Fitness and Age: Understanding Fitness Part E

While it is generally true that fitness level declines with age after about age thirty-five, it is not an absolute.  Getting older does not necessitate feeling older, losing strength and vitality, or limiting physical activities.  Most people know someone aged seventy or older who continues to participate in physically challenging activities like weight lifting, bicycling, snow skiing, hiking, or jogging.  

There are a variety of prevalent age-related fitness myths, and Dr. Kenneth Cooper exposes them in his book, Faith-Based Fitness.  Many people believe exercising after age forty is dangerous, but there is no support for this myth, as long as older continuing or beginning exercisers have regular medical checkups.  In fact, evidence shows that those who fail to exercise are at greater risk than those who exercise regularly.

            With any endurance exercise comes the warning not to exceed the maximum heart rate, which is calculated by the formula 220 - age.  The second age myth is that maximum heart rate automatically declines with age.  The main reason the maximum heart rate declines with age is a lack of aerobic conditioning.  A higher maximum heart rate can be maintained by anyone who does aerobic exercise.  With a higher maximum heart rate comes a greater working capacity. 

            Blood pressure does not have to increase significantly with age, although it usually does.  Many people do have a harder time controlling blood pressure, but it is generally true that blood pressure can be controlled and kept in the normal range by staying fit.  The same is true of body fat percentage.  People generally become less fit by choice, not by some unalterable force of nature.

            The average person loses between 30 - 40 percent of his muscle mass during his lifetime, but the reason is because most people become less active and less fit as they age.  It is commonly thought that increasing muscle mass after age sixty is impossible, but muscle can be added at any age with strength training.   Cooper teaches that strength training leads to significant increases in muscle size and strength and in functional mobility, even among nursing home residents up to ninety-six years old.   Likewise, people who engage in regular endurance exercise can maintain a high aerobic capacity from age forty to about age seventy.  It is only in the seventies and eighties that older athletes normally begin to experience declines in aerobic ability, but even at late ages, those who continue to train can remain remarkably fit.

            Another myth is that after age sixty-five, there is no reason to worry about cholesterol, smoking, or hardening of the arteries.  Cholesterol levels are important at any age, and no age is too old to benefit from reduced cholesterol intake and blood levels.  Research shows that quitting smoking has significant benefits regardless of age, and atherosclerosis (hardening or clogging of the arteries) can be reversed through dietary changes or prescription drugs.

            Having a heart attack is no reason to discontinue or avoid a fitness program, and for those who have suffered a heart attack, there is no better time to start one.  Not only is regular exercise an important part of cardiac rehabilitation, but exercising in a monitored rehabilitation program is safer than exercise among the general population.  Heart attack victims are at greater risk when they avoid exercise than when they engage in exercise.

            Myths may be more about laziness than age-related fears.  Research shows that people as old as one hundred can dramatically increase their strength, improve their balance, restore bone density, moderate diabetes, and diminish joint pain in just a few weeks of weight training.  The minute a person starts sweating, whether he is twenty or ninety, he elevates his heart rate, his arteries get more flexible, and his blood pressure is lowered, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke.  For hours after exercise, bodies are more sensitive to insulin, keeping sugar levels in check and reducing the risk of diabetes.

Herschel Walker is a great, modern example of the myths of age’s affect on fitness.  Walker won the 1982 Heisman Trophy (presented annually to the top college football player in America) and was a world class sprinter at the University of Georgia from 1980– 1982.  He played professional football from 1983-1997, and competed in the 1992 Winter Olympics as a bobsledder.  On January 30, 2010, at age forty-seven, Walker competed in his first professional Mixed Martial Arts fight.  Critics ridiculed him for entering the sport at such an advanced age, and concerns for his health were daily topics on national sports shows.  Despite all the negativity, Walker knocked out twenty-six year old Greg Nagy in a dominating performance.

            Because of his age, Walker had to endure a battery of tests to be sanctioned to fight.  Allen Fields, chief physician for the Florida Boxing Commission that also oversees MMA sanctioning, said that not only did Walker pass the most strenuous of all medical athletic tests, but he produced the highest cardiac stress test score of anyone ever tested by his facility.  Fields said that Walker was in “as fine a shape as Muhammad Ali or any of these people we’ve had the care of.  This guy is 47 going on 22, as far as his physical fitness goes.”  Like all world class athletes, Walker is an anomaly.  But unlike most world class athletes, Walker has maintained his fitness as he has aged.  Mike Tyson and Bo Jackson are contemporaries of Walker, and at this stage of their lives, they look like any other middle-aged, overweight man.  Everyone has the choice to age like Walker, or to age like Tyson and Jackson.

Fitness and Body Types: Understanding Fitness Part D

God enjoys diversity, as seen in nature with all the varieties of plants, flowers, and trees.  He also made many different body types, and all are fearfully and wonderfully made.  God did not give one body type as the model for all people.  He created human bodies in a variety of shapes and sizes, and each one has specific strengths, weaknesses, capabilities, and limitations.

