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Ask Joan! I
ran this "Ask Joan" column for a couple of months to help readers
with their fitness questions. I got many great questions, and realized
quickly that my schedule didn't permit me to keep up this column. Although
I'm no longer answering questions online, I hope these samples will interest
you, and maybe your questions was one of these. I've just signed up for an exercise class that requires us to bring our own mat - it's a general class for active seniors, with low-impact aerobics, some strength training and some stretching. Any recommendations? -- Sarah, writer, Boston Joan replies: Sarah, it depends on your comfort needs and how far you'll carry your mat. Here are some basic kinds of mats, so you know your options: 1. Yoga mat (aka "sticky" mat): Very thin, made to prevent bare feet from slipping during yoga poses and protect you from the carpet or floor in exercises and stretches where you're lying down. Easy to roll tightly and light for carrying. Provides minimal cushioning. 2. Padded exercise mat: You can get all degrees of cushioning. These mats are best when you need more protection from the floor, e.g. if your back hurts during curl-ups without padding, or if you need more cushioning for your knees for push-ups. This is personal taste. 3. Tumbling mat: Heavy, lots of padding, made to protect gymnasts and martial artists from breaking bones. Not for your usual exercise class -- you won't need this kind of protection, and you certainly won't want to try to carry it. 4. Rigid mat such as step mat: Made to fit on a step or stay on the floor. e.g. mat made of polyethelyne foam. Doesn't roll up or fold, so it's harder to carry, although very light, and has minimal cushioning. Now that you see the possibilities, here are two things to consider: 1. You'll be carrying it to class -- easiest is a yoga mat which is thin and rolls tightly. 2. Depending on what you're doing in class, though, you might be more comfortable with a mat that has more padding, even though it's heavier. Ask the instructor if a yoga mat would suffice or if she'd recommend a mat with more padding. Or try a curl-up and a push-up on your own floor and see if you need more cushioning. Padded exercise mats are bulkier to carry, though some come with carrying handles or bags. Be sure you get one that either rolls or folds -- some don't. Fitness Wholesale is a good resource for fitness products at reasonable prices and with excellent customer service -- I use them all the time. Fitness Wholesale's mats are here: http://www.fwonline.com/mats.htm Do look at the weight of the mat if you order online -- a heavy mat can be costly to ship. Best of health, Joan Why is it usually advised to keep the stomach muscles pulled in tight when doing most exercises like sit-ups? This topic came up when talking to a 59-year-old man who exercises regularly but still finds his stomach rounded. I asked him if he was holding his stomach muscles in while lifting weights and doing sit-ups, push-ups, etc. When he thought about it, he said no, he usually pushed his stomach muscles out while doing various exercises. I knew enough to tell him that he should probably be holding his stomach muscles in. But this is a highly educated man who wants to know why before he's going to change what he's always done. I found many exercise instructions saying to hold the stomach in while doing this or that, but nowhere could I find any explanation as to why. -- Ronne, senior program coordinator, Idaho Joan replies:
Terrific question, Ronne. It's true that we advise pulling in the abdominal muscles during exercise. When you're doing abdominal exercises like crunches or sit-ups, you want to exhale the air out of the abdominal area or you can't contract the abdominal muscles effectively. In other words, you can't train the abs to be tight and strong when you're pooching them out with every curl-up -- in fact, that trains the abs to stay pooched out, creating a strong but rounded belly! Instead, exhale with the contraction and pull in and hold the abs tight. Also, pulling in the abs strengthens and steadies the lower back, which is very important. It's the safest way to exercise without stressing the back. And it's efficient: You can do a push-up correctly only if you're not sagging in the middle, for example. We want to strengthen the core muscles of the trunk for posture, back-protection, and doing daily-life activities efficiently and safely as we age. The best way to do that is to train the abdominals, and pulling in the abs during physical activity (and, in fact, all day long!) helps us do that. Best
of health,
Several of us have that little fat stuff around the top of our knees. Is there an exercise that will help tone that? I'm 5'6" and weigh about 120 lbs. I walk outside and on the treadmill and also use the cardio equipment in my local fitness gym regularly, at least 4 times a week, and am pretty good about eating healthy. I do free weights about twice a week but have not been able to tackle that little bit of fatty tissue around the top of the knee. I'm not sure what exercise I can do to slender down that area. Can you help? -- Sue, 50, sales, Oregon Joan replies: Your cardio + free weights exercise routine and your weight look terrific, Sue. I'll bet no one but you notices that little bit of puff above your knees -- we're our own worst critics. Realize that you can't spot reduce, but some exercises that lengthen and strengthen may give you a leaner look. Since you attend a gym, see if they have Pilates or yoga classes -- both of these work the muscles in a different way and combine strengthening (using body weight) and stretching the muscles for a lean look. You can also get terrific Pilates, yoga, and ballet workouts from my video recommendations which would be ideal for you. You didn't mention whether you stretch your muscles after exercising them -- be sure to do this! You can find excellent stretches for every muscle group in The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book, as well as many more strengthening exercises. Meanwhile, here's one exercise that tones your trouble spot area: Stand tall with a chair at your right side, lightly touching it for balance. Lift your left knee, balancing on your right foot, abdominals tight. Straighten your left leg so it's parallel to the floor, pointing the toes and imagining your leg lengthening. Continue to bend and straighten the lifted leg (without lowering it) 10 to 12 times, then change sides. Do 1 to 3 sets, depending on your strength. To work the abs at the same time, don't hold on to the chair. Best
