The Time to Exercise

Do you relate to this:   http://thestir.cafemom.com/healthy_living/4946/finding_time_to_exercise?

I wanted to write this article because I found myself having a hard time working out.  My background:  I'm a single woman without kids, work odd hours, have responsibilities outside work, and am studying for an extremely taxing exam. 

(It is a pet peeve of mine when people tell me they are "more busy than the average person.")

My personal opinion is that we find time for what we like to do.  Find an exercise activity that you enjoy and time will magically appear.

Finding time:

• Prepared- Keep sneakers in your car
• Flexible- Break workouts up into mini-routines, squeeze them in when you can
• Initiative- The hardest part is getting started.  Go for 10 minutes, then do more if you feel like it
• Priority- Make it a firm part of your schedule and arrange other things around your workout
• Plan-  the night before, write out what you are going to do
• Experiment- Maybe Bootcamp isn't your cup of tea and jogging sounds like self-inflicted water boarding, there are other options
• Socialize-  Make it a family activity, meet friends and workout
• Multitask- while your kids are at soccer practice, jog around the outside of the field, run the bleachers, jump rope, squat, push up, get other parents involved
• Play- go sleigh riding with your kids, play tag, toss a ball around, go for a walk, jog, or bike ride, do pull ups on the monkey bars (There's lots more here)
• Intensity- A good workout does not need to take a lot of time. 
• High Intesity Interval Training- 1 minute of comfortable pace, 1 minute of everything you've got (FAT MELTER).  If you can do more than 20 minutes, you've done it wrong.  If you only do 10 minutes - that's fine!
• Tabata - 20 seconds everything you've got, 10 seconds full stop, 8x 4 MINUTE TOTAL WORKOUT
• Bodywieght exercises- can be done anywhere, and you're lifting at least 100lbs! (bodyweight)
• Squats
• Push ups
• Dips
• Pull ups
• Sit Ups
• Chin-Ups
• Burpees
• Lunges
• Plank
• Compound Exercises-
• Clean and Press
• Floor Wipers
• Squat/Military Press
• Lunge/Bicep Curl
• Romanian Deadlift/Row

If you still don't believe you have time to exercise, please let me know.  I am confident I can find some time or some exercise you want to do that will get you moving!

USDA: Overfed and Undernourished

Try an experiment:  for three days eat donuts for breakfast, fast food for lunch, chips and or cookies for a snack, and pizza or chicken tenders for dinner.  Eat all the foods that you CRAVE so badly but deny yourself.

Pay attention to how you feel, your stomach, your head, your energy level, your hunger and satiety.  If you really want to push it, go to the gym during this time. 

Then evaluate how much your body is craving these foods.

This is because, as decades of reports repeat, we are not consuming essential nutrients but we are eating too much food.  How does this work?

"Food is produced to maximize profit rather than nutrition or accessibility to the neediest."  (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/14/AR2008081402463.html?sid=ST2008081503039)  For those of us in the US, this means that people eat the less expensive, nutritionally barren food and then eat too much of it.

Are we really saving money this way?  What is the cost difference between a month's worth of nutritionally dense food and junk?  Does eating junk leave us hungrier, causing us to eat and buy more junk than we would if we got the nutrition we need fro more expensive food?  Include the cost of synthetic vitamins we take to supplement our diets.  Then, think about medical expenses from poor nutrition.  And I won't attempt to put a monetary value on quality of life differences.

Exercise and Aging

As we age, our bodies sag, we loose muscle and strength, and we get weaker.  Experts say that the average male weighing 180 lbs can loose up to 10 pounds per decade of muscle.  Women are reported to start loosing 1 lb of muscle every decade after age 30. 

It’s part of the natural aging process, right?

Changing Our Mindsets

Research form the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise reports that adults who begin lifting weights after age 50 may prevent age-related muscle loss.  When you strain a muscle, you force the body’s natural muscle-building response to repair the damage, building more muscle to prevent injury in the future.  Muscle builds and increases in size.