While God loves and accepts each body shape and size, Hollywood does not.  Hollywood tries to tell the world which body types are beautiful and acceptable, at the exclusion of every other body type.  For instance, women models are generally abnormally tall and thin, with eating habits that are detrimental to their own health as well as the health of women around the world who aspire to be like them.  (This unhealthy thinness is not limited to female models.) 

God decides the physical attributes of every person.  An individual can alter his God-given appearance to some degree with diet and fitness, but not enough to change his basic structure.  Therefore, instead of trying to fit a mold he was not created to fit and showing God ungratefulness, he should give Him praise and thanks and be a good steward of his body.  Nutritionalist and personal trainer Ron Kardashian says,

Nowhere in the Bible does He say that a human being is born to be anorexic.  On the contrary, God says that He made you to be His son or daughter, uniquely created with wonderful gifting and potential.  While He desires for your body to be the temple in which He dwells, He does not describe the perfect shape, height, or weight that He prefers.  Instead, God places emphasis on the inner beauty of your person, not on the outward physique that will one day perish.  God considers the good behavior that proceeds from integrity of character more important than a “Hollywood-type” figure…According to Scripture, what is most precious to God?  …His Word does not teach that a certain physique makes you more or less delightful to Him.

Human somatotypes, or body types, have three distinct characteristics: endomorphy (endomorph or endo), ectomorphy (ectomorph or ecto), and mesomorphy (mesomorph or meso).  Some people fall into one of these distinct categories, but most people have a blend of characteristics from two of the categories.  These characteristics determine how each person’s body will look, react to exercise and gain or lose weight. Figure 2.1 gives representations of the three body types, while figure 2.2 gives representations of blended body types. 

Figure 2.1: The Three Somatotypes.

Figure 2.2: Somatotype Combinations.

  

The mesomorph (or meso) body type is best described as muscular.  Characteristic mesos have the ability to increase muscle size relatively quick and easy.  They have well-developed, rectangular shapes with thick bones, defined chests, and shoulders that are larger and broader than their waistlines.  Their hips are about the same width as their shoulders, and they have toned buttocks and legs.  Sylvester Stallone and Demi Moore are good examples of mesos.

            Mesos are well-suited for athletics and are physically capable of high levels of activity.  They excel in activities that require strength and short bursts of energy.  Conversely, endurance activities are not their forte and they tend to avoid the cardio section of the gym.  This avoidance is representative of playing to natural strengths.

Mesos tend to store fat evenly over their bodies and have a high metabolism because of their muscularity and physical activity.  Of all the three body types, mesos have the greatest ability to stay fit.  Unfortunately, as mesos age or become less active, they can easily become overweight unless they also reduce their diet.  Cardiovascular disease is a common threat for overweight mesos.

            The endomorph (or endo) body type is best described as round for males and curvy for females.  Characteristic endos have the capacity for high fat storage and a greatest propensity for obesity.  The majority of their body weight is centered in the middle, around the hips for females, and in the abdomen for men.  Structurally, they have large bones, round faces, large hips and thighs, and shorter arms and legs, which result in a stocky appearance. 

            Because abdominal fat carries a greater risk of heart disease and cardiovascular problems, male endos must be very diligent to control their weight.  Unfortunately, endos have a harder time controlling their weight, but it is possible, as Robin Williams has shown.  They are naturally strong and can gain muscle easily with weight training.  Every ounce of added muscle constantly burns calories, so adding muscle increases metabolism and can make controlling body fat much easier.  

Female endos have been among the most celebrated women of the last century.  Again, the word that best describes endo is curvy, which is an ideal trait for females.  Marilyn Monroe is the classic endo example. More recent examples are Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce, and Cindy Crawford.

The ectomorph (or ecto) body type is best described as slim.  Characteristic ectos have trouble gaining weight: think fashion model.  They have a linear shape with narrow hips and longer limbs.  Tom Hanks and Courtney Cox are famous ectos.

Ectos are well-suited for endurance activities, not physical contact.  Like mesos, they have a tendency to stick to what they do best, bypassing the free weights for the cardio equipment.  They have longer, thinner muscles, but they can add strength if they give the effort.

Ectos have low body fat, one of the best health qualities possible, because of their faster metabolism and tendency for endurance activities.  But, a healthy outward appearance is not always an indication of inner health.  Ectos who have a poor diet are at a greater risk of high cholesterol, hypertension, and obesity, even though an obese ecto may not look obese.

