Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Gwinnett Medical Center - (Page 26)

AMATEUR ACT Maybe you were an exercise rock star in the past, but now you feel like a ﬁtness has-been. Never fear: You can stage a comeback, but it probably should be more akin to a slow progression than a meteoric rise. “What often happens is, people who start a program feel their automatic goal is to look like a ﬁtness model or bodybuilder, when that’s the last thing they should be thinking about,” McCall says. “The main goal of a ﬁtness program is just to be healthy.” AEROBIC: There are plenty of aerobic exercises you can try, such as walking, running, swimming or cycling. Pick one that ﬁts you best, and be realistic. McCall suggests putting one foot in front of the other. “If you’re not doing anything right now, the best thing you can do is to start a walking program. Pick three times a week—twice during the workweek and once on the weekend—to carve out 30 to 45 minutes to go for a walk,” he says. Keep it manageable, and in about four to six weeks, you can build up your routine by adding another day or walking ﬁve to 10 minutes and then running three to ﬁve minutes to increase your intensity. “If you start small and give yourself time to adjust to the changes and feel the beneﬁts, it’ll start being motivational and you’ll actually want to do more.” STRENGTH TRAINING: Just getting off the couch and moving is the aim for newbies, but when you’re ready to work in a few strength-training moves, two or three 10- to 20-minute sessions per week is a great start. You can work against your own weight with sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal crunches and leg squats, or strike a new chord with resistance bands, free weights or weight machines that work different areas of your body. FLEXIBILITY: Another term for ﬂexibility exercises is stretching. Warm up with a few minutes of walking ﬁrst, and then McCall suggests focusing on your hip ﬂexors, which are attached to the front of your spine. “Just by standing up and keeping your left leg behind your right and raising your left arm in the air and leaning back, you stretch out the hip ﬂexors, which can relieve tightness in the back and in the hamstrings,” he says. REPEAT PERFORMER Now that you’ve worked your way into a regular ﬁtness gig, exercising three to ﬁve times a week, maybe it’s time to tweak your act so it doesn’t get stale. Blending your aerobic and strength training efforts is a great way to keep your performance fresh. AEROBIC AND STRENGTH TRAINING: Exercise programs that combine cardio exercise with strength training offer a one-two ﬁtness punch that breaks up the monotony of your regular routine. McCall suggests trying a boxing class or a boot camp-style ﬁtness program that will get your heart pumping and add new strength-training exercises to your repertoire. Another trend is the small-group personal training program. “A trainer will work with anywhere between three and 10 people per session, two to three days per week,” McCall says. “You’re not getting constant, one-on-one attention, but you’re getting speciﬁc ideas on how to structure your workout program, and it’s a more cost-effective alternative to getting a trainer on your own.” Try it with friends or co-workers. FLEXIBILITY: Biali suggests adding yoga to your stretching routine for added benefits, including stress reduction and improved mood. “What’s particularly wonderful about yoga is the repetitive breathing. It’s extremely soothing Hold Your Ground Sometimes travel, deadlines and other obstacles get in the way of your exercise routine. But there are things you can do to prevent losing ground in your quest for fitness. Tim Gustavson, health education specialist at Gwinnett Medical Center, shares these tips. Keep your tools handy. “I always try to keep portable items like exercise DVDs or MP3 downloads of exercises on my computer, so I can have them at home or when I’m on the road,” Gustavson says. Make every step count. “If you can’t fit your workout in, take the stairs that day, or every day for that matter,” he says. Eat (and sleep) right. “When you get squeezed by life, sleep, food and exercise are the first things to go, yet ironically, they’re the three you need to focus on the most,” Gustavson says. When you can’t exercise, watch your diet and get your ZZZs. 26 Vim & Vigor · FALL 2 011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Gwinnett Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Gwinnett Medical Center
Contents
Phil's Feature
So Long, Suffering
The Will to Recover
Healthy Hues
The New Survivors
First (Aid) Things First
Find Your Groove
A Healthy Tune
Stay in Circulation
‘X’ Marks the Spot
Pregnancy Predictors
Play It Safe
Prime Time Health
Full Strength
Lifesaving Gift
Out of the White Coat
Transforming Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Fall 2011 - Gwinnett Medical Center