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Got Rhabdo?

It seems that the word "rhabdomyolysis" is popping up more and more in the media lately. 

Whether it's pro football players or every day folk doing overly-rigorous boot camp style training, this once seldom heard of condition has almost become common place on internet home pages and on TV.

But what is rhabdomyolysis?  What causes it?  How do they test for it?  What are the symptoms? How do they treat it?  And how dangerous is it?

What is it (and how the heck do you pronounce it)?  It's is pronounced "r-hab-doe-my-oh-lie-sis".  "Myolysis" literally means the disintegration (or degeneration) of muscle tissue, while "rhabdo" means "rod-shaped" and alludes to the fact that there are striations or striping in normal human skeletal muscle.  

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition where muscle tissue breaks down and releases myoglobin (an oxygen-carrying pigment found in normal muscle) into the bloodstream.  Once in the bloodstream the myoglobin is filtered out through the kidneys.  This filtration process can cause kidney damage or even kidney failure.

What causes it?  "Rhabdo" can be caused by significant trauma to muscle tissue, particularly when the muscles are crushed (as in disasters like building collapses, earthquakes and accidents), it can also be the result of infections and drug use.  Most common in the media of late is the "exercise-induced" variety.

In the case of "exercise-induced rhabdo", excessive eccentric exercise against high-resistance has been implecated as a major contributing factor in developing the condition.

"Eccentric exercise" is the lengthening against resistance phase of an exercise, such as lowering your body down during a chin-up or the portion of a squat where you are moving down towards the floor. 

While eccentric is very useful in helping to develop strength gains, but is also associated with increased microtrauma to muscles and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). 

Unfortunately, many of the new "go big or go home" type programs encourage inappropriately high volumes of these types of exercise -- often with additional weight added.  But the fact is that any extremely repetitive and/or exhaustive exercise (for example running a marathon) could potentially result in rhabdo.

Testing for rhabdo.  Apparently there is still no strict medical definition for rhabdo, but all of the following are typically seen in rhabdo cases:

1) Evidence of muscle destruction from some known cause in the patient's recent medical history (in this case excessive exercise)

2) Raised levels of CPK (creatine phosphokinase) in the blood - should be at least 5x above normal values to point to a diagnosis of rhabdo.  In rhabdo sometimes CPK levels are 100 times (or more) above normal.  CPK is an enzyme found in muscle (heart muscle, skeletal muscle) and also in the brain.  Elevated levels in the blood stream usually indicate some type of stress or injury.  High CPK levels are also seen in some who's recently had a heart attack.  

3) Increase of myoglobin in the blood.

4) Presence of myoglobin in the urine. (the urine of someone with rhabdo is often described as "cola or tea colored")

Symptoms of Exercise-Induced Rhabdo.  Besides dark-colored urine (gotta believe you'd notice that one), extreme muscle soreness and weakness following very intense physical activity.

Treatments for Rhabdo.  These include aggressive hydration with IV fluids to help the kidneys eliminate myoglobin without further complications.  Diuretics to help flush myoglobin through the kidneys.  In more severe cases dialysis or even kidney transplants might be necessary.  Early and aggressive treatment is key in a good outcome.

Severity of the Condition.  If untreated rhabdo can result in kidney failure in 30-40% of cases.  Without proper treatment rhabdo can be fatal or lead to long-term kidney problems. Still others continue to be plagued with long-term fatigue and/or muscle pain. Fortunately with early (and thorough care) most people will return to normal within a few weeks to a month. 

To avoid rhabdo be careful not to ever radically increase your workout duration or intensity.  Workouts that leave you very sore for more than two days are likely too aggressive, progressed too quickly and should be dialed back.  With exercise, as with most good things in life, it is possible to have too much of a good thing.  Listen to the wisdom of your body and if it seems like you are working too hard, doing too much -- you probably are.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot!

Wow -- it's a steamy here in the Northeast!!   Day after day the three Hs -- hazy, hot and humid.

As an exercise physiologist, I'm a big believer in the importance of working out consistently --  all year long.  That said, EVERYONE (even the most fit among us) needs to modify their workouts in extreme heat and humidity.  Especially, when the weather first turns steamy and you're not acclimatized. 

Heat illness is more than just feeling "a little uncomfortable" from the noon day rays -- it can literally be a matter of life and death.  Heat illnesses range from the relatively harmless "heat cramps", to heat fatigue, to heat exhaustion to the potentially-fatal, heat stroke.

The body cools itself in two primary ways:

• By increasing blood flow to the skin so that heat is dissipated away from the body's core to the skin's surface.
• By increasing sweat production, so that the evaporation of sweat off the skin's surface can cool the body.

Heat (particularly with humidity) and exercise both compete with the body's ability to regulate body temperature within safe levels. 

Exercise challenges the body by demanding blood for working muscles.  So now your skeletal muscles are crying out for blood (for oxygen, nutrients and the removal of waste) at the same time your body is trying to keep you cool by bringing the blood to the skin's surface.  On top of that, exercise generates its own heat which also needs to be removed from the body.

