Do you remember jumping jacks?

When I was in high school there were exercises that most workout videos don't even cover anymore. One of them was jumping jacks. It makes you wonder if those old time exercises were doing us some harm. How many of you saw those old vibrating belt exercisers? I was 6 years old when I saw a neighbor using one. She also had one of those machines that you sat on and it had wooden rollers. Here is a picture of one:

I wonder what kind of exercise they were thinking about when that machine was developed?

I suppose it is along the same lines as supplements. Do you remember the oyster shell pills and the skin scrubs made from dead sea salt and apricot pits? All in the mane of health and beauty. When will we learn?

Walmart has a great workout equipment section

Where I live, there is a lack of sporting goods stores. Walmart is the closest thing to finding decent workout equipment. I was recently pleasantly surprised at how much their workout equipment section has in variety. My local Walmart has a large selection of yoga equipment and DVDs. I picked up a yoga mat for $8. I sure did wish I could find some walmart coupons for my next shopping trip there. I have my eye on some weights.

Tracking your health

If you are just getting started in keeping track of your health - that is wonderful. You will want to keep track of the following health signs and note the progress you are making on the road to better health:

• Your blood pressure. Take it only 3 times a week and don't obsess over it.
• Your weight or better yet your BMI (body mass index) It is better to find out your percentage of fat to lean body mass rather than just a straight weight from your bathroom scale.
• Your skin condition. Often your skin is a good indicator of overall health. Take notes of what parts of your body have red rashes, dry skin or overly irritated. 

Keep a small notebook or for those of you who love gadgets, there are apps for this kind of tracking from Apple and for the Android. I have one of those small hp netbooks which is ideal for keeping track of my progress.