In addition to building muscle, weight training builds bone mass as well, a real bonus for people with osteoporosis. 

One study found that in more than 1,300 adults over age 50, muscle mass could be increased by 2.5 lbs in 5 months on average.  The more intense the weight lifting program, the more intense the results were. 

Benefits of Muscle Strength

One of the most common reasons seniors are admitted to the hospital is injury due to falls.  Muscle strength increases the mass protecting bones, increased bone mass reduces severity of injury, and strength will decrease recovery time.  The longer someone stays in bed after an injury the greater the risk of complications such as pneumonia and MRSA.

Superficially, muscle mass stays firm, unlike fat tissue which wrinkles and sags.  Build up the muscle to stay firm under your skin and look younger too. 

Caution
If you haven't worked out in awhile, proceed with caution.  Going to extremes can cause more harm than good.

Get clearance from your doctor including any restrictions you may have.  This will give you more confidence that you are strong enough to proceed.

Hire a personal trainer.  We know how to teach you correct form, how to look for weakness and create a personalized program for youto foster balance - key to preventing injury!, and how you should progress.  Muscle strain can cause pain, we know what is normal and tricks to prevent pain to keep you on the right track without getting frustrated.

For more information read:
http://www.kimt.com/content/localnews/story/Strength-Training-and-Seniors/vi_lmof8OE6XPCV933GCbg.cspx

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/21/133776800/seniors-can-still-bulk-up-on-muscle-by-pressing-iron
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-living/ci_17458762?nclick_check=1
http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/oldsuperman/

Turnip Pear Puree

• 2 Turnips (or 1 Rutabaga)
• 2 Pears
• 1/4 small Onion
• 2 TBSP I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Stick
• 1/4 C Fat Free Half and Half

• Peel and Chop Turnips and Pears into 1" Pieces

• Place Turnips in sauce Pan, cover with water and Boil Partially covered (Turnips float so make sure there is enough water to boil and put pears in later), about 10 minutes
• Add Pears and boil, partially covered about 5 minutes
• When soft, drain

• In same saucepan, melt I Can't Believe it's not butter
• Chop Onion 

•  Cook onions in margarine until translucent
• Return Pears and Turnips to sauce pan with onions and margarine

•  Pears and turnips are moist and will release fluid
• Cook until fluids run thick and syrupy

•  Add Fat Free Half and Half
• Puree in Blender, with Mixer, or Hand Blender

•  Simmer to desired consistency

•  Can be made in advance and re-heated

Nutrition Information Per 1/2 Cup Serving
Calories:  60
Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrate:  8g
Protein:  1 gram

Menu Idea:
With Chicken, roasted with apple, onion, and rosemary
Broccoli sauteed with pine nuts
Spinach salad with Pear, Walnut, and goat cheese

Turnips:  High in Vitamin C
Pears:  High in Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C

The Key to Consistency

We all know that exercise tremendously beneficial; however sticking to an exercise program is a major obstacle for many people.  An issue in health promotion is how to facilitate adherence to regular exercise.[1]  Consistent exercisers experience significantly less decisional struggle and higher coping self-efficacy, intention, and positive affect compared to inconsistent exercisers.[2] 
People who are committed to exercising regularly just do it. 

What makes people stick to an exercise regimen?

Research suggests that intrinsic motives for physical activity creates long term adherence to exercise programs.[3]  Intrinsically motivated behaviors are those performed for the satisfaction gained from engaging in the activity itself.  Enjoyment comes from feeling competent and having interest in the activity.[4]  Intrinsic motivation for exercise leads to feeling energized, confident, and satisfied in performing exercise.  Where extrinsic, body related reasons are the primary motivation, the results are different.[5] 

Extrinsically motivated behaviors are performed in order to obtain rewards or outcomes that are separate from the behavior, such as desires to improve appearance or fitness.[6]  Extrinsically motivated individuals typically enjoy the exercise activity itself less than those who are internally motivated.[7]

When starting a new fitness program, short-term weight loss is facilitated by focus on diet.  Long term weight management is related to change in exercise motivation, specifically intrinsic motivation.[8]

Feelings of competence and autonomy are positively related to more self-determined exercise regulations, which are positively related to exercise behavior, attitudes, and physical fitness.  Exercise behavior mediated the relationship between self-determined motives and physical fitness, and both identified and intrinsic exercise regulations contributed significantly to the prediction of attitudes.[12]

Consistency comes from enjoyment

How do we become more intrinsically motivated to participate in fitness activities long term?

