Azhar Therapy & Fitness Blog

What’s the best time to workout?

2012-12-24T09:00:00.000-08:00

While convenience ultimately prevails and you may be better off working out whenever your schedule allows, here are some things to consider.

The average person is about 25% hypoglycemic upon awakening. This could be good or bad. Good because the resultant insulin levels are low from a hypoglycemic state and you are more lipolytic naturally (favorable to burning fat) than any other time of day. Bad, because your core body temperature, your energy level (and quite possibly motivation) is low and your joints are stiff (especially if you are over 40).

Historically, there is a higher frequency of heart attacks in the morning than other times of the day. This is attributed to a combination of high testosterone and cortisol levels from fasting all night (typically 8 hrs) and the fact your body is at a low point having just come out of deep sleep. If you are a beginner or deconditioned, over 40, and have coronary risk factors, take extra caution if you intend to exercise strenuously in the morning. A proper warm-up and cool-down is vitally important as part of your early morning exercise session.

During the course of a day, your core body temperature, blood pressure, muscle temperature and heart rate fluctuates. Energy levels are influenced by everything from mood changes to the natural cycles in your body called the circadian rhythm. Your body is truly at its "physical best" for a workout in the latter part of the day.

Performing exercise in the middle of the day could prove to be beneficial as it may prevent the "biological sleepy time", by increasing the flow of epinephrine and norepinephrine, hormones that elicit an excitability response. Performing strength exercises during this time is optimal, as body and muscle temperature are at their highest. Joints and muscles are more flexible. Breathing is easier because the lungs' airways are more open.

In the end however, the best solution is to come up with a regular schedule and stick to it because regularity is far more important than being concerned with whether you workout in the morning or afternoon. Let us know if we can be of help at Azhar Therapy & Fitness.

5 Ideas for Stressful Living

2012-12-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

So, you want your life to be stressful?

It’s amazing how many people consistently apply habits and actions in their daily lives that guarantee stressful results. They repeat the same things over and over again, expecting different results, which is, if I recall correctly, the textbook definition of insanity. After hitting the same wall every day for 20 years, people think “okay, if I just really hammer it this time then maybe it suddenly won’t be there.”

One of the more ridiculous aspects of the ego is that it conditions you to actively seek negative results. It makes you think that what you want is peace, when its secret pleasure is always in conflict and negativity. In scientific experiments, a mouse quickly learns to avoid the choice that results in electric shock, while the ego-inflicted human being keeps choosing the same negative option over and over again, often through stubborn rationalization enabled by a general lack of awareness.

Here is a short list of ideas for those who wish to add a dash of stress into their lives — all fairly easy to implement, not to mention widely encouraged by society at large and often easily observed in the behavior of those around you.

1. Attempt to control absolutely everything

This is one of the more practical ways of achieving high levels of stress, and can be applied in a variety of ways in almost every situation you are likely to encounter. The key to this method is the fact that you never really have much control over anything, and so it generates stress in proportion to your illusion of control and the imagined responsibility you have as a consequence.

a) Instead of merely trying to control the process of whatever it is you’re doing, try gaining control over the results as well: instead of focusing all your attention on what you are doing in the moment, divert most of it towards trying to figure out how to ensure a particular result. For this to be effective, it is helpful to imagine the less desirable result as extremely negative and the desirable result as the exact opposite, and believe that whatever the result, it will be permanent. So, the less desirable result becomes something like permanent failure and misery, while the preferred result is seen as the ultimate answer to all my problems. Imagining the future in terms of extreme polarities creates tension and anxiety; the essential building blocks of stressful living.

b) Try to control other people; both what they do, and also what they think. The reason why this is so effective is that we can easily perceive other people to be difficult, incompetent, and unreliable, which gives us plenty of reasons why we need to control everything ourselves. The stress factor here lies in the fact that trying to control other people is much like herding cats; requires enormous effort, and you know deep down that it’s futile and ridiculous to even attempt. But if you manage to hold onto the illusion that you can actually gain and preserve absolute control over other people, this can be easily integrated into your everyday life as a reliable source of stress.

c) Try to control everything else; the stock market, the weather, your workplace, various events, and last but not least: God. In this case, assuming a certain level of common sense, you will probably be aware that you cannot actually be in control of these things. But this superficial awareness does not necessarily preclude a deep sense of responsibility — you will be able to feel that you need to somehow control them, even if you know on a rational level that it is impossible. The key here is to convince yourself that if you take your eyes off of the world for just one moment, everything will fall apart. It will be helpful here to imagine an anthropomorphized version of God, preferably one that is cruel and fickle, and believe that you need to be on his good side in order for everything in your world to stay intact. When you’ve made God into a person, you will feel that the methods you use for controlling other people will also work to control him. Again, you will likely be aware of the contradictions of this on a rational level, but the determined practitioner will be able to overcome this obstacle with relative ease.

2. Believe in the possibility of ‘making it’

The concept of arriving somewhere in the future is another very useful and popular source of stress and anxiety, and the illusion of being able to make it in the world is upheld and added to via magazines, television, movies, and whatever medium used to display how ‘the others’ go about living their lives.

This is a search for identity, and experientially it can be described as feeling like you’re never really at home anywhere you go. This can be just a hardly noticeable background feeling of unease, but even in that form it is able to create a great deal of stress. Many people look to the culture of celebrity in this search for identity, which is probably one of the easier options available today if you want to fuel this particular illusion. Celebrities exist for us as images of what it means to have made it — we see them as people who have arrived at a place in the world where they can relax, put down their bags and finally start to enjoy their lives. If you can get yourself to believe in this illusion strongly enough, you will find that it will be almost impossible to feel satisfied with anything except when you are consuming entertainment and living vicariously through celebrities and other idealized characters.

3. Look for satisfaction out there

Most people look almost exclusively to external things and circumstances for their satisfaction, instead of looking within. And apart from being an important factor in the perpetuation of stress, it is also what mainly drives the mechanics of western society. It’s the reason why people spend most of their time working for the purpose of accumulating more things, and then their free time on trying hard to extract as much satisfaction as possible from these things in order to justify the means of attaining them. To be caught in this upward spiral of more and more work for more and more sensory satisfaction is what characterizes the affluent parts of our culture, and the potential for stress on this path is endless, simply because more is never enough. Never has been, never will be.

