Category Archives: Fitness Tips

Sleep Matters

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A poster with the words sleep tight tonight for heart health.

Sleep. We barely give it thought, until we can’t, yet it is fundamental for health and productivity. We spend approximately one third of our lifetime asleep, crucial time  when the brain recharges, and goes to work consolidating the days learning into memory. Except for babies and children, our need for seven to eight hours of sleep each night doesn’t change throughout our lives, but our sleep patterns do, as anyone wide awake at three in the morning knows. An older adult who goes to bed earlier and wakes up earlier might nap more during the day . A teenagers’ biological clock keeps them awake later in the evenings and sleepier early mornings. Biological conditions unique to women: menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and menopause can wreck havoc on sleep. A recent National Sleep Foundation poll of adults revealed that women are more likely than men to have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. Forty million Americans  suffer from sleep disorders. Yet what happens during sleep is stunning.A new sleep study conducted by monitoring the brain waves of 6-10 year olds sleeping shows that the brain goes through a remarkable amount of reorganization during puberty that is necessary for complex thinking.

There is an even more compelling reason for a good night’s sleep for your well-being. People who sleep poorly and less than six hours have a 65% higher risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke compared to sound sleepers who are getting seven-eight hours. This didn’t apply to sound sleepers getting only six hours who wake up feeling fit and rested. The research from Wageningen University and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment is based on 20,000 people, with a ten and fifteen year follow-up. The Dutch study, published last week, showed that if you eat well, don’t smoke, drink moderately, and are physically active the risk of dying from heart disease is lowered by a staggering 83 %. (Adding only one of these positive lifestyle factors lowers the chance of developing heart disease by 57%.)

Until recently it was unclear why we eat more when we don’t get enough sleep. Just getting less sleep doesn’t mean you will gain weight, but a recent study done at the University of Colorado and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science  showed the participants sleeping up to five hours a night ate a smaller breakfast but binged on after-diner snacks. : “When people are sleep restricted, the findings show they eat during their biological nighttime when internal physiology is not designed to be taking in foodâ€, says Kenneth Wright, director of CU Boulder Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory. Nighttime eating was well over the amount of calories than any other meal consumed. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that late night eating certainly can add unwanted weight.

Here are some tips from the National Sleep Foundation intended for “typical “ adults, but not necessarily for people with specific medical problems, when consulting with your doctor would be the best approach.

1.Go to bed and wake up at the same time including weekends. Our internal clock is regulated by a circadian rhythm that all living beings have-roughly  a 24-hour cycle. It rises and falls at different times of the day, depending on whether you are a “morning person†or “evening person†Getting enough sleep ensures the dips are less intense

2. Establish a relaxing nighttime ritual. A hot bath is a better idea than paying bills. Try to wind-down away from computers, or bright lights. The brightness stimulates neurons that help control the sleep-wake cycle that it is time to shine, rather than snooze.

3. Create an environment that is dark, quiet and cool. A quiet environment free of interruptions makes your bedroom reflective of the value you place on your sleep. If your partner snores, try earplugs. Eyeshades or a humidifier can help with light or dry temperatures.

4. Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. If your mattress isn’t comfortable and supportive, it may be time for a new one, as the life expectancy is about 9-10 years. Also check for allergens that might affect you.

5. Finish eating at least 2-3 hours before bedtime. Eating and drinking too close to bedtime might make you feel uncomfortable.

6 . Exercise regularly. Vigorous exercise, or any at all, is better than no activity, but not at the expense of your sleep.

7. Avoid caffeine ( coffee, tea, chocolate ) and alcohol close to bedtime. It can keep you awake. Caffeine sensitivity can vary widely: it takes between four and seven hours for half of the stimulant to leave your body, making it harder for you to wind down. Although many people think of alcohol as a sedative, it  actually disrupts sleep and leads to a night of less restful sleep.

Recharging sounds like a great idea. Sweet dreams tonight.

Connie Aronson is an American College of Sports Medicine health & fitness specialist.

Published in the Idaho Mountain Express April 26, 2013

 

 

Why Yoga Works – The Top Reasons to Try It

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A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Yoga is good for the mind, body and soul.

Yoga might be the only time in your busy day that is truly yours; a time when all of your attention is directed to exactly what you are doing. Today over 15 million people in the US know the value of doing just that-relaxing with yoga. The yoga that we practice today rises out of an ancient meditation heritage dating back at least 4,000 years. Fast forward to today’s crazy hectic pace, especially with the approach of the holiday season, the benefits to your physical, mental and emotional health are top reasons why yoga still works.

1. Stress relief. Yoga reduces stress by encouraging relaxation and lowering the levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Yoga teaches you how to breathe more fully by taking slower, deeper breaths. Known as  pranayama, breathing more fully helps improve lung function and trigger the body’s relaxation response. By changing our pattern of breathing, we can significantly affect our body’s experience and response to stress. Other benefits include reduced blood pressure, cholesterol and heart rate,  improved immune system as well as reduced anxiety, depression, fatigue, insomnia, and easier pregnancies.
2. Pain relief. Next time you have a headache, neck, back, or other chronic painful conditions, yoga can help. In the largest US study to date, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, yoga or stretching classes were linked to diminished symptoms from chronic low back pain, more so than a self-care book. Both the yoga and stretching class emphasized the torso and legs. Researchers found that the type of yoga, called viniyoga, which adapts and modifies poses for each student, along with breathing exercises, works because the stretching and strengthening of muscles benefit back function and symptoms. Many people with chronic pain shy away from yoga’s misleading reputation for requiring supple joints for fear of getting hurt. But the same goes for approaching any new activity with too much gusto, writes Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., in Yoga For Pain Relief . Instead of pushing yourself to your limit, think of staying in a 50-60% effort zone.

3. Better Posture & Better Bones. Yoga helps to maintain your muscularity and that helps with maintaining your posture. It also helps with stretching all the muscle groups that support better body alignment. For women, increasing research is showing that exercise is a means of preventing the risk of various cancers, particularly breast cancer. The reasons are twofold, in that both the physical effects and indirect effect of adding yoga as a form of exercise prevents weight gain.

4. Befriending Your Body. For anyone who feels ashamed or self-conscious about their body, yoga can help you become an alley with yourself instead of an adversary. Our obsession with thinness equates the physical practice as a good way to sweat/ get /thin/quick; all about the outer body. Yet yoga primarily evolved for a subtle and more powerful connection of the inner world: the mind, senses and emotions. Today 90% of all women and junior and senior high school girls, respectively, dislike their bodies and are on a diet. ( 15% of these girls are actually overweight.) It doesn’t help that classes might be packed with thin fit people. While yoga does teach you to use and discipline your body to be strong and flexible, the emphasis is on your body as a whole entity: living, changing, accepting and alive in the moment.

This article was originally published in the Idaho Mountain Express. November 16, 2012.

Connie Aronson is an American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Specialist. Visit her at: www.conniearonson.com

Is Beige Fat the Best Fat?

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A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Is all fat the same?

Not all fat cells are the same. There’s the stubborn white fat, whose job is to store calories, and the energy-burning brown fat. Now scientists say they’ve isolated a third type of fat, a calorie-burning “beige” fat in adults that could help speed up the development of obesity treatments. The study was published this week in the journal Cell.

The cells in this third fat are under the skin near the collarbone and along the spine, acting like little hot spots of potential energy.

Babies have a high proportion of brown fat to keep them warm, and it was thought that adults have some also. However, the brown fat adults have is different. The Harvard study showed that the brown fat in adults is actually “beige,” and has the ability to burn calories rather than store them, even in small amounts. Led by Bruce Spiegelman, a professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the research shows that the distinct beige fat can be ramped up.

Both brown and beige fat contain iron, which is the cause of the hues. The big difference is that brown fat expresses high levels of UCP1, a protein required by cells to burn calories and generate heat. Beige cells, in contrast, can turn on high levels of UCP1 in response to cold or a hormone called irisin, which is released from muscle while exercising. It is this hormone, irisin, that stimulates normal energy-storing white fat to act more like brown fat by amplifying its calorie-burning abilities. Spiegelman speculates that it might be possible to treat people with irisin to boost the calorie-burning ability of their beige fat cells.

For exercisers, this is good news, in that you’re creating a balance between calories consumed and energy expended, by exercising regularly—and you don’t have to stand around in below-zero weather. For the scientific community, the discovery could be a powerful research tool in the fight against obesity.

Connie Aronson is an American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness specialist. Visit her at www.conniearonson.com.

Copyright Š 2012 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited.

 

2 of 2 7/30/12 9:25 AM

Harnessing personal strength

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A woman holding onto a ball in her handThe positive psychology movement believes that cultivating what is best in ourselves increases our sense of well-being. Our character strengths and their connection with life satisfaction and happiness is an important research field in positive psychology. A new large-scale study conducted by a team of psychologists from the University of Zurich proved that the largest impact was evident in training the strengths: curiosity, gratitude, optimism, humor and enthusiasm. It’s no surprise that these participants were more often in a good mood and more cheerful.

Rather than focusing on our quirks, the newer field of psychology focuses on how humans flourish. The Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, home to the founder of the movement, Martin Seligman, calls it “the scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive.” We all have problems and stresses, but manifesting your strengths can help you increase your happiness, improve your relationships and achieve your life goals.

How happy?

Our temperament and personality traits are partially inborn. Research estimates that the genetic component of happiness is 50 percent inherited, with another 40 percent under our power to control. The final 10 percent depends on circumstances. However, sometimes we don’t even know what will make us happy—we’re too busy worrying about the future or the past. Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert, in his book “Stumbling on Happiness,” says that how we feel in the moment colors how you imagine you will feel in the future. We can never really know how things will affect us, and the truth is that bad things, or good, don’t affect us as profoundly as we expect them to.

We have many character strengths, and you might not even realize that you use them naturally and easily, particularly when you set out to do something similar to the values you believe. It is one of the reasons you accomplish goals. According to a study presented at the British Psychological Society, only about one-third of us have a useful understanding of our strengths.

I recently had a look at my signature, middle and lower strengths, available at www.viacharacter.org, a 240-question survey. The questionnaire graphs 24 character strengths and ranks the top five. The classifications derived from six major virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence. For example, an appreciation of beauty, great art or being enthralled by music is a strength that helps to connect with something outside of yourself. It is likely you are empathic or strongly value being grateful, each of which contributes to healthier relationships. You might find spiritual benefits with this strength because you feel a sense of wonder or elevation. You are likely more accepting of the present moment, and this can lead to times of calm and peace.

According to the VIA Institute On Character, a nonprofit organization, “the classification reflects the world’s major religious writings, including the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as studies of major philosophies.”

As for me, I’m going to take an honest look at my lesser strengths, laugh more and get to work—happily.

Connie Aronson is an ACSM health and fitness specialist. Readers can visit her at www.conniearonson.com

Meal Timing, Protein and Conditioning

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A bowl of cereal with bananas and nuts.

If you compete or enjoy working out, eating right helps you train harder, delays the onset of muscle fatigue, and aids in recovery from a workout.

If you compete or simply enjoy working out, eating right helps you train harder, delays the onset of muscle fatigue and aids in recovering from a workout. Eating proper foods doesn’t have to be complicated or rigid, and certainly no one approach fits everyone. Your body needs carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals and fluid to fuel it for exercise. Eating right helps your body adapt to workouts, improves body composition and strength, enhances concentration, helps maintain a healthy immune system and reduces the chance of injury. The timing of meals and snacks is equally important. At a recent American College of Sports Medicine meeting, Nanna Meyer, Ph.D., and dietician at the University of Colorado and United States Olympic Committee at Colorado Springs, told an audience, “Don’t bother lifting if you haven’t eaten breakfast.” Current research recommends Greek yogurt with some fruit and nuts, oatmeal cooked with milk, cereals or a carbohydrate sports bar pre-exercise, with an emphasis on protein, like yogurt, chocolate milk, recovery mix or a bar containing some protein as soon as possible after training.

Are you getting enough protein?

Recently, research has demonstrated that having some protein before and immediately post-workout results in greater strength gains and muscle repair. Nancy Rodriguez, Ph.D., R.D., director of sports nutrition programs at the University of Connecticut, notes that increased protein, greater than the dietary allowance but within the recommended range, helps reduce body fat, maintains muscle mass and increases satiety—all positive weight management outcomes. Post-workout, research suggests about 15-25 grams of protein, found in milk (eight grams of protein per cup), Greek yogurt (15-20 grams of protein per cup) or a carbohydrate/protein mix, for example.

We also snack a lot less if we get enough protein. According to Dr. Alison Gosby, in the online journal PLoSONE, “Humans have a particularly strong appetite for protein, and when the proportion of protein in the diet is low, this appetite can drive excess energy intake. Our findings have considerable implications for bodyweight management in the current nutritional environment, where foods rich in fat and carbohydrate are cheap, palatable and available to an extent unprecedented in our history.”

It’s always a good idea to talk to a registered dietician for your specific needs. For example, the Soya Granules by Fearn is recommended for those who are lactose-intolerant. Remember also that 15 minutes to an hour after a hard workout lasting more than an hour, nutrient-rich snacks help replace carbohydrates, sodium and potassium. Less time than that, if you’re watching your weight, water is a good choice. Whether you’re training hard, or just enjoy being active, make good food choices for optimal energy and improved performance.

Connie Aronson is an American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness specialist at the YMCA in Ketchum.

A Changing Army: Ditching Sit-ups After 30 Years

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Soldiers can forget about sit-ups. For the first time in 30 years, the US army has up-dated its fitness testing to better prepare soldiers for the demands of combat. Lt. General Mark Hertling, the general in charge of the Army’s initial training, collaborated with a 16 member team to revise the Army’s Physical Readiness and Combat tests. Going are the full sit-up test, and the 2 minute push-up and 2 mile run are being revised. Instead, the first test will expand from 3-5 events. The full sit-up goes for several physiological and safety reasons: they don’t do much to strengthen the core to translate to battle strength, and the full flex movement, the actual crunch part of the sit-up, puts an unhealthy strain on the back at its weakest point. The push-up  pace increases to assess upper body endurance, and the run gets shortened to 1.5 miles to assess the anaerobic capacity needed for high intensity bursts in the battlefield. “This is about training smarter, not training more”, Hertling said. Added are a no-rest standing long jump and 1 minute row to look at immediate fatigue and failure.

The out-dated PT test” does not adequately measure components of strength, endurance and mobility. The events have a low co-relation to the performance of warrior tasks and battle drills” said Hertling, who holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology.

Combat veterans trying out the new tests say they are tough. For the Army Combat Readiness test they are in full combat gear while carrying a rifle. They have to excel at sprints, move through hurdles and maneuver balance beams while holding heavy ammo tins, drag a 180 pound sled, and run  sprints.

Specific gender and age standards, from under age 30 to 60, for the test scores will align with the American College of Sports Medicine and Cooper Institute to establish standards and a thorough review before the tests are approved. “Soldiers like to be challenged. This will definitely challenge them”, Hertling said.

Training for the Rest of Us/ Bringing Boot Camp Home

Most of us want to look and feel good and the only battle we face is aging well. But we can take elements of the new testing to inspire us to work a little harder in our work-outs by going beyond where we thought we could, into the “somewhat hard” zone, even if it is only 30 seconds or a minute. High-intensity exercise toughens you up, writes Dr. John Ratey,author of Spark: The Revolutionary New Science Of Exercise and The Brain.”It’s why we climb mountains and sign up for boot camp and Outward Bound trips.” Studies show that by adding a single spurt of sprinting for 30 seconds, on a bike for example, generates a 6 fold increase in human growth hormone, the ” fountain of youth” hormone. Remember, he writes, that by middle age these hormones dwindle to 1/10 of what they were during childhood. The sprints and agility tests that the Army will practice build fast-twitch muscles, which add power to movement. For us mere mortals, these new muscle fibers enhance our metabolism and help us become better at burning fats and carbohydrates for up to 4 hours after training, as well as lowering blood pressure.

Keep the push-ups.Push-ups are a great full body exercise strengthening many muscles at once: abs, front of your legs, arms and back. According to the American College of Sports Medicine fitness test, a 40-49 year old  female or male  performing more than 18 or19  push-ups, respectively, with the chin touching the floor and back straight, scores an “above average” rating. The tests are designed to help you develop a fitness program based on your results. The ACSM and Cooper Institute will also be involved in the Army’s establishment of test standards.

Connie Aronson is an American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Specialist and personal trainer located at the YMCA in Ketchum, Idaho

 

In Health, Small Changes Count

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A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Regarding your health, small changes matter.

Popping up into a handstand  is easy. All you need is straight strong arms and  up  you  go. I used to do them easily. But then I developed chronic nerve pain in one of my legs, and going up was out of the question. I avoided them for years in yoga class. When my symptoms healed and  it was time to go up, fear took over. All I could think of  was buckling, which I did, again and again. In  Fierce Medicine, author and yoga pioneer Ana Forrest  writes about a Brave-Hearted Path. What if we became the hunter, and tracked down our fear, to turn from prey to predator? What if we let go of the old stories that hold us back and make a very small change? For most of us, small changes are realistic and attainable. The next time I tried a handstand, I tracked down the fear, (Have fun!) and up I popped, exhilarated! All it took was one small change in a very brief amount of time. When it comes to your health, tiny steps can help change a laundry list of habits.

Four Real New Year’s Resolutions

Access  Readiness.

Motivation has to come from within. Ask yourself what is the real objective you are after. Keep asking “whyâ€. Uncovering the real reason of saying “I want to lose weightâ€, with further prodding, might really be that you want to have more energy and not miss out on hiking in the Pioneers next spring with friends.

Set your intent

Instead of waking up, tossing some coffee down our throats  and  rush  headlong into our day, Forrest suggests that you  set your intent, and not  make it overwhelming. Make one change that appeals most to you. If you are tired of a stiff neck from sitting at your computer, you might add 10   big shoulder rolls in each direction every hour you spend at your desk that day. Schedule a long overdue massage. If it’s out of control eating that bothers you, promise yourself to sit at the table every time you eat.

Small Enough Steps

Everyone knows it’s a good idea to park your car further away from where you need to be. Not only are the extra steps good for you, but it is also a time when you can take notice of the day. For those few moments, appreciate the environment you live in, the sun, or even the lack of traffic that day, and be grateful for that. Instead of feeling guilty about not getting on the treadmill for an hour, try just 10 minutes. You’ll be energized by the effort, and may even stay on it longer that you’d thought you would.

Nip an Unhealthy Habit in the Bud

As you strive to make health-enhancing resolutions materialize, Edward Philips, editor of the Harvard Health School Report, recommends taking a good look at any unhealthy habits that you can’t seem to shake. A daily diet of cookies for lunch could wreck havoc on your energy later in the day. Likewise, excessive amounts of time surfing online, for example, can leave you less opportunity to engage in healthier pursuits, such as deepening social ties, or a walk.

Your day to day choices, no matter if it’s practicing handstands or healthier eating, all count to help  bring vitality and well-being in the New Year. Happy holidays!

Connie Aronson ACSM Fitness Specialist located at the YMCA in Ketchum, Idaho.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exaggerated Health Claims- Do You Believe It, Really?

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Encyclopedia Britannica will soon cease to exist in print. Many of us grew up with those thick hardcovers, searching for information and answers. Today, at the click of your mouse, we are bombarded with pesky health and exercise claims. Infomercials and manufactures promise quick and effortless results with the next great gizmo or device, a product that cures a wide range of unrelated diseases, or workouts that burn 1000 calories an hour. Writer Colum McCann said that it’s easy to be cynical but much harder to be idealistic and have optimism. Our information age is wondrous, yet a large portion of health and fitness information online, and in the media is misleading. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Exercise scientist Steven Blair, a professor at the University of South Carolina has no problem identifying pseudoscience, lazy journalists, celebrity experts and unqualified practitioners as quacks.

 

The archaic word “quacksalver” is of Dutch origin, literally meaning “hawker of salve” In the middle ages the word quack meant shouting. The Netherlands has the world’s oldest skeptics group, who in 1881 campaigned against misleading medical claims, and today grant awards to the worst offenders. No-one is literally shouting at us  today, but we can become better advocates by looking at the evidence itself. Look at high-quality peer-reviewed publications or websites. Strict criteria is used to evaluate the entire body of research on a specific topic, resulting in evidence –based recommendations. The weakest form of evidence , says Blair, is personal experience, in that the broad diversity of an individuals’ age, medical status, and level of fitness need to be considered. Not that personal experience has no value, he notes, but because a certain exercise or product” worked for me” doesn’t mean it’s well suited for the majority of the population. Some people’s success with any given product may be due to a remission in their disease, or from earlier use of medical treatments, rather than the use of the product itself.

 

Burn 1000 calories , seriously?

 

Infomercials are notorious for bold claims, and you’ve probably heard of cardio equipment that ‘burns twice as many calories as a treadmill”, but are the manufacturers stretching the truth? Dr. David Swain, a professor of Exercise Science at Old Dominion University, and originator of the VO 2 reserve concept for exercise prescription, says believing that you indeed can goes against basic exercise physiology. The amount of energy used during exercise depends on the amount of muscle mass used and the intensity of effort used with that muscle. Our cardiopulmonary system has an absolute limit on the amount of oxygen that moves from air to our blood, to muscles. These increases get incrementally smaller as the  absolute Vo 2 max is approached. For example, Swain sites running uphill on a treadmill as eliciting the highest VO2 of any mode of exercise because all the large muscles of the body are engaged: the legs and hips ,and also the back and upper body. Highly trained athletes in Nordic skiing or biking can slightly increase their treadmill value  (by 3-5% ) when performing sport-specific tests. So if a world-class athlete in their specific skills gain only so much more, how will the latest claim on some new machine enable you to get twice the results? “It’s not feasible to think that a new mode of exercise can exceed treadmill Vo2 by a huge amount” , says Swain. Most equipment is similar in it’s effectiveness if the workload is matched. There’s no gadget or machine to replace putting in the time and work to be fit.

 

Resources:

www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov/pubmed- a search engine from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes for Health

http://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/home

 

 

drlenkravitz.com/Pages/onlineHealth.html

Published in the Idaho Mountain Express  March 17, 2012

Connie Aronson is an ACSM Health & Fitness Specialist in Ketchum, Idaho

 

Foam Rollers: Your Own Personal Masseuse

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A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Photo credit PTonthenet.

If  you’re  active and participate in any of the fun sports this valley has to offer, you might benefit from daily foam roller stretching to alleviate soreness and promote recovery.  Round foam rollers are either 1 or 3 feet long. Popular with savvy athletes, and used in sports medicine clinics for rehab, use of the rollers can help bring blood to tight muscles, help manage chronic problems, and can be used before or after activity. Rolling out your muscles can also warm up cold muscles before deeper stretching. Most gyms have them out for members to use. Similar to massage, in that pressure is applied to a knot, or trigger point, the technique is a form of self-massage called myofascial release. Your body weight resting against the foam roller acts like a steam iron on a wrinkled shirt, smoothing out these knots. As these knots warm up within the muscle and fascia, and unbundle into straighter alignment, you are able to access areas that are difficult to treat with conventional stretches. The technique is to simply stay on the tender spot for 20 to 30 seconds, until the pain starts to subside.
Muscles imbalances, misalignment, and overuse patterns usually create various aches and pains. Many can be addressed with self-myofascial release with the roller. Golgi tendon organs are  proprioceptors , deep in tendons. The pressure of rolling on the roller relaxes  muscles and other soft tissues so they  begin to “let goâ€.
A Common Problem…. and RX
Sore knees are a common complaint among runners. An assessment of the lower leg, for example, might find that the individual excessively rolls their ankle and lower leg inward. A tight iliotibial band ( IT) may be the root of the problem. The iliotibial band attaches the gluteus  maximus to the lower leg. In a normal gait, these muscles help control the leg as it moves over the foot. Since the IT band attaches to the lower leg, the excessive inward rotation of the leg can, over time, cause inflammation and pain in the IT band. In this scenario, here’s where the roller comes in:
Place the roller perpendicular to the outside of your thigh and lie over it. Roll over it at a rate of one inch per second, looking for any sore or tender spots. Hold your body weight there for 30- 40 seconds until the pain starts to subside. Try to relax, even if it is uncomfortable. Continue rolling down the side of your hip towards your knee. Roll each leg every day, for about 1-2 minutes. Make sure you don ’t  roll over the knee joint.
Check out www.power-systems.com, www.gaiama.com or www.amazon.com to purchase one. Start off this fall stretched and ready to get outside and play!

Willpower-know what you really want

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A poster with the words practice strengthening your i will power

Willpower is an instinct everyone has, yet it consists of much more than simply saying “I will’, or “I won’tâ€. As we move into the third week of the New Year, some of the lofty goals and self-control have vaporized. Don’t despair though;   self-control is only one part of willpower. The ability to remember what you REALLY want, (get out of debt, fit into your clothes, more sleep) is the ability to say “yes†to that particular goal. This is what Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., psychology  lecturer  at Stanford University, whose course, The Science of Willpower, teaches and  which her new book is based on. “To exert self-control, you need to find your motivation when it matters. This is the “I want†power, she writes.

Now Strategies

A student in Dr. McGonigal’s class, a producer, was an e-mail addict. Her behavior disrupted not only her work, but annoyed her boyfriend. The student described her email impulses almost as an itch-she just had to check her email. She was always tense. Her assignment was to catch herself before she reached for her phone. With time, she realized that her impulses had nothing to do with seeking information and was doing nothing to relieve her tension. As she began to notice how she gave in to her impulses, it gave her new control over her behavior. Catch yourself  falling  for your impulses earlier  in the process, and  notice which thoughts or situations might make it more likely that you will give in to your impulses, are strategies that McGonigal  teaches.

Stressed and Sleepless: The Enemies of Willpower

Willpower is essentially a mental muscle, but the body also needs to get onboard. The best intentions in the world can be sabotaged if you are sleep-depraved, stressed, sedentary, have a poor diet, or a host of other factors that sap your energy. Stress is the worst enemy of willpower, McGonigal writes. The  American Psychological Association shows  that 75% of Americans have high levels of stress and 76% of Americans want to improve the quality and quantity of the sleep they get. New evidence shows that poor sleep and stress contribute to poor self-control and focus. How can you harness positive willpower if you are exhausted? Inadequate sleep also contributes to weight gain, high blood pressure, depression, and lowered immunity. Globally, sleep deprivation affects the quality of life of 45% of the world’s population, according to the World Association of Sleep Medicine.

A Willpower Workout

( from The Willpower Instinct. How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do to Get More of it -by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.)

  • Strengthen “I won’t†Power; Commit to not swearing (or refraining from any habit of speech)
  • Strengthen ‘I will†Power: Commit to doing something everyday that you don’t already do just for the practice of building a habit and not making excuses. It could be meditating for five minutes, or finding one thing in your house that needs to be thrown out or recycled.
  • Strengthen Self-Monitoring: Formally keep track of something you don’t usually pay close   attention to. This could be your spending, what you eat, or how much time you spend online or watching TV. You don’t need fancy technology-just a pen and paper.

Above all, believe in yourself and keep your dreams alive in 2012!