Mindset Matters

This published in the journal Psychological Science:  "In a study testing whether the relationship between exercise and health is moderated by one's mind-set, 84 female room attendants working in seven different hotels were measured on physiological health variables affected by exercise. Those in the informed condition were told that the work they do (cleaning hotel rooms) is good exercise and satisfies the Surgeon General's recommendations for an active lifestyle. Examples of how their work was exercise were provided. Subjects in the control group were not given this information.

Although the subjects’ actual behavior did not change, 4 weeks after the intervention, the informed group perceived themselves to be getting significantly more exercise than before. As a result, compared with the control group, they showed a decrease in weight, blood pressure, body fat, waist-to-hip ratio, and body mass index. These results support the hypothesis that exercise affects health in part or in whole via the placebo effect."

So if you believe it, you can be it.  To me, an important factor coming out of this study is the external motivation of information and specific examples of how the subjects' work was exercise.  That information was transformed into an intrinsic perception that they were getting more exercise than before.

I would love to get my hands on one of those exceptionally comprehensive charts that documents the k/calorie per hour and metabolic equivalency figures for activites from archery to standing in the kitchen cooking, and from bathing to dancing the twist.  And I when I do, I will give copies to all my clients so they can see how much exercise they are getting everyday, and so they can be mindful of the difference their everyday movement can make.  In addition to their regular exercise, of course.  And I'm going to swipe that little plaque my father kept on his desk at IBM for 32 years which read:  THINK.  And I'm going to wear it around my neck every day to work.  (You may not believe me... just you wait....)  Then we’ll all think ourselves to healthier bodies!

Be Well!

Staying Active-It's Not Just for Physical Therapy Month Anymore!

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE November 9, 2010

October was National Physical Therapy Month.  As part of Spine & Sport’s observance there were regular Facebook postings encouraging family-oriented physical fitness and wellness activity.  There is no longer any doubt, at least from a research-based health perspective, that exercise is medicine.  Movement has a healing effect on all of the body’s systems.

There is no such thing as a perfect month of the year, nor day of the week nor time of the day for that matter, to get moving.  There may be optimal times in your schedule, or when the weather is particularly nice.  But I encourage you to increase your daily activity, the time spent on your feet pumping your legs.  And I beg you to incorporate at least 2 or 3 days per week of vigorous exercise or sport into your life.  It will improve the quality of your life, your outlook on life, and the spring in your step.  Do it with your family and you will instill in your children a lifelong appreciation for play, sport, and the amazing capabilities of their bodies.

Example from Trainer Jane’s life story:  My father jogged 3 times or more a week, beginning in the early 70’s, right around the time Nike sneakers first became widely available.  I chose to go with him to avoid doing chores around the house, I’ll admit it.  Since I wasn’t particularly good at any of the sports my brothers participated in, it was something special my Dad and I could enjoy together.  Although I fell out of the habit in my teens, there came a time in my life when I wanted to get active again and the nostalgia I felt for running brought me back.  And I have since had the distinct honor of teaching dozens of others to enjoy running, anywhere from 2 to 26.2 miles.  Thanks, Dad.

Here is a wonderful fitness event in which the whole family can participate.  It’s Savannah’s Annual Turkey Trot.  If you are in town on Thanksgiving morning, this is the place to be seen, my friends!  Here is the website link for more information:

 http://www.active.com/running/savannah-ga/2nd-annual-united-way-turkey-trot-2010

It’s got everything from a Diaper Dash to a walk to a 5K run.  It’s good for you and your loved ones and for the local chapter of the United Way.  It’s a perfect way to build a hearty appetite for the traditional Thanksgiving feast (as if anyone needs helps with that).  For you turkey eaters, it’s the perfect balance to the tryptophan-feuled lethargy you’ll experience after the big meal!  If you plan on giving back to the community even more that day by volunteering to deliver Thanksgiving meals or staffing a food pantry feast, the Turkey Trot will get your legs and lungs all primed and ready for the good work to follow.

Oh, yes, and I just happen to specialize in helping people finish 5K runs.  Doesn’t this sound like a fun goal?  No, it is not an oxymoron to refer to a run as fun.  Just try it, you’ll gain a whole new perspective on the holiday season and on having an active lifestyle your whole family can enjoy.

