Recently in Miscellany Category

It seems that every few months, an article appears disparaging the value of exercise for weight loss. The latest is "Why Doesn't Exercise Lead to Weight Loss?" from the Health section of the The New York Times.

The article posits that because a study of 58 obese subjects who did 12 weeks of aerobic exercise at 70 percent of their max heart rate (i.e., steady-state cardio) -- without changing their diets -- resulted in, on average, just a seven-pound weight loss over that time period, exercise doesn't play much of a role in weight loss. (Never mind that an unmonitored diet means the tendency to disproportionately increase food intake once you start exercising was also unmonitored.) 

Writer Gretchen Reynolds also points to a study on the "afterburn effect" -- the tendency for the body to burn an elevated number of calories for hours after a workout -- that concluded afterburn was a bust. Yet strangely, the type of exercise used in the study was relatively low-intensity -- an hourlong cycle at just 55 percent of aerobic capacity.

What makes this strange -- and noteworthy -- is that it's usually high-intensity activities that are thought to trigger the afterburn effect.

As someone working for a publication that strives to provide both depth and breadth of information, this sort of half-picture presentation is disturbing to me. When did journalists set exercise up as the antidote to terrible eating habits? The kind of thing that maybe we shouldn't bother with if we aren't seeing dramatic weight loss no matter what we're eating and drinking? When did we stop differentiating between different intensity levels of exercise? Between cardio and weightlifting, and their many subsets?

Perhaps, rather than renouncing the role exercise -- that vague catchall -- plays in weight loss, we should focus on the synergy that occurs when you make specific lifestyle and exercise choices. Rather than make sweeping generalizations and dismissals, let's dig into the details about what type of exercise has what type of effect, and the impact eating nutrient-dense foods has in supporting our fitness goals, regardless of how much and in what ways we're moving. The devil -- and devil dog -- is in these details.  

There are a huge number of places to get great fitness information, on the web and otherwise -- and most of the people providing said information work in the trenches of the fitness industry, so they're witnessing firsthand what works (and doesn't). A few of my favorite sources that have covered the topic of fat loss (I'm positive I'm overlooking quite a few -- my apologies!): Alwyn Cosgrove, Leigh Peele, Mike Roussell, Robert Dos Remedios, Sara Cheatham, Michael Boyle, Josh Hillis, Jason C. Brown, Pamela MacElree and Craig Ballantyne.

The last time this happened -- August 9, to be exact, when Time published the hysteria-inducing article "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin" -- a number of reliable fitness experts crafted thoughtful rebuttals. My favorite was by Tom Venuto, author of The Body Fat Solution.

I think it applies nicely to this more recent article, as well -- take a few minutes to read it, and see what conclusions you draw about the role exercise plays in weight loss: "Why Time Magazine Owes the Fitness Industry a Big Fat Apology."

UPDATE: To read a response from Pilar Gerasimo, editor in chief of Experience Life, click here.

(photo credit: LAYeiser)

During an especially grueling circuit workout Monday night, I took note of my threshold for discomfort for the very first time. Or at least, I took note of it more consciously than I ever have before.

It was a repetition-based circuit, meaning we had to complete a certain number of reps of each exercise before we moved on to the next. This is my favorite type of circuit, because the faster you get through the workload, the sooner you're done. And, it adds a little competitive zing to the class (which, let's be honest, is the real reason I like it).

There were eight exercises in total; four for the upper body and four for the lower body. Half the class started on the upper body and the other started on the lower body. I started on the upper body, and moved through the exercises pretty steadily, though I took a couple mini-breaks along the way to catch my breath and take a swig of water. In retrospect, I didn't even think about it -- feel a little burn, take a little break.

