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The word Cholesterol is mentioned in fitness and wellness news on a daily basis, but many admit they don’t fully understand what it is, and how it affects our overall health. Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy material the liver produces naturally to protect nerves, produce hormones and assist in making tissue for new cells. There are two types of cholesterol the body produces naturally: the good kind, HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), and the bad kind, LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein). While HDL assists in keeping LDL levels in check, a build-up of too much LDL resulting from diet, aging, genetics, or lack of physical activity can eventually lead to heart disease and other health issues.

Many consider Americans to be obsessed with appearances, which crosses over into an obsession with diets, weight loss, and exercise. While diet, exercise, and losing weight contribute to aiding in a healthy lifestyle, an obsessive focus on these factors doesn’t always equal a healthy body or mind. Positive body image and mental self-esteem is also important for overall wellness, and improving those two things can lead to positive changes that will improve wellness as a whole.

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is the sensation of discomfort and pain one feels approximately 24-72 hours after engaging in physical activity. The pain usually resolves itself in 2 to 3 days, but can be bothersome and irritating during that time. Although previously thought to be caused by lactic acid, this pain is actually the result of tiny tears in the muscle fibers caused by activity and unaccustomed training levels.

Exercise provides physical and mental stimulation, but there are those who find they are incapable of zoning out on their run, or feel bored watching themselves in the weight room mirror. For people who find themselves losing focus during a workout, music may be a key to keeping rhythm and routine to a fitness regimen.

The media seems to categorize exercise into three different categories: strength training/weight lifting, cardio, and yoga. While these three are the most common, and various types of exercise programs can fall into any one of these, fitness trainers and physicians have been promoting a new “category” of exercises that benefit any member of the population.

The evidence is indisputable: chronic health problems, obesity, and premature death are all cite lack of physical exercise and poor diet as contributors to the problems. In contrast, numerous studies show that even modest improvements in diet and exercise can stave off these health problems permanently, leading to longer, healthier, more fulfilled lives.

A recent study done by the American Cancer Society found that those who walked at least 7 hours per week experienced a 14% drop in their risk of developing breast cancer after menopause. Consistent with other studies that show how exercise can lower cancer risk, the new information found that exercise helped women whether or not they were overweight, and helped them even if they gained weight during the study.

The human body consists of over 60% water, making it one of the most essential ingredients for overall human health. While we’re consciously aware that dehydration can be life threatening and that we should be consuming liquids (especially water) throughout the day, this can be hard to accomplish. There are some suggestions one can follow that will assist a person in developing the habit of daily water consumption to improve their overall health.

The benefits of physical activity cannot be understated, and everyone who has access to the internet can find a plethora of information on the benefits of fitness. But as always, there are common misconceptions regarding fitness practices, but below are some fitness facts that remind us how fun engaging in physical activity can be.

Those in the Northern Hemisphere are heading into another seasonal change, and as the chill of winter creeps into the air, our muscles become a little stiffer and harder to warm up. To keep up a fitness routine, try these suggestions to adapt workouts for cooler weather.