You may have noticed a preponderance of “30 Day Challenge” postings in your social media of late. It’s one of those trends that’s been slowly gathering steam over the past few years and suddenly seems to have exploded into the interweb zeitgeist. Some trends can be fleeting and silly, but the good ones stick when people find value in them.
“Thirty days is enough to get started in the right way, to begin to understand what makes change easier and most importantly, how to stay on the right track,” says Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of “The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier.”
For people thinking about fitness, the 30 Day Challenge concept has merit for beginners and experts alike. The idea is to pick an exercise or a small series of exercises and repeat them daily, gradually increasing reps throughout the 30 days with periodic rest days, building toward a goal on day 30 that is significantly greater than the starting point. It’s perfect for beginners because the starting number of reps and duration is very manageable and not terribly time consuming; most people can bang out fifty squats on a commercial break. Such a challenge is also worthwhile for those with more advanced fitness goals as a way to boost the benefits of an existing routine. The idea that you can make a gradual but significant change or achieve something in as short as 30 days is appealing in our world of instant gratification and often inspires greater challenges to follow.
Mike Eaton
Fitness Together trainer Mike Eaton has spent the last year rehabilitating a severe arm and shoulder injury and knows the value of baby steps; it takes patience and perseverance to claw your way through the tiny achievements of those painful post-surgery PT sessions. It takes still more discipline to fully reclaim your pre-injury fitness, flexibility and strength. As a Fitness Together trainer, Mike sees the value of accountability not just for himself but with his clients every day because they identify the accountability component of their appointments as the key to their fitness success. For Mike, building accountability into his own routine by adding a 30 Day Challenge gave him a “no excuses mentality” and kept him on task.
Toward that end, he designed a grueling 30 Day Challenge for himself. “I had to do at least 100 chest-to-floor burpees, 200 squats, and 200 double-unders (where) the jump-rope passes under you twice instead of once.” (See video box above). For added discipline, Mike decided that the workout had to be completed in one structured session, not in piecemeal throughout the day. He logged each workout with a running total of each day.
“There were plenty of nights after work that I just wanted to get home but I needed to push myself and get the challenge done for the day. After a week I kind of looked forward to getting it done and logging my numbers.”
Mike completed the challenge in early May and says it was definitely worth it. “During and after the challenge I definitely saw improvements in CrossFit as well as my long distance running. I highly recommend trying a challenge and structure it to what you need improvements on.”
Alicia Tansey & Karen O’Connor Ripley
Fitness Together Norwell trainer Alicia Tasney began the 30 Day Squat Challenge in April as a way to motivate a few friends who have been historically reluctant to begin exercising. She baited these friends into doing the challenge by promising them that she would to do twice the amount outlined on the challenge web site.
“The squat is a great exercise to focus on for it’s functional benefits,” says Tasney. “It translates to things we do regularly in our every day lives, like getting in and out of the car, walking up stairs, bending over to tie shoes or pick up an object.” When done properly, the benefits of the squat include building muscle; improving flexibility and balance; and gaining strength in the glutes, legs, knees, feet and lower back.
Form is important when doing any exercise, but especially where high reps are involved. Even more important if you’re adding weights. Tasney says that for such a simple exercise, there are many ways to go wrong, and that can lead to injuries of the knees and lower back. (See below for tips on proper form.)
As of tomorrow, Alicia will be on day 21 of the challenge, which means 180 squats for her friends and 360 for her. By the time all is said and done, she’ll have completed 6,590 squats! She says she’s already feeling the benefits from the challenge. When running, her legs feel stronger and take much longer to fatigue. Another benefit? Friends have offered compliments, which we’ll refrain from repeating, but suffice it to say we could rename this challenge the “30 Day ‘Damn, Gurl!’ Awesome Booty Squat Challenge.”
Fitness Together client Karen O’Connor Ripley, a client at FT for several years, is always looking for ways to push herself further. A busy mom who also runs a cleaning business as well as a facebook page, “Ecomomics,” Ripley is a busy person. But when she overheard her trainers, Mike and Alicia, talking about their challenges she decided to incorporate one into her own routine as a way to boost her fitness level without eating up a lot of time. To focus on the area she most wants to improve, Ripley chose an abdominal challenge. “It consist of sit-ups, crunches, planks and push-ups with the reps increasing everyday. This also got me to do plank and push-ups which are two exercises I don’t usually do unless I’m at FT. It’s going good, I like it, it’s gets me going.”
As inhabitants of a planet whose circadian rhythms are tied to the 30-day cycle of the moon, you might say we are hard wired to operate within the parameters of this increment of time. When thinking about making a change or an improvement that involves discipline, a month isn’t really a daunting amount of time, but you may be surprised at what you can accomplish.
If you take up a 30-Day Challenge of any kind, keep these tips in mind:
Choose a challenge that is doable, but challenges you as it progresses. You’re in this to make progress, not waste time or injure yourself.
Make sure you’re using proper form. Check with your trainer if you have questions.
Journal your progress. This will keep you on task and give you a real sense of accomplishment at the end.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up: If you miss a day, pick up where you left off if possible. If you miss more than a few days, back up or start again. Just don’t give up!
Here are the challenges happening at Fitness Together in Norwell. If you try one, let us know how it goes, or share your challenge here. We’d love to know how you’re doing!
Mike Eaton’s 30 Day Beatin’
To be completed in one session each day for 30 Days
100 chest-to-floor burpees
200 squats
200 double-unders
30 Day Squat Challenge
(Again, Tasney’s doubling this.)
To do a proper squat, keep this slightly bizarre visual in mind: you’re testing a metal chair with your butt to see if it’s hot, discover it is and stand up again. You can even place a chair about a foot behind you to lightly touch down on before standing up. Keep these other tips in mind for proper form*:
Begin in an athletic stance, feet shoulder width apart, feet slightly turned out, spine in neutral position, abs engaged.
Keeping your weight in your heels, your head up and your eyes looking ahead (not at the floor) bend your knees until your upper leg is parallel or deeper to the ground. Your butt should be moving backwards as well as downward as your knees hinge, preventing your knees from going forward beyond your toes.
Throughout the squat, your head is still up, eyes forward, shoulders back and chest out. Don’t collapse your spine and hunch downward.
To return to the standing position, engage your legs, glutes and abs and squeeze as you “explode” back to your starting position.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
*Have your trainer check your form or help you modify if you have any physical constraints, or if you wish to add weights to increase difficulty.
