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Put a stop to low back pain with exercise

Approximately 85% of all adults in this country are plagued with low back pain.¹  What exactly does that mean?  It means that out of a family of five, at least four of them will suffer from low back pain.  For those of you who experience low back pain, you already know what a nuisance it can be throughout the day, let alone when working out.  The good news is, through working out, you can actually correct the issues that can contribute to low back pain.  So not only will you live a life with less pain, you’ll also be able to achieve higher-quality workouts that aren’t distracted by your back.

I don’t know about you, but that’s a cause for celebration!

Can you guess which techniques can be used to correct low back problems?  Take some time; I really want you to think about this because the sooner you have an understanding of how your body works, the sooner you’ll be ready to go off on your own and know how to get the fitness results you want.  Think about what you’ve read so far, and see if you can put into practice any of that new knowledge.  If you need to stop reading so you can think, then go ahead.

OK, test time is over.  The first, and most important, aspect to help correct low back problems is developing sufficient core strength.  Did you already guess that?  Strengthening the inner core is an absolute must because as you remember, if you keep your inner core strong, all other areas of your body will be able to properly develop around this base of support.  Remember the idea of your transverse abdominus being your body’s natural corset?  Well if it isn’t strong, it doesn’t help maintain a properly aligned posture.  Without that posture, one problem can turn into many problems.  Your body is like a chain.  When one area of your posture is off, a chain reaction starts and more areas of you posture start going bad, which eventually can lead to low back problems.

Along with maintaining a strong inner core, a strong outer core that’s conditioned to handle the rotation of your body is another major aspect to preventing or correcting low back pain.  Again, remember talking about how along with muscle imbalances (a weak inner core being a cause), abdominal muscles that aren’t strong enough to control the rotation between the pelvis and the spine is another major reason why people suffer from low back problems?²

So far we have strengthening the inner core and training your abdominal muscles to be efficient at controlling rotational movements as two ways to alleviate low back pain.  But how do you train your abs to control rotational movements?  Stop doing basic crunches and start doing abdominal exercises that incorporate a twisting pattern.

OK, let’s say you’ve started to work on these two areas in your workouts, but you still have problems with your low back.  Why could that be?  Well, these two solutions are more of a preventative measure to take with avoiding low back problems.  Don’t get me wrong, if you currently have low back problems, it’s essential that you still work on correcting these two issues; you just need to make sure that when correcting these issues, you aren’t experiencing pain.  If you are, then decrease the intensity of the exercise you’re doing.  You can do that by slowing down the pace of the exercise, decreasing the weight, decreasing the number of sets and repetitions, changing the positioning of your body while doing the movement, or if all else fails, stop doing the exercise all together.  Fix your inner core and outer core weaknesses, but don’t do it at the expense of hurting yourself even more.  The last thing you need is to inflame your low back more than it already is.

All is not lost, though.  Because of problems in areas such as core-strength, there are what’s called posture distortions patterns that can develop.  These different patterns result from tight and weak muscles (other than the inner and outer core muscles) in your body.  Three of the big players in low back postural problems are the hip flexors, the hamstrings, and the low back muscles themselves.  (That’s an obvious one.)

As you already know, the hip flexors connect to the front of the pelvis.  What can happen is the hip flexors can become very tight; a major contributor to this problem is sitting behind a desk for most of the day.  When we sit in a chair for a lengthened period of time, our hip flexors become accustomed to a shortened length, and as a result, they can pull the pelvis forward, resulting in the discs in our spine having too much pressure on the back of them.  These tight muscles can also lead to shortened low back muscles, and shortened muscles mean tight muscle, which means sore muscles.  These are just two of the reasons for low back problems: sore low back muscles and uneven pressure on the vertebral discs because of posture issues.  The good news is, there are certain steps you can take to correct them.

Now another reason for low back problems has to do with the hamstrings.  The hamstrings connect to the back of the pelvis, and if they’re weak, again, the pelvis can tilt forward and cause tight low back muscles and improperly aligned discs.  If the hamstrings are tight, the pelvis can tilt back, leading to too much pressure being put on the front of the vertebral discs.

