Are you a woman in your 40s or 50s?  The physical and psychological changes that occur during these midlife years can cause emotional stress, which may lead to unwanted weight gain.  What’s going on, and how can you navigate more easily through your middle years? Get insights below from Cathy Cohen, MA, a nutrition counselor at a hospital-affiliated wellness center and a certified personal trainer and fitness instructor at a rehabilitation hospital adult fitness facility, both of which are in West-chester County, New York.

A Time of Change

The midlife years can be particularly challenging for women. You face perhaps the most emotionally charged—and quite possibly most frustrating—time of your life in terms of trying to maintain an ideal body weight. Emotional issues that may have been suppressed for years can surface during midlife. Divorce, financial burdens, retirement, empty nesting, a parent’s illness or death, career moves and residential changes often occur, along with unpleasant menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, memory loss, slowed metabolism, mood swings, redistribution of body weight and sexual difficulties. These issues are only made worse by the constant barrage of unhealthy, unrealistically thin images foisted on women by the media. Failure to meet society’s ideal female body image can be another major source of emotional stress.

How Your Body Responds

These physical and psychological changes can cause stress. And during situations perceived as stressful, your sympathetic nervous system sets in motion a series of physiological responses, according to Hans Selye, MD, who pioneered the concept of emotional stress. Hormones produced by the adrenal cortex, including cortisol and epinephrine, prepare the body for an instant state of readiness in the classic “fight or flight” response. Selye theorized that once the stress-invoking threat passed, the body returned to a state of homeostasis, or normalcy and balance. However, recent research shows that chronic outpouring of stress hormones may result in undesirable body changes. For example, some researchers believe that chronically elevated cortisol levels can lead to weight gain, especially in the belly.

Causes for Weight Gain

You may also be gaining weight if you are reaching for food as comfort. While there is definitely a psychological basis for emotional eating, physiological issues also play a role. A groundbreaking study showed that foods high in fat and carbohydrate may actually fight stress by reducing cortisol levels in the body (Dallman et al. 2003). Deeper emotional issues can be the underlying reason for weight gain, as well. You may harbor unresolved issues well into midlife and beyond, perhaps striving to remain “protected” by your fat and thereby rendering future weight loss efforts futile.

Stress Management Techniques

Consider these strategies for decreasing stress during midlife years:

•Practice Mind-Body Techniques. Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, meditation, breathing techniques, biofeedback, relaxation tapes, guided imagery, journal writing and other forms of self-expression are effective stress busters.

•Exercise Regularly. Exercise is a powerful tamer of emotional stress and menopausal symptoms. A fitness program that includes cardiorespiratory activity and strength training can help you lose body fat, build confidence, alleviate anxiety and depression, and boost self-esteem. (Work with a personal trainer if you need help developing a program.)

•Eat Healthfully. Eating healthy meals and snacks at regular intervals will keep your blood sugar levels in check and prevent hunger. However, occasionally indulging in your favorite treats is okay—and may actually prevent binge eating.

•Monitor Your Eating. Self-monitoring is an effective way to manage and lose weight. Try keeping an “emotional eating” diary, where you record what you eat and when you eat it each day, along with any feelings you experience at the time. You will become aware of how and when your emotions affect your eating patterns and food choices.

•Get Support From Professionals. A counselor or registered dietitian may be able to help you handle any emotional or eating issues that surface.

Reference
Dallman, M.F., et al. 2003. Chronic stress and obesity: A new view of “comfort food.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 100 (20), 1696–701.

How many times have you found yourself driving home from work with no idea what to make for dinner—or not even a clue as to what’s in the fridge? These are the times that test our resolve to eat well, and they often leave us making a beeline for the nearest fast-food joint.

If you are the chief cook and bottle washer in your family, take heart: here are some simple but effective tips that will have you whipping up healthy fare at home in the time it would take to have a pizza delivered to your door.

