Fitness Tips

Issue 80
Two Ways to Boost Calorie Burn
Dieting naturally lowers your metabolism in two ways. When you restrict calories, your body responds in order to conserve energy. This causes a drop in metabolism, or the number of calories you burn just to exist. The effects are temporary however, because successful dieting means weight loss and a permanently lower metabolism because you need less energy to support less weight. Your metabolism will lower by the same percent as the weight you've lost. Some find that their metabolism ends up lower than it should be, which can lead to weight regain. The reason is due to muscle loss. Therefore, you of course, want to keep your lean muscle mass, which brings weight lifting into the picture. You need not turn into a power lifter - just use your muscles, challenge them a bit and keep them strong. This will aid in keeping your metabolism in sync with your weight loss. Secondly, but equally as important, skip fad diets. They tend to make you drop weight too fast, thereby causing far too much loss in calorie-burning muscle mass instead of fat. This is a dangerous and possibly deadly trap to fall into, for each time you follow a diet that causes rapid weight loss, you are putting your muscles into jeopardy and sinking your metabolism lower. Each time you put your body through this, you have less muscle to burn fat with and more weight to lose. When you regain weight, you replace the lost muscle with fat. This is a much misunderstood and by many, unknown fact of dieting that could save many years of unwanted diet frustration. On any diet, never try to lose more than two pounds a week. See: Lift Weight to Lose Weight

Issue 81
Turn on Your Healthy Genes
Scientists have discovered exercise-loving genes that help prevent weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease by clearing fat and sugar from the bloodstream. Just 30 minutes of walking can activate these genes. Being inactive for 24 hours can turn them off. These healthy genes work by making proteins that quickly and efficiently change the food you eat into fuel for your muscles. Triglyceride levels in people who exercised were up to 50 percent lower than in those who were sedentary. That means the triglycerides got metabolized faster, lowering the risk of high cholesterol. Marc Hamilton, PhD, says, "If people saw how just one day of being sedentary increases disease risk, we'd have a lot fewer couch potatoes".

Issue 82
Weight Loss Tips Scientifically Proven to Help You - Part One

1. Keep a food or activity log to track your progress.
2. Self monitoring is one of the best strategies for weight loss. It is a concrete way of reviewing and learning from your actions.
3. Cut back on TV and computer time. Decreasing inactivity may be easier than trying to increase activity. Aim for only one hour a day.
4. Brown-bag your lunch to control portions. You could lose about ten pounds in a year if you dine or order out just once a week instead of three times a week.
5. Eat at least one serving of fruit or vegetable at every meal. It is a great way to eat fewer calories and boost your fiber intake, which helps to fill you up.
6. Get support and inspiration, whether from a dietitian, weight loss program, friend, spouse or a resource such as a magazine or cookbook.

Issue 83
Weight Loss Tips Scientifically Proven to Help You - Part Two

1. To keep your stamina up throughout the day, nutritionists suggest eating small snacks at regular intervals. Limit heavy lunches so you don't get a "food coma" in the afternoon.
2. Handy energy boosters include sunflower seeds, oranges, low-fat cheese sticks and vegetable juice.
3. Rest your eyes frequently by taking them off your computer screen and putting them on something else - the view out the window, your fake potted plant, cute delivery guy.
4. Frequent stretching throughout the day (sit and touch your toes, stand and bend to the side, etc.) will keep you feeling more refreshed.
5. Kill two birds with one stone - should drink about eight glasses of water a day for good health. And the cool liquid (plus the activity of getting the water) will perk you up.

Issue 84
Obesity
For years, overweight adults have been told that obesity is the worst of health problems. It has been proven the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and some forms of cancer will increase with too much body fat. However, a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported that overweight men who were physically fit were less likely to die of all causes, including cardiovascular disease, than men who were lean but unfit. This is good news for overweight people who are physically fit. It is also a good reason for overweight people who are not fit to begin a fitness program. It means that it is possible to be overweight and still reduce the risks of cardiovascular disease by becoming physically fit.

Issue 85
Exercise in a pill?
Scientists at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSMC) have identified a protein enzyme that, when overactive, produces the muscular effects of aerobic exercise - without the exercise. They think that someday they will be able to isolate the enzyme and put it in a pill. Called calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK), the enzyme transforms fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch muscle fibers, which are much less likely to fatigue and are necessary for endurance. According to a researcher at the UTSMC, the drug is decades away from being developed and marketed, but when it is available, it will likely only be prescribed to those who really need it - like those with congestive heart failure. This study doesn't do much for us now, but it is news-worthy because it is one of many products currently under scrutiny to help the ever-increasing problem of obesity we face today and shows progress is definitely under way.

Issue 86
Workout-aholic
Don't be a workout-aholic. Many beginners' train feverishly under the assumption that more is better, especially when results first appear. However, you're much better off easing into the process. At first, your muscles are not ready to do a lot more than they were doing before--they're ready to do a little more. You increase your chances of success by moderating your activity a little bit. The morning after a workout, you want to feel like you trained, but you don't want to have to crawl to the bathroom because your legs do not want to hold you up!
See also: How Much Exercise is Too Much?

Issue 87
Recharge Your Brain!
Memory experts are now convinced that the increased oxygen and bloodflow needed during walking improve circulation to key areas of the brain, making it work better. When you move, a part of your brain called the reticular activating system - they are responsible for arousing the brain - wakes up, helping your mind focus better.
All it takes is three brisk walks, about 30 minutes each, and you will reap all these benefits:

• Improve word recall
• Think clearly
• Make snappier decisions
• Concentrate better
• Be more alert
• Easily juggle multiple mental tasks
• Reduce Alzheimer's risk by at least 33-percent

Don't know where to start? Check out the Training Manual Walking Your Way to Fitness

Issue 88
Regroup from a crazy day with a Yoga move!
You needn't be into Yoga for this pose - this pose is simple and benefits everyone when feeling crazed from a hectic day. Give it a try!
Here is what you do:
Lie on the floor with your legs raised against a wall, arms in a comfortable position; exhale through your nose five times in short, sharp breaths and repeat a total of ten times. This position drains the blood that can pool in your lower legs and ankles after being on your feet all day. The breathing clears your head while filling your lungs with fresh air. For added effect - if you wish, light a calming aromatherapy candle with the tangy scents of lime and ginger. Total investment time: Five minutes for a relaxed evening! If you have children to tend to, have them join you and settle them down a bit, too!

Issue 89
Using Nature to Boost Metabolism
Naturally boosting your metabolism comes from doing everyday tasks that will increase your metabolism. Here are a few suggestions:

• Don't practice a diet that is too low in calories. Anything under 1200 calories a day may help you lose weight at first, but in time you slow your metabolism. This is your body's way of going into "survival mode" as it thinks it must conserve calories. In addition, rapid weight loss consists mostly of water - and all too often, lean muscle mass. When you gain the weight back, you wind up with less muscle and more fat - not good! You want all the lean muscle mass you can get because that burns calories around the clock.
• Just as you shouldn't go too low in calories, nor should you skip meals. This is sort of like depriving your metabolism of fuel, leading to the same detrimental effect of a diet too low in calories.
• Take frequent walks - The more you move around during the day, the more calories you burn. If possible, take a five minute walking break around your work area (inside or out) every hour.
• Exercise for 30 minutes or more - The body starts to dip into it's fat reserve after 30 minutes of continuous exercise. Your exercise pace should be enough for you to talk comfortably.

Issue 90
Street Corner Workouts
Forget those high-cost gyms - go to the playground! Hip- hoppers are using jungle gyms, swings, slides and other gear normally found on playgrounds to get a great outdoor workout. This fall filmmaker Douglas Knox, who has worked out with park equipment for years, plans to release The Thug Workout, a 60-minute video set to music by hip-hop acts like DMX and Styles. This form of exercise is actually used in prison yards and could very well be the inspiration behind it. You can incorporate all kinds of outdoor things such as pipe framework for pull-ups or push-ups on a basketball court. The idea behind the video is for you to watch, then replicate the exercises performed at a park or playground. The hope behind the video is that it will help those who are fed-up or just plain tired of trendy workouts and high-cost gym memberships. The guys who show you the exercises on the video are just regular guys who use the very same equipment for a workout that they played on as children. Second childhood anyone?
See also: Food, Fitness, and Fun

Issue 91
FWS - Fitness Withdrawal Syndrome?
Here are a few ways to help you beat it:

1. Set realistic goals.
2. Do not be too hard on yourself if you miss a day. Accept the fact that the best-laid plans can sometimes go awry and focus on getting it done the next day.
3. When you are pressed for time, be resourceful. Think of a way you can get in a half-hour walk, a yoga session, or some other exercise during another time of the day.
4. Keep variety in your workout regimes. This is good both mentally and physically. It will help keep you from becoming bored with the same old routine.
5. Put yourself and your health first.
6. Remember that it is equally important you get enough rest every night. This should be about eight hours of sleep. Pushing too hard and not getting enough rest can make you feel over-tired and worn out. It can even lead to illness.
7. Reward yourself (not with food!) whenever you reach on of your realistic goals.
8. Allow yourself to feel good about your accomplishments each and every day.

