4 Things Women Should Be Doing in Their Fitness Training—But Aren’t

4 Things Women Should Be Doing in Their Fitness Training—But Aren’t.

A Little Unstable…

Greetings.  Hope everyone is well and that all New Year’s Resolutions are still intact.  I wanted to share with you today a way to get a little more out of your workouts in a little shorter time.  Take any typical resistance exercise such as bicep curls or lat pull-downs, add in an element of instability and you have increased the effectiveness of the exercise.  Let me explain further.

Think about doing a set of alternating dumbbell curls while standing on firm solid ground.   The instability could be added by balancing on one foot instead or, standing two feet on a thick foam rubber pad.  Now, in addition to working out the biceps you are working out your “core” muscles, those that stabilize the hips/pelvis, spine and shoulders.  The advantages to this are that you are working extra muscles important for balance and daily function, AND burning more calories for an overall more efficient workout.  Here are some more examples.

Try doing squats on a BOSU (look at Google Images), or almost any other exercise that you do standing flat on the ground, instead standing on a BOSU with flat side down.  You can also do sit ups sitting on a physioball or BOSU.  Some of these exercises may be a bit risky for injury for someone who has never done stability work, so using a trainer or spotter or work-out buddy is recommended initially.  Now for some other considerations.

I did a little web research prior to writing this and found a high percentage of articles recommending AGAINST stability training.  Most if not all of the negative reviews that I read were by trainers or those in a closely related field.  There was a definite consistent theme to their criticisms.   They all stated that you will not gain strength or muscle size with stability training and that training on solid ground is better for that.  My response is that I believe that is exactly true.  If your goal is to max out your bench press or curl, or you are wanting to bulk up, stability is NOT the way to go.  However if you are looking for toning and a way to add more trimming or fat loss to a resistance routine, improve the strength of core muscle groups, or just burn more calories in a shorter period of time, stability resistance exercise is a good choice.

Another criticism of theirs is that it is not safe, with most of these comments relating to using free weights, such as dumbbells while using a physioball.  The ball may burst, or you may topple off.  Again, valid concerns, but you can still do a lot of other exercises on the physioball without free weights, AND the physioball is far from the only prop to use to introduce an element of instability.

Bottom line:  My time for working out is much more limited at this time in my life.  I am looking for the most bang for my buck.  A few years ago I was able to lift weights 4 days a week for about 1.5-2 hours, and do about 30 min of cardio 3 times a week.  Now I workout with a trainer once a week for an hour, by myself once a week for an hour, and do cardio for 30 min 1-2 times a week.  I cannot bench or squat as much as I did with my schedule from a few years ago, but my body looks as good if not better, I maintain less than 11% body fat, and feel better with less workout associated pain, all with MUCH LESS investment in time.  I attribute this primarily to 3 things:  working out with a trainer once a week, using instability in my routine, and incorporating plyometrics as well (a subject for a future post).  I don’t care (as much) anymore what my max bench press is or how many inches my biceps are.  I want to be fit, feel good, have my wife say I have a cute tushy, and have others say, “boy you don’t look 43.”  So for me, instability it is.

Get Him to the Greek

Hello to everyone as we wind down 2010.  For today’s post, thought I would throw out some info in support of “Eating like the Greeks.”  Many of you have probably heard of the Mediterranean Diet and that it is supposed to be healthy.  There are various studies which show that following such a diet likely lowers risk for cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attacks and strokes, as well as diabetes.  New studies also show that adherance to such a diet likely slows cognitive decline as well.  See here:  http://tiny.cc/fdlq9.  So that means that if we follow this diet, we should have lower risk of developing conditions like Alzheimer’s, possibly Parkinsons, and other forms of dementia associated with aging.  This lower risk is likely the result of the high level of antioxidants found in the Mediterranean diet. 