A Little Departure

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE  October 29, 2010

A little departure.  Five years ago this week, Harlan walked into the upstate New York fitness center where I worked.  You will read herein how he still considers himself “stiff as a brick.”  Not so much. 

When we started working together, he was very inflexible, and had significant postural imbalances.  Harlan was able to do only 4 or 5 exercises, mostly stretching, during a workout session.  Truly all his body was able to handle at age 67.  He could barely put on his socks, even while sitting down.  He could not kick himself in the fanny, so tight were his quadriceps.

Harlan and I worked together for 3 ½ years to change all that.  As fitness changed his life, his spirit changed mine in a profound and wonderful way.  Reverend Harlan is one of the most irreverent clergy members you will ever meet, and is blessed with wit, vigor, humor, kindness, and poetry in great measure.  Ask him to quote Hafiz.  And you should see his garden!  Pastoral!  Anyway, his posture, balance, flexibility, grace, height, strength… all improved.  Wish I had the before and after pics here for you, oh well. One-hour-metabolic-circuit-training-muscle-burning-core-bracing workouts have been routine for Harlan for a couple of years now.  He’s unstoppable.

All of my clients honor me with their trust and friendship.  Thank you all for your commitment, faith, and great efforts.

ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF BEING AT PLAZA FITNESS FIVE YEARS by H. R.

They come in the morning, grumpy and grim
But at least they are fit, at least they are trim.
Some come here later, even after noon,
And believe it or not, some enter by the light of the moon.
They all come, as God is my witness,
Because they no longer “fit in this”
Or in that, whatever the garment
And have taken the last sarcastic comment
From spouse or lover or friend,
And vowed to themselves, ‘THIS IS THE END’.
For some, who are slow, it takes a long time,
Their bodies and souls to meticulously realign. 
And the really gnarly ones, the crusty and peevish old guys
Well, it takes years to reform, reshape, and maybe resize.
Frankly, there are some who prove our worst fears,
For them, if at all, the transformation will take years.
Sadly, when these old duffers sign up, the staff heaves a collective huge sigh,
For they know that to help them, some staff will probably have to actually die.
Yes, as the trainers collapse and their corpses are stacked,
In loving memory on the wall is hung a huge plaque.
The inscription reads, IN LOVING MEMORY OF JANE who is gone (to Georgia, not dead yet!-Ed.)
 IN LOVING MEMORY OF ASHLEIGH who has also moved on, (to Washington, not dead yet either!-Ed.)
And the old fart has changed hardly a bit
He’s still stiff as a brick,  has lost almost all of his wit,
Now the staff gasps as with pity they cry out “Alas, how can it be?
Will he also do in the lovely one, the one they call Stephanie?
Certainly that young man, the one they call Evan,
Will know, working with him, that’s he’s clearly not in heaven.
 Although I’ve no doubt caused the staff many frustrations and tears,
They have been steadfast and tenacious, and they have been that now for FIVE years.
So while I’ve caused you, no doubt, much pain and much strife,
You in return have improved my quality of life.
No longer is Plaza Fitness a program to get through,
But a way of life, a weekly plan my being to renew.
Week after week after week this I keep repeating
This appointment for abuse and for the beatings.
Still, to all who have each week my person to endure,
Of this dear people, you can always be sure:
The exercise and workouts have enhanced all my days,
And for that I extend to you my thanksgiving and praise.

A Really Cool 10

Dr. Elizabeth "Doll" Miller completing her 60 mile run
on her 60th birthday, while fans await at Humane Society

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE October 7, 2010

Dr. Elizabeth “Doll” Miller of Savannah is an accomplished ophthalmic surgeon, and a mountain climber, and has completed several Ironman triathlons and marathons.  She’s also a dog lover.

About a year ago, she decided to conduct a fundraising event on behalf of the Humane Society of Savannah to coincide with her 60^th birthday.  In “Doll-land,” evidently, that meant she was to complete an epic feat of endurance.

Friday, October 1^st was Doll Miller’s 60^th birthday.  She ran 60 miles Friday, all in one fell swoop.  She even fell at the end, tripped by her own doggie, but she swooped back up with a smile on her face and went on to announce that $65,000 had been donated in honor of the event.

WOW.

I had the great good fortune of watching her very closely, running just behind her, for the last 10 miles of her feat.

WOW!

After work on Friday I heeded a call from the fine folks at Fleet Feet Sports to cheer Doll on somewhere along her route.  I parked at the McQueen Island entrance to the rails-to-trails path that heads out toward Fort Pulaski.  Mile 35.  The support vehicle from Fleet Feet Sports arrived shortly thereafter, and I had a chance to chat with Robert Espinoza, FFS owner/race director/running advocate extraordinaire, about Doll.  He was clearly impressed by her performance.  Along came a young man named Billy who intended to run along with Doll to keep her company and keep her spirits up.

When Doll arrived I wished her a happy birthday and passed along the good wishes of a couple of my clients who are also her patients.  She smiled graciously while stretching and gulping down some diet soda.  Doll is one heck of a great runner.  She was less wobbly at 35 miles than I am at 20.  I kicked myself for not having my running togs with me so I could join in for a few miles.  It is so inspiring to be around individuals who, while they clearly get a charge out of pushing their own limits, are prepared and propelled to give so much of their energy to benefit others.

Wheels in motion.  Clear the schedule for the day.  Get the gear.  Get the hubby to drop me off at mile 50, then pick me up at mile 55 and get on with the day.  Join in the reverie a little, make a donation, keep Doll’s mind off the pain.

WOW!

Did I ever meet some great people!  Doll’s friends John and Heather and Spencer and Mark are amazing athletes themselves and it didn’t take them long to convince me to hang with them for the rest of the ride to the finish.  Distance runners are an amazingly warm, fun, sharing group of people.  Doll took off her iPod and just wanted to hear our chatter and banter, whether she could contribute or not, to keep her mind busy while her legs and lungs stayed on task.

Yeah, and by the way, Doll was still less wobbly at 50 and 55 and 60 miles than I am at 20.

There were just a couple of poopy-headed drivers out there who were uninformed about the 60-on-60 event, who were less than considerate about the one and a half feet of roadway we encroached upon.  Shoulders, Savannah, we need shoulders on the roads.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to run on a rumble strip?   I think that’s the only thing I heard Doll complain about, running on the rumble strip.  She was limping, her left Achilles tendon was visibly inflamed, it was more than a little warm out, but not a negative word from her about any of that.

But the overwhelming support of cheering clutches of fans and drivers yelling, “Happy Birthday!!” out their car windows was incredibly infectious and energizing!

How cool to bear witness to such a milestone in one woman’s life and in one great community… well, really, two great ones:  The pet rescue community; and, the running community.  I tell you, that was a really cool 10 miles.

Congratulations, Doll.  You are a great role model.

Take Your Genes For a Walk

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE September 9, 2010

More great news under the heading, “Healthy Activity Research.”

You can blame your body on your genes.  Or you can move beyond your genes… with physical activity.
British research published last week in PLoS Medicine tracked the physical activity of over 20,000 individuals, and also studied and scored each subject on a dozen genetic variants associated with a likelihood of obesity.  The researchers concluded activity can reduce the genetic risks toward obesity by 40%.

WOW!  Now imagine if you add the positive impact of clean eating to the physical activity… oh my, all power you have to do all this good for yourself!

The researchers also commented that a brisk 30 minute walk or bicycle ride is an appropriate level of daily activity to enjoy these benefits.  Notice the frequency there, it says DAILY.  So, as they say across the pond, get up off your bum and get your body moving to help avoid all the health risks associated with obesity.

Ready to get that good walk in?  Perhaps you’ve been fortunate enough to be able to walk for almost your whole entire life.  So this shouldn’t be a problem, right?  Well… you may need to re-learn a healthy way to walk.

Watching people walk around Forsyth Park and Daffin Park and along Tybee Beach does MY heart a ton of good, I tell you.  It just makes me smile.  Unless you are the person who is staring down at your toes the whole time, with your head dropped forward as if you’re about to fall asleep with your chin on you chest.  Let’s see some good posture out there, people!  My clients hear this directive all the time, “Head-Up-Chest-Up!”

