Biggest Fitness Mistake

Biggest Fitness Mistake


02/02/2010
If you have haven’t worked out for a month or even a year, don’t expect to return to your same level of physical activity overnight. Building endurance and strength takes time, find out how you can avoid making the biggest fitness mistake.

The biggest mistake people make when starting a fitness program is starting too fast. It may have taken you 20 years to lose your conditioning, and yet you want to take 20 days to get it back. That approach can be dangerous, particularly for those 40 and older, and may result in major medical problems, both musculoskeletal and cardiovascular. Remember, the older you are, the faster you will lose your fitness and the longer it will take you to get back into shape. In younger people, under 40, it is just the reverse.

If you have been off for six weeks or longer, it should take at least six weeks to get back to your original state of fitness. Shorter periods of being off require less time. A good guideline is one week of retraining for the number of weeks you were off. Of course, these times are primarily for those 40 and older. People under 40 should require approximately half the time.

If you were jogging/running, start back with walking, as laid out in the chart below.
Week Activity Distance (Miles) Time (Mins) Frequency/Week
1 Walk 2.0 30 3-5 times
2 Walk/Jog 2.0 28 3-5 times
3 Jog 2.0 26 3-5 times
4 Jog 2.0 24 3-5 times
5 Jog/Run 2.0 22 3-5 times
6 Jog/Run 2.0 20 3-5 times

With other activities, slowly increase the level and intensity as you slowly improve your fitness.

By Kenneth Cooper, M.D., M.P.H., founder and chairman, Cooper Aerobics Center.

Source: US News and World Report

Self-Assessment

TRANSCEND Steps – "A"

Assessment

The two pillars that will help you to live—and remain in optimal health—long enough to take full advantage of upcoming health technologies are Prevention and Early Detection of disease. There is a lot you can do yourself to uphold these two pillars.

Prevention

Lifestyle choices are the key to successful prevention. Making better choices will help you live in good condition for longer. The TRANSCEND program can help guide you through lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, sleep, brain health, and stress management.

Soon, we will have the means to reprogram our biological software and reach the point where the clock begins to tick longer with each passing year.
Early Detection

There are a number of tests that you can perform yourself to help identify disease very early on, thereby increasing your chances of recovery.

Breast self-exams (women)
Regular examination will make it easy for you to notice changes that should be addresses with your doctor. Essentially, you are looking for lumps, dimpling, changes or redness.

Testicular self-exams (men)
Testicular cancer is the leading cancer in younger men, but it is nearly 100% treatable when caught early. Look for lumps and consistency.

Heart Rate
The easiest place to check your pulse is at your wrist. Without pressing too hard, locate your pulse with the index and middle fingers of the other hand. Count the pulsations for 20 seconds and multiply by 3 for your heart rate. An optimal heart rate is less than 70 beats per minute.

Blood Pressure
You can check your blood pressure easily with an inexpensive device at home. Less than 120/80 mm Hg is an optimal level. Any elevation beyond this level constitutes a health risk. Readings over 140/90 mm Hg are too high and most doctors advise medication for individuals who consistently have readings in this range.

Body Composition
Your health can be affected by how much fat you have and how it is distributed on the body. Some fat is needed for reproductive function, while other fat is simply caloric storage. Body Fat can be estimated using a scale or a handheld device is fine. For a more accurate reading, an underwater tank is preferred (see your doctor or gym for more information). Men should maintain 10-17 percent body fat. Women should maintain 18 to 26 percent body fat. Higher levels of fat, particularly in the abdominal region, increase health risks significantly.

Fitness Testing
Exercise is absolutely necessary for optimal health. We recommend that you evaluate your core strength, upper body strength, aerobic fitness level, and flexibility.

A more complete description of these tests is included in Chapter 10 of Transcend: Nine Steps to Living Well Forever.

In the next issue, we will discuss "N"utrition.

Information taken from following site:

http://www.rayandterry.com/vert/newsletter012010_web.html?utm_campaign=Every%20Product%20is%20On%20Sale%20plus%20Bridge%20Three%20News&utm_content=prescottg@gmail.com&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=VerticalResponse&utm_term=View%20it%20in%20a%20web%20browser

While Ray Kurzweil is significantly more aggressive regarding maintaining health than most folks, the above 'Assessment' is basic.

Personal Healthcare Reform

The link (to the left) by the same name as this post is to an article by Dr. Troy L. Schraeder published in the Boston Globe on July 6, 2009. Encountering it for the first time on January 1, 2010, it is a well written article that everyone who is reading this should read :-)

Live Healthy Greenville

Following is a link to the 2010 version of Live Healthy Greenville:


http://www.livehealthygreenville.org/aspx/friends_overview.aspx

Enjoy Life to the Fullest

We all tend to rationalize that we are exceptions to rules. That is, we recognize a rules' value, but somehow we don't recognize the impact, personally. Maybe some of this is because certain words become barriers to whether we seriously consider facts or not. Maybe the word 'obesity' has become such a word. That word is used often in the Healthy Links provided in the sidebar at:

http://betterhealthtmbc.blogspot.com/

For instance, consider:

The Cost of Obesity

Obesity and Cancer

Obesity by State

Obesity can take 10 Years off your Life

All of the above are good articles that have received limited readership, perhaps because they contain the word 'Obesity.' The reality is the substance of the first article above is that no matter how health care might be packaged, the cost appears to be going up considerably with time. However, for that to happen an assumption of the article, that American adults will continue the track they are on for 10 more years, will have to hold true. That doesn't have to happen. There is some indication that stating the issue in dollar cost is not effective.

