Exercise and Arthritis Recommendations

I get a lot of reader questions from people who are currently suffering from arthritis (both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) and are wondering if they can still exercise safely to lose weight.

For years the answer was always to stay away from working out, but after doing some considerable research into this subject it seems that as long as the exercise does not cause pain while performing it then it is not only acceptable to do, but recommended.

Here’s what says Zuzana de Jong, PhD, rheumatologist and researcher at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands has to say, “my research shows that people who participated in high-intensity exercise, such as sports, jogging or strength training, at least twice a week, improved in daily functioning and mood.”

She also went on to say that exercise DID NOT speed up the rate of joint deterioration, which is something that many arthritis suffers worry about.

So if you’re ready to get started, I suggest you first speak with your doctor and then ease into an exercise program slowly. Start with just some light walking and possibly 2 days a week of strength training for about 20 minutes. If all of that goes well you can gradually increase your workout threshold until you find the right balance.

Fat Loss Laser Tool

“Zerona,” the noninvasive, weight loss laser is pending FDA approval, but I thought I’d give you an advanced preview of what it is supposed to do...

The Zerona claims to “activate the release of fat from adipose tissue, which is then absorbed by the lymphatic system and removed from the body.”

The cost of this procedure is $500 per session and 6 treatments are typically needed.

Although no one knows the long-term potential side-effects of this laser I wonder if this product will be in high-demand.

If cost wasn’t an issue would you try out this experimental procedure?

High Intensity Training Research Results

To establish the benefits of high-intensity training, scientists at Laval University in Quebec conducted a study to find out it if it worked any better compared to steady-state cardio. Not only did they find that both groups increased aerobic capacity, but the high-intensity group lost 9x more body fat!

Here’s what the study looked like:

Test Group #1 Workout:

• 20 Weeks
• 4-5x a week workouts
• 30 – 45 minutes on the exercise bike
• Intensity at 60 – 85% of max heart rate

Test Group #2 Workout:

• 15 weeks (5 less weeks)
• 20 – 35 minute workouts on the exercise bike at 60 – 85% of max heart rate (10 – 25 minutes less per workout)
• 19 short-intervals (15 – 30 second sprints) at 90 – 95% of max heart rate
• 16 long-intervals (60 – 60 second sprints) at 90 – 95% of max heart rate

Results (quoted from study):

“Because the first group worked out for a longer time period (20 against 15 weeks), conducted more total workouts (90 against 60 sessions) and completed longer individual training sessions, total energy expenditure during training was twice as great in the first group as in the second group. However, each group achieved about a 30-per-cent increase in maximal aerobic capacity. Most surprisingly, the second group (the interval-trained athletes who performed less total work) had a NINEFOLD greater loss of body fat than the first group.”

Tomorrow, I’ll give you some possible reasons why high-intensity interval training burns so much more fat than slow paced, longer distance cardio sessions.

Source: 'lmpact of Exercise Intensity on Body Fatness and Skeletal Muscle Metabolism, ' Metabolism, vol. 43(7), pp 814-818

"Low-Intensity Exercise Does Not Provide After Burn"

A new study published in April edition of Exercise and Sport Sciences Review dispelled the myth that lower intensity exercise helps you burn more calories after your workout is over.

In a nutshell, the study basically said “you can’t out exercise a bad diet…”

"It's not that exercise doesn't burn fat," said Edward Melanson, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado, "It's just that we replace the calories. People think they have a license to eat whatever they want, and our research shows that is definitely not the case. You can easily undo what you set out to do.”

In order to create an elevated metabolic rate your resistance based workout must be high intensity and vigorous. That’s not to say you can’t get benefit from moderate intensity exercise (you’ll still burn calories), but if you want maximum benefit then you must push your intensity levels.

Source: Study Dispels Myth of Post-Workout Fat Burn

Wal-Mart Can't Help You Lose Weight

Wal-Mart just announced that it is pulling back its in-store health clinic initiative, but may resume it in the years to come…

Why is this of importance?

Simply because it’s one more example of how you MUST rely on yourself to conquer your weight loss goals and health and NOT outside forces. Sure, you should continue to read tips and research into how to best accomplish your goals, but in the end you must be the one to take control of your life and do what is best for you.

A lot of times it’s easier to pass the responsibility, procrastinate, or let our health slip away citing other seemingly more important priorities…  I’m here to tell you today that you should be your #1 priority since without you (and your health) everyone else relying on YOU will be left out.

There will never be a perfect time to get started, so be bold and begin now!

Free Corporate Weight Loss Website

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a free online corporate wellness and weight loss website called LEANWorks!. It is geared for small to mid-sized companies looking for more information and techniques to combat obesity in the workplace.

Here is just a short list quoting the site’s benefits:

* An obesity cost-calculator where employers can input employee demographic data to estimate the total costs associated with obesity and determine annual obesity-related medical costs for their companies.

* Information and resources to help employers plan, build, promote, and assess interventions to combat obesity.

* Information on how employers can estimate return on investment, a measure of the cost of an intervention compared to the expected financial return of the intervention.

For more information and to see if it may be a good fit for your company check out LEANWorks! online.

Strengthen Bones with More Muscle

A fairly large study done over 3 years and with 1,700 participants found that children who had greater amounts of lean muscle ended up having larger, stronger bones.

Here’s a quote from the study:

“A larger child is going to have larger bones just because he’s heavier,” Wey said. “But if you have two kids at the same weight, the one whose weight is dominated by fat mass is more likely to have smaller bones than the one whose weight is dominated by lean mass. Smaller bones are weaker than larger bones.”

The reason this study is so interesting is because it was formerly thought that just having more weight on your body led to stronger bones. Now, we can see that it’s not necessarily how big you are, but how much lean mass you have. For children this can be increased through normal development which should include a nutritious, balanced diet and plenty of physical activity.

You may draw your own conclusions on how these same results could apply to adults as well.

Source: South Dakota Rural Bone Health Study

Baby Boomer Workout Tip Sheet

I was just reading an excellent tip sheet written by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons on “Baby Boomer” exercise strategies you can also use in your weight loss program:

So instead of rewriting what is already nicely done, I wanted to share with you what the AAOS offers as tips to help boomers prevent exercise-related injuries:

• Check with your doctor before beginning any exercise program. A physician will make sure your heart is in good condition and can make recommendations based on your current fitness level. This is especially important if you have had a previous injury.

• Always warm up and stretch before exercising. Cold muscles are more likely to get injured, so warm up with some light exercise for at least three to five minutes.

• Avoid being a “weekend warrior.” Moderate exercise every day is healthier and less likely to result in injury than heavy activity only on weekends.

• Do not be afraid to take lessons. An instructor can help ensure you are using the proper form, which can prevent overuse injuries such as tendonitis and stress fractures.

• Develop a balanced fitness program. Incorporate cardio, strength training and flexibility training to get a total body workout and prevent overuse injuries. Also, make sure to introduce new exercises gradually, so you do not take on too much at once.

• Take calcium and Vitamin D supplements daily.

• Listen to your body. As you age, you may not be able to do some of the activities that you did years ago. Pay attention to your body’s needs and abilities, and modify your workout accordingly.

• Remember to rest and schedule regular days off from exercise and rest when tired.

Baby boomers who exercise regularly are less likely to experience depression, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep disturbances, so it’s important to incorporate physical activity into your routine at any age.

I hope you enjoyed the Baby Boomer tip sheet!

Exercise of the Week: 1-Legged Squat

One the best examples of functional training and a great movement to get started on is the 1-legged squat. This exercise forces your body to use a large amount of muscle fiber (especially as you get deeper into the squat) and really works on balance. It’s also the foundation for many other exercises done on both 1 and 2 legs.

Here’s How to Complete it:
1. Lift 1 leg off the floor in front of you
2. Balance on the other leg until you feel stable
3. Slowly sit backwards with your hips
4. Once you squat as deep as you comfortably can push back up to the top
5. Switch legs after 10 repetitions

Tips to Remember:
1. Balance on 1 leg throughout the whole set
2. Keep your weight back towards your heels
3. Always sit back into your hips
4. Maintain a flat/neutral spine
5. Keep your chest up
6. Keep your core muscle engaged the whole time
7. Breathe in on the way down and out on the way up

There are many different variations to this exercise, but I recommend beginners start by sitting back onto a chair or box. You can then progress by getting deeper and deeper each set or week. When you become advanced you can eventually stop using any supportive box behind you and do them free standing.

Good luck and let me know if you have any questions!

Why Functional Training?

First off, what is functional training?

The term gets tossed around so frequently it’s somewhat difficult for people to even grasp what it means. The simplest way to remember it and implement it into your program is to think of choosing exercises that teach all the muscles in your body to work or "function" together.

Here’s another easy way to think of it: If you’re sitting down, the exercise you’re doing is most likely not a functional training movement. Why? Because you’re no longer using just your own body to stabilize and that movement will not directly transfer into your daily activities like bending over to pick something up or lifting an object up onto a high shelf.

Functional Training will also keep you strong and better equiped to accomplish any activity or task life throws your way.

In my next post I’ll show you how to complete a fantastic functional training exercise and give you some helpful tips to get started!