Julie, Barbara and Ellen keep it real with fitness facts and Philly tips. | Disclaimer
BARBARA, arts, educational & cultural consultant: You and almost everyone you know has too much work at work and ever-mounting family needs. Everybody wants a piece of you. This can make you harried and stressful. In addition, trying to satisfy all those needs can make you wonder if there really is a huge “S” emblazoned on your chest.
Well, designing and following a fitness program is a real stress reliever. So, you’ve got to make some scheduling adjustments that create opportunities for exercise. After all, you set goals when it comes to your job and family. So why should you sell yourself short?
The amount of moving you do per week depends on the kind of activity you do. Aerobic exercises should be done three to five times per week for at least 30 minutes per session. Strength training requires two to three weekly workouts of 30 minutes each. Finally, stretching calls for two to three 30-minute sessions each week.
If you’re burning the candle at both ends, you may not have time available for all this. But, if you do the math, at the minimum, you could design a total cross-training workout that requires only 3 ½ hours of your entire week. Aren’t you worth the sacrifice?
I suggest you buy a cheap timer and set it for 10 or 15 minute movement intervals. Try a short walk before work, at lunchtime, after work, before dinner or in the evening. Try chair exercises. Just sit up straight in a chair and lift your knees, arms and legs alternately. Work in sets of 10 and vary the movements until 10 minutes have passed. Do push-ups against a wall in the office, kitchen or laundry room. Walk in place to your favorite song or get a commercial walking tape to use inside. Anything you do is good as long as you keep moving. If you get bored, change up but don’t give up.
You’ll feel better in the long run.
HEATHER, athlete and personal trainer: Juggling the demands of family and work while trying to find time for a fitness program can be an extremely daunting task. Fortunately, there are some quick methods of exercise that can be quite effective.
For example, my clients engage in something that is known as high-intensity strength training. One session lasts no more than 30 minutes, and our clients usually work out two to three times per week. They engage in a total-body workout where each exercise is done with concise form until the repetition can no longer be performed. Performing at this level of intensity, even though it is a relatively short duration, provides countless benefits to your body and overall health.
A second interesting method for squeezing in exercise is by changing daily activities that we normally do with assistance. For example, by climbing three flights of stairs at work, you burn 150 calories. Simply taking the elevator expends only 0.3 calories. Did you know that by hand-washing your car, you utilize 300 calories? Driving through the car wash uses zero. Likewise, a lawn service helps you eliminate zero calories while cutting the grass yourself burns 360.
Recent studies indicate that we should be doing exercise for 30 minutes a day, three to four times per week. Luckily, a similar study also found that there are no negative consequences for breaking up the session into three 10-minute sessions throughout the day. Thus, modifying your current routine is another way of getting a fitness experience. For example, instead of spending your ½ hour lunch break eating, spend 10 minutes of your break taking a brisk walk, and then consume your meal for the remaining time. Shooting hoops with the kids for 10 minutes before supper is another segment of your workout. Finally, ending the day by grabbing your free weights and doing strength-training exercises for the last 10 minutes completes your required 30 minutes.
Creativity and planning are the keys to conquering the challenges of our busy lives. Take the kids for a short walk if they are preventing you from exercising. Set the alarm 20 minutes earlier, and hop on the treadmill that you are currently using as a clothes rack. Exercise is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your loved ones. Overcome your obstacles. Get up and get moving. You can do it!
Posted by vance at 06:36 AM
ELLEN, journalist and anti-athlete: I am considered somewhat of an expert at juggling priorities at my job. But it all goes out the window when it comes to my personal life. I have spent many years wondering what form of mental illness this is. Why is it so tough for Americans, particularly female Americans, to make their own physical wellness a priority?
Someone once told me that if the president of the United States can find an hour a day to exercise, I could too. “Do you think you are busier than the president?” this adviser asked.
Well, yeah. Does the president have to stop at the gas station on the way to work? Does the president have to figure out how to pay for the prom dress? Does the president worry about taking a second job so he can pay for his retirement?
Here then is the nub of my own shortcoming. I actually think that I am busier than the leader of the Free World. And choosing health becomes easier to avoid when you have that attitude. I’ve got to stop this.
If fitness were my job (and I would argue that it should be), I would be giving myself a lecture about stamina and will and personal strength. These are the characteristics that keep me functioning in a demanding job during a recession in a competitive field. And in a very real way, my own personal fitness program is the same kind of challenge.