As previously stated, most people have a blend of characteristics from two of these three body types.  Expectations for physical appearance and fitness results must be matched to the limitations of a person’s body type.  Joseph Christiana stresses that getting results from any exercise

starts with knowing your body type.  Each body type requires a different exercise approach or methodology for reading its genetic potential.  Some types gain weight very easily; other types would have to eat all day to gain weight.  Some require very little effort to get great results, while others have to work zealously to see fewer results.  There are body types who carry their unwanted weight in the upper body area, and others who gain weight in the hips and thighs.  Considering your particular body type will help you choose the exercise program most effective for your needs.

A football team is an easy reference point for the three body types and for realistic expectations.  Team members will exhibit the normal strengths, weaknesses, and necessities of each body type.  Ectos will never match the strength of endos or mesos, and will never have the ability to be a lineman, a linebacker, or a fullback.  Endos will never match the agility or speed of ectos or mesos, and will never have the ability to play receiver, running back, or defensive back.  Mesos are too small to play on the line, and generally lack the height and agility to be good receivers.  No running back wants to run behind a line of ectos.  No lineman wants to open holes for endo running backs or have their quarterback throwing to endo receivers.  All three types are needed, and each depends on the others for success. 

Each individual must accept that his body types prohibit him from developing certain body shapes.  If a Cocker Spaniel tries to look like a Labrador Retriever, it will spend its life hopelessly and miserably chasing an impossible dream.  For each different body type, there is a level of fitness and an ideal size and shape that can be achieved.  But regardless of effort, an ecto will never be able to look like a powerfully built meso because the bone structures are different.  Individuals must accept that doing their very best with what they have is all they can do, and furthermore, it is all they are required to do.

Health Risks Associated With A Lack Of Fitness - Understanding Fitness Part C

If all the benefits of fitness aren't motivation for you to get/keep fit, maybe the fear that comes from reading about the RISKS that are associated with a LACK of fitness will be.

If it were only that easy for us to GET MOTIVATED . . .

How many middle-aged people are suffering with knee, hip, and lower back problems?  It's reasonable to assume that most of these people aren't suffering because of time spent in a war or on a sports field, but from a lack of fitness.  Lower back pain is VERY common in the United States.  Know the main reason why?  Because Americans are OVERWEIGHT AND UNFIT.

PREVENT, ALLEVIATE, or REDUCE these kinds of pain by GETTING FIT.  And I don't mean start JOGGING OR WALKING.  Fitness requires SOME SORT OF STRENGTH TRAINING.  I'll post on that later, and it's probably not what you think.  In the meantime, if you have questions, ask me.

Health Risks Associated With A Lack of Fitness

            Being overweight has serious consequences, and not just cosmetically or aesthetically.  It kills.  God did not design us to be overweight.  Approximately three hundred thousand deaths per year are directly related to obesity.  Carrying just ten pounds too many can shorten life expectancy, reason enough for every good steward to begin taking action steps toward fitness.

            The first health risk is not a disease, but a law that allows all the other health risks to occur: the Law of Adaptation.  Over time, the body adapts to the stresses imposed on it by whatever environment it is in and by whatever situations it regularly faces. People all over the world have adapted to the climate, germs, altitude, workload, and food of their area.  With the Law of Adaptation, as the body adapts to certain stresses, it un-adapts to opposing stresses.  People from warm climates are not prepared for cold weather, and vice versa.  This is true of the indigenous people of each area, but it is also true in the short-term.  The author has a missionary friend from South Carolina.  He and his family served for three years in Africa, and upon returning home, it took them a while not to feel cold in the South Carolina summer, which generally means daily highs of around ninety degrees.  Describing the Law of Adaptation, Ben Lerner teaches, “In the case of exercise, if you participate in a regular fitness program, the forces you apply will cause you to adapt and get stronger, leaner, and healthier.  If you rarely move, however, the lack of forces will cause you to adapt and get weaker, fatter, and sicker.”

            Atrophy is a result of the Law of Adaptation principle of “use it or lose it.”  Atrophy is the loss of muscle.  Anyone who has broken an arm or leg has seen the results of atrophy.  When the cast is removed just a few weeks later, the muscles are always smaller because they could not be moved or exercised.  This is a “classic example of resource allocation.  If your body knows you are using crutches instead of quadriceps then it figures, ‘Forget this, I’ll put my energy elsewhere.’  This process of muscle loss does not occur just from a complete lack of movement.  Atrophy happens naturally as people age.  Kenneth Cooper warns that without a regular program of strength exercises,

a steady loss of muscle mass will inevitably occur after about age thirty.  By some estimates, there’s a 3 to 5 percent loss of muscle mass every ten years, beginning between age thirty to forty.  Some experts say that the total loss of muscle mass between ages thirty and seventy may be as high as 30 to 40 percent, or an average of 10 percent every ten years during this period.  After age seventy, as most people become more sedentary, the loss of muscle mass may accelerate.

