Bike Riding and Walking for Fat Loss:
Yesterday I talked about riding my bike along the Mississippi River and enjoying the diversity of wildlife (birds, mostly) and people. You can find walkers, joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers of all ages and sizes.
Until recently, you could find an older gentleman down on the bike path, on a pretty regular basis. He spent much of his day riding on the path and picking up aluminum cans. You could spot him there if the weather was above 40 degrees, wearing his trademark overalls.
He passed away not too long ago and his obituary was in the local paper, referring to him as the "Can Man", for his habit of collecting cans from the trash. Turns out he was 90 years old and died after a brief illness. His widow said that he feared spending his last years in a nursing home, and so he spent so much time staying active.
Well, he succeeded and lived a long life, in the process.
So what does this have to do with fat loss? OK, just painting a picture for you to see. Many of those I see exercising on this local path are not exercising very intensely, and not burning a ton of calories, but they are still getting health benefits from this "activity."
You see, there is a difference between exercise to lose fat and exercise/activity to stay as healthy as possible. The majority of those I see exercising on this path that are lean, are working fairly intensely, while those that have a few extra pounds usually walk or ride their bikes at a pretty casual rate.
This activity is still healthy for them and can help them stay mobile as they age, but if fat loss is the primary goal, more intense exercise is required.......
unless.....
you are like the "Can Man" and are active for several hours throughout your day. If you can't exercise at a higher intensity because of health reasons or are just starting an exercise program after being sedentary for a while, than you need more overall activity spread throughout your day.
So don't worry too much about which activity burns more calories, instead gradually build up to doing more intense exercise, assuming you are healthy enough to do so. You can always rotate between walking, jogging, and cycling, for some variety and to minimize the potential of overuse injuries.
And you still should be doing some upper body resistance training, to maintain joint strength and function as you age. Lean muscle tissue is vital to keeping your metabolism elevated.
Enjoy spending some time outdoors and get some exercise in the process!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Bike Riding to the Bicycle Races:
Yesterday, I took a bike ride to watch some bike races. Every year for the past 35 years or so, my hometown area has put on bicycle races on Memorial Day.
With the cost of gas being so high, I decided to ride my bike to save money. So I drove the 5 minutes down to the bike path and had about a half hour ride to the races, saving 30 minutes of driving time(total).
The Quad Cities Criterium featured a figure 8 path on the streets of downtown Rock Island, IL, a couple blocks away from the mighty Mississippi River.
The forecast had called for a good chance of rain in the afternoon, which luckily didn't happen. It ended up being a warm, Sunny day in the 80's.
The races are kind of interesting with all the turns involved. There are teams of racers involved, which means teammates working together to try and win. There is plenty of strategy that goes on and is probably lost on the average person, including me.
It was interesting to watch the various racers and look at their builds. Most had greater leg development than their upper bodies, which is to be expected, as their legs do much more work. They spend a lot of time on their bikes and it shows.
While all of them have muscular legs, some are bigger than others and this is mainly due to their genetics. Some are taller and some are shorter, with different body types.
Some people may look at their leg development and not want to be so muscular. If this is the case, the way to avoid getting "too big" would be to alternate biking with walking and/or jogging.
Because cyclists usually ride at a fast pace and ride a lot, their leg muscles develop to meet this demand. They store a lot of energy in their legs to meet the demands of riding distances at a high rate of speed.
Casual bike riders, who pedal at a much less intense rate, don't usually show this kind of leg development, unless they are someone like myself, who uses biking as a form of cross-training in the warmer months.
I ride a "comfort" mountain bike which has an extra large frame to accommodate my 6' 4", 235 pounds. This bike probably weighs twice what the racing bikes do and I get a pretty good workout pushing myself from point A to point B.
After enjoying the races, I rode the half hour back to my car, while enjoying the river scenery, with plenty of people fishing, boating, walking, and a few feeding those irritating Canadian Geese. All they seem to do is crap all over the bike path.
Find some type of activity that you enjoy and do it. Mix things up to keep from getting bored, but just make sure to keep moving, to keep your mobility as you get older.
And don't forget to do some upper body strength workouts to balance your lower body exercise.