But this is not to say you need to be affluent to enjoy stressful living. The method of looking to external things for satisfaction can take other forms in the lives of the less materially endowed, through the well worn path of future-projection and hypothesis. All around you there are people who have everything the world has to offer and seem to be blissful because of it, and so you can keep yourself occupied in a cycle of fantasy, envy, and frustration, which then fuels a continuous sense of lack, of not having enough. So, the only real difference between the affluent and the non-affluent, in this regard, is that the former are given an opportunity to confirm the fact that more is never enough, while the latter can keep telling themselves that if only they had more stuff they’d be fine. And when you always feel like you are missing out, stress automatically becomes your habitual state of being.

4. Emphasize yourself

There are many ways of inflating your sense of self, and the reason this is of interest to us here is because emphasizing your personal identity can be an excellent source of stress. These include defending your position, making sure you are always right and fighting whoever dares question it; demanding respect and admiration, making sure everyone around you knows who you are and why it’s important; claiming credit for everything you do, demanding rewards and making sure you never give more than you get back; voicing your opinion at every chance, because if you don’t nobody will know you even exist; and taking pride in your status, being sure to display your social stature (preferably exaggerated) by all means possible.

Telling yourself that you are special, and trying to convince everyone else of it as well, is almost guaranteed to create stress. And in fact the more inflated your sense of self, the bigger your opportunity for feeling stressed. As in the above examples, the more you are able to put yourself at the center of every situation and make everything revolve around you, the easier it will be to boost your stress levels.

5. Be more and have more

At the core, all of the above ideas can be summed up in a single method: simply convince yourself that you need more than you have at any given moment, and you will be able to maintain a steady feeling of anxiety throughout the day. This can be a feeling of needing to become more than you already are, or needing to have more than you have now (which are actually one and the same), and can be felt more generally as a perpetual sense of lack.

This is the essence of stressful living, and in most parts of the world you never need to look far for reinforcement of these ideas. Go turn on the television, browse the magazine selection at your local bookstore, look at advertising billboards, watch a Hollywood blockbuster; the world is full of opportunities for people who seek stress, and making use of them is entirely up to you to decide.

Is there anything special I should eat after my workout?

2012-12-03T09:00:00.000-08:00

In addition to catecholamine increase, exercise stimulates the production of cortisol to boost the breakdown of fuels within the body. These high levels of cortisol not only decompose stored fuels, but also begin muscle breakdown once the stores of glycogen get low. A post workout meal should therefore consist of high Glycemic (quick digesting) carbohydrates, as they not only promote higher glycogen storage, but the insulin released counteracts the catabolic activity of cortisol that follows. This is possibly one of the few times when high Glycemic carbs are superior to low Glycemic carbs.

Although the size of this post-workout meal is dependent on the type, intensity, and duration of your exercise, eating 100-200 grams of carbs within 30 minutes of endurance exercise is essential to building adequate glycogen stores for future training. Waiting longer than two hours to eat results in 50 percent less glycogen stored in the muscle.

Combining protein with carbohydrate in the post-exercise meal nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in optimal glycogen storage. The best carb to protein ratio for this effect is 4:1 (four grams of carbs for every one gram of protein). Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.

One study found that athletes who refueled with carbs and protein had 100 percent greater muscle glycogen stores than those who only ate carbs. Insulin was also highest in those who consumed a carb and protein drink.

You can contact us at Azhar Therapy and Fitness with your questions.

Resistance Training & Hypertension

2012-11-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

Although it’s true that blood pressure increases “during” Resistance training, it' noteworthy that blood pressure tends to decrease at rest in the long-term with an appropriate resistance training program.

This long-term adaptation occurs due to a reduction of chronically elevated plasma catecholamines (epinephrine and norepinephrine), causing a reduced basal tone of the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to reduced arteriolar tone and decreased total peripheral resistance by a resetting of the peripheral baroreceptors threshold.

If you have been diagnosed with hypertension, you should observe the following safety precautions:

Use endurance training, such as walking, jogging, etc. as your primary exercise mode
Use resistance training as a supplement to endurance training, not as the primary exercise
Keep the resistance low and the repetitions high
Avoid exercises with an isometric component
Avoid holding your breath and straining during exercise (Valsalva maneuver)
Report any changes in medications and/or any abnormal signs or symptoms before, during, or immediately following exercise
Move slowly when transitioning from the floor to standing, since you may be more susceptible to a sudden drop in blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) if taking antihypertensive medication
If you have severe hypertension you need to be carefully monitored during exercise initially, and possibly long-term

The overall exercise training recommendations for mild to moderately hypertensive individuals are basically the same as for apparently healthy individuals.

Frequency: Exercise at least four times per week. Daily exercise may be more appropriate for you if your functional capacity is low.

Duration: A longer and more gradual warm-up and cool-down period (>5 min) is recommended. Total exercise duration should be gradually increased, possibly to as high as 30 to 60 min per session, depending on your medical history.

Intensity: Low-intensity dynamic exercise vs. high-intensity, high-impact exercise is recommended. The exercise intensity level should be near the lower end of the heart rate range (40 to 65%).

While it is true that people with "uncontrolled" hypertension should not perform resistance training exercise, and that certain resistance training actions can elevate blood pressure beyond recommended levels (e.g., breath holding, isometric holding, maximum weightload), it's also clear that sensible resistance training has never been shown to adversely affect resting or exercise blood pressure. In fact, there is plenty of evidence and research in this area over the past 20 years that properly performed resistance training is both safe during exercise execution and beneficial for resting blood pressure.

Be Unreasonable

2012-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

We live in a time when the only prediction that holds true is that no prediction will hold true.

Is this a paradox? Not if you have innovative thinking. This knowledge could give you an inherent advantage if you aren’t afraid of change and transformation. If you realize that change is inevitable.

For the ordinary, it amounts to anticipating change and planning a course of action to avoid foreseeable disaster, steering clear of genetic traps, intellectual barricades and social stereotypes.

George Bernard Shaw once observed that all progress depends on the unreasonable man. His argument was that the reasonable man adapts himself to the world, while the unreasonable persists in trying to adapt the world to him; therefore for any change of consequence we must look to the unreasonable man.

