Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Exercise Basics: What You Should Know


Exercise Basics: What you should know Charles DeFrancesco

Recent evidence has demonstrated that when performed properly, exercise has many benefits. Examples of these benefits include lower blood pressure1, maintenance of blood sugar levels2, reduction of stress2, decreases body fat2 and reduction of chronic disease3. Other benefits of exercise include improved sleep3, arthritis relief3, decreased amount of depression3, preservation of bone density3, improved strength3, stability4 and flexibility 5. Exercise is an important part of life and its’ benefits are not taken seriously.

So why isn’t everyone reaping the benefits of exercise? There are many reasons. The most common reasons are lack of knowledge and motivation. Some people are lazy and don’t want to follow a fitness routine while others follow a routine and end up with minimal gains. It is a fact that improper execution of exercises will cause injury and hamper results. Here the wise old adage of “No pain, No gain” is a thing of the past. It is important that people realize that designing a program targeting their specific needs and goals is no easy task. Getting the advice of a qualified professional is the only way to ensure proper technique and maximum benefit. A quality trainer will focus on flexibility, stability and core strength while working towards a specific goal.

Flexibility is a very important part of a training program but is often over looked. In my opinion, lack of flexibility is the root of many problems. When a muscle is tight it limits the muscles ability to contract properly causing inefficient movements and joint stress. Muscles that are tight are more likely to become injured and cause the opposing muscle to contract improperly. If people would just stretch and perform moderate exercise many problems as well as overmedication may dissipate. Flexibility plus strength equal stability and are the foundation of exercise. Without them, the body’s movement becomes limited and, good results are difficult to achieve.

Stability is a key element that is often ignored. This is an area where many trainers lack knowledge. Stability exercises should be a part of every exercise program. Exercising with free weights and challenging the surrounding environment promotes balance and stability, which is essential, especially in the older population. Training primarily with machines without integrating free weights into a program is inefficient because the client is moving resistance along a fixed axis and not free in space as we do in life. Stability is critical for everyone. Without stability, even the strongest person can not effectively propel a force into the environment. Stability training starts with an efficient core routine. A weak core contributes to poor stability and inhibits proper limb movements.

Training the core (mid section) involves beyond sit ups and back extensions. An efficient core routine consists of dynamic movements, challenge of the center of gravity and isometric exercises. It is a fact that training on the physio ball is superior to traditional floor exercises4. However keep in mind any core training that is done sitting or laying down limiting pelvic movement has little or no functional value. It is crucial to focus on core exercises that require standing on 1 leg and pelvic movement in all planes of motion. Medicine balls, balance boards and physio balls are great tools for core training and should be integrated into every program. If the core is weak, the extremities cannot function properly. This causes muscle imbalances in the kinetic chain. As a person ages, balance and stability become compromised. If balance and stability are not addressed, they will consistently degrade. This is why falls are common in the geriatric population. Many back and hip injuries are related to weak core muscles. There are many small muscles in the core that the general population knows little about or addresses during exercise. MRI images show atrophy in these small muscles in most spinal injuries.6-9 These little muscles need to be trained in order to maintain a healthy spine.6-9 Functional training that relates to every day activities and focuses on core stability will improve a person’s quality of life.

When the goal is lean muscle and loss of body fat, circuit training is the best choice. Performing full body functional workouts every session is a sure way to burn maximum calories. You should not try to isolate muscles, rather you should try to get as many body parts involved as possible while keeping strict form. This type of training insures a very efficient and balanced session. For the general population, the benefits of this type of training surpass the traditional style of single body part sessions. Circuit training is geared towards increasing the heart rate while using some type of resistance or environmental challenge. When circuit training, it is crucial to keep moving and maintain your target heart rate zone.

When sport specific training, the exercises should be geared towards that sport. The exercises used should relate as closely as possible to the sports’ required movements. Training in this fashion insures maximum performance when actually playing the sport. It is imperative to focus on the muscles involved in the particular activity, also be mindful of any muscular imbalances. It is important to include drills that enhance muscular control to avoid inadequate response by the motor system which may result in injury10. A qualified trainer can emulate the challenges faced on the playing field during the session.

Before initiating an exercise program, one should always consult a physician as well as a qualified fitness professional. Clients should always obtain guidance before starting a program. This ensures that they are addressing their specific needs and goals. Many people make the mistake of reading some articles and asking some “muscle head” for advice. This is a waste of valuable time and effort and often results in minimal benefits and a short lived commitment. Receiving the guidance of a qualified fitness professional is a sure way to get results and avoid injury.

References

1: Ishikawa-Takata K, Ohta T, Tanaka H.

How much exercise is required to reduce blood pressure in essential hypertensives: a dose-response study.

AM J Hypertens.2003 Aug;16(8):629-33

2: Krook A, Holm I, Pettersson S, Wallberg-Henriksson H.

Reduction of risk factors following lifestyle modification programme in subjects with type 2 (non-insulin dependent) diabetes mellitus.

Clin Physiol Funct Imaging.2003 Jan;23(1):21-30

3: Seguin R, Nelson ME

The benefits of strength training for older adults.

Am J Prev Med.2003 Oct;25(3Suppl 2):141-9

4: Cosio-Lima LM, Reynolds KL, Winter C, Paolone V, Jones MT.

Effects of physioball and conventional floor exercises on early phase adaptations in back and abdominal core stability and balance in women.

J Strength Cond. Res.2003 Nov;17(4):721-5

5: Liebenson CS. Manual Resistance Techniques and Self Stretches for Improved Flexibility/Mobility in Rehabilitation of the Spine: A Practitioner rquote s Manual, Liebenson C (ed)., Williams and Wilkins, 1996, pages 253-292.

