It’s Not NORMAL to Live Each Day With Pain

There are certain things we do like clockwork. Generally we have our teeth cleaned every six months and book our next appointment after each cleaning. We change the oil in our vehicles at steady increments and don’t wait to run out of gas before we fill up. And most of us see our physicians annually in an effort to ensure our bodies are functioning optimally. And still it seems many of us may be a little confused about maintaining the physical performance of our bodies; particularly when it comes to our ability to move, perform and live without pain. Having been a personal trainer in Red Deer for more than twelve years I have encountered literally thousands of people that seemingly believe it’s normal to have a certain amount of physical pain in their lives as they age. From sore knees, elbows, hips and shoulders; to day to day back pain and headaches; many people feel this is an acceptable sign of aging.

I hope today, together we can break this paradigm. It’s not normal to live with pain, especially where serious injury is not a factor. Injury or not with some basic understanding of how our body works to move; chronic pain can often be reduced, eliminated or prevented altogether.

Massage is a key treatment for improving the health of soft tissue.

Soft tissue needs maintenance just like our teeth, cars and our internal organs and immune system. What we think of as the skin that covers our muscles and the muscles themselves is actually an elaborate system of multilayered tissue. The layers of tissue from the outer layer of the muscles (known as the fascia), the independent muscles in each group, and the layers of the skin are actually all designed to move freely over one another. Over time, lack of increased circulation and movement to different areas of our body, (primarily from in-activity involving these areas) allows adhesions to form that prevent these tissues from moving freely. A good example of this is pinching your skin. Someone very fit will often be able to pinch (just their skin without much if any fatty tissue) and have a lot of mobility of the skin when compared to someone not as fit. The fit person would have less impingement of their facial layers.

When our facial layers become impinged or are unable to move freely our body compensates by altering our patterns of movement, our posture, and joint alignment. Any and or all of these inevitably lead to pain and injury. As society continues to develop more conveniences our lifestyle habits provide more repetitive in-activity and ultimately the day to day pain that many people experience.

Here is what you need to know in order of priority to live a pain free life:

1)      Treat soft-tissue impingement regularly. Massage therapy is one of the best treatments available to break apart facial adhesions and increase the mobility of the facial layers. The results of treatment are almost immediately notable. The problem with massage is most of us don’t use it enough. If you are currently experiencing day to day pain that is not related to a specific injury I highly recommend discussing treatment with a qualified massage therapist. A couple treatments in the same week followed by regular treatment 2-3 times per month will likely have significant and immediate impact on how you feel. Ongoing treatment in this fashion will almost certainly eliminate and prevent further pain throughout life.

2)      A body in motion stays in motion. This simply means we need to move on a regular basis and if you don’t use it, you will lose it. Exercise is essential if you want to live a long, enjoyable pain free life, and when used with regular massage therapy goes a long way to guarantee prevention of pain. 30 minutes of steady motion of any kind (the more of your body in use the better) each week will be an acceptable minimum.

3)      Maintain joint alignment. This recommendation is the most broad as it may be controversial with a number of people. People in general, active or not will likely experience some joint misalignment, the hazards of our complex internal structure versus gravity. Joint misalignment can often be improved with regular stretching, something that none of us ever do enough of. Ten minutes of static stretching per day (broken into 2-3 minute increments) will have a tremendous impact. A more direct approach would be to also work with a reputable chiropractor. Now not everyone is comfortable with a chiropractor, and even though I have worked with chiropractors most of my life even I am not comfortable with them all. I would recommend meeting with one before a consultation before ever receiving an adjustment and I would also recommend using a chiropractor who avoids using aggressive velocity adjustments.

If only everyone educated themselves and used these three services and therapies with the same type of regularity we do the dentist, lube shop or our physicians the world would be in a lot less pain.

Massage Therapy Overhaul

Scroll to the bottom to see how massage therapy has changed at One-to-1 Fitness!

Massage therapy is a very important aspect of your personal health and fitness program. Experts estimate that as much as 90% of disease is related to the effects of stress. (Physiological, physical and emotional) When combined with exercise and balanced consistent nutrition massage therapy can have a very dramatic effect on the reduction of stress of all kinds. Additionally, it has been well documented that specific physiological and chemical changes occur within the body following a massage treatment.

Some of the most common and immediate results of massage therapy include:

• Alleviation of chronic pain and an increased range of motion.
• Dramatic short term improvement to posture when combined with individualized exercise.
• A strengthened immune system through the stimulation of lymph flow.
• Significant increased physical performance in any activity.
• Increased health of the body’s largest organ, your skin.
• Increased joint health, stability and flexibility.
• Relief from symptoms of depression and anxiety.
• Promoting regeneration and healing, injuries heal with less scar tissue or stretch marks.
• Improving circulation by enhancing blood flow.
• Significant increase to weight loss and metabolic rate by encouraging hormonal cascade.
• Reduction of post surgery swelling.
• Relieve headaches and many forms of pain by encouraging endorphin release.