Make changes before disasters strike. Don’t just follow tradition blindly. Question the methods and processes of all the things that impact your life. Have the audacity to challenge the most established patterns. Break the mold.

But don’t just stop there. Find ways to improve those methods and processes. Fix things before they break. Don’t assume that you are healthy just because disease is absent. Find ways to improve your health.

Many years ago most people thought that change was more of the same, only better. They expected and welcomed this incremental change. Today we know that in many areas of our lives we cannot guarantee more of the same, be it work or money, peace or freedom, health or happiness, and cannot predict with confidence what will be happening in our lives.

It’s a time for bold beginnings in our lives, for thinking the unlikely and doing the unthinkable. Change is just another word for growth and learning. We can all do it, and enjoy it, if we want to.

Be unreasonable!

The Power Of Attitude

2012-11-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Attitude is everything. It’s how we view the world. Our attitude affects how we act and feel in everyday life. Optimistic people have a positive expectancy that helps to achieve the goal at hand. It’s with this can-do attitude that we take action to accomplish our goals. Pessimistic people have a very passive attitude. Focusing on what they can’t do.

The Mayo Clinic conducted a study that showed that, on the average, optimistic people live longer than their counterparts. The University of Pennsylvania also conducted a study in which it tracked 120 men who had suffered one heart attack. After 8 years they found that 80% of the pessimistic men died of a second one compared to only 30% of the optimists.

A positive attitude may not always work for you but a negative one is always guaranteed to work against you. Think about it, what usually happens when you wake up and decide that you’re going to have a bad day?

Here are some things that optimistic people use every day to keep a good attitude and a positive outlook on life.

Pessimists often believe that a problem or bad situation is going to last forever while optimists know that when they experience a setback that these disappointments are only temporary rather than permanent. This is generally true; things usually do get better over time.

Unlike pessimists who let their troubles and doubts affect areas of their lives, optimists are able to put their problems in a “box” and allow themselves to not be distracted by them, letting them concentrate on the task at hand.

Optimists internalize victories and externalize defeat. Here are some examples of how they would react to different situations. “I did it, I accomplished my goals. I messed up, but that’s O.K. I’ll do better tomorrow.”

Pessimists do the exact opposite, saying things like “I just got lucky. It’s all my fault, I’m such a loser.” It’s been said that 10% of life is what happens and 90% is how you take it. So let me ask you this, what kind of attitude do you have?

I have Type 2 Diabetes, can I still exercise?

2012-11-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, most likely you have a high blood glucose level, and either a low, normal, or high insulin level at the same time. High blood glucose levels can either cause insulin resistance that amplifies insulin production, or in some cases, overwork the beta cells that produce insulin resulting in decreased insulin production.

Because high levels of circulating glucose cause Type 2 Diabetes, exercise is the preferred means to counteract this condition since it lowers circulating glucose by using it as a source of energy. Both cardiovascular exercise and weight training are beneficial for a Type 2 Diabetic.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardiovascular exercise directly lowers excessive blood glucose. This direct reduction in blood glucose causes a decrease in insulin production, which improves insulin receptor sensitivity. The resulting re-sensitized insulin receptors maintain a more strict blood glucose regulation, which in turn reduces chronically elevated glucose and insulin levels.

Cardiovascular exercise is most beneficial when you follow the guideline below:

Frequency: 5-6 days per week
Intensity: 60-70% age predicted maximal heart rate (Low-to-moderate intensity)
Duration: 30 minutes or longer

Walking, hiking, jogging, running, swimming, skating, bicycling, rowing, etc

Other positive effects of cardiovascular exercise include:

Fat loss
Decreased blood pressure
Improved blood flow to extremities
Decreased triglyceride levels

Weight Training

Weight or resistance training can specifically target the muscles that are not predominantly used during cardiovascular exercise. This indirectly aids in expending blood glucose levels when the depleted muscle glycogen levels must be replenished after exercise by the circulating glucose.

Weight training is most beneficial when you follow the guideline below:

Frequency: 2-3 days per week
Intensity: Low-to-moderate workloads
Duration: 2-3 sets for 12-15 repetitions
Rest Intervals: 15-20 seconds between sets

Machines, free weights, wall pulleys, elastic bands, weight cuffs, etc

Train large muscle groups. Especially those not used in cardiovascular exercise. Use an agonist-antagonist work sequence for continuity. This type of weight training utilizes muscle glycogen in contrast to higher intensity workouts, which largely require high-energy phosphates for contraction.

If you are new to exercise or have significant complications, supervised exercise may be more beneficial for you. We recommend consulting a physician prior to starting a new exercise & diet routine if you are over 40 and diabetic or obese. If you have already done so and are interested in a highly effective Exercise Routine and a supporting Nutrition Plan to improve your health and body composition, contact us at Azhar Therapy & Fitness or call 405-752-7377 to set up an Exercise Consultation.

Disclaimer

The instruction and advice presented above are in no way a substitute for medical counseling. Azhar Therapy & Fitness disclaims any liability in connection with the recommendations and advice herein.

Dealing with Plateaus

2012-10-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Frustrated because you’ve been exercising regularly and have a controlled diet, but can't seem to lose any weight. Plateaus can make you feel that way - particularly when it feels like you're doing all the right things.

Sixty to seventy percent of your calories are used just for the "bare basics" of life when your body is at rest: breathing, keeping your heart pumping, and regulating body temperature. Another 10 percent go for digestion and processing the foods you eat.
The last component, the one over which you have the most control, for physical activity (from just sitting around to working out), typically account for 15 to 30 percent of your daily expenditure.

It's tough to say how many calories any one person burns each day because there is tremendous individual variation. In one study on overweight women of the same age, weight and height, calories needed to maintain the "bare basics" varied from 1,263 to 2,152 per day. If you were at the low end of that range, weight loss would take longer and potentially be more tedious for you.

So, what to do if your weight seems stuck?

Keep a log to see if you really are eating what you think you're eating. If you make note of everything you eat, not only will it help you pinpoint where some extra calories might be coming from, but it might make you stop and think before you overeat again.

Weigh and measure foods for a while - another way of making sure that you're not eating more than you think you're eating. See if you're consistently going over the recommended portions. You can probably stop measuring once you get the hang of it.