            Atrophy is a general health hazard because it slows metabolism.  Metabolism will be discussed in greater detail in Chapter Three: The Connection Between Diet and Fitness, but since muscle burns calories, a loss of muscle results in a loss of calorie burning ability.  Unburned calories are stored as body fat.  As people lose muscle from a lack of exercise, they get weaker, but at the same time, they get fatter and heavier.  This combination of reduced strength and increased size brings an escalation of unfitness and health risks.  

While women naturally store excess fat on their hips and thighs, men naturally store it in the worst possible place: the abdomen.  Excess abdominal fat is associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, elevated triglycerides, hypertension, and cancer. Both unfit men and women are at a greater risk for a variety of diseases and health problems, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high “bad” cholesterol (LDL), low “good” cholesterol (HDL – high density lipoprotein), and inflamed blood vessels.  

A definition of triglycerides is necessary because it is not as commonly understood as cholesterol.  Triglycerides are a type of fat found in blood.  The body converts any calories it does not need into triglycerides and stores them as fat cells.  Because triglycerides cannot dissolve in blood, they circulate throughout the body until they are stored.  High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, which ultimately results in stroke or heart attack.

            Type II diabetes is another health risk from a lack of fitness, and to no surprise, it is most common in the United States.  Type I diabetes, also known as juvenile diabetes, is the result of the pancreas not producing insulin.  It usually starts in childhood and may be present at birth, but it most often results from an autoimmune reaction in which the pancreas is affected by a virus.  Type II diabetes occurs when the pancreas produces too little insulin or when the body has built a resistance to insulin and is no longer as effective at using sugar for energy.  Type II diabetes represents 90 percent of all diabetes cases, and it is linked directly to poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Eighty percent of people with this disease are overweight.

            A sedentary individual who never exercises sometimes experiences higher blood sugar levels.  With a diet of excessive carbohydrates like refined sugar and processed flour, blood-sugar will start to rise simply because the body becomes resistant to the high amounts of sugar in the blood.  Insulin is no longer effective enough to keep up with all the excess carbohydrates, and the body has no other way to burn all the sugar in the blood.

            Exercise counters this problem.  Healthy, conditioned muscles have the capacity to quickly select their fuel source (sugar or fat) during times of fasting or feeding.  Untrained muscles are more insulin resistant and are unable to use sugar efficiently for energy even with insulin present.  Tom P. Hafer says, “Think of unexercised muscles as having less ability to use the energy source they have.  That is why the more you exercise the better you are at utilizing calories - and the less likely you are to develop Type II diabetes.” 

            Being overweight also raises the risk for several types of cancer, including esophageal cancer, uterine cancer, postmenopausal breast cancer, and kidney cancer.  Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States.  One possible link between these cancers and being overweight is that fat cells make hormones that might affect cell growth.

            Osteoporosis is a bone disease characterized by brittle and porous bones that break easily and result in such deformities as the outwardly curved upper spine known as “dowager’s hump.”  These conditions can be debilitating and even fatal.  By the age of seventy, a third of all women and a sixth of all men will suffer a hip fracture. Osteoporosis is best combated with strength training, not calcium supplements.  Strength training builds bone and “the most effective prevention of osteoporosis is early rigorous exercise that includes weight-bearing and some sort of weight lifting.”

            Carrying too much weight causes osteoarthritis, a joint disorder in which the tissues that protect joints, bones, and cartilage gradually wear away.  The most commonly affected areas are the knees, hips, and the lower back.  The more weight people carry, the more pressure they put on their joints and cartilage. 

For those who already suffer from arthritis, exercise is the remedy.  Once pain appears in any joint, exercising the joint to replenish it with nutrients should always be the first treatment choice.  Cartilage has a poor blood supply and gets its nutrients from synovial fluid inside the joint.  It is actual joint movement that allows the joint to become flexible.  Compression forces the joint fluids to rebuild and repair the joint.  Hafer compares this joint process to working taffy.  As cold and brittle taffy is worked (pulled), it warms up and becomes pliable.  The initial joint pain from exercise can cause a person to stop out of fear that something is wrong, but movement is normally exactly what the joint needs.

            Unfit and overweight bodies produce more cholesterol that can cause fat buildup in the liver.  The extra cholesterol often develops into solid clusters in the gallbladder known as gallstones.  The fatty accumulation in the liver causes inflammation and scarring, which can then cause cirrhosis, even among those who are not heavy drinkers. As a side note, gallstones often develop in people who lose a lot of weight quickly (more than three pounds per week) and people who try very low-calorie diets.  Therefore, modest, consistent weight loss of up to two pounds per week is the recommended goal.

            Sleep apnea is the final health risk to be discussed.  Sleep apnea is not the same as snoring or even heavy snoring; it occurs when a person stops breathing for short periods during sleep.  The results are daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating, increased blood pressure, and even heart failure.  Weight loss helps this condition by decreasing neck size and air passage inflammation.

