This month is National Arthritis Month, plus the other health observances that I have discussed in earlier newsletters this month. It used to be thought that exercise would just worsen arthritis so doctors told their patients not to exercise. But now there is new research that indicates you would be crazy not to exercise if you have arthritis.
To begin with, exercise builds strong muscles around the joints, increases the flexibility, and helps reduce joint pain and stiffness. Besides promoting overall health and fitness, it helps reduce the inflammation associated with arthritis.
So what are some things that you want to do?
The first thing before doing any exercise program is to have a good warm-up. You might even want to have a longer warm-up than your normal individual. This is to make sure you have the blood flowing through the joints as good as can be and get the muscles extra warm. The more blood flowing through these areas the easier it will be for you to move. Your warm-up should consist of something low impact: brisk walking while pumping your arms, stationary bike, or an elliptical which is designed to take stress off your joints.
If you have extreme pain, you might want to start with some water exercises. Water takes all the pressure off your joints plus there are pieces of equipment you can use to get a good total body equipment.
If you desire to use weights, you can use them and get a good workout, but you have to be smart. Don't do maximum lifts. You want to have a moderate weight, go for a higher rep range, and use strict form. There really is no limit to what you can or can't do. It is all based on your pain threshold and what exercises aggravate your arthritis. If there is no pain or it is not going above normal pain levels then you are probably alright.
Stretching is very important. The more flexible you are, the better your range of motion is for your joints. This means you can put your body in proper positions and not put extra pressure on your joints due to tightness.
Just because you have arthritis doesn't mean you have to give up your health entirely. There are great ways to keep you in shape and keep your arthritis under control. All it takes is a little work on your part and a little know-how given by me.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
If You Aren't Losing Weight, You Might Not Be Eating Enough
When people talk with me about what diet they have been on, I hear several of the same themes:
• They still feel hungry
• They lose weight initially, plateau, so they cut more calories to try and lose more weight
• They feel lethargic
• As soon as they go off the diet, they gain weight
In my experience, this all leads to one common problem - they aren't eating enough food for their body to properly lose fat, thus lose weight.
Yes, to lose weight, you do want to make sure that the calories you are consuming is a little less than the calories you are burning. The problem is that you only want to cut back several hundred calories, not 1000 calories where you are only getting 1200-1400 calories a day. What people fail to understand is that they burn a lot more calories than they realize throughout the day, thus you need to consume more calories in order for your body to lose weight, but more importantly fat.
Here is what is happening. Your body needs a certain amount of calories each day in order to do its normal bodily functions. If it does not get that amount, your body thinks it is starving. When that happens, your body turns into survival mode and slows down your metabolism by using muscle for energy and storing fat. So any initial weight you may be losing due to a low calorie diet is due to muscle and water loss NOT fat. This is why you will hear experts say to eat small meals frequently throughout the day. So your body doesn't think it is starving, preserves the muscle, meets its energy demands, and burns fat for energy.
So how do you find out how many calories you need to eat each day?
Good question. That is where our Metabolic Nutrition program comes in. This program figures out how many calories you burn throughout the day, then uses that number to figure out a registered dietician approved meal plan that is customized to meet your health goals. As long as you follow the plan, you will lose weight, but not just body weight, body fat. This is important.
My clients who have used this and lost weight have been told to eat anywhere from 1800-3200 calories a day. So what I'm telling you, is that you can eat food, and possibly eat a good amount and still lose fat. If you haven't got time to exercise then you should at least try this program. As Andy Rahe proved (you can watch his video on youtube or my facebook fan page), you can lose fat and a good deal of it by eating right and not exercising. Exercising will only enhance what you do and is very necessary, but eating is the key.
So, if you are exercising, you will be just spinning your wheels if you are not changing your nutrition. If you are working with me or exercising somewhere else, I would encourage you to try this Metabolic Nutrition program. This could be the answer to your health problems. It is only $99 to take the metabolic test, receive a 3 day meal plan, and a grocery list. Some additional meal replacement shakes and bars will need to be purchased, but I'm telling you if you follow the program, you will accomplish your health goals.
Contact me today to schedule your appointment and let's get that nutrition taken care of. Find out really how much food you can eat and still lose weight.
• They still feel hungry
• They lose weight initially, plateau, so they cut more calories to try and lose more weight
• They feel lethargic
• As soon as they go off the diet, they gain weight
In my experience, this all leads to one common problem - they aren't eating enough food for their body to properly lose fat, thus lose weight.
Yes, to lose weight, you do want to make sure that the calories you are consuming is a little less than the calories you are burning. The problem is that you only want to cut back several hundred calories, not 1000 calories where you are only getting 1200-1400 calories a day. What people fail to understand is that they burn a lot more calories than they realize throughout the day, thus you need to consume more calories in order for your body to lose weight, but more importantly fat.
