Dr. K's Korner Monthly Healthy Tips
Training IQ
Cable Pulldowns on Swiss Ball
What you need: Cable machine, swiss ball
Execution: - Grasp parallel cable attachment.. Sit on an exercise ball with your chest to the cable with your hands over your head. Pull down cable attachment to upper chest. Return until arms and shoulders are fully extended. Movement: - Exhale as you fully flex arms into chest. Inhale as you return your arms to the starting position. Repeat as required.
Quote of the Month:
“You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great”
Les Brown
Coming Soon:
21 Day Rapid Fat Loss Bootcamp: Begins January 24th and last 3 weeks. We meet four times a week. Cost is $77 and you will get specialized bootcamp style workouts and 21 day specialized, calorie and lifestyle specific meal plan to get you in your new body for 2011. Class size is limited. So, reserve your spot today!!
Nutrition IQ:
Its not who diets the hardes, its who diets the smartest!!!
Some individuals try to lose too much fat too quickly by making drastic dietary changes. The problem with that is that the body acts like a thermostat. It doesn’t respond well to severe change of any kind. If you drastically lower your caloric intake, your body begins hoarding fat deposits and slowing its metabolic rate to conserve energy and you will begin to feel sluggish, having no energy, wanting to sleep all the time and you will begin to be very hungry and feel overall just terrible! Sure, you may loose body fat, but you will also loose muscle mass and most likely your sanity. Rather than making a quantum leap from regular diet and exercise to pre-holiday stress starvation so we can look good in front of our relatives, I encourage you to gradually modify your dietary guidelines while simultaneously increase your exercise intensity and time. By doing so, you will give your body time to adjust so it can continue to burn bodyfat and maintain muscle mass.
Gym Doc IQ: Women who exercise benefit from drinking milk
A study published in the June, 2010 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise tested whether milk consumption can positivity or negatively affect exercising women’s body composition. 20 female subjects participated in a 5-day/wk, 12-wk exercise program. One group was given skim white milk, while the control group was given isoenergetic carbohydrate. Each participant consumed her drink immediately after exercise and again one hour after exercise for a total of 1 L. Body mass increased in the control group, but didn’t change in the milk drinking group. The authors contributed this result to gaining lean muscle mass and loss of fat mass. There were gains in skeletal muscle mass, loss of fat mass, and an increase in strength for the women in the milk drinking group.
Research IQ
Depressin & Anxiety: Exercise Helps!!
You have anxiety or depression — and exercise seems like the last thing you want to do. But once you get motivated, exercise can make a big difference. Exercise helps prevent and improve a number of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis. Research on anxiety, depression and exercise shows that the psychological and physical benefits of exercise can also help reduce anxiety and improve mood. The links between anxiety, depression and exercise aren't entirely clear — but working out can definitely help you relax and make you feel better. Exercise may also help keep anxiety and depression from coming back once you're feeling better.
How does exercise help depression and anxiety?
Exercise probably helps ease depression in a number of ways, which may include:
- Releasing feel-good brain chemicals that may ease depression (neurotransmitters and endorphins)
- Reducing immune system chemicals that can worsen depression
- Increasing body temperature, which may have calming effects
Exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits too. It can help you:
- Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape can also make you feel better about your appearance.
- Take your mind off worries. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression.
- Get more social interaction. Exercise may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
- Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage anxiety or depression is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how badly you feel, or hoping anxiety or depression will go away on their own can lead to worsening symptoms.
What kind of exercise is best? The word "exercise" may make you think of running laps around the gym. But a wide range of activities that boost your activity level help you feel better. Certainly running, lifting weights, playing basketball and other fitness activities that get your heart pumping can help. But so can gardening, washing your car, or strolling around the block and other less intense activities. Anything that gets you off the couch and moving is exercise that can help improve your mood. You don't have to do all your exercise at once, either. Broaden how you think of exercise and find ways to fit activity into your routine. Add small amounts of physical activity throughout your day. For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a little farther away at work to fit in a short walk. Or, if you live close to your job, consider biking to work. How much is enough? Doing 30 minutes or more of exercise a day, for three to five days a week can significantly improve depression symptoms. But smaller amounts of activity — as little as 10 to 15 minutes at a time — can make a difference. It may take less time exercising to improve your mood when you do more-vigorous activities such as running or bicycling.
How do I get started — and stay motivated? Starting and sticking with an exercise routine can be a challenge. Here are some steps that can help.
Identify what you enjoy doing. Figure out what type of physical activities you're most likely to do, and think about when and how you'd be most likely to follow through. For instance, would you be more likely to do some gardening in the evening or go for a jog in the pre-dawn hours? Go for a bike ride or play basketball with your children after school? Do what you enjoy to help you stick with it.
Get your mental health provider's support. Talk to your doctor or other mental health provider for guidance and support. Discuss concerns about an exercise program and how it fits into your overall treatment plan.
Set reasonable goals. Your mission doesn't have to be walking for an hour five days a week. Think realistically about what you may be able to do. Tailor your plan to your own needs and abilities rather than trying to meet unrealistic guidelines that you're unlikely to meet.
Don't think of exercise as a chore. If exercise is just another "should" in your life that you don't think you're living up to, you'll associate it with failure. Rather, look at your exercise schedule the same way you look at your therapy sessions or medication — as one of the tools to help you get better.
Address your barriers. Figure out what's stopping you from exercising. If you feel self-conscious, for instance, you may want to exercise at home. If you stick to goals better with a partner, find a friend to work out with. If you don't have money to spend on exercise gear, do something that's virtually cost-free, such as walking. If you think about what's stopping you from exercising, you can probably find an alternative solution.
Prepare for setbacks and obstacles. Give yourself credit for every step in the right direction, no matter how small. If you skip exercise one day, that doesn't mean you can't maintain an exercise routine and may as well quit. Just try again the next day.
"Limits begin where visualization ends. Visualize success and give yourself permission to win" by Dr. Nikki Kober
"Loose weight, get in shape and feel great" by Dr. Nikki Kober
"Fitness for a healthy life™" by Dr Nikki Kober