More important than the cost, and how it is going to be absorbed, is that living longer can be enjoyed by most and thus cost becomes a lesser factor.

The chart shown at the link below is more important:

http://betterhealthtmbc.blogspot.com/2007/11/cooper-clinic-radio-show-archives.html

It shows that most people can remain active to near the point of death of an extended life through diet and exercise. That is more important than cost …. doing whatever they want for a longer period of time.

Cooper Health Magazine - Summer 2009

The Summer 2009 edition was posted on August 4, 2009. Cover articles listed:

Healthy at Any Age

D for dilemma (you need vitamin D and probably aren't getting enough)

downsized dining

balanced body

http://www.cooperaerobics.com/Health-Tools/Cooper-Health-Magazine.aspx

About Strength Maintenance

As a balance to practicing aerobics (walking, running, cycling, swimming, lince dancing, etc.), there are benefits in maintaining strength at a reasonable level. There are many facilities with equipment and much equipment within private homes that are geared to help .... with some cost involved. Most of the equipment facilitated activity is beneficial, though some advertise more than can be achieved. Strength can be maintained with little or no equipment. The old fashioned push-up still works. Several months ago I decided to reach a level that I could perform 25 push-ups routinely. I started with 10 and did them everyday before dressing. That is at least once a day :-) , but is twice or more on most days as I shower after other activities. I increased the number by 1 every Monday morning. Last week I reached 25. This week 25 feels 'routine.'

A by-product of stength improvement has been being able to perform various yard/garden functions without straining anything. That is, maintining strength permits a higher level of work than could otherwise be performed without adverse consequences. For perspective, I'm currently 72 years old.

Moving More

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NEW COMMENT ADDED AT END! Jane Wang teaching:

http://www.tmbc.org/media/0902081/video.htm

and 

http://www.tmbc.org/media/0902082/video.htm

Cooper Aerobics Center Information

Read comments below

NEWS RELEASE 3/09/09

Physically fit students more likely to do well in school, less likely to be disciplinary problems

See supporting charts here

Read about the latest Cooper book here

Lowest cost found is at Amazon.com

About Pedometers

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During our Better Health series of presentations, the TMBC Better Health Task Force, experimented with several lower priced pedometers and found them to be lacking in accuracy. Currently a group of 10 folks are using the higher pricedOmron HJ-112 and early reports are they are working well. TMBC purchased these 10 pedometers from Amazon.com.

Soon we will test an even higher priced pedometer, the Omron HJ7201ITC which is functionally similar to the HJ112 but with the added feature of an USB connection that enables transferring data to a PC enabled with Omron software tracking long-term progress. We will report results here via the comment feature of the blog.

I found the holster not secure enough for many outside activities (and you may not be aware of when the pedometer pops out). However an alternative is to clip it in a fashion that the belt holds it secure as per the slideshow:

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US Lags Global Trend in Life-Span Change Version2

The original post on this subject can be found in the Archives as the earliest November 2007 post. Since that post appeared, Google has tinkered with the Gapminder software and updated the databases the software accesses. Additionally, other databases with related information have been updated such as GeoHive's life expectancy table for countries with populations exceeding 140,000 for the time-frame 2000-2005. That table lists 23 countries with greater life-expectancies than the US as of 2005. Using that order the following three snapshots are of the relationship of those 23 countries to the US plus India and China. While these two countries life expetancies are still below the US, they are remarkable in two respects. The rate of growth of the populations and the rate of increase in life expectancies. Clicking on an image will render a larger view:





In 1950 most of the 23 countries had life expectancies less than the US.



By 1981 most of the 23 countries were ahead of the US.



At 2008 all 23 countries (listed in order)were ahead of the US.

Functional Foods

Tara Barber, in her post entitled Healthy Eating for Dummies addresses balance in selection and portions. Dr. Kenneth Cooper in his book Start Strong, Finish Strong describes certain foods as functional foods. Functional foods include the following:

Benecol (spreads and chews)

Kroger's Active Lifestyle Fat Free Milk

Minute Maid Heart Wise Organge Juice

CocoaVia Brand Chocolate Bars

Dove Rich Dark Chocolate (NOT milk or white chocolate)

Green or Black Tea

Benecol, Active Lifestyle Milk, Minute Maid Heart Wise Orange Juice, and CocoaVia products include plant sterol and/or plant stanol esters which have some capacity to reduce total cholesterol levels. So those with slightly elevated cholesterol may achieve optimum levels by combining daily plant sterols/stanols in their diet with modest exercise.

