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• unhealthy city
• healthy city
• fit city
• unfit city
• fittest city
• least fit city

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

And, the Fittest cities are,

#1:  Arlington, Virginia

#2:  Seattle, Washington

#3:  Minneapolis, Minnesota

#4:  San Francisco, California

#5:  Madison, Wisconsin

#6:  Washington, D.C.

#7:  St. Paul, Minnesota

#8:  Irvine, California

#9:  Denver, Colorado

#10:  Portland, Oregon

In the recently released American College of Sports Medicine's (ACSM) 2019 American Fitness Index data report, 10 cities ranked lowest in overall health and fitness.  Each city received a ranking and areas that needed “worked on” for the city.

#10:  Bakersfield, California and San Antonio, Texas (tied)

#9:  New Orleans, Louisiana

#8:  Tampa, Florida

#7:  Orlando, Florida

#6:  Jacksonville, Florida

#5:  Atlanta, Georgia

#4:  Corpus Christie, Texas

#3:  St. Petersburg, Florida

#2:  Albuquerque, New Mexico

#1:  St. Louis, Missouri

To view the full report and see the full results of these cities and other major metropolitan cities included in the ACSM's research, visit www.americanfitnessindex.org.

• Bike exercises
• National bike month
• bike health benefits

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

It's National Bike Month and who wouldn't want to hop on a bicycle and relive the days of their youth?

While biking is a great way to fit in your cardio during the summer months, there are some mistakes that beginner bikers should avoid before they get out on the open road.

Some of those mistakes include:

• Seat is too low : if you are experiencing pain in your knees while biking, then your seat may be too low. At the right seat height, your knee should be slightly bent at the bottom of your pedal stroke.
• Assume you need the “best gear” : you don't need the best of the best to enjoy a bike ride for exercise. Start small and get the fancy gear as you ride more.
• Not maintaining your bike : just like your car needs a tune-up every so often, so does your bike. Routine maintenance will not only save you money at the bike shop but will prolong the life of your bike.
• Too much too soon : one of the biggest injuries on a bike comes from trying to go longer and faster than you should. Build up slowly, ease into it and give your body time to adjust to this new workout.
• Not bringing along a spare or patch kit : flat tires happen, more often than you think. Always be prepared for the inevitable!
• Not using your gears : gears are your best friends when you are tackling hills or when you are speeding along a long stretch. Practice makes perfect when it comes to figuring out when to shift.

• eat fruits
• health benefits of bananas
• banana benefits
• fruit health benefits

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

• We consume about 25 pounds of bananas per person each year.
• There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas.
• Bananas don't grow on trees : trees have bark and banana plants don't have bark.
• Bananas are low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sodium.
• A large portion of the calories in bananas come from sugars.

Health benefits of bananas

Recipe: Classic Banana Bread

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
• 1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Recipe: Banana Chia Pudding

• 1 ½ cups vanilla-flavored flax milk
• 1 large banana cut in chunks
• 7 tablespoons chia seeds
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Put milk, banana, chia seeds, honey, vanilla extract, and sea salt in respective order in the blender; blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a bowl and refrigerate until thickened, at least 2 hours. Spoon mixture into small bowls to serve.

• healthy diet
• eating healthy
• summer fruits
• eat fruits
• season fruits
• nutritious fruits

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

Summer is a great season to partake in the numerous delicious seasonal fruits.  Not only do these summertime fruits taste great, but they also give you many nutritional benefits. Some fruits to enjoy before the season ends include:

Great Summer Fruits

Berries: the phytochemicals in blueberries, strawberries and blackberries all boost immunity, and protect against heart diseases and circulatory problems.

Peaches and plums: full of vitamin C and beta carotene, peaches and plums help to eliminate free radicals from the body.

Pineapples: being packed with the most vitamins and minerals, pineapples are also a great digestive aid.

Papayas and mangoes: both are an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A, beta carotene and fiber.

• pain management
• Healthy pain management
• alleviate pain
• treating pain

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Written by Lisa Jillanza

If your most recent workout has left you with a case of aches and pains, you may find yourself reaching for the closest pain medicine.  But if you are looking to manage your pain without taking pills, fortunately there are plenty of other ways that you can do so.

Healthy pain management

Here are some ways to treat post-workout aches and pains without popping pills:

Go see your chiropractor : Chronic and nagging pain can be alleviated oftentimes by a trip to your chiropractor.  There are many different pain patterns and chiropractors are trained to handle these pain patterns.  They can best determine how to handle your pain from the most invasive to the least invasive way.

Ice bath : An ice bath is perfect for reducing inflammation in your joints and muscles.  The ice bath helps to constrict your blood vessels, pushing your blood to your core and then that blood returns to your muscles after you get out of the ice bath.

Contrast therapy : Another popular “anti-pill” method of pain management is contrast therapy, or “3,3,3.”  This method consists of three minutes of heat and 30 seconds of cold, three times in a row.  The heat dilates all of the blood vessels, relaxes the muscle and lets in nutrients and oxygen.  The cold does the exact opposite and pushes the fluid back out.  The combination of heat and cold creates an “artificial pump” through the muscle : bringing in nutrients and pushing out the waste that causes the pain.

Anti-inflammatory diet : Inflammation causes much of the pain that people feel, so by eating an anti-inflammatory diet, with plenty of whole foods, this will help cut down on your discomfort.  Choose lean foods like chicken, fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds.

Foam roller :Pain can be caused by adhesions, scar tissue or even repetitive use, and the body needs collagen to heal.  Foam rollers help to smooth out and realign fibers that are damaged in your tissue and promote healthy collagen growth.