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THE NEXT EVENT PROMOTED by Diana and Bonnie is in a lovely place, to support a lovely cause, building a HFH home in Hurricane Irma-ravaged Key West, Florida. The cost to join the March 31-April 6 2019 excursion is $1250.00.
Also advertised on the event page is a walk, every month, on the first Saturday at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles CA. The description invites anyone to join the group wherever you are, at precisely the same time as the LA event. The initial December 1, 2018 walk required participants to register, and is now closed. Check the webpage for details on the upcoming January 5 walk. EverWalk indicates it is recruiting individuals, Ambassadors, to lead local walks across the nation on these days. Another opportunity was rolled out earlier but isn’t highlighted or explained fully on the website to those who have not yet joined the movement. Upon joining, individuals have the ability to log their miles each day. I did this but haven’t been diligent with the miles-logging activity. Consider this EverWalk opportunity if doing so will help you persevere in a walking program. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://everwalk.com/events/
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HARVARD MEN’S HEALTH OFFERS MOTIVATIONAL INFORMATION & ADVICE in an article "The Wonders of Winter Workouts", on the BENEFITS of cooler weather exercise (30- and 40-degrees).
The biggest benefit to exercising outdoors discussed in the article, in my opinion, is the exposure to daylight that is possible. Sunlight is a gift, but I’ll take any daylight when the forecast doesn’t call for sustained, cheery, bright, light. However, let’s be clear that this article is likely aimed at people who regularly exert themselves physically and can be considered aerobically fit. Sedentary people, especially those with heart or lung disease, as the piece indicates, should be much more careful about taking exercise out of the house or gym and into the chillier streets and parks. The American Heart Association further identifies who should be extra careful in the great cold outdoors. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/cold-weather-and-cardiovascular-disease Something else to consider is the added work that’s involved in exercising while wearing more clothes. Adjust expectations and plans accordingly. Try stepping on a scale before and after putting on all gear to get an idea of the extra weight that will be carried, including water bottles. Realize it will be more difficult and tiring to navigate snowy or icy paths in boots or heavier trail shoes than vented summer-season athletic shoes, while wearing bulky outerwear. Cut sessions in half initially and gauge exertion levels before planning to go all-out . Although staying warm is important, care should be taken not to dress such that overheating is likely to occur. Layering is a great tactic if shed clothing doesn’t need to be carried but can be dropped or stored and picked up later. I’ve carried an extra hat, earmuffs, neck gaiter, and insulated mittens for miles and found it exhausting and awkward. The easiest way to avoid unexpected problems is to plot a short, cold weather specific, exercise loop from a starting point that serves as a safe stop to access essentials, warm up, hydrate, or cool down as needed, based on weather conditions. And to change the battery on a out-of charge mobile phone that is carried for emergencies. Your home or car will be most convenient. A one mile loop never leaves you more than a half mile away from the anchor safe point. There will be more winter weather topic discussions. Hopefully, the cautions in this post and the HMH article won’t discourage outdoor exercise. If unconvinced that you’ll LOVE IT, consider scheduling at least one session on a day that forecasted to be mostly sunny. The lift in spirits it can provide might be addicting. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-wonders-of-winter-workouts TIME IS IN SHORT SUPPLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS and it may not be possible to travel to and attend favorite studio fitness sessions or get in a gym workout during the next week. Organizing and packing up necessities beforehand, changing, and cleaning up afterward will add more minutes to the time investment than you can afford.