Day 1 – 50 squats
Day 2 – 55 squats
Day 3- 60 squats
Day 4 – Rest
Day 5 – 70 squats
Day 6 – 75 squats
Day 7 – 80 squats
Day 8 – Rest
Day 9- 100 squats
Day 10 – 105 squats
Day 11 – 110 squats
Day 12 – Rest
Day 13 – 130 squats
Day 14 – 135 squats
Day 15 – 140 squats
Day 16 – Rest
Day 17 – 150 squats
Day 18 – 155 squats
Day 19 – 160 squats
Day 20 – Rest
Day 21 – 180 squats
Day 22 – 185 squats
Day 23 – 190 squats
Day 24 – Rest
Day 25 – 220 squats
Day 26 – 225 squats
Day 27 – 230 squats
Day 28 – Rest
Day 29 – 240 squats
Day 30 – 250 squats
The Mean Ab Challenge
(It says “June” but Karen O’Connor Ripley couldn’t wait. “Thirty days is 30 days!” she says.)
For more about Ariane de Bonvoisin’s inspirational books:. First30days.com
“Regardless of what your challenges are, just walk through the door,” assures Myers. “And life becomes beautiful all over again.”
After Lisa Myers received her breast cancer diagnosis five years ago and endured the long and difficult course of treatments, she wasn’t sure if she could trust her body again to carry her back to fitness level she dreamed of.
“I thought fighting cancer was tough,” says Myers, “but losing the confidence in yourself from that experience is just devastating.”
Her treatments left her with weak muscles a very limited range of motion, especially in her arms. When doctors gave her a clean bill of health a year and a half after her last treatment, she decided to recommit to getting fit.
Myers, who lives in Methuen, found her way to trainer Frank Francis at Fitness Together in North Andover. Francis saw right away he was dealing with a woman who was determined to reclaim her life. His comprehensive experience as a personal trainer coupled with Lisa’s extraordinary determination quickly yielded some very satisfying results for both trainer and client. “Lisa has the kind of drive to succeed that you just can’t coach; it comes from within.”
When Francis ran Lisa through her 8-week fitness assessment he was amazed. In just two months of training, she was able to increase from 27 sit-ups in one minute to 40. She had gone from holding a plank position for 1:43 and a wall sit for 2:43 at her first assessment to being able to easily maintain those skills for five minutes each.
Francis, who’s seen his share of impressive physical accomplishments, was blown away. “As a trainer, you do your best to inspire your clients. Lisa is one of the few who, whether she knows it or not, inspires ME. That drive still exists and she brings her best EVERY session. Currently, she is training for a Sprint Triathalon in the fall.”
Myers is grateful for the improvements to her life. “Walking through that door was the best thing I could have done for myself. It’s an experience that I highly recommend to anyone who has gone through what I went through. You can get your life back, you can get your body back, you can get your self back.”
Bob Lexander – age 60
Production supervisor for the Dedham/Westwood Water District
For most of Bob’s adult life, he’s been an avid runner, marathoner and all around fitness enthusiast, partly because he loves being active and partly in hopes of hedging a family history of health issues. “My father had heart disease, arthritis and cancer,” says Bob. “I always hoped I could outrun it.” But as he got older, his knees began to break down. After his third knee replacement (the second on his right side) failed to heal as well as he’d hoped, doctors put him on heavy doses of arthritis and pain meds and told him he’d just have to live with it. Despite physical therapy his exercise routine all but came to a complete halt.
Last April, Bob’s wife, Mary Ellen Kelly, became concerned at seeing her husband slip into a funk the longer he went without exercise. Kelly, an attorney, had heard of Fitness Together through her professional networking group. When she suggested to Bob that a personal trainer might be able to help, he agreed to give it a try.
Trainer Kate McNally likes to take a holistic approach, striving to carefully match a client’s personality and goals to his or her program. Specializing in body composition change and endurance training, McNally uses a wide variety of training styles to fit her clients’ goals. Though she started Bob on a gentle regimen, she quickly saw that his determination could take him beyond his limitations.
“In his time at Fitness Together Bob has greatly increased leg strength and flexibility; two really important achievements for guy as active as Bob. All this with little complaint,” says McNally. “Bob Lexander is the model client. When you ask him to do something, he not only does it, but will give 110%. He really wants this. Wants to be stronger, healthier, more fit.”
Since first beginning at Fitness Together last April, Bob has lost 20 lbs and completely weaned himself from his medications. “It’s been a big deal to me to get off those pain meds,” says Bob. “It’s just been so good for my outlook.”
His wife, Mary Ellen, was so inspired by Bob’s success, she also signed on. After increasing her fitness level and losing weight, the couple is enjoying a more active lifestyle.
“Our quality of life is so much better now. I’m in better shape than I’ve been in years. We enjoy walking and hiking together. Now we can walk up big hills without breathing hard and my knee is even flexible enough that I can ride my bike. Going to Fitness Together has been a wonderful thing.”
Says his trainer, “I really enjoy training Bob, training someone with his motivation makes my job easy. Bob comes to every session ready to work hard, usually already dripping sweat from his so called “warm up” (30-40 mins hard on the elliptical). He is just as dedicated in life to family and work as he is in the gym. Bob is making great strides toward his goals and you can tell by just looking at him. He looks great!”
This week FT Gets Results would like to welcome a new columnist to our staff, Flabinnia May Bulgemoore. Ms. Bulgemoore is an elderly spinster who lives on a hamster farm on the outskirts of central Massachusetts with her 750 Cabbage Patch dolls and her cousin Flanders. Flabinnia—we like to call her “Flabby”—has spent her career combing yard sales for Magic Eight-balls, old tabloid magazines and used books about health and fitness from the 1970s, which she is happy to consult in order to answer her readers’ questions. To keep things interesting, we’ve opened up the forum to our trainers to provide a counterpoint to Flabby’s cockamamie advice. This week’s counterpoint comes from Derek Maxfield, owner and personal trainer at Fitness Together in Beverly, MA.
And now, FT Gets Results is proud to present: “Dear Flabby.”
Dear Flabby,
I’m wondering if you can settle a bet between me and my friend Pauline. Lately me and Pauline, we’ve been trying to eat healthier and get into a smaller size of Spanx. We’re seeing a personal trainer we found in the classifieds who has us keeping food journals and watching Richard Simmons on the VCR and he’s made us cut out desserts and cheese. (Boy has that been hard. I love a good cheese, don’t you? Those little individual slices with the cellophane wrapper get me going, ya know?) Anyhoo, my girlfriends and me, we were out to the ladies night over at the Holiday Inn out on Route 1 like we do every Sunday after Bingo and Pauline, she sees I’m not recording my cocktails in my food journal and she starts mouthing off like there’s no tomorrow about there being calories in martinis and I should count them in my food journal just like I do regular food. I told her she’s crazy and to take a hike. How can there be calories in something that’s clear like water? I ditched the olives into the ficus bush just to be safe, but I’m pretty sure it’s okay to have a few cocktails, right Flabby? Like, sometimes to have a few strawberry margaritas on account of all the fruit? So, who’s right, me or Pauline? There’s a nice David Hasselhoff poster riding on this one.