of health,
Is there any exercise that will reduce large loose globs of flesh at the top of the inner thigh? Bathing suit skirts are not made long enough to cover the damage that I've let occur over the years. I'm very overweight, have just started going to "Curves for Women," but nothing in their regime feels as if it hits that area. Is there hope for inner thigh tightening (short of surgery)? I've been blessed with good health, good looks and a wonderful life, but I've weighed very much more than is healthy or attractive, for all time. I'm 5'4" and my lowest adult weight was 180 for a few days after spending 2 months at a spa in Spain at age 35. I was too lazy -- naive is probably the kinder word -- about needing to continue the hard work that I did at the spa. I think a good weight for me would be 150 to 160 lbs, and firm -- that's very far from where I am now. The reason for the excessive poundage? I'm genetically predisposed, but so are thousands of folks. A combo of genetics, overeating, eating the wrong foods, and not exercising would be the right answer. I want to ensure that I have strength, flexibility, and endurance into my seventies and eighties, and I know the free ride is over, as far as coasting along with an overweight, sedentary lifestyle. -- Jeri, 69, retired social work practitioner, Toronto, Canada Joan replies: Jeri, you understand yourself very well. In your story are the answers you need: You say you're very overweight and not exercising or eating right -- you know where you need to start. You realize that you regained the weight you lost at a spa because you didn't continue the eating and exercise plan. I encourage you now to make the commitment you already know you need: to become more active, eat a balanced diet with moderate portions (not a fad diet, please!), and follow an exercise program that will take the pounds off permanently. Then you'll see the fat melt from your thighs as well as from the rest of your body. You'll feel strong and vital, and you'll carry yourself proudly. I know you're hoping for an inner thigh exercise that will make the extra pounds disappear magically, but you know -- as you said so well yourself -- that "the free ride is over" and that it's time to make a major change. I fear it would demean and minimize your real question (how to get off the weight-gain train and reverse the process) if I passed it off with an easy exercise. As for inner thigh exercises, yes, I have plenty of them. I strongly encourage you to read The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book, where I give dozens of instant exercises for every muscle group -- and, most important, all the helpful tips you'll need for starting an efficient and enjoyable exercise program that will fit into your life without turning it upside down. You're absolutely right that maintaining strength, flexibility, and endurance into your next decades is crucial. You can do it. Please stay in touch and let me know what you decide to do and how it goes. Best
of health, Hi, I purchased a couple of exercise magazines to try and motivate myself. I've been reading through a few sit-up articles and have noticed that they refer to something called a "contra-indicated exercise." Could you please let me know what it is and if it is something I should be worried about. Also, if you have any other examples of a "contra-indicated exercise" could you let me know of a couple? I recently moved over from Australia to England and have been trying to maintain my running 4-5 times a week and mix that in with various other activities. I have found however that sometimes my travelling lifestyle can halt exercise. I am trying to eat healthy foods and maintain the training but it can be hard at times. -- Andrew, 23, physical education teacher in London, England Joan replies: Andrew, great question! When the fitness explosion first hit, we went crazy with excess and lack of information. Then the research began, and fitness professionals started learning about balancing benefits and risks for any given exercise. We learned to ask, "What will we get out of that move? How likely is it to cause injury?" If the risk of injury outweighs the benefits, we label it "contraindicated" and advise against doing it. Here are some examples of contraindicated ab exercises:
You mentioned that you have trouble keeping your exercise program in gear when traveling. Please see the two travel chapters in my new book, The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book for tips for staying active and eating right on the road, as well as dozens of exercises you can do in the airport, in a hotel, and even on a plane! Best
of health, Joan, I know you’re busy, but here’s a fitness question for you. I think it’s a pretty common problem. Despite being very fit, and not overweight, I still have some nasty jiggly fat around my midsection. I do all the right things. I eat right, exercise (both aerobics and weight training) and regularly do the “Firm” ab sculpt tape. If any of my clients asked me this question, I’d tell them they needed to lose weight. The problem is, when I lose weight it comes off somewhere else! Any ideas? I’m 5’7” and weigh 134 pounds. I’ve been in shape and injury free (!) for 2 years. I’m very muscular for my age (54). I think I know the answer to this and it’s “learn to live with it” but I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask! Here’s my program:
-- Colleen, 54, aerobics instructor from Arkansas Colleen, yes, I am going to tell you to live with it, and more, to try to stop focusing on something that is a natural turn of events. You say you weigh 134 at 5/7" and are muscular -- my dear, you don't have any weight to lose! Where we carry our body fat is genetic, as you're proving to yourself: When you try to lose it, you lose it from somewhere else. Alas, we tend to lose weight first from the place we put it on last, and we lose it last where we put it on first. That's not what you wanted to hear, I know, but that's the truth. In addition, as we age, our skin becomes less elastic, so what used to look firm looks a bit saggy. (I'm a couple of years older than you, so I know what I'm talking about!) I'll bet when your friends, family, and students look at you, they see an inspiring, fit, lean, strong woman. No one says, "She'd be perfect if it weren't for those jiggles at her waist" -- am I right? As for your exercise program, I'm happy to see that you combine aerobics and weights, and my goodness, you do more than enough! My suggestion may sound strange to you: Cut back just a tad on the hardcore exercise and incorporate a "softer" exercise as part of your routine at least one day a week: yoga, Pilates, walking in the woods. The amount of aerobic exercise you do sounds like it might be stressing your body, unless you're so used to this amount of exercise that you'd feel lost without it. I sense you need to be kinder to your body, at least occasionally! Thanks for the kind words about my new book -- it will be available by the time you read this! Best
of health, Joan, I have been doing my stepper at least 3 times a week or more for at least 20 minutes at a time. I am trying to firm up my butt. I have been doing this for 3 month or a little more. Why am I not seeing any results? I am also trying to get rid of the cellulite on my upper thighs. I am 5' tall and weigh 87 lbs., so I don't want to lose any weight. It is hard enough to keep it on as it is! In fact, I am trying to gain weight as well as firming up my body. I've always been small, and I have an extra small frame too. Thanks! -- Jill, 34, customer sales representative in Missouri
Jill, the stepper is great for aerobic exercise and muscle endurance, but if you really want to see a change in muscle definition, resistance exercise is the key. That involves lifting weights or using weight machines or resistance tools (such as Dyna-Bands). You want to choose a resistance that's challenging enough that the last repetition in a set of 8 to 12 is very difficult. The best exercises to develop buttock (gluteal) muscles are squats and lunges. You'll find instructions for doing these with Dyna-Bands in The Anytime, Anywhere Exercise Book, and you can also do them with free weights and resistance machines. My workout video, The New LI Teknique, is also great for buttock strengthening because it involves one-legged squats -- very effective! Cellulite is just body fat near the surface. Where the skin is thin, it gives that cottage cheese appearance that we dislike so much. In your case, though, I implore you not to be concerned about this, because at 87 pounds, you don't have any body fat to lose. In fact, I have to say that I'm very concerned about how little you weigh. As I'm sure you know, being underweight to this extent is risky to your health and puts you at risk especially for early osteoporosis. Lifting weights will help you develop muscle mass, which should be a high priority for you. If there's more to your story about why you weigh so little, and you want to share it privately, e-mail me at joan@joanprice.com and we can continue this discussion. Meanwhile, please eat sufficient calories of nutritious food and don't follow a fad diet. Best
of health, Hi, Joan, 6 years ago I lost 34 pounds. Not because I tried, I had a very traumatic event and simply could not eat. While most of the stressors are now out of my life, I am eating a lot healthier then I ever did, so the weight has started to catch up with me. I've gained back 13 pounds, bringing me to 115 at 5' tall. I know I'm not overweight now, I just want to get back down to 110 lbs and tone up a bit. I bought a treadmill 4 weeks ago and I use it 4-5 days a week for 40 min. And now I'm more hungry. I want to stay healthy and keep the weight off. Any suggestions? -- Tina, 41, nurse manager in New York state Joan replies: Tina, 110 is certainly a realistic goal for your height. The treadmill is a good cardio machine, and 4-5 days a week for 40 minutes is plenty of aerobic exercise. You might make more progress, though, if you varied your workout, such as doing an entirely different kind of cardio workout once a week -- maybe an exercise video or a fast walk, jog, or bike ride outdoors. You should also incorporate some strength training: resistance exercise using weights or resistance machines or tools. Each pound of muscle on your body burns 30-50 calories a day; each pound of fat burns only 2-3! So you see that the more muscle you have, the more your body becomes a lean, calorie-gobbling machine. Add 20-30 minutes of strength training 2-3 times a week, and you'll see how your body changes. You can do this with free weights (dumbbells), weight machines (the kind you find at the gym), or resistance tools such as Dyna-Bands or tubing. You say you're eating "healthier" and that exercise makes you hungry. That's a good reason to eat! Don't restrict your eating if you're hungry -- just choose foods with a high nutritional value, eat plenty of fiber, and avoid fad diets. Best
of health,
Note: Joan cannot answer medical questions. Please consult your personal physician if your question relates to a medical condition or concern.
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Fitness
motivator Joan Price's heavy schedule no longer permits her to answer
personal fitness questions on this Web page or by e-mail. Joan is available
to meet with you for a personal fitness consultation if you live or work
in Sonoma County, California, or the San Francisco Bay Area. If you live
elsewhere, she can consult with you by phone.