Humidity further exacerbates this problem, because if the air is already full of water vapor (as it is on a humid day) there is less room in the air to take up the sweat on your skin.  So it just clings to you -- rather than cooling you as it evaporates.

And guess what?  Your body is smarter than you are.  Effectively your brain tells your body, "Hold on, Body -- apparently, we've got an idiot running in the noon day heat and humidity, let's shut her down before she overloads the system!"   And you experience that as heat illness.

The signs of heat illness, include:

• Muscle cramps (particularly in the hands, feet or calves)
• Excessive thirst
• Agitation
• Drenching sweats with cold and clammy skin
• Headache
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Feeling faint
• Slower heart rate

Signs of heat stroke (which is a medical emergency requiring immediate 911 assistance) include:

• Rapid heart beat
• Nausea and vomiting
• Hot, flushed dry skin
• Decreased sweating
• Decreased urination and/or blood in the urine
• High body temperature (104-106 degrees F)
• Convulsions
• Loss of consciousness
• Shortness of breath

With heat illness (as with most things in life) an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  So here are some tips for beating the heat -- before it beats you:

• Allow your body a chance to acclimatize to heat.  It takes at least 4-7 days for your body to adjust to the change in temp and about 2 weeks to get used to working out in the heat.
• Drink plenty of water.  Be sure to drink at least 4 oz. of water every 15-20 min.  Don't rely on your thirst to let you know when you need water.
• Avoid alcohol.  It dehydrates you.
• Add some salt to your food.  Salt helps the body retain water.
• Workout smart.  Exercise in the cooler times of day, either early AM or later PM when the sun's going down.  Consider taking your normal outside workout indoors in the AC until the heat breaks, especially if you must workout at midday.  Pace yourself.  Do not expect to workout as hard as you normally would.  It's not realistic -- or safe!
• Wear clothes that breath and wick moisture away from your body.  Microfiber clothing such as Cool-Max, can really help draw your sweat towards your skin and allow it to evaporate more easily -- keeping you cooler.   Cotton can get soggy and hold moisture against the skin -- impeding the evaporation process.
• Consider working out in the water.  Swimming, water polo, water aerobics, even treading water are all good workouts that keep your core temperature down and can even be done in the heat of the day -- another great summertime alternative to pounding the pavement in the heat.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Food Phobia

A girlfriend of mine once said, "To be female and living on The Upper East Side (of Manhattan) is by definition -- to be eating disordered". 

It wasn't as funny a statement as it should have been -- because in the circles we traveled in -- it was actually true.

(Manhattanites will appreciate this gem from that same friend...she used to call Tasti D-Lite stores -- "a beacon for the eating disordered"...I love TD, but it's really true!)

And from the emails that I'm getting from women all over  these days, I think that there is far more borderline eating disordered behavior among women in this country than anyone believes. 

Not really a stretch of the imagination when you consider that:

• According to some studies as much as 97% of women are unhappy with their bodies.
• Models whose bodies represent 2-5% of the world's women are touted as the ultimate goal of womanhood in the media. 
• It seems like the celebrities whom thousands of young girls idolize are coming clean about their body image problems every day.

My friend and I were both in our mid 20s at the time (I'm 29 now ;-), both teaching "aerobics" (that was old skool for "group exercise") and both recovering from various issues with food.  She was a former professional dancer who had dabbled in both anorexia and bulimia. 

I was never a full-fledged anorexic, but I was as close as you can get without falling over the edge.  I was aspiring (but failed) bulimic, having tried a few times to make myself throw-up with no success.  Virtually every woman we knew had issues with eating, food and their body image.

One of our friends was a serious exercise bulimic.  She would literally spend two hours at a time on the stairmaster after teaching fitness classes all day long.  Her weight would swing back and forth 20-30 pounds in the seeming flash of an eye.   Lose-gain, lose-gain.  Then she would be seen by various people at odd times (like 9 AM) in some random out-of- the way dinner eating huge amounts of chocolate cake. 

Later, this fitness professional actually took up smoking, because it helped her lose weight.  And finally, and most tragically..apparently, she got addicted to heroine and cocaine...true story...her health meant nothing to her.  It was all about looking a certain way.

Food issues are especially difficult -- because you can't avoid food.  You need to eat to survive. 

It's not like smoking, alcohol or drugs which you can steer clear off if you put yourself in the right environments.   Not so with food, because at least 3 times a day, you are going to have to deal with it.

Beyond that, food means a lot more than sustenance for most of us.  It means comfort, love, security and tons of other things.  None of them having to do nourishment of the body.

Food issues are also issues of control.  In a constantly changing, world full of things that we can't control food --- and our eating habits are one thing that we can master.  Sometimes some of us take this to the extreme.

For years, every time there was a significant upset or upheaval in my life, I either lost or gained a significant amount of weight. 