6: Hides, J. A., Richardson, C. A., and Jull, G. A. Magnetic resonance imaging and

ultrasonography of the lumbar multifidus muscle. Comparison of two different

modalities. Spine 20:54-8; 1995

7: Hides, J. A., Stokes, M. J., Saide, M., Jull, G. A., and Cooper, D. H. Evidence of

lumbar multifidus muscle wasting ipsilateral to symptoms in patients with

acute/subacute low back pain. Spine 19:165-72; 1994

8: Kiyoshi Yoshihara, MD; Yasumasa Shirai, MD; Yoshihito Nakayama, MD; Shinji Uesaka, MD. Histochemical Changes in the Multifidus Muscle in Patients With Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Herniation. Spine 2001;26:622-626

9: Julie A. Hides, PhD; Carolyn A. Richardson, PhD; Gwendolen A. Jull, MPhty Multifidus Muscle Recovery Is Not Automatic After Resolution of Acute, First-Episode Low Back Pain. Spine 1996;21:2763-2769



10: Etty Griffin LY.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Jan172012

Trying to make a change in your diet for the better can be one of the most mentally fatiguing aspects to weight loss. Every day is an internal struggle with your conscience trying to decide what type of food to eat, but it is up to you to make sure that you stay on the course you have chosen for yourself. With each passing day you will become more disciplined and things will become easier and easier. Although the first two weeks is the most difficult part don’t worry you are in luck there are some simple ways to make your life much easier.
Before you being to take your weight loss journey you need to set some goals. Keep the goals small and simple. The biggest set back is setting a goal that’s unrealistic and it’s demoralizing, it makes people want to give up if you do not achieve it. If you set small goals that can be attained each week it will boost your confidence and allow you to set bigger goals as time goes on. For example instead of saying I want to lose 5 pounds in a week, which is unrealistic say you want to lose 1-2 pounds instead. Anyone can lose a pound in a week and seeing the number on the scale go down is more of a motivating factor than anything. Remember there is 3500 calories in a pound of fat so if you want to lose one pound in a week try to decrease your overall calorie intake by just 500 calories a day and by the end of the week you have cut back one pound of fat calories. Cutting back 500 calories is very easy to do as well its as simple as switching an apple for a snack as apposed to eating a handful of cookies. Also remember that what you do one week you will see the next week. Do not weigh yourself everyday and get discourage because you didn’t see the number change for the better. Be consistent with your weigh in’s pick a day and time and only weight yourself at those times. Being aware of your calorie intake in the beginning can become stressful and possibly annoying but if you stick to it your new change will become second nature and you wont even realize it anymore.
The next simple step is to make a food log for your self. Keep a little journal of what you eat throughout the day and keep notes on each meal. Write down why you ate what you did and how it made you feel. This will help you to understand your body and will ultimately prevent you for straying off course. By writing your food intake down it will psychologically make you eat healthier. You aren’t going to write down anything that is bad for you because when you actually see it on paper it will be more disappointing, especially if you were having a good day and then out of no where you had a moment of weakness and gave succumb to a bad habit. By writing all your meals down it will help you to understand how your body works and reacts and once you get a hold of this knowledge it will make your life much easier.
The next step is a little more tedious, but nonetheless it is an easy change to make. Most people make their eating mistakes when they are in a rush or they are eating with their eyes. An easy way to fix this problem is to start to plan your meals a head of time. If you plan each meal it will help you to avoid making bad decisions. This goes back to the food log this will help you to understand your body and find what works for you. Once you realize what foods work for you stick with it. It’s like that old saying if something isn’t broken don’t fix it, if you eat something that you enjoy and you are getting the results you want continue to use it and you watch the pounds fall off.  This will help you fall into a routine and you wont have to struggle to decide what you are going to eat, you will automatically know what to go to.
The last little trick is to reward yourself for all your hard work. Give yourself a small cheat meal. No one is perfect and everyone has a moment of weakness every now and then but if you schedule it you can have control of what you’re eating without over doing it. You spent all week fighting all those bad cravings and you should get an award for it. This will also help you to satisfy those bad cravings. If you are someone who enjoys chocolate or ice cream and you avoided it all week than go treat yourself to a bite or a spoonful. Remember its just enough to satisfy your craving don’t let yourself slip and end up eating an entire bowl of ice cream or a big chocolate bar. By having a tiny bit of what you crave will help you get off the hump and drive you on into the next week. Again this reverts back to keep your goals realistic, cutting something you love completely out isn’t realistic, but if you eat it moderation it’s a win-win. You get to lose weight and still enjoy your favorite foods.
Getting a head of the mental aspect of weight loss is the most challenging part of diet and exercise, but as long as you create attainable goals that will keep you on track you will get to you end goal in no time. With each passing day not only will you become physically stronger but stronger mentally as well and this point you will be able to achieve anything that you set your mind to.

  Nicholas Polizzi, Exercise Science Specialist
Nicholas has been training for over eight years and took his passion for fitness to the next level. He has been aspiring to become a top competitive bodybuilder, which is one of his specialties. He has been a multiple sport athlete his entire life and if it were not for injuries he could have played at the college level. Although he was prolonged with injuries, his perseverance lead him to become apart of division 1 nationally recognized Hofstra Cheerleading team. Hofstra has won five national titles and Nicholas was apart of two of those national championship teams. His determination to excel in his field stemmed from his injuries and he is constantly learning new techniques and is taking new courses to continue his education. Along with training clients in the gym nick trains in home clients as well as athletes. Nicholas has been a trainer for two years and is currently NFPT and USAW Olympic lifting certified. He is currently a senior at Hofstra University and is graduating this year with Bachelors in exercise science.