Overhauling Fitness

THEME: OVERHAULING FITNESS:BREAKING PLATEAUS

Breaking BadHabitsby Greg Chertok, M.Ed.

A habit forms when a set of behaviors hasbeen repeated so routinely that it isperformed without conscious thought. Anyaction with which we have such frequentpractice will eventually become ingrainedinto the neural pathways of our brain so thatit ultimately becomes a “part” of us.Consider the relationship some peoplehave developed with cigarette smoking, nailbiting, or TV watching after work. If you’vebecome accustomed to a certainbehavioral pattern, your brain’s actualstructure begins to change to reflect this.Frighteningly, some behaviors become soimprinted within us that we have little, if any,awareness of actually initiating the activity.

We think “habit” and may immediatelyconjure the image of an unhealthy orunpleasant activity. Fortunately, this isn’talways true. Many people have repeatedcertain positive behaviors withconsistency—kissing your child before bed,going out for a 6:00AM run before work,greeting your coworkers with a warm smilein the morning, checking twice that you’velocked the door before leaving. Somehabits do not need to be broken. Thisarticle is dedicated to breaking those thatdo.

Moving forward, let’s replace the genericuse of the term behavior with a commonlycited bad habit: adopting the “fast foodlifestyle,” or the frequent consumption ofunhealthy, quickly-prepared foods coupledwith minimal physical activity. Let’s alsocreate a fictitious character (Frank) to helppaint a picture of the typical circumstancesbehind this habit.

Frank’s alarm rings; it’s 6:30AM, giving himjust enough time to shower, dress, andleave for work. In the interest of time, Frankstops at a local fast food drive-through for abreakfast sandwich and coffee. He arrivesat the office at 8:00AM, where much of theday involves sitting in front of his computer,hunched before the keyboard. Frank takesno rest during the workday, save for his30-minute lunch break when he walks downthe street to the pizzeria for two slices and asoda. The work day ends close to 6:00PM.Frank is tired and has some neck pain,most likely a combination of straining hishead toward the computer screen andwork-related stress. As the thought ofpreparing a meal is too much to bear, Frankdrives to his favorite neighborhood spot fora large chicken parmigiana hero with friesand another soda. He returns home andsets himself in front of the TV, eventuallyvisiting the kitchen for a pre-bedtime snackat 10:00PM.

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Letter from the Editorby Dixie L. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM

Welcome to the July 2013 edition of theACSM Fit Society®Page, supported byLiberty Mutual. Everyone occasionallygets “stuck in a rut” with fitness andhealth. Whether you are ready to becomemore active and are not sure how tobreak your bad habits, have successfullymade improvements but are havingtrouble reaching your final goals, orsimply need to change up your routine toimprove your overall health, this issue ofour newsletter will give you usefulinformation.

In this issue, you will read about somecommon barriers individuals face inhealth and fitness and offer strategies toovercome them. The information and tipscontained here provide advice forovercoming challenges in leading anactive lifestyle.

After you have read this information thatACSM experts have prepared for you,please feel free to share it with friendsand family. As always, we are hopeful thatthe information we share will be useful inhelping people live healthy and activelives.

Dixie L. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSMEditor, ACSM Fit Society® PageEmail: [email protected]

To subscribe to the ACSM Fit Society® Page,please send an email to [email protected].

Volume 15 | Number 2 | July 2013

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:1 | Letter from the Editor1 | Breaking Bad Habits2 | Q&A with ACSM3 | Measuring Results from Exercise – How Do You Know It’s Working?

4 | Exercise Basics4 | Training Outside of the Box5 | Three Tips to Help You Stay on theHealthy Exercise Wagon

6 | The Athlete’s Kitchen

(continued on page 2)

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Thankfully—and this is true of most anyhabit—no excuse is insurmountable. Whileit may not seem so to the individual with thehabit, each of Frank’s perceivedbarriers—no interest, no energy, no time,no knowledge of healthier alternatives, poorself-esteem—can be knocked down withthe right ingredients, particularly themotivation for change itself. AssumingFrank has even the slightest desire to adopta healthier lifestyle, below are someguidelines he may follow for long-termchange.