Research continues to show enormous benefit to the regular use of massage therapy and the medical community is beginning to actively embrace and promote its use. Below are more examples of situations where massage therapy has had a profound impact.

• No surprise, arthritis sufferers report a reduction in aches, pains and stiffness when regular massage therapy has been implemented.
• Asthmatics show better pulmonary function and increased peak air flow.
• Burn patients report that pain, itching and anxiety subside faster with regular massage therapy.
• High blood pressure patients have shown decreases in diastolic blood pressure and stress hormones.
• Women experiencing PMS have shown less water retention and cramping with regular massage.

Compliment your health and wellness even further with the synergism of Far Infrared Therapy.

One of the fastest growing health therapies in North America, Far Infrared Therapy (FIR) has strong synergism with the effects of exercise and massage therapy.

Far Infrared therapy expands capillaries which stimulates increased blood flow, regeneration, circulation and oxygenation. A powerful compliment to the similar effects from exercise and massage therapy.

An excellent method of detoxification. Scientists in Japan report that in the FIR treatment of clogged capillary vessels initiates the start of a process to dissolve hidden toxins. Far Infrared thereby promotes elimination of fats, chemicals and toxins from the blood: Poisons, carcinogenic heavy metals – toxic substances from food processing – lactic acid, free fatty acids, and subcutaneous fat associated with aging and fatigue – excess sodium associated with hypertension – and uric acid which causes pain. Furthermore, if sebaceous glands are activated, accumulated cosmetics in pores can be eliminated through the skin (sweat and oil glands) rather than by the kidneys. FIR also promotes the killing of many pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.

Far Infrared stimulates enzyme activity and metabolism. One hour in the FIR cabin burns more than 900 calories by raising the metabolism and body temperature. In addition to burning fat calories FIR light waves have also been shown to break down cellulite.

A strong synergism also exists between exercise, massage and FIR therapy in the rebuilding of injured tissue. This is accomplished by having a positive effect on the fibroblasts (connective tissue cells necessary for the repair of injury). Furthermore, it increases growth of cells, DNA syntheses, and protein synthesis all necessary during tissue repair and regeneration. Excellent for healing burns, scar tissue and skin problems.

By stimulating increased production of white blood cells (leukocytes), Far Infrared strengthens the Immune system with its direct effect on the bone marrow and killer T-cells of the thymus.

Far Infrared therapy will further enhance cardiovascular fitness without additional cardio exercise. This occurs as an increase in heart rate and cardiac output and a decrease of diastolic blood pressure. Extensive research by NASA in the early 1980’s led to the conclusion that far infrared stimulation of cardiovascular function would be the ideal way to maintain cardiovascular conditioning in American astronauts during long space flight.

One-to-1 Fitness now offers early morning and evening massage appointments. Get in for a treatment before or after work with ease with booking starting at 6AM!

If you read the information above you no doubt see the value in regular massage and FIR therapy. Not only does One-to-1 Fitness now have the best massage availability we also have the best rates.

• 30 minute treatments for less than $32.00 and full hour treatments for less than $50.00!

• Infrared Therapy for as little as $14.00/month!

Online booking coming soon!

The Basics of Training and Understanding the Core

Core training is the buzz word in fitness these days, I’ve touched on it in previous columns. Previously while snowboarding at Panorama I experienced first hand the significant impact of core training on balance and performance. I was excited and yet very nervous about the trip as I had not been on a snowboard in nearly two years and my father has become quite the avid snowboarder. I couldn’t have dear old dad show me up that’s for sure. Too my surprise my confidence and ability on the snow had improved over my last trip in spite of the time that had passed since I’d last been to the mountains. Core and functional training is really the only possible explanation for this improvement. Core training not only makes traditional strength training more interesting it also produces significant improvement in a very short time.

If you are reading this article chances are you have a weak core because at this moment you are engaged in a position all too familiar, one that may make up a large portion of your day, every day. Sitting is without a doubt the largest contributor to a weak core. Our car seats support us to and from work, the couch or lazy boy takes care of us at home and your ergonomic deluxe office chair isn’t helping either. When we’re seated and supported there is essentially no reason for the muscles to be strong so gravity begins to transform us and we don’t even realize until we feel the all to common low back pain or other aches. It’s time to do something about it.

Our core is mainly comprised of the abdominal muscles both, front and side, and the muscles of the lower back. You could expand this to include the muscles of the hip and pelvis and the small supporting muscles that follow our spine. If you’re ready to improve or avoid the back pain that might be in your future here are 3 things you can do to be well on your way:

1)      Draw In – This is a simple little exercise that you can perform right now where you are sitting, in your car or at the office. In fact no one will even know your doing it and yet it is highly effective. Simply draw your belly button to your spine, and I don’t mean suck in your bulging belly, I mean concentrate on contracting the abdominal muscles all around the belly button as though you were trying to pull them to your spine. Hold it for a few seconds and relax and repeat. Just a few minutes each day will greatly strengthen your core help to trim the belly and eliminate back pain.

2)      Plank – This is an abdominal hold that is great for the core performed on the floor in a position kind of like a push up. Instead of positioning yourself on your hands rest your elbows on the floor and extend your legs straight. You will hold your body up and keep it straight by contracting the abdominals similar to the draw in. Simply hold the position as long as you can. (You can find a full description with pictures on my website for this exercise.)

3)      Hip Bridge – Great for the butt this exercise is performed lying flat on your back on the floor. Bend your knees so your feet are flat on the floor much like you would to perform a sit-up. Now push your heels into the floor to raise your thighs, butt and low back off the floor. You should be supporting yourself with your heels and shoulder blades squeezing the butt tight. Hold this position until fatigue and repeat a couple times.

Performing these three exercises two to three times per week will begin to yield results in just a couple weeks. This is only the surface of core training and what it can do for posture, balance and performance.

The Cost Effective, Little Space Home Gym

Most home gyms are bulky and require a lot of space, your's doesn't have to.

Red Deer is still a fairly small city, but it doesn’t always seem that way. I know sometimes at 5:00 PM when I am waiting, and waiting, and waiting at certain red lights around the city amidst what seems like hundreds of cars it doesn’t feel very small at all. Perhaps you’ve experienced the same thing, perhaps this is one of the “reasons” you’re not making to the gym to complete your much needed regular exercise.

Perhaps you’ve considered a home gym but have talked yourself out of it because of the space needed and the cost. One of the problems I’ve always found with my home gym is that I seem to go through phases. For a short time I really enjoy the flexibility, convenience and control of my environment working out at home. But when that fizzles I realize I am best suited at a gym for the pattern it creates, when I arrive at the gym it’s time to work, not to think about what’s on TV or the things I need to do around the house. But this is not to say that a home gym isn’t the right answer for you even as a compliment to your gym or personal training program. I think especially for families a home gym can be both practical, affordable and a great family building experience both health and relationship wise.

If you were to consider a home gym here is my opinion on how you can do it both cost effectively and with a minimal amount of space.

Warm Up – You need something to slowly elevate heart rate with variable resistance and impact as a warm up should always begin with no resistance and little to no impact. A simple step will work; a stationary bike or treadmill would be my choice. This will potentially be the most expensive item and the only one to use significant amount of space.

Bodyweight and full body movement training are both incredibly effective and the best part is they require little equipment or space. Here are some basic tools I would recommend that will ensure a variety of workout options while minimizing cost and space.

2 Kettlebells – A large overly heavy one and a moderate to light weight. Use your heavy kettlebell for swing exercises that are the core of kettlebell training all the way to typical resistance exercises like presses, lifts or weighted squats. Your light kettlebell can be used for a variety of core dynamic exercises like Turkish getups and windmill. Cost about $75-100 each

TRX Trainer or simple gymnastic rings – Suspension training has become very popular, the TRX is basically a fancy set of 4 loops for hand and foot positions but simple gymnastic rings will work just as well. These are typically suspended overhead and are adjustable in length allowing you to do all kinds of pushing, pulling, curling, extending exercises with varying amounts of your bodyweight. Anybody can do it, they take little space, cost little and are actually pretty fun to use. Cost $80 for rings up to $300 for the TRX.

Medicine Ball(s) – These are some of our favourite pieces of equipment. From the intense wall ball shot made famous by Crossfit to throws, torso twist passes, overhead drops, deadlifts and cleans the medicine ball can be used for a long list of exercises. We prefer the larger soft medicine balls but any would work, I would recommend a heavier one at about the 15-20lb mark or if two were an option I would have a 5-8lb and a 15-20lb. Cost ranges from $30-$100 each.

I feel that these items alone would be more than enough for a basic home gym. The cost is low, the variety and function is high and very little workout space is required. In fact those travelling to work could easily take these items with them to workout while away. (In that case I recommend the TRX over the rings as I think it has a door mount system available for those on the go.)

To help you out posted below are some basic instructional videos using the equipment listed above.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It should be noted the exercises displayed below are not necessarily beginner exercises. The selected exercises are an attempt to show that you could have a very complete and functional workout at home with very little equipment or space. There are a number of other options and it is highly recommended that you seek the guidance of a qualified trainer to learn the proper execution of all exercises (not just the ones displayed below) to ensure safety and the highest degree of effectiveness.

The Answer To, “I Don’t Have Time.”

Having been a personal trainer in Red Deer, Alberta now for over 12 years I’ve heard a lot of excuses why people don’t exercise regularly, eat healthy and balanced meals, or don’t use a personal trainer regularly. Of all those excuses one of the most common is: I don’t have time.

I work too much to exercise!

People that tell me they don’t have time for something always make me chuckle, not so much because I think their foolish but because as humans we all fall back on the “not enough time” excuse to ease the guilt of not committing significant effort to change, let me explain. Let’s consider a typical week:

7 days X 24 hours = 168 hours

Sleep is incredibly important as is time to prepare food so let’s subtract 10 hours a day right off the top for ample sleep and time to prepare food.

