Ok, so last time we talked about nurtition, now we need to talk about the other side of the coin: Exercise. This is a no-brainer, but it is much easier said than done. I have already discussed at length the importance of exercise so I am not going to repeat myself, but rather give you some tips on how to effectively lose weight so you can shed the winter pounds you gained!
I propose a 5 day routine. The way I see it, you are on routine Monday through Friday, so why not just add exercise as part of the routine. Saturday and Sunday are usually shot, at least for me they are, so take those days for recouperation time. The week will be divided into Anaerobic and Aerobic exercise cycles. Now before I lay out the plan let me briefly explain what those words mean so we are all on the same page.
Anaerobic Exercise: Defined as "muscle-building" by dictionary.com but more specifically it is when body tissue is absent oxygen. When you exercise intensely, with a high heart rate, the body has a difficult time getting the oxygen to the tissues as fast as needed. This forces the body to adapt to the more strenuous conditions, which is muscle building. High intensity cardiovascular exercise strengthens the heart, just like supersetting chest and back builds bigger muscle. An example of this would be weight training, or a "biggest loser: last chance workout" :-)
Aerobic Exercise: Defined as "exercise that increases the body's need for oxygen" by dictionary.com, but more specifically it is exercise that is able to properly utilize oxygen. Exercising with a lower heart rate than the cardiovascular workout will allow the body to be able to use the oxygen, which helps the body with fat metabolism. Your heart rate should be 65% of your maximum heart rate for your age. An example of this would be a steady, consistent jog on the treadmill.
So what does all this mean to you? My theory is that you do anaerobic exercise to increase muscle production, which in turn increases your metabolism; and you do aerobic exercise to burn the fat! It's the 1-2 punch to get the body in shape.
Here is a proposed routine for maximum results: **note: this is NOT an easy routine**
Monday:
Morning: Aerobic 45 min
Afternoon: Anaerobic45 min
Tuesday:
Morning: Aerobic 45 min
Wednesday:
Morning: Aerobic 45 min
Afternoon: Anaerobic 45 min
Thursday:
Morning: Aerobic: 45 min
Friday:
Morning: Aerobic 45 min
Afternoon: Anaerobic 45 min
Saturday and Sunday:Rest
I understand the intensity may be a little much for some people. I know that I, myself, have trouble following this specifc plan, but the truth is that it works. Your body will respond amazingly quickly, and the results will come faster than expected, but if you do not have consistency, then you really are just waisting your time. I hope this helps, and you experience great results! If you have to modify, bring the time down a bit, but do not go under 20 minutes for any workout period.
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Get Fit for Spring: Dieting
Ok, its February now and the first month of people pretending to go to the gym for their New Year's Resolution is behind us. You probably still have those extra 5-10 lbs you gained during the Christmas holidays lingering with you as your pants are just a little too tight for comfort. Well, Spring is just around the corner, which means warm weather, beaches, pools, sunscreen, and 95% of the population making a futile attempt to suck in their gut to look slimmer with their shirt off!
So lets just move on to how we can prevent what we all dread every year and start looking and feeling our best!. Here is the plan, it is not going to be fun. If it were easy, everyone would have abs like "The Situation" (actually I'm not impressed with his abs but that's what he's known for so I use him as an example). Lets start with diet. I am not going to reiterate what I've previously written about proper nutrition, you can go back and re-read them, but I will say that the key to losing the tire, muffin top, whatever you want to call it, around your waist is a good diet.
Here is my "diet plan" that I feel will help you reach your goal
Breakfast: 1 part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Mid Morning: 1 part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Lunch :1 part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Mid day: 1 Part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Dinner: 1 part Protein only
Yes it's monotanous and boring, but it works. Notice I haven't defined what indicates a "Protein" and a "Complex Carb", that's because I am going to let you fire the extra neuron in your brain and have you think about what they would be. In general, stay away from the fried foods, sugar, and white breads. Really you should stay away from bread period, but I leave that up to you. Stick with the small, more frequent meals like described above and you will have one part of the puzzle to looking "beach ready" in a relatively short period of time.
****Side Note: If you go breaking your diet too much, you will NOT lose weight. I can't tell you how many times I have written diet plans specificaly designed for people to lose weight, then they complain to me that it is too hard. Well I guess they didn't want the "beach ready" body they said they wanted! If Aron Ralston can suvive for 5 days with his arm crushed by an 800 lb boulder, you can go for a couple of days without Fast food and Coca-Cola! I'm just sayin'........