Step up your exercise - if you have the time and your body can handle it. Sometimes, however, the scale gets stuck for a while because of the added muscle. In other words, you could be losing fat but it won't show up on the scale right away because of an increase in lean body mass - great!

Try focusing on what you've already achieved and measure your success by more than just the scale. Commend yourself for being more fit, feeling better about yourself, being in a more "up" frame of mind - or whatever else your efforts at eating healthier and exercising are getting you.

Pursuit of Happiness

2012-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

So you want to be happy?

Or maybe just “happier”!

Maybe you want to stop smoking, exercise more, lose weight, or eat healthier. I know I’d like to improve in some areas of my life, like exercise more regularly and eat healthier.

Statistically speaking, every year, 30 percent of the people in The United States make a single resolution, the other 70 percent make three or more. Increasing exercise is the most common, made by 37 percent. Decreasing the consumption of unhealthy food is at 13 percent and quitting tobacco is at 7 percent.

Whether your resolutions are at New Years’ time or any other time, to be successful at achieving your goals next time, may I suggest you consider the following!

Vision

Picture yourself in your preferred future, as you want to be. Progress is a result of a creative relationship between the present-you and the future-you. Crystal-clear vision leads to extraordinary breakthroughs.

Focus

Focusing on your weaknesses is a waste of time and opportunity. Highly successful people throughout history have achieved greatness by focusing on their areas of strength.

Habits

Progress is not a result of more discipline, but rather of developing goal-directed habits. It takes roughly 21 days of daily repetition to establish a new habit. In general you can usually develop only one habit at a time. So, in a year you could potentially develop 17 new, productive habits!

Attitude

Your behavior, decisions, actions, and your results are based on your attitude. When you feel strong, confident, and competent, you will act that way. I know that when I feel tired, depressed, or weak, my behavior mirrors my feelings. By changing the way you think to yourself, you can manage your feelings therefore your behavior.

Balance

Set and pursue goals in the value centers of your life: family life, physical well being, spiritual and intellectual growth, social involvement and financial health. The balance will increase your energy, motivation, and your sense of satisfaction, in other words your happiness.

Grassfed Beef - healthier than grainfed beef?

2012-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Beef from cows that feed on grass instead of grain in feedlots is healthier because it contains twice as much beta-carotene, has more vitamin E, and is lower in calories and saturated fat. Grass-fed animals are also known to be the richest source of one of the most potent cancer fighters - Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA - a "good fat."

Recent research shows that grazing animals have from 3-5 times more CLA than animals fattened on grain in a feedlot, and studies published by the journal “Cancer Research” show that lab animals fed even very small amounts of CLA (less than 2 percent of total calories) reduced tumor growth by 60 percent.

Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a

Potent inhibitor of breast, prostate, lung, and colon carcinogenesis
Immune system enhancer
Powerful anti-oxidant
Anti-atherosclerotic and decreases LDL cholesterol
Substantial booster of Vitamin A in the liver
Inhibitor of diabetes
Modifier of the way the body metabolizes fat in such a way that body fat is significantly decreased while muscle mass is increased

What’s more amazing is that these effects are achieved at levels of about 1-2% of caloric intake - equivalent to about 2-3 grams daily of CLA for humans. Studies have shown no negative effects of taking CLA at these levels for extensive time periods, and recent reports have even demonstrated that CLA reduces body fat accumulation. However, since most of the research with CLA to date has been conducted on animals, often with relatively large doses, until human trials are conducted the exact dosage for humans is unknown.

More significant fat loss would occur if the dosage was closer to that used in animal studies, which would be equivalent to upwards of 25 g of CLA oil daily, but the risk of liver enlargement and insulin resistance would be proportionally increased, so this quantity is not recommended. It is wiser to use a lower dose of CLA in conjunction with other fat loss agents, and monitor glucose and insulin levels and liver parameters whenever possible.

Increments & Decrements

2012-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Increments

Progress is not made in leaps. It is the accrual of many small increments. If you decide not to workout today it may seem like it doesn’t matter but that small piece and other such missing pieces may never let you make any significant growth.

Decrements

It is also true that you don’t spring backwards in leaps either. Retreats too are the accumulation of many decrements. If you decide to stop at the doughnut shop on the way home for just a doughnut, it may seem harmless at the time but that event and other such incidents add up and keep you from making improvement too.

Reflect on your habits more closely and you will see that you may be engaged in a little of both. Do you realize that you are possibly keeping yourself from making any notable progress and sliding back a little at times? All your effort is wasted because of the disruption of increments and the recurring decrements.

See into the Past

Remember when you first created your goal. Remember the desire and dedication you had. Remember the main reasons you started in the first place. If you decided to lose weight, what was the reason that sparked your goal?

Just thinking about why you started can get you going again. Repeating your first thoughts and words about your goal will serve as a boost to your confidence and motivation. As time goes on, we sometimes forget why we started something in the first place. It is very important to remember the “Why's” and not only the “How’s”.

See into the Future

It’s important that you envision how exciting the results will be if you maintain your resolve. What was it that made you want to improve? Try to remind yourself. It may be the best thing you do for yourself.

Think about the end of your goal, the time you finally accomplish your task. Think about how great you'll feel, how happy you'll be, and how much better off you'll be. You have to see the picture in your mind. Close your eyes and put yourself weeks, months, or years into the future.

Fun

It goes without saying that if you have fun doing something you are going to enjoy it and are more likely to want to do it again. Find the fun in the process when you are about to talk yourself out of doing it.

Remember, you are doing it for your own improvement.

Tips to Prevent Neck Pain

2012-10-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

The most common causes of neck pain are the result of bad habits or poor ergonomics. Here are just a few of the most common reasons. Take a look at them and make an effort to correct them. Your neck will thank you!

Center your monitor. People who sit at a computer with the monitor even slightly off to the side are ultimately doomed. This results in the head turned to one side. If this is a temporary position

of the neck, it is not a big problem. However, if you sit at a desk for eight hours or more a day, neck pain is inevitable. This is very easy to correct so simply center your monitor over your keyboard.