So how do you correct tight muscles?  You guessed it!  You need to improve your flexibility.  Before we get into that, how do you know if you even have tight muscles?  One quick and easy method to determine whether or not these muscles are tight is to look at yourself in the mirror.  While standing sideways in front of a mirror, stand in a relaxed position (don’t suck anything in), and look at your beltline.  (You may even want to wear a belt for this.)  If you notice that your belt buckle is below where your belt is on the back of your waist, then you have tight hip flexors and low back muscles, as well as weak hamstrings.  If your belt line on the back of your waist is below your belt buckle, then you have tight hamstrings, weak hip flexors, and weak low back muscles.  The goal is to have the front of your belt even with the back of your belt.

It’s pretty common that if you have low back trouble, you have tight muscles, but sometimes, there can be other issues such as degenerative disc disease.  So what is one to do?  Remember talking about foam rolling?  You want to foam roll all these different areas of your body, remembering to hold for 30 seconds on each tender spot.  You can repeat the foam rolling process a second time if you want, but always remember to start your foam rolling going in the direction toward your heart.  Once you foam roll each of the three muscles, perform a static stretch of 2-4 times for 30-second holds each.  After static stretching, move on to foam rolling the next tight muscle, and keep repeating this process until you work on all three.

These may seem like little steps to take, but I’ve seen the results that they can have on reducing and even ending low back pain in those I have worked with.  Strengthening the inner core, strengthening the outer core with rotational movements, foam rolling tight muscles, followed by static stretching tight muscles – these techniques are just some of the simple steps you can take to help prevent and put a stop to your low back pain problems in as little as a few weeks.  Don’t become discouraged if it takes closer to a few months to notice any results, though; no matter how long it takes, it’s important that you consistently perform these steps in your program.  Once you do, you’ll be able to maximize your fitness results without having to worry about the pain creeping in.

Note: As always, talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program because while these quick fixes may alleviate your low back pain, there could be more serious issues causing the problem; and if possible, seek the guidance of a qualified fitness professional to assist you with your program.  For examples of inner and outer core exercises, sign up for these free videos.  Here’s how to foam roll your low back and hip flexors.  Here’s how to foam roll your hamstrings. 
     
References:

¹ The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), 2001.
² Boyle, M. (2005). Rotary training. Retrieved July 31, 2008 from http://www.ptonthenet.com.

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Are big goals better than small goals?

I got this question off of a discussion board I was just reading, and at first, I really made myself sit there and think about it before giving an answer.  I have to say, this really is a good question because I know a lot of people wonder this, and since I've been talking about goal-setting, I can't see any better time to talk about it than right now. 

Some of you may be thinking, "Does it really matter?" and while that was one of the thoughts that first popped into my head too, I realized that it is a pretty important aspect of goal-setting.  I started thinking that even though my clients have an ultimate goal of say … losing 30 lbs., we still shoot for breaking that big goal up into smaller goals.  It sort of goes along with weekly weigh-ins.  I don't just have my clients do weigh-ins to make sure they're continuing to lose weight and stay excited; I also have them weigh in because it keeps them accountable to their ultimate goal.  I use weekly weigh-ins as the smaller goal.  Some trainers do weigh-ins at the beginning of the week to hold their clients accountable for their weekend activities, but I like to do weigh-ins at the end of the week.  The reason I like the end of the week is because it holds my clients accountable for the work they've done during the week, and even though either way accounts for both the weekend and weekdays, I feel that there’s a short-term effect that keeps people motivated around weigh-in time.  If you're weighing in on Monday, you tend to be extra good on the weekend but then have a tendency to slack a little the day after.  If you weigh-in on Friday, you tend to be really good for the days leading up but then slack a little on Saturday ... it's just human nature.

Either way, no matter what you do, and it could be weigh-ins on Mondays and Fridays to keep you accountable for both the weekend and all throughout the week, weigh-ins are a great way to keep you motivated to work hard.  After my client weighs in, I have them set a new goal for the next week.  Let's say they lost 1 lb. at their weigh-in.  We might talk about the coming week and decide that shooting for a 2-lb. weight loss goal is not only achievable for the next weigh-in, but it's something they’re fired up to do. 

What does this do?  

You better believe it makes them work even harder, watch their nutrition even more, and do everything they can to make sure they hit that goal!  I've had clients who had a lot of weight to lose, and it wasn't unrealistic for them to lose 4 lbs. in one week because they had so much to lose.  One week they might lose 3 lbs., and so the next week they really want to shoot for losing 4 lbs.  Guess what happens?  They lose 4 lbs. 