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
So lets just move on to how we can prevent what we all dread every year and start looking and feeling our best!. Here is the plan, it is not going to be fun. If it were easy, everyone would have abs like "The Situation" (actually I'm not impressed with his abs but that's what he's known for so I use him as an example). Lets start with diet. I am not going to reiterate what I've previously written about proper nutrition, you can go back and re-read them, but I will say that the key to losing the tire, muffin top, whatever you want to call it, around your waist is a good diet.
Here is my "diet plan" that I feel will help you reach your goal
Breakfast: 1 part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Mid Morning: 1 part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Lunch :1 part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Mid day: 1 Part Protein, 1 part Complex Carb
Dinner: 1 part Protein only
Yes it's monotanous and boring, but it works. Notice I haven't defined what indicates a "Protein" and a "Complex Carb", that's because I am going to let you fire the extra neuron in your brain and have you think about what they would be. In general, stay away from the fried foods, sugar, and white breads. Really you should stay away from bread period, but I leave that up to you. Stick with the small, more frequent meals like described above and you will have one part of the puzzle to looking "beach ready" in a relatively short period of time.
****Side Note: If you go breaking your diet too much, you will NOT lose weight. I can't tell you how many times I have written diet plans specificaly designed for people to lose weight, then they complain to me that it is too hard. Well I guess they didn't want the "beach ready" body they said they wanted! If Aron Ralston can suvive for 5 days with his arm crushed by an 800 lb boulder, you can go for a couple of days without Fast food and Coca-Cola! I'm just sayin'........
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Proper Breathing for More Energy!
Breathing is the only function in our body that can be controlled both autonomically (you don't have to think to breathe) and voluntarily. Breathing gives us Oxygen, which is vital for organic tissue to function. Not giving your body the oxygen it needs causes your body to malfunction. Your body does have the ability to adapt to the oxygen saturation levels of the climate you are in, which is a good thing, but it takes time. Going from living in Hawaii at sea level to living in Denver, Colorado would be a hard change for a person. The body has to produce more red blood cells to accommodate for the decrease in O2 in the environment so your body can keep up with the O2 demand. Understanding how your body deals with oxygen levels can make or break you as an athlete. That's why some sports teams, Olympians, etc. travel ahead of time to their game location, so their bodies can acclimate to the different environment.
So what is proper breathing? First a quick lesson on how the breathing process works (the 10 peso version for you "Three Amigos" fans). Your body has built in reflexes, the apneustic and pneumotaxic reflexes, which make you breathe in and out all day long, for as long as you are alive. You also have the phrenic nerve, which controls your diaphragm and allows you to take control of your breathing at will. When you breathe in, the diaphragm, itercostals, and neck muscles contract to allow for maximum air to fill the lungs. The optimal way to breathe is by having the diaphragm do most of the work, followed by the intercostal muscles (the muscles in your ribs), and as a last resort, your neck muscles.
If your mid back is out of alignment, the ribs attached to the back are not able to properly pivot and allow for expansion of the lungs, so the neck muscles have to lift your rib cage up to allow for lung expansion. Over the course of a day, just like any skeletal muscle, your neck muscles fatigue, and stop lifting your rib cage, causing less expansion, therefore less oxygen, and ultimately less energy. There are many people who are misdiagnosed with Asthma when all they really need in a good back adjustment. I personally have a few patients that stopped using their inhaler when we adjusted their mid back regularly. Another means of restriction comes from the neck. Cervical Nerves 3,4, and 5 collectively make up the phrenic nerve, controlling the diaphragm, and pressure to any one of those nerves can cause decreased breathing ability due to diaphragm weakness.
So what is the proper breathing technique?
1. Sit up straight and don't slouch: Slouching causes improper expansion of the ribs, which causes decreased lung capacity, etc......
2. Breathe from your diaphragm: You heard this in music class when you were a kid, but they were right. This is the primary muscle for breathing and will not tire like the other muscles.
3. Get adjusted: Like I mentioned before, staying adjusted will keep your joints mobile, and you will be able to breathe without hindrance.