Social motives, although extrinsic to exercise activity, may contribute to adherence because social interaction can add to enjoyment, which is critical to adherence.[9]

Body related motives, fitness and appearance do not lead to sustained exercise.  Greater motivation appears to be associated with greater task enjoyment.[10]

People who have more positive feelings about exercise experience significantly lower decisional struggle and higher coping self-efficacy compared to those with negative association.[11] 

 

Look for exercise that you like, find challenging, and are good at doing

So, to stick with an exercise program consistently, find something you like doing and some fun people to do it with. 

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[1] Richard M. Ryan, Christina M. Frederick, Deborah Lepes, Noel Rubio, and Kennon M. Sheldon; Intrinsic Motivation and Exercise Adherence, Int. J. Sport Psychol. (1997), 28:  335-354.

[2] Nancy C. Gyurcsik, Lawerence R. Brawley, Nicolette Langhout; Acute Thoughts, Exercise Consnstency and Coping Self-Efficacy; Journal of Applied Social Psychology (Oct 2002) Vol 32(10), 2134-2153,

[3] Ryan, et. al.  supra note 1.

[4] Id.

[5] Id.

[6] Id.

[7] Id.

[8] Pedro J. Teixeira, Scott B. Going, Linda B. Houtkooper, Ellen C. Cussler, Lauve L. Metcalfe, Rob M. Blew, uis B. Sardinha, Timothy G. Lohman,: Exercise Motivation, Eating and Body Image Variables as Predictors of Weight Control; Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (January 2006) Vol 38(1), p. 179-188.

[9] Ryan, et. al.,  supra note 1.

[10]Id.

[11] Gyurcsik, et. al. supra note 2.

[12] Philip M. Wison, Wendy M. Rodgers, Chris M. Banchard, Joanne Gessell:  The Relstionship Between Psychological Needs, Self-Determined Motivation, Exercise Attitudes, and Physical Fitness; Journal of Applied Social Psychology (Nov 2003) Vol 33(11), 2372-2392.

Winter Workout Series: Outdoor Workouts

First a confession:  I have never done any of these activities.  But, I have thought about doing them.  (That's the first step, right?)

Here are some Outdoor Winter activities, the type of physical benefits that can be derrived from them, and exercise that help improve performance.

Skiing- Flexibility, Strength, Endurance, Core training

• One leg squats
• Leg Extensions
• Plyometrics
• Sprints
• Agility Drills
• Hills
• Stair Climbing
• Box Jumps
• Hamstring Stretch
• Quad Stretch
• Core Twists
• Balance Boards

Snowboarding- Cardiovascular, legs strengthening, flexibility, core balance, agility, mental focus

• Pushups
• Static Squat
• Core rotation and stretch
• Squat (add a jump)
• Romanian Deadlifts
• Dips
• Lunge, rear leg lift, lateral raise (to work your balance)
• Medicine Ball Throws
• Hyperextensions
• Balance front raises on one leg
• Tuck Jumps
• One Leg Balance Pick Up (stand on one leg, squat and pick up a weight on the side, raise weight over head and lower, repeat on left)
• Balance Board
• Front and Back Jumps
• Calf Raises
• Pull Ups

Snowshoeing- Cardiovascular, endurance, fat loss

• Burns more calories per hour than running!
• Elliptical

Cross Country Skiing- Shoulder, back, chest, abs, glutes, legs, cardiovascular

• Push ups
• Sit Ups
• Lunges
• Flexibility training
• Running
• Walking
• Elliptical
• Swimming

There are still a few weeks left to winter.  Maybe I'll brave the cold and give one of these a shot.

