BALLS TO THE WALL is a term used by pilots. When accelerating quickly, the throttle is pushed all the way to the panel and the throttle lever (ball) actually touches the panel (wall). Hence, balls to the wall. This is where we are. Less than 3 weeks until the Jews historically made their Exodus from Egypt. This is the time of year we are usually stocking our kitchens or making travel plans. A time when Spring cleaning has sprung and we know shortly after the Passover/Easter/ Spring Break hump we will find ourselves careening toward the end of school. Well, that’s what its been like at my house…except this year, like everyone else, I’m planning, and some mornings, tossing all those plans to the wind.  This is the time to do your final push in sticking to or establishing a fitness routine.

If you have been digging your heels in since Winter Break you were probably well established in your fitness routine and it was probably pretty doubtful the spring holiday season would derail your progress. However, if you are more of a couch surfer you probably think most of your exercise will come from the tidying you will be doing around the house. 

While such activities as moving the canned goods around and plotting the kids zoom schedule and organizing the pantry or cleaning the cupboards are indeed movement, and of course contribute to daily activity, they are hardly considered joyful movement by many of us. When it comes to establishing a fit lifestyle its JOYFUL movement we are after. That is part of self-care. 

If psychobabble terms like self-care seem waaay too self-indulgent, consider it like brushing your teeth and combing your hair. They are necessary maintenance which make you feel fully human, best performed on the daily, and contribute to your wellbeing and longevity. They contribute to your body’s aesthetic as well as its function- to help you survive. 

Also the more regularly I tend to the maintenence of my teeth for instance, the fewer trips I take to the dental hygenist and fewer problems, even sometimes brushing feels like a chore. Herein lies the rub. if we stick to it, it gets easier and if we neglect it, it starts to scream at us there’s a problem, and then it really, really, isn’t fun.

While we are adding the additional spring tidying and sorting to our to-do lists, I urge you: Don’t neglect the JOY in your movement and don’t mistake business for fitness. For movement to qualify as exercise that will make changes, it must be Vigorous and use your major muscle groups. So, as vigorous as you may get about picking clean the lint drawer in your dryer, it doesn’t count.

I would be happy to help you find the joy when you are ready

Question of the Month: Kayla, why does my head and neck hurt when doing crunches?

Crunches make my head hurt for so many reasons. As a trainer they hurt my head because I know that so many people think that doing more of them will get them the flat tummy they are after and also because so many people do them in a way that undermines those intentions. So many people complain when they hate situps and crunches because they hurt their necks or lower back.

If you have any questions about fitness or would like hands on help or coaching feel free to give me a call. I can even help with this via facetime/skype.

I am NOT the food police. If you see me at a wedding, a kiddish, or a charity banquet and you are holding a pastry, you do not owe me an explanation or an apology. I didn’t ask and I wasn’t judging…That was all YOU.

I hear you. You “don’t always take a second helping of the beef stew”. You know you “shouldn’t really eat cold cuts because of the nitrate and cancer link but you have a taste for them right now”. You have been “really good all week and are limiting yourself to this one pastry and then you’re back on” your restrictive diet. You “know this food is bad but”… But nothing. You don’t actually owe me an explanation.

All of us make decisions.. a million decisions it seems about what we eat, how much we eat and when and where we eat it.  We don’t always comment about it to others. We aren’t always distressed about these choices… or maybe we do and we are?!?

After an especially long period of holidays, banquets, celebrations and community events I suspect I could tally more ladies commentaries about their food choices than other people. I know this because when  I explain in response to the comment about your food choice that I wasn’t thinking about it, or that I preferred the chocolate one, its usually followed with “yes but well you are a trainer..”

I’m gonna let you in on a secret. I’m trained to know about metabolism and some basic nutrition and unless you’re living under a rock, you also know a lot about foods and metabolism. I’m also a female who was raised in America reading the same magazine and watching tv and shopping at the same stores as you. I also want to look good in my clothes and I also know what I put in my mouth has some sort of effect on that. There’s a point at which some of this distress/concern about food can interfere with one’s joy in life though and it can snowball off of others and its important to keep an eye out or tune in about that.

Most of us are worried to some degree what others think of us, but I figure, while we’re worried what they are thinking of us, they are busy worrying about what we are thinking of them. It’s a wash. The other part of the time while you are concerned about looking gluttonous eating that second pastry they are probably thinking what you are thinking the rest of the time.. something mundane and completely unrelated like, “cute shoes but they really hurt my feet, maybe I should have gone with flats.” This is probably what I was thinking since I can’t manage heels with grace.

You, however, are the expert of You. Consider the function that choosing these foods or needing to justify choosing these foods serves for you. Is this respecting and listening to your body?  Are you able to eat that food with enjoyment and mindfulness or is your mind elsewhere?  If you find this distressing, or these types of decisions consume you, maybe book an appointment with the appropriate mental health professional for a session or two to discuss further. Trainers expertise is in movement and muscles. We are not the food police.