Here is what is happening. Your body needs a certain amount of calories each day in order to do its normal bodily functions. If it does not get that amount, your body thinks it is starving. When that happens, your body turns into survival mode and slows down your metabolism by using muscle for energy and storing fat. So any initial weight you may be losing due to a low calorie diet is due to muscle and water loss NOT fat. This is why you will hear experts say to eat small meals frequently throughout the day. So your body doesn't think it is starving, preserves the muscle, meets its energy demands, and burns fat for energy.
So how do you find out how many calories you need to eat each day?
Good question. That is where our Metabolic Nutrition program comes in. This program figures out how many calories you burn throughout the day, then uses that number to figure out a registered dietician approved meal plan that is customized to meet your health goals. As long as you follow the plan, you will lose weight, but not just body weight, body fat. This is important.
My clients who have used this and lost weight have been told to eat anywhere from 1800-3200 calories a day. So what I'm telling you, is that you can eat food, and possibly eat a good amount and still lose fat. If you haven't got time to exercise then you should at least try this program. As Andy Rahe proved (you can watch his video on youtube or my facebook fan page), you can lose fat and a good deal of it by eating right and not exercising. Exercising will only enhance what you do and is very necessary, but eating is the key.
So, if you are exercising, you will be just spinning your wheels if you are not changing your nutrition. If you are working with me or exercising somewhere else, I would encourage you to try this Metabolic Nutrition program. This could be the answer to your health problems. It is only $99 to take the metabolic test, receive a 3 day meal plan, and a grocery list. Some additional meal replacement shakes and bars will need to be purchased, but I'm telling you if you follow the program, you will accomplish your health goals.
Contact me today to schedule your appointment and let's get that nutrition taken care of. Find out really how much food you can eat and still lose weight.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Lowering High Blood Pressure Through Exercise
If you read last week's newsletter, I told you that May happens to be the awareness month for many different health issues. I discussed Osteoporosis last newsletter and this week's newsletter is dedicated to high blood pressure since it is National High Blood Pressure Awareness month.
I meet a lot of people that have hypertension (high blood pressure) and are on medications. Did you know that more evidence is being produced that exercise, plus a healthier lifestyle, can eliminate the need for those medications by keeping your blood pressure in check? I'm sure some of you did, but just don't care. I understand it is simpler to just take your meds, but being healthy can hopefully eliminate plus prevent a lot of other issues besides high blood pressure. But, I digress. That isn't what this newsletter is about.
So how does exercise help blood pressure? I'm glad you asked.
As you exercise, you make your heart stronger. If your heart gets stronger, than it takes less effort to pump blood throughout your body. Because your heart pumps blood more efficiently, the force on your arteries decreases, thus lowering your blood pressure. Implementing exercise can lower your systolic number (the top number) an average of 5 to 10 mm/Hg. That is as good as some medications and in some cases can reduce the need for them.
It takes about 1 to 3 months of continuous exercise to start effecting your blood pressure. These benefits only last as long as you continue to exercise. We increase our chances of acquiring high blood pressure as we age, so if we can get into a steady exercise routine, then we can keep it low as we get older.
Just like anyone, if you are just starting an exercise program, you will want to start conservatively and progress as you are adapting to the program. You can then get to the point, where you have a high intensity to your workout with no repercussions of raising your blood pressure. Aerobic activity is key, but combining it with weight training will really help out.
So if you are tired of taking yet another medication for a disease that you acquired as you got older, than why don't you try some exercise. Not only will it help you lower your blood pressure, but you will have more energy, feel better, and look great. I would definitely love to have those side effects, wouldn't you??
I meet a lot of people that have hypertension (high blood pressure) and are on medications. Did you know that more evidence is being produced that exercise, plus a healthier lifestyle, can eliminate the need for those medications by keeping your blood pressure in check? I'm sure some of you did, but just don't care. I understand it is simpler to just take your meds, but being healthy can hopefully eliminate plus prevent a lot of other issues besides high blood pressure. But, I digress. That isn't what this newsletter is about.
So how does exercise help blood pressure? I'm glad you asked.
As you exercise, you make your heart stronger. If your heart gets stronger, than it takes less effort to pump blood throughout your body. Because your heart pumps blood more efficiently, the force on your arteries decreases, thus lowering your blood pressure. Implementing exercise can lower your systolic number (the top number) an average of 5 to 10 mm/Hg. That is as good as some medications and in some cases can reduce the need for them.
It takes about 1 to 3 months of continuous exercise to start effecting your blood pressure. These benefits only last as long as you continue to exercise. We increase our chances of acquiring high blood pressure as we age, so if we can get into a steady exercise routine, then we can keep it low as we get older.
Just like anyone, if you are just starting an exercise program, you will want to start conservatively and progress as you are adapting to the program. You can then get to the point, where you have a high intensity to your workout with no repercussions of raising your blood pressure. Aerobic activity is key, but combining it with weight training will really help out.
So if you are tired of taking yet another medication for a disease that you acquired as you got older, than why don't you try some exercise. Not only will it help you lower your blood pressure, but you will have more energy, feel better, and look great. I would definitely love to have those side effects, wouldn't you??
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