AS I GOT TO THE FINAL THREE EXERCISES, however, I noticed that a woman in the other group was already on her second-to-last exercise, and I became enraged. Not at her -- I'm no Christopher Carter -- but at myself. I suddenly realized I'd been backing off automatically whenever I hit a certain subconscious, predetermined point of exertion, and I was lagging behind because of it. Don't get me wrong: Backing off can be a good thing, if you're gasping for air and seeing black around the fringes of your vision. But I wasn't anywhere near that -- in fact, upon checking in with myself at that moment, I had to admit I was only mildly uncomfortable.

Why was I holding back? What was I worried was going to happen if I pushed myself harder?

Well ... I was just afraid of being more uncomfortable, frankly. And once that truth burbled to the surface, I couldn't deny that it was an awfully wimpy excuse. So, I decided to find out what would happen if I didn't ease off, and I got after those final three exercises like nobody's business.

The verdict: not that scary, after all. Also, I finished first in the class, ahead of the woman who had no idea we were competing. (Yesssssss! A most satisfying victory.)

UPON CONTEMPLATING MY EXPERIENCE LATER, I was reminded of several things I've read over the past couple years (and that might have helped me earlier, if I'd have been paying closer attention).

1.  ONE OF THOSE THINGS WAS EAT, PRAY, LOVE author Elizabeth Gilbert's experience meditating among mosquitoes, and her determination to transcend. If you recall, what started as a miserable experience ended with her achieving a whole new level of enlightenment.

2. ANOTHER WAS THE WORK OF BYRON KATIE, who recommends addressing negative self talk with a few questions about what the truth really is. I didn't realize how very applicable these were until I revisited Helen Cordes's 2004 article for Experience Life, "Coming to Terms," which I've excerpted below.

When confronted with an uncomfortable situation, Byron recommends asking yourself:

• Is what I'm saying to myself true? (In my situation, the statement to question would be, "I'm too tired to continue exercising at this level.") Think carefully about the answer and don't simply accept what you've said or been told in the past. She says you may come to realize that it's your interpretation of the fact that is causing you the most pain.

• How do I react when I think that thought? What do you feel emotionally, and what do you feel in your body when you let these statements inhabit your mind? How do you typically treat yourself when you think each of these thoughts? Make a list of your resultant attitudes and behaviors. Ask yourself: How do I live when I believe this thought? Two good follow-up questions: Can you see a reason to drop the thought? Can you find one stress-free reason to keep the thought?

• Who or what would I be without that thought? What would you be like, and how would you feel if you were not hostage to that thought and the resulting feelings? Imagine that you didn't have the ability to think the thought as you stand in the presence of that situation.

Byron explains that "often, people discover they are all worked up over judgments they cannot even be certain are accurate. They discover they don't like the feelings they experience when they ruminate and fume about their reactive versions of reality. They have the insight that they would be a lot happier, more capable and more hopeful without their ingrained lines of thought and belief." Sounds about right, doesn't it?

3. THE LAST WAS RESEARCH ABOUT THE HIGH-INTENSITY WORKOUTS TABATA AND HIIT. Both are super-effective fat-blasting, endurance-boosting, mitochondria-increasing interval workouts performed at maximal or near-maximal intensity, and I've been researching, writing about and even doing both for some time now. (See "The Tabata Tune-Up" in the March 2008 archives, and keep your eye out for an article on HIIT in the December 2008 issue of Experience Life.) Yet while we all understand the definition of "maximal" -- giving it everything ya got -- it sinks in much more slowly from an operational perspective. How often do we really experience what that feels like physically? In my case, except when I'm playing rugby, it's more often near-near-maximal. But that's not going to be good enough anymore.

In the end, I got a great workout and made what I hope will prove to be another breakthrough in my training -- although I was rewarded for my efforts with a nasty case of delayed-onset muscle soreness. But hey, no pain, no gain, right?

What do you do to push past self-imposed limits during workouts?


(photo credit: Vlastula)
 

[That's me in the middle, with U.S. teammates Lindsey Stephenson and Phaidra Knight. Photo credit: Lesha Meyer]

Things are going to be pretty dull around the blog this week -- I'm in Miami training with the U.S. women's 7s rugby squad. Later in the week, we'll be traveling to the Bahamas to play in a tournament that will, if all goes well, qualify us to play in the first-ever Women's 7s World Cup next March.

I'm unbelievably excited to be part of the occasion -- it's been a few years since I've played international rugby, and for a while there, I didn't think I would again. But, as any of you who play or played a sport know, it can be really tough to give it up for good. And yet I don't think I would have been able to make my way back if it weren't for the rigorous health and fitness education I get -- sometimes through osmosis -- working at Experience Life; through conversations with fitness experts, the volume and quality of the resources I get to dig through, and the example my coworkers set by pursuing what they're passionate about. Not to mention the chance I get to interact with those of you who read and comment on Survival of the Fittest. Thank you -- I'm truly grateful.

If you'd like to follow along with the U.S. women's 7s team and our behind-the-scenes goings-on this week, check out our shared blog at http://blog.uswomensrugby7s.com. If not, see you back here next week!

This post is all about the photo above, but a little background: I often miss connecting flights. Most often because my first flight is late, but occasionally because of my own stupidity. I once missed a flight while I was sitting right in front of the gate because I was crying, eating a cheeseburger and talking on the phone (long story) -- turns out I can do three things at once, but not four.

The point is, I'm used to getting stranded somewhere other than my final destination. Sometimes it's even a little bit nice to have that time to myself -- especially since I started a tradition a while back that involves treating myself to a nice sit-down meal and seeking out the nearest Xpress Spa. I figure it's a good chance to get some oft-neglected soft-tissue work.

So when I found myself stranded in Cincinnati for an extra seven hours a few weekends back (thanks, Delta), I hit the steakhouse and then went in search of a massage. Since the bank account wasn't particularly flush, I opted instead for one of the cushy black massage chairs pictured above. Almost like the real thing, if you squinch your eyes shut hard enough and pretend the passersby are not, in fact, staring at your gyrating torso.

Afterward, as I went to grab my bags, the warning sign attached to the contraption caught my eye. If you can't read the blurry shot above (sorry, I only had a camera phone), it says: "This product should not be used by pregnant or menstruating women ..."

Umm??! Pregnant I can totally see. But I had no idea about the dangers of menstruation and massage.

Actually, I'm still not sure I know what those dangers are. (Snort.)

Do you think the makers of this sign were worried about the risks menstruating women posed to others (as in, Moon blood is dirty, icky ladies shouldn't sit here!) or do you think the concern was centered around the fragile state of menstruating women?

Do tell.

[A big thank-you to my graphic designer friend Lesha, who combined the two original photos I took. And created a zoomed-in effect! And circled the relevant copy! She's great.]

Today's post was written by Charlotte Hilton Andersen, brilliant and charming host of The Great Fitness Experiment. If you're not familiar with her blog, check it out immediately for a no-holds-barred account of her approach to fitness, which consists of doing something spanking-new every 30 days. (This month's fitness experiment? Kettlebells. I love me some kettlebells.) Here, she explains the method to her madness.
____________

HEALTH AND FITNESS ARE really very simple. Lift heavy weights. Except that cardio is the secret to burning fat. Lots of protein fills you up. But vegetarians live longer. Don't take supplements because nature is best. Except for Vitamin D, B6, calcium, magnesium, iron and Omega-3's. Eat whole foods. But buy these specially formulated, packaged (and expensive) health foods. Listen to your body to know when you are hungry. So here are ten tips to conquer cravings.

Catch all that? No? What's wrong with you? Don't you have 28 hours a day to read all the latest health and fitness research? So how do you know what works? And just because it works for someone else, does that mean it will work for you? You can't know. Unless you try it yourself.

It was from this mental schizophrenic rambling that The Great Fitness Experiment was born. I decided to go from gym rat to lab rat, taking on a new Fitness Experiment every month to try and separate the hypertrophy from the just plain hype.

