Talk about fitness tends to be all about what you have to give up or the grueling work you have to do to get in shape. Some fitness habits seem downright indulgent though! Here are a few to think about:
1) Get enough sleep. Adults need 6-8 hours a night to function best. Getting less not only makes you cranky and less productive; it can also hamper weight loss by depriving you of essential hormones that are released while you sleep.
2) Get a massage. Massages can help ease muscle soreness caused by working out, assist in mitigating physical imbalances, and just help you feel healthy, full of vitality and ready to conquer the world.
3) Eat high quality food. Fresh, juicy fruits, lean meats and veggies cooked to perfection and small amounts of dark chocolate are all good for you and delicious! Eat the best quality food you can. Your body and your taste buds will thank you.
4) Make exercise your "you time". Yoga and tai chi are relaxing and de-stressing. Running and walking can be a stress-free, solitary time. Team sports can be a ton of fun. Whatever your preference, find something you enjoy and focus on your enjoyment while you're being physical. Exercise will stop being a task and start being something you can look forward to.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Who's taking care of you?
One of the things I hear constantly, especially from women, is that they can't take the time to exercise, eat right or take care of themselves in general because they're too busy taking care of everyone else. Children, aging parents, needy spouses or demanding jobs always take precedence over personal needs, because as women we are supposed to be everything to everyone and if we're not, we're somehow failures. Here's the problem with this. If we take care of everyone else all the time and never get our own needs met, we are setting ourselves up for total system failure. Whether physically, mentally or emotionally, something eventually gives, no matter how strong we are. At that point, we're in no position to care for anyone else until our own lives are rebalanced. Even if you manage to give yourself enough self-care not to break down but still constantly short yourself on needs like sleep, proper nutrition and exercise, you'll never be at your best. If you're not at your best, then what you have to offer is reduced. We can take the best care of out obligations and the people in our lives when we are at our healthiest and happiest. Thus, it is ESSENTIAL that we make the time to care for ourselves. That might mean learning to say no to some obligations. It may mean asking for help sometimes. It may mean admitting that we can't be everything to everyone. At the same time, it will mean being the best versions of ourselves that we can be, making the relationships and tasks we choose to spend our time and energy on are much better than if we weren't somewhat selective. So if you want to improve your relationships, job, parenting or whatever and have been neglecting yourself to make it work, try shifting your focus and meeting some of your own needs for once. This will almost always improve everything else in your life along the way.
40 miles into the woods, 40 miles out
My boyfriend is a martial arts and kickboxing instructor and this is one of his favorite phrases. When he's talking to people who come to his class and work hard for a few weeks only to get frustrated by their lack of immediate progress, he gives them this speech. "40 miles into the woods; 40 miles out. It took you how long to get out of shape? Probably years. Don't expect to get yourself into shape in a few weeks."
One of my personal favorite phrases is a quote from Aristotle. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." So too with fitness. We can't make an epic effort for a short period of time and be fit. We have to make a sustainable effort for a long period of time. We have to be consistent. Our bodies and health will reflect our long term habits.
So don't give up if you're only 5 miles along on your trip out of the woods. Keep going. You'll get there.
One of my personal favorite phrases is a quote from Aristotle. "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." So too with fitness. We can't make an epic effort for a short period of time and be fit. We have to make a sustainable effort for a long period of time. We have to be consistent. Our bodies and health will reflect our long term habits.
So don't give up if you're only 5 miles along on your trip out of the woods. Keep going. You'll get there.
Weight Loss After Menopause
I have had lots of women in their 50s comes to me saying "I've just started gaining all this weight, and it's in my stomach now - I've never gained weight in my stomach before! And I just can't seem to lose it!"
Weight gain at menopause freaks women out. Their bodies don't react the way they used to. It's like going through puberty all over again, but with consequences that threaten not only their self-view, but their heath and well-being. You've probably heard the bally fat contributes to diabetes, hypertension, some cancers including breast cancer and heart disease. Scary stuff!
Hormone replacement therapy is an option some women choose to pursue, and can be helpful in many cases. But many women can't or don't want to take this step. That doesn't mean you're doomed to gain a lot of weight or feel horrible all the time. Here are some steps to take.
1) Reduce your calories, within reason. I'm always cautioning people not to eat too little (under 1200 calories per day) because it will stall the metabolism, making your body into a fat-hoarding system. But as we age, we need fewer calories, and most women do not take this into account around the age of menopause. Take a good look at your diet and how much you're really consuming. Use a food diary to help you, and acquaint yourself with portion sizes. Even too much of something healthy can cause weight gain! You may have been able to get away with a lot of indulgences when you were younger - that doesn't mean you won't see the effects now. That doesn't mean you should never have a treat. Just plan for it and don't go overboard. Pay attention to how food makes you feel. If you feel guilty or physically sick after a treat, how much of a treat is it, really?
