Q: What should I consider before starting a routine?

A: Before you start an exercise program, there are a few questions to ask yourself to determine whether you should see your doctor first.

Question Yourself
Your first step is to ask yourself how active you want to be. This may sound like a silly question - you're probably planning on doing whatever you're capable of, whether that's a slow walk around the block or a vigorous step class. But if you're of a certain age or have certain cardiovascular risk factors, you may need to see your physician before beginning a program that involves vigorous (as opposed to moderate) aerobic activity.

Low-to-Moderate
This is an intensity that can be sustained relatively comfortably for a long period of time (about 60 minutes). This type of exercise typically begins slowly, progresses gradually and usually isn't competitive in nature.

Vigorous
This is an intensity that is high enough to significantly raise both your heart and breathing rates, and is usually performed for about 20 minutes before fatigue sets in.

Are you planning to participate in vigorous activities and are a man over 40 or a woman over 50? You should receive a medical exam first. The same is true for individuals of any age with two or more coronary artery disease risk factors. If you're unsure if this applies to you, check with your physician.

Q: Should I exercise when I have aches and pains?

A: Muscle soreness or discomfort that occurs 24 to 48 hours after exercise is normal, particularly if the exercise involved a high amount of eccentric work (e.g., downhill running, resistance training, landing after jumping) or activities you are unaccustomed to performing. The proper response to this type of pain is rest followed by continued moderate exercise and stretching. There are, however, occasions when the pain or discomfort is more troublesome and indicative of a real problem. Warnings signals can help you determine if the pain you are experiencing warrants cessation of exercise and/or medical attention:

Joint pain or discomfort. Joint pain of any degree of severity or type should not be dismissed. Pain in the ankle, knee, elbow or wrist joints is concerning because these joints are not covered by muscles and, therefore, the pain is rarely muscle-related. Localized pain or discomfort. If the pain occurs at a specific location, it is likely an early indicator of some type of injury. If the pain does not occur in the same location on the opposite side of the body, consult a doctor.

Persistent pain or discomfort. If pain persists for longer than two weeks/ gets worse, see a healthcare professional-especially if pain doesn't respond to standard treatments (e.g., rest, ice, etc.). Swelling in or around the area of pain. Swelling is a classic sign of an injury and should never be ignored. It is not uncommon for swelling to cause pain and stiffness.

Bottom line - you should generally avoid trying to push or work through pain. The "no pain, no gain" mantra is outdated and inaccurate. Pain is the body's way of communicating to us that a problem exists and a potential injury may be on the horizon.

Q: Can you provide some examples of food labels and nutrition calculation?

A: How many calories would you consume if you ate the entire bag?
90 calories x 4 servings = 360 calories
What is the total amount of calories that come from fat in the entire bag?
30 calories from fat x 4 servings = 120 calories

What is the percentage of calories that come from fat in the entire bag?
120 calories from fat ÷ 360 calories = 33%

How many calories per serving come from carbohydrates?
13 g Carbohydrates x 4 calories = 52 calories

How many calories per serving come from protein?
3 g Protein x 4 calories = 12 calories

Q: What are weight Loss Plateaus and Pitfalls?

A: It's kind of like running into a wall - that feeling you get when, after a few months on a weight-loss program, you suddenly stop seeing results. This is called hitting a plateau and it is not uncommon. In fact, unless you continually update your program to reflect the changes your body has already experienced, you can almost be guaranteed to plateau at some point along your journey toward reaching your goal weight.

Weight-loss woes
The first thing you should do upon hitting a plateau is determine the cause. Could you be eating more calories than you think?

Research shows that most people underreport the number of calories they eat - it's not that they're lying, they just don't know how to make an accurate assessment of how much they eating. Even if you're eating less calories than before you lost the weight, you could be eating just enough to maintain your current weight at your current activity level.

It is important to keep in mind that as you lose weight, your metabolism slows down because there is less of you to fuel, both at rest and during activity. So, while a diet of 1,800 calories per day helped you lose weight before, if you've hit a plateau, it could be that 1,800 calories is the exact amount you need to stay at your current weight.

Q: Is it possible to selectively train your lower abdominal muscle?

A: Based on electromyographic (EMG) activity recorded during the performance of various abdominal exercises (e.g., crunches, reverse curls, leg lifts), individuals generally appear unable to differentially recruit the "upper" and "lower" abdominal muscles. In other words, individuals cannot trigger a contraction in one specific area of the abdominal muscles (either the upper or lower abs).

