How to ease back into shape this spring and summer

After a long winter of reduced activity or inactivity you might be tempted to get outside and train as soon as the weather improves. You may also be tempted to exercise at the same level you did at the end of the last season. But such enthusiasm often leads to early season injuries. If you changed your routine for the winter, you need to get back into shape slowly. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you head out the door this spring.

1. Slow but Steady. Don’t succumb to the weekend warrior syndrome. Try to get some exercise 3-4 times per week on alternate days. One of the best ways to get injured or sore is to go hard all weekend and do nothing during the week.
2. Monitor Your Level of Exertion. Use the perceived exertion scale, the talk test, or the heart rate range to help you determine an appropriate intensity level. Stay at the lower end of the scale (11-13) and build up over several weeks.
3. Increase Your Training Slowly. Increasing training (mileage, time or amount of weight lifted) more than 10 percent per week increases your risk of injury. To avoid this, increase your training gradually over the weeks.
4. Avoid All-Out Efforts Until You Build a Solid Base of Fitness. Depending upon how much inactivity you had over the winter, it could take as long as 6 weeks to re-establish a solid fitness base. Start your exercise program with slow, steady aerobic sessions. When you add intervals or all-out efforts, make sure you allow enough rest and recovery (at least 48 hours) between those hard effort training days.
5. Follow a Training Program and Keep Records. If you really want to build back up to optimal fitness, it helps to establish a training plan and stick with it. There are many training programs for all types of sports and having one is not only good motivation, but it helps keep you from doing too much too soon.
6. Cut Yourself Some Slack. If you took the winter off, don't expect to be back to peak fitness in a week or two. It's ok to go slow and just enjoy being outside again. There's plenty of summer left, so don't worry about going a bit slower in the beginning.
7. Train With Others at Your Fitness Level. If you can find a few people with the same fitness level and goals as you, it can help keep you progressing at a good pace. Training with those who are farther along will only encourage you to overdo it, get injured or feel ‘behind’ in your training. Workouts with more fit people can be motivating and help you improve, but only after you have a good solid base to work with. Otherwise they can be harmful.
8. Remember to Have Fun. Keep in mind that this is Spring Training which is a time for fun, light-hearted exercise. You aren't competing and you aren't burnt out yet. So just relax and enjoy your activity.
   

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By Elizabeth Quinn, About.com
Updated: February 29, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

©2009 About.com, Inc., a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.

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Ten Ways to Manage Stress Day by Day

Experiencing ongoing stress - even at low levels - can have a negative effect on your health and well-being. That's why stress management isn't something to reserve only for difficult times, but something to practice daily.

1. Catching it early - Signs and symptoms such as headache, gut discomfort, tense muscles and fidgety sleep may be early indicators of too much stress. When you feel stress coming on, take a breath and put your stress management techniques into practice.
2. Exercise - Even a short walk can improve mood and reduce feelings of stress.
3. Eating well - A healthy diet gives you the energy to handle daily stress. Skipping meals and making poor food choices can contribute to fatigue, greater susceptibility to illness and a general feeling of poor health.
4. Setting limits - Saying no to some tasks can help make you more productive and successful with the tasks you choose to take on.
5. Find a friend - Whether listening to you vent your frustrations or offering words of encouragement, friends can provide needed social support. If your friend can make you laugh, all the better, since laughter has been shown to reduce stress and tension.
6. Pleasant distractions - A good book or a movie can help redirect your thoughts from unproductive worry.
7. Relaxing - True relaxation involves a feeling of peace of mind. You may find a hobby or certain exercises particularly relaxing. Meditation, prayer or deep, slow breathing are other ways of feeling calm.
8. Positive thinking - Throughout the day, stop and evaluate the endless stream of thoughts that run through your mind. If they're negative, try to reframe those thoughts in a positive way.
9. Getting help if needed - If stress is affecting your ability to work or find pleasure in life, seek help from your doctor or mental health provider. Getting outside help isn't a sign of weakness. It takes strength to admit that you may need help - and getting help shows good judgment.
   

Fitcorp has Personal Trainers that can help design a program to meet your fitness goals as well as your time constraints. For more information, please contact Sam Berry.

