StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 110, November 2007
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
- Daily activity can help you live longer
- Upcoming StrongWomen Workshops
- Reader Questions and Answers
- Is there a marathon training schedule you can recommend to beginners?
- How can I maintain my weight while I strength train?
- Success Stories
- Recipe– Baked Acorn Squash with Apple
DAILY ACTIVITY CAN HELP YOU LIVE LONGER
One of the things that I am most worried about is how inactive people have become. People these days simply don't move as much as they used to. A recent article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association explored the consequences of our country's sedentary lifestyle and what they found was staggering.
Three-hundred and two (302) healthy older adults between the ages of 70 and 82 were recruited for the study. All of these people had their total energy expenditure (TEE - the total number of calories burned in a day) measured using a technique called doubly labeled water, which is the most accurate and precise method of determining energy expenditure.
Based on the results of the TEE test, the participants were divided into three groups: low, middle, and high. The people in the low group burned less than 521 calories per day doing physical activity, the people in the middle group burned between 521 and 770 calories per day, and the people in the high group burned more than 770 calories per day. Interestingly enough, the difference in energy expenditure between the groups was not all associated with planned exercise. Many of the differences were attributed to things like standing, moving around a room, doing errands, and fidgeting. The researchers contacted each participant over the phone every 6 months for an average time of just over 6 years.
At the end of the study the researchers compared the mortality rates of each group. What they found was staggering! Compared to the people in the high energy expenditure group, the people in the low energy expenditure group had a 67% higher risk of mortality! These results demonstrated that what matters most is that you MOVE frequently throughout the day. While I would encourage everyone to get some planned exercise during the day, the good news here is that any movement makes a difference! I hope these results give you a little extra motivation to move more often!
Lifting women to better health, Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
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 7, 2007
Location: Ebensburg, PA
Contact: Nancy Wiker
Phone: 717-394-6851
Email: nwiker@psu.edu
Registration deadline: November 22, 2007
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I was very inspired by your story about Team NOVA. I have recently started jogging again and am seriously considering training for a marathon. Is there a training schedule you could recommend?
A: Yes. The schedule that Team NOVA followed is published on the show's website: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/marathon/calendar.html. It gradually eases you into the long miles of training and is a perfect program for a new runner. If you are looking for a team to train with, consider joining our President's Marathon Challenge team at Tufts. We are currently gathering a team for the 2008 Boston Marathon and would love to have you train with us! Check out our website for more information: www.tuftsmarathonchallenge.com.
Q: I am concerned that I'll lose weight as a result of the Strong Women, Strong Bones workouts, which I can't afford to do. Any suggestions on maintaining weight while strengthening my bones?
A: In general, a 150-pound person will burn approximately 350 calories during a 45-minute weight training session. Since the key to maintaining your weight is to consume as many calories as you burn, you will need to eat a little more to make up for those extra calories you'll burn while exercising. Try having an extra snack a few days a week, such as an apple with peanut butter or a low-fat yogurt. That should provide you with enough extra calories to keep you at a healthy weight. Believe it or not, it is difficult to lose weight with exercise unless you try to decrease your calories too! So monitor your weight periodically and that should do the trick.
FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
I followed the program in Miriam Nelson's Strong Women Eat Well book and I lost 64 pounds over one and a half years, and I have kept it off for three years all together. --Carolyn
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
| Baked Acorn Squash with Apple |
Click Here for a Printable Version of the Recipe
This baked squash goes perfectly with nearly any main course during the holidays-turkey, ham, or a roast. It is simple to prepare, and even the folks who don't usually eat squash are likely to enjoy this sumptuous baked vegetable. Serves 4.
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to http://strongwomen.com/recipes/
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