I need to work on embedding (to use a word in the press these days) these values in my fitness program just like the military is embedding journalists in the military forces. I need these values popping out of my fitness foxholes and writing up my successes and failures in my own personal battle to keep fit. If I have the stamina to work 15-hour days during Operation Iraqi Freedom, I should be able to get up an hour earlier to work out. If I have the will to push forward a tired staff to continue to do excellent work during week two of the war, I should have the will to keep to my exercise program. And if I have the personal strength to be direct with people about their strengths and weaknesses so they can be better journalists, I should have the same conversation with myself about owning my fitness issues.
But it all falls away so easily.
I use the mantra of “Choose Health” to help me in moments like this. I am trying very hard to stick to my eating plan. But when I am exhausted, I truly crave sugar-laced carbos. I tell myself to “Choose Health” and grab some grapes. I find also that my family will help me if I ask for it. My husband last weekend lured me on a long walk with the promise of a stop at a neighborhood restaurant after I told him I had to get some exercise, but I didn’t have the strength to face a gym.
I also am a big fan of organizations like Weight Watchers and I am very intrigued by SparkPeople.com, an online tracking system. I am seeing more of these pop up on the Web. See webmd.com’s Weight Loss Clinic or Men’s Health Magazine's MensHealth.com Personal trainer. I find the Menshealth.com lineup, which includes the Belly-Off Custom Weight-Loss Planner and the Testosterone Diet Plan, amusing and somehow affirming for the gals in the crowd. It never occurred to me that men have these fitness issues too!
ELLEN, journalist and anti-athlete: This week, I decided to ask the youth expert in our house to answer our reader’s query. My daughter, Kaitlin, is 17 and a senior at Lower Merion High School. She has recently started an exercise program and lost some weight. Here’s her advice:
As a 17-year-old who has grown up on Seventeen and Teen magazines, I find your perspective on weight very familiar. The battle against negativity in fashion mags and for good body image has been and is a long and arduous one for many teenagers. It’s an issue that I struggle with too.
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| Kaitlin Mullaney. |
Now, if you want to lose weight, there are tons of short-term, lose-quick diet methods decorating the Internet. Before you do a google search, honestly ask yourself if you really care what those ads in Teen Vogue are telling you. If you do, I think that is the wrong motivation to lose weight. And it’s the reason that most people gain weight back. If you're losing the weight to look like the models, then your efforts will fail.
My suggestion is to set a definite exercise routine, and stick to it like it’s your job. The routine HAS to be realistic. Start out slow if you know that a quick change to your habits might defeat your plan. Also, pick things you like to do if you have the opportunity, and find someone to exercise with you whenever you can.
Sincerely,
Kaitlin
If you’d like to be a guest columnist for the Girlfriends, please give us your name and your topic by hitting Add A Comment below. We’re particularly interested in the opinions of young girlfriends out there. Thanks, Ellen.
BARBARA, arts, educational & cultural consultant: Hey, 16! You are in good company because most folks look like you. Yet, many young women and young men, for that matter, feel like you do. But did you know the media, magazines, TV and movies use images of girls and guys who are really too thin? And did you know those really thin people are even thinner in real life because the camera makes you look 10 to 15 pounds heavier? Many models starve themselves and develop eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. So, don't be so hard on yourself. Pick your head up, look in the mirror, tell yourself how wonderful you are and get a game plan together.
Recently, I was with a friend who said she was overweight most of her life and tried to eat less. Then, she learned she had to eat more to lose weight. She got involved in nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. That's what will work for you. Nutrition is about learning what foods do and which ones are good choices for you. Knowing about nutrition, healthy eating and exercise puts you in the control seat. Congratulations! You can select the things you want to eat and record them.
The fact that you wrote us means you care about yourself and want to take control of things in your life. I think you are ready for a change too. Making choices, changing and taking control are all part of being a teenager, and this can be an exciting time in your life.
Get the go ahead from your doctor about beginning a weight management and exercise program. Then, find a program that works for you, and try to get a friend or two to join the program with you. I personally think Weight Watchers is the best program for many people, and they have special classes just for teens. You'll learn all about nutrition, eating, exercise and lots more.
Let us know how you are doing, what's working and what's not, and we will be here to cheer you on.
Posted by vance at 01:04 AM
HEATHER, athlete and personal trainer: Before we begin, let's put a few items in perspective.