Thanks, Tiny
……
Dearest Tiny,
Judging by how skinny celebrities like Lindsay Lohan look in their drunk driving mug shots, I’d say there are absolutely no calories in alcohol, so my answer is: Yes!
Sincerely,
Flabby
P.S. My third cousin, once-removed, Earl goes up to that ladies night sometimes. If you happen to see him, short guy, usually in a Ramone’s T that’s a few sizes two small and should have been retired back in 2000, balding with a comb-over, orders “A Nice Tall Girl” instead of asking for a St. Pauli on draft, well, tell him I want my drain snake back.
……
Dear Tiny, Pauline and Flabby,
Hi. It’s Derek Maxfield here from Fitness Together in Beverly.
Really, Flabby? Just “Yes?” What does that even mean? Of course there are calories in alcoholic drinks. Sometimes lots!
Tiny, as diligent as you may be about counting your food intake calories, the cocktail menu is where you can really get yourself into trouble. Whether it’s at a family barbeque in your backyard or ladies night at the Holiday Inn, alcoholic beverages can directly influence what belt loop you’re notching.
The difficult part about alcohol is that it’s often overlooked when logging calorie intake in your journal and those calories can quickly put you over your daily allowance. You should know that 1 gram of alcohol contains 7 calories. To better relate that figure: 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories, so alcohol contains just about the same amount of calories as fat. To put it another way, one of those martinis of yours probably had between 200 and 300 calories, more than a serving of potato chips. (You’d count potato chips in your food journal if you ate them, right? Though you shouldn’t be eating chips if you really want to downsize those Spanx!)
I never expect anyone to fully eliminate alcohol from his or her diet. However, limiting how much you drink can make stepping on the scale less stressful and save your health in the long run. Slowly enjoying a nice glass of wine instead of swigging down numerous potent cocktails can potentially save hundreds of calories. If you have one glass of wine at approximately 170 calories instead of 3 martinis at 250 calories each, you’ll save upwards of almost 600 calories, as well as a hefty hangover!
And don’t be fooled, Tiny. Just because certain types of alcohol like vodka or gin are clear like water, they are not low in calories. A shot of straight alcohol can range from 120 to 180 calories—just as much as your average beer or even glass of wine. When sugary mixers are added to hard alcohol to create a margarita or fancy martini, calories can exceed 500! And don’t be fooled into thinking that tonic water is low in calories, either. It’s loaded with sugar and has about 124 calories per 12 oz. serving, almost as much as regular cola! Better to mix with club soda and a squeeze of lime, which has no calories.
When it comes to beer, my suggestion would be to go for light beer instead of heavy beer (Sam Adams Light instead of Sam Adams Octoberfest) or choose a glass of Cabernet, and try to avoid mixed drinks. After selecting your drink: enjoy it, make it last, and sip – don’t chug.
So, Tiny, I hate to tell you this, but I guess Pauline is now the proud owner of that David Hasselhoff poster. Just remember, those cocktail calories count just as much as food calories do. Be sure to log them in your food journal, and keep them to a minimum.
Derek Maxfield
Owner/Personal Trainer, FT Beverly
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Over 8,000 sessions experience
Derek Maxfield enjoys seeing his clients reach their goals and looks forward to exercising. He strongly believes that nutrition is a very important apsect of fitness and finding the correct activity is the key to total comittment. Derek is certified through the American Council of Exercise and has enjoyed working with clients ranging from 14 years old to 83 years old, from athletes to those who have had various injuries. He started his career working in a public gym, but joined Fitness Together in December of 2008 in Concord, MA. After two years of service which he thoroughly enjoyed, he became owner of Fitness Together in Beverly
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to spend some quality time with the ones you love—but it often means going out to a nice (heavy) restaurant meal and eating lots of chocolates.
There are plenty of other ways to show the love on this special day. Why not try cooking your own healthy and easy, yet elegant, meal at home instead? Or going on an adventurous date?
Here are better, healthier ways to show your valentine you care this week (or any date night!).
Cook a Romantic Meal at Home
You’ll be surprised how a simple entrée of roasted chicken breast can be transformed into an impressive meal with the addition of flavorful sides and a unique dessert. These recipes (all from our Recipes for Healthy Living!) offer a balanced meal that you can enjoy without much effort:
These quick chicken breasts can be used for anything—serve with steamed veggies and brown rice, use them for chicken salad or slice thinly for a sandwich with whole grain bread, spicy mustard, fresh spinach and thinly sliced tomato.
This Recipe Serves 4
Ingredients
Cooking Spray
4 4-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp. paprika
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place the chicken breasts on the baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic and whisk until combined.
Brush on or pour lemon juice mixture over each chicken breast, coating evenly.
Sprinkle each chicken breast evenly with paprika and bake in oven for 35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Let the chicken breasts rest, covered with foil for 10-15 minutes before slicing or serving.
MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Make sure your spices are gluten free and this recipe can be gluten free.
Try this for a delicious and somewhat different dessert! If you have fresh mint, chop some up and add it to this salad for even more flavor!
This Recipe Serves 6
Ingredients
For Sugar-Free Chocolate Sauce
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/3 cup Splenda
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp Smart Balance
For Grilled Fruit
1 large wooden skewer, soaked in warm water
6 large strawberries, hulled
2 peaches, quartered and stone removed
½ pineapple, sliced into 1”-thick rings (or 1 can pineapple rings in juice, drained)
2 watermelon wedges, rind removed (about ¼ a small watermelon)
Cooking Spray
Instructions
Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill.
In a small sauce pan, whisk together cocoa powder, Splenda and water. Bring to a simmer for one minute over medium heat. Whisk in the vanilla and Smart Balance off the heat and set aside to cool.
Skewer the strawberries and other fruit on the soaked wooden skewer. Coat all of the fruit pieces with cooking spray and grill for 3-4 minutes on each just to mark the outside of the fruit. Do not cook all the way through.
Remove from grill and let cool. Cut the fruit into equal sized chunks and combine a medium bowl. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Divide the fruit among six bowls and drizzle each with 1 Tbsp of the chocolate sauce. Any leftover chocolate sauce can be refrigerated in an air tight container and used for up to one week.
If it works with your meal plan, try our parfait with a quick five-minute prep time and only 19 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
This Recipe Serves 4
Ingredients
32 oz non fat, plain Greek yogurt
2 small lemons, zested and juices
¼ cup Splenda
1 Tbsp Vanilla
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and Splenda.
Add ½ cup yogurt to a parfait dish or small bowl. Top with ¼ cup blueberries, then another ½ cup of yogurt. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp sliced almonds.
Repeat with three more parfait glasses. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
Get Your Heartbeat Going
There are plenty of fun fitness ideas that you and your significant other can enjoy just as much as a heart-shaped pizza. Take a dance lesson together, like a waltz or ballroom class. Get outside (weather permitting!) and go on a romantic hike or bike ride. Challenge your partner to see who can get to the top while rock climbing—indoors or outdoors!