Despite the common misconception among many fitness professionals and exercise enthusiasts, EMG data suggest that the upper and lower rectus abdominis act as a continuous sheath (i.e., one large muscle group). Contributing to the confusion is the fact that during certain abdominal exercises (e.g., leg lifts or other "hip flexor" exercises), individuals experience localized muscle fatigue and discomfort in the lower abdominal region. This situation occurs because the primary muscle used in hip flexion, the iliopsoas, originates deep below the lower portion of the rectus abdominis.

Keep in mind is that the phenomenon of local muscle fatigue and tightness should not be misinterpreted as specific recruitment of "lower" abdominal muscles.

Q: Why should I S-T-R-E-T-C-H?

A: Fifteen seconds is better than five, though five is still better than nothing when it comes to improving flexibility.

A new study out of the United Kingdom suggests a significant benefits from holding each stretch at least 15 seconds as opposed to five seconds or not stretching at all.

24 college students (average age 20) participated in the five-week training study.

Those in the five-second group performed each stretch 9x, while those in the 15-second group did each stretch 3x.

While both groups improved their passive range of motion, those who held their stretches longer showed greater improvements in active range of motion as well.

Q: Does exercise help take the pain away?

A: Not only does exercise help reduce the risk of developing numerous diseases, it may also be effective in reducing the perception of pain, even among those with chronic pain in the lower back.

Researchers at the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wis., recruited 10 healthy people and eight people with chronic lower-back pain.

During a 25-minute ride on an exercise bike, both groups showed marked reductions in pain perception, which lasted for about 30 minutes after the session.

Lead researcher Dr. Martin Hoffman suggests that as long as the exercise does not exacerbate the injury, it could be an effective means of alleviating pain. It is significant that the eight individuals with back pain were sedentary prior to participation in this study because inactivity has been shown to contribute to muscular back pain.

In a related study, Hoffman and his associates concluded that exercise intensities from 50 to 75 percent (at the lower end of the heart rate training zone) were necessary to induce a temporary reduction in pain perception.

Q: Can I reap the rewards of personal training?

A: All the rich and famous celebrities have one. In fact, some are rich and famous themselves. But you don't have to be either one to reap the benefits of hiring one.

More and more people, novice and veteran exercisers, are working with personal trainers because they offer a practical and affordable means of getting and staying healthy.

A trainer for every body
Many automatically equate personal training with gyms full of hard-core strength trainers and body builders. This is only part of the picture. Anyone, young and old, in shape and out, can utilize a personal trainer for a variety of reasons.

For example, many professional and amateur athletes work with a personal trainer during the off-season to prepare themselves for in-season competition. Individuals recovering from an injury or accident may enlist the help of a personal trainer (in conjunction with their physical therapist) to get them back in top form.

The work of a majority of personal trainers focuses on increasing and/or maintaining their clients' fitness levels, assisting them in weight loss and overseeing their strength-training and cardiovascular activities. Strength training, in particular, has received increased recognition in recent years because the lack of strength is now known to be a risk factor for disease, especially for older populations

Q: What is with this whole strength and fitness training for kids, yes or no?!

A: Many parents and physical education teachers have traditionally shied away from strength training with their children or students, and for good reason. Until recently, the research just hadn’t been done to support the effectiveness and, more importantly, the safety of children training with weights. But now there is sufficient research to suggest that strength training is a suitable—and safe—option for most youth.

Correcting the Misconceptions
There are a number of common myths about youth strength training that continue to cause concern among parents/educators. Two of the most common misconceptions are that strength training may stunt the growth of children and that children should not lift weights until they are 12 years old. There is simply no evidence to support either statements. In fact, all of the major fitness and medical organizations in the U.S. recommend strength training for youth, assuming that basic guidelines are adhered to and that appropriate leadership is present. And about the question of age, children can begin to train with weights as soon as they are able to accept and follow directions— around the age of 7 or 8.

The Benefits
Benefits of youth strength training are similar to those for adults, though the importance of getting an early start cannot be overemphasized—the most important benefit in youth fitness is an improved attitude toward lifelong activity. Improvements in muscular fitness, bone density, body composition, motor fitness performance and injury resistance should be compelling evidence, though children will likely focus on things like enhanced sports performance and the social aspects of exercise..

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