Get SupportFrank must consider the power of groupdynamics. When attempting to make lifechanges, the social support from doing soin a group setting can be beneficial. Even ifthe support is short-lived and light, it canhave a lasting effect. Remarkably, thesupport need not come from a close friend,or a trainer, or even a human being. Recentfindings demonstrate that automatedtelephone reminders can be just as

effective for initiating exercise in sedentaryadults as actual human contact. However,continuous human support is still moreeffective. Frank, then, may wish to share hisgoal with health-minded friends and family.He may ask certain co-workers todiscourage him from making poor lunchdecisions, decide to accompany hisneighbor to Saturday morning spin class,or join healthy colleagues on their trips formeals. Asking for help can be a challenge,but the payoff is worth the risk.

Get OrganizedThe goals we set for ourselves guide ouractions. Setting a goal to complete acertain task will keep us attending to thecues necessary to achieve it. Frank maywish to set a daily goal, for instance, to taketwo laps around his office every hour. Thelaps will give him some exercise, an excuseto hydrate at the water fountain (and notwith sugary drinks), and the opportunity tobe social with co-workers. Other healthy,realistic goals Frank may identify include:

• Choosing a lunch destination with healthyfood choices that requires walkingseveral blocks farther

• Buying one piece of fruit to eat during theday

• Dedicating several two-minutede-stressing sessions at the office ofgentle neck stretching and deepbreathing

Get RewardedMany material-incentive health andwellness programs—even the ones whoseintervention is successful—have a poorsustainability record. Not everyone getsmotivated by the allure of financial gain,and those who do seem not to remainmotivated for long. Material rewards likecash or gifts are considered extrinsicrewards, and adherence to exercise andother lifestyle changes improves whenmotivation is largely intrinsic in nature.Rather than strictly rewarding himself with“stuff,” Frank may wish to also identify andcreate a vivid mental image of the benefits

Q&Aby Anthony Luke, M.D., FACSM

Q: I like working out but I don’t havemuch time. I want to see progressionand feel like I’m working out hard. Whatwould be the best for me?

A: Exercise goals are always individual. Itsounds like you don’t mind doing a hardworkout the long clinic results. Interestingstudies have been looking at“High-intensity interval training (HIIT).” Thistype of program as described nicely in anarticle by Shiraev and Barclay in a reviewarticle in The Australian Family Physician,available online. They describe HIIT asinvolving “repeatedly exercising at a highintensity for 30 seconds to several minutes,separated by 1-5 minutes of recovery(either no or low intensity exercise).”Examples would be short sprints whilerunning, rowing, swimming or cycling.People find that they are more compliantand are seeing cardiovascular andmetabolic results. This exercise approachcan be helpful for both healthy and at-riskpopulations. Studies show that this canhelp cardiovascular patients recover fromprocedures. In a few weeks of training,performance measures have been shownto surpass traditional training practice inathlete populations in various sports. If youdo have a medical condition, which mayaffect your ability to exercise at highintensity, it may be best to consult yourphysician or a qualified exercise specialist.

Q: Ultramarathon runners are afascinating group. Is there somethingspecial about them or can anyone do it?

A: Ultramarathon running is running anydistance longer than a traditional marathon,which is 26.2 miles or 42.195 km. Thereare now 50-mile and 100-mile races, on thetrails as well as the Sahara desert! Menpresently participate more than women,and it appeals to older athletes.Interestingly, ultramarathoners typicallyachieve their best times when they are intheir fourth decade. Men typically run theirfastest times between 30 and 49 years old,while women run fastest between 30 and54 years old. They typically run slower,conserving energy and being efficient,seeing that going 100 miles will take mostof the day and night to complete. Mostultramarathon runners are used to runningshorter distances and running longerbecomes a new challenge. Managing foodand fluid becomes extremely importantduring long races. Expected changesduring an ultramarathon include weightloss, decreased electrolytes, stresses tothe kidneys and heart, and fatigue issues.Injuries commonly involve the muscles andjoints or the skin, rather than thecardiovascular system. Fortunately, theseathletes are committed runners, andparticipants should be well prepared andexperienced. So if you’re looking to reallypush the limit, take a look at ultramarathonrunning.

2 ACSM Fit Society Page | Volume 15 | Number 2 | July 2013

ACSM Fit Society® Page Editorial Board:

Dixie L. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, EditorUniversity of Tennessee

Thomas S. Altena, Ed.D.Southwest Missouri State University

Katherine A. Beals, Ph.D., R.D., FACSMUniversity of Utah

Greg Chertok, M.Ed.The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Center

Dawn Coe, Ph.D.University of Tennessee

Kate A. Heelan, Ph.D., FACSMUniversity of Nebraska-Kearney

Cherilyn Hultquist, Ph.D.Kennesaw State University

Gerald J. Jerome, Ph.D.Towson University

Anthony C. Luke, M.D., M.P.H., FACSMUniversity of California, San Francisco

Lynn Millar, Ph.D., FACSMWinston-Salem State University

ACSM is the world’s largest associationdevoted to sports medicine and exercisescience. ACSM advances and integratesscientific research to provide educational andpractical applications of exercise science andsports medicine. Visit www.acsm.org.

Permission to reprint material from thispublication is granted by ACSM contingentupon manuscripts being reprinted in totalwithout alteration and on proper credit givento ACSM by citing ACSM Fit Society®Page,issue and page number; e.g., “Reprinted withpermission of the American College ofSports Medicine, ACSM Fit Society®Page,July 2013, p. 3.”

Breaking Bad Habits (continued from page 1)


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MeasuringResults fromExercise – How DoYou Know It’sWorking?by Clinton A. Brawner, MS, ACSM-RCEP, FACSM

Two important components to fitness areaerobic endurance and muscularstrength/endurance. Laboratory-basedtests are available to evaluate these andhave been used in research studies tomeasure the body’s response to varioustypes of exercise training programs.Although these assessments can provideuseful information, they are neitherappropriate for all individuals nornecessary to document improvements infitness. The purpose of this article is toreview easy ways that individuals can tracktheir own progress or recognize changes inresponse to having increased their physicalactivity.

Priority #1- Sticking With ItAccording to the 2008 Physical ActivityGuidelines for Americans from U.S.Department of Health and Human Services,adults should participate in at least 150minutes per week of moderate-intensityphysical activity or 75 minutes per week ofvigorous-intensity physical activity, or anequivalent combination of both types. Inaddition, adults should also performexercises to enhance muscular strength atleast 2 days per week. Unfortunately, onlyabout 25% of adults meet these goals; 50%engage in physical activity irregularly; and

25% of adults do not engage in anyphysical activity. In addition, fewer than50% of individuals who start an exerciseprogram are actively participating sixmonths afterward.

With these facts in mind, tracking yourexercise habits (i.e., exercise adherence) iscritically important. Establishing ashort-term exercise goal, then tracking thefrequency that this goal is reached byrecording exercise sessions in a diary, is animportant first step. Depending on yourlevel of health and fitness, you may need tobegin with less than the recommendedamount of exercise, but you can graduallyincrease as your stamina improves.Measureable changes in fitness aretypically not evident until at least six weeksof regular participation in a new exerciseprogram. However, you can graduallyincrease the amount of exercise you do asyour body adapts to being regularly active.Celebrate the successes you achieve inincreasing your activity levels. Keep inmind that the exercise amounts listedpreviously are MINIMUM amounts.Research has shown that additionalbenefits can be gained when a personexercises above the minimum levels.

Aerobic FitnessAerobic fitness is the ability of the body totransport oxygen-rich blood and use it inproducing the energy needed byexercising muscles. Activities like walking,cycling and swimming performed for atleast 10 minutes at a moderate-to-vigorousintensity will help to improve aerobicfitness. With improvements in aerobicfitness come a number of measureablephysiologic changes. After a period oftraining, the average person will notice thathis/her heart rate will be lower during quietrest and at a given exercise pace, such aswalking at three miles per hour. In addition,this pace will feel easier (lower level ofperceived exertion). “Fitness tests”available on some exercise equipment arebased on heart rate and exercise pace.The lower level of perceived exertion andlower heart rate at a given exercise pacerepresent improvements in aerobic fitness.Gradually increasing exercise intensity willallow the body to adapt to the exerciseroutine and see continued improvements infitness.

Muscular StrengthSimilar to aerobic fitness, using an exercisediary and documenting effort (perceivedexertion) can be useful ways to monitorimprovements in muscular fitness. As youget stronger, you will be able to completemore repetitions with a given resistance(weight). In order to gain additionalimprovements in muscular fitness, the

resistance, number of repetitions, and/ornumber of sets will need to be increased. Itshould be noted that initial improvements instrength when you begin a resistancetraining program are highly related to theway nerves and muscles communicate, soyou may not see much change in musclesize or definition at the beginning. It iscommon to go through periods of timewhen you don’t experience additionalstrength gains. When this happens itsuggests that it might be a good time tomodify your program. Just as with trackingyour aerobic exercise routine, it is importantto track your resistance exercise. This willallow you to document strength gains andplateaus.

Realistic ExpectationsRealistic expectations are important tolong-term exercise adherence. Manypeople start an exercise program as aweight loss strategy; however, it is difficultto lose weight through exercise alone. Thebody needs a caloric deficit of 3,500calories to achieve one pound of fat loss.This equates to hours of exercise. Incontrast, a bagel with cream cheese cancontain more than 400 kilocalories. Withthis in mind, significant weight loss due toregular exercise may not be a realisticshort-term goal. Thus, it is important to setgoals related to diet as well as exercise ifweight loss is desired. Keep in mind thatregular physical activity provides healthbenefits even if weight loss goals are notachieved. Additionally, many studies havedemonstrated that those who exerciseregularly are better able to keep off weightonce it is lost.

Improvements in fitness are associated withan improved ability to perform activities ofdaily living, such as climbing stairs andhouse/yard work, especially amongindividuals with low fitness levels.Individuals who exercise regularly oftenreport improved energy, cognition andsleep. Regular physical activity can alsoimprove risk factors for cardiovasculardisease, such as high blood pressure,diabetes, and HDL (“good”) cholesterol.However, these improvements typicallytake at least eight weeks of regular physicalactivity. In addition, although measureableand meaningful improvements in these riskfactors can be achieved with regularphysical activity, these changes may notreplace the need for medications tomanage these risk factors.

SummaryThere are many potential benefits to begained from increased physical activity.Since the biggest challenge for many isgetting started and sticking with it,

ACSM Fit Society Page | Volume 15 | Number 2 | July 2013 3


establishing short-term adherence goalsand monitoring participation through anexercise diary should be a priority.Following several weeks of regularparticipation, physiologic changes, such asimproved energy, greater strength and alower heart rate at rest, begin to becomeapparent. Finally, realistic expectations areimportant to continued adherence andoptimal health.


Exercise Basicsby ACSM Certification Department

There is no question that regular physicalactivity is one of the best things you can doto keep your body healthy and strong. Infact, a large body of research confirms thatperforming moderate-intensity physicalactivity on a regular basis can help you livelonger and reduce health problems. In fact,people who exercise can avoid manycommon health issues, including obesityand high blood pressure and cholesterollevels. Exercise also strengthens themuscles and bones, which can reduce yourrisk of osteoporosis as you grow older, andmay even lower the risk of many diseases,including diabetes, stroke, heart diseaseand some cancers. Regular physicalactivity improves sleep, increases energy,lowers stress levels and helps you maintainyour independence. As a healthy adult, thekey for you to maximize the benefits ofexercise is to find activities you really enjoyand to follow a well-designed program thatyou can stick with over the long term.

Getting Started• Talk with your health care practitionerbefore starting an exercise program andask for specific programmingrecommendations.

• The goals of your program should be toimprove cardiovascular fitness, increasemuscle strength and endurance andimprove range of motion.

• If you are new to exercise, chooselow-impact activities such as walking,cycling or water exercises, which involvelarge muscles groups and can be donecontinuously. Fitness classes gearedtoward beginners also are a good choice.If you’ve been fairly active until now,however, you can choose from a widerange of activities, including running,swimming, boot camp classes and sportslike tennis or basketball. The key is to findsomething you love so you’ll stick with itover time.

• If your fitness level is low, start withshorter sessions (10 to 15 minutes) andgradually build up to at least 30 minuteson most, if not all, days of the week. If youare trying to lose weight, try to increasethe amount of time you exercise to 60minutes per day—research suggests thismay help you shed unwanted pounds.

• Perform some type of strength trainingand whole-body range-of-motionexercises two to three days per week.This could include circuit training,high-intensity interval training, traditionalstrength training and even yoga.

• End each session with stretchingexercises for the whole body. Considertaking a yoga or tai chi class for bothflexibility and mind-body benefits.

• Closely monitor your intensity level andstay within your recommended targetheart rate zone. Take frequent breaksduring activity if needed.

• Wear well-fitting, activity-appropriateshoes and comfortable clothing, anddon’t forget to drink fluids before, duringand after your activity to avoid becomingdehydrated.

Exercise Cautions• If your fitness level is low to begin with,start slowly and gradually increase thelength and intensity of your workouts.

• Stop exercising immediately if youexperience any pain or shortness ofbreath. Contact your physician if youexperience chest pain, labored breathingor extreme fatigue.

• Your exercise program should bemodified to maximize the benefits whileminimizing your risk of injury. Considercontacting a certified fitness professionalwho can work with you to establishrealistic goals and design a safe andeffective program that addresses yourspecific needs.


Training Outsideof the Boxby Cherilyn Hultquist, Ph.D.

One of the best ways to break a fitnessplateau is to try something new. Manypeople find themselves in a verycomfortable but sometimes monotonousexercise routine. The first step is torecognize that it’s time for change. If youare seeing no progress toward your goalsand you feel no physical or mentalchallenge, then it’s probably time to trainoutside of the box. In the gym this can beas simple as making an effort to increasethe amount of weight you are lifting, addingmore speed or additional incline to thetreadmill, or trying a new class. For thosewho prefer outdoor exercise, changing thewalking route or seeking more challengingtopography may do the trick. While smallchanges are easy to make, the reality isthat it may be time to do a complete fitnessoverhaul. Strategies that can help youreenergize your routine are to train for alocal fitness event, identify a weakness andwork to make it a strength, or take up a newskill or sport.

Every community will have someopportunity for a competitive event such asa foot race or a triathlon. These events willvary in length and difficulty, making somelevel of challenge available to most people.For foot races, nearly all ages and abilitiescan find an event with options such as a


Measuring Results (continued from page 3)


charity walk, 5k or 10k runs, and for thosewho want to dedicate a significant amountof time to running, there are the half and fullmarathons. Triathlons also vary in lengthfrom a sprint which is approximately ahalf-mile swim, 12-mile bike ride and3.1-mile run to an ultra which includes a2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a fullmarathon (26.2 miles), and there aredistances in between.

While it may seem daunting to take on acompetitive event, there are many ways toapproach the training. Whether you use awebsite or smartphone app to set up yourtraining calendar or join a training group,there are many resources available to helpyou get started. To safely train for theseevents you should contact your localrunning and triathlon clubs for informationon how to get started.

Another strategy is to identify a weaknessand decide to make it a personal strength.We tend to gravitate toward activities thatwe can do well or easily and avoid thingsthat are uncomfortable or require new skills.To gauge where you are, start by rankingdifferent components of fitness such ascardiorespiratory endurance, muscularstrength, flexibility and even balance,power and agility, from best to worst.Whatever ranked the lowest is thecomponent you will focus on. Health andfitness goals should also be consideredsince some training regimens can be quiteintense and require a specific skill set.

Considering personal goals and weakareas, some simple strategies are to addtime or increase intensity forcardiorespiratory exercise, engage in moreor different types of resistance training, oradd a beginner yoga class for betterflexibility and strength. Even changing themode of exercise can be effective. If youalways walk, try a bike; if you use freeweights and machines, try bands andstability balls. However, for those lookingfor a complete fitness overhaul, thechanges need to be significant. There areendless approaches to improving fitnessand some readily available methods thatcan challenge a monotonous routineinclude high-intensity, bootcamp-typetraining, sport-specific training such asspeed, agility, and plyometrics, or groupclasses that focus on dance andchoreography such as Latin influence orhip-hop. What these all have in common isthe ability to improve multiple aspects ofoverall fitness by challenging thecardiorespiratory and neuromuscularsystems at the same time.

Another way to change things up is to trysomething completely new. If you alwaysexercise in a gym, take it outside for a hikeor to walk the dog. If you tend to stick withtraditional exercise, try taking up a newactivity such as tennis, swimming or an adultleague like softball or soccer. If you havekids, actively play with them at the park oreven with active gaming. If you exercisealone, invite a friend along—you can pusheach other to work harder. If you have foundthat your workout partner is holding youback, then it may be time to take a fewworkouts alone. Regardless of your situationor what your preferences, there are manyways to change a routine that is no longerproducing the desired results.

Maintaining or improving fitness is a movingtarget for everyone. Things that wereeffective in the past may not work in thepresent. Becoming bored or feeling burnedout could lead a person into alternativesedentary behaviors which could lead to anumber of adverse health issues over theyears. The goal is to stay challenged,interested and healthy. Engaging in avariety of activities that address multiplecomponents of fitness will help avoidplateaus and keep the results coming.


Three Tips to HelpYou Stay on theHealthy ExerciseWagonby Neal Pire, MA, CSCS, FACSM

The health benefits of regular exercise arewidely accepted and recognized by boththose who are regularly active, and thosewho, unfortunately, spend as much time offthe wagon as they do on it. Those of uswith careers in commercial fitness knowthat even the most motivated “New Year’sResolution” member who joins a healthclub on January 2 rarely sticks with their

fitness program through Valentine’s Day.This is an example of common challengesthat present themselves when developingnew healthy behaviors. Even those of uswho have long histories of regular exerciseare often challenged along the way withplateaus in physical improvement or ageneral loss of motivation. Once we accepthitting such a plateau, there are strategiesthat can help us stay the course, evenwhen we hit the occasional bump on theroad.

Variety is the Spice of LifeBoredom will kill any enjoyment to be hadfrom any form of physical activity. Somepeople like doing the same thing day-inand day-out—thus “knowing what toexpect” and feeling confident andempowered in their ability to perform thesame regular program. Others, however,get bored quickly and need a change tostick with a regular fitness regimen. Achange of venue can help: if you typicallyrun indoors on a treadmill, take it outsidefor a change, and enjoy new scenery at alocal park while performing your regularrun. If you are a gym “loner,” try a groupexercise class, where the sheer energy ofthe group environment and group supportcan provide you a new lease on your“exercise life.” Other easy to manipulatechanges include switching modalities, forexample from weight machines to freeweights, or from exercise bike to stairclimber. Even if you keep with the samemode of exercise, you can adjust your FITT(Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type)Formula parameters to get a whole differentfeel—and effect—from your exerciseroutine. Switching from steady-state tointerval exercise by changing the intensityor time (duration) of a particular exercisecan make it brand new and help you breakthrough a plateau to a whole new fitnesslevel.

Don’t Guess – Track, Track,Track… and then TweakThe National Weight Control Registry hasfound that keeping a food journal is the onestrategy used by the majority of successfuldieters. Other studies conclude the numberof food records kept per week as the bestpredictor of weight loss, and the use ofworkout logs to be an effective motivationaland educational tool to optimize time andeffort in the gym. In fact the simple habit oflogging what you do and how much you doit, along with loads, reps, sets, etc. will helpget you wrapped up in the process andprovide a better awareness andunderstanding of how your body respondsto your exercise program. Setting goals is agreat tactic to get you on the right path.Tracking your progress will keep you on it.

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Outside of the Box (continued from page 4)

Buddy-up!Find a workout partner. During our teenyears peer pressure sometimes challengedus to stray from our desired paths. Now,use it as a tool to help you stay on the rightpath. Pairing up with a workout partner canbe the smartest thing you can do to assureyour accountability and ultimateconsistency. When the day comes that youdon’t feel like working out, your partner willkeep you on schedule and make sure youmake it to the gym. On days when yourpartner wants to stray, you keep yourpartner on the right path. In addition, yourpartner can also spot or assist in cheeringyou on during your workout, and that mightjust push you a little harder and little longer,thus pushing your training stimulus uphigher, burning more calories, and/orforcing greater training adaptation. Thebottom line: you’ll be more consistent andperhaps get more out of each workout.

THE ATHLETE’S KITCHEN

Why Can’t ISimply Lose a FewPounds? DietingMyths and GenderDifferencesby Nancy Clark, MS, RD

Despite their apparent leanness, too manyactive people are discontent with their bodyfat. All too often, I hear seemingly leanathletes express extreme frustration withtheir inability to lose undesired bumps andbulges:

Am I the only runner who has ever gainedweight when training for a marathon?

Why does my husband lose weight whenhe starts going to the gym and I don’t?

For all the exercise I do, I should bepencil-thin. Why can’t I simply lose a fewpounds?

Clearly, weight loss is not simple and oftenincludes debunking a few myths. Perhapsthis article will offer some insights that willlead to success with your weight-lossefforts.

Myth: You must exercise in order tolose body fat. To lose body fat, you must create a caloriedeficit. You can create that deficit by

1) exercising, which improves your overallhealth and fitness, or

2) eating fewer calories.

Even injured athletes can lose fat, despite alack of exercise. The complaint “I gainedweight when I was injured because Icouldn’t exercise” could more correctly bestated “I gained weight because Imindlessly ate more calories than Iburned.”

Adding on exercise does not equate tolosing body fat. In a 16-week study,untrained women (ages 18 to 34) built up to40 minutes of hard aerobic exercise orweight lifting three days a week. They weretold to not change their diet, and they sawno changes in body fatness even thoughthey were exercising regularly. Creating acalorie deficit by eating less food may bemore effective than simply adding onexercise to try to lose weight. Certainlypaying attention to ‘calories in’ and‘calories out’ is important when managingweight.

Athletes who complain they “eat like a bird”but fail to lose body fat may have aninaccurate view of their food intake. Asurvey of female marathoners indicated thefatter runners under-reported their foodintake more than the leaner ones. Keepinga detailed food diary may assist athleteswith developing a realistic understanding oftheir food consumption.

Myth: If you train for a marathon ortriathlon, surely your body fat willmelt away. Wishful thinking. If you are an enduranceathlete who complains, “For all the exerciseI do, I should be pencil-thin,” take a look atyour 24-hour energy expenditure. Do youput most of your energy into exercising, butthen tend to be quite sedentary the rest ofthe day as you recover from your toughworkouts? Male endurance athletes whoreported a seemingly low calorie intake didless spontaneous activity than their peersin the non-exercise parts of their day. Youneed to find ways to build activity inthroughout the day, such as taking thestairs instead of the elevators, no matterhow much you train. Again, you should eat

according to your whole day’s activity level,not according to how hard you trained thatday.