Yesterday, I took a bike ride to watch some bike races. Every year for the past 35 years or so, my hometown area has put on bicycle races on Memorial Day.
With the cost of gas being so high, I decided to ride my bike to save money. So I drove the 5 minutes down to the bike path and had about a half hour ride to the races, saving 30 minutes of driving time(total).
The Quad Cities Criterium featured a figure 8 path on the streets of downtown Rock Island, IL, a couple blocks away from the mighty Mississippi River.
The forecast had called for a good chance of rain in the afternoon, which luckily didn't happen. It ended up being a warm, Sunny day in the 80's.
The races are kind of interesting with all the turns involved. There are teams of racers involved, which means teammates working together to try and win. There is plenty of strategy that goes on and is probably lost on the average person, including me.
It was interesting to watch the various racers and look at their builds. Most had greater leg development than their upper bodies, which is to be expected, as their legs do much more work. They spend a lot of time on their bikes and it shows.
While all of them have muscular legs, some are bigger than others and this is mainly due to their genetics. Some are taller and some are shorter, with different body types.
Some people may look at their leg development and not want to be so muscular. If this is the case, the way to avoid getting "too big" would be to alternate biking with walking and/or jogging.
Because cyclists usually ride at a fast pace and ride a lot, their leg muscles develop to meet this demand. They store a lot of energy in their legs to meet the demands of riding distances at a high rate of speed.
Casual bike riders, who pedal at a much less intense rate, don't usually show this kind of leg development, unless they are someone like myself, who uses biking as a form of cross-training in the warmer months.
I ride a "comfort" mountain bike which has an extra large frame to accommodate my 6' 4", 235 pounds. This bike probably weighs twice what the racing bikes do and I get a pretty good workout pushing myself from point A to point B.
After enjoying the races, I rode the half hour back to my car, while enjoying the river scenery, with plenty of people fishing, boating, walking, and a few feeding those irritating Canadian Geese. All they seem to do is crap all over the bike path.
Find some type of activity that you enjoy and do it. Mix things up to keep from getting bored, but just make sure to keep moving, to keep your mobility as you get older.
And don't forget to do some upper body strength workouts to balance your lower body exercise.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Vitamin D for Pain Management:
A recent newspaper article talked about the health benefits of Vitamin D. You probably know about it's importance in trying to prevent osteoporosis, but did you know that it can help manage pain?
It plays an important role in preventing cancer, heart disease, MS and arthritis. A study from the Mayo clinic looked at vitamin D levels in those with chronic pain. Those with low levels of this vitamin needed almost twice as much pain medication.
Another study from Mayo looked at those with chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. In that study, 93% were found to be deficient in vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also good for your heart, possibly lowering your risk of heart disease. One of the best ways to increase your vitamin D levels is through exposure to the Sun. Maybe spending a little time in the Sun isn't as bad as you think.
Putting on sunscreen can keep you from making vitamin D. Most of the vitamin D in foods is added as a supplement, so it can be difficult to get your requirements from food alone.
For those with chronic pain conditions, getting a little sunshine might not be such a bad idea.
A recent newspaper article talked about the health benefits of Vitamin D. You probably know about it's importance in trying to prevent osteoporosis, but did you know that it can help manage pain?
It plays an important role in preventing cancer, heart disease, MS and arthritis. A study from the Mayo clinic looked at vitamin D levels in those with chronic pain. Those with low levels of this vitamin needed almost twice as much pain medication.
Another study from Mayo looked at those with chronic pain syndromes like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. In that study, 93% were found to be deficient in vitamin D.
Vitamin D is also good for your heart, possibly lowering your risk of heart disease. One of the best ways to increase your vitamin D levels is through exposure to the Sun. Maybe spending a little time in the Sun isn't as bad as you think.
Putting on sunscreen can keep you from making vitamin D. Most of the vitamin D in foods is added as a supplement, so it can be difficult to get your requirements from food alone.
For those with chronic pain conditions, getting a little sunshine might not be such a bad idea.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Strength Training for Baby Boomers:
Why is strength training important for Baby Boomers? A couple reasons...... one, keeping your metabolism from slowing down too much.
Remember when you were back in your twenties and possibly even your thirties, when you didn't have to do that much to stay looking young? Well, your metabolism probably started slowing down in your mid to late 30's, and now it takes some work to keep your metabolism elevated.