So what is so special about this diet?  Most (mainstream) diets touted as healthy today have several similarities.  Primarily all, including the Mediterranean diet, are a plant-based diet rich in fruits and veggies, that also recommend whole grain breads (more fiber) and cereals as opposed to the more U.S. traditional refined (white) bread, rice and pasta.  Typically saturated fat is limited as well.   Some specific recommendations more unique to the Mediterranean diet include the following:

1. Stronger recommendation in favor of certain types of fat, or sources of fat, as opposed to the recommendations limiting fat.  Promotes lots of nuts and using olive oil in place of butter and margarines, so essentially a diet high in the heart healthy Monounsaturated fat, as well as polyunsaturated fat.
2. A stronger recommendation in favor of fish, at least twice weekly, and against red meat, only a few times monthly.
3. Probably a little stronger emphasis given to nuts and legumes (see #1 above.)
4. The spices used in Mediterranean cooking not only substitute for less healthy butter and salt AND taste great, but often contain very healthy nutrients as well, such as different sources of antioxidants.
5. And of course the Mediterranean diet includes red wine most days, which is helpful if you are able to limit yourself to about 5 ounces for women, and 10 ounces for men, daily.  We are learning more and more about the healthy effects of red wine (see Resveratrol) and other alcohols, ALWAYS IN MODERATION, all the time.

For more info on the specifics of Mediterranean diet see the Mayo Clinic website here:  http://tiny.cc/7bqgh.

So Happy New Year, and celebrate with a nice glass of red wine or two, instead of the shot of Jaegermeister!

Post your updates…

In response to a special request, this entry will be where anyone can string in results they would like to share.  That way, we won’t have to look down the strings of several previous blogs to find the success stories that others are posting.  So let the fun begin…

Dashing through the snow…

Hey for those of you who are looking to get fit and don’t want to give up running outdoors just because the temperatures are plummeting (for instance all the way down into the upper 50’s here in Arizona), here are some tips to lessen the pain of butting heads with Mother Nature:

1. Dress in layers.  Innermost should be one of those wicking fabrics like silk or the synthetic polyesters or polypropylene.  Next layer is insulating, most recommendations I see are for fleece.  And the outer layer should be a wind and water resistant material, that could possibly have additional insulation itself.  Benefit of layers is you can always remove one if necessary.  Don’t be afraid to start just a little chilly, you will warm up quickly.
2. Stay hydrated.  Winter weather, while obviously much cooler, is also much dryer.  As we work harder to stay warmer, we are loosing more moisture through our respiration, in addition to sweat.  Good advice to drink more water an hour or two before heading out to exercise, and carrying some water with you if you plan to be out for more than 20-30 minutes.
3. Fuel the fire.  We also can burn extra calories exercising in the cold, so be sure and eat a carbohydrate-rich snack or meal a couple of hours prior to exercise if possible.  For prolonged outdoor activities, consider stashing a power bar or gel pack in one of your pockets to snack on during exercise.
4. Be careful.  Carry your cell phone with you in case of trouble.  Much less daylight hours in the winter so have some reflective material on your outer layers.  If exercising in the snow, wear darker or brighter colors.
5. Law of Traction.  When running in snowy or potentially icy areas, wear shoes with extra traction, with nubs, or shoes such as trailrunners.
6. An ounce of prevention.  Take care to avoid some potential hazards.  Cold dry air can be a trigger for some with asthma.  Start with small sessions of exercise, preferrably with a buddy and close to home, and take your inhaler with you.  Also, in really cold weather, remember to cover all exposed areas of the skin to avoid frostbite (not a really big problem here in Phoenix).  That means wearing gloves and face masks.  And for goodness sakes, do as Grandmother B always said and wear a hat.  Lots of heat lost throught the noggin’ so choose one made of fleece or other insulating material.

Happy Running.

The Benefits of Circuit Training

Hello everybody.  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Perhaps some of you are still staggering through the days in tryptophan-induced semi-comas from eating left over Turkey!  Well for those of you who were serious about making some healthy changes for yourself, and using our 25 year class reunion as motivation, here are some tips on using a form of training called circuit training.  Circuit training uses both aerobic conditioning and strength or resistance training combined to maximize your results in a shorter period of time.  Because of the essentially limitless possibilities of how a routine can be designed, almost anyone can do this.   For instance, if you are a jogger and really don’t like lifting weights or don’t want to go to the gym, you can pause your jogging at regular intervals and incorporate exercises like push-ups, crunches, lunges, etc over several cycles to get a more complete workout.  Conversely, if you love lifting and spend lots of time tossing iron around at the gym, try jumping rope, step-ups or jumping jacks in between sets (instead of going all Arnold Schwarzenegger in front of the mirror).  Briefly, here are the Bene’s of Circuit Training:

1. You get both aerobic exercise and strength/resistance training in a single work out.
2. Beginners avoid the monotony that may contribute to discontinuing a new exercise program.
3. Regular exercisers add variety which will stave off boredom, lack of focus, and possibly injury.
4. Is one of the best ways to alter body composition quickly, i.e. decrease body fat and increase lean muscle mass!
5. You don’t need a gym.  In fact you don’t even have to use any equipment.  Body weight will suffice.
6. Because movement is constant, and you can exercise your entire body, it is one of the most efficient ways of exercising out there.  Great workouts in as little as 15-20 minutes.  More bang for the buck, or a higher Return on Investment, for the bargain conscious!
7. It is completely customizable.  You can adapt your current workouts to a circuit format.  Experiment and adopt your favorite routines.
8. Even within the concept of circuit training you can have variety, doing several different “circuits” over time.  Use a few different ones in the gym, another couple tailored to jogging, some to do at home in front of the TV or in the backyard, and maybe even one to use when you are on the road, in a hotel room.  Endless possibilities!

So give it a try, Google or Bing things like “equipment free circuit training, circuit training while traveling,” etc.   Hope this helps.  Please don’t hesitate to comment.  Happy Holidays!

Making it a little easier

Hey for those of you want to start, or continue, to improve your health in anticipation of our 25th class reunion this next summer, (IT WILL HAPPEN, I JUST KNOW IT!), here is a couple of tips related to working out in a gym.  Consider choosing a gym that is incredibly convenient to get to.  Choose one very close to your house or work.  I had a membership to a pretty nice gym here in Scottsdale that was about 2.5 miles from my house.  Had that membership for over a year and went maybe 3 times.  Then a 24 Hour Fitness opened up across the street from our neighborhood, and that was close enough to get me there.  Going one step further and getting a personal trainer really got me working out regularly.  A personal trainer can be expensive, but that cost was part of what got me committed.  I didn’t want to spend that type of $$ and then waste it.  Plus, I got remarkable results from just two 50 minute work-outs weekly, one with the trainer, then one on my own, doing the same sorts of exercises as I did with the trainer.  That can stretch a package of 25 training sessions out to almost 6 months.  Hope this helps some.   Make the choice to make today a great day!

Playlists you can move to

Okay so as promised, a lighter, shorter, funner post.  Check this out:  www.cadenceapp.com.  This is a great app for iPhone, or you can download a desktop version to use with iTunes.  It analyzes the beat of all the songs in your iTunes library.  Then you can set playlists with nearly same beats to exercise too.  For instance I have a “running” playlist with a beat around 83 bpm.  Built around the song “Mama” by Genesis back in the day.  Incredible running tune.  Also some great adrenaline releasing tunes from Joe Satriani (Remember his album “Surfing with the Alien?”).  I have a power walking playlist and one for fast work on an elliptical trainer.

Take note:  the App was only able to analyze about half my playlist, and got a few wrong.  Sometimes it doubles or halves the correct number.  So if you run around 84 bpm like I do, see what songs have the bpm of 42 and 168 as well.  For songs whose beats change dramatically throughout the song… I just don’t know.  I will post my playlists in a separate comment below.  Enjoy, and move your butt.

9 Processes of Change

This post represents further information from Dr. Prochaska’s book, Changing for Good.  It is a great follow up to the last post from a couple of days ago.  This will describe 9 processes, or strategies, that we can use to help us work our way through the 6 stages of change described in the last post.  As you will see there are certain stages where each process will be more helpful, and some where they would NOT be so helpful.  WHY IS ANY OF THIS IMPORTANT?  To increase our chances at successfully changing a habit or behavior, it will help us to know 2 things.  First, regarding the particular behavior in question, what stage am I in right now (contemplation, preparation, etc)?  Second, what strategies can I apply during this, and subsequent stages that increase my chances of moving forward, and ultimately, of lasting success.  So by taking the info from the last post and this one, we can consider ourselves armed and ready to proceed.  Read on.

1.  Consciousness-raising:   Raising your level of awareness, increasing the amount of knowledge, thereby improving your chances of making solid, intelligent choices regarding any problem behaviors.   The new knowledge might involve something like, “why I eat when I am in stressful situations,” or “what is it about my family that always makes me want to smoke?”  Or the new knowledge may be less personal like how exercise works to lower the risk for several different chronic diseases.  Consciousness-raising is very useful early in the change process, primarily during the precontemplation and contemplation stages.

