Making Exercise Fun

We all know we are supposed to exercise.  That fact has become a no-brainer.  All the major research, medical advice, even our girlfriends and the crabby neighbor lady know that exercise is key in maintaining a healthy weight, fighting off numerous diseases, and just plain feeling good about yourself. 

So why are the majority of Americans overweight?  Why would we rather sit on the couch eating potato chips and watching The Biggest Loser than actually getting up off our patootie and moving our bodies?  

I’ll tell you why.  Most people don’t think exercise is fun, and who wants to do something that isn’t fun?

But if walking from the back of the parking lot or taking the stairs was actually FUN, more people would do it, right?  Right! 

This is just a reminder that making exercise fun is far more likely to get you up and moving.  

Here a few ideas for spicing up your work outs.  Make them fun and I promise you’ll be less likely to miss the opportunity to burn some calories. 

1. Bring a friend.  Sometimes the encouragement and motivation you get from adding a friend to your workout is just the thing you need.  Plus the conversation fills a need for socialization.  Just make sure it’s someone you enjoy spending time with.  Don’t invite the crabby neighbor lady.
2. Try a group class.  I love my yoga and karate classes.  It’s a great way to meet new people and make some new friends.  You can gauge the social tone an instructor creates by watching if anyone talks to him or her before or after the class and if the other participants talk to each other.
3. Play.  Play a game of tennis, or soccer, or softball, or capture the flag.  A little friendly competition and deviation from the normal routine can be tons of fun.  Don’t be afraid to unleash your inner child.  Swing on a swingset, play hopscotch, jump rope.  All of these fun activities get your body moving and take you back to childhood memories. 
4. Go outside.  Sure it’s great to have a warm cozy gym on those chilly winter mornings, but who wants to see the same people and peeling paint, or breathe the same re-circulated air all the time?  When the weather is nice, take your workout to the great outdoors.  A brisk walk or jog in the park will help you soak up fresh air and sunshine while you burn calories.  Try hiking or even a good rousing game of backyard tag with your kids.
5. Put on some music.  Some fun energizing music may be just the thing to get your blood pumping and your body moving.  Promise to run on the treadmill to a new CD by your favorite artist. If you’re used to listening to the same old music try something new.  If you are used to always listening to rock during your morning run, next time try some funk or blues.  See how the different mood and tempo affect your work out.
6. Buy some new work out attire.  Hey, I’m a woman.  You had to see this coming.  Just like a new pair of dress shoes can perk up your mood, a new pair of yoga pants or workout top may put a little more spring in your step.  Vibrant colors can sometimes be a pick-me-up, or black that helps make you look thinner.  Make sure to choose clothing that doesn’t interfere with your body movements.  Stay away from shorts that ride up or shoes that pinch your toes.  You want to feel comfortable, so keep away from clothing that makes you feel self-conscious, too.

Pull-Ups, Not Just for Guys

Why should I want to do pull-ups?  Pull-ups are the exercise reserved for super macho muscle-bound guys that grunt and fling sweat, right?  Absolutely not.

It might surprise you, but women can do pull-ups, too.  Don’t waste your time thinking pull-ups are as unfeminine as farting in public.  Pull-ups are just plain cool.  If you’re female and you can’t do a full-range unassisted pull-up (And don’t feel badly if you can’t.  Most women can’t.), I promise you that it’s something you want to work toward. 

Not only are pull-ups great for strengthening your back, biceps, forearms, shoulders, and core, but they are completely empowering.  I promise you will feel like a goddess.  Plus, pull-ups are pretty darned impressive to watch.  You’ll be the envy of the strolling treadmillers and magazine-reading stationary bikers.  You’ll probably even impress some of the die hard gym rats.  By the way, it is perfectly acceptable to run victory laps around the gym and force onlookers to kiss your throbbing biceps upon completion of even one well done unassisted pull-up.  

Now that you’re convinced pull-ups are worthwhile endeavors for every female, you might be wondering how you will ever be able to do even one.  Fear not my female friends, I am here to help. 

Let’s just get the uncomfortable part out of the way.  The lighter you are, the easier it will be to do pull-ups.  If you have some extra baggage in the weight department, consider a plan to shed the extra pounds through a healthy nutrition and exercise plan.  But don’t wait until you’ve reached your ultimate goal weight to start your pull-up training.  Start strengthening those essential muscles now.  Besides, I didn’t say it was impossible for a heavier woman to competently perform pull-ups, just that it would be easier for the woman who has less weight to pull up.  