Once you’ve worked up your appetite, reward yourself with a healthy, sophisticated meal (see above!).
Skip the Food and Go out on the Town
Whether you’re single or romantically involved, there are lots of fun things to do on Valentine’s Day without having to feel guilty. Take a trip to a museum you’ve always wanted to visit, or go see a movie (if you can decide on one together!). Watch a film at home if you’re trying to save money. Learn new healthy recipes by signing up for a cooking class or relax with a massage (you might need it if you use the exercise tips above!).
Still Gifting?
FT has just the thing for you. Special deals just for Valentine’s Day. Check it out here.
Woody Allen as a sperm in the movie Everything You Wanted To Know About Sex…
A new study finds that if you want to have the best swimmers in the gene pool, turn off the TV and get to the gym.
By Martha Hicks Leta
Psst, hey you. Yes, you, the young healthy guy over there. You’ve got it going on, right? You got all kinds of game and, if you do say so yourself, when the lights are low, the libido is All Systems Go. No complaints there, right? So, let me ask you this: How much TV would you say you watch per week? Be honest. A couple of hours a night? Maybe, more? Well, if you think you might want to be a dad someday, hide the clicker and read on because, as it turns out that all that TV watching isn’t doing your little swimmers any good.
That’s right. Over the last several decades, scientists have been keeping an eye on, of all things, semen quality. As it turns out the state of our man stuff has been in decline and the reasons for this are as yet unresolved.
Toward that end, a recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine has evaluated the relationship of exercise and TV watching with sperm quality in healthy young men. The study gathered data on a group of 189 men ages 18-22 years of age over the course of three months. A questionnaire was used to assess hours per week of exercise and TV viewing. Semen quality of the test group was also evaluated based on sperm concentration, motility, morphology and total sperm count.
The findings showed that the men at the highest quarter of the exercise spectrum, those who exercised more than 15 hours per week, had 73% higher sperm concentration than the men in the lowest quarter of the exercise spectrum.
TV watching, on the other hand, had an inverse effect on semen quality. That is, the men in the study group who watched the most TV, more than 20 hours per week, actually had 44% lower sperm count than the men who watched the least.
The study concluded that, “higher moderate-to-vigorous activity and less TV watching were significantly associated with higher total sperm count and sperm concentration.” In other words, more exercise and less TV make for righteous swimmers.
So, the next time you’re planning on sitting around the man cave and watching sports with the guys all weekend, take a moment to ponder the results of this study. If you want your little fellers to swim like Richard Phelps, you may want to drop the clicker and get yourself to the gym.
To help you get your edge back, get your free fitness assessment at a Fitness Together studio near you. Go to FTGetsResults.com for more information and a list of studios in Northern New England.
Judging by the numbers, this year’s flu season is shaping up to be a real whopper. If you haven’t already caught this year’s flu, you’re probably doing everything in your power to avoid catching it, but as you think about the progress you’ve made with your workouts, you may be wondering whether you should continue your routine or crawl into a sterile bubble until flu season passes.
As you weigh the facts, you should consider, once again, the benefits your regular exercise regimen should have on your overall health and your body’s ability to fight illness. “Findings continue to support the benefit of regular exercise in strengthening the immune system, enabling it to fight viral and bacterial infections,” according to the good people at WebMD.com. Why? Exercise causes white blood cells, which fight infections, to blitz through your body more quickly, fighting bacteria and viruses (such as flu) more efficiently. To achieve this benefit it’s good to have at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day. So, just because it’s flu season, you really don’t want to pull the plug on all that progress you’re making with your workouts, and you shouldn’t have to.
Until the “All Clear” signal is given on flu season, here are a few strategies to deploy before, during and after your workout to keep your germ exposure to a minimum and your workout to a maximum.
Before Your Workout
Talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot. Influenza vaccines are available through local health departments, health care providers and most pharmacies. The CDC recommends that everyone over the age of six months receive an annual flu vaccine. It’s especially important to get the flu shot if you have asthma, diabetes, lung disease or are age 65 or older. You should also get the flu shot of you live with or care for someone at high risk, or if you’re pregnant. The flu can hit hard and set off a string of other medical problems, including pneumonia, not to mention lost productivity.
Wash your hands often. During flu season, you may feel like a fanatic, but now is a great time to tap into your inner clean freak and ask yourself, “What Would Felix Unger Do?” He’d clean it, spray it, wipe it, wash it. In fact, ask any doctor or nurse how often they wash their hands through the course of a day: “I wash my hands or use a hand sanitizer before and after every patient,” says Christopher Tolcher, MD, a pediatrician in the Los Angeles area and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles. “I probably wash my hands 40 to 50 times a day.” Felix would be proud.
Keep surfaces clean of germs- Again, say it with me, WWFUD? Frequently used objects such as cell phones, keyboards, steering wheels, door knobs, pens and sink faucets can harbor the germs of every other person who’s been in contact. Wipe these surfaces in your home or office daily, and use alcohol based hand sanitizer in between. Keep hands off of your face and especially away from your eyes.
Get your rest, plenty of water and quality nutrition. Its unfortunate, but many of us don’t pay attention to our sleeping and eating habits until we get sick. Only then will we start pounding the fluids and nutrients. Get your healthy food groups in daily—whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fresh fruits and vegetables. Your body can’t take care of you if you don’t take care of it. Feed it well and give it a good rest.
During your workout
Wash Your Hands Before and After Your Work Out- Not to belabor the point, but washing your hands before your workout will keep you from spreading bacteria. Washing your hands after will keep you from picking germs spread by all those other people who didn’t think to wash their hands like you did.
Avoid Touching Your Face – Your eyes, nose and mouth are the main portals for bacteria and viruses. Don’t show them in if you don’t want them as guests in your body.
Bring two different colored towels – Designate one as your personal towel and use the other to wipe down equipment before and after use.
Disinfect – Most gyms should have squirt bottles of powerful disinfectant lying around. Don’t be shy about using one or asking for one before you hunker down on that mat or yoga ball for your ab work. Better yet, bring your own mat for classes that require prolonged floor work. At least you know where it’s been.
Don’t Overdo It! Flu season is not the time to indulge in prolonged extreme workouts. Studies show taxing your body too much can decrease the number of white blood cells flowing throughout your body while increasing the level of stress hormones in the bloodstream. Your trainer will help you keep you out of the red zone during flu season.
After your workout
Take It OFF! Peel off those workout clothes and shower as soon as you’re able. Your sweaty clothes are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. If you don’t have time for a shower, at least wash your hands or wipe them down with hand sanitizer. No matter where you’ve been all day, it’s a good idea for you (and your kids) to change clothes as soon as you get home.
Rehydrate and Replenish. After you’ve taxed your body with a challenging workout, be sure to recharge with a dose of protein and plenty of water.