This is where strength (resistance) training comes into play. Building lean muscle tissue with resistance training is key to lowering your bodyfat levels. You naturally lose muscle as you get older, so to keep as much as possible takes some work.
Strength training is also crucial to fat loss. Cardiovascular exercise is usually promoted as necessary for burning fat, but it is not the "end all, be all" to fat loss. You can burn plenty of fat with interval strength training.
This is where you would go from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between exercises. For example, you would go from an upper body exercise to a lower body exercise and repeating this type of sequence.
By using exercises that involve multiple muscles - such as pushups, assisted pullups, squats, and lunges - you burn more calories. This also enables you to get a cardiovascular effect, because your heart rate is elevated the entire session. This is a little different than routines that isolate different bodyparts on different days.
With my clients, I combine bodyweight exercises, with dumbbells and resistance bands, along with the Power Plate. A Power Plate is a whole body vibration platform that causes reflex muscle contractions to occur, from 25-50 muscle contractions a second, depending on the frequency.
This type of workout allows you to work the entire body in about 25 minutes, making it pretty efficient. It also allows you to get fat loss results in 2-3 sessions per week, when combined with some walking or bike riding on the other days. These routines also involve plenty of core training, which is important for preventing low back injuries.
Another reason to do some resistance training is for joint strength and bone mass. Its no secret that women are prone to osteoporosis after menopause, but men can also lose some bone mass if they are too sedentary. Strength training is needed for maintaining maximal bone density, as well as keeping their joints strong and stable.
Strength is also a big reason for loss of mobility as you age. Getting up from a chair, going up stairs, and keeping your balance as you walk is mostly about how strong your muscles are. Again, if you don't do anything to prevent this, you are taking an unnecessary risk.
This is also where a Power Plate comes into play, as it builds strength, stability, and coordination into your lower body. It does this without spending hours and hours at a gym or healthclub.
If you want to read about resistance training slowing down the aging process, click here.
Why is strength training important for Baby Boomers? A couple reasons...... one, keeping your metabolism from slowing down too much.
Remember when you were back in your twenties and possibly even your thirties, when you didn't have to do that much to stay looking young? Well, your metabolism probably started slowing down in your mid to late 30's, and now it takes some work to keep your metabolism elevated.
This is where strength (resistance) training comes into play. Building lean muscle tissue with resistance training is key to lowering your bodyfat levels. You naturally lose muscle as you get older, so to keep as much as possible takes some work.
Strength training is also crucial to fat loss. Cardiovascular exercise is usually promoted as necessary for burning fat, but it is not the "end all, be all" to fat loss. You can burn plenty of fat with interval strength training.
This is where you would go from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between exercises. For example, you would go from an upper body exercise to a lower body exercise and repeating this type of sequence.
By using exercises that involve multiple muscles - such as pushups, assisted pullups, squats, and lunges - you burn more calories. This also enables you to get a cardiovascular effect, because your heart rate is elevated the entire session. This is a little different than routines that isolate different bodyparts on different days.
With my clients, I combine bodyweight exercises, with dumbbells and resistance bands, along with the Power Plate. A Power Plate is a whole body vibration platform that causes reflex muscle contractions to occur, from 25-50 muscle contractions a second, depending on the frequency.
This type of workout allows you to work the entire body in about 25 minutes, making it pretty efficient. It also allows you to get fat loss results in 2-3 sessions per week, when combined with some walking or bike riding on the other days. These routines also involve plenty of core training, which is important for preventing low back injuries.
Another reason to do some resistance training is for joint strength and bone mass. Its no secret that women are prone to osteoporosis after menopause, but men can also lose some bone mass if they are too sedentary. Strength training is needed for maintaining maximal bone density, as well as keeping their joints strong and stable.
Strength is also a big reason for loss of mobility as you age. Getting up from a chair, going up stairs, and keeping your balance as you walk is mostly about how strong your muscles are. Again, if you don't do anything to prevent this, you are taking an unnecessary risk.
This is also where a Power Plate comes into play, as it builds strength, stability, and coordination into your lower body. It does this without spending hours and hours at a gym or healthclub.
