Five Fitness Myths that Make People Fail

At this time of year when New Year Resolutions are fresh in our minds, I’d like to offer some suggestions on how to get into shape and stay there once and for all.

Many of today's fitness programs are all about the quick sell and even quicker results. Many are based on dangerous fitness myths.

Here are 5 fitness myths to steer away from:

Myth #1: Pain Equals Gain

It is a popular misconception that only when you feel the pain are you gaining anything from your workout.

"The "no pain, no gain" mentality contributes to more injuries and more burnout than any other fitness factor, especially among my age group (baby boomers). It is wiser to exercise sustainably over a longer term, than to push yourself to the breaking point.

Myth #2: A Taskmaster Equals the Best Teacher

Reality Exercise Shows that have recently become popular portray drill-sergeant-style trainers as being the most effective fitness mentors.

While leveraging fear and using intimidation techniques may mean instant short-term fitness results, they’re sending the wrong message about how to get and stay fit for a lifetime. Attainable short-term goals and positive reinforcement are more likely to create good fitness habits that are sustainable for life

Myth #3: Pumping up the Volume Equals Pumping up Your Physique

It seems some fitness instructors think screaming louder and blasting the bass is motivational. It's time to think again.

While high-decibel workouts might be temporarily motivational, over time these techniques become draining and stressful leading to faster fitness burnout. Look instead for uplifting music and gentle coaching in your workouts.

Myth #4: Fitness Equals a Fight Against Your Body

Sales pitches that encourage "shaving off the pounds" and busting your abs or your butt have solidified the image of fitness as a battle against your body.

Fighting is not a sustainable activity or philosophy. Instead, think of partnering with your body. Meet it where it is at right now and provide the environment and tools to reveal your body's best potential. When you take this approach you are setting yourself up for success every step of the way.

Myth #5: Force Equals Fit

Today's popular exercise routines promote pounding your body into shape. But ancient fitness modalities, such as Yoga and Tai Chi had it right.

Fitness is not about pumping the most iron or performing the most reps, it is about teaching your body how to move efficiently, using all of your muscles groups, and sustaining these movements over time. Exercise including strength training should be approached as a gradual lifetime process. This way, exercise becomes a pleasure not a chore.

Top 10 Tips For Sticking With Your Fitness Resolution This Year

Well it’s coming to that time again, and we’re all wondering if we can really stick with those New Year’s resolutions. If getting in shape, and staying there is one of yours, it’s probably not the first time you’ve tried it. I’ve spent a lot of my 30-year career studying why fitness programs succeed or fail and developing methods to help people succeed. So, Happy New Year, here are my Top 10 Tips to help you ward off decrepitude.

• Start slowly and go at your own pace. Staying in your comfort zone separates the pain from the gain. You’ll get the most benefit with the lowest risk of injury, especially if you’ve been inactive for some time.


• Find the right kind of exercise for you. Choose activities you like or at least don’t hate. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It can be as simple as taking a brisk walk.


• Pick a time of the day that is most convenient for you to exercise. Try to stick with that schedule. Studies show that people who exercise at the same time every day are more likely to stick with it.


• Before getting out of bed each day, take a moment to visualize yourself fit. Thinking of yourself as a fit person will help make it happen. Professional athletes do this daily.


• Keep an exercise log. You’ll get a feeling of accomplishment when you stick to your program and will be able to chart your progress.


• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes with good support. Cotton is a breathable classic. But check out the super lightweight fabrics like cool-max that wick the sweat from your skin. When buying shoes, don’t feel weird about actually exercising in them in the store before plunking down the big bucks. I can’t tell you how many pairs of sneakers I have thrown against the wall before I learned this.


• Exercise with a friend or family member. Supporting each other's efforts helps keep you on track. One of my students loves to go mall walking with her friend in the early morning at speed and then coming back later for some retail therapy.


• Music is a powerful motivator. Pick music you love that makes you want to move. There are fitness music companies that sell CDs with popular tunes played at specific beats per minute. They’ll tell you what speed works for particular types of exercise. You can listen, pick and buy online.
  
• Consider professional guidance, especially if you've been inactive. If you don't want to join a gym or can't afford a trainer, consider a beginner-level exercise video by a certified teacher so you'll see the exercises demonstrated properly.


• Set short-term, easily attainable goals, such as doing some form of exercise two or three days a week to start. Change your goal when it becomes too easy.

It’s rare when anyone succeeds at anything right out of the gate. That’s why "If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again" is a classic proverb. So if you fall off the wagon one day, just climb back on board the next. And remember you’re not a failure, you’re a success story in progress.

Send your Moving Free® with Mirabai questions to: exercise@movingfree.com

Holiday Moderation

Every year at this time people watching their weight and trying to stay fit start to panic. I’ve begun to get those emails saying "I feel like I might really have trouble on Thanksgiving and I don’t want the holidays to be a total disaster." Most people ask me "what do you do to stay on track”?

Unfortunately there’s no one-size-fits-all, silver bullet solution.

But for me, the trick is moderating my moderation. I’m already eating healthy moderate meals and exercising regularly.

So the key for me is not to try to treat a holiday, like any other day.