There's an awesome calorie needs calculator here that takes your age and activity level into account. Check what you should be getting and start adjusting if you're been getting too much (or too little!!).
2) Women tend to exercise less as they get older, when we need it more than ever! You've got to move if you want to maintain a healthy weight past menopause. This can take the form of things you like doing, like gardening, riding your bike, walking, bowling, golfing, tai chi (try it, it's awesome!), yoga... whatever you like to do that involves moving, do more of it! Weight training will also help. Muscle burns more than fat even when you're not moving, so keeping your muscles working will help you keep the fat off. It will also help you maintain a healthy bone density. Don't worry about getting bulky. Women have to work a lot harder than men to get big muscles, and more than likely you won't be embarking on a hardcore weight training regimen. Just start doing some strength training 2-3 times a week. You should try to get in some form of exercise every day. Yes, every day, whether it's taking a walk, strength training, doing an activity you enjoy, or something more high intensity like the elliptical machine. We're made to move, so stop thinking of exercise as something you only have to do 3 times a week. Move as much as you can and learn to love what your body can do!
3) Eat better foods. If you're limiting your calories but constantly eating crap, your body will continue to have metabolic problems, resulting in being unable to lose weight or even continuing to gain weight. So: eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Increase your fiber intake. Avoid packaged foods and foods high in fat and processed sugar. Lay off the caffeine. Drink plenty of water.
4) Adjust your attitude. Menopause is often a time of depression, of self-doubt, of "giving up" on health and vitality. It doesn't have to be that way! Get support from family and friends and spend time every day thinking positively about your life and what you want to get from it. If necessary, get professional help from a counselor or life coach. Consider hiring a personal trainer to help you get your fitness goals on track. Reexamine what you're doing that makes you happy, or not, and start moving toward the things and behaviors that bring you joy. Happier people are healthier people, so figure out what you need to be happy, and pursue that!
Weight gain during menopause can be frustrating and disheartening, but it can be dealt with. Take a good look at your lifestyle and make changes where needed. You've got the rest of your life to look forward to, so make it good!
Weight gain at menopause freaks women out. Their bodies don't react the way they used to. It's like going through puberty all over again, but with consequences that threaten not only their self-view, but their heath and well-being. You've probably heard the bally fat contributes to diabetes, hypertension, some cancers including breast cancer and heart disease. Scary stuff!
Hormone replacement therapy is an option some women choose to pursue, and can be helpful in many cases. But many women can't or don't want to take this step. That doesn't mean you're doomed to gain a lot of weight or feel horrible all the time. Here are some steps to take.
1) Reduce your calories, within reason. I'm always cautioning people not to eat too little (under 1200 calories per day) because it will stall the metabolism, making your body into a fat-hoarding system. But as we age, we need fewer calories, and most women do not take this into account around the age of menopause. Take a good look at your diet and how much you're really consuming. Use a food diary to help you, and acquaint yourself with portion sizes. Even too much of something healthy can cause weight gain! You may have been able to get away with a lot of indulgences when you were younger - that doesn't mean you won't see the effects now. That doesn't mean you should never have a treat. Just plan for it and don't go overboard. Pay attention to how food makes you feel. If you feel guilty or physically sick after a treat, how much of a treat is it, really?
There's an awesome calorie needs calculator here that takes your age and activity level into account. Check what you should be getting and start adjusting if you're been getting too much (or too little!!).
2) Women tend to exercise less as they get older, when we need it more than ever! You've got to move if you want to maintain a healthy weight past menopause. This can take the form of things you like doing, like gardening, riding your bike, walking, bowling, golfing, tai chi (try it, it's awesome!), yoga... whatever you like to do that involves moving, do more of it! Weight training will also help. Muscle burns more than fat even when you're not moving, so keeping your muscles working will help you keep the fat off. It will also help you maintain a healthy bone density. Don't worry about getting bulky. Women have to work a lot harder than men to get big muscles, and more than likely you won't be embarking on a hardcore weight training regimen. Just start doing some strength training 2-3 times a week. You should try to get in some form of exercise every day. Yes, every day, whether it's taking a walk, strength training, doing an activity you enjoy, or something more high intensity like the elliptical machine. We're made to move, so stop thinking of exercise as something you only have to do 3 times a week. Move as much as you can and learn to love what your body can do!