So yes, smaller goals are very important because a big goal of losing 30 lbs. may seem very overwhelming, but a goal of losing a pound a week is a lot more manageable, and it's a source of drive week in and week out.  The key with smaller goals is not to lose sight of the ultimate goal.  Work toward your small goals, but remember what they're supposed to add up to.  Small goals are like the rungs in a ladder.  The ultimate goal is to get to the top, but in order to get to the top, you still have to take it one step at a time.

The power of I have ... not I will

Let's face it, you can read up on all the different techniques and tricks to help you lose weight or get in better shape, but if you don't have the willpower to do it, then all the reading and learning in the world is going to mean diddly-squat.

So many people start out with so much hope, but when they run into any bit of frustration, they decide they've had enough.  Who can blame them?  It's human nature.  We are a fast-paced society that expects results now!  We don't remember that our poor level of fitness is a culmination of bad choice after bad choice, and when we start working out, we expect that only one choice will change it all and will change it fast.  But it doesn’t work that way.  Deep down, we all know that weight loss takes time, but we hope that we might be that special case or that special testimonial where it only takes us a month to lose 10 lbs.  By now, you should know that losing 10 lbs. in a month is a very rare occurrence; in fact, the more common occurrence is to lose maybe a pound or two, or possibly even zero pounds, in the first month. 

Make no mistake about it, weight loss is a battle; it's a battle with your body and it's a battle with your mind.  Your workout program is set up to combat that excess body fat that continues to creep up on your waistline, but on top of that, your program also creates a battle that goes on between your ears.  And although the battle inside your body is definitely important, the real battle is the one that takes place in your head. 

Look at any person who has successfully lost body fat, not the ones who seem to yo-yo back and forth from one weight loss pill or fad diet to the next, but the ones who go about it the right way with good, old-fashioned exercise and eating improvements.  These successful people share one thing in common; it's not that they all do cardio or they all lift 15 repetitions for their exercises, it's that they all have a mindset that no matter what happens, they will persevere.  These are the people who are dedicated to what they're doing, and who have made up their mind that they are truly tired of their old self and want to transform into a new person ... not literally, of course. 

So how do they do it?  Well, I've said it before, but it's all a state of mind.  They develop a positive mindset, and doing so is a very powerful thing.  In Jack Canfield's (cocreator of Chicken Soup for the Soul) book, The Success Principles, Jack goes into detail about when you start to expect to do something, and you actually talk and live as though you have already done it, your brain can't distinguish the difference, and it actually thinks that you have already accomplished it too.  What does this mean?  It means that your brain starts to kick into overdrive to see to it that it carries you across the finish line. 

One way that I've found is very effective for helping my clients develop this mindset is to get them to think as if they have already accomplished their goal.  It's not, "I want to lose 20 lbs." or, "I will lose 20 lbs."  It's, "I have lost 20 lbs."  There's a big difference between the three, and the latter is the one that will take you to your goal.

To start to think this way takes some time to adjust to, but I've found that using material objects is a great way to move toward this way of thinking.  When I sit down in front of clients, I have them picture one thing that will really motivate them to see their results through to the end, no matter how long it takes.  It could take a month, or it could take several years, whatever it is, it's essential that they stick it out.  One of the most common and most effective ways I've seen clients develop the right mindset is to think of an outfit that they want to wear.  It could be something they used to fit into, or it could be a new outfit.  I tend to like the new outfit idea because the fact that they have to spend money to get that new outfit seems to make them more serious about being able to wear it.  Once they figure out what that outfit is, they hang it up in a place where they'll see it every day.  If it's a new outfit, they go out and buy it.  Yes, they may get some weird looks when they're buying an outfit for themselves that's clearly too small at the present time, but by having the outfit hanging up, it trains their brain to assume that they already fit into it, and it helps them to commit to the goal.

Another method that is effective is to find an old picture of yourself, one that send chills up your spine to see what you used to look like, and hang it up on your fridge or by your computer (some place where you are guaranteed to see it).  It could be one where you were a lot thinner, or it could be one where you were even heavier.  Whichever it is, use it as motivation to continue working toward your goal. If it's one where you are thinner, whenever you don't feel like working out, look at that picture and picture what it's like looking and feeling thinner and healthier.  If it's one that you are heavier in, use that as motivation to never look and feel like that again ... ever. 