If you want to read about resistance training slowing down the aging process, click here.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Latest Research on Neck Pain:
I just finished reading a recent article on neck pain that you might find interesting. This extensive research was written about at Fit-Pro.com.
Results of the most significant study on neck pain to date, conducted by The Bone and Joint Decade's Neck Pain Task Force and reported in the journal SPINE (1/18/08), uncover prevailing fallacies in the diagnosis and treatment of neck pain. Scott Haldeman, DC, PhD, MD, president of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force who covered these findings during a recent Webinar, "Dispelling Myths About Neck Pain," (http://foundation4cp.com/NeckandPain.htm) articulated that the use of highly invasive practices, such as surgery, are not indicated when addressing the most common examples of neck pain.
"In contrast, procedures such as chiropractic adjustments are indicated — among other non-invasive measures — when dealing with these types of neck pain," says Gerard W. Clum, DC, president of California-based Life Chiropractic College West and speaking on behalf of the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress.
"There is no best approach that is effective for everyone. While care for bouts of neck pain include education, adjustments/manipulations, exercise mobilization, acupuncture, analgesics, massage and low-level laser therapy, none of these are high-tech or regarded as invasive, and a variety of treatments may be most effective."The study results emanate from a six-year review of more than 31,000 research citations with subsequent analysis of over 1,000 studies.
The multi-disciplinary report, based on research spanning seven years by clinicians and scientists from multiple clinical and scientific disciplines from nine countries and associated with eight collaborating universities in four countries, is widely regarded as one of the most extensive reports on the subject of neck pain ever developed. The study offers the most current perspective on the scientific evidence related to the care and management of neck pain."
The United Nations and the World Health Organization have designated the years 2000 to 2010 as the "Decade of the Bone and Joint." The findings and recommendations of the NPTF are already impacting the manner in which neck pain is perceived, addressed, and studied around the world. The mandate of the Task Force was to make recommendations that could be used as a basis for evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the management of neck pain and its associated disorders.
The report proposes a new four-level classification system for neck pain, with the majority of neck pain problems falling into the Grade I and Grade II categories of this scale. Problems of this type do not involve fractures, neoplasms, myelopathy or radicular pain."
During the webinar, Dr. Haldeman pointed to a number of other neck-related studies. One important report that was presented by the Neck Pain Task Force brings considerable question to the linkage between cervical (neck) manipulation and the development of a unique form of vascular problem known as vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency, or vertebrobasilar artery stroke."
The findings from an analysis of nine years of data involving approximately 110 million person years revealed similar incidence of this type of stroke in patients who had sought chiropractic care as in patients who sought the care of general practitioners of medicine.
"Researchers found that the likelihood of having a stroke following a chiropractic office visit is no different from the risk of stroke following a visit to an MD's office," Dr. Haldeman explains.
Conservative care could also include joint mobility movements and breathing exercises to retrain correct abdominal (diaphragm) breathing. We've come a long way in surgical techniques for different joint problems, but conservative approaches in some cases, might be worth considering.
I just finished reading a recent article on neck pain that you might find interesting. This extensive research was written about at Fit-Pro.com.
Results of the most significant study on neck pain to date, conducted by The Bone and Joint Decade's Neck Pain Task Force and reported in the journal SPINE (1/18/08), uncover prevailing fallacies in the diagnosis and treatment of neck pain. Scott Haldeman, DC, PhD, MD, president of the Bone and Joint Decade Task Force who covered these findings during a recent Webinar, "Dispelling Myths About Neck Pain," (http://foundation4cp.com/NeckandPain.htm) articulated that the use of highly invasive practices, such as surgery, are not indicated when addressing the most common examples of neck pain.
"In contrast, procedures such as chiropractic adjustments are indicated — among other non-invasive measures — when dealing with these types of neck pain," says Gerard W. Clum, DC, president of California-based Life Chiropractic College West and speaking on behalf of the not-for-profit Foundation for Chiropractic Progress.
"There is no best approach that is effective for everyone. While care for bouts of neck pain include education, adjustments/manipulations, exercise mobilization, acupuncture, analgesics, massage and low-level laser therapy, none of these are high-tech or regarded as invasive, and a variety of treatments may be most effective."The study results emanate from a six-year review of more than 31,000 research citations with subsequent analysis of over 1,000 studies.