All my favorite stuff will be there and everyone will be encouraging me to eat it. I’ll have to try my sister-in-law’s new pie recipe, and I’ll be asked to taste that great stuffing. The thought of it makes me not want to eat for a week beforehand, or at least all day that day. Bad idea.

Rather than skip meals I eat a low calorie, high-energy-delivery breakfast, and a next-to-no-calorie, but filling, lunch like a veggie salad. So when dinnertime comes, I’m not starving and I can remember that I can taste everything and get plenty full just tasting. Every time I’ve come to a holiday dinner too hungry I forget how pleasantly full I get, just tasting and I end up uncomfortably full, and angry with myself.

I’ll probably eat more calories than normal that day, but it’ll only be a million not a gazillion.

Test my food moderation technique on a day when you know you’re going out to dinner and see if it works for you. If you like it, give it a shot on a holiday.

Of course there’s more to fitness and weight management than just food.

I’ll be traveling for the holidays and we all know how convenient it is to exercise when we’re traveling.

Well, this year I’m going to have a better plan. I booked a flight that leaves an hour later, so I can exercise at home in the morning. And I’m going to try to stick to my normal exercise schedule when I get there. That’ll be tough enough with all the distractions. I know I won’t have time for extra exercise. But even if my schedule gets really full, I’m determined to do at least a half hour of moderate exercise a day. And this year I’m bringing an exercise band and a video along with my sneakers and sweats. It snowed last year and my sneakers and sweats sat idle.

So that’s what I’m doing. It’s not rocket science but it is science. And if I can stick to it it’ll work for me.

If you formulate a similar moderation plan of your own, I’ll bet you’ll have more fun, get to taste everything and maybe not gain a pound. Happy Holidays!

Send your Moving Free® with Mirabai questions to: exercise@movingfree.com

Exercises To Improve Your Golf Game

"An Ounce of Prehab is Worth a Pound of Rehab"

Exercises To Improve Your Golf Game

Q: My husband and I both love golf and we are finally finding the time to play together. Last month we played about three times a week. Now, I am complaining to him about my shoulder hurting and he is complaining about his back. Are there any exercises we can do to get rid of these aches and pains?

A: There are over 20 million golfers in the United States alone. And those who play frequently, including the pros, are often plagued by over-use injuries.

It’s the repetitive motion of the golf swing that’s the culprit. And if your form is less than perfect you can hurt yourself on a single swing.

It uses the same muscles every time: mainly shoulder (rotator cuff) core (side of the waist, abdominals), and arms (elbow, forearm and wrist)

Also, like any other physical activity, it’s good to warm-up your body at least 5-10 minutes before starting to play. A brisk walk, a few arm circles and practice swings with a towel will help to elevate your body temperature, lubricate joints and increase blood flow to your working muscles.

As for the current aches and pains, you probably have to rest those muscles until they heal.

The good news is, there are Prehab exercises to help you play injury-free in the future and they will also help improve your game.

"An ounce of Prehab is worth a pound of Rehab."

Here are some essential exercises.

Towel warm-up

Roll up a towel lengthwise and take a few practice swings to warm-up the muscles you’ll use when you add the weight of the club.

Side Bend
If you have hand weights, great. Otherwise, grab some cans from your pantry.

Stand feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, arms at your sides. Without bending forward or back, bend directly to one side, while sliding the weight in your opposite hand up the side of your body to your armpit. Do the same on the other side. 8-12 reps on each side, alternating side to side. Areas Worked: Side of the Waist

Core Strength & Stretch

Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position.

Gently stretch your right arm out in front of you till it’s level with your torso. At the same time raise your left leg and straighten it behind you. Hold for 10-20 counts and slowly return to starting position. Switch sides and repeat. Areas Worked: Abdominals, shoulder, hip and back of leg

Oblique Twist

Lie down, knees bent, feet hip width apart. Place your hands behind your head.

Lift and turn your torso to point your right elbow towards your left knee (keep your elbow back in line with your shoulder) and return to start. Do 8 reps. Switch sides and repeat. Areas Worked: Abdominals, particularly the side abs.

Rotator Cuff

Holding cans or hand weights bend arms at the elbows to 90 degrees in front of you. Keep your elbows bent and bring your arms out to your sides.

Repeat 8-12 reps.

Areas Worked: Shoulders

Wrist Curls
Hold hand weights at your sides, elbows at 90-degree angles, palms down. Keep arms stationary, and using only your wrists, slowly curl the weights towards you until your knuckles are facing the ceiling. Repeat 8-15 reps

Flip weights palms up. Do 8-15 reps in this position.

Areas Worked: Forearms and wrists.

Diamond Stretch

Raise arms over-head, linking hands together. Slightly bend elbows and gently move them back.

Hold for 10-20 counts.

Areas worked: Shoulders, chest and upper back.

Send your Moving Free® with Mirabai questions to: exercise@movingfree.com

Best Exercises For Cancer Survivors

Q: I am recovering from breast cancer. I finished my chemotherapy a few weeks ago and though I still feel weak, I was wondering if I should start exercising again?