4. Keep your head level: Hanging your head down or leaning it back closes off the trachea slightly and decreases the amount of air intake, and also is a major cause of snoring in most individuals, as well as people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
5. Breathe in through your nose and out your mouth: Mr. Miyagi from Karate kid told this to Daniel-San all the time. Your nose is a filter, so breathing through it filters the air, and breathing out your mouth releases the air faster.
I hope these tips on proper breathing will help you on your journey to better health and wellness!!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
So what is proper breathing? First a quick lesson on how the breathing process works (the 10 peso version for you "Three Amigos" fans). Your body has built in reflexes, the apneustic and pneumotaxic reflexes, which make you breathe in and out all day long, for as long as you are alive. You also have the phrenic nerve, which controls your diaphragm and allows you to take control of your breathing at will. When you breathe in, the diaphragm, itercostals, and neck muscles contract to allow for maximum air to fill the lungs. The optimal way to breathe is by having the diaphragm do most of the work, followed by the intercostal muscles (the muscles in your ribs), and as a last resort, your neck muscles.
If your mid back is out of alignment, the ribs attached to the back are not able to properly pivot and allow for expansion of the lungs, so the neck muscles have to lift your rib cage up to allow for lung expansion. Over the course of a day, just like any skeletal muscle, your neck muscles fatigue, and stop lifting your rib cage, causing less expansion, therefore less oxygen, and ultimately less energy. There are many people who are misdiagnosed with Asthma when all they really need in a good back adjustment. I personally have a few patients that stopped using their inhaler when we adjusted their mid back regularly. Another means of restriction comes from the neck. Cervical Nerves 3,4, and 5 collectively make up the phrenic nerve, controlling the diaphragm, and pressure to any one of those nerves can cause decreased breathing ability due to diaphragm weakness.
So what is the proper breathing technique?
1. Sit up straight and don't slouch: Slouching causes improper expansion of the ribs, which causes decreased lung capacity, etc......
2. Breathe from your diaphragm: You heard this in music class when you were a kid, but they were right. This is the primary muscle for breathing and will not tire like the other muscles.
3. Get adjusted: Like I mentioned before, staying adjusted will keep your joints mobile, and you will be able to breathe without hindrance.
4. Keep your head level: Hanging your head down or leaning it back closes off the trachea slightly and decreases the amount of air intake, and also is a major cause of snoring in most individuals, as well as people with Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
5. Breathe in through your nose and out your mouth: Mr. Miyagi from Karate kid told this to Daniel-San all the time. Your nose is a filter, so breathing through it filters the air, and breathing out your mouth releases the air faster.
I hope these tips on proper breathing will help you on your journey to better health and wellness!!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
Monday, January 24, 2011
Metabolism: Get Your Fire Started!!
How many people have you heard, or you yourself, used the following phrase as an excuse for not losing weight "I have a low metabolism, so I can't lose weight"? Ok now how many of you have heard the opposite phrase "I can eat whatever I want because I have a fast metabolism." Those are usually the skinny people you get jealous of and mad because they can eat Fried foods and sweets all day and not gain a pound, while you eat 1 cookie and gain 5 lbs. So what is the big deal about metabolism? Why do some have fast metabolisms and others do not? Are the people with fast metabolisms healthier than the people with slow metabolism? Let's discover together:
First off let's define "Metabolism". According to Merriam-Webster Metabolism: is the sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm; specifically : the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated. The sum of the processes by which a particular substance is handled in the living body. Basically put, metabolism is a measure of how fast the body's processes work. Your body gets energy from fat to work, and the faster that process, the faster the weight loss. Understand? Good.
The reason that people who are skinny, eat whatever they want, and not gain any weight is due to a naturally high metabolism. This may be unfair, but it is true. The opposite is also true, there are people who have naturally slow metabolisms, which slows down the weight loss process. Now, let me tackle this thought process before we go any further: Having a high metabolism does not necesarily mean you are healthy. Research professional wrestler deaths, baseball player deaths, and basically any professional athlete deaths and you will find out that many of those people are under the age of 50! What many who have a high metabolism fail to realize is that just because your body can burn off fat easily, doesn't mean that your arteries and organs aren't suffering from all the junk being eaten.
So how do you increase your metabolism and be healthy at the same time? Here are some tips to achieve maximum burning capacity of your metabolism, and keep your body healthy along with it!
