July 2010 Fitness News & Views

Fitness News & Views

A Publication of Graham Fitness

July 15, 2010

1 Corinthians 6: 19-20

Are you planning on taking part in the Marine Challenge Mud Run this year? If so, you should sign up for my Mud Run Prep Boot Camp. This was my most popular boot camp last year. It will prepare you to perform your best in the Mud Run which is scheduled for September 25th.

The Mud Run Prep Boot Camp begins on August 7th and runs 7 consecutive Saturday’s through September 18th. Each session is one hour and the boot camp includes trail runs, hills, obstacles, and similar challenges to what you will face at the actual event.

The cost is $110 for boot camp rookies and $89 for all boot camp veterans. Sign up now by calling me at 803-749-3461 or emailing tim@grahamfitness.com. Find out more by visiting my website boot camp page at http://www.grahamfitness.com/boot-camp-fitness.htm. You do not have to pay until the first boot camp session on August 7.

Newsletter Preview

In this issue of ″Fitness News & Views″ you will find answers to the following questions:

• How can you turn hamburgers and hot dogs into healthy summer foods?
• What five precautions should you use when exercising in Columbia heat?
• What simple 10-second test gives you a great evaluation of your overall health?
• And what five fruits are the healthiest?

In addition, we′ll take a look at a ridiculous rule in a Canadian youth soccer league. This is ″fairness″ gone haywire. We′ll break down the World Cup and soccer in general. And we′ll discuss exercising while on vacation.

Now where else can you get all that info packed into two pages you can read in less than 10 minutes? So read it and pass it on. Thanks!

     One of my clients sent me a news item a while back, and it is so outlandish, I thought I′d pass it along. A Canadian youth soccer league had a mercy rule that said any points scored by a team with a five-point differential over an opposing team would not be counted. Obviously, the reasoning is that a five-point lead is insurmountable, and there is no need to demoralize the other team by adding on more points.
     But apparently that wasn′t enough. The league in question, the Gloucester Dragons Recreational Soccer League, has decided that from now on any team with a five-point lead will forfeit the game if they score another goal. The league which has more than 3000 participants ranging in age from 4 to 18 said they just want to make the game fair for everyone.
     Hey, I′m a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball fan. Maybe the Major Leagues could adopt this rule. With it in place, the Pirates might achieve a winning season. Seriously, how ridiculous can you get?

      While we′re talking about soccer, as I write this, the World Cup continues ad infinitum, but by the time you read this, it will be over mercifully, and either Spain or Holland will be celebrating a victory. Good for them.
     The fact that soccer is the number one game in the world tells me more about the rest of the world than it tells me about sports. This game is more boring than watching your grandmother knit.
     Just for fun, I analyzed the first 60 World Cup matches played so far. In all those matches, there were 134 points scored. That′s 2.23 points per match for both teams combined!
     This is a game where referees can make phantom calls with no accounting and add extra minutes that only they know about. It′s a game with little or no strategy. Teams run up and down the field hoping to kick the ball in the net at some point, which they almost never do. And all the while, those incessant horns of South Africa blare away.
     I know I′m not one to judge soccer, since I basically can′t stand the game, and I haven′t actually watched two minutes of any match to date, but, hey, that doesn′t stop me from offering my humble opinion. After all, this is my newsletter.

     Summer is hamburger and hot dog season, what with grilling out and picnics and such. We normally think of dogs and burgers as being less than healthy fare, but actually both can be very healthy with a few simple modifications and additions.
     First, choose all beef franks which are healthier and leaner than pork. For burgers, use leaner meat or better yet, turkey burgers. Use whole wheat buns instead of white bread.
     Now for the condiments and accessories. Here is where you can really add nutrients to your hamburgers and hot dogs. Skip the chili on the dogs, but load up on onions, one of nature′s healthiest vegetables. Add plenty of ketchup. Ketchup is loaded with lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants fight plaque buildup in the arteries and many types of cancer. Now add some hot sauce, like Tobasco or Texas Pete, and plenty of black pepper. The capsaicin in hot sauce not only helps curb your appetite so you eat less, but may also help relieve the pain of arthritis and other joint ailments. Black pepper is now known to help prevent some cancers. Finally, to make that hot dog really healthy, dress it up with sauerkraut, which is chocked full of probiotics, which keep the digestive system working properly.
     With burgers, in addition to onions, you can add tomatoes and lettuce, preferably the green leaf or Romaine varieties. Both tomatoes and lettuce are filled with beneficial nutrients. Again, add the hot sauce and black pepper.
     For a side dish, try baked beans (not cooked with pork) or a tossed salad with plenty of fresh vegetables, or a light potato salad, and use the black pepper liberally. Now eat up with no guilt.

     Working out in the summer can be dangerous if you don′t take a few precautions. Heat exhaustion is a fairly common problem when you’re exercising outdoors in Columbia in the summertime. Here are a few suggestions to minimize the dangers:
     First, acclimatize to the weather. The normal change of seasons is the best way to acclimatize. If you run or exercise outdoors all year long, the mild spring weather will help you adapt to the hot weather ahead. Otherwise, start easy and work up to higher intensities as your body adjusts to the heat.
     Second, exercise in the shade preferably in the mornings or afternoons when it is not as hot. Find a good place to exercise that is all or mostly shady in hot weather. In Columbia, the two best places I′ve found are the streets of Shandon and Saluda Shoals Park.
     Third, wear wicking clothing instead of cotton. Your body cools when sweat evaporates. Wicking fabrics aid this process. Cotton doesn′t. Guys can get away with exercising shirtless, although many shouldn′t.
     Fourth, don′t let yourself get dehydrated. Drink substantial amounts of water before, during, and after exercising.
     Finally, monitor your body. If you feel yourself getting light-headed or nauseous, stop and rest.

