The Gym Rude and Crude

There is an alarming trend happening at gyms across America.  It involves people behaving badly.  Back in the day, there would be only a handful of people acting as if they were alone in the privacy of their own home, and now they are out in force.  I've compiled my top five list of offenders I have grown darn tired of.  See if you have had any recent encounters with any of the following:

1. The cell phone blatherer:  This person is tethered to their phone and often with a high level of self-importance.  If they aren't using lots of corporate buzz words and phrases, then perhaps they are rehashing sordid details from the night before with their best friend.  In either instance, the conversations never end, and are always conducted loudly, over noise of cardio equipment, and much to the dismay of the people flanked on either side of them.  Seriously, shut up and work out.

2.  The sweatus maximus non clean-upus:  You know this person well.  They workout so hard, that they have a near death experience during every workout.  Sweat pours off them, collects on equipment and surrounding surface areas.  After drenching their area, they launch themselves off the respective equipment and bail.  They never consider doing a courtesy clean up for the next person that may stumble upon their train wreck.  This is disgusting and rude.  I think animals do similar things in the wild to mark territory.  Also, there is a little miracle called a workout towel.  Towels work wonders with moisture management.  Make the investment and buy one.  Then, bring it with you.   

3. The I'm so strong, look at all the weights I am using, but I am too weak to re-rack my weights guy:  I cannot tell you how many times I have just wanted to set up equipment for my use, only to be set back ten minutes by having to re-rack somebody else's weights.  That's right, if you are man enough to put the weights on, then surely you are man enough to take them off. There is nothing more annoying then having to put away eight 45lb plates in order to proceed with your workout.  Seriously, a little courtesy goes a long way.

4.  The way too pumped up guy:  This individual is about one Monster Drink and one performance enhancing drug away from a heart attack.  They usually have a red face, a hulking upper body, and a non-existent lower body (cuz who looks at that?).  Sometimes they strut around with their arms intentionally held away from their sides to create the illusion of size.  They also pace back and forth in front of any audience, and every breath is audibly heard across the room.  If the audible breathing doesn't grab your attention, then they immediately move to loud, guttural noises with every rep.  If this fails to make you stop and look, then they ultimately resort to throwing their weights down.  This should not be confused with dropping weights, as there is a very distinct difference in the level of noise and vibration created.  In between sets and pacing, there will also be some air-drumming, fist-pumping and head banging as they listen to their workout favs on their ipod.  You are such bad asses, I can hardly stand it. 

5.  Mr. Short Shorts:  I am always intrigued with Mr. Short Shorts.  Why do you wear your shorts so short?  Isn't it uncomfortable Mr. Short Shorts?  Doesn't underwear already fulfill this requirement?  I am confused. Every time I see you I have flashbacks to the early '80s Lakers, except you tend to not have nice legs or athletic builds.  Let's face it, you are about one leg raise away from being arrested for public indecency.  Next time you are out shopping (if you have shopped in thirty five years), be daring and buy one size bigger. Be kind to others!





  

Divorcing the Scale

Are you unhappily married to your scale? Do the two of you have irreconcilable differences?  Many are stuck in such unhappy marriages and see no way out.  The scale may not lie, but it is only one gauge of one's overall picture of health.  We might want to always change what we see on the scale, but what really needs to change, is our relationship with the scale.

Many men and women have long, dysfunctional histories with scales.  When they see what they want, the relationship is good, and when it reflects otherwise, the relationship is failing.  Worse, many attribute major life successes and spikes of happiness in accordance with being a particular scale weight.  Truth be told, spikes in happiness have very little to do with how much one sees on a scale and more to do with other factors going well in one's life. This may be hard to admit, but it is true.  Are you aware that skinny people also suffer from unhappiness? Yes, it is true!

Pounds are pounds, and are sort of a generic, blanket metric.  Pounds shown on a scale do not just tell us "how fat we are", they reflect much more.  Pounds also include skeletal and lean muscle mass, as well as water weight.  If you are a large frame person, or operate at the high-end of athleticism and are more muscular, then you will weigh more than the average joe.  If unable to quantify what exists within the pounds, then we should not be pinning life's worth and happiness to them either. 

If you weigh yourself every day, multiple times per day, or use the scale as a means to flog yourself regularly as a failure, then you are in an abusive scale relationship. Forget about what your grandmother and mother have said to you in the past about "just needing to lose a few pounds".  Consider that with some basic resistance training, a loss of inches could be even more satisfying than being a certain scale weight.  Looking better in clothes, wearing a smaller size or having more muscle definition can be every bit as rewarding as that ever elusive scale weight.

Exercisers, whether achieving weight loss or not, still stand to lower their cholesterol (specifically triglycerides), blood pressure, and increase lean muscle.  They will strengthen bones, joints and connective tissues.  They will also enjoy improved cardiovascular health, increased endurance, mobility and balance.  These are all important measurables that are not reflected in the pounds we are obsessing over on our scales.  So, is it time you filed for divorce?

