2001 to 2003 Fitness Tips: Page Five
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Issue 107 |
When we're stressed, our muscles tense which can result in more pain and more stress. A good massage relaxes tight muscles and calms the brain, helping to rid the body of immune suppressing stress hormones. The human body also produces significantly more specialized white blood cells known as natural killer (NK) cells after a massage. NK cells are part of the immune system's search-and-destroy team, ridding the body of viruses and other intruders.
Issue 108
Should you eat before exercising and if so, what?
For morning workouts, eating a bagel, cereal, toast or
anything that consists mainly of carbohydrates is a good
idea because carbohydrates give you needed fuel for your
workout. If you can, add some whole fruit and juice to
your breakfast for an extra boost.
If you do your workout during midday, a sandwich or pasta
dish will fuel your body for exercise. If you need a little lift
for late day exercise, try some crackers or fruit for a head
start on your energy supply. Depending on the size of your
meal or snack, you should wait 15 to 20 minutes to let your
body digest the food. In doing so, you allow your body to
burn calories more efficiently.
Issue 109
Tips for Safe Exercise
Make sure you're in good health. Answer the following
questions before you begin exercising:
Has a doctor ever said you have heart problems?
Do you frequently suffer from chest pains?
Do you often feel faint or have dizzy spells?
Has a doctor ever said you have high blood pressure?
Has a doctor ever told you that you have a bone or
joint problem, such as arthritis, that has been or could
be aggravated by exercise?
Are you over the age of 65 and not accustomed to exercise?
Are you taking prescription medications, such as those
for high blood pressure?
Is there a good medical reason, not mentioned here, why
you should not exercise?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you should
see your doctor before you begin an exercise program.
Issue 110
Walking for Your Life
Even with a healthy diet, we all know exercise is important.
It can help keep your weight, blood cholesterol and blood
pressure under control and reduce your risk for many
chronic diseases. But regular physical activity also can
help you feel good by boosting your energy, reducing
stress and improving your self-image. Exercise and a
healthy, low-fat diet provide a balanced lifestyle
that can keep you active well into your later years.
Walking is a great choice for exercise. It is safe, fun
and can be done almost anywhere, by anyone, at any
time. All you need is a good pair of shoes and a desire
to move! Walking also provides the same aerobic, fat-
burning benefits as many other activities. It is a low-impact,
weight-bearing exercise, so it is easy on your joints and
helps slow down the bone loss that can occur with aging.
Not sure how to start? Check out Walking Your Way to
Fitness - the only exercise guide you'll ever need!
Issue 111
Yes, You Need to Exercise
Numerous studies have examined weight-loss programs
that involve diet alone, diet plus aerobic exercise and/or
diet with aerobic exercise and weight lifting. The studies
report that dieting alone results in about the same weight
loss as diet plus any form of exercise. However, more
fat is lost and muscle preserved if you add aerobic
exercise. And even more fat is lost and muscle preserved
if you add aerobic exercise and weight lifting/resistance
training. So no matter which way you look at it, for long-
term weight loss and keeping the pounds off, exercise
plus proper diet is the key. If you have time for only one
type of activity, do the one you enjoy the most to help you
stick with it.
Issue 112
Five quick tips for a healthier, longer life:
1. Eat a delicious, balanced diet of high-fiber carbohydrates
such as whole-grains, protective fats (fatty fish, olive oil,
flaxseed) and lean protein (chicken, fish). Restrict sugar,
limit saturated fat and trans fat (animal products and
store-bought processed food containing hydrogenated
vegetable oils).
2. Exercise at least 30 minutes most days of the week -
or every day if you can.
3. Maintain a weight at which you feel and look your best -
not based one some chart.
4. Reduce and manage stress in whatever way possible.
5. Last but not least - if you smoke, try to quit.
Issue 113
Burning Energy
About three-fourths of the energy you burn each day is
spent on basic needs of sleeping, breathing and digesting.
You are constantly burning calories, but you must burn
off the excess calories to eliminate body fat and increase
muscle. The American Heart Association recommends
30 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise three to four times
a week to promote cardiovascular fitness. Resistance
training doesn't burn excess fat directly, but enables muscles
to do their job more efficiently. In addition, those muscles,
once developed, burn fat around the clock - even while sleeping.
The addition of some weight bearing exercise also has the
benefits of reducing stress without causing fatigue - unless
your overdo it, of course! If you do become extremely fatigued
after a workout, please ease it up to let your body become
stronger and more accustomed to weight bearing exercise.
Don't demand too much of yourself right away - in fact, you
can expect the process to be slow. For every ten pounds
your body loses, one pound will be muscle and nine pounds
fat - if you exercise and cut calories in a sensible way.
