Health & Fitness

Packaged foods are loaded with colors and preservatives to increase their shelf life and make them look pretty while they sit on the shelf.  Food additives also make those packaged foods smell good, look good and maintain the texture of the food. Some are good, some are not.  

Get your workout gear on and set your timer for seven minutes.  According to the Human Performance Institute, these seven minutes could add years to your life – and all you need is a chair and your own body weight.  Our fitness expert, Nancy Stoneberg of Stone Fitness shows us the workout that’s getting a lot of attention. 

The workout is called “High Intensity Circuit Training” and is described as an 8 out of 10 on the discomfort scale.  It consists of 12 exercises done in the following order:

Jumping Jacks

Wall Sits

Push-Ups

Abdominal Crunches

Step-Ups onto a Chair

Squats

Tricep Dips on a Chair

Planks

High Knees/Running in Place

Lunges

Push-ups & Rotations

Side Planks

Each exercise should be done for about 30 seconds
Only 10 seconds of rest between each exercise
Do exercise once a day

For most, it’s no longer a question of whether or not you should wear it or not but that doesn’t mean you don’t have questions about sunscreen.  You know you need to wear it when going out in the sun, but how much?  What kind is best?  And, do you need to reapply it and how often?  Dermatologist Dr. Jaime Davis from Uptown Dermatology is here to break it all down. 

There are new fad diets coming out all the time and there are diets that stand the test of time.  You’ve probably heard of the Atkins diet, for example.  When we heard about a diet based on your blood type, we wanted to know what it was all about.  The Dean of Nursing from Rasmussen College, Stephanie Yackel, explains what it’s all about. 

We are getting a look inside an operating room at Regions.  But instead of a surgeon hovering directly over a patient in this hospital, there’s a high tech robot doing the work. The Davinci robot is a fancy surgical instrument that allows doctors to perform some very difficult surgeries easier.

Being an NFL player is tough on a body and the workouts to get ready for the game aren’t easy either.  Mike Morris went from pro athlete to pro trainer and is now the the strength and condition coordinator at Concordia University.  Mike, and a couple of athletes he brought along with him, are teaching us a thing or two about fitness with Mike’s workout routine.

There is no question that actor James Denton keeps fit, especially for his roles on television.  But his wife is all about fitness as well.  Erin O’Brien Denton recently opened a gym in Chanhassen , but it isn’t a guy just for women that are super fit.  This gym focuses on what she calls, Fitness for the Forgotten.

Bring it Studios has several types of classes and are geared towards all types of people of all different sizes and ages.  On Sundays, Bring it Studios offers Family Boot Camp and you can even bring the kids.

Related Link:

Where you can buy Erin's DVDs

A couple of weeks ago, Emily went to do a story on the talented aerialists who performed in Aida.  She found out that there are actually work out classes that you can take on the Lyra and you don’t have to be an experienced aerialist to do it either.

Minnesota is known for their winter sports and you have to be in shape so you don’t get hurt!  Fitness Expert, Nancy Stoneberg, shows us some exercises that will help you get strong.

If you are laying on your couch and thinking, “I’d love to look like co-host Kirk DeWindt.”  Getting off the couch might be a good start.  But not so fast!  Kirk says you can get an effective workout right from the couch.  Kirk shows off his Extreme Couch Workout!

If you’re looking for something new to try this year to help you drop some weight – Corealign might be exactly what you need!  It’s basically ice skating, indoors…on a skateboard!

Emily is all about checking out new things.  She got really excited about her first lesson in karate.  She hasn’t been the same since – and she’s broken multiple boards as the result of her lessons!

It’s no surprise that gym memberships skyrocket after the first of the year, but nearly 4 out of 5 memberships flop after only a few months.

Producer Kelli Hanson puts together some of our health stories on the show and she usually participates in them – in some capacity.  We were a bit surprised to see her take part in what she now considers to be her favorite moment of 2012; Lady Katherine’s Pole Dancing!  

Snow skiing can be an expensive sport and it’s easy to drop hundreds of dollars on equipment – just to see the kids outgrow it.  Erik’s Bike and Board has a way to get the same equipment for a lot less.

Actor John Noble, the star of Fringe, is back at work after being treated for sleep apnea.  The star says he literally couldn’t even think so he took a hiatus to get his breathing and sleeping issues straightened out.

Now is the time of the year that people are gearing up for the holidays – which means a lot of food.  We know that for some, gaining weight over the holidays tends to be what happens.  Our fitness expert, Nancy Stoneberg, shows us how to prep for all that holiday eating so you won’t gain a pound.

There’s three foods it seems all kids love:  macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets!  Kylee Sandquist’s (of Woodbury) kids are no different and she struggles to make sure her kids are eating a balanced diet.

Fitness Expert, Nancy Stoneberg, knows that the exercise equipment you purchased might not get the use you thought it would.  For some it could be laziness, but for others, you might just not know how to use it.  Nancy is here to help by showing you the right way to use it.

Thousand’s of people will be walking around Lake Nokomis on Saturday for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer.  The workout doesn’t end at the finish line though.  After the walk there is a free yoga class at Cancer Survivor Park.