Oatmeal and Egg Whites

My favorite breakfast!

Bodybuilders and weight lifters know that the two best foods for breakfast are oatmeal and egg whites.  Oatmeal provides complex carbohydrates for energy in the morning and egg whites are pure protein for muscle repair.  Lifters combine the two into one dish, which is trickier than it sounds, and when done correctly is tastier than it sounds.

I like quick oats, because I find them satisfying and easier to cook when I am lazy.

For my nutritional needs, considering carbs and protein, I use 1/2 C water and 1/4 C oats to 6 egg whites.

• Boil water
• Add Oats and egg whites simultaneously
• Wisk frequently
• Cook until no fluid remains

This won't taste very good.  So, here are a few suggestions:

• Add Healthy Fat to sustain you! 
• Slivered almonds,
• Chopped Walnuts
• Ground Flax Seeds
• Nut Butters
• Try some sweetener:
• Honey
• Maple Syrup
• Agave Nectar
• Fruit or dried fruit
• Jam or preserves
• Brown Sugar
• Some popular combinations:
• Slivered almonds, honey
• Cinnamon, Stevia, 1/2 banana, honey
• Dried Cranberries, Walnuts, Cinnamon, Honey
• Fresh apple, Cinnamon, Maple Syrup
• Strawberry preserves, pecans
• Flax Seeds, Dried fruit

It took several failed attempts to discover how to cook oatmeal and egg whites, and enjoy them.  Now, it is my favorite breakfast because it is quick, tasty, versitile, and sustaining.

Give it a shot . . . or two.

Supersets

Supersets:  Combining two exercises without rest

There are 2 official ways of doing supersets, but I am going to refer to a third as well.

The first form of superset is done by performing two exercise for the same muscle group, for example bench press combined with pec deck, which both target the chest.  This technique can be used to fatigue the muscle, building endurance and strength.  Plan on lifting less than you would during single set exercises. 

The second superset is done with antagonistic muscles for example bench press with lat pulldowns, targeting the chest and back.  This technique can be done to save rest time and reduce time spent at they gym.  It will also keep your cardiovascular system working.

The third superset I would consider would use supplemental muscles, for example bench press, shoulder press, and/or tricep extensions.  The Bench Press uses the chest, but also involves the shoulders and triceps.  The shoulders and triceps become fatigued, and can be exhausted while saving time by skipping rest.

This technique will give you a gratifying muscle pump, increase productivity, and make you more involved in your training.  You will not have time to daydream or socialize, and will have to concentrate on your workouts!

Seasonal Eating: Winter Vegetables

Less then a mile from my house there is a farm stand, a little green shack on a curve in the road.  The same family has owned it for years and they know their customers by name.  It is open from the beginning of spring when local farmers begin to produce, until the end of the upstate NY growing season after the first frost.

I like to stop by every day to see what they have and have experimented with some vegetables I've never heard of, with recipes from the daughter.

Now the driveway is covered in snow and my vegetable consumption has declined.  I decided to look for some simple winter vegetable recipes to try out.

http://www.joycekingman.com/NE.htm

Vegetables

• beets
• burdock (gobo)
• cabbage
• celeriac
• daikon*
• garlic
• horseradish
• Jerusalem artichoke
• kale**
• kohlrabi**
• leeks**
• mushroms
• onions—red and yellow
• parsnips
• potatoes
• rutabagas
• shallots
• sprouts
• sweet potatoes
• turnips
• winter squash

Fruits

• apples
• apple cider
• pears

Winter Squash

http://nefoodguide.cce.cornell.edu/files/all/how_to_use_this_guide.pdf

Cut winter squash in half, scoop out the seeds, place upside down in one inch of water in a baking pan, and microwave for 10-15 minutes on high or bake in a conventional oven at 350 for 30-45 minutes until soft. For a real treat, drizzle maple syrup over baked squash.

