StrongWomen Newsletter
Issue 112, January 2008
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
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- Walk for Your Health
- Tribute to Sarah Wernick
- Upcoming StrongWomen Workshops
- Reader Questions and Answers
- What is my ideal weight?
- Can I lift different amounts of weights with each arm?
- Success Stories
- Recipe– Cream of Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup
WALK FOR YOUR HEALTH
The New Year often provides a spark for people to make positive changes in their lives. It's a popular time of year for people to start incorporating exercise into their daily routine, but many are confused about how much exercise is needed to have an impact on their health. A recent study provides some guidance.
The study examined the relationship between exercise and metabolic syndrome (MetS). MetS is defined as the presence of three or more of the following conditions: elevated waist circumference, low HDL (good) cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and elevated fasting glucose. People with MetS have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
One hundred seventy-one sedentary men and women between the ages of 45 and 60 completed this study. They were all overweight to mildly obese (body mass index 25 to 35 kg/m2), but none of them had a known history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three different eight-month exercise training groups or to a six-month control group. The exercise training groups differed in amount of exercise, intensity of exercise, or both: One exercise group completed the equivalent of walking about 11 miles per week, the second jogged approximately 11 miles per week, and the third jogged approximately 17 miles per week. The control group did not do any exercise. None of the subjects made any dietary modifications.
As you might have expected, exercise did have an impact on MetS. At the beginning of the study, 41 percent of the subjects who were assigned to an exercise training group met the criteria for MetS. After the eight-month exercise intervention only 27 percent did. But, what you might not have expected is that the people in the study who exercised the least (walking ~11 miles per week) were able to reduce their MetS scores by almost as much as the people who exercised the most (jogging ~17 miles per week). A 30-minute walk six days a week is equivalent to walking 11 miles per week.
This is good news. It suggests that improving your health doesn't have to be complicated - all you need to do is walk!
Many wishes for a happy and healthy New Year.
Lifting women to better health,
Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D.
(Johnson et al. Exercise training amount and intensity effects on metabolic syndrome. American Journal of Cardiology, December 15, 2007.)
A TRIBUTE TO SARAH WERNICK
On November 6, 2007 Sarah Wernick passed away. She was 64 years old. I can say without reservation that Sarah was one of the most talented people I have ever met. Sarah wrote to me shortly after a research study of mine was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. She was intrigued by the research and asked me if I had ever thought about writing a popular book about it. I met with Sarah, and less than and a year and a half later Strong Women Stay Young was on the bookshelves. We subsequently wrote two other bestselling books together. Sarah was a brilliant collaborator and brilliant strong woman! There is a wonderful obituary about her in The Boston Globe at the following link:
Click Here
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.
Location: Palmer, Alaska
Date: January 31, 2008
Registration Deadline: January 2, 2008
Phone: (907) 745-3360
For information: ffjmc2@uaf.edu
Location: Pueblo, Colorado
Date: February 12, 2008
Registration Deadline: January 21, 2008
Phone: (970) 491 2404
For information: shirley.perryman@colostate.edu
Location: Janesville, Wisconsin
Date: March 19, 2008
Registration Deadline: February 22, 2008
For information: flicking@co.rock.wi.us
Location: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
Date: May 20, 2008
Registration Deadline: April 21, 2008
For information: flicking@co.rock.wi.us
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: I am overweight and need to lose weight, but I am not sure how much is a realistic amount to lose. How can I figure this out?
A: You can use a Body Mass Index (BMI) chart to help you determine what a healthy weight range would be for someone your height. In the scientific community, a healthy BMI is anything between 19 and 24. The National Heart Lung and Blood Institute has a link to a BMI chart you can use as a guide: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/adult_BMI/englis h_bmi_calculator/bmi_calculator.htm If you are in the obese range, then consider a target weight that is in the "overweight range." This amount of weight loss along with improved fitness will help to make you healthier!
Q: My left arm is weaker than my right arm. Is it alright to use different amounts of weight with each arm?
A: It is ideal to be able to lift the same amount of weight on both sides of your body. If you aren't able to do that right now then you should adjust your workout in order to make that happen. Challenge your weaker side a little more by doing one extra set of exercises on that side every time you work out. Eventually, you will be able to lift equal amounts of weight with both arms.
FROM THE MAILBOX: SUCCESS STORIES FROM INSPIRING WOMEN
I have been following your program for a little more than a year and I really noticed its benefit this winter when I went out to shovel my driveway. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I remember!!
-- Paulette
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
| Cream of Cauliflower and Broccoli Soup |
Click Here for a Printable Version of the Recipe
This is wonderful soup to have on a cold, winter day after you have been outside for a long walk or cross-country skiing! Makes 8 servings.
For other deliciously nutritious recipes, be sure to go to http://strongwomen.com/recipes/
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