I had two periods of what I would describe as a borderline anorexia.   The first one (in my early 20s) and the second (in my early 30s).  In both of those instances I was very depressed and anxious about other things that were going on.  Not eating and losing weight made me feel like I had control in at least one area of my life.

The really disturbing thing about that is...the more weight I lost, the more positive feedback I got from women.  Both times I went from a size healthy 6 to an emaciated size 2-0 in a matter of weeks.  My clothes were literally hanging off of me, my rib and hip bones were really popping out.   I was hardly eating anything, my periods were irregular (ok maybe TMI, but I'll go there) -- but women kept telling me things like, "Wow -- you lost sooooo much weight --- you look fantastic!!" 

Someone (who I know has major eating disorders herself) actually told me, "you finally lost your baby fat!!".  Hello, Lady....I was wearing a size six!!!!  And another woman (also very eating disordered) asked me for a step-by-step guide to what I did to lose weight. 

Meanwhile, a rational part of me knew that this was not healthy.  I knew I was heading down a bad path, getting sicker and that I need help.  But plenty of women were encouraging me to keep on going. 

Thankfully, in both cases I got some professional help and got my life back together.

The point is, as women we live in a distorted, mentally unhealthy world and we have to take a step back from the insanity and see it for what it is. 

We have to feel good about who we are, who we are supposed to be, first and foremost.  We have to remember that real women do not look like Barbie dolls, models or eating-disordered celebrities.   We need to tune out to the garbage messages from the media about what we should look like.  And if we're in a bad place with any of this -- we need to get help. 

If you (or someone you care about) are dealing with significant body image or eating disorders.  Please, please get some help.  Know that what you are dealing with is far more common among women.  You are not alone -- not by a long shot.   Obsessing about this garbage can ruin your quality of life -- and your health.  The sooner you deal with it, the better.

What's Your Weakest Link?

Our strength grows out of our weaknesses ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

It's human nature that all of us seem to gravitate toward the things we do well.  Certainly there is nothing more validating than performing at your best.  We all have our own skill set and its always fun to have a chance to "strut your stuff". 

That said, the greater challenge comes in pushing ourselves to do those things that we are less skilled at.  Nowhere is this more true than in the area of exercise and fitness.

I am always struck by how people (women and men) stick to what we know and what makes us look the best.  Runners run, flexible folks do yoga, strong people lift weights.  And while its fine to work with your natural gifts, the problem is that it is usually the thing that we MOST need and LEAST want to do that will ultimately result in an injury.  Typically, it is the weakest link in our chain that will cause the injury...maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but at some point in the future -- unless we address it.

I've known big muscular guys who can bench 300 lbs,  but can't come close to touching their toes. Sure, it's unlikely that these he-men will injure themselves lifting up heavy packages, -- but they may end up blowing a disc in their backs just bending over to pick up a pencil.  Their weakest link isn't their strength its their flexibility.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have a girlfriend who is a choreographer/dancer.  She is probably the most flexible person that I know.  You know, one of those freaky Cirque Du Soliel types that can lie on her back and rest her leg comfortably on her shoulder. 

Well, what does my pal...this gumby-esq creature focus on?  You guessed it -- she is an avid yogini.  She works at becoming more flexible.  Why?  She already has a lock on the flexibility market. 

And guess what happened to her?  Well, she actually tore her gluteus maximus (the butt muscle) doing a kick.  She was soooo flexible, that she kicked her leg up and it just kept going and going -- RIPPPPPP-- YEEE-OUCH!!. 

The problem was she was flexible enough to go far further than most of us could (or should go). Unfortunately, she lacked the muscular strength and stability needed to "put on the breaks on".  So when she threw her leg up it went further than it should of -- and she tore the muscle. 

She's not alone.  Most of us have fitness program that is sorely lacking in at least one area.  Keep in mind that all fitness programs require three basic components: muscular fitness, flexibility and cardiovascular/metabolic conditioning.

Muscular fitness is made up of two major categories.  Muscular strength (how much weight you can lift) and muscular endurance (how many times you can lift a lesser weight before you get tired). 

Those huge Olympic Power Lifters you see on TV are an extreme example of muscular strength.  An example of muscular endurance would be holding a plank for as you could before fatiguing.

Weight or "resistance training" with things like body weight, kettlebells, machines, free weights -- even tubing and bands can all be effective tools in enhancing muscular fitness.  Heavy loads and fewer weights are best for strength gains and lighter loads for higher reps (but probably not more than 20 reps) are better for endurance.

Flexibility, on the other hand, is having a full "range of motion" around each of your joints.  You want to have enough flexibility to move your body freely without restrictions in order to avoid injury.  Keep in mind, with flexibility (as in the case of my dancer friend) you can have "too much of a good thing".  Stretching, yoga and Pilates are all exercise techniques which can flexibility.