Training Around Injury

By Angelo Gala, Elite Trainer, RKC II

I have fallen and I can’t get up! We all have seen the commercial with the elderly lady who had an unfortunate incident and required the services of a first responder, most likely even more. Being someone too familiar with serious injuries, I can completely empathize how difficult it will be for her to get back up and push her body to its full potential. Most of us don’t realize that doing just that will have so much more physical and psychological benefits that it needs to be done. Now stop making excuses!

First let’s take a step back and look at what happens when we sustain an injury. Depending on the mechanism, type and complexity of the injury any or all of the following physical conditions may be included: bruising, soft tissue (fascial) stretching and or tearing, fractured boney tissue, disrupted cartilage and or disc tissue. If reading any of that made your stomach turn a little, sorry but it is the harsh reality of being active. At some point most everyone who reads this has or will sustain an injury that included many of those conditions.

To briefly take a look at the psychological effects of sustaining an injury, an investigation compared pre and post injury levels of self-esteem, depression and anxiety (Leddy 1994). The investigation tested 343 male participants from ten sports during preseason evaluations; one week of sustaining an injury and two months into the injury. Lower scores of self-esteem in the injured athletes were found immediately after sustaining the injuries and significantly lower scores two months into the injuries compared to the control group. The findings concluded that the injured athletes experienced a period of emotional distress in many cases severe enough to warrant clinical intervention. As a college athlete who has had the unfortunate experience of sustaining many different injuries, I can conclude that the increased levels of anxiety and depression were impacted by feelings of inadequacy and frustrations caused by the inability to perform at a high level. We take for granted our ability to move freely like a healthy individual and when that ability is taken away, our frustrations and negative feelings increase.

No one should ever be satisfied with what they have when it comes to fitness and movement. We all need to strive to better ourselves. Injured or not, we need to do our best to improve our quality of life and efficiency of movements. With that being said; practice, practice and practice some more to be the best we can. Now for the purpose of this article I am saying that even though you have been dealt a bad hand of cards (no pun intended), there is always a way to train around every injury.

Follow your physician’s guidelines and maintain a minimum level of fitness. My college anatomy professor used to always say, “The body works on one principle alone, use it or lose it.” Once it is gone it becomes much harder to regain what was once there. If one maintains a physically active lifestyle during injury and around the injury, less will be lost during the down time. Let’s not forget the psychological benefits of being active. The more active we remain the more feelings of stress and anxiety we will be able to work off.

Since hanging up my cleats, I have been able to maintain an elite level of fitness. I would even go as far as saying that at almost 27 years of age, I now run circles around my strength and conditioning levels as a 22 year old college football player. In the last four years, the physical set backs that I have dealt with goes as follows: Multiple concussions, R shoulder subluxation (a dislocation that popped itself back into place), neck ligament sprain, series of L quad strains, groin strain, stress fractures running the entire length of both sides of my sacro-iliac joint (where the hips meet the spine), L shoulder subluxation, multiple L biceps tendon sprains, sprain to posterior capsule of the L shoulder and most recently the 2nd and 3rd digits of my left hand were broken into several pieces. Three reconstructive surgeries are needed to begin rehab: Estimated recovery time, one year.

The purpose of the provided injury list is to give you an idea of how it has not been easy for me to consistently make progress…but I still managed. Sustaining an injury should never be an excuse to take a long vacation from your regular fitness routine. There is always going to be a way around every injury. Exercises, intensities and goals can be modified according to the injury to maintain total body strength and endurance without aggravating the injury that you are recovering from. Do not be afraid to ask an exercise professional for workouts and exercise modifications to assist you through your recovery. Keep moving….you have no excuses.

To schedule a consultation with Angelo, please contact him directly.

Tips to Help Prevent Cold and Flu

MD Surveys show that Americans suffer a billion colds each year. Yes, you read that right. One BILLION, with a B. When you add in the flu, the number is even higher. But there are things you can do to avoid becoming one of those miserable statistics.

