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

At the beginning of September (and again around January 1), I always reassess my workout routine. Over the summer, when my family spends time in Vermont and New Hampshire, I get plenty of aerobic exercise from hiking, biking and swimming. But these activities become less available in the fall, so I need to plan something else.

I encourage all of you to take a look at your own exercise regimen. What works? What doesn't? While it's good to have a routine, our bodies really benefit from variety, because different exercises use different muscles. Plus, change increases interest and prevents boredom. Consider trying a new aerobic activity - perhaps a class at your community center. (Tap dancing anyone?) If you've used the same strength training workout for more than four months, swap exercises (see pages 142-146 of SWSS and Chapter 11 of SWSY for possibilities). Or schedule a session with a personal trainer to get some new ideas. No matter how you do it, new exercises and a new routine will help you enjoy your workouts and get more benefit from them.

This month I've received several letters from readers who have experienced pain while doing the exercises. Two typical examples:

"I suddenly experienced pain in my deltoids. I was traveling and continued to do my travel routine with dumbbells."

"I have hip bursitis, which developed over months and coincided with using the heavy ankle weights."

These women were so motivated that they continued working out despite their pain. I'm impressed by their dedication, but this is NOT what I recommend!

Strength training on the Strong Women program should not be painful. You'll feel the burn of muscle fatigue toward the end of a set, and that can be a little uncomfortable. But the ache of muscle fatigue is not like the sharp pain of an injury, and it disappears almost instantly when you put the weights down.

If you find the exercises painful, stop! Figure out what's causing the pain. Are the weights too heavy? Is your form incorrect? Might you have a medical problem?

Give your body a chance to recover. Then try doing the moves without weights (of course, your arms and legs weigh something too). Move through a smaller range of motion if necessary. Don't push yourself. Stop if it hurts. If you can't comfortably do the move even without weights, please discuss the problem with your doctor. Or consider having a few sessions with a personal trainer. The trainer can check your form and suggest ways of modifying the exercise, if necessary so they match your special needs.Finally, this reminder: Whether you do one set or two, select weights that are heavy enough to challenge your muscles. By the end of a set your muscles should feel tired and in need of rest. If you could easily do more reps in good form, it's time to move up. Working out at the proper intensity is critical to getting the most benefit from strengthening exercise.

If the move is tolerable without weights, do it that way for a few workouts, trying to get to a point where you can go through the full range of motion without pain. Then very cautiously add a little weight. Work up slowly, paying attention to how your body feels.

Again, the exercises shouldn't hurt. For more information about pain see pages 159-161 in Strong Women Stay Young or pages 222-224 in Strong Women Stay Slim.

Q: I would like to start jump roping. How many jumps should I start with and then build up to? Thank you for your help.

A: My family loves to jump rope - especially my youngest daughter, Alexandra, who's seven and we keep three jump ropes in our family room. Jump roping is an excellent exercise that stimulates your heart, muscles, and bones. But it's challenging, and unlike walking, you can't really start off slowly. So it's best to be in fairly good shape before you begin. (If you're not, your body will quickly let you know!) Here are some tips:

Q: What are your thoughts, on diets that promote eating certain things in combination with others, not eating certain things in combination with others (!) My sister has a book that recommends such a diet. I tend to be more of a skeptic...I prefer eating in balance. Just wanted to hear, from a nutrition standpoint, your thoughts.

A: There's no scientific research supporting the idea that particular combinations of food cause weight gain, or that other combinations promote weight loss. Your sister might lose weight on the diet, simply because it's complicated and involves restrictions, so she winds up eating less. That's the "secret" behind the temporary success of many fad diets.

What's best nutritionally is to eat a variety of wholesome foods at every meal. Variety helps provide the nutrients you need, and helps minimize hunger and low energy between meals. I suggest that you try for at least three different food groups at all meals. For instance, if you grab a whole grain bagel for a quick breakfast, add some cheese and a glass of orange juice. When you look at your dinner plate, you should see a variety of colors and textures.

Q: My husband and I have just read SWSS. My husband would like to lose 20 to 30 lbs. Can he use the food plan and portion guides in the book or do the sizes vary for men?

A: We've received this question from many readers! The food program in SWSS is fine for men. Indeed, it's similar to the diets recommended by the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association and other groups. Portion sizes are for men and women. However, your husband probably can lose weight on the 2000-calorie plan. If he doesn't lose at least half a pound per week, he can drop to 1600. Of course, strength training and aerobic exercise are important too.