And there is also cardiovascular training which is sometimes termed "metabolic training".  This is the kind of working out that makes you get good and sweaty -- and a little out of breath.  You want to be working your heart, lungs and circulation at a higher rate than they work at rest to train them to get stronger.  In this way, they work less hard when you are at rest because they get stronger to handle those heavier workloads.  These workouts can be of a consistent intensity -- or they can be of varied intensity alternating periods of harder work with periods of lighter work which allows for "recovery".  Walking, jogging, swimming, biking, rigorous tennis playing, cross country skiing (and many more activities) fall into this category. 

These kinds of workouts are also effective for burning calories, both during the exercise and in the minutes (sometimes hours depending on the intensity) following exercise.   

The point is MOST of us DO NOT take an honest inventory of what our weakest link is...we focus on one of these three components that we do best and we usually avoid the one we need most, because we're not good at it.  

 If you are exercising on a regular basis (and unfortunately very few of us are) try taking an honest inventory about your "weakest link". 

What could you do more of?  What is the thing you like doing the least, because it's very challenging for you?  What do you think would happen if you tried doing a bit more of it? 

Well, sure -- at first you might feel ackward -- kind of like one of those dancing hippos in Fantasia (loved em!) .  But if you kept at it likely you would improve.  Moreover, you'd have the accomplishment of mastering something that you weren't particularly good at.  Most importantly, would balance your fitness program.  That means that you'd probably perform better in many other areas of your life and likely you'd reduce your cance of injury.

Think of one thing that you don't do well, but know that you could (and should) do more of.  More stretching?  Some cardio?  Whatever it is, the thing you are avoiding is likely the thing you need most of all. 

The Worst Fitness Advice Ever!

Spend time in any crowded gym locker room in America and you will hear someone dispensing health and fitness advice.  All it takes is someone who has had any short-term success with weight loss or improved fitness and suddenly everyone is looking to her (or him, I suppose) as an authority.  I think the reason for this is that people are always looking for the "magic bullet".  The one simple thing that this individual did that made it all happen.

Of course the unsexy truth of it all is that getting in shape and staying that way is never (and can never be) the result of one single thing.  It has ALWAYS been (and will always be) the result of some combination of eating healthfully, working out properly -- and being CONSISTENT about it.

And yet, folks still give out fitness advice regardless of their qualifications to do so -- and people keep following it.  Some of this advice is actually pretty good and some of it is really off-base at best, potentially very dangerous at worse.

That's why I thought I would share some of the worst fitness advice that I've ever heard:

Don't Eat Carbs!  Wrong!!  Thank you, Dr. Atkins (who, by the way, was an obese man with a heart condition- hmmm...kawinky dink?  I think not.)  Carbs are not the enemy.  Carbs portions big enough for a family of 8 -- and carbs with poor nutritional value are. 

The fact is, your body fuels your muscles and your brain with glucose, which comes from the breakdown of carbs.  In fact, glucose is so essential to human survival that the body will actually breakdown muscle tissue to make glucose if you don't take in enough carbohydrates.  The important thing is NOT to eat highly-processed, refined carbohydrates such as white breads and pastas, processed cereals (Hello, Fruity Pebbles!) and baked goods (donuts, pastry, cakes, cookies). 

Whole grains on the other hand are key for good health.  The purer and closer to Mother Nature the better.  Whole grain breads, cereals (the fewer ingredients the better), brown rice, whole grain pasta (Barilla Plus, for example).   These important carbs don't have the nutrition stripped out of them.  Not only do you get more nutrition and they are also high in fiber which helps regulate your blood sugar, makes you feel fuller longer and (of course) acts as "nature's broom".

Running is the best way to lose weight!  Wrong!!   I think I've here mentioned before that my friend Chris (whom I think was channeling Yogi Berra at the time) said, "Running: if it ain't bad for ya -- it's good for ya".  I was just about to call him an "idiot" when he said that, but then I thought about it and realized -- he's right! 

Running is a great exercise for cardiovascular conditioning and burning calories (and therefore, fat).  That said, it also is VERY rough workout for your musculoskeletal system. 

Each time you run you hit the ground with a force 2 1/2 to 3 times your body weight.  So for example, I typically weight about 140 lbs, that means I hit the ground with between 350-420 lbs of force when I run. Think about it -- that's like me running with Oprah and Dr. Phil on my back.  So unfortunately, if you don't build up to it VERY gradually -- and many times even if you do (due to your structure) you will have some kind of overuse injury.  It's just a matter of which one, how bad and when.

Here's a partial list of some of the things folks get (sooner rather than later when they start running or run too much):  shin splints, plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, ITB friction syndrome, patello-femoral syndrome, Achilles tendinitis....shall I go on? 

Look, I'm certainly not bashing running. I run a few times a week myself.  But if I don't mix it up with other activities such as biking or the elliptical -- I will start to get an injury (for me it's either shin splints or plantar fasciitis).  Walking on the other hand, typically creates 1.5 times body weight in force (and other low-impact activities) would be a smarter focus of anyone's cardio program -- especially for folks just starting out.  By choosing low-impact cardio you can do the recommended 3-5 days per week to take care of your heart, get and stay trim and not run the risk of hurting yourself. 

Also keep in mind, going a mile burns roughly 100 calories...it doesn't matter if you are running or power walking.  The only difference is that with walking it will take longer to go that same mile -- but you'll get there with a lot less chance of injury! 

Incidentally, many people think that they can't get a workout with walking.  Believe me, walking can kick your butt -- you just need know the technique.  (I'm going to post a video of it here in the next day or two to show you how.)

Pilates and Yoga Are The Best Way To Build Long Lean Muscles.  To increase your muscle tone, you need more muscle and resistance training is the best way to do that.  Women resist using weights because they don't want to get "big and bulky" and start looking like those freaky side of beef chicks in the body building magazine. 

That is a ridiculous fear-- kind of like saying everyone who has plastic surgery ends up looking like the love child of Michael Jackson and Joan Rivers.  That look is not the result of normal resistance training, rather It's a freakish distortion by folks who are working out for hours AND (BIG "AND" HERE!) are taking steroids.  Natural bodybuilders trying to get that way working out all day can't get that big as hard as they may try.   

Pilates and yoga are great for improving flexibility, mobility, core strength, body awareness, however resistance training (with body weight, machines or free weights) is more effective in helping you create calorie-burning, sexy-body sculpting, strength-enhancing muscle.  If you are strength training, eating properly and doing cardiovascular exercise -- you cannot get "big and bulky" from doing 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.  It's just not going to happen.

Well, I could go on and on (and probably will at a later date:-) but those are the big three.  Again, at the end of the day as much as I would LOVE to be able to tell you that X is the secret to getting in great shape and staying that way -- there is no one thing.  It's not easy, doesn't happen overnight and it requires a complete change in:

• The way you eat
• How you think about your health
• How much (and often) you move.

 

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Is Your Fat Your Fault?

Years ago there was a book on the shelf in the gym that I worked at called, Your Fat Is NOT Your Fault.  

I always found this title fascinating (and amusing) because as a trainer I know how few people are really honest with themselves about the amount of control they have over their own bodies. 

I often joked with my clients that I should come out with a book called, Your Fat Is MY Fault.  Because in the personal training field, some clients really wanted to pay for their 2-3 sessions a week and then not take ANY personal responsibility for the lifestyle choices they make the other 165 hours per week. And (file this one under the category of "life's not fair") the fact is that just doesn't work!

Here's a perfect illustration of this... Years ago I briefly trained this woman who I had seen at the gym for years.  She always seemed to be working out very hard (sweaty, red in the face) and she was pretty consistent.  But she never looked particularly fit -- and always had a significant amount of extra body fat.  People in the gym would comment about how hard she worked out and wondered why she didn't appear to be in better shape.

Anyway, because I worked there occasionally she would ask me questions about fitness and eventually she asked me to train her. 

As my client, one of the first things I asked her about was her diet.   She told me that she ate
"very well" ... "low-fat, lots of fruits and veggies, lean proteins, etc.".  I was highly doubtful that this was the case, given how hard she exercised and how deconditioned she looked.

So I encouraged her to keep a food diary.  I asked her to just track two weekdays and one weekend day in a given week.  This is a usually a powerful tool to reveal trends that can sabotage your weight loss efforts. (Incidentally, a study released this week showed that folks who kept a food diary lost 2x as much weight as those who didn't!).   But she never did...she always had an excuse as to why she didn't keep the diary.  She was insistent that her diet was not the problem.

One day about four weeks into our training she told me how frustrated she was with her lack of progress.  She had been coming to her sessions, doing her cardio program three days per week on her own.  So again, I asked her about what she was eating.  She became very defensive, insisting that her diet was excellent and that "this exercise stuff just doesn't work for her".  I knew there was a lot more to the story, but ultimately a person needs to get real with themselves and own up to what they are (or aren't doing) that's responsible for their lack of progress.

Fast forward about a month later I was leaving a crowded brunch place one Sunday AM and bumped into my client and her husband seated at a nearby table.  I greeted her and then looked down casually.  I couldn't believe what I saw.  Both she and her husband were eating a "king's breakfast" (eggs, buttered toast, hash browns, bacon -- the works) .  But that wasn't all -- in between both of them sat a giant plate of onion rings AND a giant plate of french fries.  Hmmmm....."Houston, we have a problem"...

I knew she was really embarrassed that I "busted" her.  She looked very uncomfortable.  I didn't say anything about it at the time and I didn't give any outward indication that I was on to her, but she knew.  I decided to speak to her about it in person at our next session.  But I never got the chance.... she rescheduled her training about 2-3 times after that and then dropped out entirely. 

She wasn't ready to take responsibility for her part of her health and well being. 

Sure , all of us want to look great, but how many of us want to make the sacrifices that entails? 

There's a great scene in the TV show Nip/Tuck (Session Three) that details this exactly.   There is an episode where Mario Lopez plays a young plastic surgeon who is in amazing physical shape. 

