Staying Sensible Over the Holidays

Well, this is the time of year that we all enjoy indulging a bit. That is fine, that is what makes us human. Hopefully you have worked hard for most of the year keeping your diet relatively clean and exercising regularly, so why not go a little overboard for the holidays and celebrate! The problem that some of us run into, is that we may completely throw our inhibitions out the window at this time of year and can erase much of the progress we have made throughout the year.

Below are a few tips and ideas on how stay sensible.

1) Eat before you go - Many of us will be attending holiday parties and family get-togethers where there will be plenty to consume. Drinks and snacks, not to mention large meals are a staple at this time of year. There is a tip, that you should never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach, you should also never attend a holiday event on an empty stomach. Try having a healthy snack and few glasses of water right before you go to try and fill your belly. I recommend some vegetables because they are high in fibre and will give you that 'full' feeling. Protein and some healthy fat also goes a long way to keeping you feeling 'full'. Have some yogurt or a handful of unsalted almonds or peanuts to hold you over longer. Going to a party feeling ravenous will end up causing you to go crazy on the junk food.

2) Aim for veggie platter - If you feel like grabbing some food when you arrive, head straight for the veggie platter. This is for a couple of reasons; one, this way you will start to fill up on healthy foods high in fibre first. Also, they are high in water content and low in calories so you can fill up your stomach with little calorie hit, so that when you are grabbing some cheese balls, you won't be eating as many.

3) Protein - Aim for snacks that are higher in protein but low in carbs. Try and avoid starchy snacks that are drizzled with sauce, instead aim for the turkey slices or cold meat platter. Just not too many because cold meats tend to be pretty high in salt.

4) All calories add up - People tend to forget that alcohol counts towards your calories as well. For example, an average bottle of beer has around 150 calories. So if you are having a drink or two, you may want to stay away from the foods, and vice versa. If you plan on having a few snacks and a drink, remember to cut back on both or they can really add up!

5 ) Be a chatty Patty - The more time you are socializing, the less time you are probably going to be snacking. Try and mingle and catch up with people that you may not have seen all year so that you are talking as much as possible. This works for your dinner as well. Talk and enjoy the company during dinner and take your time eating. Savor the foods you are eating and enjoy every bite. You will start to fill full sooner and not need to unbuckle your belt.

6) Plate size - At your meal, if you have a choice, choose a smaller plate. Studies have shown that people consume less if they have less room on their plate to put their food. Not everyone has that choice though, so another option would be to, *GASP* put less food on your plate. You can still enjoy all of your holiday favorites, just try them in small quantities instead.

7) Get back on the horse - There is nothing better than following a cheat day up with a really good workout and diet day. Everyone gets those post-holiday blues where the holidays are over and all you are left with is a credit card bill and a larger waistline. Get your feel good hormones flowing by doing a workout on Boxing day or the day after, then continue that trend for the days following. Many of us have some time off over the holidays, there should be no reason why you can't fit a workout in!

This is the time of year that we all cheat, so don't beat yourself up too badly about it. Just don't let things get out of hand. I will leave you with some parting stats on how much exercise it would take to burn off the following indulgences:

2,100 jumping jacks: This exercise will sweat off the calories in 1 cup of egg nog
280 pushups: Sheds the calories in one glass of wine
1 hour, 30 minutes of calisthenics: Burns off a serving of nuts
2 hours of moderate walking: Eradicates one slice of pecan pie
13 minutes of jumprope: This activity will make that shot you took last night a distant memory

-Tyler Robbins B.Sc. PTS 

Mind-Muscle Connection

A slimmer, more fit body might be the reason you join a gym, but your best gains may depend on mental strength. Brazilian researchers have found that participants in a study were able to train harder and more effectively with the help of a fitness professional such as a personal trainer. A personal trainer is able to give the support and motivation needed to help a person push through those last few reps.

The psychological reinforcement that new participants received from their trainers helped them lift more weight than those who worked out on their own. We all know that the human brain is a powerful tool, but not many of us realize just how much our thoughts affect what goes on in the rest of our bodies.

This is also a two-way street. The more motivation and support your mind receives to work hard, chances are, the better your workout is going to be. Then, your muscles work hard during either a cardio, resistance or circuit routine, and signal the brain to release those "feel good" endorphins and hormones into your blood system that give you that tremendous feeling at the end of a workout, also referred to as "runner's high".

For years, doctors and researchers have thought that it was impossible for the human brain to grow new brain cells or to make or repair connections within the central nervous system. New studies are now being conducted where studies are showing an increase in brain activity in participants who exercised regularly, and even combating mental illnesses such as dementia.

You can read more about exercise and its positive effects on dementia here

To give personal training a shot, don't be afraid of attending my Tuesday evening class at the Orangeville Women's Health club from 6:30-7:15pm weekly. I also have an advanced athletic bootcamp workshop beginning in January 2011 that will run for 6 weeks. Information for both can be attained in person at the Club, or on the OWHC Facebook page.

Tyler Robbins B.Sc. PTS

Motivation to Exercise

Many people need that extra push to exercise. Especially at this time of year when things start to become very busy and hectic. I have listed some motivation tips below on how to keep yourself motivated no matter what time of the year!