Make a Meal Plan

We all know how important it is to shop armed with a list, but first you need to decide on the specific meals you intend to serve over the next week. Once you have come up with a meal plan, you can determine the particular ingredients and quantities you’ll need to buy for each breakfast, lunch or dinner.

According to Jennie McCary, MS, RD, LD, a weekly meal plan is the key to putting a healthy, balanced dinner on the table night after night. “Knowing what’s for dinner and all that is involved in preparing it means there is one less thing I have to worry about when I walk in the door,” says McCary, a working mom who serves as the wellness manager for the Albuquerque Public School District in New Mexico.

The best time to make a meal plan is right before you go grocery shopping, says Natalie Digate Muth, RD, MD, a nutrition expert for the American Council on Exercise and a pediatrics resident at the University of California Mattel Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. As a busy mother of two young children, Muth says the 20 minutes it takes her to create a weekly meal plan and shopping list is time well spent. “If you don’t plan ahead, the mental effort to figure out what to make each night and then ensure you have what you need to cook can be a drag—and all the more reason why you end up calling out for pizza again.”

When deciding which meals to cook on what nights, assign the simpler meals to the evenings you know will be most hectic or when activities are likely to run later than your regular dinner hour. Always plan one extra meal each week to serve as a backup in case an essential ingredient is not available at the grocery store. For ideas on what to prepare, the Internet is a great source for quick-dinner recipes; just search for “30-minute meals” or “simple meals.”

Invest in the Right Equipment

One way to take some of the drudgery out of cooking when you are tired is to have the right kitchen tools and keep them in functioning order. “Having up-to-date pots and pans and keeping your knives sharpened make cooking more time-efficient and fun,” says Nicki Anderson, a mother of four grown kids and owner of Reality Fitness Personal Training Studio in Naperville, Illinois. “If your cooking tools are not in top form, you’re less likely to enjoy the process. It’s much like exercise: when you have the best shoes, your experience is that much better!”

You needn’t splurge on expensive gadgets, cautions Jenna A. Bell, PhD, RD, CSSD, a Chicago-based nutrition communications consultant who runs the blog Eat Right Around Chicago (www.chicago.now/eatright). “Keep it simple, and invest in a good skillet, a sharp knife and a pot large enough to boil water for pasta or rice.”

Before you buy any kitchen equipment, consider the types of foods you prepare most often and what tools could make the job easier. “At my house we use a lot of garlic, and having a garlic press makes it a thousand times easier than taking the time to mince each clove of the herb,” says Muth. “We also use our veggie steamer and food processor all the time, so both were well worth the cost.”

Prepare Food Ahead

Experts say you can save considerable time and effort if you wash and dice certain foods as soon as you get home from the grocery store. This simple practice ensures that healthy ingredients are ready when you need them, a process that Anderson and others dub “shop-’n’-chop.”

“If a meal planned for midweek requires a cup of diced butternut squash or carrots, chopping these veggies as soon as you get home from shopping or when you have a free moment during the weekend will make dinner preparation a lot less daunting after a long day at work,” says McCary.

The best vegetables to prep ahead are the heartier varieties, such as squash, carrots, broccoli, peppers, zucchini and beets. To avoid spoilage, McCary advises against washing or cutting more delicate vegetables (like spinach) or herbs (like basil) until right before using them. After you have washed and cut up your produce, save and bag a handful from each pile of veggies to use later in the week for a quick stir-fry meal.

For those who prefer convenience over cutting, Bell recommends buying some veggies, like celery or carrots, pre-cut. “Grocery shopping is enough work, so if you are challenged by that huge head of broccoli, buy it already sliced or diced.”

“Identify what part of the prep process you don’t like,” recommends Sarah Kruse, a certified natural chef, freelance writer and mom based in Mountain View, California. “If you hate grocery shopping, order your staples online or join a co-op that offers home deliveries. If you don’t like the actual prep work, invest in a food processor that chops and dices. If you dislike cleaning up, stick to one-dish meals, like casseroles, or cook several meals at the same time so you only clean up once.”