The average American woman is 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model is 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 117 pounds, which means most fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women.
Four out of five American women say they're dissatisfied with the way they look, and on any given day, almost half of the women in the United States are on a diet.
With that said, I feel for you as a young female. There are many pressures that we as women experience and being the “ideal weight” with the “perfect build” is one of them.
Personally, I am not, nor was I ever, someone who has the perfect body. I am 5 feet 10 inches tall and built like a strong, athletic woman. When I was younger, I too wanted to have a cute, little body that was similar to all of my friends. Genetically however, it was not meant to be. Turns out, my body allowed me to become a very talented athlete. This gift made it possible for me to attend a very fine academic institution, Bucknell University, and compete in three varsity sports. Without my prowess for athletics and physical presence in the playing arena, I would not have been awarded the athletic assistance that helped me afford this caliber of education.
My advice to you is take pride in how you look just as you are. Eat a healthy and balanced array of foods. Exercise regularly, yet not excessively. Get proper rest, and see your physician annually. Surround yourself with others who are proud of themselves as people - not consumed with how they look.
I know it can, at times, be overwhelming with all of the media and social pressures. I look at some female athletes such as Brandi Chastain (US Women’s Soccer player), Serena Williams (professional tennis player), and Picabo Street (US Ski Team) and they are constant reminders that you don't have to be a size 4 to be beautiful and successful.
You are “perfect” the way you are. So, continue being healthy and take pride in your body whatever your size or shape.
BARBARA, arts, educational & cultural consultant: The clothes you wear when you exercise do make a difference. They should be appropriate for your fitness routine. That means you have to know what you need. But you also need to become familiar with the options and the sources available to you.
Though some active wear can get pretty pricey, you don't need to spend a lot of money. Sporting goods stores, department stores and athletic shoe stores generally carry a large selection of clothing for most of your fitness needs, be they aquatic, indoor or outdoor, cold or hot weather activities. The Internet provides numerous sites with clothing for most every taste and workout need.
However, if you are a full-figured female, you should check out the male sizes. They are as comfortable, colorful and stylish as the women's wear.
New Balance has a great Web site that provides more concise information on apparel sizing and performance.
In addition to size, there are things to consider in selecting workout clothes, including:
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| Myung Irvin works out at the Philadelphia Sports Club. (Jennifer Midberry / Daily News) |
Reflective clothing is a must for exercise outside during fog or at night. If you wear a hat and a headset, be sure you can hear oncoming traffic. Carry a whistle and a cell phone for use in case of an accident or an emergency. When I wear exercise clothes that look right, I feel better doing my workout. And some days that racing strip, that colorful, quirky T-shirt are just what I need to get me going. So girlfriends, before you suit up, think about what suits you. If it suits you, go with it.
ELLEN, journalist and anti-athlete:
When I was in high school about 100 years ago, we were given gym suits to wear to gym class. They were one-piece outfits with snaps in an institutional blue color. We looked like prisoners in our short-legged and short-sleeved uniforms. I still remember the suits’ scent when you pulled them from the bottom of the locker week after week. No wonder I hated gym class.
I love my gym clothes now. Perhaps that’s why I find it easier to get more out of my workout than we did in those forced calisthenics of high school. While you might not call my outfit stylish, it does make me feel good, and it makes me feel like an athlete. Putting it on is part of my ritual and part of my motivation. I have always wanted to be a jock. So, my fashion sense here is to look as close to a jock as I can. You will likely laugh when I tell you what I wear.
I have L.L. Bean leggings and biker shorts that I buy from the catalog. And then, I usually wear an oversized T-shirt that is orange with tie-dyed accents. I have written in earlier columns about my very professional-looking new running shoes that I also bought at a discount store, John’s Sneaks in Ardmore.
I also have a collection of T-shirts from runs that I participated in before my lower back succumbed to arthritis. I love putting those old shirts on and remembering the colors and drama of the running community in Minneapolis, where I did my last 5K.
So picture me in this rather unfashionable get-up and understand that this makes me feel very cool. I can pretend for a few hours that I really am a jock. How different is this from donning an evening gown for a night out on the town to pretend you are rich and famous?
So fashion --- even fitness fashion --- is in the eye of the beholder. And I’d argue that putting some energy into how you feel about the way you look can defeat even the most hardcore reptilian memory of high school gym class. It works for me.