1) If you think you’re too busy to exercise, try this little trick. Most people try to jump into an exercise regimen full-force and quickly become overwhelmed. Don’t start out by thinking, “I am going to exercise 4 days a week, an hour each time” right out of the gate, baby steps is the key here. Make one day of the week your absolute no-excuses day. Lets say, you make that day Tuesday. No matter how busy you are, get a workout done on Tuesday, even if you only do 10 minutes on the treadmill. At the end of the day, ask yourself if you were any less productive than usual. Chances are, your answer will probably be no, and your favourite excuse will be gone! You can then build on your momentum and make yourself accountable to more days or time of “no-excuses” exercise. I highly recommend either a personal trainer in a 1 on 1 situation or in a class. Trainers are great at maximizing the efficiency of the time you have.

2) Make a wager with someone either you work with or a family member that you do not get along with all the time. You don't want to wager with someone that you don't mind losing to, someone who will create that drive and determination in you to work harder. Make a bet to see who can come out of the holiday season with the most weight lost. With all of those extra indulgences around at this time of year, you will be less likely to eat too much of something you know you shouldn't. If you do treat yourself, you know that you have to hit to gym to work those extra calories off!

3) Make a deal with your family. The rule: You get 1 hour to yourself every day, provided that you use it for exercise. So there's no pressure to do household chores, play marathon games of Monopoly, or do the cooking, dishes, laundry or anything else you may use as an excuse as to why you are too busy. Since it's for your health, it's a deal they can't refuse. And that will allow you to exercise guilt-free while acting as a role model for your children.

4) Plan a vacation for the New Year. I know this one will seem a bit more far-fetched, but it helps. If you are planning on going to a sunny destination, try and plan it for the New Year, most specifically right after the holidays. You know you are going to be strolling around in a bathing suit soon so you will be more conscious about what you put in your mouth as well as not missing your workouts.

To summarize everything here, just remember that something is always better than nothing. If you only have 10 or 15 minutes to exercise, that is fine. That short amount of time getting your heart rate up and getting a bit of a sweat going is still better than sitting around doing nothing. Also, having a little treat here and there is not going to kill you. We are all human, and to be human is to indulge from time to time. This is a great time of year to get together with friends and family to enjoy some food and drink. Just keep in mind that you have worked hard through the year to stay fit and healthy, no point throwing that away with a few weeks of bad choices!

Flat, Toned, Defined, Abs!

"I want a flatter stomach and more defined abs. I try and work my abs every single day but I can’t seem to get my abs to show, what gives?"

On the same topic as this week's column in the Orangeville Citizen, I will detail below the contributing factors to having a sculpted, toned, "6-pack" that so many of us strive towards. What many people don't know, is that this will take effort in many different aspects such as diet, resistance training, and cardiovascular training.

There is a saying in the fitness industry, “Abs are made in the kitchen.” The truth is, most of us already have a “six-pack” but it may just be hidden under some unwanted body fat. Diet is a very large contributing factor here. Eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, and lean proteins can go a long way to helping the cause. 

Most people feel that eating "fat" makes you fat, when in fact, there are many different causes that cause body fat, and health fats are actually healthy for you, and needed for your body to function properly. Speaking with your doctor, a nutritional adviser, a dietitian, etc. can help you structure a diet guide that fits your needs.

Overall though, we can all benefit from some simple diet tips. The more vegetables you consume, the more full your belly will feel from the water content and fiber found in your veggies. A diet high in protein helps balance blood sugars, rebuild body tissues (muscle) as well as keeping you feeling "full" longer. Whole grain carbohydrates supply your body with needed energy. Also, try and cut out "junk" whenever possible such as foods high in salt (your body retains more water), sugary foods and drinks (pop, including diet), and any other "empty calories".

Many people feel as though to get good abs, you must work your abs. Well, that is only partly true. It is impossible to spot-reduce fat so you can do crunches until you are blue in the face, but if you do not also have a balanced exercise program that also includes some cardiovascular activity and resistance training, your abs will never begin to show.

We all see those commercials on tv that promise a "slim, sexy tummy" by just 10 minutes a day rocking in an ab chair. Now I am not saying that those things don't work your core, because they might. But that, and that alone will not make you "slim and sexy".

Your body must burn calories in order to shed excess body fat. In order to burn calories, you must follow a program that combines both cardiovascular training and resistance training. Women should not neglect resistance training, as a properly structured resistance routine can actually burn more calories than a cardio routine, not to mention keep your metabolism firing for up to 24 hours after the workout is completed.

Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough. Your abdominal muscles are physiologically like any other muscle in your body. They need sufficient rest time after you work them so doing abs to exhaustion every day of the week is not benefitting you in any way, 2-3 days a week is sufficient.

Treadmill/Elliptical Tips

This week's Q&A in the Orangeville Citizen briefly goes over a few ideas on how to stay motivated by running on a treadmill. These tips are great for treadmills or ellipticals, so I will go into further detail in this blog.