Fitness Benefits - Understanding Fitness Part B

            Getting fit is life-changing.  Fitness allows an individual to live the life God made him to live, and to accomplish the divine destiny that God planned for him. An exhaustive list of fitness benefits is impossible, but there are some primary benefits that appeal to everyone, regardless of gender, age, or occupation.  Fortunately, these benefits begin as soon as fitness improves, not when a hyper-level of fitness is reached.  Kenneth Cooper, a medical doctor who devoted his career to studying the benefits of exercise, states that “Becoming even moderately fit will dramatically reduce your risk of getting cancer, heart disease, and a host of other diseases.”

Two categories of fitness benefits will be examined, and the first is health benefits.  Regular exercise reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, the top two killers in America, as well as other major health problems.  People who do not exercise have the same chance of developing heart disease as people who smoke. The chances of stroke are reduced when 1,000 or more calories are burned weekly through exercise.  Staying fit drastically reduces the chances of developing non-insulin dependent diabetes because it lowers blood sugar and blood fat levels.  Even for those with diabetes, exercise helps to control the symptoms.

More than 150 studies prove that exercise reduces stress by reducing body tension and by strengthening coping ability.  Reduced stress and tension mean fewer tension headaches. Strength training strengthens and builds bones, offsetting the normal bone loss that men and women begin to experience between the ages of thirty and forty.  While weight-bearing activities like walking and running keep bones strong, strength training actually builds bone, which reduces or eliminates the chance of osteoporosis.  Starting a strength training program earlier in life reduces the chances of osteoporosis because it allows more time to build up bone size and strength.

Exercise is preventive maintenance.  Even moderate exercise strengthens the immune system, and regular exercisers suffer from the common cold half as often as non-exercisers.  Obesity increases the risk of gallstones, so getting fit reduces the chances of gallstones and gallbladder surgery.  For women, the symptoms of PMS (bloating, lower back pain, headaches, anxiety) are reduced with fitness, and some women who exercise regularly report no PMS symptoms at all.  Fit menopausal women are less likely to experience hot flashes and severe mood fluctuations.

Exercise reduces the risk of bone, joint, and muscle injuries during recreational activities, which allows for better performance, more enjoyment, and less worry.  When injuries do occur, fit people recover much faster.  With serious injuries, less fit people have lower survival rates and longer recovery periods.  A study of military recruits found that those with below-average leg strength were five times more likely to develop stress fractures in their leg bones during basic training.  By strengthening the wrist and arm muscles, exercise reduces the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome among those who do repetitive-motion tasks.

Exercise lowers the chance of developing high blood pressure by thirty-percent, and may also help lower blood pressure in people who are already hypertensive.  It eases lower back pain (by strengthening the abdominal and lower back muscles), arthritis pain, and varicose vein pain.  It promotes prostate health, higher metabolism, higher blood plasma volume (which thins the blood and reduces the risk of clots), lower LDL cholesterol (the bad, artery-clogging low density lipoprotein type), and lower resting heart rate.  When the heart is stronger, it beats fewer times to pump the same amount of blood, preserving the cardiovascular system.

The second category of fitness benefits involves lifestyle.  An eight-year study of more than twenty thousand men shows that fit men live longer.  The study revealed that lean men who were unfit were twice as likely to die earlier than men who were lean and fit, and that even overweight men who were fit had a lower death rate than men who were lean but unfit.

Living a long but unhealthy life is not desirable.  Health and mobility need to accompany longevity for life to be enjoyable and productive.  Fit people have less body fat and maintain a lower set point, which is the weight a person tends to maintain.  They sleep better, spend more time in slow-wave sleep (the most restorative phase of sleep), and wake up during the night less often.  They have more energy, which comes directly from exerting energy during exercise.  Using the excuse that exercise requires too much energy actually keeps people from finding that exercise is a great source of energy.

            Exercise gives an image-boost.  It is the greatest way to reshape the body.  Pregnant women who exercise have fewer aches, more energy and endurance, and better self-image than those who do not.  A review of eighty clinical studies on depression states that depression appears to end after four weeks of regular exercise.  Not only does exercise make people look younger, but it makes people feel younger.  It is restorative.  One study found that postmenopausal women who lifted weights twice a week for one year regained the strength and bone density levels of women fifteen to twenty years younger.  Exercise leads to better performance on the job, which in some cases, equals more income.  It also leads to better performance recreationally and sexually.

            Aside from greater energy and strength, productivity and performance are also improved by exercise.  In a six-month study of previously sedentary men and women ages sixty to seventy-five, those who exercised three times per week scored 25 percent better on memory and judgment tasks.  Balance is improved, which leads to fewer falls and injuries, especially in later years.  Stronger core muscles improve posture.  Flexibility improves, which also leads to fewer injuries. 

            Exercise has a positive effect on the mind, as well.  Regular exercisers perform better in school.  Exercise provides an instant mood boost and leads to improved long-term levels of happiness and satisfaction.  It also provides a healthy outlet for anger and a way to satisfy competitive urges.  The greater physical abilities provided by exercise allow for more physical opportunities and more chances of fun.  Because exercise increases metabolism and burns calories, more food can be eaten without gaining weight.  Fit people who exercise regularly can eat a dessert without guilt, remorse, or the fear that clothes will no longer fit.

            Saving money and setting a good example are two final lifestyle benefits of exercise.  All the health benefits of exercise result in less sickness and fewer doctor visits.  With childhood obesity at an all-time high, and with the average child viewing television for more than twenty hours per week, exercising regularly sets a good example for children to follow.  It shows a balance of priorities, which is necessary to be a leader in any area of life.

Despite all the benefits of fitness, many people still refuse to make fitness a goal.  Body building champion and minister Ron Williams says, “Our bodies are the temple God wants to dwell in and we should give Him a house that performs at the highest level possible.  If you are unhealthy from lack of exercise and poor nutrition, this isn’t a threat to your salvation, nor does it mean you won’t make it to Heaven; your unhealthy state just might cause you to get to Heaven a little faster.”

Understanding Fitness Part A: Countering Popular Fitness Myths

Fitness has nothing to do with body size, and there's no easily recognized "picture of fitness."  It's possible to be overweight and fit or thin and unfit.  Body weight does have an effect on fitness, but fitness involves emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical health.

The average person would likely be shocked to learn that body weight is the LEAST important tool for measuring fitness progress.  The human body is made up of 60-70% water.  With minor dietary changes, water loss can lead to a fluctuation in weight of two to seven pounds.  This amount of water weight can also be lost in a single day with the right conditions, such as working in the yard all day during the summer without properly rehydrating.

An obsession with weight is a TERRIBLE distraction to more important concerns.  No one can gain or lose any real, noticeable weight in a day, so there is no reason to check the scales every day.  Periodic checks are good, but anything more puts the emphasis in the wrong place.  Because muscle weighs more than fat, any fitness program may result in added weight, even though DRAMATIC changes in body size come with it.  More attention should be given to body changes than body weight.  Adding body weight in the form of muscle is ALWAYS good because muscle increases the number of calories burned.  In other words, adding muscle increases metabolism.

Fitness can't be viewed as a check-listed accomplishment like earning a degree.  Once a degree is earned, it's forever owned, but fitness isn't forever owned unless it's forever maintained.  Fitness isn't gained or lost in any short period of time.  When a lifestyle of fitness is developed, fitness becomes stronger and more difficult to halt.

Many people sabotage their own fitness by believing that their diet and physical activity practices are much better than they really are.  Research shows that most people underestimate the amount of calories they consume and overestimate the amount of calories they burn through physical activity.  This denial or misperception is a major factor in the growing obesity rate in America.

FITNESS CAN'T BE ATTAINED QUICKLY.  Most commercial fitness products use UNREALISTIC expectations as marketing schemes to sell their products.  To the fitness-educated, it's obvious that most of the people who "transformed" their bodies in a few short weeks of using a certain product as shown in before and after photos were already fit before their "transformation."  Fitness product makers are aware of the power of a little lost body fat, a tan, and a sucked-in stomach (as opposed to an intentionally bloated stomach).  These marketers are more concerned with making money than with helping people get fit.  The promise of a completely transformed body in a few short weeks or months isn't just IMPOSSIBLE for MOST people, but also, it should never be presented as the goal.  Short-term fitness goals are rarely achieved, and they lead to frustration, quitting, unused gym memberships, and dusty home gyms.  The full benefits of exercise can only be experienced when fitness is viewed as a LIFETIME goal.  What difference does it really make if a desired weight is reached or if an article of clothing fits just for o ne moment in time, like a wedding or a reunion?  These kinds of temporary goals bring the overwhelming feelings of guilt, defeat, and embarrassment.

Although some body types are more prone to excess weight, genetics don't limit a person's ability to be fit.  Dr. Claude Bouchard of the Human Genomics Laboratory in Baton Rough, LA gives the following contributing factors as causes of obesity: physical environment, social environment, behavior, and genetics.  He states that the current obesity problem has developed only over the past fifty years, and therefore, it can't be blamed on genetics.  Genes that are prone to more body weight only express themselves "when a genetic predisposition meets an 'obesogenic envorinmoent' - where calorie-dense processed foods are readily available, activity is reduced by labor-saving devices, and a sedentary lifestyle is encouraged."  The claim that genetics is the CAUSE of a person's physical state is false.  Genetics is just one part of the obesity problem, but people generally feel better when their problems can be blamed on something OUTSIDE THEIR CONTROL.  Regardless of genetics or current body composition, ANYONE CAN GET FIT.

