Strongwomen.com - Your Virtual Trainer with Dr. Miriam Nelson

Last year, when I was at the Bunting Institute at Radcliffe on sabbatical, I had a standing appointment to strength train with a small group of women. Every Tuesday and Thursday at noon, we gathered in a conference room for half an hour and went through our routine. Of course we talked and laughed together too. What an enjoyable way to work out! When I returned to Tufts last month, I realized how much harder it is to stay on track all by myself. Some women just decide that they're going to exercise, they write it on their calendar - and away they go. But most of us, even those who love to exercise, as I do, benefit from support. That's why I'm planning to call a couple of friends who live in my neighborhood to start another group. We'll probably exercise together on Saturday morning, then do our second and third workout on our own.

I hope that part of your plan for a healthy lifestyle is finding good support - whether from colleagues, friends, your significant other, or from professionals like your doctor, a trainer or a nutritionist. Just having a caring phone buddy can make a real difference. And these days, online support is an option (see below for information on one excellent source).

A: You may have seen this new exercise machine - a cross between a stepper and a treadmill - at a gym or in a TV commercial. The movement is something like snowshoeing: You keep your feet on the pedals, instead of lifting them up as you do when you walk. Intensity can be adjusted by moving faster or slower, or by setting the resistance of the pedals higher or lower. Because the machines are so new, there hasn't been much research on them - and the findings apply only to the expensive models found in health clubs. But so far the news is very good. Because you don't have to land on your feet, the elliptical walkers are easy on your joints. Despite that, the machines can give you as strenuous a workout as a treadmill. Unfortunately, home models seem to be less smooth and therefore may be more jarring on the joints. So if you're thinking of buying one, be sure to try it to make sure it's really comfortable to use.

Q: When I read the nutritional value on the back of a product, I often see something like "Calcium 35%." How much is that in milligrams?

A: The US RDA for calcium is 1000 milligrams so you will need to calculate 35% of 1000. For instance, if the food supplies 35 percent of the RDA, that's 350 milligrams of calcium.

Q: I have just finished reading Strong Women Stay Slim and would like to get started. But I am 32 weeks pregnant at present. Is there any way I can begin the program?

A: Congratulations and best wishes to you and your baby! Many women are inspired to adopt healthy habits when they're pregnant - and it's great to make the changes permanently.

Because women's joints loosen during pregnancy (in preparation for birth), doctors don't recommend starting a strength training program until after the baby is born and you've recovered. However, mild-to-moderate aerobic exercise is fine for most moms-to-be. Assuming your doctor agrees, you could start a walking program if you aren't already doing aerobic exercise - Strong Women Stay Slim has instructions on working your way up to 30 minutes per day. The food plan is very flexible, and can be adapted to pregnancy (and later, to breastfeeding). Ask your doctor what calorie level is appropriate for you (probably 2000 at least). Because weight loss is not advised during pregnancy, make sure the doctor understands that this book can be used to establish healthy eating and exercise habits and that it's not just for weight loss.

Once you've had the baby, you can think about beginning strength training. A good time to ask your doctor if you're ready to get started is at your post-partum checkup. It's wise to progress more slowly than the general recommendations in the book - increase the weights only every second or third week, and pay particular attention to how you feel.

Q: Are you still recommending the lateral pulldown with the bar behind the neck (from the gym chapter of Strong Women Stay Young)? Someone warned me that doing them in that manner was bad for the neck.

A: More and more trainers and fitness centers are encouraging their clients to do the lateral pulldown by pulling the bar in front of their body instead of behind the head. This is a cautious way to do this exercise, and it's especially useful for people who might be prone to neck, shoulder and upper back problems. I've used both variations of the move with my research volunteers, and we've never had any problem either way. You can discuss the question with a trainer at your gym. Regardless which way you do the move, please observe this important caution: Always check the cables before you begin. If they are frayed, call the problem to the attention of an attendant and don't use the machine.

Cyber Diet - http://www.cyberdiet.com - is a superb resource for anyone interested in healthy eating and exercise. The site gets high marks from my colleagues at the Tufts Nutrition Navigator (http://navigator.tufts.edu). Cyber Diet offers assessment tools (answer a few questions and they'll figure your BMI and target heart rate), recipes, nutrition information (including calorie data from many fast-food restaurants), and much more. The site also has forums - electronic support groups - including special groups for people with eating disorders, older women, and those who have more than 50 pounds to lose.

"I did two things to help keep myself on track. One: I copied the pages with the exercises and made a large chart, hung it in a handy but inconspicuous place, and refer to it while doing the strength training. Two: I copied the weekly progress pages, made them into a booklet and record my notes after each session for reference to the next."

Miriam Nelson is one of four winners of the Shining Light Award, given annually by Cooking Light magazine. The award recognizes individuals who have affected our lives by thinking in new ways, changing our habits, influencing public policy and steering research in new directions. The October issue of Cooking Light includes an article about Miriam Nelson and the other award winners.

An article about strength training for women - featuring an interview with Miriam Nelson - is tentatively scheduled for the October 11 issue of Parade Magazine.

Prevention Magazine's "Fit and Firm" column, by Miriam Nelson, features new strengthening exercises every month.

Here are excerpts from a few of the inspiring letters we received last month. If you enjoy reading them, check out the longer collection of reader mail on our Web site.

"I consider myself very fit and healthy. I cycle an 11-mile route (with hills) 3 to 4 times a week and walk 2 to 2.5 miles the remaining days. I bought Strong Women Stay Young because your strength training program sounded like a manageable addition to my fitness routine. I'm going into week 6 and I love it. I am totally amazed with the difference it has made. I feel and am stronger. With your help I hope to be 'pumping iron' when I'm 80."

"I've always felt conscious of my thick waist and upper arms, but in February, after only a month on the exercises (this was more mental freedom than physical results), I wore a sleeveless dress at work and went out to dinner with my husband telling him 'it was my coming-out party (for my upper arms)'! I NOW HAVE A WAIST and I am so grateful to you for sharing this wonderful, simple solution."

"I read the article about your book in Readers Digest and said to myself 'I can do this.' I went and bought the book and am at the end of week two. I feel so much better. I was so sluggish I was barely moving, now I have so much more energy. I have lost 3 pounds and yet have not been hungry, angry, lonely or tired since I began. I have been recommending this book to all of my friends and also showed it to my nutritionist and she was thrilled with it and saw it as very good for me."

Waldorf Salad

This delicious and crispy salad is quick to prepare, but elegant enough for company. Since the dressing is non-fat yogurt, you get extra calcium too. Serve as a side dish for sandwiches, or enjoy it as a dessert or snack. Feel free to vary the ingredients - for instance, you can omit the nuts, change the proportions of apples, raisins and carrots, or use another flavor of yogurt. Just be sure to adjust the serving calculations accordingly.

Ingredients

2 ounces coarsely chopped pecans or almonds
(2 Proteins plus 2 Extras)

2 apples, diced (2 Fruits)

2 carrots, grated (2 Vegetables)

4 stalks celery, chopped (Next to Nothing)

1/4 cup raisins (2 Fruits)

1-cup non-fat lemon-flavored yogurt (1 Dairy)

grated rind of 1 orange - optional (Next to Nothing)

Toast the pecans or almonds at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, to intensify their flavor. Mix together the nuts, apples, carrots, celery, raisins, yogurt and optional orange rind. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving equals:

1/2 Protein

1/2 Extra

1 Fruit

1/2 Vegetable

1/4 Dairy

NOTE: If you want to prepare the salad in advance, set the nuts aside after they're toasted, mix the rest of the salad and refrigerate. Add the nuts just before serving.