Ever try to walk with a book balanced on top of your head?  You are supposed to balance your skull pretty directly on top of your neck.  When it’s hanging forward, the muscles along the back of your neck and the top of your back have to work really hard to keep your head from toppling clear off the front of your body.

That poor walking posture has serious consequences for your spinal health, from the top of your neck to the very bottom of your tailbone… and can have a negative ripple effect on the comfort and performance of your shoulders, hips, knees and feet.

Try this on your own… stand with your back to a wall, with your heels planted about six inches away from the wall.  Now lean your tailbone, shoulderblades, and back of your head against the wall, leaving your feet out where they started and your knees unlocked.  There should be a little space between the back of your waist and the wall, and also the back of your neck and the wall.  This is referred to as neutral spinal alignment.  If any part of your back, neck or shoulders hurt getting into that position, get to a physical therapist and learn how to stretch, stabilize, and strengthen the muscles supporting your spine to maintain your proper posture.  If it doesn’t hurt, practice walking around feeling as though you are standing with your back against a wall in this neutral alignment.

Stand tall, walk tall, walk well, feel well, and be better!

A Brain to Pick

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE August 30, 2010

Being on vacation with wifi and cellphone access means never having to say, “I’m unavailable!”
Never said I wasn’t a type A individual, now did I? 

So here I am in San Francisco pouring over the emails when I come across a newsletter from the Washington Post called “Lean & Fit.”  It cites an article in the LA Times regarding new research into the condition IBS (irritable bowel syndrome).  I know several people who live with it, among other digestive disorders, so I read on.  Here’s the link:

http://www.latimes.com/news/health/boostershots/la-heb-bowel-20100722,0,2369726.story?wpisrc=nl_health

Certain structural characteristics of the brain seem to be present in people who suffer IBS.  What really made me look deeper into the article was the line in the Washington Post letter saying this research demonstrates that IBS is a physiological rather than psychological condition.

WHAT?  Here I was feeling so secure in the knowledge that my brain is integrated into my skull, and therefore my body… silly me.

I looked further at the LA Times article to see if they or the research summary mentioned anything about a physical or mental dividing line.  Nope, no such reference.

So here’s something on which we can all chew… is there really a division between the mind and the body?  Don’t they work in tandem at all times?  Is it appropriate to dismiss psychological conditions with the old line, “it’s all in your head,” when in fact your head is integral to the proper operation of nearly all of your bodily systems and functions?  And vice versa?

For crying out loud, Washington Post, this is the 21st century.

Food Police

ORIGINAL POSTING DATE August 25, 2010

Uh oh.

“Nearly the entire U.S. population consumes a diet that is not on par with recommendations,” is the conclusion of a report published online on August 11, 2010 in the Journal of Nutrition.

Susan M. Krebs Smith and her colleagues at the National Cancer Institute evaluated data from 16,338 individuals aged 2 and older who participated in the 2001-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Quantities of foods reported in 24 hour dietary recall interviews were categorized into groups included in the USDA’s food pyramid, which diagrams the recommended dietary intake of total fruits, whole fruits, total vegetables, dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, starchy vegetables, other vegetables, milk, total grains, whole grains, meat and beans, and oils.

“This analysis indicates that nearly the entire U.S. population consumes a diet with fewer vegetables and whole grains than recommended and that a large majority underconsume fruits, milk, and oils relative to recommendations,” the authors write.

“The stark contrasts observed between the diets of Americans as well as the U.S. food supply and current dietary guidance underscore the need for individual- and environmental-level interventions to facilitate healthier dietary intake patterns. Without such interventions, the diets of most U.S. adults and children will continue to be markedly divergent from recommendations, a worrisome state in the context of the obesity epidemic and alarming rates of other diet-related chronic diseases.”

Client:  “I have very good eating habits.”
Trainer:  “Can you write down two weekdays and one weekend day worth of everything you consumed so I can help you make it even healthier?

This is a very simple exercise, writing a food diary.  I do it myself from time to time.  We all have room for improvement.  Even the USDA food pyramid has room for improvement.  There are great benefits to be gained from more awareness and more conscious choices regarding your food intake.

Eat better, feel better, perform better.  It really works that way!  (Why would I lie about a thing like this?)