Meals to Make Ahead

When it comes to deciding which meals to make ahead of time, Bell says, “Think stews, sauces and casseroles, like a veggie-based lasagna, which can be tasty even when cold!” Anderson is a firm believer in cooking meals in batches; she uses any spare time during the weekend to boil or grill a whole chicken, which she uses multiple times later in the week to make a quick chicken Caesar salad; chicken and rice casserole; and chicken and bean burritos. Any leftover side dishes, like boiled potatoes or broccoli, later get tossed into a big pot of soup or stew, which saves both time and money.

Cathy Leman, MA, RD, LD, is a personal trainer and the owner and president of Nutrifit Inc., in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She suggests that clients make at least one healthy meal each weekend and cook extra portions of the main ingredients, which can then be used as the basis for other meals later that week. “For example, a client might prepare a Sunday dinner that includes a hearty bean chili; a whole grain–based side dish, such as quinoa; and a big pan of roasted vegetables. Any leftover chili can accompany a green salad for lunch on Monday, while the quinoa can be used for a cold quinoa and veggie salad the following night. And the roasted veggies can be warmed up for side dishes all week long or folded into pita bread or a tortilla with hummus for a quick lunch.”

Other Time-Saving Tips

“Appliances like rice cookers, veggie steamers and crock pots are essential when cooking after a busy day, especially when hungry kids are underfoot,” says Kruse. “You can get the rice going quickly, throw some veggies in the steamer and not have to worry if you get called away.” Kruse uses her rice cooker to cook most grains and certain legumes, such as red and brown lentils, and also relies on her crock pot to slow-cook one-dish casseroles and beans while she is out during the day; she even cooks steel-cut oatmeal overnight in her crock pot so that breakfast is ready when her family gets up each morning. Anderson constantly uses her crock pot to cook “everything, from turkey and wild rice soup to pot roast or a hearty chili.”

Cooking healthy meals needn’t be a solitary task. Invite a few friends over to cook this coming weekend and then share in the bounty. McCary gets together with friends each month for an internationally themed dinner; they rotate hosts and everyone brings one or two dishes that yield sufficient leftovers for all of the guests. “Cooking with friends is a fun way to expand our cooking skills and repertoire while we get to taste traditional foods from all over the world,” says McCary. Because the goal is to make enough so that everyone can take home leftovers, remind your guests to bring containers for their share of the loot.

For future planning, Kruse recommends taking notes when a particular dish meets or exceeds your expectations. “If the kids don’t complain about the taste or if something is easier to make than anticipated, write down what worked and why, so you can replicate it.”

The good news is that once you adopt one or more of these tips, you won’t be sorry. “People don’t realize how much easier it really is to cook at home,” promises Anderson. “You just have to shift your priorities a little. Once you get into the groove, you’ll wonder how you ever spent so much time and money eating out.”

Listed below are some of the benefits you will get from keeping a workout journal:

Studies have shown that keeping an exercise log is a great way to maintain a consistent workout plan. Keeping a log that your friends can see is an excellent motivator to stick to your routine. Knowing that you are going to be accountable will get you off the couch on those days when motivation wanes. You will look forward to finishing your workout and showing off your progress on your results page. Especially at the end of the month when your calendar is covered with all of the activities you did…instead of a lot of blank squares telling you what you could have done.

You’ll learn if you are on the right track with your overall approach to a healthy life. If you note that you are feeling frustrated after your workouts on Tuesdays, and exhilarated after your workouts on Thursdays, you can take a look at your journal and determine why.  Maybe you don’t like the Tuesday Body Pump teacher as much as the one on Thursdays, or maybe you are staying up too late on Monday nights.  Either way, you can change your behavior so that Tuesdays are as good as Thursdays.

Exercise logs are beneficial in determining if you are gaining muscular strength and flexibility.  If you are trying to get stronger but are not able to do more repetitions or sets, you can see this by reviewing your logs.  If you do not record the information, you will just have to guess if you are making specific gains.  You owe yourself more than a guess after all of that hard work you have put in!