Issue 114
BMI - Body Mass Index
The BMI is a single number that evaluates an
individual's weight status in relation to height.
BMI is generally used as the first indicator in
assessing body fat and has been the most
common method of tracking weight problems
and obesity among adults. BMI is a mathematical
formula in which a person's body weight in
kilograms is divided by the square of his or her
height in meters (i.e., wt/(ht)2. The BMI is more
highly correlated with body fat than any other
indicator of height and weight. The criteria for
obesity is the same for both men and women.
Someone who is 5'7" is obese at 192 pounds
and a person who is 5'11" is obese at 215 pounds.
To find out what your BMI is, go to:
Fitness and Freebies Tools
and click on the BMI Calculator link to open an
online calculator that will tell you in an instant!
Issue 115
By the Day
Every single day that you fail to use your muscles, they
steadily get slacker and weaker. When you lose muscle
mass - something that sadly is inevitable with the aging
process - you also lose your capacity to burn body fat.
We start losing about a pound of muscle each year after
age 25. This steady decline in muscle tissue has a
diminishing effect on your resting metabolism, or the rate
at which you burn energy while at rest. This is why
excess calories are more easily stored as body fat as
we age. However, there is no biological reason why we
have to lose muscle mass like this. Even if some atrophy
has already occurred in your body, new evidence shows
that any decline can be reversed after just a few weeks of
non-strenuous muscular workouts.
Issue 116
Turning Back the Clock
A six-month program of moderate exercise - including
walking, jogging, or using a stationery bike four to five times
a week - turned back the cardiovascular fitness clock 30
years for a group of middle-aged men. The aerobic exercise
allowed them to boost their aerobic performance by
15-percent - to a point about equal to their fitness level at
age 20. The men started out exercising twice a week for
15 minutes, then gradually increased their activity each
week so that at six months, they were exercising about
one hour a day, four to five days a week.
Issue 117
Hip Tip: Take a Walk
Want to avoid a broken hip? Those who walk on a regular
basis have a lower risk of hip fracture. In a study of more
than 61,000, those who walked for at least four hours a
week - but did no other exercise - had a 41-percent lower
risk of hip fracture than those who walked for less than one
hour a week. Faster walkers had an even lower risk. Those
who walked at an average pace (2 to 2.9 mph) had a
49-percent lower risk than those who walked at an easy pace
(less than 2 mph). Those who walked at a brisk pace
(3 to 3.9 mph) or very brisk pace (at least 4 mph) cut their risk
by 65-percent. Exercise helped keep hip bones intact among
both normal and overweight individuals, but not among women
taking estrogen (they already had a lower risk). Take a walk -
every day!
Issue 118
Anaerobic Exercise
Anaerobic exercises are high-intensity activities you can
maintain only for a short period (less than two minutes)
due to their strenuous nature, such as sprinting 50 yards.
While aerobic exercise relies on oxygen, anaerobic exercise
uses energy stored in the muscle in the form of carbohydrates
for burst-like actions. Typically, you repeat anaerobic activities
in intervals to create an anaerobic workout. An interval of all-
out effort alternates with a "recovery" interval, in which you do
a modified version of the same exercise. This helps prevent the
build-up of lactic acid, which often causes a burning sensation.
An interval running program, for example, can mean walking for
a warm-up (at least five minutes), sprinting for 15 seconds, jogging
for 60 seconds. This can be repeated six to twelve times,
depending on your fitness level. Many fitness experts recommend
interval training twice a week as part of an overall conditioning
routine. Such training builds lean muscles and strong bones
and helps you get through daily exertions, such as climbing
a staircase.
Issue 119
Walk a Meal Away
Taking a little stroll after a meal is a super way to crank
up your metabolism. You will burn off calories, instead
of converting them to body fat. Researchers found that
a ten minute walk, started 20 to 30 minutes after a meal,
can speed up your body'' fat-burning capacity by as
much as 50-percent! The best news is that this fat-burning
boost in your metabolism can last all night. You will
continue to burn extra calories while you sleep! You have
more than 400 muscles in your body that you use daily.
For each extra pound of muscle you add to your body,
you automatically burn an extra 75 calories a day to
maintain it. In contrast, if you add a pound of fat to your
body, you are calling on just two calories a day to
maintain that extra body mass.
Issue 120
Over-training Syndrome
Over-training syndrome is characterized by detectable
symptoms. Most athletes and coaches first suspect
over-training when performance begins to decline for no
apparent reason. Someone who is just beginning an
exercise can suffer the same symptoms if they've pushed
their body too far, too fast. Fatigue, apathy, depression,
muscle and joint pain and loss of appetite are common.