Rachel Larson from Healtheast Ways to Wellness says there are some simple things that you can do to de-stress.  From Yoga moves, the way you breathe, using essential oils, and even shows us a Mood Boosting shake! 

Losing weight and getting in shape takes effort.  We turn to our Fitness Expert, Nancy Stoneberg (of Stone Fitness) for her secrets to kick your weight loss into high gear. 

Many people struggle with high cholesterol or digestive issues.  Or they are just in a bad mood all the time.  Author of Living Skinny in Fat Genes, Registered Dietitian Dr. Felicia Stoler, says you don’t necessarily need a pill to make things better.  She says a trip down the grocery aisle might do the trick.

According to Healtheast Ways to Wellness Dietitian Stephanie Skeba, one in every 133 people have Celiac sensitivities.  Their bodies just can’t handle gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. 

Today is the day that Emily is taking place in the TRIA Runnin’ With the Law 5K.  She is at Father Hennepin Park for the race. 

You don’t need any special equipment to get a good workout.  Especially if you won a home with a basement or a second story.   Fitness Expert, Nancy Stoneberg, shows us how using the staircase can give you a killer workout.

Emily has been training to run in her first 5K, the TRIA Orthopedic Center’s Running with the Law 5K.  The run benefits the Minneapolis Police Department’s Fitness Club.

The cardio boxing program, known as Tae Bo, was created in 1975 and the first DVD came out in 1998.  Creator Billy Blanks is now launching a new series of the popular exercise.

If you have a few aches and pains that prevent you from working out, or even being as active as you’d like, it’s time to take charge and get back at it!  Trainer from Healtheast Ways to Wellness, Rachel Larson, shows us how to get around those aches and pains.

As fall arrives, it’s a great time to get a deal on some of those items you normally think about getting in the summer.  Erik’s Bikes and Boards is offering awesome deals on bicycles for the entire family.  They have the perfect bike for anyone, even if you haven’t ridden in a while.   

The St. Paul Firefighters 2013 calendar is out and, let’s just say, the firefighters look “hot”!  But they don’t get into shape as seen in the calendar pages overnight.  Fitness Expert, Nancy Stoneberg of Stone Fitness checks out their workout regime.

Diana Ersfeld of Stillwater was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes fifteen years ago.  Even though she controls it with her diet, Beth Dierkhising from Woodwinds Ways to Wellness, says a healthy diet involves more than just watching the sugar intake.

If the idea of sweating is enough to deter you from working out, our fitness expert has an answer for that.  Owner of Stone Fitness, Nancy Stoneberg, has a workout plan that you can do – without the sweat. 

The only time most of us will see a cardiologist is if you are in the middle of a heart crisis .  Woodwinds Ways to Wellness in Woodbury is trying to change that – starting out with a walk on a treadmill. 

Elizabeth, Emily, and Twin Cities Live intern, Erin, heard that Paddleboarding was not only fun but that it was a good work out for the core, arms and legs.  Stand Up Minnesota does tours on paddleboards so they went to check it out!

Our bride in the Whirlwind Wedding taking place this Friday had only six weeks to get ready for her big day.  Our fitness expert, Nancy Stoneberg of Stone Fitness, says that’s a still enough time to tone up your arms and upper body before walking down the aisle.

As a child, you may remember playing for hours outside jump roping.  It’s time to get the rope back out!  Nancy Stoneberg, of Stone Fitness, shows us how to get the ultimate workout using the jump rope.

If the idea of getting to the gym for your workout is what is holding you back, how about bringing the gym to you?  Ways to Wellness is bringing the workout to your home, hotel, or anywhere there is an internet connection with a skype workout!

Stephanie Starch Skeba from Woodwinds Ways to Wellness is back in Woodbury.  Lindsay Osterello and her mom, Jeannie Allen both have similar eating habits.  They leave the house at 8 AM and don’t eat again until they come home at 6 in the evening. 

It’s important to stretch when working out – but should you do it before working out or after.  Nancy Stoneberg, owner of Stone Fitness, says that even if you don’t workout you should still be stretching out.

Almost a year ago, Ways to Wellness in Woodbury gave Jenny Vinck of St. Paul a total transformation is just six short weeks.  She started working out almost every day and learned how to overcome unhealthy food temptations.

Whether you are brand new to yoga or are more experienced, at Tula Yoga and Wellness, located on Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, you will feel right at home.  TCL Producer, Kelli Hanson checked it out and fount it to be bright, inviting, and unlike any yoga studio she has ever been to. 

Hundreds of people participated in the Run for Your Lives 5K this past weekend.  Some were there to race and others were there to chase!

We’ve teamed up with the experts at Woodwinds Ways to Wellness to find refrigerators stuffed with sugary, processed, unhealthy foods and stock them, instead, with the good stuff!

There is a machine that claims to be a “no work workout” and just ten minutes on it equals one hour in the gym.  The owners of Goga Studios, Deb Grabiran and Mike McKinley, show us how this “Whole Body Vibration” works.

Stone’s Fitness', Nancy Stoneberg (a.k.a. “The Killer”) has some moves that are guaranteed to work off that winter booty!