A: If your doctor says you’re up to it, you can get started. Easy aerobic exercise for cancer patients, has been shown to increase hemoglobin levels, reduce inflammation, lessen fatigue, keep muscles in shape for better every day activities, increase self confidence, reduce depression and aid in recovery of surgery.
Other research has shown strength and flexibility exercises have helped patients return to a normal activity level sooner.
Exercise and social support seem to increase the life expectancy of breast cancer survivors, preventing recurrence.
At the beginning, gentle move a few minutes at a time, and build up at your own pace. Try walking, light aerobics or swimming. As you get stronger, add a couple of days a week of light resistance training. On days you feel more tired, try doing a few stretches.

Personal Note: In 2005, my mother Bernadine, after a long arduous battle died of Ovarian Cancer. Since then, it has been my privilege and joy to use my skill as a Health and Fitness Specialist to help many women manage their cancer with the healing properties of movement and exercise. It is from my own experience, that exercising on a regular basis, eating healthy food and reducing your stress can help prevent and/or manage cancer and many other life threatening diseases.

Send your Moving Free® with Mirabai questions to: exercise@movingfree.com

Ward Off Depression With Exercise

Q: I was watching Bill Maher on TV and he said that a recent study showed exercise was just as effective for depression as medication. Was he just kidding? Or is this real?

A: It’s real all right. The study, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, comes from Duke University. Professor of medical psychology, Dr. James Blumenthal led the research. 153 women and 49 men, suffering from depression were divided into four groups. The first did aerobic exercise in a group setting. The second got an actual antidepressant drug. The third group did aerobics at home. And the fourth group got a placebo that looked just like a Zoloft pill. After 16 weeks everybody did better than the placebo group but here’s the kicker. While 47% of the real Zoloft group no longer had depression, 45 % of the group exercisers were also no longer depressed. Almost dead even!

It was found that aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, swimming, biking and aerobic dance, works best. It seems to affect the body’s levels of mood lifting neurochemicals like norepinephrine and serotonin.

So if you’d rather exercise your depression away, it’s worth a try. You may get fit in more ways than one.

Q: The holidays are coming up and I’m getting stressed just thinking about it. The mixed emotions, the shopping, the frenzied schedules; I get so anxious I feel like I’m going to pop. Is there anything I can do to calm myself down when I get that way?

A: Sure! Here’s an easy short meditation that should bring you right back down to sea level.

Close your eyes, and focus on your breath. Watch the ebb and flow of your own breathing pattern. As thoughts come in, let them come in, but don’t hold on to them, let them flow out.

Now take a breath and hold, 1, 2, 3, and then exhale.

Continue to focus on your breathing, in (1, 2, 3 to yourself) and out, (1, 2, 3 to yourself) in (1, 2, 3 to yourself) and out. (1, 2, 3 to yourself)

(Pause for 10 seconds) Keep breathing normally. Try to keep your mind a blank. Slowly open your eyes.

Now that you are relaxed and focused, you might even enjoy the holidays; they come but once a year.

Send your Moving Free® with Mirabai questions to: exercise@movingfree.com

Moving Free With Mirabai

If I Have Low bone Mass Does That Mean Osteoporosis?
By Mirabai Holland © 2009 www.movingfree.com

Nearly 30 years ago when I was in school, I wrote an exercise physiology paper on exercise and osteoporosis.
At that time there wasn’t much research available. But even then, the studies I found on tennis players, astronauts, and bed rest pointed in the direction that weight-bearing exercise could help maintain the bone density you have and even promote bone growth. I was intrigued. I’ve followed the research over the years and even created an osteoporosis exercise program.

In working with my clients, I often hear the question “what’s the difference between osteoporosis and low bone mass? (osteopenia) And what can I do about it?
Well to answer these questions, I have to start at the beginning.
Osteoporosis is a disease, which, over time, causes bones to become thinner, more porous and less able to support the body. Bones can become so thin that they break during normal, every day activity. Osteoporosis is a major health threat. 44 Million are at risk, nearly 80% are women.
.Postmenopausal women are particularly at risk because they stop producing estrogen, a major protector of bone mass.
As we age some bone loss is inevitable. Women age 65 or men age 70 should get a bone mineral density test. If you have a family history of osteoporosis or other risk factors you may need a BMD much earlier.
The test is completely painless, non-invasive and takes only a few minutes.
It compares your bone mineral density to that of an average healthy young person. Your results are called your T score. The difference between your score and the average young person’s T-score is called a standard deviation. (SD)
Here is how to interpret your T score:
Between +1 and –1: normal bone density.
Between -1 and -2.5: low bone density (osteopenia).
T-score of -2.5 or lower: osteoporosis.
Until recently it was thought that if you had low bone mass (osteopenia) you were well on your way to getting osteoporosis. But it’s now known even at this stage bone loss can be slowed down, stopped and even reversed. You and your doctor will have a number of options depending upon your particular condition.
Many MDs like to start with a calcium and vitamin D rich diet coupled with weight bearing exercise. For many of us, that’s all we need. Others will require medication and there are many bone-building medications available.
Remember it’s never too early to start taking care of your bones. The more bone density you have as a young person the less likely to end up with osteoporosis later in life.