Dove Brand Dark Chocolates contain higher than normal (for other brands of dark chocolate) flavanols. Green and Black Tea are also sources of flavanols. Flavanols promote elasticity of the blood vessels which offset part of the aging process. Any diet that includes dark chocolates needs to also address whether they render more caloric intake than daily exercise regimen burns.

These functional foods in addition to the well known foods including the omega-3 fatty acids (fish); monounsaturated fats (nuts); whole grains; fruits; and vegetables have enough variety to comprise diets that are both healthy and desirable.

TMBC Neighborhood Walking Trail

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Healthy Eating for Dummies

By Tara Barber
Assistant Director of Nutrition Services
East Carolina University
Division of Academic and Student Affairs
Campus Wellness and Recreation
MS, RD, LDN






Healthy eating…what does it mean?
• What is health?
• To meet nutrient needs (example: vitamin A, calcium, fiber, etc.)
• To meet calorie (energy) needs (weight management)

What we eat can affect our health status with or without weight change (Examples: high cholesterol; high blood pressure).

Consuming adequate nutrients and calories is based on a continuum of eating from meal to meal, day to day, weeks to weeks, etc. Try not to place all of your focus on one meal or even one day while in the process of developing healthier eating habits.

Natural/whole vs. Processed foods
• Natural/whole foods are foods in their natural, raw state which have the most nutrients.
• Processed foods may initially contain some natural/whole foods, but then are processed which typically removes nutrients and often adds preservatives, additives, sugar, fat, and/or calories.
• While shopping in the grocery store, in general, you will mostly want to shop along the perimeter of the store (the outside) where you will find more whole foods, while limiting the amount of foods that you purchase in the middle part of the store (in the aisles) where you will find more processed foods.
• Considering the cost of whole vs. processed foods…fat and sugar are cheap. Would you rather pay for your health now or later?

How to balance nutrients at a meal:
• Picture your meal on a plate and divide that plate into thirds (like a peace sign).
• Make one third of your meal lean protein; another one third grain/starch; and the remaining one third fruit and/or vegetable. This will provide you with a “rough estimate” of how to balance your meals.
• Lean protein sources – white meat chicken and pork (no skin or bones); lean beef; fish (not fried); eggs (limit yolks if concerns with cholesterol); dried beans (kidney, pinto, navy, black); nuts and peanut butter; low/no fat dairy foods; soy foods; and tofu.
• Carbohydrate sources – it is more health promoting to choose complex carbohydrates vs. simple carbohydrates mostly due to their fiber content. Complex carbohydrates include whole grain breads, rice, pasta, and cereals; as well as vegetables. Although fruits are considered a simple carbohydrate, they are very nutrient dense and also contain fiber. Fruit juice should be limited due to the high sugar content and less fiber content when compared to whole fruits.
• As far as fat content, we do need to limit our fat intake, but not eliminate it! Our bodies need more monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fats rather than saturated and trans fats. MUFAs can be found in nuts, peanut butter, olives, and olive and canola oils. Omega 3 fatty acids are types of PUFA that are very heart healthy. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in some fish (salmon, albacore tuna, trout, and herring). Walnuts, soybeans, canola, and flaxseed contain substances that will convert into omega 3 fatty acids once inside the body. Saturated fats are found in animal meats, dairy foods, butter, and vegetable oil. Trans fats are unsaturated fats that are made saturated and contribute to heart disease. Trans fats are mostly found in processed foods and some margarines (look for the words partially hydrogenated oil on food labels to help you identify trans fats).

How do you know if you are consuming the right foods to obtain adequate nutrients? Include a variety of foods – this includes eating foods from all food groups (grains/starches; fruits and vegetables; dairy foods; lean protein foods; some MUFA & PUFA); in addition to eating foods with different colors, especially fruits and vegetables (don’t eat only green vegetables; include red, orange, and yellow too)! You can also make an appointment with a Registered Dietitian, as well as have regular check-ups with your physician.

What are appropriate portion sizes? A portion size is an amount of food for one person, which will vary from person to person. A serving size is a standard amount of food that is established by the USDA. Refer to www.MyPyramid.gov for more information on serving sizes.

Do I need a dietary supplement? The answer to this question is determined on an individual basis. When an individual is consuming adequate calories and a variety of foods, they are most likely meeting their nutrient needs; however, it is not guaranteed. If someone is not consuming adequate calories, it is very likely that they are not able to meet nutrient needs. Even if someone is consuming adequate calories without a variety of foods, they too may not be meeting nutrient needs. If you are not eating a variety of whole foods, especially fruits and vegetables, it will likely be beneficial to take a standard multivitamin. Look for a multivitamin with the letters “USP” on it as this will ensure a good quality multivitamin.

Moderation – there are no bad foods only bad portions of foods! You can still eat all foods that you enjoy that may not be as health promoting as other foods, its all about learning moderation. Also when we deprive ourselves of certain foods, our cravings for those foods generally get stronger! Allowing yourself to consume smaller portions of these foods can help satisfy the craving without sacrificing your healthy eating habits.

NC % Overweight By County

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