168 hours – 70 hours = 98 hours

The typical work week for most of you is 40 hours, but let’s give you an additional 45min/day for travel to and from work. Let’s also make sure you have at least 2 hours a day for family time and recreation (far more than the actual typical average).

98 hours – 59 ¼ hours = 38 ¾ hours

So now you are sleeping well, you have more than ample time to ensure you are eating well, we’ve accounted for the time to get to and from work, and we have made time for your family or that all important TV show. Maybe we should also deduct some time for chores, paying bills and all those things that keep life on track, 2 hours a day should be quite generous.

38 ¾ hours – 14 hours = 24 ¾ hours

Ok, the bills are paid, the house is clean, the family is happy, you are sleeping more than you have in years, the boss is pleased (heck you might even have time for a little overtime) so let’s consider doing something for ourselves. A regular exercise program will guarantee a higher quality of life. You don’t need to exercise every day but let’s say for optimal results you decide to use an exercise program of some sort 3 days/week and 3 additional days you just perform some sort of cardiovascular activity. On 3 days with time to travel to and from the gym let’s give you 2 hours and the other 3 days 1 hour will be plenty of time, so a total of 13 hours.

24 ¾ hours – 13 hours = 11 ¾ hours

Making time to exercise can improve the rest of your day.

Now 13 hours may seem like a lot of exercise, and I would completely agree that is far more than what is actually needed to live a long healthy and fit lifestyle. By now of course you should see the visual point I am trying to make. With more than ample time (more than the majority of us actually use) we have plenty of time to accommodate a very healthy lifestyle. Even with time for recreation considered we still have more than ample extra time to even make our weekends pretty much obligation free from our routine. If you actually take the time to closely monitor the schedule of your day you will be amazed at how much time we all waste on a daily basis. From health, exercise to success, time management is a key factor in the lifestyle you live. Today use it to improve your health, tomorrow use a little of that extra time to educate yourself on time management. By applying the principles of time management to other areas of your life you will pretty much be guaranteed success in any of your aspirations.

Final word: 30 min/day set aside for exercise will burn an average number of calories equivalent to 18 ¼ pounds of fat. If you picked up a book for 20 minutes a day (learning about time management and other topics) you would complete enough study time nearly equivalent to 8 college credits a year.

5 Reasons Why Sugar Is So Bad For You

By Leon Cooper

A famous athlete used to refer to sugar as 'White Death'

Ok so most people are in denial about how much sugar we actually eat, myself included. But have you ever tried to track and count the amount of sugar you’re actually putting into your body? It’s extremely difficult to do because most foods out there don’t tell you exactly how much sugar is in them. They hide behind words like glucose, sucrose, fructose, maltose, corn syrup and a few others. These words aren’t used in our regular vocabulary so we tend to ignore them. Plus that’s just our food, what about our drinks? I’ll give you an example. The number one killer for high sugar drinks out there is soda pop. Now I’ll admit that I enjoy a coke every now and then but if you break down the amount and content of a coke you’ll see it can add up quickly.

There’s 41g of sugar in a can of coke. So a regular sized bottle has about 751ml which is about double the size of a can. Now let’s say you drink 2 bottles of coke a day (it’s not uncommon). 82g sugar in 710ml X 2/day. That’s 164g of sugar, or approx 6 ounces. Now just to put this into perspective when you go out to a restaurant and order a small steak it usually comes as a 6 ounce steak. Picture that steak as a 6 ounce pile of sugar. Could you eat that in one sitting? Because most of us can easily drink that in one sitting if we had to. In fact we probably have, with every restaurant now giving free refills and the amount of times the waitress comes around with the jug we’ve probably drank over a liter of coke at a meal one time or another. Now remember, that’s just looking at our drinks, and that’s just one meal. Imagine calculating all the food we eat and trying to count the amount of sugar as well. So you can see how it will add up quickly without even knowing it. The numbers are shocking.

My point is that we really need to consciously make an effort to reduce our sugar intake through out the day, and not just because “it’s bad for you” that’s too general. Here is a list of 5 reasons why sugar is “bad for you”:

Weight Gain

This is as obvious one. From the amount of sugar that we as a society consume on a regular basis we would all have to be training like Olympian athletes to burn it off and maintain our current weight, but since we’re not Olympian athletes the pounds keep creeping up on us. This is because sugar is “empty calories”. And what that means is that your body doesn’t use sugar as an energy source. Now some may argue that sugar gives you a surge of instant energy when you ingest it and an example of that would be when a 10 year old try’s their first ever pixy stix and is bouncing off the walls for a good 10-15 min. However they’re probably only using 10% of the total pixy stix for energy and the other 90% go unused. Then what happens to them? They usually get easily agitated and fatigued can’t focus well and are ready for a nap. And as for that other 90% sugar, well that’s still in your body but can’t be used for energy therefore it gets stored as reserves or “FAT”. So by the term “empty calories” I mean when you ingest it most of it just turns into fat, it serves no benefit to your body what so ever.

Mineral Depletion

When you eat refined sugar, your body takes nutrients from other cells to metabolize it because the sugar lacks the ability to do so on it’s own. Minerals like calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium are taken from vital body parts to make use of the sugar you ingested. Over Time, the vital body processes requiring those minerals run down and become less efficient. So we’re actually stealing necessary nutrients from other parts of our body that need them the most just to deal with the excess amount of sugar in our body. This is why our cholesterol goes up, and why our immune system doesn’t work as well. We’re actually opening up the door and letting infection, inflammation and disease come into our bodies and make us sick again and again because we don’t have the proper nutrients to fend them off. The sugar is stealing them.

Bone Loss

As stated above calcium is one of the minerals that is depleted when sugar enters the body. Calcium serves a major roll in bone structure. Calcium is what makes bones strong and durable. When it gets depleted then your body becomes more susceptible to injury such as breaks, fractures, joint problems and osteoporosis. Studies are finding osteoporosis occurring in people much earlier in life than in previous generations. They link this to a lack of calcium in the average person’s diet. Calcium also plays a key roll in keeping your teeth healthy and strong. Without it you become a higher risk to tooth decay and without calcium and a higher intake of sugar your teeth will rot that much faster.

Diabetes

Diabetes is rapidly becoming one of the most common diseases in the North American culture. Sugar is mainly responsible for this. See when you take in too much sugar on a regular basis your body’s natural blood sugar rises causing your pancreas to secrete insulin. This insulin helps bring the body’s blood sugar levels back down to normal. If you keep ingesting large amounts of sugar on a regular daily basis then eventually your pancreas will stop working. Then you’ve got major problems. Without insulin being able to regulate your blood sugar you may go into diabetic shock which can kill you. So what will happen is that you will be required to take regular insulin shots daily and you will be at far greater risk of going into shock if you continue to take in sugar. Your pancreas can not repair itself so this is a life long process for diabetics.

Fatigue

The ever popular sugar high feels great for the brief moment that you have it but then after that you feel even worse. More tired, more fatigue, can barley keep your eyes open, more irritable, short tempered, and all your brain is telling you is to get more sugar. It’s like a sugar hang over. You get that surge of energy and everything in your body starts working harder and faster then that source runs out and your body just wants to shut down, and all that will take place with 30 min. Then the hangover starts. Now your body is trying to recover from that massive surge but remember only 10% of the sugar was used so your body still has a job to do by trying to regulate your blood sugar, and store those empty calories as fat as well as keeping every other organ in your body working at an optimal level. So while your body is working overtime to recover from your sugar rush all your brain wants to do is shut down, or take a nap. This is why after a big meal of refined sugars we want to go lie on the couch and crash for about an hour. Now most of us don’t have the capability to live like this, getting a sugar high then crashing. We have jobs to do, people to see, places to go, responsibilities. So for the rest of the day we’re trying to fight the fatigue that we have created for ourselves. We’re not thinking clear, we can’t focus, the day becomes stressful and it’s not as much fun anymore. And that’s the vicious cycle that we’ve been going through because this society has become addicted to sugar.

How Does Your Sleep Effect Exercise?

By Leon Cooper

No matter how active you are throughout the day, either an athlete or a couch potato, we all have our downtime. And if our downtime is used correctly it can greatly enhance our lives, but if it gets abused then it can have serious effects on our health.

Getting enough sleep?

I’m talking about sleep. Everybody needs sleep the question is why and how much?

After you exercise your body needs to recover. It does its best recovery when you’re sleeping. This is because the body goes through an increase rate of anabolism and a decrease rate of catabolism. Anabolism is the building of new cells that have been broken down by exercise and catabolism is the breakdown of cells which occurs because of exercise. Long after an exercise bout the body is still adjusting to the increased work activity that it just went through which means that it’s still in a catabolic state. Now proper rest and nutrition will get it out of that catabolic state and into an anabolic state faster but the best time to be anabolic is when you’re sleeping. This allows for a faster recovery and allows for the body to regenerate and be ready to go the next day.

Sleep alone is not good enough. It needs to be a GOOD night sleep to get the best recovery. Now the standard “good night sleep” is 8 hours, but everybody is different. Some people need 10 hours to feel well rested and some only need 6. However 8 hours has been scientifically proven to be the optimal level of sleep per night.

Now I know that most of us would LOVE to get 8 hours every night but find it difficult to do. Well let me explain why it’s so important. First of all you can’t make up for sleep. How many of you have ever said “I’ll get 6 hours tonight then 10 hours tomorrow night because it’s the weekend, that’ll make up for it.” NO! It doesn’t work that way. Your body goes by how many CONSECTUIVE hours of sleep it gets in 1 24 hour period, not the combined hours you get during a week. Once you get into a deep restful sleep then your body’s natural recovery functions take over, but if you can’t get into that deep sleep and you keep waking up every hour then you’re disrupting the recovery phase and your body gets cut short. This makes you feel tired and lethargic the next day.

