My blog has evolved considerably since I first started it in 2004. I still attempt to update it with sometimes relevant and/or random observances as often as possible, but I can never promise which way the wind will blow on these things. Change is the only certainty.
Sorry, I have to vent... I had to go to the dentist this morning, so I took the truck instead of the motorcycle. Doing so, I decided to take the freeway to work for a change. As I drove down the US60 and approached the interchange to the 101, I glanced at the guy driving next to me. This dude was doing 65 mph and steering his car with his legs while texting with both hands! Are you fucking kidding me? It's bad enough on a straight piece of roadway, but in rush hour and nearing a major interchange with neither of his hands on the wheel. And this was no youngster either (from a quick observation he was in his 50s). I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I put as much distance between this moron and I as quickly as I could. This is why I stay off the freeway unless I have to. Blockheads like this should take the bus. Holy crap!!
Jay Leno got an even wilder ride than he bargained for when he strapped himself in the famous Hemi Under Glass drag racer. Driven by accomplished stuntman Bob Riggle, who is 80 years old but doesn't look or act like it, the Hemi-powered Barracuda is legendary for its ability to lift its two front wheels with nothing more than a firm foot on the accelerator pedal. Unfortunately, Jay's time in the passenger seat included nearly as much time with zero wheels on the ground.
After a brief surge of acceleration, Riggle loses control of the Plymouth Barracuda as he attempts to get the skinny front wheels to turn. Several barrel rolls later, the racecar is back on its wheels, though with enough damage that it will need to be rebuilt with a new donor shell. Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured during the wreck. Leno even cracks a joke during the standard-issue concussion protocol check by the medics at Irwindale Speedway in California.
Although the car was badly damaged, the supercharged Hemi lump continued purring away until Riggle switched it off. The 2,500-horsepower engine will live to see another drag strip. And, thanks to the fully modern safety equipment – a beefy roll cage, racing harnesses, and helmets – everyone walked away.
These are good. If you practice at least half of these, you will begin to see differences. If this begins to work, do more.
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| By Katherine Brooking
Overview
According to a 2014 survey conducted by Allianz Life Insurance Company, 49 percent of Americans placed health and wellness as their most important focus for the year, up from 43 percent in 2013. So that you can make good on your healthy intentions, here are 15 science-backed strategies to help you shed pounds -- and keep them off!
1. High-Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) combines intense periods of work (ranging from 30 seconds to several minutes) with short recovery intervals (one to five minutes) for an increased calorie burn. It has also been shown to amplify weight loss and boost cardio fitness and metabolism. According to a 2011 study, just two weeks of HIIT improved aerobic capacity as much as six to eight weeks of endurance training. You don’t need any special equipment for a HIIT workout -- jumping jacks, jumping rope, plyometric jumps, push-ups, mountain climbers and burpees all fit the bill.
2. Ditch the Distractions
Love to watch TV, surf the internet or check your phone while you're eating? Distracted eating could leave you with extra padding. A small study found that that people ate significantly more cookies after they had eaten their lunch while watching television compared with those who ate their lunch while not watching television. People who eat while distracted are also less likely to recall their meals. To help your brain register fullness, focusing on your meal is essential. Strive to digitally detox during mealtimes: Turn off the TV, put the phone away (texting under the table still counts!) and move the tablet to another room. Instead, focus on sharing the tales of your day with your friends and family, light some candles and enjoy -- and be thankful for -- the delicious food in front of you.
3. Pump Up the Protein
Protein intake is key to getting toned and trim. What’s more, studies show that it’s the pattern of protein intake, not just the total daily protein amount, which can impact protein metabolism. Strive for 20 grams of protein at regular intervals throughout the day for the greatest effect to maintain or increase lean muscle mass (which can help you slim down). Avoid eating large amounts of protein at one sitting, as studies show that eating excess protein, specifically at night, can negatively affect insulin levels and thus slow our metabolism. Consider incorporating modest amounts of lean protein into meals and snacks -- think chicken, turkey, fish, beans, tofu and low-fat dairy. One way is to start your day with a protein-rich breakfast like a veggie frittata or almond butter on a whole-grain English muffin.
