FitSugar

Fit Tip: Shhh . . . Work Out Quietly

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:30:00 -0800

One thing I have learned from Pilates and yoga is that moving slowly with precision and finesse is a lot more work than heedlessly throwing your body around. One way to work on your control (one of the fundamentals of Pilates) is to listen to yourself. If you are running on a treadmill and stomping all kinds of crazy, you are not working your control or your core. Pull up your abs, engage the pelvic floor, and try to run as quietly as possible; this will also take some of the stress out of your leg joints, too, making it a win/win situation.

Say you’re doing some plyometric jump training, make those landings as soft as possible. When you can no longer land without making a big noise, you should stop what you are doing and move onto another exercise. Form over quantity is always the rule with plyometric training. Listening to your landings can help you gauge your technique.

When practicing lunges, make your step forward or back as controlled as possible. Don’t fling your feet out away from you. Working with quiet control means you’re engaging your core muscles to help spread the work and impact around.

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Get In Gear: New Balance 1010 Running Shoe

FitSugar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 12:00:00 -0700

Are you prone to pronation? This is when you run, stand or walk with too much weight on the insides of your feet. Pronation is problematic because the gait pattern established in your feet affects your body all the way up the kinetic chain (The foot bone's connected to the shin bone...) and what happens at your feet, does not just stay at your feet. More simply put: Pronation can cause overuse injuries in other parts of your body other than just your feet.

So, if you run and you pronate, you need to wear a stable shoe. One that keeps your foot aligned and helps inhibit your tendency towards pronation, and I am happy to say I have found a shoe that does the trick splendidly: The New Balance 1010.

This shoe is designed with "Roll Bar" that prevents you from pronating. Plus, they are roomy in the foot box, so they're great if you have wide feet or bunions. The sole is designed to provide optimal shock absorption and you can really feel it with each step. While it might not be the lightest running shoe because it's made for runners with larger frames, it is only 11.9 ounces. What's more? The shoe also breathes well, which means you can put in those long runs and your feet should still stay cool. Buy them from Road Runner Sports for ~~$109.99~~ $98.99. Your feet can thank me later.

Fit's Tip: For the best fit, it is recommended that you buy these sneaks at least half a size up.

Pilates and Control

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 02:30:00 -0700

It is no joke that Joe Pilates nicknamed his exercise method Contrology, as in the study of control. While it is easy to mock for sounding so very anal retentive, it is actually a great movement principal to use in most forms of exercise.
Labeled a body / mind exercise, Pilates is about consciously moving your body with control. Haphazard and sloppy movement is a serious no-no in the Pilates method, in both the mat work and when using the machines. Focusing on motions emanating from your core helps you control the movements of your body. Basically you never really get to give into momentum in Pilates instead you control the momentum. You move your body actively and stabilize your core while your limbs move all about.

This movement fundamental can be applied to almost everything. I like to use it when I am lifting weights either free weights or weight machines. Slow and controlled lift up and slow and controlled lowering. If I am trying out a new piece of cardio equipment like the StepMill, I know I have figured out the basics when I can start focusing on this element of control. Step aerobics is another place to finely tune control. Step quietly on the step and you are using control.

Fit's Tip: Being conscious of your body movements while working out is great for injury prevention. Flinging free weights about is a sure fire way to over tax your joints.

Stress, Your Work Place and Control

FitSugar — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 16:15:00 -0800

Usually when I write about control it is in relationship to a Pilates move, but researchers on job burnout study control as well. Twenty years ago, psychologists believed that lack of control and high workloads were the main workplace stress inducers. Christina Maslach, a researcher based at UC Berkeley, begs to differ with that old line of thought.

According to her recent research there are more subtle factors. Job burnout and workplace stress can be products of mismatched values between employer and employee. A vacuum of information, silence on how big decisions are made, can be a major stress trigger for most employees. Plus the schism in values can lead to emotional strain, Maslach says:

"...having to operate in conflict with your values. Do you need to shade the truth to get authorization from the insurance company? Are you selling things that you know people don't really need?"

So if you are experiencing a sense of loss around your job - lost energy, lost enthusiasm and lost confidence, you may want to consider looking for a new place to work - a place that shares your values. Avoid burn out - Life is too short.

Are Occasional Breaks From the Pill Necessary?

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:50:05 -0700

Almost every woman I know has been on the pill at some point in her life, and many of us started when we were under 20 years old. It has many health benefits, such as preventing unwanted pregnancies, decreasing the risk of ovarian cancer, and alleviating PMS symptoms. The one big negative about the pill is that statistics show being on it for longer than 10 years puts you at a higher risk for breast cancer. Women may also be worried that taking hormones for so long may affect their chances of having a baby in the future. So does it make sense to take regular vacations from the pill to give your body some hormone-free time?

To find out if this is a good idea, read more.

While it's common to think that taking occasional breaks from the pill is beneficial for your body, it's actually not necessary. It's a myth that may have started a while back, since the very first birth control pills contained high doses of hormones. Today's pills contain a much lower amount so they're completely safe to take for years at a time. Doctors actually think it's healthier for your body to remain on the pill. The fluctuations in hormones can have a negative effect on your body, both physically and emotionally. Plus, all the symptoms you experienced when you first started the pill such as moodiness, sore breasts, or yeast infections may show up again.

