FitSugar

The Most Active States in America

FitSugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:45:00 PDT

Are people in your state active?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, has put together a list of the most active states, as well as the least active states in the nation. Each state is ranked based on the percentage of people in each state meeting physical activity recommendations. Does your state make the top ten?

Alaska: 56.7%
Vermont: 55.9%
Wisconsin: 55.6%
Wyoming: 54.8%
Montana: 54.7%
New Hampshire: 54.4%
Oregon: 54.3%
Washington: 52.9%
Maine and Utah: 52.8%
California: 52.7%

Yay California - woot, woot!

To see the most sedentary states, just

The following ranks states by the percentage of people who are physically inactive, defined as those who report being physically active for less than 10 minutes per week.

Puerto Rico: 37.3%
Kentucky: 28.8%
Louisiana: 25.3%
Tennessee: 24.3%
West Virginia: 24%
U.S. Virgin Islands: 22.3%
Mississippi: 21.9%
Alabama: 20.1%
North Carolina: 19.5%
Georgia: 19%

To see the full list, visit the CDC website.

10 Really Surprising Things That Hurt Your Credit Score

LearnVest — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:15:05 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Most people know the typical credit no-nos:

Don't make a late payment. Don't allow an account to go into collections. Avoid tax liens, bankruptcies and foreclosures.

And of course, paying off credit card debt should be one of your top financial priorities. (To find out your other top financial priorities, use this simple tool.)

But there are also lesser-known ways you could unintentionally damage your credit score.

Here are ten actions-from least to most harmful-that could make your number take a plunge.

10. Renting a Car With a Debit Card

While many rental agencies require that you pay your deposit with a credit card, some will accept your debit card instead. However, agencies typically have a clause in the contract stating that they can pull your credit report if you choose to pay with a debit card. That credit check causes a hard inquiry, which will ding your score a few points.

A hard inquiry is when a lender, credit card issuer or other financial institution requests a credit check in order to decide whether or not to extend a line of credit to you, such as a credit card or home loan. Each hard inquiry usually drops your credit score by a few points and will remain on your credit report for two years. The other kind of inquiry, soft inquiries, are made by people who don't intend to take action, such as your landlord checking your credit, and won't have any effect on your credit score.

Read on to find out more.

DrSugar: Can I Exercise With a Cold?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:00:50 PDT

DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health related questions.

DrSugar,
I was wondering how to determine whether it is OK to work out if I have a cold. I have heard of the "neck up" rule but sometimes find that it's not easy to tell whether the cold is localized in my head or not. For example, I have a cough and head congestion now but am not sure if I have chest congestion or not. I hate to break up my routine but also do not want to make myself worse. Any suggestions? Thanks so much!
- Sniffles

This is a great question I received this week from one of DrSugar’s readers! I think it is a fantastic subject to discuss, as I’m sure that most of you have encountered this very situation and perhaps did not know what to do! To learn my advice on the matter, keep on reading.

Could New Workplace Trends Trim Job-Related Weight Gain?

SavvySugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:58:31 PDT

There's a likely connection between obesity and the decline in savings, and I have a little theory that the rise in obesity has a lot to do with how much time we put in at the office, too. Working long hours is necessary for many Americans and others view their hard working overtime as a badge of honor. Whatever the motivation for banking hours of desk time, there's no question that sitting in a stressed out state for most of our days isn't the best thing we can do for our health.

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 50 percent of women and 42 percent of men say they've gained weight since starting their current job. It makes sense that the longer hours US workers are clocking, the heavier we'll be as a country - the inactivity, the snacking, eating out, and stress add up a pretty unhealthy picture. Could new workplace trends begin to trim our waistlines? See what I'm talking about when you

Job placement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. predicts that a four-day work week will become the norm and business traveling will be scaled back significantly in favor of teleconferencing. Should these predictions come true the changes could start chipping away at work-related weight-gain. One less day in the office could give us one more day to be active and focus on personal health, while less business travel could mean less eating on the go and more regular sleep schedules.

Do you think these possible trends could help trim job-related weight gain? Have you noticed any change in your health since starting your job?

Source