Life and Fitness Coach

'Work it!' with good guy Billy Blanks

2009-09-19T04:19:04-07:00

Billy Blanks is no longer working out the troops in our old stomping grounds of Sherman Oaks, Calif., unfortunately. He moved on a few years ago.

The workout guru and inventor of the Tae Bo fitness regimen stays plenty busy, promoting his many videos and associated fitness products.

Blanks' classes attract mostly women, which is a shame since they provide fun but tough workouts that'll put anyone to the test. You have to take a class in order to take his classes!

Anyone who's been to a workout session of Billy's will never forget it. He combines boxing, aerobics, martial arts and good-old crunches, sit-ups and push-ups into a sweat-inducing, heart-pounding experience.

Here is a good and relatively easy video from Blanks' collection (2004):

Check out Billy Blanks' videos at Amazon.

Gym rage: 12 ways to keep workouts cool

2009-06-14T17:23:28-07:00

Everyone knows about road rage, but what about gym rage?

If you've been a health club member for very long, you've probably seen some kind of heated dispute between members. By and large, people are respectful and courteous in gyms, but a few are not -- and we're all guilty of etiquette breaches on occasion.

Here are some ways to help keep things cool in the gym.

Forget lone justice: Every gym has someone in charge. That person is not you. Let the trainers handle problems.

Never argue over a machine: People get territorial over weight machines. Some gym regulars are in the habit of wandering off to socialize while in between sets. Meanwhile, someone else steps up to the machine. The first guy feels like he clearly has rights to the machine, since he was there first; the second person knows he walked up to an unused machine. Sometimes a hand towel is left on the machine as a dubious marker ... and so begins the argument.

Look at it this way: Even if you're in the right, how important is it to use that machine at that moment. Will not using it ruin your day? Screw up your workout? It's much like they say in traffic school -- yes, you have the right of way, but don't insist on it. Try this approach: "Do you mind if I work in?" You'll be offering to share the machine, you've made your point, and it shows the other guy you know something about gym etiquette.

Know the gym culture: Some gyms are filled with eye candy and throbbing music. Others, such as Gold's, are home to people who are dead serious about training. Pick a gym that fits your style.

Noise pollution: We've all heard about the Manhattan gym member who yelled and groaned his way through spinning classes until another stationary-bike rider snapped and put him in the hospital. The tabloids called it "spin rage." The attacker became a local hero and a jury promptly acquitted him of assault. Chronic workout noisemakers, you are not appreciated.

Gym rats vs. newbies: Gym members typically come in two varieties -- the veterans and the newbies. Respect is due both.

Those muscular and lean individuals know what's what in a gym. They provide senior leadership. Their time is valuable, since so much of it has to be invested on a regular basis.

Newbies, on the other hand, have made a brave decision to do something about their weight and fitness issues. It takes a lot more spirit for a chubby gal to get off the couch and head into the gym than it does for someone who's fit. That's worthy of respect. Chances are the newbie will stop coming to the gym soon enough, anyway.

New members pay their money and have every right to the weights, machines and facilities. One trap they can fall into, however, is being overly sensitive to perceived slights from the veterans. Weight lifters aren't known for kicking sand on the skinny guys, really. They have their own agenda. If you're irritating a veteran, find out why before taking an attitude ... or fleeing the scene.

Don't be gross: It's amazing how even experienced gym users leave weight machines and treadmills spotted with their sweat -- or even drenched. That's why many gyms require users to carry hand towels. Wipe up after yourself. Treadmills have pockets, but they're not there for your trash. Don't leave gum in the water fountain or spit in it. Tidy up newspapers -- other members may appreciate your leaving them behind, but not when they're splayed about. There are so many ways to be gross in a gym.

Don't be a know-it-all: Most people like getting tips from more-experienced members in a gym. Some do not. If you feel compelled to correct someone, first ask if they'd like some advice.

Here are a few more tips:

Rack your weights.
Respect posted time limits on machines when others are waiting.
When new in a fitness class, stand in back.
Ditch the cell phone.
Don't stow your stuff on unused machines.

Bigger, better memory through fitness

2009-05-06T19:58:01-07:00

Time to pump up your hippocampus.

Scientists have long known that exercise fights depression and keeps participants mentally alert. Now comes news that working out can halt age-related shrinking in the part of the brain called the hippocampus and even increase its size.

This pays off in better spatial memory, learning abilities and memory.