Give yourself credit for the progress you have made even when the number on the scale stays the same.  You can do this by recording your bodyfat percentage or your circumference measurements.  Most people get discouraged when the scale reads the same every week, but know this:  if your bodyfat percentage is going down while your muscle mass is going up, then the numbers could stay the same.   That is okay, even great! It means you are gaining lean muscle and getting rid of fat.  Your clothes will be looser since muscle takes up LESS space in your body than fat, and it burns up to 50 calories more per pound. Keep your journal up-to-date by logging your bodyfat or circumference once every two weeks.

By reviewing your exercise diary, you will see patterns of how your lifestyle is affected from each workout and be able to make necessary changes.  If you are so sore after lifting weights on “leg day” that you can’t stand without pain for five days, then you will know to back off and reduce the weight by 5-10 pounds.  It is better to make slow and steady increases in resistance than try to “catch up” by lifting too much one day.  That only keeps you out of the gym for an unnecessarily extended period of time.

For the average Joe looking for privacy, you will most likely find it at a 24 hour gym. With a lack of supervision and private trainers, your work out will most likely be on your own. Depending on the type of work out, this might be beneficial. Then again, a boost in privacy causes a lack of inspiration. We all need that extra push sometimes, that some one that can be there to tell us that we can do just one more sit up, one more rep, or one more lap.

Going to the gym alone could also prove disadvantageous in the sense that you are entering and leaving a building alone. For a man, this might not be so disturbing, but for women the thought might be less comforting. A gym like this will most likely have an automated swipe card key, traditional metal key, or a stable lock from inside, but all of these things can be broken allowing unwanted guests in. Traditional gyms that are open to the public and contain more than one person at any given moment don’t have such high risks of break-in or theft.

The fact that you may go at anytime decreases your personal safety as well. 24 hour gyms that allow you to come and go as you please, even at three in the morning, also normally lack exterior security as well. Heading to the gym alone might be private and convenient at three in the morning, but it’s also a risk that you wouldn’t have to take with a traditional gym. Traditional gyms are a great place to train with people who are after the same end result or receive personalized programs in order to achieve a desired goal.

Human support is extremely important in reaching these goals simply because without it, there could be a decrease in motivation. Perhaps you are not seeing the results you want as quickly as you would like. Without a professional to tell you exactly why this is happening, how long the results actually take, or what you could do to speed up the process, then you might lose your motivation and skip out on your workouts.

It’s true that 24 hour gyms boast convenience, but there will still be the working parent who has nowhere to take their child when they want to work out.

24 hour gyms are inexpensive to run because of the minimal need for employees. Employees may be available for an hour or so here and there or a service technician may come once a week or month to service the equipment, however, at a traditional gym the equipment would be cleaned at least once a day and most likely is serviced on demand. A 24 hour gym requests and trusts in its patrons to wipe down the equipment after every work out, so it is up to you how you handle your hygiene.

The equipment is not the only compromise when dealing with cleanliness. While you could rely on a shower at the gym just before you leave, 24 hour gyms don’t provide a lot of space or even showers to begin with. Traditional gyms have plenty of shower stalls, usually with privacy in mind. Along with plenty of counter space, sinks, dressing areas, and lockers, traditional gyms go a lot further than the 24 hour gym does. This is especially important when considering your belongings. With a lack of security, or let’s just say a lack of people, there would be no need to store any personal items in the gym while working out, so there make be less places to keep your things when using a 24 hour gym.

24 hour gyms work on the basis of convenience and privacy, but this may be all you get when habitually making use of one. Traditional gyms provide you with several more amenities and it’s not just to get you in the door: it’s for your personal benefit and success. A personal trainer or fitness instructor is educated enough to know what’s going to work on your body and can help you get the results you want, in the time frame you’d like.  You can also create bonds with people other than employees at a traditional gym that just might spur you on to continue your endeavour in health.