Shred carrots and red cabbage for a colorful winter salad - no lettuce necessary!

Cut root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, and rutabagas into half-inch rounds and steam or roast together for a tasty - and healthy - side dish. Season with dried rosemary for a real treat.

Combine potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and onions with chicken, beef, or beans to make a wonderfully nutritious and hearty stew.

Saute garlic and onions, add cubed carrots and turnips, and season with thyme and oregano for a delicious winter side dish.

Bake potatoes and top them with nonfat yogurt, chopped red onions, and shredded cheese for a quick and easy light meal or side dish.

Boil beets, peel them, then marinate in vinegar and garlic or try shredding raw beets into a salad for a healthy and colorful addition.

Use canned tomato paste or puree as a good source of vitamin C during the winter.

Peel and slice kohlrabi to replace broccoli (which is not harvested in the Northeast during the winter) in most recipes. Kohlrabi can be used cooked or raw and is excellent with carrot sticks at lunchtime or as a snack.

Replace celery, a summertime crop in the Northeast, with celeriac, a closely related root vegetable, as a seasoning in soups.

Blend fruits frozen from summer with low-fat yogurt to make a refreshing treat in the winter.

http://www.theheartofnewengland.com/food/Whats-In-Season.html

Winter Workout Series: Indoor Workouts

Here are some suggestions to get through indoor workouts and keep on track to accomplish your goals.

This is what I stare at while running on the treadmill.

Mental Tricks
On the treadmill I have been alternating a mile with another piece of cardio equipment at an intense pace.  For example, the bike or elliptical at a high level for 5 minutes, Tabata on the Versa climber, or run up the stair climber for 100 steps, Jump Rope for 200 hops, etc.  . . . and hop back on the treadmill for another mile or so and repeat until I am through.

Exercise Classes
Winter is a good time to experiment with new fitness techniques.  Try Boxing, yoga, pilates, spinning, bootcamp, Zumba, Nia, get out there and see what will fit into your schedule!  It keeps things interesting.

Interval Training
Interval training keeps you focused on short term goals.  This takes the form of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Tabata.  Both require a level of intensity that can only be sustained for a short time.  You will get many benefits without spending a lot of time indoors.

Weight Training
Building muscle requires extra nutrition.  Many people eat more and hide under bulky clothing when it is cold out, all the while moving less. 

Take advantage of this behavioral process.  Use the extra calories to build strength, protect your bones, and firm up for the spring.

Hit the weights hard and heavy.  You'll look better on the beach this summer.

New Dietary Recommendations 2010: Implications

Yesterday I summarized the New USDA 2010 Deitary Guidelines.  Reading recommendations such as reduce saturated fat intake from 10% to 7% of daily caloric intake and reduce sodium intake from 2300 mg daily to 1500 mg, I get the feeling that the writers said, "the old recommendations didn't reduce obesity, let's make them even harder to achieve and maybe people will try harder!"

I’ve been reading recommendations by registered dieticians on how to incorporate these new recommendations.  One suggested the key is to “adjust the American taste palate” and another suggested we “eat about a quarter of what you normally eat.”  (I’m not citing because I don’t want to embarrass anyone.)

The one thing I think the USDA and HHS got right, was declaring us "overfed and undernourished."

Notice that even some "healthy" foods are processed

In my opinion, people are eating too much because they are not getting enough nutrition.  We are busy.  We get hungry.  Because we are busy and juggling so many things, we need something to eat quickly and sometimes on the run.  So, we grab something pre-made.  Pre-made foods are processed and preserved.  The more processed and preserved something is, the fewer nutrients and vitamins it has in it.  Our stomachs are satisfied, but our bodies are not getting what it needs.  When our bodies need nutrition, we get hungry.  And the cycle begins again.

I think we need to incorporate more FOOD into our diets and less processed, pre-made, sodium and calorie loaded filler. 

(Which picture looks more appetizing?)

