The Encore Fitness Blog Resources and information from top Las Vegas personal trainers, fitness and dietary experts. Carol Strom.

March 24, 2012

Army Steps Up Efforts to Get New Troops Fit

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Shape Up, Soldier!

Soldiers can still find pancakes on the chow line at the U.S. Army’s Fort Leonard Wood training facility in Missouri. But now they’re made with whole-grain batter — adding more fiber and protein.

Courtesy from NPR Health

The new focus on nutrition is part of a ‘Fueling the Soldier’ initiative that aims to teach soldiers to make healthier choices during military training and in combat.

 

“The Army must treat our soldiers as tactical athletes to improve not only physical training but also trying to get them to adapt the right nutritional aspects to help prepare them for the battlefield and for their life,” Lt. Gen. Mark  Hertling said in a statement.

Hertling is overseeing an overhaul of physical readiness training. In fact, the Army is tossing out the old training manuals, and taking a new approach to basic training.

Gone are the long endurance runs, which officials say can lead to injuries in new recruits who aren’t accustomed to the mileage.

Instead, soldiers will be coached by trainers to do a whole range of exercises that build core strength, flexibility and endurance. Training will be tailored to a soldier’s level of fitness.

A new cafeteria Fort Leonard Wood was also unveiled today. As soldiers walk down the cafeteria line, they see foods marked with red, yellow or green labels.

Green marks high-performance foods, and posters nudge the soldiers to “Go For Green” frequently.

In addition, the cooks have turned off fryers and started baking more entrees. They’re also adding lots of ‘nutrient-dense’ menu options made from fresh food.

To help reinforce these messages, drill sergeants will give one-hour courses in “performance nutrition.” Maybe Shots can invite them over for dinner with our kids?

Why the change in approach? Well, army recruits mirror the general population, which is trending toward the ‘heavier’ side—to put it politely.

More than 9 million Americans of prime recruiting age are too heavy to join up, according to Mission: Readiness, a group of retired senior military officials pushing for better fitness for young people.

Enlisted men and women are no exception. A 2008 Department of Defense survey found that 38 percent of people enrolled in the military health system were overweight or obese.

The new training plan incorporates physical therapists and sports trainers at the unit level to promote proper techniques and injury prevention

If you’d like to see how the Army is putting its soldier-as-athlete model into action, you can download a free iPhone app called “Army Physical Readiness Training.” It was developed by programmers at the U.S. Army Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, Ga.

The Army plans to make the changes at its other training installations in Fort Sill, Okla.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Jackson, S.C.; and Fort Knox, Ky. in the coming months

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Original Article from NPR Health

March 22, 2012

Hot Salsa Tip

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Hot Salsa!

Did you know that salsa has surpassed ketchup as America’s favorite condiment? Salsa can spice up all kinds of bland meals. Stir in a jar of your favorite salsa to add some zing to a pot of kidney, white, pinto, red or black beans; then top with a dollop of sour cream for a unique, high-fiber side dish.

March 19, 2012

6 Fitness Tips to Follow While Traveling

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If on the whole you make the effort to eat healthy and have an effective exercise regime, you are likely to be concerned that any travel plans will derail this process. So here are some tips that will help you continue with your fitness programs even when you travel.

1. Do some homework before you leave. Check if the hotel that you plan to stay in has gym facilities or a pool and so on (depending upon your preferred workout activity).

2. Remember to pack workout clothes and shoes. This will remind you to work out and also make it convenient to hit the gym or simply head out for a walk wherever you are staying.

Workout shoes can be bulky so rather than carrying them in your baggage, you can simply wear them when you travel and instead pack the other less bulky shoes into your bag.

3. Carry a jump rope or a couple of dumbbells or kettle bells with you. A session with the jump rope can be a really strenuous workout in a short time, and doing a few weights with dumbbells or even lifting some bottles of bottled water can be a good workout.

4. Do other exercises that don’t need equipment – pushups, leg raises, squats, lunges and stair climbing are all easy to do wherever you are.

5. When eating out, order items that are steamed, grilled or poached. Avoid the items that are fried or calorie rich – if it says ‘crispy’ or ‘golden’, it’s probably been deep-fried, if it says ‘rich gravy or dressing’ that means high in calories too.

Also remember if it is a salad you’re ordering, ask for vinaigrette dressing rather than a cream or mayo-based one. Order small portions and opt for fruit instead of a confection at the end of the meal

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Courtesy from FitnessHealthZone

June 3, 2011

Copy your Cat!

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Are you flexible?

Some people are just naturally more flexible. Flexibility or the lack of it can be due to your genetics, gender, age, body shape, and level of physical activity.
As people grow older, they may get wiser but they also tend to lose flexibility. Sometimes the loss of flexibility is the result of inactivity, but it is also because of the aging process itself. The less active you are, the less flexible you are likely to be. And like most everything, including cardiovascular endurance and muscle strength, flexibility will improve with regular training too.