Check your lighting. If your desk lighting is insufficient, your head will have the tendency to crane forward to read off the computer screen. A forward position of the head places undue stress on the upper vertebrae of the neck and the sub-occipital muscles at the base of the head resulting in headaches.

Get your eyes checked. Uncorrected near or far-sightedness can also cause craning of the head similar to that mentioned with poor lighting. Occasionally, people turn their head slightly to the side in order to see directly ahead. These people have learned to rely more on their peripheral vision to focus on objects due to a condition known as strabismus.

Do not sleep on your stomach. The only way to breathe effectively in this position is to turn your head to one side. Hopefully it is becoming clear to you that sustained neck rotation is a bad thing.

Do not read or watch television lying down. This bad habit is particularly devastating to necks. It usually results in both a forward and a rotated position of the neck, a double whammy. Some peoples’ neck symptoms will go away entirely simply by correcting this bad habit.

If your neck pain radiates down your arm, see your doctor. This is more serious than simple neck pain and may involve irritation of the nerves as they exit the spine. Regardless of the extent of injury to your neck, It is still a good idea to correct your bad habits and check your ergonomics.

Break Plateaus with Interval Training

2012-10-01T09:00:00.001-07:00

Interval Training can take your conditioning to the next level or break a stubborn plateau. Using intense aerobic activity alternated with periods of recovery allows a longer “duration” of training time at your own peak performance level.

When you train to your maximum output (pushing the muscle’s pain limit) several changes occur that allow you to push even further into your anaerobic zone the next time. More capillaries develop in the muscles. Your heart adapts to pump more blood for any specific time interval.
Muscle metabolism improves to extract more oxygen from blood. And, you learn to mentally deal with pain and are able to exercise through it.

Short intervals range from 15-90 seconds while longer intervals last from 3-5 minutes. Set a definite time for your intervals and then pace yourself so that you are able to use maximum intensity for the whole duration of the interval.

Rest between intervals is just as important. Starting too soon won’t allow you to make it through your next interval while resting too long won’t allow you to get the desired benefits.

A good work to rest ratio is shown below:

work:rest

Aerobic Interval 1:1

Anaerobic Interval 1:2 or 1:3

Full out Sprints 1:5 or 1:30

Try using one day for short intervals and a second day for longer ones. Allow adequate recovery between intervals and a 15 to 20 minute warm-up and cool-down at the start and end of your session.

For more specific training to achieve your performance goals contact us at 405-752-7377.

Muscle Gain at 40

2012-08-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

The two primary hormones responsible for muscle gain are Testosterone and Growth Hormone.

Healthy males and females reach peak testosterone and growth hormone levels at age 20-25, steadily decrease to 50% by age 40 and level off to 25% of peak levels by age 50. Obviously, higher levels of these hormones with the correct resistance training and nutritional protocol significantly improve your chances of gaining muscle.

Empirical evidence shows that the most muscle mass a 25-year-old "average" male with a year or two of training behind them can expect to gain is roughly 8-12 lbs per year. Gains in the average female are approximately half those seen in males.

Based on the little information available about these hormones in context to muscle gain, around age 40 (male) your muscle gain may be limited to less than 4 lbs a year. And that's if you are healthy, train appropriately, eat correctly, and recover optimally and consistently.

Additionally, while your ability to gain muscle at age 40 is not stellar, it remains adequate. The rate at which you make progress will be steady but slower and will depend greatly on your genetics, age, lifestyle, and eating habits.

Finally, muscle gain is rarely a linear process, and no matter how hard you train, how strict your diet is, or how many muscle building supplements you use, growth will never come at a predictable steady pace.

The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan.

Herniated Disc Management

2012-01-19T05:46:00.000-08:00

Surgery isn't usually considered unless you develop severe pain or nerve damage that gets steadily worse.

Prior to any surgery, there are some basic actions you could perform right away that will help reduce pain, manage symptoms, and provide you with some comfort.

You should avoid sitting for long periods of time, consider taking breaks every 15 to 20 minutes, and pay close attention to your posture. We suggest that while sitting you should:

Keep your feet flat on the floor
Adjust your seat so your knees and hips are at 90 degrees, and
Hold your head directly above your pelvis

This posture will promote the proper curvature of your spine and allow 75% of your body weight to be supported by your hips and your thighs instead of your tailbone (sacrum) or the bones of your spine.

Posture is not only important in the sitting and standing position but also critical during all phases of your exercise program. Exercises for people with herniated disc(s) are meant to strengthen the musculature surrounding the spine and hence reduce the load on the discs.

In order to strengthen the musculature surrounding the spine, all aspects of the trunk must be exercised. Exercises that strengthen the trunk extensors (Quadratus Lumborum, Erector Spinae, Lumbar Multifidus, etc) help control and support the spine in movements that involve trunk extension from a flexed trunk position.

Exercises that strengthen the trunk flexors and rotators (Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis and Internal and External Obliques) help support and stabilize the spine in all other directions (Trunk Flexion, Lateral Flexion, and Axial Rotation).

A “neutral” spine is the optimal sitting and standing posture. Avoid daily activities that would require the following:

Flexing the trunk (Lumbar Spine) while weight bearing
Sitting with your hips pushed out in front of the spine and head
Standing with your hips tucked excessively under you
Standing while pushing your hips back excessively (creating hyperextension of the lower back)

Additionally, a flexible pelvic region is required to guard against muscle tightness. The Hamstrings, Hip Flexors, and Gluteals must all be stretched to allow the pelvis to remain in a comfortable neutral position.

If your doctor suggests physical therapy to reduce the risk of injury to the disc and spinal nerves, you will be shown exercises that are suitable for you.

In general, the following may help prevent a recurrence or aggravation of a herniated disc:

exercises that strengthen the abdominal and back muscles
good posture (standing up straight, sitting straight, lifting things with the back straight)
bending the knees and hips when lifting something and keeping the back straight
holding an object close to the body when carrying it
avoiding wearing high-heeled shoes
keeping at a healthy weight
reducing or avoiding smoking

Rotator Cuff Injury

2012-01-18T06:04:00.000-08:00

Your rotator cuff is made up of the muscles and tendons in your shoulder. These muscles and tendons connect your upper arm bone (humerus) with your shoulder blade. They also help hold the ball of your upper arm bone firmly in your shoulder socket.