Q: Does using a "Pilates' Reformer" count as strength training? Also, what about Yoga? They are both relaxing and reduce stress for me, but I don't know how you would "count" this.

A: I'm not familiar with the Pilates' Reformer, and there are many different types of yoga. But I can give you some general guidance. Strength training on the Strong Women program involves a movement that works your muscles to fatigue after about 8 to 10 repetitions. This means that if you do the move 8 to 10 times, you need to stop and rest before you can continue. That's what makes you stronger. If you're using your Pilates' Reformer this way, then it counts as strength training.

Some forms of yoga provide some strengthening benefit. You can tell by how your muscles feel. If the pose is challenging enough so that you can hold it for only a minute before you need to rest, and if you feel the burn of muscle fatigue, then probably you're getting some strengthening effect. However, it's not likely to be as great as with the strength training exercises in my books.

Remember that you're enjoying other important benefits from these exercises - relaxation, reduced stress, and increased flexibility and coordination. They're a valuable addition to your overall health and fitness.

Calcium is so important for strong bones - and many women don't get enough. If you'd like to give your diet a calcium checkup, visit the web site of the Dairy Council of California. Fill out the simple form, click, and find out how you're doing. http://www.dairycouncilofca.org/quizform_v3.htm

See this month's recipe, at the end of the newsletter, for a tasty calcium boost. Don't forget that vitamin D is important too! Without it, your body can't use the calcium you consume.

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.

Remember Laurie, whose letter we quoted in our April issue? She was more than 100 pounds overweight when her doctor wrote "Strong Women Stay Slim" on a prescription pad. In March she wrote to tell us that she'd lost 21 pounds and was feeling great. Here's the update she sent in August:

"I continue to show great success! It truly is the first program that for me is working! I have lost over 40 pounds; I am trying not to get hung up on numbers. My doctor weighs me every six weeks, the goal, 1/2 to 1 pound off each week, on average. It has been working! I went from a size 26-28 to a size 18! I can hardly believe it. It does get expensive though buying new clothes, but it sure is fun."

"Like so many of your participants, the unforeseen benefits have been extraordinary. I find I am standing taller, not because I have to remind myself, but because my body is reacting to becoming stronger as I work the muscles in various areas.

I do volunteer work at our provincial archives, a walk of about 25-minutes each way. Yesterday was a glorious summer morning as I was actually strutting along, feeling so powerful and well. As I walked past an outdoor bagel shop during early morning coffee breaks, I saw a man do a double take as I passed his table! That was quite a moment for this 73 year old woman!"

"The program works just as described! I was battling the last five pounds that stubbornly would not go even with walking and jogging and doing Weight Watchers. But since starting the weight training I've dropped 3 pounds - with no additional effort."

"I am 58 years old. When I was married at 18 my nightmare with weight control began. I have always blamed my excess weight on overeating but I now realize it is also because I have not been as active as I should be. I am still happily married after 40 years and as we look to retirement, I feel this is the most important thing I can do to prepare for that event. I have seen the evidence first hand through my mother. She is going to be 81 next month and after 13 years as a widow, she married her square dance partner in May and they moved to Florida. On the other side of the spectrum is my mother in-law who is the same age but very inactive. She had a stroke early this year and is in a nursing home. I KNOW that exercise and lack of it has contributed to the lifestyles of both these women. As for my previous excuse of not having enough time, even though I am in the midst of being responsible for a massive computer conversion at work, I am telling myself that I have no better way to spend my time than on my health. I also know that the strength training and aerobic exercises will help me deal with the incredible stress I have been under at work. I have done the strength training exercises for several days and I can't believe how much better I feel about myself already."

Crunchy Cottage Cheese Spread

This tasty spread works well as a sandwich filling or as a cream cheese alternative for breakfast or brunch. And later in the day, it makes an excellent appetizer. You can minimize preparation time by buying salad bar veggies that are already cleaned and cut up. Or set aside some vegetables when you're preparing a salad.

Ingredients

½ cup finely chopped crisp raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery, radish, onion, or pepper (see note)

½ cup cottage cheese

2 teaspoons spicy mustard, such as honey-horseradish mustard

Pepper to taste

Stir together the chopped vegetables, cottage cheese, and spicy mustard. Add pepper as desired and stir.

NOTE: You can use any handy combination of crisp vegetables. This recipe was tested with the following, cut finely: 1 small slice of red onion, 3 baby carrots, 1 large radish, and ½ stalk celery.

Portions per recipe:

1 Dairy (plus 2 Extras if made from regular cottage cheese or 1 Extra if made from low-fat cottage cheese)

1 Vegetable