Traditional gyms offer things that 24 hour gyms can’t simply because there is more information, experience, and resources at their fingertips. 24 hour gyms can’t answer your questions about yesterday’s workout or even help you figure out if all those exercises you just did were the ones that you should have been doing in the first place, traditional gyms can. This is why traditional gyms continue to have the advantage over 24 hour gyms with a lack of personal experience.

Join the Iron Haven Gym group by clicking here and make your pledge – 5lbs is all it will take to kick start your healthy lifestyle.  Who knows, maybe you want to pledge to lose 10lbs, 20lbs or even 30lbs.  We will be with you the whole way.  Our group offers support and encouragement to you on your weightloss journey – and it won’t cost you a penny!  We will be emailing workouts and nutritional information to all participants who join our group – make that commitment to yourself and get started today!

Step 1: Assess your fitness level

You probably have some idea of how fit you are. But assessing and recording baseline fitness scores can give you benchmarks against which to measure your progress. To assess your aerobic and muscular fitness, flexibility and body composition, consider recording:

• Your pulse rate before and after you walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
• How long it takes you to walk 1 mile (1.6 kilometers)
• How many push-ups you can do at a time
• How far you can reach forward while seated on the floor with your legs in front of you
• Your waist circumference as measured around your bare abdomen just above your hipbone
• Your body mass index

Step 2: Design your fitness program

It’s easy to say that you’ll exercise every day. But you’ll need a plan. As you design your fitness program, keep these points in mind:

• Consider your fitness goals. Are you starting a fitness program to help lose weight? Or do you have another motivation, such as preparing for a marathon? Having clear goals can help you gauge your progress.
• Create a balanced routine. Most adults should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity — a week. Adults also need two or more days of strength training a week.
• Go at your own pace. If you’re just beginning to exercise, start cautiously and progress slowly. If you have an injury or a medical condition, consult your doctor or a physical therapist for help designing a fitness program that gradually improves your range of motion, strength and endurance.
• Build activity into your daily routine. Finding time to exercise can be a challenge. To make it easier, schedule time to exercise as you would any other appointment. Plan to watch your favorite show while walking on the treadmill, or read while riding a stationary bike.
• Plan to include different activities. Different activities (cross-training) can keep exercise boredom at bay. Cross-training also reduces your chances of injuring or overusing one specific muscle or joint. Plan to alternate among activities that emphasize different parts of your body, such as walking, swimming and strength training.
• Allow time for recovery. Many people start exercising with frenzied zeal — working out too long or too intensely — and give up when their muscles and joints become sore or injured. Plan time between sessions for your body to rest and recover.
• Put it on paper. A written plan may encourage you to stay on track.

Step 3: Assemble your equipment

You’ll probably start with athletic shoes. Be sure to pick shoes designed for the activity you have in mind.

If you’re planning to invest in exercise equipment, choose something that’s practical, enjoyable and easy to use. You may want to try out certain types of equipment at a fitness center before investing in your own equipment. To stretch your exercise dollars, consider buying used equipment. Or get creative. Make your own weights by filling old socks with beans or pennies, or by partially filling a half-gallon milk jug with water or sand and securing the tops with duct tape.

Step 4: Get started

Now you’re ready for action. As you begin your fitness program, keep these tips in mind:

• Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the amount of time you exercise. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
• Break things up if you have to. You don’t have to do all your exercise at one time. Shorter but more-frequent sessions have aerobic benefits, too. Fifteen minutes of exercise a couple of times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session.
• Be creative. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling or rowing. But don’t stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing.
• Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
• Be flexible. If you’re not feeling good, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.

Step 5: Monitor your progress

Retake your personal fitness assessment six weeks after you start your program and then again every three to six months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you lose motivation, set new goals or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or taking a class at a fitness center may help, too.

Starting an exercise program is an important decision. But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming one. By planning carefully and pacing yourself, you can establish a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.

While some effects of aging–such as impaired vision, reduced reflex speed and decreased sensitivity of skin receptors–can impair balance and coordination, poor balance is not inevitable. Many physically fit older adults practice the same balance exercises as recovery strategies as younger adults and, as a result, are generally better at controlling their balance than their inactive peers.

