November 18th, 2008 — activities, alternative ideas, exercise, goals, motivation
If you are ready to make that commitment towards getting healthy and losing weight, you'll need to come up with a fitness plan that works for you. While it's great to set really high goals, it's all too easy to become discouraged and give up if you can't reach them. In order to build a fitness plan that is going to work for you, you'll need to keep the following considerations in mind.
1. What are you physically capable of handling?
If you are just starting out, there is no way you're going to be able to run a marathon. Instead of setting sky high goals, try for the more reasonable ones. For example, start with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise every other day. This makes it much easier to begin and you run much less risk of being disillusioned.
2. What type of exercise fits your personality the best?
If aerobics make you homicidal, then don't pick this type of plan. It's all too easy to give up if you're ready to wring your instructor's neck. If you like to keep to yourself, try spinning instead. If weight lifting is more your scene, don't waste your time on exercises you won't be interested in. The key is finding what fits you, not forcing yourself to fit into something.
3. What will your schedule allow?
It is all too easy to claim that you're too busy to exercise. Work can get in the way, but there are ways around this. Don't schedule your exercise for parts of the day that you won't be motivated to keep. For example, if you are not a morning person, an exercise plan that starts at 7am every day is not for you. It's just too much to ask to reinvent your whole life. Pick a time that is convenient and you'll be much less likely to skip it.
4. What exercise do you enjoy?
It's pretty easy to say none, but there are creative ways that you can exercise and have fun while you're doing it. Try a couple of different methods and see which ones you enjoy the most. Then, stick with those, at least at first, so that you'll be able to stay motivated.
5. Find an exercise buddy.
We can always shirk off exercise time when it's just us, but if you have a committed buddy, it gets a lot harder. Just make sure that your buddy is really motivated. It won't do you much good to pick a partner in crime, since the temptation to cheat will be too high.
Once you have figured out what type of exercise is right for you, start slowly. You can't climb Mount Everest today! Start small and then gradually add in more time each. As you start to see the results, you'll be more motivated to keep going. If you fall, get back up again and start over. By sticking with your plan, you will get results.
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November 7th, 2008 — Book Review
With a title this long, the book is bound to be either very interesting or full of hype. We found it was somewhere in between. While there is some good information in there, it didn’t quite make it to the level it could have. Despite all of the proven evidence to back up the author’s claims, it’s just difficult to get behind a book that relies totally on blaming hormones for fat, and avoids the question of the need to exercise.
That said, the book does a great job of bringing the topic of estrogen dominance to the forefront. This has been studied at length and many claim that having too much estrogen, both in men and women, leads to accumulating excess fat around your middle. As we age, this becomes an even bigger problem, and since stomach fat is the worst in many doctor’s eyes, it puts us at risk for many health problems down the road.
The author claims that as we age, we reach a point where our levels of progesterone decrease, and estrogen decreases. This leads to a natural accumulation of fat around the midsection. In order to stop that, the doctor recommends eating specific foods that will supposedly block estrogen and supplementing with more progesterone. This was probably our biggest concern with the book.
Progesterone creams are widely available and you don’t need a prescription. The bad news is, there is little regulation and many of the creams are not reliable when it comes to providing a reliable dose. You may get a small amount of progesterone one day, and a whopping big dose the next day.
If you are interested in supplementing progesterone in your diet, it is vital to speak with your doctor about it. There are health risks that come from getting too much of this hormone and you should never self medicate. While there is scientific data to back up the fact that increasing progesterone levels, decreasing estrogen levels and eating the right foods can help you lose weight, you should never attempt this without the help of a qualified physician. They can prescribe actual medicine that will have a verifiable dose of progesterone instead of the hit or miss amounts found in OTC creams.
We can’t wholeheartedly recommend the book, due to the lack of exercise advice and the concern over progesterone, but it is still worth the read. Just remember that there is no replacement for a healthy exercise plan. While you probably can lose some weight following the diet advice in the book, in order to get long term weight loss, lifestyle changes and a solid exercise plan are still much more reliable. The book does however raise some very good points and we found it to be well written.
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September 30th, 2008 — caffeine, hydration, sodium, water, wellness
As summer gets closer, many of us are taking our exercise routines outside. It's a great time of year to get out and enjoy nature, but this is also the time of year when the risk of dehydration becomes very real. If you have ever been seriously dehydrated, you know how awful it feels. You become weak, disoriented and you may even do serious harm to your body. It is vital to avoid dehydration during exercise, but luckily, it's also pretty easy!
1. Avoid caffeine.
The number one reason that many of us become dehydrated is due to an excess consumption of caffeine, especially right before exercise. Coffee and tea are the most common culprits since they are incredibly high in caffeine, but soda can be just as dangerous. When you know you're going to be exercising, replace any caffeinated beverage you would normally drink with water. This is one of the easiest ways to make sure that you don't get dehydrated.
2. Listen to your body.
If you start feeling a bit dizzy during your workout, or you feel like you are "whiting" out, this is a big signal that your body is depleted. You need to stop immediately and get some water. Yes, it's a pain, and yes once you get going with exercise, you really don't want to stop, but you need to stop. Sit out and get a bottle of water. Once you feel better, get back to it, but at a slower pace. If you were really affected, you may be done for the day. Don't beat yourself up though. Just take more precautions next time. If you feel that your face is getting really hot, or you look very red and overheated, you need to stop exercising and take a break.