1. Eat six smaller, healthy meals a day:
Eating like this keeps you from overeating, and also increases your metabolism by "keeping the furnace" going. Making your body go hungry triggers the metabolism to slow down so you don't burn away precious energy.
2. Exercise:
Having a finely tuned engine performs much better than one left without maintanence! Exercise keeps your body burning energy, which increases metabolism.
3. Get Proper Rest:
The body needs time to repair so it can work more efficiently, so better sleep equals a better metabolism.
4. Decrease stress: Stress increases cortisol, which is an automatic metabolism blocker, so keep the stress down so you can keep the metabolism up!
I hope that these tips are helpful and will help you on your way to a more efficient, healthier machine that is your body!!
Till next time......
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
First off let's define "Metabolism". According to Merriam-Webster Metabolism: is the sum of the processes in the buildup and destruction of protoplasm; specifically : the chemical changes in living cells by which energy is provided for vital processes and activities and new material is assimilated. The sum of the processes by which a particular substance is handled in the living body. Basically put, metabolism is a measure of how fast the body's processes work. Your body gets energy from fat to work, and the faster that process, the faster the weight loss. Understand? Good.
The reason that people who are skinny, eat whatever they want, and not gain any weight is due to a naturally high metabolism. This may be unfair, but it is true. The opposite is also true, there are people who have naturally slow metabolisms, which slows down the weight loss process. Now, let me tackle this thought process before we go any further: Having a high metabolism does not necesarily mean you are healthy. Research professional wrestler deaths, baseball player deaths, and basically any professional athlete deaths and you will find out that many of those people are under the age of 50! What many who have a high metabolism fail to realize is that just because your body can burn off fat easily, doesn't mean that your arteries and organs aren't suffering from all the junk being eaten.
So how do you increase your metabolism and be healthy at the same time? Here are some tips to achieve maximum burning capacity of your metabolism, and keep your body healthy along with it!
1. Eat six smaller, healthy meals a day:
Eating like this keeps you from overeating, and also increases your metabolism by "keeping the furnace" going. Making your body go hungry triggers the metabolism to slow down so you don't burn away precious energy.
2. Exercise:
Having a finely tuned engine performs much better than one left without maintanence! Exercise keeps your body burning energy, which increases metabolism.
3. Get Proper Rest:
The body needs time to repair so it can work more efficiently, so better sleep equals a better metabolism.
4. Decrease stress: Stress increases cortisol, which is an automatic metabolism blocker, so keep the stress down so you can keep the metabolism up!
I hope that these tips are helpful and will help you on your way to a more efficient, healthier machine that is your body!!
Till next time......
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
What is Chiropractic care all about?
Let me start off by explaining the basic mechanics of the spine and what happens when it is not properly aligned. Your spine is composed of 24 vertebrae, 23 vertebral discs, ligaments, and muscles. Each joint in your spine is equipped with receptors that constantly talk to the brain with information about motion so each joint can work together in sync. When a vertebra gets stuck, the misalignment, which prevents motion, sends a signal of pain instead of motion. This distress signal tells the brain that there is a problem and it needs to fix it ASAP. In an attempt to correct itself, the body will alter muscle and ligament tension in that misaligned region. These are those tender spots you feel in your back. Over time, the ligaments and muscle change their normal tension to the altered one, causing an imbalance in the spine. Eventually the bones themselves will try to correct the area by growing extra bone in an attempt to correct the misalignment. This extra bone is called osteoarthritis.
Why is all of this important to understand? The spine houses the spinal cord, which is like a giant Ethernet cord carrying information from the brain to the rest of the body. Off the spinal cord are 31 pairs of spinal nerves, which branch off to nerves that reach out to the body. They exit the spinal column via little holes in between the vertebrae. When the vertebrae get out of alignment, they put a pressure on the spinal nerve, interfering with the information between the brain and the part of the body connected to that nerve. This causes the body to not function properly. Picture this: your house is on fire and the fire truck comes and starts using the hose. While they are putting out the fire, you back your car up and roll over the fire hose. What will happen to the water leaving the hose? It slows down, and if the pressure is bad enough, block it completely. Your nerves work the same way. The nerve signals travel at 180mph. Slowing that signal down by just a fraction is enough to negatively impact the body. Ever had tingling in your hands or feet? Nerve pressure. Ever had muscle spasms in areas that you didn't exercise? Nerve Pressure. Indigestion? Constipation? Headaches? Pain? Fatigue?Etc, etc., etc, etc............................... All of these conditions can be adverse reactions to your brain not being able to fully communicate with your body properly. Have you seen the AT&T commercial with the people in the car and the guy with AT&T gets the funny text first and he laughs and then 10 seconds later everybody else gets the text and laughs and he is already tired of the joke? That is a silly example, but it is how are body works when misaligned. Do you want parts of your body communicating at "AT&T" speed and other parts at at slower speed? I didn't think so.