Treadmills and ellipticals are a great way to keep your running legs active over the winter. There are many benefits and advantages to staying fit inside on an exercise machine rather than outside, especially once there is snow on the ground. Studies have shown that your chances of a stress fracture are reduced by nearly 50% from running on a treadmill rather than a road and the impact on your joints are even further reduced on an elliptical. 

Many people dislike exercise machines because they can seem monotonous at times so I will detail a few tips to keep things interesting.  

1) Mix things up with intervals. Many machines now have pre-programmed interval routines right in their computers varying incline and speed for set periods of time. You could even manually change your incline and pace for short bursts at time. I recommend 1:2 ratios where you would increase your speed for 30 seconds and then slow back down to a jog for a minute, and repeat a number of times. 

2) If you have access to watching a television while exercising, you can get creative with it. Every time there is a commercial break, bump your speed up a bit either on alternating commercials or for the entire break. When your program returns, slow back to your regular jog.

3) Negative splits are a term used in the running community, but can be applied to elliptical work as well. Basically what this means is that you will finish your run faster than you started. Begin your run at a nice easy pace, and every minute or two hit your speed button to increase your pace. You will continue to increase your speed the entire run without ever declining your pace. Do this for as long as you can, but make sure at the end you go back to your first speed for a nice 5 minute cool down or so.

4) Simulate hill runs by increasing your incline (or elliptical resistance) for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, go back to level incline but increase your speed for 1 minute. After that, go back to a jog for 1 minute to recover and then repeat that whole sequence 3 more times.

5) Load up your mp3 player or ipod with your favorite tunes. Many studies show that people that are listening to their favourite high-adrenaline tunes help them increase their workload. Not only that, you could combine this idea with #1. Create a playlist that alternates fast songs with slow songs. On the fast ones, increase you pace/incline and then for the slower songs, chill out and reduce your speed!

6) Most gyms have mirrors. No, they are not there for you to be constantly checking your hair, they are there to help you check your form. While running, check your form as it gives you something to concentrate on. Watch for these: (1) Minimize your contact with the belt. Don't bounce; think quick feet. (2) Stand tall so all your body segments are aligned. (3) Stay loose and relaxed. Your hands should be in a loose fist, not tight and your teeth should not be clenched.

7) I cannot recommend a heart rate monitor enough. I prefer the ones with a chest strap as I feel they are more accurate and precise. They are great to let you know if you are dogging it or if you are in your training zone. Plus, it is one more thing you can focus on rather than thinking about the 20 minutes of your dreaded workout you have left!

I am a huge fan of going for runs outside in the summer, but the winter can be pretty long and depressing so doing cardiovascular activity indoors during the winter can greatly improve your mood. In fact, some studies have shown that even just 30 minutes of running on a treadmill increase your level of phenylacetic acid (natural antidepressant) by up to 77%. Great for those dark winter days when the sun sets so early!

-Tyler

Resistance Training

Resistance, or weight training should be an integral part of any well-rounded fitness plan. Men and women have a lot to benefit from resistance training.

I know a lot of women are either afraid to train with weights or are not sure where to begin, but even simple exercises with weight can be highly beneficial. I recommend either a personal trainer or even doing some individual research to learn how to strength train properly to maximize your exercising benefits.

The truth of the matter is that many women are afraid of "bulking up" and shy away from too much strength training. Unfortunately, this is a long standing myth that prevents many women from improving their overall health. Most women lack the needed testosterone to get "bulky" so working with weights has more of a toning and strengthening effect on them. There are a myriad of other benefits that are accomplished through regular strength training that I will list below.

Keep that metabolism firing - Resistance routines help build muscle tissue. The more muscle mass you have, and the more efficient each of those muscles are, the more calories you burn on a day to day basis. Muscles are constantly burning calories, even when you sleep so many studies have proven that a resistance routine increases your metabolism for up to 24 hours after a workout. That means you will be burning more calories even when you are watching television or sleeping!

Prevent the effects of aging - As we age, our bodies are constantly deteriorating. This is a "use it or lose it" mentality that is imprinted in our genes. The body feels that it should cut away excess materials if they are not being used. Unfortunately for a lot of people, this makes them more prone to injury such as fractures and sprains not to mention an increased risk of arthritis and osteoporosis. Strength training has been proven to increase bone density, ligament and muscle strength, etc. The more of your muscles you move and use, the longer they will stick around to help your body stay healthy!

Diabetes prevention - Muscles actually also help your body improve its insulin sensitivity so you can ward off diabetes as you age as well.

Posture - A well-rounded strength training program also improves your posture which can help ward off structural pain such as back pain or tense/tight joints.

Keep Your Balance - A major risk facing us as we age is our decline in balance and coordination. As we age, it is natural for our bodies to become less nimble and more prone to falls. This is a leading cause of injury for seniors. By practicing strength training, you will be increasing your body's balance and coordination, helping you long into the later years of life.

Men don't usually need motivation to hit the weights as that is what they generally head for first when they enter a gym. If anything they need to improve their overall fitness with other aspects of fitness such as yoga, flexibility and cardiovascular exercises. Women on the other hand tend to shy away from weights as they are either unsure of what to do with them, or they are afraid of getting too muscular. A personal trainer can help design a program that will help round out your physical fitness program and make you a more overall healthy individual!