If you do get sick
Determine if it’s a cold or the flu. A cold will usually hit “above the neck” and consist of a stuffed head and maybe a sore throat. The flu will strike above and below the neck and involves body aches, fever, chest congestion, coughing and often gastro-intestinal distress. Mayo Clinic physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist Dr. Edward Laskowski, M.D. says, “Mild to moderate physical activity is usually OK if you have a garden-variety cold and no fever. Exercise may even help you feel better by opening your nasal passages and temporarily relieving nasal congestion, though you may consider reducing the intensity of your workout until you’re feeling better.” But if your symptoms are “below the neck” lay off the exercise, especially if there is a fever involved. A fever is a sign that your body is battling a viral or bacterial infection. Exercising while taxed with a fever may stress your body even more and leave you dehydrated, complicating your symptoms and delaying your recovery from the flu. Also, the flu is contagious and spreads mainly through droplets made when someone coughs, sneezes, talks, or sweats. Do your trainer and fellow gym members a favor and keep it to yourself if you catch it.
The bottom line is, if you do get sick, listen to your body. If you have a cold and feel miserable, there’s no crime in taking off for a day or two, as long as you get back to it as soon as you’re able. If you have the flu, definitely wait a good few days after your fever resolves before returning to the gym. And, as always, check with your doctor if you aren’t sure if it’s OK to exercise. Read more to find out whether you should exercise with cold or flu symptoms: WebMD Exercise & Flu WebMD How Doctors Keep Germs At Bay WebMD Cold & Flu Map Tool
Article by Dr. Mercola, clipped from Peak Fitness by Steve Lichtman
Aging Americans are experiencing cognitive decline in numbers never before seen. Alzheimer’s disease has reached epidemic proportions in the United States.
Consider these troubling statistics from the Alzheimer’s Association:
5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. It’s estimated that up to 16 million will have the disease by 2050.
One in eight Americans age 65 and over has Alzheimer’s. Every 68 seconds, another American develops Alzheimer’s disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the 6th leading cause of death in the U.S. and the 5th leading cause of death for those aged 65 and older.
Alzheimer’s deaths increased by 66 percent between 2000 and 2008.
One in seven of the estimated 800,000 people with Alzheimer’s lives alone, left to fend for himself/herself.
If you develop Alzheimer’s disease, it’s a far greater problem than just memory loss — it can kill you. And it makes every other medical problem much more difficult to treat. Although many will claim Alzheimer’s is not preventable, there ARE measures you can take that will lower your odds of developing age-related cognitive decline or, worst case scenario, full on dementia.
The aspect of your brain function that typically begins to decline first is connected with your working memory, or your capacity to process information. Researchers have identified five functions that tend to be the first ones to decline with age:
Processes requiring your attention
Working memory capability, or the amount of information you can work with, without losing track
Understanding complex text
Making inferences and drawing conclusions
Putting information into your memory and retrieving it later
Three Major Requirements for Brain Power
Cognitive changes related to aging are actually related more to today’s diet and lifestyle, rather than to the aging process itself. As you age, the cumulative effects of environmental toxins, exposure to free radicals, poor nutrition, stress and other factors take their toll on your body. What has been called “age-related cognitive decline” is really an accumulation of this damage to your cells. But this cognitive decay is NOT set in stone!
There are three primary factors that play a powerful role in maintaining sharp mental function, even as you age:
Regular exercise
The foods you choose to eat or avoid
Managing your emotional stress
The latest studies, discussed in the following section, really underscore just how important exercise is in order for your brain to function optimally. You already know how important it is to “exercise” your brain by learning new skills, adopting new and varied daily routines, and engaging in creative activities. Such mental and social exercises stimulate brain activity and promote new neural connections. However, physical exercise is even more important than mental exercise, when it comes to protecting your brain from cognitive decline.
Latest Studies Show Exercise Builds Bigger Brains
Size does matter when it comes to brain function. Declines in thinking and memory have been linked to actual brain shrinkage (atrophy). However, a new study published in the journal Neurology2 found that physical exercise not only protects against age-related brain changes, but also has more of an effect than mentally stimulating activities.
A team at the University of Edinburgh followed more than 600 people, starting at age 70, and kept detailed logs of their daily physical, mental and social habits. Three years later, their brains were imaged for age-related changes, such as brain shrinkage and damage to the white matter, which is considered the “wiring” of your brain’s communication system.
People who engaged in the most physical exercise showed the least amount of brain shrinkage.
In contrast, subjects showed no measurable benefit from mental or social activities. The researchers were not discouraging people from engaging in mental and social activities — just emphasizing that those activities are not as effective in preventing brain atrophy as is physical exercise. Crossword puzzles just can’t compete with a regular 30-minute workout at the gym.
Because the findings showed only an association, not a causal relationship, the authors could not rule out the possibility that people with less deterioration in their brains were simply more likely to be physically active3. However, other studies tend to support the Edinburgh study’s findings.
For example, Kirk I. Erickson, PhD of the University of Pittsburgh, found that adults aged 60 to 80 walking moderately (just 30 to 45 minutes, three days per week for one year) showed a two percent increase in the volume of their hippocampus. The hippocampus is a region of your brain important for memory4. Erickson told WebMD:
“Generally in this age range, people are losing 1 to 3 percent per year of hippocampal volume. The changes in the size of the hippocampus were correlated with changes in the blood levels of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).”
BDNF is part of a cascade of proteins, produced in your brain, that promote neuron growth and prevent neuron death. Erickson also found higher fitness levels associated with alarger prefrontal cortex. He called exercise “one of the most promising nonpharmaceutical treatments to improve brain health.” The important take-away from these studies is that mental decline is NOT inevitable! Exercise is as good for your brain as it is for the rest of your body.
Exercise Protects Your Brain from Stress Hormones
Exercise increases your brain health in a variety of ways.
Exercise:
Jump-starts neurogenesis — the creation of new brain cells. Neurogenesis is thought to be especially prevalent in your hippocampus. As you age, the stem cells in your brain tend to become less active and you produce fewer new cells, which may slow your brain function.5
Encourages new brain cells to join the existing neural network, instead of “rattling around aimlessly in the brain before dying.” Exercise helps the new brain cells learn how to “multitask.”
Upregulates production of brain chemicals and growth factors, like BDNF, which is key in maintaining memory, skilled task performance, and overall cognitive function.
Lifts your mood and helps neutralize the harmful effects of stress by boosting neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, and may even protect your brain cells against the effects of stress hormones.
Increases insulin sensitivity and may even help you make better food choices.
Exercise doesn’t have to be exhausting to be effective — three to five hours per week has been shown to be adequate. According to one study, the odds of developing Alzheimer’s were nearly quadrupled in people who were less active during their leisure time, between the ages of 20 and 60, compared with their peers.