So make like cat-woman…or Katmandu… as the case may be. You need to work it like a cat; stretch and bend at least twice a day. You’ll have the flexibility to keep you purring right along. If you need a good example of how to stretch click on Zeke.

June 1, 2011

Got culture?

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Got culture? Museums, theaters and concert halls may be the ticket to a happy, healthy life

People who attended concerts, went to museums, and engaged in cultural activities in general were happier and healthier in a recent study. (Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)

The secret to a healthy, happy life may be found at an art gallery, movie theater or concert hall. (It might even be in church, a baseball stadium or gym.) At least if you live in Norway.
A study of more than 50,000 Norwegian men and women found that those involved in cultural activities — either “receptive” activities like attending a concert or a baseball game or “creative” ones like playing in a band or working out — were more likely to be satisfied with their lives and to say they were in good health. They were also less likely to experience anxiety or depression.

The particular activities that made a difference were a little different for men and women. For instance, women who attended sporting events were more likely to report being in “good” or “very good” health. For men, involvement with anyreceptive cultural activity, including visiting a museum or going to the theater, was linked with “good” or “very good” perceived health.

With regard to depression, both men and women had lower scores if they participated in clubs, outdoor activites or worked out. Women also had lower scores if they went dancing, and men also had lower scores if they were involved in music, singing or theater.

Generally speaking, the more people engaged in various cultural activities, the better their scores:

“In both women and men, a dose-response effect was indicated,” the researchers wrote. “The frequency of cultural particpation and the number of different activities were positively associated with good health, SWL (satisfaction with life), a lower anxiety score and a lower depression score.”

Of course, people who earn more money were more likely to take part in both receptive and creative cultural activities. And it’s well known that people with higher incomes are also more likely to be healthy. But the researchers found that a link between cultural partipation and health that was independent of socioeconomic status.

April 30, 2011

Tall, obese men at higher risk for blood clots

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Tall men, especially if they are obese, are at a greater risk for blood clots than shorter, normal-weight men, suggests a new study. (AFP / Getty Images / April 29, 2011)

Tall and obese men appear more likely to develop venous thromboemoblism, which can lead to a potentially lethal blood clot in the lungs, according to a study published Thursday.

Researchers from the University of Tromso in Norway analyzed height and weight data from 26,714 people and assessed the incidence of venous thromboembolism over 12-1/2 years. In that time, 461 people developed the condition, in which a blood clot (or thrombosis) forms in a deep vein, usually in the thigh, and can move into an artery in the lung. Here’s a basic explanation of the condition fromPatient Health International and a detailed look, including risk factors, from Cleveland Clinic.

In the lung, the clot (called a pulmonary embolism) blocks blood supply and can lead to death. The American Heart Assn. offers this look at venous thromboembolism incidence and fatality statistics.

It begins: “Venous thromboembolism occurs for the first time in about 100 per 100,000 persons each year in the United States. About one third of patients with symptomatic VTE manifest pulmonary embolism, whereas two thirds manifest deep-vein thrombosis alone.”

The new research suggests that being either obese or tall, or the combination, puts men at greater risk for the condition compared to short (5 feet 7.7 inches or shorter), normal-weight men. Men who were obese and taller than 5 feet 11.7 inches were at fivefold greater risk of a blood clot, and men who were tall but of normal weight had a 2.6 times greater risk. Short, obese men had a 2.1 greater risk than short normal-weight men for a blood clot.

Yes, women too: Obese women, short or tall, had a slightly greater risk of a blood clot, scientists reported in Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology. Tall normal-weight women didn’t have increased risk.

Obesity is already a well-known risk factor for deep-vein thrombosis, but researchers aren’t sure why tall people would be more prone to such clots. The lead author of the study, Sigrid Braekkan, offers an explanation in a press release:

“In tall people the blood must be pumped a longer distance by the calf-muscle pump, which may cause reduced flow in the legs and thereby raise the risk of clotting,” Braekkan said.

There’s nothing a man can do about his height, so researchers say big men – and short ones, of course — should try to stay slim.

In the meantime, here are a few tips for preventing blood clots from the Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality:

— Don’t remain sedentary for more than an hour.

— On plane trips, get up from your seat and move around.

— Try not to cross your legs

— Wear loose-fitting clothing

— Reduce salt in your diet

And here are some tips from the same agency on preventing venous thromboembolsim in the hospital. There, it’s the most common cause of preventable death.

April 12, 2011

Does Dieting Make You Angry And Stressed?

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The idea of reaching for a stick of celery when all you really want is a big slice of chocolate cake, would probably make most people a little grumpy.

And, according to results published in the Journal of Consumer Research, exerting self-control while dieting can in fact make people feel angry and irritable.

The researchers set up four experiments to compare the attitudes of volunteers who were on a diet, with those who ate what they wanted. They found that:

  • Participants who choose an apple over a bar of chocolate were more likely to choose movies which had angry, revenge-filled plots.
  • Those who choose a gift certificate for groceries rather than one for a spa service, showed more interest in looking at angry faces as opposed to more fearful ones.
  • And, in an other experiment, people who chose a healthy snack instead of a less healthy one were more irritated by a public service advert promoting exercise.

