Fitness

Earth Day has become more than a day where Americans clean parks and plant trees or flowers.

The American Council on Exercise is using it as a day to promote outdoor activity.

They are using it as a day to encourage people to trade the treadmill for a walk in the park or the weight bench for an outdoor yoga class.

Here are five workouts they are suggesting for Earth Day, which is today, April 22.

CLEARFIELD — The health, weight, eating behaviors, physical activity — or the lack of it — and the body image of Utah’s youths are growing concerns for Davis County Health Department officials.

In response, the department is offering two free BodyWorks program workshops.

LAYTON -- With the marks of carrying five kids and the lines of 44 years of age on her body, Brenda Ward wasn't sure she wanted to wear a bikini in front of judges and spectators. But she'd seen the changes in herself since getting fit with a personal trainer and wondered about the possibilities.

But it wasn't until one of her five kids, Brady Ward, agreed to sign up for a bodybuilding competition with her that the Top of Utah woman decided that competing in the figure portion of the National Physique Committee Utah Open and Ironman Natural Bodybuilding Figure Bikini Physique Championships could be a reality.

"I've kind of always wanted to do a competition but never had the courage," said Brenda, who works at the front desk of the Ogden Athletic Club. "This year I was chatting with my family saying I wanted to try for this competition, so my son said, 'I'll do it with you if you want to do it.' "

A healthy brain plays a “critical role” in having a healthy body, says an area manager with the Alzheimer’s Association Northern Utah office. That’s why the association is hosting a free “Maintain Your Brain” seminar in three cities.

Fitness experts are always telling us that incorporating movement into our day is a good way to burn calories. But is it effective?

A study finds that walking in place during commercials while watching TV actually provides a pretty good workout.

Researchers from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville studied a group of 23 men and women ages 18 to 65 under a number of conditions to see how many calories they burned. The study participants also represented a wide range of weights, from normal to obese.

As the longtime personal trainer for President Barack Obama and the first family, Cornell McClellan deserves some props for Michelle's famously toned arms.

But in addition to working out White House staff and professional athletes, the nation's "first trainer" also spends much of his time trying to get children excited about physical fitness.

A low-calorie snack can backfire if it doesn't fill you up, nutritionists say.

"It's more important to choose something that will satisfy longer than to go for a snack simply because it may be lower in calories, which could leave a person looking for another snack an hour later," says Crystal Witte, a registered dietitian with the Riverside Wellness & Fitness Center in Newport News, Va.

Some tips: