December 28, 2004

Weight, Exercise and Dogs

Happy Tuesday!

I hope that everyone had a great X-Mas.

In all of the facilities where I teach, I have noticed a decrease in participants in all my classes. I have also witnessed less individual training sessions and more no-shows. This is a yearly tradition due to all the celebrating and traveling we do at this time of the year, so I am not worried because I know that everyone will be back in January. Even though it is good to have a break from your daily training regime, do the best you can to achieve 30 minutes of movement per day. As part of the newsletter this week, I listed some ways to achieve this goal.

There will be many new people looking to start the New Year with a structured exercise program. The key is adhering to a program for life, not 6 or 12 weeks. Easier said then done.

Some have limited time for themselves and their exercise program is put on the back burner. If this is the case, we can develop an individualized program for you based upon what you can realistically commit to and what you really need. Curves and other companies are doing well with their 30-minute program, despite their generalized approach. We can do the same short program, but make it more specific.

I think that Curves and other places like it have their place, but it is only for a short time (maximum 12 weeks for most people). If you do anything long enough, your nervous system will adapt to the stress and you will no longer make the desired changes you want.

This is a common scenario that has occurred in Aerobics classes around the world. Paul Chek (www.paulcheksemianrs.com) describes a common phenomenon for aerobic instructors called "Chunky Aerobic Instructor Syndrome", which makes this easier to understand. It is very common for instructors to gain weight, even when teaching 20 or more hours per week. Some of you may ask, how can this be when they are doing so much movement? When they first started teaching, they burned approximately 300 calories per hour. 5 Years later they became so efficient that they are only burning 150 calories per hour. These numbers are only approximate values, but the take home message is that the body needs change. For some elite athletes, programs should change as often as 2 weeks. For the beginning exerciser, every 4-8 weeks is generally ok. Without change you may maintain your current level of fitness for a short period of time. Change will also prevent mental boredom and motivation will be enhanced if there is a new challenge.
If you only have 20 minutes a day, we can recommend the best exercises for you to do on a given day, in consideration of your individual strengths and weaknesses. You will see progression and goal achievement. With time, the exercise program will change given you have achieved success.
For those of you that have put off your normal routine for a while, do your best to get daily movement. It is very easy to sit at home, especially with the weather we are having. Here are some ideas to get more movement:

1. Get outside with the family and go on a hike or a walk. It is also a great way to bond.
2. Try a new class: yoga, pilates, boxing, etc.
3. Follow along with an exercise video.
4. Get a personal training session.
5. Park farther away than usual.
6. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. 5 min of stairs will definitely get you going.
7. Take a break at work and stretch or walk.
8. Get a pedometer to see how much you are moving.
9. Walk the dog.

Speaking of dogs, there was a recent study that showed that walking the dog could have a positive effect on weight loss. For more info keep reading.

On November 17th CNN.com reported about two studies at a meeting of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity.

The first study was mentioned in a prior newsletter. The take home message was that a lack of sleep increases the likelihood of obesity. To receive the past newsletter, e-mail us. Email OFC
The second study is a very interesting one. It was the first diet study that put both owners and their dogs on a weight management program including diet restriction and exercise. The study was completed by Northwestern Medical School & Chicago veterinarian Kimberly Rudloff and Dennis Jewell.

They tested three groups:

1. 56 people,
2. 53 *dogs*, and
3. 36 *dogs* and their owners.

The *dogs* ranged from pudgy poodles to husky Huskies, and target weights were set by a "doggie BMI" based on age and breed.

The people were encouraged to walk at least 20 minutes and limit calories to 1,400 a day. *Dogs* were fed the prescription *diet* and walked with their owners.

The dog owners did slightly better than the dieters who walked and dieted alone.

Overall, the *dogs* did better than owners. People lost an average of 11 pounds, or 5 percent of their body weight, in the first four months and kept it off for the next eight. *Dogs* lost an average of 12 pounds -- 15 percent of their initial weight.

For more information about the study go to:www.cnn.com

If you are having trouble with motivation, you might want to consider walking or getting a dog.
Have a healthy and safe week and I wish you and your family a Happy New Year!

Brien

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