By using techniques like these, you will develop a mindset that pushes you to the end result.  Start living as though you have already achieved your goal, and use some positive reinforcement, like these two techniques, to help keep you on the right path.  Wake up every morning, look at yourself in the mirror, and say, "Today is _____________ (the month, day, and year your goal has been achieved), I have lost ____ lbs., and I weigh ____ lbs. and fit into size ____ pants!"  (Fill in whatever number goes in the blanks and use whatever article of clothing you want to use.)  Speak your goal into existence, and make sure you're speaking a goal that has a deadline.  By acting as though today is the day you have achieved your goal, you'll also create a sense of urgency to reach your goal.  This will help you from becoming complacent and will really push you to take the necessary steps to accomplish your goal.  I use this type of goal-setting on myself, and I love it because having a deadline really does push me to achieve what I've set out to do.  So much of achieving success has to do with your thoughts more than your actions, and when you win the battle going on in your mind and develop the right mindset to achieve your fitness goals, your weight loss war is almost over!   

Don't just say your goal to yourself, write it out.

Today is _________________, and I, _____________________ (your name), have lost _____ lbs., and I weigh _____ lbs. and fit into size _____ pants (shirt, dress, suit, etc.)!

____________________________        _________________
                Signature                                       Date    

Once you write up this contract with yourself, display it in a place you'll always see it.  (Frame it by the front door, tape it to your steering wheel, tape it to your bathroom mirror, etc.)

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To achieve your best, start out slow

What?!  Does this make any sense at all?  Well, if I were talking about any topic besides this one, then it probably wouldn’t make much sense, but with an exercise program, it makes a lot of sense.

In order to set yourself up for a high rate of weight loss/fitness gains, it’s extremely important that you follow what’s called periodization.
 
What’s periodization?

Think of periodization as a roller coaster; parts of the ride are uphill, parts are downhill, parts are twisty, and so on.  That’s basically what periodization is.  It’s setting up your program so that you have different sections to it; some of those sections of your program may be intense, uphill battles to complete the workout; some may be easier, downhill coasting; and some sections may have an added twist to them.

Unlike a roller coaster, though, you should never start your program out with the most intense part, the uphill climb.  One thing that’s amazing, and yet can be very frustrating, about our body is that it’s very, very smart.  Our body has the ability to adapt to what it’s doing or to adapt to the challenges that are on it.  Your body adapts to sickness by increasing the amount of white blood cells, it can adapt to starvation by storing and utilizing fat better (better to keep you alive, but not better than if you had food to eat), and it can also adapt to exercise.

Let’s say this.  Let’s say that you just read a magazine article that has you fired up to the max about losing some weight.  You go out and buy some new kicks, a nice workout outfit, a water bottle … you’re all ready to kick some butt.  You’re so fired up that you can’t wait to start working out.  You figure that your plan is to go at it as hard as you can and get ready to see the weight melt off your body.  So on the first day, you want to start your fitness program off with a bang.  You go in and decide to work out for an hour.  You do one exercise after another until you feel like your arms are about to fall off.  Then, you jump on a treadmill and run for 45 minutes until you’re dripping sweat.  After you’re done with your workout, you’re convinced that keeping this pace and intensity up is the fundamental way to get that stubborn fat off your body, so you decide to do the same routine, at the same intensity, for the entire week.  “Whew, I’m really tearing it up now!” you say to yourself.

What do you think?

Sounds like you’ve surely accomplished your goal of starting right.

In reality, other than not staying consistent with your workouts, this is a terrible way to kick off your exercise program.

Why?

Like I said, your body learns to adapt to what you’re doing.  If you go all out like this from the get go, your body is going to go all out to keep up.  It’s going to start storing up more energy, release more hormones to keep your body feeling strong, process more protein to keep your muscles healthy, improve its efficiency in providing itself with energy to keep you going, all kinds of stuff.  This is all good and well, but once your body gets to the point where all of these improvements match the intensity of your workouts, in other words, keeps up with the intensity of your workouts, how much fat is really going to be needed to burn to supply energy for the body?  Not much.

Picture it this way; you want to start a campfire to roast some marshmallows, so you decide to throw all the wood in the ring at once.  Well yeah, that’s great that you have a huge fire that’s burning brightly at the start, but what happens when you want to roast marshmallows, the next week?  You can’t because you don’t have any wood left to throw into the fire ring.