How can you maintain good balancing skills? San Diego physical therapist Deborah Ellison, PT, an expert in functional exercise design, offers these tips and balance exercises:

1. Improve Your Cardiovascular Fitness. Improvements in this area will contribute to better gait, cardiovascular health, weight control, motor control, self-confidence and other factors that impact and strengthen your balance.

2. Practice Single-Leg Standing, or Yoga Balancing Postures. Start by standing on a solid floor and then progress to working on a thick carpet or soft foam surface. Also do side-to-side movements, such as side-to-side step touches or small squats, moving to the right or left. To add more challenge, use a wobble board (a device used by physical therapists that consists of a circular board on an unstable base), curbs, stairs or inclines.

3. Try Tai Chi, Qi Gong (Chi Kung) or Hatha Yoga Classes. These offer gradual and consistent balance exercises and training.

4. Practice Shifting Your Weight From Side to Side. If you stand on two digital scales, one under each foot, you will be able to tell how much weight is on each side. As you progress in this balance exercise, change the base of support by moving the scales closer together or placing them on a diagonal. With your feet still on the scales, you can also try sitting, standing or lifting an object from the floor.

5. Practice Walking Faster and Stepping Over Objects in Your Path. This will help improve speed and decrease hesitancy.

6. Improve Your Flexibility. Take stretching classes and learn how to do a stretching routine at home. Stretching exercises help increase your range of motion, particularly at the shoulder, torso, hip and ankle. Using a fitness ball will contribute to better pelvic mobility .

7. Improve Overall Strength. Lower-leg strength is particularly important for walking, maintaining dynamic balance and preventing falls. With the aid of a fitness professional, develop a complete strength program that will help you both reduce falls and recover from them.

8. Build Your Self-Confidence. Fitness programs increase your confidence and decrease your fear and apprehension about falling, thereby reducing your overall muscle tension. Develop your skills and your confidence by doing drills in which you negotiate curbs and stairs, and walk along a taped line while carrying cups of water.

9. Consult Your Physician. In some cases, custom-made orthotics (devices worn inside shoes) can help with balance. Also, your doctor will know if any medication you are taking may be affecting your balance.

10. Look for Professionals and Programs That Specifically Address Balance. As the population ages, balance exercises and training is becoming a more common component of fitness programs and services offered by personal trainers and physical therapists. Find a program that works for you.

Staying Grounded

Keep safety in mind as you practice balance exercises and training. Make sure walls, chairs or other objects are nearby to use for support, and do not practice balance exercises that are too challenging for you without the help of a professional.

No single factor is responsible for balance loss, Ellison notes, so it is important to participate in an integrated physical activity program that includes cardiovascular fitness, strength training, flexibility workouts, coordination work and balance exercises. In general, doing cross training and trying new activities–even simple ones, such as biking–will help you maintain your physical abilities as you age.

Get some guidance on this topic below from exercise experts Johndavid Maes, MS, a recent graduate in exercise science at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque (UNMA), and exercise physiologist for Lovelace Sandia Health Systems, and Len Kravitz, PhD, senior exercise physiologist for IDEA, and the coordinator of exercise science and a researcher at UNMA.

Cardiovascular Exercise

Before you begin any exercise program, it’s important to get medical clearance from your doctor. You may also want to work with a certified personal fitness trainer who can design a safe program for you and teach you how to warm up your muscles and prepare your joints before cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility exercise.

Use the following strategies for cardiovascular exercise:

• Incorporate smooth, rhythmic activities that use the large muscle groups.

• Avoid high-impact exercises that might stress the affected joints.

• Exercise 3–5 days per week.

• Exercise at an intensity of 60–80 percent of maximum heart rate.

• Depending on your fitness level, you might begin with as little as 5 minutes of cardiovascular activity and gradually progress to 30 minutes.

• When progressing, increase duration before intensity.

