Warm Weather Weight Loss

Whenever the weather gets warmer, the idea of putting on summer clothes generates a ton of panicky emails asking about quick weight loss. Here are a couple of familiar ones.

Q: I need to lose 20 pounds. I am doing aerobics three times a week and watching my calories but I am losing so slowly, I was wondering if there is any other type of exercise that could help me lose weight faster? I am really getting frustrated and I am almost ready to just give up.

Frustrated

A. Try adding 2-3 days of weight training to the mix.

Studies show the winning formula is a combination of aerobic and weight training exercise. Moderate aerobic exercise burns calories while you are doing it and for a short time afterwards. Weight training burns calories too but it also increases your lean muscle mass. So as you add more muscle, you’ll burn more calories all day long. Research from Tufts University found that after 12 weeks of weight training, total calorie burning increased by about 15 percent which for an average adult, could amount to an extra 240 to 400 calories a day.

Q: I’m carrying about 10 extra pounds around my middle. I’ve got 12 weeks to get into my dress for my daughter’s wedding. I would hate to have to go out and buy a bigger size. Is there anything I can do to get rid of this belly by then?

A: As we get older, particularly after menopause, women tend to carry extra weight around the middle. This change in body shape puts you at higher risk for heart disease and cancer. So, it’s even more crucial to do something about it.

Fortunately, it’s not as difficult as you think.

If you lose a pound a week, you’ll still have 2 weeks to spare, just in case you get a little hungry.

So, here’s a formula for losing the weight and toning up at the same time.

One pound = 3500 calories. So to lose one pound a week eliminate 500 calories each day (500 X 7 days = 3500 calories)

Eat 300 calories less, and do one half hour to one hour of aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, to burn the other 200. You might want to write down everything you eat for the next 3 days or so to help you figure out what you can do without. Or, simply cut your portions in half.

As for aerobic exercise, you don’t have to do the whole workout at once. Three 10-minute walks are just as effective as one half hour walk. You should also do some abdominal exercises about 20 a day to help tone up that belly as you lose weight. And, exercise actually picks up your metabolic rate so you burn more calories even after you’ve finished exercising.

Now, just try not to trip on your way up the aisle!

Mirabai can be reached at askmirabai@movingfree.com

Need a Good Night’s Sleep? Try Easy Aerobics

Health experts recommend eight hours of sleep a night for most adults. Yet so many of us get fewer than six-and-a-half hours during the work week.

We all love a good night’s sleep. But did you know that not getting one not only makes you dull and stressed, it can also make you pack on the pounds.

Too little physical activity is clearly part of why we’re overweight.

But a lack of sleep may make weight loss and weight control more difficult by altering your metabolism. It may also be changing your eating and exercise patterns.

In a Japanese study, children sleeping less than eight hours a night were almost three times as likely to be overweight.

Lack of sleep may change hormone levels and thus influence weight gain. Higher levels of the hormone insulin have been linked to a shortage of sleep.

Because insulin promotes fat storage and controls blood sugar, extra insulin could make weight loss more difficult.

Studies also show that a lack of sleep leads to lower levels of the hormone leptin, which can cause an increased appetite. Sound familiar?

A third hormone affected by too little sleep is cortisol, linked by research to stress. When people feel threatened or stressed, their cortisol levels rise in a “fight or flight” reaction. In one study, people whose cortisol levels rose highest in response to stress had more waistline fat – and fat at the waist is related to the greatest number of risks for heart disease and other ailments.

If you were wondering where this is all going here it is. Results from a Stanford University study show

exercise, particularly aerobic exercise in the late afternoon or right after work can turn this all around.

The physical stress of aerobic exercise produces fatigue and a rise in body temperature. A few hours later, your body temperature drops. That coupled with the fatigue from your exercise triggers your brain to induce a deeper, longer sleep.

What time of day you do is as important as doing it. If you exercise too close to bedtime you may be up for hours climbing the walls. Getting a half hour brisk walk is all it takes.

If you belong to a Gym, get there and mix it up on the cardio machines.

Or get yourself a good cardio dance video by a certified instructor.

In any case quality zzzzzs equals quality of life and may even increase longevity.

Here is a good resource book called

Sleep to Save Your Life: The Complete Guide to Living Longer and Healthier Through Restorative Sleep by Gerard T. Lombardo MD, available at www.amazon.com

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

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 its 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

Water Safe in Summer

I was shooting an exercise video on the beach this week in 90-degree heat. I got on a roll and forgot about the time. Less than an hour in I started to swoon. Not a good shot on a fitness video. I realized immediately what had happened; I’d gotten so involved I forgot to drink water between takes. Dehydration causes so many summer exercise accidents because it creeps up on you just like it did me. So here’s my take on keeping yourself water safe in summer.