Issue 92
Fighting Fat
We have an obesity epidemic that is causing diseases in people of all ages. There are entire wards in hospitals dealing strictly with diabetes in our children. David Satcher, former U.S. Surgeon General, wants public schools to offer healthy foods as well as up to 60 minutes of physical activity a day. But the fight must start in the home by developing and practicing healthy eating habits for your entire family. Physical activity and healthy eating protect us from the health risks of obesity.
Bottom line? We definitely face a national health crisis regarding obesity but educated measures on exercise and diet can turn things around to the better of all of us - and to the future of our children. On October 7th and 8th, First Lady Laura Bush led a national summit to address this problem.

Issue 93
Exercise and Diabetes
If you, or someone you know and love, has type 2 diabetes and are exercising diligently per doctor's orders, do not be discouraged if you do not lose weight in the process. That is because exercise still helps stabilize diabetes - even if you do not lose any weight. Exercise helps in two ways:

1. It makes your body's cells more sensitive to insulin.
2. It helps get glucose (sugar) out of the blood and into the body's cells more efficiently.

Issue 94
Muscle vs. Fat
Many people believe muscle weights more than fat, but the true difference between muscle and fat is not weight, but volume, or how much space it takes up. Think of muscle tissue as having the density of a brick and fatty tissue as having the density of a cotton ball. Then consider how many cotton balls you would need to make up a pound. The cotton would take up much more space than the "brick". Because of this, losing inches is a more significant sign of fat loss than the number of pounds you've dropped. To reach and maintain a healthy weight, eat a well-balanced, low-fat diet and be active almost every day. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, strength training two to three times a week, with a day or rest in between, is essential to muscle growth.

Issue 95
Colds and Exercise
Have a cold and wondering whether it's safe to workout? A study published by the American College of Sports Medicine found that moderate exercise doesn't affect a cold's duration or severity, as long as symptoms are concentrated above the neck, such as a sore throat or runny nose. But people with below-the-neck symptoms such as fever, sore muscles or diarrhea should avoid exercise. Previous research shows that intense exercise can intesify symptoms though, so if you do workout with a cold, take it easy.
See also: Clobber the Common Cold with Food

Issue 96
Five Minute Neck Pain Relief
Do your neck and shoulders ache at the end of the day? Consider this: Your 12 to 15 pound noggin is under the pressure of gravity all day, with only the spine and tightly wound muscles for support. But don't worry - all you need for relief is five minutes a day of "active relaxation". Here is a move to give your neck a break:
Lie on the floor with legs on a chair seat and a 1-1/2-inch thick book under your head. With neck parallel to ground, elbows out and fingertips resting against abdomen and keep chest open. Relax, but at the same time focus on the sensation of releasing the weight of your head and letting go of tension.

Issue 97
Power Walking
Power walking is not race walking, but it's walking at a brisk pace. A reasonable goal is a 13 to 19-minute mile. At that pace, you are increasing aerobic capacity and metabolism, strengthening muscles and burning extra calories. Power walking works the muscles of the lower back, abdomen, hips, buttocks, thighs, shins and calves, resulting in a toned body. It is also an excellent and inexpensive method for losing weight. Walking five days a week for four miles each day at a 15-minute mile will result in weight loss in most people. But to lose weight, you must remember not to increase your caloric intake. The basic form for power walking is to keep your head level and shoulders back, with a 90-degree arm-swing while inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth.

Issue 98
Exercise Intelligently
Even if you consumed no fat in your meals, which is almost impossible, you would still not reduce your current body fat percentage. In fact, as a natural part of the aging process, the average person loses 1/2-pound of muscle each year while simultaneously gaining 1-1/2-pounds of fat. So unless your daily activity involves a lot of physical activity, you must include a series of reasonable exercises, done on a daily basis, to burn off excess calories and to begin building lean body mass, or in other words, muscle. However, the exercise schedule should be one that you can manage on a daily basis, is comfortable for you to stick with and fits safely into your own lifestyle. Start out modestly, you can always turn up the heat when you begin to feel really fit!

Issue 99
Why Monitoring Body Fat is Important
Body fat is vital to daily body functions; it cushions the joints and protects the organs, helps regulate body temperature, stores vitamins and helps the body sustain itself when food is scarce. Everyone needs some body fat to operate efficiently and be healthy. Occasional weighing on a bathroom scale or looking in the mirror may not indicate a "fat" problem. A person may have an acceptable weight and figure, but if their body contains too much body fat, their health could be at risk. By comparison, someone who works out every day may weight in at the same weight, but because their body is composed of dense, lean muscle, they may be thinner and healthier. You can be thin or fat at the same weight - depending on your individual fat-to-muscle content. Appearance is an exterior evaluation only. During a diet and exercise regimen, weight may fluctuate while body fat will decline in a slow but steady rate to the desired level. Monitoring changes in both body fat and weight gives a more dependable picture of fitness and is more encouraging because it is a true indication of positive healthy change.