The Healthy Brain Diet
The third major factor in supporting your brain as you age is diet. Your brain cells cannot regenerate and repair unless they have the necessary raw materials with which to rebuild. Ideally you want to upregulate repair and regeneration in your brain and this is best accomplished by optimizing insulin and leptin signaling in your body.
The best way to achieve this optimum signaling is by lowering your carb intake and limiting your protein consumption to one gram of protein per kilogram of LEAN body mass. For most adult men this is 75 grams or less of protein every day. The key to success with this program is to replace the reduced carb and protein intake with healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, butter, olive oil and fats from healthy pastured animals. Coconut oil is particularly beneficial for brain health and has actually been shown to be helpful in senile dementia
The two most important nutrients for your brain are fats and antioxidants, so those will be my focus in this article. Just keep in mind these foods should be part of a more comprehensive approach to your diet. Regardless of your particular health concerns, I encourage you to take this opportunity to review my total nutrition plan.
The Most Important Macronutrient for Your Brain is FAT
Sixty percent of your brain is fat. DHA alone makes up about 15 to 20 percent of your brain’s cerebral cortex, as well as 30 to 60 percent of your retina, making it an essential nutrient for both brain and eye health. Your neuron membranes are composed of a thin double layer of fatty acid molecules. Myelin, the protective sheath surrounding your neurons, is composed of 30 percent protein and 70 percent fat.
You can protect your brain by giving it healthful fats from whole foods, such as organic eggs from pastured hens, whole raw milk from pastured cows, raw nuts, avocados, and olive oil. Eggs and dairy are a rich source of lecithin, choline and vitamin B12 — nutrients especially important for good brain function. There is also evidence that coconut oil may offer very significant protection against brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and may even stop brain atrophy in its tracks.
They key to brain health, is to make sure you are consuming plenty of healthy fat as I mentioned above. That will be about 98 percent of your fat or so. But it is crucial to make sure you are getting the essential fats from marine life that in the form of omega-3 fats.
I believe it’s important to get the bulk of your omega-3 fats from animal-based sources because the DHA and EPA are far more important for your health than the plant-based ALA. While ALA can convert into DHA/EPA, this conversion is severely impaired when you have elevated insulin levels, which affects more than 80 percent of Americans.In two different studies, taking 800-900 mg of DHA per day for 16-24 weeks resulted in significant improvements in memory, verbal fluency scores, and rate of learning.
Chances are you’re not getting enough animal-based omega-3 fats from your diet alone, so you may want to consider a supplement. My favorite is krill oil. Krill oil is an extraordinarily potent — and environmentally sustainable—form of omega-3 fat that contains both DHA and EPA. Krill oil is special in that it crosses the blood-brain barrier, so it’s highly bioavailable to your brain. Most people only need two to three 500 mg capsules of krill oil per day in order to get all of the DHA and EPA they need.
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Will Help Keep Your Brain Sharp
The best sources of antioxidants are from whole foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. If you chose to use a supplemental antioxidant I believe astaxanthin is likely your best choice here
Your diet should be rich in vegetables, preferably organic and locally grown. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, a vegetable-rich diet was found to help prevent age-related mental decline. Veggies, particularly spinach, were found beneficial in retarding central nervous system and cognitive behavioral deficits. And a six-year study involving almost 2,000 Chicago-area seniors showed that older people who ate more than two servings of vegetables each day were mentally sharper than those who ate less.
Ideally, your diet should be low in sugar, especially fructose. Experts are starting to look at memory problems like Alzheimer’s as a form of brain starvation, and glucose metabolism appears to play an important role in the disease. It’s already known that diabetics have four times the risk of Alzheimer’s, and those with prediabetes have triple the risk.
Veggies are generally better than fruits because they are lower in sugar, but the exception is berries. Berries contain pterostilbene, which has been found to reverse some of the negative brain effects of aging. Wild blueberries are high in anthocyanin and other antioxidants, and are known to guard against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases. Blueberries improved learning capacity and motor skills among aged rats in animal studies.
Studies show that the sleep hormone melatonin can also help slow down your brain’s aging. Artificially aged mice treated with melatonin had reduced oxidative stress and markers of cerebral aging and neurodegeneration, indicating the melatonin offered both neuroprotective and anti-aging effects6. Melatonin actually has antioxidant properties that may help explain its important anti-aging role, as it helps to suppress harmful free radicals in your body and even slows the production of estrogen, which can activate cancer.
Emotional Stress Accelerates Brain Aging
Besides exercise, in order for your brain to work its best, you simply must get a handle on your daily stress. When you feel stressed, your adrenal and pituitary glands go into their “flight, fight, or freeze” mode and dump adrenaline, cortisol and dopamine into your bloodstream. Cortisol in particular can be problematic when released too frequently in your brain, so if you are spending a lot of your time stressed, you will likely experience some undesirable effects.
Persistently elevated cortisol levels are associated with accelerated aging, mood problems such as depression and anxiety, and many chronic diseases. To avoid these, you must learn how to relax and help your body reestablish equilibrium. Restoring balance after an episode of stress gets easier with practice, even for those who find it difficult to relax.You may want to experiment with yoga, meditation, breath work, or your favorite stress reduction technique.
One of the best tools for decreasing stress is EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). EFT has been scientifically shown to significantly improve both cortisol-related stress levels and self-reported psychological symptoms after a single treatment session7. And EFT is easy to learn.
Two Neurotoxic Metals to Watch Out For: Mercury and Aluminum
When it comes to maintaining brainpower, what you keep out of your body is as important as what you put into it. Minimizing your exposure to mercury is extremely important for your brain. Dental amalgam fillings are one of the worst sources of mercury. If you have amalgams, you may want to consider having them removed, but you should ONLY have this done by a qualified biological dentist. And you should be as healthy as possible prior to undergoing this procedure. You may find my mercury detox protocol helpful.
Also avoid aluminum, such as in antiperspirants, cookware, etc. Avoid flu vaccinations as they contain both mercury and aluminum. And stay away from all artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, which are highly toxic to your brain.
Finally, challenge your mind daily. Even though the most recent exercise study found mental exercise less important than physical exercise, other studies show that mental stimulation, such as traveling, learning to play an instrument or doing crossword puzzles, is associated with a decreased risk of developing Alzheimer’s—not to mention increasing your quality of life! Just for fun, check out a couple of websites that specialize in “brain games”:
Additional Strategies to Significantly Lower Your Alzheimer’s Risk
What is interesting and important to understand about chronic disease is that it very rarely exists in a bubble. What I mean is, if you are developing changes in your brain that are indicative of Alzheimer’s, you’re probably also experiencing signs of insulin resistance, such as diabetes or obesity.
And, meanwhile, you may also be showing signs of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, as, very often, chronic diseases are intricately intertwined; they’re the product of imbalances in your body that are manifesting, likely after years spent festering just below the surface. This can actually be a good thing, however, as implementing a few simple techniques address the underlying causes of multiple chronic diseases, and Alzheimer’s is no exception.