3. Increase your water consumption.
It goes without saying that the more you sweat, the more water you lose. Unlike the winter months, when we really only sweat when we exercise, during summer, you may actually be sweating all day long. You're going to need to up your water intake, especially on days when it is very hot. Just remember that too much water is a bad thing too. Add no more than two or three extra glasses of water, and never drink more than half a gallon in one sitting to be on the safe side, much less if you are small.
4. Avoid diuretics.
If you are taking any diuretics to help you lose weight and you are not under the care of a doctor, you are at serious risk for dehydration. If you are on prescribed medication, you will need to discuss your exercise plan with your doctor and work out how to stay hydrated. It is also important to avoid foods that are natural diuretics, such as celery or coffee. Both can seriously deplete your fluids and you may not even realize it. Always use caution when exercising if you have been taking a diuretic.
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August 20th, 2008 — Weight Loss Journal, exercise, gym, injury, moderation
High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT has become very popular, but that doesn’t mean that it is for everyone. If done improperly, this method of exercising can lead to injury or at the very least, some severe pain. While there are a lot of benefits to HIIT, there are a few things that you should know before you get started.
The key to having a successful HIIT workout is learning more about the actual interval between exercise. This is a short rest period that is used to bring your heart rate back under control and provide you with a chance to recover. However, these intervals should not be too long, or you won’t be able to reap as many benefits from your workout. Your intervals should never exceed ten minutes, and are best when kept to about five minutes. Any longer and you run the risk of cooling down too much and injuring your muscles when you start back up again. Remember, resting does not mean stopping. The key is to keep some form of movement or exertion going.
So, let’s look at how HIIT works:
Fast Burst of Exercise (1 – 4 Minutes) + 5 Minutes of Slow Exercise+ Fast Burst of Exercise
The key is to really pour it on during those one to four minutes, otherwise, once again, you won’t be benefiting from this form of exercise at all. Here are some suggestions to help you develop your own HIIT program, or you can always discuss your options with a personal trainer.
When you’re just starting out with HIIT you don’t want to overdo, so these recommendations are more for beginners. If you are already in good shape and doing exercise on a regular basis, than you can amp up the suggestions to fit your own needs. However, remember the 10% rule when it comes to adding new exercises, to avoid injury and exhaustion.
For a beginner HIIT workout, here are some quick suggestions. Start with proper stretching for about five to ten minutes. Then, start with a easy rest period that lasts for about five minutes when you do your initial aerobic exercise. Increase the intensity of these movements for four minutes, and then bring it back down to the first speed for three. This also works for running. You can walk for five, sprint for three, walk for five.
Basically any exercise can be worked into a HIIT plan, if you are doing it properly. By varying your level of intensity, you are automatically working with a HIIT program. Try out a couple variations inside your current workout and exercise plan to see how you can integrate these techniques. Chances are you’ll find it pretty simple and you’ll begin to see results in a lot less time.
When done properly HIIT training is very effective for getting fit and losing weight. Just remember to take it slow and ease up to full speed to reduce the risk of injury.
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June 24th, 2008 — activities, exercise, gym, injury, wellness
Our ankles are actually pretty fragile little joints and you may not realize just how fragile until you sprain one. Nobody likes walking around on crutches, but there are a few ways that you can make sure that your ankles stay strong and that you avoid this common injury. Let's get started!
1. Always stretch first.
We can't say it enough, even though you have heard it all before. If you don't want to injure your ankles, you're going to have to stretch before you exercise. Even a few minutes will get you limbered up and will reduce your risks for spraining that joint. Take the time before every workout to adequately stretch out every part of your body, including your ankles. They will definitely thank you for it.
2. Wear the right kind of shoes.
Not many of us run on a treadmill in stilettos, but with some of today's workout shoes, you might as well. It is vital to have proper footwear that offers support. Make sure that you are purchasing the right kind of shoe to help increase your chances of avoiding a sprain. For example, a true tennis shoe is made for playing tennis - not basketball. It will not have the kind of support you need for jumping and running around like that.
If you don't want to have a whole closet full of shoes, try to find a really good pair of cross trainers that will allow you a wide variety of exercises. By getting the right kind of shoe, you'll be able to exercise longer and you won't be in pain. All of your joints will thank you for that.
There is one more thing to consider about shoes before we move to the next point. While it may not be the case 100% of the time, you do normally get what you pay for. A pair of cheap athletic shoes will not provide you with the same support as a more expensive shoe. There's a reason these shoes are so expensive. They are designed to help you perform better and reduce the risk of injury. You can look at this way, you can spend a few more dollars now on better shoes, or you can spend a lot more getting your ankle fixed after you sprain it.
3. Strengthen your ankles.
A lot of us have weak ankles, but there are some exercises that you can do to strengthen up those ankles and reduce your risks of injuries. Some of the best include resistance band flexes with your feet as well as the old tried and true heel raise. Keep at it until your ankles feel as strong as the rest of you.
4. Tape it.
If all else fails and you have very weak ankles, taping can be the answer. Never attempt to tape your own ankles if you don't know what you're doing. Have a sport's therapist train you on the right way to wrap, or you could make a sprain worse if you do get injured. The problems with taping ankles are that it is time consuming, incurrs on going costs for tape, you have to shave your ankles to do it right, and do even get me started on removing the tape.
An alternative in the same vein is to wear a high quality lace up ankle guard. This was a highly recommended suggestion on my college basketball team and something I had been doing since early high school. An example of such a high quality brace is McDavid Ankle X Ankle Brace.
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