Pace Exercise Program
November 25, 2009 by
Filed under Exercise
Dear Health Conscious Reader,
A cover story in TIME magazine tells you exercise won’t help you lose weight.
In the article, a professor from Louisiana State University says, “… for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless.”1
If you’re a regular reader you may already recognize the ignorance of this professor’s statement.
What is he missing?
Well, it depends on what type of exercise.
My rebuttal to this ignorance is going to take awhile, but bear with me, this is important.
Conventional exercise, like aerobics, jogging, marathon running are not the best exercises for weight loss. That type of exertion actually trains your body to make and store more fat.
When you exercise for long periods at a time, like most people do when they go to the gym, you push your body into its “fat burning zone.” Most fitness gurus tell you to get into your fat burning zone and stay there for as long as you can take it… but that’s a problem. You don’t want to burn fat during exercise.
Burning fat during exercise tells your body it needed the fat. This trains your body to make more fat for the next time you exercise.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t use exercise to lose fat. In fact, it’s one of the most effective tools you can use to hit and maintain your ideal weight. I use it myself and I recommend it to my patients.
However, if you want to burn fat and keep it off, exercise in short bursts of high intensity. This is the basis of my PACE program.
How does it work? It has to do with what your body uses for fuel during exercise. For the first two or three minutes of a workout you burn ATP, your body’s cellular energy source. Then you start burning carbs from muscle tissue. After about 20 minutes you switch to fat.
Exercising for short periods will use these carbs during exercise. Then you start to burn fat after your workout – while you replenish the carbs.
This is known as your “after burn.”
Researchers at Laval University in Quebec divided participants into two groups: long-duration and repeated short-duration exercisers.2 They had the long-duration group cycle 45 minutes without interruption. The short-term interval group cycled in numerous short bursts of 15 to 90 seconds, while resting in between.
The long duration group burned twice as many calories, so you would assume they would burn more fat. However, when the researchers recorded their body composition measurements, the interval group showed the most fat loss.
In fact, the interval group lost 9 times more fat than the endurance group for every calorie burned. Doesn’t this defy the laws of physics? No, it just illustrates that exercise continues to affect your metabolism after you stop. The short bursts stimulated a greater after burn.
You might think burning fat during exercise makes sense. But your body will adapt to any routine you give it, including exercise. And if you burn fat during a workout and you do that workout consistently, your body will make sure you have new fat to burn each time you go to the gym.
After a while your body becomes efficient at building and preserving fat necessary for long aerobic sessions in preparation for the next endurance workout. In doing so, it sacrifices muscle and preserves fat.
So don’t bother trying to use this strategy to lose body fat. Your body will fight you in the effort and you can only do it by sacrificing lean tissue like muscle and internal organs.
Durational exercise tells your body to build fat. That’s how your body adapts to this kind of activity. Then, if you stop your cardio routine, you’ll put on even more fat very rapidly. This is common as your body gets into the routine of making the extra fat.
It’s an endless cycle. And eventually, everyone stops doing cardio. Many just get bored. But many find they have to stop cardio because this unnatural activity has caused degeneration of their joints.
And another point: If you persist through middle age and beyond, cardio accelerates some very negative effects of aging. It lowers testosterone and growth hormone, boosts destructive cortisol levels and robs you of muscle, bone and internal organ mass and strength.
But short-duration exercise – likePACE – actually increases levels of growth hormone. Researchers from Loughborough University in Leicestershire, England tested growth hormone levels in sprinters and endurance athletes. On average, the sprinters had 3 times as much growth hormone as the endurance runners.3
The biggest point they missed is this: The most important changes from exercise occur after, not during, the exercise period. The way you exercise affects your metabolism for several days. The important changes begin after you stop exercising.
This is good news. It means all you have to do during your exercise is stimulate the adaptive response you need – like reducing your need for fat or building reserve capacity in your heart. Your body will continue making the important changes afterwards – while you rest.
You don’t need to go to the gym to get started. Even if you’re out of shape you can start with a challenge that’s within your reach.
Let’s take walking as an example. This is the easiest way to get started if you’re de-conditioned or facing a physical challenge.