Esther Sara asks if Intermittent fasting is successful, helpful, and how long it took to see a difference.

Here’s my answer:

Basic background:

Intermittent fasting/IF is an umbrella term for various diets that cycle between a period of fasting (though water is typically allowed) and non-fasting. Intermittent fasting can be used along with calorie restriction for weight loss. Generally there are two main types- one which fasting is performed on alternate days and (the one I have seen more) which is fasting for a period of each day- usually slightly longer than the hours in which you sleep.  In other words with most calories being consumed within an 8 hour window of the day. There are many combinations and modifications of this type of eating.

How I define success:

If by successful, you mean that you feel good and you are energized, clear thinking, regulated mood and able to perform the activities of daily living including daily exercise with optimal performance (ie not hitting the proverbial wall in your training) and its something sustainable long term- as in the rest of your life and won’t get in the way of your time with family and friends and you also feel good looking in the mirror, than I would call that really successful.

If on the other hand you find that you are obsessing about food and the clock or it leads you to a binge cycle, or you expect to use this as a temporary weight loss method followed by a return to some more typical eating pattern for yourself or followed by a series of other diets and/or you aren’t performing and feeling optimal on it, I would tend to view it as a massive fail. (There is scientific data to support the view that cyclic dieting isn’t best for long term optimal health or physique).

If you are considering whether this method vs. eating 3 squares, or 3 main meals and a snack or two is better, or eating every 2-4 hours is better for optimal health and performance or even for weight loss….I think the scientific data I have read is far from conclusive.

This eating plan is generally frowned upon for children by the medical community and that’s enough to give me pause.  

There’s no way someone else can answer how long it would take for you to see a change in physique (despite the heavy marketing you may have seen) since there are many unknowns including your baseline metabolism, dieting history, and how many calories from what types of foods you plan to consume, and whether you plan to exercise. Keep in mind, there’s nothing to say you will be happier, healthier or more attractive from rapid weight loss. Most times clients engage in short term rapid weight loss, they experience a boomerang effect of long term increased set point, slower metabolism and more difficulty losing weight. In fact if you are thinking about severe caloric restriction as a weight loss plan I urge you to have a discussion with a Registered Dietitian, a Mental Health Professional, and a Physician who can properly advise you.
The Jewish Context:

In a Jewish context, we encounter situations regularly in which eating is restricted and where fasting for spiritual purposes is practiced or simply situations where one is required to wait.  In fact, even within regional groups we see differences in how long one restricts consumption of meat after milk. In some regions it was typically 1 hour and in others it was 4 and yet others approximately 6.  Part of this has to do with how many meals were typically consumed in a day. People do different things based on their custom and lifestyle and region.

Conclusion:

Humans are amazingly versatile omnivores designed for survival. Can I suggest looking inside to what suits your family and lifestyle and tuning into your body to find what works best for you long term. Find what is showing your body love and respect for its needs and what makes it feel and perform optimally. Know that there are many different ways for different people to eat and there are many paths to optimal health.  

Just Breathe

 You probably heard that breathing is important during exercise. Maybe  your aerobics instructor cued you to breathe or your karate instructor told you to exhale as you kick or your yoga teacher wanted you to breathe into a stretch. Maybe you are thinking it’s a bunch of hogwash and of course you’re breathing or you wouldn’t be exercising, you’d be dead…So why all the reminders?

Breathing correctly not only ensures you can get a better workout, but keeps you safe too. If you hold your breath during exercise or breathe too rapidly, you can suffer ill effects.

If you hold your breath while exerting yourself in weightlifting, doing abdominal exercises (your bodyweight) or just shoveling snow and other strenuous activities, even healthy individuals can possibly experience slowed heart rate, dizziness, or even fainting. Those predisposed to heart disease could experience irregular heart rhythms and more serious consequences…all because of the changes inside the body which can interrupt blood flow. To avoid this issue, breathe in and out at a normal pace. Exhale when lifting the weight (contracting the muscle) or exerting yourself and inhale when at rest or releasing the weight.

On the flip side, I have sometimes see individuals or even fitness instructors breath too heavily or cue breathing every few seconds and normally conditioned people could get dizzy or have other consequences of over- ventilating. Keep in mind when an instructor asks that you breathe into a stretch for instance, this is an indication that you should relax into the stretch, not hyperventilate…breathing slowly and exhaling while deepening the stretch is common in yoga.

Breathing can also be used to assess how hard you are working. For instance the talk but not sing test is a good indication your breathing is right on track for a moderate exertion level. If you can carry on a conversation with ease, or sing well, you are not working hard enough but if you are working so hard you cannot catch your breath you may be working too hard.

If you experience shortness of breath, wheezing, fatigue, chest pain and/or coughing, you should consult your Dr. These may be symptoms of exercise-induced asthma.

Take a deep breath, now exhale. Feel less stressed? Not yet? Then go work out.