I don’t believe everything I read.

If I believed everything I read in the last few months then I’d be on a cookie, baby food, grapefruit, and cotton ball diet STAT. You can’t kid a kidder, I’ve tried.

However, I have a tendency to take a closer look at articles backed by reliable sources. Women’s Health magazine does a great job of pulling out some thought-provoking research that sometimes confirms what I’m doing is on the right track, challenges my methods, or simply makes me want to hit the gym. Like these statistics for instance:

• You burn approximately 33% more calories doing supersets (back-to-back sets of two different exercises) compared with sets that let you rest between moves, according to The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. [Score one for me!]
• EGCG, a substance in green tea that increases the amount of oxygen your body uses, improves endurance. Subjects that took an EGCG supplement (equivalent to 3 cups of green tea) were able to work harder than those who took the placebo, according to Medicine & Science in Sports & Endurance. [Ok, I totally don't do this but I stocked up on green tea this weekend to give it a test run ride.]
• It takes 15 minutes of exercise to improve your mood, according to a study in the Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychology. [Can I get an Amen? Great! Now drop and give me 15!]

What about you, have you read any interesting stats or wacky diet plans lately?

Now I really must go have a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch, and a sensible dinner. KIDDING!

You know how we’re always being told that every time we change the clocks forward or backwards we should change the batteries in our smoke detectors? Well, I propose that we do that, AND use daylight savings time as a reminder to spring for some new gym shoes.

If you’re like me, a cross-trainer, then you should be buying new kicks every 6 months, according to Women’s Health Magazine.

If you’re not like me, and you’re a runner, I’ve read you should be getting new shoes every 300+ miles.

So, if you’re overdue for new shoes like I was, I suggest you run to the store and score some new duds. Your feet will thank you.

Now I really must go change my batteries, put my new shoes on, and spring forward to the gym!