I plan to write one more article on this topic including suggestions as to how to be more nourished and reasonably fed.

New 2010 Dietary Recommendations: Summary

The New 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines came out on January 31, 2011 (really).[i]

Some of the findings include:

• Children are overfed and undernourished
• Children and adults are eating too many calories, fats, sugars, refined grains, sodium
• Diets are dangerously deficient in Calcium, Vitamin D, Potassium, and Fiber

Due to the overwhelming obesity epidemic, updated guidelines recommend:

• Eating a more nutrient rich diet
• Increase omega-3 fats
• Reduce saturated fat from 10% to 7% of total calories
• Reduce sodium from 2,300 mg to 1,500 mg
• Eat more beans, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, seafood, fat free and low fat dairy, poultry, meat, and eggs

What does this mean?

Does all this sound familiar?  We eat too much of the wrong things.  We need to eat differently:  more whole foods and less processed.

Tomorrow, I will discuss how I think we need to work implement these recommendations.

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[i] Executive Summary 2010 USDA Dietary Guidelines; http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/Publications/DietaryGuidelines/2010/PolicyDoc/ExecSumm.pdf

Jack LaLanne's Impact on Women

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it," LaLanne said. "Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."[1]

Jack LaLanne, 96, died on Sunday January 23, 2011 of respiratory failure due to pneumonia. 

I had heard this on the news, and his nickname, the “Godfather of Fitness,” but what I didn’t know is that he was the first to encourage women to exercise.  In 1936 weight training was discouraged for making athletes slow and women “muscle bound” and masculine.  Today, gym memberships and working out are a standard part of the American culture.  LaLanne was the first and went against the popular wisdom. 

“People thought I was a charlatan and a nut,” he remembered. “The doctors were against me — they said that working out with weights would give people heart attacks and they would lose their sex drive.”[2]  We still rely on the medical profession to keep us healthy.  Yet, obesity itself has become an epidemic even though we all know, 75 years later, that the principles LaLanne preached are directly correalted with health.

LaLanne then reached out to women on television.  He drew in children by using his dog Happy perform tricks.  Then, he encouraged the children to drag their mothers in front of the television.[3]   This was before working out was acceptable for anyone.  And women were further discouraged from exercising because it was seen as unfeminine.  Feminity was associated with being the weaker sex.  Never mind health, energy, happiness, confidence, or appearance benefits.

Where would I be if LaLanne had not encouraged women to workout and lift weights?

Besides being my current career, lifting weights has changed my self image.  I don’t care about what I look like or what size I am because I am healthy.  I am happy with my body because of the way it performs.  I feel confident because of the challenges I have been able to accomplish through working out.

LaLanne’s book, “Live Young Forever,” provided his top five fitness tips."It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."[5]

1. Lift weights – “… through his fitness clubs and TV show, he helped Americans realize that strength training isn’t just about baby oil and bulging biceps,” writes Self magazine.  Rather, pumping iron stabilizes joints, boosts metabolism, burns more fat, and keeps you healthier, longer.
2. Eat lots of fiber – “What I do today, I am wearing tomorrow,” LaLanne once said. “If I put inferior foods in my body today, I’m going to be inferior tomorrow, it’s that simple.”
3. Women should exercise, too – LaLanne was encouraging women to the hit the gym, when most health clubs catered only to men.
4. Set lofty goals – At age 42, LaLanne did a record 1,033 pushups in 23 minutes. That swim while reportedly towing 10 boats carrying 77 people.  LaLanne was 66 years old.
5. Don’t put too much stock in the scale – The better gauge is how your clothes fit, how strong and fit you are, and how you feel.[4]

Thank you Mr. LaLanne!

[1] Associated Press Fitness Guru Jack LaLanne Dies at 96, January 24, 2011; http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110124/ap_on_sp_ot/us_obit_jack_lalanne

[2] Richard Goldstein, Jack LaLanne, Founder of Modern Fitness Movement, Dies at 96, New York Times, January 23, 2011:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/sports/24lalanne.html.