Enjoy the Journey!

I touched on this topic a bit back in my "Motivation" post a little while back, but I want to further elaborate here. In today's society, majority of us are always looking for the quickest, easiest, most efficient way possible of getting to their goals. I think it is all part of human nature to make things go faster. In today's society, we drive faster, we use things like microwaves to cook our food faster, we use PVR's to skip through commercials, we use the internet and e-mail to send data faster and easier.

One aspect of our lives that has been hit by this most drastically could in fact be diet and exercise. You see it every day on TV and hear it on the radio ads. Pills that make you lose weight, diet plans promising you will "Lose 10 pounds in 10 days", workout systems that promise to drop inches in days, or your money back.

My point here is that there is a major difference between programs like some of the diets you see on TV compared to something like a well-balanced diet and regular exercise. Now any program that you can follow consistently and enjoy it is up to you.

These fast acting diets on TV that you see play right into the idea that people want fast results, with little to no effort possible. "Hey look, I lost 40 pounds, and I was still able to eat cheesecake!" Sure, you may have lost a bunch of weight by following this program, but how many people do you know that have stayed on Jenny Craig for 5, 10, or 15 years down the road? They don't! People get complacent and eventually gain that weight back, I have seen it with coworkers, and I am sure you have too.

So back to any exercise program, you ask how this is different right? If you are serious about getting active and getting fit, go out and create a program for yourself that works. Find something that fits into your schedule and is fun and works for you!

Back on topic. What is my point here you ask? Dieting or some silly exercise equipment that you purchased may get you short-term results, and you may even enjoy it for a little while, but is this something you are going to do for the rest of your life?

The title of this post is "Enjoy the Journey". I know, after all of this rambling I am finally back on track here. If you want a long, healthy, pain and drug-free life, you are going to have to exercise consistently for the rest of your life...period! Get the 7, 10, 20, 90-day schedules out of your head. Sure, you can set yourself some short-term goals, for example, "I want to lose 10 pounds by my vacation in 60 days" etc. But once you are done those 60 days, then what?

You have to find something or a wide array of somethings that keep you interested and motivated to continue for a long, long time. The reason why I have stayed consistent with my exercise regimen is that I have kept lots of variety in my program as well as exercise at the same time every day, weekends included!

Enjoy the journey you are taking. If you have to spend an hour or so of your time every day, five to six days a week for the rest of your life, you better find something that interests you and keeps you coming back for more. Beyond that, enjoy the time you spend working out. Get your mind set in the right frame. There are not a whole lot of people who like that exhausted feeling they get from working out, and just dread going to the gym.

Set your mind and be in the moment so that when you are doing those jump squats, or bicep curls, or going for a 5km run, and that lactic acid is building in your muscles and you are out of breath, remind yourself that you are now a healthier person because you made this choice to exercise!

Motivation

This post is to give the readers an array of ideas, tips, and tricks that I have used in the past to help motivate myself to exercise. Everybody has those days that you are in absolutely no mood to workout at all! I am not going to beat around the bush here and let on like I do not have these days, because I do. I workout first thing in the morning before I go to work, everyday, so there are those long winter nights, when I go to sleep and it is dark and I get up around 6am and it is still dark. Those morning when it is so cold and dark outside/in the house, it would be so much easier for me to shut off the alarm clock, roll over and go right back to sleep, but I persevere and force myself to get up! Here are my tips that help me get through those mornings:

1) Set your workout schedule in advance: I make my workout schedules for a few months at a time. Not only that, but I schedule something for every day. With a schedule sitting in front of me when I get up in the morning, I know exactly what workout I have for that day so there are no surprises. This way, I sort of get myself psyched up the night before, visualizing what exercises I have the next morning. Not only that, but if I have a different workout every day of the week, I know that if I miss Tuesday, I do not have time to make up for it on Wednesday, so to complete my schedule, I have to get up and do it!

2) Set your goals...: Lets be honest here, if you set your schedule that you know right off the bat is going to be too hard for yourself, you are going to become discouraged and fail. If you are just getting started, make sure you pace yourself and listen to your body. If you do 20 pushups one week, then the next week you are feeling a little bit tired and push for 23 pushups but only reach 17 pushups do not beat yourself up over it or get discouraged. The fact that you are working out and got 17 pushups is far more important than sitting on your ass and not doing anything!

3) Keep your diet in check!: Being physically active, you are really pushing your body, you are going to get fatigued and worn out if you do not fuel your body with top-notch foods. Stay away from high-sugar junk food or greasy crap that contains empty calories. You want to fuel your bodies. Race car drivers do not fuel up their vehicles with Regular Unleaded, so you should not be fueling up with junk if you are wishing for your body to perform at peak performance. Plain and simple, eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats, you decide on how to make those delicious and choke 'em down!

4) Enjoy your workout!: I know this is probably cliched but it still works. There is an old Chinese proverb that states something like, "If you enjoy your job, you never work a day in your life!" This rings true for exercise as well. If you are not enjoying your workouts then there is not a chance in hell that you are going to stick with it day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.

