Exercise can sometimes be a four-letter word, especially when you’re trying to lose weight. The popular assumption appears to be that in order to lose weight, exercise is a prerequisite. Not necessarily so. Generally speaking, what matters in weight loss success is burning more calories than you consume, and formal exercise is not the [...]

If you’re entering your first year of university we need to tell you about something. You may have already heard older friends making jokes about it while digging into convenient, but unhealthy, fast food. It’s the ‘Freshman 15’, a shorthand reference to weight that many college and university students put on during their first year [...]

The holiday season that comes every year in late December can be stressful no matter what you celebrate. Large family gatherings are bound to create some stress and tension. Just think of the scene in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York where Kevin’s mother realizes her son boarded the wrong plane! If you’re feeling [...]

Zumba is an increasingly popular worldwide exercise trend. But is it effective enough at burning calories to fight obesity? Since it debuted in 2001, Zumba now has some 14 million weekly participants in 140,000 locations across 150 countries. Zumba classes work by combining high energy dance choreography with catchy music to get participants sweating, moving, [...]

After you’ve had weight loss surgery it’s natural to see the numbers on the bathroom scale start to go down. Your waist is likely becoming smaller and you may be noticing changes in your face, hands, legs, and feet. At some point your initial weight loss may plateau. To continue your journey to a healthy [...]

Active videogames that require body movement may succeed in getting your kids off the couch, but don’t count on those games to be a substitute for actual physical activity. Only sustained periods of physical activity lead to improved health and decrease the risk of childhood obesity. The group Active Healthy Kids Canada has released an [...]

A mere hour and 15 minutes of exercise every week can extend life expectancy by almost two years – regardless of body weight. A study conducted by the U.S. National Cancer Institute says the benefits of exercise become even more apparent if it’s a regular activity in a person’s life. By making working out a [...]

Winter weight gain is something most people dread. Even though black bears more than double their weight by late fall in preparation for a winter hibernation, that’s not something many humans aspire to! Research has shown most people gain one to two pounds during the winter months. Less motivation to exercise, breaking healthy habits, and [...]

There is a pyramid that feeds Canada’s most elite athletic pool – our Olympians. That pyramid starts at a young age; grassroots sports programs. With less emphasis on healthy living and fitness, there are fewer and fewer active Canadian children involved in grassroots sports programs. Over involvement with electronic devices from an early age may [...]

High obesity rates are a problem that’s not unique to Peel Region. What is unique is the way the region has decided to combat obesity; new urban infrastructure designed to increase the population’s overall fitness. Instead of public awareness campaigns about the importance of healthy eating and exercise, the region is planning more stairs, public [...]