HEATHER, athlete and personal trainer: Fitness has absolutely nothing to do with fashion unless it provides some psychological benefit to you personally. When you go to the gym or engage in any type of fitness plan, you are there for hard work. You are supposed to sweat, not spend the duration of your activity comparing yourself to others and what they are wearing.
When I do strength training or cardio, I usually wear a pair of mesh shorts and grab a random T-shirt. During the summer, it's shorts and a tank or cut off shirt to help keep me a little cooler. The type of activity that you select may warrant some specific purchases. For example, if you are planning to do a spin class or outdoor biking, you may consider buying bike shorts that have padding to ease the soreness from the saddle that you may incur.
As most of my clients and friends know, I am very big into tennis shoes of all varieties. I do confess to owning 27 to 30 pairs of sneakers at any given time. But again, for me, this is a personal thing, and I do it for fun.
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| Deena Gerson works out at the Philadelphia Sports Club. (Jennifer Midberry / Daily News) |
Here are a few simple things to remember when buying your athletic shoes:
Finally, whatever gear you decide to work out in, select it because it is comfortable. Your workout is for you and your body and not meant to be a fashion show. Check with a fitness professional to see if you really do need any specific equipment for an activity you are planning to do. Additionally, ask a foot or shoe expert to help you select the footwear that is appropriate for not only the activity but for your feet. Remember, fitness does not require fashion, but it does require good old fashioned hard work!
ELLEN, journalist and anti-athlete: I’ve been eating a lot of salmon lately. Any number of doctors are telling me, in the media, that this will make my skin look radiant. Wrinkles may even disappear! I am breathlessly awaiting this.
Salmon is a new food to me, and there are days when I would bathe in it if it made me feel physically better. The truth is, I do feel better when I am eating a low-fat diet and drinking lots of water. And while “radiant” may be a stretch, my skin does look better. But I do hope, for the sake of Western civilization, that eating broiled salmon and drinking water are not the miracle cures. We will become very dull beings.
The truth about skin fitness is somewhere in the great middle of miracle cures and strict diets, I’m convinced. A doctor once told me that your skin is the largest organ of the body and paying attention to it will pay off. Your skin also gives you hints about how well you are taking care of yourself. So, I did a skin audit this week, and I was relatively satisfied. For someone now 50, I am living in my own skin and feeling pretty good about it. I also had a personal consultation with the renowned dermatologist and best-selling author Dr. Nicholas Perricone. He gave me something less than a stellar review. Truth be told, the consultation turned out to be a quiz on the ivillage.com pages, but it was interesting. You may have heard about Dr. Perricone. The titles of his books will give you the headlines: “The Perricone Prescription” and “The Wrinkle Cure.”
The guy looks pretty good for a seasoned physician. And it did give me pause that perhaps if I really wanted to have the fittest of skin, I should look into his program. Could it really be true that if I cut back on the carbos and ate lots more protein, I could look like him? Probably not. But his philosophy did give me some tips on my simple program of just living in my own skin.
It would help me a lot if my generation of baby boomers could let go of this obsession with youth and get comfy with the character lines, which experts refer to as frown lines, nasolabial folds and crow’s feet. If everyone would quit focusing on wrinkles and be more concerned with skin fitness or wellness, we probably would start thinking those little lines are as cute as the half-glasses we are all wearing on the end of our noses.
Don’t get me wrong. I am 100 percent in favor of improving the shape of the largest organ in my body. I have many little jars of potions that probably are canceling out each other when I find the time to use them. But I am very realistic that I am never going to look like Jane Fonda or Elle MacPherson because they just got dealt a better hand of DNA.
So, here is my skin fitness plan: I use my sunblock every day. I choose Neostrata Daily Protection Sunscreen SPF 29, and I buy it online. It was developed by researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia, so it has a soft spot in my heart. In addition, a dermatologist friend says he uses it every day on his face and hands, so that’s enough of an endorsement for me. I doubt it has all the substances that Dr. Perricone suggest I slather on my bod. But it’s about all I can do. I will eat salmon every chance I get and drink more water. (And if my dentist is reading this, I promise to floss my teeth. And if my gynecologist is reading this, I promise to do those Kegels.)
In the end, I need to live in my own skin and be content with that. I am not sure what aging gracefully means anymore. But this is my stab at it. Focus on fitness - even if it has to do with your face. Choose to live in your own skin - even if that means surgery. And please give me a call if you figure out whether alpha-lipoic acid or lactobionic acid or orange zest is best for skin wellness.