Here are a few points to consider: When you’re walking, you need to start at a comfortable pace and slowly speed up until you feel your heart rate increase. When you feel this extra bit of exertion, maintain it until you start to feel winded. Then stop and catch your breath. Take a few minutes to recover and focus on your breath until you’re breathing normally. This will be your first “set.”
It may look something like this: You put on a comfortable pair of walking shoes and some loose-fitting clothes. You start off on the sidewalk or on a quiet street. You could also go to the gym and work on a treadmill.
You warm up by walking at a normal, comfortable pace for 1 to 2 minutes. Then you slowly start to walk faster. As you increase your speed, pick a target and then maintain it. This is a little subjective, so you’re going to have to get a feel for it.
For example, when you start off walking at a normal pace, imagine your top walking speed and then work back from there. So tell yourself, “I’m going to walk normally and then increase my speed by about 15%.” Then hold that speed and maintain it for a few minutes.
If you don’t feel like that increase is giving you a challenge, go up a notch until you’ve increased your speed by 20 to 25%. Then hold that speed and maintain it for a few minutes.
This is how you gauge your exertion level. You know you’re getting close when you feel your heart rate go up. And when you feel this extra exertion, look at your watch and see how long you can sustain it. If you can do it for 2 to 3 minutes, great. If not, it doesn’t matter. Just follow this pattern.
After you’ve challenged yourself for a few minutes, stop and rest. Ideally, you should feel winded. You should be breathing heavier than you usually do and you should feel your heart beating faster. Now begin your recovery period. Allow your heart rate and breath to return to normal.
When you’ve completed your first set, try another. At this point, repeat your first set without increasing your intensity. If you want to ramp up the challenge, increase the amount of time you walk at a faster speed.
By walking and first gauging your exertion capacity, you can do a productive PACE routine at your own level. It doesn’t matter how quickly you can walk. Even if your top exertion speed is just above your normal walking speed, you can give yourself enough of a challenge to expand your lung volume and build reserve capacity in your heart.
This gradual build up in cardio-pulmonary power will get you to higher levels and extend your endurance. Little by little, you’ll become more and more conditioned and better able to handle more intense challenges.
When you feel you’ve improved your exercise capacity – or if you want to start with something more challenging than walking – use this same formula with swimming or biking. Both give you a good heart and lung workout.
Swimming is helpful if you have a disability as the water’s buoyancy will take the strain off your joints and make it easier to move. Biking is also very effective for de-conditioned beginners and you have the option of doing it outside or in the gym.
Like walking, take it slow and evaluate your exertion level. Don’t strain yourself. Take small, deliberate steps and stay with your program. Within the first week, you’ll start to see progress.
By gently encouraging your heart and lungs to maximize their output, you’ll be able to improve right away. What’s more, you’ll be able to successfully start a productive PACE routine, no matter what your age, condition or personal history.
As you progress, do less walking and put more focus on swimming and biking. And when you feel ready, try some of the basic routines in your PACE book. Once you’ve made headway with your heart and lungs you’ll be able to increase your challenge and activate your native fat burner.
With a sufficient challenge, you’ll start to burn fat after your PACE routine. This fat burning will last as long as 16 to 24 hours after you finish. But your first goal will be to build cardio-pulmonary power by establishing a PACE routine that accommodates your current situation.
This in itself is a major victory. A lot of folks can’t get past the false assumption that they’ll never be able to do it. With PACE,/a>, you never have to make excuses, as you can always find a routine that perfectly matches your current level.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
Nutrition and Vitamins
November 23, 2009 by
Filed under Supplements
Nutrition and Vitamins
Why do doctors prescribe drugs? Why do people take them? The answer is to change the body’s chemistry in order to correct a symptom. Anti-depressants are given to chemically increase neurotransmitter activity. Anti-inflammatory drugs biochemically reduce inflammation, giving relief from pain. Antibiotics chemically kill bacteria. Drugs exist to create chemical changes in order to bring a symptom under control. All drugs have side effects.
The sixth greatest killer in America, killing about 100,000 people per year, is drugs that are properly prescribed and taken according to the doctor’s instructions. This is not a complete indictment of drug therapy—let’s face it, there are times when drugs can save your life (although these instances are probably much fewer than the pharmaceutical industry would have you believe). Patients should be aware of what the goal of drug therapies are and whether or not there are any safer alternatives. Usually the alternatives are not only safer, but more effective.
Nutrition is another way to affect the body’s biochemistry. Unlike drug therapy, nutritional therapies have few, if any, side effects. Every activity in the body, digestion, muscle action, oxygen utilization, even thought, is the result of chemical reactions. Vitamins and minerals are the co-factors that enable these chemical reactions to occur. Generally, in chronic conditions, nutrition, herbs, homeopathics and other natural therapies are effective. Drug therapy is usually indicated in acute or life-threatening conditions.
Many herbal and nutritional therapies are well-researched. The traditional medical establishment is becoming increasingly interested in herbs and vitamins; they are safe and they get the job done.
Nutrients are effective in treating illness because many of the symptoms people suffer with are the result of nutrient deficiency. People try to use them like drugs—addressing specific symptoms. Patients are continually saying things like, “I heard vitamin E will help my virility” or “I heard that vitamin B will give me more energy”. Using vitamins to address specific symptoms doesn’t always work. If your fatigue is caused by a B vitamin deficiency, taking B vitamins will increase your energy. If you are deficient in vitamin E, taking vitamin E may increase your virility. We commonly hear doctors say the vitamins can’t cure disease, and, in a sense, they are right, with one important exception. Vitamins cure the disease of vitamin deficiency. So while it looks like vitamins and minerals are “curing” a health problem, what is really happening is the nutrient is enabling the body to function normally. Keeping that in mind here are some examples of problems caused by nutritional deficiency:
• Vitamin B6 deficiency can cause you to react to MSG (Chinese restaurant syndrome).
• Hay fever sufferers with itchy eyes are frequently deficient in vitamin A.
• Molybdenum deficiency may cause you to be sensitive to smoke and perfume.
• Deficiencies of folic acid or B12 can be a source of infertility.
• Deficiency of B12 can cause memory problems and even dementia in older people–sometimes symptoms are so severe that it is mistaken for Alzeheimer’s disease.
• Zinc deficiency can cause immune system problems, sugar cravings or skin problems.
• Magnesium deficiency can cause muscle spasms or heart arrythmias
• Essential fatty acid deficiency can cause skin problems, muscle fatigue or tension headaches.
• Vitamin B complex deficiencies can cause fatigue or depression.
• Folic acid deficiency can cause depression, anemia and a low white cell count.
• Anemias that don’t respond to iron supplementation may indicate a need of folic acid, B12, vitamin A, protein, copper or HCl
• Deficiencies in magnesium, calcium or essential fatty acids can be a source of menstrual cramps.
• Adequate selenium is necessary to effectively fight a viral infection.
• Vitamin A deficiency can cause vision, immune system or skin problems.
• People with many allergies are commonly deficient in trace minerals.
These are just some of the problems caused by nutritional deficiency, the tip of the iceberg. Virtually every function in the human body–including thought–is the result of a biochemical reaction. Good nutrition ensures good biochemical function.
You have to understand that not all immune system problems are caused by zinc deficiency and not all muscle spasm is the result of magnesium deficiency. This is the reason than one person can begin to take zinc and stop having colds and another takes zinc with seemingly no benefit. Zinc fixes a zinc deficiency, not the immune system (unless the immune problem is caused by the zinc deficiency).
Easy Exercise Review
November 20, 2009 by
Filed under Exercise
While exercises such as sit ups and crunches are generally for muscle strengthening and building rather than weight loss, these are a good way for you to trim up. Cardiovascular activities such as running, spinning, dancing and so on are good for burning off those calories and to lose weight, but muscular exercises are vital to keep trim and toned. You can lose a lot of weight from using a cross trainer, treadmill and bike, but you still will need to tone in order to prevent loose skin as best as you can.
