Proactive Fitness

Three-bean salad is a staple for picnics, cookouts, and potlucks. It’s easy to make and tote and goes well with everything. This slight adaptation from a recipe on The Mediterranean Dish website is richer in protein, with chickpeas and cannellini beans joining the red kidney. Add crumbled feta and it’s a meal in itself. Save time and use bottled dressing. Serves 8. – Susan Puckett

Vinaigrette:
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper

Salad:
• 1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 green or yellow bell pepper, cored and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
• ½ English cucumber, diced
• 1 cup diced red onions
• 2 tablespoons drained capers
• 1 cup chopped parsley
• ¼ cup each torn or chopped mint and basil leaves
• ½ cup crumbled feta (optional)

Make the vinaigrette: Place the garlic, mustard, lemon or lime juice, sugar, olive oil, salt, and 7 or 8 grindings of black pepper in a serving bowl large enough to hold the salad. Whisk until thoroughly combined.

Make the salad: Add the rinsed beans, bell peppers, cucumber, onions, capers, parsley, mint, and basil to the bowl with the vinaigrette. Add the crumbled feta, if desired. Toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the beans to soak up the flavors. Toss again before serving. Stored in an airtight container, leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.

For people over 50 who know they should exercise but don’t, it’s always one thing after another.

They say they don’t have the time. Or the money. Or they’re too old...

But none of that will keep you independent as you age. It won’t keep you strong enough to enjoy life on your own terms. And it won’t keep your weight down, regulate your blood pressure, or provide a key social outlet.

Facts are: You have the time, money and motivation. What kills time, eats money, withers motivation? The same thing that’s more dangerous than almost any exercise: doing nothing.

No. 1: ‘I Don’t Have Time’

As the famous saying goes, “Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”

Here’s an interesting illustration of how we generally spend our time on this earth.

Let’s say people get an average of 25,915 days, or about 71 years, to live. Of that, they spend just 0.69 percent (or 180 days) exercising.

That’s according to a survey of more than 9,000 people around the world, conducted by Reebok and global survey company Censuswide.

The survey also reports that people stare at some kind of screen 41 percent of the time, or 10,625 days.

The World Health Organization and the Public Health Agency of Canada recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise each week. A Harvard University study found that just 15 minutes of physical activity a day can add years to your life. The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology emphasizes that regular physical activity reduces the risk of chronic disease and supports longer, healthier lives.

Still say you don’t have time?

‘It’s Too Expensive’

Last time we checked, walking around the neighborhood was free. So was working in the garden. So was tossing a frisbee with your grandkids. So were jogging and countless other forms of good exercise.

If you want to join a studio, gym or other fitness center, there are many options for every budget.

Exercise reduces our health-care costs, including medications, and the time lost to illness and injury. Investing in yourself with fitness pays huge dividends in all kinds of ways, including financial.

Compare it to the typical costs of these items or services.

1. Tall café latte at Starbucks: About 5 bucks, plus tax. Multiplied by how many you have a month.

2. Cable or Satellite TV. Subscribers pay an average of $147 per month, according to CableCompare.com.

3. Hair coloring and highlights: Can start at $150 and go way up.

4. Smoking and drinking: The average smoker spends about $210 to $420 a month on the habit, Neo Financial says. Alcohol? Martinis go for $20 each, easily.

Now, we’re not saying you should spend more or less on this or that item – even fitness. The quality of your exercise program is not directly related to the amount of money you can spend on it.

That’s why we consider our pricing very seriously to offer you excellence and value every day, every month, every year.

Think of it as an investment in time and money. The best investment you can make.

Getting more movement into your daily life doesn’t mean you have to live at the gym or spend all day on the treadmill.

Quick little bursts of movement, or short, easy workouts like this one, help you get up to the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio and twice-weekly resistance training.

Try this next time you’re stuck in a hotel room or just have a little extra energy at home.

“Need a 5-minute strengthening workout? Try this,” says Rosa Coletto, a functional fitness expert, gym owner and friend of ProActive Fitness “Especially if you want to keep up with those little grandkids.”