Our bodies are about 60 % water, and that water plays a role in just about every bodily function. We could go a month without food but we can only live a few days without water.

If you exercise outdoors, you may notice that as the weather gets hotter you have trouble keeping up your usual pace. Actually your body is telling you to slow down and you need to listen! Water helps to deliver oxygen to your muscles and prevents your cardiovascular system from becoming over-taxed.

It takes about 2 weeks to get used to exercising briskly in warmer weather. You need to acclimate slowly to higher temperatures. Here are a few pointers to help you do that.

When you exercise in the heat you can lose up to five cups of water per hour. So it's important to drink water before, during, and after vigorous exercise. The rule of thumb is to drink 2 cups of water a couple of hours before you start exercising so you are fully hydrated. Then a cup of water every 15 minutes or so while you are exercising. Don’t wait till you’re thirsty. If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Remember to bring that water bottle with you!

But you’re not done yet. You need to drink another 2 cups over a two-hour period after exercise.

Sounds like a lot of water. It’s not. It’s just making up for the water you lose when you exercise in the heat.

Give yourself a break. Try exercising if you can when it's cooler, early mornings or late afternoons when the sun is less direct. Try finding shady areas.

Instead of keeping up your brisk pace for the whole workout, break it up. Go at normal pace for a bit, do a short light interval and then pick up your speed again.

Wear light colored, comfortable fitting clothes. Avoid tightly woven fabrics that don't breathe. And don't forget the sports sunscreen.

Send your questions to askmirabai@movingfree.com

The Pleasure Principle

Summer is upon us and we’re scrambling to get into shape. So I thought I would talk about one of the most important aspects of any fitness program, pleasure.
If you like it, you’ll do it. If you don’t, you won’t.
The popular trend right now in the fitness industry is boot camp style workouts that basically whip you into shape.
This type of exercise may be some people’s idea of fun, but for many of us who have had trouble getting or staying on an exercise program it’s just not sustainable.
Exercise should be a pleasure not a chore.
That thought played over and over in my head as I watched two distinct sets of bicyclists on their daily rides.
Near where I live there is a road that has two bike paths on it. There is one for serious touring bikers and one for slower traffic.

The serious group is just that, SERIOUS! - Featherweight bikes with drop handle bars, tiny seats and pedals that require clip-on shoes. They wear flaming color form fitting hi-tech clothes that slip the air, wick the sweat and have hidden pockets for keys and snacks.
They stream along at high speed, and with their bodies bent over for aerodynamic position, helmeted heads lurched forward, they look like a flock of supersonic tropical birds. There is a grimace on every face, but this is the type of exercise they enjoy.
They’re working hard and wouldn’t have it any other way. Young or old, these athletes are in top condition.

However, just a few feet away, an endless parade of more leisurely exercisers ambles along, peddling merrily, sitting up right, zinging their bells, smiling and chatting. They wouldn’t have it any other way either.



Are the amblers as fit as the racers? - Probably not. But is their daily moderate exercise enough to reap most of the health benefits exercise has to offer? - Probably so.
Research clearly shows that you don’t have to be an athlete to be fit enough to be healthy and live longer.

Then there’s burnout. If you don’t enjoy it you’ll quit.
So many of us try to do too much and end up doing nothing.
Pleasure is the key to success.
Find a physical activity you like or at least don’t hate and pursue it with pleasure. Stay in your comfort zone and if you do, exercise will become something you look forward to instead of dread.

Fight Upper Arm Flab: Go Sleeveless This Summer!

Moving Free® with Mirabai
Fight Upper Arm Flab: Go Sleeveless This Summer!

By: Mirabai Holland MFA © 2010

Mirabai Holland M.F.A. is one of the leading authorities in the Health & Fitness industry, and public health activist who specializing in preventive and rehabilitative exercise for people. Her Moving Free® approach to exercise is designed to provide a movement experience so pleasant it doesn't feel like work. www.easyexercisevideos.com
My inbox is trying to tell me something. I’ve gotten several versions of this question in the past week alone.
Q: I’m starting to feel that flabby arm anxiety again. With Spring around the corner I don’t want to face my sleeveless blouses with these 54 old arms a year flabbier than they were last year. Is there anything short of surgery for me to do?
A: Sedentary women in general and women at a certain age in particularly are faced with this problem every Spring. And it does get worst, as you get older.
In fact we can lose up to 40% of our muscle cells by the time we hit 70. This is called sarcopenia. Weight resistance exercise can reverse this process and can help you regain some muscle you have lost.
Here are two easy site-specific exercises that target those problem areas in your upper arm.

