StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 99, December 2006
I hope you find this newsletter helpful, and that you share it with your friends. Feel free to forward, post or reprint it – but please credit strongwomen.com for the information and don’t change the content.
By Miriam E. Nelson, PhD
Author of
Strong Women Stay Young
Strong Women Stay Slim
Strong Women, Strong Bones
Strong Women Eat Well
Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis
The Strong Women’s Journal
Strong Women, Strong Hearts
Strong Women, Strong Backs
Founder of www.StrongWomen.com
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE
- Exercise can reduce fatigue and increase energy
- Seeking your feedback on the Newsletter!
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StrongWomen Workshops
- Reader Questions and Answers
- What’s best for my shin splints??
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Should I do obliques exercises?
- From the Mailbox - Success Stories
- Recipe – Roasted Sliced Brussels Sprouts
Exercise can Reduce Fatigue and Increase Energy
Life can be pretty hectic this time of year. Squeezing holiday activities in-between your regular work and family obligations can leave you feeling exhausted. While you may think that a cup of coffee or a quick nap is the best way to re-charge your system, a study published in the November issue of Psychological Bulletin suggests a different remedy: Exercise.
The researchers measured the effect of regular exercise on feelings of energy and fatigue. They analyzed 70 studies that had previously examined this relationship. Over 6,800 subjects were involved in these studies; some were healthy and others suffered from medical conditions associated with fatigue, including cancer and depression.
The research showed that people who participated in regular exercise programs reported increased levels of energy and decreased levels of fatigue. In fact, exercise had a larger impact on feelings of energy and fatigue than stimulant medications that are used to treat conditions such as narcolepsy and depression. The results were significant enough to be considered clinically important.
So the as the holiday crunch sets in and you start to feel worn-out, don’t take a nap – go for a walk instead! You may be amazed at how energized you will feel.
Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
Puetz TW, O’Connor PJ, Dishman RK. Effects of chronic exercise on feelings of energy and fatigue: a quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin. 2006;132:866-876.
SEEKING YOUR FEEDBACK ON THE SW NEWSLETTER!
StrongWomen is proud to be releasing its 100th newsletter in January 2007! In light of this special occasion, we are planning to give our newsletter a makeover. We would like to ask for your participation in determining what your ideal StrongWomen newsletter looks like. Simply reply to this email and let us know how we can best improve the newsletter.
UPCOMING STRONGWOMEN WORKSHOPS
Several upcoming StrongWomen Program workshops are scheduled for the next few months. In order to be eligible for StrongWomen training, you must be actively strength training right now, and you must have a firm commitment to starting a program in your community. This training is to teach you how to “lead” a StrongWomen Program, and should not be attended simply for informational/personal purposes.
Date: December 6, 2006
Location: Little Rock, Arkansas
To register:http://www.uaex.edu/depts/FCS/strong_women/Dece mber_6_2006.pdf
Date: December 12, 2006
Where: Tufts University, Boston
To register or for questions, contact Rebecca Seguin at rebecca.seguin@tufts.edu or 617-636-3740
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I recently started a walking program and now I am having problems with shin splints. What can I do to alleviate them?
A: Shin splits are often the result of doing too much, too soon. Consider cutting back on your exercise program until the pain subsides. When you begin again, start slowly. You may want to have your physician refer you to a physical therapist for specific exercises/stretches for shin splints that you can do before and after you exercise. These exercises will help you to prevent developing shin splints again. Worn-out sneakers can also contribute to shin splints. New sneakers can help to prevent shin splints as well.
Q: What is your opinion on exercising the obliques? Some sources recommend doing these exercises and other say it isn't a good idea because it will actually make the waist larger.
A: Doing exercises for the entire trunk area, including the muscles on the side of your abdomen (obliques), are important for overall back health. You can mix them up with other abdominal and back exercises for a strong, stable core.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Be sure to check out the other questions posed to Miriam Nelson, PhD and Rebecca Seguin, MS, CSCS at: www.StrongWomen.com/faqs/index.htm
Q: I have recently been diagnosed with osteoarthritis of the spine top and bottom.
Is it ok to do all the exercises in Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis or can you recommend any special back exercises for me to do?
A: The exercises in Strong Women and Men Beat Arthritis should be great for you. I would also recommend my newest book, Strong Women, Strong Backs. This should be a good reference for you. Also make sure you have your physician's approval before performing any new exercise program.
Q: Are resistance bands an effective strength training tool?
A: Optimally, resistance bands are part of a multifaceted exercise program that
also includes some other equipment. Bands are portable, lightweight, and easy to
use, which makes them a great option when you are traveling or when you don’t have access to dumbbells or machines. In addition, they are great for strengthening some areas of the back that are hard to get to with free weights, that is why I use them in my newest book. They also are great to use to add variety to your strength training routine. However, resistance bands should never replace free weights and machines completely. Bands are most effective if they are used as a supplement to your regular dumbbell/ankle weight/weight-machine strength training program and as a stand-in when they're all you have access to.
FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
I love your newsletter each month. You have helped me so much to fight osteoporosis naturally with a weight lifting program and calcium supplements.
- Susan
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Mim’s Meltaways |
Judy Knipe, my collaborator on Strong Women Eat Well developed these cookies for me because I love nuts and have a soft spot for cookies. The cookies freeze well, but they might need an extra dusting of confectioner's sugar before serving. These are a tasty variation on some familiar holiday cookies!
Makes 40 to 45 cookies.
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to http://strongwomen.com/recipes/
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Ingredients:
¾ cup ground unblanched hazelnuts or blanched almonds
¼ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup all-purpose flour
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup confectioner’s sugar, plus more for sifting grated zest 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
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Combine the hazelnuts and whole wheat and white flours and set aside. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the butter until it is light. Add the confectioner's sugar and orange zest and beat until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix very well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Cover with wax paper, and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until firm enough to handle.
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper (the paper is easier to handle and makes for much easier cleanup). Shape the dough into balls 3/4-inch to 1 inch in diameter and place 1-1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake in the middle of the oven for about 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cool the cookies for 2 to 3 minutes on the pans, then carefully slide them off onto a sheet of wax paper. Sift confectioner's sugar over the cookies while they are still warm. The cookies are fragile while hot, so don't handle until they are cool. |
| Nutritional information (per serving) |
Nutritional information (per 2 to 3 cookies) 51 calories, 3.9g fat (1.5g saturated), 3.8g carbohydrate, 0.6g protein, 0.3g fiber Portions: 1 Extra
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