Coming topics are: Fitness Benefits, Health Risks From A Lack of Fitness,  Fitness and Body Types, and Fitness and Age.

Kate's Second Word, Unsweet Tea, and a Fitness Tip

OK, it MAY be her second word, but Kate started saying "dada" this week. Kelley heard it first. Of course, I didn't believe it because she has been making the "b" sound for a while, but never the "d" sound. She starts off by mouthing "dada" silently. Then she whispers it. Finally, she says it out loud. It's like she's warming up, practicing, and then presenting what she just practiced!

I say that it MAY be her second word because she jabbers a lot of stuff, much of it in a whisper. She repeats something over and over when she's playing or making a mess that sounds like, "I'll try, I'll try, I'll try."

Regardless, I'm happy that she's saying "dada." Maybe one day soon she'll know what it means!

Unrelated, here are a couple videos of Kate to enhance the enjoyment of this post.

A. Kate's in what I call "Discovery/Destroyer" mode. Since she can crawl now, she's trying to figure out what EVERYTHING does. But in the process, she's really making some messes and it won't be long before something gets destroyed.

B. A girl after my own heart. Kate's getting a taste of unsweet tea from Diane. She's been sipping it like this for a couple weeks, and she still grimaces as if she's tasted a lemon. This wasn't her first sip at this time, so her grimace is less severe but still noticeable. More on unsweet tea after the videos.

Only in the south do you have to call it UNSWEET tea. It's better known as, TEA. Don't get me wrong, I love sweet tea. I wish it had zero calories. It took me over a year to ween myself off sweet tea and I did it by mixing sweet and unsweet. Over time, I reduced the amount of sweet and eventually I was content to drink it STRAIGHT UNSWEET. That was in 2003-2004, and I haven't PURPOSEFULLY drank sweet tea since. When you think you're drinking unsweet and it's actually sweet, it's DISGUSTING. Occasionally when I get breakfast at a drive thru, I'll mistakenly be given sweet tea. I find out when it's too late to go back, and usually, it's on my weekly golf trip with my former pastor, Charles Owens. He lives more than 2.5 hours away from us, but we meet somewhere weekly for golf that requires each of us to drive a minimum of 1.5 hours. That's my weekly time to eat a BAD breakfast - a biscuit from Bojangles, Chic Fil A, etc. I eat the SAME THING for breakfast all the other days - a pack of maple and brown sugar oatmeal mixed with an equal amount of plain oatmeal.

Why did I switch to unsweet? I'm not a diabetic, but I am a fitness freak. I like to eat and although I'm careful, I eat till I'm full. The greatest single way for Americans to reduce their daily caloric intake is to STOP DRINKING CALORIES! It's easy to consume 500, 1000, or MORE calories per day just in beverages. A 12oz Coke has 140 calories. A 12oz Mountain Dew has 170 calories. A 12oz orange soda has over 200 calories. Sweet Tea is impossible to rate because everyone makes it with different amounts of sugar. This was part of my dissertation, "A Fitness Model For Pastors."

When I stopped drinking calories, I lost some weight, but more importantly, reduced my waistline and bodyfat considerably - without changing ANYTHING ELSE. For me, it's water, unsweet tea, or diet soda, which I drink sparingly nowadays. One exception is that when I have a softball game, I'll take a low-calorie version Gatorade.

Kate is in the 100th percentile for height, and @ the 80th percentile for weight. Her birth mother is @5'9" and her birth father is 6'3". She's not going to be a small girl like her mom (Kelley is 5'1" and under 100lbs). We're going to give her every opportunity to eat and drink SMART so that she doesn't have to consume herself with her size/weight. Fortunately, she loves being outside so far, and she has active parents who love sports. You may see her on ESPN someday!

The Truth About Metabolism - Part 2

Continued (Read Part 1 first)

Every added pound of muscle burns fifteen calories per day on the low end of the scale, and fifty calories per day on the high end of the scale. That increase may sound insignificant, but over the long run, the small metabolic boost that comes from added muscle is extremely significant. Using the low end of the scale, adding two pounds of muscle will burn around ten thousand calories in a year, which is enough to either lose three pounds of fat or to prevent three pounds of fat gain. If those three additional pounds of muscle are simply maintained through strength training year after year, three pounds of fat are prevented year after year. But consider the alternative: people who do not strength train to add or maintain muscle will slowly and gradually lose muscle. As they lose muscle, their metabolic rates slow down and they gain weight, even if they never increase the amount of food they eat each day.

Over a lifetime, the average person loses between 30 - 40 percent of his muscle mass, but the reason is decreased activity, not some biological mandate. Because of the decreased muscle mass, metabolism, which has been defined as the number of calories a person burns at any given moment, naturally slows. Even so, many people still believe the myth that metabolism decreases with age. The truth is that metabolism, muscle mass, and exercised muscles are all connected, and that “very few people have metabolic disorders or genetic factors that cause them to be overweight.”

