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Media outlets and magazines will encourage exercise as a way to burn calories and get fit. This is true, that exercise burns of excess calories we consume, but this is not the sole purpose of physical activity.

The Holidays are here and it’s time for presents, get-togethers, parties, and of course food. While indulgence in a few favorite holiday treats is okay, many worry about falling off track during this season and sabotaging their health efforts. When entering the party and approaching the snack or dinner table, keep these tips from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in mind to stay on track and avoid overeating during this festive season.

A recent survey conducted by the American College of Sports Medicine revealed that one of the top two fitness trends for the coming year is the HIIT Workout Program. HIIT is an abbreviation for High Intensity Interval Training and is a quick, efficient way to burn calories and improve overall fitness in a short amount of time.

When something changes, or something is not right in the body, it attempts to send signals to the person that something is not right. Many times these signals are so subtle that within the hustle and bustle of daily life they can be easily missed. One of the most common changes that can cause disruptions in the body is nutritional deficiencies or changes in diet. When looking to improve overall health, diet is a key component, and here are a few signs that a person’s diet is causing havoc somewhere within their body.

A recent set of studies conducted by Appalachian State University Human Performance Lab showed that when children increase physical activity levels, they experience very quick health benefits. A few of these benefits include less body fat and increased muscular strength, and a reduced risk of childhood obesity and the issues that can come along with it.

One of the most common injuries and dysfunctions seen by physical therapists is limited hip mobility. It doesn’t seem to matter the age or physical condition of a person, physical therapists across the board consistently report patients coming in with low back or hip pain that all seems to be related to hip mobility. To treat this common ailment, they recommend a series of stretches and fascia massages to aid in external rotation and flexion of the hip joint for full movement, pain relief, and full athletic performance.

A change in seasons or year often brings about the urge to set new goals, or make resolutions to improve health and fitness. Goal setting is important for motivation, and can give a person a specific target to work toward, but there are goals or resolutions that can be detrimental to health efforts due to their generality, or unattainability.

Many runners stretch before a run as it feels good and helps warm the body before activity, but more and more fitness professionals are recommending that everyone (including runners) do a series of low-intensity body-weight exercises referred to as pre-hab before workouts. Traditional static stretching methods signal the muscle to relax, while more active dynamic stretches encourage them to engage and warm up in preparation for activity.

Several careers put people at the front lines of exposure to flus, colds, and other winter illnesses; fitness professionals including instructors and trainers are just a few who must be extra cautious about spreading illnesses between themselves, clients, and other colleagues. Here are a few tips from them on how to stay healthy and cold-free during the next few months of the winter season.

Aerobic fitness is all about improving cardiovascular function, and in order to determine how much aerobic exercise one should do, and at what intensity, a person needs to understand how their maximum heart rate affects their fitness level. Knowing the maximium heart rate the body should be at can help determine which type of aerobic exercise is best for a single person’s body, and assist them in becoming healthier overall.