Christian (on of the protagonists) a handsome, 40-something aging Lothario who is very vain is staring at an Adonis-like Mario Lopez as he showers in the gym locker room (BTW that's not why I loved this scene, although it IS worth watching for that alone).

Anyway, Lopez's character assumes that Christian is staring at him because he's gay (he's not) -- and that he's coming on to him.  So finally he gets annoyed and asks him what he is staring at.  At which point Christian asks him  (in a completely non-sexual tone) "How'd you get your ass to look like that?"  At which point ..both of them start having a serious conversation about working out and diet...all while standing there showering buck naked...it was very,very funny. 

The point is that Lopez's character doesn't pull his punches with his reply...he basically says, "I look this way because I kill myself every day working out hard and watching my diet -- AND YOU DON'T"...and he then goes on to detail exactly what those sacrifices look like on a day-to-day basis, "while you're sleeping in, I'm running 5 miles"..."while you're eating Joe's Stone Crab, I'm having steamed chicken and broccoli"..."while you're on your third glass of Cabernet, I'm in the gym hitting the weights" (I'm paraphrasing but you get the point) and on and on...

It was very powerful because it underscores the fact that he just didn't turn into this by accident.  He's not just some genetic freak.  This is important to him and he's willing to make sacrifices that most of us wouldn't -- and it shows. 

It was a great reminder that our results are always directly proportional to our level of commitment, our sacrifices and our persistence.   So the next time you are bemoaning your lack of progress in terms of a fitness, weight loss -- or aesthetic goal, ask yourself honestly....how badly do you want it?  And what sacrifices are you willing to make to get it? 

If you're not willing to make major sacrifices, that's fine (I'm not a big believer in extremes myself -- not giving up some wine and chocolate in my life), just realize that THAT is a choice...be honest about it, embrace it and know that it is directly connected to your outcomes.

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women

Ever Wonder About Those Toning Shoes?

I was interviewed for a Today Show segment which aired yesterday on whether or not you can get fit wearing those toning sneakers...wanna guess what the answer is ;-)

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Bitten by the ViPR

Here's a segment that I did for NY1 (airing all day today) about ViPR training.

http://tinyurl.com/ViPR-Equinox

Getting Back to Normal

"Normal's just a setting on the washing machine" - Whoopie Goldberg

Haven't blogged in a long, long while.  For anyone who's wondered why or been annoyed to not find a recent posting, I do apologize.  I'm sure everyone can relate to life getting a little bit out from under you.

My life's been crazy busy with lots of stuff.  Some of it good, some not so much. 

First , I got a major promotion at work (I'm now Director of my department at Equinox, where before I was a Senior National Manager).  I'm really happy about that although it's meant even more responsibility than I had before -- which is sayin' something.

Then, I had some unfortunate drama with a puppy we adopted.  Your classic love story gone wrong.  Girl gets puppy, girl falls completely in love with puppy for four weeks, vet diagnoses puppy with heart disease, puppy is sent back to the breeder, girl falls into a bit of a weepy funk...

The puppy thing was interesting to me, because it took me back into The Mommy Zone(cue Rod Serling).  That magical (yet lonely place) that a woman goes into when she first brings a baby home from the hospital. 

You focus almost exclusively on the baby, you want to do everything "right" and not make mistakes -- both for their sake and for yours...you don't sleep, you don't eat or when you do eat it's whatever you stumble across, healthy or not...you don't work out much because you're either with the "baby" or too exhausted from taking care of the baby.  But all in all you're happy -- in a weird and mildly psychotic way.   You vacillate between euphoria about everything little thing the "baby" does and a low level depression because part of you feels you have no life, no time to yourself.  Standing in my backyard delirious, half-awake in my PJs at 2 in the morning shouting out an enthusiastic "Good Girl!!!!" as I watch my puppy poop. 

It's been a couple of weeks now, I'm getting used to my new position at work.  I've moved past my acute sadness about the dog and I finally feel like I'm getting back to myself.  Working out pretty much daily again, eating healthy, sleeping through the night, even went back to meditating which I hadn't done in a while. 

I guess my take-away from all of it is that good stuff happens, bad stuff happens...that's just a part of life.  While you're in the throws of it -- it's hard to roll with it.  It feels so all encompassing, so permanent.  But for better or worse, the truth is that nothing really is permanent -- and maybe that's really okay.  So bottom line, I sort of feel normal again...whatever the heck that is ;-).

 xo, G

My Client, Nanci's Weight Loss on This AM's Today Show

I was featured in a segment on this AM's Today Show. A follow-up from a segment in February on "skinny fat". See how much progress my client Nanci made! So proud of her-- and her nutritionist, the brilliant Joy Bauer!!!!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I Was Quoted By Reuters Yesterday in an Article on Overtraining

NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) - Breaking up your fitness routine is hard to do. But it's crucial for avoiding the bigger heartache of overuse injury, fitness experts say.