Interestingly, the researchers have linked these feelings of irritation, stress, and anger to the act of exerting self-control while dieting, rather than the “dieting” itself.

The researchers point out that public policy makers should be more aware of the potential negative emotions, which can result when the public are encouraged to exert more self control over their daily choices.

What about you — does being on a diet make you feel more irritated or angry? How do you make healthy food choices without feeling like you’re denying yourself?
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Article Courtesy from: diet-blog
Image courtesy by: Kreutziana

March 29, 2011

Sleep patterns affect weight loss

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Is shedding weight harder while stressed or missing sleep?

Managing sleep and stress levels can help in the battle against obesity, according to scientists in the US.

People getting too little or too much sleep were less likely to lose weight in a six month study of 472 obese people.

Their report in the International Journal of Obesity showed that lower stress levels also predicted greater weight loss.

A UK sleep expert said people need to “eat less, move more and sleep well”.

Approximately a quarter of adults in the UK are thought to be clinically obese, which means they have a Body Mass Index greater than 30.

Nearly 500 obese patients were recruited for the first part of a clinical trial by the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in the US.

For six months they had to eat 500 fewer calories per day, exercise most days and attend group sessions.

Weight loss

The authors report that “sleep time predicted success in the weight loss programme”.

People with lower stress levels at the start also lost more weight.

The researchers added: “These results suggest that early evaluation of sleep and stress levels in long-term weight management studies could potentially identify which participants might benefit from additional counselling.”

Dr Neil Stanley, from the British Sleep Society, said the sleep community had been aware of this for a while, but was glad that obesity experts were taking notice.

“We’ve always had the eat less move more mantra. But there is a growing body of evidence that we also need to sleep well”, he said.

“It’s also true that if you’re stressed, then you’re less likely to behave, you’ll sit at home feeling sorry for yourself, probably eating a chocolate bar.”

Dr David Haslam, chair of the National Obesity Forum, said: “It’s a great idea to find predictors of who will respond to therapy, if this is a genuine one.”

Original artwork and article courtesy from: BBC News

February 26, 2011

Many stick with fast food after heart attack: study

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It would seem logical for patients who have had a heart attack to cut back on fast food.

Some devoted fast food eaters do. But six months later, more than half can still be found at their favorite fast food places at least once a week, according to a study in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Of nearly 2,500 heart attack patients studied by John Spertus, at the University of Missouri at Kansas City, 884 — or 36 percent — reported in a survey while still hospitalized that they had eaten fast food frequently in the month before their heart attack. “Frequently” was defined as once a week or more.

When Spertus and his colleagues checked back six months later, 503 were still eating fast food every week.

“Fast food consumption by patients with AMI (acute myocardial infarction) decreased 6 months after the index hospitalization, but certain populations — including younger patients, men, those currently working, and less educated patients — were more likely to consume fast food, at least weekly, during follow-up,” he wrote.

“Novel interventions that go beyond traditional dietary counseling may be needed to address continued fast food consumption after AMI in these patients.”

But the study showed that older patients and those who had bypass surgery were more likely to be avoiding fast food six months later.

The survey did not ask what menu items people ordered, and some in the restaurant business have pointed out that fast food isn’t always limited just to burgers and fries.

But Spertus and his colleagues pointed out that the people in their study who kept eating fast food tended to have health profiles “consistent with selection of less healthy options.”

Nine out of 10 patients in the study received dietary counseling before they left the hospital, but this didn’t seem to affect that odds that frequent fast food eaters would improve their diets, and Spertus said this showed they needed more education after leaving the hospital.

“The problem is that patients are absorbing so much information at the time of their heart attack, that I just don’t think they can capture and retain all the information they’re getting,” he told Reuters Health.

Fast food restaurants in the United States will soon post calorie, fat, sodium and other nutritional information on their menus, as required by the health care law passed last year.

Already, cities such as New York and Philadelphia mandate calorie counts on menus.

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Source: http://bit.ly/eAnRdI
Image Courtesy from: Marketingpower.com

February 24, 2011

Health Tip: Cramp Got Your Leg?

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A muscle cramp occurs when a muscle involuntarily contracts. It often occurs during a sport or other exercise, but a muscle can spasm even during sleep.

The ADAM Encyclopedia offers these suggestions for alleviating or preventing a muscle cramp:

  • Stop your activity right away, and perform some gentle stretching or massage.
  • Heat the muscle while it’s cramping. Apply ice for pain later.
  • Take a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug to help manage pain.
  • Drink plenty of water, a sports drink or take a salt tablet.
  • Don’t push yourself beyond your limit while working out.
  • Be sure to include enough potassium in your diet.
  • Stretch your muscles regularly.

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Article from HealthDay News
Image from LegCrampsRemedy.com

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