The same can be said for working out.  You can start off super intensely, and you better believe your fat calories will be burning off at an incredible rate, but a few weeks into the program, when your body starts to adapt and you get into that dreaded rut, what are you going to do to get out of it?  Nothing.  You can’t because you’ve already thrown everything at your body.  Your body has wised up and figured out how to survive this brutal onslaught that you have thrown against it, and there’s nothing you can do about it.  You’ve lost the weight loss battle because you don’t have a comeback.

Back to reality now …

Of course, you’re not going to ever start a program off like this, and you’ve never done it in the past … right?  Don’t worry; I’ve been so amped up at times that I’ve sometimes started out with too big of an adrenaline rush too.

So here’s what you want to do … as you’ve probably already guessed it.  Start out slow.  Not so slow that you’re working out one day a week, but slow enough that you have room to increase your intensity.  For example, start by working out for three days per week and just let your body adapt to a lifestyle that includes working out.  Go through the different phases of your program (remember the stability phase, the endurance phase, etc.), and add changes to the program such as increasing your intensity or increasing the length of your workouts.  Throw in an easier week here and there so that your body has a chance to re-energize for high-intensity workouts again.  If you go into a program with this type of planning, you’ll have the necessary tools to pull out of your pocket to ward off any fitness plateaus/ruts.

If you start out slow, you’ll still burn off fat, and then as your body adjusts, you turn it up a notch.  You work out an extra day, or you work out a little longer, or you work out harder, whatever it is, it’s something new.  Something your body has to re-adjust to.  Then, just as you feel your body starting to tire … you feel like it takes you longer to recover between workouts, the energy level during your workouts just isn’t there, these types of changes, go ahead and throw in an easy week of working out.  Nothing too intense or too long, just a week to keep you consistent to scheduling time for your workouts.  Ideally, you want to have an easy week, like this, right before you start to feel your body tire, but if you do feel like this, you definitely need to ease up a bit.

Going along with an easier week is the amount of rest during your workouts.  Depending on your goal/the program phase you’re in, your body needs some level of rest to be able to re-charge its energy level back up for the next set.  For example, to build muscle, you typically have a work to rest ratio of 1:2 (30 seconds work:1 minute rest, 1 minute work:2 minutes rest, and so on).  An endurance goal would be more like 1:1 or even less for the rest.  Strength and power could be anything from a 1:5 to a 1:12 work to rest ratio.¹  It really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish with your workout, but no matter what that is, make sure you take that rest period so you can be back to an optimal state for your next set or exercise.  (For weight loss clients, I take them through stability, endurance, strength, and power phases.)

Following a level of change like this, not only will you be able to prevent yourself from burning out, but you’ll also be able to have something different to challenge your body with.  You’ll be able to cause your body to always be on its toes because it’ll never know what to expect next; it won’t adapt to a point where your workouts don’t challenge it anymore and you don’t lose fat as fast anymore.  By starting out slow, and slowly progressing up, your program will be able to set you up for more consistent weight loss results or any other fitness goal you have.    
        
References:

¹ The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), 2001.

The Hip-Hop Grannies

I don't know how many of you have seen the Hip-Hop Grannies, who were publicized during the Beijing Olympics, but this group of 45 to 74-year-olds shows how age shouldn't be used as an excuse for not staying healthy.  This group of Chinese women, though it may be corny, started a group where they perform hip-hop dancing to different up-beat songs; the result, better health and more energy.

Even in your later years, maintaining a healthy lifestyle should still be a priority.  I've worked with all ranges of ages, and the one thing I've found with many of the older clients I've trained is that, yes, they may not be able to exercise as intensely as my younger clients, but they still have the drive and ability to get results. 

What is even neater is that some of the older adults I have worked with have never done any type of resistance training in their entire life, some have never even exercised at all, but what's so wonderful to see is that once they start to get into it, they love it!  I've had a number of my older clients say that their exercise time is something they look forward to every day.  Why is that?  I think it's because they realize there's no need to be intimidated of exercise, and they recognize that they too can achieve fitness goals, such as having more energy, sleeping better, fitting better into their clothes, reducing their risk for certain diseases, and even coming off, or lowering the dosage of, their medications.

For those of you who are young and exercising right now, keep it up!  It will only help you in the future because it's a lot easier to maintain a good level of fitness than to have to start from scratch.

For those of you who are older, there's nothing to fear with exercise.  I would suggest that you at least hire a personal trainer for a minimum of a month.  By having a personal trainer there to guide you into a whole new type of lifestyle, to teach you how to exercise safely, to help you stay accountable, to educate you on how to improve your health with exercise and healthy eating tips, you'll give yourself the best start to incorporating fitness into your life.