Be in the moment as well. Forget all of the crap you have to do after your workout (laundry, dishes, etc.) and forget about any stress you had prior to your workout. Give yourself that hour or so every day as your time, and enjoy it while you have it!

Go find yourself something you enjoy and that you are good at. Because let's face it, if you are good at something you are much more likely to enjoy it. If you enjoy swimming, join a swim class. If you enjoy biking, go buy a bike or take a spinning class. This is not rocket science, just find something you like and do it as often as possible!

5) Don't be so cosmetic: Truly dig deep down inside your inner self and ask yourself why you exercise and eat healthy. If you have decided to make this lifestyle change to exercise and eat healthier just so you can look better, you are not going to stick with it, trust me! You should be more interested in living a long, healthy, painless, medication-free life! There are a myriad of benefits that are obtained from living a healthy lifestyle that I will discuss in a future blog.

Just remember that every single time you workout, you are healthier than you were before you started, and probably happier too!

EXCEPTIONS:

1) Take it easy when you are sick: Lets face it, even when you push yourself to workout, there are going to be days when you either have a cold or flu or are feeling just under the weather. If you really are not well enough to workout, fine. However, studies have shown recently that your body is actually better off getting even some mild exercise while you are sick, so get to it and do some light cardio or something!

2) Focus on the numbers, but not really...: First of all, you should be tracking all of your progress in resistance workouts such as weights and reps, etc. Do not become obsessed with the numbers and try and beat what you did the week before every week, but you should still bring enough intensity to improve yourself constantly. Doing less pushups one week is probably alright, but you should be prepared and psych yourself up to do better the next!

3) Don't become a diet freak!: We are all human beings, and we all love to indulge. The difference is, when you are living a healthy lifestyle, you should keep your indulgences to a minimum. Should you sit down and eat a bag of Doritos in one sitting, probably not. Can you have a small piece of cheesecake after dinner every once in a while? Absolutely! You are better off to have a treat every now and then rather than binging some time because it has been 6 months since you had a chocolate chip cookie.

4) Check yourself out: I said previously that you should not base your motivation strictly on your looks, and I stand by that. However, when you pass a mirror, give yourself a flex and remind yourself how hard you have been working. You should not solely base your motivation on looks, but its nice to see some results too!

Change...

As time continues to tick by, we are all busy with our lives; working, going to school, exercising, carrying on with a hobby, or whatever else it may be that you decide to spend your time on. Without getting too philosophical or spiritual here, we all have a set amount of time on this earth. Who knows what happens after we die, you make your own beliefs and assumptions on that, I am not going to do that for you. What I will do though is give you this one thought that you can chew on for a while.

"Change is inevitable. Changing for the better or for the worse is a choice. Don't worry, if you don't choose the choice will be made for you."

What I mean by this is that we are all changing. As we age, everyone and everything around you changes. Small changes happen every day, such as how you style your hair, or what you wear to work/school. The weather changes, the gas prices change, there are hundreds of small changes you see every day!

Our bodies and minds change every day as well. There may be small changes that go unnoticed from day to day, but over time, these small changes accumulate into noticeable differences. For example, if an individual was to be exercising and eating well and losing even 1/10th of a pound a day, they may not notice much change as they look at themselves in the mirror every day. However, in a few weeks time, you may see an old friend and they will comment on how well you look!

Everyone experiences these changes as well in people they have not seen in a while Maybe you have an old friend you have not seen in weeks/months/years and finally see them again and notice how much they have changed for the good or bad.

My point here, is that change in inevitable! Everyone goes through good changes and bad changes whether it be financial changes, health changes, social changes, etc. There are a lot of things in our lives that change from time to time that we have no control over, (gas prices for example, but that is a whole other topic on its own!) but there are many many ways we can all change our lives for the better by making proper choices.

Yes, I am getting back into that topic of choice again that I posted about previously. But in all honesty, the way you control your health/body changes is one of the most important changes you can control. Everyone ages, but only those that have their choices made for them actually get older...and a lot faster I might add. Your body will change, it is now up to you to decide if you want it to change in a good way, or a bad way.

Making the commitment to exercise and make healthy diet choices every day will encourage very good changes within your body. Every day you choose to get up and do a workout, you are already changing your body in a positive manner. Sleeping in late, eating terribly throughout the day, allowing stress to run your life, smoking, not exercising, overeating, staying up too late, these are all choices that you make that creates negative change for your body and makes you get old.

Relating back to that quote again, "Change is inevitable. Changing for the better or for the worse is a choice. Don't worry, if you don't choose the choice will be made for you" also means that not making a choice to change for the better by not exercising or making smart diet choices, trust me, your change will be chosen for you!

Stretching/Flexibility

There are many benefits and advantages to keeping a flexible body, but there can also be risks related to stretching. Many different doctors, physiotherapists and trainers have also changed their opinions on stretching over the years. I have done some research on the matter that I can share with you below. Please note that if you have any further questions regarding stretching or stretching an injury, etc. please seek medical advice as the information I have below is based on recreational use only!

