Top 10 Fitness Facts…Some Things You Should Know About Exercise

Want to be sharper at work? Feel less tired at home? Spend some quality time with your spouse? How about enjoying a cookie without guilt?

If you answered “yes” to all of these questions (and who wouldn’t?), exercise is the answer.

Being physically active offers benefits far beyond the obvious. (Of course, an improved physique and a clean bill of health aren’t too shabby, either.)

If you’ve been looking for the motivation to begin an exercise program or get back into working out regularly, here are 10 fitness facts that may help inspire you to get off the couch.

1. Exercise Boosts Brainpower

Not only does exercise improve your body, it helps your mental function, says certified trainer David Atkinson.

“Exercise increases energy levels and increases serotonin in the brain, which leads to improved mental clarity,” says Atkinson, director of program development for Cooper Ventures, a division of the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas.

All that makes for a more productive day.

“It is clear that those who are active and who exercise are much more productive at work,” says Todd A. Astorino, assistant professor of kinesiology at California State University-San Marcos.

Improved productivity not only makes you a better worker, it makes things better for everyone in the workplace. Companies with less wasted work hours and less sick time end up with lower health care costs — and an improved bottom line, Astorino says.

2. Movement Melts Away Stress

As much as it may stress you out just to think about exercising, once you actually start working out, you’ll experience less stress in every part of your life.

“Exercise produces a relaxation response that serves as a positive distraction,” says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise. He says it also helps elevate your mood and keep depression at bay.

You’re not the only person who will benefit from more happiness and less stress in your life. When you’re less stressed, you’re less irritable, Atkinson says — and that could improve relationships with your partner, kids, and co-workers.

3. Exercise Gives You Energy

You might be surprised at how, say, popping in a workout tape for 30 minutes in the morning can change your whole day. When endorphins are released into your bloodstream during exercise, says Astorino, “you feel much more energized the rest of the day.”

And when you improve your strength and stamina, it’s easier to accomplish everyday tasks like carrying groceries and climbing stairs. This also helps you feel more energetic over the course of the day.

A common excuse among Atkinson’s clients is that they’re too tired to exercise, he says. While exercise may make you feel more tired at first, he says, that won’t last long.

The physical tiredness you feel after working out isn’t the same as everyday fatigue, he says. Besides, once your body adjusts to exercise, you’ll have more energy than ever.

4. It’s Not That Hard to Find Time for Fitness

The key, says Atkinson, is to use your time more wisely. Think about killing two birds with one stone.

Take your kids to the park or ride bikes together, and you’re getting physical activity while enjoying family time, he says. Beyond that, go for a hike, take the kids swimming, or play hide-and-seek, tag, softball, or horseshoes in the backyard.

At work, he says, schedule a meeting on the jogging track or on the golf course.

Also, forget the idea that you have to trudge to the gym and spend an hour or more doing a formal workout. Instead, you can work short spurts of physical activity into your day.

“Everyone has 20 minutes,” Atkinson says. “Everyone has 10 minutes to jump rope, and sometimes that’s better than 20 minutes of walking or running.”

Indeed, squeezing in two or three bouts of 15 or 20 minutes of activity is just as effective as doing it all at once, says Astorino. Vacuuming the house in the morning, riding bikes in the park with the kids in the afternoon, then taking a brisk walk in the evening can add up to an active day.

Recent U.S. government guidelines say that to lose weight and keep it weight off, you should accumulate at least 60 minutes of exercise a day, says Astorino. But half an hour a day is all you need to reap the health and disease-fighting benefits of exercise.

5. Fitness Can Help Build Relationships

Think of what exercising with a partner can do for a relationship, whether it’s with a spouse, a sibling, or a friend you used to go to lunch with once a week.

Not only that, says Astorino, but exercise is always more fun when there’s someone to do it with. So plan to walk with your spouse after dinner every night. Meet your sister or that friend for tennis or an aerobics class instead of lunch.

Besides, Astorino says, people who have exercise partners stay with their programs and reach their goals more often than those who try to go it alone.

“For long-term weight loss, you need to have social support,” Astorino says.

6. Exercise Helps Ward Off Disease

Research has shown that exercise can slow or help prevent heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis (bone loss), and loss of muscle mass, says Astorino.

It also helps ease some aspects of the aging process.

“Because exercise strengthens the muscles and joints, it is going to reduce your odds of having some of those aches and pains and problems most adults have, mostly because of the inactive lives they lead,” Bryant says.

Provided you don’t overdo it, he says, exercise can even boost immune function — so you spend less time down with a cold or flu.

“There isn’t a major health problem where exercise cannot have a positive effect,” says Byrant.

7. Fitness Pumps Up Your Heart

Not only does exercise help fight disease, says Bryant, it creates a stronger heart — the most important muscle in the body. That helps makes exercise — and the activities of daily life — feel easier.