For those of you who stayed awake in biology: The hippocampus is located inside the medial temporal lobe, beneath the cortical surface. It has left and right mirror structures in the brain, filled with dense layers of neurons. These hippocampi play an important role in spatial memory, which helps humans negotiate their physical environment. They are shaped like seahorses, hence the name.

When the horrible Alzheimer's disease strikes, the damage first appears here, doctors say.

Researchers from the universities of Pittsburgh and Illinois report that about 40 percent of the added brain power fit people have over the unfit comes from this region of the brain. They found a straight path from physical fitness to growth in the hippocampus to improvements in spatial memory.

"The higher-fit people have a bigger hippocampus, and the people that have more tissue in the hippocampus have a better spatial memory," says Illinois psychology researcher Art Kramer.

His partner in the study, Kirk Erickson of Pitt, adds: "This is really a clinically significant finding because it supports the notion that your lifestyle choices and behaviors may influence brain shrinkage in old age.

"Basically, if you stay fit, you retain key regions of your brain involved in learning and memory."

Kramer says even without the team's findings, there are excellent memory-related reasons for staying in shape as you age:

"Even ignoring the hippocampus data, we see there is this significant and substantial relationship between how fit you are and how good your memory is."

The study was of 165 seniors, ages 59 to 81.

Vitamin D: Get it while it's hot

2009-03-20T02:21:43-07:00

Vitamin D has inspired a lot of hopes in recent years. While some researchers try to shoot down the value of vitamin supplements as a whole, D remains the subject of numerous studies seeking to prove its disease-fighting powers.

The "sunshine vitamin" is most often connected with building and maintaining bone health, as it aids the absorption of calcium. It's key in battling osteoporosis. But claims are being made for vitamin D benefits in fighting certain cancers, fatigue and fibromyalgia, autoimmune diseases and diabetes. The list goes on.

Certainly no one disputes that lack of vitamin D creates problems for all human beings. Fortunately for us, the sun has an inexhaustible supply. During the winter, supplementation is almost always necessary for good health. Now that it's almost spring, it's time to stock up on the free stuff.

Some experts say direct exposure to the sun for as little as five minutes a day, three times a week will deliver a sufficient dose of D. Others call for more exposure. Quality time with the sun is especially important for late-shift workers and other night owls. (Computer geeks, listen up.) The best time to grab those rays is midday.

Skin pigmentation plays a big role in the time needed for proper absorption of the sun's natural vitamin D. Hispanics, for example, need perhaps double the time, while black-skinned people need even more. The amount of exposed skin also comes into play. As well as your distance from the Equator.

Remember that the essential UV-B radiation doesn't penetrate auto glass or strong sun screens. We're talking direct exposure, nothing between you and the sun. You can't overdose on vitamin D gained from sun exposure, but of course you can burn.

The supplement that's considered most effective is actually vitamin D3. Most multis use vitamin D2, which reportedly isn't much help.

How much vitamin D to take: The government recommends taking in 200 IUs of vitamin D for people up to age 50. For those between 50 and 70, it's 400 IUs. Over 70, consider 600 IUs. Doses of up to 1,000 IUs are considered safe and some researchers call for 2,000 or more a day. Check with your doctor for anything over 1,000 IUs.

Invest in some high-quality vitamin D3.

Read Jonathan's "A-list" series on the best vitamin supplements.

Top 5 weight loss tips for the new year

2009-01-03T18:48:48-08:00

Diet and weight loss are on top of many people's to-do list this time of year. There's never a bad time to think healthful thoughts, of course, but for many overweight people this is the time for action.

Here are some weight loss tips and advice from the past year's postings on Life and Fitness Coach -- guaranteed good to go for 2009!

Turn up the volume: Studies show that people who eat high-volume foods lose more weight than those who do not. Fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, and contain few calories per unit volume. Plus, you can eat all the natural fruits and vegetables you want. No one ever got fat doing that!

Don't drown dinner: Drink water between meals, not with food. Drinking liquids with foods waters down digestive juices and lowers your metabolism. Many foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, contain a surprisingly high amount of water.

Write on: One of the most powerful tools for weight loss is keeping a food log. Writing a regular diary makes people accountable to themselves. The log doesn't have to be a formal thing. Just scribbling it down on a daily basis works jut fine. Emailing yourself information on eating and workouts works great too.