Myth: The more you exercise, the more fat you will lose.Sometimes exercise can increase hungeror make athletes feel entitled to eat more.Unfortunately, rewarding yourself with a600-calorie cinnamon roll can erase in afew minutes the calorie deficit yougenerated during your workout.

The effects of exercise on weight loss arecomplex and can be unclear. The entire24-hour calorie balance is important. Weknow among people (ages 56-78) whoparticipated in a vigorous walking program,their daily energy needs remained aboutthe same despite adding an hour ofexercise. How could that be? Theparticipants napped more and were 62%less active the rest of their day. Be sure topay attention to your whole day’s activitylevel. One hour of exercise does notcompensate for a sedentary lifestyle.

Myth: Couples who exercisetogether, lose fat together.Unfortunately this is not always true. In a16-month study looking at exercise forweight loss, the men lost 11.5 pounds andthe women maintained weight, even thoughthey did the same amount of exercise. Inanother study, men who did an 18-monthmarathon training program reported eatingabout 500 more calories per day and lostabout five pounds of fat. The womenreported eating only 60 more calories,despite having added on 50 miles perweek of running. They lost only twopounds.

What’s going on here? One issue may beoverall body weight. If the husband weighsmore and both go on a run together, hisextra weight will cause him to burn morecalories during the same workout.Differences in overall body compositionand how that changes with weight loss mayalso be key. Obesity researchers at NY’sColumbia University suggest a pound ofweight loss in men equates to a deficit ofabout 2,500 calories, while women need a3,500-calorie deficit. No wonder womenhave a tougher time losing weight than domen!

The bottom lineIf you are exercising to lose weight, Iencourage you to separate exercise andweight. Yes, you should exercise for health,fitness, stress relief, and most importantly,for enjoyment. (After all, the E in exercisestands for enjoyment!) If you exercise

Healthy Exercise Wagon (continued from page 5)



primarily to burn off calories, exercise willbecome punishment for having excessbody fat. You’ll eventually quitexercising—and that’s a bad idea.

Instead of focusing on exercise as the keyto fat loss, pay more attention to yourcalorie intake. Knocking off just 100calories a day from your evening snackscan theoretically result in 10 pounds a yearof fat loss. One less cookie a day seemssimpler than hours of sweating, right?

Breaking Bad Habits (continued from page 2)


that will come with greater health,including how it will impact his family, hismood and his energy levels, along with thepositive feelings that accompany reachinghis goals. It is important to focus on therewards that come naturally from makinghealthy life choices.

Get PreparedOne of the greatest challenges to breakingany habit is placing awareness on thetrigger cues leading to the behavior. Whenthe trigger cues are removed, the desirefor the behavior can diminish. For instance,Frank may wish to take an alternate routehome so he doesn’t pass his favoriterestaurant or, more ambitiously, adjust histelevision package to avoid the temptationof late-night programming and ensure anearlier bedtime. Frank might examine hisday to determine when he can build inwalking to replace some of his sedentarytime. As these new behaviors arerepeated, they will slowly becomeingrained and replace his bad-habitbehaviors.

Get RealA common deterrent to breaking badhabits is impatience: if Frank expectsdramatic results after mere weeks, or days,of small lifestyle changes, no doubt he willfeel discouraged. Real change may takeup to several months. Frank might benefitfrom keeping a daily diary to document hissuccesses and challenges. Writing downgoals, daily achievements, and evensetbacks can help a person stay focusedon the intended behavior change. Armedwith realistic expectations of the difficultiessurrounding breaking an old habit andforming a new one, Frank may be betterable to stay committed to his goals andenjoy the rewards that come along thejourney.

The Athlete’s Kitchen (continued from page 6)


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Overhauling Fitness