What about your fertility? You may be worried that staying on the pill continuously for many years will make it harder to get pregnant when you decide to start a family. There's no evidence that being on the pill has any effect on a woman's future ability to conceive - it merely prevents pregnancy while a woman is on it. In fact, regularly going on and off the pill may increase your chances of having an unplanned pregnancy since your protection isn't consistent.

Most importantly, if you've been on the pill forever, you'll be happy to know that as soon as you go off it your risk for developing breast cancer begins to go back to normal over time. If you're worried about your risk, or the whole idea of putting hormones in your body doesn't sit well with you, talk to your doctor about hormone-free alternatives such as the ParaGard IUC. A permanent vacation from the pill might be the better option, as opposed to a break.

What Do You Use For Birth Control?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:30:19 -0700

It might seem like I have ~~sex~~ birth control on the brain. Last week I asked you about your experience or lack thereof with the female condom. Although it's most often talked about in intimate settings, birth control is in the news.

Concerns are being raised about the safety of the Yaz birth control pill, the top selling pill in the US, according to the New York Times. Women taking Yaz might have a higher chance of developing blood clots compared to other birth control pills, a claim that drug maker Bayer disputes. Investigation is ongoing, as are 74 lawsuits charging that Yaz and Yasmin, a similar product by Bayer, created health problems in women taking these pills. The lawsuits are tricky business though, since warnings about clots are presented in the pharmaceuticals' literature. Bayer strongly stands behind its product.

These new fears about the most commonly used contraceptive pill in America emphasize that avoiding pregnancy can be a difficult task, sometimes with medical consequences. I am curious about you . . .

Smarter Eats: Use Smaller Plates and Grab It to Go

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:30:34 -0700

I grew up in a house where I was told to clean my plate. Not always a bad thing but it stuck with me for many years, even after serving sizes kept growing. I'm also a fast eater, something I've been working on, but I sometimes overeat before realizing I am full. A few things I've done to help kick my habits are using smaller plates and always taking food to go.

After inheriting some dishware from my grandmother I noticed that the dinner plates used during her era are much smaller than the ones we use today. I now use these dishes at home, which has reduced my portion size - yet I'm just as satisfied after every meal. Scientists confirmed that the brain takes visual cues when it comes to eating. If we see it, we somehow believe that we have to eat it and will end up feeling unsatiated even if we're physically full.

Portion sizes are out of control in restaurants. To remedy this I usually have half of my meal packed up to enjoy as lunch the next day. I don't go out of my way to starve myself, but it's always pretty obvious when you're given too much food at one sitting. If it's a restaurant I frequent a lot and know that the portion is going to be big, I ask my server ahead of time to make me a doggie bag before the plate even gets to my table.

Has Birth Control Affected Your Weight?

FitSugar — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0800

As if there weren't enough factors to worry about in the weight control battle, some varieties of birth control can disturb a balance we may have achieved. In a recent interview, Dancing With the Stars celebrity Cheryl Burke spoke about her weight fluctuation and said, "I decided over the Summer to stop taking birth control pills. I did it thinking that I was going to lose more weight for the season. But it actually did the opposite. It made me gain weight."

It's the first I've heard of someone going off birth control and gaining weight - most women I know have either maintained or lost a few pounds. One way or another, has birth control affected the number on your scale?

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Portion Control Quiz

FitSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Portion control can be hard and downright confusing, and we all fall prey to portion distortion every once in a while. There are small tricks we can all learn to make it a little easier on our minds, and our waistlines. Take this little quiz to see how well you have your portion sizes down.

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Take the quiz

Birth control pill - series

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 19:43:34 -0700

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HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Normal female anatomy

The internal female reproductive organs include the uterus, ovaries, cervix and vagina. These organs are necessary to produce a successful pregnancy. To prevent pregnancy, birth control pills affect how these organs normally function.

FSH and LH from pituitary gland

Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenizing Hormone (LH) stimulate the ovary into producing a ripe egg ready for fertilization by sperm during a normal ovulation cycle.

Release of estrogen

During a normal menstrual cycle, hormones stimulate the ovary causing an egg to ripen. The uterine lining thickens preparing itself for implantation of a fertilized egg and the cervical mucus thins to help sperm reach the egg.

Release of LH

The estrogen in the body cause the pituitary gland to release LH stimulating the ovary to produce a ripe egg.

Birth control pill

The lower levels of estrogen in birth control pills supress FSH and LH "fooling" the pituitary gland into thinking a woman is pregnant. Ovulation will then not occur which prevents pregnancy.

Progestin in pill

The progesterone in birth control pills creates a thick cervical mucus making it difficult for sperm to reach the uterus. It also impedes an egg from attaching itself to the uterine lining (endometrium) because of changes in the cellular structure of the lining.

Review Date: 5/6/2007

Reviewed By: Rachel A. Lewis, MD, FAAP, Columbia University Pediatric Faculty Practice, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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