Chocolate Milk - Yummy!

Just in case you are looking for an excuse to down a nice cold glass of chocolate milk, here is a study that suggests Chocolate Milk's 'Natural' Muscle Recovery Benefits Match Or May Even Surpass A Specially Designed Carbohydrate Sports Drink. Just goes to show you that you can enjoy healthy snacks and still maintain proper fitness and health at the same time. A good read.

Is Hubby Making You Chubby

Is Marrige a health hazard? Find out more here about recent studies done.

Can you get fit in 6 minutes a week?

Here is an interesting article with supporting research out of Japan. A very good three minute read!

Are you getting your three servings of protein a day?

Protein helps your body replace damaged cells and make new ones. Here is a quick read to help you make sure you get yours!

Future Fitness Gets Fun

This news is a few weeks old, but I just found out about it so thought I'd share it here.

It seems fitness has now reached an even more advanced level with a new revolutionary camera.

Gamers can now take the Nintendo Wii fit challenge to a whole new level. "Your Shape" is a new addition that allows you to be virtually created and tested through various degrees of fitness. You even have your own personalized coach to motivate and guide you through this adventure.

I am not really sure how this will all pan out but, if it generates creativity, motion and movement, and fun then it could be a good thing.

Wonders of Modern Technology: Fitness recovery finally enters the 21st century

Under Armour has now come up with a new two piece suit to help athletes recover faster. It is not available yet but is expected to come out this summer. Check back often as I will let you know as soon as you can buy one. Click here to find out all about the details of this great product.

My day with the Fuji Marines and FOX TV

Well, Thursday, May 21, was quite a day.

Not only was it my birthday, but I was also asked to take part in a FOX TV reality based TV show to be filmed at the Camp Fuji Marine training base.

We all met bright and early at 6:30 am at the New Sanno Hotel, which is in the Middle of Downtown Tokyo. The Fox TV filming crew, Positive Productions, Stars and Stripes and the FOX Samurai Divas were all on hand.

The Security guards were busy to say the least.

Also, General Rice, the Senior Military Officer for all of Asia, was present for a conference.

As the three limos and the filming crew vehicle rolled in, along with all the Japanese Samurai Divas assembled, quite a stir was created. As the divas strolled through the lobby and flaunted their stuff, the camera crew was busy filming their every movement.

After all were accounted for and loaded into the vehicles, we departed. I rode in the stretch limo with the Divas. As we neared Camp Fuji , the Divas were prepped and made ready to join the US marines for the Day’s Events.

The Limos pulled into the Camp’s main gate and were escorted to the rally point where the Marines were assembled. Upon arrival, the Divas were met by Major Powell, the Camp’s executive officer, who introduced them to their squad leaders and placed them within their squads for the day’s events.

Events included a static display of vehicles and equipment used in daily maneuvers. After that it was on to the obstacle course, where the Divas navigated through the course with their squads. After the obstacle course, it was on to the Pugel stick fighting. The Divas held their own against the Marines. At the end of the last bout it was time for chow. The Divas were introduced to field chow, which is called MREs (meals ready to eat).

After a short break, we were off to the repelling tower challenge. After a safety briefing, the Divas suited up in harness, boots, and helmet, and took on the challenge of the repelling tower. They all passed with no casualties.

Next came the endurance and memory test. They had to identify and memorize ten objects after a grueling run through a jungle course with physical obstacles along the way in a timed event. Again the Divas proved fit and ready to overcome this challenge.

Finally, we marched backed to the Base Camp to undergo the final event, which was a uniform inspection. The Divas pulled up in the Limo dressed to kill and inspected the Marines in their dress blues to choose a winner, awards were presented and then the Divas accompanied the winners to the chow hall for dinner. All in all the Divas performed gallantly and passed all tasks assigned.

As the head FOX fitness instructor and military advisor for the Divas, I was thoroughly pleased with their performance, how they adapted, improvised, and overcame all duties they were tasked with.

Get off that couch NOW!

In case you needed another reason to start working out or to increase your current workout, here is some research which shows that men with big muscles are 40% less likely to die from cancer. Again and again, research shows that staying fit makes sense for a longer and better life. What are you waiting for? Get up and work out!

YOU The Owner's Manual

Here is a great book that describes how to perform proper maintainance and upkeep on the body. It's an easy read and is something that even younger kids can read and learn from. It gives a lot of information about the stuff that goes on inside the body that we never think about. A must read for anybody interested in better health and fitness.

First Principle of The Fitness Code: Fitness starts from the bottom up

If you have been to my website, you’ll already know that according to the first principle of The Fitness Code, proper body alignment (and fitness) starts from the bottom up.

That’s why wearing proper athletic shoes is so important.

Everyone has a different structural alignment. Many of us think that because we have a pain in a certain part of our body it automatically stems from that same spot. In reality that is probably an incorrect assumption.

The ideal situation is to be properly evaluated from the feet to the head. Some stores offer assessments when you go to buy a pair of shoes. They have a machine that electronically evaluates where the body weight is being distributed. It is a very simple procedure that only takes a few minutes. For some of the more advance athletic shops they will not let you buy a shoe until they see you run in them.
Such assessments are very useful in my opinion and are well worth the extra time and money.

There are a few other things that you can do to help correct and maintain proper alignment to get maximum optimal performance.

One is to go to a foot doctor who can check your feet, take x-rays and recommend proper footwear and possible orthotics. The other is to see a certified exercise specialist. They can do an initial evaluation to check your structural assessment and recommend a corrective exercise program. The other is to have gait analysis done in order to observe your posture.

For more information on this topic along with instructional materials check out www.thebiomechanics.com. Justin Price is known to be one of the best in this field. Many local fitness gyms have personal trainers that are certified to perform these assessments as well. If anybody is interested, you can email me at pete@thefitnesscode.com and I can give you additional information on options here in the Tokyo area.

Here is a good dvd for stiff neck and shoulders

Most people don't get a chance to stretch out their neck and shoulders properly.
Here is a very useful video that will take you through step by step and can be done in the convenience of your own home. Cost is $24.95 and can be ordered here.

Is stretching really all that important?

I personally think stretching is necessary to increase the flow of energy throughout the body, which has been reinforced in my recent experiences with yoga. In my opinion, stretching is also useful in reducing injuries as it allows you to start your exercise regime in a more flexible state. However, here is a recent story about some researcher who believe that stretching may be less useful in preventing injuries than many of us have been led to believe. This is a pretty revolutionary concept for most of us who have been in the exercise business, but there are still many benefits to stretching which we should all keep in mind as we strive for more complete fitness. Check out the story above for a list of the many benefits of stretching.

Facts about the Swine Flu

Many people have questions about the Swine Flu.
Some of those questions and answers can be found here

Can I die from a missed heart beat?

Almost everybody skips a heart beat every now and then. Here is a good story that tells you if you should be worried or not.

Being healthy is good for Planet Earth too

A recent study from the UK suggests that being healthy is also good for the planet. Read the full story here and contact me anytime when you are ready to get in shape and do something good for Mother Earth as well.

Welcome to Pete's new blog

A lot of people ask me questions about health and fitness, so I am going to start this blog to answer some questions and keep you up to date on the latest news and information from the health and fitness world. Hope you enjoy!