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IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

• Holiday Tips!



• Reader Questions and Answers
• Why did you remove the hip extension?
• Desk exercises?



• From the Mailbox - Success Stories
  
  
• Recipe - Gingered Hermits

HOLIDAY TIPS!

The holiday season can be a wonderful time to reconnect with loved ones and enjoy scrumptious meals you look forward to all year long. But along with the many joys of the holidays, they can also be quite stressful. Exercise is an excellent way to combat that stress - but who has the time? Between traveling, shopping, and numerous other preparations, exercise and eating well often fall by the wayside.

Here are some holiday tips that will help you save time for holiday necessities while staying active and warding off holiday weight gain!

• Make time for a daily walk, and tuck extra activity into the day: take the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator; park at the far end of the mall instead of competing for a spot near the entrance. Since I am not working quite as much around the holidays, I have a bit more time to grab the kids and get out for a walk, and we all seem to be happier at the end of the day!
  
  
• Make time for breakfast. Even a quick, simple breakfast - fruit or juice, whole-grain cereal or toast, and milk or yogurt - delivers fiber and nutrients that boost energy and prevent hunger throughout the day.
  
  
• Drink at least eight glasses of fluid daily; adequate intake of liquids prevents hunger and fatigue. Good beverage choices include water, juice, herbal tea and other non- alcoholic, non-caffeinated beverages.
  
  
• Eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables every day. If you want a between-meal snack, pick fruits and veggies. Make them easy to grab: leave attractive bowls of fruit on the kitchen counter and in the living room; keep cut up vegetables in the fridge. Having these fresh, wholesome foods at your fingertips makes it easier to choose good foods when there are many sweets lingering about.
  
  
• Eat slowly during big family meals so it's easy to skip second (and third) helpings - remember that double servings have twice the calories.

More power to you,
Miriam E. Nelson
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Founder of http://www.strongwomen.com

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Be sure to check out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca Layne, MS, CSCS on our web site at FAQs.

Q: Why was the hip extension exercise omitted from the new edition to Strong Women Stay Young?

A: I removed the hip extension exercise (from the original Strong Women Stay Young) in the revised edition because I received a few letters indicating that it was aggravating some people's lower backs. If you are doing the chair stand correctly (which is still in the book), you are strengthening many of the same muscle groups that were trained in the hip extension. The hip extension can be a difficult exercise to do properly, and I felt the standing leg curl was a safer choice for the program-and safety is a priority. In some cases, I need to have several years of experience with an exercise before I can be sure it is working the way I want it to. If you are still doing the hip extension exercise and have found it useful, it is fine to continue doing it. If you are ready for a change, consider doing the standing leg curl.

Q: Can you suggest any exercises to do while sitting at work?

A: I can sympathize with this situation. There are days when I'll be stuck at my desk for hours at a time. Having dealt with this for some time now, I have developed effective strategies for keeping my body moving. Every hour I try to do a few back exercises and neck stretches to counter balance the sitting. For the back, I squeeze my shoulder blades together and hold the position for about ten seconds and repeat this three times (this exercise is shown on pages 212-213 of Strong Women, Strong Bones). For the neck, I relax and place my right hand on the back of my chair seat and my left hand on the top of my head. I then gently pull my head down to the left side, really focusing on my lower neck, shoulders and upper back. I hold the stretch on one side for about twenty to thirty seconds and then repeat on the other side. When I am on the phone, I stretch out my toes by lifting my legs out straight and pointing my toes up and down as far as they will go. And finally, I try to get up out of my seat as often as I can.

FROM THE MAILBOX

Here are excerpts from a few of the inspiring letters we've received recently. If you enjoy reading them, check out the collection of reader mail on our web site at Success Stories.

"I am so grateful for your research and writing. I first picked up Strong Women, Strong Bones a year ago after I had gotten an osteopenia diagnosis. I was encouraged by what I read, and then started reading Strong Women Stay Young. I can vouch for the message you are encouraging women to embrace in this work. A year ago I began a strength building program with a trainer. This has made an incredible difference in the quality of my life: I no longer ache when I get up in the morning; my bone scan indicated positive results a couple months ago; I feel 200% better, with more positive self-esteem and more energy to pursue interests; even my creative juices are flowing free again! I am more conscious of better eating habits ... and it is not a burden, since I KNOW what a difference it makes. I am giving your book to my five sisters and eight sisters-in-law for Chr.htmas. What better gift than to say 'I want the very best life for you, too!' Thank you! Thank you! Blessings to you always."

-- Patty (I am 59 years old)

"It was a great pleasure to see you at the talk today. I was sitting with a group of friends who had never heard you speak before, and a lot of what they heard today made them gasp. I've heard you and others from Tufts for a number of years now, and I've had great success with my strength training program, but seeing the statistics, photographs, hearing anecdotes - all of these illustrations of the directions our bodies take without intervention as we age - give another strong boost to my commitment to regular exercise.

My father is 80 years old and about a year ago he began strength training at a gym. In addition to making him stronger, it has turned him from a cranky, depressed man into a man who is happier than I've ever known him to be. Unfortunately, my 80-year-old mother, who was always strong and good natured, has gone in the opposite direction. She has gotten too weak to go for walks, and their dispositions have changed places. She saw your PBS program this summer (looking for me in the audience, good mother that she is!) and has decided that she is interested at least in calf raises, chair stands, and leg lifts with very light ankle weights. So with her doctor's go-ahead, and a cheering squad, she should be doing well soon.

Thanks again. Your commitment to what you do makes you such a great speaker. Everybody in the audience knows that you have our well-being in mind!"

-- Susanne

RECIPE OF THE MONTH