The multi-disciplinary report, based on research spanning seven years by clinicians and scientists from multiple clinical and scientific disciplines from nine countries and associated with eight collaborating universities in four countries, is widely regarded as one of the most extensive reports on the subject of neck pain ever developed. The study offers the most current perspective on the scientific evidence related to the care and management of neck pain."
The United Nations and the World Health Organization have designated the years 2000 to 2010 as the "Decade of the Bone and Joint." The findings and recommendations of the NPTF are already impacting the manner in which neck pain is perceived, addressed, and studied around the world. The mandate of the Task Force was to make recommendations that could be used as a basis for evidence based clinical practice guidelines for the management of neck pain and its associated disorders.
The report proposes a new four-level classification system for neck pain, with the majority of neck pain problems falling into the Grade I and Grade II categories of this scale. Problems of this type do not involve fractures, neoplasms, myelopathy or radicular pain."
During the webinar, Dr. Haldeman pointed to a number of other neck-related studies. One important report that was presented by the Neck Pain Task Force brings considerable question to the linkage between cervical (neck) manipulation and the development of a unique form of vascular problem known as vertebrobasilar artery insufficiency, or vertebrobasilar artery stroke."
The findings from an analysis of nine years of data involving approximately 110 million person years revealed similar incidence of this type of stroke in patients who had sought chiropractic care as in patients who sought the care of general practitioners of medicine.
"Researchers found that the likelihood of having a stroke following a chiropractic office visit is no different from the risk of stroke following a visit to an MD's office," Dr. Haldeman explains.
Conservative care could also include joint mobility movements and breathing exercises to retrain correct abdominal (diaphragm) breathing. We've come a long way in surgical techniques for different joint problems, but conservative approaches in some cases, might be worth considering.
Monday, May 12, 2008
The Best Exercise for Managing Chronic Pain:
Generally, there is no "best" activity. But remember, some activity is better than none! Choose activities that you enjoy (or at least find tolerable) and locations that are convenient to your work or home. This will make it easier for you to begin participating in them and, more importantly, stick with them over time.
When choosing activities, be mindful of your physical limitations and make adjustments to suit your needs. There are many ways to do this, including reducing the intensity of a movement. For example, if an aerobics DVD requires you to jog in place, try marching in place instead. Or if a treadmill (weight-bearing) is too strenuous on your joints, try a stationary bike or pool instead (non weight-bearing). Minor adjustments like these can make activities more comfortable so you'll be more likely to do them and get more out of them.
If you are considering adding structured exercise to your life, start with aerobic activities (walking, swimming/water aerobics, running, bicycling, etc.) These activities increase your heart rate and breathing rate, as well as your body temperature so you sweat. These are normal responses to exercise. Typically, aerobic activities lead to the greatest benefits for fibromyalgia symptoms. Think about adding flexibility training and strength training later after your body has adapted to the overall increase in activity.
10 things to remember:
This information comes from my colleagues over at LosetheBackPain.com.
You can find great info there on all types of pain, including Fibromyalgia, sciatica, and neck pain.
Generally, there is no "best" activity. But remember, some activity is better than none! Choose activities that you enjoy (or at least find tolerable) and locations that are convenient to your work or home. This will make it easier for you to begin participating in them and, more importantly, stick with them over time.
When choosing activities, be mindful of your physical limitations and make adjustments to suit your needs. There are many ways to do this, including reducing the intensity of a movement. For example, if an aerobics DVD requires you to jog in place, try marching in place instead. Or if a treadmill (weight-bearing) is too strenuous on your joints, try a stationary bike or pool instead (non weight-bearing). Minor adjustments like these can make activities more comfortable so you'll be more likely to do them and get more out of them.
If you are considering adding structured exercise to your life, start with aerobic activities (walking, swimming/water aerobics, running, bicycling, etc.) These activities increase your heart rate and breathing rate, as well as your body temperature so you sweat. These are normal responses to exercise. Typically, aerobic activities lead to the greatest benefits for fibromyalgia symptoms. Think about adding flexibility training and strength training later after your body has adapted to the overall increase in activity.