3) Eat better foods. If you're limiting your calories but constantly eating crap, your body will continue to have metabolic problems, resulting in being unable to lose weight or even continuing to gain weight. So: eat lots of fruits and vegetables. Increase your fiber intake. Avoid packaged foods and foods high in fat and processed sugar. Lay off the caffeine. Drink plenty of water.
4) Adjust your attitude. Menopause is often a time of depression, of self-doubt, of "giving up" on health and vitality. It doesn't have to be that way! Get support from family and friends and spend time every day thinking positively about your life and what you want to get from it. If necessary, get professional help from a counselor or life coach. Consider hiring a personal trainer to help you get your fitness goals on track. Reexamine what you're doing that makes you happy, or not, and start moving toward the things and behaviors that bring you joy. Happier people are healthier people, so figure out what you need to be happy, and pursue that!
Weight gain during menopause can be frustrating and disheartening, but it can be dealt with. Take a good look at your lifestyle and make changes where needed. You've got the rest of your life to look forward to, so make it good!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
The Long Haul
What I'm doing now is a great example of what NOT to do. I started this blog challenge on June 1st with the best of intentions which petered out around June 20th (just short of my "new habit" goal). Now that it's June 29th and I have 20 entries in June, if I want to finish I need 10 blog entries for two days. I can do it, but it won't be fun, and it probably won't be as good as it would have been if I'd done it once entry per day. I used to do this kind of thing in college all the time. In fact, I started writing papers at the last minute purposely, believing I did better work under pressure. Sometimes, I really did! Unfortunately, working under pressure all the time is not sustainable. I've had to re-learn this lesson a lot in my life, and I still have trouble keeping it straight.
I turned 30 last Tuesday and it has me thinking a lot about the long term. Where my life is going, what I want to make of my business, my relationships, my hobbies and ambitions. I'll be starting a retirement account later today, in fact. I don't have a ton of money to put into it, but the hope is that if I put a little in every week or month for the next... well, at least 35 years, by the end I'll have something I can retire on. I've heard many, many disheartening stories about people waiting too long to start saving and never being able to retire. According to all of the financial experts, I should have started saving in my 20s. Well, I didn't, but I'm not letting that stop me from starting now.
Where is this long ramble heading and how does it relate to fitness? Our bodies are kind of the same as retirement accounts. The more we invest in it and the longer we do so, the better off we will be throughout our lives. You might be a young person thinking about looking hot in a bikini right now, but what about when you're 70? You probably want to be able to get up the stairs at that point, right? It's never too late to start, because something is always better than nothing, but the earlier you start, the better. And your efforts need to be steady, sustainable and constant for the best results. You can't play frantic catchup and hope everything will work out ok, like going on crazy crash diets for your high school reunion and doing nothing for your health and fitness most of the time. This just doesn't help, and eventually will leave you worse off than if you hadn't done it.
So, beyond what you want to look like or fit into next week or next month or next year, give some thought to the long haul and how your lifestyle is gong to contribute to your health in the years to come. You'll start to understand that crazy diets and unsustainable exercise programs are not going to do it. Change has to be sustainable throughout a lifetime, and for that kind of change, slow and steady wins the race.
I turned 30 last Tuesday and it has me thinking a lot about the long term. Where my life is going, what I want to make of my business, my relationships, my hobbies and ambitions. I'll be starting a retirement account later today, in fact. I don't have a ton of money to put into it, but the hope is that if I put a little in every week or month for the next... well, at least 35 years, by the end I'll have something I can retire on. I've heard many, many disheartening stories about people waiting too long to start saving and never being able to retire. According to all of the financial experts, I should have started saving in my 20s. Well, I didn't, but I'm not letting that stop me from starting now.
Where is this long ramble heading and how does it relate to fitness? Our bodies are kind of the same as retirement accounts. The more we invest in it and the longer we do so, the better off we will be throughout our lives. You might be a young person thinking about looking hot in a bikini right now, but what about when you're 70? You probably want to be able to get up the stairs at that point, right? It's never too late to start, because something is always better than nothing, but the earlier you start, the better. And your efforts need to be steady, sustainable and constant for the best results. You can't play frantic catchup and hope everything will work out ok, like going on crazy crash diets for your high school reunion and doing nothing for your health and fitness most of the time. This just doesn't help, and eventually will leave you worse off than if you hadn't done it.