Rotator cuff injuries are fairly common. Causes include poor posture, falling, lifting and repetitive overhead arm activities such as: throwing a baseball,
reaching up repetitively to work or placing items on shelves above your head. The injury is common among people whose occupation includes heavy demands on their shoulders, such as athletes and people in the construction trades. As you get older, your risk of a rotator cuff injury increases.

Treatment

Treatment for rotator cuff injuries typically involves exercise therapy. Your doctor or physical therapist will talk with you about specific exercises designed to help heal your injury, improve the flexibility of your rotator cuff and shoulder muscles and provide balanced shoulder muscle strength. Depending on the severity of your injury, physical therapy may take from three weeks to several months.

Other treatments may include Steroid Injections or Surgery. Doctors commonly use corticosteroids by injection to relieve inflammation and pain. If you have a large tear in your rotator cuff, you may need surgery. Sometimes during this kind of surgery, doctors may also remove a bone spur or calcium deposits.

Self-care

A minor injury often heals on its own, if you take care of it. If you think you've injured your rotator cuff, try these steps:

Rest your shoulder
Apply Ice and Heat
Take pain relievers
Keep your muscles limber

I’m trying to lose fat, when can I eat before I workout?

2011-12-03T11:15:00.000-08:00

If you are not insulin resistant (Normal) and trying to lose body fat, you should not eat for about an hour before exercising, allowing for even the slightest insulin elevation to plateau and you can expect great results (see graph above).

On the other hand, if you are insulin resistant (Obese or Type 2 Diabetic), you need to extend the period between a meal and your exercise session to 1-3 hours depending on the severity of your condition. But be careful, because although too short a gap can prevent you from utilizing fat as your primary fuel source, too long a gap poses a risk of hypoglycemia and low energy which could stop you from continuing and confound your workout plan.

A meal elevates blood glucose and insulin levels relative to its volume, carbohydrate content, and glycemic response. This is normal but if you are insulin resistant you produce higher than normal levels of insulin after eating a meal that stay elevated for longer periods. The excess circulating insulin inhibits or slows the breakdown of fats for energy needs. This causes a higher reliance on blood glucose as the primary fuel source, a faster use of ingested carbohydrates, and blocking of your fat stores from competing with the above two processes.

An obese or Type 2 diabetic individual already has a limited ability to use fats as the primary fuel due to chronically elevated insulin levels, so it is very important that there is no further elevation of this hormone from a meal ingested too close to an exercise session targeted for fat loss.

We recommend consulting a physician or a dietitian prior to starting a new exercise & diet routine if you are over 40 and diabetic or obese. If you have already done so and are interested in a highly effective Exercise Routine and a supporting Nutrition Plan to improve your health and body composition, contact us at Azhar Therapy & Fitness or call 405-752-7377 to set up an Exercise Consultation.

Hydration formula simplified

2011-08-02T08:42:00.000-07:00

The best hydration drink is one that does not shut off the osmotic drive (the drive to drink) and that minimizes urine output. Clinical trials on cyclists have shown that we’ll drink more if:

The drink tastes good
Doesn’t upset the stomach (isn’t too concentrated)
Replenishes lost sodium, and
Provides energy to muscles in the form of carbohydrates (about 6 to 8 percent solution is optimal)

To find the concentration of a drink, take the number of carb grams
per serving (times the number of servings in bottle, if more than one serving), multiply it by .035 and divide by the number of ounces the bottle holds.

Example:

25 grams (total carbs on label) x .035 / 16 ounces (fluid in bottle) = .055 or 5.5 % solution

I just started weight training, what kind of results can I expect?

2011-07-25T22:30:00.000-07:00

As a beginner you will most likely see improvements in your motor skills in the shape of better exercise form within the first two weeks. As you continue to exercise consistently through the next six weeks, you will make considerable strength gains due to various changes in motor unit recruitment, known as neural adaptation.

Although these changes have no cosmetic impact, they are an important stage leading to further progress. After these initial eight weeks or so, you are generally at the intermediate level with everyone else that works out regularly. At this point your body stops relying heavily on neural adaptation and starts depending on increased muscular changes in the form of muscle size and structure, known as hypertrophy.

Your potential in muscular size and structure are fundamentally dependent on your genetics, but age, health, training protocol, diet, rest and many other variables in and out of your control play a great role in future changes.

What can a personal trainer do for me that I can’t do myself?

2011-07-21T05:28:00.000-07:00

The cartoon above is humorous but in all reality a good personal trainer is an educator who provides well-informed answers to your fitness questions. A skillful trainer chooses safe and effective exercises for you based on your age, gender, level of conditioning, health, motor skills and goals so that your training sessions are not only productive because the exercises are suitable for you but the intensity and progression are appropriate too.

With a degree in Exercise and Sport Sciences and over 22 years of personal training experience, you can rely on my knowledge and intuition to stop or push your limits when necessary. I share the latest fitness and nutrition knowledge with you so you make good choices when eating out or recreating, to enjoy life yet make optimal progress. And since I have spent a great amount of time implementing fitness programs on a daily basis for many years, my understanding of fitness is broader and deeper than the average person.

Dedicated to delivering cutting edge one-on-one services I have been a personal trainer since 1988 and continue to provide my services to a broad range of clients. I use a mix of technicality and innovation to produce quick, safe and fun exercise programs and never take "less than perfect" for an answer.

I provide my services at my own facility in NW Oklahoma City, a premier physical therapy clinic and personal training studio. My personal training services are available by appointment (405) 752-7377 or you can send me a message.

Water, Electrolytes, Carbs & Cramps

2011-07-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

Athletes need to consume fluids before, during and after exercise because dehydration of more than 2% body weight can cause exertional heat illness such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

Water

Approximately 73 percent of our lean body mass is water. Without food, the body can maintain life for weeks; without water, only days. But while the importance of water cannot be overstated, the number one protection against the harmful effects of dehydration and cramping is consumption of the right combination of fluids with electrolytes.

Since water by itself contains no electrolytes, carbohydrates or flavor benefits, athletes typically "voluntarily dehydrate" by not consuming enough of it. To avoid this voluntary dehydration, athletes must be convinced to participate in their own hydration based on personal preferences in fluid choices and sweat rates.