A final consideration for metabolism: while strength training increases it, dieting tends to decrease it. Dieting alone can reduce overall body weight, but it reduces muscle mass as well as fat. Lifting weights paired with a restriction diet will preserve muscle mass and metabolism. Most people pay too much attention to the scale, and if a diet is reducing the number on the scale, they feel that progress is being made. Many times, though, progress is being hurt. Muscle loss always reduces RMR, so muscle loss is a negative factor.

Some people have a history of sporadic exercise, recurring restriction diets, and yo-yo dieting. Yo-yo dieting is a cycle of losing and regaining weight. These people should stop focusing on weight and concentrate on developing a healthy metabolism. A healthy metabolism comes from a consistently healthy diet with an appropriate number of daily calories and a simple strength training program. Even if the initial result is a few additional pounds, do not be alarmed. Remember what Dr. Ben Lerner says: “Allow me to be unequivocal – diets don’t work. Diets may produce some results in the short term, but they have no staying power in the long term.”

Regardless of the situation, never attempt a starvation diet. The idea that eating a minimal amount of food each day will result in great weight loss is a logical one, but the

body does not respond accordingly. When a person consumes fewer than half the number of calories his body needs to maintain its weight, his body fights back by going into starvation mode. In starvation mode, the body reduces its internal thermostat and metabolic rate. So even though a person eats less, his lower metabolic rate means that fewer calories are needed. The energy level and body temperature decreases, and fatigue increases. Then at some point, the person goes back to eating more calories, but his body is still at a reduced metabolic rate. It has a reduced ability to burn calories, so more of what he eats gets stored as body fat. And until his body recovers, he puts on more weight in the form of fat, and ends up in worse shape than he was before, with less energy. Starvation mode is the human body’s attempt to preserve itself during extreme situations, and is not suited to handle normal, daily activity.

The Truth About Metabolism - Part 1

One of the major parts of my life is strength training/fitness. For my doctoral dissertation at Liberty, I wrote "A Fitness Model For Pastors." It's not just for pastors, but it had to be ministry related for my degree. I'm a nobody so I haven't been able to get it published (although I'll keep trying), but I'll start sharing some of it if there's any interest in it. I must warn you - it's probably not what you want to hear. There's ONE KEY to a lifestyle of fitness, and it's not diet or any type of cardio. It's strength training. Generally speaking, people are ignorant about strength training. I'll share more about it later, but I'll start with another completely misunderstood topic: METABOLISM.

Metabolism generally refers to the number of calories a person burns at any given moment, regardless of whether the person is active or resting. Products that claim to boost metabolism are readily available, but they are all cons. The manufacturers of these products are trying to take advantage of the myths and misunderstandings of metabolism. Some people believe that metabolism naturally slows with age and nothing can be done about it. Others believe they will always be fat because they naturally have a slow metabolism and they may as well accept it. People feel better about themselves when they believe such myths. It is more reassuring and comforting to believe that genetics are solely responsible for excess body fat and that health problems have nothing to do with a lifetime of unhealthy habits. It is also more reassuring and comforting to believe that a weight-loss pill or metabolism booster will one day be developed, providing toned, fit bodies without any work. These thoughts may be comforting, but they are not based on reality.

When most people talk about metabolism, they have resting metabolic rate (RMR) in mind, the number of calories a body needs to maintain its vital functions. The brain, heart, kidneys, and other organs are constantly at work, and they need energy in the form of calories to function. RMR depends primarily on a person’s fat-free mass, which includes muscle, bone, blood, organs, and tissue. Fat is inert. It just takes up space and does nothing. The more fat-free mass a person has, the more energy he will use to function. Since vital functions account for 60 - 75 percent of the total calories a person burns in a day, most calories are burned by simply staying alive. Muscle is the only fat-free mass that can be efficiently increased, so RMR is directly related to muscle mass: the more muscle, the higher the RMR.

Strength training is the most effective way to increase muscle mass, and therefore, metabolism. Forget pills, powders, books and commercials and start strength training. Another common myth is that strength training has nothing to do with weight loss, and will only result in weight gain. Some people, women in particular, avoid strength training for this reason alone. They believe that strength training will give them big, bulky muscles. It will not. Steroids have impacted the image the average person has of weight lifters. Without steroids, it is not humanly possible to look like the comic book, hero-like bodies that grace the cover of muscle magazines. Believing the myth and avoiding strength training is the worst thing that can happen for a lifetime of fitness. Strength training has the potential to burn as many calories as cardio, while simultaneously revving up RMR. Venuto writes, “Weight training may be the most important but underappreciated and neglected type of exercise for burning fat.”

THIS IS ABOUT HALF THE SECTION ON METABOLISM. I'LL FINISH IT IF ANYONE CARES TO HEAR THE REST.