1. Wall Sit
2. Elevated Push-up against a Wall or Counter
3. Single-leg hinge (and you can hold onto something for support)
4. Superwoman
5. Plank on knees or toes

“Extra movement doesn’t have to be complicated,” Rosa reminds us in this video on Instagram. “It’s so easy to adopt an ‘all or nothing’ attitude and then do nothing! Something is better.”

Rosa’s right, and we are here to help you incorporate more movement snacks into your daily life, like:

• Park far from store entrances to get in extra steps
• Take the stairs instead of elevators
• Dance during TV commercials and while doing laundry

Swapping beef for turkey will save you calories and fat. In this recipe, adapted from “Jerusalem: A Cookbook,” grated zucchini adds fiber and keeps these patties nice and juicy. Fresh herbs, garlic, and a dose of cumin perk up the taste. Frying them in olive oil adds another layer of caramelized flavor, and a dollop of citrus-infused yogurt provides just the right tart, creamy contrast. Serves 4-6. – Susan Puckett

Lemony Yogurt Sauce:
• 2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Burgers:
• 1¾ cups lightly packed, coarsely grated zucchini (from 1 medium zucchini)
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender part of stems
• 1 to 2 teaspoons grated garlic (1 medium to large clove)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (for frying)

Make the sauce:
Place everything in a small bowl and stir to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper and refrigerate until ready to use.

Make the burgers:
1. Place the grated zucchini, green onions, mint, cilantro, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a large bowl. Stir to combine.

2. Add the turkey and mix with your hands until the zucchini mixture is well distributed throughout the turkey. Form into 3- to 4-inch-wide patties and place them on a baking sheet. (The patties will be quite wet.)

3. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat. When hot, lower the heat to medium.

5. Working in batches, place half the patties in the pan and let them cook gently for about 5 minutes. Then flip the patties and cook about 5 minutes longer. The patties should feel more firm than soft when pressed and register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometre.

6. Serve with the lemony yogurt sauce.

Susan Puckett is an Atlanta-based food writer and cookbook author.

The best thing a man over 50 can do for his health might surprise you.

It's not a supplement. It's not a new workout or diet. It's not even an annual physical, though that matters too.

It's having someone in your corner.

That's the idea behind the Men's Health Month theme, Partners in Care. This campaign, led by Men's Health Network, makes the case that men's health outcomes are shaped less by individual willpower than by the relationships around them — partners, family members, friends, coaches, and yes, gym communities.

For men over 50, that message hits especially close to home. And it’s one we are proud to talk to you about at any time.

Did You Know? The Numbers
Men die an average of six years earlier than women — and most of those early deaths are from conditions that are preventable or, at minimum, manageable: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, stroke.

The gap isn't mainly genetic bad luck. It's largely behavioral. Men wait longer to see doctors. They're less likely to mention symptoms. They tend to push through rather than reach out.

Those patterns can change, and it’s easier with support.

What the Gym Has to Do with It
If you're already working out regularly, you're ahead of the curve.

Exercise at midlife and beyond does more than one medicine can on its own. It lowers blood pressure, improves insulin sensitivity, supports healthy cholesterol levels, builds the muscle mass that protects joints and metabolism, and — this one doesn't get enough attention — it significantly improves mental health.

For a lot of our male clients over 50, the gym also become something more: a standing appointment with their own health, a community of people who show up, a trainer who notices when something seems off.

We’re not just a gym. We’re partners in your health and longevity.

What to Do This June
Here are a few easy ways to use June as a launching pad:

• Schedule the checkup you've been putting off. Heart health numbers — blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar — are worth knowing. You can't manage what you don't measure.

• Bring someone with you to the gym. A spouse, a friend, an adult son. Shared habits stick better than solo ones.

• If you're not a member here, make June the month you fix that. A good gym like ours gives you structure, accountability, and a community. Those things help build habits that stick.

• Talk to your trainer about your whole picture. A good fitness professional wants to know about your sleep, your stress, your goals beyond the scale. Let them help you more.

Look around you. Men who age well aren't usually doing everything on their own. They stayed connected to their doctors, communities, training partners, and themselves.

Let us help you do that. Come see us today.