Renee Cherry offers 6 hip strengthening exercises in an article for SHAPE.com that you might find helpful during this busy holiday season and afterward. The moves can be performed while watching a show. Possibly some will find them difficult due to balance issues. Hold on to a stable piece of furniture or a wall initially; ultimately balance should be improved! Building hip strength is important for runners, the expert referenced in Cherry’s article indicates, “since running builds up the quads, calves and hamstrings more than the hip area muscles, runners often develop a muscle imbalance which can cause injury”. Thus, it’s important to perform additional strength training that focuses on hip strength. If at the end of the day there’s no time for your regular workout, consider these 6 resistance band exercises in an at-home session. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/mini-resistance-band-exercises-hip-strength WEEK 3 ON TO THE NEW YEAR 2018-19 5K TRAINING PLAN STARTS Runners: you will be continuing on a rather leisurely schedule and at the end of this week only running 2 miles. You won’t be asked to cover the full distance of the end of the year event until December 29. But it’s possible that the rest of your life will be intensely busy, in a good way, this week.
Walkers: you should be settling into a pattern of 4 days of walking 30 minutes plus a longer Saturday session, which will be repeated next week. But it’s possible that both walkers and runners will find the rest of life will be intensely busy, in a good way, this week building up to holiday celebrations and vacations. This contrast is the express purpose of these two plans. That is, to help you stay on a schedule that is not terribly demanding, but which provides sufficient structure to motivate aerobic physical activity leading to a year-end (or year-beginning) event. As noted in an earlier post, training is set at a “keep open” level. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the last full week before December 25, perhaps using training sessions as personal time to unwind and de-stress. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: the full plans are downloadable on the RESOURCES page THE ICONIC RED AND BLACK PARTRIDGE PLAID HATS were originally made in 1903 by Wisconsin railroad worker Stormy’s wife, Ida, at his request. Deemed “legendary” on the company website, this wool visored cap was initially designed to prevent the wind from carrying it away, as happened frequently. Apparently, Mr. Kromer asked the Mrs. to create a six-panel, “new-fashioned baseball cap with a higher crown, a pull down earband to keep it snug, and a soft cloth visor”.
A current claim made by the now Ironwood, Michigan-based* company (a shout-out to all you Yoopers) is that the made-in the USA products intend to shield wearers’ ears from harsh weather, noise pollution, and bad hair days. There's an embedded video demonstration on the site, and one on YouTube that is more artsy. These caps, and some newer styles, look to be perfect for outdoor athletic activities. Generally, in the depth of winter I tend to layer different headgear pieces to achieve complete protection: a wool baseball cap, earmuffs, plus a jacket hood on windiest days. The baseball cap visor keeps falling snow off my glasses and face, and is warm. It’s not as hot as a knit cap, and thus doesn’t cause my head to sweat and my hair to mat down with harder exercise levels. Fur earmuffs keep wind out of my ears better than a knit beanie. I can shed layers as my workout session progresses, but still need to carry the items. This layered approach definitely involves a lot of gear and the result is not attractive. On some blustery days near Lake Michigan, the whole get-up will be required plus a fleece neck gaiter. Anyway, who’s going to be looking closely at hikers on those kinds of days? Perhaps wearing just one SK hat, like the Original, or the Rancher (4 x warmer with added ear protection) might be a superior solution. A matching Outsider Bandana in wool might pull it all together, fashion-wise. The Millie allows for ponytails, and might be top choice for my first purchase! Why is Earned Runs so crazy about SK? Besides being handcrafted in the upper peninsula of Michigan, my home state, there are a number of other unique aspects of SK product lines:
Check out the website even if you don’t need to purchase anything but live in cold weather country, where it’s not unusual to experience significant springtime snowfalls. An SK bumper sticker proudly declares, “Made in a place that gets SNOW DAYS IN APRIL”. Maybe browsing will have you holding your head high and looking forward to enjoying the great outdoors all season(s) long. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *NOTE: The company was founded in Wisconsin. When it appeared production of hats was to cease, rights were purchased in 2001 and manufacturing resumed in Michigan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcfSNP8t4GM https://www.stormykromer.com/our-story ![]() THERE AREN’T ANY SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS TO EXPLORE TODAY, BUT JUST ONE WITH straightforward discussion about something many of us fear will occur at the end of December. Dietitian Cynthia Sass sorts out the facts and the myths about weight gain resulting from holiday fun and the abundance of treats at this time of the year in an article for SHAPE.com.. It’s not all bad news, so don’t be afraid to open the link and start reading. Sass starts by telling us the average amount of weight gain isn’t as much as many fear. She follows up by explaining the difference between bloating and weight gain. The harder facts come next. Sprinkled in is advice on how to ward off an undesirable weight increase. Preview (you’ll need to read her article for SHAPE.com to get complete advice): drink water and ‘budget’ carbs. The myth that seems capable of causing the most harm is the one about dropping bonus pounds in January. Sass performs a service to all delusional partiers who imagine that extra weight added at the end of the year can be easily shed at the beginning of the new year. Not so, says this RD. What I take from Sass’s article, backed up by my own personal experience and that of loved ones, is that it’s best not to allow that 1 or 2 extra holidays pounds to hop onboard at all. The numbers are low and don’t shock us into taking dramatic action once we notice them on the scale or at the time of zipping-up a favorite pair of jeans. We allow them to hang on until the added bulk no longer registers as being a new development. The next time we shop for clothes we might opt for a slightly larger size or go for a cut that is better at hiding chunkiness. A third strategy might be, when possible, to carry small weights to represent what even a small amount of gain will do to our physical feeling of health. This past summer I purchased a weighted vest to help with walk training. The vest itself weighed 2 pounds. The small iron weights that could be added to compartments on the vest each weighed 3 pounds. In total, 6 weights could be added to create a 20-pound vest. To avoid injury, my summer weighted walking program started with just the vest. Then one weight was to be added each week. To provide balance, the extra weight was first added to a pocket on the back of the vest and then one on the front. At full weight, there would be 3 on the front and the same number on the back. For the past year I had been telling myself that the 6 pounds I picked up from not being able to run wasn’t that much. Even walking had been quite difficult with the knee/calf problem. Training had ceased, which included adherence to both physical exercise and nutrition programs. To have gained only six to seven pounds didn’t seem so very unhealthy. My perception changed as soon as I started weighted vest training. I was amazed at how sluggish I felt with just the 2 pounds of vest on. Adding each 3-pound weight was a chore to manage. Toward the end of the 5th week I moved one of the front chest weights to the back. It was more difficult to carry pounds on the front, than on the back. I was feeling fatigued in the later afternoons, so walk distances were shortened and more gradually lengthened over more days. My feet developed pre-blisters from walking with the full 20 pounds; a bit of attention prevented actual blisters. Adaptation to the last two 3-pound weights each required 2 weeks. Afterward I experimented with just wearing it at home while sitting and working on a laptop. It did not seem easier. Although the process consumed roughly 8 weeks over the summer, nearly instantly I appreciated the burden that a mere 2-3 pounds added to my body. I felt ill, out of sorts wearing it. The effect was greatest with frontal weight. Of course, we don’t distribute weight gain in this artificial fashion, but the vest weight additions were close enough to reality to be a bit frightening. It was wonderful to shed the weighted vest at the end of a training session. The real extra body weight hasn’t been as easy to lose, but it is slowly coming down. Every single pound that comes off relieves part of the burden, I now understand! I am determined not to pick up ONE EXTRA POUND on this holiday! This dietitian’s article is a great reminder to take action. Per the advice Sass provides, I will not plan to take weight gained now off in January; I will plan and work hard to not gain it, while fully enjoying the season. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/5-myths-and-facts-about-holiday-weight-gain NOTE: I wear the weighted vest 1-2 times a week during walk training sessions, but at 17 pounds, not 20. After going through the progressive weight build-up I don't wish to go through the process again. Carrying weight at a steady level is comfortable for walking. The weight level selection is based on the method employed in a scientific study in which participants were women my age wore vests weighted at 10% of body weight. 4TH ANNUAL EARNED RUNS HONOR SERIES: 2018
THE FIRST PORTION OF THE TWO-PART SERIES is the "11k Race to Remember 9/11". 7K PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY is the series SECOND EVENT, run several months later on December 7th. Since 2015, these September and December events have been solo ‘competitions’ for me (see the HOME page). I so very much enjoyed the quiet of the pre-dawn hour sessions that first year that going forward both have been planned as individual efforts. I’ve used Earned Runs bibs, to design events on occasions that are meaningful to me, yet at the same time observed by a much greater number of people. In effect, regardless of everyone's location, we remember together. On these days I am able, 'in spirit', to join with the entire country in honoring the heroes without traveling to New York City, Washington DC, or Pennsylvania in September, or in Oahu HI in December. And in solitude, personally remember loved ones and past events. DECEMBER 7, 2018 The morning was cold, cloudy, and dry. No rain or snow was falling but it was dreary. There had been a few moments of a pink dawn blush on the southeastern horizon that I rushed to capture in a picture, at the start of this personal event. As in 2017, I walked the 7K distance because I'm no longer running. This day was very near the first-year anniversary of the NYC orthopedic visit that convinced me to forego my favorite sport of 42 years to preserve knee function. For the first time as a walker, I used a short down jacket and running shoes rather than a cumbersome knee-length coat and snow boots. The difference in apparel resulted in a new attitude; I felt like I was ‘back’ to being an athlete rather than a plodder. My outerwear was comfortable and lightweight. Not exactly sleek and streamlined but not usual, everyday outerwear. At the crest of the hill starting point only one good picture was captured that morning to record the day's event. My phone battery quickly shut down in the cold. This annual memorial might seem silly. Who am I to be personally commemorating such huge turning points in the lives of most families? That’s what goes through my mind beforehand, so it’s likely readers would be thinking this as well. However, without music playing, a phone conversation going, or an audible book electronically delivering content into my ears (not allowed in my ‘rules’ for these 2 walks) there is an opportunity to remember my parents and the other members of their generation. Recall those times in history. Acknowledge the daily courage needed to go to war, work at vital and non-vital jobs, conduct the business of the country that allowed survival in spite of persistent fears. Not to concentrate on dreaded outcomes. The November 30, 2018 death and widely televised memorial services of ‘41’, as former US President George HW Bush is nicknamed, two days before had stirred feelings and memories in heart and mind days in advance. Much had been said about his life, and the times in which my parents had shared similar experiences. However, my quiet December 7 walk allowed me to sort the sentiments, life lessons, and messages of those public remembrances and find personal meaning in them. To move forward, bolstered rather than saddened by newly-gained perspectives on his and other lives, well-lived. ‘41’ had been an athlete and had taken pride in his athleticism as long as was possible. He loved the ocean as seen from his Maine retreat. I get him. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_George_H._W._Bush https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/us/politics/george-hw-bush-funeral.html WEEK 2 5K TRAINING STARTS. NOW THAT YOU STARTED EASING BACK INTO TRAINING the relaxed nature of these plans should be apparent. The days of preparation between Thanksgiving and the December holidays are busy and may leave runners and walkers feeling uncharacteristically fatigued. That’s the reasoning behind the strategy of training on a “keep open” level of intensity for both.
In medical terms, life-saving fluids or medications might be delivered to a patient through an intravenous tube or ‘line’ at a rate that is “wide open” such that the valve regulating fluid flow rate does not obstruct the tube lumen at all. This high flow rate is used in emergencies. Once there is no need to deliver meds or fluids intravenously the needle and tubing apparatus can be removed. However, because it’s not always easy to establish this kind of rapid ‘access’ line, one practice is to leave it in longer, until all possible need for delivery of IV medications and fluids ha passed. The fluid flow in this time is set at a “keep open” rate, just enough to allow the line to stay open and usable. Thus, these running and walking plans are not ambitious programs. There’s enough mileage to keep you in shape to comfortably run or walk a 5k race on New Year’s Eve or Day. It’s not designed to help establish a PR, but to show up and cross the finish line without significant issues. USA and CANADA: If you cannot locate a CONVENIENT NEARBY RACE, remember you can use 2018 or request new 2019 Earned Runs Bibs for this occasion and schedule a customized event at any time and location. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! GIFT OTHERS OR YOURSELF WITH A LUSH© SHAMPOO BAR! There’s no worry about hauling around bottles of shampoo in a gym bag with one of these little “concentrated pucks” that will lather up nicely in a post-workout shower. The website description promises that the bar, “packed full of essential oils and fresh ingredients” will provide up to 80 washes.
I received one as a gift from my busy professional-woman daughter-in-law and tried it after a swim session. The following day my hair was very soft and manageable. I was advised that the conditioning effect of the shampoo oils might mean use of this other product would not be necessary after about a week’s worth of washes. I’ll need to test it a bit longer before fully evaluating its place in my line-up of go-to haircare products. However, it seemed such a terrific discovery for gifting fitness buffs of any gender that it’s being blogged about now. The bar is available in a number of different ingredient formulations, colors, and scents, each with a funky fun name and purpose. For example, there’s Lullaby for “sensitive noggins”, or Seanik for “big, beachy hair”, and Montalbano for shine. Environmentally-friendly selling points of such a product are the minimal packaging required (it came in a recyclable small brown paper bag) and the fact that water wasn’t included. On the official LUSHUSA.com website purchase price is identified as $10.95-$13.95. There a tin available for storage at $3.95. LUSH Handmade Cosmetics Ltd has a foundation in charity and environmental stewardship. The UK corporation’s official “stories” are published on the website, which describe various charitable campaigns. A Wikipedia entry provides other details. Gifts with prices under $15 that are useful, modern, charitable, and earth-friendly are not that easy to find. The LUSH© shampoo bar might fit an athlete on your list. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.lushusa.com/hair/shampoo-bars/ https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapid=30668246 https://www.lushusa.com/story?cid=article_we-believe-statement https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lush_(company) REASONS TO COOK, COOL, THEN REHEAT RICE, POTATOES, & PASTA Michaela Mackenzie and other article writers have provide brief but understandable pieces about the health benefits of eating ‘resistant starch’ (RS).
The benefits, backed up by scientific research, include prevention of obesity caused by high fat diets, calorie reduction for weight loss purposes, better metabolic control (decreased blood glucose levels, improved insulin sensitivity, and lowered serum cholesterol levels), and colonic health. RS receives its name from the finding that the its structure allows it to escape digestion and absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract, acting like dietary fiber. Instead RS arrives in the large intestine (colon) where it can be acted upon by beneficial bacteria, fermented, and converted to healthy lipids (small chain fatty acids), like a pre-biotic. Ingesting carbohydrate rich-foods with a greater percent RS generally lead to a low glycemic response for this reason. If starch isn’t broken down to glucose, which than will not be absorbed in the small intestine, there won’t be as much glucose making its way into the blood stream (glycemia) after a meal. Also, because of the decreased absorption, RS foods will contribute less calories to the diet (2-3 calories per gram of carbohydrate rather than the usual 4 calories per gram CHO). Starch in some raw foods can avoid digestion because it’s form causes it to be inaccessible to enzyme action (RS1 type). Other starch foods contain granules that resist digestion (RS2). Some starch in cooked food actually loses resistance after heating, but it reverts back to a resistant form if allowed to cool (it’s called retrograded starch, RS3). Artificially, starch can be structurally modified to become resistant (RS4). The Mackenzie article and others like it correctly champion the research that the cooled, previously cooked rice, potatoes, pasta, and even bread is higher in RS3. Leftovers assume a much more valued place at the table, once cooled and re-eaten they indicate, because of the boosted RS percent. Whatever the health benefits, eating COLD starch may not sound appealing to all. Yes, there are cold salads that we might enjoy as a side dish. Potato and pasta salads, for example. Some authors suggest letting French fries sit in the refrigerator before eating. And consuming cold oatmeal in the morning. Really? There’s great news if you would rather eat warm food. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH shows that several cycles of heating and cooling increase the amount of RS in foods. Scientific studies have looked at rice and potatoes and found this to be true. It’s possible that pasta, oats, legumes, and even bread (toast) that has been cooled then reheated will contain more RS too! Our family thinks that stew, marinara, and meat sauce tends to improve after being cooled and re-warmed. I make a big pot at night, place it in an ice bath to take away most of the heat, then put it away in the refrigerator for complete cooling. The next day, most is frozen in containers for future meals, but one batch is reserved for that night’s dinner. It would be convenient if pasta (noodles) can receive similar treatment with the same health benefit; boil rinse, cool, then re-heat (it won’t freeze well). The discussion on RS makes a great argument for preparing meals in advance, which are then cooled, perhaps frozen, and then re-warmed. And if there are leftover leftovers, foods undergoing a second or third cooling-reheating cycle will be all that much better it seems, in terms of metabolic health. There's an indication that pressure cooking starches may lead to higher percentages of RS in starches. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/management/eating-type-carb-will-make-you-less-likely-gain-weight https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/lowdown-resistant-starch https://www.verywellhealth.com/best-foods-to-eat-for-resistant-starch-4000028 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-resistant-starch https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2911581/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3296917/ https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-potato-nutrition/ https://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-resistant-starch ...AND POSSIBLY 2020 AND BEYOND! THERE’S NO PHYSICAL EFFORT REQUIRED. In advance of the upcoming new year, consider starting to mentally plan how to kick-off 2019. If you’d like to hit the ground in early January with a simple but firm program of exercise and nutrition that won’t be abandoned in mid-February, now is the time to start organizing.
At the end November in 2017, an Earned Runs blog post about mental planning referenced an article from Medium.com which suggested looking further ahead than 12 months, to the following year. A section from that post describes the piece: “A recent personal growth article in the medium.com digest, “medium.com/personal-growth/why-you-should-be-planning-for-2019-not-2018-c2d856e23a01Why You Should Be Planning for 2019, Not 2018” by Benjamin P Hardy suggests we look several years, instead of several months, ahead. The piece starts off with a reference to J.K. Rowling and her writing of the Harry Potter series of books. George Lucas and Star Wars is also mentioned. Attention getting! The author wanted readers to see that more may be possible if the much longer view is taken when planning future moves, (like Star Wars starting out with episodes 4, 5, and 6 rather than 1, 2, and 3 in the sci-fi classic). I had not thought this way since my medical school days, when 8 years of education and post-graduate training needed to be plotted, financed, scheduled, and completed. Certainly, there was no possibility of episode skipping back then! In this new context, I am starting to be excited about the prospect of a new multi-year future, and am passing it along here, as well as providing the link to the article. It’s the kind of Eureka! moment that I needed this month.” The remainder of the blog post offers suggestions on how to begin the mental planning process with regard to fitness. However, try to avoid assuming you should plan for the period from January to March, April, or May 2019. On your next long walk, run, or aerobic session at the gym, at a quiet time of the day when calm surroundings allow deep thinking, ask yourself whether the best period over which to plan ahead is months or years. Rather than taking for granted that your life is confined to following an annual cyclical course, imagine what might be if a much longer, point–to-point linear route was mapped. I had not thought I needed a plan with a range longer than one year’s duration in 2017. Now, in 2018, I do. I’m going for a walk now to start mulling it over… RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://medium.com/personal-growth/why-you-should-be-planning-for-2019-not-2018-c2d856e23a01 WEEK 1, 'ON TO THE NEW YEAR 2018-19 5K TRAINING PLANS START TODAY. You have a had a bit of time to rest up after the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot. This plan will ease you back into the routine of training. RUNNERS: The runs take you back to you early training with run: walk sessions rather than continuous runs. You can do this. WALKERS: This is the first time a plan has been prepared for you. It’s a straight-forward program, borrowed from VeryWellfit.com, in which you walk 5 days a week. Each week the short sessions become progressively longer by only 5 minutes and the weekend long walk by 5-15 minutes.