This includes:
Optimize vitamin D. In 2007 researchers at the University of Wisconsin uncovered strong links between low levels of vitamin D in Alzheimer’s patients and poor outcomes on cognitive tests. Scientists launched the study after family members of Alzheimer’s patients who were treated with large doses of prescription vitamin D reported that they were acting and performing better than before.
Researchers believe that optimal vitamin D levels may enhance the amount of important biomolecules in your brain and protect brain cells. Vitamin D receptors have been identified throughout the human body, and that includes in your brain. Metabolic pathways for vitamin D exist in the hippocampus and cerebellum of the brain, areas that are involved in planning, processing of information, and the formation of new memories.
Sufficient vitamin D is also imperative for the proper functioning of your immune system to combat excessive inflammation, and, as mentioned earlier, other research has discovered that people with Alzheimer’s tend to have higher levels of inflammation in their brains.
Fructose. Ideally it is important to keep your level below 25 grams per day. This toxic influence is serving as an important regulator of brain toxicity. Since the average person is exceeding this recommendation by 300 percent this is a pervasive and serious issue. I view this as the MOST important step you can take. Additionally, when your liver is busy processing fructose (which your liver turns into fat), it severely hampers its ability to make cholesterol. This is yet another important facet that explains how and why excessive fructose consumption is so detrimental to your health.
Keep your fasting insulin levels below 3. This is indirectly related to fructose, as it will clearly lead to insulin resistance. However other sugars, grains and lack of exercise are also factors here.
Vitamin B12: According to a small Finnish study recently published in the journal Neurology, people who consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s in their later years. For each unit increase in the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin) the risk of developing Alzheimer’s was reduced by 2 percent. Very high doses of B vitamins have also been found to treat Alzheimer’s disease and reduce memory loss.
Eat a nutritious diet, rich in folate, such as the one described in my nutrition plan. Strict vegetarian diets have been shown to increase Alzheimer’s risk, whereas diets high in omega-3′s lower your risk. However, vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day.
High-quality animal based omega-3 fats, such as krill oil. (I recommend avoiding most fish because although fish is naturally high in omega-3, most fish are now severely contaminated with mercury.) High intake of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA helps by preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder. Researchers have also said DHA “dramatically reduces the impact of the Alzheimer’s gene.”
Avoid and remove mercury from your body. Dental amalgam fillings are one of the major sources of mercury, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed.
Avoid aluminum, such as antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc.
Exercise regularly. It’s been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized, thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. New research has shown that people with Alzheimer’s have less PGC-1alpha in their brains, and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer’s. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations.
Avoid flu vaccinations as most contain both mercury and aluminum, as well as egg proteins (e.g. myelin basic protein), which the body may produce antibodies against and that cross-react with the myelin coating your nerves, in effect causing your immune system to attack your nervous system!
Eat blueberries. Wild blueberries, which have high anthocyanin and antioxidant content, are known to guard against Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases.
Challenge your mind daily. Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Avoid anticholinergic and statin drugs. Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain night-time pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.
One study found that those who took drugs classified as ‘definite anticholinergics’ had a four times higher incidence of cognitive impairment. Regularly taking two of these drugs further increased the risk of cognitive impairment. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, which is one of the primary building blocks of your brain.
As Dr. Stephanie Seneff reports:
“Statin drugs interfere with cholesterol synthesis in the liver, but the lipophilic statin drugs (like lovastatin and simvastatin) also interfere with the synthesis of cholesterol in the brain. This would then directly impact the neurons’ ability to maintain adequate cholesterol in their membranes. Indeed, a population-based study showed that people who had ever taken statins had an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a hazard ratio of 1.21. More alarmingly, people who used to take statins had a hazard ratio of 2.54 (over two and a half times the risk to Alzheimer’s) compared to people who never took statins.”
Article clipped by our friends at the American Diabetes Association
from Eureka Alert
People who lift weights are less likely to have metabolic syndrome—a cluster of risk factors linked to heart disease and diabetes, reports a study in the October issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
“Lifting weights may play a role in reducing the prevalence and risk of metabolic syndrome among U.S. adults,” according to the study by Peter M. Magyari, PhD, HFS, CSCS, and James R. Churilla, PhD, MPH, MS, RCEP, CSCS, FACSM of Brooks College of Health, University of North Florida, Jacksonville.
9% of Americans Lift Weights
The researchers analyzed data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), an ongoing, nationally representative study of health risk factors. In the survey, respondents were simply asked whether they lifted weights; the responses were analyzed for association with the presence of metabolic syndrome.
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors linked to increased rates risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. People with at least three out of five risk factors—large waist circumference (more than 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women), high triglyceride levels, reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, or “good” cholesterol), elevated blood pressure, and high glucose levels—are considered to have metabolic syndrome.
Of 5,618 U.S. adults who had fasting blood samples for analysis, 8.8 percent answered yes to the question about lifting weights. Lifting weights was about twice as common in men than women: 11.2 versus 6.3 percent. It was also more common among younger people—lifting weights became less frequent for people aged 50 years and older.
White and black Americans were about equally likely to lift weights, while Mexican Americans were least likely. People at higher socioeconomic levels were also more likely to say they lifted weights.
Reducing the Odds of Metabolic Syndrome by 37 Percent
This cross-sectional analysis of the 1999-2004 NHANES data found a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome among people who reported lifting weights: 24.6 percent, compared to 37.3 percent in those who did not lift weights. After adjustment for demographic factors, lifting weights was associated with a 37 percent reduction in the odds of metabolic syndrome.
Several recent studies have evaluated the impact of exercise for prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. Resistance exercise, including weight-lifting, may have protective effects. Research has linked greater muscle strength and muscle mass to lower rates of metabolic syndrome. Since lifting weights increases muscle strength and mass, it might also help to decrease the development of metabolic syndrome.
The new study provides population-level data showing that people who lift weights are less likely to have the risk factors that make up metabolic syndrome. This suggests that incorporating weight lifting or other forms of resistance exercise into physical activity programs might be an effective way to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome, both for individuals and in the population.
“Exercise professionals should strongly encourage the activity of lifting weights among adults of all ages to promote metabolic health,” Drs Magyari and Churilla conclude. These efforts should focus on groups with lower rates of weight lifting: women, older adults, Mexican Americans, and lower-income people. The authors acknowledge some significant limitations of their study—such as a lack of detailed information on weight lifting and other types of resistance exercise, including manual labor.