The key is to start out slow and take in everything that you're doing.  If you're not sure about proper form or how to breathe while working out, don't be afraid to ask.  One thing I find that helps a new exerciser is to start out on machines.  I'm not always crazy about using weight machines, but when dealing with a new exerciser, I think they're perfect because they allow the body to be able to easily adjust to a new lifestyle without having to worry too much about form.  You still have to be aware of proper form, but most machines already have a pre-determined path that you move the weight in.  This means that while you still have some form issues to concentrate on, your main focus can be on breathing and moving the weight while letting the machine stabilize the weight as it moves.

Once you have been able to adjust to weight machines and have developed an understanding of how to exercise with resistance training, moving into cables, and then dumbbells, will be much easier for you to adjust to.

Another option, besides cables and dumbbells, is exercise tubes.  I love exercise tubes because they can be as hard or as easy as you like.  I've used very light exercise tubes for beginners, even before machines, and I've also used exercise tubes for the most advanced clients I have.  Exercise tubes can provide an unbelievable workout for anyone, and the best part about them is they're very inexpensive, and you can work out anywhere with them.  

No matter which method of exercise you decide on, realize that fitness isn't something that's age-limiting.  Anybody can do it, and as the Hip-Hop Grannies can attest to, anybody can get results.   

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The Playing Cards Workout!

As if the Animal Workout wasn't enough, here's another great idea to liven things up a bit ... just in case you're starting to get bored with your workouts.  You may be saying to yourself, "Here we go again."  But really, I think this is another great workout that can spice things up.

To start out, to do the Playing Cards Workout, you're going to need a deck of ... playing cards, as if you hadn't already figured that out. 

Here's what you do.  For every suit, pick an exercise that you want to associate with it.  For example, spades could be dirty dogs, clubs could be push-ups, and so on.  

For the number on the playing card, associate this with the number of repetitions you will do; the ace is 1, followed by the face value of the rest of the cards determining the number of repetitions.  For the jacks, associate this with 11, the queens 12, and the kings 13.  If you want, you can use the jokers and make them any number you want, but I typically just leave them out.  (You could always really live on the edge and make them a huge number like 20 or 30, but hey, if you're thinking that 13 repetitions seems pretty steep, then I wouldn't suggest it.)

So here's how it goes.  Before you start, go ahead and shuffle the cards so that you don't know where each card is, or you could play 52 pickup with someone ... I always hated when I used to fall for that trick.  Once the cards are shuffled, keep them stacked in a deck, face down.

Before you start this workout, make sure that just like any workout, you give yourself a little warm-up time.  Once warmed up, go ahead an draw any card out of the deck.  Let's say you draw out the 5 of clubs.  That means you have 5 push-ups to do!  Keep going through the deck by drawing out another card and performing what it says, and continue doing this for however long you decide to.  FYI, you probably will want to crawl into a cave and sleep the rest of the day if you go through the entire deck, so you shouldn't use all the cards ... that would be 52 exercise, which is insane!  I'd either pull out about 20-25 cards, or you could go for time, which is better because you can control how hard the workout is.  If you had all the aces, 2's, 3's, etc., this workout wouldn't be too bad, but if you had all the jacks, queens, and kings, it would be totally different.  Going for time makes it so that the cards don't control how hard the workout is, you do; you can go as fast as you want or as slow as you want, just make sure you choose a pace that will really push you through this workout.

So that's it!  Another fun and different kind of workout to help you put a little spin on achieving that level of fitness you want.  Have fun!

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Eating bananas is the best thing to do for muscle cramps … well, on second thought …

For those of you who’ve experienced muscle cramping during your lifetime, I feel for you.  For those of you that haven’t, I wish I were you.  Muscle cramping can bring any workout to a grinding halt; not only is it terribly painful when it happens, but it can also leave you very sore for a couple days following this dreaded event. 

One of the worst things for someone who’s trying to lose weight is to be in the middle of a flab-kicking workout and suddenly feel your breath being sucked right out of you as you collapse to the floor hitting notes like Stevie Wonder and making a bargain with your body to give you back control of it. 

Although it hasn’t been proven, a big culprit to muscles spasms is thought to be caused by dehydration and mineral loss due to excessive sweating; just another reason why water is so important for weight loss, not to mention fitness in general.^1,2  But sometimes, water isn’t always the cure all for cramping muscles; sometimes, a sports drink is necessary to prevent cramping from happening.

Even though it’s not a proven fact, staying hydrated and maintaining that right mineral/electrolyte balance is still the smart thing to do in doing your part to prevent cramping from happening.  Get this, though.  Well, actually, let me present it this way.  When you think of how to prevent muscle cramps, what’s the first thing that pops into your mind?

“Oh, I know this one; it’s eat a banana!  Right?”

Wrong.

Many people think that eating a banana will help replace the potassium your body has lost, and while this is true, cramping is really thought to result because of sodium (salt) loss, not potassium loss.^1,2

The truth is cramping is a very mysterious occurrence.  While the majority of cramping is experienced during physical activity, what’s even harder to explain is waking up in the middle of the night with a cramp.  And even though no one really knows the true cause to muscle cramps during exercise or while sleeping, I recommend you experiment with what works for you. 

Yes, dehydration and electrolyte imbalances are thought to be a possible cause, especially in very hot exercising conditions, but so is lack of flexibility, too much lactic acid in the muscles, abnormal nerve activity, hyperventilation, and contracting your calf muscles by curling your toes under the covers.¹

If you’re plagued by muscle spasms, the first thing I suggest is not only regularly drinking water, but also consuming some type of sports drink if you exercise for more than an hour or are in the process of cramping.  Getting that extra salt in your body helps with keeping your nerves under control.  Also, even though cramping seems to result more from sodium losses than potassium losses, eating high potassium foods isn’t a bad idea.  So go at it with those bananas because you never know, it may help a little.  Remember, these are all just suggestions; these aren’t proven scientific facts, but a trick that I’ve used with my brother, during basketball games, is to have him add a pinch of salt to his sports drink, and that seems to do the trick.  You may have also heard of using antacids or salt tablets, and even though some say it works, I wouldn’t try it.  Typically, it’s too much salt and not enough fluid.  By getting too much salt, you actually will dehydrate your body even more, so that obviously is counter-productive.  Going along with dehydration, I’d suggest avoiding taking medicines, such as allergy medications, right before exercise.  These medicines act as diuretics, which leads to even more dehydration.

On top of these suggestions, massaging the cramping muscle is highly recommended.  By applying pressure to the tight muscle, it actually results in a signal telling it to relax.  Pretty cool, huh?

One prevention tip I tell anyone suffering from muscle cramps is to stretch a lot more.  By keeping your muscles more flexible, it seems to have a correlation to reduced cramping.  I’d also suggest making sure you’re eating enough carbs, and if you’re out of shape, make sure you reduce your exercise intensity and duration.  By exercising too intensely, you can tire your muscles out too much, and as a result, you know what’s thought to happen; you’re curled up in a ball on the floor, making funny faces.²

And although this idea is kind of “out there”, adding extra calcium to your eating may help … at least some say it does.  Calcium is essential for muscle contractions to occur, but the reason I find this one hard to believe is because your bones are made of calcium, so if your body is really not getting enough calcium from your diet, your bones will make up the difference.  Still, there are those out there that say extra calcium cures cramping.  There are also those out there that say drinking pickle juice or eating a tablespoon of mustard, before working out, helps prevent cramping, so if you want to live on the edge, be my guest.

Finally, if you suffer from “night cramps”, learn to sleep better.  Just a little joke, but seriously, you never know.

OK, so here’s the big three things to do when you’re in the middle of a cramp:
1.    Drink a sports drink
2.    Massage the muscle
3.    Stretch the muscle

Afterward, you may need to give your body a break by resting for a day or so.

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge and techniques to prevent and treat cramping, you’re one step closer to your fitness success.  Here’s to no more muscle cramps!

References:

¹ American Council on Exercise (2003). ACE personal trainer manual: The ultimate resource for fitness professionals, (3^rd ed). San Diego, CA: American Council on Exercise.
² Wilmore, J., & Costill, D. (2004). Physiology of sport and exercise, (3^rd ed). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

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My summer wedding madness is almost over!

I'll just lay it out there right now ... this post has absolutely nothing to do with fitness, except that my brother and sister are extremely fit.  Anyway,  I don't think I ever said this, but my wife and I had 14 weddings we were invited to this summer ... 14!  Of those 14, I was in 3 and Amber was in 2; needless to say, we had to create a wedding budget.

Two of those weddings were my brother's and sister's.  Yeah, that's right; my brother and sister both got married this summer. ... Talk about a crazy summer! ... My parents were troopers. 

My sister married a great guy back on June 21, and my brother just got married to a wonderful girl this past weekend.  Now, he and his wife are soaking up the rays in Riviera Maya, Mexico ... lucky dogs! 

We had an absolute blast at both their weddings, and I just wanted to make sure I said congrats to both of them on Fitzy Bitzy.  So ... congrats guys!  I'm so proud of you both and love you very much! 

Ok ... I'm done for today, but I promise that Saturday's post will be something fitness you'll want to make sure you don't miss.  Until then ... make good [fitness] choices.  (As my sister always says.) 

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Has weight loss really changed?

Every week, it seems like you see new contraptions that are guaranteed to help you shed that unwanted fat off your body.  New diets are constantly coming out that promise results without compromising taste.  When it comes down to it, though, weight loss is weight loss.  The concept has always been the same, but the method is always changing.

It doesn't matter what you decide is going to take you to your goals; the most important thing is that you ... decide.  The basics of weight loss are simple ... eat less, move more.  Now yes, there are different techniques that are better than others.  Doing a workout that includes resistance training is definitely better than doing a workout that is strictly cardio-based, but that's not to say that you won't eventually get there with doing cardio only; it'll just take a lot longer. 

The fitness industry is filled with individuals who hope to make a quick buck off of their new invention or program, and while some programs may be more effective at getting results, most inventions really don't accomplish much more than working out without them.  After all, just getting your bodyweight to move can give your as good of weight-loss results, if not better, than using expensive machines or contraptions.

No matter what you do, just start moving and eat less.  If you want that extra knowledge and accountability, then a fitness program or eating program may be something you'll want to consider, and you may want to even consider Your Live Trainers; but most importantly, know that as long as you commit to the basics, I'll be excited that you took that step to improve your health so that you can be around with your friends and family for a long time and see you kids grow up.  There's nothing better with what I do than hearing stories of how something I wrote has inspired someone to keep pushing toward their fitness goal.  It's something that makes what I do all worth it.  I'll never take for granted the readers I have, so thank you very much for consistently continuing to read Fitzy Bitzy.

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Are you working your SUVs or your cars?

As I talked about last week, it has been proven that you cannot spot reduce fat in certain areas of your body.  You cannot do things like decrease the fat under your arms by simply doing triceps extensions.  The fat under your arms will come off when it comes off, not when you just work your arms.  Remember, since you cannot spot reduce, the goal then should be to burn the most calories off as possible in your workouts. 

Since your problem areas are the easiest places to put fat on, these are also the hardest places to take it off.  While they may be the hardest areas to burn fat off, there is still hope for trying to speed up the process through your workouts.  Are you ready for this?  Work your SUVs!  “Work my SUVs, what in the world does that mean?” you may ask.

As we know, SUVs typically have a lot worse gas mileage compared to cars.  This is because SUVs are bigger.  Since they are bigger, they burn more fuel in order to perform.  The same can be said with your body.  The biggest muscles in your body are your legs, chest, and back; these can be considered your SUVs.  The smaller muscles in your body are your arms, shoulders, and abdominals; these can be seen as your cars.  In any fat loss program, the goal is to burn more calories than you consume.  By working your bigger muscles groups, or SUVs, you can burn more calories off for the time you put into your workouts.

So now you know.  Always try and incorporate your SUVs into your workout because in a 30 minute workout, you will burn more calories by performing exercises that work your SUVs instead of your cars.  This does not mean just work your big muscles and nothing else though.  Try combining exercises.  For example, try to do a biceps curl with a squat.  This way you work your big and small muscles at the same time, meaning even more calories burnt off in one exercise.  

When I work with a client who has a fat loss goal, I always work the big muscles first.  Rarely would I ever have them perform a workout that works just small muscles.  If a small muscle is being worked, I combine it with a large muscle exercise such as a lunge.  Doing these multi-muscle exercises is a great way to increase calorie burn!  Once the client reaches their fat loss goal, then I will have them perform individual small muscle exercises if they want to create some definition in these smaller muscles.

So here is your new challenge: instead of doing crunches to decrease the size of your stomach, focus on exercises for your legs, chest, and back.  It may not make sense, but trust me, it works!  So get out there and work those SUVs!

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