4. Overcome “Scale-itis”
Afraid to step on that scale? Don’t be. Studies show that people who weigh themselves on a regular basis (at least once per week) are more likely to keep their weight under control. Knowledge is power -- and what you don’t know may hurt your health. If you’re keeping track of your weight, you’re more likely to stop weight gain before it becomes a problem. And if you’ve lost weight, the scale is an invaluable tool for keeping the pounds from piling back on. Invest in a simple scale and weigh yourself at least once each week -- ideally in the morning before you’ve eaten. If you start to see upward changes (more than a couple of pounds), that’s your cue to boost your activity and examine your dietary patterns.
5. Find Fit Friends
Your friends could be making you fat! Obesity may be “socially contagious” because studies find that food choices, fitness habits and weight tend to be similar among friends. It may be a case of “birds of a feather feel better together” (even when they’re overweight or obese). In a study that spanned 32 years and included more than 12,000 people, researchers found that participants were 57 percent more likely to be obese if a close friend was obese. In fact, weight was more closely linked to social networks than family -- meaning that friends trump genetics when it comes to obesity. The good news is that healthy habits (and weight) are as socially contagious as poor habits. Make sure your social network isn’t keeping you from your health goals.
6. Get Your Rest
The term “hangry” was coined for a reason. Lack of sleep makes us tired, causes those dreaded mood swings and increases our appetite by disrupting hunger and fullness hormones. In one study that looked at the link between nighttime sleep duration and Type 2 diabetes over an 11-year period, obesity rates increased in people who had fewer hours of sleep. Another study found that sleep-deprived individuals eat, on average, 300 calories more each day. While this might sound like a trivial amount, those 300 extra calories can add up quickly. Keep your hunger hormones in check by aiming for seven to eight hours of sleep each night.
7. Eat Your Calories, Don’t Drink Them
Drinking sugary beverages like soda and juice is closely linked to obesity and other adverse health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. What’s more, sugary beverages are a double diet disaster: They are loaded with empty calories that don’t even help us feel full. Studies indicate calories that are eaten help you feel full and satisfied, while those that you drink don’t signal the same level of fullness to your stomach and brain. Research shows that American adults drank an estimated average of 150 calories per day of sugar-sweetened beverages during 2009 and 2010, with regular soda and fruit drinks being the most popular. Replace sugary drinks with plain water, seltzer with a splash of lemon or fresh-brewed herbal tea. If you must have a little sweetness, add a quarter cup of 100-percent fruit juice to plain seltzer.
8. Turn Up the Volume
When it comes to weight loss, getting the most nutritional bang for your buck is key. Eat foods with low energy density -- that’s a fancy way of saying foods that are high in water and fiber and lower in calories. These include broth-based soups as well as most fruits and vegetables. It is the energy-density theory that is behind the well-known “grapefruit diet” and “volumetrics.” Enjoying foods like grapefruit, broth-based soups and veggies prior to a meal is a highly effective weight-loss strategy and has a favorable effect on body composition and cardio-metabolic risk.
9. Let Go of Magical Thinking
Americans plunk down an estimated $60 billion each year on diet products. The weight-loss industry is teeming with lose-weight-fast pills, potions and cleanses. Countless products claim that you’ll drop pounds without any effort or change in your dietary habits. Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet. If there were, everybody would be fit and trim, right? Except for bariatric surgery, there are no drugs or products that are proven for long-term weight loss without modifying your diet (and usually exercise as well). Don’t be fooled by false promises. Losing weight and keeping it off doesn’t require a lot of money or special pills, but it does demand dedication and consistency. A healthy, balanced diet combined with daily exercise is currently the best (and safest) solution science has to offer.
10. Enjoy a “Little” Sweet Treat
You can have your dessert and eat it too. When it comes to sweet treats, portion control is key. Avoid scooping from a pint of ice cream or opening a big box of cookies. When it comes to a sweet indulgences, make your mantra “one and done.” Single-serving pudding cups, individually wrapped fudge, frozen yogurt pops and small wrapped squares of dark chocolate are all great options for “keepin’ it small.” The next time you’re craving something sweet, keep this strategy in mind and opt for single servings. If you don’t want to risk wolfing down those pints of ice cream you just bought, consider scooping them out into individual-serving containers and putting them back in the freezer.
11. Keep a Well-Stocked Kitchen
Routinely dining out is a diet disaster because meals prepared away from home have, on average, an additional 134 calories. So it comes as no surprise that eating out is associated with obesity. The best way to limit the number of times you eat out is to keep a well-stocked kitchen. It doesn’t have to be an elaborate kitchen makeover, simply make sure you have nutritious staples on hand, such as fruits and veggies, beans, legumes and lean poultry, low-fat dairy, eggs, hummus, broths and lots of seasonings -- items that will make whipping up a healthy meal a cinch.