[3] Supra note 2

[4] http://www.athomefitness.com/blog/2011/01/27/the-late-jack-lalanne%E2%80%99s-top-five-fitness-tips

[5] Supra note 1

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Unexpected Bonus

Pat's story is one of subtle, gradual, consistent work.  Without realizing it she improved her health and was able to do something she hadn't been able to do in years.  This is why I love working in fitness!

Pat Arnold and Ann Meyer, Photo by Jim Everett

I have been working with a trainer for about 2 months and have seen the results I have worked so hard for; weight loss and a smaller size.  I have a lot more work to do and plan on continuing because I know it works.

    But I have discovered an unexpected bonus.  For the past several years I have had lower back pain that it took very little to trigger.   The change in the height of my shoes, riding in a car for a long time or sitting on a hard, backless chair could set me up for a couple days of pain.  Even at my lowest weight, I couldn't walk in a mall or the length of Walmart on the concrete floors without taking an Advil beforehand.  It was just a fact of life and something I dealt with. 
   
    Over the holidays, what started out as a quick trip to Crossgates turned out to be a nice long walk from one end to the other.  It wasn't until I was back in my car that I realized that my back didn't hurt at all.  Just to be sure it wasn't a fluke, I tried Walmart a few days later.   Same results.   I was just amazed!  No soreness or ache at all.  There have been no other changes in my lifestyle to attribute it to but my training program.

    I don't know much about muscle groups and what they do (Ann's job), but I'm pretty sure that strengthening all of the muscles to do the job they are supposed to do has resulted in my unexpected bonus of no back pain.  One more reason for me to continue with my training.

Winter Workout Series: Winter, Mood, and Exercise

It's snowing again.  I've gone from working out 6 days a week to 3-4.  Shoveling was my physical activity for the first 4-5 storms, but now there is so much  that I can't see over the snow piles. I don't care to shovel any more either.  The thought of going out into the piercing wind, cold, wet, hard to breath air deters me from wanting to leave my house.  But a hot cup of coffee and brownie, or a glass of wine by the fire sound heavenly.  I find myself on my couch, under a blanket, developing new friendships via online chatting than what is normal during the other 3 seasons of the year.


Nice

It is typical during the winter to experience "fatigue, lowered motivation, hypersomnia, increased appetite and weight, irritability and reduced sociability . . ."[1]  Those of us in harsher winter climates are more prone to "carbohydrate craving, prolonged sleep, and weight gain" likely because we are hibernating indoors.[2]

Nasty

Physical exercise in bright light improves mood and health in healthy, working-age people.[3]  Just one week of exercise improved oxygen levels, energy, and weight loss in patients with seasonal depression and exercise alone showed significant therapeutic difference in patients without seasonal depression.[4]

And I moved back to NY from AZ!

So what am I (and you) going to do about the winter sludge?  In the next few weeks I'll talk about indoor workouts, outdoor workouts, and safety to get moving again.

[1] John M. Eagles, The British Journal of Psychiatry (2003) 182: 174-176; http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/182/2/174.

[2] T. Partonen, S. Leppamaki, J. Hurme, and J. Lonnqvist, Randomized trial of physical exercise alone or combined with bright light on mood and health related quality of life, Psychological Medicine, 1998, 28; 1459-1364; http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=25947.

[3] S Leppamaki, T Partonen, J Lonngvist, Bright-light exposure combined with physical exercise elvates mood, Journal of Affective Disorders Vol 72, Issue 2, 139-144, Nov 2002; http://www.jad-journal.com/article/S0165-0327(01)00417-7/abstract.

[4] Boris B. Pinchasov, Alexandra M. Shurgaja, Oleg V. Grischin, Arcady A. Putilov, Mood and energy regulation in seasonal and non-seasonal depression before and after midday treatment with physical exercise or bright light, Psychiatry Research Vol 94(1): 29-42 (24 April 2000); http://www.psy-journal.com/article/S0165-1781(00)00138-4/abstract.

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