1. Exercise: It’s a Proven Immune Booster -- Moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, for 45 minutes a day, five days a week can reduce risk of a cold by a third. The best results are long-term. In one study, women who walked for 12 months had the most resistance to colds in the final quarter of the year.
2. Eat and Sleep for Health -- Mom was right when she told you to eat right and get plenty of rest. That, along with exercise and stress reduction, keeps your immune system healthy and better able to withstand infection. Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits that offer antioxidants. Try to get eight or seven hours of sleep a night.
3. Wash Your Hands Often -- Use warm water and a good helping of soap. Plain soap is fine, because it’s the act of rubbing the hands together for at least 20 seconds that is going to eliminate germs. Don’t forget to clean under the nails, between the fingers, and wash your wrists as well. In public bathrooms, use a paper towel to turn off the facet, another one to dry your hands, and throw them away.
4. Watch Your Fingers -- Without thinking, we rub our eyes, cover our mouths, or rub our noses with our hands. That is a sure way to infect yourself with cold virus particles. Keep your fingers away from your nose and your eyes to avoid infecting yourself with cold virus particles.
5. Teach Prevention Hygiene to Your Kids -- Children share cold viruses easily -- and bring them into your home. Teach your child to cough or sneeze into a tissue. And instill a life-long habit that is the key to illness prevention: handwashing.
6. Get the Flu Vaccine -- Vaccines are the surest way to prevent the flu. The best time to get a flu vaccine is from October through November, although you can get the vaccine even later during flu season. Get the flu vaccine every year. Flu viruses are constantly changing, and new vaccines are developed each year to protect against new strains.
7. Clean for Virus Prevention -- Use disinfectant when you clean at home, especially in the bathroom and kitchen. Stay away from sponges and rags -- studies show they’re the number one source of germs in the whole house. If you must use sponges, change them once a week or soak them in bleach for 15 minutes.
8. Practice Cold and Flu Prevention at Work -- Hold office meetings in large rooms with plenty of ventilation, and don’t be afraid to practice “social distancing.” Keep some extra space between you and people who are sick, or who sneeze or cough openly. If you share a workstation with others, clean it with antibacterial wipes before you sit down.

By Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, MD WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario,

Fight Halloween Candy Cravings

Tempted by those little Halloween cadies? Learn what its going to take for you to burn off those extra calories.

Here are the calories for some Halloween candies:
Nestle’s Crunch – Fun Size 3 bars=210 calories
Peanut M&M’s – Fun Pack 2 bags=80 calories
M&M’s – Fun Pack 2 bags=180 calories
Snicker’s – Fun Size 2 bars=160 calories
Milky Way – Fun Size 2 bars=150 calories
Kit Kat – Fun Size 2 bars=100 calories
Hershey Chocolate Bar – Fun Size 1 bar=90 calories/ 5grams of fat
Reese’s Cup – 1 cup=80 calories
Butterfinger – Fun Size 1 bar= 100 calories
Twix – Fun Size 1 bar= 80 calories
York Peppermint Pattie – 1 pattie=70 calories
Twizzlers – 1 treat size pkg= 45 calories
Almond Joy – 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
Milk Duds – 1 treat size box = 40 calories
Butterfinger – 1 snack size bar = 100 calories
Milky Way – 1 snack size bar = 90 calories
SweetTarts – 1 treat size pkg. = 50 calories
1 Tootsie Pop – 1 pop = 60 calories
1 Tootsie Roll – 1 small roll = 13 calories

Note: Calorie content is based on 1 serving of Halloween snack or fun size packages, not full size servings found in the candy aisle.

If you are not worried about all of these extra calories over the next week that is fine, but if you would like to avoid Halloween candy and the calories that they offer here is a few tips.

1. Change the way that you think about the little Halloween candy. Most of us will associate these candies with childhood and that carefree feeling, instead think of them as something that will raise your blood sugar and make you jumpy.

2. Eat properly so you can stay away from Halloween candy. If you keep yourself on track for eating then avoiding the Halloween candy is easier because you will not be hungry.

3. Only buy the Halloween candy that you do not like. What may be tough for someone to resist may not be too hard for you to resist.

4. Decide what you are willing to eat ahead of time. Look at the list above, there are some good decisions that you can make that will stop you from making this a weight gain holiday by eating the right Halloween candy. I am a big fan of Tootsie Rolls and those are apparently OK to eat.