12. Shop High and Low -- With a List
Here’s something you probably didn’t know about your local grocery store that could help you shed pounds and save money: Less healthful and more expensive items are often placed at eye level. Look high and low on store shelves for the least expensive items in their category -- and often the most nutritious. Brands pay higher slotting fees to be placed at eye level, and those costs are generally passed on to consumers. You’ll also want to bring along a shopping list. Shoppers who use lists spend less on groceries and make fewer impulse (read: junk-food) purchases. Think of your grocery list as a way to reaffirm your desire to improve your diet and lose weight every time you sit down and write it.
13. Customize Your Weight-Loss Plan
Looking for the “perfect” weight-loss plan? Guess what -- there isn’t one! In fact, studies show that you can lose weight on just about any type of diet -- high-carb, low-carb, Paleo, Weight Watchers, Atkin’s or many other popular programs. To lose weight successfully you must burn more calories than you eat. If you find a plan that will enable you to do this, you’ll lose weight. However, the research also tells us that it’s important to choose a plan that fits with your food preferences and lifestyle. Personalize your weight-loss plan by choosing what works for you and rejecting what does not. This may require taking parts of different programs and mixing them to suit your tastes and needs.
14. Put the Brakes on Booze
Limiting alcohol or eliminating it entirely is one of the most effective ways to shed pounds. Just one shot of hard liquor costs about 100 calories, and research shows that we don’t adjust our eating to account for these additional calories, making moderate alcohol consumption a risk factor for obesity. If the thought of giving up beer, wine or cocktails entirely isn’t realistic, try some simple, calorie-slashing swaps the next time you’re out on the town. Dilute your drink with naturally flavored seltzer and skip high-calorie mixers like sugary juice and soda. Also alternate alcoholic drinks with club soda: Your waistline -- and wallet -- will thank you.
15. Go for Whole Grains
By now you’ve probably heard that at least half your grains should be whole. Why? Unlike refined “white” carbs, whole grains are packed with important nutrients and offer a substantial amount of hunger-squashing protein and fiber. Further, studies indicate that higher intakes of whole grains are associated with a lower risk of obesity. To amp up the whole grains in your diet, start simple. Choose whole-wheat pasta over refined alternatives, use whole-grain breadcrumbs and try an unsweetened, whole-grain cereal like oatmeal. When shopping, ensure that you’re really getting the whole grain by looking at the ingredient list. It should say “whole-wheat flour,” “whole rolled oats,” “whole rye” or something of a similar nature as one of the first ingredients.
What Do YOU Think?
Do you currently use any of these “hacks” to help manage your weight? Were any of them a surprise to you? Which ones are you most likely to try out?
Bogus Claims About Grounding Your Feet to Earth Promote Medical Pseudoscience
BY HARRIET HALL, M.D.
There is a website that reveals “The world’s most dangerous invention.” Care to speculate what that invention might be? I might have guessed nuclear weapons. Others have incriminated guns, cigarettes, genetic engineering, religion, The Web, The Large Hadron Collider, and automobiles. But this website was not talking about any of those, but about a far more destructive invention. Would you believe…shoes?
Watch out for those malicious moccasins, horrific high heels, fiendish flip-flops, beastly boots, and sinister slippers! They’re all out to get you. Not just shoes. Anything that comes between us and the bare earth: houses, clothes, tent floors, pavements, doormats, cars, skis, and so on.
It’s called “grounding” or “earthing”— the idea that maintaining health requires direct contact with the earth. Shoes are the most destructive invention ever, we are told, because they allegedly cause inflammation and autoimmune diseases, circadian rhythm disruptions, hormonal disorders, cortisol disorders, heart rate variability problems, arthritis, herpes, hepatitis, insomnia, chronic pain, exhaustion, stress, anxiety, premature aging…pretty much anything that might ail you. A one-cause-of-all-disease explanation invokes inflammation as the culprit. Grounding is supposedly the best defense against inflammation and aging; it represents a whole new treatment paradigm. Among many other benefits, grounding also “promotes calmness in the body by cooling down the nervous system,” thins the blood, eliminates jet lag, and protects the body against potentially health-disturbing environmental electromagnetic fields.