When you do get into that deep sleep a couple of things happen:

1 – Cortisol levels go down. This is the chemical that is caused by stress and stops any further recovery or development of the muscle tissues. We want this to be low!

2 – Testosterone levels go up. This is the hormone that will stimulate muscle growth and help burn fat. And yes women, we want you testosterone levels to go up as well.

3 – Human Growth Hormone (HGH) goes up. This is the natural hormone that gets stimulated by the pituitary gland in the brain when you’re sleeping. It also helps build muscle and burn fat.

4 – Insulin levels are regulated. The less sleep you get the higher your insulin levels which mean your body is working too hard to keep your blood sugar low and releasing too much insulin which can increase fat storage.

So how do we get the required amount of sleep with our busy schedules and hectic lives? Well if I had the answer I would probably be sleeping right now, but what I can do is give you some tips to help.

1^st – First and foremost, on order to get a good night sleep one must invest in a comfortable bed and pillows. It is one thing that you should spend your money on and make sure you get the right one for you.

2^nd – Get into a routine. Like exercising programs that require a scheduled routine on order to stay on track, so should your bed time. In fact why not set yourself a “bed time”. As kids we all had bed times because it was very important to get a good night sleep so that we could be alert and read to go the next day. Well what has changed now that we’re adults? We might not need the 10-12 hours that kids might but if we set ourselves a bed time and followed it then it at least gives us a chance for a good night sleep.

3^rd – No more snooze. Get rid of the snooze button. If you’re into a deep sleep and the alarm goes off, it’s impossible to get back into that deep sleep in the 9 min that your alarm gives you. All you’re doing is creating an annoying reminder that you’re still in bed when you shouldn’t be. It’s far better to get that 9 min added onto your regular deep sleep then to be woken up every time. Pick a time to get up and set your alarm once. If you’re in a very bad habit of reaching over and slapping that alarm clock a bunch of times then maybe try setting a mouse trap on top of it. I guarantee you’ll only hit the snooze one more time. (Just kidding)

4^th – If you nap during the day limit it to 20 min. Your mind wants to get into that deep sleep and stay there for as long as it can, so if you just limit it to 20 min then your mind wont fall into that deep sleep, it will be just a quick recharge for your brain. Save the deep sleep for the night time. If you go longer than 20 min then you will reach that deep sleep and then be woken up too early and feel not rested. It’s like sticking your toe in the water and saying that you went for a swim, you’re just teasing yourself. Plus it will mess up your routine and your sleeping patterns will be all jumbled.

A planned sleep schedule could be the key to getting great workouts in plus becoming better and more efficient at your work and daily activities. It’s a great tool for enhancing your mood, creating better thought processes and performing better judgments. Plus it gives you more energy to do what you want to do.

10 Reasons To Get In Shape For 2010

Each new year starts as a point of reflection from the previous. 2009 seemed to be a year of bad news but with the beginning of each new year comes the opportunity to start with a clean slate. Below is the result of my reflection of 2009 and why I think you should make 2010 the year that you say, “I am in the best shape of my life!”