5. Just stay away. there is some willpower involved in not eating the things that we are not supposed to eat. Have some willpower and you can stay away from treats, it is only a one week holiday anyway, right?


Cancel Out Candy Calories in 3 Moves

TRY: Mountain Climber
Start in plank position (hands and toes on floor, back straight, abs engaged). Bring right knee to chest and tap toe on floor; straighten leg. Repeat with left knee. Do for 3 minutes.

Burn off: 70 calories, or 13 pieces of candy corn.

TRY: Power Jump

Stand with feet 6 inches apart. Squat, then push up, leaping forward and as high as you can. Repeat, jumping to the left, back and to the right. Do 25 rounds.

Burn off: 80 calories, or two Snickers Minis.

TRY: High March
Extend arms while holding a candy-filled pumpkin. March in place, bringing knees up as high as you can for 2 minutes (without spilling candy!). Rest 1 minute. Do 3 sets.

Burn off: 40 calories, or one mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

To find out how long it takes to burn off that Halloween candy, click here.

Source:
Evil candy calories: http://ow.ly/wPf6
Candy Lovers' Calorie Blast: http://ow.ly/wPBm

Gotta love Judy Foreman, Health Sense columnist for the Boston Globe. She really "gets it". She articulated the importance of exercise and nutrition. They do go hand in hand regardless of what you might here out there. Thanks Judy. http://ow.ly/oGbq

Was there absolutely nothing relevant and newsworthy going on in the country last week? Is that what lead TIME Magazine to run their flamboyant and irrational cover story titled, “Why Exercise Won’t Make You Thin” by John Cloud?

As a fitness expert, I read with horror this erroneous information. Despite ALL evidence pointing towards the effect of exercise combined with weight management, in a time when 32% of our population (that’s almost 90 million) is considered obese and our country’s youth are literally growing horizontally at an alarming rate, this article disputed the in-numerable benefits regular exercise provides to anyone and everyone for physical health and mental well being.


The image of the woman exercising on a donut states the obvious. Indulging in donuts regularly or any food, high in preservatives and fat will, well, make you fat. We know this. It is obvious. There are plenty of facts to support this. We do not need an article on the front page of TIME Magazine to tell us this.

What is absolutely, 100% true is that a healthy balance of exercise coupled with a well balanced diet and sleep will buy you time in life. Yup, it’s that simple. Many folks could kiss their health issues away, such as heart problems, diabetes, some forms of cancer. These are diseases that kill millions of Americans each year often because they did not exercise, eat right and generally did not take care of themselves prior to getting sick.

At Fitcorp, we have been leaders in our field helping people feel better, look better and just plain lead a happier and healthier life by introducing exercise into their daily routine. We tailor programs that meet the fitness goals of our members. We understand that everyone is not an uber-athlete and everyone has their own personal fitness needs. We also understand that many professionals are in front of a computer dealing with daily stress and a sedentary life. Our job is to help people get moving, find a plan that they can actually do within their time frame and enjoy.

We see the benefits of exercise and its impact on folks everyday. We have members who have been able to stop taking medicine for a chronic health problem due to a healthier lifestyle incorporating regular exercise, members that are able to chase after their children after getting into better shape. We have spurned confidence in thousands of people who were hiding behind their weight. We’ve seen folks leave some forms of depression behind as exercise creates endorphins that made them feel better.

How can anyone possible argue with this? Ask the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Association if exercise is an important element in avoiding these diseases. They’ll all tell you the same thing.
REGULAR EXERCISE COUNTS. REGULAR EXERCISE CAN HELP SAVE YOUR LIFE.

Where does diet fit in here? It fits in everywhere. Just because you are exercising, it does not give you the liberty of living on junk food. Exercise alone with no regard to what you put in your mouth does not help you lose weight and most certainly does nothing for your good health. You can lose weight and feel better all the way around by taking some consideration of what you eat combined with regular exercise. The author states that his 360-calorie muffin was erased by an hour of aerobic activity. So if he hadn’t exercised, he would have eaten an egg white? I don’t think so. He likes blueberry muffins and he should be able to eat one. You can do that and eat a brownie once in awhile too if you combine your regular exercise with a balanced diet.