A book expounds these concepts: “Earthing: The most important health discovery ever?” by Clinton Ober, Stephen Sinatra MD, and Martin Zucker, with a foreword by James Oschman Ph.D. Who are these people? Ober, the inventor of earthing, is a layman from the cable TV industry. Of course. Dr. Sinatra is a cardiologist who encouraged Ober, who specializes in so-called “integrative medicine” (which integrates superstition with science) and is a “certified bioenergetic psychotherapist.” Naturally. Zucker is a writer. Oschman is a notorious proponent of energy medicine who believes there is a scientific basis for it; most reputable scientists disagree.
by Tom Venuto Q: Tom, I know you often say that to get to the point to be able to see your abs, you need to get to single-digit body fat. What if I hit a plateau at about 12% body fat? What do I need to do to break the plateau and get my fat% down to single digits? Should I do more cardio, more weight-training, manipulate my diet somehow?
A: There's more than one way to break a plateau. You could use any of the strategies you mentioned; you could reduce your calories, bump up your weight training volume, or increase your cardio. You shouldn't limit yourself to just one way or even a few ways. One of the problems I see with quite a few programs is that they're too rigid about what you are and aren't allowed to do. It should be the other way around - the person with the greatest number of strategies and the most flexibility is the person most likely to get through a plateau.
You should also keep in mind that the ideal plateau-breaking method may depend on how long you've been dieting and what kind of condition your body is in now. A dieted-down person trying to get even leaner and crack single digit body fat (to have ripped abs) is very different from someone who just started dieting and is still carrying a lot of body fat.
But before you choose any plateau-breaking strategy, the very first thing you need to do is get very clear in your head what a plateau really is. This is important, because plateaus are highly misunderstood and if you don't know the cause of a problem, it's nearly impossible to fix it. The cause of plateaus is actually very simple and all boils down to one thing:
If you were losing weight, but now you're not, there's only one thing that that could mean; you were in a calorie deficit before, but you're no longer in a calorie deficit.
There are four primary reasons you lose your calorie deficit and hit a plateau:
The 1st reason is that most people don't stick closely enough to their nutrition plan and they forget to record (or stop recording) their food intake. This one requires a lot of honesty with yourself. Even if you don't do it intentionally and you don't "cheat" per se, (a lot of eating behavior is unconscious), we're not very good at estimating how much food we eat when we simply try to guess. Some studies have exposed under-reporting calorie intake as much as 50%. You say, "I'm only eating 1,200 calories a day, but I'm stuck at a plateau!" But you're really eating 1,800 calories a day which doesn't give you much of a deficit.
The 2nd reason is that you need fewer calories after you lose weight. Calorie needs are directly tied into your body weight. One problem is that after people lose a lot of weight, they tend to keep eating the same way they did when they were heavier. But when you're a smaller person, you don't need as many calories, even at rest (your basal metabolic rate is lower).
The 3rd reason is that when you move that smaller body, you're not burning as many calories. If you strap on a weighted vest or heavy backpack and go out and hike up a hill, you can tell, obviously, that if you're lugging around extra weight, it's a lot more work, and you're burning more calories.
The 4th reason you hit a plateau is because your metabolism decreases while dieting and losing weight. While this does not completely stop fat loss, it does slow it down. If you've been cutting calories, especially if you cut them severely, your body adapts by decreasing your metabolic rate. That's sometimes known as the "starvation response" or "Adaptive thermogenesis."
It's really common to hit that plateau when you are leaner. Usually it's nowhere near as difficult for the overweight person to start losing weight as it is for the lean person to get leaner. The last 10 pounds is usually a lot harder than the first 10. When you're leaner, you're also at a higher risk of losing muscle, because extra muscle is not economical when there's a calorie shortage. Having extra muscle is like having an engine that's bigger than you need - it's a gas guzzler.
This has been a hot topic for years, but I think it is growing in diverse opinion. I have seen a good many things in this life so far which have colored my views. I was certainly brought up in a religious environment, but outside of church, it seemed like life was very different and contrary to the way they conducted themselves within what I was lead to believe were holy walls. The whole reason for being there suddenly seemed insincere, hypocritical, and sanctimonious. As I grew older and could see things differently and begin to ask questions, my reasoning and frame of reference changed my thinking. I do not actively try to change another's point of view, and I do not try to debate questions of religion.
We are a product of our life and experiences, and we will do as we believe to be right... for ourselves, but I do not believe it is our charter to paint our exclusive religious slant onto others. There are people I know who are very religious. If they are happy with their life, I have no desire to change this. I do not try to sway their opinion. On the other hand, I feel my life is unburdened without the strings of religion pulling me in its direction.
I have learned to look at the larger picture, be open to all things and all knowledge or evidence... but I firmly believe this starts when we are young. Let a child's mind be free to explore... to ask questions... to view their life as an open book, unencumbered by any dogma their parents seek to form their mind. Only this way can we give our children the liberty to break free of ancient fears of the unknown and awkward ignorance.
Of course you must decide for yourself what is best for you, just don't let your own sentiments cloud the mind of those who look to you for guidance. Only through personal discovery can they realize their true potential.
In The Moral Arc I document a number of areas of moral progress, including the abolition of slavery and torture, the invention of rights, the expansion of civil liberties, the granting of the vote to blacks and women, gay rights and same-sex marriage, animal rights, the spread of liberal democracies and market economies, the decline of homicides, genocides, and even the percentage of populations who die in wars and revolutions. Whenever I recount this litany of good news for people, however, they inevitably ask “what about terrorism?” After all, a news cycle doesn’t go by without a report of a suicide bombing or terrorist attack of some sort. Isn’t terrorism an example of moral regress?
Actually, the long-term trends even for terrorism are in the right direction. Compared to other forms of violence such as homicides and genocides, which themselves are on the decline, deaths and injuries from terrorism are statistical noise. More important, in terms of making political change, violent terrorism is a failed strategy that is on its way out. Why, then, do so many of us fear it?
Terrorism is a form of asymmetrical warfare by non-state actors against innocent noncombatant civilians. As its name suggests, it attempts to gain power by evoking terror. This tactic raises our alarmist emotions, which in turn confounds our reasoning, making clear thinking about terrorism well nigh impossible. I suggest that there are at least seven myths that have arisen that need to be debunked to properly understand the causes of terrorism and to continue to reduce its frequency and effectiveness.
Myth # 1: Terrorists are pure evil.
This first myth took root in September, 2001 when President George W. Bush announced “We will rid the world of the evildoers” because they hate us for “our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.” This sentiment embodies what the social psychologist Roy Baumeister calls “the myth of pure evil,” which holds that perpetrators of violence act only to commit senseless injury and pointless death for no rational reason. The “terrorists-as-evil-doers” myth is busted through the scientific study of violence, of which at least four types motivate terrorists: instrumental, dominance/honor, revenge, and ideology.
For a strength and fat-blasting workout like no other, grab an unloaded 45-pound barbell.
Then perform 50 reps of each exercise in the order shown for a total of 500 reps. Try to complete each movement in as few sets as possible before moving on to the next exercise.
1. Hip thrust 2. Floor press 3. Zercher squat 4. Bent-over row 5. Overhead press 6. Biceps curl 7. Alternating forward lunge 8. High pull 9. Power punch 10. Pogo hop
Time how long the workout takes you. Progress the challenge by completing all 500 reps in less time, adding 5 pounds to the bar, or increasing the rep
count to 55 for every exercise.
Whether you’re a fitness newbie or a former athlete getting back into the game, it’s never too late to start (or restart) a fitness routine. But before you take off running full-steam ahead, ask yourself: Am I fully prepared in both mind and body for the journey?
Here’s a scary stat: Studies indicate that 50 percent of people starting an exercise program call it quits within the first six months. Despite starting with fervor, enthusiasm and all the best intentions, many people face setbacks like loss of focus, burnout and injury when starting a new workout program.
Don’t be one of them! Follow these tips to safely start a new workout or training program. And, most of all, enjoy the process.
Reminding yourself why you're doing something is an important motivating factor. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/Melpomene
Step 1: Prepare Your Mind
Even if your goal is purely aesthetic (nothing wrong with wanting to look good in a bathing suit), you first need to get your mind on board. Your mind fears change. So whatever you’re currently doing — the strength-training routine you started in college, the same old jogging route or going straight home after work and sitting in front of the TV — your mind and body are comfortable just the way they are.
To break out of your brain’s comfort zone and see real, lasting results, you must first ask yourself: Why do I want to start a new workout or training program?