Over the course of a year I have learned one important lesson: Every reasonable workout works. Until it doesn't. It turns out that the key to fitness bliss is ... change. Not only is change good for all your fitness markers -- I can hear your muscles screaming from here -- but it also keeps the boredom away. Not to mention all the potential for public humiliation! So it is with great excitement, I bring to you:

Charlotte's Guide To Making Your Own Fitness Experiment

1. Pick a fitness routine. Tear one out of a magazine, search one out on the Internet, ask friends and family or shell out bucks for the sweetest late-night infomercial star -- just pick something. You only have to do it for 30 days (28 if it's February!) so even those of you with commitment issues can handle this without calling in Sarah Jessica Parker and crew.

2. Make it fun. It will help if you pick something you like. After doing this for a year, I am pretty much open to trying anything I don't have to pay for but if you are just starting out, go with a program that appeals to you. Everything will be boring to you by day 30 so don't stress too much. And if it's not boring? You've found your fitness Shangri-La and can officially become that smug person at parties who drops split times and weight sets like Disney Princesses lose parents.

3. Line up some good Gym Buddies. Not only will they motivate you to stick with it and pick you up when you're down -- both literally and figuratively -- but they are invaluable for tasks like deciphering weird exercise pictures, loading the weight bar evenly, and even shielding you so can pick a quick wedgie. Yep, they're great. And no, you can't have mine; they're taken. Although I do have a pretty sweet crew, if I do say so myself. My right-hand girl is Gym Buddy Allison (a.k.a. Good Sport Allison). She is the ideal Gym Buddy: She will try anything I throw at her, keeps the complaining to a minimum and is always good for a laugh when I drop a weight plate on my foot. Not to mention she's freakishly strong. Then there is Gym Buddy Mike, a former competitive hammer thrower (10 points for anyone who watched that event on the Olympics!) who coaches us in proper technique for all the Olympic lifts. Plus he always carries jelly beans. Who doesn't love that? Gym Buddy Megan is our pace dog and runs our butts into the ground. She's also good at keeping your treadmill running while you sprint to the bathroom to take care of your runner's tummy. Everyone needs a friend like that. Gym Buddy Jerry is in charge of witty one-liners, Gym Buddy Shalome bends us into burritos and no one can forget Turbo Jennie -- official cardio butt kicker and the only girl who can make me bounce like Beyonce.

4. Get a sense of humor. When you change your routine this much, you're not going to be great at everything. You want to be the best? Great, stick to your sport and call me when your knees blow out. The rest of us just have to accept that failure comes with the territory. There will be Experiments that you hate. And there will be Experiments that hate you. It's all about the learning, and if you can laugh at yourself then you won't cry. Not that I've ever cried over an Experiment. Ahem.

5. Track your stats. Here's where the science part comes in. If you don't write it down -- and by "it" I mean everything -- then you will never know what works. Memories lie, number don't. Decide what is important to you (and it had better be more than just weight) and then keep a workout journal. It isn't about "progress" or even "accountability" -- it's about seeing which types of exercises your body responds to and how. The Gym Buddies and I track weight, inches (chest, waist, hips, thigh, calf and arm), body fat percentage, weight loads and reps, one-rep maxes, pull-ups, and fast mile and sprint times. It's all in the details.

Everyone is a researcher of their own body. The trick is to be conscious of it. Make a plan and then chart your data. It'll either make you the world's biggest fitness geek or a really fit human being. Or both. Either way, you can sit at my table in the cafeteria.

Intrigued? Motivated? Just want to watch someone else get snapped in the face with a resistance band so you can have a good giggle? Come join the Gym Buddies and I over at The Great Fitness Experiment as we squat like Sumo wrestlers, hoo-ah like Navy Seals, bend it like ballerinas and get hemorrhoids like Olympic weight lifters. We can always use a new test subject!

From a press release I recently received:

If only there was a way to work out without actually having to leave your computer, right? Well good news, there now is!