Other symptoms include changes in heart rate at rest and
during exercise, gastrointestinal disturbances, more frequent
illnesses and infections, delayed healing of wounds and
difficulty sleeping. Women may experience changes in their
menstrual cycles. To avoid over-training, vary your exercise
program and include adequate time for recovery, especially
after hard workouts. Also follow a healthy lifestyle and listen
to your body.
Issue 121
Yoga
Yoga is a 5,000-year-old discipline that originated in India.
In yoga, you hold postures (asanas), or move from one to
another either while standing or on the floor. You usually
end the workout with a relaxation or meditation exercise.
Yoga works the entire body and is great for strengthening
and stretching. It improves posture, balance and range of
motion while reducing carpal tunnel pain and can reduce risk
of heart disease. There are many types of yoga, ranging from
almost entirely meditative to the very physically challenging;
look for a beginning class or tape if you are new at exercising
and/or yoga.
Next week: Quick Fix Yoga
Issue 122
Quick-Fix Yoga
Yoga poses are intended to engage the mind as well as the
body. Yoga practitioners even believe certain poses can
retrain your muscles to relax in situations where they might
have become tense.
How-to 1: The Child's Pose - Sit with your legs under you,
buttocks resting on your heels, knees and feet together.
Fold your self over your lower body and place your forehead
against the floor. Rest your hands on the floor by your feet
with your palms up. Breathing gently through your nose,
relax into this position feeling the release in your hips.
Hold for 15 seconds.
How-to 2: The Resting Pose - Lie face up with your legs at
least hip-width apart, and place your arms out to your sides
at a 45-degree angle from your body. Feel your abdomen rise
and fall with each breath as your focus on releasing tension
each time you exhale. Hold for 15 seconds. Repeat several
times.
Result: The next time you have a stressful day, release the
pressure with a couple of yoga poses guaranteed to calm you.
Issue 123
Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes
Two risk factors of diabetes are being overweight and
having blood sugar that consistently tests above normal
after fasting overnight. A group of at-risk people in a study
by the National Institutes of Health lowered their chances
of developing type 2 diabetes by 58-percent by walking an
average of 30 minutes a day. Exercise not only helps
manage weight but also makes cells more sensitive to
insulin and adds muscle. Muscles help to control blood
sugar in two ways: They absorb blood sugar to help lower it
and also serve as a source of stored sugar. In fact, research shows that weight training plays a sizeable role
in improving the body's response to insulin.
Issue 124
Tai Chi
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese practice performed to improve
the flow of "chi", or energy, in the body. The slow, gentle,
deliberate moves are based on animal movements; done
continuously, all while standing. Tai chi works the entire body
and improves balance, stamina, flexibility and coordination. Studies show it helps reduce arthritis pain and makes moving
easier. Tai chi does not build up strength as yoga or pilates
does because there is no emphasis on muscle toning. Another
option some find pleasant, is qigong, which requires less
movement and can be done while sitting or lying down.
Issue 125
Pilates
Joseph Pilates (pi-lah-tis) developed a complete body-conditioning
program for dancer and the rehabilitating soldiers from World
War 1. In his New York studio in the 1920's, his main clientele
consisted of ballet dancers, who found the exercises added
strength to their bodies without adding bulk. Mr. Pilates himself
never developed an exercise program; however, today many
programs are based on his techniques. Pilates are not considered
a conventional method of exercise. Seven different pieces of
equipment are used, along with mat exercises. The exercises
teach movement through space by acquiring correct body alignment
correct breathing patterns and controlled graceful movements.
Muscles are worked through their full range of motion in many
different combinations, resulting in long, lean muscles. Pilates
require mind control over body and are often referred to as the
thinking person's exercises. Note: If you have back problems,
individualized training is highly recommended.
Issue 126
Exercise Excuses
We are all very good at finding excuses when it comes
to exercise. You don't have time, the dog got sick, son
has a hockey game, etc. But the reality is that you only
need 20 minutes a day to keep your health up. Do you
have 20 minutes out of 24 hours to devote entirely to
yourself? Of course you do, it's the equivalent of watching
a TV program, or reading a newspaper. That is the #1
reason people quit an exercise program or even worse,
don't start one.
See also: Analyze Your Excuse for Lack of Physical Activity.
Next Week: Four Tips for Getting Started
Issue 127
Tips for Getting Exercise
Tip #1. Start small. Don't worry if you can't achieve much
your first time. Exercise and therefore results take time
and require patience. If you can't work out for 20 minutes,
start with 10 and work up a minute a day to the 20 minute
level.
Tip 2. Keep up your intensity.If you go on a treadmill for
20 minutes without breaking a sweat, you are not exercising.