Checking off each day’s workout as it is completed will ground you during these hectic December days and allow you to end 2018 on a positive health note and enter 2019 with confidence. Whether running or walking give these plans a try, if you’d like some structure to the next 4+ weeks, to be able to enjoy a fun 5K event as the old year gives way to the new. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! The full plans are posted on the RESOURCES page. JULIA MALACOFF WROTE AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE FOR SHAPE.com describing a practice which mental health experts treating eating disorders have been discussing for years, but is now a trend made more common through social media. In “What Is Body Checking and When Is It a Problem? There's a fine line between recording fitness progress and obsessing over it.”
Malacoff defines body checking as “constantly looking at your body for changes”. She warns that although tracking progress has been prescribed in the fitness industry as a way to motivate training and avoid obsession with body weighing, it “can also become an unhealthy practice”. An expert referenced by Malacoff offers a list of behaviors that may point to a problem. It can be a bit alarming to answer affirmatively to some of the posed questions. However, the article does a good job in explaining why initially healthy habits might become dangerous for some and remain helpful and harmless for others. By raising awareness, pieces like Malacoff ‘s and the warnings of nutrition and mental health experts might prevent some fitness enthusiasts from unknowingly putting themselves at risk for future problems. Greater use of social media seems to be an important factor influencing the increase in body checking noted by these experts. For those concerned, steps are outlined that might check and possibly reverse the progression of body checking habits into an unhealthy range. A phrase that stands out in the section that is aimed at helping over-checkers change their habits is one that bears repeating by many. “Notice what triggers body checking and see if those triggers can be removed or managed in other ways. TRY TO BE CURIOUS, NOT FURIOUS WITH YOURSELF. You are gathering information to try to make a positive change. It takes practice and patience.” [The all capital letters were added by Earned Runs] It may be difficult to recognize our own habits as unhealthy, but going into the holiday season we might be able to observe this side of ourselves more readily as we prepare to gather and party. If body checking is a concern, a New Year’s resolution to address this problem might be healthier than vowing to lose weight or get in shape in 2019. The full article is worth reading. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/weight-loss/tips-plans/what-body-checking-is-it-unhealthy-habit https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2706972/ Behav Res Ther. 2007 Jan; 45(1): 113–121 IMPROVED RESULTS MAY NOT BE A MATTER OF QUANTITY BUT OF TIMING IN RELATION TO TRAINING! Matt Fitzgerald provides runners and other athletes with an alternative to high fat-low carbohydrate (HPLC) diets that promise to burn fat to increase endurance, but leave them feeling “lousy” without performance gains.
In his article “An Easier Way to Become a Better Fat Burner” for running.competitor.com Fitzgerald reviews a recent scientific study which showed that it’s possible to teach muscles to burn fat as a fuel, without limiting the total amount of dietary carbohydrates (CHO). As a matter of fact, the protocol tested by French National Institute of Sport scientists was HIGH in CHO. The difference between the experimental and the control group diets in the study involved the TIMING of CHO intake in relation to training*. The experimental group of athletes in the study trained with high intensity, late in the day, 4 times a week, after which they ate a dinner with ZERO-CHO. The following morning the athletes completed a low-intensity workout before breakfast in a fasted-CHO state. On these 4 days, all the CHO eaten by the experimental group was consumed at 2 meals (breakfast and lunch). The rest of the week the experimental group’s diet matched that of the controls, who were not carb-fasted but who followed the same training regimen. Fitzgerald describes the study results: only the athletes who were carb-fasted in relation to training exercise showed significant performance improvement in cycling tests and running time trials. He then goes on to suggest a practical, much less extreme nutrition regimen by which athletes may be able to achieve nearly the same results as the French study. Elite athletes already do this, he explains. Fitzgerald thinks the lifestyle of Kenyan runners, considered among the best in the world, lends itself naturally to this type of training. It is possible that changing the timing of dietary CHO intake in relation to training will result in