Shake up some meals: When combined with a healthful diet and exercise, meal replacement drinks can help you lose pounds while providing nourishment. Several studies found that participants were able to successfully lose weight while consuming meal replacements as part of a nutritionally balanced diet. I make sure mine have healthful doses of protein powder, carbs and essential fatty acids.

Boning up: Cutting calories alone can cause bone loss, studies show. A study shows that people who exercise and lose weight retain their bone mass, while dieters who fail to work out typically lose bone. Body weight itself helps maintain bone, and weight loss reduces the load. Weight training, however, can counter the diet-induced bone loss.

Jack LaLanne video: C'mon, get happy!

2008-11-26T19:20:28-08:00

The holidays bring cheer and fellowship, but as we know many people get the blues this time of year.

Some think back on better times; others simply feel left on the sidelines.

If you're feeling a bit depressed, give some thought to your state of holistic fitness. Exercise and healthful nutrition help keep our spirits on the upside, as our video buddy Jack LaLanne points out in this vintage pep talk.

Jack asks: "What's the good of living ... of making lots of money ... of having fine clothes and driving a fancy automobile if you're miserable all the time?

"If you don't get enough exercise, it affects your mind -- you're just kind of down in the dumps."

Enjoy!

How exercise beats the blues

2008-10-30T02:09:50-07:00

Exercise may be just as effective at treating depression as antidepressant medicines, according to a report from the Mental Health Foundation.

The report also claims that being physically active may help prevent you from developing depression in the first place. Depression is a long-lasting low mood that interferes with your day-to-day life. People with depression may experience some or all of the following problems:

Decreased energy
Tiredness
Poor concentration
Difficulty sleeping (problems getting to sleep, waking up unrefreshed from a long sleep, or waking up very early)
Loss of sex drive
Disturbed eating patterns -- either loss of appetite or overeating (comfort eating)

Exercise appears to help people feel better by:

Improving their moods
Reducing their anxiety
Improving concentration
Enhancing their view of themselves
Reducing stress
Improving sleep

No one knows exactly why exercise helps to relieve depression but it is likely due to a number of different reasons:

Physical activity increases the amount of hormones (endorphins) in our bodies. These help you feel happy.
Regular exercise can improve the way you look and boost your self-esteem.
Exercise gives you something positive to focus on, providing new goals and a sense of purpose.
Involvement in a social sport helps you to be more active and meet new people.

Q: How much exercise can help treat depression?

A: Physical activity lasting between 20 and 60 minutes can help improve your psychological well-being. But even shorter bouts of moderate intensity walking (10 to 15 minutes) can significantly improve your mood. People with depression should follow a structured and supervised exercise program of up to three sessions per week (lasting 45 minutes to one hour), for between 10 and 12 weeks.

Q: Which types of exercise are best for treating depression?

A: Aerobic activities such as brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming and dancing tend to be the most effective for treating depression. Resistance exercises, such as weightlifting, may be useful for helping you to build up a better self-image.

And team sports can help you to start up new friendships. If you haven't been physically active for a while, then you may need professional supervision.

I know from personal experience that if I'm feeling a little blue or stressed a good hard workout really, really helps.

One of my clients was taking Prozac daily. She'd been taking this medication for years before I met her. As the months passed working out with me -- doing cardio exercise correctly with a heart rate monitor, a vigorous weight-training routine and a good healthful diet -- and with her doctor's blessing and supervision -- we weaned her off the Prozac. Now she's a happy energized person who lives a full life.

Eat high-volume foods, lower fat

2008-10-07T04:06:57-07:00

High-volume foods such as fruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, and contain few calories per unit volume. Calorie-dense foods, such as cheese, French fries and burgers contain a lot of calories in a small volume.

Dr. Barbara Rolls has studied the effects of meal volume on food intake and obesity for more than 20 years. She secretly films people eating in her volumetrics laboratory and studies the effects of dietary composition on appetite and weight loss.

Rolls' studies have shown that people who ate more high-volume foods lost more weight. What's even better is the study shows you can eat all the natural fruits and vegetables you want.

Eating high-volume foods also cuts down on caloric consumption when you're preparing to eat calorie-dense meals. For example, eating a salad before a meal will decrease your caloric intake of a subsequent meal by almost 20 percent.

So here we go again -- are we getting the message? -- eat more fresh fruit and veggies!

Check out Rolls' book: "The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories"