[Sportsandrec] Sportsandrec Digest, Vol 78, Issue 8

[Kelly Thornbury]

I've been avoiding the "disabilities and fitness" discussions because when there are 15 or more responses and many of them leave the whole prior message in the thread, well, I'm a slow reader and could get in an hour on the bike :) 

I came across one message that talks about "losing 20 pounds..." and I urge you not to look at weight loss in this way. The only good reason to put a scale in a gym locker room is to make sure you rehydrate sufficiently after your workouts. 

So, instead of thinking "I need to lose 20 pounds..." and being derailed by the mental stress, the effect of adding muscle while losing fat on the numbers, and the hormone swings that affect water weight, try this approach instead; and hey, if it doesn't work, go back to jumping on the scale. 

Rewards are an important part of reaching any goal, and I find this works well with many of my clients, especially the females...Go out and buy an inexpensive, but nice, outfit that you really like, but buy it a size or two too small. Then, work, through exercise and nutrition, to get into that outfit. Muscle is denser than fat tissue, so even if you don't see a change in the scales, hopefully you will in how your clothes fit, and that's a great indicator of your progress. And just think, when you reach your goal you will have a great new outfit...And maybe your significant other will reward you (and him/her self) by treating you and your new outfit to a nice dinner. 

Then, buy another outfit...

Or, instead of buying a new outfit, just about everyone has that "nice pair of jeans that are now a little too tight" somewhere in their closet...
(Except me probably, I don't wear jeans) 

My ultimate point above is, don't worry about the numbers. If you exercise regularly, don't follow the "all bacon" diet, and you don't allow yourself to get into the "obese or morbidly obese" range, you have reduced your risks for cardiovascular disease, and that's what "being fit" should be all about. 

Now, finding time to exercise (and this has probably been covered before)...
The AHA and the ACSM recommend a minimum of an accumulated 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week...Yes, there are other recommendations involved, but this is the basic "minimum." Now, accumulated means you can engage in as little as 10 minutes at a time, but it should be at least 10 minutes and the overall daily accumulation should be 30 minutes. "Moderate" is normally defined as 3.5 times your resting "effort," or 3.5 times your basal metabolic rate. In the real world, this is about the effort to walk 3.3 mph on level ground. To make it simple...moderate means you can carry on a conversation, but you cannot sing your favorite song. "Physical activity" is anything that raises your heart rat to that "moderate" level...Things like vacuuming, dusting, mowing the lawn, washing the car, all count, as long as it is moderate and lasts at least ten minutes. 

Making time to exercise...While you are sitting around in the evening watching TV...How about sit ups, push ups, or some exercise band work during commercials? That's at least 8 minutes of resistance work every half hour. How about taking the stairs instead of the elevators? How about using a carry basket instead of one with wheels to get groceries...and this has a double impact because you may think twice about picking up a 2-liter of soda (an extra 4.5 pounds) or a package of Double Stuffs (another pound)...You will get a lot more bang for your effort with pasta, rice, or fruits and veggies. 

Every time I sit down and think "I don't have time to exercise today" I quickly come back with "I could be doing something right now, especially since I'm thinking about it!" 

The next time you sit and think of reasons why you can't exercise, think about how many of those reasons are really excuses that have alternative solutions...We may not be able to read printed material, but we can get the same information (aka the same results) from Braille...right??? 

Kelly