Next, strengthen the bond to your why by getting informed and inspired. Scientific data and friends or role models who have already conquered what you’ve set out to do provide reassurance that you are making the right choice and can be successful, too.
It’s also important to recognize how you’ve reacted to similar situations or changes in the past. What’s your attitude toward starting something new? Do you rush toward the finish line at whatever cost? Do you have a tendency to throw in the towel if you don’t have immediate success? Or do you lose focus and jump to new activities without finishing what you started?
By cultivating awareness of how you approach a new activity or the learning process in general you can choose to overcome resistance when it arises and alter thoughts and old patterns to align with success.
Step 2: Prepare Your Body to Move
Your body is made to move, but unfortunately, today’s world has many people at a standstill — whether it’s sitting in traffic, at a desk or on the couch. The lack of movement causes a number of postural and movement dysfunctions that need to be addressed in order to work out safely. No matter what specific skills or techniques your new workout entails, you must first be able to move your body as it was made to move — multidimensionally.
Here are five ways to prep your body for a new workout:
Foam rolling is a "hurt so good" way to release muscular tension. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/Yeko Photo Studio
1. Release Tension
Stress from daily living and repetitive motions takes a toll on the body, commonly in the form of aches and pains from knots in your muscles. The good news is you don’t need a sports masseuse to accompany you to each of your workouts; a foam roller will do just fine. Foam rolling is a technique for releasing knots and built-up tension so you can restore balance to your body and avoid injury. Try focusing on your calves, IT bands (side of your leg from hip to knee), back and chest.
2. Perform Daily Joint-Mobility Exercises
Unlike muscles, joints have no direct blood supply. They rely on synovial fluid to wash away waste products that build up and compromise the integrity of the joint. A daily mobility routine helps lubricate the joints so you can move with more ease and less aches and pains.
Any single-leg or arm exercise can help you find and address muscular imbalances. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/vadymvdrobot
3. Address Muscle Imbalances
Muscles work like a pulley system: When one muscle or muscle group contracts or shortens, the opposing muscle or muscle group lengthens. When muscles are not at their appropriate lengths because of tension or differences in strength, muscle imbalances occur.
Overly tight muscles can tug on joints, affecting posture and gait, while weak muscles force other muscles to pick up the slack, creating overuse injuries when not properly addressed. In addition to imbalances between opposing muscles or muscle groups, lack of strength in stabilizing muscles around the joint can impair movement and lead to aches and pains or injuries.
To work toward balance in your body, incorporate a functional-strength training routine into your workout regimen that addresses basic moves like the squat, push-up, deadlift and row as well as specific exercises that counterbalance repetitive movements of your new activity.
For example, running is a forward motion that primarily taxes the calves and quadriceps. Train for harmony by strengthening the hamstrings and anterior tibialis muscles of the legs and incorporating lateral and backward motion into your workout.
A little flexibility goes a long way in your workouts. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/vitaliy_melnik
4. Gain Flexibility
Flexibility is not some rare gift that only certain people have and others do not. It’s a component of fitness that can be enhanced with proper training. A more flexible body means you don’t break easily under pressure, but a body that is too flexible struggles to maintain structure. So, once again, it’s all about balance.
Key areas to focus on are the hip flexors, low back, chest and calves. Try these stretches to get you started:
Low Lunge With Side Bend: Start in a low lunge with your right leg forward and knee bent at a 90-degree angle. Keep your hips square to the front of your mat. Avoid leaning into the pose and overarching the low back. Place your right hand on your thigh for support. With an inhale, reach your left arm up. Exhale as you bend to the right side. Repeat on the opposite leg/side.
Pectoral Wall Stretch: Stand in line with a doorway or pole. Place your arm against the wall or pole. Rotate your body away from the wall. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat on the other arm.
Reclined Spinal Twist: Start lying on your back with legs extended out. Hug your right knee to your chest. Release your right arm out to the right with the palm facing up. Look to the right. Drop your right knee over to the left side of your body. Scoot your left hip back one to two inches to the right for a deeper stretch.