So, beyond what you want to look like or fit into next week or next month or next year, give some thought to the long haul and how your lifestyle is gong to contribute to your health in the years to come. You'll start to understand that crazy diets and unsustainable exercise programs are not going to do it. Change has to be sustainable throughout a lifetime, and for that kind of change, slow and steady wins the race.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Intensity: the key to faster weight loss
If you're trying to lose weight, which about 50% of the American population is doing at any given point, you probably already know that exercise and diet are key. You might not know that just *any* exercise will not necessarily get your the results you want.
Numerous studies have shown that the old way of thinking about cardiovascular exercise - slow, sustained activity at 65% of max heart rate for optimum effectiveness - cannot hold a candle to interval training, which mixes very high intensity with lower intensity recovery periods. The problem with high intensity interval training is that not everyone can do it. However, more people can do it than think they can. Even if you are significantly overweight, as long as you don't have uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease or some other health problem that would contraindicate vigorous exercise, you can probably work much harder than you think you can. The reality shows such as Biggest Loser are proving that even very obese people can work much harder and longer than previously thought. Do ask your doctor if you are at all concerned about your ability to perform intense exercise, but if your health is good other than your extra weight, it's probably time to try a more intense approach to exercise.
Another piece of the older thinking about intensity is the max heart rate calculation. According to the equation, your max heart rate should equal 220 - your age in years. For example, if you are 50 years old, that would make your max heart rate 170. The problem with this is that everyone is different, and the research has found that everyone is different enough regarding max heart rate that the equation means very little. I think it's a great idea to keep track of your heart rate while you exercise, but only as a tool to help you keep your intensity high. The combination of old thinking about the "fat-burn zone" existing at 65% of the maximum heart rate and fears of heart attacks, etc, seem to combine to make people want to keep their heart rate low and panic when it rises. A higher heart rate in most cases is a good thing! It means you are working harder and burning more calories overall, and thus more fat than if you were to work at the lower rate for sustained periods of time.
Rather than focusing on heart rate, fitness professionals are turning more and more on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). On a scale of 1-10, 1 being lying in bed relaxing and 10 being afraid of impending death due to exertion, how do you feel when you exercise? If the answer is generally between 1 and 5, you would do well to get in at least a fewer intervals that bring you up to 7, 8 or 9.
Higher intensity not only increases your calorie burn during exercise, but also for hours afterward. This is known as the afterburn effect. Slow, sustained exercise has very little afterburn. High intensity exercise has a considerable afterburn, meaning you will keep burning calories at an increased rate even hours after your workout ends. This makes higher intensity much more effective than slow, sustained exercise by a LOT.
Basically, the rule of thumb is this. If your body is comfortable, it will not change. Your body generally wants to stay in the state it's in - it got into that state for a reason. Higher intensity exercise is not very comfortable. Because the body is working harder than normal, it will respond by changing; dropping body fat and building lean muscle (as long as you are getting proper nutrition and not a starvation diet). If this is what you want, you're going to have to push it.
Again, ask your doctor first if you have any cause for concern about high intensity exercises. Try starting with one of these 1-3 times per week and see your body begin to respond:
Major Muscle Training Intervals:
Warm up for 5 minutes by walking or jogging.
Run or Jog for 1 minute.
Sprint (run as fast as you can) for 15 seconds.
Perform 10 pushups, 10 situps or crunches and 10 squats.
Repeat 5-8 times.
Cool down for about 5 minutes by walking or jogging slowly. Stretch when done.
Cardio Machine Intervals: (bike, elliptical, treadmill, etc.)
Warm up for 5 minutes with a RPE (rate of perceived exertion) of about 3.
Go for two minutes with a RPE of around 5.
Go for 30 seconds with a RPE of around 7-9.
Repeat 6-10 times. (Increase the number of intervals as you become more fit).
Cool down for about 5 minutes by walking or jogging slowly. Stretch when done.
Numerous studies have shown that the old way of thinking about cardiovascular exercise - slow, sustained activity at 65% of max heart rate for optimum effectiveness - cannot hold a candle to interval training, which mixes very high intensity with lower intensity recovery periods. The problem with high intensity interval training is that not everyone can do it. However, more people can do it than think they can. Even if you are significantly overweight, as long as you don't have uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart disease or some other health problem that would contraindicate vigorous exercise, you can probably work much harder than you think you can. The reality shows such as Biggest Loser are proving that even very obese people can work much harder and longer than previously thought. Do ask your doctor if you are at all concerned about your ability to perform intense exercise, but if your health is good other than your extra weight, it's probably time to try a more intense approach to exercise.