Don't Finish Your Plate

Many of us grew up with parents that wouldn't let us leave the dinner table until our plates were finished.  Over the years, children have spent countless hours held hostage at the dinner table trying to force feed themselves last bites of "whatever" in an attempt to clean their plates and earn freedom away from the table.

As a health and fitness professional, I cannot tell you how harmful this parenting strategy has been to a number of clients I work with.  There are a couple of generations worth of individuals struggling with being overweight, and a large contributing factor to this is that they have become completely removed from intuitive eating habits.  If as children we are insisted to eat well beyond being full, and when food is no longer appetizing, then over time we become disconnected from our bodies, and eating becomes more of a job and responsibility. Eventually, important signals that convey we are getting full, or even becoming uncomfortable are ignored and a negative feedback loop is formed and well-reinforced.  This negative feedback loop conveys that it doesn't matter how we feel, we must push on through meals like war time soldiers or there will be negative consequences from authorities.  Ironically, the negative consequences incurred are weight gain and poor self-body image.

Habits and patterns laid down during our important, childhood formative years are serious and long-lasting.  Once we've disconnected our minds from our bodies, it is very hard to reconnect the two.  Unhealthy relationships with food and eating can be very damaging, and some of the hardest to get a handle on because eating is always necessary.  This is a very different scenario from an alcoholic's choice to quit drinking. Remove alcohol, no problem.  Remove food, you die.

Simply put, we must pay attention to our bodies and our bodies signals to us.  What are the signs and indicators you get when you are getting full?  Do you find your eating slows?  Do you find a tightness in your middle?  Pay attention to such things and try to leave a last bite or two on your plate.  Tell yourself it is ok to not finish, and do so guilt-free.  Explore the world of what feels right for your body, and find your way back to intuitive eating.  Reconnect with what your body needs, and disconnect from your unhealthy, childhood eating habits. Trust in the intelligence built into your body, and it will bestow upon you a new belief system about yourself and your relationship with food.  

Good Health

We take good health for granted.  Usually, we get up each day feeling normal, and go about the business of our daily activities without giving a thought to the fact that our good health allows us to do so.  In talking to others in recent months, I realize just how much good health means, and how we do not give pause to feeling good, and what a completely different scenario it is when we are sick.

I spoke to my sister-in-law over the weekend.  She has breast cancer, and due to an awful family history with the disease, has chosen a very aggressive approach to fighting hers.  I commend her for being the very brave soul that she is.  She underwent a double mastectomy and is currently undergoing chemotherapy with the most toxic chemotherapy agent as part of her aggressive treatment plan.  She is awaiting reconstruction of both breasts, but other health issues are delaying the process.  What she contends with on a daily basis, makes me eternally grateful for my good health.  I really have so much to be thankful for.

Imagine, waking up to find you have lost your hair, eyelashes, and seen your fingernails first turn black, and then fall off entirely.  Imagine debilitating fatigue, neuropathy and random swelling.  My sister-in-law shared with me on how she will never again take her eyelashes for granted.  Since she has none, she frequently has either dry eyes or contaminants in them.  Wow, she has no eyelashes, hair, nails, or breasts and I get resentful over simply being tired.  What I crybaby I am.

There have been a few times over the last decade where I have had strept throat, run-ins with the flu, and some bad colds.  Each and every time that has happened, I have lamented feeling terrible. Each and every one of those experiences, no matter how brief, has made me recognize what feeling good means to me and just how important it is to have quality of life.  Feeling awful, for me, feels like a death sentence.  Worse, for others, it really is a death sentence.

I have seen how challenged we are to quantify good health, and conversely, how easy it is for us to quantify bad health.  When good health is absent, we pay full attention and largely to all the negatives.  Why this is so, I have no idea.  Perhaps it is because we are a "glass is half empty" society. 

I know one thing.  Today, I have good health and I am not going to take it for granted.  I am going to continue to work hard.  I am going to celebrate my good health, and I am going to take every step to make sure I maintain it.  If something unfortunate happens to me, there will be no shoulda, coulda, woulda conversations with myself.  I will enjoy each day in good health and remember what it feels like to have freedom of movement, to be medication free, and to feel strong.  I am also going to carry this important message to others. 

A friend recently shared with me that "When he dies, he is going to be dead for a really long time", and so he is committed to putting forth his best effort now.  He is enjoying good health, and intends to keep it that way. I think this sums things up nicely.

  

Bad News Shoes

I told you so!  When people were constantly asking me about what I thought of the "tone-up/shape-up" shoes that hit the consumer market like a tsunami not so long ago, I consistently advised all inquiring to save their money.  I warned all of junk science and false advertising claims.  Many folks shared with me that for only $30 - $40 a pair, hedging bets on them possibly working may be well worth it!  Is this the dumming down of Americans happening before my very eyes?