“Your heart and cardiovascular system will function more effectively,” says Bryant. “The heart will build up less plaque. It will become a more efficient pump.”

And “when the heart becomes stronger, it pumps more blood per beat, so at rest, the heart rate is lower,” says Astorino. “It’s not going to have to beat as fast” to expend the same amount of effort.

Within only a couple days after you start exercising, Astorino says, “the body readily adapts to the stimulus it’s getting and it becomes easier. You will feel less fatigue. It will not take as much effort when it comes to breathing. You shouldn’t have as much pain or soreness.”

8. Exercise Lets You Eat More

Pound for pound, muscle burns more calories at rest than body fat. So the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate. And, of course, you also burn calories while you’re actually exercising.

All this means that “cheating” with a cookie once in a while isn’t going to take you back 10 steps. “Can you eat anything? No,” says Atkinson. “But you can afford to enjoy some of the things you really like when you exercise regularly. You can better get away with those things in moderation than you can when you’re not working out.”

9. Exercise Boosts Performance

After a few weeks of consistent exercise, you may feel your clothes fitting differently and see that your muscle tone has improved, Atkinson says.

You may also notice your newly pumped-up muscles in other ways, especially if you’re a recreational golfer or tennis player, or like a friendly game of pick-up basketball, says Atkinson. Exercising consistently will strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility, and improve your overall performance.

“Your muscles will work much more efficiently and you’ll gain a greater sense of endurance,” says Bryant. In addition, he says, your reaction time and balance will improve.

10. Weight Loss Is Not the Most Important Goal

Weight loss is the reason many people exercise in the first place. But it’s certainly not the sole benefit of an exercise program.

Bryant says the long-term goal of weight loss is sold too heavily to people starting fitness programs, and that can be discouraging. People have trouble sticking with something if they don’t see results quickly.

“Really, they should think about the level of functioning in the activities of daily living,” says Bryant. “That can serve as the motivation to keep them coming back for more.”

So whatever weight loss goal you have when starting a fitness program, don’t make it your only goal. Strive to feel better, to have more energy, to be less stressed. Notice the small things that exercise does for you quickly, rather than getting hung up on the narrow goal of the number on a scale.

“With a goal of losing weight and enhancing health, exercise has to become a part of a person’s life, not an afterthought,” Astorino says.

The weekend is a perfect time to reevaluate goals both personally and professionally. Whether they are career, family, or fitness related; it is important to assess our progress to get us to our target goals. It’s also important to continually find inspiration to keep motivated along the way.

Here’s a motivational pep talk from a 4-year old that is sure to inspire us all:

Herb Brooks Famous \”Miracle\” Motivational Speech

“This is your time. Now go out there and take it!”

Fitness Basics: Running for Your Life

You don’t have to be an athlete — or even aspire to be one — to start running.

Just look at Jim Scott. In January 2003, a month after he turned 60, Scott began running. That November, he finished the New York City Marathon (it took him six hours).

Scott, a radio-talk show host in Cincinnati, Ohio, didn’t do much in the way of exercise before then. He played golf as often as he could but never found the time for regular workouts.

“When I turned 60, I thought it was a good time to reassess things,” says Scott. “I started thinking, ‘These 36-inch (waist) pants I’ve worn all my life are getting a bit tighter.’”

Scott decided he wanted to get in better shape, feel comfortable in his pants again, and improve his golf game. Oh, and there was one more impetus to try running: “I’m married to a marathon runner,” he says.

Scott himself never intended to run a marathon. He simply wanted to go on Sunday morning runs with his wife, Donna Hartman, and keep up, he says. But sometimes running can surprise you.

Maybe you just want to run around your neighborhood, or explore a new one. Maybe you want to challenge your body in a different way, to tone up, or lose weight. Whatever your goals, says Scott’s coach, Julie Isphording, running is an excellent exercise for a beginner to try.

“It’s cheap, easy, and the perfect thing to do with a friend,” says Isphording, a former marathoner and host of two health and fitness radio shows in Cincinnati.

Running’s benefits include improved cardiovascular hearth, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, a revved-up metabolism, and a sense of self-esteem, says Isphording.

“You can go for a run in the morning and finish at your driveway with your hands in the air and you’ve had success before 7 a.m.,” she says. “This is a gift from you to you.”

Getting in Gear

Before you take your first step, get yourself a good pair of running shoes.

“It’s the most important investment you’ll make,” says Isphording. She suggests going to a store specializing in running gear, where the staff tends to be knowledgeable about the products, and trying on as many pairs as necessary to find the right ones for you. A good fit is essential; blisters and shin splints are not going to inspire you to run.

And don’t even think about running in your regular cross-trainers, tennis shoes, or regular sneakers.