Stretching Before a Workout
There is no doubt that there are a wide range of opinions and ideas surrounding the topic of pre-workout stretching. Some athletes swear by the idea of a full warm-up with a good stretch session before every workout, and then there are bodybuilders and trainers who believe that no matter what type of exercise you are performing, you receive enough stretching while completing an exercise itself.

For example, if I was to be working out my legs with some squats or leg presses, the actual motions carried forth while completing a squat is actually stretching the muscle as I work it.

A study was completed by David A. Lally, Ph.D., an exercise physiologist at the University of Hawaii-Manoa. He studied marathon runners and the effects pre-workout stretching had on their bodies. I am sure you could google his full study, but for this blog, I will summarize his results. He actually found that for the most part stretching had little to no effect on preventing injury before a marathon for his test subjects. In fact, Caucasian males actually had a greater risk of injury if they stretched pre-run. He concluded that there were no benefits to stretching before a workout.

My own personal opinion on the matter is that I feel much better beginning a workout, whether it be cardio training or resistance training, after I have completed at least a 5-10 min. warm-up consisting of mild cardio, and then some static and ballistic stretching.

Static stretching is stretching a muscle in a held position. This is the type of stretching most people think of when they hear 'stretching'. As example of a static stretch would be a hamstring forward-bend stretch where you are reaching to touch your toes, held for 15-20 seconds.

Ballistic stretching is stretching with movement. Whether it be jogging while kicking yourself in the butt (stretching the thighs) or swinging your arms open and closed to hug yourself (stretching chest and back).

Once I have completed some light warm-up and a bit of a stretch, my muscles are more open for blood flow and slightly warm to head into exercise. Also try exercise-specific ballistic stretching to prepare. For example, if you are going to be playing soccer, you may want to do some walking lunges or deep prayer squats. This creates a much more efficient warm-up and stretch of those leg muscles to prepare for the desired activity.

Stretching During a Workout
A coworker of mine mentioned to me at how he was doing leg presses at the gym, where he had completed a few sets, and went back for one more set and felt that his hamstring had been pulled. But the weird thing was, it was as though he had pulled it while getting back into position for the movement rather than the movement itself. I told him I felt as though he may have left too much time in between sets and allowed his muscles to get tight and cold.

It is of best interest to keep your body active and warm even in between sets of resistance, or between sets if you are completing an interval-style cardio workout. There are many advantages to keeping your body moving and doing mild ballistic stretching in between sets.

Circuit training is so efficient for this as you may do some bicep curls, then go and do tricep presses, then a leg press, then back to the bicep curls. While following a circuit style of training, you are able to stay warm in between sets on a specific muscle group, but are able to workout different muscle groups while resting the one(s) you just blasted.

Keeping your heart rate up with mild ballistic stretching in between sets allows you heart rate to stay up at a decent level, keeping your body and muscles warm so that your muscles stay flexible preventing injury. One major bonus to between-set ballistic stretching is that your blood can then clean up and carry away all of that lactic acid bath buildup in your muscles and allows you to be rested and ready to hit another set with intensity!

Stretching After a Workout
I would say that stretching after a workout is far more beneficial than stretching before. You want to begin your cool down with some ballistic stretching, however, so that you can start to bring your heart rate down. Ballistic stretching is great in this regard as you are able to keep moving at a reduced pace to your workout, yet stretching at the same time. Once your heart rate has come down to a reasonable level, you can begin to really focus on some stretching of your main muscle groups with some static stretching like toe touches, etc. Do not hold static stretches for too long however, as you want to try and stretch your whole body while your blood is still pumping at a decent level to clean away all of that lactic acid buildup.

After a workout, muscles are often fairly tight - and in some cases are even close to going into a spasm - after a very strenuous workout ends. At that point, stretching is a fine way to transform a hypercontracted muscle into a relaxed collection of fibres which can comfortably adapt to the more passive activities which follow a training session.

Stretching as a Workout
Now we have already discussed at how stretching should be completed before and after cardio and resistance workouts, but what about a nice long stretch as a workout!

Yoga is a great example of this. With yoga, you are able to get the body really warm and active while maintaining good form and stretching all of those muscles, ligaments and connective tissues, strengthening yet stretching at the same time to increase blood flow.

A full-body stretch is great to complete at least once a week, especially if you are working the rest of your body so strenuously. This allows your body to really open up and increase blood flow to all muscle groups to allow them to repair and rebuild.

Here are a list of benefits from regular stretching:

Increased flexibility and better range of motion of your joints - Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring. Flexibility tends to diminish as you get older, but you can regain and maintain it.

Improved circulation - Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Blood flowing to your muscles brings nourishment and gets rid of waste byproducts in the muscle tissue. Improved circulation can help shorten your recovery time if you've had any muscle injuries.

Better posture - Frequent stretching can help keep your muscles from getting tight, allowing you to maintain proper posture. Good posture can minimize discomfort and keep aches and pains at a minimum.

Stress relief - Stretching relaxes tight, tense muscles that often accompany stress.

Better Balance - Maintaining the full range of motion through your joints keeps you in better balance. Coordination and balance will help keep you mobile and less prone to injury from falls, especially as you get older.

STAY in Shape!

Simple enough title right?

Those of you that know me well know that I am a big fan of the New York Yankees. I am therefore a HUGE Derek Jeter fan.

