Spring
has Sprung, the Grass is Riz,
Do You Wonder
Where Your Waistline Is?
Oops,
I did it again! Well, winter is just about over
and the holidays are a memory—except for the lasting
results of the overeating and drinking.
It
is hard to get through that time when it seems like a fitness
free-for-all, with everyone bringing in
baking, throwing parties, and overindulging. Well, you know
the deal. So now what?
The
excess girth is removable, it just is a
lot easier to put it on than to take it off, and this is
especially true as we age. The
math never changes; the calories out must be more than the
calories in.
 Weirdness
in a diet or an exercise plan is not a long-term solution.
Practicing the solid fundamentals
of nutrition and exercise will allow you to stabilize your
weight at a healthy number and not have to go through this
year after year. It is very unhealthy to
go up and down in body weight.
Aerobic
exercise is essential for heart health and for reduction
of overall body fat. The best pace is one
at which you feel slightly out of breath. There are all
kinds of charts and devices that promote an “optimal
training heart rate,” but the
best device is your brain. If
you are working at a level that is putting you right at
the edge of breathlessness, then that’s where you
should be. The problem with devices and
charts, etc. is that at their most basic, they are based
on the faulty premise that as one ages, one naturally gets
in worse shape. I beg to differ. I’m fifty-two
and venture to say that I’m in better shape than lots
of twenty-year-olds that I know. Another problem
with the charts and devices is they are based on a typical
thirty-year-old or fifty-year-old person. Well, who’s
that? I haven’t met them yet, and I’ve been
looking! The wonderful thing
about training at your own individual “verge of breathlessness”
is that as you get in better shape, that
verge goes up, even if you get older in the meantime! This
is simply sensible and personalized training.
The
other type of training to consider is anaerobic training,
which is weight lifting or resistance training. The benefit
of this type of training (besides making you stronger
and forcing more calcium into your bones) is that
it increases your metabolism. This means that even when
you are not active you will burn more calories. Both
types of training impact total cholesterol readings as well.
Aerobic training reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL), and
anaerobic training elevates the good cholesterol (HDL).
As for
the nutritional plan, go with
natural, wholesome, filling and delicious foods.
Load up on fiber and cut down on fat and sugar.
Limit alcohol and artificial foods. Convenience
does not have to come in a package. An
apple or a banana is plenty convenient;
one just needs to be a little organized. Of
all the things that we manage to organize in the day, our
food is one of the most important (and easiest), yet it
is somehow neglected.
Resolve
to make this the last time you fall victim to the winter
waistline woes.
|
Jane
Riley has worked in the health and fitness industry for nearly thirty
years, having received degrees in both kinesiology and psychology. Her
clients have ranged from the very fit, world-ranked athlete to the recuperating
accident victim, and from young women with self-esteem problems to the
elderly wanting to regain balance and strength. She is a nationally ranked
athlete in both women’s power lifting and women’s bodybuilding,
and for 20+ years has been a certified personal fitness trainer, an experienced
competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter.
