Originally published 03/20/2019 - Updated 03/20/2020:

The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced most people to stay home and businesses (including gyms and fitness centers) to close doors, all in an effort to help control and reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. This blog was written exactly a year ago (How fast do things change in one year!). The goal of the original post back then was to offer some creative ideas to stay fit and active without the need of gym membership or equipment. I think we need this now more than ever! I did not change anything in the original post as I thought it was all relevant (some places are still allowing people to go to the park or beach), however, please do follow all local laws in place that are intended to help fight the spread of the virus. Don't forget to wash your hands, don't touch your face with hands not washed, and practice safe social distancing.

I put together the following guidelines to help you increase your running speed and cardiovascular endurance during the 12 weeks of the Challenge. Can’t run? No problem. The below guidelines can be applied to other cardiovascular exercises (like walking, rowing, elliptical, cross trainers, biking, etc.) Mileage modification might be needed depending on the activity.

In this guide:

The new year is finally here. It’s a new start, a clean slate and a fresh new page. So in celebration of this, I wanted to share with you a formula for setting fitness goals that would make them easier to reach.

I call it S.M.A.R.T. goal setting: S: specific, M: measurable, A: attainable, R: realistic, T: time-bound.

Let’s take a typical new-year resolution: “I want to lose weight and be healthy” and try to apply the S.M.A.R.T. approach to modify it.

​This blog is for all the awesome members of the Employee Wellness Center, an Award-Winning Employee Wellness Program that I have been running at JFK Medical Center for the last 14 years!

​Let the count down begin! The holidays are fast approaching and with that comes all the goodness of the holidays; scrumptious food, parties, shopping, and happy get-togethers. Also with the season comes the possibility of adding on thousands of unnecessary calories, weight gain, and an increased waist line.

How to Make it Fun, Rewarding, and COOL!

So, it’s dipping in the 40s tonight, is that a reason to put outdoor exercising on freeze? Well, with the right preparation, the answer is: No. Here are few recommendations to consider for a fun and safe cold-weather workout:

Insulation:
Did you know that you can lose as much as 50% of the body heat through the head(1)? The biggest concern for exercising in the cold is hypothermia, or too much heat loss. So always dress properly. A good rule-of-thumb to remember is

Now that we are in the holiday season, weight gain is going to be a concern for many. Time limitation is also going to be an obstacle with everything that is going on; like shopping, family, holiday parties, etc. To help fight the potential excess calories that this time brings, I am rolling out the simple fitness challenge (below):