There was an article in Sports Illustrated a few years back that let the reader in on Jeter's personal life a little bit. One key factor that the interviewer touched on was Derek's fitness regime.

Derek said that when he was younger, and broke into the league, he stayed in shape all season long and then took a few months off. But now that he is getting older, he finds it is much easier to 'stay in shape' rather than 'get in shape'.

He said that after the baseball season completes, he likes to take a little bit of time off, but then gets right back into the swing of things (ha!) and works out hard in the offseason.

Although Derek is a professional athlete, this same mentality can and should be followed by those fitness-minded individuals. A lot of times, people start a workout program and then a few things happen;

1) They experience a lot of pain via sore muscles and exhaustion, so they give up on their workout plan shortly after beginning because things are 'too hard'.

2) They continue to fight through the pain, complete a few months of exercise, then go back to their sedentary lifestyles. This is fine, but 6, 8, 12 months down the road when they feel like getting back into a routine, they experience that same pain and exhaustion they had at the beginning of their last round...rinse and repeat.

The most ideal scenario here would be to dedicate yourself to lifelong fitness so that you are continually growing and making yourself stronger, faster, healthier.

Think of fitness as climbing a descending escalator. Scenario 1 above would be somebody starting at stair 1 and climbing up a stair at a time. Since they are out of shape, each stair is quite difficult, in fact, many people try to tackle 2 stairs at a time for 'faster' results, and end up discouraging themselves, quitting, and having the escalator carry them back down to ground level.

Scenario 2 would be an individual starting on stair 1, and taking things 1 stair at a time for a few weeks/months, then when they feel they have reached a 'high enough' level, they let their bodies travel back down to the ground floor. Then, weeks, months, or years later when they decide they wish to exercise again, they have to start all over from stair 1.

Wouldn't you rather take a stair at a time, every day, getting yourself into a routine, so that as you age and grow older, the stairs actually become easy, then you find yourself taking 2 stairs at a time, or 3 or even 4!

Now there are going to be a few days here and there that you are busy, or have a cold/flu/some other illness side tracking you. But if you minimize the amount of time you take off, then you can keep a steady pace and never have to travel back down to the ground level.

10 Reasons to Give up Soda

This is an article I read a little while ago by a man named Steve Edwards. Steve is a mountain climber and health enthusiast. He makes some valid points in his article below!

Well, here it is ladies and gents. A cumulative (albeit short) list on why you should stop drinking soda (pop). There are some great points to be made in this list, and many more that are not on this list. Either way, a serious read through this should entice you to give up the drink. And beware, don't think Diet Soda drinkers are any better off, read the whole list and you will see why.

Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda
By Steve Edwards

If you're looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It's the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It's cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means that it will take some willpower to avoid. We present: our top 10 reasons to give up soda. Drumroll please . . .

10. Soda may cause cancer. According to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, consuming two or more soft drinks per week increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by nearly twofold compared to individuals who did not consume soft drinks. As reported, the study "followed 60,524 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study for 14 years. During that time, there were 140 pancreatic cancer cases. Those who consumed two or more soft drinks per week (averaging five per week) had an 87 percent increased risk compared with individuals who did not."

Then why, you're probably asking yourself, is this number ten on our list and why is soda even still on the shelf? Not that I'd challenge the ability of such large corporate power to hide such a thing but, in this case, the study slit its own throat. As one of the researchers noted, "soft drink consumption in Singapore was associated with several other adverse health behaviors such as smoking and red meat intake, which we can't accurately control for," meaning that we have no way of knowing, for sure, if soda was the culprit. Still, it doesn't hurt to know that when you drink soda it lumps you into a fairly unhealthy user group.1

9. It's not just about calories. Calories grab headlines, but recent science is showing that diet soda users are still in the crosshairs. A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center showed that there's a 41 percent increased risk of being obese—and a 65 percent increased risk of becoming overweight during the next 7 or 8 years—for every can of diet soda a person consumes in a day. Admittedly, this one should be higher on the list, but I wanted to make sure the article-skimming crowd knew the score up front: that diet sodas are very much a part of the problem.

8. It's the water . . . and a lot more. Okay, so that was a beer slogan, but soda is also made up mainly of water, and when you're slinging as much of it as they are, and you need to sling it cheap, sometimes you can't help but run into problems with your supply chain. In India, Coca-Cola® has found itself in hot water, and not the kind they thought they were purchasing rights to. Two of their factories have been closed, but one continues to run amok. According to a report in The Ecologist, "They accuse the company of over-extracting groundwater, lowering the water tables and leaving farmers and the local community unable to dig deep enough to get to vital water supplies."

"Since the bottling plant was opened in 2000, water levels in the area have dropped six metres, and when a severe drought hit the region earlier this year the crops failed and livelihoods were destroyed."2

7. BPA: not just for water bottles anymore. Nalgene® and other water bottle companies took the heat when the dangers of bisphenol A (BPA) were made public a couple years back. While these companies went to great lengths to save their businesses, the soda companies somehow flew under the radar and continue to use it in their products. A recent Canadian study has found that BPA exists "in the vast majority" of the soft drinks tested. Most of these were under the national limits set for toxicity, but some were not. And remember how much soda the average person consumes, meaning odds are most soda consumers are at some risk.