So how does chiropractic come into play? Chiropractic re-aligns the vertebrae and takes the pressure off of the nerves, which help the body function at their maximum capacity. You may be sitting there thinking to yourself "But I'm not in pain so I don't need to get adjusted." This is an all too common statement that I hear everyday. Pain is the last indicator to appear when a problem arises, so if you come to me because you are in pain, chances are that problem has been there a while. I will elaborate more next time but for now I will just end by saying that if you have never had your spine checked, there is never a better time than now. So schedule an appointment to see me today, or if you are not in my area, find a chiropractor near you who can assess your spine so your body can function the way God intended it to: at it's optimum!!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
Monday, January 17, 2011
Increasing your energy step 7: Time Management and Routine.
Ok, we are at our last step to increasing our energy. Time management is a topic that everyone, including myself, suffers with every single day. As I have addressed in several other blogs the famous words "I am just to busy". How many times have those words left your mouth? Let me rephrase, how many times have those words left your mouth today? Slow down, I can't add that fast! Yes we say that way too much. Now, I want you to sit back for a second and I want you to think about the things that are "on your plate" to do today.......................... Finished? Ok, now how much of that time was spent at work? How much of that time was spent in front of your television? How much time was spent eating? I'll quit asking questions now but I want you to break up your day into specific pieces and label each event in order of importance. It's tough to do isn't it?
One of the ways for us to better manage our time is by putting ourselves in a routine. Routines keep us on track. They give us structure and order. Let me use a baby as an example. One of the ways that babies learn is though routine. You get a child to sleep by putting them on a sleep schedule. Their bodies learn the pattern and are trained to respond appropriately based on time scheduling. Take your weekly verses weekend routine. During the week you go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 7am, then on the weekend you stay up to three in the morning and wake up at noon, then you end up feeling terrible the next day. This is because our body is used to a certain schedule and it acted adversely to the change. Sometimes change is good. Changing your workout routine keeps your body guessing and you can lose weight more. Changing your diet every now and then serves the same purpose. The vast majority of the time though, our bodies need time management to properly function at its optimum. I can say personally that when I am leaving vacation I end up saying " I need a vacation from my vacation". Doesn't that phrase completely contradict the purpose of a vacation? The reason we feel that way is because we are not in our routine. You go out to have fun, stay up late, consume more quantities of alcohol than you normally drink, eat whatever is in sight, etc. and you end up putting way more stress than you normally put on your body.
So what's the solution? I am going to offer some time management tools that you can use to help better manage your life,which will lead to less stress.
1. Get an organizer, keep it organized, and use it: I know people that buy organizers and never use them. I also see very cluddered organizers that they themselves need an organizer just for the organizer. Write down everything on your "to-do" list before you do them. This will keep you more balanced as the day goes by, and will help you schedule more time if needed.
2. Plan out your week: This works for work, home, recreation, etc. Take 10 minutes on Sunday night and plan out your entire week, and follow that schedule. Knowing what will happen and when will take off the stress of forgetting things and rushing to do tasks, which add stress to your life.
3. Set up a solid routine and stick to it: The key to any task, whether it be weight loss, exercise, or learning guitar, is consistency. So when you put yourself on a consistent routine, you will be able to do things more on automatic, and will add less stress to your life.
These may be simple rules, but it is harder than you think to try to follow. So I recommend tackling 1 at the time and gradually adding in the other methods. Managing your time efficiently is about reducing your overall stress level, which increases your energy!