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     I′m a fan of motivational quotes. Here are a few I′ve run across over the years:
     °We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act, but a
      habit. – Aristotle
     °A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn’t will find
      an excuse. – Stephan Dolley, Jr.
     °Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
      Run in such a way as to get the prize. – I Corinthians 9:24
     °There are no short cuts to anyplace worth going. – Unknown
     °Your stomach shouldn′t be a waste basket. – Unknown
     °Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom
      you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.
      Therefore honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
     °Our health always seems much more valuable after we lose it. – Unknown
     °Take care of your body. It′s the only place you have to live. – Jim Rohn
     °The difference between try and triumph is just a little umph. – Marvin Phillips
     °Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can′t,
     you’re right. – Henry Ford
     °We do not stop exercising because we grow old. We grow old because we stop
      exercising. – Dr. Kenneth Cooper

      This is vacation season, but don′t let that hinder your exercise routine. Some of my best and most memorable workouts, whether running or lifting, were while I was on a vacation or weekend outing. Believe it or not, the best equipped gym I′ve ever worked out in was in Beaufort. My wife and I were down there for a weekend, and I looked it up in the phone book. Almost every town in the country has a fitness center and you can usually pay a modest one day fee and get in a great workout.
     I’ve run around ancient Roman ruins in Spain, up and down the main street of Williamsburg, Virginia, and in Central Park. I′ve run on the beach and in the mountains. I′ve run the streets of Cooperstown, New York, and Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Seaside, Florida. And these experiences remain with me today. I doubt the memory of an extra hour′s sleep in a motel room bed would be as vivid.
     Remember, the Stephan Dolley quote above: ″A man who wants something will find a way; a man who doesn′t will find an excuse.″ Don′t let being away from home be an excuse for you not to exercise.

     Everybody should be concerned about belly fat, not just because it′s unattractive, but because it′s unhealthy. Carrying excess fat around your waist puts severe stress on internal organs and can lead to serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, breast cancer in women, diabetes, and colorectal cancer.
     A tape measure can tell you whether you are in the danger zone. Measure your waist around the navel. Don′t suck in your stomach. The tape should be level all the way around, not slanted like many men wear their pants. If your waist measurement is 35 inches or more for women or 40 inches or more for men, it′s time to take some steps to lose some inches.
     Unfortunately, we can′t spot reduce, so overall weight loss is the key to a smaller waist. This involves exercise and diet. Begin an exercise program after consulting with your doctor to make sure you can, and immediately begin a sensible diet. By a sensible diet, I mean a lifestyle change involving healthy foods and moderate portions. If you don′t think you can do it by yourself, contact me, and I′ll help you develop an exercise program and an eating plan to get you started. Don′t wait. Your health is in jeopardy.

     Summer is fruit season, and there are not many foods healthier than fruits. Let′s take a look at the 5 healthiest fruits in order.
     First on the list are blueberries which are rich in cancer fighting antioxidants. They also contain compounds that help prevent urinary tract infections.
     Oranges are next on the list. They are high in potassium and Vitamin C. Even the scent has a calming effect.
     An apple a day keeps the doctor away. The skin of apples is high in fiber which keeps you regular and lowers cholesterol, and apples are chocked full of antioxidants.
     Bananas are high in potassium and low in sodium. They can lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke and may even help prevent stomach ulcers.
     Fifth on the list are kiwis. Ounce for ounce, kiwis contain twice as much Vitamin C as oranges and in addition they may lower the risk of cataracts.
     Not in the top 5, but worthy of special note are grapes, strawberries, and papayas. Of course all fruits are good for you, and most are fairly low in calories, so they make excellent snacks. Strive for at least three fruit servings a day.

Graham Fitness
Tim Graham
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Nutrition Specialist
Website: www.grahamfitness.com
Email: tim@grahamfitness.com
Phone: 803-447-8557

Harbison Recreation Center
106 Hillpine Road
Columbia, SC 29212
Phone: 781-2281

The Harbison Rec Center offers more facilities for less money than anywhere else in town These are just some of the features: a new weight room with all new machines, free weights, treadmills, ellipticals, and stationary bikes; a 25 meter junior Olympic size indoor heated swimming pool; sauna; whirlpool; racquet ball and tennis courts; a basketball gym; and miles of traffic-free trails for walking or jogging. There are classes for seniors as well as summer camp and after school programs for kids. Also newly remodeled locker rooms and an all-purpose room for large gatherings. All for only $315 a year for singles or $600 a year for families.

Wolf′s Fitness Center
5432 August Road
Lexington, SC 29072
Phone: 356-6400

Wolf′s is a total fitness facility offering some great amenities. There′s a huge recently expanded weight room featuring free weights and machines. There is a cardio area with treadmills, ellipticals, stationary bikes, stair steppers, and the cardio theater. Other amenities include an indoor walking/running track, sauna, child care facilities with an attendant, tanning beds, showers, locker rooms, and sports supplements. Prices are very reasonable and there are no enrollment fees ever. Wolf′s also offers a full slate of fitness classes including kickboxing and pilates, as well as all new spinning classes .
Check out their website, www.wolfsfitness.com.