"Out of 72 drinks tested, 69 were found to contain BPA at levels below what Health Canada says is the safe upper limit. However, studies in peer-reviewed science journals have indicated that even at very low doses, BPA can increase breast and ovarian cancer cell growth and the growth of some prostate cancer cells in animals."3

6. Can convenience. As in the 1950s colloquial: can it. Speaking of the 1950s, those were the happy days when most of our soda was consumed at soda fountains, obesity was a term hardly anyone had heard of, and the most feared epidemic was one of atomically mutated insects taking over the world. Now instead of hoofing it down to the corner confectionery for one soda, we fill out trucks with pallets of shrink-wrapped cans or bottles and quaff the stuff by the six-pack. Not to mention how out of balance this ensures our diets will become, it wreaks havoc on the world around us. The bottled-water industry (which is mostly owned by the soda industry) famously uses 17 million barrels of oil a year, and the aluminum industry uses as much electricity as the entire continent of Africa. Not only that, aluminum mining accounts for a ton of toxic chemicals that is left behind for every ton of the metal produced.4

5. Frankenfood factor. Whether you consume diet or regular soda, you're getting all of the genetically modified food you need and more, via high fructose corn syrup or aspartame. Both of these are under plenty of scientific as well as anecdotal scrutiny. Findings aren't pretty but, so far, this multibillion-dollar industry has kept these sweeteners on the shelves while alternative sweeteners meeting cost requirements are explored. Since it's almost impossible to read health headlines without finding one of these ingredients in some type of controversy, I'll just use one example:

"The Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition and food safety advocacy group, called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to review the claims, which stem from research conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation in Italy.

The foundation reported that rats who consumed aspartame in exceedingly large quantities were more likely to develop cancer. CSPI executive director Michael Jacobson considers this an important finding that should not be overlooked." 5

I know, there I go again with the cancer. But some people need to be shocked in order to take action. For me, seeing the Diet Coke® and Mentos® experiment was all I needed to swear off the stuff.

4. Foreign news cares how much soda we sell in our schools. How bad is your country's problem when the whole world is watching its daily actions? "Nearly one in three children and teenagers in the U.S. are overweight or obese and health experts say sugary drinks are part of the problem." Yep, bad. The world is well aware of the problems soda is causing and is looking to us to lead. And we certainly are trying. Are you with the program?

"Under the voluntary guidelines, in place since 2006, full-calorie soft drinks were removed from school canteens and vending machines. Lighter drinks, including low-fat milk, diet sodas, juices, flavoured waters and teas were promoted in their place."6

And, while great and all, it appears that no one got the memo about diet sodas.

3. Diet? Um, that's just like your opinion, man. When it comes to soda, treat the word "diet" as a slogan. A study at Boston University's School of Medicine linked diet soda with increased risk factors for heart disease and diabetes. To be more specific, the study "found adults who drink one or more sodas a day had about a 50 percent higher risk of metabolic syndrome," which is a cluster of risk factors such as excessive fat around the waist, low levels of "good" cholesterol, high blood pressure, and other symptoms that lead to heart disease and/or diabetes. And, for those of you only concerned about how you look in the mirror, "Those who drank one or more soft drinks a day had a 31 percent greater risk of becoming obese."

2. Soda outkills terrorists. A study out of the University of California, San Francisco, shows that soda has killed at least 6,000 Americans in the last decade.

From ABC News: "The new analysis, presented Friday at the American Heart Association's 50th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, offers a picture of just how horrifying the damage done by excess consumption of sugary drinks can be.

Using a computer model and data from the Framingham Heart Study, the Nurses Health Study and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, researchers estimated that the escalating consumption between 1990 and 2000 of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages, which they abbreviated as 'SSBs,' led to 75,000 new cases of diabetes and 14,000 new cases of coronary heart disease.

What's more, the burden of the diseases translated into a $300 million to $550 million increase in health care costs between 2000 and 2010."7

1. It's the "real thing" . . . not exactly. Should having the number one caloric source in the world come from something that's entirely manmade be a metaphor for a dying world? It doesn't have to be this way. After all, there's nothing in soda that we need. In fact, there's nothing in soda that even comes from the earth except caffeine, and that's optional. It's a mixture of altered water (injected with carbon dioxide gas), artificial flavors (yes, "natural flavor" is artificial), artificial color, and phosphoric acid, along with its sole caloric source that is a by-product of genetically modified corn production and offers virtually no nutritional value. It's about as real as The Thing.

1. Sources:
2. 1 http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/aafc-sdc020310.php
3. 2 http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/373906/cocacola_just_part_of_indias_water_freeforall.html
4. 3 http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/03/05/popcans.html
5. 4 http://www.pacinst.org/topics/water_and_sustainability/bottled_water/bottled_water_and_energy.html, http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/books/eco/eech6_ss3
6. 5 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/story?id=3317079&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312
7. 6 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8557195.stm
8. 7 http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/study-sugary-drinks-lead-early-grave/story?id=10019518