1. H1N1 won’t be the last epidemic, we should expect to see more and far worse – When the H1N1 pandemic was announced a detail that wasn’t discussed in great detail was that statistically the world was overdue. Throughout history outbreaks of illness and disease have tended to repeat themselves at regular intervals and according to history this one came late. We’d be foolish to think this will be the last or the worst, but we can greatly reduce our risks but maintaining our efforts for optimal health and fitness.
2. Prescription drug sales continue to rise by more than a billion a year – IMS a medical statistics firm reports that prescription drug sales in Canada continue to rise annually. The steady increase is attributed in part to direct-to-consumer drug advertising. Unfortunately gyms and health clubs will never be able to bombard consumers with the message of feeling better through exercise the way a drug company can. However, a health and fitness club can always promise more positive than negative side effects from exercise than a drug ever can.
3. You have a better than 1 and 2 chance of contracting one of “Canada’s Five Deadliest Diseases” – As I reported in a previous column Canada’s five deadliest diseases are: Disease, Cancer, Lung Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease and Diabetes. When looking at the effected statistics we all have a better than 1 in 2 chance of experiencing one or more of these conditions. Regular exercise and healthy eating are one recommendation for the reduction of risk to all of these diseases.
4. You can’t control the economy, you can control your health – 2009 was the year of economic downturn, it was doom and gloom for most of the year. Major layoffs, unemployment on the rise all spelled increased physical and emotional stress. Though you can’t control the economy you can control how you feel about it and how you deal with it. By making exercise a regular part of your life you will reduce stress and the physical effects it brings.
5. The world wide obesity phenomenon – Not just a Canadian problem but a worldwide one. Obesity is dramatically on the rise. You could have an expensive medical procedure with still no guarantees and live with the potential negatives or you can educate yourself and embrace activity and improved nutrition.
6. Be a role model for your children – Next to worldwide obesity I see child obesity as a separate and more alarming problem. This past year was filled with news on child obesity, it should not be a growing statistic that parents are outliving their children. We are all products of our environment; it’s my opinion that responsible parenting and true concern for your children and yourself has to be a powerful advocate for adding exercise and healthy eating to your family’s lifestyle.
7. Improved hormonal balance – Inactivity, stress, and toxicity are all notable contributors to hormonal imbalance ranging from mild to severe instances of depression, infertility, and fatigue. Regular exercise creates hormonal cascades that help to overcome or improve hormonal imbalance.
8. Improved self-esteem – It is undeniable that we are emotional creatures and that the better we feel about ourselves the better we perform and the more successful we become. You deserve to feel better about yourself and from weight loss to hormonal cascades I’ve seen exercise provide improved self-esteem thousands of times over.
9. This is the year for that thing “you have always wanted to do” –The thousands of clients I have coached, each and every one always had that one thing they always wanted to do when they really sat down to think about their goals or reasons to exercise. Things left unaccomplished are in danger of becoming regrets, it’s time to cross that one thing off the list.
10. Because you want to – The most important reason of all, and after reading this list the one I hope you will all come to settle on. There are far more than 10 reasons to embrace the idea of fitness and healthy eating. As I stated in a column in months past this investment in yourself will always produce a return, has zero risk and tonnes to be gained. Happy New Year to everyone and make 2010 the year you say, “I am in the best shape of my life!”

Holiday Survival Guide

The holidays are a joyous time for a different kind of growth and development then the kind I spend each day preaching to my clients. It’s a time to spend with family, to grow relationships, be thankful for the year behind and to celebrate the season and the year to come. If you’ve been working hard all year it’s ok to indulge through the holidays as your body will be quite forgiving once you resume your regular exercise and nutritional plan in the new year.

A few tips, warnings and lectures for holiday survival:

Enjoy Your Christmas Party

Surviving the Christmas Party – Though I can’t do anything for you regarding the stories circulating the office come Monday morning I can give you a couple of tips on how to do the least damage during your evening of reveling. First alcohol is a nervous toxin, there are no ifs, ands or buts, it’s bad for you and it’s bad for fitness. The less the better but any which way anything more than 2oz is going to have a dramatic effect on your metabolism and the more you consume the longer you will be affected. What you can do to aid your recovery is ensure you consume at least 3-4L of water over the 3-4 days that follow to aid your liver and kidneys as they try to break down the alcohol. A detoxification program and the use of heat therapy like saunas and event hot tubs may also help to break the alcohol down faster. Though these methods don’t repair the damage caused they will allow you to get back on track faster. Second, eliminate sugared sodas from your cocktails, order them with diet soda or try drinking them with water. Sugared sodas are a primary culprit as far as unbalancing blood sugar and causing major insulin spikes that trigger cravings for all those things we love and know we shouldn’t eat. There is plenty of opportunity for Christmas goodies that force us to consume excess sugar so avoid it where you can.

Plenty of Temptations

Holiday Desserts – There are so many wonderful Christmas treats it makes your mouth water thinking about them, nanimo bars are my personal favorite. It would be cruel and unlikely to try to persuade most to steer clear of these treats entirely. Instead try to make sure that you have consumed a solid food meal high in protein no more than 30 minutes before you dive into the goodies. If this is simply not possible than force yourself to consume two large 8oz glasses of water, even better would be both. Obviously this will ensure your stomach is not empty and you won’t consume as much but more importantly this also changes the rate of gastric emptying (digestion) and ultimately how quickly our blood sugar rises causing triglyceride storage (fat conversion). If you can avoid the big insulin spikes you will find it much easier to resume your better eating habits once the holidays conclude.

Activity – It is going to be a cold winter they say, with lots of snow. This provides great opportunity to be regularly active through the holidays from the must do of shoveling sidewalks to many other activities like building snowmen, cross county skiing, snowboarding, skating etc. Don’t let winter slow you down.

From our fitness family at One-to-1 Fitness Merry Christmas and best wishes for an exciting 2010!

Protein Sources and How Much to Consume

How often do you eat protein?

With so many different nutritional practices it seems one fairly common consensus is that additional protein is needed. In the past when I have spoke to high school students I was always surprised at how often the students didn’t know which foods were good choices for protein. Maybe this is why many people are not consuming enough, a simple lack of understanding of which foods to eat.

Some of the best protein rich foods are: beef, poultry, buffalo and wild game, fish, egg whites, and cottage cheese. When choosing a protein source be cautious of the ratio of protein vs fats, etc. For instance other items such as some pork, especially nuts, and legumes tend to contain so much fat that to consume any significant amount of protein you are consuming a tremendous amount of fat. Now that you have some ideas which foods might be the best to eat you may be wondering just how much and how often you should be eating protein.