If you just do muscular work outs then you’ll still notice a difference, but there is a limit to how noticeable your new tummy will look. In order to look “ripped” then you might find that you need to keep fat intake to an absolute minimum and do lots of cardio work outs as well as muscles work outs. There is no argument that for the best way to get rid of that excess belly fat – man or woman – abdominal exercises are an absolute must.
The most simple solution, and to have access to every sort of machinery and equipment that you’ll need, is to join a gym. Many gyms have a kick start program for the beginners and you will be given full use of a personal trainer for the first few weeks while you get used to what exercises are best for what you are trying to achieve. If you want to continue on using a personal trainer then you will be able to – for an extra charge. If you can afford to then it is worth it as they’re able to continually give you advice and tips on other areas that you might need or want to improve once you have mastered the flat stomach.
Gym memberships can be quite expensive though and time consuming, so some of us would like other ways that we can improve our physiques without having to spend massive amounts of cash each year and that we can easily fit in when we’ve got the time. That is why I have created this short list of ways to tone up the tummy in other, less traditional ways.
· Crunches & Sit-Ups.
Get into the old gym class exercises that you loathed as a child. If you want to improve your waist line then there is no better way than just exercising those muscles – at home or the gym, your body doesn’t care where you are.
· Nintendo Wii.
Many already have the Wii and the children may have a Wii and a Wii Fit, if not then consider trading in the old console and getting one. They’re better for your children and once the kids are in bed, or at school, it is your turn to play! The Wii Fit game has muscle work outs and your own personal trainer will guide you through what to do and how it is going to help you.
· Hula-Hoop.
This is a fantastic way to slim down! Starting with just doing 3 minutes in each direction will soon prove that this is a great way of losing weight. If you can’t hula-hoop or don’t have a hoop, then just doing the same body actions is good. You can fit this in a couple of times a day easily and do not need to get changed, get the kids out of the way or wait till after lunch – you can do it while doing all those other things.
· Home Gym Equipment.
If you have space in the house or garage then you can consider purchasing some second hand gym equipment. The best time to buy is February – just after Christmas. It need not cost you a fortune and you can purchase just one or two items, specific to what areas you want to improve. Items such as an ab twister are great for the abdomen but take up very little room at the same time, so this could be something to consider.
· Electrical Pulse Equipment.
The success rate of these items, such as the pulsating belt, varies, for some people the improvement is dramatic, for others there is next to no improvement. If you are willing to give it a shot then they’re reasonably priced to get now. Most people see this as a gimmick however.
· Yoga.
Yoga is very popular and there is bound to be classes near to you. Yoga is a great way to relax and rest but build up core strength, flexibility and muscle tone. That core strength and flexibility is critical to your overall muscle health.
· Make your own regime.
Get online and search for abdominal muscle exercises, find out lots of varied activities and create your own regime around your busy lifestyle – even if one day you can only do 3 minutes, that 3 minutes is better than none!
Paul has been trying to trim his waist and find his path to a healthier lifestyle and enjoys writing on a variety of subjects.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_M_Stansel
The Truth About Jogging
November 18, 2009 by
Filed under Exercise
Dear Health Conscious Reader,
If you’re thinking about taking up jogging to get in shape, I urge you to listen to this amazing story first…
A few weeks ago I watched this story on ESPN. Robert Kraft – known to his fans as “Raven” – has jogged 8 miles on Miami Beach every day for the last 34 years. On March 29, 2009, he hit an epic milestone. 100,000 miles of jogging.
Now that’s dedication! It was a great story. Except…
At just 58 years old, Raven is nearly crippled. He has:
- Back pain
- Knee pain
- Foot pain
- Neck pain
- Degenerative discs
- Sciatica
- Arthritis
During the segment he admitted to barely being able to get out of bed in the morning. And just walking out of his room is a herculean task.
This is not unique to Raven either. Injury and intense pain is common among long distance runners.
In fact, just look at some of the article titles on the Runner’s World website. It seems like every other one is a tip on how to deal with jogging-related injuries:
- “No More Sore Shins”
- “Get Over It: Foot Pain”
- “My Knee Aches”
- My favorite is “Painful Thoughts: When your body pleads with you to stop, your mind can keep you going”
Let me be clear. Jogging is a good way to destroy your body. Raven’s story and the writers at Runner’s World show exactly what’s in store for anyone who runs long distances frequently.
Jogging is the exact opposite type of exercise I prescribe to patients who come to my clinic looking to get into phenomenal shape. And most of them are very surprised to hear that you can burn fat and pack on muscle without brutally long workouts or hours in the gym.
If you have your heart set on running, why not try short sprints instead? Brief sprints increase your lung volume, strengthens your heart, and gets you in great shape. Try out this PACE® workout and you’ll see results in just minutes a day.
| Warm-Up | Set 1 | Set 2 | Set 3 | |||
| Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery | |
| 5 min (Stretching) | 20-meter sprint |
2–4 min |
40-meter sprint |
2–4 min |
50-meter sprint |
3–5 min |
| Set 4 | Set 5 | ||
| Exertion | Recovery | Exertion | Recovery |
| 60-meter sprint |
3–5 min |
100-meter sprint |
* |
Treat this workout as a framework. Tailor each set to your level of conditioning – add or drop a set as you see fit. You should be panting at the end of each exertion period, but you should not be exhausted throughout the workout.
The key to PACE is short duration exercises that get progressively harder. As you gradually increase the intensity, your body will respond.
So hang up your jogging shoes and learn more about PACE. Your body will thank you.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD
The Elements of Exercise
November 18, 2009 by
Filed under Exercise
Prior to beginning a fitness program you should have the greatest intention of succeeding beyond your wildest dreams. The challenges arise when most exercise program participants, unfortunately, fail to see progress, and do not reach their goals.
Most often fitness training program participants get easily frustrated, and eventually give up on their quest towards reaching their wellness goals. Patience dwindle, and hope quickly fades away. The heartbreak generally occurs as a result of three core fitness program mistakes. If these mistakes are avoided, then workout program success probability increases dramatically.
Avoid these 3 most common workout program mistakes.
1. Not devising, and following a clear cut plan.
If you fail to intelligently plan your workout program prior to starting a routine, then you are more likely to not succeed. It is very important to devise a custom fitness program that is tailored toward your specific needs, and desires.
When I say create a workout plan it involves writing out your specific goals, and scheduling your gym time on your calendar. You will ultimately know exactly when your workouts will occur, what specifically you will do, and for how long you will workout. These variables are fully planned out prior to beginning your health fitness program.
Success is all about recognizing what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and taking action as dictated in your exercise plan.
The bottom line is don’t start a workout program unless you have a focused plan in place.
2. Not incorporating the necessary fitness components.
Unfortunately, most people who do not have an exercise routine in place, prior to entering the gym, fail to incorporate all the necessary components for success to occur.
People who wish to lose body fat tend to focus only on cardiovascular exercise, and fail to compliment it with strength training. The result is a short circuit in progress. Why not use the best possible formula to accomplish your specific goals? Yes, it ultimately comes back to your fitness exercise program planning.
Strength training, cardiovascular, and flexibility exercises are the three main components of any fitness program. Depending upon your specific goals, it is necessary to place emphasis on each of these components differently. Remember, workout goals vary from person to person, just as some people wish to lose fat, others desire to increase muscle.
Make sure your fitness plan has accounted for these three variables.
3. Not working hard enough.
Getting excellent exercise program results takes work! If you don’t push yourself, then the results witnessed will be slim to none. I always recommend for my fitness training clients to work up a sweat during a workout session. The sweat factor is a good gauge of exercise intensity. Of course, a smart exercise program participant will progressively increase intensity over time.
Along with not working out hard enough, consistency is a mandatory variable in order to reach your fitness program goals. Once again, it all goes back to your initial plan. You will know exactly when you are working out, each week, because the exercise time will be scheduled on your calendar. Planning ahead is everything.
My intention in writing this article is to help you succeed on your workout plan. Doing so is just a matter of avoiding these top 3 fitness program pitfalls. You can succeed!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jim_O’Connor