I hope these 7 steps have been helpful and we will continue our journey to better health and wellness!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
One of the ways for us to better manage our time is by putting ourselves in a routine. Routines keep us on track. They give us structure and order. Let me use a baby as an example. One of the ways that babies learn is though routine. You get a child to sleep by putting them on a sleep schedule. Their bodies learn the pattern and are trained to respond appropriately based on time scheduling. Take your weekly verses weekend routine. During the week you go to bed at 11pm and wake up at 7am, then on the weekend you stay up to three in the morning and wake up at noon, then you end up feeling terrible the next day. This is because our body is used to a certain schedule and it acted adversely to the change. Sometimes change is good. Changing your workout routine keeps your body guessing and you can lose weight more. Changing your diet every now and then serves the same purpose. The vast majority of the time though, our bodies need time management to properly function at its optimum. I can say personally that when I am leaving vacation I end up saying " I need a vacation from my vacation". Doesn't that phrase completely contradict the purpose of a vacation? The reason we feel that way is because we are not in our routine. You go out to have fun, stay up late, consume more quantities of alcohol than you normally drink, eat whatever is in sight, etc. and you end up putting way more stress than you normally put on your body.
So what's the solution? I am going to offer some time management tools that you can use to help better manage your life,which will lead to less stress.
1. Get an organizer, keep it organized, and use it: I know people that buy organizers and never use them. I also see very cluddered organizers that they themselves need an organizer just for the organizer. Write down everything on your "to-do" list before you do them. This will keep you more balanced as the day goes by, and will help you schedule more time if needed.
2. Plan out your week: This works for work, home, recreation, etc. Take 10 minutes on Sunday night and plan out your entire week, and follow that schedule. Knowing what will happen and when will take off the stress of forgetting things and rushing to do tasks, which add stress to your life.
3. Set up a solid routine and stick to it: The key to any task, whether it be weight loss, exercise, or learning guitar, is consistency. So when you put yourself on a consistent routine, you will be able to do things more on automatic, and will add less stress to your life.
These may be simple rules, but it is harder than you think to try to follow. So I recommend tackling 1 at the time and gradually adding in the other methods. Managing your time efficiently is about reducing your overall stress level, which increases your energy!
I hope these 7 steps have been helpful and we will continue our journey to better health and wellness!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Increasing Your Energy Step 6. Exercise
This topic should be a no-brainer. Everyone knows that you have to exercise to be healthy. People also know that smoking causes cancer, but that doesn't mean they are going to do the healthy thing and stop. There is always an excuse not to exercise, just like the excuses not to smoke: "I am just too busy", "My life is just too crazy right now", "I'll do it tomorrow", and my favorite "I'm just not going to, because I don't want to". In the words of motivational speaker Jim Rohn "You can't hire someone else to do your push-ups for you"; this is an important concept for a generation where we are used to having everything done for us. There is another expression that goes "If you don't use it, you lose it" and this is all too true when it comes to the human body. Like any other machine, if it is not properly taken care of, it WILL breakdown sooner than normal.
I'm not going to elaborate any further on this, we all know what to do, so let's just cut to the chase:
Exercise Tips:
1. 3 times a week is the minimum, 4 times a week is optimum, more than 4 is negligible for increased results. Think of it like this: 3 times a week gives you X results; 4 times a week gives you 2X results; and more than 4 gives you 2.12X. So if time is a factor, but you want the most out of your exercise, shoot for 4 times per week.
2. Each time should be between 30-45 minutes. These times could be increased as your endurance increases, but not much more. Your body can only take so much breakdown, and you want to allow for maximum recovery for the following day.
3. Use weights: If you've never picked up a weight before, now is the time. Resistance training makes your muscles grow, it gives them purpose, and thus prevents premature atrophy, or muscle loss. It also slows down bone density loss because the pulling of the muscle against the bone forces the bone to lay down more calcium, keeping it strong. Has your doctor told you that you have osteoporosis? Pick up some weights, build some muscle, and your bones will bounce back faster than any pill you would take. Now I HAVE to address this statement I've heard so many times from girls I've lost count: "I don't want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger". Trust me, you won't. Have you seen all the girls in the magazines that you look at and say in your head "I wish I looked like her", well I guarantee you they work out with weights at least 3 times a week. Muscle gives us shape and form. Want to look like a body builder? Take steroids and you will, otherwise, with enough time, you will look exactly how you want to look!