Additionally, beverages that are carbonated and contain caffeine or alcohol can lead to further dehydration and should be avoided. Caffeine or alcohol can lead to increased urine output and reduced fluid retention while carbonated beverages may reduce fluid intake due to stomach fullness.

Electrolytes

The inclusion of sodium chloride (table salt) in fluid-replacement beverages is highly recommended in physical activities exceeding 4 hours in duration or during the initial days of hot weather. Adding modest amounts of salt (0.3 to 0.7g/L) to a replacement beverage can offset sodium losses in sweat and reduce muscle cramping associated with exercise. More importantly, sodium enhances the palatability of the ingested fluid and can maximize the amount of fluid consumed because of improved taste.

Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium) are dissolved in the body as electrically charged particles called ions that modulate body fluid exchange within the various fluid compartments of the body. Perhaps the most important role of sodium and potassium is that of establishing the proper electrical gradients across cell membranes. This electrical difference inside and outside the cell is required for the transmission of nerve impulses and for the stimulation and contraction of muscle. These minerals are also important in controlling the acid-base qualities of body fluids, especially blood.

Carbohydrates

Athletes can also benefit from including carbohydrates in their rehydration program, especially in activities lasting more than one hour. Athletes should consume carbohydrates at the rate of 1L per hour of exercise to maintain optimal carbohydrate metabolism.

Cramping

While the effects of dehydration on exercise performance can be subtle, the onset of muscle cramping is very apparent. Cramps are painful, involuntary contractions of skeletal muscle during or immediately after exercise. The exact etiology of skeletal muscle cramping is still unknown. Fluid and electrolyte imbalances are one possible cause. Another possible cause involves abnormal spinal control of motor neuron activity, particularly when a muscle contracts in a shortened position. Important risk factors include muscle fatigue and poor stretching habits.

I exercise a lot and hydration is very confusing, can you help me?

2011-07-19T13:05:00.000-07:00

This is a broad subject and by no means is this answer the most comprehensive. For the sake of simplicity, lets look at hydration in context to four different situations:

Basic hydration that is life-sustaining
Pre-exercise hydration
Exercise hydration
Post-exercise hydration

Basic hydration is simple and involves maintaining your water balance throughout the day. Pure water is perfect for this and you ordinarily need a 1/2 ounce of water per pound of body weight per day. That's ten 8-ounce glasses a day if you weigh 160 pounds. For every 25 pounds more, increase it by one 8-ounce glass.

If you are an active, athletic person, you'll need approximately 2/3 ounce per pound, which is a little more than thirteen 8-ounce glasses a day if you're 160 pounds. The more you exercise and the hotter it is, the more water you'll need. Spread out your water intake throughout the day and don't drink more than 4 glasses within any given hour. You will urinate more frequently in the beginning, but after a few weeks your bladder will calm down and the frequency will drop while the volume each time will increase.

Hydration before, during, and after exercise requires special consideration. During these situations, hydration is best achieved by drinking solutions designed to hydrate or provide energy and electrolytes to the body quickly and efficiently.

Here are a few things you should keep in mind about exercise hydration. The drink should:

Taste good so you'll drink it regularly and continuously
Contain sodium and carbs to increase absorption in the small intestine
Be cold when possible, to prevent over-heating, and
It shouldn't upset the stomach.

Pre-Exercise Hydration

Dehydration (loss of 2% body weight) can compromise your exercise performance and may impair your cognitive functions as well. Therefore, if you begin exercise in a state of dehydration you will severely reduce your potential for optimal performance, and should look to address this.

The table above demonstrates how to easily assess your own hydration status from the color of your urine, ensuring you begin exercise in an optimal state every time. Start monitoring a day before your event and if you're not in the right range, make the necessary adjustments to reach an ideal hydration level by your deadline.

Exercise Hydration:

Continuous exercise under one hour does not require additional sodium or carbs, unless you are a Type II Diabetic. But if you exercise continuously for more than an hour, you may require a carb and electrolyte solution to assist in glycogen sparing, supplement glycogen stores later in exercise, and increase water absorption in the small intestine.

The concentration of carbs in your drinks should be 4 to 8 grams per 100mL (approximately 3.5 ounces) or 6-8%. This range only slightly alters osmolality, which allows for adequate absorption of water with efficient delivery of carbs and electrolytes in the small intestine while minimizing gastrointestinal disturbance and dehydration-related performance decrements.

To calculate carbohydrates per 100mL:

# of carbohydrates per serving/ (volume of each serving/100) = grams of carbohydrate per 100mL of solution.

Example:

Gatorade

14g carbs/ (240mL/100) = 5.83g of carbs per 100mL of solution.

Keep in mind that solutions containing 10% or greater concentrations of carbs generally increase the rate of carb delivery, which may be useful in providing adequate energy for those exercising longer than 1 hour. However, these high concentrations decrease water absorption in the small intestine due to substantially increased osmolality and cause gastrointestinal disturbances possibly leading to further dehydration and performance decrements.

Post-Exercise Hydration:

Your primary focus here is to restore any fluid deficit and to effectively replenish muscle and liver glycogen stores.

Accurate post-exercise hydration depends on knowing your sweat rate. Which depends greatly on the accuracy of your body weight measurements taken before and after exercise. For example, if you started with 160 lbs body weight and at the end of a long endurance workout you weighed in at 157 lbs (1.88% dehydration) you'll need approximately 60 ounces of fluid and 80 gms of carbs within 30-45 minutes after you stop to fully recover from your losses. More about this in another blog maybe!

I use DietMaster Pro (professional nutritional planning software) to create my clients Diet Plans that are 100% accurate and targeted to their goals. If you are interested in a highly effective Exercise Routine and a supporting Nutrition Plan to improve your health and body composition, contact us at Azhar Therapy & Fitness or call 405-752-7377 to set up an Exercise or Nutrition Consultation.

Is my "BMI" reliable or should I get my "Percent Body Fat" checked?

2011-07-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying that at 5'9" and 185 lbs, I am "Overweight" bordering on "Obese" according to the BMI (Body Mass Index) Index and yet I am around 13% body fat which is "athletic" or "Fit" on the American Council on Exercise Percent Bodyfat Index. Really? Why?

