This is a great article from UnitedHealthcare’s article about fitness myths… Busted! 5 fitness myths face the facts
What Qualifies as Exercise?
Have you ever wondered what really qualifies as exercise? You maybe surprised to discover many activities do, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield break these activities down.
Training
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While building muscles is a common fitness goal, it’s not what every person needs or wants. Many people find that endurance training is more up their alley. Both strength and endurance training boast health benefits, but concentrating on one type may be more beneficial for you based on your needs or goals.
Endurance training, or aerobic exercise, is any physical activity that works large muscle groups and uses more oxygen than while resting. The goal of aerobic exercise is to increase cardiovascular endurance. Examples of aerobic exercise include aerobics, cycling, swimming, running, walking, hiking and fast-paced sports like tennis and soccer.
Strength training is designed to firm, strengthen and tone your muscles, as well as to improve balance, coordination and bone strength. Strength training is also called resistance training or anaerobic exercise, and includes body weight exercises (pushups, pull-ups, and crunches), free weights, weight machines and resistance tubing.
Depending on your fitness goals, you may want to focus more heavily on one type of training. However, a balance of the different styles is recommended for optimal health benefits and fitness level.
Pilates 101
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Pilates is a style of exercise that has recently surged in popularity. It builds flexibility, muscle strength and endurance in your body’s core.
Its inventor and namesake Joseph Pilates developed the system in the first half of the 20th century. Drawing on bodybuilding, yoga and gymnastics, Pilates refined his system while held in an internment camp during World War I. Having access to only bare-bones equipment, he designed a crude series of resistance machines, and even today, some Pilates equipment resembles furniture that might be found in a prison hospital. After the war, he immigrated to 
the United States and opened a studio in New York City, where he taught until the 1960s.
Despite its relative newness on the fitness scene, Pilates has been embraced for the emphasis it puts into improving coordination and balance, as well as developing strong arms, legs, hips, back and abdominal muscles.
People of all fitness levels can enjoy the benefits of Pilates, and it can be an integral part of a total fitness program. Pilates allows for different exercises to be modified for difficulty ranging from beginning to advanced. Intensity can be increased over time as the body conditions and adapts to the exercises.
A word of caution when looking for a Pilates studio or trainer: There is no mandatory accreditation process for Pilates instruction, and anyone with no prior training can offer “Pilates” to the public. To find a qualified instructor in your area, check with local gyms and don’t be afraid to ask about background training and apprenticeships.
Reboot Your Workout
It’s very common to fall out of a fitness routine, especially at this time of year. Everyone has their excuses: holiday schedule changes, bad winter weather, injury or illness, failed New Year’s resolution, etc.
Regardless of the reason, you need to get back in the habit. Now is a perfect time to recommit to achieving and maintaining a prime fitness level. But before you start to pick up where you left off, be mindful of the following things:
- Start slow. Do not try to make up for lost time. Depending on the length of time since your last workout and the reason for stopping, you might not want to resume working out at the same level you were at when you stopped. Rather, decrease your exertion by 20 to 30 percent and gradually build your way back up.
- Choose an activity you like. Enjoying your workouts is a must. If you find cardio preferable to weight lifting, focus on that. The goal during the first month is to get moving, whichever way you choose.
- Recruit a buddy. Grab a friend to join you. Adding a partner to your workouts can boost your commitment and give you someone to discuss fitness with, and the two of you can keep each other motivated.
- Track every workout. Charting your workouts is a great way to watch yourself steadily improve and to stay motivated. Small fitness milestones give you a series of short-term goals to reach as you work towards your overall goals.
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TP Mechanical Biggest Loser Challenge
Five tips for staying healthy at work in 2013 – Dayton Business Journal
4th Annual TPMCBiggest Loser Employee Challenge
How does it work? Every participant will weigh in at the beginning and end of the challenge. Starting weigh in will take place on Jan. 8, 9, or 10 at your regional office. Final weigh in will take place on April 2, 3, or 4 at your regional office. Weigh in will take place from 3 – 5 p.m.
For more information visit the Employee section of our website and the Company Events page.