Sweat is the result of your intensity. Try to keep up your
workouts at the level 7 or 8, that is when you are still able
to talk, but probably wouldn't want to.
Tip 3. Be consistent. Try exercising 5-7 days a week. Here's
where you have to be creative and come up with a variety of
exercises to keep you going. Remember, you can make
exercise boring or fun.
Tip 4: It is a good idea to exercise in the morning. It gives you
energy for the whole day and increases your metabolism.
Plus, you don't have as many excuses in the morning, since
all you have to do is get up a little earlier. And just get it over with
sooner! Try preparing your clothes before you go to bed so that
when you wake up, you are ready to go! Exercising at a particular
time of the day, is however, an individual choice and should be
done according to your own needs.
Issue 128
Heart facts - Homocystein
Have your homocystein (a sulphur containing amino acid)
risk level measured together with your regular lipid profile tests
High levels mean high risk: accumulated homocystein damage
the inner lining of the arteries, and encourages the formation of
atherosclerosis.
The treatment is cheap, simple and extremely effective:
400 IU's vitamin E
50mg vitamin B6
50 microgram B12
400 microgram folic acid
These nutrients ensure the conversion of homocystein into beneficial
antioxidants. People with a genetic tendency for high homocystein
levels, often have a deficiency of these nutrients.
Issue 129
Ways to Target Those Trouble Spots
Shape your shoulders with the shoulder press. Strong
shoulders widen making the hips appear smaller as well
as adding a nice "V" shape to your torso.
Build up your bones - Dowager's hump and brittle hips can
dim those golden years. Avoid these maladies with the dead
lift and squat. It is best to use free weights when doing these
exercises for optimal results. Learn proper technique because this is
critical to protect your knees and back.
Nurture those knees! Wider hips increase knee strain; active
people are eight times more likely to injure a knee.
Try wall-sits:
Standing a foot away from a wall, lean against it and slide down
to a sitting position; your knees should be at a 90-degree angle,
your back pressed flat against the wall. Hold the position as
long as you comfortably can.
Tighten Your Triceps -- when you wave, do your upper arms
wave as well? Perform triceps push-downs to firm and tighten
this trouble spot.
Issue 130
Men Need Beauty Sleep, Too!
A lack of quality sleep may contribute to love handles
and double chins. There appears to be a link between
middle age spread and men's sleep patterns. Researchers
at the University of Chicago found that the quality of men's
sleep decreases with age along with the body's production
of growth hormone. This drop in growth hormone, in turn, is
thought to lead to flab. Researchers know one thing for
certain - that certain types of sleeping pills or hormone
injections can slow signs of aging. Increasing deep sleep
can increase growth hormone. By the time many men reach
the age of 45, they have nearly lost the ability to fall into a
deep sleep. They may also awake more frequently during
the night and stay awake longer. It is during deep sleep that
men primarily produce growth hormone. In the elderly, growth
hormone deficiency has been connected to obesity and the
loss of muscles mass.
See also: MEN: You Need Your 9-A-Day!
Issue 131
"ABC's" for Health
Learning and remembering all the pyramid and other food
guidelines can be so confusing and in truth, is not as important
as actually eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight
for you and staying active each day. If the new set of rules
seems overwhelming, consider your current eating habits and
follow the "ABCs" for health from the Dietary Guidelines for
Good Health. They are:
- Aim for fitness
- Build a healthy base
- Choose sensibly
Issue 132
How Healthy Are You?
In terms of minimum requirements, according to experts,
you can count yourself healthy if you meet each of the
guidelines below. While these requirements may seem
very basic to most exercisers, the sad truth is that probably
only about half of American adult's could pass this test.
- Your blood pressure is 140/90 or lower. Ideal BP is 120/80 or lower.
- Your total cholesterol level is 200 or less. Ideal cholesterol level is 150 or lower.
- Your blood sugar level is below 110. Ideal blood sugar level is 90.
- You can walk three to four miles in an hour.
- You exercise three times a week for at least 20 minutes.
- Most of your excess body fat is below your belt.
Issue 133
Gentlemen - Get Moving!
Lack of activity, especially watching too much television, can
put men at higher risk for type 2 diabetes. A ten year study
that tracked the health and TV time of nearly 38,000 males
between the ages of 40 and 75 found that men who spent three
to five hours a day watching television doubled their risk of
developing diabetes. The really devoted couch potatoes -
those who watched six hours a day or more -tripled their
chances compared to those who only watched one hour.
Men who watched the most television were also less likely
to exercise and more likely to be heavier, eat more saturated
fat and drink more alcohol. Type 2 diabetes happens when
the body no longer uses insulin effectively.
Source: Harvard School of Public Health
See also: The Exercise Section
Fitness Articles
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