Bicep Curl for the Front Arm:
Grab a set up hand weights and stand erect with your feet about shoulder width apart. Weights down at your sides, palms forward. Remaining erect, bending only at your elbows bring the weights up towards you until they reach your shoulders.
Slowly return to starting position. Repeat 8-15 reps.
Pick a weight that will just barely allow you to complete the final rep in good form.
Triceps Extension for the Back of the Arm:

You will probably need a lighter weight for this exercise because those muscles are often weaker.
Stand erect, weights at your sides, palms in towards your thighs. Remaining erect step forward with one foot and slightly bend the knee. Keeping arms straight, bring both arms behind you just at or above waist height. You should feel the contraction on the back of your arms. Gently lower down to starting position.
Repeat 8-15 reps.

Do these exercises every other day. You should expect some soreness. It’s common when you are building muscle. Doing the exercises every other day gives your muscles a chance to recover and grow. You should see results in about 3-4
weeks.

You can contact Mirabai at: askmirabai@movingfree.com

The ELVIS Study: Bone Health & Fall Prevention

Every May I write something about osteoporosis. May is osteoporosis month and I can’t say enough about this debilitating yet largely preventable bone disease.

By definition, osteoporosis is a disease that, 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, everyday activity.

I’ve written a number of articles about the importance of weight bearing exercise and a calcium and vitamin D rich diet in preventing osteoporosis. So today I’m focusing on FALL PREVENTION. So many osteoporotic fractures are caused by falls so anything that can prevent those falls should be on your radar.

An interesting fall prevention method that’s been getting a lot of attention lately is using a Whole Body Vibration platform. Research by the Russian and American space programs has long suggested that a piezo-electric effect caused by vibrating the body strengthens muscles, and may prevent bone loss. A recent German study ‘Erlangen Longitudinal Vibration Study (ELVIS) shows it can also greatly reduce falls.

You simply stand on the vibrating plate and shake for several minutes. How long and how vigorously you shake can be dialed to suit your personal body needs and fitness level.

Commercial versions of the vibration platform are available at gyms and rehab centers. Home versions are sold online and at sporting goods and health equipment stores. Prices for the home versions start at about $199.

And for traditionalist in all of us, it’s true, simple balance exercises can go a long way towards reducing your chances of taking a serious fall.

Try this simple exercise:

Stand erect near a wall (in case you lose your balance) hands at your sides.

Slowly raise one foot a couple of inches off the ground while shifting your weight to your grounded foot.

When you’ve got your balance slowly raise your arms over your head and reach for the sky.

As you get more comfortable, try raising your held-up foot farther up until it’s near the knee of your grounded leg.

*ELVIS STUDY: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20306017

Contact Mirabai at askmirabai@movingfree.com

Easy Summer Shape-up For Seniors

It’s time to jumpstart your exercise program. You can enjoy the weather while you get into shape.

Here are five easy exercises to tone you up; no equipment necessary. Try doing them every other day. For the first three start with eight reps and build up to 16. For the last two (isometric exercises) hold for 10 seconds and build up to 30 seconds. With all these exercises, remember to exhale on the exertion.

In a matter of a few weeks you should feel your body getting stronger and see it get shapelier.

Warm-up by taking a 10-minute walk. By the tenth minute, it should be brisk enough for you to just barely carry on a conversation.

Stop at a wall, a tree or a fence, and do these five exercises: two for your upper body and three for your lower.

Standing Push-ups:
Stand facing a surface, with legs hip width apart and place hands shoulder width apart. Keeping your body straight, lower yourself down to the surface and then push back upright again.

Muscles Worked: Chest, Triceps, and Shoulders

Calf Raises:
Face surface and hold on for balance. With feet together pointing straight ahead, slowly lift your body up on to your toes, while tightening calf, abs and buttocks muscles. Then slowly lower yourself back down again.

Muscles worked: calves, abs, and buttocks.

Squats:
Face surface, legs hip with apart. Hold on for balance. Shift weight back into heels. Keeping back straight, abs pulled in; gently bend at the knees and squat to about a 90-degree angle. Hold for a moment, then, using just your leg muscles, return to an upright position.

Muscles worked: Front of thigh (Quads), Back of thigh, (Hamstrings) Buttocks, Abs

Wall Sit:
Stand against surface for back support. Holding on as needed for balance, slide down to a sitting position against wall, knees at about a 90-degree angle. Pull your abs in and hold for 10 to 30 seconds.

Muscles worked: Thighs and Abs

Upper Back Squeeze:
Stand with your back to the surface, feet shoulder width apart. Place hands behind you on surface. Straighten your arms behind you and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds.

Muscles worked: Back, Shoulders, Back of arms (Triceps)

Send your questions to askmirabai@movingfree.com

Tai Chi Dance and Yoga Stretch Flexibility Exercise by Mirabai Holland, ...