Well, because BMI is dependent only on weight and height, it makes simplistic assumptions about the distribution of muscle and bone mass, and overestimates fat on those with more lean body mass like myself, while underestimating fat on those with less lean body mass like the elderly. And what's crazy is that as we all lose a little height through aging without any corresponding increase in weight, our BMI increases magically! In my opinion the error in BMI is significant and pervasive enough that it is not useful as a health evaluation tool.

Your true body fat level can be determined by such techniques as skinfold measurements or underwater weighing to name a few. The term "Body Composition” is used to describe the different components that collectively make up your body weight. Lean tissues, such as muscle, bone, and organs are metabolically active, while adipose (fat) tissue is not.

Body fat percent between 6%-17% for men and 14%-24% for women is considered generally healthy and there is a dramatic correlation with illness and disease for men over 25% and women over 32%.

In light of the above, I would highly recommend having a handle on your body composition. A slight daily deficit between your caloric intake and output is the most effective way to accomplish a leaner healthier body. A quick body composition analysis can estimate the correct caloric intake based on your current lean body mass so appropriate adjustments to your exercise routine and diet can be made.

At our Clinic we use Skinfold Measurements to determine body composition and DietMaster Pro to develop precise nutrition plans, and the whole process takes less than an hour.

Life after Physical Therapy

2011-06-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

We know that physical therapy can be a long, hard road and it takes willpower to keep at it. Staying consistent with your appointments can be hard at times and you might feel like celebrating when it’s all over; but what comes after you’re done with your therapy?

Your therapist will leave you with words of advice at the time of your discharge. The most important thing you’ll be told is that if you ever have a relapse you should remember the exercises you are doing during treatment.

For example, if you have a neck condition, physical therapy can often help. If days, weeks, or even months after your successful discharge, your neck starts getting stiff and painful again, doing your exercises may stop the condition from getting any worse, and may in fact even alleviate it completely.

You may also be instructed on the proper use of heat- & ice-packs. You will be on your own, so you need to pay attention to when you should use one or the other and why. You might need to go to the doctor again if your symptoms are not manageable.

Prevention will be an important concern after you’re done with therapy. The last thing you need is to have to go through the process again. You can however, take certain steps to avoid injuries that would require you to go back.

Cardiovascular exercise is very important. It strengthens the postural muscles, increases oxygen supply, and even helps you lose weight if that's an issue. Cardiovascular exercises include walking, running, swimming, or bicycling. In fact, any exercise that gets you breathing heavily and your heart rate up is great.

In injuries like low back pain, weight loss can play a major role. Losing weight reduces stress on your joints and muscles. Therefore, diet can play a significant role in prevention after therapy. It does not have to be an elaborate diet; just a simple diet that limits calories and certain foods, especially sugary or refined carbohydrates and fats.

Other preventative features of life after therapy involve time at the workplace. You need to pay close attention to movements at work. If it seems very hard or impossible, bring it to the attention of your supervisor or if you are responsible for yourself, avoid the activity.

You also need to be aware of your limitations. No more trying to lift a two-hundred pound object all by yourself. After therapy you know what can happen when you do not take care of your body. It only makes sense to stay away from anything that can cause a relapse.

Life after therapy may be a little more cautious affair than before but you at least have more knowledge of your condition and are equipped with tools to deal with the situation. Think before you act and avoid the activities that could put you at risk. And if an acute episode does occur, go back to your doctor and follow his advice. He may prescribe physical therapy again. We can be reached at 405-752-7377 if you need us or have any questions.

Importance of a Warm-up

2011-06-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered about the real physiological benefits of a warm-up and what exactly happens when you go through it?

Well, as you start to exercise your body needs to make a number of quick adjustments. The three most profound changes that occur during a warm-up include an increase in heart rate, neural activity, and temperature.

These “big 3” cause many more subtle changes that contribute to improved performance and a reduced potential for injury including the following:

Priming effect of your nerve-to-muscle pathways to prepare for higher output;
Enhanced oxygen and nutrient delivery to muscles, due to increased blood flow;
Increased metabolism and muscle temperatures, due to dilation of local vascular beds;
Increased nerve impulse transmission at higher temperatures; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent all out activity;
Increased energy-releasing reactions used during exercise making muscles more mobile;
Greater economy of movement, because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles;
Greater elasticity within muscles and connective tissue, due to increased temperature;
Reduction of unnecessary stress and fatigue on your muscles, heart and lungs, which can occur if you exercise strenuously without a warm-up;
Increased oxygen utilization by warmed muscles, because hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures
Mental preparation for the upcoming exercise, from neural rehearsal.

These adjustments require a little time to reach the needed levels. So a warm-up should be gradual by starting your activity at an easy level and increasing the intensity slowly. If you were to start exercising at a strenuous level without a gradual warm-up, your body would be ill-prepared for the higher demands, which could result in injury

How much warm-up?

There is no hard evidence as to how much warm-up is needed before a workout. Most recommendations are in the 10- to 20-minute range, though some people have found they need more warm-up time.

Athletes with high levels of fitness typically need longer warm-up periods before doing high-intensity workouts while people with lower levels of fitness can benefit from a shorter warm-up time. However, keep in mind those individuals with low fitness levels also tend to “perform” at lower levels during workouts and races etc.

It’s also interesting to note that people with dormant fitness need to be particularly cautious with sudden workout intensities in order to minimize injury risk. This means if you were once at a high level of fitness, but you're now unfit, be patient and pay close attention to your warm-ups while building your fitness back to your previous level.

General warm-up:

Example: 10-20 minutes on the bike, elliptical trainer, treadmill, or other cardiovascular machine

Purpose: A general warm-up increases core body temperature making the muscles and connective tissues more elastic. It stimulates the nervous system increasing muscle synergy, and improves circulation to your coronary arteries preparing the heart to supply a higher volume of blood to the rest of the body when your exercise demands increase.

Movement specific warm-up:

Example: 1 or 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps, light load, 30sec – 3min rest before workout set of each new muscle group.

Purpose: Muscle and joint specific warm up with the exact exercises reduces muscle and joint susceptibility to injury, target muscles can contract with greater intensity, and motor skill and breathing are rehearsed. Specific warm-ups are more effective for weight training than general warm-ups.