2. Social liberation:  This involves any new alternatives that the environment can give you to begin or continue to move through the stages of change.  The easiest example is all the Smoke-free restaurants, clubs and work-places that have sprung up over the last several years.  Other examples include the “healthy menu” items that are popping up on many restaurant menus, and advocacy groups like Weight Watchers, mental health support groups and others.  I differ slightly from the book here, and feel that this process can be used beginning in the contemplation stage and continue really all the way through the maintenance stage.

3. Emotional arousal:  I had mentioned the importance of creating and using emotion in an earlier post.  Emotion is a powerful process and motivator.  It is similar to consciousness-raising but on a deeper and usually more personal, feeling level.  Like consciousness-raising, it too is helpful early in the change process, contemplation and preparation.  Examples may include watching videos showing the devastation caused by accidents involving drunk drivers, or shows such as the Biggest Loser for help with emotional motivation to lose weight. 

This is a good time to describe how using a process at the wrong time may be detrimental.  If emotional arousal is used too early, it may backfire.   For example, having a family/friend intervention with an obese person whose lifestyle is putting him at risk for diabetes, heart disease and other health issues, but who is still in the precontemplation stage, perhaps in denial about the existence of any problem at all, or not yet taking personal responsibilty for the problem, and instead blaming other people and circumstances for his eating problem, then he may strike out at those same people who are trying to help, and his wall of denial may be strenghthened and extended.  Likewise, if emotional arousal is used too late, such as during the maintenance stage, then the (usual) negative emotion may counteract any positive feelings and emotions associated with, and fueling,  the progress that the changer is currently making. 

4.  Self-reevaluation:  Involves assessing your values, and determining what kind of person you would have to become to  change you habit or behavior.   This enables you to see how your current behavior is in conflict with your personal values.  Personally, as a physician, with a special interest in health and wellness, I had to ask myself how would it look if I was advising others to be active, exercise and eat healthier if I was overweight, sedentary and running out to McDonald’s for lunch every day.  As I have started this blog and other similar efforts recently, I have had little choice but to start to exercise again, eat healthier, and lose the extra poundage I have been toting around for some time.  Just like emotional arousal, Self-reevaluation is useful during contemplation and preparation.

5.  Commitment:  Ever heard of this one?  Most useful during preparation, action and maintenance, this is where we accept FULL responsibility for where we are and where we want to be, and then consciously choose to make the change.  The first step is private, telling yourself you are going to change, and the second part is public, letting others know of your intentions to change.  Some try to keep their commitments private, but the shame, guilt or embarrassment of public failure make public commitments much more powerful.

6.  Countering:  Simply, substituting a healthy response for unhealthy ones.  So instead of the morning cigarette to help us wake up, we go for a nice brisk walk.  Instead of having to drink alcohol to socialize with family or friends, we choose  a delicious (diet) Shirley Temple instead (this was getting too serious, needed to lighten it up some, read on please.)  Countering obviously is used during the action and maintenance stages.

7.  Environmental Control:  Like countering, is action oriented, used during action and maintenance stages.  But instead of choosing different responses to external stimuli, we are manipulating our environment to decrease the exposure to the triggering external stimuli.  For instance, I choose a different route home from work so that I do not pass the bar where I stop to socialize every night.  I remove all alcohol (cigarettes, unhealthy foods, etc.) from my home.  I choose to change the people with whom I associate to further remove temptation.  Hey no one said this is going to be easy.  Sacrifice will usually be necessary.  To quote Prochaska, “Quitting a habit can require not only an enormous sacrifice of energy, but the pain of others’ disapproval…,” including their disapproval at seeing you choose a healthier habit while they maintain their unhealthy ways.

8.  Rewards:  Like the previous two, used during action and maintenance, and is fairly self explanatory.  Don’t be like me however, and think you can reward yourself just for contemplating change!  Rewards can be as simple as self-praise, but can be more substantial such as a vacation paid for with the money saved by quitting smoking, or one to show off the newly discovered 6 pack of abs that appeared after weeks of healthier choices.  Also rewards can be self-administered, or under the control of others.