This is not rocket science here and shouldn’t be the tempting topic of what we consider a national news-worthy magazine such as TIME. Sensationalizing these important issues at a time when obesity, and health related deaths are skyrocketing is simply irresponsible. We need all the help we can get here at Fitcorp as do all health and fitness centers. Giving people an excuse to NOT exercise doesn’t help anyone. Here at Fitcorp, we are proud of what we bring to our members’ lives. We help them feel better, look better, be healthier and have a happier, more enjoyable life. It doesn’t get better than that. More than anything, we wish we could help EVERYONE feel the benefits of regular exercise. We know for a fact, if they tried it, they would see the benefits and alter their life.
We go home at the end of the day knowing we have made a difference in someone’s life and that feels good.

To Improve Fitness, Try Sleep - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

To Improve Fitness, Try Sleep - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

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Thinner wallets, fatter bellies

How the bad economy is encouraging bad habits - and how health officials are fighting back

By Elizabeth Cooney, Globe Correspondent | July 20, 2009

As if it wasn’t hard enough to lose weight, along comes this relentless recession to make it even more challenging.

Fattening foods are cheaper and easier to find than healthier fare. People are working longer hours for less pay, taking second jobs to make up lost earnings, and struggling to maintain a gym membership - or all three. Worrying about work translates into wider waistlines, it turns out, mostly for people who are already overweight. Oh, and losing sleep, too? That’ll add on the pounds, as well.

While it’s giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “the weight of the recession,’’ it has also presented doctors and health officials with an opportunity to remind people that healthy choices can be made in boom times and in bad times.

State and national health experts say it’s too soon to tell if the anemic economy is boosting obesity. But healthcare providers and exercise experts are seeing changes they tie to tighter times, for better or worse. Whether people turn to fast food because it’s what they can afford or skip exercise because they’re starved for time, the result can be unhealthy weight gain.

“There certainly are dangers during these difficult economic times,’’ John Auerbach, commissioner of the state Department of Public Health, said. “It becomes more challenging for people to try to eat the healthiest foods or exercise regularly. It is an issue we are concerned about.’’ Click here to read more.

Diet, smoking, exercise key in colon cancer risk

Tue Jul 7, 2009 3:57pm EDT

By Amy Norton

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who want to reduce their risk of colon cancer may want to start exercising more and cutting down on red meat and alcohol, a new research review suggests.

Such measures -- along with not smoking -- may be key lifestyle choices in preventing the cancer, according to the analysis, which looked at more than 100 previous studies on colon cancer risk factors.

Overall, researchers found, high intake of red and processed meats, smoking, obesity and diabetes were all linked to a 20 percent increase in the risk of colorectal cancer. In contrast, people who exercised the most had a 20 percent lower risk of the disease than their sedentary counterparts.

Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to obesity, and both can be prevented or managed through a healthy diet and physical activity -- further highlighting the importance of lifestyle choices in colon cancer risk, the researchers report in the International Journal of Cancer.

As important as diet and exercise were, drinking habits emerged as the most significant lifestyle factor, according to the researchers, led by Dr. Rachel R. Huxley of the George Institute for International Health in Sydney, Australia.

Compared with adults who were light drinkers or teetotalers, those who averaged a drink a day or more had a 60 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer across the studies.

The key message, Huxley told Reuters Health, is that "colorectal cancer is a disease of lifestyle and that modifying inappropriate behaviors now -- such as reducing alcohol intake, quitting smoking and losing weight -- has the potential to substantially reduce a person's risk of the disease."

She added that this is likely to be true of all adults, including those who have a higher risk of colon cancer due to family history.

A 2007 report from the World Cancer Research Fund concluded that there was "convincing" evidence that obesity and high intake of red meat and alcohol contribute to colon cancer, Huxley's team notes. Studies on smoking and diabetes have been less consistent, however, and they acknowledge in the current study that many behaviors -- such as smoking, drinking alcohol, physical inactivity, and eating a diet high in meat -- tend to occur together, making the effect of each individual behavior difficult to measure.

The current findings, the researchers write, suggest that smoking and diabetes are as important in colon cancer risk as obesity and red meat consumption.

SOURCE: International Journal of Cancer, July 1, 2009.

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