Another piece of the older thinking about intensity is the max heart rate calculation. According to the equation, your max heart rate should equal 220 - your age in years. For example, if you are 50 years old, that would make your max heart rate 170. The problem with this is that everyone is different, and the research has found that everyone is different enough regarding max heart rate that the equation means very little. I think it's a great idea to keep track of your heart rate while you exercise, but only as a tool to help you keep your intensity high. The combination of old thinking about the "fat-burn zone" existing at 65% of the maximum heart rate and fears of heart attacks, etc, seem to combine to make people want to keep their heart rate low and panic when it rises. A higher heart rate in most cases is a good thing! It means you are working harder and burning more calories overall, and thus more fat than if you were to work at the lower rate for sustained periods of time.
Rather than focusing on heart rate, fitness professionals are turning more and more on the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE). On a scale of 1-10, 1 being lying in bed relaxing and 10 being afraid of impending death due to exertion, how do you feel when you exercise? If the answer is generally between 1 and 5, you would do well to get in at least a fewer intervals that bring you up to 7, 8 or 9.
Higher intensity not only increases your calorie burn during exercise, but also for hours afterward. This is known as the afterburn effect. Slow, sustained exercise has very little afterburn. High intensity exercise has a considerable afterburn, meaning you will keep burning calories at an increased rate even hours after your workout ends. This makes higher intensity much more effective than slow, sustained exercise by a LOT.
Basically, the rule of thumb is this. If your body is comfortable, it will not change. Your body generally wants to stay in the state it's in - it got into that state for a reason. Higher intensity exercise is not very comfortable. Because the body is working harder than normal, it will respond by changing; dropping body fat and building lean muscle (as long as you are getting proper nutrition and not a starvation diet). If this is what you want, you're going to have to push it.
Again, ask your doctor first if you have any cause for concern about high intensity exercises. Try starting with one of these 1-3 times per week and see your body begin to respond:
Major Muscle Training Intervals:
Warm up for 5 minutes by walking or jogging.
Run or Jog for 1 minute.
Sprint (run as fast as you can) for 15 seconds.
Perform 10 pushups, 10 situps or crunches and 10 squats.
Repeat 5-8 times.
Cool down for about 5 minutes by walking or jogging slowly. Stretch when done.
Cardio Machine Intervals: (bike, elliptical, treadmill, etc.)
Warm up for 5 minutes with a RPE (rate of perceived exertion) of about 3.
Go for two minutes with a RPE of around 5.
Go for 30 seconds with a RPE of around 7-9.
Repeat 6-10 times. (Increase the number of intervals as you become more fit).
Cool down for about 5 minutes by walking or jogging slowly. Stretch when done.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Gym Etiquette
Here are some basic rules of thumb in order to get along with everyone in the gym and not make the trainer working on the other side of the room boil with barely surpressed annoyance. :)
Basically, it's all about the golden rule. Be considerate and respectful of others.
1) Wipe the machines. Even if you don't sweat all over everything, it's just a nice thing to do.
2) Don't sit on a machine doing nothing. Someone is probably waiting for it whether you realize it or not. This includes taking really long rest times between sets. Your workout will be ineffective anyway if you wait 5 minutes between working.
3)If someone asks if they can "work in", they want to know if they can use the machine during your rest periods. It's like playing through slower players on the golf course. If it's completely impractical, politely decline, but when possible, share.
4) Observe time limits on cardio machines when people are waiting. You wouldn't want to be on the other end, waiting for someone who keeps going for another 10 minutes.
5) Don't grunt, sing or talk on your cell phone while you're working out in a room full of people trying to focus on what they're doing.
Play nice, and everyone's workout will be more enjoyable. Happy exercisers get better results!
Basically, it's all about the golden rule. Be considerate and respectful of others.
1) Wipe the machines. Even if you don't sweat all over everything, it's just a nice thing to do.
2) Don't sit on a machine doing nothing. Someone is probably waiting for it whether you realize it or not. This includes taking really long rest times between sets. Your workout will be ineffective anyway if you wait 5 minutes between working.
3)If someone asks if they can "work in", they want to know if they can use the machine during your rest periods. It's like playing through slower players on the golf course. If it's completely impractical, politely decline, but when possible, share.
4) Observe time limits on cardio machines when people are waiting. You wouldn't want to be on the other end, waiting for someone who keeps going for another 10 minutes.
5) Don't grunt, sing or talk on your cell phone while you're working out in a room full of people trying to focus on what they're doing.
Play nice, and everyone's workout will be more enjoyable. Happy exercisers get better results!
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