People tend to do the same thing over and over again, without varying it, without taking adequate rest, without building slowly, and they end up with an overuse injury," said Geralyn Coopersmith, national manager for the Equinox Fitness Training Institute.

"Tendonitis, bursitis, fasciitis, these kinds of inflammations are pretty much guaranteed if you don't' vary your training," said Coopersmith, who oversees the training of 1400 personal trainers in 48 Equinox clubs nationwide.

Yet she concedes that even clients who complain of nagging aches and pains are loath to change their routine.

"People get terrified. They'll say, 'The treadmill made me lose weight.' Well, exercise made you lose weight. The treadmill was the modality. That doesn't' mean it's the only way or the best way," she explained.

"Most people don't cross train enough," she said. "Maybe they've been doing yoga for years so their flexibility is great but ask them to hold a plank position and there's no core strength at all."

For Adrian Shepard, fitness director for the recreation department at Butler University, over-exercisers can suffer more than pain or poor performance.

"Overall it's a tricky thing to notice," he said. "Some signs, like sleeplessness, apathy, depression and difficulty concentrating, may be associated with other conditions. You really have to focus on the big picture."

Shepard says some young adults he works with at the Butler campus in Indianapolis, Indiana, are especially vulnerable.

"Most at risk are those training for an event or sport," he said, "or those with a preoccupation with being thinner."

He stresses the importance of consulting a fitness professional.

"If you're feeling pain while doing an exercise the form might be wrong or you might be injured," he said.

Dr. Heather Gillespie, of the American College of Sports Medicine, sees everyone from elite athletes to weekend warriors in her sports medicine practice at UCLA.

She said the consequences of over-exercising can include stress fractures as well as overuse injuries.

"Some runners just run, no cross training, and they may do the same thing every week," she explained.

For them she recommends strength training.

"Some sort of weight lifting routine focusing on their weaknesses," she said. "A lot of knee pain comes from weak gluteus muscles."

She suggests varying routines and taking time to recover.

"Rest and recovery is very important. It's recommended that you take at least one day off," she said, particularly after an injury has been diagnosed.

"For stress fractures, rest is essential," she added. "But just because you can't run doesn't mean you can't run in the pool. I consider that active rehabilitation."

She acknowledges the difficulty of prying even an injured addict away from his activity.

"Exercise is a great form of stress release," she said. "And injury can cause depression. I've had a lot of people break down in my office because they can't run and they're in tears."

Coopersmith urges all who work out to seek professional advice.

"We tell people that exercise is a drug, and like a drug you need a prescription. So much of it is good, and then so much of it is an overdose."

Lifestyle

http://tinyurl.com/exerciseandovertraining

A Gem From Joy - Using Hunger Pangs to Your Advantage

 
Here's today's "Daily Plum" from my bud, Joy Bauer (nutritionist for The Today Show & author of the new Your Inner Skinny).  Great advice from someone in the weight loss trenches.

 

A Surprising Solution to Your Hunger Pangs

I can't tell you how many of my overweight clients tell me they're never hungry. If this is true, then why aren't they slim, trim, and nowhere near my office? Here's why: They're not hungry because they never let themselves get hungry. They're so afraid of a little rumbling in their tummies that they pop something into their mouths to satisfy the slightest hint of hunger. Worse yet, some even eat so as to stave off future hunger.

Naturally thin people, on the other hand, recognize slight to moderate hunger for what it is — an uncomfortable sensation that will neither last nor do any permanent damage. They intuitively understand that we're not in a famine and that food is generally a quick walk or car ride away. They know they won't die of hunger, because they learned in high school biology that people can live for days without food. Because of their non-alarmist attitude, they're often able to ignore their hunger till food is available.

My advice to overweight people who are never hungry is to actually let yourself experience hunger once in a while. Doing so will help you to deal with it the way naturally thin people do.

 

  Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, author of Fit + Female:  The Complete Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women.  It's a first of its kind program designed to fit into a busy women's life.  Lose weight and look great -- 90 Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!!

A Few Of My (New) Favorite Things

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens..."

When I find something new that I like  -- I love to share it with other people.  So here are a few of my (new) favorite things.

The Daily Plate on Livestrong.com: an amazing free resource that allows you to track your calories, macronutrients (carbs, fats and proteins), activity level and more.

Kaos Sports Bra:  Kaos sent me one of these to try -- and I'm hooked!  These sports bras are incredibly soft and comfy...yet provide great support for the athletic gal on the go.  Plus their gear comes in all my favorite colors...black, black -- and black ;-)

RealAge.com:  Okay, I'm a huge fan of both Dr. Oz (I was on his show this past fall) AND Dr. Roizen (I've been on his radio show), so it's not a big surprise that I love this site. Its packed with credible, actionable info.   Take the RealAge test and see how your chronological age matches up to your "body age".  They provide strategies to reduce your age everything from not talking on the cell while driving to eating more foods with Omega 3s.

Bear Naked Granola:  The good folks at Bear Naked sent me their newest granolas.  I especially LOVE the new Peak granola with Flax (Oats and Honey with Blueberries).  I'm loving it sprinkled on yogurt... full of healthy, crunchy yumminess.