If your gym has an assisted pull-up machine, that’s a good place to start your training.  Start by using the lowest amount of assistance possible to complete a set of assisted pull-ups with good form.  Use a full range of motion, but don’t lock your elbows at the bottom.  Make the negative count, too.  This means you should be lowering your body slowly and with control.  Don’t let gravity do all the work for you. 

If you don’t have access to an assisted pull-up machine, don’t give up.  There are other training methods you can use on your journey to pull-up mastery.  Using the lat pull-down machine or the cable trap in a standing, rather than seated position.  Pull the handle or bar attachment to your chest as you normally would.  Once again, remember to make the negative count.  

What if you only have a bar?    Negative pull-ups are a great way to work up to full pull-ups.  In this exercise the negative (or eccentric for you regular fitness nerds out there) aspect of the motion is emphasized, in other words, the lowering motion of the pull-up.  The starting position will have your chin over the bar and your arms full bent.  With a lower bar, you can easily achieve this by jumping up into the starting position.  With a higher bar, you made need help in the form of a step or chair.  Then you lower your body in a slow and controlled manner.

If you have a workout partner like I do (Lucky me. He’s handsome, too), assisted pull-ups are a great next step toward full-fledged pull-ups.  Grip the bar and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle.  (Your shins will be mostly parallel to the floor.)  Have your partner place his or her hands on your shins and gently push upward as you pull up.  You will still be doing 90% of the work, but the subtle boost from your partner may be just what you need to get that pretty chin of your up over the bar. 

Of course the next step is actual assistance-free empowering pull-ups.  Try varying the grip if you need to.  The wider your hands on the bar, the more work for your shoulders.  An underhand grip (often referred to as a chin-up) works your biceps more.   

And don’t forget to celebrate.  High fives all around.

5 Proven Treatments for Sore Muscles

Everyone who has ever exercised has experienced muscle soreness.   Sometimes you feel it the next day and sometimes you think you’re home free only to have it sneak up on you a couple of days later.  Mostly it’s just annoying, but extremely stiff, sore muscles can interfere with your training schedule, not to mention making going up and down stairs something you’d really rather not do.  

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) is both loved and hated by most exercise enthusiasts.  Loved, because it’s often seen as a sign of an effective workout (although the jury is still out on that aspect of DOMS).  Hated because, well, it makes you sore. 

Here are a few tips for treating DOMS.  Remember that DOMS usually is mild and only lasts a couple of days.  If you are in serious pain, or your muscle soreness lasts more than 7 days, see your doctor.  It could be something more serious. 

1. Vitamins and Antioxidants.  There have been a few research studies that suggest supplementation with certain vitamins and antioxidants as a promising treatment for DOMS.  One gram of ascorbic acid or vitamin C taken three times a day BEFORE exercise is recommended by this study.  There is also some promising research concerning the use of vitamin E as prevention for DOMS.  Other sources of antioxidants to try include green tea, goji berries, acai berries, and blueberries.  While there is no specific research regarding these sources, it is very possible that their similar antioxidant effects could also help prevent DOMS.
2. Arnica Montana, a homeopathic compound, (and my personal favorite DOMS remedy), is also used as a treatment for DOMS.  It can be taken in pill or liquid form, or applied topically.
3. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) seem like a logical treatment for DOMS.  You’re sore so reach for the aspirin or ibuprofen.  While this may mask the symptoms, it doesn’t shorten recovery time.  There is also some research that suggests the use of NSAIDs may interfere with protein synthesis resulting in less strength and lean muscle gain.  So if you’re a body builder, think twice before reaching for that bottle of Tylenol.
4. Ice Therapy is one proven effective way to treat DOMS.  A 1999 study focused on the effects of cold water immersion on the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage.  Immerse the affected muscle in ice cold water 15 minutes after exercising, and then follow up every 12 hours with a similar 15 minute immersion.
5. Low-impact aerobics may help reduce muscle soreness.  Some easy, low-intensity exercise between episodes of vigorous exercise helps improve blood circulation.  Improved blood circulation helps speed the recovery time of sore muscles.  Yoga seems to have a similar effect.

 This list isn’t all-inclusive.  Ask any gym rat and you’re likely to get a lengthy list.  These are the methods most backed by research.  Feel free to hit me up in the comments section with your own personal DOMS treatments.