I’ve got to go home to watch that infomercial on coral calcium. Did you hear it cures cancer?
What do you think? Click on Add Your Own, and share with the class.
HEATHER, athlete and personal trainer:
Congratulations! Staying fit throughout the winter months is certainly a challenge with snow obstacles, the winter blues and motivational issues. Braving the wind and cold is yet another hurdle that one must overcome. Here are a few things to keep in mind when exercising outdoors that will help to make your experience more enjoyable.
You should create three layers of clothing to protect your body.
The layer closest to your skin should be a thin layer of synthetic microfibers such as polypropylene to wick sweat away from your body. Look for long underwear and turtlenecks that feature this wicking action. Avoid cotton, which absorbs and holds moisture close to your body. The second layer should be an insulation layer. A synthetic fleece that is lightweight and quick-drying provides good insulation. A front zipper on your insulating layer allows you to release excess body heat and perspiration. The final layer should be your shell. This is your frontline of defense against the elements. You want it to be as wind-proof and water-proof as possible. As the day gets warmer, you can always take off this outermost layer. Gore-Tex is the best known wind- and water-proof fabric.< Now that we have your core body protected, we must not forget the extremities. Your hands and feet are the farthest points from your heart, the least insulated and thus, are highly vulnerable to cold. Wool or polypropylene socks are a good choice for insulation and wicking moisture from your feet. All-climate shoes are available for winter jogging or hiking. These shoes have a water-resistant outer covering - again Gore-Tex is a good choice - and soles that provide traction and stability. Remember to use gloves or mittens that utilize the same three-layer system as when protecting your core. Polypropylene glove liners are a relatively inexpensive accessory that may help keep your hands drier and warmer inside your gloves or mittens.
Finally, we must protect your head and neck. You lose approximately 60 percent of your body heat if your head is exposed to the elements. A wool or fleece hat that wicks away perspiration from your head and covers your ears is a good choice. Face masks that cover your nose and mouth also are helpful in protecting your face on cold, windy days, and they keep the air that you breathe warmer and more humid. Goggles or wraparound sunglasses will protect your eyes from both wind and ultraviolet radiation. Don't forget to wear sunscreen on your face and a lip balm that contains sunscreen as well.
As always, stay well hydrated before and after your exercise. In extreme cold, watch for signs of hypothermia. Keep up the good work, and remember, spring is just around the corner!
BARBARA, arts, educational & cultural consultant: In search of a solution for you and others plagued with seasonal skin conditions, I spoke with a professional and explored the Internet.
Dr. Susan Taylor, a leader in the field of dermatology, shed some light on the topic.
Runners and others who spend prolonged time periods outdoors need a skin-saving routine.
Taylor’s recommendations:
1) Wash with a very mild cleanser, avoiding harsh
soaps. Over-the-counter products such as Dove,
Aveeno, and Cetaphil are fine. The liquid form of
Cetaphil and Aveeno also replenish as they cleanse.
2) Moisturize daily. A host of over-the-counter
products are available including Lubriderm and
Cetaphil.
3) Before you run, apply a thin coat of Vaseline on
exposed areas to provide a barrier for the skin
against wind and dry air.
4) Pull a hat over your full head.
5) Wear a scarf over the face.
6) Use a moisturizing sunscreen as a barrier in winter to guard against the potential danger to the skin. If the sun is out and you run in snowy areas or on reflective surfaces, you run the risk of sunburn. This is especially true of fair-skinned people. For additional information on the skin and Taylor, try www.societyhilldermatology.com.
The winter season affects the skin of many people, said Taylor with Society Hill Dermatology in Philadelphia. If you are outside for extended periods of time, things get worse. The winter wind is strong and our skin loses moisture to the air, she said. Beyond the head and face, a Weight Watchers article, "Cold Weather Skin Care," by Estelle Sobel, offers more great tips.
Meanwhile, if you have chapped lips, keep them covered with a moisturizing chap stick, Vaseline or lip balm. Don’t lick your lips. That makes them drier and more cracked. Your hands also need moisture replenishing and gloves to prevent chapping.
In short, the case for the protection of the winter runner’s skin has been solved with a simple solution. When it comes to winter weather and your skin, stay undercover and stay under wraps.