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To start lifting weights at a Fitness Together studio near you, or to learn more how FT Gets Results, go to FTGetsResults.com
About The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
The editorial mission of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (JSCR) is to advance the knowledge about strength and conditioning through research. A unique aspect of this journal is that it includes recommendations for the practical use of research findings. While the journal name identifies strength and conditioning as separate entities, strength is considered a part of conditioning. The journal wishes to promote the publication of peer-reviewed manuscripts which add to our understanding of conditioning and sport through applied exercise science. The JSCR is the official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
So, you’ve done a few adventure races in the past year? You’ve slogged up muddy mountainsides and crawled under barbed wire through filthy water. You’ve jumped into a dumpster filled with ice, run through a gauntlet of fire, been electrocuted by a curtain of dangling wires and lived to tell about it. Or maybe you’ve run a few marathons in blistering heat, or competed in a triathlon? Think you’re pretty tough, right?
Meet Emily Shames, 19, client at Fitness Together in Newton Centre. When she’s not busy with her studies and at Wesleyan University, she’s a key member of the school’s winning volleyball and softball teams. Not tough enough for you? Here’s what Emily did with her summer vacation: While you and I were barbecuing chicken and sipping cold Corona’s Emily spent a total of 42 days surviving in the wilderness of Utah. Still not impressed? She did it with only a rain poncho, a water bottle, a knife and a sweater. That’s it. No backpack, no tent, no mess kit, not even a wristwatch. Forty-two days in full-out survival mode, seven days of which were in complete solitude and another seven with no food at all, just water. That’s one tough young lady, my friends.
Emily says it was her training at Fitness Together that got her to the point where she could even consider facing such a daunting set of challenges. “The trainers at Fitness Together got me into the best shape of my life. The motivation and the determination I learned from them echoed in my thoughts during the entire trip, encouraging me never to give up no matter how tired or broken down I got.”
A longtime outdoor enthusiast, Emily signed on for the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, (BOSS) in Boulder Town, Utah with the goal of melding her interests in fitness with her studies in environmental science and archeology. Known for being “the toughest survival school in the country,” BOSS prides itself in teaching participants “low-technology camping and hiking techniques, exploring how traditional cultures lived comfortably without all the modern gadgets.” During the course students spend their waking hours eking out an existence and hiking long distances, from 15 to 30 miles per day over rugged mountains and desert canyons. And the company makes no bones about it, this is not a frivilous venture. Participants can expect to lose between 10 and 30 lbs. from the taxing physical demands and lack of food.
“It was the most intense hiking I have ever done,” says Shames. “We didn’t have camp to set up or food to cook so we hiked off trail from sunrise to sunset everyday. In 6 weeks, I covered over 300 miles! I can now make fire using nothing but sticks and friction. I can make rope out of plant fiber. I can make 3 different types of traps and know how to catch fish with my bare hands.”
This is “Survivor” without the cameras, safety nets or food reward challenges. Here the only reward is personal growth and satisfaction. “In six weeks I learned more about myself and the world around me than in all 19 years of my life. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.”
Trainers Elisa Sutherland and Derik VanDyke have seen a lot of success stories in their combined years as personal trainers at Fitness Together, but Emily is one of the greats.
“Emily has a rare enthusiasm for exercise. She comes to each workout with a brilliant smile and even when she’s soaked in sweat and exhausted, the smile doesn’t disappear,” says Sutherland. “I look forward to every session with her. She inspires me to workout a little harder and to have a blast at everything I do!”
VanDyke agrees. “No matter how hard or crazy I may make a workout, Emily is always so excited to learn and do anything I throw her way! This type of true enthusiasm and passion for working out really motivates me as a trainer, as well as a person!”
Whether your goals are to fit into that skinny pair of jeans or move personal mountains, the Fitness Together program clearly offers life-changing potential for those who are willing to commit the effort. Just ask Emily.
“Fitness Together has changed my life for the better. They have transformed me not only physically but mentally, too,” says Shames. “I want to say thanks to all of the Fitness Together trainers for all of their dedication to the clients and doing the impossible by making workout out and maintaining a healthy lifestyle fun!”
___________
Ever since winning the 800 meter race at a mandatory middle school track meet, I was hooked on running. I ran for fun in high school, competed for the track team in college, and later moved on to marathons and trail races. I came to think of running as central to my identity. All my friends and family thought of me as the crazy girl who spent much of her free time on the pavement. A couple of years after finishing college, where I got a degree in elementary education, my knees started bothering me. I knew I needed to scale back the running and learn to stay fit in other ways. I got my start in this process at the National Personal Training Institute in Portland, Oregon. I had just returned from several years teaching English in South Korea, and I knew I didn’t want to be an elementary school teacher. While I enjoyed teaching itself, classroom management just wasn’t my thing. After an intensive, hands-on program, I was certified as a personal trainer through NPTI. My first job was at LA Fitness in Portland. While I worked there, I continued to learn more and explore the many corners of the fitness world. I picked up another certification as a running coach, and studied kettlebells with a RKC trainer (I recently became certified to teach Hardstyle Kettlebells). While I was still in Portland, I started to have some medical problems, and was diagnosed with Guillain Barre syndrome. After losing the ability to walk, going from a wheelchair to a walker, and then finally being able to walk and now even run, my understanding of health and fitness has changed a lot. Last summer I moved to Boston, but I continued to have trouble with double vision and vertigo. In December I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Right now, I’m very strong; no one can tell that I have MS. There have been a lot of medical advances in the last few years, so hopefully I can continue to hide my disease! Having MS has taught me that while my body isn’t always trustworthy, there’s always something it can do. I love helping people build confidence, mobility, and strength through their own power. No matter what your injury or weakness, there are ways to get stronger and feel better!
Derik VanDyke Manager/Certified Personal Trainer
Growing up sports and fitness were always a huge part of my life. From an early age, all the way up in to my high school years, I played football, basketball, baseball, as well as martial arts. I was also exposed to bodybuilding at a very early age, because my father was an amateur bodybuilder . I instantly grew to love that sport and knew that it would always be a huge part of my life. I loved the challenges and personal sacrifice it took to excel at sports and bodybuilding. Shortly after I graduated high school, I wanted to further challenge myself as well as do something good for my country, so I joined the army as a Combat Medic. I served 4 years as an airborne combat medic in the Army, with a 15-month tour in Southern Baghdad. Throughout my 4 years in the army, physical fitness was enforced on us, and was rewarded when one would go far and beyond expectations. With my love for fitness I went far and beyond what was expected of me, receiving “excellent” marks in fitness which helped lead me to make rank quickly. Before long I was leading young soldiers in physical fitness programs myself. Upon completing my 4 years in the army, I knew I wanted to follow my heart and do what I’ve always loved and that was fitness. I attended NPTI (national personal training institute), and graduated with an even greater knowledge of health and fitness. I am excited and highly motivated to be doing what I love and that is help people achieve their physical fitness goals, as well as their goals in life. I will work hard for you so you can attain the goals you set out for! “I’m not telling you it is going to be easy – I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it” — Art Williams
To find a Fitness Together Studio near you, check out FTGetsResults.com