I remember when I first started personal training asking people if they ate a lot of protein. So often I was met with, “yes I eat plenty of protein we have meat a couple times per week.” Our body is in a constant need of protein, it does so much more than just make muscles. Every time we consume foods our blood sugar increases and the body releases insulin, the ultimate storage hormone which lowers our blood sugar and stimulates hunger. At the same time insulin is storing sugars our body is also using and storing the protein within our blood, when our blood sugar drops low, so may our blood protein levels. When our body needs to repair tissue from injury, strain or stress, reinforce our immune system, or help us become more alert or lay down to rest proteins play important roles. By now I bet you see where I am going, protein needs to be the other cornerstone to our daily nutrition next to the almighty carbohydrate. If you consume carbs, you should be consuming protein alongside four to six times per day. In terms of just how much, well that’s an argument that will probably run rampant through all time, but my suggestion would be 1-2 grams or protein per kilogram of bodyweight. (Less active people at the lower end of the scale and more active people toward the higher end.) This is just a guideline, the amount necessary for healthy basic living and the amount for performance or dramatic physical change can be very different, we can talk more about that in a future column. Good luck, and happy holidays!

With so many different nutritional practices it seems one fairly common consensus is that additional protein is needed. In the past when I have spoke to high school students I was always surprised at how often the students didn’t know which foods were good choices for protein. Maybe this is why many people are not consuming enough, a simple lack of understanding of which foods to eat.

Some of the best protein rich foods are: beef, poultry, buffalo and wild game, fish, egg whites, and cottage cheese. When choosing a protein source be cautious of the ratio of protein vs fats, etc. For instance other items such as some pork, especially nuts, and legumes tend to contain so much fat that to consume any significant amount of protein you are consuming a tremendous amount of fat. Now that you have some ideas which foods might be the best to eat you may be wondering just how much and how often you should be eating protein.

I remember when I first started personal training asking people if they ate a lot of protein. So often I was met with, “yes I eat plenty of protein we have meat a couple times per week.” Our body is in a constant need of protein, it does so much more than just make muscles. Every time we consume foods our blood sugar increases and the body releases insulin, the ultimate storage hormone which lowers our blood sugar and stimulates hunger. At the same time insulin is storing sugars our body is also using and storing the protein within our blood, when our blood sugar drops low, so may our blood protein levels. When our body needs to repair tissue from injury, strain or stress, reinforce our immune system, or help us become more alert or lay down to rest proteins play important roles. By now I bet you see where I am going, protein needs to be the other cornerstone to our daily nutrition next to the almighty carbohydrate. If you consume carbs, you should be consuming protein alongside four to six times per day. In terms of just how much, well that’s an argument that will probably run rampant through all time, but my suggestion would be 1-2 grams or protein per kilogram of bodyweight. (Less active people at the lower end of the scale and more active people toward the higher end.) This is just a guideline, the amount necessary for healthy basic living and the amount for performance or dramatic physical change can be very different, we can talk more about that in a future column. Good luck, and happy holidays!

With so many different nutritional practices it seems one fairly common consensus is that additional protein is needed. In the past when I have spoke to high school students I was always surprised at how often the students didn’t know which foods were good choices for protein. Maybe this is why many people are not consuming enough, a simple lack of understanding of which foods to eat.

Some of the best protein rich foods are: beef, poultry, buffalo and wild game, fish, egg whites, and cottage cheese. When choosing a protein source be cautious of the ratio of protein vs fats, etc. For instance other items such as some pork, especially nuts, and legumes tend to contain so much fat that to consume any significant amount of protein you are consuming a tremendous amount of fat. Now that you have some ideas which foods might be the best to eat you may be wondering just how much and how often you should be eating protein.

I remember when I first started personal training asking people if they ate a lot of protein. So often I was met with, “yes I eat plenty of protein we have meat a couple times per week.” Our body is in a constant need of protein, it does so much more than just make muscles. Every time we consume foods our blood sugar increases and the body releases insulin, the ultimate storage hormone which lowers our blood sugar and stimulates hunger. At the same time insulin is storing sugars our body is also using and storing the protein within our blood, when our blood sugar drops low, so may our blood protein levels. When our body needs to repair tissue from injury, strain or stress, reinforce our immune system, or help us become more alert or lay down to rest proteins play important roles. By now I bet you see where I am going, protein needs to be the other cornerstone to our daily nutrition next to the almighty carbohydrate. If you consume carbs, you should be consuming protein alongside four to six times per day. In terms of just how much, well that’s an argument that will probably run rampant through all time, but my suggestion would be 1-2 grams or protein per kilogram of bodyweight. (Less active people at the lower end of the scale and more active people toward the higher end.) This is just a guideline, the amount necessary for healthy basic living and the amount for performance or dramatic physical change can be very different, we can talk more about that in a future column. Good luck, and happy holidays!

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