• Try walking, rowing, swimming, cycling and aquatic workouts. If possible, vary activities. Lower the resistance setting for activities such as cycling, rowing and elliptical training, when exercising affected joints.

Resistance Training

A well-designed resistance training program can help you strengthen the muscle groups around the affected joints, thereby offering protection and stabilization, improving shock absorption and reducing the mechanical stresses that can accelerate cartilage degeneration. A sound program should incorporate all the major muscle groups, not just those supporting the joints affected by arthritis. Use these tips for strength training:

• Avoid exercises that increase joint pain.

• Establish a frequency of 2–3 days per week. Allow 24 hours between sessions for recovery.

• If you haven’t exercised for a long time, begin with just 2–3 repetitions, and gradually progress to 10–12.

• Try free weights, weight machines, isometrics and/or elastic bands.

• Avoid high-repetition, high-resistance exercises that cause a greater force impact on affected joints.

Flexibility Exercise

Stretching and active and passive range-of-motion exercises can help you maintain and improve mobility. Consider these strategies for flexibility training:

• Precede sessions with a thorough warm-up to increase internal body temperature and circulation.

• Incorporate flexibility work as often as every day.

• Give special attention to the lower back, hamstrings, calves and front of the shoulders.

• Include static stretches, holding for 10–30 seconds. Stretches may be repeated 1–4 times.

Fuel Use During Exercise

You use both fat and carbohydrates for energy during exercise, with these two fuels providing that energy on a sliding scale. During exercise at a very low intensity (e.g., walking), fat accounts for most of the energy expenditure. As exercise intensity increases up to the lactate threshold (the exercise intensity that marks the transition between exercise that is almost purely aerobic and exercise that includes a significant anaerobic contribution; also considered the highest sustainable aerobic intensity), the contribution from fat decreases while the contribution from carbohydrates increases. When exercising just below the lactate threshold, you are using mostly carbohydrates. Once the intensity of exercise has risen above the lactate threshold, carbohydrates become the only fuel source.

If you exercise long enough (1.5–2 hours), your muscle carbohydrate (glycogen) content and blood glucose concentration become low. This metabolic state presents a threat to the muscles’ survival, since carbohydrates are muscles’ preferred fuel. When carbohydrates are not available, the muscles are forced to rely on fat as fuel.

Since more fat is used at low exercise intensities, people often assume that low-intensity exercise is best for burning fat, an idea that has given birth to the “fat-burning zone.” However, while only a small amount of fat is used when exercising just below the lactate threshold, the rate of caloric expenditure and the total number of calories expended are much greater than they are when exercising at a lower intensity, so the total amount of fat used is also greater.

The Bottom Line

For fat and weight loss, what matters most is the difference between the number of calories you expend and the number of calories you consume. Fat and weight loss is about burning lots of calories and cutting back on the number of calories consumed. For the purpose of losing weight, it matters little whether the calories burned during exercise come from fat or carbohydrates.

Workouts for Fat Loss

To maximize your fat loss, try these workouts. For assistance in designing effective, safe workouts, consult with a certified personal trainer.

Go Hard

A great way to perform high-intensity exercise and decrease your body fat percentage is through interval training, which breaks up the work with periods of rest. Not only does interval training allow you to improve your fitness quickly; it is also more effective than continuous exercise for burning lots of calories during exercise and increasing your postworkout metabolic rate. Try one or two of these workouts each week:

• 5–6 x 3 minutes at 95%–100% maximum (max) heart rate (HR) with 2-minute active recovery periods
• 4 x 4 minutes at 95%–100% max HR with 3-minute active recovery periods
• 8–12 x 30 seconds fast with 1-minute active recovery periods

Each of these interval workouts should include a warm-up and a cool-down.

Go Very Long

Long runs or bike rides (≥ 1.5–2 hours at 65%–70% max HR) that stimulate mitochondrial synthesis and promote the depletion of glycogen threaten the muscles’ survival, since carbohydrates are muscles’ preferred fuel. In response to this threat, muscles “learn” how to use fat more effectively and over time become better fat-burning machines.