9.  Helping relationships:  This one is easy.  This process is helpful throughout the entire process of change.  Even in Precontemplation, the constant encouragement from family and friends, the helpful, non-pushy suggestion of a book or movie, and letting a person know, in a non-threatening way how his habit or behavior effects them and others.  Once a person has voluntarily entered into the process of change, they can request support, and offer others specific requests on how best to help.  Remember, we may elect to change without “professional” help, but that doesn’t mean we should “go it alone” and fail to use the support and caring of those closest to us.  This process is used throughout all the stages of change.

By understanding all of the above, we can not only increase our own chances for success with self change, but can increase our effectiveness in our role of a Helping Relationship for others who are taking on the challenge of change themselves.

Until next time, blessings.

Stages of Change

Be the change you want to see in the world. – Gandhi

Hello everybody.  I hope that everyone has recovered from any self-induced sugar comas that may have occurred over the weekend.  We were incredibly busy.  Emma, our daughter turned 2 on Friday, we celebrated Halloween both Saturday AND Sunday nights attending a couple of huge neighborhood events, had Emma’s major BDay party on Sunday am, and then got her off to her first day of school on Monday.  I need a vacation.

But first, here is the next installment that I hope will be helpful for you.  Last time we talked about a 7-step process you can use alone or with a helper/coach to help move you towards a goal.  Today I want to step back and discuss the stages that one must go through in order to increase the likelihood of successful, permanent change.  This material is from a book titled Changing for Good by James Prochaska, et al, a book I recommend if the following is interesting to you.  To summarize, there are 6 stages that one goes through when changing a behavior:

1. Precontemplation.  This includes people who do not even recognize that there is a problem, someone in complete denial, as well as people who may recognize a problem, but have no desire to even consider changing behavior.  Eg. a person may have 5-6 drinks most evenings, know that it is too much and not healthy, but feels it gives him an advantage with the business dinners he often hosts, or helps him unwind and “deal with” the demanding family life after a long and stressful day of work.  It could be argued effectively that anyone in precontemplation is exhibiting some degree of denial.  Many argue that we cannot completely consciously do things that harm ourselves, and so destructive behaviors must be at least on some level, unconscious or subconscious.  Let the debate rage on.

2.  Contemplation.  Here people acknowledge that they have a problem and start to think seriously about addressing it.  They may have some vague plans on doing something about it in the near future, but have not started preparing or taking any action.  On the other hand, they may be far from taking any action as many people stay stuck in contemplation indefinitely.  People who have successfully quit smoking by themselves (without counseling) stay in contemplation stage for an average of 2 years.

3.  Preparation.  Here people are often planning to take action soon, often with a date set within a month or so.  They are making final adjustments before they begin to change their behavior.  (The next step is “Action”, but often the preparation stage involves actions as well, such as emptying out the fridge of unhealthy items prior to starting the “Action” step of “eating healthier”.)  This is the stage where people will often make their intentions to change publicly known.  People who are UNSUCCESSFUL with change often skip or minimize this stage, failing to consider obstacles or planning a well detailed plan for success.

4.  Action.  This is the money shot, where people make the move for which they have been preparing.  It is probably the busiest stage and requires the greatest amount of time and energy.  Commitment is important here.  Activities here are more visible and receive the most recognition from others.  As Dr. Prochaska points out, there is a danger with equating Action with Change, as it overlooks the importance of the stages leading up to Stage 4, as well as the important stages that follow.

5.  Maintenance.  Change NEVER ends with action.  This is never more evident than with people who have tried numerous diets, sometimes lost remarkable amounts of weight, but always regains the weight and sometimes more.  They failed to consider their changes as permanent lifestyle changes (who could stay on  the Atkins diet forever?) and overlooked the challenges associated with preventing lapses and relapses.  Commitment is very important here.  Maintenance stage can last from several months to a lifetime.

6.  Termination.  Many folks don’t even include this as a stage, believing that folks never can completely let their guard down or else they may relapse.  For addictive behaviors, this is most likely true.  But for the sake of the 6 stages, Termination is when the former behavior or problem presents no temptation or threat, and will never return, WITHOUT any further effort on their part. Likely whether true termination is possible or not is not just dependent on whatever the problem happens to be, but also the person who has undergone the change in behavior.

So that’s it, the 6 stages of change.  Next I am going to outline 9 processes that we can employ at different stages in order to help keep us moving forward in our efforts for successful change.  Hope you got some value from this.  I would love your feedback.