Skechers just agreed to settle a lawsuit over their shoes for $40 million dollars.  Sadly, $40 million dollars may be considered the cost of doing business as God only knows what Skechers profited from them while they were on the market.  Thankfully, through this judgement, the Federal Trade Commission is sending a message that will help protect future consumers from future iterations of gimmicks that promise too much, and deliver too little.

I was thrilled to learn of this settlement, because apparently, despite living in an era of more educated and savvy consumers, we still cannot use our brains in decision making processes involving weight loss, or becoming more fit and beautiful.  When shortcuts and quick fixes are advertised in these areas, the general public eagerly buys into them.  I have worked with clients that openly shared with me their challenges in justifying the cost of my in-home personal training services, that had no problem scouring the malls to make a $40 hedge bet on any version of "tone-up" shoes they could find.  Forget about following the advice and instruction of a certified fitness professional with thousands of hours of instruction time and years in the industry when you can get right to it with a pair of forty dollar, squishy shoes.  Ugh!  Get my drift?

This problem is not going away.  There will always be groups of people in corporate America, getting paid big bucks to carefully craft the next big thing, and to develop a compelling ad campaign that convinces you why you need it.  Please, keep your wits about you.  Talk to health and fitness professionals and get an unbiased opinion.  Remember that there hasn't been any shortcuts to better health in recent centuries.  Moving into the future, companies will work smarter, harder, and faster to better package and market their products.  Therefore, consumers must also work smarter, harder and faster to protect themselves.     

Fake it Until You Make it

If you don't fancy yourself to be a "gym person", or an exercise enthusiast, then it is time to reframe how you are looking at things.  After all, weren't we all non-exercisers at one point?  I often see people adopt a "them vs. me" attitude when it comes to working out.  Exercise is for everyone, everyone stands to benefit from it, and it is not some sort of an elite activity where only a handful of individuals are allowed to participate. 

Creating a mental shift is important.  Self-limiting thoughts that prevent us from adopting healthy behaviors have to be acknowledged and addressed.  When I am at the gym enjoying my own workouts, I often look to my left and right, and mentally address the people I see.  I think "good job", and "you belong here".  I can sense the uneasiness in people using equipment for the first time, and the anxiety in others that are hyper-sensitive, fearing everyone else in the gym is casting judgement upon them.  Little do they know that I am rooting them on and hoping that they face their fears, work through them, and continue onward.

If you are struggling to belong to a healthy lifestyle, you gotta fake it until you make it.  This means to "act as if", and to visualize that you are already there.  If you keep trying, showing up and committing yourself, eventually the faking gives way to reality.  This is the case for those that want to lose a couple of pounds, many more, or those that just want to shape up.  Building time in a healthy lifestyle is a process that has to begin somewhere.  Through every effort and step in the right direction, new habits eventually develop and they can become the new norm.  This is what psychologists call the mere exposure effect- which means we tend to like things and objects that we are frequently exposed to.  Keep exposing yourself to exercise and you might find yourself eventually enjoying it.  Imagine the possibilities!
 

New Knees Please

A startling statistic came to me via email a couple weeks back.  Did you know that 1 out of every 50 people now has an artificial knee?  It is hard to imagine, but with my recent exposure to the senior population, I  think it is safe to say that the numbers might be 1 out of every 25 for those 75 years and up.

When treatments to manage knee pain fail to be effective, knee replacement surgery is often pursued.  Typically, knee replacement falls into two different categories.  There is total knee replacement, and partial knee replacement. 

• Total knee replacement consists of three components: a femoral component, the tibial component, and the patellar component.  Total knee replacement is often good for individuals suffering from arthritis, or for younger, more active individuals. 
• Partial knee replacement is pursued when only one of the three components are in need of replacement.  If more problems exist, then partial knee replacement is not recommended. 

I have one long-time client that underwent a total knee replacement a couple years back.  I had the opportunity to observe her immediately post-surgery and closely followed her progress until she was cleared to return to regular exercise activity.  Her doctors had her up and out of bed- walking from one side of it to the other, within 24 hours of her surgery.  While at rest, she also had her leg in an automated machine that flexed her knee repetitively with the degree of flexion steadily increased.  She was also a good patient, and did every minute of her prescribed physical therapy and exercise homework for the following six to twelve weeks after surgery.  She had a very successful outcome as a result of good care, and being so diligent with her rehabilitation.

Most knee replacement patients undergo physical therapy for six to twelve weeks, with goals of increasing range of motion, strength and balance to resume regular activities of daily living.  Some may be eligible for clearance to restorative/progressive fitness activities as early as six to eight weeks post-surgery.  It is not unusual for there to be general tightness surrounding the knee, for the patient to experience unusual sensations surrounding the surgery site, and to have balance issues (temporarily) due to restricted movement.  These issues do resolve themselves with more healing and once more normal patterns of activity resume.