SurfShelf, a portable, polycarbonate tray that attaches to any exercise machine, allows anyone to use their laptop while exercising. Lightweight and completely portable, it maintains a solid foundation for laptops of virtually any size allowing you to stay connected while burning calories!

No. Just ... no.

"Music Video Monday" would have sounded more pleasing to the ear, I realize, but I was on my way home from vacation yesterday. My apologies if you checked in here last week -- I meant to mention that things would be pretty quiet (OK, completely silent), but the usual pre-vaca deadline crush eradicated all fun from my life. Did I mention I've got a flair for the dramatic?

Anyhoodle, my friend Daniela made me a pre-game mix CD last weekend, and she included the song "Untouched" by The Veronicas, a coupla Australian sisters who have somehow miraculously combined the magic of the "She's a Maniac" legwarmers-n-leotard workout from Flashdance with the totally inspirational and synthesizastic sound from the 80s gymnastics movie American Anthem.

(You know, the one where the reclusive, eccentric musical genius composes tunes for his beautiful, very slightly rebellious cousin Julie, who is trying to make the U.S. gymnastics squad while staying true to what she believes in? Which is apparently good music. And she performs her routine to this brand new sound and blows everyone's minds? Oh, and it's a touching love story, as well. But not between the cousins. If I could get my hands on American Anthem and The Last Unicorn, my DVD collection would be complete.)

Cue the electric violin.
"Untouched" by The Veronicas; "La la la la?" is the only real question.
 


Jennifer Beal is a maniac.



Someone has actually posted all of American Anthem on YouTube, 10 minutes at a time.

Here's a taste of the mad synthesizer.
 


So, will you be adding "Untouched" to your workout playlist? Or is it not your style?

Lastly, a bit of a lovefest. I just wanted to say thanks for all the nice comments on my last post, and on every post, really. You guys are so very thoughtful, open and articulate, and I feel lucky that you read this blog. Electronic hugs.

Not every woman likes her running shoes to look like a My Little Pony threw up all over them. How 'bout you try offering a few more gray, blue, green and yellow options?

And don't do that thing where you make the blue pastel and the green all minty. Loophole closed.

Sincerely,
Jen Sinkler

I just found out my friend and former Minnesota Valkyries teammate, Sara Wiley (pictured at left with a "bring it" expression on her face), won the NSCA collegiate strength and conditioning professional of the year -- congrats, Y! She's the associate director of strength and conditioning for athletics at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and absolutely amazing at what she does (hence the award, obvy).

If you want to check out my March interview with her on developing optimal quadriceps-to-hamstrings strength ratios for knee health, click here.

[Pictured: The U-19 New York Rugby Club during a pre-game cheer. Photo credit: Sabrina Asch]

Lately, I've been hearing a lot about the importance of not specializing in one sport too early in life. And it's an absolutely legitimate point -- specialization, early or otherwise, can lead to overuse injuries, muscle imbalances, and burnout if you train too often or skip the cross-training. Not to mention that funneling your kids' energy strictly into structured activities means they miss out on some of the cognitive benefits of spontaneous play.

But too often, I think articles on kids and sports -- especially girls and sports -- stray into fear mongering territory (though Mistress Krista plucked two nice paragraphs from that article in her blog entry "Hurt Girls" -- once you click the link, scroll to see the post).

So it was really nice to see that the following Good Morning America segment about a group of rugby-playing girls from inner-city New York focused mainly on the confidence-building impacts sports can have. (Of course, because it involves rugby there are still the obligatory mentions of blood, bruises and beer. Sigh. The injury rates in girls' rugby are about on par with soccer and basketball, so can we be done using the word "violent" now?)



Because I don't have kids, I can only speak to the role sports have played in my own life. The payoffs in terms of friendships, teamwork, work ethic and confidence have been immeasurable, so I have to believe it's possible to both play sports and just plain play.

Agree? Disagree? Parents, what's your perspective?