Yoga Myths

Apparently, I’m on a fitness myth-busting mission recently. Make sure you check out my previous myth versus reality articles, Exercise Myths and Common Diet and Nutrition Myths. Today we separate fact from fiction regarding one of my favorite subjects: Yoga.

The word probably conjures images of skinny women in fashionable yoga pants twisting their bodies into a variety of pretzel shapes. Don’t let that image deter you. Yoga is a 5,000 year-old practice. Certainly for it to have thrived for so many years there must be something to all of that meditation and funky poses.

Modern research is finally starting to catch up with what centuries of yoga practitioners have known. Yoga is GOOD FOR YOU. Yoga has a whole list of proven health benefits, including increased flexibility, lower blood pressure, and decreased cholesterol levels. Also, yoga relieves the symptoms of asthma, back pain, and arthritis.

In spite of all the evidence, people still hesitate to walk into the yoga class at their local gym. Never fear! Wo40 is here to bust through the common yoga myths and misperceptions.

Myth: You have to be flexible to practice yoga.

Reality: Yoga does have a lot to do with flexibility, but that doesn’t mean that if you aren’t flexible you can’t practice yoga -- or that if you are flexible it will be easy. Yoga is an individual practice. Everyone is at a different place and while some postures may come easier for others, there is no competition with yourself or anyone else. Besides, if you think you are too inflexible to try a yoga class, how will your flexibility ever improve if you don’t try something? Yoga is an effective way to get started with improving your body’s flexibility.

Myth: Yoga is a religion.

Reality: While some people approach their yoga practice from a spiritual perspective, yoga in and of itself is not a religion. Yoga has no deity to worship. It has no creed or statement of faith. Yoga has no ordained clergy or priesthood, and there is no system of temples or churches.

The meditative aspect of yoga, may cause some people to think of yoga as a religion. Meditation through Yoga should be looked at as a time to quiet the mind and connect with your breath. It is not meant to be a time to connect with the Divine, unless that is how you wish to approach it.

Myth: Yoga isn’t a “real workout”.

Reality: Yoga is an effective way to strengthen and tone the muscles of your entire body, as well as burn calories. If you think yoga isn’t tiring and challenging, you’ve probably never attended a yoga class. There are also many forms of yoga out there, some are more focused on meditation and breathing, while others are more physically taxing. Besides, have you ever seen Madonna’s arms? Yowza!

If You Want To See Remarkable Results

An acquaintance of mine approached me yesterday. She had heard about Weighting on 40 and was interested in the information here. So she spilled all of the details about her weight gain, and her approaching wedding, and wanting to be thin for her big day. In short she wants to lose 60 pounds in 10 months. That’s certainly not impossible. In fact it’s a very realistic goal. The kicker is that in order to accomplish that goal, she’s going to have to work for it.

In our short conversation, I attempted to talk her out of her original idea of starving herself and encouraged her to exercise while eating a sensible, healthy diet. Her idea of exercise, unfortunately, was limited to walking a mile every evening. While better than sitting on the couch watching American Idol, that’s probably not going to help her achieve the kind of results she’s looking for.

Her body is used to walking. It’s been doing it for YEARS. In fact, she does it EVERYDAY. And in spite of all that walking, she finds herself in a body she’s not happy with. She needs to challenge her body, get her heart rate pumping, make her muscles work. A stroll around the neighborhood just isn’t going to cut it.

In order to accomplish remarkable results, you need to make remarkable changes.

Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying that walking a mile every evening isn’t worth doing. Just don’t expect to accomplish something remarkable (like losing 60 pounds of fat in 10 months) doing it.

Let’s look at the numbers. A pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. In order to rid your body of just one pound of fat, you need to create a deficit of 3500 calories through exercise while at the same time, limiting the amount of calories consumed (try to stay away from those donuts). A 200 pound person, walking at a somewhat leisurely pace of 2.5 miles per hour is only going to burn 109 calories during that mile-long evening stroll. At that rate it’s going to take over a month just to rid your body of just one measly little pound of fat.

If you want to see how many calories your body will use during a certain activity, check out Health Status’s calorie calculator. They have results for everything from brushing your teeth and mopping the floor to lifting weights and cycling. You might be surprised just how few calories your body uses during your favorite exercise. (This is one very good reason You Can’t Out-Train A Bad Diet.)

So if walking your dog around the neighborhood isn’t going to cut it, what exactly is? Try reading Exercise for Fat Reduction, but before you do there are a few other things to consider. Fortunately Keith walks you through the steps and tells you all about Getting Started With Physique Transformation.