the perfect time to make sure that your ticker is healthy and ready for the giving.

You have probably heard from your doctor or elsewhere that gum disease is linked to heart disease. And if you haven’t, it’s time to remove the heavy rock under which you dwell. Current studies show that 50% of Americans have gum disease. Yep, that’s a lot of people who aren’t flossing. And having unhealthy gums makes you a likely candidate for heart problems. Why? The story goes that a lot of inflammation in one area of your body will prompt another part to break down.

Exercise as well as bi-yearly trips to the dentist can have powerful anti-inflammatory effects on your gums and body as a whole. But here’s another helpful twist: eating certain foods can also help. Here is a quick list of things to nosh to protect your gums and heart, some of which may surprise you. Now, next time you come up with some half-brained reason why you don’t need to floss and/or brush, just put your heart where your mouth is.

Lots of us are feeling under the weather this time of year. Kleenexes and Purell are as common as phone rings and mouse clicks in the office place, and in-store pharmacies are crowded with flu-shot seekers.
For all you sickies out there, a bout of the common cold often leads to a common question: While you are coughing, hacking and, well, you know, can you still work out? The answer is (drum roll, please): It depends.

Sometimes it’s real hard to steer clear of your usual gym routine, even though you are not feeling up to par. And other times, a good case of the ickies will leave you feeling like you’d rather stick a Q-tip in your eye than even think about setting foot into a room full of perspiring people. So here’s a good rule of thumb, (courtesy of Biggest Loser coach, Jillian Michaels): If you are suffering symptoms above the neck (runny nose, sneezes, sore throat) go ahead and venture to your workout facility of choice, but be mindful of your energy levels and perhaps ease up on your usual routine just a tad. However, if your symptoms are more in the below-the-neck region (deep chest cough, vomiting, fever, or the always favorite, diarrhea) you are well advised to avoid exercising altogether until your Saltines stay where they belong.

While it’s never fun when life derails you from your fitness goals, it won’t do you any good to over-stress your body and go nuts trying to lose weight when you are not feeling healthy. It’s important to pay attention to and listen to your body. And remember, below-the-neck symptoms are always a good excuse to stay home and watch Oprah.

Fellow Minnesotans, we have been blessed with gorgeous fall weather as of late. I hope everybody is enjoying the sunshine and warmth sans wool sweaters. No, it’s not gloomy out yet. But, yes, it will be. Ain’t that the sad truth. Although it’s always hard to mentally and physically prepare for Old Man Winter (a reoccurring smelly and beastly character here at the Align blog), we can still give it the college try.

To that end, here are some happy habits to add to your early winter arsenal. This herbal tool kit includes St. John’s Wort, Lemon Balm and Oat Tops, all of which can be incorporated into tasty tea drinks. These concoctions can help combat cold weather hum-drums once this beauteous fall finally disappears into uber early sunsets, wool socks and comforting reruns of 90210. And if nothing else, using these natural mood lifters will allow you to use the word ‘tincture’ in a sentence. And sometimes there’s just nothing more fun than that.

You are aware that plopping down in front of your computer is great for catching up on your pop culture, participating on Facebook shenanigans and Tweeting about how much you love eggs. But using the ol’ PC to fight the ever-present weight loss battler? Bwahaha, you scoff. That’s just plain silly. I can’t possibly shed pounds while sitting on my duff. Well, you would be wrong. But don’t take it personally.

Turns out that logging hours on your personal computer might actually help you work toward your weight loss goals. A new study by the National Institute of Health (see Social Workout and Science Daily) suggests that the web can be a great tool for those looking to get rid of unwanted pounds. The study asked folks to log onto an interactive, online weight loss management site to track their weight, minutes of exercise and the number of days they kept food diaries. Accountability and consistency were the tricks to this system. Those who stuck to their guns and regularly logged on to the site had the most success in keeping off the weight.

We do, however, regret to inform you that your Facebook stalking habits will not help you lose anything…except maybe your dignity.

Having lived in vintage Minneapolis apartments for a good chunk of my adult life, I had gotten used to not having a dishwasher. I grew accustomed to telling myself that it was okay —a dishwasher was just one appliance that I didn’t need and could surely live without. And besides, hand washing dishes is so retro, so gloriously shabby chic, so green. Clearly, I only said this because I didn’t have one and I wanted one so effing bad.

And then one day, my domestic dishwasher dreams came true. But I do not forget my hand washing roots and often find myself thanking the gods that I have one of these modern appliances. It makes washing so easy, so user friendly, so prune-hands free. And as I load ‘er up, poor in the detergent, turn the dial to the desired wash setting and walk away to watch reality TV, I often wonder what goes on behind my washer’s closed door. I mean, don’t you? Well now we all can find out our dishwashers’ dirty little secrets. Learn where to load what and why (drinking glasses on the top shelf, butter knives ‘business end’ down… that sort of thing) and then click further to discover the mysterious mechanics behind your automated helper’s dish washing process.

And if you are like the old me and don’t yet have the convenience of a dishwasher, it’s okay. Just keep appreciating the small things in life, and then get out and buy yourself a nice pair of these. One day, you’ll find your own dishwasher in shining stainless steel or white linoleum. And then you too can forget that you ever pretended you didn’t need one.

I know most of us probably don’t need an excuse to sleep more. But you’ve got one anyway — Sleep: Good for the Brain and the Belly. Turns out that getting the right amount of shuteye every night not only ensures that we dot all of our I’s and cross all of our T’s with a coherent brain each day, but it also safeguards us against packing on the extra pounds. It’s true. Did you know that the body continues to burn calories while you are asleep? Did you know that people who get six hours of sleep per night are 23% more at risk for obesity than those who get a solid 7 or 8 hours? AND did you know that the two hormones associated with sleep deprivation are leptin and ghrelin? Looks like someone’s got some other things to catch up on besides a nap. Just sayin’.