4. Pregnant women need exercise too: I know some people who did not exercise during pregnancy and some who did and here were there experiences. The ones who did exercise had easy labors and the ones that did not had difficult labors. Why is this? Because the conditioned, exercised women's muscles were strong enough to help with pushing out the baby, whereas the non conditioned mothers had weak muscles and had extensive pain during and after.
5. Alternate cardio and weight training: Don't overdue your workout. You WILL burnout and will fall off the wagon before you even get on it. Remember to let your body recover, so use the allotted time for either cardio, or weights.
6. Keep your heart rate at a fairly low rate to lose fat: In the simplest way I can explain this is with the "I Love Lucy" example: Lucy and Ethel are working at a chocolate wrapping line. While the line is slow they have time to wrap and package the chocolate. When they speed up the line, they cannot keep up and are hiding the chocolate in their shirts, mouths, aprons etc. What's the point? When your heart rate is at a lower rate, the body has time to go to the fat, break the fat, transport the fat to the muscles, and use the fat for energy. When the heart rate is too high, the body doesn't have time to do all that so it just takes from its closest energy source, you muscles! So if you want to lose weight, find out the fat burning heart rate for your age and keep it there for your entire workout.
7. Lastly, drink a lot of water while exercising. You lose a lot of water while exercising through sweat and body processes so keep it hydrated and you will get the maximum benefit from your workout.
This could be a book if I kept going but I am always available if you have any other questions. Use these tips to taylor to your needs and you will get what you put into it!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
I'm not going to elaborate any further on this, we all know what to do, so let's just cut to the chase:
Exercise Tips:
1. 3 times a week is the minimum, 4 times a week is optimum, more than 4 is negligible for increased results. Think of it like this: 3 times a week gives you X results; 4 times a week gives you 2X results; and more than 4 gives you 2.12X. So if time is a factor, but you want the most out of your exercise, shoot for 4 times per week.
2. Each time should be between 30-45 minutes. These times could be increased as your endurance increases, but not much more. Your body can only take so much breakdown, and you want to allow for maximum recovery for the following day.
3. Use weights: If you've never picked up a weight before, now is the time. Resistance training makes your muscles grow, it gives them purpose, and thus prevents premature atrophy, or muscle loss. It also slows down bone density loss because the pulling of the muscle against the bone forces the bone to lay down more calcium, keeping it strong. Has your doctor told you that you have osteoporosis? Pick up some weights, build some muscle, and your bones will bounce back faster than any pill you would take. Now I HAVE to address this statement I've heard so many times from girls I've lost count: "I don't want to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger". Trust me, you won't. Have you seen all the girls in the magazines that you look at and say in your head "I wish I looked like her", well I guarantee you they work out with weights at least 3 times a week. Muscle gives us shape and form. Want to look like a body builder? Take steroids and you will, otherwise, with enough time, you will look exactly how you want to look!
4. Pregnant women need exercise too: I know some people who did not exercise during pregnancy and some who did and here were there experiences. The ones who did exercise had easy labors and the ones that did not had difficult labors. Why is this? Because the conditioned, exercised women's muscles were strong enough to help with pushing out the baby, whereas the non conditioned mothers had weak muscles and had extensive pain during and after.
5. Alternate cardio and weight training: Don't overdue your workout. You WILL burnout and will fall off the wagon before you even get on it. Remember to let your body recover, so use the allotted time for either cardio, or weights.
6. Keep your heart rate at a fairly low rate to lose fat: In the simplest way I can explain this is with the "I Love Lucy" example: Lucy and Ethel are working at a chocolate wrapping line. While the line is slow they have time to wrap and package the chocolate. When they speed up the line, they cannot keep up and are hiding the chocolate in their shirts, mouths, aprons etc. What's the point? When your heart rate is at a lower rate, the body has time to go to the fat, break the fat, transport the fat to the muscles, and use the fat for energy. When the heart rate is too high, the body doesn't have time to do all that so it just takes from its closest energy source, you muscles! So if you want to lose weight, find out the fat burning heart rate for your age and keep it there for your entire workout.
7. Lastly, drink a lot of water while exercising. You lose a lot of water while exercising through sweat and body processes so keep it hydrated and you will get the maximum benefit from your workout.
This could be a book if I kept going but I am always available if you have any other questions. Use these tips to taylor to your needs and you will get what you put into it!
In Good Health,
Dr. Ara
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