“Running is very traumatic,” says Forrest Dolgener, exercise physiologist and professor of exercise science at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. “The mechanics of running creates specific kinds of forces on the body. Running shoes are designed to absorb and minimize those kinds of forces.”

But don’t get too attached to your favorite pair. Running shoes have a limited lifespan, says Dolgener, co-author of The Non-Runner’s Marathon Trainer.

“Generally speaking, running shoes have 500 miles of life,” he says. “Even though they make look good, shock absorption diminishes after 500 miles.”

Start Gradually

Before you start any new fitness program, it’s wise to consult with your physician — especially if you’re a man 45 or older or a woman 50 or older, the experts say.

“I always want anyone who’s getting started to know their life digits — blood pressure, BMI (body mass index), cholesterol, blood sugar,” says Isphording.

Running is not the best exercise for everyone, Dolgener says. So listen to your doctor and your body.

“The worst thing you can do is start running, get injured, then stop exercising altogether,” says Dolgener.

Once you get a green flag from the doctor, don those new running shoes and start out with a combination of walking and jogging. For example, you might alternate walking for five minutes and jogging for two minutes.

Over time, steadily increase the amount of time you spend running until you’re able to jog for 20 minutes at a time, suggests Isphording. Once you achieve that, start increasing your distance.

For someone who has been sedentary, Dolgener recommends starting only with walking, then progressing to brisk walking before adding any jogging.

“Progression is the key element for someone who hasn’t done this,” says Dolgener.

Your cardiovascular system will adapt more easily than your musculoskeletal system, says Dolgener. People don’t usually give up running because their hearts can’t adapt but because of injury. Gradually conditioning yourself with a combination of walking and running gives your body time to adapt to the new stress on the joints and muscles.

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“When I first started,” recalls Scott, “Julie said, ‘Do you think you can run for 15 minutes?’ I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’

“I ran about 45 seconds. I was amazed at how little I could do.” But he plugged through it.

“The first two weeks are difficult,” Isphording warns. “Getting out the door is the hardest thing ever. Once you get past that, then you get it, your body starts feeling good and wants to go out and play.”

To keep your body feeling good during your runs, our experts offer these tips:

• While you’re running, be sure you can pass the “talk test”: You should still be able to carry on a conversation. Keep your pace comfortable so you won’t burn out too quickly. “It’s much better to run too slow than too fast,” Isphording says.
• Instead of tracking the miles you run, count time. “Don’t get caught up in measuring distance, and that you ran faster than yesterday. Go for time,” Isphording says.
• As you build up past 20 minutes, be sure to stay hydrated. This is especially important during the warm-weather months. “Know where the water is, where the park is, where the gas station is — or you can stash water along your route ahead of time,” Isphording says.
• In addition to running, do strength training to build muscle and bone density and protect against injury. A 20-minute strength workout a couple of times a week is all you need. To get started, get a personal trainer to write out a program you can do at home — or get a video.
• Save stretching for after your run, when your muscles are warm. Stretching cold muscles increases the risk for injury.

Sticking With It

To stay consistent with your running program, keep a running journal or log, the experts suggest. At the beginning of the week, plot out when you plan to run and for how long, and commit it to paper. “Write down something on a piece of paper and put it in your sock drawer,” says Isphording.

Setting specific goals — whether it’s time, distance, weight loss or cholesterol — will also inspire you to stay on track.

Another thing that helps: finding a friend to run with. Having a partner to meet you at the mailbox will keep you honest, says Isphording.

“Ninety percent of running is just showing up, getting in the game, getting off the sidelines,” she says.

Inside or Out?

Is it better to run on a treadmill or outside? You can get a great cardiovascular workout either way, and there are benefits to both, the experts say

With a treadmill, you’re never too far from home, says Isphording. It’s a good choice if you’re injured or rehabbing an injury — or just feeling a little intimidated about running outdoors.

“There are no stoplights, no dogs, no cars, no pollution,” she says. And, of course, bad weather isn’t an issue. Treadmill running can be lower-impact too, as well. Dolgener equates it to running on grass.

But a treadmill doesn’t quite simulate the outdoors.

“When you’re outdoors, you’re getting fresh air,” Isphording says. “Running during the sunlight you get vitamin D, which women really need to absorb calcium. You have the scenery — you can discover parts of your city or town, or if you’re traveling, it’s a great way to see a city. It’s better with a group of people, and easier to do with a family.”

When Not to Run

Running is not for everyone, say the experts. If you have an injury or disability, or if running is painful for you, try cycling, cross-country skiing, swimming. They all work.

“The advantage to running is it doesn’t take any equipment except shoes, you can do it anywhere, and it’s convenient,” says Dolgener. “It’s one of the best cardio-respiratory activities you can do. The bad news is, it is very traumatic, and the trauma is more prevalent the longer and harder you go.”