Issue 100
Exercise Intensity
It is not the intensity of physical activity that leads to better health and fat reduction. Scientists now know that important metabolic changes are triggered with moderate exertion. This low-intensity level is referred to as the "the fat-burning zone". When you are in this zone, your body is drawing upon its reserves of stored body fat to burn as fuel. Many experts now agree lowering intensity is much better for fat burning, especially in overweight individuals. When you push your heart rate to high intensity levels, your body uses glucose, or carbohydrates, for energy, rather than stimulating your metabolism to burn body fat. Low intensity exercise would consist of an aerobic-type activity and a less intense level. For example, low-impact, slower paced aerobics, or walking at a pace that gets you warm, but does not cause you to pant, etc.

Issue 101
Burning Calories with Food
You've heard the latest fads on how to lose weight and keep it off. Well, here's yet another one of the easiest weight-loss tips you're likely to ever come across. Foods that burn your mouth also burn up extra calories. After eating any food, your metabolic rate rises. Hot spices boost that metabolism by an extra 25 percent, according to one study. The study involved feeding 12 people 766-calorie meals. All of the meals were the same, but some were spiked with three grams each of chili and mustard sauce. Those who ate the spicy foods burned up to an extra 45 calories in three hours. Some individuals burned up to an extra 76 calories! While it is an exciting observation, the findings do warrant more study.

Issue 102
Productivity or Pain?
When you begin a new workout, it is inevitable you will feel soreness but the soreness should be in the belly of the muscles, not in the joints. The elbow, knee, hip, shoulder or lower-back joints are places you should not feel pain. Oftentimes, pain results from poor form. Be sure you have learned proper form and technique for each exercise you do. If you find you feel sore on both sides of your body; such as stiffness or soreness in the muscle, you have worked out properly. However, if you feel pain and that pain restricts movement in any way, you have probably injured yourself and should see a doctor.

Issue 103
How Your Immune System Works
*The next several weeks will consist of ways of keeping yourself well by understanding common ailments and how your body responds - and why. When your body is under attack from viruses and bacteria, you have two lines of defense. First, your skin and the mucous membranes in your respiratory tract literally screen out germs. If these lines of defense are penetrated, the immune system kicks in, sending white blood cells to the affected region. Backup white blood cells, proteins in the blood known as antibodies and other blood components, follow, working in an orchestrated effort to strike down invaders. Antibodies in your blood recognize the invaders as foreign, rush to the point of entry and literally swallow the invaders, releasing powerful substances to destroy them. For example, when you get a fever, white blood cells release components that work on what is called the hypothalamus, to raise your temperature because bacteria cannot thrive in hot environments. This is why some doctors do not want you to take a fever reducer unless your temperature is high, say over 101 degrees.
Next week: Why Your Nose Runs

Issue 104
Why Your Nose Runs
When an organism invades, the body has an inflammatory response. It starts producing more mucus (containing antibodies) for a thicker layer of protection. That is why your head, throat and chest become congested. Phlegm is just a mass of mucus mixed with dead white blood cells. Clear or slightly yellow phlegm usually means the invaders have not penetrated deeply. But green or brown phlegm means more dead white cells, indicating that the organisms may have caused more damage. See a doctor under these circumstances.
Next week: Your Body's Best Defenders

Issue 105
Your Body's Best Defenders
Tonsils: Collections of lymph tissue in the back of the throat filter out organisms that cause infection.
Liver: White blood cells in this "filter" organ remove organisms from the blood as it passes through.
Mucous Membranes: In the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts repel organisms and allergens and contain immunoglobulins that battle organisms that try to penetrate.
Bone Marrow: All immune-system cells start out here. White blood cells are formed, then released into circulation.
Thymus: Organ in which new white blood cells grow up, developing specialized functions.
Spleen: Removes abnormal cells from circulation.
Lymph Nodes: Act as "filters" and produce antibodies to destroy invading organisms or abnormal cells.
Skin: Keeps organisms and allergens from entering the body.
Next week: Eight step immunity program.

Issue 106
Eight Step Immunity Program

1. Limit your exposure to germs and viruses.
2. Exercise regularly.
3. Listen to your body.
4. Eat better.
5. Take nutrition supplements.
6. Do not overuse antibiotics.
7. Get immunized.
8. Battle stress.