TRX Suspension Training:  This crazy-looking system of straps and handles (designed by an Navy Seal) provides a fun and seriously butt-kicking workout.  You can train your entire body ESPECIALLY your core in surprisingly little time -- and have a blast doing it.  I've been playing with mine for about 9 months now and I'm still not bored.  Best of all it packs up in a little bag and you can take it with you anywhere for indoor -- or outdoor workouts.

  Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, author of Fit + Female:  The Complete Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women.  It's a first of its kind program designed to fit into a busy women's life.  Lose weight and look great -- 90 Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!!

My Stress Busting Moves Segment on Fox 5's Good Day NY

I was in a segment on today's Fox 5's Good Day NY about how to beat stress with 5 simple moves.

Where Are You?

Where are you most of the day? 

I'm not talking about physically...I mean mentally.  Where are your thoughts during most of your waking hours?

Well, if you're like most of us your mind is off in a million different directions at any particular moment.   

That's because as women we all wear a number of "hats" (worker, mother, housekeeper, tutor, chauffeur, cook, psychotherapist, etc.)  You're running through: the shopping list, the tasks at work, that thing you have to do for your kid next week...and on and on.  The to-do list is endless and more items just keep getting added to the bottom.

So, it is perfectly understandable that most of us spend our day either thinking about what happened in the past or worrying about what might happen in the future.  And that is a major cause of stress -- not "being" in your life as its happening. 

Think about it.  If you were really living in this moment right now, if that was all you were focused on -- how stressed could you be?  Stress is an internal dialog about what happened previously or what might happen down the line.  In the present moment we are just BEING, not analyzing being.

An even more insidious aspect of not being present in the moment...is that these moments actually ARE our lives -- and most of us aren't even experiencing them as they are going on.  That's pretty tragic, actually. Life is happening right now -- and where "are" we?  We are 25-minutes ahead in our thoughts standing in the frozen food section buying peas.  But if you're like most of us it's hard to keep your mind from operating like that.  Isn't it?

And that is why meditation is a good thing -- especially for women.

Sure, meditation has a lot of high falootin' metaphysical connotations, but in its most basic form, is really just being present in the actual moment.   It's about just "being here now" -- not thinking about where you've been or worrying about where you're headed.   Just taking some time, closing your eyes, sitting quietly and breathing...just a couple of minutes to simply exist without a lot of static running through your head.

Most of the women I know are open to the idea of meditating on a conceptual level, but it sounds complicated...and in some ways it is.  But its also very simple.  You don't have to put on a turban, become a vegan, start wearing Birkenstocks -- or stop shaving your underarms.

So, if you're interested here are some cut-to-the-chase ideas for making meditation work in your life.

Make some time.  Ideally, its best to try to do it first thing in the morning.  But if you have small children this may not be practical.  So just find a point in your day when you can grab some quiet time.  At night before bed.  In the middle of the afternoon -- whenever it fits into your schedule. 

Get quiet.  This is a tough one in our culture.  Between our TVs, I-pods, the internet -- we're all on sensory overload.  But the idea is to disconnect from that for a little while (believe me, it will be waiting for you when you get back ;-) and try to find a few moments of peace and quiet.

Sit tall.  You want to sit in a comfortable position, but not so comfortable that you're in danger of falling asleep.  You can lie down, if that's more comfortable.  But its a good idea to bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor so you are less likely to doze off.

Close your eyes and breathe deeply.   You can breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth or nose (whichever you prefer), but try not to breathe through your mouth only.

Clear your mind.  Okay, I'll grant you...this one is sometimes easier said than done. But there are a few ways to try to do just that.  You can repeat a sound or mantra, such as "ah" or "om", or a word that has special meaning for you, like "peace" or "calm".  Or you can just focus on your own breath coming in and out of your body. 

Try to "watch your thoughts" from a distance.  As thoughts come into your head, try to let them pass through without getting wrapped up in them -- sort of like watching clouds drift past on a summer day. 

Do what you can.  A lot of women think they don't have the time.  But it really doesn't take much.  A little goes a long, long way towards reducing stress and teaching you what it means to be "present".  Time spent here can make all your other time that much better. Even 5-min. while you're waiting in your car to pick up the kids can really help.

Don't turn meditating into another source of stress.   There are enough things in your life that you can obsess about, please don't make meditation one of them.  It's great if you can set up a regular daily meditation practice, but if you can't don't beat yourself up about it. Do it when you can, do it as well as you can.  Remember you are doing something good for yourself no matter what you do. 

Besides, if you really need something to stress about you can always focus on whether or not you'll forget those peas.

 

  Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer, author of Fit + Female:  The Complete Fitness and Nutrition Game Plan for Your Unique Body Type and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women.  It's a first of its kind program designed to fit into a busy women's life.  Lose weight and look great -- 90 Day Unconditional Money Back Guarantee!!