10 things to remember:
- 1. Incorporate lifestyle activity into your daily schedule slowly. If you try to accomplish too much too soon, you are vulnerable to injury, symptom flares or falling short of your goals.
- 2. Beginning an exercise program is not always easy. It takes time to establish a routine and feel comfortable with it.
- 3. Initially you may feel more fatigued and sore following an increase in physical activity, but don't give up! This is normal. Activity-related soreness will diminish over time.
- 4. Your body will adapt, improve and grow if you stimulate it with physical activity.
- 5. If you are doing aerobic activities, you may feel slightly winded or short of breath during your workout. This is normal; hyperventilation or panting is not.
- 6. Every exercise program is highly individualized. What is best for one person may not suit another — chronic pain patients are no exception!
- 7. Refrain from strenuous activity during a symptom flare, but continue to be active. If you experience a symptom flare, reduce your exercise time by half and increase to your pre-flare level over the course of a week.
- 8. Your initial goals should be small and achievable, e.g., being active for five minutes daily, attending a water aerobics class twice a week, scheduling activities on your calendar and doing them when the time comes.
- 9. Your long-range goals can be more lofty (but still achievable), e.g., being active consistently for 30 minutes/3-4 days per week, etc.
- 10. GET MOVING AND DON'T STOP!
- --The University of Michigan
You can find great info there on all types of pain, including Fibromyalgia, sciatica, and neck pain.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Proper Breathing and Your Health:
Is breathing properly important to your health? Let's take a look.
I hosted a fitness seminar this past weekend with chiropractor and personal trainer Dr. Evan Osar. The seminar was on conditioning for the hip and knee. He talked about balancing the muscles on the front and back of the hip for proper function and prevention.
He believes, as do I, that many of the hip and knee replacements that we are seeing, could be prevented with proper training. But we will focus on that at another time.
One of the points he made was on the importance of abdominal breathing - using your diaphragm to breathe better. He believes that for your other movements to be optimal, you need to breathe correctly.
We worked on breathing with our diaphragm to help stabilize our midsection. This can help to keep your hip and pelvis aligned properly. This alignment can obviously improve hip function and remove unnecessary stress that might be contributing to your pain.
While sharing this information with a friend, he recommended a program called Optimal Breathing. I checked out this website and found some interesting information there. You might check it out, if interested.
This site talked about the benefits of Optimal Breathing, such as increased circulation, enhanced immune function, and even help in dealing with chronic pain. Again, I need to explore this subject in greater detail before making recommendations, but if you can improve any part of your health with something as simple as breathing, its worth a look.
I do know of one study that looked at heart attack patients to see if they were a chest breather or abdominal (diaphragm) breather. All the patients happened to be chest breathers.
Hmmmm..... something to think about.
I'll finish with a video of simple things that can help relieve stress and take some tension off your spine in the process.
Is breathing properly important to your health? Let's take a look.
I hosted a fitness seminar this past weekend with chiropractor and personal trainer Dr. Evan Osar. The seminar was on conditioning for the hip and knee. He talked about balancing the muscles on the front and back of the hip for proper function and prevention.
He believes, as do I, that many of the hip and knee replacements that we are seeing, could be prevented with proper training. But we will focus on that at another time.
One of the points he made was on the importance of abdominal breathing - using your diaphragm to breathe better. He believes that for your other movements to be optimal, you need to breathe correctly.
We worked on breathing with our diaphragm to help stabilize our midsection. This can help to keep your hip and pelvis aligned properly. This alignment can obviously improve hip function and remove unnecessary stress that might be contributing to your pain.
While sharing this information with a friend, he recommended a program called Optimal Breathing. I checked out this website and found some interesting information there. You might check it out, if interested.
This site talked about the benefits of Optimal Breathing, such as increased circulation, enhanced immune function, and even help in dealing with chronic pain. Again, I need to explore this subject in greater detail before making recommendations, but if you can improve any part of your health with something as simple as breathing, its worth a look.
I do know of one study that looked at heart attack patients to see if they were a chest breather or abdominal (diaphragm) breather. All the patients happened to be chest breathers.
Hmmmm..... something to think about.
I'll finish with a video of simple things that can help relieve stress and take some tension off your spine in the process.
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