similar favorable performance improvements in recreational athletes. The reasonable course suggested by Matt Fitzgerald may be worth trying for those hoping to avoid problems encountered with extreme high-fat, low carb plans. It’s one I’ve followed for decades because of a personal preference to run on a nearly empty stomach. It’s not clear whether my performance has improved, but this habit has allowed me to happily anticipate, complete, and enjoy almost daily early morning workouts. The sentiment expressed by Fitzgerald in his article that I most respect is reflected in his statement: “I don’t like to see athletes or anyone else eat no-carb meals very often. The only natural foods that contain zero carbohydrate are meat, fish, and eggs. An all-meat/fish/egg dinner is not exactly nutritionally balanced.” Extremes are difficult to maintain long term, and his might be a plan that can provide nutitional balance and good results. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://running.competitor.com/2018/11/nutrition/an-easier-way-to-become-a-better-fat-burner_146746 *NOTE: The broader sport research community refers to CHO intake timing as “carbohydrate periodization” and going to sleep after high intensity training with CHO restriction as a “sleep-low strategy”. If you wish to search the literature for more information, these are helpful search terms. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26741119 Enhanced Endurance Performance by Periodization of Carbohydrate Intake: "Sleep Low" Strategy. Marquet LA, Brisswalter J, Louis J, Tiollier E, Burke LM, Hawley JA, Hausswirth C. NEARLY EVERY FLOOR EXERCISE IMAGINABLE, PERFORMED WITH A BOSU BALL, plus more! Jen Miller provides an over-the-top list of ways to use this piece of equipment if you have access to one and want to use it in a circuit training session. Her review article, “40 Bosu Ball Circuit Training Exercises”, is a guide to increasing the difficultly of some tried and true moves without needing to learn entirely new routines.
The article explains how lower body work can be stepped-up to accomplish twice as much as intended in Bosu-less exercises, by adding the challenge of instability. The same is true for the upper body and core moves. “Any exercise circuit aimed at increasing the muscles in your legs and glutes greatly benefits from incorporating a Bosu Ball. Every exercise becomes more effective because the instability of the Bosu Ball forces you to engage the secondary muscles around the primary muscle group to keep yourself steady throughout the exercise.” The list of exercises includes a few that are static, some which involve the use of weights/dumbbells, and a good number of heart rate-boosting “cardio’ moves (to improve cardio-respiratory fitness). For those not interested in a total Bosu Ball workout, there are plenty of choices to select from to create a few shorter sessions. Beginners might consider starting with old-school static exercises in which the only aim is to maintain good form. Merely standing on the rounded soft side, (or firm flat surface of a flipped over Bosu) can challenge those secondary lower body muscles. Maintaining balance on one leg at a time for 30 seconds to 2 minutes is more difficult. Performing planks (resting on forearms with bent elbows on the rounded surface) for progressively longer periods can be a tough test too. With hands gripping the flat surface of a flipped Bosu, straight arm planks can be varied (tilting the ball from side to side turns up the burn on abdominal muscles). Simple moves can be tried using the Bosu as well, without greatly increasing injury risk. Performing hips bridges with both feet resting on the rounded surface makes this move more difficult; one leg at a time is more challenging. Doing push-ups and triceps dips, as demonstrated in the piece, can be tough and safe for beginners. Before reading this article, I had never considered performing exercises with weights on a Bosu. It might be a method that increases the difficulty of strength work without upping the amount of weight lifted. Moves that can minimize my risk of injury are always great finds! Thanks to Jen Miller for opening the door to a new way of thinking about performing and getting more out of old exercises. The Bosu variations involve a relatively small amount of mental learning that possibly will translate to a much greater amount of muscle learning. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! “40 Bosu Ball Circuit Training Exercises” by jenreviews.com https://www.jenreviews.com/bosu-ball/ |
BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device. AuthorEARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder. In 1978 I began participating in 10K road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology. I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health and longevity. Archives
November 2023
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