Standing Calf Stretch: Stand arm’s distance away from a wall. Lean forward and place your hands on the wall at shoulder height. Stagger your legs, sending one leg back behind you about two feet with the heel grounded to stretch the calf muscles. Deepen the bend into the front knee, keeping the knee over the ankle. Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Your core is WAY more than just your abs. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/Syda Productions
5. Improve Core Strength
Your core is your power center. The stronger your core — which includes your abdominals, glutes, obliques and hip flexors — the more powerful and efficient you’ll be. A strong core also helps prevent lower-back and spinal injuries because the core muscles stabilize the spine. To get started, work on core-stabilization exercises, such as the bridge and straight-arm, forearm and side planks, Try holding these poses for up to 90 seconds.
Step 3: Be Specific and Practice, Practice, Practice!
Now that your mind is prepped and your muscles are primed to move, it’s time to get specific! What exactly do you want to do? Do you want to run a 5K? Build muscle and strength? Gain flexibility and body control in yoga? It’s important to choose one main goal to work toward, since different disciplines have different physical and mental demands. Having specific markers to work toward and surpass helps build confidence and fuel your continued motivation.
Physiologically, when you learn new movements, routines and skills, your brain and nervous system get an upgrade because it reorganizes itself to build new neural pathways for new skills. Then it takes lots of practice for your brain and body to become efficient at the skill, so don’t be so hard on yourself if you’re not a pro right away. Focus on the small wins — they’ll eventually add up and you’ll reap huge gains!
Here are some guidelines to help you move toward a workout of your choice:
Find a fun, easy 5k to start with and circle the date on your calendar. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/littlew00dy
Goal: Run Your First 5K
Get Proper Shoes: It’s wise to go to your local running store to have your feet fitted and get advice from the pros.
Focus on Time, Not Mileage: Don’t get caught up on how fast you used to be able to run a mile. Run at a pace that’s challenging (but not overwhelming) for one minute, then walk for one minute and repeat this for a total of 20 minutes. As you feel ready, increase your running time to 90 seconds and walk for 60 seconds, progressing to running for two minutes and walking for 30 seconds. Soon enough you’ll be running for the full 20 minutes. Add on time until you can run for 30 uninterrupted minutes before incorporating speed training.
Join a Running Group: Running is an excellent social activity. It can help you break through barriers and encourage you to lace up your shoes even when it’s tempting to hit the snooze button.
Starting with bodyweight exercises helps you ease into workouts. Plus it's free! Photo Credit Adobe Stock/Jacob Lund
Goal: Increase Strength and Build Lean Muscle Mass
Strength training breaks down muscle fibers, so too much too soon can leave you sore for days. And if the movements are performed improperly you can damage tendons and ligaments, which can set you up for injuries. Start with body-weight exercises like squats, lunges and push-ups or lighter weights and higher reps.
Sample Routine:
Perform in a circuit. Complete two rounds, resting two minutes between rounds.
1-minute wall sit
10 push-ups
10 TRX neutral-grip rows
10 box squats
10 TRX wide-grip rows
20 walking lunges (10 each side)
1-minute forearm plank
30 bicycle crunches
Yoga isn't just for the uber flexible or strong. Photo Credit Adobe Stock/Syda Productions
Goal: Gain Flexibility and Body Control in Yoga
1. Choose Your Style of Yoga: There are many different styles of yoga, from relaxing yin and restorative classes to physically demanding classes like power yoga or Ashtanga. Speak with a teacher or studio representative to learn what fits your goals and personality.
2. Let Go of Competition: Yoga is a practice of self-discovery. Just because the person next to you may be jumping or floating back into chaturanga from handstand position or flattening their chest to the floor in a wide-leg forward fold doesn’t mean you have to match or beat them. Accept where you are and allow your practice to unfold.
3. Break Down Each Pose: If your wrist or shoulders are in pain in downward-facing dog, track the movement back all the way to your hands: Are you pressing into your hands, externally rotating at the elbows and engaging your back to bring your shoulders away from the ears? When it comes to building body control, take your time to feel what’s happening.
Starting a new workout or getting back in the game of fitness after a long hiatus is never easy mentally, emotionally or physically. But it’s when you overcome resistance, ignite self-confidence as you master something new and prove to yourself that you can reach your goals that you grow exponentially. Keep reaching for new heights, be prepared for the journey and enjoy the process!
Q: Tom, I know you often say that to get to the point to be able to see your abs, you need to get to single-digit body fat. What if I hit a plateau at about 12% body fat? What do I need to do to break the plateau and get my fat% down to single digits? Should I do more cardio, more weight-training, manipulate my diet somehow?
