For a few days this week, I have not had a traditional workout, but I’ve been doing a heck of a lot of housework and laundry. I figured this was a good time to remind my readers that we all can burn quite a few calories with activities that we tend to do daily. Why not keep track as well? You will feel so much better about days when you thought you “skipped” a workout. In fact, you may find out that you burned more than you thought.

As I’m sure we will all agree, grabbing an apple or a handful of nuts for a snack can get pretty boring pretty fast. Chalene created a fun “Snack-O-Matic” chart to help you make fun and fast snacking choices. Basically, you pick a base, a dip, and a topping to reach about a 100 calorie total. I am having fun with it already. Today my snack is apple slices warmed in the microwave with crumbled walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon. YUMMY! Here are some of the option ideas:

Here is a fun recipe from another new contributor to PersonalFitCoach. Her name is Jenni and she blogs at TheHeadlessCook. Stop by her blog and say hello.

This is a recipe that is super fast and easy. It’s great as a side dish or just to snack on! Just pop these in the oven and put them in a bowl instead of chips? You’re in for a treat!

Now that I am over 40, keeping young is a primary focus for me. More and more studies are coming out to show the effects of exercise on aging. This is certainly great to keep me motivated with each and every workout session.

Tim D. Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College in London, led a study on the effects of exercise on aging. The results were astounding. They found that exercise appears to slow the aging process. “The data suggests that the act of exercising may actually protect the body against the aging process,” said Spector.

Want to bust through a workout or weight loss plateau? You have to try Tabata. What the heck is “Tabata?” you may ask. It is an exercise protocol invented by Dr. Izumi Tabata and his team at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Apparently, they tested a number of intense protocols and found this one to be the best.