But if you can run, why not go ahead and get out there?

“I can promise you this,” says Isphording, “you will never regret a run. There’s hardly anything in life you can say that about. You’ll regret a chocolate sundae.”

Obesity Takes a Toll on Kids

It’s not only a physical issue.

Hey, here’s a novel idea for our industry: Why don’t we put out a press release and tell everyone (yes, brag) about how well we are doing as an industry during this tough economic downturn/recession? Yes, that’s right: how well we are doing.

I believe it’s important for us to puff our pecs a bit and recognize that the fitness business is healthy.

We should let others know that we share our strategies and tactics with each other in friendly yet competitive ways. We can express to everyone that our workout traffic has actually increased during these tough economic times and share how that has inspired many of us to invest more time with our members and how this inspiration has led to great member referral programs or club-based activities. We also can share with them how our new member unit numbers have held strong and even our ancillary business (personal training, massage, tanning and aquatics programs), though down a bit, have done well.

Why not? Shouldn’t everyone know that group exercise programs, circuit training and yoga are great economic stress relievers? Shouldn’t we shout about how exercise can be entertainment? I mean, have you sat in a hot tub or taken a steam with your members lately? Now, that’s entertainment. How about the fact that we employ millions of people and are keeping tens of millions more in great shape?

During a time when health care is the lead story in every newspaper or news show, and while our HMOs and PPOs have cut back on therapy and rehab appointments, we fill that need with proper exercise and conditioning for pennies of what it costs to heal the sick. Why not continue to shout from every media format that we are the answer to many of the things that ail our nation, such as stress, depression, anxiety, obesity, eating disorders, heart disease, cancer and diabetes? It’s time for each of us, individually and collectively, to contact every news source we can and proclaim that we are surviving, and more importantly, we can help them survive, too.

So to make this even easier, I have taken the liberty of including a press release template in my column. I also have written an ad in the online version of this column. Use these as guides, substituting your information and comments where appropriate. Also use these to alert the media and community in your area about how well we are doing as an industry. Isn’t it time that we stood up and bragged a bit? I sure think it is.

My Thoughts-This goes to show you what the most important thing in your life really is, your health. If you don’t have your health, you can’t take care of the other things that are important to you, like your family or career. People are beginning to realize this only now, with the unfortunate fall of the economy. It’s about time we are realizing it. Start doing things that relieve your stress, make you happy and make you healthy -Exercise is a hobby for some people, but should be a priority for everyone.

Say what?: Stress can be healthy?? 

Copyright © 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Fact: There is no magic pill, special food or fat melting workout when it comes to fat loss and achieving the toned and sculpted body you desire.

There is one way to achieve permanent results; follow a complete and integrated fitness program that focuses on a change in body composition (body fat vs. lean muscle) rather than weight. It is lean muscle that plays the key role in any type of fitness program. Whether you’re interested in fat loss or muscle gain, lean muscle requires certain conditions in order to allow a positive change in body composition.

Calories In vs. Calories Out

To positively change the composition of your body (decrease fat, increase lean muscle) you have to know how to play the game of numbers. If you burn more calories than the calories you take in each day you will lose weight, this is called creating a caloric deficit. It is the only way to lose fat. If you do the opposite, take in more calories than what you burn, then you will gain weight.

Too much of anything gets stored as fat – even if you’re eating nothing but healthy, supportive foods. If you eat too many of them, your body will still store the extra calories as fat. Even though this appears to be a simple concept, don’t be fooled. The caloric deficit must be kept small for you want to maintain lean muscle and only lose fat weight. This strategy allows you to keep a high metabolism while at the same time transforming the shape of your body.
If calories are severely reduced, your body thinks you are starving and sets into motion a series of metabolic and hormonal events, which ultimately leads to muscle loss and a slower metabolism. Even more tragic, skipping meals and starving yourself causes your body to increase the level of fat storing enzymes so you are actually teaching your body to become efficient at storing fat!

Muscle is your Metabolism

The amount of lean muscle you hold is directly related to your metabolism and your metabolism defines the shape of your body. Your metabolism is simply the rate at which your body burns calories. Lean muscle burns a lot more calories than fat so when you lose muscle, your metabolism drops and you burn fewer calories.

So not only must you take in sufficient calories to burn fat rather than muscle, it’s also possible to build muscle, which in turn boosts metabolism. And the way to do this is, of course, to increase the amount of exercise you do. While aerobic activities such as running, swimming, fast walking help to tone muscle and burn extra calories, resistance training is the only way to increase the amount of muscle you have in your body. A consistent and effective exercise program is mandatory to help you to burn more calories and maintain or even build lean muscle mass. Your goal is to keep your activity up and your intake down and you will achieve results.